I Did meruaile Au­tophilus, to sée you march towardes the Sermon so spéedilie. I trust that the spirit of y^e Lord hath wrought some good worke in you, that you are desirous to learne wisedome at the [Page 2] mouth of the minister, whereby you may bee made wise vnto saluati­on.

Trulie sir, I haue almost forgotten you, it is so long since I did sée you. If you knew the intent purpo­sed wherfore I came to the preaching, or the profite which I haue reaped thereby, I suppose you woulde rather condemne me for my intention, than commend me for the commoditie that I haue gained at the mouth of the Preacher.

Few such words Autophi­lus may suffice. They sounde of the spirite of iniquitie. I woulde be sorie that your minde shoulde méete with your mouth herein.

Woulde you wishe mee to sweare, as I am an honest man and a Christian, I speake what I think, and which you, if you vrge me, shall vnderstand at large.

I perceiue your complexi­on is cholericke, take heede you vnplat not your patience, and sweare not by your honestie. But since you haue [Page 3] called your intent in question. May I craue the cause of so greate hast, for your pace declareth, you were loth to come too late.

Be there none here but we our selues?

None at all as I sup­pose.

Will you conceale it, if I make manifest my minde vnto you?

Perswade your selfe, that I am your friende in these thinges wherein neither God is dishonou­red, nor your Christian brethren hin­dered.

Tush I like not con­ditions, perhappes it concernes my credite to conceale the cause heere­of.

If either your credit or com­moditie bid honestie farewell, I am not méete to make your secret friend. I hope there is no daunger in broa­ching so honest a matter as this is. Why therefore should you make it so curious?

Because I knowe not the intent of the demander, howbeit as I desire not to disclose it, yet because I am loth you should wax ielous, you shall not departe vnsatisfied. Beléeue me sir, I went more for fashion than for fauour, that either I did heare to maister Doctor or his doctrine.

I thought how I should find you Autophilus, you made the matter so curious, I feare mee in the ende I shall finde you an hypocrite.

You cut mee off before I come to a full period: the sense is yet vnperfect. If there had beene no grea­ter occasion to haue mooued mee to come to this place, than the profite I thought to haue reaped at the hande of the preacher, we had not met heere to daie.

Is there anie thing more com­modious (miserable man) than to séek to saue thy soule? Is anie thing more necessary than to hear the word prea­ched, or any iewell more precious than wisedome?

O Sir, I came to receiue [Page 5] money this daie, to the value of two hundred pounds, & as I am an honest man I estéeme more of two hundred pounds, than of thrée hundred preach­ings. For if you thinke that I came so spéedilie to heare a Sermon, you are greatly deceiued, notwithstanding hearing the report of the man to be fa­mous, that he was a stranger and an excellent fellow, I thought good to go sée him for companie sake. But shall I tell you Philoxenus: in that minde I am in, I will neuer heare him againe whilest I liue.

Doe you not like of him as a good messenger, that will without feare or fauour discharge his duetie, and manfullie declare that message which was ministred vnto him.

Messenger or not, I know not what hee hath in charge, but one thing I am sure of, that such as hee, are farre vnméete to bee made magi­strates, héere is nothing nowe a daies in the mouthes of a greate number of them, but crying out against coue­tousnesse, vsurie, briberie, belly chéere, [Page 6] surfetting, dronkennesse, and suche like.

Tell me Autophilus, where­fore he is vnméete to be made a magi­strate?

Wherefore? because pride, couetousnesse, vaineglorie, whoore­domè, lecherie, shoulde kisse the stock [...]s.

And no lesse worthie, for if I may bée iudge, the gallowes is too good for them. But in déede such hath bene the corrupt nature of the wicked and vngodlie of this worlde, that they haue alwaies loathed such as woulde simplie & in singlenes of hart tel them, or fréelie reproue them for their mani­fest sinne & manifolde transgressions. In the prophet Esay his time the peo­ple cried out to the séeers and prophets y^t they would speake flattering things vnto them.Esai. 30. Abner coulde neuer abide Rispah Isboseth, to tell him of his go­ing into Rispah his father Saules con­cubine:2. Sam. 3 Mich. 2. The Prophet Micha telleth vs that the sinne companions of his time liked well of such Prophets as [Page 7] would prophesie vnto them of Wine and strong drinke. The same cankred corruption, if not more grieuous, is at this day.The wic­ked would haue their sinnes smothered The wicked best like of those ministers which either can saie no­thing, or else flatter and sooth them vp in their sins, taking them as it were by the hande, and lulling these grace­lesse babes a sléepe in the cradle of se­curitie: They best like of those which dawbe with vntempered morter, and sowe entising pillowes vnder their el­bowes: which preach vnto them of Wine and good Ale, of rioting, reuel­ling, and running vnto all manner of vngodlie excesse:Amos. 8 I remember the Prophet Amos hath a complaint a­gainst the rulers of his time, that they woulde make hauocke of the poore and needie for olde shooes. If the same Prophet were now liuing, he would adde to this another complaint as grieuous, that the ministers of our time are so wicked and vngodlie, that they wil smoother the sinnes of men, & sell the truth of GOD for mourning gowns, for tieth cocks, & tieth sheues. [Page 8] I woulde to God that wofull experi­ence proued not this to be true: for vn­doubtedly although a mā were so blot­ted and blurred, that all the wafer in the sea could not washe him, yet shall you finde one flattering tongue or o­ther, that will support him in his sins, and iustifie him in his vncleannesse, and although he were as black as the blacke horse mentioned in the Reue­lation, yet shall ye find a blacke Pro­phet with a blacke mouth, and an headlong tongue will colour him as white as the white shéepe that is new come from washing, and if a false tongue coulde doe more than that, it is set to sale for a small price. Thus the children of GOD are berefte and robbed of their garmentes, when flat­terers giue titles, and iustifie the wicked in their abhominations.

I tell you troth Philox­enus, to speake what I thinke, I vt­terlie mislike of these sawcie mar­chauntes which checke and controule their superiours: there is nothing but the lawe, damnation, damna­tion. [Page 9] What man? Wee liue 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.

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 [Page 10] 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,Discrete Ministers not vnlike to skilfull Chirurgi­ans. & 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 [Page 11] 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,Luke 18. Math. 23. Iohn 8. yet are they called of the son of God a wicked & an adulterous generation, blind guides, painted sepulchres, the sonnes of the [Page 12] deuil. There were in saint Pauls time such as made their brags and vaunts of the law:Phil. 3. 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.Order preposterous to preach the gospel before the lawe. 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.

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 [Page 13] 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.

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 [Page 14] 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,Mark this ye ciuill honest men. 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.Luke. 16. 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 [Page 15] 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.True pre­chers of the worde called sowers of sedi­tion. 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, Luke. 12. 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 as it wer y^e gold frō y^e drosse, the wheat from y^e chaffe & the good from y^e bad: & from hēce it is y^e the wicked become so outragious, & do [Page 16] whet their téeth to persecute the pain­full laborers in the Lordes vineyarde calling them the troublers of the com­mon wealth:1. King. 18. vnto whom wée answer as Elias answered to King Achab, that not hée, but the King was the troubler of the Countrie: Euen so not the ministers which teach the worde painefully, but these vngodly ones which defame them despitefully, trou­ble the common wealth, and hurt the health of the Church. The vnbelée­uing Iewes at Thessalonica cried out against Paul and Silas saying these felowes that haue troubled the whole world are come hither also. But Paul speaking against y^e Iews his enemies & persecutors, said, they, as they haue killed y^e Lord Iesus & their own Pro­phets, so doe they perseeute vs: they please not God, & are aduersaries to all men, resisting vs y^t we shoulde not preach the gospell vnto the Gentils to their saluation, that they may still fulfill their sinnes, and so at last, the endlesse anger of God may fall vppon them. It is to be feared, it is with vs, [Page 17] as it was with the Iewes in the prophet Ieremie his daies, a few that imbrace the worde of the Lorde with profit. The rebellious Iewes obiected against Ieremie, that since the time they beganne to leaue the worship of their idol gods, and to hearken to the preaching of the worde of God, they neuer had any iot of felicity, but that mishaps by troupes fell one vpon the necke of an other: hereupon they saide to Ieremie: when we made sacrifice to the Quéene of heauen (that is to say, to the sunne) all thinges went well with vs, we had abundance of corne, &c. After the same maner say many of our time, it was well when we heard masse, when we went on pilgrimage, when wée worshipped before images, when we gaue to monks and priests: the feare of God was greater, and there was more loue and good fellow­ship in a day then there is now in half a yeare.

A thousande are of that minde Philox. neither can you make them beléeue, but then it was a good [Page 18] world, whē a man might buy as ma­ny egs for a peny as would serue him halfe a dozen meales.

What drunkennes, what astonishment, what madnesse hath dazeled the eies of men y^t they should sée nothing? what sleighty elusions of Sathan hath couered their spirites that they shoulde beléeue nothing? Is this the thanke that we render vnto God for the preaching of the gospell? what madnes can bée compared vnto this? The Lord doth offer vs saluatiō fréely without monie or monie worth: and we had rather féede like swine on huskes and shales, pay for popish do­tages & dirty deuises. The Lord doth offer vs drinke of the welsprings of Israell, the fountaine of euerliuing water, and we had rather drinke of the filthy puddle of mens deuillish in­uentions. He sendeth his ministers a­mongest vs to sowe the incorruptible séed of his holy word, to rouse vp these lumpish spirites of ours & to bring vs to repentance: & we accuse his word to be the cause of our sins & miseries, & [Page 19] his ministers to be the sowers of sedi­tion & discention. But tel me this one thing Autoph. art thou perswaded y^t the preaching of Noe, was the cause of the ouerwhelming of the old world w^t waters? or y^e good perswasions of Lot, the cause why Sodome, and Gomorra was burned with fire & brimstone frō heauen, or the forewarning of our sa­uiour Christ vnto the Iewes to be the cause of the destruction and desolation of that famous city Ierusalem?

How should I be so persua­ded, sithens it was the fulnes of their abhominatiōs which kindled y^e wrath and indignation of God against them?

In like sorte it is not the word of God which maketh our sins & miseries abound, causeth dearth or pe­nury, stirreth vp sedition, strife or con­tention: it is our sins & enormious of­fences that draweth the heauy iudg­ments of God vppon vs, let lewde tongues therefore for shame leaue off to blaspheme & to lash out at randome against the gospel of Iesus Christ: let vs remoue far from vs the causes of [Page 20] our miseries, namely, contempt of the word of God, couetousnes, oppression, swearing & tearing of y^e name of God for vaine trifles, prophanation of the Lords Saboth, drunkennes, surfeting, rioting, &c. and let vs know assuredly, that the happy and prosperous victory which God hath giuen to the profes­sors of his gospell in putting a snaffle in the mouthes, and an hooke in the nosthrels of mercilesse Tyrants and bloudie persecutors of his children, it was for his name sake, his worde and his truthes sake. Therefore let vs with humblenes of heart beséeche the Lord of his entire goodnes to send dai­ly more and more painefull labourers into his vineyard, to water the vine of Englande with the moysture of his holy worde, and that all idoll pastors and hirelings may be rooted out.

Yet more adoe about hire­lings, I pray you whom doe you call hirelinges or idoll pastors, it may bée that I shall mistake you?

The very same Autoph. whom thou callest simple fellows and [Page 21] quiet soules, which care not whether the people committed to their charge, sinke or swim, stand or fall, liue or die, be saued or damned: which either for feare or fauour dare not once mewe or open their mouthes to reproue the sins of the wicked: which are more fit for y^e tauern than y^e tēple, for y^e plough than y^e pulpit: which are more fit for y^e slaile than to féede the flocke of Christ. The shepheard if he want knowledge may confer with his Dog, & if the sée­ly husbādman want wisdome he may aske counsell of his whip, for the lips of these idols preserue no knowledge.

Now as I am an honest man, and a Christian, I haue hearde many vnreuerent spéeches, and re­prochfull raylings, & yet neuer hearde I any thing against honest men so vncharitably spoken.

Beware how y^u iudgest, lest y^u condemne y^e prophets thēselues.Esai. 50. Esay calleth the ministers of his age, blinde watchmen, dumbe dogs, gréedy dogs. The prophet Ezechiel, Ezech. 22. termeth y^e pro­phets, conspirators, gréedy raueners, [Page 22] deuourers like Lions. The prophet Zacharie, Zach. 11. in zeale of y^e spirit, termeth them no better thā idols, I could rec­ken many more sharpe sayings of the Prophets against such biters of the Lords people, but take these for a tast and cease to call the godly & zealous followers of the Lord, despitefull and malicious dealers, because they will not iustifie the wicked in their waies, say that good is euill & euill good, make darkenes light,Esay. 5. & light darkenes, call sower swéet, & swéet sower, to whom the Lord doth threaten that horrible woe of reuenge.

Shall you make me be­léeue that the prophets speak of those, which such as you are, call dumbe mi­nisters, & not rather of the enemies of Gods truth? neuer whilest you liue. Why man these loue God, regard his truth, exhort & edifie to the vttermost of their power: I pray you call to minde that saying of the prophet Za­charie, who dare despise the day of small things, & things of no reputati­on? who dare reproue the Lordes soul­diers [Page 23] lapping water like dogs? The stately champions being sent home, who dare vpbraid? Elizeus, his plow­ing, Peters, fishing, Paul, All this cōcludeth nothing for the suppor­ting of a blinde guide. his tentma­king, Mathews, pilling and powling? who were they that despised Iesus Christ because he was a Carpentors son? Let these men beware lest here­after they be like them in torments whom now they do imitate in taūts. Who would vpbraid Luther with his monkery, since S. Paul, was so long a Pharisée & S. Augustine, a Manichée. Why doe you despise these brethren? Do you thinke that they which bring them into the church know not what they do? You might as well accuse the one as the other, if you durst. I am sure there is as great care as may be taken by the bishops and their substi­tutes at this day to admit such to the ministery as be learned, and such as they are wel perswaded of by men of good calling and credit to haue liued an honest and godly life, what can bi­shops do more? they be no Gods.

You are not y^e first Autoph. [Page 24] that haue answered this matter with such a flimflam, howbeit this coine will not goe for currant, when as it is tryed by y^e touchstone of Gods truth. But doe the prophets speake of those which regard not y^e truth of God? If y^e were granted to go for good coin, must not men therfore be roughly spokē vn­to when they cōmit wickednes? Is y^e sinner so tender y^t he may not be tou­ched? Idoll pastors saith Autoph. loue god, & regard his gospel: I doubt whē y^e Iudge shall hold his Assise, & the booke of accoūt must be laid open, there shal néed no Proctour to plead against thē, no clark of Assise to read their indite­ments, no great inquest to cast them, for their owne consciences shall both accuse & condemne them for the con­trary. Is not this y^e true badge, & cog­nisance wherby y^e shepheards ouer the flock of Christ are knowne to loue the son of God by,The cog­nisance of carefull Ministers feeding of the flocke. If thou louest me, feede my sheepe. Where is then the loue of those shepherds y^t neuer had any care of féeding of the flocke of Christ? what shall become of them which haue pin­ched [Page 25] & pined to death y^e soules of their poore brethrē, for want of spiritual su­stenance, when they shall drinke as a iust recompēce of their iniquities the bitter cup of Gods eternal wrath and indignatiō in y^e kingdome of darknes, & in y^e fearful presēce of Satan, where the doleful drums of Gods anger shal cōtinually soūd in their eares: where shalbe wéeping, howling, and endlesse lamentation? It were ten thousand times better for them to heare of their sinnes nowe, that they may be brought to repentance, & make their hearts smart for the same, then here­after to cry woe & alasse that euer we were borne, when the day of repen­tance is past, and the gate of mercy is shut vp. That which you inferre of Elizeus his plowing, Peters fishing, Pauls tent making, together with the rest, maketh nothing at all for the maintenance of a blind guide: we de­spise thē not for that which they haue béene, but we lament for that which they are. Neither are we ignorant that the Lorde hath chosen y^e simplest [Page 26] and basest of the people, to set abroach the glad tydings of the Gospell, and to confounde the wisedome of the wisest. As touching the care of Bishops in constituting of Ministers, Philoxenus could find in his hart to iustifie them, if their owne carelesnes did not con­demne them. I would they had a litle better learned that lesson of S. Paul to his Timothie, 1. Tim. 5. Care in constitu­ting mini­sters. Laie hands sodainly on no man. Which lesson if it were as well practised, as I would to God it were, then should men of sounde doc­trine, polished with good giftes of the mind, adorned with good Art, and fur­nished with all kinde of science and knowledge, receiue this calling: then should such as be constāt in the faith, painfull to til the Lordes husbandrie, faithful, zealous, watchful, laborious, & of a tried conuersation, be sent to la­bour in the Lords vineyard, whereas oftentimes wee sée the contrarie, that ignorant men of corrupt conuersation haue that calling granted vnto them.

