daily Heb. 3. And in the 19. of Leuit. it is expressely set downe Thou shalt plainly rebuke thy Neighbour and shalt not suffer him to sinne And there is none but a Cain that will deny to bee his brothers keeper But is not euery man tyed aswell by the rule of Gods word as by the lawes of euery well gouerned common wealth not onely to reprehend but also to informe against any person that either by word or deede shall seeke to eclipse the honour or dignitie of his Prince If we owe this duty to a King here vpon the earth how much are wee further obliged to the King of Kings to the King of Heauen shall we see his lawes despised his name prophaned his Maiestie blasphemed and shall we be silent and hold our peace Qui tacet consentire videtur to heare and see and say nothing is to make our selues a partie But we dare not do our duties for displeasing of those that haue alreadie bequeathed themselues to the Diuell for offending a Drunkard for offending an Adulterer for offending a Blasphemer for offending a Papist From hence it is that vice doth now sleepe in that security that Philips Boy that euery day cloyed his master with the clamor of mortalitie is not able to awaken it but thou that art so a sleepe in sinne that nothing can awaken thee assure thy selfe thou shalt be so awakened that nothing shall bring the a sleepe I haue hitherto spoken of the custome of sinne how it hath weakned our spirits and lulde vs a sleepe in the cradle of security I do appeale from your drowsie lustes to your awakened consciences whether I haue spoken the truth or nay If I should now speake of the antiquitie of sinne and should therewithall take vpon me to deliuer the manifold afflictions that from time to time and from age to age she hath drawne from the iudgment seate of God to punish the enormity of wickednesse here vpon the earth I might enter into such a labyrinth as Theseus clew would hardly suffice to wind me out It was sinne that first secluded the Angels from the ioyes of heauen it was Sinne that draue Adam out of Paradise It was sinne that caused the inundation of the whole world It was sinne that drew on the tempest of Fire and Brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrha It was sinne that brought destruction on that holy city of Ierusalem It is sinne that at all times and in all ages hath plaid the Strumpet through all the partes of the world and hath filled the whole face of the earth with her brood of bastards And as the Armies of the Low countries are compounded of English of Scots of French of Spanish of Italians of Germans and of all the nations of Christendome collected and gathered together so the sinnes of all those countries and of all the world besides are euery day ingrossed and transported into England We haue stolne away the pride and ambition of the Spaniard the fraude and falshood of the French the deceit and subtilty of the Italian the drunkennesse and swearing of the German we haue robbed the Iew of his vsury the barbarous Sicilian of his rage and cruelty the Turke and Infidel of his infidelity and vnbeliefe we haue spoyled the Venetian Curtizans of their alluring vanities to decke our English women in the new fashion and Rome that sometimes hath beene worthily renowned but now reputed to be the very synke of sinne we haue brought from them their idolatry their superstition their popery their heresie and we haue robbed the Pope himselfe and all his colledge of Cardinals both of their luxury and their letchery and all his whole rablement of Monks Fryers and Massing Priests of their beastly Bawdery This propagation of sinne that hath infected the whole world with their abhominations thus transported into England are now there resident and all entertained not like strangers but as natiues that had beene both borne and bred in the countrey And that old hagge Sinne herselfe that a man would thinke should be so far spent in yeares and ouerworne with age that she should be past trimming is more propagating at this present howre then she was fiue thousand yeares agoe and is become more wanton nice and toyish then euer she was before And notwithstanding though from the beginning she hath bin notoriously knowne to be a most infamous strūpet common to all yet now within these very few yeares one of these poore thread bare knights Sir Nicholas New-fashions by name that had so wasted and consumed himselfe in foolish pride and prodigality that he was not worth the clothes that was belonging to his owne backe hoping by her means to support his vaine glorious pride hath taken her to be his wife and hath made her a Lady And although sinne of her owne nature and disposition be both proud and presumptuous more then ynough yet now being dignified with a Ladiship and being inrould in the Heraulds booke to march in the Ladies rancke she is become more bold and insolent then euer she was and who now but my Lady New fashions that is had in esteeme she is almost euery day troling in her Coach about the streetes insinuating herselfe into euery company there is no feasting banquiting reueling nor any other merry meeting but my Lady New fashions is a principall guest When she meeteth and conuerseth with Ladies and Gentlewomen some shee teacheth to paint themselues some to powder their periwigs some she doth corrupt in manners making them to be like her selfe Bold impudent immodest some she induceth to play the Harlots For as she herselfe hath bin a common Strumpet from the beginning so shee hath bin a notorious Bawde and a Witch and those women that shee cannot inchant with her Siren tongue those shee infameth by lying and slandering And who is it but this old Beldame Sinne now bearing the name of the Lady new fashions that setteth a worke these new fangled Tailers these Body-makers these Perfumers these Imbroderers these Attire-makers and all the rest of these inuenters of vanities that are the instruments of sinne that doth inforce their whole endeauours to fit her in her follies and to decke and adorne her in her pride and wantonnesse The number is almost without number that doth both serue her and will likewise seeke to defend her Artificers Tradesmen Shopkeepers Men women and children are all depending vpon her and as Demetrius the siluer smith in the 19. of the Actes incenced the people against Paul telling the Crafts-men that he went about to diminish the dignitie and reputation of their great Goddesse Diana which if he should bring to passe their gaines would likewise quaill that got their liuings by those workes belonging to her selfe and to her great Temple in Ephesus and as these perswasions stirred vp the multitude in those daies so he that in this age doth but open his lippes to speake against sinne shall want no
strength that shee began on the sudden to play the Rebell and with a tumultuous assembly gathered together in the plaines of Shinar shee began to fortifie her selfe against Heauen Amongst those Giants then reigning ouer the face of the earth that greedy Curre Couetousnesse which the Apostle tearmeth to be the roote of all euils was amongst a number of other monstrous sinnes fostered vp by Ambition Couetousnesse was the first parent of Oppression Extortion Bribery Vsury Fraud Deceit Subtilty and that common Strumpet Idolatry was a bastard borne of this broode Idolatry had issue the Lady Lecherie who in processe of time became so conuersant with the Pope and his Cardinals that they procreated amongst them that loathsome sinne of Buggery It would bee a matter of impossibilitie for me to set downe the varieties of those sinnes that are hatched vp in these daies when so many new fashioned iniquities doth swarme both in Cittie Towne and Country that were our bodies but halfe so diseased with sicknesses as our soules be with sins it could not be auoided but that some strange and vnheard-of mortality would ensue The time hath beene men would maske their vices with cloaked dissimulation from the eye of the world but now iniquitie is set forth bare fast without any maske of preteires to hide her ougly visage They sought to couer their sinnes from the open show we haue so litle shame that we neuer seek to shelter them our Ancestors were but bunglers at vice they had not the wit to grace a sinne nor to set it forth to the show they could but call a Spade a spade a Greene Goose a gosling a professed Broker a craftie knaue we are become farre more exquisite we can make an Owle a Hawke a Iacke Naaps a sheepe an old Milne Horse a palfry for a man of honour we can call Impudency Audacitie Rage Courage Wilinesse wit Obstinacy Constancy and Lewde Lust Pure Loue. Our wittes are become more capering then they were in times past our conceits more nimble and ready to finde out new trickes new toies and new inuentions as well of follies as of fashions But what remedie pride thinkes scorne to be reprooued or to be told of her faults she is growne so stubborne and so stately Swearing swaggers out admonition and will not be reprooued Whooredome and Drunkennesse hath so hid themselues in the Maze of vanities that repentance can no where fiinde them out Rage Fury are produced as argumēts of valour where the Lie shall be giuen but vpon the speaking of a word the Stab againe returned but for the giuing of the Lie where not to pleadge a Health is a ground good ynough for a Challenge and the taking of wall made a heinous matter whereby many times murther doth insue But sinners haue three shrewd witnesses to testifie against them the Diuell