is required of women towards their husband of feare this is which is here required and how it must be performed for it is not a slauish kind of feare which is here required where the Apostle sayth your cōuersation must be in feare but here is required of you a holy conuersatiō zealous towards God and pure and vndefiled towards the world with vertue chastity modesty temperance sobriety faithfulnesse and louing obedience for surely shee that is fully possessed with these vertues will so loue and so liue that shee will feare to offend her Husband but rather yeeld all humility and obedience for the commandement sake thus by this holy cariage of your selues shall you winne those that are without the knowledge of God or his word to the knowledg both of him and his word when they shall behold your godly conversation in feare And see farther the mercy of our good God vnto whom he hath cōmitted you to be gouerned by not vnto your enemies or vnto strangers but vnto a kind louing Husband vnto whom you are as neere as the very flesh vnto his skin and as deare vnto him as the aple of his eye whose tender harted affections are alwaies yeelding vnto a dutifull louing wife I hope now that good wiues will willingly yeeld vnto this their duty of obedience vnto their Husbands seeing by whom it is commanded and to whom it ought to be done And the rather for that the mercy of God doth extend it selfe vnto them euen to the full in that notwithstanding their transgression against him yet he hath ordayned them to eternall salvation by the merits of his 1. Tim. 2. beloued Sonne the words are worthy your best obseruation and these they are Notwithstanding through bearing of Children shee shall bee saued if they continue in the faith and loue and holinesse with modesty see here the benefit of Mariage which bringeth so great a blessing with it And note I beseech you you that are women of vnderstanding here is saluatiō offered vnto you by bearing of Children indeed but it is with a prouiso if if you continue in the faith and loue and holinesse with modesty you must yeeld all The first duty of the Wife is obedience harty obedience vnto the blessed will of God else what is the fruits of your faith or where is it or the hope of your saluatiō so you see it alludes vnto al these vertues I formerly spake of and the obedience which God himselfe commandeth for all these should bee in women for if you marke it as it is worthy your marking you shall see that al our poeticall paynters wheresoeuer they doe paynt or set forth any of the vertues as Faith Hope Eight chiefe vertues which ought to be in women Loue Charity Patience Chastity Temperance Humility the like all these they doe not set forth vnto vs in the shaddow of men but in the shaddow of women shewing thereby that in them these vertues dwell or should at the leastwise I will run no farther in this poynt of obedience but will turne mee to the next duty of the Wife which is Loue. The Eight Chapter ANd now concerning the duty of Loue The second duty of the Wife is Loue. which euery woman ought to performe vnto her Husband I haue in some manner touched it before as occasion serued in the duty of obedience for indeed they are as too twins they goe hand in hand one with another and may not well bee Obedience and Loue ought not to be separated separated for where there is true obedience rightly performed there also loue will be attendant as an agent helpe to performe the businesse and in deed it is so naturall a thing for a woman to loue a man that we would think she needed not be prompted or to bee instructed in this poynt but to performe it truly faithfully as it ought to be I thinke wee shall scarce find one in fiue that doth it no not among ten I pray God there bee one in 20 And yet I make no doubt but that a woman loueth her Husband when she marrieth with him but the Apostle saith shee must continue in loue Why then it appeareth that the loue shee must performe vnto her Husband must be like the ring wherwith he marrieth her What the Marriage ring doth signifie it must haue no end it must continue as long as shee continues to him yea if it be to the end of her life and as the ring is not of any mixt or base mettall but of the most precious pure mettal which may be so it teacheth the woman that the loue shee must performe vnno her Husband must bee pure holy and chast it must allow no mixture no copartner in this fellowship but she must remember to performe the vow shee made in the presence of God and before his Saints at the time of her Marriage that shee would keepe her selfe onely vnto him so long as shee should liue with him and this you see the ceremony or vse of the ring teacheth and therefore with great and good consideration hath our Church ordayned the vse of it and great in the error of those men which refuse at such times to make vse of it And now I haue begune to speake of this vow which the woman maketh vnto her Husband at the time of her Marriage it giueth me an occasion to take notice of the small regard that women for the most part doe take of this businesse for if wee note the conuersation of A woman ought to haue regard of the vow that shee maketh at the time of her marriage Wiues vnto their Husbands in these times it will appeare as I sayd for the most part that they neuer regard that vow they made or know that they haue made any at all for sure I thinke there bee some so brutish they know it not but rather thinke they bee but words of course or ceremonial rites of the Church and not concerne them at all yea I doe know there bee such but alasse their errors is exceeding great in taking so little regard of so waighty a cause But I beseech you in the feare Note of God note what I shal say vnto you concerning this matter for you shal see it is a vow which shee promiseth with her lips yea and a great vow and such a one as in the whole course of her life shee cannot make a greater for if a woman shall say or protest Numb 5. she will doe such or such a thing this is a vow shee bindeth her selfe to performe it but as I said before If her Husband hearing her shall disallow of it and shall say shee shall not doe it shee is then freed from her vow because of his authority ouer her and it is sayd the Lord shall forgiue her for vowing so we see then it is a sinne for a woman to vow or protest to doe any
ready the arrowes of his vengeance whose portion is in that lake of fire vnquenchable Oh consider this yee that forget God least hee tare you in Psalme 50. peeces and there be none to helpe Regard the words of Salomon keepe thee from the wicked woman flattery of the tongue of a strange woman desire not her beauty in thine heart neither let her take thee with her eye lids for because of the whorish woman a man is brought to a morcel of bread And a woman will hunt for Pro. 6. the precious life of a man can a man take fire in his bosom not be burnt or can he goe vpon coales his feete not be burnt so he that goeth into his neighbours wife shall not be innocent whosoeuer toucheth her should a man talke with one of these licentious liuers about some of his worldly affaires he would thinke himselfe wise enough to conferre with any man in the eyes of the world seeme so yet Salomon proueth him ot be but a foole for saith hee hee that doth it destroyeth his owne soule yea he shall find a wound dishonour his reproach shal neuer be put away againe in anothr place The mouth of a strange Pro. 22. woman is a pit and hee with whom the Lord is angry shall fall therein and thus I proceed somewhat the more largely in opening this breach of wedlocke to the end you may see into what dangers these men doe dayly run into which liue not louingly faithfully with their owne wiues as the word of God enioyneth them to doe The Fift Chapter WEe see now by our last Chapter how farre many husbands come short of the performance of that duty which by the word of God they are inioyned to performe vnto their wiues and the whole cause or chiefe ground we also see there to be the want of loue or rather of true loue for if there were