he shal haue sufficieÌ„t to liue on during his life but his counsayle is required and taken in vrgente affayres and wayghtie matters as well as it was before for God not Wealth giueth Wisedome SIVQILA I woulde it were so with vs but truely I haue seldome séene that their counsayle is craued béeyng fallen in decaye that haue in their Wealth borne great authoritie thoughe they were well worthy for their wytte and honest behauioure Therefore wée maye sée that Wealth more than Wisdome goods more than goodnesse and aucthoritie more than abilitie is preferred whiche me thinks is very preposterous For who will estéeme a Horse the worse for hauing nothing but a halter on his head and who wil estéem a iade the better for his saddle trim trappers TheÌ„ if we estéeme a horse for his goodnes and agility should we not accept a man for his knowledge and honesty Wealth cannot make a foole the wiser nor Pouerty cannot make the wise man foolisher For the foole cannot tel how to vse himselfe in wealth but the wise man can tel how to behaue himselfe in pouerty Where wisedome wants wealth may wast and where wisedome is though worldly wealth may decay the minde cannot choose but be riche Therefore it is better to haue a rich mind with Wisedome than a full purse with Follie. OMEN Your words are to be affirmed for truth and as it is commonly sayd they haue neuer an euil daye that haue a good night so they haue neuer an euill life that haue a good death Poore wisedome dyes alwayes richly but rich follie dyes poorely Therfore as one cannot thinke himselfe happy before his happy ende so cannot one thinke himselfe vnhappy that wisedome leades who assuredlye wyll bring hym to an happy end Me thought I heard you say that many with you do proâ—aâ—e the Sabboth day with muche wickednesse as with swearing and other execrable vices May I beléeue you SIVQILA Yea as well as I may beléeue you in many things that you haue spoken Nay I tell you they will not sticke to sweare and for sweare themselues on that day OMEN Then I thinke they will not spare to do it on other dayes SIVQILA Be sure of that if sinfull swearing mighte make the Sabboth day then euery day in the wéeke would be a Sabboth day with vs. OMEN Then it is very like they wil sweare as well for toyes and trisles as for the tryall of Truth But either you haue no lawe for suche or else you execute not the lawe on suche But if such swearers were with vs we would make them leaue their swearing or else we would barre them of their speaking SIVQILA Which way OMEN We woulde cut out their tongues if no wayes would warne them If one should sweare with vs as it is impossible to finde a swearer in all our countrey the firste time he should be admonished by a Preacher or Minister but if he should sweare the second time he should then presentlye be put out of his house least he shoulde bring the plague of God among his neighbours but at the twelue-months end if he hathe liued honestly and without swearing all that while he shall be suffered to enioy and dwell in his house againe But if he should sweare the third time he should then without pardon haue his tongue cut out and then we are sure he may well thinke an othe but hée cannot sweare an othe SIVQILA Oh that we had that law and well executed Well though there be no law for punishing such swearers with vs yet God with horrible and soddaine death hathe oftentimes plagued suche Swearers with vs. Whereof one being in highe fauoure wyth hys Prince thoroughe enuy and malice procured the King to putte his owne brother to deathe for whose death the King was afterwardes verye sorie Which noble man after sitting with the King at meate and spying the Kings butter stumbling bearing a cuppe of drinke in his hande recouering himselfe againe quickly with the other foote saide There one brother helped an other Which when the King hearde he sayde So might my brother haue helped me if he had bin aliue blaming him then for his brothers death At whiche time the saide noble man went about to excuse himselfe to the King by for swearing himselfe before God tooke a péece of bread and said so safely might I eate this péece of breade as I am guiltlesse of your brothers death and therewith he dyed sodaynely choaked with the saide péece of breade Thus was this for sworne wretch with horrible and sodayne death plagued by God that thought himselfe safe from the punishment of man OMEN He had bene better to suffer the penaltie of oure law a great deale SIVQILA It was credibly reported that a lustie ladde with vs a solemne swearer loosing his money at Dice had â—lasphemed God with many terrible othes saying If I had the Diuell here I woulde eate him who had no sooner spoken these wordes but a Spider or else the Diuell in the likenesse of a Spider came downe ouer his mouth whych as soone as he sawe he snatchte into his mouth and so dyed presently OMEN A fearefull example and ynough me thinkes to make euerye one cease from swearing If it were a Spider then it was sufficient to destroy his bodie but if it were the Diuell it was ynoughe to destroy him and a thousand such both bodye and soule Surely it is for want of punishing of offendours that you haue so many offendors and bycause we punish without pardon we haue no swearers to craue pardon Nay Lying is so much detested with vs that if one lye in sporte he shall be punished in earnest for if one make a pleasant lye thoughe he hurte no body therewyth for the first suche lye he shal be reproued for the second such Lye he shall be fiue dayes imprisoned and for the thyrde suche Lye and euerye other such Lye after he shal be banished from the place he dwelleth in for the space of thrée moneths but if one with vs shold make a Lye to the deceyuing or hurting of any or speake a Lye before a Magistrate or a Iudge then the partie for euery suche Lye shal be constrained to holde his peace and to speake neuer a worde to anye person the space of thrée moneths after vnlesse hée shall bée required of some Ruler for some vrgent matter and he shal weare on his Sléeue all that while an H. and an L. for a Hurtful Lyar. SIVQILA But what if anye shall receiue harme losse or domage by his making of that lye OMEN Then the saide Lyar shall restore out of his own goods landes or liuing as mucle to the partie so hurte or enâ— omaged as wil fully satisfy the same if al his goods laÌ„ds or liuing are able to do it SIVQILA But shall the Lyar haue no more harme if any shoulde chaunce to be hurt wounded or maymed by his sayd lye OMEN Yes be bolde of that for
