Sarah and Hagar, To the reader
TO THE Conſcientious Reader:
FOr if thou beeſt not ſuch, (through Pride, or Ignorance, Faction, or Prophaneneſs) I take no further notice of thee, then to pray for thy Converſion; knowing, thou wilt think the world hath ſuch things enough abroad already, and that the Preſs is as ſick of that Surfet as the Pulpit: and 'twere to be wiſhed (I confeſs) that neither of them were cloyed with ſo many nauſeous and undigeſted Crudities. Yet, for all this, I ſhall not fear to adde theſe to the number. In things of worth, abundance is no burden: and by that time thou haſt ſeriouſly peruſed them, I doubt not but the good Spirit will metamorphiſe thy Prejudice to Piety, and all thy Grudge to Gratitude.
I know the world is furniſhed with this and other kindes of Writing, Didactical and Polemical, even to ſatiety: but of thoſe which labour the reducing Chriſtianity to Practice, by the ſad event, it ſeems, there are yet ſcarce enough. Wherein, theſe tendered to thee here, are eminently ſingular; none more natively emergent, and ſatisfactory in Theological extractions; ('tis a bold Truth;) none whatſoever extant, ſo copious and inſinuative in the Applications.
Now as all Muſick is but the multiplying of three parts, ſo is our Conſort here, in this Epiſtle; it conſiſting likewiſe of three parts, that is, three Parties, ſc. the Author, the Editor, and the Reader: each bears his part here fairly, or makes diſcord.
Firſt, for the Reverend Author, Maſter JOSIAS SHUTE, his very name is as a ſilver Trumpet to his Reputation, ſounding out a Quicquid doctiorum eſt, aſſurgite huic tam colendo Nomini: Job 29.7, 8, 9, 10, &c.with whom 'twas, as with Job appearing, Chap. 29. The young men hid themſelves, and the aged aroſe and ſtood up: when the ear heard him, then it bleſſed him, and when the eye ſaw him, it gave witneſs to him. His Name, I ſay, is an Aromatick Ointment, diffuſing a more rich perfume then the choiceſt of our broken Boxes; ſuch as anticipateth all Encomium, and moſt Hyperboles; as at once foreſtalleth mine expreſsions, and contracts them: Inopem me copia fecit; a feaſt where I am puzled with plenty: tanquam in Coena dubia; doubtful which diſh to on-ſet; where to begin of him, unleſs (as*Lib. 3. Ep. Ep. ad Euſtochium. Jerome of his vertuous Paula) Clarus genere, clarior virtute.
He was deſcended of a Learned Race, the ſon of an eminent Divine in York-ſhire, and one of five famous brother-Preachers, ſomewhat like thoſe five fingers of the right hand of fellowſhip, Gal. 2.9. James, Cephas, John, Paul, and Barnabas.Gal. 2. manus Dei, a kinde of hand of God, by which (too) he brought mighty things to paſs, both for the Converſion of ſinners, and Confirmation of his people: Yet he was, in the beſt ſenſe, the Saul of all his brethren, (or the Paul, rather:) Fraxinus in ſylvis, inter viburna cupreſſus: A chief of Davids Worthies; a man of that latitude of Learning, that length of Apprehenſion; of that depth of Iudgement, and height of Speculation; (one ſo compleat in all dimenſions, ſo centred in the Circle of all Piety and Learning;) that I may here juſtly renew that Admiration of*Greg. Naz. in laudem Baſilii magni. Nazianzen, concerning Baſil: foreign: Where was there ſuch a mixture of rare parts and graces? what kinde of Learning was he unacquainted with? or rather, what kinde had he not, beyond hyperbole, accompliſhed? having ſo encircled all neceſſary Sciences, as others ſcarce have any one of them; and yet, again, ſo accurate in each, as if he had endeavoured but that onelyonly. And though he were a man of but a ſingle heart, (not foreign of an heart and an heart, Pſal. 12.2.Pſal. 12.) yet was he one of divers Tongues, able to ſpeak to God without an Interpreter, in his own ſacred dialect; could read the Scriptures without the ſpectacles of Tranſlators; both drank and derived thoſe holy waters out of their ſweeter Fountains: which however the old thick-ſcull'd Friers diſparaged, with Viperis & ſerpentibus pleni, that the fountains were full of vipers and ſerpents, as being much corrupted by the envious Iews, (themſelves more envious to all ſuch good Letters;) yet their own*Lib. 2. de Verbo Dei, c. 2. Bellarmine, in that, confutes them, acknowledging the great providence of God in the Maſorites reſtauration: and the Original (ſaith he) in ſeveral caſes of neceſsity, to be made uſe of; as among various lections, in ambiguity of words and ſentences, in errours of Impreſsion, and when the Idiom cannot be fully rendered. Not that there was either any want of skill or faithfulneſs in our deſervedly-admired Interpreters; but that the Hebrew (as the firſt-born of Languages, and ſpoke by God himſelf) challengeth an unimitable prerogative above all others: And therefore, in Saint*Lib. 2. Epiſt. Ep. 27. Jeromes time, this Tongue was the ambition of both ſexes, familiar to his Paula, and her Euſtochium: Origen ſtudying it in his old-age, as Saint Auguſtine did the Greek, dolens non licuiſſe Ebraeam addere; lamenting that he had not time to adde the Hebrew. So afterwards Eraſmus, and others, as*Sixtinus Amama in Paraeneſi, Ling. Hebreae. One Commemorates. And Luther, and Melancthon (that ſame golden Pair) valued their skill (ſaith he) in the Originals, above whole Kingdoms; in that Literaturae foreign, that ſame real Reformation of Learning and Religion, (which they chiefly managed.) So our grave Author here, like a wiſe Merchant, was well skill'd in the Tongue of the place he traded to; at leaſt foreign, if not foreign; maſter of thoſe three Grandmother-Languages inſcribed on the Croſs of Chriſt, beſides ſome others of their progeny.
