hurts we haue by our enemies are causes to decrease our goodes the vices of our children bring losse and spoyle to our honour And where it may happen that an honest man may not receyne a blowe of his ennemie once in his lyfe the enormities of his owne children are sufficient to make him dye euery hower So that the perplexities wée haue sometimes by straungers are disgested as thinges happeninge by straungers as the wound that is outwarde may gréeue but not perishe the intrales But the displeasures passing in our house pearse déeper and as a martyr languishe the harte euen to death And therefore by howe much the Father beareth pittie to hys wicked Sonne by so much hee vseth extreame cruelty againste himselfe yea that day wherein he ministreth not correction to his Sonne that daye doth he iustice of hys proper person and sendes his renowne to question The Romaynes had a Lawe called Faelcidia by which the first offence of the Childe was pardoned the Seconde punnished and for the third he was banished which Law if it were eftsones reduced to practise in these tymes wée should not sée so many youth runne hedlong into vices nor so many Fathers suffer blame for their negligence But because Fathers doe not chastise and mothers too muche suffer the childe takes boldnesse in vice leauinge to the Parentes occasion to lament but no lybertye of remedie Where you wryte to me that you are old that your infirmityes make you weary as though you liued to longe I wishe you not to reckon your age so much by the nomber of yeares you haue lyued as by the many trauelles you haue endured For that to sensuallitie to liue a hundred yeares séemes but a short time and to the harte that is heauie and sorrowfull the lyfe of a hundreth momentes is too long and wearie It must not suffize you to séeme to bée olde but you must bée so in déede séeing he onely may bée called olde who puttes ende to his olde vices For little doth it profite to haue your head Graye and your Face Wrinckled if your lyfe follow younge customes and your minde Féede vppon Greene desyres the same béeing the cause why Olde men weakened wyth vice and Sinne are Subiecte to feare Death and to dye soone béeing wyth nothing so ill contented as to bée deuided from their vices The Author writeth to his Sister seruing in Court Partly hée instructes her how to liue in Court and partly satisfyeth her request vnder a short Discription of Loue. WEighing wyth the nature of the place where you are the qualetie of the affection I beare to you I dout whether it were better to vse playnesse according to good meaning or dissemble and so leaue you better contented For by the office of nature I cannot but warne you and yet to the place where you are nothing is lesse acceptable then to be instructed the Court béeing a place that sometimes couereth or séeth not the faultes in their frendes or else takes all thinges to blame and findes nothing in their foes that they may lyke But béeing my Sister I will vse my authoritie though not to please you yet to perswade you and acquite my selfe béeing farre from my profession to deale in matters of loue I that haue vndertaken the direction of consciences And albeit my other trauels priuat exercise make me very insufficiēt to debate with you to your ful satisfactiō yet taking the opportunity as it is I had rather put my imperfectiō vpōiudgment then leaue you not instructed hoping you wil no lesse answer for mine honor then for your sake you sée mée readie to hazarde it to Question Where you write to me that he that presented you wyth your laste Iewell was your frende and Louer I denye it since there is difference béetwéene him that Loues and one that is a Friende For a friende doth alwayes Loue but he that Loues is not alwayes a friende Which may bée well prooued in your Ladyes of the court For that in Seruice and Amarous deuotion you haue many that Serue you Follow you and desire you who may rather bée called your Louers then your Friendes since they intende no other thing then the practise of pleasure being as voyde of intent of mariage as they are of vertue Yea hauing not the Spirite to iudge of honest Loue nor true intention to follow it they bring oftentimes dishonor to their Ladyes whose simplicitie for the most parte falles into Slaunder by the Sutletie and malice of their Seruauntes Suche one I feare is hée that hath béestowed the Iewell vppon you which then you may best discerne when you finde him to Promise much and perfourme little assuring you that then hée vseth the Sleyght of the Fowler who wyth a Swéete Call bringes the Byrde to his Nette and deceaues her to her Destruction Consider therefore the place where you are the Race that you come of and what you pretende The Courte giues you Libertie to doe muche ill and little Instruction too Follow that is good And if you Stande not Faste vppon those Vertues you Learned in the House of your father the place it selfe will infect and change you since frequentation drawes into one felowship societie of Estate things that of themselues are different remēber also that to such as desire to be vertuous the house of the Prince is a schole house for their better instruction and a place helping to their aduauncement Wherein if any miscarie the falt may be more in their proper negligence then in the will of the Prince since to maydes of honor seruing in Court it is a greater aduauncement to be maried by the fauor consent of the Prince then by the patrimonies or portion which their parentes can leaue them I haue oftentimes written vnto you that if deuotion and conscience leade some women into Religion vertue and good name rayse others to preferment in court Therefore I aduise you lay not vp great confidence in your beautie much lesse presume vpon the greatnesse of your race For in Court for one Gentleman that makes loue to your persones you shall find twenty that spend the whole day to iudge of your liues since beautie without vertue and high kindred wythout good conditions is no other thing then as a goodly gréene Trée that florisheth with leaues and blossomes and brings forth no fruite or as a stately carued Image which men take great pleasure to beholde but are gréeued when they finde it dead and without qualitie You and the other Ladies your companions would haue me write what loue is wherein it consistes and what be the fignes and tokens of true loue estéeming me a man of studie and an auncient Courtier This office I might better tourne vppon your selues for that your beauties standing in the eyes of men leading them to sue to serue to solicit and to loue you mée thinkes it belonges to you to set downe the discription of loue and to me
in the Companie of Robbers dyd suffer a slaunderous Death yet it was not for the he had any communitie with the offences of the théeues and much lesse suffered for his proper crimes but for the Sinnes of the Worlde Quae non rapui tunc exsoluebam I make sayth Christ by the Prophete satisfaction for the faltes done by others others haue eaten the Apple and yet I paye the price of it Though I haue committed no Crime yet mine innocencie is put to punishement Yea where others haue troubled the commonweale I am committed to iustice and hauing no nature or effect of offence in me yet I passe vnto death for the sinnes of the whole Worlde Right iust was the occasion of our Sauiour to holde such argument For that if they crucifyed him vnder a most smarting and infamous death it was not for that he had deserued it but to the ende that by it mankinde should be redéemed This théefe sayd not with sewertie that he was Christ and therefore by making wicked doubt question whether he were the sonne of God or not he deserued not with his companion to be made a Christian But the good théefe making no doubt of his omnipotencie sayde absolutly Lorde haue remembrance of me and therefore was not onely adopted to Christianitie but also there was ioyned to his fayth recompence of eternall saluation In the same maner S. Peter said not if thou be Christ I wil beleue in thée but he protested in bolde fayth and cryed J beleue that thou art the Sonne of the euerliuing God For who will receaue the grace and blessing of God his fayth ought to be without scrupull or doubt he that wil obteine any thing of god saith the Apostle it apperteines to him to aske it with a faith that is not doubtful for if God giue vs not forthwith that which we demaunde of him it is more for that we know not how to aske him then that he is harde to grauÌ„t our requests Let it then be farre from vs to say with the wicked théefe If thou be Chrict saue thy selfe and vs also but let vs rather with the Blinde man of Hierico say Oh sonne of Dauid haue pitie vpon vs For so shall we be made to sée with the blinde man and not caried into damnation wyth the Théefe Who in saying to Christ Salua te met ipsum et nos thought to perswade him to leaue the Passions of the Crosse and put himselfe in libertie and deliuer him from death For this was the opinion of this wicked théefe that euen as Pilate put on him the senteÌ„ce of death for his thefts and roberies euen so also there was no lesse guiltinesse in Christ as béeing vntruely holden a Seducer of the People and a man contrarie to the common Weale And therefore he thought that as the Terrors of Death made him vnwilling to dye so also there remayned in Christ a desire to lyue longer Wherein his error was so much the greater by how much he considered not that ther was necessitie of Christs death for the redemtioÌ„ of the world for which cause though he wished to liue loÌ„ger yet our sauiour desired the present stroke of death according to his owne words to his disciples Desiderio desideraui hoc pasâ—ha manducare vobiscuÌ„ at other times sayth he I haue celebrated with you this feast the which at this preseÌ„t I esteme to be truly passeouer in holy scripture The doubling and reiteration of a worde is a signe of vehement and great desire the which was wel expressed in the zeale of our sauiour who by this phrase Desiderio desideraui published manifestly that he had no lesse desire to dye for vs then most desirous to redéeme vs For of that nature was his thirst and desire to ouercome our perpetuall death that he expected nothing more then the houre wherein he might employ for vs his most holy and vndefiled lyfe There was great similitude and likenes betwéene the blasphemie of this wicked théefe and the request of the Jewes who willed him to descend from the crosse and they would all beléeue in him wherevnto if our sauiour had condiscended and abandoned the agonies of the crosse al the world had stand crucified with death sinne and the perpetuall perplexities of Hell Oh wicked théefe Oh people hardened and obstinate if Christ had come down from the crosse according to your requestes or if he had deuided himselfe from the paines of death following the blasphemous motion of the condemned théefe much lesse that it had bene happie with any sort of people but of the contrary Hell had bene alwayes open for you and the gates of Paradise perpetually closed agaynst our posterities For the Lorde came not to descende but to mount and ascende not to eschew the crosse but to dye vpon it Cum exaltatus fuero a terra omnia traham ad me ipsum sayth our Lorde Iesus Christ Because now I goe Preaching from one countrey to an other and that I haue my ryches dispersed you cannot haue knowledge of my might nor of the vertue and benefites that are in my power But when you sée me elected and chosen to the crosse euen in the same place shall be my treasure This spéech truely is of great admiration for the good sort and leaues no little feare to the wicked Omnia traham ad me ipsum by the which we are instructed that who will obteine any thing of Iesus Christ ought to aske it vpon the crosse For neuer was the Lorde so liberall as when he was Crucifyed at no time so rych as when he was Naked nor at any time so mighty as when he was condemned to death All these treasures did Christ bring with him from heauen to earth and from the earth he recaryed them with him to the trée of his suffering and being there he dispersed them through out the worlde so that he that is found most neare the crosse of our sauiour on him is bestowed the most plentifull rewarde it was on the crosse that he recomded his soule to his Father his Church to S. Peter to Nicodemus his body and to the good théefe the ioyes of Paradise it was on the crosse where he commaunded the Sunne to hyde his lyght the stoanes to breake the vayle of the Temple to rent the graues to open and the dead to ryse agayne which carieth an assured Testimonie that in his death was wrought the effect of our lyfe it was on the crosse that he spake to his Father gaue comfort to his mother had remembrance of his Disciple pardoned the beléeuing théefe and illumined the centurion to the end he might know Iesus christ to be the redéemer and confesse himselfe a sinner it was on the crosse where his side was opened his bloud shed where he shewed most plentifully his charitie expressed most myldly his patience and vsed greatest clemencie Yea it was the place where his death tooke ende and our redemption receaued beginning Lastly
with faire Dana it was no other thing as Isidore sayth then a great masse of Golde which he made slyde in to the handes of her kéepers to betray the chastety of that fayre Lady When they make him to transforme himselfe into Amphitrio it was no other thing then the consent that Amphitrio gaue him to lye wyth his wyfe and that for the rewarde of a great summe of money The Metamorpheses that he suffred into a Bull to steale Europa was no more but the Image of a Bul painted on the sayles of the ship wherein Iupiter bestowed her when he toke her away Such like were the transformatiōs of Iupiter wherin may be discerned the simplicitie and great blindnesse of such as worshipped that licencious king for a true God gouernour of heauen and earth he that was the most vnbridled brydled and dissolute man and most drowned in his proper lustes of all other in his time And séeing vpon him they imposed the title of God of al gods by him we may iudge the qualety of the other gods of whom the most part called him father as in déed most of them issued of him as Phoebus the god of science Mars the ruler of battles Mercury the infuser of cloquēce Bacchus the image of epicurity Vulcan the spirit of fier Venus the vaine idoll of loue others there were that wer his parents as Pluto prince of hell Neptune the directer of the waters Ceres the disposer blisser of corne and Diana the figure and example of chastety And so reckoning by degrées they established particuler gods to all thinges that might be imagined estéeming one God to be insufficient to reigne alone to lead the vnuersall worlde within the power of his gouernement yea they adioyned to this Idolatry the worshipping of certaine beasts planets trées by reason of the properties they saw in them the