Therfore there is not so much ioye in climing vpward as there is sorrow in falling hard downward nor so much roume after victory as after ruine reproch of follie Therefore bee sure with what measure is mette to others the same to be measured againe If these sentences had bene and were of the enemies of Gods Gospell well cōsidered truly they would not haue shewed so much crueltie in shedding so much innocent bloud as they haue done and continually seeke to do What should hee that is strong auaunt of his strength whō bodily sicknes bringeth to feblenes Therefore in tyme foresee and amend if not the fall will bee the greater Concerning a further setting forth of the Romish Church and crueltie I referre it to other authors which speake therof sufficiently Great griefe assailes the Lecherous minde of such as doth the youth alure More worse then beastes I do thē finde such youth to lechery to procure ¶ The signification THe Goate signifieth Lechery the woman Whoredome◠she which leadeth the Goate by the beard is meretrix the baude and the deuill Nicticorax a blinde guide or deceauer LEchery in all estates is vtter enemie to vertue and an offence to the body It causeth all mischiefe discorde not only betwixt mā and wife but also it engendreth dreadfull hate endlesse destructiō both to the body liuing and also to the soule euerlasting Ualerius in his 4. boke declareth of one Sophonides who in hys old age sayd to one which demaūded of hym if he were any thyng lecherous His answere was willing hym to haue other matters to speake or talke of for sayth he I haue had great victory for that from my tyme to thys present I haue vanquished that which otherwyse would haue vanquished me Looke in the 34. chapter of Genesis and there is manifestly shewed the punishment for adulterers When Dina the daughter of Lea which she bare vnto Iacob went out to see the daughters of the land whom when Sichem the sonne of Hemor the Heuite Lord of that countrey sawe he toke her and lay with her and forced her And when Iacob heard that hys daughter Dina was defiled hee with his sonnes ceased not to auenge the crime committed so that Simeon Leui her brethren toke either of them hys sworde and went into the citie and slue all that was male and also Hemor and Sichem hys sonne c. Looke also in the second booke of the Kinges the 13. chapter of Ammon who for defiling of hys sister Thamar was destroyed by hys brother Absolon Consider also the horrible plage that fell vnto those which had cōmitted horrible adultery with the Leuites wife looke in the 20. chapter of the Iudges Moreouer what was the cause of the Lordes threatning agaynst the Niniuites It was for the wicked sinne of whoredome Who caused Ioseph to be imprisoned Euen the lecherous desire of his mistresse as it appeareth in the 39. chapter of Genesis Therefore lechery doth not onely cause offence by actuall deede but also in inward thought to such as doe desire the same Looke in Math. 5 Who so looketh on a woman and lusteth after her hath committed adultery already in his hart Flie from sinne as thou wouldest flie from a Serpent if not bee thou sure what soeuer thou bee not to haue fellowship with the faythfull Worse then a Pharesite I may them call which lawfull mariage doth disdaine And seekes the truth to bring in thrall all such doth Sathā quit their paine ¶ The signification THe Fryer is Fallax the Nunne Dedecus the deuill in the tree superstition and the other deuill Dicax a reprocher of wickednes and a rayler agaynst the veritie FOrnication ought to bee eschewed Looke in the 1. Corinth 10. chapter The people satte downe to eate drinke and rose vp to play Neither let vs be defiled with fornication as some of thē were defiled with fornication and fell in one day xxiij thousand Therefore to auoyde whoredome let euery man haue his owne wife and let euery woman haue her husband Euery sinne that a mā doth is without the body But he that is a fornicator sinneth agaynst hys own body Wedlocke is to be had in honour amōg all mē the bed vndefiled As for whorekepers adulterers God will iudge There goeth a common saying that there is fornication among you and such fornication as is not named among the Gentiles that one should haue hys fathers wife And ye swell and haue not rather sorrowed that hee which had done thys deede might bee put from among you Therefore flie thys horrible sinne and as for such as will cōdemne the lawfull estate of Matrimonie and honest mariage of godly Ministers such chaste and maidenly prelates of their doinges shall bee shewed as followeth in the fourth part of this treatise of Lecherie Fornication is enemie to God and enuieth vertues It consumeth all substance and deliteth in the appetite present it letteth that a man can not thinke on pouertie which is not long absent If we will consider the excellencie of mans nature and the dignitie therof we shall well perceaue how foule and dishonest a thyng it is to bee resolued in fornication and to liue wantonly Contrarywyse how honest and fayre a thyng it is to liue temperately continently sadly and soberly When Dauid the King by sight had desired the wife of Vrias to fulfill hys lust He was by the Prophet therfore reproued Vrias in the forward being slaine first ¶ The signification THese two armyes signifieth the striuing of the fleshe agaynst the spirite all worldlynes is confounded and happy is he that fighteth by fayth diuine vnto the end AS in the two chapters of Lechery and fornicatiō is described the wretchednes of y e horrible sinne so in adultery and rape shall be rehearsed y e wonderfull calamities and losse of countreyes with the ouerthrowing of kingdomes to the cleane secludyng or cutting of of all such as haue bene maintainers of the same Adulterie is the violation of the fayth promised in mariage the which thing is forbidden vs Thou shalt not breake wedlocke Adulterers are stoned to death Susanna had leauer die then to committe adultery with the two false Iudges Adultery is cause of procuring of other mens death as it appeareth in the xj chapt of the second boke of Kinges Dauid the King cōmitted adultery with Bethsabe the wife of Urias the Hethite and also caused Urias to be put to death being slaine in y e forefrunt of Ioabs hoste The Prophet Nathan being sent of the Lord reproued the king because of his wickednes Also S. Iohn the Baptist reproued Herode for lying with his brother Phillips wife saying It is not lawfull for thee to haue her An harlot will make a man to begge his bread and a woman will hunt for the precious life All bread is sweete to a whoremonger hee will not leaue of till hee haue his
purpose So lykewyse the wylie craftes of Sathan doth so stirre the mindes of the disobedient sort that they are careles minding neither to amend their folly nor suffer others to auoyde the same but headlong goeth forth in the demonaicall lawes as brute beastes and at no tyme satisfied Prouerbes 23. A whore is a deepe graue and an harlot is a narrow pi◠She lurketh like a theefe and bringeth vnto her such mē as be full of vice ¶ The signification THese foure sitting banqueting signifieth fleshly delight and the fift which is apparelled lyke a woman with a cup in her hand and whose legges are like vnto a Serpent is called Philogines a louer of Lechery the cup horrour the legs destruction the men fighting murder and hell the place for such offendors whose continuannce is endles WHen man is geuen to the Sodomicall lust then cōmeth misery to the body sorrowe to the life death to the soule S. Paule in his Epistle to y e Romaines sayth that to delight in other mens sinnes is greater offēce then to sinne thy selfe Therfore as y e sinne is horrible to hym that offendeth so is it more greuous to those that are maintainers of the same That which thou art ashamed to speake bee also ashamed to thinke Euill thoughtes bringeth euill factes whereof ensueth greuous offence What was the cause that the Prodigall sonne came to such misery Because he delighted to company with harlottes and inordinate liuers Sodome and Gomorra were destroyed because of adultery lechery fornication rape and inuiolate rauishing which is most horrible What mischiefe fell among the Romaines after that Tarquinus Sextus had violated Lucrecia by hys Sodomicall will Hee was vtterly exiled and neuer after was there any kyng and she after for sorrowe slewe her selfe What monstrous slaughter fell among the Troyans Grecians Fyrst the Grecians rauished Hesiona the daughter of Laomedon king of Ilion And Priamus stale away Helane the wife of Menelaus king of Lacedemonia whereof came the vtter ruine and destruction of Troy Let these few examples guide thee from all such mischiefes Where murther is suffered not seene to in time There mischiefe encreaseth and bringeth to woe All such as to Backus doth honour diuine Shall soone bee bereft their goods to forgoe ¶ The signification THese which are fightyng signifieth incontinence he which is slaine hazarde and death and the one which goeth out with hys sword in hys hand audax one past grace or a murtherer IN the xxvj yeare of Asa King of Iuda beganne Ela the sonne of Baasa to raigne ouer Israell in Thirza ij yere And hys seruant Zimri which was captaine of halfe his Chariots conspired agaynst him as hee was in Thirza drinking and was dronken in the house of Arza steward of his house in Thirza And Zimri came and smote hym and killed hym in the xxvij yeare of Asa King of Iuda and raigned in hys stead Amon being dronken was slaine of his brother Absalon Also Holofernes was slaine by Iudith in hys dronkennes as it appeareth in y e xiij of Iudith Noe being dronken was mocked of hys sonne Cham. Also Polyphemus a monstrous Gyant was in hys dronkennes destroyed by Ulissis Therfore dronkennes doth not only surfet the body for a time but also breedeth extreme malady maketh a man to forget reason and causeth bloudshed wilfull murder so y t it is not onely a griefe to the body in thys world but also an endles sorrow in the world to come When y e Philistines had gotten Sampson also had determined to haue bene mery to see Sampson to play before thē he being blind they reioyced in their God Dagon beleuing y t he had deliuered Sampson into their handes they being in their iollitie were by Sāpson sodainly destroyed in shaking their house all to peces vpon thē Drunkardes shall not possesse the kingdome of heauē c When gredy glotony seketh his ease forsaking true labour which is most fitte Then followeth Podagra with her