degree and â—rade looke into mens actions turne ouer and sifte their proceedings conâ—â—â—â— what is done in euerie place as you passe in halls in shops in streates in markets in secret coÌ„ferences in open meetings in pleading places in Iudgement seates in townes â—n countrie euen in this Citie what shifâ—ing pollices and deceates what subtle â—euises and euasions to ouerreache good â—awes what briberie and abhominable â—ains and vsurie is vsuall to be seene and â—ou shall find that of all things in price â—stimatioÌ„ amoÌ„g men there is nothing so â—ittle esteemed so carelesly regarded so â—arely to be found as a true hart sprinckâ—ed from an euill conscience You shall see 〈◊〉 verified that S. Ierom saith to Chromaâ—us In mea patria plerisque deus venter est et 〈◊〉 die in diem viuitâ—r et saÌ„ctior ille qui ditior 〈◊〉 in my couÌ„trie to the most meÌ„ their God 〈◊〉 their belly and they liue secure and carelesse from daie to daie and hee is the holiest which is the richest man you shalâ— here many men complaine of their losses and mishaps by sea by lande by death by falshood and deceipt by buying and setting and many other waies but no man almost for the losse of a good conscience and yet if I might speake my conscience there is greater losse and shipwrack dayly made that waye then all the teares of our eyes can sufficiently bewayle or the riches of this world recompence agayne you shall see suche running and posting such care and trauell and trouble nighte and day sustained such earely rising and late lying downe and eating breade of carefulnesse to heape vp riches to pâ—rchase landes to builde fayre houses to procure dignities and offices which were woont so haue a charge of conscience imposed with their reasonable fee but nowe most vnreasonable fees still growing and enhaunâ—ed haue put out and discharged all charge of conscience annexed to the same and euery way shall you see men so to prouide for the pleasure ease and welfare of this body nothing touched or reclaimed with remorse of a guilty consciâ—nce as though you turned away his faceâ—ud would not see it as though there were here an abiding Citie for euer As â—eath were not approching or the burning flames of hel were but an old wiues â—able So that either we say with Medea Video meliora probo deteriora sequor I see better thinges and I allow well of them but I follow according to my sensuall appetite that which is worse or with y e wicked described by Iob Recede a nobis goe from vs we desire not the knowledge of thy waies who is the almightie that wee should serue him or what profite shall we haue to pray vnto him or with Sardanapalus eat drink and be merrie after death there is no pleasure or with the fleshlie Epicure discribed by Gregorie Nazian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ' Giue me that is preseÌ„t let god alon with that that is to come we vtter thus much I say but how not in our wordes and speaches no our hipocrisy is the greater in our double harts in our corrupt consciences in our wicked liues in our deedes and actions which is a greate deale worse and soundeth like the blood of Abell more loude in the eares of God for vengaunce then can our tongues expresse by words and â—iltables vnto men But let vs not be deceaued God is not mocked whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall he reape if ye sowe in the flesh ye shall reape corruption if ye sowe winde ye shall reape a storme if ye sow but wordes and weedes and chaffe of hipocrisie and dissimulation your haruest wil be therafter of bitternes and worme-wood colours and shadowes and emptie apparitions cannot long continue their blossom is but froth their fruite as rottennes they shall vanish with the wind fal away as the smoke The Lord wil not iudge according to the outward appearaunce he seeth not as a man seeth but he trieth the harts reines all thinges are bare and naked in his sight The hipocrits hope saith Iob shall soone come to naught and the ioy of the wicked continueth but a moment his light shall soone be put out and the sparke of his fire shall not shine the snare is laide for him in the grounde and a pitfall in the waie the grinne shall take him by the heeles and the steppes of his strength shall bee restrained his roote shall be dried vp beneath and aboue shall his braunche bee cutte downe and wither And therfore if we meane to enter into the holy place with boldnesse in assurance of faith we must cost away all hipocrisie and dissimulation 〈◊〉 falshoode and fained muffling of our faces wherby we semble to be that which we are not and dissemble to be that which wee are and so drawe nere with a true and single hart sprinckled from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies with pure water so as no vncleanes of sinne remaine either in body or soule wherby we should offende the maiestie of God We are for the most part very precise and ouercuriously nice in this point of washing purging clensing and adorning our houses our bodies our furniture and apparel and all things belonging to them both that is subiect to our senses And yet is this nothing lesse then to washe them with pure water which is onely the effectâ— of the blood of Christ that washeth and restraineth vs from sinne that doth defile vs yet heereby at least let vs learne thus much that if the purging and clensing of sensible things