to run and ride after it and to offer largely for it and maketh some Patrons theeues and to admit many an Ignoramus into the charge and cure of Soules and many a Minister to be a periured Simonist before God Hee maketh not a few to heape vp meanes not onely for maintenance but also to make themselues great and many which come in freely to neglect the care of their flockes and to seek after their fleeces to care to bee rich and to follow so after the world as that either they giue ouer to preach or doe make them preach at home very idly seldome and vnprofitably though abroad either for their hire or applaudity more diligently and commendable When People come to Church my Lord hee marreth their deuotion and haleth their soules out of the Church to make them to bee walking their grounds talking with their friends plotting businesses and to bee going some iourney to bee at some Market or Faire to bee counting their debts following their debtors reckoning vp their loane vpon Vsury their profits and gaine here and there not without feare of losses And all these things my Lord with many other worldly thoughts whilst their bodies are in Church When people come from the Church hee choaketh the seed of Gods Word that it thriueth in very few and of these few it is more in talke than in practice Hee keepeth my Lord many from the Church causing them to set the Lords Day apart not for his seruice but for their worldly affaires because they will not take another time for hindering their profit in the weeke daies Much more my Lord I haue to say but I am loth to be too tedious You Master Church haue spoken sufficiently and enough to condemne him Call Master Common-Weale Master Common-Weale what can you say on the Kings behalfe against the Prisoner at Barre My Lord this man hath entred so farre into all businesses as hee hath almost vtterly vndone mee Hee propoundeth Offices to sale and so maketh the buyers to sell their duties for profit to make vp their monies He hath monopolized commodities into his hands inhanced the prices of things to the great grieuance of the Kings Subiects Hee as your Lordship well knoweth hath miserably corrupted the course of Iustice by briberie by making many Lawyers plead more for Fees than honestly for the equitie of the cause by delaying the cause by remouing it from one Court to another till men be vndone He hath to get his desire suborned false witnesses counterfeited Euidences and forged Wils Good my Lord let some order be taken with him else he will vtterly bring mee to ruine and all mine for euer Call Master Houshold Master Houshold what can you say concerning the Prisoner My Lord this wicked Couetousnesse keepes holy exercises out of priuate houses he will not let parents haue any time to instruct their children hee maketh Masters vse their seruants more like beasts than men they are so wholly imployed in worldly businesses as for their soules there is no care taken but they are left to liue as soule-lesse men Hee causeth niggardly house-keeping and ouer-labouring of seruants He breedeth much contention chiding and too much vse of ill language by Mistresses and Dames yea betweene men and their wiues in their Family to the great griefe and ill example of their children and seruants Yea my Lord hee hath made children to bee cruel to their Parents brethren and sisters to hate one another neere of kindred and bloud to goe to Law one with another for and about diuiding goods lands and inheritances yea I can witnes this that hee hath made them murther one another Children their Parents Husbands their Wiues and one Brother another It would be too long to particularize how great euils and how many waies hee hath iniured mee and all mine But because other witnesses stand heere by mee I will trouble your Lordship with no more complaints at this time Call Master Neighbourhood Friend What is it that you can say touching this prisoner My Lord this vnhappy man hath altogether disunited mens affections so as in our Towne there is very little loue hardly will one doe another a good turne freely but either it must bee one for another like for like or in certaine future hope for gaine This wretch hath almost banisht all friendly society euery man is so now for himselfe as hee neglecteth his neighbor almost wholly He maketh them trespasse one another to rob cunningly one another in buying and selling and to fall out with bitter rayling vnneighbourly languages for a penny losse and causeth many suits and brabbles Wee are my Lord indeed miserably disquieted and almost vtterly vndone by him For my Lord we were a company of very good neighbours till he became Landlord here dwelt Amitie Kindnesse Gentlenesse Loue Peace Charitie Patience Goodnesse Readie-good-will Forgetfulnesse of wrongs Sociablenesse Good-turnes and Ioy but most vniustly by his cruelty wrong dealing hee hath displaced them and brought my Lord a company of infernall spirits for so I think I may without offence call them