An entrance to the answering of the three questions recited in the beginning of this booke.

I Haue heard many men of diuers trades, cal­lings, and professi­ons, and some in the parish where I haue cure and charge, vsing speeches deroga­torie to the credite, good estate, and prosperous continuance of Lawyers, Phisitions, and of the Preachers of the word of God: the plētie of which three sortes of learned and honest professors, are the manifest arguments of Gods most speciall fauor towards his church: yet notwithstanding, I perceiue they are neither liked nor loued of the ig­norant and enuious multitude; wherein they do so much as in them lieth, abuse the means of their cōfort, & reiect the graces of God which they daily pray for; yet whē they, by reason of their vn­godly [Page] or distemperate behauior, are brought to the hazard of their liber­ties, their liuings, or their liues; then some of them maister and worship the Lawyer. Others being but a little sicke, post and hast their messengers to the Phisitions, then they intreat them and entertaine them with diuers paiments & promises. And some of them, though the smaller number, when their wils be made, and their soules bequeathed, send for the minister, vnto whom they then speake faire, and crie God mer­cie, I haue beene a sinner, Master Par­son pray forme: or words to like effect, I doubt me to small purpose. Wherfore these things considered, I thinke it not amisse (good christian Reader) to contriue their questions and my an­swers Dialogue wise, as betweene the Pastor and Parishioner, after this maner.

WHat is your opinion and iudg­ment of Lawyers? They are men generally hated and ill reported, and as I thinke very iustly: for they doe by delaies and shifts in law, hinder and vndoe many.

The lawes of this realme, made and ordained by policie and wisdome, and maintained by authoritie, are said to consist of perfect reason, auntient cu­stome, yea and of the law of God; very perfectly pointing to euerie man his owne, as God hath limited out of the creation, leauing nothing common or vndesposed, but the fishes of the sea, the fowls of the ayre, and the beasts of the wildernesse. And it hath his denomina­tion Lex à Ligando, because as a bond doth knit and hold many things toge­ther, and as of many links is made one [Page] chaine,Eph. 4, 1.2.3. Exo. 28, 1.2.3.4.5.6. and as by the sinewes, our ioynts and parts of our naturall bodies are tied and bound together; euen so by law, the politicke body of a common weale, is vnited & knit together as one, for the preseruation of peace, in the profession of one true euerliuing & ouer-ruling Lord. It requireth in it selfe the captiuating of our owne wils, and obedience to the wil of the maker thereof, vpon pains and pe­nalties enforcing the same. The lawes so considered, make difference betwixt right and wrong, betwixt good and euill men: the lawes of this Land, if they be duely and truely handled, haue that end and purpose as the law of Almigh­tie God, which is, to reduce men from sauagenesse to ciuilnesse, from igno­rance to knowledge, and from vice to vertue;Rom. 13, 3.4. therefore S. Paule said, Princes are nor fearefull, by their lawes, to them that doe good, but to them that doe euill. Wilt thou be without feare? doe well then: so shalt thou be praised, then is he the minister of God, for thy wealth: but he is the minister of God, to take [Page] vengeance on them that doe euill. These our lawes are laudable, and very neere (for excellencie and sinceritie) to the lawes of God, as doth partly ap­peare by the definition thereof, Lex est sanctio sancta iubens honesta & prohibens contraria. The law is a holy ordinance commaunding good things, and forbid­ding the contrarie. Why then is it dis­praised? nay rather why is it not most highly commended, liked, and allowed?

All this that you haue said of the law it selfe, I partly graunt, but what maketh this for the calling of Lawyers, and their practise, as Councellors, Do­ctors, Attorneis, Proctors, Sollicitors, Petty-foggers, and such like? there were no such men allowed in the iudici­all lawes of God, euerie man was heard of the iudge to say what he could for hmselfe, and why should not our lawes haue that proceeding? Is there any matter so hard and intricate that the [Page] partie grieued cannot vtter it himselfe, and where a cause being neuer so hard and tedious, might be ended within ten daies after the defendants aunswere, it is now drawne to three or foure yeares handling, by the deceit, and for the lucre of Lawyers, vpon whom all the world crieth out with open mouth.

