the lyke was heard of For God his déere and only sonne of a mightie and eternal king in Heauen became a poore and miserable man on Earth and so suffered hunger was as it were an abiect was buffeted mocked scourged crucified and killed and all to saue man that before had lost himselfe whose death dyd disappoint the Diuel of his purpose for whosoeuer repents his sinnes earnestly and beléeues that sinnes shall be forgiuen through Christes death assuredly out of all doubte hée shal be reputed for no sinner but shal be a mēber of Christe and bée an inheritoure of the Kingdome of Heauen wyth Christ. Trauayle into what countrey you will and reade all the Histories in the world and yet you shall neuer heare of the like friendship to this Yet how thankfull and louyng are the most of the inhabitants of the whole Earth to God and to Christe his sonne for this his benefite farre passing all other that is for bringing of vs from the Diuel to God and from Hell to Heauen let vs consider in oure consciences OMEN Truly we do so déepely weigh and consider this greate and inestimable loue of God that euery one with vs doth striue to excéed one another in thankfulnesse to Christ and doe those things that he commaundes vs wherein wée are assured we do most chiefly please him But it is possible in some other partes of the worlde that many that knowes it welynough do neuer a whit regard the goodnesse of God nor the friendship of Christ herein SIVQILA Naye I knowe many that when they haue hearde this maruellous and wonderful mercye loue and kindnesse of God to man yet they haue not once in countenance or tong shewed any whit of thankfulnesse therefore yet if you shoulde not name them Christians they would be angry OMEN Yea but if they be no better louers of Christe than so if they be no more thankefull to Christe than so and if they shewe Christe for his paines no more kindnesse than so truely for all theyr Christian name Christ may happe to say to them Away yée workers of iniquitie I know you not SIVQILA It is a wonderful thing that suche a greate good turne should be out of our minde eyther night or daye But marke the fondenesse of fooles If a man were condemned to death and the King by no meanes woulde pardon or saue hys life vnlesse some great Lorde woulde be contente to lye for him in prison ten yeares fast fettered in irons and lye harde and fare euil as the poorest prisoners of all doe all that while and then if some good and charitable Lord should be content so to be imprisoned for him and then to saue hys life what a clapping of hands would be at that Lorde what commendations would thousands giue to that Lorde what a sort of people would reioyce in that Lord what a number would be desirous to sée that Lorde and what a multitude woulde desire to please that Lord yea though he saued but one mans life and did neuer one of them any pleasure Thē séeing Christe the eternall King of Heauen came downe to thys prison of Earth remayning here thirtie thrée yeares and more and suffered death in his owne person moste vilelye on the Crosse to saue all our lyues that otherwayes had bene damned driuels why doe we not most ioyfully clappe our hands at this King Then why shoulde not euerye one commend this mightie King why should not we all reioyce in this King why should we not desire to sée this King why should not we bée most thankefull to this King why should not all the whole worlde loue moste feruently this Kyng Therefore bicause we doe it not what witlesse sencelesse carelesse churlish wicked and ingrate persons are wée We are farre vnworthy to haue such a friend OMEN Truly I am of your minde but if the mā whose life the Lord had so painfully saued should say afterwards that the sayde Lord did not saue his life but that he by some other meanes of his owne escaped death would not euerye one thinke you that should heare him say so cry out of him and saye it was pittie he had hys life Besides the Lord◠that so saued hym woulde not bée verye well contente with hym SIVQILA And good reason but nowe if this fellowe so saying had bene more worthye to be hanged than saued in suche a sorte then what vile varlets are they and what are they worthy to haue that wyll by all the meanes they may blotte out the merite of Christe that onelye with sheading of hys bloude hath saued them and vs al saying they can be saued eyther by their own merits or by some other meanes whereby they turne out Christ for no body which hath done al in all OMEN These are the most vile and ingrate persons that can be in my iudgement they are not worthy to lyue on the earth muche lesse in Heauen They are more méete to bée firebrands in Hel. And I can tel them one thing that Christ will not thinke very well of them that deface his death that he spent for their life that darken his déedes to defend their owne dreames