A WORKEMAN That NEEDETH NOT TO BE ASHAMED OR The faithfull Steward of Gods house A Sermon describing the duety of a godly MINISTER both in his DOCTRINE and in his LIFE By CHARLES RICHARDSON Preacher at S. KATHARINES neere the Tower of LONDON LVKE 12.42 Who is a faithfull and wise Steward whom his Lord shall make ruler ouer his houshold to giue them their portion of meate in due season LONDON Printed by W. Stansby for William Barret and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the three Pigeons 1616. TO MY REVEREND GOOD FRIEND MR. D. SPARKE MINISTER OF GODS WORD AT BLETCHLEY IN BVCKINGHAMSHIRE Grace and Peace SIr I present vnto you here a Sermon penned by mee concerning the duety of a Godly Minister I confesse it may be thought great presumption that I who am the least of many thousands of my brethren should take vpon me to teach others * Magis mihi discendum quam docendum Macrob. Saturn l. 1. c. 4. who stand more need to learne my selfe But I may truly say as a Sui magis admonendi quam aliorum docendi gratia lib. 16. c. 5. A. Gellius said of a certaine booke of Laelius That I writ it rather for mine owne admonition then for the instruction of others Whatsoeuer it is I am bold to publish it to the view of the world in your name both in regard of that desire I haue to testifie my thankefulnesse vnto you for the great and vndeserued kindnesse I haue many waies found at your hands especially for that as I doe willingly acknowledge you were the first that perswaded and encouraged me to enter into the Ministery and the first place which I had in the Church I had of your free gift and also in respect of that reuerence which I beare vnto your graue and venerable old Age b Venerabilis non annorum sed virtutum numero Bern. de amore Dei part 2. Venerable I say not so much in number of yeeres though they bee very many as in aboundance of vertue It is not with you as it is with too many who being decrepit with age and ready to be laid on the Beere c Senec. de breuit vitae haue no other argument to proue that they haue liued long but their gray haires and their wrinckles But you haue verified that speech of SALOMON Age is a crowne of glory Prou. 16.31 when it is found in the way of righteousnesse The paines that you haue taken in the Church 2. Tim. 4.2 in preaching the word in season and out of season as the Apostle commandeth will no doubt make you famous to posterity especially considering that euen now when your strength is spent and your body worne so as you might iustly with * Veianius armis Herculis ad postem fixis latet abditus agro Horat. Veianius long agoe haue hanged vp your armour and betaken your selfe to rest yet still you continue your wonted labour as though you desired to end your life your preaching both at once And when you shall be gathered hence as a ricke of Corne you shall suruiue in those three worthy Sonnes of yours M. Thomas Sparke of New Colledge in Oxford M. Andrew Sparke of Peter-house in Cambridge M. William Sparke of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford whom you haue beene carefull to traine vp in the Schooles of the Prophets two of them being already profitable Ministers in the Church and the third as he hath attayned to a great measure of learning so I doubt not but he will imploy it to the edification of the body of Christ. But I am not willing to detayne you with any further mention of these things I beseech you to accept of these weake meditations with the same minde and affection wherewith I offer them And howsoeuer I confesse Cypr. in Symbolum Apostolorum they be not worthy the exercise of great Diuines yet if hereby I may excite some yong beginners to the more conscionable discharge of their dueties I shall thinke my labour well bestowed I pray God still to blesse your godly labours that when you shall haue finished your course you may receiue that Crowne of righteousnesse which is laid vp for you in the Kingdome of heauen Your W. in all Christian affection CHARLES RICHARDSON Errata Page 15. lin 8. for happines reade hearers p. 21. l. 27. for and r. c. p. 23. l. 32. after find r. them p. 26. l. 14. for Trade r. flaile p. 42. l. 5. for with r. to p. 45. l. 23. put out these words and the worke is an establishment to the life p. 46. l. 27. after filthinesse r. might p 47. l. 31. for heal r. heart p. 55. l. 34. for they r. he p. 67. l. 27. for filleth r. fitteth A SERMON DESCRIBING THE DVTY OF A GODLY MINISTER 2. TIM 2.15 Study to shew thy selfe approued vnto God a Worke-man that needeth not to be ashamed diuiding the Word of truth aright THis Timotheus to whom both these Epistles are written hauing beene brought vp in the knowledge of the holy Scriptures from his cradle 2. Tim. 3.15 and hauing alwaies been faithfull in the profession of Christian Religion was therefore in very great estimation with the Apostle Paul Act. 16.3.4 20.4 Rom. 16.21 and was either one of his Companions in his peregrinations or else when the Apostle himselfe was kept in prison he imployed him as a Minister and sent him to confirme the Churches which he had planted Thus was he sent to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 4.17 1. Thes 3.2 To put them in remembrance of that which the Apostle had taught Thus was he also sent to the Thessalonians To establish them and to comfort them touching their faith For this cause 1. Cor. 4.17 16.10 Phil. 2.22 1. Thes 3.2 Act. 16.9.10.1 Tim. 1.3 wheresoeuer the Apostle maketh mention of him he doth alwayes giue him very great commendation Now when the Apostle was himselfe to depart into Macedonia where the Lord had called him by a vision to preach the Gospell he left Timotheus at Ephesus to resist the false Teachers which were crept into the Church and began to corrupt sound doctrine thereby to draw men from the sinceritie of faith And because there was not yet a sufficient number of Ministers in the Church of Ephesus to preach the Gospell therefore the Apostle giueth him authority to ordayne as many as should be needfull And for his better direction in so waighty a businesse 1. Tim. 3.15 hee writeth the former Epistle vnto him teaching him what hee is chiefly to respect in the imposition of hands and shewing who are to be admitted vnto that great and high calling and who are to be reiected And because Timotheus 2. Tim. 1.4 as a louing Schollar was much grieued and shed many teares at the departure of so kind a Master 1. Tim. 3.14 therefore to comfort him
two sorts of Ministers First of such as are altogether vnlearned and cannot at all performe this dutie which occupie a roome in the Church but haue no abilitie at all to teach the people committed to their charge These are such as Chrysostome speaketh of saying There are many Priests and there are few Priests many in name few in deed They are like that foolish Rhetorician which Tully makes mōtion of that made his scholars a great deale more sottish then when he first tooke them Where they could learne nothing but ignorance of learning And so God knoweth a number of Gods people liuing vnder such vnlearned Ministers 2. Tim. 3.17 are euer learning and can neuer come to any knowledge of the truth as the Apostle saith in another case I would all such Ministers would regard that which B. lewel speaketh to this purpose Whosoeuer In his exposition vpon 2. Thes 3.7 saith he asketh the pay of a souldier must buckle his armour and goe to warfare he that would drinke the wine must plant the Grape hee that desireth the milke must feede the flocke he that will not be muzled must thresh out the Corne he that reapeth carnall things must sow spirituall things he that requireth the bread of the earth must giue the bread of heauen hee that would liue of the sacrifice must offer the sacrifice hee that would liue of the Altar must waite at the Altar he that would liue of the Gospell must preach the Gospell Hee that doth none of all these I can make no account of him he is not within Pauls reckoning The workeman is worthy of his wages but what right hath hee to the hire that is not a workeman Thus farre Iewel And no doubt that which the Apostle saith of bodily labour is true also in this case 2. Thes 3.10.18 He that will not worke should not eate Who would haue a man to bee a Captaine in warre that is not expert in warfare or to practise Phisick or Surgerie that is not skilfull in that profession The Minister is a Captaine and a guide of Gods people a Phisicion of their soules and therefore there is great reason that he should be sufficient But they wil pleade for themselues that they are called of the Church and therfore are not to be disallowed As in deed euen the most vnworthy of them all are alwaies boasting of their calling There is nothing so much in their mouthes as that But I answere that it is most true and may not nor cannot bee denied that the calling of the Church is most necessary for the making of a Minister And though a man were furnished with as rare and excellent gifts and had as great abilitie to preach the Gospell as euer had the Apostle Paul yet hee may not take vpon him the office of a Minister in an ordinary time and in a setled gouernement of the Church vnlesse hee bee lawfully called by them that haue authoritie in the Church to ordaine Ministers Extraordinarie calling of men such as no doubt Luther had Act. 13.2 3. neuer hath place but where ordinarie calling wanteth But yet for all this the outward calling of the Church alone is not sufficient to make a Minister vnlesse he be also inwardly called of God Now the Lord calleth no man to any place but he furnisheth and fitteth him with gifts to discharge the duties of his place When he called Bezaleel and Aholiab Lxod. 31.2 3 4. to make garments and instruments for the Tabernacle hee first