GLEANINGS: OR, A Collection of some Memorable passages, BOTH ancient and modern▪ Many in relation to the late war.  
Varietas delectat.  
LONDON Printed by R I. and to be sold by William Raybould at the Unicorn in Paul's churchyard near the little North door. 1651.   

To the Reader.  
Reader,  
THe Heart of man is unconfined in all its sublunary objects, and it is like to His understanding, which cannot be satisfied. The more the Heart possesseth, the more by Nature it desireth: And the more we understand, the greater is our endeavour to increase that understanding. That which only gives most satisfaction either to the Heart or to the understanding, is Variety: The variety of Objects doth delight the Eye, and the variety of Knowledge doth transport the Mind, and in the contemplation of it, doth nobly affect it, though it can no way absolutely content it.  
I have therefore endeavoured in this Book, to give thee abundance of Delight, by giving thee abundance of Variety. Thou shalt find in one piece a Collection of the most acute sayings of all variety of men, from the sceptre to the spade. And that not taken from the repeated Traditions of outworn Antiquity, but the greatest part collected from several passages even in our Age, and Memory, where thou shalt find many of them to be Divine, many moral, some satirical, but all Remarkable, Witty, and Profitable, and which is presumed will give thee far better satisfaction both in the Novelty, and the choiceness of it, than any Book which in this nature hath hitherto been extant.  
Robert Groves.   

GLEANINGS: OR, A Collection of some memorable passages.  

Neither prosperity nor adversity should make us to deny CHRIST.  
THeodoret reports of one Hormisda a Noble man in the King of Persia's Court, who because he would not deny Christ, he was put into ragged clothes, deprived of his honours, and set to keep the Camels: After a long time, the King seeing him in that base condition, and remembering his former fortunes, he pitied him, and caused him to be brought into the Palace, and to be clothed again like a Nobleman, and then persuades him to deny Christ; whereupon, the Christian presently rends his silken clothes, and says, If for these you think to have me deny my faith, take them again; and so he was cast out with scorn.   

Death to be much remembered.  
The Egyptians in the midst of their Feasts, used to have the Anatomy of a dead man set before them, as a memorandum to the guests, of their mortality. And therefore are churchyards, and places of burial, adjoined to Churches, and the most public places, that men, women and children, by the continual beholding of skulls, bones, graves, and burials, might be put in mind of their end.   

A brave act of Clemency.  
Augustus Caesar understanding of a conspiracy, that L. Cynna plotted against him, which was to murder him as he was at Sacrifice; Augustus sent for him, and before all his friends expostulated the matter with him; but Cynna having nothing to say for himself, the Emperor said thus to him, That life which once I gave thee as an Enemy, I now give thee as a traitor and Parricide; let true friendship from this day be between us; and let us strive which of us two have the better faith, and whether I have given thee life, or thou received it with greater confidence.   

A good Law against Projectors.  
The Thurians had a Law, That whosoever went about to abolish an old Law, or establish a new, should present himself with a rope about his neck before the people, that if his invention were not approved, he might presently be strangled.   

The glory of the World a mere Fable.  
When Augustus Caesar (who had been Emperor fifty years, and lived in much pomp and glory) was to die, he saw, all that he had enjoyed to be but a mere Fable; for thus he said to them that were about him, Have not I seemed to have acted my part sufficiently in this Fable of the World? Annon personam meam in hoc mundi Fabula satis commode egisse videor? valete ergo & plaudite.   

Justice how to be qualified.  
The Grecians placed Justice betwixt Leo and Libra, to signify, That as there must be indifferency in determining, so there ought to be courage in executing. And the Egyptians resembled Justice to a blind man without hands; blind, that he might not respect the person of any man; and without hands, that he should not receive bribes.   

An example of excellent Justice.  
A Citizen of Comun in the dukedom of Farrara, being cast into prison upon suspicion of Murder, his wife could get no promise of his deliverance, unless she would give the captain, whose prisoner he was, 200. Ducats, and yield her body to his pleasure; which, with the consent of her husband, she did; but after the Captain had his desire, he notwithstanding put him to death: The Duke Gonzala hearing of it, commanded the captain to restore the 200. Ducats to the Widow, with an addition of 700 crowns; then he enjoined him to marry her presently. And lastly, before he could enjoy his new wife, the Duke caused him to be hanged for his Treachery.   

The rare piety of the young L. Harington.  
It is recorded of that young, but truly Noble Lord Harington, that he prayed not only twice a day in secret, but twice with his servants likewise in his chamber, besides the joining at the appointed times of Prayer in the Family; he meditated every day upon such Sermons as he had lateliest heard; every Lord's day morning he would repeat the Sermons that he had heard the Sabbath before, and at night, those he heard that day.   

Two learned friars.  
Two friars disputing how many world's God made? One of them affirmed, that there were ten worlds, quoting that Text in Luke, Annon decem facti sunt mundi? The other, looking into the Text, replied, Sed ubi sunt novem?   

The devil rebukes sin.  
Seneca in his Writings inveighs very bitterly against covetous desires, and worldly-mindedness, and yet in the space of four years, he gathered together so many millions of Sesterces, that they amounted to the sum of 2343750. 1. of our money, as Mr. Brierwood hath cast it up.   

But three Kings in Christendom.  
Maximilian the Emperor was wont to say, that there were but three Kings in his time; first, the King of Spain, who was a King of men, because he used his Subjects as men, not like beasts: Secondly, the King of France, who was King of Asses, for the immoderate exactions he took of them: And thirdly, himself, who was a King of Kings, because his people would do what they listed.   

Basil's brave resolution.  
When Valens the Emperor sent his Officer to Basilius, seeking to turn him from the Faith, he first offered him great preferments, but Basil rejected them with scorn; Offer these things, says he, to children: Then he falls to grievous threatenings: Threaten, says he, your purple Gallants, that give themselves to their pleasures.   

False work, false wages.  
The Emperor, Charles the Fourth, making war against the Duke of Austria, and finding himself too weak, sends privately for three of the Duke's chief Gentlemen, promising them great sums of money, if they would persuade the Duke to return home; which they undertook, and so prevailed with the Duke, that he gave over the war for that time. Shortly after, the Gentlemen came to the Emperor, for the money he had promised: The Emperor gave them great bags full of golden Ducats, but all counterfeit, whereof they afterward complained to the Emperor, who bade them be gone like knaves; saying, That false work, must have false wages.   

A reward of Treason.  
Solyman the Turkish Emperor, employing a Christian to betray the Rhodes, promised to give him his Daughter to wife, if he did the business: The service being done, the traitor demanded what was promised; the Turk commanded his Daughter to be brought forth in stately manner, as if she were to be married, saying to him, Forasmuch as thou art a Christian, and my daughter a Mahumitan, you cannot so live quietly or comfortably together, and I am loath to have a son that is not a Muselman both without and within; and therefore, 'tis not enough that thou abjure Christianity, (as many of you will do upon lesser occasion) but you must pull off your skin, which is baptised and uncircumcised; which he commanded to be done, and then promised him, that if there came a Mahumitan skin in room of the Christian, he should have his Daughter, but not before.   

Too much prosperity dangerous.  
St. Ambrose coming into a rich man's house who boasted that he had never felt any adversity in all his life, said to his friends, we must not stay here, left we perish with this man: They were no sooner out of doors, but the earth opened and swallowed up the house, Master and all.   

The uncertainty of worldly prosperity.  
Croesus was so puffed up with his great riches and outward glory, that he boasted himself to be the happiest man that lived; but Solon told him, That no man was to be accounted happy before death: Croesus little regarded what Solon had said unto him, until he came by miserable experience to find the uncertainty of his riches and worldly glory, which, before, he would not believe; for when he was taken by King Cyrus, and condemned to be burnt, and saw the fire preparing for him, than he cried out, O Solon, Solon; Cyrus asking him the cause of that outcry, he answered, that now he remembered what Solon had told him in his prosperity, Nemo ante obitum foelix, That no man was to be counted happy before death.   

A noble act of faithful Courtiers.  
Lewis the eleventh of France, going about to establish some unjust edicts, when some of his chief Courtiers perceived his drift, they went all together to him in red gowns; The King asked them what they would? The precedent La Vacqueri answers, We are come with a full purpose to lose our lives every one of us, rather than by our connivency any unjust Ordinance should take place: The King being amazed at this answer, and at the constancy and resolution of those peers, gave them gracious entertainment, and commanded, that all the former Edicts should be forthwith canceled in his presence.   

Lavish vows are but slightly performed.  
A Mariner in a great storm prayed to the Virgin to deliver him, and vowed to give her a wax Candle as big as his Mast; but when the danger was over, he told his Companions, that now one of eight in the pound should serve her turn.   

A soldier of a pious and public spirit.  
'Twas a Noble Spirit that acted in one Terentius, a captain of the Emperor Valens, who being returned out of Armenia with a great Victory, the Emperor bade him ask a reward; he asked only that he would be pleased to grant to those of the Christian Religion, one public Church in Antioch, and although the Emperor were angry, and tore his Petition, bidding him ask something else, yet he persisted in this, and refused any other reward for all the service he had done.   

Height of Malice.  
One having gotten his enemy at an advantage, first caused him to speak blasphemy in hope of life, and then stabbed him, boasting when he had done, that he had made his enemy lose both-body and soul.   

A fit reward for Treason.  
Camillus having besieged the Falerians, the schoolmaster trained all the youth of the City, as far as the Roman Watch, of purpose to betray them to the Romans their enemies; the Schoolmaster being taken with his scholars, and brought before Camillus, received this answer, That a worthy captain should seek victory by trusting to his own valour, and not by another's villainy; and so commanded him to be stripped, and his hands bound behind him; his Scholars were sent back to their parents, with rods in their hands, whipping their Master before them; for which noble act, the Falerians submitted themselves to the Romans.   

He that hath no children, thinks all fond Parents fools.  
Agesilaus did use to play with his children when they were little, as to ride on Hobby-horses, &c. A friend of his taking him in the manner, rebuked him; But Agesilaus entreated him to say nothing, till he had children of his own.   

Our late Bishops were true Prophets.  
When King James came first into England, he was much petitioned to abolish the Ceremonies used in the Church, whereto he seemed indifferently inclined: But the Bishops lay at him continually, by no means to harken to the Puritans, often harping upon this string, No Ceremony, no Bishop; No Bishop, no King; which (blessed be God) is now come to pass.   

The Clergy of Rome had good cause to be angry with Luther.  
A German Prince asked Erasmus, what he thought of the Doctrine of Martin Luther: Erasmus answered, That the Doctrine was good enough, but that it pinched too much upon the Monks bellies, and the Pope's prerogative.   

A sad Story.  
A friar preaching upon these words, Vinum non babent, i. e. They have no wine; he divides the Text into two parts: First, here is Vinum, ibi optimus liquour. Secondly, Non habent, ibi pessimus clamor; of the first part, he spoke very largely; but when he came to the second, he broke off abruptly.   

God's Mercy to England, since it was a commonwealth.  
From the first of King James, to the last of King Charles, England was seldom free from the Plague, but now (God be praised) the Land is free from that judgement, and our London bills of Mortality have given in of the Plague none, for many weeks together.   

Prosperity needs balancing with some adversity.  
News being brought to Philip of Macedon, all in one day, of many good successes, as first that he had got a prize at the Olympian Games; next, that his general Parmenio had overcome the Dardonians: Thirdly, that his wife Olympia was delivered of a son; lifting up his hands to Heaven, he said, O ye Gods send me some moderate misfortune to countervail so great prosperity.   

The sword of the soldier knows not the goods of their friends, from the goods of their enemies.  
When the Citizens of Papia in Italy were at dissension, by reason of the Faction between the Guelphs and the Gibellines, the Gibellines procured a favourer of theirs, called Facinas Cajus, to assist them, covenanting that he should have the goods of Guelphs for his labour; but he being once come into the City, and prevailing, he spared the goods of neither of them; whereupon the Gibellines complained, saying, that their goods were also spoiled; he answered them, that indeed they themselves were Gibellines, and should be safe, but their goods were Guelphs, and so belonged to the soldiers. And so it may fall out to them who have been unfaithful to God, Religion, and their Country, though they themselves may prove to be Catholics, yet their goods and places of preferment may be counted heretics.   

Labour good both for body and soul.  
The Heavens move, and are pure; the earth stands still, and is full of dregs; the industrious man hath no leisure to sin; the idle man hath neither leisure nor power to avoid sin; Labour then is as wholesome for the soul, as 'tis profitable for the body.   

Livewell and Dye-well are Twins.  
Living and Dying well are Twins, daughters of grace, like Lea and Rachel; and therefore, as Jacob could not enjoy his Rakehell, till he had married Leah; So all must first live well, which is tedious and unpleasant, before they can die well, which is beautiful and fair. Thus the two Temples in Rome of Honour and virtue, were so contiguously built, that no man could go into the Temple of Honour, before he went into the Temple of virtue.   

Apenance for drunkenness.  
A monk of Prague that had lived all his time in a cloister, knowing little of the fashions of the world, was at length appointed by his superior, to receive Confessions; which he did of all such as came to him, and he enjoined penance according to the nature of the sins that were confessed: amongst the rest, there came one which made confession, that he was guilty of drunkenness. The friar asked the Penitent, what kind of sin that was? The man told him that it was drinking too much strong drink; but the friar, having no experience of it, put off the man's penance to another time, and in the interim he gate a good quantity of strong liquour into his chamber, where he so handled the matter, that he stole himself drunk, which (he being but a novice that way) made him very sick for a time: when the man came to him again for his penance; the friar enjoined him to be drunk again; and so, ever after he appointed all that confessed drunkenness, no other penance, but to be drunk again; supposing, that to be drunk had punishment enough in itself.   

The power of Preaching.  
As the walls of Jericho fell down by the Trumpets of the Priests, so the strong holds of Satan are overthrown by the ministry of the Word.   

A fit emblem for overcurious women.  
Mercury being to make a garment for the moon, could never fit her, but either it would be too big, or too little, by reason she was always increasing, or decreasing. This may be the emblem of some women, whose curiosity, about their clothes, can hardly be satisfied.   

To speak well, a hard lesson.  
One coming to a Holy man, desired him to learn him some good Lesson; the good man bade him endeavour to speak well, and when he had learned that, to come to him again, and he would give him another Lesson: The Holy man meeting afterward with his scholar, asked him, if he had learned his Lesson? He answered, no; saying, it was so difficult, that he knew not when he should learn it.   

They that spend their estate in Luxury, deserve no pity.  
It is reported of Alphonsus' King of Arragon, that when a Knight of his had consumed a great patrimony by lust and luxury, and besides ran into debt, and being to be cast into prison by his Creditors, his friends petitioned the King for him: The King answered, that, if he had spent so much money in the service of his Prince, or for the good of his Country, or in relieving his kindred, I would have harkened to you, but seeing he hath spent so much upon his body, 'tis fit his body should smart for it: So when we look up to God for mercy in our distress, and the comfort of the creatures have forsaken us, he may justly answer; If you had spent that abundance of the creature which I afforded you, in my service, or for the good of my people, I would have heard you, but now it is just you should be left in your distress; and that so much pleasure as you have had, so much misery should follow; according to Abraham's speech to the rich Glutton, Luk. 16. 25.   

The Sermon is not done until it be practised.  
A Lady that was not herself at Church that day, seeing her man come home, asked him, if Sermon were done? He answered no. Why then, said she, do you come away▪ He answered, that though the Preacher had done speaking, yet the Sermon was not done, till the hearers had practised it.   

Tyrant's are God's Rods, which he casts into the fire when he hath done with them.  
Caesar having bathed his sword in the blood of the Senate, and his own countrymen, is after a while, miserably murdered in the Senate by his own friends Caessius and Brutus; to show unto Tyrants, that the highest step of their greatness is tied to a halter; and that they are but the scourges and rods of the Almighty, which he will cast into the fire, as soon as he hath done with them.   

Though King's crowns sit light upon their heads, yet oftentimes they lie heavy upon their Consciences.  
Philip the third of Spain, whose life was free from gross evils, professing that he would rather lose all his kingdoms, then offend God willingly; yet being in the Agony of death, and considering more thoroughly of his account he was to give to God, fear struck into him, and these words broke from him; Oh, would to God I had never reigned! Oh, that those years I have spent in my kingdom, I had lived a private life in the wilderness! Oh, that I had lived a solitary life with God how much more securely should I now have died? how much more confidently should I have gone to the Throne of God? what does all my glory profit me? but that I have so much the more torment in my death.   

Christians lives should answer Christ's rules.  
Ponormitan having read the 5, 6, and 7. Chapters of Matthew, and comparing the lives of people with those Rules of Christ, said, that either that was no Gospel, or the people no Christians.   

A triumphant conqueror becomes a patient sufferer for Jesus Christ.  
Trojane the Emperor had sent Eustochius, one of his chief captains, against the Barbarians, who having vanquished them, returned home: The Emperor being very joyful at this news, goes to meet him, and brings him gloriously into the City: Now was a time for Eustochius to enjoy the Emperor's favour, and what he could desire; but at this time, this very day, refusing to sacrifice, with the Emperor to Apollo, he suffers the martyrdom of himself, his wife, and his children; even now denies all his present pomp and glory, for Christ.   

Awitty Answer of Aquinas to the Pope.  
Thomas Aquinas coming before Pope Innocent the third, in whose presence a great quantity of gold was telling; The Pope said to him, Thou seest Thomas, the Church cannot say now, as at the beginning, Silver and Gold have I none; To which Aquinas replied, True, Holy Father, nor can the Church say now, as it did then to the Cripple, Rise up and walk.   

The world will be sure to keep Christ poor enough.  
The Church of Canterbury, before the dissolution of abbeys, had three several Shrines, or Altars, one dedicated to Christ, another to the Virgin Mary, and a third to Thomas a Becket; when these things were abolished, there was found in the Leger book of that Church, the yearly oblations made to those several Shrines; As thus: 

Item, the Oblations offered to the Virgin, this year, 63. l. 5. s. 6. d.  
Item, to the Shrine of St. Thomas Becket, 832. 12. 3. ob.  
Item, to our saviour's Shrine the same year, 3. 2. 2. o.  
Item, the next year, to the blessed Virgin, 4. 1. 8. q.  
Item, the same year, to Saint Thomas, 954. 6. 3. o.  
Item, to our Saviour, pro hoc anno o. o. o.    
So that, if that world had continued but a little longer St. Thomas a Becket would have undone both Mother and son.   

They that slight Christ, aught to be lightly esteemed.  
Amphilochius a Bishop, coming into the presence of the Emperor Archadius and his son, who was then partner with his father in the Empire, saluted the father with all reverence, but slighted the son; whereat the father taking great displeasure, demanded the reason why he so slighted his son? The Bishop answered, because he hath neglected the eternal son of God, (he being at that time a professed Arrian) whereupon the Emperor received the Bishop again into favour, and banished all Arrians out of his Dominions.   

Policy safer than flattery and plain-dealing.  
The lion being charged with a stinking breath, and meeting with an ass, would know his opinion, who plainly told him that it stunk abominably; whereupon the lion tears him in pieces for being so bold: next, he meets with a spaniel, of whom he demands the like, who said, he never smelled a sweeter breath in all his life; the lion presently tears him in pieces for his flattery: Lastly, he meets with a Fox, whose opinion being likewise demanded, he said, that he had got such a cold that he could not smell; and so Reynold scap't. Great men seldom like plain-dealing, and wise men never love flattery.   

The best Sacrifice.  
When the Athenians would know of the Oracle the cause of their often unprosperous successes in battle against the lacedaemonians, seeing they offered the choicest things they could get, in Sacrifice to the Gods, which their enemies did not; the Oracle gave them this answer, That the Gods were better pleased with their inward Supplication, without ambition, then with all their outward pomp in costly Sacrifices.   

