bad husband which cannot eate a hole as big as fiftie pounds in a yeare that is which cannot gaine halfe in halfe how manie holes haue these Moths eaten in poore mens garments They are like Nonresidents that is such bad members that no man speaketh for them but themselues As no man standeth for Nonresidencie but he which is a Nonresident or he which would be a Nonresidēt so no man standeth for Vsurie but hee which is an Vsurer or hee which would be an Vsurer They are like Iezabel which said Let me alone I haue a way If there bee no way to liue saieth the false Steward I knowe what to doo I wil deceiue so if there bee no way to liue saieth the Vsurer I knowe what to doo I will oppresse If I cannot liue by buying nor by selling nor by flattering nor by labouring I will liue by oppression But as one in his Comment speakes to the false Steward Thou saiest I knowe what to doo but doest thou knowe what thou shalt suffer So I saye to Vsurers you saye you knowe what to doo but doo you knowe what you shall suffer In deed he knoweth not what to do which knoweth not to doo well and therefore Christ saide of his persecutors that they knewe not what they did Now I may conclude with Paul I haue not spoken but the Lord◠and therefore as the Lord said vnto Saul that he persecuted him so they which resist this doctrine do contemne him and not me The end of the first Sermon The Examination of Vsurie The second Sermon IT remaineth that we speake of the Vsurers punishment Then what may be thought of them which doo not take Vsurie but giue Vsurie Lastly what they should doo which haue got their riches by Vsurie To begin with the punishment not onely Gods lawe but euen the Cannon lawe doth so condemne Vsurie that first it dooth excommunicate him from the Church as though he had no communion with Saints Secondly it dooth detaine him from the Sacraments as though hee had no communion with Christ. Thirdly it dooth depriue him of his Sepulcher and will not suffer him to be buried as though he were not worthie to lye in the earth but to lye in hell Lastly it maketh his will to be no will as though his goods were not his owne for nothing is ours but that which wee haue rightlie got and therefore wee say It is mine by right as though it were not ours vnles it be ours by right This is the iudgement of mans lawe Now you shal heare the iudgement of Gods lawe A Vsurer dooth receiue two Incomes one of the borrower and another of the reuenger of the borrower he lookes for gaine but of the reuenger hee lookes for punishment therefore al the Scripture prophecieth euill vnto him as Michaiah did to Achab. Salomon saith He which increaseth his riches by Vsurie gathereth for them which will bee mercifull to the poore As if he should say when hee hath loden himselfe like a cart he shall be vnloden like a cart againe and they shall inherit his money for whom hee did neuer gather it For hee which is vnmerciful to the poore meaneth not to gather for them which will bee mercifull to the poore but Salomon saieth That they shall be his heires which will bee mercifull as he was vnmercifull Now marke whether this prophecie of Salomon be true I know not how many in this Citie doo increase by Vsurie but this prophecie seemeth to bee verified of many For it is noted that the riches and lands of Aldermen and Merchants and other in London do not last so long nor indure so wel as the riches and lands of others in the Countrey and that their children doo not prooue so well as others nor come to that place in the Common weale which for their wealth their parents looked that they should come to I can giue no reason for it but the reason of Salomon He which increaseth by Vsurie gathereth for them which will bee mercifull to the poore That is their riches shall goe from their heires to Gods heires according to that The riches of the sinner is laid vp for the righteous that is the righteous shall inioy that which the wicked gathereth All riches are vncertaine but the riches which are euill gotten are most vncertaine They may bee called mooueable goodes for they are very mooueable like the clowdes which neuer rest til they fall as they climed God saith that he will smite the Vsurer with his fist not with the palme of his hande but with his fist which giueth a greater blow As his hands were shut against the poore so Gods hands shall be shut against him that his punishment may be like his sinne But if you will heare their finall sentence Dauid saith heere That they shall not dwell in Gods temple nor rest in his holie mountaine Then we will seeke no more punishments for this punishment is all punishmēts If they shall not come to heauen whose then shall those riches be nay whos 's then shall the owner be when that day commeth If he shall not rest in heauen then he shall rest in Hell where no rest is Then saith one the