the Law and their owne Consciences but if here vpon the earth a mans owne conscience condemnes him for his sinne how much greater shall be the iudgement of God The glory of pride as she passeth through the streetes in this age doth so farre exceed that the eye of heauen is ashamed to behold it And those blessings which God hath giuen vs in great measure we consume in pride and wantonnesse and like Swine we beslauer the precious pearles of Gods abundant plenty conuerting them by our excessiue pride into dearth and scarcity and this wickednesse ariseth not from Turkes Iesuits Heretykes and Papists but from the professors of true Christianity and euen now in the hottest Sunne-shine of the Gospell we haue neglected Heauen to dote vpon the vaine pleasures of the earth and haue forsaken God but to wrappe our selues in the excrement of wormes a little garded and garnished with the minerall of Gold and Siluer How many that are not able to pay honestly for home-spunne cloth will yet weare silke and will euery day glister in Gold and Siluer the soule goes euery day in her working day clothes whilest the body keepes perpetuall holy-day and iets vp and downe in her seuerall suites How many againe are so eager of superfluities that all their racked rents in the country are not able to discharge the Shop bookes in the City when there be that will spend asmuch as some knights be worth but in a payre of Garters and a payre of Shooestrings It is pride that hath banished Hospitality and good house keeping It is pride that raiseth the rents and rates of all things vniuersally It is pride that breadeth our dearth and scarcities It is pride that impouerisheth City Towne and countrey It is pride that filles all the prisons in England and brings a number to the Gallowes It is pride if it be not preuented in time that will make a hangmans roome in reuersion to be a good sute for a gentleman that hath honestly serued his Prince and Countrey for howsoeuer hee may shift for meate and drinke he shall be sure to want no cloathes It was a happy age when a man might haue wooed his wench with a paire of Kiddes lether Gloues a Siluer Thimble or with a Tawdry Lace but now a veluet gowne a chaine of pearle or a coach with foure horses will scarcely serue the turne shee that her mother would haue beene glad of a good Ambling Maare to haue rode to Market on will not now steppe out of her owne doores to crosse the other side of the streete but shee must haue her coache It was a merry world when seauen or eight yeards of veluet would haue made a gowne for a Lady of honour now eighteene will not suffice for her that is scarce worthy to be a good Ladies laundresse we are growne from a peticoate of stamell to cloath of siluer cloath of gold silke stockings and not so much as our shoes but they must be imbrodered with siluer with gold yea and sometimes with pearles I haue spoken of pride indifferently how it inforceth a like both men and women it is pride that draweth after it such a daily innouation of new fashions that I thinke they haue found out whole Mines of new inuentions or they haue gotten the Philosophers stone to multiply there is such a daily multiplicity both of follies and fashions Vitellius in his daies searched farre and neare for the varieties of Nature but we haue harrowed Hell in these daies for the vanity of new fashions and I thinke wee haue found them out for hee that had as many Eyes as Argus were not able to looke into the one halfe that are now followed and imbraced aswell by men as women The Prophet Esay in his 3. Chapt. maketh mentiō of many strange engins belongeth to women he speaketh there of oyntments for their lippes of caules and round attires for their heads of sweete balles bracelets and bonnets of tabiletes earrings muffelers wimples vailes crisping pinnes glasses lawnes and fine linnen These and many other vanities belonging to women are there numbred
beene told me that I haue already incurred the displeasure of a great number for some lines by me formerly published inueighing against pride against drunkennesse against adulterie but especially for writing against popery But those that doth taxe and torture me with their tongues they are not any persons of any great account they are but drunkards adulterers and other vicious liuers the most of them indeed poore ignorant papists whom I do rather pittie than any waies despite but as the Philosopher that suspected the vprightnesse of his owne carriage when he heard himselfe to be commended by a man that was noted to be of a loose and a lewd conuersation so vnderstanding what they be that doth thus detect and depraue me I doe hold my selfe to be better graced by their discommendations than if they would set open their