fo. 99 b . 13 Feb. 1602. At Paules ,
A yong man made a finicall boysterous exordium, and rann himselfe out almost dry before he was halfe through; his text; "He humbled himselfe to the death, even to the death of the crosse, wherefore God hath glorified him." He spake much of humility. Melior est peccator humilis, quam superbus justus. Peccare non potest nisi superbus, nec penitere nisi humilis. He first dilated of three meanes to knowe God; by his greatnes, by the prophets in the old, by his sonne in the newe Testament. Against pride in beauty; the diuel playes the sophister whiles he perswades women to paint that they may seeme fayrer than they are; which painting being discovered, makes them to be thought fouler than they are. Pride in apparell is pride of our shame, for it was made to cover it, and as yf one should embroyder a sheete wherein he had done pennaunce, and shewe it in bragging manner. It is said by some that St. John Baptist for his humility is rewarded with the place which the diuel lost for his pride.
He spake against duellisme, or single combat, and said that yf two goe into the field with purpose to fight an the one be slayne, he is a murderour of himselfe. He exhorted the judges to severity, telling them that there is more incouragement taken by one that escapes the punishment due unto him by the lawe, then there is feare wrought by the execution of an hundred.
fo. 100.
13 Feb. 1602.In the afternoone Mr. Clapham, at his Churche by Paules Wharf.
Text, Gen. iv. 13. "Then Kain said to the Lord or Jehovah, My punishment is greater then I can beare, &c." but he reade it "My synne is greater then can be concealed." He noted that translators did very ill to foyst their inventions into the text and sett the originall in the margent, as commonly the common translacions have "synne" in the margent for the word "punishment" in the text, as grosse an absurdity as yf one should shutt the master out of dores, and give entertainement to his attendants.
Nowe Kayne was prest with the horror of his synn he confesseth, but with a kinde of desperacion and repining, as Judas when he confest and hanged himselfe. If a man will not confesse his faultes he shall be prest till he confesse, and when his confession comes to late he may confesse and be hanged to, well enough. For repentant confession must come while grace is offered, while it is called to-day. God deales as the debtor which tenders his money till sunne goe downe. When night is come, up goes his money and a fig for his creditor. Yf men take not tyme while grace is offered, but delay till the sunne of grace be gonne downe, there remaines nothing but horrible desperat reprobacion. A vagabond; an excommunicate person is a vagabond, turned out of the society of Gods Churche both here in earth, and in heaven too, yf it were done by the Spirit of Christ; and therefore lett not men soe lightly esteeme of this greate censure, nor thinke to excuse themselves by fo. 100b.
1 Feb. 1602.saying it was for trifles; but lett them take heede they deserve it not, and yf they which gave the sentence abused their authority, lett them aunswere for it, but always the censure is to [be] reverently regarded.
Ther be pasport-makers that are as verry rogues as any justice rogues, noble rogues; all that live out of the communion of the Churche are noe better than rogues and vagabonds in the eye [?] of God.
fo. 101.
15 Feb. 1602.Paradox. That paynting is lawefull. Fowlenes is loathesome; can it be soe that helpes it? What thou lovest most in hir face is colour, and this painting gives that; but thou hatest it, not because it is, but because thou knowest it is. Foole, whom ignorance only maketh happie. Love hir whoe shewes greate love to the by taking this paynes to seeme lovely to thee.
Hee that weepeth is most wise. Wee come first unwitting, weeping and crying, into a world of woe, and shall wee not weepe and cry when wee knowe it?
The Reason of Reasons was seene divers tymes to weepe, but never to laugh.
Art thou a synner? Wilt thou repent? Weepe. Art thou poore? Wouldst thou be relieved? Weepe. Hast thou broken the lawes of thy prince? Hast thou deserued death? Wouldst thou be pittyed? Wouldst thou liue? Weepe. Hast thou injured thy friend? Wilt thou be reconciled? Weepe.
Laughinge is the greatest signe of wisdome. Ride, si sapis, O puella, ride. Yf thou be wise laugh, for sith the powers of discourse and reason and laughinge be equally proper to only man, why shall not he be most wise that hath most use of laughing, as well as he that hath most use of reasoning and discoursing? I have seene men laugh soe long and soe ernestly that they have wept at last, because they could weepe [laugh?] noe more. Laugh at a foolish gallant; soe shall he be knowne a man, because he laughs; a wise man, for he knowes what he laughs at; and valiant, that he dares laugh.
fo. 101b.