be so much esteemed of vs which are yet our selues defiled and vncleane how acceptable shall the washing of our bodies and soules wiâ—h pure water of repentaunce and holinesse of life be vnto the 〈◊〉 of gods spirite whiche will behold nâ— vncleane thing nor rest in the soule that is subiect to sinne and if to entertain our friend or superiour we take such care and paines to haue all thinges cleane sweetâ— and pleasant that nothing be offensiue how much more shoulde wee do this in our selues in this Tabernacle this house and temple of our bodies to entertain so noble a guest so deere a friend as the sonne of God is who as S. Iohn sayth standeth at the dore of our hartes and knocketh if any man heare his voyce and open vnto him hee will enter in and suppe with him But I praye God it fall not out with vs as it did sometimes with Diogenes hosse whether he was inuited who being himselfe a verye vnhandsome and vnciuill man yet hauing his house and all ornamentes thereto belonging very fine and curiously adorned Diogenes seeking where to spit and finding alâ— corners so neate and cleane and the maâ— so homely and vnhandsome he spit on thâ— good man himselfe saying that hee was the fowlest and therfore the meetest placâ— in the house to receaue such excrements Let vs not in like sort be
is called new not as lately ordeined and prepared of God but because it was new and straunge and scarcely knowne vnto men not as though there were another way into the holy place before it but because there neuer shall bee any succeeding after it So likewise it is called a liuing way because it is opposed to the olde and dead waie of the lawe which by reason of the weakenes and imperfection thereof is worne out and vanished Because it surelye leadeth vs to immortalitie life Because it is dedicated and prepared by the liuing body of Christ and not by the dead carkasses and offeringes in the lawe and because it admitteth none that lye dead and sencelâ—sse in their sinnes but such as are quickened in Christ and are aliue vnto righteousnes by the spirite of God Nowe then if the blood of Iesus as here the holye Ghoste taught vs be the new way be the liuing way be the onely way into the holy place into the kingdome of heauen which not we can prepare for our selues but Christ hath prepared for vs through the vaile of his owne fleshe And therefore suche a waye as admitteth neither succession nor perfection nor supplye nor myxture nor fellowship of any other what shall wee thinke of those men that yet seeke them by wandring pathes of error and would rather returne into Egypt by the olde Traditions of men and deserts of their inuentions then enter into the Sanctuarie into the holy place of rest by this new and liuing way here taught vs the blood of Iesus Or what other can we iudge of those their Monasticall vowes and orders of their new found out fraternities distinctions and degrees of their wilfull and voluntarie seruices not required at their handes of their dayly and propiciatorie sacrifices auaileable both for quicke and dead of their preparatiue meritorious satisfactory redemptory and supererogatory works of their merits of congruity equalitie and condignitie of their proper and inherent iustifiing righteousnes of their ignorant prayers and superstitious inuocations mediations intercessions of Saints shrines and Images with other like erroneous supplements of mans deuising set forth and still with confidente asseuerance auouched as the best and onely way into the holy place with out the which there is no entraunce there is no passage What I say can we iudge of them euen by the directe rule and doctrine of this place without digression but that they are meerely derogatorie and iniurious to the bloode of our Sauiour Iesus And so consequently the way of sinners wherein he is blessed that hath not walked and that darke and slipperie waye wherein they stumble and fall backwarde and are broken and are snared and are taken as Esai saythe For if an other waye maye bee founde out after it into the holye place then is not the bloode of Iesus the newe way it is not a liuing waye if it fade or bee decayed in his former strength and nature and nowe needeth further supplye and ayde neyther yet the waye into the holy place if it doe but helpe and enter vs at the first leaue vs to our own free will to our own directioÌ„ or any other meanes before wee attaine the end But they accuse our doctrine because say they it is new and glory in their owne deuises as though they were very olde wherein to aunswere breefely both â—auils they craftily deale with vs in deede according to that olde practise of the subtle Gibâ—onites who to make a league with Iosua tooke olde sâ—ckes olde bottles for their iourney and olde torne raiment on their backes and al their prouision of bread and victuals very old and drie so faining themselues Ambassadours from far Countreis In like sorte but to a contrarie ende the Papistes still hold out and shew vnto vs like Gorgons head to fray men with the sight a pretext or painted Image of hoare and vncontrollable antiquitie they will prescribe against Iosua by possession of the lande before him they would seeme to come from farre they would be of the Aboregines without any beginning or from the beginning it self And al things that they vse and maintaine amongest them are olde they beare vs in