Gods Arraignment of Hypocrites, Religious tract 1 · Chapter 2 · Part 1
I. Part. Of the arraignement, day, and perſons.
The generall diſcourſe of the Pſalme is alreadie cleared, only I hauehave ſelected this one verſe for the ground of all my future proceedings. I call it Gods arraignement of hypocrites: firſt, becauſe the Lord himſelfe brings in the euidence againſt thē, Euidence.Theſe things haſt thou done. Patience in tryall.Secondly, becauſe the Lord hath made long tryall of their repentance, I held my tongue. Thirdly, Abuſe of Gods patience.becauſe they had fulfulled the meaſure of their ſinne, by making God an idle iudge of them, thou thoughteſt that I was like thee. Fourthly, becauſe God vponupon good euidence, long experience, and the full meaſure of impietie, could contain no longer from the ſentence of condemnation, Sentence of iudgement.I will reprooue thee, and ſet them in order before thee: the cheife Iuſtice muſt handle the cauſe euen in the court of conſcience; becauſe no reproofe will ſerue the turne, but that which arraignes him before himſelfe, and makes his conſcience his own executioner.
I might well tearme it the Criticall day of an hypocrite. D…indicances, ….Phyſitians obſerue two kind of dayes in the ſickeneſſe of their patients: firſt, the indicatiue dayes, and then the criticall dayes: the indicatiue dayes goe before, and ſhew what hopes are approaching of death or life: theſe dayes I may well ſay went before, from the 16. verſe, to this 21. ver. eueryevery day prognoſticating nothing but ſome horrible accident, to befall on the criticall day: firſt, he will no wayes bee reformed in his life, and for counſell he caſts all Gods words behind him: hee no ſooner ſees the way of death, but he runnes into it; and for any vncleane behauiour he will become a partaker with the worſt; his mouth is as blacke as though the fire of hell were within him; and his tongue is ſo ſcorched, that it can forge nothing but deceit; nature is ſo farre ſpent within, that he ſpeakes againſt his brother; and the bowels of pittie and compaſſion, are ſo eaten vp, that he ſlaundereth his owne mothers ſonne: therfore it cannot bee but that the criticall day ſhould bee moſt dangerous.
That I lie not, 1 Iudgement. 2 Day. 3 Symptomes. 4 Cure.ſee the ſentence of the Lord moſt plainely vnfolding it, v. 21. in the iudgement, in the day, in the Symptomes, in the cure. The iudgement, theſe things haſt thou done: the day, I held my tongue: the Symptomes, thou thoughteſt I was like thee: the cure, I will reprooue thee, and ſet them in order before thee. The cryſis or iudgement is moſt exact; firſt in the cauſe of his diſeaſe, theſe things, profanation, adulterie, theeuerie, euill ſpeaking, ſlaunder, deceit, cauſes ſufficient to deſtroy the ſoundeſt temper. Secondly, in the ſubiect, thou: God is not deceiued of the principall part and member, that ſuffers actionem laeſam, it is an hypocrite, euen poiſoned at the verie heart. The third criſis is in the effect done, a perfect concoction of the diſeaſe, and therefore preſently to be purged. As the criſis is very manifeſt: Da…ſo the day is not the ſeauenth day ſince the diſeaſe tooke him, but ſeauen twice told, nay I dare bee bold to ſay, ſeuentie times ſeauen times: Matth. 18.22.for he that taught Peter Matth. 18.22. not to forgiue ſeuen times, but vntounto ſeauenty times ſeuen times, hath practiſed the ſame; and therefore doubleſſe the hypocrite hath often been viſited of the Lord in hope of amendement. Theſe things haſt thou done, was no falſe iudgment: and I held my tongue, was no few daies of triall.
Now for the third, the Symptomes of his diſcaſe, Symptomes,what can more ſenſibly be perceiued? Firſt, his pulſe ſhewes the temper of his heart, thou thoughteſt: a weake pulſe ſhewing the decay of the ſpirits, neither reaſon nor grace, but a meere dreame of his weake phantaſie. Let vsus handle his pulſe, and we ſhall find in it all mortall and deadly ſignes: Pulſus intermittens.Firſt, it intermits, ſhewing his ſoule to bee ſo burdened with ſinne, that it cannot ſtrike one good ſtroke: ſuppoſe there were a motion to goodneſſe, as to declare Gods ordinances, & take his couenant into his mouth; yet his vngodly heart, and profane life, ſtrike all dead.
