to the deuine nature alone as thoughe the humanity were of no force at all to the benefite of saluation Stancharus on the contrary syde because the worde of promise is of the seede of a woman and Paule calleth Iesus Christe beinge man a mediatour wyth draweth the benefite of redemption from the deuinitie and doth attribute the same to the onelye humanitye Here if there had beene the feare of our Lord and true humilitie and if the desire of contention and pride had beene absente they might easly haue iudged of these misteries by conference of the Scriptures Let the first care be to referre euery interpretation to the proportion of fayth from the which if the interpretation doe disagree it shal be accompted false But contrarywise if it do agree with it althoughe sometimes it erreth from the marke and minde of the aucthore yet oughte ye to knowe that this is done without the dauÌ„ger of saluation But what is it to call an interpretation to the proportion of fayth it is so to ordaine it that it maye be corespondente to the first principles of fayth and that it maye seeme to be as it were builded vppon them For those thinges are sayde to be done accordinge to the proportion which are made by comparison to another thinge or els when other thinges are framed by the comparison of others Wherevppon when Paule doth commaunde that Prophecye that is to say the interpretation of the Scriptures ought to be proportionable to fayth hee wylleth that the interpretour shoulde haue respecte to the firste principles of Religion which are plaine and manifest as conserninge the lawe and the promises of the Gospell with the which euery interpretation oughte to agree Wherefore the Papistes in the exposition of this saying If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commaundementes Do departe from the proportion of fayth when they do conclude of this sayinge That men may obtaine saluation by their owne proper workes for this interpretation doth striue with cleare and manifest principles As are these The seede of the woman shall breake the Serpentes heade also The Lambe of God that taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde and againe If righteousnes be of the law Christe dyed in vaine And alwayes after this maner the mind of the interpretour ought to be bent to the firste principles of our Religion from the which hee shall not suffer hymselfe to be drawne awaye by any Sophisticall reason For hee that countemneth this proportion of Fayth commended of S. Paule to the interpretour and els where doth seeke an interpretation contrary to the rule of faith let him be assured that hee shal be plagued of god For like as in tymes paste vnder the olde Testamente fyer oughte alwayes to be taken from the fier of the Aulter wherewith their Sacrifice shoulde be burned so euery interpretation of the Scriptures should depend vppon the euerlasting word of god And euen as Nadab and Abihu for putting straunge fier in theyr Censors which they were commaunded to doe were punished of the Lorde so heretickes bringing in the deuision of reason and the deceites of Philosophie in steede of true religion are to be iudged worthye of punishmente And thus muche concerninge the helpes of an interpretour nowe will I declare that which in the second place was propounded ¶ The causes of interpretation IN the preface of Philip Melancthons places foure causes of interpretatioÌ„s are rehearsed whereof this is the first that the kind of speache may be vnderstode for hearers or readers do not in euery place vnderstand the phrases of a straunge tongue yea sometimes men of singuler learning take greate paines in this thinge for oftentimes it happeneth that a sentence being expouÌ„ded wâ—â—â— the word of a straung tongue which thoâ—ghe they aunswering truly in significatâ—â—â— yet notwithstandinge they keepe not 〈◊〉 same sence in both tongues and th◠〈◊〉 the difference of the phrase or manner of speache Therefore leaste here vnwares wee may be deceyued oftentimes a learned interpretour is needeful The second cause is the iudgement of the order of thinges For he that perceyueth not the maner of the handling shal certainly very ofteÌ„ times be deceiued as they are which recyte out of Paule this saying against the Iustification of faith Not the hearers of the Law but the doers shal be iustifyed Here if they had considered the maner of the handling they might haue seene Paule in that place not to haue preached of the iustification of works that is to say the men shoulde be couÌ„ted iustifyed throughe woorkes before God when as Paule there laboureth to confute this opinion against the doctrine of fayth Therefore an interpretour is needeful which may shew cunninglye an order and the partes thereof the profite of which thing is greater then that it caÌ„ be declared in few wordes The third cause ought to be the witnes of a true interpretation for when the hearers perceiue the interpretations to be brought froÌ„ the word of God do see the agreement of the word of God and of the pure Church with the interpretation they loue the doctrine more earnestly and do learne it more greedely The fourth cause is the confutation of false opinioÌ„s least learners should be infected with the poysons of heretickes These causes are sufficiently greate enough for that which God wyll haue the mynisterye of his woorde both in scholes and in Churches to be preserued ¶ The kinds of interpretinge ALthough by those things which I haue sayd alreadye concerning the causes of interpretations the kindes of interpreting may after a sorte be vnderstode yet because it is needeful to haue them seperated I wil intreate of them as plainly as I can accordinge as before I haue promised wherefore I haue noted foure kindes of expounding holy thinges in reading the commentaryes of diuers aucthours ¶ The Grammarian his kind of interpreting SOme nothinge carefull of the Methode of a treatise do onely expounde the wordes and the phrases after a familiar plaine manner which kinde of interpretation because