cover his face bee it never so brazen lâ—st at one time or other it might blush Hee flies like the Owle by night and like a Lyon seekes his prey before the Sun-rising Every one that doth evill saith our Saviour Ioh. 3. hates the light neither comes hee to it lest his deedes should bee reprooved But hee that doth truth commeth to the light that his deedes might bee made manifest that they are wrought according to God Pharisaicall hypocrisie is as naked as Adam after his fall so miserably ashamed of himselfe that he runs into the bushes at the voice of God The truth is as naked too but as Adam in the estate of innocencie and therefore the bolder to appeare at the first call with Samuell Speake Lord for thy servant heareth Or to joyne in that grand challenge with Iesus his authour and finisher Quis ex vobis arguet Which of you can rebuke mee of sinne If I speake the truth why doe yee not beleeve mee veritas non quaerit angulos truth seekes no corners I have spoken openly in the world and in secret have I said nothing O Pharisee pharisee doest not thou know that our Saviour commands thee Matthew 10. to Mate 10. preach that upon the house top which thou hearest in the eare Why doest thou then detract from the doctrine of the truth in corners and carpe at the good life of thy brother in conventicles without all question Magna est veritas praevalet Great is the truth and will prevaile though some as Seminaries amongst their Massemongers brag against us and say that we have a slight Apology for our faith But as the King of Israel to Benhadad so may I say to these braggards Let not him that 1 Kin 20. girds on his harnesse boast like him that puts it off it must needes bee a silly triumph that is proclaimed before victory Some as Marcionites a generation that hath not set their heart aright and whose spirit cleaveth not stedfastly unto God Like as the children of Ephraim which being harnessed and carrying bowes turned themselves Psal 7. 8. backe in the day of battell Crowing in their Pulpits a far off like cockes as Theodoret makes the comparison and busling their feathers like Turkies in their parlours That would faine bind our Kings in chaines and our Nobles in linckes of iron and make Our Priests beleeve that God hath not spoken by them As Numa Pompilius wrot his Lawes in Closets and fathered them upon Vesta so they paint opprobrious libels and contentious bookes in corners with Venus Mahomets Alcaron was published in the night and Prodicus his mysticall communion men and women together was celebrated when the candle was put out When every man must have a private Ephod with Gedeon or a whispering Levite with Micaiah Religion must needes fall to Idolatrie with Ieroboam In such a case it is high time for Sampson a famous Iudge and Worthy of Israel to tie his Foxes not onely by the tayles but also by the heads together in unitie and veritie of doctrine as one of the Rabbins Ben-sira divinely adviseth that they may burne up the weedy corne of the Philistims with the fire-brands of faith and truth lest they take both life and strength from Sampson himselfe Correct a wise man with a nod saith Salomon but a foole with a club Cave nè circulus in sylvam gutta in mare scintilla in slammam excreseat It is wholsome counsell from a Father to beware that a small waste increase not to a vast wildernesse a drop to a Sea a sparke to a flame One jarring string marres a whole consort of musicke one rift hazzards a whole building and a little leaven sowres the whole lumpe for if severitie of discipline turne once into libertie edification will presently run into destruction costome into corruption law into contempt mercy into derision godlinesse into hypocrisie preaching into silence the savour of life into the savour of death anâ— everlasting destruction Thus farre you see wee have traced the Pharisee by his inward profession in matter of Church doctrine in a metaphoricall sense now the Text leads us to follow him a step or two by his outward gesture in matter of Church discipline in a literall sense for certainely they are both the true meaning of the Holy Ghost and ought to bee urged both as most profitable and naturall to the analogy and proportion of faith Where still we shall bee sure to find him a true Pharisee a man divided for hee divides himselfe from his brethren even in the Congregation too He is too well acquainted with discord and yet many times hee runs and out-runs himselfe upon a point of division At a Feast hee will be sure to take the upper roome till hee bee bidden with shame to sit lower In the market hee mightily affectâ— respective greetings And in the Tâ—â—ple hee stands up by himselfe like a Noune Substantive amongst the Eight parts of Speech or an I per se I amongst the five vowells as if his neighbours adjective