Oil of Scorpions, Consideration 2

Oil of Scorpions · Consideration 2

p. 41THE SECOND CONSIDERATION.

Sect. I.

THat these punishmentsGods wrath punishing is prouoked by our sinning. Proued by a comparison of the contrary; equal blessings being vponupon holinesse. of Wrath, and the wrath that inflicts these punishments, are prouoked by our Sins. Whē the Harts of Men, are according to the Heart of GOD, when the Image of God is in their Soules, and their Actions proceed from that Image, then is there a most excellent Con…ort p. 42and Harmonie betweene Heauen and Earth, and from thence issue the most rauishing sounds of earthly, and heauenly Benedictions. To this Harmonie the Quier of Angels adjoynes it selfe, and sings a Dittie expressing the Musicke: Glory be to God on High, Peace on Earth, and Goodwill towards Men. When Man giues God in heauen his Glory, then God reacheth out to Man on earth Peace and Goodwill. Now the Peace and Goodwill of God though they passe our Vnderstanding, yet we vnderstand so much of them, that from them flow all the Mercies and Blessings that p. 43wee can conceiue and vnderstand, and those also which the Heart of Man cannot conceiue, nor his Tongue expresse. For the Lord hauing in himselfe, a boundlesse fulnesse of Ioy, and pleasures for euermore, his Goodwill and Peace doth vnlocke vntounto Man that Treasurie, and from thence flow forth the innumerable bounties of heauenly and earthly blessings. Hence are those manifold promises of GOD vntounto Man, of God I say vntounto Man, when Man is conformable vntounto God. To Noah, pleasing God in holinesse, is an Arke of Saluation giuen amidst a generall destruction. p. 44To Abraham, pleasing God in the Sacrifice of his Sonne, is a promise giuen that he should be the Father of the Sonne of God. To the Israelites Leuit. …6.Lev 6walking in Gods statutes, and keeping his Commandements, God promiseth raine in due season, the Land shall yeeld her increase, they shall eate their bread to the full; in summe, he will be their God, and they shall be his people; which is the knot of perfect Blessednesse. The like is repeated in Deuteronomie, Deut. 2….Deut 2where to the keepers of Gods Lawes are promised, blessings in the Citie, the Field, the Sheepe, and p. 45the Cattell, &c. And Saint Paul testifies the whole substance of this Truth, in this one sentence, Godlinesse1. Tim. 4. 8.1 Tim 4:8 hath the promises of this Life and that to come. ButBy the discord between God and Man, made by sinne. on the Contrarie, Sinne makes a discord betweene God and Man, and from that discord flow forth infinite punishments. There is no quarrell between God and Man but Sinne, and this is a mayne one, for it sets Heauen and Earth each against other. Man walketh contrarie to God in his sinfull disobedience; and God walkes contrarie to Man in his wrathfull Iudgements; but woe be to Man, for hee striueth p. 46with his Maker, the potsheard with the Potter, andBy words of God in Scripture. he must needs be battred and broken in pieces. This also is strong by the powerfull confirmation of the word of Truth. Euen thePsal. 2.Ps 2 Kings of the Earth, if they band themselues against the Lord, the Lord shall laugh at them, but with a laughter most lamentable. For Gods Laughter is the fore-runner of Iudgement, as a blast of Sun-shine to a mighty Tempest. And behold the Tempest; Hee shall speake to them in his Wrath and vexe them in his sore displeasure; yea, he will breake them with a Rod of Yron, and dash p. 47them in pieces like a Potters vessell. Neither is God terrible onelyonly to the Princes of the earth, but to the People also. If yee doe wickedly (saith Samuel) yee1. Sam. 12. 25.1 Sam 12:25 shall bee consumed, both you and your King. And the same places that promise Blessings to Man being at peace with God▪ denounce heauie and bitter Curses vntounto Man being at odds with God by disobedience. If yee walke contrary vntounto mee, I will walke contrary vntounto you inLeuit. 26.Lev 26 …urie, I, euen I, will chastice you seuen Times forDeut. 28.Deut 28 your sinnes. Cursed shalt thou bee in the Cittie, and cursed in the Field. p. 48Cursed shall bee the fruit of thy bodie, the fruit of thy Land, the encrease of thy Kine, and thy flockes of Sheepe. Cursed shalt thou be in thy comming in, and thy going out; the Lord shall send vponupon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke. And the conclusion brings with it the reason of these Curses, which is the Burden of a Burden; Because Israel hearkens not to the Lord his God, to keepe his Commandements and his Statutes. Neither are theseBy the deeds of God in the Scripture. words onelyonly, but they are turned into deeds, and what was threatned was also surely inflicted. Accordingly the whole storie of Israel p. 49vnderunder Moses, Iudges and Kings is a Mirrour of this Truth, the wickednesse of Israel being attended by the plagues of Israel. And euen this Morall doth the Prophet Micah giuegive of Israels Mica. 1. 5.Miseries. For the transgressions of Israel is all this come vponupon them. And lestIt is true vnderunder the Gospell as wel as vnderunder the Law. wee should thinke this attendance of punishment vponupon sinnes to belong onelyonly to the Iewes, and not to the Gentiles; to the time of the Law, and not to the time of the Gospell, let vsus heare Christ affirming it, and the Apostles after Christ, andFirst, Proued by Christ. Mat 23. 37Matt 23:37 the Saints after the Apostles. Christ himselfe hauing spoken of the bloudy p. 50sinnes of Ierusalem, (with teares) doth second the mention of their bloudinesse, with a prediction ofSecondly, By Christs Apostle. 1. Cor. 11. …9, 3….1 Cor 11:91 Cor 11:3 Iudgement: Behold your house is left vntounto you desolate. The Apostle Paul saith to the Corinthians; That for their vnworthie receiuing some of them were sicke, and some were dead. Yea, he in…ers a general rule, That not iudging ourselues we are iudged of the Lord. Saint Iohn in the Reuelation, …. 16. 6.or an Angell in Saint Iohn; Reu 18 4.Rev 18:4Because they hauehave shed the bloud of the Saints, therefore hast thou giuen them bloud to drinke: And the partakers of the sinnes of the Whore, shall be partakers p. 51of the plagues of the Whore. And since the time of the Apostles, the holy Fathers followed this ruleThirdly, And so stil vnderunder stood by the succeeding Fathers. in the interpretation of Gods Iudgements, not looking for a Spirit of Reuelation, but guided by the Spirit of Sanctification. Saint Cyprian: Intelligendum est Cypr. Epis. 8.& confitendum, &c. Wee must know and acknowledge, that the troublesome desolation of this pressure, which hath greatly wasted our Flocke, and yet doth waste it, is come to vsus according to our sinnes; while wee treade not stedily the path of the Lord, nor keepe his heauenly precepts giuen for our saluation. Ambrose p. 52Ambrose Se…. …5.saith, The Citie doth not perish but for the sinnes of the Citizens. Gregorie Nazianzene, Greg. Naz. orat. 26.when in his Time a great Hayle had spoyled the fruits of the Earth, hee aduiseth the people that it is most safe to take it for a punishment of sinne, that they may be humbled therby. Gregorie Nyssene: WhenGreg. Nyss. in vita Mosis. wee heare that paynes and vexations, are inflicted by God vponupon Men, wee must vnderstand that the beginnings and causes of those vexations proceeded from our selues. And Hierome (according to his manner) most resolutely. It is manifest that Famine, Pestilence, noysome Beasts, or whatsoeuer p. 53other Euils wee suffer in this world, they come vponupon vsus for our sinnes. Gregory Greg. Mag. in Psal. poenit. 3.the Great: Quia sentio poenam, recogito culpam. Punishments felt, bring to my consideration sinnes committed.

SECT. II. The greatnesse of our sinnes amounts to a proofe that Gods wrath is vponupon vsus.

