as it wer y e gold frō y e drosse the wheat from y e chaffe the good from y e bad from hēce it is y e the wicked become so outragious do whet their téeth to persecute the painfull laborers in the Lordes vineyarde calling them the troublers of the common wealth vnto whom wée answer as Elias answered to King Achab that not hée but the King was the troubler of the Countrie Euen so not the ministers which teach the worde painefully but these vngodly ones which defame them despitefully trouble the common wealth and hurt the health of the Church The vnbeléeuing Iewes at Thessalonica cried out against Paul and Silas saying these felowes that haue troubled the whole world are come hither also But Paul speaking against y e Iews his enemies persecutors said they as they haue killed y e Lord Iesus their own Prophets so doe they perseeute vs they please not God are aduersaries to all men resisting vs y t we shoulde not preach the gospell vnto the Gentils to their saluation that they may still fulfill their sinnes and so at last the endlesse anger of God may fall vppon them It is to be feared it is with vs as it was with the Iewes in the prophet Ieremie his daies a few that imbrace the worde of the Lorde with profit The rebellious Iewes obiected against Ieremie that since the time they beganne to leaue the worship of their idol gods and to hearken to the preaching of the worde of God they neuer had any iot of felicity but that mishaps by troupes fell one vpon the necke of an other hereupon they saide to Ieremie when we made sacrifice to the Quéene of heauen that is to say to the sunne all thinges went well with vs we had abundance of corne c. After the same maner say many of our time it was well when we heard masse when we went on pilgrimage when wée worshipped before images when we gaue to monks and priests the feare of God was greater and there was more loue and good fellowship in a day then there is now in half a yeare Autoph A thousande are of that minde Philox. neither can you make them beléeue but then it was a good world whē a man might buy as many egs for a peny as would serue him halfe a dozen meales Philox. What drunkennes what astonishment what madnesse hath dazeled the eies of men y t they should sée nothing what sleighty elusions of Sathan hath couered their spirites that they shoulde beléeue nothing Is this the thanke that we render vnto God for the preaching of the gospell what madnes can bée compared vnto this The Lord doth offer vs saluatiō fréely without monie or monie worth and we had rather féede like swine on huskes and shales pay for popish dotages dirty deuises The Lord doth offer vs drinke of the welsprings of Israell the fountaine of euerliuing water and we had rather drinke of the filthy puddle of mens deuillish inuentions He sendeth his ministers amongest vs to sowe the incorruptible séed of his holy word to rouse vp these lumpish spirites of ours to bring vs to repentance we accuse his word to be the cause of our sins miseries his ministers to be the sowers of sedition discention But tel me this one thing Autoph art thou perswaded y t the preaching of Noe was the cause of the ouerwhelming of the old world w t waters or y e good perswasions of Lot the cause why Sodome and Gomorra was burned with fire brimstone frō heauen or the forewarning of our sauiour Christ vnto the Iewes to be the cause of the destruction and desolation of that famous city Ierusalem Autoph How should I be so persuaded sithens it was the fulnes of their abhominatiōs which kindled y e wrath and indignation of God against them Philox. In like sorte it is not the word of God which maketh our sins miseries abound causeth dearth or penury stirreth vp sedition strife or contention it is our sins enormious offences that draweth the heauy iudgments of God vppon vs let lewde tongues therefore for shame leaue off to blaspheme to lash out at randome against the gospel of Iesus Christ let vs remoue far from vs the causes of our miseries namely contempt of the word of God couetousnes oppression swearing tearing of y e name of God for vaine trifles prophanation of the Lords Saboth drunkennes surfeting rioting c. and let vs know assuredly that the happy and prosperous victory which God hath giuen to the professors of his gospell in putting a snaffle in the mouthes and an hooke in the nosthrels of mercilesse Tyrants and bloudie persecutors of his children it was for his name sake his worde and his truthes sake Therefore let vs with humblenes of heart beséeche the Lord of his entire goodnes to send daily more and more painefull labourers into his vineyard to water the vine of Englande with the moysture of his holy worde and that all idoll pastors and hirelings may be rooted out Autoph Yet more adoe about hirelings I pray you whom doe you call hirelinges or idoll pastors it may bée that I shall mistake you Philox. The very same Autoph whom thou callest simple fellows and quiet soules which care not whether the people committed to their charge sinke or swim stand or fall liue or die be saued or damned which either for feare or fauour dare not once mewe or open their mouthes to reproue the sins of the wicked which are more fit for y e tauern than y e tēple for y e plough than y e pulpit which are more fit for y e slaile than to féede the flocke of Christ The shepheard if he want knowledge may confer with his Dog if the séely husbādman want wisdome he may aske counsell of his whip for the lips of these idols preserue no knowledge Autoph Now as I am an honest man and a Christian I haue hearde many vnreuerent spéeches and reprochfull raylings yet neuer hearde I any thing against honest men so vncharitably spoken Philox. Beware how y u iudgest lest y u condemne y e prophets thēselues Esay calleth the ministers of his age blinde watchmen dumbe dogs gréedy dogs The prophet Ezechiel termeth y e prophets conspirators gréedy raueners deuourers like Lions The prophet Zacharie in zeale of y e spirit termeth them no better thā idols I could recken many more sharpe sayings of the Prophets against such biters of the Lords people but take these for a tast and cease to call the godly zealous followers of the Lord despitefull and malicious dealers because they will not iustifie the wicked in their waies say that good is euill euill good make darkenes light light darkenes call sower swéet swéet sower to whom the Lord doth threaten that horrible woe of reuenge Autoph Shall you make me beléeue that the prophets speak of
