soone and whosoeuer come thither last will thinke they come soone enough There are such a sort of greedie guts on the earth that thinke be like that they shall not haue enough to liue on during their life though they haue twentie mens liuings and a thousand mens riches els I thinke they would not daily gather so greedily as they do yea and that when they are of such an old age that they know assuredly they cannot long liue What say yee to him that was aboue three score yeeres of age that laid out two hundreth pound as a fine for the lease of a farme the former lease wherof would not be expired of almost seuen-score yeare after Eu. Mary I say he was like to be none of the children of God but rather one of the sonnes of sathan he had bin better to haue cast that money downe the channel for then perhaps some poore body might haue had part thereof for neither he nor his child nor yet his childes childe is like to enioy that lease neither to haue any commoditie therby for I thinke few woulde be so fond as to buy his interest therein being so long to come O what mad men are they that pay so much aforehand for such earthly liuings as shall neuer come to their hands which their children and childrens children shall neuer enioy and will not giue to the poore one smal portion which they lend vnto the Lorde whereby they shall enioy an euerlasting inheritance in the kingdome of heauen the assurance whereof they are most sure to haue immediatly after their death which perhaps will be within a yeere two or three or not very long after y e laying out of their mony truely I thinke the day of iudgement will be before that lease begin wherefore he paid his two hundred pound Theo. Surely I am of your opinion which I can shewe by good and probable coniectures And though it be not for vs presumptuously or arrogantly to search or iudge when the day of iudgement shall bee and though Christ saieth Of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels of heauen but my Father onelie Yet I hope if not curiously we may coniecture by conferences of the scriptures times with other signes and tokens touching the yeere or time thereof whereby we may make vs the more ready against his comming and also feare vs the more to offende Besides if the time bee short as it can not bee verie long it may make vs leaue building such sumptuous vaine and costly houses yea and not to prepare or lay out so much money for lands or worldly liuing for our children or Posterity but to imploy it to better vse and vpon charitable workes that may doo vs good Eu. Then I pray you if it be not troublesome to you shewe mee some coniectures when and how long you thinke it will be to the latter end of the world Theo. I were verie vncourteous if I woulde not seeing you haue taken paines in reuealing to mee such a long discourse of your dolefull dreame of the diuell and Diues First as God created both heauen and earth and all thinges therein in sixe dayes and rested the seuenth day and hallowed it so it may be gathered that Adam and his Posteritie shall continue on the earth sixe thousand yeeres And as God rested the seuenth day from his labours so after the sixe thousande yeeres it is like that the children of God shall rest their labours from in the endlesse ioyes of heauen nowe to approoue this the better by the ancient prophesie of Elias it appeareth that the worlde shall continue but sixe thousande yeeres Two thousand vnder the Lawe of nature or without a prescript lawe two thousand yeeres vnder the Law writ that is the Lawe giuen by God to Moses and two thousand vnder the law of Christ that is the holy Gospel And further S. Peter seemeth to agree with the same who saieth That one daie is with the Lorde as a thousand yeeres and a theusand yeares as one day So that creating the worlde in time that is in sixe dayes there by sixe dayes creating of the worlde may signifie 6000. yeeres continuing of the worlde after And to make it the better appeare that Saint Peter wrote this concerning the continuance and ende of the worlde Applying euery day to the creation to a thousand yeeres in the continuation or vntill the consumation of the worlde hee a little before in his Epistle dooth as it were Prophesie that such mockers shall bee in the latter dayes as shall iest and as it were deride such as speake of the comming of Christe to his iudgement seeming bp their wordes as though there woulde be no such thing And these are his wordes concerning that matter that followes This first vnderstand saith he that there shall come in the last dayes mockers which will walke after their owne lustes and say where is the promise of his comming For since the fathers dyed all thinges continue in the same estate wherein they were at the beginning This they know not and that willinglie that the Heauens a great while agoe were and the earth that was in the water appeared vp out of the water But the heauens verelie and the earth which are now are kept by the same word in store and reserued vnto fire against the day of iudgement and perdition of vngodlie men And then follow these words wherein he compareth a day of the Lord to a thousand yeeres saying Dearely beloued be not ignorant of this one thing how that one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeeres and a thousand yeares as one day the Lord is not slacke to fulfill his promise as some men count slacknes but he is patient towards vs c. Heere it dooth seeme by the former and following words of Saint Peter that euery day of Gods creating of the worlde dooth signifie a thousand yeres of the continuation of the world which sixe thousand yeeres seemeth to bee the longest that the world can continue But that the time shal be shortined and not last so long it is manifest by the words of Christ who saith But for the chosens sake these daies shall be shortned Nowe let vs consider of likely coniectures concerning the shortned time Christ sath in the same Chapter As the time of Noe was so shall the comming of the sonne of man be for as in the dayes before the flood they did eate and drinke marrie and were married euen vntill the day that Noe entred into the Ship and knew of nothing till the floode came and tooke them all awaie So shal also the comming of the sonne of man be c. Now as the people in maners and wickednesse in the latter ende before the fire will bee like in their maners and dooings to the people at the time of the floode so it may bee coniectured that the first time to the flood and
went to bed without either knowledging of God or feeling my sinne and so more like a bruite beast then the Image of God I fell a sleepe Theo. O what a daungerous case were you in What if you had dyed before you had waked as many haue doone sodenly You knowe that no man can repent vnlesse he knowledge his sinne neither can any be forgiuen vnlesse he aske mercie neither can mercie be graunted without firme faith in Christ without al which by your owne saying you fell a sleepe I assure you the stoutest man that euer was neuer aduentured himselfe in such a daunger though he were enforced to fight alone against ten thousand men and as many monsters neither was he in such a hazard if he were of a perfite faith and put his whole trust in God for he did but aduenture the losse of his short life in this worlde but you did hazarde the losse of your euerlasting life in the ioyfull kingdome of heauen therefore it standes vs all vpon to watch pray both at our rising in the morning and in our trauels in the day time yea and at night before we fall a sleepe and then to remember our sinnes past to bewaile the same and earnestly to aske mercie of God therefore and firmely to beleeue the forgiuenes thereof through the death and passion of Christ. He that sleepeth on this pillow sleepeth safely though he sleepe not soundly but he that slepeth on the softest down pillow in the world without this he may sleepe soundly but I am sure he doth not sleepe safely Eu. You say most truely and I knowe it most certainly but if he that sleepeth with out this your precious pillowe one night be in such daunger then what danger haue I beene in that haue slept without it I thinke ten thousande nights at least nay the most part of all my life But thankes be to God that hath preserued me from such a maruellous daunger Theo. Did you rise the next day in your wonted order and did you follow your former folly Eu. No I thanke God for I had a bridle that did draw me backe and I had a Bit to chaw on that made me to stay Theo. What was that I beseech you tell me Eu. Forsooth in my sleepe I fell into a wonderfull strange dreame which was the occasion of this my sodayne change Theo. You knowe that for the most parte Dreames are foolish false phantasticall therfore it is not like that that was the cause Eu. Though many dreames are so yet all are not so For Iosephs dreame which was the Sonne of Iacob was neither false or vaine neither came of foolish cogitations nor of vaine imaginations but it was most true comming onely of GOD and wrought a maruellous effect for thereby Ioseph became not onely a figure of Christ but also was a great safegard to his father and brethren in the great dearth that did follow which dearth was reuealed to Ioseph by that dreame Theo. Yea hee was a godly man and therefore God foreshewed the same to him by a Dreame Eu. King Pharaos Butler and Baker were heathen or wicked men or at the least farre inferiour to Ioseph in goodnesse yet they dreamed true dreames and according to Iosephs interpretation the Butler was restored into Pharaos fauour and into his Office againe but the Baker was hanged King Nabuchadnezer was the enemie of God and hated Gods people yet he dreamed a true Dreame which Daniell interpreted vnto him whereof the effect did follow accordingly for he fed seuen yeares like a beast in the fieldes vnder the dewe of heauen and thus God did bring downe the hawty and prowde heart of that great and mightie king his enemy to know that hee himselfe was the mightie king of heauen