much it is an instrument to sow discord among brethrē This cryme of false witnesse can haue no excuse as hath theft nor stayeth not vppon one poynt certaine to do wrong but sometyme it rauisheth a mans goodes sometimes deuoureth his life most often endangereth his honor wherein if in the acte of one of these thrée euyls is sufficient cause of death howe much more is he wretched in whom they all thrée concurre with equall power Salomon compareth it to a Dart a Sworde and to Arrowes as if he shoulde attribute no lesse euyll to it then a wicked man may do with those thrée instrumentes Besides all this he contemneth the Iudge and derides his iudgement and by consequent both God and his iustice beléeuing as an Atheist either that there is no God which vnderstandes his falshood and not punish it or not fearing him stands in carelesse state and defieth him in what he can do against him and so is a contemner and prophaner of Iustice and of him which administreth it in the name of the Soueraigne Iudge the same being a sinne against the first Table in this case The false witnesse is adiured ordinarily in the name of God to speake the trueth and therefore is periured wherein he committes eftsones a crime most damnable for which cause Salomon saith often times that much lesse that he shall escape vnpunished but that he shall perishe miserablie the same falling vpon the two olde Iudges of Israel who falsely deposed against Susanna Therefore gouernours of common weales haue great reason to search diligētly after such plagues and to restraine all pardon and grace from such wretched offendours The wise man saith that if false witnesse bearers were but simplie in the case of lyers théeues they had alredie inherited perdicion much more then in so great cōcurse of offences do they iustly deserue seuere punishment No lesse iustice is due also to their subornors inducing them to lye to periure them selues and depose falsly to the domage of another the like also to all falsefiers with counterfaite stampes signes and seales of Princes or priuate men corrupt Notaries making false contractes caryers of vntrue reportes and lyes to be short the like iustice is due to all other working falshood either by worde writing actes subornation or supposition whether it be in case of doctrine or life Such as deceiue by faire wordes as flatterers by faigned promises as abusers by scoffes as Maskers and Cosoners with other Pharisées Ypocrites and false Prophetes being the children of Satan the great father of lyes and shifting ought to passe vnder rigorous punishment For such falshoodes are not onely preiudiciall to our neighbour but also do derogate for the most part the diuine honour for that God being the trueth it selfe is by lyes and falshood falsified and dishonoured either through ignoraunce of God or for want of his feare which is a kinde of infidelitie ¶ There is a double lust or vnlawfull couetousnesse forbidden vs as the vvife daughter or handemayde of our neighbour by the vvhich is forbidden all fleshly lust and the desire of the vvealth honour and life of any man this couetousnesse is the cause of all sinnes and the resistaunce of it is a counter defence against all sinnes to our neighbour meanes to resist it and not to suffer to seede any roote of sinne for by litle and litle it grovves great and becomes desperate against all remedies The .11 Chapter THE twoo last commaundements forbid concupiscence whiche without this prohibition many woulde haue thought to bée no sinne and are as preseruatiues of the other former which be Thou shalt not lust after thy neighbours wyfe nor couet his house his fielde his seruant his maide his Oxe his Asse nor any thing that is his I call them with good reason preseruatiues séeing God in them forbiddes vs all lust aswell after women pleasures with Gluttony as the desyre of other mens goodes in gréedines In the same is forbidden al coueuetousnesse of Estates honours and dignityes by ambition presumption and glorye and no lesse the thyrste after another mannes life by hate enuye or Auarice Wherein we are expreslie commaunded to beare desire and will to doo pleasure and seruice to our neighbour by the contraye defence to haue no affection or disposition to hurt him This wicked lust is the principall roote and first cause in the corruption of nature to make vs Whoremongers to become théeues to commit murder to enter into false testimony and to be stained with all other vices So that as when the Lawe stoppes the conduittes of these common offences against our neyghbour shée foreseeth that the vices rising therupon ouerflowe no more the worlde So if the first societye comprehended in this lust or thirst after glorye and pride were as well chained that shée issued not out of her vncleane channell whiche is our nature corrupte in Adam restrained by the first commaundements aswell of the first as second Table by the which man is taught to humble and make him selfe nothing before God expressyng the same humility in obedient heart and wyll to such as haue fatherly rule in a common weale there should be no more ouerwening ambition vaine glory nor presumption causes of so many intollerable euylles enuyroning the worlde And hauing remedies in these first commaundements such as God hath prouided for vs we must not fayle to arme our selues therewith and refraine to do the thing wherwith he may be offended The remedyes are fayth holy doctrine continuall prayer and assistaunce of the holy spirite inspiryng into our heartes secrete mocions to do well together with diligent exercise of vertue and studie of moral and pollitike disciplines by the which we are enterteyned Ciuilly in a state of common duetie towardes our neighbours and common weale Let therefore gouernours of common weales vse prouidence that of these originall springs there issue out no infect or corrupt ryuers which then comes best to passe when diligence is most applyed to youth to exercise them in good doctrine loue to vertue the better to entertaine those graces which they haue receiued in their first renouatiō by faith baptime For as it is a thing easie that a Tree notwithstanding in her first nature she be wylde and sauage yet beyng well griffed doth bring foorth and deliuer to her labourer good and swéete fruites with continuaunce of the same fertilitie being relieued at the roote and often lycoured euen so it is easie to a Christian when he is griffed and renued in Iesus Christ by baptisme where he hath taken the holy Ghost the aucthour of euery good worke to bloome in good wyll florish in doctrine fructifie in all good workes the roote of that trée being holy spirituall diuine taking her norriture of the worde of God and which Trée is made liuely by the holy spirite augmented fortified enterteyned by the sacraments specially by the sacrament of the Communion which is the liuely foode of the life present and a comfort in all tribulations Thus may the Magistrate pollitike reléeue the infirmities of his people and kepe them from the desire of euyll and corruption in wicked wyll which is the cause of all wicked workes as
hir as his proper fleshe and as Iesus Christ loues his church chastely vnfainedly and perfectlie Thirdly that she be to him as to hir lord and head obedient and yeld to him all honor as the churche doeth to Iesus Christ wher of she is a figure resisting him in nothing but honor him with francke and liberall affection We read Sara exercised the same dutie to hir husband Abraham and called him Lord of whome so honorable a mother in the scripture wiues in all ages ought to be as good daughters and folowers aspiring to hir vertues the wiues of Jacob also yelde to the will of their husband and thought the greatest effect of their dutie consisted to obey him Fourthly with this obedience sayth S. Paule she ought to feare and please him and not greue him at any time as the church sheweth hir an example in hir behauiour to hir deare spouse it is writtten howe Vasthy Quene of Assiria for that she fell from feare to disobey and displease hir husband Assuerus was refused of him and in hir place Hester was receiued for amongst hir other vertues she bare a name to be gratious and of great humilitie Let hir consider that she was giuen to man to be an ayder and a comfort to him so that as often as she findes hir husband perplexed with much busines cares gréefes displesures losses dishonors with other like accidentes and disquietts of the world it belonges to hir office to bring consolation to him in modestie and discresion as Micholl did to hir husband Dauid who suffering passion for the heauie malice that Saule bare to him found comfort in his wife and councell to flée taking vppon hir the remedie of his perill that might come by pursuit Lethir not be as those foolish women which the scripture condemneth I meane the wiues of Job Tobias who in place to recomfort those good Fathers so heauely laden with affliction reproched vnto them that their good works were the cause of their miseries and wickedly sayd that for their good they had recompence of euill not considering that as God vseth to proue his people by tribulation so he can giue them power patience to endure them and at his pleasure deliuereth them to their great praise and happines Let hir neuer giue wicked counsell to hir husband as did Jezabel who séeing hir husband Achab in desier to haue the vine of Naboth counselled him to worke his death by suborned iudges and witnss s and so receiue the vine by confiske for the which wrechednes fell vppon hir vppon him and their whole race what other successe folowed the wicked perswasion of the first woman to hir husband then the coommon ruine of all the world In this men ought to be most circumspect to heare nothing of wiues tending against God or his honor euen no lesse belongs to the office of the wife to administer no wicked aduise for that as she is giuen to hir husband to be to him as a worker and cause of God so if she finde in him any impression of wicked will it belonges to hirto vse diligence to remoue it according to the example of Pilates wife whose perswasions if hir hubsand had beleued he had not ben the morderer of the sonne of God yet the wife is bound to this iustice in hir duetie to restore any default hir husband makes as did Abigail the ritch Nabals wife who vnderstanding that hir foolish husbande had retorned the people of Dauid not only with out the effect of their demaund but had done iniurie to them and taken their master tooke great store of vittells and went to méete Dauid whome shée doubted not to be iustlye displesed comming to commit all to sacke and spoyle she so appeased him with modest gratious and wise spech that he did not only dissolue his enterprise but tooke hir afterwardes to his wife when he vnderstood Nabal was dead Lastlie let the husband remember that if he receiue good counsell from his wife not to reiect it such as was the aduise of Micholl and that which Sara gaue to Abraham to expulse Hagar and his sonne Jsmaell which God ratified by a consequent commaundement to do so ¶ Still touching the dutie of the wife Chapter iij. FIftly if in the husband be vnquiet moodes or mind of anger if he bée an euill liuer yea an infidell the wife is commaūded to be humble modest pacient and also of so good conuersation that by hir vertues she may reclaime the wickednes of hir husband so did Moniqua the Mother of Saint Augustine winne hir husband being a Pagan Saint Paule perswades hir much to that dutie seeing that by those meanes at the least she workes this good that hir children which should haue ben dissolute are by hir institution and example sanctefied This vertue of modestie and pacience is declared to women in the ceremonie of the Doues which wiues offred in their purification signifying that they ought to beare the importunitie and angrie natures of their husbandes by the humilitie and méekenes of the Doues who enduring the continuall pecking and crying of the Cocke doues much lesse that they abandon them séeing they neuer mislike or are angrie nor do any thing to their displeasure Sixtly the wife is bound to the circuite of hir owne house without libertie to iorneyes or voyages no not to go from house to house being also forbidden to wydowes nor to walke the streates as one séeking aduētures yea she is tied to modest humilitie as the vine or latteise is fastned to the walles of the house which is neuer remoued else whether she ought to be a carefull huswife to gouerne hir house wisely to trauell diligētly and to kéepe hir seruants and handmaydes in office not giuing them any occasion of disorder or ill thought Let hir read the last Chapter of the Prouerbes of Salomon wherein she shall finde the lesson of a huswife or Mother of a familie rising early with hir maydes and seruants to enter into trauel and not to take vppon hir the state of a great Lady being a huswife and much lesse hunt after hir pleasure and delites as a worldly and Pagan woman nor decke or make hir selfe glorious bycause of hir beautie which she ought to estéeme as deceitfull vaine and transitory No let hir feare God in whom is reposed hir glory yéeld to no other desires then the care of hir estate requires fashioninge hir attire according to the honour rate of hir calling and yet with such modestie as the mind though there be no oportunitie to the fact be not corrupted with vaine glory and wantonnes Let hir leaue precious embrodery and carquanets to great Princes whose estate tollerates those sumptuous attires and was thought well of in Hester specially ioyning to those braue outward ornaments a heart repleat with inward humilitie To honest matrons seeking reputation by their chast and vertuous liues let it be a shame to be séene in such dissolute habits
iudged them to be things fatall as the Phariseis In which confusion and hardned obstinacie few men finding that it was the hand of God and his word to bée true whereby without conuersion they deserued extermination God willed Ieremie not to pray for the people as withall Moyses and Samuel fauoured of God their prayers so often hard Noe Job and Daniel aboue others no lesse dearly beloued of him made continuall supplications for that obstinat and peruersed people whom hée would not he are in their prayers not to slaughter that people destroy their city which is a furie of god irrecoÌ„ciliable wherin Jeremie praieth him not to correct theÌ„ but in iudgemeÌ„t for there he vseth not the rod to administer discipline but liftes vp the barre or rodde of yron wherewith he threateneth to breake the heades of such as obstinatly and arrogantly rebell and will not hearkeÌ„ to his word for so in the time of Noe he destroied the world with the flud subuerted Sodome and Gomorha and led in such displeasure the Jsraelites that were vnbeléeuing disobedient and â—utiners that as Dauid saith they could not enter into the land of promise because they were vnfaithfull and held no reckoning of gods word and after wards for the same abuses suffered them by the Assirians and Romaines to be ouerthrowen their temple battered and their towne raised which is a punishment of the reprobate ¶ How God some times punisheth a whole people for a secret sinne howe Gouernours ought to enquire therof to the ende miserie happen not to the whole common weale Chapter vj. AS we haue séene in what sort God striketh for sinnes that be manifest so let vs consider whether for the secret offences of some particular meÌ„ he punish not euen a whole Nation In which if Gouernours sée publike scourges or roddes of God vpon a whole kingdom as common sicknes famine warre such like punishments vnderstand no publike offences let theÌ„ searche out the cause the better to prouide and worke reconciliacion as we sée good phisicions sift out the causes of the sicknesses of mans bodye wee spake while eare of the shameful confusion in the battel against the Chananites of whom they were ouerthrowne where they should haue had victorie By which punishmeÌ„t as it was wel showed to Josua that the people had sinned or at least some of them for the which God was iustly angrie so not being able to knowe where the fault was he referred the inquisicion and truth of the matter to lottes by which it was found that Achan was guiltie so when Saule sawe that god would not auswer in any common maner to the which was asked of him touching the successe of the warr against the Philistines he knewe God was angrie for which cause laying Lottes vpon all the families hée so examined it from linage to linage that at last the lot fel vpon Jonathaâ— who was found guiltie of the diuine indignation We read that in the common famine of Israell in the tyme of Dauid when none knewe that the common trespasse of the people had deserued it Dauid demaunding answer of god by the priest was told that there was no other cause of the famine then the wrong that Saule had done to the Gabonites to whom Josua and the princes had sworne that thei should haue no harme And therfore as there must be iustice done for the trespasse so the Gabonites required vii children or successors of Saule to be put vpon a gibbet after which execution plentie and aboundance of al things renued ouer al the land By which example be it spoken by the waye appeareth how God for the trespas of one in particulare punisheth a whole communaltie not immediatly after the fact but with long expectation as euen in the tyme of Saule Samuel by the commaundement of God gaue charge to Saule to go sacke the countreys of the Amalachites and to passe by the edge of the sword womeÌ„ children and beastes without dispense or grace giuinge a reason of that extréeme iustice for that those people had done many oppressions to Israel resisted them in their voyage out of Egipt into Chanan being more then fiue hundreth yeres betwene the offence and the reuenge oftentymes god takes a great leasure to punish sinnes aswell to show his patience as to declare his bouÌ„tie exspecting the repentance of people and yet as it is most true that there is no sinne which either early or late is not suer of his punishment if the author do not iustice on him self So withall by these textes and examples it is easy to vnderstand that God neuer sendes affliction to a whole nation but for sinne which when it appeareth brings with it sufficient coniecture and iudgemeÌ„t that for some trespasse god is prouoked to punish them which we sée not alwaies happen to one in particular for often times he endureth either to kepe him from offending as S. Paule confesseth of him self who suffred a great affliction in trouble of mind persecution torment of sathan to the end he presumed not for his reuelacions or else for proofe of his patience with the auncieÌ„t fathers and specially Iob or lastly for the manifesting of his glorie in the deliuerance But here is no question of sinne to be the cause of such euill and therefore because gouernours mai aske how they may know that secret sinne is the cause of a calamitie séeing that neyther the lot is now in vse nor we haue not reuelacions by oracles or prophecies I sai that albeit the secret cause of a common affliction can not be known yet by sermons there ought to be indeuor to stir vp euery one to thinke and enter into him selfe declaring that right wretched were he for whose cause so many people shold endure as it happeneth oftentimes wheÌ„ a prince transgresseth because the fault is publike as was the of Dauid who also required to be only afflicted not the people that had not sinned at the least so horribly neither is it to be doubted but as God promised Abraham to preserue Sodome if he found but ten good men so also if ten come to God in praier wholly conuerted into continuall fastes almes penances but specially priests as did they of the time of Joell it is no doubt but they shal be heard Touching lots I hold it not méete that they be vsed in thinges vaine but in matters serious on the which the honour of God depends such as cannot be decided by certaine iudgement as we find the Apostles did in the election of S. Mathie which notwithstanding was not done without inuocation of the name of God prayer wherein there is no doubt but god will direct the lot according to his will as is witnessed in the text of Salomon the lots sayth he are put in the bosome of some and are teÌ„pred or gouerned of God And so to returne to the matter of the euils
