700. Queenes and 300. concubines and hauing but one sonne which is read of and that so wicked that through his wicked and cruell dealing to his people the Lord tooke 10. of the 12. Tribes of Israel away from Salomons sonne gaue them to Ieroboam Salomons seruant It was a commaundement giuen from Moses to the people that they should not forget the lawes of the Lord but teach them to their sonnes and their sonnes sonnes and therefore the lawes were commaunded to be set as frontlets betweene their eyes to bee written vpon the postes of their houses vpon their gates and to bind them for a signe vpon their hands that their children should not forget but be instructed by the sight thereof in the lawes of the Lord. For the olde Pharisies were wont to weare Philacteria which were scrolles of parchment about their heads and armes hauing the tenne commandements written on them therefore Christ pronounced so many woes against the Scribes and Pharisies for their hipocrisie Hence grew the beginning of setting vp of pictures in porches the Images of Philosophers in Schooles and Vniuersities and the Images of the goddes in the Temples and secret closets of Princes as Alex. Seuerus had the Image of Christ Abraham Orpheus and Appollonius in his closet worshipped as gods so the Heathens and Pagans had the Images of their countrie gods set vp at theyr gates galleries and closets Among the olde Romanes in auntient times they were buried in theyr gardens and in theyr houses and therefore they had their houshold godeds to doo sacrifice vnto them and to vse funerall ceremonies vnto these Idols for it was not lawfull by the lawe of the 12. tables to burie any within the citie for the lawe was Ne in vrbem sepelito and it was also Platos lawe that the dead should bee buried in the fieldes or some barren ground out of the cities least the dead bodies should infect the quicke These lawes were called Leges funerales But the Lord spake to Ioshuah Let not the booke of this lawe depart out of thy mouth see that thou doo and obserue all the lawes which Moses commaunded thee so Ioshuah did made a couenant with the people at his death set ordinances and lawes before them in Sychem and tooke a great stone and pitched it vnder an oake that stood in the Sanctuarie and said behold this stone shal be a witnesse vnto vs and a memoriall of the couenant betweene vs. So Iacob set vp a stone and said to his bretheren gather stones and make a heape which hee called Gilead and said to Laban this heape of stones be a witnesse betweene thee and me It was a custome among the olde Hebrewes as markes of witnesse and memoriall of things past to put vp stones as Samuel did in his victorie against the Philistines pitched vp a stone and named it the stone of helpe So carefull were the kings of Persia that they made choise of foure principall men in all knowledge to instruct the kings children after fourteene yeares of age and therefore the Persian lawes for education of theyr youth were not onely commended of many but of many imitated they should learne three principall lessons to take heed of lyes and onely to speake the truth secondly to deale iustly and wrong no man and thirdly to knowe what was wrong and what was iustice The children in Persia were brought vp with such reuerence to their parents that it was not lawfull for them in the presence of their parents either to sit to spit or to blowe their noses theyr children might not so much as taste wine though it were vpon their feast day which among the Persians is the most solemne feast also the children might not come to their parents sight before they were seuen yeares olde there is nothing so requisite in parents as the education of children And therefore Charondas made a lawe that the citizens which were gouerned by his lawes should bring vp their children in schooles to be taught to know good from euill and to be accustomed with vertuous education that thereby they might stand in stead to theyr countrey with wisedome iudgement and counsell The like law is set downe by Plato who saith Si Rempub. verè institues virrtus cum ciuibus comunicanda est For as euery citie hath her Phisitions to prouide for health and to care for the bodye So I thinke it rather better saide Chaerondas to haue schoolemaisters and teachers to bring vp youth in vertue and knowledge and to bee taught in the lawes of God man to serue their countrey Diuers Nations as the Carthagineans Arcadians Baeotians and Mazacens sent for Charondas lawes to gouerne their countrey and as the Romanes sent to Greece for Hermadorus to interpret the 12. Tables so the Mazacens sent for one to Thuria to interpret Charondas lawes So the Iewes after their return from Babilon appointed Esdras to read interpret the law of Moses vnto thē before whom they sware that they would turne away theyr straunge women the Ammonites and Moabites and that they would keepe the lawes of the Lord. The Lacedemonians would make their hindes and husbandmen drunken hauing roddes in their hands to whip and beat them for their drunkennesse and would bring them out before their children other youths of Sparta which was both Plato and Anacharsis order to the Grecians because their children might see the faults and beastlinesse of the seruants to terrifie the children that thereby they might loath vice and loue vertue and learne to bee obedient to their parents for the greatest care the Lacedemonians had was to bring vp their children in musicke and military discipline esteeming the education of their chidren in any thing else indifferent Nabuchodonozer king of Babilon caused foure of the kings stocke Zedechiah Daniel and his fellowes to bee brought vp in the Chaldaean discipline that they might serue the king in his chamber and at his table In auntient time the olde Romanes were not onely studious and carefull to bring vp their children to obserue the lawes of their gods at Rome but also vsed yearly to make choise often of the best mens children in Rome and to send thē to Etruria a religious nation there to be taught in the Etrurian discipline concerning religion to their gods and to learne dutie and seruice to their countrey beeing in the Latin tongue instructed first then in the Greeke tongue and after to learne wise and pithy sentences as Paradoxes and Aphorismes Charondas iudged those parents not fit to be of counsell nor worthy to be Magistrates to rule in their countrey that hauing many children by the first wife would marry a second for he supposed that they would neuer be carefull ouer their country that would not be careful ouer their children And therefore the lawes of diuers of the Gentiles were not to bee allowed in selling theyr
that they hadde not slaine the Madianite women And therefore Phineas the sonne of Eleazer for his zeale against adulterie slew Coshi the Madianite harlot and Zimri the Israelite thrust them through both theyr bellies in the act for the which the Lord was so pleased that the plague ceased in the campe and the Priesthood was giuen for euer to Phineas his stocke for the Lord would not haue a whore to liue in Israel The zeale of Iehu was such that hee caused seuentie sonnes of Achab to bee slaine and caused Iezabal his wife to bee cast headlong downe out of a windowe to be eaten of dogges hee slew 42. of Achabs bretheren and destroyed all the Priests of Baal and left not one of Achabs house aliue The zeale of Iehu so pleased the Lord that his children raigned foure generations after him The zeale and faith of Abraham was such that he was readie to offer sacrifice his onely sonne Isaac to obey the Lords commandement The zeale and loue of Ioseph in Egipt was such that he preferred the lawes and loue of the Lord before the loue of his mistresse Putiphars wife Such also was the loue and zeale of Moses to Israel that hee requested to be put out of the booke of life before Israel should be destroyed of the Lorde in his anger Salomon was so zealous in the lawes of the Lord that he sought nothing but wisedome to rule his people and to know his lawes So Iob loued the Lord and his lawes that for all the losse of his goods and children and for diuers plagues and punishments of body yet he still stood constant in the lawes of the Lord. Adulterers are cryed out vpon in the scripture and often mentioned in the olde and newe Testament compared