The Faithful Shepherd, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Of the Preface after the Praier: and of the text of the Scripture.
PRaier finiſhed, hee may either ſtand vp or ſit downe, as the order of the Church is, it is indifferent. The DoctorsMatt. 23. 2. & 5. 1. Act. 13. 16. When to vſe a Preface. in Ieruſalem, it ſeemes ſat; our Sauiour Chriſt ſat: but the Apoſtles ſtood vp. It is not neceſſarie euer to vſe a Preface; but men may if they pleaſe, and it is ſometime conuenient: vponupon extraordinary occaſions in more ſolemne aſſemblies, when one ſpeakes to a ſtrange auditorie, or to a Congregation not his owne the firſt time, or in taking charge of a flocke; hee may beginne as hee holds it meet, to ſtirre vp the auditorie to attention.
From the end of their comming, the matter in hand profitableWhence to fetch it. and neceſſarie; from the conſideration of Gods preſence; from their profeſſing Religion, their comming at that preſent, the hope giuen from their former endeuor, and the gifts of God in them; from ſome examples of good hearers; the commendation of hearing, and commandement thereof in Scripture; from ſome ſentence of Scripture, conteining the drift of the Sermon to bee deliuered; and from what he thinkes meet, and as hee is able. OurLuk. 4. 20. 21. Eſa. 1. 2. Act. 2. 14. & 10. 34. & 13. 16. Of giuing of titles; but beware of flatterie. Sauiour vſed a Preface before his Sermon; ſo did the Prophets before him: and the Apoſtles after him ſometimes: Heerein we may alſo vſe reuerend titles, and louing appellations, as ſaying, Men and Brethren, Fathers; You that feare God: yea Luke can write; Moſt noble Theophilus: And S. Paul can ſay, Moſt noble Feſtus. If herein we giuegive but due as we know and are Chriſtianly perſwaded, we offend not: But yet let vsus not be heerein too much in many, nor often; nor too far; keepe a wiſe moderation of the toong, in what we may eaſily ſlip, and in heart beware of flatterie. It were better to come a little ſhort on the right hand heerein,Iob 32. 21. 22. than goe to farre on the left. Flatterie is pernitious euerie where, but chiefly a thing peſtilent in the Pulpit; where the verie apperance muſt be forborne, which we will eaſilie do before the baſeſt; but manie can hardly do before Princes, Nobles, and their bountifull Patrons; eſpecially ſuch as Preach for praiſe, or to get a Benefice: of which ſort, too manie.
After the Preface, declare with an audible voice, whatOf the Text of Scripture. portion of Scripture is the text you will intreat of, whether a booke, or chapter, or ſome one or moe verſes in a chapter; and reade the ſame once on the booke; and if it be but aNehem. 8. 8. ſhort text, pronounce it againe without the booke diſtinctly both times: if it be long, reade but once, and vtter onelyonly ſome part of the beginning againe, with a So foorth. Reade it in the tranſlation to vulgar people, and in that which isRead the Text out of the beſt and commonly approoued Tranſlation, and be not eaſily a controller thereof. moſt commonly receiued, and beſt approoued; and euen as it is there ſet downe, without addition, detraction or change of any thing therein. It is not fit that euerie one be a publike controller of a publike receiued tranſlation. As it may argue ſome preſumption and pride in the Corrector, ſo it may breed contention, and leaue a great ſcruple, and caſt doubts into the hearers mindes, what reckoning to make of a tranſlation; and it giues great aduantage to the Papiſts; who heereby labour to foreſtall many, that they ſmally account of our tranſlations; which we ſee can neuer be ſo well done and generally approoued of, but ſome particular perſons will be cenſuring the ſame, and that not onelyonly in priuate (a thing happely tolerable if the cenſure bee true, and wiſely proceeded in) but alſo they muſt needs ſhew their skill in Pulpits. It may ſeeme that ſuch hold it an excellent thing, digito monſtrari, and that they weene and are of opinion, that as Perſius notes the vaine ones, Scire tuum nihil eſt, niſi te ſcire hoc ſciat alter. It is verie neceſſarie that the tranſlation be moſt ſound. But it is nothing expedient that euer publike proclamation bee made of ſome ſmall defects, that by much prying happely may be notedIn a common auditorie we muſt onelyonly vſe our mother toong. therein, of eueryevery ordinarie perſon, but onelyonly ſuch faults as needs noting, and that of learned men too. As the text muſt bee read in the mother toong, ſo heere to ſpeake a little briefly of it by the way) muſt the whole Sermon before a common aſſemblie, according to the Prophets practiſe, the1. Cor. 14. 2. 4. 6. 9. 11. 16. 19. vſe of our Sauiour, the reaſons of S. Paul, the cuſtome of the Apoſtles, and as the Primitiue Fathers, the Greeke and Latine Doctors of the Church were wont to doe, as their Sermons extant declare, without intermixing of long ſentences in ſtrange languages not vnderſtood, differing from their natiue ſpeech.
