being the same that now is extant in our Church Bible the Originall whereof I haue seene vnder his owne hand And here I haue occasion offered me to say something of his modesty and great humility who though he were so vsefull an instrument so strong a helper in the former worke as also the sole Author of this latter the Preface a comely gate to so rich and glorious a Citie yet could I neuer heare that he did at any time speake of either with any attribution to himselfe more than to the rest So that as the Sunne the neerer it commeth to the Zenith or point of the firmament ouer our heads the lesse shadow it casteth so certainely the higher he mounted into the mysteries of Diuine and humane knowledge the lower and lesse he seemed to be in his owne eyes High in worth and humble in heart as Nazianzen spake of Athanasius And now concerning the course of his studies wherein I would propose him as a patterne to be imitated by young Students in our Vniuersities Hee constantly applied himselfe from his youth as they that were then acquainted with him knew to the reading of Antient Classicall Authors of the best note in their owne languages wherewith as also with Neoterickes he was plentifully stored and lusted after no worldly thing so much as bookes Nullius rei praeterquam librorum auarus was sometime his owne speech merrily but as I perswade my selfe truly For there was scarcely a booke in so great a number to be found in his Library especially of the Antients that he had not read ouer à capite ad calcem as hath beene obserued by those who haue had the perusall of them since his death He ran through the Greeke and Latin Fathers and iudiciously noted them in the margent as he went being fitted for that purpose by the dexterous vse of his pen wherein he came not short euen of Professors themselues in that faculty The Rabbins also so many as he had with their Glosses and Commentaries he read and vsed in their owne Idiome of speech and so conuersant he was and expert in the Chaldie Syriacke and Arabicke that he made them as familiar to him almost as his owne natiue tongue But for the Hebrew this I can affirme from credible relation that being vpon a time sent vnto and requested whilest he was a Residentiary in the Cathedrall Church of Hereford by the then Deane of the same Church vpon some speciall occasion to reade the first Lesson at Euening prayer there He yeelded thereunto and hauing with him a little Hebrew Bible the same I suppose that he afterwards vsed to his death and I haue oftentimes seene of Plantins Impression sine punctis He deliuered the Chapter thence in the English Tongue plainely and fully to that learned and iudicious Auditory farre be from all the least suspition of ostentation in him for that act that neuer knew to boast of himselfe or any thing that he had or any thing that he did Stories of all times he knew and for his rich and accomplished furniture in that study had this Eulogium giuen him by a graue and learned Bishop of this Kingdom to be a very walking Library Moreouer he was so well acquainted with the Site of places namely Topographie and obserued so well the time when euery thing of note was done in those seuerall places that he hath caused great Trauellers and Scholers falling into discourse with him vpon that point of Learning to confesse themselues much bettered in their knowledges by his remembrances and to depart away with admiration of his skill What shall I say more of him Whatsoeuer things were true whatsoeuer things were honest whatsouer things were iust whatsoeuer things were pure whatsoeuer things were of good report If there were any vertue or praise he thought on them yea he sought after them and profited in them He liued here to a good old age seuenty yeeres and vpwards guided the See whereof he was Bishop with discretion and care prouided for his children leauing to euery one an honest portion to liue vpon and for the poorer sort of his seruants a competent liuely-hood Hee fought the good fight of faith and hath now finished his course and receiued at Gods hand I doubt not his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his reward of victory 1 Cor. 9. And his Crowne of righteousnesse 2 Timoth. 4. Which neuer shall be taken from him He made Christhis All in all his life whilest he liued and found him in death his aduantage The words of the Apostle Philip. 1.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were his liuing Mâ—tto And none but Christ none but Christ his dying speech To conclude he turned many to righteousnesse whilest he was in his Pilgrimage here and now shineth as the Starres in the Firmament SERMONS OF THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD MILES SMITH late Lord Bishop of Glocester THE FIRST SERMON IEREMY 9. Verse 23. Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome nor the strong man glory in his strength neither the rich man glory in his riches Verse 24. But let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me c THE Prophet Zachary in his first Chapter hath thus Your fathers where are they and doe the Prophets liue for euer but did not my Words and my statutes which I coÌ„manded by my Seruants the Prophets take hold of your fathers Meaning that they did take hold of their fathers and would take hold of them also excepâ— they repented So 1. Cor. 10. The Apostle saith These things came to them for ensamples but are written to admonish vs on whom the ends of the world are come Signifying tha tthe Iudgements of God recorded in the Word thewhole Word it selfe was not ordained for the vse onely of them in whose dayes it was written but to be for the instruction of the Church in all succeeding ages In a City of Egypt called Diospolis in a Temple there called Pylon there was pictured a little boy to signifie Generation and an old man to signifie Corruption also an Hawke a symbole of God for the quicknesse of his sight and a fish a symbole of hatred Fish were an abomination to the Priests of Egypt as witnesseth Herodotus lib. 2. and lastly a Crocodile to signify Impudency The whole deuice being layd together importing this much and preaching this much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is O yee that are young and comming on O yee that are old and going out of the world O all together to you all be it knowne that God doth hate Impudency This hath Clemens Alexandrinus in the 5. of his Stromats The like may be said of the present Text that I haue in hand that albeit it be a part of a Sermon that the Prophet Ieremy made vnto the Children of Israel a little before their captiuity into Babylon wherein he assureth them that piety onely and
the Angels in heauen But let not him that girdeth on his armour vaunt as he that putteth it off neither let any man promise himselfe too much fâ—r his owne policy There is no wisedome there is no counsell there is no vnderstanding against the Lord. The horse is prepared against the day of battell and so cunning and slights and vnderminings are vsed but the victory and successe commeth of the Lord. Thus much our Traitors felt to their woe and we found and doe find to our vnspeakeable comfort No Nation vnder heauen more bound to God for wonderfull deliuerances O that we could once learne to be thankefull to God for the same Thankefull I say not in word or in tongue onely but in deed and in truth If he that sinneth would sinne no more I meane commit no more crimes â—or what man is he that liueth and sinneth not but serue the Lord in feare and reioyce before him in trembling If euery one of vs would set his heart vpon righteousnesse chusing the thing that is pleasing to God seeking euery one not his owne good but his brothers good and doing euery one not his owne will but the will of our Father which is in heauen c. then should our prosperity be as the floods our safety as the sand of the Sea then should no euill come neere our dwelling and the sonne of wickednesse should not hurt vs our enemies should be smitten before vs all their turning of deuices should be but as the Potters clay they should still be confounded and abashed and at their wits end and ready to tâ—are their flesh with their teeth as our Traytors were whâ—n they heard their plot was defeated but contrariwise vpon our King should his Crowne flourish and peace should be on our Israel all our life long Thus much the Lord vouchsafe to effâ—ct and if there be any remnant of rage or of malice in our forraine enemies if we haue any or in our domestique Vnderminers as I feare we haue too many He vouchafe to crosse restraine and disappoint making them and their deuices like the vntimely fruite of a woman that neuer seeth the sunne or like the Spiders webbe or Cockatrice egges that either maketh no cloth or tendeth to the destruction of the deuisers Euen the Lord our God mercifully grant and worke this for â—esus Christ his sake To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all praise and thankes-giuing for euer Amen Amen A SERMON VPON THE TVVENTYNINTH OF IOB THE SEVENTH SERMON IOB 29. verse 14. I put on righteousnesse and it clothed me my Iudgement was as a Robe and a Diadem IOB that worthy seruant of God so pious and righteous euen in prosperity that the Deuill himselfe could not find a hole in his coate Iob 1. so patient and constant vnder the crosse or rather vnder a world of crosses that he is set forth by Saint Iames for