for the glorious heaven is far from the dark earth, & much ado to aspire the top of Mount Stone, but much more ado to aspire the top of Mount Heaven. The violent take it from the slothful, and the wicked run to hell, with more pains which they take to do evil, than the righteous need to take for heaven. The Apostle putteth the word so, before ⟨image 3⟩run, to teach us to look to our way before we run far: So run, &c, as if he should say, moe run than come home, as moe shoot than hit the mark. The heathen Philosophers, Plato, Socrates, Aristides, Phocion, Pericles, Solon, in their way did run faster than we: Constancy, Temperance, Patience, justice, humility, simplicity, integrity, contempt of death, contempt of the world, seem to be buried with them, and hid in the grave, before this Iron age was borne: yet because they ran without Christ, they did not obtain, but lost their labour, like a man which makes hast out of his way, takes more pains than if he kept the way, and yet never comes whither he would. The blind generation which know not God, in their way run faster than we: Ask the Merchants which have seen their life and our lives, or look in histories and they will tell you, that our Religion is not like their superstition, our knowledge not like their ignorance, our faith not like their fear, our worship not like their service, our christianity not like their Idolatry: yet because they run to the creature, for the creator, and follow uncertain dreams, before the word which came from heaven; they run in vain: for their Religion, devotion, and service, is to them that cannot requite it. Many of our adversaries, Papists, Anabaptists, Donatists, and the grossest heretics, in their way run fasten than we. They watch, they pray, they fast, and distribute more than we, yet because they run to traditions, to Angels, to Saints, to Grosses, to Images to Relics, instead of Christ, and challenge merit of all that they do, and would be canonized beside, that all posterity might honour them as they do Saints: therefore as the Pharisees ⟨image 4⟩had their reward when men praised them, so have they when one doth worship another. If many run and do not obtain, how easy is it to run in vain, and how happy is he which obtaineth that, that all men wish:
for the glorious heauen is farre from the darke earth, & much adoe to aspire the top of Mount Stō, but much more adou to aspire the top of Mount Heauen. The violent take it from the slothfull, and the wicked runne to hell, with more paines which they take to doe euill, than the righteous need to take for heauen. The Apostle putteth the word so, before ⟨image 3⟩runne, to teach vs to looke to our way before wee runne farre: So runne, &c, as if he should say, moe runne than come home, as moe shoote than hit the marke. The heathen Philosophers, Plato, Socrates, Aristides, Phocion, Pericles, Solon, in their way did runne faster than we: Constancie, Temperance, Patience, justice, humilitie, simplicitie, integritie, contempt of death, contempt of the world, seeme to be buried with them, and hid in the graue, before this Iron age was borne: yet because they ranne without Christ, they did not obtaine, but lost their labour, like a man which makes hast out of his way, takes more paines than if he kept the way, and yet neuer comes whither hee would. The blinde generation which knowe not God, in their way runne faster than wee: Aske the Marchants which haue seene their life and our liues, or looke in histories and they will tell you, that our Religion is not like their superstition, our knowledge not like their ignorance, our faith not like their feare, our worship not like their seruice, our christianitie not like their Idolatrie: yet because they runne to the creature, for the creator, and followe vncertaine dreames, before the worde which came from heauen; they runne in vaine: for their Religion, deuotion, and seruice, is to them that cannot requite it. Many of our aduersaries, Papists, Anabaptists, Donatists, and the grossest heretikes, in their way runne fasten than wee. They watch, they pray, they fast, and distribute more than we, yet because they runne to traditions, to Angels, to Saints, to Grosses, to Images to Reliques, inste•d of Christ, and challenge merite of all that they doe, and would bee canonized beside, that all posteritie might honour them as they doe Saints: therefore as the Pharisies ⟨image 4⟩had their rewarde when men praised them, so haue they when one doth worship another. If many runne and do not obtaine, how easie is it to runne in vaine, and how happie is he which obtaineth that, that all men wish:
