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
If they feede not their flocke with the foode of the Scripture If the Pastours had done their duties the VVolues had not entered the folde ⧠The .7 Chapter IF to vnderstande the Pater-noster were inough why did Iesus christ preach thrée yéeres and an halfe many and diuers doctrines being alwayes for the moste part preaching in the Temple to the common People more then to others By what reason did the Apostles teache so long tyme as Saint Paul .xxxvi. yéeres Saint Iohn more then fiftye and others so long as they liued aswell Apostles as Disciples Martyrs and infinite holye Bishoppes distributing sometimes thrée Sermons a daye To what ende hath béene written so many Gospels so many Epistles and Sermons and all rather to the common people then to others Homelies also bee familiar and popular Sermons suche Saint Ciprian Saint Ambrose Saint Chrisostome Saint Augustine with many others haue written S. Paul coÌ„maunded his Epistles to be read in the Churches and writing them generall he willed that all the Churche shoulde vnderstande them he wrote to the common people of Colosse commaunding them to aduertise their minister named Archyppus of the word of God and to discharge well his ministerie and office And writyng to others we finde that he spake to the common sort wherein though some times he spake of Bishops and Deacons yet he alwayes preferred the people as an estate most néede of instructioÌ„ because the Clargie either be or by reason ought to be best instructed Therefore O aduersarie of Iesus Christe and enemie to trueth why art thou so full of iniquitie as not to graunt that common people may enioy the doctrine which Christ him selfe preached and caused to be taught inducing by his holy spirite that it was written by the Euangelistes Apostles and Prophetes Wylt thou take from the children the bread which their father hath put in their hande and commaunded thée to sée distribution of it Let it like thée that the people reade the Scriptures though euery one haue not libertie to enterprete them after his owne sence For what cause saith S. Paul hath God put into his Church Apostles Euangelistes Prophetes Pastours and Doctours but to giue edifiyng to his people So that as it is their office to teache interprete and preache So God hath annexed to this worde Pastour Doctour as who say he is a Pastour but by name and vsurpation if hée haue not abilitie to teache and do it In howe many places doeth the Scripture call the Pastours to teache their flocke and wylt thou be a Priest worthy of double honour and wylt not vse a simple trauaile in the worde and doctrine Saint Peter wylleth the Pastours to nourishe the flocke of Iesus Christe with the foode of the Scripture aduising them to do it diligentlye and liberallye without constraint or couetousnesse And yet thou who speakest not but for the benefite of thy Purse wilt neyther bestowe trauaile nor foode on thy Cure nor impart so muche as a thirde part with the good Preacher to whome in common equitie the whole belongeth for that according to God there is nothing due but to the labourer Learne then and geue thy selfe to studye more and more to make thée worthy to bée a Pastour make restitucion of that which thou hast taken for doing nothing yea that which was due to the merite of him that hath taken paines But now touching the constitucion and vse of all the Church concerning Doctrine wée reade in the Canons of the Apostles that no man must go out of the Temple on the holye dayes afore hée hath hearde the Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophetes and communicated If hée do let him bée marked as if hee were an Infidel and worthy to be excoÌ„municated much more if the Pastour preache not hée is reprehendible and more worthy of excommunication of this institution Apostolâ—cal there remayneth yet to vs the Epistle and the Gospell of the Deuine seruice which wée must not heare as did the Asse of Socrates the dayly wise Lessons of his Maister and gather no fruicte by them no we must vnderstande them by the explication which ought to bée geuen to the assistauntes wherein as it is commaunded to the Pastours to preache so are the common people enioyned also to heare the Sermons euerye holydaye with reuerence And therefore according to our aduise before it belonges to the gouernours Polletike to assemble on the Festiuall dayes all the Congregation to bée taught and not suffer any to be absent Otherwise suche as haue aucthority of God to make him to bée honoured and obeyed in all his commaundementes stande in hazarde of his Iudgement not onely al those sinnes which the people commit for want of being well instructed but also for that they supported the negligeÌ„ce of pastors who doo nothing but sucke the Milke sheare the poore shéepe For ende if Moyses I meane the Lawe and the Prophetes was reade in the synagogue of the Iewes euerye Sabboth which were theyr lawful Feastes why should that synagogue be more happy then the church of Iesus Christ or why should not there bée exercise of his Doctrine in it at the least euery holyday in the which séeing it is forbiddeÌ„ to trauaile or occupy the mind in prophane secular causes what should the poore man doo in whome is no habilitye to reade and vnderstande and much lesse may not meddle to interprete the Scriptures being so obscure in what exercise should hée employ the day spending but one howre at