if you would shewe what masters they should be hereafter After the care of their soules they must care for their bodies for if the labourer is worthie of his hire which laboureth but a day what is the seruant worth which laboureth euerie day Therefore Paule is so earnest with Philemon to make much of Onesimus his seruant that he desireth Philemon to receiue him as he would himself Therefore because cruell greedie Masters should not vse them too hardly God remembred them in his creation and made euerie weeke one day of rest wherein they should be as free as their Masters so God pitieth the poore labourer from heauen and euerie Saboath lookes downe vpon him from heauen as if he should say one day thy labours shall haue an ende and thou shalt rest for euer as thou restest this day By this wee see as Dauid did limit Ioab that hee should not kill Absalom so God hath bound masters that they should not oppresse their seruants Shall God respect thine more than thou Art thou made fresher to thy labour by a little rest and is not thy seruant made stronger by rest to labour for thee How many beasts and sheepe did Laban lose onely for hardly intreating of a good seruant Therfore that is the way to lose but not to thriue He which counteth his seruant his slaue is in an error for there is difference betweene beleeuing seruants and Infidel seruants the Infidels were made slaues to the Iewes because GOD hated them and would humble them but their brethren did serue thē like helpers which should be trained by them It is not a base nor a vile thing to be called a seruant for our Lord is called a seruant which teacheth Christians to vse their seruants well for Christs sake seeing they are seruants too and haue one master Christ. As Dauid speaketh of man saying Thou hast made him a little lower than the Angells so I may say of seruants that God hath made them a little lower thā children not children but the next to children as one would say inferiour children or sonnes in lawe and therefore the householder is called Paterfamilias which signifieth a father of his familie because he shoulde haue a fatherly care ouer his seruants as if they were his children and not vse thē onely for their labour like beasts Beside the name of a seruant doth not signifie suffering but dooing therefore masters must not exercise their hands vppon them but set their hands to worke and yet as God laieth no more vppon his seruants than he makes them able to beare so men should lay no more vppon their seruants than they are able to beare For a good man saith Salomon is mercifull to his beast and therefore he will be more mercifull to his brother That man is not worthie to bee serued which cannot affoord that his seruants should serue God as well as himselfe Giue vnto God that which is Gods and then thou maiest take that which is thine He which careth not for his familie saith Paule is worse than an Infidel because Infidels care for their familie But as Agur praieth Giue me not too much nor too little but feede me with foode conuenient So their care should not be too much nor too little but conuenient or els they are worse than Infidells too because Couetousnes is called Idolatrie which is worse than Infidelitie for it is lesse rebellion not to honour the King than to set vp another King against him as the Idolaters doo against the King of heauen Next vnto seruants instruction and labours must bee considered their corrections As Paule saith Fathers prouoke not your children to wrath So I may say Masters prouoke not your seruants to wrath that is vse such reproofes such corrections that you do not prouoke them but mooue them that you doo not exasperate them but win them for reuiling words and vnreasonable fiercenes doth more hurt than good And therefore the law of God did charge the Master that hee should not inflict aboue fourtie stripes vppon his seruant least hee should seeme despised in his eyes For while a childe or scholler or seruant dooth thinke that hee is reprooued for loue or beaten with reason it makes him think of his fault and be ashamed but when he seeth that he is rebuked with curses and beaten with staues as though hee were hated like a dogge his heart is hardened against the man which correcteth him and the fault for which he is corrected after he becommeth desperate like a horse which turneth vppon the striker and therefore thinke that GOD euen then chides you whēsoeuer you chide in such rage For though there be a fault yet some things must bee winkt at some things forgiuen and some things punished with a looke for he which takes the forfeit of euery offence shall neuer rest but vexe himselfe more than his seruant Further I haue heard Experience say that in these punishments it is most meete and acceptable to the offender that the man should correct his men and the woman her maides for a mans nature skorneth to bee beaten of a woman and a maides nature is corrupted with the stripes of a man Therefore wee reade that Abraham would not meddle with his maide but committed her to his wife and saide Doo with her as it pleaseth thee As if he should say it belongeth not to me but to thee Lastly we put the duetie toward children because they come last to their hands In Latin children are called Pignora that is pledges as if I should say a pledge of the husbands loue to the wife and a pledge of the wiues loue toward the husband for