diuellish subtlety woluish cruelty or Antichristian hypocrisie they be not scattered Blesse Lord those Cities and Townes where thy Gospell is purely preached that they may liue in peace which loue thy lawe make we beséeche thée peace within their walles and prosperitie within their Palaces make strong the lockes of our Portes and blesse thy children within them put peace for our bandes and fill vs with the fatte of thy Corne that thou King of glorie and Lorde of Hostes mayest enter in by our gates thy pure word not onely abide within our walles but also in our willes Thou which breakest the bowe and snappest the speares in sunder and burnest the Chariot with fire protect vs from slaughter and scatter the Nations which delight in warre Thou Lord extinguish the fire and flames of discorde which canst conclude a peace for vs with the stone of the grounde Compell the Woolfe to lye downe with the Lambe and the Leoparde with the Kidde worke a conuersion in the heartes of those which preferre vncertaine riches and vaine pleasures of this vile sinnefull and wretched world before the profession of thy truth and preaching of the Gospell Autoph Amen For surely the Lorde hath miraculously deliuered vs from their deuouring and gréedy rauening mouthes Philox. You say well Autophilus in commending him for our maruelous deliueraunce but will you bee mindefull of so great and manifold benefits Autoph I hope so Philox. Then be so Autoph Can you prooue the contrarie Philox. I woulde Autophilus prooued it not It is a common and vsuall practise nowe a dayes amongest Hypocrites to carrie about with them faintlike mouthes and diuelish minds to say Amen to euery good praier with their mouth when their hearts are worldly and wickedly excercised But it is not painted wordes which please the Lorde but the workes of righteousnesse and obedience wherein he delighteth to take vp the Crosse and followe Christ and to deny a mans selfe which Autophilus will neuer doe are two not able markes of Gods children Autoph Be not to rash in iudging Philox. Then leaue to be Autophilus Autoph Indéede so shall I forsake my selfe but as yet I meane it not and yet haue you mooued me so farre that since the Gospell and persecution goe both hande in hande together I coulde be content to suffer sometimes persecutions but not continually for such as I am can hardly away with continual afflictions Philox. I am not ignorant how naturally men are infected with the disease Philautia that is to say selfe loue how much they are addicted to it and they estéeme of themselues But if any man commeth to me sayth our Sauiour and hateth not father mother wife children yea and his owne selfe cannot be my disciple Not that we should enuie or be malitious towards them but that we haue such affections towards them that neuerthelesse the loue of the sonne of God be aboue all thinges Of such an holy hatred Abraham is a worthy example who had rather be cruell against his owne sonne euen to the death then in one point shewe himselfe disobedient Let the husband therefore loue the wife the wife her husband the father his sonne the sonne his father So that their humane loue drawe nothing from the spirituall loue of Christ Nowe therefore Autophilus since there are but two waies the one narrow and rough difficult to the flesh to be traueled the other broade smooth and leading to destruction Tell me briefly whether you had rather goe with worldly ease to eternall damnation then to take vp the Crosse and goe the narrowe waye to life euerlasting for one of them wee must néedes runne at length that is either to ioy or vtter perdition Autoph I cannot tel what you call worldly ease but I am sure I woulde goe to heauen Philox. Walke not then after the flesh but after the spirite they that frame themselues after the will of Christ are his liuely members they which loue not themselues nor the world loath their former life feare to fall into sinne at a worde they which crucifie the fleshe with the affections and lustes thereof shall possesse those ioyes Autoph What I doe it pertaines not vnto you you shall not answere for mée I doubt not but I am cloathed with Christes righteousnesse I hope that Christes perfect obedience yéelded vnto his father shall make satisfaction for me Philox. A goodly countenance of honestie and pretence of fleshly Christianity doe you thinke that Christe will holde you for righteous when you giue your selfe to vnrighteousnesse what is this but a dishonouring of him and a scorning of him for his redemption of you as if Christ shoulde accept the proude man for lowly him for a louer of God which is a louer of himselfe him for a delighter in God which onely delighteth in vaine pleasures him for mindefull of Gods benefits which is altogether vnthankfull him for a chast person which is a whoremonger him for sober which is a drunkard lastly him for a true worshipper which is an Idolater Autoph I hope you cannot iustly affirme that I am stained with any of these vices