Seven Treatises, Treatise 1 · Chapter 5
CHAP. 5. Of the lets of faith, and namely in the behalfe of the Miniſter.
ANd now that I hauehave ſhewed, how by faith men are made the people of God (and conſequently iuſtified thereby) who were before his enemies, and his beloued, which ſometimes were not beloued, I would here ceaſe to ſay any more of this matter, but that I conſider that eueryevery truth is not by and by receiued; and ſo I feare, I may ſay of this, eſpecially becauſe it is oft bewailed and complained of in the Scriptures, that few hauehave this faith, and that it is ſeldome or rarely found in the world: which thing, wee who marke the courſe and practiſe of the greateſt part in the world, doe ſee may well be ſo: I will therfore here ſpeake to my deare and weake brethren ſomewhat more at large to ſatisfie them, and ſet downe the chiefe lets that hinder faith on the behalfe of the Miniſter. Now ſeeing that faith ſo honoureth, inricheth, and beautifieth men, as we hauehave heard,Many deceiued in faith. it ſhould (doubtles) bee farre otherwiſe with thouſands of them which thinke they hauehave it (but are deceiued) then now it is, if they did enioy it. Yea, and to come more neere to our ſelues, for whoſe cauſe chiefly I wrote this, the multitudes in our parts of the land which profeſſe that they hauehave it, and by no meanes can abide the contrarie ſpeech to goe, or opinion to be conceiued of them, ſhould, if they had it indeede, aſtoniſh and feare all Epicures, Atheiſts, and Papiſts, and other hypocrites, which now differ little from them. They ſhould make the religion (I ſay) of thoſe which hauehave any (as it is in it ſelfe, a lumpe of lies, and an heap of hereſies) to appeare ſo indeed; and the other, who regard none at all, to bee abhorred, as they deſerue to be: whereas now, they being the feweſt which hauehave attained to any true fruite of the Goſpell, are gazing ſtockes, and reproches to ſuch as hauehave no more then a bare name, or vaine opinion thereof, euen to many of the profeſſors themſelues, as to the reſt of them, which are enemies to the truth. According to the complaint which the Prophet Eſay made in his time, ſaying: Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath giuen me, are as ſignes and as wonders in Iſrael, Eſai. 8.18. In few words therefore let vsus ſee what is the cauſe why ſo many, who boldly affirme that they beleeue, and looke verely to be ſaued by the death of Chriſt,1. Let of faith, the diuels bewitching. 2. Cor. 4.3.4 are yet vtterly deſtitute of the ſame. It is briefly ſet downe by S. Paul, to be this: If our Goſpell be hidden, (as it is hidden to none but to them that are loſt) the god of this world hath blinded their mindes, that the light of the glorious Goſpell of Chriſt ſhould not ſhine vntounto them. He plainly ſheweth that the fault is in men, that they are content to be blindfolded and holden backe, though the diuell be the bewitcher of them, and ſo keepeth them from ſo great a treaſure, as is brought vntounto them by the Goſpell. But as wee truly ſay that man is faultie in this, that he openeth his eares, and giueth credit to Sathans deceitfull ſuggeſtions: ſo becauſe God did ſee what would come to paſſe thereby, he did therefore ſet watchmen, who ſhould giuegive his people warning thereof, namely, how Sathan holdeth them from beleeuing by ſome of his ſubtill traines, to the end they might preuent them: therefore wee muſt know that this fault,Fault of not beleeuing in Miniſter and people. whereby men are letted from beleeuing, is either in him who ſhould bring the tidings, that is, the watchman, who is the Miniſter; or in them who ſhould receiue the ſame, that is, the people and hearers: for if the lets be not remoued in both, faith is rarely, or not at all come by.