in them that true loue which the feare of God worketh in the heart of euery good Christian then it would leade them to that knowledge wherewith S. Peter 1. Pet. 3. teacheth husbands to be furnished with which I must a little further touch for it is not enough for them to abide dwel with their wiues but they must dwell with them as men of knowledge and men of vnderstanding and experienced in the word of God yeelding themselues wholy vnto the guide of his word and the obedience of his will and holy Commandements this is the knowledge wherewith he instructeth them and this will bring Husbands to performe that which Saint Paul teacheth which is to loue your wiues Ephe. 5. as Christ loued his Congregatiō that is with a holy harty and a constant Husbands ought to liue with their wiues as men of knowledge experienced in the word of God loue for all these must bee performed by you and except you labour to gather this knowledge from the word of God as the Bee doth for her hony among the flowers by your continual exercise meditatiō therin assure your selues you shal neuer be able to performe your duties towards God nor receiue true comfort by your Mariages Hee telleth you also that you must giue honour vnto the wife as vnto the weaker vessell and because shee is the weaker vessel and more apt to frailty then thy selfe thou must beare with her weakenes and not expect to find that fulnesse of content which happily through thy wisedome thou wouldest shee should performe vnto thee in many things for for this cause also hast thou obtayned thy wisedome thy knowledge and thy vnderstanding that thou mightest beare with the weakenes of thy companion we reade that when Samuell had annoynted Saul to bee 1. Sam. 10. a King ouer the people so soone as hee had annoynted him vnto that kingly office God gaue vnto him another hart fitting him thereby vnto the place and calling he had appoynted him so no doubt but those men which he permitteth vnto that honorable function of Marriage he furnisheth with gifts fitting for that calling for it is a matter of no small waight when a man taketh vpon him the gouernement of a womā but if he rightly consider what he taketh in hand hee shall find he had need with Salomon to pray that the Lord will giue vnto him wisedome to rule gouerne the wife whith he hath taken as hee did for wisedome to gouerne his people both the Husband the Wife when they come together to pray with Tobias and Sarah that the power of Tob. 8. the Deuill haue no domination ouer them and so he shall be strengthned and enabled to beare with the weakenesse of his companion Wee see if wee put strong waters into a single weake glasse it breaketh the glasse because it wanteth substance of nature to beare it and therefore we will put such waters carefully into double glasses which may conserue and keepe them so wee should not ouerburthen the weake nature of the woman by imposing vpon her that which the husband himselfe ought to performe of which I haue formerly spoken and this is one Simile chiefe reason which should mooue the man to deale kindly with his wife euen her weaknes for wee see if we handle vessels A reason shewing why a man should deale kindly with his wife of glasse and earth roughly or rashly we crack breake them and I would that men were as wise and carefull to consider the weakensse of their wiues and to deale kindly gently and louingly with them so conseruing and preseruing that loue which ought to bee betwixt them and would be if it were not expulsed by their rough and vnkind dealing with them And there is another reason or chiefe ground to be considered greater then any of the former which should draw men to the performance of this their duty for so St. Paul doth teach vs also which is that euery man should Another more effectuall reason for the same cause haue a speciall care to performe these duties imposed vpon him the rather or for this cause because they are beires with you of the grace of life elected by the fauor of God in Christ Iesus to that fellowship of Saints wherein you your selues hope to bee nūbred as dearely beloued of God as your selues bought out of the power of Satan by the precious blood of his deare Sonne as well as you and heyres also of that eternall life which you your selues hope to enioy and therefore if you your selues thinke to liue as Saints in Heauen you must liue together as Saints here on earth These thinges as a loadestone should draw you to the performance of those dutyes which you ought to performe if you rightly consider it And so our blessed Apostle hauing giuen this godly prudent counsaile vnto Husbands to performe vnto their Wiues giueth a reason also wherefore these thinges should or ought to be thus performed which
himselfe hee hath this high exaltation that he was the Phaenix of the world in his time he had no fellow there be others likewise which will set their seruants to labour but not regard whether they do it or no but if they do bring them home the price of their dayes labour at night then they are content they looke no farther to that busines and so the lewd seruant may doe euen what hee will vnder such a Maister he may goe to playes to whores to drunkenesse or any thing as too many doe The Maister not regarding how his seruant vseth his time becommeth guilty of the euil which his seruant abuseth Is this the setting of your seruants to labour nay this is but your seruing own turnes your couetousnesse and therefore you are guilty of the euill which they doe thus commit because you preuent it not by seeing how they dispose of themselues in this time wherein you appoynt them to labour and if that your calling serue not to imploy them in some bodily labour yet you ought to bee carefull that they haue not more time to spend abroad out of your sight theÌ„ that time onely which your businesse requireth for these things also belong vnto your charge For if that Maisters were as The euill of the Master corrupteth the Seruants carefull as they ought to bee seruants could not haue that liberty to vse and to abuse as they doe but where the Maister himselfe is an euill liuer as a drunkard a haunter of brothell houses a gamester or an idle gadder from home there the seruant must needs haue liberty and no maruaile then if such a maister haue such seruants and doe wee not see dayly that too many doe wrong themselues their whole family by these abuses how vnfit are these men to gouerne others which haue no power to gouerne themselues Oh you whom these things concerne be wise and circumspect in your waies and remember that the charge of the seruants which are committed vnto you is not smal but that a great account you must giue vnto God how you haue gouerned those soules committed vnto you The 27. Chapter ANd as the Maister ought not to giue his seruant more liberty then is fit so also he may not suffer them to bee possessed with Seruants puffed vp in pride seeke liberty and abuse both themselues and it pride by arraying them or suffering them to be arrayed aboue the estate of seruants for this is one chiefe poynt which maketh them to seeke liberty and this did Salomon well vnderstand therefore telleth you plainely that he that dilicately doth bring vp his seruant from his youth at length he will be euen as his son our owne experience in these dayes confirmeth the truth of this vnto vs to the griefe of many good minds whose eyes and eares are dayly cloyd herewith and who is in the fault of this thy seruant nay you that be Maisters are you suffer maintayne them in such pride that many forgetting their duty vnto God and you doe fall into such lewdnesse as many times are both the ruine of your owne estate and of themselues too and were they not suffered thus to exceed the nature of seruants as I sayd before in pride and idlenesse there would not so many of them haunt the dauncing schooles fencing schooles tauernes and alehouses as do can you excuse your selues now are you not guilty herein oh I would you were not Indeed there be many of you that if that which they spend in pride and these abuses