Christianitie torne in peeces by schisme and heresie He scorneth the head the more because hee sees the members of the bodie so wound one the other Oh that wee could with the harmony of an vnseparable vnion charme the eares of this Christianities serpent But surely hee will stop his eares to our charming who disobeyeth the voice of that great charmer charme hee neuer so wiselie Thou seede of Abraham thou house of Iacob thou disposer of the graces and promises of the all-puissant I bewaile from my soule thy heauie condition and lament that thou canst not repent What grosse absurdities haue seized on thee of the which beliefe is not capable As for example that God before he built this world exercised himselfe a long time in setting-vp and pulling-downe before hee could learne to finish the frame hee hadde conceiued Thou further sayest that God hath certaine appointed daies wherein he afflicteth himselfe because in choler he defaced thy citty with thy temple and tokens of this his felt sorrow thou makest to be lightning and thunder Thou saiest also that God ordeined a sacrifice amongst the Iewes euery new Moone to recompence the wrong he did to the Moone in taking light from her to giue it to the Sunne Thou farther sayest that he is angrie once a day and then the crimson combes of the Cookes waxe pale and bloudlesse Thou hast also a prophane fable that on a day there being a disputation betweene certaine Rabbins and R. Eliezer God gaue sentence on Eliezers side for which the Rabbins excoÌ„municated him and then God smiling said My children haue ouercome me Thou sayest also that he that gainsayeth the words of the Scribes deserues more to be punished then he that contradicts the Law of Moses the one may be absolued the other must absolutely die Thou saiest also that he is no good Rabbin which doth not hate his enemy nay that doth not pursue reuenge euen vntill death And hee that disalloweth of any thing in these bookes denieth God himselfe What God will doe with thee I know not this I know that no Nation hath kept her integritie but thou Oh would thou hadst also kept thy sinceritie in religion It is more then a miracle to mee that feare doth not weigh-downe the eye-lids of the Iewe when he offers to looke-vp to heauen Neque enim saith Origen deberent vltra coelum aspicere qui in creatorem coeli peâ—â—auerunt et dominum Maiestatis Neither indeed saith he ought they to beholde heauen who haue sinned against the Creatour of heauen and the Lord of Maiesty The Turke conceiueth more reuerently of Christ then the Iewe for he accounteth of him as of a great Prophet the Iew as of a false Prophet Neither hath the Turke so grosse abuses and absurdities as hath the Iewe which whosoeuer listeth to compare shall finde The Turke hath many riddles which rather merite laughter then loathing and for example sake we will set-down some fewe of them What is that which is first wood and afterwards receiueth a spirit into it It is there answered Moses Rod. What woman is that which onely came from a man and what man is that which onely came from a woman It is there saide the former to be Eue the later to be Christ The rehearsall of more of these friuolous fooleries would cost mee much time and yeeld the Reader little profit and therefore I will onelie heere insert one or two things remarqueable in the Turkish Phisiques They hold that the starres hang by golden chaines Againe they saie that a Bull beares the earth vpon his hornes so that when the Bull shakes his head an earth-quake ensues Modesty wil not let me enter into the Turkes paradise where all things are vncleane and beyond measure baudy Oh my God! who is there that rightlie vnderstandes the courses of mans life the curses due to it for the vices of it and withall considereth the variances of religion as also that Turkes inhabite the better halfe part of the world Iewes and Atheists a quarter of the other halfe Schismatickes Heretickes three quarters of that quarter who is there I say that weighing all these things will not welcome if not inuite death specially in this age in which that of Tacitus is right true et propter virtutes certissimum exitium And vertues saith he are rewarded with certaine destruction Vertue looke to thy Essence for thou hast almost lost thy Existence thou hast a Being of thy self but scarce any Being in any other Wherefore I exhort all those who either haue or loue vertue to desire to bee dissolued and to bee with Christ Let them contemplate this that death is the Orient of Weale and the Occident of Woe that is the rising of all comforts and the fall and setting of all crosses Death is the sole sanctuary for sorrowe