Philox. Doth your conscience acquite you Autoph What is that to you Philox. I aske you for no harme notwithstanding if euery stitch of your conscience were throughly ript vp I feare we shoulde finde it sore sicke of many of these sinnes Beware of Idolatrie it is the Mother vice from whence doe spring many other Autoph Idolatry quoth you I thanke God I neuer knewe what it meant Philox. So much the worse you may be sicke of that disease and knowe it not Beware of Couetousnesse it is the roote of all euill Which also is called of the Apostle Paul Idolatrie Autoph Call you Couetousnesse Idolatrie either I forgette it or else I neuer learned it as for my Couetousnesse care you not I knowe my selfe to bée farre enough from it vnlesse you will call good husbandry Couetousnesse as many indéede are woont for nowe a daies a man must lashe out sette Cocke on hoope spende all on the poore and in House kéeping or else he shall be counted a Niggarde nay verily doe what we can wée shall offende some parties If we be warie then are wée accounted Couetous if liberall then vnthriftes and thus they terme euery thing at their pleasure Philox. Nay you put on faire visards on beastly and vglie monsters hyding couetousnes vnder the cloke of good husbandrie pride vnder the shewe of handsomenes stoutnes vnder the colour gentrie thus although the couetous of cormerants store vp treasures in their Palaces by violence and robberies eate vp poore men euen as Beasts eat grasse kéeping it vnder nothwithstanding all this is the point of good husbandrie Good husbandrie said I No verilie as bad as may be for the winning of a fewe pence to loose Gods loue and for to haue rich chistes and coffers stuffed with red ruddockes to léese the fauour of the euerlasting God No
vnder the gospell and therefore if they will néedes bee preaching let them preach the gospell I warrant you S. Paul being a minister of the gospell vsed no comminations nor threatninges but obsecrations and beséechings as it manifestly appeareth in sundry parts of his Epistles 2. Cor. 20. 2. Cor. 10.1 Philox. If thou hadst béene in Herods court thou wouldest haue béene one of the first that shouldest haue termed Iohn Baptist a sawcie Iacke for his controwling of Herode Thou art one of them which woulde haue thy sinnes smothered although incessantly thou offendest against the maiestie of God But what discréete father is he which if his childe should play the vnruly and stubborne boy woulde stroke his heade tell him he were a good son not rather fatherly reproue him and sharpely correct him with a rod. What prudent maister will commende his seruaunt for neglecting his commaundement In like sorte will you be trucebreakers of the Lords couenāts yet looke to be flattered will you impeach the Lordes honour blaspheme his holy name tread trample vnder foote his glory and yet heare of mercy will you steale murder commit adultery yet heare of nothing but the gospel wil you rest in sin liue in error ignorance sling ouerthwart the fields after your owne disordered lusts walke in the by-paths of vngodlines yet make no reckoning to be rebuked what skilfull Phisition or experienced Chyrurgian will apply a supplying salue to an old festred sore and not rather vse searing launsing cerzing and searching of it to the bottome no no grosse humors must haue strong purgations festred sores must haue sharpe salues Knobby timber must haue hard wedges rough horses must haue rough riders It is a lamentable thing to consider the waful estate and condition of our daies such pillage and pollage such guile and disguising of matters such swearing tearing tossing of the name of God like a tenisball from one blasphemous to an other such leasemongring and inhauncing of rentes such pride rioting and ruffanisme such drunkennes and surfeting such wantonnesse and chambring that wickednes doth rage as a water floude and iniquity hath gotten the vpper hande and yet notwithstanding men fret like chafed Bulls when they are brotherly reproued for their wickednes As touching saint Paul it is true that he is a Minister of the gospell But it is not true that he alwaies dealeth with the spirit of mildnes lenity for with the proud arrogant he dealeth more sharply more roughly looke thorow the Euangelists with a single eie sée howe sharpely Christ Iesus-dealeth w t the scribes pharises although they bragged boasted as much of their vpright cōuersation as do our english hypocrites although they sat in Moses chayre taught the law yet are they called of the son of God a wicked an adulterous generation blind guides painted sepulchres the sonnes of the deuil There were in saint Pauls time such as made their brags and vaunts of the law yet are they called of the Apostle dogs euill workers enemies of the crosse of Christ Wherefore there ought to be a singular wisedome and discretion in the ministery to distribute the worde of truth aright to breake to euerie one his portion of the bread of life to preach the lawe to whom the law