The next pulſe to this, Caprizan….is a skipping or capring pulſe; a plaine ſigne that his heart is vnequall, by reaſon of the ſmoakie excrements of vanity and pleaſure, Date …uam verbo.which puſh his heart this way and that way: and therefore as he intermits all good, ſo he is skipping and capring in his impietie: for what a proud thought is gotten into him, that hee is like God. But a third pulſe followes this, Vndoſus.and that is ſwelling, full of waues and ſurges, Vermiculans.toſſing him to this vanitie and that vanitie: but alas, all is but as the rowling of a worme, not able to get vp the head, but ſtill ſticking it in the ground, vntill God tread on them by his iudgement, and then would they faine lift vp the head to heauen, Formicaus.call vponupon God, offer ſacrifice, &c. but alas, all this creeping is ſo ſoft and dainty, as though their ſpirits were a company of antes, creeping vnderunder the hand of their confidence; and may be, makes them ſmart a little with the feeling of the venome of their ſinne, but as yet they hauehave not learned the thing that God requireth, Micah. 6.8.Surely to do iuſtly, and louelove mercy, and to humble themſelues to walke with their God. Hence followes a ſixt pulſe, which they call minute, Myurus.ſo ſmall that it can ſcarſe be felt, not able to extend to the outward props of their confidence, but they ſinke downe as readie to giuegive vp the ghoſt, for feare of Gods vengeance. And then comes the laſt pulſe, which wee call trembling, Tremulus.alwaies expecting when death will giuegive the heart his deadly blow. And theſe bee the ſymptomes of his heart, which God alone was able to feele and diſcouer, and therefore tells him, thou thoughteſt.
The ſecond principall Symptome is, Actio laeſa.actio laeſa, the action annoied; in theſe words, to make God like himſelfe: a ſtrange imagination that hath ſo beſotted his ſenſes, that nothing can pleaſe him, but meere idolatrie, a wrong ſenſe of God, and a wandring motion from God: therefore as in the bodie, the loſſe of the action is either of animall or naturall forces; naturall, as the loſſe of ſtomacke, hurt of the liuer, obſtruction of the veines, oppreſſion of the heart, ſwelling of the splen, convulſion of the ſinewes, conſumption of the lunges, &c. animall actions are ſenſe and motion, the hurt whereof is either priuation, diminution, or deprauation: as in the eie, ….blindneſſe is the priuation, dulneſſe of ſight the diminution, and wrong apprehenſion the deprauation: in the hearing, deafenes the priuation, difficultie in hearing, or hardneſſe of hearing the diminution, the glowing of the eares the deprauation: ſo in feeling, taſting, ſmelling, &c. This may moſt fitly be applyed: Firſt, Application … the ſimilion….he is ſhroudly wounded in his very natural actions; he ſuffers the dart to ſtrike through his liuer by his adulterie, his heart by his conſent vntounto theeuerie, he hath loſt his breath by running with them, his taſt by participation, his mouth hath ſuffered a ſtrange convulſion, all the ſinewes hauehave drawne it awry, the lips are the doores of euill, the tongue the forge of deceit, both of them are ſet to ſpeake againſt his brother, and ſlander his mothers ſonne: all the paſſages of goodnes are filled vp with obſtructions, there is no way to the hands for the workes of charitie, to the feete to runne in the pathes of righteouſneſſe; euerie member is decaied, and wholly put out of ioynt: if he eate, hee is giuen to gluttonie; if hee drinke, to ſurfet with drunkenneſſe; if he ſleepe, to become a ſluggard, &c. for his ſpirituall ſenſes, he hath no eye to ſee withall, no care to heare withall, he ſauours not the things of the ſpirit, he hath no feeling of his ſinne, nor the louelove of God, he can taſt none of the meanes of his ſaluation, his phantaſie is poſſeſſed with dreams of peace and welfare, his vnderstanding is taken with a ſpirituall madneſſe, and his memorie with a forgetful Lethargie, euen of his owne name, that he tooke in his baptiſme; for he neuer remembers what was therein promiſed vntounto God: and for motion he is ſtarke dead, can neither mooue hand nor foote: nay alas his ſickenes is ſurely vntounto death, for the diſeaſe hath ſo wounded him, that he cannot perceiue any thing amiſſe; his fancie workes ſo ſtrongly, that God onelyonly muſt be imagined to be like him, and therefore the action is a plaine Symptome, that all is not well with him: and ſurely there needs no further inſpection, his water is caſt already, and the preſcript is a fearefull receipt, worſe then pils of hierapicra, or any extreame purgation, it is, Take him, bind him hand and foote, and cast him into hell fire, where ſhall be weeping and gnaſhing of teeth for euer.