This is a new learning in déed, when such gréene heads dare pre­sume [Page 27] to reproue their elders, as though they knew not what to do, vnles they were aduised by you. Vndoubtedly for mine own part, I wil tell you Philox. if I had xx. benefices, I had rather be­stow xir. of thē vpon those against whō you so bitterly inueigh, then one vpon a controuler, whom it séemeth you fa­uour so much.

Do you cal it a new learning to reproue the sinner? Did not Iohn y^e Baptist being but a base & contēptible mā, reproue king Herod to his beard?Luke 3. Did not Dauid being a child reproue & tel the elders of their faults? & saith, I am wiser thā the aged, Psal. 119. because I haue kept thy commandements. 1. King. 18 Was not Micheas singular when he reproued & resisted 400. false prophets?1. King. 22. Was not Elias mightie, when he withstood all y^e false prophets of Baal? God hath made the vile & basest to confoūd the proud, & very babes to cōfoūd y^e mightie. Out of the mouth of babes & sucklings (saith y^e prophet) hast thou ordained strength to stil the enimie and the auenger. Psal. 8. To flatter men in their sins, were y^e next [Page 28] way to make thē rot in their filthines, & therfore sinners must make their re­koning to be rebuked. Let the wicked therfore cease to make hue & crie ouer y^e country, saying such are proud mali­tious men, because they wil not run to the same excesse of riot, but rather re­proue y^e wais of y^e vngodly: vnles they wil take in y^e prophets, Christ & his A­postles, & charge thē w^e y^e same crimes. Let thē consider y^t of the prophet Esay. O how beutiful are the feet of the em­bassadour that bringeth the message from the mountaine, & proclaimeth peace, that bringeth the glad tidings, and preacheth health, and sayeth vnto Sion, thy God is thy king: Let them consider that of our Sauiour Christ, Hee that heareth you, heareth me: and he that despiseth you, despi­seth me, and he that despiseth me, de­spiseth him that sent me. But shall I tell you wherefore the word of God is hated of the world, and the Ministers thereof enuied: because it containeth sharp corrosiues against secure consci­ences, because it requireth mortifica­tion [Page 29] of the flesh, quickning of the spi­rit, a liuely faith, and vnfained repen­tance: and this is one of the especiall causes wherefore Autophilus fauou­reth the good Ministers so charitably as he doth, insomuch as if he had twē ­ty 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.Symonie put to his shift. I will winke at the iugling that is now a daies touching [Page 30] 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, [Page 31] 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,2. Tim. 3 to reprooue, correcte, and instruct, [Page 32] such as ought to bée starres,Dan. 12 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.Iere. 23 ‘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,Ezech. 34. 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.’

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 [Page 33] not done without crazing of a mans conscience. I doubt we haue a thou­sand crackt consciences in England.

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?

That I may not lie vnto [Page 34] you,By the length of his foote measure the rest of that kind. 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.

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 [Page 35] 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 [Page 36] walke in the sinnes of a corruptible man.

Stay 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?

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,Iude. 1 Num. 22. they are but makers of sects, fleshlie, not hauing the spirit, & there­fore in effect no better than Balaams [Page 37] 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 [Page 38] loath your meate, that your bodie is out of temper, and that you are ill at ease.

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.

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 [Page 39] 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,Iohn. 4 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, [Page 40] 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.

I were sicke in déede Phi­loxenus, if all this counsaile were ne­cessarie: I wil now saie more, since you [Page 41] moue me vnto it.Hypocrits diuinitie sone lear­ned. 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.

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.

Yea, ten thousand.

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? [Page 42] 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.

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 [Page 43] 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 thinges con­sidered.Fiue cir­cumstan­ces belōg­ing to fer­uēt praier.

First, earnestnesse of heart in him that praieth. Secondly, con­sideration of the causes which moue him to praie. Thirdly, who it is to whom he praieth. Fourthly, for whose cause hée is heard. And fiftely, what hée ought to aske. Which circum­staunces, Autophilus, I doubte bée wanting some of them in suche as you your selfe are. But I praie you since it is so easie a matter, as you saie it is, to bée a Christian, and séeing that you are so déepelie lear­ned, as it séemes you are not. Tell me whether you haue learned that lit­tle lesson of the Apostle to the Thes­salonians or no, which is, Praie conti­nuallie.

That were enough to cloy a [Page 44] full stomacke, and to let all things els run at randon. I like not of such hus­bandrie: sometimes in déede, I praie, although seldome, for you knowe that such as I am cannot haue leasure to learne this lesson, Praie continuallie: we haue somewhat else to do iwis: o­therwise you might beg vs.

I thought howe I shoulde finde you, your praying is not vnlyke the desire which you haue to the prea­ching. To the one when you goe, it is for fashion and not to fructifie: you vse the other seldome, and yet full of hy­pocrisie. Naie this is a trueth, hee that will not emploie an houre to learne the wil of God at the mouth of the preacher, cānot, nor will not spend halfe an houre in inuocation and prai­er.The small pleasure in hearing the prea­cher, an argument of slender delight in praier. The small delight in the one decla­reth the slender appetite to the other: Such praiers are not onely not accep­table, but destable: not pleasant, but loathsome in the eares of the Lorde. Hee that turneth his eares from hearing the lawes of the Lorde, his [Page 45] praiers shall bee abhominable, Pro. 18. Eccle. 15 sayth Salomon. Praise is not seemelie in the mouth of the vngodlie, for hee is not sent of God, sayth Esaie. But of good fellowship, tell me this one thing Au­tophilus, what moue you commonlie to praie, since, as you saie, you are so skilfull in the science of praying, which notwithstanding you practise verie seldome, by your owne re­porte.

I wold be sorie Philoxenus, if my prayers were no more auailea­able then you saie: which if it bee so, there bee more deceiued beside my selfe. As for the cause which pricketh mee forward to my praiers:Hypocrits praie in aduersitie, and waxe proude in prosperity the chie­fest is aduersitie: for when I sée anie temporall daunger or distresse drawe neere my bodilie calamitie, and mi­serie imminent: anie losse of liuing, anie want of good successe in worldlie affayres, then commonlie, as one in troubles, I make a fewe prayers, praying GOD in plaine Englishe, to sende mee good lucke, as they call it.

A fewe, quoth you, the few­er the better, if such bee the cause mo­uing you, howe like an Asse doe you in this matter behaue your selfe? Hée will not labour vnlesse he bee beaten, neither will you call vppon God vn­lesse you bée whipped with the scourge of some worldlie calamitie.The true causes of effectuall inuocatiō. But hold this for a suretie, that vnlesse the spi­rite of GOD aboue all other things moue you thereunto, your lippe la­bour is lost, and your winde spent on waste. For as to praie is the gifts of GOD, so can wee not earnestlie, zealouslie, and heartilie powre out our praiers, and inuocate the name of GOD, vnlesse hee from whome e­uerie good and perfect gifte procéedeth, moue vs therevnto. For there bee diuerse and sundrie causes concur­ring, which may moue vs to praie, as namelie the commandement of God. Call vppon mee in the daie of trou­ble, Psal. 50 Mark. 13 Col. 4. and I will heare thee, and thou shalt▪ praise mee. Watche and pray, continue in preyer. Nei­ther [Page 47] in that he hath onely commaun­ded, but that also he hath promised to heare our petitions. As in the Psalme before mentioned,Math. 7. Luke. 11 Call vppon mee in the day of trouble, and I will heare thee. Aske and ye shall haue, knocke and it shall bee opened, Seeke and yee shall finde. Vnto you, sayth Christ, I say, Aske in my name and it shall bee giuen to you whatsoe­uer ye aske in my name, Esaie. 55 Iohn. 16 namely that which is according vnto my fathers will. Séeke diligently, knocke with perseuerance continually, and after this manner, Whosoeuer asketh re­ceiueth, hee that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall bee opened. This sentence answereth that most comfortable saying of the Prophet: Seeke the LORDE while hee may be founde, Call vppon him while hee is nigh. As that also, Whatsoeuer you aske the Father in my name, hee will giue it you. We may adde to this commaundement the greatnesse of his benefites also, [Page 48] as, that of a péece of clay he framed vs to his owne similitude and likenes in innocencie and righteousnes, without either spot or staine. In that when wee were all captiues, and made the seruile bondslaues of sathan, through the fall of our first Father Adam, hee redéemed and ransomed vs, and that with no small price, but with the pre­cious bloud of his onelie begotten son Christ Iesus. In that hée of his infinit mercie vouchsafed to elect and choose vs to saluation, before the foundatiōs of the world were layed. In y^t he hath iustified,Heb. 9 sanctified, & indued vs with his holie spirite, and elected vs to eter­nall life. Wée may adde héereunto al­so the weaknesse and infirmitie of our owne nature, since wée are so easilie seduced to mischiefe, so vnable to doe the déedes of righteousnesse, so weake of our selues to resist Sathan, and to make warre against the workes of darknesse. Which although with ma­ny other, are especiall causes to moue vs vnto praier, yet the chiefest agent herein is the holy Ghost: which thing [Page 46] we may learne out of the wordes of the Apostle. The spirite, sayth he,Rom. 8. helpeth our infirmities, for we knowe not what to pray as wee ought, but the spirite it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed.. And he which searcheth the heart knoweth what is the meaning of the spirite, for he maketh intercession for the Saintes according to the wil of God. Agréeable to this it is, that Christ himselfe wit­nessed it to be a spirituall reuelation,Math. 16. that he was acknowledged of Peter. The same thing doth the Apostle testi­fie saying, that no man can say, Lorde Iesu, but in the holy spirite. The same thing doth Iohn Baptist testifie, that is to wit, that he knew not Christ of him selfe, but by the instruction of the holy spirite. Likewise Moses, whiles he vp­braided the people of Israel, their ingra­titude and forgetfulnes, gaue them not­withstanding to knowe by the way, that what knowledge so euer he him­selfe had he receaued it of the Lord: and the Lorde promiseth that he will giue vnto the people of Israell, an vnderstan­ding [Page 50] heart, that hée may be knowne of them. But briefly, if you desire your prayer may bée forcible and effectuall, learne this one lesson of saint Cyprian, The mind of him that pray­eth must be lifted vp to hea­uenly thinges. that holy and blessed Martyr of Christ, which is after this manner. When we stand occupied in prayer we must with our whole heart watch and bée diligent in prayer: let all worldly and fleshly thoughtes departe, nei­ther let the minde thinke vppon any thing else at that time, then onely that which it prayeth. Let the breast bée alwaies shutte against the aduersa­rie, and let it bée open to God onely, neither let it suffer the enimie of God to enter into it in the time of prayer, for hée oftentimes stealeth vppon vs, and entereth in, and subtilly decei­uing vs turneth away our prayer from GOD, that wée may haue one thing in our heart and an other thing in our mouth: yet not the sounde of the voyce, but the minde and the sense ought to pray vnto GOD with an vnfayned affection. Thus much Cy­prian.

[Page 51]Howe is it then possible that the co­uetous caytiue, whose minde is con­tinually on his mucke: the proude man, whose GOD is selfe loue: the lecherous, whose heart is with his Harlot: the Drunkarde, whose minde is on bybbing, shoulde pray. What say I, howe is it possible? No, no, it is vnpossible: such may cry with­out ceasing, helpe vs O deare Christ our Sauiour, deliuer vs O Lorde wée beséeche thée to heare vs,Iohn 9. But the Lordes eares are stopped against their cry, God heareth not sinners, that is to wit, vnrepentaunt men wickedly and impudently perseuering in their sinnes.

Wherefore Autophilus, this les­son I tell you, is some-thing harde; yea, and so harde, that it will neuer bée learned, vnlesse you haue that chiefe and principall Schoolemaister,Gods spi­rite chiefe Schoole­master to prayer. namely, the holy Spirite of Almigh­ty God, to instruct you: which lesson when you haue indéede well and per­fectly learned, turne ouer the leafe and then bragge of knowledge and [Page 52] vnderstanding, otherwise as good neuer a whit as neuer the better: it is not the mumbling of the mouth, but the fer­uent zeale of the minde: it is not the sound of the voice, but the sense and vn­derstanding of the heart which tuneth pleasantly and acceptably in the eares of the Lord,Math. 15. else the Lord will say. This people draweth neare vnto mee with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

But is all this true that you tell me, or else are you disposed to iest?

You shall finde it so Autoph. Quandocunque reddideris rationem villicationis tuae.

But are all necessarily re­quired to an effectuall praier which you haue briefly repeated?

Yea it is most true.

Then know you what you said, as good nothing at all, as nothing the better, I estéeme it best to saue some labour, that whereas the Apostle wil­leth vs to pray continually, I will pray neuer a iot, for I will tell you Philox. that which I hope you will conceale, si­thence [Page 53] it concerneth a multitude, more then my selfe, for I haue heard Master Parson reade sometimes, when my minde hath not béene otherwise occupi­ed or exercised, that wee ought to pray at our downe lying and at our vprising, yea at al times: which thing I for mine owne part haue but seldome practised, yet notwithstanding at night when I haue most leisure, I coulde finde in my heart to pray a little, but commonly sléepe ouercommeth me before I come to the end of my Pater noster, so that I neither consider to whom I pray, what I pray, or what moueth me to prayer. In the morning, yea and all the day long my braines be busied about other matters, for you knowe that I haue more affaires to be conuersant in then one or two.

Haue regarde to the sauing of your soule, doe not let the diuell pos­sesse that which ought to be the temple of the holy Ghost. If you shoulde make supplication to an earthly Prince,Note this. I do not doubt but you woulde haue regarde of Maiesty, respect of Person, considera­tion [Page 54] of the cause mouing you thereun­to, with singular foresight into the sute it selfe, dooing nothing, so farre as in you consisteth, eyther rashlie or vn­séemely; that the rather your sute might bée perfourmed and accompli­shed, and the action therein commen­ded.