are turned to sinne being no better as they procéede from their vncircumcised lips than the sacrifice of fooles And in déede as without faith it is vnpossible to please God so it is not so easie a matter to attaine to some perfection thereof as many doe estéeme it For true faith is the speciall gifte of God No man commeth to mee vnlesse my Father drawe him sayth our Sauiour Christ Againe Flesh and bloud sayth Christ to Peter cōfessing him in a true faith hath not reueled this to thee but my father which is in heauen Vnto which Paul semeth to alude saying We are not able to think anie good thing of our selues but all our abilitie is of God Now then Autophilus try and examine your selfe whether you be in the faith or or no least you dreame of a shadow not hauing the substance Autoph You doe me great wrong if you doubt of my faith for I promise you I am past all doubt for that matter Philox. I offer you no wrong in wishing you to make tryall of your faith because I sée you glory in that which you haue not Beware therefore least that there bee in you an heart of infidelity to fall away from the liuing God For this know and the spirit doth witnes the same there is no filthy concupiscence of adultery no rotten wordes of vncleannes no oppressing of the poore no gréedy desire after worldly gaine no falling away from the liuing God for such vanities but infidelitie is the root and the braunch the beginning and the ending an vnbeléeuing heart causeth all in all Autoph I cannot but confesse thus much in the meane while Philoxenus I hope you are well perswaded of my faith Philox. I am perswaded you make the bare title of faith and christianitie a shrouding shéete for your sinnes For how shoulde you haue the thing when you reiect the meanes wherby God doth giue the same which is the ministerie of the worde Not that it consisteth in their power to giue faith for y t is done by the power of the holie spirite which God sendeth into y e harts of his children to open the eies of their vnderstāding y t that may bee rooted inwardly which by the ministerie of the worde toucheth their eares outwardly So that there is a perpetuall relation betwixt the word of God and a true faith And in déed it is as vnpossible to separate faith from the worde of God as it is to take the light from the Sunne whereof it hath y e beginning For which cause the spirit of the Lord crieth out by y e mouth of the Prophet Esaie saying Heare me and your soule shall liue And Iohn the Euangelist pointing out the fountaine of this faith sayeth Haec scripta sunt vt credatis These things are written that you may beleeue And y e prophet Dauid being about to exhort y e people to faith speaketh after this manner To daie if you wil heare his voice c. Wheras to heare oftētimes is takē to beléeue The Lord might frō heauē without preaching haue bestowed in Christ faith vpō Cornelius y e centurion at Caesarea but yet by an Angel hee sendeth him to the preaching of Peter whilest Peter preched god worked effectually in his hart by y e power of his holy spirite causing him to beléeue his preaching according to y e of y e Apostle Who is Paul or what is Appollo but ministers by whō you haue beleeued according as God hath giuē to euery one I haue plāted Apollo watered but God hath giuen increase So then hee that planteth is nothing nor he that watereth but God which giueth increase Which doctrine agréeeth with Augustine where hee sayth That which we haue to learn at mens hands let euerie one learne yea learn at mans hands without disdaine let vs not go about to tempt him in whom we beléeue neither beeing deceiued let vs not thinke scorne to go to Church to heare or learne out of bookes loking stil when we shall be rapt vp into the third heauen So that faith cōmeth by hearing hearing by the word But how shal they beleeue in him in whō they haue not heard how shal they heare without a preacher All this I speak to this end Autoph y t you may know how faint your faith is because I perceiue in you such hypocrisie y t whē you come to y e sermon which is seldome inough it is more for fashiō than for edifying as you report of your selfe when as w tout hearing of the worde you can haue no faith at all But well may you mock y e world deceiue your self but God neither is mocked nor deceiued for if true faith the glory of God the saluatiō of your soules be not appointed as y e purpose of your cōming to heare the word preached you had better stay at home than come count your selfe amongst y e nūber of the faithful to worship the deuel euen thē whē you wold séeme most saintish cōming with no more reuerēce to y e same nor w t so good a minde as you would go to sée some Histrio play y e foole to heare a tale of Robin hood neyther regarding y e honour due to God nor godly things nor making any difference betwixt the eternall truth veritie olde wiues tales fables which thing if nothing els declare yet your drousines in attending your lazines and slacknes in praying your slender profiting in learning proueth to be true So y t although you will séeme Christes schollers yet your fruite declareth that you are the disciples of the deuill Yea although you séeme to be members of Christ his Church you are the synagogue sinke of Sathan Autoph I maruell Philoxenus that you wil be so cholerik in these matters since these thinges touch more than a few and some of them I am sure more wiser than your selfe Philox. God make them wise to saluation wherein if some of their wisedome shuld be weighed in a ballāce persuade your self that they wil proue thēselues as wise as fooles as senslesse as stocks more brutish than wild beasts Autoph Do you thinke y t if the matter were so daungerous their case so desperate as you account it y t they wold not looke more straitly to themselues Yes I warrant you y e cup cōpanions Ale bibbers Ale knaues Ale knights I would haue said would not lie quaffing drinking so fréely vntil their legs can neither go for stōbling nor their tongs scarse cal for their penie pots for wambling especially on the Sabboth when they should serue God Do you thinke that Dicke swash would make no more bones to crucifie Christ himself wounding tearing him from top to toe if he thought that blaspheming of the name of god were so dānable as it is thought to be Do you thinke that the filthy lecherer and loose liuing man would wed himselfe to lust the couetous