by the Prophet to stoned horses neying vpon other mens wiues Women so corrupted Salomon that hee forsooke the Lorde and worshipped straunge goddes and lost thereby tenne of the twelue Tribes of Israel Dauid his father was so punished for his offences with one woman against the Lord that he welnigh lost his kingdome by it If Dauid if Moses and Paul were buffeted by Sathan who can think himselfe free from Sathan we must therfore watch if we will not be deceiued we must fight if we thinke to haue victorie not against flesh and bloud onely but against armies of spirits infernall powers against spirituall enemies and against Sathan the prince and ruler of darknesse For many are the stratagems of Sathan with whom wee must wrestle as Iacob did with the Angell with such weapons as is taught in Paul or as Dauid did with Goliah or as Iob did with Sathan himselfe The euill counsell of Achitophel to Absolon to lye with his fathers concubines brought both Absolon and Achitophel to hanging Pharao for lusting on Sarah Abrahams wife both hee and all his house were scourged and plagued with Angels and visions The Beniamites for their abhominable abuse of the Leuites wife was the cause that three score fiue thousand died in Israel Sychem all the Sychemites for the rauishment of Dina Iacobs daughter were slain the towne ouerthrown by Simeon and Leui Iacobs sonnes The lawes of all countries and nations appointed such due seuere punishments for adulterie as in Rome Lex Iulia was as sharpely executed against adulterers as against traitors and still renewed by many of the Emperours after Iulius Caesar who made this lawe as Tiberius Seuerus and others who with great seueritie punished adulterie Lawes were made in many Countries to suppresse adulterie for concupiscence and euill affections were condemned by the lawes among the Gentiles to be the roote of all mischiefe for euill thoughts breed delectation delectation bredeth consent consent action action custome and custome necessitie for custome is as another nature Adultery was punished in Egipt by the lawe of Bocchoris in this sort the man should be beaten with rods to a thousand stripes and the womans nose should be cut off to deforme her face as a perpetuall marke of her adultery but if she were a free woman the man should haue his priuie members cut off for that member which offended the law should be punished by the law which law sometime was executed among the Romaines for so was Carbo gelded by Bibienus the Consul for his adultery the Romanes had rather make lawes then keepe the lawes which they made Therefore Charondas made a lawe to keep the good from the bad for to flie from vice is vertue that by taking away the cause the effect might also be remoued for vertue is soone corrupted with vice and a litle leauen infecteth the whole doughe and therefore an action might be had by the lawe of Charondas not onely against honest women that vsed the company of leaude men but also against men that should be often found in the societie of wicked men for Charondas saide good men become better by obedience of the lawe and become wicked by wicked company which obey no lawes for that lawe said Charondas is euer best by the which men become more honest then rich Par est eos esse meliores qui ex melioribus Lysander being demaunded what maner of gouernment he best liked said where good men are rewarded for their weldoing and euil men punished for their wickednesse as Plato said Omnis Respub paena Praemio continetur So Demosthenes euer thought that law best which prouided for good men aduancement and for euill men punishment To the like effect Zaleucus made a lawe that no honest or modest woman should goe in the street but with one maide with her and if shee had two the lawe was she should be noted for a drunkarde Neither might knowne honest women goe out of the Towne in the night time vnlesse they would be noted to goe in the company of adulterers Neither might any modest woman or sober matron be attired with braue apparell imbrodered or wrought with gold siluer bugles and such vnlesse shee would be noted by the lawe of Zaleucus that shee went abroad to play the strumpet for among the Locreans an adulterous nation people much giuen to lust and lecherie Zaleucus made a lawe that by their comely and modest apparell they should be knowne from harlots and light women which vsed to weare light garrish and all kinde of glistering garments to be looked at Aurelianus the Emperour punished a souldier found in the campe in adultery in this sort to tye both his legs to two toppes of trees bended to the earth and so his bodie by the swinge of the trees to cleaue in the midst through that the one halfe hangd on the one tree and the other halfe vpon the other tree The like or rather more horrible punishment vsed Macrinus the Emperour against two souldiers in the campe that deflowred a maide in their lodging he caused two oxen to be opened and sowed aliue one
the Emperour to set vp his Image in the Temple of Ierusalem some of the best of the Iewes went to Caesaria to Pilate requesting with teares that hee would not violate the Temple with Images Pilate aunswered Caesars Image must be set vp or else you die for it they presently offered their neckes bare to be cut off before theyr lawe should be broken or the Temple violated with Images The like commaundement had Petronius from his maister Cai. Caesar to set vp his Image in the Temple but in like manner as before to Pilate the Iewes came with their wiues and children to entreate Petronius who told them as Pilate did that the Image of Caesar must bee set vp in theyr Temple as other Nations suffered the Romaine Emperours Images to bee set in their Temples among their gods as fellowes to theyr gods or else they must dye for it the Iewes answered Petronius that all the Iewes in Iudah men women and children shall and will dye before the lawe shall be broken Thus were they so slaine and killed betweene the Romaine Emperours and the kings of Assyria that their bloud was shed out like water on euery side of Ierusalem and yet would they not allowe Images nor haue theyr lawes broken The Romaines had no Images for 170. yeares though afterwards they had in their closets diuers Images which they worshipped as goddes they had also houshold and peculiar gods at their gates and in theyr entries besides the Images and statues of themselues and of their friends so that the Romaines so esteemed Images that in the time of the late Caesars Theodosius the Emperour thought to destroy Antiochia for the pulling downe of the Image of his friend Placilla had not Macedonius perswaded him to the contrarie So Agrippa for his woman Drusilla despised Paul Among the Iewes one Theudas a Magitian tooke vpon him to be the Messias perswaded the people that he was that Prophet which they looked for and that he was able with a word to deuide the Riuer Iorden into two and to giue him and his company place to passe through but he was slaine and his company and Theudas head brought to Ierusalem by Cuspius the Romaine President An other after Theudas called Attonges a shepheard affecting the kingdome made himselfe the Messias And after Attonges one Barcosma who tooke vpon him to be the Messias whom the Iewes so affected and followed thirtie yeares and when they perceiued hee could not keepe promise with them in vanquishing the Romanes the Iewes slew him But as the Israelites offered the bloud of beasts and sprinkled theyr Aultars according to the lawe of Moses so the Gentiles imitated the Hebrewes offered also bloud but the bloud of theyr seruants and children The Heathens thought no bloud too deare to please their gods For the Romains were admonished out of the bookes of the Sibils which they more honoured and esteemed in Rome then the bookes of the Prophets were in Iudah as it may seeme by Torquinius Priscus who bought them so deare and after were more carefully kept then Zedechiah king of Iudah kept the lawes of God for hee did burne and teare the booke which Ieremiah sent to him from the Lord without any dread or care had of the Prophet so that the bookes of the Sibils were more reuerently kept and their lawes obserued in Rome then the bookes of the Prophets in Ierusalem So Zedechiah the false Prophet was preferred by Achab before Michaeah the true Prophet of the Lord