The glorious feast of the Gospel. Or, Christs gracious invitation and royal entertainment of…The glorious feast of the Gospel. Or, Christs gracious invitation and royall entertainment of…

But what is the reason of it?¹ Not to stand long upon the point;² you know there be two seeds in the world, the seed of the serpent, and the seed of the woman; and the enmity between them is the true ground, and the antipathy in the hearts of carnal men to goodness. There is a light shineth in the life of them that be good; and them that be ill hate the light, as discovering themselves to themselves, and to the world, not to be that they seem to be. There is a saltness in the truth; it is savoury, but it is tart, whether in the word preached, or howsoever truth layeth open,³ what is cross to corruption: and hereupon pride and self-love in carnal men, studieth how to overcast all they can, the names of those that be better then themselves, with a cloud of disgrace. It is the property of vile men, to make all others vile, that they may be alike: men cannot abide distinctions of one from another. The Scripture distinguisheth the righteous man, more excellent then his neighbour, but they will not have that. The hatred of distinction is the cause they make all as bad as they can:⁴ And hereupon it is that good things were never clothed in the right habit, nor ill things neither, but do pass under a veil: take away the true garment of grace, and holiness and goodness, and put a false veil upon it, it passeth not under that, that it is in this world, because wicked men will not suffer it, but will raise up the credit of other things, of empty learning, or empty things, or vain courses, and cry up the credit of worldly things, that they may seem to be wise and not fools, that are carried to those things. The best things had never the happiness to pass under their own names; but they had other coverings. Trueth goeth always with a torn and scratched face; it is a stranger in the world, and hath strange entertainment.

But what is the reason of it?¹ Not to stand long upon the point;² you know there be two seeds in the world, the seed of the serpent, and the seed of the woman; and the enmity between them is the true ground, and the antipathy in the hearts of carnall men to goodnesse. There is a light shineth in the life of them that be good; and them that be ill hate the light, as discovering themselves to themselves, and to the world, not to be that they seeme to be. There is a saltnesse in the truth; it is savory, but it is tart, whether in the word preached, or howsoever truth layeth open,