Vsurer shall crie vnto his children Cursed be you my children because you were the cause of these torments for least you should be poore I was an Vsurer and robbed other to leaue riches vnto you To whome the children shall replie againe nay Cursed be you father for you were the cause of our torments for if you had not left vs other mens goodes we had not kept other mens goodes Thus when they are cursed of God they shall curse one another curse the Lord for condemning them curse their sinnes for accusing them curse their parents for begetting them and curse themselues because they cannot helpe themselues As they which are blessed doe nothing but blesse so they which are cursed do nothing but curse This is the second Vsurie which the Vsurer shall receiue of God after he hath receiued Vsurie of men then the name of Vsurie shall be fulfilled as it signifieth biting so when it hath bitten other it shall bite the Vsurer too and neuer rest biting then they shall wish that they could restore againe as Zacheus did and shall not restore because their money is gone Therefore if Christ be come to your hearts as he came to Zacheus house restore now as Zacheus did and escape this iudgment This is the end of the Vsurer and his money if they stay together till death yet at last there shall bee a diuision The Deuill shall take his soule the earth shall take his body the strangers shall take his goods and the mourners shall reioyce vnder their blackes and say Wickednes is come to the graue Therefore if thou wouldest not be counted an Vsurer then refraine to be an Vsurer now for they which are Vsurers now
father thought none fit to bee his nurse but the Virgin his mother The fountaines of the earth are made to giue water the breasts of women are made to giue suck Euery beast and euery foule is bred of the same that did beare it onely women loue to be mothers but not nurces Therefore if their children prooue vnnaturall they may say thou followest thy mother for she was vnnaturall first in locking vp her breasts from thee and committing thee foorth like a Cuckowe to bee hatched in the Sparowes nest Hereof it comes that wee say he suckt euill from the dugge that is as the Nurse is affected in her bodie or in her minde commonly the childe draweth the like infirmitie from her as the egges of a Henne are altered vnder a Hawke yet they which haue no milke can giue no milke but whose breasts haue this perpetuall drought Forsooth it is like the Gowte no beggers may haue it but Citizens or Gentlewomen In the 9. of Hosee drie breasts are named for a curse what lamentable hap haue Gentlewomen to light vpon this curse more than other Sure if their breasts bee drie as they say they should fast pray together that this curse might bee remooued from them The next duetie is Catechize child in his youth and he will remember it when he is olde This is the right blessing which fathers and mothers giue to their children when they cause GOD to blesse them too The wrong mother cared not though the child were diuided but the right mother wold not haue it diuided so wicked parents care not though their children be destroyed but godly parents would not haue them destroyed but saued that when they haue dwelt together in earth they may dwell together in heauen As the Midwife frameth the bodie when it is yong and tender so the parēts must frame the mind while it is greene and flexible for youth is the seede time of vertue They which are called fathers are called by the name of God to warne thē that they are in stead of GOD to their children which teacheth all his sonnes What example haue children but their parents And sure the prouidence of God doth ease their charge more than they are aware for a childe will learne better of his father than of any other And therfore we reade of no Schoolemasters in the Scripture but the parents for when Christ saith to the Iewes If ye be the sonnes of Abraham ye will doo the workes of your father Abraham He sheweth that sonnes vse to walke in their fathers steps whether they be good or bad It is a merueilous delight to father mother when people say that their children are like them but if they be like them in goodnes it is as great a delight to other as to the parents or els wee say that they are so like that they are worse for it Well doth Dauid call children arrowes for if they bee well bred they shoote at their parents enemies if they be euill bred they shoote at their parents Therfore many fathers want a staffe to stay them in their age because they prepared none before like olde Eli which was corrected himselfe for not correcting his sonnes Are not children called the fruit of their parēts Therfore as a good tree is knowne by bringing foorth good fruite so parents should shewe their goodnes in the good education of their children which are their fruite For this cause the Iewes were wont to name their children so when they were borne that euer after if they did but thinke vppon their names they would put them in minde of that religion which they should professe for they did signifie somthing that they should learne An admonition to such as call their children at al aduentures sometimes by the names of doggs euen as they prooue after In the 1. King 2. 