Filius Eccleſiae Patribus verſatiſsimus; this ſon of the Church of England was moſt familiar with the ancient Fathers, both of the Eaſt and Weſt. Of the Greek, Chryſoſtome lay in his boſome, (as thou wilt finde, in the enſuing Work) even till he did Patrizare, become like unto him, in his flowing ſtile, and golden eloquence. Among the Latines, Saint Auguſtine did command in chief, (with him;) that Maul of Hereticks, and Fountain of the Schools. How exact an Hiſtorian was he, for Eccleſiaſticals eſpecially, thoſe Records of the Church! (the ignorance whereof, is the mother of many of our growing miſeries and indevotions) Nor was he leſs acquainted with the Schools, (though more delighted to ſit by the ſtill waters of Siloah, Iſai. 8.6. then thoſe of Marah and Meribah, Pſal. 106.32.) yet was he even Maſter of the Maſter of the Sentences, and à Secretioribus unto the Councels, even of their Cabinet. And becauſe the Flock is not onelyonly to be fed, but cured ſometime; he was a ſingular Caſuiſt,Gal. 6.1. and ſpiritual Chirurgeon, that knew well foreign, to ſet in joynt again, Iſai. 61.1.and to binde up the broken ſpirit: contrary to thoſe Idol-ſhepherds, as they are termed, Zech. 11.16, 17. A ſoul Chirurgeon, right, for all thoſe properties of Heart, and Hand, and Eye:2 Tim. 3.16. none better at thoſe ſeveral faculties, 2 Tim. 3. for Doctrine,A Character of the Author. for Reproof, for Correction, for Inſtruction: Quàm nervoſus in docendo! quàm cordatus in redarguendo! quàm foreign in corripiendo! quàm flexanimus in exhortando! How full of arrows was his quiver of Inſtruction! how ſharp thoſe of Reproof or Confutation! how ſweet and vigorous his Exhortation! how impartial in his Reprehenſion! how ſoft and tender his hand of Conſolation! He had digeſted ſo, and ſorted all the Scriptures, as that he even was a walking Concordance; and, like a skill'd Apothecary, could go moſt readily to all the ſeverals, as occaſion challenged. 'Tis Baſils compariſon of that Book of Books, to ſuch a ſhop well furniſhed: foreign, &c. for there is no diſeaſe incident unto the ſoul of man, (ſaith he) wherein he may not finde for it a remedy: That was Liber Librorum to him, (as*Lib. Epiſt. Jerome calls it) the Library of all his Books: That was his Feaſt, (as*Lib. 1. Offic. c. 32. Ambroſe calls it) his Ambroſia convivium Sapientiae, the Banquet of Wiſdom, (the Flagons and Apples of the Spouſe, Cant. 2. Cant. 2.5.) Singuli libri, ſingula Fercula; where every Book's a ſeveral Courſe, each Chapter as a Benjamins Meſs, and every Verſe a Morſel of the food of Angels. Above all, I ſay, he was moſt intimate with theſe ſacred Oracles, (as though his Infancie had ſucked none other milk.) He was another, a mightier Apollos; foreign, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, Acts 18.24.Acts 18. one that taught foreign, that is, diligently, ſaith our Tranſlation; or, accurately, as the word importeth: Take it which way you pleaſe; or rather, both ways: Tertulli Eloquentiam habuit, non Amaritudinem; he had the Acuteneſs,Chap. 24.2. without the Acrimony of Tertullus. Theologus Roſtris natus, cui ſuavitatis conſcius ſemper ſtilus.