devotion could not stand by iâ— selfe without his Substantive buâ— were altogether inarticulate as a sentence wholly composed of consonants without his vocall assistance or assistant vocalitie and why because hee thankeâ—s his God he is not as other men are This arrogant presumption and presumptuous arrogancy seâ—â— him upon his tip-toes and makes him as stiffe in the joynts as an Elephant that hath no joynts at all He stands when he should kneele at prayer he sits when he should stand at the Creed and either he sits or stands when hee should kneele at the Sacrament To be sure to avoide artolatry hee will not sticke to commit autolatry he is mightily afraid where no feare is to worship the bread but hee feares not his owne proud insolent carriage whereby in-stead of God he worships himselfe In all the parts of Divine worship both inward and outward he is all upon contraries The Church by her leave shall prescribe him no forme hee will have a will-worship by himselfe and why because hee thankes his God he is not as other men are Indeed he is not nor as himselfe should be neither by Scripture precept nor Scripture president which plead both for kneeling in Divine worship A Scripture precept we gather 1 King 19. 18. Where God expects from all trùe Israelites the bending of the knee only to himselfe Will the Pharisee beleeve God thinke you if he binde it with an oath I referre him then to Esay 25. 23. I have sworne by my selfe saith the Lord there that unto mee every knee shall how If the Pharisee dare attempt in vaine to make God forsworne God shall sweare once more and hee shall not repent This many fortie yeeres have I beene grieved with the stubborne generation of this Pharisee and therefore now will I sweare in my wrath that neither he nor any of his shall ever enter into my rest Should I muster
or the Ipse Ego in his owne eyes is quite cast out of the sight of God excommunicated the congregation of Saints and sent home to his owne pest-house an infectious leaper as white as snowe This man went home to his house justified rather then or and not the other Againe would you know the Application of all this then reade the latter part of the Text and you shall finde that these things were written for our learning and instruction that wee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope For this Parable was propounded not onely in terrorem populi as was promised in the Preface for the terrour and confusion of hollow hypocrites as places of execution are set up on hills or hie wayes to terrifie the like offenders but also in consolationem sanctorum for the comfort and consolation of true Saints And therefore legehistoriam nè fias historia Read this Parable lest thou be made a parable Reade the effect of it to thy profit lest thou feele the Event of it to thy punishment For He that first propounded it to some applyes it now to all yet so that as hee would have all in generall to note it so hee would have every one in particular to apply it For this purpose like that good Shepheard he shews us both virgam baculum both to comfort us hee hath a rod to beate downe our pride hee hath a staffe to raise up our humilitie For every that exalts himselfe shall bee abased but hee that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted And lastly would you know how to beleeve all this why here is more then Pythagoras his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or dixit Aristotelâ—s Christ himselfe averres it the Truth it selfe speakes it the eternall Word himselfe hath given the word and his testimonie must needes bee true I say unto you Hee that justified the ungodly justified the Publican and filled his hungry soule with good things and he that alwaies resisteth the proud sent home the rich Pharisee empty away He that did it spake it and hee that spake it did it the Event then must needes be true And for the Application wee may well demande with the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who so able to apply the doctrine as the great Doctor himselfe who is both Doctor and doctrine too who so able to confect and administer the potion as the great Physician himselfe that is both Physician and Physicke too Hee that is the Subject of all Text read unto his auditours this Text Hee that spake as never man spake preached and delivered unto them this Parable And He that is the eternall High-Priest and Bishop of all our soules hath framed both for them and us this usefull application That every one that exalteth himselfe shall bee abased but hee that humbleth himselfe shall bee exalted Rest we then fully satisfied Rev. 19. and say with that beloved Disciple Revel 19. These words of God are true upon the authenticke warrant of an Ipse dixit It was Christ himselfe that spake it it was Christ himselfe that did it So that now wee see the two last generalls of the whole Parable are become the two considerable particulars of this Text the former presents unto us the Event the latter the Application The Event is this The humble Publican that stood trembling a farre off not presuming so much as to lift up his eies to heaven but smiting his breast and crying O God be mercifull to mee a Sinner is justified by our blessed Saviour and not the arrogant and presumptuous Pharisee that was perched up to the highest place in the Temple not praying to his God but prating to himselfe advancing himselfe and vilifying his brother The Pharisee that justified himselfe is condemned and the Publican that condemned himselfe is justified This man c. Videte fratres magis placuit humilitas Aug. in malis factis quam superbia in honis fact is And indeed it is right worthy our note and observation that of the twaine the Publican that was humbled for his weakenesse was justified rather then the Pharisee that boasted of his worthinesse The waies of God it seemes are not as mans waies nor his thoughts as mans thoughts He neither judges according to the outward appearance nor yet iustifies according to the 〈…〉 â—olinesse Non vox sed votum non musica chordula sed cor Non clamans sed amans cantat in aure Dei It is neither our great words nor good workes nor high conceit of either that strike any stroke at all in the act of justification before God Not great words for how many shall meete our Saviour in the cloudes at the last day with these swelling words Lord Matth. 7. 22. Lord have wee not in thy Name prophesied and by thy Name cast out Devils and by thy Name done many great miracles but He shall shall shake them off with a Non novi vos I never knew you Not good workes for righteous Abraham was justified by faith onely The Apostle Saint Paul testifies that his faith was onely accounted unto him for righteousnesse onely we are bold to enter into his secret chamber where he desires to enjoy the companie of his Spouse by faith alone It is not fit that any of the family of servants should rush in to interrupt their privacie But afterwards when the doore is opened and the Bridegroome come forth with his Bride into the waiting roome to present her unto men and Angels all faire and without spot then in the name of God let all the servants and hand-maides attend Then may wee give all diligence to adde unto our Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledge and to Knowledge Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godlinesse and to Godlinesse Brotherly kindnesse and to Brotherly kindnesse Love For if these things bee in us and abound they will make us that we shall neither bee barren nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ Though Faith 2 Pet. 1. 5. then bee Sola alone yet she is not solitaria but gloriously attended by a whole guard of gâ—aces As the eye in regard of its beeing is not alone from the head but in respect of seeing it is alone it is the eye onely in the head that sees So a true and lively Faith cannot possibly subsist without a whole traine of graces What shall wee say then to this controversie to speake in the Apostles language Doe we therefore make voide the Law through Faith God forbid yea wee establish the Law Doe wee therefore make voide good workes through Faith God forbid yea wee establish good workes Only wee say it were no way of preferment for the hand-maid either to take the wall of her Mistris or to goe equall with her If Bilhah supply the defects of Rachel and beare children unto Iacob let her remember notwithstanding that Rachel is above her and singular in some respect If Ioseph be mounted
into the very secret thoughts and intentions of the heart For say I beseech you Is not the parable of the hidden treasure abundantly able to convince the Vsurer in particular The parable of the fruitlesse figge-tree to informe the Gardiner The house built upon the sand the Mason The strong man armed the Souldier The lost groat the Widow And the lost sheep the Shepheard and each or all of these aboundantly able to instruct all What plough-man is there in the world so stupid but when hee reads the parable of the Sower Luke 8. both propounded and expounded unto him by our blessed Saviour is able to reade unto himselfe a Lecture of sound Divinitie and mediâ—â—te with himselfe thus That as himselfe goes forth into the field to sowe his seede so the Sonne of man came once personally into the world to sow the immortall seed of his sacred Word in the hearts of beleevers and to this very day hath left behind him Ministeriall Seeds-men the Preachers of the Gospel to dresse and dung and to manure his field and sow his seede As hee himselfe cannot possibly scatter his seede so choicely but some will of