it consisteth of a certaine exposition of Grammer it shal be called Grammaticall This kinde did Athanasius Theophilacte Ambrose and many others followe trulye this is prayse worthie that suche excellente men which were able both aboundantly eloquently to make long disputations and orations of euery matter that notwithstaÌ„ding hath submitted themselues to the GraÌ„mariaÌ„s For they knew wel that froÌ„ thence a true sentence shoulde be taken Furthermore this kinde of an interpretour oughte to be instructed with liberall learning For first he ought to haue the knowledge of that tongue which the authore of the wryting vseth vnlesse he desire to see rather wyth other mens eyes theÌ„ with his owne Althoughe a perfect knowledge is not here requyred yet there ought to be so much skill that hee be able to coÌ„ferre together these thre toÌ„gues the Hebrewe Greeke and Latin. For a deuine interpretour hath neede of these three tongues the conference whereof he that
which is done when by death the price is payd For Lytrō properly is the price of redemption Such a price Christe payd for vs whē he was made sinne for vs that we may be made the righteousnes of god In the sixt place is added that God should be preached for his goodnes mercy the reason whiche thing the multitude of Angels do sufficiently proue conuince singing this himne to God at our Lordes birthe Glorie be to God on high peace on the earth vnto men good will. The confirmation for we ought to thinke that this thing done therfore that al mē which do acknowledge this Christ may learne by the exāple of the Angels to preache the goodnes mercy of God especially when nature it selfe doth crye out teache vs the thankes ought to be geuē for benefites or good turnes In the last place is added the fruites which they ought to shew who are deliuered by the Gospel the reason which thing is confirmed by the testimonie of Paule saying wee are created in Christe Iesus to good woorkes in the whiche the Lorde woulde haue vs to walke the Confirmatiō for how may these two agre that we are deliuered from sinne and yet fulfill the desires of sinne when Paule affirmeth that the healthfull grace of God appeared to all men that we denying vngodlines and worldly lustes shoulde liue godlye soberlye and righteously c. Seinge therefore that wee haue shewed by stronge reasons that sinne the curse of the Law and the wrath of God is taken away by the Gospell and that in theyr place doe succede Righteousnes Saluation and life thorow Christe which whilst wee beleue in him and that God would that wee shoulde preach his goodnes for this his benefits in all our life time be thanckfull that followeth which before we propounded that the Gospell is a doctrine reuealed from God wherein is shewed c. Now when our definition is after this maner handled if there be any of a contrary opinion they are to be confuted with the Methode of confutation which consisteth of proposition sublation the opposite contrarye or proposition and the solution The proposition in this place is the promise of the sublation sublation is the proposition of our aduersaries The opposite proposition is the promise of the solution The solution is the confirmation opposite proposition But the matter shal be made manifest by a briefe exāple Neither am I ignoraunt that oure aduersaryes the Papistes do bable this is the proposition of the confutation sublation foloweth that the Gospel is the new law of not reuēging of casting awaye of ryches of not swearinge c. The opposite proposition foloweth but how vaine a thing that is may easely be declared the solution followeth For that which they affirme is directlye against the sacrifice of Christe yea and against the whole Scripture which plainly sheweth that we obtaine the benefits of the Gospel by fayth What are not Paule his woordes manifest If righteousnes be by the law Christ dyed in vaine this confirmation of the opposite proposition is to be taken oute of the places of confirmation that is to say out of the places of Logicke of which thing I wil speake in the compoūd Methode of places But what generally both in confirmatiōs and confutations is to be obserued heare those that are studious are to be admonished First therefore after that wyth manifest plaine arguments thou hast confirmed the cōtrary proposition in order the argumēts of our aduersaryes are to be refelled and if the matter suffer it so to be firste of all the first kind is to be taken and afterwards we must come to the speciall arguments as in this presente cause First wee must confute this that the Gospell is a law Secondlye that it is not a law of forbidding of reueng of castīg away of riches of not swearing c. Furthermore this also both in the cōfirmation of our owne opinion in the confutation of the contrary part is diligently to be noted and marked that thou preuent those thinges which eyther the wisedome of the fleshe or els the contrary part may obiecte against those things which thou sayest and confute them This seemeth to be oftentimes vsed of Paule in his wrytinges as in this confutation layed before vs of the opiniō of the Papistes that the Gospell is the new Law the flesh vnthanckful to God frō thence taketh weapons vnto himselfe against the doctrine of works inferreth or cōcludeth after this maner If the Gospel doth deliuer vs without our workes wherefore should wee worke well This obiection is to be taken away by preuention And after this maner the faythfull preacher must haue a respecte what maye be sayd on the contrary part But the preceptes of a large confutation confirmatiō are to be handled afterwards ¶ Of Diuision and partition THis member of the Methode may be hādled verye profitablie after this maner First if thou expounde thine owne diuision or partition Secondlye if thou proue it Thirdly if thou cōfirme it Fourthly if thou gather it againe together Let this be the example of diuision wee haue heard what the Law is it remayneth now that wee declare into how many parts it is deuided for such a