present and although accused but in jest she is jealous the accusation will be believed in earnest and edg'd tools thrown in merriment may wound reputations Fourthly out of mere anger for as in fear the blood makes not an orderly retreat but a confused flight to the heart so in blushing the blood sallies out into our Virgins cheeks and seems as a champion to challenge the accuser for wronging her 3 Where small faults are committed blushing obtaines a pardon of course with ingenuous beholders As if she be guilty of casuall incivilities or soloecismes in manners occasioned by invincible ignorance and unavoidable mistakes in such a case blushing is a sufficient penance to restore her to her state of innocencie She imprisons not her self with a solemn vow never to marry For first none know their own strength herein Who hath sailed about the world of his own heart sounded each creek surveied each corner but that still there remains therein much terra incognita to himself Junius at the first little better then a Misogynist was afterwards so altered from himself that he successively married foure wives Secondly fleshly corruption being pent will swell the more and Shemei being confin'd to Jerusalem will have the greater mind to gad to Gath. Thirdly the devil will have a fairer set mark to shoot at and will be most busie to make people break their vow Fourthly God may justly desert people for snatching that to themselves which is most proper for him to give I mean Continency Object not that thou wilt pray to him to take from thee all desire of marriage it being madnesse to vow that one will not eat and then pray to God that he may not be hungry Neither say that now thou may'st presume on thy self because thou art well stricken in years for there may happen an autume-spring in thy soul and lust is an unmannerly guest we know not how late in the evening of our lives it may intrude into us for a lodging She counts it virginitie to be unspotted not unmarried Or else even in old age when nature hath given an inhibition they may be strong in desiring who are weak in acting of wickednesse yea they may keep stews in their hearts and be so pregnant and ingravidated with lustfull thoughts that they may as it were die in travail because they cannot be delivered And though there be no fire seen outwardly as in the English chymnies it may be hotter within as in the Dutch stoves and as well the devils as the Angels in heaven neither marry nor are given in marriage As she lives with lesse care so she dies with more cheerfulnesse Indeed she was rather a sojourner then an inhabitant in this world and therefore forsakes it with the lesse grief In a word the way to heaven is alike narrow to all estates but farre smoother to the Virgin then to the married Now the great advantage Virgins have to serve God above others high favours he hath bestowed on some of them shall appear in this Virgin prophetesse whose life we come to present HILDEGARDIS a Virgin Prophetess Abbess of S t Rvperts Nunnerye She died at Bingen A o Do 1180. Aged 82 yeares W. Marshall sculpsit CHAP. 13. The life of HILDEGARDIS HIldegardis was born in Germany in the County of Spanheim in the yeare 1098. So that she lived in an age which we may call the first cock-crowing after the midnight of Ignorance and Superstition Her parents Hidebert and Mechtilda dedicated her to God from her infancie And surely those whose Childhood with Hildegardis hath had the advantage of pious education may be said to have been good time out of mind as not able to remember the beginning of their own goodnesse At eight years of age she became a Nunne under S. Jutta sister to Megenhard Earl of Spanheim and afterwards she was made Abbesse of S. Ruperts Nunnery in Bingen on Rhene in the Palatinate Men commonly do beat and bruise their links before they light them to make them burn the brighter God first humbles and afflicts whom he intends to illuminate with more then ordinary grace Poore Hildegardis was constantly and continually sick and so weak that she very seldome was strong enough to go But God who denied her legs gave her wings and raised her high-mounted soul in Visions and Revelations I know a generall scandall is cast on Revelations in this ignorant age first because many therein intitled the Meteors of their own brain to be Starres at least and afterwards their Revelations have been revealed to be forgeries secondly because that night-raven did change his black feathers into the silver wings of a dove and transforming himself into an Angel of light deluded many with strange raptures and visions though in their nature farre different from those in the Bible For S. Paul in his Revelations was caught up into the third heaven whereas most Monks with a contrary motion were carried into hell and purgatorie and there saw apparitions of strange torments Also S. Johns Revelation forbids all additions to the Bible under heavie penalties their visions are commonly on purpose to piece out the Scripture and to establish such superstitions as have no footing in Gods word However all held Hildegardis for a Prophet being induced thereunto by the piety of her life no breck was ever found in her veil so spotlesse was her conversation by the sanctity of her writings and by the generall approbation the Church gave unto her For Pope Eugenius the third after exact examination of the matter did in the Councell of Trevers wherein S. Bernard was present allow and priviledge her Revelations for authenticall She was of the Popes Conclave and Emperours Counsel to whom they had recourse in difficulties yea the greatest torches of the Church lighted themselves at her candle The Patriach of Jerusalem the Bishops of Mentz Colen Breme Trevers sent such knots as posed their own fingers to our Hildegardis to untie She never learn'd word of Latine and yet therein would she fluently expresse her Revelations to those notaries that took them from her mouth so that throwing words at randome she never brake Priscian's head as if the Latine had learn'd to make it self true without the speakers care And no doubt he that brought the single parties to her married them also in her mouth so that the same Spirit which furnished her with Latine words made also the true Syntaxis Let none object that her very writing of fifty eight Homilies on the Gospel is false construction where the feminine Gender assumes an employment proper to men for though S. Paul silenceth women for speaking in the Church I know no Scripture forbids them from writing on Scripture Such infused skill she had also of Musick whereof she was naturally ignorant and wrote a whole book of verses very good according to those times Indeed in that age the trumpet of the warlike Heroick and the sweet harp of the
