The Preachers Plea, Title page – Author to the reader
THE PREACHERS PLEA: OR, A Treatiſe in forme of a plain Dialogue, making known the worth and neceſſary vſe of Preaching: ſhewing alſo how a man may profit by it, both for the informing of his iudgement, and the reforming of his life.
By Samuel Hieron Miniſter of the Goſpell at Modbury in the Countie of Deuon.
1. Cor. 1.21.
Seeing the world by wiſedome knew not God, in the wiſedome of God it pleaſed God by the fooliſhneſſe of Preaching to ſaue them that beleeue.
LONDON, Printed for Simon Waterſon. 1604.
To the honeſt and wel-diſpoſed Reader.
IT is the vſual maner of the most which publiſh bookes, to dedicate the ſame to ſome honorable perſonage, or to ſome one of ſpeciall place, partly to ſhew thankefulneſſe for ſome receiued fauors, partly to procure credite and countenance to their writings, that vnderunder ſo good protection, they may the more boldly paſſe forth to the common view of all men. If I now varie from this generall receiued courſe, think not I pray thee (good Reader) that I do it in ſome humour, as if I either affected ſingularitie, or miſliked the common cuſtome: but know for a truth that there are theſe two cauſes of my ſo doing: The firſt is, the obſcuritie of mine owne condition, who liuing here in a remote part, hauehave wanted either wil, or oportunitie, or both, to ſ…rowd my ſelfe vnderunder the patronage of ſome great perſon: The ſecond is, the nature of this preſent Treatiſe: for howſoeuer there be (and that not farre frō the place of mine abode) ſome of good qualitie, vponupon whoſe acceptance, I thinke, I might hauehave preſumed, yet conſidering, that this which I hauehave framed, is but a homely and courſe diſcourſe, meant onelyonly for men of the plaineſt faſhion, I thought I ſhould breake the rules of comelineſſe and correſpondence, if I ſhould aduance the inſcription of my labour (if I may dare ſo to call it) to a perſon of higher degree, then that meane and middle ranke, to the vſe whereof, all that theſe following leaues containe, was alone intended. Therefore (friendly Reader) whoſoeuer thou be, if thou be a true Nathanael,Iohn. 1.17. Luke. 8.15. a man of an honeſt and good heart, be thy outward condition as it may be, though thou lye among the pots, Pſal. 68.13.or art behind the ewes with young, or howſoeuer elſe,Pſal. 78.71. Pſal. 107.10. euen as it were bound in outward miſerie, and of baſe eſteeme in the eyes of men, yet thou art he whoſe patronage I affect, and in the hope of whoſe good allowance I take comfort. I know well that he which offereth any thing to the ſight of the world, muſt make readie his backe for the long furrowes of euerie byting cēſurer.Pſal. 129.3. foreign. Clearch… apud Athen. It was truly ſaid of him (though but a heathen) that amongst men nothing can ſcape without a nippe. But what then? If thy conſcience ſhall giuegive this teſtimonie of mine endeuours, that thy heart is comforted thereby, in regard that thy iudgement is ſtrengthened in ſo neceſſary a point, then let the most profeſſed and ſharpe-toothed carper ſay what he pleaſe:Iob 31.35, 36. nay though (as Iob ſpeaketh) he ſhould write a booke againſt me, yet I would take it vponupon my ſhoulder, and bind it as a crowne vntounto me. 2. Sam. 6.22.And as Dauid reckened not of Michols taunts in regard of the honour done vntounto him by thoſe religious maidens; ſo will I alſo ſet at naught the malicious taxings of all gaine-ſayers,2. Cor. 4.2. if I ſhall approue my ſelfe to thy conſcience in the ſight of God.
If thou now demaund of me,The ſumme of the Treatiſe. what it is which I do here offer vntounto thee, know this briefly: It is a Treatiſe tending to the diſcouerie of the worth and excellencie of the word preached; teaching thee alſo, which art a continuall hearer, how thou maist by hearing edifie thy ſelfe in thy moſt holy faith; Iude 20.as well by eſtabliſhing thy heart in the ſoundneſſe of truth,Heb. 13.9. that ſo thou maiſt not be caried about with diuers and ſtrange doctrines; Rom 6.17.as by framing thy ſelfe to obey from the hart vntounto the forme of doctrine, whereunto thou either art or ſhalt be deliuered. This is the ſumme.