Shall wée then for temporall and transitorie affayres before earthlye Kinges and Princes, haue such re­garde of vpright behauiour, haue such care of euerie circumstance pertay­ning to our cause, such respecte of excel­lencie and worthinesse, that if al things were not perfourmed and paynted praise worthie, wee woulde accounte the strongest ioynt of our credite to bée greatly blemished and crazed. And shall wee then so negligentlie, securely, and carelesselie behaue our selues be­fore that great and mightie Monarch, the Lorde of heauen and earth, séeing it hath pleased his most high Maiestie, to admitte vs, which are nothing else but most vile wormes, duste, and ashes, so familiarlie and friendlie to [Page 55] talke and conferre with him by prai­er? Shall wée, I saie, more vnreuerent­lie behaue our selues, than if we should talke with some Hinde, or anie of the vulgar and common sort? shall wee ha­uing such carnall and fleshly mindes, fraught full of iniquitie, full of mis­chiefe, and all kind of wickednesse? and shall wée dare presume eyther to open our mouthes, or once to moue our lips before him, which doeth not onelie sée our outwarde vnreuerende dealing, but also knoweth inwardly what wée are, euen full of all filthie venome and stinking poyson: Surelie if the Prince vnto whome you make your humble supplication, although that you out­wardlie professe and proteste loyaltie and due obedience, did vnderstand that inwardly you pretended and practised treason and trecherie against his owne proper person, I thinke that your sute shoulde not onelie not bée graunted, but that you your selfe also shoulde paie the due price and iust recompence worthie of so foule and mischieuous an intention. Man maye deceiue [Page 56] man, no man may deceaue the Lorde which tryeth the very heartes and reines: and will the Lorde (thinke you) I meane the Lorde of hea­uen and earth, heare the prayers and inuocations of him that not only hand­leth his cause so carelesly and negli­gently, but also carrieth a treacherous crucifying minde against his diuine Maiesty, that is, a minde full of coue­tousnes, enuy, pride, vaine glory, leche­ry, gluttony, vnrighteousnes, and wil­full ignorance. Nay rather he heareth him not, but wil plague him with euer­lasting and vnspeakeable torment in hell, for that he so rudely and brutishly behaueth himselfe in so high a mat­ter.

If a man were easily to bée mooued from a quiet and setled minde, this were sufficient to driue him into melancholy.

The more at quiet your minde is in this behalfe,Sathan lulleth hy­pocrites a sleepe in the cradel of security. I doubt the di­uell hath the more dealing with you, and that he hath lulled you a sléepe in the cradell of carelesnes and securitie. [Page 57] Beware of such setled rest, it is a great signe that Sathan hauing besieged thy soule, hath by ensnaring brought it to his owne Bowe, for the further thou art from him, the more pernitious and perillous dartes of temptation will he cast against thée sometime séeking to puffe thée vp with pride: if he cannot so preuaile, he straight waies encounte­reth with couetousnes, and setteth vp­pon thée with vsurie, making thée to hoarde and heape by hooke or crooke, to snatch by right or wrong, to rake by vi­olence from thy poore brethren, who haue more néede then thy selfe. If by this subtlety he preuaileth not, he will séeke to assault thée with drunkennesse, whoredome, and lechery, ambition, and vaine glory. Lastly he besiegeth thée with hypocrisie, and idolatry, so that if thou féele no fight betwixt the flesh and the spirite, I say it is a great signe that thy estate is more desperate. Fili, acce­dens ad seruitutem dei, Eccle. 2. saith Ecclesiasti­cus, Stato in iustitia, &c. That is, my son if thou wilt come into the seruice of God, stand fast in righteousnes, and [Page 58] arme thy soule to temptation. For which cause it is that Gregory sayth, Hostis noster quantò magis sibi contra­bellare conspicit, tantò magis impug­nare intendit.

Which thing also might séeme to bée figured in Holophernes which as­saulted the Israelites resisting, say­ing thus:Iudith. 11. Iudith, I haue not hurt the man which woulde bee captiue and in bondage to the King of Babylon: as for the people, if they had not despised me, I shoulde not haue lift vp my speare against them.

You Philoxenus, may speake what your pleasure is, ne­uerthelesse, I alwaies carrie with mee a quiet conscience frée from any care or calamity: for what thing shoulde tempt mée, I haue the worlde at will, my bagges bée well bumbasted, and my Barnes well filled with corne: I haue Coyne in my Coffers, and carry a countenance in my Country, and I haue wealth at will. To bragge of my woorshippe, were small wisedome, and yet I am a Gentleman; I haue had [Page 59] as litle aduersitie I thinke as any hath had.

If Gregory shoulde bée your Iudge in this case, hée woulde pronounce a very harde sentence a­gainst you, which is after this man­ner.

Continuus successus rerum temporali­um certum futurae calamitatis indicium. Continu­all tempo­rall pros­perity pre­sageth tortures infernall. which is to say, the continuall suc­cesse of worldly matters is an assured shewe of calamity to come. Againe the same.

Iter electis suis Deus asperum facit, ne dum delectantur in via, obliuiscantur eorum quae sunt in patria. That is, God hath made an harde trauelling for his chosen, lest while they are deligh­ted with any thing in their waye, they forget those ioyes in that Coun­try whereunto they direct their iour­ney.

If a man had a iourney to make to the furthest part in the worlde,A Compa­rison. who woulde not thinke and also count him a madde man, if by the way hée beholding diuers delights and pleasures, shoulde [Page 68] one while gaze vppon this toy, some­times vpon that, and in the end shoulde forget whither he was going, Christi­ans are compared to wayfaring men, amongest whom I doubt if we shoulde examine many wée shoulde finde a number of foolish trauellers, which nei­ther weigh how farre they haue to goe nor which way, but wander aside for e­uery vaine pleasure: yea, although they propounde to themselues heauen, as the least marke they shoote at, yet they goe the broade way iocundly, and voyde of all care which leades them in the end to the pit of eternall perditi­on.

You may preach till you be weary, and cry out against sinne till you be hoarse, you shall neuer make a number beléeue this, or at the least to consider of it.

True it is, and yet this is the path to godlinesse and eternall fe­licitie.Nothing worse thē inconside­ration. Whereas on the other side se­curity and inconsideration is the dore to vtter destruction and damnation. For what maketh the couetous so litle [Page 61] to regarde the curse of God thundring against them, but lacke of considerati­on? What maketh the proude and hau­ty heart to runne headlong into the fie­ry wrath of his Creator, but inconside­ration, what maketh the lasciuious Lecherer to liue so loosely, to make his body a loathsome sinke of sinne, the re­ceptacle of the diuel himselfe, either by lusting after or retayning his neigh­bours wife or daughter, but inconside­ration? what maketh swash-bucklers to delight so much in Ruffanisme, to stampe and stare like helhoundes, to sweare and forsweare themselues so diuellishly and desperately, but incon­sideration? In fine, what driueth so ma­ny Théeues to the gallowes, so many wretched soules to hell but want of con­sideratiō? Alas, if we be about any bar­gaining, as buying or selling of Land or Lease, we will both consider and con­sult, nay for feare we shoulde light on the lash, we will haue counsaile I war­rant you, although we pay well and truely for it: we will ride and runne, and be well aduertised, yea we will vse [Page 62] consideration in matters not woorth two strawes. But in this businesse howe to attaine the Kingdome of Hea­uen, howe to make a purchase which shall last for euer, without the which obteining, it had béene better wée had neuer béene borne; good Lorde it is woonderfull howe slackely, and howe drousily men goe about it. Nay, he that will goe to Westminster againe, and a­gaine, and craue counsell with Cappe and curtesie, will scarcely goe a furlong from home, to learne the duety of a Christian, what is his duety towardes God, and what he ought to performe to­wardes his brethren: héerein wanteth consideration, and héerein Autophilus, if such as your selfe woulde vncloake and lay open the closet of their owne consciences, to searche and examine e­uery corner of them, I feare you should finde more staines and blemishes then can easily bée either washed or wiped a­way.

If this bée true Philoxe­nus, many thousandes deceiue them­selues, for who had not rather ryde [Page 63] forty miles to a learned Lawyer, to knowe his aduice and counsell in world­ly affayres and giue him twenty shil­lings for twenty wordes, then goe to the Church where he may haue, as you say, the glad tydinges of the Gospell preached and teached to his owne edy­fying and soules health: and surely me thinkes not without some iust cause, for it is as easie a matter for any man to bée a Christian as it is to bée a lear­ned Lawyer, and more easier too. Why? it is no more, but to say the Lordes prayer, the tenne Commaundementes, and the Creede, as I saide before, or els there be in the Lande too many Christi­ans nickenamed.

You are nickenamed Chri­stians indéede, no better then Atheists, and Infidels: you cloake your hypocrisie with the visarde of falsely challenged Christianitie, and bragge of the name, reiecting the thing it selfe: you couet to be called by the name, and account it an excellent ornament, yet you neither de­sire to learn the dutie, nor to liue accor­ding to the same vocation. But that [Page 64] which is spoken by the Prophet shall light vppon your pates, and not misse, Quia tu repulisti scientiam, ego te re­pellam, sayth the Lord, after you haue boasted of your praying, in excusing of the which howe aptlie you played the parte of an Asse, who if he be not starke blinde, cannot plainlie sée? The Asse is a slouthfull creature, which will do no­thing without whipping: euen so Au­tophilus, according to your owne con­fession,Hipocrites like vnto Asses. when as the scourge of any worldly and temporall calamitie is like to touch you, then your Pater noster is in your mouth, and the diuell in your mind: You name God with your tongue when your heart is on your halfepeny. For there where your treasure is,Math. 6. there will your heart bee also: and in this one regarde your condition is most des­perate, in that by the sleight and subtil­ty of Sathan, by the deceitfull perswa­sion of the diuell himselfe, you thinke you knowe much when as you knowe nothing, vnlesse this, howe to serue the world, the flesh, and the diuell: of such it is saide in the fifth of Esay, Esay. 5. Vae quod [Page 65] sapientes in oculis vestris, et corám vobis­met ipsis prudentes videmini. Prouerbe. And in the 26. of the Prouerbes, Vidisti hominem sapientem sibi videri? maiorem illo spem ha­bebit insipiens. Oh blinde and senselesse creatures, more blinde than they which are blinde on both eyes, for they knowe their owne blindenesse, although they knowe little else, but you knowe not your owne blindnesse, but rather séeme wise in your owne conceites, and count your selues good Christians, when as your conuersation is vnseasonable in the Lordes taste, and your praiers vn­tuneable in the Lordes eares. For how can he inuocate the name of God which beléeueth not? Howe can hée beléeue which hath no faith? And can he which hath no faith bée saued? This is euer­lasting life to knowe God, & him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ.

Do you thinke y^t we haue no faith? Or can we not (think you) say our Créed? Then in déede we had liued too long and learned too little.

Yea certainly, I thinke you can saie it: and as it is reported, so could [Page 66] Caesars parrot:hypocrits confession much like to Caesars parrot. neither do I doubt it but the deuils can say it. And yet neither is the parrot néerer heauen, nor the deuill further from hell, the one bableth & vn­derstandeth not what she saith: the o­ther beléeueth that there is a God, and therefore trembleth and quaketh.

Well might the Parrot prate by custome, but shee lacketh vn­derstanding.

And as the Parrot learned it by custome, and vnderstood it not: euen so some of you saie it for custome, not once considering what it is, nor what you saie.

Yet shall you not perswade vs, but that our beléefe is as good as the best.

Euen such as is pourtraied of S. Iames in the second Chapter,Iam. 2. Tu cre­dis quod vnus Deus est, et bene facis: De­mones credunt, et contremiscunt. Thou beleeuest that there is a God, thou do­est wel, the deuils beleeue and tremble also.

This is notable stuffe in déede, will you make the deuill more re­ligiously [Page 67] faithfull, than they that pro­fesse the name of Christ.

I dare not call you religiously faithfull, for this is not a true faith, whereby you shall be saued, but a vul­gar knowledge, which carries a man as néere vnto God, as the beholding of the Sun beames doth carry him vnto hea­uen: notwithstanding in that they be­léeue all things to bee true, which are spoken of God, & writtē in sacred scrip­ture, yea and quake and tremble when mention is made of his name: euen as the théefe and wicked malefactor feare­fully is terrified with the countenance of the iudge, redie to denounce sentence of condemnation against him: confesse according to your owne conscience, doe they not go beyond you verie farre?

It may be Philoxenus, that there bée some such as you make re­porte of, which carrie such couragious heartes, that although they heare all the thunder clappes of Gods iudge­mentes, from the first Chapter of Ge­nesis, vnto the last leafe of the newe Testament, denounced against sinne [Page 68] and sinners, they woulde hardly quake or tremble.

Call you these couragious stomackes? Naie it is a flintie, yea, ra­ther a dullish mind so ensnared through the subtil sleights of Sathan, so choked with the thornie cares of this world, so drowned with the desire of earthlye doung, so dazeled & blinded with the de­light of worldlie pleasure, that it ney­ther hungreth for the ioyes prepared for the good,Hypocrits are Athe­ists. nor is terrified with the tor­ments threatned against the wicked, that it neither regardeth God, nor sée­keth after his kingdome, neither is a­fraide of the deuil, nor of the vnspeaka­ble paines of hell fire, and that I may speak y^t which is true, neither thinkes that there is a God in heauen, who is the rewarder of the iust, neither anie deuils in hell who are executours of Gods terrible wrath and indignation agaynst the wicked and vniust.

Will you then make vs worse then deuils and no better than Atheistes, séeing wée can saie our Créede, and the confession of our faith, [Page 69] as readily & as cunningly as the most curious clarke of you all.

I know and confesse that this one worde Credo, containeth a greate force and efficacy towards the edifying and sauing of your soule, if it be sayde and performed, as it ought to bée: and how that is,How wee must be-God. learne of Saint Augustin himselfe. It is not enough to beléeue al things which God hath reuealed in his wordes are true, that hée himselfe is also truth and veritie, and cannot lie: for this is but Credere Deo, which things the deuils doe as well as his selfe, standing in a greater feare of his iudgement. But in Deum credere, as sayth Saint Austen, is by beléeuing to runne vnto him, by beléefe to cleaue and take fast holde vppon him, and as a member to bée incorporated and ingraf­ted into the bodie of Christe. Where­by it is euident, that hée which wilful­lie and obstinatlie stoppeth his eares, and turneth them awaie from hearing of the worde, and as it were, malepert­lie doeth oppose himselfe agaynst the Lorde, doeth filthilie and abhominablie [Page 70] when as hee sayth Credo in Deum, Hypocrits lie when they saie their be­leefe. I beléeue in God. No, no, God neyther admitteth such beléefe, nor such belée­uers.

Doeth not Saint Iohn saie, Hee that beleeueth in me, hath e­ternall life.

True it is, Si non credideritis non permanebitis, A simili­tude. saith the Prophet E­saie. For which cause, saith Augustine, Ruinam videtur quaerere, qui sine fide vult aedificare. And the same Augustin saith, That euen as the boughs & braunches of the trée doe wither awaie, vnlesse they receiue sappe and nourishment of the roote: so what good worke so euer y^u intendest, or what false face of fained sanctitie and holinesse like an hypo­crite, thou doest pretende to the world­warde, it is dead, and worketh nothing at al to the edifying of thy soule. Ther­fore although hypocrites seeme at the first blushe to shew some resemblaunce of the sonnes of GOD:Hypocrits doe no­thing but sinne. yet so long as they remaine in the corruption of their first nature, they can doe nothing but sinne. Theyr almes déedes are turned [Page 71] to sinne, béeing giuen hypocriticallie to bée praised of men.Mat. 6. Their solemne sa­crifices are turned to sinne,Esay. 1 Iere. 6. Amos. 5 Mich. 6 béeing not done in faith, and with mortification of the flesh. The prophet saith, that be­fore God they are accounted of no bet­ter than the killing of a man, the cut­ting in sunder of a dogges necke, the offering vp of swines bloud, or the bles­sing of an Idoll.Eccle. 4 Heb. 11 Their praiers are turned to sinne (being no better as they procéede from their vncircumcised lips) than the sacrifice of fooles. And in déede, as without faith it is vnpossible to please God: so it is not so easie a matter to attaine to some perfection thereof, as many doe estéeme it. For true faith is the speciall gifte of God. No man commeth to mee, vnlesse my Father drawe him, sayth our Sauiour Christ. Againe, Flesh and bloud, sayth Christ to Peter, cōfessing him in a true faith, hath not reueled this to thee, but my father which is in heauen. Vnto which Paul semeth to alude, saying: We are not able to think anie good thing of our selues, but all our abilitie is of God. [Page 72] Now then Autophilus, try and examine your selfe whether you be in the faith or or no, least you dreame of a shadow not hauing the substance.

