A Caveat for Archippus, Section 5
5. Constantly.
This crownes all the reſt. He fulfilles not his race, who hauing an hundred miles to runne, ſits downe at ninety nine: He fulfills not his Miniſterie, that giueth it ouer before his daies are fulfilled. Though all the former be done, yet if in this we faile, our Miniſterie is vnfulfilled. Therefore Paul ioynes the fulfilling of his Ministerie and his Courſe together, Acts 20. 24: and Reu. 11. 7. the two witneſſes finiſhed their liues and their teſtimonies together. Herein many faile and come ſhort of fulfilling their Miniſterie, being too too like that Hetrurian Idoll, who whileſt he was in the woods in a mean country faſhion,
Crebra dedit quondam populo reſponſa petenti;
But when once the people, out of their louelove and affection to their Idoll, built him a marble Temple and placed him there,
Illico diuitijs obmutuit ille repertis.Vrbanus ſeruus ſeruorum Dei. Monacho fernent…ſsimo, Abbati calido, epiſcopo lepido, Archiepiſcopo remiſſo. Wrote Pope Vitā to Baldwine ſometime Archbiſhop of Canterburie. ex VſUs…ie. de Chriſt. eccleſ.
His preferments made him purſie, and he had now done giuing Oracles. How many in their firſt beginnings are wondrous painfull and induſtrious, and deſerue wel & worthily of the Church of God; but as yeares, and preferments come vponupon them, ſlacke and abate their former diligence, and ſeem both to ſay as thoſe, Zach. 11. 5. Bleſſed be God, for I am rich; as if therefore they may be idle, becauſe they are rich; and that which is worſe to do with them: And their owne ſhepheards pitie them not, and ſo caſt a ſuſpicion vponupon themſelues, that they made the ſtaires into the Pulpit, to be but ſteps vntounto preferment.
But what is the iſſue? Let Experience be witneſſe. How many whom God hath filled with the gifts of knowledge and vtterance are againe emptied and depriued of them, becauſe they hauehave not made conſcience in the vſe of them, to fulfill their Miniſterie? Zach. 11. 17, we ſhall finde a terrible threatning. His arme ſhall be cleane dryed vp, and his right eie vtterly darkned: Againſt whom may this threatning be? O Idoll ſhepheard that leaueth his flocke! whether it be in regard of preſence, or paines. When men will be Idoll ſhepheards, hauing gifts and mouthes and ſpeake not, God in his iuſtice will make them further Idoll like, they ſhall hauehave eyes and ſee not: God will dimme and darken their right eye, yea put it out, and depriue them of that excellent gift of Knowledge, which they hauehave not cared to imploy in the Churches ſeruice.
Pſal. 137. 5. 6. If I forget Ieruſalem, let my right band forget her cunning, yea let my tongue cleaue to the roofe of my mouth, if I preferre not thee to my chiefest ioy. What may be the reaſon that many a mans right hand hath forgot her cunning? Becauſe his arme is cleane dried vp: But why is his arme ſo dried vp, as that his hand hath forgot her cunning? Surely the Idoll ſhepheard hath forgotten Ieruſalem. Therefore it is that his tongue cleaues to the roofe of his mouth, becauſe his heart cleaueth to this world: and the bent of it is ſo pitched vponupon the proſecution of ſecular things, the preferments of the world, that Ieruſalem is not preferred to his chiefeſt delight. Therefore cleaueth his tongue to the roofe of his mouth, not onelyonly in regard of negligence, but of inſufficiencie; God hauing a plague no leſſe for the Idoll ſhepheards tongue, then his arme and his eye.
I know indeed there may be a diſpenſation where age and painfulneſſe hauehave diſabled naturall faculties: and I know that the aged Leuite, whoſe hands begin now to tremble with the often and diligent lifting of the heauie Axe, hath a permiſſion to diſcharge him the cleauing of the Sacrifices; yet in the ſtrength and vigour of a mans beſt gifts and yeares to giuegive out, this I know not how to excuſe. I know ſome pleade bodily indiſpoſition and weakeneſſe, but the queſtion is, whether the body or the plea be weakeſt. Timothy was ſurely weake, and but a ſickely, tuely man; yet Paul that preſcribes him to drinke a little wine, for his ſtomacks ſake, and often infirmities, yet neuer preſcribed him but a little preaching. Nay, though a weakely ſickely man, yet he charges him before the Iudge of quicke and dead, to preach in ſeaſon and out of ſeaſon: ſtrange counſell one would thinke for a weake body.