the freedome from feare hope 's harbour faith's faire field the ending of a bad beginning of a better life Death is not so vgly as the world would make her her lookes are louely and when all the world disdaines desert shee rewardes it Wherefore wee should not with such a fond childish griefe bewaile the death of our friends whom mercy hath taken from miserie As when we see the sunne eclipsed wee grieue not knowing it shall come to his former forme againe euen so 〈◊〉 it is heere we should not fall into womanish lamentations for the losse of them whose bodies wee know shall rise againe who shal see God with those eyes with which they leaue to see the world For though they die to vs they liue to the Lord. Wherefore wee must not thinke that Dauid lameÌ„ted the temporal death of his sonne Absolon but that his propheticke soule fore-sawe that eternall death due to Diuells and their ministers for to them death bringes damnation The wicked man dares not in his greatest passion call to God for compassion but hides himself from his face hauing all his time beene glutted with forbidden fruite If hee looke vp hee sees Gods iudgement hang ouer him if downeward he meditates his graue vnder him and hell vnder it if on both sides of him at each hand sitteth horrour and confusion if before him he beholdeth Perdition his hangman dragging him on to his slaughter if behinde him Vengeance doggeth him at the heeles the least noise makes him expect his pursiuants At last he withdraweth himselfe into his cabine thinking to lock-out Death who in a moment locketh-vp his eye-lids neuer more to open till they shall see heauen gates shut against their master Oh foole reuolt from thy irreligious superstition to a religious pietie neither quake at that whose power it is in thy power to conquer by an heartie penitence and feruent prayer Shrinke not at thy fatale blowe thy death shall be life and that a blessed and eternall one I for my part will account of death as of that which helps me to an vnualued bargaine things eternall for things momentarie
things truelie delightfull for things falsely deceitfull Oh welcome minute that shall free this body from so long an apprentiseship of woe And indeede what is there that should holde or delight me heere except to satisfie the vnordred appetites of the body and vnlawfull desires of the soule But perhaps some wil vrge that I am as yet in my spring of youth which I grant Yet am I glutted and tired as much with the troubles of this Age as a Priam as a Nestor The dayes are alreadie come vpon mee wherein I may truely say I take no pleasure in them But others will reply that I haue friends for whose sake I should desire to liue It is true indeede that I haue friends but with-all such friends as Tacitus speaketh of Et quibus deer at inimicus ab amicis sunt oppressi and they saith he to whom enemies were wanting were oppressed by their friends I long to bee acquainted with my neerer kinred to whom I shall say Corruption thou art my father and to the worme thou art my mother my sister Salomontelleth vs All pleasures vnder the sunne are vanity I take his word and therefore long to see what pleasures are aboue the sunne where the Son of God sitteth at the right hand of his father making intercession for mee and all sinners And thou Lord of hosts grant that when this my last and best day shall come and those harbingers of death summon me to appeare that then I may bee readie and grant also that as at the first my body was willing to receiue my soule so at the last my soule maie be willing to leaue my body Thou louer of soules be thou mercifull to my soule and when mine eyes shall grow dimme my lips black my mouth drawen-vp my browes knit my eares deaf my hands and feerebenummed with cold my pulse beating yet weakely and when all my senses faile me then giue me some sense of life euerlasâ—ing My good God let me at that houre thinke as I do now that it is a thing no more strange to die theâ— to be borne â—being it is an equal law of Nature which bindeth ouer all alike to their first and last appearance I knowe there is some paine in death but withal I knowe that I owe that paine with the vantage to my mother Who as she endured as great paine us euer woman did to bring me into the world so must I endure some paine to rid my selfe of this painefull life of the which I am as weary aâ— a 〈◊〉 of his â—are I shallneuer be truely merry till that day of miâ—th and releasement commeth All ioy hâ—ere belowe is sinfull and almost all delights vnlaw 〈◊〉 according to that of Austin 〈◊〉 lâ—titia est impâ—â—it a 〈◊〉 The ioy saith he of this Age is nothing else bu◠〈◊〉 â—â—punished