all our loue and chearefull obedience towards him For therefore wée loue him and obey him because we know hée hath loued vs first and written our names in the booke of life But on the contrarie the Doctrine of the Papists which would haue men alwaies doubt and feare in a seruile sort is most hellish and vncomfortable For so long as a man holds that what encouragement can he haue to serue God What loue to his Maiestie What hope in the promises What comfort in trouble What patience in aduersity Antil Touching this point I am flat of your minde For I thinke verily a man ought to bee perswaded of his saluation And for mine owne part I make no question of it I hope to bee saued as well as the best of them all I am out of feare for that For I haue such a stedfast faith in God that if there should be but two in the world saued I hope I should be one of them Theol. You are very confident indéed You are perswaded before you know I would your ground were as good as your vaine confidence But who is so bold as blinde Bayard Your hope is but a fancie and as a sick mans dreame You hope you can not tell what You haue no ground for that you say For what hope can you haue to be saued when you walke in no path of saluation What hope can a man haue to come to London spéedily that trauelleth nothing that way but quite contrary What hope can a man haue to reape a good crop of corne that vseth no meanes neither ploweth soweth nor harroweth What hope can a man haue to be fat and well liking of his body that seldome or neuer eateth any meat What hope can a man haue to escape drowning which leapeth into the Sea Euen so what hope can you haue to be saued when you walke nothing that way when you vse no meanes when you doe all things that are contrary vnto the same For alas there is nothing in you of those things which the Scriptures doe affirme must bée in all those that shall be saued There be none of the fore named signes and tokens in you You are ignorant prophane and carelesse God is not worshipped vnder your roofe There is no true feare of God in your selfe nor in your houshold You seldome heare the word preached You content your selfe with an ignorant Minister You haue no praiers in your family no reading no singing of psalmes no instructions exhortations or admonitions or any other Christian exercises You make no conscience of the obseruation of the Sabbaths you vse not the name of God with any reuerence you breake out sometimes into horrible dathes and cursings you make an ordinary matter of swearing by your faith your troth Your wife is irreligious your children dissolute and vngratious your seruants prophane carelesse You are an example in your owne house of al Atheisme and conscienceles behauiour You are a great gamester a rioter a spend-thrift a drinker a common ale-house-haunter an whoore hunter and to conclude giuen to all vice and naughtinesse Now then I pray you tell me or rather let your conscience tell mée what hope you can haue to be saued so long as you walk and continue in this course Doth not S. Iohn saie If wee say wee haue fellowship with him and walke in darkenesse we are liers Doth not the same Apostle auouch that such as say they know God and kéepe not his commandements are liers Againe doth he not say Heth at committeth sin is of the Diuell And whosoeuer doth not righteousnesse is not of God Doth not our Lord Jesus flatly tell the Jewes which bragged that Abraham was their father that they were of their father the diuell because they did his works Doth not the Apostle Paul say His seruants we are to whom we obey whether it be of sin vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnes Doth not the scripture say Hee that doth righteousnesse is righteous Doth not our Lord Jesus affirme that nor euery one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in Heauen Therefore I conclude that forasmuch as your whole course is carnall carelesse and dissolute you can haue no warrantable hope to be saued Phila. I doe verily thinke that this mans case which now you haue laied open is the case of thousands Theo. Yea doubtles of thousand thousands the more is the pity Asune Soft and faire sir you are very round indeed Soft fire maketh sweet mault I hope you know wee must be saued by mercy and not by merit If I should doe all my selfe wherefore serueth Christ I hope that which I cannot doe hee will doe for me And I hope to be saued by Iesus Christ as well as the best of you all Theol. Oh now I sée which way the game goeth You would faine make Christ a cloake for your sinnes You will sinne that grace may abound You will sinne frankly and set all vpon Christs score Truely there be many thousands of your minde which hearing of Gods abundant mercie in Christ are thereby made more bold to sin But they shall know one day to their cost what it is so to abuse the mercie of God The Apostle saith The mercy and louing kindnesse of God should leade vs to repentance But we sée it leadeth manie to further hardnesse of heart The Prophet saith With him is mercy that hee may bee feared But many thereby are made more secure and carelesse But to come néerer the marke you say you hope to be saued by Jesus Christ And I answer that if those things be found in you which the Scriptures do auouch to be in all that shall be saued by him then you may haue good confidence and assured hope otherwise not Now the Scriptures do thus determine it and set it downe That if a man bée in Christ and looke to be saued by him he must be indued with these qualities following First he must be a new creature Secondly hee must liue not after the lusts of men but after the will of God Thirdly he must be zealous of good works Fourthly hee must die to sinne and liue to righteousnesse Fiftly he must be holy and vnblameable Sixtly he must so walke as Christ hath walked Seuenthly hee must crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts Eigthly he must walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Last of all he must serue God in righteousnesse and true holinesse all the daies of his life Loe then what things are required of all that shal be saued by Christ Now therefore if these things be in you in some measure of tenth then your hope is currant sound good otherwise it is nothing worth For in vaine doe men say they hope to be saued by Christ when as they walke dissolutely The reason hereof is because the
