to put on the armour of righteousnes on the right hand and on the left Marcus Caelius was said to haue a good right hand but an ill left hand because he could plead against a man better then for him But here it is contrary For these are armed well enough on the left hand but they lye open to the deuill on the right hand Who like a cunning fencer doth strike a great dealâ— more fiercely at the right hand then at the left Therfore Dauid saith The Lord vpoÌ„ the right hand shall wound euen Kings in the day of his wrath If sathan stand at thy right hand he shall wound thee but if the Lord stand at thy right hand thou shalt wound him and bruse his head and breake the hairy scalp of all the kings and princes of darknes Wherefore euery Christian must say with the Psalmist I haue set God alwaies before me there is the Marke for he is at my right hand so that I shall not fall And againe Thou hast holden me vp by my right hand thuo shalt guide me with thy counsell there is toward the Mark and after that receause me to glory S. Bernard writing to one Guido a Cardinall of Rome in his very first salutation wisheth him no greater gift of God then that hee might haue grace to turne neither to the right hand nor to the left And a little after in the same Epistle he requesteth him that he would learne to know himselfe and not goe beyond his owne medioâ—rity but be wise vnto sobriety This lesson the wisest that euer was teacheth vs Not to be òuer much iust neither to make our selues ouer much wise For that which is too good is starke naught and he that is too wise is a stark foole Because hee is neuer contented with the time present but needes he must haue a Praeter And yet no Praeter will content him neither not an imperfect no not a perfect but onely that which is more then perfect Now he which will needes be more then perfect shall whether hee will or noâ— be lesse then imperfect He that seeks to be more wise then he can be shall be found to be lesse wise then he should be And he that thinks himselfe seene in all things shal soone shew himselfâ— ouerseene in most things Because a selfe-conceit of surmised wisedome will not let him come to a happy increase of true wisedome And certaine it is that God will not reueale wisdome but onely to such as walke continually in the way of peace and doe not at any time like scattered sheepe runne too much on the right hand out of the way of peace into the way of precisenes Wherfore thogh it be thy right eye yet if it offend thee or cause thee to offend the Church of God by thy running beside the Marke plucke it out hardly and cast it from thee For thou knowest than he which would needs forsooth in all the hast call for fire from heauen had too hot a spirit and at that time went too much on the right hand and therfore not with a right foote to the Gospell But he that did shaue his head in Cenchrea and yeelded to many other cerimonies for peace sake which otherwise perhaps he did not greatly alow and like of as he exhotteth others to doe so he did himselfe make straight steps for his feete and went directlie toward the Marke To returne then now at the length to that which ere-while I was about to say It hath beene thought in former time that none could be perfect but they which led a solitary life Hence it is that so many writers both old and new haue so largely discoursed of the perfection of that life Yea diuers not onely inferiours but euen Princes and not only of other Countries but euen of of this realme of England haue voluntarilie relinquished theyr crowne their scepter and all their royall robes and cloystered vp themselues in Monasteries that they might liue as they thought in a more perfect state And certes I will not deny but that such as can well away with this kind of life haue many oportunities to serue God which we haue not and haue not many imperfections of the world which we haue Yet this is not the onely perfect state which tendeth toward the Mark. But as diuers haue liued verie badly in Monasteries so many haue liued very blessedly without them Yea there is no calling so meane but if a man followe Christ in it hee may well enough according to the measure of grace which it shall please GOD to giue him become a perfect man Let Ioseph be an example for seruaunts Iacob for shepheards Amos for cottagers Mathewe for farmers Peter for fishers Paul for tentmakers so forth in the rest For if a man haue the right Marke alwayes before his eyes he may liue as well in a Citty as in a sanctuary as well in a shop as in a cell So that no one calling simply of it selfe doth make a man perfect but the answer of a good conscience to God that is it which maketh a man perfect Briefly the poynt is this What lawfull calling state or condition soeuer thou art in if ouer and besides the plying of thy worldly buâ—ines thou haue a conscionable care euery day to increase spiritually also in such a faith as worketh by charity I warrant thee feare nothing thou art right enough and doest goe straight toward the Marke The superstitious pagans thought that an Idoll which they termed Vibilia kept them from erring out of their way But faith is our Vibilia which vvil not suffer vs to vvander out of the way so long as we do all things according to that patterne vvhich vvas shewed vs in the mount For Christ with his crosse in mount Caluary hath gone before vs and broken the ice already for vs and left vs an example that by faith vve might follow his steps Euery one of vs saying vnto him with holy Iob My foote hath followed thy steps thy way haue I kept and haue not declined This we shall doe if we walke in the Kings high way of charity and keepe the royall law of loue For we that are Christians goe toward the Marke not by liuing but by louing not with our feete but with our affections Neyther is there any thing which maketh a good or a bad life but a good or a bad loue Therfore he that would be perfect must be rich in good workes and according to the rule of Euangelicall perfection hee must loue not onely his frinds in God but also his foes for God Because as that is the hottest fire which warmeth theÌ„ that are furthest off so that is the most feruent perfect loue which forsaketh none though they be neuer so farre off neither friend nor
strength is confirmed in weakenesse VVe knowe but in part not as wee are knowne VVee walke by fayth not by sight VVee behold as in a Glasse darkely not face to face So that the most perfect perfection wee can attayne to in this lyfe is an humble acknowledging of that imperfection which wee haue and an earnest labouring for that perfection which wee haue not VVee liue heere in that wee hope for lyfe and we are perfect heere in that wee labour for perfection Wherfore as Salomon went vp sixe steps to come to hys great throne of Iuory so must wee ascend sixe degrees to come to this high toppe of perfection The first Not manie thinges But one thing The second I doe not remember but I Forget that which is behinde The third I stand not still but I endeuour my selfe to that which is before The fourth I runne not amisse but I followe hard The fift Not beside the marke but Toward the marke The sixt Not for anie other prize but For the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Touching the first hee sayes Not manie things But one thing Gregorie hath thys sentence The minde of man is lyke the stone Tirrhenus That stone so long as it is whole swimmeth but beeing once broken sinketh And so the heart of man beeing once broken it soone sinketh and beeing diuersly distracted it is easilie ouâ—rwhelmed Zâ—dikias did well enough so long as hee stayed in Ierusalem â—ignifying the vision of peace which is one thing but when hee was carried to Riblah signifying a multitude which is manie thinges then were his eyes put out VVhat so neare one as two And yet wee must not goe so farre from one as two seeing it is a verie hard matter and almost vnpossible that one mind should well heede two diuers things Hercules himselfe could not cope with two aduersaries at once So that Peter was vnwise to ware two swords at once Alexander sayed the whole world could not holde two Sunnes at once So that Issacar was an Asse to beare two burthens at once No man sitteth vpon two seates together No man hunteth two games together No man iustleth with two Speares together Hee that hath two harts if he haue a true hart of the one hee will haue a false hart of the other Therefore sayes Saint Iames A double hearted man is vnconstant in all his wayes He that hath two tongues if hee tell trueth with the one hee will lye with the other Therefore sayes Saint Paule Deacons must not be double tongued Hee that serues two Maisters if he please the one he will displease the other therefore sayes our Sauiour No man can serue two Maysters Hee that walketh two wayes if hee goe well in the one hee will stumble in the other Therfore saies Ecclesiasticus Woe be to the sinner which walketh two manner of wayes VVherefore we must not be lyke the Philistines which had two harts one hart that cleaued to God another that cleaued to Dagon Wee must not bee lyke the Iewes which had two tongues one tongue that sweared by the Lorde another that sweared by Malcham VVee must not bee lyke the Israelites which serued two Maysters they halted betwixt two opynions seruing sometimes God sometimes Baal VVee must not be like Salomon which walked two waies his hart was not perfect with God but somtimes he walked the way of the Lord sometimes the way of Ashteroth We must not doo so I say wee must not followe God and Dagon God Malcham God and Baal God and Ashteroth If wee would bee perfect indeede wee must followe Not many things no not so much as two thinges But one thing For this One thing is the very band of Perfection Heere-vpon Christ speaking to his Spouse sayth thus Thou hast wounded my heart with one of thine eyes and with one chaine of thy necke The Church I graunt hath manie eyes But because as the eyes of a mayden looke vnto the hand of her mistresse so all these eyes wayte onelie on the Lord looke onelie one way and so in a sort make onely one eye therefore hee sayes with One of thine eyes So likewise the Church hath many chaynes But because these chaynes are so linked and intorteled together that they all make in a manner but one golden chayne of Christian vertues which is the band of Perfection and bindeth the Church to Christ as the necke ioyneth the bodie to the head therefore hee sayes with One chayne of the necke This one eye it is this one chayne it is which makes Christ in loue with his Church which ouercomes him and woundes his heart Thou