Pollio was walking up and downe the roome before his friends came considering his fine Glasses he began to thinke what a feare his Servants lived in by reason of those Glasses saying to himselfe that they were but brittle toyes and if any of them hapned to be broken it would disquiet him more then they were all worth saying further that if he brake them himself it would both prevent his being angry with his Servants and free them from a great deale of feare hereupon he gives the Cup boardâ—loath a twitch downe came all the â—â—lasses and were shattered to peeces This Story was related in a Sermon before King James by Doctor Burges of Ipswich and thus applyed Sir speaking to the King the Ceremonies of the Church of England are pretty specious things but very brittle and subject to breaking and your Majesty hath given strict charge to your Servants with severe threatnings that they break none of them your Subjects live in great feare of incurring your displeasure if by chance they should breake any of them and 't is likely you will be very angry if any of them be broken I most humbly beseech your Highnesse in the behalfe of your good Servants who feare to displease you that you would play the part of wise Pollio and breake these Glasses your selfe abolish these brittle Ceremonies your selfe that so your faithfull subjects may be freed from their continuall feare and the occasion of your Majesties displeasure removed King Iames was much taken with this handsome passage countenanc'd the Doctor and seemed inclinable to the motion till the Bishops about him had changed his minde which they did by buzzing into his head their old principle of no Ceremony no Bishop no Bishop no King and so cunningly did they play their Game that they had suddenly incensed the Kings minde so against him for that audacious passage in his Sermon as they termed it that the Doctor was clapt up in the Tower whence he could not be delivered till he past his promise to leave the Kingdome which accordingly he did and went over into Holland where he remained for many yeares preacher at the Hague The Churches security That Ship cannot be cast away wherein Christ is the Pilot the Scripture the Card his Crosse the maine Mast his Promises the Anchors his Spirit the Winde Jâ—ctatur nunquam mergitur ista ratis it may be â—ost but never shipwrack't No Jesuites in Hell A Jesuite preaching at the great Church in Padua towards the end of his Sermon he fell into a large commendation of the Order of the Jesuits exâ—olling it above all the Religious Orders that then were or ever had been in the world giving God thankes that he had the happinesse to be of that Order and in the close of his Discourse he told his Auditory that he would acquaint them with a Vision which he had lately seene The other night said he I dreamed that I was in Hel where me thought I saw Popes Emperours Kings Queens Cardinals Bishops Abbots Monks Fryers and some of all sorts of men both Ecclesiasticall and Secular but not one Jesuite amongst them all which made me to blesse God that ever I was borne to be of so blessed a Society which though it had sent so many thousands of that holy Order to the Grave yet never any of them went to Hell and so he concluded his Sermon with a fresh encomium of the Society of Jesuites The next Sunday after a Dominican Fryar preached in the same Church and he also towards the end of his Sermon fell upon the high praises of the Order of the Jesuits repeating much of the Jesuits Sermon the day before and bewayling himselfe that it was not his fortune to be of that holy Order whereof none ever went to Hell as the reverend Father had told them the day before at last he told the people that he also had seene a Vision and dreamed likewise one night that he was in Hell where he saw Popes Emperours Kings Cardinals and all sorts of Orders as the Jesuite had notably shewed them the day before but not a Jesuite said the Fryar could be seen amongst them all then thought I to â—y selfe O what a blessed Order is this O that I had been a Jesuite and not a Dominican and still I cast my eyes all over He but could not finde so much as a peece of a Jesuite there but store of all other religious Orders yea even of Dominicans my owne Order I saw great store at last me thought I beckned a little Devill to me and askt softly in his care whether there were any Jesuites in that place or no he answered That there were none there but that they were kept in a Hell by themselves which is a great roome under this where said the little Devill there be abundance of them and they come hither so fast that my master Lucifer scarce knowes where to bestow them and besides they are so unruly that if they were not kept by themselves every body would be soone weary of this place He further told me me thoughts that his master durst not let them have any Gunpowder for feare lest they should blow up this place A worthy example of gratitude Thomas Cromwell who was borne of meane Parentage became Earle of Essex and Lord