You doe me great wrong if you doubt of my faith, for I promise you, I am past all doubt for that matter.

I offer you no wrong in wi­shing you to make tryall of your faith: because I sée you glory in that which you haue not.Heb. 3 Beware therefore least that there bee in you an heart of infi­delity to fall away from the liuing God. For this know, and the spirit doth wit­nes the same, there is no filthy concupis­cence of adultery, no rotten wordes of vncleannes,Infidelitie the roote of vnclen­nesse. no oppressing of the poore, no gréedy desire after worldly gaine, no falling away from the liuing God for such vanities: but infidelitie is the root and the braunch, the beginning and the ending, an vnbeléeuing heart causeth all in all.

I cannot but confesse thus much: in the meane while Philoxe­nus, I hope you are well perswaded of my faith.

I am perswaded you make the bare title of faith and christianitie a shrouding shéete for your sinnes. For how shoulde you haue the thing, when you reiect the meanes wherby God doth giue the same: which is the ministerie of the worde. Not that it consisteth in their power to giue faith, for y^t is done by the power of the holie spirite which God sendeth into y^e harts of his children to open the eies of their vnderstāding, y^t that may bee rooted inwardly which by the ministerie of the worde toucheth their eares outwardly. So that there is a perpetuall relation betwixt the word of God and a true faith. And in déed it is as vnpossible to separate faith from the worde of God,Perpetual relatiō be­twixt faith and the word. Esay. 55 Iohn. 20 as it is to take the light from the Sunne, whereof it hath y^e beginning. For which cause the spirit of the Lord crieth out by y^e mouth of the Prophet Esaie, saying: Heare me and your soule shall liue. And Iohn the Euangelist pointing out the fountaine of this faith, sayeth,Psalme. 95 Haec scripta sunt vt credatis, These things are written, that you may beleeue. And y^e prophet Dauid [Page 74] being about to exhort y^e people to faith, speaketh after this manner, To daie if you wil heare his voice, &c. Wheras to heare, oftētimes is takē to beléeue. The Lord might frō heauē without preach­ing, haue bestowed in Christ faith vpō Cornelius y^e centurion at Caesarea, but yet by an Angel hee sendeth him to the preaching of Peter, Acts. 10 & whilest Peter pre­ched, god worked effectually in his hart by y^e power of his holy spirite, causing him to beléeue his preaching, according to y^e of y^e Apostle, Who is Paul, or what is Appollo, but ministers by whō you haue beleeued, according as God hath giuē to euery one. I haue plāted, Apollo watered, but God hath giuen increase. So then hee that planteth is nothing, nor he that watereth, but God which giueth increase. Which doctrine agrée­eth with Augustine, where hee sayth, That which we haue to learn at mens hands, let euerie one learne, yea learn, at mans hands without disdaine, & let vs not go about to tempt him in whom we beléeue: neither beeing deceiued, let vs not thinke scorne to go to Church to [Page 75] heare or learne out of bookes, loking stil when we shall be rapt vp into the third heauen. So that faith cōmeth by hea­ring, & hearing by the word. Rom. 10 But how shal they beleeue in him in whō they haue not heard, & how shal they heare without a preacher? All this I speak to this end Autoph. y^t you may know how faint your faith is, because I perceiue in you such hypocrisie, y^t whē you come to y^e sermon, which is seldome inough, it is more for fashiō than for edifying, as you report of your selfe, when as w^tout hearing of the worde, you can haue no faith at all. But well may you mock y^e world, & deceiue your self, but God nei­ther is mocked nor deceiued, for if true faith, the glory of God, & the saluatiō of your soules, be not appointed as y^e pur­pose of your cōming to heare the word preached, you had better stay at home, than come & count your selfe amongst y^e nūber of the faithful, to worship the de­uel, euen thē whē you wold séeme most saintish, cōming with no more reuerēce to y^e same, nor w^t so good a minde, as you would go to sée some Histrio play y^e foole, [Page 76] to heare a tale of Robin hood, neyther regarding y^e honour due to God nor god­ly things, nor making any difference betwixt the eternall truth & veritie, & olde wiues tales & fables: which thing, if no­thing els declare, yet your drousines in attending, your lazines and slacknes in praying, your slender profiting in lear­ning, proueth to be true. So y^t although you will séeme Christes schollers, yet your fruite declareth that you are the disciples of the deuill. Yea, & although you séeme to be members of Christ his Church, you are the synagogue & sinke of Sathan.

I maruell Philoxenus, that you wil be so cholerik in these matters. since these thinges touch more than a few, and some of them, I am sure, more wiser than your selfe.

God make them wise to salua­tion, wherein if some of their wisedome shuld be weighed in a ballāce, persuade your self, that they wil proue thēselues as wise as fooles, as senslesse as stocks, more brutish than wild beasts.

Do you thinke y^t if the mat­ter [Page 77] were so daungerous, & their case so desperate, as you account it, y^t they wold not looke more straitly to themselues. Yes I warrant you, y^e cup cōpanions, Ale bibbers, Ale knaues, Ale knights, I would haue said, would not lie quaffing & drinking so fréely, vntil their legs can neither go for stōbling, nor their tongs scarse cal for their penie pots for wam­bling, especially on the Sabboth, when they should serue God. Do you thinke that Dicke swash would make no more bones to crucifie Christ himself, woun­ding & tearing him from top to toe, if he thought that blaspheming of the name of god were so dānable, as it is thought to be? Do you thinke that the filthy le­cherer and loose liuing man would wed himselfe to lust, the couetous & gréedie cormorant with his long nailes, would scrape & scratch all the skin of the poore mans shoulders, yea, & as it were grate the very guttes out of his belly, if he thought it such an offence to murther a man, as is pronounced against him: I would you could perswade him so.

S. Paul saith, that neither [Page 78] whooremongers, adulterers, fornica­tors, vncleane persons, shall enter into the kingdome of heauen. Which thing if they will not beléeue in earth, when they shal dwel with the deuil in paines & torments for euer, he will suade and persuade them, making thē either paie the price of presumption, or infidelitie. Notwithstanding true faith is quicke of sight, and will straight haue an eie to the worde of God: touching which word our sauior Christ hath said in the Gospell,Math. 24 Heauen and earth shall passe, but my word (saith he) shall not passe. Héere the word is coupled to two most excellent elementes. Aire and Water are feble and vnstable, but the heauens though they turne and moue, yet kéepe they a wonderfull constancie in theyr course: the earth also is most stable and immoueable: yet is it much more easi­er for these elementes to be loosed, than that one iot of the word of God shoulde passe vnperformed. Yea the worde of God is most stable and immoueable, & as all the world, if they should lay all their strength & power together, are not [Page 79] able to make it day, when once it is night, or cause the day to break out soo­ner than the course of the heauens doth command, so not al worldlings, though they neuer carry so great a pomp, pow­er & pride with them, & séeme litle Gods in their owne conceits, shall be once a­ble to infringe & weaken, to break & a­bolish so much as one title of the worde of God, who is God euerlasting, chiefly good, wise, iust, mightie, & true of word: as such miscreantes & vnbeléeuers shall throughly féele & vnderstande, when it shal please him to powre his wrath and vengeance vpō thē for their hypocrisie.

You threaten vs,Hypocrits continu­ally harpe on this string. Ex nō con­cessis. As though we do not confesse the same faith, & professe the same religion, & say y^e same praiers, & Pater noster, yea, & come to the church when we haue no­thing to do, wherin, vnles we be decei­ued, we satisfie the dutie of Christians.

You come in déed by leasure, & profit a little: I do not doubt but you can speak as sanctishly as the best beléeuers and holiest men of God: you can allow of vertue, and reproue vice.

And is not that well, I am glad you like of vs in some regard.

Well, no, no, most wicked hy­pocrites could saie so much. Such as we haue read to haue ben in the Church in the time of Christ and his Apostles, as namely, Iudas, Ananias, & Saphira, Sy­mon Magus, Demas, Himeneus, and A­lexander, they could hide their knauery vnder the painted colour of hypocrisie, notwithstanding I hope you will not call them good Christians.

Iudas cap­taine to hypocrits.Would you proue vs suche to our Sauiour as Iudas, or such rebels against the word, as Demas, Himene­us and Alexander. It is euident that these were out of the Church. But wée will saie and stand to it that we are of the church.

Not all of the church which come to the church Rom. 9Such hypocrites as you are, onely in the outward communion and fellowshippe of the church, although they boast and bragge of the titles of the same, they are not all Israelites, sayth Saint Paul, which come of I­srael, neyther are they all children straight waie, because they are of y^e séed [Page 81] of Abraham. But in Israel shall thy feede be called. The faithfull therefore are onelie the true and liuelie members of Christ: whereas hypocrites hauing not put off the vizardes of false pretended holines cannot lawfully be cut away frō the Church, vntill such time as like runnagates they flie to the Tentes of Sathan, and ioyne hande and hande in déede with the deuill whome they haue serued: vntill such time I say they are taken for the true inhabitauntes of the Church & liuely members of Christs his bodie: although God himselfe, who séeth their heartes and searcheth euerie cor­ner of their conscience, doth wel inough discerne what false knaues they are. Al­beit they can sende out fayre woordes from their filthie harts.

I can scarsely vnderstand this, for me thinkes you speake contra­dictions, namely that wee are of the Church, and that wee are not of the Church.

I say you are of the outward visible Church: because like painted hypocrits yee séeme godly Christians, [Page 82] when as you are nothing lesse, although for companie you come to heare Gods word, say your Pater Noster, partake of the Sacraments, and vse publike confes­sion of your faith. But God séeth what you are, whether you beléeue faithfully or fainedly, truely or hypocritically, you shall not play bo péepe before him. This may bee explaned by that Arche-hy­pocrite Iudas, the betrayer of his Mai­ster, who as long as hee set not abroch his deceiptfull or rather most deuillish seruice neyther by worde nor déede, but as professing no small friendshippe, accompanied Christe,Iudas re­puted for one of the Church vntil hee set his tre­cherie a­broch. béeing the Ste­ward of his familie, & al this whyle was accompted for a member of Christe hys Church, and yet for all this Christ cal­led the selfe same Iudas a Deuill: and when hée spake of his chosen, and lyue­lie members, hée was shut out. So that Iudas was not a member of the in­warde and Holie Church, neyther had any fellowship in the Gospell of Christ, although hée were a member of the out­warde Church numbred amongest the godlie societie of holie men. In which [Page 83] Church, those which carrye so godly showes of Christianitie are conteined, as the proud, ambitious, couetous, en­uious, gluttonous, lasciuious, lecherous,Hypocrits in the Church as rotten mē ­bers in the bodie. cursed speakers & the like, who neither are the sons of God, by the grace of ad­option, nor members of Christ by sancti­fication of the spirit, but as rotten mem­bers in the body. For excellently saith S. Austen, that euill men or hypocrits are that in the Church, that chaffe is amōgst Wheat, Cockle in standing corne, Tray­tors in a Citie, and runnagats amongest Souldiers. But it is plaine, that wheate is the cleaner, standing corne the lustier, Citizens the safer, & souldiers the stron­ger, when runnagats, traitors, cockle, & chaffe are seperated from them.

If we bee so badde as you would make vs, so stincking carrions & putrified members, it were pitie but we were cut off.

You shall bee knowne what you are in the end of the world, when the godly shall be seperated frō the vngodly, for as the darnel is bound together & cast into the fire, and the wheate is gathered [Page 84] and laide vp in the barnes to bee kepte, so shall it come to passe, that the wicked and vngodlie shall bee giuen ouer, to bee punished in paine and torments for e­uer: and the godlie shall haue eternall ioyes and life euerlasting, according to that sentence pronounced in the 25. of Matthewe, Matth. 25. namely, go yee cursed into euerlasting fire and tormentes which is prepared for the Deuill and his angels whom ye serue casting me and my com­mandements behinde you. But to the godlie. Come yee blessed of my father, possesse the ioyes prepared for you from the beginning. Come yee my friendes whom the worlde tooke for vile and exe­crable, but whom my father taketh for honourable and praise worthie, for the crosses, calamities, displeasures & dama­ges that for my sake yee haue suffered: take and possesse the inheritaunce of my fathers kingdome. Wherefore as in the time of Noe, Who hath not the Church to his mo­ther hath not God whosoeuer was without the Arke could not not be but drowned, euen so whosoeuer the Church as his mother doth not conceaue & bring foorth, nourish with her pappes, and as it were [Page 85] carrie in her bosome,to his Fa­ther. there is no remis­sion of sinnes to be looked for of that per­son, no saluatiō, as witnesseth the Pro­phet Esay and Ioell, vnto whom subscri­bed Ezechiell, when hee pronounceth, That there shall not be any in the Cato­logue of Gods people which shall not haue part in that heauenly inheritance. But if your faith be so firme as you say, it is I hope no small matter shall re­moue you from confessing of the same: Nay I am sure you will spend life, land and liuing for Christs sake.

I will not bragge what I dare doe, notwithstanding if there bee no more faithes but one, I woulde doe something which I will not say.

This man deemeth himselfe as déepe a deuine as the learnedest do­ctor of them al, and yet thinketh there be diuers faithes. No no, Autophilus there is but one baptisme, one faith, one Lord and Sauiour of all, Iesus Christ: for the constant profession of which wee must forsake all, yea and our selues also.

It is a great matter to for­sake my selfe, and more then I woulde [Page 86] willingly do, but is there no more then one faith? I am deceiued if I haue not heard of pluralitie of faithes.

Although in the worlde there are sowed many and sundry faiths, that is to say religions, as that there is an Indian faith, a Iewish faith, a fayth of the Mahometistes, Sundrie religions but one truth. a faith of the Georgi­ans, a Papisticall faithe: yet is there but one true Christian faith, the a­bridgement whereof is brieflie contei­ned in the articles of our beliefe and at large taught in sacred scriptures of both the Testaments: which faith whosoeuer doth not constantly professe, denieth Christ himselfe, and therefore shalbe de­nied of his father.

I pray you goe not about to disquiet my conscience, as touching these matters you shall finde me no Pa­pist, I warrant you.

No nor no protestant neither.

You might as well call mee no good subiect.

You are no better then you should be.

I thinke you woulde haue [Page 87] mée of no religion?

I woulde you did not prooue it so.

What do I prooue? nothing I hope, y^t I haue cause to be ashamed of.