and do robbe him of his glory to extoll their owne fancies SIVQILA Such vnkinde and ingrate wretches I feare are reserued to greater tormentes and painefuller punishements than anye that be on earth vnlesse they repente in tyme lay holde on Christ in tyme and be thankeful to God in time OMEN Doubtlesse Angratitude is a vile vice and more worthy to be punished than many thinkes for SIVQILA And as God doeth detest ingrate persons so he doth fauour them that be thankful as I will shew you by a rare example There was an honest Gentlemen sodaynly had his Thumbe striken off with the shotte of a Gunne whiche when he perceyued straightway he knéeled downe and sayd my Lord and God I thanke thée for if thou of thy goodnesse hadst not preserued mée I might as well haue bin killed with this shot as to haue lost my thumbe with thys shot therfore blessed be thy name thou knowest better than I what is méete for me thou doest all things for the best to them that loue thée And within a certaine tyme after thys gentleman was taken prisoner and was appointed to bée hanged the next daye after and bicause they would make him sure for flying he was manacled to one of his enimies and as God would on the same hand that lackt the thumb But in the night perceyuing him that was manacled with him to sléepe verye soundly he pluckte his hande throughe the manacle which he could neuer haue done if hée had had hys thumbe And so by such shift as he made he escaped And thus by Gods greate goodnesse the losse of his thumbe was the sauing of his life OMEN We may sée how God doth preserue them that do please him SIVQILA Yea and suffers them to perish that are vnthankfull to him as may appeare by
Heauen I am sure for God did thruste hym out from thence for his pride but not to come thither again And though heauen be great and large yet it cannot hold them both and to say truth the Diuel is suche an enimie to God that he wil not haue such an euil neighbor so nigh him OMEN And on the earth I am sure he shall not rowste neither in the water aire nor in the firie region next vnder the globe of the Moone neyther in any of the Firmaments aboue that are vnder Heauen for all these shall be consumed SIVQILA And if there were a Purgatorie as I am sure there is none though some dolts do dreame of such a place yet the Diuell coulde not be there for it should likewise bée consumed wyth the earth for that it is placed in the centre of the earth as it is imagined But if their imagined Purgatorie should be saued from destruction I thinke the Pope the chiefe protector of Purgatorie woulde not suffer the great Diuell wyth suche a rabble of other Diuels to take possession there whiche hathe bin one of the richest Manors that euer he had Nor it coulde not well stand wyth his holinesse thoughe the Diuell were his deare friend to displace the séely soules that haue payed rent for it afore hand especially such of them as he hathe pardoned manye yeares after the daye of Iudgement for though the date of some of their pardons are out already yet manye of them will not be expired of a great while after Now sir if any of them are such as are appointed to go to Heauen they wil tarry there no longer if they be wise And they that are appointed to be damned they will not goe from thence wyth a good will And further the Pope shoulde do them much wrong if they shoulde be put out of their place of priuiledge before their lease is expired And many haue this opinion of the Popes good grace that he will doe neuer a liuyng man wrong Then it is to be thought if he be of that power as he is taken to be he will defend the poore Soules in Purgatorie in their right whereby it behoueth him to withstand God that he do not consume it at the last day when all the rest shall be destroyed with fire And thus the Pope must néedes kéepe the poore Soules in peaceable and quiet possession in despight of the Diuell and all that take his part OMEN But what if the Diuell through his great might and power should by force get possession of Purgatorie how then SIVQILA The best thing that the Pope can doe is to curse him out againe with Bell Booke and Candle OMEN Yea but that will not serue nor yet feare the Diuel as it hath done many a fond foole on the earth SIVQILA TheÌ„ the poore soules are like to go to wracke OMEN Yea al y â— mony is lost that they paid to y â— Pope SIVQILA Yea truely if that be lost that doth them no good nay rather continual harme for the Pope and his darlings for the gréedinesse of mony bringeth y â— simple people into such a fooles Paradise that he will saue them which is the occasioÌ„ of their damnatioÌ„ by beleuing trusting to him OMEN Woe be to theÌ„ that do sell and are sold to the diuell for money they will wish that they had not béen borne SIVQILA And therefore if the Diuell should gette the possession of Purgatorie