forefinger and the fourth part of their goods to be emploied to such vse as is before mentioned And if the Usurer reueale the same first of all other then he shal saue his hand from cutting off And if the partie that borrowes the money to interest reueale the same first of all other then he shal saue his finger his goods frō forfeiting but he shall haue his right eare cut off And if any besides that is priuie to the same contract bargaine doth reueale it before another then he or she shall saue the forfeiture of their goods and shall saue their finger besides euery such a one shal haue that that is his due to y ◠reuealer And if any Usurer offend as is aforesayd the seconde time he shal be deuoured to death with Beares and then he shall be sure not to commit Usurie the thirde time then also hée shall forfaite all his goods to be employed as before sayde And if any borrowe mony vpon Usurie the second time the same partie shall loose his right hand and the one halfe of all his goods and if he reueale the same as is before sayd thē he shal loose but his forefinger And this is y e penaltie likewise of euerye one that is made priuie of the same vnlesse hée reueale it as before is sayde and then he shall haue as appertaines to a reuealer And euery one that shall borrow mony vpon Usurie the thirde time and that shall be priuie of the contracte and shall conceale the same then euerye suche a one shall suffer death But if the same borrower doeth reueale the same first of all then he shall saue his life and hys goods but he shall haue his right hand cut off And if anye of them that are priuie of y ◠same contract reueale it then they shall saue both life and goods and shal haue the due that belongs to the reuealer thereof SIVQILA Oh this were a worthy law for our Usurers if we had this law and well executed the Usurers durst not trust to their starting holes as they doe this law woulde so lincke them that some might be so madde to lende yet who woulde be so mad to borrow and though the Usurer muste néedes lament his losse yet the borrower could not laugh at his winning the lender woulde bée so afrayde that the borrowed would bewray him and the borrower would be so afraide that the lender would bewray him and both the lender and the borrower woulde be so afrayde that they that were priuie to it would bewray them and they that were priuie to it woulde be so afraide that one or other woulde bewraye them that surely in my iudgement there woulde not one Usurer be founde in all oure Countrey within one moneth and then I hope wée shoulde haue some lend their money for nothing though none nowe almost wyl lende but for somthing And is there none in your Country that euer did breake this law OMEN No truely we leade our liues chiefly by the lyne of Gods lawe and we feare a thousande tymes more the breakyng of Gods lawe than the disobeying of mannes lawe SIVQILA But wyth vs are suche as neuer a whitte care for Gods lawe and if they feare anye it is mans law But if the whippe of the lawe be not made of such cutting cordes as will fetche the skinne from the sides the fleshe from the bones and the life from the body they care no more for it than a dull Iade doeth regarde a rodde of rushes OMEN Truely they are such fond fooles that they feare that is fearelesse but they doubte not that is to be dreaded For the breaking of mans lawe can but punish the body a while with some worldly paine but the breaking of Gods will most dolefully painefully and fearefully punish both bodye and soule euerlastingly in the furious flames of Hell fire Therefore they misse the marke much SIVQILA And you misse it a little be not angry though I digresse for you say the breaking of the law will make vs be punished in Hell then I am sure that euery one shall be punished in Hell For euery one from the beginning of the world except Christ hath broken the lawe and though a man may fulfill one of the tenne commaundements which in all points is very harde for him to doe yet it is impossible for any to kéepe and fulfil them all Which law I may compare to a Ladder of tenne steppes whereof though one goe vp nine of them perfectly and well yet if the tenth burst or breake or if he fal from the tenth he is neuer a whit the better for going vp the nine steppes and so he hath such a fall that he is neuer like to reach to the top vnlesse hée haue another and a surer Ladder to clime by than he had before OMEN You haue sayd very well and applyed the thing very aptly but I meant not that euery one that breakes the law should go vnto Hell nor euery one that sayes they can kéepe the lawe shall goe to Heauen Adam at firste dydde breake the lawe for vs all and brought in death Christ did after fulfill the lawe for vs all and brought in lyfe Since which time that Adam did breake the law we that came of him were neuer able to kéep the law yet for al that whatsoeuer he be that beléeues in Christ that is sory for his sinnes hartily repents the same earnestly desiring God to forgiue him for Christes sake and is assured that Christ will rayse him vp at the last day and that through his birth life passion death resurrection and ascension hée is made a member of Christ euen hée I say thoughe he haue broken the lawe shal be saued not be punished in Hel fire for Christs performing of the lawe shall auaile him as much as if hée had kepte the lawe himselfe And thus though the members of Christ breake the law Christ their head for them hath performed the law Therfore you mistooke me for I meant the breakers of the lawe that were not the members of Christ shoulde bée punyshed in Hell it is thys oure Christ that is the sure Ladder whereby wée muste clime vp to Heauen For the ten steps of the lawe was either too rotten for vs to reste on or else to weake thereby to reach vnto the top or rather both that it was neuer able to serue oure turne nowe if the ladder of Gods owne lawe bée not able to guide vs to Heauen can any thing inuented by man doe it no it is impossible therfore whosoeuer refuses this strong stiere of stone Christ and leanes to ladders made of rotten wood of their owne inuentions or of madde mens imaginations surely they wil fal into Hel out of which they shal neuer get againe doe what they can SIVQILA It is so true that nothing is truer but says what you will and do what you can there are thousandes that are so