15 Feb. 1602.To keepe sheepe, the best lyfe. The Lyfe of Man was soe affected to this lyfe, that he denyed not to crowne his deity with this title: and by this he directed his especiall charge to his especiall disciple: giving us men this best name of a beast, of the best nature of beastes. They are innocent, they are patient, soe would God have man; they love and live together, soe would God have man. God made thee to behold the Heaven, and to meditate the wonders thereof; make thyselfe a shepheard, and thou art still beholding, still meditating. God commaundes thee to forsake the world: yf thou art a shepheard thou dost soe, thou withdrawest thyselfe from the world. The private lyfe is the sweetest lyfe; yf thou livest the lyfe of a shepheard, thou livest the sweetest private. Wilt thou be a king? Be a shepheard, thou hast subjects, thou hast obedient subjects, thou hast sheepe, thou hast a scepter, thou hast a crooke; thy fold is thy counsell chamber, and the greene field thy flourishing pallace. Thy companions are the sunne, the moone, and the stars, of whom thou makest continuall use, and from the vieue of their lights receyvest thy counsell and advise. Thou art more happie then other kings, thou art freed from hate and soe from feare, thou reignest quietly, and rulest securely; thou hast but one enemie, and thou hast an enemy for that enemie, the dog and wolf. He that was Gods second best beloved was a shepheard and a king; yf thou art a shepheard thou art a king, thou art happie, nay thou art most happie, thou art a happie king, thy subiectes living onely to lengthen thy life, and to shorten their owne, &c.
fo. 102.
Feb. 1602.One fee is too good for a bad lawyer, and two fees too little for a good one.
Hee that will love a man he knowes not why, will hate him though he knowe not wherefore.
When Sir Edward Hobby heard of Sir Henry Nevils disaster with the Earl of Essex, he said that his cosen Nevil was ambling towardes his preferment, and would needes gallop in all the hast, and soe stumbled and fell. (Ch. Davers.)
The Bishop of Bath and Wells,163 being sent for to the Court and there offered the Bishopricke of Ely upon some condicions which he thought inconvenient, he said that Bishopricke was the onely mayden Bishopricke in England, and he would not be the first should deflour it. (Hooper.)
One being entreated to part a man and his wife that were togither by the eares, "Nay," quoth he, "I will never part man and wife while I live."
Dr. Rud made a sermon before the Queene upon the text, "I sayd yee are Gods, but you shall all dy like men;" wherein he made such a discourse of death that hir Majestie, when his sermon was ended, said unto him, "Mr. Dr. you have made me a good funerall sermon, I may dye when I will."
Giue the way to any that you meete; yf he have a better horse it is duty, yf a worse in pity; yf the way be fayre you are in, commonly it is foule hard by, and soe you shall haue power to durty him that you giue the way, not he you. (Burdett.)
Yf you put a case in the first bookes of the lawe to the auncients, you may presume they may haue forgotten it; yf in the newe bookes, you may doubt whether they haue reade it. (Bur[dett.])
fo. 102b.
Feb. 1602.Sir Henry Unton164 was soe cunning a bargayner for landes that they which dealt with him were commonly greate loosers, whereupon Mr. Duns of Barkshire said that he bought lands with witt and sold them with rhetorick. (Chute.)
My taylor, Mr. Hill, a little pert fellowe, was upon a tyme brought before the Lord Chamberlaine, and accused that he had heard one Harlestone curse the Earl of Leister in his house. But Hill denying it, the Lord Chamberlain threatning him, called him rogue and raskall, that would hear noblemen abused, and yet justifie to. Hill replyed that he was neither rogue nor raskall, but a poore artificer, that lived by his labour. The Lord demaund[ed], "What trade?" "A taylor," said Hill. "O then a theife by profession," said the Lord, "and yet yf thou beest a theife thou art but a prettie little one. But, sirra, you rogue, what say you to the matter of my Lord of Leister?" "O, my Lord," said he, "I heard noe such matter." "I will hang you, you raskall," said the Lord. "You shall hang a true man, my Lord," sayd Hill. "What, and a taylor!" said the Lord. Soe leaving Hill when he could not force him to confesse, he went to the accuser, and told him he must not come and trouble him with such trifles, which were fauls to, and yf it had bin true, yet yf he should committ every one to prison that spake evil of Leister or himselfe, he should make as many prisons in London as there be dwelling houses.
fo. 103.
20 March.Laudo navigantem, cum pervenerit ad portum. (Ch. Da.)
Si præbendari, si vis in alta locari,
Consilium præsto, de sanguine præsulis esto. (Burdett.)
