bée a Tailor a weauer a Cobler or of some such like occupation then to learne the duety of a Christian Autoph I cannot tell but I haue knowne one bound Apprentice to one of these occupations seuen yeares and yet in the ende hath carried away no more cunning then he hath néede off Philox. Oh good Lorde what blockishnes is this We will binde our children Apprentises to base trades and occupations seuen or eight nine or tenne yeares and estéeme it litle inough yea and all we wil contend with our trades to haue a good report and to be famous but to attain to the perfection of a Christian life to walke worthy of Gods seruants fructifying in euery good worke to become creatures of Christ to do good workes wherein he hath prepared that we shoulde worke to learne to die vnto sinne and liue vnto righteousnesse to learne to decline from euil and doe good to leaue to doe peruersly learne to doe well how lumpishly and drowsily wée goe about either as though we supposed the duety of a Christian not worthy the learning or the rewarde not worth the trauell If one man in a Country should pay his seruants greater wages by a thousand degrées then the rest who woulde not count himselfe a happy seruant if he might come into fauour and seruice with so good a Master surely either must we count Christ a lyar or else praise him for the best pay Master which promiseth such infinite rewardes to those which serue him as namely that they shoulde eate with him and drinke with him yea at his owne table raigne with him and possesse his kingdome and such like Oh hearts made of hard mettall which so great rewardes cannot mooue Autoph Who is it that sayth he doth not serue him Philox. I knowe they will say so they serue him a trust indéede if a man had such seruauntes hée woulde sende them packing Is it good seruice for a seruaunt to say to his Master Sir your worke shall be done and doe it neuer a whitte No no good pay Masters must haue good seruauntes God must be serued with all our hearts all our mindes and with all our strength the loose man cannot yéelde to concupiscence and serue God the couetous man cannot lay vp treasure in earth and in heauen Let vs then deare brethren for Christ his sake practise that same good counsaile of the Apostle Let euery man prooue and examine his owne workes whilest yet there is time and place of repentance least that we tumble headlong into the bottomlesse pitte of perdition and come with a tardé peccauimus It is to late to locke and make fast the dore when the Stéede is stollen as the mercy of God if we vse it in time may serue for our Saluation so if we vse delaye and make no account of the same but refuse it when it is offered it will turne to our bitter curse and damnation The night will come when no man can worke any longer let vs not refuse so precious a iewell as time is A good husband will sowe his séede while it is faire weather and a prudent Merchant will lay out his money whilest the market endureth there is none but will consider these thinges vnlesse he be wilfully blinde and giuen ouer to the mischiefe of Sathan vnlesse as it is faide by the Prophet Hee hath made a league with death and a couenant with hell it selfe Vnlesse he will count it but a gamball play to cast himselfe headlong to destruction and damnation both of body and soule I cannot deny but the diuel hath blinded the eies of many miserable wretches that herein they are not different from your opinion that if they can say the ten Commandements they thinke they can doe as much as is requisite but I would to God they would learne one lesson more which Moses taught the children of Israell namely That these wordes must remaine in their hearts that they should meditate vpon them both at home and abroade when they goe to bedde and when they rise in the morning Oh that this lesson were learned all our life long then should we not haue so many nickenamed Christians and then should not securitie sende so many thousand soules to hell fire Not euerie one that sayth Lorde Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but hee that doth the will of my father which is in heauen It is not inough to professe the faith with our mouth to say Lord haue mercy vpon vs good Lord forgiue vs and all the rest But a good conscience is required and the spirite of renouation Why doe ye call me Lord and doe not those thinges which I commaund you sayth Christ Luke 6. It is not inough to say the temple of the Lorde the temple of the Lorde It is not inough to say I hope to be assoone in heauen as the best I beléeue as well as the best The diuell deludeth thée whosoeuer thou art that so think Not euery one that saith Lord Lord but hee that doth the will of the Lord shall be saued Autoph Then shall none be saued for who is able to do his wil or kéepe his commandements Philox. I knowe Autophilus that none is able to doe his will or fulfill his commaundements but to doe