The cauſes of writing it.If thou demaund againe, what hath moued me to attempt this? I anſwer in as few words. There are two questions common in the mouthes of many, either ignorant, or il-diſpoſed perſons, by which the beautie of Preaching is and hath bene much defaced in the eyes of many not ſo well ſetled: the one is, What need all this preaching? the other is, Who knoweth whom to beleeue among theſe Preachers? Theſe two demaunds were firſt hatched in hell, but ſince being cheriſhed by Anabaptisticall and Popiſh ſpirits,2. Pet. 3.16. and by them buzzed into the heads of vnlearned, vnſtable, and irreligious people, they are brought vntounto a diuelliſh perfection. Somewhat I can ſay out of mine owne experience, that through a conceit that theſe two queſtions (as they are preſſed by ſome …ly workemen) are vnanſwerable, our Miniſtery is drawne into contempt, and the calling of a Preacher is deemed of al other profeſſions the moſt ſuperfluous, and ſuch as may wel be ſpared without any preiudice to the wel-being of Gods Church. The giuing anſwer to theſe helliſh interrogatories, as it hath many times exerciſed me in the execution of my publike miniſtery, ſo it hath at this time drawne me to the compiling of this preſent Treatiſe: both that thoſe of theſe parts, who to my knowledge hauehave need, and do deſire it alſo, may hauehave ſomething by them, whereupon aduiſedly to deliberate for the ſetling of their iudgments, and that others likewiſe elſewhere, who (it may be) hauehave experience of the like Satanicall encounters, may (in ſtead of a better help) enioy the benefite of this that I hauehave laboured in. This is the maine occaſion, this is my chiefe intent in this Tractate: wherin, as I hauehave freely vttered that which I am perſwaded is the truth, ſo will I be ready alſo either to alter or better my iudgement,foreign. Baſil. Epiſt. 1. ad Greg. Na…an. if any man out of the word of God ſhall offer to inſtruct me: hauing learned this leſſon, to teach what I know without grudging, and to learne that wherein I am ignorant without bluſhing. And though perhaps many know in this matter as much as I or any man can tell them, yet I am ſure many are ignorant, and therefore I may well maintaine my courſe with that ſaying of Auguſtine, Auguſt de Bap. contra Dona…It is better to giuegive him that hath, then to turne him away which hath not. It is meeter that they which know ſhould be wearied with many repetitions, then thoſe which are vnskilful ſent away empire for want of inſtruction. As for writers in our times, directly of this ſubiect I know none. If there be none, I wiſh there may be; for as the ſaying is, One man is no man: foreign.and by the more this truth is auouched, the better it is confirmed. If there be that hauehave laboured in this very kind wherein I now do, yet it can be no preiudice to my endeuour. The auncient prouerb is, that One bark cannot beare all paſſengers; foreign. Theog.ſo neither can one author ſerue all men. Auguſtine held it profitable, that of the ſame queſtions,Diuerſo ſtylo non diuerſa fide Auguſtin. de Tri…s. lib. 1. cap. 3. many bookes ſhould be made by ſundry men in a differing ſtile, though not with a differing faith. All ſtomackes we ſee are not alike; One kind of dreſſing pleaſeth one, which hath no reliſh with another: and yet the ſame meate ordered after ſome other faſhion, may fit his appetite alſo. As there is a difference of ſtomacks, ſo of humors and diſpoſitions in men. The ſame matter diuerſly handled, may find entertainement with diuers men; which yet digested after one onelyonly faſhion, would hauehave acceptance but with a few.
Touching the maner of writing, I will promiſe thee nothing more then ordinary:S…ip ſ… laudare va…, v…tup…rare, ſt…s eſt. La…rs. de Ariſt. It is not for me either to praiſe or diſcommend mine owne workes: the one were vanitie, the other folly. I ſubmit all to thy iudgement. OnelyOnly this I ſay ſomewhat to help my ſelfe: Hierom ſaith there are two things requiſite for diuinity-ſtudies,Hieronym. ad Marcellinam. Silence and Leiſure. Of the lacke of both theſe I may well complaine. Houſhold affaires, and the ſtirres occaſioned by thoſe buſineſſes, cannot but breed diſtraction: and he which is exerciſed with the care of a congregation, ſhall meet with very ſeldome intermiſſion. I intreat thee therefore, when thou ſhalt find me to faile in any thing (from which I account not my ſelfe priuiledged) impute it to this forenamed want; and hope thus of me, that if I had had more freedome and more time, all things ſhould hauehave bene brought to better perfection.
I hauehave troden in an old beaten path, both by old and new writers, by Diuines and Heathen, namely, to frame my matter to the forme of a Dialogue, a very good way (in my ſeeming) to help the vnderſtanding of common men: I confeſſe it to hauehave hauehave eaſed me much in writing, I doubt not but it ſhall turne to thy benefite in reading alſo. Well, whatſoeuer it is, (good Reader) thine it is: and being thine, I am cōmanded by him that may command vsus al,Prou. 3.27. not to withhold it frō thee. Receiue it therfore with the ſame hand with which it is deliuered to thee. Vſe it to thy comfort; and whatſoeuer good thou receiueſt by it, let the glory be the Lords. All that I deſire of thee by way of recompence, is that thou be a ſuter to God on my behalfe,Vt pr…nie… & ſubſeque… miſericordia, quaecu…que ſci…da neſcio doceat me, in his quae vera nous cuſtodiat me, in quibus vt homo fallor corrigat me. Fulgen. ad Mou. l… 1. 1. Theſſ. 5.23. that with his preuenting and following mercy in all needful things which I know not, he wold inſtruct me, in all truth which I do know he would vphold me, and in thoſe things, wherein as a man I hauehave failed, he would reforme me, And the ſame God ſanctify vsus both throughout, that our whole ſpirit, and ſoule, and body, may be kept blameleſſe, vntounto the coming of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. Farewell. Modbury in Deuon. 1. September, 1604.
Thine in the Lord, Sam: Hieron.