Cardinal Wolsey's Father was a Butcher of Ipswitch.  
Will Summers, that was first Cardinal Wolsey's fool, hearing that his Master was like to be Pope, came running to the Cardinal, and with great expressions of joy, told him what he had heard; Why art thou so overjoyed at this news, said Woolsey, to his fool? Marry, quoth Will, because I hope that when you are Pope, you will do as St. Peter did when he was Pope; what was that, said the Cardinal? why, St. Peter, when he was Pope he brought in Lent, and all the Fasting days, because his father and brothers were fishermen; and I hope, when you are Pope, you will put them all down, because your father and brothers were Butchers.   

Some can better rule then be ruled.  
Complaint being made to Henry the 8. of the Earl of Kildare, that he was so troublesome, that all Ireland could not rule him: No, said the King, then shall he rule all Ireland; and so made him L. Deputy of that Kingdom.   

The Church stood in need of a Luther.  
Charles the Emperor was wont to say, That if the Pope's Priests were such as they ought to have been, they had not stood in need of a Luther.   

Three dogs to be kept out of the Pulpit.  
Luther was wont to say, that a Preacher should beware of bringing three dogs into the Pulpit with him, Pride, covetousness, and Envy.   

Luther would not be satisfied with a temporal reward.  
Luther being at one time, in some wants, it happened that a good sum of money was unexpectedly sent him, by a Noble man of Germany; at which, being something amazed, he said; I fear, that God will give me my reward here; but I protest, that I will not be so satisfied.   

Mutability of Fortune.  
Sesostris having taken many of his neighbour King's prisoners, made them to draw his Chariot by turns; it happened that one of these royal Slaves, as he was drawing in the Chariot, had his eye, almost, continually fixed on the wheels, which Sesostris observing, asked him why he looked so seriously upon the wheels? He answered, that the falling of that spoke lowest which was even now highest, put him in mind of the instability of Fortune; Sesostris duly weighing the Parable, would never be drawn so again.   

An Indian would not go to Heaven, because he heard that the Spaniards went thither.  
An Indian Prince, being persuaded by the Spanish friars to be baptised, and become a Christian, demanded first, what place was appointed after this life, for such as were baptised? They told him, Heaven. Then he asked them, whither such went that were not baptised? They answered him, to Hell. Then he would know, to which of these places the Spaniards went, when they died? They said, to Heaven: Then said the Indian, let me go to Hell, if the Spaniards go to Heaven; for I desire not to come where such cruel people be. And indeed the Spaniards cruelty towards the poor Indians, was most intolerable.   

Continual happiness, is the greatest unhappiness.  
Nihil eo in faelicius cui nihil infoelix contigit; to be always in felicity, is the greatest infelicity; for (besides that continual pleasures glut the senses) he wanteth many improvements of his wisdom, many trials of his faith, many exercises of his patience, many incentives of his zeal, many preservatives against sin, and many arguments of God's love.   

Christ weeping over Jerusalem.  
Christ wept over Jerusalem; so did Titus; and so did Marcellus over Syracuse; so also did Scipio over Carthage: But they shed tears for them whose blood they were to shed, but Christ for them who were to shed his blood.   

Magistrates and Physicians must not kill too many.  
Seneca adviseth Magistrates to let the clap fright all, but the Thunderbolt to strike but a few; for (said he) it is as great a shame for a Magistrate, as for a Physician, to have many die under his hand.   

Ingratitude.  
Ingratum si dixeris omnia dixisti; for what is Religion, but gratitude to God? What is piety, but gratitude to Parents? What is loyalty, but gratitude to Princes? What is Charity and friendship, but gratitude to our Neighbours?   

Affections infectious.  
Our vicious Affections are so many dangerous infections of the mind; for anger is a fit of phrenfie; fear, a shaking fever; Ambition, a wind-colic; Malice, an Impostume; Faction, a Convulsion; Envy, a Consumption; Security, a dead palsy; Lust, an impure itch, &c.   

Many are spiritually sick, and know it not.  
As a man may take infection, or receive some bruise inwardly, or spring a vein, and yet know not of it, till it be too late: So a man, that maketh great show of Religion, carrieth a great appearance of Sanctity, both in public and private, and feels no inward grief of conscience, yet may have taken some infection of heresy, or have in him some passion of malice, or bruise of faction, or rupture of schism, or corrupt humours of Luxury, may daily decay in grace, and be in a spiritual consumption, and yet perceive it not.   

Satan's greatest advantages against us, are from ourselves.  
Satan ever works upon advantages, sails with the wind, and bows us that way we incline of ourselves; for if our knowledge be weak, he tempts us to error; if our Consciences be tender, to scrupulosity, and too much preciseness; if our Consciences be large, to carnal security; If we be bold-spirited, to presumption; If timorous, to desperation; If flexible, to inconstancy; If stiff, to heresy, schism, or Rebellion.   

Humanity a good help to Divinity.  
Abraham did first company with Hagar, before he could have issue by Sarah: Hagar (saith Philo) is secular and human Learning, with which, we must have to do before we can expect fruit from Sarah, that is, the study of Divinity: Thus Cyprian by his rhetoric, Tertullian by the civil Law, Justin Martyr and Origen by Philosophy, Basil by physic, Augustine by logic, Eusebius by History, Prudentius by Poetry, Greg. Nazianzen, Jerome, and others, by their exquisite skill in Arts and Languages, mightily improved their sacred talon of Scripture knowledge.   

This scholar deserved a cup of Wine to his Fish.  
A young and pregnant scholar, who was Nephew to M. Archbishop of Canterbury; the Bishop sent him, from his own Table, a dish of Fish, and bade that he should make him a pair of Verses, extempore, upon that subject, which the scholar presently did in this manner.  Mittitur in disco mihi piscis ab Archiepisco Po non-ponatur, quia potus non mihi datur. 
The Archbishop, and they that were at Table with him, laughed heartily at the conceit; but one Gentleman, who understood not Latin, wished it had been in English, that he might have laughed with them; whereupon, the paper was sent back to the scholar, that he should turn it into English, which he did thus: 
There was sent me fish, in a dish, from the Arch-Bish  
Hop was not here, because be sent no beer.    

Dangerous sinning against Conscience.  
Learned Doctor Willet in his Comment upon Leviticus, relates a story of one Richard Turvin, of Tickill in Yorkshire, Mercer, a man of good estate, who being indebted to Master Edward Wright, since Alderman of London, the sum of seventy nine pound, eleven shillings, and three pence, gave a Bill of his hand for the payment thereof, to Mr. George Hadley of London, Grocer, who was then a dealer for Mr. Wright; this Bill being negligently cast by, was fraudulently catched up by Turvin, who after came at the time, and to the place, in the Bill mentioned, but tendered no money. This debt was afterward demanded of him, but he pretended payment made, and his Bill redelivered thereupon; and so persisting, a suit was commenced against him, and tried before Sir Nicholas Hide, Lord chief Justice of England, in the Guildhall of London, in Trinity term, 1629. where two sons of Belial, by name Holbeck and Rogers, Porters of Gainesborough in Lincolnshire, were produced, who deposed that they saw the money paid, and so the day was Turvins: Since which time, Mr. Hadley often meeting him, and charging him with this notorious fraud, his manner was, with oaths and fearful imprecations, to face it out; but Mr. Hadley replying, that his conscience called him liar and perjured wretch; presently, upon the name of Conscience, he would flee from him; but (alas poor man) this his conscience he could neither fugere, nor fugare, flee, nor put to flight. It pleased God, now lately, to lay his hanc. upon him by sickness, and withal to touch his galled conscience; then follow fearful terrors, anguish of mind, and horrible affrights; he cryeth out, that he saw the devil stand before him, threatening to tear him in pieces, with other desperate and doleful words; and amidst this perplexity, he confessed the whole passage of this business, with all the circumstances; with some other of this kind; saying, that there can be no peace nor safety for him, till restitution be made to every one whom he had wronged; and thereupon he took order, that full satisfaction should be given, both for the debt and charges of suit.   

A Wounded Conscience who can bear?  
The same Author, in the same book, relates of a friend of his, who had a Prentice that proved false to him, and at last ran away from him: But some three or four and twenty years after (being all that time terrified in Conscience, as himself told this relator) he came a great Journey, to find his Master, and give him satisfaction.   

A contest about our modern Languages.  
Sir Tho. Moor, sometimes L. Chancellor of England, being at an imperial Diet in Germany, where most of the Princes of Christendom at that time had their ambassadors; It happened that one night they were altogether entertained at a great supper; at which, a discourse arose about the Language of their several Countries, which of them should be the best; The Spanish ambassador contended hard for his, as being the most lofty: The French pleaded strongly for the French Tongue; and so did every one of the rest, according as his affection to his native country led him; among whom, Sir Thomas Moor was not wanting to advance the credit of the English Tongue, but at last the business grew to this result, by a general consent, that that language which was hardest to pronounce, was the best; then every one began to propound the hardest words of their several Countries, which Sir Tho. Moor, being a general Linguist, could easily pronounce; than it came to his turn to propound some English word, to try the rest of the ambassadors, which was Thwick Thwack, where with they were all gravelled, one cried Twick Twack, another Tick Tack, a third Whick Whack, but not one of them could pronounce Thwick Thwack; and so Sir Thomas carried it hard, born for the English.   

Sinful fruits never last long.  
Croesus' did not long enjoy the fruit of his covetousness, for being slain in war, melted gold was poured down his throat, by the Parthians. Julius Caesar enjoyed not long the fruit of his Ambition, for he had 25. wounds given him in the Senate, whereof he instantly died. Heliogabalus enjoyed not long the fruit of his pleasure, for he was slain, and thrown into a Jakes. Dionysius did not long enjoy the fruit of his sacrilege and Tyranny, for he was glad to change his sceptre into a Feruler, and turn schoolmaster for his maintenance. Achan spent not his wedge of gold, nor wore his Babylonish garment, but was soon stripped of both. Ahah and Jezabell purchased a Vineyard with the blood of the owner, but they presently watered it with their own blood. Belshazzar had scarcely swallowed down the Wine he carrowsed in the bowls of the Sanctuary, when he saw his doom written on the wall. The rich man in the Gospel had no sooner said, soul eat and drink and be merry, but he heard a voice, saying, Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required. The rich Glutton fared delicately, and went bravely every day, but the next news you hear from him, is of his being in Hell, crying out that he is miserably tormented: And Judas fitted a halter to hang himself, with the same hands he took the money for betraying his Master.   

How to pacify God's Wrath.  
Themistocles understanding that King Admetus was highly displeased with him, he gate up the King's young son in his arms, and so treated with the Father, and thereby pacified his wrath: So should we come to the King of Heaven, with his son Christ in our arms.   

The Devils cunning in leaving Jobs wife.  
Gregory observes, that the devil taking from Job, his children, servants, cattle, &c. yet left him his wife, which was not out of his forgetfulness, carelessness, or any love or pity to Job, but only to vex and plague him, and drive him to impatience, and, if it might be, to despair; Calide cuncto diripuit, calidius adjutricem reservavit. And as another saith, Cor malier is est tanquam, gradus ad cor hominis.   

Why Jupiter is preferred before the rest of the Gods.  
In the days of old, when all the Estates of the world, were about to choose some one of the Gods to be chief Ruler over all men: The Priests, would choose Apollo for his wisdom: The soldiers, Mars, for his valour: The Merchants, Mercury, for his negotiating: The Physicians, Esculapius, for his cures: But at last, they all agreed to choose Jupiter, because he was the God that came down into the world, in a shower of Gold.   

Godly men leave a blessing to their posterity.  
Master Samuel Herne, famous for his living, preaching, and writing; rich only in goodness and children; as he lay upon his deathbed, his wife made great moan and lamentation, saying, what should become of her little ones, if God took her husband? Peace, sweetheart (said he) That God who feedeth the Ravens, will not starve the Hernes: which speech of his proved prophetical, for his children were all well provided for, through God's providence.   

Of one that said the cross-row instead of a Prayer.  
A devout (but very ignorant) Spaniard, conceived that he ought to use other prayers, in his private devotions, besides the Pater-nosters and Ave-Maries; but so simple was he, that he knew not how to pray otherwise; only every morning he would kneel down, and lifting up his eyes and hands to Heaven, deliberately repeat all the Letters of the Alphabet, which having done, he added; And now O good God (said he) put these Letters together, that they may spell syllables, that the syllables may make words, and the words so joined, as that they may become such sense, as may be most to thy glory and my good.   

Dangerous delaying of Repentance.  
Constantine had a conceit, that (because baptism washed away all sins) he would not be baptised till his deathbed, that so his soul might never lose the purity thereof, but immediately mount to Heaven; but sudden death preventing him, he was not baptised at all, as some say, or only by an Arian Bishop, as others affirm. If any shall erroneously, upon the same supposition, put off their repentance to the last, let them take heed, lest it either prove none at all, or none in effect.   

Balaam's wish.  
One being asked whether he had rather be Croesus, who was the richest, but most vicious man in the world; or Socrates, who was one of the poorest, but most honest? answered, that in his life he would choose to be Croesus, but in his death Socrates.   

Most men are best in a low condition.  
Pope Martin reported of himself, that whilst he was a Monk, and lived in the cloister, he had some evidences for Heaven; when he was a Cardinal, he began to fear and doubt; but after he came to be Pope, he utterly despaired.   

How God will try men.  
When one was brought before Tiberius, who pretended right and title to a crown; and Tiberius upon long examination, could not detect the Imposter, nor trap him in his tale; at last he began to search the habit and shape of his body, and not finding there the softness and delicacy of a Prince, but the brawniness and servile fashion of a mechanic, he so startled the man, with such an unexpected trial, as made him confess the truth: So God will deal with those that usurp a title to his kingdom, and prevaricate his Name; he will not take them on their bare words, or empty professions, but will examine their hands, and if he find them hardened in the service of sin, their own hands shall stop their mouths.   

Saint Austin's robbing of an Orchard made a heinous sin.  
After Saint Austin was converted, be began to be exceedingly troubled about the robbing of an Orchard, which he did in his childhood; this act of his he aggravated against himself by many circumstances: as First, that he was not provoked to it by any need or want, for (saith he) I had better at home; Secondly, that he did it in mere contempt of Justice, out of a wicked mind; Thirdly, that it was more for the love of theft then of the fruit; Fourthly, that it was done at an unseasonable time, in the dead of the night; Fifthly, that there was abundance of Apples at that time in their own Orchard; Sixtly, that he drew in other boys to join with him, and so made them guilty with himself; Lastly, that when they had gotten as many as they could well carry away, they did not eat them, but threw them away to the hogs.   

A miraculous providence.  
In the second year of Queen Mary, at a place in Suffolk, by the Sea side, all of hard stone and pebble, lying between the towns of Orford and Alborough, where never grass grew, nor any earth ever seen, there chanced suddenly to spring up, without any tillage, or sowing, so great abundance of Pease, that the poor people thereabouts gathered above an hundred quarters, in the month of August, yet there remained some ripe, and some blossoming, as many as were before: This happened in a time of great scarcity.   

A pertinent Answer, to an impertinent Question.  
Euclides the Philosopher being demanded by one, what kind of things the Gods were? And what manner of works they most delighted themselves in? Made him this answer, That he was not very familiar with their persons, nor much acquainted with their purposes; only so much he understood from them, That above all things, they hated such polypragmaticall Inquisitors. This is not much unlike St. Austin's answer, to one that would needs know, what God did before the World was made? Who was answered, That he was preparing Hell for such busy Questionists.   

Of one that would not repent in the beginning of his sickness, lest he should recover.  
Beda tells a story of a certain great man, that was admonished in his sickness to Repent, who answered, That he would not Repent yet, for if he should recover, his Companions would laugh at him; but growing sicker, and sicker, his friends pressed him again to Repent; but then, he told them it was too late; Quia jam judicatus sum & condemnatus; for now (said he) I am judged and condemned.   

Ridley blames himself for drinking there where the Gospel was refused.  
Doctor Ridley coming to the Lady Mary (who was afterward Queen) and offering himself to preach, was refused; being gone out of her presence, one of her servants entreated him to drink, which he accepted; but being inwardly checked for so doing, he cried, I have done amiss, to drink in that place, where God's Word being offered, hath been refused; whereas, if I had remembered my duty, I ought to have departed immediately, and have shaken the dust off my shoes, for a testimony against this house.   

Upon Canterbury's great Bell.  
OLd Canterbury's great cathedral Bell,  
Never rings out, but gives a fatal knell;  
his loud, unpleasant, and harsh jarring sound,  
The noise of all our well-tuned Bells bathe drowned,  
She rung so lately out in June, some doubt  
She shook great Tom of Lincoln's clapper out.  
It is reported by the men of Kent,  
She sounds such discord, she gives no content.  
But that she's ponderous and so great, the People  
Would gladly have her quite out of the Steeple.  
She makes such hideous noise with her doom, doom,  
As did the Popish Bulls that came from Rome.  
But since she's made of nought but Popish dross,  
She'll serve to ring Rome's Catholics to mass.   

Injustice will be repaid at one time or another.  
Richard the second, when he was deposed, and shortly after wounded to death, said, My great Grandfather Edward the second, was in this manner, Deposed, imprisoned, and murdered; by which means my Grandfather, Edward the third obtained the crown, and now is the punishment of that injury poured upon me his next Successor; well, this is right for me to suffer.   

The ministry is no idle Calling.  
If a Minister had as many eyes as Argus to watch, as many heads as Typheus' to dispose, and as many hands as Briareus to labour, he might find employment enough for them all.   

Peter and Paul pictured blushing.  
A Painter who being blamed by a Cardinal, for putting too much red upon the visages of Peter and Paul, tartly replied, That he painted them so, as blushing at the lives of those men, who styled themselves their successors.   

Seldom comes the better.  
There were three Dionysians that succeeded one another, and each exceeded his predecessor in Tyranny and wickedness; insomuch, that they were continually execrated of all men; only one old woman prayed for the life of the last, because she thought the devil himself would come next.   

Mistress Hutchinson of New-England delivered of a strange Monster.  
Mistress Hutchinson of Boston in New-England, a woman of eminent parts and seeming piety, falling into many strange and dangerous opinions, which she pertinaciously held, and had drawn many others to embrace them; when the Churches of God there (notwithstanding all their endeavours) could not convince nor reclaim her, but still she persisted in those desperate Errors; it pleased God to give a token from Heaven of his manifest displeasure against her, and her opinions, and a warning to all those that did adhere to her in them. The matter was thus, Mistress Hutchinson being big with child, and drawing near her time of labour, was, at once, delivered of thirty Monstrous Births, or thereabouts; some of them bigger, some lesser, some of one shape, some of another, few of any perfect shape, none at all of them of human shape; wherein the wisdom of God mightily appeared, in fitting this judgement to her sin every way; for, as she had vented misshapen opinions, so she brings forth deformed Monsters: Secondly, as her errors were about thirty in number, so she brought forth about thirty misshapen Births; And as her errors were public, and spread abroad in that and other Countries: so this Monster of hers is famously known in all the New-England Churches, and in many other parts of the world. Though this visible hand from Heaven wrought upon many that had been seduced by her, yet she herself continued still obstinate in her way, and leaving that part of the Plantation, went to live, with her Family, near a place which Seamen and our Maps call hellgate, where the Indians fell upon them, and slew her and all her family, her daughter, and her daughter's husband, with all their children, save only one that escaped.   

Mistress Dyers fearful Monster.  
To the foresaid Relation, I may add another as strange and remarkable, happening in the same place, about the same time, and to a woman of the same way with Mris. Hutchinson. The Story is thus; At Boston in New-England, upon the 17. of October, 1637. the wife of one William Dyer, sometime a Citizen and milliner of London, a very proper and comely young woman, was delivered of a large woman child, still borne, about two months before her time; the child having life a few hours before the delivery, but so monstrous, and misshapen, as the like hath not been heard of; it had no head, but a face, which stood so low upon the breast, as the ears, (which were like an Apes) grew upon the shoulders; the eyes stood far out, so did the mouth, the nose was hooking upward, the breast and back was full of sharp prickles like a Thorn-back, the navel, and all the belly, with the distinction of the Sex, were where the lower part of the back and hips should have been; and those back parts were on the side the face stood; the arms and hands, with the thighs and legs, were as other children's, but instead of toes, it had upon each foot three claws, with talons like a young fowl; upon the back, above the belly, it had two great holes like mouths, and in each of them stuck a piece of flesh; it had no forehead, but in the place thereof, above the eyes four horns, whereof two were above an inch long, hard, and sharp, the other two were somewhat shorter; the father and mother of this monster were of the highest form of our refined Familists, and very active in maintaining their party, and in reproaching some of the Elders and others who did oppose their errors. These things are so well known in New England (both this and the former relation) that the reverend Teacher of Boston hath made use of them in public, and have beeu testified by so many Letters from thence to friends here, and also published in a printed large relation, with all the circumstances by Mr. Thomas Welde a worthy Minister then of New England, now in Old, that the truth of these things is unquestionable.   