throates to publish forth my praises For amongst all the slaues of imperfections the Lyar and the Slanderer doth least of all offend me because I know that a thousand I mputations iniuriously published by a thousand detracting slanderers are not halfe so grieuous to a man of wisedome and iudgement as one matter of truth avowed by him that is of honest life and reputation But is not this a fearefull time when iniquitie doth so reigne and rage that the wretches of the world would still wallow in their wickednesse without impeachment or contradiction but especially the Papists that are themselues so busie and so repugnant to the lawes both of God and the ' Prince first the Pope with his Bulles with his Indulgences with his Pardons with his Dispensations with his Absolutions with his Priests with his Iesuites with his Ministers of all sorts and of all professions that are still conspiring that are still practising with poisons with pistoles with stabbing knifes with Gunpowder traines that are still repugning that are still peruerting that are still seducing and drawing the hearts of the people from that dutie and obedience they doe owe to their soueraignes nay that doth draw so many poore soules to destruction for although all sorts of sinnes did neuer so much abound as they doe at this houre yet of my conscience the Pope himselfe doth send more Christian soules to the Diuell and Hell is more beholding to the Popes Holinesse alone then to all the rest of those ougly Monsters that are called by the name of the seauen deadly sinnes But what sinner so intemperate but will himselfe confesse in generall that all sorts of sinnes were neuer more inordinate and that wickednesse and abhomination were neuer more apparant and I might say againe neuer les punished The Adulterer will cry phough at the lothsome sinne of Drunkennesse the Blasphemer will sweare the vsurer is a most damned creature the Extortioner will laugh at pride and make himselfe merry with the Folly of new fashions Thus euery vicious liuer can one deride an other but they cannot indure to heare themselues detected and they will laugh at the very same imperfections in an other that they cannot see in themselues neither will they beleeue any other that should informe them of them But I tell thee thou man or woman whatsoeuer thou be that disdainest to heare thy wickednesse reproued thou art fallen into temptation and thou art in danger of a iudgement he that is fallen into that Lethargie of sinne that he neither feeleth himselfe nor will indure to be told of it is in a dangerous plight he is past recouery There is no sickenesse so dangerous as that which is least felt and as he that feeleth not his sicknesse neuer seeketh the Phisitian so he that feeleth not his sinne neuer careth for repentance and he that hath no remorse to repent can neuer be forgiuen for how should Christ forgiue him his sinnes that will neuer acknowledge them but if the sins of this age doth not make worke for repentance they will make a great deale of businesse for the Diuell Forbeare then thou captious Slaue of sinne to complaine against those that doe complaine against thee when we cannot turne our eyes on neither side but we shall see some rouing with boldnesse some rauing with madnesse some reeling with drunkennesse some rioting in wantonnesse some cursing with bitternes They haue made a sacrifice of their soules to the Diuell they neither feare nor reuerence God but esteeme all godlinesse as a mockery they do but play with religion and do but deride at Diuinity it selfe all will censure none will amend yet many will cry out the daies are euill when they themselues do helpe to make them worse and worse If we haue a little verball deuotion be sure it is mixt with actuall abhomination But they will say it only belongeth to the preacher to reprooue sinnes but not fit for euery particular person to meddle with We cannot weare a garment in the new fashion saies one we cannot drinke a pot with a good fellow saies another we cannot fortifie our words with the credit of an oath saies a third but euery Foole will be shooting of his bolt euery Criticke companion will be girding at vs busiyng himselfe with that which becomes him not to meddle with It is truth there are many will goe to Church they will not misse a Sermon they haue their Bookes carried after them they are very attentiue they turne ouer leaues they consent to the preacher they say his doctrine is good they pretend great loue to the truth they make many signes and showes of zeale but being once returned to their owne homes what reformation or amendment of life do they not liue still as if Heauen and Hell were but the Fictions of Fooles and that the threatnings denounced by the preacher