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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11933	A godlie and learned commentarie vpon the excellent book of Solomon, commonly called Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher in the vvhich commentarie are briefly and plainly layde downe the methode, sense, and vse of that most profitable sermon, on the which, yet there hath neuer bin set forth any exposition in the English tong before this time, in such large and profitable manner. VVritten in Latin by Iohn Serranus, and newly turned into English by Iohn Stockwood, school-master of Tunbridge.; Commentarius, in Solomonis Ecclesiastes. English	Serres, Jean de, 1540?-1598.; Stockwood, John, d. 1610.	1585 (1585)	STC 22247; ESTC S117199	256,809	478

those great daungers For it is an hard thing as one sayeth to striue agaynste our betters If the spirite of him that beareth rule aryse vp agaynste thee that is to saye if the Magistrate waxe angrye agaynste thee by an expresse manner of speaking signifying the vehemencie and force of anger Forsake not thy place behaue not thy selfe vnmodestlye nor leaue thy duetie passing the boundes of thy duetye attempte not anye thing againste the Magistrate being prouoked with his doing of thee wrong To forsake a man his place To keepe a man his place is to leaue his duetie contrariwise where the Apostle willeth to walke stedfastlye or as some translate it Comely his meaning is that a man should keepe his place or degree as is meete and comely Solomon therefore willeth greate mildenesse and Wisedome to be vsed towarde the angrie Magistrate He yeldeth a reason of his counsaile Because gentlenesse or myldnesse He meaneth that gentlenesse will pacifie and asswage the minde of the angrie Magistrate yea and moreouer bring to passe that the matter breake not out vnto any further sturre And why hee thus speaketh hee goeth on to shew 5. There is an euill c. As if he shoulde say It is in deede a verye harde matter to beare the pride and furiousnesse of vniust men yet of two discommodities the lesser is to bee chosen we must rather giue place vnto a Tyraunt then that there should come greater inconuenience Ephoroi or Ouerseers were certaine magistrates in the common wealth of the Lacedemonians appointed to see that the King kept the lawes and did the people no wrong the which forme of gouernment remayneth yet in some places as may appeare by this Author And he speaketh of priuate persons for the Ephoroi or Ouerseers in a common wealth the which are appointed vnto the cheefe Magistrate as it were bandes to bridle the higher power ought to set themselues against a tirant waxing insolent and proude against the lawes and customes of his countrie This is indeede a great euil that is a great disorder Vnder the Sun in this life And like vnto the error in which the prouidence of God seemeth to be wanting Yet it commeth forth frō the face of him that ruleth that is to say it is gouerned by the assured prouidence of God He addeth a newe circumstance of this matter 6. 7. A foole is set c. In disordered and tyrannicall gouernmentes Pickthanks and proud vaunting Thrasoes being in fauour and liking with the tirant doe beare the cheefest sway Noble men being thrust out vnto whom the lawes doe giue authoritie And it commeth also often times to passe that base persons are exalted vnto the place of great dignitie the rightfull owners being put back In these great dangers the graue counsayle of the holy ghost is that we behaue our selues wiselye and discreetely and cause no needelesse broyles but rather that we giue place vnto the greater power of a tyraunt albeit he be neuer so wicked whome God in his iust iudgemente will haue to reigne to punishe those Why God will haue a tyrant to reigne which woulde not obey him ruling iustly and mildly by his word So the Prophet willed the people of GOD oppressed by the vniust power of Babylon to pray for the peace of Babilon Nothing is more repugnaunt or contrarye vnto true religion then disorder or disobedience and the same ciuile The gospell taketh not away but establisheth obedience vnto Magistrates For the Gospell taketh not awaye the authoritie of the Magistrate and politike gouernment but doth establishe it yea and moreouer it willeth subiectes to be obediente euen vnto euill Magistrates For as concerning those thinges the which appertaine vnto the worship of God and the peace of oure consciences there is extant a profytable exception of the same truth the whiche is neuer contrary vnto it selfe That it is better to obey God then men Neyther is it the minde of Solomon to make men blockes as some people are idolators of their owne Kinges but hee teacheth that wee oughte to behaue our selues wiselye and discreetelye amonge these outrages and disorders least that we heape vp one euill vpon an other obseruing diligentlye the circumstances of persons and times the which hee taughte before to bee one especiall point of christian wisedome 8. 