THus wee see a cloude of witnesses confessing Saint Pauls assertion, That for sinne comes the wrath of God vponupon the children of disobedience. And as wee see that the wrath of God commeth for sinnes, p. 54l…t vsus also looke vponupon our sinnes, and their greatnesse will shew them to bee such, which may iustly drawe downe the wrath of God. To reckon all our sins, our numberlesse sinning hath made it almost impossible. And …here are other worksA patt…n of these sinnes. that hauehave in some measure described them, only I will giuegive a patterne of some of the chiefest either in weight or custome, and which I cannot auoide because they meet mee eueryevery where. A1. Swearing and blasphemy first that flies in a mans face is blasphemous Swearing, wherein if in any other there is a pride taken in offending God; for other benefite of it, I thinke no p. 55man can assigne. Yet if their dulnesse would see it, is it easie to reason; If there bee no God, why doe I sweare by him: If there bee a God, how dare I to offend… him? If thou sweare by nothing, thou art a foole in thy swearing; and if thou sweare to thy torment, thou art a veryer foole. God hath… said himselfe, The taking of his name hee will not holde guiltlesse: And by…. …. Zacharie, that there is a Curse flying out againstHos 4.Hos 4 Swearers: and by Hosea, that the wrath of God issues out against a Land for swearing. In all this, thou either beleeuest not God, and yet swearest by him in p. 56whom thou beleeuest not; or else thou beleeuest that thou shalt bee cursed for swearing, and swearest that thou mayest be cursed. But for my part, I thinke generally the Swearers beleefe in God is very bad. And surely, if he beleeue not in God by whom he sweares, let him excuse me for beleeuing him when hee sweares by that God in whom heeTwo kinds of swearing. beleeues not. But of swearing wee may consider two kinds. The one is this voluntarie1. rash and vnnecessarie swearing, which issueth commonly from a profane heart and carelesse ofMeditat. and Dis…. of the Time. God. Of this I hauehave twice elsewhere more largely spoken, p. 57and I thinke it would be best confuted by a Law whereof there was a conception at the last Parliamentarie meeting. For before that time, I knew an order made at a meeting of recreation, that a penaltie should bee payd for eueryevery oath, and that but a little one, and yet it wrought such effect, that they scarce swore three oathes in an afternoone, that by proportion of vsuall swearing should hauehave sworne threescore, if that order had not beene. To a Law against this sinne is there this encouragement, That his Maiestie…. Dor. lib. 1. in his booke to his sonne with strong reasons p. 58diswadeth him from it, as being a sinne of neither plesure nor profit, and gotten onelyonly by custome. Which exhortation I wish might take place, chiefly in the Cour…, where it was borne; and next in the Countrey, to which it is come. For that saying of the Prophet, The soule that sinneth shall die, I take to bee generall, and to comprehend as well the soules at Court, as the soules in the Countrey. The other is a more solemne and…. Kind of …. formall swearing, and that by oathes proposed and offered. Surely in this also God hath beene much offended, and that diuers wayes. One is, when the p. 59Taker of the oath sweares1. Swearing against con science. against knowne trueth, for which indeed there is a penaltie which can hardly be too great, since the sinne2. Inconsiderate & confused swearing▪ of this three sorts out-growes it. Another, when oathes are offered of things infinite vnlawfull or vnknowne, and of these I wish a suruey were taken.1. Swearing to things by the heape and vndistinguish…d. It is a hard thing for a man to sweare at once to numberlesse things, since consideration should goe before swearing; and he that sweareth inconsiderately, sweareth dangerosly. Now, how hard is it to sweare considerately… of many things a… once, and but once proposed? Secondly, I wish there were a search for swearing p. 60to things vnlawfull, since I hauehave heard it by credible information, that there remaynes yet an oath of persecuting the Lollards proposed to one of the chiefe of the Countrey-Offices. Thirdly, it is a miserable3. To things either lawfull or vnlawfull, if not knowne, and iudged to be that which they are sworne to bee. thing to giuegive oathes vnknowne. And an oath is vnknowne either where neither the words nor matter of the oath are knowne, or when the words are knowne, but not the matter. For these two latter kinds of oathes, a search and cure were very necessarie. And as in all other places so I wish especially they were examined in the Vniuersitie; That is the p. 61Salt of the Land, and if the Salt hauehave lost his sauour, how shall the Land be salted; yea, how shall it selfe bee made sauourie? The doctrine of swearing from thence should flow most cleare and vntaynted, and with the cleerenesse of doctrine should be ioyned the puritie of example. And there I wish might bee considered, whether the first degrees hauehave no oathes giuen them of the Statutes which they know not, and whether it be easie to know them. I hauehave heard it complayned of; and it is pitie that he should first hauehave a torne conscience himselfe that coms to heale the broken p. 62consciences of others. There is an excuse, that the submission to the penaltie is a performance of the Oath, but I wish it were well proued, that penalties were added to Laws to dissolue them and not to binde them, to make them safely not to bee kept, and not to make them safely kept.Vide Sayer. Thesa. casu▪ cons…. lib. …. cap. 9. num. 10. And if this be the intent of the Oath, it were good it were made known to the Takers by the Giuers. Besides, I wish it were considered whether there be no Oathes giuen to yong men of the first degrees, whereof the wordes they know, but hauehave not iudgement of the matter. The Bishop of p. 63Oxon. in his Sermons againstSermon. 4. prope fin. the Popes Supremacy, saith of young Academicks, They are led impetu & temeritate non delectu aliquo aut sapientia ad judicand…m. Now that which I inferre, is this, That questions diuersly held by old Diuines, seldom come with in the Resolution of young Iudgements that are without iudgement; and if they in their Iudgements know not what they sweare, they doe not sweare in Iudgement, which condition I thinke is required by God himselfe in his prescribed Rule of swearing. God isIcre…. 4. 2. taken as a Witnesse of their Rashnesse and not of their p. 64Iudgement; and while they sweare, that they beleeue what they know not, God is inuoked to behold their Ignorance, and not their Beliefe. Neither doth it appeare to me a sufficient answer, That it is a Truth which is sworne, for it sufficeth not to the Swearer that it be a Truth which he sweares, except it be known to him for a Truth. In ciuill Causes I hauehave heard it taxt in a Swearer, when he hath sworne that such a Man at such a time was at such a place, when himselfe at that time was not at the place, but heard that, which he swore, reported by others. And this meetes with an other p. 65Obiection, That elder Iudgements may bee a ground to the younger. But how is it safe to lay the safetie of a mans conscience vponupon another mans iudgement, since it is certayne that man is subiect to errour, and for ought the ignorant Swearer knowes, that may bee the errour, which he sweares to bee a Truth. Is not this to beleeue as the Church beleeues, and to sweare a beliefe in Men, and not the knowledge of a Truth. How pertinent is his Majesties aduice in this Cause? Yee **B…lic. Dor. lib. 1.must neither lay the safety of your conscience vponupon the credit of your p. 66owne conceits, nor yet of other mens humours how great Doctors of Diuinitie soeuer they be, but ye must onelyonly ground it vponupon expresse Scripture. For Conscience not grounded vponupon sure Knowledge, is either an ignorant fantasie, or an arrogant vanitie.] And, if cōscience not surely grounded be an ignorant fantasie or an arrogant vanitie, then what is an Oath issuing from such a conscience, but the fruit of an ignorant fantasie or an arrogant vanitie?

p. 67A second Sinne. SECT. III. Drunkennesse.

ANother lothsome Sin of this Land, that calleth for wrath, is beastly Drunkennesse; yea, it is a wrong to beasts to call it their sinne, for generally they are sober. And if the Swine be drunke, who is the Drunkards embleme, it is by Mans acquaintance, for I neuer heard of a wilde Boare that was drunke.Filthy in the people Wherefore it should hauehave a name inferiour to Beasts, as indeed it makes Men, at least for the time of it; for a Man hauing lost the vse of his Soule, is worse then p. 68a beast, that keepes the vse of his instinct. Yea, a man that hath lost his senses, is therein worse then a Beast that hath them; as sure, as a liuing Dog is better then a dead Lion. And as in the naturall body the liquor fumes from below▪ and workes vp on high, so I wish in the body of this Land, this Vice which had his first seate in the dregs of Men, did not aspire to places of Eminence. Yet theM…st vn…emly in the guides of the people. higher it is the more hurtfull it is, as the greater the light is, the greater is the darknesse by the losse of that light. So the darkning of many Starres doth not so much empaire our Light p. 69as the Eclipse of a Sunne or a Moone. This sinne in the great doth double harme, for by putting out their light, there is lost both the Light of Direction and the Light of Example. If to entertayne a great Man, a Roome should bee drest as this sinne doth dresse it; I think he would lothe both his Host and his Lodging. How much more abominable is it to doe filthinesse then to see it; yea, to doe that Filthinesse which hee cannot abide to fee? I may bee the more earnest with the greater, because this sin is like to part from the Lesser, and hath most possibilitie to remayne with the p. 70Greater. For God hath met it with most kindly Iudgements,Shot at by the Arrowes of the Almightie. euen with Iudgements most proper to pierce the heart of it. For Pouertie & Scarsitie are the great Enimies of Drunkennesse; the Drinke by dearnesse calls for more Money; and the Money that should bee more, growes Lesser; so, the Drinke departs farther from the Money, and the Money farther from the Drinke. Then how shall a poore Drunkard continue his Trade, since it is the equall meeting of Drinke and Money that giues him his drunkennesse, and how shall they meete that are still going farther asunder? p. 71These are punishments, I confesse, but most proper for our sinnes and how can wee spare them, or with them away vntill that Disease bee rem…oued, whose Cure they are working? A poore Sobrietie is better then a rich Drunkennesse. When a Player was turnedCypr. Ep. 61 Christian (a farre better change then for a Christian to turne Player) hee would continue his Playing by this reason, because Playing was his maintenance: But what saith Cyprian, Contentus sit frugalioribus sed innocent thus ci…s, let …im be content with a more sparing but a guiltlesse maintenance. So may I say p. 72of that Scarsitie that brings forth Sobrietie, that a sober Scarsitie is better then a drunken Plenty. Yet were it best of al if we could both begg and obtayne (and by begging we may obtayne) the grace of Sobriety. Then should wee practise Vertue out of a louelove of Vertue, and should not neede a constraint by Scarsitie. Then God would bee pleased while our Sobrietie is voluntarie, and we should be blessed while a needlesse Scarsitie would be turned into Plentie. But if we will needes continue our sinnes, let vsus look for continuance of wrath, it being farre better that a Man should bee p. 73miserable then drunken, and most iust that he that is drunke should be miserable. A man of God (saith Huntingdon) fore-told greatHuntingdon. lib. 6. punishments to this Land for great sinnes, and one of them was Drunkennesse. Surely, if punishment and that sinne be tyed together, when hauehave we more strongly then in this Age drawneTyed vntounto punishment by the Curse of the Almightie. punishment vponupon vsus, by a huge Cart-rope of Drunkennes? And lest we should thinke that this sinne and punishment may be parted, we hauehave other prophesies, aboue all doubt and exception, that tye woes vntounto Drunkennesse, WoeHab. 2. 15.Hab 2:15 vntounto him that giueth his p. 74Neighbour drinke, that puttest thy Bottle to him and makest him drunken also: the Cup of the Lords right Hand shall be turned vntounto thee, and shamefull spewing shall bee for thy glorie. And another woe vntounto them that are mightieEsa. 5. ….Isa 5 to drinke wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drinke. All the beasts of the field are called to deuoure; yea, all the Beasts of the forest: For, come yee, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill our selues with strong drinke, and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant. But the Drunkard (and it is no wonder) knowes not what p. 75he sayes, for where he promiseth abundance to morrow, behold, scarsitie to day; yea, Scarsitie and her sister Pouertie. The Flesh prophesies prospe…itie to sinne, but Gods Spirit Affliction, God is true and all Flesh is a Lyar. And howsoeuer it goes here, it is most certayne, that if this life be to day, and the next life be to morrow, abundance of drinke to day, shall hauehave scarsitie to morrow. Hee that powres inPunished with eternall thirst hereafter. Gallons here, shall lacke Drops hereafter. The fire is hot, the thirst is great, a drop of water is but little; yet in this hot fire and great thirst, the little drop …l be p. 76denyed. Wherefore drinke lesse heere that yee may drink more hereafter, drink not without thirst heere, that you may not thirst without drinke hereafter. But a larger Antidote IDiseases of the Time. cap. 16. hauehave elswhere allowed this sinne, to which I remit him that would see more cause to bee sober, which vponupon the matter is nothing else but to see reasons to preserue Reason, then which nothing is more reasonable

A third Sinne. SECT. IIII. Vnthankfulnesse.