hande and very auntient But as the deceitfull Gibeonits being tried out were not the men they seemed but were neighbours and borderers vnto Iosua So these haue nothing lesse then the age and antiquitie they would challenge to themselues as doth plainly appeare by relation of their owne histories in the institution and ordinaunce of euery seuerall thing And therefore as Ieroboams wife though shee muffled and disguised her face and countenaunce yet the Prophet could descerne her so soone as she began to speake So though they muffle disguise and new attire both themselues and their errours with straunge and vnwonted garmentes yet so soone as they come neare to speake and declare their message they are found but the wife or darling of an Idolatrous husbande seeking vnrecouerable health for their dying and vncurable childe they are found but false and subttile Gibeonits pretending that they are not and apples of Gomorha which as S. Augustine saith seeme faire and beautifull to the eye but if you touche them with the finger they fall to dust and cinders True it is that Sainte Basil sayeth to Amphiloctius Persuasiua sunt quodamodo vetera dogmata velut an antiquitate canitie quadam reuerendum quiddam habentia Olde Religion opinions are verie apt to perswade men as hauing in antiquitie somewhat to be reuerenced for the graie heares thereof But herein againe is required wisedome and as much wisedome in these our euill daies as had Salomon in finding out the doubted mother of the childe For truth many times is accused of noueltie and errour lyeth hid vnder the tytle of age For so the Gentiles saith Lactant. assaulted y e Christians faith with this rampire And Symachus the sworne Enimie to Christ as saith Prudentius stoode much vpon this reason And Cresconius against Sainct Augustine was armed with this buckler This sayth he is auntient our fathers receaued it of their fathers True saith Sainct Augustine Sed errantes ab errantibus As the Iewes receaue by tradition of their fathers that the body of Christ was stolen out of the sepulcre which beeing false at the beginning continuaunce of time cannot make it true Our waye our religion and doctrine say they is very old and auntient and therefore to bee preferred this cloake and coulour this their vsurped reason had likewise the Gebeonites the Iewes the Gentiles Cresconius Symachus Demetrius the Siluer smith the town â—larke of Ephesus and generally all infidels against the Christian faith but most vntruly auouched But yours say they is strange lately sprunge vp and newe So sayde the Athenians to Sainte Paule calling him a bringer of newe Diuels and may we not knowe what this newe doctrine is whereof thou speakest yea it is newe saye they and
sence hee here spreadeth out on eche side two armes or braunches of this fruitefull tree of faith which if it bee quicke and florishing doe necessarilie spring out and shadowe againe the roote from whence they proceede and growe euen a true harte and a good Conscience whose effectes are so to sanctifie and season both our soules and bodies in all exercises and duties answerable to our profession that if they abide in vs they shal make vs neither ydle nor vnfruitefull in the worde of the Lorde But if these doe not direct vs if our hartes be not sound in his light if our hartes be not setled and inwardly affected to walke in his lawes if our hearts be not sprinckled from an euill conscience howsoeuer wee pretende Religion and holines in the sight of men yet are we but sounding brasse and tinckling simbals but cloudes without raine but trees without fruite twise dead and plucked vp by y e rootes we caÌ„not so drawe nere vnto God who searcheth the hartes raines who lighteneth things that are hid in darkenesse who is a spirite and will be worshipped in spirite and truth for the birth is aunswerable to firste conception if the roote be corrupt how canne the fruite be wholesome If the Spring be defiled how can the waters be cleane If the hart whiche is as it were the seate of the soule the fountaine and first instrument of life from whome all our actions and affections doe proceede bee stayned with sinne and wickednesse how can wee thinke our bare pretence of naked idle faith is pleasing vnto God And therfore sayth S. Iames Clense your harts you sinners and purge your hands you wauering minded men O Hierusalem washe thine hart from wickednesse sayth Ieremie that thou mayst be saued My sonne sayth Salomon giue me thy hart let thine eyes delight in my wayes and keepe thine hearte with all safetie for from it proceedeth thy life A good man sayth Christ out of the good treasure of his hart bringeth foorth good thinges but an euill man of the euill treasure of his heart bringeth foorth euill thinges Their hart sayth Ose is deuided therefore shall they be founde faultie I will walke sayeth Dauid in my house not with an outward shew but with a true and perfect hart which is necessarilye required here in him that will draw nere to the holy place Many are the sortes and differences of harts from whence agayne proceedeth that greate diuersitie of manners amongst men there is a wise harte that considereth all thinges soberly with iudgement and there is a foolishe harte whiche knoweth nothing but to commit iniquitie there is a stonie stubborn harte not mooued to repentaunce there is also a softe and fleshly harte