vnder the gospell and therefore if they will néedes bee preaching let them preach the gospell I warrant you S. Paul being a minister of the gospell vsed no comminations nor threatninges but obsecrations and beséechings as it manifestly appeareth in sundry parts of his Epistles 2. Cor. 20. 2. Cor. 10.1 Philox. If thou hadst béene in Herods court thou wouldest haue béene one of the first that shouldest haue termed Iohn Baptist a sawcie Iacke for his controwling of Herode Thou art one of them which woulde haue thy sinnes smothered although incessantly thou offendest against the maiestie of God But what discréete father is he which if his childe should play the vnruly and stubborne boy woulde stroke his heade tell him he were a good son not rather fatherly reproue him and sharpely correct him with a rod. What prudent maister will commende his seruaunt for neglecting his commaundement In like sorte will you be trucebreakers of the Lords couenāts yet looke to be flattered will you impeach the Lordes honour blaspheme his holy name tread trample vnder foote his glory and yet heare of mercy will you steale murder commit adultery yet heare of nothing but the gospel wil you rest in sin liue in error ignorance sling ouerthwart the fields after your owne disordered lusts walke in the by-paths of vngodlines yet make no reckoning to be rebuked what skilfull Phisition or experienced Chyrurgian will apply a supplying salue to an old festred sore and not rather vse searing launsing cerzing and searching of it to the bottome no no grosse humors must haue strong purgations festred sores must haue sharpe salues Knobby timber must haue hard wedges rough horses must haue rough riders It is a lamentable thing to consider the waful estate and condition of our daies such pillage and pollage such guile and disguising of matters such swearing tearing tossing of the name of God like a tenisball from one blasphemous to an other such leasemongring and inhauncing of rentes such pride rioting and ruffanisme such drunkennes and surfeting such wantonnesse and chambring that wickednes doth rage as a water floude and iniquity hath gotten the vpper hande and yet notwithstanding men fret like chafed Bulls when they are brotherly reproued for their wickednes As touching saint Paul it is true that he is a Minister of the gospell But it is not true that he alwaies dealeth with the spirit of mildnes lenity for with the proud arrogant he dealeth more sharply more roughly looke thorow the Euangelists with a single eie sée howe sharpely Christ Iesus-dealeth w t the scribes pharises although they bragged boasted as much of their vpright cōuersation as do our english hypocrites although they sat in Moses chayre taught the law yet are they called of the son of God a wicked an adulterous generation blind guides painted sepulchres the sonnes of the deuil There were in saint Pauls time such as made their brags and vaunts of the law yet are they called of the Apostle dogs euill workers enemies of the crosse of Christ Wherefore there ought to be a singular wisedome and discretion in the ministery to distribute the worde of truth aright to breake to euerie one his portion of the bread of life to preach the lawe to whom the law belongeth and the gospel to whom the gospell appertaineth Iudgement to whom Iudgement belongeth and mercie to whom mercie appertaineth For to preach mercie forgiuenesse of sinnes before men see their sinnes and know their miseries by the preaching of the lawe is to preach the gospell vnprofitably hee that doth not sée his sinnes in the law as it were in a glasse is ignoraunt what miserie is in himself and what mercie is in God Autoph Well Philox. I perceiue you are become a fether of a left wing I knewe when it was not so with you howbeit this geare will take no colour neither can I sée but that a great number haue done more harme then good by their preaching It is a piteous case to sée howe those townes which haue had honest simple men and quiet soules that would not meddle with other mens matters are now troubled and molested by a companie of sawcie fellowes who can abide no good fellowship no sportes no pastime no not so much as vpon the Sunday Was not good fellowshippe thinke you vsed before they were borne I can tell you Philox. there bee a thousande of this minde that if the bloudie pretence of the proude Spaniard had taken place we might haue thanked these busie fellowes for it Philox. It was with me Autoph sometime as it is now with thée both blinde in iudgement and corrupt in conuersation I did prostitute my selfe vnto all kinde of wickednes hauing no sense of my sinnes no feare of punishment no féeling of the iudgements of God vntill such time as the Lord by the preaching of his word the powre of his holy spirite gaue me new eies to sée better a newe heart to discern better afterward as a man come out of a dumpe I wondred at y e grosse palpable darkenes wherein I was before neither haue I had this féeling in my selfe but also I haue known do know many which before their conuersion inward alteration of mind were reputed for as ciuill honest men as euer trode vpon a shoe as substantiall men as any were in the parish they dwelt in as simple dealers honest liuers good housekéepers as any of their neighbours neither was it néede to tell them of it and yet now y t the Lord hath effected an alteration change in them they thinke far otherwise of themselues their eies be opened their iudgements illumined For now they sée that which they saw not before Now they vnderstand y t there is great ods betwixt the iudgment of God the iudgment of men that God oftentimes in iust iudgement condemneth whom y e world vniustly iustifieth I speak this Autoph because thou callest me a fether of the left wing wherin y u dealest after y e accustomed maner of hypocrites which speak reprochfully of mē cōuerted vnto God For y e world loueth his own bristleth stormeth whē as God plucketh away one fether frō his wings That which thou obiectest against y e ministers zealous folowers of y e gospell is no nouelty how y t they are the cause of strife sedition wars broyles hurliburlies wherwith y e world is disquieted against which slandrous spéeches offensiue outcries y e godly must confirme their mindes with y e notable saying of our sauior Christ in y e gospel I came not to send peace but a sworde for I came to set a man at variance with his Father and the Daughter against the Mother the Daughter in law against her Mother in law and a mans foes shall be they of his owne houshold for the word of peace doth seperate