Riches bring troubles.  
Polycrates bestowed five talents for a gift upon one Anacrion, who for two nights after was so troubled with care how to keep them, and how to bestow them, as he carried them back again to Polycrates, saying, they were not worth the pains which he had already taken for them.   

A just reward of covetousness.  
Calipha King of Persia having filled a tower with silver, gold, jewels, and precious stones, and being in war with Alanus King of the Tartarians, was so hated of his own people for his covetousness, and base keeping back of their pay, as that he was taken by Alanus in his own City, & committed to prison in the aforesaid tower, Alanus speaking thus to him; If thou hadst not kept this treasure so covetously, but hadst distributed it amongst thy soldiers, thou mightst have preserved thyself and City, now therefore enjoy it at thine ease, and eat and drink thy fill, seeing thou hast loved it so well: And so he died in the midst of his Riches.   

God's Mercy.  
The weapons of God's Artillery are turned into the rainbow; a Bow indeed, but without an Arrow; Bent, but without a string; with the back towards Heaven, as if we rather shot at God by our sins, than he at us, by his Judgements.   

God's infiniteness.  
God is a Circle, whose Circumference is everywhere, and whose centre is nowhere.   

A prophecy fulfilled.  
Whitguift the last Abbot of Wellow in Lincolnshire, would often tell his friends, that he should live to see the dissolution of Abbeys, and all such Religious houses, for that he had read the Scripture over, and over, but could find no foundation for them there; but I find (said he) this in the Scripture, that whatsoever is not of God's planting shall be plucked up; which accordingly came to pass, here in England, in his days.   

The different dispositions of men.  
A Father that had three Sons, was desirous to try their discretions, which he did by giving to each of them an apple that had some part of it rotten, the first eats up his, rotten and all; the second throws all his away, because some part of it was rotten; the third draws his knife, and picking out the rotten eats that which was good. This may not unfitly be compared to three sorts of men in our days, concerning the diversity of opinions in these times, some swallow all, good, or bad; others cast all away, right, or wrong; the wisest sort try all things, and keep only that which is good.   

Affection mars judgement.  
If the Faux of our Concupiscence give fire to the Gunpowder of our Appetite, 'twill blow up the parliament-house of our Reason.   

Five pound lost for want of faith.  
A reverend Minister of this Land that had many Children, whom he would many times ask what Callings they had most mind to; one of his younger Sons would always say, that he would be a Merchant; Alas child, replied his Father, I am a poor man, and shall not be able to give so much money as that Trade requires; but still the boy's mind was to be a Merchant: It happened one day that this Minister and his Wife were invited to a knight's house to dinner, where there were some Londoners of the knight's friends the same time; whereof one, as they sat at dinner; asked if any at the Table knew of ever a hopeful boy, of honest Parents, that were willing to be a Prentice; the Minister desired to know what Trade that gentleman was of, who told him that he was a Merchant; O Sir, said the Minister, you Merchants require so much with your prentices that 'tis not for poor men to think of putting a child to your trade; 'Tis true, said the Merchant, we usually have good sums with our prentices, but for my part I would take a boy that were religiously bred with a small matter; I pray Sir, replied the Minister, what do you mean by a small matter? why said the other, I would take such a child as I have spoken of with twenty pound, though we seldom take any under seven or eight score pound; well, after dinner this good Minister singles out his Wife (who had well observed the Merchants offer) and said to her; lafoy ye wife, here's providence, this Merchant will take our boy with twenty pound; yea, quoth his wife, you are ever talking of providence, providence, 'tis a goodly piece of providence indeed; pray how should we come by twenty pound? the poor man sneaks away with a flea in his ear, not willing to tempt his wife's patience any further, with his discourse about providence; towards night the Minister and his wife took their leaves of the company, and went home; where they found a servingman, who desiring to speak privately with the Minister, delivered him a paper sealed up, with a token in it from his Master, which the good man opening, found in it fifteen twenty shillings pieces; he goes immediately to his wife, and shows her what the gentlemen had sent them, telling her, that she had lost five pound clearly for want of Faith.   

To be sensible that we are dead, is a sign of life.  
An eminent Minister, who was a famous instrument of converting many souls to God, was wont to say, that for his own part, he had no other evidence in himself of being in the state of Grace, then that he was sensible of his deadness.   

A passage of providence.  
There was another very godly Minister whose means were so small that oftentimes he was in great want of necessaries for his Family; one morning being Market-day, his wife came to him as he was at his study, and frowardly enough, asked him for some money to buy their weekly provision; the poor man answered, that he had not one penny; she cried out, than you and your children must starve for aught I know; the Minister replied, that he hoped God would provide for them, and persuaded his wife to send her maid into the Market; what to do trow, cried she, except she had money? howsoever let her go, said her husband; the wife replied, her maid should not go without money; the good man urged his wife again, and again to let her maid go into the Market with her hand-basket, as she was wont to do; at which importunity she sent her maid as formerly, to make their markets, but without one penny of money; the wench to satisfy her Master, went up and down in the Market a pretty while, till at length a countryman came to her, and asked if she were not Master such a ones maid? who answered, she was; I pray then, said he, commend me to your Master, and give him this small testimony of my love (which was twenty shillings) and let him send some body to fetch two bushels of Wheat, which I have set up, at such a shop for him; and I pray tell your Master, that though he knows me not, yet I have cause to bless God for the good I have received by his ministry; so the maid bought such provision as she was wont to do, and carried home the rest of the money to her Master and Mistress, and acquainted them with this strange providence and seasonable mercy.   

Between green heads and grey hairs, truth suffers much.  
Inter juvenils judicium, & senile prejudieium veritas corrumpiter; What for herbs in Summer, and toasts in Winter, a man cannot come by what he should have.   

upon a Bishop of Eli's Translation to Canterbury.  
Laetentur Caeli, transfertur ad Kentum ab Eli, Cujus in adventum, flent in Kent millia centum   

Rich Parsons need not preach.  
A Gentleman meeting with a Ministers man of his acquaintance, asked him how his Master did; Very well Sir, said the man; But Thomas, said the gentleman, does thy Master preach still, as lustily as he was wont to do? yes Sir, replied Thomas, he preaches now and then, though God be thanked he need not; why need he not Thomas, quoth the gentleman? marry Sir, said Thomas, he is rich enough now, and may give over preaching an't please him.   

A Prayer against the Grace of God.  
In Edward the Sixt's time there happened a sweating sickness in England, whereof multitudes died in a short time; the Scots that traded into the Northern parts of this kingdom, demanded what disease it was that so many Englishmen died of? the Country people, that had never known any such sickness before, knew not by what name to call it; but (as 'tis usual in strange accidents) said, 'twas by the grace of God; this was presently carried into Scotland, that the English died of a new disease, called, The Grace of God; whereupon the Clergy assembled together, and composed a Collect, or Prayer against the Grace of God, which was ordered to be used on Sundays, and holidays, in all the Churches of that kingdom; 'twas in Latin thus: Deus, & Sanctus Kintagernus, Sanctus Romanus, & Sanctus Andreas, libero nos hodie a Gratia Dei, & a faeda morte qua Angli moriuntur; and in English it was thus: God and Saint Mango, St. Roman, and St. Andrew shield us this day from God his Grace, and from the foul death that the Englishmen died upon.   

four blessings came into England together.  
Greek, heresy, turkeycocks, and beer,  
Came into England all in one year.   

Many cannot mind heaven, they are so taken up with the earth.  
King Henry the fourth asked the Duke of Alva if he had observed the great eclipse of the Sun which had lately happened; no (said the Duke) I have so much to do on earth, that I have no leisure to look up to heaven.   

Nothing got by neglecting opportunities.  
One that had gathered together many of the sibyl's Books, brought them to a King of the Romans to sell, but demanding too much for them, as the King thought, they could not agree; whereupon, the man burned the one half of his books, and demanded double the price he asked at first, for the remainder, which the King refusing to give, he burned half of the remaining part, and doubled the price of all again; and than the King considering the value of them, gave him the price. I am afraid, if we forbear to give the prayers that God asks for the peace of Jerusalem, the time may come that we may be content to give blood, and our estates too, and yet not do one half quarter so much, good, as we may now by prayer. This was spoken in a Sermon, by an eminent Minister of London, not long before our unhappy troubles.   

Prayer more prevalent than an Army of men.  
Mary Queen of Scots, that was Mother to King James, was wont to say, That she feared Mr. knocks Prayers, more than an Army of ten thousand men.   

A good trial of bad servants.  
Constantius the father of Constantine the great, when he was advanced to honour, he had about him of his servants, some that were Pagans, and some that were Christians, he (to discover who were Christians, and who were not) made an Edict, That all those that were Christians, and would not worship the Heathen Gods, should immediately depart from the Court; upon this, all the Pagans flocked about him; And many false-hearted Christians also presented their service to him; To whom he made this answer; nay, (Says he) If you will be false to your Gods, I will never trust you to be servants to me.   

Ambassadors, whether sent from Kings or from God; must not be abused.  
It is reported, that Rome was once destroyed to the ground, for some abuses that were offered to an ambassador that was sent unto it: And David we know, never played any such harsh play in all his life, as he did to the Ammonites, that despitefully used his ambassadors, which he sent unto them, when they shaved their beards, and cut their coats: 'Tis no less dangerous for any, to abuse the Ministers of Jesus Christ, for they are God's ambassadors.   

An ignorant Bishop.  
When Popery was professed in Scotland, complaint was made to the Bishop of Dankelden, of one called Deane Thomas, That he preached too often; whereupon the Bishop sent for him, and charged him with what he had heard; The Deane answered, that he preached but once upon the Sunday; why man, quoth the Bishop, if thou that hast but a small living, preach once a Sunday, what will the people say of me, that have a great living, and preach not once a year? But prithee Deane Thomas tell me what thou preachest so often upon? My Lord (said he) I preach sometimes upon the Epistle, and sometimes upon the Gospel appointed for the day, as it hits; Tush man (said the Bishop) thou art a fool; I'll tell thee what thou shalt do; when thou meetest with a good pistol, or a good gospel, which makes for the privilege of holy Kirk, preach that, and let the rest be; My Lord (said the dean) I have read both the old Law and the new, and I can find none but good Pistles and Gospels in the Book of God, if you can show me any that are bad, I will let them be: Now fie upon thee Deane Thomas (Replied the Bishop) what dost thou mean to trouble thyself so with the Scriptures? And clapping himself upon his breast, he swore, that for his part, he never knew Old Law nor New: whereupon, it grew into a proverb in Scotland (when they would express a very ignorant man) you are like the Bishop of Dunkelden, that knew neither old Law nor new.   

A Knight that durst appear for a persecuted Truth and man.  
One Dowglas, a Scottish Knight, having heard Master Wiseheart preach some things contrary to the corrupt Doctrine of those times, said, I know the governor and Cardinal shall hear of it; But say unto them (said the Knight) I will avow it, and not only maintain the Doctrine, but also the person of the Teacher, to the uttermost of my power.   

Christians must learn self-denial.  
Antoninus Pius when he undertook the Title of Emperor, said, he did then forgo the property and interest of a private person: so when we take upon us the Name of CHRIST, we should forgo all selfish and private respects.   

A covetous King, and an ingrateful Guest.  
Our Henry the seventh, with his whole Retinue, were Royally entertained by the Earl of Oxford for three days together, at Henningham Castle in Essex; when the King was to depart, the Earl had caused three hundred of his Servants, retainers, and Tenants, to stand in ranks on either side the long causeway from the Castle; when the King came to the end of the ranks, and had taken notice of so many proper men, all in one Livery, he turned to the Earl, and asked him if all those men were his household servants: No, Sir, answered the Earl, 'tis not for my ease, to keep so many in my house, saying, That most of them were Reteyners': Well my Lord (quoth the King) I thank you for my good entertainment, but I must not see my laws broken before my face, my attorney must speak with you about this business: The King was as good as his word, for it cost the Earl of Oxford 14000. Marks for his Composition, upon the penal Statute of retainers.   

Who is the most fool?  
A Cardinal that had a very fine staff, his fool was importunate, that he would bestow it upon him; which the Cardinal did, upon condition, that he should not part with it, but to one that was more fool than himself: The fool lays up his staff very carefully, till one day the Cardinal being sick, and like to die, the fool came to him & asked him, if he were willing to die: O no, said the Cardinal, I am afraid to die, because I do not know whether I shall go, to Heaven or to hell; The fool hearing his Master say so, runs presently and fetcheth the staff, and gives it to the Cardinal again, saying he had met with one now that was more fool than himself; For (Says the fool) you have spent your time so much in pomp and luxury, neglecting the good of your soul, that now you are afraid to die; Take your staff again, for I know none that deserves it better.   

'Tis enough to repent the day before ones death.  
A Jewish rabbi pressing the practice of repentance upon his Disciples, exhorted them to be sure to repent the day before they died; one of them replied, that the day of any man's death was very uncertain; Repent therefore every day (said the Rabbin) and then you shall be sure to Repent the day before you die.   

Mean Parentage no disparagement to virtuous men.  
Seneca writing to a Knight of Rome, who was preferred for his valour, but yet of mean parentage, for which he seemed to be troubled, Seneca citys him this notable saying of Plato; That there is no King but is raised from those which were servants; and that there is no servant but had some of his Ancestors Kings; Though gold comes from the earth, none despiseth it; and although dross comes from the gold, none regards it; A virtuous man coming from mean Parentage, is truly honourable; and a vicious man coming from Noble parentage, is justly contemptible.   

Loving Wives.  
Conradus, the third Emperor of that name, having besieged Guelph, Duke of Bavaria; would yield to no other condition, but only to suffer such Gentlewoman as were in the City, to come out of the town, on foot, with such things as they could carry about them: The Ladies and Gentlewomen resolved (neglecting all other Riches) to carry their husbands, children, and the Duke himself, on their backs: The Emperor perceiving the quaintness of their device, took such pleasure at it, as weeping for joy, presently turned his former inexorable rage and hatred to the Duke, into special love and favour.   

Some sorrows are not to be expressed.  
Psamneticus King of Egypt, being prisoner to Cambyses' King of Persia, seeing his own daughter passing before him in base array, being sent to draw water, at which sight his friends about him wept, but himself could not be moved to utter one word; presently after his son was carried to execution before his face; neither did this move him to show any passion; but afterwards, when a friend of his was to suffer, than he tore his hair, and showed great sorrow; being demanded the reason of this his carriage, he answered, That the loss of a Friend might be expressed, but not the grief for the loss of a child.   

Ingentes stupent,  
A Painter being to represent the grief of the standers by at the Sacrifice of Iphigenia, according to the interest and affection every one did bear to so fair, so young, and so innocent a Lady; when he came to her Father (as if no countenance were able to expresfe his sorrow) he drew him with a veil over his face. Cure leves loquuntur, ingentes stupent. Hence comes the Fiction of Niobe, who having lost seven sons, and seven daughters, is feigned to be turned into a stone.   

Valour scorns any kind of base tricks.  
Alexander being persuaded to make use of an advantage, which the darkness of the night afforded him, to fall upon Darius; No, no, said he, it pleaseth me not to hunt after night stolen Victories; Malo me fortunae poeniieat, quam Victoriae pudeat; I had rather repent of my bad fortune, then be ashamed of an ill gotten Victory.   

Christian Fortitude.  
The Tripartite History tells us of one Sames a Noble man, who had and maintained a thousand servants of his own, yet was deprived of all his estate by the King of Persia, and was compelled to serve one of the most abject and basest of his own servants, to whom the King also gave his wife, that by this means he might cause him to deny his faith: But he not at all moved, kept his Faith entire, willingly suffering all this wrong and indignity for Christ.   

Tyrant's requests are commands.  
A poor man of Sevill in Spain, having a fair and fruitful peartree, one of the Fathers of the Inquisition desired some of the Fruit thereof: The poor man, not out of gladness to gratify, but fear to offend, as if it were a sin for him to have better fruit than his betters (suspecting that on his denial the Tree might be made his own Rod, if not his gallows) plucked up the Tree, roots and all, and gave it to the Inquisitor.   

A piece of Policy.  
A stranger gave out, that he could teach Dionysius the Tyrant of Syracuse, a way to discover any plot or practise that should be made against him, if Dionysius would but bestow a good sum of money upon him: The Tyrant being desirous to understand the truth of so necessary an art for his preservation, sent for him; who told him, that there was no other skill in his Art, but that he should deliver him a talon, and then boast, that he had learned the use of so unvaluable a secret; Dyonisius liking the invention gave him the talon, and by that means kept his enemies in awe.   

An usurer's last Will and Testament.  
One that had been a great and griping Usurer being near his end, was with much ado overcome to make his Will, which he dictated to the Scrivener after this manner: First, I bequeathe my own soul to the Devil, for being so greedy of the muck of this world. Item, Next, I give my wife's soul to the devil, for persuading me to this course of life. Item, I give the Parson of our Parishes soul to the devil, because he did not show me the danger I lived in, nor reprove me for it.   

An admirable example of a self-denying Christian.  
Marcus Galeacius was a Courtier to the Emperor Charles the fifth, Nephew to Pop●Paul the fourth, and marquess of Vico, which is one of the Paradises or Naples, Naples the paradise of Italy, Italy of Europe, and Europe of the whole earth; his Father was not only a marquess, but in such favour with the Emperor, as he was joined equally in Commission with the viceroy of Naples, to sway the sceptre of that kingdom; his Mother of honourable Parentage, and Sister to Paul the fourth; his Lady was Daughter to the Duke of Niceria, one of the principal Peers of Italy; This marquess Galeacius being brought to hear a Sermon of Peter Martyrs, God was pleased so to work upon his spirit, that he began to enter into serious thoughts whether his way were right or no, he being at that time a professed Papist; than he began to take up a constant exercise of reading the Scriptures, and to change his former company, and to make choice of better; his Father was much moved against him, using him with sharpness; his Lady wrought what she could by tears, complaints, and entreaties to take him off from that way; the most part of the noblemen in, and about Naples, being either his kindred, or familiar friends, they continually resorted to take him off, & to follow their old pleasures together, yet at last having further light let into his soul, to see not only the necessity of some truths that he understood not before, but likewise of deli●ering himself from that Idolatry that he apprehended himself defiled with; therefore his resolutions were strong to leave the Court, and his father, and honours, yea and his inheritance, to join himself to a true Church of God, and according to this resolution he went away; much means were used to call him back, great offers of riches and preferments to draw him; his children hung about him with doleful cries, his friends standing about him with watery eyes, which so wrought upon his tender heart (he being of a most loving and sweet disposition) that, as he hath often said, he thought that all his bowels rolled about within him, and that his heart would presently have burst, and he should there have instantly died; but he denied himself in all, and chose rather to live in a mean condition where he might enjoy God, and the peace of his conscience, then to have the riches, glory, pleasures of Italy, and of the Emperor's Court.   

A Judgement upon perjury.  
Vladislaus King of Hungary having concluded a peace with Amurath the Turkish Emperor, which was confirmed by a solemn oath on both sides; afterwards by the persuasion of some Cardinals, Vladislaus broke his engagement, and suddenly made war upon the Turk; in the first set Battle the Turkish Army had the worst, for a great part of the day; at which Amurath pulling the Articles of the peace out of his bosom, and lifting up his eyes to heaven, said, O Jesus Christ, if thou be'st a God, as these Christians say thou art, Revenge this injury offered to thee and me, and punish these Truce-breakers; which words were no sooner spoken, but the battle and courage of the Christians began to abate, Vladislaus himself was slain, and all his Army discomfited.   

