fo. 88. 30 Jan. 1602. In the afternoone, at St. Peters by Paules Wharfe, Mr. Clapham. Gen. iv. 8.
"Yf a man doth not well, synn lieth at the dore," like a dog, sayd he, that will snap him by the shins.
By primority of birth Kaine had the inheritaunce of land, and the rule of his brother Habel. He was Lord over him, and did domineer, a title that was used, and is allowed by all to temporall persons, but by some fantasticall curious heads of late denied to the ecclesiasticall governors. A sort of busie superstitious and factious braines there be, and some in this city, that are afrayed of they know not what, would haue something if they could tell what it ment: they are like a goose that stoopes when it comes in at a barne dore, though it knowe not wherefore. These forsoothe crye into the eares of those auditors that like and followe them, that there must be noe such title as Lord given to anie ecclesiastike person, because Christ sayd to his disciples; "Be ye not called Lord," and "The rulers of the Gentiles beare dominacion, but you not soe," Math. xx. Indeede the Scripture talkes after that manner, but not that meaning, and at last they come out with a place, and tell the people they read, Luke xxii. 25. "The kings of the Gentiles be called Gracious Lords, but ye shall not be fo. 88b.
Jan. 1602. soe:" and this they say cuts home indeede, just as a leaden sawe; for they may well say they reade so: but I dare say they cannot reade soe in the Scripture, they bely Christ when they say he said soe; he never spake those words; it is a punishment for our synnes that wee cannot reade right in this age. They are unlearned malitious that reade soe. The word in the text originall is ευεργεται, derived of the particle ευ, good, and the other verbe εργαζομαι to worke; in Latin they are called Benefactores, we may call them Good Workers, a title which the kings of the Southerne Nations, those which Daniel describeth to be the kingdome that stands upon black legges, when they had done some little good to their state, they would arrogate; soe Ptolome Euergetes, and soe it is forbidden by way of arrogancy for good deedes: because the glory must be ascribed to God.
And by their reason they might as well deny the name of Maister, and Father, for both are forbidden, as well as the other, and soe they might quickly be amongst the Anabaptists, and overturne all difference and jurisdicion. Lord is a name sometyme of place, and sometyme of grace; and soe the ecclesiastike may haue it as well as the temporall, for to the temporall it is a name of place onely, but the ecclesiasticall by their merit may haue it of grace. Neither is it soe strange a title; Jacob useth it to his brother Esau, and the prophet Isay takes it, my Lord, Adoni; Christ acknowledged the name, and some of the Apostles did not refuse it.
fo. 89.
Jan. 1602.
"Then Kain spake to Habell;" it is not sett downe what he said: yet some have adventured to say that he said Transeamus in campos, but whatsoever it was it is not here mentioned, but left to be conceived, as in iii. Gen. v. 22, least he put forth his hand [and] take alsoe of the tree of lyfe: it is left what he resolved. Not that yf Adam had tasted of the tree of lyfe that he should have liued for ever, noe more then he that receives the Sacrament vnworthily shall be a member of Christs body, but that was spoken ironice.
It is like he spake fayre words, being in the house in presence of his father and mother, and that he used dissembling flattering speaches to draw him to such a place where he might with aduantage execute his purpose. A common practise in this world, and an old one, you see, a Machiuilian tricke. They will match the diuel in this age, to carry fayre countenaunce to him whome they meane to overthrowe; to glose and insinuate, to offer hart roote and all, till he may take him at such a vantage that he may cutt his throate or breake his necke, a familiar fashion amongst the nobility in Court, not altogither unusuall amongst the Clergy.
And when they were in the feild Kain rose up against his brother and killed him, a pittifull and a wonderfull matter, will some say, that God will suffer the wicked thus to murther the good; pittifull indeed, but not wonderfull, for the synnes of the best have deserved greater punishment.
A strang thing those which were soe great frends, went arme in arme, nowe mortall enimies upon the suddein. A maruelous strang fo. 89b.
Jan. 1602.thinge that he should knowe he could kill his brother, that he could dy, for he never sawe any man dye before; but manie things are done, both good and evil, by a secret instinct whereof a man sawe no reason til after the thing performed, as Moses when he slewe the Agyptian.
Murder an auncient synn, the first open offence after the fall that was committed in the world. Here a notable pollicy of the diuel to have dammed up Gods glory and mans relligion, both at once.
Noe murderer at this day but is guilty of this murder of Kain, and all since, since iniquity is sayd to be a measure which every synner in his kinde by adding his synne striues to make full, and soe assents to all before acted, like a conjuror that subscribes with his bloud.
"Where is Habel thy brother?" The Lord careth for the righteous.
"Whoe answered, I cannot tell." He flaps God in the mouth with a ly at the first word, a generall rule that after murder lying followeth, they are links togither, and commonly noe syn committed but a lye runnes after: for none is soe impudent to confesse it, euery one would have the face of virtue.
"Am I my brothers keeper?" See a Kings sonne, the heir of the world, what a lob140 it is! Howe like a clowne, a clunche,141 an asse, he aunswers. A synner is the verryest noddy of all. This Kain was the verriest duns in the world. He thought to have outfact God with [a] ly, and then would excuse it; "Am I my brothers keeper?" I marry art thou, as thou wast fo. 90.his brother in love, his elder in government, as the prince is the keeper of his people, the minister of the congregacion, every one of an other! The greate ones would keep the minister poore and beggerly that they might not tell them of their faults, but stopp the preists mouth with a coate or a dynner; "but," sayd he, "the diuel take dynners giuen to such a purpose!"
fo. 90b.
30 Jan. 1602.The Papists make a forril142 [?] of the Scripture; they soue up the mouth of it. (Clapham the other Sunday, as Mr. Peter [?] told me.)