againe ere you shall finde the least villedge much lesse a whole countrey of such as you name your selfe to be I pray you of what Countrey are you SIVQILA Forsooth I was borne in a famous and most fertile Iland called Ailgna OMEN If I do not mistake it there are some of youre countreymeÌ„ that would haue rapt out halfe a dozen othes in a great deale lesse talke than you haue vttered SIVQILA That is true God amende it whiche vice with many other too commonly frequented was the chiefe occasion of my comming from thence OMEN What and coulde you finde betwéene that and this no good and méete place to rest in SIVQILA No truely notwithstanding I haue bin since in diuers Countreys where gods word is truely preached and many godly professours thereof But bycause the moste part was giuen to gréedy gaine to fraude and flatterie and to wickednesse and mischiefe there was no place for me OMEN Are you so vertuous y â— you may not dwell with the wicked are you so holy you maye not abide among the haughtie and are you suche a Sainct you maye not settle your selfe with sinners Then truely either you must gette you a place in Paradise or a house in Heauen for I thinke you meane not to harbor in Hell SIVQILA The Lorde kéepe me thence and the moste enimies I haue But sir I would not haue you thinke that I take my selfe to be so vertuous y â— all other are too sinful to be conuersaunt with me For so I might séeme to be more Pharizaical than faithful more wicked than wittie more deuâ—â—ish than godly for the Fathers could not flée from theÌ„ the Prophets were present with them Christe the sonne of God was conuersant with theÌ„ y â— Apostles were alwayes amoÌ„g theÌ„ the Martyres remained stil with theÌ„ the Saints in this life cannot shunne them But truely sir I loath and detest such vile and abhominable sinne so much as is commonly vsed with many of theÌ„ at this present that my hearte did euen sinke for sorrow while I was among them OMEN Why did not you returne into your own country séeing you could find no fit place for your purpose SIVQILA Truely bycause I hoped the further the better but I founde by proofe the further the worse For after I departed from y â— carnall Gospellers I came amoÌ„g the peruerse Papists amoÌ„g whom was such Superstition Idolatrie and massing with other abhominations besids the imprisoning racking punishing killing burning the true professors of Christe that I coulde not choose but openly tel the truth their faults Whych in no wise they could abide to heare Wherby quickly I was imprisoned there so punished that the vnchristian Turks would not so haue vsed me OM. How chaÌ„ceth y â— for they name theÌ„selues Christians SI They are christiaÌ„s in name but diuels in their déeds OMEN It is maruel you escaped their handes if they be so cruell as you say they are SIVQILA It was againste their wils you may be sure But as the Lorde deliuered Peter out of hys chaines so he of hys méere goodnesse delyuered me myraculously so you would say if I did tel you how And thus as Daniel saith the Lord neuer faileth them that put their trust in him And when I was escaped their handes I trauelled further vntil I come among the Heathen Idolators from whence I wisht my selfe wyth a good wyl but to say truelye I founde more loue among them not knowing God than among y â— Papists professing God Who thoughe they woulde not beléeue my religion yet they liked it a great deale better thaÌ„ y â— Papisticall religion after I had reuealed y â— maner therof to theÌ„ And then through long trauel I hapned amongst y â— Canibals who vse to féede on mens flesh But God so guided my féete that I fled from them throughe his great prouidence escaped them OMEN You that are men of God ought neither to feare death nor flée from persecution SIVQILA No sir why so did not Christ the son of God which was without sin fear death himselfe haue we that are most wicked sinners a greater prerogatiue therin than he had And doth not Christ say also if they persecute you in one Citie flée into another then if we may lawfully flée froÌ„ Christs enimies for feare of killing we maye well flée from the Canibals that knowe not God for feare of eating OMEN You haue spoken well for the defence of youre owne life SIVQILA I haue spoken but reason I hope Sir al the sort of vs yea the best of vs all are frayle fleshe rather gyuen to defende our life than to amende oure life you must thynke vs to be earthly sinners not heauenly Saintes OMEN What wil you do now do you meane to go into your Country againe SIVQILA I intend to procéede further this waye perhaps this countrey of yours may be something better than where I haue trauelled worse it can not lightly be OMEN Nay you came neuer in the like since you were borne SIVQILA What for goodnesse or euilnesse OMEN Nay for goodnesse godlinesse obedieÌ„ce equitie vertuous lyuing plaine dealing and true meaning that in all the earth is not the like for we haue such