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
which with the Prophet Dauid maketh the commaundements of God his daily meditation neither this onely in the day time but in the night also Who is hee that can say Thy iudgementes Oh Lorde are sweeter vnto mee then hony Who is it that can truely say hee hath desired them more then golde and precious stones Nay who is it almost to whom they séeme not as bitter as gall Because they require repentance and mortification who is he but estéemeth that which the Apostle calleth drosse and dung more delectable and pleasant than the iudgementes of the Lord. If a man loueth mee sayth Christ hee will keepe my Commandementes If this were well marked of you it woulde not séeme so easie a matter to be a good Christian as you account it As the children of God are knowne by two markes so are also the bondslaues of Sathan The markes of Gods children are sometimes internall sometimes externall the inward are repentance faith godlines and a sounde conscience the outward hearing of Gods word and godly conuersation So likewise on the contrary side Sathans impes are knowne by their inward and outward notes inwardly in that they are without faith deuoyde of all godlines of an ill conscience of no good affection towardes the Ministery outwardly by contempt of the word and a leude life Ponder these things Autophilus and throughly examine them and sée whether you carry about with you the cognisance of Gods childe or the badge of the diuels bondslaues and after due examination if you finde your selfe rather a limme of Sathan then beloued of the Lord recoyle plucke backe your foote in time lest that the curse of eternall damnation fall vpon you sooner then you looke for it And whereas you saide that to eschue euill and doe good is all that the Preachers can teach you or require at your hands I graunt it so and more then you goe about to performe To sinne of your selfe you are apt inough and the diuell is ready to teach you but if a man should demaund of you how you shall resist sin or doe good I doe not doubt but he shall finde you mum-budget If we had to make warre against any forreigne Prince about to inuade the Countrie wherein we liue and neuerthelesse sit at home in the chimney corner saying amongest our selues we knowe well how to preuent the enimie it is but to muster such Souldiers as are méete for warre to gather an Armie and couragiously to bid them battaile woulde we accompt our selues salfely defensed or destruction further from vs if this were once saide might not rather our ouerthrowe moue laughter to all such as heare of it This proportiō Autophilus would be diligently pondered there is no Christian but hath a continuall combating against the world the flesh and the deuill for which cause our life is called a warfare vpon the earth and euery good Christian a souldier for as souldiers doe lye in wait to beat backe and resist the enemy so ought we to be vigilant in resisting sinne and the temptations thereof and as to know the meanes how to resist the enemies and not put it in practise can profit vs nothing at all so if we say to resist sinne and doe good is the perfect duety of a Christian neither learne how to resist sinne or to doe good it doth nothing at all preuaile If we say to loue God aboue all thinges and our neighbour as our selues is the perfect duety of a Christian and yet neither learne howe to loue God nor exercise charity towardes our brethren we are as neare the perfection of Christianity as he that can say that the chiefest point of a Tailours trade is to to shape and to sewe is neare to the excellencie of a perfect workeman Autoph Well we are deceiued if we loue not God aboue all things you shall hardly make vs confesse the contrary Philox. Doe you remember what you said vnto me when we began to enter into communication Autoph What is that Philox. If you bée not forgetfull you said that if a greater occasion had not vrged you then hearing of the word wée had not met here to day and moreouer that you more estéemed of two hundreth pounds then of thrée hundreth sermons Autoph What prooue you of this Phil. That you loue God nothing at al. Autoph Then it were pity I did liue Philox. You loue the world more then his word Autoph I said not so yet Philox. No what meane your former speaches Autoph Whatsoeuer I said there be no fewe that will confirme it Philox. The more the worse Autoph Should we let all runne at randome and followe the Preachers must we loue God and nothing else Philox. I say not so for all the creatures of God are excéeding good and to be beloued but nothing ought to be made equall in loue with God or to be preferred