coÌ„uerted WheÌ„ thou séest a sinner openly led to his last end to lose his life by law know y t thou staÌ„dest a sinner before god as wel as he although before the world thou be estéemed better The life and death of our Lord sauiour Iesus Christ is a glasse for all faithfull Christians to looke in Wherefore with a good deuotion lead thou an holye life by his example take paines to follow his humilitie his sobrietie his chastitie his goondnesse his charitie his patience his compassion and all his other vertues Ther is no schoole wherein a Christian maye so well learne to liue well as in the contemplation of Christs life conuersation thou must oftentimes think on thy last end as death iudgement hell heauen perseuer in praier in goodnes to the death so thou shalt please God not be loth to dye Remember the end saith y e wise thou shalt neuer sin thou must often pray deuoutly to God wheÌ„ thou wilt so do thou must draw thy selfe from all affaires For praier is a lifting vp of the hart to God and a priuate speach or communication of the soule with God If it be so were there any reason that a man shuld withdraw his cogitations from God or rather all outward busines put apart with all reuerence to submit thy soule before him All this notwithstanding it is not forbiddeÌ„ in all our affairs to pray sing psalmes to Gods glorie and oftentimes with teares to saie the Lordes praier or anie other praier to that effect And heere by the way thou must vnderstand that the longest praier is not most profitablest because of the multitude of cogitations thoughts rising in the minde Besides that they must be deuout for the praiers which are done with deuotion with loue humilitie of the hart doth profit most as for all other praiers they are vaine and to no purpose If thou pronounce but three words as the Publican did saieng God be mercifull to me a sinner or as the Chananite said O sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me it is enough Againe be not curious of thy tongue or fine in speaking it sufficeth that thy heart speaks within thee and thy tongue though but bleatingly if vnfainedly it is well as we read of Moses and Anne Samuels mother True it is and no lesse fitte that both tongue and heart shoulde praise God and therefore be circumspect in thy praiers lest thou be reproued as our Lord reproued some saieng You knowe not what you aske In the first parte of thy Prayer thou askest Gods Kingdome according to Gods doctrine and also his Iustice. Then thou askest in thy prayer that God be knowen honoured glorified of all that his wil be done in all accomplished in all as well of men in Earth as of Angells in Heauen Thou askest increase of Faith Hope and Charitie remission of sinnes the grace of God and his glorie Worldly goods superfluously thou oughtest not to aske but necessarily to liue and with a measure for thy bodely health and for the succour of the néedie If thou be sicke poore or in aduersitie thou maist aske health riches or prosperitie so it be done to Gods glorie But if thine afflictions doe more aduaunce Gods glory then thy prosperitie doeth yéelding thy will to GODS will thou oughtest to aske patience and saie with a meeke heart Lord thy will bee done and not mine Euermore haue the feare of GOD before thine eyes iudgeing and condempning thy selfe for thy sinne and thou shalt not be iudged nor condempned of God Let no sinne so raigne in thée as to depriue thee of Gods grace and to tumble thée to eternall death Better it is to dye in trouble without sinne then to liue in prosperitie in sinne and better it is to loose thy life for Gods cause then to liue at ease and loose God and thy life too If thy senses be inclined to sinne be not dismaid for ther is a God to whom if thou pray will by the power of his grace suppresse that inclination Wherefore take courage when thou art tempted aske for helpe at God saieng O God make speede to saue me O Lord make hast to helpe me Lord God leaue me not but be my help O thou Lord God of my health Doe what thou canst to resist the Diuell and he shall goe from thée approch to God by Faith and he will drawe néere vnto vs by his spirite If the Diuell assault thée defie him and make thy mone to our Sauiour saieng Lord helpe me and he will helpe thee Doe thou thine indeuour and assure thy selfe that God wil make thée strong he will aide thée he will ease thée and in the end will set thee free from all vexations placing thée in the heauen of heauens the portion and inheritaunce of his seruaunts To this God and to Iesus Christ with the holy Ghost be all glorie honour and praise worlds without end Amen ¶ THE AVTHORS PERORATION OR Conclusion to the deuout readers or hearers The xij Chahter The xij Chapter I Thanke almightie God of his goodnes that I am come to the ende of the voyage of the wandring Knight by the which thou maist vnderstand that in following Folly and vaine Voluptuousnesse