filled them with the Spirit of God in wisedome and in vnderstanding and in knowledge and in all workemanship To finde out curious workes to worke in gold and in siluer and in brasse c. And when Gedeon was called from his Trdde Judg. 6.3 4. to be the Captaine and deliuerer of the people of Israel it is said that the Spirit of the Lord euen the Spirit of courage and fortitude came vpon him and clad him like a garment So likewise when Saul was chosen to be King ouer Israel 1. Sam. 10.9 God gane him another heart That is a stout and a valiant heart fit for a King If God doe thus furnish men with gifts necessarie when he calleth them to offices in the Common-wealth can we doubt of the like care in him to furnish them sufficiently whom he calleth to serue in his Church in the Ministerie of his Word 1. Tim. 1.12 And this the Apostle PAVL confesseth and acknowledgeth of himselfe that as the Lord in his mercie counted him faithfull though most vnworthy hauing been before a blasphemer and a persecuter c. and put him in his seruice so also he made him strong to the performance of his dutie As he called him to preach the Gospell so he gaue him strength and abilitie to doe it with fruite and profit Hence as we haue heard before when the calling and Commission of the Prophet Is AIAH was to be renued Isei 6.6 7. his lips were touched with a coale from the Altar Ier. 1.5 9. And when the Prophet IEREMIAH was to be sent to preach vnto the Nations the Lord first touched bis mouth and said Behold I haue put my words in thy mouth c. And the Apostles Luke 24.49 before they went foorth to the execution of their office they were first endued with power frō on high And howsoeuer all these examples be extraordinarie yet still whomsoeuer the Lord calleth by ordinarie meanes hee maketh him in some measure sufficient to discharge the dutie that appertaineth vnto him And therefore vnlesse a man haue as well an inward calling from God as an outward calling from the Church hee is no true Minister he is but halfe a Minister As the Lord denounceth against the Priests in the time of the Law Hos 4.6 Because thou hastrefused knowledge I will also refuse thee that thou shalt be no Priest to me They may be Ministers to satisfie Law but they are no Ministers of God As Cyprian saith plainely Lib. 4. ep 9. They that are vnworthie are not ordained of God nor by God And therefore by the way it were to bee wished that the Gouernours of the Church to whom this authoritie to appoint Ministers is committed De consid lib. 4. would alwaies in all their ordinations remember that which Bernard writeth to Eugenius namely that they would make it their chiefest care to bring in such as after they haue brought them in they may not repent of it But to returne to these Ministers againe and to their calling Exposition in 1. Thes 2.4 Bishop IEWEL saith expresly and plainely that they that enter into the Ministerie must be allowed not of men onely but of God And therefore whosoeuer taketh that charge ouer the people must looke narrowly into himselfe and see whether his calling be of God Vnlesse he haue a testimonie that God hath called him inwardly all outward calling is to small purpose God
is more easily discerned if it be separated into parts Macrob. Satur. lib. 1. praefat It were to small purpose if a workeman had stones and timber and all other stuffe necessarie for the building of an house vnlesse hee did dispose and set euerie thing in order So likewise it is to as little purpose for a Minister to be furnished with plentiful matter of instruction for his hearers vnlesse hee obserue an orderly methode in his teaching Confusion hath euer been accounted the mother of errour And therefore in all things men are carefull to proceede in an orderly course In an armie al things are placed in due order And in a feast the Sewer doth not onely set good meat on the table but also disposeth euery thing fitly in due place and time much more should this be obserued of a Minister of the Word in the right disposing of the food of mens soules This serueth for the reproofe of those that offend against this course in the two extremes As first such as obserue no order nor methode at all in handling of the word but vtter whatsoeuer commeth on the tongues end Whereby it commeth to passe that many times they wander from their Text they know not whither and are as farre from the scope and sense of it as the East is from the West And hence also ariseth another inconuenience that they weary and tyre out their hearers by falling into odious and irkesome tautologies and repetitions wherein they often lose themselues in such sort as they cannot get out Lib. 9. declam 5. Whereas Seneca saith wittily in disgrace of such a one That it is no lesse vertue to know when to make an end then how to speake Secondly such as are ouer-curious in their diuisions A thing which Seneca