Fayth is the evidence of things not seene; as wee hold our temporall inheritance by our writinges, which we call our evidence, soe wee clayme our eternall inheritaunce in the heavens by fayth, which is our evidence. (On King at Paules.)
Risus potest esse causa aliqua, irrisus nulla.
Irridere bona nefas, mala crudelitas, media stultitia, probos impium, improbos sæuum, notos immanitas, ignotos dementia, denique hominem inhumanum. (Lodou. Vives, ad Sap: intr. 439.)165
E bestijs, exiatiatis maxime ferarum est invidia mansuetarum assentatio. (Idem.)166
fo. 103b.
28 Feb. One said of Rochester that it had been an auncient towne, as though it were not more auncient by continuance. (H. Gellibrand narr.)
* * * * *
Dr. Couels booke which he wrote as an appology of Mr. Hooker167 may be sayd to be all heaven, butt yett Mr. Hookers sentences and discourses intermixed are the stars and constellations, the speciall ornaments of it.
One discoursing of a gentleman, Dr. Cæsars wiues first husband, that had bin imployed as a Ligier in France; "I well belleeve it," sayd another, "that he hath bin a lecher in Fraunce."
Dr. Cæsars wife was at first but a mayd servant in London; till advanct by hir first marriage. When hir Majesty dyned at Dr. Cæsars, shee gave his wife a checke, because in hir widdowhood she refused to speake with a courtier whom hir Majesty had commended to hir.
When a minister was reading the words in marriage, "Wilt thou have this man as thy wedded husband," the bryde presently cryed, "O God, I, Sir," as though shee had tarried for him.
fo. 104.
Nov. 1602.Upon one Sunday this moneth Dr. Holland, Professor at Oxeford,168 made a sermon at Paules Crosse, his text, Luke xii. v. 13, 14, &c.
"Take heede of covetousnes, for though a man have abundaunce, his life standeth not in riches." 2 parts; a caveat. 2. the reason. The reason by a negative, 1. Mans lyfe not in abundance. 2. by a similitude. He noted a difference between the Syriack and the Greeke. The Syriac sayth Christ spake to his disciples; the Greeke to the brethren that strove for the inheritaunce.
In the caveat, considered 1. the giver, Christ; 2. the brevity; 3. the occasion, the falling out of brethren.
All that followe Christ are his disciples.
The giver is Christ, which is Amen, verax, omniscient, he that knowes the waye of the serpent upon the stone, of an arrowe in the ayre, and a ship in the sea. Multa habent auctoritatem propter dicentem. He can tell us latet anguis in herba. The two eyes of the lambe a great watchman to tell us the danger of synn, that it hath the face of a woman, but the sting of a scorpion.
Brevitye. One word of Christ a whole sermon—the ten commaundments are called but ten words, Deut. iv. 13. The whole have but one word, Love, of God and our neighbour, ὁ ὡν, ὁ εἱ, ὁ ἑρχδμενοϟ, α and ω. One word of God overthrewe the whole kingdome of Assyria. Adams synn was the breach but of one commaundement, yet condemned the whole world. Relligion is one, though questions be infinit, fo. 104b.yet all must be determined per unum verbum domini scriptum. Verbum indicabit, all must be resolved per primam veritatem. Our soule can never be quiet till it be resolved by the word of God. Neither can wee have any perfection till wee have a seed of God.
Some have gone about to shewe the truth of relligion by casting out divels. David must come out with his two stones, the Old and the Newe Testament, before Goliah can be slayne.
He would not speake against the good use of riches. Divitiæ nec putentur mala, quia dantur bonis; neque bona, quia conferuntur malis. Though the soule neede none of these goods of riches, yet the body doth, propter victum et vestitum, and therefore we pray, Da nobis hodie panem nostrum quotidianum. God is the author of them, and soe, being the gifts of God, they cannot be evil in their nature. Diverse virtues followe and depend upon riches; as magnificence, munificence, &c.; hence have these goodly churches beene builded, famous colledges found[ed], warrs maynteyned, &c. The use of riches is to serve our owne necessity, Gods glory; to doe good to the poore, to lend to the needy, to reward the virtuous, to make frend of, &c. Yet the gift cannot merrit, for yf I give all that I have, yet yf I want charitie, &c. Yet facta in fide Mediatoris, they shall not want a reward. "Come ye blessed of my Father, when I was naked you clothed me," &c. The abuse of riches is covetousnes. Covetousnes is an Hydra with seven heades, the diuel is the author of it. He tempted Christ with riches, when he shewed him δὁξαν, the glory of the world; the diuel could make shewes, he was a cunning juggler.
fo. 105.
