aduising vs by this rather to loase both the hoode and the cloake as the prouerbe is then to bée reuenged of them and endure death rather then to geue one blowe But in cases not touching faith wée maye vse iustice as did Saint Paul who when reproches and false crimes by malice were layde vpon him and Christian faith not touched hée defended him selfe against his false accusers and in extréeme reméedye hée appealeth to Caesar at Rome Touching the Lawes of the Gentiles if according to our opinion before they bée founded in vniuersal reason without errour or infidelitye they ought as braunches springing out of the law naturall to be receiued and obserued as was the marriage of Infidelles But where they suffer errour let them with their idolatries bée abhominable abhorred To answere the obiection which some deriue from S. Paul that the wise christian ought to iudge differences amongest the faithfull where there is no mencion of lawes Saint Paul in saying that the wise man may Iudge meaneth that he bée wise in the vnderstanding of the lawes for in this is the true propertye of wisedome to bée well séene and wise in God concerning thinges deuine and humane so shall his singular wisedome kéepe him from errour in iudgement hauing in him as the teacher of wisedom saith the feare of God knowledge and wisedome and being truly spiritual which by the spirite of God makes exact iudgement in all thinges and can not bée reproued of that whereof hée hath geuen sentence Yet when he ought to Iudge I will not saye but that it is méete that hee haue the lawes of the world in his head yea let him haue a good spirite a sound ripe iudgement and vnderstand wel the cause in present question so laying aside al affection let him recōmend him selfe to God whose iudgement hée exerciseth Let him confer in difficult maters with other sages which with remembrance of Gods holy feare will leade him in integrity of iudgement And knowing that the ende of al lawe is vtility necessity honesty let him prefer honesty before profite publike profit before the perticular gaine of any man that rather certaine priuate persons lose in obseruing the Lawe then the multitude to suffer distresse But aboue all let that honestye which consistes in vertue bée alwayes entertayned doing no euill whereupon to hope for good ¶ The lawe naturall grounded vpon reason vvas two thousand yeres in vse vvithout other ordinaunces sauing the Sabboth and Circumsition and God hath geuen fevve lavves concerning this naturall and ciuill right nor the auncient vvise gouernors of cōmon vveales for iust causes the people of God according to reason haue made iudgementes and follovved the interpretacion of their moral lavves by the instinct of reason by the vvhich God did institute them and therefore vvhen the Scribes and Pharisies peruerted that reason they vvere condemned Gouernours asvvell in theyr ordinaunces as constitucion of paines to punishe offences ought alvvaies to follovve those lavves vvhich God hath ordeyned according to that reason ¶ The .5 Chapter THus vve haue seene that gouernours maye Iudge according to Lawes naturall deuine and humane both in what sort they ought to iudge and that it is not necessarye alwayes to consult with the written Lawe in all Iudgementes for that as there bée more matters then words more causes then lawes So the actions of men as Aristotle saith being infinite can not bée conteyned all by memoryes as also by reason of the dissimilitude varieties they can not be comprehended in generall constitucions such as be the Lawes this was the cause that the Lacedemonians made no great vse of writtē lawes leauing to the discretion of wise Iudges and graue men the iudgement of that whiche was not written God him selfe the Image of all wisedome for the same reason caused no Lawe to bée written in twoo thousand yeeres but that of the Sabboth circumsicion nor in the Gospel we see none expresly instituted by Iesus Christ for a cōmon weale but al was referred to the arbitracion and wise iudgement of gouernours yea when God emploied Moyses to bée the Lawmaker of the Iewes hée erected but fewe lawes and they onelye in principall matters for the preseruation of societye and polletike quiet referring the iudgemēt of other affaires not contained in the same generall Lawes to the discretion of such Iudges as hée had ordained willing for that it was impossible to write lawes to all affaires that in those newe causes theyr iudgement should hold perentory aucthority as wel as in other matters to bée decided by the written Lawes yea hée commaunded that the wise men should interprete his lawes by theyr wisdome as in the interpretacion of the ordinaunce of circumcision that the eyght day men should bée Circumcised they reserued forty yéeres that they were in the desert without being Circumcised In lyke sort of the Phascal or feast of Easter for the seconde moneth to suche as had not done it in the fyrst and so in infinite others by verye good and iuste reasons approued and receaued in the Lawe wherein he gaue them aucthoritye not onely to iudge according to discresion and good aduise and to interprete all Lawes but also gaue them power to make newe as the necessitye of the affaires required whereof for a more assured proofe of others erected according to reason wee sée twoo approued in the Gospell as on the Sabboth day not to goo further then halfe a league to celebrate the feast dedicatory in the moneth of Decēber which Iesus Christ did assist preache there forbearing to speake of many other as in the time of Easter which the Seniors general Iudges and gouernors of the people had ordeyned So that as their aucthoritye is greate to iudge and interprete lawes alwaies erect according to the circumstance of time matter So notwithstanding this must be considered that in a monarchie gouernors neyther haue power nor office to create ordinances but vnder the approbation of the Prince with this regarde further that they hold conformety with the law deuine to prefer Gods honor common profit wherin let gouernors in the constitucion of their statutes haue a perpetual respect to the wil iudgement of God which they ought to preserue interprete and not peruert them as did the scribes pharisies certaine of the Seniors geuing value to their proper inuentions ordinances contrary to the law of god as oftentimes to wash their hādes enritche the treasour of the temple by defrauding the poore fathers mothers of their naturall right touching the norriture which they ought to their children Chiefly let Magistrates obserue cause to bée exactly obserued the lawes of God and afterward the ordinances of man such as they create tending to those endes and others agreeing with the time and nature of places and persons conforming all with the Lawes of God So that when they sée in the Scripture that
more often reproches yea being euen as little martyrs so there is no profession wherein are lesse faultes For the Masters séeking but to comunicate their learning with their disciplrs neuer endure their vices if they speake euill they correct them if they do euill they are punished they neuer giue them libertie of idlenes though they allow times of necessary recreation In this estate is nothing but chastitie for which cause they are called Pallas and the Muses being Mayds by which occasion not without cause the Poets fained Pallas the Goddes of wisedome and mayde with hir nine mayden sisters the Muses who also as they signifie the exercise of sciences contayning in it virginitie and perpetuall honestie so they are called sisters as being all of one mutuall societie and indiuidible coniunction There is no thing but vertue and godlines in a schoole and therfore it deserues well to be called a religion if in any bookes of the pagans there be wordes vnciuill bearing to vnchast loue or expressing nombers of Goddes the schollers are aduertised by their tutors that they are spéeches of infidelles which knew not God and therfore in taking the rose they may leaue the thornes and being taught the good they are also warned from that which is euill What resteth now more to be alleadged of these detractors and scoffers of the estate of schoolemasters so noble and happie and almost the generall cause of all the benefites that are done in the worlde where they being men of vaine and light spirites are also a people vnprofitable and a burden and charge to the earth Rattes and deuowring vermin of the garnors of good men bycause they haue not passed by good schooles where with ciuilitie in spéech and life they might haue learned some Art profitable to their countrey and honorable to themselues when they die they cannot leaue any testimonie that they liued vppon the earth for that to them posteritie can prescribe no memorie of god These scoffers by contempt call schoolemasters Magisters and Dominos which turnes as a glory to them for that they haue those names common with Iesus Christ saying to his Disciples you call me Magister and Domine sum etenim so schoolemasters are Magistri by the state of their teaching and Domini for that they commaund their disciples and giue lawes to their affections and lustes where those dispisers of good men for whom according to Salomon the terrible iudgements of God are prepared are thralles and slaues to their passions yea it is to be feared that they are euen the bondmen of Sathan whom they obey and are the executors of his commaundements whereof the greatest and most pernicious is to contemne the good sort and vex with violence and wrong men of learning and vertue being an estate that most batter the kingdome of Sathan bring ruine to his tirannie But notwithstanding their scoffes and vaine impediments they are both Lords and Masters as exercising both authoritie and discipline in their iurisdiction of their small common weale aswell as the greatest Magistrate of the earth and to scoffe with those scoffers we may say they haue their scepture in hand with distribucion of high inferior Iustice for they condemne iustefie and absolue when they condemne there is no appeale yea there is such direct pollecie in their coÌ„mon weale that it suffreth neither disorder nor confusion where it is hard to these inciuill iesters to put order in their small families compounded perhaps but vppon two or thrée persons but crying some times as the blind man wheÌ„ he hath lost his staffe strike sometimes without measure or reason reaping by their disorder a gréeuous curse to themselues and families whereuppon is no great cause of merueile for that being not hable to gouerne themselues for want of discipline they haue lesse capacitie to rule others For end let them remember the sentence of Seneca that euill doth he merit to commaunde others which hath not himselfe liued long vnder the discipline of good Masters and learned to obey their commaundements So that with Salomon I may aunswere them at full that a wicked man can not but leade his toung in wickednes and who abhorres good men are detested of God. An exhortation to young children to studie Chapter xiiij MOreouer waighing with the comon benefitts comming to comonweals the sweet profitts that growe to singuler men by learning I exhorte all young men to the studie of the same their nature speciallie inclining and their abillitie consenting making coÌ„scieÌ„ce to lose one only minute of time according to the examples and counsel of Theophrastus and Plinie Whereof as the on in saying time was a most precius expense signified the no more ought men to consume vainly the least parte of time then to make prodigall expenses or wast of a most delicat meate so the other held all times lost which were not imployed in studie the same being the cause that he would not suffer his reader to repeat to him one word twise alleging that it hindred his time to passe further and learn that which yet he knew not where â—he consented with the moste part of all wise men whose opinions were that in all things ought we to be liberal sauing of our honor time in which two things being so precious we ought to be so sparing as not to be prodigall in eyther of them not to our very frinds But to come to knowledg and vertu they must first demaund them of God who is the only disposer of theÌ„ the lord sayeth Salomon giues wisdom and knowleg and discresion comes from his mouth who hath néed of wisdome let him aske it of God sayeth S. James who giues it abundauntly and reprocheth none of that he giues them but enioyneth them to humilitie for on the humble and méek he bestowes his grace secondly it is necesarie to take suche masters as we haue described good learned diligent and discret Thirdly ther must be aplied great labors and seruis trauell which abeit séem heuy and painfull at the beginning yet after the first taste be past they shall féele a most swéet iuyce or likquor in the frute of lerning for which cause Jsocrates resembled learning to a trée whose root is sower and the barke bitter but in the frutes is a most pleasant delightfull tast Plutarch wills men not to stick at the labor that brings any great or excellent benefitt for with the infinitt and glorius recompence afore God and the whole worlde of suche labor the custome of those paines makes the burthen easie which was right aptly aduised of Cato that vertu hath hir exercise in hard trauells which passe away but the frute ther of remaines eternall being a perpetuall inward delight of the mind of man Therfore muche less that labor ought to terifie or with draw young witts from studie but in the consideration of knowledg accompanied with profitt pleasure glorie and immortall name ther is great cause to
