the naturall goods For whereas a man is a reasonable creature and sinne is a worke made against nature and it is naturall that euery contrary destroy his opposit it followeth that by how much more our sinns are multiplied by so much the powers of the soule are destroyed troubled not in themselues but in theyr toward workings After this manner doe sinnes make the soule miserable infirme slowe and instable to all goodnes but ready and prompt to all euill they make her weake to resist temptations and slowe to walke the way of the commaundements of our Lord. They also depriue her of thâ— true liberty and domâ—nion of the Spirit and make her captiue to the world the deuill the flesh and her owne appetites and after this manner shee liueth in harder captiuitie then that of Babylon or Egypt Besides all the spirituall sences of the minde are made slow so that they neither heare the voyces and diuine inspirations neither see the great euâ—ls that are prepared for them neither smell the sweet odor of vertue nor the woorthy examples of the Saints nor taste how sweet our lord is nor feele his scourges nor acknowledge his benefites by which he prouoketh theÌ„ to loue And besides all this they take away the peace ioy of conscience extinguish the feruor of the Spirit and leaue a man defiled lothsome deformed abhominable in the sight of God and all his Saints This benefite deliuereth vs from all these euils For the Abiss of diuine mercy is not content to haue pardoned our sinnes and to haue receiued man into his fauour except hee also expell all those euills which sinnes bring with them reforming renewing our inward man After thys manner he healeth our woundes hee washeth our vncleannes he breaketh the bonds of sinners destroyeth the yoake of euill desires deliuereth vs froÌ„ the seruitude of the deuil mittigateth the fury of our peruerse affections restoreth vnto vs the tru liberty pulchritude of the soule giueth vs peace ioy of good conscience quickneth our interior sences maketh them prompt to doe all goodnes slow to all wickednes He maketh them strong to resist temptations of the deuill endoweth them with good works To conclude so absolutely renueth hee and repaireth he our interiour man with all his powers as the Apostle feareth not to call such kind of men iustified renewed or rather newâ— creatures This renouation is so great that when it is giuen by Baptisme it is called regeneration and when it is restored by repentance it is called resurrection not onely because the soule is raised from the death of sinne to the life of grace but because in a certaine manner it imitateth the beauty of the future resurrection And that is so true that no tongue of man is sufficient to expresse the beauty of the iustified soule but only that spirit knoweth this that beautifieth the same and maketh it his temple lodgeth himselfe in it Wherefore if thou compare all the ritches of this world all his honours all his naturall graces and all his acquired vertues with the beautie and ritches of the soule that is iustified all of them shall seeme most obscure vild in comparison thereof For as great difference as there is betwixt heauen and earth betweene the spirit and the bodie betweene eternity and time so great also is founde betwixt the life of grace the lyfe of nature between the beauty of the soule and of the body betwixt the interior and exterior riches betweene spirituall and naturall fortitude For all these are circumscribed by certaine termes are temporall and seeme only faire to the out ward eye to which the generall concourse of God is sufficient but to those other a perticuler supernaturall concourse is required neyther can they be called temporall where as they bring to eternity neither any wayes termed finite beâ—ause they deserue God in whose eyes they are so precious and of such value that by theyr beautie they prouoke God himselfe to loue But whereas God might worke all these thinges by his onely presence he would not doe it but it pleased him to adorne the soule with infused vertues and with the 7. dowers of the holie Spirit with which not onelâ— the very essence of the soule it selfe but also all the powers thereof are inuested and adorned with these diuine habits Besides all these diuine benefites that eternall and infinite goodnesse of God annexeth an other namely the presence of the holy ghost or rather of the whole blessed Trinitie which entreth into the iustified soule and commeth to inhabite in the same that it may teach her how to vse in due sort so great riches Like to a good Father who not content to haue giuen his riches to his sonne giueth him a tutor also who knoweth howe to administer them well So that euen as in the soule of a sinner Vipers Dragons and Serpents inhabite who are