hast wounded my heart sayes hee with one of thine eyes and with one chayne of thy neck The Spouse of Christ must haue but One chayne about her necke The Disciple of Christ must haue but One coate vppon his backe Hee must not be a turne-coate much lesse a change-coate Seeing indeed that which Cyprian speakes of Christes coate may be as truly sayde of euery Christians coate That eyther it must be Vnica or else it cannot be Tunica eyther it must be One or none For as Rebeccaes two Twins did strugle and wrestle before they were borne for hatred and malice but Elizabeths one childe did spring and skip before hee was borne for ioy and gladnes so hee that busies himselfe about more thinges then one shall neuer prooue singular in anie thing nay hee shall finde that strife and resistance in his head which Rebecca did in her wombe but hee that labours and trauailes onely about One thing shall bring it to good perfection and be as well deliuered of it as Elizabeth was of Iohn Baptist. Hence it is that wee are exhorted for our heart to haue One heart and one soule for our tongue to speake One and the selfe same thing for our Master to serue One Maister in heauen for our way to walke after One and the selfe same rule According to that most wise and worthy word One heart One way VVhich is also agreeable to the word of God who sayeth I will giue them one hart and one way that they may feare me for euer for the wealth of them and of their children after them Wherefore let vs not haue many mindes or trouble our selues about many thinges but with Mary mind onely One thing which is necessarie let vs not haue many tongues or desire many things but euery one of vs say with Dauid One thing onely haue I desired of the Lord let vs not serue many Maisters or be many Maisters our selues but as Sophony speaketh with One shoulder serue the Lorde our God and onely worship him let vs not walk many waies or kick against many pricks or shoote at rouers as I may say but with Saint Paule in this place ayme onely
and neuer goes forward vnlesse it be whipt Or like a mill-horse which making many steps turnes about and is continually found in the same place Or as dore which riding vpon his hinges all the day long is neuer a whit nearer at night So likewise Newters runne beside the marke by going forward and backward in a maze These doe not aske of their Father an egge but a Scorpion For an egge would teach them to goe onely forward but a Scorpion doth teach them to goe both forward and backward Like the Barnacles which are both flesh and fish Or the Israelites which speake both Ashdod and Hebrew Or Ianus which sees both before and behind Or Balaam which doth both blesse and curse Such a Newter among the Romaines was Tully who could not resolue whether he should take Caesars or Pompeis part Among the Grecians was Tytides who could not determine whether he shold ioyne himselfe with Achilles or Hector Among the Iews was the tribe of Ephraim which was as cake vpon the harth not turned bakt on the one side and raw on the other side Among the Gentiles was the Church of Laodicea which was neither hot nor colde neither hot because it was raw on the one side nor colde because it was bakt on the other side So it is with all Newters Theyr cake is dowe as we say and they hold of both sides and as ambidexters with Ehud they play with both hands and as the sunne in Ezekias time they goe both forward and backward Running vp and downe in and out and yet indeede are neyther aboue nor beneath neither within nor without Panarches ridle was this How a man and no man can with a stone and no stone kill a bird and no bird sitting vpon a tree and no tree Athenaeus makes the answere That an Eunuche is the man a Pumeise is the stone a Bat is the bird Fennell is the tree After the same sort a Newter is a very hard riddle You can not tell what to make of him For going forward and backward he is a Christian and no Christian. Like an Eunuche which is a man and no man or a Pumeise which is a stone and no stone or a Bat which is a bird and no bird or Fennell which is a tree and no tree Now Humorists also run beside the marke by going too much on the right hand Therefore Dauid could wish his vttter enemy no geater harme then that sathan might stand at his right hand Sathan stands at a mans left hand when he draweth him by the arme into the old way of Atheisme At a mans right hand when he pulleth him by the elbow into the new-found way of Puriâ—anisme For so blessed Cramner sayes Some lose their game by short-shooting some by ouer-shooting some walke too much on the left hand some too much on the right hand The first which shoot short walk too much on the left hand are Atheists these latter which ouer-shoote themselues and walk too much on the right hand are Humorists Of both which S. Austine writeth thus we must in any case beware and take heed sayes he of the mischieuous infection not onely of tares which are Atheists but also of those branches that haue cut themselues from the Lords Vine which are Humorists For as Atalanta ranging out on the right hand to gather vp those gold apples which Hippomanes for the nonce threw forth before her did lose the wager she ran for no otherwise they which are not thankfull to God for the glorious peace and prosperity of his Church but runne