iust cause of mourning wéeping and lamentation because such abhomination is committed in Israel Dauids eies gushed out with riuers of téeres because men kept not Gods lawes and an horrible feare came vpon him because men forsooke the law of God Ieremy did sigh in secret wishing that his head were ful of water his eies a fountaine of téeres because of the sins of the people Nehemiah mourned for the transgressiō of Gods people Lots iust soule was vexed with the vncleane conuersation of the Sodomites shall we mourn nothing at all for these things shall we be no whit grieued for the pride of our land shall we shed no téeres for such horrible intolerable abhomination They are odious in the sight of God and men the aire stinketh of them It is Gods maruellous patience that the diuel doth not carry them away quicke and rid the earth of them or that fire brimstone doth not come downe from heauen consume them Antil You are too hot in these matters of attire you make more of them then there is cause Asune I conne him thanke Gods blessing on his heart I shall loue him the better while I know him because he is so earnest against such shamefull and detestable pride Is it not a shame that women professing true Religion should make themselues such pictures puppets and peacockes as they doe And yet I heare few preachers in the pulpit speake against it Antil I maruell you should be so earnest in matters of apparell You know well enough that apparell is an indifferent thing and that Religion and the kingdome of God doth not consist in these things Theol. I know right well that apparell in it owne nature is a thing indifferent but lewd wanton immodest and offensiue apparell is not indifferent For all such abuse taketh away the indifferency of them and maketh them sinfull and euill by circumstance For otherwise why should the Lord threaten by his Prophet that he would visit the Princes and the Kings children and all such as were clothed with strange apparell that is the fashions of other countries Zeph. chap. 1. 8. Againe why should the Lord so plague the proud dames and minsing minions of Ierusalem for their pride and vanity in attire if there were no euill in such kinde of abuse the Lord saith thus in the third of Esay against those braue gallant dames Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walke with stretched-out neckes and with wandring eies walking and minsing as they go and make a tinkling with their feet therefore shall the Lord make the heads of the daughters of Zion bald and the Lord shall discouer their secret parts In that day shall the Lord take away the ornament of the slippers and the calles and the round tires the sweet bals and the bracelets and the bonnets the tiers of the head and the stops the head-bands and the tablets the ear-rings the rings and the mufflers the costly apparell and the vailes and the wimples and the crisping pinnes and the glasses and the fine linnen and the hoods and the lawnes And in stead of sweete sauour there shall be stinke and in stead of a girdle a rent and in stead of dressing of the haire baldnesse and in stead of a Stomacher a girding of Sacke-cloth and burning in steade of beautie Then shall her gates mourne and lament and shee being desolate shall sit vpon the ground Thus we sée how terrible the Lord threatneth the gallant dames of Ierusalem for their excessiue and abhominable pride And this may wel be a Mirrour for the proud minions of our age which assuredly may well feare the Lord will bring some such iudgement vpon them as hée did vpon the daughters of Ierusalem For their sin is as great in this kinde as was the daughters of Zion and God is the same God now that he was then to punish it Antile Tush neuer speake so much of these matters of apparell For we must doe as others doe and follow the fashion or else wee shall not be esteemed Theol. If you follow them not you shall be more estéemed of God of his Angels Saints and all good men As for all others if you estéeme them more then these you shew what you are Antil Well for all that say you what you will pride is in the heart and not in the apparell For one may be proud of plaine apparell as well as of costly And some are as proud of their falling bands and little sets as others are of their great ruffes Theol. You speake foolishly For how know you that can you iudge mens hearts inward affections Can you say when mens and womens apparell is sober modest and Christian-like that they haue proud hearts are proud of that attire You goe very farre indéed to iudge the heart You ought to iudge charitably of such as goe soberly and modestly attired euen that their heart is according to their attire As for you we may rather thinke your heart is vaine light and foolish because your attire doth strongly argue it And as the Prophet saith The triall of your countenance testifieth against you you declare your sinnes as SODOME and hide them not Antile I pray you then set downe some rules for apparell out of the Scripture Theol. I may well set downe what I will but surely most men and women will do what they list For verily it may be thought that many of this age haue forsworn God his word al goodnesse For they are come to this point let God say what he will they will do what they list For as the Prophet saith They haue made a couenant with Hell and with death and are growen to an agreement Esay 28. 