Yeâ— will I not seeke to hasten the hourâ—â— of my deare deliuery but will attend Gods 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 of life as of a gift If it will tarrie I will not thrust it soorth of doors if it make haste to be gone I will not be he that shall intreate it to abide The time I haue to liue deuotion shall dispose of and my chiefer pleasure shall bee in prayer I will first pray for Christs church militaÌ„t that it would please him to shorten the time of her warfare that so the time of her triumphing may approach Next of all I will pray for all Gods anointed ouer what Kingdomes or Nations soeuer they bee placed and in particular as by the duty of a subiect I am bound for my gratious Soueraigne Faiths great defender Thou Ancient of daies crown his dayes with happinesse and as he raignes by thee so let him raigne for thee and while he defends thy Truth defend thou him from those porte-couteaux For in these treacherous times it is to be feared that his greatest enemies are those of his ownâ— house And as for his succeeder in the throne gratious God let him be successeful in al his approued proceedings that so succeeding ages may sing say his praises Lord shield him rather from secret flatterers then from open enemies and hauing all things let him not want this one A truth-teller I will wish the same to him which Thomas Walsing hamus reporteth of Henry the fift that as he is Modest us 〈◊〉 so he may be Magnanimus in actu Last of all I will pray for my selfe that hee that made me would vouchsafe to haue mercy vpon mee Thou that art able to throw an Angell down arâ— able to raise a sinner vp Lord then raise me 〈◊〉 falâ—e 〈◊〉 the gulâ—â— of sin Thou into Lambe of OOD which dyedâ—t once for the 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 mercy vpon me and seeing thou hast suffered for my wickednes let not me suffer for it too nor cry for my crying sinnes lesus at thy Name my â—â—ee shall bowe my heart bend and all my soule and body be transformed into reuerence Oh blessed comfortable allpromising Nome in which the olde Age of new names and if you will haue it so the newe Age of olde names may be included Christâ—◠〈◊〉 Origen qui 〈◊〉 ill is or is 〈◊〉 apâ—d 〈…〉 Christ saith he who is in those 〈…〉 of the earth â—â—en amongst the Britannes Amen Lord Iesus and bee with vs still to the ends of the world Mercifull maister let mee with my last gaspe pronounce in confidence those words of dying Luther I haue serued thee I haue belieued thee and now I come to thee And because there is no other way to come to thee but by death Lord let me expect death euery where and alwaies not knowing where or wheÌ„ it will expect me and 〈◊〉 me thinke of that often which I must doe once Blessed Maister my will is thine but if it bee thy blessed will take me out of this Age before I bee aged and let this corruption put-on incorruption this mortalitie immortality imperfectioÌ„ perfection and then this impotency shal see omnipotency this nothing all things Oh inconceiueable ioy to behold the Apostles Patriarks and Prophets together with the Kings of the Earth doing homage to the King of Heauen and Earth And till this ioyfull appointed time come the greatest comfort I can yeeld my selfe and others is an allusion which I tooke out of an 〈◊〉 French Writer to weer that as GOD laboured six dayes and rested the seuenth so man after hee hath turmoiled himselfe through-out all the sex ages of the world shall in the seuenth Age repose himselfe in a better world Which he that created the world grant for his sake that redeemed the world Amen FINIS Iob. 31. 35. Sen Epist 62. Sen. de benef lib. 1. cap. 10 Ambros de poenit lib. 1. cap. 34. I Scalig. lib. 1. poetic cap. 2 Scal. lib. 6. poetic pa. 800. 801. Lip cent Epist 5â— Mat. 27 24 Athenaeus lib. 6 Ibidem Annâ—l li. 1 Mat. 23. 3 In Alcor Turc pag. 191. Sen. de benef li. â— cap. 34. A Coward who Mat. 5. 39. â—erâ—ins Gen. 2. 24 Prou 16 Prou. 15 24 Tacit. Annal lib. 14. Sen. Epist 29. Heb. 13. 8 Iob. 36. 14. Deut. 23. 18. Ezech. 16. 33. Prou. 22. 14. Prou. 23. 17. Prou. 26. 5 Albert. Mag. de mulier fort Reuel 14. Iob. 31. 1 Castilionaeus in suo Aulico lib. 4 De ciuit 15. 100. 23. Bernhaâ— Serm. 25 super canticum canticorum Deut. 28 53. Mal. 3. 3 Zach 5. 2. Ier. 23. 20 1. Timâ—t 6. 10. Phil. 3. 19 Lu. 12. 15 Psal 39. 6 Eccl. 5. 9 Mat. 18. 10. Mat. 19 8 Wis 7 Sen. de beat vita cap. vlt. Sen. Epist 26. Sen. Epist 7. 1. Disserâ— cap. 9. August de ciu cap. 19. Sen. lib. 4. de ben cap. 13. Sen. Epist 58. Serm. 1. Mat. 10 34 35 De Benif lib. 4. cap. 26. 27. Lipsius in exâ—mp po lib. 1. cap. 4. Idem ibidem Luk. 1. Luk. 1. Mat. 3. v. 7 Franc. de ver Con. par 2. ca. 2 Socr. in vita Iul. Baronius in paraenes ad venet pag. 9â— Colin â—â—ditionis Agust de baptis contra Donat. lib. 2. cap. 20. Acts. 17 22. Auer in 12. Metaphysi Tacit. Annal lib. 14. Ma. 20. 22 55. episto Cambdenus epist ad lectorem Mat. 5. 19 1. Ti. 3. 6 Tert. de resur carn Psal 60. 1. 2. 3. See the quotatioÌ„s of Monsieur du Plessis vpon their Thalmud in his book entituled Aduertissement aux Iuâ—fs In Alcor Turc Tacit. hist lib. 1. Ecclesiastes 12. 1. Tacit. hist lib. 1. Iob. 17. 14. Eccles. 1. August in Euang. seeun Lucam serm â—7 Mat. 10. 36
