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A64184
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Misselanies, or, Fifty years gathering out of sundry authors in prose and verse being the studious readings, painful collections, and some of them are the composings of the writer and publisher heerof / John Taylor.
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Taylor, John, 1580-1653.
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1652
(1652)
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Wing T483A; ESTC R27535
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17,565
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42
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MISSELANIES Or fifty Years GATHERINGS Out of Sundry Authors in Prose and Verse Being the studious Readings painful Collections and some of them are the Composings of the Writer and Publisher heerof To the Reader All these things heer collected are not mine But divers Grapes make but one sort of Wine So I from many Learned Authours took The Various Matters Printed in this Book What 's not mine own by me shall not be Father'd The most part I in 50. Years have gather'd Some things are very good pick out the best Good Wits compil'd them and I wrote the Rest If thou dost buy it it will quit thy cost Read it and all thy labour is not lost JOHN TAYLOR LONDON Printed in the Yeare 1652. MISSELANIES A Christians Crosses do begin his Glory but not end his Misery The Crosses figure is the letter Tau it is the last and lowest letter in the Hebrew Alphabet it is an Emblem or mark of Humility and all that were not marked with that mark were slain by the Angel Ex. 9. 4. Adam was not created an Infant he was made of full strength and vigour as at 40 or 50 yeares of age of perfect stature with an able body fit for Generation because he was to be the common Father by whom Mankind should be propagated his soul was furnished with all naturall Sciences he was the first Doctour to whom all Mankinde was to goe to Schoole to learn of him as of a Master the secrets of Nature the Inventions of Art the knowledge of God and the mysteries of Faith Inveterate and dispitefull malicious Enemies have oftentimes seemed to be reconciled but it hath been for the plotting contriving or attempting some perfidious and mischievous actions but they seldom or never did combine for any love which they bare either to the persons Manners Laws or Conditions of each other For the Heathen Nations had divers severall damnable gods and detestable Religions and by reason of their diversities of opinions they hated one another deadly with implacable and irreconcileable hatred yet in wickedness they could joyn and agree together against the true God and his Church as all times Ages and Histories have found and declared and most excellently hath the Kingly Prophet and Propheticall Psalmist described the doings and qualities of these various people in the 83. Psalm where he saith that Edomites Moabites Ishmalites Ammonites Amalekites Gebalites the Philistims Tirrians and Assyrians Ephraim against Manesses Manasses against Ephraim and in the New Testament there are described the sundry Opinions and disagreements of Saduces Pharisees Herodians Libertines Cilicians Cirenians Alexandrians and Asians Herod against Pilate Pilate against Herod yet all friends from the teeth outward and all agree against God against the Lords annoynted Christ and his Church this they have done this they doe and this they will doe in all Ages and Generations and if we have but common sence and reason we may perceive that those times which we now live in and Sectaries of these times may parrellel the worst of times Sin is of the Devils Creation The wicked mans Recreation The Fools immitation the Courts Ambition the Cities surfet and the Countries poyson Divinity hath opposed and threatned it Morality hath condemned it Epigrams hath Jeefd it Satyrs have whip'd it and if we do not truly Repent it God will justly Judge it Books and Epistles or Letters if they treat of Vertue they are not only good but the best company a man can keep but they are the wisest Counsellors for direction of mens lives and actions they have no fearfull hearts or hearts to fear they have no blushing faces or faces to blush they dare boldly call Nero a bloudy Tyrant Midas a covetous Asse Sardanapalus a lascivious Effeminate foole Heliogabalus a wastfull profuse Whoremaster and Messalina an insatiate and imperious Strumpet for Books do never alter their intended purpose nor breake off their discourse in hope of favour or fear of mens anger or displeasure A man that loves me well and a friend that is firme unto me they are both rare in these daies but if I were put to my choise which of those I would first lose or part withall then I would leave my Lover and keep my Friend For he that loves may not alwayes be a friend but it is certain that he that is a Friend alwaies loves God in pardoning of a sinner shews his great mercy his not pardoning is no injustice for if I do forgive one Debter and sue another I have shewed kindness to one and no wrong to the other Let us doe our best to doe our best and if power be not able let good endeavour not be idle let us be as wise as the unjust Steward if we cannot pay all that we owe let us pay all that we are able for God is so gracious that with him our good wills are taken for good deeds Our first miseries came by Eating and our Saviour suffered 40 daies fasting for it then as our Parents did eat themselves and us soul-sick so we must fast for our souls health for as eating with delight expulst us out of the Paradise Terrestriall so fasting and contrition must be our punishment and practise and helps to bring us to the Heavenly Jerusalem the Prodigall by fasting said I dye with hunger and that hunger made him say I will go to my Father c. The Epicures belly is his God his Kitchin is his Church his Priest is his Cooke his Sacrifices are his lushious Dishes and delicate Sauces his Prayers Graces Psalms Hymns and Anthems are prophane speeches obscean Rimes Baudy Songs lascivious Tunes and foul impieties Earth made no account of poor Lazarus when he was alive and Heaven made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dives when he was dead for the misery of the one ended when the torments of the other began When the Devill had taken all Job's earthly goods insomuch that to the appearance of men he had nothing left him but extream poverty Botches and Scabs some may suppose that the Devill was kind in leaving him his Wife but the subtile Serpent had a further aime then to leave Job's Wife to be a helper or comfort unto him he saw that all that had been done to his body or children or estate could not make him impatient to blaspheam and he knew that the Law was that the Blaspheamer was to be stoned to death therefore he left his Wife to vex him and to tempt him to curse God and die whereby he had not only lost his life by the Law but also hazzarded his soule to the Devill for his impatiency and blasphemy This is the Devils kindness to leave a man a wicked Wife to worke his confusion Though Churches have the Names of Saints yet they are the houses of the Lord they are dedicated or given to God therefore they are Gods houses Bethel was the house of God Gen. 28. Judg. 18. And before the Temple was built when Davids son was dead