there is nothing which doth so knit loue between the man and the wife as the fruite of the wombe Therefore when Leah began to conceaue she sayd now my husband will loue me as though the husband did loue for children If a woman haue many defects as Leah had yet this is the mends which she makes her husband to bring him childrē which is the right Wedding Ring that sealeth and maketh vp as it were the Marriage When their father and mother fall out they pert vp betweene them like little mediators and with many pretie sportes make truce when other dare not speake to thē Therefore now let vs consider what these little ones may challenge of their parents which stād thē in sted of Lawiers The first duetie is the mothers that is to nurse her childe at her owne breasts as Sara did Isaak therefore Esaiah ioyneth the nurces name and the mothers name both in one and calleth them nurcing mothers shewing that mothers should bee the nurces So whē God chose a nurce for Moses he led the handmaid of Pharaohs daughter to his mother as though GOD would haue none to nurse him but his mother After when the Sonne of God was borne his
their wiues as their bodies And after in the 33. verse as though it were too little to loue them as their bodies he sayth Let euerie one loue his Wife as himselfe that is body and soule too For if God commaunded men to loue their neighbours as themselues much more are they bound to loue their wiues as themselues which are their next neighbours As Elkanah did not loue his wife lesse for her barrennes but sayd Am not I better vnto thee than tenne sonnes as though he fauoured her more for that which she thought her selfe despised So a good husband will not take occasion to loue his wife lesse for her infirmities but comfort her more for them as this man did that she may beare with his infirmities too When Christ sayth that a man should leaue Father and Mother to cleaue to his Wife hee signifieth how Christ left his Father for his Spouse and that man doth not loue his wife so much as he should vntill he affect her more than euer he did his father or mother Therfore when GOD bad Abraham forsake all his kindred yet he bad him not forsake his Wife As though the other somtime might be forsaken for God but the wife must bee kept for GOD like a charge which bindeth for tearme of life His next duetie to loue is a fruit of his loue that is to let all things be cōmon betweene them which were priuate before The man wife are partners like two owers in a boate therefore hee must diuide offices and affaires goods with her causing her to bee feared and reuerenced and obeied of her children seruants like himselfe for she is as an vnder officer in his Common weale and therefore she must be assisted borne out like his deputie as the Prince standeth with his Magistrates for his owne quiet because they are the legges which beare him vp To shew this communitie betweene husband and wife he is to maintaine her as he dooth himselfe because Christ saith They are no more two but one Therefore when hee maintaineth her hee must thinke it but one charge because he maintaineth no moe but himself for they two are one He may not say as Husbands are wōt to say that which is thine is mine and that which is mine is my owne but that which is mine is thine and my selfe too For as it is sayd He which hath giuen vs his Sonne can he denie vs any thing So she may say he which hath giuen me himselfe can he denie me any thing The bodie is better than the goodes therefore if the bodie be mine the goods are mine too Lastly hee must tender her as much as all her friends because he hath taken her from her friends and couenanted to tender her for them all To shew how he should tender her Peter saith Honour the woman as the weaker vessell As we doo not handle glasses like pots because they are weaker vessels but touch thē nicely and softly for feare of cracks so a man must intreate his wife with gentlenes and softnes not expecting that wisedome nor that faith nor that patience nor that strength in the weaker vessell which should be in the stronger but thinke when he takes a wife he takes a Vineyard not grapes but a vineyard to beare him grapes therfore he must sow it and dresse it and water it and fence it and thinke it a good vineyard if at last it bring forth grapes So hee must not looke to finde a wife without a fault but thinke that she is committed to him to reclaime her from her faults for all are defectiues and if he finde the Prouerbe true that in space commeth grace hee must reioyce as much at his wife when she mendeth as the Husbandman reioyceth when his Vineyard beginneth to fructifie This is farre from ciuill warres betweene man and wife in all his offices is found no office to fight The very name of a wife is like the Angell which stayed Abrahams hand whē the stroke was cōming If Dauid because he could not expresse the good and comfort of Vnitie was faine to say Oh how good and ioyfull a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie Then weigh and iudge how harsh and bitter a thing it is for man and wife to liue together in emnitie For the first yeare after Marriage God would not haue the husband goe to warre with his enemies but no yeare would he haue him warre with his wife and therfore God gaue him that yeare to stay at home and settle his loue that hee might not warre nor iarre after for the God of peace dwelleth