and stars were Gods and gouernors of the world whereas gouernance doth only and truly belong to wittie and reasonable thinges as to God who is soueraigne wisdome To angels as the wisest of his creation to men as illuminated by his spirits But vnreasonable bodies aboue are only instruments of Gods gouernance and therefore cannot but indirectly be called guides and disposers Such iudiciall Astronomy also is comdemned by the law 26. q. 6. Igitur and in many other places of scripture also S. Paule likewise misliketh such practicke in Aronomy where he saith You kéep holy daies and yeares as heathen people do I am therefore affraid quoth he that I haue trauailed about you in vaine to conuert you all and on the same place the glosse reprehendeth the craft of Astronomie very earnestly Such sciences likewise are reproued in Pauls Epistle to the Corin. 10. I shall saith God destroy the wise man and the slight of the subtill and of them that trust so much in their cunning Where also Saint Paule saith Where is now the wise man that setteth so much by his owne wit Where is now the man of law with all his slights Where is now the searcher of nature and the course of kind God saith he hath turned the wisdome of the world into folly I count said Metrodorus that this deuining of things to come which onely depend on the wil of God and mans industries are méere and great follies For no Astronomer by his cunning can tell me my thoughts nor resolue me in succéeding purposes nor how I shal lead my life they know not my counsailes although they sée and speake with me how should they then know Gods will since they neither sée him nor speake with him Themselues cannot foretell or beware of their owne mischiefes and how may he rightly know a star so farre oft that cannot warely escape a pit hard at hand so that as far as I sée the more they worke by their craft the worser they spéed Now trust me said Anthony I like thy present reasons to shew their further arrogance I will thus prosecute my purpose wherby you shall espy their wonderous folly and find that the more they trust in their secrets the lesse they trust in God There will no wiseman as you know write his hid secrets and yéerely busines in the roofe of his hal nor about the wals therof least al men might read them and know them no more will God write what he thinketh to doe in the firmament that therein all fooles might discerne his secrets and forepointments For Christ hid many things from his apostles and said to them Non est vestra nosce tempora vel momenta quae pater posui in sua potestate It longeth not to you to know the times and moments which the father of heauen hath receiued into his power and by the Prophet Esay he said Secreta meū mihi secretum meum mihi I kéepe my secrets to my selfe and since he kéepeth such counsails from his friends much more obscureth he his secrets from his enemies They say that by the secrets of Astronomy they may lawfully tell and deuiue of faire and drie wether of raine and of tempests for they fall by common course of nature quoth Asterius and therefore they may be foreknowne and foretold Asterius answered Anthony as I haue said before the course and kind of planets dependeth on Gods will only and are méerely at his owne disposition as the instrument stands on the workemans hand and in his will to doe there with what he will So that Astronomers by their cunning cannot certainely foretell either drought raine or succéeding tempest neither censure the same by stars as the materiall causes of the same but by the celestiall bodies as by tokens they may know the successe of frost haile snow wet drought and such other things and that knowledge hath the shéepheard in the field the shipman on the sea the bird in the aire the fish in the water and the beasts in the wood far better then all the Astronomers in the world How then may bodies aboue bée tokens of things and not causes said Asterius The falling of soot quoth Anthony in the chimney is a token of succéeding raine but not the cause of raine but the raine rather is cause of the soot falling For when the aire wareth moist then doth the soot through the moisture thereof wax heauie and so falleth downe and in so falling is a token of the moisture of the aire So swetting of water out of the stone is a token of raine yet is it no cause thereof but the raine moisture of the aire is cause of the swetting of the same The melting also of salt when it turneth to water is a token of raine but not the cause Smoake in the house when it passeth not out readily is a token of raine and the blew glowing of fire a token of frost but none of both causes of either The Halo likewise about the Moone a token of wind but no cause al such tokens showing the disposition of the aire but not the cause and in like manner superiour constellations by their light and manner of shining are tokens of wet and drought and such like And as the light of the Sun sheweth the disposition of glasse when it shines vpon it whether it be white or blacke red or gréene and yet is not the cense of