Chancellour of England when he was a young man he had a desire to see the world his first adventure was into France whether he went as a Page to a Souldier to carry his Knap-sack but that Army being over-throwne Cromwell wandered up and downe till he came to Florence where his necessities made him beg up and downe the streets it hapned that one Francis Frescobald a Merchant of that City and one that had traded much in England meeting with this young tatter'd stripling and finding him to be an English youth he carried him home to his house and there bestowed a new suit of apparrell upon him entertaining him with all courtesie till he was minded to returne home into his Country when Frescobald perceived Cromwels desire to be going homewards he provided him a Horse which he bestowed upon him and sixteene Ducats of Gold in his purse Now it pleased God after a long time that as Cromwell was advanced to high preferment so Frescobald was brought low in his estate through many misfortunes and losses insomuch that he was forced to come over into England to get up some monies which some Merchants of this Nation were indebted to him being here and following his businesse in London it hapned that Cromwell who was then Lord Chancellor as he was riding in the street towards Court espied this Italian and guessing who he was by his habit he called him to him asking his name who answered that his name was Francis Frescobald Cromwell expressing much gladnesse to see him caused one of his Servants to carry him home to his house there to stay till his returne Frescobald all this while knowing not what this meant
monster were of the highest form of our refined Familists and very active in maintaining their party and in reproaching some of the Elders and others who did oppose their errors These things are so well knowne in New England both this and the former relation that the reverend Teacher of Boston hath made use of them in publike and have beeu testified by so many Letters from thence to friends here and also published in a printed large relation with all the circumstances by Mr. Thomas Welde a worthy Minister then of New England now in Old that the truth of these things is unquestionable Riches bring troubles Policrates bestowed five talents for a gift upon one Anacrion who for two nights after was so troubled with care how to keep them and how to bestow them as he carried them back againe to Policrates saying they were not worth the paines which he had already taken for them A just reward of covetousnesse Calipha King of Persia having filled a towre with silver gold jewels and precious stones and being in warre with Alanus King of the Tartarians was so hated of his owne people for his covetousnesse and base keeping backe of their pay as that he was taken by Alanus in his own City committed to prison in the aforesaid towre Alanus speaking thus to him If thou hadst not kept this treasure so covetously but hadst distributed it amongst thy souldiers thou mightst have preserved thy self and City now therefore enjoy it at thine ease and eate and drink thy fill seeing thou hast loved it so well And so he dyed in the midst of his Riches Gods Mercy The weapons of Gods Artillery are turned into the Rain-Bow a Bow indeed but without an Arrow Bent but without a string with the back towards Heaven as if we rather shot at God by our sinnes then hee at us by his Judgements Gods Infinitenesse God is a Circle whose Circumference is every where and whose Center is no where A Prophesie sulfilled Whitguift the last Abbot of Wellow in Lincolnshire would often tell his friends that he should live to see the dissolution of Abbeys and all such Religious houses for that hee had read the Scripture over and over but could finde no foundation for them there but I finde said he this in the Scripture that whatsoever is not of Gods planting shall be pluckt up which accordingly came to passe here in England in his dayes The different dispositions of men A Father that had three Sons was desirous to try their discretions which he did by giving to each of them an apple that had some part of it rotten the first eats up his rotten and all the second throwes all his away because some part of it was rotten the third drawes his knife and picking out the rotten eats that which was good This may not unfitly be compared to three sorts of men in our dayes concerning the diversity of opinions in these times some swallow all good or bad others cast all away right or wrong the wisest sort try all things and keep only that which is good Affection marres judgement If the Faux of our Concupiscence give fire to the Gunpowder of our Appetite 't will blow up the parliament-house of our Reason Five pound lost for want of faith A reverend Minister of this Land that had many Children whom he would many times aske what Callings they had most minde to one of his younger Sons would alwaies say that he would be a Merchant Alas child replyed his Father I am a poore man and shall not be able to give so much