built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone in whom all the building coupled together groweth to a holy Temple in the Lord Ephes 2. 20. HARLOT Why But all this while you are but upon the sand no true foundation nor infallibilitie of supporting Will you haue a Sonnes soule hazarded upon sand MOTHER Hazard my childs soule Harlot Oh pretious thing O rich Iewell an inestimable treasure it is amidst the thinges of the world like Dauid amonge the people worth ten thousand of them and much more of all the thinges in the world my deare child runne not the hazard of that Hazard a foote thou maist and yet thou wilt not thou hast another a legge thou hast another an hand thou hast an other an arme thou hast an other an eye thou hast an other Here are no pairs loose one and loose all O vnvaluable losse and unrecoverable the redemption thereof must cease for ever What would not a parent now doe to put a childs soule out of hazard Then heare me my Sonne Sonne of my bowels harken Is that soule in danger that is in the Arke made by Gods owne appointment both for the matter and manner directed to him by that morning Starr from which it hath a certaine course Listen my child child of my bowels listen Is that corner-stone a sandy foundation can the waight of men and Angels presse it can the gates of hell remoue it Indeed if that stone fall upon thee or me we are crushed in peices Math. 21. 44. So are wee if we fall upon it heedlesly carelesly presumptuously but come unto it in the whole obedience of thy heart sticke cleaue unto it as Ruth to Naomie be not intreated to leaue it or to depart from it and thou canst not miscary Harken my Sonne Sonne of my bowels harken can the blowing of the winde can the beating of the storme remoue that house which the wise builder hath founded upon a Rocke Thou doest my Sonne beleeue Christs words I know thou doest beleeue them Then harken my Sonne this once Sonne of my bowels harken He that layeth a foundation diggeth deepe certainely so did this wise builder beyond all humane traditions here was no setling Beyond all will-worship a counterfeite ground Beyond all satisfaction of his owne this was not solid Beyond the intercession of Saints and Angells this was not safe Beyond the righteousnesse of his best workes here he would faine stay but it would not hold the waight still he diggs further for the soule that seeketh the Lord is not satisfied untill he find him Where have yee laid my Lord saith Mary let mee finde him or all is nothing Hee digges deeper even as hee that seekes a treasure or as a thirsty man after a spring of water or like those three mighty he will through the whole hoast of the Philistimes but hee will digg through those sandy bottomes and get to the rocke And now upon it he is and by it supported and from it refreshed for behold here is strength to hold him up here are waters living waters to comfort him for this rocke is Christ It is good being here here will he set up his rest here will hee abide for ever If the Rocke faile not he cannot faile blessed is the man that hath this foundation thrice blessed is he that hath this water to drinke he will ever dig it in broken pits Can the raine or haile fall now upon this man as upon a wildernesse to whom that man for so Christ the Rocke is called and observe the number will be as a hiding place from the wind as a refuge from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry place and as the shadow of a great rocke in a wearie land Isa 32. 1 2. Now the raine may fall and the floods come and the winds blow and beate upon this house behold it stands for it is grounded upon a rocke Matth. 7. 25. See a mount Sion now which stands for ever and the blast of the mighty shall be as a storme against the wall Oh my child though my eyes be shutt up yet am I as it were in Balaams rapture who can rell the strength of this man for as the Rocke is such is his strength as the strength of an Vnicorne no poyson shall hurt him no sorcery shall make against him hee hath a refuge from the storme a shaddow from the heat a strength in distresse what can daunt this man now can evill tydings whereof the world is full and are to be expected daily like Iobs messengers No then being well able to judge of the times his heart would be shaken like a leafâ— with the wind but he is no reâ—d whose foundation is myre and durt The Lord iâ— his confidence Proverb 3. 24. He hath laid himselfe downe in peace and taketh his rest his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord Psal 112. Can the judgement when it doth come quaile him No for of all the houres of the day hee was inquisitive with his beloved where he should rest at noone he knew that would be an hot time His beloved told him and ever since he rests assured that the nature of the judgement be it what it will be shall be changed it shall give but a gentle correction a fatherly chastisement a sower sweet meat shall come forth of the eater Iudges 14. 