and earth whereby he did humble himselfe to God all which was reuealed to him through Gods diuine power wisedome by a dreame Also the foure Monarches were reueiled to him by a dreame interpreted by Daniell now if God hath vouchsafed to shewe true dreames to an heathen a tirant a persecutor of his people a blasphemer of God and one that despised God and tooke him not for his God then why shoulde you doubt but that God likewise may and hath reueiled vnto me a true dreame that I am baptise a Christian that take Christ to bee my Sauiour and confesseth with mouth heart God the maker of heauen and earth though through the instigation of the diuel I haue denied him in my deedes Theo. I must needes graunt that you haue spoken wisely and truely I am glade to heare these woordes come out of your mouth but marke this one thing many a one haue dreamed most woonderfull and straunge dreames and seene such things in their sleepe as it were in visions that had bene enough to haue made them repent and to liue godly but yet for all that they were neuer the beter nor turned from their wickednesse Eu. I graunt no lesse yet that maketh not that my dreame hath not caused me to turne from my sinne though some seedes are sowen amonge stones brambles high waies and eaten of birdes wherby they are sowen in vaine and bring foorth no frute yet some is cast in good ground and bringeth foorth plenty as this Dreame hath taken roote in me and wrought this good effect Wherefore I would not haue you to doubt my sayings for that same God that caused Ioseph the husband of Mary the virgen and mother of Christ through his Dreame to fly into Egipt with Christ his mother to saue the childes life from the crueltie of Herod he I say hath onely enflāed my heart through this dreame to fly frome any sinne to saue my soule from the cruelty of the Diuell and the torments of hell Theo. Nowe I perceiue that God of his mercifull goodnesse hath drawen you from the Diuell by this dreame Hee calleth whom hee will when he will and by what meanes he wil. But tell me I praye you were any of your companions that did sup with you mooued to repentaunce and amendement of life as you are Or had they any such dreame Eum. Not that I know but if they had not I would to God they had The one of them as I vnderstand died sodainely in his bed that same night following without any token of repentaunce or once calling vpon God for mercy as for y e other they are the same men they were before as farre as I know neither are they allured through this my yalteration nor feared with the sodaine death of the other Oh how much am I bound to God that hath culled mee out from among the rest and hath reuealed to me by such a diuine dreeme such things as haue made me of the sonne of Satan the childe of God He might haue made me to die sodainely as the other did and caused him that died sodainely to dreame as I did if he had would Theo. That is
most true but it may be that he that dyed thus sodainely woulde not haue turned to God as you doo if he had dreamed as you did therefore God worketh all thinges for the best according to his heauenly will and wisedome He seeth like the good husbandman what grounde is apt to bring foorth fruite Eu. I was as euill grounde as could be I was more wicked then hee and if my louing God with the dew of his grace had not moistned and softened my heart to make y e dreame penetrate into the same I should haue bin no more turned by my dreame then the rest are changed through the fearefull and sodaine death of their drunken companion Theo. You speake most truely what a maruellous change is this that I now see in you Yesterday wicked this day godly yesterday the childe of the diuell this day the sonne of God yesterday as one dead in sinne this day as one aliue from sinne But nowe as you tolde mee that you are turned by your Dreame so I beseech you to tell mee the manner of your Dreame Eu. Forsooth my dreame was of the diuell and Diues that is of the rich glutton spoken of by Christ. Me thought I saw Diues in great burning flames of fire making such lamentable mone that it would haue pittied the hardest heart in the worlde to haue heard him Theo. Diues the rich glutton spoken of by Christ in the gospell is thought by the iudgement of diuers learned men to be rather a Parable then an Hystorie Eu. Whether it be a Parable or no Parable I know not but my dreame thereof will neuer out of my minde which as it is very lamentable so it is to me verie profitable Theo. What were Diues words I pray you Eu. Hee saide thus as followeth woe worth the time that euer I was borne woe worth all my goods and riches I would I had beene the poorest wretch on the earth for then I should not haue bin drowned in such worldly pleasures as I was for it was my worldly wealth that wrought all my mischiefe and brought me to these dolefull and intollerable torments of hell litle wot they what harme they procure for thēselues that powle so for worldly prosperitie and wealth for wealth and riches are snares and ginnes to bring men to the Diuell Then me thought I sawe the diuell most terrible not farre from him saying Nay Diues it was not thy wealth but the wicked vsing or euill spending of thy wealth that hath brought thee to this Oh said Diues I wanted the grace of God and then howe could I vse my goods well Then sayd the Deuill thou prayedst not for the grace of God and then how couldest thou haue it But if thou hadst beene y e most poore miserable wretch in y e world yet if thou hadst not taken thy pouerty patiently and thankfully and therewithall depended vpon Gods fatherly prouidence and mercy thou shouldest haue beene in as euill a case as thou art for riches well vsed is no harme and pouerty impatiently taken doth no good Then said Diues to the diuell thou speakest now to me that whith can doo me nogood which thou wouldest haue beene lothe I should haue heard being aliue on the earth when it might haue doone me good Then said the diuell to him it had made no great matter if thou hadst heard it for there are nowe on the earth many wicked worldlings that are both wealthy proude and disdaine full as thou wast and that haue more teaching and preching then euer thou hadst and yet they are so bewiched with their wealth so puffed vp with their possessions so proude with their gorgious attire and so drowned in their delicate dishes that they will not heare it and if they heare it they quckely forget and some perhaps prates or prattles of it a litle but practise it neuer a whit Then said Diues I was once in the case that they are in but they were best take heede least thy come into the place that I am in els though they haue earthly honour for awhile as I had they shall haue endlesse horrour in hell as I haue for graudy geere on earth they shall haue gnashing of teeth in hell for vaine same on earth they shall haue shame in hell for curtisy and waiting they shall haue curssednes and wailing for shorte wealth endlesse want for fine fare continual famishing for pleasant perfumes most stincking smels for short pleasures on earth euerlasting paines in hell Oh if they felt that I feele they woulde doe as I would doe on earth if I were there then said the diuell to him what wouldest thou doe if thou werte liuing on the earth againe Then saide Diues I woulde to God that I were there as I was to prooue for then I would so repent my sinnes and call to God for his mercie in Christ Iesu that I would not doubt nay I am most assured I should not onely escape this doleful place where I am but also attaine the endlesse ioyes of heauen from whence I am nowe excluded for euer If I were now liuing on the earth and if I were ten thousand times richer then I was and might liue ten times longer then I did knowing that I know and feeling that I feele I would so frame my selfe to exercise the scriptures and to followe the worde of God that my flesh should not intice me the world shoulde not allure me nor all the diuels in hel should deceiue me Then said the diuell hee were a wily fellow that I could not deceiue I deceiued thy first parents Adam and Eue in paradise and caused them to breake Gods commaundement spoken to them there then doost thou thinke that I coulde not deceiue and allure thee to neglect God and his worde declared on the earth if thou were there aliue againe Many that God plagues on the earth dayly do call and cry vppon God in their tormentes and paine and doo promise vehemently that if euer they recouer or be restored to their health againe they will turne ouer a newe leafe they will change their life and amend their liuing but when they haue their health as they had before or be out of paines as they were before then they are as euill or worse then they were before When God hath once serued their turne they care no more for him and then they are ruled by me that could not helpe them nay seeke their destruction Then said Diues though they that God plagues with vehement sicknesse and other paines and torments on the earth do forget God and their promise when they be well either for that they presume too much on Gods mercie or els forget or beleeue not that there are such euerlasting paines appointed for the wicked or els assuring themselues to repent and aske mercie at their death which is but a very brickle staff to leaue or stay on yet if I were aliue on the
