conuite them to a voluntari forwardnes besides that by custom those labors are made easte and pleasant conteyning in them a feeding delight the same iudgment may be made of vertu of whom learning is the norsse and most faithfull preseruation which is the reason that as a man riseth in knowledg so he encreseth in studie more then at the beginning And being come to greater skill he féeles not at all the grauitie of his paines for that inward delight of mind which he findes therin and so aspiring as it weare in an ambicius zeal to learning he findes that the knowledg he hath gotten is nothing in regard of that which he is ignorant of according to the aunswer of Socrates that his knowledg was yet nothing in comparison of his ignorance Fourthly to attaine to lerning it is expedient to vse with the labor you take inteligence or vnderstanding of that you learne order of studies repeticion conference and exercise of memorie and stile Intelligence aides the iudgement order repeticion or conference and stile frame the memorie which of all other faculties of the mind is most necessary to knowledge as being the gardien or kéeper of them for as the immagination aprehendes the vnderstanding comprehendes debats and iudgeth So the memorie reteins as a tresur coÌ„serues what so euer is heard seen and red And to haue a good memorie it ss necessary to vnderstand perfectly that is learned seing to things well vnderstand memorie is a faithfull and plentifull storehowse order serueth as an artificiall memoriall which was familier with Symonides and for that he was iudged to excell in memorie Repeticion engraueth the impression of things which you will reteine and therfore if was a custome amongest the folowers of Pythagoras to repeat euery day that which they learned the day before which made them aboue al other Philosophers most singuler in knowledg as indéed we know nothing but what we haue committed to the gard and kéeping of our memorie for if wée haue learned much at times and do not retain it we cannot say we know it if we cannot remember it and apply it as the occasion of our purpose requiers no more then that man may be called riche which gained much in times past and kept little but better may he be estéemed welthy who hauing got much hath of that to serue his vse plentifully do pleasure to his frieÌ„ds So that aboue all let young wittes exercise their memorie by diligent and perfect intelligence of the whiche they studie then by exact meditation and after by repeticion in them selues or conference with their companions not learning that which they doe not communicate or dispute with an other the better to commit it to writing or else reduce it into common places which wil be to them as certaine perpetuall memorialles The woll must lye long in the dye the better to take a continuall cooller other wayes much lesse that it wold be dyed to an excellent and lasting hew but of the contrarie the cooller would be course and yet fade quickly it is then requisite that tutors who haue iudgement for their Disciples applie carefully these meanes or better if they know any for the better institution of their schollers not doubting but that memorie as doth the spirite is quickned by that exercise and séemes to rise into dayly encrease by that meane euen vntill it touche the type of singular perfection There bée that haue readie wittes and sharpe memories by nature but nature without art without doctrine and exercise is a thing maimed and vnperfect but hauing the ayde of these it yéeldes wonderfull fruite euen as the fertill ground wel tilled fructifieth the better without which industrie it would yéeld an vnprofitable haruest to the owner And as there is no ground so barene by nature which by plowing fatting and laboring is not reduced to some fruiâ—â— by the same reason there can not be such dull wittes and short memories which by the benefits of the meanes aforesaide are not sharpened and made better This I bring in by the way the more to sturre vp young spirites feeling such weaknesse of nature to trauell to correct them by those industries as we read Demosthenes by importunat and continuall laboures reformed so well his vice of nature being giueÌ„ to stutt and very vnapt to learne that he came to excell euen the most excellent Orators of his tyme In this sorte then both the one and the other young wittes aswell sharpe and forwarde as slowe and dull are exhorted to gette knowledge for the which togither with actes of true vertue they are truely acknowledged worthie of the name of men as without them they are but creatures masked rather then men neither worthy of worldly honor nor resolued of the certaine meane to their saluation and much lesse able to comprehende what God is knowledge will enable them and set them oute to what estate they like to follow and bring them honor though they will not make exercise of learning And besides the pleasure they shall receyue by it swéet profite and assured honor yea be it that they professe estate of armes a lyfe séeming farre estraunged from learning euen there also doctrine giues the greatest ayde according to the fame of the Athenian Captaines who being learned men brought foorth actes more valiant and wonderful then others and by learning the great Alexander Caesar Augustus amongest other princes most learned haue brought no small renowne to their enterprises and actes of warre For this cause the poetes haue fayned Pallas signifying science armed and as a leader of a campe meaning by that fiction that an armie is most suerly guyded by Captaines learned as in whom resteth most suttle and sharp spirites and a settled iudgement of all the pollicies and strategemes of other auncient Captaines conquering townes couÌ„treys and kingdomes Besides this the memorie of such valiaunt actes would perish were not for the writings of learned men who being Captaines as Thucidides Iulius Caesar and Iosephus or at the least men at armes as Salust haue a better order of descriptioÌ„ then such as know nothing but by heare say to such as hold that learning make mennes mindes fearfull to much deliberate or thoughtfull it may be aunswered that in the liberall and noble minds it rather workes an effect of greater courage as is most certaine in the former examples And touching thought it is necessarie to coÌ„sider with aduise when where and howe to direct attemptes of warre wherein as it is found true in common experience that councell and discretion in warres do more then force so it falles out most commonly that battailes gouerned with rashe boldnes bringe foorth vnhappie issues where wisedom ruling fortune séemes to goe with Gods deliberat prouidence For a last prayse of learning in attemptes of warre we finde that the Lacedemonians painted the nyne Muses armed declaring that men of knowledge doe then best dispose and instruct in warres when
be kept one of the first actes of vertue and in iustifying the innocent he defendes him from violent oppression and preseruing his smal porcion of goods kéepes him from the hospitall and his wife and familie from perishing by hunger In sustayning the cause of the poore and procuring condemnation to the wicked he doth double worke of mercie obserueth that which so often God recommendes in the Scripture wherein the Iudge executing the good aduise and exhortacion of the aduocate accomplisheth the iudgement of God doing an act of high praise and worthy of eternall felicitie The aduocate thus being the mouth of the people and chiefe enformer of the Iudge ought not to bee ignorant in the written lawe customes statutes and ordenances of the land helping his wit with the art of reasoning and his iudgement with general experience in all affaires wherein the science of Logicke morall discourse and specially the studie of polletike reasoning may bring great helpe to him for if by ignorance hée giue wicked counsel and leade the partie in a vaine expence of money to pursue an vniust cause or if by indirect or suttle dealing hee cause an other to loose his righteous sute though the lawes of ages and countreis appoynt him no punishment yet being guiltie both to the one and other losse I doubt not but by the lawes of heauen and conscience he ought to refine to the parties the full damage hapned by his corrupt counsell No lesse punishment but greater shame is due to the ignorant iudge giuing corrupt sentence by the perswasion of the aduocate as to whom it belonges to be more wise and resolute not deseruing to sit in the seate of a Iudge afore he haue thorowly passed the office of an aduocate and practised lawes in publike court which hée had read in priuate studies But if the aduocate entertaine by couert sleightes and suttleties vniust causes procuring cauillations by delayes to weary the man whose sute is good and enforce him to a hurtfull accord and so by his shiftes peruert iustice into iniquitie besides that he is bound to satisfaction of the losse yet he is not out of the perill of Gods curse Aduocates and procurers who by entertayning processes in delayes empouerish good men and become riche them selues and such the very instruments of Sathan as eyther bréede or norish quarell betwéene parties are condemned to all wretchednes by Iesus Christ For if such as be peaceworkers be happy of common congruence thē who hindreth confoundeth or delayeth peaceable causes are ordayned to misery as by whom is set abroche among neighbours the vessell of grudge malice hatred sorowe heauines and vtter vndoing and also losse of time in their established trades and vocations wherevnto they are called by God and if they be not the causes directly that their clients offend God in many sorts at least they kéepe them from seruing him restrayning al their hart thoughts and industrie to the furthering of their proces which cannot bée but a kind of impietie yea oftentimes it hapneth that by the dilatorie shiftes of solicitors and attorneys many rich clients sée no end of their cause in many yeres whereby it hapneth that he that preuaileth reapes not so much as he hath spent and he that is ouerthrowne is sent to the bagge wallet being afore the beginning of the sute of good estate of habilitie To such as be the occasions of this euill I aske this question if they be not iudged by their owne lawe which sayth such as giue the occasion of euill séeme to do the euill it selfe if the sinne bee as great to him that holdeth as to the other that cuts the throte of the iust mā is there any grace or distinction in the sentence touching the Iudge specially if he may apply remedie and abuse his meane Let no man erre by couertures of writtes or wrested titles of the expounders of the law or orders of courtes for in what sort so euer they do wrong to any man according to iudgement and conscience which with great aduise ought to be considered more then the opinion and comments of writers hid vnder the shadowe of the lawe and yet against the lawe which of it selfe is iust and good so that it be not abused they worke their owne depriuation of the life eternall The vnrighteous sath Saint Paule shall neuer possesse the kingdome of God And who are more vnrighteous thē such as worke against the iudgement and intencion of the lawe and contrary to the secret aduise of reason and sense of conscience which is not blinded through affections and custome of euill Would those smooth and coosening Lawyers if they were in the state of their simple clyents attribute it to wel doing to haue with them their best bloud drawne from them without féeling and that which remaines become too corrupt for horseleaches Let them thinke vnhappie is the gaine wherein vnhappely is wrought the destruction of poore soules What other thing doe counsellors and attorneys committing to their Clerks Bookes of length and many lines and consequently of more gaine to them selues but draw by suteltie money out of the poore mans purse What other thing is it then to impugne God hurt their conscience seduce the Prince the Court and the world and vnder cooller of that iust and lawful gaine to commit manifest theft whereof they stand condemned in the iudgement of God where all suttletie shal be reuealed which Saint Paule calleth darknes and all iniquitie examined not according to the vaine fancie of couetous fleshly men which think there is no other iniquitie but that which is séene and palpable to the hand but euen the most suttle craft that may be imagined shal be by the euerlasting eye so clearely spied and descerned that it shal be iudged worthy of death one of the offēces that most displeaseth God is the sinne of the Deuill as to be a deceiuer a Traytor a dissembler malicious author of quarrelles suttle and polletike to do euill it is said the Deuill that appeared to Eue hid vnder the visible serpēt was of all other creatures most craftie suttle Then if our aduocates and attorneis being instructed in the deuils sutteltie sticke not to glorifie themseiues to haue so good a teacher and master to learne them by good reason as they practise his instruction and example they are also to receiue with him a common rewarde and recompence yea let them be assured that the suttle are taken in their owne snares and that no councell cunning nor reason stande a fore God who being able to confound all will call into terible iudgment al such masquid and disguised suttelties is it not a vaine and foolish sutteltie to beguile a poore man of a halfpeny and for it to be condemned to lose a crowne what folly more then for the gaining of certaine transitorie drosse here on earth by suttle means to be condemned to the losse of all goodes body and
all Create others Centeniers to rule ouer an hundred Cinquanteniers to beare aucthoritye ouer Fiftye and Disiniers to commaunde ouer ten Let these Iudge the people in all seasons according to their order and charge and bringing to thée the causes of greatest importance specially suche as concerne God let them iudge the rest So shalt thou bee discharged of that great burden of labour where in vaine thou dyddest consume thy selfe before In this aduise of God to Moyses we sée is expressed what ought to bée the office nature and state of suche as are chosen to leade and iudge others according to God and that not onely in highe and stately Courtes but in places of right meane sorte who notwithstanding as in degrées so also in knowledge and vertue ought to aspire to excellencie Suche then bée wise men who with the sence of deuine and humaine learning bée principally instructed in the knowledge of God and vnderstand his will and iudgement with contemplacion of the causes effectes and nature of all thinges And being wise in this sorte as theyr exact knowledge will leade them to geue a perfect iudgement of al thinges so being ignoraunt in the least much lesse that they can iudge in integretye séeing they can not merite the name of wyse men But because according to Sainct Paul men maye haue knowledge and yet in theyr doinges bée voyde of integritye Iethro addeth the feare of God that is that knowing God they doe also feare and serue him For suche men would not willingly feare God who knowe his iudgements to bée no lesse horrible to them that displease him then terrible to suche as execute false Iudgement whereby trueth is peruerted wrong pronounced to the multitude and their proper conscience defiled And therefore as hee woulde haue them to bée firme in simplicitye of worde Doctrine and iudgement without instabilytye in cases of trueth which by theyr wisedome they knowe to bée so agréeable to God as hée is called the selfe trueth so it is a breache of theyr duety if they bee subiect to the errour of mutacion They must also hate Couetousnes as in which is layde vp the roote of al euils A vyce of more damnable perril then all the rest and of a nature so wicked that it leades men to Idolatrye by preferring Golde and glorious drosse of the worlde afore the liuing God drawing from them in the ende all feare Religion Reuerence and knowledge of God translate their hearts to infidelitie both towards Heauen and earth Lyke as by lamentable experience wée sée that oftentimes