Publike Seruice should he ioyne his time which ought to bée deare to him to drinking and eating with other actions vnlawful and damnable is that the kéeping of the Sabboth which is a time to repose altogeather in God and to sanctify him with good workes So that it is a thing no lesse holye then necessarye to annexe to the deuine seruice of the Holydaye familiar sermons to the multitude by the which they may truely reappose in tranquilitye of conscience in God in purging suche wicked affections and sinnes as trauaile perpetuallye the mindes of sinners The people will thinke al the wéeke on the Sermons they hearde on the Sundaye Fathers wyl appose their Children and maisters examine theyr seruantes who by this meane wyl take héede to offende God on worke daies Touching our worldly Philosophers who saye that since sermons haue béene so rife and common all hath beene marred I say on the contrarye that if there had béen diligence and plenty of Preachers in al Churches that the Chaires and Pulpets had neuer béene voyde of Pastours as they haue béen these fiftye yéeres men had not nowe knowen what heresie is If the foolde had béen wel kept the Wolfe had not entered yea hée had beene chased away if the Pastour and his voice had béen heard But when there was no Sermons but of the Wallet and such fabulous Trashe of begging Friars wherein was more matter of Scoffe then serious Doctrine And when some begonne to preache the
they hoped for The scripture is full of the greate benefits which hospitalytie or almes brought to suche as exercised it it makes prosper the house where it is vsed as appeareâ—h in the bookes of the Kings in the example of the two Ladies grea almes giuers and nourishers of the poore The one was a widdow who receyuing Helyas and by reason of the extreame dearth of Israell not hauing for the sustenaunce of her and her sonne for one day but onely one little Torteise imparted it notwithstanding with Helyas hir gest for recompence whereof shée receyued contrary to hir hope such abundance of vittels for hir hospitality that shee and hir houshold were fed with a happy fulnesse The other good woman was maried but harraine without children and poore she receiued Elizea for the which lodging this prophete ordinarily she became riche and contrary to the hope of nature had a childe I medle not here with the hospitalities of men as of Abraham and Lot who thinking to welcome men receiued Angels neither how God hath made happy all fathers of hospitality as hauing nowe to deale with the hospitality of women the rather to draw all honourable dames to liberall consyderatioÌ„ of desolate maydes yea though they be them selues poore for of that pouerty God wyll sturre vp plentifull riches of misery he wyll rayse felicity and out of harrennesse he wyll drawe fruite by this holy hospitality and almes So that if our Christian dames in this harde age would to the honour of Iesus Christ receyue into their houses and succors poore maydes destitute there is great suretie through the whole discourse of the scripture that all happie blissing and felicity of heauen will follow to the aduauncement of their families In what worldly thing can those vertuous dames be more honored than to giue impediment to poore abandoned maydes not to wander vp and downe countries townes as séelly errant shéepe ready for the Iawes of the woolfe to kéepe them that they begge not from doore to doore and so be solde as fleshe in the butchery and fall in praye and spoyle to whooremongers wherwith this miserable time swarmes yea what glory can be greater to them then in protecting virginitie from prostitution to preserue those sacred vessels of the holy ghost in holinesse and christian honesty and what greater prayse can they deserue afore God then to the vertuous education of perplexed soules to ioyne a disposition and meane to marye them to the which if they be vnhable of themselues let them call the ayde of others more welthy but specially of the Churchmen whose superfluities are dedicated to such vses and they dutifully bounde to be furthering instrumentes to aduaunce so holly and charitable actes wherein I thinke they will finde none so harde harted as to deny contribution to further a worke of suche Christian and common mercy Touching olde and poore widowes and other women in whose age is expressed some suretye of chastity in their behauior no feare of slaunderous frailty if they haue no places proper to themselues nor meane to be receyued into perticuler houses it were good to bestow them amongst the impotent in an hospital S. Paul commaundeth the rich parents kindred and alies to nourish the poore widdowes of their race to the ende saith he the Church be not to much charged with the poore wherein may be gathered vpon s Paules meaning that the true poore without parents and frindes and power to gaine the sustenaunce of their lyfe are appoynted to the goods and reuenues of the Churchmen giuing also to vnderstande that the Church certaine dayes but specially the sundais contributed by collections monye for the succour of the poore which the Byshops and pastors gaue in charge to sée distributed by the deacons and other inferiour ministers yea such of the ecclesiasticall ministers as had no patrimony or other benefit of liuing tooke of this collection so much as was necessary for them leauing the rest to be shared amongst the other poore in general But here must be considered that