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Show ~ 4 6 - Confidcratio11J, touchi~~ the Edification, ~tnd Pa~ifi_c~_tio_n, with the R.eafonableService of God, but were added, In the more pompous Times. . . . . For the Capp, and Sm·pliffi, fince they be Thmgs,. I? thetr Na-ture, indifferent; And yet, by ~ome, held, fu P.e!fhtwus; And that the Quefiion is, between Sc1ence, and Conkt~nce; lt (eer~eth to fall within the Compa[$, oft he Apoftles Rule; ¥/htch IS , 1hatthefl;onger, dodejcend, tmdyiel~, toth.eWeaker. O~ly.~ the Q ,fference is, that it will be materially faid, that the Rule hold- · eth, between Privat Man~ and Privat 11fan, But not betw~en the Confcience 3 if a Private Jltf,m, and the Order, of a Church. H~t yet fince the J!2!.!.eflio11';iat this time,is of a Totler..~ti011jNot b_y Conn1Ve'!ce: which may encourageDifobedJence; Bu~ by Law, whtc~ may g1ve i Lilert)'; It is good, again, to be advtfed, whet~er 1t fall not, within the Equit)', of the Fonner Rule: . T~e ra~her, ~ecaufe th~ silencing of lllinifiers, by this Occafion, 1s, tn thts fc~~rc1ty of good · preacherr, a punitbment, that Hghteth.u~on ~he People, as well ~s upon the P tZrty. And for the subfcnp1wn, tt fetn)eth to me., In the N:lture of a Confeffion.; And therefore, more prope_r:,to bwd, in the Vnity of Faith; And to beu_rge~ rat~er, for ArtiCles of Do- / f1rine, then for Ritu,and Ceremomcs~and P01'!tf of outward Government. For howroever, Pol.itick Confi~e~~ltlons, an~ !teafons ot i State, may requue Vniform;ty, yet Cbrifilan,· and D1vme Crmmas, 1 look, chiefly, uf!bn Vnrty. I I ---- ~ Touching tt Preaching Minifiery. i T O [peak of a.Lettrned.l1linifle':J ;It is true, that.the Worth~n9"s, of the Pafto11rs, & lltfinifters, 1s, of all other pomts of Rel1gzO?t~ . ,the moil: S1tmmary; I do not fay ,the GreateJf,but t~e mofr !ffetlu.al, . towards the reft: But herein to my Underfiandmg, whtle Men, go on in Zeal to hafien this work,they are not aware)of as great, orgr:ater Inc~n_veni~nce, t~en that,whic~ t_hcy feek to re1nove. For wh'le, they mvetgh, agamfi a DmJtb lt1miftery,they make:J too eafie) and too promifcous~ an Allowance of fuch? as they. acc~m.nt Preachers; Having not RefpeB:enou~h, to thetr Learnmgs,tn O· ther Arts which are Handmaides, to Di·vinity; Not Refpetl: enough, to' 1"ears, except it be~ in Cafe, o~ Extraorditt~ry Gif!; Not Re{pect enough, to the Gift it felf, whtch, many Tunes) IS n?ne at all. For God forbid, that every Man, that can take nnto htmfelf Boldne.ffe, to fpeak an Hour together, in a ch}trcb upon a Text fuould be 2dmitted for a Prettcher, though he mean never fo w~ll.I know,the1re is a great Latitrtde, in Gijt1; And a great J~a- 1·iety in A7tditorie.r, and Congregations; But yet fo, as there 1s, Aliquidinjimmn, below which> you ought not to defcend. For you ' mufi ' . of .the Church of England. / :1 4 'l- 1 mufrj rather, leave the Arl<_e, t? iliake, as it iliall p1eafe God, t~ ---put, unworthy Hands, toholdnup: And when weare · inGodJ Temple, we are warn.ed_, rather, to put OJW Hands, upon 01:r hlo,sth then to offer, the Sacrifice, ofFooles. And furel Y; it may be j ulHy1 though~, th~t amongfr many Caufes of Athefme5 which are mi- . ~era~ly m~t .tn our Age; As Schijmes; an~ Controverji'es ;J Profane ucojfings, tn Holy ./VIatters; and others; It JS liot the leafr, that di· vers do adventure, to handle the Word of God which are unfit an~ un~orchy. An~ herein, I would have, nd man)mifrake me; as tfl dtd exto!l ,- cunous, and affected, Preaching; which is,- as much; on the other fide, to be diOiked ; And breedeth Atheifni, and Scandal!;as well as the other; (For "vho, would not .be oftended, atone;, thatcometltintothePulpit, as if he came upon the Stag~, to f.lay Parts, or Prizes?) Neither, on the other fide, as ir" I would a1fco~rage any, who hath any tollerable Gift. "' . But upon this ~oint) ground three conjideration.r:Firfi,wbether 1t we~~ not. req~tfite, to renew, that good Exercife, which w01s prach.ed, .1n thts Chwch/orne years; And afterwards, put down;· by order, 1ndeed, _from the c hHr;h.; In regard, of fome Abufe · ther~~; I_nconve.ntent) for thofe ftrJJes; And yet,. againfr the Advtce, and ~ptnion, _ of one, of theGreatefi, and Gravefr~. Pre~ates, of tht.s Land; And ~a~ com~onJy called Frophecyi'JJg. Whtch was thrs;. That the Mznifler.r, wlthtn aPrecinCI did meet · upon a w.eek day, in fome principall Town; where ~here was' fomeancl;nt, Gra1zd Minifter, that was J>rejdent; And an Audi: tory, ado.u~ted, of Gentlemen, or.oth.er Perfon:r of Lcyfore. Then every ~ltnijier, fuccdfively, begmm~g with the }~oungefrj did handle one, and the fame part, of Scrtpture, fpendmg, feveral. ly, fome J!2!!arter _of an Hour, ot bet~er,And, in the whole,fome tw_o Ho1ers: And fo, tbe Exercife, be1ng begun and. concluded . ~tth Pra.1er; And the Prejdent, giving a ~ext, for the ne:lt meet_' mg, th~ A./fewbly ~as ditfolved. And this was, as I take it . a Fortbmghts Exer~tfe: which in my Opinion,. was the befr w'ay, ~o frame) and tram, Up Preavhers, to handle the: f17ord of God, as It ought to be han~led, that hath been pratlif-ed. For we fee, Gra~o~ts, h_~':'e thetr Decl~tmatio1u; L~wyers , have their Moots; Logtct~m then· Scphenu; And every pradife of Science hath an Exer~1fe of EruditiQn , and initiation, before Men 'come to ~h~ ~~fe; Onely Prettchi1fg, which ·is the wonhielt;.And where~~ It ts moil: danger to beamifie; Wanteth an Introduction, .and ts ventred, and.rufhed upo~, at the firfr: But unto thisExercife of the Frophec;', I would wtih, tbefe two Additions; The one lthat a~rer thi7 Exercife, which i~, in fome fort, Publicft, ther~ .were, tmmedJa~eJy, a f1'ivate Meeting ·, -uf the fame MiHiflers; Where t~ey ought, brotherly admonifh, the one_, the other; ~nd fpectall_y the elder fort, the young~r, of any Thing,. that ad pa1f~, Jn the .Exercife, in Jl:latter~ or Manner; unfound, and uncome1y, And, In a word, mtght, mutually, ufe fuch Advife, In .. |