did come out of your owne purses I doe Maister ought to see the laying out of mony giuen to their seruants that it be put to good vseâ— thinke that it would bee otherwise will you say they haue it from their friends I say still the more vnwise then are you which do suffer it to be thus idely spent but some of you do know that it coÌ„meth in another nature from whence it should not come and this you tollerate to saue your owne stakes are you guilty herein then or no Againe there be some which can bee content to set their seruants Maisters ought not to suffer their seruants â—o gad on the Sabborh day at their owne pleasure to labour all the weeke dayes but when the Sabboth crmmeth which ought by Masters and Seruants to bee wholy sanctified vnto God with thankesgiuing for the benefit of his blessings receiued the weeke past many of them scarce see their seruants al that whole day or if they doe see them at meate time then all the rest of the day they enioy wholy to themselues without contradiction which how leawdly they spend wee see with griefe their pride is cause of this as well as liberty The time hath beene that a Seruant might haue been known by his habite but now the Maister is not knowne from the Seruant nay I haue seene the Seruant better maintayned in the time of his seruice then he hath beene able to maintayne himselfe when he hath come to labor for it with his own meanes what folly is this in Maisters thus to do in time not long past a good Marchant hath not been arrayed as now your Seruants be I could vnfould more abuses growing from this pride in Seruants and the Maisters fault in suffering then I am willing â—o disclose or is fit I should lay no colours on it to hide it they will not serue I doe know you would excuse it and say you doe it for A bad fault in Maisters when they will seeke to excuse the pride of their seruants your credit sake but in this you offend God and discredit the common wealth by making a breach in those good lawes which haue beene ordayned against such abuses I pray God to giue you grace to see these things wisedome to redresse it but it hath spread so farre that I feare it hath taken such deepe roote as will not easily bee weeded out except authority do put their vnto a strong hand The duty of Seruants The 28. Chapter OVr blessed Lord and Master Iesus Christ which left no est arâ— of persons without instructions fitting vnto their seuerall callings hath very briefely and yet most truly playnely prescribed vnto Seruants the fulnesse of their duty also but in few words hee concludeth the whole businesse hee doth not giue theÌ„ many seuerall instructions least so they might forget some of them by the way and therefore includes all in one short sentence and this it is Hee that knoweth the will of his Maister and doth it not shall bee beaten with many stripes Now you see here that there is Seruants of what degree soeuer and bound with a more seuerer bond then man can invent to performe their duty vnto their Maisters no seruant of what degree soeuer he be if he be a Seruant but that hee is bound by a more sure obligation then the witt of man can inuent euen the
vnto men that it is not enough for them to liue peacably and quietly with their wiues but they must liue louingly with them also thus did Iacob loue his wife yeelding Gen. 28. service to his vnckle and maister Fourteen yeares to the end hee might enioy her after Elkana 1. Sam. 1. loued Hanna his wife and Sampson Iudg. 1. Tob. â— his wife and Tobias and others their wiues And you see it must be no ordinary loue neither but it must bee like that extraordinary great loue which Christ shewed vnto his Church Ephe. 5. who gaue himselfe for it that Man is to loue his wife as Christ his Church hee might make it vnto himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be wholy without blame I will say with the blessed Apostle this is a great secret yea such a one which man is not commaunded in all poynts to imitate for the man is not commanded to giue his life for his wife as Christ did for his Church and yet he is to In what poynts to Imitate Christ protect her in all perils and dangers euen as hee doth his Church he must gouerne her in his wisedome by the word of God both by continuall instructions from thence and by his owne louing and gentle behauiour towards her and all others yea he must be laborious in his calling that so he may prouide all thinges necessary for her for so doth Christ for his Church he is alwaies protecting it and prouiding for it For this cause shall a man leaue his Father Mat. 19. 5. his Mother and shall cleaue vnto his wife and they twayne shall bee one flesh Saint Peter being himselfe a married man doth giue many notable instructions like these who speaking by the spirit of God and in the knowledge hee had of marriage yet imposeth this duty vnto men ye Husbands dwell with your Wiues as men of 1. Pet. 3. knowledge giuing honour vnto the woman as vnto the weaker vessell euen â— they which are heyres together of the grace of life that your prayers be not interrupted and the wise man giueth thee this counsell not to depart from a discreet and Eccle. 7. good woman which is fallen vnto thee for thy portion in the feare of the Lord for sayth he the guift of her honesty is farre aboue gold If thou haue a wife after thine owne mind forsake her not and commit not thy selfe to the hatefull vse thy selfe to liue ioyfully with thy wife whom thou louest all the dayes of thy life which is but vaine that God hath giuen thee vnder the Sunne all the dayes of thy vanity for that is thy portion in this life of all thy labour and trauile that thou takest vnder the sunne And our Sauiour Christ himselfe confirming on earth what his Father had done in paradice vouchsafed to grace a nuptiall feast with his blessed presence to expresse his loue the more which hee bare to the holy vnion then there knitte betwixt the Iohn 2. Man and his wife he expresseth his glory in shewing his first miracle which he wrought on earth at this mariage that of ioy by turning there water into wine to comfort and glad their hearts withall And now that wee haue found that the most principall duty of The principal duty of the Husband towards his wife is loue the Husband towards his Wife is loue that the word of God teacheth vs in what nature to expresse it let vs looke into the glasse of our times and see how this duty of loue is performed but I feare that among a hundred wee shall scarce finde one that striueth to performe this duty of loue as he ought and too many that know not of any duty at all Few to bee found which loue their wiues as they should to be obserued or at least wise will know of none and euen of those that doe know all and yet make no conscience to performe any for who or where is hee that loueth his wife as himselfe and nourisheth and cherisheth her euen as Christ doth his Church nay see we not rather the contrary doe wee not see dayly many which consume great estates which their wiues doe bring them through their owne vicious liues some by Foure chiefe causes of the ruinating of mans estate idlenesse some by gaming some by drunkennesse some by whoring but of this I shall speake hereafter some by one thing some by another who can deny but if there were loue in the man to his wife he would be more carefull in preseruing his and her estate then thus and yet wee see dayly a good woman brought to beggery by such lewd Husbands where is any duty or loue in such And are there not others which to shew their authority Churlish husbands voyd of the knowledge of the law of God will hold their wiues in stead of fellowship in such subiection seruitude that no seruant will performe the like vnto them being euen a very Nabal vnto them in churlishnes of speech crabbed conditions that the poore wife is euen at her wits end in seeking to giue him contentâ— where is wisedome in such Husbands that should gouerne their wiues according to knowledge alas it appeareth that these men forgetting their duty to God know not how to performe any duty at all towards