THE RACE CELESTIALL OR a direct path to heauen By HENRY GREENVVOOD maister of Arts and Preacher of the word of God 1. COR. 9.24 So runne that yee may obtaine Printed at London by N. O. for Henry Pell dwelling in holborne neere to the Crosse Keyes 1609. HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE TO THE MOST high and mightie most gratious and religious Prince Iames by the grace of God of great Brittaine France and Ireland king defender of the faith Apostolicall c. All blessed hap in this life and eternall blisse in life to come THE picture of Puritie and patterne of Piety most gratious and dread soueraigne Lord holy Bernard by name deciphereth out at large the grosse enormity of that vgly vice Ingratitude saying that it is Inimica animae exinanitio meritorum dispersio virtutum c. An enimie to the Christians soule an exile of merits a ruine of vertues and a consuming fire that scorcheth vp the fountaine of all godlines Lest therefore I should cōdemne my self of this sensual sin and challenged be of grosse ingratitude I haue presumed crauing pardon for my arrogant audacitie herein in token of my loyall dutie to your sacred maiestie to transport these lines Laconicall and letters impolite to the happy hauen of your Princely heart wishing to your royall grace the siluer of all earthly prosperity the gold of all celestiall felicitie If your highnesse respect the matter it is celestiall if your supremacie the manner it is too too terrestiall Yet pardon most religious Prince this my bold attempt partly weighing the compulsion of entire affection and partly considering the necessity of your simplest subiects erudition Thus ceassing further troubling your maiesties sacred eares prosterning my selfe vpon the knees of submission at your highnesse footstool for pardon for my presumption herein I beg without intermission before the throne of grace that it would please the almightie to blesse protect and defend your royall maiestie your blessed bedfellow and all your royal issue in this life present and in the life to come crowne you all with the Crowne of immortall glory and that for Iesus Christs sake our onely Lord and euerliuing Sauiour Amen From Sampford Magna in Essex this 16. of October 1608. Your maiesties most humble seruant and most loyall subiect H. Greenewood The Race Celestiall or a direct path to heauen 1. COR. 9.24 So runne that ye may obtaine BOetius in his booke De consolatione philosophia saith Quod vnicuique viro bono inserta est quaedam cupiditas boni i. That in euery good man there is inserted a feruent desire of that which is good Now the true and chiefest good thing that may possibly be desired of mortall man in which onely the soule of man is fully satisfied is the Lord God according to that of S. Augustine Fecisti nos Domine ad te inquietum est cor nostrum donec quiescat in te i. Thou hast created vs O Lord for thine owne selfe and our hearts are disquieted vntill they find a firme rest in thy selfe And as well saith S. Bernard Illud est verum summum gaudium quod non de creatura sed de Creatore concipitur i. that is the true and chiefest ioy which is conceiued not of the creature but the Creator Now the Lord that is Omnium summum bonorum Of all good things the chiefest can by no meanes be obtained but by a true and liuely faith in Iesus Christ his welbeloued sonne prouing it selfe by good fruites of amendment by whom we are reconciled againe to the Lord and brought into the fauour of the most High of which by our sinnes wée haue iustly béene depriued as well saith Leo Non dormientibus peruenit regnum caelorum nec otio nec desidia torpentibus praemium aeternitatis promittitur sed vigilantibus benè viuentibus i. The kingdome of heauen falleth not to the sluggards share neither is eternall blisse promised to idle and euill persons but onely to those that liue by faith and are vigilant in the workes of godlinesse The holy Apostle therefore hauing in the former chapters of this his first Epistle to the Corinthians earnestly and industriously taught them the true path that leadeth to life hauing also perceiued that they had imbraced his doctrine willingly and runne in the same in some measure chéerefully he doth here in this golden simile that they might haue their portion in the Lord exhort them to perseuerance holding out to the ende of their liues knowing that of our Sauiour in the Gospell to be true He that endureth to the end the same and none but the same shall be saued In which words the Apostle borroweth a similitude A certamine cursorio from a terrestriall race for a temporary price for as in that race many runne but one receiueth