Diary of John Manningham Part 31

Kemps. He shall be heir to Sir Henry Cutts of Kent; is like to be worthe some 1,500_l._ per annum, after his father and mother and Sir Henry Cutts and his ladyes death.

Stafford, that married Sir John Cutts daughter hath brought his yonger brother to this composicion, that there is 300_l._ per annum for his children, 200_l._ of it for his wife during hir life, and 100_l._ for hir husband, shee to keepe hir selfe and children, he to be soe limited because too prodigall.

[Sidenote: fo. 85.}

fo. 85^b.} nil.

fo. 86.

30 Jan. 1602.]

AT PAULES CROSSE.

One BARLOWE, a beardless man of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge.

[Sidenote: fo. 86^b.]

After his prayer and before he came to his text, he made a large exordium after this fashion; that yf Paule sayth of himselfe that he was amongst the Corinthians in weaknes, in feare and trembling, much more might he say the like of himselfe: whoe was weake in deliveraunce and methode, &c. Yet he entreated they would not heare, as some say they will heare, the man, but that they would regard the matter. Of all parts of Scripture the book of the Preacher may seeme most befitting a preacher, wherein is lively depainted the vanity of the world and all things therein: wherof at this time he intended to speake, but not out of the Preacher, but out of the words of St. Paule, and those were written in the viiith chapter to the Romans, the 19, 20, 21, and 22 verses. His distribution of this text, or rather context as he called it, because he said it was like Christs garment soe wouen togither that it might not be parted, was into five points: 1. That the creature is subject to vanity, v. 20. 2d. The reason of this subjection, by reason of him which hath subdued it vnder hope. 3. That the creatures shall be delivered, and hope for deliveraunce. 4. The effects of the subjection to vanity: every creature groneth with us, v. 22. 5. The effect of hope, the feruent desyre of the creature wayteth, &c. v. 19. He said this place of Scripture is accounted the hardest in all Paules Epistles. For the first, that the creature is subject to vanity, he interpreted the word by "creature" is ment, in this place, the heavens, the elements, all things made of them, or conteyned in them, except men and angells.

The vanity of the creature is in two points, 1. In the frustracion of their end, which is twoefold, the service of G.o.d, that made them; 2d.

and the service of good men, for whom he made them. The 2d vanity, that they are subject to corruption, not of annihilacion of matter, but decaying in force and virtue.

The creatures, yf they had their owne will, would destroy the wicked and save the G.o.dly alone. As the earth would open hir mouth and swallowe them quicke, as it did Datham and Abiram. The lyons would devoure them, as it did the accusers of Daniel, but shutt their mouths against the innocent. The fier would burne them, as it did those which cast the three children into the furnace. It hath bin obserued that as well the influence of the heauens as the fertilnes of the earth is decayed, and that the whole world is the worse for wearing, the heavens themselves growing old as doth a garment.

2. G.o.d hath subdued the creature, for it is he alone that maketh the sunne shine, and powreth downe rayne as well upon the good as the bad, &c. and the reason of this subjection is the synn of man; for all these being created for mans vse, when he synned they were punished with him.

[Sidenote: fol. 87.

Jan. 1602.]

3. They shall be delivered from this bondage when there shalbe a newe heaven and a newe earth; not that the substance of these shalbe abolished, but a newe forme and perfection added, when they shall enjoy their ends and be of religion. The elements shall melt with fyre, a comparison from mettall which is melted not to be consumed, but to be purified and put in forme.

The morall uses; 1. patiently to endure the afflictions of this life, for as thoughe the Apostle should laye them in a balance to weighe them, he sayth that the momentary afflictions of this lyfe are not worthy the waighte of glory that is layed vp for us in the life to come.

We may truely say that the afflictions of these tymes wherein we liue are not worthy the glory, for these are non, wee living in abundant prosperity and peace, but tymes of persecution may come, wherein these may be comfortable arguments; and, he said, that for ought he could see the crosse was the proper badge and cognisaunce of a Christian. There are soe many kindes of takinge; of takinge bribes, monie, gifts, &c.

that there be fewe will take paynes with the creatures.

The creatures travayle togither with us, a metaph.o.r.e taken from travayle with child: which is caused from syn, and is a desyre to be delivered.

[Sidenote: fo. 87^b.]

When the sonnes of G.o.d shall be reuealed, _i. e._ when the number of the elect be called, for whose sake the dissolucion of the world is deferred. The Jewes must be conuerted before the world can be dissolued.

He that before the dissolucion of abbies had foretold what was to happen unto them for their fault and wickednes which liued in them, yf they had thereupon repented and entred into a new course of lyfe, though this could not perhaps haue stayed their dissolucion, yet it might haue saued themselves in some better state; soe when men are foretold of the dissolucion of the world, which is hastned and caused for our synnes, though our repentaunce and amendment of lyfe cannot hinder the dissolucion, yet may it be good for ourselves.