It should seeme you speake of consci­ence, as wishing all things well, or of ex­treame malice being some way grieued by them: the best of both pleads you guiltie, in accusing all for some. It was not so hard a matter for Moses to iudge all Israell at the first by himselfe, as it was afterwards to iudge them by him­selfe and others, when Iethro councel­led him for his ease to choose many more helpers. And more tedious it is to determine all the causes moued by the subiects here in England, than it was for Moses when he had most to doe in Isra­el for complaints,Exod. 18, 13. to 23. iniuries, and wrongs, [Page] are encreased, so that many hundreth iudges could not deliberatly heare and consideratly determine all the cau­ses arising here, although the plain­tife and defendant were suffered to speake but tenne words a piece; where indeed, if they should haue their allow­ance, 2000 would not serue. Againe, ignorant and vnlearned men are not able to set forth or report to the iudge the points and truth of their owne cau­ses. Besides if they were, yet is not any iudge so exquisite & perfect in the laws, or any mans wit so pregnant, or memo­rie so ready, as vpon such sodaine, to mi­nister iustice to euerie man as his cause requireth: therefore learned lawyers, as Councellors, Doctors, Attorneis, and Proctors, are necessarie and fit men, to open, argue, and debate causes, where­by the iudge may see more clearely, who hath wrong, and who hath right, and be called to minde by their moti­ons, what sentence or iudgement is fit to be giuen betwixt them. And further, if the parties should plead their owne [Page] cause, such might be the skill and subtil­tie of the wrong-doer, and the simpli­citie of him that desireth redresse or recompence, the iudge being ignorant De veritate facti, for want of information might approue the wicked, and con­demne the innocent: wherefore I say againe and againe, that Councellors, Doctors, Attorneis, Proctors, yea, and Sollicitors, and the officers vsed in and about the execution of law and iustice, are fit men, necessarie, and profitable in a Christian common weale. But for a Petti-fogger, it is a word of disdaine, I know no such calling allowed in the law.

And whereas you speake of delaies and shiftes vsed by lawyers, whereby they hinder and vndoe many; you must vnderstand, that seeing the causes and sutes in this land are many, as is aforsaid, and seeing there is a prioritie of one sute before another, in regard of the com­mencement thereof, and therefore also must needs be a prioritie in the procee­ding therein, and likewise also in the hearing and determining of the same, [Page] euerie one being heard in his course, some competent and reasonable time must therefore be allowed vnto euerie cause, for the continuance thereof. But if there be any that professe the law, that are either so vnskilfull and vnlear­ned that they cannot councell their clients for their best expedition, or so couetously bent, and so addicted to gaine and lucre, that they will for their owne benefite, protract and delay any mans cause, (as amongst many, of what degree or calling soeuer, there are some bad) seeing there are others (God be thanked) a great many, that are consci­onable and honest, and againe learned and wise; if any fall into the hands of the former vnlearned or vngodly law­yer, it is to be accounted his owne folly, for that he, when it was his owne ele­ction to retaine whom he list, would make choice of such a one, when he might as easily and with as small cost, haue had him that had bin learned and godly. But in deed commonly the fault is in the clients themselues, who are so [Page] cruelly and spitefully bent, that what lawyer soeuer they haue, they will themselues seeke infinite waies and de­uises to delaie their sutes, and to detaine their aduersaries a long time in trouble and expence of law: insomuch as I haue credibly heard of some, who knowing their cause to be vniust, and yet also knowing themselues of wealth and abi­litie to exceed those against whom they haue delt, and therefore meaning by reason of their wealth to suppresse the truth, and by long delaies so to im­pouerish their aduersary, as they should neuer be able to bring the cause to hea­ring, haue in the bitternesse of their heart, and in the heat of their furie, vt­tered these words; I will not leaue him worth a great. I will make him daunce the beggers galliard before I haue done with him, with such other cruell and vn­christian speeches. And these and such like minded men, for the better effe­cting of this their wicked intention, la­bor and endeuour to seeke vnto them­selues such lawyers as will sit their hu­mors: [Page] wherevpon if God for the harde­ning of their hearts, doe send them vn­to to such a one, then they haue their de­sire: if otherwise they light vpon such a lawyer that will not fauour nor further that their extreame bitternesse and cruelty, then they themselues partly by wrong informations giuen to their law­yer, and partly by other subtill and se­cret practises, find out the means to de­lay & lengthen their suits, and to hold, detaine, and keepe both themselues, and their aduersaries, in long and tedi­ous actions, to the poore mens great de­cay and impouerishment, if not to their vtter vndoing. By means whereof, the law is euill spoken of, and the lawyers are slaundered, whereas indeed the law it selfe is good and holy, and may be well vsed, and so is by a great many of the professours thereof; and when it is otherwise administred, the fault is not in the law, but in the practisers thereof, that are defectiue either in learning or conscience, but most commonly in the clients themselues.

As you thought me to speake ill of Lawyers vpon spleene onely, by reason of some grieuance receiued by or from some of them, so I thinke that you speake well of Lawyers, by reason of some fauour or good done vnto you by some Lawyer, as partly it appears by the dedication of your booke. There were many better men, and greater in account, more likely to gratifie you than a Lawyer.

Esa. 15, 20.21.As he that iustifieth the wicked, is subiect to woe, so he that condemneth the godly, is subiect to woe: as it is a sinne to arrogate for him that deser­ueth ill, so it is a sinne to derogate from him that deserueth well: you can not denie but all that I haue said con­cerning the law, and the professours, generally is true. And whereas you [Page] seeme to charge me with some benefit past which makes me partiall, I con­fesse that euen he was the pleader, and that by his learning and paines (yea, without fee) he deliuered me from a greedy Informer, who through his sub­tiltie and my simplicitie, had condem­ned me in a hundred marks more than I was worth: to which worshipful Law­yer I dedicate this my labour, think­ing it a sufficient gratification, in that it pleaseth him to patronize the same, and me also, who as a poore Doue a­mong Kites & Crowes, am throwne in­to the world into many dangers, and hard aduentures; whose loue and faith­full friendship towards me, I as­sure my selfe, is sealed and deliuered; whose readinesse likewise to helpe all such as are helplesse, if it be desired, and whose vprightnesse in his profession to­wards all, hath many yeares appeared. And shall I suffer this man to be ob­scure? no, no, I will not; no, he is not; no, if I, you, and 1000 more with vs, both tooke in hand to dimme that [Page] he hath done, the saincts in earth would praise him, and the angels in heauen would pray for him, that God might regard and reward him.