he forsooke God to the preiudice and hurt of his soule yea to the daunger of euerlasting damnation Héere thou maist learne that al voluptuous worldlings are the very subiects of Satan and that earthly goods and worldly pleasure shal quickly consume Thou art taught likewise what great clemencie God vsed to him drawing him by his Grace from the sinke of sinne wherein he was sunke how he was led to the place of Repentance and from thence to the Pallaice of Vertue where by Gods grace he is now and what goodnesse he hath found there thou hast heard at large The Lord graunt vs to lande where he is landed euen in the lande of promise promised to the Elect. And now to conclude I beséech your good courtesies that if any thing in this my labour mislike you interpret the same to the best and to lay nothing to my charge in the waye of presumption but commending my good meaning and allowing my will not to contemne but to speak well and esteeme of this my worke and to vse it for thy benefite and edification for the which ende I made and compiled the same And now I exhort you all in Christian loue and charitie that if by Gods grace you be resident in Vertues Pallaice to perseuer and continue there to the ende humbling your selues before God and alwaies trusting vnto his goodnesse not vnto your owne strength or merites acknowledging also Gods grace by the which you are as you are and of whome you haue that you haue Let all your confidence be in his mercie and in his goodnesse Furthermore if any féele and perceiue himselfe out of Vertues Pallaice by meanes of worldly vanities let him consider the great perill he is in and spéedely tourne to repentaunce with a contrite and sorrowfull heart requiring pardon of God and trusting wholly to the merites and passion of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Let him not be ashamed to acknowledge his sinnes which if he doe he shall finde at Gods hands grace and mercie And now I beseech our Lord God to giue vs all grace to do according vnto that which heere is spoken for otherwise of our selues it is not possible that leading a life acceptable and agréeable vnto his holy wil we may in the end after the voyage which we haue to passe in this world sée and enioye possesse and haue the full fruition of that glorious Citie of Paradise where true blessednesse and perfect felicitie dwelleth euen in the habitation of God almightie vnto whom be all honor glory power dominion for euermore Amen FINIS GLORIE TO GOD. ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas East Pro. 11. Eccle. 32. Mat. 12. Luke 6. Gen. â—â— The beginning of Idolatrie Ninus the sonne of Bell and third king of BabiloÌ„ Exo. 32. Trabeta vvaÌ„dred a long time like a vagabond from couÌ„try to couÌ„trie Berosus Exo. 1. Exo. 14. Nu. 16. 1. Kin. 21.26.31 2. Kiâ— 1.12 Kin. 13.11 4. Kin. 12. 3. Kin. 18 21. Iohn 1. Iames. 4 Luke 6. Mat. 7. Eph. 4. Repentance coÌ„meth by loue and feare Act. 9. Luc. 23. 3. King 19 Esay 45. Esay 35 Ezechi 18 Ioel. 2. Micheas 7 Iohn 3. Luke 15. Rom. â— Heb 4. Chron. 33. Luke 7 Iohn 4. Act. 9. Tim. 1. Psal. 93. Psal. 93. Rom. 6. Esa. 61. Psa. 80. 2. Cor. 7. Esay 66. VVis 7. Cor. 3. Cor. 6. Rom. 10. Rom. â— Iere. 17. 1. Iohn 3. Rom. 8. 1. Iohn 3. Rom. 8. 1. Iohn â— Iohn 14 Psa. 41. Ioel. 1. Iohn 17. Mat. 24. Mat. 18. Eccle. 7 Luc. 18. Mat. 17 Ezo 1. 1. Kin. 1. Mat. 20 Mat. 5.
the rude people made him a God many false liars haue attributed vnto him the noble deedes of the good Patriarch Noah and his Nephew Osiris surnamed Iupiter the iust Moreouer they did not onely offer sacrifice vnto him but also gaue him the title and name of Most excellent good whereas indéed he was most euill for he was an incestuous and Sodomitical person and a common enimie to chastitie and honestie insomuch that people openly in their stage-plaies counterfetted sung and descanted vpon the filthy lecheries and other villanies which he vsed affirming that such Anticques and Pageaunts were most fit and agreeable vnto him By meanes whereof all his subiects gaue themselues to the same saieng that it was as fit for them so to lyue as for their great God Iupiter I gouerned little Hercules of Greece otherwise called Alceus the bastard sonne vnto the same Iupiter whom he had by Alcmena the wife of Amphitrio Unto this same Hercules the lieng Greekes full of vaine eloquence giue the name title of great Hercules of Lybia which is most false For that Hercules of Greece was the first Pyrate that euer roued on the Seas and abounded with all vice following the steps of his Father Iupiter the adulterer in all respects and as hée liued euen so he died For being mad saith Seneca he slew his wife children afterwards burned himselfe But a litle before his death he made Philoctetes sweare y t he wold neuer disclose his death nor y e manner how he had bestowed himselfe which thing he did of a vaine arrogant proud ambitious minde euen