the gréedines of a wretched present leades the couetous Iudge into such blinde and reprobate sence that to peruert Iustice hee stickes not to commit his soule to sale Louing rather the base Earth then the maiestie of heauen to handle Golde then behold the Sonne to bée ritche then honest and lastly seekes to laye vp his felicitie in his transitory presence of welth rather then to lift vp his minde to aspire to the life euerlasting So that in such as are chosen to the regiment of pollecie ought to bée no note of auarice and muche lesse any profe of corruption for doing any acte of iniustice seing that of all other there is this perill in that vice that being once made ritche by couetousnes there is no limit or measure of their extorcion euen as to a smal flame if you adde encrease of wod you rayse it easilie to a greater blase For by howe much more there is offer and meane of gaine euen by so much more doeth the raging zeale of auaâ—ice growe great yea euentâ—â— iâ— bée vnquencheable in the Ritche couetous man it takes continual increase not onely with the poyson of ritches but also with the yeres of their age where other vices carye this common property to diminishe with time the same being the cause why the Scripture saieth There is nothing more wicked then a couetous man for hée is not onely wicked to others by bringing pouertie vpon them in rauishing their goodes but also hee is the confounder of him selfe as touching his soule which hée bequeathes to the Deuil for nothing and oftentimes selleth it for a bare hope of a base profite executing the like iniurye vpon his bodye from the which hee oftentimes restraines natural and necessary nourishment becomes a nigarde to his health by sparing his purse makes his mind and body subiect to passions and perpetual labors shorteneth his temporal life and which worse is loseth euerlasting felicitye So that as Iesus Christ and after him Saint Paul not without cause do exhort in great affectioÌ„ to flée couetousnes as the nurse of infidelity the mother of perdition and lastly the infectious roote of al euils to such as folow it so if this vyce bring such damnable miseries to all mankinde as in respect of his continual wretchednes it ought chiefly to bee auoyded of the Iudge in whome ought not to appeare so much as a suspicion of such euil insomuch that besides the extreme peril of his Soule infinite are the temporal iniquityes which flow from a couetous Iudge in whom for gaine-sake is seldome found any difficultie to offer to hassard the goodes honour and life of many persons the same being the cause why the Sonnes of Samuel were deposed from their iudgement seate and why Cambises caused one of his Iudges to be slaine quick and with his skin couered his chaire the better to aduertise the sonne and successors of the sayd Iudge that they were subiect to the same iustice if for gaine they pronounced corrupt iudgement ¶ What gouernors God hath chosen and howe he hath declared them by myracles they ought all to be instructed at the entree of the Tabernacle and why the great benefite which commeth of good Iudges and why God doth ordaine some wicked ⧠The .2 Chapter TO resort eftsones to the matter of election of gouernours to common weales who are Iudges by theyr institution with the counsell of Iethro wée will ioyne the example of God when hée elected rulers ouer his people as Moyses for the most perfect and Iosua and for his Tabernacle Aaron and Phineus and then examine what commaundemente God gaue to Moyses for the calling of seuenty Elders or Senators whome hée ordayned as soueraygne Iudges and gouernours ouer the Townes of Israel Moyses in his complaint to be insufficient to susteine so great a charge and burden of affaires was hearde of God by him coÌ„manded to assemble at the Gate of the Tabernacle Seuenty of the most Auncient of Israel suche as were most wise best experienced amongst the people causing them to assist and stay with him to impart with them graces requisit to the estate office of good gouernors which graces hée calleth part communion of the spirite of Moyses whose perfect knowledge of thinges exact iudgement Holye zeale and integritye of Fayth Doctrine and lyfe such as were in him so they are al
forbare to meddle withall getting by this meanes full power and libertye to make the sound sicke and to geue death to suche as are but litle diseased the same being more familiar with him then to cure one onely Ephemerides or an Ague of one fit Such one shal beare more renoune then euer did Hipocrates or his interpretour Galien and his name so plawsible that in it is drowned the estimation of others in whom is more knowledge iudgement Honesty and Sad experience So that these counterfeites in whom is none other experience then in cōmon Herbes or receiptes or haue the faculty to make Distillations applying them to all diseases without iudgement of the reason or obseruation of Ages complexions Times Places and other Circumstaunces shall drawe more Dignitye and Credite with their masking behauiour then other Phisitions whose skill is approued by aucthoritie of the Vniuersities Wherin if these deceiuers deserue rebuke seueritie of paine the common people is no lesse reprehendible for their hasty credulity Therfore it behoueth the Magistrate to bée so muche the more prouident in these cases by how muche the life of man is precious being committed to the hazarde of such men Who so euer hath any processe of det House or land hee wil recommend his cause to the best Lawier hée can finde Much more doeth the case of life require care and prouidence specially where is more perril of death then profe of knowledge And now touching the seruice of good Phisitions in common weales this is to bée obserued in their election that they bée learned faithful wise and well experienced it is a good argument that they are learned if they haue diligentlye studied Philosophie and beene three yeres at the least resolute practisors in Phisicke and ten yéeres in the medicine Theorical employing twoo of the last yéeres in Anathomie in the knowledge of Herbes and in Pharmacopole to vnderstand the composition of al medicines those thrée things are to bée learned by the eye To the wisedome of a Phisition is required an exquisyte iudgement whiche is made perfect by experience wherin by necessary reason they ought to haue good vnderstanding séeing they haue the life of al sortes of men in iudgement with power to dispose without appeale to any higher Iudges but to God where to all other inferiour Courtes belonges this prorogatiue That albeit the Iudges bée neuer so wise yet there is liberty to appeale to higher places And if in a common consult assembly of Phisitions to debate vpon a disease there can bée no good resolution where is no grauety of learning experience much lesse ought a yong phisition to bée receyued whose want of practise takes from him the estimation of iudgement and experience So that it is highly necessary to the credite of a Phisition to study the time appointed and duly runne ouer the thrée thinges aforesayde Then let him haue conuersation certaine yéeres with learned Phisitions practising in Cities and good Tounes A custome which certaine phisitions vse to their learned disciples carying them with them when they visite their paciēts explaning by palpable demonstration of the eye hand the true practise of the Arte Which sort time of exercise wyl bring vnto them hability of practise wherein they néede not faile for want of experiēce the like is obserued amongst Lawiers who hauing ouercom the discourse of the lawes take not vpō them forthwith the state of pleaders for so might many causes suffer hazard but obseruing two or three yeres the examples of the most famous counsellers of a court haunting the bar rather to heare then pleade they searche out the Counsels writinges and memoryes of excellent Aduocates and so gooe out perfect Maysters hauing as good habilitye to pleade at the first as if they had had no other exercise during their life Euen so it is not for yong Phisitions to practise their prentise cunning vpon fat monkes which beare no importaunce in the worlde and muche lesse in Hospitalities or Vplandish Tounes afore they come to the chiefe Cities the same being as muche as if they should bée counselled to goo kill the world or at least to learne the meanes thereunto Let them honour their beginnings with the presence and testimony of the best Cities drawing their practise from the example of the most excellent in that arte And making profe of their learning by publike disputes and aucthority of auncient professours let them shewe Certificate of the continuaunce of their studie and time of their Degrées Herein it maye bée sayde that in regarde of the time of this Studye it is necessarye that suche as Aspire to the Arte bée eyther verye Ritche or at least furnished to beare out so chargeable a Cost I must in déede confesse that that common weale suffereth great inconueneience wherein the poore sort make profession of Phisicke For as pouerty being voide of power to releue the time of so long studie hath lesse meane to furnishe other necessary charges as Bookes whereof they must haue great stoore for the due searching out of the secréetes of that Arte So it is for the most part gréedye of Gaine aspiring to wealth whersoeuer they may finde it And being neuer satisfied they fall by increase of newe and freshe profite into extréeme auarice It is written that the first professours of this Arte were Ritche men and great Lordes as amongest others Apollo Esculapius and Hipocrates Whose truth and maner of adiuration as I wishe might stande alwaies afore the eyes of suche couetous people as séeke to enter into the studye of Phisicke So I woulde also that the example of that Pagan him might kéepe our Christian Phisitions from periurye by impietye as abusing this Arte eyther by ignoraunce auarice rashnesse infidelity or peruerse affection They were at the first Arboristes Pothicaries and Surgeons as appeareth by the last Chapter of Genesis where the Phisitions had charge to embaume the bodye of Iacob the same being also expressed in the .xxi. chap. of Exodus and by all the auncient bookes But since the world beganne to multiply and Ambition Couetousnes beare rule ouer the heartes of men of one Estate they haue made thrée yea a fourth which bee Arboristes whereof there bée companies in diuers places notwithstanding Phisitions holde the most honourable most gainefull and least painful Estate being as maisters to iudge and command the others vsing the seruice of the Arboristes and Pothicaries ioyntly to discerne the simples and the Pothicaries alone to compose drognes and minister thē to the patient And imploying the Surgeons to cut or Anothomise and doo handy Cures vppon the outward partes of the bodye the Phisitions reserue them selues onely for the inward partes and iudgement of purgations afore the Surgeon apply his Plaster or make incision But such is the malice of time and men that in these twoo last Estates who ought to bée subiect to the phisition hath béen found no small abuse by vsurpation of the Arte
none shoulde be receiued into the degrées of Doctours without proofe of so long time studie after he be admitted to the state of Maister of Arte wherein if they haue not studied seriuslye or haue aspired to the degrees by fraud and supposition of witnesses or if they haue conuerted to other exercise the time that shoulde haue béen reserued to searche out that knowledge they committed wrong chiefly to God with whom it is not lawfull for any to enter into degrée and aucthoritie to teache if hée be not expert in all his Lawe To this may be ioyned the prouidence of the elders by whom it was ordeyned that in this case none shoulde employ time in other studie then in the Scriptures to the ende that beyng resolute in that knowledge the worlde shoulde not bée led in errours and false doctrines It were therefore a good order to be obserued in Vniuersities and places of congregation not to sende any young Preachers or Nouises into the countrey before they haue expressed their doctrine afore the auncientes and multitude of the religion that in the same exposition wherin they must teache their congregation abroade neither adding nor diminishing when they shall preache to the multitude For other wayes there were daunger that without this long custome or diligent exercise of priuate preaching these young prentises woulde deliuer to their audience suttle and false propositions which we call either vaine doctrines or heretical although they helde them without any wicked or peruerse wyll Besides hauing once pronounced them they woulde be ashamed to renounce them and so the people in the meane while should stand seduced And if they do renownce them the multitude woulde not afterwarde beléeue them easily because in opinion they woulde holde that they were constrayned to denie them as we reade that Berengarius was not able to reduce those whom he had seduced by ignorance So that as there woulde be alwayes feare of some errour so it coulde not be without blasphemie to the trueth of the Scripture to suppose in place of the same a falsehood and that in the Pulpit which being the seate of trueth such as are appointed to pronounce it ought to haue knowledge of good iudgement great wisedome perfect vnderstanding and holy affection pretending no other ende or purpose but the honour of God and health of soules without aspiring to particuler glorie séeing all glorie is due to God Let them beare no affection to couetousnesse and much lesse to please men but studie and preach to edifie forbearing for malice to any singuler person to exhibite bityng inuectiues in generall speache and lesse against estates Here when we speake of Preachers who ought to be such in all perfection of excellencie we meane Curates and Pastours which by the charge and duetie of their Pastorall profession are actuallye bounde to discharge that estate For as all other Preachers are but their Vicars so if it belong to the Curate to be no lesse learned then his Vicar is it not then contrary to all order and reason that he shoulde be raised into estate and dignitie aboue others if he expresse not greater perfections as in wisedome doctrine experience and vertue Why is the head raysed aboue the other members of the body but because he is endued with more excellencies of nature I wishe that none shoulde make practise of this profession without knowledge of all the Scripture and absolute interpretation of the holy Doctours which if it had béen obserued in the first institution the Church had béen replenished with learned and feruent Pastours Neither had the worlde swarmed with these newe opinions if they had well studied and obserued the Doctours of the Church This reformation also belonges to such as enter into the exercise of the lawes and all others that aspire to offices for the function of which belonges singuler knowledge to vnderstande the lawe and mainteyne it in all Courtes and not to lose anye lawfull cause by ignoraunce or for not being resolute in the Lawe in which default or if by corruption the equitie of a good cause be confounded the Lawyer is bounde to iust restitution ⧠God hath erected Phisicke and vvilleth that the Phisition be honoured but that vve vnderstande that all sicknesse comes of him and therefore vvoulde haue vs to aske health of him and to pourge our consciences of sinne Abuse of Phisitions vvith counsell hovve to kepe vs from diseases ⧠The .10 Chapter LYke as the Almightie as the wise man saith hath created Phisicke for necessitie the same appearing in so manye sortes of Hearbes Plantes and medicional Droages together with manye other things profitable to preserue and restore health wherein there is a dignitie and honour to the Phisition as the Minister of the same highe God So wée are tyed also to this further consideration that séeing our diseases for the most part and most often deriue congruentlye of our sinnes it is requisite with the aduise of the Booke of Wisedome to offer our selues to God in prayer and penaunce for remission of our sinnes to the ende Phisicke maye succede to good profite in his vs For if the cause of our sicknesse remaine stil in state and nature the arte and indeuour of the Phisition bringes forth no other effect then an increase and innouation of infirmityes and doeth profite no more then the Surgeon who thinketh by Plasters to heale an Vlcer within the body which hath already corrupted and putrified the boanes The same being the cause why in olde time men called first vpon the spirituall Phisition in confessing and receyuing Iesus Christ Much more ought wée to repose in God then in the phisition with prayer that hee dispose vertue into the Medicine for the Cure of our diseases If wée pronounce blessing and Grace vppon the meate which wée eate euery day and sanctify it by the word of God why should wée not reserue the same deuoute reuerence speciallye where the matter is of more great and necessary importaunce Ochosias in his sicknes hauing recourse more to his phisitions and supposed Gods then to the God of almightye power was tolde by Helizeus that hée should dye Aza suffering paine in his feete whiche grewe to a goute put confidence in Phisitions and neuer demaunded Cure of God whereby hee coulde not bée healed And albeit the phisition hath power ouer such diseases as haue theyr naturall causes as such as come eyther by Surfet of meate and drinke or superfluety of distemper Yet if God bée offended let the patient offer reconcilement by repentaunce and demaunde cure of him But where immediatly God sendes the disease it is in vaine to apply Phisicke without there bée first a reconsilemēt as is expressed in the sicknes of Ezechias So that in al infirmities let vs first haue our recourse to God and then resort to the indeuour and art of the phisition Like as also in such as bée true Christian Phisitions and vnderstand the counsel of God it is