which most men are addicted to by nature and fewest freed from by grace For though God hath separated the male froÌ„ the female and disioyned them yet I know not how they will still desire a coniunction The Cedars of Libanus haue fallen this way the Patriarehs Prophets Fathers and our forefathers haue here gone astray Many a Saint hath fallen at the feet of these saints and hath adored their adorned beautie Yet for men to prostrate their bodies to euerie dung-hill and sinke into euerie sink-hole was neuer so common as in these later licentious times wherein money can buy affection Beautie offering her selfe to hire But to keepe yout seruant brisk and spruse that the towne maie take notice of him for a neate compleate gentleman and to feede vpon the answerable report the world giues of him tush this is no sinne No no it is no offence at all to allow him so much for euerie course so causing him to spend flesh for siluer till he become so lank and leane that his legs are scarce able to support their late portly young master going still as if hee were sitting occasioned through the imbecillitie of his hamme-strings and so dry that a marrow-bone-man if hee should boile his bones could scarce get out two droppes of moisture his eyes so hollow that they runne backe to salute his memory least she should forget them and his cheekes dentingin as if he were still sucking at a bottle And now my braue slaue beeing a neighbour to death beginneth to find that all this while he hath mistaken and worshipped a false deity for a true and that therefore though ceasing through weaknes to burne here in lust hee shal euer burne in neuer consuming fire Where is his mistresse now whose praises should bee written with pennes of Angels wings whose drinke should bee Nectar and Ambrosia Hee now must leaue her behinde him common to men that shall one day bee common to diuels It breedeth astonishment in mee to heare a man stile a woman Diuine creature of a heauenlie feature goddess of my thoughts natures vtter most indeuour c. whose body he knoweth to bee compos'd of putrefaction and shall one day come to that degree of rottennels that as she now in the nostri's of God it shall stink in the nostrils both of men and beastes Reason and Religion teach a man as her remembrancer thus to court his Mistress Faire Queene of dust and durt will it please your eueryhower-decaying maiestie after some fewe yeares or moneths or daies to haue thâ—se star-shining eyes of yours eaten out with wormes and the holes become cages for cankers when your delicate mooth body shall be enfolded in earths rugged armes and your soft swelling moist ruby lippes be kissed by her mouldy mouth wheÌ„ your pure red and white shall be turned into poore browne and blacke and that face which hath driuen so many into consumptions shall it selfe bee consumed to nothing Yet for all this our young gentlemen will not forbeare their amorous profane louediscourses but yeelde as much honour to women as to their Maker These men are rightly taxed by a late writer where he saith Quorum sermonis venus ipsa Venus Reason thou bright star which directest the wise man to the god of wisedom thou eye of the soule why dost thou suppress thy clear-shining beames and leauest the soule of man in darknes Wert thou truelie mistress of the minde thou wouldest neuer suffer a commandresse of elaie and clods to subdue and conquer it For take this for an infallible position that Sinne neuer enters the will of man till defect his reason Mens liues together with the states of their soules now-adaies depend vpon the voice of a woman and they are more penitent for one duty omitted towards her then for a thousand offences committed against God For the one they craue mercie for the other they care not but mock at iustice Mors et vita saith Salomon in manibus linguae death and life saith he are in the hands of the tongue Surely saye these doating doltes Salomon in this place mâ—anâ—th the tongue of a womaÌ„ O stupidity of man to come at the becke of a woman stoop at her frownes hold his 〈◊〉 â—rom â—ence 〈◊〉 those 〈…〉 