let this persuade you to cast off your slugginesse The Bishop rowsed with these wordes all in rage said vnto him goe wretch as thou art and louse thy selfe I disdaine thy counsailes to whom the Moncke answered in a pleasant manner Take héed father least your wormes kill you for mine are alreadie slaine hée meant the worme of conscience which shall at last bite them who are giuen ouer to their sensualities I haue read also a prettie storie in an old dunce called Petrus de Lapiaria which because of the pithie allusion I will not sticke to tell you A certaine King saith hée hauing thrée sonnes and being well kept in yeares resolued to make his Testament certifying his children that which of them was most slothfull on him hee would bestow his kingdome to whom the first said to me belongs the kingdome for I am so sluggish that as I sit by the fire I rather suffer my shinnes to bée burnt then to draw them from the flame the second hée said the crowne in all reason belongs to mée since I am farre more slothfull then thou art for hauing a rope about my necke and being readie to bee hanged and a sword in my hand suficient to cut the same yet am I so slothfull that I will not stretch out my hand to saue my life after him the third stept vp and in these wordes mâ—…e his claime nay saith hée I alone ought to raigne for I excell you all in flothfulnesse For lying continually on my backe water stilleth vpon mine eies yet I for sloth sake forsake not my bed neither turne to the right nor to the left hand and on this sonne the King bestowed his Crowne and kingdome To yéeld this a Morrall interpretation these thrée sonnes are thrée sorts of idle persons The first that cares not for fire signifieth him that being in the companie of euill and luxurious men will not forsake them The second knowing himselfe hanged in the snaro of the Deuill as the couetous man yet hauing and knowing the sword of Praier sufficient to cut the rope neuerlesse hée will not vse it The third that will neither turne his eie to the right or to the left hand signifieth him that neither considereth the paines of Hell nor the rewards of Heauen So that neither for feare of punishment nor hope of reward hée will rise againe from sinne On him the Deuill his father who as Iob saith is the King euer the children of pride bestoweth the kingdome of Hell where no order but continuall horror inhabiteth And trulie to the iole and slothfull person Hell doth most iustly appertaine because hauing eies to sée his infirmitie hée blindeth them a mind to vnderstand his remedie hée disdaineth it and times made for labour yet refuseth it but as Salomon saith Omnis piger in egestate erit The slothfull man shall liue in pouertie and Hell iustly shall bée his inheritage that negligently forbeareth to labor for heauen Oh thou slothfull man if this persuade thée not looke further the male storke senteth the adulteries of the female except shée wash her selfe doth not God then both sée and will punish thy sinne except thou mend thy selfe The Lion smelleth the filthinesse of his adulteresse and will not hée thinke you looke into the offences of his creatures yet assuredly he that séeth all things beholdeth thy wickednesse and except thou repent thée will do iustice on thy negligence Hauing alreadie heard the deformities of this monster now at the last let vs consider the ren edies against him First let vs intentiuely ponder and weigh how much our Sauiour hath laboured and trauailed for the saluation of mankind It is said that hée past the nights in praier after whose example if wee desire to bée his wee must with the holie Martyrs of the Primitiue Church mortifie our earthly members and follow him in the like exercise secondly in that this sinne of Idlenes hindreth both soule and body and by that meanes is the occasion of many mischiefes as well corporall as spiritual It hath bene as well detested both in holy scriptures as in fathers of the Primitiue Church as appeareth by Iohannes Clymachus where he saith Idlenes is a dissolution of the spirit an abiect feare in all good exercises an hatred and griefe of any godly profession He saith likewise that worldly men are happy he speaketh til of God accounting him cruell and without humanity he maketh a man astonished in heart and weake in praier more hard then iron in the seruice of God both slothfull and rebellious to trauell with his hands or to do obedience Behold the right effects of deuilish Astaroth consider likewise what fruites spring from this cursed fiend Thirdly one of the best meanes to resist the craft of this fiend is to trauell and to be alwaies doing somewhat to the end we be not surprized suddenly as Saint Ierome counselleth To this purpose the ancient monks of Egypt had alwaies these words in their mouthes That he which occupieth himselfe in any good exercise is not tempted by the Deuill but hée that doth nothing but liueth Idly is tormented and possessed with diuers And if the Heauens the Sunne the Moone and other planets the birds beasts and fishes are in continuall motion and without ceasing apply those offices for which they were created what ought man to do who is created for trauell and whose soule is defined by the Philosopher to be a perpetuall motion Let the Idle go to schoole to the Ant as saith Salomon and learne of