commendable customes and excellent orders and so wel kept obserued that you woulde think theÌ„ incredible if you did heare them SIVQILA Wel though my trauaile hath bin troublesome painful and dangerous yet I repent not my iorny for now I hope I haue founde the place that wil please me I pray you let vs make haste I thinke long vntill I be in it OMEN You were beste to knowe firste whether you shall be welcome thither or not SIVQILA I trust I shal behaue my selfe in such order that none there shall mislike me OMEN Wel to be plaine you cannot come there for we kéepe none but suche as are borne and bred in our owne Countrey therefore no straunger can dwell with vs for if they shoulde we should rather learne their vices than they followe our Uertues SIVQILA As you are to be praysed for kéepyng away the wicked so are you to be misliked for refusing the godlye for you coulde learne of them no harme but goodnesse OMEN Speake better than we they may but offende so little as we they cannot And yet if we shoulde receyue any being neuer so godly and honest woulde all the broode they bréede be so godly as they no not so for the godlyest fathers in the olde tyme haue had godlesse children SIVQILA I can not deny that but if you would bée so good vnto me as to suffer me a while to remaine in youre Countrey I would by Gods helpe liue in such order that I woulde not encrease your number OMEN Are you not flesh bloud are you not a sinner SIVQILA Yes truly that I am or else I were a lyar OMEN Then we will not trust you nor put it in proofe as godly meÌ„ as you
thought that the like offendours with you had had the like punishment SIVQILA No no for then how could so many haue two or thrée wiues or two or thrée husbands at once for let thē lye with as many as they will eyther husband or wife yet the offendors thereof shall lose neither life nor goodes perhappes some of the poorest offendors that lacke both money and friends shall ryde in a Carte or be set in the Cage and then after if both the parties consent they shal be diuorced after which it is lawfull for eyther of them to marry where they list OMEN Shall it be lawfull for the fornicator or aduoutresse to marrie againe as well as the husband or wife of the aduoutresse or fornicator SIVQILA Yea indéede OMEN Then is it to be doubted that many do offende purposely and confesse the same willinglye onely to bée diuorced from their husbandes or wiues whome they hate to be maried to whoremasters or harlots whom they loue SIVQILA You néede doubt it neuer a whit for I beléeue it is too true Nay what say you to a foule and filthie fornicatour that founde the meane to accuse his wife wrongfully to defame hir most shamefullye and to be diuorced from hir vnlawfully and marryed a harlot that he kept OMEN Mary I say that the law you spake of is as good for that purpose as can be And I say further it is lamentable to heare it detestable to doe it and moste sinful to suffer it What if scholers by playing the Trowantes myght bée dismissed or released from goyng to Schoole any more wyth their Schoolemaister Would not some shrewd boys think you that had rather loyter than learne play the Trowants purposely then you may be sure that Whoremongers and Harlots wil not sticke to commit fornication and adultery whiche is their chiefe delighte to be separated or diuorced from their wiues or husbandes whome they can not well abide SIVQILA It is as you say Therefore if the foonicator whoremonger adultresse harlots were put to death thē I am sure a greate sorte woulde not so boldly rashly so vnshamefastly and so commōly vse that filthy vice as they do which I feare many take rather for a swéet solace than for a shameful sinne OMEN Wel though it be swéete here it wil be sowre in Hel though it be pleasaunt here it wil be paineful there and thoughe it be delightful here it wil be detestable there Therefore none but fooles wil choose short pleasures for long paines and short solace for endlesse sorrowes Truelye it séemeth that manye with you loue chiefly that God forbids we doe hate This same vile vice is detested wyth vs so generally that if one shoulde séeme to reioyce or be desirous to talke of it or if one shoulde speake vnchastelye or vndecentelye the partye immediatelye shall be imprisoned one Moneth and the one halfe of all theyr one Monethes rente gaine commoditie or encrease shall bée equally giuen to foure of their moste porest neighbors that vse their tongues most soberly honestly and godly SIVQILA If you hate suche filthy and vnchaste talking it is a great token you abhorre the wicked facte and doing There is no penaltie or punishment with vs for suche speaking but sometimes the porer sorte in many places weare a shéete for committing the déede or for getting one wyth childe whereof many of them are as much ashamed as a horse that is in the Pinfold for straying in grasse or corne But I pray you sir what if a maid with you loose hir virginitie or be got with childe before she be married OMEN It is as easie a thing to finde a blacke Swanne wyth you as such a one with vs. Mary sir that were such a matter that it would make al the Maides there so mad that if they might get hir that plays such a part they would teare hir in péeces with their téeth SIVQILA If al that lose their virginitie before they bée maried in some places should be torn with maides téeth of their own age I feare they would be as able to beat them as the other to byte them Though in the most places thorowe straite looking to and good bringing vp of yong Damsels there woulde be scant a bitte for euery one And though heretofore when Gods worde lay hid and vnknowne