Is it not both strange and pitiful, and yet in my persuasion, I take it to be for the most part very true, that after twenty years public preaching & professing of the Gospel under our gracious ⟨image 4⟩Sovereigns reign, the people are very little, or no whit at all edified in the knowledge of faith, & less builded up (if less can be) in the fruits of obedience and holy life? Not that I deny the Gospel, to have taken good root in sundry mens hearts: but this I mean, that that number is very small, yea even as it were a cottage in a vineyard, or like a Lodge in a Garden of Cucumbers, or like a besieged City.1 If any man would doubt of the trueth of this, the matter it self is more manifest, than that it needeth to be proved: for if a man would but make his eyes and his ears, witnesses (as it were) of this matter, how can he pretend ignorance? Who passeth through any place of the land that beholdeth not, & heareth not, generally and in the greatest number, pestilent pride, mischievous murders, wicked ⟨image 4⟩whoredoms, open oaths, beastly blasphemies against God, common contempt of magistracy and all goodness, besides a thousand such like abominations? So that a man may perceive not a window only, but a wide wicket, or barn door rather, set open to all manner of licentiousness and naughty behaviour. And surely if these faults were in the meanest only, they were very grievous before God and man: but what are they then, when the hands of the greater men be the chiefest in these iniquities? Be it far from us to be Stoics, who thought all sins equal. Christians should know (and the rather because the Lord also hath revealed the same in his word) that some sins be more grievous, than other some are in his sight: yea that one and the self same sin, is very much aggravated, ⟨image 5⟩& made more heinous, even in respect of the circumstances, as time, place, person, manner of doing, &c. And what I pray you is the cause, of this so great disorder and licentiousness? Is not ignorance and negligence in Priests (as they call them) and people, the mother and nurse of all these and such like wickednesses?
Is it not both straunge and pitifull, and yet in my perswasion, I take it to bee for the most parte very true, that after twenty yeeres publique preaching & professing of the Gospel vnder our gracious ⟨image 4⟩Soueraignes raigne, the people are verie litle, or no whit at all edified in the knowledge of fayth, & lesse builded vp (if lesse can bee) in the fruites of obedience and holy life? Not that I deny the Gospell, to haue taken good roote in sundrye mens hartes: but this I meane, that that number is very smal, yea euen as it were a cottage in a vineyarde, or lyke a Lodge in a Gardeyne of Cucumbers, or like a besieged Citie.1 If any man would doubt of the trueth of this, the matter it self is more manifest, than that it needeth to bee prooued: for if a man woulde but make his eyes and his eares, witnesses (as it were) of this matter, howe can he pretend ignorance? Who passeth thorowe any place of the lande that beholdeth not, & heareth not, generally and in the greatest number, pestilent pride, mischieuous murthers, wicked ⟨image 4⟩whoredomes, open othes, beastly blasphemies against God, commō contempt of magistracie and all goodnes, besides a thousād such like abominations? So that a man may perceiue not a window onely, but a wyde wicket, or barne doore rather, set open to all maner of licentiousnes and naughtie behauiour. And surely if these faultes were in the meanest onely, they were very grieuous before God and man: but what are they then, when the handes of the greater mē be the chiefest in these iniquities? Be it farre from vs to be Stoickes, who thought all sinnes equall. Christians shoulde know (and the rather because the Lorde also hath reuealed the same in his worde) that some sinnes bee more grieuous, than other some are in his sight: yea that one and the self same sinne, is verie much aggrauated, ⟨image 5⟩& made more heynous, euē in respect of the circumstaunces, as tyme, place, person, manner of doing, &c. And what I pray you is the cause, of this so great disorder and licentiousnes? Is not ignorāce and negligence in Priestes (as they call them) and people, the mother and nurse of all these and such like wickednesses?
- 1Isaiah. 1.8.