forme of transition is to be vsed when we go from one thing to another The Lawe of God therefore is three folde Morall Ceremoniall and Iudiciall This was the exposition The reason For all the Lawes of God eyther teacheth manners or commendeth Ceremonies or practiseth iudgemēts The confirmation for by these mans life is very well conserued and gouerned For in a ciuill life there is neede of iudgements in the publicke assemble of the Church Cerimonies are necessary and that religion of the minde towardes God and godlines towardes men in the spirituall kingdome of God do consist in the preceptes of maners It is most euident the collection Therefore that is most sure which we haue sayd that the Lawe of God is threefold Moral Ceremoniall and Iudiciall Especiallye since the true gouernment of lyfe consisteth of these three whether thou consider the common life or the Church or the spiritual kingdome of god If these members of diuision be darcke and obscure they are to be expounded by definitions and subdiuisions are to be made manifesse by reasons and examples But if the aduersary do obtrude or bringe in any other diuision that is false it is to be ouerthrowne by the Methode of cōfutation There needeth no ensamples in a manifest thing Moreouer partition is to be framed after the same sorte As the parts of repentaunce are contrition faith and a desyre to leade a godly life the reasō for it becōmeth vs to be sory for our sinnes and because the contrition is of no force vnlesse there be also fayth in Christe this is of necessity requyred And because neither of these is true vnlesse the desire to liue a good and godly life doth follow a good purpose
thou shalte haue 3944. yeares from the first beginning of thinges vntil Christes his comminge the which nomber I am wonte to comprehende in these Verses Ter mille nōgent quater X. duo bis numeratur Christus adest nobis gloria vita salus In Englishe thus After three thousand nine hundreth 44. yeares Christ our glory life and health to vs appeares Furthermore the new history is discribed of the Euangelistes which intreateth of the Conception Natiuitye Cyrcumcision Offering Banishmēt Disputation Baptisme Fastinge Temptation Doctrine Myracles Death Resurrection and Ascention of Christe into Heauen Also it intreateth of the geuinge of the holy Ghoste in the daye of Penticost and of the Primatiue Church and his persecutions for vnto these Chapters and poinctes the newe historie shal be reduced And thus much cōcerning the Historye The doctrine is dispersed throughout al the bookes of the olde and newe Testamēt and is deuided into doctrine of things and of signes The doctrine of thinges is afterwards deuided into the Lawe and the Gospell The doctrine of signes doth contayne the Ceremonyes and Sacramentes whereof wee haue heare no time to intreat at large notwithstandinge the vse of this distinction is not simple and of one sorte For the holy historye ought to be the glasse of a Christian lyfe For it doth contayne many examples of true godlynesse of confession of Fayth of Patience of calling c. It recyteth the rewardes and punishmentes both of obedience and disobedience towardes GOD and comprehendeth manye testimonyes and witnesses of god The difference of doctrine verelye dothe cause vs not to confounde rashlye wyth the Papistes the Lawe and the Gospell who dreame the Gospell to be the newe Lawe but they are deceyued For neyther the Prophetes nor the Apostles teache anye other thinge then Moses doth althoughe in their manner of teachinge there is great difference For Moyses committeth to wrytinge the doctrine delyuered as it were by hande from GOD and the fathers whiche doth contayne the perfecte worshippinge of GOD but hee is more obscure and darke then the Prophetes The Prophetes are the interpretours of Moses for that which Moses doth note as it were wyth certayne Aphorismes that is to saye briefely and summarilye the Prophetes doe expounde in whole Sermons But because that thing which the Prophetes did foretell the Apostles sawe before their eyes therefore are the Apostles made plainer interpreters of Moses and of the Prophetes Who so obserueth this difference shall reade with greater profite the wrytinges of Moses of the Prophetes and of the Apostles But in what estimation the scholers of the Apostles and other holy interpretours of the Scriptures are to bee had I will declare hereafter where I shal intreat of the maner of Interpretacion ¶ The fourth deuision THere is yet another deuision deliuered or giuen vs by the Gretians which wee maye not ouerpasse For the worde of God bringinge saluation vnto mā is deuided into Protrepticō that is to say appertayning to exhortacion Gnosticon that is to saye appertayning to knowledge Practicon that is to saye appertayninge vnto that whiche they call practise And vnto that which is called Protrepticon doe appertaine exhortatiōs cōsolations threatnings chydings which all are certaine prouocatiōs or sterrers vppe to heare the word of God to embrace and to obey it Gnosticon is a part of knowledge which doth cōtayne the worshipping of God the knowledge of the Law of the Gospell and of the Sacraments the Epitome and briefe summe whereof is Cathechisis that is to say Instruction The last appertayneth vnto practise for it is cōuenient that the obedience of the harte and innocencie of life should follow knowledge For fayth as S. Paule witnesseth oughte to be vnfayned and effectual through loue This deuision serueth to this ende that thou maist know the vse of the holy Scriptures that is to say that thou mayest obeye the exhorter beleeue the teacher and doe according as thou beleeuest For he is worthy sayth Agapetus of God who doth nothing vnworthy of God but thinketh those thinges which are of God and speaketh the things which he thincketh doth the thing which he speaketh ¶ Of the formes and kindes of Narrations IN speakinge of the formes of a Narration I will declare foure thinges in order First with what helpes he ought to be instructed that will become a profitable interpretour Secondly which are the causes of Narrations Thirdly what be the kindes of interpreting and last of all what is the vse of cōmentaryes or expositions ¶ The aydes or helpes of an interpretour THat a profitable interpretour oughte to be instructed with liberal doctrine and especiallye wyth the knowledge of Rhetoricke and Logicke there is no man which will doubt thereof Wherefore I will come to certaine other helpes by which heede is taken that the interpretour go not astraye from Godlines Therefore in intreating of holye misteryes foure kindes of care especially do belong vnto him who desireth reth to be free from erroure and safe from the deceites of hereticks Let the first care be to seeke God and his will in the Scriptures wyth feare and humilitie that hee may knowe him truly in oure Lord Iesus Christe Let the second care be to haue the sacred worde of God for a rule This care ioyned wyth the former shall cause thee to be conuersaunt in the Scriptures without arrogancy or contention and that thou bee not puffed vppe wyth foolishe rashnes but rather craue his helpe with humility whō in the Scriptures thou seekest faythfully the seconde care causeth thee also that thou be not carefull of those thinges which are not founde written in the woorde of the Lorde For thou oughtest to be content wyth that lighte which the Lord hath shewed thee to be followed Let the third care be diligentlye to conferte the Scriptures to th ende that the consente of Moses of the Prophetes of Christe and of the Apostles maye euidentlye appeare and that suche sentences as seeme to disagree throughe conference maye be reconcyled the cyrcumstaunces of the places beinge dilligentlye obserued This care causeth thee not rashlye to take houlde of anye one sentence of the Scriptures to assaulte or repugne another therewyth from whence no doubt all the sectes of heresye haue spronge vppe which thing that it maye the more euidentlye appeare wee shall openlye declare by examples Arrius doothe heare the Sonne sayinge The Father is greater thenne I. This Sentence hee snatcheth and therewyth is girded and armed to vanquish and ouercome the deuinitie of Christe Cōtrariwyse Manichaeus to the ende hee mighte take away the humanity of Christ snatcheth the sayinge of S. Paule in his first Epistle to the Corinthians the 15. Chapter where Christ is called the second Adam from heauen heauenlye Againe there are some which acknowledge the deuinitie and confesse the humanity but they make two persons in Christe the worde and the sonne of the Virgin. Osiander because it is written that Lord is our righteousnes doth ascribe iustification
drawen and framed their sermons of the callinge of the Gentiles Fourthly that the ceremonies of Moyses are not required of them that are to be iustified for euen as Abraham was iustified without them so they that shal be iustified after his example must not require them to the accomplishement of their iustificatiō Fiftly that righteousnes doth come without the morall lawe and the workes commaūded in the decaloge or two tables for if we be iustified according to Abraham his example he was iustified many yeares that is to say 430. yeares before the lawe truly it can not bee that righteousnes is of the lawe But if any mā should obiecte that the morall lawe was from the beginning that Abraham did not wante it the answer is easye for no rewarde is due to workes without the couenaunt of god For workes are not meritorious of their owne worthynes but by the acceptation of God and by reason of the couenaunt Therefore the cōclusion of Paule abideth firme and stedfast Abraham is iustified by the fayth of promise before the couenaunt of woorkes was published to wytte the man that dothe them shall liue in them Wherefore he is iustified by fayth not by workes Sixtly that the true and iustifieng fayth is a certayne full assuraunce whiche is not subdued by argumētes of reason but stedfastly beleueth that he whiche promyseth cannot lie how soeuer the whole nature of thynges may seeme to gayne saye it And that fayth hath good workes and obedience towardes God ioyned with it and that nothing ought to bee estemed dearer to a Christian man then to be obedient to the will of god And so the Prophetes godly kynges Apostles and in like manner all godly men after Abraham first by example haue learned the true waye of iustification and afterwardes by the circumstaunces of the persone and the facte haue bene admonished of moste weyghtye things By this meanes the godly preacher by the example of Paule may applye other examples both in them selues and also in the varietie of circumstaunces and all ways in his application he must remēber to haue a regarde to the proportion of fayth ¶ Of that kynde of treatise of persones whiche belongeth to demonstration THat kynde of treatise of persons whiche belongeth vnto demonstratiō doth handle the whole life and also euery parte of the life of any persone and that in the same order as the places of persones are rehearsed in the questions of Philip Melancton For that order is not only naturall but also profitable to the speaker and to the hearer But first of al this is to be obserued in this kinde of treatise of persones that those members especially are to bee adourned and beautefied from whome these three aboue rehearsed doctrine immitation admonitiō may be taken For Paule in the .xv. chapter to the Romaines doth admonishe vs of this of application when he sayth what soeuer thinges are written are writtē for our learning c. Therefore suche members ought to be applied to the whole body of the church whiche thing is done when wee transferre aright the particuler to the generall sentences as if the life of Iohn Baptiste were to be handled after the manner of demonstration to obserue the naturall order wee should intreate of his parentes of his conception of his natiuitie of his education of his vocation of his office of the testimonie of Christe of his death and of those thinges that