and paines haue finished the same for the glorie of GOD and benefit of their country But had euery one tasted of the fauourable acceptation of their patrones to whose tuition they commend their labours as wel as I haue of your good Lordships not onely acceptation but also most bountifull remuneration they should not neede to feare any refusall of their faithfull good wils in exhibiting good works vnto their protection and defense Which thing though I can neuer sufficiently in effect regraciate yet in affect I will not faile Christ willing to the end of my life faithfully to supply And truly not without great cause am I bound so to doe and not onely I but euen all that in any respect haue to deale with your honorable Lordship For what is the common bruit noised of your Honour Truly this That your Lordship for gentlenesse and affabilitie whereof I haue tasted to my singular comfort is surpassing any in good conscience mercie and compassion inferiour to none in noble prowesse valiancie magnanimitie comparable with the best In wisedome and vnderstanding singular in zeale to the truth and christian religion famous in defending of equitie and iustice renowmed Finally in all kind of vertue equall with any so as I will not feare to call your good Lordship a perfect patterne of true nobilitie in all respects Thus hauing rather as the peinter doth to draw the lineaments of your Lordships vertues with my rude pensill than to display the liuely proport on of the whole bodie thereof which is vnpossible I will surcease the same For if I should take vpon me to discipher foorth the whole bodie of your Lordships deserued commendations I should rather not knowe where to end than where to begin But least I might seeme to aggrauate your sacred eares occupied with grauer and sager matters than these I will draw to an end most humbly beseeching your good Lordship to receiue this little treatise into your Honors patronage with like plausible alacritte as your Honor receiued my former dedication And not only to receiue the same into your Lordships protection but also to remaine the iust defender thereof against the filthie crew of flowting Momus and railing Zoilus with their complices of bragging Thrasos and wrangling Phormions to whom as the Greeke prouerbe saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is easier to carp to find fault with than to imitate or amend And thus crauing pardon at your good Lordships hand for this my bold attempt I most humbly take my leaue committing your Honor with my good Ladie your wife and all the rest of your honorable progenie and aliance to the tuition and protection of the blessed God who keepe and preserue the same in his faith feare and loue all the daies of your life with increase of much honour and eternall beatitude in the heauens by Iesus Christ. Your Honors most humble and Obedient to command Phillip Stubbes The Author to the gentle Reader I Am constrained gentle reader before I go any further to make this request vnto thee That wheresoeuer thou shalt chance in the reading of this little treatise to finde any faults or escapes either in the print or in the matter as there be too many thou wilt either friendly beare with them or else curteously amend them with thy penne And if it be so that any position or assumption in any part of my boke doe seeme strange vnto thee as manye things may doe peraduenture at the first blush especially being vttered in these dainty daies that thou wilt of thy friendly curtesie and zeale which thou bearest to the truth to the glorie of God to good letters and to the edification of the church of GOD either expunge them with thy penne qualifie them with the oile of thy fauorable iudgement or else at the least so to construe interpret them as they both may stand with the truth with the time and with the minde good meaning and intent of the author whose minde was I call heauen and earth to witnesse to profit all and to offend none And therefore if any bee offended at any thing in this booke it is Scandalum acceptum non datum Offense taken not giuen For the auoiding whereof God is my iudge who knoweth the secrets of all harts I haue abstained from some things which I ought to haue spoken of and othersome which I haue spoken of I haue so qualified that I may seeme rather to beare with the corruption of the time than the truth of the cause aud rather to loue any thing better than schismes dissentions in the church of GOD about matters of small importance Therefore good Reader in christian charitie I beseech thee to respect my simple meaning which was to set foorth the glorie of Christ Iesus and the truth of his word to the edifieng of his militant church vpon the earth and withall to consider the marke that I shoot at namelie to insinuate the truth and to weede out all corruptions c. the end and purpose of my drift and to defend this little booke against flouting Momus bragging Thrasos and wrangling Phormions Quibus omnia bona odio habentur to whom al good things are had in contempt Thus I commit thee to God most Christian reader and to the power of his might who blesse thee with all graces spirituall and corporall in this life that long maist thou read and much maist thou profit and in the end grant thee eternall life in the heauens thy inheritance purchased with the bodie of Christ Iesus to whom be praise glorie honour and dominion in all congregations for euer Amen Thine to is power in the Lord to command Phillip Stubbes I. S in commendation of the Author and his booke THe state of these vnhappie daies alas lament we may Sith that the same so fraughted are with wickednes ech way O England deere my natiue soile I sorie am for thee For that thou wilt not leaue thy sinne and eke repentant bee But day by day from naught to worse thou daily dost proceed Both temporaltie and clergie they to worke sinne haue decreed Hast thou forgot there is a God that wickednesse doth hate And who will one day punish it in ech degree and state And dost thou not remember well the dangers manifold Wherein of late thou stoodest alas more than can well be told And hast tbou also cleane forgot and out of mind let fall How that the goodnes of thy God deliuerd thee from all Praise him therefore with hart and voice shew not thy selfe vnkinde And let not these his mercies great fall out of gratefull minde His iudgements great are towards thee his mercies are much more And all to allure thee from thy sinne his name be praisd therefore Let either thone or thother then mooue thee to leaue thy sinne Then God to powre his blessings store vpon thee shall not linne Read ouer then this little booke and that with single eie And thou the state