the multitude of malignant spirits who haue taken vp their lodging in such a soule as our Sauiour in S. Mathew affirmeth So contrariwise into the iustified soule the holy Ghost with the whole sacred Trinitie doe enter and casting out all monsters and infernall beasts consecrateth the same for a temple for himselfe and placeth his seate there As our Lorde himselfe expresly testifieth in the gospell written by Saint Iohn saying If any man loue mee hee wil obserue my sayings and my Father shall loue him and we will com vnto him make our mansion with him By vertue of these wordes all the Doctors as well Ecclesiasticall as Scholasticall doe confesse that the holy Ghost himselfe truly and after a certaine speciall manner dooth dwell in the iustified soule distinguishing betwixt the holy ghost his gyfts saying moreouer that not onely these gifts of the holy Ghost â—re giuen but that the holy ghost also giueth himselfe who entring into this soule maketh her his temple and habitation fixing his seate in â—he same Hee therefore purgeth â—he same sanctifieth decketh her with his vertues that shee may be a sufficient mansion wherein hee may inhabite The aboue named benefites suffice not except another and that admirable be ioyned vnto theÌ„ nameâ—ie that all the iustified are made the lyuing members of our Sauiour who were first but dead members For they dyd not receaue the â—nfluences from theyr Lord head Christ. Hence doe orher and they very great prerogatiues and excellencies arise For hence commeth it that Gods onelie Sonne loueth them as his owne members and hath no lesse care of them then of himselfe hee is no lesse solicitous for them then for his owne members without intermission hee powreth into them his vertues as the heade into his members Finally the eternâ—â—l Father beholdeth them with fauoâ—rable eyes no otherwise then the liuing members of his onely begotten Sonne vnited with him concorporate by the participation of his Spirit and therefore their acâ—â—ons are gratefull and pleasing as
reward one and common to all the elect For there shall be perfect charity and God shall be all in all For that cause it shall be the common exercise of all to loue and praise God without end or intermission CHAP. 4. BVT in that we haue already aboundantly discoursed of the condemnation and sentence which attendeth impious and sinfull men it consequently foloweth that we speake som-whâ—â— also of the beatitude and reward of good men Now this blessednes iâ— that desired and holy Kingdome of heauen and that happy life which God from the beginning of the created world prepared for those who loue and follow him There is no tongue eyther humaine or angelicall that can worthily expresse what that reward shall be or what that life will be But that thou mayst haue some tast and receaue some knowledge of the same I will by the way report that which Saint Augustine wrote of it in certaine of his Meditations O thou life saiâ—h â—e that God hath prepared for those â—hat loue him liuing life blessed â—ife amiable life cleane life chast â—ife holy life life ignorant of death deuoyd of sorrow life without blot without greefe without anxietie without corruption without perâ—urbation without varietie and muâ—ation lyfe full of all elegancie and dignitie where there is no aduersaâ—ie to impugne where there is no â—llurement of sinne where there is â—erfect loue and no feare where â—he day is eternall and one spirit of â—ll Where GOD is beheld face to â—ace and with this foode of life the minde is satiate and satisfied without defect It dooth mee good to intende to â—hy cleerenes thy beauties delight my greedy hart the more power I haue to consider with my selfe the more doe I languish with the loue of thee with the vehement desire of thee and I am greatly delighted with thy sweete memory O thou most happy life ô thou truly blessed kingdome wanting death void of end to which no times succeede by â—ge where as the continuall day without night cannot haue time where as the conquering Souldiour accompanying those hymne-singing quires of Angels singeth vnto God without ceasing a song of the songs of Sion hauing his noble heade inuironed with a perpetualâ— crowne Would to God the pardon of my finnes were graunted mee and that presently laying aside this burthen of my flesh I might enter into the true rest of thy ioyes and that possessing the most beautifull admirable walls of thy citty I might receiue the crowne of life from the handes of our Lorde that I might accompany these holy quires that with those blessed spirits I might asist the glory of the Creator that face to face I might behold Christ that I might alwayes looke vppon that high ineffable and vncircumscribed light Happy is that soule which deliuered froÌ„ this earthly body may freely ascend to heauen that secure and peaceable neither feareth the deuil nor death Happy eternally happie my soule if after this corporall death it may be counted worthy to behold thy glory thy maiesty thy beautie thy gates walls streetes thy many mansions thy noble cittizens and thy most mightie kingdome in thy comlines For thy vvalls are of precious stone and thy gates of the purest Margarites thy streetes are of burnisht golde wherein without intermission Alleluia is sunge thy mansions are many founded on squared stones builded with Saphires couered with golden tile into which no man entreth except he be cleane wherein no one inhabiteth that is defiled Mother Ierusalem thou art made faire and sweet in thy delights there is no such thing in thee as we suffer heere and behold in this miserable life They differ very far from those thinges which are daily present before our eyes in this life full of calamitie There is no darknes in thee neither night or any change of time The light of the candle shyneth not in thee or the bright Moone or the beamy starres but God of gods the light of lights the sunne of iustice alwaies illuminateth thee The white and immaculate Lambe is thy cleere delightfull light The King of Kings is in the midst of thee his children round about him There the quires of hymne-tuning Angels there the societie of the supernall Cittizens there the sweete solemnitie of all those that returne from this wofull pilgrimage vnto thy ioyes There the prouident company of the prophets there the twelue number of the Apostles There the victorious host of innumerable Martyrs there the sacred couent of the saints Confessors there the true and perfect Monks there the holy women that haue ouercome the pleasures of the world and the infirmities of theyr sexe There the young men maidens that flying the snares of thys world with sacred manners haue past theyr time in all vertues there are the sheepe and lambes which haue already escaped the snares and pleasures of thys life All reioyce in theyr peculier mansions The glory of euery one is different yet is the ioy of them all common Full and perfect charitie raigneth there because God is there all in all whom they beholde without ende and seeing him alwaies burne in his loue loue laude him They praise and loue All theyr labour is the prayse of God wiâ—hout end without defect without labor Happie were I and truly happy for euerlasting if after the resolution of thys body of mine I shall deserue to hear those canticles of celestiall melody which are sung in praise of the eternall King by those cittizens of the celestiall country troopes of blessed spirits Fortunate were I and incredibly blessed if I likewise might deserue to sing them and assist my King my God my guide and see him in his glory euen as hee hath dayned to promise saying Father I will that those whoÌ„ thou hast giuen me be with me that they may beholde my beauty and maiestie which I had with thee before the beginning of the world Tell me I pray thee brother what a day shal that be which shal knock at thy gate the course of this thy pilgrimage beeing ended that if thou hast liued in the feare of God may from death transferre thee to immortality wherein others were wont to feare thou shalt beginne to lyft vp thy heade because thy râ—demption is at hand Come out I pray thee a little while sayth S. Ierosme writing to Eustochia the Virgine froÌ„ the prison and depaint before thine eyes the rich reward of thy present labor which neyther eye hath seene nor eare heard neyther hath the hart of man conceiued the like VVhat day shall that be when as the Virgine Mary shall meete thee attended by all the troopes of Virgins who on the otherside of the Redde-sea the host of Pharao being drowned who bearing a tymbrel shal sing to those that aunswere Let vs sing to our Lord for he hath gloriously honored vs he hath cast down the horse and the ryder into the sea TheÌ„ shal the Spouse himselfe meete her
their profit now watch for their perdition as God saith by the Prophet I will fixe mine eyes vppon them in euill and not in good Neither is there place wherein a man may hide himselfe from these eyes as God testifieth at large in the same chapter And how perilous it is to haue God incensed against vs many examples doe teach vs. To this prouidence it appertayneth to prouide men of all those necessary meanes to the attainment of the finall end which is beatitude helping them in all their necessities and creating in their soules dispositions vertues and infused habites which are all required to that ende Of this number the first is the grace of the holy spirit next after that prouidence the beginning of all other priuiledges and celestiall gifts Now this grace is the