there Philoxenus for I know as honest men as euer broke breade y t kéep good houses giue much to the poore no craft nor crinking in buying and selling and yet iwis they will not goe a furlong out of their way to heare a Sermon and doe you not thinke that these are sounde Christians Philox. I dare not say so for what haue you héere reported but Socrates Aristides Scipio or Fabritius each of the haue performed as much and more too for although at some times those men may shewe themselues very careful of Christian ciuilitie and may also for a fashion decrée such constitutions and laws as of themselues beeing good may rightlie tend to the performance of honestie yet because they are not truly and inwardlie touched with a loue of religion they are but makers of sects fleshlie not hauing the spirit therefore in effect no better than Balaams blinde Asse that braied forth the truth on a sodaine without anie tast or féeling anie force thereof in her selfe or like to that same proude Priest Caiphas who prophesied at vnawares of the passion of Christ hee himselfe not vnderstanding therein the hid mysteries of God but with the wicked king Saul he vttered a bare sound of words without anie sense in himselfe And yet for all this I denie not but the Lord in his singular mercie may turn these their attempts to the good of his Church euen as also hee turned the prophesies of that bewitched Balaam into a singular blessing of Israel How be it as concerning themselues they féele not the power of that spirit which so extraordinarilie worketh in them Wherefore the Lorde for his mercies sake enlighten the eies of your heart and circumcise the foreskinne of your vnderstanding Autophilus that you maye hunger after the breade of life more desirously then as yet you doe I praie you answere me this one thing Is it not a token when you loath your meate that your bodie is out of temper and that you are ill at ease Autoph You haue hit the naile on the head for when I am in health I haue a verie good stomacke to thrée meales a daie Philox. Certainly if your bodie were no better dieted than your soule you woulde quickly bée hunger staruen Héerein is a proportion betwixt your soule and your body that euen as your bodie if it bée not diseased will couet repast foode and sustenante the loathing whereof is a token of distemperature In like manner the longing after the word of God is a token that thy soule is in good plight in perfecte state and in the pathe to eternall felicitie whereas on the contrarie side the loathing of the worde the sural delight thou takest in hearing it taught and preached bewraieth a crazed and a cursed soule in the broade waie to euerlasting death damnation Wherfore I counsell thée as one that pittieth thy case doe as they do that are diseased in bodie Like as they take counsel of skilfull Phisitions that by receites of medicines they may recouer theyr former health haue a good stomacke to their meate euen so sithence Gods word goeth against your bad stomack and that you cannot digest the same yea rather your soule lotheth than loueth it bow the knées of your hart the Lord stretcheth out his armes daily to embrace you He knocketh at the doore of your conscience with many good perswasions exhortations that hée may bring you to repentaunce Christe the Phisition of your soule is easie to bée spoken withall hée is more readie to graunt than you are to aske Pray vnto him that by the power of his holie spirit hee may worke in your soule an hungring after the word which is the bread of saluation a thirsting after the drinke of life wherof whosoeuer drinketh shal not thirst for euer Consider y e néedfulnes of this food wherof if you do but meditate no doubt it shal cause an appetite vnto the same vnlesse you be vtterly by the bewitching of sathā bereft of your wits and haue no care of your soules health That soule must néeds perish which is destitute of heauenlie foode For without the worde there is no faith and he that beléeueth not shall perish euerlastingly The wrath of God abideth vpon him that beléeueth not sayth our sauior Christ To conclude Gods worde is the incorruptible séede as S. Peter teacheth wherewith the children of wrath thorowe the fall and corruption of our first parentes are begotten borne anew by the vertue grace of Christe Iesus Wherefore if your soules health the escaping ftom daunger of eternall damnation if the desire you haue to be called the sonne of GOD may preuail with you heare the word of God and not for fashions sake but as one that would vnderstand the wil of his maister Heare it I saie kéepe it follow it meditate on it daie and night Autoph I were sicke in déede Philoxenus if all this counsaile were necessarie I wil now saie more since you moue me vnto it I know as much as the wisest of them can teach me They can teach me n◠more but the Lordes praier the Apostles Créed and the ten commandements and this could I doo many yéeres agoe it is but learning one lesson of the Prophet Dauid that is to wit Eschue euill and doo good or els this briefe Epithome of the ten commandementes Loue God aboue all thinges and thy neighbour as thy selfe There is not anie one of them that can teach me anie more Philox. There is no Christian as I hope of your minde for then the wrath and indignation of GOD cannot bee but hotly kindeled agaynst them Autoph Yea ten thousand Philox. The more the worse If it were so easy a matter to become a good Christian the Disciple of Christe to learne the wil of God as you make it what néed we of the Prophets Christ or his Apostles what néede wée of the writs of the sacred Scriptures What néede wee the Preachers and Pastours of our soules so diligentlie to labour to bring man to saluation so carefullie to sowe the séede of the worde so vigilantly to keepe watch on the Lords tower so earnestlye to labour in the Lordes vineyard so painfully to séeke for to driue away the wolues from the Lordes flocke so industriously like good husband men to till the Lordes ground so zealously to plant true pietie in the heartes of people and to plucke vp wickednesse and vngodlinesse by the rootes Philox. In déede as you saie Autophilus the Lordes prayer the Créede the tenne Commaundementes to eschue euill and doe good to loue GOD is soone sayde but not so soone learned as you take it And first as concerning your praying I beléeue you vse it but a little You count so easie for if if you were set to the schoole all your life I thinke you woulde scarse take out this lesson Be feruent in praier For first in euerie godlie prayer must of necessitie bée these fiue