the prize namely he that all the rest out-strippeth and commeth first at the ende euen so in the race of Christianity no man shall be crowned but he that holdeth out to the end of his life yet notwithstanding there is this difference in this similitude that in the race terrestriall he is onely guerdened with reward that toucheth first the but and in this race celestiall not onely one but all may be crowned with euerlasting blisse In which excellent Simile the Apostle compareth Cursui vitam stadio pretatem praemio salutem i. our life to a race or running piety and godlinesse to a race wherein we must runne and euerlasting blisse to a promised reward So runne that ye may obteine That is so liue in this life vnder the Gospell of Christ Iesus that ye may obteine euerlasting life in the life to come In which heauenly exhortation of Paul we may generally obserue these thrée things First Quid sit currere what is meant by this word Runne Secondly Qualiter quid currendum how must we runne to obteine So Runne Thirdly Praemium promissum the reward promised to all those that run lawfully First Runne By this race or running is vnderstood this present life of man The life of man is compared to many things Some of the Philosophers haue compared it to a bubble some to a sléepe some to a dreame some to one thing some to another Iob compareth it to a wind the Prophet Dauid compareth it to a shadow Iames to a vapor Peter to a flower Esay to grasse and the Apostle Paul in respect of the celerity and swiftnesse thereof compareth it here to a Race or running Quid aliud saith S. Augustine est vita nostra nisi quidam cursus ad mortem vita dum crescit decrescit vita mortalis mors vitalis i. what is our life but a certaine running to death our life while it increaseth decreaseth our life is dying our death is liuing The traueller the longer he goeth on his iourney the nigher he is his iourneys end the children of Israel the longer they wandred from Egypt
the nigher they were the promised land so euery mortall man the longer he liueth the nigher he is his iourneys end death for Time and Tide stay for no man yong haires do soone turne gray and actiue youth is soone metamorphosed into crooked age Cito pede labitur aetas i. the dayes of man do swiftly passe away Tempora labuntur tacitisque senescimus annis fugiunt fraeno non remorante dies i. Time swiftly passeth and old age soone commeth on no bridle so strong as can kéepe in our galloping dayes He that runneth in a race neuer stayeth till hee commeth at the ende thereof so euery mortall wight volens nolens willing nilling neuer stayeth till death the ende of his race stayeth him The picture of patience Iob by name considering the swift passage of the dayes of man compareth them to the swift race of a post saying Dies mei velociores sunt cursore i. My dayes are swifter than a post yea swifter are they then a weauers shuttle they are as the motion of the swiftest ship in the sea and as the Eagle that flieth fast to her pray Our yeares are spent saith the Psalmist as a tale that is told yea our life is quickly cut off and we are soone gone Therefore fitly is our life compared here of S. Paul in regard of the velocity thereof to a race or running From hence euery Christian is to learne this lesson that séeing our life is nothing else but a running to death he redéeme the time make much of it whiles he hath it for the houre spent cannot be recouered time passed cannot be recalled Ecce nunc tempus acceptum saith the Apostle i. Behold now the accepted time behold now the day of saluation This life is the time wherein our election must be made sure and sealed vp vnto our spirits by the vnfallible testimony of the good spirit of God This life is the time wherein euery man in his calling must worke out his saluation with feare and trembling This life is the time wherein we must be admitted into y e kingdom of grace if euer we will looke to be admitted into the kingdome of glory In this life must we be matriculated into the mysticall body of the Church if euer we will looke to fit at the bride-groomes table in heauen In this life must we haue heauen in inchoation if after this life we will haue it in perfection The husbandman will in no wise slacke his opportunity and omit his time in tilling sowing his ground that in sommer he may haue the better croppe The tradesman will not misse his faires and markets that he may increase his stocke the more in those his painefull affaires The Storke in the aire the Turtle the Crane and the Swallow obserue their times as saith the Prophet the little silly creature the Ant by name gathereth in sommer whereby she