Conflictes against vices So that theyr office standes onelye vppon these that they Preache sincerelye and Catholikelye and administer the Sacramentes Holylye if they bée Pastours let them feede the Shéepe of Iesus Christ with good Doctrine and holy example not regarding more the fléese then the flocke Let them admonishe priuately secréete Sinners to doo penaunce Rebuke suche as bée Publike seuerelye committing the impenitent to punishment Let them suffer no scabbed Sheepe in theyr Flocke and yet trauaile to heale them as all other maledyes Let them sustaine suche as bée weake and aboue all let them so prouide that no Woolues enter into theyr Shéepe fooldes and if they bée entred let them searche by all meanes to hunt them out with good Dogges I meane good Preachers whose zeale wyll not suffer them to spare to barke not onelye against Heresies but also against sinnes al abuses the onely causes of the greatest part of Schismes and conspiracies in al partes of the world Let them well consider of the Text of Ezechiel If they haue fayled sayeth hée to instruct well suche ouer whome they haue charge and that by theyr default any bée lost they can not bée saued But if they vse Faith and diligence in the execution of theyr charge being ayded with the trauaile of good Scolemaisters for the instituction of Youth in good learning and manners besides the reuerend commendation and felycitye that will growe to them selues by their industrie and dutye Ecclesiasticall the secular estate also shal be discharged of great care and trauaile in the correction of many dissolute and hurfull men to Common Weales who for want of good instruction shal nourishe hurtful members to the perril of their common ruine and miserye vntill this estate of the Churche bring foorth true effectes of their function and dutye and that young children bée diligentlye trained in Doctrine and vertue For euen as our bodye materiall replenished with humours corrupt if it bée not pourged by some inwarde Medicine wyl alwayes throwe out to the vtter partes Blaines Apostumes and Vlcers or at least engender Catars that the Surgeon sometime in vaine is dryuen to applye outwarde remedies where in déede there was this one conuenient remedye to make cleane the bodye within euen so the bodye Polletike corrupted by innumerable Vices ought to bée made cleane by inward Doctrines the true Medicines of Soules administred by Priestes and Wise Pastours otherwayes it will bée perpetuallye couered with a Scorfe of infinite factions Sedicions Heresies and other sinnes So that it is necessarye that this estate Ecclesiasticall agrée with the other not onelye in diligence and dutye to administer good Doctrine but also to shine by liuelye examples and Actes of good lyfe making cleane mens consciences by holye documents and wholsome exhortacions So shal it bée easie to the Magistrate of the Pollecy Ciuill to correct and cut of all Wheales and other outward Impostumes I meane all enormities offending their common weales This is in effect the brotherly concord deare coniunction which ought to stande indissoluble betwéene these two estates for the gouernment of this Christian man as well touching the health of his Soule as his assured tranquilitye in Ciuill societye with the preseruation of his life and goodes ¶ The Faultes of the Clargie ought to be corrected Gouernors ought aboue al things to prouide good Preachers that the rude and plaine sort should be taught in familiar doctrine all sortes ought to be constrained to be at the Sermon such constraint is aucthorised by the Scripture and is both profitable to the common vveale and vvholsome to suche as are constrained ⧠The .5 Chapter WHen the Clargie or estate Ecclesiasticall shal faile in their dutie I meane if the pastors bée careles to execute theyr vocation or negligent in the function of their charge and office wherein they are many wayes aduertised by the Scripture and being solicited thereunto by the Magistrate they ought to be constrayned by iustice as the auncient Canons and laste counsel haue ordeyned if in them selues bée no habilitye to preach at least let them substitute in their places men of sufficient facultie knowledge will to do it wherein the magistrate hath power to ioyne with them to finde out men expedient for that vse as Preachers in whose grauitye of life is expressed the Doctrine whiche they ought to pronounce to the people Let them reade certayne dayes in the wéeke and spend the Sabboth daye in Preaching publikelye in Churches In the morning let them propound to the simple and rude multitude a familiar instruction in the principles of Christian profession expounding to them first of all the Doctrine of the Articles of Faith the commaundementes of the Lawe and statutes of the Churche the misterye of Sacraments and their vse together with the Lords praier interpreting al thinges by sincere order and in such popular sence and Doctrine that euen litle Children maye easilye comprehende it the same to bée continued from yéere to yéere with such necessary repeticion as nothing bée omitted by him to whome the exposition belongeth At publike Seruice where is commonlye a presence of the principall of the Parishe let the Epistle bée expounded and at after noone the Gospel interpreted the scripture geues commaundement that if the Preacher bée learned and holye al the inhabitauntes ought to congregate in audience as was commaunded to the people of the olde Lawe to assist the Lecture of Deuteronomie yea euen the litle Children of all Iudea And because many men eyther by a Vice in nature or corruption of maners carrye this frowardnes that without compulsion they will not bée drawen to doo or bée good it belonges to the Magistrate who is to aunswere before the Iudgement seate of God if in his common weale hée nourishe by negligence or by conniuencye dissemble any vice to drawe them to the hearing of the worde by perswasions and al easy meanes and where they finde no willing conformetye in any let there bée constraynt by fine and afterward according to the nature and continuaunce of their resistaunce to Gods woorde whiche can not bée but a kinde of infidelitie to procéede by seueritye and rigour of Iustice And as these Lordes Gouernours and Magistrates are as fathers to their common weales so they â—ught in their regiment to expresse no lesse affection of fatherly will and aucthoritye to their Citizens and subiects then in a naturall Father nature demaundes to his proper Children whom by the propertye of his zeale and loue he hath power to constraine them to doo what he thinks méete for their aduauncement when hée findes them voide of wil to doo it frankely oftentimes hée makes his Sonne take a bitter medicine to cure his sicknesse and as occasion requireth makes incision in his vlcer whiche coulde not bee healed but by fire muche more ought the father pollitike to constraine him to receiue a spirituall medicine for whome hée is exercised in great care to cure his
Gospell according to the simple letter all the worlde for the newnes ronne to it with great affection wherin this euil is happened that such as would vndertake to preache teach were men of passions enuiors of the Clergie Apostats and of a wil depraued they in some sorte adultered and corrupted by collour of Religion and with theyr intising eloquence the trueth of the Gospell and vnder Hony they haue caused poyson to bée founde good Wherunto must bée applied an Antidot by Preaching of sincere Doctrine and reforming theyr dissolute and infamous liues which if it had béene done there is no doubte but trueth had easely supplanted falshod corruption of maners being so annexed to the sinceritye of Doctrine Let therfore such Curates as will not allow Sermons geue place to these reasons and chaunge iudgement And let them not tarye the assaults of the enemies but prouide in oportunitye and prepare theyr parishoners by the meanes which Saint Paul aduiseth Titus to fight with Heretikes geuing them suche courage and constancye as they can not bée shaked If they saye they ought not to heare Heretikes nor dispute with them I say with Saint Paul that if I had aucthoritye to commaunde I would do it But they haue reason to saye so for men bée curious of nature and as Salomon sayeth the eye is neuer content with séeing nor the eare with hearing new thinges speciallye when men thinke they are not yll By this it happeneth that the Catholikes hearing no doctrine afore receaue easily false Prophets when they beginne to Preache the rather when they pronounce that they are the messengers of health and euerlasting life Where if the simple multitude had been taught by their Curates and defended with good disciplines they had not receyued the imaginations of light braines nor béene allured with theyr dreames And being drouned in this Sugred poyson in whiche they dye sweetely and yet féele not theyr wretched death they wil not easilie take cure but Scoffing at theyr Curates they fal also to hate them as enemies when they seeke to geue them purging wholsom Medicines But in this case it is no office of the Pastour or Priest to crye out of them with imputations of Heresy thinking they are well reuenged when they haue discharged theyr coller against them No let them rather study and practise the meanes to conuert them and praying to God for them let them take héede that others that yet doo stande fall not into such errours ¶ In howe muche good Phisitions are necessary to common vveales by so much such as bee euill are hurtfull and daungerous VVho ought to bee chosen Phisitions in a Toune The .8 Chapter HAuing alreadye deduced at large that the twoo estates Ecclesiastike and ciuil bée as necessary for the gouernmēt of the world as the soule and bodye in man to execute his humaine and natural actions And that Religion and the Lawe the Priest and the Prince the Preacher and the Magistrate can not bée disioygned without perrill of disorder confusion and present ruine It falles nowe to conuenient purpose that wee adde to these two estates two others as subsisting them and in nature verye necessarye accessaries to Publike estates I meane the Maisters of Schooles with their Vshers and Phisitions with their Surgeons and Pothicaries euen as vnder the Title of Pastours wee comprehende also Priestes and other orders and with the name of gouernours wée signifye Iudges and all such as are incident to them in the action of Iustice Touching Scholemaisters who bée as Liefetenaunts to the Pastours and polletike rulers in the regiment of Youth wée wil forbeare to speake of them for this time referring them to the treatise of Colledges appointed to the .v. Booke where wée meane to holde speciall discourse as of a matter not leaste necessary in a common weale Concerning Phisitions learned Faithful Wise and experienced to whom is ascribed the special gouernment of diseased bodies with the disposing of preseruatiue remedies for al infirmityes by whose meanes may bée brought to common weales no small commodities It belongs to wise gouernours to entertaine such wholsome members for their common weales honourably induing thē with competent estate according to the merite of their profession which ought to stand vpon learning trust graue experience for as in such men their arte being wiselye administred is layd the occasion and ground of many commodityes in a worlde whome antiquity hath not stucke to Canonyze honour as Gods as Apollo his sōne Esculapius euen so by the ignorāt and prentise Phisytions in whom is more rashnes then grauitie of iudgement or practise common weales are subiect to many perrillous accidentes And where good Phisitions are called the Coadiutour ministers Tutors and Conseruers of Nature and as it were deliuerers of men from sorrow and vnnatural death So to the others by good reason is geuen the name of deceyuors Abusers Robbers Poisoners and Murderers of men And therfore if the common Iugler or Abuser of the people bee whipt thorow stréetes if théeues bée hanged if poysoners bee brunt and murderers executed vppon the whéele or at least suffer Iustice by the sworde What punishmentes are due to such Blood spillers not Phisitions but by vsurpation of name and place ought not they at the least to make restitucion of the Ritches stollen with such iniquity And eyther causing or hastening the death of a poore diseased man both by want of skill in his arte and application of Medicines contrary to the state of his disease Is there not good merite of death This miserye hath happened by this abuse in maney worldes according to the Testimony of Plinie in his time that hée no soner geues out his name in the Citie and countrey to bée a Phisition Shewing him selfe to the foolishe multitude Araied in a Phisicke gowne with Ringes on his fingers Ietting vp and downe the Stréetes with a Potticarye who hath his share in the spoile But hée shal be saluted with the reuerent name of Maister Phisition where perhappes hée neuer saluted the knowledge of Phisicke but a farre of or at least lacketh ten yéeres studye in the arte If hée haue once made a receipte of Catholicon or Rubarb or stolne it out of the practise of some good Phisition or beguiled some Pothicaries shop Or which is more if hée take into cure any patient who hath lien long languishing in bed as there bée diseases of great continuance in respect of humors corrupt abounding Colde Rawe and Liquide and of suche contumacie that they will not geue place to remedies yea if it happen that this patient recouer in the handes of this reuerent Doctor which ministred nothing but some olde Iulep or drinke Lastlye if this pretended Phisition chaūce to minister to the patient which experienced men for good cause dare not do some sirope of Rosewater and then hée rise to health they will forthwith pronounce miracles vppon him as healing desperate Cures and such as other Phisitions
none shoulde be receiued into the degrées of Doctours without proofe of so long time studie after he be admitted to the state of Maister of Arte wherein if they haue not studied seriuslye or haue aspired to the degrees by fraud and supposition of witnesses or if they haue conuerted to other exercise the time that shoulde haue béen reserued to searche out that knowledge they committed wrong chiefly to God with whom it is not lawfull for any to enter into degrée and aucthoritie to teache if hée be not expert in all his Lawe To this may be ioyned the prouidence of the elders by whom it was ordeyned that in this case none shoulde employ time in other studie then in the Scriptures to the ende that beyng resolute in that knowledge the worlde shoulde not bée led in errours and false doctrines It were therefore a good order to be obserued in Vniuersities and places of congregation not to sende any young Preachers or Nouises into the countrey before they haue expressed their doctrine afore the auncientes and multitude of the religion that in the same exposition wherin they must teache their congregation abroade neither adding nor diminishing when they shall preache to the multitude For other wayes there were daunger that without this long custome or diligent exercise of priuate preaching these young prentises woulde deliuer to their audience suttle and false propositions which we call either vaine doctrines or heretical although they helde them without any wicked or peruerse wyll Besides hauing once pronounced them they woulde be ashamed to renounce them and so the people in the meane while should stand seduced And if they do renownce them the multitude woulde not afterwarde beléeue them easily because in opinion they woulde holde that they were constrayned to denie them as we reade that Berengarius was not able to reduce those whom he had seduced by ignorance So that as there woulde be alwayes feare of some errour so it coulde not be without blasphemie to the trueth of the Scripture to suppose in place of the same a falsehood and that in the Pulpit which being the seate of trueth such as are appointed to pronounce it ought to haue knowledge of good iudgement great wisedome perfect vnderstanding and holy affection pretending no other ende or purpose but the honour of God and health of soules without aspiring to particuler glorie séeing all glorie is due to God Let them beare no affection to couetousnesse and much lesse to please men but studie and preach to edifie forbearing for malice to any singuler person to exhibite bityng inuectiues in generall speache and lesse against estates Here when we speake of Preachers who ought to be such in all perfection of excellencie we meane Curates and Pastours which by the charge and duetie of their Pastorall profession are actuallye bounde to discharge that estate For as all other Preachers are but their Vicars so if it belong to the Curate to be no lesse learned then his Vicar is it not then contrary to all order and reason that he shoulde be raised into estate and dignitie aboue others if he expresse not greater perfections as in wisedome doctrine experience and vertue Why is the head raysed aboue the other members of the body but because he is endued with more excellencies of nature I wishe that none shoulde make practise of this profession without knowledge of all the Scripture and absolute interpretation of the holy Doctours which if it had béen obserued in the first institution the Church had béen replenished with learned and feruent Pastours Neither had the worlde swarmed with these newe opinions if they had well studied and obserued the Doctours of the Church This reformation also belonges to such as enter into the exercise of the lawes and all others that aspire to offices for the function of which belonges singuler knowledge to vnderstande the lawe and mainteyne it in all Courtes and not to lose anye lawfull cause by ignoraunce or for not being resolute in the Lawe in which default or if by corruption the equitie of a good cause be confounded the Lawyer is bounde to iust restitution ⧠God hath erected Phisicke and vvilleth that the Phisition be honoured but that vve vnderstande that all sicknesse comes of him and therefore vvoulde haue vs to aske health of him and to pourge our consciences of sinne Abuse of Phisitions vvith counsell hovve to kepe vs from diseases ⧠The .10 Chapter LYke as the Almightie as the wise man saith hath created Phisicke for necessitie the same appearing in so manye sortes of Hearbes Plantes and medicional Droages together with manye other things profitable to preserue and restore health wherein there is a dignitie and honour to the Phisition as the Minister of the same highe God So wée are tyed also to this further consideration that séeing our diseases for the most part and most often deriue congruentlye of our sinnes it is requisite with the aduise of the Booke of Wisedome to offer our selues to God in prayer and penaunce for remission of our sinnes to the ende Phisicke maye succede to good profite in his vs For if the cause of our sicknesse remaine stil in state and nature the arte and indeuour of the Phisition bringes forth no other effect then an increase and innouation of infirmityes and doeth profite no more then the Surgeon who thinketh by Plasters to heale an Vlcer within the body which hath already corrupted and putrified the boanes The same being the cause why in olde time men called first vpon the spirituall Phisition in confessing and receyuing Iesus Christ Much more ought wée to repose in God then in the phisition with prayer that hee dispose vertue into the Medicine for the Cure of our diseases If wée pronounce blessing and Grace vppon the meate which wée eate euery day and sanctify it by the word of God why should wée not reserue the same deuoute reuerence speciallye where the matter is of more great and necessary importaunce Ochosias in his sicknes hauing recourse more to his phisitions and supposed Gods then to the God of almightye power was tolde by Helizeus that hée should dye Aza suffering paine in his feete whiche grewe to a goute put confidence in Phisitions and neuer demaunded Cure of God whereby hee coulde not bée healed And albeit the phisition hath power ouer such diseases as haue theyr naturall causes as such as come eyther by Surfet of meate and drinke or superfluety of distemper Yet if God bée offended let the patient offer reconcilement by repentaunce and demaunde cure of him But where immediatly God sendes the disease it is in vaine to apply Phisicke without there bée first a reconsilemēt as is expressed in the sicknes of Ezechias So that in al infirmities let vs first haue our recourse to God and then resort to the indeuour and art of the phisition Like as also in such as bée true Christian Phisitions and vnderstand the counsel of God it is
are vnder theyr Prince being the generall Iudge vppon earth to drawe into déepe consideration the aduertisement of the wise man expressed in these wordes Loue iustice you that iudge the earth power is geuen you of the Lorde and the vertue of the soueraigne God communicated vnto you hée will examine your workes and search out your thoughtes And because you are the administors of his kingdom and haue not pronounced good iudgement and much lesse obserued the law of iustice nor walked according to his wyl there wyl appeare vpon you a horrible iudgement as a due sentence executed vppon suche as beare rule mercye is shewed to the litle ones but the mighty shall endure gréeuous torments Such as hée meaneth shal be punished which are those that doo not good iustice sée him in this sort interpreted to them afore the same being the cause why the scripture so cōmonly exhortes the Iudge to Iudge wel thou shalt not O Iudge sayth God in Leuticus doo that which is vnrighteous meaning thou shalt doo nothing against the Law nor intangle thy iudgementes with iniustice thou shalt not haue regard to the person of the poore man by pitye to take awaye the punishment of his transgression amongest other offendours and muche lesse shalt thou honour the face of the mightye to gratifye him in iustice but doo iust iudgement to thy neyghbour In the Booke of Nombers hée speaketh to the Iudges you shal not take the price of the blood of him which is condemned to haue spilt it but let him dye forthwith by your iudgement It is is sayd in Deuteronomy thou shalt ordaine in all the portes of thy Tounes whiche God hath geuen thée through euery family Iudges to iudge iustlye not declyning eyther to the one part or to the other Thou shalt not O Iudge admit acception of person in case of iudgement thou shalt haue no respect whether the man bée Ritche a great Lorde thy Parent Friende neighbour or familiar to the ende to minister fauour neither shalt thou take any presents for presents doo blind the eyes of wise men chaunge the wordes of the iust meaing the oftentimes they put in the mouthes of honest men other language to peruert iustice then they spake afore Thou shalt pursue iustly that which is iust to the ende thou maist liue happely and possesse the lande which thy God will geue thée if thou obey him This Lawe was plainely and fully executed by Iosaphat King of Iudea who erecting Gouernours and Iudges through all the Townes of his kingdome prescribed them these commaundementes folowing take good héede saith he to the duetie of your estate for you exercise not the iudgement of a man but of the great God by whom euen all the iudgementes which you shal geue be they good or euyll shal be returned vppon you that that is good shall bring foorth benefite to your saluation that that is euil shal resolue to your destructiō Aboue all thinges holde before your eyes the feare of God and in cases of your estate and office whether it concerne Inquisition examining of witnesses confrontment of parties pursuite of euyll men or execution of iustice in what sort so euer vse diligence with integrity distribute right to parties according to Lawe and conscience For there is no iniquitie in God as who say he doth no wrong to any man nor hath no power therevnto being Iustice it selfe but hateth all such as commit iniquitie there is not with him exception of persons nor any lust to receiue presentes whereby he warneth all Iudges to iudge in the same qualitie that hée iudgeth that is in right and equitie in trueth and iudgement This was long time before recommended to posteritie by Moyses as being the Liefetenaunt of God whom he calles the God of Gods Lorde of Lordes the mightie and terrible God with whom is no respect of persons nor hath his handes defiled with presentes he that geues iustice to the Orphane and right to the widdowe euen hée that beares affection to the straunger and furnisheth him with foode and clothing by this all Magistrates are warned to suffer no iniurie to be done to poore people who much lesse that they haue any common support in the worlde but of the contrarye they stande subiect to scoffes rebukes and afflictions of the wicked oftentimes to sturre them to a more zeale to straungers he biddeth them remember that they haue béen straungers in Egypt To this he addeth in another place that who doth not obey the commaundement of the Priest at the time when he doeth his ministerye meaning when he is in the exercise of his office as preaching teaching and instructing in Ciuill and common dutye the iudge hath power to condemne him to death thou O Iudge shalt cut of by death euerye wicked man al wickednesse in Israel as the rebellious proude arrogant and all other expressing a wicked will by any dissolute acte the which when the people shall heare or see they will feare neyther shall any man afterwarde dare raise his minde to pride or arrogancye against his superiours God speaketh to Iosua the gouernour and Iudge ouer Israel and immediate successour to Moises I wyll not leaue nor forsake thée be strong valiaunt that is take great courage the better to execute my Law which my seruaunt Moyses left vnto thee Leane neyther to the right nor left hand of the same so shalt thou know what thou ought to doo Let not this booke of the lawe depart out of thy mouth meaning exercise thy selfe with the argumēt of it euery day the better to measure the executiō of al those things which thou shalt finde written there then shalt thou direct thy way knowe it which is thou shalt then vnderstand what thou oughtest to doo prosper These speaches bring interest to all Magistrates gouernours of people as well as they were directly spoken to Iosua for what so euer he speaketh to any one singularly the same caryeth entendment to al others of the same estate So that let all gouernours of common weales bée aduertised by this doctrine that in the due execution of their office God wyll alwayes reache them his hande neuer forsaking them his ayde shal be alwayes readily distributed to whatsoeuer they shal do duely concerning their charge in terrefiyng the guiltie and makyng the rest subiect to them which be within their iurisdiction therfore as they néede not feare any thing but to corrupt iustice in their gouernment so for the execution of their iudgementes they are sure of the protection of God whose chosen Lieftenauntes they are Let them vse suche aucthoritie as they maye make tremble the whole worlde vnder them specially the euyll lyuers and conteine others in office of good conuersation For this cause the Ecclesiastike aduiseth vs to take héede to aspire to the state of iudging if we haue not the courage and power to breake the iniquities of all sortes of people séeing