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
seruitude and seeing them disposed to their seruice with a franke and liberall will gaue them libertie wherein I wishe and exhort that no man holding of the gospell which is a law of libertie and grace bée surmounted by such as were vnder the lawe of seruitude and Moyses in the which the Jewes enfréeed their poore brethren bond men in the vii yeare of their seruice and in the Jubilei gaue libertie to all the other slaues of straunge nations or at the least such bond mē were as their marcenarie seruauntes hauing yearely hyer for the labours they tooke in hande to the end that with tyme they might redéeme their miserable condicion But now eftsones to the dutie of a Master wherein as we haue spoken of the loue and gentle dealing which he oweth to his seruant so hée must vnderstand that with this loue he must minister to him doctrine and discipline Doctrine in instructing him in the rules of faith according to the example of the Iewes who neuer tooke bondmen whom they caused not to be circumcised and taught in the law so leading them in good examples of faithfull Jsraelites as for whose faultes they shoulde aunswere euen no lesse then for the rest of his familie There be thrée things sayth the wiseman necessary for the good entertaining of a seruant bread discipline and worke as to the Asse men giue prouender beating and his burden by the bread is vnderstoode sufficiēt noriture being too great iniquitie to kéepe seruants at trauell and make small allowance of sustenance if the Oxe reserued for the plough giues ouer his worke when he is faint for want of meate why should the poore seruaunt be shortned of his allowance by whose industrie both the plough goeth the Ox is preserued and the Master liueth discipline is due to him for that if he be not well instructed nor of him self wel giuen he workes with an euill will and encreaseth in vices as hauing not tasted from his infancy of any good instruction For that cause sayth the wiseman it is néedefull to offer him the racke that is a good correctiō specially when he ronnes either from his Master or frō his worke euen as the Asse must féele the cudgell whē he will not go But when he corrects him selfe or commits any light fault let the Master saith S. Paule pardon his offences as hee will haue God to remit such as he hath done so often times in the Scripture and the perpetuall paines which he hath deserued In that sort S. Paule willeth Philemon to pardon Onesyme a bondman who in his running away became a Christian by his doctrine he willeth to rebuke him without rigor and kéepe against him no passion of euill will but receiue him as his deare brother to serue him in all temporall and spirituall things And therfore let the Maister take héede not to be bitter against his seruaunt by hate for in that case S. John saith he should be as a murderer and much lesse do him wrong by malicious choller crueltie and impacience For he must remember that he hath a Master in heauen and that the other is but as a seruant with him of that great Maister wyth whom is regard neither of Lord nor master nor acception of persons but iudgeth equally the one as the other in all things touching well or ill doing Let him not then thinke that either his person shal be more worthy or his workes better accepted bycause he is a master or a Lord of greater estate For there is but the multitude of vertues which stand in place of credit and fauor wherein both the one and the other are indifferently receiued And hath not Iesus Christ employed his life and bloud indifferently for the one and other Then touching estate and greatnes according to the world it is but vanitie and a certaine apparant felicitie and the chaunce of worldly things may be such that this day a Master and to morowe a seruant which we read hath hapned to many Let him consider lastly whilest he is a master to make accompt to God of his authoritie and rule which he hath receiued of him where in he is so much the more subiect to reckoning by how much GOD hath called him aboue the other to that estate Touching trauell let him rather kéepe him in continual worke then ouerlay him with heauy labors measuring his bourden accordinge to the rate of his strength to beare it Let him not followe the example of Pharao in the time of Moyses who of a wicked wyll layd vppon the people of Israel more great and hard laboures then they were able to ouercome beating them if they perfourmed not their compleat taske of worke which hée prescribed to them aboue their forces wherein the oppressed Israelites crying out to God were heard in their complaintes to the ruine of Egypt and drowning of the Kyng and all his proud armie The Master ought neuer to suffer his seruant to be idle but at resting times in the night on the holy day he ought to kéepe him exercised spiritually eyther in prayers or to heare Sermons giuing him no libertie to hunt after gluttonie and vnlawfull playes which two kyndes of most daungerous idlenes aboue all others are causes of infinit euils to many men but specially to seruants and the young sort In which reason the wiseman saith that aswell as the Asse ought to be fed with prouander so hath hée néede also of the bastonado the bridell and the burden so must the Master sometime entertayne the seruaunt with the noriture of the rod and worke not giue libertie to his nature which of it selfe wyll raise him into disorder and disobedience sayth Salomon only his correction must runne in a course of amitie of a Christian Father of housholde who hath commaundement from S Paule to do that which is iust and reason to his seruant whom hee ought to estéeme as his spirituall sonne and companion according to God of the life to come The wise man aduiseth him also if he be faithfull and wise to loue him as his soule and to giue him fréedome and aduauncement as in déede the seruant puts his soule which is his life his bodie his laboures and industrie to continuall paines for the seruice of his master so did Abraham loue his seruant Elizer cōmitting to him all his most waightie affaires and for recompence if hée had had no childe hée had succéeded him in his inheritance In the gospel we sée how the Centenier loued his seruāt trauelling carefully for his health when he was sicke In whose examples may be reprehended now a days many masters who handling hardly their poore seruants sende them in their sicknes and impotencie to hospitals but if they haue but an Ox sicke or a horse lame they fayle not to aplie remedies for their cure as bearing more care to a beast then affection to a man who toucheth them in Christian brotherhoode touching
iudged them to be things fatall as the Phariseis In which confusion and hardned obstinacie few men finding that it was the hand of God and his word to bée true whereby without conuersion they deserued extermination God willed Ieremie not to pray for the people as withall Moyses and Samuel fauoured of God their prayers so often hard Noe Job and Daniel aboue others no lesse dearly beloued of him made continuall supplications for that obstinat and peruersed people whom hée would not he are in their prayers not to slaughter that people destroy their city which is a furie of god irrecoÌ„ciliable wherin Jeremie praieth him not to correct theÌ„ but in iudgemeÌ„t for there he vseth not the rod to administer discipline but liftes vp the barre or rodde of yron wherewith he threateneth to breake the heades of such as obstinatly and arrogantly rebell and will not hearkeÌ„ to his word for so in the time of Noe he destroied the world with the flud subuerted Sodome and Gomorha and led in such displeasure the Jsraelites that were vnbeléeuing disobedient and â—utiners that as Dauid saith they could not enter into the land of promise because they were vnfaithfull and held no reckoning of gods word and after wards for the same abuses suffered them by the Assirians and Romaines to be ouerthrowen their temple battered and their towne raised which is a punishment of the reprobate ¶ How God some times punisheth a whole people for a secret sinne howe Gouernours ought to enquire therof to the ende miserie happen not to the whole common weale Chapter vj. AS we haue séene in what sort God striketh for sinnes that be manifest so let vs consider whether for the secret offences of some particular meÌ„ he punish not euen a whole Nation In which if Gouernours sée publike scourges or roddes of God vpon a whole kingdom as common sicknes famine warre such like punishments vnderstand no publike offences let theÌ„ searche out the cause the better to prouide and worke reconciliacion as we sée good phisicions sift out the causes of the sicknesses of mans bodye wee spake while eare of the shameful confusion in the battel against the Chananites of whom they were ouerthrowne where they should haue had victorie By which punishmeÌ„t as it was wel showed to Josua that the people had sinned or at least some of them for the which God was iustly angrie so not being able to knowe where the fault was he referred the inquisicion and truth of the matter to lottes by which it was found that Achan was guiltie so when Saule sawe that god would not auswer in any common maner to the which was asked of him touching the successe of the warr against the Philistines he knewe God was angrie for which cause laying Lottes vpon all the families hée so examined it from linage to linage that at last the lot fel vpon Jonathaâ— who was found guiltie of the diuine indignation We read that in the common famine of Israell in the tyme of Dauid when none knewe that the common trespasse of the people had deserued it Dauid demaunding answer of god by the priest was told that there was no other cause of the famine then the wrong that Saule had done to the Gabonites to whom Josua and the princes had sworne that thei should haue no harme And therfore as there must be iustice done for the trespasse so the Gabonites required vii children or successors of Saule to be put vpon a gibbet after which execution plentie and aboundance of al things renued ouer al the land By which example be it spoken by the waye appeareth how God for the trespas of one in particulare punisheth a whole communaltie not immediatly after the fact but with long expectation as euen in the tyme of Saule Samuel by the commaundement of God gaue charge to Saule to go sacke the countreys of the Amalachites and to passe by the edge of the sword womeÌ„ children and beastes without dispense or grace giuinge a reason of that extréeme iustice for that those people had done many oppressions to Israel resisted them in their voyage out of Egipt into Chanan being more then fiue hundreth yeres betwene the offence and the reuenge oftentymes god takes a great leasure to punish sinnes aswell to show his patience as to declare his bouÌ„tie exspecting the repentance of people and yet as it is most true that there is no sinne which either early or late is not suer of his punishment if the author do not iustice on him self So withall by these textes and examples it is easy to vnderstand that God neuer sendes affliction to a whole nation but for sinne which when it appeareth brings with it sufficient coniecture and iudgemeÌ„t that for some trespasse god is prouoked to punish them which we sée not alwaies happen to one in particular for often times he endureth either to kepe him from offending as S. Paule confesseth of him self who suffred a great affliction in trouble of mind persecution torment of sathan to the end he presumed not for his reuelacions or else for proofe of his patience with the auncieÌ„t fathers and specially Iob or lastly for the manifesting of his glorie in the deliuerance But here is no question of sinne to be the cause of such euill and therefore because gouernours mai aske how they may know that secret sinne is the cause of a calamitie séeing that neyther the lot is now in vse nor we haue not reuelacions by oracles or prophecies I sai that albeit the secret cause of a common affliction can not be known yet by sermons there ought to be indeuor to stir vp euery one to thinke and enter into him selfe declaring that right wretched were he for whose cause so many people shold endure as it happeneth oftentimes wheÌ„ a prince transgresseth because the fault is publike as was the of Dauid who also required to be only afflicted not the people that had not sinned at the least so horribly neither is it to be doubted but as God promised Abraham to preserue Sodome if he found but ten good men so also if ten come to God in praier wholly conuerted into continuall fastes almes penances but specially priests as did they of the time of Joell it is no doubt but they shal be heard Touching lots I hold it not méete that they be vsed in thinges vaine but in matters serious on the which the honour of God depends such as cannot be decided by certaine iudgement as we find the Apostles did in the election of S. Mathie which notwithstanding was not done without inuocation of the name of God prayer wherein there is no doubt but god will direct the lot according to his will as is witnessed in the text of Salomon the lots sayth he are put in the bosome of some and are teÌ„pred or gouerned of God And so to returne to the matter of the euils