‘Carpturum alios immaculatum esse oportet.’

For my question I rest satisfied. Now therefore I pray you what is your opi­nion and iudgement of Phisitions? they robbe men of their liuings, and spoile men of their liues; vnder the pretence of doing good, they heale few and kil many.

PHisicke is a preseruer of health,Hipocrates De arte. and the repulser of sicknesses. Phisicke is a put­ting too, and a taking from; that is to say, It doth adde, encrease, strengthen, and augment good blood; where it is decaied, by age, by imper­fection of nature, by surfait, or by any other means howsoeuer: and it doth take away, cut off, kill, destroy, purge, or by some such way, it doth discharge the body of that which is ouer & aboue nature, as of chollor, rheume, corrupt blood, impostumes, &c. The body of man is subiect to infinite diseases, and therefore through the corruption therof, it is likened by the holy Ghost,Esa. 6, 4. to a filthie clout, or the cloath of a menstruous woman.Exo 9.9.17, 2. King. 1, 2. 2. Cron. 11, 14. It is subiect to the leprosie, to the pluresie, to the dropsie, to the frensie, to the palsie, to the botch, to the canker, and to other infinit diseases, which will soone infect, ouer­runne, [Page] and destroy the body, if it be not aided, maintained, supported, and defended by Phisicke: whence our sauiour Christ said, The whole haue no need of the Phisition; as well to confound the opinion of those that trusted in their owne righteousnes, as also to shew that it was a matter ne­cessarie & requisite,Mat. 9, 22. that he which was sicke should seeke to the Phisition. Answerable to this,Eccle. 38, 1. &c. Iesus the grand­father, and Iesus the nephew, gaue in commaundement highly to esteeme, and reuerently to account of the Phi­sition, with this great word, Honor, which indeed is a word of great digni­tie, and commonly yeelded to Lords of nobilitie. Honor (saith he) the Phisi­tion, with that honor which is due vn­to him, which is as much to say, He de­serueth to be honored, it doth pertaine vnto him; it is his right and his duetie to be had in aestimation, and to be reue­renced, not because it doth any way good vnto him, not that he hath any vse of thy honour, reuerence, or seruice, [Page] but in respect of thy owne necessitie, for thine owne need; thou shalt haue continuall occasion to vse him, Honor therefore the Phisition, because of ne­cessitie. And for another reason he is to be honored, because the Lord hath cre­ated him, the Lord hath ordained and constituted him forthy sake, and for thy good: as thou wilt not be found to neglect the good gifts, the good ordi­nances of almightie God, Honor the Phisition. A third reason enforceth this honor, to weet, his studie, his cal­ling and his profession, which com­meth of God, his maiestie hath crea­ted it, he it is that hath instituted and ordained it. If Phisicke be not the or­dinance of Almightie God, I would faine know what vse haue we of di­uerse roots, hearbs, flowers, trees, plants, licours, and many other things, in beasts, in foules, in fish, and creeping creatures, whose effects are verie strange and wonderfull, all working the health and preseruation of mans bodie? or were they created in vaine? [Page] we haue in our knowledge no other vse of the Rose, than the sight, the sappe, and the sauour, yet it hath many other excellent vses and effects, simple, or compounded. What shalbe done with the Toad, the Ant, the Adder, and such small things? all the creatures of God are good,Gen. 1, 31. as he himselfe veresieth, and as the proofe thereof plainely sheweth. They are to be vsed in their season, and to be taken in their kinde, so shall we haue vse and comfort by them. Luke the Euangelist, was a Phi­sition in Antioch, whom Christ would not haue accounted, much lesse appoin­ted for an Apostle, if his profession had not beene lawfull and necessarie. And why shal I stand colouring of pure Corrall? or preseruing of pure Ciuet, that will neuer leese his sauour? as the one will not receiue to it, and the other will not leese from it; euen so Phisicke is so exquisitely excellent, that it need not haue any counterfait helpe: and the other haue their commission so lawfull, that they cannot be condemned, nor [Page] iustly disdained. Nature and Necessitie are two handmaids that attend vpon Phisitions, the one enforced to seeke their helpe, the other inforced to yeeld thē their guerdon & reward. As it is to be proued by Gods word, damnable sin for a man to kill himselfe with fire, wa­ter, sword, or with such like; so is it sinne for a man to destroy himselfe in not see­king after Phisitions and Chirurgions, when time and opportunitie is offred for recouery. As men may be too care­full in seeking after Phisitions to re­moue the diseases of their bodies: so may they be too too carelesse in see­king after Christ, to remoue the sinnes of their soules. Whence comes all ma­ner of infirmities and diseases of the bo­die? comes it not from the sinnes of the soule? All the inconueniences, dangers,Pro. 18, 7. Iere. 26, 19. Eze. 18, 4. Mat. 17, 26. miseries, troubles, and wretchednesse whatsoeuer vpon the body, comes as a punishment for the sinne of the soule. Thence comes the originall, thence comes the cause. A good Phisition or Surgion will first remoue the cause, ere [Page] he begin to heale, euen so he that en­terpriseth his health, must first of all goe vnto Iesus Christ, the Phisition of the soule, that the cause may be re­moued, then Phisicke hath vertue and power to heale, and not before. All power of healing and doing good, pro­ceeds from him. As the vertue attra­ctiue, to draw Elisha from his worke, was not in Elias cloake,1. King. 19, 19.20. but in the power of the word: euen so the vertue of hea­ling is not in the Phisitions, nor any thing they take in hand, but in the Lord of life. From the most high com­meth healing;Eccles. 38, 2.3.4. the Lord hath created medicins, God hath giuen men know­ledge, that he might be glorified in his wonderfull workes. Men may not seeke to Phisitions, (nor blame them if they be not healed) when they must seeke to God; neither may they seeke to God, when they should seeke to Phi­sitions. The best Phisition cānot heale, where God sets not to his hand,Luke 8, 43. there­fore blame them not. As for their liues and conuersations, to speake truely, and [Page] in the feare of God indifferently, I take them for the most part to be men most ciuill in their behauiour, chast in their bodies, moderate in their diet, and most religious in the seruice of almigh­tie God. And so I end for the Phisiti­on, desiring God to increase his graces in them, and to blesse their labours in others. Their cause is good.