if we feare the force of the mightie we shall feare to do good iustice and so bring Sclaunder to our light desire of souerentie but as in good iudges God displaieth some beames of his deuinitie as being the ministers of his deuine iustice so he ioynes to their office the operation of some deuine vertue which makes thē feared of their subiectes For this cause are they called Heloym that is Gods as partaking with the force and power of God the more constantly to execute his iudgementes in earth In the Scripture we reade of no Iudge or Magistrate doing his estate which did not bring feare to all their people and made them obedient to his ordinaunces for God by the Iudge geues a secrete feare to bring others to subiection And albeit the Mutinus people of Israel fel into often reuolt against their great gouernour Moises whom they would haue stoned yet he eschewed not his charge much lesse forbare for feare to do iustice but in one day made passe by the edge of the sworde twentie thrée thousand idolatours of one race of Leui and although the resisting aduersarie was twelue times more in number yet they durst not stretche out their handes to defende their Rebellion yea he apprehended at one time twelue of the greatest Lords of the people and Captaynes of the armie because they assisted the sacrifices of the Madianites with whom they committed whordome and yet not in one of the multitude was founde so much as to lift vp his finger in signe of resistaunce the which remayning in example to the succession of other Magistrates they were neuer fearefull to do iustice eyther vpon any singuler great state or vpon a whole multitude offending as knowing that hauing in hande the affaires of God whose chiefe prescript was to punishe the transgressours that he woulde not suffer them to endure hurt nor forsake them executing seuere iustice vpon the wicked ⧠Here Iudges are warned not to be credulus nor to iudge by reportes to take heede of affections and not to iudge by particuler opinion to resiste vvhich euils God ordeyned in the Lavv seuentie Counsellers to vvhom he enioyneth sobrietie chastitie integritie and wisdome to be followers of the iudgement of God in the exact examining of offences and to punishe them according to the grauitie of the transgressions that they be not couetous seeing that for couetousnesse the sonnes of Samuel vvere deposed they must leaue no sinne vnpunished terrible sentence for vnrighteous iudgementes an aduertisement of Dauid to Iudges vvith a prophecie of their miserie if they iudge not in equitie ¶ The .2 Chapter THere be other preceptes in the Scripture prescribed also to Gouernours in their estate of iustice which I néede not now bring in particuler question for that they haue the same commaundement to haue the Scripture in their handes which was geuen to Iosua their example and Patrone in causes of iudgement the better to gouerne the people and therefore I hope it can not bring offence if by the way of generall perswasion I do exhort them to be such as the scripture prescribes but chiefely according to the rule of their election that they be sober wise and discrete to the ende they be not circumuented by ignoraunce imprudence error and misintelligence and so seduce the direction of most waightie and graue affaires which fault was noted in Dauid when he gaue sentence against Miphiboseth the sonne of Ionathas by the false report of Syba seruaunt of the saide Miphiboseth at whose onely worde contrary to the Scripture which alloweth no sentence but by the testimonie of thrée or two at the least hée condemned the other and woulde not heare him in his iustification An acte contrary to all reason and right of nature by which as we sée that in hastye credulitie coniecture only or opinion suddain passion of coller or wicked affection as hate enuie sutteltie thirst of benefite lightnesse of mynde with all other affections as thinges contrarie to wisedome and discretion be of power to peruert iudgement So the same is the cause why the Lawe requires in Iudges wisdome discretion and conference with wise men and not to stay vpō their particuler opinions the same being the respect why God erected seuentie Senatours for the gouernment of the people who consulting altogether in the common businesse and one correcting the errour of another can not but forme good iudgement Besydes such a multitude as Aristotle saith can not be easilye corrupted no more then a great abundance of water but with great difficultie where a small vessell in small time can not but suffer infection The Scripture aduiseth them to be sober and moderate the better to auoyde trouble of minde by intemperaunce which hauing power to hinder the effect of good iudgement in whom it possesseth it draweth also the mind to negligēce takes away al care of the affayres They are also defended from immoderate loue of women as well by the destinie of Salomon who hauyng the gift of wisedome lost by his vnbridled loue and lust all grace in iudgement as also by the example of the twoo wicked Iudges testifying against Susanna who by their inflamed desyres of her beawtye corrupted theyr iudgement So that by the Scripture all Iudges are warned that neither in their mindes nor wyll remaine any peruersitie error or affection but a full inclination to integritie onely zeale of iustice ioyned with knowledge which as it is the same light of the mynde by the which we discerne clearely that which is good or euyll iust or vnrighteous so in a peruersed wyll or wicked affection is bred confusion of the spirite which consequentlye leadeth to perplexities and both troubles and hinders the facultie of vpright iudging euen as if there be neuer so litle a Moate or Beame in the eye the cleare sight is hindered and it hath lesse power to discerne the true difference of things presented afore it but muche lesse possibilitie of sound iudgement is there in the ignoraunt man who not vnderstanding the Lawe suffereth the same error which the blinde man doth whose want of sight makes him vnhable to discerne collours But the better to forme their iudgementes irreprehensible and without reproche the Scripture layeth afore them the iudgementes of God as the true Images and Portraictes representing such example of iudgement and iustice as the Magistrates of the earth ought to followe which Salomon and Tobias call the most true and iust ballaunce and Dauid resembling them with the trueth it selfe saith that such ought the iudge to bée in whose iudgement is founde no iniquitie So that the Iudges raised by him to dispose iustice in his place ought alwayes to haue the Maiestie of him in their mindes and his iudgementes in imitation He iudgeth not by heare say and much lesse by apparance or likelyhood but according to the trueth In which sort it is sayde in Genesis that hée descended into
Sodom and Gomorre to see if the desolution of the people aunswered the horrible brute that went of them his wordes were I will discend and see if it be so Hée that knoweth whatsoeuer is done euen in the déepest bottomes and from whome no secréete can bée hid declares by this familiar manner and phrase of Speache applyed to our infirmitye that it belonges to Iudges afore they enter into sentence or pronounce against such as are accused to bée assured of the trueth of the fact least by theyr lightnes or soure passion they committe errour in iudgement In the lawe when the affaires stoode vpon any harde or obscure doubte this was the custome to referre it to the iudgement of God as in the punishment of the blasphemour and what right daughters had to the goods of theyr Fathers in whiche cases there was no resolution set downe in the Law the same seruing as matter of aduertisement to examine exactlye such controuersies and harde causes as the lawes haue no habilitye to decide beséeching God according to the aduise of the scripture so to lighten their inward reason that they may bring forth true and perfect Iudgement But when Iudges will not beginne by this aduertisement nor conforme them selues to this iustice of God his iudgements let them looke for that terrible seuerytie which hee hath thundered vpon those Iudges countries where he found negligence in punishment to those sortes of crimes Hely the great gouernour and Iudge of Israel because hée did not iustice vppon his children brake his necke his children were kylled and all the countrey brought to desolacion The sonnes of Samuel were deposed because they tooke presentes Saul was reprooued for geuing grace to such as hée ought to haue punished after whose death famine came ouer all the land of Palestin for that hée gaue wicked iudgementes in the landes of the Gabaonites whom hée afflicted and made certaine of them passe by vniust death to satisfye which iniquity Seuen of the race of Saule were hanged vpon Gibbertes The Captiuitie of the Israelites and ruine of Ierusalem of the Temple and their Townes happened for the transgression of the Priestes and Kinges done in Iustice corrupting it by presents condemning the iust and iustifying the wicked for Bribes Whereof Esay speaketh thy Princes that is thy gouernours as well in Pollecye Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill are vnfaithfull and haue forsworne them selues yea euen they that haue taken othe to doo good Iustice and haue not obserued it but are become companions of Robbers and haue share in their praye They all loue Bribes and folowe recompenses because they haue done pleasure in iudgement to the ritche But euen those as they were the chiefe in honour and superioritye so also were they first taken Captiues murdered their houses and goodes suffered spoile and they more then others defaced with ignominie contempt and all sortes of wretchednes These bée the miseryes whiche happen to wicked Iudges and theyr Children and for theyr abuses to Tounes Countreyes and Kingdomes So that with good cause I maye recommende as a laste aduertisement to al Iudges to remember the saying of Dauid in this sorte God assistes the assembly of the Gods who are the Iudges and gouernours of his people vnder whome they exercise the iudgement which is proper to God the true and eternall Iudge and therefore are they as partakers of a deuine aucthoritye by enterteining ruling his people by that iustice and souerainty So that as God is in the Courtes of his Iudges and in the middest of them so hée iudgeth them whereby is meant that hée condemneth them if they iudge not according to God. Dauid also pursues them crying in this sort How long O ye peruerse Iudges wil you Iudge so wickedly wyll you not acknowledge your selues in your false iudgementes wyll you alwayes haue regarde to the faces of offendours geuing them support and absolution of their wickednes and liberty to sinne with impunity deliuer the poore man Orphane and iustifie the simple and néedye suffer no wrong to bée done to such as haue no maintenance in the world are without fauourers in courtes Take the poore and néedy out of the hand of the transgressor But what much lesse that these worldlie lordings haue cōmunity with this great pitie seeing as Dauid sayeth they neuer knewe nor vnderstoode what they were bound to doo according to God so greatlye were they inuironed with wretched darkenes and whollye possessed with ignorance of God and his lawes whereby it happeneth that the foundation of the earth shal be moued whiche is that by that occasion exceding great euilles and intollerable aduersityes shall fall vppon the nations of the earth Therfore where I sayd you were gods so greatlye honoured of God by the state which hée geues you representing him in case of iudgemēt I forgat not your infidelity meaning that you shal fal into no lesse miserye wretchednes then any of the auncient wicked Iudges to whose iniquitye was apointed a miserable conclusiō of their vnhappy daies Wherin Dauid considering the lamentable infelicities ouerwhelming the world for the false corrupt iudgemēt of Iudges cries out to God saying Raise thy selfe O Lord God and Iudge the Earth condemne the abuses and faultes of suche people as haue corrupted the earth with impietye by their vnrighteous Iudgementes so shalt thou raigne ouer all nations and bée honoured as a true and iust Lorde and Iudge of the earth doing iustice vpon so many iniquities By this psalme Iudges are instructed to iudge well as well for the reuerence of the great Lord sitting in the middest of them in theyr Iudgements to approue them if they bée righteous and reproue them yea dissolue them if they hold of iniquity condemning the persons to horrible misteries yea euen to shake the foundations of the maine earth so gréeuous to God is a false and vnrighteous Iudge as of the con-contrary hee delites in him who according to conscience acquites his charge duty as also for that they haue the honour estate reuerence of Iudges to distribute right to euery one remembring that lord in their iudgement who hath this perpetuall property to iudge without affection they ought also to haue such exquisite knowledge with exact iudgemēt of reason that according to cōmon naturall sence they iudge to estéeme it a horrible sinne to iudge against their conscience séeing that as infinite Pagans with this iudgement of reason haue established their perpetual glory for the true deciding of causes so the errour of our Iudges being layde vp in the memory of God wil bring them to receyue sētence afore his seate of iudgement to their assured confusion And so let all Iudges knowe that if by their sinister sentences any one is depriued of his goodes honour or life by whiche it can not bée chosen but many calamities wyll happen euen so many eternal damnations do they deserue with no lesse horrible paines
to stay altogeather vpon them for that the most part were erected of Infidelles whose reason was darkned with infidelitye and certaine of them expresly against our faith séeme to deserue no more aucthoritye or credite and lesse to bée receyued then theyr Idolatries that is to saye oblations done to their Gods In this we haue to answere twoo obiectes very harde to resolue if wée consider the simple reasōs of some who séeking to absolue christians from al lawes say that they are not subiect therunto by Iesus Christ and that the spirite of God is our Father who if wée doubte will instruct vs and reueale all that shal be necessary to our saluation Besides S. Paul willeth that the wise christian bée iudge without hauing regarde to lawe I confesse that the lawe of Moyses touching Ceremonies and sacrifices signifying the state of the new Testament for Christ in that is the ende of the lawe yea touching the statutes of the law applied to the times and maners of the Iewishe nation is abolished as the libell repudiatorye of the wyfe But touching commaundements moral conteining instruction of good maners correcting sinne with punishment much lesse that the lawe is abolished but it is confirmed by the Gospel Christ saith Al such as haue taken vp the sworde to strike and kill shall perishe with the sworde which the lawe doeth also teache wée know the lawe is good but let vs vnderstande and apply it to lawful vse Saint Paul sayeth that the lawe that punisheth is not ordained for the Iust but to bridle the rebell vniust wicked sedicious murderers of parentes whether hée meane of Moyses Lawe which punisheth all these sinnes or comprehend al the lawe in generall grounded vpon the foundacions whiche we haue recyted before it is inough that wée declare that all doctrine of vertue whether it bée in the lawe of Moyses or in Philosophie is good and holye so farre forth as it raiseth and recompenseth vertue detesteth sinne and condemneth al vice for which cause the Philosopher sayth that reward and paine be the forces and strengthes of the lawe In déede this doctrine is not simplye deriued of Moyses lawe but it is natural and therfore Saint Paul saith that the Gentiles people without all vnderstanding of Moyses Lawe but liued by theyr reason wel instructed albeit they had no law yet did they naturally the things conteyned in the lawe whose examples as they doo well declare that the worke of the lawe was written in their hearts by the accusations defences of their cōsciences So in this S. Paul expresseth aptly that al doctrines moral pollitike contained in the Law of Moyses bée connaturall to man engraued in him euen from his first birth by that deuine creation wherein the soule receyuing the figure similitude of god hath taken this excellent grace to knowe that which is of her exemplary patrone from whom shée is portrated by exercise of the spirite in the studie of learning with a continual heauēlye inspiration assisting ioyned with integritye of good life hath béen and is remaining in such as were not vnder the Lawe of Moyses such wée maye saye as were Iethro Iob and many great Philosophers who knewe God spake deuinelie of him and of vertues and vices Therfore as that Doctrine is in some sorte deuine by his originall as procéeding from that deuine caract imprinted by God in man which is the spirite reason and iudgement So the holy scripture yea the scripture of the Gospel hath aucthorised it to bée perfectly deuine so by the same scripture where it was darkned before by corruptions happening by ignorance of God and dissolutiō of life it is made perfect in that wherein it had imperfection and so it is not onely restored by Iesus Christ reformed by his spirite which hée hath geuen vs But with abundance of grace science augmented yea euen vnto such knowledge as now we behold the glory light of the Lord with open face and be transformed from light to light that is from perfect knowledge such as may bée had in the world into the selfe image yea euen to be made one in God by a deuine transformation the same being wrought by the spirit of this good soueraigne lord Therfore al the moral doctrines of the olde Testament be acknowledged reputed by man from the first and eternal obseruacion according to the which lawes haue béene wil be alwayes ordeined obserued of the faithful people And where Iesus Christ sent backe the adulterer without punishment of the Lawe wee confesse that albeit he came to preache penaunce geue grace to penitent sinners yet for al that he hath not abolished pollitike Lawes which wickedlye was layd against him by Iulian the Apostate But hath conserued them by his doctrine and examples willing to giue to Caesar that which belonged to him wherein him selfe shewed obedience to the Ciuil Lawes in paying tribute to Caesar although he was not subiect therunto Hée which was the supreame lawmaker and sonne of God his Apostles also taught that men must obey Kinges Princes gouernours which obedience is necessarily ioyned with the lawes for how farre shal I obey them if I know not the rate state of theyr commaundement nor what they prescribe me to do So that my obedience must encline to the limit prescript of their Lawes which I ought not resist so farforth as they are established vpon such foundations as we haue laid before Iesus christ in asking where were those that condemned the adulterer did not hinder or defend that he should not be stooned But he being not come to take vpon him the state of a Ciuil Iudge condemneth not according to the sentence of ciuil lawes tendring caring alwaies for the principal which was to saue soules and touching body goodes he leaueth the gouernment pollecie therof to Kings temporal Princes theyr iudges to whom he geues aucthority to debate execute punishments in that he saith He that hath murdred or killed shal die the trée that bringeth forth no fruit deserues to be cut down cast in the fire and who doth wrong sclander to the litleones ought to be cast into the sea with a milstone about his necke Approuing with paines he approueth also the Iudges executours of the same hée chaseth out of the temple marchauntes buiers and sellers hée biddes excōmunicate the rebellious wrong doers and by S. Paul condemnes many pernicious Christians to the deuill hée willed Saint Peter to execute a maruailous sentence against Saphirus and Ananias who fell dead at his feete for doubling with the holy ghost promising to geue all theyr goodes to the poore and distributed but a part reseruing the other by an vnfaithfull feare to suffer necessitye It is true that being afore Infidels hee woulde not haue vs to vse or appeale to iustice in cases to suffer for the faith
