CI.

“Nor from true Faitli, which quencheth wrath,   hath your obedience flown; Nor from true Love, which wont to move   Believers, hath it grown. Your argument shews your intent   in all that you have done; You thought to scale Heav’n’s lofty Wall   by Ladders of your own.

CII. [87]

“Your blinded spirit hoping to merit   by your own Righteousness, Needed no Savior but your behavior,   and blameless carriages. You trusted to what you could do,   and in no need you stood; Your haughty pride laid me aside.   And trampled on my Blood.

CIII. [88]

“All men have gone astray, and done   that which God’s laws condemn; Purchase and offer’d Grace   All men did not contemn. The Ninevites and Sodomites   had no such sin as this; Yet as if all your sins were small,   you say, ‘All did amiss.’

CIV. [89]

“Again you thought and mainly sought   a name with men t’ acquire; Pride bare the Bell that made you swell,   and your own selves admire. Mean fruit it is, and vile, I wiss,   that springs from such a root; Virtue divine and genuine   wonts not from pride to shoot.

CV. [90]

“Such deeds as your are worse than poor;   they are but sins gilt over With silver dross, whose glist’ring gloss   can them no longer cover. The best of them would you condemn,   and ruin you alone. Although you were from faults so clear,   that other you had none.

CVI. [91]

“Your gold is brass, your silver dross,   your righteousness is sin; And think you by such honesty   Eternal life to win? You much mistake, if for its sake   you dream of acceptation; Whereas the same deserveth shame   and meriteth damnation.“

_Those that pretend want of opportunity to repent._

CVII. [92]

A wondrous crowd then ’gan aloud   thus for themselves to say: “We did intend, Lord, to amend,   and to reform our way. Our true intent was to repent   and make our peace with thee; But sudden death stopping our breath,   left us no liberty.