necessitie fall by the hie-way side and so either be troden under foote of men or devoured of the fowles of the Ayre some will fall amongst the stones and then no sooner it springs up but withers away againe for want of moisture some will fall amongst thornes and so the thornes spring up with it and choake it It is but the fourth part that falls upon good ground that springs up and beares fruit some thirty some sixty some an hundred fold So the Preachers of the Gospel cannot possibly scatter the good seed of the Word so choicely but doe what they can some will fall by the hie-way side that is amongst carelesse drousie and negligent hearers and then it is either trodden under foote of men contemned and vilified or else devoured of the fowles of the ayre that is the Devill and his instruments steale it out of the hearts of the hearers lest they should beleeve and bee saved some will fall amongst stones hard and flinty hearts where the Word for a time may be received with joy but for want of roote the people beleeve for a time and in the time of temptation they fall away some will fall amongst thornes worldly and licentious hearers in whom the cares of the world and the deceitfulnesse of riches and the lusts of other things doe so choake the Word that it becomes unfruitfull It is but the fourth part or scarce that which fals upon good ground that with an honest and good heart heare the Word and keepe it and bring forth fruite with patience Vpon which due and serious meditation he cannot choose but bring the Application of the parable home to himselfe himselfe then being in the very act of sowing When hee sees three parts of every handfull of temporall seed he sowes in danger of miscarrying some falling by the hieway-side some amongst stones and some amongst thornes hee cannot choose but grieve and much lament it oh how ought it then to perplexe his soule and yearne his very bowels to consider the most lamentable hardnesse and intolerable barrennesse of his owne heart that receives not the most precious seed of the Word of God with any reasonable cheerefulnesse muchlesse returnes it with any tolerable fruitfulnesse See what lumpes of divinity lye hid and buryed under the very clods of the earth what profound Lectures of Divine literature may bee read in the very field at plough so profitable are those doctrines in Scripture that are couched by our blessed Saviour under Similies and Parables In what a lamentable and dangerous condition then is the stupid Papist in forbidding and the negligent carnall Gospeller in forbearing to reade the sacred Scriptures both building their Babel upon this sandy foundation That they are darke mysteries and obscure parables Whereupon the Papists some of them forbid the reading of the Scriptures to the Laytie as a thing most dangerous and pernitious for them being as they affirme the roote and seminary of all strife and controversie the mother and the nurse of all heresie and faction Christ commands us to search the Scriptures 〈…〉 19. for eternall happinesse they countermand it with a Noli me tangere for feare of heresie The Spirit of Christ exhorts us to try the spirits whether they bee of God because many false prophets are come into the world these spirits forbid the common people the very touch-stone of tryall The spirit of truth adviseth Colos 3. 16. us to give the Word of God all possible entertainement not to lodge with us as a stranger for a night but to dwell in us plenteously as a continuall In-mate because it is profitable to teach to improove to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse The spirit of errour counsels to bannish it quite out of our coasts and in stead thereof to bring in ignorance for the mother of devotion The one tels us it is the peoples instruction the other tels us it is the peoples destruction The one tels us it makes the man of God perfect and absolute the other tels us it makes him hereticall and dissolute And so wee may safely conclude with Reverend Wickeliffe and that Iewell of England To condemne the Word of God of heresie is no better then to make God himselfe an hereticke But the very truth is beloved the Scriptures make men heretickes no otherwise then the Sun makes men blind As nothing is cleerer then the Sunne and yet nothing harder to be looked into for the weakenesse of our sight So nothing more manifest then the Scriptures in themselves and yet nothing more obscure then mysteries therein contained for that the naturall man perceives not the things of God Say then I beseech you Is light darkenesse because darkenesse comprehends it not Is sweet sowre because some men taste it not no more certenly are the Scriptures obscure because some men understand them not Wee deny not then a kinde of obscuritie to bee in the Scriptures both in regard of the profunditie of the particular points and of our disabilitie to conceive them but the manner of the deliverie is not obscure in it selfe but familiar and easie to them that have their senses prepared by the holy Ghost to understand them and use the meanes that God hath ordained for that end Let the wary Protestant then that would carefully avoid the Papists ginne soundly distinguish of these three The mysteries delivered the manner of the deliverie and the indisposition of the receiver The things themselves are mysteries therefore secret and involved in divers difficulties The indisposition of our understanding not onely darke but darkenesse it Eph. 5. 