Of the calling of the ministry two treatises, describing the duties and dignities of…Of the calling of the ministerie two treatises, discribing the duties and dignities of…
Of the calling of the ministry two treatises, describing the duties and dignities of that calling. Delivered publicly in the University of Cambridge, by Master Perkins. Taken then from his mouth, and now diligently perused and published, by a preacher of the word with a preface prefixed touching the publishing of Master Perkins his works, & a catalogue of all such particulars thereof, as are to be expected.Of the calling of the ministerie two treatises, discribing the duties and dignities of that calling. Delivered publickly in the Vniuersitie of Cambridge, by Maister Perkins. Taken then from his mouth, and now dilligently perused and published, by a preacher of the word with a preface prefixed touching the publishing of Maister Perkins his workes, & a catalogue of all such particulars thereof, as are to bee expected.
William Perkins 1558–1602London: printed by I. Roberts for William Welby, 1605
[16], 52, [8], 127, [1] p. · 37k words · STC 19733 · ESTC S102894
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.
Isaiah 6.5.
Then I said, woe is me, I am undone, for I am a man of polluted lips and dwell in the midst of a people of polluted lips: for my eyes have seen the king and Lord of hosts.
6 Then flew one of the Seraphims unto me, with an hot coal in his hand.
7 Which he took from the alter with the tongues: and touched my mouth and said, Lo this hath touched thy lips, & thy iniquity shall be taken away, and thy sin shall be purged.
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying whom shal• I send, & who shall go for v•••hen said I, here am I, send me: and he said go.
Esay 6.5.
Then I said, woe is me, I am vndone, for I am a man of pollut•d lips and dwell in the midst of a people of polluted lips: for my eyes haue seene the king and Lord of hosts.
6 Then flewe one of the Seraphins vnto me, with an hotte coale in his hand.
7 Which he tooke from the alter with the tonges: and touched my mouth and saide, Loe this hath touched thy lips, & thy iniquity shall be taken away, and thy sin shall be purged.
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying whom shal• I send, & who shal go for v•••hen said I, here am I, send me: and he saide goe.
IN the five former Chapters are contained such Sermons, as the Prophet had made under Uzziah king of Judah: At this Chapter begin such as he preached in the reign of Jotham, & ⟨p. 2⟩so forward: But before he either preach or prophesy of any thing, in King Jotham's days, or his successors, the Lord in this Chapter gives a new commission to the Prophet, & a new confirmation to this calling: the old king in whose days Esayah was first called being now […], and an other succeeding him, God with the new king, reneweth the calling and commission of the Prophet: wherein God doth not give him another calling, for one calling to the office of the ministry is sufficient: but he confirmeth the calling formerly given, by repeating & ratifying it. And this God did to Easy, not as he was an ordinary, but an extraordinary Prophet: for ordinary Ministers need no renovation of their calling, nor any new signs of confirmation, but extraordinary Prophets, who come in extraordinary manner, & to do many extraordinary works, God in his wisdom will have their calling confirmed, again, and again, & that by very extraordinary means. Out of which practise of the Lord, we learn, how great cause we have to doubt those men to be either fantastical ⟨p. 3⟩or worse, who pretend extraordinary callings in these days, and yet scarce can show us any good signs of an ordinary, much less of an extraordinary motion: for if in those days, when such courses were more common, God will have his extraordinary prophets calling to be renewed & confirmed, again and again, then certainly in these days, we may justly require, more & more, wonderful signs of an extraordinary calling afore we believe it: and if God himself was so careful to satisfy his Church in those days of the vocation of his Prophet, surely the Church in these days hath much more cause to doubt in such cases, and to require many & extraordinary signs, afore it acknowledge any such extraordinary calling: These men therefore offer much wrong to the church, & deserve both the censure thereof, & the sword of the Magistrate, who dare so boldly offer and obtrude to the Church their own fancies & dreams, as extraordinary motions of Gods spirit. This is the occasion and coherence.
IN the fiue former Chapters are contained such Sermōs, as the Prophet had made vnder Vzziah king of Iuda: At this Chapter begin such as he preached in the raign of Iotham, & ⟨p. 2⟩so forward: But before he either preach or prophecie of any thing, in King Iothams dayes, or his successors, the Lord in this Chapter giues a new cōmission to the Prophet, & a new confirmation to this calling: the old king in whose daies Esayah was first called being now 〈…〉, and an other succeeding him, God with the new king, reneweth the calling and cōmission of the Prophet: wherin God doth not giue him another calling, for one calling to the office of the ministery is sufficient: but he confirmeth the calling formerly giuen, by repeating & ratifying it. And this God did to Easy, not as he was an ordinary, but an extraordinary Prophet: for ordinary Ministers need no renouation of their calling, nor any newe signes of confirmation, but extraordinary Prophets, who come in extraordinary maner, & to do many extraordinary workes, God in his wisdom wil haue their calling confirmed, againe, and againe, & that by very extraordinary meanes. Out of which practise of the Lord, we learn, how great cause we haue to doubt those men to be either fantasticall ⟨p. 3⟩or worse, who pretend extraordinary callings in these daies, and yet scarce can shew vs any good signes of an ordinary, much lesse of an extraordinary motion: for if in those dayes, when such courses were more common, God will haue his extraordinary prophets caling to be renewed & confirmed, againe and againe, then certainly in these dayes, we may iustly require, more & more, wonderful signes of an extraordinary calling afore we belieue it: and if God himselfe was so carefull to satisfie his Church in those dayes of the vocatiōn of his Prophet, surely ye Church in these daies hath much more cause to doubt in such cases, and to require many & extraordinarie signes, afore it acknowledge any such extraordinary calling: These men therfore offer much wrong to the church, & deserue both the censure thereof, & the sword of the Magistrate, who dare so boldly offer and obtrude to the Church their own fancies & dreams, as extraordinary motions of Gods spirit. This is the occasion and coherence.
This Chapter hath two parts, ⟨p. 4⟩first, the means of his confirmation, from the beginning to these words: secondly, the confirmation it self, from these words to the end: the me•ne• of his confirmation is a vision he saw from heaven, of certain holy Angels appearing and speaking to him, in the first 4. verses. In the confirmation, which followeth in these words, are three points.
This Chapter hath two partes, ⟨p. 4⟩first, the meanes of his confirmation, f•om the beginning to these words: secondly, the confirmation it selfe, from these words to the end: the me•ne• of his confirmation is a vision he saw from heauen, of certaine holy Angels appearing and speaking to him, in the first 4. verses. In the confirmation, which followeth in these words, are three points.