before his loue Wee must loue God with all our heartes with all our soules and with all our might In regard of which loue we must both loath and treade vnder foote all thinges that séemeth good in all the worlde Yea this loue ouercommeth all mischiefes whatso euer which otherwise séeme inuincible The Apostle Paul proclaimeth this with a zealous and vehement motion Who shall seperate vs from the loue of God Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or hunger or nakednes or perill or sword as it is written for thy sake are wee killed all day long and are counted as sheepe to the slaughter neuerthelesse in all these thinges we ouercome through him that loued vs. For I am sure that neither death nor life nor Angell nor rule nor power nor thinges present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu our Lorde Hitherto the Apostle The nature of a faithfull friende is not to offende but to reuerence him whom he loueth he is the better when his eye is vpon him his delight is to talke with him his heart is to doe for him his great pleasure to be present with him he willingly will not sée him iniuried nor patiently heare him slandered no crosse nor calamity shall vnlose the long contracted knotte of friendship Indéede we all say we loue God but fewe of vs feare to offend him we can say we like well of his word but we doe not reuerence it as we ought We will talke of him but how in swearing staring cursing and banning but to talke of him or with him as though we loued him that is to giue him thanks praise him or pray vnto him or meditate vpon his worde we vse it but a little And I doubt wee haue many Christians which scarce once in foure and twenty houres make mention of him after this manner The desire we haue to sée our friende is an Argument we loue him dearly the slender desire we haue to sée God that is out
Philoxenus and the carnall Autophilus wherein such worldlings are perfectlie depainted as hide their hypocrisie vnder the colour of falselie chalenged Christianitie By John Bat Master of Aries and student in Diuinitie Philoxenus Autophilus I Did meruaile Autophilus to sée you march towardes the Sermon so spéedilie I trust that the spirit of y e Lord hath wrought some good worke in you that you are desirous to learne wisedome at the mouth of the minister whereby you may bee made wise vnto saluation Autoph Trulie sir I haue almost forgotten you it is so long since I did sée you If you knew the intent purposed wherfore I came to the preaching or the profite which I haue reaped thereby I suppose you woulde rather condemne me for my intention than commend me for the commoditie that I haue gained at the mouth of the Preacher Philox. Few such words Autophilus may suffice They sounde of the spirite of iniquitie I woulde be sorie that your minde shoulde méete with your mouth herein Autoph Woulde you wishe mee to sweare as I am an honest man and a Christian I speake what I think and which you if you vrge me shall vnderstand at large Philox. I perceiue your complexion is cholericke take heede you vnplat not your patience and sweare not by your honestie But since you haue called your intent in question May I craue the cause of so greate hast for your pace declareth you were loth to come too late Autoph Be there none here but we our selues Philox. None at all as I suppose Autoph Will you conceale it if I make manifest my minde vnto you Philox. Perswade your selfe that I am your friende in these thinges wherein neither God is dishonoured nor your Christian brethren hindered Autoph Tush I like not conditions perhappes it concernes my credite to conceale the cause heereof Philox. If either your credit or commoditie bid honestie farewell I am not méete to make your secret friend I hope there is no daunger in broaching so honest a matter as this is Why therefore should you make it so curious Autoph Because I knowe not the intent of the demander howbeit as I desire not to disclose it yet because I am loth you should wax ielous you shall not departe vnsatisfied Beléeue me sir I went more for fashion than for fauour that either I did heare to maister Doctor or his doctrine Philox. I thought how I should find you Autophilus you made the matter so curious I feare mee in the ende I shall finde you an hypocrite Autoph You cut mee off before I come to a full period the sense is yet vnperfect If there had beene no greater occasion to haue mooued mee to come to this place than the profite I thought to haue reaped at the hande of the preacher we had not met heere to daie Phil. Is there anie thing more commodious miserable man than to séek to saue thy soule Is anie thing more necessary