A Caveat for the Covetous, Title page – To the reader
A CAVEAT FOR THE COVETOVS. OR, A SERMON PREACHED at Paules Croſſe, vponupon the fourth of December, out of Luke. 12.15.
By WILLIAM WHATELIE, Preacher of the word of God, in Banbury.
The louelove of the world is enmitie againſt God.
You cannot ſerue God and Mammon.
LONDON: Printed by T. S. for Thomas Man, and Mathew Lawe, 1609.
TO THE COVRTEOVS Reader.
CHriſtian READER, Nothing is more lamentable than the worldlineſſe of vsus Chriſtians. Our life is little elſe but a breach of our moſt ſolemne vow to the Lord of life. Wee renounced the world at our firſt entrance into the Church of God, deuoting our ſelues to the ſeruice of Chriſt. (Theſe were good words, if there were any thing beſides words in the moſt of vsus.) But being growne wee renounce Chriſt, and returne to the ſeruice of the world in all our actions. Our deeds proue that wee doe but onelyonly talke of God and Chriſt, and heauen: for what hath God but our breath? and with what doe wee ſeeke heauen, but with the tongue? the world hath heart and hands, and (if not all yet) moſt of all our ſtrength. Being therefore (againſt my will, and earneſt entreatie to the contrary) commaunded to ſpeak vntounto this great congregation, I thought I could not diſcharge mine owne dutie, & profit the preſent auditorie better, than if I did labour to beate downe this vice, which hath gotten more ground againſt the power of godlineſſe, (I thinke) then the diuels whole hoaſt of luſts beſides. If I hauehave offended in any thing, it is in being too plaine: which whether it be a fault, yea or no, in a preacher, I cannot determine with my ſelfe, but I know well it is leſſe faulty, then that other extreame which in our times is more in price and vſe. Yet me thinkes the Apoſtle Paul hath giuen vsus a very good direction, ſaying; it hath pleaſed God by the fooliſhneſſe of preaching to ſaue the beleeuers. 1. Cor. 1.21.Doth the Apoſtle diſgrace Gods ordinance by giuing it ſuch a name? or doth hee not rather deride mens cenſures that ſo miſcall it? For not the wiſe, not the learned, not the wittie, not the eloquent kinde of preaching, doth helpe mens ſoules to heauen; but that kinde, which the greateſt part (out of their fleſhlineſſe) eſteeme baſe and fooliſh, becauſe it wants the excellencie of words, & the enticing ſpeeches of mans wiſedome, as elſewhere the ſame Apoſtle ſaith; If I ſhould aime at any other end in preaching, then the ſaluation of men: were I not accurſed for doing Gods work negligently, or peruerſely? If ayming at this, I ſhould vſe any but his owne meanes, were I not fooliſh, that would prefer mine own thoughts to his? If this kind of preaching pleaſe God, why not ſpeaker? why not hearer? why not all? If it ſaue men, why ſhould it not content thoſe that come, the one to offer, the other to ſeeke ſaluation? To ſay the truth, I doe not vnwillingly confeſſe, that my learning is but ſmall: For much learning requireth much reading, & much reading many yeares, which all that know me, know to be wanting vntounto me. Wherefore to make ſhew of much (by the helpe of an index or ſuch like) when I hauehave it not, were but a couſoning tricke, and a pranke beſeeming a bragger or a bankerout, of whom Salomon ſaith, There is that maketh himſelfe rich and hath nothing. But ſay I had had the greateſt abundance of learning, yet it behoued me to remember, that a pulpit is not a place to ſhew ſchollerſhip in, but faithfulnes, nor to declare how well read we are in other authours, but how ill practiſed the hearers are in the will and word of God the beſt author. Preaching was not appointed to tickle the eare with a gay ſpeech and learned oration, but to peirce the heart, with a ſharpe reproofe and earneſt exhortation not to winne credit and applauſe to the ſpeaker; but to work knowledge and obedience in the hearer: not to make the auditorie commend vsus, and ſay, ſure hee is a good Scholler, a man of good wit and great reading, &c. But to condemne themſelues, and ſay wee hauehave beene bad men, men of polluted hearts and liues. In a word, not to draw men to admire the gifts of him that ſpeaketh, and offer him preferment; but to repent of their owne ſinnes, and offer ſubmiſſion vntounto Chriſt that ſent him to ſpeake. This if the Miniſter aime at, hee is happy, and the people alſo, if he attaine it; but whoſoeuer aimes at credit or profit in preaching, may goe from the Pulpit to hell, and take his wages with the hypocrite to whom it is ſaide, that he hath receiued his reward. Loth would I be to buy praiſe or profit at ſuch a price, neyther did I dare to hazard my ſelfe vntounto God, for miſintending his ordinance, and handling his word in a wrong manner. With this determination did I come to ſpeake; with this determination ſhould eueryevery Chriſtian come to heare. And if any twit me with the name of an Engliſh Preacher (a name taken vp to diſgrace the fooliſhnes of preaching which God commends) I hauehave to anſwere, that I ſpeake to Engliſhmen, and, the moſt, no Schollers, otherwiſe it had not beene hard to hauehave heaped vp, and learned by heart, and ſpoken readily many a Greeke and Latin ſentence fit for the purpoſe: but who would looſe labor and time, & make two ſpeakings where one would ſerue the turne? And in this plaine manner (Reader) hauehave I encountred, by the ſword of the ſpirit, this capital euill of the world, which is worldlineſſe I was willing to publiſh, being ſpoken, what I was not willing to ſpeake, hoping to helpe ſome man againſt the ſinne, (which I ſpeake againſt) beſides mine hearers, if but one Chriſtian grow leſſe earthly by benefit of this labour, my recompence is ſufficient; if not one, yet I hauehave this fruite that I intended to doe good and endeauoured it. Now Reader, if thou meete with any fault, cenſure it with fauour, for I am but a man, and in reading apply nothing to any, but to thy ſelfe, & I hauehave my deſire. Thus I commend thee, and thy grouth in vertue, to the helpe and aſſiſtance of our gracious Father.
Banbury, Ianuary. Thine in all Chriſtian affection, William Whately.