which are these Hatred Malice Enuie Wrath Anger Churlishnesse Discord Niggardlinesse Sturdinesse Strife Debate Variance Emulation Sedition Wrangling Fraud Deceit Malignitie Despight Vnnaturalnesse Implacablenesse Vnthankfulnesse Fiercenesse Highmindednesse Selfeloue Makebate and Vnmercifulnesse The best that hee brings in my Lord are Costlesse complement Faire-Speech How doe you Good-morrow Good euen Glad to see you well Word-welcome Will you drinke Fare-well Yours to command and such like also one Little-good with another called Soone-lost and amongst these No-harme is greatly commended but neuer a Good man amongst them much lesse any Too-good to bee found in the Parish except more in name than in deed And this is that which I haue to say my Lord at this time Call out Master Good-worke Master Good-worke what can you say touching the Prisoner My Lord there hath beene so much spoken that I need say nothing yet none haue more iust cause to complaine than I haue for he hath endeuoured to his vtmost to root me out and all my posterity Bounty Liberality and Hospitalitie My Lord we by reason of him daily stand in feare of our liues all the countrey crieth out of him in their loue to vs who well know how often hee hath attempted to murther vs. He hath put out of ioynt both the armes of my Son Bounty and almost broken the backe of my Son Liberality that he hardly at any time goeth vpright and all know this that he hath violently set vpon my Sonne Hospitality and forced him out of doores and in his stead hath let in Pride of apparel Sumptuous building Affectation of vaine Titles whom hee hath made to shut vp doores perswading them that to maintain their state they must increase their reuenues by new purchases by racking of rents by inhauncing their fines and incomes all
procure thine owne release But know that yet for all that thou hast said the Inditement against thee standeth firme and the Euidence against thee is good which here my brethren the Kings Sergeant and the Kings Atturney and these worthy Gentlemen Iustices of this County likewise affirme It is very true which your Lordship saith Good my Lord before you pronounce sentence against me as you be a righteous Iudge heare me but this once more What hast thou to say yet for thy selfe My Lord I am endited by a wrong name my name my Lord is Thrift and not Couetousnesse as all this while my Aduersaries haue borne your Lordship in hand Then the Iudge asked Iustice Sapience where his examination was The Iustices Clarke called Experience brought it forth and read it In which his name was found to bee Couetousnesse and that by the witnesse of his neighbours to whom he was verie well knowne Fellow saith the Iudge why dost thou denie thy name My Lord I doe not denie it for my name is Thrift but when I get vp some wealth the enuy of my neighbours gaue me this other nickname and so common it grew by their so often calling me as I lost my other name among them But there are diuerse of my honest neighbours which loue me and are glad of my welfare they haue told me that my name formerly was Thrift and they do assure me that I am vntruly called Couetousnesse Then saith the Iudge who be these and what are their names My Lord one is Master Faire-speech a louing kind man and another is Master Soothing his kinsman both of them my familiar friends whom I haue often enuited and welcomed to my house Also many other of my good neighbours do affirme as much to me as my neighbour Needy Retainer Dependant Workeman Hireling Tenant Feareman Fainhart Loath-to-offend Clawbacke and Fawning for though some of these bee but poore men yet I haue euer knowne thē all to be so honest that they haue hated to slatter me There are besids these my Lord other very substantiall Gentlemen as Master Lucre Master Bribery Master Opression Master Harddealing Master Scrapgood Master Niggard Master Pinch-poore Master Extortion Master Basemind Master Chubrich Master Vsury Master Hardhart Master Louegood Master Suckingaine and Master Griphard all these my Lord and other moe of my good friends haue much maruelled that I would suffer my selfe to be soe falsely called Couetousnesse by these my Accusars my euer hatefull and malicious enemies such as is Master Pitie Master Reliefe Master Liberalitie Master Bountie Master Hospitality with certaine lend Companions such as Carelesse and Wastfull Pride Prodigalitie Idle and Bellicheare with the like haters of my thriuing and prouident courses for I haue heard some Preachers say that hee which prouideth not for his family is worse then an Infidle and I would be loath to be hold such a one that am a Christian man And my Lord if it please you to heare mee and also to beleeue mee I haue euer hated Couetousnesse for I keepe my Church I say daily my prayers and now and then as I may attend it I heare Preachers yea such as be held of the incercut euer railing against the Couetous I haue beene Patron of many a good Benifice and haue euer giuen them