A Dreame of the Diuell and Diues Most terrible and fearefull to the seruantes of Sathan but right comfortable and acceptable to the Children of God Plaineley described by way of Dialogue verie necessarie to be read aduisedly and heard attentiuelie both of Rulers and inferiours rich and poore younge and olde wise and simple that wish rather to dwel in heauen then in hell LONDON Printed by Thomas Dawson for Henrie Carre 1589. To the right honorable Lord Francis Earle of Bedford one of her Maiesties most honorable priuy Counsel Knight of the noble order of the Garter grace and peace with God and man THough some right Honorable haue with no smal industry study set forth bookes pamphlets most false yea and ridiculous for the seducing of the simple hurt of many also though diuers do daily publish fond fantastical bookes neither tēding to the publike profit nor common commodity of any but only to feede the foolish fancies of fond heads yet I as Christian charitie commandeth as one that detesteth such wicked erronious writing and vaine and vnprofitable inditing haue now in this perillous time when no good admonition wil be accepted neither any godly thing practised of very zeale set forth a dreadfull dreame of the diuell Diues to terrifie the wicked to feare the faithlesse and to stay the Atheistes and the sinfull worldlings from going to hell fearing that many are so diuellishly bent regard God so little that they will not be the better for it but weigh it rather as a false foolish dreame who if there be any such as I feare there be too many wil wish they had taken warning therby if they come once in hel and though the booke seeme little and light yet the matter therein contained is of great importance weight if our euerlasting saluation and damnation and the losing of the kingdome of heauen and the winning of the dungeon of hell may be so counted a more curious worke and cunningly contriued I might haue penned but a more necessarie booke I could not haue published and as the same is most worthy to be marked and regarded euen so I thought meete to dedicate it to your honour being a zealous and worthy personage trusting your Lordship will not onelie pardon my boldnes herein though I so simple a person and vnknowne of your honour haue so rashly presumed but also that you will respect the gift not the Giuer the meaning not the penning and the marke that I shoote at and not my vnskilfull shooting and thus briefly I commit your honour to the liuing God whose mercie is maruellous whose power is infinite whose loue doth exceede Your Lordships most humble and obedient to command Thomas Lupton A Dreame of the Diuell and Diues most terrible and fearefull to the seruants of Satan but right comfortable and acceptable to the children of God plainly described by way of Dialogue very necessarie to be read aduisedly and heard attentiuely both of Rulers and inferiours rich and poore young and olde wise and simple that wisheth rather to dwell in heauen then in hell Theophilus and Eumenides being speakers Theophilus I Muse very much why Eumenides commeth hether so sadly hee was woont to be verie merie as other worldlings as he is are most commonlie when God knoweth they haue most cause to lament and bee sorrie but though he liue contrarie to the Rule of a Christian I will as charitie willeth me giue him some godlie and comfortable counsell if hee will vtter to me the cause of his sorrow Eumenides how chanceth it that you are so sad What aileth you man Is your wife sick or any of your children dead Or are you robbed or spoyled of any of your goods or treasure Or haue you had any other worldly misfortune Hide not thy griefe from me for though you do not greatly care for my cōpany yet I assure you I am much desirous of yours yea and I do loue you better then you loue your selfe for I loue you so wel that I wish the endlesse life ioyes both of your soule and body in the kingdome of heauen whereas you onely desire the most vaine and short pleasures of your body in earth though it tende to your endlesse destruction in the dungeon of hell Therefore hide not your griefe from him that loueth you so deerely and though I am not able to recouer your losse or amend that is amisse yet with my good counsel I hope to comfort you Eu. I thanke you for this your vndeserued friendship Indeede as you say the losse of goods the death of children the sicknesse of a faithfull and louing wife and such other worldly calamities doo make worldly men thoughtfull and their hearts to be sorrowful But to say truely sicknes of wife death of children losse of goods and other worldly calamities should make vs mery and ioyfull in respect of other things that we make no account of Theo. I perceiue now in you a greater alteration then euer I did for euer since I knew you you haue beene altogither a right worldling and so accordingly nothing could make you more sorrowfull then wordly mis-fortunes and nothing more merry then earthly prosperitie but now it seemeth that you are otherwise changed and minded Eu. You haue hit the trueth for I assure you since you last sawe me I am as cleane turned as though blacke should be white and darkenes should be light Theo. Of this your godly change none is more glad then I for I haue perswaded you as much as I might to despise worldly pleasures to be patient in trouble not to lamēt for worldly losses not to mourne for the Godly death of your friends nor to be carefull for any worldly calamitie for I haue tolde you many a time and oft that neither perfite felicitie not extreame misery are to bee founde in this life Therefore this your godly alteration maketh me beleeue that either you haue beene in some godly mans company or at some learned mans Sermon which is Gods appointed ordinarie meanes to win the wicked Eu. Though I am changed yet it is not by any good counsell nor by any preaching or Sermon as you suppose for I neuer cared for that company that vsed any vertuous talke or would giue any godly counsel and as for preachings or sermons I cared not much for them mary sometimes but that was verie seldome I went to a Sermon rather to seeme obedient to my prince then for any deuotion to Gods word and for an hypocriticall shew then for any desire to learne any goodnesse which might wel appeare by my fruits that do follow For whē I came home from the Sermon the least thing contrary to my minde woulde make me fret and fume fall out with my wife or brawle with my seruants though the preacher taught me to be patient and though I had great and dainty cheere yet I neuer remembred my poore hungrie brother
earth no worldly felicitie should tempt me no pleasure shuld procure me no wealth should win me nor no delicates should draw me to forget that God that made all thinges for man that sent his onely sonne to dye for man and hath prepared his kingdome of heauen for man neither to doo any thing to offende God or daunger my soule that flesh and blood through Gods grace were able to refuse For it is farre vnlike that they that are aliue on the earth shoulde bee so earnest and warie in the way to walke to heauen or to flie from the way to hell as I that haue vtterly lost these euerlasting ioyes of heauen and that feeles the fierie flames of hell But when they are heere where I am then they will lament as I doe and then they woulde giue all the world if it were theirs to giue to bee but one houre aliue on the earth to repent their sinnes and to call for Gods mercy in the death of Iesus Christ. But then alas it wil be too late for them as it is now for me Oh the greatest paynes on earth is pleasure and ioy in comparison to the torments of hell Then said the diuell and the greatest pleasure on the earth are extreme tormentes to the ioyes of heauen Then saide Diues why didst thou lose the ioyes that thou hadest Then the Diuell saide why did thou lose the ioyes thou mightest haue had to whom Diues saide if I had knownes the ioyes of heauen as well as thou didst and had beene in heauen as well thou wast I woulde not haue lost heauen as thou didst then saide the diuell I may thanke my pride for it for if I could haue beene content with my estate which was too good for me I had remained there still but I presumed to be higher and therefore I was brought lower for whereas I was the chiefest Angell in Heauen nowe am I the chiefest diuell in hell And so haue I lost heauē for hel where I with al my fellowes that tooke my part and fel from heauen with me shal remaine in most extreme and endlesse torments for euer whereat I tremble and quake Then said Diues euen so I by my pride and wickednesse on earth haue lost God for the diuell heauen for hell and endlesse ioyes for euerlasting paines but thou wicked Fiend was the cause why our first parent Adam was cast out of Paradise which was the casting away of him and all his seede Then saide the diuell it spighted mee so much that man should haue my roome y t I lost that wilily and subtily I entised him to fall whereby he did not only loose the fauour of God and the ioyes that he prepared for him but also he all his seede became the children of wrath and damnation and so they shoulde become my companinons in hell Then said Diues but God of his mercifull goodnesse preuented thy wicked and most enuious drift in making his onely sonne being God to become man who humbled him selfe to the death of the Crosse for y e redemption of mankind which is a sufficient satisfaction for mans transgression whereby the godly repentant sinners that beleeue in him shall be saued and clensed from their sinnes and be counted the Sonnes of God as though they had neuer sinned I knowe that too well saide the Diuell which is almost as great a griefe vnto me as mine owne fall out of heauen For whereas before I thought to haue all mankinde to beare me company in hel now I shal lacke a great sort of them but I am glad of one thing the greater number will bee mine saide the Diuell for all the heathen and worshippers of Idolles are the children of damnation liue they neuer so honestly and vertuously in the sight of the world whereof the most parte of the worlde doth consist Then saide Diues that is true and onely the true and repentaunt Christians that fauour and loue the Gospell and haue all their Faith and hope in Christe touching their saluation shall be saued and none els brag they neuer so much yea said the diuell that is it that maketh mee glad for a great sort of them that are named Christians doo liue worse then the heathen and dye worse then dogs so that they shall be damned as well as the heathen whome Christes death can not profite and therefore for all Christs-death Hell will not be emptie nor heauen will not bee full