thinke vppon any thing else at that time then onely that which it prayeth Let the breast bée alwaies shutte against the aduersarie and let it bée open to God onely neither let it suffer the enimie of God to enter into it in the time of prayer for hée oftentimes stealeth vppon vs and entereth in and subtilly deceiuing vs turneth away our prayer from GOD that wée may haue one thing in our heart and an other thing in our mouth yet not the sounde of the voyce but the minde and the sense ought to pray vnto GOD with an vnfayned affection Thus much Cyprian Howe is it then possible that the couetous caytiue whose minde is continually on his mucke the proude man whose GOD is selfe loue the lecherous whose heart is with his Harlot the Drunkarde whose minde is on bybbing shoulde pray What say I howe is it possible No no it is vnpossible such may cry without ceasing helpe vs O deare Christ our Sauiour deliuer vs O Lorde wée beséeche thée to heare vs But the Lordes eares are stopped against their cry God heareth not sinners that is to wit vnrepentaunt men wickedly and impudently perseuering in their sinnes Wherefore Autophilus this lesson I tell you is some-thing harde yea and so harde that it will neuer bée learned vnlesse you haue that chiefe and principall Schoolemaister namely the holy Spirite of Almighty God to instruct you which lesson when you haue indéede well and perfectly learned turne ouer the leafe and then bragge of knowledge and vnderstanding otherwise as good neuer a whit as neuer the better it is not the mumbling of the mouth but the feruent zeale of the minde it is not the sound of the voice but the sense and vnderstanding of the heart which tuneth pleasantly and acceptably in the eares of the Lord else the Lord will say This people draweth neare vnto mee with their lips but their heart is far from me Autoph But is all this true that you tell me or else are you disposed to iest Philox. You shall finde it so Autoph Quandocunque reddideris rationem villicationis tuae Autoph But are all necessarily required to an effectuall praier which you haue briefly repeated Philox. Yea it is most true Autoph Then know you what you said as good nothing at all as nothing the better I estéeme it best to saue some labour that whereas the Apostle willeth vs to pray continually I will pray neuer a iot for I will tell you Philox. that which I hope you will conceale sithence it concerneth a multitude more then my selfe for I haue heard Master Parson reade sometimes when my minde hath not béene otherwise occupied or exercised that wee ought to pray at our downe lying and at our vprising yea at al times which thing I for mine owne part haue but seldome practised yet notwithstanding at night when I haue most leisure I coulde finde in my heart to pray a little but commonly sléepe ouercommeth me before I come to the end of my Pater noster so that I neither consider to whom I pray what I pray or what moueth me to prayer In the morning yea and all the day long my braines be busied about other matters for you knowe that I haue more affaires to be conuersant in then one or two Philox. Haue regarde to the sauing of your soule doe not let the diuell possesse that which ought to be the temple of the holy Ghost If you shoulde make supplication to an earthly Prince I do not doubt but you woulde haue regarde of Maiesty respect of Person consideration of the cause mouing you thereunto with singular foresight into the sute it selfe dooing nothing so farre as in you consisteth eyther rashlie or vnséemely that the rather your sute might bée perfourmed and accomplished and the action therein commended Shall wée then for temporall and transitorie affayres before earthlye Kinges and Princes haue such regarde of vpright behauiour haue such care of euerie circumstance pertayning to our cause such respecte of excellencie and worthinesse that if al things were not perfourmed and paynted praise worthie wee woulde accounte the strongest ioynt of our credite to bée greatly blemished and crazed And shall wee then so negligentlie securely and carelesselie behaue our selues before that great and mightie Monarch the Lorde of heauen and earth séeing it hath pleased his most high Maiestie to admitte vs which are nothing else but most vile wormes duste and ashes so familiarlie and friendlie to talke and conferre with him by praier Shall wée I saie more vnreuerentlie behaue our selues than if we should talke with some Hinde or anie of the vulgar and common sort shall wee hauing such carnall and fleshly mindes fraught full of iniquitie full of mischiefe and all kind of wickednesse and shall wée dare presume eyther to open our mouthes or once to moue our lips before him which doeth not onelie sée our outwarde vnreuerende dealing but also knoweth inwardly what wée are euen full of all filthie venome and stinking poyson Surelie if the Prince vnto whome you make your humble supplication although that you outwardlie professe and proteste loyaltie and due obedience did vnderstand that inwardly you pretended and practised treason and trecherie against his owne proper person I thinke that your sute shoulde not onelie not bée graunted but that you your selfe also shoulde paie the due price and iust recompence worthie of so foule and mischieuous an intention Man maye deceiue man no man may deceaue the Lorde which tryeth the very heartes and reines and will the Lorde thinke you I meane the Lorde of heauen and earth heare the prayers and inuocations of him that not only handleth his cause so carelesly and negligently but also carrieth a treacherous crucifying minde against his diuine Maiesty that is a minde full of couetousnes enuy pride vaine glory lechery gluttony vnrighteousnes and wilfull ignorance Nay rather he heareth him not but wil plague him with euerlasting and vnspeakeable torment in hell for that he so rudely and brutishly behaueth himselfe in so high a matter Autoph If a man were easily to bée mooued from a quiet and setled minde this were sufficient to driue him into melancholy Philox. The more at quiet your minde is in this behalfe I doubt the diuell hath the more dealing with you and that he hath lulled you a sléepe in the cradell of carelesnes and securitie Beware of such setled rest it is a great signe that Sathan hauing besieged thy soule hath by ensnaring brought it to his owne Bowe for the further thou art from him the more pernitious and perillous dartes of temptation will he cast against thée sometime séeking to puffe thée vp with pride if he cannot so preuaile he straight waies encountereth with couetousnes and setteth vppon thée with vsurie making thée to hoarde and heape by hooke or crooke to snatch by right or wrong to rake by violence from thy poore brethren who haue more néede then thy selfe If by