condemneth in the handling of Philosophie In partes non in frusta diuidam Ep. 89. Jbid. Idem n. vitij habet nimia quod nulla diuisio Ibid. I will diuide it saith he into parts not into gobbets and It is profitable to haue it diuided not minsed And againe The parts should not bee innumerable and ouer-little For it is as great a fault to haue too many diuisions as none at all And in a word it is like to confusion whatsoeuer is cut as small as dust Much more is this a thing to be condemned in diuiding of the holy Word of God For they that are so nice in their diuisions and subdiuisions without end are euen like the horse that when hee goeth to drinke blundreth and troubleth the water with his foote which was cleare before so do these leaue the Word of God by this meanes more obscure to the poore people then they found it Let it be our care therefore to obserue a plaine and easie methode contenting our selues with the naturall diuision of the Text that our hearers in their vnderstanding may be able to follow vs from point to point as they are deliuered The third thing wherein the right diuiding of the Word consisteth is to propound and deliuer the instructions of it in such apt and fit words as the hearers may vnderstand it Thus did Ezra open the law to the people in such plaine manner as he caused them to vnderstand it Nehem. 8.3 And the Apostle Paul professeth 1. Cor. 2.4 that his preaching stood not in the intising speech of mans wisedome but in plaine euidence of the Spirit and of power Hee did not set a glosse vpon the Word by humane art as Marchants doe vpon their wares to make them more beautifull but as he saith in the same Chapter Verse 13. He did speake in words which the holy Ghost taught him comparing spirituall things with spirituall things And indeed as the Gospell proceedeth not from men but from God so it teacheth things that are aboue mans sense and reason And therefore in deliuering of the same the Minister should vse not humane but diuine eloquence Gods Word is spirituall and therefore the speech wherein it must be deliuered must also be spirituall euen taught by the Spirit And that is a plaine and an easie stile which is both most fit to carry the Word to the conscience of euery man and also to expresse the Maiestie of the Word And therefore the Apostle saith in another place that he had rather speake fine words in the Church with his vnderstanding that he might also instruct others then ten thousand wordes in a strange tongue De Doct. Chrlib 4. 1. Cor. 14.19 To which purpose Saint Augustine hath a good saying Hee that teacheth must not care with how great eloquence he teacheth but with how great euidence and plainenesse Cicera in M. Anton. Philip. 3. For what doth purenesse of speech profit which the vnderstanding of the hearer doth not follow Seeing there is no cause at all of speaking if they doe not vnderstand what wee speake for whose sake wee speake that they may vnderstand And therefore he that teacheth must shun all words that teach not This serueth to reprooue all those Horat. de art poet that thinke scorne to condescend and stoope to the capacities of the poore people but vse vaine eloquence such as the hearers cannot vnderstand As there are many that come into the Pulpit with an affected kinde of grauitie as though they were great men and with bombasted and strange new coined words labour to astonish and amaze their hearers when God knoweth the matter is so idle and vaine as that men of iudgement are almost sicke to heare it To such the common prouerbe may be applied There is great boast and little rost Ibid. These men haue little desire to edifie their hearers or to conuert soules to God when they will not speake to their vnderstanding It hath euer been accounted the best eloquence and the best Orators haue alwaies made it their chiefest care to expresse their meaning in the fittest and aptest words that could be And therfore Octauius the Emperour Sueton. in Octa. a man of excellent speech himselfe rebuketh M. Antonius as a mad man as writing such things which men might rather wonder at then vnderstand Much more is this a fault in a Minister of the Word Seneca epist 100 whose greatest defire and endeuour should bee to compose and order mans manners and not their words and to speake to the hearts and not to the eares of his hearers Affected eloquence may for a time tickle and delight the eare but it vanishethaway like the emptie sound of musicke without fruite The fourth and last thing wherein the right diuiding of the Word consisteth is to apply the same to the capacitie and seuerall necessities of the hearers Caluin in locum as if a Father should cut a loafe of bread in pieces to feede his children The doctrine must be tempered to the estate and condition of the auditorie This is the chiefe of all the rest and therfore all the Interpreters beat most vpon it as