a patterne and example of patient enduring Iames the 5. so gracious and inward with God that the Prophet Ezechiel ranketh him among them that found especiall fauour in Gods sight euen with Noah and Daniel Ezek. 14. Briefely so rich in all spirituall knowledâ—â— â—nd endued with such a principall measure of Gods spirit thaâ— Moses himselfe disdained not to become his Interpreter as some of the Ancients haue thought But as is probably conceited had his hand in the publishing of his Booke as Saint Peter had his in the publishing of Saint Markes Gospell by the report of Saint Hierom. This Iob I say so qualified so approued so graced so priuiledged is the Pen-man of the words which I haue read vnto you and therefore the same ought highly to be regarded and obserued for the excellency of his person that spake so as no doubt he was moued by the holy Ghost Now as Christ saith in the Gospell This voyce came not for my sake but for yours And as Saint Paul saith to the Corinthians These things haue I figuratiuely transferred to myselfe and to Apollo for your sakes that yee might learne in vs not to thinke of men aboue that which is written So we ought to perswade our selues that Iob telling vs so much as he doth in my Text touching his vpright carriage in his place of Gouernement did it not so much to magnifie himselfe no nor to iustifie himselfe except it were against his Backe-biters as to set before vs as it were in a glasse what are the speciall duties of them that be in place of gouernment I put on righteousnesse and it clothed me c. As if he said Others made it their care to strowt it and to stout it and to braue it in costly apparell as though thereby they would procure respect and esteeme to their place but my delight was to doe Iustice and Iudgement to helpe them to right that suffered wrong to relieue the oppressed that is as farre as was possible and as much as lâ—y in me to helpe euery one to his owne This was my Robe and my Diademe and my Crowne of reioycing This I take to be the meaning and summe of my Text. Now for the explicating of the words I doe not thinke good to make a long discourse vnto you of Robe and Diadem as Hierome doth some-where of Ephod and Ephod-Bad to tell you either wherein the Robe of them of the Eâ—st differed from the Gowne of the Romanes and the Cloake of the Grecians or what was the stuffe of the Diadem and the forme and making thereof These things might rather make a shew of reading then cause godly edifying Onely I will endeauour to helpe the ignorant to vnderstand what is the difference betweene Iustice and Iudgement lest they be deceiued For Iustice and Iudgement be not one and the same thing though they be ioyned together in my Text as also they be in halfe an hundred places of the Scripture as I thinke Neither yet doth Iudgement signifie Discretion in this place as it doth when we say Such a thing is done with iudgement No the originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is seldome or neuer so taken in the old Testament But these be the differences betweene Iustice and Iudgement Iustice is the vertue or good quality Iudgement the exercise and practice of it Iustice is considered as inherent in our selues Iudgement hath relation vnto others euen to them with whom we haue dealing Briefely Iustice is the letter of the Law and tenor of right Iudgement is taken often for the qualifying of it by conscience and equity On these three points hang all the speciall differences betweene Iustice and Iudgement Hauing thus holpen some of you for the better vnderstanding of the words we will come now to the matter and take it before vs as it lieth for this shall be my method and all the diuision that I will make I put on Righteousnesse c. In the Scriptures if you obserue them you shall finde the qualities of the
good his doctrine by miracles being a new doctrine and therefore the miracles which were wrought by the Apostles and Prophets could not serue to strenghten it but onely by the sword and an arme of flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they be the words of the Alcoran that is he came not to giue the Law by miracles but by the sword and how then can such a doctrine be embraced by any saue such as are plainely bewitched or out of their wits for to vse onely naturall reason to naturall men how can God be thought to be of one mind for twenty or fiue and twenty ages together for so long he gouerned the Church by Propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine then vpon the suddaine change his minde vpon the starting vp of a Start-vp neither learned nor wise nor vertuous onely he had a great Army and had some successe against the Emperour Scilicet