THere are yet many sinnes full of horrour and danger, And among p. 77them there is one as fearefull and dangerous as the rest, and that is Vnthankfulnesse. But there are so many sinnes between that and the Physitian, thatAlmst beyond cure there is almost no hope of comming neere it with a Cure. For before this sinne can come to be cured, the manifold abuses of Gods blessings must be remoued. For how can men bee thankefull to God for his benefits, vntill they leaue to offend God by his Benefits? Can they (though it were but in Words) giuegive God any praise for his blessings, when in their deeds by these blessings they dishonour him. We hauehave had p. 78great deliuerances, wee hauehave the Gospell set at libertie among vsus. We hauehave not yet beene giuen vp into the hands of our Enemies but our mercifull God hath hitherto chastised vsus with his owne hands, euen with fatherly Corrections. But how shall a man lookeIn the a…es of Gods blessings. that a Drunkard, a Glutton, or a Player-like Fashionist, should bee thankefull to God, I say not for the light of the Gospell, which Owles cannot see, but for meat drinke or apparell, when they all abuse these blessings vntounto Luxurie, pride and vanitie? Surely if they should giuegive GOD thanks for them, it must be p. 79in these words, I thanke thee for giuing mee these blessings which I hauehave conuerted vntounto the fuell of eternall Cursednesse. Therfore first I wish they might be brought to leaue the abuse of Gods blessings, and then would there be some hope that they would giuegive God thankes for them; if once by a right indgement they saw them to come from God, and returned them to the honour of him that gaue them, then would they giuegive him thanks both for the blessings and the blessed vse of them. And then indeed doe they onelyonly become blessings vntounto vsus when wee blessedly vse p. 80them: In the meane timeA Cure is yet expected in the godly. I expect onelyonly of the righteous that they be thankfull, for it becommeth well saith Dauid the righteous to bee thankfull. These by their thankfulnesse retaine the blessings for which they are thankfull, for thankfulnesse being bred of Gods blessings preserueth that which bred it. On the other side vnthankfulnesse looseth the blessings, which thankfulnesse might hauehave preserued, for it is not fit man should receiue blessings from God when God from Man for such blessings hath no returne of glory. It is a small thing to returne thanks for p. 81reall and great blessings, which if we doe we are infinite gayners. Yea, the more we thanke God, the more cause shall wee hauehave to thanke him. For thanks for old benefits drawes an increase of the benefits for which we gaue thankes, as else-where more at **Art of Hap. part. 3. cap. 6.large I hauehave shewed.

A fourth Sinne. SECT. V. Deceitfulnesse of Trade.

ANother great sinne ofA Trade in a Trade this land is deceitfulnesse of Trades. Single trades are growne to bee double, for there are two p. 82Trades in one; the one is a skill of doing it truely, the other of doing it deceitfully. And hee is the more skilfull Tradesman that knoweth the falshood of his trade, rather then …ee that knoweth the truth of it. Hee that can make an excellent Counterfeit, and sell the Counterfeit at the price of the true, is an expert Tradesman. Thus men take money not for ware but for cousenage, they sell deceipt and with the price thereof buy damnation. The Scripture saithProu. 11. 1.Prov 11:1 that false weights be an abomination to the Lord. The force of that speachHa…d by God. lies not in the word weights p. 83but in the word false. For God hateth not weights more then any other Instrument of Trade, but hee hateth falshood, as in weights, so in all things else. Therefore let euerie Tradesman that deales not by weights, take out the word Weights, and put in the subiect of his falshood, and then let him take the verse to himselfe, and say, The falshood of my Trade is abomination vntounto the Lord. These bee they thatAmos 8.Amos 8 make the shekell great and the Ephah small, the goods sold as little worth as they may, and the price of the goods as great as they can and these are as C…affe and p. 84the wrath of God is as Fire. How should they escape, yea, how should a Land escape where they are, since God hath not onelyonly said but sworne it. The Lord hath sworne by the excellencieIbid. ver. 7. And with an oath condemned to bee punished. of Iacob, surely I will neuer forget any of their works. Shall not the Land tremble for this, and euerie one mourne that dwelleth therein? I will turne your Feasts into Mourning, and all your Songs into Lamentation, and I will bring vp sackcloth vponupon all loynes, and baldnesse vponupon euerie head, and I will make it as the mourning of an onelyonly sonne, and the end thereof as a bitter day. Neither let p. 85euerie man looke for this sinne in others but in himselfe, for few there bee that in dealings doe not worke vponupon the ignorance or need of the buyer or borrower. Neither hath this sinne gone without attendance of an immediate punishment, for I hauehave heard aYea already punished. credible report, that amongst other naturall causes of the decay of Cloathing, this hath beene one, that Cloathes hauehave beene deceitfully both made and coloured; and men will not giuegive money againe, to bee againe deceiued. It seemes to me the very profit of honestie should bee powerfull with those, with those that p. 86measure all their actions byTo be left for the same cause for which it is vsed. profit. For honestie though it gaine but a little at once, yet it gaines that little often and long; for it keepes the Customers which it hath gotten. But deceit when it gets extraordinarily, gets it but once, for nothing but meere Necessitie will bring a man into a trap where hee hath once beene taken, nor make him ioyne with a knowne theefe in his owne robbing.

p. 87A fifth Sinne. SECT. VI. Carnall and vnnaturall Filthinesse.

THere is another sinne which I would willingly passe by, but that the wrath of God doth not vse to passe by it. In regard of the filth of it, a man can hardly speake of it, and in regard of the wrath of it, a man may not hold his peace. This wrestling of thoughts Epiphanius expresseth, when hee writes against the Gnosticks. He is pained in speaking, and pained in not speaking; if hee speake he feares to discouer p. 88the face of a Basiliske, which may rather bring death then amendment. If hee speakes not he feares the Curse, Cursed is hee that knowes a murther and doth not reueale it. And it may bee (sayes he) someSo filthy that it makes the words that r…proue it almost lothsome. seeing the vglinesse of this Monster will not onelyonly auoyd him, but goe about to destroy him. O the drunkennesse of Lust, which like the drunkennesse of Lot, takes away all sight of the vgliest filthinesse euen in acting it, when yet to a sober minde the abomination of it is painefull euen in speaking it. O the wildnesse of Lust, which like a fed Horse, breakes ouer p. 89hedge and ditch, and will not bee bounded but with Diseases, Death and Hell; God hath giuen a bound and that bound is a RemedieSo wilde that it de…piseth Gods laws and remedies. for this ranging Furie. It is better to marry then to burne, saith Paul. But some louelove single filthinesse, rather then honourable marriage, some flie from Paradise and runne into Sodom, some leauing Gods Remedies seeke Remedies of the Deuill, whose office is not to quench fire but to kindle it, euen the fire of Lust heere, and the fire of Hell hereafter. Therefore art thou inexcusable O man whosoeuer thou art, That preferrest thine owne p. 90Diseases before Gods Remedies, That wilt not suffer the Creator to giuegive Lawes to his owne Creation; but transgressing the Law which by Nature he hath set vponupon his Creature, thou makest vnnaturall Lawes to crosse thy Creator. A most abominable absurditie, that God should be the Creator of vsus, & not the disposer of vsus, that his owne order should not be obserued in his owne Creatures, and that blind Lust should change the Law which infinite wisedome hath giuen. Surely the Wisedome that was wisest to make vsus, was no doubt wisest to order vsus, this wisdome p. 91gaue the woman toA companion and punishment of spirituall filthinesse. Bern. Sup. Cant. Serm. 66. and Ser. de co… uersione ad …ler. cap. 29. Numb. 25. 1. 2. Rom. 1. 23. 24.Num 25:1Num 25:2Rom 1:23Rom 1:24 the man, all other gifts are presents of Lust and gifts of the Diuell, the first peruerter of Nature, and a destroyer of the Creation as soone as it was borne. These sinnes of filthinesse were wont to bee the fruits of Romish Chastitie, and I wish that Romish LoueLove hauehave not brought with it Romish Lust, for wee see that spirituall and corporall filthinesse are oft tyed together; Israell whoring with Moab fell to Moabs Idols, and the Gentiles turning Gods glory to Idols fell to abominable filthinesse. But let vsus remember that carnall filthiness is a p. 92sinne that hath cast out theBlasted with heauie Iudgements. Ier. 5. 9, 10.Jer 5:9Jer 5:10 Amorites, and burnt the Sod…mites, and brought vengeance on the Israelies, and how may wee escape the punishment of this sin, when so many for this sinne hauehave beene punished? The same God and the same sinne▪ and why not the same wrath? Who hath giuen vsus a Patent of priuiledge from Gods generall Law, but he onelyonly who is a Lyar from the beginning, and told our first Parents, they should not die at all, when his whole dri… was to make them to die euen by a beliefe of not-dying. So doth hee deale with vsus still, hee shewes vsus the fairenesse of p. 93sinne, but hides the miserie that attends it, hee affirmes the pleasure and denies the torment, hee sheweth vsus the Bayte and hideth the Hooke. But let eueryevery souleA Remedy for this and all other pleasurable tentations that would not bee caught by this Fisher of soules, deale quite contrarie to the Deuill. As hee hideth the punishment and sheweth the pleasure, so let the soule that would be safe, fixe her eye on the punishment, and turne her eye from the pleasure. A miserable exchange, an eternall punishment for a short pleasure; yea, a wretched Method, that short pleasure should bee first, and eternall punishment after. For what auayles p. 94thee that thou hast had pleasure, when now thou art in payne, thy pleasure is not, and thy payne is, and shall bee for euer. Therefore fight against all vnnaturall fire of Lust in this world, where men may fight and ouercome; for to fight against the Fire to come there is no hope but it will ouercome thee for euer. Binde thy selfe to the order wherein the great Creator hath ranged his Creatures, and be not found out of thy ranke; for, if thou wilt not be righted by his Law of Nature, thou shalt be ordered by his Law of Iustice; for Payne shall set in order what wicked p. 95Pleasure hath confounded. Bee chastly single; but if thy singlenesse doe endanger thy chastitie, bee chaste by being double; take no other remedie but what God hath allowed thee. All strange fires, and strange remedies beginne and end in Hell; Learne not of the Deuill the abuse of Creatures whereof he is not the Maker but the Destroyer; and if thou wilt needs hauehave him to bee thy Schoolemaster, bee thou assured that he which teacheth thee, shall also cruelly scourge and torment thee. AndThe Deuill whips his best Schollers most. here is the Mysterie of that Infernall Schoole of Iniquitie, they which learne p. 96most there shall bee most tormented.

A sixth Sinne. SECT. VII. Declination to profanenesse.