against sin were but dreames and old wiues tales The prophesies pronouncing the punishment of sin they are esteemed but as Cassandrias Ryddles they are not regarded And what is it but the vnbeleefe of that doctrine that the Prophets the Apostles and that Christ himselfe haue deliuered that thus armeth the wicked with boldnesse to sinne The word of God is not regarded and if sometimes they doe take the Maske of religion it is but when pietie becomes their aduantage vertue may now and then be set forth to the show but it is but as a Staale to draw into the Net of villany The preachers of the word which are the Fishers of Soules they fish but now introubled waters they may fish perhaps and catch a Frog or peraduenture light vpon a Cuttell that will vent forth yncke but if their Nets doe sometimes inclose yet they are seldome seene to hold a Fish that is great mightie he that seeth this can not sigh is not a witnesse but an agent and he that can see this without compassion is like a Nero that can sit and sing whilst he sees Rome a burning The Apostle willeth vs to exhort one an other and not for once and so away but
till fitter opportunitie may serue to awaken them They say it is not good to awake a barking dogge but these bee all byting curres that sheepe-biter like doe euery day rauen and worrie the whole Common-wealth Couetousnesse is the curre that deuoureth his owne Actaeon it is the Charybdis that greedie gulfe that swalloweth vp all without respect either of friend or foe either of vertuous or vitious it is the Canker of the Common-wealth that eateth vp the gettings of the poore It is the viper that poisoneth the eares of Princes teaching them to set aside all iust and honourable dealing It is Couetousnesse that thinketh nothing to be vnlawfull where either gaine is to be begotten or gold to be gathered It is Couetousnesse that maketh no conscience in gathering of gold nor spilling of blood holding nothing to be vnlawfull that bringeth in gaine It is Couetousnesse that eateth vp the meanes that the poore haue to liue by and that reaues the sweate from the Labourers browes The couetous wretch heapeth together abundance of wealth with paine with trauell with periurie with oppression with vsurie with extortion with wronging their neighbours with the curse of the poore which they leaue againe to their vnthrifty heires no lesse prodigall in spending then their fathers were miserable in gathering Couetous persons amongst all other are most pernitious to be admitted to the administration of Iustice for by how much more they be aduanced to greatnesse by so much the more they are accursed of the poore people and daily vengeance denounced against them by as many as doe but heare them spoken of The couetous miser is then most ready to deuoure when he makes semblance of greatest loue and amitie and when he begins once to giue precepts of good counsell his aduise is then most dangerous for if it bring not poison in the mouth be sure it brings a sting in the taile o what paines the miser will take but to coniure a little money into the narrow circle of a canuas bagge he thinketh that the Angels of Heauen are not comparable to the Angels that be in his purse I thinke if Hell were a place of returne and that either gold or gaine were there to be gotten more triple headed dogges then one were not able to defend the entry Mammon is a great God and hee is honoured by no base persons he is serued by the rich and reuerenced by the mighty Bribery is a bird of the same wing though not so great a God as Mammon yet mightily befriended defended and supported But as a man that hath change of names is seldome found to be honest so a Bribe that is sometimes great by the name of a gift sometimes of a present sometimes of a gratification sometimes of a Beneuolence doth so slily passe from hand to hand vnder so many names and titles that Bribery indeed is hardly discerned Vnder these names and showes Bribery many times preiudiceth the seruice of the Prince peruerteth good Lawes and armeth all sorts of sinners with boldnesse to offend The lawes and ordinances that are sometimes decreed in Cities and Townes corporate for the common good of the inhabitants Briberie so dissolueth them as if they had beene ordained to no other purpose but to bring in gifts and rewards and God forgiue them their sinnes that will say their be many institutions ordained indeed amongst these inferiour sort of towne magistrates rather to bring in bribes then to punish abuse Bribery many times standeth in the doore of greatnesse and sometimes helpes vp iniurie to the place of audience but he that hath but a bad matter to follow briberie is the man that must first do his message for he that hath art and skill to