there Philoxenus for I know as honest men as euer broke breade y t kéep good houses giue much to the poore no craft nor crinking in buying and selling and yet iwis they will not goe a furlong out of their way to heare a Sermon and doe you not thinke that these are sounde Christians Philox. I dare not say so for what haue you héere reported but Socrates Aristides Scipio or Fabritius each of the haue performed as much and more too for although at some times those men may shewe themselues very careful of Christian ciuilitie and may also for a fashion decrée such constitutions and laws as of themselues beeing good may rightlie tend to the performance of honestie yet because they are not truly and inwardlie touched with a loue of religion they are but makers of sects fleshlie not hauing the spirit therefore in effect no better than Balaams blinde Asse that braied forth the truth on a sodaine without anie tast or féeling anie force thereof in her selfe or like to that same proude Priest Caiphas who prophesied at vnawares of the passion of Christ hee himselfe not vnderstanding therein the hid mysteries of God but with the wicked king Saul he vttered a bare sound of words without anie sense in himselfe And yet for all this I denie not but the Lord in his singular mercie may turn these their attempts to the good of his Church euen as also hee turned the prophesies of that bewitched Balaam into a singular blessing of Israel How be it as concerning themselues they féele not the power of that spirit which so extraordinarilie worketh in them Wherefore the Lorde for his mercies sake enlighten the eies of your heart and circumcise the foreskinne of your vnderstanding Autophilus that you maye hunger after the breade of life more desirously then as yet you doe I praie you answere me this one thing Is it not a token when you loath your meate that your bodie is out of temper and that you are ill at ease Autoph You haue hit the naile on the head for when I am in health I haue a verie good stomacke to thrée meales a daie Philox. Certainly if your bodie were no better dieted than your soule you woulde quickly bée hunger staruen Héerein is a proportion betwixt your soule and your body that euen as your bodie if it bée not diseased will couet repast foode and sustenante the loathing whereof is a token of distemperature In like manner the longing after the word of God is a token that thy soule is in good plight in perfecte state and in the pathe to eternall felicitie whereas on the contrarie side the loathing of the worde the sural delight thou takest in hearing it taught and preached bewraieth a crazed and a cursed soule in the broade waie to euerlasting death damnation Wherfore I counsell thée as one that pittieth thy case doe as they do that are diseased in bodie Like as they take counsel of skilfull Phisitions that by receites of medicines they may recouer theyr former health haue a good stomacke to their meate euen so sithence Gods word goeth against your bad stomack and that you cannot digest the same yea rather your soule lotheth than loueth it bow the knées of your hart the Lord stretcheth out his armes daily to embrace you He knocketh at the doore of your conscience with many good perswasions exhortations that hée may bring you to repentaunce Christe the Phisition of your soule is easie to bée spoken withall hée is more readie to graunt than you are to aske Pray vnto him that by the power of his holie spirit hee may worke in your soule an hungring after the word which is the bread of saluation a thirsting after the drinke of life wherof whosoeuer drinketh shal not thirst for euer Consider y e néedfulnes of this food wherof if you do but meditate no doubt it shal cause an appetite vnto the same vnlesse you be vtterly by the bewitching of sathā bereft of your wits and haue no care of your soules health That soule must néeds perish which is destitute of heauenlie foode For without the worde there is no faith and he that beléeueth not shall perish euerlastingly The wrath of God abideth vpon him that beléeueth not sayth our sauior Christ To conclude Gods worde is the incorruptible séede as S. Peter teacheth wherewith the children of wrath thorowe the fall and corruption of our first parentes are begotten borne anew by the vertue grace of Christe Iesus Wherefore if your soules health the escaping ftom daunger of eternall damnation if the desire you haue to be called the sonne of GOD may preuail with you heare the word of God and not for fashions sake but as one that would vnderstand the wil of his maister Heare it I saie kéepe it follow it meditate on it daie and night Autoph I were sicke in déede Philoxenus if all this counsaile were necessarie I wil now saie more since you moue me vnto it I know as much as the wisest of them can teach me They can teach me n◠more but the Lordes praier the Apostles Créed and the ten commandements and this could I doo many yéeres agoe it is but learning one lesson of the Prophet Dauid that is to wit Eschue euill and doo good or els this briefe Epithome of the ten commandementes Loue God aboue all thinges and thy neighbour as thy selfe There is not anie one of them that can teach me anie more Philox. There is no Christian as I hope of your minde for then the wrath and indignation of GOD cannot bee but hotly kindeled agaynst them Autoph Yea ten thousand Philox. The more the worse If it were so easy a matter to become a good Christian the Disciple of Christe to learne the wil of God as you make it what néed we of the Prophets Christ or his Apostles what néede wée of the writs of the sacred Scriptures What néede wee the Preachers and Pastours of our soules so diligentlie to labour to bring man to saluation so carefullie to sowe the séede of the worde so vigilantly to keepe watch on the Lords tower so earnestlye to labour in the Lordes vineyard so painfully to séeke for to driue away the wolues from the Lordes flocke so industriously like good husband men to till the Lordes ground so zealously to plant true pietie in the heartes of people and to plucke vp wickednesse and vngodlinesse by the rootes Philox. In déede as you saie Autophilus the Lordes prayer the Créede the tenne Commaundementes to eschue euill and doe good to loue GOD is soone sayde but not so soone learned as you take it And first as concerning your praying I beléeue you vse it but a little You count so easie for if if you were set to the schoole all your life I thinke you woulde scarse take out this lesson Be feruent in praier For first in euerie godlie prayer must of necessitie bée these fiue