the will of the Lorde is to indeuour our selues with our whole minde and strength to fulfill that which he commaundeth although we doe the best we can we are vnable to performe the same For if we say we haue no sinne wee deceaue our selues there is no truth in vs. And yet the same Iohn sayth Euery man that is borne of God sinneth not That is he is not willingly giuen to sinne as are the wicked which haue no care of his commandements neither to kéepe them nor to meditate vpon them Saint Paul penning the perfect duety of a Prelate to Timothy saith Meditate ponder consider vpon this I did runne the way of thy commaundements which I haue loued Sayth the Prophet Dauid Oh Lorde howe haue I loued thy lawe it is my meditation all the day long It is not without good cause that the Prophet annexeth the louing of the commaundementes and the meditation of them for that which wee loue most dearely commonly that we most thinke vpon yea we ioy to thinke of that which we loue which if it be so surely I doubt many Christians of vs carrie a colde loue either towardes God or his commaundementes vnlesse we will séeme to loue him as he that beate his owne father and saide it was for loue so no doubt we loue him indéede that is to say we will not sticke to giue him a blowe on the face For who so sinneth and offendeth against the Maiestie of God doth as it were strike God on the face and crucifie Christ againe But alasse if euery man woulde enter into some streight examination of himselfe who is there
as it wer y e gold frō y e drosse the wheat from y e chaffe the good from y e bad from hēce it is y e the wicked become so outragious do whet their téeth to persecute the painfull laborers in the Lordes vineyarde calling them the troublers of the common wealth vnto whom wée answer as Elias answered to King Achab that not hée but the King was the troubler of the Countrie Euen so not the ministers which teach the worde painefully but these vngodly ones which defame them despitefully trouble the common wealth and hurt the health of the Church The vnbeléeuing Iewes at Thessalonica cried out against Paul and Silas saying these felowes that haue troubled the whole world are come hither also But Paul speaking against y e Iews his enemies persecutors said they as they haue killed y e Lord Iesus their own Prophets so doe they perseeute vs they please not God are aduersaries to all men resisting vs y t we shoulde not preach the gospell vnto the Gentils to their saluation that they may still fulfill their sinnes and so at last the endlesse anger of God may fall vppon them It is to be feared it is with vs as it was with the Iewes in the prophet Ieremie his daies a few that imbrace the worde of the Lorde with profit The rebellious Iewes obiected against Ieremie that since the time they beganne to leaue the worship of their idol gods and to hearken to the preaching of the worde of God they neuer had any iot of felicity but that mishaps by troupes fell one vpon the necke of an other hereupon they saide to Ieremie when we made sacrifice to the Quéene of heauen that is to say to the sunne all thinges went well with vs we had abundance of corne c. After the same maner say many of our time it was well when we heard masse when we went on pilgrimage when wée worshipped before images when we gaue to monks and priests the feare of God was greater and there was more loue and good fellowship in a day then there is now in half a yeare Autoph A thousande are of that minde Philox. neither can you make them beléeue but then it was a good world whē a man might buy as many egs for a peny as would serue him halfe a dozen meales Philox. What drunkennes what astonishment what madnesse hath dazeled the eies of men y t they should sée nothing what sleighty elusions of Sathan hath couered their spirites that they shoulde beléeue nothing Is this the thanke that we render vnto God for the preaching of the gospell what madnes can bée compared vnto this The Lord doth offer vs saluatiō fréely without monie or monie worth and we had rather féede like swine on huskes and shales pay for popish dotages dirty deuises The Lord doth offer vs drinke of the welsprings of Israell the fountaine of euerliuing water and we had rather drinke of the filthy puddle of mens deuillish inuentions He sendeth his ministers amongest vs to sowe the incorruptible séed of his holy word to rouse vp these lumpish spirites of ours to bring vs to repentance we accuse his word to be the cause of our sins miseries his ministers to be the sowers of sedition discention But tel me this one thing Autoph art thou perswaded y t the preaching of Noe was the cause of the ouerwhelming of the old world w t waters or y e good perswasions of Lot the cause why Sodome and Gomorra was burned with fire brimstone frō heauen or the forewarning of our sauiour Christ vnto the Iewes to be the cause of the destruction and desolation of that