Preaching of Christ opened in a sermon preached at St. Peters Church in the…

And unto the more sure effecting of them, this weighty work of preaching is to be managed and discharged with that spiritual skill that we may approve our selves unto God, as workmen that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, 2 Tim. •. 15. that is to say, 1. With Evidence and demonstration, so as to affect the conscience, and make powerful and awakening discoveries and impressions upon the practical judgement, which may not by any sophisms or subterfuges be evaded, or gain-said; this the Apostle calleth demonstrative or convincing preaching; My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom, with ostentation of wit or humane Elocution, with Rhetoricating sophisms, or plausible insinuating deceptions, as Cicero somewhere boasteth that he had dazzled the eyes of the Judges, and as Saint Hierome complains of many in his time, id habent curae non quomodo Scripturarum medullas ebibant, sed quomodo aures populi Declamatorum flosculis mulceant: But ⟨p. 14⟩saith the Apostle, my preaching was [Greek or Hebrew]. In a spiritual, powerful and invincible demonstration, which admits not of any possibility of being gain-said or disproved; for such is that syllogism which the Philosopher calls a Demonstration, wherein a conclusion is most evidently deduced ex principiis primis necessariis & per se veris, 1 Cor. 2. 1, 4. and elsewhere, speaking of an unbeliever, who heareth Evangelical preaching, he saith, [Greek or Hebrew], he is so convinced, that he is judged; the secrets of his heart are so discovered, that he falls on his face as a cast and convicted prisoner, worshippeth God, and acknowledgeth God to be in such preaching, 1 Cor. 14. 24, 25. so the Prophet is said to judge men when he maketh them know the abomination of their fathers. Ezek 20. 4. and once more, we have not, saith the Apostle, walked craftily, nor handled the Word of God deceitfully, [Greek or Hebrew], by manifestation, or evident discovering ⟨p. 15⟩of the truth, we commend our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God, 2 Cor. 4. 2. and thus it is said of Stephen, That his adversaries were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spake,