Selected quad for the lemma: conscience_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
conscience_n	good_a	pure_a	unfeigned_a	2,187	5	10.9762	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12466	A map of Virginia VVith a description of the countrey, the commodities, people, government and religion. VVritten by Captaine Smith, sometimes governour of the countrey. Whereunto is annexed the proceedings of those colonies, since their first departure from England, with the discourses, orations, and relations of the salvages, and the accidents that befell them in all their iournies and discoveries. Taken faithfully as they were written out of the writings of Doctor Russell. Tho. Studley. Anas Todkill. Ieffra Abot. Richard Wiefin. Will. Phettiplace. Nathaniel Povvell. Richard Pots. And the relations of divers other diligent observers there present then, and now many of them in England. By VV.S.	Smith, John, 1580-1631.; Symonds, William, 1556-1616?; Abbay, Thomas.; Hole, William, d. 1624, engraver.	1612 (1612)	STC 22791; ESTC S121887	314,791	163

Iames in that he is exalted to the knowledge of God to the faith of Christ to the Adoption of sons to be a Citizen with the Saints and of the house-hold of Gods He is not a bond-man that is set free by Christ nor poore that is rich in faith nor contemptible that is enrolled in the booke of life nor base-borne that hath God to his Father and Christ to his brother If the King would bestow an Office vpon you you would not onely be glad but be proud but now if a great man would adopt thee to be his sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Arrianus vpon Epictetus your superstitiousnesse and arrogancy would be intolerable Now see saith Saint Iohn how great loue the Father hath shewed vs that we should be called the sonnes of God If sonnes then heires saith Saint Paul heires of God and fellow-heires with Christ. And yet doe we complaine of our hard fortune as though God had done nothing for vs And yet doe we demand impatiently Where is the promise of his comming Where is the exalting preferment the Apostle speaketh of Beloued if we haue murmuring within our selues and grudging at the good-man of the house because he setteth vs below and not aboue because he doth not cast vs vp our Indentures before we haue serued our yeeres then doe we walke and talke vnorderly after the fle●h and not after Christ We doe not humble our selues vnder the mighty hand of God And so there is no promise made vnto vs. The Husbandman must first labour before he receiue of the fruite Iacob must serue seuen yeeres before he haue his hearts desire in one thing and seuen more before he haue it in another and seuen to that before he haue it inthe third Vnderstand what I say the Lord giue you vnderstanding in all things Blessed the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receiue the Crowne of life if he faint not But take heed that you doe not mistake the case and make that to be a temptation or a crosse that is not You haue not so much as you would haue but haue you not more then you deserue You are made the taile and not the head as Moses speaketh Peraduenture it is good for the Common-weale that you be so yea and good for your selues too Many being set on horse-backe haue roade so madly that they haue broken their horses necke and their owne also Therefore let euery one be content with the estate that God hath giuen him and let him not enuy him that is greater or higher then himselfe For the promise of exalting which is in my Text if you referre it to the blessings of this life hath a secret condition implyed namely if it be good for vs. And shall we be so vnwise or vnhappy to wish for that which will doe vs no good God forbid children indeed will be medling with kniues with edge-tooles also they will not feare to take a Snake or Adder by the taile in stead of an Eele But wee must not be children in vnderstanding but in wit be perfit As concerning maliciousnes and ambition and greedinesse it were good to conuert and become as children but for knowledge and discerning betweene good and euill we must be of a ripe age we must not be deiected for euery light affliction neither must we be puffed vp for any good successe or aduantage We must reioyce as though we reioyced not and mourne as though we mourned not vsing the world as though we vsed it not and humble our selues vnder the mighty hand of God and take all things in good part saying alwayes The Lord be praised This is true riches to be content and this is true honor not to be ambitious and this is true preferrement nay happinesse to be in the fauour of God which none sooner getteth then the humble man if his humility proceed from a pure heart and a good conscience and faith vnfained The Lords Name be euer blessed Amen Amen A SERMON VPON THE SECOND PSALME THE TENTH SERMON PSALME 2. verse 10. Now therefore be wise O Kings be instructed O Iudges of the earth SOME of the Iewish Doctors would haue these words to be an Apostrophe to those Kings and Princes which plotted against the Crowne and dignity of Dauid first to keepe him from his right then to disrobe him being inuested The Psalmist therefore doth aduise them to bethinke themselues better and not to make head any longer against Dauid lest they be found to fight against God himselfe This exposition is good but it is not good enough if that which is not good enough may be truly called good For as Tertullian saith Ratio Diuina non in superficie sed in medullâ plerumque aemula manifestis That is The sence pith of the Word of God is not in the vttermost skinne but in the marrow and commonly crosseth the apparancy of the letter And as Hierome to Paulinus Whatsoeuer we reade in the Scripture it shineth truely and glistereth euen in the rinde but is sweeter in the marrow Therefore to rest vpon the Type or Figure and not to proceed so farre as the thing figured is to deale as weakely as if a man searching in minerals for gold or siluer should content himselfe with the first rubble and giue ouer before he come to the precious Oare It is truth that Dauid did not onely spe●ke and prophesie of our Sauiour as is euery-where to be seene in the Psalmes and euery-where vouched in the New Testament but also was a Figure of him so