read twenty one years on the first Chapter and yet finished it not He counts the successe of his Ministry the greatest preferment Yet herein God hath humbled many painfull pastours in making them to be clouds to rain not over Arabia the happy but over the stonie or desert so that they may complain with the Herdsman in the Poet Heâ— mihi quam pingui macer est mihi taurus in arvo My starveling bull Ah woe is me In pasture full How lean is he Yet such Pastours may comfort themselves that great is their reward with God in heaven who measures it not by their successe but endeavours Besides though they see not their people may feel benefit by their Ministry Yea the preaching of the Word in some places is like the planting of woods where though no profit is received for twenty years together it comes afterwards And grant that God honours thee not to build his temple in thy parish yet thou maist with David provide metall and materialls for Solomon thy successour to build it with To sick folks he comes sometimes before he is sent for as counting his vocation a sufficient calling None of his flock shall want the extreme unction of Prayer and Counsell Against the Communion especially he endeavours that Janus his temple be shut in the whole parish and that all be made friends He is never plaintiff in any suit but to be rights defendant If his dues be detained from him he grieves more for his parishioners bad conscience then his own damage He had rather suffer ten times in his profit then once in his title where not onely his person but posterity is wronged And then he proceeds fairly and speedily to a tryall that he may not vex and weary others but right himself During his suit he neither breaks off nor slacks offices of courtesie to his adversary yea though he loseth his suit he will not also lose his charity Chiefly he is respectfull to his Patrone that as he presented him freely to his living so he constantly presents his Patrone in his prayers to God He is moderate in his tenets and opinions Not that he gilds over lukewarmnesse in matters of moment with the title of discretion but withall he is carefull not to entitle violence in indifferent and in concerning matters to be zeal Indeed men of extraordinary tallnesse though otherwise little deserving are made porters to lords those of unusuall littlenesse are made ladies dwarfs whilest men of moderate stature may want masters Thus many notorius for extremities may find favourers to preferre them whilest moderate men in the middle truth may want any to advance them But what saith the Apostle If in this life onely we had hope we are of all men the most miserable He is sociable and willing to do any courtesie for his neighbour Ministers He willingly communicates his knowledge unto them Surely the gifts and graces of Christians lay in common till base envy made the first enclosure He neither slighteth his inferiours nor repineth at those who in parts and credit are above him He loveth the company of his neighbour Ministers Sure as ambergreece is nothing so sweet in it self as when it is compounded with other things so both godly and learned men are gainers by communicating themselves to their neighbours He is carefull in the discreet ordering of his own family A good Minister and a good father may well agree together When a certain Frenchman came to visit Melanchthon he found him in his stove with one hand dandling his child in the swadling-clouts and in the other hand holding a book and reading it Our Minister also is as hospitable as his estate will permit and makes every almes two by his cheerfull giving it He loveth also to live in a well-repaired house that he may serve God therein more cheerfully A Clergieman who built his house from the ground wrote in it this counsell to his successour If thou dost find an house built to thy mind Without thy cost Serve thou the more God and the poore My labour is not lost Lying on his deathbed he bequeaths to each of his parishioners his precepts and example for a legacie and they in requitall erect every one a monument for him in their hearts He is so farre from that base jealousie that his memory should be outshined by a brighter successour and from that wicked desire that his people may find his worth by the worthlesnesse of him that succeeds that he doth heartily pray to God to provide them a better Pastour after his decease As for outward estate he commonly lives in too bare pasture to die fat It is well if he hath gathered any flesh being more in blessing then bulk WILLIAM PERKINS The Learned pious and painfull Preacher of Gods word at S t Andrewes in Cambridge where He died Anno Dni 1602. Aged 44 yeares W. M. sculp CHAP. 10. The life of M r PERKINS William Perkins born at Marston nigh Coventry in Warwickshire was afterwards brought up in Christ-Colledge in Cambridge where he so well profited in his studies that he got the grounds of all liberall Arts and in the 24. of Queen Elizabeth was chosen fellow of that Colledge the same yeare wherein