illum expectabat liberanda veritas a likely matter that the truth should be held captiue till Mahomet set it at liberty No no the strength of Israel the God of the whole earth is no changeling neither is there with him any shadow of change He is Amen that is true and stable and though heauen and earth perish yet no tittle of the Law or Gospell shall fall to the ground till all be fulfilled God hath spoken in these last dayes by his Sonne He hath spoken by him it is not said that he will speake by any after him that will oppugne him or correct him Therefore away with Mahometisme It is enough to say of it as the foresaid Tertullian said vpon the like occasion Nobis curiositate non est opus post Christum Iesum nec inquisitione post Euangelium that is Hauing Christ Iesus we need not be further curious and hauing the Gospell we need not be further inquisitiue thus he The same reason doth militate against the Romanists who although they seeme to attribute much to the Gospell in words yet in effect they deny it For they are not content with the written Word but they stand vpon vnwritten supposed verities which they may multiply at their pleasure as well as they doe magnifie them making them to be of equall authority with the written Word so doe they of Trent speake insomuch as if we will beleeue them we shall not know what to beleeue nor what to affirme For whatsoeuer is questioned betweene them and vs touching either Purgatory or prayer for the dead or praying to Saints or praying in an vnknowne tongue or touching the Masse or Chrisme or the Ceremonies of Baptisme c. All these points and an hundred more which they can no more finde in the written Word than they can finde water in fire fire in a poole of water they poast ouer vnto Tradition appealing vnto it which is as much as if they should turne vs to seeke them vpon the backe-side of the booke For what is Tradition else but the report of men and what are men all men sauing they which were priuiledged with the priuiledge of infallibility the Apostles and Prophets I meane which neither were deceiued in matters of faith neither could deceiue but deceitfull vpon the weights and in plaine English lyers I meane subiect to error and mistaking We must take their credit for doctrines affirmed by them to haue beene preached by Christ and his Apostles fifteene or sixteene hundred yeeres agone when they cannot be beleeued touching that which themselues or their confellowes preached two or three yeeres since except there be notes kept of it nay he hath a good memory that can repeat in the after-noone as much as he heard in the fore-noone Behold we count them for no better than mad-men that will make claime to a piece of land for the which they haue nothing to shew but bare words as I heard my neighbour say this or that or mine vncle or my father c. whereas the party that they would get it from hath Euidences and Records ancient and faire without any shew of rasure without any suspition of forgery And can we thinke our Aduersaries to be well in their wits that would wrest from the Laity the Cuppe of the Lord against so faire a Record as this As oft as yet shalt â—ate of this bread and drinke of this Cuppe c Thus Saint Paul writing to the Church of Corinth consisting of Laickes as well as Ecclesiastickes also from the Cleargy they would wrest marriage against this Record Marriage is honorable in all in all persons not in all things onely as it appeareth by the Anâ—uhesis Adulterers and Fornicators he doth not say Adulteries and Fornications And againe To auoide fornication let euery man haue his wife and euery woman her husband if Ministers be men then they may be married So further from the vnâ—earneâ— they would wrest the vse of the Scriptures they will not suffer them to vse them in their mother-tongue vnlesse they haue a Licence by as good reason they might forbid them to looke vpon the Sunne or to drawe in the ayre without a Licence contrary to the Commandement Deut. 3â— When aâ—l Israel shalt come to appeare before the Lord thy God c. thou shalt read this Law before all Israel that they may heare it c. He was to read the Law therefore it was written he was to read it before all Israel therefore it was written for all Israel So in the Gospell When a young man would know what he might doe to attaine eternall life our Sauiour answered him saying What is written in the Law 〈◊〉 readest thou Behold he doth not send him to the â—radition of the Fathers but to the written Word that he should beleeue and liue according to that rule But now forâ—ouâ— Aduersaries iâ— ye hap to conferre with them or shall haue a desire to looke into their bookes you shall find that the claimâ— that they