know both how to giue and take a bribe he hath the onely approoued medicine to passe through any affaires that are possible to be effected There be many notes whereby thou maiest know a briber for all his cunning counterfeiting but take these few for the most speciall he loueth still to be neere about a magistrate or at the elbow of any other great person in place and authority and if you marke him well he is euer more incroaching to creepe into an office and if you misse him in any of these places you shall lightly hit vpon him amongst some of the Clarkes that are belonging to some of the foure Courts I would be glad now to present to your view the true picture of vsury but there hath beene question made of vsury what it is some would haue it to consist onely in the letting of money but if we could aswell vnderstand the spirituall as we do plod at the litterall there was neuer more occasion to exclaime against vsury then at this present But it is written Thou shalt not giue thy money to vsurie therefore to extort to exact to oppresse to deceiue by false waights by false measures by lying by flattering by periurie or by any other manner of deceitful villanie they thinke it honest trade and traffique The Land-lord that racketh vp his rents the Farmer that hoiseth vp the market the Merchant that robbeth the Realme the Shop-keeper that buyeth by one weight and selleth by another the Baker flatly cossineth the poore in euery loafe of bread that hee buieth to fill his belly the Bruer that is no lesse deceitful in the measure of his caske then in the price of his beere the craftie Tradesman the deceitfull Artificer what are all these and many other moe that might be here inserted if they be not vsurers what are they but arrant Theeues And I would here craue the censure of Diuinity whether hee that will not sell but for excessiue gaine whether he that selleth vpon trust and will therefore hoise vp his commoditie to the higher prizes whether he that will not lend vpon a pawne vnlesse he may buy it out right to the great hinderance of the partie that selleth it whether he that takes aduantage of his neighbours necessitie either in buying or selling whether he that purchaseth his neighbours house or liuing out of his hands whether he that buies an office thereby to poule and pill whether he that doth take excessiue gaine or excessiue fees whether these or such other like are to be accounted vsurers or nay and whether all these things thus mentioned and spoken of are not as fit to be reformed as the vsurie in lending of mony There be some that haue done their indeauours for the reforming of vsurie but now as the Apostle saith The law speaketh to them that are vnder the law Romanes 3. so I speake now of the place where my selfe was resident at the writing of these lines namely at the cittie of Dubline in Ireland where mony being scant and where there bee no lenders but vpon good securitie and profit both togither yet in Dubline as in all other places men are driuen vpon necessarie occasions that haue not
not so great a grace in pray sing as in ill speaking but yet to blaze the praises of my friend I would wish a learned Poets pen that with a drop of Inke can exalt him whom they loue and leaue him famed to posterity But this trauell of wit is the most thriftlesse and vnprofitable exercise that any man can indeuour for where doth it finde recompence or who is he that doth reward it The Swaine that followeth his handy worke is paid at night for his handy labour the Cobler that sits and cloutes a Shoe receiues his peny for his patch but he that digs the Myne of wit and giues the world new eyes to see into conceits beyond the common sence what gaineth he or what is his reward perhaps good words A poore satisfaction yet he that gets good words from all must haue a strange Subiect and a pleasing pen. But stay my braynesick thoughts whither will you gallop you haue ridden a large circuit and I feare me quite out of the way or at the least to little purpose You haue inueighed against sin and that is all one to rolle Sisiphus Stone or to fill Daneas Tubs We must not taxe the times abuses we may make a show to expell vice and to shut it out at the brode gate but we may priuily take it in againe at the wicket wee may desire to come to Christ but it must bee with Nicodemus it must bee in the night when no bodie may see vs. We may dance with Christ in the one hand and the world in an other and so wee inroule our selues in his Muster booke we may march in Sathans campe and fight vnder the Diuels banner It is ynough to cry Lord Lord but not to doe any thing that is commanded by the Lord if we thinke of God wee thinke him to be a good man easie to be pleased and vve knovv hovv to put him off