14. What will the King of feares doe What lay him upon his earth sure and there it will keepe him till the graves give up their dead But now it is sense that goes no further The body returnes to its earth the soule to him that gave it The sting of death is sin and the strength of sinne is the law but thankes be to God who hath given us victorie through Iesus Christ So then this mighty King who hath with stood his power will do the very same to this man which the Angell did to Paul Silas and as Pharaoh to Ioseph It will open to him the Prison doores knock off his fetters take off his Prison cloathes Let those feare to whom Christ is not both in life and death advantage This man cannot feare but rejoice rather For though the grave for a time must be his house and the wormes his companions Yet putting death on the one side and immortalitie on the other wormes on the one side and Angells on the other Rottennesse on the one side and Christ Iesus on the other he is bold and loves rather to remove and so for ever to bee with the Lord where he shall toile no more he shall weepe no more he shall sigh no more hee shal hunger no more he shall thirst no more Râ—st is come all teares are wiped away his Sunne shall no more goe downe neither shall the Moone withdraw it selfe for the Lord shall be his everlasting light and the dayes of his mourning shall be ended Isaiah 60. 20. Who can tell
doeth and thou maist bee sure of it A greater power then is this to cast away ones goods to thump ones selfe on the brest to crosse the forehead to lash oneâ— sides till the blood follow to cast up ones prayers with beads in stead of counters to abstaine from egges on Friday and a chicke on Saturday and flesh for forty dayes together Nay I am not wide if I say it brings a greater power then that of your Popes keyes though it cannot open Purgatorie But for thy information which I specially intend I will plainly shew thee what power this is which trueth brings with it by two resemblances It is such a power as Iacob gave his Father Laban to search his tents for the Images which Rachell had stollen shee was desirous to keepe them whether to play with them or because they were hir Fathers I know not and Laban was desirous to haue them they were his gods therefore of great esteeme Search my tents saith Iacob there is your power I would give no way to keepe them upon any condition if I knew of them For Iacob knew not that Rachell had stollen them Gen. 31. 32. So then Rachell was too hard for them both The resemblance lyeth thus Trueth brings power with it to search the heart yea to sweepe it and cleanse it too And yet this crafty subtle Rachell keepes some of the filth behind the doore in a corner And this to humble man who if he knowes nothing by himselfe yet is he not thereby justified He hath to doe with him who is greater then the heart whose eyes are as Christall Selfe-puritie is a fancie it will deceive a man like a broaken tooth or a legg out of ioynt Behold if we say wee know it not doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it c Prov. 24. 12. Who can understand his errors cleanse thou me from secret saiâ—â—s keepe backe thy servant c. Psal 19. Now marke how Hezechiah prayed The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seeke God though hee bee not clensed according to the purification of the sanctuarie That man who is as desirous to cleanse his heart from Idolls as Iacob was to cleanse his tents and can say with Hezechiah Remember how I have walked before thee in trueth and with a perfect heart 2 King 20. that man may find comfort from Gods answering Hezechiahs prayer And the Lord hearkned to Hezechiah and healed the people 2 Chro. 30. 18. 19. I should now shew this power which trueth brings in a second resemblance but I cannot leave this scripture there being something else in it considerable and pat for our purpose Rachell had stollen hir Fathers gods no question but shee would keepe them and what meanes useth shee for that shee hides them under the furniture then sitts downe closse upon them This was a principall means first to wipe hir Fathers nose of them and then to keepe them above ground for till she rose Iacob could not burie them under the Oake we may sitly call this hir wilfulnesse But wilfulnesse though it bee a kind of a reason such as it is yet it hath nothing to defend it selfe we call it a madnesse rather how then did shee defend hir wilfull sitting so closse in hir Fathers presence and upon such pretious things For that shee pleades custome So now this Scripture hath afforded us two principall helps by which you maintaine Images at this day they are the very pillars which keepe them from falling to the ground Yee