make by the Scriptures for any thing of moment in Controuersie betweene them and vs either touching the head of the Church or the visibility of the Church or the keyes of the Church c. is but dicis causâ for fashion-sake their sure-hold and fortresse they fly vnto is Tradition Now what is this else but to bring all things to their owne Consistory as they say and to make themselues Iudges in their owne cause and to measure themselues by themselues as the Apostle speaketh yea and to symbolize with those Heretickes whom Ticonius allowed by Augustine for this speech noteth thus to speake Quod volumus sanctum est that It is holy because we would haue it so and so it is true because they say it is a Tradition But well speaketh the same Augustine Contra insidiosos errores Deus voluit ponere firmamentum in Scripturis c. Against deceitfull errors God thought it good to place a sure foundation in the Scriptures against which no man dares to speake that would be counted a
Christian Thus Augustine And to the same purpose Chrysostome who liued but a little before him Where haue ye read this saith he Forasmuch as he hath not read it written but speaketh of himselfe it is euident that he hath not the holy Ghost And to be short Irenaeus who liued before them both shall be instead of all others To sticke vnto the Scriptures which containe Lat. are a certaine and an vndoubted truth that is to build ones house vpon a strong and firme Rocke Thus he whereby â—e â—heweth that they that build their faith vpon any other foundation as namely vpon Tradition they build it but vpon sand which will not abide the least blast oftentation nor the least push of strong reasoning but will soone fleet and fall to the ground To shew the vanity and vncertainty of Tradition let this one Story that I shall recite vnto you suffice and then I will proceed to that which remaineth In the Primitiue Church by the report of Eusebius there was a sharp contention and betweene such as would not be counted babes or obscure fellowes but Fathers and Pillars touching the celebrating of Easter The Easterne Church went one way and the Westerne another And what was the cause of their iarre The Easterne Church pretended a Tradition as from Saint Iohn the Euangelist that he forsooth should command it to be kept vpon such a day The Westerne Church a Tradition as from Saint Peter that he should ordaine it to be kept such a day vpon a Sunday by all meanes What shall we say to this were Saint Peter and Saint Iohn diuided that yea should be with them nay and nay yea No but their Disciples misse-heard them or misse-remembred them or misse-reported them and hereupon they brake forth into quarrell Now iâ— in the best times when many that had heard the Apostles or Apostolicke men were yet aliue when the extraordinary gifts of the holy Ghost as the miraculous curing of the sicke and the casting out of Deuils c. were yet to be seene in many by the testimonies of Iustine Martyr Irenaeus Tertullian c. if this were done say I when the Church was yet a Virgin as it were by the iudgement of Polycrates in Eusebius what can we looke for in the latter perillous times when she had abandoned her selfe to Spirituall fornication I meane not onely to superstition but also to Idolatry Is any mans word to be taken that Christ spake thus or thus by his Apostles when he hath not their writing to shew Thus much against Papists Traditions now in the words that follow I pray you obserue with me how Angelically or rather Diuinely the Apostle doth mount and causeâ—h his speech to grow Sermo crescit in describing the Sonne of God by his estate by his Acts by his Nature Person c. He hath taught vs saith the Apostle by his Sonne would ye know what Sonne Not an ordinary Sonne such as we are but the Heire and Owner of all things nay the Creator of heauen and of earth nay the very brightnesse of Gods glory and the ingraued forme or expresse Image of his person distinguished onely in person not separated or diuerse in nature nor inferiour to him Is this all No he preceedeth bearing vp all things by his mighty power therefore not onely the Creator but also the preseruer of the world Is that all No it had beene to small purpose at least to small benefit to vs if God should make vs and preserue vs onely and there stay but that which is a greater matter for vs he hath redeemed vs by purging vs from our sinnes yea and for the full consummation of his victory and our Redemption he sitteth at the right hand of the Maiestie in the highest places from thence to oppugne our spirituall enemies and from thence to reach-out his hand to helpe vs and supply vs. And what can be spoken more fully more richly more comfortably