Doctour Andrew Willet one of admirable industry and Doctour Richard Clark whose learned Sermons commend him to posterity were elected into the same Society There goeth an uncontroll'd tradition that Perkins when a young scholar was a great studier of Magick occasioned perchance by his skill in Mathematicks For ignorant people count all circles above their own sphere to be conjuring and presently cry out those things are done by black art for which their dimme eyes can see no colour in reason And in such cases when they cannot flie up to heaven to make it a Miracle they fetch it from hell to make it Magick though it may lawfully be done by naturall causes True it is he was very wild in his youth till God the best Chymick who can fix quicksilver it self gratiously reclaim'd him After his entrance into the Ministry the first beam he sent forth shined to those which sat in darknesse and the shadow of death I mean the prisoners in the castle of Cambridge people as generally in such places living in England out of Christendome wanting the means of their salvation bound in their bodies but too loose in their lives yea often branded in their flesh and seared in their consciences Perkins prevailed so farre with their jaylour that the prisoners were brought fetter'd to the Shire-house hard by where he preached unto them every Lords day Thus was the prison his parish his own Charity his Patron presenting him unto it and his work was all his wages Many an Onesimus here he begat and as the instrument freed the prisoners from the captivity of sinne When this began to be known some of good quality of the neighbouring parishes became his auditours and counted
Spain and the Jesuites did flock about him to pervert him to their Religion All was in vain Their last argument was If you will not turn Romane Catholick then your body shall be unburied Then answered he I 'le stink and so turned his head and dyed Thus love if not to the dead to the living will make him if not a grave a hole and it was the Beggers Epitaph Nudus eram vivus mortuus ecce tegor Naked I liv'd but being dead Now behold I 'm covered A good Memory is the best Monument Others are subject to Casualty and Time and we know that the Pyramids themselves doting with age have forgotten the names of their Founders To conclude Let us be carefull to provide rest for our souls and our bodies will provide rest for themselves And let us not be herein like unto Gentlewomen which care not to keep the inside of the orenge but candy and preserve onely the outside thereof CHAP. 15. Of Deformitie DEformitie is either Naturall Voluntary or Adventitious being either caused by Gods unseen Providence by men nicknamed Chance or by mans Cruelty We will take them in order If thou beest not so handsome as thou wouldest have been thank God thou art no more unhandsome then thou art 'T is his mercie thou art not the mark for passengers fingers to point at an Heteroclite in Nature with some member defective or redundant Be glad that thy clay-cottage hath all the necessary rooms thereto belonging though the outside be not so fairly playstered as some others Yet is it lawfull and commendable by Art to correct the defects and deformities of Nature Ericthonius being a goodly man from the girdle upwards but as the Poets feigne having downwards the body of a Serpent moralize him to have had some defect in his feet first invented charets wherein he so sate that the upper parts of him might be seen and the rest of his body concealed Little heed is to be given to his lying pen who maketh Anna Bollen Mother to Queen Elizabeth the first finder out and wearer of Ruffes to cover a wen she had in her neck Yet the matter 's not much such an addition of Art being without any fraud or deceit Mock not at those who are misshapen by Nature There is the same reason of the poore and of the deformed he that despiseth them despiseth God that made them A poore man is a picture of Gods own making but set in a plain frame not guilded a deformed man is also his workmanship but not drawn with even lines and lively colours The former not for want of wealth as the latter not for want of skill but both for the pleasure of the maker As for Aristotle who would have parents expose their deformed children to the wide world without caring for them his opinion herein not onely deform'd but most monstrous deserves rather to be exposed to the scorn and contempt of all men Some people handsome by Nature have wilfully deformed themselves Such as wear Bacchus his colours in their faces arising not from having but being bad livers When the woman the first of Kings the 3. and 21. considered the child that was laid by her Behold said she it was not my sonne which I did bear Should God survey the faces of many men and women he would not own and acknowledge them for those which he created many are so altered in colour and some in sex women to men and men to women in their monstrous fashions so that they who behold them cannot by the evidence of their apparell give up their verdict of what sex they are It is most safe to call the users of these hermaphroditicall fashions Francisses and Philips names agreeing to both sexes Confessours which wear the badges of truth are thereby made the more beautifull though deformed in time of Persecution for Christs sake through mens malice This made Constantine the Great to kisse the hole in the face of Paphnutius out of which the Tyrant Maximinus had bored his eye for the profession of the faith the good Emperour making much of the socket even when the candle was put out Next these wounds in warre are most honourable Halting is the stateliest march of a Souldier and 't is a brave sight to see the flesh of an Ancient as torn as his Colours He that mocks at the marks of valour in a Souldiers face is likely to live to have the brands of justice on his own shoulders Nature oftentimes recompenceth