an accuser acquiter and comforter was in Adam before his fall As long as Adam obeyed the commandement of God there was no cause that conscience should accuse him but as soone as he disobeyed Gods commandement conscience flew in his face as appeares by his flying from the face of God Which plainely shewes us this truth that conscience was in Adam before his fall but did not begin to accuse ' til Adam began to sin Secondly conscience say I is a naturall power which the joule of man hath c. Now whether this power be in the understanding onely or partly in the understanding and partly in the will I finde controverted amongst the learned My opinion I here humbly lay downe but I undertake not to state and determine the controversie This power we speak of I conceive to be a reflect act of the practicke understanding onely transcendently seconded by the power of the holy Ghost Saint Iohn confirmes the first that it is a reflect act of the practicke understanding onely where speaking of this power in the soule saith And hereby we doe know that we know him if we keepe his Commandements 1 Iohn 2.3 That is as if Iohn had said We doe view our waies by the word of God which is an act onely of the understanding and finding them to be in some measure levell with that holy rule we have this comfortable reflection backe upon our soules that our faith is not a fancy but a faith which worketh by love and so sincere and saving which reflection is no other as I conceive but an act of the understanding collecting a divine conclusion from divine premises He that keepeth Gods Commandements knoweth God savingly that he may safely conclude but I doe keepe the Commandements of God this I know for I have viewed the Commandements of God and my life by them and therefore I know that is I am assured that I truely and savingly know God which is no other but that power in the soule which we call conscience The Apostle Saint Paul I conceive confirmes the second that it is a reflect act of the understanding transcendently seconded by the holy Ghost where he saith My conscience bearing me witnesse in the holy Ghost Rom. 9.1 That is my conscience transcendantly seconded and assisted by the holy Ghost doth strongly testifie to my soule that I am full of bowels towards my kinsmen after the flesh and could doe any thing or suffer any thing for their good The order according to which the holy Ghost strikes in with conscience is this The understanding makes a double proposition one grounded in the word of God the other in the heart of man as thus He that keepeth the Commandements of God truely loves God this proposition is grounded in the word of God but I doe keepe the Commandements of God this is grounded in the heart of man And then drawes a conclusion from both therefore I doe truely love God This conclusion whilst holy and drawne from divine premises to wit the word of God and the grace of God in the heart of man the Spirit of God strikes in with the soule in making this conclusion and assists the weake soule so that he concludes thus with strong confidence that he truely loves God and not onely secretly assistes but seconds and saies the same thing to man that his owne spirit doth Then is fulfilled that of the Apostle the Spirit beares witnesse with our spirits that we are the Sonnes of God If the premisses be corrupt which the understanding makes for the minde makes propositions suitable to the light that is in it from which to argue the goodnesse or badnesse of man then the Divell that lying spirit strikes in and seconds the soule in that corrupt conclusion which he collects from corrupt principles concerning himselfe So that now the deluded soule is peremptory and wiser then ten men that give a reason in these is fulfilled that of the Apostle Their minds and consciences being defiled Thirdly I affirme conscience to be a naturall power which the soule of man hath above all unreasonable creatures c. Bruite beasts have no conscience and yet they better serve God in their kind then many of us which have conscience Bruit beasts want reason and therefore are not capable subjects of conscience and yet against reason and against conscience man ofttimes does worse then a beast Fourthly conscience say I is a naturall power which the soule of man hath above all unreasonable creatures to compare his waies by some rule and according as his waies agree or disagree with that rule so answerably to bear witnesse with or against him By the former part of this description is shewed unto us what conscience is according to its being in the soule It is a naturall power c. By the latter part of this description is shewed unto us what conscience is according to its office in the soule The office of conscience according to the description here given consists in two things First conscience compares a mans waies by some rule Secondly Conscience beares witnesse with or against a man according as a mans waies agree or disagree with that rule First say I conscience compares a mans waies by some rule If the understanding be enlightened with the truth to wit the word of God then conscience compares the waies of man by a perfect rule to wit the word of God But if the understanding be inlightned with naturall and morall principles onely then conscience compares a mans waies according to these principles only and so by an imperfect rule For 't is my judgment with submission to better