expresse a one and liuely that Christ might seeme to haue beene borne in Dauid euen long before He came in the flesh and Dauid to haue reuiued and beene borne againe in Christ euen long after he was dead and rotten This is not to make Iesum Typicum with the Franciscans nor yet to bring In Somnia Pythagoraea that is the passing of soules from bodies from one body to another with those phantastikes but this is to teach as the truth is in I●sus that Christ not onely is now painted out before our eyes and among vs crucified in the preaching of the Gospell but also was shadowed and fore-described in the Old Testament by certaine personall Types as it were Verbo visibili as Augustine speaketh To such an effect as Iustine Martyr toucheth when he saith The G spell what is it but the Law fulfilled The Law what was it but the G●spell foretold This I would say that as Dauid did and suffered many things which were not to haue an end and consummation in Dauid but were to fore-shew the doings and sufferings of Christ the true Dauid He is called Dauid by Hieremy Ezechiel and Hosea to speake of no more and the glory that should follow after so we are to thinke that the Psalmist requiring the Kings of those dayes to be wise and to stoope to Dauids command doth by good

shift for themselues by flight before they had put their Generall Sertorius in safety So the Galles had their Soldurios that is deuoted men which vowed to liue and dye with their Lord as Bodin out of antiquity doth gather So the French Protestants are much commended by the equall for that they b●stowed the young Princes of Nauarre and Condie in a strong Castle out of gun-shot before they hazarded the great battell of Moncounter The King is so to the Common-weale as the helme is to the shippe or rather as the shippe is to the passengers while the shippe is safe there is hope to recouer the land be we neuer so farre from it though the Sea and winds doe neuer so much swell and rage but if the Shippe sinke or be dashed on the rockes there remaineth nothing but a fearefull looking for of drowning and destruction Therefore the safety of the King being the safety of all what maruell if the Prophet begin with Kings and aduise them to looke about them This may be one cause Another this We know that there is no cloth that doth so kindely take the colour that the Dyer would staine it with as the people are apt to imitate the guize and carriage of their Prince the similitude is not mine but Nazianzens therefore because the conuerting of him is the conuerting of hundreds at a clap and his auersenesse or stiffenesse the auersenesse or standing out of multitudes this also may be thought to be a cause why he beginneth with Kings When was there a good King in Iuda for there were but few in Israel after that Ephraim departed from the house of Dauid that sought the Lord with all his heart but he drew the people to be well-giuen at the least-wise in comparison On the other side when was there a wicked King that did set set vp Idols in his heart or worshipped the Hoast of heauen or burnt incense vnto Baal but the people were as forward and as sharpely set vpon Idolatry as he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The subiect is wont to emulate and imitate the life of his Gouernour or Prince saith one Historiographer and another Princeps quum Imperio maximus sit exemplo maior est that is Be the Prince neuer so great for command yet he commandeth most by his example It is somewhat strange Circumcision is a painefull thing specially in them that are out of their Infancy it may be gathered hereby for that the Turkes vsing it at this day vpon their children being of s●me yeeres doe vse such dissembling towards them for the circumstance of the time when they doe it and yet when the King of Sichem had yeelded thereunto the whole City followed So Diodorus writeth of the Aethiopians that when their King had caught some mayme or marke in any part ofhis body the manner was for all his Fauorites to maime or marke themselues in the same part Is it not written of Rehoboam expressely that when he forsooke the Lord all Israel did so with him Also is it not to be obserued in the Ecclesiasticall Story that when Iulian fell from Christ vnto Paganisme Valens in stead of the truth imbraced a lye the vile Heresie of the Arians a great part of the Empire did so likewise On the other side when Iosiah serued the Lord with all his heart all Iuda did so all his dayes And when Constantine the great and Theodosius the great gaue themselues to aduance the faith of Christ and to purge out the old leauen of Heathenisme there was such a change in the Empire on the sudden that Zosimus and Eunapius being Pagans doe much complaine thereof in their writings therefore me thinkes Fulgensius speaketh to good purpose and agreeable to true experience that although Christ dyed indifferently for all the faithfull yet the conuerting of the mighty Ones of the world is of speciall seruice to winne soules vnto Christ. Hee doth symbolize with that learned Writer that allegorizng vpon those words of Saint Iohn touching the taking of so many great Fishes doth congratulate vnto the Church the happy conuerting of Princes because by their conuetsion many were brought vnto Christs Fold Yea Plutarch a Heathen man saw in a manner as much touching the great force that is in the example of Princes for he in the life of Dio speaking of Plato his sayling into Sicily to doe some good vpon King Dionysius maketh this to be the speciall motiue for that the reforming of the King would be the reforming of the whole Iland So then the Kings piety and sound perswasion being as effectuall for the winning of the soules of his subiects as his bodily safety is auaileable for the conseruing of their worldly estates Our Psalmist without doubt had great reas●on to doe as he doth to begin with Kings This may suffice for the naturall placing of the words and withall touching the incomparable good that redoundeth to the common Estate by the Kings piety and safety I come now more closely to the Duty of Kings for of that onely and of the touch of the time Now which shall be for application I shall speake at this time Be wise now therefore O Kings Two kindes of wisedome are required in Kings