to the Arch-spirit of heauen is the knowledge of goodnesse both which Good and Euill we know euer since the eating of the forbidden fruite which man had not lusted except God had commanded the contrary Deteriora sequor Sinne tookâ— occasion by the commandement and deceiued vs. So that we left the tree of life and tooke the worst The knowledge of euill is sinne or worldly craft The knowledge of the good is the seruice of God or innocency Assoone as Adam had eaten the Apple in the garden of triall his eyes were opened and he knew the differences both of the Good and Euill yea he was made partaker of Euils and miseries as well of equity happinesse and innocency O what a Diuine mysterie is this Mans body and soule stands almost in suspence in an equall ballance betwixt God and the Serpent betwixt innocency and sinne Or more mystically to compare our states we stand in this world like our Sauiour Christ cruelly crucified betwixt two theeues the one penitent the other desperate the one acknowledging his Deity the other blasphemously detracting from his innocent life Euen so doe we wade betwixt Good and Euill betwixt the spirit and the flesh betwixt peace and warre betwixt heauen and hell betwixt life and death betwixt vertue and vice Xenophons pathes for Hercules in his youth betwixt light and darkenesse betwixt truth and falshood betwixt loue and hatred betwixt ioy and sorrow betwixt eternity and time Gods spirit of Goodnesse seekes to winne vs by infusing into our intellectual senses faith loue truth and other vnderspirits of his Our Ghostly tempter wicked sinne the old Serpents sting inwardly prickes our soules to know euill as well as good for malum cognitum facilius euitatur euil being knowne is the more easily auoyded to permit wantonnâ—sse licentiousnesse Detraction and other petty petulant spirits of sinne vnto our children in their tender age that they may leaue them of the sooner in their riper yeares according to the prouerbe A wilde colt will proue a good horse a rude youth a good man and a young Diuell an old Saint God labours to mortifie the body that the soule may see his Godhead The Diuell by sinne his earthly substitute deceitfully aduiseth to pamper the body with daiaty delicaciâ—s that the soule being stupefied may behold nothing but perpetuall darkenesse God pronounceth rigorousnesse vnto them which fall but towards thee kindnesse if thou continue in kindnesse The Diuell whispereth into thy heedlesse heart Sisaluaberis saluaberis If thou shalt be saued thou shalt be saued If thou be reserued among the remnant of Baals seuen thousand according to the election of Grace what needest thou make this world thy hell thy body thy crosse thy contentment thy discontentment If thou be not predestinated vnto saluation wilt thou enioy a double holi Therefore while thou hast time cheerish vp thy body with all kindes of sports and pleasures Laugh and bâ—fat I am veniet tacito curua sexecta pede Anon olde age with stealing pace will come Ah poore soule how art thou entangled being created after the image of God composed for his Spouse endowred with his spirit redeemed with his blood accompanied with his Angels capable of happinesse and partaker of reason as a learned Spaniard in imitation of Father Bernard broke out into admiration O Alma hecha a laimagen de Dios compucsta como para esposa dotada consu espiritu redimida consu sangre accompanadae consus Angeles capaz de bienauenturanza participante derazon Why dost thou follow thine enemy and forsake thy Maker O heauenly soule Why dost thou offer vnto the Diuell the fairest and the sartest of thy flocke and leauest vnto God a leane and a lame sacrifice Wilt thou draw vnto the Diuell thy sweetest drinkes and vnto God thy sowrest dregges O carelesse creature Say not God hath caused thee to erre for he hath no need of the sinful man He made thee from the beginning and left thee in the hand of thy counsell and gaue thee his commaundements and precepts He hath set water and fire before thee stretch out thy â—and vnto which thou wilt Before thee was life and death good and euill What liked thee was giuen Which excellent doctrine another confirmed Thus saith the Lord Behold I set before you the way of life and the way of death Say not thou I am besieged with Diuels with reall spirits out of hell For in thy center O intellectual soule is imprinted the very character of Gods owne essence and three persons in Trinity insomuch that thou resemblest the Diuine Hypostasis and indiuisible vnity and also possessest immortality from the Father vnderstanding from the Sonne and sanctification from the Holy Ghost All which concurring in one identified essentiall vnion make thee a perfect soule without blemish Let not thy fall from that blessed state discomfort thee The bloud of Christ if the fault be not thine owne doth like a lauer purifie thy sins though they become as red as scarlet These theeues of the Deity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a very ancient Father terms them can neuer harme thee really howsoeuer their spirit of Detraction as false spectacles to multiply thy feares layes downe that humourous