home will yet go to lawe two or thrée hundred miles distant from them and spend all that they haue to inrich a sort of gréedie lawiers when at the last a sort of ignorant men of their neighbors must make an end of it whether they will or not This me thinke if euerie good man would perpend in himselfe he would neither go to lawe himself nor yet giue occasion to others to doe the like Theod. I gather by your spéeches that these people are very contentious and quarellous either else they would neuer be so desirous of reuenge nor yet prosecute the lawe so seuerely for euery trifle Amphil. They are very contentious indéed Insomuch as if one giue neuer so small occasion to another sute must straight be commenced and to lawe go they as round as a ball till either both or at least the one become a begger all daies of his life after Theod. But on the other side if they shuld not go to lawe then should they sustaine great wrong and be iniuried on euery side Amphil. Indéed the lawe was made for the administration of equitie and iustice for the appeasing of controuersies debates and for to giue to euery man Quod suum est That which is his owne but being now peruerted abused to cleane contrarie ends for now commonly the law is ended as a man is frinded is it not better to suffer a little wrong with patience referring the reuenge to him who saith Mihi vindictam ego retribuam Uengeance is mine and I wil reward than for a trifle to go to lawe and spende all that euer he hath and yet come by no remedie neither Our sauiour Christ biddeth vs if any man will go to law with vs for our cote to giue him our cloke also and if any man will giue thee a blowe on the one cheeke turne to him the other whereby is ment that if any man will iniurie vs and doe vs wrong we should not resist nor trouble our selues but suffer awhile and with patience refer the due reuenge thereof to the Lord. Amphil. Why Is it not lawful then for one Christian man to go to lawe with another Amphil. The Apostle saith many things are lawfull which are not expedient and therfore although it be after a sort lawfull yet for euely trifle it is not lawfull but for matters of importance it is And yet not neither if the matter might otherwise by neighbors at home be determined Theod. Yet some doubt whether it be lawfull or no for one Christian man to go to lawe with another for any worldly matter bringing in the apostle Paule rebuking the Corinthians for going to lawe one with another Amphil. The apostle in that place reprehendeth them not for going to lawe for reasonable causes but for that they being christians went to lawe vnder heathen iudges which tended to the great discredite and infamie of the Gospell But certeine it is though some Anabaptists Quibus veritas odio est and certeine other heritikes haue taught the contrarie yet it is certeine that one christian man may go to law with another for causes reasonable For it being true as it cannot be denied that there is a certeine singularitie interest and proprietie in euery thing and the lawe being not onely the meane to conserue the same propriety but also to restore it againe being violate is therefore lawfull and may lawfully be attempted out yet with this prouiso that it is better if the matter may otherwise be apeased at home not to attempt lawe than to attempt it But if any schismatikes as alas the worlde is too full of them should altogither deny the vse of the lawe as not christian besides that the manifest word of God in euery place would easilie conuince them the examples and practises of all ages times countries and nations from the first beginning of the world togither with the example of our sauiour Christ himselfe who submitted himself to the lawes then established would quicklie ouerthrow their vaine imaginations The lawe in it selfe is the square the leuell and rule of equitie and iustice and therefore who absolutely contendeth the same not to be christian may well be accused of extréeme folly But if the lawes be wicked and antichristian then ought not good christians to sue vnto theÌ„ but rather to sustaine all kind of wrong whatsoeuer Theod. Then it séemeth by your reason that if the lawe be so necessarie as without the which Christian kingdomes could not stand then are lawiers necessarie also for the execution thereof Amphil. They are most necessarie And in my iudgement a man can serue God in no calling better than in it if he be a man of a good conscience but in Dnalgne the lawiers haue such chauerell consciences that they can serue the deuill better in no kind of calling than in that for they handle poore mens matters coldly they execute iustice parcially they receiue bribes gréedily so that iustice is peruerted the poore beggered and many a good man iniuried therby They respect the persons and not the causes mony not the poore rewards and not conscience So that law is turned almost topsie turnie and therefore happie is he that hath least to doe with them Theod. The lawiers must néedes be verie rich if they haue such large consciences Amphil. Rich quoth you They are rich indéede toward the deuill and the world but towards God and heauen they are poore inough It is no meruaile if they be rich and get much when they wil not speak two words vnder an angell for that is called a councellers fee. But how they handle the poore mens causes for it God and their owne consciences can tell and one day I feare me they shall féele to their perpetuall paine except they repent and amend Theod. How be iudgments executed there vpon offenders transgressours and male factors with â—quitie expedition or otherwise Amphil. It gréeueth me to relate thereof vnto you the abuses therein are so inormous For if a felone homicide a murtherer or else what gréeuous offender soeuer that hath deserued a thousand deaths if it were possible happen to be taken and apprehended he is straightway committed to prison and clapt vp in as many cold yrons as he can beare yea throwne into dungeons and darke places vnder the ground without either bed clothes or any thing else to helpe himselfe withall saue a little straw or litter bad inough for a dog to lie in And in this miserie shall he lie amongst frogs toades and other filthie vermine till lice eate the flesh of his bones In the meane space hauing nothing to eate but either bread and water or else some other modicum scarce able to suffice nature and many times it hapneth that for want of the same pittance they are macerate and shronke so low as they either looke like ghosts or else are famished out of hand And this extreeme misery they lie in sometime perhaps a quarter of a