nay hell shall possesse the greater part That is too true saide Diues the more to be lamented for Christ saith which is the very truth it selfe and cannot lie Wide is the gate and broade is the way that leadeth to destruction and manie there be that goe in thereat but straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth vnto life and fewe there be that finde it And also be saith Manie are called and few be chosen Whereby it appeareth that there shalbe a far greater number that shalbe damned then saued of which greater and damned number I am one woe woe to mee therefore but if I were aliue on the earth againe but one halfe houre as I was before which can not be I would not doubt but to be one of that litle small number that shoulde enter into heauen Nay so that I were aliue againe as I was I would not care to be all my life though I liued fiue thousand years in continuall paynes and tormentes yea and if it were possible to bee all that while as a Log at a fire backe continually burning without any ease or refreshing one minute of an houre for that cruell bodilie burning would once haue an end but this extreme spirituall torment in hell will neuer ende Then the diuell answered him againe yea but when thou was on the earth thou wouldest suffer no paine for Gods sake thou preparedst so for thy vile and earthly carkasse that no colde shoulde hurt thee neither any heate might annoy thee but thou couldest suffer Lazarus one of thy poore brethren and mēbers of Christ without all pittie and compassion to lie in the streetes most miserably in the cold and to perish through hunger But thou hast gained nothing by it and he hath lost nothing by it For hee shall haue euerlasting ioyes and thou shalt haue endlesse sorrowes Therefore now he may be called rich Lazarus and thou poore Diues Wo is me said Diues therefore I disdained him so much that I thought scorne to looke on him I esteemed my Dogges better then him they were in my fine house and were fedde from my table but I suffered Lazarus to lye without my gates and would giue him neuer a whit O howe pittiles was I I muse how I could bee so hard hearted Fie on me wretch fie on me caitife would I haue bin contented to haue bin so vsed if I had bin in his case No no I am sure Therefore let all earthly persons take heede by me and
do as they would be done vnto and then they cannot doo amisse and not to pamper their paunches but to pittie the poore nay to spare from themselues and to giue it to the poore O howe many poore might I haue releeued with that which I haue spent in vaine and what am I the better nowe for any thing that I did spend on my selfe Therefore I would to God that I had bestowed al my riches treasure and landes in releeuing the poore for then I should haue beene repayed at Gods hand hereafter whatsoeuer is giuen to the poore is lent to the Lorde and hee will repay that truely in the kingdome of heauen with no small aduauntage But whatsoeuer we spend in vayne on our selues and on the ritch it is lent to the Deuill and hee will repay vs again in hell with endlesse paines and torments And for that I haue lent my money to the Deuill I looke to be payd the same at his handes in the euerlasting flames of hell fire Theo. Oh what a lamentable talke was this of Diues his wordes doe pearce my heart his remedelesse case maketh my heart to bleede Howe happie are we that may be warned by him but how vnhappie is he that is such a warning to vs. He could be content now to be as a fire log to burn a thousand yeeres on the earth for the loue of Christ that he might escape the endlesse fire of hell but now it will not be Eumen. Yea but I thinke there is not now one among ten thousand that willingly will suffer the paynes of burning one halfe houre for Christs sake to shunne Hel and thereby to enioy the endlesse ioyes of heauen Theo. Well as there haue bene many that haue bene content to doe so euen so no doubt there are and will be many that will doe so if they be vrgâ—â— vnto it but not without the great comfort and â—ssistance of God But what fooles are they that â—â—â—use to doe it These short earthlye paynes bring euerlasting ioyes and these vaine and shorte earthly pleasures bring endles torment and paine But now goe forward with your dreame I beseech you For I thinke your dreame did not ende where I caused you to stay your tale Eumen. No that it did not therefore now I will proceede with my dolefull dreame Diues furthermore sayde O how hapy are they that are on the earth for that they haue time to repent and to liue godly to whom the Deuill answered yea but how vnhappy are they that will not repent but liues most abhomiably and wickedly Then saide Diues if their hearts were not hardned and their mindes bewitched they woulde not doe so they I perceiue make little account of that precious Iewell the Gospell which teacheth them the high way to Heauen and so to shune the fiery flames of hell Oh if I were a liue againe it should neuer goe out of my hand Then said the deuill many cary it in their hands but very fewe in their hearts Then said Diues yf they that haue the gospell walke in the way to Hell then it is impossible for them that know it not to walke in the way to heauen But I damned wretch y t I am if I were aliue againe as they are would not onelye dayly read it but also in my liuing practise it Al worldly affaires are vaine in comparison to it for the best that one can bring is but shorte worldly pleasure but the other doth bring most heauenly and endlesse ioys Then sayd y e Deuil to Diues if thou werte on the earth againe aliue as thou wast yet I doe not beleeue thou wouldst doe as thou saist thou wouldest play rather as many theeues do that are condemmned to death which wil promise with vehement othes that if they might haue ther pardons would liue honestly ciuilly and obserue their princes lawes but when they haue got their pardon they forget either oth or promise and doo fal to theeuing as fast as euer they did O no no saide Diues though they are carelesse yet I would be kareful for they haue not tasted of y e death of their body due for their faulte as I haue tasted of the death of my soule due for my sinnes yea and if these worldly theeues were as sure to bee cast into prison and to be hanged for their theift as I am sure to be cast into the prison of hel and to hange their in cruel tormentes for euer and euer for my offences to God they I think would leaue off their stealing and would liue honestly and orderly as I would cease from vice and wickeddesse and liue vertuously and godly Theo. Truely this your talke maketh my heart to morne for the case of Diues that is without all hope of remedy therefore it standeth vs greatly vpon to liue warily and vertuously in this life where the time and place is of the amendement of our liues and the hope of our saluation Eume. You say true But howe much am I bound vnto God that of his meere mercy hath called me to repentaunce and amendement of lyfe by this doleful Dreame of Diues whereby I shal not onely auoyde through Christ my sauiour the Dungeon of hell but also enioy the endlesse and vnspeakable ioyes of heauen And now mark me wel for I will goe forwarde with my dreame where I left Oh sayd Diues if I might liue on the earth agayne as I cannot I would be humble of body and meeke of minde as I was not I woulde speake gentle and mildly and then as Christ saith I should be happie and blessed Yea saide the Deuil but because thou wast proude in thy apparell and hawtie of minde and disdayned thy poore brother Lazarus now thou accurst and vnhappy and shalt dwell with mee for euer in the fierie flames of Hell Then said Diues there is no remedy I must needes doe so woe bee to me therefore Oh if I were aliue on the earth againe sayd Diues as I was I would be mercifull and then I should obtaine mercy and so I should be happye and blessed Then sayde the Diuill but because thou wast a mercilesse wretch thinking all to little for thine owne backe and bellye and fared diliciously and was clothed sumtuously suffering poore Lazarus the member of thy christ to dye at thy Gate for wante of foode who had to little thou to much of which thy too much if he had had but a little his life might haue beene saued and thou the more healthfull therefore thou accurssed and exempt from the prescence of GOD and shalt dwell in my companie and my fellow deuiles for euer How saist thou diues hath not thy mercilesse minde thy aboundaunce of fine fare thy proud apparell and thy greate riches and welth brought thee into a good case Then sayd Diues if these greedy pittiles and mercilesse rich men now on the earth knew my case vnlesse the