her to behaue him selfe and let him take héed that hée prooue not that vnfruitfull trée which must be cast into eternall fire and that barren figtrée which Christ cursed Let him alwaies remeÌ„ber y â— Idlenes is the nurse of all euils that it is hath bin the ouerthrow of many millions of soules Let him consider y â— by labour we obtaine reward by negligence loose our selues It is reported of Cyrus the King of the Persians that being willing to inkindle the hearts of the common sort to war against the Medes he vsed this pollicy and stratageme He led his army to a certaine wood where for the whole day he occupied the people in cutting downe the wood and in continuall toile in lopping the trées But the next day he caused very sumptuous feasts to be prepared commanded his hoast to feast sport and make holy day with gladnes and going to euery company in the midst of their sports he asked them which of those two daies best liked them who answered that the second was more pleasant then the first To whom he replied in this sort As by yesterdaies labor you came togither and were assembled to this daies banquet so can you not be happy and blessed till first of all you ouercome the Medes So in alluding to this after a morrall meaning we can not attaine to blessednesse except we ouercome in this world the Medes which are the
is weak let vs banish y â— sin froÌ„ our societies y â— is likest to disturbe attempt it Another spirit there is incorporated very cuÌ„ningly whichin al apparitioÌ„s I euer could sée him in hath his face couered w t a vaile in it is writteÌ„ Incest he it was y â— made Herod abuse his sisters wife and I feare me plaies y e deuil couertly in our countrey if I may chance to know it he may be sure I wil vnmaske him Another fiend there is but he hants not our country but trauaileth Flanders y e low countries like a souldior this diuel robs churches rauisheth religious women scorns the Clergie beats down bels stéeple coÌ„mitteth filthy absurdities in y e churches whom I only name in this place because I wish the ports might be laid if he attempt to arriue here for of al chaffare he sels best a challice cope communioÌ„ cup if he be permitted to enter among vs no minister shal saue him a surples to say seruice on sunday in But what visio is this inough to affright the world Selfe-loue the idolater of his body an infernal master angell accompanied w t Loue of this world y â— loaths to hear of piety Hate of God in y â— he prohibits sin horror of the world to come in y â— he feareth iudgemeÌ„t these foure lothsome ministers bring in a thrée headed vgly moÌ„ster nature walks apart hides her face in her hands for feare to behold him y e first head is Mollities inuenting voluntary pollution the second Sodomy peruerting the order of nature y â— third Bestiality called by y e schoolmen crimen pessimuÌ„ this monsters eies are stil hanging down as if ashamed to behold y â— light in his brows are written signuÌ„ reprobrationis the mark of reprobatioÌ„ the first head whispers in mine ear y e Her Onan were slain by an angel through his corruptioÌ„ The secoÌ„d tels me y â— Italy can best teach me if I would know his qualities alas chast eares I dare not name it thogh I fear it is to much vsed I dare not think it Pedrastia Socrates sin The third tels me he is a monster getter and hath followers amongst men are vnworthy naming wretches auant you brood of hel you causes of the general Cataclisme and deluge flie from these bounds of Christ endome I am afraid to name you I câ—…ure you by my praiers froÌ„ my country y e infernal poures theÌ„selues in their coppy of sin hate you haue oftentimes slain those y â— haue béene exercised in your villanies That very night Christ was born al your sodomitical crue perished depart you to darknes whilst I discouer your fathers villanies God be thanked y â— monsters are vanished saw you not one of theÌ„ kissing a sow another dallying w t a boy another vsing voluntary pollutioÌ„ fie away w t theÌ„ they are damned villaines come lets examin the workings of their father arm our selues against him stand forth you pocky deuil Asmodius for I mean to swinge you Augustin discoursing vpon y e effects of lechery lust hath this notable saying Luxuria est inimica deo inimica virtutibus perdit substantiam ad tempus voluptatem diligens futuram non sciunt cogitare paupertatem Lust saith he is an enemie to God an enemie to vertue it consumeth wealth louing pleasure for a while it suffereth vs not to think of our future pouertie approuing hereby in a few words and they effectuall that he who is intangled in the snares of desires is distracted from God forsaken by vertue drowned in sensualtie and besotted with inconsideration This spiritual infirmite is compared to the disease of leprosie which procéeedeth from corrupt and disordinate heat and as the leprosie is an incurable disease euen so is lust an irremediable mischiefe With this infirmitie was Salomon infected who had seuentie Quienes and thrée hundreth concubines so that euen in his age his heart was depraued and whereas in al other sinnes their venome is not contracted by societie in lust a man by conuersation may be corrupted so that neither the wise mans wit neither the strong mans armes nor the holy mans meditation is defenced against lust but as Ierome saith