their Wiues Others there are that will follow no vocation or labour at all but liue idely and lewdly put the poore woman to shift for all shee must prouide for her selfe her Children and her idle Husband too or if he hap sometimes to get something abroad yet shee shall bee sure to be neuer the better for it he wil bring none home to comfort her nay not so much as to put cloathes to his owne backe but that his poore Wife must prouide them yea and discharge the Landlord too or else shee shal want a house to put her head in nay hauing a profession to doe all this sufficiently of himselfe yet will he no way benefit his wife or himselfe but wil impose all still vpon her what shall we say of such men and yet such there be I protest vpon mine owne knowledge I know some of them Saint Paul saith he is worse then an Infidell that doth No feare of God nor loue in them which doe not prouide for their families not prouide for his family but to cast pearles among such swine is not meet for they will stoppe their eares at the voyce of the charmer charme hee neuer so wisely I will leaue them to the iust iudgement of God who wil assuredly giue them their due what loue doe these men show nay is there any loue at all in them or any feare of God either It is a harts griefe to any good Christian or well minded man to see and heare the dayly contentions vproares quarrelles and disagreements
and if thou wouldest that thy labours and the labours of thy Children and Servants should prosper the day following then doe you ioyne together in Prayer vnto Almighty God for it for so it must be for where 2. or 3. be gathered together in his name hee hath promised not Mat. 18. onely to be amongst them but also to grant their requests hee will make thee plentious in euery worke of thy hand in the fruit of thy body thy Children shall Deut. 30. prosper also and in the fruit of thy land for thy wealth what wouldest thou more desire and it must not be done now then when thou lystest but it must dayly bee done for this is that morning and euening sacrifice which we must dayly offer vnto the eares of Almighty God euen our humble harts by the caulnes of our lipes And seeing thou art commanded Parents ought to take their children to Church with them and examine them how they spend their time there to teach thy Children at all times both sitting at home and going abroad see that thou neglect not to take them to the Church daily with thee to heare the word of God and withall that they spend not their time there idlely nor vnprofitablely but by a due examinatiō of them whē they come home or as thou walkest abroad with them know how they haue profited that so God may bee glorified in the worke your selues better instructed and your dutyes discharged And now that we haue proued that there is a duty belonging vnto Parents and that they see their charge for the performāce thereof it will not bee greatly amisse if wee see how this charge is by them performed but the consideration of these thinges maketh mee euen with griefe to Nothing more deare then time and yet see how these times abuse it lament to see how negligently idely and lewdly most men doe spend their time in these dayes that time then which nothing is more deere and precious nothing more slippery to hold nor nothing more vnrecouerable being past and for which they shall giue account this time I say which they spend in idlenesse Dicing Carding and Bowling in drunkenes whoring wherby they consume both themselues the estate both of their wiues and children for whereas God hath giuen them sixe dayes for themselues to labour in and hath reserued but one to be sāctified to his owne vse all these be too little for many of them to spend in these wicked exercises aforenamed and therefore they will lengthen out the time with the night two but not an hower to serue God in of all this time Oh wicked man how darest thou thus abuse the great patience of the good God in thus consuming thy time and robbing thy children of their patrimony by wasting those thinges whereof thou art but a steward and for which thou must be accountable vnto him But here me thinkes one doth obiect against me and sayth I am too bold in my reproofes and am in an error for though sayth he I doe spend yet I spend but mine owne not my childrens But I tell thee thou art in an error thy selfe in doing thus for what I haue spoken I can will approue to bee true by the word of God it selfe in his due place where I shall haue more occasion to speake of this matter then here What good instructions can those men giue vnto their Childrē which doe dayly runne into all wickednesse themselues I haue but what good instructions thinke you can these men giue vnto their Children which doe themselues dayly runne so dangerously euen with greedinesse vnto their owne destructions for if sault haue lost his sauour wherewith shall it bee salted Mat. 5. and such as the tree is such will be the fruit if you bee rude Mat. 7. and vnciuell like the horse and Mule which haue no vnderstanding what knowledge can your children haue then yet it cannot be denied but that the world is too full of such The wise man forbiddeth fathers to play with their children Eccle. 30. least they bring them to heauidesse but now adaies parents wil not onely play with their children but run dayly from play to play thinking it to be a good excercise for them to bring them to see stage playes interludes thus corrupting their young yeares with vices and making themselues actors in the diuells Comody Solomon forbiddeth parents to bring vp their childrē delicately yet you possesse thē Parets ought not to possesse their children with pride with so much pride in the time of their youth that many times it is the overthrow both of them and your selues yea and your selues would after redresse it and cannot Oh that you that be parents of children would be more circumspect herein and wise in your owne conversation that you might be lanthornes of light and not of darkenesse vnto them for your selues are the cause of Parents the cause of the euills that are in children all these euills which wee dayly see in youth your euill example it is which dayly corrupteth your children and you your selues will pay a deere price for it if you amend it not Is not this a miserable case that Parents should thus neglect so great a duty as this which conserneth both the good of themselues and Children little doe these men regard that the soules of their Children are in their charge aswell as their bodies yet Moses doth not record of Iacob Gen. 46. that he brought so many persons Both Parents and governors of Families are charged with the soules aswell as the bodies of those of whom they haue the governement into Egypt meaning their number but he sayth he brought so many soules thither reckoning them by their better part as of that which wee should haue most care of but what care haue those Parents of their Childrens soules which are thus carelesse of their owne and yet the very heathē Philosophers can tell vs that though what manner of children shall bee borne vnto a man lieth not in his power yet by right bringing them vp that they may proue good lyeth in our power therefore be you wise in looking to your owne waies The 13. Chapter THe wise man would haue Parents to bee better instructed to the end they may better governe their Children and to that end hee plainely setteth downe by what instructions dissipline it must be done for he telleth you that an euill nurtered sonne is the dishonor Eccle. 22. of his Father therefore would haue you bee carefull in gouerning them in the time of their youth not giuing them any liberty nor wincking at their follies he sayth That he that loueth his sonne causeth him often to feele the rod that he may haue ioy of him in the end hee that chastiseth his sonne shall haue ioy of him and shall reioyce of him among his acquaintance Eccle. 30. And hee
