A third, hee supplies the rome: and in the exercise of his guifts begins with a text that is drawne out of a fountaine that has in it no dreggs of popery. This shall proove unto you, (says hee,) the Cup of repentance: it is not like unto the Cup of the Whore of Babilon, who will make men drunk with the dreggs thereof: It is filled up to the brim with comfortable joyce, and will proove a comfortable cordiall to a sick soule, sayes hee. And so hee handles the matter as if hee dealt by the pinte and the quarte, with Nic and Froth.[546]
A Cobler.
An other, (a very learned man indeed,) goes another way to worke with his auditory; and exhorts them to walke upright, in the way of their calling, and not, (like carnall men,) tread awry. And if they should [{177}] fayle in the performance of that duety, yet they should seeke for amendement whiles it was time; and tells them it would bee to late to seek for help when the shop windowes were shutt up: and pricks them forward with a freindly admonition not to place theire delight in worldly pleasures, which will not last, but in time will come to an end; but so to handle the matter that they may be found to wax better and better, and then they shall be doublely rewarded for theire worke: and so closes up the matter in a comfortable manner.
But stay: Here is one stept up in haste, and, (being not minded to hold his auditory in expectation of any long discourse,) hee takes a text; and, (for brevities sake,) divides it into one part: and then runnes so fast a fore with the matter, that his auditory cannot follow him. Doubtles his Father was some Irish footeman;[547] by his speede it seemes A very patorick. so. And it may be at the howre of death, the sonne, being present, did participat of his Fathers nature, (according to Pithagoras,)[548] and so the vertue of his Fathers nimble feete being infused into his braines, might make his tongue out-runne his wit.
Well, if you marke it, these are speciall gifts indeede: which the vulgar people are so taken with, that there is no perswading them that it is so ridiculous.
This is the meanes, (O the meanes,) that they pursue: This that comes without premeditation; This is the Suparlative: and hee that does not approove of this, they say is a very reprobate.
[{178}] Many vnwarrantable Tenents they have likewise: some of which being come to my knowledge I wil here set downe: one wherof, being in publicke practise maintained, is more notorious then the rest. I will therefore beginne with that, and convince them of manifest error by the maintenance of it, which is this:
Tenent I.
That it is the Magistrates office absolutely, (and not the Minsters,) to joyne the people in lawfull matrimony.[549] And for this they vouch the History of Ruth, saying Boas was married to Ruth in presence of the Elders of the people. Herein they mistake the scope of the text.