the same colors and the Moone in one lunacion and in the same time sheweth in one countrie great tokens of raine and 20 miles off showeth great tokens of drought and so it falleth out yet it is the same Moone and the same lunacion and therefore the same cause in diuersitie is not in the Moone but in the aire In one countrie sheweth wind and tempests in another far otherwise some is made whote by the reuerberation of the sun in another countrie not so but far different In one day also it gloweth in another it fréezeth The sunne showeth his light one time of the day another time it doth not which diuersities stand not on the sunne but on the aire and other causes For the sun of it selfe as Philosophers say is alwaies of one certaintie and shineth euer alike It is not whoter one time then it is at another time But such diuersitie falleth by the diuersitie of the aire and other meanes and causes surpassing mans capacitie Sometimes such aduentures of hunger pestilence tempests drought and inundacions fall out by the ordinance of God for mans sinne and to expresse his might and power Sometime without meane only at his will Sometime by the working of good or euill angels at Gods bidding Sometime by the working of the supernaturall bodies at his bidding For as I first said he may doe with the planets what he will and he may doe without them what he list And therefore by the course of the planets we may know such aduentures and casualties not as being causes thereof
when the smith grindeth a knife or a sword on his grindstone the stone kéepeth and continueth in one course and whirling circularlie about doth so grind any thing as the smith that sitteth aboue ordereth and disposeth it if he will grind sharpe it shall be sharpe if blunt it grindeth blunt if square it grindeth square so as the maner dependeth not on the stone in turning but on his hand in gouerning If he take away the sword or ax the stone grindeth not although it turne and if the smith applie not some instrument it worketh nothing Why euen so fareth it with God and the bodies aboue For the planets are celestiall sphears obserue one circuler course not in their owne direction but as from the beginning God ordered them and as God will so they worke If he will they grind sharpe and cause plagues sicknesse tempests wars and such like they do so and if his pleasure be that they produce plenty worke increase stir calmes and yéeld peace they effect it So God may do with the planets what he will and without the planets what he list yet are they so tied to him that they onlie worke by his ordinance Since God then saith Asterius doth with the celestiall bodies what he will and disposeth them when he will and since he is frée in his doing and vnconstrained by the planets how should man know his secret doomes by celestial influence or determine of his works by y t ordinarierourse of the planets Asterius quoth Anthonie since thou canst not know by the axe when the carpenter will worke nor iudge by the clocke when the clarke will set it nor guesse by the grindstone when or how the smith will grind so neither by celestiall bodies or influence of planets canst thou censure the procéedings of God or iudge what he will ordaine of man or how dispose of kingdomes or when dispeople countries For the planets are Gods instruments and to them is prefixed one certaine and determinate motion from which they may not varie and which they cannot change For frée election haue they none in their doings but God is the soueraigne iudge most rightfull most mercifull most frée and most able to punish to spare to correct and forbeare For his might excéedeth mans reach and nothing may withstand him and for that cause his works and wisdome is not limitted by the planets but as men change their liuing so God disposeth his louing as they flie frō their follies so poureth he down his graces For example we haue Niniuie which for sinne was threatened with distruction within fortie daies and for repentance dismissed from the hand of displeasure yet in this breach of determination the planets altered not their course neither was there any prescience of Gods purpose by influence of celestial bodies We read also in the fourth of the Kings That God sent Esay the Prophet to Ezechias the King because he had sinned cōmanding him to make his testament because he should die We find also written that he trembled at his summons repented him sore wept bitterlie and askt mercie and consequentlie it appeareth by the Prophet Esay Gods messenger to the king that he had receiued his repentance and heard his praiers and that he should not die but liue fiftéene years further Now in this exchange of Gods wrath to mercie what can Astrologie say either of Gods purpose changed or the planets courses altered But that it is apparant quoth Asterius that sodainly the Sun hereon changed his course turned againe to the East and renued the day againe Oh sir quoth Anthony the turning againe of the Sun was not the cause of the mercie of God neither a testimony of his iudgement changed