Men doe hurt and endamage themselues, by committing their bodies into the hands of such as are not warranted by the degrees of learning to be Phisitions indeed. If you adhibit any credit to my councell, be sure to know the knowledge and the conscience of the Phisition, be­fore you commit your life into his hands; euerie one cannot heale a sore, that can make a salue: so euerie one is not a Phi­sition, that makes the profession.

You haue said well for the Lawyer & the Phisition, now I pray you what is your iudgement concerning preachers and ministers? for all the world saith, they feed themselues with the sweat of other mens browes. Whilst they are busied with the cares of their wiues and their children, they starue the soules of Gods people: and their ill life marres all.

YOu blame the ministers for neglecting their charge, and for their ill life and conuersati­on; you make no ex­ception, you conclude all and euerie one within the compasse of your con­demnation, as the Pope doth com­prehend all England within the com­passe of his curse. The Elder that is [Page] fullest of pith, is smallest of strength; the emptie Caske will giue a great sound; and the bird Taurus hath a great voice, but a little body; euen so you, and such like, haue great will, you haue ma­ny great words, but God be thanked, no power to hurt. And againe, that which you allow, is ill; that which you mis­like, is good; because you haue no knowledge to iudge according to truth, you haue no conscience to iudge accor­ding to charitie, and you haue no place of office publickly to iudge according to iustice. Your accusing of others, is but the excusing of your selfe; your med­ling with the ministers, shewes that you cannot away to be reproued; you hate to be reformed, as the holy Ghost wit­nesseth saying,Ioh. 12, 35. 1. Cor. 3, 1.2 2. Thess. 3. 2. Pet. 2, 1. Iohn. 2, 1. He that walketh in darkenesse, hateth the light; meaning that such as liue lewdly & lasciuiously doe hate them that liue godly and ho­nestly. A matter very strāge to be shew­ed, and hard to be beleeued, that vice should hate vertue, or that the sheepe shuld controle the shepheard: therfore [Page] Christ foreseeing it, answereth by way of interrogation,2. Cor. 6, 14.15.16. What fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse? what communion hath light with darkenesse? and what concord hath Christ with Beliall? wherein his diuine maiestie doth shew the ods, the diffe­rence, the contrarietie, the debate, and the inequality that is between the right and the vnright; betweene the ignorant and the learned; between Atheists, Epi­cures, & such like, & the true followers of Christ. The vnrighteous, the open & the obstinate sinner, cannot away with the godly and sinceere man; the igno­rant can not away with the learned; the base-borne cannot like with the noble, and it is too true, that the carelesse and vnconscionable liuers, will shun and a­uoid the company of the members of Christ. You, and the rest of your fellow bretheren, and partners, haue no other quarrell to the ministers of God, but that they also doe disdaine, shun, and auoid your companies; there is such inequalitie betwixt you and them, that [Page] they admit not of your fauour, neither doe they at any time feare you. There­fore I need not studie to answere your friuolous questions particularly, but ra­ther in few words to reproue, and with plain tearms to reprehend your baiard­ly boldnesse, in medling with such as are so farre aboue your selfe, as you are herein beyond the measure of mode­sty, and christian duety. Euery base and beggerly fellow, euerie lewd and wan­ton mistres, euerie prophane and rus­fianly gētleman, euerie swearing swash-buckler, and many such as make shew of honesty, and conscience of religi­on, in their feasting, in their gaming, in their riding, in their going, yea, in all their affaires, they will be medling and sensuring of ministers. Some will blame them because of their conuersation, some will despise them because of their wiues, & some will slander thē because of their apparel some wil disdaine them because they be poore, some will scorne them because they be ritch, and some will condemne them because they be [Page] couetous; some cannot like them be­cause they preach often, some will dis­cōmend them because they preach sel­dome; and some will not fauor them because they preach too plaine and ea­sie, and some will not loue them if they preach too prosound and deepe; some will not loue them if they pray for Bi­shops, some will not loue them if they pray not for Bishops; some cannot away with Latine, Greeke, and Hebrue, some cannot away without it; and some can not away with neither. Alas poore silly souls, of all sortes the greatest, some mislikes you, scornes you, disdains you, hates you, and condemnes you. O how few are there that likes you, and loues you? But be of good cheere, (saith Christ) I haue ouercommed the world,Ioh. 15, 20. The seruant is not greater than his master, if they persecuted me, they will also persecute you, all these things will they doe vnto you for my names sake.1. Cor 15 14. to 21. Blessed are yee, &c. reioice and be glad, for great is your reward in hea­uen. If our reward were not with [Page] God, then were we of all men most mi­serable.