mony as that Trade requires but still the boyes minde was to be a Merchant It hapned one day that this Minister and his Wife were invited to a Knights house to dinner where there were some Londoners of the Knights friends the same time whereof one as they sate at dinner asked if any at the Table knew of ever a hopefull boy of honest Parents that were willing to be a Prentice the Minister desired to know what Trade that gentleman was of who told him that he was a Merchant O Sir said the Minister you Merchants require so much with your Prentises that t is not for poore men to thinke of putting a childe to your trade 'T is true said the Merchant we usually have good sums with our Prentises but for my part I would take a boy that were religiously bred with a small matter I pray Sir replyed the Minister what do you meane by a small matter why said the other I would take such a childe as I have spoken of with twenty pound though we seldome take any under seven or eight score pound well after dinner this good Minister singles out his Wife who had well observed the Merchants offer and said to her La ye wife here 's providence this Merchant will take our boy with twenty pound yea quoth his wife you are ever talking of providence providence t is a goodly peece of providence indeed pray how should we come by twenty pound the poore man sneakes away with a flea in his eare not willing to tempt his wives patience any further with his discourse about providence towards night the Minister and his wife tooke their leaves of the company and went home where they found a Serving-man who desiring to speake privately with the Minister delivered him a paper sealed up with a token in it from his Master which the good man opening found in it fifteene twenty shillings peeces he goes immediatly to his wife and shewes her what the gentlemen had sent them telling her that she had lost five pound clearly for want of Faith To be sensible that we are dead is a signe of life An eminent Minister who was a famous instrument of converting many Soules to God was wont to say that for his own part he had no other evidence in himselfe of being in the state of Grace then that he was sensible of his deadnesse A passage of providence There was another very godly Minister whose meanes were so small that oftentimes he was in great want of necessaries for his Family one morning being Market-day his wife came to him as he was at his study and frowardly enough ask't him for some mony to buy their weekly provision the poore man answered that he had not one penny she cryed out then you and your children must starve for ought I know the Minister replyed that he hoped God would provide for them and perswaded his wife to send her maide into the Market what to doe trow cryed she except she had mony howsoever let her goe said her husband the wife replyed her maid should not goe without mony the good man urged his wife againe and againe to let her maid goe into the Market with her hand-basket as she was wont to doe at which importunity she sent her maid as formerly to make their markets but without one penny of mony the wench to satisfie her Master went up and downe
nor who it was that shewed him this courtesie having quite forgotten his former kindnesse to Cromwell not knowing what was become of him well at Dinner-time my L. Chancellour came home bringing with him the Lord Admirall and some other Noble-men to dine with him and in the presence of them all he fell to imbracing this Stranger and exprest exceeding much gladnesse to see him and holding him fast by the hand he turned to the Lords telling them the extraordinary favour that this Italian had shewed him in his extreame necessity and so relates the whole story to the Lords at dinner Cromwell placed this his friend next him at the Table and after dinner when the Lords were gone he falls to inquire of him the occasion of his comming into England who truly tels him how it was that he was much decayed in his estate and that his comming hither was to get in some debts owing to him here which were about fifteene thousand Ducats after many expressions of thankfulnesse and condoling with Frescobald for his misfortunes he carried him into an inner chamber where opening a Chest he tooke out a bagge of Gold and first of all he gave him sixteene Crownes saying there was that which he lent him at his comming from Florence next he gave him ten Crownes more saying so much the Suite of Apparrell cost which you gave me then he gives him other ten Crownes saying that you bestowed so much upon the Horse I rode away on but considering you are a Merchant said Cromwell it seemeth to me not honest to returne you your money without some consideration for the long detayning of it Take you therefore these foure Baggs and in every of them is foure hundred Ducats these you shall receive and enjoy from the hand of your assured friend This done he caused Frescobald to give him the names of his Debtors and what every one ought him appointing one of his Officers