15. And I doe verily thinke if God himselfe should come downe from Heauen in his owne person and disswade men and women from this vanitie of apparell yet would they still vse it as it were in despite of God and as it were to anger him the more For they are so extraordinarily enamoured and so immoderately delighted with it and do so continually and altogether dote on it and are so wood mad of it that they will haue it though men and angels and all the world say nay nay which is more though they should go to the diuel quicke with it And therfore it is but lost labour to speake against it preach against it or write against it It is but euen to plough the sea or knocke at a deafe mans doore for there is no hope of any reformation Onely this we gaine that the world is reprooued and conuicted of sinne and these things shall stand in record against them in the last day so that they may say they had a faire warning and that there was a Prophet amongst them Philaga Yet for all this I pray you set vs downe some directions and rules out of Gods holy booke concerning attire For albeit some bee very bad and
be feared Thus wée sée how all flesh doth but make a vaine shew for a while vpon this Theatre of misery fetcheth a compasse about and is presently gone For as the Poet saith Seriùs aut citiùs sedem properamus ad vnam First or last we must all to the graue Asune You haue made a very good speech It doth me good to heare it I wonder all these things considered that men should be so wholly giuen to this world as they are I thinke the diuell hath bewitched them For they shall carry nothing with them when they die but their good deeds and their ill Theol. The drudges and snudges of this world may very fitly be compared to a Kings lumpter-horse which goeth laden all the day long with as much gold and treasure as hée can beare but at night his treasure is taken from him he is turned into a sory durtie stable and hath nothing left him but his galled backe Euen so the rich cormorants and caterpillers of the earth which here haue treasured and hoorded vp great heapes of gold and siluer with the which they trauell loaden thorow this world shall in the end be stript out of all let downe into their graue and haue nothing left them but their galled consciences with the which they shall be tumbled downe into the dungeon of eternall darkenesse Phila. Wherein doth the sting and strength of the world especially consist Theol. Euen as the great strength of Sampson lay in his haire so the great strength of the world lieth in her two breasts the one of pleasure the other of profit For she like a notable strumpet by laying out these her breasts doth bewitch the sonnes of men and allureth thousands to her lust For if she cannot winne them with the one breast yet she gameth them with the other if not with pleasure then with profit if not with profit then with pleasure Hée is an odde man of a thousand that sucketh not of the one breast or the other But sure it is which soeuer he sucketh he shall be poisoned For shée giueth none other milke but ranke poysen The world therefore is like to an alluring Iael which sitteth at her doore to entise vs to come in and eat of the milke of her pleasures but when she hath once got vs in she is ready euen while we are eating with her hammer and her naile to pearce thorow our braines Phila. I see plainely this world is a very strumpet a strong bait and a snarling net wherein thousands are taken It is very birdlime which doth so belime our affections that they cannot ascend vpward It is like the waights of a clocke hanged vpon our soules which draweth them downe to the earth it naileth vs fast downe to the ground It mortifieth vs into clay it maketh vs abhominable vnto God For I remember God made a law that whatsoeuer goeth with his breast vpon the ground should be abhominable vnto vs. How much more these carnall world-lings which are fast sodered to the earth Theol. The Apostle S. Iames séeing into the déep wickednesse of this world and knowing right wel how odious it maketh vs in the sight of God crieth out against it terming it adultery and all worldlings adulterers because they for sake Christ their true husband whorishly giue their hearts to this world O yee adulterers adulteresses saith he know yee not that the amitie of this world is the enmitie of God Whosoeuer therefore will bee a friend of this world maketh himselfe the enemy of God And who dare stand forth and say I will be the enemy of God Who therefore dare be a worldling For euery worldling is the enemy of God What then will become of you O yée wicked worldlings Phila. It appeareth then plainely by the Scriptures that the excessiue loue of this world and vnsatiable desire of hauing is a most dangerous thing and men do they know not what in seeking so greedily after it Theol. The heathen man will rise vp in iudgement against vs for he saith Vnsatiablenesse is the foulest euill amongst mortal men But many of our sea-gulfs and whirle-pooles make no conscience of it They thinke it is no sinne they deuoure and swallow vp all and yet are neuer satisfied They will haue all and more then all and the diuell and al. The whole world cannot satisfie their mind but God must create new worlds to content them These men are sicke of the Golden dropsie the more they haue the more they desire The loue of money increaseth as mony if selfe increaseth But the Scripture saith He that loueth siluer