You are beholding to your selfe, and the rest of your bretheren haue cause to praise you, and to pray for you. You haue condemned me as a man of no knowledge, of no conscience, and of no charitie, and you haue made others my partners and assotiats, that said nothing at all to you, to iustifie your selfe and all sorts of ministers good and bad, and yet neuerthelesse you assure your selues of Gods blessing in earth, and of aeternall fauour in heauen.

Good Sir, I haue said nothing of my selfe, nor for my bretheren but that the Lord hath said and warranted out of his holy word. He it is that con­demnes all such as you are for medling with other mens matters,1. Thess. 3.11. the holy Ghost councelleth you to be quiet, to [Page] meddle with your owne businesse, and to worke with your owne hands. Vziah was strucken dead when he did but set his hand to stay the Lords Arke from falling;2. Sam. 6, 6.7.8. and shal you remaine aliue, yea and vnhurt, that put your hands, not to helpe, but to hinder the Lords procee­dings?Mat. 18, 1.2.3. Christ did promise a woe and a heauie iudgement against him that of­fendeth a little one in the church, or in the society of the faithfull; and shall you escape this woe and heauie iudge­ment, that maliciously, wilfully, and ti­rannously, doe intreat and handle such as are great, such as are the ministers, the disposers of Gods secreats, and his heauenly Embassadours? no, no. I speake not in the commendation of any such as deserue condemnation, much lesse did I warrant their iustification or blessing from the Lord. If their conuersation be euill, and their doctrine good; take the one, leaue the other: their doctrine doth belong vnto you, their life & con­uersation to themselues. You shall an­swer for their doctrine, & not for their [Page] doing. The Scribes and Pharisies were counted hipocrites, painted Sepul­chers, and deuourers;Ma. 23, 1.2. yet Christ wil­led the people to heare them, so long as they sate in Moses chaire, meaning so long as they preached truely, and taught the lawe of Moses. And I pray you is the gospell of Iesus Christ more defiled, and of lesse force by the ill de­meanors of the ministers, than the law was through the vilenesse and ab­hominations of the Pharisies? no, no, so great a maiestie, and so great might the preaching of Gods word hath, as it cannot be diminished by the vilenesse of the vilest, nor augmēted by the ver­tue of the most holiest: and therefore it is a question generally cōcluded, That a vicious minister, preaching the Gos­pell truely and continually, doth more good and lesse harme in the church of God, than an honest minister and good house-keeper, that cannot or will not feed the soules of his people, with the continuall preaching of the word. As a seale of copper, or of wood, if it be well [Page] graued doth make as good an impres­sion in wax, as a seale of siluer or of gold: so the holy word of God being well de­uided and deliuered by an vngodly man, doth make as good an impressi­on in the souls of the saints, as if it were deuided and deliuered by a most ho­nest and an vpright man. God forbid, yea, let it be farre from any man to thinke, much lesse to teach, that the vilenesse of the minister should dero­gate any working, or withhold any force or effect from so great a maiestie as the word of Reconciliation, for then Lord what good shall it doe? all men are sinners, we haue all sinned, we haue done amisse and delt wickedly. We can not exclude the ministers out of this number. S. Paule speaking of the Sacra­ment of Christs death,1. Cor. 11, 29. saith; Who­soeuer eateth and drinketh thereof vn­worthilie, eateth and drinketh his owne damnation. Is he accounted an vnwor­thie receiuer in respect of the minister? or in respect of himselfe? if it be in res­pect of the minister, because he is vile, [Page] &c. then must you make God contrary to himselfe, who saith,Deut. 24, 18. 2. King. 14, 6. 2. Chro. 2.25, 4. The soule that sinneth shall die, and shall nor beare the iniquitie of another: and then you must also grant, that faith in the recea­uer hath no effect; which is contrarie to S. Paule, 1. Cor. 13.5. who willeth all men to search and to proue themselues for the same, thereby to make them worthie. If the receiuer be counted vnworthie, in res­pect of himselfe, then it followeth that the receiuer either good or euill, doth not helpe nor hurt in the administrati­on of the sacrament. As the vertue at­tractiue to draw iron, is not in the iron, but in the A damant, euen so the vertue and power of saluation lieth not in the minister, but in the power of the word, wrought by the spirit. As the raine and the snow commeth downe from hea­uen, and returneth not thither againe, but watereth the earth and makes it fruictfull: euen so (saith the Lord) my word shall not returne vnto me void,Esa. 55.10.11. but it shall accomplish that which I will, and it shall prosper in the thing [Page] whereto I sent it. Thus much briefly concerning the truth and dignitie of the word preached. Wherein I haue said nothing to excuse, much lesse to iustifie the vnlawfull and dissolute liues of some ministers, and least of all to pro­nounce them a blessing, as you obie­cted vnto me. I must leaue them as the builders of an Arke for Noahs safegard,Gen. 7, 1. who notwithstanding were drowned themselues.Exo. 25, 8.10.11. I must leaue them as the curious workers of the sanctuarie for the Lord to dwell in, and were shut out themselues. I must leaue them as the makers of the Arke,Nehe. 3.1. &c. the Taber­nacle, and the mercie seat vpon it, to shadow and to defend others and not themselues. And I must leaue them as the seuerall builders of Salomons tem­ple, and were not of the temple of God themselues. They are like to the Iews, who cried, The Temple of the Lord,Iere. 7.4.5. The temple of the Lord, this is the Temple of the Lord; when they most of all prophaned and defiled the Temple of the Lord. They are like vn­to [Page] the great and learned Philosophers, who with the effects of Gods spirit, taught al men the right way; who wan­ting the graces of the same spirit, could not find the good and perfect way for themselues to be saued. And they are like to them of whom S. Paule speaks,Rom. 2, 17.18. to 24. that were teachers, instructers, & prea­chers to others, for the auoiding of a­dulterie, stealth, and such other sinnes, when indeed they were the same them­selues, and so by the iudgement of God, Castawaies.1. Cor. 9, 27.

