Seuen goulden candlestickes houlding the seauen greatest lights of Christian religion shewing vnto all men what they should beleeue, & how they ought to walke in this life, that they may attayne vnto eternall life. By Gr: Williams Doctor of Divinity

[Part. 2] PART. II.

CHAP. II. Of the Apostles wisdome and godly pollicy in seeking for to winne the Thessalonians to performe this duty: and of three sorts of Preachers, whereof two sorts are de∣fectiue in this point.

* 1.1SEcondly, Saint Paul herein sheweth his discretion, by this manner of speech that he vseth vnto them; hee tels the Corinthians, that he caught them with a guile, not to beguile them, but to saue them; and so here and in all places, he vseth all his wit, all his pollicy, and all the wisedome that hee hath to winne men vnto Christ;* 1.2 and being wonne, to make them to serue Christ; for being desirous of their Prayers, hee comes vnto them, in spiritu mansuetudinis; in the spirit of meekenesse, he creepes into their hearts with termes of loue, and seekes to lead them, tanquam oues, leni spiritu, non dura manu; rather as sheepe by an inward sweet influence, then as goats to be driuen by an outward extreame violence; so God himselfe dealt with our forefathers, and all their posterity; he heaped vpon them, beneficia nimis copiosa, multa & magna, priuata & positiua; wonderous great benefits and blessings, to see if he could so draw them vnto himselfe in the chaines of loue, and to allure them by all faire meanes, and all the allectiues vnder heauen, vnto his blessed seruice;* 1.3 hee spake them faire, hee vsed them kindly, he promised them much, he gaue them more, and all to perswade them to their owne happinesse: so Christ the Sonne of God alleadgeth this for a reason, why all men should bee willing to come vnto him,* 1.4 because hee is meeke and lowly of heart; and Moses the man of God, was mitissimus super ter∣ram,* 1.5 the meekest and the mildest man that was vpon the face

of the earth, and so the fittest man to guide the people of God: and Titus Ʋespasian for his curtesie and affability was called, deliciae generis humani; the delight of mankinde; hee was so curteous vnto all, that he was wont to say, Non opertet quen∣quam à Caesaris colloquio, tristem discedere; it was not fit for a∣ny man to depart sad from Caesar, for hee knew this was the way to winne them: Mollis responsio frangit iram, a soft answere appeaseth wrath, & a gentle intreaty will soone perswade men:

Syluestres homines sacer interpres{que} Deorum,* 1.6 Caedibus, & faedo victu deterruit Orpheus: Dictus ab hoc, lenire Tygres rapidos{que} Leones.

The faire spoken Orpheus and Amphion by their sweet perswa∣sions are said to haue mollified the most sauage natures,* 1.7 and to haue brought vnto ciuility the rudest and the wildest men: and therefore Saint Paul here doth so louingly intreat them, and so friendly beseech them with this sweetest name of Brethren, to pray for them; Brethren, pray for vs.

To teach vs, that as we be Pascendo Pastores, the Teachers of our people, so we should be diligendo Patres,* 1.8 aswel fathers for affection, as teachers for instruction; and that wee should intreat and beseech our people, in the bowels of Christ Iesus, when we might command them in the Name of the great Ieho∣ua: for it is most certaine, that when bitter reprehensions doth harden men in iniquity, a gentle intreaty will often win them vnto piety; for it was but the alluring speech of Apollo, that made many to affect him rather then Saint Paul: and it is dayly seene, that a golden mouthed Chrysostome, with his sweet perswasions, will winne more men to Christ then any one can doe with his bitter reprehensions;* 1.9 because as Seneca saith in another case, qui vult amari languida regnet manu; inuisa nun∣quam imperia retinuit diu;* 1.10 hee that would bee loued in his raigne, let him rule with a gentle hand; so he that would bee loued of his flocke, must feede them with the words of loue.

And yet for all this I denie not, but as Saint Bernard saith, qui non vult duci, debet trahi; he that will not be perswaded should be compelled; for if men will not turne, God will whet his glittering sword, and his hand shall take hold of vengeance: and therefore wee read, that in the Arke of Moses, there was

Aarons Rod for correction,* 1.11 as well as Manna for refection: and in the Church of Christ, there is discipline for the stubborne, as well as doctrine for the simple; and from the Seate of God, there proceeded lightnings and thunders, as well as the sound of harpers harping with their Harpes.

