nakednesse to the worlde If the reprobate shall haue iudgement in this life and in the world to come to astonish thée if that Ananias and Saphira were guiltie of theft and Sacraledge then when thy commission is good and thy warraunt sufficient and thou hast to deale also with such men I will allowe it Notwithstandinge amonge other reasons that I now remēber laid vnto mée by poore lay men though I perceiue they had good instructers that taught them so counningly yet one among them all in a redde Cappe and a black coate did vere me perlously For my owne part I was amazed and it was straunge to sée a poore fellowe brought vp at plough and cart withered and weather beaten and be shacked in his aray yet to reason so profoundely dost not knowe saith the same poore man that Thelias thwackt the prists of Ball and sklewe them at a Ponde and they were the foes of God and why shall not wee kill those that be hiks enimies Mary masse I trowe the one Skamuel sklewe Ahag hee would haue saide Agag and with that was verie angrye and Spineas he ment Pineas or plainly Phinees did skil a whore as knaue and he iks praysed by god I was afrayd then and rid away as well as I coulde I thought it time yet by his leaue for I am out of his pawes and I haue leasure enough I will aunswere it nowe For it tendeth heather that Elias did kill the pristes of Baal at the brooke of Kison at such time as they had cryed out Baal Baal héere vs c. The ignoraunce of men may appeare therin and true it is an euil scholemaster may easely mar a fine scholer for though these men spake roughly and had grimme talke yet by their trauelling it appeared to me they had a willing minde to atteine sumething And as I haue hearde for that in those quarters there be many Papists I did in verie déede suspect much But I let them alone and God almightie turne them and if these my few lynes may euer happen to come to their fingers I knowe I shall smarte for it Howe euer it be and wheresoeuer nowe they bée I will speake this to them briefly God was then dishonoured the space of many yeares by Ahab his parmission in suffering these Chemerimes those bloudie sacrificers in his common welth And Iesabel that infamous strompette had nourished the Priests of Baal in her house Nowe God beeing sore displeased would haue the Idolaters punished according to his lawe If there be founde in any Cities man or woman whiche the Lorde thy God giueth thée that hath wrought wickednesse in his sight and hath gone and serued other Gods worshipped them The Sunne the Moone c. Carrye him to the gates of the Citie and stone him with stones till hee dye Then that which Elyas did he was commaunded by the Lorde As touching Phineas the sonne of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the Priest that slewe Zambry Cosby it is sayd that hée turned away the anger of God from the children of Israel in the hee was zealous for the Lord of Hoastes sake the is he did it not but by the singuler spirit of God that stirred him And for his obeisance rewarded him For his commendation remayneth in Dauid Then if hée would not bée pettish I would say some thing to this poore Cuntry man the would learn when Idolatry is come to the ful brimme and Magistracie and authority is contempted as Moses was and when thou art commaunded to hang their heades vp in the Sunne that offend the Lorde when God saith vnto thée do this he raiseth thée vp once again I say it is an offence if thou obay not But al these extraordinary examples the wicked men doo peruerte to their condempnation For they take it as done of themselues in the flesh that was commaunded them in spirit frō the lord And wher they accomplished the commaundement of their God to abolish and roote out sin They doo it in reuengement to their owne condempnation As for Samuell that slew Hagag that Heathnish and Idolatrous Prince that Amalechite whom God hated and abhorred and now commaunded to bée slaine For that hée layd wait for them as in the way vp frō Aegypt It was lawfully done For Samuell was a Magistrate and ruler in Israell and hée iudged Israell fortye yeares And ruled them in vprightnes integritée all his life against whom at his death Israel was not able to say ought or to charge him with any thing Then being the Magistrate hée had Aucthority to vse the sword and execute iudgment Which if I thought you wold deny as the Anabaptistes doo I then would take it an other way in hand But wearied my selfe and hauing euen now tryed you I let them alone for this time when occasion serueth and leasure permitteth and God graunteth vnto mée fitte oportunity I will more largely handle it For this time I cease And this it is my doctrine that I teach if thou or any man else shall take vppon thee the seat of the Lorde enter into iudgement condemne thy brother laye in waite for him take vp the swoorde