bée a Tailor a weauer a Cobler or of some such like occupation then to learne the duety of a Christian Autoph I cannot tell but I haue knowne one bound Apprentice to one of these occupations seuen yeares and yet in the ende hath carried away no more cunning then he hath néede off Philox. Oh good Lorde what blockishnes is this We will binde our children Apprentises to base trades and occupations seuen or eight nine or tenne yeares and estéeme it litle inough yea and all we wil contend with our trades to haue a good report and to be famous but to attain to the perfection of a Christian life to walke worthy of Gods seruants fructifying in euery good worke to become creatures of Christ to do good workes wherein he hath prepared that we shoulde worke to learne to die vnto sinne and liue vnto righteousnesse to learne to decline from euil and doe good to leaue to doe peruersly learne to doe well how lumpishly and drowsily wée goe about either as though we supposed the duety of a Christian not worthy the learning or the rewarde not worth the trauell If one man in a Country should pay his seruants greater wages by a thousand degrées then the rest who woulde not count himselfe a happy seruant if he might come into fauour and seruice with so good a Master surely either must we count Christ a lyar or else praise him for the best pay Master which promiseth such infinite rewardes to those which serue him as namely that they shoulde eate with him and drinke with him yea at his owne table raigne with him and possesse his kingdome and such like Oh hearts made of hard mettall which so great rewardes cannot mooue Autoph Who is it that sayth he doth not serue him Philox. I knowe they will say so they serue him a trust indéede if a man had such seruauntes hée woulde sende them packing Is it good seruice for a seruaunt to say to his Master Sir your worke shall be done and doe it neuer a whitte No no good pay Masters must haue good seruauntes God must be serued with all our hearts all our mindes and with all our strength the loose man cannot yéelde to concupiscence and serue God the couetous man cannot lay vp treasure in earth and in heauen Let vs then deare brethren for Christ his sake practise that same good counsaile of the Apostle Let euery man prooue and examine his owne workes whilest yet there is time and place of repentance least that we tumble headlong into the bottomlesse pitte of perdition and come with a tardé peccauimus It is to late to locke and make fast the dore when the Stéede is stollen as the mercy of God if we vse it in time may serue for our Saluation so if we vse delaye and make no account of the same but refuse it when it is offered it will turne to our bitter curse and damnation The night will come when no man can worke any longer let vs not refuse so precious a iewell as time is A good husband will sowe his séede while it is faire weather and a prudent Merchant will lay out his money whilest the market endureth there is none but will consider these thinges vnlesse he be wilfully blinde and giuen ouer to the mischiefe of Sathan vnlesse as it is faide by the Prophet Hee hath made a league with death and a couenant with hell it selfe Vnlesse he will count it but a gamball play to cast himselfe headlong to destruction and damnation both of body and soule I cannot deny but the diuel hath blinded the eies of many miserable wretches that herein they are not different from your opinion that if they can say the ten Commandements they thinke they can doe as much as is requisite but I would to God they would learne one lesson more which Moses taught the children of Israell namely That these wordes must remaine in their hearts that they should meditate vpon them both at home and abroade when they goe to bedde and when they rise in the morning Oh that this lesson were learned all our life long then should we not haue so many nickenamed Christians and then should not securitie sende so many thousand soules to hell fire Not euerie one that sayth Lorde Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but hee that doth the will of my father which is in heauen It is not inough to professe the faith with our mouth to say Lord haue mercy vpon vs good Lord forgiue vs and all the rest But a good conscience is required and the spirite of renouation Why doe ye call me Lord and doe not those thinges which I commaund you sayth Christ Luke 6. It is not inough to say the temple of the Lorde the temple of the Lorde It is not inough to say I hope to be assoone in heauen as the best I beléeue as well as the best The diuell deludeth thée whosoeuer thou art that so think Not euery one that saith Lord Lord but hee that doth the will of the Lord shall be saued Autoph Then shall none be saued for who is able to do his wil or kéepe his commandements Philox. I knowe Autophilus that none is able to doe his will or fulfill his commaundements but to doe the will of the Lorde is to indeuour our selues with our whole minde and strength to fulfill that which he commaundeth although we doe the best we can we are vnable to performe the same For if we say we haue no sinne wee deceaue our selues there is no truth in vs. And yet the same Iohn sayth Euery man that is borne of God sinneth not That is he is not willingly giuen to sinne as are the wicked which haue no care of his commandements neither to kéepe them nor to meditate vpon them Saint Paul penning the perfect duety of a Prelate to Timothy saith Meditate ponder consider vpon this I did runne the way of thy commaundements which I haue loued Sayth the Prophet Dauid Oh Lorde howe haue I loued thy lawe it is my meditation all the day long It is not without good cause that the Prophet annexeth the louing of the commaundementes and the meditation of them for that which wee loue most dearely commonly that we most thinke vpon yea we ioy to thinke of that which we loue which if it be so surely I doubt many Christians of vs carrie a colde loue either towardes God or his commaundementes vnlesse we will séeme to loue him as he that beate his owne father and saide it was for loue so no doubt we loue him indéede that is to say we will not sticke to giue him a blowe on the face For who so sinneth and offendeth against the Maiestie of God doth as it were strike God on the face and crucifie Christ againe But alasse if euery man woulde enter into some streight examination of himselfe who is there