pastours in those dayes hadde no other goodes nor reuenues then oblations first fruites almes not knowing so much as the name of tenths when Princes were not christened poore widdowes and orphanes but specially néedy straungers passengers people vnhable to gaine their conuenient sustenaunce as little children and weake olde men were fedde of those goods in a publicke place which since hath bene called an hospitall or Gods house for there for the honour of him were norished poore people which had no house to retyre vnto And where there was no Publike house to receiue theÌ„ many vertuous people tooke them into theyr proper houses but specially more amply the Bishops and pastors So that the perticular houses of good almes geuers were as litle hospitals and the houses of Bishops as great gods houses S. Paul commandeth Bishops to maintaine hospitalitye aboue al other sortes of people to be succourors of poore straungers For so we reade that in perticular houses they receyued Passangers washed their féete entertained them with no lesse humanitye then if they had béene theyr nearest Parentes Amongst whom if to the woman had not béene ioyned the custome to washe theyr féete vse them in due sort of hospitality she could not be receiued into the ministery of the Church as to haue estate to minister and serue vnder the Deacons at the table of the poore to prouide for their necessityes which holy custome Apostolical of the first Church is yet continued in many places where Maydes and religious Women professing the state of chastity are solemlye vowed to this office Wherein as may be séene what opinion of honour it was to serue the poore publikely So let it then in these dayes bee no shame to aske gather in Churches for this Christian pietye nor to visite hospitalles with diligent care to ayde them for it is one of the greatest honors that may be gotten a fore god an expresse estate and effect of true and Christian religion ¶ Hospitallitye and Almes in all times haue beene in sin ular estimation Howe hospitalles haue beene named By vvhat reasons the Scripture inuiteth vs to hospitality in calling vs al straungers Exhortacion to be housekeepers Examples of hospitalitye and the recompense thereof Obiections against the ayde of straungers in necessity and their confutacion ¶ The 4 Chapter IN all actes of pietie we finde that hospitalitye and Almes are most recommended in the olde and newe Testament Beue saith God to the stranger which is within thy gates meate to eate if he bée poore and sel to him if he haue to paye thée for thou art a people holy of the Lord God In another place he biddes vs nourishe the poore Leuit ministers of the Temple and cause to enter into our houses passangers Strangers Pilgrimes Orphanes Widowes poore people demanding almes at our gate and to breake breade vnto theÌ„
and vnited in one boddy polliticke by Iesus Christ and in him also made one body and one spirite if they be surmounted by these little beastes in society in vnity and perfect amity Their King and mayster Bée that puttes them in order and by his humming voyce calles them to trauayle is so obeyed honored and loued of the rest that if he go out of the Hiue they all follow him when he can no more flie they beare him which may stād as instruction to gouernors what they ought to be to inferios for the office of their seruice obeing honoring seruing their magistrates with redy humility affection will seruice ⧠Gouernors ought not to suffer any ydle men in their commonweales vvho as they be vnprofitable and a charge to the vvorlde so in the ende they bring ruine to their commonvveales therefore it is necessary that fathers put their children to some trade and masters their seruants and so all others The magistrat and Churchman ought to shevv example of trauell to others according to their profession ⧠The .10 Chapter SIth idlenesse as hath been proued is not onely a vice horrible of it selfe but the seminary and bréeder of many other sinnes miseries it belongs to the Magistrate according to all Lawe both natural and deuine common reason to geue no more sufferaunce to slouthfull and idle people in their common weales then the good father of a family wyll endure in his priuate house either to son or seruaunt or other hande of ability to worke without doing something The good Husbandman wyll not suffer Rats and Wesels to eate his Corne in the Garners nor Moathes to deuour his Garments Caterpyllers to spoyle his Trées the Foxe to eate his Pultry the Woolfe to pray vpon his Shéepe nor the Théefe to steale Corne out of his Barne much lesse ought to be suffred in a common weale idle and slouthfull people whose example deuouring first the maners qualities of the multitude wyll at last endaunger the state of the whole euen as the other vermine by continuaunce bring to destruction the profite of a priuate house Let therefore the Magistrates suffer none in their common weale without arte without occupacion or some honest or profitable meane to liue by erectyng Lawes to compell fathers to prouide good instructions for their children specially in the doctrine and feare of God and if any cary inclination will to searche out learning let him according to his power geue encouragement to so good a desire And so apply euery one of the rest to the Art whereunto he findes nature to geue her redyest consent Let there be neuer a Maister who kepes not his seruaunt in seruice and restraining all libertie