seing they misknowe and offend their creator no more should they enioy it longe if the nomber of Gods elect and his faithfull seruants were accomplished for then would he reuerse the world to the which he giues not this continuance but for their sakes And therfore wicked men ought to honor the good sort by whome they are and prosper in the world as with out them they had ben ere this caried into the déepest botoms But much lesse that those pore blind men can sée the estat of their proper errors seing they haue not the facultie of consideration of thinges necessarie for they haue neyther eyes of fayth nor light of scriptures to deserne that which concernes the health or perdicion of men Touching factions and warrs of one Christian realme against an other there can not happen to the world a more great malediction no ther are no actions of men where with the maiestie of God is more offended wherin such as vnder the pretence of any profite giue councells and be as it were the bellowes to blowe the brondes of such murders cannot but stand guiltie and worthy of a thousand hels in respect of the infinit offences committed against God by breaking the league of Christian fraternitie and indissoluble aliance of amitie wherin Iesus christ hath knit vs together in more strong charitie then naturall brethern one with an other who if they raise contention one against an other what will their Father saye if they strike one an other what cause of indignation against them but if they kill one an other what great displeasur to him it is holden by the scripture the Adam remained a hundreth yeares frō knowing his wife Eue for the sorow which he had of the murder of his sonne Cayn against his brother Abell if such as sowe discord amongst brethern be aboue other most displeasing and abhominable to god what reputacion to those brothers entertayning ciuill debate amongest them selues who in nothing more can incurre so great abhomination afore god if such as only hate their brethren be murderours can not haue eternall life in what daunger of iudgement stand they who not onely hate but oppresse persecute and kill if simplie to bée angrie against reason and of a wicked hart deserueth condemnacion if to offer half an iniurie bringes merit of punishment and if for calling our brother foole we stand in daunger of hell fyer what infliction of punishmēt ought to be prepared for brethern maintayning controuersie by hate enforcing actes of mutuall hostilitie and with great cōtempt of nature cut one anothers throate if God refuseth the prayers or sacrifices of such as present them afore his aulter bearing enimitie against any and not performed reconcilement how can such as slaughter one another so directly against the will and commaundement of the Lord offer eyther prayers or other acts helping to their saluation yea if they purge not their grudge by recōciliation their praiers can not be drawn vp to heauen Let therefore these reasons with others of no lesse consideracion be drawne into déepe coūcell afore warre be taken in hand let all meanes of peace be searched and if there bee malice séeke after attonement yea let not the sunne goe downe vppon your anger saith S Paule if there be question for a towne fortresse or countrey let wise Princes Presidents and Councellours accorde the difference For if warre bée once begonne perill appeares on euery syde and as the euent is vncertaine so the charge of thrée monthes pay for an armie will ryse to more then the profit that comes by it in many yeares besides to a place being gotten with great cost belonges no lesse care to kéepe it and therefore no small grief when it is eftsoones recouered not reckoning the spoyles robberies murders violation of wiues mayds and widowes with other infinit euils incident by the fury of warre for the which what satisfaction can be acceptable afore God wo be to those seducers who for any temporal benefit sturre vp Christiā Princes to lenie warre one against another to the great dishonour of Christian Religion oftentimes their proper ruine by this it hapneth that as Kinges Christian Princes haue ben in diuision the furious tyger of Christendome obseruing his oprtunitie hath entred into our common weale of Europe and made much of it subiect to his tirannie against whom all nations Kings of the faith ought to conspire in one cōmon force and chase him out of the parke of Iesus Christ which he hath already inuaded with violent slaughter of the séely sheepe of our almightie Lord yea they ought also to keepe warre against the Wolues Foxes wandring throughout the world to deuower the residue of this poore flocke I meane heritikes authors of these new reprobat sects against whom the Princes of Christian nations ought to fight no lesse valiantly then did the Jewes against the Philistines Amalachites other Idolaters Christians ought not to commence sute one against an other least by pleading in processes there arise hate or malice And to the man of GOD better were it to suffer the losse of worldly goods then to vex the quiet tranquillitie of his spirit to lose the exercise of his godly vocation to put him selfe in hazerd of Idolatrie to corrupt Iudges for the gaining of his cause to take occasiō to beare euil wil to his aduersary to forge deceites delayes lies lastly to be constrained for his iustification to discouer the vices of the witnesses suborned against him All which perplexities ioyned to abuses damnable ought to warne arme al Christiās not to attēpt proces for light causes but rather to search all meanes of concord as Iesus Christ commaunds vs And in cases where men are cōpelled to prosecute pleading as S. Paule was to defend him selfe against the false accusations of the Jewes let them beware they beare no malice to the partie whom we are bound to loue according to the aduertisement exāmple of Christ as also whē a Prince raiseth warre against a tirant he ought not to bear hate to his person but pursue him to iustice with compassion Let Princes al other popular states obserue the rules of charitie in whom since God is delited to make his perpetual residence there is no doubt but if she be the guide to our worldly actions we shall bring forth in our cōmon cōuersatiō such true effects of Christianitie that neyther ambiciō malice nor preheminence of place or authoritie shal carie vs into actes of opression against our neyghbour nor yet the consideration of small wronges offered to our selues by others moue vs to take to blame those thinges which by the office of our religiō we ar bound to couer or at least not to enter into violent recompence but to leaue the reueng to God to whom it belongeth Let thefore publike preachers and pastors of the holy word exhorte the worlde on all sides to reconcilement
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
soule which without such medicine standes in danger of eternal death his vlcere is so perilous that if there bée not applied to him a sharpe correction and that to pearse euen to the Boanes for the purging of all putrefaction of his manners it wil remayne incurable Is it then a good zeale in the Ciuill Father to leaue to perdicion his poore perplexed Childe whose cure can not come but by these remedies so that by howe muche it is most certaine according to Dauid and the booke of wisedome that there can not bée founde a medicine more wholsome and effectual to purge the sinnes of the soule then the Doctrine of God by so much is it a dutye necessary and commendable in the Magistrate to vse compulsion by paines and punishment for the hearing of Gods woorde the same being declared to vs in the meaning of the Parrable whiche Iesus Christe put foorthe of the Father of a housholde who commaundes his Seruauntes to goo foorth and constraine to come to the Banket generall whiche hée had made readye all suche as they founde in the Stréetes in the Wayes Hedges and in the Bushes What other thing is this Banket but a preparation of all spiritual meates contained in the Scripture and set vppon the Table which is propounded by familiar explication in the Churche for the norriture of our Soules with al inward delites wherein as the ministers of this great Father of housholde bée his Apostles and Disciples whiche are the Bishopps and Curates to teache and instruct the people and sommon them as it were by theyr Sermons to receiue the Graces whiche are presented to them by Iesus Christ so it appertaines also to the Ciuill Magistrate to constraine the negligent and idle people by the Stréetes and others lurking in Hedges and Bushes or hid in Tauernes or Tabling houses sporting in dissolute Gluttonye whilest this Heauenlye Banket is made readye in the Churche where is concorse of good men to refreshe them selues with it this pollicy bringes foorth these thrée speciall benefites The first is the healthfull instruction of the Soule by the hearing of the word of God which can not bée preached in any place without some fruite according to the similitude of the Raine which falles not in vaine vpon the Earth No more sayeth God shal my word returne to mée againe without profiting of some For such as are foreordained to the eternall life by hearing the woorde are in the ende conuerted how lewde and wicked so euer they bée For this cause it is called the worde of health and euerlasting life as being the instrumental cause or meane by the which God hath ordained that wée shal be instructed in Faith conuerted to him and bée saued and knowing by it his will wée are sturred vp to embrase and accomplishe it The second is that there is no man what vice iniquity so euer he hath professed in his life who although in respect of his reprobat obstinacy wil not be cōuerted altogether yet either by force of this word or for feare of the iudgements of God or for shame of men séeing others reformed of theyr faultes will not at least withdrawe him selfe from the multitude of sinnes as dyd Herode who albeit was so reprobate as the Scripture witnesseth yet by the exhortacion of Saint Iohn and the Doctrine which hée preached hée both did much good and was corrected of many vices euen in like maner the infamies and dissolutions daylye committed but chiefelye on the Holye dayes may by litle and litle bée brought to reformation and ceasse in the ende altogeather eyther by the one or other profite of hearing the woord of God. The thirde fruite depending of the two others with equall and necessarye coniunction is the vnitie of all sortes of people assembled at the Sermon instructed by one selfe teacher in Faith the Lawe Religion in one Doctrine iudgement and one consent of wil and opinion Enemyes shal be reconciled by this woorde whiche propoundes nothing but charitie Loue and vnitie The aduersaryes of the Faith and Schismatikes shal be made one with the Catholikes by the continuaunce of hearing this Doctrine which reprooueth schismes abhorreth Heresies and condemnes them to perpetuall curse So that all people assembled togeather euery Holydaye specially to heare Gods worde in the Sermon can not but bée nourished entertayned and preserued by this continuall conuersation in Preaching places and by this vnion of Doctrine in true Loue and mutuall Charitye to the rooting vp of all inimities and grudges ¶ The wyse