be many good lawes but indéed now and then through the negligence of the officers they are coldly executed But if the lawes there in force were without parcialitie dulie executed there shuld be nâ—iust occasion for any to complaine And truly to speake my conscience there is great parcialitie in the magistrates and officers nay great corruption For if a rich man and a poore man chance to haue to doe before them the matter I warrant you shall quickly be ended and my life for yours shall go vpon the rich manâ— side notwithstanding the poore mans right be apparent to all the world But if two poore men of equall estate go to lawe togither then their sute shall hang three or foure yéeres peraduenture seuen yéeres a dozen yeâ— twentie yéeres before it be ended till either the one or both be made beggers For reformation whereof I would wish iudges and officers to respect the cause not the persons the matter not the gaine and not to regard either letter or any thing else which might be sent them to peruert true iudgement And iustice being ministred then to read ouer their commendatorie letters in Gods name remembring what the wise man saith Gifts blinde the eies of the wise and peruert iudgement The lawiers I would wish to take lesse fées of their clients For is not this a plaine theft before God to take ten twentie or fortie shillings of one poore man at one time and so much of a great sort at once and yet to speake neuer a word for the most part of it And notwithstanding that they can be present but at one barre at once yet will they take diuers fées of sundry clients to speake for them at three or foure places in one day The other officers who grant foorth the warrants the Subpoenas the Scire facias and diuers other writs and those who kéepe the seales of the same I would wish to take lesse fees also For is not this too vnreasonable to take a crowne or ten shillings for writing six or seuen lines or little more And then the kéeper of the seale for a little waxe he must haue as much as the other And thus they sucke out as it were euen the very marrowe out of poore mens bones The shirifs bailifs and other officers also I would wish for fées for bribes for friendship and rewards not to returne a Tarde venit or a Non est inuentus when they either haue sent the partie word to auoid couertly or else looking through their fingers sée him wil not sée him forcing herby the poore plaintife to lose not only his great importable charges in the lawe but also peraduenture his whole right of that which he sueth for Thus let euery officer by what kind of name or title soeuer he be called or in what kind of calling soeuer he be placed doe all things with single eie and good conscience that God may be glorified the common peace maintained iustice supported and their owne consciences discharged against the great daye of the Lorde when all flesh shall be conuented before the tribunall seate of GOD all naked as euer they were borne to render accounts of all their dooings whether they bee good or badde and to receiue a rewarde according to their déeds By all which it appeareth that if any for want of iustice haue cause to complaine it is thorow the corruption of iniquitie auarice and ambition of gréedy and insaciable cormorants who for desire of gaine make hauocke of all things yea make shipwracke of bodies and soules to the deuill for euer vnlesse they repent Theod. How farre are princes lawes to be obeied in all things indifferently without exception Amphil. In all things not contrarie to the lawe of God and good conscience which if they be against God and true godlinesse then must we say with the apostles Melius est deo obedire quam hominibus It is better to obey God than man Theod. If the prince than doe set foorth a lawe contrarie to the lawe of God and do constraine vs to doe that that Gods words commandeth vs we shall not doe In this or the like case may subiects lawfully take armes and rise against their prince Amphil. No at no hand vnlest they will purchase to themselues eternall damnation and the wrath of God for euer For it is not lawfull for the subiects to rise vp in armes against their liege prince for any occasioÌ„ whatsoeuer For proofe whereof we read that our sauiour Christ was not onely obedient to the maigistrates and superior powers in all things but also taught his apostles disciples and in them all people and nations of the world the very same doctrine And therefore the apostle saith Omnis anima potestatibus superioribus subdita sit Let euery soule submit himselfe to the higher powers for there is no power but of God And he that resisteth this power resisteth the ordinance of God and purchaseth to himselfe eternall damnation Peter also giueth the like charge that obedience in all godlines be giuen to the superior powers and that praiers and intercessions be made for kings and rulers and giueth the reason why namely that we may lead Vitam pacificam A peaceable life vnder them Theod. Why How then If we shall not resist them then we do obey them in any thing either good or bad Amphil. No not so neither In all things not contrarie to Gods word we must obey theÌ„ on paine of damnation But in things contrarie to the word and truth of God we are thus to doe We must depose and lay foorth our selues both bodie and goods life and lime our conscience onely excepted in the true obedience whereof we are to serue our God euen all that we haue of nature and committing the same into the hands of the prince submit our selues and lay downe our necks vpon the blocke choosing rather to die than to doe any thing contrarie to the lawe of God and good conscience And this is that that the apostles ment when they saide It is better to obey God than man Not that obedience to man in all godlinesse is forbid but that obedience to God is to be preferred before the obedience to man Theod. What if the prince be a tyrant a wicked prince and an ungodly is he notwithstanding to be obeied Amphil. Yea truely in the same order as I haue shewed before For whether the prince be wicked or godlye hee is sent of GOD bicause the Apostle saith There is no power but of GOD. If the prince be a godlye prince then is hee sent as a great blessing from GOD and if hee be a tyrant then is he raised of GOD for a scourge to the people for their sinnes And therefore whether the prince be the one or the other he is to be obeied as before Theod. And bee kings and rulers to bee beloued and praied for of their subiects Amphil. That is without all doubt For hee that hateth his