I pray you tell me how are those mi­nisters to be excused in this? If any of their parish offend them, they will preach it in the pulpit. They wil rather than faile take a place of scripture fit for such a purpose, and one thing often. This is a verie foule fault, and I assure you it is misliked of many, and besides forsooth they take so much vpon them, as no man in the parish can be their [Page] betters, and vnlesse he be a iudge or a iustice at the least, not so good as they.

Here you offer me occasion to speake infinitly, and world without end, of two things especially which you mis­like in the ministers; one is their vnor­derlie preaching, the other is their ar­rogancie and pride. Neuerthelesse I wil be briefe.

2. Tim. 3, 6.All scripture is giuen by inspiration of God, and it is profitable to teach, to improue, to correct, and to instuct in righteousnesse.

Here you see that the scripture hath soure profitable vses, and therefore it may be deuided into foure parts, which are dispersed here and there. The first for doctrine, necessarie to confirme a man in that good he hath begunne. The second is to confute false opinions and heresies. The third to rebuke the vile and filthy conuersations of men. And the fourth is to comfort the weake, the [Page] wearied, and troubled conscience. It remaineth in the discretion of the dis­poser hereof, to take such a place, one or more of these, as the state and condi­tion of his people requireth. As he is said to be an vnskilfull Phisition, that ministreth a purgation to clense idle humors, when he should minister a po­tion or ointment to strengthen and comfort them: euen so is he said to be an vnskilfull and an vndiscreet Prea­cher, that takes in hand to comfort and to strengthen his auditorie, when they should be sharpely reproued and corre­cted. The true deriuation of an Ora­tor, and right vse of a Preacher, is to make choise of such matter for the congregation, as is easie, profitable, and necessarie. All the books of God haue their particular vses, as the people mi­nistreth occasion, and specially the Epistles of S. Paule, and the Sermons of the Apostles. There is no one in the congregation among many thousands, but shall heare himselfe as it were di­rectly pointed at, and spoken vnto. But [Page] now the guiltie consciences of many, will apply it to the malice or vndis­creetnesse of the Preacher, as if the Preacher speake against drunkennesse, then the adulteror will blame him; if he speake of vsurie, then the couetous man will blame him; and if he speake of counterfait and dissembling mour­ners, then he that wears a mourning cloake or gowne wil blame him. There is such affinity & alliance betwixt these and such like sins, as was betwixt Hipo­crates Twins, when the one wept, the other wept, when the one laughed, the other laughed, and when the one was touched, the other was touched, ones ioy was anothers ioy, & ones griefe was an others griese. Euen so is it with the wicked and reprobate impes of the de­uil, speake against one, speake against all; touch one, touch all, so wise they are in their generation, as they will not say, The Preacher or the Priest spake against me, but he spake against such a one. Wherin they take away from the word, the maiesty due vnto it; which is [Page] to reproue all men; wherein they doe disanull to themselues the graces that they should receiue by it, which is to comfort all men: and wherein they do arrogate to themselues a more speciall interest to the word, than indeed is due vnto them. As there is no law by the which a Preacher for his doctrine may be punished, if he speake not against the Prince, so there is no diuinitie by the which a Preacher is particularly pre­scribed, or generally ordered, if he speake not against God, the mightie Prince of peace.