for he altered his doome before the Sun turned againe So that the turning of the Sun was nought els but a token of mercie to the king For right as the Sun changed his course vpon the repentance of Ezechias so God altereth his sentence so soone as man repenteth him of his sinne and therefore the law saith 〈◊〉 deus mutare sententiam si tu noueris emendare delictum God altereth the perill as soone as he knoweth that thou art repentant for thy trespasse It was also a token to the king that Gods behest should bée fulfilled Now sir all the Astronomers that euer were could not foretell that wonderfull returne of the sun because it excéedeth the course of nature and the law of kind and therefore that token proueth sufficiently that God is not ruled by the course of the planets but that the planets are ruled by him Neither that his iudgements are tied to them but their motion directed and ordered by him S. Paul considering this cries out Quis congnouit sensū domini aut quis consiliarius eius fuit Who saith he knoweth the iudgement of God or who was his counsellor Forsooth not vaine Astronomers fantasticke Astrologers cursed inchanters and such like For they are lighter as the French man saith by ten degrées and graines of wit then Triboulet the king foole and thrust furthest from Gods counsaile as men whome he most hateth and therefore Paul saith The iudgements of God are incomprehensible and no man may know them Neither may any man tract his waies or trie his-secrets For they be so medled with mercie and mixt with righteousnesse that they passe mans wit and all humane capacitie Vniuersa vire domini veritas vita Iudicia domini abissus multa The Iudgements of God be of a great depth the waies of our Lord are mercie truth yea so déepe are they as no mans wit may sound them so darke as weak consideration cannot attain them therfore such Astronomers and Astrologers that so much intermeddle with Gods works and so déeply insinuate themselues into his secrets are fond in their diuination diuelish in their intention and condemned in their enterprise You are too strict quoth Asterius old Hermit in reproouing Astronomy and inforce more against Astrologie thē you haue reason for they are not so peremptorie as you iudge but cōclude nothing for certain and determinate onlie this they say That they can measure inclinations of men and dispositions of creatures by the motion of the heauens yet so as by vertue they conclude that both man and woman may ouer come the planets alleaging in this the authoritie of Ptolemey their arch maister who with the Poet saith Sapiens domina bitur astris They concord likewise that by Astronomy they may know when men or women are enclined to war or peace and when by common course of kind tempest should arise famine increase warres take head yet so restrain they themselues y t they confes that both praier may preuent such euill mishaps by course likewise it happeneth y t though the constellations take no effect in one countrie yet in another they may be forcible Well said Anthonie since they can tell me nothing that shall happen but ambiguouslie and doubtfully since their demonstrations
may be concluded rightly that Naturall Magicke is a part of the most vnserched and hidden Philophie which were it come to knowledge of the ignorant and practise of the learned it should quickly leaue the name of Magicke and loose no title amongst all other confirmed sciences when therefore our eies behold or our sences be affected with any such extraordinarie conclusions we are not straightwaies to condemne them as erronious but tò learn to know and censure them the better to increase our iudgements Touching the Diabolicall which consisteth on no naturall causes or forces but is effected by some immateriall and seperable vertue and power It is approued to be by these reasons First because certaine actions thereof are neither subiect to naturall causes nor may be referred to celestiall bodies as for example the oracles and answers of Magitians either for finding treasure discouering hidden things or declosing thefts next because there were some statues of Magitians which gaue answer to diuers questions thirdlie it is apparant that by personall assist or murmuring of exorcisme certaine locks haue béene opened and other such like kind of workes which being neither subiect to the power of nature nor disposed by celestiall influence we must néedlie confesse that such sort of Magicke is relying onlie on vertue immateriall and not on causes naturall If Diabolicall Magicke then in his wonders be so manifold why doth God intending the saluation of man permit and suffer it to seduce him or if there be wonders wrought thereby whether is it by true effects or illusion of the eies and sences said Frumentarius I wil answer thée brieflie my freind to thy present demands said Anthonie first God permitteth Magicke to the end that men weakened in faith should be proued and those who are depraued in manners and credulous in lies should be seduced by their owne desires next touching the effects and