But I will leaue that to their considerations, and will shew that the partes and duties of the minister be suche and so many in his owne flocke, that if he were as wise as Salomon was, as great in councell as Ioseph, as well learned as S. Paule, as actiue as Iosue, which fought so ma∣ny battayles in small space, yet al were little inough or too little, to perfourme to the 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ul that, which his charge requir〈1 line〉〈1 line〉th of him. Of the Pastors therefore is required not only the preaching of the word, and ministring of the sacraments, whereof, the preaching of the word, & ministring of the sa∣crament of baptisme, ought to be continually, and as oft, as the Church may conueniently assemble, the other sacrament of the Lord his supper, although not so continually (sor that the Church shall hardly haue so much leysure from their necessary affairs of this life, as that they may celebrate it as 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉ften as the other) yet so often, as that we remember▪ that too rare and seldome celebrating it, argu∣eth a mind too too much forgetfull of the vnspeakable benefyte of our redemption, and argueth al∣so that we are farre behind the primitiue Church in zeale, which did celebrate it euery Saboth: I say beside the preaching of the worde, and ministring of the sacramentes, there is required of hym that he should admonish priuately, and house by house those that are vnder his charge.* 1.1
Certaine it is, that the charge of a Pastor is great, and that he, which doth the best, must confesse and say that he is but an vnprofitable seruant: and yet if he occupy hys talents, be they mo, or be they fewer, and gaine with them more or lesse, he hathe a mercifull master, who will embrace him with mercie, and will accept of his seruice. And therefore, though he be much inferioure to Salomon in wisedome, to Ioseph in councell, to Paule in learning, and to Iosua in actiuitie, yet may he be a faithfull ser∣uant,* 1.2 and heare of his Lord and master, Euge serue bone & fidelis. &c. It is wel done good seruant and faithfull.
If you should thus streightly deale with the Pastors, and leaue them no consola∣tion, you should not follow our sauioure. Christ his mildenesse and mercie.
But let the bitternesse of your speaches go, and let vs come to the weight of your reasons: you say that there is required of the Pastors preaching of the word, and ministring of the sacraments, & priuate admonition, & that ye preaching of the word & ministring of the sacramēt of Baptisme, ought to be continuall: and priuate exhortations likewise, & therfore the Pastor may not be absent. Touching ye preaching of ye word I haue spokē before something, it must be according ye to cōscience & discretion of the Pastor, who hath to cōsider what is best for that cōgregation, wherof he hath ye charge, both for the often preaching, & for the ma∣ner of preaching also: The sacraments maye be administred by other, than by the pa∣stor, as they were in the Apostles tyme. 1. Cor. 1. & Act. 10. Priuate exhortation must al∣so be vsed as occasion serueth, according to the discretion of the minister. But I mer∣uayle that you saye, the ministryng of the sacrament of Baptisme ought to be continually. &c.* 1.3 You knowe that in Victor his tyme it was celebrated but once in the yeare at Ea∣ster. And in Tertullians tyme at Easter and Pentecoste, and in many Parishes in Englande there is no such dayly néede of administring that Sacramente. To con∣clude, both the Sacramentes maye bée as well ministred by an other if occasion serue. And therefore of all other reasons this is the slenderest.
Sainct Paules meaning in the. 20. of the Actes, is not that he dayely went into their houses to exhort them, but that he did so as occasion serued.