a cōmendable property to minister cure to the Soules of their patientes afore they vndertake to Remoue the diseases of the body But such is the wretchednes of many that if the Phisition speake to them of God or of consideration to the reckoning weale of their conscience they subborne by and by an habilitye of health saying they are not yet so farre spent nor that the necessity of theyr sicknes requireth the aduise or comfort of the Preacher And as such pacientes desire to bring them into no fancye of death and much lesse to increase theyr fraile sorrow with heauye counsell so there bée also phisitions of so colde reuerence and taste to God that they wil not haue theyr pacients to feede of other dyet then pleasaunt Speach and if they haue béene whoremongers they dispose the time into discourses of wanton Ribaldry feeding their cares and eyes with the presence of fayre Damselles singing and playing of Instrumentes and so leade them with theyr Pastimes into the bottome of Hell where they ought with the féeling of theyr Pulses to sounde also the bottome of their Consciences and Salue theyr sicke mindes with perswasions to demaunde pardon of God for want of whiche it maye bée that they are drawne into those afflictions But when these wretched Sycke men are as it were at theyr laste and abandoned of theyr Phisytions then God is brought into theyr remembraunce when the Spirites being weake the Sences dissolued the hearing without vertue and the heart languishing to his laste hée hath no iudgement of that which is preached to him but what so euer stoode in his affection afore bee it good or ill hée retaynes it and the minde hauing no Capacitye to comprehende Doctrine is without regarde to call it selfe to account or correction whereby it happeneth by the Iustice of God according to Sainct Augustine that that almightye and terrible Iudge doeth punishe the Synner in the ende of his dayes because during his health and good disposition hee liued in negligence towardes God and neuer gathered the actions of his life into accounte It is saide that as in death men haue no remembrance of God so the feare of death and hell more then the loue of God makes men oftentimes confessing their sinnes for touching the will there is more daunger that sinne will leaue man then man renounce sinne So that by the waye of aduertisement let as well the Phisition as the patient bee warned heare to exhibite the dutye of Christians and not to grudge if I dooe exhorte them for that hauing in hande to wryte a Christian gouernement and Pollecye I can not without offence dissemble any thing whiche tendes to common dutye in thinges concerning God. Therefore I aduise the sicke man so soone as hée comprehendes the mocion and qualitye of his disease to bequeathe himselfe altogeather to God and consulte with his Soule For suche maye bée the furye and violent nature of his Sickenesse that what for debilitye of bodye or sorrowe of minde or other accident of infirmitye muche lesse that hée shall haue oportunitye to common with his Conscience but of the contrarye power shal be taken from him to discerne in what state hée standes It is not good that euerye one make a Custome and common recourse to Phisicke reducing the disposition of theyr Stomackes to a Pothicarye shoppe the same agréeing with the prescript of the best Phisitions of our tyme who aboue all thinges geue this generall counsayle that men dispose theyr lyues in sobryetye forbeare Excesse and not to become subiect to immoderate affections as to bee geuen to anger to heauines of heart and to the actes of vnchaste loue They must refraine from hurtful thinges as corrupt meates infected ayres vncleane places contagious sicknesses vsing moderate labours neuer eating without appetit nor drinking without a desyre to quenche thirste wherin if any by negligence do runne into excesse let him vse the contrarye as if hee haue offended his Stomacke with surfeite let him suffer fasting and correct crudelitye by spéedye concoction If hée haue ouerwearyed his Bodye with trauaile let him vse rest and as health is to bée preserued by thinges lyke so in all excesses the reméedy is to bée deriued by their contraries obseruing this perpetual medicine to absteine as nere as hée can from offending God who is the generall most often the special cause of al diseases Who so euer entreth into medicines let him doo it in necessity as the scripture teacheth vs forbeare phisicke till the extremity for which purpose it was ordeined of God of whom as wée are taught the phisitions are ministers raised for the sick and not for the sounde so Gallen is of opinion that all Phisicke bringes with it some dommage to the person And therfore not without cause the Greeke word calles a Droage or reméedy Pharmacum signifying properly Venim rather then a thing wholsome as if the Greekes would haue said that medicionable droages are as matters venemous to a man touching a nature well disposed so that it behoueth there bée in the body corruptions and humours infected afore you receiue Droages by the which the enemye of the sound and not corrupt nature may bée driuen out which otherwayes woulde haue murdered and deuoured the same nature Such as compare medicine and Phisicke to a bucke of foule cloathes meane that they are not to bée vsed but in necessity For as the Bucke serues no other turne but to cleanse the Cloathes when they are foule which also being often Buckt can not but waste and consume So the body suffereth the like effect by Phisick whose often medicines as a canker doo fréete and eate out the strength of youth and so cleanse vs of health that wee can not reache to olde Age. Bée sure to kéepe your breathing Bodies pure and cleane so shal you haue no neede of Purgation no more then your Linnen being neate hath neede to be put into the buck the same standing with the aduise example of most wise Phisitions with whome nothing is lesse familier then to apply phisick to them selues and nothing more intollerable then to ioyne theyr stomackes to the custome of medicines which we may conclude bring no fruite but when they are vsed by necessity Therfore let euery one tye him selfe to good Regiment to temperate labour to wholsome meates sound Ayre sweete water cleane Places But aboue al let him eschewe the sweete allurement to sinne And when wée offend God let our first cure stand in action of penaunce and after vse mearines of minde and not to gréeue for any thing that may happen as in déede the faithfull Christian ought neuer discend into sorrow but for his sinne but hath cause to reioyce in al aduersity sicknes yea and in death it selfe for that as S. Paul sayth in al these thinges is wrought the matter of his benefite and health as thinking that al the passions and tribulations of this fraile and humane life are
if we feare the force of the mightie we shall feare to do good iustice and so bring Sclaunder to our light desire of souerentie but as in good iudges God displaieth some beames of his deuinitie as being the ministers of his deuine iustice so he ioynes to their office the operation of some deuine vertue which makes thē feared of their subiectes For this cause are they called Heloym that is Gods as partaking with the force and power of God the more constantly to execute his iudgementes in earth In the Scripture we reade of no Iudge or Magistrate doing his estate which did not bring feare to all their people and made them obedient to his ordinaunces for God by the Iudge geues a secrete feare to bring others to subiection And albeit the Mutinus people of Israel fel into often reuolt against their great gouernour Moises whom they would haue stoned yet he eschewed not his charge much lesse forbare for feare to do iustice but in one day made passe by the edge of the sworde twentie thrée thousand idolatours of one race of Leui and although the resisting aduersarie was twelue times more in number yet they durst not stretche out their handes to defende their Rebellion yea he apprehended at one time twelue of the greatest Lords of the people and Captaynes of the armie because they assisted the sacrifices of the Madianites with whom they committed whordome and yet not in one of the multitude was founde so much as to lift vp his finger in signe of resistaunce the which remayning in example to the succession of other Magistrates they were neuer fearefull to do iustice eyther vpon any singuler great state or vpon a whole multitude offending as knowing that hauing in hande the affaires of God whose chiefe prescript was to punishe the transgressours that he woulde not suffer them to endure hurt nor forsake them executing seuere iustice vpon the wicked ⧠Here Iudges are warned not to be credulus nor to iudge by reportes to take heede of affections and not to iudge by particuler opinion to resiste vvhich euils God ordeyned in the Lavv seuentie Counsellers to vvhom he enioyneth sobrietie chastitie integritie and wisdome to be followers of the iudgement of God in the exact examining of offences and to punishe them according to the grauitie of the transgressions that they be not couetous seeing that for couetousnesse the sonnes of Samuel vvere deposed they must leaue no sinne vnpunished terrible sentence for vnrighteous iudgementes an aduertisement of Dauid to Iudges vvith a prophecie of their miserie if they iudge not in equitie ¶ The .2 Chapter THere be other preceptes in the Scripture prescribed also to Gouernours in their estate of iustice which I néede not now bring in particuler question for that they haue the same commaundement to haue the Scripture in their handes which was geuen to Iosua their example and Patrone in causes of iudgement the better to gouerne the people and therefore I hope it can not bring offence if by the way of generall perswasion I do exhort them to be such as the scripture prescribes but chiefely according to the rule of their election that they be sober wise and discrete to the ende they be not circumuented by ignoraunce imprudence error and misintelligence and so seduce the direction of most waightie and graue affaires which fault was noted in Dauid when he gaue sentence against Miphiboseth the sonne of Ionathas by the false report of Syba seruaunt of the saide Miphiboseth at whose onely worde contrary to the Scripture which alloweth no sentence but by the testimonie of thrée or two at the least hée condemned the other and woulde not heare him in his iustification An acte contrary to all reason and right of nature by which as we sée that in hastye credulitie coniecture only or opinion suddain passion of coller or wicked affection as hate enuie sutteltie thirst of benefite lightnesse of mynde with all other affections as thinges contrarie to wisedome and discretion be of power to peruert iudgement So the same is the cause why the Lawe requires in Iudges wisdome discretion and conference with wise men and not to stay vpō their particuler opinions the same being the respect why God erected seuentie Senatours for the gouernment of the people who consulting altogether in the common businesse and one correcting the errour of another can not but forme good iudgement Besydes such a multitude as Aristotle saith can not be easilye corrupted no more then a great abundance of water but with great difficultie where a small vessell in small time can not but suffer infection The Scripture aduiseth them to be sober and moderate the better to auoyde trouble of minde by intemperaunce which hauing power to hinder the effect of good iudgement in whom it possesseth it draweth also the mind to negligēce takes away al care of the affayres They are also defended from immoderate loue of women as well by the destinie of Salomon who hauyng the gift of wisedome lost by his vnbridled loue and lust all grace in iudgement as also by the example of the twoo wicked Iudges testifying against Susanna who by their inflamed desyres of her beawtye corrupted theyr iudgement So that by the Scripture all Iudges are warned that neither in their mindes nor wyll remaine any peruersitie error or affection but a full inclination to integritie onely zeale of iustice ioyned with knowledge which as it is the same light of the mynde by the which we discerne clearely that which is good or euyll iust or vnrighteous so in a peruersed wyll or wicked affection is bred confusion of the spirite which consequentlye leadeth to perplexities and both troubles and hinders the facultie of vpright iudging euen as if there be neuer so litle a Moate or Beame in the eye the cleare sight is hindered and it hath lesse power to discerne the true difference of things presented afore it but muche lesse possibilitie of sound iudgement is there in the ignoraunt man who not vnderstanding the Lawe suffereth the same error which the blinde man doth whose want of sight makes him vnhable to discerne collours But the better to forme their iudgementes irreprehensible and without reproche the Scripture layeth afore them the iudgementes of God as the true Images and Portraictes representing such example of iudgement and iustice as the Magistrates of the earth ought to followe which Salomon and Tobias call the most true and iust ballaunce and Dauid resembling them with the trueth it selfe saith that such ought the iudge to bée in whose iudgement is founde no iniquitie So that the Iudges raised by him to dispose iustice in his place ought alwayes to haue the Maiestie of him in their mindes and his iudgementes in imitation He iudgeth not by heare say and much lesse by apparance or likelyhood but according to the trueth In which sort it is sayde in Genesis that hée descended into