aduising vs by this rather to loase both the hoode and the cloake as the prouerbe is then to bée reuenged of them and endure death rather then to geue one blowe But in cases not touching faith wée maye vse iustice as did Saint Paul who when reproches and false crimes by malice were layde vpon him and Christian faith not touched hée defended him selfe against his false accusers and in extréeme reméedye hée appealeth to Caesar at Rome Touching the Lawes of the Gentiles if according to our opinion before they bée founded in vniuersal reason without errour or infidelitye they ought as braunches springing out of the law naturall to be receiued and obserued as was the marriage of Infidelles But where they suffer errour let them with their idolatries bée abhominable abhorred To answere the obiection which some deriue from S. Paul that the wise christian ought to iudge differences amongest the faithfull where there is no mencion of lawes Saint Paul in saying that the wise man may Iudge meaneth that he bée wise in the vnderstanding of the lawes for in this is the true propertye of wisedome to bée well séene and wise in God concerning thinges deuine and humane so shall his singular wisedome kéepe him from errour in iudgement hauing in him as the teacher of wisedom saith the feare of God knowledge and wisedome and being truly spiritual which by the spirite of God makes exact iudgement in all thinges and can not bée reproued of that whereof hée hath geuen sentence Yet when he ought to Iudge I will not saye but that it is méete that hee haue the lawes of the world in his head yea let him haue a good spirite a sound ripe iudgement and vnderstand wel the cause in present question so laying aside al affection let him recōmend him selfe to God whose iudgement hée exerciseth Let him confer in difficult maters with other sages which with remembrance of Gods holy feare will leade him in integrity of iudgement And knowing that the ende of al lawe is vtility necessity honesty let him prefer honesty before profite publike profit before the perticular gaine of any man that rather certaine priuate persons lose in obseruing the Lawe then the multitude to suffer distresse But aboue all let that honestye which consistes in vertue bée alwayes entertayned doing no euill whereupon to hope for good ¶ The lawe naturall grounded vpon reason vvas two thousand yeres in vse vvithout other ordinaunces sauing the Sabboth and Circumsition and God hath geuen fevve lavves concerning this naturall and ciuill right nor the auncient vvise gouernors of cōmon vveales for iust causes the people of God according to reason haue made iudgementes and follovved the interpretacion of their moral lavves by the instinct of reason by the vvhich God did institute them and therefore vvhen the Scribes and Pharisies peruerted that reason they vvere condemned Gouernours asvvell in theyr ordinaunces as constitucion of paines to punishe offences ought alvvaies to follovve those lavves vvhich God hath ordeyned according to that reason ¶ The .5 Chapter THus vve haue seene that gouernours maye Iudge according to Lawes naturall deuine and humane both in what sort they ought to iudge and that it is not necessarye alwayes to consult with the written Lawe in all Iudgementes for that as there bée more matters then words more causes then lawes So the actions of men as Aristotle saith being infinite can not bée conteyned all by memoryes as also by reason of the dissimilitude varieties they can not be comprehended in generall constitucions such as be the Lawes this was the cause that the Lacedemonians made no great vse of writtē lawes leauing to the discretion of wise Iudges and graue men the iudgement of that whiche was not written God him selfe the Image of all wisedome for the same reason caused no Lawe to bée written in twoo thousand yeeres but that of the Sabboth circumsicion nor in the Gospel we see none expresly instituted by Iesus Christ for a cōmon weale but al was referred to the arbitracion and wise iudgement of gouernours yea when God emploied Moyses to bée the Lawmaker of the Iewes hée erected but fewe lawes and they onelye in principall matters for the preseruation of societye and polletike quiet referring the iudgemēt of other affaires not contained in the same generall Lawes to the discretion of such Iudges as hée had ordained willing for that it was impossible to write lawes to all affaires that in those newe causes theyr iudgement should hold perentory aucthority as wel as in other matters to bée decided by the written Lawes yea hée commaunded that the wise men should interprete his lawes by theyr wisdome as in the interpretacion of the ordinaunce of circumcision that the eyght day men should bée Circumcised they reserued forty yéeres that they were in the desert without being Circumcised In lyke sort of the Phascal or feast of Easter for the seconde moneth to suche as had not done it in the fyrst and so in infinite others by verye good and iuste reasons approued and receaued in the Lawe wherein he gaue them aucthoritye not onely to iudge according to discresion and good aduise and to interprete all Lawes but also gaue them power to make newe as the necessitye of the affaires required whereof for a more assured proofe of others erected according to reason wee sée twoo approued in the Gospell as on the Sabboth day not to goo further then halfe a league to celebrate the feast dedicatory in the moneth of Decēber which Iesus Christ did assist preache there forbearing to speake of many other as in the time of Easter which the Seniors general Iudges and gouernors of the people had ordeyned So that as their aucthoritye is greate to iudge and interprete lawes alwaies erect according to the circumstance of time matter So notwithstanding this must be considered that in a monarchie gouernors neyther haue power nor office to create ordinances but vnder the approbation of the Prince with this regarde further that they hold conformety with the law deuine to prefer Gods honor common profit wherin let gouernors in the constitucion of their statutes haue a perpetual respect to the wil iudgement of God which they ought to preserue interprete and not peruert them as did the scribes pharisies certaine of the Seniors geuing value to their proper inuentions ordinances contrary to the law of god as oftentimes to wash their hādes enritche the treasour of the temple by defrauding the poore fathers mothers of their naturall right touching the norriture which they ought to their children Chiefly let Magistrates obserue cause to bée exactly obserued the lawes of God and afterward the ordinances of man such as they create tending to those endes and others agreeing with the time and nature of places and persons conforming all with the Lawes of God So that when they sée in the Scripture that
continually for after death thou shalt haue no more worke to dooe meaning whilest thou liuest doo as muche good as thou canst for after death thou hast no more time to trauaile Play is also occasion of theft companion to gluttony a baite to whoredom a mouer of quarels and murders It is written in the story of the Corinthians that plaies were causes of their ruine for this reason Chilon a philosopher being sent in embassage frō the Atheniens to Corinthe to treate of peace for there were warres betwéen those .ii. tounes finding the Corinthians vpon a Festiuall daye so generally set at playe that not one of them would vouchsafe to enquire what was the ambassador and much lesse the cause of his comming And when he sawe that aswell the counsellors and chiefest as the rest were so caryed awaye with the delites of theyr playes that hee could not haue worthy audience hée returned at the instant iudging it to great indignitie that the magistrates and Senate should ioyne them selues with the folly of the popular sort And iudging that the best meane to reduce such incenset people were to assaile them by Armes perswaded the Atheniens therunto who afterward would neuer graunt them peace Playing at tables such like sléeping games are called of Aristotle the sportes of women for that to men those sportes are proper wherin is exercise of the body Touching playes at hazard wée finde them vncomely for all men but specially indecent for the christian profession For as the plaiers are led more by fortune chaunse as they terme it thē by wisedom or ability of the mind which is contrary to the nature of sports wherin is sought recreatiō by some industry of labor or dexterity of the spirit in which the praise is alwayes geuen to the vanquisher So in that play is no glory at all and much lesse duty of praise to the player because he doth no acte to deserue it The minde loaseth his practise reason hath no place the iudgement is confounded and the body hath no exercise the same being the cause why by the iust iudgement of God that kinde of playe neuer contenteth the player for that the more hée playeth the more ryseth hée in desire being prickt foreward with hope of profit abandoned to couetousnes wherby it hapneth that the gaine rising by that playe turneth seldome to profit being rather of a nature so wicked that it drawes men into disorder makes thē poore euen to nakednes retaines them in that basenes of minde that euen in the hardest winter they sit suffer as slaues the rigour of many cold nights with their féete benōmed vnder a cold table wherof are bred gouts reumes litargies appoplexies and yet these miserable plaiers haue no féeling of their wretchednes so swéetly are they lulled in the delites of this playe by the wicked spirite the very author therof For these such like reasons there was neuer christian who estéemed not playe vnlawful wherof a womā pronounsing her selfe a prophetis for holding opinion of certaine heresies was cōuinced by an Auncient and learned Bishop who iudged her not to be such one as she made her selfe estéemed for many reasons wherof one was for that shée was séene to playe at cardes and Dice at hazarde A pastime which neuer any of our religion was séene to vse The Philosophers estéemed them vnlawfull for that they haue no similitude with vertue delude reason and delite not so much the mind as they trouble it For as to the noble spirite nothing is more pleasaunt then when he may winne glory by the show of some excellency so nothing can be more contrary to his nature then eyther by sleight or fortune to bée vanquished by his inferior ouer whom by dexterity of nature actes of vertue hée is superiour Plato likewise would not geue sufferance to those plaies amongst his Disciples to whome when they excused them selues that they did no great faulte hée said this litle vice draweth to a greater offence meaning that from litle faults not thinking theron we slide into higher abuses if the humor of the first vice bee not restrained What then shal our christian gouernors say to our ordinary gamesters but euen séeing they abuse so many sportes and practise the plaies of Infidels contrarye to christian profession to forbid some moderate others aswel by measure and limitacion of time as by rate of money to loase at play the same being a necessary bridle to the affection of plaiers who séeme not to bée maisters of them selues the winners so gréedy of gaine and the losers of perplexed hope and desire to recouer theyr losses for which cause if they seldom geue ouer when al is lost at least recouering a new supply they ronne to a new reuenge so finde no ende in their playes turning theyr time into vnlawful acts and so from quarrels iniuries othes renounsing of God yong men fal into inuentions of theft and robberye with other practises of more wickednes Some haue placed Hunting amongst the sportes and pastimes of noble wittes wherunto Zenophon séemes to allure Princes great estates as to an exercise worthy of them hée sayth there is nothing aspireth so nearelye to the fierce fight with the enemye as to pursue the wilde Beast against whom must bée vsed art industrie labor and watching and sometimes suttletie and force to withstande daunger onely it behooueth the noble man so to choose his time for this exercise that he bring no incommodity to the countrey by reason of their corne Grasse Much lesse ought he to preferre his delyte to any pastime when his office is to consult in necessary matters abstayning from all vpon the Sabboth day And as hunting to the ecclesiasticall sort is an exercise most indecent so there is no lesse cause of restraint to meane people who haue to follow any faculty or arte profitable to the common wealth and necessary to the releefe of their priuate life Daunces with their wanton songes at this day are vaine and vnchaste Musicke of an Arte liberall is conuerted to an vnvvorthy vanity vvhat Daunces shoulde be lavvfull vvhat Daunces Musicke and Songes vve ought to vse a examples of holy men vvho neuer vvould be seene in Daunces ⧠The .6 Chapter DAunces and Roundes no lesse then wanton Musicke nowe a dayes are more dissolute then in times past yea resembling the vnchaste customes of the Pagans without faith and ignoraunt of God the same béeing a manifest token of the general corruption vanity of the present age And Musicke which according to the auncients was an Arte liberall in the which men praysed God song exaltacions to the noble actes of the elders recreated mindes heauyly loden with passions and reléeued bodies wéeryed with actions of trauayle is now become an arte of al vanity and filthynesse helping to the seruice of Sathan the delite of the worlde and pleasures of the fleshe I deny not but Daunces were in vse
it selfe manifestlye and the tongue to speake publikelye what other thing is it to put on a visor and resolue the speach to whispering but to deface the deuine ordinaunce do contrary to God If it bée so seriously forbidden by the law that men should not bée disguised in other kinde then they are much more iust and necessary is this restraint not to take an habit by the whiche the face is deformed and séemes monstrous And séeing the most fayre and noble part whiche God naturally hath geuen to man or woman is the face can there be a greater vice then by counterfeit visors to disfashion it contrary to the aucthor of nature If Saint Ciprian hold painting so wicked which by so much is a great offence to nature by howe much they séeke not onely to correct nature But also God the aucthour pretending also by theyr painting some vaine glory or to entice men to wickednes What may bée sayd of the Maske which bréeding suspitioÌ„ vnder the visor bringes forth oftentimes effectes of much mischiefe Here if any man saye there is no thought of euil they may be aunswered that which is wicked of it selfe is inexcusable Touching Musicke séeing it is a science liberall it is then necessarily the gift of God working oftentimes holy effectes as the sounde of the Harpe tuned to Psalmes and deuout songes by Dauid chased away the deuyll from the spirite of Saul And so without speaking of the Musicall instruments in the olde Testament we reade in the Apocalips howe S. Iohn in an Allegory approoueth the Harmonie of the Harpe And the Lacedemonians vsed commonly in the beginning of their assaultes Musicall instrumentes to moderate their furious courages ⧠Minstrels are vnworthy of the state and felowship of Townes men as also Puppet Players and such as are called shovves and sightes VVhat Harmonie ought to be vsed Players vvere cast out of the Church tyl they had done penaunce such people corrupt good moralities by vvanton shevves and Playes they ought not to be suffred to prophane the Sabboth day in such sportes and much lesse to lose time on the dayes of trauayle All dissolute playes ought to be forbidden All comicall and Tragicall shovves of schollers in Morall doctrines and declamations in causes made to reprooue and accuse vice and extoll vertue are very profitable ⧠The .7 Chapter MYnstrels or common Players of Instrumentes being men vnprofitable to a coÌ„mon weale were neuer in olde time paste holden worthy of Priuiledge or place of Townes men but with Puppet players and Enterluders were reputed infamous because they are Ministers of vaine pleasures enchaunting mens eares with poysoned songes and with idle and effeminate pastimes corrupt noble wittes For which cause as they are called of Aristotle the suppostes of Bacchus whose dronkennesse making them the slaues of their bellyes restraines them from all ability and capacity of good doctrines So it belonges néedefully to the gouernours pollitike to drawe them into rule not suffering the youth of their Citie to be eftsoones corrupted with the soft and delicate Musicke of Lydia but rather to accustome their eares with graue Musicke sturryng to vertue or such as was in vse with the Lacedemonians and Phrygians to moderate the furie of their affections Or like to that of the Pythagorians wherewith at their going to bed they put in rest all the passions of their mindes But that sounde aboue the rest is best which was familer to Dauid singing holy and spirituall songes when he chassed away or at least restrayned the inuasions of the wicked spirite in Saul wherein in déede the holy Ghost by an inwarde vertue sturred vp by the faith and feruent prayer of Dauid did worke more then the Harmonie of the Musicall Instrument But because our common Minstrels by their Arte can not be members profitable to a common weale It were good they learned some necessary science wherein according to good example they might by compulsion be employed not so much to gaine the reléefe of their priuate life as to cut of the example of their abuses to others by a quality vnprofitable where they are bounde to an office of honest and paynefull trauayle according to Gods ordinaunce All Stage Playes and Enterluders Puppet shewes and carelesse Boyes as wée call them with all other sortes of people whose principall ende is in féedyng the worlde with sightes and fonde pastimes and Iuggling in good earnest the money out of other mennes purses into their owne hande haue béen alwayes noted of infamie euen in Rome where yet was libertie enogh to take pleasure in publike sportes In the primitiue Church they were cast out from the communion of Christians and neuer remitted vntyll they had performed publike penaunce And therfore S. Ciprian in an Epistle counselleth a Bishop not to receiue a Player or Minstrell into the pension of the Church by which the poore were noryshed tyl there was expresse act of penance with protestation to renounce a science so sclanderous Be it that by such people somtimes may be expressed matter morrall and Christian doctrine yet their good instruction is so corrupted with Iestures of scurilitie enterlaced with vncleane and Whorelike speache that it is not possible to drawe any profite out of the Doctrine of their Spirituall moralities For that as they exâ—hibite vnder laughing that which ought to bée taught receyued seriouslye so of many that goo to assist them though some are made merye in minde yet none come awaye reformed in maners being also an order indecent and intollerable to suffer holy thinges to be handled by men so prophane and defiled by interposition of dissolute wordes which is as if you should suffer fayre and precious Iewels to bée set in quagmiers or fowle soyles For my part I doubt not but it is a sinne against the first table as well for that there is contempt of that that is good as also in place to honor God his name is taken in vaine many holye wordes recited without thought to dispose them once to edify Great then is the errour of the magistrate to geue sufferance to these Players whether they bée Minstrels or Enterludours who on a scaffold Babling vaine newes to the sclander of the world put there in scoffing the vertues of honest men as at Athens Aristophenes did by Socrates whom he called a worshipper of the Clowdes because oftentimes in contemplation of God celestiall causes hée raysed vp his eyes towardes Heauen there often times are blowen abroade the Publike and secréete vices of men sometimes shrowded vnder honourable Personage with infinite other offences What impietye can bée greater then thus to prophane the Sabboth daye which being dedicated to God ought to bée employed in holye vses And what worse example in a common weale then to turne other daies of honest trauel into exercises wherin is learned nothing but abuses yea what sumptuous preparation apeareth in those playes to doo honour to Satan what vaine expenses prodigally and