forth labourers into his haruest De ciu Dei li. 19 c. 19. De vit morib Cleric Serm. 1. Where the same word is vsed that is in this place Whereunto agreeth that saying of S. Augustine that the office of a Minister is rather a burden then an honor Declam And Bernard saith Great is the place of Ministers in the Kingdome of God but yet there is no small labour belonging vnto them So then though the calling of a Minister bee an high and honourable calling yet it is not a calling of ease but of labour And though the worke of the ministery bee a worthy and an excellent worke yet it is a worke yea and that a painfull worke Now the worke and labour of a Minister consisteth in these three things Quandoque parum nouit nemo docere potest First in priuate studie Secondly in frequent prayer Thirdly in diligent preaching of Gods Word For the first a faithfull Minister must labor in his priuate studie that he may bee furnished with knowledge for the better discharge of his dutie Hee must first learne by studie before hee can bee fit to teach others For no man can teach that whereof hee is ignorant himselfe The Moone and the Starres first receiue light themselues from the Sun before they giue light to the inferiour creatures So must the Minister first be inlightened himselfe with the knowledge of the holy Scriptures before he can instruct others in the same No man saith Gregory presumeth to teach any Art vnlesse by diligent meditation he haue first learned it himselfe But the regiment of soules is the Art of all Arts For this cause Isa 6. 6 7. the Prophet Isaiah had his lips touched with a coale from the Altar before his commission was renued to preach to the Iewes Luke 24.45 And our Sauiour Christ first opened the vnderstandings of his Disciples that they might vnderstand the Scriptures before hee would send them forth to preach the Gospell and commanded them besides to tarrie at Ierusalem Luke 49. till they should be endued with power from an high To teach vs that howsoeuer this extraordinarie and immediate inspiring of men from heauen be now ceased yet by ordinarie studie a man must bee furnished with knowledge before hee can bee a sufficient teacher and instructer of others And this doth the Prophet require of euery Priest in the time of the Law Mal. 2.7 The Priests lippes should preserue knowledge and they should seeke the law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts Wherevpon saith Gualter Ministers must keepe the law of truth and preserue the knowledge thereof as it were in a store-house that from thence they may bring foorth all things that tend to the edification of the Church 1. Tim 3.2 2. Tim. 2.2 And the Apostle likewise requireth of the Ministers of the Gospell that they be apt and able to teach others Cyprian ad Pomp. To which purpose Cyprian hath a good saying A Minister must not onely teach but also learne himselfe because he teacheth better that learneth euery day and profiteth in learning better things And this was signified in the mysticall apparell of the Priests where the Lord commanded Moses to put in the Brest-plate of iudgement the Vrim and the Thummim Exod. 28.30 which shall bee vpon Aarons heart Whereby was shaddowed out the cleare knowledge of heauenly things wherewith the Minister should be ended A Minister therefore must giue himselfe night and day to the studie of Gods Word (a) Epist 8. Sencca saith of himselfe that he so bent and settled himselfe to the study of morall Philosophie that he suffered no day to passe from him in idlenesse but applied part of the night to his study that hee did not giue himselfe to sleepe till hee was ouercome with it and when his eyes were wearied and ready to fall downe with watching yet still he kept them in worke And it is reported of Aristotle that while he was searching out the nature of things he neuer vsed to sleepe but with an iron ball in his hand hanging ouer a brasen panne that when it should fall out of his hand the sound of it might awake him If these men were thus painefull in labouring to attaine to the knowledge of Philosophy for their owne priuate contemplation how much more painefull should a Minister be in the study of the Word of God whereby hee may be enabled to teach others ' Dauid maketh it the propertie of euery godly man to meditate in the Law of the Lord night and day Psal 1.2 And our Sauiour Christ commandeth all Christians in generall Iohn 5.39 to search the Scriptures Much more is a Minister bound to doe it because the chiefe end of his calling is not onely the priuate informing of himselfe in knowledge of God and his will but also and chiefly the gathering together of the Saints Ephes 4.11.12 and the edification of the body of Christ as the Apostle saith For this cause our Sauiour compareth a Minister Matth. 