reserued for them in the fornace of hell ¶ In humane thinges Magistrates ought to follow the lawe naturall and in causes deuine the Doctrine of faith and the loue of God It vvas necessary that God by his Scripture reneued the lavve naturall for it vvas darkened by sinne and the lavve of faith and of loue deuine vvas altogeather vnknovven vvithout the doctrine of God according to both the one and other lavve the Magistrate maye make ordinaunces so that they tende to the confirmacion of the same or haue a likenes vvith them The .3 Chapter GOuernors of common weales thus raysed to a state of diuine honor by the which they haue the title of Gods as hath béene recited in the former Booke the better to enhable them to this deuine office peculiar and proper to God which is to iudge rather in wisedome discrecion and perfection let them imitate God who iudgeth perfectly without errour then folowe man in whose nature is propertye of errour and with his perticular reason oftentimes bringes forthe actes contrarye to reason Let them also at all times folowe one rule deuine certaine and infallible which shall leade them in a deuine course and exercise of theyr estate Let them haue alwayes in theyr hande for the managing of humane and ciuill affaires the lawe natuturall I meane the lawe general proponed by the scripture making it their Loadestone to direct infallibly the state of all their doinges That is the lawe wherunto euen Iesus Christ sendes vs in all common and humane actions meaning wée shall not doo to others that which wée would not haue done to vs as withall Let vs doo to others what wée woulde haue done to our selues whereof the Gospel geueth this interpretation Thou shalt loue thy neighbor as thy selfe Vpon this foundacion al Lawes customes and constitucions ciuill and humane so farre forth as they bée good and iust are grounded But if there bee any ordinaunce wherin is not conteyned this precept of the Lawe naturall or agréeing therewith I meane in affayres concerning onely the profit and benefite of men it can not but holde of iniquitye So that it behoueth that it comprehende something necessarye to the socyetye of man profitable and honest lyke as the Lawe ought not to bée made to geue fauour to pleasure or bring hurt to any one and muche lesse to suffer dishonour or villanye to bée done Thus the Lawe naturall in her generall foundation being in this sort aucthorised by the holye Scripture standes to vs as a rule for al ordinaunces in causes concerning humane gouernement But touching the faith the loue and seruice whiche wée owe to God in thinges deuine and spiritual wée haue an other lawe the foundacion of al holy deuine ordinances I am thy God c. which is thou shalt loue thy God with al thy hart with all thy vnderstanding with al thy soule and with al thy strength which commaundement Saint Paul includes in the natural loue towardes our neyghbour as in déede a man can neuer loue well his neighbour but that it is for the loue of God as the cause formal and effectual of the other friendship And this law was no lesse natural then the other imprinted in the hearts of the fyrst men But the corruption of nature vaine opinions and wicked manners haue so strongly peruerted the iudgement of men that God sawe a necessitye being indused by his mercy to reueale to man this lawe yea reuealed him selfe for men knew him not and muche lesse loued him Thus this first lawe was cleane defaced whiche was easely séene touching the lawe to our neighbour for that there were not many men in the world in whome was desire to doo pleasure to others without recompence of asmuch or more benefite but natures for the most part bearing inclinations to enemities vsuries quarelles pertialityes factions warres with other infinite cōspiracies raised mutually of one man against another And consernyng faith knowledge loue of God all men had declined and erred by extreame transgression wherfore God gaue eftsones these preceptes and the explication of the same by diuers documentes for theyr better vnderstanding and according to the same hath erected many lawes and ordinaunces tending to those twoo endes I meane to vnderstand and kéepe those twoo commaundementes Touching faith hée hath reuealed it to vs expounded and caused it to bée expounded by his prophetes and Apostles and according to the same wée haue also statutes and Lawes reduced into twelfe Articles of the Creede euen as the workes whiche wée ought to doo in charitye and loue of God are comprehended in the ten commaundementes So that sith gouernours ought neuer to erre in iudgement it is méete that they iudge according to these twoo lawes And séeing there can be no others but eyther they haue affinitye with the Pagans or are replenished with iniustice and impietie there is great necessity that these bée thorowlye studied And so loking with déepe iudgement into the lawe of nature they may erect ordinaunces tending to the sayd thrée endes necessity vtility and honestye being all concluded in one generall whiche is the common wealth they maye also ordaine paines for the transgressors by the conformety of those which they sée conteined in the lawes receiued and accustomed in al Christendome euen so in the lawe of the loue of God they maye also make statutes to induce men and leade them to that loue and if any haue lost it A thing happening by sinne they maye make ordinaunces of reconcilement according to the precedent of the auncients by the exhortacion of the Prophetes as to fast and assemble at Prayers which was vsed in the time of the Iudges of Hester the Niniuites and Machabees without expresse commaundement of God. ¶ Men may vse the morral Lawes of the olde Testament but not the Ceremoniall and Iudiciall applied to the times and maners of the Jevves vvhich Iesus Christ and also Saint Paul doeth confyrme These vvere natural and therefore ought to bee eternall notvvithstanding for charitye to our neyghbour and loue of God and for aduauncement of faith that lavve sometimes is not to bee vsed at the time vvhen men do greatest seruice to God vvhich then is an acte of perfection The vvise man can not faile to Judge vell according to the lavve of nature The .4 Chapter BVT because it maye bee asked of some whether magistrates may iudge according to the deuine Lawes of the olde Testament séeing the Lawe of Moyses was abolished by Iesus Christ The lawe saith Saint Luke and the Prophetes led man no further then vntill the time of Saint Iohn Baptist And as the lawe of nature before Moyses conteynes not but certaine examples of Iustice so the lawe of the Gospell medling not with Pollitike ordinaunces entreates onelye of mercye as is séene in the grace which Iesus Christ shewed to the adulterour Go thy wayes sayeth hee and sinne no more And touching humaine lawes it séemes that men ought not
Paul in many places pronounceth them abhominable before God the same agréeing with common experience wherein wée sée that in no Synne is more power of beastialitye ouer man nor more draweth him into thraledome yea it kéepes him in more subiection then the Wine that makes him Droncke or the King that commaundes him The Wise man sayeth that as Wine and Women doo make men Apostates and to abuse theyr honourable profession so all sinne is without man sauing this whiche corruptes effeminates defiles and dishonoureth euerye parte of the man yea it pollutes the sacred Temple of GOD and bringes to passe that the holye members of IESVS Christe are made infected members of a Whoore If the Lawe did so expreslye forbydde that there shoulde bée no whore in Israel which countreye was but a shadowe of Christendome and that the paine was no lesse then death Why should it be endured amongst Christians who being most cleare and holy by that holy and deuine profession ought to expresse as great power of perfection as the light hath ouer darknesse there is no sinne which bringes to man more miseries blindnesse and beastlynesse nor by whose occasion more controuersies and murders do rise if it did onely but make man lose the reputation of his honour and libertie of his minde that extreme wretchednesse ought to make it hatefull much more then is it detestable by howe much it leades him into the destruction of his soule which is the principall Besides that the sinne is monstrous to lose the séede which GOD hath ordeyned for the generation of man so precious in nature yea if there be encrease of children what shame and dishonour followeth their foule procreation and to howe many vices are they subiect for the contempt which the worlde hath of them in their education If then so generall slaunder hang ouer all Christendome by fornication if it make Realmes subiect to reproches of forreine Nations if in it be nourished the occasion of euyll doyng by wicked examples so manye secrete murders of Infantes without Baptisme and the enforced deliuerie of wretched maydes to auoyde sclaunder of the worlde If lastlye vnder the winges of fornication be hatched the Egges and broode of so many diuisions questions controuersies murders and warres why should there be sufferaunce of whoredome so reprobate and condemned and the onely Nurse of all miseries happening to Nations and men were it not better to condemne it to death or at the least to ioyne it to such gréeuous paynes that there might be no further wyll to followe such allurement the miserable cause of all wretched deathes Here if any wyl obiect the example and custome of the Gentils who to entertayne their pleasures in their brothell places helde opinion that man and woman consenting to suche Acte did no wrong to any séeing hauing libertie they stoode also in power to do what they woulde Let them be aunswered with this text of S. Paul Do you not knowe that you are not of your selues but that you are redeemed with a great price vvhich is the blood of Iesus Christe therfore glorifie God and carye him both in your bodies and in your spirites for so doth it appertaine to him the body was not made to play the whoremonger but to serue God who in the resurrection wyll geue it an immortall glory where some may obiect that the sinne is naturall I confesse it as touching a nature corrupted which beyng the more daungerous ought so much the more to be eschewed and corrected So much may be sayde also af naturall choller procéeding of nature vicious and so of all other vices but by the grace of Iesus Christ that vicious or corrupt nature by studie and exercise of doctrine may be reformed and by vertue chaunged by force tamed so by constraint brought to God. Socrates confessed that the Philosophie of Zophyrus was true as who saye his iudgemente by naturall coniecture vpon the lineaments of his body pronounced him to be a great whoremonger which being reprehended in Zophyrus by Socrates friendes he tolde them that Zophyrus had not iudged amisse as touching his inclination but Philosophie made him another man so that when it is sayd that this sinne is common throughout the worlde we must conclude that there is no feare of God no exercise of true doctrine nor any vse of vertue no not so much as Moral by the which thinges the Philosophers Gentiles eschewed sinnes and wonne the reputation of honest people Let vs feare that the worlde be not fallen into the like estate of wretchednesse as when God powred the generall flood ouer all the earth that as the Scripture saith All fleshe had corrupted his vvay meaning that man euen from his youth ranged after the delyte of his fleshly pleasure the same being one signe of the ende of the worlde wherein S. Paul saith that men shal be more louers of them selues then of god Let these terrors be warnings to vs to correct our vnbridled lustes after filthy and fowle pleasures Let youth restraine their inclination by good discipline continuall labours and perpetuall study of vertue Let them learne to beare the Yoke of the Lorde from the beginning mortifiyng their passions and frayle desires by meditation of death and the iudgement of god Let Parentes according to the counsell of Chrisostome rather vse a ripe care in oportunitie to mary their children then to leaue them in the handes of daunger to offende God and damne their Soules ⧠Continuaunce of the punishment of this sinne according to his other kindes ⧠The .9 Chapter TOuching Incestes amongest néere Parentes or with religious women or rauishmentes of maydes the Law hath alwayes condempned them to death The Positiue Lawe hath alwayes iudged worthye of the fire Inceste with the maides cōsecrated to god At Rome the Vestal Virgines Pagans beyng defiled with Inceste were buryed quicke and so dyed miserablie The auncient Church receiued not the incestuous religious man or woman to the Communion vntyl death In all times the lawe of nature hath condemned adulterie to extreame punishment Pharao and Abimelech iudged it one of the greatest sinnes that coulde be as by whose occasion death did not onely followe such as had commited it but also it drewe infinite miseries vppon houses Courtes and Kingdomes Amongst the Hebrues the offendour was stoned to death At Rome by the Cornelian Lawe it was lawfull to kyll the adulterer without reprehension and also for a man to refuse his wife for the suspicion of that vice euen as for the sinne beyng notorious and prooued the Christian may dissolue mariage touching cohabitation In many places men cut of the nose of the adulterer and sometimes the eares as in Egypt they pluckt out both the eyes of Locres that was the cause why Zalence King of that people pulled out owne of his owne eyes and another from his sonne who was taken with the acte which he did to accomplishe the Law notwithstanding the importunitie of
men are condemned for sinne so it behoueth euerye one howe Ritche so euer he bée or what power or principalitye so euer he possesse to obeye the lawe and this ordinaunce otherwaies he is a transgressour of the lawe and punishable as an offendur it is therfore that S. Paul teacheth that all men ought to trauaile condemning the loyterour not to bée worthy to liue and with all excōmunicates al idle people calling them disordered because they are not in the order polletike where all the worlde according to theyr perticular vocation doth trauaile and none is founde vnprofitable euen as in the natural body which suffereth no part or member to be Idle but all seruing an vse in their body do trauaile in their humane functions If no man bée excommunicated but for some great crime séeing Saint Paul excommunicated Idle people they can not be but very criminal God hath ordained labour as a penaunce to man and to be to him as a remembraunce of the wretchednes which sinne bringeth an exercise to kéepe him in vertue and a meane to traine him to humility and dutye according to the arte whereunto hée is called by the which his spirite is drawn from wicked thoughts corrupt affections and reprobate desires wherwith the Idle man is continuallye vexed For this cause S. Ierome biddes vs bée doing alwaies some worke to the ende the Deuil may finde vs occupied Besides this moderate labour is very profitable to the health of the body without the which by crudity and indigestion of humours retaining the excrements many diseases may bréede And therfore who wil not bende his body to labour should in the consideration of these reasons commit great faultes against God against him selfe against his common weale wherunto hée is bound with al his meane and power For as according to the resemblance before there is no member in the humane bodye which trauailes not according to the facultye of his nature and office to geue ayde to the general bodye and euery member in perticular which otherwayes would fal into infirmitye yea if it should perseuere without geuing succors and bréede hurt by contagion it should bée cut of from the body not onely as vnprofitable but as a corruptor of the other members so what lesse office belonges to the member of this body polletike Deserueth hée not that which S. Paul geues to the idle Thessalonians to bée cut of and excluded from Christian society And if Iesus Christ condemne an idle worde that is bringing no profite to our neighbour to the iudgement of God what sentence may bée geuen of suche as not onelye liue in idle wordes but loase theyr precious time and omitting innumerable good déedes stand idle vnprofitable euen in their proper vocation If any wil saye that in this idlenes men offende not for that they doo but walke talke sléepe make méerye passe the time without doing euil to any hauing withall whereupon to liue without trauaile it maye bée denyed for the first part of the aunswere that they cannot but doo euill for that as suche lyfe and Pastimes are reprooued and that in all