to haue obteyned a member of his bodie as the wordes of the text make mention in the 42. chapter of Genesis 36. Then Iacob their father saide to them yee haue robbed me of my children Ioseph is not and Simeon is not and yee will take Beniamin all these things are against me And although Reuben offered the pawne of his two sonnes euen to the sworde conditionally yet Jacob replyed saying My sonne shall not goe downe with you for his brother is dead he is left alone if death come to him by the way which ye goe then ye shall bring my gray head with sorrowe vnto the graue whose sharpe wordes of a father and a Prince too as hee may bee called in respect of the Church then had bin ynough to haue discouraged any had hee not beene bolde spirited and to haue caused the suite to fall vnto the grounde but the wayghtines of the matter being such and the preseruation of Gods Church in Jacobs house nowe requiring it Iudah also steps forth who in renewing his brothers sute receyued some further checkes at Iacobs hande as Ruben before had done and yet the extremitie of the daungers wherein Iacob and his whole house stoode beyng by him in the ende throughly wayghed the sute with much a doo at length was obtayned Vnto the which zealous and strict manner of proceeding in this or such a like discouerie wherein thou hast not thy liberty the perils and daungers whereinto the safetie of the Church Prince and Countrey by thy too remisse dealing in so serious a matter may bee an argument of sufficient wayght to draw thee But to leaue the manner of this earnest prosecuting the cause of so great a villany which yet may teach this age which in bad thinges and concerning priuate pleasure or profite is bolde enough but concerning publique affayres tending to the benefit of Prince Countrey are soone snybbed to be therein more bold and to proceede in the matter Moreouer Iohanan and all the Captaynes of the host came vnto Gedaliah vnto Mizpah and sayd vnto him Knowest thou not c. In the second place is to be weighed the phrayse of speech Knowest thou not the rather because herein he seemes to be rude vnciuile homely preposterous as though he knew not how to beare himself in Court in the presence of a Prince Knowest thou not whereas in deede it is a speech very forcible sent foorth from a vehemency of spirit studious both of the welfare preseruation of the Prince and zealous of the Princes not being sufficiently carefull for his owne safety as though he shold say it is a rumour cōmon in al mens mouthes concerning Ishmael his conspiracy and is it hid frō thee whom it most concernes is he so trecherous so villanous and of so murthering a spirit and dost thou as yet harbour in thy bosome the serpent that wil sting thee to death Knowest thou not sayth he art thou so blinded in him art thou so deceyued by his dissembling canst thou not at any time either by face or countenance or by his behauiour or priuate conference discry him for to say the truth it belongeth to Kings Princes although they according to Gods ordinance are by noble wise graue learned Counsellors to be aduised yet themselues are to carry knowledge wisedome in their own breasts wherby they may be able to discerne spirits and iudge causes and discrie countenaunces if it were possible In deede good Counsellors are the speciall props and pillers of Kings and Princes thrones and the onely preseruatiue of Countryes according to Salomon his speech in the 11. of his Prouerbes Where many Counsellers are there is health And againe in the 15. Prou. In the multitude of Counsellers there is stedfastnesse In the which most diuine sentences the holy Ghost in his seruant Salomon opposeth himselfe to a most diuelish conclusion of Machiauill to whom our age I feare is ouermuch addicted wherein yet hee would seeme to colour out the matter with some shew of truth within his booke intituled Machiauilli princeps he thus setteth downe Principi qui per se non sapit recte ei consilia dari non facile posse vnto a Prince not sufficiently wise of himselfe it is no easie matter rightly to giue counsell or aduise his first reason is this Perhaps it may be sayth hee that a Prince may well bee gouerned that shall resigne himself fouer to some one of trust for that purpose But he were like to bee but a while quiet in the same because that protector of him will not sticke foorthwith by violence to thrust him out of that his seat of gouernment Likewise he improueth a Prince that shall suffer himselfe to be counselled of many for sayth he if an vnwise Prince shal admit into the counsell of his affayres more then one they will seeldome agree in counsell and hee himselfe will be farre vnmeete to reconcile them and againe sayth he they will be too studious of their owne commodities as though a Prince hauing some euill as amongst many some such often fall out to be must therfore abandon all others how good wise and faithfull soeuer and so in the end hee necessarily concludeth that good counsayles must proceede from the Princes owne wisedom and in any wise not the wisedome of the Prince to be deriued from good counsayle which conclusions of his though they seeme to be somewhat yet are they of no waight for alas what Machiauels pollicies are who that readeth may finde euen cōclusions abandoning all christian religion which consisteth in trueth without dissimulation