I deny not but God will hauehave merciemercy and not ſacrifice, yet take we heed of pretended diſabilities, and of making our ſelues weaker then God hath made vsus. What our bodies will beare without a manifeſt and dangerous iniurie to them, let them beare it in the name of God for the good of many ſoules. Theſe bodies of ours muſt periſh and be conſumed at laſt, when we hauehave made the moſt of them we can. In what more honourable ſeruice can we ſpend them then in the ſeruice of the Church? For a man to ſpend his body in the worke of the Miniſterie, I hold it the next degree of honour to the crowne of Martyrdome. Yea euen the aged Leuite, though his ſhaking hands be diſcharged the ſeruice of he Axe, yet muſt not be idle, Num. 8. 26. Attamen ſeruito fratribus Sic Iunius.ſuis; to wit, though he cleaue not the ſacrifices, yet let him counſell, aduiſe, direct and inſtruct the iunior Leuites in the ſeruice of the Tabernacle, and ſo ſtill miniſter to his brethren. And thus is the Miniſterie fulfilled in the fidelitie of diſpenſation.
The ſecond point and part followes:
The fulfilling of the Miniſterie in holy Conuerſation. A mans Miniſterie ſtandeth not all in preaching, the life of his Miniſterie is his life. Hee is but halfe a Miniſter that preacheth as hee ſhould; Hee is compleate, and fulfills his Miniſterie, that preaches and liues as he ſhould. Though a man ſhould ſpeake with the tongue of men and Angels, and yet in the meane time be an angel of duplicate page duplicate page darkeneſſe, he is but a tinckling Cimball, and a Bell without a Pomegranate. The Scripture complaines of Idoll ſhepheards. What may an Idoll ſhepheard be? He that is like to Idols. How they are deſcribed, ſee Pſal. 115. 5 7. Mouthes they hauehave and ſpeake not, feete they hauehave and walke not. So then not onelyonly he that hath a mouth and ſpeakes not, but he alſo that hath a foote and walkes not, is an Idoll ſhepheard: not onelyonly the dumbe, but alſo the lame ſhepheard is Idoll-like. Therefore Theophylacts note is witty, Mat. 5. 2, Chriſt opened his mouth & taught the people. He makes a queſtion, whether the firſt word be not ſuperfluous, or no: for how could Chriſt teach, but he muſt open his mouth? He anſwers, that theſe words were not idle, becauſe Chriſt did ſometimes teach and opened not his mouth, viz. foreign by his life and miracles; but now he opened his mouth, and taught them by doctrine.
This, this is that that gaines credit and regard to our Miniſterie and perſons, euen from our very enemies. For Mar. 6. 20. Herod feared Iohn, knowing that be was an holy and a iust man: Not becauſe he was a great man, or learned, or a powerfull preacher, though theſe alſo; but becauſe an holy and a iust man. Holineſſe caſts a more dreadfull dazling and ſparkling luſtre then any other accompliſhment whatſoeuer. Herod was greater, but Iohn was holier; therefore Herod feares Iohn.
The common complaint is that the Miniſtery is contemptible, & baſely accounted of; I would the complaint were not too true: but may a man be ſo bold as to inquire into the cauſes of it? Among many other, queſtionleſſe, this is none of the leaſt, the vnholy & ſcandalous liues of ſome in the Miniſterie, frō whoſe perſonall ſcandalls the iniudicious multitude concludes the calling it ſelfe baſe. The Prophet Malachi points at this, Mal. 2. 8. 9. Therfore I hauehave made you baſe and contemptible before all the people. Wherefore▪ ſee verſe 8. Ye are gone out of the way, yee hauehave cauſed many to fall by the Law, yee hauehave broken the couenant of Leut: which conenant ſee what it was, ve. 5. 6. for this cauſe God made them baſe and contemptible. Let no man deſpiſe thy youth, 1. Tim. 4. 12. He ſayes not only to the Corinthians of Timotheus, Let no man therefore deſpiſe him, 1. Cor. 16 11. but to Timotheus himſelfe, Let no man deſpiſe thee. Why? lies our credit in our owne keeping? is it in our power to keep our ſelues from contempt? From iuſt cōtempt it is, elſe ſhould Paul hauehave ſaid, Let none of the people deſpiſe Timothies youth, and not hauehave giuen this counſell to Timothie. But how muſt hee preſerue him ſelfe from contempt, but be an example to all that beleeue, in word, in conuerſation, in louelove, in ſpirit, in faith, in pureneſſe? Becauſe theſe holy endowments are wāting, hence is it that the Miniſtery is ſo contemptible. The more ſhame for ſuch, and the greater iudgement will it be to ſuch, who by their vnholy liues bring this contempt vponupon this calling, and cauſe the dirt and filth of their vicious courſes to be caſt in the faces of all. May I not taxe, and take vp a number of diſſolute ones in the Miniſterie, as Apollonius girds vp the falſe prophet of the Montanists, Propheta, Euſeb. 5. eccl. hiſ.dic quaeſo, ludit teſſeris, ac tabulis? Propheta foeneratur? I may adde many ſuch interrogatories, as, Propheta ſaltat? iurat? bibit? ſcortatur?