participation of the diuine nature that is of goodnes purity and nobility of God himselfe by whose helpe and meanes a man casteth away from himselfe all vilenes abiectnes inciuilitie which hee receaued from Adam and is made pertaker of the diuine nobilitie putting off himselfe and putting on Iesus Christ. Grace is the spirituall ornament of the soule made by the handes of the holy Ghost which maketh the soule so faire and gracious in Gods eyes that hee receaueth the same for his daughter and his spouse Of this ornament Esay boasteth Reioycing saith he I will reioyce in our Lord c. The principall effect of grace is to make the soule so gratefull and faire in Gods eyes that hee chooseth the same for his daughter his spouse his temple his house in which he delighteth himselfe with the sonnes of men Another effect thereof is not onely to adorne the soule but also to strengthen it by the meanes of those vertues which proceede from the same which are like Sampsons haires in which conâ—isted not onely his beauty but his strength Grace therfore armeth the whole man and maketh him so strong as S. Thomas saith That the least grace is sufficient to bind and ouercome all deuils and all sinnes It maketh also all actions yea euen those that are indifferent gratefull vnto God It maketh vs the sonnes of God by adoption and heires of the celestial Kingdome worthy also to be registred in the booke of life And to speake many things in a few words Grace is that which maketh a man apt to all goodnes that smootheth the way to heauen that lightneth and maketh our Lords yoake easie vnto vs that healeth our infirme nature enflâ—meth our will comforteth our memory strengthneth our wit moderateth the sensuâ—l part least it ouer-flow with offences confirmeth the irefull least it be slack and sluggish to doe well Finally it maketh God dwell in our soules that dwelling in the same he might gouerne defend and direct the same towards heauen God therefore â—itteth in our soules like a King in his Kingdome a Generall in his Army a Master in his Schoole and a Shepheard in his Flocke that hee may there exercise and execute all spirituall offices and all prouidence Goe too therefore if this so goodly a Margarite from which so many benefites doe flowe be a perpetuall companion of vertue who would not willingly imitate that prudent Merchaunt in the Gospell who solde all that hee hadde that hee might get this one and onely treasure This grace doe they all want that are entangled and perseuer in sinne The thirde priuiledge is a certaine speciall light and supernaturall wisedome which GOD bestoweth on those who are iust and which is deriued from grace For the office therof is to heale our weak nature Euen as therefore hee healeth our will weakened by sinne so also ought it to cure our vnderstanding wholy obscured by the same sinne That the vnderstanding may know what to doe and the will may haue power to doe that which hee now knoweth needfull to be done Therefore the Prophet saiâ—e Our Lord is mâ—â—ightning against ignoâ—ance and my â—aâ—uation against my weakenes To this â—riuiledge appertaine the foure gifts of the holy Spirit as are the gift of wisedome wâ—ich is giuen for the knowledge of diuine things The gift of science which is giuen that wee may vnderstand inferiour thinges The gift of vnderstanding by which we attaine the knowledge of the misteries of God And the gift of counâ—aile by meanes whereof wee conceaue the actions of this life and in them how to gouerne what so euer shall encounter vs. But this knowledge is not so much speculatiue as actiue not so much contemplatiue as practiue neither is it giuen vs that we should vnderstand but that wee should worke not that wee should be subtill ingenious in disputing but that wee should be studious in enduring And therefore it remayneth not only in the vnderstanding aâ— Sciences which are acquired in Schooles but by the vertue thereof it mooueth the will enclining the same to follow vertue Of this Science Christ speaketh in the Gospell The holy Ghost which my Father sendeth in my name he shall teach you in all truth and it is written in the Prophets They shall bee all taught of God They that pertake this celestiall gift are not puffed vp with vaine glory in prosperity nor amated in aduersity For by the benefit of this light they see of how small moment it is which the world can giue or take away if it be compared with those thinges which are in Gods power The wise-man testifieth this when he saith A man setled in his wisedome abideth as the Sunne The foole is changed like the Moone This is that wisedome which the children of light enioy but on the contrary side the wicked liue in those horrible darks of Egipt which may be felt with the handes Of which thing