to this end that the people might report and beléeue that the Gods had drawne him vp to heauen inuisibly but it chaunced not as he desired Yet notwithstanding quoth Folly I perswaded the lienge Greekes that it was so made them worship him as a God I gouerned faire Paris king Priams sonne whose surname was Alexander At the first he made no accompt of me but leading a contemplatiue lyfe he followed the loâ—e of Pallas the Goddesse of wisdome mine aduersarie but when Iuno Pallas and Venus wer at strife for the golden Ball which was throwne amongest them with condition that the fairest of them should haue it they committed the matter to the iudgement of Paris surnamed Alexander who was vppon the point to giue sentence in the behalfe of Pallas mine enimie but by my perswasion afterwards he gaue it vnto Venus my good friend and of olde acquaintaunce then for recompense of his foolish iudgement I counsailed him to goe to Greece where he rauished faire Helen Heerevpon the Greekes in a great and mad rage prepared all their force against the Troyans and after ten yeares siege against their Citie they tooke Ilion put king Priam to death insomuch that the whole Realme was defaced In that warres were killed many Princes and noble knights as Hector Achilles Paris also was slaine by Philoctetes the companion of the lesse Hercules in a combat fought hande to hande The weapons which they vsed were Bowes and forked Arrowes wherewith Philoctetes wounded Paris in thrée places First in his left haÌ„d secondly in his right eie thirdly in both his legs which wer fastened with the stroke together Béeing thus wounded the Troyans carried him into their Citie where shortly after hée dyed I gouerned quoth Folly faire Helen the bastard daughter of the third Iupiter of Greece begotten of Laeda the wife of Tindarus which Helen by my counsell went from her husband Menelaus and suffered her selfe to be rauished of a yong lecherous Troyan named Paris surnamed Alexander the sonne of king Priam. She brought bloud death to Troye in stéede of dowrie For by her occasion Troye was destroyed and Priam with the most part of his children killed And to the ende that her adulterous mate Paris or Alexander should not leaue her and goe to his owne lawfull wife Pegasis Enone she bewitched him with certeine drinkes wherein she was her crafts Mistres which tricke when one doth vse he is in such case that he forgets all things past and all sorrowes present When she was thus arriued at Troye the good man her husbande Menalaus with Vlisses and other Greeke ambassadours came to fetch her awaye and king Primamus commaunded that she should be brought into his presence offering vnto her franklye with lowde voice that she should if she thought good fréely and with full libertie depart againe into Greece with all her retinue people and pelfe Wherevnto she aunswered in the hearing of her husband and king Priam with the rest of his counsel and commons that she was not disposed to retire to her countrie wishing also that her husband Menelaus that good man might go to God for she was none of his wife neither would she haue to doe with him and that she came not to Troy against her will neither did she estéeme of his marriage To conclude at length Troy by treason was taken and raunsackt .xviii. yeares after she had bene from her husband and all that space had liued in lecherie with two adulterers she grew to agreement and made peace with her husband Menelaus But when she waxed olde she looked in a Glasse and séeing her face farre from faire she fel in a lowd laughter and flouted at the fooles that fought ten years together for the loue of a thing that faded so soone away but when her husband Menelaus was dead two chiefe men of y e citie of Sparta named Nicostratus Megapentus men of great authoritie hunted Helen out of y e citie realme of Lacedemonia without appointing vnto her any place or prouision to kéep her Upon which banishmeÌ„t she came to Rhods to hir auncient coÌ„panion friend quéene Polypo which was also then widow by reason of y e death of hir husband Tlepolemus who was slaine before Troy And when shée was at Rhods quéene Polypo vsed her very well but the yong gentlewomen hir waiting maides hated hir deadly for y t shée was the cause y t their king Tlepolimus was kild insomuch y t vpon a day they conspired together against hir gat hir into a garden where then fastening a rope obout hir neck hung hir vpon a trée strangled hir to death This was y e miserable end of Helen who being dead quoth Folly I put into y e heads of y e blind people y t she was a Goddesse by reson of hir incomperable beauty For which coÌ„sideratioÌ„ they being not onely Idolatrously heretically but also dampnably deceiued built hir a meruailous costly stately temple named her with great deuotion The Goddesse of beautie deuised many fals miracles lies y e which for breuity I let passe I gouerned quod Folly Pharao Amenophis Pharao Bocchoris both kings of Aegipt who by my counsel caused al y e male children of y e Iews to be drowned which people y e first Pharao held in meruelous subiectioÌ„ As