to vaine idlenesse let him ioyne compulsion to his negligence force him to such Arte or faculty as his capacity wyll best agrée withall yea such ought to be the diligence prouidence of the magistrates that there be not séene in the time of worke any man or woman which doth not his duety according to his profession In the Bible the woman as well as the man hath her labour prescribed specially in the last chapter of Salomons Prouerbs much lesse then the man ought she to be séene idle for by her idlenesse as hath béen sayd the first woman marred all her office shal be more amply set out in the sixt booke S. Paul woulde not that widdowes runne or gad from house to house as idle babbling gossops either learners or caryers of newes And much lesse is it tollerable that men of estate replenish the stréetes I meane walking vp and down for their pastime vnlesse they bée called by occasion of businesse There ought the Magistrate to be often scommyng as did Epaminondas searching the stréetes to sée how euery one followe their estate and so reforme the disordred and heare the complaintes of such as haue suffred wrong in their absence to apply their deputies and Sergeantes to this charge by which prouidence they shall kéepe all their Citie in dutie Touching straungers passengers soiourning in their Towne it is very necessary to vnderstande what maner people they are specially the suspition and daunger of the season requiring If they remaine there aboue one night it ministreth matter of inquiry and therfore let the hoast infourme the gouernours If they be men of occupation let them search worke and auoyde idlenesse And if they be people of estate the regarde to their calling geues them such knowledge and care of their duetie that they wyl not loose time in vnprofitable rest The Burgesses of a Citie ought not to come in the rebuke of the Athenians whose maner was to kepe the stréetes publike places for vaine pleasure and to heare newes Aboue all other it is farre from the office of Churchmen to be séene in stréetes or shoppes or before the Churches to gaze on passengers and much lesse to walke vp and downe in Churches contrary to the commaundement of God whose house is a house of prayer wherein as many haue a fonde custome eyther to spend the time in mumbling their darck Pater nosters as olde Priestes were wont to doe or else to chatte with such as they méete whom they ought to instruct and reforme So being in the church it belongeth to them to expresse an example of good ministers as eyther to mount into the pulpet and preache or withdraw into some secret place where they maye pray in truth without fiction and hipocrisie and in great reuerence vpon their knées meditate in spirituall contemplation that which belongs vnto them both to thinke and doe aswell for themselues as for the people for whome they ought to be intercessours to God assoone as they haue perfourmed their dutie in the Church let them withdraw themselues to their priuate studies of the scripturs if after their studie they will practise any facultie secretly eyther to auoyde ydlenesse or to giue sustenance to their poore estate the custome is tollerable and agréeing with the auncient fathers wherin as S Paul stands an example who trauelled with his hands to auoyd slaunder to the Gospel not to be chargful to any So Iesus Christ before he preached as Saint Marke writeth was called Myller and Carpenter as one that wrought at those sciences with Ioseph asmuch to reléeue the necessities of his lyfe as to obey the cōmaundements of god who made all men subiect to labor But after he tooke vpon him the state of preaching he coulde not trauayle in those scienses more neyther ought he to doe so for that he was come to doe all spirituall dutie so was he occupied in continuall prayer to teache heale the sicke do the office of a sauiour He spent sometimes thrée dayes in instructing and healing the sicke for which two causes as S. Marke sayth he had no leysure to refreshe his bodye with foode and hauing no oportunitie on the dayes to pray
he oftentimes passed nightes in watching and prayer By whose example suche as are called to the estate of Ministers in the Church Byshops and Pastors ought to direct their behauiours employing their times in spirituall labours being séene in no place but in excercise eyther to teache the ignoraunt comfort the afflicted exhorte the negligent confirme the weake and reprooue the offendor and expresse withall alwayes some good doctrine and confirme it by example of their good life And so for the rest I send them to the treatise of their institution resorting eftsones to the labor wherof we spake ydlenesse whether in them or any other men of learning is an vncomly staine Let them with all others of knowledge but speciallye gouernors pollitick and spirituall do as the naturall head of man wherein as the spirite meditates debates and deuiseth that which is good and profitable to the body and euery member so by counsell of the same spirite the heade prouides by pollicy beholdes with the eyes hearkeneth with the eares and speaketh with the tongue that which is necessary for the whole studying altogither for the entertainement of the body and al the members whome he commaundes in perticuler to trauell with all their force industry naturall as the eye to looke euery where where neede is the eare to heare that which is good and profitable to the body and all his members the hande