after euery strange-deuised discipline and take vp all pritty nouelties as golden apples which euery man leâ—s fall shall without question misse the marke and lose the garland of glory VVherefore we must runne not too much on the left hand as Atheists do not round about in a circle as Temporizers do not forward and backward in a maze as Nâ—wters doe not too much on the right hand as Humorists doe not any other way beside the marke but toward the Marke Iohn Baptist did goe before Christ to make ready a perfect people for the Lord Now the sum of Iohns preching was this Prepare the way of the Lord and make his path straight So that they which walke in a straight path directly toward Christ are a perfect people for the Lord. Therefore wee which would runne toward the Marke must leaue all Atheisme all Gentilisme all prophanenes all lewdnes on the left hand as Paul did leaue Cyprus on the left hand when he sayled toward Sâ—â—ia For thus touching the world Saint Basil telleth vs That wee must for sake all those worldly affections which may draw vs any way beside the Marke of true godlines Touching the flesh Maximus telleth vs That when our mind is perfectly freed from fleshly desires then it goeth on straight without any declining from the Marke Touching the deuill Macarius telleth vs That we cannot auoyde that gaping gulfe wherein the powers of darknes are ouer-whelmed except the spirit of Christ be our pilot and guide vs in a straight course toward the Marke and in a right line as it were to the hauen of rest For indeed Hymenius and Alexander wanting this guide made shipwrack of their faith and were ouerwhelmed in the gulfe of damnation being deliuered to the deuill that they might learne not to blaspheme Wherevpon Occumenius saith that it asketh good Art is a poynt of great cunning for a man to keep the scope of Christianity and to goe right toward the Marke of truth And therfore as gunners winke with their left eye that they may leuell more truly in semblable sort we must not behold any vngodlines or sinister dealing with our eyes but we must aime directly toward Christ and either if it be possible hit the Marke or at the leastwise with those left-handed Beniamites come within a hayres breadth of it When Diogenes saw a bungling Archer shoot he ran as fast as he could to the Marke The lookers on demaunded what he meant in so doing He answered to make sure that he might not be hit For this fellowe saise he means neuer to come neere the Marke Thus must we doe WheÌ„ we see prophane straglers starting a side like a broken bow and rouing a great way wide on the left hand wee must presently runne to the Marke That not only we may keepe our selues safe froÌ„ the danger of their ill ensample but also we may giue aime as it were to others by our good ensample and direct them that they be neyther wide nor short of the Marke Now for Temporizers wee know that Iosephs brethren stood so long dallying and delaying and trifling out the time that hauing a iourney to buy corn they might haue returned twise before they would goe once Also that Elizeus when
feete of clay Shall wee begin in the spirit and ende in the flesh p God forbid God for his mercie sake keepe vs from such fearfull falling from him Nay rather let vs remember that Ioseph signifieth encreasing and Arimathea signifieth getting the reward to teach vs that if wee would bee like to Ioseph of Arimathea wee must alwayes encrease and goe on till we get the reward The other Ioseph also had a coate reaching downe to his feete to teach vs that we must not haue skarlet about our head and dung about our feete not gold about our head and clay about our feete but that vvhen we put on the Lord Iesus we must put on such a skarlet robe of righteousnesse such a golden garment of grace such a vesture of a godlie and vertuous lyfe such a coate of a holy and heauenly conuersation as may reach to the feete as may continue to the end considering our Sauiour hath sayd He that perseuereth vnto the end shall be saued and againe Be faithfull vnto death and I will giue thee the crowne of life This crowne of lyfe is promised to all those which make a good beginning but performed onely to those which make a good ending And they which runne in a race runne all yet one onely that is he which holdeth out to the end receiueth the prize And none are saued but such as are marked in theyr foreheads with the letter Tau which is the note of perseueraâ—ce and perfection And if we would be conformable to the crosse of Christ the liuely picture of all perfection wee must be like vnto it not onely in the depth of faith and in the height of hope and in the breadth of charity but also in the length of perseuerance Because all the depth height and breadth of the crosse is nothing without the length and so all the faith hope and charity of a Christian is to no purpose without continuance in them euen vnto the end VVherefore my good brethren yet once againe I will say and then I will say no more Let vs drawe neere vnto God with a true heart in assurance of faith and let vs keepe the profession of our hope without wauering and let vs consider one another to prouoke vnto charity and to good workes and so much the more because wee see the breaking of the day draweth neere and the kingdome of heauen is at hand There