shall not be satisfied with filuer Oh therefore that wée would striue earnestly to get out of this gulfe of hell and tread the moone that is all worldly things vnder our féet as it is spoken of the Church and that we would set our affections on the things that are aboue and not on the things that are beneath that we would flie an high pitch and so are aloft as the Eagles looking downe at this world and all things in it as at our féet contemning it and treading the very glory of it vnder our féet that it may neuer haue more power ouer vs Phila. Oh happy and twise happy are they that can doe so And I beseech the Almighty God giue vs his holy spirit whereby we may be carried aboue this world into the mountaines of Myrrhe and the mountaines of Spices For how happy a thing is it to haue our conuersation in heauen that is to haue an inward conuersation with God by much praier reading meditation and heauenly affections This indeed is to clime vp aboue the world and to conuerse in the chambers of peace Oh therefore that we could seriously and thorowly conceiue and consider of this world as it is that we would well weigh the vanity of it and the excellency of that which is to come that we might loath the one and loue the other despise the one and imbrace the other loue God more than euer we did and this world lesse For what is this world but vanity of vanities Antil You doe exceedingly abase that which some make their god You speake contemptuously of that which most men haue in greatest price and admiration You disgrace that which multitudes would grace You make light of that which numbers make greatest account of Let vs therefore heare your reasons shew vs more fully what it is describe it vnto vs. Theol. The world is a sea of glasse a pageant of fond delights a Theatre of vanity a labyrinth of errour a gulfe of griefe a stie of filthinesse a vale of misery a spectacle of wo a riuer of téeres a stage of deceipt a cage full of Owles a denne of Scorpions a wildernesse of Wolues a cabben of Beares a whirl-wind of passions a fained Comedie a delectable phrensie where is false delight assured griefe certaine sorrow vncertaine pleasure lasting wo fickle
when he felt the world come in vpon him with full streame said he would pull downe his barnes and build greater and say to his soule Soule thou hast much goods laid vp for many years Liue at ease eate drinke and take thy pastime But our Sauiour calleth him foole for flattering himselfe in security and promising vnto himselfe long life Moreouer hée plainely tolde him that the same night hée should make a hellish and miserable end Note I pray you how Jesus Christ the fountaine of all Wisedome calleth this man a foole and yéeldeth a reason thereof to wit because hée gathered riches to himselfe and was not rich in God hee had great care of this life and none at all for that which is to come So then it followeth that all such are right fools indéed and may be Chronicled for fooles how wise soeuer they be taken and reputed in the world which haue much care for their bodies and none for their soules great care for this life and little for that which is to come Well let all such prophane worldlings as dreame and doat of long life and therfore deferre the day of their repentance and conuersion vnto God take héed by this mans example that they reckon not without their Host and be suddenly snatched away in the midst of all their pleasures and iollities as Iob saith Some die in their full strength being in all ease and prosperity Their breasts runne full of milke and their bones run full of marrow Wée sée therefore how dangerous a thing it is for men to flatter and sooth vp themselues with hope of long life Phila. Proceed to the seuenth gate which is Conceitednesse Theol. This is indéed a very broad gate into hell For the Scripture saith Seest thou a man wise in his owne conceit there is more hope of a foole then of such a one And againe The foole is wiser in his owne eies then seuen men that can giue a sensible reason The holy ghost we sée affirmeth that such as are puft vp with an ouer-wéening of their owne gifts are farthest of all other from the kingdome of Heauen For they despise the wisedome of God to their owne destruction They hold scorne to bée taught They will say they know as much as all the Preachers can tell them For what can all the Preachers say more then this We are all sinners we must be saued by Christ Wée must doe as we would be done to There is no more but doe well and haue well c. Alas poore soules they looke aloft they are desperatly hauen vp with conceiptednesse not knowing that they are poore naked blinde miserable These men trust altogether to their owne wit learning policy riches and great reputation in the world And because all men crouch to them and clap their hands at them therefore they swell like Turky Cocks set vp their feathers draw their wings vpon the ground with a kinde of snuffe and disdaine of all men as if they were the onely wights of the world Moreouer when men doe praise them for their gifts soothe them and applaud vnto them then is it a wonder to sée how they streake themselues as though they would forthwith take their flight and mount into the cloudes But let all insolent and conceited men hearken vnto the woe that is pronounced against them by the eternall King of glory saying Woe vnto them that are wise in their owne eyes and prudent in their own sight Againe let them hearken to the counsel of God which saith Trust vnto the Lord with all thy heart but leane not vnto thine owne wisedome Bee not wise in thine owne eies but feare God and depart from euill These silly conceited fooles thinke that because they haue the cast of this life and can cunningly compasse the