You prooue your selfe to be a luke warme Laodician, a Newter, and such a one as is neither whot nor cold, I would saith Iohn to the Church of Lao­dicia, Thou wearest either hote or cold, Apoc. 3. but because thou art betweene both, and neither cold nor whot, I will spue thee out of my mouth, bicause thou saist I am rich & incresed with goods & haue need of nothing, & knowest not that thou art wretched & miserable, poore, blind, and naked. It may séeme y^t these Laodicians went about to match together y^e worlde & the Church, Christ & Mammon, light & darkenes, God & the Deuil. Not vnlike to the same Church wherin the spirit of God cōmendeth nothing. Autoph. I am loth, yet must I speake it bicause it is true, I fere me we haue too many in this litle church of England, for who heareth it not nowe a daies boldly boasted of in y^e mouths of many miserable caitiues, I [Page 88] plaie the grace of a gospeller and the swashing soldier, I can play at dice and Cardes, swill and quaffe, goe a whore-hunting, liue looselie at my pleasure, and yet when occasion shall serue, counte­naunce it as curiously as the most cun­ning Clarke of them all, so that the co­uetous man thinkes that hee can serue God and Plutus the glutton, God and Ceres the drunkard, God and Bacchus; the wanton Leacherer, be partaker be­twixt God & Venus. Mungrell Christiās. Thus whilest they will serue the Deuill, yet will they bee called and accompted good Christians, and the children of God: the Lorde for his mercie sake illumine their heartes, that they may see and haue some feeling of their desperate estats, that they may consider of the great mercie of God, spa­ring them so long and giuing them so large a time of repentaunce, or else woe woe to them and their soules if they still continue and persiste in their sinnes and make no commoditie thereof, yea con­temne Gods innumerable mercies, [...], saith Iohn, I would it were better with thée then y^e Church of Laodicea. May we [Page 89] not as rightly lament the estate of a number in this lande which thinke they know much when they knowe nothing at all, which esteeme themselues wise enough vnto saluation, when as if they should bee asked accompt of their faith, they woulde prooue themselues doltes and block-heads? May wee not wishe it were better with them, and that they were altogether cold or throughly hote? were it not better with them if they did either openly followe the world and the lust of the fleshe, and boast nothing of Christianitie, neither seeme to haue a­nie thing to doe with religion, or else contemne the worlde, detest the Deuill and his woorkes, abandon wickednesse, flie from sinne, loue godlines, and liue an holie life? for they neither forsake the worlde nor followe Christ, but make a mingle mangle of Christianitie, playing as it were at halfe stake betwixt GOD and the Deuil. Such Newters & Iackes on both sides the Lordes stomacke can­not digest, they which outwardly shewe themselues to be Christians in resorting to holie assemblies & bring minds with [Page 90] them set vpon nothing but mischiefe, are abhominable vnto the Lord, who forbid­deth to plowe with an Oxe and an Asse together, to make a garment of Linsie woolsie, to powre newe wine into olde bottels, to patch an olde garment with new cloth, to ioyne heauenly wisedome with worldly folly, Christian religion with vnrighteous Mamon. What saith y^e lord to these mungrels, which make as it were an hotch potch of Christianitie, I would you were either hote or cold:Better to be an open sinner thē a dissem­bler. it were better that ye estéemed your selues sinners & heathenish, then that you shold be such hypocrits & dissemblers, for then there were more hope of recouering your soules health, according to that: if your were blind, you should haue no sin, but now you séeme so righteous in your owne conceits, so sufficiently taught, so furnished with godly rites and holines, that you think it not wel to go to Christ his schoole any longer. You are so loden with learning, or the Deuill hath so in­ueigled you, y^t you contemne the institu­tiōs of Christ, & prefer your owne mix­tures & hypocrisies before gods eternall [Page 91] 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?Nothing further frō sinceritie then simu­lation. 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 [Page 92] 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.

I thanke God I am suffici­lie rich, and more riche I will bee if I [Page 93] 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.

I knowe you haue Lynceus sight in worldly matters,World­lings like to luke warme Laodiciās. 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 [Page 94] 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.Faithe the most gorgious attire. 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, 1. Cor. 1. 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, How to purchase true trea­sure. 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 [Page 95] 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. 1. Tim. 6. Eccle. 29. Prou. 23. 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.

If you thinke I am werie of my life, you deceaue your selfe.

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 [Page 96] 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.

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.

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 [Page 97] worldling to become a good Christian.

Thousandes thinke it not so difficult a matter as you make it.

But whether doe you thinke Autophilus, it is an easier matter to bée a Tailor, a weauer, a Cobler, or of some such like occupation, then to learne the duety of a Christian.

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.

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:Eccle. 1. but to attain to the perfection of a Chri­stian life,Ephe. 2. to walke worthy of Gods ser­uants, fructifying in euery good worke,1. Pet. 2. to become creatures of Christ:Psal. 36. to do good workes, wherein he hath prepared that we shoulde worke to learne to die vnto sinne, and liue vnto righteousnesse: to [Page 98] 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.A Compa­rison. 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!

Who is it that (sayth he) doth not serue him?

I knowe, they will say so: they serue him a trust indéede, if a man had such seruauntes, hée woulde sende [Page 99] 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.Gala. 6. 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, Iohn. 6. [Page 100] 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:Esay. 28. 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, Deut. 6. Gods chil­dren must learne this lesson. 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 [Page 101] 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, Luke 6. sayth Christ, Luke 6. It is not inough to say,Iereme 7. 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.

Then shall none be saued, for who is able to do his wil or kéepe his commandements?

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.What it is to doe the Lords wil. 1. Iohn. 1. 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, 1. Tim. 4. 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 [Page 103] 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.Sinners strike God 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 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: [Page 104] 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. Iohn 14. 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 cog­nisances whereby Gods chil­dren are discerned from Sa­thans impes. 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 [Page 105] 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.A Compa­rison. 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 [...] [Page 106] 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, [Page 107] as he that can say, that the chiefest point of a Tailours trade is to to shape and to sewe,A fit Ana­logie. is neare to the excellencie of a perfect workeman.

Well, we are deceiued if we loue not God aboue all things: you shall hardly make vs confesse the contrary.

Doe you remember what you said vnto me when we began to en­ter into communication?

What is that?

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.

What prooue you of this?

That you loue God nothing at al.

Then it were pity I did liue.

You loue the world more then his word.

I said not so yet.

No, what meane your for­mer speaches?

Whatsoeuer I said, there be no fewe that will confirme it.

The more the worse.

Should we let all runne at randome, and followe the Preachers? must we loue God and nothing else?

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, Deut. 6. 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 [Page 109] 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 [Page 110] 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 of his worde to learne his will, sheweth that we loue him so greatly that wée care not if we neuer sée him. One friend will grieue to heare an other ill spoken off, but fewe there are which if they heare the name of God most villa­nously blasphemed, all his commaunde­mentes broken one vpon the necke of an other, that will rebuke the sinner, as if he loued God, and loathed to sée him mangled and torne from toppe to toe of wicked Miscreaunts, which make no conscience of kéeping his commaunde­ments. To intend treachery against an earthly Prince, is an offence not pardonable: neither is there any good Subiect, but will both reprooue and re­ueale the same, but to committe Trea­son against him, which is the onely Mo­narch and Ruler of Heauen and Earth: that is, malapertly, negligently, and carelesly to sinne, and transgresse his commaundementes: I say, to drinke [Page 111] sinne as beastes drinke water, some of vs make no bones: we winke at one anothers wickednesse, and part stake in diuelishnesse, not considering that there is one in the Heauens which hea­reth, whisper we neuer so softly: and séeth, cloake wée it neuer so secretely: according to that of the Prophet Dauid, God shall raigne snares of fire vpon sin­ners, fire and brimstone with the tem­pestious windes, shall be the portion of their cuppe: they shall be turned into hell: their téeth shall be dashed in their mouthes: their armes shall be crushed and broken: they shall fall away from the face of the earth. These and a thou­sand such like threatninges by the holy Ghost are thundred out against sinne and sinners, which being well weighed, may feare a flinty heart from offen­ding.

As though there were a­ny which did not feare Gods iudge­ments.

Why then feare they not to offende him, not onely by breach of his commandements, and by preferring [Page 112] most vilest creatures before him, but by bearing also an inward grudge in heart against his Maiestie, and woulde if it were possible plucke him in péeces, or at the least wise wish that he were not so? but search the ground of your owne con­science Autophilus, and tell me if it would greatly grieue you if there were no immortality of the soule, no account after this life, no reckoning, no iudge­ment, no heauen, no hell.

What should moue you to thinke so of me?

Because I doubt you feare not God.

But how prooue you it?

This feare is stirred vp by preaching and reading of the word.

Yet more adooe about prea­ching: Here is no praying, no faith, no Christianity, no godlinesse, no loue, no feare of God, without preaching: I maruaile what you would haue men to doe?

I woulde haue you first séeke the kingdome of God, and to abandon this your hypocrisie, and not rather to [Page 113] hearken to y^e temptations of the world, and to the suggestions of Sathan, than to the will of GOD reuealed in his word. What dronkennes is this? The world promiseth but temporall & tran­sitorie things, and yet we séeke them e­uen with gréedinesse. The Lord promi­seth most excellent and eternall trea­sures, and we make slender account of them. What shall wee saie? Doth hée promise golden mountaines, or is hee faithlesse in his wordes? Else why run we a great waie for small wages, and take so great paines for a few pence, & yet scarse go out of the doore to purchase a kingdome? Why cōtend we so shame­fully for trifles of no price, and make so small account of Gods euerlasting wealth immutable, treasures eternall, reward inestimable, endlesse honor and glorie immortall? Why do we vainlie consume our selues with sorrowes? Why doe wee wearie our selues with so many worldly cares? sithence y^e loue of this world is enmitie to God,Iam. 4 Iohn. 2 And if any man loue the world, the loue of the father is not in him.

If you thinke that you can make mē at oddes with the world, you are in a wrong boxe: no, no, they loue it too well, both noble men, Gentlemen, and men of meaner estates, & by your patience, there bee a companie of your owne crue, who although they fauour it not in wordes, yet followe it in theyr workes.

That is too true, and much to be lamented, for in déed the pleasures and profits of this world haue stolne a­waie the heartes of many, and caused zeale and religiousnesse to be frozen vp. Men rise vp earlie to eate and to drink, to buy & to sell, smile merily on gain cō ­ming in, & welcome it w^t yelding both hand and heart to giue entertaiment: Their stomackes are hungrie, & there is no end of séeking gaine, laying vp in store, making the barnes wider, ioy­ning house to house, and land to lande: So that nowe if one goe about to dis­swade men from the thornie cares of this worlde,Esaie. 5 hee speaketh to the bellie, which hath no eares, hée speaketh to them which séeme as if they were in a [Page 115] dreame, and his speeche is not vnlyke his which speaketh with a straunge tongue, for they are made dronke with the plesures of this worlde, they reele and totter to and fro agaynst the posts thereof, and the wine of the fornicati­on of this worlde, hath cast them into a dead sléepe,Heb. 12 insomuch as they neyther knowe, neyther will knowe, till it bee too late, that they they haue solde their birthright for a messe of pottage, and that they haue lost the precious and in­estimable pearle of Gods euerlasting kingdome, for that which glistereth, and yet is no gold.

As touching those speculatiue De­uines, whose religion is onelie made of wordes, and therefore are méete to speake in the aire, they are no com­panions of my crewe, neyther anie such prating and pratling professours as talke much of Religion, but make it the by-paith of vngodlynesse. Wee cannot serue both GOD and mam­mon. The sonne of God hath spoken it, & therfore I am sure you wil beléeue it.

God forbid I should thinke [Page 116] the contrarie. But yet me thinks I can not but meruaile why Christe shoulde hate the worlde, sith it is so beautifull, so glorious, and so excellent a creature as it is.

As it is the creature of God it is good, for whatsoeuer God made is verie good. But yet the worlde is now depraued and corrupted: yea, Totus mū ­dus (as saith Saint Iohn) in maligno po­situs est. 1. Iohn. 5 All the world is set on naugh­tinesse For that it hath a spirit contra­rie to the spirit of Christ, for Christ re­quireth humilitie, holinesse, and méek­nes: the worlde hunteth after pride, vaine glorie, and ambition. Christ re­quireth patience, pardoning of enemies and abstinence: the world teacheth ma­lice, enuy, and reuengement. Christ re­quireth chastitie, mortificatiō, bearing of the crosse, with contempt of al earth­ly pleasures: the worlde pricketh for­ward to wantonnesse, pleasures of the flesh, and all kinde of vanitie. Finallie, it shutteth the doores against God and godlinesse, and poisoneth to destruction the hearts which it possesseth. And this [Page 117] is the cause why Saint Paul crieth,Rom. 12 Nolite conformari huic seculo. Who woulde not renounce it, and the wret­chednesse thereof, if once hee consider that most fierce and terrible saying of our sauiour Christ, namely,Iohn. 17 I beg not mercie and pardon for the worlde, but for those which thou hast giuen me out of the world. A most fearefull & dread­full saying, Cursed art thou whose hart it pearceth not. In what woful state is he that hath not Christ for his friende? That swéete Iesus, that lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of them which beléeue in him, yea, whose medi­atour Christe is not vnto his Father, what will become of him? Shall not e­ternall destruction follow him and fall-vpon his soule?

It is a common custome a­mongst you, to saie well and praie to Christe: but when it comes to follow­ing, you fayle in the chiefest point.

Although that string sounde vntuneable, yet hypocrites neuerthe­lesse cease not to harpe on it. But now since you offer an occasion to enter into [Page 118] speach of following, let vs I praie you make some rehearsall of those thinges which are spoken of the Preacher con­cerning this point,Math. 16 whose text I am sure is printed in your memorie, and so much y^e rather, because it doth expresse the badge and cognisance of euerie good Christian.

I haue matters enough to doe, and some thinges else to busie my braines with, than to carie text away, it is enough for the Preachers and Mi­nisters, and those which haue nothing else to doe, to performe that.

I am sure you speake not as you thinke, your memorie is not so fraile, nor your minde so carried with other maters, but you are able to beare awaie so briefe a text as Tolle crucem et sequere me, Math. 16 Take vp thy crosse & follow me.

Now you put me in minde of it, I remember verie well, for I was sure he made much a doe about the fol­lowing of Christ. But heare you sir, let it not séeme so strāge y^t I forgot the text, for I dare vndertake that amongst fiue [Page 119] hundreth at a Sermon, thrée hundreth may be picked out by the poules, which if they should be examined concerning the profite which they haue reaped, woulde yéelde as simple account as I doe.

If a man woulde spende an houre in shewing howe and which waie you might compasse some lande and liuing, although it were to the vtter vndooing of your poore neigh­bour, coulde you not carrie euerie circustaunce, and also if anie occasion shoulde serue, deliuer the same spée­ches, or at the least the substaunce of them?

And good reason, for who cannot beare that awaie best, where­with he is most acquainted.

No reason at all, vnlesse it be reason you shoulde bee enimie vnto your owne saluation. What is this but a secret kinde of Atheisme, and de­nying of the Lorde God? Vae disso­lutis corde qui non credunt Deo. Woe vnto the carelesse which beleeue not God.

Would you haue such as I am to carrie awaie whole preachings, I tell you it is enough for them which are conuersant in Scriptures, and let them trouble their braines & they list, for I haue some thing els to do.

Hereby we may sée what dis­ease you are sick of, you are one of them which had rather heare from Rome, Constantinople, or els where: you had rather heare Tom piper sing a song of Robin hood, though nothing else but ribaudrie, than to heare men talke of religion or deuotion in your presence, which thing is the cause that you are not acquainted with these matters. And to be plaine, such as you, can make a hotch potche of all religions, saying, that matters albeit pertinent to salua­tion, are of no weight, or else pertaine onely to the learned, yea, and you think you may apply your selues to any com­panie, to anie time, to anie Princes pleasure for matters of life to come, and so in the end you passe ouer your liues more dissolutely, and in lesse considera­tion of God than Ethnikes.

You set your diuinitie on the tentars, if you iudge others whose consciences you cannot search.