famous city Ierusalem Autoph How should I be so persuaded sithens it was the fulnes of their abhominatiōs which kindled y e wrath and indignation of God against them Philox. In like sorte it is not the word of God which maketh our sins miseries abound causeth dearth or penury stirreth vp sedition strife or contention it is our sins enormious offences that draweth the heauy iudgments of God vppon vs let lewde tongues therefore for shame leaue off to blaspheme to lash out at randome against the gospel of Iesus Christ let vs remoue far from vs the causes of our miseries namely contempt of the word of God couetousnes oppression swearing tearing of y e name of God for vaine trifles prophanation of the Lords Saboth drunkennes surfeting rioting c. and let vs know assuredly that the happy and prosperous victory which God hath giuen to the professors of his gospell in putting a snaffle in the mouthes and an hooke in the nosthrels of mercilesse Tyrants and bloudie persecutors of his children it was for his name sake his worde and his truthes sake Therefore let vs with humblenes of heart beséeche the Lord of his entire goodnes to send daily more and more painefull labourers into his vineyard to water the vine of Englande with the moysture of his holy worde and that all idoll pastors and hirelings may be rooted out Autoph Yet more adoe about hirelings I pray you whom doe you call hirelinges or idoll pastors it may bée that I shall mistake you Philox. The very same Autoph whom thou callest simple fellows and quiet soules which care not whether the people committed to their charge sinke or swim stand or fall liue or die be saued or damned which either for feare or fauour dare not once mewe or open their mouthes to reproue the sins of the wicked which are more fit for y e tauern than y e tēple for y e plough than y e pulpit which are more fit for y e slaile than to féede the flocke of Christ The shepheard if he want knowledge may confer with his Dog if the séely husbādman want wisdome he may aske counsell of his whip for the lips of these idols preserue no knowledge Autoph Now as I am an honest man and a Christian I haue hearde many vnreuerent spéeches and reprochfull raylings yet neuer hearde I any thing against honest men so vncharitably spoken Philox. Beware how y u iudgest lest y u condemne y e prophets thēselues Esay calleth the ministers of his age blinde watchmen dumbe dogs gréedy dogs The prophet Ezechiel termeth y e prophets conspirators gréedy raueners deuourers like Lions The prophet Zacharie in zeale of y e spirit termeth them no better thā idols I could recken many more sharpe sayings of the Prophets against such biters of the Lords people but take these for a tast and cease to call the godly zealous followers of the Lord despitefull and malicious dealers because they will not iustifie the wicked in their waies say that good is euill euill good make darkenes light light darkenes call sower swéet swéet sower to whom the Lord doth threaten that horrible woe of reuenge Autoph Shall you make me beléeue that the prophets speak of
thinges considered First earnestnesse of heart in him that praieth Secondly consideration of the causes which moue him to praie Thirdly who it is to whom he praieth Fourthly for whose cause hée is heard And fiftely what hée ought to aske Which circumstaunces Autophilus I doubte bée wanting some of them in suche as you your selfe are But I praie you since it is so easie a matter as you saie it is to bée a Christian and séeing that you are so déepelie learned as it séemes you are not Tell me whether you haue learned that little lesson of the Apostle to the Thessalonians or no which is Praie continuallie Autoph That were enough to cloy a full stomacke and to let all things els run at randon I like not of such husbandrie sometimes in déede I praie although seldome for you knowe that such as I am cannot haue leasure to learne this lesson Praie continuallie we haue somewhat else to do iwis otherwise you might beg vs. Philox. I thought howe I shoulde finde you your praying is not vnlyke the desire which you haue to the preaching To the one when you goe it is for fashion and not to fructifie you vse the other seldome and yet full of hypocrisie Naie this is a trueth hee that will not emploie an houre to learne the wil of God at the mouth of the preacher cānot nor will not spend halfe an houre in inuocation and praier The small delight in the one declareth the slender appetite to the other Such praiers are not onely not acceptable but destable not pleasant but loathsome in the eares of the Lorde Hee that turneth his eares from hearing the lawes of the Lorde his praiers shall bee abhominable sayth Salomon Praise is not seemelie in the mouth of the vngodlie for hee is not sent of God sayth Esaie But of good fellowship tell me this one thing Autophilus what moue you commonlie to praie since as you saie you are so