A text well improved.  
One preaching upon Num. 22. 30. Am not I thine ass, &c. raised these four solid and profitable Doctrines.  
1 That the silliest, and simplest, being wronged, may justly speak in their own defence.  
2 That the worst men have a good title to their own goods, for though Balaam was a Sorcerer, yet the ass confesseth twice that he was his.  
3 That they who have done many good offices, and fail in one, are often not only unrewarded for former services, but punished for that one offence.  
4 That when the Creatures, formerly officious to serve us, start from their former obedience, man ought to reflect on his own sin as the sole cause thereof.   

Delight in sinning.  
Plutarch reports of one who would not be resolved of his doubts, because he would not lose the pleasure in seeking for resolution; like to him that would not have his physician to remove the thirst he felt in his Ague, because he would not lose the pleasure of drinking; and like those that would not be freed from their sins, because they would not lose the pleasure of sinning.   

A wise answer to a foolish people.  
When the Thracians told Agesilaus that they had canonised him for a God, Have you power (saith he) to make Gods of whom you please? If you have, pray make a god of one of yourselves, and when I see what good he hath thereby, I will thank you for your kindness.   

A notable act of charity.  
Our King Richard the first being wounded in the arm with an Arrow, whereof he died within a few days; finding himself past recovery, he caused the party that had wounded him, to be brought into his presence, who being asked what moved him to do this fact? answered, That King Richard had killed his Father, and two of his Brothers with his own hand, and therefore would do it, if it were to be done again; upon this insolent answer, every one looked the King should have censured him to some terrible punishment, when contrary to their expectations, in a high degree of charity, he not only freely forgave him, but gave a special charge he should be set at liberty, and that no man should dare to do him the least hurt, commanding besides, that a hundred shillings should be given him; an act that well showed he had been at the holy Land, or rather indeed that he was going to it.   

A good speech of Constantine.  
When Constantine the Emperor was told that there was no means to cure his leprosy, but by bathing his body in the blood of Infants, answered; Malo semper aegrotare quam tali remedio convalescere; I had rather not be cured, then use such a remedy.   

Men of great estates and eminency brought to great wants and extremity  
The victorious Emperor Henry the fourth, who had fought two and fifty pitched battles, fell to that poverty before he died, that he was forced to petition to be a Prebend in the Church of Spire, to maintain him in his old age; and Procopius reports of King Guillimer, who was sometimes a potent King of the Vandals, that he was so low brought, as to entreat his friend to send him a sponge, a loaf of Bread, and a Harp; a sponge to dry up his tears; a loaf of Bread to maintain his life; and a Harp to solace himself in his misery; and Philip de Comines reports of a Duke of Exeter, who though he had married Edward the fourths Sister, yet he saw him in the Low Countries begging barefoot. So also Bellisarius, the only man living in his time for glorious victories, riches, and renown, having his eyes put out, was led at last in a string, crying, Date obulum Bellisario, Give a half penny to poor Bellisarius.   

A censure of a curious woman.  
Socrates writes of one Pambo, who seeing a woman curiously dressed and adorned, burst forth into tears, because she took so much pains to go to Hell; and was more careful of her face to please men, then of her heart to please the Lord.   

Prosperity is subject to pride.  
Gregory Nazianzen reports of himself, that when any thing fell out prosperously to him, he used to read the Lamentations of Jeremiah, to keep his mind humble.   

A happy strife.  
Zerxes making war upon the Athenians, and Themistocles, and Aristides, Citizens of Athens, being at mortal enmity, yet when Themistocles was chosen general, Aristides went to him, saying; That it was now time for them to leave their strife, and to strive which of them should do best in saving their Country, whether you in ruling and commanding, or I in counselling and obeying; to which Themistocles replied: Since Aristides you have the honour in beginning so commendable a strife betwixt us, I will endeavour to exceed you in the continuance of it.   

God usually pays sinners with their own coin.  
Hatto Archbishop of Ments, having assembled a great number of poor people in a time of Dearth into divers barns, under pretence of relieving them, caused the barns to be set on fire, saying, they were the Rats that eat up the food of the Land; but within a while, he himself was eaten up of Rats, from whom by no means he could defend himself.   

The noble and Christian courage of Agrippa.  
Josephus hath a relation of Agrippa, how upon a time he invited Cajus the Emperor to a Supper, and gave the Emperor so great content in his entertainment, that he bade him ask what he would of him; Agrippa (though he knew it was to the hazard of his life and fortunes) made this request; I beseech you Sir, give commandment that the Statue which you have charged Petronius to erect in the Temple of the Jews, may never be set up there. Many Christians would hardly go so far in venturing themselves, either for Church or commonwealth, as Agrippa here did for the Jews.   

Hostility converted into courtesy.  
Alexander coming with his Army into India, Taxiles an Indian King met him, and saluted him after this manner: Alexander, why should we strive one with another, except it be for water, or such necessary commodities as we cannot live without? if it be for money that thou comest, if I be richer than thou, I am ready to give to thee; if thou hast more than I, I will not think scorn to receive from thee; Alexander being much pleased with his speech, embracing him said, Thinkest thou this meeting of ours can be without fighting? No, no; for l will fight and contend with thee in honesty & courtesy, because thou shalt not exceed me in bounty and liberality.   

A word fitly spoken.  
A company of near friends dining together one Sabbath day, one that was at Table (to prevent impertinent discourse) said, That it was a question whether we should all go to Heaven or no; which struck them all into a dump, and caused every one to enter into a serious consideration with themselves; one thought, if any of this company go to Hell it must be I, and so thought another, and another, and indeed so thought almost every one then present, as well servants that waited, as those that sat at table, as it was afterwards acknowledged; and (Thorough the mercy and blessing of God) this speech so wrought upon the spirits of most of them, that it proved the first instrumental means of their conversion.   

A true nobleman.  
Eusebius tells of a nobleman called Vetius Epagathus, who appearing in the cause of Christians, not being able to bear the unjust dealings he saw against the Christians, he demanded that he might be heard in defence of the Brethren; but all that sat at the tribunal being against it, because he was a nobleman, the precedent asking him, if he were a Christian, he plainly and publicly confessed it, and so was taken in amongst the Martyrs, being afterwards called the Christians Advocate.   

A just reward of tyranny.  
The governor of Transsilvania used to hang his Cap upon a Pole, which was set up on the top of a Castle, commanding all that passed by to worship it; which one Tellius refusing, the governor commanded his Son to be tied to a stake, and an apple to be set upon his head, enjoining his father to shoot at the apple with an arrow, threatening him, that if he either hit his Son, or missed the apple, he should die for it; the poor man (by providence) hit the apple, and so was free; the governor asked him why he brought two arrows being to use but one; who answered, that if he had missed the mark with the one, he intended to have shot at him with the other, which he did afterwards, and slew him.   

Nine Arguments against toleration of all Religions.  
A worthy Gentleman of these times hath given nine Arguments against Toleration of all Religions, which are as followeth:  

1 If liberty be given to Error, it will beget licentiousness in erring.  
2 This liberty is not the Magistrates to give.  
3 The Rule of Truth must not be bent.  
4 If laws be made for Errors, 'twill increase them.  
5 To make unlawful things lawful, savours of Popish Dispensations.  
6 Toleration of errors by Law, makes personal errors become national Sins, and then the next is national Judgements.  
7 The Magistrate ought to be as tender of Truth, as men are of their Consciences.  
8 This Toleration of all Opinions, is a charitable Impiety, and an impious Charity.  
9 To be bound to Truth, is the greatest Liberty, and to be free from it, is the greatest slavery.    

Silence in God's cause dangerous.  
Luther professed, That he had rather be accounted any thing, then be accused of wicked silence in God's cause; let me be accounted, says he, proud, covetous, yea a murderer, yea guilty of all vices, so I be not proved to be guilty of wicked silence, while the Lord and his cause do suffer.   

A good Conscience preferred before worldly glory.  
Flavianus Clemens one of Domitian's Courtiers, was so much in favour with that Emperor, as he intended to make his Son his Successor in the Empire, but this good Flavianus, rather than he would break the Peace of his Conscience in the matter of his Religion, he was content to bear the turning of this great love the Emperor bore him into as great hatred, so as he hated him to death, and oppressed his whole House.   

Honour's change manners.  
Two scholars that were long brought up together, agreed, that which of them came first to preferment should help the other; one of them came afterward to be a Bishop, the other seeing himself forgotten, or at least neglected, came to the Bishop, desiring him to remember his promise; the Bishop made as if he knew him not: not know me, replied the other! I am such a one; Oa said the Bishop, 'tis no marvel I shou●d not knowyou, for to tell you true, I scarce know myself.   

A good help for the Pope at a dead lift.  
A friar Minorite wrote a book to prove that the Pope might be Excommunicate, as well as any other man; to which purpose he used this Dilemma; either the Pope is a Brother, or he is not a Brother; if he be a Brother, then 'tis certain he may be Excommunicate by a Brother; if he be not a Brother, why doth he say, Our Father? at which the Pope was very much troubled; but a merry Courtier that waited on him said, That it was an easy matter to avoid the friar's Dilemma; the Pope desired to know how; Why Sir, said the Courtier Vos nunquam dicite Pater Noster, & solutum est argumentum; Let your holiness never say the Lord's Prayer, and there's an end of an old Song.   

The sinful examples of great men, are of dangerous consequence in the world.  
Austin in his Confessions, speaking of poetical Fictions, saith, that the devil drew men on cunningly to wickedness by them; for whereas the Poets feigned such and such men who were sometimes famous in the world, to be gods, and did cry them up for Deities, and attributed to th●m filthy lusts, and wicked uncleanness, it came to pass, that such as delighted in such ways, would bless themselves in this, that they did not imitate base men, but the celestial gods; Thus the Devil gets sin countenanced in the world, by the examples of great ones; the meaner sort thinking themselves safe, if they have but men of eminency for their pattern.   

A fit Meditation for every man.  
Franciscus Xaverius writing to John the third King of Portugal, gave him this wholesome counsel; That he would every day, for a quarter of an hour, meditate upon that Divine sentence; Wbat shall it profit a man to win the world, and lose his own soul? And that he would seek of God the right understanding of it; and that he would make it the close of all his prayers, the repetition of these words, What shall it profit a man, &c.   

A Miracle in our days.  
Mistress honywood of Kent, an ancient and religious gentlewoman, being in great distress of Conscience for want of assurance, oft crying out, that she was certainly damned; one day, as she was in conference with some godly Divines, who laboured what they could to comfort her, and satisfy her spirit, she still persisted in her despairing expressions; when the Ministers were about to depart, she called for a cup of Wine for them, which being brought, she drank to one of them a glass of the Wine, and as soon as she had done, in an extreme passion she threw the Venice glass against the ground, saying, As sure as this glass will break, so surely am I damned; the glass rebounded from the ground without any harm, which one of the Ministers suddenly caught in his hand, and said, Behold a Miracle from Heaven to confute your unbelief, tempt God no more, tempt God no more; both the Gentlewoman, and all the company were mightily amazed at this strange accident; and all glorified God for what was done, and the Gentlewoman, through the Grace of God, received much comfort, and lived and died full of peace and assurance. This happened in King James his time, and the whole Story was related to him in a Sermon, immediately after it was done; and so also was it related by another Preacher at Paul's cross.   

King's never want Laws to do what they list.  
Cambyses' desirous to marry his own sister, asked his Magi, whether it were lawful or no for him to do so? They answered, that indeed they had no Law for the Brother to marry the Sister; but they had another Law, whereby it was lawful for the Kings of Persia to do what they listed.   

The church's treasure.  
Saint Laurence the Martyr being demanded by Galienus the Tyrant, where he had bestowed the Treasure of the Church? he told him that within three days he would resolve him; in the mean time he gathered together a great number of poor Christians, saying, that these were the riches of the Church.   

He that serves God by a Proxy, shall go to Heaven by an attorney.  
There was a Merchant that seldom or never went to Church himself, but used to send his Wife to pray for them both; it happened that they both died much about the same time, and coming to Heaven Gates, Saint Peter let the Woman only in, saying, That as she went to Church for both, so she should be received into Heaven for both.   

A sinful life followed with a woeful death.  
One Hermanus a great Courtier in the kingdom of Bohemia, being at point of death did most lamentably cry out; That he had spent more time in the Palace then in the Temple, and that he had added to the riotousness and vices of the Court, which he should have sought to have reformed; and so died, to the horror of those that were about him.   

A Bishop's blessing not worth a half penny.  
There was a poor blind man that sat begging by the highway, who hearing that a Bishop was coming, the old man bestirred himself with great expectation of a bountiful reward from his Lordship, crying, Good my Lord, good my Lord, bestow some small piece of silver upon this poor blind man; for God's sake, my Lord, one half penny, to this blind man; but, on rode the Bishop, and not a farthing could the poor man get; who perceiving that the Bishop was past, he cried to him, that if he would give him no money, he would yet give him his blessing; (the Bishop's blessing in old time was a goodly matter) which the Bishop hearing, turned his Horse and went back to the blind man, bidding him kneel down, and he would give him his blessing (which was, to lay his hand upon his head, and pray God to bless him) the blind man fell upon his knees, but instantly starts up again, and said; 'Twas no great matter whether he did bless him or no, for he knew if it were worth a half penny, his Lordship would not part with it.   

Remarkable Circumstances about the King's death.  
King Charles was beheaded in that very place where the first blood was shed in the beginning of our late troubles, for a company of Citizens returning from Westminster, where they had been quietly petitioning for Justice, were set upon by some of the Court, as they passed by White-Hall; in which tumult divers were hurt, and one or more slain, just by the Banqueting-house, in the place where the Scaffold stood on which he suffered; 'Tis further remarkable, that he should end his days in a tragedy at the Banqueting-house, where he had seen, and caused many a Comedy to be acted upon the Lord's Day.   

Men of public spirits would not outlive their country's prosperity.  
When Titus had taken and sacked Jerusalem, the Priests came to him and begged their Lives; that merciful Prince, and darling of mankind, caused them to be slain, as degewretches, that would desire to outlive their Temple and Religion.   

One good turn requires another.  
Augustus Caesar being requested by an old soldier of his, to be present at the hearing of a cause he had; Augustus answered, That he would send one in his room; the soldier replied, O Emperor, I sent no Deputy to fight in thy quarrel at Philippi, but went myself; whereat Augustus blushing, yielded to his request.   

The lively picture of our times.  
When God raised up Luther, Melancthon, Zwinglius, and divers other Worthies to be the Reformers of his Church; At the same time, the enemy of mankind raised up the Anabaptiss, to be the disturbers of his Church; And the more active Luther and the rest were, in labouring a Reformation, according to the Gospel; the more violent were, Thomas Muntzer, Storch, Knipper Dolling, and the rest of that Phanicall frenzy crew, in raising tumults and confusions, and disgracing those worthy instruments of God, railing upon them, and upon whatsoever they did, towards the work of Reformation; crying out, that Luther was worse than the Pope, and that he and his Party savoured nothing but the flesh; and because these mad-headed Anabaptists could find nothing in the written Word, to defend their errors, and the tumults which they raised, they fly to Revelations, and Inspirations; hereupon every Fish-monger begins to boast of the Spirit, feign revelations after the example of Storch, and Muntzer, and the Pulpit is open to every cobbler and Tinker; they scoffed at the public Sermons of the reformed, inveighed against the Lutheran Faith, as being void of good works; Muntzer, the chief trumpet of these uproars, proclaims openly, that he was raised up by the command of God, for the punishment of wicked Princes, and altering of politic Government; his usual subscriptions to his Letters was, Thomas Muntzer, the Servant of God against the ungodly.   

Nine Pillars for the supporting of Faith.  
David hath couched nine several Arguments in one Verse, for the strengthening of his faith in God; as we may see, Psal. 18. 2. 1 Jehovah, 2 My Rock, 3 My fortress, 4 My Deliverer. 5 My God. 6 My strength. 7 My Buckler. 8 The horn of my salvation. 9 My high tower.   

The undaunted spirit of Ignatius.  
Ignatius, when he was in his enemy's hands, and ready to suffer martyrdom, he used this notable speech; I care (Says he) for nothing visible, or invisible, so I may get Christ; let fire, the cross, the letting out of wild beasts upon me, breaking of my bones, the tearing of my members, the grinding of my whole body, and the torments of the devil come ●pon me, so be it I may get Christ.   

More Devils in the Country then in the City.  
A Holy man travelling to a great and populous town, spied a great company of Devils in every field, and about every house in the Country as he went; but coming to the City, he found only one devil there, who sat on the pinnacle of the highest Church; this Holy man conjuring him down, demanded of him the reason why there were so many Devils in the Country, and but one in the City? He answered, That one was enough in the City, because there was so much wickedness in it, that they were all his own already, and he only kept watch lest there should be any alteration amongst them; but in the Country, the people were so poor, industrious, and honest, that they were enforced to employ their greatest numbers and pains to gain them.   

Confess and be saved.  
The Duke of Roan visiting his Common goal, demands of the first Prisoner he saw, wherefore he lay there? he answered, for no offence that ever he had committed, but upon malice; the like answer made the second, and the third, and so all the rest; but coming to the last, he answered; That he lay there for his offences of Felony, and Murder, expecting death, as he had deserved. The Duke liking his humble confession, bade the gaoler take away that wicked fellow from those holy and innocent men, saying, He was enough to infect them all; by which means he only escaped.   

No matter by whom, so God's work be done.  
Matthew Langi Archbishop of Salzburg said, 'Twas true, that many things were greatly amiss in the Church of Rome, and that the whole Clergy stood in need of Reformation; but that such a Rascally Monk as Martin Luther should be the Author of such a work, was intolerable.   

A good use of a wooden god.  
Diagoras having something to boil, and wanting other fuel, he took his wooden god Hercules, saying, It is now the time of Hercules; that as thou hast served Euristheus in twelve Labours, so thou shouldest serve me in the thirteenth; and so threw him into the fire, as a piece of wood.   

Three good questions for every man to ask himself every night.  
Seneca reports of one Sexius, who every night when he should take his rest, would ask himself three questions; 1 What evil hast thou healed this day? 2 What vice hast thou stood against? 3 In what part art thou bettered?   

'Tis not Blood, but Faith that makes men noble.  
Romanus the Martyr, who was borne of Noble Parentage, entreated his Persecutors that they would not favour him for his Nobility; for it is not (said he) the blood of my Ancestors, but my Christian Faith that makes me noble.   

An EPITAPH upon Duke Hamilton.  

HE that three Kingdoms made one flame,  
Blasted their beauty, burned the frame,  
himself now here in ashes lies,  
A part of this great Sacrifice  
Here all of Hamilton remains,  
Save what the other world contains.  
But (Reader) it is hard to tell,  
whether that world be Heaven, or Hell;  
A Scotchman enters Hell at's birth,  
And 'scape it when he goes to earth,  
assured no worse a Hell can come,  
Then that which he enjoyed at home.   

How did the royal workman botch,  
This Duke half English, and half Scotch,  
A Scot an English earldom fits,  
As purple doth your Marmuzets;  
Yet might he thus disguised (no less)  
Have slipped to Heaven in's English dress,  
But that he, in hope of life, became  
All Scot, and quit his English claim.  
This mystic Proteus too, as well  
Might cheat the devil, scape his Hell,  
Since to those pranks he pleased to play,  
Religion ever paved the way;  
which he did to a Faction tye,  
Not to reform, but crucify:  
'Twas he that first alarmed the Kirk,  
To this preposterous bloody work,  
upon the King, to place Christ's Throne,  
A step and footstool to his own;  
Taught zeal a hundred tumbling tricks,  
And Scriptures twined with politics;  
The Pulpit made a juggler's Box,  
Set Law and Gospel in the Stocks,  
As did old Buchanon, and Knox,  
In those days when (at once the Pox  
And) Presbyters a way did find  
Into the world, to plague mankind;  
'Twas he patched up the new Divine,  
Part Calvine, and part Catiline;  
Could too, transform (without a spell)  
Satan into a Gabriel;  
Just like those Pictures, which we paint,  
On this side Fiend, on that side Saint:  
Both this, and that, and every thing  
He was, for, and against the King;  
Rather than he his ends would miss,  
B●tray'd his Master with a kiss,  
And buried in one common Fate,  
The glory of our Church, and State;  
The Crown too, leveled on the ground;  
And having rooked all parties round,  
Faith it was time then to be gone,  
Since he had all his business done:   

Next on the fatal Block expired,  
He to this Marble-Cell retired;  
where all of Hamilton remains,  
But what Eternity contains.    

