Therefore the lawe must haue adioyned to it moderation which will say thus Thou hast done well to ordeine such and such lawes and they must be obserued but thinges excepted alwayes to be excepted ¶ It is a profound deepenes c. SO before he sayde All thinges are harde c. They shal make write lawes they haue an eye to general things as they must haue But they that are Magistrats must come downe to particulars sée whether it ought so to be There they shall finde infinite cases and circumstances And this is a bottomles depth The suÌ„me therfore of the seuenth chapiter and this exhortation is Mainteyne the lawe as farre as thou art able and moderate the lawe as much as thou mayst so that thou looke not to haue all thinges to precisely obserued neyther be thou discouraged with teâ—iousnes but onely feare and serue the Lorde and he shall teach thée to doe all thinges well For they which are without this feare are eyther too iust or too impatient I applied my minde also vnto knowledge and to seeke and search out science wysedome and vnderstanding to know the foolishnes of the vngodly and the errors of doting fooles THis is an Addition to his forsayd exhortation and doctrine as though he should say I haue wel marked what happeneth to such as will doo and haue all thinges donne iustly and in exacting of iustice are too iust how thinges succeade not with them and how while they will be too wyse they become fooles I haue founde that sometyme it is the poynt of great wysedome to dote Agayne I haue considered all kindes of lyfe to know how the wicked went to worke how fooles succéeded with their matters whether were better to cast from me all care as fooles vse or to be too iust For he speaketh agayne of thinges donne or to be donne by fooles and vngodly as he spake before of thinges done politikely by iust men And I finde the woman more bytter then death whose hart is as nettes and snares and her handes as bandes He that is good before God shall be deliuered from her but the sinner shall be taken by her A Monge the affayres of fooles I sawe this also that procéedeth of women For since he wrot a Register of vanytie this was not to be omytted neyther it chaunceth vnto fooles that will not sett their handes to woorke but doo nothing that they fall into the handes of women and are compelled to doe seruice to them He speaketh of such a woman which taketh vpon her to be wyse to beare rule aboue her husband not of the anger of women although this is true that a womaÌ„ is more passionate then a man is Neither is womankynde here condeÌ„ned which is the creature of god For the kinde must be seperated froÌ„ the faultes thereto belonging as before he seperated the workes of God from the deuises of man Man is the worke of God but beside this worke of God he will followe his owne deuises and will not be ruled wholy by God who onely was his creator and maker So must the kinde be seuered from the faultes therto incident A woman as shée is the creature of God must reuerently be considered For shée is created to the ende to be an helpe to her husband to féede her children and to bring them vp honestly and godly to be in subiection to her husband And men are commauÌ„ded to haue the rule and gouernment of their wyues and houshold If now a woman leaueth her dutie and challeÌ„ge the maistry of her husband now shée dischargeth not the worke shée was created for but doth according to her owne naughtines For God created not this kinde to beare rule ouer the husbaÌ„d but to be in subiection vnder him Against these thinges might be obiected the histories of the Amazones greatly extolled of the gréeke writers who are reported to haue beene great rulers and warriours but I thinke it but a â—â—ble that is tolde of them And where the Aethiopians those women to be kinges Princes as we reade of Candace Quéene of Aethiopia in the Actes they doe it after their peculyar manner As many tymes foolishe meÌ„ are made princes and rulers It was neuer permitted by Gods ordinaunce that the wife shoulde gouerne Thus it may be that a woman shall be appointed in steede of a kyng but alwayes shee ought to haue a Senate or counsell of noble men by whose deuise all things must be ordered And although a woman yet be chosen on this wise to sit in gouernement yet this confirmeth not the gouernement of women ouer theyr husbandes for the texte is cleare Thou shalt be vnder the obeysaunce of thy husband and he shall haue the rule of thee A woman is created to her vse namely with wisdome and discretion to bring vp her children For euery one in the thing whereto they are ordeyned is best occupyed A woman shal doe more in the griping of her childe wyth the least finger then a man with both his handes Therfore let euery one abyde in that busines and worke whereunto God hath called and ordeyned them The conclusion of this place therefore is amongst the diuers impedimentes of that rest and peace that a man ought to