happened both about after his death In the member of his parētes these things are contained that the continual prayers of all godly are heard at the length that the afflicted whiche beleue do obtayne comforte at the laste and that God dothe allowe the marriage of priestes In the member of his conception first the office of Aungels is to be considered that they are the Embassadours of God the ministers of the churche Secondly that God is myndefull of his promises Thirdly that the power or worke of God is not hindred by naturall impediment that is to saye through barrennesse wante of nature Last of all because Iohn as yet in his mothers wombe did acknoweledge Christe it teacheth vs that children are receyued of God and that God wyll be acknowledged honoured of children In the member of his natiuitie thankefulnes towardes God for his benefites receiued is commended the mutuall office of the godly is shewed that they ought to reioyce with them on whom God poureth his blessing to conclude that the godly ought to bringe and offer their children vnto god Againe his straightnes of life doth commende vnto vs not a monkishe or solitary lyfe but sobrietie and obedience vnto god After all these things in his office in the circūstaūces of his persone and office not onely his doctrine but also his consolation his constācie in his office his confession his crosse and loue of the truth with other innumerable vertues are set forth vnto the godly His cōfort or consolation is in that he did shewe or point out with his finger our sauiour Christes his constancie in that cōtemning the threatninges of Herode and of the Phariseis hee caught the Gospell without any feare his confession in that he confessed him self to be the voyce of a crier in the wyldernes His crosse in that according to his vocation hee did not onely wander abroade without any certayne mansion place but also doubted not to suffer death All these thinges which are so drawen forth of the circumstaunces of the persone and of his office are first layd before godly ministers of the worde for the cause of doctrine of immitation and of admonitiō and afterwardes generally to the whole vniuersall churche so farre forth as it belongeth to the common duties of godlines simple teaching and also of other Logiciās diligently declared yet I thinke it profitable in this place to prescribe a waye of intreating whiche shal be commodious to newe beginning preachers First therefore I will set downe the chiefe chapters and next declare the Methode of the of the treatise The chapters or chiefe pointes ar these 1 Definition 2 Diuision or partition 3 Causes 4 Effectes 5 The vse and the abuse 6 Contrarieties ¶ Of definition OF definition some are ours and some ar our aduersaries Those which ar ours we must expounde as true we must proue confirme and gather together The others we must confute as false In bothe kindes there is a peculier Methode but first we wil speake of the former The definitiō therfore wich the godlye preacher shall declare as true and immouable must haue foure parts in the treatise Exposition Reason Confirmation conclusion Exposition is a sentēce wherby we expounde our own diffinition of any thing with manifest playne woordes And there is two kindes of definitiōs pertaining to a deuine the one short briefe the other copiouse large that is content with the kinde with the difference This doth applie to the kinde to the differēce
intercession for vs and takyng or deryuing his fathers wrath and displeasure vppon hymselfe Fourthly contrition springeth out of the thought of synne and of the wrathe of god Faythe verely is styrred vp by the vnspeakeable mercie of God and the loue of his sonne payinge the pryce of redemption for vs Fiftlye this fayth is confirmed and encreased by the vse of the Sacramente so great a thing Sixtly faith being confirmed and augmented doth shewe it selfe acceptable to God and doth beginne a godlye honest and iust lyfe and loueth his neighbour with whome hee hath the price of redemption common Beholde what doctrine and lessons what plentie howe godly a meditation of the holy supper the consequence of causes and effectes doth minister vnto vs an other example Christe remitteth sinnes of his owne authoritie Here the effecte doth declare the diuinitie of Christe The theefe rebuketh his fellowe who was a blasphemer and calleth vpon Christe out of which effectes the contrition the faith the newe life of the thefe is to be gathered ¶ The seuenth Rule LEt the repugnauncie of a sayinge or worde and the repugnancie of a consequent bee sought out from whence twoo kyndes of places doe arise Let the saying be he that doth teache any other Gospell is accursed The repugnancie of this saying is this hee that teacheth the same Gospell is not accursed the consequence of the saying is that the Pope is accursed because he teacheth an other Gospell The repugnancie of this saying is ouerthrowen As the Pope is not the head of the churche and we must not obey the Pope ¶ The eight Rule IT is good sometimes by the contrary sense to frame a place when the termes or boundes be equall as for example The iust man liueth by fayth ergo hee that is not iuste liueth not by faythe Whereof it followeth that neither righteousnes nor life is of woorkes For so Paule dothe gather it Gal. 3. That no man is iustified by the lawe in the sight of God it is euidēt because it is written the iust man liueth by faith In like manner a forme by conterpositiō doth some times minister places as euery one that is of God doth heare Gods worde Here the place by conterposition doth gather that he whiche heareth not Gods woorde is not of god These be the principal rules of inuention of places whose fountaines are places of Logike rules of consequences there may be more added to them but I thinke that these are sufficient to newe beginning preachers which if they wil vouchsafe to folow they may both haue a ready way to seke out these cōmon places also they may iudge well of those places which are obserued by