Forced divinity, or, Two sermons preached by the compulsion of two sorts of sinners, viz. drunkards & theives the first by certaine ale-bibbers who having heard a minister teach much against drinking, afterwards met with him, and compelled him to make a sermon upon one word : the second by a crew of theives, who after they had robbed a minister, forst him to make a sermon in prayse of their profession, and when he had done, returned his money and six shillings eight pence for his sermon.

••••rtaine Townesmen of the Towne of Frizall Returning from A cer∣taine Ale-house, met in the Fields A Preacher, who had made a bit∣ter Sermon against Drunkards, and amongst other opprobious spee∣ches had called them Maltwormes; Wherefore they agreed to take him, and by violence compell him to make A Sermon, And his Text should be MALT. The Prea∣cher thinking rather to yeeld, then to Contend with them, began his Text as followeth.

THis Text cannot be de∣vided into many words, because it is but one, Nor into many Syllables, be∣cause it is but one, We must there∣fore

devide it into Letters, which we find to be foure, which we Di∣vines use thus. M. morrall, A. allegoricall, L. litterall, T. trop∣ologicall.

1. The Morrall sense is well, but first to teach you boysterous men some good Manners, at least-in procuring your attentions to the Sermon, I say: M. masters A. all.

2. L. listen, T. to the Text, An Allegory is when one thing is spo∣ken, and an nother thing is meant. The thing spoken of is MALT, the thing meant is the Oyle of Malt, commonly called Ale, which to you Drunkards is so Pretious, that ye account it M. meat, A. ale, L. liberty, T. treasure.

3. The Litterall sense is true, and according to my Text; M. much, A. ale, L. little, T. thirst.

4. The Tropologicall sense im∣plyeth

that which now is to some, And that which followeth hereaf∣••er in the World to come.

The effect which this MALT worketh in you, is M. murther, in others, A. adultery, in all, L. loose Living, in many, T. treason. And that which followeth hereafter ei∣ther in this World, or in the world to come, is M. misery, A. anguish, L. lamentation, T. trouble; there∣fore my Masters looke to it, For, As our Saviour was Reviled, so shall yee be, As he Rose the third day, so shall ye Rise at the latter day: But it is to be feared, he did one thing which ye shall never do; he assended into Heaven, where ye shall never come.

I should now come to A Con∣clusion, and with all perswade you Boysterous men to amend your lives, that so yee may avoid the Dangers yee are like to fall into;

But I see plainly, and my Text telleth mee it is, M. to A. that is A thousand pounds to a Pot of Ale, yee will never M. mend, because, A. all Drunkards are, L. lewd, T. theeves.

But now discharging my duty, first towards God, Secondly to∣wards you my Neighbours, I say once, more againe, concluding with my Text: M. masters, A. all, L. leave, T. tippling: orherwise M. Masters, A. all, L. looke for, T. Terror and Torment.

The End of the first Sermon.