Noted by Jonahs crying in the middest of such a city, that the preachers must not be timerous to tell anie of their faults, nor feare the person of anie man. Yet he reprehended those which are to sharpe reprehenders without circumstaunce. Such as Bernard calleth non correptores, sed corrosores, such may be termed bilis et salsugo, like the people of India which are said to barke instead of speakinge; 20 June, 1602.
fo. 28.canis et tuba vitiorum. But, as he misliked those sharpe biters, soe must he needes speake against such preachers as flatter greate men, and sowe cushions under their elbowes. They are like Heliotropium, which turnes the flower with the sunne, though a cloud be interposed, soe they follow greatnes though clouded with synn; like the riuer Jordan, turnes and windes euery way; speake nothing but silken wordes; at last the[y] become serui multitudinis; say anie thing to please the people.
Nineveh, as St. Augustine in his booke De Civitate Dei, signifieth not the citie but the synns of the people; and soe the prophecy verryfied, for that synn was destroyed by their repentaunce within 40 dayes. But he rather inclined to expound it by way of an implyed condicion, that they should be overthrowen vnles they repented; soe was that prophecy of Isah understoode to Hezekiah, Isaiah xxxviii. "Thou shalt dy and not live."
God is slowe in punishing, yet tarditas pœnæ gravitate pensatur.
Gratious and righteous is the Lord in sparing and punishing.
The synne of Nineveh was Idolatry.
20 June, 1601.[69]
fo. 28b.Dr. Buckridge,[70] at the temple Churche.
Compared the lawe of nature to the night, reason to the starres, the written lawe to the morning or dawning of the day, and the lawe of grace to the sunnshine of the day; the first to the blade, the second to the eare, the third to the seede of corne.
Synn must be like an hedge of thornes sett about, not within, our garden to keepe us in goodnes. In tymes past men were afeard[71] to committ synn, but ready to make confession; nowe the world is changed, for nowe every one dares comitt anie synne, but is ashamed to make confession.
25 June, 1602.
fo. 29.Mr. Foster of Lyncolnes Inn told these jeastes of Sir Thomas Moore as we went to Westminster. One which had bin a familiar acquaintaunce of Sir Th. Moores in his meaner fortunes, came to visit him when he was in the height of his prosperitie. Sir Th. amongst other parts of entertaynement shewed him a gallery which he had furnished with good variety of excellent pictures, and desyred his frendes iudgment which he liked best; but he making difficulty to prefer anie Sir Tho. shewed him the picture of a deathes head with the word Memento morieris, which he commended as most excellent for the deuise and conceit. The gent. being desyrous to knowe what he conceiued extraordinary in soe common a sentence, he told him, "Sir, you remember sometymes you borrowed some monie of me, but I cannot remember that you have remembred to repaye it: it is not much, and though I be chauncellor I have vse for as little, and nowe me thinkes this picture speakes vnto you Memento Mori æris, remember to pay Moore his money."
After he was deprived of his place and dignity, whereas his gentlemen were wont after he was gone forth of church to signifie to their lady that his lordship was gone before, himselfe upon a Sunday came from his seate when prayer was ended, opened his ladyes pue dore, saying, "Madame, his lordship is gone before" (alluding to the losse of his place); and then, "Come wife, nowe wee may goe togither and talke."