they seruing to no other end but to puffe vp Princes with pride and self loue selfe lyking of their owne wisdomes though they do turn in th'ende to the ruine of thēselues and of the state of their whole Country Indeede as Salomon saith in the 25. Pro. The Kings honor is to search out a thing wherein his meaning is not as Machiauell in another of his speculatiue contemplations for th'auoiding of flatterers saith that Princes shall proclaime by publicke Edict that no one of his freendes or counsellers shall perswade him to any thing neither conferre with him of any matter vnlesse it be of that whereof he himselfe shall offer voluntarilye to speake Which opinion of his had his first originall in the very sinke of Hell and is contrary to the doctrine of Salomon before mentioned to the examples of all godly Kinges in the time of the Law and Christian Princes since the gospell who haue alwaies retained about them wise learned and good counsellers but rather Salomon ment that a King or sole gouernour should not so far adict themselues vnto their vanities and sensuall delights as not at all to examine the dealings yea of their Iudges and other inferiour powers towards their people but herein to spare some time wherin both diligently and seriouslye they ought to see into both the causes and
of faith in Christ of regeneration and new birth the effect of the spirite of God by the woord against whom may be iustified euen against the curious questionaries of our age the saying of Grigor Lib. 8. Moral Nonnulli dum plus exquirunt contemplando quam capiunt vsque ad peruersa dogmata erumpunt dum veritatis discipuli esse negligunt humiliter magistri erroris fiunt Many saith he whilste they ouerbusie their heads to seeke out more then they do either well conceiue or vnderstand they break out into peruerse opinions and in humility they neglecting to be disciples vnto trueth they become great Clarkes and master teachers of errors of whom whilest amongst many of their points they stand in this one of calling chusing and ordeining Ministers they omit in the meane time all teachers and teaching especiallye all other that are not of their owne choosing and so with Aesops Dogge whilste they snatche not that I speake it in contempt of the Church ordinance concerning that poynt after shadows in comparison J may say they leese the substance by whom J could wish that this one thing were considered spoken though by a Heathen Aliud estaliquid suadere quod faciun dum sit aliud ferre quod recte mutari non potest Jt is one thing to perswade a matter to be doone and an other thing to tollerate that which rightly or conueniently cannot be changed Other people there are whome our daies do breed whose eyes the God of this worlde hath blinded vnto whome the ministrie of the woord is but vile being in their eyes as dung which yet if we were as the fat dung is to the barren ground it were well and profitable for them and we could be contented so to be accounted conditionallye that our doctrine might make their barren harts more fruitfull these are they that can make some reckoning of the trueth so long as thier profit be not spoken against Neere they be of alliance to Lisander the Lacedimonian who affirmed by mouth that trueth was to be preferred before lyes but in the valuing of them together according to their worthines he made reckoning of them more or lesse according as they brought gaine to the cofers vnto these of so many sortes so diuerslye minded if a man should seeke to frame himselfe in euery respect in attempting any thing that might make either to the glory of God or the benefite of his Church it would cause him to giue ouer his trauaile euen in the very mid way To omit therfore the consideration of all sortes of people with whome your grace in experience is better acquainted then my selfe I hauing already borne the burden of their reproches and to leaue them if so be they will vouchsafe it to the Treatise it selfe which I to this ende in a louing affection to all if it may be so accepted haue presumed to publish that all degrees of persons might thence learn how to beare themselues towards their Soueraign especially as also towards all other inferiour powers and then how euery one is likewise to waâ—kâ— to the help and mutuall comfort eche of other which woorke of mine in this vocation of my ministrie not so publiquely profitable being the first fruites of my labours if not vntimely I hope I haue referred ouer to the protection of your graces name and honorable credite presuming thereupon in regarde of the greatnes of your late honorable kindenes offred for my good To omit to speake of other your vertues of learning knowledge and wisdome together with your great care loue and affection towards the learned in all artes especially in the ministrye of the woord of God approuing themselues painefull in their callings studious of the good peace of the Church Of these I spare to speak least J be affirmed to flatter wherin J wish not Dionisius his medicine prouided for Democles that notable flatterer in his Court but also with Dauid as it is in the 12. Psalm 3. ver The Lord cut of all flattering lips and the tungs that speak proud things The which in most humble manner I craue at your graces hand to accept according to a true meaning and as a testimonie of my thankefull hart the argument is