resolve to keepe them therefore you sit downe closse upon them This is a strong Argument this will is a tough knottie thing And yet that this wilfulnesse may not bee counted madnesse ye plead custome from ancient dayes let ancient dayes speake It is ordinary with you to say you hope your great Grandfather is in heaven yet he bowed before an Image It is hard to prove that because there were seven thousand who bowed not the knee before the Image of Baall But see here though they cannot use a more Herculean Argument then wilfulnesse yet if ye will aske for the old way and enquire of auncient dayes which I am sure would faile you here is a Scripture would stand you in stead for it drawes the Pedegree of Images from more ancient dayes then were my Fathers And we do grant your Church had a being long before Luther and that your strange gods are as ancient as the oake beyond Sechem yet that you may not thence conclude their lawfulnesse they lay buried there and certainly there is no true Iacob but thinks them fittest under ground But if there be any one who will say to the dead stocke stand up he must uphold them by wilfulnes or by pleading custome or both Here I have beene out of my way yet not from my purpose I come to another resemblance wherby that power which trueth brings with it will appeare also It is such a power which Iosuah had to carry all before him yet the men of Gibeon were too wilie for him yet the Iebusite dwelt in the Land The one made their peace by working wilily The other stood to it having first had the Cittie in a kind of ancient possession which is 12. points in the law and so rooted and earthed himselfe in the Land as you see Ivie doth into a wall I remember one compare the body of sinne unto Ivie in a wall the Ivie doth so claspe the wall as that it cannot be taken forth till the wall be pluck't downe nor can that sinne bee purged till the building bee dissolved The Iebusite held out till Davids time But marke the resemblance goes further The first were hewers of wood and drawers of water to all the Congregations Anger hatred feare c. All things worke for the good of them that fear him they who are others masters are Israels servants The other vvere as goades in Israels sides and as thornes in his eyes so is the crucified body of sinne unto the true Israell witnesse a true Israelite who shall deliver me from the body of this death SONNE Yea but if trueth bring but such a power with it how is it there is such fowle practise MOTHER The reason is plaine all men have not trueth nay sew have it Truth is a Iewell it must be bought it may not bee sould It must be bought at any rate rather part with all then misse of it It must bee sould at no rate the world and the glorie of it cannot ballance it So then it being hardly bought and hardly kept no marvaile that all men haue not trueth SONNE Yet I cannot see how trueth and such sowle practise may stand together any more then light by darknesse God with Beliall MOTHER They doe not agree together yet may they stand together yet may they be together how As the Israelite and Iebusite in one Land as the wheat and the tares stand in one field Now Child that
Passeover the very ingredients which make up our austere penance the soules medicine MOTHER I might say of this medicine as they of the pottage Death is in the pott wee cannot eate of it But I leave the figure and speake plainely wee haue no such custome nor the Churches of God It is a truth A man ought to be a martyr in affection Hee must deny himselfe and take up his crosse daily And yet he must take his life goods and libertie from Gods hand as Talents intrusted to him to use to improue Nor must hee part with them till they stand in competition with the puritie of the Gospell and now that they doe he hath his warrant what to doe and his wo too if he doth it not and to the Saints the choyce is easie neither are their liues deare unto them it is necessary say they the trueth of Christ constrayning them that wee goe not that we should liue Wee shall loose our goods No matter wee will take it ioyefully knowing we have in heaven an induring substance Heb. 10. 