vnder the gospell and therefore if they will néedes bee preaching let them preach the gospell I warrant you S. Paul being a minister of the gospell vsed no comminations nor threatninges but obsecrations and beséechings as it manifestly appeareth in sundry parts of his Epistles 2. Cor. 20. 2. Cor. 10.1 Philox. If thou hadst béene in Herods court thou wouldest haue béene one of the first that shouldest haue termed Iohn Baptist a sawcie Iacke for his controwling of Herode Thou art one of them which woulde haue thy sinnes smothered although incessantly thou offendest against the maiestie of God But what discréete father is he which if his childe should play the vnruly and stubborne boy woulde stroke his heade tell him he were a good son not rather fatherly reproue him and sharpely correct him with a rod. What prudent maister will commende his seruaunt for neglecting his commaundement In like sorte will you be trucebreakers of the Lords couenāts yet looke to be flattered will you impeach the Lordes honour blaspheme his holy name tread trample vnder foote his glory and yet heare of mercy will you steale murder commit adultery yet heare of nothing but the gospel wil you rest in sin liue in error ignorance sling ouerthwart the fields after your owne disordered lusts walke in the by-paths of vngodlines yet make no reckoning to be rebuked what skilfull Phisition or experienced Chyrurgian will apply a supplying salue to an old festred sore and not rather vse searing launsing cerzing and searching of it to the bottome no no grosse humors must haue strong purgations festred sores must haue sharpe salues Knobby timber must haue hard wedges rough horses must haue rough riders It is a lamentable thing to consider the waful estate and condition of our daies such pillage and pollage such guile and disguising of matters such swearing tearing tossing of the name of God like a tenisball from one blasphemous to an other such leasemongring and inhauncing of rentes such pride rioting and ruffanisme such drunkennes and surfeting such wantonnesse and chambring that wickednes doth rage as a water floude and iniquity hath gotten the vpper hande and yet notwithstanding men fret like chafed Bulls when they are brotherly reproued for their wickednes As touching saint Paul it is true that he is a Minister of the gospell But it is not true that he alwaies dealeth with the spirit of mildnes lenity for with the proud arrogant he dealeth more sharply more roughly looke thorow the Euangelists with a single eie sée howe sharpely Christ Iesus-dealeth w t the scribes pharises although they bragged boasted as much of their vpright cōuersation as do our english hypocrites although they sat in Moses chayre taught the law yet are they called of the son of God a wicked an adulterous generation blind guides painted sepulchres the sonnes of the deuil There were in saint Pauls time such as made their brags and vaunts of the law yet are they called of the Apostle dogs euill workers enemies of the crosse of Christ Wherefore there ought to be a singular wisedome and discretion in the ministery to distribute the worde of truth aright to breake to euerie one his portion of the bread of life to preach the lawe to whom the law belongeth and the gospel to whom the gospell appertaineth Iudgement to whom Iudgement belongeth and mercie to whom mercie appertaineth For to preach mercie forgiuenesse of sinnes before men see their sinnes and know their miseries by the preaching of the lawe is to preach the gospell vnprofitably hee that doth not sée his sinnes in the law as it were in a glasse is ignoraunt what miserie is in himself and what mercie is in God Autoph Well Philox. I perceiue you are become a fether of a left wing I knewe when it was not so with you howbeit this geare will take no colour neither can I sée but that a great number haue done more harme then good by their preaching It is a piteous case to sée howe those townes which haue had honest simple men and quiet soules that would not meddle with other mens matters are now troubled and molested by a companie of sawcie fellowes who can abide no good fellowship no sportes no pastime no not so much as vpon the Sunday Was not good fellowshippe thinke you vsed before they were borne I can tell you Philox. there bee a thousande of this minde that if the bloudie pretence of the proude Spaniard had taken place we might haue thanked these busie fellowes for it Philox. It was with me Autoph sometime as it is now with thée both blinde in iudgement and corrupt in conuersation I did prostitute my selfe vnto all kinde of wickednes hauing no sense of my sinnes no feare of punishment no féeling of the iudgements of God vntill such time as the Lord by the preaching of his word the powre of his holy spirite gaue me new eies to sée better a newe heart to discern better afterward as a man come out of a dumpe I wondred at y e grosse palpable darkenes wherein I was before neither haue I had this féeling in my selfe but also I haue known do know many which before their conuersion inward alteration of mind were reputed for as ciuill honest men as euer trode vpon a shoe as substantiall men as any were in the parish they dwelt in as simple dealers honest liuers good housekéepers as any of their neighbours neither was it néede to tell them of it and yet now y t the Lord hath effected an alteration change in them they thinke far otherwise of themselues their eies be opened their iudgements illumined For now they sée that which they saw not before Now they vnderstand y t there is great ods betwixt the iudgment of God the iudgment of men that God oftentimes in iust iudgement condemneth whom y e world vniustly iustifieth I speak this Autoph because thou callest me a fether of the left wing wherin y u dealest after y e accustomed maner of hypocrites which speak reprochfully of mē cōuerted vnto God For y e world loueth his own bristleth stormeth whē as God plucketh away one fether frō his wings That which thou obiectest against y e ministers zealous folowers of y e gospell is no nouelty how y t they are the cause of strife sedition wars broyles hurliburlies wherwith y e world is disquieted against which slandrous spéeches offensiue outcries y e godly must confirme their mindes with y e notable saying of our sauior Christ in y e gospel I came not to send peace but a sworde for I came to set a man at variance with his Father and the Daughter against the Mother the Daughter in law against her Mother in law and a mans foes shall be they of his owne houshold for the word of peace doth seperate