freely and if it happened that I reserued out of them any Tithes it was then vpon my Chaplens thankfulnesse and onely vpon an honest cōposition I haue giuen almes now and then I haue not beene altogether soe straight handed to the poore when I sold or let any thing as often I did the price set vpon the same euer was so reasonable as my Stewards and Bailiffes told mee for I trusted them that if one would not giue the money another would If in house-keeping I haue beene any whit sparing it was onely warines to auoid Riot Excesse Drunkennes Gluttonie which euery honest man hateth If the poore so many as came were not all relieued it was for that I saw beggers to encrease thereby and so I may do more harme then good by my almes for while some came from farre for an almes or a peny they might haue earned at home in that time perhaps two pence yea a groate sometimes making their going and comming a whole dayes labour I gathered my Lord what I haue gotten by Gods blessing and great paines-taking for present and for future maintenance of my selfe my wife and children after me and I meant withall when I died to haue giuen something to the Church something to the poore and a reward to a Preacher to Preach my funerall Sermon and somewhat more perhaps to other good vses Good my Lord I beseech you consider of me I haue euer had a good mind to wrong no man but onely haue striuen carefully and honestly to thriue in this hard world and if all my courses bee neuer so strictly obserued they will onely proue mee to bee Thrist which is my right name and not Couetousnesse It hath been my ill happe though I haue done good deeds to be very wrongfully abused either by such as haue enuied my good prosperitie or by some railing Tenants or by some bordering Neighbours that cannot buy of me how when and what they list at their owne prices or by some vnthankfull persons not satisfied according to their humours though rewarded aboue their deserts Good my Lord be good vnto mee and bee not carried away with the words of my malicious enuious Accusers Fellow saith the Iudge but that I onely sit to iudge and not to bee thy Accuser I could tell thee First that those thou hast before named to prooue thee to be Thrift and not Couetousnesse are either slatterers or fearefull to displease thee or wretched men companions in euill like thy selfe And therefore their witnesse is nothing worth Next that all thou hast alleaged concerning thy Religion thy almes-deeds thy house-keeping and the rest do not cleare thee of Couetousnesse for the Scribes and Pharisecs would pay Tithes fast weekly make many and long prayers yea they heard Iohn Baptist a seuere Reprouer of sin and Christ Iesus too who sharply reprehended them They would giue almes adorne sepulchers and doe many things which thou dost come farre short off and yet were they very couetous The young man that came to Christ and stood vpon his well doing towards all men and that from his youth vp yet was he a Mamonist and trusted in his riches There were certaine Iewes as one Propher telleth vs who would heare Sermons seeme to delight therein shew loue to their Teachers in word and speake to others to go and heare them yet their hearts followed after their couetousnesse In a word the carriage of thy owne speech vttered in thy owne praises sauoureth strongly of Couetousnesse But as I said I will not bee both an Accusar and thy Iudge we will heare witnesses for the
THE ISLE OF MAN OR The Legall Proceeding in Man-shire against SINNE Wherein by way of a continued Allegorie the chiefe Malefactors disturbing both Church and Common-Wealth are detected and attached with their Arraignment and Iudiciall triall according to the Lawes of England The spirituall vse thereof with an Apologie for the manner of handling most necessary to be first read for direction in the right vse of the Allegory thorowout is added in the end By R. B. Rector of Batcomb Somers The fourth Edition much enlarged LONDON Printed for Edw. Blackmore at the great South doore of Pauls 1627. TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull Sr. THOMAS THYNNE Knight and to his religiously-affected Ladie the Lady KATHERINE THYNNE All sauing graces in the blessed way vnto eternall Comforts are vnfainedly wished Right Worshipfull SInce your departure and now returne to Longleate where the poore feele your mercies in set times of releefe and daily almes and your tenants and common neighbouring Inhabitants good entertainment at the generall time of great house keeping it was my hap to trauell into and thorowout the whole Isle of man now its vsuall with Trauellers to discourse of their iourneying and to relate their Obseruations And therefore let none obiect say vnto mee that of Persius Scire tuum nihil est nisi te scire hoc sciat alter For I found good in my paines taking and bonum is communicativum sui diffusivum and so quo communius eo melius In my very entrance and afterwards euery where I found written that old