works therof I say the most is done by illusion and deceipt of the sences being both false and fained in themselues and done by the vanitie and error of wicked men The proofe whereof and the confirmation of the premisses though it be apparant in the transformation of Circes and Medea so famous and memorable in Poets and others as also in Diomedes men transformed into birds Vlisses companions into beasts and such like yet relie I on this conclusion That whereas of all arts whatsoeuer there remaineth some token work or method worthie memorie as statues Images goodlie buildings and such like yet of Magicke there is neither any Image ring to be heard of principles to be read of only the most is writtē of Zoroastes the inuenter as Aristotle writeth is that he drew many thousand verses but how true he speaketh not so that in truth it séemeth to be a fained thing for the most part building more on illusion then truth although in truth vnlawfull Magicke hath his actuall working How proue you that quoth Metrodorus By scripture answered Anthonie where it appeareth that Pharoahs Magitians conuerted their rods into Serpents Exod. 7. Not as Rauclinus and Rabanus thinke by prestigious and deceitfull illusion but as both schoolemen and fathers anow by true and vntained conuersion Resolue vs yet in this conclusion quoth Asterius whether all works of Magicke be méerlie naturall without relation or dependance on seperate substances And decide vs that opinion of the Peripatetiques and Trismegistus who stronglie maintaine that all works of Magicke are done either by naturall vertue or celestiall influence neither that any argument of seperable substances should be taken from their workings I confesse said Anthonie that some magicall works are méerlie naturall because I haue heretofore confest there is a Magicke naturall knowing it an assured principle in Philosophie that there cannot be a cause without his effects Besides if I should denie it it is confirmed For to effect these wonderful works the Magicians commonlie vse vnknown hearbes which conteine present and forcible remedies against all diseases as it appeareth in the hearbs Corisesia and Calicia which as Plyny in his second booke 17 chapter confesseth doth fréese water and in Meniades whose Iuice healeth the biting of Serpents many other he alleageth which they vse to inforce and expel sicknesses which because they are vnknowne and of swift operation they are for that cause estéemed miraculous of all men And these magitians may know the vertues of these hearbes aboue named either by the tradition of the most famed and renowned Phisitions Pithagoras Democritus Empedocles and others or by reuelation of the deuils which once discouered vnto them and in secret deliuered to their posteritie they may vse them naturally without concourse or assistance of any good or euill spirit There are likewise other works of magitians which are brought to passe by some one Immateriall and seperated vertue and the reason is because ther are certain operations of art Magick which as it is said before are effected by some immateriall seperated vertue power for whereas these kind of works excéed naturall facultie cannot as it shal be made manifest be referred to good spirits it must necessarilie follow that they must haue relation to wicked this sentence is confirmed by the fathers concluded by the schoolemen and made positiue by the lawes How then shall the said work be vnderstood to be done by the vertue of the deuils quoth Metrodorus If works be done excéeding natural facultie they are magicall if otherwise Diabolicall saith Anthony againe those works that are done by ministerie of vnknown words or certaine characters or by such wordes as are both impertinent and immateriall in respect of the operation which is sought or expected they may truly be concluded by the Deuill Againe if there be any rites or peculiar and determinate obseruances as certaine houres a certaine scite of stars or such things as are done by a certain number of crosses or candles although the words be sacred the maner ceremonious yet is the work to be estéemed both magical and diuelish Againe if in their actions or works they vse any thing dissident from their effects their works are not of God but of the deuill Superstitious suffumigations by haire absurd sacrifice by nailes all these in expelling deuils are impious and in inuocating them magicall For if such ceremonies were good Christ and his Apostles had vsed them if they were effectuall Diuels could not be expulsed but by them because they submit to betray and are soly commanded to deceiue Should I suffer you to vrge questions they would grow to infinite and he thus said thus he answered doe quicklie wax tedious I will therefore preuent your doubts by my knowledge and satisfie you by reason in more then you inspect There growes a doubt because selfe like works are wrought by Magicke as by the gifts of especiall grace whether God or good angels he the authors of the same or the Diuell and his erorcists the fautors and furtherers For Apostles haue cast out
