lucre all on the pennie all for aduauntage neyther to care ought howe he cometh by it swering and stering cursing and banning euen to deceaue his owne father on my faith and honestie it cost me thus much hauing in deede neither faith nor honestie to sweare by and therfore it were the leise matter if he appealed only to his false faithe and litle honestie But he spareth not to take to wit nesse the righteous iudgements of almightie God that seeth his falshod and yet will he not spare to say now as God shal saue me as God shall iudge me thus and thus it stands me in and yet it stands him not in half the money yea often times the bier shall haue it for the third penie that the seller asketh O mercifull God what an order is this among Christians And no nation noted for this horrible abusage more than englishmē We think we should not thriue if we should not use this curset kind of bargayning We counte it almost nothing now adaies it is growne into sutche a cusstome euery seconde worde to be poudred with an othe for credit yea to blaspheme God his dredfull iudgementes to renounce God and the benefite of our saluation and that for a little credite or for a paltrie gaine Curfed be that gaine that winneth such a losse that body and soule is lost to the which al the winning of the wide world were but a trifle Cursed be that credite that to retaine his estimation with an haede beleuyng man will not styeke to blaspheme and renounce his part of god But thou louedst cursing and cursing will come vppon thee Cushe a poynt sayeth his mayster that fingreth the gaine Iura periura secretum prode◅e noli Sweare h◅oreson and for sweare be wray not my mistery This is a mystery with a very mischefe that the coue◅ouse mas◅ter without all conscience teacheth his man Is this the waie to thriue Haue these menne I will not saie any feare of God for they haue none Non est timor d◅i ante oculos eorū But haue they any opinion there is a God No truely they saie in their harts with the foole ther is no god For if they thought there were they durst not thus abuse him And therfore the master careth not for the seruants instruction how he should come to the knowledge of God but with his seruant would haue all daies alike Sabaoth day and other And neuer passeth whether his seruant here know or beleue God his word or no. The seruant now being without all knowledge like a beast and his master without all conscience like a dyuell he hath as litle conscience to deceaue his master as his master wold haue him haue to deceaue others And hence cometh so many stubborn knaues saucie marchants crafty varlets priuie theeues ruffianlye cutters ryottous prentices and all the wicked sort of suche vnfaithfull seruantes among artificers and marchants that deceiue so many other men make their maysters bankruptes and bring them selues to miserye And thoughe the principall faulte herein bee in the maister that complayneth on his seruaunt yet is not this a bolster to the seruaunt whose dewtye is thoughe not to assent to theire mayster in wickednesse yet in euery rightefull thng to obey honour and loue their master with all seruice truth and diligence If they doe not either they shall neuer be masters them selues or be like wise punished in their seruants Behold the faithful seruise of Abrahams man and how god blessed his iorney and his master made him the guide of all hee had Beholde the faithfull seruice nighte and day hot and colde of Iacob to Laban how plētifully God multiplied and encreased his stock Beholde the chaste fidelitie of Ioseph to his maister Putiphar and his trustie diligence vnder the keper of the prison and how the Lord made euery thing to prosper that hee did and exalted him to the lordship of all Egipt and made all his kynne to honour him Seruants therfore be obedient vnto them that are your maisters according to the fleshe that is whiche haue power ouer your bodies not ouer your soules In all things not with eie seruice as men pleasers but in singlenesse of hart fearing god And whatsoeuer ye do do it hartily as to the lorde and not as vnto men knowing that of the lord ye shall receaue the reward of the inheritance for yee serue the Lord Christ And ye maisters do vnto your seruants that which is iust and equal knowing that ye haue also a maister in heauen And if thou hast a faithfull seruant let him be vnto thee as thine own soule c. Intreate him as thy brother Let thy soule loue a good seruant defraude him not of libertie neither leue him a poore man c. And thus this loue betwene the maister and his seruant wil become an exceding faithfull loue But be it neuer so excellent a loue yet bicause it is but duetie in the seruant and of the master cometh for his seruants painful ▪ trustie and profitable seruice therfore So God loued the world that this is but hireling and seruile loue to be cōpared to it We reade of greate