modestie shamefastnesse virginitie and chastetie was so estéemed and vsed that it was a wonder to sée one maid miscary once in a dozen yeare in a whole towne yet nowe notwithstanding Gods worde be plentifully preached virginitie is so little regarded and chastitie so little estéemed that foure or fiue in one yeare is thought no great matter Oh if we did consider déepely the greate cause we haue to kéepe our bodies cleanly chastely and godly we would not féede them so voluptuously vse them so viciously nor couer them so costly For if our bodies be chaste and holy God the holy Ghost wil dwel in them preserue them and instruct them But mark the naughtines of our nature For if an earthly King shoulde determine to come into a pore mannes house to tarry there but one houre should not that house be made cleane in euery corner should it not be made trimme fine and swéet as might be woulde not the owner of the house reioyce and be glad and partly bragge of the Kings comming to his house Yes I warrant you Then how muche more ought we to decke vp this our body that is to fasten it with the foundation of Faith to place it in the table of Temperance to purifie it through with perfect Prayer to hang it all ouer with the clothes of Chastitie to make in the chimney thereof the fire of Charitie to swéepe it cleane with the béesome of Bewayling and to lighten the whole house with the lanterne of Loue where we are most sure that God the holy Ghost will come and be contente to inhabite and dwell continually OMEN You haue very well sayde therefore all wise men and women will kéepe their bodyes godly and chastly to be a house for GOD and all fooles will lyue vnchastely and kéepe their bodies filthily to be a denne for the Diuell SIVQILA Woe shall be to them that harborough such a gueste for he will harborough them for euer in the vnquenchable fire of Hell with himselfe and the rest of the damned Diuelles and then they cannot say but that he giueth them something for harboring of him Well sir if all the Maydes in our Countrey haue bin and are so modest and chast as you affirme they excel I beléeue al the mayds in the world OMEN I am sure they do so but oure Countrey once but it is long since was spotted with the infamie of a faire yong woman whiche lost hir Uirginitie being vnmaried who did offend with a man vnmarryed notwythstanding they did both weare a whole yeare after garmentes made of Goates skinnes with the hairie side outwarde whereby euery one that
can make you wrye from the righte waye To whome the Iudge said thereof assure thy selfe for I know and it is alwaies in my minde when I sit in this place that though I cannot sée God in heauen yet he sées and beholds me on earthe Doe you not thinke that if the King of our Countrey were here nowe in this place but that I woulde examine all things appertayning to this matter so exactly goe aboute to boulte oute the truth with such diligence and iudge the same without fauoure or affection according to equitie whereby to please the Kyng yes verilye Then howe muche more ought I to examine with equitie try out the truth diligently and iudge without partialitie séeing our good God the King of all Kings and Iudge of Iudges is nowe present in this place and wil not onelye heare all the whole matter from the beginning to the ende but also wil poure his vengeance vppon you if you witnesse falsely and on me if I iudge not vprightly who heares what wée say sées what we do and knows what we thinke For if the painter can sée that makes an eye that cannot sée then God muste néedes sée that made our eyes that can sée If hée can heare that makes an eare that cannot heare then God of force must néeds heare y t hath made our eares that caÌ„ heare And shal not he also that made our hearts likewise knowe what we thinke in our harts yes doubtlesse Therfore take you gret héed al ye that haue to speak before me in this case for whatsoeuer you speake vnto me either true or false you speake to God and if you speake true God wil protect you if you wil speake false then God wil detest you Whiche of you al if the Kings Maiestie were here in the next roome or chamber durst vtter a lye so loude that the King knowing it to be a lye should heare it Then what is he that dare once presume to beare false witnesse against his neighbor in the hearing of God the greate King of all that makes Kings and puts downe Kings at his pleasure who is present here before vs all in this place though not personally yet spiritually therefore now my friend I am determined to heare the trueth to trie out the truthe and to Iudge accordyng to truth and therfore I charge thée speake nothing but the trueth Then saide the same fellowe that came to speake with the Iudge so hastily my Lorde I hearde but euen a while since as God woulde that one is accused before you of high treason Then said the Iudge in déede here is suche a one doest thou knowe him there he standes besides thée Then saide the fellowe of trueth my Lorde I knowe hym not but I haue hearde him as muche commended for hys goodnesse as this his accuser is discommended for hys euilnesse so it may be saide the Iudge and yet he neuer the better nor the other the worse for perhappes you neuer heard him commended nor the other discommended Yes truelye my Lorde saide the fellowe I haue hearde bothe and that not of a fewe whiche I speake here vnfaynedlye bothe béefore the Maiestie of GOD and you And for that we are all bounde to tell the truthe and to defende the innocente as muche as it lyeth in vs. I am come nowe in the feare of God in singlenesse of heart to vtter so muche vnto you as thereby you maye the better sucke out the soothe and try out the trueth But firste I praye thée saide the Iudge doest thou knowe his accuser yea that I doe saide the fellowe more of his séeking than of my desiring Well nowe tell on thy tale saide the Iudge and I will heare thée attentiuely Then saide the fellowe to the Iudge thys accuser here that hath accused this man for highe treason againste the King was very importunate foure or fiue times at the leaste with me to be a witnesse againste him therein and if I woulde affirme when néede shoulde stande that I hearde him speake the wordes he woulde giue me a greate summe of money and saide moreouer that after his death he hoped to haue great part of his liuing whereof some lay very nigh to his house but I hope he shall haue as muche good of it as Iesabel had of Nabothes Uineyard And he promised me also that if he fared wel that I shoulde fare neuer the worsse But I liked his fare so wel that I said his fare was too â—ne for me to féede on and so by no meanes I would consent to his most wicked purpose saying moreouer to him at my departing take héede for you thinke this is the verye waye to winne but beléeue me beléeue me it is the very high waye to loose If he loose his short life here guiltlesse then he shall find his life in heaueÌ„ endlesse And though by his death you seme to liue the richer here yet by this your wicked life you shal procure your eternall death in Hel where you shal neuer sée God nor shunne the Deuil And then he wente very sorrowfully from me more as it séemes by the sequele for that he could not procure me to his purpose thaÌ„ that he was sorie for his sinne Then sayde the Iudge I feare this fume is not without fire it smels somewhat of the smoake what say you that are his accuser to this then said the accuser O my Lord this man that is the traytour hath procured this man with money to saue himselfe by slaundring of me CoÌ„sider this man speakes on the behalfe of a Traytour and I speake on the behalfe of a King Is the King sayde the Iudge so desirous of his subiectes wrongfull death as hée would haue none to tell truth in y â— defence of their life We do the King no wrong to trie out the trueth and to saue an innocent neither do we the King right if we heare not true witnesses against a Traitour and iudge him according to the lawe but assure thy selfe that thy naming of the King whom I reuereÌ„ce shal neither let vs from doing of right nor yet constraine vs to do any wrong We haue a heauenly King here present though our earthly King be absente whom I honor feare and reuerence more than I maye or ought my earthly soueraigne for he is mortall and can kill but the body nor that neither vnlesse God giue him leaue but God our heauenly King that is here present can kill at his pleasure both body and soule for euer in Hel fire Well sir said the accuser I haue two witnesses to affirm my tale and he hath but one to speake on his side and yet that that he hath spoken is nothing with him if it be well considered for he doth not saye that he that we accuse did neuer speake such words of treasoÌ„ but he hath inuented a friuolous matter only to discredit me Therfore I beséech you oh worthy Iudge to consider that the traytour neyther
you know theÌ„ not yet the more happye you féele them not but the moste happie of all that you follow them not If you had béene as well bitten with suche beastes as wel stâ—ng with such serpentes and as wel gnawne with such Uipers as wée you woulde haue knowne them by their name as wel as we By their name they signify Biting but by their déeds they procure altogither Killing and maye I trust you haue you neuer an Usurer among you OMEN No truelye you are as good talke to me in that tongue that I knowe not as to speake that woorde to me SIVQILA Though it be not wel known with you it is a little too well knowâ—â—â—yth vs euerye â—oy or girle with vs can tel you what an â—â—â—irer is â— they are such pinâ—hers that they are able to make Lordes without landes Gentlemen without goodes Marchants without mony and themselues without honestie OMEN These fellowes are more fitte for the Féende than to inhabite among honest men wée stande in néede of none such but if we had any such whatsoeuer they bée we would make them do otherwise I praye you what kinde of persons are they SIVQILA Forsoothe wée call them Usurers that lende out their mony for their gaine who will be sure to haue an vnreasonable interest therfore or else they wil haue the parties that borowes money of them wrayte in Statutes and Bondes that if they breake theyr daye they will so pinche them that they will haue perhappes tenne times more than the valew of their mony which they lent OMEN But will they haue no remorce of the partie if he chance to forfaite his bond SIVQILA Yes perhappes some will and some wyll not OMEN Then bèlyke these Usurers you speake of lyue â—dlely of the spoyle of other SIVQILA I must néedes confesse they do so OMEN Oh detestable trade oh drifte of the Diuell oh snare of Sathan these Usurers I perceyue are they that Dauid speaketh of saying Who shall dwel in the Lords Tabernacle He that is innocent of handes c. And hathe not put his money to Vsurie Then they that put their money to Usurie must néedes dwell in the Diuels denne where there is nothing but woe sorrow dole mourning howlyng tormentes paines wéeping and gnashing of téeth and that for euer and euer worâ—â— without end SIVQILA All the deuises you haue cannot driue it into some of their heads that it is diuelish or damnable OMEN And all they cannot make me beléeue that it is godly and charitable If it had bin good Christ would haue commended it in his Gospell