vvith faire vvords and dumbe shovves till our prime of pleasure be past it is time ynough to repeÌ„t vs of our sins when we be vvel spent in yeres ready for the graue but if vve vvill haue our wils in sinne God will haue his will in punishment and our short pleasures being ended euen then begins our euerlasting paines the pleasures and delights of the world as they are soone loued so they are as quickly ended but they are long yea very long lamented My conclusion is it is lesse misery when we die to giue vp the ghost then vvhilst vve liue to giue vp the holie Ghost I leaue vvhat I haue vvritten to thy conscience and leauing againe thy conscience to God I rest FINIS EPILOGVS I Haue here cast into a small volume a large discourse of sin and wickednes the which I haue endeauoured rather by a diligent obseruation of the time then by any other shaddow of complement I haue composed a Glasse wherein to behold the inconstant follies of this giddy headed age a taske that I know wil rather produce hatred then win loue the vicious sort doth so hugge their sinnes and doth so bestroke and flatter their owne abhominations that he that should but detect there vice and villany he could not be accounted to be Caesars friend they cry out crucifige crucifige away with him and deliuer vnto vs Baxabas Let vs haue him that can sing lullaby to folly that can smooth vp sinne and wincke at any maner of wickednesse He that is too busie with his ve vobis he must be brought coram nobis he must haue his tongue charmed he must be taught to know to whom he speaks and how he dares presume to disturb their quietnes that are so addicted to follow their pleasure and delight that they cannot indure to heare neither of God nor the Diuell neither of heauen nor of hell nor of any other motion that should either mooue them to repentance or reprehend there sinnes WheÌ„ Lot went about to disswade the Sodomites from their abhominations were they not angry with him did they not say vnto him What hast thou to doe to take vpon thee to correct and iudge vs He that should now speake against the pride of the time where should he be able to shew his face but that both men and women would be ready to worrow him whoredome and adultery hath so many friends to support them so many fauourites to vphold them so many of all sorts both old and yong rich and poore that doth delight follow the game that he that should but open his lips to reprehend it the whole rablement of whoremasters harlots bawdes panders and such vicious liuers they would say he were a criticke a satirist a precisian a puritane or a counterfeit hipocrite but they would not mend their liues Drunkennesse againe is growne into that generalitie that he is not accounted to be an honest man that will not bee drunken for good fellowship but amongst drunkards that be of diuerse kindes I hold those to bee more dangerous ill that are drunken with vanitie then those other that are drunken with wine for the one two houres sleepe may restore him againe to the vse of his senses but the other many houres daies monethes nor yeares may suffice to make him to looke into his owne folly Amongst these I commend me to the drunken Tobacconists that doth besot themselues in their owne conceits attributing that soueraignty to a stinking Indian weede that if they were not enemies to their owne discretions daily experience would teach them that their excessiue sucking at their Tobacco pipe is but a flat mockery and would make that fauorite that doth thinke himselfe most wise to defend it to confesse his owne ignorance neither can there be a stronger argument to proue it meere vanitie indeed then to see it so much imbraced by so many vaine men that doth so much dote and are so farre in loue with it that some of them are more angry with him that doth but speak against their Tobacco then they would be with him that should take exceptions at the shalownesse of their wit But hee that weares a siluer or a golden Mine on his backe there is no question to be made neither of his wit nor of his honesty he may praise or dispraise how or what he list he is priuiledged and he hath a parcell of scripture to avow in his owne behalfe Dixit insipiens Psal 14. By this it may appeare Sinne is growne to that statelines of Pride that shee will not be controld If we speake against sinne we must doe it lispingly wee must not speake it out too bitterly but the follies of this age must bee seasoned with sugar they must be made sweete but those sinnes that do seeme sweete in the committing will be found as bitter when without repentance they come to be accounted for Loâ—ke vpon the actions of this age consider of the times abuses whose eyes are so bleared with vice that doth not behold how sinne and