13.52 whom hee calleth a Scribe which is taught vnto the Kingdome of heauen vnto an house-holder which bringeth forth out of his treasury things both new old His heart should be euen a store-house of knowledge and gracious instructions he should neuer be vnprepared vpon euery occasion Act. 13.15 to vse some word of exhortation to the people This may serue first to reprooue two sorts of Ministers First such as take vpon them to be teachers of others and yet stand in need themselues to be taught the first principles of the word of God Heb. 5.12 As there be many that enter into the Ministerie for maintenance sake making that high calling their last refuge who for want of knowledge haue no measure of abilitie to discharge their dutie These expose themselues and their calling vnto contempt and reproch For as one saith well What can the multitude admire in them if they see no more in them nay peraduenture not so much as they find in themselues Pet. Mart. de dignit minist Ex Mal. 2.7 A Minister should bee both able and willing to answere to all things which belong to saluation Let them therefore discharge this dutie let them be interpreters of the will of God or else let them cease to be Ministers of the Church and the Lords messengers Bern. Declam And therefore Bernard hath a good saying How can ignorance excuse him that professeth himselfe to be an instructer of the vnlearned and a teacher of them that lacke discretion For what danger is there when as the shepheard findeth no pasture the guide is ignorant of the way and the messenger knoweth not the will of his master Secondly they also are here reproued that haue knowledge and other good gists but doe not stirre them vp 2. Tim. 1.6 as the Apostle exhorteth Timotheus that is doe not by painefull study and continuall
great care of Sabellicus Ennead 1. l. 3. It was one of their Pontificall lawes Det them come chastly to the gods let them vse pietie They that do otherwise God himselfe will reuenge it The Priests of Egypt euery third day did shaue their bodies lest any filthinesse appeare Plutarch in Quaest Centuriat Roman when they were offering their sacrifices And those Priests that were troubled with Byles and Botches were forbidden to study Diuination either because it becommeth not them to haue any vlcer in their mindes that apply themselues to heauenly things or else if they vse not a diseased beast for sacrifice nor diseased birds for Diuination much more must they auoid such things in themselues If these Heathen men had this care for the seruice of their false gods which were but stockes and stones the workes of their owne hands how much more ought wee to be carefull of all puritie and cleannesse in the worship of the true God Heb. 12.29 Leu. 10.3 who is a consuming fire against sinne and sinners and who will be sanctified in them that come neere him or else he will glorifie himselfe in their confusion It was forbidden in the Law Leu. 21.17 18 19 20 21. that whosoener had any blemishes should not prease to offer the bread of his God as if hee were blind or lame or had a flat nose or any misshapen member c. And howsoeuer this ceremonie be ceased and be no more in vse yet the equitie of it remaineth still namely that they that haue blemishes in their liues or are mis-shapen in their soules should not be admitted to serue the Lord in the ministerie of his Word Secondly a Minister must goe before his people in the example of a godly life It was the exhortation of our Sauiour Christ to his Disciples Matth. 5.6 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen As in the Orbes and Circles of the Heauens the highest Spheare moueth all the rest and therefore is called the first Moouer So the Minister being highest in the Church should by his example moue and draw them that are vnder him vnto holinesse For the people in our times will say to vs as they said to our Sauiour Christ What doest thou worke that we may see it and beleeue thee Not what doest thou teach Iohn 6.30 And therefore as it is said of him that first he began to doe and then to teach Act. 1.1 that he was first mightie in deed and then in word according as Cyprian saith Serm. 5. de lapsis Luke 24.19 Christ was a Teacher in words and a performer in deeds teaching what ought to be done and doing whatsoeuer he taught And it is said of Ezra Ezra 7.10 that first he prepared his head to seeke the Law of the Lord and to doe it and then to teach the precepts and iudgements in Israel So must it bee with vs that wee may say with the Apostle PAVL Phil. 3.17 Brethren be followers of me and looke on them that walke so as ye haue vs for an example And Thinke of those things which ye haue both learned 4 8 9. and receiued 1. Tim. 4.12 and heard and seent in me And to this purpose the Apostle exhorteth TIMOTHEVS to be vnto them that beleeue an ensample in word in conuersation in loue in spirit Tit. 2.7 in faith and in purenesse And hee biddeth TITVS aboue all things to shew himselfe an example