others Furthermore hereby they may also iudge what is the cause why diuers autors do not alwayes shew forth that selfe same places The reason of the difference is as well the diuersitie of inuention as also that other places do more contente or please our aucthours After that the godly preacher hath founde out places he must enter into a multitude or swarme of places To this he shall applie a threefolde instrument For first hee shall diligently consider whether the place founde out may expressely worde for word be seene in anye place of the Scripture Secondarely the place must bee examined by demonstration to an impossible thing if it be not expressed in the woorde of God. Thirdly the place must be concluded with some sillogisme and by a sillogisticall conuersion it must bee tried as it were with a touchestone Let this be an example of a demonstration to an impossible thing The place to be proued is that Christians may possesse that whiche is their owne take the opposite of this place No Christians may possesse that whiche is their owne Nowe seke out the proposition whiche is manifestly true whiche with the opposite sayinge may be one of the premisses in the sillogisme as for example all that doe geue Almes ought to possesse their owne of which twoo premisses a moste false conclusion doth follow to witte that no Christian man shall giue almes By the manifest falsenes of this the other of the premisses is to be ouerthrowne wherfore since the Maior is manifestly true it followeth that the Minor is false front hence nowe is inferred the truthe of the place propounded by the lawe of contraditions Nowe let vs gather together that whiche we haue sayde All that should geue almes ought to possesse their owne No Christians may possesse their owne Ergo no Christian shall geue almes But the cōclusion is false ergo one of the premisses not the Maior ergo the Minor which saith that No Christians maye possesse their owne Let this be the example of a sillogisticall conuersion The place some hearing Gods worde are not godly The sillogisme None that walke after the fleshe are godly some hearing Gods worde walke after the fleshe Ergo some hearing Gods worde are not godly conuerte it after this manner If none that walke after the fleshe are godly and some that here the worde walke after the fleshe ergo some that heare the worde are not godly For al they that heare the worde are not godly For all they that heare the worde are godly or els none that walke after the fleshe are godly None that heare the worde shall walke after the flesh or els some men that heare the woorde walke after the fleshe certaynely some that walke after the fleshe shal be godlye but none that do walke after the fleshe are godlye and some whiche heare the woorde walke after the fleshe The conclusion therefore remayneth firme and sure that some whiche heare the woorde are not godlie ¶ Of the manner of handling of places inuented both plentifully and profitably TO the plentifull and profitable handling of places foure thynges are chiefly requyred whereof the firste is the diductions of questions that is to saye of the places inuented The seconde a plentiful confirmation The thirde the digression to an other matter The laste is the artificiall conclusion I wyll intreate of these foure after that order as they are set downe before your eyes declaryng euerye one of them playnelye with preceptes and examples ¶ Of the diduction of questions HEre wee must speake not of the inuentions of Common places whereof now we haue intreated but of the diduction of cōmon places inuented that is to say of multiplying them into manye questions or places Therefore the place inuented is diducted either into simple places or into compounde places as for example If the fifte commaundement were sayde before vs to be expounded First here thou shalt seeke the common place according to the precept of the firste rule after this manner Fathers are to be honoured parentes are superiours ergo superiours are to be honoured This common place in the handling of the fifth cōmaundement is the principall chiefly to be touched But yet that it may plentifully be intreated of it shal be expedient to diduct or reduce
large there wil aryse great plenty of proofes but yet a meane is to be kept lest plenty come out of season so breede lothsomnes ¶ Of the heaping of arguments COngeries or Heape in this place is when in prouing the proposition or coÌ„mon place the Chapters of principal argumentes are added and as it were gathered together into one bundell as if this proposition were to be handled No man is able of his owne strength to fulfil Gods Lawes the Chapters which followe of the Argumentes may by heape be added after this maner For the experience of all men doth proue this manifestlye This our wounded nature groning doth acknowledge this the vniuersall Scripture cryeth oute of this To conclude the Sacrifyce of the sonne of God torne after a most horrible maner vppon the gibbet of the Crosse doth proue vnto vs After this maner Cicero ioyneth to the proposition a heape of Arguments whom in disposinge of Argumentes all the best learned men are wont to immitate and follow Notwithstanding although Cicero sometimes beginneth froÌ„ the last Chapter a dilatinge of Argumentes put in the Heape wherunto he ioyneth first and after goeth forwarde vnto the laste which is the last in the treatise Yet for the Deuine and the Preacher it is the surest way to follow an order in the Heape put in the Expolition ¶ Of the Expolition or dilating of Argumentes EXpolition or dilatinge is by the which an Argument propounded is confirmed and beutifyed But a copious Expolition consisteth of a proposition of a reason of a shewing the cause of the reason of Exornation and of Conclusion The Proposition is that which setteth before oure eyes some Chapter of an Argument as though it were the proposition of a confirmation The reason alloweth the proposition and it ought to be such a one as maye be the minor of a sillogisme Aetiologia