2. wee haue Dauid instructing his sonnes In Gen. 39. Iaacob correcting his sonnes and in Iob. 1. Iob praying for his sonnes These three put together Instructing Correcting and Praying make good children and happie parents Once Christ tooke a child and set him in the middest of his Disciples and sayd He which will receiue the kingdome of heauen must receiue it as a little child Shewing that our children should bee so innocent so humble and voide of euill that they may bee taken for examples of the children of God Therefore in Psal. 127. 4. children are called the heritage of the Lord to shewe that they should bee trained as though they were not mens children but Gods that they may haue Gods heritage after Thus if you doo your seruants shall bee Gods seruants and your children shall bee Gods children and your house shall be Gods house like a little Church when others are like a den of theeues Now I speake to one which is a mother so soone as she is maried therefore peraduenture you looke that I should shewe the duetie of stepmothers Their name dooth shewe them their duetie too for a stepmother dooth signifie a stedmother that is one mother dyeth another commeth in her stead therfore that your loue may settle to those little ones as it ought you must remember that you are their stedmother that is in sted of their mother therfore to loue them and tender them and cherish them as their mother did Further these children are Orphanes and therefore you must not onely regarde them as children but as Orphane children Now God requireth a greater care ouer Widdowes and Orphanes than ouer any other women or children Lastly you must remember that saying As you measure vnto other so it shall be measured to you againe That is as you intreate these children so an other may come after and intreate your children for he which hath taken away the first mother and sent you can take away the second mother and send a third which shall not bee like a stedmother to yours vnlesse you be like a stedmother to these If these dueties bee performed in Marriage then I need not speak of Diuorcement which is the rod of Marriage and diuideth them which were one flesh as if the bodie and soule were parted a sunder But because all performe not their Wedlocke vowes therfore hee which appoynted Marriage hath appoynted Diuorcement as it were taking our priuiledge frō vs when we abuse it As God hath ordained remedies for euery disease so he hath ordained a remedie for the disease of Marriage The disease of Marriage is Adulterie and the medicine hereof is Diuorcement Moses licenced thē to depart for hardnes of heart but Christ licenseth them to depart for no cause but Adulterie If they might bee separated for discorde some would make a commoditie of strife but now they are not best to bee contentious for this lawe will hold their noses together till wearines make them leaue strugling like two spaniels which are coupled in a
are giuen of parents but a good wife is giuen of God as though a good wife were such a gift as we should account from God alone and accept as if hee should send vs a present from heauen with this name written vpon it The gift of God Beasts are ordained for foode and cloathes for warmth and flowers for pleasure but the wife is ordained for man like little Zoar a Citie of refuge to flie to in all his troubles there is no peace comparable vnto her but the peace of conscience Now it must needes be that Mariage which was ordeined of such an excellent Author and in such a happie place and of such an auncient time and after such a notable order must likewise haue speciall causes for the ordenance of it Therefore the holie Ghost doth shewe vs three causes of this Vnion One is the propagation of children signified in that when Moses saith He created them male and female not both male nor both female but one male and the other female as if he created them fit to propagate other And therefore when he had created them so to shewe that propagation of children is one ende of Mariage he saide vnto them Increase and multiplie that is bring forth children as other creatures bring forth their kinde For this cause Marriage is called Matrimonie which signifieth Mothers because it makes them Mothers which were Virgins before and is the seminarie of the worlde without which all things should be in vaine for want of men to vse them for God reserueth the great Citie to himselfe and this suburbs he hath