anybody so report, we should not be too hasty in believing the tale, but rather suspend our judgments till we know the truth.*

CAUSE AND EFFECT.

HERE now I remember an argument of Master More's, which he bringeth in a book that he made against Bilney, and here by the way I will tell you a merry toy. Master More was once sent in commission into Kent, to help to try out, if it might be, what was the cause of Goodwin sands and the shelf that stopped up Sandwich haven. Thither cometh Master More, and calleth the country before him, such as were thought to be men of experience, and men that could of likelihood best certify him of that matter concerning the stopping of Sandwich haven. Among others came in before him an old man with a white head, and one that was thought to be little less than a hundred years old. When Master More saw this aged man, he thought it expedient to hear him say his mind in this matter, for, being so old a man, it was likely that he knew most of any man in that presence and company. So Master More called this old aged man unto him, and said, father, tell me, if ye can, what is the cause of this great rising of the sands and shelves here about this haven, the which stop it up, so that no ships can arrive here? Ye are the eldest man that I can espy in all this company, so that if any man can tell any cause of it, ye of likelihood can say most of it, or at least wise more than any man here assembled. Yea, forsooth, good Master, quoth this old man, for I am well nigh a hundred years old, and no man here in this company anything near unto my age. Well then, quoth Master More, how say you in this matter? What think you to be the cause of these shelves and flats that stop up Sandwich haven? Forsooth, sir, quoth he, I am an old man; I think that Tenderden-steeple is the cause of Goodwin sands; for I am an old man, sir, quoth he, and I may remember the building of Tenderden-steeple, and I may remember when there was no steeple at all there. And before that Tenderden-steeple was in building, there was no manner of speaking of any flats or

*Serm. xvi., vol. 1, 326, ed. 1758.

sands that stopped the haven, and therefore I think that Tenderden-steeple is the cause of the destroying and decay of Sandwich haven. And so to my purpose, preaching of God's word is the cause of rebellion, as Tenderden-steeple was the cause that Sandwich haven is decayed.*

CHURCH PATRONAGE.

If the men in Turkey should use in their religion of Mahomet† to sell, as our patrons commonly sell benefices here, the office of preaching, the office of salvation, it would be taken as an intolerable thing; the Turk would not suffer it in his commonwealth. Patrons be charged to see the office done, and not to seek lucre and gain by their patronship. There was a patron in England, when it was, that had a benefice fallen into his hand, and a good brother of mine came unto him, and brought him thirty apples in a dish, and gave them to his man to carry them to his master: and it is like he gave one to his man for his labor, to make up the game, and so there was thirty-one. This man cometh to his master, and presenteth him with the dish of apples, saying, sir, such a man hath sent you a dish of fruit, and desireth you to be good unto him for such a benefice. Tush, tush, quoth he, this is no apple matter: I will have none of his apples, I have as good as these, or as any he hath, in my own orchard. The man came to the priest again, and told him what his master said: then quoth the priest, desire him yet to prove one of them' for my sake, he shall find them much better than they look for. He cut one of them, and found ten pieces of gold in it. Marry, quoth he, this is a good apple: the priest standing not far off, hearing what the gentleman said,

*The subject of Cause and Effect is of so much importance to the regulation of our opinions, and the subject has of late been so much investigated, particularly by Brown, in his excellent work on Cause and Effect, that I venture to subjoin six general positions upon this most interesting part of science. See note III., at the end of the volume.

† Ricaut says, The Turks have a great regard to truth in all their dealings; and that they detest lying and deceit. The Mufti of Constantinople keep no office for the sale of dispensations, pardons, indulgences, the purchase of livings in proviso, the praying of souls out of purgatory, and the canonization of saints.

cried out and answered, they are all one fruit, I warrant you,

sir: they grew all on one tree, and have all one taste. Well, he is a good fellow, let him have it, said the patron, &c. Get you a graft of this tree, and I warrant you it will stand you in better stead than all St. Paul's learning.*

CONTEMPLATION AND ACTION.†

WE read a pretty story of St. Anthony, who being in the wilderness, led there a very hard and strict life, insomuch that none at that time did the like, to whom came a voice from heaven, saying, Anthony, thou art not so perfect as is a cobbler that dwelleth at Alexandria. Anthony hearing this, rose up forthwith, and took his staff and travelled till he came to Alexandria, where he found the cobbler. The cobbler was astonished to see so reverend a father come to his house. Then Anthony said unto him, Com and tell me thy whole conversation, and how thou spendest thy time? Sir, said the cobbler, as for me, good works have I none, for my life is but simple and slender; I am but a poor cobbler: in the morning when I rise, I pray for the whole city wherein I dwell, especially for all such neighbors and poor friends as I have after, I set me at my labor, where I spend the whole day in getting my living, and I keep me from all falsehood, for I hate

*Serm. ix., vol. 1, 165, ed. 1758.