THere is yet another Sin that calleth for Iudgements, and it is a declination from Religion to profanenesse. The ordinarie meanes which Christ hath left to maintayne the life of Religion is the Word and sacraments by the dispensation of his Ministers. Now this Word and Sacraments, and the Ministers that dispense them, for the due performance p. 97of this work must hauehave a fit maintenance, a fit time, and a fit place. IfBy want of maintenance to the Mi nisterie. any of these be wholy wanting Religion falls to the ground, and as much as they are impaired, so much Religion is diminished. For the maintenance of the Ministrie, Tithes are allowed; for the place, the Church; and for the time, the Lords day. Therefore, the abatement of tithes, the ruinousnesse or the neglect of the House of God, and the profaning of the Lords day must needs be corrosiues to Religion. Yet the first hath long since beene done by Popish superstition, neither hath it yet beene healed by p. 98a due Reformation. I hauehave spoken elsewhere, and nowMedit. 79. 3. part. heartily pray, That in such places where teaching wants for want of maintenance, that there might bee a supplie of it, by a supplie of maintenance, which it seemes to mee doth not exceed the wit of man to deuise. And till that time that it would please Authoritie either to allow them some helpe from the adioyning Ministers, or permit them to buy bread for themselues, or by some other meanes prouide for that want; since howsoeuer fulnesse of bread be suspected of nicenesse and wantonnesse, yet it is pitie that p. 99want of bread should therefore lacke that compassion which belongs to it. AsBy the neglect of repairing Gods House, or repayring to it. for the place allotted to the Ministerie, it hath of late receiued decent Reformation, but I wish the houses be not emptier as they grow fairer. For Mans corrupt Nature is apt to make ill vse of Libertie and Impunitie, and as there is a Recusancy of a deceiued Conscience, so there is a Recusancy of a No-Conscience; and I wish the latter Recusants make no ill vse of any Libertie giuen to the former, neither that they grow bold vponupon any Impunitie not intended to them. Lastly, for the Time, which is p. 100the Lords day, to lay asideBy workes or playes of distraction and incongruitie on the Lords day. all Iewish superstition, it is most assured, That as the Church cannot ordinarily consist without the Word, nor the Word without a Place; so neither can the Word in his place be profitably communicated without an appointed Time. IfDangerous to the very Life of the Church. so; then the Time appointed for the Ministerie of the Word is a mayne preseruatiue of the Church; and on the contrarie, the peruerting of that Time is a very corrosiue and consumption to the Church: Then how wary should men be of encroching vponupon that time by any vnfit or derogatorie action, since the ouerthrow p. 101thereof hath such a fearefull effect as the ouerthrow of the Church? It is fit that men should keepe off from the borders of such a capitall Sinne, as they would keepe themselues a good wayes off from the brinke of a bottomlesse pit. And a good and tender Conscience should cast with himselfe, how he may bee sure with discretion to goe farre enough from it, rather then how hee may safely come nee…e it. Againe, it beingThe day of Gods Seruice to be reu…ndly vsed as the place of his seruice. confessed that the worship of God hath as much need of a determinate time as a determinate place, and that one worke euen the publike seruice of God hallowes p. 102both the Time and the Place, why should wee not thinke it a profanenesse in turning the time as the place from the worke appointed to it. To turne the place of Gods seruice into a place of sporting, euen when Gods seruice is not there, is in most mens eyes a profane incongruitie and indecencie. And why is it not a like profanenesse to turne the day appointed to Gods seruice into a day of sporting, euen then when the seruice of God is not doing? Surely, to doe the dayes worke in the day seemes to bee most proper and reasonable. If so; then works, or if you will, playes p. 103of distraction that make the proper workes of the day lesse profitable and more forgotten, how can they be iustified? Yet men are not bound wholly and onelyonly to the chiefe works of the day, which are Prayer and Teaching, but any action is lawfull that furthers them and is agreeable to them, as workes of mercy and charitie, profitable and comfortable conference, and any such refreshing as without scandale makes vsus more cheerefull and able in the duties of the day. So that a Christian is not bound from any …it Libertie, but …om that licentiousnesse …ch vnnecessarily turneth p. 104the day from and against his proper workes, which as much as it is, so much it decayes Religion, and admits profanenesse. Yet herein men hauehave beene most audaciously violent; and especially such Gentlemen who hauing played the six dayes hauehave least need to play the seuenth, yet are in greatest paine if they may not make it out a whole weeke. For, three houres labour of sitting (if not sleeping) in the Church, is so full of wearinesse, though a Dinner come in the middle, that a whole sixe dayes recreation cannot expiate it, without an euening sacrifice to the Boules or Cards p. 105on the seuenth. And these men yet would fayne be excused,Profanenesse seeks out means of defending, not of amending. and to that end are glad to lay hold on any …hew of protection; But thereby they plainly shew their partiall LoueLove to a carnall libertie, since it is common to heare from them any pretence for their pastimes on Gods day, but I could neuer heare three men to speake of his MaiestiesGiuen at The …lds. Proclamation forbidding pastimes on that day. And therein this is remarkable, that it agrees almost in words with the Decrees of ancient Emperours, citedChemni… ▪ exa. part▪ 4. ca…. De Fes…is. by Chemnioius, to this effect. The holidayes dedicated to the highest Maiestie p. 106wee will not hauehave to be bestowed in our pleasures, nor profaned by the vexation of exactions. Therfore wee decree that the Lords day shal be kept with honor & reuerence, &c. and a little after; Neither doe we giuegive such libertie to the leasure of this day, that we should suffer any to employ himselfe in obscoene pleasures. Let the Stage that day challenge nothing to it selfe, nor the conce…tations of the Circus, nor the lamentable spectacles of beasts; yea, if the solemnitie of our owne birth light on that day, let it be deferred: The words of the Proclamation doe thus paralell them; For that p. 107wee are informed, that there hath beene heretofore great neglect in this Kingdome of keeping the Sabbath day: for better obseruing of the same, and auoyding of all impious profanation of it, wee doe straightly charge and command, that no Beare-bayting, Bul-bayting, Enterludes, common Playes, or other like disordered or vnlawfull Exercises or Pastimes be frequented, kept, or vsed, at any time heereafter vponupon any Sabbath day.

p. 108A seuenth Sinne. SECT. VIII. Back-sliding to Idolatrie.

I Might here adde as grieuous a Sinne; a backsliding to Idolatrie, but that the falling of some is ouercome by the strong constancy of many. It is comfortable to heare, that the blasts of Superstition hauehave beene to so many like the winde to a Traueller, that makes him to binde his loose garment the faster.Somewhat t… compensed by the constancy of many. This is to follow the very patterne of the Apostles, of whom it is said, that the vnbeleeuing p. 109Iewes stirring vp the Gentiles, and making their minds ill affected to the Brethren, ThereforeActs 14.Acts 14 they abode long time speaking in the Lord. Where the truth is much opposed, there it ought most strongly to be maintayned. And IGods end in permitting opposition. thinke it to be the very end of God in permitting opposition; that the truth which before was held too remisly, and perchance too indiscreetly, might bee held with a more inflamed louelove, a greater constancy, andThe best meanes of preseruing the puritie of Religion. sounder Iudgement. And surely there is no better meanes of keeping the Truth, then a heartie louelove and strong affection. It is p. 110the doctrine of Christ to the Churches of Asia, and in them to the Churches of Europe, yea, to all that hauehave eares to heare, That the holding of the first and dearest louelove is the meanes of keeping the Candlesticke, and the losse of that LoueLove the cause of remoouing it. Let vsus therefore encrease in our louelove to the Trueth, as much as we would encrease the keeping of the Truth; And let vsus assuredly beleeue that God may well be carelesse of giuing that to vsus, which wee our selues are carelesse to keepe being giuen. But to them that withdraw themselues basely or wilfully from Trueth to p. 111Superstition, I need not say,Heb. 10. 38.Heb 10:38 for the Lord hath said it, his Soule hath no pleasure in them. But this I say, and desire that all me… may know it; That such Back-sliders,Three mayne follies and miseries at attending Back-sliders. besides the Egyptian darknes of Ignorance, & a multitude of errors fal by reuol…ing into three most grosse absurdities of miserable cōsequence.

A first wretched absurditie. SECT. IX. Apostasie from the spirituall worship of God vntounto Idolatrie.