tradition before thy simple sight Seest not thou how those spirits which dallied with the holy water dare not once come neere our reformed Church As there be degrees of sinnes so in my iudgement these deluding spirits neuer appeare but to the grossest sinner Where a man hath but one honest man in his house there that house prospereth better then if that one were absent for that hee terrifieth the rest from cousenages and conspiracies so where one Godly man dwelleth there the Diuell dares not draw neere LINEAMENT III. 1 That all wicked Spirits ordinary and extraordinary doe issue from the same head 2 That they cannot harme a man really without his owne naturall or wanton motion 3 Their varieties proued out of the Scripture where Saules lunacie is censured 4 That the Spirit of Detraction attendeth on all the said spirits EVen as good spirits or vertuous motions issue from the Godhead as from the cleere fountaine of goodnesse so wicked spirits and vnbridled affections fetch their pedegree from the deceitfull Serpent wâ—h allured Eue to insring the Lords commandement For his malicious spirit repining that man a new made creature found more fauour then himselfe belike long afore an out-cast from Gods presence turned about the weaker vessell the simple woman and makes her an instrument for all their ouerthrowes together They were all of them accursed mankind destinated to death the Serpent to darkenesse Since which time continuall calamities and phantasticall spirits the blacke guard of sinne pursue mankinde till death gets the vpper hand and looseth the soule out of her prison of flesh and bloud I say vntill death as Gods Sergeant doe attach our bodies vpon debt due vnto nature and our soules vpon sinnes committed
we must not iudge both of them to be reall Serpents or Dragons but wee must thinke that this latter Dragon which Saint Iohn saw in a vision might well be the spirituall sinfull sting which the Diuellish Serpent left behinde him in our fore-parents memories but there allegorically or mystically applied to the Antichrist when wee incurred the curse of God in that earthly Paradise which as I take it was but the figuratiue touch-stone of old Adams faith And the former Serpent in Genesis was a reall Serpent the subtillest beast of the field which God had made abused by the Captaine of subtilty who not content himselfe to haue transgressed in Heauen against his Creator did also according to the corruption of his spirituall nature deuise to draw mankinde like vnto himselfe to be partaker of his knowledge in good and euill that is of his worldly craft and of his vâ—nemous subtilty for hee was double subtle subtle as the subtlest beast of the field and subtle in his Diuellish nature which in truth is the same which we call the maladies of the soule or perturbations of the mind by our Philosophers named Concupiscible and Irascible whereof the reward or rather reuenge was that threatning clause of God Thou shalt die the death To this dcuise of the Serpent the woman yeelded body and soule with her Will she longed the same being depraued by the creeping Tempter who by this time had likewise wonne her vnderstanding to encline the attributes of her soule thus seduced the senses of her body presently consented For the tree being pleasant to the eyes and the desire of wisedome another mouing obiect throughly perswaded poore Eue to follow the Serpents counsell O cursed Serpent how subtle were thy practises First thou chosest the subtlest beast which God created then thou creptst into his heart spakest through his mouth and seeing mankind too simple for this world altogether innocent holy deuour hauing his thoughts intentiue on his Maker and also seeing him like a childe newly borne bedazeled with varieties of obiects and prospects and admiring at the wonderfull workemanship of God which seemed the more strange vnto his senses in regard that he was then vnexperienced raw and newly come into the world thou settest vpon the weaker vessell knowing that the woman was as yet more simple then the man as a creature formed somewhat after the man and consequently of lesse experience and of lesse perfection But what gainest thou Thy spirit limited to thy former home of darkning errors and thy fatal instrument metamorphozed into a sneaking Snake to creepe vpon the earth as thou didst creepe into his wit and into the womans conscience This is the righ reward of disobedience which afterwards Lots wife receiued though in some different manner For her bodily forme was changed from a woman into a pillar of salt like as the Serpent was conuerted from the comliest shape among beasts into the most contemptible creature which this world affoords I say a creature a monstrous creature in generall wordes for a speciall or specificqe name can no Logician rightly attribute vnto a Serpent which is fully growne It is reported that in the Indies he flies in Noua Zembla he fisheth at Sea and is there many yardes in length Wherby we must note that the spirituall Serpent houereth fisheth creepeth compasseth the earth to and fro and suiteth his power manifoldly all to the intent that he may circumuent