8. selfe therefore were they never so cleere wee could not possibly understand them till we were inlightned But for the manner of the delivery in it selfe it is apert and patent if any where darke it
would they bee sure to give God his true feare and Caesar his due honour And so I conclude this case of conscience with Saint Ierome Si de veritate scandalum oriatur Jâ— Matt. utiliùs scandalum nasci permittitur quà m veritas relinquatur If some small offence should arise from the profession of the truth surely that offence must needs bee more tolerable then grosse ignorance But when there is strife and 1 Cor. 3. 3. envy and division amongst you saith the Apostle are you not carnall When one saith I am Pauls another I am Apolloes hearing one and hating another are yee not carnall I beseech you brethren in the Apostles heart and tongue Marke them which cause contention amongst you and avoyde them The second part of Pharisaicall selfe-confidence is a wilfull resolution of opinion or obfirmation of judgement intimated by the word Standing A flattering and confident arrogancy in it selfe but uncharitably contemptuous unto others begetting two grand-follies an erroneous falshood in the speaker and a doubtfull dubitation in the hearer and making both miserable when there are so many faiths as there are wils in men so many Doctors and doctrines as manners in the world and so many occasions of blasphemies admitted as there are vices committed till at length our faith and religion must be written as we list and as wee list it must be understood when our Preachers like Spiders weave Webs out of their owne bowels and like deceitfull Vintners turne Wine into Water by falsifying texts but never like Christ turne Water into Wine by broaching sound doctrines dividing the Word of God aright When the hearers againe have itching eares that cannot indure wholsome doctrines and commendable constitutions their will being like unto a sicke mans taste nothing is savoury and their judgment like the lightning that will bee seene before the thunder bee heard Tertullian complaines much of their Preachers in his time Caedem Scripturarum faciunt saith he ad suam materiam They make a slaughter of the Scriptures for their owne purpose And Thomas Aquinas as much of the hearers in his time They run like mad men into the wildernesse to see and what doe they see nothing but reeds shaken with the wind Vaine-glory is both the mother and the nurse of obstinacie All that a Pharisee doth saith our Math. 23. Saviour is to be seene of men He makes his Phylactery broad and the fringes of his garment long He loves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chiefe roomes at feasts the chiefe seats at Synagogues solemne greetings in the Markets and to be called of men Rabbi that his Science may be manifested and himselfe magnified and that either directly or indirectly Directly if in words it is called ostentation if in deeds that have a face of truth it is called invocation but if the deeds be but apparent only it deserves no better a name then painted hypocrisie Indirectly if in understanding it is called pertinacy and stubbornnesse of opinion if in will dissention if in plausible speech and vociferation of words contention if in action it is called obstinacy So Iulian answering the christian Epistles of the Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sozom. l. 50. c. 18. I read I understood and I despised This is the pharisaicall practice I feare of too many amongst us that being convicted by reason before prudent authoriâ—y triumph at home amongst their populous rusticity as if they had gotten great spoyles like S. Augustines Donatists Disputare nolumus baptizare volumus being more wordy then worthy they speake what they list who should controule them Stat pro ratione voluntas their will is their reason and shall bee though there bee no reason in their will nor can bee thou shalt not perswade them though thou doest perswade them like Salomons foole the more they are brayed in the morter of discipline the lesse they seeme to understand and like the milke of a Tygre the