Nor is it enough, once to have drank in his fluent Exercitations, though with thirſty Ears: unleſs the Eye likewiſe may thus peruſe them, one Senſe would quarrel t'other, and the Schools take exceptions at the Church. Our Author had accompliſhed Saint Pauls Charge, 2 Tim. 2. approving himſelf, both towards God and Man,2 Tim. 2.15. foreign, a work-man that need not be aſhamed; rightly dividing the Word of truth. And as he did*foreign, The Motto of the Reverend Biſhop Andrews. foreign, ſo likewiſe did he foreign, walk anſwerably to his Dictations, (wherein few are ſo happie:) He came up, in practice, to his own Inſtructions; (as Nazianzen ſaid of Baſil) He did thunder in his Doctrine, and lighten in his Life: foreign, Joh. 5. His light ſhined before men: nor onelyonly that of Knowledge, but alſo of Example; Example both of Piety and Charity: Piety was the Altar ſanctified the gold of all his eminencies; and Charity, of both kindes, his well-pleaſing ſacrifice, Heb. 13. Heb. 13.16.Of ſtrict and ſevere life he was; yet affable, and full of ſweet deportment; nec tantùm ab illicitis, ſed etiam à concefsis abſtinens; ſcarce indulging himſelf neceſſary Relaxations, from rolling a Siſyphian ſtone; like Socrates, envying any man ſhould be earlier at his Trade, then he at his Studie; thinking it, in health, good manners ſtill to uſher in the riſing Sun, and wait on his receſs with lucubrations: And all this, with unwearied conſtancie, with perſeverance to his End.
His End, (which was the eccho of this well-tun'd Cymbal) you have heard of: ſo that I cannot better ſum up all here, and give you a total view of his full ſplendor, then by that apt Compariſon (of*Oratione in laudem Baſilii. Nazianzen concerning Baſil) to the Sun: foreign: that is, His Vertue was his Brightneſs, his Learning was his Greatneſs, and his Courſe too, was from Eaſt to Weſt; of his whole Life, and all Divinity; and his Influence was the ſowing and diſtribution of his Doctrine: And therefore pity 'tis, (as that Father there goes on) but the reſt ſhould be added; foreign,Pſal. 19.4. but that his ſound ſhould go forth into all lands, (as did his Fame) eſpecially thorowout our own.
But let not theſe jejune Eulogies of mine ſeem his Diſparagement: for my Deſigne was but to hint a Character of him, and not write his Life: Nemo Ciceronem, niſi Cicero: That indeed would require his own faculties, not mine, —linguae ſi centum, ſint oraque centum; if every member were a tongue, (as*Lib. 3. Epiſt. in vita Paulae. Jerome of his egregious Paula:) But to give onelyonly a brief foreign to the unacquainted Reader; onelyonly an Eſſay of his Worth, as of his Works; Teſtimonium Veritatis, & non Amicitiae; an Atteſtation more of Truth then Friendſhip. None of his friends therefore ſhall need onelyonly ſo lament him, (as*Cicero de Arc. Poet. Alexander bemoaned himſelf at the Tomb of Achilles) that there was not another Homer to beſtrew his Hearſe: for, ſuch a man was this, that were there ſuch another Poet, Homer himſelf, if preſent,*Jeron. l. 3. Ep. in vita Hilar. aut invideret Materiae, aut ſuccumberet; would here either envie his own Subject, or come ſhort on't.