touch it before when I said it consisted in all good and lawfull thinges and indeed it goeth no farther for if thy father or mother do command thee to do vnlawfull In what cases Children may refuse the command of their Parents thinges as to commit Idolatry to worship God contrary to his word thou must not obey them in these thinges or if thy father or mother doe command thee to commit treason against the King Prince or Magistrate whom he hath set ouer thee to gouerne thee or felloniously to murther any or to steale perloyne or defraud any man of his right thou must not obey them in any such thinges for as God hath cōmanded thee to obey them in goodnesse so hath he forbidden thee to yeeld obedience vnto them in euill the Children ought to shun the wickednes of their Parents Children that follow the wickednesse of their Parents God himselfe will puninsh them wee haue proofe therof in diuers places of the scripture but the Prophet Ezekiell expresseth it to the full I pray you reade the chapters for the doctrine therein is worthy of your greatest regard you shall there finde that the Lord sayth Behold all soules are mine both of Eze. 18. the Father of the Sonne the same soule that sinneth it shall dye but if the sonne seeing the wickednesse of his Father feareth and doth not commit such thinges surely he shall line sayth the Lord so that thus you see plainely that the Children may refuse to bee obedient vnto any wicked commande eyther of their Father or mother And the Apostle Peeter teacheth vs by Act. 4. his example rather to obey God then man and Daniell doth the Dan. 6. same And as God hath commanded thee to performe this obedience vnto thy Parents and hath appoynted thee in what manner nature to do the same and granted his blessing vnto the performers thereof euen so to Children which are stubborne and disobedient vnto their Parents God himselfe will punish the stubborne rebellious children which will take no regard of this his will to walke in the obedience thereof such disobedient ones doth he not leaue vnpunished nor neuer did but ether by the seueritie of their Parents or if that gentle and naturall punishment will not serue then giueth hee them vp into the hands of temperall Maiestrates so publikely to punish them as I expressed before in the duty of Parents but if both these in the execution of iustice vpon so high an offence be slacke in punishing them then he himselfe doth take the cause in hand yea he himselfe doth seuerely punish it as we see by his iustice shewed vpon the wicked sonnes of Elye whom hee slew both in 1. Sam. 4. one day by vntimely and sudden death and of that rebellious son of Dauid Absolon whō the Lord 2. Sam. 18. himselfe caused to be hanged on a tree by his owne hayre vntill his enemies came vpon him and slew him many such examples there bee to this end but these may suffice Children ought not to forsake their Parents either in pouerty or age but to relieue and comfort them euen till death And take heed that thou grow not weary of this thy duty but that with all loue thou doe continue this thy obedience vnto them euen to their dying day and that thou dispise them not either in age or pouerty for hee that dispiseth Father or Mother God will punish but vse them with all honour as Salomon did his Mother and cherish and norish them in age as Ioseph did remember 1. King 2. that Ruth would not Ruth 1. forsake her Mother in law and what shee gained by her labour she brought home to relieue her aged mother with And now with Ioshua I haue Ioshu 24 set before you the waies of the the Lord and I beseech him to giue vs grace to walke in the obedience thereof I had thought likewise to haue set before you some of the abuses of these our times wherein the wicked ones so much forgetting their duty to God and their Parents that not regarding their owne shame in the world no nor the feare of Gods iudgements to come doe dayly disturbe trouble nay misvse abuse their owne Parents but least I should in expressing such thinges giue way to that which I ought rather to suppresse I will rather bury these thinges in mine own breast with griefe in silecce The Diuell hath two many actors on the stage of this world that play these parts daily too publike the God of heauen and earth keepe your harts and consciences free from such thinges keepe you in the obedience of his holy Commadements Amen The duty of Masters The 23. Chapter GReat is the folly of yong people in this our time which by al meanes they may possible seeke to free theselues from the estate of seruitude when they are therein to the end they may be Masters A great folly in young people that seeke to bee masters before they know how to gouerne and gouenors themselues of others before they haue either yeares or wisedome sufficient to manage so great a businesse or discharg so waighty a matter as they then take vpon them in the estate of gouerning neither able to make choyse of their seruants with wisedome as they ought nor how to vse them with a good conscience as they should But Dauid giueth vs good instruction Gen. 39. for this busines for he willeth vs to chuse him to bee our seruant that is religious and vpright towards God that so our affaires may prosper as Potiphers did thorough the seruice of Gen. 30. good Ioseph and Laban by the seruice of Iacob for he that is not a faithfull seruant vnto God will neuer be a faithfull seruant vnto his Master as there doth come a blessing by the godly so the wicked seruant bringeth a curse where hee is for as one scabbed sheepe marreth a whole flocke so often times one leawd seruant spoyles a whole family but who followeth the rule of the Prophet How to chuse a good Seruant Dauid in the choyse of his family he sayth that he that hath a proud looke and a hauty stomacke shal not dwell with him But there be two many in these dayes of the contrary disposition for they will keepe none but such as can fight sweare and swager it out well Dauid would not doe so though hee were a King no he that leadeth a godly life shall bee his seruant there shall no deceitfull person dwell Psal 101. in his house he that telleth lies shall not tarry in his house nor sight but I would there were Masters should not suffer their seruants to sweare though in the sale of their wares not now two many which doe suffer their Seruants to lye sweare yea and forsweare too in the sale of their wares and yet these be counted good shop-men and fine chapmen indeede
in the corne how much more is it vnlawfull for thee to keepe backe the due from thy seruant that laboureth with the strength of his body for thy profit or if thou cast him off or into an Hospitall when hee is lame or sicke how canst thou seeke of him the labour of his hands when he is well againe The 24. Chapter THe good Centurion did not thus he did neither cast off his The charecter of a good master sick seruaÌ„t nor send him vnto any Hospitall till he were healed no he kept him still at home in his owne house and did not put others in trust to seeke helpe for his seruant but carefully performing the duty of a good master Mat. 8. setting aside all his affaires businesse hee goeth himselfe to seeke helpe for him How many masters being rich men in ourtime will doe the like no they thinke it will bee a disgrace vnto them abase thing for themselues to doe such a businesse especially for his seruant but if it were for his wife sonne or daughter whom hee dearely loueth then happily hee would not sticke to goe himselfe but for his seruant hee hath other enough to send about such a businesse So had this Centurion you se he went himselfe I tell you whome soeuer you are that you ought to haue as great a care for the health and welfare of your seruant for the time he is in your Cor. 7. service as if he were either your sonne or daughter nay is hee not Coll. 4. the Lords free man haue you 1. Cor. 7. not all one master in heauen and you not both bought with one price and is hee not fellow heire with you of the same kingdome of grace which you hope to bee of yes verily he is And beleeue mee brother for I tell you no leassing father mother sonne or daughter master seruant King and subiect be but names and titles in this worldly regiment in Christ Iesus wee are al one none better then another all bretheren and must all seeke All one by Christ Christ and our brothers good in Christ or else wee neuer shall haue benefit by Christ how can you then or how dare you abuse your brother though he be your seruant in keeping from him such thinges as be necessary for him or due vnto him whether it bee his foode his cloathing or his wages or any other necessaries â—r oppresse him with labour as Pharâ—ahs task masters did the Children of Israell there be too many such which are euen The law a hiâ—drance vnto many euill Maisters as tyrants vnto their seruants and more would bee were it not for the law I speake not this to abridge the priuiledge or authority which the Master hath ouer his Seruant as occasion serueth I know that the master hath ful authority not onely to imploy his Seruant to labour but also to correct his Seruant as accasioÌ„ shal be ministred for the wise man telleth vs that Eccle. 