mans heedlesse Will LINEAMENT VII 1 That the Holy Ghost applies the Scripture vnto mans capacity 2 An admonition to the Readers of the Scripture THus from the breach of the commandement came in the Diuell from the Diuell came sinne and from sinne came Detraction and other infinite errours Thus it pleased the Holy Ghost to speake parables intermixt with palpable subiects to vse metaphores and figures to apply his key of knowledge towards the ward of mans crooked and crabbed locke Thus it pleased God to permit mankinde to fall that some may rise againe and that in reall and corporall formes after the maner of men according to our weake capacities which could not otherwise comprehend such mysticall reuelations then by sensible apparitions and worldly examples Let vs then modestly content our selues with such knowledge as the Holy Ghost hath inserted in the Scripture for our admonishment and not presume to enter into his spirituall secrets no more then we would that our neighbours enter into the knowledge of our silent thoughts or no more then we dare breake into the priuie chamber of our earthly King except we be called Howbeit for all this I would not counsel you that be Preachers and seachers of Christs flocke to misconster these speeches of mine or to vse them as yee vse your stirrops in shortnâ—ng or lengthning them according to your pleasures and phantasies by collecting that I disswade you or yours from searching out the depth of such mâ—steries and parabies as the Holy Ghost hath left in the Scriptureâ—or â—or our monition in these latter dayes In Gods name as he hath giuen vtterance vnto you and reuelations in your spirits labour to reape that spirituall benefite to the edification of your Churches But aboue all things before yee attempt such Diuine Prophesies humble your thoughts with seare and reuerence humble your bodies with abstinence and fasting at conuenient seasons seeing that bookish learning selfe-conceit and pampering cheere haue beene the chiefe obstacles that carnall Courtiers presumptuous Papists and pompuous people could neuer attaine to the right knowledge of the Scriptures nor arriue aright at the hauen of truth that that saying might be fulfilled The simple oâ— foolish things of the world he hath chosen to confound the wise Their hearts are indurate their vnderstanding darkened LINEAMENT VIII 1 The Election oâ— the Protestants after the imitation of S. Pauls graffing in of the Gentles 2 Means to discerne the Antichrist by Prophesies out of the Scripture 3 Meanes to discerne the Antichrist by his pompous manner of liuing and also by his Detractions BVt ye beloued of the Lord detract not from the word of God neither descant yee much vpon the bare letter For I would not that yee Ministers mistake this mysterie how blindnes is partly happened in the Church of Rome vntill the fulnesse of the Elect be come in And againe through their fall saluation is come vnto you to prouoke them withall Through their vnbeleefe yee haue obtained mercy Thus hath God reserued you and your flockes as a remnant according to his owne vnsearchable pleasure and election of grace without any deserts of yours at all Thus it hath pleased him because he would haue his power knowne to take compassion vpon some and to harden some And all this happily because the man of sinne the sonne of Detraction might be reuealed in his time Conferre therefore one place of the Scripture with another as I haue done here for the calling and graffing in of
becomes wise and warie after miscrie or as our English prouerbe teacheth The burnt childe will take heede of the fire Let the precedent examples of other mens falles and follies exhort you to remember your Christian dueties and specially now at this instant since that yee are called and sworn as precise Patriots as chosen vessels of honour of an honourable corporation to edifie to doe your best endeuour towards the repairing of the Lords Temple though it were but by tempering of Lime whereto the Noblest is vnfit by transferring of stones by carrying of clay sand haire wooll or rather then nothing in conuaying of Oyster-shels so that ye be industrious in your charge it sufficeth for your discharge But how is it possible for you to performe any such seruice without presumption when as ye sacrilegiously conceale your Countreyes cockle your darnell your droanes your drunkards and your Detractours How is it possible for you to build vp Solymi Rudera clara soli the ruinous wals of the Church Militant when as ye offend the Arch-builder of the world with disloyall thoughts words and workes with exercising Spiritualem nequitiam in coelestibus Spirituall wickednes in heauenly matters with committing spirituall fornication against the Maiestie of Gods spirit How is it possible for you to escape vnpunished or not to be principall partakers of their faults and fines of their finnes and penalties whom ye wantonly spare for worldly respects Alas It is pitie you say to present poore silly wretches who transgresse of meere necessity It is more noble to giue then to take away to spare then to spill And sor the great Ones ye pretend that your cobweb is