We haue a rule from Christ himselfe,How to discerne an hypocrite. Math. 12 how to decypher and discerne you, By their fruites ye shall know thē, such trée, such fruit. The mouth spea­keth from the abundance of the heart, If we liue in the spirite, let vs walke in the spirit. Let vs not bragge of spiritu­all actions, and liue carnally. For such as are carnall minded haue nothing to doe with Christ nor Christianitie. He that will liue godly, let him shake off the cares of worldly vanities,Iames. 3 since the world is an open and opposite enimy to Christ, as it hath beene before spoken.Iohn. 14 For Christe himselfe sayeth, that the world cānot receiue the spirit of truth, neither he nor any his are of the world, though they liue in the worlde. And it is certaine, that Paul the electe vessell estéemed it but as doung. But good Lord howe fewe haue wée like vnto Paul in this point: he estéemed this world as doung. Wée count it a felicitie héere to liue pleasantlie, racking our conscien­ces, [Page 122] stretching our credite, and set our honestie on sale,3. Reg. 3 that wee may inioye that which is not worth the labour. Sa­lomon hauing proposed vnto him what he woulde require, desired not wealth, riches,How wide worldlīgs are from true wise­dome. reuenues, the ouerthrowe of his enimies, long life, or the like, but a wise and vnderstanding heart, whereby hee might discerne betwixt truth and fals­hood. Oh would to God we had many in this regard like to Salomon, which would more estéeme of heauenly wise­dome, than of transitory wealth. Saint Paul desired to be dissolued, & to be with Christ,VVorld­lings set the cart before the horse. Math. 6 2. Iohn. 2 wee wish to liue alwaies being made dronk with worldly delight. First seek the kingdom of God, saith Christ, et cetera adijcientur. But we either as it were, suspecting Christ of rashnesse in promising, or insufficiencie in perfour­ming, first séeke the worlde, & after the kingdome of God by leasure. Loue not, (saith Iohn) the world, nor thīgs which are in the world. Which lessō we learn backwards, for we first loue the world, and to speake plainly,1. Thes. 5 some of vs loue nothing else but the world. Praie conti­nually, [Page 123] saith the Apostle. How preposte­rously wee deale in this respect, who li­ueth godly in Christ Iesu, & lamenteth not what small deuotion wee haue to praying & praising God for his benefits? Who hath eies and beholdeth not? If some sinfull and wretched man, taking good like to a seruant, should bestow on him some 20. markes a yere, would hée not looke for thankfulnes at his hands,A compa­rison. that he shuld come at a beck, run, & ride when occasion shal serue, attēd vpō him when he hath cause to vse him? wil not that seruant also applie himselfe to his maisters pleasure, shew himself thank­full for so great a benefite receiued, and spende his life in so good a patrons be­halfe? If contrariwise, he should shew himselfe gracelesse for so greate a good turne, who would not point at him, as the patterne of an ingratefull person. Who can bestowe so great benefites on vs, as our most gratious God? who hath made vs, & that according to his owne image, ransomed vs from the slauery of Sathan when we were lost,Gen. 1. & not one­lie redéemed vs,1. Pet. 1 but is also well pleased [Page 124] to bestowe a kingdome vppon vs, to liue and raigne with himselfe for e­uer.

Who is he but will con­fesse it?

And who is he y^t is thankfull for it? who wil shew thēselues so thank­full for this benefite so vnspeakable as commonly some will for a slender good turne receaued at their friends hands. He that will not go to the dore to heare Gods worde preached, will much lesse deny himselfe and take vp his Crosse and follow Christ.

Math. 16I must néedes confesse that I account it an harde saying to for­sake and deny my selfe and to followe him.

But I can tell you an har­der saying then that.

Math. 25What is that?

Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire, prepared for the diuell And his Angels.

I beshrew me if I thought of that.

Oh Autophilus, remember [Page 125] the ende and thou shalt not doe amisse. They that beare the Crosse for Christs sake shall neuer feare that sentence: which otherwise is fearefull to a crazie conscience.

It is said indéede that the seruaunts of the Crosse which liue af­ter the example of him which was cru­cified shall approch and come nigh vn­to Christ with great boldnes.

Why then are we so madde as to feare that which is the way vn­to heauen, for herein is ioy of minde,It is neces­sarie that Gods chil­drē beare the crosse. ce­lestiall comfort, aide against enemies, perfection of holinesse. Then die with Christ, and liue with Christ: suffer with Christ, and raigne with Christ.

It may be so I would, and yet me thinkes I am loth to forsake this world.

But if thou wilt carry the Crosse willingly and chearefully it wil carry thée to an happy ende: namely, where there is no miserie. But if you carry it with a grudging minde it will be heauy to beare, and yet shall you [Page 126] beare it perforce,2. Tim. 3 but it is necessarie that euery one suffer crosse and cala­mity for Christs sake.

Yea verily, Who so euer will liue godly in Christ Iesu must suf­fer persecution:Acts. 14 yea, and we must of necessitie enter into heauen through many tribulations:Heb. 12 where the Apostle vseth this worde Oportet: againe, he whippeth euery childe whom he recei­ueth: if euery one then none excepted, which thing is vrged so farre of the A­postle, that he séemeth to sette it downe in the same place as an axiom or plaine assertion.

Me thinkes I coulde be content to fauour and to follow Christ,Many fa­uour, but few follow Christ. notwithstanding I would not drink of this cuppe.

Christe may haue suche friendes inough, which will fauour him, and loue his kingdome: but fewe that will suffer with him: many that will beare him company in comforta­ble things, but relent in aduersitie: ma­ny that will sitte at meate with him, but fewe partakers of his continen­cie: [Page 127] many play the good fellowes at an inch in the breaking of bread, but fewe willing to drinke of his cuppe: many that wil admire at his miracles, which notwithstanding count his Crosse a re­proach.

Yet cannot I be perswaded but that it is a Paradoxe, that all men must drinke of the cup of affliction, and for mine owne part, I estéeme vertue a most precious gem, and could be content to do much, if it might be with quietnes of minde, but to beare this which you call the Crosse, is vnwoonted to me and more then I can well away with, and I coulde name some which counte it an vnreasonable demaunde to be touched in this point.

You builde vppon a false ground, if you thinke it possible to serue God with worldly ease, for albeit tribu­lations and persecutions are not in all ages and all places alike, yet is there none of Gods children but at some­times féele affliction both internall, and externall. Multae tribulationes iustorum, sayth the Prophet Dauid. Psal. 33. The iust [Page 128] doe suffer many tribulations,Math. 8 they that faile in the same shippe with Christe, must be tossed with the same tempesti­ous windes and raging waues of the sea. He that is of Christ his church must suffer crosses for Christs sake.

I thank God I neuer tasted of the cup of affliction, so that I knowe not how sower it is, neither shal I as I hope.

How can that be, since the life of man is a warrefare vppon earth, re­plenished with miserie by the iust iudg­ment of GOD after the fall of Adam. What greater warre,Sathan tempeth by sundrie sleights. than continual­lie to combat against the concupistence of the flesh, to bid battaile against the worlde and the deuill, which haue to many gynnes wherewith to beguile vs, so many trappes to ensnare vs, so many sleightes to supplant vs, so ma­ny trippes to ouerthrowe vs, some­times to make vs proude by erecting to dignitie, sometimes to make vs des­perate, by detecting vs to pouertie, som­times by flattery to make vs vaineglo­rious, somtimes by threatning to make [Page 129] vs impatient, yea verily this olde ser­pent, plusquam mille habet nocendi artes. Going about, as sayth saint Peter, Like a roaring Lion, seeking whom hee may deuoure. Wheresoeuer God hath a Church, the diuell will commonly séeke to haue a Chappell next adioyning: where there is a righteous Abell, Genesis 4. there is commonly a cursed Caine, to perse­cute him: where soeuer there is some of Israels séede,Gene. 21. there is some of Ismaels broode ready to annoy him: where there is a Iacob, there is an Esau:Gen. 27. where there is a Dauid, there is a Saul:1. Reg. 18. where there is Christ, there is a Iudas at hand to be tray him:Mat. 26. where there is a Paul, there is a Nero readie like a bloudsucker to persecute him.The Church continu­ally affli­cted. And such affliction hath béene allotted to the Church from the beginning to the time of Noe: from Noe, to Abraham: from Abraham, to Moses: from Moses, to Christ: and so shall it be to the worldes ende: which indéede is méete and neces­sarie: for hereby we are humbled,Why gods children suffer af­fliction. pur­ged and instructed: yea, it is as it were a schooling to the children of God. The [Page 130] Lorde doth trie by laying his Crosse vppon our neckes, and purifieth vs in the Furnace of affliction, euen as golde is tried in the fire, and as the husband­men which when their Corne is some­what too ranke, do mow it downe: and prune their trées, not to destroy them, but to make them beare more aboun­dantly: so likewise the flesh of ours in time of peace is luskish, lumpish, lasie, and drowsie, slowe to godly and Christian exercises, but wedded to earthly dung, and giuen to vaine de­lightes.

Nowe therefore it is not onely expedient, but also verie necessa­rie, that miserie, trouble, and af­flliction should come to stirre vp this dull & sluggish lumpe, for which cause the Saintes are compared to iron, which by vse is somewhat worne and diminished, but lying vnused is eaten with ruste more and more. Dearely beloued, sayth Saint Peter, Thinke it not straunge that yee are tried with fire, 1. Pet. 4. which thing is to trie you as though some straunge thing happened [Page 131] vnto you. But reioyce rather in that yee are partakers in the afflictions of Christ: that when his glorie is reuealed, yee may be merrie and glad.2. Tim. 2.For if we be deade with him, wee shall also liue with him: if wee be patient we shall al­so raigne with him: if wee denie him, he shall also denie vs. Those which he knewe before, hee had also predesti­nate, sayth the Apostle to the Ro­manes, Rom. 8. that they shoulde bee like fa­shioned to the shape of his Sonne, that hee might bee the first begotten a­mongest many bretheren. It is good for mee, sayth the Prophet Dauid, that thou hast humbled mee. Psalme,Psal. 119. 119.

And héere is iust occasion offered to touch the examples of the Saintes. Did not the Lorde himselfe tempt A­braham, after he had chosen him,Gen. 22. by making him yéelde to the slaughter of his tender childe?Gen. 26. Did not Isaac féele Famine,Examples of Saints afflicted. and one mischiefe as it were iumping and falling vpon the necke of another to vexe and grieue him with­all? Was not Iacob compassed about [Page 132] with many troubles whilest he was yet in his mothers wombe, and sawe nothing: began to striue with his bro­ther whose bloudy hands he had much adoe to escape in his stripling age: exi­ling himselfe from his fathers house in­to Syria, where he was roughly racked in the schoole of affliction; at his returne ready to be swallowed vp of sorrowes: whose childrens vntoward behauiour, had béene inough to haue killed him in his latter daies. Also being enforced for want of foode to goe into a forraigne Country. Furthermore, was not Mo­ses gréeuously afflicted first by Pharao, and his Princes, afterwardes by his owne housholde, and Country men. Was not Dauid the Lordes annointed grieuously molested of his Master Saul, who was euen madde against him to bring him to destruction, what iniurie suffered he of his sonne Absolon: to be briefe, the rodde of affliction was al­waies striking vppon his pate. Here might at large be spoken of the sense of the olde Testament of whose tribula­tion the Apostle séemeth to make a [Page 133] briefe and compendious Epitomie, Hebrewes, 11. That some were rac­ked, some reproched, some chained,Hebr. 11.some imprisoned, some cutte in pie­ces, some stoned, some slaine, with the sworde, some went about in hairie cloth, in skinnes of Goates, in great ex­tremitie pressed and tormented wan­dring and hiding themselues in de­serts, hilles, caues and holes vnder the grounde. Paul, speaking of himselfe, sayth, If any other be the Ministers of Christ, I am more, in labours more a­boundantly, in stripes aboue measure, in imprisonment more plenteously, in death more often, of the Iewes I re­ceiued fiue times fortie stripes saue one, thrise was I beaten with roddes, once stoned, thrise I suffered shippe­wracke, a day and a night haue I beene in the deapth, in iourneying of­ten, in perils of waters, in perils of rob­bers, in perils of mine owne Nations, in perils among the Heathen, in perils in the Cittie, in perils in the wilder­nesse, in perils in the Sea, in perils a­mongest false bretheren, in labour [Page 134] and trauaile, in watchinges often, in hunger and thirst, and fastinges often, in colde and nakednesse, be­sides those thinges which outwardly come vnto mee. The trouble which dailie lieth vppon mee,Luke 24. is the care of al churches to come nerer.Math. 10. If Christ, whose whole life was nothing else but crosses and afflictions, coulde not enter his glorie, but by suffering, is it reason that the seruaunt shoulde bée priuiled­ged aboue his maister?The tenne persecuti­ons. What shoulde I héere speak of the Apostolike Church which euen to this daie is most blou­dilie persecuted of Antichrist & his hell­houndes? What cruell persecutions were there in the space of thrée hun­dred and eightéene yéeres, when the Church Apostolike was as it were, in the infancie? First by Nero that bloud sucker: secondlie by Domitian, who ba­nished Iohn into the Ile of Pathmos: thirdly by Traiane, who published most terrible Edicts against the Christians, vnder whome that most notable prea­cher and martyr Ignatius, with many excellent seruaunts of Christ were cast [Page 135] vnto wilde beastes to bée torne and de­uoured: fourthly by Verus, vnder whō Polycarpus was burnt in fire, and Irae­neus Bishop of Lions beheaded with the swoord, Fiftly, by Septimius Se­uerus, who crowned many a Saint with the garlande of martyrdome, a­mongst whom is reckoned Leonidas y^e Father of Origene. Sixtly, by Iulius Maximinus, who plaide the bloudie ty­rant against the Church. Seuenthly by Decius, who proclaimed most horrible Edictes against the faithfull, in whose time was Saint Laurence broiled vp­pon a gridyron. Eightly by Licinius Valerianus, who plaide the tyrant a­gainst Christ and the members of his bodie, in which bloudie broyle were slaine Cornelius and Cyprian, two most excellent men. Ninthlie, by Va­lerius Aurelianus, who rather intended than ended his wicked & vngodly prac­tises. Lastlie by Dioclesian, Maximi­nian, and the rest, whose horrible per­secutions agaynst the Churche of Christe are verie perfectlie depain­ted of Eusebius, who was a spectator [Page 136] and eie witnes of so bloudie a pageant. But to come to our selues. What lions abroade, what foxes at home haue con­spired to murther y^e members of Christ, had not the Lorde in mercie discouered their conspiracies, and preuented their treacheries, putting a hooke in the nosethrils, and a snaffle in the mouthes of mercilesse tyrantes? What mercie hath he shewed in shielding and shelte­ring vs, from the tyrannie of the bloudie Spaniardes, who intended the ouerthrowe of our Countrie, the sack­ing of our cities, the murthering of men and women, to dash the braines of tender babes against the stones. These are Sathans impes, Antichristian hel­hounds, which thinke to swallowe vp all things an hundred furlonges before them, which lie in wait to stop the pas­sage of the Gospell, and to extinguishe the light of Gods holy word, gaping af­ter those blacke daies of darknes. But he whose dwelling is aboue the clouds, holdeth the stearne, and gouerneth all things both in heauen and in earth, & is able euen with one blast of his breath [Page 137] to ouerthrow all their wicked deuices, although the heathen rage & imagine vaine things. The kings of the earth stand vp & assemble themselues toge­ther against the Lorde and against his annointed. Although they take wic­ked counsaile, and deuise deuillish meanes to banish out of the worlde the godlie professours of his Gospell, al­though they trauaile with wickednesse and conceiue and bring forth mischiefe lurke in secrete with their garrisons, like lions stretch their gréedie throates, open their deuouring mouthes to swa­lowe vp the Lordes flocke, yet can the Lorde destroy them, and such fruites of theirs; as heretofore of his infinite mer­cie he hath done. He hath from the be­ginning and will also protect this boate and little barke of his tossed amongest so many perils and miserable surges in the raging sea of this troublesome worlde, that it perishe not being ouer­whelmed, for which cause wee praie the good Lorde to visite this little vine of Englande with thy right hande, hemme thy flocke within thy hurdles, [Page 138] that either by diuellish subtlety, wol­uish cruelty, or Antichristian hypocri­sie, they be not scattered. Blesse Lord those Cities and Townes, where thy Gospell is purely preached, that they may liue in peace which loue thy lawe: make we beséeche thée peace within their walles, and prosperitie within their Palaces: make strong the lockes of our Portes, and blesse thy children within them: put peace for our bandes, and fill vs with the fatte of thy Corne, that thou King of glorie, and Lorde of Hostes mayest enter in by our gates, & thy pure word not one­ly abide within our walles, but also in our willes. Thou which breakest the bowe, and snappest the speares in sunder, and burnest the Chariot with fire, protect vs from slaughter, and scatter the Nations which delight in warre.