To teach vs, that (as Saint Hierome saith) debet amor laesus irasci; loue too much prouoked will waxe angry: and therefore; whosoeuer despiseth the riches of Gods goodnesse,* 1.12 and forbearance, and long-suffering, hee treasureth vp vnto himselfe wrath a∣gainst the day of wrath; for this is iust with God, (saith the Apostle) to render vnto eu••ry man according to his deeds: and therefore, we must aswell thunder out Gods iudgements against irrepentant sinners, as to distill Gods mercies to the tender-hearted Christians; we must aswell crie, woe to the sinneful nation, to the people laden with iniquitie,* 1.13 as promise ease vnto them, that are wearied vnder the waight of their sinnes.

* 1.14And yet still herein, in our greatest indignation against sinne, we must not forget Saint Bernard's rule, dum das verbera osten∣de vbera; to doe as louing nurces, while they shake the rod, to shew the dugge, or as the good Samaritan, to powre wine and oyle into the wounds of the distressed traueller;* 1.15 i. e. so to mixe the bitter threatnings of the Law, with the sweete promises of the Gospell, as that wee neither driue them to despaire by the one, nor yet make them presumptuous by the other: and therfore herein wee neede discretion,* 1.16 which is one of the two essen∣tiall parts of a true Preacher, who is that wise and faithfull steward.

First, he must be faithfull to doe his dutie; And,

Secondly, he must be wise and discreete, to know how to doe it; to giue vnto euery one his owne portion, and that in du•• season; to preach mercie, to whom mercie, and vengeance, to whom vengeance belongeth; to know before whom we speake, and what we speake; to doe bonum benè, and to waigh our words in the ballance of discretion, before wee vtter them vnto our Auditors, and surely in my iudgement, it is a true saying, that an ounce of discretion is worth a pound of learning; be∣cause learning puffeth vp, saith the Apostle; and it is but as Achilles sword in the hand of him that knoweth not how to vse it. postulat vt capiat, quae non intelligit arma;

But discretion is the keeper and guider of all vertues; Dis∣cretion guideth, Learning teacheth, and Charitie edifieth; and thus these three graces march in order, that must lead, and these must follow; and therefore,* 1.17 whatsoeuer is done without this, is ill done, quia virtus indiscreta pro vitio reputatur; be∣cause zeale it selfe, Charitie it selfe, and Vertue it selfe, being vndiscreet is no better then a discreete vice, nor yet many times so good; for that it groweth often vnto many vices, and produceth many inconueniences, as most wofull experience dai∣ly sheweth; for, I finde two sorts of men tainted with this fault,

First, the too popular Preachers, when they come to preach before their gouernours.

Secondly, the parasites of Princes,* 1.18 when they come to preach before the people, for I diuide the whole classie of Prea∣chers into these three ranks.

The First are those that are descreet and faithfull Preachers,* 1.19 either before Prince or people, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, such as would willing∣ly discharge their duties towards all men, and hould the mid∣dle way, inter adulationem et litigium; betwixt pleasing and pro∣uoking.

The Second are those that vse too much flatterie before Princes, and too much harshnesse before the people;* 1.20 and these neither way can doe good; for commonly the people will not be compelled, and flatterie not onely blindes the eyes, that they cannot see, but also perswadeth the doer to delight in sinne: de∣lectat enim facere, in quibus non solum non metuitur reprehensor, sed etiam laudatur operator; for a man delighteth to doe those things for which he is not onely free from reprehension, but also sure of commendation; and therefore, bene cum principibus agere∣tur, si scirent inter adulationem & laudem distinguere; it were well for Princes and great men, if they could tell how to distinguish and to discerne true desart from base flatterie, and that blinde ambition, and desire of praise, should not make them to swal∣low both without distinction, and to giue credence vnto others rather then vnto themselues.