and Princes wisedome or knowledge in Gods matters otherwise called Diuinity and wisedome or knowledge in matters of the world otherwise called Prudence or Policy Both are contained in the Originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It signifieth also good successe to note that God many times crowneth pious prudence prudent piousnes with many a temporall blessing Both are not onely for ornament like the two Pillars that Salomon put in the Porch of the Temple but also for speciall vse like the hands of Aaron Hur which did support the armes of Moses for the discomfiture of the Amalekites For if they be pious only in Gods matters be not otherwise prudent then they are fitter for the Common-weale of Plato then for the corrupt estate of Romulus for the Cloister then for the Court Againe if they be prudent or politicke onely be not pious then they are fitter to be Kings of Babel where dwelleth confusion then of Hierusalem where Gods glory is seene and more rightly to be called the children of this world which goeth to nought and perisheth then the children of God who loue truth in the inwards and ca●e for none but for such as worship him from a pure heart with a good conscience Well they must bee Diuines as it were this is first required I say not in profession but in knowledge they must know God the onely Lord and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ they must know Christ and him crucified and the power of his Crosse and vertue of his resurrection and the fellowship of his afflictions that they may be conformable vnto his death they must separate and distinguish truth from error cleane from vncleane right from

Salomon the wisest of all thought that if he might ioyne in affinity with his neighbour-Princes and take many of their daughters to be his wiues and women he should not onely strengthen the Kingdome in his owne hand but also stablish it in his house long and long also he thought peraduenture that by occasion of his marriages and affinities being so great many of the vplandish people would be trayned wonne to the knowledge of the true God of Israel but how was he deceiued His wiues and worshippingwomen turned his heart from the Lord he could do little or good no vpon them or theirs And as for the secret vnderminers of Salomons State succession where found they entertainment but among his allies Let me instance this point in one or two examples more Constantine the Great that worthy Christian and great Politician though that if he might build a City in the confines of Europe and Asia that might bee aemula Romae a match to Rome and place one of his sonnes there to keepe his Court he should not onely eternize his name but also fortifie the Empire no lesse then if he had enuironed it with a wall of brasse Also Phocas and Pepinus thought the one if hee might dignifie the Bishop of Rome with an extrauagant Title to bee called Vniuersall Bishop the other if he might lade the Church of Rome with Principalities euen with Principalitie vpon Principalitie they should deserue immortally well not onely of that Sea but also of the whole house of God But the way of man is not in himselfe as Ieremy saith neither is it in man to fore-see what will fall out luckily or crosse The building of new Rome was the decay of old Rome so it proued and the diuiding of the Empire was the destruction of the Empire and no lesse as wise men know also the lifting vp of the man of Rome was the hoysing vp of the man of sinne and the locking of him in the chaire euen in the chaire of pestilence Thus there is no policy so prouident no prouidence so circumspect but the same is subiect to errors and crosses and therefore no cause why it should be trusted to and therefore no cause why it should be gloryed in Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome c. If any wisedome might be boasted of surely one of those kindes of wisedomes that I erst reckoned vp vnto you to wit wisedome or skill in the Arts wisedome or knowledge in Diuinity wisedome or policy touching matters of State but these you haue heard are not to be relyed vpon because they are vncertaine because they are vnperfit and therefore much lesse are we to rely vpon any such as is worse or inferiour to these But yet the world is the world it hath done so doth so yea and blesseth it selfe for so doing therefore this wound hath need to be searched ransacked a little deeper Homer I remember crieth out against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Discord O I would it were perished and therefore out of the company of the gods and men So Cyprian against Couetousnesse O detestabilis caritas mentium c. O the same detestable blindenesse of mens minds c. Hieronymus against Luxury or lechery O ignis infernalis luxuria O Lechery a very hellish fire Augustine against error mistaking O errare O delirare O what a vile thing it is to be blinded with error c. Thus euery one cryed out against those sins wherewith their times were most pestered poisoned Surely if I were appointed to touch the sore of the daughter of our people we haue many so res from the crowne of our head to the sole of our feete we are little else but sores and botches and biles but yet if I were to touch that which doth most of all apostumate and ranckle then I ought to cry out O Policy policy Policy I meane falsely so called but indeed cunning and cudgeling This letteth that the Prince and the Realme cannot be serued many times as they should be nor Iustice administred in many places as it ought to be nor the Gospell of the Son of God so propagated as were to be wished Many could wish that in musters presses the likeliest men to doe seruice and not the weakest of friends should be appointed also that they were holpen to their right that suffer wrong also that the incorrigible were cut off by the sword of Iustice also that the Sons deceitfull workers craftily crept in in pretence to aduance the Romish faith but indeed to supplant English loyalty and faithfulnesse that I say their goings out their commings in and their haunts were better marked and so the danger that is threatned by them preuented But yet to put our hand to the worke euery one to doe some seruice in his place as for ensample Constables to precept the ablest and