the institutiōs of Christ prefer your owne mixtures hypocrisies before gods eternall veritie fie for shame either make y e trée good the fruit good or els make the trée euil the fruit euil for the tre is knowen by the fruit Matt. 12. As if Christ should haue said away with this outward shew coloured cloke of holines away with this outward fained shewe of sanctimonie either be good or euill righteous or vnrighteous religious or irreligious fie vpon you painted sepulchres what is more contrarie to holines then hypocrisie what further frō sinceritie thē simulation why then bost you of faith righteousnes since you are vnbeléeuers of no religion it may wel be said vnto you as Christ said vnto the Pharisées That Publicans and common harlots shall go before you into the kingdome of God Let all Newters ambodexters which can so cunningly carry two faces vnder one hood learne to frame their liues according to y e word of God let al idle lubbers lerne what a horrible offēce it is to flatter worldlings in their wickednes for al newtralitie lukwarmnes y e lord doth detest abhorre For as lukwarme water is a readie instrumēt to prouoke a vomit so the Lord through his iustice can not but spewe out of his mouth such stincking and rotten members such mungrels as make such a mingle mangle of Christianitie which goe about to temper together light darkenes right and wronge sweete and sower holines and hypocrisie God and Mamon Christ and the Deuill cease then Autophilus to prouoke the Lordes wrath anie longer doe not still perseuer in ignoraunce for it is a great euill and the beginning of desperate blindnesse away with this perswasion of holinesse vnles I shal say vnto you as the Lorde said to the Church of Laodicia Thou knowest not that thou art 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 miserable wretched and worne out with euill It is a woefull thing when a man is at deathes doore and as it were about to bee swallowed vp of the Deuill and neither seeth nor yet hath any feeling at all of his iminent miserie How greatly is he deceyued which thinks that he is rich yet is altogether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a poore naked begger Autoph I thanke God I am sufficilie rich and more riche I will bee if I liue twentie yeres to an end Tush Philoxenus if you speak this cōcerning my selfe I would you wist that I am neither so blinde but I can distinguish currant coyne from copper neither so poore but if a peece of land lie to my liking I can perhaps fetch as many red ruddockes as shall pay the price of it Philox. I knowe you haue Lynceus sight in worldly matters and so had the Laodicians who could vse marchandise buying selling and with craft worldly pollicies But yet in heauenly wisedome indeed they were starke blind The Pharisées also whom Christ called blind were well sighted in worldly matters but in heauenly matters as blind as béetles Although they were gallantly clad in tryme arraye yet as touching true knowledge they were destitute naked of good workes and void of the wedding garment O that Ruffians swashbucklers gallants of this world who either thinke that there is no God or else that he is a sleepe or at the least feare not his iudgements O that such proud pecockes and hautie harts which carrie so sharpe eyes to spie out mischiefe to commit it and thinke them selues in heauen if they might be gorgeous in this worlde woulde marke these things well who stumble daily in desperation and can not see it and goe naked from the toppe to the tooe I say naked from al goodnes and yet féele it not For he alone is well cladde which by faith hath put on Christ Iesus Hee alone féeleth it in his heart and possesseth spirituall giftes according to that in the first Chapter of S. Paul the first Epistle to the Corinthians I giue thankes to my God alwayes for you for the grace of God that is giuen you in Christ Iesus because you are in al things inriched by him in euery word and in all knowledge like as the testimony of Christ is confirmed in you in so much as you are not destitute in anie gifte c. Learne Autophilus of S. Paul what it is to bée truely rich and that worldly wealth is starke beggerie in regarde of these heauenly treasures learne of Christ howe to make a purchase of treasures first séeke the kingdome of God and all other things shall be giuen you Sell that you haue giue almes and prepare your bagges which waxe not olde euen a treasure that fayleth not in the heauens where no thiefe approcheth nor moath corrupteth read the sixt to Timothie the 29. of Ecclesiasticus the 23. of the Prouerbes Then shall you know what is true riches and howe you shall vse this worldly drosse and dunge If one should offer you poison in a painted cup you would be loath to taste of it although it were pleasaunt to the taste Autoph If you thinke I am werie of my life you deceaue your selfe Philox. Neither be you weary to liue well cease to drinke sinne which is the poison of your soule euē as beasts drinks water Howsoeuer the deuil doth colour his knauerie making you beléeue you know y t which you know not that swet is sower and sower swéete good bad bad good it is but his subtiltie to driue you into the feareful disease of securitie therby to poisō your soule to euerlasting damnation your beléefe is grosse if you locke it vp in your breast without either sense or vnderstanding of the same doth stande you in as much stead as a preseruatiue still put in your pocket serueth to your health if you neuer vse it The flint stone vnles it be beaten causeth no heat neither y e Pommander vnles it be chafed causeth any smel Euen so vnles you meditate on the word to vnderstand the same haue a desire to learne daily y e will of the Almightie it auaileth nothing at all and in the end as good neuer a whit as neuer the better Autoph Here is nothing but learne learne I thinke we shall let all alone fall to praying and saying I knowe not what can you teach me any more thā to resist sinne and to do good to loue God aboue al things and my neighbour as my selfe Tushe here is more adoe then needeth Philox. Oh Autophilus Nunquam satis docetur quod nunquam satis discitur It is neuer taught inough which is neuer learned inough Where a Scholemaster hath Classem asinorum it will be long or hee beat a good instruction into their braynes It is a hard matter to make a worldling to become a good Christian Autoph Thousandes thinke it not so difficult a matter as you make it Philox. But whether doe you thinke Autophilus it is an easier matter to