ancient precept Nosce teipsum This lesson I began to take out with diligent obseruation And it brought to my mind the Apostles charge Quisque explorat seipsum which I laboured to put in practice and so sought my selfe in my selfe for I remembred that saying long since learned Orbis quisque sibi nec te quaesiueris extra Thus my trauell became very profitable to mee and the variety of sights withall procured delight and turned my paines into pleasure In my trauelling I came to the County Towne or chiefest Seat there called Soule Where I rested for some time because it fell out to be the Assise weeke for all that Iland Where I specially marked how in all things they proceeded against Malefactors according to the Lawes of England in this onely lyeth the difference there is neuer but one Iudge whereas wee haue euer two appointed in euery Circuit as wee haue now in this Westerne very honorable and religious Iudges quos honoris causa non possum non nominare Sir Iohn Walter Lord Chiefe Baron and Sir Iohn Denham another worthy Baron of the Exchequer louers of vertue and Iustice And indeed such ought Iudges to be as was and is this Iudge in Man He is a Iudge of Iethroes choice verax Dei timens osor turpis lucri Hee is diuinely giuen prudent impartiall and very quicke vpon good information in dispatch of Causes Hee was worthily attended as he ought euer to bee with a worthy Sheriffe with Iustices of Peace Knights and Esquires Gentlemen of singular note and fame in that Countrie This I heard of them and it appeared by their practice that they all stand for the maintenance of the lawes they see their Soueraigne well serued Iustice duly obserued and iudgement executed accordingly They neuer side with any for they hate faction Pride and Enuy two restlesse Make-bates who for notorious misdemeanour I saw bound to the good behauiour So as now there a Caesar-like spirit patitur superiorem a Pompey suum parem They runne all one course and as true Israelites quasi vir vnus for publike good Therefore doe the people liue in peace the land prospereth Iustice flourisheth vertue is exalted vice suppressed and the enemies at home and abroad made to feare The whole discourse of this excellent order and carefull proceedings there by me obserued from my first entrance vnto the end I am bold here to present vnto your Worships whom I haue now found diligent Readers of holy Scripture addicted to priuate prayer besides set forme for the whole family to be entertainers of the Preachers of Gods Word giuing freely to such Benefices as they hap to be void not being seduced by mens offering large summes to procure Aduousons afore hand as too many Patrons bee in these daies Now the Lord God Almighty hearten you in and to these things more more and to euery other good grace that may liuely demonstrate to the world the power of sauing knowledge in the vse of Gods abundant earthly blessings so largely bestowed vpon you with which earnest prayer vnto God for you and for a blessing vpon these my endeuours to further the same I humbly take leaue Your Worships in all Christian seruices at command RICHARD BERNARD Batcombe May 21. THE AVTHORS earnest requests FIRST to the Worthy Reader whosoeuer to whom let me but say thus much of this Discourse and allegoricall narration that in it sunt bona sunt quaedam mediocria sunt mala nulla Yet if any thing may seeme distastfull let thy minde be to take it well as Caesars was to interpret well the seeming offensiue carriage of one Accius the Poet towards him and thou wilt not be displeased Thy good minde will preuent the taking of an offence where none is intended to be giuen In discouery attaching arraigning and condemning of finne I tax the Vice and not any mans person so as I may say with one Hunc seruare modum nostri nouere libelli Parcere personis discere de vitijs Thou hast heere towards the end of this discourse the tryall and iudgement vpon foure notorious Malefactors Two of them the very prime Authors of all the open rebellion or secret Conspiracies which at any time euer were in that Iland The other two were the principall Abettours and the chiefest Supporters of them Their names their natures and their mischieuous practices thou mayest find at large in the narration There should haue beene at that Assises with these the arraignment of certaine suspected Witches but this was preuented because the Grand-Iurie Gentlemen could not agree to bring in their Billa vera for that they made question of diuers points whereof they could not be resolued at that present 1. Whether the afflicted did suffer by onely some violent diseases in nature producing strange effects like practices of Witch-craft Which for want of a iudicious Physitian they could not discerne 2. Whether the afflicted were a counterfeit as was one Marwood the Boy of Bilson and one Mary Brosier Or that he or she hauing some natural disease did make vse thereof and counterfeited the rest as one Mainy did who was troubled with the hysterica passio 3. Whether being a disease supernaturall yet might come vpon the afflicted by the operation of the deuill without the association of a Witch as it happened to Iob and others in the Euangelists Or that the afflicted hath a deuill