discourageth them and maketh manie a colde schooler in Dnalgne as experience daily teacheth Theod. Be there men of all kinde of trades occupations and artes as there be in other countries Amhpil Yea truely there are men of all sciences trades mysteries faculties occupations and artes whatsoeuer and that as cunning as any be vnder the sunne Yea so expert they be as if they would let a thing alone wheÌ„ it is well they were the brauest workmen in the world But as they séeke to excell and surpasse al other nations in finenes of workmanship so now and than they reape the fruits of their vaine curiosity to their owne detriment hinderance and decay Theod. How liue the marchant men amongst them are they rich and wealthy or but poore Amphil. How should they be poore gaining as they do more then halfe in halfe in euerie thing they buy or sell And which is more sometimes they gaine double and triple if I said quadruple I lied not Theod. I pray you how can that be so Amphil. I will tell you They haue mony to lay foorth vpon euerie thing to buy them at the first and best hand yea to ingrosse and to store themselues with abundance of al things And then will they keepe these marchandize till they waxe verie scarse and no maruaile for they buy vp all things and so consequently déere And then will they sell them at their owne prices or else being able to beare the mony they will keepe them still By this meanes they get the deuill and all besides these they haue a hundred flights in their budgets to rake in gaine withall Theod. I pray you what be those Amphil. They will go into the countries and buy vp all the wooll corne leather butter cheese bacon or else what marchandize soeuer they knowe will be vendible and these they transport ouer seas whereby they gaine infinit summes of mony Theod. That is woonderfull that they are so permitted are there no lawes nor prohibitions to the contrarie that no wooll corne or leather shoulde be transported ouer seas Amphil. There are good lawes and great restraints to the contrary in so much as they be apparent traitors to God their prince and country that carrie any of the foresaid things ouer without speciall licence thereto Yet notwithstanding either by hooke or crooke by night or day by direct or indirect meanes either knowne or vnknowne they wil conueigh them ouer though their owne country want the same But to auoide all dangers they purchase a licence a dispensation for mony bearing the prince in hand that they do it for some good cause when indéed the cause is their owne priuate gaine And for the spéedier obtaining of their desires they demand licence for the cariage ouer but of so much and so much when in truth they conuey ouer vnder the colour of this their licence ten times twenty times yea a hundred times fiue hundred times yea a thousande times as much more And thus they delude their prince impouerish their country and inrich themselues féeding clothing and inriching our enimies with our owne treasure Hereby it commeth to passe that all things are déerer and scarser than otherwise they would be if restraynt were had and I warrant them many a blacke curse haue they of the poore commons for their doing Theod. Would you not haue licences granted for the transporting ouer of such things for no cause Amphil. Yes But first I would haue our owne people serued that they wante not in any case For it is very vnméete to féede forren nations and our owne country famish at home But if it were so that Dnalgne flowed in abundance and plentie of all things whatsoeuer are necessarie for the vse and sustentation of man in this life and other nations prouided that they bee our fréendes and of christian religion wanted the same then would I wishe that some of our superfluitie might be erogate to them to the supplie of their necessities but not otherwise And this standeth both with the lawes of God charitie and good conscience Theod. These are marueilous sleights to get mony withall But I pray you haue they no more Amphil. They want none I warrant you for rather than to faile they haue their false waights their counterfet ballancâ—s their adulterate measures and what not to deceiue the poore people withall and to rake in mony But the Wise man telleth them that false ballances counterfet weightes and vntrue measures are abhomination to the Lord. And the Apostle telleth them that God is the iust reuenger of all those that deceiue their brethren in bargaining And yet shall you haue them in the sale of their wares to sweare to teare and protest that before God before Iesus Christ as God shall saue my soule as God shall iudge me as the Lord liueth as God receiue me as God helpe me by God and by the world by my faith and troth by Iesus Christ and infinite the like othes that such a thing cost them so much so much and it is woorth this much and that much when in truth they sweare as false as the liuing Lord is true as their owne consciences can beare them witnesse and I feare me will condemne them at the day of the Lord if they repent not For if a thing cost them ten shillings they will not blush to aske twentie shillings for it If it cost them twentie shillings they will not shame to aske forty shillings for it and so of al others doubling tripling and quadrupling the price thereof without either feare of God or regard of good conscience Theod. What say you of the Drapers and cloth sellers liue they in the same order that the other doe Amphil. Of Drapers I haue little to say sauing that I thinke them cater cosins or cosin germans to merchants For after they haue bought their cloth they cause it to be tentered racked and so drawne out as it shall be both broader and longer than it was when they bought it almost by halfe in halfe or at lest by a good large sise Now the cloth being thus stretched forth in euery vaine how is it possible either to endure or hold out but when a shower of raine taketh it then it falleth and shrinketh in that it is shame to sée it Then haue they their shops and places where they sell their cloth commonly very darke and obscure of purpose to deceiue the buiers But Caueat emptor as the old saieng is Let the buiers take héed For Technas machinant retia tendunt pedibus as the saieng is They meane deceit and lay snares to intrap the féet of the simple And yet notwithstanding they will be sure to make price of their racked cloth double and triple more than it cost them And will not sticke to sweare and take on as the other their confraters before that it cost them so much and that they doe you no wrong God giue them grace to haue an eie to their