But now (Reader) as for thy Self, and Me, far fewer words will ſerve. Firſt, give a friend leave to caution thee of one main Adverſary, (as*Magna Expectatio, magnus Adverſarius. Quintilian calls it;) and that is, an over-high Expectation: No Hercules able to cope with it; no Parts can reach it: meaneſt abilities can look for more then the ſublimeſt can perform: foreign. Not that I would take off that edge I have ſet on thee; or think it can be failed, but that Thou weigh the Subſtance with its Circumſtances, (as thy beſt Gold with Grains:) Read; but withal, conſider the multiplied tasks of this our Author; Labor actus in orbem; by whoſe burden, thou ſhalt know the Atlas: Preaching three times a week by conſtant courſe, (whereof Theſe ſome of his Wedneſday-Lectures;) beſides all accidentals, which with him were many; being foreign (as the Hebrew phraſe is) a man of Deſires, a kinde of Centre of circumferent affections. Beſides, (thou knoweſt) a prudent Orator, (Divine eſpecially) muſt imitate a wiſe Phyſitian, muſt agere ad patiens; not to flee always his own pitch, (foreign, an eagle in the clouds) but to act in proportion to his Patient: And ſo did he here, (like the God he preached) oft uſe a foreign, that figure of Condeſcenſion; ſtooping to the capacity of meaneſt Auditours:Cautions to the Reader. yet not without ſtrong meat for abler digeſtions; and ſweet-meats too, for the more quaint attentions. Omnia factus omnibus; a true Saint Paul to all; as he was oft wont to ſay, in that Apoſtles phraſe, that he was a debtor unto both the wiſe, and the unwiſe, Rom. 1. and therefore was not raſh with his mouth, when he entred into the houſe of God; (as the manner of ſome is, to ſerve Him of that which coſt them nothing: I ſpeak this to their ſhame:) But he, in all his holy Diſquiſitions, —miſcuit utile dulci, ſo tempered the wine and oil together, that none (but through his own default) might go away unbettered: His ſpeech diſtilled like the dew, and his words like the drops of rain; his Sermons ſhowers of Manna, pleaſing each good palate.
For his*His uſual Method being Obſervation and Application. Method, let no nice Philologiſt diſtaſte it, as too Calviniſtical; it being as profitable, as perſpicuous; as faithful, as familiar; and, as he ordered it, like rareſt Needle-works grounded upon Canvas; while many others ſet but their ſlight Froſt-works upon Sattin. He was that foreign, that well-inſtructed Scribe, Matth. 13.52. who brought forth of his treaſure things new and old; that is, Vetera Legis, & nova Evangelii, (as the*Jerom in locum, Tom. 9. Hilar. Can. 14. Fathers on the place;) the old terrours of the Law, to humble ſinners; and the new comforts of the Goſpel, to raiſe drooping ſpirits: the ſound inſtructions both of the Old and the New Teſtament; not any of the old Hereſies new dreſt, or any new Phangles of theſe wilder times. A true Evangeliſt, and Meſſenger of Peace; not preaching Evangelium ſanguinis, as was objected (by*Vide Eraſmi Epiſt. 107. Ep. ad Lit. D. them that more deſerved it) unto ſome paſsionate Lutherans: But, therein, rather of Eraſmus temper, (who lived in Times like ours) and that was, neither cold, nor luke-warm neither; but piouſly prudent. A ſomno prorſus expergefaciēdus erat orbis; Indeed, the world was to be rouzed out of the ſleep of Sin and Errour, & ſcintilla vigoris Evangelici reſuſcitanda; and the ſpark of Truth Evangelical to be re-kindled, and blown from forth the choaking aſhes: Sed utinam eâ manſuetudine, curâque quâ decuerat agi negotium omnium ſanctiſsimum; but Oh, would to God (ſaith he) it had been done with that ſame Chriſtian care, meekneſs, and moderation, wherewith ſo holy a buſineſs ought to have been tranſacted; and that there needed not be added, Habent ſemper in ore Evangelium, Verbum Dei, Fidem, Chriſtum, Spiritum ſanctum; atſi mores ſpectes, illi longè aliud loquuntur: their words ſofter then Butter, (ſaith he;) but War in their hearts; open hoſtility 'twixt their words and actions, even to deſperate contradictions:Eraſmus Epiſt. lib. 19. Ep. 113. ad lit D. p. 950. as he proſecutes it home; and is worth thy conſulting, in his 113 Epiſtle. So was our candid Author here, more for the Bucket then the Bellou…s, in ſuch times of Conflagration; oft pouring out the water of his tears upon our common Flames, which others ventilated. He was the Apoſtles foreign, 1 Pet. 3.8. a man of yerning bowels, like Jeremiah, that foreign Propheta, (as Jerome calls him) a Prophet of moſt ſoft affections; one after Davids melting heart, as he was after Gods: ſtill ſpake he of Peace, but, &c.—praeſtat componere fluctus!
I had rather ſpend my time in Admiration of him, then Apologie: for ſurely, there is nothing in his Works but ſavours extaſie, and ſpiritual raviſhment. And no thoughts (I confeſs) did ever ſteal away my time more ſweetly, then thoſe herein employed; (the Comfort making me forget the Travel:) and, with Gods bleſsing on them, none (I think) may more benefit others; and eſpecially, if read (judicio, & non praejudicio) but with that ſpirit of judgement and candour that he writ them; that is, Animas magis alloquens, quàm Aures; with more reference unto Souls, then Senſes. 'Tis true, theſe are no ſtrawberry-Sermons, pick'd and cull'd out with long vagaries, (like ſome, whoſe brain, as the Elephant, goes two yeers with young;) but they are wholſome Food, and healthy Medicine; prepared and adminiſtred in due ſeaſon. Not Almanack-diſcourſes, calculated for any ſingular Meridian of Perſons, Ends, or Humours; but for the general elevation of the Pole of Vertue; for the common good of Chriſtian Converſation.
