The White Devil, Title page – To the reader
THE WHITE DEVIL, OR THE HYPOCRITE VNCASED: IN A SERMON Preached at PAVLS Crosse, March 7. 1612.
BY THOMAS ADAMS Minister of the Gospell at Willington, in Bedford-shire.
IOHN 6. 70. HaueHave not I chosen you twelue, and one of you is a Deuill?
LONDON, Printed by MELCHISEDECH BRADVVOOD for RALPH MAB, and are to be sold in Pauls Church-yard, at the signe of the Angel.
1613.
TO THE VERIE WORTHY AND NOBLY-DISPOSED GENTLEMAN Sir THOMAS CHEEKE Knight.
RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL,
This Sermon beares so strange a title in the forhead, that I durst not (a while) study for a Patronage to it, but intended to send it to the broad world, to shift for it selfe, as fearing it would not be own'd: for it taxeth many vices; specially the Blacke Euell, secret Theeuery, and the White Deuill, slie Hypocrisie; whence it taketh the denomination, now what ambitious Courtier, would grace such a Stranger? what vicious Greatnesse would entertaine such a Page? what corrupted Lawyer, such a Client? what couetous Gentleman, such a Tenant? what vsurious Citizen, such a Chapman? Indeed what guilty man, such a Booke, as will tell him to his face, thou art the man? yet because, first generally, the world would thinke, I had brought forth a strange Child; that I could get no Godfather to it; And especially, because you (rare in these Apostate times) are knowen free from the aspersion of these speckled staines, the world bestowing on you, that worthy (not vndeserued) Character of Vertue: so that with a cleere & vn-clouded brow (the argument of an innocent soule) you may read these lines; I hauehave beene bold, at once, to offer this to your Patronage, and my selfe to your seruice. To this, your affection to diuine Knowledge, good profection in it, and much time spent towards the perfection of it, (a disposition worthy your blood) hauehave prompted me with incouragement. It is not the first of this nature, that I hauehave published, (perhaps the last) but if I had not iudged it the best, I would not hauehave beene so ambitious, as to present it to the view of so approued a Iudgement. Thus in affiance, of your good acceptance; I humbly leaue you to him, that neuer leaueth his.
Your worships in my best of seruices, THOMAS ADAMS.
To the Reader.
HOnest and vnderstanding Reader; (if neither, hands off) I neuer saluted thy Generall name by a speciall Epistle, till now: and now, perhaps, soone enough: but if Honesty be Vsher to thy vnderstanding, and vnderstanding Tutour to thy Honestie; as I cannot feare, so I need not doubt, or treat with thee for Truce: Truce, of what? of Suspense, not of Suspension; it belongs to our Betters: Suspend thy censure, doe not suspend me by thy censure. I doe not call thee aside, to aske, with what applause this Sermon passeth, but (it is all, I would hauehave and heare) with what benefite. I had rather conuert one soule, then hauehave an hundreth praise me. Whereof, if I were (so besotted to bee) ambitious, by this I could not hope it: for it puls many tender and tendred sins out of their downy neasts; and who strikes vice, and is not stricken with calumnies? I must rather thinke, it hath passed from one presse to another, to a worse, hazarding it selfe to be pressed to death with censures: which yet (though I lowly hope better) I cannot feare; since it speakes no more, nor other, then iustifiable truth. What hath beene obiected already, I must breefly answer. It is excepted, that I am too merry, in describing some vices. Indeed, such is their ridiculous nature, that their best conuiction is derision; yet I abominate any pleasantnesse heere, but Christian; and would prouoke no smile but of Disdaine: wherein the grauitie of matter, shall free my forme of words from lightnesse. Others say, I am other-where too Satyrically-bitter. It is partly confest: I am bitter enough to the sins, and therein (I thinke) better to the sinners, more charitable to the persons. Some wish I would hauehave spared the Church-theeues, because it is not yet generally granted, that Impropriations of Tythes, are appropriations of wrongs; but if there bee a competent maintenance to the Minister, and not to him neither, except of worthy gifts, (prouided, that they iudge of his gifts and competencie) it is enough: well, if any such be greeued, let him allow his Minister a Sufficiency, vnderunder which he cannot liue, without want to his family, or disgrace to his profession (at least, so taken.) and heerof certified, I will take counsell to draw the bookes, and put his name out of the Catalogue of Theeues: But it would be strange if any of these Ziba's should yeeld to Mephibosheth a diuision of his owne lands or goods; when they doe, I will say, Dauid is come againe to his Kingdome, or rather, the Sonne of Dauid is come to Iudgement. Others would hauehave Inclosers put out, because (commonly) great men, but therefore the greater their finnes, and deseruing the greater taxation. Nay some would perswade Vsury to steppe in, to trauerse his Inditement, and prooue himselfe no Theefe, by the verdict of the Countrie; because Sub Iudice lis est, it is not yet decided, that Vsury is a Sinne. It is Sub Iudice indeed, but the Iudge hath already interposed his Interlocutory, and will one day giuegive his Definitiue Sentence, that Vsurie shall neuer dwell in his holy Mountaine. Others blunder in their verdict, that I hauehave too violently baited the Bagge at the stake of Reproch, and all because I want it: I will not returne their censure, that they are hence knowen to hauehave it, that speake against me, for speaking against it: who yet, if they would light the candle of their Speech, at the fire of their Vnderstandings, would easily see and say, that it is not the fulnesse of the Bagge, but the fowlenesse of the Bagge-bearer, that I reprooue: I could allow your purses fuller of wealthinesse, so your mindes were emptier of wickednesse: but the Bagges effects, in our affects, vsually load vsus, either with parcimony or prodigallity; the lightest of which burdens, saith Saint Bernard, is able to sincke a Shippe. Others affirme, that I hauehave made the Gate of Heauen too narrow, and they hope to finde it wider; God and the Scriptures are more mercifull. True it is, that Heauen-Gate is in it selfe wide enough; and the narrownesse is in respect of the Enterer: and though thy sins cannot make that too little to receiue thee, yet they make thee to grosse and vnfit, to get into that: thus the Straitenesse ariseth from the deficiency, (not of their Glory, but) of our Grace. Lastly, some hauehave the Title sticking in their stomacks; as if Christ him selfe had not called Iudas a Deuill; and likened an Hypocrite to a Whited Sepulcher: as if Luther did not giuegive Iudas this very Attribute; and other Fathers of the Church, from whom Luther deriues it. Good Christian Reader, leaue cauils against it, and fall to caueats in it: read it through: if there be nothing in it to better thee, either the fault is in my hand, or in thy hart. Howsoeuer, giuegive God the praise; let none of his. Glory cleaue to vsus earthen Instruments. If thou likest it, then (quo animo legis, obserua, quo obseruas, serua) with the same affection thou readest it, remember it, and with the same thou remembrest, practise it. In hope of this, and prayer for this, I commend this Booke to thy Conscience, and thy conscience to God. Willington, March. 27. 1613.
Thine if thou be Christs T. A.