The old Cardinal did not like the new way of choosing Popes.  
An old Sicilian Cardinal, after long absence, coming to the election of a new Pope, and expecting that incessant Prayers, as of old, should have been made to God for the directing of the choice of Christ's Vicar; and finding now, nought but canvasing, promising, an● threatenings for voices; Ad hunc modum (faith he) fiunt Romani Pontifices? Are the Popes of Rome chosen after this manner? He would stay no longer in the Conclave, but away he went, and never saw Rome after.   

The Low-Countries compared to a Cow.  
The State of the Low-Countries hath been resembled to a Cow, the King of Spain spurring her; the Queen of England feeding her; the Prince of Orange milking her; the Duke of Anjoy pulling her back by the tail, but she befouled his fingers.   

The counsel of Constance.  
At the counsel of Constance, Anno 1414. were assembled Sigismond the Emperor, four Patriarchs, twenty nine Cardinals, three hundred forty six archbishops, and Bishops; five hundred sixty four Abbots, and Doctors; six hundred Secular Princes, and noblemen; four hundred and fifty common Harlots; six hundred Barbers; three hundred and twenty minstrels, and Jesters.   

Of one that had never troubled God with his prayers before that time.  
A man being sick, and afraid of death, fell to his prayers, and to move God, to hear him; told him, that he was no common beggar, and that he had never troubled him with his prayers before, and if he would but hear him at that time, he would never trouble him again.   

England and Scotland seldom long at peace.  
That which Vellejus said of the Romans and Carthaginians, may as truly be said of the English and Scotch; That almost for three hundred years, there was, either Bellum inter eos, aut belli preparatio, aut infida pax: Either war, or preparation to war, or a false Peace between them.   

What to do in time of danger.  
The Duke of Saxony preparing an Army against the Bishop of Magdenburg, which he hearing of, he fell to prayer, reforming his Church, and amending what was amiss; which one of his friends perceiving, and saw that he made no preparation for his defence, asked him, if he did not hear what the Duke intended? yea, said he, I do hear it well enough; Sed ego sanabo Ecclesiam meam, & Deus pugnabit pro me; I will reform my Church, and then God will fight for me.   

A Rule for Kings.  
Theopompus being demanded by what means a King might safely keep his kingdom, answered, by giving his friends free liberty o● speech.   

Riches the bane of the Church.  
Bishop Jewel records out of Joannis Parisensis and others, that when Constantine the Great advanced Bishops, and endowed the Church with Lands, and great temporal Possessions, there was a voice of Angels heard in the air, saying, Hodie venenum funditur in Ecclesiam; This day is poison poured out upon the Church.   

Germany baned by three things.  
Luther Prophesied that there were three things which would be the bane of Christian Religion in Germany; First, forgetfulness of God's great blessing in restoring the Gospel again to them; Secondly, Security, which, said he, already reigneth everywhere; Thirdly, Worldly wisdom, which would bring all things into good order, and undertake to cure the public distempers, with wicked Counsels.   

Learning too low for nobleman's Sons.  
A great peer of this Land (not guilty of ●uch Learning, nor any great friend to it) ●●id, it was enough for nobleman's Sons to wind their horn, and carry their hawk ●●ire, and that Study and Learning was for Children of meaner rank; to whom it was justly replied, That then noblemen must be content that their Children may wind their horns, and carry their hawks, while meaner men's sons do wield the affairs of State.   

The Earl of Castlehaven's miserable Comforters.  
When the Earl of Castle-haven was to be beheaded, there were sent two great learned Deans and Doctors of Divinity to his lodging, to pray with him before his death; who calling for a Common prayer-book, they read over the litany to him, which was all the Prayers they used with him; the Earl much grieved and discontented therewith, broke forth into these speeches: Alas, what do these Doctors mean to trouble themselves, or me, in praying to God to deliver me from Lightning & Tempest, from Plague, Pestilence, and Famine, from Battle and Murder, and from sudden death; who am now presently to die, and lose my head? Or what doth their praying, to preserve all that travel by Land or by Water, all Women labouring with child, all sick Persons, & young children▪ concern either me, or my present condition, who am now ready to perish and b● destroyed miserable Comforters are they. This he spoke with tears in his eyes, and thereupon desired the Company that was with him to go into another room from these Deans, where he made such an heavenly fervent extemporary Prayer, pertinent to his present dying condition, as ravished all the Auditors.   

An Imposture handsomely discovered.  
The Duke of Gloster being with Henry the Sixth at Saint Albans, there was a great brute up and down the town of a famous Miracle wrought at that very time, upon a poor man, by virtue of St. Albans Shrine; which was the restoring of fight to this poor man, who, as he said, was born blind, the Miracle was so noised in the town, and in every man's mouth, that the Duke desired to see the man that was thus cured of his blindness; who being brought to him, he asked him if he were borne blind? who answered him, that he was; and can you now see (said the Duke) yea, I thank God, and St. Alban, saith the beggar, Then tell me, saith the Duke, what colour is my gown of? the beggar readily told him the colour; and what colour is such a man's gown? the beggar told him presently, and so also of many others. Then said the Duke, go you counterfeit Knave, if you had been borne blind, and could never see till now, how come you so suddenly to know this difference of colours? and thereupon, instead of an alms, he caused him to be whipped openly up and down the town.   

Jesuitical juggeling.  
When the House at Blackfriars in London fell, and had killed about a hundred Persons, and wounded above as many more, who were Roman Catholics met there to hear a Popish Priest preach, which was in the year 1623. upon a Sabbath day, and the fifth of November (the Powder Treason day) according to the Romish account; the Jesuits presently published a book, wherein they set forth this accident, with all the Circumstances, as a Judgement of God fallen upon a company of heretical Protestants and Puritans, as they were met together in a Conventicle; All this was, that the poor deluded people might not come to the knowledge of this remarkable Judgement, lest it should startle them in their profession of Popery, and that it might confirm them in their indignation against the Protestant Religion; and thus they make lies their refuge.   

A remarkable Judgement upon a wicked counsellor.  
It was a very remarkable piece of Divine Justice which befell the Lord Hastings, by whose advice Richard the third put to death the Earl of Rivers, and Grey, with others at Pomfret in the North, without either trial of Law, or any offence given; It pleased God, that this very Hastings, who counselled the Tyrant to take away the heads of these noblemen thus unjustly, lost his own head, the very same day and hour, in the Tower of London, in the same lawless manner, and by the command of the same lawless monster.   

What cast Lucifer out of Heaven, and Adam out of paradise.  
God (saith one) had three Sons, Lucifer Adam, and Christ; The first aspired to be like God in power, and was therefore thrown down from Heaven; The second, to be like him in knowledge, and was therefore deservedly driven out of Eden; The third did altogether imitate, and follow him in his mercy, and by so doing obtained an everlasting inhe●itance.   

The world's hypocrisy.  
Omnia religiosa nun● ridentur; He that makes Conscience of his ways, is accounted one of God almighty's fools; we are all (in effect) become Comedians in Religion, and while we act in gesture, and voice theological virtues, in all the courses of our lives, we renounce our persons, and the parts we play.   

Stay the Bells, the man is alive yet, and like to plague you worse.  
While Martin Luther was yet living, some Popish Priests published a book in Italian, relating the strange and fearful manner of his death; thus the story lies. A stupendious and rare Miracle which God, ever to be praised, showed about the filthy death of Martin Luther, a man damned both in body and soul, so that it conduced to the glory of Jesus Christ, and the amendment and comfort of godly men. When Martin Luther was sick, he desired the Lord's Body to be communicated to him, which he receiving, died presently; when he saw that he must die, he requested that his body might be set upon the Altar, and be adored with Divine worship; but God, to put an end to his horrible errors, by a great Miracle warned the people to abstain from that impiety which Luther invented; for when his body was laid in the Grave, suddenly so great a stir & terror arose, as if the foundations of the earth were shaken together; whereupon all the funeral trembling, were astonished, and after a while lifting up their eyes, beheld the sacred Host appearing in the air; wherefore with great devotion of heart, they placed the most sacred Host upon the holy Altar, whereupon the fearful noise ceased; but in the night following a loud noise, and rattling, much shriller than the former, was heard about Luther's sepulchre, which awaked all the City, terrified them, and almost killed them with astonishment; In the morning, when they opened the sepulchre, they found neither his body, nor the bones, nor any of the clothes; but there came a sulphurous stink out thereof, which almost over-came the standers by. By this Miracle many were so amazed, that they amended their lives, for the honour of the Christian Faith, and the glory of Jesus Christ.   

A fair confutation of a foul lie.  
When this lie came printed into Germany, Luther confuted it with his own hand, after this manner. I Martin Luther do profess and witness under my own hand, that I on the one and twentieth day of March received this Figment, full of anger and fury concerning my death, and that I read it with a joyful mind, and cheerful countenance; and but that I detest the Blasphemy, which ascribeth an impudent lie to the Divine Majesty; for the other passages, I cannot but with great joy of heart laugh at Satan's, the Popes, and their complices hatred against me; God turn their hearts from their diabolical maliciousness; but if God decree not to hear my prayers for their sin unto death, the Lord grant that they may fill up the measure of their sins, and solace themselves to the full with their libels, full fraught with such like lies.   

God is not always alike present with his most faithful Servants.  
A very eminent Preacher of this Land being on a time at a nobleman's house in the Country, was entreated to preach on a week day at a Lecture, then kept at that place, which he did; but was so extremely bound and straightened in his spirit, that he had almost no utterance, nor enlargement at all, wherewith he was exceedingly dejected; in the afternoon he rode away from that place to another town not far off, in company with an eminent Divine, who had heard him that day; all the way as they rode, he did nothing but complain of God's hand in straightening him that day more than ever; but preaching the same Sermon the next day, God so assisted him, that he never had more enlargement.   

Upon a Gentlewoman that well deserved it.  
She that now takes her rest within this tomb,  
Had Rachel's face, and Leah's fruitful womb,  
Abigals wisdom, Lidya's faithful heart,  
With Martha's care, and Mary's better part.   

Luther's constancy to the Truth.  
Martin Luther was ever constant in known truth, from the confession whereof he could never be removed with threats or promises, so that when upon a time one Papist demanded of another, Why do you not stop the man's mouth with Gold and Silver? the other answered, This German beast careth not for money.   

Heaviness may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.  
There lived lately at Tilbury in Essex, one Master Vere▪ elder Brother to the late Lord Vere; this Gentleman fell into great trouble of mind, yea he grew to such a degree of despair, as that he rejected all the comforts, that many godly Ministers, and other Christian friends endeavoured to apply to him; nay he would not permit them to pray with him, nor in his Family; neither would he suffer either, Reading, Singing, or praying to be used in his house for a long time, though formerly he had both liked and used all such Christian exercises; and that which is most strange, he sent to all the godly Ministers and Christians that dwelled near him; to desire them for God's sake, that they would not pray for him, saying, that it would but increase his torments in Hell; in this sad condition he continued a long time, till walking one day in his chamber alone, he happened unawares to sing a line or two of a psalm to himself; at which instant he began to feel some inward refreshing in his spirit, and by little and little he grew abundantly filled with heavenly comforts, in such a measure (as he told all that came to him) that it was impossible for any tongue to utter, or heart to imagine, that did not feel them; Thus he continued about three quarters of a year, enjoying heaven upon earth, and then he died in the arms of Jesus Christ.   

Virtue and valour is the best nobility.  
One Verdugo a Spanish Commander in Frizeland, of very mean birth, but an excellent soldier; being at a great Feast with certain of the Spanish Nobility, and sitting uppermost at Table, as it belonged to him there, being governor of that Country; some of them began to murmur that he took the place before them, to which he thus replied; Gentlemen (quoth he) question not my birth, nor who my father was, I am the Son of my own desert and fortune; if any man dares do as much as I have done, let him come and take the Tables end with all my heart.   

Want of learning in noblemen to be lam●nted.  
Sigismond King of the Romans greatly complained at the counsel of Constance of his Princes and Nobility, that there was not one of them that could answer an ambassador who made a speech in Latin; whereat Lodowick the Elector Palatine took such a deep disdain in himself, that with tears he lamented his want of learning, and presently returning home, began (though very old) to learn his Latin tongue.   

The means Julian used to destroy Christian Religion.  
The Apo●●ate Julian, who made it his business to destroy Christian Religion, betook himself to the use of two principal means; the one whereof was obstructing the ways of liberal Education, by putting down Schools of Learning, that Christians being kept in ignorance might sooner be cheated of their Faith, and less able to resist the Heathens Sophistry. The other was, Indulgence to all kind of Sects and Heresies, in hope by countenancing them, to create such a distraction amongst Christians, as should bring speedy destruction, not only upon the Orthodox party, but upon the very profession of Christianity.   

Christ only inlightens the soul.  
Were it not for the sun it would be perpetual night in the world, notwithstanding all the Torches that could be lighted; yea notwithstanding all the light of the moon and Stars; it is neither the torchlight of natural parts, and Creature comforts, nor the starlight of civil honesty, and common gifts; nor the moonlight of temporary faith, and formal profession, that can make it day in the soul, till the Sun of righteousness arise and shine there.   

In war policy is better than valour.  
The Oracle of Apollo at Delphos, being demanded the reason why Jupiter should be the chief of gods, sith Mars was the best soldier, made this answer; Mars indeed is the most valiant amongst the gods, but Jupiter is the most wise, concluding by this answer; That policy is of more force in Military affairs than valour: Parui sunt arma for is, nisi sit consilium domi.   

The qualities of a good Servant.  
The first duty of a Servant, is willingness to learn whatsoever is necessary; the second, faithfulness, in performing truly whatsoever belongs to his duty; the third, carefulness, in seeking all honest means to profit his Master; the fourth, silence in tongue, in not replying to his Master's speeches.   

Men are easily drawn to vice, but hardly to virtue.  
Caliste's the Harlot said, she excelled Socrates, because when she was disposed, she could draw away his Auditors from him; no marvel (saith Socrates) for thou allurest them to dishonesty, to which the way is ready; but I do exhort them to virtue, whose way is hard to find.   

The wonderful power of Prayer, even in our days.  
At the beginning of our New-England Plantation, our countrymen were driven into great straits, and one time especially above the rest; for the wind held so contrary, that the long expected Ships, which should bring them necessaries out of Old England, could not come to them, whereby they were brought almost to extremity; And besides, it had not rained by the space of eleven weeks, which made them despair of receiving any relief from the seed that they had sown: In this sad condition, they kept a day of seeking the Lord by Prayer, and of solemn humbling of themselves before him. Now mark the event; before they had fully ended the business of the day, it pleased God to send them a gracious rain, which so refreshed the parched earth, that they had a plentiful crop from it; and the next morning three English Ships came into the Bay, which abundantly supplied their wants.   

Christ is All, and in All.  
We have all things in Christ, and Christ is all things to a Christian; If we be sick, he is a Physician: If we thirst, he is a fountain: If our sins trouble us, he is righteousness; if we stand in need of help, he is mighty to save; if we fear death, he is Life; if we be in darkness, he is Light; if we desire Heaven, he is the Way; if we hunger, he is Bread.   

Queen Elizabeth's godly answer about tolerating of Popery.  
The Emperor and almost all the Popish Princes of Christendom, interceding with Queen Elizabeth, in the beginning of her reign, to tolerate the Popish Religion in her Dominions, and that she would suffer the Papists to have Churches in towns by the Protestants; she answered, That to let them have Churches by the others, she could not, with the safety of the commonwealth, and without wounding of her honour and conscience; neither had she reason to do it, seeing that England embraced no new Religion, nor any other then that which Jesus Christ hath commanded, that the Primitive and Catholic Church hath exercised, and the ancient Fathers have always with one voice, and one mind approved. And to allow them to have divers Churches, and divers manners of service; besides that, it is directly oppugnant to the laws established by the authority of the Parliament, it were to breed one religion out of another, and draw the spirits of honest people into varieties; to nourish the designs of the factious, to trouble Religion and the commonwealth, and to confound human things with Divine, which would be ill in effect, and worse in example; pernicious to her Subjects, and not assured at all to those to whom it should be allowed.   

An excellent custom amongst the Athenians.  
Amongst the Athenians, when the Magistrates had ended their Government, which lasted but a year, open Proclamation was made throughout the City, after this manner: Whosoever can accuse the Magistrate of any unjust act committed, let him come forth, for they have ended their Magistracy; upon this Proclamation, every Accuser that could make just proof of offence, had his free admission.   

A Murder strangely discovered.  
A company of villains as they were murdering one whom they had robbed, to which purpose they drew him into a Field remote from the highway; whilst they were committing this bloody act, it happened that a flock of Cranes flew over the Field, to whom the dying man cried out aloud, saying; You Cranes shall bear witness what they do unto me; this murder lay hid for a long time, and no knowledge could be got of the murderers, until a certain day, when a public Solemnity being made in the same Field, whereat two of them who had committed the murder happened to be present; suddenly a great noise of Cranes was heard above in the air, which one of them perceiving, scoffingly said to his fellow (not thinking that anybody heard him) hark fellow, these are the witnesses that Ibicus when we killed him said should disclose his death; This being overheard by one that stood nigh them, they began to be had in suspicion; whereupon they were called into question by the Magistrate, and upon strict examination, at length they confessed the Fact, and Justice was executed upon them accordingly.   

A strange accident at Oxford Assizes.  
At an Assizes holden in Oxford, 1577. one Robert Jenke a Stationer, and an impudent Fellow,, was there accused and brought to trial, for speaking words against the Queen; it happened in the very instant while he was Arraigned, that there arose such a Damp, and poisonous smell, that the most part of the company there present, died in a short space after, the contagion spreading no further than to those that were upon the place; amongst others Robert Bell, chief Baron of the Exchequer, Mr. Barham a famous Lawyer, some of the Nobility and chief Gentry, most of those that served upon the several Juries, and about three hundred more died there.   

Manna is a perfect resemblance of Jesus Christ.  
Christ is signified by the Manna, which the Israelites did eat in the wilderness, in many respects;  
First, as Manna was a meat prepared of God, without the labour of the Israelites, so is Christ given unto men, not out of any work or merit of theirs, but of the free gift and goodness of God.  
2 As Manna came from Heaven besides the ordinary course of Nature, so Christ's birth was wonderful, and different from other men.  
3 Manna was distributed to all alike, even so Christ communicates himself to all alike without respect of persons, for in him is neither male nor female, bond or free.  
4 Manna when it came first was an unknown thing, so Christ was unknown when he came into the world.  
5 Manna was food, and a plentiful food, there was enough for everybody, so is Christ the Food and Bread of our souls, and sufficient to feed many, yea even the whole world.  
6 Manna was of a most sweet and pleasing taste, and so is Christ unto that Soul which can truly relish him.  
7 Manna was white and pure, even so is Christ also white and pure, he hath not the least stain of sin.  
8 Manna before it was eaten was brayed in a mortar, or broken in a Mill; so was Christ bruised in the Garden, and broken upon the cross, that he might nourish our souls to eternal life.  
9 As Manna was given only in the wilderness, and ceased as soon as they came into the Land of promise; so is Christ our spiritual food in the Eucharist, so long as we travel in the wilderness of this world, but when we shall arrive in the heavenly Canaan we shall have no more need of Sacraments.   