or the property of new Vpstarts neuer hauing had the right breeding of true Gentry nor the vnderstanding of the true qualities of a Gentleman indeed But seeing thou art humble and penitent and maist doe his Maiesty good seruice hereafter thy deserued sentence shall bee deferred off till his Maiesties pleasure be further known concerning thee yet in the meane space thou art to be bound to thy good behauiour and be carried back againe to remaine vnder the custody of Master Newman Gaoler take him to thee and see him forth comming whensoeuer he shall be called for Then said he I humbly thanke your Lordship and so bowing himselfe to the Bench he is carried away from the Barre to the place from whence hee came to remaine Prisoner vntill hee should bee released After hee was remoued the Gaoler was commanded to set Mistresse Hearts Maids to the Barre But vpon deliberation they were sent to Ward againe vnto another time The reason was for that two great Traitors and Rebels chiefe amongst the damned crue were presently to bee arraigned which would take vp the allotted time before the Court should breake vp and the Bench arise These two were Couetousnesse and Idolatry Capitall Theeues pestilently mischieuous against God his Worship and Seruice against the Church and against the Cōmon-weale Couetousnesse was ioyned with Idolatry because he is also called Idolatry Now all other Prisoners remoued and the Iudge with the Bench ready for these the Clerke willeth the Crier to command the Gaoler to set Couetousnesse to the Barre which the Gaoler doth forth with Then saith he vnto him Couetousnesse hold vp thy hand and heare thy Inditement Couetousnesse thou art here indited by the name of Couetousnesse in the Towne of Want in the County of Neuerfull that from the day of thy first being thou hast beene the root of all euill hauing made some to play the Theeues others to commit Treason against our Soueraigne Lord the King others to murther Innocents for their inheritance Thou art also here indited for bribery extortion oppression vsurie iniustice cousenage vnmercifulnesse and a multitude of outragious Villanies besides thy hindering men in holy duties and meanes of Saluation forcing them headlong to their destruction contrary to the Peace of our Soueraigne Lord the King his Crowne and Dignity What sayest thou to this Inditement guilty or not guilty He answereth not guilty my Lord and so hee puts himselfe vpon the triall After this the parties that can giue Euidence are called in and first Repentance is commanded to produce his Witnesses Repentance what can you say My Lord since the Prisoner was committed to prison and put into Ward some of my witnesses are dead as Achan Ahab and Iudas Then saith the Iudge looke the Records Clerke and reade them My Lord I reade here that Acan confessed that by Couetousnesse hee was moued to looke vpon a wedge of gold and so coueting stole it and with it a Babylonish garment to the death and destruction of him and all his Also I here finde how through Couetousnesse Ahab longed for poore Naboths Vineyard and so eagerly as hee fell sicke for it because hee could not haue his will But Iesabel procured by his leaue and liking the death of Naboth and his sons and so got possession of the Vineyard Moreouer I finde here that Iudas confessed how hee betrayed the innocent bloud of our Sauiour through couetousnesse and desire of money This is all the Confession my Lord in the Records Then the Iudge willeth the Constable and his Assistants which were at the apprehending of him to bee called who make their appearance Constable what can you say and those that were with you against this prisoner at the Barre My Lord when wee went to make search for him hee hid himselfe so close as wee had much adoe at first to finde him in Mistresse Hearts house who had almost perswaded vs that hee had not beene there vntill I learned it from Dauid the man of God whom I had found petitioning the Lord Chiefe Iustice for a Warrant of the good behauiour against the Couetousnesse of the Heart Then thought I certainly hee is here in this house for if Dauid feared to haue him in his Heart that gaue so many millions of gold and siluer 3300. Cart-load of Treasure for the building of the Temple can I thinke him not to bee here I sought therefore diligently my Lord and found him but before I could attach him hee was got into a darke corner and attempted to blow out my Candlelight and to haue escaped mee But I and my Company tooke such diligent heed to him as hee could not get from vs yet before we could binde him and bring him away hee endeuoured to mischiefe as many as came neere him would by no meanes obey my Warrant as the rest here my Lord can tell if you please