than to hear the word preached or any iewell more precious than wisedome Autoph O Sir I came to receiue money this daie to the value of two hundred pounds as I am an honest man I estéeme more of two hundred pounds than of thrée hundred preachings For if you thinke that I came so spéedilie to heare a Sermon you are greatly deceiued notwithstanding hearing the report of the man to be famous that he was a stranger and an excellent fellow I thought good to go sée him for companie sake But shall I tell you Philoxenus in that minde I am in I will neuer heare him againe whilest I liue Philox. Doe you not like of him as a good messenger that will without feare or fauour discharge his duetie and manfullie declare that message which was ministred vnto him Autoph Messenger or not I know not what hee hath in charge but one thing I am sure of that such as hee are farre vnméete to bee made magistrates héere is nothing nowe a daies in the mouthes of a greate number of them but crying out against couetousnesse vsurie briberie belly chéere surfetting dronkennesse and suche like Philox. Tell me Autophilus wherefore he is vnméete to be made a magistrate Autoph Wherefore because pride couetousnesse vaineglorie whooredomè lecherie shoulde kisse the stockâ—s Philox. And no lesse worthie for if I may bée iudge the gallowes is too good for them But in déede such hath bene the corrupt nature of the wicked and vngodlie of this worlde that they haue alwaies loathed such as woulde simplie in singlenes of hart tel them or fréelie reproue them for their manifest sinne manifolde transgressions In the prophet Esay his time the people cried out to the séeers and prophets y t they would speake flattering things vnto them Abner coulde neuer abide Rispah Isboseth to tell him of his going into Rispah his father Saules concubine The Prophet Micha telleth vs that the sinne companions of his time liked well of such Prophets as would prophesie vnto them of Wine and strong drinke The same cankred corruption if not more grieuous is at this day The wicked best like of those ministers which either can saie nothing or else flatter and sooth them vp in their sins taking them as it were by the hande and lulling these gracelesse babes a sléepe in the cradle of securitie They best like of those which dawbe with vntempered morter and sowe entising pillowes vnder their elbowes which preach vnto them of Wine and good Ale of rioting reuelling and running vnto all manner of vngodlie excesse I remember the Prophet Amos hath a complaint against the rulers of his time that they woulde make hauocke of the poore and needie for olde shooes If the same Prophet were now liuing he would adde to this another complaint as grieuous that the ministers of our time are so wicked and vngodlie that they wil smoother the sinnes of men sell the truth of GOD for mourning gowns for tieth cocks tieth sheues I woulde to God that wofull experience proued not this to be true for vndoubtedly although a maÌ„ were so blotted and blurred that all the wafer in the sea could not washe him yet shall you finde one flattering tongue or other that will support him in his sins and iustifie him in his vncleannesse and although he were as black as the blacke horse mentioned in the Reuelation yet shall ye find a blacke Prophet with a blacke mouth and an headlong tongue will colour him as white as the white shéepe that is new come from washing and if a false tongue coulde doe more than that it is set to sale for a small price Thus the children of GOD are berefte and robbed of their garmentes when flatterers giue titles and iustifie the wicked in their abhominations Autoph I tell you troth Philoxenus to speake what I thinke I vtterlie mislike of these sawcie marchauntes which checke and controule their superiours there is nothing but the lawe damnation damnation What man Wee liue
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
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
tongue when your heart is on your halfepeny For there where your treasure is there will your heart bee also and in this one regarde your condition is most desperate in that by the sleight and subtilty of Sathan by the deceitfull perswasion of the diuell himselfe you thinke you knowe much when as you knowe nothing vnlesse this howe to serue the world the flesh and the diuell of such it is saide in the fifth of Esay Vae quod sapientes in oculis vestris et corám vobismet ipsis prudentes videmini And in the 26. of the Prouerbes Vidisti hominem sapientem sibi videri maiorem illo spem habebit insipiens Oh blinde and senselesse creatures more blinde than they which are blinde on both eyes for they