to cause his Debtors to make present payment of what they ought the Officer plyed the businesse so well that he had quickly procured all Frescobalds Debts whom Cromwell entertained in his house all the while and would have had him to continue with him his whole life promising him the loane of threescore thousand Ducats for foure yeares if he would continue and trade here in England but Frescobald who desired to returne into his owne Country and there quietly to continue the rest of his life with the great favour of the Lord Cromwell after many thankes for his high and noble entertainment departed towards his desired home where richly arriving he gave himselfe quietly to live But his wealth he small time enjoyed for in the first yeare of his returne he dyed The absurdity of Sooth-saying or judiciall Astrology The absurdity and imposture of Divination or Sooth-saying is ingeniously observed by Cicero in Pompey the great Croessus and Iulius Caesar to whom all the Chaldees and Wisards not only promised prosperous and long lives but assured them of timely and peaceable ends yet of their tumultuous imployments in the passage of their time upon earth and of their wretched and miserable deaths Histories make ample and frequent mention Where humane helpe failes we may expect Divine Philo with other Jewes being accused to Cajus Caligula by one Appion that they had refused to give Divine honour unto Caesar and for that cause were commanded from the Court he said to the rest of the Jewes his companions in that adversity Be of good comfort O my friends and Country-men against whom Caesar is thus grievously incensed because of necessity Divine aide must be present where humane helpe is absent Eight Rules to know false Doctrines by They that would not be corrupted with the Errours and Heresies of these times must carefully reject all erronious and hereticall Doctrines to which purpose these generall rules may be very usefull First whatsoever Doctrine is contrary to godlinesse and opens a doore to Libertinisme and prophanenesse must be rejected as Soulepoyson such are Doctrines against the Sabbath Family duties and publick Ordinances and such is the Doctrine of an Universall Tolleration of all Religions Secondly such Doctrines must be rejected as hold forth a strictnesse above what is written many Doctrines in Popery are of this sort as Selfe-whippings voluntary Poverty and Vowes of Continency Thirdly whatsoever Doctrine tendeth to the lifting up of nature corrupted to the exalting of unsanctified Reason and giveth Free-will in supernaturall things to a man unconverted is a Doctrine contrary to the Gospel This Rule will preserve us against all Arminian Tenets Fourthly all Doctrines that set up our owne righteousnesse whether of Morality or Sanctification in the roome of Christs Righteousnesse that place good workes in the Throne of Christ are Doctrines of Antichrist and not of Christ Fifthly All Doctrines that doe so set up Christ and his Righteousnesse as to decry all workes of Sanctification and to deny them to be fruits and evidences of our Justification are to be avoyded and abhorred This Rule will keep us from most of the errours of the Antinomians Sixthly That Doctrine that lesseneth the priviledges of Beleevers under the New Testament and maketh their Infants in a worse condition then they were in under the Old Testament cannot be the Doctrine of the Gospel for the Gospcl tells us That Jesus Christ was made a Surety of a better Testament established upon better promises This Rule will preserve us against the poyson of Anabaptisme Seventhly That Doctrine that cryeth up purity to the ruine of unity is contrary to the Doctrine of the Gospel for the Gospel calleth for unity as well as purity Eph. 4. 3 4 5 6. This Rule will teach us what to judge of the Congregationall way and of Tollerating different Religions which tends much to the breach of Spirituall love and unity and cannot be the Government of Christ Lastly whatsoever Doctrine is contrary to the rule of Faith or to any duty required in the ten Commandements or to any Petition of the Lords Prayer is not a Doctrine of Christ and therefore to be rejected A good argument for the immortality of the Soule When Frederick the Emperour was told of the death of a great Noble-man who had lived ninety yeares in all voluptuousnesse and pleasure yet was never knowne to be either diseased in body or disquieted in minde by any temporall affliction whatsoever this being related to the Emperour as a strange thing he made answer Even hence said he wee may ground that the Soules of men be immortall for if there be a God who first created and since governeth the world as both Divines and Philosophers teach and that there is none so stupid as to deny him to be just in all his proceedings there must then of necessity be other places provided to which the Soules of men must remove after death since in this life we neither see rewards conferred upon those that are good and honest nor punishments condigne inflicted