Egiptians as Iueuenal saith were so far drowned in this superstition that they worshipped as gods Onyons Léeks attributing much to their felicity happines who had of those plants in their gardins as the ignorance of those blind people led them to do honor sacrifice to such things as to gods so they held it for religion to giue obedience to them holding such accursed as were not forward in the seruice and ministery of such vaine triffling things M. Varo wryteth that Brasillius the Philosopher found at Rome MMD. CCC Gods which caryeth no smal possiblity of truth séeing the abuse there was so great general that they gaue cerimony worship and sacrifice as to a God to all things wherof they had receiued any benefit or that they supposed had any power to kéepe them in feare Tullus hostillius third king of Rome being vexed with a feuer tertiā which had tourned his complexion to a pale and yellow did sacrifice to his ague the soner to make it to leaue him Flora a publike curtisan a woman whose body was abandoned to all lust allurements of the flesh was canonized honored with an Image or figure for that of al the goodes she had got with the filthy sweat trauel of her body she cōstituted the Senate to be heire they gaue her diuine honor celibrated her feast euery yere wherin as a special cerimony there was liberty to al yoūgmē to be naked to exercise their pleasure with the first woman they founde S. Augustine writeth that the consuls and wise men of Rome tooke councell to abollishe that vile and abhominable custome But albeit for certaine perils and impediments they durst neuer execute it yet to deface the memory of that lewd woman giue greater apparance to their supersticions the named Flora the Goddes of flowers Amid these great darknesses obscurities of ignorance wherin this people of the Gentils was plunged there wer many notwithstanding in whom was some impression of light possessed with those natural iudgments reasons which drew them out of that blindnes as in déede all the schole of philosophy generally acknowledged one author mouer of al things from whom as out of a spring proceeded al the vniuersallity of things were fed enterteind by him as the true soueraigne gouernour of the whole of this knowledge Socrates was not depriued who being at poynt of death sayd he was willing to dye to confesse on onely Lord to whom he had alwaies labored to doe seruice according to the power of his humayne frayelty neuer hauing intention to offende him Aristotle at the article of death recommended himselfe to the soueraigne Creator saying Oh cause of all causes haue pytie on me Plato and Cicero in their treatises of common weales were of the same opinion it was the fayth of Virgill that al procéeded of God and that as wel the heauen and earth as the aire and water are ful of his greatnes acknowledging by that the essence of one onely God. Cicero speaking of the nature of Gods and Varro in his vayne Etimologies being albeit both Pagans and much addicted to their ceremonies scoffed notwithstanding at the feastes and assemblies which the populer sort made to honour their Gods partly through ignorance more by flatterye but most of all for feare It is no néede here to proue by the doctrine of the scripture that all those Gods were but illusions dreames procéeding of the inuention of man and abuse of the Diuell séeing that since the sonne of the euerlasting trueth is appeared wich is the sonne of the onely God all these damnable superstitions are not onely discouered but by the beames of that sonne shining in the myndes and eyes of men they are put to flight and vanished as the clowdes giue place when the sonne approcheth They are falne into ruine as buildings ill foūded and méeting the firme vessel of the word of God their tickle ship driuen by the wind of abuse and deceyt is confounded and swallowed in the golphe of Christian religion Thus much for the first poynt of your demaunde which I doubt not is eyther sufficiently aunswered or at least nothing left doubtfull There resteth now to touch what opinion the Poets and other auncients had of these Gods and the plurality of them As Hesiode Archilachus Horace Menander Esope Apuleius Ouid and many other wryters of great grauety and authority who published not their inuentions and fictions to other effect then to disclose to men the meanes to become more wyse and draw to a more Ciuill fourme of lyfe in the world For which purpose they spred many fictions and fabulous metaphors tending to sundry artes and professions For fables according to the opinion of Apthonius and Hermogenes haue taken their name of Fari in Latine signifying to discourse and speake so that a fable may be taken for a discourse fayned inducing oftentimes vnder an honest recreation and delitfull resemblaunce the readers to consider the morrall sence and doctrine hyd vnder those fabulous discourses which discouering
imprint any carrect in the same By the meaning of which commaundement we may gather that the children of Jsraell hauing dwelt many yeares with the Egipans learned of them many wicked and pernicious customes For as more then any other people they were geuen to the Mathematyke Sciences and other artes and faculties supersticious as Magicke and Nigromoncie so there was no nation that in the death of their friendes expressed greater ceremonies then the Egiptian who showed signes of stronger frendship to his friende being dead then when he liued For when eyther the Father lost his Sonne or the Sonne bereaued of his Father or any other man by death was depriued of his priuate friende they resorted forthwith to this custome to shaue the one halfe of their haire expressing therby that their frende being dead they had lost the one moytie of their hart For which cause God forbad the Hebrews to make themselues balde to the end they should not be like the Egiptian women who in the funerals of their husbands parents childrē or great frends vsed to scratch disfigure their faces with their proper nailes which custome god forbad in the womē of Jsrael least for vsing the ceremonies of the Egiptiās they stood not subiect to the scourges of Egipt the inferiour sacrificators of Egipt whē their high priestes died vsed to make certaine carrects according to their particuler fancie in their handes armes or brestes to the end that as often as they behelde them they might expresse compassion teares as also at the death of their king all the officers seruants of his house made woundes in their armes hands face or head euery one making his wound so much the déeper by how much he stood in fauor with the king But God cōmaunding the Hebrues to refraine such wilfull hurting of thēselues forbad them to imitate the Egiptians nor to folow the customs of the houshold seruants of their king for that in all those cerimonies were effects of superstiton only innouated by the deuill yea they brought hurt to such as liued were in vaine to those that were dead In the olde law God also forbad men to labor the fielde with yokes of oxen asses And to Sowe in one grounde two kindes of graine with such lyke which were not without mistery because all those customes depended vppon the Cerimonies of the Egyptans which God would not should holde any vse amongest the people of Jsraell But here we haue to note that God restrayned not men to vse sorrow and teares in the death of their frendes For as other Cerimonies are in our will eyther to doe or not doe them so sorrow and heauines for the