Yet let vsus ſee the cure that the Lord preſcribes in this place: and firſt, How God meets ….if any make the queſtion, whether curatio debetur Symptomati? I anſwer, No: for it is a rule, that the phyſicke muſt be applyed to the cauſe, & not to the effect; yet with the Lord iudgement is as ſure in the effect, as the cauſe: for hee cannot be deceiued: he brings vsus to the knowlege of the diſeaſe by the Symptomes, but he himſelfe firſt ſees the cauſe, and therefore he diſcouers the hypocrite from the very fountaine, thou thoughteſt: and alſo tells vsus the action of his thought, to make God like himſelfe. Yet if God ſhould aske his patient, whether hee felt this thought in himſelfe or no, I am perſwaded he would moſt impudently denie it; yet if he had any eye but to looke on his practiſe, hee ſhould ſoone conceiue his thought to be no better. foreign. Wicked men … ſo ſenceles … nothing wil make thē feele ….But the diſeaſe is deſperate, & therfore what remedies will the Lord vſe? the Apothecaries ſhoppe can afoard him none; therefore queſtionleſſe that courſe is to be taken, that men vſe to take with gangrens, to cauterize and burne them to the quicke: euen ſo the Lord muſt deale with all hypocrites, for they hauehave ſuffered the diſeaſe to runne ſo long, that nothing can helpe it but a hote yron. And for this purpoſe the Lord hath two: Firſt, hee will reprooue him; this yron ſhall try and ſearch him to the quicke; but alas if God will handle this yron, euen to ſift out one that is rotten at the heart, when ſhall the yron ceaſe burning, all muſt be burnt away; and if that were ſo, then happie were the hypocrite, for then ſhould he be without all ſenſe and feeling: but alas, better had he been if he had neuer been born, then that the Lord ſhould take a ſecond yron into his hand, and that is after the ſearching of the ſore, ſhould burne them in the very conſciences, by ſetting their ſinnes in order before the eye of the ſoule, Conſcience moſt apprehenſiue.which is moſt quicke in ſenſe and feeling.
But let vsus deſcend from the title, foreign.to conſider who this Thou is, that the Lord will thus handle. Hee is plainely deſcribed from the 16. verſe, to my text: Firſt and principally, hee is ſuch an one as wil become a publike teacher of his law and couenant: but becauſe this deſcription may well agree to any profeſſour vnreformed, I will vnderſtand it of all vnreformed profeſſours, that will needs make a ſhew of godlineſſe, but hate to bee reformed, by denying the power thereof in their life and conuerſation: and therefore my text wil taxe many an one. Yet before I come to the ſpeciall explication of the words, I cannot but a little ſhew myaffection to our diſtreſſed congregations, that are full of theſe miniſters, that will hauehave to doe with Gods ordinances, and talke of his couenants, and yet hate all reformation: often hauehave our ignorant, ſcandalous, and negligent miniſters been warned to beware of their callings, and know what they meddle withall: God is not mocked, neither euer will he ſuffer the malice of the deuill to rage in theſe perſons againſt his little ones: for alas, what hauehave they done? I knowe not what arrowe might more deepely perice them, then this fearefull ſentence of the Lord, which neuer ceaſeth cutting and wounding vntill it come at the verie conſcience.
The beſt ſhaſt that Gods archers may vſe for the battels of the Lord, is alwaies to bee drawne out of Gods armorie, framed by the hands and skill of himſelfe, and his owne workemen, fit to make the manof God abſolute and perfect, 2. Timoth 3.17.vntounto all good workes, and bleſſed is the man that hath his quiuer full of them. I know no arrowe that is able to dart and enter through, euen vntounto the diuiding aſunder of the ſoule and ſpirit, Hebr. 4.12.of the ioynts and marrowe, and lay open the verie thoughts, and the intents of the heart, as the arrowes of Gods quiuer: and therefore the word of God deals moſt roundly with hppocrites in this place, ſparing neither ſinne nor perſon, theſe things, and thou, euen thou that takeſt vponupon thee to declare my ordinances, and will hauehave my couenant in thy mouth, I tell thee, this ſhall neuer cloake thy ſinne, ſeeing thou hateſt to bee reformed.