9. He that diggeth a pit A precept for the auoiding of craftinesse and deceit the which is matched against true and holy wisdome By the one he sayth that thinges go verye ill forwarde with men and with the other to haue verye good successe and therefore that the true and sure waye of doing thinges well and happilye to consist especially in this vpright and simple wisedome Plaine and vpright dealing with wisdome is the way to make things go well with vs. Contrariwise that it cannot bee but that by subtiltie and deceit endlesse trouble must arise vnto craftie persons For of ill counsayles there are wont to be bad endes according vnto that rule Heinous crimes are punishmentes euen in this life and With what measure ye met with the same it shall be met vnto you agayn The continual experience of things teacheth this from whence haue sprung these sayinges He that against an other man Plutarch de audiendis poetis Doth mischeefe worke and frame May make accounts that he himselfe Shal not escape the same And Hesiodus Bad counsaile forgde by craftye head An other to entrap Doth often fall by due desert Into the forgers lap And the whole kinde of speaking doth excell with a notable garnishing of Figures For there are vsed similitudes and examples of deceytes the which deceytes are the effectes of a craftie and subtle minde The first similitude Hee that diggeth a pitte c. which similitude is often in the scripture Psal 7. Prouerb 26. and in many places else The meaning is that craftie persons doe perishe through their owne artes and doe procure harme vnto their owne selues by the selfe same means that they did practise against an other To this purpose are the other similitudes referred The second Hee that teareth or pulleth vp an hedge that is to saye as he whiche breaketh downe the hedge of an other man his grounde a serpent commeth out of the hedge and hurteth him so he ●hat seeketh the hurte of his Neighboure doth willingly hurt himselfe He that remoueth a stone The third As he hat plucketh vp the boundes of an other man ●is grounde doth bring himselfe into very grea●e daunger namely into some great punishmen● appointed by lawes against such as pull vp land marks as was this lawe of the twelue tables Hee that shal pluck vp any bounde lette him bee punished So sayeth hee He shall be confounded that remoueth boundes because it is a capitall crime of man his owne priuate authoritie to remoue marks An other similitude Hee that cutteth woode The fourth The application of this similitude is easie by that which

figure called Hyperbole and the meaning of the words is as if he should say Be afraide to make thine own self as it were a witnesse of those thoughts the which the Prophet vttereth in other words thus lay thine hand vppon thy mouth in the confusions and disorders of kingdomes for as one sayth trustie or faithfull silence hath a safe and sure rewarde It is lawfull for the seruants of God to reproue princes if their calling so require Yet hee doeth not take away the holie libertie of the seruaunts of God in reproouing of Kings when as their callinge requireth the same but he sheweth euerie priuate man howe discreetly and wisely he ought to behaue himselfe least he bring himself wilfully into trouble and through vnaduised zeale become a cause and meanes of daungerous rashnesse He sheweth a cause and setteth it out by a similitude That the authoritie of Kings is so great and such is their power that euen the verie birdes will bring vnto them the things which hath bene spoken or whispered in the eare in our secrete closet For they haue euery where their harkeners and long handes but we ought to giue our diligence to be wise as serpents and simple as doues that is to say to walke circumspectly not as vnwise but as wise diligently notinge the circumstances of things that is to say according vnto that wher of wee are generally put in minde redeeming the time as the Apostle sayeth for the dayes are euil A precept concerning Charitie in releeuing the poore From this place vnto the 7 verse The xj Chapter 1 Cast thy bread vpon the face of the waters for in the multitud of dayes thou shalt find it 2 Giue a portion of bread vnto seuen that stande in need or also vnto eight for thou knowest not what euil shal be vpon the earth 3 If the cloudes be full they will powre foorth raine vpon the earth and if the tree do fall towarde the South or toward the North in the place that the tree falleth there it shal be 4 He that obserueth or hath regarde vnto the winde shall neuer sowe and he that looketh vnto the cloudes shall neuer reap 5 As thou knowest not which is the waye of the spirite and how the bones growe in the wombe of her that is with child so thou knowest not the worke of God that worketh