33. meete correction and worke belongeth How euill seruants must be punished vnto the Seruant I know he goeth farther sayth The yoake and the whip bringeth downe the hard necke so taine thy euill Seruant with whips and correction but yet I pray you note that he giues this rule not to be excessiue towards any and without discretion faith he doe thou nothing But sayth he If thou haue a faithfull How highly a good servant ought to bee resprcted seruant let him bee vnto thee as thine owne soule for in blood hast thou gotten him whereas thy seruant worketh truly intreate him not euill if thou haue a seruant intreate him as a brother for thou hast neede of him as of thy selfe And S. Paule wheÌ„ hee had declared vnto seruants their duty hee admonished masters in like manner saying and you masters doe you the same thinges Ephe. 6. vnto them putting away threatenings and know also that euen your mrster also is in heauen neither is there any respect of persons with him And againe you masters doe vâ—â—â— Collo 4. your seruants that which is iust and equall knowing that you also haue â— Masters ought to doe nothing but that which is iust vnto their seruants master in heouen and thus you see that both Saint Paule here the wise man in his Booke doe both agree in this that the Master ought to shew lenitie and gentlenesse vnto his seruant and so by louing kind vsage with frieÌ„dly speech as to a brother winne him to the performance of his duty for surely very willingly doth the seruant labour when the masters countenance is â—hearefull towards him but where the The Masters countenance ought to bee chearefull vnto his seruants Master doth not onely shew a chearefull countenance but also vseth friendly words among his seruants and giueth them their due besides it cannot be but with great ioy and comfort these seruants do passe ouer their labors how hard so euer they seeme to be vnto others and the master finds great comfort in them also The 25. Chapter THus you see what Iustice Saint Paule would haue Masters to vse vnto their seruaÌ„ts namely to do vnto them as you would haue them to doe vnto you and as it he should say would you haue your seruants to deale iustly and truly with you then doe you deale so with them would haue them to be kind and louing vnto you then bee so vnto them also nay you see he would not haue you threaten them and the wise man in his booke giueth the same counsell for saith he if thou intreate thy seruant euill and he run away wilt thou seeke him for indeed many times the Master threatning to giue his Seruant The seruant through threatning running away is oft times the vndoing both of himselfe and Master seuere correction for some fault committed and yet paraduenture not meaning so to doe yet the simple seruant hee knowing or fearing the rigorus correction of his Maister forsaketh his seruice and runneth away sometime to the vndoing of both if in this nature hee goe away from you how can you seeke after him when you your selues are the onely cause thereof keepe secret therefore your mind and if you see iust cause to vse correction doe it priuately in his due time but say not in his hearing or that he may heare thereof what you intend for to doe and so you shall performe the counsaile of the wise man which saith without discretion doe thou nothing But this iust and equall dealing of the Master stretcheth it selfe yet farther as against these euill minded men which seeke to abridge their seruants of their due liberty I meane when they haue obtayned thereunto by their continuance and faithfull seruice the wise man sayth Let thy soule loue a good seruant and defraud Eccle. 7. him not of liberty neither leaue him a poore man but there are some so farre off from performing this that
they rather A good servant must not bee defrauded of liberty will vse all meanes though never so vnlawfull to detayne them longer then their prefixed time especially if there may come any profit by their seruice but as for rewarding them for their good seruice doing they are so farre off from that that in stead of inriching them they will impouerish them for if the poore seruant wil haue his liberty how soeuer his right it shall cost him money before hee haue it and especially if he be able but the iust God who seeth these vniust dealings of such maisters to their seruants will himselfe punish the same For he will haue a yeare of Iubile for your seruant as well as there was for you thou shalt not rule ouer him seuerely but shalt Leu. 15. feare the Lord thy God so that he that doth wrong vnto his seruants is voyd of the feare of God you see this is playne but we wil see further what the Lord will haue done then see what he A duty which Maisters should performe but who doth it commanded his chosen people the children of Israell to doe the words 〈◊〉 these If thy brother an Hebrew sell himselfe vnto thee or an Deu. 15. 〈…〉 esse and serue thee sixe yeares e 〈…〉 in the seauenth yeare thou shalt let him goe out from thee thou shalt not let him goe away empty but shalt giue him a liberall reward of thy sheepe and of thy corne and of thy wine thou shalt giue him of that wherewithall the Lord thy God hath blessed thee and remember that thou wast seruant in the land of Egypt and the Lord thy God deliuered thee therefore I coÌ„mand thee this thing this day What say you now to this you cruell and vniust Maisters of whom I haue before spoken wil you like Pharoah still harden your hâ—rts against them and will not obey then harken what the Lord by his Prophet Ieremiah sayth further vnto these men which haue detayned theâ— A heauie iudgement pronounced against such Masters which detayne their seruants contrary to right Ier. 34. seruants contrary to his command Because you haue not obeyed me in giuing freedome and liberty euery man vnto his brother and seruant behold I proc 〈…〉 â— liberty for you sayth the Lord to the sword to the pestilence and to the famine I wil make you a terror to al the kingdomes of the earth and I will giue these men which haue broked my couenant into the hands of them that seeke their life and their dead bodies shall be for meate vnto the foules of the ayre to the beasts of the earth Now you see how God himselfe doth take in hand the cause of the wronged seruant and how seuerely he doth punish it therefore you that bee maisters deale you iustly with your Seruants and as Saint Paule sayth Collo 4. Remember that your maister also is in heauen and as it must bee thus with your houshold seruant euen so it must be with the hireling which laboureth for you you must not defraud him of his Leuite 19. due nor put him off from day to day and suffer him to come with cap in hand to intreat for that The labourer must not bee put off for his wages which by his labour hee hath hardly earned but remember that the Lord commandeth that the workemans hire abide not with thee till the next morning Behold the hire of the labourers Iam. 5. which haue reaped your fields which is of you kept backe by fraud crieth and the cryes of them which haue reaped are entred into the eares of the Lord of hoasts sayth Saint Iames and