And when they were in the feild Kain rose up against his brother and killed him, a pittifull and a wonderfull matter, will some say, that God will suffer the wicked thus to murther the good; pittifull indeed, but not wonderfull, for the synnes of the best have deserved greater punishment.
A strang thing those which were soe great frends, went arme in arme, nowe mortall enimies upon the suddein. A maruelous strang fo. 89b.
Jan. 1602.thinge that he should knowe he could kill his brother, that he could dy, for he never sawe any man dye before; but manie things are done, both good and evil, by a secret instinct whereof a man sawe no reason til after the thing performed, as Moses when he slewe the Agyptian.
Murder an auncient synn, the first open offence after the fall that was committed in the world. Here a notable pollicy of the diuel to have dammed up Gods glory and mans relligion, both at once.
Noe murderer at this day but is guilty of this murder of Kain, and all since, since iniquity is sayd to be a measure which every synner in his kinde by adding his synne striues to make full, and soe assents to all before acted, like a conjuror that subscribes with his bloud.
"Where is Habel thy brother?" The Lord careth for the righteous.
"Whoe answered, I cannot tell." He flaps God in the mouth with a ly at the first word, a generall rule that after murder lying followeth, they are links togither, and commonly noe syn committed but a lye runnes after: for none is soe impudent to confesse it, euery one would have the face of virtue.
"Am I my brothers keeper?" See a Kings sonne, the heir of the world, what a lob[140] it is! Howe like a clowne, a clunche,[141] an asse, he aunswers. A synner is the verryest noddy of all. This Kain was the verriest duns in the world. He thought to have outfact God with [a] ly, and then would excuse it; "Am I my brothers keeper?" I marry art thou, as thou wast fo. 90.his brother in love, his elder in government, as the prince is the keeper of his people, the minister of the congregacion, every one of an other! The greate ones would keep the minister poore and beggerly that they might not tell them of their faults, but stopp the preists mouth with a coate or a dynner; "but," sayd he, "the diuel take dynners giuen to such a purpose!"
fo. 90b.
30 Jan. 1602.The Papists make a forril[142] [?] of the Scripture; they soue up the mouth of it. (Clapham the other Sunday, as Mr. Peter [?] told me.)
Scottish taunts.
Long beardes hartles,
Painted hoodes wittles,
Gay coates graceles,
Makes England thriftles.[143]