holy Scripture as well in y e old testament as y e new First Esay saith It is I my selfe It is I my selfe that doth blotte out thine iniquities for mine owne loue sake I will not haue thy sins in remembrance For the loue of me saith he not for the loue of thée meaning my goodnesse and mercie not for the loue of thy merits As if he said to all sinners in this sort If thou thinkest y t I pardon thy sins for thy merits sake thou art deceiued wallowest in dispaire no no but for my mercy infinit goodnes I remit forgiue Thou hast no cause to dispaire for y e least part of my mercie excéedeth all thy sinnes In an other place he saith by the same Prophet Turne your selues vnto me all the earth and you shall be saued for I am God and there is none other besides me What is the meaning of these words I am God anie thing els but that God is good mercifull If it be vnpossible but he should be God it is vnpossible but he should be good and mercifull The same Prophet speaketh vnto euerie one of vs sayeng Let the Infidell leaue his waye and the vniust man his thoughts let them turne to the Lord and he will haue pitie vpō him for he is redy to forgiue By his Prophet Ieremy hée saith to the people of Israel that he was wroth for their Idolatrie manie other sinnes neuerthelesse he said Turne Israel thou Rebell vnto me thy Lord and I will not turne my face from thee or as the Hebrew text saith I will not lay mine ire vpon thee for I am saith the Lord holy and gentle and keepe not mine anger foreuer By the Prophet Ezechiel he sath If the euill man repent him of his sinnes and keepe my commaundemants doing righteously he shal liue and not dye neither will I haue his former offences anie more in remembraunce Doe you thinke saith the LORDE that I delight in the death of a sinner nay rather that hee shoulde turne from his wickednesse and liue Repent you then and you shall liue The Prophet Dauid said That from morning till night Israel hoped in the Lord. What doth this signifie but that the faithfull from their natiuitie and birth vntil their verie death haue hope in the Lord. There is mercy in the Lord and great redemption attendeth vpon him In Ioel it is writtē Turne your selues vnto the Lord with all your heart in fasting praieng weeping sorrow tearing your hearts and not your garments so shall you be turned vnto the Lord your God for he is ful of clemencie mercie great grace slowe to ire redie to forgiue or as the Hebrewe text saith such a one as repents him of euill that is to say is loth to execute the punishment vpon sinners which he hath denounced and threatened Micheas the Prophet sayth What God is there like vnto thee which takest awaie iniquities forgiuest sins for the rest of thine heritage sake He keepeth not his ire for euer but of his compassion mercy wil haue pitie vpon vs. He will put out our iniquities and throw all our sins into the bottome of the sea What sinner is ther that hearing these wordes hath so heauie a heart as to dispaire séeing that God is more readie to forgiue then the sinner to aske forgiuenesse Now let vs come to the new Testament to trie if there be not testimonies to the same effect The sonne of God which is the infallyble truth spake this to Nicodemus God so loued the world that he gaue his onelye begotten sonne to the end that whosoeuer beleeued in him shoulde bee saued and not perish but haue euerlasting life God sent not his sonne into the world to condempne the world but to the end the world shuld be saued by him To the Scribes and Pharesies which murmured because he did eate drink among Publicans and sinners Christ said Those that bee whole need not the Phisition but such as be sicke Againe I came not saith the Lord to call the iust but sinners to repentaunce Not as a Iudge but as a Phisition For such as languish in their sinnes came I into the worlde not that they should remaine sinners but to turne them from their sinnes that béeing penitent they might be made righteous Likewise he tolde the Pharesies That the Angells in heauen doe more reioyce in one penitent sinner then in .99 iust persons which needes no repentance God saith Saint Paule spared not his onely sonne for vs but that he shoulde rather die then we be vnpardoned If God spared not his onely sonne to dye for sinners what thing is more worthy and precious vnto him that he should refuse them And therefore the same Apostle speaking of Iesus Christ saith thus We haue not an high priest which cannot haue compassion of our infirmities but such a one as in all points was tempted as well as we sinne excepted Let vs goe then boldly to the seate of grace that we may obteine mercie find grace in time conuenient If I shuld reherse al the places of the