A Caveat for Archippus, Text
And thus we ſee how we muſt fulfill our Ministerie, and what we muſt ayme at therein. Not at the filling of our barnes, of our bellies, of our purſes, but at the fulfilling the office of an Euangelist. For ſuch then as walke after this rule, and are carefull to fulfill their Miniſterie in the former particulars, go ye on in the name of God, and the bleſſing of God be vponupon your heads; and howſoeuer ye may hauehave but little thanke and incouragement from an ingratefull people, yet let the Prophet Eſaies comfort be yours, My worke is with my God, Eſay 49. 4. To you be it ſpoken, 1. Pet. 5. 3. 5, Feed the flocke which depends vponupon you. And when the chiefe ſhepheard ſhall come, ye ſhal receiue an incorruptible crowne of glory. What though ye hauehave many a frump and frowne for your fidelitie, and people be croſſe; yet comfort your ſelfe againſt all with the view of this crowne of glory, which the righteous Iudge ſhall giuegive you at that day. Happy, yea thrice happy then ſhall that ſeruant be, that hath ſo diſcharged his paſtorall taske, as that he may heare from Chriſt that comfortable Euge, Well done, good and faithfull ſeruant; though in the meane time, and till then, he, and his ouer-great officiouſneſſe, falſely ſo ſuppoſed, be diſgraced with the worlds Apage.
And for ſuch as make no conſcience thus to fulfil their Miniſtery, to them I ſay, as once that good Father ſpake to the Councell of Rhemes, Fratres aliam vobis pronuncio ſynodum: So I to you, Fratres aliam vobis pronuncio viſitationem; I giuegive you warning of another, and of another gates Viſitation, which the great Archbiſhop of our ſoules ſhal hold at the dreadfull day of his appearance. At the which, as Et ſireddenda eſt … de …is quae …que geſſi… ſuo, …e… …uid fi…t de … quae q…ſque geſsit in corpore … quod eſt eccleſia!the ſame good man ſpeaks, if we muſt giuegive an account of thoſe things which we hauehave done, eueryevery man in his owne body, how much more of thoſe things which we hauehave done in the body of Chriſt, which is his Church! Rub vp therefore your ſecure and negligent conſciences with Iobs meditation, Iob 31. 14. What then ſhall I doe when God riſeth vp, and when he viſites, what ſhall I anſwer him? God himſelfe will one day come a viſiting; Bethinke your ſelues what yee will then anſwer. Muſt not hee needes bee ſpeechleſſe there that hath beene dumbe heere? Alas, how wilt thou bee able to ſtand before his dreadfull Tribunall, that ſhalt be found to ſtand idle in his Vineyard? How wilt thou be able to appeare before that glorious and holie God, whoſe holie Prieſthood thou haſt defiled with thy vnholy life? In the feare of God therefore, and in the conſcience of that account which muſt be made, Take heede to the Ministerie which ye hauehave receiued of the Lord, that ye fulfill it: fulfill it in conſcionable Diſpenſation, in holy Conuerſation.
2. The Caueat is vrged by a reaſon.
Which thou haſt receiued of the Lord. Areaſon indeed which may worke vponupon any but ſuch as are without all reaſon. VVe receiue our Miniſterie by man, but not of man▪ man admits, but God fits to the worke. It is Gods worke and not mans. And therefore as Iehoſhaphat, 2. Chron. 19. 6, ſpeakes to the Iudges, Take heede what ye do, for ye execute the iudgement, not of man, but of the Lord: So may it be ſaid to Miniſters, Take heede what ye do, Take heede to your Miniſterie to fulfill it; for ye hauehave receiued it of God, and not of man. He of whom we hauehave receiued our Miniſterie, will looke to receiue an account from vsus for our Miniſterie. Surely the Miniſterie is an honorable calling, and ſo much this reaſon will imply: It is a calling receiued from God in a more peculiar manner then are others. But as there is a Dignitie, ſo there is a Duty in it, at which theſe words looke more then at the Dignitie. How many looke at the Dignitie, and forget the Duty, glorying that they hauehave receiued their Miniſterie from God, but neglecting the fulfilling of it, and the returning of their glory to the glory of God? To which of the Angells Chryſoſt.hath God ſaid at any time, I will giuegive vntounto you the Keyes of the kingdome of heauen? This hee hath ſaid vntounto his Miniſters, and with our Miniſterie we receiue theſe Keyes from the Lord. Well then may Gods Miniſters hauehave the name of Angells, that hauehave a prerogatiue aboue Angells. And ſhall we now that hauehave receiued ſuch an honourable Miniſterie from God, be idle, careleſſe and negligent in the fulfilling thereof? God forbid. If we had receiued our Miniſterie but of man, that ſhould betruſt vsus with ſuch a buſineſſe of weight, would we not be carefull to make good his confidence he had in our fidelitie? God and not Man hath betruſted vsus with this office, therefore for Gods ſake be intreated to be faithful in the fulfilling of your Miniſterie; euen for the Lords ſake, of whom you hauehave receiued your honour, your gifts, your calling; take heed to your Miniſtery that ye fulfill it.
FINIS.
Errata
Pag. 2. line 23. reade Aſſembled and called.
pag. 13. line 2 for braſen, reade baſer.
pag. 16. line 3. reade, grumes of bloud.
End of the text · Jeremiah Dyke, A Caveat for Archippus (1619)