of the discouerie of treason the manner of it is historicall in the which wherin I haue fayled I referre my selfe ouer to your graces censure not doubting but whatsoeuer ouersight either in the matter or manner hath passed me it will please you to make therof a charitable construction Thus desiring God who hath vnto the principall place of our Church in respect of gouernement aduaunced you by and vnder her highnes vpon her speciall fauor whom God long continue that according to the riches of his grace you may bestowe all your knowledge wisedome power and auctoritie in setting vp the kingdom of Christ Iesus by the preferring of the ministrye of the woord amongst his people to the beating downe of the kingdome of Sathan by supplanting all errours and corruptions yet remaining in the church to the vttermost of your power that therin God being glorified the church being bettered corruptions reformed ecclesiasticall censures rightlye and vprightly executed all controuersies in causes of the church through Satans mallice first begun and yet continued amongest vs by your grace as the cheefe meanes therof and the rest of the reuerend Fathers of our church if it might please God in his mercy so to woork it being at the last yet determined and then your owne conscience before God and men freely discharged Finally that name honor credit glorye and beauty of this worlde being so ended you may reape increase of true glorye and that euerlasting in the saluation of your Soule to your endlesse felicitie in the world to come Woodgrange in Westham in Essex the 6. of November 1591. Your graces most humble to commaund in the Lord Samuell Cottesford Preacher To the right honourable W. Webbe L. Maior of the Cittie of London the right worshipfull Sir Richard Martin Knight and to all the rest of the Aldermen of the sayde Cittie Samuell Cottesforde wisheth increase of all spirituall and temporall blessings in this life and euer lasting happines in the world to come RIght honourable and beloued in the Lord hauing had the greatest part of my maintenaÌ„ce or my studies in that your houourable Citie as also spent some time of my publique ministery there in carrying therefore some louing affection therunto could not otherwise satisfie my selfe being held in conscience bound in some dutie to some of the same place of gouernement in your Cittie but shewe forth in outward appearance some token of thankfulnes thereby to remoue that coÌ„mon blot of ingratitude which to be guiltie off I account it with him that saide Omnia dixeris stingratu dixeris The cause that moued me to this from whence in no wise I could be remoued was the matter in this treatise which concernes most those places where greatest assemblies are
most puissant Princesse maintained and yet continued that in stead therof we heare not a strange song of spirituall and corporall bondage and captiuitie for the contempt of the word of God and the abuse of his graces vnder the enemies of GOD our Prince and country whose teethe are set on edge to be dealing with vs who thirste greatlye after our blood take heed that in stead of our songes had at our feastes and our epicurial banquets full of filthines abhomination tickling vp the vile fleshe vnto sensualitye and carnall lusts we heare not a song of famine and hunger our children crying and howling for the least of these morsels which in our fulnes they we and our seruants haue loathed though many our betters in Gods sight wated them and then we cannot haue them And in this description of the causes why God though he prolong his iudgmentes yet in th'end he paieth home Let vs not forget the great care of the flesh that the whole land hath concerning excesse in apparrell take heede once more I say that the disguising of our selues in the attire of euerye land not for the stuffe wherof the garments are made as cloth of Golde siluer embroidered worke silkes veluets fine cloth fine linnen lawnes and I knowe not what vse wherof there is for al persons regarde being had to eche mans degree but not thereby to fulfill the lusts of the flesh to vanitie and excesse not to pride and filthines not in such painting of faces in deuising newe disguised fashions but vnto decency and comelynes euery one according to the law of God continuallye beating our eares and the statutes of our own land for apparrell to the keeping of euerye degree of persons from breaking out of the bounds and lymits of their calling knowing this and remembring it well to the cutting of the combes of all degrees of persons that immediatly vpon the sinne of Adam came nakednes and so a prouiding by the Lord against our shame euen in apparell and clothing of vs and where we doo misiudge of some by their apparrell according to the statelines of it to be either in honorable place or of high degree as one saith when we lost our honor in Paradise then came we to be first apparrelled being the signe of our sinne and the badge of our rebellion and our shame Take heede we doo not here in stead of this song of our delightes the lamentable song of Iheremiah and of Esayah the Prophet the 3. Chapter from the 16. verse against the pride both of men and women whose woordes though they be long I will not referre you ouer to them but plainelye set them downe The Lord also saith Because the daughters of Zion are hautie and walke with stretched