loue that Princes haue loued their subiects withal and subiects again haue loued their Princes This is a goodly and Godly loue also wold to God it were so faithful in euery countrey as it ought to be Then should we not haue harde of suche oppressions and ciuile warres in foreine realmes nor of suche conspiracies and rebellions as hathe bene in oure owne A Prince oughte to be a father and mother to their people and to make reckning of so many children as they haue subiectes The subiect again ought to be as a chylde vnto his Prince and to make reckenyng of his soueraigne as of his own father or mother yea to make a greater accompt of him or her than of his father that begate him or his mother that bare him not only for that the state is greater and euen immediate next to God and representing god him selfe but also for the greater commoditie that both he his parents his kin and all his countrey receyue by the peasable and vertuous gouernement of the Prince not only of infinite benefits of bodye aud goodes but that passeth all bodily and temporall matters the free passage of the Gospel of Iesus Christ the mayntenance of his true Religion the faithfull feding on his word and sacraments that refreshe and nourishe his soule to lyfe euerlasting Therfore next vnder God there is no loue ought to be greater than this that the naturall subiecte doth owe his naturall Prince nor any thing is a surer defence to the Prince next vnder Gods protection whose anoynted the Prince is and in whose handes is the princes hart then is the faithfull loue of his subiects No horse nor harnesse no garde nor gunne nor garrison no forte nor castle no armie no treasure
alas shal the father and mother teache it them nay it is no meruaile how coulde the olde Crabbe teache the yong Crab to goe but a byas They haue nousâ—…ed vp them selues in all wickednesse and so they teache their children so that as it were they clayme hel by inheritance It is a world to see how â—…oone wee are decked vp to be proude or ere we knowe what pride meaneth What a laughter and sport it is to the parentes to se their yong chyld do any vnhappy touch But Extrema gaudij luctus occupat this wicked beginning must nedes haue a wretched endyng Wilte thou loke thou foolish father to reape vertue and sowedst nought but vice thou wast disobedient to God and wilt theu loke thy chyld shal be obedient to thee Nay loke how thou hast done to thy children thy children wyll doo the lyke to thee What measure yee mete withall shal be met to you againe Beware therfore of nourishing them in vice of giuing euill ensample to them tinder wil not so sone take fyre as the child wil take hold of euil ensample And he that offendeth one of these little ones sayth Christe that beleueth in me it were better a mylstone were tied about his necke and he throwen into the bottome of the sea Neyther dothe Christe here excepte father mother or any other but who so euer he be that is occaâ—…ion of sinne to the childe by ensample instruction encoraging or by any other meanes this heauie sentence is pronounced on him Thou father therfore if thou loue thy childe yea if thou loue thy selfe bothe for his parte and for thine owne parte beware of euel ensample The fourthe cause of disobedience is the lacke of knowledge of his duety Thou bringest vp thy sonne in ignorance and idely and howe can he then but proue a stubborn pece chiefly when he hath no knowledge nor fear of god Now wil he stande in awe of thee or know his duetie to thee Dost thou loue in dede thy child loue thaÌ„ the more principall parte of him loue his soule more than his bodye loue the eternall life of him better than this temporall lyfe For else thou louest him not For proofe that thou louest hym thou shewest me what riches thou hast gathered for him what laÌ„des and rentes thou hast purchased for him what lyuings and offices thou haste prouided for him what payne what coste what trouble what sute what trauel what cares and God knowes withall what conscience thou haddest to compasse these things for thy chylde and is not all this a sufficient argument to proue thou louest him No surely is it not But I will healpe thee with a better argument Thou art content for thy chyld to goe lyke a carle to the dyuell before that thy chylde may come after to the diuel like a gentlemaÌ„ This is a token thou louest thy child that art content so thy chyld may be daÌ„ned thou wilt be damned too Now likest thou this loue is it not more worthy to be called hatred and worse it thou canst deuise â—… worser name for it this preposterous loue of thine to thy child Ah saist thou shal I not then prouide for my childe then were I worse sayeth Saincte Paule than an infidel I deny not but thou mayst yea and oughtest to prouide for him by all conuenient and godly meanes thou canst But the principall thyng that thou oughtest to prouyde for