Scripture to this effect the time would faile me Thus we sée thē none hath cause to distrust y e goodnes of God or to dispaire of the greatnesse of his sins seeing that God hath made so many faire promises to pardon the penitent sinner there be many examples in the olde new testament of the performance of Gods promises as namely to Dauid who committed both adultrie murther he euen he by sorrowing for his offences and crieng Peccaui obteined mercy and pardon of all his wickednesse Manasses the son of Ezechias restored the false worship of God which his father had defaced of an euill zeale to infidelitie he himselfe offered vp his own children in fire for sacrifice He persecuted the Prophets slew innumerable innocents amongst all which he caused the Prophet Esay to be sawne in péeces In the end he was takē by the enimies and lead captiue to Babilon But when he was in his extremitie he acknowledged his offences asked forgiuenesse of God of whom he was receiued into fauour restored to his kingdome againe The people of Niniue whom God threatened by y e Prophet Ionas vtterly to destroy for y e multitude for their sins they repented praid so God forgaue them The Samaritane also the Cananite notwithstanding their horrible sins when they asked God mercy he forgaue them Mathew Zachee diuers other publicans vpon their repētaunce were receiued into fauour Peter y t denied his Maister thrée times gaue himself to the diuell if he knew him whē he wept bitterly for his sins he was receiued into mercy The theefe also vpon the crosse being at point of death euē this fellow who liued vppon nothing but robberie manslaughter all his life time acknowledged his hainous sins asking pardon God
forgaue him yea he obteined more then he required For Christ said vnto him This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise This is Gods propertie euen to giue of his liberalitie more then men doe or can aske S. Paul was a blasphemer a persecutor of Gods church yet he receiued mercy God hath set downe such persons as exāples for sinners to y e end they should not doubt of his mercy to teach them y t he doth not pardon offences for y e merits of y e sinners which are starke naught euen when they are best but for his mercies sake which is aboue all his works For so to imagine of mens merits is destructiō if any thing be ascribed vnto merits then for y e merits of his son Iesus Christ for his bitter passion sake Let this be the conclusion that albeit y e sinner hath committed as many sinnes as there be drops of water in the sea or sands on the sea shore yet he hath no cause to dispaire For though they be neuer so monstrous manifold yet the mercy of God doth infinitly exceed them For his mercy consumes them sooner then the fierce fire doth burne vp the dry Toe When I heard lady Remembraunce read these words I toke hart at grasse recited a place written in y e Psalms of Dauid According to the multitude of the griefes sorrows of my heart thy consolations haue refreshed my soule And then falling on my knées holding vp my hands with sorowful countenaunce confidence of heart resting wholly vpon the mercies and promises of God the merits of our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ. I most humbly desired pardon for my sins at the hands of Gods grace Upon which vnfeined confession of mine offences heart griefe handmaids of perfect Repentance fore-runners to the purpose I receiued by the meanes of Gods grace the benefit of the death passion of our Lord sauiour Iesus Christ to whom with the father the holy Ghost be all honour glorie for euer and euer Amen ¶ A SERMON VVHICH VNDERSTANDING THE good Hermit made vnto the knight vpon the History of Marie Magdalene The sixt Chapter IN the name of y e father of the son of the holy Ghost Amen The great goodnes vnspeakable mercie which hath ben vsed in al ages times of our Lord sauiour Iesus Christ towards all poore sinners are in many places of the Gospel made manifest cleerly notified but chiefly in y e vii of Luke Wherin mention is made of a sinful woman lewd of life ill of name contemned despised abhorred of men whom swéet Iesus did not onely receiue to fauour but also by inward secret inspiration drew her to repentance how in what sort heare vnderstand The Gospell saith y t ther was a Pharesie furnished with false faith misled with a vaine opinion of holinesse he was a great doctour of law a renowmed Iusticiarie howbeit weak in faith yet verie high minded When our sauiour had one day preached instructed the people by his diuine holy doctrine exhorting poore sinners to turne to God by repentance vttering many parables and similitudes as the prodigall child the lost sheepe such like what else doth he declare signifie but y t he is inclined to compassion readie to haue mercie to receiue into fauour all repentant sinners The proud Pharesie praied him to come into his house to dine with him