may liue in winter Euen so should euery Christian take his time and treasure vp with the painefull Bée the hony of good workes in the hiue of his heart in this life that he may with the faithfull seruant be welcomed into his masters ioy in the life to come But alas alas men are so assotted with blindnesse ignorance that they may be sent to y e very senseles creatures for wisdome in this point Aske the beasts and they shall teach thee and the foules of heauen and they shall tell thee saith the iust man Iob or speake to the earth and it shall shew thee or the fishes of the sea and they shall declare vnto thee Esays oxe knoweth his maisters stall and his Asse his maisters cribbe but miserable man hath not knowne his maker O let vs not be worse than horse Asse and Mule that haue no vnderstanding but let vs in the feare of God know our times and seasons let vs seeke the Lord while he may be found and call vpon him while he is neere Let vs in no wise post off our amendment from day to day Let vs liue no longer in carelesse security like sensuall brutish and hellish Epicures that neither beléeue nor yet respect the iudgement to come that sing that cursed Epitaphe of Sardanapalus Ede bibe lude charum praesentibus exple delitijs animumi post mortem nulla voluptaâ— i. Eate drinke play and be merry liue in all kind of pleasure for after death there is no pleasure that say with the old man in the Poet Because my dayes are short which I haue here to liue to women wine and pleasant sport I meane my selfe to giue Let vs not be like those foolish virgins that knocked at the gates of heauen too late when the doores were shut against them for after this life there shall be no place for pardon nor time for repentance therefore in time looke to the welfare of thy déere soule that thy soule may fare well not for a time but for euer One depth saith the Psalmist calleth for another The depth of our misery cryeth for the depth of Gods mercy let vs therefore be as swift in running in the race of Christianity as our liues are swift to leaue vs let vs be as swift to kill sinne in vs as sinne is to kill vs O beloued let vs be as swift to pull out the sting of the Scorpion which is sinne as he is with his sting swift and ready to stabbe vs at the heart and wound our soules incureably that when death the end of our race shall come which is most certaine and yet his time most vncertaine it may be vnto vs as it is to all the saints of God Ianua vitae finis miseriarum initium refrigerij scala ascensionis in coelum i. The gate to life the end of miseries the beginning of euerlasting refreshing and the ladder of ascension to the highest and happiest heauens So runne that ye may obtaine Secondly Qualiter currendum i. How must we runne to obtaine So runne If we will run to obteine we must runne these thrée wayes First Directè recta via the right way Secondly Celeritèr sâ—u festinanter Swiftly or spéedily Thirdly Perseuerantèr Perseuerantly holding out to the end First therefore that we may obteine we must runne directly the right way that leadeth to life Those that runne in a race will not make the furthest way about y e nighest way home as we say but they will take the shortest cut that may be and runne the directest way that can be that they may the rather obteine So should we runne in the right way that leadeth to life if we will obteine life euerlasting Lactantius speaking of mans creation saith that Homo incedit erectus in coelum i. Man goeth right vp lifting his eyes towards heauen Os homini sublime dedit coelâ—mqueâ—ueri â—ussit i. God gaue man a lofty face a face to behold the heauens whereas other creatures fasten their
from faith to faith from grace to grace from vertue to vertue from strength to strength till thou beest a perfect man in Christ Iesus Cast away the workes of darknesse and put on the armor of light walke honestly as in the day not in gluttony and drunkennes neither in chambering and wantonnes nor in strife and enuying but put on the Lord Iesus Christ and take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts of it Be wise as the serpent be innocent as the doue Amongst diuers points of wisedome to be found in the serpent this is one namely She casteth her coate and so renouareth her age as Aristotle saith These thrée beasts Tum vere tum Autumno both in the spring as also in Autumne do cast their skinnes viz. the beast like a Lizzard called in Latin Stellio Quia habet maculas quasi stellas collo infixas because he hath spots in his necke like starres Lacertus the Lizard and the Serpent And to do this they go through some or other narrow cranny to loosen their skinnes