deform'd bodies with excellent wits Witnesse Aesop then whose Fables children cannot reade an easier nor men a wiser book for all latter Morallists do but write comments upon them Many jeering wits who have thought to have rid at their ease on the bowed backs of some Cripples have by their unhappy answers been unhors'd and thrown flat on their own backs A jeering Gentleman commended a Begger who was deformed and little better then blind for having an excellent eye True said the Begger for I can discern an honest man from such a knave as you are Their souls have been the Chappell 's of sanctity whose bodies have been the Spitolls of deformity An Emperour of Germany coming by chance on a Sunday into a Church found there a most misshapen Priest pene portentum Naturae insomuch as the Emperour scorn'd and contemn'd him But when he heard him reade those words in the Service For it is he that made us and not we our selves the Emperour check'd his own proud thoughts and made inquiry into the quality and condition of the man and finding him on examination to be most learned and devout he made him Archbishop of Colen which place he did excellently discharge CHAP. 16. Of Plantations PLantations make mankind broader as Generation makes it thicker To advance an happy Plantation the Undertakers Planters and Place it self must contribute their endeavours Let the prime Vndertakers be men of no shallow heads nor narrow fortunes Such as have a reall Estate so that if defeated in their adventure abroad they may have a retreating place at home and such as will be contented with their present losse to be benefactours to posterity But if the Prince himself be pleased not onely to wink at them with his permission but also to smile on them with his encouragement there is great hope of successe for then he will grant them some immunities and priviledges Otherwise Infants must be swathed not laced young Plantations will never grow if straitned with as hard Laws as settled Common-wealths Let the Planters be honest skilfull and painfull people For if they be such as leap thither from the gallows can any hope for cream out of scumme when men send as I may say Christian Savages to Heathen Savages It was rather bitterly then falsely spoken concerning one of our Western Plantations consisting most of dissolute people That it was very like unto England as being spit out
they are much troubled with gnats they use to hang up dung in the midst of the room for a bait for the gnats to flie to and so catch them with a net provided for the purpose Thus the devil ensnareth the souls of many men by alluring them with the muck and dung of this world to undo them eternally sixthly we must leave all earthly wealth at our death and riches avail not in the day of wrath But as some use to fill up the stamp of light gold with dirt thereby to make it weigh the heavier so it seems some men load their souls with thick clay to make them passe the better in Gods ballance but all to no purpose seventhly the lesse we have the lesse it will grieve us to leave this world lastly it is the will of God and therefore both for his glory and our good whereof we ought to be assured I have heard how a Gentleman travelling in a misty morning ask'd of a Shepherd such men being generally skill'd in the Physiognomie of the Heavens what weather it would be It will be said the Shepherd what weather shall please me and being courteously requested to expresse his meaning Sir saith he it shall be what weather pleaseth God and what weather pleaseth God pleaseth me Thus Contentment maketh men to have even what they think fitting themselves because submitting to Gods will and pleasure To conclude A man ought to be like unto a cunning Actour who if he be enjoyned to represent the person of some Prince or Nobleman does it with a grace and comlinesse if by and by he be commanded to lay that aside and play the Begger he does that as willingly and as well But as it happened in a Tragedy to spare naming the Person and Place that one being to act Theseus in Hercules Furens coming out of Hell could not for a long time be perswaded to wear old sooty clothes proper to his part but would needs come out of Hell in a white Satin doublet so we are generally loath and it goes against flesh and blood to live in a low and poore estate but would fain act in richer and handsomer clothes till Grace with much adoe subdues our rebellious stomachs to Gods will CHAP. 18. Of Books SOlomon saith truly Of making many Books there is no end so insatiable is the thirst of men therein as also endles is the desire of many in buying and reading them But we come to our Rules It is a vanity to perswade the world one hath much learning by getting a great library As soon shall I believe every one is valiant that hath a well furnish'd armoury I guesse good housekeeping by the smoking not the number of the tunnels as knowing that many of them built merely for uniformity are without chimnies and more without fires Once a dunce void of learning but full of Books flouted a library-lesse Scholar with these words Salve Doctor sine libris But the next day the Scholar coming into this jeerers study crowded with Books Salvete libri saith he sine Doctore Few Books well selected are best Yet as a certain Fool bought all the pictures that came out because he might have his choice such is the vain humour of many men in gathering of Books yet when they have done all they misse their end it being in the Editions of Authours as in the fashions of clothes when a man thinks he hath gotten the latest and newest presently another newer comes out Some Books are onely cursorily to be tasted of Namely first Voluminous Books the task of a mans life to reade them over secondly Auxiliary Books onely to be repair'd to on occasions thirdly such as are mere pieces of Formality so that if you look on them you look thorow them