that comes to net and who haue limed fingers liuing vpon pilfering and stealing and of these they-buy for little or nothing whatsoeuer they shal haue filched from any And thus by this meanes in processe of time they feather their nests well inough and growe many of them to great substance and wealth Theod. Will they buy any thing whatsoeuer commeth to hand Amphil. Yea all things indifferently without any exception All is good fish with them that comes to net They will refuse nothing whatsoeuer it be nor whom soever bringeth it though they be neuer so suspitious no although it be as cléere as the day that it hath béene purloined by sinister meanes from some one or other And can you blame them For why They haue it for halfe it is woorth Amphil. What wares be they for the most part which these Brokers doe buy and sell Amphil. I told you they wil refuse nothing But especially they buy remnants of silks veluets satins damasks grograins taffeties lace either of silke gold siluer or any thing else that is worth ought Othersome buy cloakes hose◠dublets hats caps coates stockings the like And these goodly marchandize as they haue them good cheape so they will sel them againe to their no small gaines Theod. If this be true that they will receiue all and buy al that comes to hand than it must néedes he that this is a great prouocation to many wicked persons to filch steale whatsoeuer they can lay their hands vpon seing they may haue such good vent for y e same Is it not Amphil. You say very true And therfore I am perswaded that this dunghill trade of brokerie newly sprong vp coined in the deuils minting house the shoppe of all mischiefe hath made many a théefe moe then euer would haue bin hath brought many a one to a shamefull end at Tiburne else where Yea I haue hard prisoners and not any almost but they sing the same song when they haue gone to execution declaime crie out against brookers For said they if brokers had not bin we had not come to this shamefull death if they would not haue receiued our stollen goods we woulde neuer haue stollen them and if we had not stollen them we had not bin hanged Theod. Then it semeth by your reasons that brokers are in effect accessary to the goods feloniouslie stolen are worthie of y e same punishment y ◠the others that stale thē are worthy of Amphil. They are so if before they buy them they know precisely that they are stolen yet notwithstanding will not onely willingly buy them but also rather animate than disanimate them to persevere in their wickednes as this their gréedy buieng of their wares doth argue y t they doe This maketh many a tailer to aske more cloth more silk veluet lace than he nedeth all to the ende the broker may haue his share for be they neuer so litle scraps or shreds or short ends of lace or smal peces of veluet satan silk or y e like the broker wil giue mony for thē with a wet finger This maketh many seruāts to pilfer filch purloin frō their masters some a yard or two of veluet satin taffety lace silk what not some hats cots cloks the like some one thing some another this hindereth the merchant man is discomodious to y e tailer beneficial vnto none but to thēselues therfore as they be the seminaries of wickednes so I besech God they may be supplanted except they amend which I hardly looke for at their hands Theod. What woulde you haue them to do that they may exercise their trade with good conscience both before God and the world Amphil. I would wish them to doe thus which if they would doe they might vse their trade in the feare of GOD both with good conscience before the Lord with honestie before the world and finallie to the lesse detriment of the common wealth First let them be sure that the goods which they buy be truely and iustly come by of the sellers thereof And to the end that herein they may not be deceiued Let them examine the matter strictly where they had it whose it is vpon what occasion they would sel it And in conclusion not to buy it vntill they haue gone themselues to the right owners of the goodes and if they find all things well that they may with good conscience buy it let them giue reason for it else not And if euery brooker would deale thus their would not so many false knaues bring them such lauish of stollen goods as they do neither should their trade grow as it doth into hatred and contempt Theod. You saide before except I be deceiued that if they know before they buy any wares that the same is stollen if they than buy them they are accessary to the same goods so felonously stollen so are worthie of the same punishment that the principals are woorthie of I pray you what punishment is inflicted vpon accessaries in Dnalgne Amphil. Accessories are punishable by the lawes of Dnalgne with the same punishment that the principals are to be punished withall for so the lawe standeth but in the execution thereof we sée the cleane contrarie practised For when as a théefe or a fellon stealeth any thing hee bringeth it to his receiuer who though he knowe it to be stolen yet with alacritie admitteth it into his custodie and reteineth it hereby making himselfe accessorie and guiltie of the felonie committed And yet notwithstanding when execution is to be done for the same the principall is peraduenture hanged vp the other that is the accessorie is not once spoken of nor none can saie blacke is his eie But howsoeuer it be I cannot be otherwise persuaded but that the receiuers and accessories are a great deale more woorthie of death by the penall lawes than he who stealeth the thing it selfe whatsoeuer it be Bicause if they had not any to receiue their stolen goods they would not steale at all And therefore are the receiuers in my simple opinion rather the authors and the principals especially if they know before they receiue it that it is stolen then they that commit the fact and being the authors of the euill comitted they are to be punished rather than the perpetrators of the fact it selfe But for want of due punishment to be executed as well vppon the one as vppon the other we sée gréeuous crimes and flagicious facts without all remorse or feare of God daily committed Good lawes there are both for the repressing of these and al other enormities whatsoeuer but the want of the due execution thereof is the cause why all wickednes and mischiefe dooth reigne and rage euerie where as it doth God amend it if it be his good pleasure And thus much briefly of the noble science of brokerie Theod. What hospitalitie is there kept or reliefe for the poore Amphil. Uery smal