set out to vs which are regents by sea and by lande If children be such a chiefe end of Marriage then it seemes that where there can be no hope of children for age or other causes there Marriage is not so lawfull because it is maimed of one of his ends and seemes rather to be sought for wealth or for lust than for this blessing of children It is not good grafting of an olde head vppon young shoulders for they will neuer beare it willingly but grudgingly Twise the Wife is called the Wife of thy youth as though when men are old the time of Marrying were past Therefore God makes such vnequall matches so ridiculous euery where that they please none but the parties themselues vntill the time of their dotage be expired The second cause is to auoide fornication this Paule signifieth when he saith For the auoiding of fornication let euery man haue his owne wife He saith not for auoiding of adultery but for auoiding of fornication shewing that fornication is vnlawfull too which the Papists make lawfull in mainteining their Stewes as a stage for fornicators to play vppon and a Sanctuary to defende them like Absoloms Tent which was spread vpon the top of the house that all Israel might see how he defiled his fathers concubines For this cause Malachi sayth that God did create but one Woman for the man he had power to create moe but to shewe that he woulde haue him sticke to one therefore he created of one ribbe but one wife for one husbande and in the Arke there were no moe women than men But foure wiues for four husbands although it was in the beginning of the world when many wiues might seeme necessarie to multiply mankinde If any might haue a dispensation heerein it seemes the King might be priuiledged before any other because of succession to the Crowne if his wife should happen to be barren And yet the King is forbidden to take many wiues in Deut. 17. 17. as well as the Minister in 1. Timo. 3. 2. shewing that the danger of the state doth not counteruaile the danger of fornication For this cause we reade of none but wicked Lamech before the Flood that had moe wiues than one whome Iouinian calleth a monster because he made 2. ribs of one And another saith that the name of his second wife doth signifie a shadowe because she was not a wife but the shaddowe of a wife for this cause the Scripture neuer biddeth man to loue his wiues but to loue his Wife and sayeth They shall be two in one fleshe not three nor foure but onely two For this cause Salomon calleth the whorish woman a strange woman to shew that she should be a stranger to vs and we should be strange to her For this cause children which are borne in mariage are called Liberi which signifieth free borne and they which are borne out of marriage are called Bastards that is base borne like the Mule which is ingendred of an Asse a Mare Therefore adulterers are likened to the Deuill which sowed another mans ground other sowe for a Haruest but they sowe that which they dare not reape Therfore children borne in Wedlocke were counted Gods blessing because they come by vertue of that blessing Increase and multiplie But before Adam and Eue were married God neuer sayd Increase shewing that he did cursse and not blesse such increase Therefore we reade not in all the Scripture of one Bastard that came to any good but onely Iphtah and to shewe that no inheritance did belong to them in heauen they had no inheritance in earth neyther were counted of the congregation as other were Deut. 23. 2. Now because Marriage was appointed for a remedie against fornication therefore the lawe of God inflicted a sorer punishment vppon them which did commit vncleannes after Marriage than vppon him which was not married because he sinned although he had the remedie of sinne lyke a rich theese which stealeth and hath no neede Now if Marriage be a remedie against the sinne of fornication then vnlesse Ministers may commit the sinne of fornication it seemes that they may vse the remedie as well as other for as it is better for one man to marrie than to burne so it is better for all men to marrie than to burne and therefore Paule sayth Marriage is honourable amongst all men And againe for the auoiding of fornication let euery man haue his Wife And as though he did forsee that some woulde excepte the Minister in time to come in the first of Timo. 3. 2. hee speaketh more precisely of the Ministers wife than of any other saying Let him be the husband of one Wise and least ye should say that by one wife he meaneth one Benefice like the Papists He expoundeth himself in the fourth verse and saith that he must be one that can rule his house well and his children Sure God would not haue these children to be Bastards and therefore it is like that he aloweth the Minister a Wife Therefore Paule said well that he had no commandement for Virginitie for Virginitie cannot be commaunded because it is a speciall gift but not a speciall gift to Ministers therfore they are