and he that peeps thorow the casement of the Index sees as much as if he were in the house But the lazinesse of those cannot be excused who perfunctorily passe over Authours of consequence and onely trade in their Fables and Contents These like City-Cheaters having gotten the names of all countrey Gentlemen make silly people believe they have long lived in those places where they never were and flourish with skill in those Authours they never seriously studied The Genius of the Authour is commonly discovered in the Dedicatory epistle Many place the purest grain in the mouth of the sack for chapmen to handle or buy And from the dedication one may probably guesse at the Work saving some rare and peculiar exceptions Thus when once a Gentleman admired how so pithy learned and witty a dedication was match'd to a flat dull foolish book In truth said another they may be well match'd together for I professe they are nothing a kinne Proportion an houres meditation to an houres reading of a staple Authour This makes a man master of his learning and dispirits the book into the Scholar The King of Sweden never filed his men above six deep in one company because he would not have them lie in useless clusters in his Army but so that every particular Souldier might be drawn out into service Books that stand thinne on the shelves yet so as the owner of them can bring forth every one of them into use are better then farre greater libraries Learning hath gained most by those books by which the Printers have lost Arius Montanus in printing the Hebrew Bible commonly called the Bible of the King of Spain much wasted himself and was accused in the Court of Rome for his good deed and being cited thither Pro tantorum laborum praemio vix veniam impetravit Likewise Christopher Plantin by printing of his curious interlineary Bible in Anwerp through the unseasonable exactions of the Kings Officers sunk and almost ruin'd his estate And our worthy English Knight who set forth the golden-mouth'd Father in a silver print was a looser by it Whereas foolish Pamphlets prove most beneificall to the Printers When a French Printer complain'd that he was utterly undone by Printing a solid serious book of Rablais concerning Physick Rablais to make him recompence made that his jesting scurrilous Work which repair'd the Printers losse with advantage Such books the world swarms too much with When one had set out a witlesse Pamphlet writing Finis at the end thereof another wittily wrote beneath it Nay there thou li'st my friend In writing foolish books there is no end And surely such scurrilous scandalous papers do more then conceivable mischief First their lusciousnesse puts many palats out of taste that they can never after rellish any solid and wholsome Writers secondly they cast dirt on the faces of many innocent persons which dryed on by continuance of time can never after be washed off thirdly the Pamphlets of this age may passe for Records with the next because publickly uncontrolled and what we laugh at our children may believe fourthly grant the things true they jeer at yet this musick
is unlawfull in any Christian Church to play upon the sinnes and miseries of others the fitter object of the Elegies then the Satyrs of all truly religious But what do I speaking against multiplicity of books in this age who trespasse in this nature my self What was a learned mans complement may serve for my confession and conclusion Multi mei similes hoc morbo laborant ut cum scribere nesciant tamen à scribendo temperare non possint CHAP. 19. Of Time-serving THere be foure kinds of Time-serving first out of Christian discretion which is commendable second out of humane infirmity which is more pardonable third and fourth out of ignorance or affection both which are damnable of them in order He is a good Time-server that complyes his manners to the severall ages of this life pleasant in youth without wantonnesse grave in old age without frowardnesse Frost is as proper for winter as flowers for spring Gravity becomes the ancient and a green Christmas is neither handsome nor healthfull He is a good Time-server that finds out the fittest opportunity for every action God hath made a time for every thing under the sunne save onely for that which we do at all times to wit Sinne. He is good Time-server that improves the present for Gods glory and his own salvation Of all the extent of time onely the instant is that which we can call ours He is a good Time-server that is pliant to the times in matters of mere indifferency Too blame are they whose minds may seem to be made of one entire bone without any joynts they cannot bend at all but stand as stiffly in things of pure indifferency as in matters of absolute necessity He is a good Time-server that in time of persecution neither betrayes Gods cause nor his own safety And this he may do 1 By lying hid both in his person and practice though he will do no evil he will forbear the publick doing of some good He hath as good cheer in his heart though he keeps not open house and will not publickly broch his Religion till the palat of the times be better in taste to rellish it The Prudent shall keep silence in that time for it is an evil time Though according to S. Peters command we are to give a reason of our hope to every one that asketh namely that asketh for his instruction but not for our destruction especially if wanting lawfull Authority to examine us Ye shall be brought saith Christ no need have they therefore to run before Princes for my sake 2 By flying away if there be no absolute necessity of his staying no scandall given by his flight if he wants strength to stay it out till death and lastly if God openeth a fair way for his departure otherwise if God bolts the doores and windows against him he is not to creep out at the top of the chimney and to make his escape by unwarrantable courses If all