34. we shall loose our libertie No matter the word of God is not bound Christ hath set us free we are free indeed Life is sweete the other life is sweeter But Death is bitter the second death is more bitter Come prison come death all is advantage The choyce is made but still they have their warrant Esau hath a sterne looke the true Israel will goe to meet him warrantably preparedly they looke to haue kisses from him The Crosse is a heavie thing the Head fainted under it much more the member therefore they will forecast the Crosse at all times they will cast it in their way at no time It shall meete the Saints as it did Simon of Cyren and as the Lyon mett Sampson in their way They will not thrust themselves into danger as they will not cowardly avoid it They will pray to be delivered from the mouth of the Lion but if the Beast will bend them or breake them their breaking hath and shall be like the breaking of a box of pretious oyntment it shall fill the whole house with a sweet perfume And the Beast shall bee forced in spite of mallice to yeeld them honey which proves so sweete that they shall take pleasure in infirmitie in reproches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christ his sake whose power is so upon them that when they are weake then are they strong How sweet shall the waters bee when the Lord hath healed them What pleasant fruit shall grow from a bitter root when the Lord hath watered it or hath changed his nature Tribulation shall worke patience patience experience experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed see what kisses are here SONNE You have said something to our sufferings in geuer all what say you to the particulars first to our austere penance wee are content to whip our selves because Christ was whipped by the Iewes and we thinke we haue ground for it if not a direct precept yea what clearing of your selues there is ground for our auricular confession yea what indignation yea what revenge 2 Cor. 7. there is ground for our pennance There cannot be a greater token of sorrow to repentance then to take revenge of our body for the sinne of our soules Againe we haue patterne for it too The Publican smote upon his breast Luke 18. MOTHER Trueth is an excellent thing if we haue it not yet we would haue some thing like it Your letter doth not mention Auricular confession therefore I will but touch upon it because it goes before Penance If you will take the Apostles clearing for Confession let Ezra Nehemiah and Daniell expound it in their three excellent chapters the 9 of their books where you haue the forme of clearing your Confession where you must marke by the way that it was accompanied with astonishment with trembling For that indignation and revenge the Apostle speaks off it cannot be meant of whipping your selues For what is a little smart of the body a yery flea biting to make satisfaction for sinne when as the sinne of the body cannot satisfie for the sinne of the soule For the Publicane smiting his breast It is a wonder to me you dare come so neere that Scripture because the Pharesiâ— is hard by and meeteâ— you at every turne staring you in the face It is true the Publican smot his breast hee lookt upon the ground too Christ doth not deliver a generall rule but tels me and thee the inseparable marke of a true penitent shame or loathing He lookt on the ground acknowledging that mercy kept him from being beneath for his iniquity he smott his breast so pleading with his heart the mother of sinne Take it tohetger and let indignation and revenge be put to it too the Prophet Ezech. comprehends all and expoundâ— it fully They shall loath themselves for the evills which they have committed Cap. 6. ver 9. They shall be on the mountaines like Doves of the valleys all of them mourning every one for his iniquity so cap. 7. ver 16. They shall remember their wayes and be ashamed so cap 16. ver 61. And ye shall loath your selves in your owne sight so cap 20. ver 43. Whether this were not a smart within the skinne let the indifferent Reader judge So then I conclude against you wee haue no such custome nor the Churches of God We have no precept for it rather against it rent your hearts and not your garmens This shadow hath devoured the substance we have no patterne for Baalls Priests must not be our examples we follow Paul for he followed Christ Paul received from the Iewes forty stripes save one we read not that he gave himselfe one Your heretickes you will have it so were whipt by Boner as long as his breath would hold wee find not that they gâ—ve themselves one stripe A man may bee too unmannerly bold with his bodie Certainly the Saints have a reverent esteeme of it It is the Cabinet of a rich Iewell nor is that all it is the temple of the Holy Ghost A temple made with hands wee know is of much esteeme The temple of the Holy Ghost much more I find it used by the Apostle as a maine Argument against uncleannesse It may serve also as a buckler to keepe off the blowes Are the bodies of the Saints the temples of the holy Ghost they dare not whip them nor scorch them nor pine them these are not the markes of the Lord Iesus who required them at their hands They know that the sufferings of Christ must abound in them if they look to have the consolations abound through Christ They know that they must heare about in their bodies the dying of the Lord Iesus that the life of Iesus may bee made manifest in their bodies knowing well that there is a false penance and a counterfeite Martyrdome my sweete Child they never vvere nor never will bee their owne