of exercise as any be vpon the earth They know exactly I warrant you the times and seasons of the yeere when euerie kinde of graine is to be sowed and what ground is best for euerie kinde of corne They are not ignorant also howe to culture dresse the same and if it be barren what kind of dung is best to fatten the same againe They know the nature the propertie qualitie of euerie soile and what corne it will bring They know also when the ground is to be tilled when not how long it will bring foorth good corne how long not when it ought to rest when not with all things else incident to the same Theod. I thinke they haue good farmes and tenemēts that are able to furnish their ground in this sort for otherwise they were not able to kéepe their oxen their horses their seruants and other necessaries belonging thereto haue they not so Amphil. No truely haue they not For some haue such fatte farmes and tenements as either will bring forth no corne at all in a manner or if it doe verie little and that not without great cost bestowed vpon it Othersome haue houses with no lands belonging to them at all and yet notwithstanding shall pay a good round some for the same also And no marueile for landlords and gentlemen take all the lands and lyuelode wherevpon there poore tenants shoulde liue into their owne hands and suffer not the poore husbandmen to haue so much ground as will finde them corne for the maintenance of their poore families nor which is more scarcely to keepe one cow horse or sheepe vpon for their continuall reléefe Or if they haue any they shall pay tenne times so much as it is worth to their vtter vndooing for euer But if landlords would consider that the earth is the Lords and all that is therein and that it is theirs but onely in title interest and propertie hauing the souereigntie or chieftie thereof and the poores in vse and possession and if they would remember that the poore ought to liue vpon the earth as well as they than would they not vse such tirannie such exactions such pooling and pilling and the like as they doe without all compassion Theod There being such store of husbandmen and the same so expert in their agriculture as your words import they be it must needes follow that there is great plentie of corne and all kinde of other graine and the same verie good cheape is it not so Amphil. There is great store of corne and all kind of graine no nation vnder the sunne like vnto it but as I told you before thorowe the insatiable gréedines of a few couetous cormorants who for their owne priuate commoditie transport ouer seas whole mountaines of corne it is made sometimes very scarse Otherwise there would be gret store at al times And wheras you say it is good cheape it is nothing lesse as euerie daies successe prooueth true Amphil. How can that be that there being such store of corne yet should be deare also Amphil. I will tell you It commeth to passe three manner of waies First for that landlords racke there rents so extreemely and aduance their fines so vnreasonably that the poore man is forced to sell euerie thing déere otherwise he should not be able to pay his land lord his due whereas if he had his fearme good cheape he might afforde to sell good cheap The second cause is as I haue said for that the same is carried and conueighed ouer Sea◠The third cause is thorow a sorte of ingrators or forestallers who intercept euerie thing before it come at the market or else being come to the market and hauing money at will buy vp either all or the most part and carieng it into their celles and garners at home keepe it till time of the yeere that corne is scarse and so consequentlie deere And when there is want of it then they sell it deere and when there is plentye then they make it deerer by buying it vppe in whole heapes as they doe Thus you sée by this meanes these hellishe ingratours and forestallers make corne and all thinges else deere all times of the yeere Nowe iudge you what a horrible abuse is this for one man to buy vppe all things and that not for anie neede or want in himselfe but to sell it againe deerer then they bought it thereby to inriche himselfe with the impouerishing of many a thousande Theod. Is there not punishment for this horrible abuse for me thinke great inconueniences doe followe it Amphil. There be great penalties and forfaitures ordained as well for the repressinge of this as of any other outragious abuse but they playe with this as with all other good lawes they inuente quirckes and quiddities shiftes and put offes ynough to blinde the eies of the magistrates and to deliuer themselues trimly trimly from the danger and penaltie of the lawe For they will say that they buy but for the necessarie prouision of their owne families and not to sell againe And then when they doe sell it againe they will beare you in hande it was of their owne tillage Or if this way will not serue the turne then procure they another man to buy it with their owne mony vnder his owne name and so to sell it againe when hee seeth tyme but who hath the commoditie iudge you But if all these waies faile then buie they it couertly and sell it againe as couertly and thus they buy and sell their owne soules for corruptible monie which in the last day shall beare witnesse against them and consume them yea as Saint Iames saith The monie which they haue vniustlie got with the polling and pilling of the poore shall rise vp in iudgement against them and the rust thereof shall eate and deuoure their flesh as it were a canker But let these iollie felowes as subtil and as politike as they would séeme to be take héed vnto themselues and beware for though they can blinde mens eies and deceiue their iudgements yet let them be sure that they can not deceiue the iudgement of the Lord but he that made the eies shall surely sée and he who knoweth the secrets of all harts shall one day declare the same to their perpetuall confusion except they repent Theod. What be these husbandmen honest plaine dealing and simple persons and such as in whom there is no abuse or else fraudulent deceitfull and craftie persons Amphil. They are for the most part verie simple and plaine men in outward appéerance yea such as if you sawe them and heard them talke you would thinke they had no gall or that there were nothing in them in the world But if you looke into their dailie exercises practises and déeds you shall find them as craftie and subtill in their kind as the diuell is in his if it be possible For the simplest of them all if he make a bargaine with another he wil