Thou Lord extinguish the fire and flames of discorde, which canst con­clude a peace for vs with the stone of the grounde. Compell the Woolfe to lye downe with the Lambe, and [Page 139] the Leoparde with the Kidde: worke a conuersion in the heartes of those which preferre vncertaine riches and vaine pleasures of this vile, sinnefull, and wretched world, before the profes­sion of thy truth and preaching of the Gospell.

Amen. For surely the Lorde hath miraculously deliuered vs from their deuouring and gréedy raue­ning mouthes.

You say well Autophilus, in commending him for our marue­lous deliueraunce, but will you bee mindefull of so great and manifold be­nefits?

I hope so.

Then be so.

Can you prooue the con­trarie?

I woulde Autophilus proo­ued it not. It is a common and v­suall practise nowe a dayes amongest Hypocrites, to carrie about with them faintlike mouthes, and diuelish minds: to say Amen, to euery good prai­er with their mouth, when their hearts [Page 140] are worldly and wickedly excercised. But it is not painted wordes which please the Lorde, but the workes of righteousnesse, and obedience wherein he delighteth: to take vp the Crosse and followe Christ, and to deny a mans selfe which Autophilus will neuer doe, are two not able markes of Gods chil­dren.

Be not to rash in iudging.

Then leaue to be Autophi­lus.

Indéede so shall I forsake my selfe, but as yet I meane it not: and yet haue you mooued me so farre, that since the Gospell and persecution goe both hande in hande together, I coulde be content to suffer sometimes perse­cutions, but not continually, for such as I am can hardly away with continual afflictions.

I am not ignorant how na­turally men are infected with the dis­ease Philautia: that is to say, selfe loue, how much they are addicted to it, and they estéeme of themselues. But if any man commeth to me, sayth our Saui­our, [Page 141] and hateth not father, mother, wife, children, yea, and his owne selfe, cannot be my disciple. Not that we should enuie, or be malitious towards them, but that we haue such affections towards them, that neuerthelesse the loue of the sonne of God be aboue all thinges. Of such an holy hatred Abra­ham is a worthy example, who had ra­ther be cruell against his owne sonne, euen to the death, then in one point shewe himselfe disobedient. Let the husband therefore loue the wife, the wife her husband, the father his sonne, the sonne his father. So that their hu­mane loue, drawe nothing from the spi­rituall loue of Christ. Nowe therefore Autophilus, since there are but two waies, the one narrow and rough, diffi­cult to the flesh to be traueled: the other broade, smooth, and leading to destructi­on. Tell me briefly whether you had rather goe with worldly ease to eter­nall damnation, then to take vp the Crosse, and goe the narrowe waye to life euerlasting: for one of them wee must néedes runne at length: [Page 142] that is, either to ioy or vtter perditi­on.

I cannot tel what you call worldly ease, but I am sure I woulde goe to heauen.

Walke not then after the flesh, but after the spirite: they that frame themselues after the will of Christ, are his liuely members: they which loue not themselues, nor the world, loath their former life, feare to fall into sinne: at a worde, they which crucifie the fleshe with the affections, and lustes thereof, shall possesse those ioyes.

What I doe, it pertaines not vnto you: you shall not answere for mée.A string whereon hipocrites are woont to harp. I doubt not but I am cloathed with Christes righteousnesse, I hope that Christes perfect obedience yéelded vnto his father shall make satisfaction for me.

A goodly countenance of honestie and pretence of fleshly Chri­stianity: doe you thinke that Christe will holde you for righteous, when you giue your selfe to vnrighteous­nesse, [Page 143] what is this but a dishonouring of him and a scorning of him for his re­demption of you, as if Christ shoulde accept the proude man for lowly: him for a louer of God, which is a louer of himselfe: him for a delighter in God, which onely delighteth in vaine pleasures: him for mindefull of Gods benefits, which is altogether vnthank­full: him for a chast person, which is a whoremonger: him for sober, which is a drunkard, & lastly, him for a true wor­shipper which is an Idolater.

I hope you cannot iustly affirme, that I am stained with any of these vices.

Doth your conscience ac­quite you:

What is that to you?

I aske you for no harme, notwithstanding, if euery stitch of your conscience were throughly ript vp, I feare we shoulde finde it sore sicke of many of these sinnes. Be­ware of Idolatrie, it is the Mother vice from whence doe spring many o­ther.

Idolatry (quoth you) I thanke God I neuer knewe what it meant.

So much the worse: you may be sicke of that disease and knowe it not.1. Tim. 6. Beware of Couetousnesse, it is the roote of all euill. Which al­so is called of the Apostle Paul, Ephe. 5. Ido­latrie.

Call you Couetousnesse Idolatrie, either I forgette it, or else I neuer learned it: as for my Coue­tousnesse care you not,World­lings cloke Couetous­nes vnder the colour of good husban­dry. I knowe my selfe to bée farre enough from it, vn­lesse you will call good husbandry Coue­tousnesse as many indéede are woont, for nowe a daies, a man must lashe out, sette Cocke on hoope, spende all on the poore, and in House kéeping, or else he shall be counted a Niggarde, nay verily, doe what we can, wée shall offende some parties. If we be wa­rie then are wée accounted Couetous: if liberall, then vnthriftes: and thus they terme euery thing at their plea­sure.

Nay, you put on faire vi­sards [Page 145] on beastly and vglie monsters, hy­ding couetousnes vnder the cloke of good husbandrie: pride vnder the shewe of handsomenes, stoutnes vnder the colour gentrie: & thus although the couetous of cormerants store vp treasures in their Palaces by violence and robberies, eate vp poore men euen as Beasts eat grasse, kéeping it vnder, nothwithstanding all this is the point of good husbandrie.Couetous­nes hus­bandrie. Good husbandrie said I: No verilie, as bad as may be: for the winning of a fewe pence to loose Gods loue: and for to haue rich chistes and coffers stuffed with red rud­dockes to léese the fauour of the euerla­sting God. No, Autophilus:Num. 22. 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:4. reg. 5. for the which hée was stoned: if Gehezias selling of Naa­mans health, which came by the grace of God:Math. 27. if Iudas his treacherie against his Lord and Maister selling him for thirtie pence:Act. 5. if Ananias and Saphyra theyr ly­ing [Page 146] to the holy Ghost, were good husbā ­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 husbāds 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 destructiō both bo­dy & soule for trifles, not worth y^e traue­ling for; according to that of the prophet Barucke, Barucke. 3 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. Iames. 5. Like vnto that of S. Iames. Now goe to ye rich men, weepe and howle in [Page 147] 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.

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.

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, Luke. 12. 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 [Page 148] frō thee, thē 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 mā better to haue purchased a place in heauē 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:Eccle. 31. 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?

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.

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 cōmeth 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,A simili­tude. the more they ingourge themselues and take a surfet as it were of the same: such is the wickednesse of mās nature. So that they to whō wealth and substance, riches and reuenewes do increase, are tyed with the chaines and bands of the Diuell,The coue­tous tied in the chanes of Sathan. 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 [Page 150] that holsome counsaile of the Pro­phet Dauid:Psal. 61. 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 Sathā, kept in bondage & flauery of their owne riches, we may iustly compare vnto cur Dogs, which when they haue fed vpon the carriō & 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 pri [...] 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.

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.

It is a vaine collection of you to infer such a conclusiō vpō my former words, as though such were my intent.

Why then doe you compare vs to Dogs?

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 mē & 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,1. Cor. 1 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:1. Tim. 6. not mony it self. Charge thē that ar rich saith y^t Apostle,Heb. 13 y^e they be not high min­ded nor trust in the vncertainty of riches but in the liuing God. Let vs therfore be [Page 152] without couetousnes. Beware of posses­sing other mens goods: restore to euerie one that which is his owne. The Lorde hath raised vp to vs most gréeuous pla­gues against violent possessors of other mens goods: he hath, and can scatter a­brode vniust goods, by warres, mishaps, and diuers calamities. For the Pro­phet Esay cryeth out saying: The Lorde shall enter into iudgement with the El­ders & Princes of his people: and shal say vnto them: It is ye that haue burnt vp my vineyarde: the spoile of the poore is in your houses. And Amos in the thirde Chapter of his Prophecie cryeth: They stoore vp treasures in their pallaces by violence and robberie. Amos. 3. Therefore thus saith the Lord God, miseries shal inuade thee on euerie side of the lande, and the enimie shall bring downe thy strength or riches from thee and thy palaces shall be spoiled. For proofe hereof wée sée that oftentimes the wrath of God lighteth vpon them, and their goods which are so gotten. We sée that they which here pos­sessed thousands, are worne out by little and litle, now the halfe, then thrée parts, [Page 153] in the end al runnes at randon, and beg­gerie ouertaketh them. So doth Gods curse vtter it selfe vpon them, and al­though that perhaps wealth lingereth, & at the first God is not that auenged, yet notwithstanding God sendeth them di­seases and afflictions, wherby he holdeth them as it were vpon the racke and for­ture. As if he should say, what hast thou done, thou wicked traitour? Thou hast offended me all the times of thy life, and yet hast thou borne thy selfe in hand that all shall goe well with thée if thou migh­test haue riches enough, but thou muste now bee made to knowe that all the ra­king vp of riches which thou canst not enioy can stande thée in no steade. Thus may we sée what reward they haue which inrich them selues, as it were in despite of GOD: insomuch that all their scra­pings and scratchinges are nothing els but cordes to ensnare them, mistes to blinde them, venome to poyson them, and baites to choke them.

Indéede, It may bee that for my owne part towardes my olde age: when death is about to come vppon me, [Page 154] some part of restitution may bee made, but as yet I meane it not, especially vntill the yeare one thousande fiue hun­dreth eighty eight be past: for they say, that will prooue a troublesome yeare.

Oh foolish man which maketh account to liue long, what is more cer­taine then death, and what is more vn­certaine then the houre of death? This is a plaine & euident token that you haue no part in the Gospell of Christ Iesus: Zacheus, assoone as he was receiued into the fauour of Christ, and vnderstoode the works of truth and equity, began to cast his accounts whom he had priuily iniu­ried or violently oppressed: yea, hee im­mediatly without delay not only promi­sed but also performed restitution.

It may be I know not whō I haue iniuried. But if perhaps I haue dealt violently, as I hope you will not accuse me: yet by this meanes I shoulde fall into ignominy, that is to say by open restitution.

O sir, you can find meanes to rob the poore without infamie, & can you finde no handsome way to restore that [Page 155] which is wrongfully gotten without the cracking of your credite and estimation? Tush if you meane faithfully to make restitutiō, I doubt not but y^e spirit of the Lord wil teach you a ready way how to perform so good an intēt w^tout obloquy & ignominy: but if you mean to dally & iest with the Lord, the diuel can teach you a thousand excuses. The best whereof wil neuer set your consciēce at quiet liberty.

Perhaps he is dead whom I haue defrauded, & therfore how should I make restitution.

Then haue you y^e poore & néedy, on whom to bestow your riches, vnto whō you may deal your vniust gotten goods.

How shall they make restitu­tion which haue prodigally spent them?

Such fellowes are to acknow­ledge their faults, and to repent them of their sinnes from the bottoms of their hearts: and if it come to passe, that riches afterwarde increase, they ought to be so much the more liberall of their owne, as before prodigall in spending other mens. Notwithstending who séeth not howe contrary to Gods wode wee [Page 156] deale in this respect. He that hath gotten thousandes by that same so vglie a mon­ster vsurie: He that hath purchased lands & liuing by extortion & couetousnesse, so if that euery man had his owne, he might goe a begging, yet neuer hath regarde of restitution. Nay he will paynt out his swelling pride, and mayntaine I war­rant you a port with other mens pence, and satisfie his pleasure in the bowels, bloude, and sweate of the poore mans browes. But it were better for thee, whosoeuer thou art, to plucke downe thy pecocks pride, and thy ruffling riote, and to consider with thy selfe wherof thou li­uest, and still to indeuor thy selfe to make restitutiō as far as in thee consisteth. It were better thou diddest begge a whyle in earth, then to abide the vnspeakeable paines of hel fire for euer. Briefly, what­soeuer thou wouldest that men shoulde do vnto thee, that do vnto them: and what thou wouldest they shoulde not doe vnto thée, that do not vnto them.

Pretence of wife & children.I haue wife and children and I must and wil sée them prouided for ac­cording to their calling: I thinke my fa­ther [Page 157] was an honest gentlemā & liued ho­nestly amongst his neighbors, he left me riches which I haue well increased & am thereby come to credite and countenance in my country, in them consistes my esti­mation, for which cause I loue them the rather, and as my father dealt with mée, so am I also to deale with my owne chil­dren. That is to leaue them like gentle­men, for now a dayes he y^t hath nothing is lesse then nothing set by.

Fie for shame Autoph. what a conscience is this? haue you learned this excuse out of Gods booke? what a madnes is this, that a man should condemne his soule to hel fire for y^e inriching of his po­steritie? Or what comfort is it, to a dam­ned soule euerlastingly burning in the slames of hell fire to consider that by his vsurie, couetousnes & extortion he hath left his sonne a gentleman behinde him? who would hasarde his soule for such va­nitie, since riches haue no power to pro­fite or pleasure vs: but onely such that are bestowed in the vse & seruice of God? and our poore brethren, and yet what car­king and caring is there, euen when we [Page 158] are vpon our death beds, for our childrē, kinsfolks, and friends: which time espe­cially, our soules are to talke with God by praier and meditation.

Would you not haue the fa­ther to care for his childe: as simple a Scripture man as I am, I can tell that Paul calleth him worse than an Infidel, that careth not for his wife & children.

I say not so, for I confesse that the father ought to care for his children: but what manner of care is that, such a one namely as ought to moue him to cal vpon God, to haue a recourse vnto him, from whence all good thinges doe come. This care must moue him to forwarne his children y^t they liue in sobernes, to be contented with a litle, to labor that God may blesse them, that euery one of them walk in their vocatiō, holding thēselues in the ancor of Gods prouidence, being assured y^t he will neuer faile them y^t put their trust in him faithfully, willing thē all to hold fast by this promise. Thy God wil not forsake thée. Be not careful saith Christ, for your selues, what you shall eate, or what you shall drink, nor yet for [Page 159] your body what raiment you shall put on, Is not the life more woorth then meate, and the body more of value then raiment? Whereby immoderate care is forbidden, and yet euery one of vs ought to labour according to our vocation.