I will turne my selfe to the censures and iudgement of the learned in this point.

AD pudorem cogendus est qui ma­lefacit, hoc fit, quando male­factum apertè ac disertis ver­bis obiscitur delinquenti. A­lioqui vt est apud Isocratem, in oratione ad Philippum Macedoniae Regem.

Quod omnibus dicitur, nemeni dicitur.

Vnde fit vt generales istae castigationes vitiorum tam parum promonent hodie in Ecclesia. Musc. in Mat. 14, pag. 4, 18, Nam nemo pudore afficitur, prop­terea quod nemo nominatim corripitur.

Baptista Herodem reprehendit.

• 1 Sūmū Tirānum.
• 2 In faciem.
• 3 Aperte in pub­lico.
• 4 Diserte non li­cebit tibi.

Si quis vel potator est, vel auare agit, vel durius cum vxore aut familia versa­tur, aut etiam aliquod aliud, quod non de­cet christianum, sectatur studium: talis si venerit ad Pastorem, non debet recipi à Pa­store, priusquam pastor viderit emendati­onem. Non hic habebit rationem personae, sed ministerij sui, non timebit inimicitiam, non odium, non amissionem facultatum, non exilium, Hem. de Pa­store pag. 166. non mortem, sed Deum time­bit, cuius vicem gerit, & Christum, pro quo legatione fungitur.

Ambrosius excommunicauit Theo­dosium [Page] Imperatorem, cum in Thessaloni­censes tam grauem tyrannidem exer­cuisset. Pet. Mart. in loc. commu. de Ma­gistratu 10. In Iudic. 19. ad finem. Lege Necephorum eccl. hist. lib. 12, cap. 41. Lege lib. 13, cap. 34. & lib. 5, cap. 41.

Magnum discrimen est Dei sermones tacere, ob triplicem causam:

Vel propter

• Timorem.
• Pigritiam.
• Adulationem.

Hier. super illud, si dicente me ad impium.

Ars artium regimen animarum.

Greg. in Past.

In Arca erant

• Tabulae.
• Virga.
• Manna.

Sit discretio virgae quae seriat, Greg. 3. Sit & consolatio baculi, quae sustentet.

Multo consilio & prudentia opus est Pastori, & mille vt dicitur occulis ad speculandum vndi (que) hebitudinem earum, quas gubernat animarum Chrisost. in di­alog. lib. 2.

Non est fidelis ministri, prurietibus audi­torum suorum auribus seruire, & singulis conscionibus noui aliquid adferre in medi­um: sed diligenter obseruare quid illis immineat mali quod vigilantur sit preca­uendum; deque illo fideliter iterum at (que) iterum praemonere, etiamsi non omnibus saepe iterata admonitio arrideat.

Decies repetita placebunt. Horat. ea­dem scribere vobis, Phil. 3.1. me quidem non grauat, vos autem tutos, vel cautos reddit.

Eadem scribere, mihi quidem non pi­grum, vobis autem necessarium; eadem scribere vobis, me quidem haud piget, vo­bis autem tutum est.

Quapropter haud negligam vos semper commonere de his, tam etsi sciatis, & con­firmati sitis in praesenti veritate, etsi pe­riti. Hem.2. Pet. 1, 12.

Bis, ter, gloria, Dimosth.

Bis, ter, idem. Cicero in oratione.

Non vnum hodie, cras aliud, Chrisost. in Ioh. 13. sed semper idem.

NOw concerning the pride and ar­rogancie of Preachers.

I would not willingly leaue you in any thing vnanswered, if happely it please God by your repulse & shame o­thers may walke more warely & wisely in their owne profession, and not to bu­sie themselues in other mens callings.