of good works c. And the Apostle Peter exhorteth all ministers 1. Pet. 5.3 so to carry themselues as they may bee ensamples to the flocks In all which places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word that is vsed doth signifie that the life of a Minister should be such a patterne of godlinesse as that it may set a stampe and an impression thereof as it were vpon his people Men wil sooner learne of their Ministers by their eyes then they will doe by their eares For they commonly beleeue their eyes Seneca epist 6. better then they doe their eares And it is a long course to teach by precepts but short and effectuall by examples When the people of Israel were to passe ouer Iorden into the land of promise the Priests that bare the Arke of the Coxenant went before them Iosh 3.15 16 17. So must the Ministers goe before their people in the iourney to the Kingdome of heauen And indeede Doctr. Chr. lib. 4. as Saint Augustine saith though they profit many by saying that which they doe not yet they would profit a great many more by doing that which they say It is said of Iohn Baptist that he was the voice of him that crieth in the wildernesse Iobn 1 23. Dominica 3. aduentus Whereupon Stapleton well obserueth that he had not onely a well-sounding voice but also he was a voice Whatsoeuer was in him namely his food his apparrell his habitation and his whole life was a voice that cried and proclaimed repentance mortification and holinesse His life first cried before his preaching The same order should a Preacher obserue that first he be a voice and then lift vp his voice They whose liues are not answerable to their doctrine haue a voice indeed but an emptie one like sounding brasse or a tinckling Cymball 1. Plutarch in Apotheg vulgar Lcc. num Cor. 13.1 but they are not a voice or at least a man may say of them as the Country fellow said of the Nightingale when hee had stripped her out of her feathers Thou art onely a voice and nothing else This was it that made Herod reuerence Iohn Baptist so much Marke 6 20. and heare him so gladly not that he was a good Preacher but chiefly that he was a iust man and an holy The Heathen Philosophers haue made three markes of a good Teacher first that he teach not sleightly and negligently but diligently and with due premeditation Secondly that he obserue a good order and methode in teaching that his hearers may vnderstand him And lastly that his life be answerable to his words and profession Whereunto agreeth that saying of Saint Augustine Confess lib. 10. It is to little purpose for a Minister to command his hearers in words if he doe not also goe before them in deeds De Consid lib. 4. And therefore Bernard willeth Eugenius to consider that it behooueth him to bee a forme of righteousnesse a mirrour of holinesse and a patterne of pietie So should it be with all the Ministers of the Word Cyp. lib. 3. epist 1. that they may exhort their people not by words only but by deeds not onely by the incitement of their speech and voice but chiefly bee the example of their faith and vertue And indeed if it be expedient for all men to liue orderly Cyr. lib 1. epi. 11 much more doth it stand with reason that
may be cōpelled to offend And in another place The conuersation of a Bishop ought to be such as he may conceiue the truth in his heart and sound it forth in his whole conuersation that whatsoeuer hee speaketh whatsoeuer hee doth Epist 10. may bee the instruction of his people And Seneca saith very wittily of Philosophy which is much more true of Diuinitie that it teacheth men to do not to say and requireth this of euery man that he liue after his own Law that the life dissent not from the speech but that the life in it selfe be all of one colour without any disagreement of all the actions Such were the ancient Fathers which in former times flourished in the Church As it is reported of Origen that he had not only perfect Doctrine in his words but also in his workes he shewed examples of perfect discipline Euseb Eccl. hist l. 6 c 3. and it was said of him This is he that hath his life answerable to his word because hee doth those things which he teacheth Euseb l 11. ca. 5. And it is testified of Gregorie Nazianzen that he profited much to the reformation of his people because being a teacher of Religion hee taught them many things by his words but farre more by example neither did they see that he commanded his Disciples any thing which he did not first himselfe And Erasmus writeth of S. Cyprian that his heart burned with Euangelicall pietie and his speech was answerable to his heart he spake eloquent things and yet rather stout and constant then eloquent Neither did hee onely speake but liue so So should it bee with all the Ministers of the Word of God Histor tripartit l. 7. cap. 8. And therefore the Emperour Valentinian writing to the Bishops about the election