It is a caſe lamentable, Theſe things, firſt caxe all vn… mi…iſters.deſeruing the bowels of all Chriſtian pitie and compaſſion, and able to cauſe the teares of ſorrowe to guſh out, and ſtreame down the face of a man, who is not frozen too hard in ſecuritie, and vncharitable careleſneſſe, when he ſhal but lift vp his eyes, and ſee the waſts and deſolations of ſo many diſtreſſed ſoules, pined and conſumed to the bone, for lacke of Gods ſuſtenance, the bread of life, the word of God, the onelyonly preſeruatiue of the ſoule: The cauſe of all this is, becauſe the very traſh and rif-raf of our nation, hauehave laide their ſacrilegious hands on the Lords arke vnreuerently, entred with ſhooes and all into his temple, taken his vndefiled teſtimonies into their defiled mouth, diſgraced, defaced, and defamed the glorie and maieſtie of diuine rites and myſteries. Alas, is the Church of God ſo deſtitute of labourers? muſt Chriſt needes for their ſakes call againe from the net, the receit of cuſtome, and other trades, ſuch men as after a nights ſleepe, or an houres traunce, are made able to turne the book of God, declare his ordinances, and mannage the keyes of heauen? … 13 5.but my friend be not deceiued, awake out of ſleepe, and dreame no more; confeſſe, I am no Prophet, I am no husbandman; for man taught mee to bee an heardman from my youth vp: If any man aske thee, what are theſe wounds in thine hands? anſwer willingly, thus was I wounded in the houſe of my friends: do it quickely, leaſt the Lord wound thee in thy conſcience, when he ſhall tell thee, theſe things hast thou done, and theſe things will I ſet before thine eies. If God hath ſaid, Ariſe, ô ſword vponupon my ſhepheard, and him that is my fellowe, what then will he doe vntounto thee? ſmite thee deadly, that his ſheepe be no more ſcattered, and that he may turne his hand from his little ones: for alas, what hauehave they done? O therfore get with ſpeed from the Lords houſe, if thou be a cleauer, to thy wedge and axe; if a husbandman, to the plough and ſhare, horſe and harrow. But in vaine doe I complaine, for hard hearted men hauehave ſo flinted their foreheads, ſeared and ſealed vp their minds and conſciences in all impietie, as they hauehave made a league, and bound themſelues to forget Chriſt and his flocke, who are as great and deere vntounto him as the price they coſt him: they cannot ſtagger, but runne like hungrie dogges with an eie only to the fleſhpots, and ſell both themſelues and their people, for a morſel of bread and a meſſe of pottage to the deuill: and hauehave ſworne like ſonnes of the earth, to poſſeſſe the earth for euer, and leaue heauen, and the heyres thereof to God himſelfe.
Alas poore ſoules, faine would they hauehave ſomewhat to keepe life and ſoule within them, and therefore as famiſhed and ſtarued creatures, which hauehave for a ſpace been pownded vp, and pinfolded in a ground of barrenneſſe, debarred from all ſuccour and releife, will ſuffer any thing to go downe the throat, be it as bitter as gall, as deadly as poiſon: they ſwallow bitterneſſe as ſugar, and licke vp death as ſweet hony. Theſe things (God knowes) are too common among vsus; and for theſe how many threats and warnings from heauen, from earth, from God, from men, from foes abroad, and friends at home: Ierem 9.….Shal not I viſit for theſe things, ſaith the Lord? or ſhall not my ſoule bee auenged on ſuch a nation as this? I will aſſuredly prooue my ſelfe to be Lord of hoſts, muſter vp the clouds, call foorth the winds, cauſe the fire to deuoure before me, Pſal 50 3.and a mighty tempeſt to be round about me: all powers in heauen and earth ſhall be ſhaken, and I will take the foure corners of the world, and ſhake out this off-ſcouring: I will raiſe vp the ſtanderd, blowe the trumpet, bring deſtruction vponupon deſtruction, death vponupon death, plague vponupon famine, ſword vponupon both.
