'The bejl13argaine. A at a better hand,ftake but our labour, we carry it with thanks; I feare there w•nt not thofe that would be glad tomarre the market; It can be only knowne to heaven what treacheries themalice ofhell may be a brewing. Had but that Powder once taken, nothing hadbeenabated of the higheft price ofour predeceffors 1 we had paid for every dram ofTruth, as many ounces of blood, as ever it cofl the franl-eft Marcyr; !hould che Devill have been fuffered to doe his worft, we might not have grudgedatthis priceofTruth,Nm eft de/i&ata in Deum, & ftcur. conftfio, qui in"" crrdit, debet f••m Janguintt" fundert, laith Jerome. Chriftian profeflion is no fecure or ddicate mmer, he that beleeves muft be no niggard of his blood. But why thus deare~ Not without good reafon: Monopoliesufe to inhan<re the price: Ye can buy truth ac no !hop but one, In B crzlo pr£parataeft veriw tua, Pfal. 89.>· Thy tro<h is prepared in heaven.And it is a juft Rule oflaw, fl!!_ifque in rtiuJ foil tfl tmderatur, & arbitrr, Every man may rate his owne: Neither is this only the !ale commodity ofGod, but befides, deare to the owner;DilexiPiveritatem,Thou haftlvved_the Truth,faith the Pfalmift.And it. is atrue~nle in the CafesofCommerce, Ajft8m £jltman pmjf,Our lovemay bt: valuedmthe pnce. Yea, 0 God, chy love eo Truth cannotbe valued; Itis chy felfe, thou thu an Truth it .felfhaft faid fo, lam the wa,,theTruth, "''"the Lift; We cannot therefore know how much thou loveftthy Truth, becaufe as thy felfe is infinite, fois thy love rothy felfc: \'V hac !hould we hone for comparifons~ !fall theearth were gold, what were it~when even very heavenit felfeis tra!h to thee in refpeCl oftruth: No marvell ifthou fet it at C an high rate; it is notmore precious to thee, than beneficiall to us le frees us, John 8. 3•· lt renewes us,I•mu I . t8.lt confirmesus, ProV.I>·I9· Itfandifies us, l•lm '7·'7· le defends us, Pfai.9I·4·Shonly,itdoth all for os that God cloth; for God works by his Almighty word, and his Word ii Truth,Iohn 17. Therefore buy the Trtlth.And iftruth be chus precious. thus beneficiall; how comes it to paife chat it is neglected, contemned~ Some paffe by it, and doe not fo much as cheapen it; Others cheapen ic, but bid nothing 1 Others bid fomeching, but under-foot ; Others bid well, but !lake it not; Otherslaftly ftake downe, but revoke it. The firft chat pa!fe by and cheapen it not, are carelelfe unbeleevers; The next that cheapen it, and bid nothing, are formall Chriftians1The third that bid !omethingbut not enough, are worldly femi-Chrillians; The D fourth that bid wellandftake it not, are glorious hypocrites;The !all chat !lake downe and revoke it, ace damnable Apoftates. Take all thefe out ofthe fodety ofmen; and how many cuftomers bath God that care to buy the Truth~ IfTruth w~re fome rich chattell,ic would be bought; If Truth were fame goodly Lordfhip, or the reverlion offome good Office, itwould be bought; If Truth were fome Benefice, or fpirituall promotion(Ohtimes I) it would be bought 1 Yea, ho1v deare are we contenttopay for our filthy lulls I we will needs purchafe them (coooft) with !hamc,beggery, difeafe, damnation; only the laving Truth ofGod will not offhand. What is the reafon of this~ Firll of all; It is but bare, limple, plaine, honeft,homely Truth, without welc, without guard; It will abide none but native colours, it fcorneth to wooe favour B with fardins,and licking,and counterfeilance,ithaceseither bought,or borrowed beauty,and therefore like fame native face among the p~inted,looks courfe, and rufty. Therearetwo!hqpstbacget away all che cu(lume from Truth,the!hopofVanity, the !hop of Error; the one fels knacks and gew-gawes, the other falfe wares, and adulterate;both of their commodities are fa gilded,and gaudy, and glitterina, that all fooles throng thither, and complaine to want elbow-roome, and !lrive who !hall be ~rft fecved; Whereas the [ecrec work of artleffe and unpoli!ht truth can winne no eye to view it, no tongue eo aske fo much, as, Wh•t wiU it e~f1 me~ ohyee fo~nts •f mm, h~r•l•ng ••ill yet love vanitie, and {teke After titJ! Secondly, though Truth in it [elfe bee alwayes excellent, yec the iffue of it is nor feldome diftaftfull, Y<ritaJ 1di-: There is one Mi&hai•h whom I hate : Am I;,..,. 1••r enemy, bec••fe lle/J 1•• the tr•th ! And this is the caufe chat Frier Menlt alleages, why truth in his time was fo unwelcome eo the Coon. Butiftruchbethemother ofHatred,!heeis the daughter ofTime, and Truth bath learn'tthisofTime-,todevoure her ownc brood; So that in time, Truth !hall confume Httred,and at lafla galling Truth lhallhavemorecpanks, thana fmoothing fupparilication; lnthemeane --------------------------------------------------------~t~im~e~------~
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