too thin to cub them in Foolish Pitie Marres the Citie It is a saying not so olde as true Beloued Christians beware of this Alchymie beware of this sophistry for beleeue it as an Article of your Creede that sinne is damnable vnder what colour soeuer it be shrowded Whether it be couered with clouts and ragges or with a golden robe let the Moâ—ster be vnstript let Achan be accused for his theft let Ioab be endicted for his shedding of innocent bloud yea though hee haue taken Sanctuarie and caught hold on the hornes of the Altar Let Semei be brought coram nobis for his â—ayling and reuiling Let Barrabas be found as a notorious felon Enquire whether Bigthan and There 's haue committed treason against the Lords Annointed and whether the sonne of Salomith the sonne of Dibry hath committed the like heynous crimo against the Lord himselfe in blaspheming his hallowed name And of what nature soeuer the billes are that men preferre vnto you follow your euidence and find out the guilty though they be proportioned as huge as Gyants let not their high nor huge statures dismay and defile your vndefiled consciences The cause is none of yours The iudgement is none of yours But both belong vnto him that made you Ye can doe no lesse then â—ndorce BILLA VERA vpon euident misdemeanures albeit with outward teares and inward bleeding griefes For if Saul an Annointed King for sparing of Agag a prisoner Prince had his Kingdome of Israell rent from his posteritie for euer euen by the Lords owne verdict what shall be the guerdon of your indulgence of your cunning concealement The reward of sinne is death and the reward of bloudy or blasphemous sinne such as periury is can be no other then perpetuall death Non est bonum ludere cum Sanctis There is no iesting with oathes no dalliance with detracting from Gods word It is not Equiuocation or mentall reseruation Iurani Imguâ mentem iniura tam gero I swore an oath by tongue but I beare a minde vnsworne as that young man Hyppolitus in Euripedes protested It is not the Popes pardon or his detracting dispensation it is not Indian golde it is not a selfe flattering suggestion nor all this worlds commodity which can iustifie the cursed blot of blasphemie or rectifie the cancred blossomes of blasphemous concealements There is a sinne veniall which we call trespasse and there is a sinne vnto death a sinne not to be forgiuen Such is the wilfull and presumptuous sin of a mans owne witting conscience against the open face and illumination of the holy Ghost And what if the sinne of Periurie fals out to be this horrible and heauie sinne In what a plight are partiall Iuries Therefore my Masters I could wish that ye deliberate with Diuine discretion before ye determine your verdicts rashly in heat of flesh and bloud And to speake more plainely to the purpose I could wish as long as yee enioy this waightie place in examining the defects and defaults of your Countrey that ye proceed not as many now-a-dayes do to censure presently after drinking or Tobacco taking but rather that ye beginne continue and conclude your proceedings soberly grauely and aduisedly without temerity timerousnesse or affection But what man quoth the spirit of Detraction can be so voyde of passion or affection Then farewel kindred farewel loue nay farewell life it selfe if I cannot helpe my friend in necessity or hurt my foe in oportunitie The Lord rebuke thee thou foule spirit that goest about to make Christians worse then Pagans in whose bookes it is written that Iustice hath neither father nor mother Shall we regenerated Christians that know Iustice to be one of the chiefest Attributes of the Godhead and so highly regarded of his sacred Maiestie that he spared not his holy One his owne eternall Word but gaue him ouer for a while to cruell death in reuenge of olde Adams sinnes shall we respect flesh and bloud more then Gods Attribute Shall we forfeit both our eyes to saue one of theirs Shall wee lose our owne soules and bodies to ransome other mens corruptible bodies or temporary fortunes Better it is to cut off one member then that the whole body boile in hot scalding leade He that loues his father and mother aboue me is not worthy of me saith our Sauiour Christ. Shall we being put in trust deceiue the trust that is reposed in vs Shall we become our owne caruers and vnder colour of Iustice iniury the innocent Vengeance is Gods and he will requite It is better O reuengfull Spirit to conceale the guilty then to condemne the guiltlesse But ye beloued of the Lord I hope will so iudiciously behaue your selues in an equall ballance without enclining to the left hand or to the right hand that the Right shall still take place that the expectation of your Iudges conceiued of your fidelity and integrity shall not be voyde and frustrate Ye will demeane your selues I hope so zealously so sincerely in your proceedings that the matter and not the man shall be the obiect of your internall eyes your eyes of vnderstanding which I pray God to enlighten with his knowledge to inspire with the sparkes of his spirit wherby yee may discerne gold from copper truth from periury sincerity from vanity the sonnes