A First is that mayn and capitall point of Apostasie, p. 112The turning vntounto dumbe Idolls from the liuing God. For if Paul make1. Cor. 12. 2. 1▪ Thess. 2.1 Cor 12:21 Thess 2 that the Character of a Conuert, euen the turning from dumbe Idolls to the liuing God, then it is a notable Character of an Apostata to turne from the liuing God vntounto dumbe Idolls. For in the same path wherein the Conuert walks from Idolls vntounto God, in the same doth the Apostata goe backe from God vntounto Idolls. And whereas there hath beene a sleight excuse for so grosse a fault, That an Idoll is the Image of nothing in the world; surely, this answere is nothing in the world. For the p. 113Image of those things that are, may be Idols, if diuine worship bee giuen vntounto them, as Aquinas teacheth,Th. Aqu. 2, 2…. quaest. 94 art. 1. & art. 4. Bellar. de verb. Dei. l. 1. cap. 13. compared with de Eccles. Trium. lib. 2. cap. 5. Act 7.Acts 7 and Bellarminc himselfe prooueth against himselfe. Yea, which is more, euen the things themselues may be turned into Idols, for so the Starres of Heauen were turned into Idols by the Israelites, and the Licaonians would hauehave made Idols of the Apostles themselues. The meaning therefore of the Apostle is manifestly this, That an Idoll is not at all that thing for which it is worshipped; or in regard of that Godhead which by worship is attributed to it, it is nothing in the world. p. 114This interpretation dothIdolatrie practised most heartily by the Papists. Aquinas himselfe giuegive, and reason it selfe doth shew it. For though as it is a piece of Metall, or a Starre, or Man, it hath a being, yet as it is an Idoll, and by worship made a God, the Idoll of it is nothing in the world. It is a meere lye, as the Prophet sayes, euen an affirmation of that which is not, For it tels the People it is a God when it is not. And for this reason doe we detest this wickednesse of the Romanists, because by curious shapes, rich ornaments, forged miracles, and dangerous Doctrines, theyAnd taught by their Doctors. draw the people to giuegive diuine worship to that which p. 115is nothing. And lest wee should doubt much whether diuine worship bee by their Doctrine ascribed to Images, wee shall find that in plaine termes they hauehave confessed it. Indeede the Councell of Trent hathHow the Councell of Trent is a generall Councell. herein dealt most cunningly, yet withall most cōtrarily to the intent of a Coun cell; since herein it onelyonly deserues to be called a generall Councell, because it couers many Questions with generall Termes; and so in this Question it sayes, wee must worship Images debit a veneratione, with due worship. Surely, a Councell should hauehave resolued doubts, and not hauehave continued p. 116them, but hereby it appeares that they would not, or could not resolue, either of which is faultie. But if their Councells will not tell vsus their Doctrine, we must aske next of their Doctors, and some of them plainly shew vsus that Doctrine of Idolatrie. Aquinas though he saith that Idolatrie is the giuing of diuine worship to a Creature, yetAqu. part. 3. quaest. 25. art. 2. 3. he excepteth the Image of Christ, and sayes, diuine worship belongs to that. His reason is most weake for so mightie a Doctor, but we must remember his iudgement was preiudiced by Custome and Education. Because of Christs Deitie, p. 117saith he, Christ must be worshipped, & the Image for representing Christ. But what doth Christs Deitie to the deifying of a piece of wood? Not by Representation, for the Godhead, as Paul saith, is not like siluerAct. 17. 29.Acts 17:29 or stone. Neither by Vnion or Communication, for the Deitie hath by no meanes giuen it selfe so much vntounto stone that it should be worshipped. Yea, the Deitie hath sworne cleane contrarie, that itEsa. 42. 8.Isa 42:8 will not giuegive his glorie to grauen Images. AnotherGregor de Valent. Apol. de Idol. citat. à Rainol. & confut. pre…ect. 249. Doctor, Gregorie de Valentia, amending the nicenesse of some, in this point plainly confesseth, that he giues p. 118diuine worship to the Image of Christ. And Azorius Azor. Iust. Mor. lib. 9. cap. 3.saith, that the Image of that which is worshipped with diuine worship, may with diuine worship also be worshipped. But Christ may so be worshipped, and therefore his Image. And Bellarmine himselfe cites many great Doctors of the Church of Rome, in these latter times, that maintaine Idolatrie. Alexander, Th. Aquinas, Cardinall Cajetan, De …ccles. Triumph. lib. 2. cap. 20Bona…enture, Marsilius, Almayne, Carthusianus, Capreolus, and others. These hold that the Image of Christ is to be worshipped with Latria. And Latria, by Bellarmines owne testimonie,Ibid. c. 24. p. 119is a chiefe worship due to the true God, and being giuen to an Image, it is true Idolatrie. And though for his owne part, he would fain in this point, as in others, bee somewhat neater then his fellows, yet shal we find in his Doctrine two mayne props or parts of Idolatrie: the one, where he sayes▪ That the worship giuen to the Image, is determined or bounded in the Image. And herein he doth no other, but make the Image, a very obiect of worship. And secondly, lest by making it a lower kinde of worship, and an improper Latria, he might flie out at a back-doore, which hee vsually p. 120leaues open for that purpose: hee saith further, That an Image may properly bee worshipped with Latria, if wee ioyne the ImageCap. 23. and the Paterne in one Imagination. Then a strong or intense Imagination, may worship Images with diuine worship, which is flat Idolatry. This strong imagination is indeed one of the strong delusions, belonging to the Chayre of Pestilence, by which men are led to beleeue lyes. A noble subtiltie, and meere trick of a Iuggler, which makes things really diuided, seeme to be one; and from a seeming Vnitie, will enforce a reall Vnitie of p. 121worship: The Image and the Paterne are asunder in themselues, and together onelyonly in the Imagination, then how can they scape Idolatrie, that giuegive diuine worship, to a thing really and truly diuided from the Deitie? Surely, Bellarmines reason, if it be holpen, will onelyonly goe so farre, That men may worship the Image which is in their Brayne, and not the Image before their Eyes. For the Image in their Brayne, hath an imaginarie Vnion with the Paterne, but the Image before their eyes hath none at all. But what is this, but to become vaine in imaginations, & while men professe p. 122themselues to bee wise in their subtilties, to become stark Fooles, as Saint Paul speaks vponupon the sameRom. 1. 21, 22.Rom 1:21Rom 1:22 subiect. It must bee a reall Vnion, as that is betweene the Deitie and Humanitie of Christ, that must giuegive a reall Communitie of worship. I would fayne know of Bellarmine, if hee came into the Popes Wardrobe, and there saw the Robes of the Pope, and imagined them on the Popes body, whether hee would fall downe, and giuegive the same honour to the Clothes, that he would doe to the Pope himself, if the clothes were worne by him. And yet I may tell him farther, That p. 123the clothes being worne by him, there is no reall or personall vnion betweene them, and therefore there is some difference of honor, giuen to the Man, and to the clothes which are no part of the Man.

Now, if these great Doctors maintayne sdolatrie, what shall the blinde Multitude doe but stumble, atGal. 5. 20.Gal 5:20 these stumbling-blocks laid before them by the Learned? The flesh inwardly is prone to Idolatrie, as the Scripture teacheth; the obiect without by beautie and conformitie is fit to tempt to Idolatrie; Ducit enim & affectu quodam infirmo, rapit infirma corda mortalium, p. 124formae similitudo, & membrorum imitata compago. As Ionas Aurelianensis hath outDe cul. Im. lib. 1. of Saint Austine. The likenesse of shape, and a resembling ioynture of the members, drawes the weake hearts of men, to an yeelding affection. And to the two temptations inward and outward, is ioyned in the Middle a Doctrine to consummate the worke of Idolatrie, by ioyning a carnall Heart, to the beloued Image, in a wretched worship. I may notdenie an election of grace, which was found in Israel, when their estate was outwardly so desperate, That Elias could not see one true worshipper p. 125besides himselfe. But I find both by Doctrine and Practice, that Church is generally and maynly giuen to Idolatrie. Agobardus, a reuerend Bishop, and neare to eight hundred yeeres Antiquitie, saith, Nullus antiquorum …ib. de …. & Imaginibus.Catholicorum &c. None of the ancient Catholikes did beleeue that Images were to bee worshipped. But now this error by growing is made so manifest, that it is come neere to Idolatrie, or the Heresie of the Anthropomorphites, men worshipping Images, and putting their trust in them. So we see how it was in the time before him; the Fathers generally denyed p. 126worship to Images. ButN… dum e… error emerserat qu… n… de ca▪ bon…bus▪ …inio que vel … de figuratae of figies Sanctae Imag…nes v…carentur & adorandae praedicarentur, ibid. Ionas Aure…. …ib. 1. de cult. Image. withall we see how it began to be in his time, That Idolatry came to be taught and practised, as more largely in the same Treatise hee sheweth. Long after this time Claudius Taurnie…sis, saith, That when hee came to his Bishoprick in Italie, he found his Churches full of accursed Images, & that men did worship them, neither doth his Aduersarie Ionas denie it in his answer, but acknowledgeth it to be lamentable, Largissimis fidelium lachrymis lugendum & plorandum. And now for these last times, wee see before, how Idolatrie hath beene improoued by the p. 127writings of many Doctors; wee hauehave seene with our eyes how it hath beene increased by a mightie stock of miracles tyed to many of them; and we see no reformation by the Pope, but rather an approbation, by his …cribes and Inquisitors. Accordingly, a good Authour of ours shewes out of Authours of theirs, That aMihi vnus tantui… videtur cu tus imagini debitus, idem nempe qui debetur exemplari. Rainold. Thes. 5. certayne Canon was condemned at Si…il of heresie, for denying the worship of Latria to the Crosse. But now if any man will see the danger of this sinne, let him take the storie of the Israelites and looke steadily vponupon it, and there will arise to his sight a most fearefull p. 128apparition of grieuous plagues, successiuely tormenting them for this sin in their successiue generations. And to this day the remembrance of them is so terrible, that of all other sinnes, the Iewes will by no meanes be brought to Idolatrie. And in this respect, I thinke, the Church of Rome by her Idolatrie, is a mayne obstacle to their Conuersion; and it seemes by the same reason, the taking away of that fountain of Idolatrie, would further much the conuersion of the Iewes. Certayne it is, that the Iewes shal be called, and that their Calling shall bee to a pure and primitiue p. 129Truth, for their Calling shall be glorious, euen as aRom. 11. 15.Rom 11:15 rising from the dead? Neither shall the Gentiles begin their Calling in a primitiue purity, and the Iewes hauehave their vprising clouded with the Errors and impurities of the Gentiles. If it should be so, where is that priuiledge of louelove for the Fathers sakes? If then the Iewes shall bee called by a Doctrine of puritie, what must become of the Romish impuritie, the Mother of superstitions and abominations? But in the meane time, let this be our griefe, that a Nation denyeth Christ which hateth Idolatrie; and a People maintayneth p. 130Idolatrie that professeth the Name of Christ. To conclude this point, if any would feele the weight of the iealousie of God (and iealousie is the rage both of God and Man) threatned in his Commandement; if any man would fayne hauehave the Iudgements of God powred on him, which were heretofore on the Iewes, of which themselues are wearie: If any would be partaker of the plagues of Babilon, let them be also partakers of Babilons Idolatrie,Reu. 9. 21.Rev 9:21 euen the worship of Gold, Siluer, Wood, and Stone.

p. 131A second dangerous Absurditie. SECT. X. Partaking of a Religion laden with bloud.

