PHILOLOGUS. Ah, dreadful name! which when I hear to sigh it me compel. God is against me, I perceive; he is none of my God, Unless in this, that he will beat and plague me with his rod. And though his mercy doth surpass the sins of all the world, Yet shall it not once profit me, or pardon mine offence: I am refused utterly, I quite from God am whurl'd. My name within the Book of Life had never residence; Christ prayed not, Christ suffered not, my sins to recompense, But only for the Lord's elect, of which sort I am none. I feel his justice towards me; his mercy all is gone. And to be short, within short space my final end shall be: Then shall my soul incur the pains of utter desolation, And I shall be a precedent most horrible to see To God's elect, that they may see the price of abjuration. GISBERTUS. To hear my father's doleful plaints it bringeth perturbation Unto my soul; but yonder comes that good Theologus-- O welcome, sir! and welcome you, good Master Eusebius. ACT V., SCENE 5. THEO. PHIL. EUSE. GIS. PAPHI. [THEOLOGUS.] God save you, good Philologus; how do you, by God's grace? PHILOLOGUS. You welcome are, but I, alas! vile wretch, am here evil found. EUSEBIUS. What is the chiefest cause, tell us, of this your dolorous case? PHILOLOGUS. O, would my soul were sunk in hell, so body were in ground: That angry God now hath his will, who sought me to confound. THEOLOGUS. O, say not so, Philologus, for God is gracious, And to forgive the penitent his mercy is plenteous. Do you not know that all the earth with mercy doth abound, And though the sins of all the world upon one man were laid, If he one only spark of grace or mercy once had found, His wickedness could not him harm: wherefore be not dismay'd. Christ's death alone for all your sins a perfect ransom paid: God doth not covet sinner's death, but rather that he may By living still bewail his sins, and so them put away. Consider Peter, who three times his master did deny; Yea, with an oath; and that although Christ did him warning give, With whom before-time he had lived so long familiarly, Of whom so many benefits of love he did receive; Yet when once Peter his own fault did at the last perceive, And did bewail his former crime with salt and bitter tears, Christ by and by did pardon him, the gospel witness bears. The thief likewise and murtherer, which never had done good, But had in mischief spent his days, yea, during all his life, With latest breath when he his sins and wickedness withstood, And with iniquities of flesh his spirit was at strife, Thorough that one motion of his heart and power of true belief, He was received into grace, and all his sins defaced, Christ saying, Soon in paradise with me thou shalt be placed. The hand of God is not abridged, but still he is of might To pardon them that call to him unfeignedly for grace. Again, it is God's property to pardon sinners quite: Pray therefore with thy heart to God here in this open place,