Theol. Then will I briefly dispatch things in order. And first of all, I reason from the words of the Apostle before alleged, That if covetousness, and the love of money be the root of all evil, then it is the root of idolatry, the root of murder, the root of theft, the root of lying, the root of swearing, the root of simony, the root of bribery, the root of usury, the root of lawing, the root of all contentions in the Church, and the root of all brabbling and brawling in the Common-wealth. Moreover, it spreadeth far and near, it dwelleth in every house, in every town, in every •ttie: it prieth into every corner, it creepeth into every heart: it annoyeth our Physicians, it infecteth our Divines, it choketh our Lawyers, it woundeth our Farmers, it baneth our Gentlemen, it murdereth our Tradesmen, it bewitcheth our Merchants, it stingeth our Mariners. O covetousness, covetousness! It is the poison of all things, the wound of Christianity, the ⟨p. 75⟩bane of all goodness. For covetousness mars all: it marreth all every where, in all places, in all degrees, among all persons. It marreth marriages: for it coupleth young to old, and old to young. It marreth hospitality, it marreth all good house-keeping, it marreth alms-deeds, it marreth Religion, it marreth Professors, it marreth Ministers, it marreth Magistrates, it marreth all things. And therefore, what sin so grievous, what evil so odious, what vice so enormous as this? For this cause it was prettily said of one, That all other vices are but factors to covetousness, & serve for Porters to fetch and bring in her living. She maketh simony her drudge, bribery her drudge, usury her drudge, deceit her drudge, swearing her drudge, lying her drudge. O what a Devil incarnate is this, that setteth so many vices a work, & hath so many factors and underlings to serve her turn! Are they not in a pretty case, think you, that are infected with this sin? Oh they are in a most miserable case. It had been good they had never been borne. For being alive, they are dead: dead, I mean, in their souls. For covetousness is souls poison and souls bane. Covetousness is the strongest poison to the soul that is. It is a confection of all the Spiders, ⟨p. 76⟩Toads, Snakes, Adders, Scorpions, Basilisks, and all other the most venomous vermin of the whole world.
Theol. Then will I briefly dispatch things in order. And first of all, I reason from the words of the Apostle before alledged, That if covetousnesse, and the love of money be the root of all evil, then it is the root of idolatrie, the root of murther, the roote of theft, the root of lying, the root of swearing, the roote of symony, the roote of bribery, the roote of usurie, the roote of lawing, the roote of all contentions in the Church, and the roote of all brabbling and brawling in the Common-wealth. Moreover, it spreadeth farre and neare, it dwelleth in every house, in every towne, in every •ttie: it pryeth into every corner, it creepeth into every heart: it annoyeth our Physicians, it infecteth our Divines, it choaketh our Lawyers, it woundeth our Farmers, it baneth our Gentlemen, it murthereth our Tradesmen, it bewitcheth our Merchants, it stingeth our Mariners. O covetousnes, covetousnesse! It is the poyson of all things, the wound of Christianity, the ⟨p. 75⟩bane of all goodnesse. For covetousnesse marres all: it marreth all every where, in all places, in all degrees, among all persons. It marreth marriages: for it coupleth young to old, and old to young. It marreth hospitality, it marreth all good house-keeping, it marreth almes-deeds, it marreth Religion, it marreth Professors, it marreth Ministers, it marreth Magistrates, it marreth all things. And therefore, what sin so grievous, what evill so odious, what vice so enormous as this? For this cause it was prettily said of one, That all other vices are but factors to covetousnesse, & serve for Porters to fetch and bring in her living. Shee maketh symony her drudge, bribery her drudge, usurie her drudge, deceite her drudge, swearing her drudge, lying her drudge. O what a Divell incarnate is this, that setteth so many vices a work, & hath so many factors and underlings to serve her turne! Are they not in a pretty case, thinke you, that are infected with this sinne? Oh they are in a most miserable case. It had beene good they had never beene borne. For being alive, they are dead: dead, I meane, in their soules. For covetousnes is soules poyson and soules bane. Covetousnesse is the strongest poyson to the soul that is. It is a confection of all the Spiders, ⟨p. 76⟩Toads, Snakes, Adders, Scorpions, Basilisks, and all other the most venemous vermine of the whole world.