should flie Truth would want champions for the present if none should flie Truth might want champions for the future We come now to Time-servers out of infirmity Heart of oke hath sometimes warp'd a little in the scorching heat of persecution Their want of true courage herein cannot be excused Yet many censure them for surrendring up their forts after a long siege who would have yielded up their own at the first summons Oh there is more required to make one valiant then to call Cranmer or Jewell Coward as if the fire in Smithfield had been no hotter then what is painted in the Book of Martyrs Yet afterwards they have come into their former straightnesse stiffnesse The troops which at first rather wheeld about then ran away have come in seasonable at last Yea their constant blushing for shame of their former cowardlinesse hath made their souls ever after look more modest and beautifull Thus Cranmer who subscribed to Popery grew valiant afterwards and thrust his right hand which subscribed first into fire so that that hand dyed as it were a malefactour and all the rest of his body dyed a martyr Some have served the times out of mere Ignorance Gaping for company as others gap'd before them Pater noster or Our Father I could both sigh and smile at the witty simplicity of a poore old woman who had lived in the dayes of Queen Marie and Queen Elizabeth and said her prayers dayly both in Latine and English and Let God said she take to himself which he likes best But worst are those who serve the times out of mere Affectation Doing as the times do not because the times do as they should do but merely for sinister respects to ingratiate themselves We reade of an Earl of Oxford fined by King Henrie the seventh fifteen thousand marks for having too many Retainers But how many Retainers hath Time had in all ages and Servants in all offices yea and Chaplains too It is a very difficult thing to serve the times they change so frequently so suddenly and sometimes so violently from one extreme to another The times under Dioclesian were Pagan under Constantine Christian under Constantius Arian under Julian Apostate under Jovian Christian again and all within the age of man the term of seventie years And would it not have wrench'd and spraind his soul with short turning who in all these should have been of the Religion for the time being Time-servers are oftentimes left in the lurch If they do not onely give their word for the times in their constant discourses but also give their bands for them and write in their defence Such when the times turn afterwards to another extreme are left in the briers and come off very hardly from the bill of their hands If they turn again with the times none will trust them for who will make a staff of an osier Miserable will be the condition of such Time-servers when their Master is taken from them When as the Angel swore Rev. 10.6 that Time shall be no longer Therefore is it best serving of him who is eternity a Master that can ever protect us To conclude he that intends to meet with one in a great Fair and knows not where he is may sooner find him by standing still in some principall place there then by traversing it up and down Take thy stand on some good ground in Religion and keep thy station in a fixed posture never hunting after the times to follow them and an hundred to one they will come to thee once in thy lifetime CHAP. 20. Of Moderation MOderation is the silken string running through the pearl-chain of all virtues It appears both in Practice and Judgement we will insist on the latter and describe it first negatively Moderation is not an halting betwixt two opinions when the through-believing of one of them is necessary to salvation no pity is to be shown to such
am much perplexed to find the beginning of Christian Churches in the Scripture There I find the Saints meeting in the house of Marie the mother of Mark in the School of Tyrannus in an upper Chamber but can see no foundation of a Church I mean of a place and structure separated and set apart solely for Divine Service B. That the Saints had afterwards Churches in your sense is plain 1. Cor. 11.22 Have ye not Houses to eat and drink in or despise ye the Church of God and shame them that have not Here the opposition is a good exposition of the Apostles meaning and the Antithesis betwixt Houses and Church speaks them both to be locall so that S. Paul thought their materiall Church despised that is abused and unreverenc'd by their lay-meetings of Love-feasts therein A. By your favour S r the Apostle by Church meaneth there the assembly or society of Gods servants as appears by what followeth or despise ye the Church of God and shame them that have not Them and not that not speaking of the Place but Persons The latter words of the Apostle comment on the former shewing how to shame those who had not that is to neglect and upbraid the poore is to despise the Church of God B. Pardon me S r for the Apostle therein accuseth the Corinthians of a second fault Imprimis he chargeth them for despising Gods materiall Church Item for shaming their poore brethren in their Love-feasts The particle And sheweth the addition of a new charge but no expounding or amplifying of the former But S r suspending our judgements herein let us descend to the Primitive times before Constantine we shall there find Churches without any contradiction A. Not so neither Herein also the trumpet of Antiquity giveth a very uncertain sound Indeed we have but little left of the story of those times wherein Christian books were as much persecuted as men and but a few Counfessour-records escaping martyrdome are come to our hands Yea God may seem to have permitted the suppression of primitive History lest men should be too studious in reading and observant in practising the customes of that age even to the neglecting and undervaluing of his written Word