The good Lord which had taken vpon him mans nature and was borne for y e saluation of all denied not this proud fellows request neither refused to enter into his house although hée was ambitious but down at y e table sat y e son of God made man for y e saluatiō of men He was conuersant among men he did eate drink with men he offred himselfe a helper to euery one shewing vnto al his goodnes without exception of any Now he being set at y e table ther came one vnto him in shape like a woman but in courage a man who by the bruite of the whole Citie was counted a greate sinner and very il reported of y e world such a one indéed as euery body mocked pointed at with their fingers But yet in the sight of God she was in great honour not because she was an hainous sinner but because she was predestinated elected of God from y e beginning to reigne with him in his heauenly kingdome This woman hearing by report the renowne of our redéemer that he shewed himselfe swéete and bountiful to all sinners defending them against the malitious slaunders mocks of the proud and arrogant Pharesies promising to euery one that beleeued in him the kingdome of heuen this woman was inspired both outwardly and inwardly by our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ to sée heare him preach Thē did she by outward speach expresse how she was inwardly affected moued in minde séeing her soule sore sicke diseased her heart full of iniquitie and sinne her conscience defiled with all kinde of vice her selfe frustrate and void of all hope of health deuising how to recouer this malady adressed her selfe to séeke him who is the onely Surgeon of all sicke soules she sought for grace at the Well of mercie and though she was a shamefull sinner yet she was receiued of him which came into the world to saue sinners She came not pompeously araied nor yet came with a train she came alone and not emptie handed For she brought with her a boxe full of most pretious ointment of a swéete smell representing the Faith Hope and Charitie lodged in her heart What could this be but the swéete smell of vertue For what represented the boxe of Alabaster stone but holy faith founded vpon the true cornerd stone Iesus Christ wherin is conserued all vertues without which it is vnpossible to please God Came she alone being accompanied w t Faith Hope Charitie Humilitie Repētāce She entred y e house vncalled wher was her phisition putting a part al shame which leadeth to perdition together with the mockes of the proud Pharesies which sat at the table she craued comfort and health for her sicke soule acknowledging her griefe and y t being certein he to whom she came had power to help hir Unto this phisition she could not haue come w tout faith she was not so bold hardy as to look Iesus in y e face but fel at his féete vpon hir knées lamentably weeping and with the floude of hir teares washing his féete and wiping and drieng them with hir hairie looks Then she kissed them and with hir precious ointment she anoynted them All this while hir voice was not heard but hir heart spake vnto the true Sonne of God saieng I haue no need to declare with my tongue my inward griefes or to expresse the cause of my
comming hether séeing thou knowest y e secrets of the heart Unto thée I come O Christ for remission of my sinnes offering to thee my sorrowfull heart for sacrifice Surely this womans working well waied giueth euidence that she was right heartely sorie for hir offences For hir Christall eies and hir faire face which was wont to be painted with costly coulours for the adourning of hir beautie to allure licentious louers and so lyke voluptuous worldlings is now turned into teares Hir body which afore time was giuen to delights is now afflicted w t fasting hir laughing is turned to wéeping and as hir first life was wholy bent to please the world so now it is more vehemently and earnestly disposed to please God With hir faire flaxen haire which she was wont to kéepe daintely she hath dried our Sauiours feete hir swéete lips wherewith she vsed to kisse hir louers haue kissed his feete hir odoriferous oyntment wherwith she beautified hir face in wantonnes hath anointed our Sauiours feete Now all this was a sure signe of Faith Hope Charitie thus you sée how we ought to repent Surely we shuld doe according to S. Paules doctrine y t Euery mēber which hath consented to commit iniquitie shuld be offered vnto the Lord as instruments of righteousnesse to receiue sanctification As for example to make the matter more manifest Hast thou bene a dronkard Become now sober Hast thou ben a glutton Now fast Hast thou bene prowde Be now humble Hast thou bene couetous Now giue almes Hast thou ben wrathfull Be now gentle Hast thou bene enuious Be now charitable Hast thou bene traiterous Be now faithfull Hast thou bene lecherous Be now chast Hast thou bene blasphemous Be now fearefull to speake any thing