things of this world and goe through-stich with them therefore they can compasse heauen also by their fine wits and déepe deuices But alas poore wretches they are greatly and grossely deceiued For the wisdome of the world is foolishnesse with God and he catcheth the wise in their owne craftinesse And againe the Lord saith I wil destroy the wisdome of the wise and will cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent Let not these men therefore stand too much in their owne light let them not trust to their owne policies For they are all but as an ice of one nights fréezing which will deceiue them that trust vnto it Let them therefore become fooles in themselues that God may make them wise Let them deny themselues that God may acknowledge them Let them be humbled in themselues that God may exalt them For assuredly there is no vse after this life of the most exquistte wisedome of flesh it all endeth when we end For how dieth the wise man Euen as dieth the foole saith the holy Ghost And where all worldly wisedome endeth there all heauenly wisedome beginneth Thus therefore we sée what a wide gate into hell conceitednesse is and how many enter in thereat Phila. Now let vs vnderstand of the eight gate into hell which is ill company Theol. The spirit of God foreséeing the great danger of this and knowing how ready we are to be carried away with ill company doth giue vs most earnest warning to take héed of it as a most dangerous thing Enter not saith he in the way of the wicked and walke not in the way of euill men Auoid it goe not by it turne from it and passe by The reason héereof is yéelded in another place where it is said A companion of fooles shall be made worse Let men therefore take héede of ill company For many thereby haue béene brought to the gallowes and haue confessed vpon the ladder that ill company hath brought them vnto it and therefore haue admonished all by their example to take héed and beware of lewd company Moreouer the Scripture saith He that followeth vaine companions shall be filled with pouerty And againe in the same Chapter He that keepeth company with banquetters shameth his Father Let vs therefore with Dauid say I am a companion of all them that feare God and keepe his commandements And on the contrary let vs say with him I haue not haunted with vaine persons neither kept company with the dissemblers I hate the assembly of the euill and haue not companied with the wicked Let vs therefore by Dauids example shun the company of the wicked For as a man is so is his company It is the surest note to discern a man by For as al vnlike things are vnsociable so all like things are sociable Herein let vs beware we deceiue not our selues with vaine words and an opinion of our owne strength as if we were as strong as Christ could not be drawne away with any company No no we are more apt to be drawne then to draw to be drawne to euill by others then to draw others
their superiours whereof prayer and instructions are a part Moreouer I demand whether you were neuer angry or no Asune Yes an hundred times in my daies And I thinke there is no body but will be angry at one time or other especially when they haue cause Theol. Then you haue broken the sixt commandemēt which chargeth vs to auoid wrath anger malice desire of reuenge and all such like fore-runners vnto murther Further I aske you whether you did neuer looke vpon a woman with a lust in your heart Asune Yes For I thinke there is no man free from thoughts that way I had thought thoughts had beene freee Theol. No thoughts are not frée before God For God knoweth our thoughts wil punish vs arraigne vs condemne vs for thoughts Men know not thoughts and therefore can make no Lawes against thoughts but because God is priuy to all our most secret thoughts therefore hée hath made Lawes against them and will condemne them Therfore I conclude that if you haue nourished adulterous thoughts in your heart you are guilty of the breach of the seuenth commandement which forbiddeth all secret thoughts and prouocations whatsoeuer to adultery But further I demaund whether you did neuer pilfer purloine and steale some small things from your neighbour as pasture poultry conies apples and such like Asun I cannot cleare my selfe in these things For I had thought they had bin no sinne Theol. Then haue you broken the eight commandement and stand guilty of eternall death For God in this commandement chargeth vs to haue as great care of our neighbours goods as of our owne and not to iniure him any maner of way in thought word or déed Therefore all deceit pilfering oppressing and all vniust dealing with our neighbours goods is héere condemned Moreouer let me aske you whether you did neuer lie or dissemble Asune Yes assuredly Theo. Then haue you broken the ninth commandement wherein God chargeth vs both in witnesse-bearing and all other matters to speake the plaine truth from our heart without lying or dissembling Last of all I demand whether you did neuer in your hart desire somthing that was not your owne as your neighbours house or ground kine or shéepe c. therein bewraying the discontentment of your heart Asune I am as guilty in this as in any thing For God forgiue me I haue often desired and lusted after this and that which was none of mine owne and so haue bewraied my discontentment Theol. Then I perceiue by your owne confession that you are guilty of the breach of all the Commandements Asune I must needs confesse it For I see now more into that matter then euer I did I neuer heard so much before in my life nor was euer asked any such questions as you aske me I had thought many of those things which you asked me had beene no sinnes at all Theol. I could haue conuicted you in a thousand