belongeth and the gospel to whom the gospell appertaineth Iudgement to whom Iudgement belongeth and mercie to whom mercie appertaineth For to preach mercie forgiuenesse of sinnes before men see their sinnes and know their miseries by the preaching of the lawe is to preach the gospell vnprofitably hee that doth not sée his sinnes in the law as it were in a glasse is ignoraunt what miserie is in himself and what mercie is in God Autoph Well Philox. I perceiue you are become a fether of a left wing I knewe when it was not so with you howbeit this geare will take no colour neither can I sée but that a great number haue done more harme then good by their preaching It is a piteous case to sée howe those townes which haue had honest simple men and quiet soules that would not meddle with other mens matters are now troubled and molested by a companie of sawcie fellowes who can abide no good fellowship no sportes no pastime no not so much as vpon the Sunday Was not good fellowshippe thinke you vsed before they were borne I can tell you Philox. there bee a thousande of this minde that if the bloudie pretence of the proude Spaniard had taken place we might haue thanked these busie fellowes for it Philox. It was with me Autoph sometime as it is now with thée both blinde in iudgement and corrupt in conuersation I did prostitute my selfe vnto all kinde of wickednes hauing no sense of my sinnes no feare of punishment no féeling of the iudgements of God vntill such time as the Lord by the preaching of his word the powre of his holy spirite gaue me new eies to sée better a newe heart to discern better afterward as a man come out of a dumpe I wondred at y e grosse palpable darkenes wherein I was before neither haue I had this féeling in my selfe but also I haue known do know many which before their conuersion inward alteration of mind were reputed for as ciuill honest men as euer trode vpon a shoe as substantiall men as any were in the parish they dwelt in as simple dealers honest liuers good housekéepers as any of their neighbours neither was it néede to tell them of it and yet now y t the Lord hath effected an alteration change in them they thinke far otherwise of themselues their eies be opened their iudgements illumined For now they sée that which they saw not before Now they vnderstand y t there is great ods betwixt the iudgment of God the iudgment of men that God oftentimes in iust iudgement condemneth whom y e world vniustly iustifieth I speak this Autoph because thou callest me a fether of the left wing wherin y u dealest after y e accustomed maner of hypocrites which speak reprochfully of mē cōuerted vnto God For y e world loueth his own bristleth stormeth whē as God plucketh away one fether frō his wings That which thou obiectest against y e ministers zealous folowers of y e gospell is no nouelty how y t they are the cause of strife sedition wars broyles hurliburlies wherwith y e world is disquieted against which slandrous spéeches offensiue outcries y e godly must confirme their mindes with y e notable saying of our sauior Christ in y e gospel I came not to send peace but a sworde for I came to set a man at variance with his Father and the Daughter against the Mother the Daughter in law against her Mother in law and a mans foes shall be they of his owne houshold for the word of peace doth seperate
thinges considered First earnestnesse of heart in him that praieth Secondly consideration of the causes which moue him to praie Thirdly who it is to whom he praieth Fourthly for whose cause hée is heard And fiftely what hée ought to aske Which circumstaunces Autophilus I doubte bée wanting some of them in suche as you your selfe are But I praie you since it is so easie a matter as you saie it is to bée a Christian and séeing that you are so déepelie learned as it séemes you are not Tell me whether you haue learned that little lesson of the Apostle to the Thessalonians or no which is Praie continuallie Autoph That were enough to cloy a full stomacke and to let all things els run at randon I like not of such husbandrie sometimes in déede I praie although seldome for you knowe that such as I am cannot haue leasure to learne this lesson Praie continuallie we haue somewhat else to do iwis otherwise you might beg vs. Philox. I thought howe I shoulde finde you your praying is not vnlyke the desire which you haue to the preaching To the one when you goe it is for fashion and not to fructifie you vse the other seldome and yet full of hypocrisie Naie this is a trueth hee that will not emploie an houre to learne the wil of God at the mouth of the preacher cānot nor will not spend halfe an houre in inuocation and praier The small delight in the one declareth the slender appetite to the other Such praiers are not onely not acceptable but destable not pleasant but loathsome in the eares of the Lorde Hee that turneth his eares from hearing the lawes of the Lorde his praiers shall bee abhominable sayth Salomon Praise is not seemelie