A09376:998
A cloud of faithful witnesses, leading to the heavenly Canaan, or, A commentary upon…A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon…
A cloud of faithful witnesses, leading to the heavenly Canaan, or, A commentary upon the 11 chapter to the Hebrews preached in Cambridge by that godly, and judicious divine, M. William Perkins ; long expected and desired, and therefore published at the request of his executors, by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson, preachers of Gods Word, who heard him preach it, and wrote it from his mouth.A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon the 11 chapter to the Hebrewes preached in Cambridge by that godly, and iudicious divine, M. William Perkins ; long expected and desired, and therefore published at the request of his executours, by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson, preachers of Gods Word, who heard him preach it, and wrote it from his mouth.
London: printed by Humphrey Lownes for Leo. Greene, 1607London: printed by Humfrey Lownes for Leo. Greene, 1607
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Secondly, here it is apparent, that in preaching Gods word, it is lawful, and warrantable for a Minister to use Rhetoric and eloquence. And the reason is good: for that which the holy Ghost useth in penning of the Scripture, the same may Gods Ministers use also in preaching the same. They therefore that deny that liberty to Ministers, are too rough and rugged, and pull out of the hand of the Ministers, one of his weapons, & out of the wings of the Scripture one of her feathers.
Secondly, heere it is apparant, that in preaching Gods word, it is lawfull, and warrātable for a Minister to vse Rhetoricke and eloquence. And the reason is good: for that which the holy Ghost vseth in penning of the Scripture, the same may Gods Ministers vse also in preaching the same. They therefore that denie that liberty to Ministers, are too rough and rugged, and pull out of the hand of the Ministers, one of his weapons, & out of the wings of the Scripture one of her feathers.
Yet we must know, that all, or any kind of eloquence is not permitted to a Christian Minister: For, S. Paul saith, 1. Cor. 2.13. We speak the words of God, not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth, but which the holy Ghost teacheth, con paring spiritual things with spiritual things: So that there is a holy, a sanctified, a spiritual eloquence, an eloquence fit for spiritual things, and that eloquence must be used. As the Israelites might marry the Midianite women, whom they had taken in war, but not till they had purified them, Numb. 31.18.19. And more plainly and particularly, Deut. 21.11.12.13. Moses explaineth what that purifying is: And thou shalt bring her home into thine house, and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails, and put off the garment she was taken in, and then thou mayest marry her: So, humane eloquence must be brought home to divinity, and be pared and shaved with spiritual wisdom, and then may lawfully and profitably be used.