pleade on their side But their Gold and their Siluer wherewith they were so fedde shall pleade truely against them whereby they shall iustly be condemned to my dungeon of hell there to remaine with me in vnquenchable fire for euer except they repent and amende and then may they not thinke that that was good Gold and sweete fees that hath brought them to such a place And these Iudges that will bee bribed or defende a false matter shall be sure at the last day to haue such a true and vpright Iudge that will not be bribed by any meanes and that will iudge them so vprightly against whome their owne oath shall rise and bee a witnesse that they shall be condemned to remaine with me in hell fire for euer and whereas they delay iudgement of true causes founde before them whereby the parties are deferred of their right or thereby for want of execution obtaine not their right yet Christ will bee such a Iudge at the last day that they shall haue their iudgement by and by without any deferring therof whereby presently they shall haue execution in the horrible flames of hel fire for euer and so they shall neither be kept from their due nor deferred of their right as they haue done to the poore on the earth Then saide Diues Ah woe be to these Fees and bribes that shall bring them to such a dolefull place where repentance wil not serue nor mercie can be had Therefore such wicked Lawiers were best to leaue taking of such Fees and to pleade in true causes yea and rather to helpe poore men in their true suites without Fees wherfore they shal haue richer Fees then any on the earth can giue them and such Iudges were best to leaue taking of bribes and not to defend or maintaine false causes and not to deferre iudgement to the hindering of iust execution or to auoyde thereby any from their right no not for feare or friendship of any bee they neuer so great vnlesse they be greater then God or can do more for them then Christ but to repent these their diuellish dealings whiles they are aliue on the earth least they come in this doleful dungeon of hel wherein I am where is nothing but crying yelling mourning and weeping gnawing and gnashing of teeth not for an houre or two not for a day nor a weeke no nor a moneth nor a yeare nor yet a thousand nor for ten thousand yeares but euen for euer euer world without end which to me damned wretch that I am is most dolefull and horrible because I am in endlesse torments without any mercie to be had but to them that are yet on earth that may auoide it by repentance a godly warning Theo. Oh these words doo pearce my heart if I were a Lawier these fearefull wordes that now I haue heard of you would make me fearefull in taking of fees either of the rich least I should pleade therefore in wrong causes or of the poorer sort that are wronged or oppressed least I shoulde not deserue my fees Yet there haue bin and are Lawiers as it is thought so greedy of gold and so carelesse howe they get it that will take a peece of golde or two to pleade their Cliants cause but when the time commeth they neither come to the barre neither speake one word in their Clients cause but are occupied in an other place for some other that belike hath giuen them greater fees Surely such Lawiers goe about to sell their soules to the diuell for gold But it may be that these Lawiers are so busie in an other of their Clients cause who receiued them first the matter being doubtfull and intricate that they cannot haue time to speake in their other Clients cause and so they wil giue their Client the gold again they had on him Eu. It may bee so but I can hardly beleeue it you shall take fewe Lawiers with that fault for many of them are so greedie of gold that they keepe all fast that they finger and it is hard to get that from thē that they haue receiued but if they should repay their gold to their Client yet the case might stand so that that were not enough for suppose that then were the very peremptorie day for the trying of his Clients cause and the partie through pouertie had no moe Lawiers to pleade his cause but he and so through his Lawiers absence the matter might goe against him then the poore man should vndoo himselfe with giuing of his owne golde And therefore it is not enough alwayes for the Lawiers to giue the fees hee hath receiued againe to his Client Theo. Then it is too much for a Lawier to receiue golde or double fees of two or three and neuer come to the Barre and speake neuer a word for any of them Eu. It is not too much for such Lawiers as meane to goe to the diuell for the more they take and the lesse they doo for it the better dooth the diuell like them and the more willingly into hell hee will receiue them and when they are once there they wil say that they are the deerest fees that euer they tooke But if the Lawiers would take but one fee on a day which were enough before God especially according as the fees are that some do take then they should bee sure to pleade for their Client and so they should not neede to wearie themselues and runne from Barre to Barre and from Court to court but thereby shoulde deserue their fees or do their worldly duty for their fees Many a poore man that labours ten times as much as they in a day yea and that with the sweate of their bodie and browes are well content with two grortes for their whole dayes worke whereas some greedy Lawiers though they haue two Roials for two houres pleading think they haue not sped very well yet if one of these poore labourers should take wages of two or three men to worke with them all in one and worke with none of them but one as iustly they cannot they that hee thus deceiued perhaps would cause him to bee set by the heeles although he might perhaps serue all their turnes well enough afterwardes but if one Lawier that hath great aboundance and is too rich do take fees of two or three seuerall persons in one morning more then hee is able to pleade for whereby their Clients may happily be vndone as is before said they may not be importunate on them to haue their fees againe nor yet may exclaime of them therefore for if they doo they may chance be cast in prison for their labour or for asking their owne But such Lawiers that robbeth thus their poore Clients as though it were by authoritie without repentance and Gods great mercie shall bee vtterly spoiled of the glorious kingdome of Heauen and shall be throwne into the euerlasting prison of hell where Diues is whose damnable
wise mand will thinke that Christ would haue made mention of hell thrise in one chapter vnlesse that there had beene a hell They may as well say there is neuer a heauen as to say there is neuer a hell and they may as well affirme there is neuer a diuell And I feare such thinke thare is neuer a God for if there be neuer a hell there is neuer a heauen and if there be neuer a diuell there is neuer a God for the Gospell maketh mension of them all Indeede such by their liuing shewe that there is neither God nor deuill Heauen nor hell but let such take heede by dolefull Diues and repent and amend their life whilee they are lining or els at length they shall feele with Diues that there is a hel when their ore burning in the fiery flames thereof out of which tormentes they shall neuer get doe what they can I metuaile what deuill should moue them to say or thinke there is neuer a hell seeing Christ which cannot lye hath made so oft mention thereof in the Gospell But suppose there were no hell as euery good christian doth beleeue there is one what harme were it to thinke there were a Hell nay no harme but good would come thereof for the feare of hell though there were none might cause vs to shunne that euill that otherwise we should doe and to make vs doe well but beeing a hell and we thinking there were none we might thereby without feare worke that mischeefe and wickednesse which we perhappes would shunne if we thought there were a hell Therefore it is a great deale better to thinke there is a hell though there were none then to thinke there is no hell though there bee one nay seeing there is one For by the one wee could haue no harme but by the other wee might run headlong into hell as they do I feare that say there is no hell Eu. There are many such one earth that count themselues christians that beleue as I thinke that there is no hel or els at least no such hel wherin are such terrible tormēts as are mentioned in the scripture wherof I may think that deuillish scoffer to be one that tested at a godly preacher for threatning the people with hell fire for their wicked liuing who said The Preacher prattles much of hell I maruell Who shal make the fier in hell Theo. O Lord tht euer there should bee any such vile wrtches on the earth it is meruaile but that the mercy of God is so greate that they sinke not where they so mocke and iest at the Preacher and the holy Gospell of Christ. But I can tell him this that sayd so who soeuer shalbe makers of the fire in hell hee and such as hee is if they repente not in time are lyke to bee the brandes that the fire shall burne one in hell The Lorde keepe them from it but now I praye you haue you any more of your dreame to declare Eu. I haue not yet doone Diues then did say lamentably Oh if I might dwell againe on the earth as I cannot I woulde haue such a regarde to the sayings of Christ that I would neuer swere nor once to take the name of God in vaine for he is so ful of maiesty and his name so holy that they can not be but the great enimies of God and no regarders of him that wil name hym vainely or speake of him without iust occasion Neither woulde I bee a drunkard or drinke excessiuely whereby I shoulde bee without sence and reason far worse then brute beasts and so I should transforme my selfe from the image and childe of God to the Image and child of the diuel Neither woulde I committe adultrie or ioyne my selfe to strange flesh for then I should dissposes my selfe of the kingdome of heauen and insteede thereof obtaine the dungeon of hel as al ready I haue done Oh how curssed and wretched are they that polute and defile their bodies with adultry whoredome and fornication For whereas the Godly and chaste personnes are the temple of the holy Ghoste for there it pleaseth his God head to rest and dwell the wicked fornicatours aduouterers and whoremongers are the Church or Chappell of the Diuell in whome it lyketh that foule fiende to rowst and inhabite and so all whores harlots and aduouterers through their vile and moste wicked lust are become the Temple of the diuell and so at the last without earnest repentaunce and the greate mercy of GOD the doleful dungon of hel shalbe their dwelling place Then sayd the Diuel yea and when they come theither they shal paye ful deerly for theire swearing dronkenesse and aduoutry or whoredome These three vices are so frequented on the earth that they are scantly thought to bee sinnes for swearing is counted the liuely grece of a Gentleman drunkennes good feloshippe and whoredome or aduoutry a sweete solace but whē they are once in my kingdome of hel there theire swearing grace wil bee turned into gnashing of the teeth their drunken felloship into an vnquenchable drought and their swet aduouterous solace into an endles sour sorrowe Then saide diues Oh howe happy are they that are yet in that place where they maye repente and forsake these their vyle and detestable