worldelinges nowe a daies would not willinglye haue Sermons as also certaine Pastours desire nothing lesse then to preache laying the blame of the miserye of this time vppon sermons but such people are ouerthrowen by the worde of God and by this reason that to all sortes of people Preaching is necessary The .6 Chap. THere be many men too deepelie drowned in worldly wisedome who resist my counsel affirming that it is inough to the simple and popular sort to vnderstande the Paternoster the Creede and the commandements and yet oftentimes they make no mencion of the commaundements of God séeing that few learne them and fewer obserue and accomplishe them They say that since Sermons were so ryfe in the world and that men were so familiar with the Gospell and the Bible there hath béene nothing but varyetye of Heresie Suche people are angrye belike for that eyther they knowe nothing and yet ought to bée wise touching the wel directing of their estate or else bée fleshelye wise whose propertye is to desyre no Sermons because they woulde geue nothing to the Preacher but by force and lesse to the Poore but for shame their custome is alwayes to take and returne nothing but for their owne norriture yea there bée some of them so enuious of the aduauncement of theyr knowledge of God in the world that they gréeue that the people shoulde come to vnderstande any thing touching the matter of theyr saluation But it is with them as hapned to Balaam whose Asse reprooued him of his ignoraunce and faulte which ought gently to haue guided her and when he neither could or would doo it God made her teache him and gaue her power to speake against her nature correcting and reprouing her Pastor of whome shée should haue béene well taught and instructed Such people me thinke haue no reason to laye the euent of heresie to Sermons and much lesse to the declaration of the holye Scriptures yea it is a spice of blasphemie to thinke it onely because that that worde of God hath power to illuminate the poore darke and and ignoraunt spirites and geues intelligence of God and of saluation to the litle and simple ones to whom coulde not be geuen suche wholesome and necessarie knowledge but by this holy and heauenlye doctrine by the which all vice is eschewed and purged as a disease by the medicine all error eschewed and corrected as the light hath power
Sodom and Gomorre to see if the desolution of the people aunswered the horrible brute that went of them his wordes were I will discend and see if it be so Hée that knoweth whatsoeuer is done euen in the déepest bottomes and from whome no secréete can bée hid declares by this familiar manner and phrase of Speache applyed to our infirmitye that it belonges to Iudges afore they enter into sentence or pronounce against such as are accused to bée assured of the trueth of the fact least by theyr lightnes or soure passion they committe errour in iudgement In the lawe when the affaires stoode vpon any harde or obscure doubte this was the custome to referre it to the iudgement of God as in the punishment of the blasphemour and what right daughters had to the goods of theyr Fathers in whiche cases there was no resolution set downe in the Law the same seruing as matter of aduertisement to examine exactlye such controuersies and harde causes as the lawes haue no habilitye to decide beséeching God according to the aduise of the scripture so to lighten their inward reason that they may bring forth true and perfect Iudgement But when Iudges will not beginne by this aduertisement nor conforme them selues to this iustice of God his iudgements let them looke for that terrible seuerytie which hee hath thundered vpon those Iudges countries where he found negligence in punishment to those sortes of crimes Hely the great gouernour and Iudge of Israel because hée did not iustice vppon his children brake his necke his children were kylled and all the countrey brought to desolacion The sonnes of Samuel were deposed because they tooke presentes Saul was reprooued for geuing grace to such as hée ought to haue punished after whose death famine came ouer all the land of Palestin for that hée gaue wicked iudgementes in the landes of the Gabaonites whom hée afflicted and made certaine of them passe by vniust death to satisfye which iniquity Seuen of the race of Saule were hanged vpon Gibbertes The Captiuitie of the Israelites and ruine of Ierusalem of the Temple and their Townes happened for the transgression of the Priestes and Kinges done in Iustice corrupting it by presents condemning the iust and iustifying the wicked for Bribes Whereof Esay speaketh thy Princes that is thy gouernours as well in Pollecye Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill are vnfaithfull and haue forsworne them selues yea euen they that haue taken othe to doo good Iustice and haue not obserued it but are become companions of Robbers and haue share in their praye They all loue Bribes and folowe recompenses because they haue done pleasure in iudgement to the ritche But euen those as they were the chiefe in honour and superioritye so also were they first taken Captiues murdered their houses and goodes suffered spoile and they more then others defaced with ignominie contempt and all sortes of wretchednes These bée the miseryes whiche happen to wicked Iudges and theyr Children and for theyr abuses to Tounes Countreyes and Kingdomes So that with good cause I maye recommende as a laste aduertisement to al Iudges to remember the saying of Dauid in this sorte God assistes the assembly of the Gods who are the Iudges and gouernours of his people vnder whome they exercise the iudgement which is proper to God the true and eternall Iudge and therefore are they as partakers of a deuine aucthoritye by enterteining ruling his people by that iustice and souerainty So that as God is in the Courtes of his Iudges and in the middest of them so hée iudgeth them whereby is meant that hée condemneth them if they iudge not according to God. Dauid also pursues them crying in this sort How long O ye peruerse Iudges wil you Iudge so wickedly wyll you not acknowledge your selues in your false iudgementes wyll you alwayes haue regarde to the faces of offendours geuing them support and absolution of their wickednes and liberty to sinne with impunity deliuer the poore man Orphane and iustifie the simple and néedye suffer no wrong to bée done to such as haue no maintenance in the world are without fauourers in courtes Take the poore and néedy out of the hand of the transgressor But what much lesse that these worldlie lordings haue cōmunity with this great pitie seeing as Dauid sayeth they neuer knewe nor vnderstoode what they were bound to doo according to God so greatlye were they inuironed with wretched darkenes and whollye possessed with ignorance of God and his lawes whereby it happeneth that the foundation of the earth shal be moued whiche is that by that occasion exceding great euilles and intollerable aduersityes shall fall vppon the nations of the earth Therfore where I sayd you were gods so greatlye honoured of God by the state which hée geues you representing him in case of iudgemēt I forgat not your infidelity meaning that you shal fal into no lesse miserye wretchednes then any of the auncient wicked Iudges to whose iniquitye was apointed a miserable conclusiō of their vnhappy daies Wherin Dauid considering the lamentable infelicities ouerwhelming the world for the false corrupt iudgemēt of Iudges cries out to God saying Raise thy selfe O Lord God and Iudge the Earth condemne the abuses and faultes of suche people as haue corrupted the earth with impietye by their vnrighteous Iudgementes so shalt thou raigne ouer all nations and bée honoured as a true and iust Lorde and Iudge of the earth doing iustice vpon so many iniquities By this psalme Iudges are instructed to iudge well as well for the reuerence of the great Lord sitting in the middest of them in theyr Iudgements to approue them if they bée righteous and reproue them yea dissolue them if they hold of iniquity condemning the persons to horrible misteries yea euen to shake the foundations of the maine earth so gréeuous to God is a false and vnrighteous Iudge as of the con-contrary hee delites in him who according to conscience acquites his charge duty as also for that they haue the honour estate reuerence of Iudges to distribute right to euery one remembring that lord in their iudgement who hath this perpetuall property to iudge without affection they ought also to haue such exquisite knowledge with exact iudgemēt of reason that according to cōmon naturall sence they iudge to estéeme it a horrible sinne to iudge against their conscience séeing that as infinite Pagans with this iudgement of reason haue established their perpetual glory for the true deciding of causes so the errour of our Iudges being layde vp in the memory of God wil bring them to receyue sētence afore his seate of iudgement to their assured confusion And so let all Iudges knowe that if by their sinister sentences any one is depriued of his goodes honour or life by whiche it can not bée chosen but many calamities wyll happen euen so many eternal damnations do they deserue with no lesse horrible paines
satisfied with exact and actuall punishment where to theyr proper iniuries or wronges done priuatelye against them selues their humilitye ouercame the moode of reuenge and they felt no inclination to furious indignitie But God being iniuried they helde them vnworthy seruaunts officers if they gaue not iustice to his wronges wherein they thought their life a swéete sacrifice being offred to death in his behalfe For this cause Moyses séeing the Idolatrye of the people after the Calfe made a maruailous Butcherye If hée knewe any blasphemer to bee in his Campe who was more readye to drawe him into iudgement yea he that had prophaned the Sabboth in fetching onely certayne wood to make a fire did not Moises forthwith cause him to be stoned But when Mary his sister and Aaron his Brother murmured against him despiting him with iniuries was hée not patient did hee not praye to God to pardon them What miserye happened to Ophine and Phineas for prophaning the sacrifices of God and to theyr father as hath béene sayde because hée did not iustice what slaughter did God to the blasphemye which Sennacherib by his Herraldes of Armes pronounced against him in the presence of Ezechias Did not God by his Aungell ouerthrow of them in one night a hundreth foure score and fiue thousand was not also Benadab because he sayed the God of Israel was a God of mountaines and not of valleyes ouerthrowen togeather with all the Kinges which hée led with him and fel into the hands of Achab Elias put to the edge of the sworde foure hundred false Prophetes of Baal so muche reuerenced in Israell and honoured of the Quéene Iezabel Surelye God so abhorreth the sinnes committed against the first table for so they are committed directlye against him that Hely iudged them irremysible saying If one man sinne against another God maye bée appeased But if the sinne stretche to the offence of God so farre forth as it concerneth his maiestie honour and holye ordinaunce what is hée that will praye to God for him as if hée should saye it is a sinne so greate that wée must confesse that if God will pardon it hée must vse a singular mercye muche lesse then is there power in men to pardon such crimes committed against the deuine maiestie Certaine holde opinion that the crimes against humane maiestie cannot haue remission of the Kinges against whome they are cōmitted as wel for that they bring intent of malice as for that they are done against him whom they represent in earth which is the liuing God and also against a whole nation or people whose heades they are Wée sée when the head is hurt all the members haue interest in the gréefe with him and demaunde altogeather reuenge against him that hath offended them neyther can the head heale the rest if first hée haue not full cure of his owne gréefe Howe is it then that crimes done against God should lightlye bée pardoned of men it was not without cause that in the first Churche hée that was guiltie in any such disordered Crime notwithstanding his penaunce of fiftye yéeres if hée liued so long after his sinne yet was hée not receyued into the holy Communion vntill the ende of his dayes which yet was holden an acte of great grace to the offendour whiche as I wishe might warne the gouernours of our pollecye not to suffer God to bée vnreuerentlye offended with such damnable crimes So for suche as haue prophaned holye places pilled and abused the sacred vesselles and yet thinke to eschewe the terrible iudgement of God let them resorte