The works of the reverend and faithful servant of Jesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…The workes of the reuerend and faithfull seruant af Iesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…

CHAP. V. Of Unmercifulness.

CHAP. V. Of Vnmercifulnes.

The Sire of such unmercifulness is the devil: which if it be so, good Lord how many legions of devils be in some then? Por quae quis peccat, per eadem punitur: If we offend by unmercifulness, God will punish us by unmercifulness. Our courtesy is like Judas his courtesy, to kiss, & say, Hold him: It is Joabs courtesy to say, Art thou in health my brother? and to stab in with a knife: it is the Devils courtesy to Esau to seem to bewail Gods hard dealing with them, the easier to entrap her: it is the courtesy of the Pharisees to Christ, to say, Master, we know thou art no man pleaser, and to get an indictment of treason against him. The less indeed of this courtesy, the better. Well, many times the beautifullest things have not the necessariest use, nor the richest men do the most good, and in common use, the gold doth nothing so much service, as iron. We see that in the army many bear a better and a bigger show, but when ought is to be done, all lieth on the poor Pioner; and there is none of us but well he wotteth, that in the most gorgeous house, that is, though all the other parts be more sightly to see to, yet the principal part of all the foundation is nothing but a few oyster shells, and potsherds, and rubbish, and ⟨p. 838⟩such like baggage. And when as the best of us all is no better but esca vermiū, worms meat, for nothing but the very dunghill, though he be covered with purple cloth, yet notwithstanding the worst of us all is proud enough, and thinketh as well of himself as the best deserveth: yet as riseth our good, so riffeth our blood, qui velit ingenio cedar, rarus erit, he that will think of himself less than of another, he is an odd fellow, show me him, give me such a fellow.