The Third are those that are too popular,* 1.21 the parasites and pleasers of the people, yet somewhat too bold to speake against

authoritie, and these are too blame in many things; for, as in∣stabile vulgus, the headlesse and heedlesse multitude are vnable to conceiue,* 1.22 and vnwilling to be taught, vnworthie to rule, and vnpatient to be ruled; so the pleasers of these men must needs displease all wise men, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; For, wise men please not the people, neither can the people please wise men; for you shall euer see the mul∣titude, alwayes desirous of these two things,

First, To draw their heads out of the collar of gouernment, & to bring all rule into their owne hands, dirumpamus vincula,* 1.23 is their song; no terme pleaseth them better then the free estate, no man to please them, but of their owne election, no longer rule, but while hee please them. O miserable state to serue such people!

Secondly, If this they cannot doe, then must they haue a hand in euerie point of state, yea euen in those of greatest waight, nothing is good, that they doe not, nothing to be done, that they allow not, they haue an interest (they say) in all, and therefore they must haue a hand in all; and so in very deede those that neuer learned to obey, would guide and gouerne their chiefest gouernors.

And therefore I say that those Preachers, whose rising hath bin by the people, and who giue themselues to popular applause are either halting in their honestie, or defectiue in their discreti∣on; and so most vnfit, either to teach the wise, or to gouerne the foolish; for in the first, they teach factious and dangerous positions; and in the second, they must either yeeld to popu∣lar desires, or dissent from themselues, and so leese the applause of the people, which is one of the mainest things they ho∣ped for and gaped after.

And so experience daily sheweth vs, that either want of ho∣nestie to doe what they know, or els want of wisdome and dis∣cretion to know what to doe, hath moued the blinde and wilde zeale of many factious men, so friuolously to intermeddle with extrauagant and needlesse discourses, both of State and Com∣mon-wealth, and so furiously to precipitate themselues to most dangerous contention in the Church of God, and many times being hoysted vp to the sterne of dignitie, to make way for the

vulgar, to spurne against authoritie: And therefore as I would wish no more wealth of God, then I had grace to vse it; so would I wish no more learning, nor any other grace, then I had discretion to guide them; for this is that salt, whereof our Sauiour speaketh; haue salt in your selues: and therefore all learning and all knowledge without this, will soone putrifie, and proue fit for nothing, but to be cast into the dung-hill; as our Sauiour saith; And so much for my two obseruations out of the word Brethren, now followeth the request, or the exhortati∣on, Pray for vs,

Notes

• * 1.1

  That a gentle louing intrea∣tie, is the best way to perswade men to doe any thing.
• * 1.2

  2 Cor. 12.16.
• * 1.3

  Hos. 11.4.
• * 1.4

  Matth. 11.29.
• * 1.5

  Numb. 12.3.
• * 1.6

  Horarius de arte poetica.
• * 1.7

  Dictus & Am∣phion Thebanae conditor vrbis, saxa mouere sono testudinis, & prece blan∣do, ducere quo vellet.
• * 1.8

  1 Cor. 2.4.
• * 1.9

  Seneca in The∣baid: act. 4.
• * 1.10

  Peragit tran∣quilla tempe∣stas quod vio∣lenta nequit. Obsequium ti∣gres{que} doma•• tumidos{que} leones.
• * 1.11

  The iudge∣ments of God must be threat∣ned, when his mercies can∣not allure vs to serue him. Reuel. 14.
• * 1.12

  Rom. 2.4.6.
• * 1.13

  Esay 1.4.
• * 1.14

  Mat. 11.
• * 1.15

  Luke 10.34.
• * 1.16

  How needfull a thing is, dis∣cretion for the Preachers of Gods Word. Mat. 24, 24.
• * 1.17

  Isidor. de summo bone.
• * 1.18

  That there be three sorts of Preachers.
• * 1.19

  First, discreete and godly Preachers.
• * 1.20

  Secondly, pa∣rasites of Prin∣ces and great men. Aug. in Psal. 9.
• * 1.21

  Thirdly, the too popular Preachers.
• * 1.22

  To what the vulgar people are naturally inclined.
• * 1.23

  Let vs breake the bonds.