doth shew the cause of the reason and it is meete that it be such a one as maye eyther be the maior of a sillogisme or els the proufe therof So that a whole sillogisme is made of a proposition of a reason and of the cause of the Reason After the cause of the reason Exornation shall followe which is to be borowed of sentences comparates contraryes similitudes examples The laste shal be the conclusion which gathereth together the summe of the former and concludeth the principall proposition These are the preceptes of an expolition neyther doth that which I haue sayd striue against the opinion or iudgemente of them which haue nombred seuen parts of an expolicion For there is not onelye one kinde of expolition but I haue chosen the onely which I thought to be most meete for preachers that are but new beginners But to the ende the preceptes of an expolition may be vnderstanded I wil put downe one example I haue before propounded this common place No man of his owne power or strengthe is able to fulfill the lawes of god Furthermore to this place I haue added foure Chapters of proofe by a heaping of arguments Wherof the first was that the experience of al meÌ„ did proue that to be true Let this Chapter be the proposition of an expolition after this maner The experience of all men conuinceth this that no man is able to fulfill the Lawe of god the reason For all men doe easelye perceiue in themselues howe farre they are from the perfecte and perpetuall obedience of the Lawe of god The reason of the cause For they see that the Lawe of God is holye and a rule of perfect life and that they themselues are altogether wicked by nature and also feeble and weake the exornation from the senteÌ„ce So that is true whereof the Prophet speaketh that all oure righteousnes is as the cloth of a menstruous woman which sentence how cold it consist if the experience of any wise man had proued the coÌ„trary the exornation from the coÌ„parisons For euen as a tree whose roote is rotten and infected with a poysoned sappe caÌ„ neuer bring forth but poysoned fruite so man whose harte is infected with the poyson of sinne cannot shewe a pure and perfecte obedience to the law of god The exornation from the examples what did not holye Abell confesse this in his Sacrifice trulye it is euen so For God had neuer allowed the Sacrifice of Abell vnlesse that holy man had knoweÌ„ Christ to be him which was promised that should iustifye all beleeuers vnderstoode his owne sinne whereby hee knew himselfe to be hindred that he coulde not fulfill the lawe of god For if hee had thoughte himselfe able to fulfill the lawe he could neuer haue sacrificed a right that is to saye haue declared in his sacrifice that the promised seede shoulde be the fulfiller of the Lawe Hereunto Dauid also as a moste sufficiente witnes may be added who crying vnto the Lorde confesseth openly that no man is iustifyed in the sight of god For hee complayneth that all haue erred and are made vnprofitable c. The conclusion Since therfore wee haue Dauid as a witnes since wee acknowledge the poyson of sinne since we behould the purity of the Law and our owne vncleannes who I praye you vnlesse hee weare a mad man woulde denye this that hee telleth his owne weakenes and imbecillitye in rendringe obedience to the Lawe of god In this example after a sorte yee maye see the vse of expolition whiche if I had determined to haue handled at large euerye parte beinge dilated and multiplyed a whole Oration euen oute of the first Chapter of the proofe woulde plentifullye haue proceeded After the same order the other three Chapters which consiste in the heape of Argumentes must bee handled From hence studious yonge men maye easelye iudge that greate profyte commeth of this Expolition Wherfore they shall take a moste profitable woorke in hande if they will busilye practise themselues in the handlinge of an Expolition For from hence they shall obtaine suche a facultye and facilitye that hereafter when they shall haue occasion eyther to speake of weightye matters or to preache the woorde of GOD these preceptes of an Expolition shall come into theyr mindes euen as it were vppon a sodaine ¶ Of the confutation THe Methode of confutation which consisteth of proposition of sublacion of an opposite proposition and of the solution is before declared and made manifest by examples Wherefore in this place I will onely shew the beaâ—ers the place of a confutation The proper place for a confutation is assigned immediatly after the confirmation which place notwithstanding he hath not alwayes For so often as any other opinion besydes oure owne dothe occupye the mindes of the hearers the Exordium or beginninge maye be taken from the confutation which rule not onely Aristotle and Cicero but also S. Paule followeth in his Epistle to the Romaynes for there labouringe to confirme this proposition that righteousnes is of Fayth First hee confuteth the preiudices or fore iudgementes of the Gentiles and of the
Iewes Of the Gentiles whiche thoughte that they wen iustifyed by the lawe of Nature And of the Iewes who boasted that they were iustifyed by the Lawe giuen vnto theym by god Oute of this confutation of preiudices S Paule falleth into a proposition which hee firste repeateth and after ioyneth to it a iust confirmation My iudgement is that this example of S. Paule is to be folowed so oftentimes as the hearers mindes are occupied with any other opinions then with their owne ¶ Of digression THe preceptes of digression maye be reduced to fiue pointes which are Place meane matter time and the retourne frō the digression As cōcerning the place this is to be obserued that digression oughte to be added vnto anye proposition that is proued For that is a digression oute of season which is made when the matter is not as yet confirmed Suche a meane is to bee added which may not interrupt the memorye of learners wyth troublesome tediousnes For they teache vnluckelye whoe neglectinge the doctrine and beinge vexed with some small iniurye