then the miserable soules were as good to be in Hel with y e Diuel as the Diuell to be in Purgatorie with them Nowe considering the Diuell can not dwell in Heauen neyther in the Earth Water nor in the fierie Region nor in Purgatorie if there were any suche then surely he must néedes of force dwell in Hell for there is no other place for him to be in vnlesse he be no where OMEN Nay he shall not dwell there I can tell him that SIVQILA Therefore if there be any such that say there is no Hell Corax Daâ—hon Abyron if they were here would tell theÌ„ there is a Hel. If Nadab and Abihu were héere they would say that they lye If Iudas one of Christes Apostles did heare them say so he would reproue them to their face If Diues that rich glutton were with them he would affirm that there is Hel not by heare-say but by proofe Therefore such were best to beleue there is a Hell least hereafter they féele there is a Hel. But suppose ther were no Hel and one beleued there were one could hée haue any harme thereby no truely Mary if there be one and he thinke there is none thereby he might reape much harme for thinking one being none would make him shunne euil but in thinking none being one would hinder him to do well Thus no harme but much good by beléeuing ther were a Hel and be none but much harme no good by thinking there were no Hel and yet one But the children of God will not shunne sinne for feare of Hell lâ—â—t for feare of displeasing their God and most louing heauenly father for the louing sonne will shun euil rather to auoyd his fathers displeasure thaÌ„ punishmeÌ„t For the child that shuns euill for feare of beating the same is obedient in hope to haue something But oure heauenly Father hath so created vs our Sauiour Christ hath so louingly raâ—nsomed vs and the holy Ghost doth so guide and instruct vs besides the wonderful benefites y â— he dayly doth giue vs that our very duty is to loue him obey him kéep his commaundements with all our power and endeuoure though there were neyther Heauen to reward vs nor Hell for to punish vs. Well we haue bin so busie with Heauen and Hell that we haue almost forgotten the earth I pray you sir is there any alteration in the peoples manners and liuing of your Countrey since the preaching of the Gospel OMEN Alteration quoth you tutte it is wonderfull for at the first preaching thereof the men came to the Sermons like Maskers and the women lyke Players Where at the Preacher was so amazed that he was ready to go out of the Pulpit for he thought verily séeing theÌ„ in that order that there would haue bin either a play a mummerie or a May-game But when he vnderstood certainly that they came to heare the Sermon he framed his spéeche in suche order vnto them somtimes with mild and gentle exhortations with the swéet promises of God for doing wel bringing Christ for an exaÌ„ple for theÌ„ to follow saying Though he was the sonne of God equal to God the father in respect of his godhead yet he became pore humble méek gentle merciful charitable went daily in simple and pore attyre finally dyed to make vs liue And therefore whosoeuer loues Christ who woulde haue him their Sauiour who thinkes they shal stand in néed of
in OMEN That muste néedes bée a greate trouble to Taylors SIVQILA It cannot choose but that they make them pay for their pleasure Surely I muse seing ther is so much crying out against it by the Preachers that they are so new fangled and so fantasticall OMEN It séemes they meane not to follow Christes example therein who did weare as simple and as plaine a fashioned garment especialy of one of his degrée as euer was worne And yet he was as able to haue had as manye newe fashions and costly sutes of apparell if he had listed as the beste of them all SIVQILA Wel séeing the King of al Kings was content to goe so baselye and in one fashioned garment then why should we that are earth ashes and dust prieke vp our selues so Pecockly we are our garmeÌ„ts so gaudely and that so costlye and changinglye I feare it is so Lucifer-like that wythoute wée chaunge oure copie and that wyth spéede we shall rather fall wyth Lucifer into Hell than mounte into Heauen wyth Christe All Gods creatures from the beginning doe kéepe their order and fashion wherin God created them but onely man for whome GOD made them all who though he is the most reasonable creature on Earth of all other who thoughe hée hath the moste occasion to kéepe good order of all other and for whome though GOD hath done more than for all other yet hée is the moste out of order of all other Consider the sensitiue creatures inferiour to manne whiche are beastes birds fishes wormes flies and all other such like and you shall not sée one of them but are of the selfe same fashion order and qualities as they were aboue fiue thousand yeares since when God first created them