For the first they finding through their daily discourse with men that their words are esteemed Oracles nay articles of faith do challenge to themselues such a freedome of speach as to vtter that without shame which the standers-by are both ashamed abashed to heaâ— You shall see a wench aâ— thirteene haue more auâ—â—city then a man at thirtie 〈◊〉 him to the encounter and 〈◊〉 â—â—thes with him by the douzen They haue so little grace that they 〈…〉 it a great disgrace to blush and that which in those formor purer times was the badge of modesty is now thought to bee the onely marke to knowe a foole by Besides this there is a lasciuious impudency or rather vndecency borne and bred in this our natiue soil which no other Nation is acquainted with I meane a wanton sport in publike betweene man and wife Let mee perish if more soules of our youth perish any other way then this For there are but two estates of men the one married the other vnmarried the one bound the other free so that the one cannot abuse his owne calling without giuing the other occasion on to transgresse in his But whether this kissing and lap-dalliance be through the default of the husband or the wife it is a great offence in either It pleaseth not me though spoken by an Emperour Giue me leaue by the lust of others to exercise mine owne though a witty yet a wicked speech Wife is not onelie a name of pleasure but of honour though our men cannot discerne this but rather answere with Aristippus who being tolde that Lais loued him not no more saith he doth â—â—inâ— nor fish and yet I 〈◊〉 be vvithout them A true beast respecting more the sensuall pleasure and appetite of the body then the harmonie and vnion of the minde A man ought not to imbrace his wife without a flattering kinde of sâ—â—â—â—itie for this publike billing sheweth the way to vnexperienced youth to commit riot in priuate And Cato accused one before the Senate for that he had kissed his wife before his neighbours daughter A short yet wise speech and of a hidden vse Neither by this often and open smacking is shame onelie diminished but by little and little chastitie abolished The verie ElephaÌ„ts crie-out against them who as Pliny writeth make not the least loue one to another except they be couered with boughes Wherefore when the scripture saith Therefore shall a man leaue his father and his mother and shall cleaue to his wife and they shall bee one flesh the literall and sensuall sense is not here to bee followed for beasts can cleaue to one another in this obscene maner as well as man and wife But if the woman be culpable in
locauit oculos adimit aures manus pedes Non moror igitur ampliùs sed velut è conviuio discedo nihil aegrescens As saith he an angry vnpayed Land-lord seemeth to enforce his Tenants departure when hee taketh away the doores of the house vntileth the whole building stoppeth vp the Well and barreth him from all necessaries euenso I seeme to bee driuen out of this body when Nature who lent me eyes eares hands feete taketh awaie the vertue and vse of them so that I canne neither see heare handle nor goe I will not therefore abide any longer but will goe away as from a banquet being no way sicke and diseased Besides this feeblenesse of body and minde there is another inconuenience incident to old age to weet that it maketh a man lesse pleasing not sociable but so peeuish curst and crabbed as that mildenesse it selfe cannot keepe him company His very children are wearie of him and wish him a portion in heauen that so they maie haue their portions on earth into their owne hands Yet he endureth all this patientlie till at last his professed foe Death assaulteth him to whom after he hath in vaine striued to maintaine life against death hee yeeldeth vp himselfe Thus wee see the whole droues of calamities which man meets with in this his earthlie pilgrimage in which hee prooues by experience that nothing is more true then that Italian Prouerbe Questo mondo è fatto a scale Chi le scende et chi le sale This same world is made with steppes One falls downe one vp leapes Who would think that misery wanted so much as an inch of her height Nay who would imagine that this brittle earthen vessell could stand so many knockes and not be broken yes yes there is yet an addition to extreamity a plague is yet left behinde which all the former cannot counteruaile Religion Religion thou sower of dissension and reaper of hatred thou settest soule against soule and bodie against bodie Man who by thee doth excell beastes in knowledge by thee also doth surpasse them in enuie Christ is diuided from Christ that is Christianitie is parted into sectes But this is