fittest persons for the warres Sheriffes to make returnes of indifferent Iuries for the tryall of rights Iurors to haue God and a good conscience before their eyes and not to turne aside to by-respects c. This we will not be induced to doe What letteth vs Policy for we say If we shall be precise in our office this yeere or in this action at this time others will bee as precise against vs or ours another time and then what shall wee gaine by it And if we should not leaue somewhat to such a person and to such a cause wee should offend such a great One and he will sit on our skirts Thus policy ouerthroweth Polity that is the Common-weale and thus the feare of men casteth out the feare of God as the Wise man complaineth Another vanity nay wickednesse I haue noted vnder the Sun and that is this There be that haue the dore of faith opened vnto them and haue opportunity to heare words whereby they and their houshold might bee saued and the same doe also consent in the inward man to the doctrine taught and published among vs by authority that the same is the truth and the contrary falsehood and yet to giue their names vnto the Gospell soundly or to protest against Popery and superstition zealously they will not be drawne What with-holdeth them Policy for they thinke that continuing doubtfull nay though they should be enemies if but secret ones they shall leese nothing the State holding as it doth these be the times of mercy though certaine vngratefull men crie out against them as though they were bloody for none other cause but for that they are restrained from shedding innocent blood as heretofore they were wont in the dayes of their tyranny and if there should bee a change then their very doubtfulnesse and staggering would be remembred and they aduanced thereby Thus as Demades said to his country-men of Athens when they paused to decree diuine honours to King Demetrius Take heed my masters lest while you be so scrupulous for heauen and

the Angels in heauen But let not him that girdeth on his armour vaunt as he that putteth it off neither let any man promise himselfe too much f●r his owne policy There is no wisedome there is no counsell there is no vnderstanding against the Lord. The horse is prepared against the day of battell and so cunning and slights and vnderminings are vsed but the victory and successe commeth of the Lord. Thus much our Traitors felt to their woe and we found and doe find to our vnspeakeable comfort No Nation vnder heauen more bound to God for wonderfull deliuerances O that we could once learne to be thankefull to God for the same Thankefull I say not in word or in tongue onely but in deed and in truth If he that sinneth would sinne no more I meane commit no more crimes ●or what man is he that liueth and sinneth not but serue the Lord in feare and reioyce before him in trembling If euery one of vs would set his heart vpon righteousnesse chusing the thing that is pleasing to God seeking euery one not his owne good but his brothers good and doing euery one not his owne will but the will of our Father which is in heauen c. then should our prosperity be as the floods our safety as the sand of the Sea then should no euill come neere our dwelling and the sonne of wickednesse should not hurt vs our enemies should be smitten before vs all their turning of deuices should be but as the Potters clay they should still be confounded and abashed and at their wits end and ready to t●are their flesh with their teeth as our Traytors were wh●n they heard their plot was defeated but contrariwise vpon our King should his Crowne flourish and peace should be on our Israel all our life long Thus much the Lord vouchsafe to eff●ct and if there be any remnant of rage or of malice in our forraine enemies if we haue any or in our domestique Vnderminers as I feare we haue too many He vouchafe to crosse restraine and disappoint making them and their deuices like the vntimely fruite of a woman that neuer seeth the sunne or like the Spiders webbe or Cockatrice egges that either maketh no cloth or tendeth to the destruction of the deuisers Euen the Lord our God mercifully grant and worke this for ●esus Christ his sake To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all praise and thankes-giuing for euer Amen Amen A SERMON VPON THE TVVENTYNINTH OF IOB THE SEVENTH SERMON IOB 29. verse 14. I put on righteousnesse and it clothed me my Iudgement was as a Robe and a Diadem IOB that worthy seruant of God so pious and righteous euen in prosperity that the Deuill himselfe could not find a hole in his coate Iob 1. so patient and constant vnder the crosse or rather vnder a world of crosses that he is set forth by Saint Iames for a patterne and example of patient enduring Iames the 5. so gracious and inward with God that the Prophet Ezechiel ranketh him among them that found especiall fauour in Gods sight euen with Noah and Daniel Ezek. 14. Briefely so rich in all spirituall knowled●● ●nd endued with such a principall measure of Gods spirit tha● Moses himselfe disdained not to become his Interpreter as some of the Ancients haue thought But as is probably conceited had his hand in the publishing of his Booke as Saint Peter had his in the publishing of Saint Markes Gospell by the report of Saint Hierom. This Iob I say so qualified so approued so graced so priuiledged is the Pen-man of the words which I haue read vnto you and therefore the same ought highly to be regarded and obserued for the excellency of his person that spake so as no doubt he was moued by the holy Ghost Now as Christ saith in the Gospell This voyce came not for my sake but for yours And as Saint Paul saith to the Corinthians These things haue I figuratiuely transferred to myselfe and to Apollo for your sakes that yee might learne in vs not to thinke of men aboue that which is written So we ought to perswade our selues that Iob telling vs so much as he doth in my Text touching his vpright carriage in his place of Gouernement did it not so much to magnifie himselfe no nor to iustifie himselfe except it were against his Backe-biters as to set before vs as it were in a glasse what are the speciall duties of them that be in place of gouernment I put on righteousnesse and it clothed me c. As if he said Others