not in the house of warre As a kingdome cannot stand if it bee diuided so a house cannot stand if it bee diuided for strife is like fire which leaues nothing but dust smoake and ashes behind it We reade in the Scripture of Masters that stroke their seruants but neuer of any that stroke his Wife but rebuked her Lot was drunke when hee lay with his daughters in stead of a wife and is he sober which striketh his wife in stead of his seruants The lawe sheweth how a bond man should bee corrected but the wife is like a Iudge which is ioyned in Commission with her Husband to correct other Wilt thou strike one in his owne house no more shouldest thou strike thy wife in her house She is come to thee as to a Sanctuarie to defend her from hurt and canst thou hurt her thy selfe Therfore Abraham was called Saras Vayle because he should shield her for a Vaile is made to saue Abraham said to Lot Are we not brethren that is may brethren iarre but they may say are we not one can one chide without another can one fight without another He is a bad Ost which welcommeth his guest with stripes Doth a King trample his Crowne Salomon calleth the wife the Crowne of the husband therefore he which woundeth her woundeth his honour She is a free Citizen in thy house and hath taken the peace of thee the first day of her Marriage to hold thy hands till she release thee againe Adam saith of his Spouse This is flesh of my flesh But no man sayth Paule Euer hated his owne flesh So then if a man aske whether he may strike his wife God sayth nay thou mayest not hate thy wife for no man hateth his owne flesh shewing that he should not come neere blowes but thinke his wrath too much for Paule saith Be not bitter to your Wiues noting that anger in a husband is a vice Euery man is ashamed to lay hands on a woman because she cannot match him therfore he is a shamelesse man which laieth hands on his wife If a man be seene raging with himselfe he is carried to Bedlam so these mad men which beate thēselues should be sent to Bedlam til their madnes be gone Salomon
bird that defileth his owne nest and if a Wife vse her Husband so how maye the Husband vse the Wife Because this is the qualitie of that sex to ouerthwart and vpbraide and sue the preheminence of their Husbands therefore the Philosophers coulde not tell how to define a Wife but called her The contrarie to a Husband as though nothing were so crosse and contrarie to a man as a Wife This is not Scripture but no slaunder to many As Dauid exalteth the loue of women aboue all other loues so Salomon mounteth the enuie of women aboue all other enuies stubborne sullen taunting gainsaying outfacing with such a bitter humour that one would thinke they were molten out of the salt pillar into which Loths Wife was transformed We say not all are alike but this sect hath manie Disciples Dooth the ribbe that is in a mans side fret him or gall him no more should she which is made of the ribbe Though a woman bee wise and painfull and haue many good parts yet if she bee a shrewe her troublesome iarring in the end will make her honest behauiour vnpleasant as her ouer pinching at last causeth her good huswiferie to be euill spoken off Therefore although she be a Wife yet sometime she must obserue the seruants lesson Not answering againe hold her peace to keep the peace Therfore they which keepe silence are well sayd to holde their peace because silence oftentimes doth keep the peace when wordes would breake it To her silence and patience she must adde The acceptable obedience which makes a Woman rule while she is ruled This is the Wiues tribute to her Husband for she is not called his head but hee is called her head Great cause hath man to make much of his wife for great and many are her dueties to him And therefore Paule saith Wiues submit your selues vnto your Husbands as to the Lord. Shewing that she should regarde his will as the Lordes will but withall as the Lord commandeth only that which is good right so she should obey her Husband in good and right orels she dooth not obey him as the Lord but as the tempter The first subiection of Woman began at sinne for when GOD cursed her for seducing her Husband when the Serpent had seduced her he sayd He shall haue authoritie ouer thee And therefore as the man named all other creatures in signe that they should bee subiect to him as a seruant which commeth when his Master calleth him by his name so he did name the woman also in token that she should be subiect to him likewise And therefore Asuerus made a lawe that euery man shoulde beare rule in his owne house and not the Woman Because she sinned first therefore she is humbled most and euer since the daughters of Sara are bound to call their husbands Lords as Sara called her husband that is to take them for their Lords for heads gouernours If ye disdaine to followe Abrahams Spouse the Apostle biddeth you followe Christs Spouse for he saith Let a wife bee subiect to her husband as the Church is to Christ. A greater loue than this saith Christ no man can haue So a better example than this no Woman can haue That the Wife may yeeld this reuerence to her Husband Paule would haue her attire to bee modest and orderly for garish apparell hath taught manie gossips to disdaine their husbands This is the folly of some men to lay all their pride vpon their wiues they care not how they slouen themselues so their wiues