and Baals priests before the Lords Prophets The Romanes had their warrants from the bookes of the Sibils to sacrifice vnto Iuno a quicke man buried as the Grecians were wont to sacrifice to Bacchus The Phaenizians and the Carthagineans sacrificed to Saturnus with Infants bloud the Laodicians sacrificed a young virgin vnto Pallas so the Lacedemonians sacrificed to Mars with bloud the old Germanes to Mercurie with bloud These sacrifices of bloud were contrarie to the lawe of Licurgus taught among the Lacedemonians and after by Numa Pomp. imitated in Rome in all his lawes taught to him by the Nimphe Egeria as Licurgus lawes were taught to him by Apollo in Delphos Yet Pythagoras brought this lawe of Licurgus after Numas time from Greece to other parts of Italy for it was Pythagoras lawe according to Licurgus that nihil animatum dijs litetur that no bloud should be sacrificed but fruites hearbes flowers meale milke honie and wine which was the lawe of Licurgus among the Lacedemonians The Romaines as Cicero said had their Temples made to pietie faith vertue and to the minde as degrees and steppes to ascend vp to heauen but by the same lawe of Cicero they were forbidden to build any Temples to any prophane vice contrarie to the Greekes and to the Egiptians who allowed all kinde of theyr countrey gods but yet would allow no straunge gods It was the chiefest poynt among all Heathen Princes to bee carefull of their religion Oportet principem saith Aristotle ante omnia res diuinas videre curari For in Pauls time when he came to Athens and sawe so many gods and so many aultars Paul waxed angrle to see one aultar to lust an other to shame and another to an vnknowne god after he had disputed with certain Philosophers of the Stoiks and Epicures against theyr gods and their aultars he had no other commendations of the Philosophers in Athens but to be called Spermolagos a teacher of straunge doctrine Among the Iewes the punishment of Idolators was to bring them to bee stoned with stones to death beeing lawfully conuicted with two or three witnesses and the handes of the witnesses shall be first vpon them to kill them and the handes of all the people I neede not goe out of Iudah for examples to the Gentiles in following straunge gods in committing Idolatrie and in forsaking the lawes of the Lord. Manasses built aultars in the house of the Lord for all the hosts of heauen gaue himselfe to witchery and forcerie vsed them that were soothsayers and had familiar spirits and caused his sonnes to passe through fire in the valley of Hinnon Wicked Ahaz king of Iudah made an Idolatrous aultar sacrificed offered the bloud of his son through fire to Moloch So wicked Achab offered the bloud of his sonne likewise in Tophet to Moloch following the king of Moab who sacrificed his sonne that should haue raigned next after him king to please his Idoll Chemosh Thus the kings of Iudah and Israel prophaned the Lords aultar with the bloud of their owne children to please their dumbe Idols Yet Pythagoras and Vlixes two Heathens sacrificed to Vrania but with water and hony mingled according to Numa Pomp. lawe which commanded that no bloud should be offered in sacrifice but milke and hony No doubt the Gentiles imitated these wicked kings of Iudah in their sacrifices in their vowes and in the dedicatiō of their temples and
which are read euery Sabboth day in the Temple After the destruction of the Temple first builded by Salomon the Lord stirred vp Cyrus for the second building of the Temple and to deliuer all the vesselles of golde and siluer which Nabuchodonozer had taken out of the Temple of Ierusalem to be placed againe in the house of the Lord at Ierusalem according to the propâ—… sie of Esay two hundred yeares before Cyrus time After Cyrus Darius and Artaxerxes kings of Persâ—… commaunded in like manner that the Temple which was hindred for a time by meanes of the Samaritans to Cambises and others should be with great diligence bâ—…ded and all the vessels wich king Nabuchodonozer tooâ—… away should be according to Cyrus Darius and Aâ—… erxes three mightie kings of Persia againe restored to Ierusalem Among the Grecians the first day of euery moneth was their Sabboth called among them as among the Iewes Neomenia which they kept most solemnly serued most religiously their gods Among the Romanes the Nones and Ides of euâ—… moneth were their Sabboths and obserued as religious daies on which daies they would commence no batâ—… but as a Sabboth to serue their gods for on the Ides of euery moneth throughout the yeare the Romanes 〈◊〉 great solemnities with diuers sacrifices and religious ceremonies Among the Parthians they obserued the very day that Arsaces ouerthrew Zaleucus to bee theyr Sabboth for that they were restored on that day to theyr libertie by Arsaces which daye they keepe as a religious day and vse great solemnitie in memorie of their libertie The day that Cyrus ouercame the Scythians was one of the Sabboths of the Persians which they call Sacas And an other Sabboth day of the Persians had on the very day that their rebellious Magi were slain that would haue vsurped the kingdome in memory whereof they consecrated a feast called Magophâ—…niah the which day was so solemne a Sabboth among the Persians that it was not lawfull for any of the Magi that day to goe out of his house The victories at Marathon and at Micala ouer the Persians was the Sabboth of the Athenians for among the Heathens the dayes of their victories and triumphs the dayes of their liberties restored and of their feasts were their Sabboths for as it was not lawfull among the Iewes to fight vpoÌ„ the Sabboth day so among the Heathens they straightly obserued their religious dayes as their Sabboth Phillip king of Macedonia vpon the very day that his sonne Alexander was borne got two victories the one was with his Mares in the games of Olympia and the other with his men of armes in Thracia for memorie whereof hee decreed an annuall feast to bee made which was obserued for a Sabboth among the Macedonians The Iewes so obeyed and reuerenced their lawes that they would not breake theyr Sabboth daye in so much that they suffered theyr enemins to kill and ouerthrow them because they would not fight vpon the Sabboth day so did they when they began to build the temple before they would build houses to dwell in or walles to defend them but euery man readie with weapon in one hand for their enemies working with the other hand Nicanor going to strike a fielde with Iud. Machabaeus vppon the Sabboth daye was willed to hallowe the Sabboth who said is there a God mightie in heauen that commands to keepe the Sabboth day and I am mightie on earth that commaund the conâ—…ry but Nicanor lost the battell and his life in the battell and his head his hands and his blasphemous tongue were cut off and hangd on the Pinnacles of the Temple at Ierusalem Nehemias finding some Israelites prophaning the Sabboth day in carrying burthens he tooke them and rebuked them sharply for prophaning of the Sabboth day So straightly the Iewes obserued their lawes that he that gathered but a fewe stickes vpon the Sabboth day was taken and brought to Moses and Moses brought him before the Lorde and sentence of death was giuen vpon him by the Lord for breaking of the Sabboath saying Let him bee stoned to death by the people Such reuerence obedience the Iewes had to Moses lawe that when Alexander the great commaunded the high Priest to aske him whatsoeuer he would haue him to do whereas he might haue had Territories and Countries giuen him hee requested but the liberties and lawes of his Countrey to the poore Iewes that did inhabite within Asia and all the dominions of Alexander So did the Iewes that dwelt in Greece in Asia and in Antioch requested of Zaleucus and Antiochus the great nothing but that they might liue and enioy the benefites of the lawes of their countrey which is the lawe of Moses Neither could the Iewes endure any that would despise theyr lawes for a souldier vnder Cumanus the Romane President for tearing of Moyses bookes in contempt mooued suche sedition that they came armed to Cumanus and claimed to haue iustice executed vpon the souldiers that so despised their law for the tearing of one leafe The like sedition moued an other Romane souldier vpon the feast day of the Iewes by