made it their care to strowt it and to stout it and to braue it in costly apparell as though thereby they would procure respect and esteeme to their place but my delight was to doe Iustice and Iudgement to helpe them to right that suffered wrong to relieue the oppressed that is as farre as was possible and as much as l●y in me to helpe euery one to his owne This was my Robe and my Diademe and my Crowne of reioycing This I take to be the meaning and summe of my Text. Now for the explicating of the words I doe not thinke good to make a long discourse vnto you of Robe and Diadem as Hierome doth some-where of Ephod and Ephod-Bad to tell you either wherein the Robe of them of the E●st differed from the Gowne of the Romanes and the Cloake of the Grecians or what was the stuffe of the Diadem and the forme and making thereof These things might rather make a shew of reading then cause godly edifying Onely I will endeauour to helpe the ignorant to vnderstand what is the difference betweene Iustice and Iudgement lest they be deceiued For Iustice and Iudgement be not one and the same thing though they be ioyned together in my Text as also they be in halfe an hundred places of the Scripture as I thinke Neither yet doth Iudgement signifie Discretion in this place as it doth when we say Such a thing is done with iudgement No the originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is seldome or neuer so taken in the old Testament But these be the differences betweene Iustice and Iudgement Iustice is the vertue or good quality Iudgement the exercise and practice of it Iustice is considered as inherent in our selues Iudgement hath relation vnto others euen to them with whom we haue dealing Briefely Iustice is the letter of the Law and tenor of right Iudgement is taken often for the qualifying of it by conscience and equity On these three points hang all the speciall differences betweene Iustice and Iudgement Hauing thus holpen some of you for the better vnderstanding of the words we will come now to the matter and take it before vs as it lieth for this shall be my method and all the diuision that I will make I put on Righteousnesse c. In the Scriptures if you obserue them you shall finde the qualities of

the mind to be expressed or at the least shadowed by the apparell of the body and the getting or possessing of these qualities to the attiring or adorning of the same You know what Saint Peter saith Decke your selues with lowlinesse knit it vnto y●u make it your girdles as it were And Saint Paul to the Galatians As many as are baptized haue put on Christ. And to the Romanes Put yee on the Lord Iesus make him your bearing-cloth as it were So to the Ephesians Cast off conce●ning the conuersation in times past the old man c. and put ye on the new man make him your inwa●d garment So to the Colossians As Elect of God holy and beloued put on the Bowels of mercies gentlenesse humblenesse of mind meekenesse long suffering make them your outward garment Many such places may be found in the new Testament For the old let one be in stead of all Let not mercy and truth forsake thee bind them on thy necke make them thy chaine and write them vpon the Table of thine hea t make them thy Tablet I will trouble you with no more Citations Now this and the like kinde of phrasing may be thought to be vsed by the holy Ghost for two causes First because wee are dull of vnderstanding and cannot conceiue of spirituall matters but by carnall descriptions secondly because he would draw vs away from that which is viler to that which is more precious from that which is pleasing to our senses to that which is profitable to our soules Further this phrasing our Sauiour and his seruants may be obserued to haue vsed in others matters besides apparell Doe you tell me that my mother and my brethren would speake with me Hee that doth the will of my Father in heauen the same is my brother sister and mother He doth not deny his carnall kindred but preferreth the Spirituall So in Saint Iohn Doe ye aske me who hath brought me meat My meate is to doe the will ●f him that sent me So againe Doe yee bragge that ye are Free-men and were neuer seruants to any If the Sonne hath set y u free then are y●u free indeed but if yee commit sinne then are yee the seruants of sinne So the Apostle will ye know what is the riches to be accounted of Godlinesse is great riches if a man be content with that he hath c. Would yee know what Sacrifices be best To doe good and to distribute forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased So Bernard Would you know where be my merits My merit is the mercy of the Lord while hee is not voyd of mercy I am not voyd of merit So Chrysostome Would you know what 's the best fast To fast from sinne So Prosper The best keeping of Holy-dayes is to feriat from dead workes Yea out of the Church you shall find this figure and phrasing to be vsed Where are your children Epaminondas My children are my victories said he and namely that gott●n at Leuctra they will perpetuate my name Who is the best Patriot The best Carthaginian Hostem qui feriet mihi e●i● Carthaginiensis What 's the b●st Diuination 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The best Diuination is to fight f●r ones Country Who is the most Capitall Enemy What the Noblest Conquest To conquer ones affections that the greatest Conquest and sensuality the deadliest enemy So what 's the best Fortresse A good Conscience What true Nobility Vertue To returne to the faithfull Nazianz●n hath a good speech to our purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Shame-fastnesse is a faire flowre in a Maidens garland Palenesse that is a great ornament Vertues they be the brauest platting of the haire Thus he and Tertullian before him Vestite vos Serico probitatis c. Put on the Silke of honesty th●●iffiny as it were of Sanctimony and the purple of Chastity Taliter pigm●ntatae D●um habebi●●s amator●m If you trimme your selues thus nay if you paint your selues with this kind of painting you shall haue God himselfe your Louer By this time I know you are more then satisfied that ●ob in saying he did put on Iustice made it his garment did speake no strange thing but that which many both of the Church out of the Church haue spoken And this to drawe vs from that which is too much ●steemed to that which ought onely or chiefely to be esteemed Certainely gold and siluer and purple and scarlet and the like and garments and ornaments made of the same are not of themselues common or vncleane Euery creature of God is good saith Saint Paul And euery Ordinance of man not repugnant to the Ordinance of God is obediently to bee yelded vnto saith St. Peter Both Riches and Honour come of thee O Lord c. and it is in thy hand to make great and to giue strength 2. Chron. 