tormentors If their bodies must be whipt they shall be delivered up to bee whipt and a Bonner shall doe it but they will goe away reioycing If their bodyes must be scorctht a Terrill shall doe it unlesse our English Mutius will in an holy indignation and revenge burne that hand which had subscribed to that which would haue destroyed the whole body soule too But Rose Allen hath an other fire within even zeale to the truth and this burnes so within her that outwardly she feeles but little payne If they must be pincht with hunger a stony-harted keeper shall do it whose charge is as hard as hee but they haue a meate which the keeper knowes not off they liue not by bread alone yet if the keeper be so kind as to giue it them they will take it for they will not hate their owne flesh but in due time and place nourish it cherish it was the husband the wife and the Lord his Church these know not my child what to make of that for ever Austere living in pennance for sinne But they are very well acquainted with a sorrow for sinne and affliction of soule which is an inward thing comming from an inward principle and this is such that it doth make them with David to forget to eate their bread or if they doe remember it to mingle it with weeping Then they be such as fast too and fast often not resting upon it as an essentiall part of Gods worship but as a notable help and preparation thereunto fitting them for that wherein they are aboundant prayer ioyning that with it knowing that some sinnes will not be cast out without it And thus they doe for a time not defrauding themselues superstitiously in imitation of Christ or of Moses before then they should go against the precept and be found to neglect their bodyes which must be cared for that they may be serviceable They do they must somtims sett aside their water use a little wine for their stomacks sake and their often infirmities 1. Tim. 5. 23. Somtims a bitt of flesh on the friday and an egg on the saturday to the pare dayes and meates are pure But still respecting the main that they be seruiceable to God and his Church whereunto they haue euer so wakefull an eye knowing well their season when to keepe vnder their bodies and to bring them into subjection least at any time or by any meanes they should be reproued This they doe frequently but by no means resting on the outward act That is but the carkasse but ioyning many excellent works with it breaking of their sins by repentance that is a principall thing for now their worke is accepted Dealing their bread to the hungry that is an other feruent prayer that was in the first place and now it comes againe to be considered a part that thou maist know that we haue them who pray too and pray much but marke upon all these the doore is shut knowing they haue a God that seeth in secret These are they who are frequent and feruent in prayer carried upon the wings of faith without the help of Saint or Angel not by number but by weight yet hauing the spirit but by measure they doe not continue in prayer superstitiously It is an easie matter to count Beades but that prayer which foyles Amalecke is a laborions work for behold two men holding up Moses hands O Lord whose property it is to have thy hands stretched out still strengthen the weake hands that Amaleck may not prevaile Thus they doe pray and that fervently watching thereunto prayer is one of their weapons and is unto them as Goliahs sword to David nothing like that Like the worthiest of Davids worthies what difficulties doth it goe through what waters of comfort doth it fetch the time would faile mee I leaue it to a silent admiration That soule on which the spirit of prayer and supplication is powred can tell and onely that it is possible for mee thee to admire that whereof we have no experience I doe so and see I am againe in Balaams rapture Behold here they rise up as a great Lion and lift up themselves as young Lions they shall not lie downe till they eate of the prey and drinke the blood of the slaine This is Moses hand lift up Amaleck falls before it No that it doeth not some will say Amaleck prevailes He doth so yet are the prayers of the Saints ascended up and they are before the throne as the Lords remembrancers how long Lord how long when wilt thou hearken to the voice of our breathing And these are heard though the Lord bee not now come to answere them in all the peoples sight here is the patience of the Saints In the meane time their teares the other weapon shall bee bottled for they have teares too I say not all have nor all at all times it is certaine there may be a weeping heart when there is a drie eye as there may bee and often is a wett eye and a drie heart all natures all constitutions are not alike yet teares they have some of them Ieremies vivers some teares to fill a