It is cleere therefore (to begin with the Miniſter) that if he be one which teacheth not at all,In the miniſter. Prou. 29.18. they that depend vponupon him cannot know what louelove God beareth to them through Chriſt,1. Not teaching. or at leaſt they cannot know it to belong vntounto them: for as much as faith commeth by hearing of the word of God preached vntounto them: and as our Sauiour ſaith: If the blind leade the blinde, Rom. 10.17. Matth. 15.14.both will fall into the ditch. Therefore it is too manifeſt, that in ſome pariſhes,Prou. 29.18. not one man knoweth himſelfe to be ſaued (I ſay, if he depend vponupon his Miniſter) but all ſuch knowledge is a myſterie to them. And yet if that were the onelyonly let on the Miniſters behalfe, it were well with many people:2. Seldome teaching. but where ſeldome teaching is, the hearers muſt needes be ignorant of this matter alſo: becauſe this heauenly truth, to teach how men may know that they are the elect of God, and without wauering, cannot be ſufficiently and cleerely enough laid foorth by the skilfulleſt teachers ſeldome teaching; neither, if it could, were the hearers able to conceiue and vnderſtand, Heb. 8.11.remember and be familiarly acquainted with it; ſo as they may be able to trie themſelues, and to proue their eſtate to be good; all which yet is meete and neceſſarie. For though I know that the grounds and generall truths are few, vponupon which this matter dependeth: yet the breaking of them ſmall to the peoples benefit, requireth labour, and time,Phil. 3. 1. Theſſ. 2.11. plainenes, and louelove: yea, to teach the ſame thing oft, for their ſafetie; and in a nurſelike or motherly affection to ſtut and ſtammer with them: that is, to apply our ſelues vntounto them, and to giuegive them here a little, and there a little, now a line, and then a line; and yet to count all little enough to make them ſauour our meſſage: at leaſt, and to be ſaued by it. Howſoeuer many Miniſters make their reckoning, that a little may ſerue, and the people be ſo blockiſh (they ſay that nothing will enter into them) yet the well aduiſed will not refuſe to heare and weigh the rule of S. Paul to Timothie, that attendance ſhould be giuen to teaching, 1. Tim. 4.13. 2. Tim. 4.1.and that they ſhould be readie to doe that dutie in ſeaſon and out of ſeaſon, and to put the people in minde of the ſame daily (though they know this thing) as well as to attend to reading priuately,2. Pet. 1.12. to make them fitter for that dutie:Ioh. 21.17. Chriſt hath laid no weightier buſines vponupon them, calling it the pawne of their louelove to him, to whom he hath giuen this charge, to this end that this may be well and throughly done,1. Pet. 5.2. and the rather ſeeing the people depend vponupon them.
Neceſſitie of often teaching.They will alſo conſider, that the people hauehave many infirmities, much dulnes, ſlipperie memories, and ſundrie other pulbackes; all which doe ſhew the neceſſitie of often teaching. The which being ſo, I profeſſe with griefe, it aſtoniſheth me oft, when I thinke of the too great ſlacknes, and vnwillingnes of many who hauehave gifts; that they hearing, and knowing, that he who hath an office, muſt attend vponupon it: and againe, that woe is pronounced to them who doe it not:Rom. 12.9. Ezech. 33.3. Ierem. 48.10. 1. Pet. 5.5. and that as they louelove Chriſt, they ſhould feede his lambes, and his ſheepe: and alſo that the flocke dependeth vponupon them: Yet that they can be content to take the commoditie, and to refuſe the labour, and as ſome doe count it, too baſe a thing to diſcharge that dutie. But howſoeuer they can eaſily ſhift it off before men, they ſhall not be able to anſwere it with peace, to God. But yet where this is remedied, there may be lets enough on the Miniſters behalfe to hinder the hearers (yea though they ſhould be willing to be taught) from comming by faith.3. Let of faith in the Miniſter not plaine teaching. As if he ſhould teach often, and yet doe not carefully acquaint himſelfe with the peoples weakenes, and want in conceiuing the doctrine, which is to bee deliuered vntounto them; but ſhould ſpeake aboue their reach, little to their vnderſtanding, and conceiuing, and conſequently little to their edifying. There is nothing more like to hurt the people, then ſuch a kinde of teaching, when they ſhall hauehave a learned man to preach vntounto them (whereby they are readie to thinke their caſe farre more happie then others) and yet they ſhall not be able thereby to receiue light, edification in faith and godlines, and ſound comfort: that is not eaſie and plaine to them, which he himſelfe vnderſtandeth. Although it were to be wiſhed that ſome things were not put foorth by them to the people, which they themſelues hauehave not tried by the Scripture, and cleerely ſeene into of the ſpeakers, before they vttered them. I vtter not this to grieue any of my brethren, who deſire to doe good in the Church of God, hauing receiued gifts of God thereunto: but to put all in minde to labour to be vnderſtoode, as well as to ſpeake the truth. And that ſome may more eſpeciallie know, that the neglecting of plaine ſpeaking, is a chiefe cauſe of little fruite of their labours; it neede not be taken heauilie: for I know men of ſingular learning, and gifts, who hauehave already much altered the manner of their teaching, framing themſelues to the diligent hearers capacitie, and more and more deſire to doe the ſame daily, rather then to be commended for learned men, of them which neither conceiue nor vnderſtand them. Yet my meaning is not to nouriſh or perſwade to rude, abſurd, and barbarous teaching, which were more fit to make them which ſhould teach, ridiculous, and the Scriptures themſelues without authority or credit, as alſo to mocke the people: but that by their plainenes, in the euidence of the ſpirit, reuerence might be procured to their Miniſterie among the hearers: and that their doctrine might be approued in their conſciences, which is approued of the Lord, as being drawne from his word, and eaſilie conueied to their vnderſtandings,2. Cor. 5.11. Matth. 7.29. that ſo they may proue that they preach with power and authoritie, and not as the Scribes.