shewing his genitall parts scoffiing and flowting theyr lawes and religion so that Cumanus to satisfie the Iewes put both the Romaines to death to the losse of twentie thousande Iewes by the Romaine Armyes afterwards The Iewes suffered many ouerthrowes most willingly vpon the Sabboth day saying Moriamur omnes because they would resist neither Pompey the great nor Antiochus King of Syria vpon the Sabboth aâ—… the Romaines and the Syrians euer found meaâ—… to fight with the Iewes vppon the Sabboth daye on the which daye Pompey the great tooke Ierusalem Therefore Iud. Machabaeus made a lawe that to fight vppon the Sabboth day in defence of theyr lawes of theyr countreys and of theyr liues was no seruile worke but thought it lawfull to fight vppon the Sabboth daye with Nicanor a blasphemer and an enemie of the Lorde and his Armye and so ouerthrew Nicanor and slew nine thousand of his host so that vpon the Sabboth day any man may do good So Christ aunswered the Israelites for his Disciples beeing accused that they brake the lawe in eating the eares of corne haue you not read what Dauid did when hee was a hungrye to eate the shewe bread which was not lawfull but onely for the Priests So he also answered for himselfe beeing accused of the Israelites that he brake the lawe in healing the 〈◊〉 vpon the Sabboth day Which of you said Christ will not loose his Oxe or his Asse from his cribbe vpon the Sabboth day to water them The Sabboth day is the schoole of the Lord in the which he would haue his people taught and instructed not onely to heare the lawes read vnto them but to learne the lawes and to liue according as the lawe commaundeth them to that ende was man created that hee
should bee the Temple of God where the Lord might dwell and raigne within him and that the Lord should be our aultar vpoÌ„ the which we should offer our selues vnto him in sacrifice both in body and â—…ule Among the Heathens the Sabboth of the Lorde was not knowne for that they knew not the Lord of the Sabboth this commandement pertained onely to the children of the Lord the Israelites to whom the law was giuen in hope of eternall rest The restoring to their libertie their victories their triumphes theyr feastes and the dayes of their birth these were the Sabboths of the Gentiles to serue to giue thankes and to sacrifice to their gods as before 〈◊〉 written but the Lord spake to Israel you shall not obserue time to make some dayes luckie and others vnluckie as the Gentiles did but only obserue your Sabboths and to come to the Temple to heare the lawes of the Lord read When Hanibal departed out of Italy the Temples were set opeÌ„ according to the custome of the Romanâ—… that they might goe and giue thanks to the gods for the vanquishing of such an enemie Archidamus began first with seruice and sacrifice to the gods before he would attempt any great battel with the enemie Xenophon before hee had gotten his whole Armie reconciled and willing to craue the fauour of the gods in any distresse hee would take no iourney in hand The Gentiles obserued times dayes and moneths as the kings of Macedonia commenced nowarre during the whole moneth of Iune The Romans likewise obserued the Nones of euery moneth as vnluckie and religious dayes and refrained that time to take any great thing in hand The Germaines also had a lawe not to fight any battell in the wane of the Moone much like the Lacedemonians who were forbidden by Licurgus lawe that they should take no warre or battell in hand before the full of the Moone they were therein so religious that they absented from the battell at Marathon foure dayes The Romans also would enter into no field neither wage any battell vpon their religious dayes Cai. Caesar in his warres against Ariouistus King of the Germaines knowing that the Germaines hadde a lawe set downe that it was not lawfull for them to commence any battell in the wane of the Moone Caesar obseruing the Germaines to bee so religious gaue them a battell vnexspected and ouerthrew them So Titus Vespasian vpon a satterday the Sabboth of the Iewes subdued the Iewes destroyed the Temple and tooke Ierusalem as Pompey the great did before Before the Temple was builded in Ierusalem by Salomon the Israelites came to Siloh where the Taberâ—…cle rested to offer to the Lord as after they did to Ieâ—…salem In this Temple at Ierusalem the Lord promised to Salomon that he would present himselfe and appeare at the prayer of Salomon as hee promised to Moses in the wildernesse to appeare at the doore of the Tabernacle to comfort them and to further them in all theyr lawes The Angels that brake the lawes of the Lord in heauen were condemned and had iudgement giuen to bee prisoners in perpetuall darkenesse and man that brake the lawe in Paradise had sentence of death pronounced against him by the Lorde himselfe in Paradise And therefore Licurgus to haue his lawes continue among the Lacedemonians to performe the Oracle of Appollo which was so long should the Lacedemonians keep Licurgus lawes vndefiled as long as Licurgus should keepe himselfe absent from the Lacedemonians and therefore most willingly banished himselfe out of his countrey to dye in Delos that by his absence the lawes which he established amoÌ„g the Lacedemonians should continue his lawes therefore continued 500. yeares and more after his death The contempt breach of lawes in all countries were seuerely punished in so much that Charondas made a law to the Carthaginians Archadians others that they that found fault with paenall lawes should be crowned with Tamarisk and be carried round about the towne and so thence to be banished according to the lawe of the 12. tables Violati iuris paena este And therefore Antalcidas accused Agesilaus for the breach of Licurgus lawe for that he taught the Persians by often warres to become men from women Non diù in hos bellaadum ne ipsi bellicosi euaderint Charondas made an other lawe that if any that were coÌ„uicted thought his lawe to be too seuere they might vpon condition make meanes to the people for abrogating of the lawe the condition was they should come with halters about their neckes before all the people in one place assembled which if they by complaining of the seuerities of the lawe should goe free the former law should be abrogated or mitigated but if they falsly accused and slaundered the integritie of the lawe they should be strangled with the same halters which they ware about their necks to accuse the law for the words of the lawes of the twelue tables which agree with Charondas lawe are these Legum iusta imperia sunto hisque ciues modestè sine recusatione Parento And yet it is necessary vpon occasions that lawes should be altered for saith Hypocrates Tempus est in quo occasio occasio in qua tempus though he applied this to Phisicke yet in the selfe same reason it serueth for the lawe Cicero thinketh the life and manners of good men often changed to be the cause of changing of the lawes and states of cities and Plato whom Cicero calleth Deum Philosophorum said that the least lawe made may not be chaunged nor abrogated without doing hurt or harme to the publique state of a common-wealth and therefore in Aegina he was euer accounted accurst that went about to make new lawes by abrogating the former For when Lysander went about to alter and change Licurgus lawes among the Lacedemonians hee was resisted by the Senators and the people though Lysander was the onely chiefe man in Sparta Likewise the whole summe of Aristotles Aeconomicall and Politicall lawes are but instructions teaching the rule and gouernment of a Common wealth iubendo parendo how men should know to doo good and auoyd to do euil to gouern and to be gouerned that the people should be defended from wrong so is the law of the twelue Tables Vis in populo abesto causas populi tencto And therefore positiue lawes in all countries were and are made from the beginning to maintaine ciuill orders and to determine of such orders and circumstances as are necessary and requisite for the keeping of the people in obedience of the same Of these and such lawes Plato wrote his booke de Repub tending to the administration and gouernment of the people according to the lawe The morall lawe commaundeth a iust and vpright ordering of iudgements contracts and punishments in a common-wealth Alexander Seuerus the Emperour therefore would make no lawes without the iudgement
which were written many things concerning the lawe of nature and the influence and motions of the starres that if the bricke pillar were destroyed by water the stone pillar should reserue and keepe safe their lawes theyr seruice and sacrifice to God which the Patriarkes vsed as instructions to their posteritie after the floud which continued vntill Iosephus time which as Iosephus himself writes he sawe in Syria Moses at his death deliuered to the Hebrewes the booke of the lawe and he commaunded them to lay vp those lawes in the Arke within the Tabernacle where it was lawfull for none to come to them but the high Priest which continued from Moses time vntill Ierusalem was destroyed by Nabuchodonozer at what time Ieremie tooke the Tabernacle the Arke and the Aultar of Incense and brought them to Mount Nebo where Moses dyed where he found a hollow caue wherein he layed the Tabernacle the Arke the Aultar of Incense and so closed and stopped the caue Among the Egiptians their lawes were so reuerenced and honoured that none but onely the Priests of Memphis had the keeping thereof in the Temple of Vulcan The Lacedemonians in like sort so reuerenced and kept their lawes that their kings and the magistrates called Ephori came once a moneth to the Temple which they dedicated to the goddesse Feare and there in the porch of the temple the Senators of Lacedemonia which were 28. in number did minister an oath both to the King and the Ephori before the people to serue keep Licurgus lawes in the which Temple their lawes were lockt vp and kept with great care The Romaines made so much of the lawes of their Sybils that they were so kept and so strongly lockt with such care and diligence in a stony Arke in the Capitoll vnder the ground where none might come to them see nor read them but the officers called Duumuiri who had the charge ouer them neither they vntill the Consuls and the Senate had occasions to conferre with the lawes which continued from Torquinius Priscus time vntill Lu. Syllas time at what time the Capitoll was burnt and withall the lawes of the Sybils and if any of these officers would reueale any secrets out of the lawes of the Sybils hee was punished like a murtherer sowed aliue in a sheete and throwne into Tiber. So the Athenians very carefull of their lawes written first by Draco and after by Solon in Tables of wood called Syrbes that they were set vp to bee kept in theyr chiefe court place which the Athenians named Prytanion where Magistrates should sit and iudge causes of lawes The lawe of the Turkes is that the Priests after some ceremonies done should haue a sword and a speare which is set by him in the Pulpit and to shewe the same to the people saying see that you haue these weapons in a readinesse to defend the lawes and religion of Mahomet the penaltie of the Turkes lawe is that if any man speake against their law his tongue should be cut out in so much that the booke called Muzaph wherein their lawe is written is so reuerenced and honoured among the Turkes that no man may touch it with bare hands Thus were lawes in all countries reuerenced and with great care and diligence obserued After lawes decrees and statutes were made in euery Countrey with such circumstances as agreed with the time with the place and with the people for without law no Common-wealth nor Kingdome can be gouerned as Aristotle saith In legibus salus ciuitatis si ta est Iudges were appointed to execute the same in all countries and magistrates in euery citie as among the Hebrewes the Elders called Synadrion Iudges and yet in euery citie of Iudah was a seuerall Iudge Among the Egiptians they had 30. Iudges which they elected from Eliopolis Memphis Thaebes Alexandria and other citties of Egipt of the which 30. they elected one to be chiefe Among the Aethiopians the sage Philosophers the Gymnosophists executed theyr lawes among the Indians likewise the Brachmaines called also Sacerdotes solis Among the Grecians the generall Iudges called Amphictions which sate twise in the yeare once at Trozaena in the spring time and in the Autumne in the Temple of Neptune in Isthmos In many countries women for their wisedome and knowledge were admitted to sit in counsell as among the Persians with King Xerxes who in any great cause of counsell would sende for Artemisia Queene of Caria whose counsell he found so wise that chiefly among all the Princes of Persia in many causes he allowed and followed her counsell So the Queenes in Egipt altogether ruled and gouerned the whole estate of the kingdome to whom greater honour and homage was giuen rather then to the kings of Egipt for that the whole state of their kingdome was rather gouerned by the Queenes then by the Kings Women among the Lacedemonians were not only admitted in publike counsell to sit and determine in courts but also sent for to cōsult in secret matters of state with the Senators The old Gaules in the time of Haniball in any contention betweene them and the Carthagineans if the breach of the lawes or any league broken were committed by the Gaules the women should determine a satisfaction to the Carthagineans if any offence grew by the Carthagineans the Senators of Carthage should satisfie the Gaules It is as well saith Aristotle if men gouerne like women that women should gouerne Quid inter est vtrùm faeminae an qui gubernant gubernentur à faeminis The Romaines though they had a lawe that no woman nor young man should bee admitted to counsell yet suffered they such graue and wise women as Agrippina Meza Cornelia and others to sit in some secrete place where they might see and not bee seene Solon therfore forbad by law that young men should neither giue counsell nor be magistrates in a common-wealth So Plato saith Concilium eius est qui rei cunisque peritus est Yet Deberah and Hebrew woman was a Iudge in Israel gouerned and ruled the Hebrews for fortie yeares To this woman came all the children of Israel for iudgement and she gouerned them wisely and discreetly ministred vnto them in all points the lawes of Moses and deliuered them out of the hand of Iabin King of Canaan who had sore oppressed Israel for the space of twentie yeares But among the Athenians it was not lawfull that women should sit and determine in matters of state in Athens as the women in Sparta did or as the women of Persia. The Athenians sent to Delphos to know what lawe and religion were best to bee obserued among the people It was answered the auntient lawes and religion of their Elders The second time they sent againe saying that the lawes of the Elders were often chaunged It was by the Oracle answered that they should take the best lawes of diuers
was punished with death which lawes by Solon his successor were mittigated Among the Indians though adultery was left vnpunished as it was among the Scythians yet theft was most odious to both these Nations and most sharply to be punished by the lawes of India and Scythia In all countries among all nations theeues were diuersly punished In Egipt the lawe of Bocchoris was such against theft that if the Theefe after hee had stolne any thing had brought his stealth willingly of himselfe vnto the chiefe Priest called Princeps Sacerdotum before he was accused of it he that lost the goods should write the time the day and the houre when it was lost vnto the Priest and should haue again three parts of his goods the theefe should haue the fourth part that stole it for that he confest it before he was accused which is according to Moses lawe that if the theft be found in the theeues hands he shall restore double but if a theefe steale an oxe or a sheepe and kill it or sell it he shall restore fiue oxen for an oxe and foure sheepe for a sheepe for in the ciuil lawe it is written Propter manifestum furtum restituatur quadruplum The Romanes therefore verie carefull hereof kept in their Capitoll dogges quicke for smelling and sent and fed geese for sacrifice to Iuno quicke of hearing lest theeues should rob the Capitoll and so Manliuâ—… by geese saued not only the Capitoll but Rome it selfe from the Gaules Another lawe of Bocchoris that if any were accused falsly of theft in Egipt before a Iudge the lawe was that hee which wrongfully accused the partie should suffer that punishment which was