Ofthevanitie oflands andlordApi,gold andfilner. 363 hearts vpon them, that he would haue vswith contempt to Hieronym, ad tread them vnder our feet. Which alto feemeth to hauebeen Dcmetriadetn. pra&ifed by the Primitiue Church, whodeliuered not the price of their pofleffïons into the Apof3les hands, but call them at their feet, to Phewhowmeanely they accounted of them. And as he hathplaced them in this inferiour place, as fit to be contemned, fo an in the hidden cauernes ofthe earth, farremote from humane fight, out ofwhich they are not gotten without infinit toile and labour; that he might hereby withdraw ourgreedy eye from looking after them, and our couetous hearts from deiring them ; or at leaft though we fhould couet them,yet we might be difcouraged with this intollerable pailles in the purfuite of thefe worth - lellè vanities : befide , he hathnot there feated them in their beauty and perfe&íon, finedand purified, but in their oare, vnfighrly and bale to looke vpon,as hauing in it much more droffe thenpure mettall ; fromwhich it isnotpurgcdand re- finedwithout endleffe moile, and labourofthe workemen whobeides all their pailles haue their health thereby fo im- paired, and their faces blemifhedwith fwartnes and dead palenes,that they feetne to haue takenvpon them the defor- mities ofthemcttall,and tohaue bincontent tomake them. feluesvgly, that it may recciue beautie and brightnes. Not- withfiandingall which, vainemandoting vpon this worth- leffepelfe, is not difcoaraged withall thefe labours, but is Contentro 1pend his life and Ilrength in fearching and Pee- king,digging &mining,purging and refiningofthis earthy droffe, not caring to lofe himfelfe that he may find it; and that which isworft ofall, when by the ofhis owne hands hehath brought it to his full beauty and perfe&ion, hedoth not onlymake it his chiefe ornament, who ismuch more comely and graceful) inhimfelfe, placing it abouehis head, which Godhad feated vnder his feer,butaltoereð it as his idoli in hisheart,and as it were falleth downebefore it to adore and worfhip ir, whilefl he loueth, trulleth and hopeth in it more then in God himfelfe. wherby it commeth topaffe that their foules are more deformed who poflèffe it, then their bodieswho in the mines digged for it ; and more indan-
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