Yea and all well contente therewith and looke for no newe fashion Marke the vegetable creatures whether they kéepe not their old fashion stil or no hath not y â— Primrose the Cowsâ—op the Deasie the Marigolde the Rosemarie the Lillie the Apple trée the Walnut trée and all other Hearbes Wéedes trées and plantes the like floures leaues stalkes rootes fruite colour smell taste vertue and qualities that they had the last yeare and haue alwayes had since their first creation consider the Minerall creatures as stones sulpher allum and golde siluer leade tinne and the other mettals whether they doe not reteyne still their olde forme and fashion that they haue euer had or no so that euery one may knowe them by their old fashioÌ„ that sées theÌ„ yet man y â— God hath made lord ruler of al these things y â— kéepe their olde order and fashion that should kéepe himself all things in order doth so disorder and vnfashion himselfe that you will not take hym that was last yeare to bée himselfe thys yeare Neither in apparell countenaunce behauiour gesture nor perhappes in qualities nor maners and no maruel though we doe not knowe them to be themselues for I feare they themselues do not know themselues OMEN Truely I neuer heard of more preaching and lesse following than is there by your sayings but if they would do as we doe they would bring forth better fruites than they do SIVQILA How is that I pray you OMEN We do not come rashly to heare y e word of God For we make a full accompt that when the Preacher doth speake that then God himself doth talke vnto vs And who will not go willingly and reuerently to heare God speake to auoyd our damnation SIVQILA Of truth none vnlesse they be mad for what if a worldly Prince should determine to goe into a Citie or Countrey all the inhabitauntes whereof were rebels and traitors and would with his owne mouth not only tell theÌ„ that he did fréely pardon them of their rebellioÌ„ and treason but also would giue to euery one of them his house or farme to dwell in during their liues without paying of any rente taxes subsidies or any other charges would they not with great gladnesse decentnesse reioicing willingnesse come thither and most reuerently heare that good King speake OMEN Or else they were worthye to haue a rebelles reward that is a rope SIVQILA TheÌ„ they are worthy to be hanged eternally in hel that wil not most gladly willingly ioyfully deceÌ„tly soberly and most reuerently come to heare the eternal God the King of heauen himselfe speake who doth pronounce not only vnto vs his frée and generall pardon in forgiuing and sauyng vs by the deathe of hys owne onelye Sonne Iesus Christe from euerlasting damnation in Hell fire which wée iustlie haue deserued by our detestable déedes but also promiseth vs to dwel with him for euer in Heauen in his own kingdome in such coÌ„tinual ioy pleasure peace happinesse quietnesse and reste as none wyth penne can describe with tong can tel nor with heart can thinke so that we wil followe and obey his worde which to heare marke remember and obserue it stands vs vpon OMEN You haue spoken moste truly reasonably For if wée do willingly and reuerently heare an earthly Prince speake for our short and vaine profit how much more ought we with great ioy desire and most humble reuerence hear God speake vnto vs for our endlesse profit ioy pleasure felicitie Therefore as I saide before we make so full accoÌ„pt to heare God speake for if we heare his word we hear him for God is the worde that before we heare the SermoÌ„ we fall most humbly and reuerently down vpon our knées do pray moste hartily to God that he of his merciful goodnesse wil so soften our hearts that his holy word may take déepe roote therein that he wil encrease oure memorie that we maye carrye away the good lessons that we shall heare therin and that his holy spirit may ayd vs guide vs moue vs and procure vs to bring forth the fruites of the Gospel whiche shal be taught vnto vs therein SIVQILA Oh it is that godly and feruent prayer that workes this worthy effect OMEN Yea and at the end of euery Sermon we pray in such order likewise and in our priuate houses we cease not to frequent the same SIVQILA Yea that is the way for such a séede to grow For what is it to sowe séede vppon the grasse or gréene swarde vnploughed or vndygged euen so what is it to sowe suche a holy séede in harde and vnprepared hearts it is for lacke of thys godlye prayer that preaching so little preuailes OMEN It is possible that many of youre Sermon hearers doe mistake the Preacher when he willes them to pray SIVQILA Wherein do you thinke OMEN Perhappes they take Play in steade of Pray it is but the mistaking of one letter SIVQILA I know not whether they take it so but I thinke they make it so For many goes from the Sermon to dinner and from dinner to play OMEN And why not from y â— Sermon to supper and froÌ„ supper to play It would gréeue
if anye bée hurte wounded or maymed throughe the false reporte or Lye of anye bodye the Lyar immediatelye shall be hurte wounded or maymed on the same parte of hys bodye and in suche order as the partie was hurte by meanes of the saide Lye And I wil shewe you howe suche a Lyar was serued with vs. SIVQILA How I pray you OMEN There was one but it is a greate while since that owing one of hys neighboures euill wil and vnable to hurte him himselfe went and tolde a lustie fellowe a shamefull Lye of hym who he was sure woulde not only soone beléeue him but also woulde paye hym home for it saying Sir didde you euer hurte or harme suche a man No truely sayde hée that I wote of and to tell you truelye I scantly knowe him if I sée him Then sayde the Lyar hée hathe muche misused you for hée saide that you are bothe a common Drunkarde and suche a common Lyar that neuer a worde you speake can be credited Then sayde the other I woulde I knewe where he were for then I woulde be reuenged on hym for thus misusing of me mary saide the Lyar yonder hée is you can haue no better tyme than nowe to deale with him At whiche time immediatelye the other furiously dydde flye vppon him and by chaunce thrusting at his face hée dydde quyte putte oute one of hys eyes SIVQILA Then what was done to the man that didde so hurte him OMEN Forsoothe hée hadde the lawe therefore in all poyntes as before is described But my whole tale tendeth to thys naughtie Lyar whyche was the occasion hée was so hurte SIVQILA I praye you sir what rewarde had he for the making of that lye OMEN Suche a rewarde as didde sticke to hym as long as hée lyued For hée was brought before the Ruler there who caused imediatelye the lyke eye of hys to bée putte oute and then he was commaunded to silence for thrée moneths and he did weare the badge of H. and L. so long SIVQILA Oh suche a law with vs and so well executed woulde teach many a one to tel trueth that do now almost nothing but lye OMEN What is lying thought so small an offence with you that there is no lawe nor punishment for it SIVQILA Yea indéede is it Nay merry and pleasant lyes we take rather for a Sport than for a Sin Lying with vs is so loued and allowed that there are many tymes gamings and Prises therefore purposely to encourage one to out lye another OMEN And what shal he gaine that gets the victorie in lying SIVQILA He shall haue a siluer Whetstone for his labour OMEN Surely if one be worthy to haue a Whetstone of Siluer for tellyng of Lyes then one is worthy to haue a Whetstone of Golde for telling of Truth truly me thinks a Whip of Whitleather were more méete for a Lyar than a Whetstone of Siluer SIVQILA In my iudgement he was eyther a notable Lyar or loued Lying better than Saint Paule did that deuised such a reward for suche an euil desert I maruel what moued him that the lewdest Lyar shoulde haue a Syluer Whetstone for his labour OMEN I knowe not vnlesse he thoughte he was worthy for his lying to goe alwayes with a blunte knife wherby he shoulde not be able to cutte hys meate and that hée shoulde haue no other Whetstone wherewyth to sharp hys knife but the same of Syluer whiche he hadde wonne with lying SIVQILA What his fond fancie was therein I know not but I wish◠that euery such lyar hadde rather a sharpe knife and no meate thā to haue meate inough with a blunt edged knife ◠vntill they lefte their lying Sainct Austine woulde in no wise haue vs to lye though it might do good For if a man lay at the point of death saith he that hath a sonne dead by trauailing into a far Country yet we ought not to say vnto the sicke man that his sonne is mery and aliue though thereby we did knowe he shoulde reuiue or recouer his health Now if we may not tell hurtlesse lyes to doe good then we maye not tell hurtfull and wicked lyes to do euill Saint Paule sayth we may not do euill whereof good maye followe then we may not doe euil whereof mischiefe may followe Christ is trueth and they that meane to resemble Christ they that meane to followe Christ they that meane to haue Christ their Captaine they that meane to haue Christ their Sauiour they that meane to rise with Christe they that meane to dwell for euer in Heauen with Christe let suche learne to tell trueth with Christe And they that meane to be exempt frō the presence of God they that meane to lose the endlesse ioyes of Heauen they that haue luste to lye in the furious flames of Hell fire they that desire the felowshippe of the Diuels in Hell and they that woulde gladlye be tormented of the Diuell for euer wythout any mercy let them lye and spare not and if they be not fully instructed in lying let them learne to lye of their father the Diuell who is and hath bin the head Captaine of lyars from the beginning OMEN Wel suche as doe