out neckes and with wandring eyes walking and minsing as they goe and making a tinckling with their feet 17. Therefore the Lord shall make the heads of the Daughters of Zion balde and the Lord shall discouer their secret partes 18. Jn that day shall the Lord take awaye the ornament of the slippers and the calles and the round tires 19. The sweete balles and the bracelets and the bonnets 20. The tyres of the head and the sloppes and the head bandes and the tablets and the eare ringes 21. The ringes and mufflers 22. The costly apparel and the vailes and the wimples and the crasping pinnes 23. And the glasses and the fine linnen and the hoodes and the launes In steade of this song which in as great pride and vanitie we haue sung to our flesh what shalbe the song of iudgement 24. And in steade of sweete sauour saith he there shalbe stinke and in stead of a girdle a rent and in stead of dressing the haire baldenes and in steade of a stomacher a girding of sackecloth and burning in stead of beautye This song haue the Iewes in Ierusalem the glorye of the world alreadye sung a people deerely beloued of the Lord and shall we vpon whome the Lord hath looked with so amiable and fatherly a face shall we remaining in our sinnes and vanities scape scotfree Nay take heede our owne toungs doe not also testifie against our selues as concerning the deliverance from the Spanish enemies of late that would in the pride of their harts haue bourded vs at home the victorie ouer whōe we begun with songs of praise and thanks giuing to the Lord to celebrate Take heede that our praising of God for that day and the memory of it being layde in water as we saye that God doo not cause vs to sing a dolfull dittie of some ruinous ouerthrowe which God in his mercy keepe back from vs and he contrariwise that at one Ionas his preaching to the Niniuites wrought their conuersion graunt to our Prince so mercifull to our nobles so honorable to our Bishops and ministers in their preaching of the word of God so comfortable and to our people so innumerable that so many sermons of so sundry Ionasses I hope doe not return back againe vnto the Lord in vaine without our repentance but contrariwise may as it hath begun faith in our Prince nobles and people make it effectual to Gods glory and the continuance of his mercy towards vs in preseruīg not Gedaliah a deputye but our Elizabeth the onely monarch princes of the world as thankes be to God he hath from many of Ishmaels crue traitors of our time the people may dwell in peace and safetye vnder her in all godlynes and prosperitie during her happie reigne But to leaue off to speak concerning the will end and purpose of God in blinding the eyes of Gedaliah in not beleeuing Iohanans reporte and let vs returne to speak of Gedaliah himselfe concerning his incredulitye in these wordes And he beleeued them not In whome this is to be obserued that he being a man as it seemed of a milde spirite and charitably affected towardes Ishmaell whom he had very familiarly conuersed with would not beledde with any suspition of euill against him following the rule of the Apostle Paule concerning the seuerall offices of charitie or loue as is to see 1. Cor. 13. 5. Loue thinketh not euill or is not suspicious of euill and besides he had no great delight to heare il reports against any least therby he might giue liberty to himselfe oftentimes in stead of truth to heare of falshoode and lyes wherein his commendation standeth iust For all Kinges and Princes especially aboue all other persons are not in any wise to maintayne flatterers slaunderers backbyters nor tale-bearers neyther yet alwayes to giue too easie credite to euerie tale brought them though by persons otherwise of good credite as Ishmael was with Gedaliah For those people especially the last doe great hurt in Princes Courtes of whom Salomon speaketh 16. Prou. 28. And a tale-bearer maketh diuision among Princes And in the 29. Prou. 12. verse Of a Prince that hearkdneth to lies all his seruants are euill For such
things as the eares of Princes are delighted to heare such things doe the slaunderers flatterers and most wicked backbyters bring vnto them for vppon the behauiour of the Princes as vpon examples propounded them to followe doe the subiectes cast their eyes and them as neerely as may be doe they follow according to a verse commonly knowne Regis ad exemplar totus componitur orbis In English thus The whole world doth cast his eyes vpon ech Keisar and ech King To frame themselues in patterne wise to him in euerie thing Such a relation was there betweene the lew de seruants of Saule and Saule himselfe Doeg the Edomite from one amongst the rest as is 1. Sam. 22. who maliciously complayned of Dauid and of Ahimelech the priest who thereuppon in Saules furie and malice became an instrument of Saules for the bloudie murthering of 85. Priestes that did weare a lynnen Ephod Such an other was Cush against whose false accusation Dauid compiled that 7. Psalme as a defence of his innocencie before God and men Such a one was that Haman that false person and accuser of Mordecai the faithfull subiect and of the Iewes vnto Ahashuriosh as is to see Hest 3. 8. 