skilfull in the science of praying which notwithstanding you practise verie seldome by your owne reporte Autoph I wold be sorie Philoxenus if my prayers were no more auaileaable then you saie which if it bee so there bee more deceiued beside my selfe As for the cause which pricketh mee forward to my praiers the chiefest is aduersitie for when I sée anie temporall daunger or distresse drawe neere my bodilie calamitie and miserie imminent anie losse of liuing anie want of good successe in worldlie affayres then commonlie as one in troubles I make a fewe prayers praying GOD in plaine Englishe to sende mee good lucke as they call it Philox. A fewe quoth you the fewer the better if such bee the cause mouing you howe like an Asse doe you in this matter behaue your selfe Hée will not labour vnlesse he bee beaten neither will you call vppon God vnlesse you bée whipped with the scourge of some worldlie calamitie But hold this for a suretie that vnlesse the spirite of GOD aboue all other things moue you thereunto your lippe labour is lost and your winde spent on waste For as to praie is the gifts of GOD so can wee not earnestlie zealouslie and heartilie powre out our praiers and inuocate the name of GOD vnlesse hee from whome euerie good and perfect gifte procéedeth moue vs therevnto For there bee diuerse and sundrie causes concurring which may moue vs to praie as namelie the commandement of God Call vppon mee in the daie of trouble and I will heare thee and thou shalt praise mee Watche and pray continue in preyer Neither in that he hath onely commaunded but that also he hath promised to heare our petitions As in the Psalme before mentioned Call vppon mee in the day of trouble and I will heare thee Aske and ye shall haue knocke and it shall bee opened Seeke and yee shall finde Vnto you sayth Christ I say Aske in my name and it shall bee giuen to you whatsoeuer ye aske in my name namely that which is according vnto my fathers will Séeke diligently knocke with perseuerance continually and after this manner Whosoeuer asketh receiueth hee that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall bee opened This sentence answereth that most comfortable saying of the Prophet Seeke the LORDE while hee may be founde Call vppon him while hee is nigh As that also Whatsoeuer you aske the Father in my name hee will giue it you We may adde to this commaundement the greatnesse of his benefites also as that of a péece of clay he framed vs to his owne similitude and likenes in innocencie and righteousnes without either spot or staine In that when wee were all captiues and made the seruile bondslaues of sathan through the fall of our first Father Adam hee redéemed and ransomed vs and that with no small price but with the precious bloud of his onelie begotten son Christ Iesus In that hée of his infinit mercie vouchsafed to elect and choose vs to saluation before the foundatiōs of the world were layed In y t he hath iustified sanctified indued vs with his holie spirite and elected vs to eternall life Wée may adde héereunto also the weaknesse and infirmitie of our owne nature since wée are so easilie seduced to mischiefe so vnable to doe the déedes of righteousnesse so weake of our selues to resist Sathan and to make warre against the workes of darknesse Which although with many other are especiall causes to moue vs vnto praier yet the chiefest agent herein is the holy Ghost which thing we may learne out of the wordes of the Apostle The spirite sayth he helpeth our infirmities for we knowe not what to pray as wee ought but the spirite it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed And he which searcheth the heart knoweth what is the meaning of the spirite for he maketh intercession for the Saintes according to the wil of God Agréeable to this it is that Christ himselfe witnessed it to be a spirituall reuelation that he was acknowledged of Peter The same thing doth the Apostle testifie saying that no man can say Lorde Iesu but in the holy spirite The same thing doth Iohn Baptist testifie that is to wit that he knew not Christ of him selfe but by the instruction of the holy spirite Likewise Moses whiles he vpbraided the people of Israel their ingratitude and forgetfulnes gaue them notwithstanding to knowe by the way that what knowledge so euer he himselfe had he receaued it of the Lord and the Lorde promiseth that he will giue vnto the people of Israell an vnderstanding heart that hée may be knowne of them But briefly if you desire your prayer may bée forcible and effectuall learne this one lesson of saint Cyprian that holy and blessed Martyr of Christ which is after this manner When we stand occupied in prayer we must with our whole heart watch and bée diligent in prayer let all worldly and fleshly thoughtes departe neither let the minde