losse or absence of a friende doe as naturallie follow flesh◠and bloud as our appetite to eate and drinke and though by reason some men may dissemble them yet by nature there are fewe that can auoyd them Therfore God that made the hart and ioyned to it his affections neuer added any law to forbid teares and wéeping séeing to the hart whose chiefest propertie consists in tendernes there can be offered nothing more intollerable or grieuous then to sée it selfe deuided frō the thing it holdes most deare the same standing good in apparant example in the experience and disposition of any two creatures who after their long conuersation together if they be seperated or their faunes enforced will imediatly according to their kinde declare their passion the Lion will roare the Cow will yeall the Swine will gront the Dog cannot but howle much more then is the condition of Man subiect to sorrow and heauines as in whom nature bréedes a more quicke and raging sence of passion for the discontinuance of their deare frendes And if we haue compassion ouer the misaduenture of a straunger or the losses of our neighbour suffering casualtie or liuing in absence are we restrained to lesse remorce for the death of our great frend whom we see put into the graue For which cause the Philosopher was of opinion that so many times did a man dye how often he loste his friendes For that since two hartes vnited in one honest affection haue but one being and place of residence it is good reason that we bewayle the death of our chosen friendes euen with the same nature and compassion which we would doe our owne The Seconde part of the discourse is drawne out of Deut. in this text Eligite ex vobis viros sapientes c. my will is sayth God that all such as aspire to the administration of publike gouernemēt shall be wise and noble This commaundement was not pronounced of God without great misterie but chiefely that gouernours should be both wise and noble for that as wisedome without noblenesse is a troublesom thing so nobility without wisedome is but as a soule without a body or as a painted fire that becomes the wall but giues no heat to the beholder Therfore as to be gouerned by a maiestrate flowing in science knowledge fayling of noblenesse is both miserable troublesome so it cannot but be intollerable to liue vnder the controulment of him to whom fortune hath geuen greatnes of place birth grace nature denied discression other temperances of the spirit so that to make vp a full perfection it is necessary the iudge haue knowlege to debate determine causes nobilitie to moderate the residue of the affections of the minde yet The wisedome which god requires in the maiestrates of his cōmon weale ought not to stretch to subtlety or tiranny but to be tempered with modestie swéetnes gracious behauiour for a iudge in the office causes of coūcel is no lesse boūd to the obseruation of the law religion faith equitie then to be voyd of all hate enuy feare couetousnes or other corrupt affectiōs it was not without cause that god cōmaūded to institute the iudges ouer his people of noble cōdition seing it is a great argument of the sewertie tranquility of the state whose magestrate is compoūded of nobilitie and modestie Therfore the first gouernour that administred the cōmonweale of god was the easie gracious Moyses whom gods prouidence led to be nourished in the court of Pharao by the kings daughter to the end that in such societie experience of so many wise and noble iudges he might learne how to entreat assure good men in their innocencie how to chastice the euill amid their wickednes the affaires of war are far different from the policie gouernemēt of a cōmonweale established for that in matters of enterprise it is méete the captaine be valiant but to gouerne at home let the magestrate expresse affabilitie swéetnes for that a ruler ought rather to be terrible in threats then in punishement so to tēper his authoritie that his people may feele his power rather with his liberality thē with iniuries And albeit it is no generall rule that all the
what necessitie and profite to the lyfe of man. What meritte or estimation can be due to the impatient man what wealth hath he that hath not the riches of patience and how doth that man liue that liueth without patience The conuersation and lyfe of man hath often times néede of all the morrall vertues but the vertue of patience aboue all others and at all houres and momentes is most necessarie For that so many be the infelicities which surprise and trauell our humaine lyfe that if we make not as good custome to beare and suffer them as we doe to eate drinke we liue in vaine and shall assuredly fynde trouble in stead of true tranquiletie All which I applie to my selfe and there with all doe let you know that if it were not familiar with me to suffer dissemble with such as you are I had eare this in publyke sort defyed your malice and ministred reuenge to the iniurie you haue offered me The determination of enterprises of warre belongs to the Prince the affaires of the cōmon weale are referred to the Lawes al causes of controuersie are managed by iustice but quarrelles that impeach honor are tryed by the Sworde béeing albeit no lesse iust to chastice the corrupte Testimonies against our name and reputation then to wéepe and vse contrition for our proper sinnes yet in regarde I am Christian and no Pagan and that I professe religion and am a Gentleman I holde it more tollerable to forget this wrong then to reuenge it alowing the opinion of Alexāder the great that to him that is iniuried is more néede of vertue and courage to pardon his enemie then to kill him If you hadde charged me to haue taken away any trifle tending to recreation of pastime I would not haue denyed it for that I know how farre in all thinges stretcheth the office of frends but to say that I was so impudent to take your Pomander or so vaine to weare it you doe great wrong for that the one had bene against my Conscience and in the other had bene offence to my modestie and shame And therefore I saye that if to weare swéete smelles be no great sinne at least it cannot but encline to voluptuousnesse and partake wyth vanitie Such a young and valiant Knight as you are ought more to rayse his merit and renoume by actions of Chieualrie in forreine Warres then wearing Muske in the seames of his Garmentes at home To Women reteyning by nature many ordinarie infirmities which without the helpe of swéete smelles would often times appeare loathsome it is more tollerable to be perfumed then men and yet the good woman will rather labor to haue her vertues to shine then her Garmentes to smell of Muske Yea they are all bounde rather to liue well then to smell swéet A Pomander how well so euer it be tempered and how swéete so euer it smelles yet can it cast his sauour no further then the length of a streat Where a good renoume wil ring ouer a whole kingdome and the fume of a wicked lyfe will smoake ouer a whole Worlde So that whether she be maried or Wydow whether she be a Mayde or a Wyfe let her alwayes liue in feare of slaunder and thinke that the fame report of honor is the swéetest Insence to make her acceptable to all men being a thing most foule loathsome that her Garmentes should be perfumed with swéete odors and her lyfe putrifyed with euil conditions I neuer read that any Woman hath remained vnmaried for lacke of being well perfumed but many and many doe I sée refused for want of vertue for that