the figure was where it is said That in the land of Goshen where the children of Israell dwelt there was light and in Egipt for three dayes space so thick darknes that it might be felt which represented that obscure night in which â—inners liue as they themselues confesse in Esay saâ—ing We haue exspected the light and behold darknes the cleare day and beholde we haue walked in obscurity We haue felt for the wall like blind men and as it were without eyes wee haue groped about wee haue stumbled at noone-dayes as it were in darknes and in misty as it were the dead For what greater blindnes can it be then to sell the right of first birth that is the heritage of the celestiall Kingdome for a little pleasure of this worlde then not to feare hell not to aspire to heauen not to hate sinne not to remember the latter iudgement to set light by the promises and threatnings of our Lord not to remeÌ„ber death which euery moment is imminent not to prepare himselfe to yeeld an account not to thinke that it is a momentarie thing which delighteth and an eternall which dooth excruciate They knewe not sayth the Prophet neyther vnderstand they walk 〈◊〉 darknes and
to which the iust doe direct their course when-so-euer anie tempest of this world dooth assaile them and like a strong shield wherein all our enemies darts are receaued without any wound It is as it were a gadge or prouant hidden to â—hich in time of famine all the poore maâ— repaire and take bread It is that Tabernacle and that shaddowe which our Lord promiseth by Esay that it should be to his elect a shelter in the heate of the day and a couert from the storme and raine that is from all aduersity and prosperity of this worlde Fâ—nally it is a medicine and common remedy for all our euils For it is most certaine that what soeuer we iustly faithfully and prudently hope from God we shall receaue the same so that it be necessary for our saluation and pertaine therevnto Therefore Cyprian caleth the mercy of GOD an inexhaunst fountaine of goodnes and hope or a vessell of confidence wherein those benefites are contayned and hee sayth that according to the quantity of the vessell the proportion of the remedy shall bee likewise correspondent For in regard of the fountaine the water of mercy shall neuer faile Euery place sayth our Lorde to the chyldren of Israell which the step of your foote shall tread vpon I will giue you So all the mercy vpoÌ„ which a man shall settle his foote shall be his The wicked also haue a certaine hope yet not a liuing but a deade hope for sinne taketh away the lyfe thereof therfore their hope worketh not in them the effects which we haue aboue rehearsed Of thys hope it is written The hope of the wicked is like the downe that is tossed vp like the light foame which is scattered by the storme like the â—moake which is dispersed by the winde By which you may perceiue howe vaine the hope of the wicked is And not onely is this hope vaine but hurtfull deceitfull and dangerous also as GOD warneth by the Prophet Wo vnto you you sonnes forsakers that is you that haue forsaken your Father saith our Lord that you might doe counsaile but not of me c. hoping for helpe in the strength of Pharao and hauing trust in the shadow of Egypt And Pharaos strength shall be confusion vnto you that which followeth And in the chapter which foloweth Woe to you that descende into Egipt for help hoping in your horses c. You see heere that the hope of the wicked is flesh of the good spirit the one of them to bee nought els then man the other to be God So that what difference there is between god man the same is there founde betweene hope and hope What difference there is betweene both the hopes the Prophet Ieremie aptly describeth Chapter 17. Cursed saith hee is the man that trusteth in man c And after hee hath expounded this malediction he opposeth the blessing of the righteous Blessed saith he is the man that trusteth in our Lord c. ¶ Of these sixe fore-sayde Priuiledges and their contraries hath he entreated lib 1 part 2 of the Guide of a sinner Chapters 13 14 15 16 17 18. The Argument The riches of vertue are not circumscribed within these priuiledges only but they haue also other six annexed vnto them no lesse valuable theÌ„ the former as are That it maketh the man in whom it abideth possessor of the true liberty of thâ— Spirit and free from all perturbâ—tions That it filleth the hart with incredible peace That God heareth the prayers of good men That the diuine assistance is alwayes neere them in all their tribulations That all good things are bestowed on the godly which are any wayes necessary in this life That the death of the righteous is pleasant blessed peaceable to which goods so many euils are opposed which make the life of dissolute