sinnes but howe vnhappye are they if they dye vnrepentaunte and bee throwen into hel through their sayd detestable sinnes Theo. This is a fearefull talke concerning swearers drunkardes and aduouterers that was betweene the deuill and Diues But proceed I beseech you in your dreame Eu. Then Diues sayd with many a heuy sigh and grone if I were aliue againe on the earth as I was once if any sued mee wrongfully in the Law I would rather let them enioy al quietly then impatiently to to withstand thē for my patient losse would gaine me more ritches in the kingdome of heauen after my life then their wroung gotten goods of mine would pleasure them on the earth whiles they were aliue Nay whereas my patient suffering of the losse of my goods hauing faith in Christ would make me possesse the glorious kingdome of Heauen their wroungful hauing of my Landes or goodes woulde make them possesse the horrible dungeon of hell And so I should haue to great a recompence for my goodes that I lost but they should haue but a homely gaine for withholding my goodes wrongfullie from me vnlesse the endlesse tormentes of hel may bee thought to bee a good gaine Then said the diuell to Diues many thousands most wrongfully are spoiled of their right of the rich oppressors by their Lawe as they vse it which the poore oppressed do suffer not very patiently but by patience perforce for the law on the earth is ended by the weight of the purse not by the truth of the cause and because the ritch haue the heauier purse the matter goeth most commonly on their side though it bee neuer so
the last time to the fire in quantitie of yeeres may likewise agree as thus there was a first Adam by whom all the world was lost and perished also there is a second Adam which is Christ by whom all the world they that beleeue are saued nowe as it was a 1â—60 and sixe yeeres and from the first Adam by whom all the world was lost vntill the destruction of the worlde with water so it is not vnlike but that there will bee the like time that is a 1650. and sixe yeares from the second Adam Christ by whom they that beleeue shall bee saued vntill the destruction of the worlde with fire this coniecture is no verie vnlikelie Marke also how neere an other coniecture doth agree vnto this Christ being our heade dwelled heere on the earth vntill his death thirty and three yeeres three monethes or more that is as much as from Christmasse the time of his natiuitie vntill the Easter following the time of his Passion or death Nowe as Christ being our heade remained thirty and three yeeres on the earth and something more vntill hee ascended into heauen then it is not vnlike but that wee being his members shall remaine thirtie and three yeeres and something more heere on the earth from the birth of Christ our heade vntill wee shall come to that glorious kingdome of heauen And thus if we accompt the thirtie and three yeeres that Christ remained here on earth to great yeeres called of some Anni Apoctolici euery yeere signifiyng fiftie yeeres then we may easily perceiue that the same dooth amount to a thousand sixe hundred and fiftie yeeres for three and thirtie times fiftie is sixeteene hundred and fiftie and the odde moneths may bee applyed to the other sixe yeeres So that this latter coniecture doeth not much disagree in time from the other Which coniectures if they be true whereof there are many moe to bee gathered then the ende of the world is not very farre off and so from this yere 1583. it seemeth not to be past threescore and fourteene yeeres to come And if this be the time that Christ said should bee shortened then the time threatned or presaged this yeere of 1583. by the greate coniunction in Aprill of the two mighty and highest Planets Saturne and Iupiter may be a great warning to vs. Daniell doeth describe the foure Monarches of the world and sheweth the Romaine Empire to be the fourth and the last Nowe as there was a great coniunction betwene these two Planets in the latter part of Pisces a watrie triplicitie about the time that Pompeius and Iulius Caesar did striue for the Diademe or for the cheefe imperiall rule and as the first comming of Christ was within fiue or sixe yeeres after that great coniunction so this great Coniunction being in Aprill aforesaid in the latter part of Pisces the last of all the twelue signes and a watrie triplicitie may likewise presage the ende of the fourth Monarch or chiefe imperial rule of the worlde And as the first comming of Christ was within fiue or sixe yeeres after that sayde great coniunction so the second comming of Christ may likewise bee within fiue or sixe yeeres after this sayde coniunction which Ioan de Regio Monte by his verses or some other learned man that wrote them before him doth thinke will either happen about the yeere of our Lorde 1588. Which will bee fiue yeeres after this greate Coniunction or els that in the same yeere or about the same time there wil be some greate alteration and as it were al thinges turned vp-side downe Eu. Though Iulius Caesar gotte the emperial victorie about the great Coniunction and though Christ was borne within fiue or sixe yeeres after yet that maketh not that at this great Coniunction though it be in the same place shalbee the ende of the Romaine emprie or fourth Monarch neither that the second comming of Christ shall be so soone after the same For it may be at their next Coniunction in the same place as well as this Theo. Nay that it cannot for there will bee no such coniunction in that place againe of 700. yeeres and ro almost 800. yeeres so that if it should bee so long before the second comming of Christ then the worlde shoulde continue a great deale more then sixe thousand yeeres and so the time or yeeres seeme to bee lengthned and not shortened and also therby the former coniectures should be of no force And besides al this before mentioned if the signes and tokenes that Christ sayd should be before the end of the worlde maye bee a testimonie to vs then surely the ende is not farre off for Nation dothe nowe rise against Nation and Realme agaynest Realme there haue bine and is dayly greate Pestilence Hunger and Earth-quakes Noy straung moouing of the Earth out of his place yea and rayning of Corne or Wheate such as hath not commonly beene heard of with other woonderfull strange signes and tokens shewed vnto vs dayly yea I thinke more then was euer in anie age before And was there euer more treason or trecherie vnder pretence of freendship then now And doth not euerie one almost hate one another yea and wickednesse doth so abound that charitie waxeth cold nay is almost quite froson Besides all this the pure Gospell of Christ doth beginne merueilously to spread by preaching almost thorough the whole worlde which is an infallible token that the last end dooth draw neere For Christ saith And this gladde tidinges of the kingdome shall be preached in all the worlde for a witnesse to all nations and then shall the ende come Eu. This that you haue tolde me is sufficient to put vs in minde that the terrible day of iudgement is not farre off a ioyfull day for the godly but a fearefull day for the wicked yet many wicked and vaine earthly worldlinges doe neither regard it nor beleeue it Theo. You say true for the moste of our liuinges doe shewe it and some with their tongue doe affirme it A certaine man being aboue fourescore yeeres of age chaunced to be in company where this matter was debated and talked vpon which when he heard he called them fooles and sayde they pratled and talked they wist not what it may be a thousand yeeres hence sayth he for any thing that the wisest of you all doe knowe and I warrant it will be a good while before that daye doeth come To whome one aunswered Father I pray you tell me howe olde are you mary sayd he I am aboue fourescore yeeres of age how long doe you thinke you shall liue sayde the other Forsooth saide hee I am so crooked and euill that I thinke I shall not liue at twelue-month I looke euery day when I shall dye Then sayde the other againe seeing you shall dye so soone then what neede you stand in the defence that the day of iudgement is so farre off you are not like to see it
and therefore you shal be neuer the beerer though it be neuer so farre hence For if you die the seruante of God as you doo hope then you will not care soone it shoulde bee then said the olde man you saye true I pray God said hee I may die in the faith of Christ and repent my sinnes and then the sooner it commeth the better for mee Wel sir I will now trouble you no more if you haue haue made an ende of your dyeame Eu. Nay sir though I haue almost done yet I haue not al done Then Diues sayde further If I were on earth againe I would not weare such curious and ritch cloths as I haue worne neither regarde to go in any gaudy geare for they are but inticers to iniquitie and pracures of pride as they that weare them knowe in their consciencies well enough let mee see if they that vse to go gaudily and that were new deuised garmentes euery day if they can tell or remember what fashioned and colored garments they did weare a dosen yeeres since I might appose some with 7. or 8. monthes since then how made and fonde are they that for such vaine toies that last so small a while and that are so soone out of their memory will hazarde themselues thereby to weare the terrible and dreadfull garments of Gods cursse imbrodered with the inquenchable flames of hell fire which they can neuer put off nor neuer forget Oh what if they had bestowed the one halfe thereof upon needefull garmentes for the poore shoulde they not haue had good garmentes enow to weare Yes I trowe yea and some of them shoulde haue more then they shoulde neede yea and more then euer shoulde doe them good Whereby Christ as his blessed children woulde haue bid them goe into the kingdome of heauen whereas the bestowing all vainely vpon themselues without great repentance and amendement of life shall bidde them goe into hell as the cursed children of the