B. Yet how slenderly soever those Primitive times are storied there is enough in them to prove the Antiquity of Churches I will not instance on the decrees of Evaristus Hyginus and other Popes in the first three hundred years about the consecrating of Churches because their authority is suspected as antedated and none are bound to believe that the Gibeonites came from so far a Countrey as their mouldy bread clouted shoes did pretend Churches are plainly to be found in Tertullian two hundred years after Christ and Eusebius witnesseth that before the time of Dioclesian the Christians had Churches which the Tyrant caused to be destroyed A. But Origen Minutius Felix Arnobius and Lactantius being press'd by the Heathen that Christians had no Churches answered by way of confession yielding that they had none This is the difficulty perplexeth me It was a bloody speech of Abner Let the young men rise up and play before us But worse is their cruelty who make sport at the falling out of the old men when the reverend brows of Antiquity knock one against another and Fathers thus extremely differ in matters of fact B. Why S r A charitable distinction may reconcile them if by Churches stately magnificent Fabricks be meant in that acception the Christians had no Churches but small Oratories and Prayer-places they then had though little low and dark being so fearfull of persecution they were jealous the Sunne-beams should behold them and indeed stately Churches had but given a fairer aim to their Enemies malice to hit them Such an homely place learned S r Henrie Spelman presents us with which was first founded at Glastenbury thatched and wattled And let not our Churches now grown men look with a scornfull eye on their own picture when babes in their swadling clothes And no wonder if Gods House Erubuit domino cultior esse suo The Church did blush more glory for to have Then had her Lord. He begg'd should she be brave Christ himself being then cold and hungry and naked in his afflicted members Such a mean Oratory Tertullian calls Triclimum Christianorum the Parlour or Three-bed-room of the Christians A. But it seems not to consist with Christian ingenuity for the fore-named Fathers absolutely to deny their having of Churches because they had onely poore ones B. Take then another Answer namely in denying they had no Temples they meant it in the same notion wherein they were interrogated to wit they had no Temples like the Pagans for Heathen Gods no claustra Numinum wherein the Deity they served was imprisoned Or may we not say that in that age the Christians had no Churches generally though they might have them in some places the elevation of their happinesse being varied according to severall climates And Christendome then being of so large an extent it might be stormy with persecution in one countrey and fair weather in another We come now to the Necessity There is no absolute necessity that Christians should have Churches No necessity at all in respect of God no absolute necessity in respect of men when persecution hinders the erecting of them In such a case any place is made a Church for the time being as any private house where the King and his Retinue meet is presently made the Court. Christians have no direct precept to build Churches under the Gospel I say direct For the Law of God which commands a publick Sanctification of a Sabbath must needs by way of necessary consequence imply a set known and publick Place Besides Gods command to Moses and Solomon to build a Temple in a manner obligeth us to build Churches In which command observe the body and the soul thereof The body thereof was Ceremoniall and mortall yea dyed and is buried in our Saviours grave The soul thereof is Morall and eternall as founded in Nature and is alwayes to endure Thus S. Paul finds a constant bank for Ministers Maintenance lockt up in a Ceremoniall Law Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the corn The Apostle on the Morality couched therein founded the Charter of endowment for Ministers in the Gospel Besides God hath left a warrant dormant with his Church Let all things be done decently and in order And this ties Christians to the building of Churches for their publick Assemblies whereby not onely Decency but Piety is so much advanced especially in these three respects 1 Hereby the same meat serves to feed many guests one Pastour instructing many people in the same place 2 Devotion is increased with company Their praises are the louder and musick is sweetest in a full consort their prayers are the stronger besetting God as it were in a round and not suffering him to
183. * Duke of Rohan in his complete Captain cap. 22. * Dr. Hakewill in his Apologie for divine Providence lib. 4. cap. 11. p. 546. * Descript. Bell. Suecici per Aut. Anony mum pag. 186. * Silvester Petra Sancta in his book against Du Moulin Maxime 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 * Sr. Fr. Nethersol in the fun orat of him pag. 16. 8 9 10 11 * Sr. William Cornwallis in the life of Prince Henry 12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 13 14 15 * For King Ed. his father called him his Fair Sonne Speed p. 579. * See the copy thereof in Mr. Seldens titles of Honour pag. 595. * 1346 in the twenty yeare of Ed. the third * Vid. Cambd. Remains pag. 344. * September 19. 1356. * Paulus Aemil in the life of King Iohn pag. 286. * Sr Francis Nethersole in his fun or at on Prince Henry pag. 16. Maxime 1 * Plutarch in the liâ—e of Demosthenes 2 * Dan. 4.17 * Irenaeus l. 5. * Tertull. Apol pag. 6.5 * Nullo modo contegi aut concamerari potest sed transitus ejus à terra ad coelum usque patet apertum Adricom de terra Sancta ex Hieron aliis Autoribus 3 * Zanchez Velasquez in their Comments on the Text. 1. Sam. 9 14. 4 * Isaiah 49.23 5 * Prov. 16.12 * Prov. â—0 28 6 7 Maxime 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 * Olaus magnus de Rit Gent. sept lib. 1. c. 23. 