ANother grosse absurditie and step into Miserie, is the entring into a Religion laden with bloud, euen the bloud of the Prophets and Saints, and those which are slaine vponupon earth. When a Murtherer is conuinced of some cruell blood-shed, who would infect himselfe with his guilt, and take part to himselfe of a Murtherers guilt and punishment? But in this purple Congregation, is the bloud of many p. 132thousands; yea, the bloud ofReu. 18. 24.Rev 18:24 many Prophets & Saints, and of all that were slaine vponupon earth. A most grieuous burthen, and pressing down into hell. This mountaine of bloud will make bloud-guilty men to cry for Mountaines of earth to fall vponupon them, & couer them. And as vponupon the last Ierusalem that slew Christ, the sin of the first Ierusalem thatMat. 23. 34Matt 23:34 slew the Prophets; yea, euen before Ierusalem the bloud of Abel the righteous, came altogether in one reckoningYea, with the bloud of al▪ Sai … slaine vponupon the …. of punishment; So by the like proportion vponupon the latter Rome by which is shed the bloud of latter Christians, shall come the p. 133bloud of the first Christians shed by the first Rome. Yea, I may say that from Abel the Righteous vntounto the last Protestant slaine for Religion, all the bloudshed shall bee required of Rome. For first it is said, That in her shall be found the bloud of the Prophets, and all slaine vponupon Earth. And secondly, why should not Rome bee as guiltie of the bloud of Abel as Ierusalem, and if of Abel, much more of the bloud of nearer succeeding Prophets. Neither is it without Reason; for the Communication of bloodinesse, is the Communication of blood, the incorporating into a p. 134sinfull societie, partakes the Iudgements of that Societie. For as Saint Austen well obserues, There is one Citie of the Diuell which began first in Cain, and endeth in the last sinner, and they that come to be a part of that Citie shall receiue the Cursed priuiledges of that Citie; they hauehave a Communitie of plagues byReu. 18. 4.Rev 18:4 partaking the fellowship of that Communitie. Neither are men in danger onelyonly of partaking their plagues, by partaking the Communitie of Association, but because by the communitie of Association vsually comes the communitie of Infection. So the p. 135associating of a bloudie SocietieYea, tainting with an Infection of crueltie and bloudines. often infects men with a bloudie Conformitie. Romish Religion (if it shall bee called Religion) herein is most contrarie to true Religion. For whereas true Religion, turneth crueltie into meeknesse, and makes the Lyon to sleepeEsa. 11. 6.Isa 11:6 with the Lambe, this Religion hath turned Lambes into Lyons, and made men of excellent natures to become Sauage and Cruell. There are too many examples to proue this Truth, and wee need not to set sayle for the fetching of them; for euen in this landSir E. Dig. Knight. Amb. Rook. Esquire. to the foulest Treason vponupon Earth, hath this Religion p. 136peruerted the fairest dispositions. And howsoeuer the fact being by Gods mercy defeated, now it is stiled by some the deed of desperate and forlorne persons (for such facts Non laudantur nisi peracta) yet these men neither in estate nor disposition were such, but in both eminent; and I pittie much that euer it should come to passe, that sweet dispositions should bee made cruell by any thing called Religion. But as pittifull as it is, yet true it is, That a Popish proselite, being transplanted by a Iesuite, doth too often proue a stocke on which Murther and Crueltie is p. 137grafted. Let vsus therefore feare the Communion of this bloudie Citie, lest wee get a Communion of their bloudinesse, which if we doe, let vsus looke for a communion of their plagues, let vsus expect a part in all the vengeance belonging to innumerable Murthers. Then may wee feare that the bloud of former dayes shed in this Realme, will light vponupon vsus, when wee partake with the Doctrine that shed it. If the Son seeEzek. 18. 14Ezek 18:14 his Fathers sinnes, and auoyd them, they shall not bee imputed to him. But if a bloudie Father bring a bloudie Sonne, then the bloudinesse of the Father p. 138descends on the Sonne. In Iosiahs time after Manasses bloudinesse, the destruction of Israell was stayed, and he had a promise of ending his dayes in peace, which he did, for no man fought against him, but he sought warre against himselfe. But when Zedekiah raignes thatIer. 36 26. and 38. 5. Ier. 22. 17.Jer 36:26Jer 38:5Jer 22:17 cuts Ieremies Roll, and casts him into Prison, whē Iehoiakin is full of bloud and violence,2. Chro. 36. 16.2 Chr 36:16 when the Prophets are misused, and there is no Remedie. Then comes the bloud of the Fathers vponupon a bloudy posteritie, and Ierusalem is carried away into Captiuitie. So if wee ioyne hands with a bloudy Doctrine, then let vsus looke p. 139for a share in the whole reckoning of bloud which that Doctrine hath shed. Our sinnes are great and grieuous, but yet in this sinne, let vsus giuegive Rome leaue to outcry vsus, that the greatnesse of their cry may couer ours, and stop it from hearing. And indeed, though our sinnes bee grieuous, yet their sinnes herein hauehave an eminence, because theirs are sinnes of Antiquitie, and sinnes of Doctrine; Ours, though grieuous, are latter and of fleshly Corruption, not of Doctrine and Instruction. We are naught as wee are men, not as we are Protestants; Their bloudinesse and Idolatrie p. 140hath beene theirs, as they are Papists. Let vsus take heed then that we bind not sinne vntounto sinne, since one sinne will not escape vnpunished. Let vsus not ioyne the sinnes of Antiquitie to the sinnes of latter Ages, nor the sinnes of Doctrine to the sinnes of naturall Corruption.

A third Dangerous Follie. SECT. XI. To runne from God preseruing, vntounto God destroying.

A Third dangerous Absurditie, is to forsake p. 141the Religion wherein God hath giuen vsus miraculous deliuerances, and to runne to that Religion which in the same deliuerances of vsus, God hath blasted with fatall ouerthrowes. This was…. Chro. 25. 14. the folly and destruction of Amaziah, that hee would seeke after the Gods of that people, which could not deliuer their owne people out of his hand. What a madnesse is this to flie from strength vntounto weaknesse, from safetie into danger, from Gods protection into Gods desertion, to rest on the helpe of that, to which God hath shewed himselfe an Enemie. Surely if all the Nations of the earth would p. 142flie from God to Superstition, this Kingdome aboue all other should say with Ioshua, I and my people wil serue the Lord. For our deliuerances hauehave beene so eminent, that they cry aloud, The hand of God and not of Man. It is beyondOur being this day, is no other but a fruit of Gods wonderful deliuerances. beliefe if it had not bin seene, That halfe of an Iland should stand strongly, as it hath done, amid great oppositions, & many Treasons, without any notable supply or helpe from any other Nation. Yea, it is stranger, that it should be more then able to helpe it selfe, and hauehave a supererogation of helpe for others. For the helpe of this Kingdome p. 143ouerflowed to Henry the Fourth of France, and to the distressed Prouinces of the Low-Countries; yea, it maintained and ended a most consuming Warre in Ireland. And in the middest of publike oppositions, a multitude of priuate Treasons issued out of Hell, against the person of the most glorious Princesse of the world. Yet was she safe in the midst of dangers; yea safe without danger. For though their malice reached at her, yet shee was in no danger, because their chayne was so short, that she was out of their reach. God at once defended her, and limitted them; yea, she p. 146page missing and resist that which hee hates; an irreconciliable Enemie is then most harmelesse, when hee hath no power of hurting. If at any time he hurt not by nothurting, he endeuours that he may hurt the more hereafter; An Enemie seemes not to hurt, while he is gathering of men, and mustering of his forces, but euen then when hee hurts not, he is commonly in the way to do… the more hurt. Implacable enmitie hath mischiefe still for the end of it, so that the very smiles and benefits of it are dangerous, and ayme stedily to this end. A third Conclusion,3. …. That there is a mayne p. 147difference of goodnesse betweene our Religion and that of Rome, and of Gods dispensation to either: The Religion of Rome in the Queenes time, made her own Subiects traytors, and sent forth Assasines against her, but God wholly defeated them. Our Religion neuer suborned priuate Assasines against any King, but GOD gaue vsus publikely great successe and oduantage. Wherefore let me heere note, that our Religion agrees better with the ancient Religion of the Sea of Rome, then the Religion of present Rome. For this was the Religion of Gregorie the great. If I p. 148would hauehave to doe with the death of the Lombards, the Nation of the Lombards, this day had beene without a King. But because I feare God, I feare to medle with the death of any man.

Neither hath God aloneThe strāge preseruation from the Powder treason. defended vsus in the dayes of that happy Queene, for euen in the raigne of our King, wee hauehave receiued a miraculous deliuerance. It was God that deliuered vsus, and he deliuered vsus so, that he would be knowne to be our Deliuerer. For whenStrange, because done by contrarie meanes. God sends a deliuerie by the hands of our Enimies, the deliuerie that cannot be imputed to our Enimies, must be imputed vntounto God. p. 149Our Enimies would hauehave destroyed vsus, God would preserue vsus, and God resoluing to preserue vsus, performes it by our Enimies that would destroy vsus. By Traytors he sends notice of the Treason, and so defeats the Treason by the same that should effect it. And he that was wonderfull in sending the words, was wonderfull in giuing the Interpretation. And as once the words on the Wall were by God vnvsually written, and by him in Daniel strangely interpreted; so it pleased God that directed the Letter, to giuegive his Majestie an vnvsuall interpretation of it, so that Gods p. 150wonderfull Prouidence by that Letter, spake to them to whom the Letter meant not to speake, and spake a meaning in the wordes, in which the Letter had no such meaning. So are there two Senders and two Indi…ers; God sends the Letter one way, the Traytors another; God writes one sense in the words, and the Writer another. A strange deliuerie, both in respect of the prodigious danger from which we were deliuered; in regard of the meanes of deliuerie; and lastly, in regard of the opportunitie of it. For our deliuerie from danger was almost in the time when we should hauehave p. 151beene deliuered into it.

And now let this greatI… perswades vsus to continue our safetie by the same meanes, which then gaue vsus our safetie. example of Gods wonderfull preseruation, make vsus strongly resolute in the Truth which he defendeth; and confident in God such a Defender of the Truth. Let vsus be ashamed to be afraid, since our feare can but betray vsus, and make vsus weaker, and so more subiect to that which we feare. Wee see here was no feare, nor preuentions carnally politick, the Bastard-issues of feares; and yet while we feared not, nor by feare preuented not, we were deliuered from a destruction most fearfull. Yea, whatsoeuer plots, either feare or p. 152policie shall hereafter vnlawfully actuate, let it still be remembred, That a deliuerie, wherein there was neither feare nor policie giues vsus our being. And in that deliuerie it was the Truth to which God gaue our liues as a prey, wherefore it stands vsus vponupon, to preserue confidently that Truth, by which our liues hauehave beene preserued. To runne to Popish superstition is to runne to destruction. Let vsus therefore abide rather with the Israelites then with the Egyptians, with those that were miraculously deliuered, then with those that strangely perished. I will adde for a p. 153Corollarie some sentences of Gregorie the great, which I desire the Reader to giuegive to them to whom most fitly they belong. Surely, to me it seemes he had in his Nostrils a strong sauour of Antichrist, as if hee were not farre from the place where he wrote.

SECT. XII. Some markes of Antichrist discouered by witnesses, not to be refused by Antichrist.

ANtichristus veniens ipsas Greg. Moral. lib. 33. cap. 23.etiam summas huius saeculi potestates obtinebit; qui duplicierrore saeuiens conatu… p. 154ad se corda hominum, & missis praedicatoribus trahere, & commotis potestatibus inclinare.

Antichrist when hee comes, shall bee powerfull with the Princes of this world; and raging with a two-fold wickednesse, endeauours to bow the hearts of men to him, both by emissarie Preachers, and by incensed Princes.

Quale illud tempus persecutionis …d. ibid.apparebit, quando ad peruertendam fidelium pietatem alij ver his saeuiunt, alij gladijs? Quis enim etiam infirmus Leuiathan istius dentes non despiceret si non …os per circuitum potestatum saecularium terror muniret?

p. 155How great a persecution will that bee, when some shall rage with words, and some with swords, to ouerthrow the godlinesse of the Faithfull? For what man, though he were but weake, would not despise the teeth of this Leuiathan, if the terror of secular powers did not fortifie them.

