our selves above others then we see others better then our selves But this is to be affectedly blind wherefore as one sayes that poverty is justly contemptible that is purchased with following of vice so I in this case that poverty of wit and grace is justly contemptible which is purchased by a wilfull rebellion against God and the great meanes of knowledge and grace which we injoy Those Soules have seeled Eyes that see not sinne in their best actions It is an easie matter to believe thinks the worldling but he that goes about it shall find it as hard a work to believe the Gospel as to keepe the Law and onely God must inable to both And yet so far as we come short of either so far we have just cause to be humbled if we consider 〈◊〉 God made us and how we have unmade our selves The Papists when they could not rule Luther railed on him and called him Apostate Who answered I am so indeed for I am falne off I bless God from the Devill and the Pope Where had you your Ordination where was your Religion before Luther said a Priest to one of our Ministers In the Bible quoth he where yours never was Master Greenham refusing subscription to the Rishop of Ely objecting that Luther thought such ceremonies might be retained in the Church answered I reverence more the revealed Wisdome of God in teaching Mr. Luther so many necessary things to salvation then I search his secret judgements in keeping back from his knowledge other things of lesse importance None but a Deity could have found out a way how man that had justly made himselfe most unhappy should with a full satisfaction to exactest Justice be made againe most happy God saith Bernard so loved his Son that he gave him all the world for his possession Psal. 2. 8. but he so loved the world that he gave Sonne and all for its Redemption King Alphonsus did not so much wonder at his Courtiers ingratitude to him as at his own unthankfulnesse to God What ever carnall reason may suggest we shall find no better way to prevent the ruine of the Camp raging of the plague drowning of the Ship then the stoning of sacrilegious Achan flaying of adulterous Zimry and Cosby and casting Ionas over board Obedience is the best sacrifice Mustle-borough Field was won by the English the selfe same day and hour when those Balaams blocks idolatrous Images were burnt at London by order of Parliament Acts and Monuments Fol. 669. Prayer and supplication like Sauls sword and Ionathans bow never return empty No forces are so strong as the spirituall which made the Queen Mother of Scotland confesse that she more feared the prayers and fasting of Mr. Knox and his assistance then an Army of twenty thousand men Leoline Prince of Wales when he was moved by some about him to make War upon our Henry the third replyed yea did I not much more fear his Alms then his Armies Fredrick the Elector of Saxony intending to War against the Archbishop of Magdenburgh sent a Spye to search out his preparations and to hearken out his designes But understanding that he did nothing more then commit his Cause to God and give himselfe to fasting and prayer Let him fight saith he that hath a mind to it I am not so mad as to fight against him that trusts to have God his Defender and Deliverer All heavenly hearts are charitable And to be a means to bring others to heaven is the inseparable desire of every one that belongeth to it good men wish all good and happy like themselves Love to the body is but the body of love the soul of love is the love of the soule One drunkard may professe to another that he loves him as wel as himself and therein speaks truth for saith Augustine most elegantly to such an one thou lovest thy selfe so as thou wlit destroy thy selfe and thou will destroy him whom thou lovest as thy selfe yea better then themselves for you shall have one Ruffian salute another with God save you Sir but after some strange attestations sweare away himselfe with God damn me Sir now how can any wise man think him a friend that is his own enemy he that is evill to himselfe to whom will he be good But see the depth of such a mans love and whether it be not to damn thy body and soul everlastingly S. Ambrose tells us of one who solicited a godly woman to incontinency saying he infinitely loved her she answers if you love me so well as you seem put one of your fingers into the flame till your flesh be burnt off he replyes that was no part of love in her to require it yes said she if yours be love to cause both my body and soule to burne in hell fire for ever which by consequence will follow if I yeeld to your request and take your counsel The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel Pro. 12. 