Sermons on the Card | Page 9

according to their degrees: for look as the
offence is, so shall the pain be: if the offence be great, the pain shall be
according; if it be less, there shall be less pain for it. I would not now
that you should think, because that here are but three degrees of
punishment spoken of, that there be no more in hell. No doubt Christ
spake of no more here but of these three degrees of punishment,
thinking they were sufficient, enough for example, whereby we might
understand that there be as divers and many pains as there be offences:
and so by these three offences, and these three punishments, all other
offences and punishments may be compared with another. Yet I would
satisfy your minds further in these three terms, of "judgment, council,
and hell-fire." Whereas you might say, What was the cause that Christ
declared more the pains of hell by these terms than by any other terms?
I told you afore that he knew well to whom he spake them. These terms
were natural and well known amongst the Jews and the Pharisees:
wherefore Christ taught them with their own terms, to the intent they
might understand the better his doctrine. And these terms may be
likened unto three terms which we have common and usual amongst us,
that is to say, the sessions of inquirance, the sessions of deliverance,
and the execution-day. Sessions of inquirance is like unto judgment; for
when sessions of inquiry is, then the judges cause twelve men to give
verdict of the felon's crime, whereby he shall be judged to be indicted:
sessions of deliverance is much like council; for at sessions of
deliverance the judges go among themselves to council, to determine
sentence against the felon: execution-day is to be compared unto
hell-fire; for the Jews had amongst themselves a place of execution,
named "hell-fire:" and surely when a man goeth to his death, it is the
greatest pain in this world. Wherefore you may see that there are
degrees in these our terms, as there be in those terms.

These evil-disposed affections and sensualities in us are always
contrary to the rule of our salvation. What shall we do now or imagine
to thrust down these Turks and to subdue them? It is a great ignominy
and shame for a christian man to be bond and subject unto a Turk: nay,
it shall not be so; we will first cast a trump in their way, and play with
them at cards, who shall have the better. Let us play therefore on this
fashion with this card. Whensoever it shall happen the foul passions
and Turks to rise in our stomachs against our brother or neighbour,
either for unkind words, injuries, or wrongs, which they have done unto
us, contrary unto our mind; straightways let us call unto our
remembrance, and speak this question unto ourselves, "Who art thou?"
The answer is, "I am a christian man." Then further we must say to
ourselves, "What requireth Christ of a christian man?" Now turn up
your trump, your heart (hearts is trump, as I said before), and cast your
trump, your heart, on this card; and upon this card you shall learn what
Christ requireth of a christian man--not to be angry, nor moved to ire
against his neighbour, in mind, countenance, nor other ways, by word
or deed. Then take up this card with your heart, and lay them together:
that done, you have won the game of the Turk, whereby you have
defaced and overcome him by true and lawful play. But, alas for pity!
the Rhodes are won and overcome by these false Turks; the strong
castle Faith is decayed, so that I fear it is almost impossible to win it
again.
The great occasion of the loss of this Rhodes is by reason that christian
men do so daily kill their own nation, that the very true number of
Christianity is decayed; which murder and killing one of another is
increased specially two ways, to the utter undoing of Christendom, that
is to say, by example and silence. By example, as thus: when the father,
the mother, the lord, the lady, the master, the dame, be themselves
overcome by these Turks, they be continual swearers, avouterers,
disposers to malice, never in patience, and so forth in all other vices:
think you not, when the father, the mother, the master, the dame, be
disposed unto vice or impatience, but that their children and servants
shall incline and be disposed to the same? No doubt, as the child shall
take disposition natural of the father and mother, so shall the servants
apply unto the vices of their masters and dames: if the heads be false in

their faculties and crafts, it is