soone pearsed and wounded with euery checke for sin there is a lose and faint hart vnstable in all his wayes and there is a firme and constant a true an vpright a faithfull hart commended here vnto vs whose praise is not of men but of God But among all other differences wherof I cannot now particulerlye increate to come neare vnto our selues what shal we say of the contrary hereof of falshood and flatterie of fained double hollowe and dissembling harts both toward God and men whiche doe so swarme amongste vs and haue so possessed and inlarged the inner partes of Christians at these daies that nothing is more common then to dissemble and deceaue and nothing more rare and daintie than a true and faithfull harte whereby both Epicure Atheus and Machiauill as it seemeth haue founde them secrete harbour to worke by fraude and policie where Christ should be interteyned in sinceritie and truth although Dissimulation be nowe spunne of so cunning and fine a threade that it is harde to discerne men asunder yet let vs vse the tried and infallible meane sette downe by our sauiour Christ Looke into mens actions which as a mirroure represent the image of their harts Esteeme the tree by his fruite confer their workes with their speeches and their liues with their profession and it is easilye espied For how doe wee bring foorth thistles in steade of figges and thorns in steed of grapes and the workes of darknesse and yet would be called the children of light and the fruits of lies of falshoode deceit yet will be counted the louers of religion and professors of truth And though we can saye the Lorde liueth yet will wee sweare to deceaue and though we bende our faces and profession to wardes the new and liuing waye of Christ yet will wee looke backe againe with Lots wife to Sodome followe the steps euen the lustes and imaginations of olde Adam and though as the Ephesians boasted of Diana and the Iewes of their Temple crying out the Temple of the Lorde the Temple of the Lorde this is the Temple of the Lord so we likewise can triumphe the Gospell of Christ the preaching of the worde the glad tidings of saluation and wee haue now the light and preaching of the worde of God yet all this notwithstanding so dissonant are the liues and the proceedings in a great many of vs so repugnant to our outwarde wordes and profession that it seemeth we are nothing lesse then those we should be and would so faine be counted and are so farre from drawing nere in a true and vpright hart That we doe but flatter with our lips and dissemble in our double hartes For was there euer more priuie canckred and malitious hatred in harte and yet more cloaking flatterie in tongue then nowe a daies was there euer more close and craftie shifting and shuffling and preueÌ„ting and circumuenting and vndermining one of another was there euer more deceite or fraude in bargaining contracts wherein as euery one exceedeth in subtiltie so he is counted the wise and most sufficient man was there euer more lying swearing forswearing for aduaÌ„tage for gain and lucre or hath there bene at any time more truth and holinesse professed lesse honestie and truth performed wherat the very aduersaries not a litle reioice take occasion of blaspheming the truth or shal we finde among men more hipocrisie and double dealing with two faces vnder one hood such as can blow hote and cold with one breath whiche haue Iacobs slender voice but Esaus rough handes which can hide a woluish hart vnder a simple sheeps clothing as graue and as sage as Cato in their countinaunce but as tirannous as Nero in their deeds and actions as neatly pullished cleansed on the outside as the Pharises pot platter but inwardly most ougly and loathsome to beholde then nowe a dayes It is not euerye where now put in practise which was sometime sayde by one Frâ—ns occuli vultus per sepe mentiuntur oratio vero sepissime The lookes the face and countinaunce of men do often dissemble and deceaue but their wordes and speeches more often Is it not playnlye come to passe that Lactantius citeth out of Seneca
lib. 5. ca. 9.7 Vni se atque eideÌ„ studio omnes dedere arti Verba dare vt caute possint pugnare dolose Blanditia certarè bonum simulare verum sic Insidias facere vt si hostes sint omnibus oÌ„nes Euery one followeth one and the same trade and arte to deceiue by faire wordes that he may closely and secretely supplant and ouerthrowe subtlelye to striue with fawning speeche and flatterie to make resemblaunce and shewe of great integritie and holinesse and thereby to lay snares and trappes as Ieremie saith to catche men as if euery one had professed to be enemie to other And is it not a true complaint amongste vs also that S. Ierome hath to Rusticus Nunc sub cristianae religionis titulo iniusta excercent compendia honor christiani nominis iniuniam magis facit quam patitur quod pudet dicere Nowe vnder the coloure of Christian holinesse and Religion they vse vniust gaines and dealings and the honor of the Christian name doth more offer then suffer iniury which shameth me to speake Sonne of man saith God to the Prophet Ezechiell discribing most liuely the maners of these our times the children of my people talke of thee by the wales and in the dores of their houses and speake one to another come I praie you and here what is the worde that commeth from the Lorde they come vnto thee as