reasons For wée may not alwaies know Gods will neither are his secrets to be censured by our sences yet are not these assigned reasons alwaies generall For sometimes a good man hath a wicked sonne and a wicked man a worthie heire for should children alwaies follow their fathers and mothers in goodnesse or wickednesse then should all the right of their reformation and vertue be ascribed to the parents and not to God and the one should haue cause to bée prowd the other yéeld matter to be forgotten and therefore God so medleth one with another moderateth his iudgemēts by his wisdome that the good childrē should not presume on themselues nor be prowd neither the ill should be euer sorrowfull and desperate but should onely trust in God that of the wicked maketh good and of the reprobate righteous It is said quoth Frumentarius that as children be borne vnder diuers signes so are they likewise inclined to diuers trades and estates so that vnder some signe one should be a fisher and vnder some other a goldsmith and vnder some other a scholer It is said is well said quoth Anthonie but it is true is better Many countries know us coiners and many though they know them yet haue no vse of them in a great realm of six hundreth miles in length and two hundreth in bredth there are no coiners but in a place assigned them by the king not by signes or celestiall bodies but by his seale and patent and there are they planted to print money not by Iupiter Mars or Mercury but by the ordinance of his maiestie and if any man coine but those the King hath admitted he shall be punished like a traitor neither can the signes or planets saue his life They likewise that are borne néere the sea or nigh some great water do themselues follow fishing instruct their children in that facultie not by reason of the signs where vnder they are borne but for their better oportunitie and increase of liuing They that are borne from the sea some follow tillage some cloathing the one by reason of vpland the other through abundance of wool some be shepheards some southsaiers so of other crafts and trades as the countrie requireth not according to the disposition of the signes and planetarie circles but according to their natures countries and manners A man likewise that hath many children bindeth them prentice not as the constellations direct him but as his abilitie serueth him So then you may well perceiue that such diuersitie in liuings and change in trades and occupations dependeth on the childrens friends that ordain so for them and not on signes and planets which are neither propitions to the one nor partiall to the other If then the planets haue no power in these things What say you to distenie and her power quoth Metrodorus for Seneca saith Regitur fatis mortale genus and Lucan Regit omnia fatum it séemeth then that all things befortune man and woman by desteny Fond men speake fondly and therefore trust them not said Anthony for as Gregory writeth Absit a cordibus fidelium vt aliquid esse fatam dicatur God forbid saith he that any Christian man should beléeue that there were any fate or destenie For God that made and fashioned man if naught rules gouerneth and ordereth his life according to his deserts and his righteousnes and mercie and to be short man was not made for the stars but the stars for him Yet is the Gospel against you said Asterius for we find that as soone as Christ was borne of his blessed mother his star appeared in the East giuing hereby an assured token and proofe that ech man is borne vnder a certaine star and constellation which is called his destinie for al his after liuing is gouerned therby as both Astronomers and Astrologers confesse vnfainedly It séemes well that to maintaine folly O Asterius foolish men deceiue by folly vsing vntruths to persuade which neither can abide the tast of truth or their triall For the star that appeared at Christs birth had no mastery ouer him but the blessed child was Maister and Lord of the star The star gouerned not the child but the child gouerned the star The star did worship and seruice to Christ and therfore was it called the childs star because the child was Lord of that star as he was of all others For he was and is Lord of sonne Moone and stars and all things whatsoeuer They may not therfore confirm their follies and false iudgements with an Astronomicall iudiciall of the star for as Augustin and other doctors confirm it was no star or planet of the firmament but a preordinate light sent by God al which may be proued both by art and vnfained authoritie For as arts-men confesse Minima stella fixa maior est tota terra The least star in the firmament is bigger then the whole earth euery planet like wise is greater then the earth except the Moone and Mercury which in that they be somewhat lesser then the earth do sometime loose that light they receiue from the sunne by the interposition and shadow of the same as when the earth falleth betwixt the sunne and them and if that be true then if that star had béene so great