all things 6 In the morning sowe thy seede and in the euening let not thyne hand rest because thou knowest not whether is more conuenient this or that or whether both of them be alike good The Exposition and the doctrine 1 Cast thy bread A precept of Christian charitie towardes the poore A notable precept of the bounteousnesse of Christian Charitie in releeuing of the poore The whole speach is figuratiue Cast thy breade vppon the waters that is to saye Giue liberally of thy goodes vnto the poore shewe thy selfe a liberall and readie giuer of thy wealth and lay not out euerie thing in such sort that if there appeare no hope of being requited againe thou wilt therfore withdraw thine hand from well doing But rather concerning those helps wherewith thou maist releeue the poore and such as stande in neede of thine aid cast them vpon the face of the waters as if they should be lost albeit thou knowe not what end successe this thy liberalitie shal haue This is an excessiue kind of speach He taketh not away iudgement in bestowing our almes For he taketh not away the iudgement of wisedom that considering matters wisely diligently wee should bestow a benefit vpon those whom we shall thinke worthie of our helpe especially vpon those which are of the houshold of faith but he will giue vs to vnderstand that we must make no delay in helping the pore whilest we too curiously search whether they be worthie or vnworthie of whome regard should be had Hee will therefore haue our bread to bee as it were cast vpon the waters as if it should perish and be lost The which doctrine is agreable vnto the commaundement of oure master Christ concerning the releeuing of the poore Mat. 6. A promise Vnto the precept he ioyneth a promise For in the multitude c. that is to saye Albeit that the same thing seeme to be cleane lost the which thou hast giuen vnto a poore man yet know thou this for certaintie that in the ende thou shalt receiue againe with great gaine the benefite the which thou hast bestowed vpon a poore man For God doubtlesse vnto whome we do owe our selues and al that euer we haue and who oweth nothinge vnto anye creature doeth giue his promise as if he were a suretie and doeth promise vs faithfully that he wil pay vs all those thinges againe with moste large increase the which in his name and for his sake we shall giue vnto the poore In the multitude of dayes then that is to say euen then namely when as thou shalt looke for nothing thou shalt receiue with most great gaine the benefite the which thou hast bestowed vppon a poore man Hee doeth amplifie the former precept with a newe circumstance 2 Giue a portion As if he should say If thou bestowe a benefite vpon one or two think not that thou hast discharged thy dutie but rather giue a portion of thy bread to seuen or eight that stand in neede that is to say Thinke that thou oughtest to releeue so manye with thy helpe as thou shalt be able to helpe with thine aide bounde not in thy liberalitie within narrowe boundes helpe all those that thou art able to helpe We must help as many as we are able albeit that manie doe craue thy helpe He said Seuen for a good or great number according vnto the vse of the scripture He addeth a new reason For thou knowest not what euill shal be vpon the earth that is what euill remaineth for thee Thou art a man thinke not that there is any thing that may happen vnto a man but that the same also may happen vnto thee suppose that thou maist haue the like mishap befalling vnto thee Doe therefore the same vnto a poore man the which thou wouldest haue done vnto thy selfe if thou were thy selfe in the same case that hee is With what measure thou mettest vnto thy neighbours thinke that with the same it shal be metten vnto thee againe For damnation shal bee without mercie vnto him that sheweth no mercie contrariwise for honest liberalitie there remayneth a good rewarde Thinke also that it may come to passe that thou shalt dye shortly and that occasions to doe good wil slip from thee whilest thou mayst lay vp a benefite the which thou shalt receiue with gayne in heauen To this purpose appertaineth the verse following 3 If the cloudes be full As if hee should say From thence water commeth where water is there the tree is founde where hee is into what part or coast of the heauen soeuer he shal fall So