the people vseth to come they sit before thee and they heare thy wordes but they will not doe them for with their mouthes they make iestes and their harte goeth after their couetousnes and loe thou arte vnto them as a iesting songe of one that hath a pleasant voice and can sing well for they here thy woordes but they doe them not you men of London and inhabitantes of this Cittie iudge I pray you vprightlie whether this bee truely spoken of your selues or noe they come vnto thee and sit before thee but their harte goeth after their couetousnes they here thy woordes but they doe them not and is this to draw neare with a true harts Simon Magus would haue bought the â—iftes of the holy ghost of Peter for mouie and therefore was accursed and perished with his mony But what shall we thinke of them in contrarie sorte that being sealed by the spirite of God as they pretende vnto the day of redemption yet feare not by lying periurie or any euill practise by corrupt proceedinges by fraudulent deuises and vnlawfull contracts to set to sale themselues their soules and consciences their faith their troth and honestie and all other good graces and vertues of the holy ghost for mony for gaine and lucre where is any hope of aduauntage offered The hipocriâ—e and dissembling Iudas said the oyâ—tment powered vpon Christes heade might well haue bene solde and giuen to the poore and yet he loued nâ—â—ther Christ nor the poore but his bagges and silueâ— plates more then them both and shall you not heare diuers vse like speaches nowe there are many poore and needle people amongest vs it were well 〈◊〉 to succour them they would bee â—â—uided for maâ—â—e things are supersâ—uously bestowed which might be well imployed to their vse and yet like hipocrites will â—hey not bestowe no not of their supâ—rfluity two mitâ—s in respect to relieue and succour the poore and is this to draw nere with a true hart Let Saint Iames tell you If a brother or a sister be destituâ—e of daylie foode or rayment and one of you saie vnto them departe in peace God send you warmth and foode to fill you and giue them not those thinges that are needefull to the bodie what helpeth it pure Religion and vndefiled before God is this To visite the fatherles and widdowes in their aduersitie and to keepe your selues vnspotted of the worlde It is not then an outwarde showe or estimation amongst men It is not a vaine semblance or feyned pretence of holynesse swimming in the lippes and countenaunce not fixed and setled in the harte that shall bee accepted with the Lorde that shall enter into the holye place It is not to call him Lorde Lorde and doe not as hee biddeth but in that a good conscience as Sainte Peter saithe maketh request vnto GOD by the resurrection of Iesus Christ and in that wee purge our conscience from deade workes to serue the liuing God that wee cast from vs the cloakes of hipocrisie and deceipt and waâ—king not like the Gentiles in craftinesse and vanitie of minde but approuing our selues to euery mans conscience in the sight of God and so drawe nere as our Sauiour saith of Nathaniel like right Israelites in whoÌ„ is no guile euen with a true hart sprinckled from an euill conscience For this saith Saint Paule is our reioycing this is our glorie not the credite of the worlde but the testimonie of our owne good conscience which is as Salomon saith Juge convivium a continuall feaste And therefore hee saith to Timothie and to vs all in Timothie Fight a good fight hauing faith and a good conscience which some haue put awaye and as concerning faith haue made shipwracke As if hee had saide their harts are not sprinckeled from an euill conscience and therefore whatsoeuer they pretende they haue loft and made shipwracke of faith also which can no more continue out of a true hart and a good conscience then trees can growe without earth or fishes liue without the water And as y e righteous is thus hollie coÌ„fident as a lyon so y t wicked flieth when no man pursueth him By the accusing or excusing of a 〈◊〉 or â—rubled conscience which neither in life nor death can be auoided for a corrupt conscience is a continuall torment it is the sinne lying at the dore of our harts It is called of the Prophet Esaie a worme that neuer dieth a sea that alwaies rageth without rest Of Saint Paule a fearing with a hotte yron and in this present chapiter a fearefull looking for Iudgement and violent fire and besides daylie experience to bee seene in many was manifest in Caine for the murther of his mother in Antiochuâ— for his wickednes done to Hierusalem in Iudas and like traytors for his treason against his maister and in Nero with many other crying out in the insufferable torments of his euill conscience Turpiter vixi turpius iam perio filthilie haue I liued and now more filthilie doe I die there is no peace to the wicked the Lorde hath saide it But they shall carrie in their brestes from which they shall not flie both feare and terrour and tormenting furies continually citing them before the tribunall feate of Christ All wickednes saith Salomon is full of feare giuing testimonie â—fiâ—lâ—mnation against it selfe So that a troubeled conscience alwaies presumeâ—h cruell thinges And although that some with vaine pastimes of pleasure and delights of this world can lenifie and driue away the sting of sinne the remembrance of Gods iudgements