VERS. 27. What I tell you in darknesse, that speake ye in light: [Verse 27] and what ye heare in the eare, that preach ye upon the house tops.
§. Preach ye on the house tops.
[Quest. 1] What is meant by this Phrase?
[Answ.] The phrase, On the house tops, is taken from the forme of buildings among the Jews, mentioned Deut. 22.8. When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roofe, lest any man fall from thence. So Iudg. 16.27. and Acts 10. The meaning therefore is, In tectis, id est, In publicis congressibus; Preach upon the house tops, that is, in publike assemblies. Here therefore our Savi∣our doth expresse two things; namely, First, that they must conceale nothing, but make knowne the whole truth of Christ, taught unto thems. Secondly, that these things must be published, and publikely preached. Whence we may note, That the profession of Christ is not to be con∣cealed, [Observ.] and hidden, but apparantly to be held forth to the view of others. Reade Rom. 10.10. Hebr. 4.14. and 10.23, &c. For First, the Spirit is a fire, and that a shining fire, (Quis potest celare ignem) And therefore if the Spirit of God be in us, it will send forth both heat and light, Marke 4.21. Iohn 5.35. Secondly, the heart directs the tongue; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks; Mat. 12.34. Rom. 10.10. and 2 Cor. 4.13. And therefore, if there be grace in the heart, there wil be gracious words in the mouth. Thirdly, faith feares no dangers; for it appre∣hends Christ alwayes present, Mat. 28.20. And therefore, if there be faith in the heart, there will be profession in the mouth, and practise in the life.
[Argu. 1] The Papists affirme, that the Sacramentall words are not necessarily to be so spoken, or published, that the people may understand them, unto whom the Sacrament is to be administred. We affirm the contrary, thus: Every word which the Apostles heard from Christ, is a word to be preached, and published, and not to be so mut∣tered or whispered, as that it cannot be heard. But the Sacramentall word was heard from Christ, by the Apostles: Therefore it is to be preached, and published, and not to be muttered. The Minor Proposition is both plaine, and also granted: and the Major is evident from this verse, What I tell you in darknesse, that speake ye in light: and what ye heare in the eare, that preach ye on the house tops. Hence Saint Paul, 1 Cor. 11. being about to recite the Sacramentall word of the Eucharist, begins with this Preface, I received from the Lord, that which I also delivered unto you. After∣wards, 1 Cor. 15.3. I delivered unto you, first of all, what I received; which words were spoken when he was about to intimate, or rather perspicuously to handle, and plainly to preach the word of the Resurrection. From whence follows a facile and faire conclusion: As the word of the Resur∣rection thus delivered by the Apostle, was not muttered and mumbled without sense, or after the manner of a charme; so neither is the Sacra∣mentall word of the Eucharist. Chamier. lib. 1. de Sacram. cap. 16. Arg. 4.
It is questioned between us and the Church of [Argu. 2] Rome, whether those things are to be written, and taught in the Vulgar and Mother-tongue, which are contained in the Scriptures, or not?
Now they holding the Negative, and wee the Affirmative, we argue thus:
- Whatsoever things are to be preached, and published in all tongues and languages, and those which are commonly and ge∣nerally knowne, may also be written in the same tongues and languages.
- But whatsoever things are contained in the sacred Scriptures, are to be preached un∣to all, in the tongues they best know and understand.
- Therefore nothing with-holds or lets, but that they may be written in the same tongues also.
The Major is cleere, because neither words nor letters are used for themselves, but onely for the things sake which are signified therby: wher∣fore, if the things ought to be knowne unto all, then certainly their signes should not be un∣knowne unto any.
The Minor is proved, both by Precepts and Practise. First, by Precepts, in this verse, and chap. 24.14. and Mark 16.15. and Mat. 28.19. Secondly, by Practise; for before any of the Apo∣stles preached, there was given unto them the gift of Tongues, that so every one that heard, might understand, Acts 2. If any desire to see this Argument enlarged and prosecuted, let him look upon Chamierus de Canonis usu. lib. 11. cap. 3. Tom. 1. pag. 391.