which with the Prophet Dauid maketh the commaundements of God his daily meditation neither this onely in the day time but in the night also Who is hee that can say Thy iudgementes Oh Lorde are sweeter vnto mee then hony Who is it that can truely say hee hath desired them more then golde and precious stones Nay who is it almost to whom they séeme not as bitter as gall Because they require repentance and mortification who is he but estéemeth that which the Apostle calleth drosse and dung more delectable and pleasant than the iudgementes of the Lord. If a man loueth mee sayth Christ hee will keepe my Commandementes If this were well marked of you it woulde not séeme so easie a matter to be a good Christian as you account it As the children of God are knowne by two markes so are also the bondslaues of Sathan The markes of Gods children are sometimes internall sometimes externall the inward are repentance faith godlines and a sounde conscience the outward hearing of Gods word and godly conuersation So likewise on the contrary side Sathans impes are knowne by their inward and outward notes inwardly in that they are without faith deuoyde of all godlines of an ill conscience of no good affection towardes the Ministery outwardly by contempt of the word and a leude life Ponder these things Autophilus and throughly examine them and sée whether you carry about with you the cognisance of Gods childe or the badge of the diuels bondslaues and after due examination if you finde your selfe rather a limme of Sathan then beloued of the Lord recoyle plucke backe your foote in time lest that the curse of eternall damnation fall vpon you sooner then you looke for it And whereas you saide that to eschue euill and doe good is all that the Preachers can teach you or require at your hands I graunt it so and more then you goe about to performe To sinne of your selfe you are apt inough and the diuell is ready to teach you but if a man should demaund of you how you shall resist sin or doe good I doe not doubt but he shall finde you mum-budget If we had to make warre against any forreigne Prince about to inuade the Countrie wherein we liue and neuerthelesse sit at home in the chimney corner saying amongest our selues we knowe well how to preuent the enimie it is but to muster such Souldiers as are méete for warre to gather an Armie and couragiously to bid them battaile woulde we accompt our selues salfely defensed or destruction further from vs if this were once saide might not rather our ouerthrowe moue laughter to all such as heare of it This proportiō Autophilus would be diligently pondered there is no Christian but hath a continuall combating against the world the flesh and the deuill for which cause our life is called a warfare vpon the earth and euery good Christian a souldier for as souldiers doe lye in wait to beat backe and resist the enemy so ought we to be vigilant in resisting sinne and the temptations thereof and as to know the meanes how to resist the enemies and not put it in practise can profit vs nothing at all so if we say to resist sinne and doe good is the perfect duety of a Christian neither learne how to resist sinne or to doe good it doth nothing at all preuaile If we say to loue God aboue all thinges and our neighbour as our selues is the perfect duety of a Christian and yet neither learne howe to loue God nor exercise charity towardes our brethren we are as neare the perfection of Christianity as he that can say that the chiefest point of a Tailours trade is to to shape and to sewe is neare to the excellencie of a perfect workeman Autoph Well we are deceiued if we loue not God aboue all things you shall hardly make vs confesse the contrary Philox. Doe you remember what you said vnto me when we began to enter into communication Autoph What is that Philox. If you bée not forgetfull you said that if a greater occasion had not vrged you then hearing of the word wée had not met here to day and moreouer that you more estéemed of two hundreth pounds then of thrée hundreth sermons Autoph What prooue you of this Phil. That you loue God nothing at al. Autoph Then it were pity I did liue Philox. You loue the world more then his word Autoph I said not so yet Philox. No what meane your former speaches Autoph Whatsoeuer I said there be no fewe that will confirme it Philox. The more the worse Autoph Should we let all runne at randome and followe the Preachers must we loue God and nothing else Philox. I say not so for all the creatures of God are excéeding good and to be beloued but nothing ought to be made equall in loue with God or to be preferred before his loue Wee must loue God with all our heartes with all our soules and with all our might In regard of which loue we must both loath and treade vnder foote all thinges that séemeth good in all the worlde Yea this loue ouercommeth all mischiefes whatso euer which otherwise séeme inuincible The Apostle Paul proclaimeth this with a zealous and vehement motion Who shall seperate vs from the loue of God Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or hunger or nakednes or perill or sword as it is written for thy sake are wee killed all day long and are counted as sheepe to the slaughter neuerthelesse in all these thinges we ouercome through him that loued vs. For I am sure that neither death nor life nor Angell nor rule nor power nor thinges present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu our Lorde Hitherto the Apostle The nature of a faithfull friende is not to offende but to reuerence him whom he loueth he is the better when his eye is vpon him his delight is to talke with him his heart is to doe for him his great pleasure to be present with him he willingly will not sée him iniuried nor patiently heare him slandered no crosse nor calamity shall vnlose the long contracted knotte of friendship Indéede we all say we loue God but fewe of vs feare to offend him we can say we like well of his word but we doe not reuerence it as we ought We will talke of him but how in swearing staring cursing and banning but to talke of him or with him as though we loued him that is to giue him thanks praise him or pray vnto him or meditate vpon his worde we vse it but a little And I doubt wee haue many Christians which scarce once in foure and twenty houres make mention of him after this manner The desire we haue to sée our friende is an Argument we loue him dearly the slender desire we haue to sée God that is out