to the testimony of those miseries which happened to Balthasar Antiochus and Heliodorus ¶ Sinnes committed against the seconde table are worthy of death euen so deserue they eternall damnation Yet must vvee vnderstand vvhen they are done vvillingly and more vvhen they are done by pride and malice and the more that the obiect is noble and excellent so much are they more greeuous The .7 Chapter HAuing declared that in a common weale the transgressions of the commaundements of the first table deserue pains irremisible it is méete wée shewe wherin and how farre ought to stretche the punishmentes for the transgressors of the preceptes ordeined for instruction of due and honest conuersation of life in societye tranquilitye and mutuall loue to our neighbors Those commaundementes are seuen in number and written by Moyses in the second table which God gaue him with the other béeing both two of stone for the better obseruation of them and theyr perpetuall memory Like as also in the due kéeping of those statutes was eternall life comprehending faith in Iesus Christ and in transgressing them was condemnation to euerlasting death Séeing then that transgressours stande in suche estate of condemnacion by God in his iudgementes let it bée a rule to leade the magistrates pollitike to the conformetye of that iustice the rather for that they are as hath béene sayde before called in the scripture the commissionours of God to exercise his iudgements By the first commaundement of this table wée are bidden to honor our father and mother and so haue long life on earth And as this honor consistes not onely in reuerence but in loue feare obedience seruice office of nature so in the persons of Fathers mothers this precept is exhibited also to al Lordes Ladyes vniuersal Magistrates Pastours Doctours Maisters and al olde people yea al superiours being as publike and polletike fathers the one ouer the body and goodes the other ouer the soules If suche as onelye disobeye and vse conuersacion of rebellion speaking euill of theyr Fathers and Mothers are without remission condemned of God to bée stoned What punishment deserue others who pleade against them abandon them strike them suffer them to dye for hunger or laye violent handes vpon them And if there bée any dutye of reuerence to the Fathers of the bodye by greater reason doeth there belong a more higher estate of power to the Spirituall Parentes such as dispose norriture to the soules amongst whome as suche as are fierce and disobedient are subiecte to present punishment So euen they are within the power of the same sentence whiche gainesaye Magistrates being the Fathers of the common weale In this vice togeather with all others the causes and mouers of the same ought to bée punished as a proude hearte a hautye Spirite a malicious wyll and natures enclyning to arrogancye furye and disobedience Heare let Fathers also bée warned not to prouoke theyr children to wrath and by theyr straitenesse dryue them into contempt Touching the Seconde forbidding murder euen from the Lawe of nature GOD hath ordayned that not onelye man but euen the Beast that takes away the lyfe of a man shoulde suffer death wherein God him selfe séeming to geue the reason why hée dyd institute that payne sayeth That man being made to the Image of him selfe what other thing coulde it bée to kyll man then to rent the Image of
wickedlye employed where woulde not bée séene the hundreth part of such prouidence if there were question to releeue the extreeme necessitye of the poore How many yong men returne from thence enflamed to whoredome howe many Maides cōming thither with chast hearts are séene to returne with corrupt wil euen ready to put it to effect if the occasiō offered what man hath béen euer so much profited by them who in his conscience returned not in worse estate then when hée went To be short how often is the Maiestie of God offended in those twoo or thrée howres that those Playes endure both by wicked wordes and blasphemye impudent Iestures doubtfull sclaunders vnchaste songes and also by corruption of the willes of the Players and the assistauntes Let no man obiect heare that by these publike Plaies many forbeare to doo euill for feare to bee publikely reprehēded for whiche cause it is sayde they were tollerated in Rome where euen the Emperours were touched though they were there in presence For it maye bée aunswered first that in such disguised Plaiers geuen ouer to all sortes of dissolucion is not found a wil to do good séeing they care for nothing lesse then vertue Secondlye that is not the meane to correct sinne for that if it be secréete it ought not to bee reuealed but reformed by suche meanes as Iesus Christ alloweth in his Gospell and if it be publike why is it not punished by the Magistrate why doth not the Bishop rebuke it publikely and excommunicate the partye if hee protest not open penaunce wherein in defaulte of the Bishoppe or if the offence bée Ciuill the officers of the Prince ought to pursue the correction being for suche purposes speciallye instituted where suche as are reprooued vpon the Stage much lesse that they are made better but of the contrarye with theyr custome and styll continuaunce in vices they ryse into perpetual grudge against the aucthors of theyr sclaunders ceassing not to followe vice for al theyr crying vpon the scaffolde no more then the Wolues leaue to rauishe the Shéepe notwithstanding the hewe and crye of the shéepheard If they haue habilitye to bée reuenged they will omitte no oportunitye wherein occasion maye bée geuen Yea sometimes they ioyne them selues to the report of the Players vaunting with shameles impudencye that they would al others to bee as they are which is truely witnessed in the examples of Nero Domitian Heliogobalus and others who by so much more increased in wickednes by how much they vnderstoode theyr vices were spoken of séeking to geue to theyr vices the estimation of great vertues they raised to great dignityes such as would follow and applaude theyr euil doinges But according to Christianity we ought not to scoffe at the vices of another but to shewe compassion praye to God for him that erreth applying correction by such meanes as wée may which if it bring forth no fruite to his amendment at the least let vs with Samuel weepe for the vices of Saul and pray to God for pardon for him Charitye sayth the Scripture couereth faultes neither reuealeth nor reioyseth in them no more then the natural amitie of the humane bodye suffreth that one member put out to publike showe an apostume which is in any part of the rest of the body if it bée already in the outward parts shée couereth it by such meanes as shée can that it appeare not ignominiouslye If Libels of diffamation bée punished with rigorous paine why should publike sclanders on scaffoldes escape the sentence where euery eare is open frée liberty of iudgement Heare I reprooue not the Plaies of scollers in actions of comedies tragedies cōmon and Christian wherein is exercise of morral doctrines much lesse of the historye of the Bible exhibited for good instructions exhortacions to vertue and by the which they are prepared to a boldnes of speache in all honorable assemblies enhabling their tongues to readye and wel disposed eloquence Such plaies are farre from merit of blame specially if they hold no comixture with the superstitions of the Gentiles nor othes by the Gods Goddesses which oftē times is performed in the name of Iupiter pertake nothing with the lasciuious iestures mirth of the Pagans More praise worthy are the Plaies of scollers if in theyr declamations they ascribe rebuke to vice geue praise to vertue contending alwaies in the cōtrouersy of learning as by disputacion compositiō I speake not heare perticularly of the Players commonly called Legerdemeners and Sticke List for that I haue comprehēded them amongst the Iuglers But if they vse the art Magick Diabolical as many do illuding the sence whilest they play aswel they as their assistaunts deserue correction as Infidels because they take pleasure in that which comes from the inuentiō and art of Satan Let them remember that S. Paul in Corinth burned the bookes of such as had written of things curious vaine and tending to actes of Pastime who if he made great flames of fire of their Magicke bookes where the Deuil is presēt to do maruailous actes what is to be ascribed to such nowe a dayes by whom they are put in vse and practised to the furtherāce of hurtful purposes And as he called the Magicien barn an enemy of iustice vessel of deceit sonne of the Deuil So by his example let our polletike Magistrates roote vp such cōmon enemies least the licour of theyr vessel being confected by Satan ronne thorowe their Citie to the poyson of theyr simple communaltie ⧠Idlenes is a vice most common bringing with it most other offences and yet no conscience made of it An ausvvere to suche as saye they haue inoughe and haue no neede to trauaile A declaration to the Magistrates and Churchmen shovving hovve aboue all others they ought to bee more vigilaunt and painefull in their vocations ⧠The .8 Chapter ONE of the most common vices from whom most other euils errors are deriued is idlenes a vice general folowing Plaies Pastimes riotes and vnprofitable ease of which as the most sort make small conscience so with some it séemes no vice at al as being so popular and plausible that many trauaile to settle theyr estate and laye vp theyr life in that ease or rather perpetuall Idlenes ascribing happines to those that can enioy it to their delite and pleasure That it is a great vice it is certaine by the text of Ezechiel who calles it iniquity the cause properly of the ruine of Sodom and Gomorre scourge of the Israelites It is iniquitye because it is against the Lawe deuine ordinaunce by the which it is sayde to man Thou shalt eate thy bread with the sweate of thy browes As who saye so muche shalt thou trauaile al the daies of thy life in the labours of thy profession or arte that thou shalt take in hand as thou shalt sweate to gaine thy liuing wherein as by this law al
might haue risen to great personages aswell for ornament as to gouerne churches and common weales euen as out of the horse of Troye issued great Lordes in the middest of the Citie to the glorious victorie of the Greekes ¶ What Principall and Regents ought to be called to institute a Colledge it is requisite they be learned of good life instructions who they ought to be by many comparisons Chapter ij HAuing thus prouided for the building and reuenues of a Colledge the next care is to furnishe it with a Principall and Regents of exquisit doctrine and maners irreprehensible to whom young men may and ought to conforme themselues in all things whither it be in spéech iesture life or any conuersation not suffering to be founde in them any vice no more then ought to be any stayne in a cleare looking glasse for they bée mirroures of youth wherein we behold our selues to the end to wipe away such spottes as be vpon our face if it be so as we said before that such as is the gouernour of a Citie such are the Citizens although iudgement reason ioyned with the exercise of humane affaires giues them an vnderstanding to discerne what is good and hurtfull for them what expectation or hope of fashion is there in young children who as apes counterfeting naturally all that they see done expresse as neare as they can the manners resemblance of their Master The same was the cause that that great and excellent Poet Homer in his philosophicall poesie fayned that Achillos so eloquent and excellent in déedes of armes had with him alwayes his Master Phoenix the leader of all good Masters who instructed him in the partes of well speaking and was to him alwayes as an example of noble actes from Pithagoras Archyras Socrates and Plato are deriued great Philosophers and very vertuous Disciples as good followers of their wise and vertuous Masters euen as from pure fountaines flow riuers like to them in cleare fairenesse But of the contrary when schollers shall sée in their Masters both ignorance error and all sortes of vice hauing neither counsell to consider the faults of their teachers nor subiect to correction of any other may it not be sayed by them as in a Greeke prouerbe was layed against a sophister hauing Disciples like to him selfe that of a wicked Crow comes a worse egge meaning that by an euill Master whither it be in doctrine or life is formed a Disciple like to him For that cause Saint John and Jesus Christ called séedes of Vipers suche as were enuenemed with false discipline of a wicked toung suttle ipocrisie and inward mallice of the Pharesies and other Masters corrupted in such vices wee