times and for all our workes and wordes wée are bounde to geue accoumpt to God. So it is not inough to abstaine from doing euill but wée must also without ceassing bée exercised in doing good according to the Scripture So that the Ritche man must not say I haue inough and néede not take paine Nor the Gentleman must not vaunte of his great reuenues say hée hath no further care but to passe his time in hunting and other delites Nor let the Bishop and Churchman excuse him selfe of trauaile for that his liuing is plentifull and prepared to his handes For euery man is bounde to followe his vocation and walke as Saint Paul sayth according to the same Hée must not sléepe then in that vocation if his office bée to trauaile and that with as great diligence as he maye euen no lesse then belonges to him that hath vndertaken for some necessary affaires to make some painefull iourney Let suche people whome God hath blessed with suche wealthe as to maintaine theyr life there is no necessitye of labour consider why they were raysed to such Ritch estates who the more they haue the greater reckoning haue they to make to God are subiect to more déedes of charitye then others In this I bind not al sorts of men to a dutye of trauaile with the hand in workes of labour But as there be diuerse sorts of trauailes some of the minde and some of the body So to some kindes of labor is required sometimes the strayning of the bodye and sometime the exercise of the minde The Ritch man hath his part of trauaile to direct his affaires kéepe his seruantes in office wherin let him with Abraham seeke out in the high wayes poore passangers about his house his néedy neighbors imparting vnto them of his goodes geuen him by God for that ende The Gentleman hath inough to prouide for the quiet of his Tenauntes that they consume not one another with sutes and to defend them from the oppression of the théefe or enemye hée ought to bée to them as a shéephearde to his flocke whose office is not onelye to defend them from the Iawes of the Wolfe but also so to leade them as they doo no hurt to the seuerall Féeldes of another But in warre the Gentleman is bounde for the publike defence of his Countrey to commit his person to hazarde So that whether in peace or in warre the Gentleman hauing due regarde to the discharge of his office and estate hath no leasure to leade or loase his time in Idlenes What belongeth then to the Magistrate Polletike who likewise is a pastour of his people to guide them ciuilly by counsell to kéepe them according to the Lawe to defende them with his aucthoritye and vse such prouidence as they bée not molested But much more yea most of all it belongeth to the spirituall pastour of Soules the churchman of what order soeuer he bée to bée vigelaunt in his estate as hauing in charge farre more precious thinges then the others of a greater perrill if he loase them for in loosing one Soule being so deare to Christ as he gaue his life for it he loseth also his owne and can not bée saued if onelye one bée spilt thorow his default Right straitely therefore is he bound to pray incessauntly to preache diligently and to show holy conuersation in his office who if he lose many soules eyther by his example or through his false Doctrine or by negligence in his duty incurreth horrible damtion for that in losing a Soule hée suffereth to bée lost and spilt the blood of Iesus Christ Thus as there is no man who notwithstanding his sufficiencye of wealthe hath not occasion to trauaile more then others whome necessitye enforceth to paynes for theyr reléefe so the more hée is bounde to God for his wealthe by
sayeth that who feareth the Birdes obserueth the windes in doubt of stormes let him neuer cast séede into the earth nor make his haruest euen so let not man thinke that by his prouidence the Citie is kept from the euils which hée feareth to happen by meane of the poore as from great famine dangerous sicknesses who sendes the misery and who preserueth the Citie frō it is it not God whose grace if wée haue shal we not be assured with Dauid that malice can not hurt vs enemies can not anoye vs nor plague no nor death it selfe haue power ouer vs By what meanes can wée better obtaine the graces of God or if he bée angry what easter way haue wée to reconcile him thē by almes hospitality if wée lodge the sonne of God in our house and entreate him with franke will in zelous charitye which wée doo in harboring his poore creatures in his name Let vs thinke that we stand in such estate of grace both with the Father the Sonne as our requests are alwayes acceptable with them Shal we haue feare of euil wée that receyue him that preserueth and deliuereth vs from it hée that hath power to ceasse the rage of Tempests stormes restoreth life to the dead euen so of the contrary if wee reiect him and threaten him to auoide from our gates what wretchednes do wee worke to our selues euen no lesse then damnation If Iesus Christ assure vs that making the poore our frindes by the plenty of our wicked richesse we shal haue them as aduocates to receiue vs into their eternall tabernacles let vs not doubt but as they liue exercised in prayer for vs so they are heard in their requestes their deuotion acceptable with God If then by the meane of the poore that pray for vs we haue the redier place with who hath them his enimies can haue no accesse to heauen then where is our refuge séeing they are only the heyres of the kingdome of god In making them our enimies wée prouoke God grieuouslye against vs to chase them out of our townes or threaten them if they approche néere our gates is to bring vs and our Citty in perill of his iustice who is their soueraigne father and protector There can not be a more iust cause to bring in the plagues miseries that we feare then to deale straightly with the poore passengers straungers here I allow not that without discresion there be suffraunce of frée entry to whome that will but at the least let suche be sustayned whose necessitie most requires it giuing consolation to their pouerty and not cause of further gréefe in their present sorrowe which of it selfe is intollerable ynough It is written that we are bound to compassion ouer she distresse of an other and not to defrawde the poore of his almes And if no man be defrauded but when that is taken from him which appertayneth to hym then to giue him that is his owne is but common iustice and christian piety Strayne not thine eyes ouer the poore in his pouerty and delay not that which thou wilt giue him to encrease his perplexity if he curse thée that is if he complayne iustly of thée he shall be hearde of God who turneth directly to thy destruction Let vs be therefore affable and mylde to the assembly of the poore for these speaches of the wise man are ministred for our instruction Still touching the recōmendation of hospitalitie and almes BVt the better to prouide for all sortes of poore it were good to follow the order of the Apostls who elected deacons such as among the people by common iudgement had the estimation of honest men and fearing god and they to distribute according to the perticuler necessity of euery poore of the churche to which office were called oftentimes the most honorable and vertuous dames choosing also inhabitantes of the towne of sounde conscience and feruent followers of charitye to administer the almes by faythfull seruauntes This Apostolik custome appéereth euen at this day in many sortes agréeing with that antiquity in certaine auncient townes where be many hospitals called commaunderyes as hauing in euery one of them a Deacon commaunding as a speciall gouernour vnder the Bishop or Chapter to whom he was to make account at certaine times of the receypt distribution to the profite of the poore For to al those houses belonged great reuenues because the churchmen liberally contributing departed the reuenues with the Bishop and the thirde part or according to the counsell of Rome in Siluesters time the fourth part at the least was employed that waye the Byshop tooke the first the Canons the second the third was giuen to the reperation of Churches the fourth as is sayde was the share of the poore There were besides these many generall collections many perticuler almes in large charity many legasies by the testamentes of richmen were transferred thyther and after the churches were riche all fines and common confiscations were applied therevnto by which meanes hospitals became the richest houses of a country But such wretchednesse is happened with the corruption of time that those Deacons or substitutes which we sayde are called at this day commaunders and the syndicks haue folowed the declination of the time conuerted to them selues what they thought good not bearyng care to their estate and office wherevpon is happened a generall discontinuaunce of Almes geuing yea Bishops and Churchmen also haue either resumed or at least restrayned their fourth part and the reuenues and benefites growing by Legacies of good men are lost for want of lyuing For those commaunders durst not draw them into question either fearing to be reproched for their owne dissolucions or glad to vse scilence and liue in peace with their vsurped share of the liuing of the poore And so they haue suffered all to be lost which was proper to the poore both what was in certayne reuenue and what might haue growen to their reléefe by casuall devocion reteyning to them selues what they list attribute to the merite of their paynes which besides their trauayle to collect shoulde haue stretched to visite comfort and care for the poore If they had with halfe of that they tooke but preserued the houses which now are fallen to ruine they had yet perfourmed a great parte of their duetye for these latter times For touching the first seasons as there hath béen allowed no excuse so in these latter dayes shall none be admitted if they do not commit their charges into the handes of such as haue power to reduce them to order which are gouernors of the pollecy who according to God and the zeale to their country are to take hart enforce restitution of that that hath béene taken away deuided into cantels whereby the poore house of God is robbed by sacriledge procuring also restoration of the first collections and almes for the continuance of a thing so pittifull
their goodes in any sort eyther by sleyght or force as by reseruing that which was their proper owne and in case the debtors of their race and nation had not whervpon to pay commodiously if their Oxen and instruments necessarye to gaine their lyfe were seased they were bounde to restore them to serue their necessities yea bed and garments when they were required for necessary vse In the hardest extremity the debtor to content his creditor was but constrayned to serue so long time as the debt might amount vnto yea vntill the seauen yeares which was the Saboth of yeares But we finde not that by the law any poore debtor was put in pryson I comprehend not in this tolleration wicked and craftie debtors very théeues and abusors who hauing sufficiently will not yet paye their debtes but eyther by cession of goodes ordinarily called Cedo bonis or by some other shift haue craft to cauell with their creditors such people as they deserue not onely straight prison but the scourge of the gibbet as subtill and malicious deteinors of other mens goodes so concerning other debtors simply and truely poore let the welthy creditor consider the condemnation of the cruell rich man in S. Mathew who kéeping his foote vpon the necke of his poore neyghbour in a case of debt which he had good will though not hability to paye was for that condemned to be perpetually tormented in the iudgement of God What sin can be greater then to afflict the poore whome we ought to comfort to make him naked whome we are bounde to cloth to commit him to prison whome we ought to deliuer yea and perhaps in being the cause of his death to driue his sons into hospitals and his wife and daughters into daungerous perdicion through necessity it is written that the poore shall cry to God against such as afflyct them and shall be hearde And as we ought not to spare neyther goodes nor credit to deliuer them whome the iniquity of men woulde vniustlye cause to dye so such as redéeme captiues and prisoners are pronounced happy by Iesus Christ But héere no man ought to reply that it were better not to lende at all for that makes a wicked conclusion for that we are bounde to giue to the exstreame poore to lend to him that hath goodes albeit not in such plenty but that he hath necessitye of some sustenaunce clothing or instruments to gaine his liuing without which loane he should fall into néede and be compelled to sell his small portion Touching the ciuile loane passing mutuallye betwéene rich men séeing there is neyther charity nor necessity it beares no recommendation with piety but is onlye a ciuil honesty according to the custome of an inuited feast wherin is no expectation of recompence But if it be done to the poore for the honor of god it draweth to it eternal reward if they looke to be gloried for doing anye great vertue it may be sayd vnto them as Iesus Christ said in like actes The gentils and sinners do they not that then there is no glorye a fore GOD and yet it carieth the habite of ciuill honestye and socyetye of friendshippe not to be neglected as is also to giue presents and doe pleasure to our friendes and Lordes Iesus Christ sayth it is no act of vertue meritorious afore God for that no actes but such as are done in his name deserue recompence of him The poore criminall offenders knowne to be in pryson by slaunder and false witnesse and in perill of execution if they be not reskued as they ought by the scryptures to be deliuered by all meanes least innocent bloud be spilt which may bring common wretchednesse vpon all such as might haue deliuered them so such as haue deserued death iudicially determined by full euidence assone as they haue committed the cryme owe a death to God in good iustice to their common weale for examplary instruction There is but one iust cause of delay which is to appeach their confederates and to affront them otherwise all delayes of iustice sayth Plato are signes of corruption in the Iudges who by delaying of iudgement giue oportunity to the party to reclayme grace in time or to compound with the aduersary or to bring the facte in forgetfulnesse or at least to qualifie the rigour of the party offended or last of all aspiring still to be deliuered to gette committed to the Capitaine of the Galleyes the malefactor in whome is full merite of penall death In which fauour besides the iniustice and damnable corruption is bred the occasion of many mischiefes as the reuenge of them that persecuted his lyfe with an vnbrideled lycence to do any euill Let Iudges vnderstande that the law of God suffereth not a determined murder to receyue accorde or composition for money but commaunding them to giue sentence of death for the effusion of innocent blood he enioyneth them to take and kill him euen before the aulter of the temple as Salomon did by Ioas. I medle not here with offenders deseruing grace the remission of whose offence belongeth only to the Prince nor with such whome the auncient church receyued into penaunce in which as they suffred a thousand passions far more paineful then the extréemest pange of one death only so the Churche was more edified by that puplique penaunce then in the example of many actuall deathes The v. Booke ¶ Of the institution of youth which is a thing profitable and necessarie in a common weale the prayse of free scholes what prouision ought to be made to builde and endue them The 1. Chapter WE said a litle before that the institution of poore children ought to be done in a schole therfore it is nowe requisite we speake amplie both of scholes and the institutiō thereto appertayninge not only for the poore but for all sortes of children a matter not onely worthie of the first and chiefe care but also most profitable and necessarie in all sortes of common weales A Colledge or schole is the foundacion florishing braunches of a common weale the common stoare house of all knowledge the fashioner of all young wittes a pure fountaine purging all corrupte natures and as a forme or moule of all aswel humaine as diuine perfections it is a welspring of science and fountaine of all vertue it is the house of discipline the mansion of the Muses their Hellicon and Pernassus and the fortresse of Pallas it is the place wherein is performed the first exercise of doctrine christian life and institution of pietie yea it is the ornament and glorie of Cities a bulwarke to Borowes to vplandish townes of the fielden and the very beginning continuance and piller of Religion Thus Colleages being the causes and perfect effectes of so many benefites deserue also without comparison more singular recommendacion then all the hospitalles of the world For in Colleges or Scholes are nourished and polished the mindes of men being the diuine heauenly