not to be bound more thaÌ„ other A peculiar gift may not be made a general rule because none can vse it but they which haue it And therfore in 1. Cor. 7. 17. he saith As God hath distributed to euery man so let him walk That is if he haue not the gift of continencie he is bound to marrie and therefore Paule commaundeth in the seuenth verse whether he be Minister or other If they cannot abstaine let them marrie as though they tempted God if they married not The Law was generall It is not good for man to be alone exempting one order of men no more than an other And again Christ speaking of Chastity saith All men cannot receiue this thing Therefore vnlesse we knowe that this order of men can receiue this thing Christ forbids to binde them more than other and therefore as the Priests were maried that taught the Lawe so Christ chose Apostles which were maried to preach the Gospell Therefore the doctrine of Papists is the doctrine of Deuils for Paule calleth the forbidding of mariage the doctrine of Deuils a fit title for all their bookes Lastly if Mariage be a remedie against sinne then Mariage it selfe is no sinne for if Mariage it selfe were a sinne we might not marrie for any cause because we must not do the least euill that the greatest good may come of it and if Mariage be not a sinne then the dueties of Mariage are no sinne that is the secreate of Mariage is not euill and therefore Paule saith not only Mariage is honourable but the bed is honorable that is euen the action of Mariage is as lawfull as Mariage Besides Paul saith Let the Husband giue vnto the Wife due beneuolence heere is a commandement to yeeld this duety that which is commanded is lawfull and not to doe it is a breach of the commandement Therefore Mariage was instituted before any sinne was to shew that there is no sinne in it if it be not abused but because this is rare therefore after women were deliuered God appointed them to be purified shewing that some staine or other doth creep into this action which had neede to be repented and therefore when they prayed Paule would not haue them come together least their prayers should be hindered The third cause is to auoid the inconuenience of solitarinesse signified in these words It is not good for man to be alone as though he had said this life would be miserable and irkesome and vnpleasant to man if the Lord had not giuen him a wife to company his troubles If it be not good for man to be alone then it is good for man to haue a fellow therefore as God created a paire of all other kindes so he created a paire of this kinde We say that one is none because he cannot be fewer than one he can not be lesser than one he can not be weaker than one and therfore the Wise man saith Woe to him which is alone that is he which is alone shall haue woe Thoughts and cares and feares will come to him because hee hath none to coÌ„fort him as theeues steale in when the house is emptie like a Turtle which hath lost his mate like one legge when the other is cut off like one wing when the other is clipt so had the man bin if the woman had not bin ioyned to him therefore for mutuall societie God coupled two together that the infinite troubles which lye vppon vs in this world might be eased with the comfort and helpe one of an other and that the poore in the world might haue some comfort as well as the rich for the poore man saith Salomon is forsaken of his owne brethren yet God hath prouided one comforter for him like Ionathans armour-bearer that shall neuer forsake him that is another selfe which is the only commoditie as I may tearme it wherein the poore doe match the rich without which some persons should haue no helper no comforter no friend at all But as it is not good to be alone so Salomon sheweth That it is better to be alone than to dwell with a froward Wise which is like a quotidian ague to keepe his patience in vre Such furies do haunt some men like Saules spirit as though the Deuill had put a sword into their handes to kill themselues therefore choose whome thou mayest enioy or liue alone still and thou shalt not repent thy bargaine That thou mayest take and kepe without repentance now we will speake of the choice which some call the way to good wiues dwelling for these flowers grow not on euery ground therefore they say that in wiuing and striuing a man should take counsell of all the world As Moses considered what spies he sent into Chanaan so thou must regarde whome thou sendest to spie out a Wife for thee Discretion is a warie spie but fancie is a rash spie and liketh whome she will mislike againe In Zacharie Sinne is called a woman which sheweth that women haue many faults therefore he which chooseth of them had neede haue iudgement and make an Anatomie of their bodies and minds by squire and rule before he say This shall be mine For the wisest man sayth I haue found one man of a thousand but a woman among them all haue I not sound as though there were a dearth of good women ouer the worlde For helpe hereof in 1. Cor. 7. 