thy chylde is the Riches of the soule the knowledge the feare and the loue of god Primum quaerite regnum Dei 〈◊〉 omnia adijcientur â—…obis Fyrst seeke that thy chylde maye bee a Citizen of the kingdome of God that thy sonnes as Dauid sayeth maye bee As plantes growyng vp in thâ—…yt youthe in all Grace and Uâ—…ttue that thy daughters may bâ—… polished lyke the corner stones of the temple of God shining in the cleere beawty of shamefastnesse and modestie and become olde mothers in Israel And then all other things shall be cast vnto them by Gods prouidence When thou art dead and faire buried they shall haue inoughe to liue on and doe full well although thou hadst lefte them neuer a penie I was yong and now am oldâ—… saithe Dauid as who should saye I haue sene greate experience of many things in my dais yet neuer saw I the rightouse man forsaken and his seed beg their bred No though his father die yet is he as though he were not dead for he hath left one behinde him that is like him In his life he saw him and had ioy in him and was not sory in his death neither was he ashamed before his enemies he left behinde hym an auenger agaynst his enemies and one that should shew fauour to his frends Lo thus shall they be blessed that feare the Lorde bycause they bring vp their children in instructioÌ„ and information of the Lorde This is the true loue of the fathers and mothers to their children And this shall make if any thing wil make this loue of the parents descending to the children to ascende againe from the children to the parents so effectually that no earthly loue can be of greater force But be this loue also neuer so excellent when it once entreth this comparison of gods loue bicause it is so tied with the linkes of nature and bounden dewty on either parte although it somwhat resemble this loue of God our Father in heauen to vs his adopted sonnes in earth Wherby Dauid saith Sicut pater miseretur filioruÌ„ misertus est nostri dominus As the father hath mercie on his children so God hath had mercy on vs Can the mother forget her infant that she should not pitie the childe of her wombe although the mother coulde forget hir child sayth the Lorde yet will not I forget thee for I haue grauen thee vppon the palmes of my hands thy walles are euer in my sight Therfore I conclude on this loue as of the other that So God loued the worlde that no naturall loue of fathers and mothers to their children of children to their fathers and mothers is lyke this loue of God out heauenly father to vs. We reade of greate loue that seruauntes haue borne theyr maysters that maisters againe haue born theyr seruants the one hath suffred death to saue the other This was a notable loue Where are suche maisters and seruants now become nay it is now the old prouerbe vp downe trim tram such maister suche man suche cuppe suche couer neyther barrell better herring bothe maister and man may go in a line together for a great many of men and maisters now a dayes In many places where I come I heare the maisters complaine of their seruantes stubbornesse and vnfaithfull dealing of their seruantes dissolutenesse and lacke of awe But the maister seeth not howe God punisheth hym with his owne rodde howe his owne selfe is the cause here of He would haue his seruant all for
taken down and burned bycause he could keepe himselfe no better O cruell Canibali O barbarous Priests worse than Iudas that betrayed him worse than Cayphas Annas and Pylate that arraigned and iudged him worse than the very tarmagant Iewes that so despitefully put him to death Coulde they fynde in theyr heartes thus agayne with more despite to handle and execute for euen so and that ryghtly they called it theyr Lorde and mayster Iesus Christe Alas poore Christe what an hard handlyng was thys But thankes be to God this was not Christe as they thinke neuerthelesse if it had bene hee they shew theyr good willes vnto him and howe they wold order him amongst them What is this but euen to say Hic est haeres venite occidamus eū This is the heire come let vs kil him then the inheritāce shal be ours And euen thus as they order the person of Christ so order they al his dignities prerogatiues and titles that his father gaue hym and all the offices wherto God the Father sente him Diuiserunt sibi vestimentamea They haue deuided my garmēts amōgst them saith Christ they haue made hauocke and spoyle of all and haue left him nothyng What one poynte is there of his royall kingdome of his high priesthode of his perfect sacrifice of his precious purchase of his continual mediation or any other office that they haue not taken the same to themselues or giuen the same to other Do not they take vpon them the forgiuenesse of sins Do they not take vpon them to be sacrificing Priests Do they not giue to their Pope the kingdom al the titles of Christ Do they not send vs to other