malapertnesse of thy tongue of thy tempting tongue of thy tickling tongue of thy tatling tongue thy taunting tongue thy vaunting tongue thy iesting tongue thy gibing tongue thy iarring tongue thy warring tongue thy checking tongue thy chiding tongue thy clattering tongue thy clacking tongue thy carping tongue thy babling tongue thy boasting tongue thy blazing tongue thy blaspheming tongue thy raiâ—ing tongue thy reuiling tongue thy scoffing tongue thy scolding tongue thy nicking tongue thy nipping tongue thy quipping tongue thy tripping tongue thy defaming tongue thy detracting tongue temper the phreneticall furie of this little Tyrant of what other inclination so euer it be and whet it not against thy neighbour whom Baptisme hath regenerated and adopted to the selfe same heritage as well as thy selfe Say with that noble French man Du mesdisant la langue venimeuse Et du flateur les propos â—mmielez Et du mocqueur les brocardes enfielez Et du maling la pursuite animeuse From Sycopâ— anâ—s and their foule pois'ned quips From Flatterers and their smooth-honied lips From Democrites and their gall-stinging bookes From Hypocrites and their dissembling lookes Good Lord deliuer vs. LINEAMENT XII The spirit of Detraction conuicted for censuring men for their 1 Poucrtie 2 Birth 3 Bodily imperfections DEride no man for his pouertie for a man of faith is onely rich Hee that is poore in worldly wealth hath no superfluous cares to with-hold his mind from spirituall exercises While thou gluttest with gurmandize stalkest with state walkest with wantons swaggerest with swash-bucklers swearest with swaggerers and detractest with Detractours the poore man fasteth and prayeth yeelds euery man his due he liues not in feare of theeues nor of oppression for his goods Cantabit vacuus coram Latrone viator The same God that made him poore may make thee poore for it is his Sunne that shines vpon poorâ— and rich He euen he it is that exalteth the humble and meeke and scattereth the proud in the imaginations of their hearts If thy neighbour be not as well descended as thy selfe but basely borne contemne him not with contumelious speaches in charging his birth with contagious sinne The very best of vs all as the Prophet Dauid testified was conceiued in sinne and borne in sinne But through our cleansing by Baptisme our soules become purified and so doth the basâ—st borne bastard Better it is for a man to be the head of his kinne as â—icero was then to be the last of his kinne as Catiline was Better it is to be the vertuous sonne of a vicious father then to be the vicious sonne of a vertuous father for a man is not accountable for his birth but for his behauiour and conuersation in hiâ—liuing Therefore that vncharitable detracting distick deserues the fagot Spurâ—s ille puer nullum suadebit honestum Naâ—us adulterio semper adulter erit When thou beholdest one that is crumpshouldred lame or otherwise distorted and deformed in his body laugh him not to scorne nor iest at his infirmities For he that is deformed in his body may conceale a generous spirit within like vnto a tottered ship which containes within it more goods then tenne such ships are worth Consilio pollet cui vim natura negauit Obserue the contrarie subiect and tell me how many proper bodies hast thou scene without defects in their mindes In my iudgement none but fooles euer gloried in their bodies constitutions strength or power wherein the horse the Asse and other beasts goe farre beyond mankind The regard whereof causeth vs to require bodily force in a labourer and wisedome of the minde in a Commander The body is earthly carnall fraile the house nay rather the prison of the soule which indeed is heauenly noble permanent and created after Gods owne likenesse both in the essentiall vnion and in the trinarie subsistence A body is not to be termed crooked or crazed as long as it lodgeth an vpright soule and harboureth an honest heart Aesope was crooke-backt and yet admirable for his wit Tyrtaeus the Poet was lame and yet chosen Generall of the Lacedemonians Innumerable persons there are whose bodily deformitie God doth recompence with large measure of spirituall gifts supplying that place one way which wanteth in another way so that this saying is true Deus nihil fecit frustra God created nothing in vaine no not the craggiest mountaine made hee without some profitable vse for mans good Perhaps there lurkes a goodly mine or at the worst milstones or quarries of tile lime or such like Others againe haue imperfections in their eye-sights whom the spirit of Detraction followes with girdes and floutes wherein who can but smile Spectatum admissâ— risum teneatis amici In hearing blinde-minded people mocking at blindebodied people A man in Diuinitie is not held to be blinde except he liue in darknesse of errours which altogether blindfold the vnderstanding and depriue the soule of the eternall light the knowledge of the liuing God Short-sighted folkes commonly shoote inward into contemplation the noblest operation of the soule and whiles the quick-sighted I meane quicke of their corporall sights doe gaze on euery idle obiect eyther