and rashnesse of our fleshe is to be restrayned held in with this bridle A bridle against the rashnes of our flesh These things must needes haue beene done at this time and after this manner because God hath so appointed but if thou shalt be against it whatsoeuer thou further takest in hand shal be vnprofitable and foolish 1 Vnto euery thing in the beginning he setteth downe a generall saying and sentence That there are certaine and set seasons and courses for all the things and enterprises of men the which the prouidence of God both hath appointed and also doeth constantly order and dispose The worde Zeman signifieth a set time Zeman Kairos Chephets occasion opportunitie ho kairos a moment or point of time Chephets hee calleth a trade or course of life to epitedeuma a purpose as beneath ver 17. Mercerus noteth that in the style and phrase of speaking in the Talmud all things are called Chephatsim like as the Greekes haue translated it to panti pragmati vnto euery thing In that this word vnder heauen is adioined I altogither vnderstande it of the enterprises of men not that it should be referred vnto God by whose will notwithstanding these times of thinges are appointed and disposed For he had sayde vnto euerie thing by which worde the things of nature are vnderstoode This generally set downe he prooueth to be true by induction or bringing in of diuerse and sundry things the which may be brought into two sortes natural and ciuil that is those things which consist in nature and the which are conuersant in the counsailes and enterprises of men For these things are to be taken simply and not to be intangled with the forgeries of allegories Needelesse allegories as many expositers foolishly do 2 A time to be borne or of bringing foorth and a time to die no doubt the seasons and verie moments of our birth and death are determined and set downe the which the wisedome of man can by no meanes change For the endes of our life are in the hand of God A time to plant c. In things also without life nature hath her certaine set courses appointed her by God Plants do growe vp at their time and do dy also at their time Yea countreys themselues haue their times some time they are wonderfully garnished encreased beautified with cities sometimes they are laid wast ly ruinous at decay Some times Asia and Graecia flourished with cities now they ly desolat Iewrie how notable a change hath it had 3 4 A time to kill His meaning is Prosperitie aduersitie gouerned by God that prosperitie and aduersitie is gouerned by God as also by these words A time to weepe c. to put vs in minde that those diuerse casualties of our life as sicknes death burial gladnes all things both priuately and publikely do come from the prouidence of God He addeth 5 A time to scatter abroad Diuerse interpreters do diuersly expound this place This place diuersly expounded I wittingly and willingly ouerpasse mad allegoricall interpretations For what doth it profit to load the reader with these trifles I vnderstand this place simply of matters belonging vnto houshold that he should teache that there is a time of gaine a time of losse So To gather stones togither to throw them abroad is to get goods to lose as he saith by by For that which som say of building and pulling downe a wall is nothing at all vnto the purpose With houshold matters he ioyneth marriage for these words A time to embrace Mariage c. I vnderstande of marriage that hee shoulde signifie that mariage the foundation of mankind is gouerned by God to the end we should learn in a matter the most of weight of all the things which belong vnto this life to depend vpō the prouidence of god hauing wiues as not hauing as the Apostle speaking of this matter hath saide Hee setteth out the self same matter of the courses changes of familie matters with other kindes of speaking also for the knowledge of this thing doth especialiy appertaine vnto the wisedome of man of the which he speaketh To cut 7 A time to cut for that which he said To lose he in this place by a figure calleth To cut To sowe vp againe To sow vp againe he vseth for to winne againe or recouer a losse And he doth not without cause note the times of holding our peace of speaking as which in the life of man beare great sway Also he doeth not ouerpasse those things the which in life do verie much preuail namely loue and hatred among priuat persons warre peace betweene cities for the words are plaine 8 A time to loue Doubtles there are to be found among men certaine felow feelings and louing affections as also the contrarie the which the prouidence of God without all question doeth gouerne diuersly turning and stirring the mindes of men vnto both partes according vnto his pleasure And that warre peace are ruled by God both the word of god and also experience doeth abundantly shewe By this reckoning vp therfore of diuerse things is concluded this generall That all things and enterprises hath their proper and set times and that Warre and peace ruled by God by the prouidence of GOD both Nature her selfe and also the fellowship of man are wisely gouerned yea and all things the which doe diuersely fall out both in the one and the other These things thus set downe hee concludeth 9 What profit that is if a man go about any thing against these times ordeined by God albeit he vse neuer so great labor diligence he shall altogither lose it wearie himselfe For this is the