Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

especially, because they humbly considering the sins for which God being wroth, did fill the world with so many and great calamities, although they be far from committing heinous, grievous and outrageous offences, do yet nevertheless not repute themselves so clear of all faults, as that they judge not themselves worthy to suffer temporal calamities for the crimes they commit every hour and moment. For over and besides that every man, which liveth peradventure laudably enough, doeth in some points yield a little to carnal concupiscence, although not to y• outrageousness of horrible sins, to the golf of heinous offences, and abominable iniquities, yet notwithstanding he yieldeth to some sins, which either he haunteth very seldomly, or else committeth so much the oftener as they are the lesser. Over and besides this, therefore, I say, what man is there, which, when he seeth and knoweth very well the men, for whose pride, lascivious lives, covetousness and damnable iniquity, God (as he hath threatened) doeth plague the earth, doeth so esteem them, as ⟨p. 298⟩they are to be thought of, and live so with them, as he ought to live with such kind of people? For often times many things are wickedly dissembled, while wicked doers are not taught, corrected, chidden and admonished of their evil behaviours, either because we think the pain to much to tell them their faults, or while we are afraid to have the heavy looks of them with whom we live, or else avoid their displeasure, least peradventure they should hinder or hurt us in temporal matters, when as either our greediness desireth to have somewhat more, or our infirmity feareth to lose y• things which it hath already in hold and possession: so that although the life of the wicked displease the good, for which cause they fall not into the same damnation, which is after this life prepared for the evil: yet since they do therefore bear with, and forbear their damnable sins, because they fear them in lighter and smaller trifles, they are justly scourged with them in this temporal life, albeit they be not punished with them eternally. While they be punished by God with the wicked, they do justly feel the bitterness of this life, for the love of whose sweetness, they would not be bitter in telling the wicked of their offences.

especially, because they humbly considering the sinnes for which God being wroth, did fil the world with so many and great calamities, although they be farre from committing heynous, gréeuous and outragious offences, doe yet neuerthelesse not repute themselues so cleare of all faultes, as that they iudge not themselues worthie to suffer temporal calamities for the crimes they commit euery houre and moment. For ouer and besides that euery man, which liueth peraduenture laudably enoughe, doeth in some pointes yéeld a little to carnall concupiscence, although not to y outragiousnes of horrible sinnes, to the goulfe of heynous offences, and abhominable iniquities, yet notwithstanding he yéeldeth to some sinnes, which eyther he haunteth verie séeldomely, or else committeth so much the oftener as they are the lesser. Ouer and besides this, therefore, I say, what man is there, which, when hée séeth and knoweth very well the men, for whose pride, lasciuious liues, couetousnes and damnable iniquitie, God (as he hath threatened) doeth plague the earth, doeth so estéeme them, as