is a Greeke word signifying the ende of a race which is deriued of another Greeke word signifying to spurre or pricke on forward VVhich proueth that as they which runne theyr horses for a wager spurre hardest at the races end so seeing our saluation is neerer now then euer it was therefore wee must runne faster now then euer wee did Especially because the very horse and mule and diuers other bruite beasts which haue no vnderstanding though they haue beene neuer so much wearied and tyred before yet when they come neere home they will mend their pace And therefore the more to blame should we be if hauing trauailed thus far already in the way to perfection and being come by this time almost to our iournies end wee should now goe no further when in deed we ought if it be possible to run much faster to our euerlasting home in heauen O beloued all the Saints in heaueÌ„ think long yea they think of vs they long for vs and they earnestly desire to be perfected with vs because they certainely knowe they cannot be perfected without vs The holy Angels also as they blush and holde downe theyr heads vvhen they see vs stumble or trippe neuer so little so on the other side they shoute and clap their hands when they see vs runne cheerefully in a good course and come away apace to perfection Lastly Christ himselfe doth stand wayting for vs and beckning to vs and hartning vs on all the way being readie to receiue vs and to imbrace vs in the armes of his louing mercy as soone as euer wee come to the ende of our race For euen as a royall King when one of his nobles returnes home which hath in a forraine Countrey by chiualry or feates of armes or other like excellent parts atchieued great renowne to his realme presently sendeth for him to the Court and in open audience giueth him words of grace and aduanceth him to high preferments and honors so Christ our most magnificent King immediatly vpon our arriuall into heauen out of the forraine Countrey of this world will reach forth vnto vs his holy hand conducting vs to the eternall tabernacles of rest and as for all the prayers that wee haue made all the teares that we haue shed all the almes that we haue giuen all the other exercises of a Christian life that we haue performed though neuer so secretly in this pursuite of perfection he will openly reward them and most gloriouslie crowne them vvhen as all the hoast of Angels shall triumph for our coronation and the blessed Saints shall thinke themselues more perfect for our pefeâ—â—ion and all the Court of heauen shall applaude our prayses and God himselfe shall saye Amen to our felicities VVhich that it may so happily come to passe and that euery one of vs vvhich nowe vvith Iacob vvrastleth vnto the breaking of the day and constantlie keepeth the law appoynted vnto him may in the ende with Israell see God and haue the full fruition of his glorie and enioy the euerlasting testament which is The prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus graunt vvee beseech thee O deare Lord graunt it to vs I say not for our owne deserts or merits but for the tender mercies of the same our sweete Sauiour Christ Iesus to vvhom vvith the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory power and prayse dignitie and dominion now aâ—d euermore Amen FINIS a He. 7. v. 19 b Ih 19. 13. c Lu. 14. 30. d Ge. 1. v. 1. e Rom. 9. 14 f 1. Cor. 3. 9 g Mar. 5. 48. h Quomodo proficis si iâ— tibi suâ—â—icis i Exo. 25. 10. i1 Ki. 7. 32 k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l 1. Sa. 3 23. m Lu. 17. 10. n Esa 64. 5 o 2. Cor. 12. 9. p 1. Cor. 13 12. q 2 Cor. 5. 7. r 1. Col. 13. 12. s Est quaedaÌ„ imperfecta perfectio vt sciat homo se non esse perfectum in hac vita Primaesius in Col. c. 1. in fine t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nyssenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in fine u Spes vitae immortaliâ— est vita vitae mortalis Au. in p. â—03 x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecume in Hâ— c. 6. y Reg. 10. 19. z Cum animus diuiditur ad multa fit minor ad singulae a Iere. 39. 5. h Vt res opposstas mens ferat vna duas Cor. Gallus i Lu. 22. 3â— k Gen. 49 14. l Iam. 1 8. m
Elias called him went about the bush as we say and would needes goe bid his Father and his Mother farwell before he would follow the Prophet Paul did not so Being called of God hee did not stand temporizing and cirkling and consulting with flesh and blood before hee would followe toward the Marke neither did he fetch a compasse as hee was constrained to doe when he ariued at Rhegium but as hee came with a straight course to Cous so heere straight wayes hee came to Christ. There is but one place in the whole Scripture which may seeme to serue them which serue the time And that is where the Apostle exhorteth vs not to be slothfull in seruice but feruent in spirit seruing the time They that by seruing the time vnderstand taking all oportunities to doe good expound it neuerthelesse thus That wee must apply our selues to the time yet so as in euery inclination and turning we keepe a straight course But all the fathers Origen onely excepted doe reade the place otherwise Ierome by name saith most peremptorily Let others reade seruing the time I for my part will reade seruing the Lord. And this reading in deede is much more agreeable to the text So that heere is nothing sayde in defence of time-seruers For they that are such serue not the Lord Iesus Christ they are not Christ-seruers but they serue their owne bellies and with their glauering and flattering they seduce the harts of the simple and leade them beside the Marke Therfore as fleachers to make their shatts fâ—ie stedily peece them with sugarchest or holy or such like heauy wood so we must adioyne to that aspe or seruice tree or such other light matter which we are all made of the sweet sugarchest of the holy ghost that we may not be vnsteadie as arrowes of aspe nor yet slothfull in seruice but feruent in spirit seruing the Lord. Saint Ambrose reporteth that the Bee beeing to flye home to her hiue and fearing least if she should be taken by the way with the wind shee might perhaps bee blowne about in the ayre counterpeizes her selfe with a little stone and so flies straight home This may teach vs also what we ought to doe We must not be wauering carried about with euery blast of doctrine like a reed shaken in the wind but as the Bee is balaunced with a little stone so wee must be built vpon the chiefe corner stone and grounded vpon a rock and established with grace that howsoeuer the rayne fall or the floods arise or the winds blow or what times soeuer come yet wee may stand fast in the streete which is called straight alwayes following Christ directly toward the Marke To come nowe to Newters they may be compared to a Weauers shittle which if it goe forward one way presently goes backward againe as much another way Or to a Weauer himselfe such an one as Penelope was who would doe and vndoe weauing that in the day time which shee did vnweaue in the night But contrariwise sayth our Apostle If I build againe the things that I haue destroyed I make my selfe a transgressor As if he shold say If I weaue and vnweaue if I build and destroy I make my selfe a Newter and so consequently run beside the Marke For no man doth more transgresse then he that is doubtfull and vncertaine in religion one while putting his foote forward another while pulling it backward againe God sayth to his people which come to worship him in his temple That he which entreth in by the way of the North gate shall goe out by the way of the South gate and he that entreth by the way of the South gate shall goe forth by the way of the North gate hee shall not returne by the way of the gate wherby he came but they shall goe forth ouer against it Thus the wise men which came to worship Christ returned not home the same way they came but returned home another way For it was behoofull that beleeuing nowe in Christ they should not walke any more in the wayes of their olde conuersation but that taking a new course they should leaue all their former errors goe forward continually toward the Marke Among those sowles which are counted abhominable the Sea-mew or the Gull is one Nowe this is vncleane because it liues in both elements both in the water and in the earth swimming as a fish and yet flying as a bird And certainely those wise men shold haue been such fooles and such gulls as these are if they had worshipped both circumcision which is an earthly rudiment and also Bapâ—â—sme which is administred by water by the holy Ghost For the holy Ghost sayth if you be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing As if hee should say If you goe backward againe to the circumcision of Herod hauing gone thus far forward to the baptisme of Christ you make your selues Newters and shall neuer come to the Marke The Iewes were charged not to weare a garment of diuers sorts as of linnen and woollen together Hath God care of Oxen and hath he not much more care of preachers Hath God care of those garments wherewith our bodies are couered and hath he not much more care of those vertues wherewith our mindes are adorned Yes verely wee must so vnderstand it that by this Iewish lawe we are all charged not to runne with old clouted shooes vpon our feet when our feete should be newe shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace not to sow a peece of new cloath into an olde garment when old things are now past and al things are become new In one word not to haue a linsie woolsie religion or a parcht moath-eaten conscience but to weare such a faire cognisance of certainty and constancie vpon our coate as all men may see that without any newtrality or hipocrasie we follow hard toward the Marke and sincerely serue God Therefore as Theseus beeing guided by Ariadnes threed which shee tyed at the entrance into Dedalus labyrinth escaped all the danger and error of it euen so wee must make Christ the doore by which we must enter into the labyrinth of all our affaires and tye Rahabs threed at this entrance and follow it all the way that so wee may be safe and goe in and out and finde pasture For to goe in and out after this sort is not to goe forward backward but to go only forward Seeing whether we goe in by remembrance of Christs mercies or goe out by consideration of our own miseries whether we goe in by faith or goe out by good works whether we goe in by life or goe out by death alwayes we finde pasture that is heauenly comfort in Christ alwayes we goe forward alwayes wee follow toward the Marke Now for Humorists S. Paul aduiseth vs