A ſtrange toong hinders the conceit of moſt hearers (except it be vſed rarely, aptly, and briefly) being ignorant of the ſame, to apt that before ſpoken, to that which followes after; and (except it be vſed with diſcretion) it is a hiding to them what we profeſſe, rather than to teach them; an vnprofitable miſpending of time: Firſt needleſſe to vtter it, haply in Greeke, then in Latine, and after in Engliſh: a treble or a double labour for one; it may be one, two, three, or ſome few vnderſtand hardly the languages, but all other doe not: muſt we therefore pleaſing our ſelues, ſeeke to delight theſe few, to win a little vaine praiſe of learning, whileſt all the reſt ſtand at a gaze, admiring what is ſaid without edification? We that ſtand vp in Chriſts roome, muſt not ſeeke our owne commendations, there wee muſt paint out the trueth liuely and plainly, approouing our ſelues faithfull diſpenſers of Gods ſecrets to the conſcience of euerie beleeuer, in eueryevery thing to the vtmoſt of our power. Neuertheleſſe neceſſitie conſtraining, as ſome time to declare the emphaſis of a word, often more ſignificant in the original than in the tranſlation; to note ſome ſpecial phraſe; to conuince ſome proudly conceited of his knowledge; orThe text muſt be out of the Canon of the Scripture. Ier. 23. 28. 1. Pet. 4. 11. 1. Cor. 4. 6. Iohn 7. 16. & 8. 26. & 12. 50. Act. 26. 22. in a learned auditorie, I doubt not of a libertie therein.
For the Text, it muſt be Canonicall Scripture: The Miniſter is Gods mouth, he muſt then ſpeake Gods word, not onelyonly taking it for his text, but all his words muſt agree to the written trueth, aboue which he may not preſume.
The Prophets came with the word of the Lord; our Sauiour vttered onelyonly the word of his Father, & as his Father ſpake vntounto him: his Text was the Canon of the Scripture, Luc. 4. 16. 17. he interpreted ſcripture, Luc. 24. S. Paul taughtPſal. 19. 7. Heb. 4. 12. 2. Tim. 3. 16. Rom. 8. 7. Eſa. 29 13. Neh. 8. 2. Chr. 17 9. nothing but Scripture: it onelyonly bindeth conſcience; it is abſolutely perfect; it conuerteth & makes perfect. Mens precepts are no rule in Religion: Will & affection is too baſe to rule & to command Reaſon: and Reaſon to ſwaie by mans wiſedome is too carnall for Religion: Eſdras text was Scripture; Chriſts out of Eſay; the Leuites was the Law; eueryevery one ſpake out of the booke of God, & ſo continued vntil Popiſh Prelats inuented lying Legends, to beguile the people, ſuch as God giues ouer to beleeue lies, for that they kept not, nor receiued a louelove of the trueth, and ſo remaine at this day, euen…. Theſ. 2. 11. their diuineſt Doctors by Gods iuſt iudgement.