the man inquiring of the conditions of his Wyfe will not so much care whether she smell swéete as examine if shée be of good Lyfe But let vs also speake of men to whom generally the Philosophers haue forbidden to weare perfumes or smelles By which occasion Rome remained almost thrée Hundreth yeares without eyther Spice to eate or perfumes to smell but after the Warres began to discontinue vices forgot not to réenter into custome By which we may inferre that if there were no idle men in the world there would be no such reckoning made of vanities and vice Cicero sayth that the fiue vices To erect Tombes to weare Golde ringes to vse Spice in Meates to allay VVine with VVater and to beare sweete Smelles The men of Asia sent as presentes to the Romanes in reuenge of the Cities and bloud that they had takē from them By which I gather that greater was the domage which Rome receiued by Asia then Asia by Rome For that the landes and Prouinces which the Romanes Conquered of the Asians were eftsoones reconquered and restored but the vices of them of Asia remayned as a perpetuall inheritance amongest the Posterities of the Romanes He that followeth the Warres to fight and he that laboreth the earth to liue by it hath more care to succéede his businesse then to smell to swéete odoures Yea it is familiar to vaine men to séeke to smell swéete and forget to liue well In Rome it was forbidden that neyther Mayd nor Wyfe should drinke Wine nor Man buye Muske Aumber or other perfuming smels And it was as ordinarie with the Magestrates to chastise men that boare perfumes as to punishe women that were founde Dronkardes The same being verifyed by the vertuous Emperour Vespatian who hauing the Penne in his hande readie to signe a dispatch which he had geuen to a Romane Knight and féeling him smell of perfume he did not onely reuoke his graunt but with many threates banished him forthwith his presence The Romanes persecuting Plutus a Conspirator with the Triumuirie founde him hid in a sellor by no other espiall or intelligence then by a swéete smel which he had scattered as he went Haniball a valiant and happie Captaine in his youth suffered his olde age to be seduced by the Dames of Capua and swéet oyntments of Asia who so effeminated the forces of his minde and body that he did neuer afterwardes any thing worthie of report The Romanes being in debate to chuse a Captaine to sende into the warres of Pannonia referred the resolution to Cato Censorius who of two that stoode in that adoption refused one of them béeing his nearkinsman for that saith he I neuer knewe him to retourne wounded from warres but I haue alwayes séene him go perfumed in the streates The great Numantia in Spaine could neuer be wonne notwithstanding fourtéen yeres séege of the Romanes till Scipio purged his Camp of loyterers perfumers and whores Licurgus a notable law reader amongst the Lacedemonians erected and institution vppon grieuous paines that no man should buie or sel any odiferous or swéete oyntments vnlesse it were to offer in the temples or to make medcines for the sicke By these examples may appeare how intollerable perfumes haue bene too wel ordered countreys and how hurtfull to many perticular personages it is a vice that slaundereth
notwythstanding with so great Warre that on the one syde he leuyed those Prisoners that were kept restrayned and on the other his vertue so weakened their infernall forces that they remeyned euer since vanquished It was then that they sawe and knew that their Hell whither they thought to haue reduced all mankinde was forced and dissolued And that sinne which they had introduced into the worlde and death that ensued it were deade and vanquished by the conquest of this newe and inuincible Prince That was it which the Apostle spake of that the sonne of God hath defaced and sacked the powers of Hell the worlde am putting them to publyke confusion and Triumphing ouer them in his proper person So that the enterprises of our Sauiour in this comparison represent vnto vs the forme and actions of a valiant Capteyne marching before men before Aungelles and before the face of the Father wyth a great troupe of enemies vanquished bounde and spoyled of their forces In the beginning of this Article wée touched that our Lorde made his discending by certeyne degrées yea euen to a Wonderfull embasement of himselfe and knowne onely to the diuine wisedome This embasement hath ben Prophecied vnder the signe of discending from Heauen vnto the the Bottomes of the Earth But now we say that of all those degrées by the which he discended and of al other things which in the wisedome of the world made him séeme so embased vanquished he caried a wonderfull victory which encreased alwais more more In the first degrée he was made man that was the true and eternall sonne of god This step and wonderfull humilitie albeit it is great yet he neuer abandoned his diuinitie no he could not loase it and much lesse diminishe it by it his humanitie was greatly exalted being by the same meane so connexed with the diuinitie that one selfe person was GOD and man ▪ if it were possible that God might gaine in any thing it might be sayd that he gained in this but hauing want of nothing he gaines not as a néedie man For he hath no necessitie of any thing and much lesse can there be added to his greatnesse But because the gaine of men is great in this receiuing a benefite which was neuer Communicated with Angelles for God neuer tooke aliance nor séede of Aungelles but chused the Linage of Abraham we say also that there was a gaine and profite to God béeing a true declaration of his riches and of his workes which are comformable to him together wyth a playne manifestation of his mercie This victorie against sinne and the deuill is truly worthie of the person of the Sonne of God Séeing that mankinde which was put to perdition by the suttletie of the Serpent is redéemed and redeliuered from the seruitude of the Deuill and restored to an estate of habilitie to be the Children of God by the meane of this sauiour The seconde degrée of this discending of the Lord was in that he was condemned publykly as a malefactor In this descending there is a great want and yet by it he recouered a wonderfull victorie For béeing our brother he deliuereth vs from the eternall condemnation so that all our libertie and absolution depende vppon his Condemnation he hath payde the debtes which he made not euen so those shall be discharged which ought them He was Condemned by the Sentence of men and wée absolued in the iudgement of God hauing deliuered vs from the cursse of the law which had condemned vs The thirde degrée was when he was iudged to the Death of the Crosse For by his death he brake the forces of Death dispoyling him of his weapons wherewyth he had made so great and vniuersall slaughters For which cause the Apostle demaundes of death where was his victorie and where were become the meanes by the which he determined so many men By the fourth steppe or degrée he was put into the Sepulcher but the better to comprehend the true sense of this passage it is méete we make some iudgment and construction of thinges The storye of the Gospell declareth that our Lorde being dead Joseph demaunded of Pylate to take his bodie from the crosse and burie it which Pylate suffered by the ordinance of god And hauing taken it from the crosse they wrapped it in a newe Linnen cloath and layde it in a Sepulcher where no man had yet lyen Lastly