Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER HI. The Parson's Life. The Country Parson is exceeding exact in his life, being holy, just, prudent, temperate, bold, grave in all his ways. And because the two highest points of life, wherein a Christian is most seen, are patience and mortification; patience in regard of afflictions, mortification in regard of lusts and affections, and the stupefying and deadening of all the clamorous powers of the soul; therefore he hath thoroughly studied these, that he may be an absolute master and commander of himself, for all the purposes which God hath ordained him. Yet in these points he labors most in those things which are most apt to scandalize his parish. And first, because country people live hardly and therefore, as feeling their own sweat and consequently knowing the price of money, are offended much with any who by hard usage increase their travail, the country parson is very circumspect in avoiding all covetousness, neither being greedy to get, nor niggardly to keep, nor troubled to lose any worldly wealth; but in all his words and actions slighting and disesteeming it, even to a wondering that the world should so much value wealth, which in the day of wrath hath not one drachm of comfort for us. Secondly, because luxury is a very visible sin, the parson is very careful to avoid all the kinds thereof, but especially that of drinking, because it is the most popular vice; into which if he come, he prostitutes himself both to shame and sin, and, by having fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, he disableth himself of authority to reprove them; for sins make all equal whom they find together, and then thi:y are worst, who ought to be best. Neither is it for the servant of Christ to haunt inns or taverns or alehouses, to the dishonor of his person and office. ...