againe the Lord sayth thou shalt not oppresse an hired seruant Deu. 24. that is needy and poore neither of thy bretheren nor of the stranger that is in the land within thy gates thou shalt giue him his hire for his day What a man ought to doe to the hired seruant or day labourer neither shall the sunne goe downe vpon it for he is poore and therewith sustayneth his life least he cry against thee vnto the Lord and it bee sinne vnto thee I neede not amplifie these thinges any farther seeing that the Lord himselfe hath so plainely described it vnto you The 26. Chapter ANd as I haue in this Chapter before shewed vnto you that the Maister ought not to abridge his Seruant of his liberty The Seruants that ruâ—â— into euill by too much liberty the Maister is not onely guilty of but in election of a double punishment if he seeke not for to reforme it wheÌ„ it is due vnto him euen so also the Master must see that his Seruants runne not into euill by giuing them too much liberty in the time of their seruice for this is an euill which also reyneth in our time and of which the master is not onely guilty but also in danger of a double punishment by it in regard that the redresse therof lyeth in his power and he not onely seeth it but also suffereth it and thereby commeth a chiefe author thereof himselfe The wise man sayth If thou set thy seruant vnto labour thou Eccle. 33. shalt find rest but if thou let him goe idle he shall seeke librety set him to labour that hee goe not idle for idlenesse Idlenesse the ground of much euils bringeth much euill And againe set him to worke for that belongeth vnto him Oh that men would be carefull to follow this counsel of the wise man he saith that labour belongeth vnto the seruant but the great men of our time will take no notise of this or if they doe they will seeke to The want of imployment of seruants the cause of their euills many times excuse it saying I am no base mecanicall person I haue sufficient to to maintayne my seruants to attend me do nothing else I do beleeue it to be so and finde that to be the reason that Cards Dice and Tables are more commoÌ„ in your houses then Bibles and other good Bookes Abraham was as rich a man as Gen. 13. any of our time the whole land could not beare the substance of him and his nephew both at one time hee was so rich hee was a Kings fellow hee kept a great multitude of seruants hee was able on the suddaine to make 300. and od men fit for warre of his owne houshold and yet wee Abraham and Iobe commended from Gods owne mouth for bringing vp of thrir servants finde not that hee kept any of theÌ„ idle but imployed them all in some good exercise or other therefore for the good and vertuous bringing vp of his family hee receiued commendations euen from God himselfe Iob was a mighty man also of wealth exceeding rich the greatest man euen of the whole â—ast country hee kept a multitude of seruants but none of them idle that wee are sure of and therefore from the mouth of God
dutifull seruant faithfulnesse vnto them and giuing them the reuerence due vnto them being vncouered in their presence and shewing all outward reuerence of the body vnto them This is a token of grace thus it ought to be and thus it must bee that the doctrine of Christ which you professe bee not slaundered by your disobedience The 29. Chapter ANd here I haue occasion iustly giuen mee to reproue those bould fancie youthes of our time which forgetting their dâ—ty vnto God doe shew no reuerence at all vnto their Maisters and especiall if they bee poore they then will bee so fellowly with them that a man would rather take them to bee neighbour and neighbour then Maister and Th◠〈…〉 reuerent behauiour of seruants vnto their maisters Seruant nay I would this were the worst as bad as it is for many of them are not onely vndutifull but euen rebellious against their Maisters nay euen against God himself therefore culpable of eternall punishment for if their Maister doe but reproue them yea and that iustly too doe they not giue them word for word againe nay 10. for one A disobedient seruant that despiseth the discipline of his maister rebelleth against God himselfe if they come to correct them are they not ready to resist them so that many of them will neither bee reproued nor corrected by them Is not this rebellion against God thus to contemne his ordinance in him whom hee hath set ouer thee to feede thee cloath thee learne thee yea to rule thee is it not our Sauiours owne words here that he must be beaten with many strips which doth not the will of his Maister if so what shall hee haue then which scorneth to bee instructed and despiseth the discipline of his master surely his puishment must needs be very great Well my friends iudge whether it be better to follow your own mindes herein or the counsaile of Saint Paule hee telleth you plainely it must bee otherwise such disobedient courses Seruants must be obedient vnto their Maisters in all things must not so much as once bee thought of amongst you but you must bee obedient vnto them euen in all things and so shall you performe the commandement of our Sauiour Christ And yet there bee some of so stubborne and rebellious a nature that if their Master do proffer them a blow nay scarce that too yet they will straight leaue his seruice and as without leaue so without care or feare of Gods Seruants must not flye from their Maisters for any vnkind vsage lawes or mans cast off the yoake of their obedience although it bee to the very vndoing both of their Master and themselues but how great an offence this is the story of Hagar doth plainely Gen. 16. shew who though her Mistris vnkind and rough dealing with her was the cause why shee fled from her yet the Lord so disliked of it that he commanded her not onely to returne vnto her againe but also to humble her A speciall poynt for seruants to take notise of selfe vnto her hereby shewing how great an offence shee had committed in which such humiliation must be vsed for reconcilement you wild headed youthes of our time consider this But it may bee some of you will be iudge of your owne cause and say it cannot bee that shee was so hardly dealt withall as I am for I neither can get those things which of right I ought to haue and yet am opprest with labour and can neither get kind word or good looke of my Maister or Mistris but say or doe what I can they are still brawling chiding and vncontented Dost thou thinke that the fault in thy Maister is the cause why thou dost not giue him content to please him nay nay assure thy selfe that it is rather the corruption of thine owne heart that keepeth thee from performing thy duty with more obedience diligence that so thou mightest please him or is it because thou takest not that course which Abrahams seruant did who when his Maister sent him about his Gen. â— businesse hee made his humble prayers vnto the Lord that hee would prosper the things hee went about this was the way he Seruants must pray vnto the Lord to send prosperity to their labours went about his businesse See here my friends the duty of a seruant what hee ought to doe and how he assuredly may please his Master or Mistris hee must begin his labours in the Lord by sanctifying them vnto him by prayers hee must continue them in the Lord as doing them vnto the Lord and not vnto men and so he shall be sure both to please the Lord and his Maister be he what hee will but Seruants notwithstanding the vnkind or vniust dealings of Maisters vnto theÌ„ yet ought with patience to beare it performiâ—g still all faâ—â—hfulnesse vnto them and of God shall receiue their reward so doing if thy Master be kind and louing and supply vnto thee all good necessary thinges needefull for thee it is no thankes vnto thee to bee obedient and dutifull vnto such a Maister for he hath deserued it of thee but if hee bee as thou sayest vnkind vnto thee either in keeping backe such things as of right thou oughtest to haue or otherwise froward or churlish vnto thee or if hee correct thee vniustly in these cases if thou with patience dost beare