Some heretofore hauehave preached without a Text, but it is not now the cuſtome of the Church, which ordely muſt be obſerued; neither is that way ſo good to increaſe knowledge in the Scripture, nor to cauſe reuerence to that which is ſpoken, they not ſeeing whence it is grounded. Secondly,What kinde of Text. it muſt be a Text to beget faith, to ground hope, and to ſettle louelove: ſuch places muſt we chuſe, as plainly affoord vsus theſe things, to teach them vſually as the Apoſtle exhorts. Obſcure Scriptures about which muſt neceſſarilie ariſe queſtions of controuerſies, leaue for Schooles, and handle not amongſt the common people and vulgar ſort. Common aſſemblies are not meet either to heare or iudge of controuerſies; yet it is a fault of many Preachers, who vſe commonly in eueryevery Sermon, to raiſe vp one point or other in diſputation, about which they ſpend the moſt of their time, often without iuſt occaſion or neceſſarie cauſe: but the fruit of theſe mens labors is in their hearers contention, talk about words, quiddities and vain oſtentation; but not faith working by louelove and holie ſanctification.
Thirdly, the Text muſt be fit for the hearers: If S. Paul It muſt be a fit Text.preach before a Heathen Felix, intemperate and vniuſt, his words ſhall ſound out temperance, righteouſneſſe, and iudgement, that Felix may heare and tremble. Chriſt Ieſus will preach before Scribes and Phariſies againſt falſe interpretation of Scriptures, mens traditions, and hypocriſie: This choiſe of … fit text commends the Miniſters wiſedome in teaching; his faithfulneſſe to performe his office without feare, and his care to doe good: It will preuent cauils when things are reprooued, which the Text plainly affords.The diſcommoditie of an vnapt text. On the contrarie, an impertinent Text ſhewes that the Preacher wants iudgement, either to chuſe his Text, or to diſcerne his auditorie, or both; or that hee hath but ſome boſome Sermons that alike muſt ſerue his turne vponupon all occaſions in any place; or that he is fearefull and dare not take a Text to touch them, eſpecially men of place, whom hee would rather pleaſe by his preaching, to pleaſure himſelfe;Gal. 1. 10. loth therefore is ſuch an one to offend: the fault of too many in theſe daies; men pleaſers, not the ſeruants ofThe cauſe of painted eloquence. Chriſt. This is the cauſe why many weigh eueryevery word, as in a balance, for waight and tuneable meaſure, for fine pronouncing to delight the eare, more for a plaudite, than to conuince conſcience, or to remooue impietie; they glaunce at ſin ſomtimes, but faire and farre off, for feare of hitting: They are much in controuerſies, by which they leaſt diſpleaſe men of ill conuerſation, who willingly heare any thing but of their ſinnes and reformation of life: theſe bee the Preachers full of diſcretion, but of little Religion, and leſſe true and heartie deſire to bring men to ſaluation.
Heere then we ſee that a Preacher muſt hauehave knowledgeWhat is requiſite for a Miniſter to fit his text for the auditorie. of his auditory, to fit his Text vntounto them, conſidering where they bee, and what maner of perſons, priuate or publike, Eccleſiaſticall or of the body politike; ſuperſtitious or religious; of holy conuerſation or prophane, peaceable or perſecutors; zealous or luke-warme; conſtant or back-ſliders; of ſound iudgement, or erring from the trueth, ignorantly, or of obſtinacie, &c.
The Place muſt be alſo conſidered of, a citie or town, popular or of leſſe reſort. Alſo if the meeting be not ordinary, note the occaſion, the end, and time; whether in mirth or in ſorrow; to reioice or lament; in time of proſperitie or aduerſitie; and thereafter to frame his ſpeech. And therefore its alſo requiſite, that hee bee a man experienced in the Word: and one that hath in reading Scriptures gathered together varietie of portions of Scripture, for variety of matter, and hauehave them readie noted in ſome little paper booke, and at times ſtudied vponupon, to be more readie to ſpeake of them, as occaſion ſhall require. If a man wouldHow to ſpeake aptly euer. ſpeake not vnaptly at any time, in any place, to all ſorts vnknowen, he muſt take generall Scriptures, which may rightly concerne all, and cannot be amiſſe ſpoken to any, as theſe, Eccleſ. 12. 13. 14. Iam. 1. 27. 2. Cor. 1. 5. 10. Iude verſ. 14. Ioh. 3. 16. or 36. Act. 18. 26. and ſuch like.