and cast them within foure and twenty houres So shouldst thou put off the old man with all his workes and to do this thou must go Per strictam rimam poenitentiae i. Through the narrow cranny and straite gate of amendment Meditate therefore with the iust man in the law of God day and night Let the candle of faith burne cléere in the lampe of thy heart and nourish it with the oyle of loue and good workes Walke not in the counsell of the wicked Stand not in the way of sinners sit not in the seate of the scornefull but runne in the race of Line well that liuing well thou mayst dye well and after death eternally spéede well obteining that blessednesse Blessed are they that dye in the Lord. So runne that ye may obteine And that we may runne in the race of godlines one Caueat is excéeding necessary namely that we auoide wicked company which will drawe away our hearts from this race Celestiall Qui tangit picem coinquinabitur ab ca i. He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith Cum sancto sanctus eris cum peruerso peruerteris i. with the holy thou shalt be holy and with the froward thou shalt learne frowardnesse for birds of a feather will flie together It was not lawfull for a Iew to conuerse with a Samaritane if an Hebrew did eate with an Egyptian it was counted abhomination so must we count it abhomination and hold it a point of reprobation to frequent the company of damned helhounds and hellish miscreants Let vs therefore flée all occasion and euery apparition of euill Let vs delight in the company of those that feare the Lord and excell in vertue Well therefore saith Seneca Cum illis versare qui te meliorem sunt facturi vel quos meliores efficere possis i. kéepe companie with those that may make thée better or whom thou mayst make better I command you therefore brethren as saith S. Paul in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye withdrawe your selues from euery brother that walketh inordinately not after the instruction which yee receiued of me And to conclude this point I giue euery Christian this good counsell with good king Salomon My sonne if sinners doe intice thee consent thou not If they say Come with vs we wil lay wait for bloud we will swallow vp the innocent whole like a graue we shall find all pretious riches and fill our houses with spoile Cast in thy lot among vs we will haue all one purse My sonne walke not thou in the way with them refraine thy foote from their path for their feete runne to euill and make hast to shed bloud O that these my words were written ô that they were written in a booke ô that they were written with an iron pen in lead or in stone for euer O that they were ingrauen in the brasse table of euery yong mans heart that so bad company may not be his destruction So runne that ye may obteine Secondly if we will runne to obteine we must runne Celeritèr seu festinantèr Swiftly and spéedily Vita breuts via longa saith S. Bernard sivis ad metam peruenire incipe celeritèr currere i. The life of man is very short the way to heauen is very long if therefore thou wilt obteine thou must runne excéeding swiftly We sée that those that runne in an earthly race and that but for a meane reward how swiftly do they streine themselues to runne according to that of the Poet Qui cupit optatam cursu contingere metam multa tulit fecitque miser sudauit alsit i. He that desireth first to touch the marke taketh much paines sweateth abundantly and runneth excéeding swiftly Euen so should we that we may obteine an euerlasting reward in heauen runne in the path of Gods commandements being shod with the shoes of the Gospell of peace like Roes excéeding swiftly The senseles creatures are a looking glasse to all Christians in this respect The Sunne as saith the Psalmist like a Gyant reioyceth to runne his race that is valiantly and swiftly swift is his motion and spéedy is his race for in the space of 24 howers he compasseth the earth round about that nothing is hidden from him and passeth from the one end of heauen to the other that nothing is wanting in him So the Lord our God hath set euery man his taske vpon earth which is to worke out his saluation with feare and trembling A great worke a short time along way from Egypt to Canaan from the gates of hell to the doore of heauen therefore like Gyants we had néede to runne swiftly lest we come too late and be shut out of heauen like the fiue foolish aforesayd virgins As the Sunne in the heauens is a looking glasse vnto vs in this regard so is also the Sonne of God Christ Iesus aboue the heauens to be imitated of vs all in this poynt Omnis Christi actio nostra debet esse instructio