I blush to fall into the least touch of that kinde:
yet at once to shew and reproove that childish folly,
It is a vaine of vaine preaching, turning sound preaching
into a sound of preaching, tickling mens eares, like
a tinckling cymball, feeding them, [Greek: hedusmati
kai ouk edesmasi], spoyling the plaine song, with
descant and division: what is this but to shew
our owne levitie and want of true Art; indeede affecting
such a dancing, piperly and effeminate eloquence (as
Tully, Demosthenes, or any Masculine Oratour
would scorne) in steade of that divine powerfull deliverie,
which becommeth him, that speakes the Oracles of God.
If ever wee meane to doe any good, wee must exhort
and reproove, with all vehemency and authority; lifting
upp our voyce as a trumpet, as the sonnes of thunder;
pearcing their eares, witnessing, striving and contending,
according to our gift whatsoever it bee, to manifest
our affections, that wee may worke upon the people;
which all the Art in the world will not teach us to
doe: onely zeale at the heart will naturally
produce it, without straining or affecting. If
God require the heart as well as the head; why should
wee not labour to moove the affections, as well as
enforme the judgement; There is a doctrinall, and
as some tearme it, a Doctorly kinde of preaching,
which is admired of some that understand it not; of
others that could be content with the Masse againe,
because it was gentle, and had no teeth in it.
And such Sermons I have sometimes heard, for matter
voyd of exception, but so delivered, as if one were
acting a part, or saying a lesson by heart. It
hath called to minde a song which sometimes I have
met withall, excellently composed, full of sweet ayre,
surely and truely sung; but with flat and dead voyces
without spirit, which hath marred the musique:
Of such a Sermon and Preacher, the Countreymans verdict
did well, that said, this man may bee a great scholler,
but hee wants beetle and wedges to heaw our knotted
timber withall, our greene wood will not burn unlesse
it be better blown; you shall sometimes see an excellent
horse of shape and colour, having many of those markes
Du Bartes describes in Caines supposed
horse; which yet wanting mettle hath beene of little
worth, and lesse use. If there were no other
Preachers then these, which hold themselves the onely
profound and learned Preachers, I muse what should
become of conversion of soules, which they that covet;
must come with the spirit of Elias, to turne
the hearts of the fathers to their children, I may
in truth, and I hope with modesty speake with the
Preacher, that in observing I have observed, and have
found, that divers great Clarkes have had but little
fruit of their ministery; but hardly any truely zealous
man of God (though of lesser gifts) but have had much
comfort of their labours, in their owne and bordering
parishes, being in this likened by Gregorie,
to the yron on the Smiths anvile sparkling round about.