39. wee are taught to marrie in the Lord then we must choose in the Lord too therefore we must begin our Mariage where Salomon began his wisedome Giue vnto thy seruant an vnderstanding heart so giue vnto thy seruant an vnderstaÌ„ding wife If Abrahams seruant praied the Lord to prosper his businesse when hee went about to choose a wife for another how shouldst thou pray when thou goest about a wife for thy selfe that thou maiest say after My lot is fallen in a pleasant ground To direct thee to a right choice herein the holie Ghost giues thee two rules Godlines and Fitnes Godlines because our Spouse must bee like Christs spouse that is graced with gifts imbrodered with vertues as if wee did marrie Holinesse her selfe For the mariage of man and woman is resembled of the Apostle to the Mariage of Christ and the Church Now the Church is called Holie because she is holie In the 6. Cantie she is called Vndefiled because she is vndefiled In the 45. Psalme she is called faire within because her beautie is inwarde so our Spouse should bee holie vndefiled and faire within As GOD respecteth the heart so we must respect the heart because that must loue and not the face Couetousnes hath euer been a suter to the richest and pride to the highest and lightnesse to the faâ—rest and for reuenge hereof his ioye hath euer ended with his wiues youth which tooke her beautie
because death comes alway vnto thē like a Iayler to hale vnto prison as Ahab sayd to Michaiah that he neuer prophesied good to him Hereby a man shall knowe whether hee haue faith for if hee beleeue the promises hee will bee glad to receiue them They are distinguished in their sense of sinne Wicked men feele the loathsomnes of their vices but none but the faithfull feele the defects of their righteousnes The naturall man neuer complaineth of his good workes but vaunteth of them but a godly man findeth fault with his prayers and his almes and his watches like Isaiah that sayd his righteousnesse was like a menstruous cloth As Christ met the tempter in the Wildernes a place of prayer and fasting and meditation so a godly man meeteth the tempter in his praiers and in his fasts and in his meditations that is he findes some let or spot or want in all his deuotions Therefore vnlesse thy righteousnes mislike thee aswell as thy prophanes knowe that yet thou art no further than the wicked They are distinguished in their ends for the children of God propose the glorie of God and leuell all their thoughts speeches and actions as if they were messengers sent to carrie him presents of honour Thus did Dauid when he said All that is within me praise the Lord as though himselfe had rather bee without praise than his master but the children of the world set vp their owne glorie for their marke like Nebuchadnezzar which sayd for the honour of my maiestie Therefore they speake and looke and walke as if they did say to their tongue and eyes and feete and apparell as Saul sayd to Samuel Honour me before this people Lastly they are distinguished in perseuerance for the zeale of the wicked lasteth not and therefore God saith They are soone turned out of the way but the zeale of the faithfull was represented by the fire of the temple which neuer went out Then come to the third Examinatiō As the diuell tempteth thee to see what thou wilt do for him so thou must tempt thy selfe and get of thy soule what it would do for God and what it would suffer for him which hath suffred death for it Therefore here wee will set downe certaine Intergatories whereof thou shalt examine it First whether thou hast the heart of Ioshua to worship God as boldly as thou doest though all the world did renounce him and euery one did mocke thee as they did Noah while he built the Arke Whether thou wouldst not denie Christ as Peter did if thou were in Peters straights and nothing to succour thee but thy policie Whether thou wouldst not steale if thou diddest see a bootie as fit as Achan which thou mightest catch vp and no man spye thee Whether thou wouldst refuse a bribe like Elisha if thou diddest meete with one which were as willing and able to giue it as Naaman Whether thou wouldst not deceiue if thou were in such an office as the false Steward whose master referred all vnto him and knewe not when hee kept any thing backe Whether thou wouldst not fulfill thy lust as Dauid did if thou haddest his oportunitie allurement and mightest do it without danger of lawe like a King as Dauid might Whether thou wouldst not tel a lie as Abraham did if it stood vppon thy life which