read that the mightie Alexander obseruing his Master Leonides giuen to drunkennes became so intēperat in drinking that he did many infamous acts yea not sparing to kill a deare friend of his and one of his chiefest Philosophers It is a thing most consenting to the nature of a childe to imitate vices expressed before him in demonstracion most easie to corrupt him by wicked example whose nature of it selfe is full of corruption draweth him by kind to vices without the aide of outward doctrine euen as it is easie to one issued of a race infected with leprosie or other corruption of nature to fall eftsones into that disease being naturall and contagious specially if he haue familiar conuersation or gouernement with such as are infected is it not easie to make him to fall that is weake and not able to stand vpright But he that of himselfe seekes nothing but to poore vppon the earth it is hard to make him clyme into high places Euen so the thoughtes and mindes of man being from their infancie inclined to do euill solleine negligent and slow to well doing of themselues will hardly pretend or aspire to clime the high hill of vertue nor the Muses coassembling in their stately Helicon Parnassus mountains signifying the raised hart and industrie we ought to haue to come to the type of true erudicion if they be not led as it were drawne by the hand with often exhortation take corgae by such as follow the right hard and straite waye of vertue science which is scuh as are their vertuous and skilfull Masters of long time exercised in their owne profession The auncients in times past for the many benefites growing to common weales by the industrie of learned and vertuous instructers compared them to good Dyers giuing a good and faire teynt or die to cloth of it selfe vile and vnpolished which afterward in respect of his excellent cooller becomes seruiceable and vsuall to Princes Kynges and Emperours some of them resemble them with learned Painters who vppon their tables draw so faire pictures that ther is not so great a Lorde who takes not pleasure to beholde them And some compare them to excellent caruers of Images who vndertaking to worke purtreytes out of rude and vnpolished stones smooth them first and cut them afterwards by such Art and cunning raysing so liuely and naturall formes that to make them naturall bodies there seames to want nothing but life and spéech and so by their excellent skill in those Images they take away quite the first nature of the stone out of the which they were hewed euen so do wise learned and vertuous Masters with the wittes of their Disciples giuing them doctrines and vertues most excellent pictures liuely coollers and goodly ornaments of the soule Who by those things declares a beautie wonderfull excellencie altogither deuine by the which it hath affinitie with God and is honored of all men aboue all other taking charge to institute youth the Principall ought most to excell who as he is in the first degrée of honour and authoritie ouer the Regents and schoolemasters so it belonges to him to surmount them in wisedome erudicion and good life And being assured of the vertue and doctrine he must also be hable to iudge of the discreation of the Regents and giue thē place honorable and allowance equall to their merits furnishing alwayes the fourmes when it is requisite as if the chiefe Regents faile to supplie their default to auoyde disorder and in any wise not to suffer their youth to loose their deare time which cannot but be to them all a charge of conscience Lastly they must examine the schollers of high fourmes determining fourmes according to their aduauncement otherwise they are negligent in their estate cōtemptible and expresse not the reuerēce and obedience which iustly apertaine to the Principall and therefore let no Colledge be gouerned either by a proud or ignorant man. ¶ A continuance of the discourse of Colledges by other comparisons Chapter iij. SVch good instructours teachers and scholemaistsrs to youth maye also by the doctrine of the auncients bée layed in comparison with Fathers Phisicions labourers gardeners shepheardes potters goldsmithes who according to their actions in the artes wherein they deale
himselfe looking out of a grated window for not being séene and causing to be layd in the place instrumentes or tooles of craftes men bookes knyues swordes and such like things to obserue whereunto they were most addicted he iudged by this in what arte he was to instruct them if by long studie and his paines they changed not according to the desire of their parentes that connaturall inclination he aduised their friends to dispose them to such arte as their nature inclined them as to the warres to marchaundise or otherwayes saying which I doe well appoue that there is but one thinge to be chaunged a corrupt nature and wicked inclination for touching the naturall vocation it is necessarie séeing it is of God to follow it without contradiction onles we would séeme to resiste God because that as euery member of the naturall bodye hath his proper office so God hath giuen to euery man as to the member of his politike and mysticall body a certain instruction or rather inspiration to followe some peculiar estate or arte aboue others which S. Paule calles vocation wherin we must walke the better to expresse our obedience to God. ¶ Instructions to know by the way of contrary oppositions by the comparisons of the other Chapters the miseries which happen to the world by reason of leude schole Masters Chapter v. LEt vs now handle more at large the incommodities and euils hapning by the fault of Maisters ignoraunt negligent fayling in their charge for hitherto we haue touched them but briefely And for aduertisement to fathers and parents to prouide wise Masters for the institution of their children Let vs also looke into the miseries that happen for not hauing good doctrine in their youth Wherein not swaruing from the comparisons aforesayed in fauour of good Masters but by Antithesis or contrary opposition applying them to expresse our purpose further we say that where ignorant or negligent Dyers in place to giue good and faire die do either raise an euil cooller or ill applie that which is good and burne the cloth in not ministring fier according to time and measure What remedie to correct this desperate losse the cooller can not easely be chaunged and the cloth is either lost or at the least so defaced that he wil be no more brought to the price and value hoped for euen so when Masters vndertaking to imprint sprituall impressiōs in childrē haue taught them that which is euill and in place to leade their youth in good instructions infect them with naughtie principles either teaching that which is wicked or interpreting the good by corrupt and false exposition as not vnderstanding the pretended sence of the author or els as vain and barbarous bring it to their owne purpose how is it possible to supplant in young sprits this wicked impressiō which they haue so curiously receiued the table canuase or parchment receiuing any paynting or workemanship of drawing whatsoeuer can not so well be razed that the staine do not appeare to the disliking of the beholder and much lesse can there be bestowed vppon it any other better counterfet or painting which wil not steane corrupt or be defaced by the fier it is not possible to washe so well a pot which hath alwayes holden oyle but he will kéepe some smacke of his first liccour and putting wyne into it it is in perill to change his tast and be corrupted Euen so is it lost labour to men to breake their braines to roote out of the wittes of Children false opinions instilled into them from their youth by teachers of error and much lesse to clense or purge their fancie defiled with vnchast lessons and stayned with dissolute and filthy spéeches yea with actes and examples vile sclaūderous The Scripture teacheth by the figure of the shéepe of Jacob and Laban that they shoulde conceiue Lambes of cooller like to the roddes which Iacob shewed them in the fountaine where they dronke that euen so simple braynes receiuing any impression by Bookes or lectures preferred to them in the first heate of their conceiuing age do not onely reteine and by time expresse in action their first conception but also are hardly drawne from it most specially if it be euil either by perswasion or contrary instruction We read not that any Disciple of the Epicurien sect euer became stoicke notwithstanding all the Philosophers reproued that sect and by infinit reasons proued their opinion most damnable That was the cause why God sayed to the Jewes in Ieremie if the Ethiopian can change his skinne you may also do well séeing you haue learned in the scholes of false Prophets to do euill as if he had sayd you haue bene so much corrupted from your youth by false doctrine of wicked Masters that you can not now dispose your selues to do wel and receiue the holly doctrines which I giue you by my Prophets But now to the other infirmities if the potters be not skilful in their Art wise and carefull to prepare and worke their first matter to fashion proper mowlles and to applie the fier with rate and season shall they raise any pot or vessell to commoditie if it be euill made were he not better to breake it then to aske a new time to repaire it If the Goldsmith faile in his first workmanship notwithstanding he haue gold ready to make some excellent Iewell hee must of necessitie breake all otherwayes he is not to preferre it to the publike iudgemēt of honest men In the same sort if Masters faile by ignorance imprudence negligence or example to prepare and make perfect the sacred vesselles of the holy Ghost the better to receiue his deuine graces gifts yea tomake such faire precious Iuels as they may be presented afore God How can this error or rather infinit fault be reformed afterwardes Salamon according to the truth of the Hebrew is of opinion that that which is depraued cannot without great difficultie be corrupted meaning not without the speciall grace of GOD Let parents beware to giue to their children schole Masters vaine barbarous and dissolute seing without wise instruction and demonstration of good life there is more perill to their children then if they put them into houses of leprosie and vncleanes wyth good reason Philip of Macedonia did not onely reioyce that he had a sonne but thought him happely borne in the time of Aristotle in hope of the doctrine and vertue which he might get vnder the discipline of so wise and skilfull a Master If the laborers faile to till their grounds in season and replenish them with good séeds let them looke to make no plentifull haruest but if they suffer the vermine of the field and ayre to deuower the corne in the blade they shall reape little or no fruite at all If they suffer them to ouergrowe with thornes thistels and wicked wéedes notwithstanding their labour to wéede and purge them yet they leaue to the field that which the field