iet like Peacocks But Peter doth commend Sara for her attire and not Abraham shewing that women should braue it no more than men and God made Eues coate of the same cloath that he made Adams They couered themselues with leaues and God derided them but now they couer themselues with pride like Sathan which is fallen down before them like lightning ruffe vpon ruffe lace vpon lace cut vpō cut foure and twentie orders vntil the woman be not precious as her apparell that if any man would picture vanitie he must take a patterne of women or els he cannot drawe her likenes As Herodias was worse for her fine dauncing so a woman may haue too many ornaments frisled lockes naked breasts painting perfume and especially a rowling eye are the forerunners of adulterie and hee which hath such a wife hath a fine plague Once women were married without dowries because they were well nurtured but now if they waighed not more in gold than in goodnes many should sit like nuns without husbāds Thus we haue shadowed the mans dueties to his wife and the womans to her husband After their dueties one to another they must learne their dueties to their familie One compareth the master of the house to the Seraphin which came and kindled the Prophets zeale so he should goe from wife to seruants and from seruants to children and kindle them in the zeale of GOD longing to teach his knowledge as a Nurse to emptie her breasts Another saith that a master in his family hath al the offices of christ for hee must rule and teach and pray rule like a King teach like a Prophet pray like a Priest To shewe how a godly man should behaue himselfe in his household when the holy Ghost speaketh of the conuersion of any housekeeper lightly he saith that the man beleeued with al his houshold As Peter being conuerted must conuert his brethren so the master being conuerted must conuert his seruants For therefore God sayd that he would not hide his counsell from Abraham because hee would teach his familie and surelie all duetie which is not done of conscience is but eye seruice and faileth at most neede as Ziba betraied his master when he should haue defended him Therefore before One simus was conuerted Paul said he was an vnprofitable seruant but when hee was conuerted hee calleth him more than a seruant because such a seruant is better than many seruants Therefore though Laban was wicked himselfe yet he reioyced that Iacob his seruant was godly because GOD blessed him better for him Ioshua saith I and my houshold will serue the Lord. Shewing that masters should receiue none into their houses but whom they can gouerne as Ioshu◠did Therefore it is noted of Cornelius that all his houshold serued God like himselfe This is reported also of Ioseph and Marie for an example that they went vp euerie yere with all their familie to worship at Ierusalem that their childrē and their seruants might learne to know God as well as they These examples bee written for householders as other are for Magistrates and Ministers and Souldiers that no calling might seeke further than the Scripture for instruction Wherefore as you are masters now and they your seruants so instruct them and traine them as
Father or a Doctor to inquire whether this doctrine bee like Christs doctrine I doo verely thinke that none heere is so simple but that he seeth that if any thing can bee contrarie to Christs speech this is contrarie to it But this is onely their detraction from the Sacrament Now you shall heare their additions to the Sacrament looke vpon their vestures and their gestures and their Altars and their pix and their incense and their becks and their nods and their turnings all this is more than Christ did and therefore the Prophet may say againe Who hath required this of you Did Christ commaund you to doe more than he did and not doe as he did therefore let them which haue eyes to see be thanckfull for their light when they heare how blind they were whome God gaue ouer to be seduced The fruite of this Sacrament is noted in these words which is broken for you which is shead for you that is as Mathew intreateth shed for the remission of sinnes As al was made for vs so all which Christ spake hee spake for vs and all which Christ did he did for vs and all which Christ suffered he suffered for vs that the sinnes of men might be forgiuen and yet so few apprehend this benefit that the way to Heauen is called a narrow way as though all these paines did raunsome but a small number certaine order of men All are not saued by Christes death but all which are saued are saued by Christes death his death is sufficient to saue all as the sunne is sufficient to lighten all but if any man wincke the sunne will not giue him light so if any man contemne and will not receyue Christ will not thrust him into heauen but euery man shall haue that which he chooseth as Dauid saith Blessing to him that loueth blessing and cursing to him which loueth cursing There wants not a hand to giue but a hand to take I would sayth Christ but you would not Stretch forth thy hand and heere is Christes hande which takes Gods hand and mans hand and ioynes them together and then the remission of sinnes is sealed This is the will and testament of Christ. He had no goods nor lands nor money to giue by his testament A rich man when he dieth bestoweth the money which he hath gathered and forgiueth many debts which are