men miserâ—ble and vnhappy CHAP. 15. THe seauenth priuiledge of Vertue is the true liberty of the minde of which the Apostle speaketh Where the Spirit of our Lord is there is liberty Thys liberty our Lorde promised the Iewes when he sayd If you shall continue in my sayings you shall truly be my disciples and you shall knowe the truth and the truth shall deliuer you that is shall giue you true liberty They answered hâ—m We are the seed of Abraham and we haue not as yet serued any man how sayst thou then yee shall be free Iesus answered said vnto them Verily verily I say vnto you Euery one that doth sin is the slaue of sin now the seruant remaineth not in the house for euer but the sonne remaineth for euer If therfore the Son hath deliuered you you shal be truly free In which words there is a double liberty insinuated a false and a true The false is theyrs who haue theyr body free but their soule captiue subiect to the tyrannie of their own passions and sinnes such as was that of Alexander the great who beeing King of the whole worlde was a slaue to his owne appetites and vices The true is of those which haue theyr mindes voyde of all thoâ—e tyrants although they haue theyr bodie sometimes free somtimes thrale and captiue Such as was that of the Apostle Saint Paule who although he were captiue and held in bonds yet in spirit he flew thorow the heauens and by the doctrine of his Epistles seâ— at liberty the whole world This true liberty is of those that follow vertue but the false is of those that lye drowned in vice and sin ¶ Of this liberty of the good thraldome of the wicked there is a most excellent and copious treatise in the first booke of the Guide of a sinner part 2. chap. 19. to which place we refer the Reader The eyght priuiledge is the peace of the interior man which the studious in verâ—ue doe enioy Now it â—s to be noted that there arâ— three sorts of peace The one with our neighbour of which Dauid speaketh when he sayth I was peaceable with those that hated peace when I spake vnto them they imâ—ugned mee without a cause Another peace is with GOD of which the Apostle sayth Being iustified therefore by fayth let vs haue peace with GOD. The thyrd is that which a man hath with himselfe Nowe that I say thus let no man admire for it appeareth that in one and the same man there are foundeâ— two men and they contrary the one against the other as are the interior and exterior or the spirit and flesh the appetite and reason VVhich contrarietie not onely combatteth the minde with cruell assaults but troubleth the whole man also with his passions ardent desires and raging hunger The godly therefore hauing grace the gouernour of aâ—â— their sences appetites and all their wil resigned into the hands of god are not by any encounter so perturbed as that they loose theyr interior peace This peace is promised by our Lord to the louers of vertue by the kingly prophet
¶ This matter is largely handled lib. 1. of the Guide of a sinner chap. 26. whence these things are taken The Argument No man ought to abuse Gods mercie nor vnder the hope thereof perseuer in sinne for if the same mercie doe so patiently suffer so many Insidells in this worlde and euill Christians in the Church it will also suffer those that sinne â—o bee damned CHAP. 19. AND if thou say that the mercy of God is great and that it comforteth thee so much that perseuering in thy peruerse and wicked lyfe thou trustest that thou shalt be â—aued I pray thee what sin may be more haynous Thou sayst that the mercie of God is immeasurable for he would lyke an offender be crucified for sinners I confesse it veâ—â—ly to be great for it suffereth thee to breake out into this cursed blasphemie such as is this that thou wilt that his bounty should fauour thy iniquity thou shouldst take his crosse which hee apprehended as a meane that the kingdome of sinne might be destroyed thou takest it as a meane whereby sinne may be protected and defended and where thou owest him a thousand e liues if thou hadst so many because hee sacrificed vp his life for thee there catchest thou an occasion also to deny him that life which thou hast nay rather that which thou receauedst from him Our Sauiour more greeueth at this then the death it selfe which he suffered for thee for hee that lamenteth not in his death complaineth greeuously of thy sins by the Prophet saying Vpon my backe haue sinners built they haue prolonged their iniquity Tell me I pray thee who taught thee so to argue that by reason that God is good thou shouldst conclude that it is lawfull for thee to follow sinne and iniquity The holy ghost seemeth to conâ—lude after another maner namâ—ly that by reâ—â—on that God is good hee gatherâ—â—h him to be worthy to bâ— honoured obaâ—ed and louâ—d