diuell Yea sayde the Diuell thou canst giue them good counsell where they cannot heare thee but thou couldst not follow this counsell when it might haue done thee good Wherefore as thou art one of my hellishe children because thou wentest so proudly and did giue nothing to poore Lazarus therefore they shall also be my hellishe children vnlesse they repent because they goe proudely and regarde not the poore yea and so peacokly and with such broad monstrous and disguised ruffes one of which ruffes doth cost them more then would by twentie good and sufficient shirts for the poore which ruffes I will willingly giue them leaue to weare as long as they liue but they will doe them no good when they are in hell vnlesse they make the fire greater to put them to more tormentes and paines Then sayd Diues I was meruellous proud and wore very sumptuous attire when I was aliue and many moe besides me But I neuer knewe that any did then weare any such ruffes as it seemeth nowe the people doe weare The money that some one of these ruffes doe cost would I perceiue clothe a man that woulde be satisfied with sufficient from the top to the toe Then sayde the Diuell nay some of their bandes and ruffes that are neyther Lordes Knightes nor Esquires no nor hath the liuing of a Gentleman doe cost so much that three or foure poore men might be sufficiently cloathed therewith Then sayd Diues Oh what shall become of that necke that hath more bestowed on a ruffe for it vainly then woulde serue 2. or 3. for their whole bodyes needefully honestly and decently Truely vnlesse they repente and amende and crie God earninestly mercie for these their great monsterous ruffes on the earth they shall haue the skines of their neckes scorched and gather together bespanged with the burning and fiery flames of hell fire from which their monsterous ruffes though they be neuer so thicke nor broad cannot defende thē nay they wil be a manifest witnesse against them Theo. If Diues were aliue againe I thinke he would weare no such ruffes but proceed on Eume. Then said Diues if I were on the earth againe as I was I would bestow no thinge on my selfe neither weare anye thinge but that should be verie needeful It may be so said the diuel but I cantlye beleeue thee but though thou shouldest do so thou sholdest hardly or neuer bring thy wife to do so for she would haue that that must please her fancie as well as that that must satisfie her necessitie Oh there bee many fine curious Dames on the earth whose fingeres being dasht full of Gold ringes must needes now and then dash their maides on the lips withal to let their teeth bleed or to make them weare their mistresse marke on their face If there be any other commoditie in the wearing of their ringes it is to puff them vp in pride and to haue a vaine glorie in themselues whereby they become my diligent seruants But if one of these dainte dames that were so many needlesse ringes on their fingers do see a poore silly soule lying naked in the streete shyuering with cold and almost dead with hunger they will rather suffer them most miserabelly to die with hunger then they will giue him one of the worst ringes they haue or weare naye rather some of them will turne their faces from him or looke disdainefully on him and so goo theyr waye without giuing him one pennie or any succour at all nay perhappes they will chide him though they giue him nothing Then said Diues what fooles are they theyr fingers would be well enough and warme enough without ringes but the poore soule in the stret is not wel enough and warm enough without food and raiment So y t the giuing of one of these needelesse ringes to theyr poore brother would helpe him not hurte them feede him not famyshe them clothe him not vncloth them and warme him and not make them cold and perhapes might saue his life and thereby procure the fauoure of God whereas their vncharitable keeping of these one vaine and needlesse ringes may worke the death of their poore brother and bring to them selus the great indingnatiō of god so the losse of the kingdome of heauen And then they will saye woe worth these ringes that euer wee did weare them and woe worth these ringes that euer wee saw them Then sayde the diuell well Diues well though thereby they loose the fauoure of God and the kingdome of heauen yet thereby they shall get my fauour and the dungeon of hel where they shalbe tormented for euer in vnquenchable fire there they shalbe sure of gnawing and gnashing of teeth enoughe Then they shall see that their vaine proud and vncharitable wearing of their ringes on the earth did not so much please them but their euerlasting burning in hel fire wil asmuch displease them and their vaine turning and fidling of their ringes about
their fingers on the earth did not feed their fonde fancie so much but their howling and crying in endlesse torments of hell will discomfort them as much Theo. Truely it greeueth me to se that the people should be so vainely minded and to haue such a pleasure in the wearing of their gold ringes as Diues sayde to their endlesse destruction Such wicked worldlinges are they both carlesse of heauen and feareless of hell that kepe and hoord their golde and money in their coffers purposely to burie them worshipfully withall or rather for a vaine ostentation after their death being of no great calling but rather of a high mind then of a heigh degree suffering their poore needye neyghboures to loose their commoditie or to liue in miserie rather then they will giue naye lende them yea though it be vppon good assuraunce a small portion therof which woulde neither hurte nor hinder them if they should neuer haue it again vnlesse it be a hurt or hinderance to lacke alitle of their vaine glorious funeralles wherby God knoweth their poore dead carcasse hath neither pleasure nor profit which mony if the thiefe chance to catch and go a way withal as such a hoorder for their burial hath beene once serued at the least then it is wel enough so that the poore haue none of it to do them good with all and yet while these vaine persons are aliue they must bee counted neither proud nor pittilesse but they that haue a care to be counted worshipfull by their buriall and are desirous to haue glorie when they are deade then it cannot sinke into my head but that they are both proud and stately minded when they are aliue Eum. That is most true but these are farre from the following of Christ for if they that are carefull of their morrowes meate which is necessarie for them doo contrary to Christ his worde then they that are carefull of glorie at their buriall and keepes their gold in theyr chestes for that purpose are farre from following the worde of God Theo. No doubt of that how ful is the world of such vaine headed persons There are some of so proud a heart and disdainfull a mind that no poore body may trample in their houses or scant be suffered to sit in their porch yea and some mystresses are so proud and disdainefull that forsooth the freendes or kinsefolkes of their seruants may not come into their houses to talk with their seruants much lesse with themselues for they must be mewd vp in their chamber as ar vnworthy to be in their company or else to talk with them yea though their said seruants frendes be better borne and keepe better houses then they and some are so statly harted and disdainfully minded that they will not giue a little fire or water nay what wil you say to such disdainefull women that are so cleane bereaued of good nature and charity that forbid their owne sisters to fech fire or water at their houses which are two of these elementes which God hath generally giuen throughout all the worlde both to poore and rich which most necessary elementes if God should with holde them from these proud and disdainefull persones but a smal while they could not bee able to liue and yet like mercilesse wretches they can be contente to deny or with hould the same from their neighbour or their owne naturall sister Eu. Mary I say that such proud and disdainfull persons that denie a little fire or water to their neighbour or sister doe not vse commonly to giue peeces of gold to the poore hungry and naked soules whome they see sitting or miserably lying in the streetes But their proude heartes and disdainefull mindes when they come into hell into the Diuels handling will bee pluckt downe well inough And whereas they are churles of their fire on earthe the diuell will not be a churle to them of his fire in hell And whereas they are niggardly of the earthly water to theyr poore neighboures on earth God will be as niggardly to them of his heauenly water when they are in hell Nay they shall not haue one droppe of his mercifull water to quench the fire or burning heate of theyr tongue bee their mone neuer so greate or crie they out neuer so much But nowe marke the ende of my dreame Theo. I will giue eare vnto you with a verie good will Eume. Then Diues saide howe happye was Lazarus estate on earth for all his pouertie hunger and payneful sors and howe vnhappye was my estate on the earth for all my ritches wealth and prosperitie His poore and beggerlye estate througe patience hath brought him to bee nowe full of heauenly ritches and my rich and sumptuous estate through my pryde and vnmercifulnesse hath made mee nowe full of hellish pouertye Yet the earthlye worldlynges thinke that there is nothinge worsed then beggrye or pouertye and nothinge better then worldly wealth and prosperytie But I haue founde it otherwise and cleane contrary Marke the madnesse and fondnesse of these worldlynges they can bee contente to be very poore and verye beggeres for that space of three or foure yeeres or rather moe to bee an earthlye Lorde or a Duke all their lyues after which cannot last long and whose estate cannot bee without greefe and other troubles but they cannot bee contente to bee poore and in a beggerly estate for the tearme of this shorte lyfe to haue a most ioyful Kingdome in Heauen for euer where is nothing but felicitie pleasure comforte mirth and more ioy then mans hearte can thinke If Christ had thought the rich-mans state to be best hee would not haue beene so poore as hee was nor haue such poore beggerly men aboute him as hee hadde neyther woulde he haue bid the rich young man to sell all that hee hade and come and followe him Nay hee thought it was a moste daungerous and perrilous estate or els bee would not haue sayd It is as hard for a riche man to enter into the kingdome of heauen as for a cable to goe through a needles eye Then sayd the diuell Yea but all preachers on the earth can not make the ritch beleeue it neither can make them sel halfe of their goodes and to giue it to the poore And if they shoulde sell all that they haue and giue it to the poore and therby become poore themselues if they liue as impatiently enuiously idely and sinfully as doo the most parte of the poore especiallie the most beggerly sorte they may happe to be shutte out of heauen from poore Lazarus and bee throwen into Hell with thee Diues It may bee so saide Diues but if the poore coulde consider it their state is verie happie and most necessary for them For their hunger might make them call to their heauenly father for foode their nakednesse might make them praie to him for clothes their greefes and sores might make them call