I ſhould almoſt ſhame to engliſh theſe things, but that theſe fellowes are not aſhamed of their courſes. What? Prophets, and gameſters? Prophets, and dicers, dauncers, drunkards, ſwearers &c. Are theſe our Propheticall endowments? HaueHave wee not the ſpawne of that curſed crue, Eſay 56. 11. 12, yet liuing amongſt vsus, who in ſtead of ſaying, Come let vsus fulfill our Miniſtery, they ſay, Come, I will bring wine, and we will fill our ſelues with ſtrong drinke. If filling of pots, filling of cups and Tabacco pipes, if filling their bellies; if this were to fulfill the Miniſterie, oh how iollily had theſe diſcharged their taskes? Theſe be thoſe bruits that come within compaſſe of Nehemiah his Memento, Nehem. 13. 29 Remember them (O Lord) which defile the prieſthood: Yes, yes, God will remember them, though they forget him, yet he will not forget them. God of all things will not brooke the defilement of the prieſthood. Num. 12. 1, we ſhall find Aaron and Miriam both in the ſame ſin of murmuring againſt Moſes, & yet in the proceſſe of the ſtory, verſe 10, only Miriam is ſmitten with the leproſy. Both were in the ſame ſin: what was the reaſon onelyonly Miriam is in the puniſhment? Is God partiall? God forbid. What thē might be the reaſon? Surely me thinks Chryſostome giues a paſſing foreign. Hom. 3. ad Coloſſ.good one, That Aaron was not ſmitten with the leproſie for the dignity of the prieſthood, leſt the inflicting of ſuch an vnclean diſeaſe on his perſon, ſhould redound to the diſhonor of his office, God did forbeare him. God had a reſpect to the holines & honor of the prieſthood. God would not therefore hauehave his Prieſt infected with Leproſie. He that was to iudge of Leproſy in others, and to ſeparate others for the Leproſie, he himſelfe was not to be leprous; and therefore though I find leprous Kings, yet I finde not a leprous priest in all the Scripture.
Now then, hath the Lord our God ſuch a tender regard of the credite and honour of the Prieſthood, that for it hee will forbeare the execution of his iuſtice; and ſhall we be ſo regardleſſe therof as to defile it with the filthier leproſie of a profane, vicious and ſcandalous life? If Ambroſe would not admit one into the Miniſtery, eò quòd geſtus eum dedeceret, becauſe he had but an vncomely geſture of his body; I make no queſtion, if theſe naſty Lepers had fallen into his hand, but he would hauehave put the diſcipline of the Leper vponupon them in ſeparating them from the Congregation. Lu. 14. 34. 3…. Salt is good, but if ſalt hath loſt his ſauour, foreign if it be infatuated or growne fooliſh (a word that ſuits wel with Zacharies phraſe, of a fooliſh ſhepheard, Zac. 11. 15:) but if it hauehave loſt his ſauor, wherewithall ſhall it be ſalted? It is neither meete for the land, nor yet for the dunghill, what then muſt become of it? Men caſt it out, ſaith our Sauior. How happy were it for the Church, if that ſalt which hath loſt his ſauour, might alſo loſe his place. Men caſt it out, that is, fooliſh & vnſauory Miniſters are to be depoſed: So Hierome expounds it; and ſo was his expoſition vrged in the councel of Baſil againſt Pope Eugenius for his depoſition from the Papacie.
It is neyther meete for the land, nor yet for the dunghill, what a ſorrow then ſhould it doe in the Church? Is the Church worſe then a dunghill? Is that fit to be in the Church, which is not fit to be on the dunghill? This is to make the Church worſe then a dunghill. Well, howeuer ſuch vnſauourie ones ſhuffle out in the world, and ſcape the puniſhment of vnſauourie ſalt, yet God will be ſure to meete with them one day. Hee hath gall and wormewood for thoſe prophets of Ieruſalem, from whom iniquitie is gone forth into all the land, Ierem. 23. 15. It is but iuſtice, fit that they ſhould be fed with gall and wormewood of Gods vengeance, that hauehave fedde Gods people with gall and wormwood of their ſcandalous liues. Be ye holy therefore that do beare the veſſels of the Lord. The Lord will be ſanctified in all them that draw neare vntounto him. In no calling draw men ſo neare to God as in the Miniſtery; let our liues hauehave proportion with our callings.