Rich. Will you not leave your prating, you would undo me, you are called Godliness, but that is not your Name, you are, I understand, a factious Fellow, and your Name is Stubbornness, alias Singularity, alias Sedition, one may know what you are by the ⟨p. 35⟩many Names you go by; know ye therefore, Friend, that I have received the true Godliness already, and him I will keep, he is indeed an honourable Person, one whom great men love, and is in favour with the Princes of the Earth: But as for you, I see no encouragement for any body to respect you, for as most People in all Nations speak against you, and hate you, so you would, I know, soon spoil all my joys, and bring nothing but sorrow and fear along with you, should I entertain you; I should not so much as tell a lie for my advantage, but you would threaten me with Hell and Damnation, nor go to the Tavern, and by chance be drunk▪ and let now and then an Oath fly, but you would stir up my Steward, Conscience, to fall upon me, and beat me unmercifully (but I praise God I am rid of him) nay, and if I should not give to the poor according to your humour, I should soon be censured and condemned by you as a wicked Person, yea, and every sweet, pleasant, and beloved Lust, which I value as my Life, you say, must be mortified; no, my dearest Darling must not be spared: I perceive what a fool you would make me, be gone from my door, or I will call one of my servants who shall drive you out of the Town; his Name is Malice, alias Envy, before whom you will not be able to stand; and upon this he struck at him with all his might, which did no sooner his Chaplain, Mr. Reader, perceive, but he came into his assistance with cruel rage, being stirred up by Envy, and fell upon Godliness in a most base and inhumane manner, calling him all the vilest Names he could devise, enough to make any ignorant and unthinking man conclude True Holiness was as hateful a companion as any in the world, and before all things to be eschewed and discountenanced. His Chaplain also would needs challenge to dispute with him, and confute Godliness by Scripture, ⟨p. 36⟩producing that Text, be not righteous overmuch, neither make thy self overwise; why shouldest thou destroy thy self? Eccl. 7.16. He thought with this one Weapon to have knocked True Godliness down, and have spoiled his Travelling for ever.
Rich. Will you not leave your prating, you would undo me, you are called Godlidess, but that is not your Name, you are, I understand, a factious Fellow, and your Name is Stubbornness, alias Singularity, alias Sedition, one may know what you are by the ⟨p. 35⟩many Names you go by; know ye therefore, Friend, that I have received the true Godliness already, and him I will keep, he is indeed an honourale Person, one whom great men love, and is in favour with the Princes of the Earth: But as for you, I see no encouragement for any body to respect you, for as most People in all Nations speak against you, and hate you, so you would, I know, soon spoil all my joyes, and bring nothing but sorrow and fear along with you, should I entertain you; I should not so much as tell a lie for my advantage, but you would threaten me with Hell and Damnation, nor go to the Tavern, and by chance be drunk▪ and let now and then an Oath flye, but you would stir up my Steward, Conscience, to fall upon me, and beat me unmercifully (but I praise God I am rid of him) nay, and if I should not give to the poor according to your humour, I should soon be censured and condemned by you as a wicked Person, yea, and every sweet, pleasant, and beloved Lust, which I value as my Life, you say, must be mortified; no, my dearest Darling must not be spared: I perceive what a fool you would make me, be gone from my door, or I will call one of my servants who shall drive you out of the Town; his Name is Malice, alias Envy, before whom you will not be able to stand; and upon this he struck at him with all his might, which did no sooner his Chaplain, Mr. Reader, perceive, but he came into his assistance with cruel rage, being stirred up by Envy, and fell upon Godliness in a most base and inhumane manner, calling him all the vilest Names he could devise, enough to make any ignorant and unthinking man conclude True Holidess was as hateful a companion as any in the world, and before all things to be eschewed and discountenanced. His Chaplain also would needs challenge to dispute withhim, and confute Godliness by Scripture, ⟨p. 36⟩producing that Text, be not righteous overmuch, neither make thy self overwise; why shouldest thou destroy thy self? Eccl. 7.16. He thought with this one Weapon to have knock'd True Godliness down, and have spoiled his Travelling for ever.