not contrarie to Christs fore-warning Think not saith he that I am come to send peace into the earth but the sword For I am come to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against her mother in law c. If Christ would haue descended into particulars he would haue mentioned also the setting of subiects against their Princes then which nothing is more common with the Romish Religion This made Parsons that false fugitiue that Romish runnagate raile against his royall Queene and Mistresse A faire equalitie the basest man on earth to write against a GOD on earth Gods cursed against Gods anointed That tongue I dare pronounce it boldly shall burne in neuer quenching fire that defames his Princes name This detracting Traitour with his fellowes would haue all vertues in that which in it selfe is nothing but sinne Omnia vitia sunt in omnibus saith Seneca yet those prying malitious men would haue omnes virtutes in singulis Detractions eyes reflect still vpon her selfe and shee regardeth euer what is to bee approoued in her selfe and reprooued in others whereas indeede she should runne this race cleane backwarde and haue an eye to those vertues which lie hid and suppressed in others and to those vices which are most eminent in her selfe These reproachefull Reprobates should winke at the small faults in great persons and beare away that sentence of Austine Non statim malum quod minus bonum together with that other saying of a late Writer Genus humanū diuinum facimus si vitijs carens If our Elizabeth should haue vttered those blasphemies which some of their Popish Princes haue belched forth they would haue thought that the earth could not stand with her vpon it What if she should haue saide with Fridericke the Second tres fuisse insignes impostores qui humanum genus seduxerunt Moysem Christum Mahumetem That there were three wonderfull impostours which seduced Mankinde to weet Moyses Christ and Mahomete What if shee should haue saied with Alphonsus the tenth of Spaine Si in principio mundi ipse Deo adfuisset multa meliùs ordinatiúsque condenda fuisse That if hee had beene with God at the beginning of the world many things should haue beene better disposed of and with lesse confusion No no our peerelesse Princesse had nothing so horrid to lie vpon her conscience Elizabeth thou glorie of thy sexe thou mirrour of Maiestie and modestie thou resemblance of that sacred Elizabeth look down through those thy Crystal spectacles vpō thy meanest of subiects who in defence of thine honor wold oppose himself againstal mortality expose his life to death for thee I loued thee more then I did all the world or more then all the world could loue thee Incōparable immutable inimitable Queene I am not affraid to say that generations shall call thee Blessed although a generation of Vipers not forewarned of the vengeance to come sting thy reputation and seeke to debase thy euer exalted name The Queene of the South came to see Salomon had Salomon liued in thy time or thou in his hee would himselfe haue come to visit the Queene of the North and being the wisest of men would haue wondered to finde so much wisedome in Woman Blessed Virgine thou restest from thy labours and we labour for thy rest with ceasseless paine striue to attaine to that endlesse pleasure which now thou enioyest Thou abidest now farre enough out of the reach of contumelious tongues and art secure from all that pale enuie or meager malice can charge thee with There is no greater signe that thou wast vertuous then that thou art maligned of all who are vitious For as a great bodie is not without a like shadow no more is any eminent vertue without imminent detraction Mee thinkes that Calumny should ende with the carkasse of her subiect and not haunt the graue till the last bone be consumed Which to effect Solō made a law that no man should speake ill of the dead and his reason was for feare of immortall enemies But they will not sticke to write against the dead who are not affraid to write against the liuing The same forenamed perfidious Parsons hath with little reuerence written a booke against his liuing King O for some coniuring lawes to lay these rouing rauing tongues Is it not a madde world thinke you when euery braine-sick giddie-headed pamphleting companiō shal presume to vpbraide beard mighty Monarchs Wherefore hot spirited Luther though otherwise a stout souldier in Christs Church militant is not to bee excused for his vnreuerent speeches of Henrie the eight of England The mildest tearmes hee vseth are Momus mimus and stultus nay at the length his presumption swelleth so big that he changeth the name Henry into Pharaoh and