in iudging of beauties or in marking at the skipping of Grashoppers or in seeing the goodly combate betwixt the Mouse and the Frogge The other by the benefit of his spirituall nature wanting such obstacles and impediments doe wholy addict themselues to reading or to musing From which no Spider sport no trifling toyes may with-draw their intentiue mindes And why because their Creatour hath conuerted the infirmitie of their bodily eyes into their eyes of memorie and vnderstanding whereby they become sagacissimi in coniecturis ingenious and very studious LINEAMENT XIII 1 The Spirit of Detraction conuicted for blabbing out tales concerning womens credits 2 Wherefore it is not lawfull to speake abroad of womens causes LIkewise take heed how thou talk est like a tatling tell-tale about womens credits by suspition and suppositions crackt or if in deed and euidence thy neighbors wife playes false in violating herfaith in vitiating her chastitie towards her honest Husband or if his Daughter waxeth more lustily wanton then becommeth a Christian virgine let not thy tongue be traduced or produced as a reuiling runnagate in noysing abroad such ribauldries and baudries if true or else such surmised secret things which no earthly creature besides themselues can proue It is alwayes incident to Roysters and Ruffians to read suspicious lectures on the carriage and behauiour of the most beautifull Some iudge the worst fatally because themselues are guiltie of adultery and so according to the often wishes the shrewde and lewde nores of their owne peruerted fantasies they condemne the pure with the impure Some againe doe but gather by presumptions and circumstances that chast women prostitute their bodyes because they goe gallantly attyred in the fashion with strange Periwigs with false bodyes truncke sleeues verdingales and with costly Iewels belike
peace or peaceable Abel the onely wisedome of all Diuine creatures descended downe from his Fathers bosome and was made flesh by the al-quickning breath of Gods owne essence co-operating in the Virgin Maries wombe the second Eue but refined and regenerated at Bethlehem the Citie of Dauid a poore Citie of Iewry in a vile beggarly stable where he suck't the dugges that rul'd the starres suxit vbera qui rexit sidera about that very time when all the world was chalked or rather charmed in the Circle of peace by vertue of Augustus Caesars soueraignty in token whereof the Romanes did shut Ianus his double porch Iani tanuam from whence the Moneth Ianuary is denominated which lay open before in time of open or ciuill warre While he liued on earth which as some write was three and thirty yeares he laboured like a woman with childe with our infirmities but after a Diuine maner He was ambitious but how Ambitious onely to aspire vp into the Theater of the Crosse. He was affected with concupiscence but with what concupiscence Not with sinfull but with celestiall concupiscence He was affected but not infected for he onely longed and lusted after mans saluation O Ierusalem how willingly would hee haue gathered together thy strayed young ones euen like a carefull henne hadst thou repented Hee was angry but how Not to reuenge for he requites good for euill and prayes for his very foes Onely hee was angry without sinne for zeale sake ad detestationem peccati non ad vindictam He was enuious but in what sort Not ex vitiata natura of corrupt nature but for conscience sake that the Diuels kingdome became daily augmented He was ignorant of some things for he knew not of the day of Doome but his ignorance was simple and not sinfull harmelesse and not erronious in desiring curiously to know those secrets which did not befit the Sonne of man to know He was troubled with feare in his agony but with what kinde of feare Not with feare of death satisfactory to repaire that breach betwixt the Angels and vs but with naturall feare which impaires the animal faculties according to the nature of mans sensitiue appetite which trembles at the sense of terrible torments In this maner did he take vpon him our infirmities not by way of inherent spotting but by way of necessary influence like vnto that Prince of Starres which pierceth and passeth into impure obiects and yet himselfe is not subiect vnto impurities Besides these burthensome infirmities of ours which he tooke vpon him in his loue and charity towards the sonnes of Adam let vs reuiew his painfull Passion Amidst the bryers and brambles of sorrowes he shewed himselfe as the Rose of patience he shined as a lightning Cynosure among the thankelesse sayling Iewes He carried our sorrowes sorrowes without number which our humane natures could neuer beare He suffered intolerable flouts intolerable torments intolerable death beyond all the degrees of comparison dura verba duriora verbera durissima fata No torments were like his torments for hee suffered for all our sinnes Whereunto I might adde the tendernesse softnesse and delicatenesse of his body which being materially formed onely of a pure Virgins nature without coniunction of the male substance could not but feele such tortures more grieuously and gripingly