Penny Dreadfuls, 1602 · page 216 of 400
Penny Dreadful Cover — page 216: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# What This Page Contains This is a page of running prose poetry (Chapter 39, page 192) from what appears to be an early modern religious or moral work titled *Albions England*, not a Victorian penny dreadful as suggested. The visible text is a sustained verse argument addressing Church leaders, criticizing those who preach faith without practicing good works and charitable actions. The passage employs biblical references (the Levite and Samaritan, Dives and Lazarus, Solomon) to argue that genuine faith must be demonstrated through conduct and charity, not merely words, and that clergy's bad examples undermine their preaching more than their words can enforce it.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
re ; . f . , = wy ‘ : i 4 . : a id : a) , 5 , e ~ m > tos > : AY : ‘ty - ts ey er 2 , > *< ’ Ke n d . * “ 5 » @ "1 id then put forth her Braunches,and were fruitfullin thebood, And,were our Church-Lords now for zealé,as Church-lawesnow Soone might like vnion be, now by indifferencie with{tood (for good, For giue to vulgar Heads the head,and looke for all confufed, | Atonce they publifh and repeale,all elfe,faue Order,vfed: | And as Kyfrs Campe ill-form’d good forme at their reforming Tree, ‘Sonnes oft by aime conforting voice their Fathers hane’d fhould be, _So,wheare the Multitude preuaile,they cenfure ere they fee. Bat (might I be fo bould to fpeake to them fhoald fpeake to mee) _A good example would doe good in Church-men,feeing thay In faying troth are leffe beleeu’d,not doing as thefay. - (works, 4 “know our Church men know that Faith is dead where lacke good | ~ Yeatknow I not what pollicie in Almes vnpreached lurks. _ Some teach (& well) chat thefe concurre,but few doe vrge the Theame © _ Of charitie,atfeard ,perhaps.our Mote fhould vrge their Beame. - Butfeare not,Fathers,preach at full Loue,good workes,& Remorfe, ~ More will your bad Examples Jet than fhall your wordsinforce, To preach by halfes is to be worfe than thofe tongue-holly Iauels, — _ That cite good words, but fhift off works and Difcipline By Cauells.: ~ Ofthaue ye handled pithily(not preached without neede) ~ What good to giue,what hurt to take,fro thofe that Soules do feede, But {fo obfcurely hath beene blancht of good workes elfe-wheare done, — _ Asmany,boafting onely Faith, faiths fruits felfe-aptly fhonne. ~ When fuch a faith is but the faith of that faith-fruitles Deuill _ That cited Scripture vnto Chrift,applying goodtoeuill. ~ Tell whether thatthe Leaste or Samearitane did better: © Tell wherein Dimes liu’d anddide to Lazarus a Debter: ~ Voknotfententious Salomon his Parable which is, Fall Cloudes will raine upon the Earth: How thus is meant by this. ¢ | -Richmé by Cloudes,poore men by Earth(els Clerks expotid amis) Tell,how fome Cloudes but mifell Rayne: thatis,iffothey giue | _Apeny Almes ortwainea yeare they thinke they much releeue..., 7 some C louds flath down their Shewres sth atis {om fet vp two — |