knowe their owne blindenesse although they knowe little else but you knowe not your owne blindnesse but rather séeme wise in your owne conceites and count your selues good Christians when as your conuersation is vnseasonable in the Lordes taste and your praiers vntuneable in the Lordes eares For how can he inuocate the name of God which beléeueth not Howe can hée beléeue which hath no faith And can he which hath no faith bée saued This is euerlasting life to knowe God him whom he hath sent Iesus Christ Autoph Do you thinke y t we haue no faith Or can we not think you say our Créed Then in déede we had liued too long and learned too little Philox. Yea certainly I thinke you can saie it and as it is reported so could Caesars parrot neither do I doubt it but the deuils can say it And yet neither is the parrot néerer heauen nor the deuill further from hell the one bableth vnderstandeth not what she saith the other beléeueth that there is a God and therefore trembleth and quaketh Autoph Well might the Parrot prate by custome but shee lacketh vnderstanding Philox. And as the Parrot learned it by custome and vnderstood it not euen so some of you saie it for custome not once considering what it is nor what you saie Autoph Yet shall you not perswade vs but that our beléefe is as good as the best Philox. Euen such as is pourtraied of S. Iames in the second Chapter Tu credis quod vnus Deus est et bene facis Demones credunt et contremiscunt Thou beleeuest that there is a God thou doest wel the deuils beleeue and tremble also Autoph This is notable stuffe in déede will you make the deuill more religiously faithfull than they that professe the name of Christ Philox. I dare not call you religiously faithfull for this is not a true faith whereby you shall be saued but a vulgar knowledge which carries a man as néere vnto God as the beholding of the Sun beames doth carry him vnto heauen notwithstanding in that they beléeue all things to bee true which are spoken of God writtē in sacred scripture yea and quake and tremble when mention is made of his name euen as the théefe and wicked malefactor fearefully is terrified with the countenance of the iudge redie to denounce sentence of condemnation against him confesse according to your owne conscience doe they not go beyond you verie farre Autoph It may be Philoxenus that there bée some such as you make reporte of which carrie such couragious heartes that although they heare all the thunder clappes of Gods iudgementes from the first Chapter of Genesis vnto the last leafe of the newe Testament denounced against sinne and sinners they woulde hardly quake or tremble Philox. Call you these couragious stomackes Naie it is a flintie yea rather a dullish mind so ensnared through the subtil sleights of Sathan so choked with the thornie cares of this world so drowned with the desire of earthlye doung so dazeled blinded with the delight of worldlie pleasure that it neyther hungreth for the ioyes prepared for the good nor is terrified with the torments threatned against the wicked that it neither regardeth God nor séeketh after his kingdome neither is afraide of the deuil nor of the vnspeakable paines of hell fire and that I may speak y t which is true neither thinkes that there is a God in heauen who is the rewarder of the iust neither anie deuils in hell who are executours of Gods terrible wrath and indignation agaynst the wicked and vniust Autoph Will you then make vs worse then deuils and no better than Atheistes séeing wée can saie our Créede and the confession of our faith as readily as cunningly as the most curious clarke of you all Philox. I know and confesse that this one worde Credo containeth a greate force and efficacy towards the edifying and sauing of your soule if it be sayde and performed as it ought to bée and how that is learne of Saint Augustin himselfe It is not enough to beléeue al things which God hath reuealed in his wordes are true that hée himselfe is also truth and veritie and cannot lie for this is but Credere Deo which things the deuils doe as well as his selfe standing in a greater feare of his iudgement But in Deum credere as sayth Saint Austen is by beléeuing to runne vnto him by beléefe to cleaue and take fast holde vppon him and as a member to bée incorporated and ingrafted into the bodie of Christe Whereby it is euident that hée which wilfullie and obstinatlie stoppeth his eares and turneth them awaie from hearing of the worde and as it were malepertlie doeth oppose himselfe agaynst the Lorde doeth filthilie and abhominablie when as hee sayth Credo in Deum I beléeue in God No no God neyther admitteth such beléefe nor such beléeuers