Autophilus Balaam being gréedie of money for the which he was about to curse Gods people might haue excused himself saying it is a point of good husbandrie But if Achans stealing of gold and precious clothes against Gods commandement for the which hée was stoned if Gehezias selling of Naamans health which came by the grace of God if Iudas his treacherie against his Lord and Maister selling him for thirtie pence if Ananias and Saphyra theyr lying to the holy Ghost were good husbaÌ„dry then may these chambred fellowes kéeping themselues close in their counting houses laying their bagges vnder their elbowes dreaming of their ruddocks then may they well say that they play the good husbaÌ„ds in their filthy gréedines and sparing of euery od halfpeny But this good husbandry is nothing els but a net of the diuel in the which whosoeuer is taken loseth life euerlasting as the séely bird goeth downe into a pitfall for a worme loseth her life or the mouse for a piece of Bacon is taken in the trap euen so it is with them which you call good husbands which cast themselues to euerlasting destructioÌ„ both body soule for trifles not worth y e traueling for according to that of the prophet Barucke Where are they nowe which heaped together gold siluer which made no end of their scraping together And immediatly he answered Exterminati sunt descenderunt ad inferos They are rooted out they are gone downe into hell Like vnto that of S. Iames. Now goe to ye rich men weepe and howle in your miseries that come vpon you your riches are rotten and your gold siluer is rusty the rust thereof shall be a testimony against you it shall feede on your fleshe as fire you haue hoarded vp wrath for your selues in the last day Autoph Woulde you haue vs giue all away and goe a begging by the faith of an honest man I neuer meant it get more when I can I am determined to kéepe that which I haue Philox. This is a rude spéeche sauering neither of Christ nor Christianity Take héede sayth Christ beware of Couetousnes for no mans life standeth in the aboundance of things which he possesseth shewing the same by the similitude of a certaine rich man who hauing not roomth where to bestow his fruites saide I will pull downe my barnes and build greater and therein I will gather all my fruits and my goods and I wil say vnto my soule thou hast much goodes laide vp in store for many yeares take thine ease eate drinke and bee merrie But God said vnto him Thou foole this night doe they require thy soule againe froÌ„ thee theÌ„ whose shall all these things be And so is euery one that gathereth riches to himselfe and not riches towards god Had not this rich maÌ„ better to haue purchased a place in heaueÌ„ where to liue eternally then to haue hurded vp heaps of the greedie golde laide house to house and lande to lande What auaileth all his treasures possessions al reuenewes all faire buildinges what auaileth his barnes full of Corne to what purpose shall they serue when our most iust and terrible God to the wicked and couetous shall say Redde rationem villicationis Come giue accompt of thy Bayliwicke May it not please the Lorde so to deale with Autophilus Hearken therefore to that of the wise man Qui diligit aurum non iustificabitur Hee that loueth golde shall not be iustified Woe bee vnto you rich men for you haue receyued your consolation in this life What a sore saying is that of Christ when he pronounceth That it is as easie a matter for a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle as for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen Autoph That is an hard saying in déede but you shall not make me beléeue that these wordes haue a literall signification for I knowe riches are good neither will I learne the contrarie Philox. It is most certeinly true that riches are not ill of them selues neither of their owne nature bring impedimentes vnto vs whereby wee may bee hindered from gods seruice but the impediment coÌ„meth of our corrupt nature otherwise wee might blame the author For as the suffering of the Father doth oftentimes bring corruptions to the Childe euen so it can not almost bee auoided but that the more abundance is giuen to some the more they ingourge themselues and take a surfet as it were of the same such is the wickednesse of maÌ„s nature So that they to whoÌ„ wealth and substance riches and reuenewes do increase are tyed with the chaines and bands of the Diuell least they should aspire into heauen and are so bewitched with Sathans iugling that they account nothing commodious but the flowing vanities of this wretched worlde reiecting that holsome counsaile of the Prophet Dauid Nolite cor apponere That is set not your hearts vppon the loue of riches Such miserable caytiues as are thus fettred with the chaines of SathaÌ„ kept in bondage flauery of their owne riches we may iustly compare vnto cur Dogs which when they haue fed vpon the carrioÌ„ filled their bellies lye down by it kéepe away the séely birdes that they may rather die for hunger then eat of that whereof the Curs haue too much So likewise the wretched man couetously scraping and scratching from the poore withholding that which is none of his owne although he haue too much had rather sée his poore brother goe naked in the stréetes and faint euen vnto the death through famine then depart from that which he may wel spare to the reléeuing of his extremity So is he kept in priâ—â— of his goods so is he kept in subiection of the diuell so is he continually tormented I say tormented in getting more tormented in kéeping most of all in losing For which cause it is no maruel if our sauior Christ calleth them the riches of iniquity in regard of the effect Autoph You may say your pleasure against riches and rich men notwithstanding you shall not perswade me but that a rich man may be an honest man Philox. It is a vaine collection of you to infer such a conclusioÌ„ vpoÌ„ my former words as though such were my intent Autoph Why then doe you compare vs to Dogs Philox. Indéede Autoph I compare couetous cormorants to cur Dogs not without iust cause Yet I say not but that a rich man may be an honest man Abraham Isaac Iacob Dauid and Iob were very rich meÌ„ also very good men Ioseph of Arimathea was very rich So likewise Zacheus was a rich man Neither is it said of the Apostle none are called being rich but hee saith Not many rich are called nether in an other place y t they which are rich but which séek to be rich fall into many temptations And again y e loue of mony is y e root of al euil
