5. Is not the little boy (which runneth up and down in his childish sport) very full of the poison, venom, and wickedness of the devil? And do not all vices and abominations stick in him? He is a scorner, and blasphemer of God, a swearer, curser, liar and deceiver, very fit and apt to serve the devil in all manner of shameful filthiness: Scurrility and obsceneness are his best Latin and eloquence, he knoweth how to mock, disgrace, and lay all manner of aspersions upon the simple: All manner of thievery, cheating tricks and cozenage, are fine arts with him: Deceit, over-reaching, and circumvention, are his glorious boasting: They mock and deride poor people without any cause: He that feareth God is by them accounted a fool, and set as an owl to be wondered at. This, parents and ancient people see, and take delight and pleasure in it, that their children are so dexterous and witty in their wantonness and waggery. They are tickled at the heart with it when they unhappily jest at honest people; that which old folks dare not do for shame, that they teach the children, that thereby the lust of their hearts may be brought to pass: All this the devil teacheth them, and so rideth in their hearts as lord over body and soul.
6. If any can but cozen and cheat his neighbour, despise, slander, and find fault with him, and bereave him of his honour and goods, these are the satisfying of their lusts: All immodest wanton words and manners are held the best art and courtship: He that can laugh and jeer his neighbour out of countenance, is master upon the place: All these are devil's pranks and tricks; and thus he leadeth the poor soul in his string, and man understandeth it not.
7. Youth, both of the male and female sex, learn first the devil's trade before they take any thing else in hand: Disdainful malicious wantonness is the first work they learn; and the parents encourage their children in it, and hold it for a necessary worldly fashionable accomplishment.
8. When they are grown up a little, then the desire of bestial unchastity is the second work they learn, which they call a trick of youth, and allure one another to it: Thus youths give room to the devil, at the first blossoming, to enter into the heart, so that the devil maketh his nest therein, and so catcheth one with the abominations of another, the male with the female, and the female with the male.
9. If any one send a son to the university to learn somewhat that is good, that he may be serviceable to God, and useful in the world; then he learneth wantonness, bravery, pride, subtlety, how to deceive the simple of their own, and bereave them of their sweat, and contrive a cloak for it, saying, it is his right by law; but that cloak is the devil's, and the false deceitful heart is his minister. If he can speak a little Latin, or foreign language, then no simple man is good enough for his company: His high-mindedness flies aloft, the stinking carcase [which is but meat for worms] must be trimmed with ribands and baubles; to go a- whoring, and deflowering maids, is courtship: There are people that can behave themselves so finely, till they awaken the gnawing worm of conscience in the heart of many a mother's daughter.
10. And such are advanced in the churches and universities, and set up for shepherds [pastorsor ministers] of Christ, and yet they have the devil lodging in their heart;
and so also they are promoted to worldly government
[or the civil magistracy], and then they govern as their guest in their heart will have it:
Thus the superior, or magistrate, worketh the greatest abominations, and the inferior learneth of him: He inventeth tricks how he may, with the appearance of law, justice, and equity, get the goods or estate of the inferior to himself: He maketh constitutions, orders, and statutes, and saith they are for the public good: He constraineth the poor and miserable to do hard service, that he may satisfy his pride and state: He crusheth the simple with harsh, cruel language, he taketh away his sweat, and tormenteth his body: He maketh him his very slave, and though he hath no more but one soul of his own, [no more than others], and is but a stranger and pilgrim in this world, [yet he
5. Is not the little boy (which runns up and down in his childish sport) very full of the poison, venom, and wickedness of the devil? And do not all vices and abominations stick in him? He is a scorner, and blasphemer of God, a swearer, curser, liar and deceiver, very fit and apt to serve the devil in all manner of shameful filthiness: Scurrility and obsceneness are his best Latin and eloquence, he knows how to mock, disgrace, and lay all manner of aspersions upon the simple: All manner of thievery, cheating tricks and cozenage, are fine arts with him: Deceit, over-reaching, and circumvention, are his glorious boasting: They mock and deride poor people without any cause: He that fears God is by them accounted a fool, and set as an owl to be wondered at. This, parents and ancient people see, and take delight and pleasure in it, that their children are so dexterous and witty in their wantonness and waggery. They are tickled at the heart with it when they unhappily jest at honest people; that which old folks dare not do for shame, that they teach the children, that thereby the lust of their hearts may be brought to pass: All this the devil teaches them, and so rids in their hearts as lord over body and soul.
6. If any can but cozen and cheat his neighbour, despise, slander, and find fault with him, and bereave him of his honour and goods, these are the satisfying of their lusts: All immodest wanton words and manners are held the best art and courtship: He that can laugh and jeer his neighbour out of countenance, is master upon the place: All these are devil's pranks and tricks; and thus he leads the poor soul in his string, and man understands it not.
7. Youth, both of the male and female sex, learn first the devil's trade before they take any thing else in hand: Disdainful malicious wantonness is the first work they learn; and the parents encourage their children in it, and hold it for a necessary worldly fashionable accomplishment.
8. When they are grown up a little, then the desire of bestial unchastity is the second work they learn, which they call a trick of youth, and allure one another to it: Thus youths give room to the devil, at the first blossoming, to enter into the heart, so that the devil makes his nest therein, and so catches one with the abominations of another, the male with the female, and the female with the male.
9. If any one send a son to the university to learn somewhat that is good, that he may be serviceable to God, and useful in the world; then he learns wantonness, bravery, pride, subtlety, how to deceive the simple of their own, and bereave them of their sweat, and contrive a cloak for it, saying, it is his right by law; but that cloak is the devil's, and the false deceitful heart is his minister. If he can speak a little Latin, or foreign language, then no simple man is good enough for his company: His high-mindedness flies aloft, the stinking carcase [which is but meat for worms] must be trimmed with ribands and baubles; to go a- whoring, and deflowering maids, is courtship: There are people that can behave themselves so finely, till they awaken the gnawing worm of conscience in the heart of many a mother's daughter.
10. And such are advanced in the churches and universities, and set up for shepherds [pastorsor ministers] of Christ, and yet they have the devil lodging in their heart;
and so also they are promoted to worldly government
[or the civil magistracy], and then they govern as their guest in their heart will have it:
Thus the superior, or magistrate, works the greatest abominations, and the inferior learns of him: He invents tricks how he may, with the appearance of law, justice, and equity, get the goods or estate of the inferior to himself: He makes constitutions, orders, and statutes, and says they are for the public good: He constrains the poor and miserable to do hard service, that he may satisfy his pride and state: He crushes the simple with harsh, cruel language, he takes away his sweat, and torments his body: He makes him his very slave, and though he has no more but one soul of his own, [no more than others], and is but a stranger and pilgrim in this world, [yet he
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