to holde in singuler and deere care asvvell for Gods commaundements as for that he hath promised vs great recompences both temporall and eternall by the vvhich many haue bene stirred vp to giue all their goodes to the poore but specially such as vvould follovve Iesus Christ to doe holy profession The .1 Chapter TOuching the true poore who eyther for their small age as children are vnable to labour or being olde haue no force to trauell or suche as by diseases in disposition and true infirmities of the state decrepit as the blinde and lame are vnapte to seruice yea their handye worke not sufficient to giue nouriture to their family specially in times of dearth togither with those poore soules who hauing bene riche are now fallen to pouertie whose shame makes them endure much because they dare not aske And lastely all poore passengers and néedy straungers ought to stande with vs in due recommendation by the commaundements more often repeated to vs in the scrypture with more great promises of recompence then for any other thing which God hath giuen vs in charge to doe the same being a signe most certaine that we can not doe an act more agréeable to God touching duetie to our neyghbour then to vse charitie comprehending alwayes that which we ought to God without which though we giue all our goods to the poore yet we lose all for as charity is the perfection and full ende of the law yea the very marke whervnto it drawes proceding of a pure heart a conscience perfect faith not dissembled but entire expressing a true trust reposed vpon the goodnesse of God in hope of eternall lyfe so is it called mercye which who so euer doe vse are called by Iesus Christ happy for they shall find mercy afore god Dauid assureth the man that reléeueth the poore neuer to stand abandoned of god in his necessities yea so far doth he loue this mercy that he preferreth it afore sacrifice due to him as to god I loue saith he mercy better then sacrifice obediēce knowledg of god more then holacust which was a sacrifice wherin the whole beast was burnt and consumed in perfit oblation to God. By this he auiseth vs that it were better to nourish a poore soule and preserue him from perishing by hunger then to offer all the beastes in the world in sacrifice for as the beastes and all other perticuler creatures of the worlde were made for the vse of man So it were better there were a generall wrack of them all then to suffer the meanest man that beareth lyfe to perish and dye for want to be succored by this mercy This worde almes according to the Gréeke hath hys deriuation from thence so that to doe mercye is to giue almes according to the Gréeke propertie whereof it is sayd who hath pity on the poore shall be most happy who exerciseth pitie on the poore man and aydeth him hath his recompence of pity layde vp with God who will neuer abandon him and according to the succors which he bestoweth on the néedy God will measure reléefe to him in his proper necessities Yea suche high dignity and prayse of vertue hath this charitie to the poore that it only amongst all other vertues is called iustice which is the most perfit vertue conteyning all other vertues and according to the name of it all honest people are called iust sure none can worthyly be called honest men vnlesse they be pitifull to the poore expresse actes of comfort in their necessities and frankely and gladsomly giue vnto them the duety of their estate which is norriture and necessarye succors For which cause Dauid called such Acte iustice the iust man sayth he hath distributed his goodes to the poore and his iustice remaines eternallye as if he hadde sayde then doth a manne shewe himselfe to be of perfect honesty when he imparteth a good portion of his welth with the poore hée shall not loase by that benefit which he doth to the poore for he shall be iustified by it vnder the merit of Iesus Christ of all sinnes of the which he shoulde be accused in the iustice of God that was the cause why Daniell spake to Nabucodonosor redéeme thy sins with almes and thine iniquities by charitable déedes to the poore For that cause will Iesus Christ absolue in his iudgement all such as in his name haue giuen succors to the poore Thus doth almes make and expresse a good man helping to hys iustification in that he workes or prepareth remission of sinnes as the almes done to Cornelius and prayers by the which he was heard of God and instructed in true faith by S. Peter And almes proceeding of true fayth iustifying by charitie helpeth to iustifie in that they deminishe the paines of sinnes and make that man after he haue obtained remission which is done by the efficacy of the passion of Iesus Christ apprehended by fayth stande with God in more grace of pardon Besides all this to almes is ioyned of God a promise of succors in all affayres as deliueraunce from diseases and death encrease and aboundaunce of welth and fruition of eternall lyfe yea they suffer not as Toby sayth a man to go in darcknesse meaning dollors heauinesse perplexities and perpetuall sorrowes of hell The assured consideration of which promises hath drawne many christians to dispose all their goods to the poore some of them choosing a solitary lyfe in the desertes others to take vppon them euen the seruice of the poore in hospitals others endued with knowledge to become preachers not regarding temporall goodes in hope of the eternall felicytye which hope woulde not suffer them to take goodes of any In this they conformed themselues with the Prophetes of the olde testament and with Iesus Christ who had not so much as a bolster to rest his head vpon he sayde to his Apostles that such as forsake not all they haue can not be his disciples They séemed also to beléeue and take suerty in that which he said to a certayne rych man go thy waies sell all thou hast and giue it to the poore then returne to me and follow me and thou shalt haue a treasour in heauen Christ willeth not by these texts that in al men indifferently should be such actual prostitution of their goodes to the poore and that they shoulde leaue all and follow him and become his disciples which haunt with publicans and hauing conuerted them he commaundes them not to leaue al to follow him nor to Zachea who was principall amongst them and for shewed that there should be alwayes poore in the worlde meaning then by consequence that there should be also riche men in the world which is very well confirmed by S. Paule in the lesson which he giueth to the richemen what they ought to doe for their saluation not prescribing to them to leaue al but to distribute part to the poore of whome Iesus Christ
their goodes in any sort eyther by sleyght or force as by reseruing that which was their proper owne and in case the debtors of their race and nation had not whervpon to pay commodiously if their Oxen and instruments necessarye to gaine their lyfe were seased they were bounde to restore them to serue their necessities yea bed and garments when they were required for necessary vse In the hardest extremity the debtor to content his creditor was but constrayned to serue so long time as the debt might amount vnto yea vntill the seauen yeares which was the Saboth of yeares But we finde not that by the law any poore debtor was put in pryson I comprehend not in this tolleration wicked and craftie debtors very théeues and abusors who hauing sufficiently will not yet paye their debtes but eyther by cession of goodes ordinarily called Cedo bonis or by some other shift haue craft to cauell with their creditors such people as they deserue not onely straight prison but the scourge of the gibbet as subtill and malicious deteinors of other mens goodes so concerning other debtors simply and truely poore let the welthy creditor consider the condemnation of the cruell rich man in S. Mathew who kéeping his foote vpon the necke of his poore neyghbour in a case of debt which he had good will though not hability to paye was for that condemned to be perpetually tormented in the iudgement of God What sin can be greater then to afflict the poore whome we ought to comfort to make him naked whome we are bounde to cloth to commit him to prison whome we ought to deliuer yea and perhaps in being the cause of his death to driue his sons into hospitals and his wife and daughters into daungerous perdicion through necessity it is written that the poore shall cry to God against such as afflyct them and shall be hearde And as we ought not to spare neyther goodes nor credit to deliuer them whome the iniquity of men woulde vniustlye cause to dye so such as redéeme captiues and prisoners are pronounced happy by Iesus Christ But héere no man ought to reply that it were better not to lende at all for that makes a wicked conclusion for that we are bounde to giue to the exstreame poore to lend to him that hath goodes albeit not in such plenty but that he hath necessitye of some sustenaunce clothing or instruments to gaine his liuing without which loane he should fall into néede and be compelled to sell his small portion Touching the ciuile loane passing mutuallye betwéene rich men séeing there is neyther charity nor necessity it beares no recommendation with piety but is onlye a ciuil honesty according to the custome of an inuited feast wherin is no expectation of recompence But if it be done to the poore for the honor of god it draweth to it eternal reward if they looke to be gloried for doing anye great vertue it may be sayd vnto them as Iesus Christ said in like actes The gentils and sinners do they not that then there is no glorye a fore GOD and yet it carieth the habite of ciuill honestye and socyetye of friendshippe not to be neglected as is also to giue presents and doe pleasure to our friendes and Lordes Iesus Christ sayth it is no act of vertue meritorious afore God for that no actes but such as are done in his name deserue recompence of him The poore criminall offenders knowne to be in pryson by slaunder and false witnesse and in perill of execution if they be not reskued as they ought by the scryptures to be deliuered by all meanes least innocent bloud be spilt which may bring common wretchednesse vpon all such as might haue deliuered them so such as haue deserued death iudicially determined by full euidence assone as they haue committed the cryme owe a death to God in good iustice to their common weale for examplary instruction There is but one iust cause of delay which is to appeach their confederates and to affront them otherwise all delayes of iustice sayth Plato are signes of corruption in the Iudges who by delaying of iudgement giue oportunity to the party to reclayme grace in time or to compound with the aduersary or to bring the facte in forgetfulnesse or at least to qualifie the rigour of the party offended or last of all aspiring still to be deliuered to gette committed to the Capitaine of the Galleyes the malefactor in whome is full merite of penall death In which fauour besides the iniustice and damnable corruption is bred the occasion of many mischiefes as the reuenge of them that persecuted his lyfe with an vnbrideled lycence to do any euill Let Iudges vnderstande that the law of God suffereth not a determined murder to receyue accorde or composition for money but commaunding them to giue sentence of death for the effusion of innocent blood he enioyneth them to take and kill him euen before the aulter of the temple as Salomon did by Ioas. I medle not here with offenders deseruing grace the remission of whose offence belongeth only to the Prince nor with such whome the auncient church receyued into penaunce in which as they suffred a thousand passions far more paineful then the extréemest pange of one death only so the Churche was more edified by that puplique penaunce then in the example of many actuall deathes The v. Booke ¶ Of the institution of youth which is a thing profitable and necessarie in a common weale the prayse of free scholes what prouision ought to be made to builde and endue them The 1. Chapter WE said a litle before that the institution of poore children ought to be done in a schole therfore it is nowe requisite we speake amplie both of scholes and the institutiō thereto appertayninge not only for the poore but for all sortes of children a matter not onely worthie of the first and chiefe care but also most profitable and necessarie in all sortes of common weales A Colledge or schole is the foundacion florishing braunches of a common weale the common stoare house of all knowledge the fashioner of all young wittes a pure fountaine purging all corrupte natures and as a forme or moule of all aswel humaine as diuine perfections it is a welspring of science and fountaine of all vertue it is the house of discipline the mansion of the Muses their Hellicon and Pernassus and the fortresse of Pallas it is the place wherein is performed the first exercise of doctrine christian life and institution of pietie yea it is the ornament and glorie of Cities a bulwarke to Borowes to vplandish townes of the fielden and the very beginning continuance and piller of Religion Thus Colleages being the causes and perfect effectes of so many benefites deserue also without comparison more singular recommendacion then all the hospitalles of the world For in Colleges or Scholes are nourished and polished the mindes of men being the diuine heauenly
immortall purtraits of the diuinitie of God and in hospitalles only the corruptible and mortal bodies of decayed men are fed and cherished In Colleges also poore children may bee susteined if the houses haue liberal dowries the same ministring great cause to the gouernours to prouide Colledges séeing also it is a common interest to all men to sée to the good instruction and education of youth what course of science so euer they take as hauing no abilitie of them selues to know what is good honest profitable nor what is conducible to the safetie of their soules and much lesse to discerne God and searche out his wil yea they shal be ignorant in their rule and gouernment of humaine reason so wicked and obscure a nature carrie they by sinnes so ignorant is their spirit so peruersed their will and affections whereby those children folowing time without discipline and institution should fall into infinit errours and dissolute manners and as vice encreaseth as the wicked wéede groweth without culture or labor and euery minde by his proper nature caried to doe euill where vertues can not bee attained without discipline and instruction so these young forward plantes if thei should not be licorred with wholesome moysture and moderated by the industrie of skilfull workmen they would bring forth fruites of corruption and troubles to their common weales and in the end ouergrow them to their generall destruction Let it be therefore a principall care in chief Rulers to erect Colledges building them in places ayrie cleane and faire obseruing the commoditie of the Sunne and wind reflecting temperatly a thing very delightful to the wit and profitable to the health of the body foreséeing that they carrie such state in showe and buildinge that aswell the beauty of the workmanship as the serenitie of the place may draw children of noble houses to passe their youth there and inuite other good wittes to establishe and follow the studie of learning The romthes standing in such amplitude and the chambers so many that they may conueniently conteyne the nūbers of schollers within the house being very hurtfull by many reasons to make separation of studentes one from another and vnder the chambers to bee made formes to the ende the Regentes and maisters remaining in the said chambers and hauing vnder them the said fourmes may better kéepe their schollers in dutie then if their fourmes were elswhere bestowed if the place be commodious it is necessary to make libraries in the sayde chambers which would bée very requisite for good Studentes for to yonge children and such as beare no vehement will to studie they would be but occasion to hinder or disorder their exercise it were good they were bestowed in a mild swéete and softe aier if the place beare commodity for the recreation and pleasure of wittes the windowes of these ought to haue aspect towardes the East and West for the South resolueth the wit and dulleth it and filles the braine with hurtfull vapour and the wind of the North as in winter when it is cold hindreth the memory and is hurtfull to the lyuer and lightes because it stirres vppe defluxion Secondly a Colledge or schole ought to bee indued with reuenue sufficient to entertaine a principall and Regentes of singular vertue and knoweledge with wages accordinge to their order and qualitie and that with such iust payment that they haue no occasion to complaine of their common weale nor of such by whō they are called to the exercise of that profession Touching the reuenues of Colledges without the which the stately buildings should séeme as cages wherin the birdes died of hunger for want of prouision goodly to beholde but not to dwell there the Church in other tymes hath prouided for her part a principall Regent for which purpose shée leauied foure or fiue hundreth Frankes of estate in the Cathedrall Churches for the finding of a man of excellent learning and vertuous life who at this day retaynes the name called Scholemaister and the Bishops and common weales supplied the reste as thei saw necessitie require wherein for the default of some of our predecessours discontinuinge this good and holy institution I wish our Ecclesiastical prelates of this time to restore and recontinue so auncient and necessarie constitution would where neede is either erect newe Colledges and encrease their reuenew or at least repaire such as are towardes ruine and of their grosse reuenues superfluous for the countenance of a churchman compart some porcion to the fauour of learning honour of God seruice of their countrey and their owne perpetuall memorie and as those holy and graue prelates of the former tymes saw there were no better meanes to preuent heresies and correct vices then by laying a ground of good instruction in the first yeares of youth so if their successours had succéeded them aswel in example and imitation as in their huge and wealthie liuinges they had stopped the course to many sectes and opinions which only are the cause at this day that Christendome standeth deuided in religion and the kinges thereof drawen into actes of mutuall conspiracie In some places common weales and cities onely haue had the honor to builde endue Colleges with a reuenue of a thousand or xii C. Frankes at the least for the which they haue bene and are amongest all other cities most celebrated Others not hauing like abilitie in wealth but no lesse forward in affection to learning séeking not to be slow or negligent in that which they sawe raysed their common weale to benefite and them selues into immortall honor procured brotherheads to be annexed leuied generall and particular gatheringes to erecte and endue their Colledges and solicited Bishops to transferre the ayde of certaine benefices makinge by that industrie their colledges both faire and riche wherein in some places as the prince to helpe the want of some townes vnable but well disposed to plant such foundacion of a common weale hath wisely appointed the Cathedrall and Collegiall churches to bestow Cannon prebendes to the reliefe of Colledges specially in their capitall Townes where ought to bee the residence of learned men to teach the whole Diocesse So in many townes specially in Fraunce where they haue so ready meane and either will not or dare not applie it to vse what great offence doe they to their Countrey and pitiefull wrong to their vniuersall youth for where their cities are poore and haue chapters and riche churches to supplie their prouision with the reuenue of prebendes whilest they are voyde yet they leaue the care and prouidence of their prince without execution and are negligent in the instruction of their poore frayle youth for the which they stande not onely condemned afore God but also subiecte to reproche in all posteritie yea euen of the youth them selues to their perpetual dishonor young wittes being by their negligence abandoned to vices ignorance and all sortes of dissolution where if they had ben trained in a colledge they
might haue risen to great personages aswell for ornament as to gouerne churches and common weales euen as out of the horse of Troye issued great Lordes in the middest of the Citie to the glorious victorie of the Greekes ¶ What Principall and Regents ought to be called to institute a Colledge it is requisite they be learned of good life instructions who they ought to be by many comparisons Chapter ij HAuing thus prouided for the building and reuenues of a Colledge the next care is to furnishe it with a Principall and Regents of exquisit doctrine and maners irreprehensible to whom young men may and ought to conforme themselues in all things whither it be in spéech iesture life or any conuersation not suffering to be founde in them any vice no more then ought to be any stayne in a cleare looking glasse for they bée mirroures of youth wherein we behold our selues to the end to wipe away such spottes as be vpon our face if it be so as we said before that such as is the gouernour of a Citie such are the Citizens although iudgement reason ioyned with the exercise of humane affaires giues them an vnderstanding to discerne what is good and hurtfull for them what expectation or hope of fashion is there in young children who as apes counterfeting naturally all that they see done expresse as neare as they can the manners resemblance of their Master The same was the cause that that great and excellent Poet Homer in his philosophicall poesie fayned that Achillos so eloquent and excellent in déedes of armes had with him alwayes his Master Phoenix the leader of all good Masters who instructed him in the partes of well speaking and was to him alwayes as an example of noble actes from Pithagoras Archyras Socrates and Plato are deriued great Philosophers and very vertuous Disciples as good followers of their wise and vertuous Masters euen as from pure fountaines flow riuers like to them in cleare fairenesse But of the contrary when schollers shall sée in their Masters both ignorance error and all sortes of vice hauing neither counsell to consider the faults of their teachers nor subiect to correction of any other may it not be sayed by them as in a Greeke prouerbe was layed against a sophister hauing Disciples like to him selfe that of a wicked Crow comes a worse egge meaning that by an euill Master whither it be in doctrine or life is formed a Disciple like to him For that cause Saint John and Jesus Christ called séedes of Vipers suche as were enuenemed with false discipline of a wicked toung suttle ipocrisie and inward mallice of the Pharesies and other Masters corrupted in such vices wee read that the mightie Alexander obseruing his Master Leonides giuen to drunkennes became so intēperat in drinking that he did many infamous acts yea not sparing to kill a deare friend of his and one of his chiefest Philosophers It is a thing most consenting to the nature of a childe to imitate vices expressed before him in demonstracion most easie to corrupt him by wicked example whose nature of it selfe is full of corruption draweth him by kind to vices without the aide of outward doctrine euen as it is easie to one issued of a race infected with leprosie or other corruption of nature to fall eftsones into that disease being naturall and contagious specially if he haue familiar conuersation or gouernement with such as are infected is it not easie to make him to fall that is weake and not able to stand vpright But he that of himselfe seekes nothing but to poore vppon the earth it is hard to make him clyme into high places Euen so the thoughtes and mindes of man being from their infancie inclined to do euill solleine negligent and slow to well doing of themselues will hardly pretend or aspire to clime the high hill of vertue nor the Muses coassembling in their stately Helicon Parnassus mountains signifying the raised hart and industrie we ought to haue to come to the type of true erudicion if they be not led as it were drawne by the hand with often exhortation take corgae by such as follow the right hard and straite waye of vertue science which is scuh as are their vertuous and skilfull Masters of long time exercised in their owne profession The auncients in times past for the many benefites growing to common weales by the industrie of learned and vertuous instructers compared them to good Dyers giuing a good and faire teynt or die to cloth of it selfe vile and vnpolished which afterward in respect of his excellent cooller becomes seruiceable and vsuall to Princes Kynges and Emperours some of them resemble them with learned Painters who vppon their tables draw so faire pictures that ther is not so great a Lorde who takes not pleasure to beholde them And some compare them to excellent caruers of Images who vndertaking to worke purtreytes out of rude and vnpolished stones smooth them first and cut them afterwards by such Art and cunning raysing so liuely and naturall formes that to make them naturall bodies there seames to want nothing but life and spéech and so by their excellent skill in those Images they take away quite the first nature of the stone out of the which they were hewed euen so do wise learned and vertuous Masters with the wittes of their Disciples giuing them doctrines and vertues most excellent pictures liuely coollers and goodly ornaments of the soule Who by those things declares a beautie wonderfull excellencie altogither deuine by the which it hath affinitie with God and is honored of all men aboue all other taking charge to institute youth the Principall ought most to excell who as he is in the first degrée of honour and authoritie ouer the Regents and schoolemasters so it belonges to him to surmount them in wisedome erudicion and good life And being assured of the vertue and doctrine he must also be hable to iudge of the discreation of the Regents and giue thē place honorable and allowance equall to their merits furnishing alwayes the fourmes when it is requisite as if the chiefe Regents faile to supplie their default to auoyde disorder and in any wise not to suffer their youth to loose their deare time which cannot but be to them all a charge of conscience Lastly they must examine the schollers of high fourmes determining fourmes according to their aduauncement otherwise they are negligent in their estate cōtemptible and expresse not the reuerēce and obedience which iustly apertaine to the Principall and therefore let no Colledge be gouerned either by a proud or ignorant man. ¶ A continuance of the discourse of Colledges by other comparisons Chapter iij. SVch good instructours teachers and scholemaistsrs to youth maye also by the doctrine of the auncients bée layed in comparison with Fathers Phisicions labourers gardeners shepheardes potters goldsmithes who according to their actions in the artes wherein they deale