10. A drinking friendship is but a drunken friendship and believe it thou wilt find those friends firmest that thy vertues purchase thee these will love thee when thy wealth is gone whereas those that be wonne without desert will also be lost without a cause you need but be an Arbitrator between two such friends to make them both your enemies Things that differ in their end will surely part in their way now thy end is to gain him his end to make a gain of thee And have you deserved never so well from him the denyall of one favour nay an health shall drown the memory of many fore-performed ones which is all one as if for the abortion of one child a man should kill all the former issue whereas the good mans thanks for old favours lives even in the blows of injurie or can you not feed these vermine as you have done away they go like a Sunne Diall you shall be no longer regarded then you are shined on by prosperity Yea Rats run not faster away from an house on fire not lice from a dead bodie then they from poverty and if ever it be your misery to stand in need of them look for no other requitall then Iob had of his carnall friends whom he compares to a deceitfull Brook which in winter is hard frozen with cold in summer dried up with heat between winter and summer passing away alwaies deceitfull never of use Yea a man may say of such friends as a learned Antiquary said of Rumney Marsh bad in winter hurtfull in summer never good And thou hast sped well if such friends prove not dangerously hurtfull as well as helplesse Have we not known some of them resemble the Snake which when a kind Husbandman had taken out of the cold and cherished in his bosome and she had recovered her lively heat and was grown lusty singled out him ungratefully to try her first sting upon Or a Promotor that in Lent eats flesh at your Table and yet is the first that accuseth
you to the Magistrate If Ziba be waxed great under Mephihosheth he will give him a list for all he hath A promoted Begger hath not seldome renounced his advancer And what else can be looked for from them They cannot make conscience of civill duties who make none of divine If a Man have cast off his God he will easily cast off his friend They that have broken their faith with him will keep no faith with us When Religion is once gone humanity will not stay long after Nothing rivits hearts so close as Religion it unites them together as glew doth boards together it makes a knot even between such as never saw one anothers face that Alexander can not cut yea Tyrants will sooner want invention for torments then they with tortures be made treacherous How many have chosen rather to embrace the flames then to reveale their companions and brethren in Christ There is no friendship like the friendship of faith There is Amor among Beasts Dilectio among Men Charitas among Christians that is their peculiar Nature makes husband and wife but one flesh grace makes them even one spirit and it is a question whether naturall Parents are to be beloved above spirituall we know that Christ preferred his spirituall kindred to that of the flesh and major est connexio cordium quà m sanguinum saith Beza Aristippus and AEschenes two famous Philosophers being fallen at variance Aristippus came to AEschenes and saies Shall we be friends againe Yes with all my heart saies AEschenes Remember then saies Aristippus that though I be your elder yet I sought for peace True saith AEschenes and for this I will ever acknowledge you the more worthy man for I began the strife and you the peace Demosthenes being reproached by one answers I will not strive with thee in this kind of fight in which he that is overcome is the better man Whom we may do well to imitate and onely labour when aspersed as the ecclipsed Moon to keep on our motion till we wade out of the shadow and receive our former splendour In which take Master calvin for a pattern who said Though Luther call me a Devill yet I will honour him as a dear servant of God Milde words and gentle behaviour may be resembled to milke that quenches wildfire or Oyle that quenches Lime which by water is kindled Gregory Nazianzen I pray mind it seriously told his friends that Iulian would prove a notorious wicked man he took such delight in disputing against that which was good When Erasinus was asked by the Elector of Saxony why the Pope and his Clergy could so ill abide Luther he answered For two no small offences viz. He had medled with the Popes triple Crowne and with the Monkes fat paunches There was never any to whom some Belialists took not exceptions it is not possible to please or displease all seeing some are as deeply in love with vice as others are with vertue and the applause of ignorant and evill men hath ever been vilipended by the wise and vertuous Phocion had not suspected his speech had not the common people applauded it Antisthenes mistrusted some ill in himselfe for the vulgar commendations Socrates ever suspected that which past with the most and generall commendations And reason good for most mens soules are drowned in their senses or so bleered with custome that they cannot distinguish nor discern the true visage of things but are deluded with misprisions and false surmises even against goodnesse it selfe and carried away with weak opinions raised from vulgar mistakes and shadowes of things And indeed no vice could ever be loved but for the seeming good which it makes shew of Worldly hearts can see nothing in actions of zeal but folly and madness untill we be born again we are like Nicodemus who knew not what it was to be borne againe Iohn 3. untill we become zealous our selves we are like Festus who thought zeal madnesse Act. 26. untill we be humble our selves we are like Michael who mocked David for his humility and thought him a foole for dancing before the Arke 2 Samuel 6. 16. 20. And how should they other then miscarry who have a Pirate the flesh for their guide As who observes not that some will condemne what they as little understand as they do themselves and that others the better a thing is the worse they will like it As nothing is more bitter then honey to him that hath the Iaundies But Contumelies and contempt that are cast upon us for goodnesse should be born cheerfully because they are confirmations of our conformity to Christ and add weight to our Crownes Therefore the Apostles rejoyced that they were graced so as to be disgraced for Christ Act. 5. 