that conscience in every man followes that light which the understanding holds up unto it This I know that a man may and often doth goe against conscience but conscience goes not against that light which the understanding holds up unto it A man may outwardly say this or that contrary to the light of his understanding but conscience inwardly speakes at the same time according to that light I will further cleare this unto you by an apt example Paul you know zealously persecuted the Church of God and his conscience for ought that I can finde never checkt him but doubtlesse rather acquitted him for it I meane as long as he remained unconverted And the reason I thinke is sufficiently rendred where 't is said that he did it ignorantly That is according to that light which his understanding held up unto him he thought he did God good service in sheading the blood of his Saints which me thinkes makes manifest what I say that conscience still followes the light of the understanding The Apostle Paul persecuted the Church of God and yet obtained mercie because saith the text he did it ignorantly hee did out of conscience as I may say shead the blood of the Saints But now the most men have received the knowledge of the truth therefore if now men persecute the Saints of
of men Thus to order a mans conversation is to live sensually and not sincerely and therefore conscience gives testimony against this man and not with him and so consequently checks and curbs this joy and not causeth it conscience dampes this mirth much by griping the spirit now and then in the midst of laughter Spirituall joy is the soules rejoycing in God as reconciled in Christ Spirituall joy is the soules rejoycing in God c. Divine joy is therefore called spirituall because the subject of it is a spirit and the object of it is a spirit and all the manifestations of it spirituall The subject of divine joy is the spirit of man Divine joy doth not take onely the eare or the eye or the taste or the smell as carnall joy doth but the heart Let the heart of them rejoyce that seeke the Lord Psal 105.3 The heart is broken for sinne and this is made to rejoyce in Gods mercy as a pardoner of sinne the same bones which are broken are made to rejoyce Make me to heare joy and gladnesse that the bones which thout hast broken may rejoyce Psal 51.8 Davids heart was so overcharged with sorrow that his bones were ready to breake in his body and in this he desired some divine refreshing that so all things out of order might be quieted and composed againe As sorrow is no sorrow unlesse it take the heart so joy is no joy unlesse it warme the Spirit And therefore saith David My soule shall be joyfull in the Lord it shall rejoyce in his salvation Psal 35.9 God doth honour that in man with joy with which man honours him by obedience now the soule of the upright obeyes God My Soule hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly Psal 19.167 and therefore God made Davids soule to rejoyce I delight to doe thy will O God yea thy Law is within my heart Psal 40.8 The Law of God was within Davids heart and therefore the joy of God was within his heart too Hypocrits doe not with their soules keepe Gods testimonies their righteousnesse is like Ephraims an outside righteousnesse that vanisheth and so answerably God giveth them an outside superficiall joy that soone vanisheth and perisheth They doe not set their hearts aright to obey God as David useth the expression Psal 78.8 and therefore God doth not tune and set their joy aright so that it jarres at the best their spirits and their faces are not alwaies merry together in the midst of laughter their hearts gripe them Divine joy takes the spirit of man wholly and oft-times immediately Divine joy takes the spirit of man wholly when at lowest A dram a sparkle the least measure of divine joy that can be thought of revives and makes glad the whole Spirit of man as a drop of strong water warmes the whole heart Hence 't is that David when he had but a drop of divine joy distilled into his heart as 't is but a drop of this heavenly liquor that our weake giddy soules can beare whilst here below presently he breakes out as a man warmed all over I will praise thee O Lord with my whole heart I will shew forth all thy marvellous workes Psal 9.1 The like phrase you shall finde David often speaking in David found his whole heart warmed by those sparkles of divine joy which God strooke in his darke dolorous heart and this fetcht life in him still when ready to faint and swoon and then all he returned to God againe which he gave him God warmed his whole heart with joy and he returned his whole heart to God in thankesgiving Divine joy warmes all that is within and all that is without soule and body and sets both at worke to praise God Praise the Lord O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy name Psal 103.1 All that was within David was warmed with divine joy and therefore all that was within him he would have should returne thankes and praise unto the Lord. Elsewhere he cals upon all without him And my soule shall be joyfull in the Lord it shall rejoyce in his salvation this is for all within him then in the next verse saith he All my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee Psal 35.9,10 Divine joy warmes all that is within a man and all that is without it warmes Spirit flesh and bones the whole man and sets all on fire