to worke in diuers sortes the féete to marche and go c. So that there is no member ouer whome he hath soueraintie and which hath meane to obey his commandement to whom he prescribes not what he ought to doe And euen as the stomacke receyues the meate to decokt and disgest it and afterwards to distribute it thorow the body euen so ought the magistrates of the Churche to doe with the doctrine which they haue learned out of the holy scryptures commending the same imitation also to the magistrats of iustice lawyers imparting the science of the laws which they haue learned in schools to the people some to the instruction health of soules other to direct the pollicy of their commonweals The like also belongs to Phisitions touching the disposing of their science for the cure of bodies Other members haue their propper and outward labour as the hand that worketh and the féete that serue to marche and go So Marchauntes Labourers and Artificers haue the trauayles of the bodye for excercise not onelye to the particuler profite of them selues but also to the behoofe of the whole as others haue the labours of the spirite Here it is not impertinent to the matter to rehearse the Fable of Marcus Agrippa Orator of Rome pronounced to the people which were assembled to do violence against the Lordes of the Senate whom they sayde kept them in too great subiection of labours and contribucions of tributes to entertayne their rest and tranquility This Oratour to apease this popular mutinie and eftsones to reconcile them to the Senat brought in this resemblance the members of the body sayeth he murmured on a time against theyr stomacke and bellye obiecting that they did nothing but toyle in perpetual trauell to norishe it yet it was neuer satisfied and so being weary forbare to labour any more to reléeue it the hand would worke no more the feete laye at rest would go no further the mouth refused to speake the eye to sée and al gaue ouer to prouide for the bellye By which occasion within few dayes all the members became feble weake yea without hability to moue so that the man had no power to set one foote before another And so foreseeing in what danger of death hée stode for not ministring foode to his stomacke and bellye perswaded al his members eftsones to recontinue their trauaile geuing them to vnderstand that they were not fallen into that infirmity by any other meanes then because they disobeyed the stomacke refraining frō trauaile to prouide him sustenance and norriture to the bellie which being thus beaten into theyr knowledge they tooke againe theyr first office labour and diligence and so eftsones recouered theyr agilitye and force neuer afterwards mutined against their stomackes or belly To this stomacke he resembled the Senat in the members were represented the people applying so aptly this cōparison which is as a natural lesson visible doctrine that he brought the people to returne to their citie yéeld theyr accustomed obedience to the Lords of the Senate declaring by this peremtorye reason that it is not possible to the world to bée well gouerned nor lyue without counsel iudgement and prouidence of God and graue gouernors some prouiding for the safetye of soules and others caring for the temporall affayres the better to establishe a happye tranquilitye in a common wealth ¶ In all creatures is seene a perpetual labour whether in Heauen in Earth or in the Sea The profite vvhich riseth in a Citie by the trauaile vvhereunto the idle sort are constrained Exhortacion to the Magistrates to purge their common vveales of vnprofitable people declaring the euill vvhich comes of them and the authoritie vvhich they haue to doo it The .11 Chapter THere is no naturall Common Weale no not amongest the Beastes which is not in continual and common labour without excepting any singular creature frō trauaile In the Monarchie of Bées where the king commaundes wée haue already proued that there is no Idlenes Among the Antes where the most auncient guide the rest euerye one is busye to beare his burden builde his Garner In the flocke of Cranes where al be equal in aucthoritye none is suffered to be idle Nor of Grashoppers when they flye in Troupe There is no winged Birde which flyeth not geues to euery day some acte of trauaile according to his nature No Fishe in the Sea or other water to whome with the vse of life is not ioyned perpetual trauaile No Beast aboue or vpon the earth who after his natural rest doth not employe him selfe according to his natural facultie no natural thing if it haue life and strength is suffered of nature to bee idle The Sea alwaies bringeth forth Fishe beareth great Shippes and hath her other mouinges and as the Riuers fall into the Sea so the fountaines slide into the Riuers The Earth without ceassing engendereth or preserueth Herbes Séedes Plantes and the plantes neuer forbeare in theyr season to expresse their vertue and bring forth fruites and are neuer vnprofitable yea if there bée any vnfruiteful it is committed to the fire as not worthy to bée susteyned with the fatnes of the earth without yéelding good fruite Christ cursed the figge trée because it brought forth leaues yéelded no fruite signifying to vs that it is not inough to trauaile if our labours bring forth no profite to others The fire continuallye burneth The skye hath his perpetual mouing carying about his planets and starres The Sunne geueth light without intermission And the