ment to buy so the buying Pastors and Ministers now bycause they haue bought they meane not to giue SIVQILA Some haue Spirituall liuings giuen them fréely yet vse theÌ„ as euill as the rest and are rather fléesers than féeders of their flocke OMEN Then the fault was in the giuer before he had iuste tryall of them but the Bishoppe in more faulte for admitting them before he had true knowledge of their lerning maners and conuersation But if the patron that doth present the Bishop that doth admitte and the Parson that is presented and admitted did déeply consider what a deare price Christ hathe payde for our Soules what endlesse tormentes euery lost Soule shall suffer the continuall entertainement that suche Bishops and Patrons shall haue in Hell at the Diuels handes for presenting admitting and suffering such blinde bussardes or carelesse pastors and the continuall chéere besides the howling gnawing and gnashing of téeth prepared in Hell for euery such Parson Pastor or Minister the Patron then I thinke woulde not present so quickly the Bishop would not admit so vnaduisedly nor the Parson or Uicar would not so rashly enter into such a dangerous office for all the earth nor the whole treasure thereof SIVQILA And haue they this consideration with you OMEN Yea I warrant you for as I tolde you before none are chosen into the ministerie but they are well tryed and approued to be godly well learned of a pure honest conuersation and vertuous liuing and euery such Minister doeth consider that the bloude of euerye soule within hys charge that shall perishe throughe his defaulte that is for lacke of good teaching or through want of reprouing or by his euill example of liuing shall be required at his handes And euery Parson or Uicar with vs doe likewise consider that he shall aunswere for euery Soule so perished through the negligence of the minister by hym so permitted in hys cure And all the Bishoppes with vs are so holye godly and vertuous that they weigh and consider that they shall answere for euery soule that is perished within their Bishoprike throughe the defaulte of anye Parson Uicar or Pastor there by them admitted SIVQILA O most happy countrey that hath such blessed Bishoppes O most blessed people that haue such precious Pastors if all Bishoppes Pastors and Ministers had such a consideration as they haue there would not be such gaping snatching procuring wayting suing flattering crowching writing riding poasting giuing rewarding and promising for spirituall liuings as now is Nay they woulde rather flye from them than thus to follow them O méere madnesse to desire our destruction to pay for oure paine and to séeke our owne sorrow If one might haue a Farme for the space of one and twenty yeres without paying of any rent all that while vpon coÌ„dition that he should be hanged at the ende of the sayde yeares might not he be counted a very noddy that woulde pay suche a fine for a Farme truly then he might rightly be thought to be starke staring madde and cleane out of his wittes that will sue paynefully and labour earnestly to haue a benefice to lyue ydlely and loytringly all his life to pay the fine of damnation for euer therefore after his death in Hell fire where there is payne without pleasure sorrow without succour mourning without measure and miserie without mercie OMEN Cal you these fines they are proper fines indéed they may more properly be called fines than the fines now daily giueÌ„ for Farmes for they make a final end of al. A maÌ„ were better to pay a good round fine at his coÌ„ming in than to pay suche a fine at his going out this is the common fine that all Idolaters vsurers whoremoÌ„gers harlots bauds swearers druÌ„kards théeues and such like wicked persons shall paye to the Diuell after their death for occupying of their trade he is not so hastie in taking his fines as manye Landlords are now adayes What can a man desire more thaÌ„ to occupy a thing fréely during his life the â—surers dare not for their eares lend their mony to interest vpon so long a day for if they should y â— borrowers would not be so bare nor the lenders so rich Wel though the Diuel suffer so loÌ„g yet he will pintch them home in their payments at length SIVQILA A dolefull thing to consider these fines a lameÌ„table thing to remember these fines but a most horrible thing to pay these fines There is an ende of earthlye payments fines and vsuries but the fines and vsuries to the Diuell shall euer be a paying and neuer payde OMEN A common saying A day will come shall paye for al but when this day comes it wil pay home for al therefore séeing the great goodnesse of God can not moue vs the wonderful friendship of Christe cannot procure vs nor the straunge examples of our warning can allure vs yet mée thinkes euerlasting damnation with the féendes in hell fire should feare vs. OMEN I doubte there are some whyche eyther thinke there is no Hell at all or else that God is so mercifull that hée wyll suffer none bée they neuer so Wicked to come there SIVQILA If anye suche bée they haue eyther exercysed themselues very little in the Scriptures or else they gyue very small credite to it If they will credite Christe who is well worthye to be beléeued then they cannot be doubtfull but that there is a Hell for he sayeth Whosoeuer sayth thou foole shall be in daunger of Hell fire and he sayeth againe It is better for thee that one of thy members perishe than all thy body shoulde be caste into Hell What néede I recite the wordes of the Prophets or Apostles that in diuers places name Hell If any be so incredulous that they will not beléeue Christe they will hardelye beléeue eyther Prophet Apostle or any other But I will promise them one thing whosoeuer wyl not beléeue Christe nowe they shall beléeue him agaynste theyr wylles at the laste daye at whych tyme he wil saye Goe yee wicked into euerlasting fyre prepared for you from the begynnyng And then with al the mighte and power they haue let them proue hym a lyar or wythstande him if they can No no hée wil be too hard for them there for though the Iewes ouermatcht hym here with hys wyl he wil ouermatch them al his enimies there against their wils As there is a God that will protect and defend the godly so there is a Diuel yea a maister Diuel besides manye thousandes of other Diuels that will torment and punish the wicked And as there is a heauen where the godly and faithful beléeuers shall haue euerlasting ioy and pleasure so there is a Hell where the wicked and infidels shall haue endlesse sorrowe and paines or else if there were no Hell where shoulde the dyuel with al his vnder diuels kéepe hys residence not in
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
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