[Sidenote: fo. 88.

30 Jan. 1602.]

IN THE AFTERNOONE, AT ST. PETERS BY PAULES WHARFE, MR. CLAPHAM. GEN. IV.

8.

"Yf a man doth not well, synn lieth at the dore," like a dog, sayd he, that will snap him by the shins.

[Sidenote: fo. 88^b.

Jan. 1602.]

By primority of birth Kaine had the inheritaunce of land, and the rule of his brother Habel. He was Lord over him, and did domineer, a t.i.tle that was used, and is allowed by all to temporall persons, but by some fantasticall curious heads of late denied to the ecclesiasticall governors. A sort of busie superst.i.tious and factious braines there be, and some in this city, that are afrayed of they know not what, would haue something if they could tell what it ment: they are like a goose that stoopes when it comes in at a barne dore, though it knowe not wherefore. These forsoothe crye into the eares of those auditors that like and followe them, that there must be noe such t.i.tle as Lord given to anie ecclesiastike person, because Christ sayd to his disciples; "Be ye not called Lord," and "The rulers of the Gentiles beare dominacion, but you not soe," Math. xx. Indeede the Scripture talkes after that manner, but not that meaning, and at last they come out with a place, and tell the people they read, Luke xxii. 25. "The kings of the Gentiles be called Gracious Lords, but ye shall not be soe:" and this they say cuts home indeede, just as a leaden sawe; for they may well say they reade so: but I dare say they cannot reade soe in the Scripture, they bely Christ when they say he said soe; he never spake those words; it is a punishment for our synnes that wee cannot reade right in this age.

They are unlearned malitious that reade soe. The word in the text originall is [Greek: euergetai], derived of the particle [Greek: eu], good, and the other verbe [Greek: ergazomai] to worke; in Latin they are called Benefactores, we may call them Good Workers, a t.i.tle which the kings of the Southerne Nations, those which Daniel describeth to be the kingdome that stands upon black legges, when they had done some little good to their state, they would arrogate; soe Ptolome Euergetes, and soe it is forbidden by way of arrogancy for good deedes: because the glory must be ascribed to G.o.d.

And by their reason they might as well deny the name of Maister, and Father, for both are forbidden, as well as the other, and soe they might quickly be amongst the Anabaptists, and overturne all difference and jurisdicion. Lord is a name sometyme of place, and sometyme of grace; and soe the ecclesiastike may haue it as well as the temporall, for to the temporall it is a name of place onely, but the ecclesiasticall by their merit may haue it of grace. Neither is it soe strange a t.i.tle; Jacob useth it to his brother Esau, and the prophet Isay takes it, my Lord, Adoni; Christ acknowledged the name, and some of the Apostles did not refuse it.

[Sidenote: fo. 89.

Jan. 1602.]

"Then Kain spake to Habell;" it is not sett downe what he said: yet some have adventured to say that he said _Transeamus in campos_, but whatsoever it was it is not here mentioned, but left to be conceived, as in iii. Gen. v. 22, least he put forth his hand [and] take alsoe of the tree of lyfe: it is left what he resolved. Not that yf Adam had tasted of the tree of lyfe that he should have liued for ever, noe more then he that receives the Sacrament vnworthily shall be a member of Christs body, but that was spoken _ironice_.

It is like he spake fayre words, being in the house in presence of his father and mother, and that he used dissembling flattering speaches to draw him to such a place where he might with aduantage execute his purpose. A common practise in this world, and an old one, you see, a Machiuilian tricke. They will match the diuel in this age, to carry fayre countenaunce to him whome they meane to overthrowe; to glose and insinuate, to offer hart roote and all, till he may take him at such a vantage that he may cutt his throate or breake his necke, a familiar fashion amongst the n.o.bility in Court, not altogither unusuall amongst the Clergy.

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 G.o.d will suffer the wicked thus to murther the good; pittifull indeed, but not wonderfull, for the synnes of the best have deserved greater punishment.

[Sidenote: fo. 89^b.

Jan. 1602.]

A strang thing those which were soe great frends, went arme in arme, nowe mortall enimies upon the suddein. A maruelous strang 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 G.o.ds 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 a.s.sents 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 G.o.d 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.

[Sidenote: fo. 90.]

"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 a.s.se, he aunswers. A synner is the verryest noddy of all. This Kain was the verriest duns in the world. He thought to have outfact G.o.d with [a] ly, and then would excuse it; "Am I my brothers keeper?" I marry art thou, as thou wast 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!"

[Footnote 140: Lob, a clown, a clumsy fellow. (Halliwell's Archaic Dict.)]

[Footnote 141: Clunch, a clod-hopper. (Halliwell.)]

[Sidenote: fo. 90^b.