hauing embawmed him wyth the oyntmentes which Nicodemus brought they left the body in the graue roulling to the mouth therof a great stoan Mary Nagdalin and the other Mary considering well in their vnderstanding the sayd sepulcher All this serueth to two effectes the first is to render testimony of the truth of the death of Iesus Christ shewing also a great misterie comprehended vnder the graue but the Church comprehendes both the one and the other in one worde his Sepulcher and that he remayned there thrée dayes expresseth the truth of his death making by that meane his resurrection more euident In this Article the imbasement and humilitie of the sonne of God encreaseth more and more as also his spirite and victorie which he hath obteined for vs For it is sayd first of al that he suffered the condemnation of Pilate and was executed and so being dead his body was buried It séemes that all these bring encrease to the victory of the deuill the world and death But of the contrarie it is our victory that is enlarged For by how much nere doth approch and is manifested the death of our Lorde by so much more is at hand the end and ruine of our death Death is dead and vanquished in such sort that he hath no power agaynst vs and for such one we put him into the graue Esay hath Prophesied that the Lord should destroy death eternally and drye vp the teares of his people and take away the dishonor of the earth in which words may be discerned the full victory against death which hath no power to cōfoūd nor make sorowful the true Christian It is not sayd by this that we shall not die and not féele death which is naturall but by this is expounded that the pricks and sorrows of death are vanquished haue no authority against a Christian séeing that for the exchange of this temporall lyfe he goeth to the eternall life accompanied with the fayth that he hath had that Christ is his redemption his life In this is performed the Prophecie of Ose speaking in the name of the Lord Oh death J will be thy death the same agréeing with the Apostle who assureth vs that our death is vanquished by the passion of Iesus christ our sepulcher buried in his yea our death hath lost his forces which made him reigne ouer vs and our graue hath lost his power and possibilitie to reteine vs stil seing it cannot now any more hold vs in propertie or perpetuitie but as it were by deputation and for a time In
guided by the hand of God that besides the large great testimonies annexed to the gospel it selfe yet the aduersaries beare with it such witnesse and authority to the dishonour of sathan his errours that by their owne confessions we sée that the cause why they remaine in their hardnes of hart without receiuing the light way that leades to eternal life hath proceded of their sinnes and blindnes making them subiect to the subtill suggestions and pollecies of the deuil wherein for a proofe I shal not so much néede to infer authorities of scripture and olde christian authors who notwithstanding are sufficient to verifie and confirme our faith as to take to my ayde the weapons of our enemies to the ende that by the testimony of their proper consciences wée may remaine absolued and they condemned The firste testimony I will produce shal be Tertulian a writer in the time of the primatiue church a man of greate knowledge maintayning the cause of the Christians against the Pagans and pleading and writinge publykely on the christians side And hauing as it were but sipped and tasted of christianity Hee had more fully surfeyted of the Pagan faith to whom he bare a resolute zeale hee was in the times of the Emperours Seuerus and Caracalla being about two hundred thrée score and ten yeares after the death of Christ All the argumentes which he inferreth against the Pagans he deriueth from their proper historyes and of thinges that were done in that tyme showing the reason why Christ was not worshipped at Rome The Romaines had this custome not to Canonize any newe God although the Emperour woulde haue it so without the approbation and consent of the Senate the same well appearinge in all the Romaine Edictes and histories wherein is defended to receiue any Straunge GOD wythout the authoritie of the Senate and that by reason of the great inconuenyences happening by the lybertie that euerie one tooke to patronise himselfe with one GOD a part as may be séene in the times of the Bachanales and other seasons It happened that Pilat who had giuen sentence of death against Christ notwithstanding he was stubburne in hys opinion yet being conuinced both by his conscience and the certainty he had of the restitution of him whom he had condemned to death Aduertised Tiberius the Emperour of all that had passed touchinge the death and resurrection of our Lorde The Emperour obseruing with this report the opinions and great renoune that went of his passion wrote to the Senate that it were good to canonize Iesus Christe for a God But the Senate whether it was for that they were not called to the first consult of this matter or that they would not make thinges so easie to the Emperour specially in a case of so great importance fearing it woulde growe to example and consequence helde opinion contrary to the Emperour and would not suffer that CHRISTE should be worshipped as god Whervpon the Emperour published an Edicte againste such as woulde accuse christians the deuill hauinge then stirred vp the Iewes and Gentilles to persecute those that had receiued the gospell by which it came to passe that in the time of Tiberius the christian church was somwhat in rest the gospell fructifiinge greatly amongest the gentiles Thus much for Tertulian who durste not haue written so in his time if thinges had passed otherwayes For then was Rome in her estate and statutes of the Senate were diligently preserued by registers where vnto Tertulian sendes the gentiles referringe them to their proper actes and ordinaunces wherein they may finde that the first persecution againste the christians was in the raigne of Nero In all these are ministred many thinges of consideration declaring that the affaires of the gospell haue bene managed by a special prouidence of God For firste GOD so wrought that Poncius Pilate who had passed CHRIST to execution bare witnesse to his Father of the greatnesse of him whom he had condemned Secondly the lawes of the Senate and contention that was betwéen the Emperour and the magistrates make good fayth and proofe that the refusing to canonize christ at Rome was not by any default that was founde in him but by reason of the vaine ordinances obserued there by the libertie of which they had power to accept for GODS such as they woulde and reiecte whom they helde not acceptable Besides the greate prouidence of GOD is knowne in this that the diuinitie of Iesus Christe being sufficiently iustefied as wel by his workes as by hys holy doctrine yea by the testymonyes of his enemyes yet he would not suffer him to receiue this dishonour to be accepted of the people of Rome for god and much lesse to be compared and placed amongest theyr false gods whom they worshipped he which was true God and had preached that there was but one God and that al others were nothing els but abusers and spirites of the Deuill This prouidence also shewed it selfe great in this that albeit the Emperour was no christian yet he forbad vppon great paines to trouble persecute or to accuse the christians the same being the cause that the gospell was published in his first age and that the gentilles and Pagans gaue eare to it to the end that when the great persecutions should happen the church might be found to haue some foundation and certaine troupes of christians vnited by the holy word of the gospell And therefore we haue to conclude that all these things and accidentes haue ben guided gouerned by the wisedome of God séeing they serue to the approbation of so high a mistery For our seconde testimony we will vse Plutarke a Pagan borne and of no small authoritie amongst them and at no time well disposed to the christians He thinking to set downe a reason why the Oracles of the gentilles had taken ende aledging many thinges according to his blindnes and without any knowledge in the affaires of God recites an historie by the relation of a frende of his of no small authoritie and knowledge as is suggested To this was referred so much the more stabilitie of faith and credit by howe muche he makes it to happen in hys time He saith that sailing into Italy and being in a shippe accompanied with his said frend and many others about the euening they fel with the coast of certain Ilandes now called Cuzolares confining vppon Italy There the winde failed them and by that necessitie were driuen to go on shoare in one of those Ilandes called Paff 〈…〉 e. Before the mariners had supped the Sea being at a softe and still calme they hard a voice comming out of the Iland which called one of the patrons of their ships beinge an Egiptian and had to name Tamus which was vnknowne to many of the company suffisinge to see him a Captaine and Gouernour amongst them This voice calling him thrée tymes he aunswered but to the thirde as kinge what it would to whom the voyce replyed aloude
discretion of the doers for that according to Aristotle all the operations and mocions of man procéede of the vnderstanding and will. And therefore it is hard to iudge of the workes and dispositions of litle children till by encrease of yeares they enter into the vse of reason a time when they haue habilitie to do well or ill The same béeing the cause why the Cannon speakes not indistinctly of all children but onely of such as are somewhat raysed into yeares and age For it impugnes nothing the opinion of such as saye that litle children are without sinne but meanes expressely of such as are ten or twelue yeares of age who in déede are not exempted from sinne Mans estate which is the third age begins at fiftene yeares and continueth till eight and twentie according to Isidores opinion This age the Latines call Adolescentia for two reasons the one for their possibilitie and nearenesse to engender the other for that they encrease and rise into strength Touching the first it is referred to the beginning of this age wherein young men approch the power of procreation which was further from them in their childhode as hath bene sayed The second consideration beholdes chiefely the end of that age according to the opinion of many who holde that man encreaseth till twentie or two and twentie yeares which is the end of Mans estate But Jsidorus sayth that Adolescentia lasteth till eight and twentie yeres notwithstanding man doth not alwayes rise in increasing till then and yet it séemes that that age tooke his name directly of encrease for that then man comes to his perfect growth In the ages afore rehearsed Jnfancie and Puerilitie man groweth still yea and in one part of the third age which is Adoloscentia But in the ages following he groweth nothing for that he hath taken his perfection afore And therefore seeing all growing endes in Adoloscentia for after that age man encreaseth nothing the name of encrease or growing doth most properly appertaine to him Youth which is the fourth age entreth at nine and twentie and endeth at fiftie as Isidore affirmeth The Latines call it Inuentus by reason of the helpes and aides that the world hath of men of that age as in deede that title is most proper to him by reason of the force and vertue which men of that age haue In the former ages men are not knit nor haue their forces accomplished But in this age they haue their full strength and are well hable to endure all impositions of paine burdens or trauell In this is discerned the difference of the two opinions the one establishing seuen ages and Isidore reckoning but sixe Such as make a nomber of seuen deuide youth adioyning vnto him an other part which they call Virilitie But according to Isidore there is but one age and that is called Youth which me thinkes is not to begin at the end of Mans estate at eight and twentie yeres as Isidore holdeth But it were better to determine Mans estate at one and twentie yeres a time wherein he hath taken his groath and thereto establish the beginning of youth which is to last vntill thirtie yeres or there about and after it may succéede Virilitie which may endure vntill L where Jsidore establisheth the end of youth According to this order the names of the ages may go properly with them For Junentus takes his name of this Latine Verbe iunare signifying to aide or helpe and in that age men are most conuenient to be employed and of most habilitie to giue aide And Virilitie deriueth from this Latine Noune Vires signifying strength as an age wherein men being compleate are in there greatest force And so as the youngman is good to minister aide and helpe so in the man accomplished is good habilitie to do things of himselfe For to haue necessitie of aide is referred to the forces yet weake and not accomplished but to do any thing of our selues is a true signe of strength fully furnished Besides it is of common proofe that a man comes not to his full strength till he be thirtie yeres olde and therefore by good reason that estate of age may be called Virilitie But Jsidorus thinking not to seperate virilitie from youth sets downe other termes and limits to ages establishing the end of Mans state at eight and twentie yeres and not at one and twentie and appoynting the begining of youth at nine and twentie a season that best makes perfect the strength of men he puts no difference betwene virilitie and youth The fifth age is called Grauetie or Vnweldinesse Touching this age the two opinions aforesayd do differ in name only Jsidore calling it vnweldinesse and the other giuing it no title at all They both séene to take the commoditie of the Latine word the one calling it senectus and the other seniam notwithstanding it concerne diuerse ages This age of vnweldinesse begins at fiftie yeres and ends at thréescore and ten as Jsidore holdeth who calleth it vnweldinesse because the qualitie of heauines or waight makes fall all things lower And as in the other foure ages afore men grow either in stature or in force so in this age their strength séemes to determine and their bodies and partes begin to decaye decline to debilitie For vntil fiftie yeres man mayntaines alwayes his strength and stature but after he begins to feint as one that had runne his course and doth nothing but heape infirmities and weaknesse euen vntill death According to the opinion of such as establish seuen ages this estate of yeres is called old age wherunto Isidore consents not but calles that old age which begins at thréescore and ten and continueth til death though man liue neuer so long So that all the other ages are restrained to certaine limits of yeares but this last age is subiect to no terme for that the day and houre of mans death are not knowne Jsidore speaking of this age sayth that old age béeing the sixth age can not bée limitted nor made subiect to terme for that there is attributed vnto it the residue of the life of man which passeth the first fiue ages But touching all that hath bene sayd heretofore that euery age of the life of man hath his certaine termes and limits except the last It is to be vnderstand that al is spoken of the ages of men of our time and not of such as were afore the floud since in those seasons the age of men were a thousand yeres Neither do we meane the men of the second age which begonne from the floud vntill Abraham for that in that age there were men that liued sixe hundreth yeares and some foure hundreth as appeareth by the Doctrine of Genesis And yet those men sayth Jsidore had no more age then we and all their yeares limitted to a certaine time and terme except the last age whereunto could bée ascribed no certaintie of terme for that as it is found in Genesis