Christ called the two sonnes of Zebedee sonnes of Thunder Augustine speaking of a certaine Sentence of Ambrose exclaimeth ô sensum hominis Dei ex ipso haustum fonte gratiae Dei that is O sense of a man of God drawne out of the very fountaine of the grace of God! Hierome calleth Hilary a Rhodan that is a most swift riuer of Eloquence Theodoret calleth Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an Ocean of Diuinity I cannot tell what I may call this third verse else but a very depth of mysteries a fountaine of Water of life that can hardly be sounded to the bottome I find that the Iewes haue a booke which they call Tseâ—ormor that is a bundle of myrrh that they haue another which they call Tsemach Dauid that is The branch of Dauid that they haue another also which they call Orach Chaiim that is the path-way of life False titles the bookes be not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they doe not deserue such glorious names But surely he that should say that this one verse deserueth all these Elogies and Titles should not speake a whit out of the way For it is no lesse than a bundle of most fragrant odoriferous flowrs refreshing the inward man and preseruing the whole soule from putrefaction it describeth also the true branch you know Christ is called so by the Prophet Zechary so expressely that fewe places of the Scripture may be compared with iâ— Lastly it sheweth the path of life namely wherein our true Life consisteth to wit in the Sacrifice and bloody Offering oâ— Iesus Christ which purgeth vs from all our sinnes But let vs come to the particulars that remaine yet to be handled The first is that God hath made hiâ— Sonne Heire of all things This place is abused by two sorts of Hereticks Anabaptists and Romanists I will but point at their errâ—rs The former vrge Christ is made heire of all things therefore faithfull Christians onely they meane specially such as be of their stampe haue interest in the things of this world all others are but vsurpers and therefore may lawfully be stript of them But they should know that the heauens euen the heauens are the Lords the earth hath he giuen to the children of men to the children of men promiscuously he doth not say precisely to the children of God indeed he that made Abraham and Isaack rich which were faithfull and the Fathers of the faithfull made also Laban and Nabal which were prophane he that causeth the Sunne to shine and the raine to fall vpon the iust did and doth the same for the vniust Briefely he that gaue Caesar a mercifull Prince gaue before him Marius a cruell Tyrant Caesar was not to be iustled with being chosen by the people and Marius was to be stooped vnto while he had Lawe on his side Now whereas they would make their claime by Christ Christ was heire of all things therefore they rightly beleeuing in Christ are the onely true heires
heauenly calling But how then can the Common-weale be vpholden for thus it must be exemplary Iustice must be shewed or else all will goe to hauocke Thus they complaine and therefore the fault is not in them that their Circuit is not without blood but the fault is in the multitude and hainousnesse of offences which maketh them against their will to charge and command as the Romane did in old time I Lictor colliga manus caput obnubito infelici arbori suspendito yea and this maketh them that are condemned many of them to confesse as the Poet did Ipsaque delictis victa est Clementia nostris Our offences were of that nature that clemency it selfe could not pardon them Nothing in a manner can be required or desired either of the good Iudges of this tim◠and namely of these before whom I speake except it should 〈◊〉 this See how my mouth is open vnto you how my heart is enlarged as Saint Paul speaketh namely that you would not suffer any to suffer death whom their booke if they could read would saue For how few offences be now left to the benefit of the booke not Treason or petite-treason God forbid they should or murther or stabbe or rape or burglary or robbery or horse or mare-stealing or purse-cutting or picking or any such grieuous or odious crime onely for the stealing of Oxe or Cow which cannot be driuen farre or of pigge or sheep which be but little worth for these and such petite-matters they may haue their booke yea and they can haue their booke but once in their liues neither if they offend againe they die without mercy And shall the committing of a small offence and the committing of it but once bring destruction vpon a penitent person that peraduenture hath wife and children and all because he cannot read which was not his fault but his parents and which now if he could doe were to no purpose for