9. These things considered in respect Gedaliah did well in not soddenly admitting the accusation of Iohanan for as well hee in hearing as Johanan in bringing false reportes might haue openly transgressed the ninth commandement of God wherein is taught that loue to our neighbour standeth in hauing regard to the credite name estimation or good report of him in the breach of which commandement as well the hearers as the bearers of false reportes tales and slaunders are condemned especially such as carrie false tales to the sheading of the bloud of the innocent according to that reproofe which Ezechiell the Prophet hath against the people of Iersalem Ezek. 22. 9. Jn thee are men that carry tales to shed bloud to this purpose that I may end to speake of that which appeared to be good in Gedaliah Hierom ad Nepotianum affirmeth that as he that speaketh euill hath the diuell in his toung so he that heareth euill hath the diuell in his eare But notwithstanding all this in Gedaliah which is approoued in him to be good Lo these vertues they are not without their defectes wherein wee learn that great wise graue persons may be deceiued when they doe ouer much rest vpon their owne wisedome It was a good thing in Gedaliah if that were his purpose as it seemes it was to cut off the backbyting and malicious slaunders as he supposed of Iohanan against Ishmaell that the cutting off Iohanan might be an example to others but yet it had beene meete that as hee would not receiue any tale soddenly against him he should yet haue first wisely and thoroughly examined the causes brought by Iohanan and the rest before that he had so definitiuely proceeded eyther clearing or iustifying Ishmaell or in ouer rashly condemning Johanan For how can it otherwise be but that the Lorde must needes be heauily displeased when he in mercy for the deliuering of his seruants from the great perilles and dangers whereunto otherwise they should haue fallen giuing them fatherly warning before hand he shall finde his seruantes to be fouly intreated and for their paines returned backe with the lye It is a matter condemned by Salomon as is to see Prou. 24. 24. He that sayth to the wicked Thou art righteous him shall the people curse and the multitude shall abhorre him And on the other side Woe is pronounced by the Prophet Esay 5. 23. verse against them that take away the righteousnes of the righteous both which are foule and filthy vices the same wise man in the 17. chapter of the Prou. 15. verse shutteth vp in one saying He that iust ifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the iust euen these both are abhomination vnto the Lord. So that these places doe teach especially Magistrates in whome it is the greater sinne because of their places wherein they are set for the punishment of all such backbyters and slaunderous persons like vnto Dauid who would not in any wise permit to abide in his house any such persons wherein they are admonished to do vp rightly in iudgement not respecting persons but to heare the small as well as the great not suffering themselues to be led by affection any way For vnto such as will be drawne by respect of persons in iudgement Salomon hath giuen this dome That man sayth hee will transgresse for a peece of bread and thereby they shall become maintayners of the wicked who will soone be encouraged to speak in the defence of an euill cause and of ill persons and also to accuse most falsely and maliciously by all slaunderous reportes the godly and innocent for such are the common idle persons of the worlde who not being at leasure to heare that which is good neither yet hauing skill to bestowe their tongues to the glory of God and the good of their neighbours in their eating and drinking in houses of libertie and licentiousnesse doe feede vpon as one sayth the very flesh of men by the not punishing of whom or to remisse dealing with thē they spare not to speake euill on their ale bench it may be if they were narnowly watched of Princes or at the least to rayle reproch and slaunderously to speak against the Magistrates themselues whom to feare reuerence and obey as they ought and against whom not so much as to note any euill the rude people of our time haue not yet learned And therefore the way for a Magistrate to deale vp rightly in iudgement is not lightly to heare the slaunderous person but to set both his eares on worke indifferently the one to heare the accuser accusation brought and the other to heare the accused the defence that he can make for himselfe otherwise to be too speedie in iudgement vppon the first tale heard is many times rashly and falsely to be drawne to speake for the bad vncharitably to giue sentence against the iust and vpright and so the way to deale vprightly in causes is to cut off the lyar and false accuser of whome Hierom in one of his Epistles sayth Sicut sagitta si mittatur contra duram materiam nonnunquam in mittentem reuertitur vulnerat vulnerantem ita detractor quum tristem faciem viderit audientis immo non audientis sed obturantis aures suas ne audiat sanguinem illico conticestit pallet vultus haerent labia salina siccatur A very excellent sentence to teach Magistrates what benefite they returne to themselues and the cōmon wealth when they shall wisely cut off slanderers Euen as an arrowe if it bee shott against a hard matter or marke many times it recoyles vpon him that shotte it and woundeth him that wold haue wounded so the backbyter or false accuser when he shall see but the sowre face and grimme