but truth And so consequently to euery vilde vice laye a méete medicine which may serue for thy sicknesse and expel the poyson of sinne But now let vs sée what may be thought and iudged of this Pharesie who so sawcely besought our Lord and Sauiour to come into his house Surely he seemed as he was a vainglorious Hypocrite For when he saw the wofull woman falne at the feete of our Sauiour with hir teares washing them with hir haire wiping them with hir mouth kissing them with hir precious ointment anointing them he blamed not onely hir in his heart but also our Lord for suffering hir Then y e Lord tooke the sick woman healed hir of hir sicknes in y e presence of this proud Pharesie with held phisick from him whose hart was wounded to y e death with the dart of vain-glory Then he shewed himselfe franticke and as one that had lost his vnderstanding not knowing his griefe nor what medicine would doe him good But what said he in his foolish hart If this man quod he were a Prophet he would know quickly what woman this is that touched him for she is a great sinner This Pharesie is of the race of the vainglorious of whom the Prophet Esay speaketh in their person saieng Come not neere me for I am cleane or as another translation saith Get thee hence meddle not with mee for I am holier then thou Euen so surely it is not vnlike if the woman hadde come néere the Pharesie he would haue vsed these words haue said Stand backe and touch me not for I am holy but thou art a knowne and a hainous sinner Certainelye true righteousnes and holinesse hath compassion vpon poore sinners whereas on the contrarie false righteousnesse and hypocrisie hath them in hatred and disdaine But let vs lysten with what sentence this fond Pharesie was conuinced and proued by our Sauiour to be worse then this sinfull woman The Lord then to shewe that he was not onely a Prophet but also the Lord and God of Prophets aunswered the thought of this proud Pharesie saieng Symon I haue some thing to tell thee Then said he speake on Master A Creditour quoth the Lorde hadde two Debters whereof the one ought him 500. pence the other but 50. now they both hauing nothing to pay the creditor forgiues them the debt Now tell me which of those debtours loueth the creditour most Simon said I thinke he to whome most was forgiuen Iesus aunswered thou hast rightly spoken Our Lord in propounding this question desired also to heale this Pharesie For if he had denied it Iesus woulde haue eaten none of his meate These two debtours were Simon and the sinfull woman The sinfull woman not onely by the iudgement of the standers by but also by hir owne confession acknowledged hir self more indebted than Simon Simon lesse indebted then she because he thought himself to haue lesse sinned then y e woman yea he reputed himself righteous in respect of hir The creditour is our Lord God who lendes and giues vs his giftes both temporall and spirituall to interest disburssing to one fiue talents to another two and to another one Now then is signified by the iudgment of Simon that the woman was most in debt to God vnto whom he forgaue most And because she loued God better then Simon did she deserued againe of him to be better beloued in that she did more good seruice to God then Simon did notwithstanding his meate Wherefore the Lord valued the loue good will of this woman preferred it before Simons reprehending him of his arrogancie saieng Doest thou see this woman whom thou iudgest more in debt then thy selfe I entred into thy house and thou hast not giuen me water to wash my feete but she hath washt them with teares wipt them with hir haire though water was easier to be found thē teares Thou hast not kist my mouth but she hath kist my feet Thou hast not anointed my head with common oyle but she hath anoynted my feete with fine oyntment So that by these signes thou seest that she loues me better then thou doest Therefore I tell thee that manye sinnes are forgiuen hir because shee loued much For to him is least forgiuen that hath least loued The Lord said this to beate downe the prowde opinion of the fond Pharisie not that he was but little forgiuen but because Simon might knowe that he thought so For truly who so committeth most sinnes he is most indebted to God and so likewise of him that least offended To conclude both the lesse the great stand in néede of Gods grace vnto whom they cannot come of their owne strength vertue And as the greatest sinner referreth to God the remission of his sinnes euen so ought the iustest man to doe also For there is no sinne which one man committeth but an other would commit the like if God who made man without sinne did not kéepe him from sinne as witnesseth Saint Austen But perchaunce one will say I haue not committed Adulterie as this man hath To whome I aunswere Thou hast not had such occasion ministred as he hath had and he hath not had the grace to auoid