bottle some of them have teares to cover the place they pray in teares to water the couch Maries teares to wash with teares to eate teares to drink teares to sow with teares to water with they have their joy too but that as a cluster of grapes in respect of the vintage to refresh them travailing through this wildernesse light is sowen for the righteous they knâ—… they shall reape in due time therefore they faiâ—… not Come now my sweet Child set the peâ—…nance of your Augustine or your Capucim or Anchorite call them what you will anâ—… compare it with the pennance of the afore mentioned and like Dagon before the arke it falls before it I know well you have much bodily exercise you see many things which have in deed a shew of wisedome in voluntary religion and humblenesse of mind and in not sparing the body But are not many things in great estimation among men and yet in the eyes of God and his Saints vile contemptible yea beggarly rudiments no more able to cast downe the strong holds of sinne which are set up in the heart of man then a child with his pot-gun can batter a tower Come we to your voluntary poverty a thing your letter tells me thou doest much gaze upon This casting away all and then casting your selves upon Gods providence In want and that willingly oh it is a glorious thing SONNE Yes our great Master saith so Cardinall Bellarmine he hath Scripture for it too If thou wilt be perfect goe sell giue to the poore Math. 19. A worke of Supererogation It will set a man on the right hand in the kingdome All this haue I done Hast thou now overtopt perfection go sell and giue c. Againe marke what Peter saith in the person of all the rest
thee waking that so discovering thy danger thou maist get forth of thy Iaels Tent and take sanctuarie at the rocks the mightie God of this Salvation I tell you child a thousand stripes on thy body cannot deface the print of one sinne that is write with a pen of a Diamond As many knockeâ— one thy breasts will not soften thy hard heart which is as an adamant All your holy water not sprinckled but powrâ—d till the challice be dry will not wash away one sin Is is as the spot of a Leopard or as â—rimson of deepe dyâ— in the wooll in the cloath The Harlots wiping hir mouth will not serue hir nor Pilats washing his hands nor Elishas staffe a man may be at great coast hee may part with rivers of oyle and yet his countenance looke never a whit more chearefull in the day of the Lord. He may kneele till the strong men are wearie yet may the heart continue still stiffe He may go one pilgrimage to this Saint and the other relique yea and bare foote till he pinch his feete and pricke them too yet may he be never the nearer heaven his heart may remaine untouched still nay it is certaine child that nothing is a greater enemy to true mortification then the counterfeits nothing holds a man off more from the power then loue with the forme nothing more prevalent then these Iaels Tents to rocke thy heart in securitie and to keepe it in it's owne hardnesse till a dart strikes through the liver and a naile the temples the Harlot will never cleanse the heart if shee thinkâ— to mae all cleane by wiping her lips Pilat shall stand gulitie of innocent blod for ever because he thinkes he is cleare of it now that he hath washed his hands the blood stickes neerer then so the Prophet will never be sent for if his staffe will serue the turne but when a man lookes one his sinnes as those that put to death the Lord of glory or as that speare which perced his sides and is so pricked at the heart and receives the sentence of death within himself this man now looks upon the true crucifix his sinnes are alway before him What is this man doing now He troubleth not himselfe with empty questions and vaine genealogies wherein thou didst foolishly busie thy selfe some moneths before thou transgressedst the bounds namely whether Peter was at Rome or the Pope be his successor Peter might be at Rome and Rome never the better but much the worse for then another Apostle was there whose doctrine Rome followes not This man hath other worke in hand he goes upon certainties Peter is in heaven there is no question in that How came he thither Peter confessed with his mouth on that the Church was built Peter beleeved with his heart thereby he was tyed unto it as fast as the branch unto the vine Now marke this mans enquirie Can I confesse with my mouth the Lord Iesus Can I beleeve with my heart that God raised him from the dead Rom. 10. 