A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 03
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 03
English drama
L. OF GOSPEL. Do so, and by faith then shall you obtain
Whatsoever you desire, the scripture saith plain:
For _quicquid petieritis in nomine meo_,
It must of truth needs be understood so:
That without faith, whatsoever we fortune to crave,
We may not look for it our desire to have.
Faith moveth mountains, so it be pure faith indeed;
By faith we obtain whatsoever we need.
Then faith shall restore to you more things than this,
Believe me, Primitive Constitution, whatsoever is amiss.
But where be those reprobates, devoid of all grace,
Who lately misused you, as you said, in this place?
NEW CUS. They be suddenly departed, I wot not well whither;
For I left them right now both here together.
They cannot be far hence, I know very well,
Where they be, there is none, if we ask, but can tell.
L. OF GOSPEL. Do you know them again, if you meet them aright?
NEW CUS. Yea, sir, that I do, even at the first sight.
L. OF GOSPEL. Then let us not tarry, but go seek them straight.
NEW CUS. At hand I am ready on you for to wait. [_Exeunt._
ACTUS II., SCENA 2.
HYPOCRISY, PERVERSE DOCTRINE, _and_ IGNORANCE _enter._
HYPOCRISY. Perverse Doctrine, I say, take heed in any sort.
That thou never believe whatsoever they report,
Though they of the Gospel never so much do preach,
Every man will not credit whatsoever they teach.
They will not say, _all believe_, when they do not, I promise thee:
For that time will never come in this world, trust me.
Tush, tush, be thou busied in any case
To discredit their preaching in every place.
If they teach them one thing, then teach thou the contrary;
And if that no scripture for thy place thou have ready,
In words that supply, which wanteth in reason,
For ill things applied sometime in good season,
As of better eftsoons do import the weight,
So they be well ordered by good policy and sleight.
Howbeit their doctrine be sound, yet their vices find out,
As this is a sloven, or this is a lout:
He speaketh on envy, such a one for need;
This saith it in words, but he thinketh it not in deed.
Upon greater occasion they stick not to rave,
Saying, this is a whoremaster villain, he, an heretic knave,
An extortioner, a thief, a traitor, a murtherer,
A covetous person, a common usurer.
This he doth for my mistress his wife's sake, by the rood,
The better to maintain and support the French hood.[21]
Remember also, that it were a great shame
For thee for to have forgotten thy own name.
Perverse Doctrine, of right, must the truth so pervert,
That he never let it sink into any man's heart:
As far as he can, with diligence withstand,
For ever it behoveth thee to be ready at hand,
To strengthen thine own parts, and disprove other doctrine,
Whatsoever shall be taught that is contrary to thine:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account