to heare them Then began euery one of them to speak Care complained that hee had almost choaked him with the world and worldly businesses so as hee had no leasure to minde heauenly things Clearing accused him that he had so vndermined his vnderstanding at vnawares as almost hee had broken the necke of his good name and reputation of his profession and Religion Indignation complained that hee had well nigh lost his life by him for whereas before hee could not behold Sinne but with an holy anger now profit of Sinne through this cursed Couetousnesse made him looke cheerefully vpon it and heartily welcom it for profits sake Feare complained that he did bewitch him for said he whereas before I was tender hearted and trembled at Gods Word desire of gaine made mee loth to lose my commodity though I got it with Sin Vehement desire did greatly complaine of his violent setting vpon him to make him eager after earthly things so as he could hardly take any rest Zeale complained that hee strucke himselfe hard vpon the head as the blow made him in hope of gain almost without sense of Gods glory which before hee preferred aboue all things in the world Lastly Reuenge complained that the Prisoner had attempted to murther him and so wounded him as whereas before hee could master sinne now hee was growne so weake as any gainfull sinne was able to master him and to bring him vnder command When these had spoken what they could the rest were brought to giue euidence and these also were men of very good account and of great worth in their Country Master Church Master Common-Weale Master Houshold Master Neighbour-hood and Master Good-worke who hauing answered to their names they giue in Euidence one by one Master Church what can you say against the prisoner at the Barre My Lord I am not able to reckon the particular mischiefes hee hath done against me There falleth neuer a Benefice of any reasonable value but hee sets many
little enough to vphold their outward state vaine pompe abroad And this my Lord is that which for the present I haue to say Then it was asked if all were come in that should giue Euidence Answer was made My Lord here is onely one man more poore Pouerty brought hither by authority to giue Euidence may it please you heare him Call in Pouerty Pouerty What canst thou say against this prisoner at the Barre Good my Lord I haue reason to curse the day that euer I knew him and hee onely it is that hath brought mee to this poore state I was a man of some credit my neighbours well know till I had to do with him who would lend mee nothing but vpon Vsurie and that vpon great bonds and morgage of lands and so greedy a Wolfe was he vpon his prey that if I missed but one day of payment hee would take the benefit of the Morgage or forfeiture or if he forbore longer I payed him by presents and gifts so much with the vse as made me to groane vnder the burthen feeling my selfe in an irrecouerable Consumption Sometimes to keepe day with him I was enforced either to buy for time or else to sell something out of hand to make readie monies either of which was as bad or worse than the biting of vsurie for when William Greedy a brother of his or also Gain his Cousin perceiued my need oh how did hee in selling for time extort from mee and in buying for readie money presse me So that to escape a whirle-poole I fell into deuouring gulfes and thus he vndid me And not being therewith content woe vnto him when I became Tenant my Lord who was before a good Free-holder he put into our Land-lords heart to depopulate our whole Parish of Wealth for so it was called and there in stead of many honest Inhabitants and good house-keepers hee set a Shepheard and his Curre to feed his flockes This also is hee my Lord that maketh men of faire lands which might liue well on their own Reuenewes and demaines to take Farmes into their hands and to driue out such as had been mercifull releeuers of their poore neighbours In our poore estate wee haue sought to him for releefe but in stead of comfort he hath railed on vs threatned to whip vs and to send vs to the House of Correction Nothing will he doe for vs but what by Law hee is inforced vnto though hee keepe his Church and can sometime also talke of Religion Hee beggers all of vs my Lord on worke hee will not set vs and yet will not suffer vs to seeke abroad for releefe He neuer seeth vs but his heart riseth against vs. He rather will aduenture his owne damnation than part with one penny except it be to goe gay to buy and purchase for him and his Yea my Lord that all may know his mercilesse cruelty when we haue wanted releefe begged of him hee hath counselled vs to shift for our selues and steale out of the stackes of Corne in gleaning time for bread to breake hedges to steale wood or coale in the night to make vs fires to plucke sheepe or sheere off their wooll for cloathing to rob Orchards for fruit to steale geese hennes ducks pigges and sheepe for flesh meat to cousen men that