Gods Arraignment of Hypocrites, Religious tract 2 · Poem
foreign.
The commoditie which no man may neglect to buy, or dare to ſell.
GRace more then grace, and vertue then her pay,
He payes not well, that loues her but a day:
The day is yours, and vertue is the prize,
The gaine is great, if that no more ariſe.
The world doth buy to ſell, and ſell to buy,
But few there be that trade the truth to try.
The pretious truth is bought, but not to ſell,
And he that gaines ſo much doth trade full well.
But many ſell that neuer care to buy,
Prophane like Eſau of their birthright cry:
Alas, that cry is great, when they with griefe
Shall ſeeke with teares, and goe without releife.
Worlds praiſe to ſpend, but pitie to be ſpent,
And looſe lifes-leaſe for paiment of Gods rent.
To ſpinne the thread of thraldome is mans ill,
And weaue the web of woe is all his will:
But he that weares the garment ſhall complaine,
Which cannot hide him for diſgrace and paine.
Lets leaue this traſh, in others feeke due praiſe,
Which I confeſſe is rare in theſe our dayes:
Where be the learned Patrone of our age,
That ſooner giuegive, then take, and ſpare to rage?
Preſume who dare their gifts without his gifts,
Or vndertake to ſtriue at theſe dead lifts.
To winne to weare, is vnderunder, ouer, take,
And leſſe then this to thee no friends can make.
Will a booke make a man, part with his beſt—
—Liuing (I meane) for euer-liuing reſt?
This is right Macenas, that learning knowes,
Rewards the man before his gifts he ſhowes:
Rare to be ſound, and leſſe the greater ſhame,
No ſhame to ſpeake, if any beare this name.
Who fault can finde when deeds examples make,
And teach what others ought to vndertake?
To vndertake is for to match him right,
In vertue, good, but money is too light.
A liuing White, the center of your louelove,
Though dead, from White the center cannot mooue.
Oh worthie White, name, nature do contend,
And nature more, then can thy name pretend.
Thy learning, life, and name were all one white,
Let Papiſts ſhoot, they'le neuer hit this white.
Once liuing White, now dead, yet liuing more
And walkes in white, where heart was long before.
Who lou'd thy gifts, and yet of gifts would none,
But he that car'd for thee, and thine, now gone.
Though rich in grace, yet poorer in eſtate,
For croſſes thicke befell thee now of late.
Thy Patron which in louelove did thee aduance.
Now pitie takes of thine in their hard chance.
To liuing and the dead, this is great louelove,
And may compaſſion much in others mooue.
To Lancaſhier thy paines much good did bring,
And from thy words their well-fare long may ſing.
Thou chang'd thy charge, and ſtill did paines diſcharge,
Yet in a church where grace had ſmall enlarge.
Change of paſture (in prouerb) make fat calfes,
But nature ſaies to ſheepe oft rot'nes falls.
Greenham had paſture greene, but ſheepe full leane,
Yet change of charge made paſture far more meane.
Whites flocke both green and white for har…eſt made,
And wonder was, what good ſucceſſe he had.
But Barnham was to him more barren ſoile,
Small fruit did ſpring from labour and his toile.
Oh curſed crue, that will your ſinnes purſue,
And neuer ceaſe till hell be for your due.
I call, as he did often cry, Repent
Before your time, for merciemercy all be ſpent.
Iudge this your ſad affliction ſprings from ſin,
To whip out folly, and let wiſe dome in.
Arraigned muſt you be before your iudge,
For manie crimes: that neuer here you grudge.
Theſe things haſt thou done,]
The more theſe things are knowne the leſſe the care,
And leſſe the care, the more theſe things you dare.
The ſincere Iudge, no worke, nor perſons ſpares,
Done, thou, and theſe, to eueryevery man he ſhares.
I held my tongue,]
Soone may be ſpeake in wrath that holds his tongue,
And recompence your ſinnes for all this wrong.
Thou thoughteſt I was like thee,]
A thought as farre from good, as Gods from ill,
To thinke and iudge a like, is all your will.
I will reprooue thee]
I will reprooue, is not a word in vaine,
For God will ſtrike, and vengeance is the paine.
Set them in order before thee.]
Confuſion great in ſinne, and ſinners ſtaies,
But God that knowes, can order all their waies.
To order ſinne, before the ſinners face,
Is wofull pay for running of that race.
Concluſion.
It is your crowne and honour, to maintaine
Gods pretious Church, though others it diſdaine.
Well hauehave you runne, runne on with ſpeed apace,
Your gaine, no doubt, ſhall glorie be and grace.
Grace here on earth, and glorie farre aboue,
This life well ſpent, a better life ſhall prooue.