then any other What shall I speake of other sensible motiues of his agonies the treachery of Iudas whose feete he disdained not to wash but a little before the Iewes ingratitude and aboue all his Fathers anger in iustice heaped vpon him for our misdeedes thoughts and vaine wordes And because it was requisite that God in his iustice should punish sinne in man which man committed therefore the Word of God our mercifull Messias tooke on him mans shape euen as man in Paradise was shapt after his spirituall nature to suffer for man what was due for mans transgression euen vile pouerty conflicts with the world temptations of the Deuill feruent wrastling with sinne bloudy sweates and agonies opprobrious vsages by the Deuils procurement a drench of bitter gall opposite to that fatall iuyce of Adams apple woundes in his side to the effusion of bloud and water the mysticall seales of his last will to the Church the one prefiguring Baptisme the other the Communion both to bathe our sinnes sorrows of death a second death hellish torments both in body and soule an Eclipse of the Deity from his sunny soule All these in humane paines wherein the whole wrath of God due to the sinne of man was for a while included did our Sauiour Christ in this world before he gaue vp the Ghost accomplish and consummate And thus God to saue the sonnes of God like a louing Sheepheard in the behalfe of his sheepe or like that zealous Law-giuer which drew out one of his owne eyes instead of one of his sonnes eyes who by the law was condemned to that kinde of punishment for his adultery I say thus God voluntarily to sustaine and support the man-hood which of it selfe was altogether impotent for the vanquishing of death and for our redemption became man and was put to shamefull death vnder Pontius Pilate President of Iury for Tiberius Caesar the Romane Emperour according to that prophesie After threescore and two weekes shall Messias be slaine yet not for himselfe And as another recorded Iesus shall be openly declared within 400. yeares and after the same yeares shall my Sonne Christ die and all men that haue life He died for a while that he in vs and we in him might liue for euer He died or rather as an ancient Father testifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He became a sacrifice for all sinners that were willing by repentance to reforme themselues And as the Prophet foretold of him He was wounded for our infirmities and his soule was made an offering for sinne for our sinnes whose burthen hee bare vpon his Diuine shoulders which neither Sampson Golias Atlas Hercules Milo Crâ—toniates nor all the strong-back't Porters of the world were all their forces conioyned together could euer beare So insupportable are the sinnes of our humane natures The third day as Ionas out of the Whales belly or to speake Poetically as Arion in the deepe Seas on the Dolphms backe hee rose vp inuested with his immaculate soule by his appeased Father who as Dauid prophesied would not leaue his soule in the graue nor suffer his holy One to see corruption And againe in another place He would like a louing shepheard feede him in a greene pasture and lead him forth besides to the waters of comfort yea though he walked through the valley of the shadow of death He died as a Lambe but rose as a Lyon Heauinesse endured for a night but ioy came in the morning In the morning he rose he rose as the morning sunne that like a Bridegroome marcheth out of his chamber He rose to runne a gallant race as
confusion of poore-blinde Papists namely in remembrance of him in remembrance of him for as often as yee eate his bread and drinke his cup yee doe shew the Lords death till he comes so that ioyning together as louing members of one body we might skirmish against our spiritual Enemy and against his spirits of sinne which he hatcheth and fostereth for our bane fall and perdition In a word let vs account it a foule sinne for any man to be eyther ignorant or partiall in his own infirmities And let vs censure other mens faults with fearefull consciences or rather suspend our hasty iudgements because we cannot distinctly discerne of spirits but let vs diue into our owne without doubts or scruples because God gaue vs a mindfull monitrix within to looke our LINEAMENT IIII. 1 That ill Education is another cause of malicious Detraction 2 That want of maintenance in the Clergy is the cause of ill Education 3 Certaine moderne abuses taxed in some remote angles of this Kingdome THou mortall man in thy young and tender yeares being pliable and apt to receiue any impression must out of hand be fashioned in the sharpe turning wheele of instruction Vdum molle lutum es nunc nunc properandus acri Fingendus sixe fine rotâ In youth thou art as moist and softned clay And must by teachers wheele make hast away This counsellâ— direct to honest parents my brethren in Christ whereby they may beware how they cocker and dandle their children in licentious folly Roses must needs wither when they are ouer-growne with bryers and thornes and children that are assayled with whole legions of affections must fall at the last if they be not accordingly