immortall purtraits of the diuinitie of God and in hospitalles only the corruptible and mortal bodies of decayed men are fed and cherished In Colleges also poore children may bee susteined if the houses haue liberal dowries the same ministring great cause to the gouernours to prouide Colledges séeing also it is a common interest to all men to sée to the good instruction and education of youth what course of science so euer they take as hauing no abilitie of them selues to know what is good honest profitable nor what is conducible to the safetie of their soules and much lesse to discerne God and searche out his wil yea they shal be ignorant in their rule and gouernment of humaine reason so wicked and obscure a nature carrie they by sinnes so ignorant is their spirit so peruersed their will and affections whereby those children folowing time without discipline and institution should fall into infinit errours and dissolute manners and as vice encreaseth as the wicked wéede groweth without culture or labor and euery minde by his proper nature caried to doe euill where vertues can not bee attained without discipline and instruction so these young forward plantes if thei should not be licorred with wholesome moysture and moderated by the industrie of skilfull workmen they would bring forth fruites of corruption and troubles to their common weales and in the end ouergrow them to their generall destruction Let it be therefore a principall care in chief Rulers to erect Colledges building them in places ayrie cleane and faire obseruing the commoditie of the Sunne and wind reflecting temperatly a thing very delightful to the wit and profitable to the health of the body foreséeing that they carrie such state in showe and buildinge that aswell the beauty of the workmanship as the serenitie of the place may draw children of noble houses to passe their youth there and inuite other good wittes to establishe and follow the studie of learning The romthes standing in such amplitude and the chambers so many that they may conueniently conteyne the nūbers of schollers within the house being very hurtfull by many reasons to make separation of studentes one from another and vnder the chambers to bee made formes to the ende the Regentes and maisters remaining in the said chambers and hauing vnder them the said fourmes may better kéepe their schollers in dutie then if their fourmes were elswhere bestowed if the place be commodious it is necessary to make libraries in the sayde chambers which would bée very requisite for good Studentes for to yonge children and such as beare no vehement will to studie they would be but occasion to hinder or disorder their exercise it were good they were bestowed in a mild swéete and softe aier if the place beare commodity for the recreation and pleasure of wittes the windowes of these ought to haue aspect towardes the East and West for the South resolueth the wit and dulleth it and filles the braine with hurtfull vapour and the wind of the North as in winter when it is cold hindreth the memory and is hurtfull to the lyuer and lightes because it stirres vppe defluxion Secondly a Colledge or schole ought to bee indued with reuenue sufficient to entertaine a principall and Regentes of singular vertue and knoweledge with wages accordinge to their order and qualitie and that with such iust payment that they haue no occasion to complaine of their common weale nor of such by whō they are called to the exercise of that profession Touching the reuenues of Colledges without the which the stately buildings should séeme as cages wherin the birdes died of hunger for want of prouision goodly to beholde but not to dwell there the Church in other tymes hath prouided for her part a principall Regent for which purpose shée leauied foure or fiue hundreth Frankes of estate in the Cathedrall Churches for the finding of a man of excellent learning and vertuous life who at this day retaynes the name called Scholemaister and the Bishops and common weales supplied the reste as thei saw necessitie require wherein for the default of some of our predecessours discontinuinge this good and holy institution I wish our Ecclesiastical prelates of this time to restore and recontinue so auncient and necessarie constitution would where neede is either erect newe Colledges and encrease their reuenew or at least repaire such as are towardes ruine and of their grosse reuenues superfluous for the countenance of a churchman compart some porcion to the fauour of learning honour of God seruice of their countrey and their owne perpetuall memorie and as those holy and graue prelates of the former tymes saw there were no better meanes to preuent heresies and correct vices then by laying a ground of good instruction in the first yeares of youth so if their successours had succéeded them aswel in example and imitation as in their huge and wealthie liuinges they had stopped the course to many sectes and opinions which only are the cause at this day that Christendome standeth deuided in religion and the kinges thereof drawen into actes of mutuall conspiracie In some places common weales and cities onely haue had the honor to builde endue Colleges with a reuenue of a thousand or xii C. Frankes at the least for the which they haue bene and are amongest all other cities most celebrated Others not hauing like abilitie in wealth but no lesse forward in affection to learning séeking not to be slow or negligent in that which they sawe raysed their common weale to benefite and them selues into immortall honor procured brotherheads to be annexed leuied generall and particular gatheringes to erecte and endue their Colledges and solicited Bishops to transferre the ayde of certaine benefices makinge by that industrie their colledges both faire and riche wherein in some places as the prince to helpe the want of some townes vnable but well disposed to plant such foundacion of a common weale hath wisely appointed the Cathedrall and Collegiall churches to bestow Cannon prebendes to the reliefe of Colledges specially in their capitall Townes where ought to bee the residence of learned men to teach the whole Diocesse So in many townes specially in Fraunce where they haue so ready meane and either will not or dare not applie it to vse what great offence doe they to their Countrey and pitiefull wrong to their vniuersall youth for where their cities are poore and haue chapters and riche churches to supplie their prouision with the reuenue of prebendes whilest they are voyde yet they leaue the care and prouidence of their prince without execution and are negligent in the instruction of their poore frayle youth for the which they stande not onely condemned afore God but also subiecte to reproche in all posteritie yea euen of the youth them selues to their perpetual dishonor young wittes being by their negligence abandoned to vices ignorance and all sortes of dissolution where if they had ben trained in a colledge they
poyson being in temperatly dronke But if masters are reprehensible for the offence of this education no lesse reproch belongs to fathers and mothers who foreseing not by counsell to whome to commit the institution of the youth of their children haue oftentimes mor care to entertaine horsriders and falkners for the delight of their trifling fancy then to prouide good and lerned scholemasters to breath knowledg and manors into their precious children yea they had rather spare a fewe crownes to the hurt somtims and vtter destruction of their children in committing thē to sellie ignorant corrupte and couetous masters whō to fauour their purse they take by report with out other proof then depart with liberall alowance to worthy sufficient men for the good institution and bringing vp of their youth for the which they stand in hazard of the seuere iudgment of god as guilty to all the wickednes which their children shall do together with the miseries happening to them for not being instructed and their youth trayned by wise and worthy maisters But a little more to touche the fonde couetousnes and inconsiderat consideration of such Fathers is not that man too farre from his senses who careth for his shoe and not for the foote for the which he had caused the shoe to be made euen no lesse vndiscrete is hee who séekes to heape and get great store of goodes and is negligent to fourme and fashion such to whom hee muste leaue hys wealthe if that man be a naturall foole sayth Salomō who breakes his body and witte to gette goodes and knoweth not his heire or whether he be good or euill What more extréeme follie can be in a rich father who hauing children to succéede him prouides not to make them able to vse his goodes after him But leauing by necessitie his grosse wealth to a sort of foolish and corrupt children neyther worthy to possesse them nor sufficient to vse them is hee not more fonde then hée that Salomon speakes of who condemned not the ritch man but for his too much care to heape goods and had no suertie to leaue behind him good heires the same by experience happening to some fathers nowe a dayes who of their children will not make them worthie and able heyres to their wealth by good diligent institution such Fathers are euill aduised who in the framing of their frayle children beare most regarde care to their purses First in trayning their children by vnworthie maisters besides the losse of time they make them learne mani things which of necessitie thei must learne eftsoones to forget by which the Fathers vainely spende their money and to the hinderance of their children withal besides the inconueniences happening by wicked education and forming of children aswell to them selues as to others the miserable infantes rysing into age and iudgement are ashamed of their nakednes knowe not what estate to practise no they haue no honest meane to liue in honor nor trade to entertayne their necessarie lyfe where the learned if they be not lefte to amplitude of liuinge and goods their learninge and industrie are lynes to leade them easely to preferment And being left ritch by their parents they haue meanes at pleasure to kéepe and encrease their reuenue Learned men haue honor rents and reuenues where euer they goe they are welcome where they come and haue reuerence in all Countreis and companies doctrine is a nouriture to goe to the end of the world without suffering necessitie It is a riche treasure that can not fall into pouertie it is a guyde that will not let vs erre in the wayes of this lyfe it is an vnconsuming light to light vs in the way of vertue it is a perpetual pleasure without enuie the very honor ornament and glory of a man for it formeth in man swéete deliuerie of woordes orderly methode of reasoning and bringes him to perfecte iudgement so that science is to the mind the same that the soule is to the body For which cause Aristotle being asked howe much the ignorant man differed from him that had learninge euen no lesse sayeth hee then the brute beast from the naturall man And so with good authoritie we may conclude that a mā without science is as a body without a Soule or as a simple humaine beast when she doth no iniurie to any but beinge corrupt and cruell he may be resembled with the fierce sauage beastes if he be suttle hee degenerates into a Foxe into a Swyne when he is a glutton into a dogge when he is impudent and intemperate into a Wolfe when he spoiles poore people and into a Lion Tiger Libberd when he vseth slaughter and tyrannie yea Seneca called an ignorant man but an Image of a liuely man. ¶ A continuance of the praise of science exhortation too builde Colledges in Townes The 9. Chapter BVt now let vs returne to our Science which séeing it is as the soule or spirit of a man it makes him reasonable and if it bée diuine it makes him altogither celestiall if the man be corrupt it corrects him and purgeth all his wicked affections whereuppon in good reason it is named the medcine of the soule if the man be poore it enritcheth him if he be low borne it makes him noble if he be contemned it honoreth him if he be little it makes him great rayseth him into dignitie and of a mortall and miserable man it giueth him immortalitie and makes him happie Then if learning be one of the most excellent benefites yea a treasure aboue all ritches comprehending in it selfe all that man can wishe for the contentment of all his desires and perfection of all humane felicities and séeing it is gotten in a colledge the permanent mansion of science yea the pallace of the Muses and their Helicon how much ought we to be affected to erect stately Colledges in euery Cathedrall Town and indue them honorably whereunto the learned mē getting there the meane of their honour and dignitie ought to beare speciall fauour and the vertuouse sorte to contribute franckly séeing by them they haue receyued theyr vertues yea and all others haue interest therein for respect of common benefite as doctrine for their children and correction of manners and to them selues exampes of all vertues Parentes being Colledges in the towne where they dwell shall alwaies be assured of the certain discipline and institution of their children and vnderstanding from one time to another what aduauncement they haue in their Colledge they shall not loase their money vpon credit and much lesse put it to hazarde and fortune as they should if they sent them further where they are also vncertaine of their profit and successe in learning For being farre from them they heare but opinions vntrue prayses of the learning of their children who in the meane while run foorth their time in playe and pasing the streates looking as the prouerbe is who hath the longest nose and liue altogither as