ad Paulum Eusâ—…ochaim Ferreas mentes libido domat Lust conquereth the most vntamed minds As soon saith Gregorie as lust hath possessioÌ„ of the mind it scarsly suffereth it to conceiue any good desires and in that the desires therof are vicious by the suggestion thereof riseth corrupt thought and of thought the like affection of affection delèctation of delight consent of coÌ„sent operation of operatioÌ„ custome of custome desperation and of desperation defence of sinne and glorieng therein and of glorying in sinne damnation Lururious men haue outwardly the Deuill suggesting them and inwardly concupiscence incensing them and of these two al carnal sinnÌ„es are begotten It is likewise to be noted that the word of God is two waies indemnified by lasciuious men the one way is conculcator a transeuntibus It is troden downe by them as they passe by it This treading downe and oppression of the word of God is the custome of euill thoughts whereby the Gospell is oppressed The second is that it is deuoured of birds which deuouring is the suggestion of the Deuill Against these defects there are likewise two remedies the first is that we fence in the inclosure of our hearts with the thornes of the memorie of the passion of Christ according to that of the wise man Popule sepi aures tuas spinis For there is no greater remedie saith Origen nor better means against euill cogitations then the remembrance of Christs passion The second remedie is to fatten this inclosure of our hearts with the vertue of charitie for of it it is said That it couereth the multitude of sinnes To conclude a sea of matter in a short circle of admonition refraine lust and her progenie for these causes First it destroieth the infused graces of God and the gifts of the holie ghost Secondly it consumeth the foure cardinall vertues Thirdly it weakeneth the body inféebleth the spirit and hardeneth the heart against all deuotion The armor against this enuie is The coÌ„sideration of his deformitie The auoidance of occasions and motions of desire The tempering and moderation of our corrupt bodies The continuall thought of impendent death The imagination of Gods continuall presence The consideration of those infirmities wherewith it cloieth the spirit Lastly in assaults The office of praier which as Cassianus saith is a sufficient buckler against all the assaults of the world I haue discouered the sore and giuen a plaister I beshrow those that are wounded if they make not vse of it Of the great Deuill Belzebub and what monstrous and strange Deuils he hath bred in our age BElzebub the enuious grand God of flies Archduke of Grecian
seculi labes quaedam macula virtuti inuidere It is a certaine infirmitie and deformity of this world to enuy vertue And not to forget Horace Virtutem incolumen odimus Sublatum ex oculis quaerimus inuidi Vertue assignd we enuy cursedly But rest from vs we seeke for greedily The incarnate monsters begotten by the Arch-Deuill Baalberith AMongst all the monstrous ingendrings and wonders of nature set downe by Pliny Aristotle and Elian in his histories the begetting of Baalberiths children is the most miraculous for touching procreation by mouth by eares and by other parts they are confirmed by knowledge experience but for y â— heart to be a place of conception I held it a thing impossible except it be in a Deuill Yet as impossible as it is true it is and in a Deuill it was and thus Baalberith became a father When by those tirannies that ranged in the Primitiue Church from Aurelius to Valerian this cursed spirit of wrath rather augmented then dismembred the faithfull he sate him downe in a méere agony and began to imagine in his thoughts how to destroy Patience in mens hearts which is an opposed enemy to all his procéedings Hereon inflaming his heart by the hot cholerick and swift blood which he sent out of his vaines by Caua vena to it there rose certaine spéedy and vehement spirits encountring with his sinister thoughts that forced out by his beating and heauy lungs tooke passage with his breath and no sooner entred the aire but attained bodies in which they worke and by which they are known Tec first of them became a Ruffian a Swashbuckler and a Bragart they call him Brawling contention his common gate is as proud as a Spaniards his ordinary apparell is a little low crownd hat with a fether in it like a forehorse his haires are curld and full of elues locks and nitty for want of kembing his eies are still staring and he neuer lookes on a man but as if he would eate him his doublet is of cast Satten cut sometime vpon Taffata but that the bumbast hath eaten through it and spotted here and there with pure fat to testifie that he is a good trencher man his common course is to go alwaies vntrust except when his shirt is a washing then he goes woolward and his bréeches are as desperate as himselfe for they are past mending his weapons are a basket hilted sword and a buâ—… dagger and if hée kéepe these from pawne he is sure of a liuing his praiers in the morning are Gogs wounds hostesse one pot more and his daily exercise is to be champion in a bawdy house you shall haue him for tweluepence to braue and brawle with any men liuing and let any men fall togither by the eares to the field cries hée Ile sée faire play he hath a Punck as the Pleasant Singer