There is but one thing more,4. VVant of Catechiſing. which in my iudgement doth hinder profiting on the teachers behalfe: and that is, when by Catechiſing, the chiefe grounds of faith be not briefely and cleerely taught, in right and good order, the one depending vponupon, or following the other, as they ought, by fit coherence and agreeing together, that the people may ſee the way cleerely to ſaluation: and thereby they may the better make profit of their whole Preaching and Miniſterie alſo. As that repentance be not required of the people before faith: that faith be not warranted to be in the people,Matth. 9.12. when they ſee no neede thereof by their ſinne and miſerie; becauſe it is cleere, that they can finde no ſweetnes in Chriſt, who feele not their ſinnes bitter and ſower. Alſo that a man be taught, that he no ſooner beleeueth, then he is made a new creature, and ſo is changed in heart and in life:2. Cor. 5.17. 1. Pet. 2.2. and that the new borne deſire to growe by the ſincere milke of the Word. It were a great furtherance to their Miniſterie, if, where the grounds of Religion be plainely and ſoundly taught, the Miniſter did by conference and queſtioning, in his Catechiſing, and by examination at Communions, trie how the doctrine is receiued; ſeeing for want of this, a better opinion being conceiued of many by the teacher, then he knoweth cauſe why; they are vnſound in many neceſſarie things, who yet for their often hearing are thought to be ignorant of no neceſſarie poynt of knowledge, which the Miniſter hath often taught.Miniſters ſhould hauehave authoritie to examine the People. It were much to be wiſhed that the Miniſter, who is willing to take this paine (for it is tedious and vnwelcome to many) might hauehave authoritie to proue ſuch as heare him, how they profit: as well to build vp thoſe which are weake the better, when he ſeeth wherein their want is greateſt; as alſo to purge out the leauen of Poperie, and other errors ouf of them which are infected therewith. Whereby alſo this benefit might come, that if any ſculking Ieſuits or Prieſts, or other Papiſts, or heretikes, ſhould creepe into any of their Pariſhes and Townes, they might by the diligent care of the Miniſter well furniſhed with knowledge and authoritie, be remoued, or reclaimed. And otherwiſe the people being neuer proued how they hauehave receiued the truth, neither by authoritie inioyned to be ſubiect to triall of their ſoundnes, as well as to reſort to the aſſemblie, doe through cuſtome lye hardened in their ignorance and ſuperſtition, and ſtill remaine wilfull in their old dregges.
Commendation of Catechiſing.A Miniſter able, and painefull through louelove, in few neceſſarie points iointly laid together (labouring with the people) to make a ſufficient Catechiſme, might be well aſſured, that he ſhould call ſo many to the fellowſhip of the pretious faith,Heb. 6.1.2. as God had appointed there, vntounto eternall life: and without this, it is found too true, that much preaching doth the leſſe good, as ſhall appeare better vntounto ſuch as liſt to looke more deepely into it. And I could with all my heart deſire, that they (ſo many as neglect this worthie worke, and neceſſarie dutie) might be conſtrained to attend vponupon it with all diligence:Good life of Miniſters. which being done with a very Chriſtian care had of giuing good example, and ſhewing themſelues, in all good conuerſation, lights vntounto their flocks, and free from reprochfull faults, great good muſt needs inſue. And there ſhould not onelyonly be a recouering of the due credit and reuerence to the Miniſterie, which the popiſh Prelacie and barbarous rudenes, blindnes, and ſhameles life of many vnderunder the Goſpell hath loſt, but alſo it ſhould bring many home to God, who otherwiſe muſt vtterly periſh: And if with this there were a willing and ready mind in them, to ſatisfie them priuatelie by conference,Priuate conference. who ſhould reſort to them vponupon ſpeciall neede and occaſion, to comfort them in their heauines, and to ſtirre them vp to religious and godly communication in their meetings priuately, and at their table, by their own examples, rather then to be companions with them in profane, worldly and needeles talke, that ſo they might as well ſpeake good things in priuate, as teach the truth in publike (as Chriſt did;Luk. 20.21.) I make no doubt, but that God would plentifullie bleſſe their harueſt.