† Lord Bacon is constant in his admonition of the wisdom of uniting contemplation and action; "That," he says, "will indeed dignify and exalt knowledge, if contemplation and action may be more nearly and strongly conjoined and united together, than they have been; a conjunction like unto that of the two highest planets, Saturn the planet of rest and contemplation, and Jupiter the planet of civil society and action:" and speaking of himself, Lord Bacon says, "we judge also that mankind may conceive some hopes from our example, which we offer, not by way of ostentation, but because it may be useful. If any one therefore should despair, let him consider a man as much employed in civil affairs as any other of his age, a man of no great share of health, who must therefore have lost much time, and yet, in this undertaking, he is the first that leads the way, unassisted by any mortal, and steadfastly entering the true path, that was absolutely untrod before, and submitting his mind to things, may somewhat have advanced the design."

nothing so much as I do deceitfulness; wherefore, when I make any man a promise, I keep it, and perform it truly; and thus I spend my time poorly, with my wife and children, whom I teach and instruct, as far as my wit will serve me, to fear and dread God. And this is the sum of my simple life.*

THE SHEPHERDS.

THE Nativity was revealed first to the shepherds, and it was revealed unto them in the night time, when everybody was at rest, then they heard the joyful tidings of the Saviour of the world: for these shepherds were keeping their sheep in the night season from the wolf or other beasts, and from the fox.

By these shepherds all men may learn to attend upon their offices and callings: I would wish that all clergymen, the curates, parsons, and vicars, the bishops, and all other spiritual persons, would learn this lesson by these poor shepherds; which is this, to abide by their flocks and by their sheep, to tarry amongst them, to be careful over them, not to run hither and thither after their own pleasure, but to tarry by their benefices and feed their sheep with the food of God's word, and to keep hospitality, and so to feed them both soul and body.†

* Serm. xxxiii., vol. 2, p. 737, ed. 1758.

Amongst the reasons which Sir Thomas More assigns for not having sooner published his Utopia, he has transmitted to us the following family picture :-Dum foris totum ferme diem aliis impertior, reliquum meis: relinquo mihi, hoc est, literis nihil. Nempe reverso domum, cum uxore fabulandum est, garriendum cum liberis, colloquendum cum ministris. Quæ ego omnia inter negotia numero, quando fieri necesse est (necesse est autem, nisi velis esse domi tua peregrinus) et danda, omnino opera est, ut quos vitæ tuæ comites, aut natura providit, aut fecit casus, aut ipse delegisti, his ut te quam jucundissimum compares.-Mori Utopia, præfatio, pagina 4, 5.

He devoted the little time which he could spare from his avocations abroad to his family, and spent it in little innocent and endearing conversations with his wife and children: which, though some might think them trifling amusements, he placed among the necessary duties and business of life; it being incumbent on every one to make himself as agreeable as possible to those whom nature has made, or he himself has singled out for his companions in life.

† Serm. xxxv., vol. 2, p. 769, ed. 1758.

And now I would ask a strange question; who is the most diligent bishop and prelate in all England, and passeth all the rest in doing his office? I can tell, for I know him who he is; I know him well: but now methinks I see you listening and hearkening that I should name him. There is one that passeth all the other, and is the most diligent prelate and preacher in all England. And will ye know who it is? I will tell you: it is the devil. He is the most diligent preacher of all other; he is never out of his diocess; he is never from his cure; ye shall never find him unoccupied; he is ever in his parish; he keepeth residence at all times; ye shall never find him out of the way, call for him when ye will; he is ever at home; the most diligent preacher in all the realm. He is ever at his plough; no lording nor loitering may hinder him; he is ever applying to his business; ye shall never find him idle, I warrant you. And his office is to hinder religion, to maintain superstition, to set up idolatry, to teach all kind of popery. He is as ready as can be wished for to set forth his plough; to devise as many ways as can be to deface and obscure God's glory. Where the devil is resident, and hath his plough going, there away with books and up with candles; away with Bibles and up with beads; away with the light of the gospel, and up with the light of candles, yea, at noon-day. Where the devil is resident, that he may prevail, up with all superstition and idolatry; censing, painting of images, candles, palms, ashes, holy water, and new service of men's inventing; as though man could invent a better way to honor God with, than God himself hath appointed. Down with Christ's cross, up with purgatory pickpurse, up with popish purgatory, I mean. Away with clothing the naked, the poor and impotent, up with decking of images, and gay garnishing of stocks and stones; up with man's traditions and his laws, down with God's will and his most holy word. Down with the old honor due unto God, and up with the new god's honor. Let all things be done in Latin: there must be nothing but Latin, not so much as, "Remember man that thou art ashes, and into ashes shalt thou return.”*

* Serm. iv., vol. 1, p. 32, ed. 1758.