them his eares are open to heare them if they appeale to him in their aduersities and he accompanieth them wyth his holy Aungell to the end they erre not he beholdeth the calamities they endure and yéeldes compassion to the complayntes they make accordinh to the comfort of the Psalme O culi domini super iustos et aures eius ad praeces eorum Still touching the discourse of Religion and of the professors of the same ANd albeit these words of our Lord That who perseuereth not to the ende shall not be saued are generall to all Christians yet they concerne most chiefly such as be of the ministerie who being called to an estate so holy by how muche they are chosen as men most necessary and worthy by so much more doe they offend the maiesty of God if they renounce or leaue it Redite domino deo vestro sayth God by his prophet If you promise any thing to your God looke to offer it giue it For a man hauing once past his promise must consider that to doe any thing is an office and action of the will but the accomplishment therof is of necessitie The Church compelleth no man to take baptisme but after we be once receiued she hath power to constraine vs to liue like Christians Euenso there neyther is nor ought to be authority to enforce one an other to chaunge habyte or enter the ministery but being once possest of the orders we are bounde to kéepe our profession Yea it belonges to the ministers of the Church to know that the perfection of religion consists not onely to take the habyt to forsake the worlde and to be enclosed within the precinct of his vycarage and Churchyarde But with all to him appertaynes the passion of paines troubles and iniuries and to striue to resist his affections and lastely to be constant with his brethren For that to liue in order is a thing easie but to perseuer to the end is entangled with great hardnes Non cessamus pro vobis orare vt dignos vos faciat vocatione sua we pray to the Lord cōtinually saith the apostle to the end you may be made worthy of his ministery that is that you be thought méete to be called by him and that he call you as he is wont to call those whom he loueth God inuiteth all God calleth all and entreateth them to serue and follow him But amongest all others those whom hée calleth particulerlye those doth hée holde vp wyth hys hande and if hée suffer them to slyde hée is readie to helpe them vppe agayne Suche as bée called of God perseuere to the ende but those whom the Ennemie leadeth retourne eftsoones to the Worlde Great is the comfort of suche as are come into Religion guyded by the hande of God séeing it is aduouched in the Scriptures that the holy Ghost led Iesus into the Desart and the wicked spirite caried him vp to the Temple not with intention that hée should Preache but rather to throw himselfe headlong from the place There were many other places in Jerusalem more high then that which the Diuell led Christ vnto but he desired nothing more then to make Iesus Christ fal from the pinacle of the temple by that which we are instructed that greater vaunt doth the Diuell make to make one of those fal which are consecrated to Christ thē a hundreth of suche as Prophane and wander in the Worlde And therwithall we are taught that the fall which the seruant of God makes in the ministery is dangerous to the soule doubtfull to his conscience and most slaunderous to the common weale It is written in the discourse of the liues of the fathers of Egipt that one of those holy ancients saw in a vision the assemblie of Diuels and hearing euery one report the diuersitie of illusions wherewyth they had be guiled the worlde hée saw their Prince make greater gratulation and recompence to one of those ill spirits that had deceiued a vertuous man of the Church then to al the rest sturring thousands to transgression sinne two of the childrē of the great sacrificator Aarō were burned for no other occasion then for that they had transgressed in one Cerimony of the Temple And albeit in the congregation there were no doubt greater sinners then those two Children yet God saw cause to punish them and dissemble wyth the others the better to make vs to know that the estate of the ministers is of such perfection that that which to the world is estéemed ceremony the same to men of the Church is rule and precept and the breache of it a sinne mortal So that vntil the Church militant be ended and that we go to enioy the Church triumphant of necessity drosse will be mingled with gold chaffgo with corne the thorne grow with the Roase marrow ioyned to the bones and good men be consociat with the wicked yea and this is no small wretchednes that many times it is more hard to endure a wicked man in the ministery then all the temptations which the illuding spirit can sturre vp there Vtinam recedant qui conturbant nos Would to God sayth S. Paule such as trouble our common weale were deuided from our company the man of the Church being wicked doth this hurt in the congregation either to prouok others to sinne by his example or at least to sturre them to murmure by his vile perswasions séeing the pot that boileth to much casteth out his fatnes the troublesom sea reuerseth the ships the vyolent winde renteth vp trées by the rootes and fluddes ouer flowing their chanels spoile the corne Euen so the minister which is not studious or géeueth not himself to praier or lastly occupieth not his mind with some exercise of the hand much lesse that he preuayleth in his function but is an instrument of euil to such as he can make like to himselfe the first curse that God gaue in the world was to the enuious Cayne saying Quia occidisti fratrem tuum eris vagus et profugus super terram Séeing I haue bestowed thée vppon the earth and thou hast there defyled thy selfe with the bloud of thy Brother thou shalt haue my curse to goe as a vagabounde in the worlde and lyue discontented according to which wordes of God to Cayne I say that for a man of order it is an other Paradise the tranquillitie that he findes in the exercise of the ministery But to him that hath a will corrupted it is a Hell to be subiect in that place Sewer in good consideration there is not vnder Heauen the lyke tranquillity as to be in companie of good men and to pray to God in societie of such as be vertuous And as Christ would neuer haue giuen to Cayne so great a curse if he had not committed so vyle a Treason agaynst his brother So the Lorde neuer suffereth that any minister or man of the Church wander or go as a vagabound through the world but for