_How an old man, the neighbour of Faustus, sought to persuade him to
amend his evil life, and to fall unto repentance_
A good Christian an honest and virtuous old man, a lover of the holy
Scriptures, who was neighbour unto Doctor Faustus: when he perceived
that many Students had their recourse in and out unto Doctor Faustus,
he suspected his evil life, wherefore like a friend he invited Doctor
Faustus to supper unto his house, unto the which he agreed; and having
ended their banquet, the old man began with these words. My loving
friend and neighbour Doctor Faustus, I have to desire of you a
friendly and Christian request, beseeching you that you will vouchsafe
not to be angry with me, but friendly resolve me in my doubt, and
take my poor inviting in good part. To whom Doctor Faustus answered:
My loving neighbour, I pray you say your mind. Then began the old
Patron to say: My good neighbour, you know in the beginning how that
you have defied God, and all the host of heaven, and given your soul
to the Devil, wherewith you have incurred God’s high displeasure,
and are become from a Christian far worse than a heathen person: oh
consider what you have done, it is not only the pleasure of the body,
but the safety of the soul that you must have respect unto: of which
if you be careless, then are you cast away, and shall remain in the
anger of almighty God. But yet is it time enough Doctor Faustus, if
you repent and call unto the Lord for mercy, as we have example in
the Acts of the Apostles, the eighth Chap. of Simon in Samaria, who
was led out of the way, affirming that he was Simon homo sanctus.
This man was notwithstanding in the end converted, after that he had
heard the Sermon of Philip, for he was baptized, and saw his sins, and
repented. Likewise I beseech you good brother Doctor Faustus, let my
rude Sermon be unto you a conversion; and forget the filthy life that
you have led, repent, ask mercy, and live: for Christ saith, _Come
unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will refresh
you._ And in Ezechiel: _I desire not the death of a sinner, but rather
that he convert and live._ Let my words good brother Faustus, pierce
into your adamant heart, and desire God for his Son Christ his sake,
to forgive you. Wherefore have you so long lived in your Devilish
practices, knowing that in the Old and New Testament you are forbidden,
and that men should not suffer any such to live, neither have any
conversation with them, for it is an abomination unto the Lord; and
that such persons have no part in the Kingdom of God. All this while
Doctor Faustus heard him very attentively, and replied: Father, your
persuasions like me wondrous well, and I thank you with all my heart
for your good will and counsel, promising you so far as I may to follow
your discipline: whereupon he took his leave. And being come home, he
laid him very pensive on his bed, bethinking himself of the words of
the good old man, and in a manner began to repent that he had given
his Soul to the Devil, intending to deny all that he had promised unto
Lucifer. Continuing in these cogitations, suddenly his Spirit appeared
unto him clapping him upon the head, and wrung it as though he would
have pulled the head from the shoulders, saying unto him, Thou knowest
Faustus, that thou hast given thyself body and soul unto my Lord
Lucifer, and hast vowed thyself an enemy unto God and unto all men; and
now thou beginnest to hearken to an old doting fool which persuadeth
thee as it were unto God, when indeed it is too late, for that thou art
the Devil’s, and he hath good power presently to fetch thee: wherefore
he hath sent me unto thee, to tell thee, that seeing thou hast sorrowed
for that thou hast done, begin again and write another writing with
thine own blood, if not, then will I tear thee all to pieces. Hereat
Doctor Faustus was sore afraid, and said: My Mephostophiles, I will
write again what thou wilt: wherefore he sat him down, and with his own
blood he wrote as followeth: which writing was afterward sent to a dear
friend of the said Doctor Faustus being his kinsman.