more often reproches yea being euen as little martyrs so there is no profession wherein are lesse faultes For the Masters séeking but to comunicate their learning with their disciplrs neuer endure their vices if they speake euill they correct them if they do euill they are punished they neuer giue them libertie of idlenes though they allow times of necessary recreation In this estate is nothing but chastitie for which cause they are called Pallas and the Muses being Mayds by which occasion not without cause the Poets fained Pallas the Goddes of wisedome and mayde with hir nine mayden sisters the Muses who also as they signifie the exercise of sciences contayning in it virginitie and perpetuall honestie so they are called sisters as being all of one mutuall societie and indiuidible coniunction There is no thing but vertue and godlines in a schoole and therfore it deserues well to be called a religion if in any bookes of the pagans there be wordes vnciuill bearing to vnchast loue or expressing nombers of Goddes the schollers are aduertised by their tutors that they are spéeches of infidelles which knew not God and therfore in taking the rose they may leaue the thornes and being taught the good they are also warned from that which is euill What resteth now more to be alleadged of these detractors and scoffers of the estate of schoolemasters so noble and happie and almost the generall cause of all the benefites that are done in the worlde where they being men of vaine and light spirites are also a people vnprofitable and a burden and charge to the earth Rattes and deuowring vermin of the garnors of good men bycause they haue not passed by good schooles where with ciuilitie in spéech and life they might haue learned some Art profitable to their countrey and honorable to themselues when they die they cannot leaue any testimonie that they liued vppon the earth for that to them posteritie can prescribe no memorie of god These scoffers by contempt call schoolemasters Magisters and Dominos which turnes as a glory to them for that they haue those names common with Iesus Christ saying to his Disciples you call me Magister and Domine sum etenim so schoolemasters are Magistri by the state of their teaching and Domini for that they commaund their disciples and giue lawes to their affections and lustes where those dispisers of good men for whom according to Salomon the terrible iudgements of God are prepared are thralles and slaues to their passions yea it is to be feared that they are euen the bondmen of Sathan whom they obey and are the executors of his commaundements whereof the greatest and most pernicious is to contemne the good sort and vex with violence and wrong men of learning and vertue being an estate that most batter the kingdome of Sathan bring ruine to his tirannie But notwithstanding their scoffes and vaine impediments they are both Lords and Masters as exercising both authoritie and discipline in their iurisdiction of their small common weale aswell as the greatest Magistrate of the earth and to scoffe with those scoffers we may say they haue their scepture in hand with distribucion of high inferior Iustice for they condemne iustefie and absolue when they condemne there is no appeale yea there is such direct pollecie in their coÌ„mon weale that it suffreth neither disorder nor confusion where it is hard to these inciuill iesters to put order in their small families compounded perhaps but vppon two or thrée persons but crying some times as the blind man wheÌ„ he hath lost his staffe strike sometimes without measure or reason reaping by their disorder a gréeuous curse to themselues and families whereuppon is no great cause of merueile for that being not hable to gouerne themselues for want of discipline they haue lesse capacitie to rule others For end let them remember the sentence of Seneca that euill doth he merit to commaunde others which hath not himselfe liued long vnder the discipline of good Masters and learned to obey their commaundements So that with Salomon I may aunswere them at full that a wicked man can not but leade his toung in wickednes and who abhorres good men are detested of God. An exhortation to young children to studie Chapter xiiij MOreouer waighing with the comon benefitts comming to comonweals the sweet profitts that growe to singuler men by learning I exhorte all young men to the studie of the same their nature speciallie inclining and their abillitie consenting making coÌ„scieÌ„ce to lose one only minute of time according to the examples and counsel of Theophrastus and Plinie Whereof as the on in saying time was a most precius expense signified the no more ought men to consume vainly the least parte of time then to make prodigall expenses or wast of a most delicat meate so the other held all times lost which were not imployed in studie the same being the cause that he would not suffer his reader to repeat to him one word twise alleging that it hindred his time to passe further and learn that which yet he knew not where â—he consented with the moste part of all wise men whose opinions were that in all things ought we to be liberal sauing of our honor time in which two things being so precious we ought to be so sparing as not to be prodigall in eyther of them not to our very frinds But to come to knowledg and vertu they must first demaund them of God who is the only disposer of theÌ„ the lord sayeth Salomon giues wisdom and knowleg and discresion comes from his mouth who hath néed of wisdome let him aske it of God sayeth S. James who giues it abundauntly and reprocheth none of that he giues them but enioyneth them to humilitie for on the humble and méek he bestowes his grace secondly it is necesarie to take suche masters as we haue described good learned diligent and discret Thirdly ther must be aplied great labors and seruis trauell which abeit séem heuy and painfull at the beginning yet after the first taste be past they shall féele a most swéet iuyce or likquor in the frute of lerning for which cause Jsocrates resembled learning to a trée whose root is sower and the barke bitter but in the frutes is a most pleasant delightfull tast Plutarch wills men not to stick at the labor that brings any great or excellent benefitt for with the infinitt and glorius recompence afore God and the whole worlde of suche labor the custome of those paines makes the burthen easie which was right aptly aduised of Cato that vertu hath hir exercise in hard trauells which passe away but the frute ther of remaines eternall being a perpetuall inward delight of the mind of man Therfore muche less that labor ought to terifie or with draw young witts from studie but in the consideration of knowledg accompanied with profitt pleasure glorie and immortall name ther is great cause to
cause helping to the excuse and they by vnrulie disobedience abuse her in their dutie or that by some collaterall match shée may eyther bring encrease to hir reuenue or helpe the porcion of her daughters shée is iustified in her second mariage wherein aboue all other cares let her beware that no moode of incontinencie lead hir for that in our Christian religion it is accompted a vice moste slaunderous Touching such as are contented with the state of widowhed let them with S. Paules councel exercise their times in prayers take their delites in holy and godly things and trauell with all their harte to cleaue to God and to please and serue him in al puritie of will and spirituall affection and for their better meane to those holy actions let them eschew conuersation with men and prepare their flesh by fastinges and great sobrietie for as S. Paule sayeth the widowe that liues in delites is dead as whose wanton conuersation wallowing in ease and belly cheare hath corrupted hir mind with affections of mortall sinne wherein shée is readie to ioyne effect to hir fleshly wil as opportunitie shall consent But holy widowes liue spiritually and kéepe their bodies in necessities and their myndes in deuoute exercise as fasting prayer and other deuoute meditations of the spirit séeking after the perfection of the vertuouse widowes in the scripture as Iudith and Anne the prophetisse who from their youthes béeinge widowes receiued great graces from God as the one in the execution of Gods enemies and the other in prophesying of the comming of Christe publishing openly in the temple when the Lord was brought thither that hée was the true Messias ¶ The office of Fathers and Mothers towardes their children and the dutie of children to their parentes Chapter iiij TOuching the office of the second societie in nature pertaining parents towardes their children and of them reciprocallie to their fathers and mothers we will discourse according to the scripture Leauing the doctrine of the Pagan Philosophers as opinions doubtfull in themselues and vncertaine to Christians fathers and mothers haue in comen to bring vp and institute their children where of the mother is tied to a speciall care whilest they are young as growing into state of years and bignes thei belong chiefly to the fathers aswel for their authoritie as their greater and more wise prouidence Touching administration of noriture to their bodies with all other prouisions which the necessitie of nature requiers the mother most cōmonly takes vppon hir that special care as in whom the zeale of nature doeth most abounde some times sparing foode from hir selfe to féed hir children and restraining hir owne body to colde and hunger stickes not to cloathe hir naked tender impes to whome she bears more compassion then to hir proper wantes But for the féeding of the soule being the principall part of man and by the which wee are men and regenerated in to the children of God the body being none other thing then the vessell or mantiō of this sowle the prouision and care is equall to the father and mother both streightly enioyned without distinction to prouide such spirituall féeding clothing as may be worthy for this soule formed to the Image of God which is holly doctrine of saluation and correction instruction in good maners the same as it is the principall cause why God hath blessed them with children So with out those institutions children would fall into degeneration with natures and actions of brute and hurtefull beastes they would be come children accurssed whose dispsiscion would bring forth nothing but pride couetousnes glottony whoredome malice dissolute maners yea they wold become instruments altogither obedient to the wil of Sathan Prince of the world some what to qualifie the grieues of mothers bringing forth their childrē in great paine sorow often times in hard mortal peril of life lulling cherishing them with cares and watching day night with many other perplexities belonging to the institution of their litle youth S. Paule giues them this great consolation that the woman shall be saued by the generation of hir children if with hir instruction she conioyne this care to kepe them by exhortation and hir example in the constancie of faith charitie and sanctification which they receiue by baptisme enclining alwayes to do holy déedes with sobrietye which to young people is the mother noresse of all good doctrines and vertue as of the contrarie children dissolute folowing their foule will neuer attaine to scence and lesse folowe studie and least of all exercise verteous actions and because the mother ought thus to teatch hir children Salomon giues them commaundement to heare and receiue hir lawe aswell as to harken to the doctrine of their father And for example he resites that his mother Bersaba taught him from his infancie in the feare and wisdom of God wher by euen in his youth he became so wise as the scripture reporteth And albeit S. Paule restraines a mother of a family to preache in the church yet he takes no libertie from hir to instruct hir houshold and children in their dutie and office of life with out offending god which then is best performed when she makes the doctrine of God familier with them The daughter of Pithagoras well instructed by hir father in vertue and loue to virginitie kepte a schoole for mayds whō she made so singulerly wise and learned that they confounded the ignorance of many men and with hir resolued to perseuer in the state of perpetuall virgins Cornelia mother to both the Gracchus read to hir children the arte of retoricke whearein she raised them to such knowledg of excelency and eloquence that she was estemed for the most happie lady of Rome yea one day when a gallant or vaine dame of the cittie bragging of hir Iewels shewed hir much stately worke of embrodery and stones she aunswered hir I neuer was careful to make my selfe shine with so false lights as Iewels and stones nor to embosi my house with florishing hangings of goldworke but here sayth shée shewing hir eloquent and learned children is the sunne wherin I shine and the tapistrie Iewels and treasure of my house which in déede as they brought hir more honour then if she had ben Lady and owner of all the riches in Rome So yet she had aspired to more great supreame felicitie if according to hir trauell to distill knowledge into them they had expressed their excellēt learning in actes of modestie vertue in the discourse of their life But because it is a common question at these dayes whither the dugge of a mother is more proper to féede the tender infancie of the childe then the milke of a straunger as also what sortes of meates afterwardes are fit for their noriture it can not bée impertinent to declare our opinion as it were in passing Touching the first noriture if there be no lawfull excuses in the
mother as weaknes want of milke or necessitie of other extréeme sicknes she ought not to commit so deare a Iewell to the fashioning of a straunger wherein besides that it is an act expressely againe nature yet she sheweth hir self to be but halfe a mother and more corrupt in kind then Tigresses or Lionesses who hauing passed the panges of bringing forth their young ones thinke the greatest part of their zeale doth yet remaine and therfore they giue them sucke couer them licke them delite in them and till they be great thee defend them to the daunger of their owne liues from the violence of such as would take them The mother refusing the nursing of hir proper child giues suspicion of hir loue to the Father and great signes of corrupt zeale and nature toward hir children and nurses for the most part being but mercenarie beare no other loue and care to their nurse children then for the time for money whereby the poore infants sucking the seedes of diseases become impotent all the dayes of their life féele the vnnatural vnkindnes of their mothers who with their wretched nurses stand in great hazerd of iudgement afore GOD and no lesse to their Fathers suffring this vnnaturall disorder if there bée not lawfull excuse if to take the rest of the night at their pleasure and to eschew the disquiets of the daye they banish their little children into the hands of straūge nurses wherefore are they Fathers Mothers Why shoulde they desire children if they haue not delite to nurse them If God haue replenished the dugges of the Mother with milke to serue for a noriture to hir child is it not to impugne the lawe of nature ordeined of GOD and slaunder all humane reason to restrayne gods benefit plentifully intended to little infants The straunge nurse perhappes is compounded of other cōplexion and humor then the mother and the childe accustomed to a natural noriture which hée receiued in the belly of his mother what may be feared by this mutation but either change of nature or at the least a miserable subiection to sicknesses which bring more perill of death then any other disease If the nurse by necessitie vse a spare diet what shal be the strength of the child If she be giuen to gluttony what indigestion to the weak stomacke of the infant Who with the milke of hir pap will sucke the intemperance of the nurse séeing the maners and customes of the mind followe the complexions noritures and outward temperatures if the nurse be chollerike melancholy or furious what hope of good composition in the child If they saye such things may be holpen reformed afterwardes it may be answered that it is hard to correct nature Let therfore mothers according to God nature and reason nurse their proper children if they be not excusable by the causes aforesayde wherein they shall but followe the vertues of auncient Ladies yea Empresses and Quéenes to whom it was not irkesome to giue the dugge to their owne children and hauing not sufficiēt milke of thēselues they supplied it by the aide of some other good nurses but not in full noriture for feare of daunger and rather then they would vse two nurses because the diuersitie of milkes can not but be hurtful they obserued the order of the Saxons to norish the child with meat chawed in their owne mouthes by which remaynes yet a common opinion that the Saxons are more strong then the other Almaines Touching their other foode in any wise wyne must be auoyded for that it inflames the bloud and their generall diet ministred rather in sobrietie then in fulnes of delicacie For too great abundance of deyntie meates quencheth natural heat euen as too much doung or fatnesse rancketh the earth and cloyeth the corne it is conuenient euen to children of great houses risen into strēgth and age not to liue in choyse of their meates but to accustome their stomackes to all sortes of diet indifferently to drinke such liccour as is most common the better to enhable them against necessities and extremities of countreys warres and barbarous places where perhaps in place of delicate wynes they shal be glad of puddle watter their fyne fare tourned into foule and vncoath meats and yet in no plentie How heauely and hardly will such penury bee borne Yea what perill of life comes with this straunge suddaine mutation If they haue neuer endured cold and after come into snow and yce and want their wrapping what passion more intollerable yea they will thinke they haue death betwéene their teeth if they be straungers to paynes and trauell how vnapt are they to endure the perplexities of warre If they haue no exercise how hardly are they fashioned to the vse of weapons And being neuer accustomed to marche they are with great difficultie trained and prepared to the field And therfore let no youth be norished in ease but specially none that are dedicated to great affaires and martiall actions In such sort were fashioned the youth of Rome and Lacedemonie who in those two estates of people was most valiant and industrious after Lacedemonie the youth of Germany florished most by this education which ioyned with custome made them hable bodies against hunger thirst colde heate and all intollerable labours and necessities But so sone as they changed this excellēt course of exercise and suffred their youth to slide languish in pleasures their cōmon weale became weake and their florishing triumphes turned into tauerne playes whereby Lacedemonie was made a slaue to those straungers ouer whom she had commaunded Rome the triumphant Lady of the whole world become but to the coūtenāce of a handmayd and Germany by this corruption of the youth of great houses is now a place of good cheare and beares no other renoume then for banquets and feast makinge the same giuinge a daungerous argument that the destinie of the Empire aspireth to his ende But in the meane while the youth of the Turkes nourished in great sobrietie is accustomed to drink water is careles of fleshe and fine meates delites more in labor then in rest takes pleasure in perpetual exercises of the fielde the better to prepare them to the warre whereunto their vse bringes great dexteritie as appereth by their many enterprises against the Christians to the dishonour of holy religion In the tyme of Aristotle the Lacedemonians vsed their children to goe bare-headed naked on their féet the better to ouercome heat and colde and as soone as they were wayned from the dugge they were caried out of the citie as not to be corrupted by the swéete and softe pampering of their mothers and brought vp in the countrey and fieldes their bodies being made acquainted with sweat and labors when they had desire to meat they wonne it by killing some wild beast or foule which they brought to their maister and being but of small age there was hanged by a thréed in a high place some