as they shoulde be would hang their heades for verie shame Was there euer such exesse and superfluitie as is at this daie and in this land men making themselues monsters and women disguising thēselues like puppets The Prophet Esaie speaking of the attire of women so curious in tricking and trimming vp themselves with all their pretie trinkets doth so decypher them as if he had an inuentorie of their chests I saie he doth displaie them euen from the crowne of their heads to the sole of their féete As their ouches brouches their slippers the cals the round attire their sweete bals their bracelettes their attire of their heades their head bandes their tablettes their earerings their rings their muflers their costly apparel their vailes wimples their crisping pinnes their glasses their lymnes and their lawns and such like knackes and he telleth them that God can well skill to make reformation since they were set on the hoigh and all bent vpon brauery setting cock on the houpe and hauing no care of amendement But now a dayes ruffianisme is more rife than euer it was and pride séeks to display his armes by all kindes of disordered varieties they are still deuising of some new bable or other are neuer at an end Now French fashions now Italian toies and al to make English fooles and thus whilest we are so busie in making our bodies braue our soules are eaten to death with rust ranker The Lord commaunded the Iewes that they shoulde not weare garmēts of linsie wolsie that is they should obserue a simple and naturall fashion of their attire and not to vse such gaie glorious flim flams and to séeke after superfluous deckings For when men doe so it is as if a man should disorder a whole house or turn the pots and the platters mingle the shéetes with the towels tosse tumble all things topsie turuie the like madnesse I saie is committed when we doe not rightly and orderly apply to our vses those thinges which God hath bestowed vppon vs but mingle them according to our owne imaginations and is it not a wonder to sée what pretie knackes fine heads can inuent to féede fond desires For as soone as they sée the foolish Gentlemā to be tricked with the delight of some new deuised Lucyferlike tricks then begin they to set such dainties abroch as may make fat fooles leane purses Oh this is braue saith one this will tricke it sayeth another I will haue a newe deuise saith the third Thus is their striuing emulation who shoulde possesse the highest place in the schoole of vanitie many there be which were it not for the maintaining of their pride might kéep good hospitality reléeue the poore do good to the common weale wherin they liue whereas now they hang such flim flā about their necks lay so much vpon their backes that they are not able to spare anie thing from their bellies in the meane time naked néede is sent packing no regard is had of the vse of Gods creatures What should I say there is nothing else but confusion in our liues we are as blinde as béetles and made dronken with the dregges of vaine excesse if some good men which liued in the time of simplicitie should sée howe men at this present doe leade their liues how one daie they must haue this toie an other daie that and the thirde daie a new bable some must shifte twice a daie or else they haue not playd their partes If some I saie which liued in y t time of simplicitie did but sée what forging of fine conceits there is to put that toie out of vse which was inuented but thrée daies a go and all to get money and also how others lash out to maintaine their porte which must néedes bee in print I warrant you would they not clappe their hands at them yea would they not spit at such fondnesse Autoph Fie fiie there is no wise man but will laugh at you I know euerie daintie dame will scorne you Is it not méete that a Gentleman shoulde haue a gowne for the night two for the daie some for winter and some for Summer one all furred an other halfe faced one for this daie an other for that Should not a Gentleman haue chaunge of attire to shifte twice in one daie one after y e French fashion and an other after the Turkie call you these toies Philox. Oh Autophilus the Israelites were content with such attire as God gaue them although not gorgious and God so blessed thē that their shooes and hose lasted fortie yéere and those which were worne of their Fathers their children tooke no scorne to weare them afterwards but we are neuer content for some will not stick to bestowe more on a dauncing shirt than is sufficient to buy an handsome sute of apparel others hang their reuenues about their neckes and in the ende some will not sticke to ieoparde the best ioynt about them to maintaine their proude estate another if he haue not money to buy him gayish clothes yet that he may play his part in the pageant of pride will lash out all his money in his purse vpon great buttons Another because he will bée in the fashion will bestow two pound of daglockes in panching his doublet the true liuerie and cognisance of his maister whom he serues Another because he woulde haue a tricke aboue the rest must weare his hat without a band and goe with vngartered hose as either he would haue people to laugh at him or shewe that hee is wearie of his life and that which is most abhominable some there are which take brauery in their lōg hair loking grimly as if they were fraye bugs to feare children or satyres sauage creatures come out of y e woods Thus they which are made men by y e work of God created to serue him in true righteousnes holines al y e daies of their liues by Circes I shuld say by Sathans inchantments are changed into Apes Hogs and Asses behauing them more brutishly thā euer did the Ethnikes themselues Autoph As touching men it were pittie they shoulde become such monsters as you woulde make them and as for women albeit they haue tong enough to aunswere for themselues notwithstanding I will speake for them in this behalfe Is it not méete think you that they curle their haire paint their faces go fine and gayish to the end they may delight their husbandes eyes and to retaine his loue towardes them yes yes I warrant you if you shoulde controll them to theyr faces they coulde verie quicklie shape you suche an aunswere Philox. A shamefull thing were it and if they shoulde so aunswere First in respecte of theyr husbandes and then in regard of God especially in regarde of their husbandes for that in so saying they shoulde charge him to be delighted with the worke of the deuill as though that a wise and christian husband had rather