of a new Bishop of Millaine saith in this manner You know plainely being taught out of Gods Word what a manner of man a Bishop should be namely that he ought not by word onely to gouerne his people but by his life also and to shew himselfe a follower of all vertue and to haue his good conuersation a witnesse of his doctrine C◠in Ver. li. 3. Wherunto agreeth that saying of the heathen Orator that they lay vpon themselues a Law of innocency continencie and all vertues that call others to account for their life And questionlesse the neglect of this dutie is one maine and principall cause why the ministery of a number succeedeth no better For while they speake out of their reading and out of their iudgement and haue no more care to practise that which they teach the people are rather offended and turned out of the way of godlinesse then any whit prouoked to walke in it And hence it commeth to passe many times that a man of no mouth Exod. 4.10 as Moses calleth himself that is of very meane gifts that leadeth a godly life deth more good in Gods Church then many a prophane man with greater learning Which is not spoken to derogate any thing at all from the most necessarie helpes of learning where with a Minister should be furnished but rather to stirre vs all vp as we haue been taught to expresse in our liues that we professe and teach with our mouthes So would it come to passe that as wee should doe more good to others so we should make our Ministery more comfortable to our selues Yea as the Apostle saith 1. Tim. 4.16 in the place before alleaged We shall saue our selues and them that heare vs. The vse of this doctrine to the people is to admonish them not to bee offended though sometimes they see a Minister not liue as he teacheth It is strange to see how curiously many men with gazing eyes doe prie into the liues and conuersations of Ministers and if they find any thing neuer so little amisse they stretch it on the tenter-hookes and make a mountaine of euery mole-hill crying out with open mouthes against the ill liues of all Ministers though their owne be a great deale worse But hypocrites as they are a man may well say vnto them as our Sauiour Christ said of such like in his time Mat. 7.3 Why seest thou the mote that is in thy brothers eye and perceiuest not the beame that is in thine owne eye But if the accusation were neuer so iust and true that there were some Ministers as God knoweth there bee too many that confuted their good Sermons with their lewde liues yet that ought not to make altogether against all preaching no more then the bad dealing of many Lawyers and Physicians doth vtterly condemne the whole practice of Law and physicke Besides there is in the Ministery as in al other professions a number that are in truth no Ministers but euen the scum and refuse of the Ministery and therefore it is against reason and equitie to turne their vile and dissolute behauiour to the generall disgrace of al godly Ministers Againe it is most true that the best Ministers that are are not freed from the common infirmities and corruptions of mankinde Iam. 5.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle saith of Elias that though he were a man of excellent graces yet he was subiect to the same passions that we are And as Paul and Barnabas confessed of themselues Acts 14.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the same word when the men of Lystra would haue sacrificed vnto them O ye men say they why doe yee these things we are euen men subiect to the like passions that ye be neither are they indued with greater priuiledges against sinne Rom. 7. tot then other men as the Apostle Paul though rarely sanctified doth acknowledge of himselfe And therefore Sen. de beata vita lib. 1. they are not able in all respects to performe and practise that which they teach to others For if they could doe according to their doctrine they were most happy Sen. epist 94. But alas they that are most diligent and conscionable in admonishing others cannot do it themselues And therfore men should rather labor to reape benefit by their preaching then to wrangle and cauill at their liuing For they are not to liue by the example of any man Matth. 22.16 but by the rules and precepts of the Word of God And if the Minister teach the way of God truly as the Pharises said of our Sauiour Christ though himselfe walke not alwaies with a right foote in the same Gal. 2.14 the people are to follow his doctrine rather then his life As our Sauiour Christ commanded the Iewes that though the Scribes did say and not do yet because they sate in Moses his seat they should obserue and doe whatsoeuer they bid them obserue Mat. 23.2 3. For doubtlesse as Saint Augustine saith well to this purpose He that teacheth wisely and eloquently De doct cir li. 4. and yet liueth wickedly hee instructeth many men by his preaching though he