to praise the Lord. As divine joy takes the Spirit wholly so it oft-times seises upon the Spirit immediately breaking forth in the heart as lightning without any certaine knowne medium by which to come into the soule David doth darkly hint this where he saith Rejoyce the soule of thy servant for unto thee O Lord doe I lift up my soule Psal 86.4 Thou needest not this to speake in or that creature to worke by to revive a drooping Spirit as if the Psalmist had said thou canst put joy and gladnesse into the sad soule of man by thine owne immediate worke as well as if forty Ministers were imployed this I beleeve that none without thee can rejoyce me but thou without any other canst doe it and therefore unto thee doe I lift up my soule Sometimes God doth worke by secondary meanes and inferiour instruments to rejoyce the soules of mourning sinners as David would have comforted Hanun by his messengers at other times he will make use of none but his owne Spirit to beare witnesse with our spirits that we are the Sonnes of God and walke before him as obedient children and so rejoyces the soules of his people in troubles Thus did God rejoyce the soule of Paul and Timothy in their troubles and sorrowes by the Almighty worke of his Spirit he assured their spirits that they were his and that their waies were pleasing to him which made them thus to speake in the midst of miseries Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world c. Secondly divine joy is called spirituall because the object of it is a spirit The object of divine joy is God who is a Spirit saith John Divine joy hath God for its immediate object and all other good things as beames of this Sunne as streams from this fountaine as mediat objects comming from and relating to God God alone is the object of divine joy Most true 't is that God hath alwaies in his right hand Heaven and in his left hand earth to wit all the Kingdomes of this world to bestow upon whom he will but had he neither or would he part with neither to any beside himselfe but keepe all in his owne hand yet an upright man would joy in him and desire no better object to let out his affections upon Although the Figge tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the vines the labour of the Olives shall faile and the
no doe not iudge so uncharitably it may be this man hath meat to eate which ye know not of It may be he hath his conscience testifying within that he hath walked in all uprightnesse and is not such a one as the world hath censured him to be and this makes him reioyce in the midst of all troubles 'T was wonderfull to Nebuchadnezzar to see the three children walke in the fiery furnace as if they had been walking in his stately walkes because he was not aware that they haâ—… such a divine comfortable companion as they had So 't is wonderfull to blind worldlings to see men so chearfull in suffering for trifles in religion as they call them and the reason is because they know not that divine comforter conscience which is continually within them unto them a feast This is to walke sincerely to be tender to obey all Gods will and this conscience tels the soule in the midst of all the troubles he undergoes from men of corrupt minds and large consciences and this language of conscience being attended with the glorious power of the holy Ghost as a comforter this soule cannot but reioyce though bleeding upon a Pillory groaning upon a Racke dying upon a Crosse and condemned by wise men for a foole in standing out in such small matters Secondly as this doctrine tells you blinde soules the reason why some are so chearfull under great troubles for small things so it tels you that are a little more growne in hypocrisie and wickednesse that your designe against the godly is frustrate The maine designe of the divell and his children in all the troubles he puts them to is to deprive them of all ioy and comfort to make their being upon earth hell which is a place without all consolation Now this they can never doe for as much as they cannot deprive them of the peace of conscience and ioy of the holy Ghost which goe hand in hand in an upright heart True it is if all the ioy of the godly did consist in outward things as wicked mens ioy doth then possibly they might serve the godly as God will one day serve them to wit utterly strip them of all consolation but the least part of an upright mans ioy consists in externall things his prime ioy is within from conscience and the holy Ghost which keepe company alwaies with it and these two all the wicked men upon earth nor all the Divels in Hell cannot suspend muchlesse silence from speaking comfort to an upright heart Conscience will still say this within that he which so walkes as before mentioned is upright when men and divels without say that he is an hypocrit a dissembler and not worthy to live And the Holy Ghost will still second this language of conscience by speaking over the same againe in such glorious expressions and with such sweetned words will the spirit of God beare witnesse with the spirit of man that doe what you will to this man he will still notwithstanding all rejoyce Cast him into prison nay cast him into a dungeon a dirty dungeon as Jeremies was nay cast him into a fiery Furnace into a fiery Furnace heat seven times-hotter then ordinary Give his backe to the smiters and his cheeks to them that plucke off the haire as the Prophet speakes