good Ministers so charitably as he doth insomuch as if he had twēty Ecclesiasticall liuings he had rather to bestowe ninetéene of them vppon blinde watch men than one vpon a vigilant shephearde that hath care to look vp the lost shéepe of Israel Here if I should but glaunce at our English Simoniacks I knowe that I should rather displease than content Wherfore I will say nothing of Church robbers marchant buiers of Ecclesiasticall dignities following the steppes of their grand patriarch and predecessor Simon Magus I wil not say that they are more wicked vngodly than the Iewes for they wold not put the price of bloude in their treasurie but these merchauntes haue so enlarged their consciences that they can find in their hearts to make merchandise of mens soules for money I will winke at the iugling that is now a daies touching this sinne of Symonie and the pretie fine plaies betwixt maister Parson his Patrones as if they would cast a mist before his sight that made the eie by making a faire glose vpō a bad matter and putting a golden coat vppon an ill fauoured bodie But heare you Sirs all this will not pay the shot when the reckoning comes to be made I could say howe that Gentlemen Papists bestow most commonly their Ecclesiasticall liuings vpon dirt dawbers such as are in no indifferent measure graced for that calling that thereby they may bring the Gospell of Christ Iesus into contempt Tse tse not a worde of the corruption of couetous Gentlemen in this point how farre they will séeke within sixe moneths for sir Iohn lacke latine lack learning lacke conscience and religion that will make no bones to commit Symonie Oh what kéeping counsaile on both sides Maister Parson sweares that if he haue twentie poūd yerely rent of an hundred he hath the whole giuen him The Patrone saith as he is a Gentleman he hath giuen him al and yet his conscience witnesseth that he hath giuen him the third parte Thus if both they can plaie fast and loose cleanlie to dazle the eies of the world they care not if for companies sake they goe both together to their craftes maister which taught them the tricke of suche sleightie conueyances In the meane time neither the Patrone if he may sheare the sheepe while maister Parson sheareth the hogges and scumme the best fat from his pot neither maister Parson if he may haue a litle liuing careth what doth become of poore soules for whom Christ Iesus vouchsafed to shed his most precious bloud but by whose meanes so euer it commeth to passe that the flocke of Christe suffereth spirituall famine he shall as surelie answere for the same as hée which beholdeth that so horrible an offence liueth for euer For this is the cause that where there ought to bée such as are able to teache to reprooue correcte and instruct such as ought to bée starres to giue light to the Church both in regarde of their doctrine and conuersation there are wandering Planettes giuing no light neyther in their doctrine nor in theyr deedes Agaynst whome the curse of GOD is threatened Woe bee vnto the shepheardes of Israel that feede themselues should not the shepheards féed their flockes Yee eate vp the fatte yee cloathe your selues with the wooll the best fedde doe you slaie but the flocke doe you not feede the weake haue you not strengthened the flocke haue you not healed the broken haue yée not bound together the driuen away haue yet notbrought againe c. Autoph If you would inueigh against Symony Philoxenus you may go to Rome for it is banished many yeares agoe out of England As for that which you cal Symony it is nothing else but a simple contract which y e lawiers call Do vt des I giue that thou maist giue againe And if this be not done without crazing of a mans conscience I doubt we haue a thousand crackt consciences in England Philox. Alas good sir Symony how is he put to his shiftes and yet all wil not pay the shot when the reckoning comes to bée made Notwithstanding were it not for this same Do vt des many which set their talents like Eagles on Ecclesiasticall liuinges which flaunt it out like braue lads of this world set a brazen face on the matter might go in thréed bare cotes hanging downe their heads for very shame and herein I appeale to their owne consciences if there be any conscience at all in them For certainlie if they did beare that zeale to the ministerie which at a blushe many of them doe pretend they would not geld the liuings of poore ministers to mainteine their own surpassing pride But to leaue them Autophilus and to come to your selfe I praie you tell mée how many sermons you haue heard within one whole yere Autoph That I may not lie vnto you I haue not heard many For I am none of those that wil go foure or fiue miles to a Sermon and yet I trust I shall doe well enough for all that as long as I haue a good faith in God doe no bodie no harme What man should I leaue my pleasures and profites and fall to following the Preachers Doe they thinke that none shall bee saued but such as reade Scriptures and heare Sermons God shield man but they which doe not go to heare Sermons should be saued as well as they Why may not one serue God at home in his house hauing good bookes and good praiers as well as if he heard all the sermons in the Countrie You shall neuer make me beléeue the contrarie I haue the Bible in my house and a few praiers and now and then I haue a litle crash for recreation sake Philox. O fie Autophilus thou standest too much in thine owne light and bewraiest what follie and ignoraunce is in thée if thou thinkest to bee saued by any other meanes than that which God hath appointed in his holie word what madnes can bee like vnto this that when GOD hath absolutelie spoken anie thing in his worde wee should excepte agaynst it and so as it were giue him the lie When GOD hath tolde vs that the teaching of his worde is the ordinarie meanes to saluation shall wée hope to haue fellowshippe amongest the elect children of GOD and yet despise the good meanes that GOD hath ordayned to bring vs into his kingdome When GOD hath aduouched a thing to our faces will wée saie I hope it is not so This is nothing else but infidelitie which vomiteth vp al good things poisoneth the verie entrayles of a man stoppeth the waie to good graces and barreth vs from repentaunce Wherefore vse thy libertie saie thou art a Protestaunt renounce the Pope yet excepte thou louest the preaching of the worde euen as thou louest thine owne soule and doest delighte in the Gospell of our sauiour Christ as in thy life thou dost walke in the sinnes of a corruptible man Autoph Stay