41. The worlds smiles may be resembled to the fruit that undid us all which was faire to the sight smooth in handling sweet in tast but deadly in effect and operation I would not saith Luther have the glory and fame of Erasmus My greatest fear is the praises of men Yea I rejoyce saith he that Satan so rages and blasphemes It is likely I do him and his Kingdom the more mischiefe Whence Ierome told Austin It was an evident signe of glory to him that all Hereticks did hate and traduce him To be praised of evill men said Bion is to be praised for evill doing so the better they speak of a man the worse and the worse the better as being like the Blackamores who judging of beauty by contraries paint the Angels black and the Devils white Or the Iewes who preferred Barabas before Iesus Yet there are not a few who feare the worlds opinion more then Gods displeasure which is to runne into the fire to avoid the smoak who more dread the mockes and flouts of men on earth then they do the grinning mocks of the Devills in Hell which makes them cease to be good Christians that they may be thought good companions wherein they put down AEsop's foolish fishes that leap out of the warm water into the burning fire for ease or Timocrates who as Thucidides relates kil'd himselfe for fear least he should be drowned Or Narcissus who to embrace his shadow drowned himselfe But for a man to be scoft out of his goodness by those which are lewd is all one as if a man that seeth should blindfold himselfe or put out his eyes because some blind wretches revile and scoffe at him for seeing or as if one that is sound of limms should limpe or maime himselfe to please the cripple and avoid his taunts A wise man will not be scoft out of his money nor a just man be flouted out of his saith the taunts of Ishmael shall never make an Isaac out of love with his inheritance Dion writes of Severus that he was carefull of what he should doe but carelesse of what he should heare Libanius could say If Basile commend me I care not what all other say of me If Demetrius have a good
Conduits of excrement are the Sinke to draine away all noysome filth and keep the Kitchin clean his Braine is the Studdie his Eyes like Chrystall Windowes are clear and bright to let in all Objects and let out the sight his Senses are the Servants having every one a severall Office c. Or 2. Man is like a City his skin is the Walls his Eyes and Ears the Factors and Merchants his hands the Tradesmen his leggs the Portors his mouth the Gate his teeth the Portcullis his appetite the Cator his stomack the Larther or Kitchin digestion the Cooke expulsion the Scavenger his soule the Church conscience the Preacher reason and experience are the Common-Counsel memory is Mr. Recorder understanding the Governour his Senses are the Officers fortitude the Souldiers words the shot his brain is the Statehouse and his heart the Cittadel or Castle Or 3. Man may be likened to a Kingdome or Common-wealth his Head resembles the Prince his heart the Privy-Counsel in which understanding fits as President his Eyes are the Watch-men and Intelligencers his Ears the Iudges commutative justice the Law custome and experience the Iury-men or Free-holders the joynts resemble Concord and good Order the Sinewes Money his Arms and Hands the Souldiers and Tradesmen his Feet the Merchants his Tongue the Pleaders Conscience the Preachers the affections are inferiour Officers the Senses Servants the Belly like Idle persons Truth is or should be the Treasurer Reason and Religion Lord Chancellor memory Master of the Rowls c. Or 4. Man the Microcosme or little World is much like the great World or Universe his flesh resembles the Earth his bones the hard Rocks and Stones his spirits the Mineralls his haire the Grasse his breath is like the Aire naturall heat the Fire blood the Water his Liver the Sea his veines the Rivers his face the Firmament his eyes those two great lights of Sun and Moon his sinewes the Treasure and Wealth his five Senses the Sinck-ports his soul the Monarch his heart the Queene or Empress his head the Court or Senate house his brains the Counsel or Senate his reason the President his will the Law c. Or if you will thus Magistrates are the Armes of the World Counsellors the Brains Lawyers the Tongues the Rich the Stomacks the Poor the Backs Merchants the Feet Officers the Hands and Divines the Hearts c. His youth resembles the Spring his Manhood Summer his middle age Autumne his old age Winter and the like between the four humours in mans body and the foure quarters of the yeare The little World Man is so the Compendium and abridgement of all creatures that whatsoever is imprinted with Capitall Letters in that large volum as in folio is sweetly and harmoniously contracted in Decimo Sexto in the briefe text of man who includs all Planets have being not life Plants have life not sense Beasts have sense not reason Angels have being life reason not sense Man hath all and contains in him more generallity then the Angels viz. being with Planets Life with Plants sense with Beasts reason with Angels But the Beleever hath over and above Gods spirit and faith Nor does the rational so much excell the sensual as the spiritual man excels the rational Mat. 4. 