Another ſort there be that declare my ordinances, againſt which I hauehave many things: ſuch are like the Oſtrich, Iob. 39.which hauehave wings & feathers, not like the doues, to flie vntounto Gods arke, to bring the faithfull newes of the abating of the waters of Gods wrath: they hauehave no oliue leaues in their mouth, no Goſpel of peace vntounto the heires of righteouſnes, receiued into the arke of Gods couenant: but when the time is, that is, when they hauehave gotten themſelues the wings of honour, they mount on high, mocke the horſe and his rider: they leaue their egges in the earth, & ſmall thanks vntounto them: if they be made hote in the duſt, it is not their owne heate, but the heat of an other ſunne, which perhaps the Lord makes to ſhine vntounto them: but in the meane time they forget, that the foole might ſcatter them, or the wild beaſts might breake them. Alas, howe many in their pride tread the godly vnderfeete; & what ſtore of wild beaſts, breake into the Lords vinyard: therefore it cannot be but that they ſhew themſelus cruell vntounto their young ones, as they were not theirs, and are without feare as if they trauailed in vaine. But let me tell them, for all their learning and wiſdome, yet while they forſake Gods heritage, they are depriued of all wiſedome, neither hath God giuen them any part of his vnderſtanding. Oh therefore, for the louelove of God, and comfort of your owne ſoules, recal your ſelues before this ſentence come out againſt you: God hath a long time holden his tongue, it cannot be for euer; for it is moſt certaine, that he will reprooue for theſe things, and ſet them in order: re-enter therefore and recouer your forſaken charges, languiſhing and worne away for want of paſture, ſtretching on the ground for faintnes, fetching their groanes deep, and their pants thicke, as readie to giuegive ouer, and yeld vp the ghoſt; if they die, it muſt needs be laid to your charge, Ier 5.3.and for theſe things, God will hauehave you arraigned hereafter. O Lord, are not thine eyes vponupon the truth? yes aſſuredly, and therefore the harmeleſſe ſheep that droppe away by famine of the word, hath raiſed a lowder crie and clamour in thine cares, then any man is able to make by his iuſt complaint in the eares of men: yet, O God, if any place for merciemercy, (and why ſhould we doubt of merciemercy with thee, who art the God of mercy) looke not vponupon this droſſe and filth, but ſweep them out, and open the rocke of ſtone againe, let againe (ſweet Ieſus) the waters, euen the liuing waters of the word flow out, and let the ſauing riuers of thy Goſpel runne in all the drie places of our land. We ſee the fruitfull weedes and thornes of prophanneſſe and iniquirie, oh giuegive thine husbandmen hearts to roote them out: we ſee the wofull ruines of vertue & piety, oh let the builders be readie to repaire them, that ſo to thee, who art the great Shepheard and Biſhop of our ſoules, we may render an account at the dreadfull day of thine Oecumenicall viſitation. In the meane time, thou, oh God, which inſtructeſt the husbandman to hauehave diſcretion, Eſay. 28.and doest teach him to caſt in wheate, and by meaſure euerie graine; teach thy ſeruants how to plowe vp the fallow ground of mens hearts, and keep them from ſowing among thornes.
Againe, Secondly, … taxe all v…e formed profeſſors.as the words are ſpecially directed againſt ſuch miniſters, as would declare Gods ordinances, and yet hate all reformation: ſo likewiſe may they be applyed to euerie profeſſor that would make a ſhew of godlineſſe, yet wholly denyes the power thereof; and therefore the ſentence is verie large: neither can we come to make any vſe of it, vntil we hauehave cleared it by the rules of Gods wiſedome, which is better then mans.
The wit of man hath many ſtrange inuentions, Gods wiſdome our direction, firſt ſeene by analyſis, then imitated by geneſisand therefore ſeeing I hauehave been ſo large vponupon one ſmall verſe, it may rather be thought to be mine inuention, beſide the nature of the text, then that which Gods wiſedome will any waies afford; I will not therefore thinke it grieuous to expreſſe the way of mine inuention.
All wiſedome lookes vntounto God as the author, analyſis. geneſis.and will acknowledge no more in man then obſeruation, and after that to followe God by way of imitation: for the wiſedom of God is as the Sunne, ours as the beames; no beames where the ſunn hath not gone before: his wiſdome as the real and ſubſtantiall face, ours as the reflexion or image in the glaſſe; no image or reflexion without the preſence of the bodie: Gods wiſedome is as the ſeale, ours as the stampe; no ſtampe but by the ſeale: his wiſdome is the fountaine, ours the ſtreames; no ſtreames where the fountaine is not open, and ſending foorth his water. Let Iacobs well be ſtoped, and he will preſently complaine for want of water: therefore no worke of the creature is primarie, Imitation by obſeruation.but an imitation of Gods worke. The husbandman could neuer hauehave pianted trees, except hee had firſt obſerued Gods plantation in the world: Apelles could neuer hauehave painted any exquiſite colours, vnleſſe he had taken notice of Gods moſt beautifull colours in nature.