aboue â—ll â—hingâ— And because God is good it is reason also that man should be goode and hope in him who when hee is a most grieuous sinner is ready to receiue him into grace if with all his hart he conuert himselfe vnto him Because God is good and so good truly it is a double sinne to offende so great a goodnes Therefore by how much the more thou amplifiest the goodnes of God by so much the more doost thou make hainous thy sinne which thou committest against him Nowe is it requisite that so greeuous a sinne should bee punished for such is the nature and office of the diuine iustice which as thou thinkest is not opposite but a sister and reuenger of the Diuine bounty that it cannot leaue so enormous an iniury vnpunished Pâ—rseuering therfore in thy sinne thinke not that thou hast any interest in the mercy of God but rather that his iustice attendeth thee innumerable others Heare I pray you what the diuine mercy winketh at and suffereth Thou canst not deny me that of a hundred parts of thys worlde there is but one of them christian and of ninety nine others there is not one of them to bee saued For it is without all question that euen as without the Arke of Noe in the time of the Dâ—luge no man was saued neyther out of the house of Rahab in the Citty of Iericho so no man can be saued that is founde out of the house of God which is his church But beholde that part which is made famous by the name of the christians and see in what estate the Christian affaires doe stande in thys most corrupt world and thou wilt confesse that in this misticall body that from the sole of the foote vnto the crowne of the head there is scarcly any member to be found that is sound Choose any one that best liketh thee of those famous citties in which the steps of pure sincere religion and doctrine are yet extant Run afterward thorow all the lesser citties villages and castles in which there is scarce any memorâ— of religion left and thou shalt finde the people of whom that of Ieremy may truly bee affirmed Walke about the wayes of Ierusalem and behold and consider and seeke thorowe the streetes thereof whether you finde a man dooing iudgment and seeking fayth that is a truly iust man and I will bee mercifull vnto him Walke likewise not onely the Tauerns and publique places for they for the most part are dedicated to lyes trifles and deceits looke into the houses of thy neighbours as Ieremie did thou shalt know that there is no man that speaketh good neyther shalt thou heare ought else but murmures lyes cursings othes blasphemies There is no man that repenteth himselfe of his sinne saying What haue I done To conclude thou shalt in effect finde that the harts and tongues of men are imployed in no other thinges then earthly and priuate commodities neyther shalt thou heare GOD any otherwise named but in othes and blasphemies in which they abuse gods name which memory of his name God coÌ„playneth of by the same prophet saying They remember me but not as they ought swering vntruly by my name So that by the exterior signes it is scarely knowne whether this people be Christian or gentile except it be after the maner that we know bells which are seene a farre of but are knowne by their sounde So mayst thou knowe them by theyr othes and blasphemies which are meerely heard the rest can neyther be knowne nor iudged But I pray you howe may such be numbred amongst the rancke of those of whoÌ„ Esay speaketh Whosoeuer shall see them shall knowe them because these are the seede which God blessed And if the lyfe of Christians ought to bee such that they that behold them a far shoulde iudge them to be the sonns of God in what place ought they to be reckoned who rather seeme to bee scoffers deprauers deceauers and contemners of God then true christians All these things are more amply discoursed by mee that thou mayst vnderstand that if notwithstanding the mercy of God which thou pretendeâ—t GOD permitteth so many infidells and so many euill Christians to be in his Church and so many of the infidels and euill Christians to perrish that hee permitteth not thee also to perrish with them whose lyfe thou doost imitate Dyd the heauens perhaps reioyce vppon thy byrth or doe the iudgements of God and the lawes of the gospel then cease that the worlde may be one to thee and other to another man If therefore notwithstanding mercy hell â—e so dilated so many thousand soules are daily swallowed vp by the same shal thy soule onely be excluded therfrom if thou perseuer in thy sinnes What if wee referre hether also those terrible examples of diuine iustice which are found in Scripture namely the fall of Angels the ruine of Adam and those thinges which succeeded the same to wit payne and misery If we induce the whole earth drowned by the