cals her that finds him spending mony and if she prouide not his drinking penny shée is sure of the basâ—…inado giue him the lie hée strikes you suddenly and call him lesse then a gentleman souldier Zownâ—…s you are a villaine He is a passing good railer specially if an old bawd anger him and let him but looke into a vawting house he shall play his tricks without charges In Terme time he is a Setter to further horse stealers and to cunnyeatch a countreyman he shall giue place to none in Newgate In a â—…ray in Fléetstréet you shall daily see him foremost for but in fighting chiding and scolding hée hath no countenance You shall hire him foÌ„r a speciall baily if you come off with an angell and sometimes he may carry a ring in his mouth if hée haue a cast liuery for his labour Hee is the only man liuing to bring you where the best licour is and it is his hat to a halfe penny but hée will be drunke for companie Then let the host crosse him out goes his dagger let the hostesse intreat him shée is a whore for her labour and though hée drinke beyond his stocke thats but a custome â—…ut mine host cries hée skore it vp it is the credit of your ale house Bring a Sargeant and him togither you shall heare villanie with a vengeance and if they conspire any mans arrest gogs wounds hée will haulse him This is a chiefe caterpiller in a citie and too much winckt at hée hath alreadie insected the most part of the suburbs it were great pittie to graunt him harbour in the citie Isidorus saith of this Deuill that he is subiect to thrée euill conditions of a dog First he is alwaies ready to Quarrell secondly he taketh his best pleasure in Strife Debate thirdly he prouoketh others vnto Discord Of all Baalberiths bréed there can not be an arranter or more currish villaine and peruerter of peace and his impatience in iniury commeth of his carnall mind Of all companions there is none that more deserueth the auoiding then hée for whosoeuer falleth into his humor of impatience he presently becommeth the disciple of the Deuill and fit and apt for all euill things Nay whosoeuer delighteth in contentions and debates séemeth wholly to contradict his naturall inclination and being for as Chrysostome saith Non est creatus cum cornibus vt Ceruus Tygris aut Centaurus c. He is not created with hornes as the Hart Tyger and Centaure that with them he should gore another man neither with a hard and hornie hoofe like a horse to kicke at another man neither with a sharpe fang as the Woolfe Dog and Lion to bite any man neither with a sharpe bill or crooked and strong nailes to the end hée should teare or prey vpon another man as the Falcon the Herne the Hawke and the Eagle but bée is created with all his members very competent and humble to the end he should behaue himselfe iustly and humbly in all things towards his neighbour whereupon it is to be inferred that a brauling and contentious fellow is a beast amongst men Comparatus est minentâ—…s insipientibus similis factus est illis He is compared to bruit beasts and is made like vnto them and not only is the contentious quarreller like the sauadge beast but he resembleth likewise the deuill himselfe For as the one soweth cockle among the corne so the other ingendreth contentions among societies The Wise man cals him an Apostata and vnprofitable adding this In omni tempore iurgium seminat He continually soweth debate Herupon Gregory saith That if they be the sonnes of God that séeke peace and ensue it they truly are the sonnes of Sathan that peruert peace and destroy society Let not therefore this deuill haue any title among you for hée is beneficiall to none but foure to the Uâ—…ttailer for ridding his drinke to the Surgean for curing his wounds to the Phisitian for purging his disease and the earth for féeding it with dead bodies As this Deuill only haunteth the suburbes and â—…ildome but skulkingly and
suspect necessities Let the Lady fast in continence she shall not languish in excesse and let all men build on God and desperation shall not hurt them Let vs draw néerer this fiend and coniure him more cunningly he hath more motiues in man let vs therefore examine them Saith he fasting killeth worldly comfort and therefore it is to be fled Answer him boldly that it is transitory and momentary which delighteth but eternall that mortifieth If he say thy sinnes are great tell him Gods mercie is greater If he induce desperation by thy often fall oppose Christs words against his suspect Non dico â—…bi vsque septies sed vsque septuagies septies I say not to thee seuen times but seuenty times seuen times And remember that of Leo Misericordiae Domini nec mensuras possumâ—…s pouere â—…c tempora definire Wee can neither measure the mercies of God nor define the time and to giue a sword vtterly to confound this furie vse hope which though euery waies thou be assaulted will maintaine thy constancie And conclude thus when troubles or doubts distraught thée with Ouid Magna tamen spes est in bonitate dei Yet in Gods goodnesse is our hope increast The second furie now adaies ranging vp and downe our countrie and infecting fraile and inconstant hearts is Pusailanimitie and Worldlie feare who wheresoeuer he lurketh is knowne by these tokens hée maketh the eie inconstant the colour come and goe the heart beat the thought