10 * Taken out of Brovius An. Eccle. an 1344. Petrarch lib. 5. Episi Summontius H. si Neopol lib. 3. * Collenusius l. 5. Regn. Neop * Exod. 18 2â— * Therefore called Ventosus pilcus Olaus mag de Gent. septent lib. 3. cap. 14. * Fulgentius in Sermon Maxime 1 2 * Multi dum vitare student quae vitanda non sunt fugâ vanâ superstitionis superstitiosi siunt Cardan de Subtil p. 924. lib. 8. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 * Plinius lib. 3. cap. 1. * 1. Sam. 28. * Exod. 8.18 * Gyrard Seigneurdu Haillizan in Charles the seventh * Gerson lib. de mirab victoria cujusdam puâ—llae pauló post initium * Polidor Virg. in Hen. sixth pag. 471. * See the coppy thereof in Speeds King Hen. sixth pag. 654. * Du Serres in his French Hist. translat by Grimston p. 326. * Idem p. 317. * Sententia post homines natos durissima Pol. Vir. pag. 477. * Gerson in the book which he wrote of her after long discussing the point leaves it uncertain but is rather charitably inclined * Serres pag. 325. Pol. Virgil. ut priùs * Gerson * Iustin. Martyr secund Apolog pro Christian pag. 156. * August tom 7. lib. 3. contra Petilianum c. 1. David cùm dicit Stultus dixit in corde c. videtur Diagoram praedixisse Maxime 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 * Ovid. lib. 3. Amor. Eleg. 3. * Psal. 73.2 3. * Iustin. lib. 2. 8 * Because of these naturall forms in wood and stone it seems that from thence the Dukes assum'd their armes * Cambd. Brit. in Warwickshire 9 * Paul Diacon lib. 15. * In his grave Counsell p. 3. * Guicciard History of Italy lib. 1. pag. 10. * Idem lib. 3. pag. 179. * Liv. lib. 1. * Guicciard lib. 4. pag. 237. * Machiavill in his Prince cap. 7. * Guicciard l. 6. pag. 307. * Idem lib. 5. pag. 260. * 2. Kings 20.7 * Nunquam verebor in exemplum Valentinum subjicere Machiavel Prince cap. 13. pag. 73. * His notes on Livy but especially his Florentine History savours of Religion * Boissardus part 3. Iconum virorum illustrium * Hieronym lib. 2. contra Pelag. August in eadem verba Serm. 59. de Tempore Maxime 1. 2 3 4 * Cambd. Brit. in Hantshire * Matth. Paris in Anno Dom. 1141. 5 6 * Pantaleon in vita Rodulph Imperat. lib. de Illustrib Germ. part 2.285 * Exod. 34.23 * Hic videtur quòd omnis qui non obedit statutis Romanae sedis sit Haereticus Glossa in C. nulli dist 19. in verbo Prostratus * Ioh. Avent lib. 3. Annal. â—â—ior * 1. John 2.19 Maxime 1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 * Gerards Common places de Magistrat Polit. p. 1047. Anno Domini 331. * Augustin ad Quod vult Deum * Valer. Max. lib. 9. cap. 15. * Ipsum Fraternitatis nomen uâ—cunque Donatistis fastidiosum est tamen orthodoxis erga ipsos Donatistas necessarium Optat. lib. 3. init * S. August in Psal. 132. quia circum celâ—as vagantur count them so called which iâ— rather his Allusion then the true Etymologie * Sâ— H. Spelman Councells pag. 446. * Quòd apud eum solum justitia locum habe et Aug. contra literas Petil. lib. 2. cap. 97. * August lib 2. contra Crescon cap. 37. * Quis non impudentissimè nitatur aliquid in allegoria positum pro se interpretari nisi habeat manifesta testimonia quotum lumine illustrentur obscura Aug. Tom. Epist. 48. ad Vincent * Optat. Milev lib. 7. Aug. contraliter Petil. cap 6.7.8 * Aug. ut priùs ad Vincentium epist. 50. ad Bonifac. * Protestation protested p. 14. August contr Don. post Coll. Lib. * Aug. lib. 2. contra Petill. cap. 39. * Aug. lib. 1. contraliter Petil cap. 1. * I. Penry p. 46. and 49. * Aug. tract 80. in Iohan. * Idem contra Parmen lib. 2. cap. 10. * Idem lib. 1. contra Cresco cap. 30. * D r Soame writing against them lib. 2. pag. 4. * August lib. 3. cont Crescon cap. 51. * Donatus oravit respondet ei Deus de coelo Aug. in Iohann tract 3. prope finem * Theodoretus in fabulis Haeret * Centuriator cent 4 c. 5 p. 211. ex Theodoreto * Aug. Epist. ad Vincentium * In minutula frustula Idem * Petilian went not so farre as the rest Aug. lib. 3. de correct Donati c. 17.19 Vid Aug. de schism Maxim brevi collat 3 diei * He caused the Patent of priviledge which Iulian granted the Donatists publicis locis assigendum in â—udibrium vide Baron in Anno. 362. â—um 264. Maxime 1. 2 * Deut. 7.14 3 4 * Chamnitius in exam cont Trident. paâ—t 4. p. 12. 5 6 7 Maxime 1 2 * Stephens Apol. for Herodotus 3 4 5 * Valer. Max. lib. 3 cap. 5. Maxime 1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 * S r William Segar in his Honours milit and civill 9 * Olaus mâ—g Hist. septent p. 531. * Versteg restitut of deâ—aid intellig p. 53. 10 * Liv. lib. 27. * These were foure bells the greatest in London hanging in a fair Tower in Pauls Churchyard Stowes Survey of London pag. 357. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 * Markams Decads of Honour pag. 76. 18 * Loco priùs citato * He is either against the Sovereigne Person alone or against the State wherein he lives We deal onely in describing the former because to character the other exact skil in the Municipal Laws of that State is required wherein he is charged of treason Maxime 1. 2 3 4 * Nat. hist. lib. 8. cap. 16. 5 6 7 Anno 1478. April 26. The summe hereof is taken out of Machiavels Florent Hist lib. 8. pag. 407. sequent * Machiav disput de Repub lib. 3. cap. 6. pag. 397. * Machiav disp de Repub. lib. 3. cap. 6. pag. 399. * He is two-fold 1. In Titulo properly an Usurper 2. In Exercitio whom we onely describe Maxime 1. 2 3 4 5 6 7 7 * Comineus Comment lib. 1. juxta finem 8 9 10 * The summe of this chapter is taken out of Nicetas Choniates his Annalls lib. 1. 2. of Andronic Comnenus 1181 * See bow charitably Drexelius is opinion'd of him in his book de Aeternitate Consider 5. Sect. 3. * Famianus Stra. de Bellâ— Belgico p. 430. Ann. Dom. 1568. * Fam. Strad de bell Belgico pag. 449. * Grimst Hist. of the Netherlands pag. 413. * Barâ—l Icon. Anim. cap. 5. * Grimst Hist. of the Netherlands pag. 411.