Autoph Doeth not Saint Iohn saie Hee that beleeueth in me hath eternall life Philox. True it is Si non credideritis non permanebitis saith the Prophet Esaie For which cause saith Augustine Ruinam videtur quaerere qui sine fide vult aedificare And the same Augustin saith That euen as the boughs braunches of the trée doe wither awaie vnlesse they receiue sappe and nourishment of the roote so what good worke so euer y u intendest or what false face of fained sanctitie and holinesse like an hypocrite thou doest pretende to the worldwarde it is dead and worketh nothing at al to the edifying of thy soule Therfore although hypocrites seeme at the first blushe to shew some resemblaunce of the sonnes of GOD yet so long as they remaine in the corruption of their first nature they can doe nothing but sinne Theyr almes déedes are turned to sinne béeing giuen hypocriticallie to bée praised of men Their solemne sacrifices are turned to sinne béeing not done in faith and with mortification of the flesh The prophet saith that before God they are accounted of no better than the killing of a man the cutting in sunder of a dogges necke the offering vp of swines bloud or the blessing of an Idoll Their praiers
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
this weeke thou knowest not whether hee will proffes it thee the next weeke And therefore Autophilus beware of presumption lest deferring conuersion from houre to houre from day to day from wéek to wéeke from yeare to yeare the iudgement of God sodainely ouertake you Our liues doe hang at a twine thréede as it were and we are sodainely ouerturned we may learne this by experience hath not one sodainely béene drowned an other broke his necke with a fall an other béene sodainely staine by the sword an other falne into the hands of théeues and thereby cruelly murdered an other falne downe dead in the stréetes We haue séene or at the least might haue séene some of these fearefull tragedies as for the time of our life is short sixtie yeares and tenne it is cut off quickly and we flie away sayth the Prophet Dauid Wee haue spent out yeares as a thought Our life for the shortnes and inconstancie of it is compared to grasse to a vapour to smoake to a weauers shuttle which slideth away swiftly Even so experience teacheth to day a man to morrowe none Besides this death is such a Somner as will haue no nay neither will be corrupted by any bribes who whether he come first or last early or late will not be resisted And therefore as Salomon reporteth That man is blessed that feareth in his heart That is to wit calleth vpon himselfe whilest it is to day dallieth and delayeth not vntill he be compelled and constrained to acknowledge from whence he came and whither he must returne But as for such misercants which do bleare out their tongues like mad men and fret like chafed Bulles setting themselues against the iudgements of God and like Giants making warre against the forewarning of his messengers as did the old world against Noe the Preacher of righteousnes vntill the moment of destruction These must at length séeâ—e that the Lorde hath a naked rodde of vengeance and a Scepter of iustice when they shall deadly pay for their proude presumption For the Lorde hath no mercie for such as walke in the vaine delights of sinne and in the stubbornes of their owne heart adding drunkennes to thirst that is ioyning one horrible sinne to another Let the wicked forsake his waies and the vnrighteous his own imaginations and returne vnto the Lorde and hee will haue mercie vpon him Autoph Hath not Christ spoken it Philoxenus that whosoeuer beléeueth in him hath eternall life I woulde you knew it I hope to be saued by the death of Christ as well as the best of you all and therefore if you goe about to perswade me otherwise I will shut vp for you trouble my conscience Philox. Wouldest thou make the death of Christ a baud for thy sinnes and so worke that villany against Christ Dost thou think y e Gods mercy is common to all No no thou makest the reckoning without the Host and when it comes to the vpshoote thou shalt steepe short for it wil proue farre otherwise thou shalt find Gods mercy turned into iustice and Christ his death turned into worme woode because thou hatest knowledge and choosest not these are of the Lord. Autoph Wee shall neuer haue done if I follow you vp and downe at randon as you leade me Philox. Nay we should neuer haue done if we shoulde display all the vanities and hypocrisies of worldlings Autoph Tush tush you terme euery thing at your pleasure Philox. I tearme them as they are and I would you were not made drunken with worldly pleasure Autoph I will ende with you for I haue a further matter in hande which shall bring more profit and pleasure then all this before spoken Philox. What is that Autophilus Autoph If I should tell you wée should neuer haue ended therefore adieu for I haue much to doe Philox. Much to doe indéede for an hypocrite to hate the world denie himselfe take vp his Crosse and follow Christ FINIS Esai 30. 