haue in his hart is a woman such as wil not let her husband haue the rule as he is appointed So Sampson a very noble man was seduced by Dalila a vicious woman For they will not be contented with their distaffe and wooll but wil prescribe and rule their husbandes in things pertayning to the common weale Such women saith Salomon I greatly hate For they are bitterer then death in that they are great causes of our vanitie For if the husbands beginne once to yelde vnto them all thinges goe to wracke as it happened to Sampson and as Salomon also doted through his women This therfore is that he sayth Euen as I haue séene them that are too iust too wicked so haue I séene women pearching ouer their husbands which is a great vanitie not because of the sexe and kinde but because of the grinnes and snares Therfore wyse men according to Gods worde shall auoyde the snares but not the sexe and kynde Beholde sayth the Preacher thys haue I founde seeking one by one to finde the count yet my soule seeketh but I finde it not I haue founde one man among a thousaÌ„d but a woman haue I not founde among them all THat is through myne experience and obseruation in thinges I haue learned much namely how all is vayne let other learne the same also For this is the greatest wysdome that man can attayne to to know that no wysdome can preuayle or doe farther then God geueth leaue as Socrates sayd I know that I am ignorant if he rightly vnderstoode the same One by one one after another that is I haue runne through all deuises I finde in them all that man caÌ„not
that the one sayd of him selfe O I that was neuer wise and sometyme iudged in vayne to be that I was not O Citizēs how much hath your opiniō of me deceaued you c. The other broken and worne with age and trauell sayd that he wished death rather then to bee combred agayne with charge of publike affaires him selfe hauing well tried that matters goe not according to the good counsels of the wise Cōtrariwise Iulius and Octauius Caesars not alway followyng wise but bold counsels were much more fortunate Philip kyng of Macedonia procéeded against Demosthenes deuises beyng him selfe also more fortunate then wyse Surely their deuises and counsels were good but so to vrge thē to appointe so certeine a successe of thē was a vaine deuise For matters will not be taken in hand by mans deuise To be brief matters goe not according to the counsell of the wise nor according heddynes of fooles that the counsels of the wise might bée prooued foolish that we should not glory in our selues Thus in warre straitway the victory is not gotten albeit the army be neuer so well appointed all thinges most wisely forecast and deuised As not many yeares ago the Frēch kyng thought to haue had a great victory agaynst the Emperour but it fell out contrary This hee saith therefore Thou séest that matters succéede aswel with fooles as with wise men so that it might appeare there were no difference betweene a foole and a wiseman as touching successe yea that it might seeme there were no God that suffreth matters so vnaduisedly to passe But Salomon aunswereth no but that wisedome farre passeth foolishnesse True it is that mans wisedome bryngeth not thinges to passe but God doth it God by his wisedome can bring to passe what he will but man can not For God hath not onely wisedome but also a power to doe it so that the thing which hee commaundeth must néedes succéede This man can not doe To conclude Gods counsell is not deceaued but mens coūsels how wise soeuer they be are deceaued Therfore he sayth very well And I saw that wisedome excelleth foolishnesse as farre as light doth darkenes WIsdome is very good but because it lacketh power and strength it can not bring thinges about nor rule the successe of them A wyse man hath his eyes in hys head but the foole c. I Sée verely that the lyke happeneth to them both Our wisedome deceaueth vs our foolishnes deceaueth vs yet wisdome passeth foolishnes To haue the eyes in the head is an Hebrew phrase which wee commonly doe vse to expresse thus Hee that will playe at cheastes must not hyde his eyes in his purse Wherby we signifie that he must not onely be skilful in that play but also haue a diligent eye and care to his play So he sayth here A wise man hath his eyes in his head THat is they are not onely wise handlers of their matters but also circumspect and carefull about them and sée in déede how thinges should be ordred but can not perfourme and accomplishe the effect The foole hath not his eyes in hys forehead because he procéedeth rashely and at all auentures Howbeit in déede on both sides the matter goeth by fortune and chaunce that is God ruleth the successe not according to our circumspection or negligence Sometimes they fall both sometyme they prosper both But God will not that wee shall make any certayne rule thereof For the creatures are not in our power but in Gods who graunteth vs the vse of them and