it and notwithstanding dost performe thy duty vnto him with all good faithfulnesse then bee thou sure that the Lord will recompence this his vnkindnesse with kindnesse againe vnto thee from him selfe for so both the Apostles doe confesse as I haue shewed before but will you haue further proofe yet for this poynt will you see how God hath dealt with others in former times reade then the Historie of Iacob and it will satisfie you herein and shew you a worthy example The 30. Chapter WHo could haue serued a worse Maister then Iacob did of his owne Vncle Laban seeking Gen. 31. so many waies to defraud him of his due as he did not once nor twice but tenne times or many What a carefull seruant Iacob was though hee had a bad master and how the Lord rewarded him times so that as he confesseth if the God of his fathers had not beheld his labours hee had euen sent him away empty notwithstanding his paynefull labours spent 20. yeares together in his seruice by day being consumed with heate and in the night with frosts so carefull ouer his businesse that hee would not suffer his eyes to take their rest in the night season yet all this time of his meÌ„y wrongs he bare with patience and neuer neglected any part of his duty the more for it and how God rewarded this his painefull seruice the story plainly sheweth to the great comfort of all good seruants what wonderfull blessings hee bestowed vpon him both deliuering him from his vnkind Maister cruell Brother and giuing
vnto him blessings aboundantly Yea I haue another president yet to shew you which I may not let passe worthy your best consideration I meane the wrong The ch 〈…〉 life of Ioseph should be an ensample to seruants which Ioseph suffered both inwardly in mind and outwardly in body inwardly in mind by the lasciuiousnesse of his vnchast Mistresse dayly tempting him to that abominable act of Adultery which his chast soule hated and shut vp in a dungeon or prison almost three yeares together who could haue suffered more theÌ„ he did what an vnkind part was this of a cruell Maister vniustly casting so good a seruant into prison so long time that vpon so small nay so vniust a cause neither regarding the Gen. 39. good and faithfull seruice of his seruant of whom hee had had good experience by his long coÌ„tinuance with him nor with wisedome entring into the equity of his cause but rashly nay foolishly at the false accusation of his lascivious wife casteth off yea into prison so vertuous so good a seruant whome he knew of his owne knowledge that hee feared God and that all that hee Ioseph bearing patiently the wrong done vnto him is rewarded with glorie and honour had prospered the better vnder him Yet did he not exclaime of this his vniust Maister nor once seeke to haue his iust cause heard with equity but with great patience beareth he with al these his great wrongs and how greatly God did reward him we see it to bee with the glory of the whole kingdome of Egypt O see you that be seruants see these worthy spectacles and regard theÌ„ let not the vnkindly or vniust dealing of your Maisters be any meanes to withdraw your affections froÌ„ performing your labours both faithfully and willingly in their seruice but remember that the worke is the Lords not your Maisters for you serue the Lord Christ and of him shall receiue the reward as you see is here prooued But how little are these things Seruants ought rather to suffer wrong then to offer any bee regarded of seruants in these dayes with griefe we see not to be in bearning wrong with patience at the hands of their masters but in offering and doing wrong vnto them not seeing in themselues into their owne faults but prying with Argus eyes into the faults of their Maister or Mistris and if they find but a small hoale in his coate they will make a great rent of it before they haue done and that fault which he in his owne house hath committed Seruants ought to keepe their Maisters imperfections priuate to themselues and not make them commoÌ„ by his lewd seruant is made coÌ„mon to all his acquaintance and companions thinking themselues well if they may see any imperfections in them that they may deride scoffe at them behind their backes nay slaunder their Maisters in their reputations whereby they doe liue amongst men And thus whereas hee doth thinke that hee maintayneth a good and faithfull seruant that doth vphold and maintayne his credit hee nourisheth a serpent that seeketh subtilly and secretly to slay him and therefore worse is such a seruant to his Maister then a theefe that openly commeth vpon a man to robbe or to spoyle him for from such a one he happily may escape and so be free but neuer from such a seruant the poyson of Aspes is vnder his tongue the wound is deadly And as the seruant may not wrong his Maister by disclosing any priuate fault in him to his disgrace so likewise he must bee no blab of his tongue in the disclosing of any busines or secrert of his Maisters among his family or being a tale carrier whereby any strife may arise either in the family or amongst neighbours he must take heede of that and especially that by telling of lyes he sow not sedition in the family for this a wicked Seruants may not by any meanes cause contention to arise eyther amongst friends or in a family and a dangerous thing when strife and contention is raised in a family by vniust meanes neither must he bee an abuser of his fellow seruants by quarrilling or fighting with them or beating mususing them in the absence of his Maister But it may be you will obiect against me in this poynt and say my Master is pleased to giue mee some authority ouer my fellowes in his absence so that I am to see his busines performed by them in due time and if they shall neglect the doing thereof I shal be blamed for it more then they and therefore I must bee rough sometimes with some of them or else I shall not get theÌ„ to performe their busines as they should Why brother I tell thee this is no sufficient argument for thee to take vpon thee the authority of a Lord or Maister to beate correct thy fellows but if thy Maister put thee in any authority more then the rest for the performing of his businesse as thou sayst yet see that thou bee not puffed vp in pride to take vpon thee more then is firt but by Seruants ought not to correct their fellowes but to leaue that prehemineÌ„ce vnto their Maisters louing and kind words and good instructions from the word of God and good examples from thy selfe seeke to win them to the performaÌ„ce of their duty so shall thou get loue and not hatred of thy fellowes and credit and good report both of thy Maister and all others but if there bee any so lewd a seruant that hee will not by these good meanes bee won by thee to performe thy Maisters businesse appoynted for him to doe then let thy Maister vnderstand thereof that he may giue correction vnto such a seruant and haue the priuiledge of a Master in correcting his owne seruant but let not thy hand be vpon him but remember that he is thy fellow seruant least thereby thou be hated and despised of thine own fellowes and get thee an euill report amongst men alwaies remember the lesson which Saint Paule teacheth That you so behaue your selues in all thinges that the doctrine of Iesus Christ be not slandered by your conuersation The 31. Chapter ANd here I haue iust occasion giuen me to reproue the lewd â—es of too too many wicked seruants of our time that take no regard of the slaundering of the doctrine of Christ nor of their owne conversations no nor saluation neither and yet they would bee counted Christians but they shew themselues worse then infidells deuills in the shape of men women by their workes Is not their best actions performed euen with eye seruice only no longer then Maisters looking on no longer true labour if hee bee absent are not they absent likewise are they not contentious quarrellers fighters abusers of their fellowes like vnto ruffians in their Maisters houses blasphemers of the sacred name of God vsing nay abusing his holy name in euery idle action so that when