due to him that was accused if he had committed the fault so is Moses lawe that if a false witnesse accuse a man of trespasse beforeâ—… Iudge and be not able to proue it then shall the Iudge do vnto the false witnesse as hee had thought to haue done vnto his brother Charondas made a lawe in fauour and education of Orphants that the wealth and legacies which were left vnto them by their parents should be answered to the Orphants by the next of theyr fathers kindred when they came to age and the Orphants to bee brought vp with the next of their mothers kindred therfore Charondas made this lawe least the fathers kindred or mothers kindred should deceiue the Orphants either by any fraud deceit or guile which is plaine theft The like lawe made Solon in Athens as Charondas made among the Thurians and Carthagineans least any fraude or deceit should bee practised against Infants or Orphants and therefore the Indians vsed none of the kindred or of the bloud of the Orphants but two straungers as tutors and gardens to answere to the pupuls their goods and legacies according to the lawe of India Among the Persians as among the Indians the lawe was that the patrons that deceiued their clients should die for it so was the law of the 12. Tables as wel among the Romanes as among the Grecians Patronus si clienti fraudem fecerit sacer esto The daughters of Zalphod were restored to theyr fathers heritage for the Lord commaunded Moses that hee should turne the inheritance of theyr father vnto them and gaue them a possession to inherit among their fathers bretheren this is the lawe of the Lord if a man die and haue no sonne his inheritance shall turne to his daughter if hee haue no daughter to his bretheren if hee haue no bretheren to his fathers bretheren Among the Arabians the lawe was that the eldest brother was allowed to the inheritance before the eldest sonne In Aethiopia in like manner not the kings children but his brothers childreÌ„ should succeed him in the kingdome Among the Lycians also the daughters and not the sonnes should be their fathers heires neither were they named after their fathers name but after their mothers name This is against Voconius lawe in Rome called Plaebiscita for that he was Tribune of the people by the which law it was lawful that no woman should haue though she were the onely daughter of her father but the fourth part and because women grew so rich by patrimonie and by legacies Domitianus the Emperour confirmed Voconius lawe and made a decree that no defamed woman should possesse the heritage of her father neither should she be carried in a coach were shee euer so great or so rich for the lawe was Nequis etiam census vnicam relinqueret filiam haeredem contrarie to the law of the 12. Tables which was that the Testator might dispose of his goods as pleased himselfe according to the lawe Vti legasset suae reiquisque ita ius esto Therefore the lawe commaunds iust and true dealings to be exercised and embraced as well in words as in deedes for negatiue commaundements include in themselues affirmatiues as Thou shalt doo no murther therefore thou must aide and helpe thy neighbour wherefore we must loue our neighbours in heart and wish them no more harme then to our selues and shewe the same in word and deed Such loue was in Moses and in Paul that the one wished to be put out of the booke of life to saue the people from destruction the other of meere loue wished to be accursed for their bretheren to do them good Such is the nature of perfect loue that Abraham prayed for the Zodomites and Moses for Pharao and the Egiptians though they were wicked people for that is the lawe loue your enemies and do good to them that hate you So Stephen the first martyr following the example of his maister Christ prayed for them that stoned him for all vertues haue their force power from praiers faith is strengthened by praiers loue confirmed by praiers and repentance continued by praiers In the eleuenth RegimeÌ„t is described the diuers kinds of thefts of vsurie and slaunder and of lawes prouided for the punishment of the same THe lawe commaundeth Thou shalt not steale which containeth not onely all kinde of falsehood fraude and deceit as before is spoken but also iustice equitie charitie and conscience Such was the iustice of Abraham to his nephew Lot that though their seruants contended and fell out yet they both agreed for Abraham vsed great iustice diuided their portions equally into two parts and gaue the choosing thereof to Lot The like iustice was betweene Iacob and his father in lawe Laban seperate thou or I said Iacob all the sheepe which haue great spots and little spots and all blacke lambes among the sheepe shall be my portion and wages and euery one that is not black nor 〈◊〉 ted among the sheepe and the lambes shall be the 〈◊〉 to me for my righteousnes shall answere for me Thus were they in auncient time instructed by the law of nature to loue one another and to vse iustice and charitie A Heathen man could say almost so
with Iuye the aultar of Hercules with Popley and of Pluto with Cypresse so were the aultars of Minerua with Oliue and of Venus with Myrtle so that there was no seruice omitted no dutie forgotten no lawe broken in the superstitious and prophane religion of the Heathens So fond and superstitious were both the Athenians and the Romaines that the Athenians builded temples out of Athens to Pouertie and old age because they would faine expell these aged and poore gods out of Athens or else to put the Athenians in remembrance that they should pray vnto them least they should come to pouertie and to want The Romans and Egiptians builded temples to those gods that might annoy their cities out of their cities as the Romanes builded the Temples of Bellona Mars foure miles out of the gate Capaena in Rome to reâ—…ist and withstand the trecherie and violence of their enemies The Egiptians builded the Temples of Saturnus and Serapis out of the cities as gods to watch ward to defend their cities from the enemies and least their gods by inuocation or supplication of the enemies should forsake their cities the Romanes bound fast the Image of Mars and the Carthaginians Hercules See how blinde men in religion are ignorant in gods seruice and yet ignorance with some late learned men was termed the mother of deuotion The Lord commaunded Israel to serue no straunge gods but him onely and to come at three appointed feasts in the yeare to one place in the citie of Ierusalem to serue him and to sacrifice in one Temple the Temple of Salomon for as the Lord made choise of one nation to be his peculiar people so hee made also choise of one place Ierusalem where his name should bee worshipped and called vpon After that the Tabernacle was set vp the arke of testimonie set therin the Lord commanded Moses to bring Aaron and his sonnes vnto the doore of the Tabernacle and there to wash them with water after to put vpon Aaron the holy garments to annoint him and 〈◊〉 him that he might minister in the Priests office The Gentiles vsed the like ceremonies at the first coâ—…crating of any teÌ„ple which they dedicated to their gods that they should lay their hands vpon the porch poste calling vpoÌ„ the name of that god to whoÌ„ they consecrated the temple for whatsoeuer the Gentiles dedicated to their gods though prophane before yet after they were coÌ„secrated they were Sacra diuino cuâ—… maÌ„cipata ciâ—…er temples aultars mony religious places or otherwise For among the Romains the Grecians the dumbe deafe blind lame or maimed otherwise by nature were reiected from any office in the temples of their gods So was it among the Persians in like sort that no blinde or maimed man should minister vnto their gods Whence had they all these originals but as it seemeth from the lawe of Moses And as Moses was commaunded that Aaron and his sons should be first washt with water before they should put on their holy garments and minister vnto the Lord so the priests of Egipt should often wash and annoint themselues before they should serue and sacrifice in the temple of Isis. So the Priests of Greece washt and annointed themselues before they would sacrifice vnto Ceres And so among the Romanes in other places they seemed though they erred much to imitate the ceremonies of the Iewes who had their warrant from the Lord and