mediators beside Christ haue thei left any thyng to Iesus Christe but a bare name of Iesus Christ Yea of what value do they esteme the death of Iesus Christe but to take awaye the bare name of a thing For first all the Papists doo affirme that the death of Christ is fully effectuall onely for originall sinne that is to say for infants that can make no satisfaction wanting wil reason knowledge and al abilitie therevnto But all other actuall sinnes wee must our selues make satisfaction for them besides the death of Christe And hereon aryseth theyr doctrine of satisfaction wherein if a manne haue doone an offence he must cōfesse it to them and they enioyne him penance which if he do he satisfieth for his sin If it be to hard a penāce O good mayster gostly father saith the penitēt this penance is too sore for gods sake an easier penance Then buie it out saithe he ye may turne it to mony And I warant ye he payeth full sweetely for it For euery sinne be it neuer so horrible is rated at his price and that is mutch higher than they make the price of Christ and this is their satisfaction for all their actuall sinnes but wherto thē serueth the death of Iesus Christ For originall sinne saye they And is this al◅well yet this is somwhat and that indede a great matter Original sinne is a horrible cōtagion and corruption of the whole nature and substāce of man and therfore a greuous sinne No no saithe Pigghius what man ye are more afraide then nedes Original sinne is in dede no sinne at all No is why is it then of al men called sin Ha thou foole why callest thou thy writing thy hande is thy writing thy hand in dede No but bicause it was written by my hand it hath the name of my hand And euen so saithe Pigghius is originall sinne a name of sinne but not in dede any sinne Sed tantū qua diximus analogia peccatum dici quomodo dici mus scripturam manum aut frigus pigrum It is no sinne neither before nor after baptisme c. But only may be called sinne by the proportion aforesayde euen as we cal our writing our hande or colde slow bicause it makes vs slow Is not this a proper doctrine of the Papists Who wolde haue thought they had held sutche horrible erroures of the very principles of our faithe But wherto tendeth this How is it against the death of Christe Laye these two doctrines together in forme of argument and see what conclusion will ryse theron Original sin is no sinne in dede but onely a bare name of sinne The death of Christe is fully effectuall to take away only originall sinne for al other actual sinnes require besydes satisfaction for them Ergo the death of Christ is fully effectuall to take away no sinne in dede but only a bare name of sinne Here is a very lowe price that this iewell is now come to yet was it better before whē it was at a grote and now it is come to nothing no not so muche as three halfe pence the price of an olde dogge Thus trode they downe and brought to no purpose the moste high raunsome of oure soules the precious death and passion the holy perfect and propiciatorie sacrifice on the altar of the crosse made once for euer by our high priest Iesus Christe Thus caste these foolishe builders asyde that stone that God hath made the head corner stone whereon all the building riseth This haue they estemed and prised this iewell and in the balance of their owne selfe loue haue made them selues to waygh a greater paise than christ Thus haue they ordered the only begotten sonn̄e of God whome of hys infinite loue God gaue to the worlde that it shoulde not perish but haue eternall lyfe They pretend otherwise as Herode did to worship Christe and doucke and curtesie downe to the ground at the verie name of Christ for thei had left him nothing but his name But to what purpose was al that honour to his name misusing thus his person and spoiling him of his office Is not this Iudas trayterouse kisse openly to saye Aue rabbi all haile maister and to saye priuily Ipse est tenete eum Lay hand on him it is euen he and his very bodie eate him vp or hang him vp They saye they did this to honour him wold they be content with sutche honoure This is an honour with all my harte and God geue them sutche honour as they geue god In name they geue hym honoure but the more hypocrites they Simulata sanctitas duplex iniquitas Their fained holines is double wickednes what do they lesse than did the Iews to clothe him in purple like a king crowne him with thorne like a diademe geue him a reede like a scepter and to geue him a bare name like a bable and spoile him of all his merites like a theef◅ is not this also to crie Crucifige crucifige like a Iewe and euen to crucifie the sonne of God againe so mutche as in them doth lie that thus doe order him surelie surelie the very Turks think better of Iesus Christ that are our open and professed enemies then the Papists what soeuer they thought of him did order