The arraignment of slander periury blasphemy, and other malicious sinnes shewing sundry examples of Gods iudgements against the ofenders. As well by the testimony of the Scriptures, and of the fathers of the primatiue church as likewise out of the reportes of Sir Edward Dier, Sir Edward Cooke, and other famous lawiers of this kingdome. Published by Sir William Vaughan knight.

LINEAMENT. XIIII.

1 The spirit of Detraction connicted for censuring the Lords secret iudgements.

2 The Authors imperfections acknowledged.

3 His meditation on his late crosses.

NOtwithstanding the premisses, the spirit of Detraction is readie to read a cruell * 1.1 lecture to pratling Momes and tatling Niobes, that doubtlesse the punished partie vvas eyther very vicious him∣selfe, or else his vvife or parents had offended God in the highest degree. O my Friends, be not so curious in your censures. In that yee iudge others yee condemne your selues, for yee that iudge doe the same * 1.2 things. Iudge not least yee be iudged. And as for the scornefull, doth not the Lord laugh them to s••••rne? Why * 1.3 then doe yee scorne and scoffe at your neighbours harmes, whereof God is the Author? who is hee that blesseth, that curseth, that rewardeth, that punisheth?

Is it not he the Lord? vvhy then detract yee from his vnsearchable secrets? Why endeauour yee to vsurpe his peculiar prerogatiue? We are persecuted, but not forsaken, * 1.4 we are cast downe, but we perish not. Our mortall bodies for a time returne to dust, but our soules rest in Abra∣hams bosome. It pleased the Lord to smite his righteous * 1.5 seruant with infirmitie, to forsake him, and to be angrie with him for a little season: but at last he pardoned him, as the Prophet forespake of Christ.

For all this my defence, the spitefull spirit of Detracti∣on * 1.6 relents not at all. By reason of anothers extraordi∣narie iudgement, he chargeth me strictly with impietie. Is not (quoth hee) thy wickednesse great, and thine iniqui∣ties * 1.7 innumerable? Therefore snares are round about thee, feare sodainely troubles thee. Doth not God reuenge the Fathers sinnes vpon the children to the third and fourth discent? O menstruous or rather monstrous absurditie! Though my talke be this day in bitternesse, and my plagues * 1.8 greater then my groaning: yet will I vndertake to con∣troule thine errour, and confute thine heresie. All soules * 1.9 are mine, saith the Lord, both the soule of the Father and the soule of the Sonne. The same soule that sinneth shall dye, The Sonne shall not beare the iniquities of the Father, nei∣ther shall the Father beare the iniquitie of the Sonne. For * 1.10 mine owne part, I confesse my selfe to be chiefe a∣mong sinners, but yet much wronged to become sub∣iect vnto your detracting iudgements. Yee are none of my Iudges: I appeale to Caesars iudgement seate. I ap∣peale to the King of Kings, the King of Mercie, who will reuerse by a vvrit of errour your false vsurped iudge∣ments. * 1.11 If thou Lord wilt be extreame to marke what is done amisse: O Lord who may abide it? Woe be vnto vs, * 1.12 woe, W••e, be to the most laudable life that we leade, if thou O Lord, setting thy mercie aside shouldst examine it. Who can say, I haue made my heart cleane, I am pure from ma∣nie sinnes? Doth the blinde accuse the blinde? Doth an

olde senex fornicatour accuse another fornicatour? Num Luscus accusat Luscum, Clod••us M••••chum? And doth the spirit of Detraction the most sinfull spirit of all spirits, detect me for sinning? Well, my confession is not auricular, but openly reiterated: If I wash my selfe in snow water, and purge my hands most cleane, yet shalt thou * 1.13 plaegue me in the pit, and mine owne cloathes will make mee silihie. Mine owne fleshly vveedes being tainted vvith longing thoughts, must sing a sorrowfull peccaui, to the tune of stoope gallant. And vnfainedly to vse Saint Pauls words: I allow not that which I doe, for what I would, that * 1.14 I doe not, but what I hate that doe I. Albeit that often∣times I haue a will to doe well, yet the nature of my flesh not any wise able to be expelled with the forke of mine owne naked reason, confounds this readie will of mine, and causeth me to commit moe sinnes in number then the sands of the sea. All which with a contrite minde I submit to the mercy of God, crauing most humbly on the knees of my heart in the lowest degree of reuerence, my Redeemers merits as the vaile of grace, to stand be∣twixt his diuine Iustice, and their gore-bloud guilti∣nesse.

But certainly in my poore iudgement God took away mine innocent vvife after the aboue-said manner (for * 1.15 though I say it, & all her acquaintance wil say as much as I, that she liued as godly & as honestly as any whatsoeuer in all her Countrie) not so much for my sins, though the same might be grieuous, as for that all others might prepare themselues against their nuptials with Christ Ie∣sus, remembring that prophesie concerning Babilon, who said in her heart: I shall be a Lady for euer, I am, and none else, I shall not sit as a widdow, neither shall I know the * 1.16 losse of Children. But thus said the Lord, These two things shall come vnto thee sodainely in one day, the losse of chil∣dren and widdowhood. O Lord of infinite iudgement, widdowhood is sodainely come vnto mee, thou hast

iustly visited me, and bercaued me of my chiefest com∣fort. Thou knewest shee vvas too good for mee. Thy vvill be done, O mightie Lord. Let the infusion of thy grace into mine vntoward soule recompence my griefe and losse. Thy grace is sufficient for mee, thy power is made perfect through weakenesse. When wee are most * 1.17 perplexed with worldly crosses, then is thy spirit stron∣gest in vs. And euen as the soules vertue is strengthe∣ned with infirmitie, so certainely it is necessarie for our licentious natures now and then to be curbed vvith in∣firmities. It is necessarie for vs, that sinne the messen∣ger of Sathan, doe other whiles buffet vs, and bruise our earthly heeles. It is necessarie that malice bridle or ra∣ther prick, as vvith sharpe pointed Needles, our detra∣cting wanton thoughts: whereby we might remember our owne weake condition, and turne to God, who alone is without infirmitie. Let me doe what good I can, let me endeauour as much as is possible for flesh and bloud to endeauour, yet I shall proue but an vnprofitable ser∣uant, I am blacke like an Aethiopian, nay I am more blacke, my very teeth are blacke; My soule is all spot∣ted, all guiltie of vncleanenesse. Onely my beliefe is that thy Grace is more aboundant then tongue can speake, or heart can thinke, or pen can paint.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1
• * 1.2

  Rom. 2.
• * 1.3

  Prouerb. 3.
• * 1.4

  2 Corinth. 4.
• * 1.5

  Esai. 53. 54.
• * 1.6

  2
• * 1.7

  Iob 22.
• * 1.8

  Iob 23.
• * 1.9

  Ezechiel 18.
• * 1.10

  Ibid.
• * 1.11

  Psal. 130.
• * 1.12

  August. lib. 9. Confess. cap. 13. Prouerb. 20.
• * 1.13

  Iob 9.
• * 1.14

  Rom. 7.
• * 1.15

  3
• * 1.16

  Esai. 47.
• * 1.17

  2 Corinth. 14.