Séeing they are contrary to the opinion and renoume of their vertues how can a woman sayth S. John Chrisostome in those proude attires expressing hir high heart present hir selfe afore God who regardes not but the prayers of the humble and méeke Seuenthly to the behauiour of wiues belongs such wisedome and discretion that they giue no occasion to speake euill of them for it is not enough not to offend if they do not also auoyde the occasion and suspicion of blame wherein albeit there is equall care respect to the husband yet aboue al other creatures honour is most proper to women being as the soule of the kind which being lost there remaynes nothing but vnsauery carcases and ill smelling donghilles yéelding abhomination to all that speake of them Their honor consistes in all action of vertue but specially in virginitie touching maydes in chastitie to the maried sort and touching wydowes incontinencie of which vertues if they be slaūdered they haue no reputatiō though they were perfect in all other graces of nature and fortune for that being dishonored they stand afore men as bodies abhominable if a woman which is vnproper to hir be hard and nigardly yea couetous yet if she be chast it takes no honour from hir but gets hir an opinion of too great and neare a huswife And albeit she ought to be liberal and an almes giuer by the example of the wise woman in Salomon and if she be subiect to passions and iniuries wherein she is expressely forbidden yet she shall loose no honour otherwayes then that they will say she is a shrewe for to be cruell and tirannous as was Jezabell to strike and do iniurie to poore people were rather the moode of Proserpina or infernal Harpia then the action of a woman simply whose nature is tied to effects of modestie pittie gentlenesse Lucrece fearing to haue lost the honour of wiuely chastitie notwithstanding the force of the rauish or cleares the innocencie of hir consent killed hir selfe loathing any longer to liue hauing in hir opinion lost the onely renoume and reputation of life which was hir honor The like affection hath bene found in many holy virgines and wiues who haue rather committed their bodies to many martirdomes then suffred the rauishor to pray vppon the honour of their chastitie séeing therfore the wife ought to know that in this vertue restes hir chiefe ornament let hir kéepe it with speciall watch and care and as neare as she can giue no occasion to put it in question for hir dishonour brings with it this displeasure to turne vppon hir husband hir children all hir parents as by hir vertue all they should be honoured Let hir beware to giue no cause of ielosie to hir husband whereby both he and she should be in perpetuall discord and the whole house in miserable mutinie Let hir therfore vse no secret spéech with any man vnlesse there be warrant of neare kindred and much lesse let hir passe familiar conuersation with any straūger In the absence of hir husband let hir receiue no man into hir house by whom may arise suspicion let hir hold no acquaintaunce with messengers or women of ill name and much lesse vse spéech with wanton people when there is cause she speake let hir remember that testimonie iustifieth innocencie Let hir estéeme no mā more faire more wise nor more perfect then hir husband according to the wife of Hieron who neuer kissing any but hir husband being told by him that his friēds reproched him for that he had an vnsauerie breath aunswered simplie that she thought it had bene so with all men Let hir neuer be séene idle nor take pleasure to play the gossip in suspected companies if she heare any dishonest word or sée any man behold hir with an vnchast eye let hir withdraw hir selfe from such company if any attempt hir with vnchast sutes let them finde she is a woman of vertue and as they presse hir with importunitie so let hir rise stronger in faith alleaging that besides the wrong to hir husband she should commit periury to God prophane the holy institution of mariage which being the inuiolable vnion in Iesus Christ she should commit damnable impietie and by mingling the séede the issue also would rise vncertaine the same being a thefte and sacriledge worthy of a thousand hols and whereunto no satisfaction wold suffice to be short let hir alleadge that God would be so offended as hir soule should stand in eternall perill and she iustly deseruing to be refused of hir husband if shée stād resolutely armed with these memorials she may easely withstand temptations confute whore followers and confound the wicked that sought to suborne hir by presents and promises of great benefites repulsing and aunswering in this sort all commers yea though they be great estates and promise mountaines and liberall reliefe to the children which also is an vniust and vnlawfull gaine she that vseth this vertuous resistance doth worthely aspire to the reputation of that woman which Salomō speaketh of that is to say she is the crowne ioye and honour of hir husband hir praises can not bée caried to high and to hir glory is allotted immortalitie amongst the number of holy dames wiues of the Patriarks The mayd that is clothed in the habit of shame fastnes brings to hir husband a great dowry though she bring nothing but hir body Touching the vertues of the wife hir chastetie they ought to be no lesse familiar to the husband bicause by how much he excelleth hir in perfection of nature by so much ought hée to bée able to enstruct the ignorance of his wife in things appertayning to hir direction and their common honour wherin if he faile of his dutie greater is his merit of rebuke for that the kind of woman by corruptiō of nature is more weake more easie to fall most enclined to euil But the man bearing a more excellent dignity meane to know more then the woman by which he is chosen hir head guide example is not to be excused much lesse to be pardoned yea let him not thinke since he instructes not his wife from the beginning but leaueth hir to the liberty of hir fancy with licēce to cherish hir owne wil not sticking sometimes to helpe hir with ill example being himselfe an adulterer but that béeing solicited to euill she standes in great perill to be seduced or at least by the iust iudgement of God become so waspishe that he findes hir more bitter then gall in his house more troublesome then the smoke the snow or the frost yea he shal think it better dwelling amōgst serpents then in house with a quarellous woman to whose malice is no limit no more thē there cā be worse poyson then is in the venimous head of a serpent he shal sée in his house a generall naturall disorder for that she wil aspire to the office of head to
shall pronounce Wherein the Curat and hée ought to be as the spirit and soule in the gouernement of the bodie and as Aaron and Moyses knit in indissoluble amitie to establish a cure peaceable and happie to the people the pastor preaching doctrine the gentleman ministring discipline to reduce by force the wicked and disobedient in whom is no readines of wil to Gods seruice or ciuill order But if eyther in matters of doctrine or temporalitie there happen causes of hard dicision wherein the one without preiudice of conscience cannot determine and the other by his coūsell can assure no certaine iudgement Let the curat returne the cause to the Bishop if it be ecclesiasticall and Gentlemen appeale to the higher courtes temporall as we sée in the old lawe God ordayned both the one and the other court with diuersitie and distinction erecting in euery court Iudges superior for the graue and hard causes others more inferior to debate matters of meaner qualetie So that as Curats are as first iudges spirituall and Gentlemen as temporall and seculer for the courtes ciuill the second are as seneshals or baylifs the highest as presidents coūsellours So yet all causes requiring dispēse of the law or that haue néed of grace are sent to the Prince in whō only is power to make chaung lawes vpon iuste causes to him only belongs the gifte of pardon grace euen in such causes of crime as deserue death But now to retorne to our gentilman seing he is iudge of his tenaunts let him resort to the instructions of our second booke the better to leade him in that estate and if eyther for the nomber or grauitie of causes he call to him a iudg let him chuse him by the rule and prescription of our first booke not suffering him to pronounce affected or faulse iudgments which is a vice most heinous against God whose iudgments be iuste and euen as a balance acording to the which the iudgments of men ought to be ruled wherin in déed as iustice and iudgment belonge properly to God such then as execute them vnder him in lawful authoritie ought to obserue his commaundement and manner in the measure of iustice and iudgments otherwise their vsurpation makes them guiltie of high crime afore the heauenly iudge Togither with this order of iustice the gentilman is bound to kéepe and defend his tenants as the shepherd his Lambes that they be not deuoured of vagabounds spoyled of théeues and mordered by robbers But as the good shepherd watcheth ouer his flocke defends it from woulues chasing them with dogges takes them and hanges them on trees to terifie others not to anoy◠the slocke euen with such liuelie diligence ought the gentilman to pursew roages and rauinors seruing to no other vse but to deuoure a countrie causing them to be hanged in publike places by the highe waye side and to exinte vtterlye that wicked generation And if their skinne be worthy any thing I meane if they haue substance remaining uppon their rauinus trade let it be distributed to such frō whome it waa vniustly taken In consideration of such regiment guarde and defence of pore contrimen the gentilman hath rents and reuenue and is honored feared and loued and called Lord of such as resort vnder him Wherfore doth he only in a parish weare a sworde but that to him a lone belonges the defence of his people and to serue the prince Therfore so often as he is called Lord and that with reuerence and homage they bring him rents and benefites let him euen so often remember for what cause he is raised into such singuler estimation and by what merit he aspired to that dignitie of honour And if eyther by his proper vertues or desert of his aūcestors he hath atchieued that estate of noblenes Lett him euen by the same vertues retaine and kepe his repuacion by the which he got it Let him thinke the honor is not due but to vertue authoritie belōges not but to the wise and discrete no more are his rentes reuenues constituted for other purpose then for the regiment guarde and defense of his tenantes as the farmor takes not the fléese and milke of the shéepe but to féede and kéepe the flock since he is a Gentleman let him refraine from all actes of villanie let him not bée ignorant wherefore he hath the name of noble which according to the Gréeke signifieth bright as a cléere light and in Latin it is hée that is knowne and renoumed generally hée can not shine with cleare light nor be knowne famous thorough the world but by his enseignes and valiant actes not sparing his life for the defence of the church and his Countrey employing his body and goods for the support of Gods honour and put his life in hazard to deliuer the people from extréeme daungers which he could not doe but by seruinge and praying to God liuing soberly vsing iustice and wisedome in his actions magnanimitie and patience to the reproches of his enemies tolleration of hunger cold with other passions of hardnes and kéeping no reckoning of the woundes he hath receyued traueling in the action of these high vertues for a singular charitie towardes God whose honour with the common spoile of the people had else stand in hasarde Then this noble Gentleman passinge so many perplexities to put in suertie and rest a towne or a region can the merite of his vertues bring to him lesse rewarde then the title name of noble both according to the Greeke and Lattin phrase hath he not wonne and purchased rentes and reuenues that hath wasted his proper liuing for the benefite and publique sauetie Euen so who followeth not the vertues by the which this name Honour Renowne and Rentes haue ben gotten howe can hée deserue the vse benefit or estimation of them yea what degeneration doth he expresse from his auncestors by whom they were gotten with the sweat of their bodies and common daungers of their persones should he not bring foorth dishonour if he followed not their steppes If he be giuen to vices greatly would hée darken their noble vertues if he be a coward much more would he deface their high and valiaunt attemptes and if he giue not him selfe to the maintenance of the church and defense of the people specially such as he hath in singuler charge what imitacion of his vertuouse predecessours who reposed all their glorie in the happie occomplishing of these things thinking they could not woorthely retaine the name nor the honor or at least holde them by false and vniust titles if they conserued not the iust causes of those dignities as also vnworthely possessed their rentes and reuenues due by their originall nature to the exercise and hyer of such noble enterprises Gentlemen then not liuing within the limites of religion but persecute blaspheme and vnder the title of their noblenes not knowing the woorthines of it doe manye iniuries despise others
alwayes gaine For some times aswell in affaires on sea as lande GOD sendes afflictions for proofe and trial but he deliuereth the iust man in the ende to his greater comfort But if in his voyages and trafykes he had no other intent theÌ„ to aduaunce his own priuate gayne I sée not howe the common weale hath interest in his restitution séeinge as he traded for him selfe without respect of publique benefite to the countrey so there can be no reason of restitution where is no cause of merit No let such as restraine their wares to a dearth in hope to enhauÌ„ce the price and in the meane eyther the season groweth plentifull or their wares corrupt let such I saye sucke the iuyce of their couetousnes with the broth of rigorous punishment togither also with that cankared sorte of marchants who by reason of loane or credit passe their wares to poore chapmen of the countrey eyther for better then they are or at more price then they are worth Such also as making store of their corne and neuer appeare in the market but when the price beginnes to abate by the great supplie that the countrey bringes in and to restraine or forstall it will not stick to send twoo or thrée leagues about in the couÌ„trey to all the vittellers corne men with threates or false brutes not to bring in their corne as yit What other reward doe such marchants merit of their common weales but publike infamie exemplairye iustice yea they are bound to restore the damage that is sustained by it wherein it belonges to the officers of the towne and other special ministers vnder the Prince not to wink at this great iniustice done by these cormorantes to a whole common weale least by their coniuringe and dissimulation thei stand no lesse guiltie afore God and their countrey theÌ„ those that are the special dooers if they alleadge which is ordinarie with them that they made the prouision for the towne and therefore ought not to sustaine losse how false that is appeareth by this argument of their dooing for if their store had ben reserued to the reliefe of their towne they might haue giuen plentifull succours not onely to the towne but to the couÌ„trey about at the beginning when corne drew to a scarcetie and high price in the market but as by their extréeme couetousnes suffering it to mount to extréeme rate they brought lamentable preiudice to their common weale so much lesse that there is any colour of excuse séeinge by the apparance of their dooings the common people findes good cause to accurse them with infinit outcries which being retained in heauen can not but bréede effectes of their ruyne on earth for God according to the scripture drawing vp the cryes of the poore vseth to reuenge their iniuries with all lamentable miseries thondred vpon the proper dooers and their posteritie to the extreeme rooting out of their houses Let the magistrat also looke to it least God wrappe him in the common paynes with such as doo the wrong Let him not dissemble iustice by any merit or estimation of the person for that the greater they are the quicker Iustice their offence deserueth as being vnthankfull children and bretherne to their common weale which is their mother albeit in them be respect of parentage neighbourhead gossupship or other consideration of friendship yet they ought al to passe vnder equall punishmeÌ„t for that as the law is equall so with God whose lieftenantes they are is no acception of persones who wheÌ„ there is a fault committed in his house eueÌ„ by his dearest children there beginnes he his correction afore hée procéede to iustice of others So did he to Moyses who spake to him face to face that is priuatly reuealinge him selfe to him more then to any other as soone as hée erred he is first condemned for certayne infidelitie neyther could he at any time retract the sentence but that he dyed in the desert and could not enter into the land of promisse Ananias and Saphira were in the Catalogue of the first Church but as soone as they lyed to the holy Ghost with an vnfaithfull but weake fraile distrust are executed to death by diuine vengeance it is written that Chylon wheÌ„ he was created soueraigne magistrat in Athens sent for