made him twise dissemble that his wife was his sister least hee should dye for her beautie Finally if it should be sayd vnto thee as the diuell sayd to Christ All these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me that is no more but if thou wilt sinne whether thou would yeeld or no. If thou haue sinned thus and thus before I will not say therfore the Lord will not heare thee but Dauid saith If I regard wickednes in my heart the Lord will not heare me that is if for any cause a man purpose and carry a minde to sinne when he is tempted the Lord is so farre from helping him that he will stand like Baal as though he did not heare him for he hath a Traytors minde as deepe as any which thinks for a Dukedome I would betray my Prince though he neuer play the Traytor in his life Now we come to that examination which is the epitome or abridgement of all these for memorie is short and all are not of one strength but some runne and some goe and some creepe and all do well so long as they striue to perfection The matters wherof principally the mind should be examined before the Sacrament are these First whether thou haue faith not only to beleeue that Christ died but that he died for thee for as the scripture calleth him a Redeemer so Iob calleth him his Redeemer The second article is whether thou be in charitie not whether thou loue them which loue thee but whether thou loue thē which hate thee for Christ commandeth vs to loue our enemies The third article is whether thou repent not for thy open and grose sinnes but for thy secret sinnes and pettie sinnes because Christ sayth that we must giue account for euery idle word The fourth article is whether thou resolue not to sinne againe for any cause but to amend thy euill life not when age commeth or for a spurt but to begin now and last till death for Christ is Alpha and Omega both the beginning and the end as well in our liuing as in our being which hath made no promise to them which begin but to them which perseuere The last article is whether thou canst finde in thy hart to dye for Christ as Christ dyed for thee for we are bid not only to follow him but to beare his crosse and therefore we are called seruants to shew how we should obay and we are called souldyers to shew how we should suffer These are the receyuers articles whereof his conscience must be examined before he receyue this Sacrament happie is he which can say All these haue I kept for the Doue was not so welcome to Noah as this man is to Christ. But if thou finde not these affections within but a nest of vices leaue thine offring at the Altar and returne to thine examination againe for thou art not a fit guest to sup with the Lord vntill thou haue on this Wedding garment How is it then that some regard their other garments more then this Paule sayth Examine your selues and they examine their apparell if they haue new clothes in the countrey then they are ready to receyue I haue knowne many kept from the Sacrament a whole yeare together by their maysters for nothing but for want of a new sute to set them forth with their fellowes Others respect whether it be a faire day that they may walke after Seruice making
that day vpon which they receyue like a Schollers Thurseday which he loues better then all the dayes in the weeke only because it is his play day Maruell not now if you haue not felt that comfort after the Sacrament which you looked for for it is comfortable to none but to thē which prepare their harts and examine themselues before because it is not the mouth but the heart which receiueth comfort Now it may be that the most which are heere haue brought a mouth and not a heart these goe away from the Sacrament to despight Christ as Iudas went from the Sacrament to betraye him The other goe away like one which hath receyued a cheerefull countenance of the Prince all his thoughts are ioy and the countenance of the Prince is still in his eye As hee which hath eaten sweet meate hath a sweet breath so they which haue eaten Christ all their sayings and dooings are sweete like a perfume to men and incense to GOD their peace and conscience and ioy of heart and desire to doo good will tell them whether they haue receiued the bare signes or the thing signified Euerie one which receiueth this Sacrament shal feele himselfe better alter it like the Apostles or els he shall finde himselfe worse after it like Iudas Hereby ye shal know whether yee haue receiued like the Apostles or like Iudas Thus we haue ended the doctrin of the Lords Supper Now if you can not remember all that I haue said yet remember the text that is Examine your selues before you receiue this Sacrament hereafter FINIS THE Examination of Vsurie in two Sermons Taken by Characterie and after examined Imprinted at London by Thomas Orwin for Thomas Man dwelling in Paternoster row