they from the diuell Moses put on Aaron the coate and girded him with a girdle cloathed him with the robe and put the Ephod on him after he put the brest-plate thereon and put in the brest-plate the Vrim and Thummim he also put the golden plate and the Miter vpon his head and vpon the Miter the holy crowne as the Lord had commaunded Moses and he powred of the annointed oyle vpon Aarons head and annointed him that the excellencie of his calling might be knowne and the dignitie of his office present the maiestie of the highest Hence the Heathens and the Gentiles tooke their platforme as an example to be followed in the annointing and crowning of their kings by the Lord warranted and particularly set downe to Moses whereby you shall find by comparison that the prophane ceremonies of the Gentiles tooke their originall from Moses lawe in the annointing of their kings In the fourth Regiment is shewed how the Gentiles confirmed their lawes by diuers authorities faining that their laâ—…s were giuen to them of their gods with the straight keeping of the same THere was no lawe among the Gentiles made nor established vnlesse they were authorized and confirmed by some diuine power to satisfie ignorant people for the Heathens most preferred that lawe and esteemed that gouernment which was commaunded and allowed as it were from the gods as by Mercurius in Egipt by Iupiter in Greece and by Appollo in Sparta as you heard before So among the Locreans their lawes were authorized by Minerua among the Getes by the Goddesse Vesta and so the lawe which Sergius compiled to the Turkes to this day the Turkes holde it authorized and confirmed from the very mouth of their great Prophet Mahomet And for that a sperhawke brought in her clawes a booke written with red letters to the Priests at Heliopâ—…lis in Egipt containing the lawes and religion of theyr gods the Priests therefore euer after ware red Scarâ—… caps like the colour of the letters the feather of a sperhawke in their caps in memorie thereof So no warre was commenced nor battell taken in hand without such policies to intice and allure the souldiers to fight as Sertorius had his white hinde which he taught to follow him in his Affrican warres by whom he made his souldiers belieue hee was instructed to dâ—… any thing he did So Lu. Sylla would take vpon him in the sight of his souldiers to consult with the picture of Appollo to make his souldiers more obedient and valorous So did Marius with his Scythian woman Martha and so of others which I spake of in my booke of stratagems and now to the Sabboth The obseruation of the Sabboth was seuerely by the lawe of the Iewes kept for the Lord blessed the seuenth day and hallowed it to rest from our workes aâ—…d to serue the Lord signifying vnto vs our eternall rest to come and therefore the Iewes gathered vpon the sixt day in the wildernesse so much Manna as serued them vpon the Sabboth because they should not breake the Sabboth As the Lord Iesus was crucified on the Sabboth eue and rested in his graue the Sabboth day so careful were the Iewes to obserue the Sabboth that the holy womeÌ„ that followed Christ with their odors ointments and spices staied from the annointing of his body vpon the Sabboth for the Sabboth was made especially that they should cease from labour and come to heare the lawes of the Lord and the voices of the Prophets
seditious men that he made lawes and brake them himselfe to come with his sword on his side against his owne lawe to the Court Diocles forgetting that he had his sword on his side answered I will streight satisfie the lawe drew his sword out and slue himselfe in presence of all the multitude I am not ignorant that some say that Charondas was he that made this lawe and not Diocles. So Licurgus willingly banished himselfe to die out of his countrey that the lawes which he made in his countrey might continue according to the Oracle Pythagoras disciples thought whatsoeuer their maister said was sound and sure they would haue no other proofe but what Pythagoras said Ipse dixit Likewise Aristoles schollers they would seeke no other proofe whether it were right or wrong but what they found in Aristotles booke est Aristotelis Vilescit princeps qui quae iusserat vetat quae vetuerat iubet For the which fault Cato reprehended Pompey for that hee brake the lawe which hee made before when hee was Consull The Israelites had not such trust and confidence in their Lord and God as eyther the schollers of Pythygoras or of Aristotle had in their maisters but said wee will obey the Queene of heauen wee will sacrifice to the calfe in Bethel and offer our children to Moloch in the valley of Hinnon See the diffidence which the Israelites had of their Lord and God of whom the Prophet said Ipse dixit facta sunt ipse mandauit creata sunt for by his word heauen and earth were made and by his commaundement all things created and yet not so much obeyed as Pythagoras was of his disciples or Aristotle of his schollers nor so much worshipped of his people Israel as the two calues made by Ieroboam in Dan and Bethel Old customes once rooted in long time confirmed are taken for lawes also whatsoeuer is done by example it is supposed that it may bee done by lawe so Cicero saith Quod exemplo fit id etiam iure fieri putant when in truth wicked customes are named Vetustas erroris non veritas legis though corrupt and leaud manners of men were first the cause that lawes were made yet euill examples may not bee allowed as lawes The auntient fathers and Patriarkes were Poliga◅ but not thereby to make good lawes by ill examples for it is said Praua consetudo magnus tyr annus In the tenth Regiment is shewed the disobedience of man against the Lord with the seuere punishments of all nations against theft THe Lord commaunded rauens to feed Elias and they did obey him he commaunded the Sunne to stay ouer Gibeon and the Moone ouer Aialō a whole day and they obeyed him the Lord commaunded the winds the seas fire haile snowe Ise and tempests and they obeyed his commaundement all creatures obey the Lord but man the chiefe creature which the Lord created according to his owne Image And therefore said Cicero Legi obediunt maria terraeque hominum vitaiussis supraemaelegis obtemperat the heauens the earth the sea and all men liuing obey the supreme lawe which is the lawe of God which Cicero calleth the lawe of nature Lex est illa circaea virga qua taetaeferae hominesque mitescunt Lawe is the rod apointed to tame man and beast The fraud of Giezi Elizeus seruant because he went secretly like a theese after Naman the Syrian and made a large lye that Elizeus his maister sent for a Tallent of siluer and two garments the Prophet beeing his maister gaue sentence on him that the leprosie of Naman shoulde cleaue and sticke to him for euer Giezi heere stole nothing but onely for his falsehood and lyes which with sacriledge and robberies stealing of cattell fraud deceit and the like are included within the precept of stealing for the law is Thou shalt not steale nor deale falsly neither lie one to another thou shalt not do thy neighbour wrong neither robbe him The vision of the flying booke signified the curse of theeues and such as abuse the name of the Lorde with oathes for all theeues and swearers shall be iudged by this booke for this booke shall remaine in theeues houses and in the houses of them that sweare falsly by my name saith the Lord and shall consume them with the timber and stones thereof Many poore theeues are fettered chained in prisons but great and publike theeues are cloathed in gold and purple Such was Heliodorus that came to robbe the Temple of Ierusalem from king Zaleucus who was so scourged and whipt that for golde and siluer he had stripes and stroakes that scarse thence he escaped aliue So should Shesac king of Egipt Antiochus king of Syria Pompey the great and Mar. Crassus the Romain Consul these foure great mightie theeues had bene as wel plagued and punished as Heliodorus was when they robd the Temple had it not bene for the great sinnes of Iudah and Ierusalem Many like Dyonisius after he spoyled the temple of Proserpina in Locris and sailing with a good gale of wind from Locris to Syracusa see said he to his mates fellowes how prosperously we saile after this our sacriledge Many againe robbe in scoffing sort like