Men much in debt seldom sleep soundly.  
When a Gentleman of Rome that had concealed his broken estate died, and his goods were set to open sale for his Creditors satisfaction, Augustus himself sent to buy that bed for his own use, wherein the man, so far in debt, could possibly take his rest.   

Our high Gallants have not for the poor.  
A poor man were as good go beg of an Image, or Monument, as of those gorgeous Idols, which represent nothing but apparel; They have not for them, they say, when their superfluities might supply his necessities.   

The most carnal Religion is best pleasing to carnal men.  
mahumitanism hath raised itself to the height it is now at, by these four advantages, First, by permitting much carnal liberty to the Professors (as having many Wives) and no wonder if they get Fish enough, that use that bait. Secondly, by promising a paradise of sensual pleasure hereafter, wherewith flesh and blood is more affected, then with hope of spiritual delights. Thirdly, by prohibiting Disputes, and suppressing of all Learning; and thus Mahomet made his shop dark on purpose, that he might vent any thing. Lastly, this Religion had never made her own passage so fast and so far, if the sword had not cut the way before her, as commonly the conquered follow, for the most part, the religion of the conquerors.   

Ignorance of other men's condition a cause of uncomfortableness in many Christians.  
A godly Minister in Germany, that was much troubled in his mind, fearing that his condition was not good, because he was so pestered with inward lusts and corruptions, was desirous to advise with Martin Luther, and to acquaint him with his trouble; coming to him, he relates to Luther, how he was continually haunted with temptations to pride and vainglory; and that he could never pray, nor preach, but that his heart was poisoned with thoughts of vainglory and self-seeking; Lut●er hearing this good man's complain● against himself, burst out into tears, and taking the Minister by the hand, said; O Brother, I bless God, that I have lived to meet with one that is troubled with my Disease; for I thought that no man had been troubled with such a temptation, in the Pu●pit, but myself; and as this godly Minist●● case afforded comfort to Luther, so Luther's free acknowledgement of his being in the same condition, was no less satisfaction to him.   

A brave Cupboard of Glasses well broken, and the story better applied.  
One Pollio a famous Roman, had a most stately Cupboard of curious Glasses, whereof he made very great account, giving charge to all his Servants (with severe threatenings) that they should beware of breaking any of his Glasses; one day, Pollio having invited many of his friends to Dinner, the Glasses were brought forth, and set upon the Cupboard; and as Pollio was walking up and down the room, before his friends came, considering his fine Glasses, he began to think what a fear his Servants lived in, by reason of those Glasses, saying to himself; that they were but brittle toys, and if any of them happened to be broken, it would disquiet him more than they were all worth; saying further, that if he broke them himself, it would both prevent his being angry with his Servants, and free them from a great deal of fear; hereupon he gives the Cup board●loath a twitch, down came all the ●●lasses, and were shattered to pieces. This Story was related in a Sermon before King James, by Doctor Burges of Ipswitch, and thus applied; Sir, (speaking to the King) the Ceremonies of the Church of England, are pretty specious things, but very brittle, and subject to breaking; and your Majesty hath given strict charge to your Servants, with severe threatenings, that they break none of them; your Subjects live in great fear of incurring your displeasure, if by chance they should break any of them, and 'tis likely you will be very angry if any of them be broken, I most humbly beseech your highness, in the behalf of your good Servants, who fear to displease you; that you would play the part of wise Pollio, and break these Glasses yourself; abolish these brittle Ceremonies, yourself, that so your faithful subjects may be freed from their continual fear, and the occasion of your majesty's displeasure removed. King James was much taken with this handsome passage, countenanced the Doctor, and seemed inclinable to the motion; till the Bishops about him had changed his mind, which they did, by buzzing into his head their old principle, of no Ceremony, no Bishop; no Bishop, no King; and so cunningly did they play their Game, that they had suddenly incensed the King's mind so against him, for that audacious passage in his Sermon, as they termed it, that the Doctor was clapped up in the Tower, whence he could not be delivered, till he passed his promise to leave the kingdom; which accordingly he did, and went over into Holland, where he remained for many years, preacher at the Hague.   

The church's security.  
That Ship cannot be cast away wherein Christ is the Pilot, the Scripture the Card, his cross the main Mast, his Promises the Anchors, his Spirit the wind; J●ctatur, nunquam mergitur ista ratis; it may be ●ost, but never shipwrecked.   

No Jesuits in Hell.  
A Jesuit preaching at the great Church in Padua, towards the end of his Sermon, he fell into a large commendation of the Order of the Jesuits, ex●olling it above all the Religious Orders that then were, or ever had been in the world, giving God thanks, that he had the happiness to be of that Order; and in the close of his Discourse, he told his Auditory that he would acquaint them with a Vision which he had lately seen; The other night (said he) I dreamed that I was in hell, where me thought I saw Popes, Emperors, Kings, Queens, Cardinals, Bishops, Abbots, Monks, friars, and some of all sorts of men both ecclesiastical and Secular, but not one Jesuit amongst them all; which made me to bless God that ever I was borne to be of so blessed a Society; which, though it had sent so many thousands of that holy Order to the Grave, yet never any of them went to Hell; and so he concluded his Sermon, with a fresh encomium of the Society of Jesuits. The next Sunday after, a Dominican Fryar preached in the same Church, and he also, towards the end of his Sermon fell upon the high praises of the Order of the Jesuits; repeating much of the Jesuits Sermon, the day before, and bewailing himself, that it was not his fortune to be of that holy Order; whereof none ever went to Hell, as the reverend Father had told them the day before; at last he told the people, that he also had seen a Vision, and dreamed likewise one night that he was in Hell, where he saw Popes, Emperors, Kings, Cardinals, and all sorts of Orders, as the Jesuit had notably showed them, the day before; but not a Jesuit (said the friar) could be seen amongst them all; then thought I to ●y self, O what a blessed Order is this! O that I had been a Jesuit, and not a Dominican; and still I cast my eyes all over He, but could not find so much as a piece of a Jesuit there, but store of all other religious Orders; yea, even of Dominicans, my own Order, I saw great store; at last me thought I beckoned a little devil to me, and asked softly in his care, whether there were any Jesuits in that place or no? he answered, That there were none there, but that they were kept in a Hell by themselves, which is a great room under this, where (said the little devil) there be abundance of them, and they come hither so fast, that my master Lucifer scarce knows where to bestow them; and besides, they are so unruly, that if they were not kept by themselves, everybody would be soon weary of this place. He further told me (Methoughts) that his master durst not let them have any Gunpowder, for fear lest they should blow up this place.   

A worthy example of gratitude.  
Thomas Cromwell, who was borne of mean Parentage, became Earl of Essex, and Lord chancellor of England; when he was a young man he had a desire to see the world, his first adventure was into France, whether he went as a Page to a soldier to carry his knapsack, but that Army being overthrown, Cromwell wandered up and down till he came to Florence, where his necessities made him beg up and down the streets; it happened that one Francis Frescobald (a Merchant of that City, and one that had traded much in England) meeting with this young tattered stripling, and finding him to be an English youth, he carried him home to his house, and there bestowed a new suit of apparel upon him, entertaining him with all courtesy, till he was minded to return home into his Country; when Frescobald perceived Cromwel's desire to be going homewards, he provided him a Horse, which he bestowed upon him, and sixteen Ducats of Gold in his purse. Now it pleased God, after a long time, that as Cromwell was advanced to high preferment, so Frescobald was brought low in his estate, through many misfortunes and losses; insomuch that he was forced to come over into England, to get up some moneys, which some Merchants of this Nation were indebted to him; being here, and following his business in London, it happened that Cromwell (who was then Lord Chancellor) as he was riding in the street towards Court, espied this Italian, and guessing who he was by his habit, he called him to him, asking his name; who answered, that his name was Francis Frescobald; Cromwell expressing much gladness to see him, caused one of his Servants to carry him home to his house, there to stay till his return; Frescobald all this while knowing not what this meant, nor who it was that showed him this courtesy, having quite forgotten his former kindness to Cromwell, not knowing what was become of him; well, at dinnertime my L. chancellor came home, bringing with him the Lord admiral, and some other noblemen to dine with him, and in the presence of them all, he fell to embracing this Stranger, and expressed exceeding much gladness to see him, and holding him fast by the hand, he turned to the Lords, telling them, the extraordinary favour that this Italian had showed him in his extreme necessity, and so relates the whole story to the Lords; at dinner Cromwell placed this his friend next him at the Table, and after dinner, when the Lords were gone) he falls to inquire of him the occasion of his coming into England; who truly tells him how it was, that he was much decayed in his estate, and that his coming hither was to get in some debts owing to him here, which were about fifteen thousand Ducats; after many expressions of thankfulness, and condoling with Frescobald for his misfortunes, he carried him into an inner chamber, where opening a Chest he took out a bag of Gold; and first of all he gave him sixteen crowns, saying, there was that which he lent him at his coming from Florence; next, he gave him ten crowns more, saying, so much the suit of apparel cost, which you gave me; then he gives him other ten crowns, saying, that you bestowed so much upon the Horse I rode away on; but considering you are a Merchant, said Cromwell, it seemeth to me not honest to return you your money without some consideration for the long detaining of it; Take you therefore these four bags, and in every of them is four hundred Ducats, these you shall receive and enjoy from the hand of your assured friend. This done, he caused Frescobald to give him the names of his Debtors, and what every one ought him, appointing one of his Officers to cause his Debtors to make present payment of what they ought; the Officer plied the business so well, that he had quickly procured all Frescobalds Debts; whom Cromwell entertained in his house all the while, and would have had him to continue with him his whole life, promising him the loan of threescore thousand Ducats for four years, if he would continue and trade here in England; but Frescobald, who desired to return into his own Country, and there quietly to continue the rest of his life, with the great favour of the Lord Cromwell, after many thanks for his high and noble entertainment, departed towards his desired home; where richly arriving, he gave himself quietly to live: But his wealth he small time enjoyed, for in the first year of his return he died.   

The absurdity of Sooth-saying, or judicial Astrology.  
The absurdity and imposture of Divination, or Sooth-saying, is ingeniously observed by Cicero; in Pompey the great, Croessus, and Julius Caesar; to whom all the Chaldees and wizards, not only promised prosperous and long lives, but assured them of timely and peaceable ends; yet of their tumultuous employments in the passage of their time upon earth, and of their wretched and miserable deaths, Histories make ample and frequent mention.   

Where human help fails, we may expect Divine.  
Philo with other Jews being accused to Cajus Caligula (by one Appion) that they had refused to give Divine honour unto Caesar; and for that cause were commanded from the Court; he said to the rest of the Jews, his companions in that adversity; Be of good comfort, O my friends and countrymen, against whom Caesar is thus grievously incensed; because of necessity, Divine aid must be present, where human help is absent.   

Eight Rules to know false Doctrines by.  
They that would not be corrupted with the errors and Heresies of these times, must carefully reject all erroneous and heretical Doctrines; to which purpose these general rules may be very useful.  
First, whatsoever Doctrine is contrary to godliness, and opens a door to libertinism, and profaneness, must be rejected as Soulepoyson; such are Doctrines against the Sabbath, Family duties, and public Ordinances; and such is the Doctrine of an universal toleration of all Religions.  
Secondly, such Doctrines must be rejected, as hold forth a strictness above what is written; many Doctrines in Popery are of this sort, as self-whippings; voluntary Poverty, and vows of Continency.  
Thirdly, whatsoever Doctrine tendeth to the lifting up of nature corrupted, to the exalting of unsanctified Reason, and giveth freewill in supernatural things to a man unconverted, is a Doctrine contrary to the Gospel. This Rule will preserve us against all Arminian Tenets.  
Fourthly, all Doctrines that set up our own righteousness, whether of Morality, or Sanctification, in the room of Christ's righteousness; that place good works in the Throne of Christ, are Doctrines of Antichrist, and not of Christ.  
Fifthly, All Doctrines that do so set up Christ and his righteousness, as to decry all works of Sanctification, and to deny them to be fruits and evidences of our Justification, are to be avoided and abhorred. This Rule will keep us from most of the errors of the Antinomians.  
Sixthly, That Doctrine that lesseneth the privileges of believers under the New Testament, and maketh their Infants in a worse condition, than they were in under the Old Testament, cannot be the Doctrine of the Gospel; for the Gospcl tells us, That Jesus Christ was made a Surety of a better Testament, established upon better promises. This Rule will preserve us against the poison of Anabaptism.  
Seventhly, That Doctrine that cryeth up purity to the ruin of unity, is contrary to the Doctrine of the Gospel; for the Gospel calleth for unity, as well as purity. Eph. 4. 3, 4, 5, 6. This Rule will teach us what to judge of the congregational way, and of tolerating different Religions, which tends much to the breach of spiritual love and unity, and cannot be the Government of Christ.  
Lastly, whatsoever Doctrine is contrary to the rule of Faith, or to any duty required in the ten commandments, or to any Petition of the Lord's Prayer, is not a Doctrine of Christ, and therefore to be rejected.   

A good argument for the immortality of the soul.  
When Frederick the Emperor was told of the death of a great nobleman, who had lived ninety years in all voluptuousness and pleasure, yet was never known to be either diseased in body, or disquieted in mind, by any temporal affliction whatsoever; this being related to the Emperor as a strange thing, he made answer; Even hence (said he) we may ground, that the souls of men be immortal; for if there be a God, who first created, and since governeth the world, (as both Divines and Philosophers teach) and that there is none so stupid as to deny him to be just in all his proceedings; there must then of necessity be other places provided, to which the souls of men must remove after death; since in this life we neither see rewards conferred upon those that are good and honest, nor punishments condign inflicted upon the impious and wicked.   

Great men are only happy by report.  
Great Persons had need to borrow other men's opinions to think themselves happy; for if they judge by their own feeling they cannot find it; they are happy only by report.   

Nero's overthrow.  
Vespati●n the Emperor asked Apo●onius what was Nero's overthrow? who answered, that Nero could touch and tune a Harp well; but in Government, sometimes he used to wind the pins too high, and sometimes to let them down too low.   

Not good to be too satirical.  
He that hath a satirical vain, as he may make others afraid of his wit, so he had need be afraid of others memory.   

An episcopal character.  
'Tis reported of one Ralph Bishop of Durham, that he was witty only in d●●ising, or speaking, or doing evil, but to honesty and virtue his heart was as a lump of Lead; he was counted the principal infamy of that Age, living without love, and dying without pity; saying of those who thought it pity he lived so long.   

A fine way to get preferment.  
Guymund chaplain to Henry the first, perceiving that the worst Clerks were advanced to the best Dignities; one day, as he was reading Divine Service, he happened upon James, the fifth Chapter, where coming to the seventeenth Verse, he read thus; It rained not upon the earth one, one, one years and five one months, instead of three years and six months; the King observed it, and rebuked him for it; he answered, that he did it of purpose, for that he saw such Readers were soonest preferred.   

A man to be trusted.  
Some men are no more to be credited then a Greek, whose unfaithfulness became proverbial, and was commonly called, Graeca fides; for though a Creditor hath ten Bonds, ten seals, and ten Sureties (as usually he hath) yet the Borrower will not keep his credit.   

What is, and what is not the work of a Minister.  
Our work is to make men Christians, not critics; to bring them unto Faith, and not to doubtful Disputations; to feed their souls, and to guide their Consciences; not to dazzle their eyes, nor to puzzle their judgements, nor to perplex their conceits, nor to please their humours, nor to tickle their fancies, nor to foment their jealousies, and censures of things and persons, by novel, specious, and unpractised curiosities.   

Calvins' sweet temper.  
It was a good temper of Calvin, who (being told how Luther railed on him) professed, that though Luther should call him devil, yet he would still acknowledge him for an excellent Servant of God.   

A merry Epitaph upon a Singing-man.  
This musical Epitaph made upon the Chanter of Langres in France, was very fitly applied to the busy vicar of Grantham, who was bred a Singing-man, and one of the first that turned the Communion Tables Altarwise.  
Well quoth he, climb the scale of Gammuth Ar●,  
Till leaving choir, and of a mood to marry,  
In this imperfect Time, and uneven Nochets;  
His house with Minims stored, his head with crotchets:  
Then prowles a Long, the Country for relief,  
Looked for a Large, but lighted on a brief;  
And from the white Long, and the Sacred Altar,  
Deserving Dupla's, reaped but a Sesqui alter:  
Base was his part, yet his neighbours say,  
He sung the Truble till his dying day.  
For Counter-points, and Discords, much inquest  
He made, till here he found his Pause, and Rest;  
Time perfect had he had, and more prolation,  
He quite had changed the plainsong of the Nation.   

Several laws and Customs, of several States and commonwealths.  
Ptolomeus King of Egypt feasting one day, seven ambassadors, at his request every one of them showed unto him three of their principal laws and Customs; and first, the ambassador of Rome said; We have the Temple in great reverence, we are very obedient to our governors, and we do punish wicked men, and evill-livers severely. The Carthaginian ambassador said, In the commonwealth of Carthage, the Nobility never cease fighting, nor the common People and artificers labouring, nor the Philosophers teaching. The Cicilian said; In our commonwealth, Justice is exactly kept, Merchandi●e exercised with truth, and all men account themselves equal. The Rhodians ambassador said; At Rhodes old men are honest, young men shamefaced, and Women solitary and of few words. The Athenian ambassador said; In our commonwealth, rich men are not divided into Factions, poor men are not idle, the governors are not ignorant. The Lacedaemonian ambassador said; In Sparta envy reigneth not, for all men are equal; nor covetousness, for all goods are common; nor sloth, for all men labour. The ambassador of the Sicyonians said; We permit none to travel, lest they should bring home new Fashions, physicians are not suffered, lest they should kill the sound; nor Lawyers, lest they should maintain Suits and Controversies.   

The virtue of Christians prayers.  
The Emperor Marcus Antonius being in Almany with his Army, was enclosed in a dry Country by his enemies, who so stopped all the passages, that he and h●s Army were like to perish for want of water; the Emperor's Lieutenant seeing him ●o distressed, told him, that he had heard, that the Christians could obtain any thing of their God, by their prayers; whereupon the Emperor, having a Legion of Christians in his Army, desired them to pray to their God for his and the army's delivery out of that danger; which they presently did, and incontinent a great Thunder fell amongst the enemies, and abundance of water upon the Romans, whereby their thirst was quenched, and the enemies overthrown without any fight.   

A smart satire.  
It was a smart invention of him, that having placed the Emperor and the Pope, a● reconciled, in their majestic Thrones, he brought the States of the world before them; First comes a counsellor of State with this Motto, I advise you two; then a Courtier, I flatter you three; then a husbandman with this Motto, I feed you four; then a Merchant, I cozen you five; then a Lawyer, I rob you six; then a soldier, I fight for you seven; then a physician, I kill you eight; Lastly, a Priest, I absolve you all nine.   

If the devil take the Prince, what will become of the Bishop?  
A certain German Clown, or boar (as they term him) seeing the Bishop of Colen ride in state, with a great train of horsemen before and after him, stood gaping on the Bishop as he passed by, and smiled to himself; the Bishop perceiving it, made a stand, and demanded of the boar why he thus smiled, bidding him speak the truth freely without fear, for he should sustain no damage; whereupon the boar replied; That he smiled to think with himself, whether Saint Martin (Patron, and first Bishop of Colen) ever rode in such state as he did now; the Bishop hereunto answered; That he was an ignorant silly Fellow, for he did not ride in his state, as he was Archbishop of Colen, but as he was the chief Prince Elector of Germany; whereupon the clown wittily retorred; Suppose (said he) my Lord▪ the devil should come and fetch away the Prince Elector, I pray what would become of the Bishop? I fear me he would to Hell too; at which the Bishop being confounded went his way.   