serue vnder this Captayne were best nowe flée from him For nowe in this life they may but if they be once his hyred and prest souldioures in Hell then they cannot SIVQILA I thinke it is better by telling of truth to goe vnto Heauen than by telling of lyes to go vnto Hel. But I pray you what if any with you should chaunce to forsweare thēselues called as witnesses before Rulers Magistrates or Iudges OMEN As soone as they are proued periured their tongs are cutte out without any pardon whereby we are sure they will neuer committe periurie any more and halfe of all their goodes straight-waye is conuerted vnto the Kings vse But in this case the king hath neuer y ◠more goods nor they fewer tongs SIVQILA Why so OMEN For there are none with vs y ◠wil once swear an othe or take the name of God in vaine much lesse that will for sweare themselues For euerye one wyth vs doeth thinke verily that if they shoulde but once take the name of God in vaine that then Gods plague woulde continue in theyr house but if they should forsweare themselues they beléeue faithfully that then God would send fire from heauen and burne both them and their house SIVQILA And truely there are some suche shamelesse swearers with vs and that are so Godlesse and Faithlesse that if God himselfe shoulde warne them ouer nyghte and saye If thou wilte not leaue thy swearyng looke to morrowe for thy consuming yet I thinke verily they woulde scantly regarde it or sweare any one whitte the lesse OMEN Well I doubte that suche doe feare more the shorte punishing of theyr bodyes here than the continuall tormenting of their soules in Hell For I am in thys opinion that if a fewe of youre
that for his friedlinesse I will showe him what friendshippe or pleasure I can doe in al the world Of whiche gentle aunswere of the Iudge the fellowe was glad and so went for his Maister Which letter the Iudge put into his bosome and woulde not open it And the Iudge paused a while vntil the Gentleman came that sent him the letter and then immediately in came the Gentleman bothe pleasantly and merily that sent him the letter saying I am here my Lord according to your commaundement you are come in good time said the Iudge you are he that I looked for I thanke you for your louing letter Haue you read it then saide the Gentleman no I haue not read the wordes sayde the Iudge but I haue conceiued the contents thereof suche letters are good for blinde men to reade for as long as they can féele with their handes they may scan at these letters well inough I praye you sayde the Iudge to the Gentleman wherefore did you write this letter to mée I béeséethe your Lordshippe to reade it and then you shall knowe saide the Gentleman then sayd the Iudge to him I haue other businesse now than to read your letters you sée I haue a waightie cause in hand here to be dispatched betwéen these two persones and when I haue weyed the matter without partialitie and iudged the cause according to equitie I shal be at the more leysure to peruse your letter Then sayde the Gentleman I beséech your honour reade it before you passâ— in iudgement on this my friend or els your reading of iâ— wil do me no pleasure Then you thinke said the Iudge my not reading of it before will doe this poore man pleasure Nowe I perceiue you haue not onely written this letter to mée on the behalfe of this your friend but also you haue sent therein some bribe which belyke you thought that my handes did so tickle to touche that I would wring with the wrong and flée from the truth But if you so thought you are much deceiued for God whom I feare hath commaunded mée and the King whom I honour hath charged me Iustice in whose seat I sit hath willed me if I wil haue God my mercifull Iudge to defend the innocent to help the wronged fatherlesse and widow and to reléeue the oppressed and to doe nothing but equitie and trueth which wordes of the Iudge when the Gentlemanne hearde hée sodainelye was mute and had neuer a word to say Tell me sayd the Iudge why you sent me this letter then sayd the Gentleman the letter will shewe you whiche I will not craue you to reade before your honor be at leysure Ah sayde the Iudge there is some matter that the mault is mouldy there is some misterie in it that you giue me leysure nowe to reade the letter whiche before you woulde haue me to reade in all the haste you thought before that I was enclined to your purpose but nowe you perceyue I am declined from your purpose Which when the Gentleman hearde he began to mislike the matter and wished the letter in his handes againe but bicause he thought that would not be he meant to make the best shifte he could saying to the Iudge I beséeche youre honoure to peruse my letter when it please you and then if it please your honour to send for me I wil come to you at your commaundement therefore I craue at this