tormentes which is prepared for the Deuill and his angels whom ye serue casting me and my commandements behinde you But to the godlie Come yee blessed of my father possesse the ioyes prepared for you from the beginning Come yee my friendes whom the worlde tooke for vile and execrable but whom my father taketh for honourable and praise worthie for the crosses calamities displeasures damages that for my sake yee haue suffered take and possesse the inheritaunce of my fathers kingdome Wherefore as in the time of Noe whosoeuer was without the Arke could not not be but drowned euen so whosoeuer the Church as his mother doth not conceaue bring foorth nourish with her pappes and as it were carrie in her bosome there is no remission of sinnes to be looked for of that person no saluatiō as witnesseth the Prophet Esay and Ioell vnto whom subscribed Ezechiell when hee pronounceth That there shall not be any in the Catologue of Gods people which shall not haue part in that heauenly inheritance But if your faith be so firme as you say it is I hope no small matter shall remoue you from confessing of the same Nay I am sure you will spend life land and liuing for Christs sake Autoph I will not bragge what I dare doe notwithstanding if there bee no more faithes but one I woulde doe something which I will not say Philox. This man deemeth himselfe as déepe a deuine as the learnedest doctor of them al and yet thinketh there be diuers faithes No no Autophilus there is but one baptisme one faith one Lord and Sauiour of all Iesus Christ for the constant profession of which wee must forsake all yea and our selues also Autoph It is a great matter to forsake my selfe and more then I woulde willingly do but is there no more then one faith I am deceiued if I haue not heard of pluralitie of faithes Philox. Although in the worlde there are sowed many and sundry faiths that is to say religions as that there is an Indian faith a Iewish faith a fayth of the Mahometistes a faith of the Georgians a Papisticall faithe yet is there but one true Christian faith the abridgement whereof is brieflie conteined in the articles of our beliefe and at large taught in sacred scriptures of both the Testaments which faith whosoeuer doth not constantly professe denieth Christ himselfe and therefore shalbe denied of his father Autoph I pray you goe not about to disquiet my conscience as touching these matters you shall finde me no Papist I warrant you Philox. No nor no protestant neither Autoph You might as well call mee no good subiect Philox. You are no better then you should be Autoph I thinke you woulde haue mée of no religion Philox. I woulde you did not prooue it so Autoph What do I prooue nothing I hope y t I haue cause to be ashamed of Philox. You prooue your selfe to be a luke warme Laodician a Newter and such a one as is neither whot nor cold I would saith Iohn to the Church of Laodicia Thou wearest either hote or cold but because thou art betweene both and neither cold nor whot I will spue thee out of my mouth bicause thou saist I am rich incresed with goods haue need of nothing knowest not that thou art wretched miserable poore blind and naked It may séeme y t these Laodicians went about to match together y e worlde the Church Christ Mammon light darkenes God the Deuil Not vnlike to the same Church wherin the spirit of God cōmendeth nothing Autoph I am loth yet must I speake it bicause it is true I fere me we haue too many in this litle church of England for who heareth it not nowe a daies boldly boasted of in y e mouths of many miserable caitiues I plaie the grace of a gospeller and the swashing soldier I can play at dice and Cardes swill and quaffe goe a whore-hunting liue looselie at my pleasure and yet when occasion shall serue countenaunce it as curiously as the most cunning Clarke of them all so that the couetous man thinkes that hee can serue God and Plutus the glutton God and Ceres the drunkard God and Bacchus the wanton Leacherer be partaker betwixt God Venus Thus whilest they will serue the Deuill yet will they bee called and accompted good Christians and the children of God the Lorde for his mercie sake illumine their heartes that they may see and haue some feeling of their desperate estats that they may consider of the great mercie of God sparing them so long and giuing them so large a time of repentaunce or else woe woe to them and their soules if they still continue and persiste in their sinnes and make no commoditie thereof yea contemne Gods innumerable mercies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Iohn I would it were better with thée then y e Church of Laodicea May we not as rightly lament the estate of a number in this lande which thinke they know much when they knowe nothing at all which esteeme themselues wise enough vnto saluation when as if they should bee asked accompt of their faith they woulde prooue themselues doltes and block-heads May wee not wishe it were better with them and that they were altogether cold or throughly