other particulars wherein you doe daily and hourely breake the Law of God But my purpose was onely to giue you a taste of some particular transgressions and there withal some little light by the way into the meaning of the law that thereby you might be brought to some better fight of your selfe and might a little perceiue in what case you stand before God and by that little conceiue a great deale more Asune Well now I doe plainely see that I haue beene deceiued and am not in so good estate before God as I thought I had beene Moreouer I see that thousands are out of the way which thinke they are in a good case before God whereas indeed they are in blindnesse and in their sins But Lord haue mercy vpon vs. I doe now plainely see that I am farre from keeping the commandements and I thinke no man doth keepe them Theol. You may swear it I warrant you For neither S. Paul Dauid or the virgin Mary could euer kéepe any one of the Commandements I am glad you begin to sée into the law of God and to haue some taste that way For as a mans knowledge and insight is into the law so is the knowledge and insight into himself He that hath a déepe insight into the law of God hath also a déepe insight into himselfe He that hath no sight into the law can haue no insight into himselfe For the law is that glasse wherein we do behold the face of our soules before God The Apostle saith By the law commeth the knowledge of sinne Therefore those which are altogether ignorant of the law and neuer behold themselues in this glasse do commit an hundred sinnes a day which they know not of and therefore are not gréeued for them For how can a man be gréeued for that which he knoweth not But now further I pray you giue me leaue to aske you some moe questions of the principles of religion to the end that you knowing and féeling your ignorance may bée humbled therwith bewaile it in time séeke after the true knowledge of God But yet by the way I will aske Antilegon a question or two because I desire to vnderstand what knowledge he hath in the grounds of religion Tell me therefore Antilegon what was the reason why Christ was conceiued by the holy Ghost Antil I could answer you but I will not What authority haue you to examine me Shew your Commission When I see your warrant I wil answer you In the meane time you haue nothing to doe to examine me Meddle with that you haue to doe withall Theol. I perceiue you are not only ignorant but wilfull and obstinate and refuse all instructions Therefore I will leaue you to God and to your galled conscience But I pray you Asunetus answer that question What thinke you what is the reason that Christ was conceiued by the holy Ghost Asune Beleeue me Sir that is an hard question You may aske a wise man that question For I cannot answer it Theo. What say you then to this Who was Christs mother Asune Mary Sir that was our blessed Lady Theol. What was Pontius Pilate Asun I am somwhat ignorant I am not book-learned but if you will haue my simple opinion I thinke it was the diuell For none but the diuell would put our sweet Sauiour to death Theo. What is the holy Catholicke Church which you say you doe beléeue Asune The Communion of Saints the forgiuenesse of sinnes Theol. What doe you pray for when you say Thy Kingdome come Asune I do pray that God would send vs all of his grace that we may serue him do as we ought to do keepe vs in a good mind to God ward and to haue him much in our mind For som God blesse vs haue nothing but the diuell in their minde they do nothing a Gods name Theol. What is a Sacrament Asune The Lords Supper Theol. How many Sacraments be there Asune Two Theol. Which be they Asune Bread and Wine Theo. What is the principall end
of your comming to receiue the Sacrament Asune To receiue my maker Theol. What is the principall vse of a Sacrament Asune The body and bloud of Christ Theol. What profit and comfort haue you by a Sacrament Asune In token that Christ died for vs. Theol. I can but pitie you for your ignorance for it is excéeding grosse and palpable Your answers are to no purpose and bewray a wonderful blindnesse and senselesnesse in matters of Religion I am sory that now I haue not time and leasure to let you sée your folly extreame ignorance as also to lay open vnto you the sense and meaning of the Articles of the faith the Lords prayer and the Sacraments al other the grounds of Christian Religion Asune What course would you wish me to take that I may come out of ignorance and attaine vnto the true knowledge of God Theol. Surely I would wish you to be diligent in hearing of Sermons and reading the Scriptures with praier and humility Also that you would peruse Catechismes and other good bookes and especially Viâ—els grounds of Religion and the workes of the two worthy seruants of God Master Gyffard and Master Perkins and other mens that haue done great seruice to the Church and for whom thousands are bound to giue God thanks If you take this course you shall by Gods grace within a short time grow to some good measure of knowledge in all the maine grounds of Christian religion Phila. I had not thought any man had beene so ignorant as I now perceiue this man is Theo. Yes verily there be thousands in his case And I doe know by experience that many will vse the very same answers or at least very little differing Phila. I warrant you if you had questioned with him of kine or sheepe purchasing of lands taking of Leases or any other matter vnder the sunne you should haue found him very ripe and ready in his answers Theol. I am so perswaded too For let a man talke with worldly men of worldly matters and their answer is neuer to seeke They will talke very freshly with you of such matters if it be all the day long For they haue a