specially they haue practised their knowledge by some experience which giues them a skill to fight with more wisedom and greater courage This is in effect that I had to saye in exhortacion to young wittes to followe the studie of learning and withal to aunswere such as hold that learning profites not artisans marchantes no nor Gentlemen if specially they follow armes but makes them fearful to followe the hazard and fortune of warre an opiniō sufficiently proued false aswell by reason as by certaine experience of many worldes The ende of the v. Booke The vi Booke ¶ Of the office of euery estate and first of the dutie of the husbond to his wife Chapter j. WE haue nowe to handle the duetie of euery estate with the particulare conuersacion of all sortes of people excepte Magistrates gouernors Phisicions Apoticaries Surgeons principals regentes and Schoole maisters and office of schollers to their maisters of all which we haue debated before and therefore the better to prepare and order our discourse we will beginne with the thrée first societies beginnings of naturall pollicies and naturall foundacions of all common weales that is of the mā and woman in mariage of Fathers and mothers and of children of maisters and seruauntes and of Maistresses and their handmaydes and so pursue successiuely the other qualities and condicions of diuerse personnes Touching the Husband he ought to acknowledge him selfe to be created of God and that with action of thanks man to his image and likenes to the ende to represent him heare in all perfection of vnderstanding of iudgement and of reason And albeit he hath erred I meane in Adam and is falne by sinne from that similitude Image of perfection yet he hath alwayes reteyned by Gods goodnes more then the womā some excellencie of nature touching the minde force and abilitie of body by both which reliefes of his firste creation nature when he vseth them in seasons and exercises hée hath atchieued many right highe and memorable actes So that by how much he hath that aduantage aboue the woman in those naturall vertues by so much more is hée bound to expresse and show them in the gouernement of his wife and housholde And therefore it is méete hée kéepe in societie with his quicke and sharp vnderstanding a déepe iudgement and a reason exempt and frée from all vaine and wicked affections which he shall then performe to his honor and prayse of his kynd and preheminence of nature when he shall most decke and set out his minde with knowledge specially of GOD which is as a light to the minde in all her speculations and humane actions and when hee shal bee garnished with faith and reskued by the ayde of Gods grace presented and communicated to the humble good liuers And so a man taking this course with common and diligent exercise in vertue may marrie in a competent reasonable age which is in some sooner and in others more late according to the importance of their nature and strength At the furthest let him not excéede xxxvi yeres a tyme for marriage prescribed by Hesiode and Aristotle I thinke they spake chiefly of Philosophers and such to whom by the perpetuall exercise of their youth was no oportunitie or leasure to marie nor sooner then at xx yeares if there be no iust causes of anticipation as not to restraine the vigor and naturall faculties of strength and growing which continues cōmonly vntill xxviii yeares by which the life is shortened and children engendred in the weake age of their father are subiect to debility in corporal stature partaking more of dwarffes then of substantial and perfecte men The same is also a lawfull cause to staie maides from hastie marriage specially afore they beare sufficient and iust stature and their naturall forces resolued other wayes they stand in perill of the inconueniences with their husbandes whiche afterwardes can not be remedied I know the positiue lawes aduaunce the time of mariage giuing libertie to the man at xiiii and the mayd at xii yeares not that those lawes approue that prerogatiue or anticipate marriage by commaūdment but onely by permission to prouide for and bridle those intemperat lustes which easely can not bée limited in young men left to idle libertie and without the authoritie of parentes by which occasion without this meane their hoat youth would carrie them into adulteries incestes and rapes with other filthie delites of the fleshe wherein they would wallow as little pigges in puddles This councell I giue by the opinion and consent of naturall philosophie according to the which wise men are wont to gouerne their bodies and kéepe their youth from corruption And in the Scripture we read the yong mē grown to perfect stature as Jsaac and Iacob had xl yeares afore they married a time wherein they were able to enter wedlocke by holy and wyse iudgement not to accomplishe onely the pleasures of the flesh vnworthie for such as know God but of purpose chiefly to raise procreation according to the institutiō of marriage whom they had then discretion to instruct in the knowledge and feare of God wherunto they are enioyned by scripture leauing the other cause whiche is the remedie of infirmitie for suche as vexed with hoat luste stood in daunger to slyde into the corrupte effectes of the fleshe The youth of Jsrael were neuer admitted to mariage till they bare age to be enrolled in the bookes of mustters for the warrs the better to be able to defende their wyfe and children against enemies wherin the fact can not but beare against all reason to committ a wife to a husband in whom is neyther force to defend hir nor discretion to direct hir both which are most necessary in mariage and much lesse being pore him selfe hath no mean by art or abylitie of industrye to prouide for his wife and howshold great suer is the folly in ani man to aspire to mariage afore he haue attained to the vertues requisit to the honorable direction of that estat and by discretion can employe his wealth gotten to vses and be able by law and force if need be to defend him and his against all violent oppressors But much more intolerable is that rashnes that leads men to marie being not yet prepared to entertain and prouide for the necessities of it by this the séede of pouertie is sowen in all parts of a kingdome wherof the haruest is more plētifull then of other things their children haue their succoure in begging their wiues yet young are constrayned with dishonour to wander to the great perill of their chastitie In the mean while till nature establish compotent years let this forward youth be tamed by trauells and continuall labors let them be enured with sermons and doctrine by the which they may restraine their passions but specially on festiuall days a time when idlenes ioyned with libertie invites youth both to do and think euill yea if ther be
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
Augustin let me releeue him whose necessitie is first offred to me drawing by my example rich men to reléeue others In this case the rich man refusing to ayde the poore is a tyrant and vniust possessor of the goods of others for that the superfluitie is a due portion of the poore according in the wordes of Saint Basill The money saith he that thou kéepest in thy coffers the apparel not seruing thée to vse and the vittailes that thou hast in aboundance are the goods of the poore ouer whose right thou dost vsurpe In this he séemes to holde conformitie with S. James that the rich men ought to sighe and wéepe for the miseries that will happen to them whereof he alleadgeth thrée causes the first for that they kéepe their gold and siluer till it ruste and haue no néede where many poore bodies perish of hunger and that their garments are gnawne with moathes where infinite poore creatures stand naked subiect to the iniury of the weather The second is that they paye not reasonably suche as serue them whose crye pearceth the very eares of the lord of hostes demaūding vengeance of their iniquitie The third is that they make great cheare and anoynt their throats with the liccorous sirops of swéet meats suffer the téeth of their poore brother to bite no bread nor his stomacke to be refreshed with whole some liccour Many other néedy people remaine in a Citie who notwithstanding their trade and occupation are driuen by some ouercharge of children or casualitie to sel their necessary implements and sometime the very instruments of their occupation not being hable to borowe and hauing shame to aske Of Christian amitie and how many sortes of friendships there be Chapter iij. HAuing not yet spoken of the dutie of a friend but in generall sort nor of Christian charitie wherein consists the perfection of a Christian and of moste deare commendacion in the Scripture it cannot be impertinēt to inferre some discourse therof the necessitie of our purpose so requiring Amitie is of foure kindes as naturall ciuill carnall such as was amongst the Pagans and Christian or spirituall The two first haue their approbation euen by the scripture the third which is carnall hath ben by the iudgemēt of good men reputed corrupt as in déede it is and much reproued according to the doctrine of god Naturall friendship is as the loue of parents towards their children and one kinsman or countrey man to an other Ciuill amitie is got either by conuersation and society of men together or in respect of profites eyther receiued or hoped for this friendship is called of the Philosophers humane and as it were due of common office But better is it expressed whereby it is called a vertue morall when it vnites mutually heartes and willes together sometimes it is but of the one part which is the cause of Tullies opinion that such is the force and propertie of vertue that it constraynes men to loue such on whom there goeth but an opinion and reputatiō of honestie though they neuer saw nor knew the persons But notwithstanding the reasons and iudgements of the Philosophers touching that kind of amitie the Scripture will neuer repute it a vertue if it haue not a purpose and end to the honour and loue of God without which end much lesse that all vertuous actions haue any recompence or glory afore God but with Saint Ambrose that kind of amitie is accompted corrupt as not done to that end which the Scripture cōmaundes by which we are cōmaunded to do al things for the honour of god Fleshly amitie or friendship is contracted vnder a hope or present enioying of goods honours and carnall pleasures And sometimes the naturall and ciuill amitie degenerate into this damnable loue being most often the very loue wée beare to our selues deliting more in our owne glory and pleasures then in GOD or that concernes our saluation Where vppon it is sayd that men vppon the end of the world shal be so worldly and fleshly a signe of reprobation that they shal be more feruēt followers of their proper delites then of God This loue Saint Augustine with good reason sayth is the foundation of the Citie of the Deuil as the loue to God is the ground worke of the holy citie of the soueraigne Lord Christian loue is that charitie which so often God recommends to vs comprehending an entier loue with all our power to him and a sincere amitie without fiction to our neighbour euen by the same measure that naturally we loue our selues with this intēdement alwayes that all be for the loue honor of God as the cause end of al amitie al our actions to the end to receiue for it eternal retribuciō This amitie leads directs makes perfect the natural ciuil moral friendship euen so corrects altogether that the is carnall as being corrupt by wicked affections makes it turne into spiritual by spiritual conuersation as if a man louing his wife onely for that she is faire and riche and for his beastly pleasure a Pagan loue and little differing from the affection of a whoremonger to his concubine and being afterwardes instructed by Christian doctrine with what zeale he ought to embrase his wife in mariage loueth her not for the reasons of the flesh aforesayd but as his companion of grace coenheritrice of the glory of heauen louing hir with that spirituall and true loue wher with Iesus Christ loued his Church And as a Father louing his sonne not simplie nor naturally but with a worldly affection as making him his Idoll falleth to loue him afterwards in God by Christian institution that is according to the prescript of the Scripture kéeping him in discipline and vertuous exercise Thus the whoremonger is conuerted and forbearing his fleshly affection to his troll will hate in him selfe and hir all damnable lightnes and neuer looke on hir but with a displeasure and remorse of his sinne which after their conuersion she is also bound to do And if there bée daunger eftsones to fall they are bound to restraine sight and mutuall company and stand vpon their gard no lesse then such as hauing ben once enuenimed with a swéete poyson by an antidot preserued from death will beware eftsones of charmes or swéete liccours neyther is penaunce of any force if the sinne bée not altogether abandoned and all carnaletie abhorred And if in déede amitie to speake more properlye bée a vertue more then morrall and not affection onely according to the error of some Philosophers it can not be ioyned with vice for so théeues other of vice albeit they vaunt of frendship in susteyning one an other can not truly be called frends but confederats in league conspiring by common consent to do euill Amitie is perpetuall as is all vertue of his liuely and proper nature So that such as loue richmen by reason of the proffites they receiue by them are not