Let there be an inquisition had, and a proclamation made. If there be any minister that is a gentleman, either in regard of his birth, or in respect of his degrees in learning, or els in consi­deration of his publicke place in the [Page] common-weale, that doth seeke his owne profit, and not the Lords praise; that doth desire his owne gaine and not the Lords glorie; or that doth ex­alt himselfe aboue the lowest of the poore members of Christ, by vertue thereof, when they should be humble; or that of enuie or malice doth for his reuenge draw the sword of Gods word against any man by priuat or publique administration, then let him be bound faithfully to doe the seruice of Christ,Phil. 1, 1.2. 2. Tim. 2, 1 Ki n. 19, 19. Mat. 9.9. as S. Paule was. Let him be presently commaunded to serue the Lord as Eli­sha was; and then let him be enforced to forsake his accounts, as Mathew was; and if he be not content to doe this, and withall to be a Iew,1. Cor. 9, 19.20.21. to win the Iewes; to be meeke, to winne them that are meeke; and to vse all means to winne some vnto Christ:1. Sam. 15, 8.9. to 26. then let Gods spirit depart from him as it did from Saul; and then let his place be giuen to another,Mat. 28, 3.4.5.6. Acts 1.15. to 26. as it was from Iudas; let him be cho­ked and strangled to death, as a theefe and a murtherer; and let his bowels be [Page] drawne, and his body be quartered for the fouls of the aire, as a traitor & cōspi­rator.2. Tim. 3, 1.2 3. Phil. 2.5.6. Christ made himselfe of no repu­tation, although worthy to be taken and esteemed among the worthiest, yet he abased himselfe, &c. as he said;Mat 20 28. I came not to be serued, but to serue. He washed his disciples feet, whē they should haue washed his. He paied tribute to Caesar, when Caesar should haue paied him tri­bute. Christ did it not to be praised of men, his praise was of God; & he did it not to augment his owne glorie, for he had alreadie the fulnesse of the God­head, but to throw down the pride of al men, & especially of the ministers. He cared not what he did so he might win a soule. He thought his time wel spent, and his life well bestowed, if at the least he might winne some.

Let there another proclamation be made, and an inquisition had:

If there be any lawfull Preacher, how poore soeuer, that doth derogate from the worthinesse of his calling, the reuerence, the duety, the aestimation, [Page] the fauor, the loue, and the honor that is due vnto him, for feare of men, or for loue of mony, or doth submit himselfe to my Lord or to my Lady, in any ser­uice that is not beseeming and meet for so great and so stately a professor; then after the first and second admonition let him be shut out from the society of the Saints.Mat. 18 15. to 19. Let him haue no vse of the word and sacrament. Let his goods be confiscated to the vse of the poore, and let his body be buried amōg the beasts of the field.

A minister is not a man basely to de­mean himselfe: so great is the maiesty of his message. A minister is not meet for the company of mean men, so great is his calling: and a minister is not to be seruant to a king, that will make him seruile. As the words of a lord Chancel­lor are said to be great because it comes from the King: so the words of a mini­ster are said to be great,Exod. 4, because it coms from God. Thence the Preachers are said to be the mouth of God, and their wordes a two edged sword.Reu. 19. As fire and [Page] smoke comes out of the mouths of Lo­custs: so Gods iudgements doe come from the mouths of ministers, by the preaching of the word.Ioshua 1. As God said to Ioshua; Whosoeuer will not obay the wordes of thy mouth, shall die: euen so he that obayeth not the words of Gods holy ministers, shall surely die. Al­mighty God hath constituted and ordained the saluation of all men to be receiued by the ministerie of the word, therefore he hath sanctified it, he hath beautified and adorned it with the vse of excellent creatures, with the adoration of Kings, with the ser­uice of all angels, and with the conti­nuall presence of his owne maiestie. Cornelius was an excellent man, a man full of morall vertues, yet the angell told him that he wanted one thing; the angell might haue told him that one thing,Acts 10, 1. to 48 had not Christ determined his perfectiō, his instructiō, & saluation to be receiued by the preaching of the word. The Eunuch was faine to admit of Philip to preach vnto him, & to baptize [Page] him.Acts 8, 28, to 40. O the might and maiesty royall of Gods most holy word! How may the disposers thereof be lightly regarded? nay, by what reason, conscience, or law, may they be abused? Will any man that hath a sonne or a seruant that is profitable vnto him in great matters, will he cast him off, deface him, and euilly intreat him? no, no; but these men are profitable vnto you in all things, both for this life and for the life to come, much more then ought they to be accounted, by how much the more they doe profite you and preferre you. Naaman though a great lord of king Arams court, with his horses and chariots and all his traine waited at the doore for poore Eliseus. Obadiah a Lord of Achabs court,2 King. 5, 15. fell at Elias feet and said; Art thou my Lord Elias? The noble Shunamite fell at Elishaes feet; and the great Lord of the Queene of Candaces court,1. King. 18, 7 King. 4, 37, thought poore Philip a fit & a meet man to ride in his chariot. This makes plaine the authoritie and the great worthinesse of the ministers.Reu 25 8, [Page] If the Prophets had this aestimation and honor, who were speakers of the law and of Christ to come, much more now the ministers who are speakers of the Gospell, and warranters that Christ Iesus is alreadie come. As the Gospell is to be preferred before the law, for the worthinesse of it: so the ministers are to be preferred before the Prophets for their worthinesse. Kings scorning the reproofe of the Prophets, haue bin de­faced to the face of the world.1. Chro. 18, 19. The mi­nisters haue names of greater Empha­sis, of greater accent and authoritie, than Moses, Aaron, and the Prophets.

Here now (my good Parishioner) I make an end, with my harty praier to Almightie God for you, and for all such as wander out of the way, that hencefoorth you may walke worthie in your owne calling, and grounding your owne foundation sure, least being troubled with other mens faults, your selfe be sound guilty of slaundering Gods most holy word, being the instru­ment of your saluation, by slandering [Page] the ministers of the same; to whose most mercifull direction, I humbly recom­mend you now and hencefoorth.