Canterburys Doom, Branch 1 · Evidence 2 · Floating text 2 · Popish error 26
26. That Reading is Preaching: that Preaching is only for extraordinary perſons and times, not for ordinary Miniſters and ſeaſons: that one Sermon a monethmonth is better than two every Lords-Day. That Biſhops are not bound to preach, at leaſt, not ſo often as other Ministers, by reaſon of their great temporall employments and Court attendance, &c. And that Saint PAUL read Homilies.
SHelfords five Treatiſes, pag. 35. 36. After this a wiſe and diſcreet Sermon not made by every Miniſter, but by a man of Reading and diſcretion, right well beſeemeth this holy place.
Pag. 74. Some Pariſhes (as men ſay) have good Preachers but bad livers, and ſome have meane Preachers or Readers, but good livers, which of theſe are beſt? The good living Miniſter what he builds by his reading of Gods Word, Prayer, and adminiſtration of the Sacraments pulls not downe againe, but upholds all with his good life, therefore he is farre the beſt Preacher. Pag. 77. Haſt thou not thy Miniſter to doe this for thee every Sunday and Holy-Day in Catechizing: But thou likeſt not of this becauſe it is not a Sermon, how proveſt thou that? becauſe it is not ſpoken out of the Pulpit, nor delivered out of a Text, &c.
Page 78. The very reading of it is preaching, and not only preaching, but lively and working preaching, working upon mens ſoules to grace and goodneſſe. And that Gods Word read unto us, is preaching, you ſhall finde it expreſſed in, Acts 15. 21.
P. 82. What need is there of Preaching? The beſotted negligence of our delicate Puritans is that which makes them to run ſo after Sermons. God ſpeakes unto thee every Holy-Day by his owne Word.
Pag. 91. There is another kinde of preaching which is not fit for every kind of Miniſter, but for extraordinary and excellent men, called by God and the Church to reforme errors and abuſes, or to promulge to the world new Lawes and Cannons, And as this kinde is to be performed by extraordinary men, ſo it is not alwayes ſo needfull but only when neceſſitie requireth, for when things are ſetled, there needs no more ſetling but only preſerving. We ought not to have many Moſeſes, nor many Evangeliſts, nor many Apoſtles.
Pag. 93. The ancient and true doctrine ef the Primitive Church by ſet ed Articles is reſtored; therefore this extraordinary kind is not now ſo neceſſary, except it bee upon ſome notorious Crimes breaking in upon our people, or ſome exorbitances of greene heads, breaching the froth of their owne braines, which will hardly be reformed untill many of theſe be unfurniſhed of their Licenſes, and thoſe that are permitted be reſtrained to certaine times and ſeaſons. For better were it for our Church and people to have but one Sermon well premeditated in a monethmonth (which is inſinuated by the Canon) then two upon a day proceeding from a rolling braine and mouth without due preparation.NOTE.
Pag. 94. All the Biſhops in the Land can hardly keepe downe their wrong and unſeaſoned doctrine: Having ſhewed this kinde of preaching to be extraordinary for ſpeciall men, ſpeciall times and occaſions: It followes, that the preaching by reading is the ordinary preaching: This was the ordinary preaching in our Church before King Henry the eight.
Page 241. Preaching of its owne natare is indifferent, therefore the managing of it is not for all men; but only for ſuch as are of a ſtayed head and large underſtanding.
Dr. Pocklingtons Sunday no Sabbath, P. 31. No ground at all for the fruitleſſe and NOTE.diſobedient exerciſe of their afternoone talent; It will bee hard for the beſt and ſtubborneſt of them all, to ſhew a Sermon preached by any of the Fathers in the afternoone.
P. 32. S. Paul preached foreign all the while he was in his Homilie: what his Homily was it is hard for mee to ſay, whether it was that himſelfe made and did not NOTE.read, or one that he read and another made: An Homily, I am ſure it was, and it may be made by all the Apoſtles or the chiefe of the Apoſtles. Wherefore I take it for a cleare truth, that Saint Paul read the Decrees: and ſure I am by the word uſed in the Text that when he read them, and no more but read them without adding or deminiſhing, that hee preached by way of Homilie foreign Reading of Homilies, then is preaching, and ſo adjudged by the Learned Biſhops in the Councell of Rhemes.
P. 34. If then Reading of Decrees of the Apoſtles, be preaching, and uſed for the profit and peace of the Church, and for the eſtabliſhing of them in the faith, then ſurely is reading of Leſſons, Epiſtle and Goſpell, much more preaching, and the Reader is a Preacher.
Edmond Reeve his Communion Catechiſme expounded, page 74. They are ſaid to make an Idoll of Preaching, which place even the whole Chriſtian Religion in hearing of Sermons; and in Compariſon of preaching forth of a Pulpit, they nothing or very little account of the Common-prayer, and the reading of the Homilies.
Page 77. To preach unto a Congregation on every Sunday is the proper worke of Paſtours. But the Biſhops the Fathers in God having received the greateſt meaſure of the holy Ghoſt are to be imployed beſides, in the greateſt miniſteriall matters of the Church, as to ordaine Prieſts and Deacons, Chriſts holy Ordinance of Conſecration. P. 78. It is their worke to Conſecrate Churchces, &c. To require all the Eccleaſticall Lawes of the Kingdome, to be obſerved, and to have to doe in the affaires of the Common-wealth. Page 79. Many more are the employments pertainng to their high order, and calling; by reaſon whereof they may but at ſome certaine times preach unto Congregations, when as they ſhall ſee occaſion.
Page 94. Holy Church hath ordained, that in the Sunday afternoone, there ſhould be taught her fundamentall Catechiſme, her Lawes, her Canons, her Conſtitutions ſhould be read, the Common-prayer with the Leſſons be ſaid, and that the Homilies ſhould be read alſo.