Isa 50.6 doe what you will to him yet you will never deprive him of his joy As long as breath is in his nostrils conscience will comfort him and when this is gone by thy cruelty he will be in fulnesse of joy and in the fuller by how much the more cruelty thou hast inflicted on him The joy of conscience is proportioned to what we suffer for conscience as the afflictions of Christ abound in us so shall our joyes both here and hereafter And therefore doe not breake your sleepe and your braines to plot mischiefe against the upright for they will have more joy in suffering cruelty then you can have in inflicting it You doe but lessen your owne joy to encrease theirs The more terrible you are unto them the more shall the testimony of conscience be attended with a glorious Spirit of consolation which will make them rejoyce and be exceeding glad under all that you can inflict and this will exceedingly vex you Thirdly this doctrine will acquaint you with this truth That if consciousnes of sincerity will lessen and sweeten troubles by giving joy to the upright in the midst of them consciousnesse of hypocrisie and unsoundnesse must needs imbitter all troubles and make them more pressing and piercing upon you that are halters and time-servers this was that which Iobs friends drove at in all their discourses with him to bring him to sorrow doubly and trebly for as much as all his outward miseries were attended as they conceived with inward rottennesse intimating and that truly that it must be so and will be so with all hypocrits when conscience is once throughly awakened to tell them of their unsoundnesse under afflictions What a terrible sting will this be to a man in poverty when his conscience shall tell him Thou hast shuffled and shifted basely to get wealth and yet by all thy unjust waies thou canst skarce keepe a cue above a begger This blunt language of conscience will be such an addition of sorrow to poverty as will exceed the pressure of poverty when at greatest What a sting will this be to a man in disgrace when his conscience shall tell him Thou hast beene a time-server one that hast studied to humour and please men more then God that thou mightest get honour and keepe honour in the world and yet for all thy dog-like fauning and flattering thou stinkest in the nostrils of all and art cast unto the dung-hill as unsavory salt What a sting will this be to a man in sicknesse and death when his conscience shall tell him that he hath beene but an out-side Christian all the daies of his life a man zealous about humane inventions and bodily exercises to give God the outside and carelesse to worship God in spirit and truth this close language of conscience will paine a man more then any sicknesse or death can doe This was that which stung Balaam worse then death that his conscience told him he had beene but an hypocrit all his life This made Judas hang himselfe after he had sold his master for money for as much as his conscience told him then strongly that he had beene but an hypocriticall follower of Christ from the first to the last And thus would every rotten wretch doe or worse in every little trouble if God should not admirably step in and restraine and hinder so terrible is the sting of conscience when it testifies against a man and such deepe additions of griefe it bringeth to the soule in every calamity Sharpe arrowes and coales of Iuniper conscience shooteth and kindleth in the soule of man in every trouble when it testifieth against him as the
villany in Israel and have committed adultery with their neighbours wives and have spoken lying words in my Name which I have not commanded them even I know and am a witnesse saith the Lord Jer. 29.23 By this we see that God the Father sees our sinnes and is a witnesse but because he will not be a witnesse in his own cause he will have two sufficient witnesses besides himselfe to wit Christ and conscience both very true The Divell would willingly be a witnesse against man as an evill spirit that knowes much by man but does not know so much as the Spirit of man which is in him and therefore not a sufficient witnesse But if that evill Spirit did know as much by man as mans owne evill spirit which is in him yet being corrupt he would prove a false witnesse against man a Knight of the Post and sweare any thing against man to bring as great misery upon him as is upon himselfe if he might be admitted for a witnesse such is his divellish hatred and malice to all beings better then his owne but therefore God will not admit of him as a witnesse for or against a man Two true witnesses will God have one without a man and another within him one in heaven and another in earth to wit Christ and conscience Behold I have given him for a witnesse to the People saith God the Father of Christ Isa 55.4 And this witnesse is in Heaven saith Iob Behold my witnesse is in Heaven Job 16.19 Not so in heaven that he is not also in earth or as if he were ignorant of any thing done in earth for then he could not be a sufficient witnesse Iob speakes of Christ according to his speciall place of residence and that is in heaven but Christ hath a Country house here below in our hearts where he hath one abiding continually that is equall to himselfe that tels him all to wit his spirit so that Christ is as competent a witnesse as conscience that sits as Register still in the heart and never stirres out of his