Let it therefore be our wiſdome, to follow Gods footſteps, & ſobrietie to ſtay our ſelues where he hath left no impreſſiō, elſe ſhall we looſe the ſweete inſpiration that iſſueth out of the flowers of Gods wiſedome: neither muſt we breath vponupon it any of our vnſauourie notions, for then the ſweet influence wil retire into the flower, & the ſmell that we hauehave breathed out of our ſelues will returne, not to recreate the ſpirits of grace and goodneſſe, but to puffe vp in vsus a ſpirit of pride and ſelfe-conceit; which is nothing, but like a blowne bladder, euacuated with the leaſt pricke of ſound knowledge. For as extreame windie ſtomacks, do not onelyonly hinder digeſtion, by interpoſition with the wholeſome meate, and relaxation of the mouth of the ſtomacke, which ought to ſhut it ſelfe ſo cloſe about the meate, that not ſo much as the leaſt vacuitie may bee left, but alſo either by ill digeſtion, fils the bodies with crudities, obſtructions, and conſequently putrifactions; or elſe becauſe winde is ſo ſtirring, makes eiaculation, and a ſudden regurgitation of all that is receiued: ſo in like manner, windie knowledge aboue wholeſome ſobrietie, makes ſuch an interpoſition, and relaxation of the minde, that it can digeſt no wholeſome doctrine, but fils it ſelfe with all manner of rawe humors, and vnſtable opinions, which breed ſuch obſtructions in the minde, that preſently it falls into diuers ſickeneſſes, and can keep nothing that is good, but preſently beeing receiued, by the pride and ſelfe-conceit it hath in it ſelfe, caſts it vp againe; and ſo by a continuall caſting breeds that weaknes, that ſo much leauen of evill doctrine is ſoked into the verie filmes (as I may ſay) of the mind, that it breeds that diſeaſe which is tearmed of Phyſitians, corruptio ad aciditatem, corcorruption into ſowerneſſe, which ſets ſuch an eager and ſharpe appetite in the mind, that it hungers continually to be fed with newe opinions; and ſo at the length, rottenneſſe and putrifaction is bredde therein, and then conſequently death and deſtruction: therefore if we meane to preuent theſe ſickneſſes, we muſt looke to God our patterne.
But alas you will ſay, how can that be done? ſeeing hee dwells in a light vnapproachable, 1. Tim. 1.16and therefore is foreign, incomprehenſible by our Logicke or reaſon, and foreign, vnnamable, by our grāmar & ſpeech: but here let vsus wonder, that God beeing one moſt ſimple beeing, and therefore to be apprehended as one, which he himſelfe alone is able to doe, hath made himſelfe many in his attributes, that ſo by many attributes wee might come to apprehend this one God. Now theſe attributes are according to our meaſure and manner: the meaſure of our reaſon, and manner of our ſpeech: a veſſel can hold no more then his meaſure, neither is there any wayes how it may be filled, but by the mouth: ſo our ſoules hold the wiſdome of God according to their meaſure, and are to be filled with it according to their manner. Now the Lord is ſaid to ſpeake mouth to mouth, both in himſelfe, and by his miniſters: ſo then the wiſedome of God teacheth vsus, that the words of euerie text are to be explaned for the manner of our apprehenſion, and then the arguments and reaſons for the meaſure of our knowledge. Therefore in the feare of his maieſty, and the louelove of his wiſedome, let vsus eie his worke before vsus, and write vponupon it, nil vltra, here is my ſtay, I wil range no further: if this flower doe inſpire wiſedome, then God giuegive me the taſte of it, and keepe my appetite and deſire from that imbecillitie and ſtrange weakenes, that nothing will content it but newe inventions, and vnaccuſtomed deuiſes of men: my deſire is to handle nothing, but that which hath logicall ground in it. But firſt let vsus cleere the words, for they are the ingrauen characters of the mind, and therefore muſt we know them, that we receiue no falſe reports by them: the one ſerues for communication, the other for information; therefore the rules of ſpeech and reaſon beeing obſerued, we doubt not but to communicate our text to the information of the weakeſt.