set vs on worke and to make vs poore people hatefull to God and man For hee careth not my Lord so as he may not be charged any way what we doe or what becommeth of vs. And yet to make vp the height of vnmercifulnesse hee will be the first if wee of meere extreme need doe amisse that will cry out against vs and pursue vs to death This hath euer been his course hitherto my Lord consider rightly of vs and pittie our case I beseech you good my Lord. Pouerty thy case indeed is to be pittied Iurie you haue heard the Euidence of all what say you of the prisoner at the Barre is hee guilty or not guiltie Iurie Guilty my Lord. Couetousnesse thou hast heard what al these witnesses haue laid to thy charge and spoken against thee what canst thou say for thy selfe why sentence vpon these honest mens verdict should not be pronounced against thee My Lord I stand for my life let it please you with patience to heare me and first touching this impatient ingratefull out-crying fellow Pouerty It was not I my Lord when hee was wealthy but his then daily and onely Companions Sloth Carelesnesse Prodigality Goodfellowship Goegay Good-cheere wantonnesse Improuidence Little-worke and Many-mouthes which my Lord cast him into a Consumption and like Canker wormes consumed him quickly I confesse he came to me often to borrow but when I saw his vaine courses of expence I was very loth to lend to him But that hee so earnestly intreated me euen with teares in his eyes oftentimes protesting that I should greatly pleasure him yea and saue him and his estate from ruine if I would doe him that kindnesse to lend him in his need Thus my Lord was I moued and drawne on to lend him according to the Statute onely I took good Security because I perceiued him to bee wastfull Aduantage I neuer tooke but onely when I saw that he was an idle fellow and carelesse and would neuer keepe day then I would onely threaten him to terrifie him my Lord and if hee then brought any kindnesse to my wife it is more than I know of and more than I desire of him Sometimes hee would offer to sell mee the land morgaged to mee when he could not pay and told me that of necessitie hee must sell it and if I would not another should buy it Then I thought my selfe as worthy to haue it as any other in all reason For my threatning of him and his Companie when they went a begging true it is because I say that as they had consumed themselues they thought to relie on mee and so in like sort to haue eaten me vp too for idely had they liued and worke they neither could nor would And whereas they accuse me that I compelled them to steale herein they very much wrong me my Lord for it was their Loue to liue idely and their Pinching necessitie which led and inforced them to fall to shifting and stealing and not I my Lord. Touching their Landlords depopulating of the Towne of Wealth they their owne selues were the very cause thereof for that worthy Knight and my kinsman Sir Worldly Wise when hee saw how some by suits of Law others by Drunkennesse and Ryot others by Pride and Idlenesse did waste their estates so as they were neither able to till their land nor to stock their grounds hee bought their estates one after another and so left them to buy or hire for themselues elsewhere And when thus they had remoued themselues hee sought the welfare of the Common-Weale which was to hold vp cloathing my Lord
Master Sheriffes authoritie Who bee they Master Sheriffe Master Law with his sonnes Ciuill Canon Common and Municipall Well let them attend the Court for the Kings seruice for vse if need be Papistrie if thou canst â—ustly except against any I giue thee leaue to challenge any such of the Iury. Good my Lord onely one of the Iury I except against which is Holy Scriptures except it be our own Translation Well saith the Iudge I am content it shall bee so let it be either Montanus or the Rhemist or the Vulgar Edition we desire a iust proceeding with all the indifferencie that may be Then the Crier calleth aloud If any man can giue Euidence or can say any thing against the Prisoner at the Barre let him come in for hee stands vpon his deliuerance Here is my Lord a worthy Gentleman M. Verity Master Verity come neere what can you say concerning the Prisoner at the Barre My Lord this I am able to iustisie First that hee hath beene a False Teacher froÌ„ the beginning fraught with error and heresies teaching as the false Teachers did such as be recorded in Scripture if they were paralleld together as the Doctrine of Diuels 1 Tim. 4. 1 2. Traditions and Commandements of men Mat. 15. 2. Mar. 7. 8 9 13. Col. 2. 22. Veniall sinnes Matt. 23. 16. 18. Childrens neglect of Parents for Churches profit as they pretended Mat. 15. 5. Mar. 7. 11. Superstitious obseruations in meats and holy dayes Matth 15. 11. Col. 2. 16 21. Laying heauy burthens vpon the people Luk. 11. 46. Iustification by works therewith troubling the Churches Gal. 2. 18. 3. 2. 5. 4. 12. Voluntary Religion and Wil-worship Col. 2. 