as another star it should haue ouerwhelmed all the earth for it néerely approched the earth in conducting the kings on their way The stars also of the firmament follow the course of the firmament and in euery day naturall arise in the East and set againe in the West but that star did far otherwise for first it shined both night day without obseruation of the course of the firmament next only directed the right way wherby the Magi were to trauell to Bethléem conducting them to the sonne of iustice which rose out of the cleere skie the Maiden Marie Thee stars likewise in the firmament shine by night but that star appeared in the Horizon both day and night The stars like wise of the firmament shine both to rich and poore to yoong and old to skilfull and vnskilfull but that star appeared only to the Kings and their attendants The stars in the firmament are perpetuall and euerlasting since as the Philosopher thinketh Sola sublunaria sunt caduca but that star had but nine months continuance at the most and if some clarks erre not continued but fortie daies Thē what manner of star was it quoth Metrodorus resolue vs in this difficultie Some schoolemen say it was but the likenesse of a star said Anthony for the Kings had no knowledge of angels but only intended the stars Some say it was the same child that lay in the oxes stall which appeared to the Kings and led them to Bethléem in likenesse of a star and therefore the hymne saith Iacet in praesepio fulgebat in caelo But the common sentence of the learned is that it was a starre newly ordained by God to shew the birth of our
loue by thy counsailes and whether either domage or vtilitie iustice or iniurie and many such like which haue correspondence with the consequence and may not fitly bée numbred in this place in all which good is to be chosen and profit to be taken hate feare iniurie and all such other euils generally omitted and remooued Touching the circumstance whence matters are deriued thou must be very thoughtfull in examining euery word of the counsaile and carefull to consider whether they spring from vertue or vice or from any thing that deseruedly ought to be auoided or from which profit or commoditie may be drawne Touching examination of the cause thou must be very prouident in pondering the reasons thereof and earnestly séeking out the grounds of matters For so Seneca counsailed when hée said search out the cause of euery action and when thou hast found out the beginning bethinke thée of the end not slightly but iudicially dispose thy mind into thrée parts ordinat the present foresée the future and remember that is past for he rightly looseth his life that bethinketh him not of y t which hath past him who neuer premeditates on things to come manageth all things improuidently Propose therfore in thy mind both the good and euill fortunes that may chance that thou maist sustain the one and moderat the other Now since thou knowest how counsaile is to be examined consider likewise how it is to be taken and approued For then is counsaile chiefly to be taken and approued when it is both examined and found to be good and profitable And although the counsaile séemeth good it is not presently to be executed but thou must diligently looke into it how thou canst effect the same For he that commeth to the gouernement of a Commonweale and the management of affairs must not only take consideration that the thing is honest but he must likewise ponder with himselfe if he haue power to effect it In which it is likewise to be considered that he dispaire not rashly for sloth sake or grow lesse considerate through desire and couetousnesse so that in all affairs before they be enterprised thou must imploy a diligent preparation Consider therefore that thou take not too much for as the Prouerbe saith Qui nimis capit parum stringit So that rightly thou oughtest to begin nothing but y t which reasonably thou maist bring to effect Search not quoth Seneca things aboue thy reach only séek y t which may be found learn that which may be knowne desire that which may be wisht for He that desireth to flie before he get him wings is assured to fal before he expecteth it for if thou shouldest only take respect to the goodnesse profit and honor of the affaire only without the consideration of the facilitie possibilitie and conuenience of the same that would fall out which the poet saith Qui plus posse putat sua quem natura ministrat Posse suum superans seminus esse potest And if the counsaile be doubtfull in déed or word thou must rather conceale it then execute it leaue it then take it For it becommeth a wise man rather to be silent by himselfe then to speake against himselfe because it is apparant that many haue béene ouertaken by their talke but few men circumuented by their silence for words are like to arrows which are easily shot out but hardly got in againe In doubtfull matters therefore silence is requisit and actions vncertaine are better left vndone then vnfortunatly hazarded To conclude in al the forenamed so be thou stil instructed