more they are salted the fresher they are A Pharisee sits chiefe in Synods speakes first in Councels runnes not sent intrudes not called records things ordered undoes things done censures them that have judged prejudicates them that are to judge and if hee bee not preferred when he would and as hee would either he presently condemnes the superiour as envious himselfe being malevolent or else taxes his equall of Symony himselfe being full fraught with Sodomy The Papist stands stiffely in his priviledge of provinciall Councels uncanonicall verity Church above Scripture and Pope above both making him in the plea both party and Iudge too The Turke in his Mahomets Alcaron a golden booke of a leaden Saint The Enthusiastae in their forced inspiration and superilluminated brotherhood being but new peeped out of the Shell and scrambled into the Pulpit with the reproachfull contumely of the learned and such peremptory boldnesse in themselves will speake of Pythagoras his numbers Platoes Idea the complots of a new heaven and a new earth ripping up all secrets as though they had beene wrapt up into the third heavens had the tongues of Angels and the wisedome of Cherubimes On the other side the hearers with unbridled tongues and itching eares kicke against the prickes and beare them up in their hands as Rachell did her fathers Idols Some like Montanus his Disciples tremble not to affirme that their Teacher knowes as much or more then Christ himselfe Some like Carpocrates his Disciples that hee understands more then Paul or Peter with all haile unto their Seraphicall Rabbies and Hosanna Hosanna to their irrefragable Doctors magnifying them as Pythagoras his Schollers did their Tutor with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he said it and therefore it must be so Or as dunce Carolus argued it is so because it is so Woe worth this multiplicitie of opinions this wracking of Scriptures and this squeezing and wire-drawing of texts and this Pharisaicall pertinacy and standing upon it too which is worse then all the rest Humanum est errare non retrahere belluinum perseverare diabolicum It is the part of humane frailtie to fall into errour of swinish beastlinesse not to retract but divellish pertinacy to persist or to maintaine an errour It is told in Gath and it is reported in Askalon that our kingdome is divided and cannot long stand It were to be wished indeed that Peter and Andrew would both Steere one course in this our British Haven that were the only way to keepe the net whole and to catch most store of fish But howsoever I doubt not but I may safely answer the malignant spirit that hath most evill will at our Sion as Simon Peter said unto Simon Magus Vive regnum Dci crescere videas vel invitus Long mayst thou live and to thy sorrow see the kingdome of God to increase mightily even in this kingdome The third and last part of pharisaicall selfe-confidence is secresie of doctrine in that hee stands and prayes with himselfe thus Hee must have a vizard to
fâ—ete with ointment Marke how hee observes every circumstance of his entertainement and accordingly rewards it with a boone no lesse then a peccata remittuntur Thy sinnes are forgiven thee It is bootlesse then for any man to play the Pharisee so deepely as to divulge his goodnesse and to conceale his wickednesse and to and from Him too that is an equall and an impartiall discerner of both To proclaime that to him that knowes it long before our selves it is extreame tolly to hide that from him to whom all things are open it is extreame frenzie Hee cannot possibly bee the better by the one but hee must needs be a great deale the worse by the other and indeede to say the truth a great loser by both That the Pharisee went up into the Temple to pray that hee was not an extortioner unjust adulterer that hee fasted and payed his tithes were things no doubt both exceeding commendable and absolutely commandable for these things hee ought to have done But his proud boasting like the herbe Coloquintida or wilde gourd mentioned 2 Kings 4. spoyled 2 King 4. the whole pot of pottage Mille virtutibus affluens propter arrogantiam falicitatem amisit The wonderfull vertuous man is now become wonderfull vicious He that before was happly none is now unhappily become an extortioner in the highest degree robbing God of his due honour and relying wholly upon his owne merits Hee that before might bee comparatively just is now most unjust beyond comparison taking the wall of his betters and condemning the Publican rashly without proofe or reason or any due forme of Law playing the part of an accuser and a Iudge too Hee that before might bee little or none is now become an adulterer in the highest degree being so wedded unto the world and wholly enamoured with popular applause not knowing