doe declaime and spende whole houres againste some one or other whom they thincke haue offended theym The matter of digression appertayneth to exhortations consolations chidinges but not to euerye sorte For such oughte the matter of Digression to bee that of his owne accorde it maye seeme to flowe oute of the Doctrine and not to bee fetched anye where els For excepte the force and nature of Learninge do offer the matter of digression it can make nothinge to edification at all This precepte is therefore more dilligentlye to be obserued because often tymes they that are vnexercised offende againste it not withoute great iniurye of the woord of GOD and hurte of the hearers In the fourth place I haue put downe Tyme which of necessitye requireth a Digression for when the hearers doe eyther abhorie the Doctrine eyther are somewhat more slouthfull or els be faint harted then are they to be chidden prouoked and comforted The retourne from the Digression oughte not to be violente but the ende thereof oughte to bee applyed that it maye bee ioyned with that parte of the Sentence from whence the Digression was made whiche canne be scarcelye broughte to passe vnlesse the force of the doctrine haue shewed the matter of the Digressiō or some figure beinge added it maye haue recourse to the doctrine As sone as blessed LVTHER began to defende the doctrine of the Gospell againste the tyrannye of the Pope there was neede of more sharper prickes and therefore hee was more oftner occupied in Digressions as maye appeare by his writinges But now the doctrine is fortifyed and establyshed and a more peaceable estate restored to oure Churches wee muste vse these sharper prickes more sparinglye Furthermore because neyther the vocation is a like neither the aucthoritye of all men equall newe Preachers wyll thincke it to be a parte of modestye seldome to wander beyonde the marke Notwithstandinge if any shal require examples of the Digression of these preceptes let him reade the Epistle to the Hebrewes for that onelye wyll mynister a greate nomber of examples ¶ Of Artificiall conclusion I Haue toulde you before what manner of conclusion oughte to be added in the expolition of euerye argumente In this place wee muste speake of the conclusion of any place or whole Sermon where in these thinges are to be obserued First the place explicated is to be repeated in one proposition Secondlye a short reconinge of Argumentes is to be ordayned and especiallye of the chiefeste Chapters Thirdlye the illation or inference maye followe in the which three thinges maye bee ioyned which are to be finished in three propositions what the presente place teacheth what it confuteth and what it admonisheth vs of Fourthlye al thinges are so to be disposed that the passage maye be more easye into the place followinge if manye are to be expounded as for example the place which I proponed aboue beinge declared That no man of his owne power is able to fulfil the Lawe of God this cōclusion were not vnprofitable the repetition of the place whoe nowe after this will thincke himselfe to be able of his owne power to fulfill the lawe of God the enumeration of argumentes when as not onelye experience and nature do deny it the scripture in euery corner by manifest testimonies doth confute it but also the sacrifice of the same doth teache a farre contrary thing the Illation wherefore this place teacheth vs all to acknowledge our weakenes and synne confuteth the Iusticiaries whiche do boaste of the righteousnes of the lawe and admonisheth vs all that confessing our sinnes weakenes wee shoulde flie vnto Christe the transition whome the Gospell offereth vnto vs whereof wee must speake presentlye ¶ Of that kynde of Sermon whiche consisteth in exhortation called Parainetical kinde THe first kinde of preaching being exposided after a sorte whiche because it consisteth in teaching I haue named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now followeth the other the pareneticall kinde whiche therefore I will more briefly handle for that very seldome it is had alone and by it selfe for moste commonly it is wonte to be myngled with the doctrinall kynde The parenetical kynde is that wherby we perswade or disswade wee comforte or rebuke the hearers From hence springeth a three foulde pareneticall Sermone to witte perswasible comfortable and rebukeable of the whiche these thinges in order are to bee declared First the difinition next the inuention and afterwardes the treatise to whome I wyll ioyne moste briefe examples to the intente the preceptes more easelye maye bee vnderstanded ¶ Of the perswasible Sermon THe perswasible Sermone is whereby wee perswade the hearers either to doe to suffer or to forsake some thinge The places of inuention in this kinde are these especially the necessitie of the cause of the commaundement of the vocation the priuate and publique commoditie the dignitie of the persone and the thing Examples olde newe Christian Ethnicke Also parables and sentences the profes confirmations and exornations of all these maye be sprincled here and there and as I haue sayde before in the Logicke Methode the exhortations consolations and rebukes must be myngled with the figure of digression So here with the Methode of Confirmation the pareneticall places oughte to bee confirmed Moreouer in this treatyse fower thynges mete together the occasion the proposition the confirmation and the conclusion The occasion reciteth the cause of the exhortation The proposition must bee amplified and multiplied and oftentimes with other wordes and figures must be iterated The cōfirmation is to be sought for out of the places nowe rehearsed in whiche confirmation moreouer there are twoo thynges to be considered the degree or steere and the figure The degree maketh vs by little and little to ascende from lighter and lesser matters to weyghtier thynges and of more importaunce and so to moste weyghtie and greate matters Otherwyse exhortation is of no estimation or pryce The figure dothe not