presume to smyte or else any other way indammage him Thou arte guiltie of his blood and the Lorde will require it at thy handes The laste thing which I note herein Forgiue vs our debtes as wee forgiue our debters Is the agreement and vnitie that the Lorde requireth in vs all that offereth vs as it were our saluation in his Christe and inrolleth vs againe to bee duetifull and obedient to others This I woulde it were if so it séemed good vnto his Maiestie more common then it is lesse debate more loue woulde growe among vs For this cause as beinge one that meaneth wel vnto the famili◠of the Lorde and woulde right gladly hazarde that little whiche I haue to ioyne you all in one Christe Take this from mee as a poore testimonie of the loue I beare you Euen a golden chaine precious Emerode that I willingly do giue to linke you and couple you togeether in one Lorde And I giue it in the name of Christe of his church that euen nowe in Englande suffereth shipwracke goeth to decaye and more and more yet like to perish if we stay not on this Anchor and take not holde in his Christe The Perle or Emerolde it is Loue. The Chayne or Iewell is Trueth For if you do remember I protractured out a man not so long since that to my thinking though he was comely ynough in height stature and proportion and able to serue in the house of God yet I lefte him verie naked and to couer his shame I haue giuen him apparell in this place And vppon his rayment hee may hang the two former Iewels Loue Trueth only Let his Robes and his ornaments be Discretion His Pompe and his brauerie Hospitalitie His glorying and beautifying
that créepe so slyly and serch so narrowely the hearts of poore brethren wil one day I trust take more holde of the trewe light of the Lord whose priuate conscience if it were aswell knowen abroade as it is practised in corners they would haue bene cut off long ere this And it is no meruail they busze so much in the cares of men for the liberty the God hath giuen Dauid can snaffle such an accursed Semei if he dissēble not As for the Anabaptist reason if hée giue thée a blow on the right eare turne vnto him the other It abideth not the heat the Sun doth wyther it for if it may bée to winne thy brother to get a soule to God Take two on each eare rather then reuenge it If god bee not dishonored therby giue him thy Cloake to if hée will and leaue all But if the word be defamed and the Gospel sclaundered I say agayne turne vnto him smite agayne spare him not I giue no priuate man to iudge the case let the seniors in Israel heare the matter iudge therof But if thou bée set vpon be betrayed all alone or with others turne thy face again take vp stones to hurte at him reuēge thy cause it is the Lords I aske but a questiō here why did Christes disciples wear swords This is of a truth if it had not béen lawful hée would neuer haue permitted them as Moses when hée saw one fighting with his Brother slew the Aegiptian Such is our case no other Their what may be said vnto the prayer of Sampson for it is his request vnto God the he may be reuēged vpō his enimies the Philistines for the they put out both his eyes Peter Martir is of this opinion the if hée did it with an euill malitious stomacke in anger that then it cannot be vpholden and borne withall for sayth hée Non potuisset magis deo probari quam si expresse dixisset quaeso Domine bene fortunes vel furcum vel adulteriū meum Augustine is of this opinion with diuers other writes to That hée did it by the singuler instinction or mouing of the holie ghost and the pricking forward of the spirite And so it is not a misse to take it For that whiche to man as it is in man from man is nought So by the styring vp of the spirit if we haue an assured certeine token thereof many things may be permitted which is not lawful for vs otherwise to do Commeth now into my minde in what a desperate state they bée that for euery trifle and vpon so slight occasion as nowe is common in our English rufflers spill Innocent blood Oh that it pleased the Lorde to lighten the hartes of men To sée with what price wée are bought in Christe The hande of Caine would not bée so readye at the throte of Abell as it is But now Romulus is drawinge the Sworde and it bée with Remus for the Kingdome Esau and Iacob agrée not Ismaell and Isaak will not dwell togeather Ioseph is ready to bee solde for mony Saull séeketh after Dauid The Samaritan lyeth wounded no man helpeth him What shall I say more The great man curseth the poore man the poore man complayneth of the riche The godly man hée sayth hee hateth him for hee is euell The euill hee flyeth him that is pure in harte hée is not for his purpose Thus euery one hath his seuerall maner eche person hath his reasons no man loueth one another I aske once agayne another question how canste thou pray Forgiue vs our debts when