A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

The next thing required to this Endeavour, is an honest and religious life. If this have been bad before thy calling, redeem it now. Aeneas Sylvius having wrote wanton books; when he came to be bishop of Rome, accepted the name of Pius. Aeneam rejicite, recipite Pium; Forget Aeneas, and receive Pius. Though thou alter not thy name, yet alter thy nature. The Minister that spends himself like a Taper to light others, must not himself go out with an ill savour. It is preposterous for a Divine to trouble himself too much with secular things. For there is commonly, Otium in sacris, Idleness in holy matters: where is Negoti•• in profanis, Too much business in the worlds employments. Mat. 5.19. He that shall break one of these least Commandments, and (though but by his example) shall teach m•• so; shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: Minimus, that is, Nullus, saith Theophylact. All in a Minister should be Vocalia; his very conversation must preach: a• Noah was called a Preacher of Righteousness, because his life was an actual Sermon. An innocent and unrebukeable Life is a silent testimony of a good Minister. Efficacius est vitae, quàm linguae testimonium, Cyprian. A good work persuades much more, quàm ineffectum verbum, than an unperformed speech, Nazi•• This was the cause why the Indians refused the Gospel brought by the Spaniards; ⟨p. 281⟩because their lives were more savage than those Savages. Heaven it self was despised, for fear of those mens company there that did promise it. Common auditors receive not a doctrine in the abstract, only minding what is taught: but in the concrete, with reference to the person that teacheth it. Therefore, if your credit be cracked, it is as bad as if your brains were crazed: you may preach of heaven and hell until Doomsday: and truth will be truth in your mouths, not in their hearts. Tunc etiam fatis aperit Cassandra futuris Ora Dei jussu non unquam credita. I do not say that holiness is an essential grace of a Minister: personal offences suspend not the power of the Holy Ghost. Suspend it not, I say, directly; yet may occasionally: through the infirmity of simple men; who were not then simple men, if they did only adhere to the doctrine. His life is bad, therefore his doctrine is false? O this is an harsh Non sequitur.