10. Then I shall be saved but soft he is uppon an hard taske this is not a work of a day or two If he get faith he must know how he got it This man is upon this businesse still And what difficulties doth he meet with by the way amongst which this is not the least that Iael stands at the entry of her tent and the Harlott at her doore beckning to this babe in Christ come in to mee come in to mee these be false Christs and there be many of them within and without But he heares a voyce behind him saying walke in the way turne not aside we will suppose this man now troubled and bowed downe greatly I would aske your Priests what would ye do to him will ye put on him all your Saules Armour Alas it is but combersorne hee must march on in that strength wherein David came against Goliah not by might but by my spirit saith the Lord. Zech. 4. Will yee give him some of your balme your holy water your oyle your daubinges you are phisitians of no vallue All his money is spent upon trifles already and yet the bloody issue remaineth Will your Pope now freely give him his pardon since all his money is spent Alas he knowes he shall go forth from thence ashamed and with his hands upon his head the Lord will reiect those confidences Ier. 2. 36. 37. What would this man have I marvaile what seekes he after A ransome sure a pardon And if he get it he must have it without money or money worth the must bee brought to a kind of beggery in himselfe to a kind of nothing What should a sound man do with a Phisitian An whole man with plaister An uncondemned man a pardon He is now emptied indeed of his treasure of one of his greatest enemies himselfe he leaneth unto nothing within him nor to any earthly thing without him Now compare the pennance of your Capucino Franciscan or Dominican who will not part with his hole for as much land as the little bird flyeth over nay he hopes that his contendednesse in so little a place on earth shall procure him a large mantion in heaven I say compare his voluntary religion his humblenesse of mind his not sparing the body all his bodily exercise Coloss 2. 18. 23. with this mans pennance if I may call it so and it will be no more like unto it then the Harlots wipinge the mouth is to the clensiing the heart thâ—n Pilats washing his hands to the purging his conscience I say no more like it then Elishaes staffe is to Elisha himselfe then Solomons needle worke to the little Lilly I meane then art unto nature There is but imitation in the one art is but natures ape there is life in the other all the power in the world cannot produce it And observe it the effects of that mans pennance this mans sorrow are as different the one seeks after trifles and bables such as never pleased any but children and fooles empty things lies and vanities for as the wound is such is the remedy the heart was never touched The other labours after the one thing which is necessary which that he may obtaine he goeth downe by stepps of the flockes into the garden of spices and there he feedes on greene and cleane pasture regarding no more the stepps of Popes and Cardinalls Friars and Monkes then the crawling of a louse or the skipp of a flea he hangs upon the mouth of his beloved and observeth what they say who testify of him he waiteth upon God in his ordinance and he hath long patience nothing shall content him till his mouth be filled as with marrow and fatnes till the Lord hath reached forth his hand of mercy unto him and thereby inabled him to reach back his to the Lord whereby he receiveth blood to justify him and water to sanctify him for the hand of faith doth not only
receive but also purgeth the heart from all dead workes it doth not only take but it doth also worke by love behold now the joy and peace of this man at what ease doth he now lie If we looke upon him we would set up a Tabernacle by him nay certainly we should continue with him for ever He finds his bed large enough for his wearied body to rest upon the plaister great enough to the wound the covering large enough to wrap himselfe in and now heare him what he saith Lord unto me thou wilt ordaine peace for thou hast wrought all my workes Isai 26. 12. Thou hast commanded deliverance for Iacob In thee I will boast all the day long The righteous shall heare of it and shall wait upon thee for this thing For I declare to the world that they who observe lying vanities forsake their own mercies Ionah 2. They shall sinke upon them as a man upon quick-sand The sarrowes of them who offer unto other Gods shall be multiplied their offerings I will not offer nor make mention of their names within my lipps but I will remember thee only and thy name thou art the portion of my inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my let the liues have fallen to me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage I will blesse thee O Lord who hast given me this counsell for now my heart is glad my glory reioyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope for thou hast not left my soule in Hell thou hast showen me the path of life in thy presence is fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore Thou hast heard in this one the Church speaking