disease to vtter ruine she doth them knitte ¶ The signification THe woman is Podagra the naked man with the barrell on his legge is Prodigus the other with the grapes in his hand is rauin the cordes are force to destruction and are led by Podagra the gowte WHat thing in a mā is best Reason For by that he goeth before beastes and followeth the Gods wherefore a perfecte reason is that good which properly belongeth to man all other thinges is to hym common with beastes if he bee strong so is the Lyon if he be fayre so is the Pecocke if he be swift so is the horse I do not say y t in euery of these things the other surmounteth hym for I seke not that thing which is most excellent in hym but that which is his owne and belongeth properly to hym for as he hath substance so hath the trees and as he hath voluntary mouing in lyke wyse hath not onely the beastes but also the wormes if he haue a voice so hath dogs and much louder the Egles more sharpe and perching the Bull much greater the Nightingale sweter Thē what thing properly is a mans owne surely reason for that being in the right course perfect maketh a man full of felicitie A drunken workeman shall neuer bee rich and he that setteth nought by a little shall by a little and a little come vnto nothyng Wine inordinately taken troubleth mans reason maketh dull vnderstanding and corrupteth the body and engendreth noysome diseases as the goute empostum plurisies caterns palsies dropsies with such lyke and also infebleth remembraunce sendeth in forgetfulnes poureth in errours bryngeth forth sluggishnes When prelates to wyne doth geue their delight To vanquishe truth which shines so cleare Then followeth death with all thys might Them to prouent and payes their hyre ¶ The signification THe Priest signifieth Newter neyther hoate nor colde the man in the barrell vnsatiable desire the bookes torne vnwrittē verities the Nunne light credence in beleuing the same HOw sufficient vnto a learned man is a small quantitie of wine so that in sleepe he shall not bee sicke therof nor feele any paine Lecherie wine and sacietie consumeth all wysedome Take heede to your selues least your hartes bee ouercome with surfetting and drunckennes and cares of this life and so the day come vpon you vnwares Be not greedie in euery eating and bee not to hastie vppon all meates For excesse of meates bryngeth sicknes and gluttonie commeth at the last to an vnmeasurable heate Take heede therefore that ye walke circumspectly not as vnwise but as wise men redeeming the tyme because the dayes are euill Wherfore bee ye not vnwise but vnderstand what the will of the Lorde is and bee not drunken with wine wherein is excesse It is not I say for kinges to drinke wine excessiuely nor princes stronge drinke for
shalt put thine hand with y e wicked to be an vnrighteous witnes The law doth forbid to iudge of a man except he be knowne to be such a one as hath bene before either an extorcioner or a periured person or such a one as hath bene before an vtter enemy to all good lawes and orders he that iudgeth his brother iudgeth the law What art thou that iudgest an other Go to now ye that say to day and to morrow let vs go into such a citie and continue there a yere and buy and sell and winne and yet cannot ye tell what shall happen on the morrow for what thing is your lyfe it is euen a vapour that appeareth for a little tyme and then vanisheth away for that ye ought to say if the Lord will and if we lyue let vs do this or that but now ye reioyce in your bostinges all such reioysings is euill therefore to hym that knoweth how to do good and doth it not to hym it is sinne he that backbiteth or iudgeth his brother doth iudge the lawe to be euil for the law forbiddeth so to do He that knoweth and yet doth not is without excuse for God hath promised no mercy but to thē that wil do their good will Herein is not onely an excellent admonition vnto worldly iudges but also among all estates so that whatsoeuer he be that by any meanes goeth about to dislike or misuse vnto that person is promised the iust iudgement of God the which hath power to destroy both body soule Thou shalt not fauour y e poore nor honour the mighty but in righteousnes thou shalte iudge thy neighbour thou shalt not go vp and doune as a priuy accuser among y e people neither shalt thou stand against the bloud of thy neyghbour that thou beare no sinne for his sake My sonne forget not thou my law but see that thine hart kepe my commaundements let mercy and faithfulnes neuer go from thee bynd them about thy necke and write them in the tables of thine harte so shalt thou fynde fauour and good vnderstandyng in the sight of God and man Deliuer him that suffreth wrong from the hand of y e oppressor and be not faint harted when thou sittest in iudgement Be mercifull vnto the fatherles as a father be in stede of an husband vnto their mother so shalt thou be an obedient sonne of the highest and he shall loue thee more then thy mother doth At the mouth of two or thre witnesses shall he that is worthy of death dye and at the mouth of one witnes let no man die Beware of bribery and giftes for rewardes and giftes blynde the eyes of the wise and make him domme that he cānot tell men their faultes The Kite in the