seruitude and seeing them disposed to their seruice with a franke and liberall will gaue them libertie wherein I wishe and exhort that no man holding of the gospell which is a law of libertie and grace bée surmounted by such as were vnder the lawe of seruitude and Moyses in the which the Jewes enfréeed their poore brethren bond men in the vii yeare of their seruice and in the Jubilei gaue libertie to all the other slaues of straunge nations or at the least such bond mē were as their marcenarie seruauntes hauing yearely hyer for the labours they tooke in hande to the end that with tyme they might redéeme their miserable condicion But now eftsones to the dutie of a Master wherein as we haue spoken of the loue and gentle dealing which he oweth to his seruant so hée must vnderstand that with this loue he must minister to him doctrine and discipline Doctrine in instructing him in the rules of faith according to the example of the Iewes who neuer tooke bondmen whom they caused not to be circumcised and taught in the law so leading them in good examples of faithfull Jsraelites as for whose faultes they shoulde aunswere euen no lesse then for the rest of his familie There be thrée things sayth the wiseman necessary for the good entertaining of a seruant bread discipline and worke as to the Asse men giue prouender beating and his burden by the bread is vnderstoode sufficiēt noriture being too great iniquitie to kéepe seruants at trauell and make small allowance of sustenance if the Oxe reserued for the plough giues ouer his worke when he is faint for want of meate why should the poore seruaunt be shortned of his allowance by whose industrie both the plough goeth the Ox is preserued and the Master liueth discipline is due to him for that if he be not well instructed nor of him self wel giuen he workes with an euill will and encreaseth in vices as hauing not tasted from his infancy of any good instruction For that cause sayth the wiseman it is néedefull to offer him the racke that is a good correctiō specially when he ronnes either from his Master or frō his worke euen as the Asse must féele the cudgell whē he will not go But when he corrects him selfe or commits any light fault let the Master saith S. Paule pardon his offences as hee will haue God to remit such as he hath done so often times in the Scripture and the perpetuall paines which he hath deserued In that sort S. Paule willeth Philemon to pardon Onesyme a bondman who in his running away became a Christian by his doctrine he willeth to rebuke him without rigor and kéepe against him no passion of euill will but receiue him as his deare brother to serue him in all temporall and spirituall things And therfore let the Maister take héede not to be bitter against his seruaunt by hate for in that case S. John saith he should be as a murderer and much lesse do him wrong by malicious choller crueltie and impacience For he must remember that he hath a Master in heauen and that the other is but as a seruant with him of that great Maister wyth whom is regard neither of Lord nor master nor acception of persons but iudgeth equally the one as the other in all things touching well or ill doing Let him not then thinke that either his person shal be more worthy or his workes better accepted bycause he is a master or a Lord of greater estate For there is but the multitude of vertues which stand in place of credit and fauor wherein both the one and the other are indifferently receiued And hath not Iesus Christ employed his life and bloud indifferently for the one and other Then touching estate and greatnes according to the world it is but vanitie and a certaine apparant felicitie and the chaunce of worldly things may be such that this day a Master and to morowe a seruant which we read hath hapned to many Let him consider lastly whilest he is a master to make accompt to God of his authoritie and rule which he hath receiued of him where in he is so much the more subiect to reckoning by how much GOD hath called him aboue the other to that estate Touching trauell let him rather kéepe him in continual worke then ouerlay him with heauy labors measuring his bourden accordinge to the rate of his strength to beare it Let him not followe the example of Pharao in the time of Moyses who of a wicked wyll layd vppon the people of Israel more great and hard laboures then they were able to ouercome beating them if they perfourmed not their compleat taske of worke which hée prescribed to them aboue their forces wherein the oppressed Israelites crying out to God were heard in their complaintes to the ruine of Egypt and drowning of the Kyng and all his proud armie The Master ought neuer to suffer his seruant to be idle but at resting times in the night on the holy day he ought to kéepe him exercised spiritually eyther in prayers or to heare Sermons giuing him no libertie to hunt after gluttonie and vnlawfull playes which two kyndes of most daungerous idlenes aboue all others are causes of infinit euils to many men but specially to seruants and the young sort In which reason the wiseman saith that aswell as the Asse ought to be fed with prouander so hath hée néede also of the bastonado the bridell and the burden so must the Master sometime entertayne the seruaunt with the noriture of the rod and worke not giue libertie to his nature which of it selfe wyll raise him into disorder and disobedience sayth Salomon only his correction must runne in a course of amitie of a Christian Father of housholde who hath commaundement from S Paule to do that which is iust and reason to his seruant whom hee ought to estéeme as his spirituall sonne and companion according to God of the life to come The wise man aduiseth him also if he be faithfull and wise to loue him as his soule and to giue him fréedome and aduauncement as in déede the seruant puts his soule which is his life his bodie his laboures and industrie to continuall paines for the seruice of his master so did Abraham loue his seruant Elizer cōmitting to him all his most waightie affaires and for recompence if hée had had no childe hée had succéeded him in his inheritance In the gospel we sée how the Centenier loued his seruāt trauelling carefully for his health when he was sicke In whose examples may be reprehended now a days many masters who handling hardly their poore seruants sende them in their sicknes and impotencie to hospitals but if they haue but an Ox sicke or a horse lame they fayle not to aplie remedies for their cure as bearing more care to a beast then affection to a man who toucheth them in Christian brotherhoode touching
be kept one of the first actes of vertue and in iustifying the innocent he defendes him from violent oppression and preseruing his smal porcion of goods kéepes him from the hospitall and his wife and familie from perishing by hunger In sustayning the cause of the poore and procuring condemnation to the wicked he doth double worke of mercie obserueth that which so often God recommendes in the Scripture wherein the Iudge executing the good aduise and exhortacion of the aduocate accomplisheth the iudgement of God doing an act of high praise and worthy of eternall felicitie The aduocate thus being the mouth of the people and chiefe enformer of the Iudge ought not to bee ignorant in the written lawe customes statutes and ordenances of the land helping his wit with the art of reasoning and his iudgement with general experience in all affaires wherein the science of Logicke morall discourse and specially the studie of polletike reasoning may bring great helpe to him for if by ignorance hée giue wicked counsel and leade the partie in a vaine expence of money to pursue an vniust cause or if by indirect or suttle dealing hee cause an other to loose his righteous sute though the lawes of ages and countreis appoynt him no punishment yet being guiltie both to the one and other losse I doubt not but by the lawes of heauen and conscience he ought to refine to the parties the full damage hapned by his corrupt counsell No lesse punishment but greater shame is due to the ignorant iudge giuing corrupt sentence by the perswasion of the aduocate as to whom it belonges to be more wise and resolute not deseruing to sit in the seate of a Iudge afore he haue thorowly passed the office of an aduocate and practised lawes in publike court which hée had read in priuate studies But if the aduocate entertaine by couert sleightes and suttleties vniust causes procuring cauillations by delayes to weary the man whose sute is good and enforce him to a hurtfull accord and so by his shiftes peruert iustice into iniquitie besides that he is bound to satisfaction of the losse yet he is not out of the perill of Gods curse Aduocates and procurers who by entertayning processes in delayes empouerish good men and become riche them selues and such the very instruments of Sathan as eyther bréede or norish quarell betwéene parties are condemned to all wretchednes by Iesus Christ For if such as be peaceworkers be happy of common congruence thē who hindreth confoundeth or delayeth peaceable causes are ordayned to misery as by whom is set abroche among neighbours the vessell of grudge malice hatred sorowe heauines and vtter vndoing and also losse of time in their established trades and vocations wherevnto they are called by God and if they be not the causes directly that their clients offend God in many sorts at least they kéepe them from seruing him restrayning al their hart thoughts and industrie to the furthering of their proces which cannot bée but a kind of impietie yea oftentimes it hapneth that by the dilatorie shiftes of solicitors and attorneys many rich clients sée no end of their cause in many yeres whereby it hapneth that he that preuaileth reapes not so much as he hath spent and he that is ouerthrowne is sent to the bagge wallet being afore the beginning of the sute of good estate of habilitie To such as be the occasions of this euill I aske this question if they be not iudged by their owne lawe which sayth such as giue the occasion of euill séeme to do the euill it selfe if the sinne bee as great to him that holdeth as to the other that cuts the throte of the iust mā is there any grace or distinction in the sentence touching the Iudge specially if he may apply remedie and abuse his meane Let no man erre by couertures of writtes or wrested titles of the expounders of the law or orders of courtes for in what sort so euer they do wrong to any man according to iudgement and conscience which with great aduise ought to be considered more then the opinion and comments of writers hid vnder the shadowe of the lawe and yet against the lawe which of it selfe is iust and good so that it be not abused they worke their owne depriuation of the life eternall The vnrighteous sath Saint Paule shall neuer possesse the kingdome of God And who are more vnrighteous thē such as worke against the iudgement and intencion of the lawe and contrary to the secret aduise of reason and sense of conscience which is not blinded through affections and custome of euill Would those smooth and coosening Lawyers if they were in the state of their simple clyents attribute it to wel doing to haue with them their best bloud drawne from them without féeling and that which remaines become too corrupt for horseleaches Let them thinke vnhappie is the gaine wherein vnhappely is wrought the destruction of poore soules What other thing doe counsellors and attorneys committing to their Clerks Bookes of length and many lines and consequently of more gaine to them selues but draw by suteltie money out of the poore mans purse What other thing is it then to impugne God hurt their conscience seduce the Prince the Court and the world and vnder cooller of that iust and lawful gaine to commit manifest theft whereof they stand condemned in the iudgement of God where all suttletie shal be reuealed which Saint Paule calleth darknes and all iniquitie examined not according to the vaine fancie of couetous fleshly men which think there is no other iniquitie but that which is séene and palpable to the hand but euen the most suttle craft that may be imagined shal be by the euerlasting eye so clearely spied and descerned that it shal be iudged worthy of death one of the offēces that most displeaseth God is the sinne of the Deuill as to be a deceiuer a Traytor a dissembler malicious author of quarrelles suttle and polletike to do euill it is said the Deuill that appeared to Eue hid vnder the visible serpēt was of all other creatures most craftie suttle Then if our aduocates and attorneis being instructed in the deuils sutteltie sticke not to glorifie themseiues to haue so good a teacher and master to learne them by good reason as they practise his instruction and example they are also to receiue with him a common rewarde and recompence yea let them be assured that the suttle are taken in their owne snares and that no councell cunning nor reason stande a fore God who being able to confound all will call into terible iudgment al such masquid and disguised suttelties is it not a vaine and foolish sutteltie to beguile a poore man of a halfpeny and for it to be condemned to lose a crowne what folly more then for the gaining of certaine transitorie drosse here on earth by suttle means to be condemned to the losse of all goodes body and
alwayes gaine For some times aswell in affaires on sea as lande GOD sendes afflictions for proofe and trial but he deliuereth the iust man in the ende to his greater comfort But if in his voyages and trafykes he had no other intent theÌ„ to aduaunce his own priuate gayne I sée not howe the common weale hath interest in his restitution séeinge as he traded for him selfe without respect of publique benefite to the countrey so there can be no reason of restitution where is no cause of merit No let such as restraine their wares to a dearth in hope to enhauÌ„ce the price and in the meane eyther the season groweth plentifull or their wares corrupt let such I saye sucke the iuyce of their couetousnes with the broth of rigorous punishment togither also with that cankared sorte of marchants who by reason of loane or credit passe their wares to poore chapmen of the countrey eyther for better then they are or at more price then they are worth Such also as making store of their corne and neuer appeare in the market but when the price beginnes to abate by the great supplie that the countrey bringes in and to restraine or forstall it will not stick to send twoo or thrée leagues about in the couÌ„trey to all the vittellers corne men with threates or false brutes not to bring in their corne as yit What other reward doe such marchants merit of their common weales but publike infamie exemplairye iustice yea they are bound to restore the damage that is sustained by it wherein it belonges to the officers of the towne and other special ministers vnder the Prince not to wink at this great iniustice done by these cormorantes to a whole common weale least by their coniuringe and dissimulation thei stand no lesse guiltie afore God and their countrey theÌ„ those that are the special dooers if they alleadge which is ordinarie with them that they made the prouision for the towne and therefore ought not to sustaine losse how false that is appeareth by this argument of their dooing for if their store had ben reserued to the reliefe of their towne they might haue giuen plentifull succours not onely to the towne but to the couÌ„trey about at the beginning when corne drew to a scarcetie and high price in the market but as by their extréeme couetousnes suffering it to mount to extréeme rate they brought lamentable preiudice to their common weale so much lesse that there is any colour of excuse séeinge by the apparance of their dooings the common people findes good cause to accurse them with infinit outcries which being retained in heauen can not but bréede effectes of their ruyne on earth for God according to the scripture drawing vp the cryes of the poore vseth to reuenge their iniuries with all lamentable miseries thondred vpon the proper dooers and their posteritie to the extreeme rooting out of their houses Let the magistrat also looke to it least God wrappe him in the common paynes with such as doo the wrong Let him not dissemble iustice by any merit or estimation of the person for that the greater they are the quicker Iustice their offence deserueth as being vnthankfull children and bretherne to their common weale which is their mother albeit in them be respect of parentage neighbourhead gossupship or other consideration of friendship yet they ought al to passe vnder equall punishmeÌ„t for that as the law is equall so with God whose lieftenantes they are is no acception of persones who wheÌ„ there is a fault committed in his house eueÌ„ by his dearest children there beginnes he his correction afore hée procéede to iustice of others So did he to Moyses who spake to him face to face that is priuatly reuealinge him selfe to him more then to any other as soone as hée erred he is first condemned for certayne infidelitie neyther could he at any time retract the sentence but that he dyed in the desert and could not enter into the land of promisse Ananias and Saphira were in the Catalogue of the first Church but as soone as they lyed to the holy Ghost with an vnfaithfull but weake fraile distrust are executed to death by diuine vengeance it is written that Chylon wheÌ„ he was created soueraigne magistrat in Athens sent for his friends saying that froÌ„ the time forward he renounced all frendship meaning that in causes of trespasse he would vse parents frinds kindred in on rate and equitie of iustice with others Ther be that in the traffike of marchandice and corne speciaâ—ly do forestall the time as when they buye corn yet in the blade and frutes not resolued but in their blossome with many other helps in bargeyning where of I leaue the resolution to the lawes for that my profession here is to medle with none but such as concerne concience and Christian dutie And so because the time is not yet ceraine to make by common iudgment a certaine measure of corne and frute no man ought to buye as they saye the pigge in the bagge nor the corne in the blade for that the market is the place apoynted for the trafficke of such thinges Such forerunners of time and forestallers of markets neuer buye in that sort but at too plentifull a peniworth as the seller seldome obserueth those seasons to sell in but by some great necessitie which as a matter of force constraint is also impertinent to the bargaine making it is sayd that feare and force make vnprofitable accordes as in which two passions is neyther full libertie nor perfect iudgment And therfore in common reason the buyer can not but offend in conscience if he enforce the necessitie of the pore seller to his priuate gaine and the vndoing of him selfe and desolat familye speciallye buyinge his corne in the blade and other his goods which are not yet in nature touching rent corne of fermers if their Lordes deale not with them somtimes more in conscience and consideration of the yeare then according to the straight equitie and rigor of their couenaunts they may to their dishonor flea them quicke as the huntsman caseth a fox to haue his skin and leaue their wiues and children to pouertie to their perpetuall confusion afore God the land lord ought to deale with his tenant as the herdsman with his flocke who is contented only with his fléece and feding him still to th end he may estsons encrease he defends him from the woulfe and sucoreth him in time of his pouertie Great also is the gredines of marchants in their other perticuler trades and no lesse damnable their sheftes and subtelties enforced with a custome of lying and swering vices for the most part familiar with inferior bargeinars and retaylers aspiring to be rich by those abominable helpes But to coÌ„demn this couetousnes the very norsse and feeder of all other vices this were only sufficient if marchants had no other purpose or pretence in their contractes and trades but to
angrie with the Jsraelites in sending them dearth of corne for not paying their tenthes yea if the husbandmen forget their tithes to the poore Leuits and left not in haruest time for the other poore to gleane and distributed almes at other seasons according to their dutie they were thretned with barrennes and dearth ouer the land wherin Christians haue to consider touching all those texts standing vppon the law of God and authorised by the Gospell being more iustly bound then the Hebrewes to whom the causes were nothing so reasonable as also for that the ministery without comparison is of more value more honorable in the Gospell then in the law and lastly for that the Gospell recommends the poore dearely to vs and with more riche promises of recompence then the law The third vice may be in the paiment of their rents to their Lordes and creditors to whom as they may vse subtletie and eyther defeate or delay them of their duty so in bargaining for corne and wyne they may sell corrupt wares in diuerse sorts for the which it hapneth by the iustice of God that in the end pouertie is the reward of those people ioyned with recompence of euery fatall and miserable calamitie eyther vppon them or their houses Pastors and heards men are bound with diligence faith and care to cherish their flocke and with that affection that they defend them from al peril of rauine for the which they are to giue accompt to their Masters as if they were their owne And therefore to the sicke they ought to applie remedie and giuing strength to the weake not to abandon the worst from their eye perpetual care to the end they may vaunt with Jacob to haue ben good heardes men wherein pastors Ecclesiasticall are here aduertised spiritually touching their pastorall office for whose cause I haue adioyned this little addicion and so leaue them to the consideration of their high fuÌ„ction in the lesson giuen to good common heards men ¶ All other estates are comprehended in those that haue bene already debated the explication of the qualeties of persons Chapter j. AL other vocations are contayned vnder those that haue bene already debated So that if any other estate seperate as Embassadour Orator or other of infinit profession as messengers intelligencers interpretors or spies with others of that rate woulde know how farre their offices stretch according to the Scripture they shall find them comprehended in the former estates aboue all other things the Embassadour being the faithfull substitute of his Prince or coÌ„mon weale ought not to reueale the secrets of his legation whereby eyther the affaires of his Prince maye be hindred or aduauntage giuen to the forreine Magistrate he ought not for his glory profite or pleasure to practise any extraordinary innouatioÌ„ or be inuested in any estate to the disaduauÌ„tage of them from whom he is sent For which act Hermolaus Barbarus a man of great knowledge Embassadour for the Venetians with the Pope taking the patriarchship of Aquilea was publikely condemned by the Senat in the losse and depriuation of the priuilege and Burgeship of Venice and had it not ben for the credit merit of his former seruice ioyned with the diligent intercession of the Pope he had bene in dauÌ„ger of capitall sentence By this as it were by the waye may be warned our preachers the Embassadors of the liuing God neither to say or doe any thing in Gods name further then the coÌ„mission of his word will beare nor to hope for or take any presents of spirituall promocion eyther to corrupt or tempt theÌ„ to disguise the truth couering the apparant vices of their benefactors against whom God commaundes them to speake boldly vppon paine of his iudgements not to hold their peace as doth the dogge which forbeareth to barke when his mouth is filled with meate Touching the Orator I maye send him to the office of the aduocate for the conueniencie that is in those two estates Betwene whom this is onely the difference that the aduocate alleageth onely the lawes for such affaires as may be decided by them the Christian Orator decks his matter with eloquent phrase prosecutes it by popular reasons by arguments sometimes very likely and most often necessary iustefieth his proofes by histories aswell holy as prophane to perswade his purpose and enforce his causes of coniecture whereof in the law can be raised no certaine proofe The aduocate and he reason both to one end as to defend the iust and accuse condemne the euill doer perswading in thinges honest profitable and necessary whither touching the Church or temporall estate The spie is as a faithfull and wise seruant of his Prince or Captaine that vseth him of which estate he ought to make no conscience being assured that the war wherin hee is employed is iust as being proclaimed thorow the kyngdome as a matter of consent by the Prince his counsell and graue estates and signified to the enemy So are Josua Caleb and others sent to espie the land of Canaan authorised by Moyses of whom if the rest had bene of the like fayth and courage as were Josua and Caleb so many miseries had not falne vppon the Israelites There resteth now to treat vppon only the qualities or diuers fortunes as the saying is of men that is to saye riche and poore ouer and be sides that we haue alredy touched of them in the Chapter of hospitalls reléeuing the pore togither with the qualities of the learned and ignorant men that be good and such as are of worsse sort these qualities we finde in all estats trades and vocations some riche and some pore or partâ—y rich if they be conferred w such as are extreamly pore or halfe pore if they be measured with them that excéede in wealth so may we iudge of the other qualities wherin afore we discend to discribe amplie the dutie of the riche and pore we may note three thinges by the waye the first is the riches is no honorable preheminence nor makes not an estate of dignitie therfore let not the riche man by any credite or reputation of his wealth aspier to honor or dignitie aboue others nor others attribute more to him then to the simple honest pore in regard of his aboundance wherin certayne Christians euen in the primatiue Churche reteining yet the error which they had being Pagans bearing more honor to the riche then to the pore the common fault of the world were greuously rebuked by Saint James charging them in the crime of acception of persones with vnrighteous doing wrong to God and to the pore for God sayeth he estemes asmuche the iuste pore man as the riche yea he séemes to beare more fauour to the pore adopting them the heirs of his Kingdome which he giueth to such as loue him Saint James also rebukes the honor that is giuen to richemen in great assemblies for the only respect and name of