suspitious he kils weake desire by suspitious feares and as a little water as Aristotle saith is sooner corrupted then a great deale so with this abastardizing spirit the weaker minds are sooner attainted theÌ„ the great This fiend maketh easie thinges impossible by mistrust and so transporteth affections that they can claime no title in their owne natures This is a temporall and foolish kind of feare rising either from the loue of transitorie things or the supposed difficulties of life The ordinarie seate of this humor is in the sensualitie of the heart With this weaknesse of spirit was Anthonie the Romane seasd who séeing the increases of Caesar when his meanes of resist were sufficient retired himselfe to his Timoneum leauing both Cleopatra and his busines as destitute of all hope before the assurance of his danger mortall is this sinne if it bée accompanied with the consent of the will the Apostle writing to the Colossians saith Fathers prouoke not your children vnto indignation least they become weake in mind and loose their courage according to the Syriak noting hereby that this infirmitie accompanieth for the most part those that are of the weakest abilitie and Iudgement This deiection of spirit likewise is an effeminate and womanish disease expressed often by foolish huswifes in those words Good God what shal I do How shal I dresse my house Make ready my children Doe this and do that being things easie and rediculons to bée forced Against this infirmitie and inue noming spirit of feare I will applie that of Doctor Gerson where hée sayth That there are diuers that thinke they offend by dispaire which offend not For this procéedeth from a certaine Pusillanunitie of their hearts or of emotiue or féeling of dispaire which they estéeme to bée a consent but it is not For whatsoeuer féeling they may haue yea although it presse so farre as that they thinke themselues almost attainted with this temptation they lose not charitie as long as they are sorrowfull and the reason is contrarie and consenteth not thereto So that the spirit of a man is ouercome by the enemie except there bée consent of the will For the seuce maketh not the sinne but the consent You that are or may happen to bée intangled in these briars and assailed by this temptation make your generall recourse to God saying with the Apostle Omnia possum in co qui me 〈◊〉 I can doe al things by the grace of him that comforteth mee To conclude let no man hide his Talent whatsoeuer which God hath bestowed on him to trafficke and profite his neighbour least hée incurre this vice of Pusillanimitie but let vs all cleaue vnto Magnanimitie his opposite considering this of Tullies Qui magno animo est forti omnia quae cadore in hominem possunt despâ—…cit pro nihiloputas Hee that hath a noble and resolute mind despiseth all miisfortunes that are incident to man holding them of no reckoning And that of Lucans Fortissimus ille est Qui promptus metuenda pati si cominus instent Most strong is he when dangers are at hand That liues prepared their furie to withstand Dulnesse of spirit the next borne to Pusillanimitie hath great conformitie with him for Pusillanimitie hinders the beginning and enterprise of a good worke and this fiend letteth the performance of it whe it is begun maketh a man giue ouer in the midst of his busines This monster hath thrée heads whersoeuer he seaseth one body the first is Idlenesse slack to performe any thing and a poison that confoundeth many men the second is Slownesse that deserreth to follow vertue or conuersion from sinne the third is Tepiditie which causeth a man do his worke coldly without courage or feruor in his busines This fiend haunteth most commonly among those sort of men that are too much subiect to their flesh and being bondslaues to their sensual lusts haue their reasons obscured and their desires dulled they hate Musike despise Arts accounting their excellence to be in ignorance if they speake it is so abruptly and lothsomly as it mooueth not and if they be silent they rather looke like some blind statues of marble then liuing and moouing men If they write it is Inuita Minerua so coldly and without conceit as they like the vntunable ring of Bels rather fill the ears with iarring and noise then delight or reason Many too many are possessed with this spirit and this spirit is incarnate in them For they only like beasts respect present things hauing no care of that which is to come you shall sée a slouen sléeping in his bed that for want of rising loseth the commodity of preferment another so cold in his enterprises that he is vnfortunate in all busines Whatsoeuer commeth from such men séemeth to be enforced so is the eie of their iudgements blinded in perceiuing that which best behooueth them I knew one of this factioÌ„ in Oxford who after he had studied seuen yeres often beaten ouer the Predicables at last thanked God y â— he had a litle sight in Genus This was as slouenly a lout as euer I lookt vpon who often found in his heart to loose his breakfast for want of fetching come into his study you should still sée him sléeping ouer his booke In all exercises he was alwaies the last in all disputations so cold duncicall that neither any man vnderstood him nor he himselfe With this spirit was those two Seruing men seased the first of which