A commentary or, exposition upon the divine second epistle general, writtenA commentary or, exposition vpon the diuine second epistle generall, written

One of the Puritans told Constantine the great, the strictness of their opinions; to whom he answered, Erige tibi scalam, caelumque ascendito solus: set up thy self a ladder and go to heaven alone. The Jews were such absolute malcontents, grudging the Gentiles any mercy. This envious fault is too common, and there is still some of this Puritan blood that runs in many mens veins. That man thinks he loses, what another gains: it is not enough for him to have a place in heaven himself; but he must be Porter, or rather householder, to direct who shall come after him; to let in whom he please, his friends and acquaintance only, Act. 13.45. When the Jews saw that a great audience was at Pauls Sermon, they were filled with envy, and fell to contradiction and blasphemy, Luk 15.28. When the elder brother heard the sumptuous and joyful entertainment of his lost brother; he was angry, and would not go in. So Rome thinks that the Gospels rising, must needs be her falling. Therefore she cannot endure like a sister to communicate with us, but like a tyrant to excommunicate us. They think it is with them and us, as the Poets imagined it to be with Castor and Pollux; when the one lived, the other dyed. Or as when the day comes, the night must end: or as two buckets in one well; one dryeth while the other dippeth. Or as the Jews might fear, when Agrippa built Caesarea, and removed all the ornaments of Israel thither; that the flourishing of that City would be the drooping of Jerusalem. Envy is sick, if her neighbour be well.

One of the Puritanes told Constantine the great, the strictnesse of their opinions; to whom he answered, Erige tibi scalam, caelumque ascendito solus: set up thy selfe a ladder and goe to heaven alone. The Iewes were such absolute malecontents, grudging the Gentiles any mercie. This envious fault is too common, and there is still some of this Puritane bloud that runs in many mens veines. That man thinks hee loses, what another gaines: it is not enough for him to have a place in heaven himselfe; but he must be Porter, or rather housholder, to direct who shall come after him; to let in whom he please, his friends and acquaintance only, Act. 13.45. When the Iewes saw that a great audience was at Pauls Sermon, they were filled with envie, and fell to contradiction and blasphemie, Luk 15.28. When the elder brother heard the sumptuous and joyfull entertainement of his lost brother; hee was angry, and would not goe in. So Rome thinkes that the Gospells rising, must needs be her falling. Therefore she cannot endure like a sister to communicate with us, but like a tyrant to excommunicate us. They thinke it is with them and us, as the Poets imagined it to be with Castor and Pollux; when the one lived, the other dyed. Or as when the day comes, the night must end: or as two buckets in one well; one dryeth while the other dippeth. Or as the Iewes might feare, when Agrippa built Caesarea, and removed all the ornaments of Israel thither; that the flourishing of that Citie would be the drooping of Ierusalem. Envie is sicke, if her neighbour be well.