hote were it not better with them if they did either openly followe the world and the lust of the fleshe and boast nothing of Christianitie neither seeme to haue anie thing to doe with religion or else contemne the worlde detest the Deuill and his woorkes abandon wickednesse flie from sinne loue godlines and liue an holie life for they neither forsake the worlde nor followe Christ but make a mingle mangle of Christianitie playing as it were at halfe stake betwixt GOD and the Deuil Such Newters Iackes on both sides the Lordes stomacke cannot digest they which outwardly shewe themselues to be Christians in resorting to holie assemblies bring minds with them set vpon nothing but mischiefe are abhominable vnto the Lord who forbiddeth to plowe with an Oxe and an Asse together to make a garment of Linsie woolsie to powre newe wine into olde bottels to patch an olde garment with new cloth to ioyne heauenly wisedome with worldly folly Christian religion with vnrighteous Mamon What saith y e lord to these mungrels which make as it were an hotch potch of Christianitie I would you were either hote or cold it were better that ye estéemed your selues sinners heathenish then that you shold be such hypocrits dissemblers for then there were more hope of recouering your soules health according to that if your were blind you should haue no sin but now you séeme so righteous in your owne conceits so sufficiently taught so furnished with godly rites and holines that you think it not wel to go to Christ his schoole any longer You are so loden with learning or the Deuill hath so inueigled you y t you contemne
and the wretchednesse thereof if once hee consider that most fierce and terrible saying of our sauiour Christ namely I beg not mercie and pardon for the worlde but for those which thou hast giuen me out of the world A most fearefull dreadfull saying Cursed art thou whose hart it pearceth not In what woful state is he that hath not Christ for his friende That swéete Iesus that lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of them which beléeue in him yea whose mediatour Christe is not vnto his Father what will become of him Shall not eternall destruction follow him and fall-vpon his soule Autoph It is a common custome amongst you to saie well and praie to Christe but when it comes to following you fayle in the chiefest point Philox. Although that string sounde vntuneable yet hypocrites neuerthelesse cease not to harpe on it But now since you offer an occasion to enter into speach of following let vs I praie you make some rehearsall of those thinges which are spoken of the Preacher concerning this point whose text I am sure is printed in your memorie and so much y e rather because it doth expresse the badge and cognisance of euerie good Christian Autoph I haue matters enough to doe and some thinges else to busie my braines with than to carie text away it is enough for the Preachers and Ministers and those which haue nothing else to doe to performe that Philox. I am sure you speake not as you thinke your memorie is not so fraile nor your minde so carried with other maters but you are able to beare awaie so briefe a text as Tolle crucem et sequere me Take vp thy crosse follow me Autoph Now you put me in minde of it I remember verie well for I was sure he made much a doe about the following of Christ But heare you sir let it not séeme so strāge y t I forgot the text for I dare vndertake that amongst fiue hundreth at a Sermon thrée hundreth may be picked out by the poules which if they should be examined concerning the profite which they haue reaped woulde yéelde as simple account as I doe Philox. If a man woulde spende an houre in shewing howe and which waie you might compasse some lande and liuing although it were to the vtter vndooing of your poore neighbour coulde you not carrie euerie circustaunce and also if anie occasion shoulde serue deliuer the same spéeches or at the least the substaunce of them Autoph And good reason for who cannot beare that awaie best wherewith he is most acquainted Philox. No reason at all vnlesse it be reason you shoulde bee enimie vnto your owne saluation What is this but a secret kinde of Atheisme and denying of the Lorde God Vae dissolutis corde qui non credunt Deo Woe vnto the carelesse which beleeue not God Autoph Would you haue such as I am to carrie awaie whole preachings I tell you it is enough for them which are conuersant in Scriptures and let them trouble their braines they list for I haue some thing els to do Philox. Hereby we may sée what disease you are sick of you are one of them which had rather heare from Rome Constantinople or els where you had rather heare Tom piper sing a song of Robin hood though nothing else but ribaudrie than to heare men talke of religion or deuotion in your presence which thing is the cause that you are not acquainted with these matters And to be plaine such as