prouide so that this soule I meane the diuine law entertayning with it the lawe naturall and politike as the reasonable soule in man compreheÌ„des vnder her regiment the spirit sensitiue and vegatiue be Lady and mistres chiefly ouer your selues as gouerning your dooings according to hir direction to the ende that by your guyde she gouerne and entertayne all the rest of the body politike without being hindered by you in fauours or other corruptions ciuill yea let her fréely stretche out her selfe in vigour and vertue equally to euery generall and particular parte for the better abilitie of his proper and naturall action I meane let euery one exercise the particular vocation whereunto he is called for the better regiment of the whole in one equall faith without acception of persones euery one with franke readines enclining to the prescript of that law according to the limite of his particular charge by which obseruation there can not happen eyther to the whole or any peculiar proporcion of the body any disorder disagréement contencion or confusion And euen as when the humane body of man is gouerned and ruled by phisicke it seldome falles into disease for that in that Science is prescription of all thinges necessarie to conserue health euen so by this lawe the true Phisicke medcine of mindes so long as they obserue the rules of it common weales are not onely entertained in plausible and constant prosperitie but withall armed against the assaultes of al casuall inconuenieÌ„ces eyther by suttletie malicious force or pollecie But as the body then slides into infirmities and diseases when it giues ouer the counsell and iudgement of phisicke so the body ciuill neglecting the rule of the law prepares to it self occasions of many passions as warre famine with such miseries as God vseth to sende for the transgression of his law God in many places in his law but specially in Deuteronomie forespeakes blissinges and happy successe to the good obseruers of his lawe that aswell in their houses as their Cities Countreys and whole affaires as of the contrary his threates be terrible to the traÌ„sgressors prophesying all miseries to their families their goods their cattell yea to their owne bodies with these miseries the Prophetes often tymes threaten the Israelites for their transgression as also other straunge nations for that they had ben cruel to the desolate people of Jsraell There are none more imediat causes of the miseries afflicting men in priuate or common weales in generall then the transgression of the lawe and obstinate constancie in wickednes For we find that in all times miserie hath followed sinne as the smoke doth the fier aswell to perticular men as in Cayn Lamech Agar Iâ—maell Esau Hei Onan with many such from the beginning of the world as to whole commoÌ„ weales suffring impunitie of sinne as in Josua it is sayed that for Acham who contrary to Gods commaundement tooke a wedge of gold and for the sacrileage of Hiericho all the Armie of Jsraell to whom was promised victory was put to flight so grieuous to God is sinne how secret so euer it be who will haue it punished for that cause Salomon sayth that sinnes makes people and nations vnhappy which then appeareth most when it is knowne and the common weale makes no care to do iustice of it as we sée hapned in Gabaon of the Beniamits in which Citie for the vnchast violacion of a woman dying of the violence almost all the sayd Beniamites were ouerthrowen by the other Jsraelites God ordeyning this iudgement for the reuenge of the womans dishonour oftentimes the man that hath done euill is not punished only but also the affliction stretcheth to his house as hapned to Cham for mocking his Father with whom his sonne Canaan with all his Chananites were scourged The sinne of Loth and his daughters is not punnished only with the penance of the good Patriarch but also vppon his children The Moabites and Ammonites who were reiected froÌ„ the alliaÌ„ce with the Jsraelites for their reproued generatioÌ„ yea forbideÌ„ to enter into the temple albeit thei were coÌ„uerted to god much more grieuously is punished the sin of the Prince the Magistrate not vppoÌ„ themselues only but what they loue is touched their whole people visited as is manifest in Dauid who notwithstanding he did penaÌ„ce for his adultery murder yet his sonne died for the punishmeÌ„t or satisfaction of those two sinnes as also for the adultery he did to an other maÌ„s wife his owne coÌ„cubines in the meane while were polluted And for that he rose into pride he was striken with plague by the death of three score and ten thousaÌ„d persons who consenting with their Prince in his vain glory and vices had their share in his iudgement and punishment when all the world was resolued into sin God spared not a generall punnishment by the great flood which had power ouer all flesh sauing eight persons preserued in the Arke In Sodome and Gomorrhe the fier of heauen consumed all but Loth his wife his two daughters And in the first sacking of Ierusalem but much more in the last and generall spoyle of Titus Vespatian to the ruine of all Iuda according to the prophesie of Iesus Christ For all the world had erred eyther actually or by manifest consent or secretly and to come yea euen the little-children who albeit had yet done none euill yet if they had had then iudgement or ripe age they had had the same will with their pareÌ„ts as with all children in some sort are the substance and principall goods of their parents So that their fathers offending and deseruing to be grieuously punished the scourge falles also vpon their goods children I meane touching temporall paines for concerning the soule the sinne followeth the author according to the iudgement of God who as a iust and soueraigne Lord punisheth the man for his proper vice and euery vice in the man as we sée hee did in the first ruine of the worlde when he drowned fathers mothers children seruants with all sortes of beastes sauing such as he reserued for propagation and sacrifice ¶ Counsell of the remedies to cure and preserue common weales from miserie Chapter v. IT belongs then to gouernours of a common weale as to good Phisitions by the doctrine of the law both deuine and humaine the true medecine and preseruatiue of Christian soules to kéepe and conteyne their people and gouerning them both in generall and perticular by this law that they fall into no daungerous sinnes and mortal diseases of the soule they are restrained to no lesse care art and dutie to preserue them then the Phisitions corporall are bound to defend the bodies from sicknesses by iudgement rule of good regiment And not confounding the two estates Ecclesiastical and pollitike or secular from doing their perticular functions albeit in profession diffring yet teÌ„ding to one generall end to erect Gods kyngdome
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
follow All which hapneth by the default of the head in whom was vnderstanding both to kéepe him selfe and the body from euill and also to prouide remedy if it did happen euen so when there is either ill prouidence to preuent an euill or worse negligence to purge and cure it nor seeking out the cause till the effect be expressed it is then we see plagues famine with other rodds of God wherewith yet as he doth not scourge specially a countrey or common weale without great offence as one that will not strike with his staffe but where he finds obstinacie and resistance So let vs then do as children to their father whoÌ„ they haue offended for he strikes as a father and seeing him staÌ„d with rods in his hand ready to discipline fall vpon their knées at his feete and with teares demaund pardoÌ„ on whom in respect of their hartie submission as he is coÌ„tent to bestow but two or thrée little lashes presently cast the rods in the fier so also if their wéeping humilitie had appeared afore he tooke the rods in his haÌ„d they had not at all felt the smart euen so deales GOD with vs correcting vs with easie discipline as his children and if we crie him mercy there is nothing more familiar with him then forgiuenes yea he will burne his roddes and embrase our conuersion withall such is his goodnes towardes vs that afore he enter into correction be inuites vs to submit acknowledge to the end he be not constrayned being a iust iudge to lift vp his hand and make vs feele the rod conuert sayth he by his Prophets to me and I will be conuerted to you I will kéepe no remembrance of your faultes yea I will repent me that I went about to strike you it is grieuous to him to scourge his people and an act which becomes him not properly his nature is to do mercy for the which he is called mercifull long suffring patient and mercy it selfe he would not punish Dauid vppon his person notwithstanding he had deserued extreame Iustice but pardoned his sinnes when hee asked forgiuenes with great contrition griefe Touching the rods which he holdeth in his hand and strikes not but sheweth them as matters of feare to offenders we sée that Josophat being threatned with such roddes which were the Moabites Ammonites Sirians his enemies withdrew himself altogether to god published fastings through all the couÌ„trey of Juda asseÌ„bling all the people to pray to god in the teÌ„ple he in the middest of theÌ„ made this oration O Lord God which art the god of our fathers the god of heaueÌ„ and hast dominion ouer the kingdoms of all nations in thy hand is force and power there is none that can resist thée is it not thou O Lorde that hast killed all the inhabitants of this land being idolators and pagans before thy people of Jsraell We haue not force to resist so great a multitude and therfore not knowing what we should do there restes nothing to vs but to turne our eyes to thée O Lord as hoping in thée only for ayde and succours And as he continued thus in prayer wherin there was not so meane a woman and least childe which did not pray with him in the temple behold the prophet spake vnto him feare not this multitude it shall not be thy warre but the warre of God which hapned accordingly for all those armed enemies forsaking their purpose fell vpon the Jdumeans and after slaughtered one an other without any necessitie of him to go to the battell so happened it in the time of Ionas to the towne of Niniuie where the king vnderstanding the hand of God to be ready to destroy them with in xl dayes commaunded a general fast for thrée daies yea euen little children and beastes were restrained to abstinence and ioyning to this penance contrition and supplication for mercy it fell out that the Citie felt not the roddes of God otherwaies then in feare Touching the whippes wherewith hee scourgeth for not hauing thus preueÌ„ted and yet in correcting them selues and asking pardon he forgiueth them it is written of the Jsraelites that they cryed to God when they were in tribulacioÌ„ he deliuered them from their necessities which is amplie declared in their deliuerance from the captiuitie of Egypt wherein they felt sharppe and smartinge roddes yet crying mercy to God they were heard and deliuered Dauid seeing the furie of the plague vppon his people and lifting vp his eyes to heauen where hée saw an Aungell holding a sword ouer Jerusalem in signe of the punishement which hee made of the people by plague cryed with a lowd voyce O Lord God it is I that haue offended punish me afterwardes he offereth sacrifice to God and the death ceased Ezechias for particular example who féeling in his persone the discipline of God by a disease whereof he must dye after he had acknowledged him selfe and cryed to God for grace had answer to liue yet xv yere with the receipt of the remedie to heale his infirmitie And touching the publike affliction which he and his town of Ierusalem suffered by the Assirians that had besieged the town made breaches to enter the same night by great miracle the Aungell of God slew a hundreth foure score and sixe thousand of his enemies which brought such confusion and feare to their King Senacherib that he fled early in the next morning In these maibe noted as it were by the way that as it is said in the booke of Iudith accordinge to the promises which God made in his lawe when the people of Jsrael serued God well and obserued his law they were not vexed of straungers nor felt common miseries but such as offered to oppresse them were confounded as Pharao and his ofte in the chase of these people were swallowed in the red sea euen so when the Israelites fell froÌ„ this course and offended God he stirred by enemies on all sides of whom they were either ouercome slaughtered or at least by other hurtes felt and found the certein tokens of gods wrath whose effects thei proued w extréeme miserie if they did not repent many nations people were not reformed by preachings nor threats of gods iudgements but scorned the prophets that pronounced them calling them fooles mad men and sedicious and deliting in their owne scornes they saied let the day of God come we sâ—are it not for wée haue the temple Many trusted in Idolles and others hoped for succours of Kings to be strong against their enemies yea there were that persecuted the good Prophetes that foretold their calamities to come and the false Prophetes reassured them againe with promises of all good successe yea when famines diseases or other punishements hapned they laid the occasions to the good Prophetes and catholike people as some of them attributed their plagues to the starres which were the Chaldeis others
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