The white deuil, or The hypocrite vncased in a sermon preached at Pauls Crosse, March 7. 1612. By Thomas Adams ...

To the Reader.

HOnest and vnderstanding Reader; (if neither, hands off) I neuer saluted thy Generall name by a speciall Epistle, till now: and now, perhaps, soone enough: but if Honesty be Vsher to thy vnder∣standing, and vnderstanding Tutour to thy Hone∣stie; as I cannot feare, so I need not doubt, or treat with thee for Truce: Truce, of what? of Suspense, not of Su∣spension; it belongs to our Betters: Suspend thy cen∣sure, doe not suspend me by thy censure. I doe not call thee aside, to aske, with what applause this Sermon pas∣seth, but (it is all, I would haue and heare) with what be∣nefite. I had rather conuert one soule, then haue an hun∣dreth praise me. Whereof, if I were (so besotted to bee) ambitious, by this I could not hope it: for it puls many tender and tendred sins out of their downy neasts; and who strikes vice, and is not stricken with calumnies? I must rather thinke, it hath passed from one presse to an∣other, to a worse, hazarding it selfe to be pressed to death with censures: which yet (though I lowly hope better) I cannot feare; since it speakes no more, nor other, then iustifiable truth. What hath beene obiected already, I must breefly answer. It is excepted, that I am too mer∣ry,

in describing some vices. Indeed, such is their ridicu∣lous nature, that their best conuiction is derision; yet I abominate any pleasantnesse heere, but Christian; and would prouoke no smile but of Disdaine: wherein the grauitie of matter, shall free my forme of words from lightnesse. Others say, I am other-where too Satyri∣cally-bitter. It is partly confest: I am bitter enough to the sins, and therein (I thinke) better to the sinners, more charitable to the persons. Some wish I would haue spared the Church-theeues, because it is not yet gene∣rally granted, that Impropriations of Tythes, are ap∣propriations of wrongs; but if there bee a competent maintenance to the Minister, and not to him neither, except of worthy gifts, (prouided, that they iudge of his gifts and competencie) it is enough: well, if any such be greeued, let him allow his Minister a Sufficiency, vnder which he cannot liue, without want to his family, or disgrace to his profession (at least, so taken.) and heer∣of certified, I will take counsell to draw the bookes, and put his name out of the Catalogue of Theeues: But it would be strange if any of these Ziba's should yeeld to Mephibosheth a diuision of his owne lands or goods; when they doe, I will say, Dauid is come againe to his Kingdome, or rather, the Sonne of Dauid is come to Iudgement. Others would haue Inclosers put out, be∣cause (commonly) great men, but therefore the greater their finnes, and deseruing the greater taxation. Nay some would perswade Vsury to steppe in, to trauerse his Inditement, and prooue himselfe no Theefe, by the verdict of the Countrie; because Sub Iudice lis est, it is not yet decided, that Vsury is a Sinne. It is Sub Iu∣dice indeed, but the Iudge hath already interposed his

Interlocutory, and will one day giue his Definitiue Sentence, that Vsurie shall neuer dwell in his holy Mountaine. Others blunder in their verdict, that I haue too violently baited the Bagge at the stake of Re∣proch, and all because I want it: I will not returne their censure, that they are hence knowen to haue it, that speake against me, for speaking against it: who yet, if they would light the candle of their Speech, at the fire of their Vnderstandings, would easily see and say, that it is not the fulnesse of the Bagge, but the fowlenesse of the Bagge-bearer, that I reprooue: I could allow your purses fuller of wealthinesse, so your mindes were emp∣tier of wickednesse: but the Bagges effects, in our af∣fects, vsually load vs, either with parcimony or pro∣digallity; the lightest of which burdens, saith Saint Bernard, is able to sincke a Shippe. Others affirme, that I haue made the Gate of Heauen too narrow, and they hope to finde it wider; God and the Scriptures are more mercifull. True it is, that Heauen-Gate is in it selfe wide enough; and the narrownesse is in respect of the Enterer: and though thy sins cannot make that too little to receiue thee, yet they make thee to grosse and vn∣fit, to get into that: thus the Straitenesse ariseth from the deficiency, (not of their Glory, but) of our Grace. Lastly, some haue the Title sticking in their stomacks; as if Christ him selfe had not called Iudas a Deuill; and likened an Hypocrite to a Whited Sepulcher: as if Luther did not giue Iudas this very Attribute; and other Fathers of the Church, from whom Luther de∣riues it. Good Christian Reader, leaue cauils against it, and fall to caueats in it: read it through: if there be no∣thing in it to better thee, either the fault is in my hand, or

in thy hart. Howsoeuer, giue God the praise; let none of his. Glory cleaue to vs earthen Instruments. If thou likest it, then (quo animo legis, obserua, quo obseruas, serua) with the same affection thou readest it, remember it, and with the same thou remembrest, practise it. In hope of this, and prayer for this, I com∣mend this Booke to thy Con∣science, and thy conscience to God. Willington, March. 27. 1613.

Thine if thou be Christs T. A.