Wondering at the time?

WHat is a time-troubler?

One that runnes a whoring after his owne Inventions:

Say not so; he hath a marvelous naturall reason, judgement, and memorie: for he cannot make you a Sermon of [Page 4]three houres long else; an houre his prayer, and two houres his Sermon; although never brought up in the Vniuersitie; and although never tooke any orders: The Apostles were called by Christ; hee is called by the Spirit (as hee will make you beleeve.)

Then it is no matter for learning;

No: For he can make the people beleeve that he can discerne the high misteries of the Word, without learning; as if a man can see without eyes: But you may tell him that there is Construction and Elocution; and especially Allegories, Tropo­logies, and Anagogies in the Word of God to be unfolded; for the Scripture is full of them.

Nay, but if he hath a good memorie and a bold Audacious spirit to blind your ignorance withall; he can deliver so much matter as shall make up the time of his Sermon although there be never a word of reason therein, much lesse a sentence or a divine note of saving comfort: so he strikes, as an ignorant man at the Anvill, though it be neither ryme nor reason hee speakes; so his tongue goes on, it is no matter with him.

Is it no matter for orders neither.

Yes, See the obstinacie of Ieroboam in the 13. Chapter of the first booke of Kings and in the two last verses, how hee made of the lowest of the people Priests of the high places; and how it turned to sinne unto the house of Ieroboam, even to roote it out, and destroy it from the face of the earth.

It seemes he hath no reason indeed.

Hath he no matter neither?

Truly but a little; he will make you beleeve he is the child of God.

Me thinks by this he should be as the proud Pharisie, for hee makes long prayers like him, and will justifie himselfe not to be like others: besides he will say it is no matter what the wicked will say of him; God will avenge his quarrell. Although he hath no learning of which I formerly touched; he loves to be called Rabbi, for he will equall him­selfe, or rather be above learned men; for he will looke to be better respected and regarded by his preaching, then the reverend and learned Minister of the parish, And he loves the uppermost seate in the Synagoges; Nay instead of suffering the Minister to have a place in the Church with him; he would put him (if it lay in his power) quite out.

If it be so then I pray of what validitie is learning; It seemes a man may miracolously be a preacher after the manner aforesaid; Quamvis nunquam fuerit Academiae, or at all bred a scholar. Have I not told you enough before?

Why then; what neede a man put his sonne to the Vniuersitie, when he can without learning his Syllogismes to come to this promotion. A man neede not be at so an unnecessarie a charge, that is best and cheapest that can be attained unto with least charge.

As farre as I see by this, a man may goe to the Vniuersitie and there be at a great deale of charge, in commencing; and when hee comes home to be little the neere?

Why then; What should one go to the Vniversitie at all.

Not except you can please men when you come home.

This is pretty indeed, would I had knowne this sooner: then might I have saved a great deale of charges in seeking to attaine unto learning.

I thought you had knowne that the Apostles had no learning; yet they came to be fishers of men.

Ay, but Christ called them miraculously. And do you not know the Brownists hold that they are miraculously called by the spirit; do you beleeve that.

Yes; if they can with Peter walke on the Sea, or have the gift of knowledge as a learned Scholar hath. And doe you not know that if they have a blinde devotion that it is no matter for learning.

You now talke strangly, as if learning were nothing worth: learning it is the gift of God; and usefull to his glory; and they that speake against learning are like wormes in bookes, that eate out the letter.

What is meant by learning.

Vnderstanding and knowledge which, was Solomons request of the Lord; and he so pleased the Lord in asking such a request that he gave him all earthly blessings besides. Can a Mechanicall trades man without tooles worke in his trade; no more can a man devide, or lay open the Word without learning: can the end be attained unto without the meanes; No, except God please to have it other­wise.

But all this while what is meant by their preaching in houses also.

They take it from the Apostles.

The Apostles were constrained unto it indeed be­cause they were not suffered to preach at the Temple of Ierusalem as you may reade in Eusebius in his 4. booke concerning the Historie of the Church. It is not so with them; for they may come to Church oftner then they doe.

What is the reason that they will not take the Communion unlesse it be sitting or standing, they are also blinded in this, because in their saucinesse out of pride they wil seeme to be hail-fellow wel met with our Saviour, may I reverently speake it; put case they were to receive any thing of an earthly King, would they not kneele, much more to the heavenly King.

It may be they can lay you downe some reason.

What reason? Can one be two humble? It's true the Apostles sat downe with our Saviour at Supper and heard the charge given, Is a charge or command in that force whilest it is in giving as it is afterward being ginen, truly no. The Lord shewed his love that they should be neere him; shall not we shew our thankfulnesse in humilitie towards him. Yes; must we not then kneele in the recei­ving of the Sacrament? Yes; What doth the Lord re­quire of thee, surely to do justly, and to love mercy, and to humble thy selfe, to walke with thy God, Micah. 6 8. Some other bad opinions they hold. They cannot abide the Crosse. No, by the Crosse may be meant Christ sufferings for us, to remember what great love he had towards us, to lay down his life for us, for our redempti­on. Nay, another bad opinion they have of the bowing [Page 8]of the knee at the name of Iesus, they cannot abide; al­though there is for it Scriptum est: As if God made not the knee aswell as the heart, As externall worship without internall, is hypocrisie; so internall worship without externall, is incivilitie. If the times revolt do not thou revolt: esteem of the Word, and prize every thing according to his worth: and be not lead away, for it is through pride, and selfe conceit, and idlenesse that they are carried away, Serve God and keepe his Commandements, and love his name, and be loving to thy neighbor and it shall goe well with thee: howsoever the world totters. One thing more I have to say before I conclude. They can­not indure to say the Lords prayer, although his Disci­ples were by him taught it, Luke 11.2. are they not then selfe-conceited as I said before. They hold with no set forme of prayer: Can a man come too well prepared before the Lord: No, If wee are in hope at any time, when we stand in neede to obtaine any curtesie from any great man that we thinke can pleasure us, O how well prepared will we come with some petition ador­ned with most eloquent words, drawne by some skilful Artist, for feare wee should not obtaine our request. Much more then ought wee to come prepared to our Maker and not to come in a presumptuous way hand over head. It is written also when yee pray, use no vaine repetitions as the Heathen: for they thinke to be heard for their much babling, Matt. 6.7. We sinne therefore in our very prayers, and therefore wee should the rather desire to say that prayer whereby we might not sinne. The Lord keepe us from sinne and so I rest.