déepe insight into earthly things and doe wholly delight to talke of them being neuer weary For it is their ioy their meate and their drinke But come once to talke with them of Gods matters as of faith repentance regeneration c. you shall finde them the veriest dullards dunces in the world For when spéech is had of these things they are so befogged that they can not tell where they are nor what they say Phil. In my iudgement such mens case is very pitifull and dangerous And so is this mans case also if God doe not very speedily pull him out of it Theol. Questionles For God saith My people perish for want of knowledge Our Lord Jesus saith that ignorance is the cause of all errours Yee erre saith he not knowing the scriptures The Apostle saith that ignorance doth alienate vs from the life of God For saith he The gentiles were darkened in their cogitation being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them So then it is cleare that ignorance is not the mother of deuotion as the Papists doe auouch but it is the mother of errour death and destruction as the Scripture affirmeth Our Lord foreséeing the great danger of ignorance how thereby thousands are carried headlong into Hell doth admonish al men to search the Scriptures which do testifie of him that so they might get out of the most dangerous gulfe of ignorance wherein multitudes are implunged Therefore the Noble men of Berea are commended by the holy Ghost because they receiued the word with all readinesse and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Oh therefore that men would earnestly séeke after the knowledge of God in time and as the Prophet saith Seeke the Lord whilest he may be found call vpon him whilest he is neere Phila. I do see that all ignorance in matters of faith is dangerous but I thinke wilfull ignorance is of all other most dangerous Theol. Wilfull ignorance no doubt is a plaine prognostication and demonstratiue argument of eternal death For it is a most horrible and feareful thing for men to refuse instructions despise counsels harden their hearts stop their eares and close vp their eies against God This is the very vp-shot of our decay Phila. I pray you what call you hardnesse of heart Theol. An heard heart is that which is neither mooued with Gods mercies nor scared with his iudgements neither feareth the law nor regardeth the Gospel neither is holpen by threatnings nor softned by chastenings which is vnthankful for Gods benefits and disobedient to his counsels made cruell by his roddes and dissolute by his fauours vnshamefast to filthinesse and fearelesse to perils vncurteous to men and retchlesse to God forgetfull of things past negligent in things present and improuident in things to come Phila. Lay foorth yet more plainely the state of ignorant and hard hearted men and shew how lamentable it is Theol. If a man be outwardly blind we do pity him and say There goeth a poore blinde man but if he be both blind and deafe doe wée not more pity him and say Oh in how miserable a case is that man But if he bée both blinde deafe and dumbe doe we not most of all pity him and say Oh that man is in a most wofull taking and in a most pittifull plight How much more then are they to be pitied which as concerning their soules are both blinde deafe and dumbe For the diseases of the soule are far more dangerous and more to be pittied then those of the body Would it not pitty a mans heart to see a poore shéepe in a Lions mouth whilest he teareth him renteth him pulleth out his guts Euen such is the case of ignorant men in the clawes of the diuell For the diuell hath them vnder him rideth them at his pleasure and teareth their soules in péeces the gronings of souldiers wounded the doleful sighes and gronings of many Captaines and Coronels giuing vp the ghost were not this a most wofull spectacle Euen so when wée doe clearely sée Sathan wound and murther thousand thousands soules is it not a farre more tragicall lamentable sight and ought it not euen to kill our hearts to behold it But alas men haue no eies to sée into these things And yet certaine it is that Sathan doth continually and in most fearefull maner massacre innumerable soules Thus haue I shewed you the wofull estate of prophane and ignorant men Phila. If it be so you that be Ministers and Preachers of the Gospell haue taken vpon you the cure and charge of soules haue need to looke about you and to doe what in you lieth to saue soules as good shepheards in great pittie and compassion to labour to
apparell 49 51 Whooredome and the dangers thereof 54 Excuses of whooredome 56 The fearefull effects of whooredome 60 The punishment of whooredome 56 57 The causes of whooredome 63 Remedies against whooredome 67 Couetousnesse what ibid. Couetousnesse wherein it doth consist 68 Foure notes to discerne the inward couetousnesse of the heart by 69 The euill effects of couetousnesse 71 The vanitie of this world and all worldly things 76 Excuses of couetousnesse 90 Remedies against couetousnesse 97 Gods prouidence for his children in the things of this life 98 For the things of this life Gods blessing is all in all 104 Outward meanes alone do not vphold vs. ibid. 105 Gods children sometimes are brought to great distresse 108 Gods children alwaies sure to be deliuered out of trouble 113 The great priuiledges of Gods children 116 Contempt of the Gospell a grieuous sinne 120 Contempt of the Gospell punished 121 Contempt of the Gospell the sinne of this age 122 Contempt of the Gospell a foresigne of wrath to the Land 130 Swearing and the punishments thereof 138 Excuses for swearing 146 Causes of swearing 149 Remedies against swearing ibid. Lying flattering and dissembling 150 Punishments for lying 158. 