16. 15. 14. Epes 4. 18 19. 5. 8. 1. Pet. 2. 9. And so according to my ability I have provided for my Reader something of every thing because no one thing wil please all It may serve eitheir as a Banquet of sweet Meats or as a publique feast for all commers to which I have added an aftercourse of Kickshawes for quesie stomacks that care for no better meat Let each man please himselfe that will be pleased and it shall not a little content me that I can give so good entertainment to so many Luk. 9. 14. to 18. at so cheap a rate in these hard times Imprimatur Tho. Gataker FINIS LONDON Printed by I. Bell for Iames Crump in little Bartholomewes Well-yard 1654. POSTSCRIPT to the READER THe Apostle that prefixt his name to thirteen of his Epistles held it meet to leave the same out of that to the Hebrewes And the same did I in publishing those two Tracts A small Map of the many Protestants and few Christians in England and Preparation to Conversion Sundry reasons induced me to think that it would be best so to do but as when a Pirate said to his fellowes Woe to us if we be knowne an honest man in the same Ship replyed And woe to me if I bee not knowne so fares it in this case For contrary to what was expected concealing my name proves no small hinderance to the sale of them Wherefore though I should count it a priviledge to be unknown to the envious since to be more obscure were to be more secure and so to the incorrigible because I am become their enemy for telling them the truth being now requested by the vendors of those Books I both own them â—s mine and withall assure the Reader that he shall not finde them inferiour to the former but rather as touching the subject more for his benefit which is the principal aime of Your affectionate Monitor R. Younge The PRINTER to the READER IT being observed that many meeting with some of this Authors Collections do earnestly enquire after the rest and that others and not a few think they have all of them when they have not a third part though they have many in number of his small pieces I think it not amiss to satisfie the one inform the other and save both any further labour by setting down the severalls And the rather for that the said Author intends now to take his work off the Loom or turn his Pinace into the Harbour by putting an end to this imployment as having said something if not sufficient in one or other of his Discourses to each soul seduced or afflicted their several names are A soveraign Antidote against all Griefe A short and sure way to grace and salvation A small Map of the many Protestants and few Christians in England A serious and pathetical Description of Heaven and Hell A hopeful way to cure that horrid sin of Swearing An experimental Index of the heart Apples of Gold from the Tree of Life Armour of proof against the Worlds envy scoffs and reproaches Charactors of the kindes of preaching Compleat Armour against evill Society First and Second part Cordial Counsell Gods goodness and Englands unthankefulness Preparation to Conversion The Drunkards Character with an addition The Arraignment of Covetousness and Ambition First and Second Part. The benefit of affliction The Victory of Patience The whole Duty of a Christian The Naturall Man anatomized The Cure of Misprision or Mistake The Cause and Cure of Ignorance Error Enmity c. The Pastors Advocate The Poors Advocate First and Second Part. The odious despicable and dreadfull condition of a Drunkard The Blemish of Government The Shame of Religion The Disgrace of Mankind with offer of help to drowning men The Impartial Monitor about following the fashions The Impartial and Compassionate Monitor about hearing of Sermons The Seduced Soul Reduced The Tryal of true Wisdome with how to become wise indeed The Prevention of Poverty and Cure of Melancholy The second part of the Pastors Advocate or the proof of a good Preacher Six remaining parts of the Poors Advocate An infallible way to become happy here and hereafter The first thirty are already published of the three last some few as being larger Discourses will ere long be printed Such as are printed in a small letter are sold onely by Iames Crump in Little Bartholâ—mews Wel-yard and Henry Crippes in Popes-head Alley
report of the truth and such an one as St. Iohn to bear record for him he need not care though Diotrephes prattle as fast against them both with malicious words Latimer would rejoyce when any objected indiscretion against him in his Sermons saying He knew by that that they could not object against the matter it self As I think not my self either longer or shorter at morning or at noon because my shadow is so saith Politian no more am I lifted up nor cast down with mens flatteries or slanders Charles the fifth coming to Paris and being entertained with a Speech that tended much to his praise answered That the Orator rather taught him what he ought to be then told him what he was Good men will neither back-bite others nor give eare to back-biters of others Whence Austin wrote over his Table thus To speake ill of the absent forbeare Or else sit not at Table here Surgius and Bacchus two great Courtiers and blessed Martyrs being accused for Christians and commanded to offer unto the Idols refused to go into the Temple saying We O Emperour are bound to you onely in