i. Euery action of Christ ought to be a matter of imitation to vs Christians As he was Immensus maiestate incomparabilis fortitudine so was he incomprehensibilis celeritate i. As he was great in Maiesty incomparable in fortitude so was he also incomprehensible in celerity and swiftnesse He wrought the workes of him that sent him whiles it was day without any delay in the world This bridegroome Christ Iesus euen as the Sunne went forth out of the Chamber of the highest heauens from the bosome of the Father and from the inuisibility of the Diuinitie and descended downe to the earth and became man and was like vnto man in all things sinne only excepted and valiantly in the wildernes pitched a fielde against Sathan that old serpent and roaring Lyon and ouerthrew him in the desert breaking his wily
head and ouercomming his chiefest power fulfilled the law in euery point and tittle satisfied Gods iustice for vs appeased his wrath against vs purchased celestiall mansions to vs by offering himselfe in sacrifice to the Lord of hosts vpon the crosse at Golgotha for the sins of the whole world by his death and passion by vanquishing hell by conquering death by his glorious resurrection and ascension and by sending of the holy Ghost He went from the father and came into the world And in short time yea in the space of 33. yeares wrought the redemption of all beléeuers And left this world and went againe to his father The spouse of Christ considering her husbands great velocity celerity and swiftnesse saith Behold he commeth leaping by the mountaines and skipping by the hils my welbeloued is like a Roe or a yong Hart c. Venit vidit vicit He came from heauen he sawe the earth and ouercame the dragon Thus after Christs example should we that professe our selues Christians runne swiftly in the race of godlinesse holinesse purity and obedience to the commandements of our heauenly father thus should we run Investigijs Iesu In the footesteps of Christ Iesus who is Via veritas vita i. The way the truth and the life and the true way to life euerlasting To the performance of which duty the Lord graunt to vs his grace for of our selues we are not able to set one foote forward to heauen that so we may be able to his glory and our soules euerlasting good to do his will in earth as willingly swiftly and as spéedily as the Angels do it in heauen Now déere brethren that we may runne thus swiftly in the race of godlinesse and in the course of Christianity two things are necessary First Vt simus intus vacus That we be empty within Secondly Vt simus extra exonerati i. That we be vnladen without First we must be empty within Now what is that which cloggeth vs so sore within and hindreth vs from running in this godly race Surely that is sinne So weighty a thing is sinne As it sunke downe Sathan from heauen So weighty a thing is sinne as it caused the earth to open her mouth and swallow vp cursed Core diuellish Dathan and that abiect Abiram with all their trecherous crue The Prophet in respect of the weight thereof compareth it to Lead and that worthily for as lead in the clocke causeth by the weight thereof the cogs whéeles and gimmers successiuely to moue one after the other euen so the weight of sinne doth draw the cogs of our carnall concupiscence the whéeles of our leud desires and the gimmers of our vntamed affections from one sinne to another according to that of S. Gregory Peccatum quod per poenitentiam non deletur mox suo pondere ad aliud trahit i. If sinne by repentance presently be not done away by the weight thereof it will draw a man to more sinne â—â— we find it exemplified in the Prophet Dauid who fell from idlenesse to concupiscence from concupiscence to adultery from adultery to murther Of the weight of sinne the Prophet Dauid speaketh Mine iniquities are gone ouer mine head and as a weighty burthen they are too heauy for me The Prophet Esay calleth the bands of wickednesse heauy burthens intollerable to be borne The sinnes of the world being layd vpon the shoulders of Iesus vpon the crosse were so weighty and heauy as they forced him hauing the weight of Gods wrath for them also vpon him to cry out on this manner to his God Eli Eli Lamasabacâ—thani My God my God why hast thou forsaken me If the yoke of Christ be easie and his burthen light then of necessity on the contrary must the yoke of Sathan which is sinne be vneasie heauy and intollerable to be borne By which it may appeare that sin is an intollerable burthen and a great impediment to this Christâ—â—â— race Let vs therefore as the chosen vessell doth exhort vs cast away euery thing that presseth vs downe and the