you can make a hotch potche of all religions saying that matters albeit pertinent to saluation are of no weight or else pertaine onely to the learned yea and you think you may apply your selues to any companie to anie time to anie Princes pleasure for matters of life to come and so in the end you passe ouer your liues more dissolutely and in lesse consideration of God than Ethnikes Autoph You set your diuinitie on the tentars if you iudge others whose consciences you cannot search Philox. We haue a rule from Christ himselfe how to decypher and discerne you By their fruites ye shall know thē such trée such fruit The mouth speaketh from the abundance of the heart If we liue in the spirite let vs walke in the spirit Let vs not bragge of spirituall actions and liue carnally For such as are carnall minded haue nothing to doe with Christ nor Christianitie He that will liue godly let him shake off the cares of worldly vanities since the world is an open and opposite enimy to Christ as it hath beene before spoken For Christe himselfe sayeth that the world cānot receiue the spirit of truth neither he nor any his are of the world though they liue in the worlde And it is certaine that Paul the electe vessell estéemed it but as doung But good Lord howe fewe haue wée like vnto Paul in this point he estéemed this world as doung Wée count it a felicitie héere to liue pleasantlie racking our consciences stretching our credite and set our honestie on sale that wee may inioye that which is not worth the labour Salomon hauing proposed vnto him what he woulde require desired not wealth riches reuenues the ouerthrowe of his enimies long life or the like but a wise and vnderstanding heart whereby hee might discerne betwixt truth and falshood Oh would to God we had many in this regard like to Salomon which would more estéeme of heauenly wisedome than of transitory wealth Saint Paul desired to be dissolued to be with Christ wee wish to liue alwaies being made dronk with worldly delight First seek the kingdom of God saith Christ et cetera adijcientur But we either as it were suspecting Christ of rashnesse in promising or insufficiencie in perfourming first séeke the worlde after the kingdome of God by leasure Loue not saith Iohn the world nor thīgs which are in the world Which lessō we learn backwards for we first loue the world and to speake plainly some of vs loue nothing else but the world Praie continually saith the Apostle How preposterously wee deale in this respect who liueth godly in Christ Iesu lamenteth not what small deuotion wee haue to praying praising God for his benefits Who hath eies and beholdeth not If some sinfull and wretched man taking good like to a seruant should bestow on him some 20. markes a yere would hée not looke for thankfulnes at his hands that he shuld come at a beck run ride when occasion shal serue attēd vpō him when he hath cause to vse him wil not that seruant also applie himselfe to his maisters pleasure shew himself thankfull for so great a benefite receiued and spende his life in so good a patrons behalfe If contrariwise he should shew himselfe gracelesse for so greate a good turne who would not point at him as the patterne of an ingratefull person Who can bestowe so great benefites on vs as
not mony it self Charge thē that ar rich saith y t Apostle y e they be not high minded nor trust in the vncertainty of riches but in the liuing God Let vs therfore be without couetousnes Beware of possessing other mens goods restore to euerie one that which is his owne The Lorde hath raised vp to vs most gréeuous plagues against violent possessors of other mens goods he hath and can scatter abrode vniust goods by warres mishaps and diuers calamities For the Prophet Esay cryeth out saying The Lorde shall enter into iudgement with the Elders Princes of his people and shal say vnto them It is ye that haue burnt vp my vineyarde the spoile of the poore is in your houses And Amos in the thirde Chapter of his Prophecie cryeth They stoore vp treasures in their pallaces by violence and robberie Therefore thus saith the Lord God miseries shal inuade thee on euerie side of the lande and the enimie shall bring downe thy strength or riches from thee and thy palaces shall be spoiled For proofe hereof wée sée that oftentimes the wrath of God lighteth vpon them and their goods which are so gotten We sée that they which here possessed thousands are worne out by little and litle now the halfe then thrée parts in the end al runnes at randon and beggerie ouertaketh them So doth Gods curse vtter it selfe vpon them and although that perhaps wealth lingereth at the first God is not that auenged yet notwithstanding God sendeth them diseases and afflictions wherby he holdeth them as it were vpon the racke and forture As if he should say what hast thou done thou wicked traitour Thou hast offended me all the times of thy life and yet hast thou