and bycause it is euill GOD hath forbidden it in the old law SIVQILA There are some Usurers that thoughe they take it to be a greate offence doe lighte so muche of their owne repentaunce and of the mercy of God that I pray God they dye not without both Christ bade his holye Apostles Watch pray least they should fal into teÌ„ptation Nowe séeing it behoueth the good and godlye to Watch and Praye if they meane to be saued then can the detestable and wicked Usurers whome the holye Ghost sayeth shall not dwell in Gods Tabernacle looke to be saued by sléeping and slumberyng still in Sinne and to watche and praye neuer a whit at al These are the delectable dreames that the Diuell deludeth them withall Whyche of the godlyest and perfectest men of the Earth can warrant himselfe from sodaine deathe Whiche of them all can say that they can not repente when they will and be forgiuen when they list Whiche of them is able to loath his leude life at anye time Whiche of them can sighe and sorrowe for his sinnes at suche time as he shall appointe Naye whyche of them can saye and that truelye that they will such a day and suche an houre doe suche a thing and thinke suche a thyng for thoughe it be easye to saye it yet they are not sure to doe it for perhappes the partie may be lame sicke or else deade whereby he can not do it and perhaps the partie may be a sléepe whereby he can not thinke it yea perhappes neyther lame sicke dead nor a sléepe and yet maye haue cleane forgot it Nowe séeing the godly men can make no warrauntise hereof then howe can the vile and wicked Usurer and other abhominable Sinners be safe from sodayne death repent when they list be forgiuen when they will or doe what they determine or thinke what shall please them Therefore I beséeche GOD that these wicked Usurers and all other carelesse sinners maye repente theyr sinnes here in time maye aske mercy here in time maye be forgiuen throughâ— Christe here in tyme and not to driue till after they be dead which wil be out of time which the Diuel that lulleth them here asléepe in their sins knowes wel ynough OMEN â—â—â— and they maye sléepe long ynoughe ere hée will once awake them Well let them be sure of one thing thoughe he suffer them to sléepe as long as they liste hée will let them sléepe in Heâ— neuer a whitte Why do you suffer these Usurers in your Country wherfore do you not cut them offâ— SIVQILA We can not if we would OMEN Nay you wil not if you might Now I remember that we haue an auntient lawe against Usurers but it was cleane out of my mynde whiche if it were auâ—horiâ—ed and throughlye executed with you I woulde laye a wageâ— if you hadde ten thousande Usurers nowe in youre Country you shoulde not haue one at the tweluemonethes ende SIVQILA At al aduentures I woulde we had it what is it I pray you OMEN Oure lawe is that if anye lende money and receyue any thing for the loane thereof at the lending of the money or shall or oughte to receyue anye thing ouer and aboue the summe lente at any time after then the lender of the same money shall haue hys right hanâ—e cut off for the first â—â—â—â—used and shall forâ—en the one halfe of all hys goods which shall be equallye deuided in thrée partes one parte whereof shall be to the vse of the King one other parte to the reuealer and the thirde parte shall remaine as a stock in that towne where the Usurer dwelleth whiche shall bée lente as occasion serueth to the poore that shall stande in néede to borrowe vpon a sufficient gage wythout paying of anye Interest at all therefore And none vppon payne of loosing of theyr hande shall lende anye thing to the sayde Usurer for the space of fiue yeares after And the â—artie that borrowed the same money to Intereste shall for the firste time so borrowing haue the forefinger of hys or hir right hande cut off and shal forfeite the fourth part of all his or hir goods which shall be deuided and employed to the vses aforesayde And euery one that knowes of the same contracte and bargaine that conceales the same foure and twentie houres shall loose likewise their
drowned in their owne drowsie dreames so far in fauour with their owne fansies so be witched with their owne wicked witte and so enchaunted with the sorcerie of Sathan that they will beléeue neyther you nor me and no maruell for they will not beléeue Iesus Christ the sonne of God which tels them the same therefore we must be content to be out of credite with thē séeing Christ is cleane out of credit with them And they think they know a better easier and shorter way to heauen than either God doth know or his sonne Christ. Yet a man would thinke that God that made both Heauen earth and is nowe in them both doth know as perfit and as ready a way to heauen as any other it is very like that our sauiour Christ the son of God that was once in Earth and is nowe in Heauen and that passed from earth to Heauen himselfe should know as good neare a way as any man else to Heauen If this be true as it is most true then what detestable doltes what fontasticall fooles and what méere mad men are they that neuer were yet in Heauen nor are neuer like to come there as farre as I sée vnlesse they refuse their owne way that thinkes they know a better waye to Heauen than eyther God or Christ the sonne of God doth But when their awne way that they thinke will leade them to Heauen hath broughte them and tumbled them into the dungeon of Hell then they will crye woe worthe the tyme that they tooke their own way and refused Christs way that they trusted thēselues which knewe nothing and mistrusted Christ weich knew al things and that they did forsake God their most louing