sinne that hangeth so fast on Let vs runne with patience the race that is set before vs. Where it is euident that we cannot runne with patience the race that is set before vs vnlesse we do cast away our sinnes from vs which do hang so fast on vs. Moses was not permitted to come nigh the Lord before he did discalciate himselfe Put off thy shoes for the place where thou standest is holy ground So must we put off the durty shoes of iniquity and abandon sin from the castle of our hearts before we can be able to stand in the path-way to ioyes which is an holy ground therefore much lesse are we able to runne in the same and most vnapt to runne swiftly Let vs therefore in the name of God purge our soules and bodies from sinne with the hysope of Gods grace Let vs separate them from vs and our selues from them as farre as the East is from the West and North the South Let vs loath detest and abhorre them because the Lord doth loath detest and abhor vs for them as we haue giuen our members as weapons of vnrighteousnesse to the seruice of Satan in vngodlinesse of this life euen so let vs giue them as weapons of righteousnesse to the seruice of the Lord in godlinesse of life as we haue runne in the race of the first Adam by commission of sinne so let vs runne in the race of the second Adam Iesus Christ the righteous by performance of righteousnesse let vs cease from sinne and do that which is good let vs séeke peace and ensue it Let vs Plangere plangenda bewaile our sinnes that ought to be lamented Grauia peccata grauia desiderant lamenta saith Isodore great sinnes require great lamentation swéet meate must haue sower sauce reioycing in sinne must haue mourning for sinne let vs therefore be Tam proni ad lamenta sicut fuimus ad peccata As prone to lamentation as we haue béene to transgression as ready to lament them as we haue béene to commit them let vs swéepe euery corner of our hearts cleane with the broomes of penance and let vs water them with the salt teares of earnest contrition so that we may be sit receptories for the Lord to dwell in and being annointed with the oyle of grace wee may runne swiftly in the race that is set before vs and obteine the reward prepared for vs. So runne that ye may obteine Secondly if we will runne swiftly in the path way to heauen we must be Extrà exonerati i. vnladen without Those that runne in a race will lay aside their cloakes doublets and such like outward vestiments that they may runne the more spéedily and obteine the more assuredly And so in like maner we must be vnburthened of all outward matters whatsoeuer especially of the excessiue care and affection that naturally we beare to this
of Gods permission and by beléeuing most assuredly his promises concerning our deliuerance Hope is exercised in affliction by assuring our selues of the rewards promised to all those that suffer patiently Loue is exercised in affliction by considering the loue of Christ in suffering for vs and thereby we are prouoked to suffer for him againe Obedience is exercised in affliction by conforming our wils to the will of Christ saying with Christ Not as we will but as thou wilt ô Lord God of hosts Patience is exercised in affliction by suffering quietly willingly and chéerefully and by welcomming them sent of God for our good Humility is exercised in affliction by abasing our selues in the sight of God acknowledging that they are but as flea-bitings in respect of the torments of hell which by our lewd liues for euermore we haue deserued Fiftly the Lord suffereth vs to be afflicted in this world that the greatnesse of his power and the inâ—initenes of his mercy might be shewne in the deliuery of vs. We reade in the Gospell of Iohn that the Apostles hauing asked our Sauiour the reason why the man was borne blind he answereth them Not for his fathers nor for his owne sinne but that the workes of God should be shewne on him From which we may truly gather thus much namely that the man was borne blind especially to this end that our Sauiour might haue occasion to shew the greatnesse of his power in curing him Againe in the same gospel we reade that Lazarus died to this end that God might be glorified in raising him from death The wonderfull power of the Lord was shewne in the deliuery of the thrée children from fire of Ionas from drowning by the Whale of Susanna from death by Daniel of Daniel from the Lyons by his owne immediate power of Eliah from staruing by the rauens and of our most gratious souereigne Lord King Iames from the sword in Scotland and from the powder-treason in England by his extraordinary fauour and wonderfull loue which he had to this his