What would you haue gen­tlemen to labor which are brought vp so daintely that the Sun may not shine on them? would you haue the Courtier play the Country man, & each delicate Dame to fall to hir distaffe? Nowe as I am an honest man, I am determined if I may liue seuen yeares to an ende, so to pro­uide for mine, y^t I hope they shall be able to liue w^tout the sweat of their browes.

It is the fashion of worldlings to fancy an immortality in this life, & to think y^t they shall liue seuen yeares after they be dead. And as touching this dain­tines which you talk off, I say it is a fil­thy thing, lothsome in the eies of God. As also there is no greater vanitie then that any of vs shoulde boast of his gen­try: for are we not Adams children by nature, cursed heires of death, nothing but a lumpe of sinne, and consequently [Page 160] must néedes bee lothsome to our God. Let then the hautie man bragge of his Pedi­grée, and the couetous man damne hys soule to hell fire to make his sonne a gen­tleman, notwithstanding this is their ofspring, this is the top of their nobilitie, that there is a sinke of sinne in them, that they be Sathans bondslaues, that they haue the wrath and curse of God han­ging ouer their heades, and briefly, that being banished frō the kingdome of hea­uen, they be deliuered to torments and tortures euerlasting: but that it hath pleased our most gratious God to raun­some and redéeme them by so pretious a price, as is the bloud of his sonne Christ Iesus. And yet it must néedes amase a godlie mā to sée how euery one doth hunt for worldly honour. Howe saith the sim­ple hinde? if I had but a plowland, my e­state were happie. So likewise the hus­bandman gapeth after the degrée of a ye­man, the Yeman woulde bee a Gen­tleman, the Gentleman a Knight, the Knight a Lorde, the Lorde a Duke, &c. And so in conclusion, the poore and simple hinde, if possible would, be a Prince: few [Page 161] or none at all are content with their estates, but desire honour and estima­tion in this worlde, which is nothing else but vanitie, & as it were, a mans shadowe, which the more that a man followeth, the more it flieth awaie, and when he flieth from it, it follow­eth him againe, and the onely way to catch it, is to fall downe vppon it: So falleth it out with them which gape after worldly promotion, the fa­ster they followe it, the further it fli­eth, the further they flie, the faster it followeth, and in the end the onelie waie to winne honour, is to be hum­ble?

Doe you make no diffe­rence in mens estates? woulde you haue the simple & meane man vaunt himselfe aboue his degrée and cal­ling?

Not so, but let the Prince haue loialtie due to his excellencie, the noble man honour due to his dig­nitie, the Gentleman reuerence as his condition, the yeman estéemed as he is worthie of. It is not that which [Page 162] I gainesaie, but the vanitie of pride and ambition.

Hypocrits cal pride handsom­nes.So such fine headed fellows misconster euerie thing at your plea­sure. He that carrieth a couragious minde you call ambitious, and he that careth to bee handsome, you tearme proud hearted.

Nay, you shoulde saie the contrary, that pride like an hypocrite hides himselfe vnder the shadowe of hansomnes, and ambition vnder the colour of couragiousnes, but if you wil néeds make your sonne a Gentlemā, as I perceiue it is your intent & pur­pose, send him to the schoole of vertue, for true nobilitie was neuer begun but by vertue, & he that holdeth nobi­litie by descent from his auncestours without vertue, is no better than a monster, in y^t he breaketh the bonds of the nature of true nobilitie.Vertue fountaine of true no­bilitie. If Christ had listed to brag of his nobilitie, hée might haue had as sufficient cause as he that carrieth y^e greatest port, who came of as great a stock as anie was in the world: but he being the son of [Page 163] God, called himselfe the son of man, y^t is, the sonne of the virgin Marie: and more than all this, called himselfe by the name of shephearde,World­lings like to childrē and fooles the which is counted a cōtemptible & base name a­mōgst men: but it is with worldlings after the manner as it is with infāts and children, which estéeme more of a painted bable, than of a precious iew­ell, & count it a more excellent thing to flourish according to the glittering pomp of this world, than to liue godly in Christ Iesus. For proofe whereof, who listeth may sée howe foolish men are wont to wonder at vanities, say­ing, how happie he is, how rich, how mightie, in what authoritie, what a tal felow he is, of what goodly stature, how beautiful he is, what a lusty gal­land, but loke vpon heauenly gifts, & of this worldly men account not of: these miserable men loue their owne miseries, being so far wide from true felicitie, that they thinke that in a­bundaunce of these things a happie life doeth consiste, and albeit that without carking and care, many [Page 164] are not able to prouide necessaries for this mortall life, yet if they were sure to liue alwaies, they would not set a point by the kingdome of God, which wretched caitifes so miserably ouer­whelmed with earthly vanities, that they can thinke of nothing else but earthly gewgaues, shal one day mau­ger their hearts, vnderstand how vile and how vaine things haue beene, wherein they estéemed their chiefe fe­licitie.

It is méete that a Gen­tleman goe like a Gentleman, & that fine dames be daintily attired, would you haue Ioan goe as fine as my La­die? Let Courtiers court it, it is but a credit to goe gaie, or els many are de­ceiued.

It is a credite in déede, and so, many carrie all their credite on their backes, which proude pecockes, if they were plucked as they shoulde be, would hang their heades for verie shame.Pride of women portraied. Was there euer such exesse and superfluitie as is at this daie, and in this land, men making themselues [Page 165] monsters, and women disguising thē ­selues like puppets. The Prophet E­saie speaking of the attire of women,Esaie. 3 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 [Page 166] 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 [Page 167] 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 [Page 168] 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?

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 [Page 169] twice in one daie, one after y^e French fashion, and an other after the Tur­kie, call you these toies?

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 [Page 170] 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.

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, [Page 171] 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,A cloake vnder which wo­men hide their pride. they coulde verie quicklie shape you suche an aun­swere.

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 that his wife shoulde paint her selfe and flourishe lyke a common harlot, than goe lyke a graue matrone: in re­specte of almightie GOD, for that they which doe colour their faces, and die their bodies, doe therein goe aboute to reproue the excellent worke of him that made them, in­somuch that they doe seeme, as it [Page 172] were ashamed of his workmanship.The true ornamēts of women. Paul teacheth them another lesson, that they shoulde decke themselues with shamefastnesse and sobernesse, not to curle their haire, to die theyr faces, to glitter with their golde or precious clothes. A common prouerbe it is amongst the Grecians, that it is not golde or pearle that beautifieth a woman, but good and honest conditi­ons: so that in stead of their gaudes, embroderies, bracelets, and borders, they should onely delight in the deck­ing of Gods lawes: that ought to bée their iewels: in sted of their frontlets and bracelettes, and in stead of theyr rings and costlie gemmes vpon theyr fingers, they should haue Gods lawes before their eies, and at their fingers endes, so that if they shoulde looke vp­pon themselues, yea although but vp­pon their nailes, it shoulde come into their minds to thinke that they haue a maker, who fashioned thē, & whose pleasure it is they shuld wholy frame themselues in true obedience and ser­uice all the daies of their life. And in [Page 173] stead also of beautifying and garnish­ing of houses, in making them of a glorious & sumptuous shew, to the end it may bee saide, this is the house of some man of honour and estimation, the lawe of God ought to be written vppon it rather, according to that in the sixte of Deutronomie, Thou shalt binde them, saith Moses, that is to wit, the words of the lawe, as a signe vpon thy hands, & as frontlets, writ­ten betweene thine eies: thou shalt write them vppon the entrie of thy house, and vppon thy gates. But to deale more plainly Autophilus, do but tell me this,Pride cause of dearth & penurie. what is one of the chie­fest causes why the poore are almost pined through penurie, and such a famine now doth shewe it selfe in the land, as it doth?

I cannot directly tell you, I hope you will not saie that pride is the cause thereof.

Yea truly, how can it be a­nie otherwise, while one man spen­deth that which might serue a multi­tude, and fewe there be which distri­bute [Page 174] of that abundaunce which they haue receiued, beeing made dronke with the dregges of excesse and super­fluitie, when we neither kéep a mean in them, bestowe them to the profite of our poore brethren, nor yet are mindful of him of whom we haue re­ceiued them. If a Father perceiue his child to cramme himselfe too full, and be giuen to ouer much gréedinesse of the belly,A compa­rison. he wil cut him smaller mor­cels: and if hee sée him ouer licorous, and to haue, as they call it, a white bread tooth in his head, hee will giue him the contrarie, else he shall marre his childe. If this be so, then if we a­buse the benefites of God distributed in so good order, conspiring euen an alteration of nature it selfe, is it anie meruayle if the Lorde doe giue vs smaller morselles, and cutte vs shor­ter commons, making vs gladde to snappe at a cruste? is it anie mer­uayle if wee vnhallowe the crea­tures, seeking to create a newe worlde, to feede on fond desires, if the Lorde doe sende a morraine amongst [Page 175] our cattell, sende an vnseasonable séede time, and an vntimely haruest, sende a famine and dearth into the lande, for the wickednesse of the peo­ple? I feare me Englande is in the waie to ouertake Sodome and Go­morrha, the partners of proude hear­ted people, for when as the Lorde had giuen them aboundaunce and plentie of all things, and they were growen fatte, then beganne they to kicke and spurne agaynst the foster Father, to exercise crueltie and op­pression agaynst the poore, and to run headlong and headlong vnto despera­tion.

If euerie thing were so out of temper, as you would séeme to make it, it is meruayle that the Lorde doeth not powre his heauie wrath and indignation vppon the lande, as hée did vppon those wic­ked Cities Sodome and Gomor­ra.

The iudgements of the Lord are secrete and vnscrutable, hee [Page 176] may come before we be redie for him: he is patient to vs ward, as teacheth Peter, 1. Pet. 5 and therefore we must learne Autophilus, Heb. 10 to make a commoditie of the Lordes patience: although he bee long in comming, and loth to execute his iudgement vpon vs, yet at the last he will come: although he forbeare in drawing the swoord of iustice against vs for our sinnes, yet if we deferre a­mendement of life vntill such time as he be enforced to strike, he wil pay vs home to vtter perdition both of boote and soule, and therfore let vs humble our selues vnder the mightie hande of God, least hee deale roughly with vs in the daie of visitation, yea, let vs bowe our neckes in time, for if the mightie hand of the Lord doe fight a­gainst vs, we shal not be able to beare it. It is an horrible thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God, saith the Apostle, if we staie vntil he shew him selfe our enimie, we shal finde that he is the God of iustice, and the God of reuenge, yea and that hee to a [...]eree & terrible God against such as are lul­led [Page 177] a sléepe in the cradle of securitie.

If God were so angrie as you would séeme to make him, ma­ny mens cases were to be thought more desperate, and dangerous. No, no, God is mercifull, fauourable, and full of compassion, at what time so e­uer a sinner doth repent him from the ground worke of his heart, he wil receiue him, his mercie is ouer all his workes. I know well inough that he would not the death of a sinner, and therefore make the matter no worse, then it is: for if men did not thinke that God did winke at many things, they woulde looke better about them then they doe.

Why how now Autophi­lus, now you mende the matter well, sée howe you slip from one sinne to an other there is not a more ougly mon­ster, neither any thing more abhomi­nable to the Lord then presumption.Presump­tion por­traied. I doe not d [...] but that God is mer­cifull and patient to vs warde, that he woulde haue none lost but receiue all to repentance, as Saint Peter [Page 188] teacheth notwithstanding, it is a badde conscience, that because hee is mercifull, therefore woe shoulde abuse his mercie: because hee is the God of compassion, therefore wée shoulde presume vppon his patience: such wicked ones are to vnderstande that God hath two armes, the one of iustice, and the other of mercie: and those which will not make any com­modity of the Lordes patience, must be smitten with the sworde of iustice. Saint Paul teacheth an other lesson, That wee shoulde not contemne the riches of his mercie. Rom. 2. If he promise thee mercy and grace to day, sayth saint Augustine, thou knowest not whether hee will proffer it thee to morrow: If he offer thee life and mo­morie this weeke, thou knowest not whether hee will proffes it thee the next weeke. And therefore Autophi­lus, beware of presumption, lest defer­ring conuersion from houre, to houre: from day, to day: from wéek▪ to wéeke: from yeare, to yeare: the iudgement of God sodainely ouertake you. Our [Page 189] liues doe hang at a twine thréede as it were, and we are sodainely ouer­turned, we may learne this by expe­rience: hath not one sodainely béene drowned: an other broke his necke with a fall: an other béene sodainely staine by the sword: an other falne in­to the hands of théeues, and thereby cruelly murdered: an other falne downe dead in the stréetes. We haue séene or at the least might haue séene some of these fearefull tragedies: as for the time of our life is short, sixtie yeares and tenne: it is cut off quickly and we flie away, sayth the Prophet Dauid, Wee haue spent out yeares as a thought. Our life for the shortnes and inconstancie of it is compared,The short­nesse of mans life. to grasse, to a vapour, to smoake, to a weauers shuttle, which slideth away swiftly. Even so experience teacheth, to day a man to morrowe none. Be­sides this death is such a Somner as will haue no nay, neither will be cor­rupted by any bribes: who whether he come first or last, early or late, will not be resisted. And therefore as Salo­mon [Page 189] reporteth: That man is blessed that feareth in his heart. That is to wit, calleth vpon himselfe whilest it is to day: dallieth and delayeth not vntill he be compelled and constrai­ned to acknowledge from whence he came, and whither he must returne. But as for such misercants which do bleare out their tongues like mad men, and fret like chafed Bulles, set­ting themselues against the iudge­ments of God, and like Giants ma­king warre against the forewarning of his messengers as did the old world against Noe the Preacher of righte­ousnes, vntill the moment of destru­ction. These must at length sée [...]e that the Lorde hath a naked rodde of: ven­geance, and a Scepter of iustice when they shall deadly pay for their proude presumption. For the Lorde hath no mercie for such as walke in the vaine delights of sinne, Deut. 29. and in the stubbor­nes of their owne heart, adding drun­kennes to thirst: that is, ioyning one horrible sinne to another. Let the wicked forsake his waies, and the vn­righteous [Page 191] his own imaginations, Esay. 55. and returne vnto the Lorde, and hee will haue mercie vpon him.

Hath not Christ spoken it Philoxenus, that whosoeuer belée­ueth in him hath eternall life. I woulde you knew it, I hope to be sa­ued by the death of Christ, as well as the best of you all: and therefore if you goe about to perswade me other­wise, I will shut vp for you trouble my conscience.

Wouldest thou make the death of Christ a baud for thy sinnes, and so worke that villany against Christ? Dost thou think y^e Gods mer­cy is common to all? No, no, thou ma­kest the reckoning without the Host: and when it comes to the vpshoote, thou shalt steepe short: for it wil proue farre otherwise, thou shalt find Gods mercy turned into iustice, and Christ his death turned into worme woode: because thou hatest knowledge and choosest not these are of the Lord.

Wee shall neuer haue [Page 192] done if I follow you vp and downe at randon as you leade me.

Nay we should neuer haue done if we shoulde display all the va­nities and hypocrisies of worldlings.

Tush, tush, you terme e­uery thing at your pleasure.

I tearme them as they are, and I would you were not made drunken with worldly pleasure.

I will ende with you for I haue a further matter in hande which shall bring more profit and pleasure then all this before spoken.

What is that Autophi­lus.

If I should tell you, wée should neuer haue ended: therefore a­dieu for I haue much to doe.

Much to doe indéede, for an hypocrite to hate the world, denie himselfe, take vp his Crosse and fol­low Christ.