conclusion of the thinges going before therfore this condition of foolish ouerthwart enterprise is to be vnderstood This conclusion hee garnisheth amplifieth with a new circumstance to the same end purpose 10 I haue seene the trouble I haue saith he by assured argumēts founde out the cause why men do so miserably turmoyle themselues God in his secrete but yet most iust iudgement punisheth one sin with another He sayeth that God hath giuen vnto men that same pensiue toyle of life proceeding from vnmeasurable carefulnesse that is to say trouble and vexation not that God doeth put that same wicked desire into the minds of men for then he should be the cause and author of sin which is great blasphemie but to expresse the force and power of the prouidence of God who in his iudgement secrete in deede and vnknowen vnto vs but yet always iust doeth punish that same great sinne of distrust ouerthwart trustfulnesse with a new sin as with a penaltie that because men do neither trust vnto God yet do put too much trust in these fleeting and vading things he doth more deeply drown them and driue them headlong as it were

Kings Kingdomes He concludeth therefore that in great personages there are euident and notable tokens of great vanitie This sayth he is altogether vanitie c. namelye that honourable and great personages borne of a certaine proper metall by themselues as it were and seuered from the common rable of other men are yet notwithstanding subiecte vnto the pleasure of the people To see these ebbings and flowings of the peoples fauoure in that common welth especially where the people beare the chiefest sway in is in deede vsuall yea and in a Monarchie or kingdome howe muche the people maye doe the Example of Israell hath taughte when Roboam the sonne of Solomon was thruste oute Roboam the Example of the Romanes hath taughte dryuinge oute their Kinges The Romans and recouering their libertye the moste often chaunges almoste in all Nations haue taughte vs. Hee speaketh therfore of most free nations among whom the king had no more autority ouer the people then the people ouer the King as Caesar speaketh of the antient French-men and the causes of these chaunges do most often lye in the Princes themselues For the people loueth him of whome they are well handled hateth him of whom they are euill intreated and his yoake the which they cannot beare they do in the ende cleane shake off So Roboam himself the sonne of a most wise father swaruing from the lessons and manners of his father procured the displeasure of the people against him and was turned out of his Kingdome So the Romanes draue out Tarquinios superbos waxing insolent proude with immoderate rule and gouernmēt for these causes they slue diuers Emperoures which were indeed rather monsters then men being wearie of their tyrannous rule bearing as Commodus Heliogabalus c. albeit that they also sometimes raged against good Princes as against Alexander Mammea c. Such namely is the violēce of the People whom Princes ought to winne vnto them by gentle moderate gouernment for they hate him whom they feare and whom they hate him they wishe to perish The loue therefore and good will of the people toward the Prince is the sound foundation of kingdomes The doctrine 1. God the autor and gouernour of the societye and fellowship of men hath appointed vnto himselfe the magistrate as an Embassadour by whose ministerie and seruice he woulde preserue and maintaine the same societie God preserueth the societie of mankind by Magistra●es in the necessarie and wholesome difference of rulers and subiects Their dignitie and excellencie therfore is singular whome God maketh ministers of so worthie and weightie matters and he will also haue thē enioy most great notable priuileges aboute the condition of other men Yet wee must not thinke that the life of great personages is in all pointes blessed and happie but rather that experience it selfe doeth abundantly teach that it is beset with many and great encumbrances the whiche are both inward through the blame and fault of the magistrates themselues and also outwarde by reason of manye alterations and chaunges the which are wont to be rife in the ofte ebbing and flowing sea of this world 2. The kingly dignity and power is both more auntient How the kingly power is both the best and the worst and also better then all other kindes of publike gouernments if it be limited and bounded with good lawes and get a good and a wise gouernour for it is the image of a fatherlye rule then the whiche there can bee none on the earth founde out eyther more honourable or more profitable but if it haue an euill gouernoure and a foole then is it of all other the worst And it commeth to passe by reason of the power of Kinges which is not to be corrected and through the allurements of a lose life that their minds are many times corrupted both vnto the hurte of themselues and of their subiectes Let kinges therefore learne whiche séeke happinesse in a milde Gouernemente to begge Wysedome of GOD and equitye in gouernmente for foolishe and vniust rulebearing as it is hurtefull vnto the Subiectes so is it also vnto the Rulers A wise gouernment is of God 3. A wise and happye Gouernmente is of GOD that the people maye learne to praye for a good and Wise Magistrate at his hande Truelye a good Prince is a certayne moste rare Phenix 4. God doeth constantlye gouerne all the alterations and changes of all common wealths God is the gouernour of al common wealths neyther is there here any place lefte vnto fortune neyther yet vnto the industrie or witte of man the which wholy is fitted by the prouidence of God For Promotion commeth neyther from the East nor from the Weast nor from the North. Because as the Prophet sayeth GOD is the Iudge hee throweth downe one and setteth vp an other Hee effectuallye ruleth the beginninges the middle the increase the decrease the full poyntes and endes of all Gouernementes The Scripture setteth foorth this true and certayne cause of chaunges whilest hée stirreth vp Kinges otherwyse deafe and dull to sette forth the power of GOD. For the thinges themselues albeit Kinges otherwise eyther holde their peace or also repine agaynste it doe witnesse the singular Maiestye and prouidence of God the cheefe King of all kinges 5. God doubtlesse hath ordayned gouernementes whiche come by inherytaunce Gouernments that come by inheritaunce are ordained by God as it is manyfeste by the Kingdome of Dauid neyther truelye coulde it come to passe wythoute the power of GOD that so manye millions of people shoulde willinglye obey an Infant newe borne and one man This notwythstandinge is true in Gouernementes that come by inherytaunce that the power of Kinges doeth depende vppon the power of the people and therefore that Kynges oughte to desyre of GOD that hée woulde frame the myndes of the people vnto obedyence and because that the Worde of GOD is the rule of this Obedience A good lesson for Princes that they oughte to employe all their diligence that the people maye bee instructed in the true knowledge and obedyence of God They ought moreouer by a iust and mild gouernement the which is sette downe by lawes to bynde the hearts of the people vnto them the which doubtlesse loueth him by whome they are well intreated And they must call to minde that they reigne not ouer Beastes but that they being men are appointed by God to gouerne men vnto whome they shal giue accounts of their gouernment And fynally they are to thinke that it is a dangerous thing to haue the patience of the people tried and teazed the whiche being often hurt is wont to turne into madnesse A rehersal of that which hitherto hath bene taught 6. Hitherto the preacher hath taught that happinesse is not in worldly thinges the whiche hee hath plentifully prooued by sufficient reckoning vp of the partes firste examining the generall trades of liuing and then the speciall And hee

one sayeth Such are the heathen Philosophers following that same vaine vanitie nothing beseeming Philosophers who in needefull and common matters being altogether boyes that is to saye being ignoraunte of the waye to lyue well haue vaunted of the thinges the which they haue not seen Horace as the Apostle saith as Democritus vvho beholding the fyrmamente and stars suffered his grounde to be spoiled by cattel And in the common course of life also such kind of men are to be seene who as Bernarde sayeth do all things sauing that the which they ought to doe They know not the way into the citie the which is a patterne of those curious ones whome the Apostle sayeth not to worke at all but to be busie medlers with that wherewith they haue nothing to doe and woulde haue them to be noted by an Epistle as vlcers and cankers of holie assemblies as were those idle and busie widdowes 1. Tim. ver 13. 16 VVo be to thee ô Land He spake before of the manner howe wee ought to behaue our selues in the daungers of a disordered and tyrannicall gouernement nowe he preacheth of an happie and vnhappie gouernement Therefore I suppose these two verses and the twentieth to be set out of their places by the Rabines The storie of the Leuite his wife wrōg placed as it is likely as is manifest concerning that storie the which is in the ende of the Iudges concerning the wife of the Leuite defiled by the Biniamites in the which mention is made of Phinees the sonne of Eleazar the which could not liue vnto that age Yet am I afrayde to chaunge so much as one title in this place But if they bee ioyned with the fifth verse the sentence will runne the more aptly Wo therefore vnto thee O lande He sayeth that the same land is vnhappie the which meeteth with euil princes contrariwise that that lād is happie the which meeteth with good