Woodes, Nathaniel · published 1581 · first performed or written 1572 [1570-1581] (Annals) moral T5 Christian faith, sin and salvation typicality 0.78 · 522 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T5: god, christ, david, sin, holy, israel, lord, mercy, sins, faith.
Tush knowest thou what Philologus, be wise thyself unto, And listen not to these fond words which Conscience to thee tell, For thy defence I will allege one worthy lesson more: Unto the which I am right sure, he cannot answer well: When David by vain trust in men of war, from God sore fell, And was appointed of three plagues, the easiest for to choose, He said God's mercy easier is to get, than man's as I suppose. Again he sayeth among the Psalms, it better is to trust In God, then that our confidence we settle should in man, Wherefore, to this which I now say of force consent thou must: That when two evils before us placed, no way avoid we can: Into the hand of God to fall by choice is lawful than, Because that God is merciful, when man no mercy show, Thus have I pleaded in this cause, sufficiently I trow. How can you say, you trust in God, whenas you him forsake, And of the wicked Mammon here, do make your feigned friend, No, no, these words which you recite against you mostly make: For thus he thinks in his distress, God cannot me defend, And therefore by Suggestion frail, to man's help he hath leaned. Mark who say truth of him or me, and do him best believe. I like thy words, but that to lose these joys it would me grieve. And where Suggestion, telleth thee, that God in mercy's flow, Yet is he just sins to correct, and true in that he speak, Wherefore he sayeth, who so my name, before men shall not know, I shall not know him, whenas judge I shall sit in my seat: This if you call to mind, it will your proud presumption break, Again he sayeth, who so his life or goods, will seek to save, Shall lose them all: but who for Christ will lose them, gain shall have What did not Peter Christ deny, yet mercy did obtain. Where if he had not, of the Jews, he should have tasted death: even so shall I in tract of time, with bitter tears complain. Yea time enough, though thou defer'st, until thy latest breath. So saith Suggestion unto thee, but Conscience it denieth, And in the end what so I say, for truth thou shalt espy, And that most false, which Conscience shall in secret heart deny. Ah wretched man, what shall I do? which do so plainly see, My flesh and Spirit to contend, and that in no small thing, But as concerning the event, of extreme misery: Which either study to avoid, or else upon me bring, And which of them I should best trust, it is a doubtful thing. My Conscience speaketh truth methink, but yet because I fear, By his advice to suffer death, I do his words forbear. And therefore pacify thyself, and do not so torment, thyself, in vain I must seek some means for to eschew, These griping griefs, which unto me, I see now imminent. And therefore will no longer stay, but bid thee now adieu.
seed 43: T4 · seed 44: T5 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Tuſh knoweſt thou what Philologus, be wiſe thy ſelſe vnto, And liſten not to theſe fond wordes which Conſcience to thée tell, For thy defence I wyll alleadge one worthy leſſon moe: Vnto the which I am right ſure, he cannot anſwere well: When Dauid by vaine truſt in men of warre, from God ſore fell, And was appointed of thrée plagues, the easieſt for to chuſe, He ſaide Gods mercy eaſier is to get, then mans as I ſuppoſe. Againe he ſayeth among the Pſalmes, it better is to truſt In God, then that our confidence we ſetle ſhould in man, Wherfore, to this which I now ſay of force conſent thou muſt: That when two euils before vs plaſte, no way avoide we can: Into the hand of God to fal by choyce is lawfull than, Becauſe that God is mercyfull, when man no mercy ſhow, Thus haue I pleaded in this cauſe, ſufficiently I trow. How can you ſay, you truſt in God, when as you him forſake, And of the wicked Mammon heere, doo make your fained frende, No, no, theſe wordes which you recite againſt you moſtly make: For thus he thinks in his deſtreſſe, God cannot mée defende, And therfore by Suggeſtion fraile, to mans helpe he hath leande. Marke who ſay trueth of him or mée▪ and doo him beſt beléeue. I lyke thy wordes, but that to loſe theſe ioyes it woulde mée gréeue. And where Suggeſtion, telleth thée, that God in mercies flow, Yet is he iuſt ſinnes to correct, and true in that he ſpeake, Wherfore he ſayeth, who ſo my name, before men ſhall not know, I ſhall not know him, when as Iudge I ſhall ſit in my ſeate▪ This if you call to minde, it wil your proude preſumption breake, Againe he ſayeth, who ſo his lyfe or goodes, will ſéeke to ſaue, Shal looſe them all: but who for Chriſt wil loſe them, gaine ſhall haue What did not Peter Chriſt deny, yet mercy did obtaine. Where if he had not, of the Iewes, he ſhould haue taſted death: Euen ſo ſhall I in tract of time, with bitter teares complaine. Yea time inough, though thou defferſt, vntill thy lateſt breath. So ſaieth Suggeſtion vnto thée, but Conſcience it denyeth, And in the ende what ſo I ſay, for trueth thou ſhalt eſpye, And that moſt falſe, which Conſcience ſhal in ſecreat hart deny. Ah wretched man, what ſhall I doo? which doo ſo playnly ſée, My fleſh and Spirit to contende, and that in no ſmall thing, But as concernyng the euent, of extreame miſerie▪ Which either ſtudie to auoyde, or els vpon mée bring, And which of them I ſhould beſt truſt, it is a doubtfull thing. My Conſcience ſpeaketh truth mée think, butyet becauſe I feare, By his aduice to ſuffer death, I doo his wordes forbeare. And therfore pacyfy thy ſelfe, and doo not ſo torment, Thy ſelfe, in vaine I muſt ſéeke ſome meanes for to eſchew, Theſe griping gréefes, which vnto mée, I ſée now imminent. And therfore will no longer ſtay, but bid thée now adue.