wedding or a christening they will not doe it vnder an angell or a noble at the lest And therefore the papists and aduersaries to the Gospel call our Gospel a polling Gospel our sermons roiall sermons angell sermons and noble sermons You call say they our blessed masse a polling masse but say they your preachings are more polling For we say they would haue sold a masse for a grote you will not sell a sermon vnder a roiall or a noble And thus these fellowes are a slander to the Gospel and robbers of their fellowe brethren If I should hire a man for fortie pound an hundred pound or more or lesse to teach my children nurture and knowledge if he for the execution therof shuld aske me more for the same than we agréed for were not this man a naughtie exacting and fraudulent felowe Nay if I compound with him to teach them in the best maner he is able for so much and he doth it not and yet receiue my monie haue not I good lawe against him If he should say vnto me I will not doe it except you giue me more were not this a very vnreasonable man For hauing his monie that was couenant is hee not bound both by lawe and conscience to teach them to the vttermost of his power Or if he shall not doe it and yet take my monie is not he a théefe and a robber Is this true in a priuate man not in an ecclesiasticall person Is he not hired to that end purpose to preach the word of God to his flocke And hath hee not wages for the same Shall he now denie to preach the same word except he haue more monie Or is he not bound in conscience to preach the same night and day without ceasing And if he doe not is he not a deceiuer a théefe a robber The pastor therefore hauing taken vpon him the cure charge of his flocke and hauing his stipend appointed for the same is bound to preach the worde of God to all his flocke indifferently whether it be at buriall wedding christening yea then especially or at any other time whensoeuer without taking or requiring of any more monie than the stipend he was hired for For if he take any more it is plaine theft before God and one day shall be answered for let them be sure of it Theod. You condemne not funerall sermons then so that they be good doe you Amphil. No God forbid Why should not godlie sermons be as wholsome and as necessarie at the burials of christians when wee haue such liuely spectacles before our eies of our mortalitie miserie and end as they be at all other times Yea truely at that present I thinke godlie sermons verie necessarie to put the people in remembrance of their mortalitie of their great miserie and frailtie of their fatall end of the immortalitie of the soule of the generall resurrection at the last day and of the ioie felicitie and beatitude of the life to come with the like godlie instructions that they may the better prepare themselues to the same when God shall call them hence to himselfe And although of late some phantasticall spirites haue taught that the vse of them is naught in that they stand in place of popish diriges and I cannot tell what yet cannot I be easilie drawne to assent vnto them for that I sée them in that respect a great deale more curious than godlie wise Theod. Is it lawfull thinke you for ministers and preachers of the Gospell to receiue stipends and wages for their preaching Amphil. Why not Otherwise how should they bee able to kéepe themselues frée from worldly occupations and trauels of this life as they ought to applie their studies for the discharge of their duties to maintaine themselues their family and houshold or how shuld they kéepe hospitalitie for the reléefe of the poore all which they are bound to doe both by Gods lawe and good conscience Therefore take away liuings and wages from the preachers and ouerthrowe preaching altogither the ordinarie meane to saluation in Christ. This caused the apostle to enter disputation of this point where he prooueth by inuincible arguments that a preacher or minister of the Gospell of Christ Iesus may Salua conscientia With a good conscience receiue wages and stipends for his paines susteined in the affaires of the Gospell and that for the causes abouesaid Therefore saith this apostle Boui trituranti non ligabis os Thou shalt not mussle the mouth of the oxe that treadeth foorth the corne Whereby is ment that he that laboreth and taketh paines in any good exercise ought not to be denied of his méed for his paines Againe he saith Dignus est operarius mercede sua The workman is woorthie of his reward And still insisting in the same argument hee saith Qui euangelium praedicant ex euangelio viuant They that preach the Gospell let them liue vpon the Gospell And yet further prosecuting the same more at large he saith Quis militat c. Who goeth on warfare at any time of his owne charges Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit Who féedeth a flocke and eateth not of the milke of the flock By al which reasons and arguments it appeareth that he who preacheth the Gospel ought to liue of the Gospell But as euerie pastor that hath a peculiar stocke assigned him may with the testimonie of a good conscience receiue wages and maintenance of his flocke for his paines taken amongst them so may he not nor ought not to take wages or salarie of any other flocke adioining if so be it that either vpon request or his owne voluntarie good will he preach the word of God amongst them To them that are thus prouided for Christ our sauiour saith Gratis accepistis gratis date Fréely you haue receiued fréely giue againe But if any haue not a speciall flocke or charge assigned him then may he with good conscience receiue the beneuolencie the friendly contributions and rewards of the churches to whom he hath preached And this is probable both by the word of God and the examples of the apostles themselues Theod. What say you of preachers and lecturers that haue no peculiar flockes nor charges appointed them are they necessarie and may they receiue wages with a good conscience of the flockes and charges where they preach the word of God Amphil. First you aske me whether preachers and lecturers that haue no peculiar â—locks nor charges of their owne to attend vpon be necessarie Whereto I aâ—swere That considering the sâ—ate condition of the church at this day they are most necessarie But if it were so that euerie church and congregation had his preacher as euery one ought to preach else is he not sent by the Lord then were they not so necessarie but considering that most churches are planted and fraught with single reading ministers they are verie behouefull to helpe to supplie the defect of the others