of a certeinty thou thy selfe forgiuest none The makebate he pleadeth for himself his gentlemanlike qualities his stocke and parentage from whence hee came His Hercules hart hee hath can not bee plucked downe for it is not Courtier like Surely more curteous and lesse Courtiars were good for England Shall I speake my minde I would of truth but I feare you of the court Yet must I correcte my selfe I goe awrye for a noble harte is alwayes séene by a valiant courage And Theseus neuer presed to brawle But the field and the Forte to goe to the Baryars not priuate corners to séeke to wrestle in is Gentleman-like And such as séeke this to them I speake To this vnhappy worlde now all thwackt and pestered with graceles men to you all I say the truth I will leaue of my Gowne and set apart my profession for a time and I will reason with you and prepare aswell as you can take your Armor vnto you for of truth if you be not wel fenced I will not spare you This onely I craue that your weapons mine may bee alike For you bée merciles men I know it well enough you would ouerreache mee And my quarrell that I striue for is to you that be Fathers That suffer your Children to spend so long a time in Idlenes and ryot that permit them to bee Courtyars for a yéere or two and when their substance is spent suffer them to be beggers al there life In Rome learning was so muche esteemed and in Aegipt so much reuerenced that Kings were called priests And Senators were Philosophers and Consules were Prophetides their honorable men were lerned men But now adayes the Innes of the Court and London hath consumed so many that fewe are lefte to write or to read or to know almost what God meaneth Is there not a gray headed man to beare mée witnes that whereas they had neuer a Beggar amonge them of Israell wee haue now many thousandes with vs in England But wil no man speake for mée Shall I fight all alone with these Maisterlesse men or dare no man vtter that which hée hath séene That within 60 yeres sithence these Gentlemanlike qualities budded vp two Runnagates for one true man two quarelers for such as accustomeably were woont to bée at quiet are now of late spronge vp with vs of England If no man dare aduenture with mee the brunte hereof such blowes as my youth can afforde sutch doo I offer you and warde it as well as yee can and speake the truth Is not euery Plowman become a Gentleman doth not many a Marriner sende his sonne forth to bée a Courtiar do not men of occupations trayne vp their Children to know fashions Is not the kytchin Boye waxed prowde is hee not nowe beecome a waytinge Boye is not all thinges so chaunged with your disorder that if a Ruffian peecpe out of the thresholde he must haue a Page with him Then truely looke vnto it for there is vtterly a fault amonge you And it is that for which I striue nowe and it is common with you in the Citie Where men do swimme so deepe in blood as they doo No forgiuing no forgetting All reuenging no reuealing their debts come rowling home in their bosome that owe any The daye hath béene that quietnes was so much set by
in Israel there was scarce any weapons to fight withal Nowe our Swordes can not helpe vs our manlynes kéepe vs wee are affrayde of our shaddowes as wee goe in the streetes Your huffinge carrowfing is turned to bloodsheading our freendlynes and familiaritye is turned to enimity Our loue and our neighboring is turned to brawling Nay our Cuppes and our banqueting is turned to murthering I am perswaded before the Lorde that a nomber of Swashbucklers nay euen of vs Gospellers bee fitter to sporte it out with Dalila and daunce it out with Herodias then to come to the Temple to heare Moses God mende the state hereof and giue vs more of his peace and blesse vs with his rest if it bée his wil And send a strong Easterne winde to rid away these Catterpillers that wee dye not all But let them alone the common wealth will bee so weary that what with men for their Sonnes and Mothers for their Children and men Women and Children for their heapes of Carcases that lye scrawling in the streetes they wil be glad eare it bee long to spewe them out There is yet another kind of felowe that I marke and ment in these words of Christ for giue our debts and as the Adder is more sharpe and her force daungerous when she commeth vnlooked for then when wee may a voide her so be these I talke of that lye hidden in the thicket till they spie their opertunitie and then wreake their malice on their brother This enuious man little remembreth what our Sauiour Christe did that when he could haue slaine him yet saued him When death and distruction was limitted for his portion with hipocrites wrought a good worke and brought to passe a full satisfaction for his sinnes And for a certeintie if the wicked man knew from whence he fetcheth this same if once he