in the mouth of the vngodlie for hee is not sent of God sayth Esaie But of good fellowship tell me this one thing Autophilus what moue you commonlie to praie since as you saie you are so skilfull in the science of praying which notwithstanding you practise verie seldome by your owne reporte Autoph I wold be sorie Philoxenus if my prayers were no more auaileaable then you saie which if it bee so there bee more deceiued beside my selfe As for the cause which pricketh mee forward to my praiers the chiefest is aduersitie for when I sée anie temporall daunger or distresse drawe neere my bodilie calamitie and miserie imminent anie losse of liuing anie want of good successe in worldlie affayres then commonlie as one in troubles I make a fewe prayers praying GOD in plaine Englishe to sende mee good lucke as they call it Philox. A fewe quoth you the fewer the better if such bee the cause mouing you howe like an Asse doe you in this matter behaue your selfe Hée will not labour vnlesse he bee beaten neither will you call vppon God vnlesse you bée whipped with the scourge of some worldlie calamitie But hold this for a suretie that vnlesse the spirite of GOD aboue all other things moue you thereunto your lippe labour is lost and your winde spent on waste For as to praie is the gifts of GOD so can wee not earnestlie zealouslie and heartilie powre out our praiers and inuocate the name of GOD vnlesse hee from whome euerie good and perfect gifte procéedeth moue vs therevnto For there bee diuerse and sundrie causes concurring which may moue vs to praie as namelie the commandement of God Call vppon mee in the daie of trouble and I will heare thee and thou shalt praise mee Watche and pray continue in preyer Neither in that he hath onely commaunded but that also he hath promised to heare our petitions As in the Psalme before mentioned Call vppon mee in the day of trouble and I will heare thee Aske and ye shall haue knocke and it shall bee opened Seeke and yee shall finde Vnto you sayth Christ I say Aske in my name and it shall bee giuen to you whatsoeuer ye aske in my name namely that which is according vnto my fathers will Séeke diligently knocke with perseuerance continually and after this manner Whosoeuer asketh receiueth hee that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall bee opened This sentence answereth that most comfortable saying of the Prophet Seeke the LORDE while hee may be founde Call vppon him while hee is nigh As that also Whatsoeuer you aske the Father in my name hee will giue it you We may adde to this commaundement the greatnesse of his benefites also as that of a péece of clay he framed vs to his owne similitude and likenes in innocencie and righteousnes without either spot or staine In that when wee were all captiues and made the seruile bondslaues of sathan through the fall of our first Father Adam hee redéemed and ransomed vs and that with no small price but with the precious bloud of his onelie begotten son Christ Iesus In that hée of his infinit mercie vouchsafed to elect and choose vs to saluation before the foundatiōs of the world were layed In y t he hath iustified sanctified indued vs with his holie spirite and elected vs to eternall life Wée may adde héereunto also the weaknesse and infirmitie of our owne nature since wée are so easilie seduced to mischiefe so vnable to doe the déedes of righteousnesse so weake of our selues to resist Sathan and to make warre against the workes of darknesse Which although with many other are especiall causes to moue vs vnto praier yet the chiefest agent herein is the holy Ghost which thing we may learne out of the wordes of the Apostle The spirite sayth he helpeth our infirmities for we knowe not what to pray as wee ought but the spirite it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed And he which searcheth the heart knoweth what is the meaning of the spirite for he maketh intercession for the Saintes according to the wil of God Agréeable to this it is that Christ himselfe witnessed it to be a spirituall reuelation that he was acknowledged of Peter The same thing doth the Apostle testifie saying that no man can say Lorde Iesu but in the holy spirite The same thing doth Iohn Baptist testifie that is to wit that he knew not Christ of him selfe but by the instruction of the holy spirite Likewise Moses whiles he vpbraided the people of Israel their ingratitude and forgetfulnes gaue them notwithstanding to knowe by the way that what knowledge so euer he himselfe had he receaued it of the Lord and the Lorde promiseth that he will giue vnto the people of Israell an vnderstanding heart that hée may be knowne of them But briefly if you desire your prayer may bée forcible and effectuall learne this one lesson of saint Cyprian that holy and blessed Martyr of Christ which is after this manner When we stand occupied in prayer we must with our whole heart watch and bée diligent in prayer let all worldly and fleshly thoughtes departe neither let the minde