159 Excuses of lying 160 Causes of lying 161 Remedies against lying ibid. Drunkennesse and all the euill effects thereof 163 Excuses of drunkennesse 167 Causes of drunkennesse 167 Remedies for drunkennesse 168 Idlenesse and the wofull effects thereof 174 Causes of Idlenesse 179 Remedies against Idlenesse 179 Oppression a most horrible sinne 180 Many woes denounced against oppressours 181 Sundry kinds of Oppression 182. 183 Causes of Oppression 197 Remedies of Oppression 197 Sinne hurteth men in their bodies goods and name ibid. Sinne bringeth great danger to the whole Land 205 Nine predictions of wrath to the Land 210 The praiers and teares of the faithfull keepe backe the wrath of God from the Land 213 Praiers of the elect of great force 214 The wicked fare the better for Gods children 220 The best course to preuent Gods iudgements and to keepe backe his wrath from our Land 224 Tenne speciall things concerning the continuance of our peace 230 Nine signes of a found soule 232 Saint Peters eight markes of saluation ibid. Seuen infallible tokens of saluation 223 Assurance of saluation in this life prooued 352 Obiections against the assurance of saluation answered 237. The ground-worke of our saluation 241 Some doubts may stand with the assurance of faith 242 It is no presumption to bee perswaded of our saluation 244 The wicked cannot be assured of their saluation 245 The security of saluation which the wicked bragge of is vaine 247 Nine things required of all that shall be saued by Christ 250 Many say they hope to be saued by Christ but few can giue a reason why Christ died for them particularly and by name 252 Few shall be saued proued by scriptures reasons and examples 256 But few euen in the visible Church shall be saued 262 Obiections against the small number of the elect answered 263 Obiections of Atheists and vnbeleeuers answered 264 Reading of the Scriptures much commended 272 Deferring of repentance dangerous 277 God no authour of mans condemnation but himselfe 278 Obiections against predestination answered 279. 280 Gods decree no cause of Adams fall 283 The decree of reprobation prooued 284 Prescience in God what 285 The decree of election prooued 286 The first mouiue of election is in God himselfe 287 Fore-seene faith and fore-seene works no motiues of saluation ibid. Faith dependeth vpon election not election vpon faith 288 A reason yeelded why there is no end of cauilling and obiecting against the truth 292 Nine barres out of heauen 293 Nine gates into hell 294 The ignorance of the world 301 The answers of ignorant men to the grounds of religion 319 The meanes to get out of ignorance 322 Ignorance a most dangerous thing 323. 324 The charge of Ministers exceeding waightie and most carefully to be looked vnto 328 What is the best course for Ministers to take to bring the people out of ignorance 331 What is the best course for the people to take that they may be brought out of the bondage of sinne and captiuitie of Satan 333 Preaching a matter of absolute necessitie vnto eternal life 337 Without preaching the people are in great danger of losing their soules 336 Sathans cunning in frustrating the hearing of the Word and making all preaching vtterly vnprofitable 339 The Preachers counsell to the ignorant man 341 Six great dangers in sinne 342 Six most fearefull euents of sinne 343 God in all ages hath seuerely punished the transgressers of his law 344 Euery sinne though neuer so little in our eies is hainous and capitall because it is against a person of infinite maiestie 346 Nine profitable considerations 346 If men would leaue words and fall to doing great good would come of it 348 Nine things much to be thought vpon 350 The description of Christs comming to iudgement 351 The terror the suddennesse the end the maner and the vse of Christs second comming described 352 353 The torments of hell with the extremitie perpetuitie and remedilesnesse thereof described 361 The ignorant man vpon the hearing of the day of iudgment and hell fire laide open is pricked in his conscience bewaileth his former life repenteth earnestly for his sinne and ignorance and desireth spirituall Physicke and comfort of the Preacher 374 The Preacher ministreth vnto him much spiritual comfort and doth in ample manner laie open vnto him all the sweete promises of the Gospell and the infinite mercy of God in Christ to all true penitent and broken hearted sinners 375 The ignorant man being afflicted in his conscience is exceedingly comforted with the hearing of Gods abundant mercy preached vnto him and thereupon doth gather great inward peace conuerteth vnto God with all his heart and doth exceedingly blesse God for the Preachers counsell 391 FINIS A Morning prayer to be vsed in priuate families O Lord our God and heauenlie Father we thy vnwoorthy children doe heere come into thy most holy and heauenly presence to giue thee praise and glory for all thy great mercies and manifold blessings towards vs especially for that thou hast preserued vs this night past from all the dangers and feares thereof hast giuen vs quiet rest to our bodies and brought vs now safely to the beginning of this day dost now afresh renew all thy mercies vpon vs as the Eagle reneweth her bill giuing vs all things abundantly to enioy as foode raiment health peace libertie and freedome from many miseries diseases casualties and calamities which we are subiect vnto in this life euery minute of an houre and not onely so but also for vouchsafeing vnto vs many good things not onely for necessitie but euen for delight also But aboue all deare Father we praise thy name for the blessings of a better life specially for thy most holy word and sacraments and all the good we enioy thereby for the continuance