place These two witnesses do as that man was commanded to doe which had a sheepe committed to his trust and the sheepe torne in pieces by wild beasts he was to bring some of that which was left some horne or hoofe or any part else that was left for a witnesse of the truth thereof Exod. 22.13 Thus Christ and conscience bring before God the soule those precepts which were by God committed to man to be kept and which he hath suffered his unruly heart to breake to pieces my meaning is so lively doe these two witnesses set before the sinner the breach of every precept according to every circumstance as ever any party under the Law could set before the owner the tearing in pieces of his cattell by the limmes and pieces thereof And this being done divine sentence is given and the soule must needs be silent being so legally handled and Angels and Saints be forc'd to breake forth and say Rightéous art thou O God in all thy waies and holy in all thy works Lastly God hath given this power to conscience to give testimony concerning mans simplicity or hypocrisie that so God at the great day may dispatch a great deale of weighty businesse speedily And I will come neere to you to judgement and I will be a swift witnesse against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and false swearers saith the Lord Mal. 3.5 What the Lord then spake respecting a particular judgement the same will be Gods proceeding with all at the great day The bookes shall be opened Christs booke and the booke of conscience and so in a moment in the twinkling of an eye that is very speedily all things shall be cleare to Judge and malefactour without troubling Juries and other witnesses as we doe here which would make a long worke at that great assize and all persons be judged sent to their place and so righteously judged that not one shall open his mouth to complaine Now this could not possibly be a work speedily done if God had not given this power to conscience to reflect and give testimony and to be instead of better then a thousand witnesses beside and all debating pro and con betweene them The wisedome of God is here to be admired for he hath made such a witnesse to give testimony with Christ for or against a man every way so fit that nothing in the world can be judged so fit Christ we must all confesse to be very sit to be Gods Delegate because he came out of the bosome of God and knows exactly all his Lawes which he hath given man to observe which Angels doe not and man is a party and therefore both unfit But the holy Ghost cannot be judged fit to be mans Delegate because one with the Father and Sonne and so a party in the cause And as for Angels they know not neither the proposed rule exactly nor the aberrations of the Delinquent and as for men they are parties in the cause and so would juggle together and sweare one for another or at least as one flesh and bone with foolish pity spoile a City as we say that is they would speake flattering and halting and so over-turne justice at last after a great deale of doe with them Now to prevent all this danger toile and stirre God hath created such a power within man as to observe all things done by man and no lesse one with man then Christ is with the Father and therefore as inexceptible a Delegate for man on the one side as Christ is for God on the other side And these two of an instant without all disturbance distraction or turmoile give in exact evidence concerning mans integrity or hypocrisie and so speedily without all clamour sentence and execution and all is finished and the Judge of all the world does more weighty businesse in a moment and farre better then all the Judges in this world could do in the age of the world Having thus given you the point and the grounds of it let us see in the next place how usefull this may be unto us all Hath God given power to conscience to give testimony concerning the simplicity or hypocrisie of mans waies Why then let us all take heed how we order our conversation in this world Give leave to your soules to thinke nothing speake nothing nor doe nothing but what you would have written downe and delivered into the Judge of all the world at the great day When we know a tale-teller is neare us we are very carefull what we say or doe Why we have alwaies a tell-truth in our bosomes where ever we goe or whatsoever we doe who will tell all to the Judge of all the world that we thinke speake or doe and therefore let us watch over our thoughts words and deeds and so thinke and so speake and so doe as those that looke to have the comfortable
doe all his enemies what they can and this makes the heart of man leape within him in the midst of troubles as the babe in Elizabeths wombe when she heard the salutation of Mary Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world Having shewed you in what troubles the testimony of conscience will give joy and what joy 't is that conscience causeth in the soule I will in the next place shew you the ground of the point why the testimony of conscience concerning a mans simplicity must needs cause joy in the midst of troubles This testimony of conscience is attended with a glorious power as the Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the glorious power of him saith the originall that is of the holy Ghost which makes the testimony so strong and so transcendently comfortable that troubles and sorrows for sincerity sake though