Read them then, but with ſuch a grain of ſalt as intimated, and thou ſhalt light off from them like a laden Bee, the hive both of thine head and heart enriched, from this flowery garden: ſo ſhalt thoure turn home unto thy ſelf, like a ſtor'd Merchant from the Iſles of Spices, or the Golden Indies.
But if thou wilt be ſnarling at the Author, (bit by the mad dog of the Times) thou wilt but hurt thine own teeth: if thou wilt needs be justling againſt his firm ſides, thou wilt endanger thine own empty pitcher: For all Apollo's Quire, the whole Lettered Commonwealth, have deſervedly already crowned him,*That is, ſwallowed up, as it were, of Learning, and all kinds of Vertue. foreign: To which if thou ſubſcribeſt, thou doſt thy ſelf an honour. But, not to tell you of a Banquet, and make you Tantalize, I draw toward a Cloſe.
For the Publiſher, no great matter whether known to thee, or not, ſo this be, That he hath been faithful to his Vndertaking: wherein, hadſt thou but ſeen the dark Originals, thou wouldſt (perhaps) have readily enough acknowledged, That 'tis no leſs honour to Redeem, then to Create: and, as In Praefatione in Editionem Jeronimi.Eraſmus ſometime ſaid, touching his Edition of Saint Jerome, Tantum operis in Emendatione, quantum ille in Compoſitione; that there's almoſt as much travel in the Reſtitution, as the Author ſpent upon his Compoſition.
The Book, indeed, is ſomewhat ſlender, (like the encouragements of Learning;) yet a childe capable of growth, if any thing well uſed abroad; if it be eſtimable: Iewels of value may be vented ſingly: if otherwiſe, the Greek*Yea, foreign: now adays, oft a ſmall Book, is a grand Evil. Proverb is prevented; foreign, That a great Book is a great Miſchief: Pro captu Lectorum habent ſua fata Libelli. Such Books (like the beſt liquors) may be wronged by foul veſſels: Yet, if not too much tainted, this (I dare ſay) will cleanſe and ſweeten the veſſel of that heart receives it. Theſe holy waters, I will not parallel with thoſe of the well of Bethlehem, 2 Sam. 23. (though not a little long'd for, nor fetch'd without ſome danger; and therefore thus poured out unto the Lord:) but (methinks) ſomewhat they reſemble Samſons Riddle, Judg. 14. ſave onelyonly, as many yeers, well neer, as he ſet days,Judg. 14. being unreſolved; which none could hitherto perfectly unfold, till at length, plowing with his heifer, An Account of the Editor.meeting with ſome of his own Manuſcripts, and long acquainted with his Genius, I have untied the Knot, How out of the eater came forth meat; for he was Heluo Librorum, voracious onelyonly of his books; whence came forth meat of ſpiritual nutriment, nouriſhing to eternal life: And, out of the ſtrong came forth ſweetneſs; that is, out of his ſtrong Abilities, both of Grace and Nature, the ſweets of plauſible and profitable Inſtructions.
And now all the recompence I beg of God, is, (for my ſelf and others) not any change of raiment, but of ſinful habit, Davids change of heart, Pſal. 50.10. Such Publike good, is the ſole ſcope my Labours; in a contented ſelf-denial, burying mine own poor Notions, thus to revive His, as a far more eminent and eligible good. I, He was the wiſe Builder; I have but ſet a Bill upon the door, or at moſt, onelyonly let the Houſe: He was the Fountain head; I but the Conduit-pipe that truſtily delivers the ſame waters; yet perhaps ſomewhat cleared in the Running: He was the expert Husbandman; I but one of the Reapers: He the accurate Limmer, that drew ſo to life; I but withdraw the Curtain, and preſent you the fair Portraicture: He the Archinaupegus, the unimitable Ship wright that built this Ark of God; I but the careful Pilot, thus to Lanch it forth into the Main. And if it ſhall ſcape ſhipwrack in theſe ſtormy days, and God but proſper the Adventurers; there may be an endeavour of a further Voyage: which I ſhall crave of him, in the Authors own cloſe of every Sermon; Det Deus ut perficiam, God grant that I may perfect it: which ſecond with thy Prayers for
The Churches, and Thy faithful ſervant in the LORD, EDWARD SPARKE.