by thy selfe and others that all other contraries let slip thou only build and make choice of that which is good true profitable iust and reasonable Now since thou knowest how counsaile is to be taken consider likewise how and in what sort it is to bée retained which is euen then when by proofe and experience it is knowne profitable For proue all saith S. Paule and kéepe only that which is good and that with great constancie for so counsaileth Seneca whē he saith Be thou moouable not light constant but not obstinate It now remaineth that thou learne when thy counsailes or promises may be changed the alteration whereof is approued for many causes for the first cause ceasing and a new succéeding counsaile or promise may be changed and that according to Philosophie which saith that the causes ceasing the effects likewise cease counsaile also can and may be changed it either by error or any other cause it proue vndecent for as Seneca saith Certaine things there be that séem good and are not and certaine other which seeme and are so for verie oftentimes the truth beareth show of a lie and oftentimes a lie hideth the hope of truth Counsaile likewise is to be changed if it depend on dishonest causes or in it selfe be vnlawfull For according to the law and generally all vnlawfull pronuses are of no regard Counsel likewise is to be altered if it be sinfull or pertaine thereto for there is no counsaile against God and of no lesse worth is a promise vnpossible then an assumpsit vnreasonable A wise man lieth not when he changeth his purpose for the better and it is alwaies held a rule among the learned that the counsaile cannot be good which cannot be changed Good father Anthonie quoth Frumentarius I am resolued in all points touching the course of counsel I pray you therfore descend to the discourse of wars for the world being so much giuen to contention there is nothing that should be sooner learned Frumentanus quoth Anthonie I will fit thée in this likewise The discourse of war requireth a long Treatise because it includeth great dangers that must aduisedly be spoken of which rashly followed is ruinous and fatall War in one sort is the mother of inconuenience for it indangereth those too often that hope in it and helpeth those too fondly that should fall by it It is likewise an arme of iustice for were there not armes to reuenge iustice the authoritie of princedome would be too forward in iniuries warre likewise is an effect of vengeance for God sendeth the that are too secure in their peace a mighty sword to confound them in their securitie By war the wicked war rich and the poore fortunat and the effects thereof are such as the hungrie are filled with good things and the rich are sent empty away To conclude war is the Mistresse of confusion making pollicie of confusions and confusions pollicies They that vndertake it must serue the necessities thereof and they that wish for it are the discontented who in affecting innouation in hope to be bettered doe fall on the sword by vntimely death Briefly war is not to be wished for for as Tully saith All libertie is restrained therein and those profits that procéed therof are as well ruins as raisings of a Commonweale The conqueror what winneth he Who to reléeue a few colonies that are inuaded looseth many thousand subiects
whose equals cannot be found out Should I discourse at full of this subiect define deuide subdeuide and examine particulars it would rather require a volume then a discourse such as I can yéeld thée I will therefore only touch things necessarie and leaue the rest to thine own reading instructing thée only in those things which are lawfull and prescribing thée certaine rules when it is lawfull to enter fight and admit contention which may be referred to these eight causes Thou maist lawfully fight first of all for the maintainance of thy faith next for iustice sake Thirdly to maintaine peace Fourthly to conserue liberty Fiftly to auoid dishonestie and turpitude Sixtly to repell violence Seuenthly for the defence of a mans owne bodie Eightly for a necessarie cause First touching war to be vndertaken for faith there is nothing more iust nothing more reasonable neither anie thing more honest for faith is our buckler where vnder we gard all vertues our seale of inheritance our linck of Christianity our aliance with God rather is death to be suffered then religion to be forsaken we ought likewise to fight for Iustice sake euen to the vtterance of our liues for except iustice be maintained Common-weales are ruinated for peace likewise war is lawfull because by peace iustice and communities are maintained war likewise is lawful for the maintainance of liberty and auoidance of seruitude for as Tully saith When time and necessitie require man may fight and a valiant death is to be preferred before a seruile and obscure life for happily is he killed who ignominiously serueth Thou maist also fight to auoid Turpitude for no death is so odious as the indurance of dishonestie Thou maist likewise fight to repell violence for all