owing him but Christ had nothing to giue nor any thing to forgiue The Lord of all had least of all and he might say like his seruant Peter Gould and siluer haue I none no not a graue to burie his body in but the graue which Ioseph made for himselfe serued to burie Christ. His Father was a Carpenter but neuer made any house for himselfe his Mother lay in a stable for want of a Chamber his Disciple was faine to borrow twentie pence for him of a fish therefore when one offered Maister I will follow thee thinking to gaine by his seruice like them which retaine to noble men he replied vnto him The foxes haue holes and the fowles haue nests but the sonne of man hath not a house to hide his head shewing that the beasts fowles were richer than hee therefore when he had nothing to giue he gaue himselfe and when he had no debters to forgiue he forgaue his enemies what then this is a poore and weake testamēt which gaue nothing oh the goodlyest testament that euer was made for it bringeth to vs the remission of sinnes Is it such a matter to forgiue sinnes yea the greatest benefit in all the world nay a greater benefit than all the world for thus it stoode thou haddest committed high treason against the Queenes person thou art detected apprehended accused conuicted and condemned vpon it to bee hanged and drawne and quartered and thy quarters to bee set vp for a spectacle like a carkasse which thou hast seene hanging vpon a gibbet the Crowes pecking vpon it What a horror and shaking to thy mind to think of that day when all these torments and shame and feare shall surprise thee at once which wold make thee quake and tremble if thou shouldest see but another so dismēbred before thy face Thou hast no comfort now but this when I haue suffered I shall bee free before to morrowe at this time all my paine will bee past though my shame continue and my children bee beggers What grace what fauour what mercie now to pardon thee all this and saue thy life and set thee at libertie as though thou haddest neuer offended So I and thou and euerie one here had committed treason against the King of Kings and stoode condemned for it not to suffer then to be free like them which breake the lawes of men but to suffer and suffer and euer to suffer all that the diuells would heape vppon vs. Then came the mercie of God for Christ which shed his bloud like an vmpire betweene God and vs and sayd as Esaiah said to Hezekiah Thou shalt not die but liue loose him let him goe for he is mine So wee were stayed like the widdowes sonne when he was carried to his graue This is the benefite of Christes death and this Sacrament is the remembrance of it and therefore whensoeuer we receiue it this addition commeth with it which is shed for the remission of sinnes our fault was so hainous grieuous that no raunsome could counteruaile it vnlesse God himselfe had suffered for vs. Being in this extremitie neither man nor Angell offered his life for vs but the Prince himselfe which should haue crucified vs came to be crucified of vs for vs that wee might say with stedfast faith I beleeue the remission of sinnes not the satisfaction of sinnes but the remission of sinnes Marke this distinction against Popish merites of workes or penance Christ hath satisfied and not we we are remitted and not Christ therefore wee say in our Confession I beleeue the remission of sinnes which I may call the mercifull Article because it is the quintessence and sweetnesse of all the twelue Therefore who but Antichrist durst depraue it If there bee a satisfaction for our sinnes by our workes or by our Pilgrimages or by our Masses or by our penance let Christ neuer bee called a forgiuer but an exchanger like the Pope which selleth his pardons Wretched creatures which will not receiue the Lord whē he comes to their dore Christ saith take for nothing and they say no wee will not take but buy Vile base miserable men disdaine to take grace of God without satisfaction but they will cope with the Lord and giue him so many Pilgrimages fast so many daies heare so many Masses and pay so many workes for it vntill they haue done as much good as they haue done euill Our sinnes are infinite God is infinite but our workes are finite in number and measure how can
will moue another like one which putteth diuers keyes into a locke vntill it open So he which examineth must try try proue and proue search and search for the angell of darknesse is like an angell of light and we haue no way to discouer him but that of Iohn Try the spirites God examineth with tryalls the Deuill examineth with temptations the world examineth with persecutions we which are thus examined had neede to examine too If any man skill not what Examining meaneth the very word Examine is so pregnant that it prompteth vs how we should examine for it signifieth to put our selues vnto the Touchstone as if we would try Golde from Copper Therefore one sayth that Examination is the eye of the soule whereby she seeth her selfe and her safetie and her danger and her way which she walketh and her pace which she holdeth and the end to which she tendeth she lookes into her glasse and spieth euery spot in her face how all her graces are stayned then she takes the water of life and washeth her blots away After she lookes againe and beholdeth all her gifts her faith feare loue patience meekenes and marketh how euery one doth florish or wither