like an adulterer as hee is that the amitie of the world is but enmitie with God So that in fine you see like a foolish Hen he lost all his eggs by cackling hee did verbis praeferre virtutem indeed but hee did factis destruere veritatem too Like Cypr. an emptie mill the more the clacke goes the lesse the mill grindes Such is the dangerous nature and condition of secret pride It can make nothing more but it doth make all things lesse and yet even then seeming greatest in shew when they are lest in substance Like the painting of an harlot it cozens all and yet it drawes most men after it It is the divels owne darling and therefore must needs bee most acurate to seduce All other sinnes are but his bastards this is his owne brat and like the father his expresse character as Bernard cals it All other sinnes as Thomas Aquinas observes Bern. Aquin. are said to bee in the Divell secundum reatum by guilt only as being the tempter to every sinne only pride and envie is in him secundum effectum as being the first actor of this sinne in his owne person This makes the politicke Jesuite abroad and the crafty Iebusite at home such mighty mount-bankes of their owne perfections and roaring trumpets of their owne vaine-glory thanking their God that they are not as other men are nor as wee cast-awayes but selectioris farinae men of a purer note and cleerer conversation thinking nothing but truth saying nothing but truth doeing nothing but truth Especially the Iesuite will not be perswaded but that the fee-simple of all mens actions words and thoughts are in his free gift to raise and set the price at his devotion His entia be transcendentia in all things an absolute Superlative sans peere His very sots are Salomons his blacke-birds Swans and his silents politickes Hee is the very spawne and frie of the old Pharisee of whom I may too justly say as Saint Augustine against Faustus the Manichee Aug. Si hoc esset justum esse justificare seipsum if this were to be just for a man to justifie himselfe certainely this generation of Vipers had long since flowen up into heaven in the whirlewind of their owne imaginations but examine their actions and you shall find Davids clogge at their heeles that weighs them downe They travell with mischiefe they conceive sorrow and they bring forth ungodlinesse Their throat is an open sepulchre Psal 5. 9. they flatter with their tongue there is no faithfulnesse in their mouth their inward parts are very wickednesse And indeed to say the truth this makes every man almost without exception so familiar with this Non sum sicut caeteri I am not as other men are or as that Publican that I feare I might too justly invert our Saviours question to the Iewes and say Quis ex vobis non argueretur de peccato hoc which of you may not in some sort bee taxed of this sinne Quis non Pharisaeus who hath not in one degree or other some dreg some spice of a Pharisee some more some lesse The glutton and the Drunkard hee thankes his God too that hee is not as other men are Extortioner unjust adulterer perhaps but not as that usurer Hee fasts little hee confesses but hee payes his tithes as freely as he drinkes and that is commonly more then his share for quietnesse sake And indeed well may hee thanke the god hee serves for it his belly which makes him draw so large a patrimony thorow his throaâ—e that eases him of all care either for use or principall The Vsurer and Extortioner he thankes his god too that he is not as other men are A little unjust perhaps but sure hee is no adulterer no glutton nor as that drunkard he fasts enough in conscience all the weeke long both he and his family to save charges and hee payes tithe for as much of his possession as the Law can sqeeze out of him But hee too may thanke the god hee serves for all this his gold to whom hee is so prostrate by a certaine kinde of superstition that upon paine of sacriledge he dares scarce lay finger Auri Sacra fames Virg on it even for pinching necessity much lesse for superfluitie The riotous and voluptuous swaggerer hee thankes his god too that hee is not as other men are wracking extortioners griping Vsurers unjust oppressors or as that plodding worldling Hee scornes to bee so base to lade himselfe with thicke clay or that the stone should cry out of the wall to him or the beame out of the tymber answer it For adultery tush it is but a tricke of youth fasting Jeâ—unium coactum hee is content to imbrace when he can get no victuals Hee neither sowes nor reapes and therefore neither cares for tithes nor any thing else for his part hee will â—e sure to make much of one so long as it holds Eate drinke and bee merry and let the world wagge But alas little doth this â—ad-man dreame how soone this god hee thankes and this master he serves his body of sinne will