Princes For it is a greate plague whē as they by whose goodnes iustice wisydome grauitie mankinde ought to be gouerned doe rush in as it were wolues vnto the ouerthrow and destruction of mankind Thy King is a childe He speaketh not simply of such as are children in age for kingdomes may bee gouerned very well by children that is such as are not of any great age as contrariwise they may be gouerned verie ill by olde men but in wit and wisedome so that they bee carried away headlong with euil counsail a threatning of which like kind of children kings there is in Esaias and Oseas Plato Plato doubtlesse hath said verie well that it can verie hard and scarsly bee but that a yong mind hauing such authoritie as may not be controlled the which is not cōstrained to giue accounts vnto any man of his doings will be full fraught with folly and lust and therefore be a cause of many troubles He sayeth also that dissolute and lewd princes are the destruction and vndoing of kingdomes which kind of monsters the Romane Empire hath felt vnto the ouerthowe of the same and our age doeth see some waxinge insolent and proude in moste noble kingdomes Contrariwise hee sayeth that that kingdome is happie in which the King raigning by lawfull authoritie the whiche hee hath receiued from his auncestours according vnto the ordinaunce of lawes for he speaketh of a kingdome descending by inheritance such as was in the house of Dauid doth so behaue himselfe as becommeth a godly and a good Prince He therfore setteth the sobrietie of a good and vertuous Prince against the dissolutenesse and drunkennesse of Tyrants And hee prescribeth this rule of eating and drinking A rule for eating and drinking that wee eate and drinke so much as may bee sufficient to nourish and refresh the bodie so that it maye bee fit for the discharging of the duties of our calling not for beastly desire and gurmaundice in eating drinking For as one saith we doe not liue to eate but we eate to liue 18 Because of slothfulnes Against slouthfulnes A precept concerninge the auoydinge of slothfulnesse and hee also ministreth a remedie for the driuinge of it awaye which is the true knowledge of GOD the vse whereof hee teacheth He setteth downe the discommodities of slouthfulnesse namely that through it the goods of a slouthfull and sluggish person are wasted and consumed the which hee setteth out by a notable similitude But it is expedient for the common wealth that no man wastfully spend his goods There is a flat commaundement of GOD that hee which laboureth not should not eat when as it is commendable iust necessarie that euery man should keepe himselfe within some certain kind of calling There is an example of this honest labor in Adā euē before his fall as who laboured with any pain in dressing the garden of Eden but sin hath made vs subiect vnto labour This saying is found true That men by doing nothing learne to doe euill Idl●nes For idlenesse is the firebrande and matter of kindling many euils Hauing shewed the effectes of slouthfulnesse he nowe declareth the effectes of diligence the which he matcheth against it 19 For laughter Laughter he calleth merrinesse and pleasantnesse of minde By the word Bread Bread he vnderstandeth necessarie fit helps to liue withall Wine is ordeined not onely for the necessarie vses of life Wine but also for pleasure Siluer he sayth aunswereth all Siluer because that the commoditie of money is so great that it floweth out plentifully and is spread abroad into all the partes of man his life Finally he comprehendeth al things the which appertaine vnto the leading of our life commodiously and honestly the which are furnished by diligence and industrie or paines taking and therefore is by so much more to bee preferred before slouthfulnesse by how much it is more to be wished to lead our life easily and happily then to liue miserably and shamefully in the sluttishnesse and filthes of pouertie This I think to be the plaine and cleare meaning of this place In this kinde of speache They make bread the interpreters supply this worde Bakers but needelesly for it is an impersonall as they saye according vnto the vse of the Hebrewes They make bread that is to say bread is wont to bee made So the vse of bread is simply signified 20 Euen in thy thought Another effect of Christian wisedom Another effect of Christian wisedome of the which hee had spoken in the fifth verse following namely howe we ought to behaue our selues in troublesome and disordered kingdomes Namely that in this moste wicked worlde wee ought to vse so great warinesse and heedefulnesse that if the manners of the magistrate dislike vs we should not tell it vnto any body for as much as that is ioyned with verie great daunger And in this kinde of speaking Speake not euil of the King no not in thy thought there is an excessiue speache the which among the Rhetoricians is a