A01956:361
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.
The griping Usurer is a pestilent Rider; and he is mounted on a heavy Jade, Mammon or love of money. Every step of this beast wounds to the heart, and quasheth out the life-blood. O that this sordid beast of usury, with all his ponderous and unwieldy trappings; bills, obligations, pawns, mortgages, were thrown into a fire temporal; that the riders converted soul might be saved from the fire eternal. If any Alcibiades had authority and will, to kindle such a fire in England as was once at Athens, I believe that no tears would be shed to quench it: but the music of our peace would sound merrily to it: and the rather, because there would be no more groans to mollify it.
The griping Vsurer is a pestilent Rider; and hee is mounted on a heauy Iade, Mammon or loue of money. Euery step of this beast wounds to the heart, and quasheth out the life-bloud. O that this sordid beast of vsury, with all his ponderous and vnweldy trappings; bils, obligations, pawnes, morgages, were throwne into a fire temporall; that the riders conuerted soule might bee saued from the fire eternall. If any Alcibiades had authority and will, to kindle such a fire in England as was once at Athens, I beleeue that no teares would be shed to quench it: but the musike of our peace would sound merrily to it: and the rather, because there would be no more grones to mollifie it.
The destructive depopulator is another pestiferous ⟨p. 172⟩Rider. He is a light Horseman; he can leap hedges and ditches, and therefore makes them in the midst of plain fields. He loves to ride in his own ground; and for this purpose expelleth all neighbours. Though Solomon says, that the King is served by the field that is tilled: yea he, as if he were wiser then Solomon, promiseth to serve him better 1with grass. He posteth after the poor, and hunts them out of his Lordship. He rides from town to town, from village to village, from land to land, from house to house; à doloso fur to ad publicum latrocinium, and never rests till he hath rid to the Devil.