as the King of Gath said Haue I need of mad men so we may say Hath the Church need of Stigmaticks of such as haue beene burnt in the hand Ratio legis anima legis the reason why a Law was made that is the soule of the Lawe when the reason ceaseth the Law may be spared In the former Martiall times when euery man leaned vpon his sword as the Prophet speaketh and bookishnesse was counted cowardlinesse as it is also at this day in many parts of Turkie there was some reason to grant some priuiledge or immunity to such as shewed any desire to be learned to the end that learning might be more generally embraced But now the case is altered there is not so much doubt lest too few should put their hand to this plow as lest too many and the people are rather to be restrained from offering their sonnes to the Church as Moses put backe many of the peoples offerings for the Tabernacle Exod. 36. than to be incited forward therefore they that are thought worthy to liue by their book it is pitty but they should liue euen without the book So might the Ordinary be eased of his duty of attendance which at the first as it seemeth to me was voluntary if he lusted he might challenge for the Church but now is made necessary and the neglect finable some-where but specially so might his Deputy be discharged from the sinne of vntruth for calling euill good a bad reader a good reader which he must be faine to doe sometimes or else he will be called as Moses was by his wife a bloody man a bloody husband But this can hardly be done without a Parliament I beleeue verily yea and I beleeue this too that no man would doe it more willingly than your Lordship if you had warrant for it but now vntill you haue warrant by Parliament or otherwise I hope I shall not offend if I request you and indeed I doe request you to hold on your charitable course of repriuing yea and to increase therein euen to repriue all such that might be saued by their bookes if they could read Now whereas it is obiected that once in the Gaole and neuer good againe there they learne to be their perfect craftsmasters in all kinds of lewdnesse and villany yea by this meanes the Country would be charged with keeping them that is ouer-charged already I answere briefely and for the former point touching their incorrigiblenesse this that I hope for better things and things that accompany saluation howsoeuer some speake to the contrary When I finde in Saint Paul that One simus a runne-agate and vnprofitable became afterwards profitable to his master and to others yea became a faithfull Minister if the report be true in the Canons of the Apostles Can. 31. When I finde that Marie Magdalene which had beene possessed of seuen Deuils seuen that is many and many Deuils that is foule vices whereof the Deuill was the instiller and perswader to become Christs Oastesse nay Disciple and to haue a speciall praise in the Gospell Briefely when I finde the domestickes of Narcissus Narcissus as bad a man and as odious as any liued in his time who in all likely-hood were most impure and abominable seeing and learning such things of their master who were most shamefull for like pot like couer like master like man Then I say to omit other testimonies that might be produced to this purpose out of all monuments in all ages to be saluted by Saint Paul Rom. 16. as being of the house-hold of faith and in all probability true conuerts I will not despaire of any mans conuersion that breatheth while I breathe he may stand for God is able to make him stand he may scape out of the snares of the Deuill for God giueth grace so to doe he may haue a will and ability to doe that which is good for God worketh both This for answere to the former imputation of incorrigiblenesse To the later of charging the Countrie by their liuing and so consequently by their maintenance in Gaole it is so sordid that it cannot be touched without the dishonour of the Country It bringeth me into remembrance of the barbarous and inhumane dealing of them of Sparta for which they were condemned by their fellow-miscreants whose manner was when any infants were borne lame or vnlusty to cast them vnto a by-place they called it Apotheta some pit or ditch chosen for the purpose that so their mothers forsooth might be freed from a great deale of paines in looking vnto them and themselues from a great deale of misery to be indured in the world but specially that the State might be eased of a great deale of trouble and charge Brethren let me speake vnto you freely of the City of Sparta as Saint Peter saith Acts 2. Let me speake vnto you freely of the Patriarch Dauid it had beene better that Sparta had beene made a fish-poole or beene swallowed vp of an