I have brought hir in upon another occasion and upon more deliberation clearing hir oft ecclipsed light as farre beyond Luther as the rising of the Sunne is from his fall and thence fetching his race as the Sunne in his strength though many times hid under a cloud And this she proves out of the Scripture where is no other spirit then what speakes in the hearts of hir children first from what the Lord hath done for her and then what she hath teturned to the Lord. Secondly from what her enemies in all ages haue done against her and then what she hath done for them Thirdly from those many deliverances past present though they be slaine all the day long and to come Wherein the Lord hath doth will make bare his Arme. Thou hast only the first here but briefly and in another forme of words as be fits the present but hast thou not discerned what a building this is I would ravish thy thoughts if any shall try to pluck a stone from this building it shall be unto him a burdensome stone If any shall march against it the horse shall be smitt with astonishment and his Rider with madnes If any shall attempt to burne it it shall be unto them as a firy torch in a sheaffe If to devoure it it shall be unto them as a cup of trembling the Lord hath said this Zach. 12. He hath he will he doth make it good Come away come away it is much to be under the shadow of it cast off all those dead works which thou dost eye too much and learne what the Lord requyres at thy hands surely not thowsands of Rames nor ten thousand rivers of oyle nor the sonne of thy body for the sinne of thy soule but to feare the Lord and to serue him in sinceritie and truth Iosh 24. 14. not mentioning the names of other gods nor bowing thy selfe unto them Iosh 23. 6. but to breake off thy sinns by repentanceâ— amd that there be an healing of thine errour to do iustly and to loue mercy and to walke humblie with thy God approuing thy selfe as the child of God not by these assumed services which will not hold weight when righteousnes is put to the scale but as the Saints doe by purenes by knowledge by long sufferings by kindnes by the holy Ghost by loue unfained by the word of truth by the power of God by the armour of righteousnes one the right hand and one the left Oh my bowels doe yearne upon my child my heart is inlarged Thou art not kept straite in me but I am kept straite in thee Thou maiest plainely conclude by what is said see how dearely my mother loues yea and the Lord knoweth too who is truth it selfe that my desire of thy returne hath no lesse loue in it then it hath safetie too for I wish aboue all things that thou maiest prosper as thy soule may prosper Once more if there bee any consolation in Christ if any comfort of loue if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowels of mercy fullfill my ioy and come away And that thou maist make hast for a Mothers affection thinks the shortest time long I will quit thy argument which thou thoughtest so fit for my capacity indeed it was so with another as fit for thine for thou art but a child yet and knowest nothing as thou oughtest to doe And I know it shall fall as right as thine did but then with a different effect Thine did but foile the forme of godlinesse that was amongst us the power was not touched the truth remains the truth still and will be justified of hir children mine shall take away the truth and power you seeme to have and shall tell thee plainely there is none indeed harken while this argument smits your holy Mothet this once I will not smite her the second time for I shall labour to drive the naile to the head fasten hir to the ground with it that she rise not againe and all this in a deare affection to thee that so I may get thee out of her Tent and free my selfe from the feare thy selfe from the danger of having that other nayle in thy Temples Nearken then while the wiles and deceits of this Harlot are discovered unto thee these are playne by what hath ben saide by her name by her practise I shall not paralel this holy mother with hers in the 3 Proverbs it would proue her an Harlot but it would be taken in scorne neither will I tell you how shee hath filled forth the Cup of her fornications that wold prove as much but some would deny it Nor will search into the chamber of hir Imagery I cannot see into that I will take hir owne Argument and if I can by that prove hir to be cruell in commanding the Child to be divided I will by helpe of that Scripture turne it like a weapon against hir and sheath it in hir bowells for that Scripture makes cruelty the inseperable marke of an Harlott and when that is done the holy Mother is killed the Harlot is reserved to a longer day hir punishment sleepeth not The holy Mothers Argument against the Church hath beene drawne from the block fire sword persecution interdiction and the like there is