borne thy selfe in hand that all shall goe well with thée if thou mightest haue riches enough but thou muste now bee made to knowe that all the raking vp of riches which thou canst not enioy can stande thée in no steade Thus may we sée what reward they haue which inrich them selues as it were in despite of GOD insomuch that all their scrapings and scratchinges are nothing els but cordes to ensnare them mistes to blinde them venome to poyson them and baites to choke them Autoph Indéede It may bee that for my owne part towardes my olde age when death is about to come vppon me some part of restitution may bee made but as yet I meane it not especially vntill the yeare one thousande fiue hundreth eighty eight be past for they say that will prooue a troublesome yeare Philox. Oh foolish man which maketh account to liue long what is more certaine then death and what is more vncertaine then the houre of death This is a plaine euident token that you haue no part in the Gospell of Christ Iesus Zacheus assoone as he was receiued into the fauour of Christ and vnderstoode the works of truth and equity began to cast his accounts whom he had priuily iniuried or violently oppressed yea hee immediatly without delay not only promised but also performed restitution Autoph It may be I know not whō I haue iniuried But if perhaps I haue dealt violently as I hope you will not accuse me yet by this meanes I shoulde fall into ignominy that is to say by open restitution Philox. O sir you can find meanes to rob the poore without infamie can you finde no handsome way to restore that which is wrongfully gotten without the cracking of your credite and estimation Tush if you meane faithfully to make restitutiō I doubt not but y e spirit of the Lord wil teach you a ready way how to perform so good an intēt w tout obloquy ignominy but if you mean to dally iest with the Lord the diuel can teach you a thousand excuses The best whereof wil neuer set your consciēce at quiet liberty Autoph Perhaps he is dead whom I haue defrauded therfore how should I make restitution Phil. Then haue you y e poore néedy on whom to bestow your riches vnto whō you may deal your vniust gotten goods Autoph How shall they make restitution which haue prodigally spent them Philox. Such fellowes are to acknowledge their faults and to repent them of their sinnes from the bottoms of their hearts and if it come to passe that riches afterwarde increase they ought to be so much the more liberall of their owne as before prodigall in spending other mens Notwithstending who séeth not howe contrary to Gods wode wee deale in this respect He that hath gotten thousandes by that same so vglie a monster vsurie He that hath purchased lands liuing by extortion couetousnesse so if that euery man had his owne he might goe a begging yet neuer hath regarde of restitution Nay he will paynt out his swelling pride and mayntaine I warrant you a port with other mens pence and satisfie his pleasure in the bowels bloude and sweate of the poore mans browes But it were better for thee whosoeuer thou art to plucke downe thy pecocks pride and thy ruffling riote and to consider with thy selfe wherof thou liuest and still to indeuor thy selfe to make restitutiō as far as in thee consisteth It were better thou diddest begge a whyle in earth then to abide the vnspeakeable paines of hel fire for euer Briefly whatsoeuer thou wouldest that men shoulde do vnto thee that do vnto them and what thou wouldest they shoulde not doe vnto thée that do not vnto them Autoph I haue wife and children and I must and wil sée them prouided for according to their calling I thinke my father was an honest gentlemā liued honestly amongst his neighbors he left me riches which I haue well increased am thereby come to credite and countenance in my country in them consistes my estimation for which cause I loue them the rather and as my father dealt with mée so am I also to deale with my owne children That is to leaue them like gentlemen for now a dayes he y t hath nothing is lesse then nothing set by Philox. Fie for shame Autoph what a conscience is this haue you learned this excuse out of Gods booke what a madnes is this that a man should condemne his soule to hel fire for y e inriching of his posteritie Or what comfort is it to a damned soule euerlastingly burning in the slames of hell fire to consider that by his vsurie couetousnes extortion he hath left his sonne a gentleman behinde him who would hasarde his soule for such vanitie since riches haue no power to profite or pleasure vs but onely such that are bestowed in the vse seruice of God and our poore brethren and yet what carking and caring is there euen when we are vpon our death beds for our childrē kinsfolks and friends which time especially our soules are to talke with God by praier and meditation Autoph Would you not haue the father to care for his childe as simple a Scripture man as