never so great cannot possibly over-beare the heart Strengthned with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse 1 Col. 11. There is a glorious power attending the testimony of conscience extended to upright soules in times of great troubles for uprightnesse sake which strengthens them with all might so that all burdens cannot depresse them unto all patience and long suffering so that they will never be weary and out of breath with bearing and to doe all this with joyfulnesse so that no outward hardship can utterly exhaust joy out of their spirits Now the testimony of conscience concerning our simplicity and sincerity being attended with this glorious power in times of trouble as Peter saith 't is the spirit of glory and of God rests upon such it must needs keepe up the dolorous spirit of man and make him rejoyce in the greatest troubles Paul and Timothy doubtlesse found this glorious power attending the testimony of their conscience strengthning them with all might unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse which made them thus to say For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world 2 Secondly the testimony of conscience concerning mans simplicity and sincerity must needs rejoyce a man in the midst of all troubles because conscience now minds a man that he walkes in the midst of all enemies and troubles just as Christ did There was no guile found in Christs mouth though he was put to it againe and againe Whatever he underwent from his Father from the divell and his children yet still he walked sincerely and faultered not in the least kind for the greatest advantage though he was proffered all the kingdomes in the world to doe it Now when conscience tells a man that in simplicity and godly sincerity he hath had his conversation in the world it doth at once tell him that he hath walked in this world just as Christ did As he was so art thou in this world O my soule which cannot but rejoyce the heart in the midst of the sharpest afflictions for Christs sake Thy Saviour O my soule though God yet was called a divell nay Beelzebub the prince of divels though temperate yet called a drunkard and Wine-bibber and companion to Publicans and Harlots though a man without guile yet called a deceiver though innocent yet scoffed imprisoned condemned and executed as a malefactour 'T is just thus with thee O my soule thou art studious to walke uprightly and yet censured for an hypocrit thou labourest to be better then any and yet the world judges thee to be worse then any thou labourest more for humility and love then for all the wealth in the World and yet the World judges thee to be fuller of pride and malice then any man thou dost not blow a Trumpet when thou givest almes but hidest from thy left hand what thy right hand doth and therefore the world thinks that thy religion towards God is without mercy towards man thou thinkest no evill to others but labourest to doe good to all and yet all almost thinke evill or speake evill or doe evill against thee In this O my soule thou art not alone 't was the condition of thy Saviour therefore mourne not O my soule but rejoyce according to the divine rule that thou art made like him Thus the testimony of conscience concerning a mans sincerity brings in matter of comfort and joy to the soule of man in the midst of troubles and makes it smile when under heavy burthens of cruelty Lastly it must needs be that the testimony of conscience concerning the simplicity of a mans conversation should minister joy in the midst of troubles because such plainely see their interest in the divine word of consolation Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Psal 32.11 Conscience now tels me that I am upright in heart and that in simplicity and uprightnesse I have had my conversation in the world and so consequently that joy here as well as hereafter belongs to me Out of this reasoning betweene conscience and the divine word of consolation joy will breake forth in the soule first or last lade an upright man with what burthens you will Rejoyce all ye that are upright in heart saith God thou art upright in heart saith conscience to a sincere soule and conscience will not stay here but will presse upon the soule to apply his owne mercies why then dost not thou rejoyce Dost thou thinke it a small matter to disobey a command of God This pressing language of conscience will make a sincere soule strive hard and pray hard to reioyce in afflictions for Christs sake according to the divine rule which prayer God will heare and bring the upright foule at last to say in the midst of troubles with these champions in my text For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisedome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world Having given you the point and the grounds of it a word or two I would speake by way of application to you that are unsound and then a word more to you that are sincere and so conclude this point This doctrine may in the first place serve to unfold a riddle to you that are unsound Possibly you may wonder to see a man goe reioycing to prison and to fire and fagot especially when censured by learned men for such and such a malefactour you it may be thinke of such a man as he of Paul that he is mad and merry without cause as bedlams are or else that he laughs from the teeth outward as he that would put a good face upon an ill matter No