to him for health and helpe or for the gifte of pacience therein their lying in the streete without houses might make them to looke vppe to heauen where they haue houses prepared for them and earnestly thanke God therefore and theyr pouerty mighte cause them to reioyce that they haue their ritches laide vp in heauen and so by this their patient pouertie if they repent their sinnes and beleeue that they shall be saued onely by the death and passion of Iesus Christ they are sure to possesse the endlesse kingdome of heauen and to auoide this most dolefull dungeon of hell where I am Therefore if I were on the earth againe as I cannot I would haue a poore estate to choose for riches procure pleasure and pleasure increaseth sinne and sinne bringeth Gods vengeance and Gods vengeance bringeth damnation and damnation bringeth hell Therefore they that are ritch vnlesse they bee plentifully endued with that feare and grace of GOD as many great and rich men haue beene are in such a daungerous estate as they little thinke off Then saide the diuell and many of the poore and beggerly sort considering their impatiencie spite enuie and malice are in a more daungerous case then they thinke of For their pouertie and paine maketh them impatient their want maketh them weepe their hunger maketh them houle and crie and their miserie maketh them mourne and so through this their worldly care I graunt manie of them doo cleane forget God and take not him for their father and doo not onely wish themselues out of the worlde but also doo ridde themselues out of the world by cutting their throates and hanging themselues and by diuers other meanes which is no small ioy vnto me For through this their wicked liuing and desperate deathes they are mine owne deere children and none can take them from mee when I haue them once in hell then saide Diues belike they thinke that all their cares pouertie miserie and trouble is ended when this their life is ended but that is not so but onely to the godlie and faithfull children of God for whosoeuer dieth impatiently impenitently vnfaithfully sinfully and desperately whether they be poore or rich though their earthly troubles miseries and calamities doo end yet then their euerlasting sorrowe care woe griefe and most extreame tormentes in hell doo beginne So that whereas they thinke by their death they goe from paine to ease they goe from a sweete short comfortable sorrowe to a most terrible and vnsufferable endlesse woe and tormentes Therefore they that be aliue on the earth may reioyce and be glad though they haue neuer so great pouertie trouble miserie or calamitie for that is but short and can last but a while but if they once come hether to hell where I am then their most intollerable paines shall neuer cease nor the fire that shall burne them can neuer bee quenched O that my torment and paines saide Diues might haue an ende or bee ended in time then I should thinke my selfe most happie O that I might bee in hell but so manie yeares as the greatest barne in a countrie woulde holde cornes of Wheate nay rather then faile mustard seedes for then at length though it woulde bee vnreasonable long first I shoulde come out and bee released but alwayes to bee burning in the fire of hell and neuer to come out what a thing is it and what a dolefull case am I in Ah woe is mee woe is mee that euer I was borne fie on all my earthly riches fie on my earthly prosperitie fie on all my earthly ioy and pleasure woe bee to the time that I was vnmercifull to poore Lazarus which hath brought me to this endlesse woe in the fierie flames of hell where my paines shall neuer cease and my torments neuer end These are the last wordes that mee thought Diues did speake And so I haue declared to you my whole dreame of the diuell and Diues Theo. The dolefullest dreame that euer I heard they that doo heare it as I haue heard it I hope will feare hel as I meane to feare it Eu. I thanke God which made mee to dreame it for euer since I detest all sinne and wickednesse and as for worldly riches pleasure honour possessions and promotions I doo not regarde but all my care is to please God and that I may end my life repentantly and faithfully and to trust onely to be saued through the merites of my sauiour Iesus Christ whereby I may attaine after this life to the ioyes of heauen where poore Lazarus and al other the children of God shall rest and raigne for euer Theo. I thanke you most heartily for telling me this your most straunge and true dreame I was wont to teach you but now you haue meruellously instructed me thinking verely thorow your telling me this your dreame that I shall despise this worlde the more and offend God the lesse and furthermore feare to come to that terrible place of hell where Diues and the reprobate shall be in most extreame tormentes for euer Eum. The Lord keepe vs from it Theo. Amen Imprinted at London by T. Dawson for Henry Car dwelling in the old Change at the signe of the Cat and the fidle are to be sold at his shop in Paules Churchyard at the signe of the Blazing Starre A Godly friende VVhy the wicked goe to sermons Free-wil an erronious opinion Marke wel Gen. 38. Gen. 40. Dan. ◠Daniell 2. A great chaunge Luke 16. marke this Promises to God broken The enuie and spight of the diuel to man Moe shall be damned then saued Matth. 7. A lamentable saying of Diues What soeuer is giuen to the poore is lēt to God What is lent to the Deuill Marke this well Note this Theeues forget their promise when they haue their pardon Good to be humble Good to be merciful Mercy and pitty most necessary Mart. 25. VVicked rich men bewiched fooles The poore are the best guestes The fondnes or folly of worldlings A small regard of the rich to the poore The pitiful case of tenants thorow fines racking of rents The liberalitie of the diuell Marke well A sore saying Lawiers that take fees to defend wrong A sore saying against bribed Iudges Good coūsell for Lawiers Iudges A good warning Euill conscienced Lawiers Marke this well Matth. 5. Peace breakers the children of the diuell Lustie cutters and fighters Marke the fondnes of fighters what gaine they get To suffer iniury is a blessed thing Matt. 5. Matt. 5. Hel mentioned thrsie in one chap by Christ prooueth that there is a hell Marke this well A wicked saying of a naughty man Swearers the enimes of God Drunkards turned frō the image of God to the childrē of the Diuell Fornicators and aduouterers the diuels chappell where hee rousteth Marke this Wrong suffered patiently bringeth greate gainh The lawe ended by the weight of the purse not by the truth of the cause Hel fire the gaine of the oppressours of the poore Diues gyueth good counsel to oppressors wrongfull withholders A diuellish practise of oppressors A charitable thing very necessary to bee practised A lamentable thing not meet to be suffered The diuels rewarde to such wicked oppressors Wrong gotten goodes wilbe deere wares in the ende Matt. 6. The most necessarie counsell of Christ that biddeth vs not to be carefull Cōsider the prouision of worldly fathers for theîr children Marke this Vsurers do walke verie dangerouslie Vsurers excluded the kingdome of heauen Vsurie and lending of money not all one Matth. 7. Lending of money for gaine prooued vsurie Vsurers prooued the diuels children Marke the difference betweene the godlie lender and the vsurer A craftie diuellish vsurer A meete thing for Magistrats to looke to Greedie wicked farmers prooued the children of the diuell A fine paid for a farme 140. yeeres before hād Coniecturs of the later end or day of iudgement In lib. Rabin Cap. 1. 1. Pet. 3. Matth. 24. Matth. 24. Read Haruies astrological discourse of the sayde great Coniunction Matt. 24. Matt. 24. Reade for better instruction heerein the booke of the latter end or second comming of Christ. Make the fondnesse of an olde man Gaudy geare inticers to iniquitie and procures of pride Diues a hellish child because he went proudly dained poore Lazarus Great ruffs wherof one woule buy twenty shistes for the poore H fore saying against such wearers af ruffs Curious dames that haue their fingers dasht full of golde ringes A wise saying of Diues Marke Note this well Carefull keepers of their mony to bury them withall Marke Disdaineful and proud persons that must not haue the poore sit in the porch of their houses Proud and disdainfull persons that refuse or forbid fire watter to their poore neighbour Pore estate of Lazarus most happy VVorldlings think nothing worse then pouerty or beggery Christ would not haue beene so poore if he hadde best to be rich The poore estate most happy Marke wel Note this A dolefull saying to be well regarded and wayed of al men