A20559:602
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…
The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandments gathered from the mouth of a faithful pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholar in Cambridge.The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A familiar and learned exposition on the ten commandements gathered from the mouth of a faithfull pastor by a gracious young man, sometime scholler in Cambridge.
London: printed by John Harison for Thomas Man, 1603London: printed by Iohn Harison for Thomas Man, 1603
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Men think when they can bring home those stolen goods, that this is a good thing, and shall do them and theirs good, but indeed it is an ill covetousness, it brings a mischief upon him and his house, so many things as a man gets by stealth from his neighbour, so many curses he gets to his soul, and so many plagues he wraps and rolls together to come upon his posterity. So that to be prigging and pilfering of that belongs not to him, nor is not his due, is a foul sin against this commandment. Yet men have excuses for this prigging.
Men thinke when they can bring home those stolne goods, that this is a good thing, and shall doe them and theirs good, but indeede it is an ill couetousnesse, it brings a mischeefe vpon him and his house, so many thinges as a man gets by stealth from his neighbour, so many curses he gets to his soule, and so many plagues he wraps and rowles together to come vpon his posteritie. So that to be prigging and pilfering of that belonges not to him, nor is not his due, is a foule sinne against this commandement. Yet men haue excuses for this prigging.
As first, alas what should you speak of this it is a small thing & one should not make such a doe about so little a matter. Is' it a small thing? Then the more base and abject companion you that will corrupt your self for so small a thing, he that will rack his conscience for a trifle, he will never stick to do five times worse for a matter of weight. If a man be not faithful in a little, you may be sure he will never be faithful in much; he that will venture damnation for a matter of two pence, he will do ten times more if it come to a pound, he that cares not to break Gods commandment for a piece of bread, let him have hope of a greater booty, and he will not care for any commandment. If one will do the Devil such good service for so simple and small wages, let the devil mend his wages, and he will certainly mend his work. So that this excuse shows a man to be more wicked. Oh but I trust this is not to be blamed, why he can spare it well enough, twill do him no harm, and twill do me good, I hope this is no such matter. But first, who made you a divider of goods, who gave you authority to make any such partition? Hath not God given him that which is his, and you that which is yours, and will you have God alter it, and not contented with Gods distributions, take that which belongs not to you? and for that you say he can spare it, it will do him no harm; suppose one should go to the Kings exchequer and break open his treasure, and take out, though it were but twenty shillings or forty shillings, and say, alas I am a poor man and this is not so much, the King is rich enough,