Bene eundem Antichristum Greg. ibidPsalmista descripsit dicens; Sub lingua eius labor & dolor; sedet in insidijs cum diuitibus in occultis▪ Propter …nim peruersa dogmata su… lingua eius labor & dolor est. Propter Miraculorum vero specie, sedet in insidijs propter Psal. 10.Ps 10s…cularis autem potestatis gloriam, cum diuitibus in p. 156occultis. Quia enim simul & miraculorum fraude, & terrena potestate vtitur; & in occultis & cum diuitibus sedere perhibetur.

Wel did the Psalmist describe the same Antichrist, saying: VnderUnder his tongue is labour and mischiefe; he sitteth in ambush with the rich in secret places. For by peruerse doctrine labour and mischiefe is vnderunder his tongue. By the shew of miracles, he sitteth in ambush. By the glorie of secular Power, he sits with the rich in secret places. And because hee vseth both the deceit of miracles, and worldly power, he is said to sit both in secret places p. 157and with the rich.

Praedicatores Antichristi Greg. Mor. lib. 33. 26. where he shewes that miracles must be tryed like mony.quomodo veram numismatis qualitatem tenent, qui in his quae agunt intentionis rectae vim nesciunt quia per haec non coelestem patriam, sed culmen gloriae temporalis exquirunt? Quomodo à monetae figura non discrepant qui ab omni pietate iustorum iustos persequendo discordant? Quomodo in se integritatis pondus ostendunt qui non solum humilitatis perfectionem, sed ne que ipsam primam eius januam contigerunt? Hinc ergo hinc electi cognoscant quomodo …orum signa despiciant, &c.

How can the Preachers of Antichrist hauehave the qualitie p. 158of currant mony, who in their actions hauehave not the power of a right intention; since by them they doe not seeke the heauenly Countrey, but the top of temporall glorie. And how doe they not differ from the Image of true coyne, who by persecuting the Righteous, differ from all godlinesse of the righteous? How doe they shew the weight of soundnesse, when they attayne not the perfection of humilitie; yea, they hauehave not touched her first and vttermost Gate? Hence, hence then let the Elect know, how they may despise their miracles, &c.Moral. lib. 12. cap. 5▪

Sicut incarnata Veritas in p. 159praedicatione sua, pauperes, idiotas & simplices elegit, sic è contrario damnatus ille homo, quem in fine mundi Apostata Angelus assumit, ad praedicandam falsitatem suam, astutos ac duplices atque buius mundi scientiam habentes electurus est.

As the incarnate Truth, in his preaching chose poore, vnlearned, and simple men; so on the contrarie, that Man of perdition, whom the Apostata-Angell shall put on in the end of the World, to preach his false-hood, shall choose craftie and double-hearted men, and such as shall bee skilfull in worldly policie.

In fine Mundi Satan hominem p. 160ingrediens quem sacra Scriptura Antichristum appellat, tanta elatione extollitur, tanta virtute principatur, tantis signis & prodigijs in sanctitatis ostensione eleuatur, vt argui ab homine eius facta non valeant, quia cum potestate terroris, adiungit etiam signa ostensae sanctitatis.

In the end of the world Satan entring into the Man, whom the holy Scripture calleth Antichrist, is lifted vp with so great pride, doth reigne with so great power, is exalted in the shew of holinesse by so great signes and wonders, that his deeds may not be reproued by any man; because p. 161with terrifying power, he conioyneth the signes of seeming holinesse.

Tu quid Christo vniuersalis Greg. Epist. lib. 4. ep. 38.sanctae Ecclesiae capiti in extremi iudicij es dicturus examine, qui cuncta ei…s membra tibimet conaris vniuersalis appellatione supponere? Quis rogo in hoc tam peruerso vocabulo nisi ille ad imitandum proponitur, qui despectis Angelorum legionibus secum socialiter constitutis, ad culmen conatus est singulantis erumpere, vt & nulli subesse, & solus omnibus praeesse videretur.

What wilt thou answere in the triall of the last …udgement, vntounto Christ the Head of the holy vniuersall p. 162Church, who wouldest bring all his members into subiection to thee by the Title of Vniuersall? I pray thee, who is herein set before thee to be imitated, but he that despising the Legions of Angels, which were placed in fellowship with him, stroue to ascend into a Top of Singularitie, that hee might appeare to bee vnderunder none, and to bee alone aboue all.

Ego fidenter dico, quia Epist. lib. 6. ep. 30.quisquis se Vniuersalem Sacerdotem vocat, vel-vocari desiderat, in elatione sua Antichristum praecurrit, quia superbiendose caeteris praeponit.

I say confidently, that p. 163whosoeuer doth call him selfe Vniuersall Bishop, or desires to bee so called, by his pride, he is a fore-runner of Antichrist, because by pride hee lifts himselfe vp aboue the rest.

Let Saint Hierome before him in time, but below him in Ecclesiasticall dignitie, speake a little after him.

Tantum vt Romanum Imperium Hier. ad Algas. qu. 11.quod nunc vniuersas gentes tenet, de medio fiat, & tunc Antichristus veniet, Fons Iniquitatis.

It remaynes that the Romane Empire which now commandeth all Nations, bee taken out of the way, and then Antichrist shall p. 164come; a Fountaine of Wickednesse.

And that you may see what is become of the Romane Empire, let Bellarmine though a Cardinall, yet lesse then a Saint, speake after Hierome.

Annon Gothi, Vandali, Bel. de Rom. Pon. lib. 2. cap. 2.Hunni, Longobardi Romanae Vrbis Imperium ferè ad nihilum redegerunt?

HaueHave not the Goths, Vandals, Hunnes, Lombards, brought the Empire of Rome almost to nothing?

Latini non amplius regnant Bel. de Rom. Pont. lib. 3. cap. 10.in toto orbe terrarum, sed Turcae sunt qui verissimè regnant, & apud nos Hispani & Galli, non Latini.

p. 165The Latines doe no longer Reigne ouer the whole world, but …e Turkes are they which may bee said most truely to reigne; and among vsus, the Spaniards and French-men, not the Latines.

Let a Iesuite and no Cardinall attend a Cardinall and no Iesuite.

Romanus Pontifex vtriusque Azor. instit. moral. par. 2. lib. 10. cap. 2.Regni, terreni & coelestis claues accepit.

The Pope of Rome hath receiued the Keyes of both Kingdomes; the Earthly and the Heauenly.

p. 166An eighth Sinne. SECT. XIII. Monstrousnesse of Apparell, &c.

ANother sinne which presents an vgly sight to the face of Heauen, is Monstrousnesse of Apparell. Monstrous it is euen in the ordinarie sense of the word. For, when wee see a thing excessiue in measure or extraordinarie in shape, wee account it a Monster. So the Poet describing a Monster, he doth it principally by these two Epithits, Informe & ingens, Huge and vnshapely. Either of these sticke as fast to our p. 167Fashionists, and therefore1. In vnco…th deformity. makes them to bee Monsters. And first deformitie cannot bee auoided; …or if there be an vnshapely shape in the World, then hauehave they found i…, and worne it, while they hauehave found all shapes and worne them all. Besides, if little bee handsome, then great is deformed; if great be handsome, then little is vncomely, and yet by following the Tide of Fashion, men fall both into the great and little deformitie, for sometime both men and women swell in Ruffes, and Puffes, and Gownes, and Garments; yea, Beards and Curles; and sometime they …bbe away p. 170page missing windowes. An ancient FatherClem. Alex. …aed. lib. 2. cap. 2. Cypr. de discipl. & habitu Virg. Impudi…è … nemi…m conspi…is; sed i…sa …nsp ceris impudi…è … tuos tur…i oblat…tione non p…uis▪ sed … oblectas alios, ipsa …. giues better counsell: Nullo modo pe…mittendum est mulieribus vt nudam aliquam partem corporis offerant viris, ne ambo prolabantur; hi quidem, vt qui ad videndum inuitentur, illae verò quae in se virorum intuitum attrahant. It is by no meanes to be permitted vntounto women to shew vntounto man any naked part of their body, lest both offend: the men in being prouokod to behold their nakednesse, and the women in tempting men to behold it.] Surely, a good Woman is a priuate good, reserued from all except preserued for one, and euen her face, p. 171which Vse and Nature allow to be seene, should bee modestly showne. The rest of the body should be likeCant. 4. 12.Song 4:12 Christs Spouse, the paterne of Puritie, euen a Garden shut vp, and walled about. As much of it as thou doest publish in so much thou art common; and if single,In the Virgin i… giueth away part of her virginitie. And in the wi…e part of her husbands propertie. thou hast in so much lost thy virginall reseruednesse; and if married, thy husbands particular interest: the first thou shouldst keep for thine owne sake, and the second for his sake whose onelyonly thou shouldst bee. Leaue off then this naked foolishnesse, which makes onelyonly for thy shame; Neither let Nakednesse bee p. 172the Ladies pride which is the Beggars disgrace. Yea, it is more disgracefull in the Ladie then in the Beggar, as a want affected is farre worse then a want necessarily indured. And take heedEs…. 3. 17. lest God send thee or thine a true nakednesse in stead of a false one, as he did heretofore to the women of Israel, which were as fine as most of our fine Ones. In the meane time wee see God hath met our Nakednesse with a sutable Iudgement. For, nothing is more contrarie to Nakednesse then Cold and Raine, and these heeretofore hauehave met this vnmodest Nakednesse, euen in the strength of Summer p. 173against the nature of the Time. Yea, Pouertie grows on, that may cure a counterfeit Nakednesse with a true one. But yet beholdMōstrousnesse, in peruerting of sexes. another speciall Monster of Apparell; and that is, when Apparell goes about to make an alteration of sexes. For such an hideous confusion hath Impudence attempted; & by a curious inuention hath wittily found out the chiefest fashion of Lothsomnesse. This Earth that beareth and nourisheth vsus, hath beene turned into a Stage, and women …aue come forth acting the parts of men. It seemes this MonsterAd Eus…och. de custod. Virg. was seene at Rome in Saint Hieroms time, for he p. 174…aith, Virili habitu, veste mutata, erubescunt esse quod natae sunt, crinem amputant, & impudenter erigunt facies Eun…chinas. Wearing Mans apparel, and changing their garments, they are ashamed to bee that which they were borne, they cut off their haire, and impudently look vp with their Eunuchs faces. But let vsus withall remember, that in Hieroms Ad princi… epitaph. Mar c…l.time Rome also was taken; And as when a strange and vncouth birds doe come into the Countrey, the people take it for a signe of some plague that will follow; So may wee iustly thinke that these prodigious apparitions, and monstrous p. 175shapes, are both the causes and signes of ensuing miserie. But see with Solomon Eccles 7. 25Eccl 7:25the foolishnesse of madnesse. A man by creation is the most excellent creature. A woman by creation is inferiour to the man. The excellencie wherein Man excelleth the Woman is the knowledge and power of goodnesse; Therefore, if women would be taken for men, they should striue to doe it by a likenesse of wisedome and goodnesse. But now while they doe it, in …olly and vanitie, they goe f…rthest from them, when they striue to come neerest them. Surely, it is very farre from the power of a Taylor p. 176or a Barber to make a foolish woman resemble a wise man. What an endlesse Maze of Vanitie is this, that after the change of all fashions, Nature her selfe is growne out of fashion, and violent hands are layd on the Creation? Is it not time that the vniuersall Fire should cancell all creatures, when the chiefe of creatures cancell their owne creation? Surely, it seemeth to meeVnnaturall sinnes hasten the end of Nature it self. that these sinnes against nature, as the sinnes of Sodom, aboue all other sinnes, that runne not immediatly against the Deitie, crie aloud for brimstone, and fire, and vtter destruction. For why should they be any longer, p. 177who themselues will no longer be that which they are? Why should the Heauen, the Sea, and the Earth keepe their courses steadily, to maintayne a Creature that runnes all out of course? A strange Patience of the Almightie, that order should continue the nourishment of disorder, and Nature should goe on to maintayne them that sinne against Nature. But let all Vnnaturalists bee fully assured, that Damnation sleepeth not though presently she strikes not; the blow is the greater, the longer it is comming; God shall take part with his Creation, and iustifie it against all that violate p. 178it; yea, he shall condemne such, and cast them farre below beasts and vnsensible Creatures; For these hauehave generally kept their courses and kinds, but Man, who by his Reason should best hauehave kept his course, he hath most forsaken it, yea, hee hath made head against it. For the height and perfectionThe top of sinne to which aspireth mans ambitious wickednesse. of Vice is now no other but a maine opposition against Nature, and a turning of kinds out of kind, by abominable Pride and Luxurie.

A second kind of monstrousnesse2. Kind of Mostrousnesse; Excesse. hath beene described to be excessiuenesse of measure, or an vnmeasurable greatnesse. This great p. 179excesse in Apparell hath beene too apparent; for it was made of purpose to be seene, and yet the more it is seene the more is our sham… and vanitie seene. Hospitalitie, Charitie, yea the Patrimonie it selfe hath been cut vp into Cloathes; for an excesse both in costlinesse and varietie hath diminished House-keeping, Almes; yea, somtimes clothes hereby hauehave taken away the maintenance of Cloathes. Vertues by staruing themselues hauehave nourished Vice, and that which should hauehave liued is dead, that what should hauehave dyed may liue. Besides, this excesse of Ap parell hath remoued the p. 180whole Land out of his place, and lifted it out of the hinges. For by the ambition of cloathes there is a generall remoue, and the Lower is stept into the place of the Higher, and each goes about to bee like them who are vnlike him. Besides, the whole shape of this Nation is changed, and cloathes are no longer interpreters of the wearers, but need themselues an interpretation. So that if a man that for sooke this land some fortie yeares since, should now returne againe; in good manners hee could not but say your Lordship to a Gentleman, and your Worship to the Sonne of a p. 181Farmer. But (which is another mischiefe) if by an interpreter hee once bee brought to know a man, the next time he meets him hee hath need of a second interpretation, for the old man is lost in some new disguised fashion. Such a confusion hath this vice bred, That by it both men and their degrees are growne out of knowledge; for vnknowne they are both to themselues and others. Surely if euer that were true which Hunting don speakes, That the vanitie of mens mindes should expresse it selfe in the strangenesse of Apparell, these are the times wherein as wee hauehave committed p. 182the sin, why should wee not expect our deserued punishment. Our Ancestors were wise in seekingWhich hath bred a diminution of necessarie duties. remedies for this Vice, and I wish it were seconded; and that it would please Authoritie to enioyne some rules of distinction, and that the ordinary sort of men might be tyed to our owne Cloathes, especially now when our owne Cloathes lacke money to buy them, and men lacke money to buy the Cloathes of other Countries. Why should such buy the stuffes of other Nations, when our owne will very well become them, the Poore shall bee kept in bread by their p. 183worke, flockes and Pastures shall at least keepe their value, and the Land shall keepe her money? It is aThe true way to remoue Losses, is to remoue Vices. most-proper Cure when in one Act a Vice and a Losse are remoued, for the remouing of the Vice is the true way of remouing the Losse. For till God be pleased, by the remouing of Vices, it is in vaine to talke of the remouing of Losses. But if no other Remedie bee giuen, Pouertie the naturall Remedie of Pride, I thinke, at last will cure it. And that either a particular pouertie which is commonly the fruit of prodigalitie; or a generall while needlesse Commodities abroad fetch p. 184away the money that wee need at home. In the meane time this is most certaine, That the wrath of God and the punishments of thatEsa. 3, 22, 24.Isa 3:22Isa 3:24 wrath are denounced against this Monster of Apparell. The changeable sutes shall bee taken away, and in stead of a Girdle shal be a Rent, in stead of welset hayre shall be baldnesse. Yea, God threatneth this sinne by the Prophet Zephanie, saying; In the dayZeph. 1. 8.Zeph 1:8 of the Lords sacrifice I will punish all those that are cloathed with strange Apparell. And that wee may know what kinde of day that day of the Lord is, he giues vsus the sight of it. p. 185That day is a day of wrath,Ver. 12, 13, 15. a day of trouble and distresse, a day of darknesse and gloominesse, a day of clouds and thick darknesse. And because these generall vices are vsually accompanied with a generall securitie (for if men did generally feare, they would not generally sinne.) Euen to such fearlesse men thus setled on their lees, and that say, the Lord will doe neither good nor euill to them, it is said; Euen their goods shall become a bootie, and their houses a Desolation.

I must stop my selfe from running on in a boundlesse waste of sinne, for sinne is almost boundlesse and p. 186giues mee no stop. AndToo many other sinnes to be found easily in our selues, and by the discoucries of others. See diseases of the Time. Mr. Brinsleys third part of true Watch. Mr. Dikes, deceitfulnesse of heart, &c. though this Land bee an Iland, bounded by the Sea, yet euen in this Iland our Sinnes are a continent. For a limit of their extent will hardly be found, I wish we might at length find them bounded with a Sea of penitent teares. In the meane time it sufficeth if I hauehave said enough, in that which is too much, though I hauehave not said all; Surely this is enough for my present purpose, if I shew▪ sinnes enough to deserue our Miseries; But I thinke those which I hauehave shewed are so much enough, that they are enough to bring the Torments of Hell vponupon p. 187Earth, or to carrie down… the dwellers on Earth aliue into Hell. We may rather wonder at the MercieMercy of GOD in sparing, then at his Iustice in punishing; how it can be that he punisheth no more, rather then that hee punisheth so much: Therefore let vsus confesseDan 9. 11.Dan 9:11 with Daniel, The curse is come vponupon vsus because wee hauehave sinned against GOD. And with Maurice theNiceph. Callist. Emperour, when before his face his Children were slaine, Righteous art thou O Lord, and Iust are thy Iudgements.

p. 188SECT. XIIII. Against mutinous speaches and seandalous libels. A Madnes of the Vulgar, who hauing drawne Miseries on them by sinnes, murmure against their Miseries, but not against their sins.A fault of the Vulgar.

BVt before I passe to a farther Consideration, I must needs meet with an ill custome of the Vulgar. When Miseries are vponupon them, they hauehave commonly mutinous and tumultuous thoughts; and from thence issue their censures of gouernment, their outcry for want of Lawes, or want of keeping them. In this is a fault, and I desire they may know it. For whither their censure beetrue or false, they are in either to be blamed. If it be false, an apparant falshod is p. 189an apparent fault, and therfore needs not to bee proued. But if it be true, they are to blame in the vn-due effects that issue from it. For besides that, Mutinie is an ill remedie of Miserie, the greatest Miserie being a bad helpe of the lesser, they are to blame in this, That they looke so farre from them, and aboue them, for the finding and amending of faults, which they should hauehave done most aptly at home. For if sinnes be the radicall cause of Miseries, then it is also the Cause of the Causes of Miserie. So, if faults in gouernment bee the causes of Miserie, sinne may be thought to be the p. 190cause of those Causes. Accordingly Salomon saith,Pro. 28. 2.Prov 28:2 That for the sinnes of the Land the Princes are many, that is, because a Land is wicked, it is punished with a confused gouernement. And when God was angrie with Israel, then hee2. Sam. 23. 1 242 Sam 23:1 left Dauid to a sinne, that by the occasion of Dauids sinne, the sinnes of Israel might be punished. Herevpon Gregorie the Great inferreth,Moral. lib. 25. cap. 14. That according to the qualities of the Subjects, are disposed the acts of the Rulers, so that for the sinne of the Flock, there may be a fault in the life of a good Shepherd. If this be true, let the People amend p. 191the faults in themselues, which they seeke to amend beyond themselues, and by quitting their owne euill, escape that euill which dependeth vponupon it. If theEx quorum causa peccauit, saith Gregorie. sinnes of Israel be the cause of the sinnes of Dauid, the taking away of the sinnes of Israel, had beene the readiest way of preuenting that sinne of Dauid. Therefore, if thou wilt hauehave any thing amended abroad, amend it at home in thy self, for there is thy work which properly belongs to thee. But if thou looke to faults abroad, and leauest faults at home, which may be their causes; surely, wonder not if the faults abroad be not p. 192mended, while the faults at home which caused them bee nourished. Leaue then the Gouernours to their Lord and Gouernour, who if they offend can punish them himselfe. Therefore Gregorie saith of Dauid, beMoral. in Iob lib. 25. cap. 14. cause hee of his owne will growing proud, was not without fault, therefore he also receiued the punishment of his fault; for the raging wrath that strooke the Bodies of the people, strooke the Heart of the Gouernour. But which is farre more comfortable on all sides, Let the amendment of thy heart please the heart of God. For▪ God being pleased, frames the p. 193heart of Gouernours, that they shall bee pleasing to God, and from the abundance thereof send foorth that which shal be pleasant to the hearts of the people.