A01956:1949
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ…The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ…
The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations upon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrews : together with certain other meditations and discourses upon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles whereof immediately precede the book : being the sum of diverse sermons preached in S. Gregory's London / by Thomas Adams ...The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ hath endowed her considered in some contemplations vpon part of the 12. chapter of the Hebrewes : together with certain other meditations and discourses vpon other portions of Holy Scriptures, the titles wherof immediately precede the booke : being the summe of diuerse sermons preached in S. Gregories London / by Thomas Adams ...
London: printed by G.P. for John Grismand, 1619London: printed by G.P. for Iohn Grismand, 1619
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
But▪ here I especially liken them to Caterpillars. Pliny saith, that little worms bred in the green leaves of plants, prove in three days caterpillars & eat up those plants. The Country breeds, these covetous wretches, and they devour her. He writes also that Caterpillars are bred by a dew, incrassated and thicked by the heat of the Sun. It is the warmth of prosperity, that breeds and feeds our usurers. Others say, that they come of butterflies eggs, the which heat of the Sun hatcheth, working so fit a passive matter to the form of a caterpillar. So commonly your usurer hatcheth, his riches out of the Butterflies eggs, laid abroad by prodigal young gallants. The Scripture calls them great devourers 1Eracam vix pascit hortus unam. A whole country will not content one avarous caterpillar. At last the caterpillars ⟨p. 324⟩perish of themselves (as ours do wilfully) through famine, & are transformed into a bare & empty bag or case. If they perish in summer, out of their rind being broken comes forth a butterfly. Just as we see often from the ruins of a dead usurer, that was a Caterpillar; springs a prodigal Heir, that is a painted Butterfly.
But▪ here I especially liken them to Catterpillars. Pline sayth, that litle wormes bred in the green leaues of plants, proue in three dayes catterpillars & eate vp those plants. The Countrey breeds, these couetous wretches, and they deuour her. He writes also that Catterpillars are bred by a dew, incrassated and thicked by the heate of the Sun. It is the warmth of prospertie, that breedes and feeds our vsurers. Others say, that they come of butterflies egs, the which heate of the Sunne hatcheth, working so fit a passiue matter to the forme of a catterpillar. So commonly your vsurer hatcheth, his riches out of the Butterflies egs, laid abroad by prodigall young gallāts. The Scripture calls them great deuourers 1Eracam vix pascit hortus vnam. A whole coūtrey wil not content one auarous catterpillar. At last the catterpillars ⟨p. 324⟩perish of thēselues (as ours do wilfully) through famine, & are transformed into a bare & emptie bagge or case. If they perish in summer, out of their rind being broken comes forth a butterfly. Iust as wee see often from the ruines of a dead vsurer, that was a Catterpillar; springs a prodigall Heire, that is a painted Butterflie.