another they were of sundry Countries Nations and Languages they lived aâ— sundry times and different Ages they were also of differings callings and qualities as some were Kings some were Princes some were Priests some were shepheards some were heardsmen they prophecied of severall passages and actions of our Saviour and his sufferings one wrote of his being promised another of the time when the Scepter should depart from Iuda some foretold his conception others spake of his Birth his Circumcision his life his stripes buffetings patience silence passion death buriall Resurrection and Ascension all these Prophets and Seers were directed by one and the same Spirit the Holy Ghost he 70. Interpreters were of sundry Nations and Languages many of them having never conversed or spake to nor scarce saw each other yet they were all guided and inspired by the same Spirit that they miraculously interpreted and in an unity collected an uniform and exact Originall Translation of the sacred Scriptures both Mysticall and Historicall Imitations are sometimes dangerous to follow for when the Israelites past into the Red Sea Pharaoh was none of the wisest to follow them for their high way was a Grave to him and all his army The 7. Sleepers were brethren born in Ephesinum they lived in the tyrannous Raign of the Emperour Decius Ann. 447. their names were 1. Marcus 2. Maximilianus 3. Martinianus 4. Dionysius 5. Johannes 6. Serapion and the seventh was Constantius These brothers fled from the great Persecution which was then and hid themselves in a Cave where they slept 200. yeeres This story is related by many Authors of whom I will instance but one which is Mr. Thomas Heywood in his Tractate of Angels the 9. Book page 606. Also the Church hath ordayned that their memories should be celebrated on the 27. of July as appeares in the Almanacke If we compare the times past with the dayes wherein we live we shall finde much alteration for I read that in the 11. yeer of the Raign of King Edward the third that a quarter of Wheat was but at the price of 2s a far Oxe 6s 8d a fat sheep 6d 6. Pidgeons 1d a fat Goose 2d a fat Pig 1d and the Rates of all Rents and all other necessaries were at Prices according And it is probable that there were as many people in those dayes as are now for in the 22 yeer of the same King there was a great Plague and mortality of People in England so that in lesse then 6. months from the 12. of January to the last of June there died in London and the Liberties 57374. persons and in Yarmouth there died 7052. So likewise the Infection was so hot spred over the Kingdome that it swept many thousands away in many places by which may bee perceived how populous England was 400. yeers ago Also Ireland did then pay 30000. yeerly tribute to the English crown See Sir Richard Bakers Chronicle God is more mercifuil then Man can be sinfull if Man can bee truly sorrowfull Nor can Man commit any sinne but against it the Father of Mercies hath provided many wayes and meanes to restraine it hee hath given us a Law of Nature and a reason to obey that Law he hath printed and graved in the hearts and bodies of men and this Law doth shew and teach us what to doe and what not to doe it makes us to know good and evill it directs us to vertue it resists vices and this much the very law of Nature hath dictated into the reasonable soules of men But to this unwritten law of Nature Almighty God was pleased to adde a supernaturall written Law declared in the Decalogue or ten Commandements But when time was fulfilled and Prophesies accomplished of Christs comming he being come from him wee had a new Law to guide us to that perfection as becomes Christians And because this Law is petpetuall and unalterable our great and gratious Law giver hath appointed Pastors and Preachers to direct us in the observation thereof and he hath also ordayned Magistrates to have power and command to see the Law put in execution and to inflict punishment upon the contemners and transgressors of the same For the further direction and observation of this Law God hath placed a sharpe and just Judge called Conscience in the breast of every man or woman which Judge doth impartially accuse or excuse the unjust or just This Judge Conscience deters and affrights us from many uncleane and unlawfull words and works it binds us as it were to the good behaviour it keeps us in aw it is both a schoolmaster and a Corrector it teacheth us our duties it tells us our faults without flattery it is the eye of the soule for as the body is ruled and directed by the eye so is the soul guided comforted and corrected by the Conscience It tells us what is lawfull what is illegall it is a witness that accuseth and evidenceth against us it is a Judge that condemnes or acquits us as it findes us guilty or not guilty it is also a terrible Executioner of Justice and justly it torments with due punishment all our misdoings In Naturall reason wee may perceive Conscience to be a binding Law for when a man is about to put in practise any wicked act eyther of prophanenesse against God or abuse towards men presently Conscience forbids it and commands him to remember that God sees his thoughts and actions and to have that just precept in his minde Whatsoever thou wouldst that men should doe unto thee doe thou the same unto them for Conscience is a Law wherein no excuse is to bee admitted no evasion or illusion no bribe cloke cover or dispensation can make this Evidence mute for it will declare the Truth and the whole Truth without the abatement of a tittle Thus is Conscience not onely a Law but a witnesse against us for all our open and secret transgressions whether wee bee on Sea or on Land sleep or awake at bed or boord at home or abroad in company or alone Conscience still cryes out against the guilty This Witnesse is a true and a stout Preacher diligent in his function he is no idle non Resident and though a man be never so secret and silent yet his Conscience will not be put to silence Thou canst not stop the cars of thy soul but it will ever heare thy Conscience cry out and it will be ever telling thee such things as thou couldst wish were not our first Parents after their great sinne of disobedience their Conscience so accused them that for fear and shame they hid themselves amongst Bushes Cains Conscience was so shrill and vehement in crying out against him for his murdering of his innocent brother Abel that he cried out and in despairing of mercy from God confest his crime to bee more then God would or could forgive The sonnes of Jacob when they were in distresse their Consciences plainly told them that their afflictions fell