diuellish subtlety woluish cruelty or Antichristian hypocrisie they be not scattered Blesse Lord those Cities and Townes where thy Gospell is purely preached that they may liue in peace which loue thy lawe make we beséeche thée peace within their walles and prosperitie within their Palaces make strong the lockes of our Portes and blesse thy children within them put peace for our bandes and fill vs with the fatte of thy Corne that thou King of glorie and Lorde of Hostes mayest enter in by our gates thy pure word not onely abide within our walles but also in our willes Thou which breakest the bowe and snappest the speares in sunder and burnest the Chariot with fire protect vs from slaughter and scatter the Nations which delight in warre Thou Lord extinguish the fire and flames of discorde which canst conclude a peace for vs with the stone of the grounde Compell the Woolfe to lye downe with the Lambe and the Leoparde with the Kidde worke a conuersion in the heartes of those which preferre vncertaine riches and vaine pleasures of this vile sinnefull and wretched world before the profession of thy truth and preaching of the Gospell Autoph Amen For surely the Lorde hath miraculously deliuered vs from their deuouring and gréedy rauening mouthes Philox. You say well Autophilus in commending him for our maruelous deliueraunce but will you bee mindefull of so great and manifold benefits Autoph I hope so Philox. Then be so Autoph Can you prooue the contrarie Philox. I woulde Autophilus prooued it not It is a common and vsuall practise nowe a dayes amongest Hypocrites to carrie about with them faintlike mouthes and diuelish minds to say Amen to euery good praier with their mouth when their hearts are worldly and wickedly excercised But it is not painted wordes which please the Lorde but the workes of righteousnesse and obedience wherein he delighteth to take vp the Crosse and followe Christ and to deny a mans selfe which Autophilus will neuer doe are two not able markes of Gods children Autoph Be not to rash in iudging Philox. Then leaue to be Autophilus Autoph Indéede so shall I forsake my selfe but as yet I meane it not and yet haue you mooued me so farre that since the Gospell and persecution goe both hande in hande together I coulde be content to suffer sometimes persecutions but not continually for such as I am can hardly away with continual afflictions Philox. I am not ignorant how naturally men are infected with the disease Philautia that is to say selfe loue how much they are addicted to it and they estéeme of themselues But if any man commeth to me sayth our Sauiour and hateth not father mother wife children yea and his owne selfe cannot be my disciple Not that we should enuie or be malitious towards them but that we haue such affections towards them that neuerthelesse the loue of the sonne of God be aboue all thinges Of such an holy hatred Abraham is a worthy example who had rather be cruell against his owne sonne euen to the death then in one point shewe himselfe disobedient Let the husband therefore loue the wife the wife her husband the father his sonne the sonne his father So that their humane loue drawe nothing from the spirituall loue of Christ Nowe therefore Autophilus since there are but two waies the one narrow and rough difficult to the flesh to be traueled the other broade smooth and leading to destruction Tell me briefly whether you had rather goe with worldly ease to eternall damnation then to take vp the Crosse and goe the narrowe waye to life euerlasting for one of them wee must néedes runne at length that is either to ioy or vtter perdition Autoph I cannot tel what you call worldly ease but I am sure I woulde goe to heauen Philox. Walke not then after the flesh but after the spirite they that frame themselues after the will of Christ are his liuely members they which loue not themselues nor the world loath their former life feare to fall into sinne at a worde they which crucifie the fleshe with the affections and lustes thereof shall possesse those ioyes Autoph What I doe it pertaines not vnto you you shall not answere for mée I doubt not but I am cloathed with Christes righteousnesse I hope that Christes perfect obedience yéelded vnto his father shall make satisfaction for me Philox. A goodly countenance of honestie and pretence of fleshly Christianity doe you thinke that Christe will holde you for righteous when you giue your selfe to vnrighteousnesse what is this but a dishonouring of him and a scorning of him for his redemption of you as if Christ shoulde accept the proude man for lowly him for a louer of God which is a louer of himselfe him for a delighter in God which onely delighteth in vaine pleasures him for mindefull of Gods benefits which is altogether vnthankfull him for a chast person which is a whoremonger him for sober which is a drunkard lastly him for a true worshipper which is an Idolater Autoph I hope you cannot iustly affirme that I am stained with any of these vices Philox. Doth your conscience acquite you Autoph What is that to you Philox. I aske you for no harme notwithstanding if euery stitch of your conscience were throughly ript vp I feare we shoulde finde it sore sicke of many of these sinnes Beware of Idolatrie it is the Mother vice from whence doe spring many other Autoph Idolatry quoth you I thanke God I neuer knewe what it meant Philox. So much the worse you may be sicke of that disease and knowe it not Beware of Couetousnesse it is the roote of all euill Which also is called of the Apostle Paul Idolatrie Autoph Call you Couetousnesse Idolatrie either I forgette it or else I neuer learned it as for my Couetousnesse care you not I knowe my selfe to bée farre enough from it vnlesse you will call good husbandry Couetousnesse as many indéede are woont for nowe a daies a man must lashe out sette Cocke on hoope spende all on the poore and in House kéeping or else he shall be counted a Niggarde nay verily doe what we can wée shall offende some parties If we be warie then are wée accounted Couetous if liberall then vnthriftes and thus they terme euery thing at their pleasure Philox. Nay you put on faire visards on beastly and vglie monsters hyding couetousnes vnder the cloke of good husbandrie pride vnder the shewe of handsomenes stoutnes vnder the colour gentrie thus although the couetous of cormerants store vp treasures in their Palaces by violence and robberies eate vp poore men euen as Beasts eat grasse kéeping it vnder nothwithstanding all this is the point of good husbandrie Good husbandrie said I No verilie as bad as may be for the winning of a fewe pence to loose Gods loue and for to haue rich chistes and coffers stuffed with red ruddockes to léese the fauour of the euerlasting God No