their wealth a kinde of Idolatrie to honor a creature vile and insensible in a man as is riches and not reuerence the pore by reason of his pouertie which notwithstanding is most acceptable and honorable with God as being innocent and without hurt where in the riche man according to the Apostle is founde many actes of oppressions which haue fauour of impunitye albeit they deserue extreame iudgement To dispise also the pore man is double sinne as both retorning in iniurie against God who hath made the pore aswell as the riche yea honoreth him with his more singuler graces as apeared euen since the time of the lawe chusing for his prophetts men extremelye pore as also againste the pore man himselfe who with his present pouertie feeles yet an other affliction when he findes him selfe dispised Secondly riche men ought to be perswaded by faith that their welth comes not altogether by their labors their witts nor prouidences for sayeth Salomon the blessing of God makes men riche and keepes them from suffering affliction it is of mear grace that God makes some to prosper in the goodes and affairs of the worlde with out suffering losse or vexation And as ther be many that trauell no lesse then they yea with equall industrye prouidence and care and yet are vnder the yoke of pouertie So then let riche men attribute nothing to them selues but all to the bountifull prouidence of God by the mean of some little labor which they take as if they would attribut the fertilytie of a good ground yelding for one graine aboundance of corne being but simply tilled to the prouident ordenance of God and not to their industrie manuring seeing there is no ground which though it be tilled and fatted with great labour and sowen with neuer so good séedes will yet yéeld no fruite neither in plentie nor price because the blessing of God hath not bene giuen to that ground to make it riche in corne euen so the poore are ordayned of God to their estate of pouertie I meane the good sort for such as by negligēce by whoredome or other vnthriftines become poore are causes of their owne decaye as there be that contrary to the ordenāce of God get riches by vseries and other vnlawfull meanes deseruing not to bée called the rich men of God but of Sathan as also such as by misgouernement become poore are not called by the poore of God and as such are not true poore falling into pouertie by their owne vices and not poore by God but by his permission so also riche men are rauinors by the suffring power of God and not by his will. Thirdly rich mē by faith may apprehend Gods prouidence bearing them fauour and frendship to establish them in prosperitie ease aboue their other bretherne as belonging all to one heauenly Father drawne out of one mother which is nature and qualified of cōmon elementes touching the constitution of the body whom they sée subiect to more pouertie and affliction for the which as they are bound to a more action of thankes to God so let them search the cause why he reserueth such fauour for them and why also and for what ende there bée so many poore euen to the ende of the world which can neuer attaine to ritches on whom if it had so pleased him he might by the opening of his plentiful hand haue bestowed great ritches as he did vppon Job after his extréeme pouertie In consideration of all which causes it will fall out necessarie with our purpose to prescribe aswell to the ritch as the poore their particular dutie according to god First then the riche ought not to swell or presume by any opinion of his ritches nor the poore fall into infirmitie of hart by reason of his pouertie and much lesse estéeme him selfe of inferiour grace with God or estimacion amongest men according to one self iudgement of reason but with Saint James let him take occasion to glorifie him selfe in God of his poore and abiect condition in hope to be exalted as of the contrary the ritch arrogant man hath to feare to be throwne downe after this life the same being expressed in the example of the wicked riche man cast by wicked spirites into extréeme necessitie and horrible tormentes of hel where the soule of poore Lazarus was caried by Angelles into the bosom of Abraham The promise of Gods kingdome is made onely to the poore and therefore if the riche wil be saued let them buy it of the poore by true faith and charitie and almes with deedes of compassion You rich men saith Iesus Christ make you friendes of the Mammon of iniquitie that is of the richesse which induce men to much euill draw mindes to vnlawfull lustes torment hartes with wicked cares make their owners idolators being vniustly gotten are also carefully kept and by their abuses are the causes to infinit people of euerlasting damnacion In this also the rich sort ought to feare for that GOD giues riches to many as their porciōs which they haue to looke for from him according to the saying of Abrahā to the riche man in the Gospell My sonne thou hast already receyued thy pleasures and Lazarus likewise his paynes in the world content thy selfe if thou hast at any time dou any good as prayed to GOD or heard his word thou hast ben sufficiently payed for it thou canst not passe from a vaine pleasure to a true and perpetuall pleasure from temporall richesse which thou didst abuse to an euerlasting felicitie from worldly glorie honour whiche were thy delites to a glorie eternall which as a swéete reward is reserued for this man on whom the world threw contempt because of his pouertie Wherein then as the rich men of the worlde haue more occasiō to submit in humilitie and feare so to the poore is giuen comfort and hope to bée exalted for whō the more miseries perplexities and contemptes they haue suffered in the world the greater recompence is layed vp in the ioyes felicities and eternall delites of heauen ¶ Still touching the qualities of personnes Chapter ij RIch men considering in thē selues that wealth is a gift of God and not the onely fruite of their industrie as they ought to glorifie the Lord so by how much hée fauoureth thē aboue others by so much are they bound to submission and humble recompence of thankes giuing with encrease of loue towardes him because without their merite he hath aduaūced them to goods as foreséeing that they could not easely beare the pouertie and miserie of the world They haue also to consider that he hath blissed them with so great store to the end to make distribucion to their poore bretheren for which purpose as their heauenly father raised them to that plentie to the ende that in their liberalitie might be expressed their office of brothers So if they failed in this zeale what iniquitie did they to their brethren hauing right in the goods
God who beareth no malice to any man he hath made as hauing declared therein his power his wisedome and his boūtie For which three things we must acknowledge his handy worke with thankes giuing Besides we know that God is not but charitie and loue and who is constant in charitie dwelleth in God and God is firme in him as of the contrary who hateth any man hath no perfect charitie and by conclusion cannot be of God So that as we are first bound to loue GOD with all our heartes so in the second place we ought for his sake to loue al men with a true perpetual loue as our selues But if we find them possessed with any vice or faulte louing still the creature we may hate that which we sée not to be of God and hated of men as knowing that in God there is nothing but integretie and what els is good and vertuous These be the causes why we ought to loue the soules and bodies of sinners as being the hādie workes of God but lawfully maye we hate their sinnes and wicked condicions as we ought not to loue any thing in the Deuill but his creation which is deuine since touching the rest he is nothing but peruersitie of his proper will for which cause he is called wicked as not taking pleasure no which is worse not hauing power to delite in any thing but to do euill the same being the reason why so often we are commaunded to shonne him and not to suffer him to enter into vs by any pleasant suggestion but to resist him estéeme him our onely enemie a serpent and venemous Dragon a rauining Wolfe a roaring Lion a théefe and murderer séeking after nothing but by suttletie force ambushes and treasons to betray our soules yea if it were not by his wicked and wretched temptations we should neuer haue enemies malice or miseries no not once haue the thought to do wrong one to another the same being the cause that our sauiour Christ calles him our enemie it is he only whom we ought to hate and all that is in him except the spirituall substance the first creature of God it is he onely whom we ought so much to detest as not once to hear him sée him or séeke to learne any thing of him in whom is nothing but deceite lying abuse and murder it is he of whom wée ought to take nothing that he offreth for he corrupteth all that he giueth And séeing he is a poysoner let vs alwayes take héede that he enuenime not our thoughts with vaine and wicked pleasure with infidelitie consent to euill and that he poyson not our wordes with vanitie iniuries detraction lies false othes and blasphemie nor infect our workes or actions with ipocrisie or dissembled intention nor by any other trangression of Gods commaundements This wicked spirite hath stretched out his snares in all places and dispersed his poyson throughout the worlde he entrapped Eue in the earthly paradise and poysoned hir with lust of glory which as an infection hee hath earst distilled into infinit nations and persons his ginnes are so suttlely wrought and layd that they are espied and auoyded of none but such as are humble and lowly such as liue in continuall contemplation of Gods wisedome and his holy feare such as resolued into spirite haue no conuersation with the flesh and the world such as are strōg in fayth and of that immouable loue to God that they take no other pleasure but to do his commaūdements Suche doeth the spirit and wisdome of God instruct to espie and breake his suttle snares and giue them remedies against the poyson of that venemous basiliske Touching amitie cyuill which we get by societie of studie by coniunction of life and similitude of estates and functions or in recompence of benefits we may conioyne it with the Christian amitie by the which it hath his confirmation and is made better and more agreable to God By this if I loue better him that is thus my frend then an other professed vnto me by cōmon Christian amitie I do no wronge to no Christian frēd for the I take nothing from him of the which is his I mean of the which I owe him in true spiritual loue in the same sort the loue natural is not deminished by the christiā amitie but is made more firme spiritual as the Christiā Father louing better his owne sonne then an other childe forgetts not for all that to expresse effectes of Christian amitie to the other So that by this loue parents kindred and Christian neighbours may loue one an other with greater loue and yet do no wronge to others touching the zeale which they ought to beare them as we sée by the comparison of the fier where in is resembled charitie and perfect Christian loue which béegins first to heat and burne those thinges that are presented nearest to it I will not hold for all this that in case of election of a magistrate friendship is to be expressed for that there perticuler amitie shoulde giue place to publike friendship as where is more neede of vertue veritie and iustice then of singuler loue onely for as vertue being deuine is and ought to to be preferred afore all humaine affections So he in whome is most reputation of wisdome learning ' integritie iustice although he stand to vs neyther in parentage nor kindred yet for the friendship we beare to the publike or common weale ought to haue our voyce to the state of magistrate And in case of iudgment the father being iudge ought not to be partiall to his childe his kinsman his frend nor dearest familiar For there perticuler friendship giuing place to publike regarde hath no respect to affectiō but to reason right and iustice And séeing as hath ben sayde that amitie aswell naturall as ciuill ought to be ruled by christian frendship and that directed according to the will and comaundement of God with whome sinne is condemned and detested we ought to beare to our frend no percialitie of fauor support nor councell to the hurt or dishonor of an other much lesse obey his fancie plesure or will so far furth as it may bring detriment to the estate of his soule we must not flatter him to the ende to please him in any thing dishonest or vniust much lese heare or incline to him in any thing against God or the puritie of our conscience which we are bound to kéepe altogether to God The gréeke prouerb is the we ought to loue one an other euen to the alter the is so far forth as God be not offended eyther by othe or other vice no who maketh a lie to further the benefit of his frend yea or to fauor his owne life offends God what interest soeuer it bear to father or mother magistrate Kinge or Emperour ¶ How a common weale is gouernened and wherein it erreth Chapter iiij IN al estates in their particular function discharge
that happen in the world they are alreadie well proued to discend directly from God and not by any prouidence of fortune as the Epicuriens and Atheists of our time beleue nor fatally according to the opinion of the infidels togither with the Astrologians who attribute all to their aspects constellations oppositions and reuolutions of starres and much lesse according to the philosophicall perswasion of the Phisitions bringing in the alterations and corruption of Elements and naturall bodies not raising vp their spirites to the consideration of the deuine prouidence that the soule gouernes not better all the parts of our humane body then the great God rules measures this huge world not suffring the least herb or plant to moue or grow without feeling his vertue and power Nor little bird to fall vppon the branch of any trée without the prouidence and will of that omnipotent mouer of all things nor lastly the least haire of our head which is not kept in reckoning by him The Phisitions or later Philosophers do oftentimes beguile themselues by the second causes as making them the imediat or first causes of any euill that hapneth which is a kind of infidelitie not fixing their iudgmeÌ„ts but on things which they see as when the South wind hot and moyst hath blowne much most commonly in a yere when ponds lakes and fennes are corrupted when in a dearth of vittailes people are constrayned to eate vnseasonable meates when the ayre is close and giues out an euill seat when the winter contrary to his nature is hot and sootie when many vile and vememous beastes engender vppon the earth and caterpillers frogges and other vermine fall out of the ayre when such signes appeare the Phisitions say they are the cause of plague sicknes not considering that GOD vseth these second causes ordeyned by his prouidence as instruments and manifest signes of the same prouidence that for this reason By those signes he giues warning to the world that he prepareth to execute his iustice vppon people nations and by these foretokens inuites and aduertiseth men to fall to submission and supplication for pardon to the end he thunder not suddenly his ful indignatioÌ„ rigor vppon sinnes A child séeing his father prepare rods and bindes them shake them in his hand hath to thinke that he hath offended the time of his scourging draweth neare and therfore in feare teares humilitie he ought to fall prostrate afore the knées of his father as we haue afore aduised By these meanes sayth Joel what know we if God of nature good and reconcileable to our vices wil be conuerted and aforde grace at the least he will not condemne our soules if with a changed harte we performe action of penance when the Prince by long counsell and aduise causeth to be erected in many publike places of his Realmes great scaffoldes gibbets and the instruments of torment such as haue offended the law haue no meane to flée what other thing can they thinke of this preparation then a resolute purpose of the Prince to execute smarting iustice vppon them great is their present feare but farre greater the griefe displeasure which they ought to haue of their offences ought they not to call into practise all meanes seruing for their deliuery yea if they tary till they be led to the scaffold their haÌ„ds and feete bound with other attires of high offenders being ready to be offred to the execution there is small hope or expectation of mercie let them go themselues with their halters about their neckes and taking their best frieÌ„ds to solicit in their intercession to the Prince let them discouer true effects of contricion and imploring the frée mercy of the Prince let theÌ„ offer restitution to the parties offended and better obedience and behauior here after in them selues so shall they with Dauid not suffer the vtter most rigor of iustice or els auoid it altogither as the Jsraelites escaped it in the time of Jonathas the Niniuits also by their seuere woÌ„derful penaÌ„ce eueÌ„ so al these second causes are but signes instruments of Gods iustice tokens preparations and fore shewes as according to the examples of the rodds skafoldes and gibbets by the which he declares his anger and disposicion to punish sin The semblance that is made the preparation and the rod as they are no causes of gods iustice but it is for the punishment of our sinnes that execution is so aparantly prepared So after such shewes and warnings doeth not the Father begin to scourge his sonne Doth he lay aside the rod afore he sée the amendment of his sonne or at least some hope that he will coreâ—t him selfe and not returne eftsoones to his naughtines The childe can not accuse the rod as the cause of his scourging much lesse the trée where it was gotten and least of all his father that layd one the lashes But entring in to the vew and iudgment of his owne life let him accuse himselfe and saye that his sinne is the first cause of the euill that he suffereth For if he had done well because the lawe is not to punish the iuste he had not feared that rod as in déed to speak properly he feareth it not though he haue offended but feares his father which holdes it in his hand since the rod can do him no harme if he be reconsiled to his father ¶ To remedie all euils the causes must be taken away the discrtion and wisdome requisite there vnto Chapter viij I Would we were as good Philosophers touching our faith as Phisicions be in their medicines and phisick Then would we apply as good spiritual cures against sinne as by them are ministred temporall remedies to heale and preserue bodies from diseases They assone as they deserne the second causes of a sicknes apply present prouision to the place where they remaine they minister purgations to kepe bodies from corruption by euill humors they cause the stréets and straight corners of the towne to be clensed lest the ayer congeale infectioÌ„ they make fiers abroad to mortefie and purge euill smells and within howses disperse and strew perfumes They prescribe sobrietie and forbid excesse they banish all vnsauerie meates bringe in abstinence from cohabitacion they apoynt Methredat and other preseruatiues and giue order to weare Rue and other strong hearbs proper against the Plague In like sort if we vsed spirituall meanes to kéepe vs from euill doing we should with the fact of sinne auoid also the perills miseries that are brought with it yea if assone as we deserned the second causes threatning signes of the vengance of God we would purge our selues of all wicked affections and vices not suffer in our commoÌ„ weale impunitie of sinne but performe one holy and generall conuertion and conuersation according to christianitie we should not only tourne away the hand of God from vs but eftsones restablish his gracious