sawe that vgly shape and monstrous visage of that deformed creature that brought this to the worlde I suppose that for the hatred they owe vnto the Deuill and Sathanas hee woulde from hence foorth neuer vse it And of these there is two sortes One is for his neighbours losse for the euill successe that happeneth to his brother this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ioy pleasure that is takē in other mens mishaps vnfoldeth the inwards cogitations of the heart Sheweth that we be not perfect and vpright before him and it is that the Lorde will require at our handes This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is next followe brother with him that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The seconde kinde of malyee secreatly wrapped within man. For he that is sorie for the good successe of any one though he be a wicked man hath little consideration that the sunne shineth aswel on the good as the hadde And how gorgeous a shew and what couering soeuer they haue to shadowe it with be they well assured the Lord will not suffer it Here it commeth that a fonde affection leadeth a number he hath this man he hateth that man his reason is not to seeke he is an enimie to the gospell This is but the shift of one that halteth and such idle excuces shall not excuse thée at the day of wrath I can giue testimonie of this and my conscience beame witnesse that I finde it true Whether I may accuse the dayes or no wherein I am I cannot tell Refuse the dealinge of some I may for good occasion whose consiences are sore troubled and they dismaied for a péece of breade and a cake and for an holy day That is happiest and counted wisest that maketh religion his warrant and his profession his Canape to dissemble gloriously That heapeth vp riches greedely robbeth his brother vncharitably that gloseth shamefully and walketh vnbrotherly yet will he bee a gospeller and deale precisely I say no more it goeth verie harde with vs when men of conscience in greate and weightie matters shall strayne their conscience as they doe and life and death shal be too little for others if they shall giue place but to trifles That swallowe vp Cammelles and be strangled with a small and tender knatte That lay great heauie burthens vppon other mens shoulders and beare not so much as the weight there of them selues Surely they shall not escape the vengeance that is to come nor eschew the firce wrath of the highest They shall pearishe in the vanitie of their thoughts and consume away at the looke of the Lorde of hostes For they haue not knowen the Lord their maker nor beléeued him in faith nor professed his power nor looked for iudgment neither make they an accompt of his comming in the Clowdes neither take they any héed to forgiue other men their debtes There is other kinde of men that I note héere I put them in the same Catalogue for as I vnderstand they be fellowe brethren and pitie it is to deuide them they be so friendly And these bee sutch as forgiue all but for aduantage will bee lye their neighbours and for their profit dissemble with many and for that they will not shame the gospell take an oth now and then to ridde their brethren out of thraldome and accuse them they fauour not And slaunder them they fansie not and raise vp reproches though they haue suffered the heat of many summers ratle forth their gun shot against the godly Yet forgiue they their debts as they woulde be forgiuen of god But I wishe them to remember not that in Virgilius Talia voce refert curis ingentibus aeger Spem vultu simulat premit altum corde dolorem Nor that which Plautus hath in Trinummo Sapiens quidem polipse fingit fortunam sibi A politike man the worlde nowe doth smile vppon him as to knowe from whence he came that hee is the Temple and glorious building of suche a one as will not suffer straunge merchaundise to be set at sale within his libertie For if the midwiues in that they saued the lyues of young children whose bloude Pharao gaped for were knowne by their infirmities to be but women in that they lyed in so good a cause out of doubte a litle corner is left to these men the are nothing so good as the midwiues were Neither saue they any ones life muche lesse in their beastly and malicious quarels allowed of God. If Abraham founde his reward and Sara his wife agast at Abimelech returned and had the shame for that she said she was his sister knowe first that neither Sara neither Abraham bee here neither is your case a like Thirdly that his weakenes shall not saue your rashenesse Though Rahab the harlot did saue the three men that came as spyes to Hierocuntia and had her reward Notwithstanding you haue erred and that grossely For both the commoditie of them in Israel and the whole lande is to be preferred beefore your priuate gaine and when you approue it by the word of God