thinges considered First earnestnesse of heart in him that praieth Secondly consideration of the causes which moue him to praie Thirdly who it is to whom he praieth Fourthly for whose cause hée is heard And fiftely what hée ought to aske Which circumstaunces Autophilus I doubte bée wanting some of them in suche as you your selfe are But I praie you since it is so easie a matter as you saie it is to bée a Christian and séeing that you are so déepelie learned as it séemes you are not Tell me whether you haue learned that little lesson of the Apostle to the Thessalonians or no which is Praie continuallie Autoph That were enough to cloy a full stomacke and to let all things els run at randon I like not of such husbandrie sometimes in déede I praie although seldome for you knowe that such as I am cannot haue leasure to learne this lesson Praie continuallie we haue somewhat else to do iwis otherwise you might beg vs. Philox. I thought howe I shoulde finde you your praying is not vnlyke the desire which you haue to the preaching To the one when you goe it is for fashion and not to fructifie you vse the other seldome and yet full of hypocrisie Naie this is a trueth hee that will not emploie an houre to learne the wil of God at the mouth of the preacher cānot nor will not spend halfe an houre in inuocation and praier The small delight in the one declareth the slender appetite to the other Such praiers are not onely not acceptable but destable not pleasant but loathsome in the eares of the Lorde Hee that turneth his eares from hearing the lawes of the Lorde his praiers shall bee abhominable sayth Salomon Praise is not seemelie in the mouth of the vngodlie for hee is not sent of God sayth Esaie But of good fellowship tell me this one thing Autophilus what moue you commonlie to praie since as you saie you are so skilfull in the science of praying which notwithstanding you practise verie seldome by your owne reporte Autoph I wold be sorie Philoxenus if my prayers were no more auaileaable then you saie which if it bee so there bee more deceiued beside my selfe As for the cause which pricketh mee forward to my praiers the chiefest is aduersitie for when I sée anie temporall daunger or distresse drawe neere my bodilie calamitie and miserie imminent anie losse of liuing anie want of good successe in worldlie affayres then commonlie as one in troubles I make a fewe prayers praying GOD in plaine Englishe to sende mee good lucke as they call it Philox. A fewe quoth you the fewer the better if such bee the cause mouing you howe like an Asse doe you in this matter behaue your selfe Hée will not labour vnlesse he bee beaten neither will you call vppon God vnlesse you bée whipped with the scourge of some worldlie calamitie But hold this for a suretie that vnlesse the spirite of GOD aboue all other things moue you thereunto your lippe labour is lost and your winde spent on waste For as to praie is the gifts of GOD so can wee not earnestlie zealouslie and heartilie powre out our praiers and inuocate the name of GOD vnlesse hee from whome euerie good and perfect gifte procéedeth moue vs therevnto For there bee diuerse and sundrie causes concurring which may moue vs to praie as namelie the commandement of God Call vppon mee in the daie of trouble and I will heare thee and thou shalt praise mee Watche and pray continue in preyer Neither in that he hath onely commaunded but that also he hath promised to heare our petitions As in the Psalme before mentioned Call vppon mee in the day of trouble and I will heare thee Aske and ye shall haue knocke and it shall bee opened Seeke and yee shall finde Vnto you sayth Christ I say Aske in my name and it shall bee giuen to you whatsoeuer ye aske in my name namely that which is according vnto my fathers will Séeke diligently knocke with perseuerance continually and after this manner Whosoeuer asketh receiueth hee that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall bee opened This sentence answereth that most comfortable saying of the Prophet Seeke the LORDE while hee may be founde Call vppon him while hee is nigh As that also Whatsoeuer you aske the Father in my name hee will giue it you We may adde to this commaundement the greatnesse of his benefites also as that of a péece of clay he framed vs to his owne similitude and likenes in innocencie and righteousnes without either spot or staine In that when wee were all captiues and made the seruile bondslaues of sathan through the fall of our first Father Adam hee redéemed and ransomed vs and that with no small price but with the precious bloud of his onelie begotten son Christ Iesus In that hée of his infinit mercie vouchsafed to elect and choose vs to saluation before the foundatiōs of the world were layed In y t he hath iustified sanctified indued vs with his holie spirite and elected vs to eternall life Wée may adde héereunto also the weaknesse and infirmitie of our owne nature since wée are so easilie seduced to mischiefe so vnable to doe the déedes of righteousnesse so weake of our selues to resist Sathan and to make warre against the workes of darknesse Which although with many other are especiall causes to moue vs vnto praier yet the chiefest agent herein is the holy Ghost which thing we may learne out of the wordes of the Apostle The spirite sayth he helpeth our infirmities for we knowe not what to pray as wee ought but the spirite it selfe maketh request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed And he which searcheth the heart knoweth what is the meaning of the spirite for he maketh intercession for the Saintes according to the wil of God Agréeable to this it is that Christ himselfe witnessed it to be a spirituall reuelation that he was acknowledged of Peter The same thing doth the Apostle testifie saying that no man can say Lorde Iesu but in the holy spirite The same thing doth Iohn Baptist testifie that is to wit that he knew not Christ of him selfe but by the instruction of the holy spirite Likewise Moses whiles he vpbraided the people of Israel their ingratitude and forgetfulnes gaue them notwithstanding to knowe by the way that what knowledge so euer he himselfe had he receaued it of the Lord and the Lorde promiseth that he will giue vnto the people of Israell an vnderstanding heart that hée may be knowne of them But briefly if you desire your prayer may bée forcible and effectuall learne this one lesson of saint Cyprian that holy and blessed Martyr of Christ which is after this manner When we stand occupied in prayer we must with our whole heart watch and bée diligent in prayer let all worldly and fleshly thoughtes departe neither let the minde
