3 They came not in their own name, but in Christs; an Apostle of Jesus Christ. xWe are Ambassadors for Christ, and GOD doth beseech you by us. We are suitors, not for ourselves, but for him: desiring toy espouse you to one Husband, and to present you pure and chaste virgins to Christ. We preach not our selves, but Christ, neither our own glory, nor our own gain. Not our own glory: God is glorified in our infirmities. Woe unto us if we arrogate that, whereof God is so jealous that he will not give it to another. Not our own gain, we would then take any profession rather than this. There is no calling wherein a man may not live better, and grow rich sooner. A cluster of Law is worth a whole vintage of any other profession. Indeed in Rome, and throughout the Papal Jurisdiction, where respect of gains, not of pains, guides mens dispositions; where little learning, and less honesty will serve to bear up, and to bear out much worship, more wealth: there great riches is in Clerical hands: It is their main policy, by blowing up other states to enlarge their own. Like the floods that made war against the woods;a let us subdue them all, and make us more countries. But for conscience; not a Pope preached these nine hundred years; yet I hope they have not been poor. They have not Peters net to catch the souls, but Peters hook to take all the fishes that have silver in their mouths. It is said of Leo 10. that whereas others were only Popes but whiles they lived, he was Pope many years after he was dead Sacra sub extremâ si forte requiritis horâ, Cur Leo non potuit sumere; vendiderat. John 22. left behind him two hundred and fifty tun of gold: so that one wrote of him, Erat pontifex maximus, si non virtute, pecuniâ tamen maximus: Whatsoever he was in piety, he was the chief Priest in money. They inveigh against us for providing for our own lawful wives and children: yet admire themselves for providing for their harlots, and bastards, and minions. They come into the ⟨p. 13⟩Church, tanquam ad auream messem; as it were to a golden harvest. The Friars were so long wilful beggars, that they had beggared all the Christian world. The Jesuits hate all other Orders but the Capuchin: because the Capuchin asks nothing, the Jesuit would have all. Their artillery hath been thus wittily described;
3 They came not in their owne name, but in Christs; an Apostle of Iesus Christ. xWe are Ambassadors for Christ, and GOD doth beseech you by us. We are sutors, not for ourselves, but for him: desiring toy espouse you to one Husband, and to present you pure and chast virgins to Christ. We preach not our selves, but Christ, neither our owne glory, nor our owne gaine. Not our owne glory: God is glorified in our infirmities. Woe unto us if we arrogate that, whereof God is so jealous that he will not give it to another. Not our owne gaine, we would then take any profession rather than this. There is no calling wherein a man may not live better, and grow rich sooner. A cluster of Law is worth a whole vintage of any other profession. Indeed in Rome, and throughout the Papall Iurisdiction, where respect of gaines, not of paines, guides mens dispositions; where little learning, and lesse honestie will serve to beare up, and to beare out much worship, more wealth: there great riches is in Clericall hands: It is their maine policie, by blowing up other states to enlarge their owne. Like the flouds that made warre against the woods;a let us subdue them all, and make us more countryes. But for conscience; not a Pope preached these nine hundred yeares; yet I hope they have not beene poore. They have not Peters net to catch the soules, but Peters hooke to take all the fishes that have silver in their mouthes. It is said of Leo 10. that whereas others were only Popes but whiles they lived, he was Pope many yeares after he was dead Sacra sub extremâ si forte requiritis horâ, Cur Leo non potuit sumere; vendiderat. Iohn 22. left behind him two hundred and fifty tunne of gold: so that one wrote of him, Erat pontifex maximus, si non virtute, pecuniâ tamen maximus: Whatsoever he was in pietie, he was the chiefe Priest in mony. They inveigh against us for providing for our owne lawfull wives and children: yet admire themselves for providing for their harlots, and bastards, and minions. They come into the ⟨p. 13⟩Church, tanquam ad auream messem; as it were to a golden harvest. The Friers were so long wilfull beggers, that they had beggard all the Christian world. The Iesuits hate all other Orders but the Capuchin: because the Capuchin askes nothing, the Iesuite would have all. Their artillery hath beene thus wittily described;
- x2 Cor. 5.20.
- y2 Cor. 11.2.
- aEsl 4 15.