29. And He that hath set some aboue their brethren in dignity for the maintenance of peace and order hath prouided for such more costly ornaments and habiliments for the better distinguishing of them from others Esau the elder brother had fairer clothes then Iaa●ob the younger Gen. 27. And Ioseph being promoted by Pharaoh was not scrupulous to weare a Ring of gold and a chaine of gold and Silke or fiue Linnen Gen. 41. No more was Daniel scrupulous to be clothed in purple being aduanced by Belshashar Dan. 5. No more Mor●ecat to be brauely mounted and gorgeously apparelled by the appointment of Ahashuerus as it is in the Booke of Esther Nothing that entereth into the bel●y defileth a man if his heart be cleane So nothing that is put on the backe if his heart be humble Howbeit as one may be a glutton and highly offend the Maiestie of God i● he feed aboue the measure of moderation though meates of themselues be things indifferent So let a man prate neuer so much that his heart is vpright that he is not high-minded and hath no proud lookes yet if hee weare apparell beyond the compasse of his calling or other then Law doth allow he lyeth and speaketh not the truth but maketh himselfe a grieuous transgressor Meates for the belly and the belly for meates saith the Apostle And so apparell for the backe and the backe for apparell and God shall destroy both the one and the other True yet as he that wea●eth should not despise him that weareth not So he that weareth not should not iudge him that weareth for God hath called vs in peace This I speake not to giue way to braueing and flaunting the speciall sinne of this age for the which the Land mourneth and fadeth and seemeth to be pressed downe with it as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaues as the Scripture speaketh or to excuse them that offend that way By no meanes but to remoue

sword hath made women childlesse so shall thy mother be childelesse among women This then is one meane to make Rulers euen good Rulers to be fearefull euen to well-doers because they may be carryed away by false oa●hes Another way to make them fearefull is when he that is accused is a plaine simple man and cannot speake for himselfe and his accuser hath a shrewd head and an vngracious tongue wherewith he is so potent that he is able to make that which is false probable and that which is probable necessary and consequently beare downe his aduersary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is An eloquent man will make one that is faultlesse seeme to be faulty Now what is to be done in this case I know that the Law doth not allow him that is questioned for his life either Aduocate or Counsellor for it is presumed that innocency euen alone is hard enough for a hundred oppugners And indeed Plutarch affirmeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is That which is iust cannot be ouercome but yet he addeth in the same place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is if it be well pleaded Now then if a man standing by should step forth and say I saw this man so many score miles off from the place wh●re and when the deed should be done therefore he cannot be the offender If I say he should alleage this or the like circumstance being grounded vpon truth should this man be challenged as speaking against the King I trow no. He doth not speake against the King that speaketh for his true subiect but he speaketh against the King that would haue his true subiect to be hanged Tully auerreth that he that was seuen hundred miles off two dayes before the thing was done in Rome could not possibly be present at the doing of it This went for a good plea then carried And truely if any man at any time shall know so much or to the like effect for the iustifying of him that standeth at the Barre as he is bound in conscience to reueale it for this is to open the mouth for the dumbe as Salomon speaketh so I make no doubt but the Reuerend Iudges would gladly heare him and allow him Thirdly there is another meane to make Iudges terrible euen to good men when one either corrupted by money or bearing a secret malice vnto a prisoner findeth meanes to be one of the Iury and the prisoner suspecting nothing doth not challenge him now this is Ouem Lupo as they say for the Iuror craftily crept in maketh a vow with himselfe either to hang the prisoner or to starue his fellow Iurors at leastwise to weary them and to make them dance attendance after the Iudges into another County This is hard but I thinke it is not rare for my selfe haue heard one confesse that being vnequally yoked with a tugger he was faine full sore against his will to bring in an innocent man guilty for feare of some mischiefe towards himselfe It was weakely done by him to yeeld at last for where is fortitude and the patience of Saints but to stand for Truth and Iustice euen vnto death Blessed are the dead that die so for no question they die in the Lord. But yet this sheweth what men be if the Iudge doe not carry an eye and a hand ouer them It is certainely the extremity of iniquity to vowe the destruction of the guiltlesse and who can promise himselfe security if such kind of persons be not looked vnto and weeded out By such Bonus cautus opt●mus venditur Imperator the Iudge though he be pious and prudent is bought and sold and made partaker of other mens sinnes nay the executioner of the malice of the wicked vpon the the innocent except he repriue them And so I make no doubt but you my Lord doe vpon the least suspicion of foule play and this is your honour before all men that you are not swift to shead blood Plutarch writeth of Marius of whom I spake before that when he heard his aduersary Anthony was taken he clapt his