by our meanes doth what pleaseth hym That we of our selues adde hereto in going about to rule the vse of them by our counsels and enterprises is vayne He schooleth vs therfore not to trust in our owne wysdome and counsels but to doe as occasion serueth and if it succéede not to commit it vnto God. For what man is able to imitate the kyng that made him before c. HEre by a goodly and apt paraphrasis he describeth god as if he should say God is our king he hath not onely made vs but also continually gouerneth vs so that all thinges happen to vs according to his will. He alone reacheth from the beginning to the end neyther can any man hinder or stoppe his will counsell For this cause thought Salomon to call him a king rather then god Some men haue wisdome some foolishnes but no man can imitate his king nor do that he doth For what he appointeth commeth to passe his will and counsell taketh effecte And made vs before to say that we were THe like phrase hath S. Paule Who first gaue vnto him and he shal be recompenced Euen therfore as thys kyng ruleth and gouerneth all thynges fall out Hereby therfore he sheweth that our deuises are of no value because we be made and be not the kyng God will not haue vs and his creatures to be ruled by our selues but contrariwise or els we should be kynges and rulers ouer god Nothing succéedeth after our wisdome or foolishnes but many incurre displeasure by foolishnes and more by wisdome as euen the wysest of all other men Dion Cicero Brutus Demosthenes c. Because God doth frustrate and delude mans counsels and deuises to prouoke vs by all meanes to feare him and to learne to let him alone with the gouernaunce of all thinges and in nothing to prescribe hym And I saw that the successe of both these men were alike THat is I sawe they had both lyke fortune that as little preuayled the wyse man as the foole That thinges are gouerned neither by wisedome nor foolishnes although God suffer thinges to be done by them both but no rule must be made thereof For if our coūsell were of force then should it alway prosper If foolishnes did hurt alwayes then should it neuer prosper Marius Antonius diuers other preuayled more by their temeritie and rashnes then Cicero dyd with his wisdome And a man shall no where finde more examples of mans foolishnes and wisdome then among the Romaines and Gentiles For among the Iewes warres were taken in hand for the most part according as the prophets appointed and God commaunded Then sayd I in my mynde if it happen vnto the foole as it doth vnto me what neede I labour then any more for wisdome So I sayde in myne hart that this also was but vanitie ANd these wordes tende to this ende that we should absteine from affiaūce in our owne deuises I saith Salomon gouerned my kingdome most wisely I had a Lieftenant or president which gouerned not so prudently as I and yet had he good successe Since therfore I sée fooles haue as good successe or better then I why trust I to myne owne counsell and wisdome encreasing but my labour and sorrow So I sayd in mine hart this also was but vanitie I Founde by experience that neither wisdome nor rashenes was to be trusted For before it was declared that
of one master and Pastour ¶ For there is none ende in making of bookes HEre he toucheth the infelicitie of mās nature seeming to imitate and followe these good men and wryters but full vntowardly vnhandsomely This he meaneth Thou hast to doe in the world where thou shalt happē on innumerable bookes set out to edifie the people but abyde thou within a certen numbre of thē prescribed And hold thy selfe vpon the scripture Much study and reading is a wearines of the fleshe THis he saith not of the wearynes of the person that wryteth but of his disciples or hearers as if he would saye These men with their many wrytinges and bookes doe nothing but cause men to weary themselues whō yet they would séeme to benefit alwayes learning and neuer attayning vnto the truth This I say is the fruite of these bookes ▪ to trouble mens consciences and to weary that people Therefore we must persist and abyde in the opinion of one Teacher We must cleaue either to one or to a fewe which haue the trewe forme of doctrine Other we must beware of which go about onely to séeme to bring some newe deuyse and to séeme better learned then others as nowe many Sectaryes and their likes doo Well therefore doth S. Iames saye Be ye not many maisters Let vs heare the ende of all feare God and keepe his commaundementes THat is this is the sūme of all feare God and worshipp him and set hym alwayes before thine eyes and so shalt thou perfourme all I haue written in this booke For vnlesse a man feare God he can accomplishe none of these thinges He hath set forth the examples of them which haue lyued wisely and notablye without feare who when aduersitie and distresse commeth waxe insolent and trouble themselues But they that feare the Lorde can contemne and