2. Sam. 3 Mich. 2. The wicked would haue their sinnes smothered Amos. 8 Discrete Ministers not vnlike to skilfull Chirurgians Luke 18. Math. 23. Iohn 8. Phil. 3. Order preposterous to preach the gospel before the lawe Mark this ye ciuill honest men Luke 16. True prechers of the worde called sowers of sedition Luke 12. 1. King 18. Esai 50. Ezech. 22. Zach. 11. Esay 5. All this coÌ„cludeth nothing for the supporting of a blinde guide The cognisance of carefull Ministers feeding of the flocke 1. Tim. 5. Care in constituting ministers Luke 3. Psal 119. 1. King 18 1. King 22. Psal 8. Symonie put to his shift 2. Tim. 3 Dan. 12 Iere. 23 Ezech. 34. By the length of his foote measure the rest of that kind Iude. 1 Num. 22. Iohn 4 Hypocrits diuinitie sone learned Fiue circumstances beloÌ„ging to ferueÌ„t praier The small pleasure in hearing the preacher an argument of slender delight in praier Pro. 18. Eccle. 15 Hypocrits praie in aduersitie and waxe proude in prosperity The true causes of effectuall inuocatioÌ„ Psal 50 Mark 13 Col. 4. Math. 7. Luke 11 Esaie 55 Iohn 16 Heb. 9 Rom. 8. Math. 16. The mind of him that prayeth must be lifted vp to heauenly thinges Iohn 9. Gods spirite chiefe Schoolemaster to prayer Math. 15. Note this Sathan lulleth hypocrites a sleepe in the cradel of security Eccle. 2. Iudith 11. Continuall temporall prosperity presageth tortures infernall A Comparison Nothing worse theÌ„ inconsideration Hipocrites like vnto Asses Math. 6. Esay 5. Prouerbe hypocrits confession much like to Caesars parrot Iam. 2. Hypocrits are Atheists How wee must be-God Hypocrits lie when they saie their beleefe A similitude Hypocrits doe nothing but sinne Mat. 6. Esay 1 Iere. 6. Amos. 5 Mich. 6 Eccle. 4 Heb. 11 Heb. 3 Infidelitie the roote of vnclennesse Perpetual relatioÌ„ betwixt faith and the word Esay 55 Iohn 20 Psalme 95 Acts. 10 Rom. 10 Math. 24 Hypocrits continually harpe on this string Iudas captaine to hypocrits Not all of the church which come to the church Rom. 9 Iudas reputed for one of the Church vntil hee set his trecherie abroch Hypocrits in the Church as rotten meÌ„bers in the bodie Matth. 25. Who hath not the Church to his mother hath not God to his Father Sundrie religions but one truth Apoc. 3. Mungrell ChristiaÌ„s Better to be an open sinner theÌ„ a dissembler Nothing further froÌ„ sinceritie then simulation Worldlings like to luke warme LaodiciaÌ„s Faithe the most gorgious attire 1. Cor. 1. How to purchase true treasure 1. Tim. 6. Eccle. 29. Prou. 23. Eccle. 1. Ephe. 2. 1. Pet. 2. Psal 36. A Comparison Gala. 6. Iohn 6. Esay 28. Deut. 6. Gods children must learne this lesson Luke 6. Iereme 7. What it is to doe the Lords wil. 1. Iohn 1. 1. Tim. 4. Sinners strike God on the face Iohn 14. The cognisances whereby Gods children are discerned from Sathans impes A Comparison A fit Analogie Deut. 6. Iam. 4 Iohn 2 Esaie 5 Heb. 12 1. Iohn 5 Rom. 12 Iohn 17 Math. 16 Math. 16 How to discerne an hypocrite Math. 12 Iames. 3 Iohn 14 3. Reg. 3 How wide worldliÌ„gs are from true wisedome VVorldlings set the cart before the horse Math. 6 2. Iohn 2 1. Thes 5 A comparison Gen. 1. 1. Pet. 1 Math. 16 Math. 25 It is necessarie that Gods childreÌ„ beare the crosse 2. Tim. 3 Acts. 14 Heb. 12 Many fauour but few follow Christ Psal 33. Math. 8 Sathan tempeth by sundrie sleights Genesis 4. Gene. 21. Gen. 27. 1. Reg. 18. Mat. 26. The Church continually afflicted Why gods children suffer affliction 1. Pet. 4. 2. Tim. 2. Rom. 8. Psal 119. Gen. 22. Gen. 26. Examples of Saints afflicted Hebr. 11. Luke 24. Math. 10. The tenne persecutions A string whereon hipocrites are woont to harp 1. Tim. 6. Ephe. 5. Worldlings cloke Couetousnes vnder the colour of good husbandry Couetousnes husbandrie Num. 22. 4. reg 5. Math. 27. Act. 5. Barucke 3 Iames. 5. Luke 12. Eccle. 31. A similitude The couetous tied in the chanes of Sathan Psal 61. 1. Cor. 1 1. Tim. 6. Heb. 13 Amos. 3. Pretence of wife children Hypocrits cal pride handsomnes Vertue fountaine of true nobilitie Worldlings like to childreÌ„ and fooles Pride of women portraied Esaie 3 A cloake vnder which women hide their pride The true ornameÌ„ts of women Pride cause of dearth penurie A comparison 1. Pet. 5 Heb. 10 Presumption portraied Rom. 2. The shortnesse of mans life Deut. 29. Esay 55.