hands for ioy and could hardly be restrained from leaping from the table where he sate at supper to see execution done in his owne sight The like is written of Nero that he shewed himselfe ioyfull when he heard of the breaking of his Lawes because then he had both matter for his cruelty to worke vpon and meanes to fill his coffers by confiscation To be short the like is written of Caligula that other monster that because he would haue his Edicts violated he caused them to be set vp in darke by-corners where they could hardly be seene and to be written minutissimis literis in the smallest glosing hand that they could hardly be read that so men might be insnared at vnawares Bl●ody men which were desirous to haue that done which if t●ey had had ought of humanity in them they would haue studied to haue preuented that it might not haue beene done But they haue receiued the wages of their cruelty euen in this world for their name is become a wonderment and a Prouerbe and an hissing euen vnto all generations On the other side they that haue beene mercifull haue left a good memory behind them and all men speake of their praise yea though they were otherwise defectiue and faulty Claudius was a weake man More foolish than my sonne Claudius his mother vsed it as a Prouerbe when he was a priuate man and afterwards his inconsideration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is much taxed yet how is the clemency he shewed to one Titus Iunius remembred This Titus Iunius belike some decayed Nobleman being amongst the guests that the Emperour had as he vsually had many and supping at his Table either at or after supper slily conueyes away a peece of plate the Emperour obserued it or was made acquainted with it yet would haue nothing said vnto him then but the next time when he came when all th● other guests were serued in plate he caused him to be serued in earthen-ware and thus he was iudged of all and rebuked of all and this was all the punishment he suffered So they that know Story know that Gallienus was a bad man and a worse Gouernour yet an act of clemency that he did gat him much loue and couered many of his vices The act of clemency was this There was one that sold vnto his Lady a counterfeit iewell instead of a iewell of great price and so coozened her of much money she complaineth to the Emperour will haue the Law executed in all rigour to make the matter short he seemeth to giue way and commands the offendor to be carryed towards the Lions denne and when he looked for nothing but death and that a cruell one by the teeth of a Lion Behold in stead of a Lion rampant there was let forth a Capon and all men maruelling at it the Cryer was ready to proclaime Impostur am fecit passus est

but this did not bring the drunkards to themselues for all that day and that night on the morrow when the Captaines of the Town hearing of the stirre and hurly-burly repaired to the house and demanded what was the matter They answered that the ship had bin in great danger and that they were enforced to cast forth all the fraught or lading into the Sea else had they bin all cast-away yea said one of them that thought himselfe to be the best in the company I was in speciall danger and therefore for feare I gate me vnder the hatches as far as I could The Captaines pardoned them but would not suffer them to haue any more wine and anon the tempest ceased To this effect Athenaeus Which Story I doe not recite to moue any to laugh or to smile but rather to mourne within our selues to consider the corruption of mans nature whereby that which God hath giuen for our good is vnto man an occasion of falling Man abideth not in honour ●specially if he drinke too much but may be compared to the beast that perisheth You know how Noah lay What Lot did What brags Benhadad and Belshazzar made What Herod promised when they were drunke and h●w the things turned to their shame and decay It is wickednesse to turne the Grace of God into wantonnesse and it is madnesse to lose ones-selfe vtterly to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season The pleasure of the thr●●● is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of one line as one said it hath no breadth much lesse substance in it The breadth of the throate if Bernards measure be true is not passing two fingers and shall a man for two fingers pleasure cast away health of body health of soule and whatsoeuer is to be reckoned of Know yee not that your bodyes are the Temples of the holy Ghost and will you now take the Temple of God and make it the Temple of an Idoll and of the worst Idoll 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Know ye not that drunkards are reckoned amongst them that shall not inherit the Kingdome of God and will you be at cost and doe away that you haue to lose that Kingdome which a wise Merchant would giue all that he hath to buy and to compasse O ye Corinthians saith Saint Paul my mouth is open vnto you my heart is enlarged I vse great boldnesse of speech and am earnest in shewing the detestation of this sinne and to prooue if by any meanes I may preuaile with any for their good Basil wrought vpon Valens his conscience and mooued him as also Saint Paul did vpon Foelix his and Saint Iohn the Baptist vpon Herods but yet it fared with them as it doth with iron which though it doe glowe and be made neuer so red-hot with the fire yet remaineth iron still Thus Nazianzen But I hope of better things of some that heare me namely that they will be truly changed by the renuing of their mind and so become new creatures Why vpon a Sermon that Saint Paul made to a Gaoler he beleeued and was baptized and all his house-hold straight-wayes So in the same Chapter after he had preached a time in Ephesus many of them which vsed curious Arts brought their bookes and burned them before all men and counted the price of them I cannot tell how many thousand markes But Saint Paul was an Apostle and endued with the first fruits of Gods Spirit and besides the Lord made way to the conuersion by a miracle Let me recount therefore to you another example of one Iohannes Capistranus of whom Aeneas Syluius writeth at large and for my purpose Vrspergensis in his Chronicles This fellow comming into Germany to reforme abuses