an earthly warfare you have no command over our souls God onely is Lord of them Paulinus Nolanus when his City was taken by the Barbarians prayed thus to God Lord let me not be troubled at the losse of my Gold Silver Honour c. for thou art all and much more then all these unto me When some bad stop Luthers mouth with gold and preferment one of his adversaries answered It is in vain he cares neither for wealth nor honour Yea when great gifts were offered him to a better end he refused them saying That God should not put him off with these things nor would he be satisfied with any thing that was here below Thou hast made us O Lord for thy selfe saith Austin and our hearts are unquiet till they come unto thee As what I have saith Bernard if offered to thee pleaseth not thee without my selfe so O Lord thy good things we have from thee though they refresh us yet they satisfie us not without thy selfe In Spaine they lived happily untill fire made some Mountaines vomit Cold but what miserable discords have followed ever since They offered to make Luther a Cardinall if he would be quiet No saith he I will not betray the truth by my silence if ye would make me Pope When they offered Basile money and prelerments to tempt him he answered Can you give me money that can last for ever and glory that may eternally flourish Again when Valence the Emperour sent to offer him large preferments and to tell him what a great man he might be he answered Offer these things to Children not to Christians Nor would any solicite them to doe ill did they rightly know them for what Cicero speaks of Cato viz. O gentle Cato how happy art thou to have been such an one that never man durst yet presume to solicite in any dishonest cause or contrary to duty may be applyed to every Beleever rightly so stiled The magnanimous Christian will lose his life rather then the peace of a good conscience like Iohn Baptist he will hold his integrity though he lose his Head for it And reason good for let a man but keep a good correspondence with God and his own conscience and then he may answer all frighting Alarms as he did when the Tyrant threatned him I will take away thy House yet thou canst not take away my Peace I will break up thy Schoole yet shall I keep whole my peace I will confiscate all thy Goods yet there is no premunire against my peace I will banish thee thy Country yet I shall carry my peace with me A Priest might enter into a leaperous house without danger because he had a calling from God so to do and we may follow God dry-shod through the Red Sea I more fear what is within me saies Luther then what comes from without The stormes and wind without do never move the earth onely vapours within cause Earthquakes Iames 4. 1. It is not the tossing of the Ship but the distemper of the stomacke that causeth sicknesse the choller within and not the waves without Whence Vespasian having conquered Ierusalem refused to have the Crowne set upon his head saying I indeed am the Rod in Gods hand but it is their sins onely that hath subdued them Ierome writes of a brave woman that being upon the Rack bad her persecutors do their worst she was resolved rather to die then lie The Prince of Conde being taken Prisoner by Charles the ninth of France and put to his choise whether he would go to Mass or be put to death or suffer perpetuall imprisonment answered The former I will never do by Gods grace as for the two latter let the King do with me what he pleaseth for God I assure my selfe will turne all to the best The Heavens shall as soon fall said William Flower to the Bishop that perswaded him to save his life by retracting as I will forsake the opinion and faith I am in God assisting me Iohn Noyes took up a Fagot at the fire and kissed it saying Blessed be the time that ever I was born to come to this preferment Never did Neckarchief become me so well as this Chaine said Alice Driver when they fastned her to the stake to be burnt Master Bradford put off his Cap and thanked God when the Keepers wife brought him word he was to be burned on the morrow and Master Taylor fetcht a friske when he was come neare the place where he was to suffer Henry and Iohn two Augustine Monks being the first that were burnt in Germany And Master Rodgers the first that was burnt in Queene Maries daiâ—s did all sing in the flames Vincentius as Luther reports made a sport of his torments and gloried when they made him go upon hot burning coales as if they had beene Roses Be of good cheere said one Martyr to her husband that was to suffer with her for though we have but an ill diner we shall sup with Christ And what said Iustine Martyr to his murtherers in behalfe of himselfe and his fellow Martyrs you may kill us but you can never hurt us And Francisco Soyit to his adversaries you deprive me of this life and promote me to a better which is as if you should rob me of counters and furnish me with gold The sooner I die quoth another the sooneer I shall be happy When Pyrrhus tempted Fabricius the first day with an Elephant so huge and monstrous a beast as before he had not seen the next day with money and promises of honour he answered I feare not thy force and I am too wise for thy fraud He will never fear to be killed who by killing is sure to be Crowned A Christians resolution is like that of Gonsalvo who protested to his souldiers shewing them Naples that he had rather die one foot forwards then