laws rights permit this to repell force by force In thine owne defence likewise maist thou war for the law saith that what man doth in his owne defence is lawfully done And law of nature likewise teacheth vs to detest iniuries for it is better to withstand in time then reuenge after wrongs Resist thou therefore bouldly iniustice violence and iniurie done vnto thée for as greatly is he in fault saith Tully that resisteth not if he can as he that being of abilitie leaueth both his friends and his countrie Thou maist rightly war also vpon a iust cause as being sommoned by denuntiation and generall proclamation For assuredly that enemie thinketh himselfe strong or in effect is rash and vnaduised that calleth his equall to combate and maketh open profession of displeasure Againe touching war these few notes are to be considered That God hath therefore ordained and commaunded the law of the sword to bring them in peace by the sword that will not otherwise obay the lawes of right and charitie That war likewise is held lawfull it appeareth because God himselfe vouchsafeth the name of the Lord of hostes To conclude battaile according to other is only lawfull in thrée causes First when the cause is rightfull Next the intention good Thirdly if it be done by the authoritie of a lawfull Prince It is néedfull first of all that the cause bée rightfull and that men fight only for the right and to maintaine right and for the preseruation of the communaltie and those that are guiltlesse and would haue peace for as Augustine saith the end of battaile should be peace Their intention also must be rightfull not that they fight for ambition to get the authority or for couetousnesse to get riches or for malice to be reuenged of grutches or for cruelty to murther men For if their intention be wicked though their cause be iust they sinne in manslaughter and for their wicked intention God suffereth them to be ouercome in a rightfull cause it must likewise be executed by the authoritie of a lawfull Prince not raised by iniustice but made by common custome by authority of law by rightfull election for although a man gather a multitude against his prince and by the rebels his followers is made their head yet is he neither to command neither ought they vniustly to obay for both their election in him is vnlawfull and obedience towards him vniust This sufficeth quoth Frumentarius only good Anthony discourse of iustice and thou leauest me well resolued Frumentarius quoth Anthony iustice hath best execucion where there foregoeth good election for a prince that chooseth good iudges is sure his laws shall be well executed First therefore in choice of thy iudges out of many chuse few out of few the wisest out of the wisest the expertest out of the expertest y e most prudent of the most prudent the most quietest of the quietest the eldest for the true and worthie iudge without all doubt must be of a generous noble blood old in years of life honest of little follie much experience in spéech resolute and in knowledge profound The true iudge must not relent by praiers nor be corrupted with gifts nor deceiued with words nor disturbed with threatnings or misseled with money nor ouercome with pittie The good iudge must haue alwaies one hand readie to sustaine the good and the other to punish the wicked A good iudge is hée that dealeth in truth speaketh truth and is a friend of truth and an enemy to liers A good iudge must be wise in that hée commandeth iust in his iudgements and moderat in his executions and that which is more then all that in matters of iustice the determination thereof he shew neither passion nor affection No man in this world is so perfect but there is in him to be amended neither any man so euill that hath not in him to be praised The historie writers doe note Homer of vaine spéech taske Alexander for fury Caesar for ambition Pompey for pride Demetrius for vices Hanniball for periurie Vespatian for couetousnesse Traian for a winebibber Aurelius for amorous Amongst men so great glorious and famous as these Iudges may wel think to be noted of faults and therefore ought to be very carefull to direct a circumspect and warie course in their liues that they may auoid scandalizers and slanderers Iudges likewise ought to bée good Christians and not weake in patience For there is no vertue more requisit in a Common-weale then patience for the iudge that is measured in that he speaketh and dissembleth the iniuries done vnto him he may not lightly fall Those that gouerne people and determin causes much more then other men ought to liue warely and be of more sufferance for as they iudge so are they regarded measured and considered There is nothing in this world more sure as I haue said before then that he which is feared of many ought also to feare many and therefore it commeth to passe that many times the iudge is more damnified in his fame then the sutor in his goods I mean this of iudges who are proud and melancholie But such as are mild and gentle in suffering the people examine not the liues they