excellencie of their calling inferring that those that rule well are worthye of double honour Whereby appeereth that bishops are not onlye needefull in the churches of christians but also most needfull as without whome I can scarcely see how the state of the church could well bee maintained And therefore those that contend that they are not necessarie in a Christian Common wealth shewe them selues either wilfull waiwarde or maliciouslye blinde and striuing to catch their owne shadowes they labour all in vaine giuing manifest demonstration of their more than extreame follie to all the world Theod. Well Let it bee granted as it cannot bee denied that they are moste necessarie yet in this I would verie gladlye bee absolued whether they maye lawfullye vendicate or challenge to themselues superioritie and primacie aboue their fellowe brethren of the ministerie or no for some holde that there ought to bee equalitie in the ministerie and no superioritie at all how say you Amphil. They doe not vendicate or challenge anie superioritie or primacie to themselues ouer their brethren in respect of their common callings and functions for therein the poorest pastor or shepheard that is is coequall with them they themselues will not denie but in respect of dignitie authoritie and honour which the prince and church doth bestowe vpon them So that the superioritie that they haue ouer their brethren resteth in dignitie authoritie and honour which it hath pleased the prince to dignifie them withall aboue their felowe brethren and not in calling function or office for therein they are all coequall togither But if any curious heâ—â—s should demand why the prince should aduance any of the cleargie to such high dignitie authoritie and primacie aboue his brethren I answer as it is in the Gospell Is thine eâ—e euill bicause the prince is good May not the prince giue his gifts his dignities and promotions to whom he will And if the prince of his roiall clemencie be minded to bestowe vpon his subiect any dignity or promotion is it christian avedience to refuse the same Nay is it not extréeme ingratitude towards his prince Besides who seeth not that if there should be no superioritie I meane in dignitie authoritie only the same honorable office or calling would growe into contempt For is it not an old saieng and a true Familiaritas siue aequalitas parit contemptum Familiaritie or coequallitie doth euer bring contempt And therefore take awaye authoritie and honor from the magistrates either temporall or spirituall and ouerthrowe the same altogither If authoritie should not be dignified as well with glorie and externall pompe the better to grace the same to shew forth the maiestie thereof would it not soone grow to be dispised vilipended and naught set by And therefore the more to innoble and set foorth the excellencie of this honorable calling of a bishop hath the prince the churches thought it good to bestow such authoritie dignitie and honor vpon them and not for anie other cause whatsoeuer And therefore seeing it is the pleasure of the prince to bestowe such dignitie authoritie and honor vpon them me thinke any sober christians should easely tolerate the same Theod. Yea but they saie that there â—ught to be no superioritie in the ministerie bringing in the example of the apostles themselues amongst whom was no superiority inequalitie or principallitie at all Amphil. Indeede amongst the apostles there was no superioritie I grant neither in office calling authoritie nor otherwise but al were equall in ech respecte one to another But what than The apostles were sent to preach to the churches and not to gouerne and therefore they choose elders to rule the same but our bishops are as well to gouerne and to rule the churches in some respects as to preach the worde And therfore though there were no superioritie amongst the apostles yet maye there be amongst our bishops in respect of gouerment dignitie and authoritie And wheras they saie there ought to be no superioritie in the ministerie at all I answeare no more there is in respect of euerie ones function forme of calling and office to preach the word and minister the sacraments But in respect of gouernement authoritie dignitie and honor there is superioritie and I am perswaded so ought to be In which opinion vntill they haue disprooued it I meane Christ willing to persiste Theod. But they adde further and say that it strengtheneth the hands of the aduersaries the papists For saie they the papists may as well affirme that christian emperours kings and potentates and euen the churches of God themselues haue giuen to the pope that authoritie that dignitie and honor which he hath or claimeth aboue his fellowe brethren as well as the bishop may say so Besides it confirmeth the opinion of soueraigntie ouer at the churches in the world For say they may not the pope saie that he receiued plenarie power to be head ouer all the world from christian kings emperours and potentates as well as the bishops may say we receiued this power to be superior to our brethren from christian kings and princes Now whether these reasons be a like I would gladly know Amphil. They be verie vnlike and so vnlike as there is no equallitie comparison or semblance betwixt them For first of all let theÌ„ note that the pope nor any of his complices and adherents doe not holde nor pretende to holde no they dare as well eate off their fingers as to say so for then were their state in a wofull case that their archdiuell their god the pope I should say doth receiue his power either of authoritie superioritie primacie souereigntie or head ouer all the world from any earthly creature but immediately from God himselfe But whereas hée sayth that hee receiued his power of superioritie ouer all the worlde from no earthie creature but from God himselfe it is manifest that he receyued it neyther from God for his vsurped power is contrarie to God and to his words in euerie respecte nor from anie christian man but from the Deuill himselfe whose vicegerent or Liefetenant generall in his kingedome of impietie he shewes himselfe to be Than let them note that although hee pretended to holde his vsurped authoritie from man as hee doth not yet is there no man howe mightie an Emperour King Prince or Potentate soeuer that is able proprio iure to giue him authoritie ouer all the worlde without great and manifeste iniurye done to all other Princes as to giue the soueraigntie or chieftie of their Landes from them to a straunger But a Prince may lawfullye bestowe and geue to his subiectes anie prerogatiue title authoritie office function gouernment or superioritie of anie thing within his owne dominions and kingdomes but no further he maye not And therefore this reason of theirs holdeth not that the Pope maye as well arrogate the one to himselfe as the Byshops may the other to themselues Theod. Séeing now it cannot be denied but that