at the signe of the Talbot 1591. To the Reader HEere thou hast the Sermons which haue bin often desired because of the matter fit for this Citie One sayth that he would neuer speake to Vsurers and Bribe-mongers but when they be vpon their death beds for he which liueth by sin resolueth to sin that he may liue But when he goeth to hanging Iudas will say I haue sinned If I speake not to Vsurers vppon their death-bed yet I speake to Vsurers which shall lye vppon their death-bed Three things do giue me hope One is that all harts are in the hands of God to call them at what houre he list and therefore Saul may become an Apostle The next is that the third crow doth waken moe then the former and therefore after the crowing of other this crow may happily be heard The last is that there is no sinne but some men haue bin reclaimed from it and so may Vsurers from their sinne Therefore goe my booke like Dauid against Goliah and sight the Lords battells against Vsurers The Lord giue that successe to his doctrine in these leaues that it may consume Vsurers as Ioshuah droue out the Chananites before him If I could take but this one weede out of the Londoners Garden I were answered for my health and my strength spent amongst them Reade with thy best minde and thou shal profit more Thine H. S. The Examination of Vsurie in two Sermons The first Sermon Psal. 15. vers 1. 5. Lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle Who shall rest in thine holie mountaine He that giueth not his money to Vsurie THese two verses must bee considered together because one is the question and the other is the answere Dauid demands who shall come to heauen and GOD tels him that Vsurers shall not come thether as if hee should say They shall goe to hell Therefore as Paule taught Timothie to warne thē which are rich as though they had more neede to be warned than other so this sentence seemeth to bee penned for a warning to the rich because it strikes vpon the rich mans vice I haue spoken of Briberie and Simonie and now I must speake of their sister Vsurie Manie times haue I thought to speake of this Theame but the argumēts which are alleaged for it haue made mee doubtfull what to say in it because it hath gone as it were vnder a protection At last you see it falleth into my text and therefore now I cannot bauke it any longer Therefore if any heere haue fauoured this occupation before let him now submit his thoughts vnto Gods thoughts for I will alleage nothing against it but that which is built vppon the rocke Vsurie is the sin which God wil trie now whether you loue better than his worde that is whether you will leaue it if he forbid it for if hee flatly forbid it and yet you wilfully retaine it then you loue Vsurie better than Gods worde Therefore one saith well that our Vsurers are Hereticks because after manie admonitions yet they maintaine their errour and persist in it obstinatly as Papists doo in Poperie For this cause I am glad that I haue any occasion to griple with this sin where it hath made so many spoyles where it hath so many patrons for it is said that there be moe of this profession in this Citie than there bee in all the land beside There be certaine sins which are like an vnreasonable enemie which will not be reconciled to death and this is one of those euerlasting sins which liue and die with a man For when he hath resigned his pride and his enuie and his lust yet Vsurie remaineth with him he saith as Naaman said Let the Lord bee mercifull vnto me in this let me haue a dispensation for this as though this were a necessarie sinne and hee could not liue without it There be three sinnes which are counted no sinnes and yet they doo more hurt than all their fellows those are Briberie Nonresidencie and Vsurie these three because they are gainful are turned from sinnes to occupatiōs How many of this Citie for all that they are Vsurers yet would be counted honest mē and would faine haue Vsurie esteemed as a trade whereas if it were not so gainfull it would bee counted as great a sinne as any other and so it is counted of all but them which liue by it This is the nature of pleasure and profite to make sinnes seeme no sinnes if we gaine any thing by them but the more gainfull a sinne is the more daungerous it is and the more gainfull Vsurie is the more daungerous it is I will speake the more of it because happely you shall not heare of this matter againe First I will define what Vsurie is then I wil shew you what Vsurie doth signifie then I will shewe the vnlawfulnes of it then I will shewe the arguments which are alleaged for it then I will shewe the punishment of it then I will shewe you what opinion wee should holde of them which doo not lend vpon Vsurie but borrow vpon Vsurie Lastly I will shewe you what they should doo which haue got their riches by Vsurie Touching the