The second head, the name, which is an ill name, to covet house, land, &c. allways taken in the ill part; avaritia, in Latin, aviditas æris, φιλαργυρἱα; not a good name amongst them all.
3. The daughters of covetousnes: 1. Rapina, robbery. 2. φιλαργυρἱα. 3. Oppressio. 4. Furtum. 5. Homicidium. 6. Proditio. 7. Fallacia. 8. Mendacia. 9. Obduratio. Whereof more at this day then the Bishop of Constance burnt poore people in a barne which came for a dole. 10. Usuria. This rangeth abroad over the whole land. 11. Bribery. 12. Symonia, Lady Symonie, a shameles on. 13. Sacrilegium. The end Superbia, which conteines all, and holds all things to base for himselfe.
Fourth head, the effects of covetousnes: 1. Hatred. 2. Misery. 3. Contempt. 4. Forgetfulnes of God. 5. Suffocatio, sorrowe. 6. Danger, death of body and soule; howe many have bin slayne for riches, or dyed in them.
Fifth head, it is the roote of all evill. 1 Tim. vi. 10; it is an euill of generality. Some nations are sicke but of one vice; but he that hath this, hath all; it is hardly cured, it growes by continuance, peccatum clamans, it is maxime inimicum Deo, for hee gave all by creacion to all equally, but this strives to drawe all to it selfe most unequally. Of such a man it is sayd abstulit a pauperibus, congregavit, et manet in æternum ejus infamia.
Sixth head, similitudes, all evill; it is compared to the dropsy, a disquieting kinde of thirst; to leaches, which sucke till they burst.
7. The end, he gathers he knowes not for whom; the reason, mans life consists not in the abundance of riches, 1. Because both when wee came into the world, though wee were naked, yet wee then lived, and fo. 105b.before that too. 2. Wee shall carry nothing away with us when we dye, yet our soules shall live. 3. They cannot deliver us from death.
Riches are incertayne, and therefore Eschines compares them to Euripus, which ebbes and flowes oftentymes in a day. An other says they are winged, because the[y] passe away soe swiftly; and Fortune hir selfe is allways painted upon a wheeling stone, to note the inconstancy of riches; and certaine it is that, at last, yf they part not from us, wee must part from them.
The parable. A riche man, though he be riche, yet he must dye; for he is but a man. God would have some riche, some poore, for distinction sake, and the mutuall exercise of liberality and patience, whereby the opinion of the Anabaptists is easily confuted, whoe would have all things alike common; admirabilis concatenatio in the order of things and states. God made noe miraculous provision for his disciples, therefore there ought to be an ordinary provision for the ministery. As the people love the ministers for their spirituall blessings, soe the ministers love the people for their temporall commodities. The order of professions. 1. Relligion. 2. Husbandry. 3. Merchandise. 4. Souldiery.
Abuse in acquirendo, concupiscendo, consumendo.
The covetous man reasons with himselfe in his bed: where wee should bonum omissum, malum commissum, tempus amissum, deflere. David sayth, "Lord, I remember the in my bed."
"I will pull doune;" surely he was a man of this age, pul downe colledges, churches, cyties, kingdomes; every one cryes "Downe with Jerusalem!" An easy matter to pull downe that which was in building forty yeares; he will build it agen, soe will not many an other doe.
fo. 106.
The foole when his owne belly is full thinkes all the worlde hath enoughe. "Eate soule! drinke soule!" a hog may say as much. I will pull downe, I will build; here is all "I," nothing but himselfe. Presumption that he shall enjoy all; whence he noted his infidelity, security, carnality, ευτραπελἱα.
Of the soule. The soule is the image of God, Christi redempta sanguine, hæres cum angelis, capax cælestis beatitudinis, simplex, immortalis, incorporea. It useth organa, instruments. God giveth, not man begge[tte]th it. 21 Exod. 22. Creando infunditur, infundendo creatur. God is the father of soules, and the soule returneth to God that gave it; Ecclesiastes. Anima imago Dei, in justitia et dominio.
Relligion of the Turk more towards their Alcoran then our[s] to the Scripture; speake but against that there it is death. He that dishonoureth his father, or disobeyeth the magistrat, every where punished, but for Gods dishonour fewe take care or vengeance.
This thought he spake to himselfe, but God puls him by the sleeve, and calls him by his name, "Thou foole!"
The godly give up their soules, but the soules of the wicked are taken from them.
fo. 106b.
March 1602.