ayre knoweth her tyme the turtle the Storke and the swalow do come at their seasons my people knowe not theyr lordes iudgemēt A good man will not in his frendes cause do against a weale publike against hys othe nor agaynst the trust which is put in hym for he layeth aside the personage of a frend when he taketh on hym a iudges office The emperor Alexander would neuer suffer to be solde the office of a iudge or great authoritie in y e execution of lawes saying nedes must he sel that doth buy And I wil not let that there shal be merchants of gouernance which if I do suffer I may not condemne for I am ashamed to punish a mā that buyeth and selleth Themistocles being the chief iudge in Athence when there came to hym a great musitian which desired of hym a thyng somewhat against iustice Themistocles aunswered if in singing thou doost not regarde number and tyme thou art not worthy to be called a good musitian nor I a good Iudge if I would preferre before the lawes the priuate fauour of any one person The children of Israell cried out vnto Samuell against his two sonnes the whiche he had made to be rulers of his people because they did peruert y e law and were corrupt with rewardes whose names were Ioell and Abia and required a kyng consider the misery the which hath alwayes happened among cruel and tyrannous iudges and also the happy successe of good godly maiestrates Iudges and other officers and then may it plainely be perceiued to whome Gods mercy is shewed for as he is a god of truth so is he also in vsing hys iustice to the wicked damnation and to the other most happy saluation ⧠The description of Veritie CHrist is the truth and he is also called the spirite of truth not onely because he is true but bicause he maketh y e name into whome he entreth true where as all they do without the spirite is none other thing but lies Also S. Peter saith that all diligence ought to be shewed among christians And hereunto geue all diligence in your fayth ministryng vertue in vertue knowledge in knowledge temperaunce in temperance pacience in pacience godlines in godlines brotherly kindnes in brotherly kindnes loue for if these thinges be among you are plenteous they will make you that ye neyther shall be idle nor vnfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ. But he y t lacketh these things is blinde and gropeth for the way with his hand and hath forgotten that he was purged from hys olde sinne as many as lacketh these and such like workes are blynde and vnderstandeth not what the faith of Christ meaneth and also without the mercy of Iesus Christ are vtterly secluded from all heauenly felicity which felicitie cannot be gotten of suche with out harty prayers in the tyme of this transitory abode vpon earth and as many as haue in them the motions of these godly and fruitfull vertues may be most assured to be the very elect and that they haue the true faith so long as they cōtinue therin no state no time no florishing power no monarchie nothyng within the circuite of the whole earth may once be compared to the prosperous estate and endeles felicitie of those and such as haue and do obey the liuing God Of Veritie The signification HE which sitteth on the raynebowe signifieth Christ and the sworde in his hande signifieth his wrath against the wycked the round compasse the worlde and those two climing the one a Pope and the other a Cardinall striuyng who shall be higheir and the Diuell which falleth headlong downe is Lucifer whiche through pride fel he which holdeth the world is death standing in the entrance of hell to receyue all such superbious liuers Hezekiah the sonne of Ahaz kyng of Iuda did raigne fiue and twenty yeares olde was he when he beganne to raigne and raigned nine twenty yeares in Ierusalem and he dyd that whiche was right in the syghte of the Lorde and therefore the Lorde prospered hym Teache me and I will holde my tounge and when I doo erre shewe me
Sommer and haue nothing Delight not thou in sleepe least thou come vnto pouertie but open thine eyes that thou mayest haue bread Thus gentle reader mayest thou see the mischiefe and vnhappines that ensueth sloth When Eneas came from the siege of Troy hee ariued in Carthage there for a tyme to solace hym selfe and as he walked y e Quene of Carthage whose name was Dido espying y e comely personage of Eneas was therwith inflamed And when they had talked togethers and sociated them a certaine space the sayd Eneas departed into Italy and there was long tyme absent from the presence of Dido who waxed displeasant at his sloth and forgetfulnes saying that the cause of hys absence without spedie returne would be cause of her death Eneas not regarding the letter that Dido sent but being loth to iourney remayned still in Italy In the meane tyme Dido slue her self and whē Eneas knew of her death then he lamented y t he had not come before her death Some writers say that Dido builded Carthage and Eneas was dead iij. C. yeares before the buildyng of Carthage therfore it was not that Eneas but some other S. Augustine writeth of y e same Confessionum in fine Great griefe it is the learned to see in slothfull rest to spend their dayes Such may be likened to dronebees that sucke the sweete and go their wayes ¶ The signification HE which rydeth on the Asse signifieth sloth as well amōg the chiefest as among the lowest the Fryers weede and Beades signifieth hypocrisie and lothsomnes of the truth SLoth among the spiritual is much to be reproued spokē of in all such as do not thankfully apply the giftes that God geueth thē to their brothers profite From such God wil take hys giftes will make thē voyde of al ghostly vnderstāding The kingdome of heauen is lyke vnto x. virgins which tooke their lampes and went to meete the bridegrome Fiue of them were folishe and v. were wise The folishe tooke their lampes but tooke no oyle with them But the wyse tooke oyle with them in their vessells with their lampes also While the bridegrome taried they all slumbred and slept And euen at midnight there was a cry made beholde the bridegrome commeth goe out to meete hym Then all those virgins arose and prepared their lampes And the folish sayd vnto the wise geue vs of your oyle for our lampes goe out But the wise aunswered saying not so least there bee not inough for vs and you but goe ye rather to them that sell and bye for your selues And while they went to bye the bridegrome came and they that were readye went in with hym to the wedding and the gate was shut vp Afterwardes came also the other virgins saying Lord Lord open to vs. But he answered sayd verely I say vnto you I know you not Watch therefore for ye know neither the day nor the houre when the sonne of man shall come The lampes signifie such dead fayth as S. Iames declareth to bee in deuills and rotten trees which bring forth no fruite We ought alwayes so to liue euen as though we should depart presently Enuie seeketh where to finde to hurt hys neighbour if he can And neuer ceaseth but to purloyne which hath bene the vndoing of many man ¶ The signification THese two mē signifieth the one a true labourer the other an enuious deceauer he which soweth the ground is diligēce of mind in sowing the seedes of veritie but he which stādes pouring the corne into the water signifieth a deceatfull person seeking by all meanes to waste and spoyle the seedes of veritie the byrdes signifie the faythfull followers of the veritie ENuie ought to be put out frō all men for by enuie many men cōspire their owne death and come to vtter destruction Example of Caine that slue hys brother Abell and therefore the Lorde sayd to Caine Now art thou cursed from the earth c. By enuie Ioseph was solde of hys brethren into Egypt Thorowe enuie Saule would haue slaine Dauid with a Iauelinne but Dauid escaped and fled from hym Who made Daniell to bee cruelly entreated but onely enuie For when Darius had ordayned a C. xx Lordes which should be in all his kingdome amongest whō was Daniell which exceeded all the reast of the Lordes for the spirite of God was with hym so that y e kyng was minded to set hym ouer the whole realme Wherfore the princes Lordes sought to picke out in Daniell some quarrell yet could they finde none occasion nor fault vpon hym Then they seing that they could not preuaile they imagined a sure statute namely that who soeuer desired any petition either of any God or man within xxx daies except it were to the king the same person to be cast in the Lions dēne So Darius made the writing and confyrmed it whereby ensued that those which sought the death of Daniell whom God had deliuered from the denne of the Lions the same were of the Lions destroyed Where Gods word preached is in place vnto the people willingly Woe be to them that would deface for if such cease the stones will crie ¶ The signification HE which preacheth in the pulpit signifieth godly zeale a furtherer of the gospel and the two which are plucking him out of his place are the enemies of Gods word threatning by fire to cōsume the professors of the same and that company which sitteth still are Nullifidians such as are of no religion not regarding any doctrine so they may bee quiet to liue after their owne willes and mindes WHo caused our Sauiour Christ to be condemned to death but enuie of y e Iewes Also because the coūsell of Ahitofell was refused hee presently sadled hys Asse and rode home and so hāged himselfe The Iewes also thorow enuie stoned to death y e Martyr S. Steuen So likewise Senacherib or Sanabalat when he heard say that the walles of Ierusalem were redified he was wroth and tooke great indignatiō and mocked the Iewes Wherby it appeareth that enuie is a right greuous malady and contrary to nature for nature desireth good and euery creature naturally taketh pleasure in good thinges But enuie tormenteth him selfe when he seeth any good thyng happen vnto an other and the most harme falleth vpon hym selfe It holdeth the hart and the minde in great melancholy and maketh y e cullour to waxe pale It drieth the body and maketh all such as vse it oft to sigh and to speake alwayes euill of other and can not say well Enuie seeketh alway to destroy the wealth and welfare of hys neighbour Enuie maketh a man to be like a feend of hell which may not suffer the creature in no wyse to do well God graunt for hys mercy to shorten the dayes of such enuious mindes as seeketh to displace the veritie While enuie seeketh to destroy and will not cease to leaue hys will Then mischiefe