set light all aduersityes troubles when they come giue God thankes whē they come not ¶ For this is the dutie of all men THat is belongeth to all men and is profitable for all mē By other trades and kindes of lyfe men seeke for gayne by this for godlynesse The same Paule affirmeth in this wise These thinges be proffitable for men As for vaine talke auoyde For God wil bring euery worke vnto iudgement with euery secreat thing whether it be good or euell THat is all thinges at length shall come vnto iudgement Be they good or be they euil vaine talkers backbiters fooles at length shall be confounded and their opinions shall no lenger endure Thus zoilus at length was throwen downe aliue from the topp of a mountaine But Homer abydeth the Prince of all Poetes still in despight of all the zoili or of whosoeuer is more wicked then they Thus all other good authors especially of the sacred Scriptures by Gods power and appoyntment are likewyse hetherto preserued ¶ With euery secret thinge THat is to saye hypocrisie Because these Apes counterfet a shewe of lyfe and good doctrine So in the 25. Psalme also it is sayd I will not keepe companye with dissemblers that is such as Christ calleth hipocrites Paule sayth They haue a shewe of Godlines Therefore God shall Iudge euery worke that that may remayne and abyde that is perfect and sincere all coulor fainednes being taken away wherewith they hid and cloked their workes He speaketh not of the latter iudgment but after the maner of the Scripture in generall of all iudgments eyther such as heretikes be iudged and put to death by or what so euer sorte of wicked persons All these thinges haue their iudgment and time appointed them of God which they must abyde Thus the Pope euen at this day is brought to iudgement is almost condēned Thus was Arius and diuerse other heretikes brought to this iudgment and the Lorde reueled their shamefullnes as Peter saith In the time of his visitation and inquirie FINIS Psal. 119. Nun. Iames. 1. Iames. 1. He blameth the abusing of this booke The errour of the Schoolemē in this booke The doctrine of doubtyng tooke begynnyng of this booke The errour of holy fathers in misunderstādyng of this booke The begynnyng of Monkishe lyfe Errour of the interpretours The title of this booke He meaneth Plato The obscuritie or hardnes of this booke Two causes why it is so obscure The vse of this booke The Argumēt and intent of this booke The errour of them cōfuted which condemne Gods creatures The creatures of God are good The abuse of Gods creatures naughty affections of men are condemned in this booke The errour of them that vnderstand not this booke What thyngs Salomon condemneth in this booke What the matter and content of this booke is What the affectiōs of man are The doctrine of this booke is to vse our goods with thankes geuyng S. Augustines saying The corruption of mās nature and miserie of mans affections What thinges are reprehended in this booke The title of the booke Why this booke is called the Preacher Salomons phrase and speach The cause why one worde is doubled The theame and argumēt of this booke Mens deuises and enterprises are vaine Of whose labour and trauel Salomō speaketh He speaketh of mēs enterprises not of Gods workes Gods creatures are firme and stable but men are caryed and vexed with diuerse desires False interpretatiō blamed Gods creatures abyde within theyr bondes but men stray out of theirs The sunne rayseth the wyndes with hys mouyng The cause of sprynges and fountaines All thinges are led with their own course and order What the meaning of this comparison is The errour of Sophisters vpon this place The vanitie of man greater thē can be expressed with wordes The insatiable gulfe of mans hart Alexander Magnus Mans mynde is vnsatiable Vanitie of mans hart In man there is no new thyng but concupiscence naughty inclamtiōs dwell in all men God worketh newe thinges in some men Men are not mooued with the examples of their predecessours He begynneth hys doctrine 〈◊〉 the exāple of himselfe which hee setteth out to all men to folow Of his owne example by an argument a maiore He speaketh of hys owne workes enterprises Mē troubled wyth their owne wisdome The care of man to his vocation ruled by the worde of God good and necessary Mās coūsels not ruled by gods word are deceaued We must abstayne not trust to our owne counsels but to gods word onely Where the greatest wisdome of man is without the feare of God there is most foolishnes Vnhappy is the good intention that is not ruled by the worde of God and fayth The cause why all thynges cā not be ruled by our counsell All thinges must be cōmitted to God and he desired to order our deuises and to geeue them good successe The wisedome of kyng Salomon What knowledge i◠What wisdome is The continuation of the former chapiter with this present Mourning companion vnto pleasure Loue is bitter We must vse Gods giftes with the acknowledgyng