his friends saying that froÌ„ the time forward he renounced all frendship meaning that in causes of trespasse he would vse parents frinds kindred in on rate and equitie of iustice with others Ther be that in the traffike of marchandice and corne speciaâ—ly do forestall the time as when they buye corn yet in the blade and frutes not resolued but in their blossome with many other helps in bargeyning where of I leaue the resolution to the lawes for that my profession here is to medle with none but such as concerne concience and Christian dutie And so because the time is not yet ceraine to make by common iudgment a certaine measure of corne and frute no man ought to buye as they saye the pigge in the bagge nor the corne in the blade for that the market is the place apoynted for the trafficke of such thinges Such forerunners of time and forestallers of markets neuer buye in that sort but at too plentifull a peniworth as the seller seldome obserueth those seasons to sell in but by some great necessitie which as a matter of force constraint is also impertinent to the bargaine making it is sayd that feare and force make vnprofitable accordes as in which two passions is neyther full libertie nor perfect iudgment And therfore in common reason the buyer can not but offend in conscience if he enforce the necessitie of the pore seller to his priuate gaine and the vndoing of him selfe and desolat familye speciallye buyinge his corne in the blade and other his goods which are not yet in nature touching rent corne of fermers if their Lordes deale not with them somtimes more in conscience and consideration of the yeare then according to the straight equitie and rigor of their couenaunts they may to their dishonor flea them quicke as the huntsman caseth a fox to haue his skin and leaue their wiues and children to pouertie to their perpetuall confusion afore God the land lord ought to deale with his tenant as the herdsman with his flocke who is contented only with his fléece and feding him still to th end he may estsons encrease he defends him from the woulfe and sucoreth him in time of his pouertie Great also is the gredines of marchants in their other perticuler trades and no lesse damnable their sheftes and subtelties enforced with a custome of lying and swering vices for the most part familiar with inferior bargeinars and retaylers aspiring to be rich by those abominable helpes But to coÌ„demn this couetousnes the very norsse and feeder of all other vices this were only sufficient if marchants had no other purpose or pretence in their contractes and trades but to
let them labour to kéepe their common weale whole and sound that neyther in maners nor discipline nor touching the lawes customes statutes and ordenances there bee no error by superfluitie or want receyuing succours by doctrine sermons and perticular lessons touching Religion of the Churchmen to whome they are bound to stretche and leade their hand according to GOD as we sée the bodie serueth the soule in that is necessary for the vse and conseruatioÌ„ of man And if in the said bodye politike there bee hapned any euill of what side soeuer it be eyther of them selues or others eyther within or without whether of one or many or all together they ought presently to discend to the remedie to the rooting vp of the euill if it be possible in the beginning and not suffer it to encrease by conueniencie or dissimulation Let them not doubt but God as he is of nature mercifull so he is greatly prouoked when he punisheth man for vice but more angrie when he scourgeth a whole family afflictes a towne and visites a whole countrie but extremly and most of all is he stirred when he distroyeth a kingdom and generall nation let them not thinke that then the cause of the sinne is small or simple but in diuers sorts multiplied touching the nomber of haynous importaÌ„ce concerning the qualitie quantitie yea encreased with the nomber complet euen to an incensible grauitie for often times God attends the fulnes of our sinnes specialy afore he strike a nation or whole people according to the text of Genesis that he would not punishe the Channites till their iniquities were accomplished The best preseruatiue against all these euils is diligent prouidence of the gouernour and magistrat who then may best restrain vices when they prouid that the lawe may be vnderstand of all with such commandement to kéepe it vnder paine of such due ponishment that euen in the first that transgresseth against him that made it there may be actuall iustice to the common instruction and example of others wherein for their better helpe and effect of this verteous pollicy they must begin to institute the litelones to teach the ignorant blaming both sorts if they do not learne and obserue and so to others instructtng euerie one in the office and dutie of their estate and in what sort they ought to serue the common weale vsing herein specially for their first foundation the doctrine of fayth then the groundes of good conditions and lastly the rules of policie which doctrine in these thrée partes we haue declared before In this sort the magistrate may preserue his common weale from infinit euills as we read Iosua and Samuell standing vppon these reasons of gouernment neuer were trobled with sedicious nor any miseries hapened to them after they had purged them by penance of former offences There hapened in the gouernment of Josua but one defalt by Achan but imediatly after inquisition was made he passed by ponishment by whose example let gouernours bring into correction what vice soeuer they find done against god with out regard to qualifie it eyther by persone parentage place or other partiall or corupt circomstance for it is most cerraine that as that vice being suffered will be the cause of the damnation of the doer so the impunitie and example will drawe many oâ—hers to do euill wherby the ire of God will kindle against a whole kingdome For which cause Abraham assone as he vnderstode that Ismaell went forth to playe with Isaac or as some in terperet to prouoke him to Idolatrie he expulsed him his howse with his mother Moses when he founde any fault done in his campe specially bearing offeÌ„ce to God exercised present and sharp punishment what iustice thundredhe vppon those that worshipped the golden Calfe and no lesse vppon the blaspheamor and transgressor of the Sabaoth with other offences which he foresawe might prouoke god to sentence against the doers and to destroy him first being gouernour for negligence of iustice and so consequently all others consenting to the vices he was aduertised of the iudgemeÌ„t of God aswell by his expresse lawe as by examples past and such as stood in present experience as in the case of whoredome he had séene 24 thousand ouerthrowne by the hands of God with commaundement to him to xecute the Princes captaines of the people by whose wicked example the multitude ronne to their sinne of vncleanes he knew also that for the zeale of iustice God appeaseth his fury as appeareth by that which Phineas the sonne of Eleazer did vppon two fornicators thrusting them both thorow with his sword for the which it is writteÌ„ that God ceased to make the people die he knew by many other examples that the furie of God was terrible vpon a whole world if he fouÌ„d not exercise of good iustice by correctioÌ„ which the Israelites sought to eschew in punishing the offences done in Gabaa as hath ben sayd And Saule being yet a man of grace and fearing God when he vnderstood the people had eaten flesh with his bloud against the lawe cried out saying roole vppon me some great stone and put me to death Oh what sinne haue the people commitied against the Lord séeing God hath ben offended he will punish vs all iustly by some miserable accident if we resort not all to penance therefore he commauÌ„ds to make ready sacrifices to confesse their sinnes detest them and aske pardon of God by prayer whose example if the Magistrates of the world afore the flood had obserued and after in many places of the world if gouernours had applied such quicke Iustice and discipline in the first beginning of vices neyther had the vniuersall ruine hapned nor such common miserie to many generall nations if Helie had chastised his sonnes and kept the people from corruption of Idolatrie he nor his children had not died nor the people suffred slaughter and destruction If Jonathas had not transgressed the Edict of Kyng Saule his father the oracle of God had not ceased he not runne vnder iudgement of death which he had suffred had it not ben for the intercession of the people if Saule had not done wrong to the Gabonites he had not ben the cause of the famine which hapned in the time of Dauid for the appeasing whereof there was commaundement to execute seuen of the race of Saule By these exemplary aduertisements let Magistrates of the present time foresee that in their gouernements there be no vice done or being done that it be pursued with present punishment other wayes let them be assured that with the example of a disease in the body entertained and norished and neither preuenting it afore it happen nor being hapned is carefull to purge and heale it wil breede by continuance a feuer disquieting the head so much vex the whole body that in the end he shal not be able to haue any vse of his meÌ„bers wherby death doth
that happen in the world they are alreadie well proued to discend directly from God and not by any prouidence of fortune as the Epicuriens and Atheists of our time beleue nor fatally according to the opinion of the infidels togither with the Astrologians who attribute all to their aspects constellations oppositions and reuolutions of starres and much lesse according to the philosophicall perswasion of the Phisitions bringing in the alterations and corruption of Elements and naturall bodies not raising vp their spirites to the consideration of the deuine prouidence that the soule gouernes not better all the parts of our humane body then the great God rules measures this huge world not suffring the least herb or plant to moue or grow without feeling his vertue and power Nor little bird to fall vppon the branch of any trée without the prouidence and will of that omnipotent mouer of all things nor lastly the least haire of our head which is not kept in reckoning by him The Phisitions or later Philosophers do oftentimes beguile themselues by the second causes as making them the imediat or first causes of any euill that hapneth which is a kind of infidelitie not fixing their iudgmeÌ„ts but on things which they see as when the South wind hot and moyst hath blowne much most commonly in a yere when ponds lakes and fennes are corrupted when in a dearth of vittailes people are constrayned to eate vnseasonable meates when the ayre is close and giues out an euill seat when the winter contrary to his nature is hot and sootie when many vile and vememous beastes engender vppon the earth and caterpillers frogges and other vermine fall out of the ayre when such signes appeare the Phisitions say they are the cause of plague sicknes not considering that GOD vseth these second causes ordeyned by his prouidence as instruments and manifest signes of the same prouidence that for this reason By those signes he giues warning to the world that he prepareth to execute his iustice vppon people nations and by these foretokens inuites and aduertiseth men to fall to submission and supplication for pardon to the end he thunder not suddenly his ful indignatioÌ„ rigor vppon sinnes A child séeing his father prepare rods and bindes them shake them in his hand hath to thinke that he hath offended the time of his scourging draweth neare and therfore in feare teares humilitie he ought to fall prostrate afore the knées of his father as we haue afore aduised By these meanes sayth Joel what know we if God of nature good and reconcileable to our vices wil be conuerted and aforde grace at the least he will not condemne our soules if with a changed harte we performe action of penance when the Prince by long counsell and aduise causeth to be erected in many publike places of his Realmes great scaffoldes gibbets and the instruments of torment such as haue offended the law haue no meane to flée what other thing can they thinke of this preparation then a resolute purpose of the Prince to execute smarting iustice vppon them great is their present feare but farre greater the griefe displeasure which they ought to haue of their offences ought they not to call into practise all meanes seruing for their deliuery yea if they tary till they be led to the scaffold their haÌ„ds and feete bound with other attires of high offenders being ready to be offred to the execution there is small hope or expectation of mercie let them go themselues with their halters about their neckes and taking their best frieÌ„ds to solicit in their intercession to the Prince let them discouer true effects of contricion and imploring the frée mercy of the Prince let theÌ„ offer restitution to the parties offended and better obedience and behauior here after in them selues so shall they with Dauid not suffer the vtter most rigor of iustice or els auoid it altogither as the Jsraelites escaped it in the time of Jonathas the Niniuits also by their seuere woÌ„derful penaÌ„ce eueÌ„ so al these second causes are but signes instruments of Gods iustice tokens preparations and fore shewes as according to the examples of the rodds skafoldes and gibbets by the which he declares his anger and disposicion to punish sin The semblance that is made the preparation and the rod as they are no causes of gods iustice but it is for the punishment of our sinnes that execution is so aparantly prepared So after such shewes and warnings doeth not the Father begin to scourge his sonne Doth he lay aside the rod afore he sée the amendment of his sonne or at least some hope that he will coreâ—t him selfe and not returne eftsoones to his naughtines The childe can not accuse the rod as the cause of his scourging much lesse the trée where it was gotten and least of all his father that layd one the lashes But entring in to the vew and iudgment of his owne life let him accuse himselfe and saye that his sinne is the first cause of the euill that he suffereth For if he had done well because the lawe is not to punish the iuste he had not feared that rod as in déed to speak properly he feareth it not though he haue offended but feares his father which holdes it in his hand since the rod can do him no harme if he be reconsiled to his father ¶ To remedie all euils the causes must be taken away the discrtion and wisdome requisite there vnto Chapter viij I Would we were as good Philosophers touching our faith as Phisicions be in their medicines and phisick Then would we apply as good spiritual cures against sinne as by them are ministred temporall remedies to heale and preserue bodies from diseases They assone as they deserne the second causes of a sicknes apply present prouision to the place where they remaine they minister purgations to kepe bodies from corruption by euill humors they cause the stréets and straight corners of the towne to be clensed lest the ayer congeale infectioÌ„ they make fiers abroad to mortefie and purge euill smells and within howses disperse and strew perfumes They prescribe sobrietie and forbid excesse they banish all vnsauerie meates bringe in abstinence from cohabitacion they apoynt Methredat and other preseruatiues and giue order to weare Rue and other strong hearbs proper against the Plague In like sort if we vsed spirituall meanes to kéepe vs from euill doing we should with the fact of sinne auoid also the perills miseries that are brought with it yea if assone as we deserned the second causes threatning signes of the vengance of God we would purge our selues of all wicked affections and vices not suffer in our commoÌ„ weale impunitie of sinne but performe one holy and generall conuertion and conuersation according to christianitie we should not only tourne away the hand of God from vs but eftsones restablish his gracious