gréedie cormorant with his long nailes would scrape scratch all the skin of the poore mans shoulders yea as it were grate the very guttes out of his belly if he thought it such an offence to murther a man as is pronounced against him I would you could perswade him so Philox. S. Paul saith that neither whooremongers adulterers fornicators vncleane persons shall enter into the kingdome of heauen Which thing if they will not beléeue in earth when they shal dwel with the deuil in paines torments for euer he will suade and persuade them making thē either paie the price of presumption or infidelitie Notwithstanding true faith is quicke of sight and will straight haue an eie to the worde of God touching which word our sauior Christ hath said in the Gospell Heauen and earth shall passe but my word saith he shall not passe Héere the word is coupled to two most excellent elementes Aire and Water are feble and vnstable but the heauens though they turne and moue yet kéepe they a wonderfull constancie in theyr course the earth also is most stable and immoueable yet is it much more easier for these elementes to be loosed than that one iot of the word of God shoulde passe vnperformed Yea the worde of God is most stable and immoueable as all the world if they should lay all their strength power together are not able to make it day when once it is night or cause the day to break out sooner than the course of the heauens doth command so not al worldlings though they neuer carry so great a pomp power pride with them séeme litle Gods in their owne conceits shall be once able to infringe weaken to break abolish so much as one title of the worde of God who is God euerlasting chiefly good wise iust mightie true of word as such miscreantes vnbeléeuers shall throughly féele vnderstande when it shal please him to powre his wrath and vengeance vpō thē for their hypocrisie Autoph You threaten vs Ex nō concessis As though we do not confesse the same faith professe the same religion say y e same praiers Pater noster yea come to the church when we haue nothing to do wherin vnles we be deceiued we satisfie the dutie of Christians Philox. You come in déed by leasure profit a little I do not doubt but you can speak as sanctishly as the best beléeuers and holiest men of God you can allow of vertue and reproue vice Autoph And is not that well I am glad you like of vs in some regard Philox. Well no no most wicked hypocrites could saie so much Such as we haue read to haue ben in the Church in the time of Christ and his Apostles as namely Iudas Ananias Saphira Symon Magus Demas Himeneus and Alexander they could hide their knauery vnder the painted colour of hypocrisie notwithstanding I hope you will not call them good Christians Autoph Would you proue vs suche to our Sauiour as Iudas or such rebels against the word as Demas Himeneus and Alexander It is euident that these were out of the Church But wée will saie and stand to it that we are of the church Philox. Such hypocrites as you are onely in the outward communion and fellowshippe of the church although they boast and bragge of the titles of the same they are not all Israelites sayth Saint Paul which come of Israel neyther are they all children straight waie because they are of y e séed of Abraham But in Israel shall thy feede be called The faithfull therefore are onelie the true and liuelie members of Christ whereas hypocrites hauing not put off the vizardes of false pretended holines cannot lawfully be cut away frō the Church vntill such time as like runnagates they flie to the Tentes of Sathan and ioyne hande and hande in déede with the deuill whome they haue serued vntill such time I say they are taken for the true inhabitauntes of the Church liuely members of Christs his bodie although God himselfe who séeth their heartes and searcheth euerie corner of their conscience doth wel inough discerne what false knaues they are Albeit they can sende out fayre woordes from their filthie harts Autoph I can scarsely vnderstand this for me thinkes you speake contradictions namely that wee are of the Church and that wee are not of the Church Phelox I say you are of the outward visible Church because like painted hypocrits yee séeme godly Christians when as you are nothing lesse although for companie you come to heare Gods word say your Pater Noster partake of the Sacraments and vse publike confession of your faith But God séeth what you are whether you beléeue faithfully or fainedly truely or hypocritically you shall not play bo péepe before him This may bee explaned by that Arche-hypocrite Iudas the betrayer of his Maister who as long as hee set not abroch his deceiptfull or rather most deuillish seruice neyther by worde nor déede but as professing no small friendshippe accompanied Christe béeing the Steward of his familie al this whyle was accompted for a member of Christe hys Church and yet for all this Christ called the selfe same Iudas a Deuill and when hée spake of his chosen and lyuelie members hée was shut out So that Iudas was not a member of the inwarde and Holie Church neyther had any fellowship in the Gospell of Christ although hée were a member of the outwarde Church numbred amongest the godlie societie of holie men In which Church those which carrye so godly showes of Christianitie are conteined as the proud ambitious couetous enuious gluttonous lasciuious lecherous cursed speakers the like who neither are the sons of God by the grace of adoption nor members of Christ by sanctification of the spirit but as rotten members in the body For excellently saith S. Austen that euill men or hypocrits are that in the Church that chaffe is amōgst Wheat Cockle in standing corne Traytors in a Citie and runnagats amongest Souldiers But it is plaine that wheate is the cleaner standing corne the lustier Citizens the safer souldiers the stronger when runnagats traitors cockle chaffe are seperated from them Autoph If we bee so badde as you would make vs so stincking carrions putrified members it were pitie but we were cut off Philox. You shall bee knowne what you are in the end of the world when the godly shall be seperated frō the vngodly for as the darnel is bound together cast into the fire and the wheate is gathered and laide vp in the barnes to bee kepte so shall it come to passe that the wicked and vngodlie shall bee giuen ouer to bee punished in paine and torments for euer and the godlie shall haue eternall ioyes and life euerlasting according to that sentence pronounced in the 25. of Matthewe namely go yee cursed into euerlasting fire and