sâ—ccoured Which likewise that Diuine Philosopher ratifieth A youth not as yet hauing fully and absolutely disposed himselfe to goodnesse is a deceitfull cruell and a most proude beast vnlesse he be bound betimes with a Schoolemaster as with a streng bridle Certainly good education is the chiefest ebstacle and baâ—re to the diuellâ—sh spirit of Detraction For when haue you heard any man ingenuously brought vp to detract from his Creator or from his neighbour He that toucheth pitch cannot but be defiled therewith one scabbed sheepe may infect a whole flocke And as the Royall Prophet saith With the cleane thou shalt be cleane and with the froward thou shalt learne frowardnesse As for you of the nobler and prouder sort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cousens to the Gods of the earth you that stand vpon phantasticall Genealogies bringing your pedegrees by a thousand lines and branches from Gog and Magog measuring your deserts by descent and not by vertues worth yee I mean queijs vinere fas est occipiti coeco which perswade your selues that it is lawfull for you to leade your liues carelesse and to speake what you please concerning God or man yee are too high for my humble pen I dare not admonish you for feare of an action on the case Nay few that vnderstand any thing must be admitted to your presence and if any one be yet dare he not instruct you for feare of displeasure or if happily at any time he put you in minde thereof no man will abide him But why doe I wish men in their prime in their growing time to be pruned with vertue polished with learning and strongly armed against the stormy spirit of Detraction Seeing they lacke profitable Teachers to edifie their soules Seeing our Ghostly Pastors in this remote place of the Kingdome be ignorant themselues No other reason can be alleadged of this their ignorance then pure penury whereof the Clergie especially here in our Countrey languisheth Let me looke but in the neighbour-hood where I dwell and I finde within this one Hundred twelue parishes whose tythes and emoluments amount to a deepe summe in the yeare Some parishes yeelde eight score or nine score pounds a yeare yea the tithes of the least parish arise yearely to one hundred pounds and yet notwithstanding all this the poore Curates receiue not aboue twenty nobles a piece in the yeare Out of which they be compelled to pay yearely fifteenthes pro curations and other exactions as high as thirty shillings So that the Ministers pension is little more then fiue pounds Which beggarly annuity cannot maintaine him no nor supply him with necessary rayment Neyther will any Scholer of worth accept of such a meane rate For who will rest content with drosse while he may haue gold Who will inhabite in a mud-wall cottage if he may haue better Nay if some zealous men were willing to extend the talents of their spirits for our instruction how can such poore pittances serue to keepe soule and body together Venter nec aures neque linguam habet It agreeth with reason that the industrious Labourer chiefly in the Lords vineyard should enioy his competent hire for if maintenance and reward of trauell were taken away learning must needes fall to ruine This certainely is the cause which marreth nurture and consequently leaues our mindes barren vntilled and vnfurnished with true knowledge insomuch that spacious roome is left for our spirituall Enemy to enter and to beleaguer with easie force the feeble forts of our soules I will passe ouer with secret griefe and silence how that thousands within this our Countrey of Wales resort not to Church aboue once a yeare their towneships or hamlets being distant from the Church seuen or eight English miles I could likewise produce many parishes which were not partakers of Sermons in any mans memory no nor as farre as I can learne their Curates neuer graced them with one poore Homily or Catechisme But because this latter point is a matter out of my element neither inquirable nor determinable by my Commission and for feare least these Ecclesiasticks of the positiue degree procure the Thunder-bolt of Excommunication against me for intermedling with their frothy dregges and for putting my strange Oare into their Barke though it be to saue it from wracke like vnto zealous Vâ—zza who rashly toucht Gods Arke to stay it from falling I will surcease my pen and suspend my censure of their dregges and lees in hope that they will conuert the same to better purposes and distill their lees in the Limbecke of reformation to a pretious oyle of Tartar with which they being annointed and affected may vent out godly doctrine goodly discipline farre better then with the holy water wherewith our missopecunifices our masse-mongers thinke to chase away the spirit of Detraction other hellish spirits To wind vp this discontented discourse of my Countreyes Leuites I pray God that the French prouerbe whereby they taxe a thing hard to be brought about fall not our iust vpon some of their heads that is Ily a plus de difficulte qu' a tirer vn Prestre de la tauerne That 's harder then to draw a Priest from the Tauerne More yet could I insert concerning the