Bishop Wren's unsufferable insolency.  
When Wren was Bishop of Norwich, and had put down all afternoon Sermons on Lord's days in his diocese, it happened that the Earls of Bedford and Doncaster, with three or four Lords more, were invited to the baptising of the Lord Brooks child, at Dallam in Suffolk, which was to be in the afternoon on the Lord's day; the noblemen earnestly desired Master Ash (Household chaplain to the Lord Brcoks) to preach, which through great importunity he did; this presently coming to the Bishop's ears, he sends his Apparitor with a Citation for Master Ash to appear before him, with whom the Lord Brooks went along to the Bishop, whom they found sitting in state like a great Lord, or demi Pope; they desired to know his lordship's pleasure, to which the Bishop answered; That his chaplain had openly affronted him in his diocese, in daring to preach therein without his special licence, and that on the Lord's day afternoon, when he had expressly prohibited all Sermons within his Jurisdiction; telling Master Ash, that he would make him an example to all others; my Lord Brooks told the Bishop, That it was by the earnest entreaty of those Lords, and his own command, that his chaplain then preached, and that he hoped there was no cause of offence in the matter; to which the Bishop replied: That my Lord Brook did very ill to offer to maintain his chaplain in this, saying, that no Lord in England should affront him in his diocese in such a manner, if he did, his Majesty should know of it, and that he would make his chaplain an example. Hereupon he presently proceedeth against Master Ash in his own Court with all violence, no mediation of Lord's o● friends could pacify him, till at last the Earl of Don●aster told him, That he would complain of him to the King, if he would not cease prosecuting Master Ash, since he preached by the Lord Brooks command, and at his, and oth●r Lords entreaty; hereupon the Bishop leaving the Chaplain, falls upon the churchwardens, fines them forty shillings a man, enjoins them public penance in the Church, to ask God and the Bishop forgiveness, and to confess that their penance was just; O pride! O tyranny.   

The Doctor could not pray without b●oke.  
When the Religious Lord Vere was suddenly struck with death's arrow, at Sir Henry Vanes Table at White-Hall, as he sat at Dinn●r, and carried from thence into a Withdrawing Chamber, where he died; a Grand Doctor of Divinity, (one of the King's chaplains) being there present, was upon this unexpected occasion desired to kneel down and pray with the Company; the Doctor hereupon calls for a commonprayer book, and answer being made that there was none present, he replied, that he could not pray without a Book; whereupon a Knight there present took him by the gown, and forced him to kneel down, telling him, that my Lord was dying, and he must needs say some Prayer or other; upon this he begins, Our Father which art in heaven, for other prayer could he say none; which the Knight hearing, bade him hold his peace, for my Lord was dead, and he was but a dead Divine, who knew not how to pray.   

He that stopped other men's mouths, had at last his own ●●…pt with a vengeance.  
Thomas Arundel Archbishop of Canterbury, a grievous persecutor of God's people, and a great suspender and silencer of his Ministers; who occupying his tongue, brains, and episcopal power, to stop the mouths, and tie up the tongues of God's Ministers, and hinder the preaching and course of God's Word, was by God's just Judgement so s●●icken in his tongue, that it swelled so big, he could neither swallow, nor speak for some days before his death; and so he was starved, choked, and killed by this strange tumour of his tongue.   

A true Slave.  
There was, not long since, in the town of Ipswitch an old man, who was so extremely base and miserable, that he lived in a most sordid manner, not allowing himself convenient necessaries, either for back or belly, but would walk Horses at inns, beg his victuals up and down the town, and wear such old rotten canvas Jackets, and Breeches, as the seamen threw away; when this wretch was dead, his two sons, who were newly come from Sea (knowing that their Father had money, though he would never part with a farthing to them) fell a ransacking the house, and at last they found what they looked for, though the quantity far exceeded their expectation; the neighbours that came into the house with them stood amazed to see so much money in such a man's house, the two Sons leapt up and down for joy, and one clapping the other on the back, said; Faith sirrah, was not this a true Slave?   

Cardinal Pools answer to a Figure-f●inger  
One that pretended skill in judicial astrology, came to Cardinal Poole, telling him, that he had been calculating of his Nativity; the Cardinal asked him, What he meant by his nativity? The ginger answered, his Birth, under what Planet he was borne, and what Fortunes would befall him, which he said, he had gathered from the stars, and celestial houses; Tush, replied the Cardinal, I have been borne again since then.   

How to deal with crafty sinners.  
The Lot when it was directed against Achan, first it fell upon the Tribe; secondly, it fell upon the Family; Thirdly, upon the household; and lastly, upon the person of Achan; he hid his sin ever till it lighted upon him. So, the crafty sinner is not moved, when the threatening is given out generally against the Nation; neither when it is given out against the City where he dwells; nor when it comes to his Family, till in particular it come to his Person, and till it be said to him, Thou art the man. Sin is a shameless thing, ye may spit seven times in the face of it, before it blush.   

A covetous man is like a Christmas Box.  
The covetous man is like a Christmas Box, whatsoever is put into it cannot be taken out, till it be broken; he soaketh up the waters of riches like a sponge, and till death doth come and squeeze him with his Iron grasp, he will not yield one drop of that which he hath received.   

'Tis hard to know a man's disposition till he be out of check.  
'Tis said of Tiberius, that whilst August●● ruled, he was no ways tainted in his reputation; and that whiles Drusus and Germanicus were alive, he feigned those virtues which he had not, to maintain a good opinion of himself, in the hearts of the people; but after he had got himself out of the reach of contradiction and controlment, there was no fact in which he was not faulty, no crime to which he was not accessary,   

Love me a little and love me long.  
'Twas a witty reason of Diogenes: why he asked a half penny of the thrifty man, and a pound of the prodigal; the first he said, might give him often, but the other, ere long, would have none to give.   

Cursed cows have short horns.  
Foelix Earl of Wartemberg, sitting at supper with many of his friends, it happened that some at the Table fell into discourse of Luther, and the people's general receiving of his Doctrine; upon which the Earl swore a great Oath, that ere he died, he would ride up to the spurs in the blood of the Lutherans; but the very same night God stretched out his hand so against him, that he was choked with his own blood.   

Martin Luther the famous Instrument of God's glory, lived and died a very poor man.  
Luther being very sick, and expecting death, (though it pleased God he recovered that fit) he made his Will concerning his Wife and Children, after this manner; Lord God I thank thee, that thou wouldest have me live a poor and indigent person upon earth, I have neither house, nor lands, nor possessions, nor money to leave; thou hast given me Wife, and Children, them I give back unto thee; nourish, teach, and keep them (O thou the Father of orphans, and Judge of the Widow) as thou hast done unto me, so do unto them.   

Rulers should ever be at leisure to do Justice.  
An old Woman complaining to Adrian the Emperor of some wrongs done to her, the Emperor answered, he was not at leisure to hear her; to whom she replied, That then he ought not to be at leisure to be Emperor; wherewith Adrian was so affected, that he not only righted her wrongs presently, but also ever after was more diligent to hear his subjects Causes.   

Luther's Epitaph by Theodorus Beza.  
Rome tamed the world, the Pope tamed Rome so great,  
Rome ruled by power, the Pope by deep deceit;  
But how more large, than Theirs, was Luther's fame,  
Who with one pen, both Pope, and Rome did tame?  
Go, fixious Greece, go tell Alcides, then,  
His Club is nothing to great Luther's P●n.   

A prophecy accomplished most exactly forty years after it was attered.  
Spotswood Archbishop of Glasgow, having procured the imprisonment and co●demnation of one Mr. Welsch, and other godly Ministers in Scotland, Anno 16●5. Master Welsch writes, out of prison, a Letter to the Lord Levinston of Kilsyth, wherein he Prophesieth, not only the utter abolishing of Episcopacy, but the down-fall and ruin of that great Prelate and his Family, in these words; Sir, I am far from bitterness, but here I denounce the wrath of an everlasting God against him (meaning Spotswood) which assuredly shall fall, except it be prevented; Sir, Dagon shall not stand before the ark of the Lord, and those names of Blasphemy that he wears of Lord-Bishop, and Archbishop, will have a fearful end. Not one word of this is fallen to the ground, for Episcopacy is now abolished there, as all men know; and for that part of the prophecy which concerns Spotswood himself; even in the top of all his honours, when he had come up to be Archbishop of St. Andrew's, and Chancellor of the kingdom, he was cast out of Scotland, and died a poor miserable man at London, having not a sixpence of his own to buy bread, while he lived, nor to bury him when he was dead, but as it was begged at Court. The evident hand of God lighted on his Posterity; his Lands of Darfie (all the conquess he was able to make to his eldest Son Sir John Spotswood) is ready to be sold, and that branch of his posterity to go a begging; his second Son, Sir Robert Spotswood, President of the college of Justice, for his Treason against Scotland, did die miserably upon a Scaffold at St. Andrew's, an obdurate impenitent man; his Brother, the Bishop of Clogher, was cast out of his great estates in Ireland, and in his extreme old age, forced to teach Children in Scotland for his bread; but being unfit for that employment, he went to London, where he was long a Suitor for the meanest place in the Ministry, that he might be kept from starving, but could not obtain it.   

Learning is to be preferred before Honour.  
The Emperor Sigismond having Knighted a Doctor of the civil Law, this new Knight presently leaves the society of his old fellow Doctors, and keeps company altogether with the Knights; which the Emperor observing, called him fool, for preferring knighthood before Learning, saying; That he could make a thousand Knights in one day, but not a Doctor in a thousand years.   

The ingenuity of a Scotch colonel.  
A Scotchman newly come over to Utrecht, and presenting himself to colonel Edmund's his countryman, told him, That my Lord his Father, and such & such Knights and Gentlemen his cousins were all in good health; the colonel turning to the Gentlemen that were in company with him at that time, said, Gentlemen, believe not one word he saith, my Father is but a poor Baker of Edinburgh, and works hard for his living, whom this Knave would make a Lord, to curry favour with me, and make you believe I am a great man borne.   

Truth & Error elegantly compared to Tamars' two twins, Gen. 38. in a Sermon before the Parliament.  
The different judgements of Professors throughout the Land, show that our Church hath Twins in her womb; so much of Truth as hath been already owned by the Parliament, Zarah-like hath put forth the hand; none can say, but this came out first, for you have marked it with the scarlet thread of a civil Sanction; yet is there a Pharez, a Division, or Separation (as the word properly signifies) whose breakings out are notoriously known, as also his challenge of Primogen●ture: Our hopes are, that Zarah will in due time be fully borne, notwithstanding this interposition; and that you will say to the Party that separates in doctrinal Principles, by maintaining opinions that are destructive, and prey upon the vital spirits of Religion, as the Mid-wise than did to Pharez; upon thee be this breach, and not upon us; may it never come to be upon you, may you never come to be partakers of other men's sins in so high a degree. Hitherto the damnable He●esies; and daring Blasphemies which have been vented everywhere, may be thought to stand on the private account of such as ●ent them; but if representative England (which God forbid) should espouse their Crimes, by overmuch connivance at them, the guilt would then become national, and too heavy for us to bear.   

A comfort for poor faithful Ministers.  
As Christ, and all his Apostles were poor, in respect of worldly goods; so for the most part, the most eminent Ministers of the Gospel have been men of mean conditions, as to worldly estates; Martin Luther had neither lands, nor houses, nor money to leave his Wife and Children when he died; Calvins' Inventory (Library and all) came not to six score pound; Mr. Perkins died a very poor man, Mr. Ainsworth (even while he wrote his excellent commentary upon the Pentateuch) had but ninepences a week to live on; Mr. Samuel Herne, when he died, left a Wife, and many small Children, without any means to maintain them, Mr. Dod, for many years together, had nothing to live on but providence; whether this were from their neglect of worldly encumbrances; or from the worlds not favouring such men; or from the wisdom of God, that the world should not charge them with covetousness; or, for that God would have them live by faith; or to teach, that the Servant is not above his Master; o● to show that God's love is not to be measured by worldly dispensations; or, lastly, That they might not be ensnared with the things of this life; whether (I say) it be for these, or some other reasons, that God is pleased to keep his most faithful Servants upon such short commons, feeding them (as it were) from hand to mouth, keeping them shorter than many others, that do him far less service, is hard to say.   

They that have money, and will not employ it, deserve to have it taken from them.  
Dionysius the elder, being advertised of one that had hidden great store of money, commands him upon pain of death to bring it to him; which he did, but not all; but with the remainder he went and dwelled in another Country, where he bought an Inheritance, and fell upon some employment; which when Dionysius heard, he sent him his money again, which he had taken from him, saying, Now thou knowest how to use riches, take that I had from thee.   

A Luxurious Nation will soon overthrow itself.  
Philip King of Macedon making war upon the Persians, understood that they were a people which abounded in all manner of delicate Wines, and other wasteful expenses; whereupon he presently withdrew his army, saying, It was needless to make war upon them, who would shortly overthrow themselves.   

A speedy return of prayer.  
Upon the first of August, 1649. a general day of Humiliation for Ireland was appointed to be kept throughout England; at that time the Enemy was master of all Ireland, excepting London-Derry, and Dublin, both which places were straightly besieged, and almost brought to the last cast; it pleased God, the very next day after our Fast, to give our fmall Forces there such a miraculous Victory, and the Rebels such a shameful defeat, that the like (by so unlikely means) hath scarce been known. God was seen in the Mount, and his people's extremity was his opportunity.   

A pretty device to cozen Conscience.  
Many Ships of several Countries lay long wind-bound at Alexandria, at last the wind came fair, upon a Saturday morning, which made the seamen hoist up sails and away; amongst the rest there was a Jew who was Master of a Ship, but he durst not stir that day, because it was the Jews Sabbath; yet loathe he was to miss such an opportunity, and to lose the company of his consorts; wherefore he hires a couple of janissaries to beat him a shipboard, and to force him out of the Harbour with the rest of the Fleet, that so he might pretend an unavoidable necessity.   

A witty trick of a blind man.  
A blind man that by long begging had gotten a good quantity of money, which he changed into Gold, and fearing lest he might be cozened if he kept it about him, intended to hide it somewhere in the ground; To which purpose he acquainted a near Kinsman of his with his riches and intendment, desiring both his secrecy and assistance, who promised him both; so one night they went and hid the Gold in a convenient place, where the blind man might easily of himself find it when he pleased; a while after the poor man goes in the night time, to feel if his Treasure were safe, but coming to the place, and opening the hole, he found that the Gold was gone; he presently conceits that his Kinsman had deceived him, to whom going the next day, instead of complaining of his loss, or challenging him for his money, he told him, that he had some more Gold, which he thought best to put to the other, and hide all together in the same place, desiring him to go with him at night for that purpose; which his x promised to do; but before the hour appointed, his x carries the bag back to the place where it was formerly hidden, and leaves it there as at first, supposing that he should have it again with advantage; so when night came, away they went to the place, the Kinsman opens the hole, and taking out the purse gives it to the blind man, who, by counting the pieces, finds his just quantity he had put in, and instead of putting in the other Gold, as he pretended, he puts the purse up into his pocket, saying, he would dispose of it in some other place; and thus this blind man cozened his x.   

The industriousness of Peter Ramus.  
Peter Ramus from his youth to his dying day, never used, by his good will, any other bedding then Straw, and in his Studies so watchful he was, that if he heard in the morning the Smiths, or Carpenters, or any other Artisans at work before he were stirring, he would blame himself of negligence and sloathfulness, that they should prevent him, and be more diligent in their mechanical Trades, than he in the study of the liberal Sciences.   

An impregnable place taken by a fine Stratagem.  
The Island of Sarke joining to Garnefie, and of that Government, was surprised by the French, and could never have been recovered again by strong hand, having Come and Cattle enough upon the place, to feed so many men as would serve to defend it; and being every way so unaccessable, as it might be held against the great Turk; yet by the industry of a Gentleman of the Netherlands (in Queen Mary's time) it was in this sort regained. He Anchored in the road with one ship of small burden, and pretending the death of his Merchant, besought the French, being some thirty in number that held the place, that they might bury their Merchant in hallowed ground, and in the chapel of that Isle, offering a Present to the French, of such things as they had aboard; whereto (with condition that they should not come a shore with any Weapon, no not so much as with a Knife) the Frenchmen yielded; then did the Flemings put a Coffin into their boat, not filled with a dead carcase, but with Swords, Targets, and Harquebuffes; the French received them at their Landing, and searching every of them so narrowly as they could not hide a penknife, gave them leave to draw their Coffin up the Rocks with great difficulty; some part of the French took the Flemish boat and rowed aboard the ship to fetch the commodities promised, and what else they pleased; but being entered they were taken and bound; the Flemings on the Land, when they had carried the Coffin into the chapel, shut the door to them, and taking their Weapons out of the Coffin, set upon the French; they run to the cliff, and cried to their company aboard the Fleming, to come to succour them, but finding the Boat charged with Flemings, yielded themselves and the place.   

The service-book and Ceremonies pleasing to Papists.  
When Queen Elizabeth came to the Crown, bloody Bonner Bishop of London was deposed, and clapped up in prison; a friend of his coming one day to visit him, he asked how the world went abroad, and what kind of Service the Protestants used in Paul's, and other Churches? his friend told him, that they had the mass still (meaning, the book of Common Prayer) and Organs, and Coaps, and Surplices, and singingmen, and the like; nay (said Bonner) if they taste of our Broth, I doubt not but ere long they will eat of our beef.   

A Butcher of Norwich Churched.  
A Butcher of Norwich being dangerously gored in his bowels by a Bull, lay a long time before he could be recovered; but being at length cured, he sent to the Minister of his Parish, to desire that thanks might be given to God, in the Congregation, for his great deliverance; the Minister was so devout an observer of the book of Common Prayer, and of Bishop Wren's injunctions, that he would not use any other prayer then what that book afforded; and so, when the man was come into the Church, he turns to the form of Thanksgiving for womens' deliverance from the pain and peril of childbirth, which he made to serve the turn for that time; and so the Butcher was sufficiently Churched.   

A gracious providence.  
A Minister seeing some of his Parishioners shooting at butts upon a Lord's day, went to admonish them to forbear, telling them the danger of prophaining that day▪ some of them cried out, That the King had granted liberty for that, and other Sports, and they would take it; the Minister replied, that though the King dispensed with it, yet the Law of God forbids it, saying, that we ought to obey God rather than man; shortly after, many Articles of Inconformity were exhibited into the Ecclesiastical Court against this Minister; and amongst the rest, that he said, He cared not for the King's laws; and this was subscribed under the hands of two of those principal Archers. Upon this a Commission was sent down, with Commissioners, Proctors, an● a Notary to examine Witnesses, upon the place, about these Articles; some few days before the speeding of this Commission, one of the forementioned Archers lying upon h●s deathbed, and much troubled in mind, could not be satisfied till he had spoken with the Minister, who coming to him, he desired pardon of him, for the great wrong he had done him, in setting his hand to a false accusation, saying, in the presence of many Neighbours, that he was so threatened by the Apparator, and others, that he was forced (though against his Conscience) to do as he did; but the other witness that had subscribed this dangerous Article (as 'twas made, and possibly in those times might have proved so) he stands to what he had done, and said, he would swear it upon all the books in England; but when the Commissioners were come to town, and ready to fall upon the business, his heart began to smite him, and taking an honest neighbour with him, came to the Minister, cried him mercy, and denied that ever he had heard him speak such words; this being known to the Prosecutors and Commissioners, they put up their Pipes, and away they went like Knaves as they came.   

A pretty waggish trick.  
Three Cambridge scholars sitting up late one night at Cards, in their chamber, he who had won the others money, began to complain that it was late, and time for them to give over; his Companions urged him to play still, but he pretending to be very weary, would play no more, but goes away to bed; his fellows continued playing still, hand to hand; who when they perceived the other scholar to be fast asleep, they put out the Candle, drawing the window curtains so close that no light at all could be seen; and on they went with their Game, sometimes wrangling, and sometimes chafing so loud, that they waked him that was at bed; who looking up, and perceiving no light, asked them if they were mad to play in the dark? but they were so earnest in their play, that they seemed not to mind him; whereupon he sits up in his bed, asking them seriously, whether they could see to play or no? and desired them for God's sake, to tell him, whether there were any light in the chamber? being thus earnest, they answered him, and said, that though he had won their money, he needed not to jeer them; he protested that he did not jeer, but was in good earnest, and that, if they had any light he was blind, vowing that he could not see one bit; whereupon they rose from the Table, and came to the bed side, one of them asking him, if he did not see them now, nor the candle in his hand? no truly, said he, I can see nothing at all; then said the other scholar, his eyes to see too are as clear and good as any of ours; at which words the poor scholar burst out a-weeping, saying, that he was stone blind, and what shall become of me? This is a Judgement of God upon me for spending my time in play, as I have done, and for being so covetous to win other men's money; then he prayed one of his chamber-fellows to reach him his breeches, which having, he put his hand into his pocket, and gave them all the money which he had won of them; the other scholars seeing their plot had taken so well, thought good to keep their companion no longer in blindness, but lighting their candle again with the tinderbox, the young man forthwith recovered his sight.   