time to be gone for I haue verye greate businesse then the Iudge sayde to him séeyng you haue giuen me leysure to reade your letter I will giue you leysure to tary here whiles I haue read the same I sent you worde by your seruaunt that I tooke your letter thankefully and sayde I would doe for you whatsoeuer laye in my power desiring you therevppon to come to me with spéede Whiche when you hearde you thought all that was bright was Byrrall and all that did glister was Gold Which onely was the fetche to fetche you vnto me Therfore if I had not vsed this pollicie you had not come to me spéedily And now séeing you are here you are Welcome but before you go hence you wil thinke your selfe euil welcome as I am not at leysure now to read your letter so you shal not be now at leisure to go therfore I commauÌ„d you to stay vntill I appoint you to depart which gréeued the Gentleman who againe wished the letter in his hand and himselfe at home Then sayde the Iudge Oh wicked world oh traiterous time oh enimy to equity will not this friendship faile y â— so filthily féedes falshood will not these letters be lest that make law thus to languish and wil not these bribes be brideled that bereaue the poore of their benefites Oh enormities that encrease much mischief If wily words may find a witlesse Iudge if great mens letters may leape in fearful Iudges laps and if bribes or gifts be giuen to couetous and gredy Iudges theÌ„ I am sure that Might ouercomes Right then the poore mans cause thoughe right shall bée wrong and then is falshood most sure to flourish Oh poore maymed man if I would haue fauoured false flattering fables if I would haue accepted gentle and friendly letters if I would receiue bribes or rewardes then thy cause had bene cold thy matter had bene marde and thy labour had bene loste But comfort thy selfe there is nothing on the earth that shal trip me froÌ„ y â— truth cause me to winke at wickednes or to iudge vniustly to whom the poore maymed creditor said the Lord wil be mercifull to you therfore and whereas brâ—bing Iudges shal dwel with the diuel godly and vpright Iudges shal dwel in heauen with God whereas Iudges that fauor falshood shal be exempt from gods preseÌ„ce Iudges that maintaine Equitie and Truth shal be alwais in Gods presence and whereas the Iudges that giue wrong iudgement for y â— fauor of their friend shall haue Hell for their portion Iudges that giue iudgement without all partialitte shall haue Heauen for their inheritance Therfore thou worthy Iudge whiche haste God alwayes before thy eyes God will haue thée in Heauen before his eyes â—and as thou respectest neyther the poore nor the rich but onely the truth in this world euen so God which is truth it selfe will regard thée hereafter for doing of truth for euer in the Kingdome of Heauen TheÌ„ said the Iudge to the wicked debter forasmuch as you haue done this youre creditor manifest wrong in withholding his mony from him therfore I iudge according to our lawe that you shall paye hym for euerye moneth since the same was due vnto him so much as the whole debte commeth to This is the lawe you know well inough for Superiors that wil not pay their debt to their Inferiors which I will not mitigate in one point And before al this be paid you will wishe you had payd him his due at the first rather than to pay him
drowned in their owne drowsie dreames so far in fauour with their owne fansies so be witched with their owne wicked witte and so enchaunted with the sorcerie of Sathan that they will beléeue neyther you nor me and no maruell for they will not beléeue Iesus Christ the sonne of God which tels them the same therefore we must be content to be out of credite with thē séeing Christ is cleane out of credit with them And they think they know a better easier and shorter way to heauen than either God doth know or his sonne Christ. Yet a man would thinke that God that made both Heauen earth and is nowe in them both doth know as perfit and as ready a way to heauen as any other it is very like that our sauiour Christ the son of God that was once in Earth and is nowe in Heauen and that passed from earth to Heauen himselfe should know as good neare a way as any man else to Heauen If this be true as it is most true then what detestable doltes what fontasticall fooles and what méere mad men are they that neuer were yet in Heauen nor are neuer like to come there as farre as I sée vnlesse they refuse their owne way that thinkes they know a better waye to Heauen than eyther God or Christ the sonne of God doth But when their awne way that they thinke will leade them to Heauen hath broughte them and tumbled them into the dungeon of Hell then they will crye woe worthe the tyme that they tooke their own way and refused Christs way that they trusted thēselues which knewe nothing and mistrusted Christ weich knew al things and that they did forsake God their most louing Father sled to the fiende their foe and vtter destroyer OMEN They wil so but then it is to late they may call and crie then their hearts out for any mercy they shall find Bicause they would not call vpon God when he wold heare them now he wil not heare them though they cal vpon him I cannot but compare such self-willed and self-wise persons to a certaine foolish trauailer that went to sée a déere friend of his who woulde if he had come to him entertained him verie wel and profited him very much which traueller not knowing the way for that he was neuer there before mette by chance with oue that dwelled thereabout and knewe the way very wel Of whom he enquired the way to his frinds house and then he saide to the traueller if you kéepe the way still on the right hand it wil bring you straight to his house but in any wise take héede that you followe not the waye on the lefte hande for if you doe it will leade you into Woods and Thickets where you will be in very greate daunger to be deuoured of wilde beastes but when the man was gone the trauellour giuing lyttle credite or none to hym that tolde hym the way and pleased more with the fayre beaten path on the left hand than with the small troden way on the right hand and therewith all béeyng more wilfull than wise more rash than reasonable and more carelesse than carefull tooke the way on the left hande which he folowed so far that or euer he was aware he was among the wild beasts who presently deuoured him And thus through mistrusting of him whiche knewe the way and trusting to himselfe that knew not the way he sought his own sorrow and in stead of his good cheare and commodities whiche he should haue had with his friend he made the wilde beastes good cheare with his owne bodye and so for a liking life he gotte a terrible death SIVQILA Yea but whereas this traueller through his follie procured but the death of his bodye if he repented his sinnes and asked mercie of God in Christ yet these witlesse and wilful wretches that walke their own way and refuse Christes way procure their endlesse death both of body and soule in Hel. I pray you sir if I may be so bold to aske you howe are are vnthankefull or Ingrate Persons vsed with you OMEN I cannot wel tel you how for we haue neuer an vnthankefull or ingrate person in all our Countrey SIVQILA Then you are happy you haue not so few of them but we haue as many of them the worlde is growne now to such wickednesse that very few are grateful for benefits past marry many are tongue thankeful vntil the good turne be done but when they haue once got the thing they gaped for they regard him no more than some hungry dogs fawning on a straunger for foode do care for him after they haue filled their bellies Nay perhaps within a while after he will vse his friende as a foe and for his good turne wil do him two or thrée euill turnes OMEN If suche a one were handled as there was one with vs he woulde take héede how to be vnthankeful after as long as he liued SIVQILA Then belike you haue a lawe for the brydeling of ingrate persons OMEN Yea that we haue which if you had and wel executed I thinke there would not be long so many vnthankful with you as there are SIVQILA I praye you forget not to tell me howe that naughty fellow was vsed OMEN There was a certaine good and charitable man did ride homewarde to his house who chaunced to heare one make pitifull groaning and then hée drewe nearer and nearer to the noise and thereby at the laste came to the place where he sawe the same pitifull person saying to him alacke my friende what aylest thou Oh sir said the man as I trauelled this way beyng in perfect health I sodainly fel sicke I was constrained to lay my selfe downe in this place and nowe what with the great cold I haue taken here and what with my sodain and extreame sicknesse I thinke I shal dye and that within a while vnlesse some good charitable man do reléeue and succour me And to tel the truth I haue neuer a peny in al the world and if I had my heart is so fainte my body so sicke and my legges so weake that I am not able to go from this place to succour my self Which when the pore sicke man had spoken the good and charitable man wept for the griefe of this his pore brother saying good brother bée of good comforte God hath commaunded vs that we must loue our neighboure as our selfe and you are one of my worldly neighbours though I know not where you dwell and therfore I muste do for you as I woulde do for my selfe Christe wils vs Whatsoeuer you would that other should do to you euen so do you to them Now if I were in youre case you in mine I would be glad that you should help me euen so I must be willing to ayd help you now And so doing I do as I wold be done vnto therefore brother help thy self now as as