gratious seruant which the Lord in mercy vouchsafe vnto him and his royall progeny for euermore Thus the Lord bringeth men into déepe afflictions that his power might be shewne in bringing them out againe Dominus deducit ad inferos reducit i. The Lord bringeth to hell and bringeth backe againe to great afflictions and out of them againe Vna eademque manus vulnus opemque tulit The same hand that woundeth the same hand cureth Vulnerat medetur percutit sanum reddit i. He maketh the wound and bindeth it vp he smiteth his hand maketh whole So that howsoeuer many are the troubles of the righteous in their iourney to heauen yet the Lord powerfully in his good time deliuereth them out of all if he séeth it best for their good otherwise suffering for the testimony of the truth and the glory of his name they shall change this life for a better Thus haue I somwhat largely spoken of afflictions both in regard of their necessity as they cannot be shifted of any that runne in the way of godlinesse as also in regard of their conueniency being more helpe then hinderance in this spirituall iourney that so we may make good vse of them when it shall please the Lord to send them And thus much shall suffice for this third point namely for perseuerance in this course of godlinesse beséeching the Lord of his goodnesse to giue vs grace that we may not shrinke backe for feare of afflictions but wade through with patience holding out in this race to the end of our race So runne that ye may obtaine The third thing in order to be spoken of is praemium promissum i. the promised reward but before I enter into the handling thereof one thing necessarily must be obserued and that worthy of annotation The Apostle saith not here Seeme so to runne that ye may obteine or make an outward shew of running but. So runne that ye may obteine In which spéech he excludeth all hypocrisie and banisheth all counterfeit godlinesse from this Christian race For in this visible Church there are many that outwardly professe Christ but inwardly serue Belial Christians in name but reprobates in déede Saints in shew but diuels in conuersation Many hypocrites there are like painted sepulchres dissembling pharisées faire without but foule within lambes in apparition but wolues in condition Ones habitu as saith S. Bernard vulpeâ— actu crudeliâ—ate lupi i. Shéepe in shew foxes in déed and wolues in cruelty Mente sub agnina latitat mens saepè lupina i They haue lambes skins but wolues harts Yea howsoeuer they séeme to be members of Christs body courteous and kind to the stocke of Iesus zealous louers and earnest embracers of the sincere milke of the word running in the path of true godlinesse yet neuerthelesse they are a generation of vipers of whom the Euangelist speaketh ready to sucke out the very heart-blood of the saints of God and rend them in péeces like rauening wolues they haue mel in ore fel in corde i. Hony in their mouths but gall in their hearts sugred words to intrap but poysoned hearts to torment carying themselues like Iudas who saluted his maister with a kisse hauing the poyson of Aspes lying vnder his lips For Quando bonum ore faris mala corde tamen meditaris oscula quae Domino Iudas dedit haec mihi tu das i. When men speake well and thinke ill their kindnesse is treason as was the kisse of Iudas And of all other enmities in the world this is the greatest as saith Cassiodorus Grauissimum inimicitiae est genus corde aduersarios linguae simulare deuotos i. This is a most grieuous kind of enmity when men pretend much loue in tongue and beare much more malice in heart These cursed hypocrites these dissembling helhounds and these venemous vipers are the very pictures of the diuell and liuely representations of the old serpent for as the diuell lyeth coggeth counterfeiteth and dissembleth so do these The subtil serpent pretended great kindnesse to our first parents counselling them to eate of the forbidden fruit that so they might sée and be as gods but he intended their euerlasting destruction so these crafty foxes séeme to be charitable Christians and to giue good counsell wheresoeuer they become but yet they denoure widows houses and that vnder colour of long prayers The subtill serpent séemeth to be an Angell of light but yet he is a diuell of darknesse fettered with the chaines of euerlasting darknesse So these apes of the diuell do beare an outward shew of holinesse and purity yet they are wels without water and cloudes caried about with euery tempest to whom the blacke darknes is reserued for euer These hypocriticall mocke-gods may fitly be compared to Idols for as an Idoll hath an outward shape of a