Gods husbandry

Yea, if perceiving such inclinations to change and vary with time and place, thou see and bewail this folly, and strive against it; thou mayest be true for all that: but if thou extenuate and excuse this varying, and think with thy self, that no man can choose; so casting the blame upon others, and not thy self: I assure thee again, that thou art but hollow. But proceed we in this examination. Is all or thy chief care of the outside, and so that thou neither do nor speak evil, it seemeth not much material to thee what thou thinkest; and if thou canst refrain from being externally naught, thou little heedest or carest for the naughtiness of thine hidden man?¹ I affirm against thee then, that thou art but a whited tomb. But if thou have a wakeful and suspicious eye upon thine own soul, and findest great cumber to keep it in order, seeing and abhorring the lewdness of it, and being much troubled within thy self for it, thou mayest be sure, that thou art true: for doubtless he is good indeed, that is good within, and that strives to remove away the sinfulness of his soul. But let us go a little more particularly to work. Thou hast good knowledge of the Word of God; and what of that? Therefore ⟨p. 79⟩thou concludest, that thou art a good Christian. I answer, thou collectest amiss, for this may befall a Judas and a Balaam. ²But what ensueth upon this knowledge of thine? doth it heave thee, and make thee lift up thy self with disdain of others, as of silly fellows? and what shouldest thou care, what they say or think? then assure thy self, that for all thy great knowledge, thou art but a proud Pharisee, and a vile hypocrite: but doth thy knowledge serve to discover to thee thine own vileness? So that by growing in knowledge, thou growest in contempt, and dis-esteeming of thy self, as seeing more and more thine own wants; and therefore more respecting others, who (though perhaps they know less yet) know what they do know, in a better manner? Then art thou true-hearted.

Yea, if perceiuing such inclinations to change and vary with time and place, thou see and bewaile this folly, and striue against it; thou mayest be true for all that: but if thou extenuate and excuse this varying, and thinke with thy selfe, that no man can chuse; so casting the blame vpon others, and not thy selfe: I assure thee againe, that thou art but hollow. But proceed wee in this examination. Is all or thy chiefe care of the outside, and so that thou neyther doe nor speake euill, it seemeth not much materiall to thee what thou thinkest; and if thou canst refraine from beeing externally naught, thou little heedest or carest for the naughtinesse of thine hidden man?