Father sled to the fiende their foe and vtter destroyer OMEN They wil so but then it is to late they may call and crie then their hearts out for any mercy they shall find Bicause they would not call vpon God when he wold heare them now he wil not heare them though they cal vpon him I cannot but compare such self-willed and self-wise persons to a certaine foolish trauailer that went to sée a déere friend of his who woulde if he had come to him entertained him verie wel and profited him very much which traueller not knowing the way for that he was neuer there before mette by chance with oue that dwelled thereabout and knewe the way very wel Of whom he enquired the way to his frinds house and then he saide to the traueller if you kéepe the way still on the right hand it wil bring you straight to his house but in any wise take héede that you followe not the waye on the lefte hande for if you doe it will leade you into Woods and Thickets where you will be in very greate daunger to be deuoured of wilde beastes but when the man was gone the trauellour giuing lyttle credite or none to hym that tolde hym the way and pleased more with the fayre beaten path on the left hand than with the small troden way on the right hand and therewith all béeyng more wilfull than wise more rash than reasonable and more carelesse than carefull tooke the way on the left hande which he folowed so far that or euer he was aware he was among the wild beasts who presently deuoured him And thus through mistrusting of him whiche knewe the way and trusting to himselfe that knew not the way he sought his own sorrow and in stead of his good cheare and commodities whiche he should haue had with his friend he made the wilde beastes good cheare with his owne bodye and so for a liking life he gotte a terrible death SIVQILA Yea but whereas this traueller through his follie procured but the death of his bodye if he repented his sinnes and asked mercie of God in Christ yet these witlesse and wilful wretches that walke their own way and refuse Christes way procure their endlesse death both of body and soule in Hel. I pray you sir if I may be so bold to aske you howe are are vnthankefull or Ingrate Persons vsed with you OMEN I cannot wel tel you how for we haue neuer an vnthankefull or ingrate person in all our Countrey SIVQILA Then you are happy you haue not so few of them but we haue as many of them the worlde is growne now to such wickednesse that very few are grateful for benefits past marry many are tongue thankeful vntil the good turne be done but when they haue once got the thing they gaped for they regard him no more than some hungry dogs fawning on a straunger for foode do care for him after they haue filled their bellies Nay perhaps within a while after he will vse his friende as a foe and for his good turne wil do him two or thrée euill turnes OMEN If suche a one were handled as there was one with vs he woulde take héede how to be vnthankeful after as long as he liued SIVQILA Then belike you haue a lawe for the brydeling of ingrate persons OMEN Yea that we haue which if you had and wel executed I thinke there would not be long so many vnthankful with you as there are SIVQILA I praye you forget not to tell me howe that naughty fellow was vsed OMEN There was a certaine good and charitable man did ride homewarde to his house who chaunced to heare one make pitifull groaning and then hée drewe nearer and nearer to the noise and thereby at the laste came to the place where he sawe the same pitifull person saying to him alacke my friende what aylest thou Oh sir said the man as I trauelled this way beyng in perfect health I sodainly fel sicke I was constrained to lay my selfe downe in this place and nowe what with the great cold I haue taken here and what with my sodain and extreame sicknesse I thinke I shal dye and that within a while vnlesse some good charitable man do reléeue and succour me And to tel the truth I haue neuer a peny in al the world and if I had my heart is so fainte my body so sicke and my legges so weake that I am not able to go from this place to succour my self Which when the pore sicke man had spoken the good and charitable man wept for the griefe of this his pore brother saying good brother bée of good comforte God hath commaunded vs that we must loue our neighboure as our selfe and you are one of my worldly neighbours though I know not where you dwell and therfore I muste do for you as I woulde do for my selfe Christe wils vs Whatsoeuer you would that other should do to you euen so do you to them Now if I were in youre case you in mine I would be glad that you should help me euen so I must be willing to ayd help you now And so doing I do as I wold be done vnto therefore brother help thy self now as as
the lyke was heard of For God his déere and only sonne of a mightie and eternal king in Heauen became a poore and miserable man on Earth and so suffered hunger was as it were an abiect was buffeted mocked scourged crucified and killed and all to saue man that before had lost himselfe whose death dyd disappoint the Diuel of his purpose for whosoeuer repents his sinnes earnestly and beléeues that sinnes shall be forgiuen through Christes death assuredly out of all doubte hée shal be reputed for no sinner but shal be a mēber of Christe and bée an inheritoure of the Kingdome of Heauen wyth Christ. Trauayle into what countrey you will and reade all the Histories in the world and yet you shall neuer heare of the like friendship to this Yet how thankfull and louyng are the most of the inhabitants of the whole Earth to God and to Christe his sonne for this his benefite farre passing all other that is for bringing of vs from the Diuel to God and from Hell to Heauen let vs consider in oure consciences OMEN Truly we do so déepely weigh and consider this greate and inestimable loue of God that euery one with vs doth striue to excéed one another in thankfulnesse to Christ and doe those things that he commaundes vs wherein wée are assured we do most chiefly please him But it is possible in some other partes of the worlde that many that knowes it welynough do neuer a whit regard the goodnesse of God nor the friendship of Christ herein SIVQILA Naye I knowe many that when they haue hearde this maruellous and wonderful mercye loue and kindnesse of God to man yet they haue not once in countenance or tong shewed any whit of thankfulnesse therefore yet if you shoulde not name them Christians they would be angry OMEN Yea but if they be no better louers of Christe than so if they be no more thankefull to Christe than so and if they shewe Christe for his paines no more kindnesse than so truely for all theyr Christian name Christ may happe to say to them Away yée workers of iniquitie I know you not SIVQILA It is a wonderful thing that suche a greate good turne should be out of our minde eyther night or daye But marke the fondenesse of fooles If a man were condemned to death and the King by no meanes woulde pardon or saue hys life vnlesse some great Lorde woulde be contente to lye for him in prison ten yeares fast fettered in irons and lye harde and fare euil as the poorest prisoners of all doe all that while and then if some good and charitable Lord should be content so to be imprisoned for him and then to saue hys life what a clapping of hands would be at that Lorde what commendations would thousands giue to that Lorde what a sort of people would reioyce in that Lord what a number would be desirous to sée that Lorde and what a multitude woulde desire to please that Lord yea though he saued but one mans life and did neuer one of them any pleasure Thē séeing Christe the eternall King of Heauen came downe to thys prison of Earth remayning here thirtie thrée yeares and more and suffered death in his owne person moste vilelye on the Crosse to saue all our lyues that otherwayes had bene damned driuels why doe we not most ioyfully clappe our hands at this King Then why shoulde not euerye one commend this mightie King why should not we all reioyce in this King why should we not desire to sée this King why should not we bée most thankefull to this King why should not all the whole worlde loue moste feruently this Kyng Therefore bicause we doe it not what witlesse sencelesse carelesse churlish wicked and ingrate persons are wée We are farre vnworthy to haue such a friend OMEN Truly I am of your minde but if the mā whose life the Lord had so painfully saued should say afterwards that the sayde Lord did not saue his life but that he by some other meanes of his owne escaped death would not euerye one thinke you that should heare him say so cry out of him and saye it was pittie he had hys life Besides the Lord◠that so saued hym woulde not bée verye well contente with hym SIVQILA And good reason but nowe if this fellowe so saying had bene more worthye to be hanged than saued in suche a sorte then what vile varlets are they and what are they worthy to haue that wyll by all the meanes they may blotte out the merite of Christe that onelye with sheading of hys bloude hath saued them and vs al saying they can be saued eyther by their own merits or by some other meanes whereby they turne out Christ for no body which hath done al in all OMEN These are the most vile and ingrate persons that can be in my iudgement they are not worthy to lyue on the earth muche lesse in Heauen They are more méete to bée firebrands in Hel. And I can tel them one thing that Christ will not thinke very well of them that deface his death that he spent for their life that darken his déedes to defend their owne dreames and do robbe him of his glory to extoll their owne fancies SIVQILA Such vnkinde and ingrate wretches I feare are reserued to greater tormentes and painefuller punishements than anye that be on earth vnlesse they repente in tyme lay holde on Christ in tyme and be thankeful to God in time OMEN Doubtlesse Angratitude is a vile vice and more worthy to be punished than many thinkes for SIVQILA And as God doeth detest ingrate persons so he doth fauour them that be thankful as I will shew you by a rare example There was an honest Gentlemen sodaynly had his Thumbe striken off with the shotte of a Gunne whiche when he perceyued straightway he knéeled downe and sayd my Lord and God I thanke thée for if thou of thy goodnesse hadst not preserued mée I might as well haue bin killed with this shot as to haue lost my thumbe with thys shot therfore blessed be thy name thou knowest better than I what is méete for me thou doest all things for the best to them that loue thée And within a certaine tyme after thys gentleman was taken prisoner and was appointed to bée hanged the next daye after and bicause they would make him sure for flying he was manacled to one of his enimies and as God would on the same hand that lackt the thumb But in the night perceyuing him that was manacled with him to sléepe verye soundly he pluckte his hande throughe the manacle which he could neuer haue done if hée had had hys thumbe And so by such shift as he made he escaped And thus by Gods greate goodnesse the losse of his thumbe was the sauing of his life OMEN We may sée how God doth preserue them that do please him SIVQILA Yea and suffers them to perish that are vnthankfull to him as may appeare by