If they fade and decay that she feeleth a consumption then she taketh preseruatiues and restoratiues of prayer and councell and repentance before the sicknesse growe thus euery day she letteth downe a bucket into her heart to see what water it bringeth vp least she should corrupt within and perish sodeinly To heare and reade pray and fast and communicate is a worke of many but to examine these works is the fashion of few and therefore Ieremy complayneth No man sayth What haue I done as if he should say no man examineth himselfe and therefore in all the scripture it is sayd but of one That he feared all his works as though he durst not thinke nor speake nor do any thing before he had examined what it was from whence it came whether it went so the more precious treasure is deeper hid in the ground The second poynt is to Examine our selues Paule sayth Try all things much more should we try our selues The good sower doth sow his owne ground but the bad sower doth sowe an other mans ground as the Diuell did The Disciples of Christ sayde Mayster is it I not Mayster is it hee The disciples of Iohn asked Mayster what shall wee doo not Mayster what shall they doo wee must obay some and heare others and admonish others and loue all but examin our selues That which we applie vnto others the Apostle applieth vnto our selues for whē we speake of an examiner we intend one which examineth other when wee speake of an accuser wee intend one which accuseth other when wee speake of a Iudge wee meane one which iudgeth others but the Scripture crieth Examine thy selfe accuse thy selfe iudge thy selfe that is bee not curious to search a more in thy brothers eye but pull out the beame which is in thy owne eye This doth shewe that they which sit in Gods chaire to iudge others commonly haue greater faults themselues thā they whome they vse to iudge and therefore Christ calleth their fault a beame and the others a mote This made Dauid say Examine thy heart thy heart is thy owne heart therfore thou must examine whether thou pray whether thou watch whether thou fast and not whether he pray whether he fast whether he watch as the Pharisie examined the Publican least thou haue Peters checke when he examined what Iohn shoulde doo Christ sayd What is that to thee followe thou me Thou art a priuate man and hast a priuate examination therefore let thy question be What haue I done and make thy Anatomie of thy selfe See beloued wee may not beleeue our selues before wee haue examined our selues for wee are false hearted and the notablest cosoner that deceiueth most for one time that he deceiueth others ten times deceiueth himselfe Because the flesh is a wylie seruant will lye like Gehezi to his owne master and face him that it hath not sinned when it commeth from sinne therefore as Elisha examined his seruant so the soule must examine her seruant that is man must be ielous of himselfe take himselfe for a lyar for a flatterer for a dissembler vntill hee bee throughly acquainted with himselfe for no man is so often beguiled as by himselfe by trusting his double heart and taking his owne worde without further triall If Paule had bid vs examine others wee would haue sifted them like Sathan Sathan hath desired to sift thee saith Christ to Peter so wee haue a desire to sift others euen Peter which was sifted of Sathan longed to sift Iohn and knowe what hee should doo before hee hearkened to his owne charge Therefore the helpe of examination is a needfull preseruatiue although we were as soūd as Peter They which are suspected of crime do not examine themselues but are examined of others least they should be partiall but a christian must examine himselfe of his crime and be his owne iudge his owne accuser and his owne condemner for no man knoweth the spirit of man but the spirit which is in man which will condemne him if he be guiltie and tel him all that he hath done with what minde he did it and what he deserueth for it This is the priuate araignement or close Sessions whē Conscience sits in her chaire to examine and accuse and iudge and condemne her selfe because she will not bee condemned of God Thus holy men haue kept their Sessions at home and made their hearts the forman of the Iurie and examined themselues as wee examine others the feare of the Lord stoode at the doore of their soules to examine euery thought before it went in and at the doore of their lippes to examine euery word before it went out whereby they escaped thousand sinnes which we commit as though we had no other woorke So thou shouldest sit in iudgement of thy selfe and call thy thoughts and speeches and actions to giue in euidēce against thee whether thou bee a Christian or an Infidell a sonne or a bastard a seruant or a rebell a Protestant or an hypocrit if thou finde not faith nor feare nor loue nor zeale when thou examinest thy selfe let no man make thee beleeue that thou art holie that thou art sanctified that thou art a Christian that thou art a beleeuer that thou art a Gospeller because thou art worse than thou seemest to thy selfe for euerie man is partiall to himselfe when he is most humbled Therefore if my heart tell me that I do not loue God whom shall I beleeue before my selfe As Salomon saith No man can search the heart of the king so Paule saith No man knoweth the spirit of any man but the spirit which is in man that is no man feeleth the heart of man