Some men's sins go beforehand to Judgement.  
One Mr. W. was very busy in prosecuting an Indictment against his Minister at a Quarter Sessions, for omitting the cross in baptism; and being a man in high favour. with the Justices, he made no question of prevailing; at night (according to his usual manner) he falls to drinking, till he was so extreme drunk that he was fain to be carried home; in the morning his Wife began, mildly to blame him for his acting against the Minister the day before; at which he, with fearful oaths swore, that he would soon rid the town of the Puritan; but behold the hand of God This wretched man, as he was about to rise, and having put one arm in his doublet (even as the oaths were uttering) he was taken speechless, yea and senseless, and so instantly died.   

Lilly a grand Imposter.  
Mr. William Lilly, whom the Fools of this Generation so much flock to, did in his Prognostication of 1644. positively say, that Prince Rupert should not live beyond the 28th. year of his age; which he pretends to know by the Stars, and affirms with as much confidence as if he meant to be his Executioner; but Rupert is now above thirty, and herein lilies wit-craft failed him; he that will observe his cunning Predictions, and note how of the fails, shall find him a most notorious Juggeler, and deceiver of the people, even to the shame of our Nation, and the scandal of Religion. The Learned Spanhemius saith truly of such kind of men; That they do extremely offend against the Divine providence of God; against the tranquillity of commonwealths; against the Liberty, Quiet, and Consciences of men; and therefore ought to be banished out of all commonwealths, and Christian Societies: To which may be added the Judgement of Saint Austin (in his excellent Book, De civitate Dei) who saith, That Christians ought chiefly to beware of such Astrologers, as Prognosticate things that come to pass; for when such Predictions fall out truly, it is a sign that they which utter them, are in confederacy with some evil Spirits, by whose help they foretell future events, and not by Art, or any thing found in the Stars, as they pretend.   

The fruit of covetousness.  
When Baldwine King of Jerusalem besieged Askelon, he promised the spoil of that City to the knight's templars, whereof a part of his Army then consisted; an assaultable breach being made, the templars first entered, who conceiving they had enough to wield the work, and master the place, set a Guard at the breach, that no more of their fellow Christians should come in to be sharers with them in the booty; but their covetousness cost them their lives; for the Turks contemning their few number, put them all to the Sword; yet at last the City was taken, though with much difficulty.   

A right Counsellor rare to find.  
Alphonsus' King of Spain coming very young to the crown, some advised that seven Counsellors might be joined to govern with him, who should be men fearing God, lovers of Justice, free from filthy Lusts, and such as would not take bribes; to which Alphonsus replied; If you can find out seven such men, nay, bring me but one so qualified, and I will not only admit him to govern with me, but shall willingly resign the kingdom itself to him.   

Courtiers are usually Flatterers.  
Aristippus the Philosopher, seeing Diogenes washing of Herbs for his Dinner, said, If Diogenes knew how to make use of Kings, he need not live upon raw Herbs as he doth; to which Diogenes replied, That if Aristippus could content himself with Herbs, he needed not to turn spaniel, or to flatter King Dionysius for a meals meat.   

The people's rage, and God's just hand against a wicked Tyrant.  
Leander in his description of Italy, saith, That in Spoleto (the chief City of Umbria) there was a strange Tyrant, who in the time of his prosperity contemned all men, and forbore to injure none that came within his claws, esteeming himself sure enough for ever being called to account in this life, and for the next he cared little; but God upon the sudden turned upside down the wheel of his felicity, and cast him into the people's hands; who took him and bound his naked body upon a plank in the marketplace, with a Fire, and Iron tongues by him, and then made Proclamation; That seeing this man was not otherwise able to make satisfaction for the public injuries he had done, every private person injured by him, should come in order, and with the hot burning tongues there ready, should take off his Flesh, so much as was correspondent to the injury received, as indeed they did, until the miserable man gave up the Ghost.   

A wonderful earthquake.  
In the year one thousand five hundred seventy one, there happened a most terrible earthquake in the County of Hereford, near the town of Kinaston, which Master Cambden relates after this manner; Upon the twelfth of March, about six of the Clock in the evening, the earth opened, and a mountain, with a Rock, upon which it was scivated, after a hideous noise, and strange crash, that it was heard by the Neighbours a great way off, raised up itself, as if it had awakened out of a profound sleep, and forsaking his deep bed below, mounted up into a higher place, carrying with it the Trees which were rooted thereupon, the shepherd's Tents, and the flocks of Sheep feeding thereon; some Trees were almost quite covered with earth, as if they had but newly taken ro●te there; it left in the place from whence it departed an overture of forty foot wide, and eighty els long, the whole field was about twenty Acres; it overthrew a little chapel near unto it, carried from the East into the West, a Yew-tree, which was planted in the churchyard, and with its violence, drove up before it highways, with shepherd's Caves, with Plants and Trees that were thereon; it made mountains level, and arable grounds mountainous, as if then they had took their beginnings. And thus from Saturday night, until Monday noon following, it rested not, till at last, as if it were then tired with the long way, and wearied with its weighty burden, it settled and became quiet.   

Great thieves condemn little thieves.  
A poor Sea Captain brought before Great Alexander for Piracy, confessed his fault, and said; Indeed I am a Pirate, because I preyed upon some poor fishermen in a cockboat; but if I had scoured the Seas as thou hast done, and robbed all the world with a navy and an Army, I had been no Pirate, I had been and Emperor.   

The foundations of Religion are not to be removed.  
Almcrick King of Jerusalem, demanded of William Archbishop of Tyre, how the Resurrection of the Body might be proved by reason? hereat the good Bishop was much displeased, as counting it a dangerous question, where with one removeth a foundation stone in Divinity, though with intent to lay it in the place again. But the King presently protested, That he demanded it not out of any diffidence in himself about that Article, but in case one should meet with a sturdy man, who would not trust Faith on her single Bond, except he have Reason joined for security with her. Hereupon the Archbishop alleged many strong arguments to prove it, and both rested well satisfied.   

Rich men should belp their poor Kindred in their calling, but not take them from their profession.  
When one, being an husbandman, claimed Kindred of Robert Grosthead Bishop of Lincoln, and thereupon requested favour of him, to bestow an Office upon him; x (quoth the Bishop) if your Cart be broken, i'll mend it; if your Plow be old, i'll give you a new one, and Seed to sow your Land; but an husbandman I found you, and an husbandman i'll leave you.   

A mannerly answer of a young Gentleman.  
King James asking a young Gentleman what kin he was to such a Lord of the same name, the Gentleman answered; That his elder brother was his x German.   

Of one that preach●d well, but lived ill.  
It was said of one that was an excellent Preacher, but a very bad liver, That when he was out of the Pulpit it was pity he should ever go into it; and when he was in the Pulpit, it was pity he should ever come out of it. And of another of the same kind it was said; That they who did not know him, would think he were in good earnest, when they heard him preach.   

Martial Discipline is very strict.  
There was a French soldier that mounted a bulwark of a Fort which was besieged, by whose valiant example the Fort was taken, for which piece of good service Martial De Thermes the French general Knighted him, but within an hour after he hanged him, because he did it without command.   
FINIS.   

Errata.  
PAge 19 line 6. read Trajane, p. 53. l. 5. r. Libera, p. 140. l. 11. r. uttered.   

The Table.  
NEither prosperity nor adversity should make us to deny Christ. page 1. Death to be much remembered, p. 2. A brave act of Clemency. ibid. A good Law against Projectors. p. 3 The glory of the World a mere Fable ibid. Justice how to be qualified. ibid. An example of excellent justice. p. 4. The rare piety of the young L. Harington. ibid. Two learned Friars. p. 5. The devil rebukes sin. ibid. But three Kings in Christendom. ibid: Basil's brave resolution. p 6. False work, false wages. ib. A just reward of Treason. p. 7. Too much prosperity dangerous. ib. The uncertainty of worldly prosperity. p. 8. A noble act of faithful Courtiers. ib. Lavish vows are but slightly performed. p. 9 A soldier of a pious and public spirit. ib▪ Height of malice. p. 10. A fit reward for Treason, ib. He that hath no children, thinks all fond Parents fools. p. 11. Our late Bishops were true Prophets. ib. The Clergy of Rome had good cause to be angry with Luther. ib. A sad story. p. 12. God's Mercy to England since it was a commonwealth. ib. prosperity needs balancing with some Adversity. ib. The sword of the soldier knows not the goods of their friends, from the goods of their enemies. p, 13. Labour good both for body and soul, p. 14. Livewell and Dye-well are Twins. ib. A penance for drunkenness. ib. The power of Preaching. p. 15. A fit emblem for overcurious women. ib. To speak well, a hard Lesson. p. 16. They that spend their estate in Luxury, deserve no pity. ib. The Sermon is not done before it be practised. p. 17. Tyrant's are God's Rods, which he casts into the fire when he hath done with them. ib. Though King's crowns sit light upon their heads, yet oftentimes they lie heavy upon their Consciences. p. 18. Christians lives should answer Christ's rules. ib. A triumphant conqueror becomes a patient sufferer for Jesus Christ. p. 19 A witty Answer of Aquinas to the Pope. ib. The world will be sure to keep Christ poor enough. p, 20 They that slight Christ ought to be lightly esteemed p, 21 policy ●afer than flattery and plain-dealing. ib. The best Sacrifice. p. 22 Cardinal Wolsey's Father was a Butcher in Ipswitch. ib. Some can better rule then be ruled. p. 23 The Church stood in need of a Luther. ib. Three dogs to be kept out of the pulpit. ib. Luther would not be satisfied with a temporal reward. ib. Mutability of Fortune. p▪ 24 An Indian would not go to Heaven, because he heard that the Spaniards went thither. ib. Continual happiness, is the greatest unhappiness. p. 25 Christ weeping over Jerusalem. ib. Magistrates and Physicians must not kill ●oo many. ib. Ingratitude. p. 26 A●●ections infectious. ib. Many are spiritually sick, and know it not. ib. Satan's greatest advantages against us, are from ourselves. p. 27 Humanity a good help to Divinity. ib. This scholar deserved a cup of Wine to his Fish▪ p. 28 Dangerous sinning against Conscience. ib. A wounded Conscience who can bear? p. 30 A contest about our modern Languages. p. 31 Sinful fruits never last long. p. 32 How to pacify God's wrath. p▪ 33 The Devils cunning in leaving Jobs Wife. ib. Why Jupiter is preferred before the rest of the Gods. p. 34 Godly men leave a blessing to their posterity. ib. Of one that said the cross-row instead of a prayer. p. 35 Dangerous delaying of Repentance. ib. Balaam's wish. p. 36 Most men are best in a l●w condition. ib. How God will try men. ib. Saint Austin's robbing of an Orchard, made a haino us sin. p. 37 A miraculous Providence. p. 38 A pertinent Answer to an impertinent Question. ib. Of one that would not repe●t in the beginning of his sickness, lest he should recover. p. 39 Ridley blames himself for drinking there where the gospel was refused, ib. Upon Canterbury's great bell. p▪ 40 Injustice will be repaid at one time or another. ib. The ministry is no idle calling. p. 41 Peter and Paul pictured blushing. ib. Seldom comes the better. ib. Mistress Hutchinson of New-England delivered of a strange Monster. p. 42 Mistress Dyers fearful Monster. p. 43 Riches bring troubles. p. 45 A just reward of covetousness. ib. God's Mercy. p. 46 God's infiniteness ib. A prophecy fulfilled. ib. The different dispositions of men. p. 47 Affection mars judgement. ib. Five pound lost for want of faith. ib. To be sensible that we are dead, is a sign of life. p. 49 A passage of Providence. p. 50 Between green heads and grey hairs, truth suffers much. p. 51 Upon the Bishop of Eli's translation to Canterbury. ib. Rich Parsons need not preach. p. 52 A prayer against the Grace of God. ib. Four blessings came into England together. p. 53 Many cannot mind heaven; they are so taken up with the earth. ib. Nothing got by neglecting opportunities. ib. prayer more prevalent than an Army of men. p. 54 A good trial of bad servants. ib. Ambassadors, whether sent from Kings or from God, must not be abused, p. 55 An ignorant Bishop. ib. A Knight that durst appear for a persecuted Truth and man. p. 57 Christians must learn self-denial. ib. A covetous King, and an ungrateful Guest. p. 58 Who is the most fool? p. 59 'tis enough to repent the day before our death. ib. Mean Parentage no disparagement to virtuous men. p. 60 Loving Wives. ib. Some sorrows are not to be expressed. p. 61 Ingentes stupent. p. 62 Valour scorns any kind of base tricks. ib. Christian Fortitude, ib. Tyrant's requests are commands. p. 63 A pe●ce of policy. ib. An usurer's last Will and Testament. p 64 An admirable example of a self-denying Christian. ib. A judgement upon perjury. p. 66 A text well improved. p. 67 Delight in sinning. p. 68 A wise answer to a foolish people. ib. A notable act of charity. ib. A good speech of Constantine. p. 69 Men of great estates and eminency, brought to great wants and extremity. ib. A censure of a curious woman. p. 70 prosperity is subject to pride. ib. A happy strife. p. 71 God usually pays sinners with their own coin. ib. The noble and Christian courage of Agrippa. p. 72 Hostility converted into courtesy. ib. A word fitly spoken. p. 73 A true nobleman. ib. A just reward of tyranny p. 74 Nine Arguments against toleration of all Religions. p. 75 Silence in God's cause dangerous. ib. A good conscience preferred before werldly glory. p. 76 Honours change manners. ib. A good help for the Pope at a dead lift. p. 77 The sinful examples of great men are of dangerous consequence to the world. ib. A fit Meditation for every man. p. 78 A miracle in our days. ib. King's never want Laws to do what they list. p 79 The church's treasure. p. 80 He that serves God by a Proxy, shall go to Heaven by an attorney. ib. A sinful life followed with a woeful death, ib. A Bishop's blessing not worth a half penny. p. 81 Remarkable Circumstances about the King's death. p, 82 Men of public spirits would not out live their country's prosperity, ib. One good turn requires another. p. 83 The lively picture of our times. ib. Nine Pillars for the supporting of Faith. p. 84 The undaunted spirit of Ignatius. p. 85 More Devils in the Country then in the City. ib. Confess and be saved. p 86 No matter by whom, so God's work be done. ib. A good use of a wooaen god. p. 87 Three good questions for every man to ask himself every night ib. 'Tis not Blood, but Faith that makes men noble. ib. An Epitaph upon Duke Hamilton. p. 88 The old Cardin●ll did not like the new way of choosing Popes. p 90 The Low Countries compared to a Cow. p. 91 The counsel of Constance. ib. Of one that had never troubled God with his prayers before that time. ib. England and Scotland seldom long at peace. p 92 What to do in time of danger. ib. A Rule for Kings. ib. Riches the bane of the Church. p, 93 Germany bane● by three things. ib. Learning too low for nobleman's Sons. ib. The Earl of Castlehaven's miserable Comforters. p 94 An Impostor h●ndsomely discovered. p. 95 Jesuitical juggeling. p. 96 A remarkable judgement upon a wicked counsellor. p. 97 What cast Lucifer out of Heaven and Adam out of Paraaice. ib. The world's hypocrisy. p 98 Stay the Bells the man is alive yet, and like to plague you worse. ib. A fair confutation of a foul lie. p. 99 God is not always alike present with his most faithful Servants. p, 100 Upon a Gentlewoman that well deserved it. p. 101 Luther's constancy to the Truth. ib. Heaviness may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. ib. Vertus and valour is the best nobility. p. 103 Want of learning in noblemen to be lam●nted. ib. The means Julian used to destroy Christian Religion. p. 104 Christ only inlightens the soul, ib. In war policy is better than valour. p. 105 The qualities of a good Servant. ib. Men are ●asily drawn to vice, but hardly to virtue, ib The wonderful power of Prayer, even in our days. p. 106 Christ is all, and in all. p. 107 Queen Elizabeth's godly answer about tolerating of popery. ib. An excellent custom amongst the Athenians. p. 108 A Murder strangely discovered. ib. A strange accident at Oxford Assizes. p. 109 Ma●●● is a perfect resemblance of Jesus Christ. p. 110 Men m●ch in debt seldom sleep soundly. p. 112 Our high gallants have not for the poor. ib. The most carnal Religion, is best pleasing to carnal men. ib. Ignorance of other men's condition a cause of uncomfortableness in many Christians. p. 113 A brave Cupboard of Glasses well broken, and the story better applied. p. 114 The church's security. p. 116 No Jesuits in Hell. ib. A worthy example of gratitude. p. 118 The absurdity of soothsaying, or judicial Astrology. p. 122 Where human help fails, we may expect Divine. ib. Eight Rules to know false doctrines by. p. 123 A good argument for the immartality of the soul. p. 125 Great men are only happy by report. p, 126 Nero's overthrow. ib. Not good to be too satirical. ib. An episcopal character. ib. A fine way to get preferment. p. 127 A man to be trusted. ib. What is, & what is not the work of a Minister. p. 128 Calvins' sweet temper. ib. A merry Epitaph upon a Singing-man. ib. Several laws, and customs, of several States and commonwealths. p. 129 The virtue of Christian prayers. p. 130 A smart satire. p. 131. If the devil take the Prince what will become of the Bishop? ib. Bishop Wren's unsufferable insolency. p. 132 The Doctor could not pray without book. p. 134 He that stopped other men's mouths, had at last his own stopped with a vengeance. p. 135 A true Slave. p. 136 Cardinal Pools answer to a Figure-flinger. ib. How to deal with crafty sinners. p. 137 A covetous man is like a Christmas Box. ib. 'tis hard to know a man's disposition till he be out of check. p. 138 Love me a little and love me long. ib. Cursed cows have sh●rt horns. ib. Martin Luther the famous Instrument of God's glory lived and died a very poor man. p. 139 Rulers should ever be at leisure to do justice. ib. Luther's Epitaph by Theodorus Beza. p. 140 A prophecy accomplished most exactly forty years after it was uttered. ib. Learning is to be preferred before Honour. p. 142 The ingenuity of a Scotch colonel. ib. Truth and Error elegantly compared to Ta●urs two twins, Gen. 38. in a Sermon before the Parliament. p. 143. A comfort for poor faithful Ministers. p. 144 They that have money, and will not employ, it, deserve to have it taken from them. p. 145 A Luxurious Nation will soon overthrow itself. ib. A speedy return of prayer. p. 146 A pretty device to cozen Conscience. ib. A witty trick of a blind man. p. 147 The industriousness of Peter Ramus. p. 14● An impregnable place taken by a fine stratagem. p. 149 The Service-book and Ceremonies pleasing to Papists p. 150 A Butcher of Norwich Churched. p. 151 A gracious Providence. ib. A pretty waggish trick. p. 153 Some men's sins go beforehand to judgement. p. 15● Lilly a grand Imposter. p. 156 The fruit of covetousness p. 157. A right counsellor rare to find. ib. Courtiers are usually flatterers. p. 158 The people's rage and God's just hand against a wicked Tyrant. ib. A wonderful earthquake. p. 159 Great thieves cond●mn little thieves. p. 160 The foundations of Religion are not to be removed. p. 161 Rich men should help their poor kindred in their callings but not took them from their Profession. ib. A mannerly answer of a young Gentleman. p. 162 Of one that preached well, but lived ill. ib. Martial discipline is very strict. p. 163  
FINIS.