the same Dyonisius the tyrant who tooke the golden garment from Iupiter Olimpian in Peloponesus saying that it was too heauie for sommer and too colde for winter and therefore he commaunded that Iupiter should be cloathed with a woollen garment light for sommer and warme for winter many such like sacriledges are scoffingly committed in Christian Churches Many make but a ieast of theyr theeuerye and falshood with Dyonisius who when hee had taken the golden beard of Aesculapius away said it was no reason the sonne should weare a beard seeing his father Appollo had none If any man be found stealing any of his brethren the children of Israel and selleth him the thiefe shall die for the same the like is spoken to him that taketh the neather or vpper milstone to pledge The seuere lawes that they had in Phrygia against theft were such that hee that stole but a ploughe share from the fielde or a forke or a rake from a meadowe should by the lawe in Phrygia die In Athens the lawes of Draco were so hard streight against theft that for the least filching or stealing the theefe should die for it If any man in Athens should steale hearbes to make pottage or to take some dung of beasts for to dung his owne ground from another mans ground it was by Dracoes lawe a capitall crime He that borrowed a Horse of his neighbour and would ride further then the place appointed by the lawe of Draco hee might haue an action and therefore Demades saide that Dracoes lawes were Leges sanguine scriptae lawes written with blood the least fault in Athens by the lawe of Draco
Lacedemonians had also their Senate of eight and twentie graue and auncient wise men which by Licurgus lawe should be 60. yeares old before they should be chosen and accepted to be of councell The Carthagineans in like manner made choice of 30. of their principall and chiefe men of Carthage called Conipodes to sit and determine in secret councell of the state of their citie for the Carthagineans though they followed Charondas lawe yet they imitated the Lacedemonians in all other gouernment as well in warreas in peace So wearie were many nations of kings that when the Hebrewes sought to alter the gouernment of Iudges to haue Kings the Lord commaunded Samuel to set downe to the Hebrewes the lawes of Kings that they will take their sonnes their daughters the best of their fields of their vineards and of their Oliue trees giue them to their seruaunts and they shall take the best of their men-seruants and their maid-seruants their yong men and their asses to do their worke withall So the Vine the Figge tree and the Oliue answered the trees which would haue a king Shall we loose our fatnesse and sweetnesse to become a king Notwithstanding the bramble would be a king ouer the trees The Storke also would accept to be king ouer the the Frogges though all nations desire generally rather to be ruled by one then by many yet many that were elected kings would faine haue forsaken it Q. Cincinnatus being taken from the plough to be a Dictator in Rome to weare Togam praetextam assoone as sixe moneths were expired so long the office of the Dictatorship endured he returned again to his plough according to Salomons speech better is a morsel of bread in a poore mans house peaceably then to bee a Consul or a Dictator in Rome among vnruly people And therefore the Ephori of Sparta grew so ambitious that they began to enuie their kings and therefore deuised this lawe to expell their kings to obserue the starres euery ninth yeare in a cleare bright night which if they sawe any starre eyther shooting sliding or any way remouing from their place they with the consent of the whole colledge of soothsayers accused their kings that they had offended their gods and therefore deposed their kings so were king Agis and king Pausanias deposed from their kingdome by Lysander This was against the lawe of the Lord who said vnto Iob Where wast thou when I placed Hyades in theyr places and Plyades in their course canst thou know the course and orders of Septentriones and of other starres and of the reason thereof Nunquid Nosti rationem caeli saith the Lord Against these starre-gazers Plato writeth men should not bee too curious to seeke causes supernaturall and saith Nequè inquiri oportere nec fas esse curiosè satagere causas scrutantes That was the cause why Andronicus the Emperour hearing two learned men reasoning of the like to say if they would not leaue their curious and friuolous disputations the riuer Rindacus should be Iudge betweene them and end the controuersie for Non sapit qui nimis sapit So were the Priests called Mantes in Athens of such authoritie that nothing could be done in any publike councell concerning religion and matters of state vnlesse they were in place present The like lawe the Romaines vsed euery fiftyeare being taught and commaunded to bee obserued out of the bookes of the Sybils that vpon any appearances or sights of two Sunnes together or of three Moones or any other great causes the soothsayers might remoue either Consul or Praetor from their place The like ambition began in Persia after Cambises dyed that it was not lawfull for the kings of Persia to make any lawes otherwise then they were instructed by theyr Magi neither was there any lawe made among the auntient Romaines without the counsell of their soothsayers who were called interpretes Iouis Nuntijdeorum for these lawes were called among the Romains and the Persians Leges Augurales but of these Augural lawes I haue toucht them in my booke of Stratagems which were as much esteemed and feared of captaines and souldiers as their military lawes for both the Persians Grecians and Romains followed the counsell of soothsayers in their warres contrary to Moses lawe which forbad dreames and soothsaying to be vsed as the Gentiles did for saith the lawe Non declinetis ad magos The superstitious error of the Gentiles in their soothsayers grew to be so great that if the soothsaiers said that Esculapius beeing dead could sooner restore health and minister medicine to the sicke by dreames then Galen could do by his art aliue some would beleeue it and therefore the Pythagorians abstained from beanes when they went to sleepe because it filleth rather the minde with vaine dreames then the belley with good meate If any soothsayers would say that Serapis and Minerua through diuination could minister medicine and restore the sicke vnto health without the helpe of Phisitions sooner then the Phisitions themselues these flatterers would be as they are accepted in court countrey TanquaÌ„ Syrenes aulae the Gentiles would beleeue it which as Thucydides saith are two most noysome things in a common-wealth for nothing could be spoken so absurd but some Philosopher or other will maintaine it and defend it The Philosophers among the Indians which would either prognosticate or defend falsehood or seeme to affirme that to be true which was false they were by law for euer after commaunded to perpetuall silence The lawe of diuination was such in all kingdomes and countries eyther by fleeting of starres flying of fowles by intrailes of beasts or by dreames that whatsoeuer the soothsayers spake among the Persians Grecians and the Romaines it was taken for Maximum praestantissimum ius Reipub for the words of the lawe were Auspicia seruanto for example therof Cicero reciteth many histories and Crisippus gathered many Oracles together But if the lawe of the Gospell were so kept among Christians as the law of Augurers was among the Gentiles and the words of the Preacher were so obserued as the words of the Soothsayers among Pagans if mens affections were set on a heauenlycommon-wealth Vbi Rex est veritas lex charitas modus aeternitas as worldlings are set on an earthly habitation Vbi Rex est vanitas lex infidelitas modus breuitas As it hath bene seene in the Greeks which first florished before the Affricans in the Affricans which florished before the Romains and in the Romains which flourished before the Scythians and therefore In rebus cunctis est morum temporum imperiorum vices So that all commoâ—… wealths all kingdomes and all countries were ruled are and shall be gouerned by diuine prouidence from the beginning to the worlds ende FINIS A Table containing a briefe summe of the whole booke THe old Patriarkes liued vnder the lawe of nature