Femme que dona s'abandona,
Femme que prende se vende,
Femme que regarde son honneur
Non veult prendre ne donner. (My cosen.)
My cosen told me that about some 24 yeares since the Prince of Aurange, being driven to some necessity, sent for reliefe to hir Majesty, with protestation that yf shee fayled to supply their wants he must turne pirate; and soe receyving but a cold aunswere, all they of Flushing and other parts adjoining instantly of merchants became good men of warr, and tooke our merchants fleete and forced them to lend 50,000l., which was never repayd. Yet when they had served their turnes for that extremity, and after divers complaints made by our merchants to our Queen against their piracys, had receyved message from hir Majesty to desist from those courses, they presently retyred themselves on a sudden, every one to his former trade. Of soe apt a nature is that nation for any purpose.
There was a company of yong gallants sometyme in Amsterdame which called themselves the Damned Crue.169 They would meete togither on nights, and vowe amongst themselves to kill the next man they mett whosoever; soe divers murthers committed, but not one punished. Such impunity of murder is frequent in that country. (My cosen narr.)
fo. 107.
1 March, 1602.My cosen repeated memoriter almost the first Booke of Virgils Æneids.
And this day he rehersed without booke verry neere the whole second Booke of the Æneids, viz. 630 verses, without missing one word. A singular memory in a man of his age, 62.
You shall never see a deares scutt cover his haunche, nor a fooles tongue his frendes secrett.
fo. 107b.Notes of a sermon upon the xv. ch. to the Corinth, verse 22.
"As in Adam all dye, soe in Christ shall all men be made alive." The judgement of the first disobedience was death. And in truth, God could doe noe lesse, unlesse he would be unjust, for as in wisdome he had ordayned that man should dye when he tasted the fruit of the forbidden tree, soe in justice he was to execute what in wisdom he had decreed.
Christ was like Adam in his preheminence, in being the cheife and having goverment over all creature[s]. But yet unlike in this that Adam was the cause of death, but Christ is the cause of lyfe unto all that beleeve in him. There is a tyme for all to dye: and this act of dying is done by us, and upon us. It is a sentence which comprehendeth all, though all apprehend not it. Adam was one before all, one ouer all, and all in one, by whose synn all taynted; soe Christ, by whom all saved. 1 Tim. ii. 4. Man is the principall cause in the course of generacion, but woman was in the fall of Adam. 1 Tim. ii. 14. Those which are sicke of the wantonnes make many answereles, endles, needeles questions, about the fall of Adam.
There be synnes personall, and synnes naturall; these wee derive ofttymes from our parents, as a synne in us, and punishment of them. Soe adultery and drunkennes of father, is ofttymes punished in an adulterous and cupshott170 childe.
fo. 108.
Death. 3. Externall, internall, eternall. 1. Separacion of body and soule. 2. Of sowle from Christ, which is our lyfe, soe was that spatterlashe [sic] widdowe, 1 Tim. v. 6; dead while she lived. 3. Of body and soule in hell fyre. It was an errour of Pelagius that man should have dyed though he had never synned.
fo. 108b.
Notes of a Sermon upon Matthew v. 17.
"Thinke not that I am come to destroy the lawe, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy them, but to fullfill them." The best could not live free from slaunders, as Nehemias was charged to have rebelled, &c. and Christ himselfe could not escape the malitious censures of the wicked. When he cured the sicke of the palsy saying, Thy synnes bee forgiven thee, these whispered in their hartes, and called that speache blasphemy. When he disposs[ess]ed the man that was vexed with a deuil, they said he cast out deuils by Beelzebub the prince of the deuils. When he suffered for us they sayd he was plagued for his owne offences. But Augustine sayth well of these men; "Hoc facilius homo suspicatur in altero, quod sentit in seipso."
The lawe stretcht noe further then the outward action, but Christ layes it to the secret thought. Synnes in our thoughtes are like a snake in our bosome, which may kill us yf wee nurse it; it is like fyre to gunpowder. Wee must shake synn from our thoughts, as wee would a spark from our garments, lest yf wee be once sett on fyre with them all our teares shall not quenche them. The divel puts synn in our thoughtes, as a thiefe fo. 109.thrusts a boy in at a windowe, to open the dore for the great ones. Yf syn enter into the heart it becomes like a denn of thieves, and like a cage of uncleane birds.
Synn a sly thing; it will enter at the windowe, at the casement, at a chinke of our cogitations.
The more free wee are to syn, the more slaves are wee to Sathan.
Will a thiefe steale in the sight of the Judge, and shall a man presume to synn in the sight of God?