18. 23. The worship of Angels Col. 2. 18. Carnall libertie 2. Pet. 2. 19. Reu. 2. 1â— 20. And Teaching for filthy Lucre Tit. 2. 11. Thus are they as were the False Teachers as the Scriptures in the New Testament set them out like in all these things How like they are my Lord to after Heretiques learned Whitaker in his Booke De Ecclesia in the first Question sheweth in many particulars Secondly my Lord he hath vsed the very same practises which False Teachers haue vsed hee doth to make way for his Doctrine Worship and Aduancement euen as they did They played the Hypocrites in outward humilitie in long prayers and formes of Deuotion and so mislead silly women They graced their Doctrine with shew of Fore-fathers They tooke away the Key of Knowledge and neither would enter into life nor suffer others They told the people old Wiues Fables and told lies in hypocrisie They vsed sleights and cunning craftinesse to deceiue They boasted of their learning vsing prophane and vaine babbling and oppositions of Sciences as they termed it They pretended Reuelations Apostolicall Traditions and alleadged counterfer writings They had the Propheticall woman and deceiuing Prophetesses They had their Miracle-workers Casters out of Diuels and Dreamers of dreames They would slander mens persons and the Doctrine of saithfull Teachers and lay to their charge what they could not proue speaking of them contemptuously and railing on them They boasted to bee the true Church and that by Succession they were of the Fathers They would vse faire and soothing words and teach with inticing words and did strine for excellencie of speech of mans wisedome to deceiue When they could not preuaile by faire meanes then they would suborne false witnesses they threatned beat imprisoned banished and slew the faithfull Teachers and Christian Beleeuers They would plot conspiracies to the shedding of bloud and the Priests must bee acquainted herewith before hand to encourage them hereto They would make open insurrections and stir vp great personages to take part with them And what rebellion treasons conspiracies insurrections and persecutions this Papistrie hath wrought my Lord Bishop of Chichester hath openly discouered to the world in his Booke of Thanksgiuing for our deliuerance from all these Traitors Morton Sands Parsons Campion Ballard Watson Clarke Garnet Priests and Iesuits Stuckly Someruile Throgmorton Parry Babbington and his Company Lop us Tyrone Markam Brooke with others Percey Catsby and all the Gun-powder Plotters Laicks And this my Lord is not what I could but what I thought sufficient to testifie at this time because I would not be tedious Master Veritie by this you haue vttered it is easie to see how this man hath followed both the false Teachers in Doctrine and the Enemies of the Gospell in their practises If there be any moe witnesses let them come foorth Yes my Lord here is Sir Christianitie Sir Christianitie what is it that you haue to say against this Prisoner at the barre My Lord I was commanded to bee here to day to giue euidence what I know against this man and this I am willing to do for the seruice of my Soueraigne This it is my Lord which I haue to say that this man with his Associates hath in stead of Christian Religion set vp a seruice of Iudaisme and Paganisme which I am able to prooue in a multitude of particulars but because I am loath to be tedious in my relation I haue brought heere with me Three Bookes that the Iury may iudge of all the particulars or they may be read before the Prisoner if your Lordship shall be pleased to haue it so What bookes Sir Christianitie My Lord one is that that is called The Three Conformities set out lately The other is De Origine Papatus set out by one Doctor Morisin and dedicated to his late Maiesty and the third is our learned Countriman Doctor Raynolds his CoÌ„ference with Hart neuer answered of any papistto this day who sheweth how the Popish seruice is like vnto the Iewishin very many particulars and wherein they be more Heathenish then Iewish I am content to haue theÌ„ read to spare your speech touching the Iewish seruice So hauing beene read the Iudge yet wished Sir Christianity to declare openly how Pagan like Papists bee and as the Heathenish Idolaters in Israel and Iudah were and onely out of the vndoubted Testimonies of Scripture and the Apocrypha books because those learned Authors had omitted it My Lord I shall saith Sir Christianity performe this taske with as great breuitie as I may that this Prisoner if it be possible may see how wickedly he hath dealt with mens soules to set vp instead of Gods Seruice an Idolatrous and Pagan-like Worship These Pagans set forth God like a man The Idolatrous Israelites had a Queene of Heauen they had Images of gold and siluer brasse yron wood and stone and some of clay some molten some carued and grauen some portrayed vpon walls and other Pictures Some were likemen Dan. 3. 1. 1. Sam. 5. 3 4. and some like Women