preuailed so farre with them that the women did cast away their vaine apparell and gugawes and the men gathered together their Tables Dice and Cardes and burnt them But this Fryer was not alone he had an associate True but the associate did onely interpret what the Fryer did deliuer in Latine so the speech or exhortation was but one if one But the Turke did then inuade Christendome and then very feare will make men deuout and to yeeld easily What say you then to Pythagoras It is written of him by Trogus That being alone and no body to helpe him he preuailed so farre with the men of Crotona that of dissolute men he made them sober of wretchlesse frugall and modest the women also layed aside their shining garments and attire and were nothing behind the men for all kinds of temperancy but hee tooke paines with them twenty yeeres together What say you then to the Story of Polemo in Laertius This Polemo being ouertaken with drinke as he was wont to be broke into Xenocrates his Schoole with his companions of a purpose to daunt him and to driue him out of countenance but Xenocrates treating at that time as God would haue it of Temperance so handled the matter and wrought vpon the young mans conscience that he began to be ashamed of his dissolute course and became such a Conuert and well reformed that there was not the like to him among all Xenocrates his Scholars and after his death became his successor Now could a Lecture of a Philosopher preuaile with a deplorate youth then and shall not the Sermon of a Preacher nay of many Preachers preuaile with them that either are or should be more stayed now Where is the Lord God of Eliah Where is the force of the Word that Lanctantius speaketh of Da mihi virum qui sit iracundus c. Giue me a man that is neuer so loose and vnbridled with a few of the Words of God I will bring him into good order and compasse Is the power of God shortened or is not the naughtinsse of man increased This is that which the Rabbins doe say Ba lithar mesaijegim otho When a man doth his good will and that good will is also of God God worketh in vs both the will and the deed as it is in the Philippians when I say he doth not ponere obicem as the Schoolemen speake resist the holy Ghost as the Scripture phraseth it then loe the Lord is neere vnto them that call vpon him Briefely this is that which Clemens Alexandrinus putteth vs in mind of As in the play of tossing the Ball it is not enough for one of the players to be cunning in throwing of it but the other player also must take it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 handsomely finely or else the Ball will goe downe So when the Lord shall say to vs Behold me Behold me seeke ye my face If we doe not answere Thy face Lord will we seeke we are here ready to doe thy will O God if we stop our eares against his calling harden our hearts against his knocking we can blame no body but our selues if the Word become vnprofitable to vs. The summe of all is this Beware of Drunkennesse doe ye

die he must Shut the doores of the wombe and then no entrance into this world but being here so many are the passages hence that they cannot b● stopped So that a liuing man is but an Embleme of that liuelesse Anatomy where the Ram pusheth at the head the Bull at the Necke the Lion at the Heart the Scorpion at the Priuy parts c. One dyes of an Apoplexie in the head another of a Struma in the necke a third of a Squinancie in the throate a fourth of the Cough and Consumption of the Lungs others of Obstructions Inflammations Pleurisies Gowts Dropsies c. And him that escapeth the sword of Hazael him doth Iebu slay and him that escapeth the sword of Iebu him doth Elisha slay Let God arme any of the least of all his creatures against the strongest man it is present death Our glasse is so britle that euery thing that can knocke it can cracke it nay what is more brittle than glasse yet it may be laid vp and preserued for many ages for though subiect to knocks which it may escape yet not to agues to diseases But with man-kind mortality dwelleth Intus est hoc malum in visceribus ipsis haeret where euer life is there is death it stickes in our very bowels The Comparison is Saint Augus●ines We walke among casualties saith he Si vitrei essemus If we were glasse c. Falls for these brittle vessels we feare but age or sickenesse we feare not in respect of them But man besides the many casualties that haue continuall intercourse with his life lyes open to the enfeerbling of age and sickenesse The holy Scriptures call our Tabernacles earthly houses and very rightly for either they fall by outward violence or moulder away of their owne accord Man dwelleth in houses of clay whose foundation is in the dust which are crushed before the moth Thus fraile are we and all the world cannot helpe it But God can helpe all If that were a good argument Could not he that opened the eyes of the blind haue caused that euen this man should not haue dyed Then this is good He that restored him to life being dead could much more haue kept him in life being yet aliue He can translate Enoch to depart without the sense of death or if He please that he shall not die at all He can if it seemed Him best graunt vnto all men their common desire not to vncloath them at all but cloath them vpon with thei● house which is from Heauen that mortality may be swallowed vp of life And he can for he will take order that all those that are aliue at the comming of the Lord shall not sleepe but be changed in a moment But where he decreeth the faithfull to death there also he can he will with the Vipers flesh cure the Vipers sting and out of darkenesse fetch light and out of death life filling the dying man with liuing comfort First through his future Hope that though the sap sinke into the roote yet it shall reuiue For Heauens dew is as the dew of hearbes and the earth shall giue vp her dead and he after he hath slept a while in his bed the graue shall arise refreshed euen when this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortall shall put on immortality Secondly Through his present expectation he shall defie death saying as great Saint Basil to the Tyrant Quomodo mortem formidabo quae me meo Creatori sit redditura How shal I feare death which will giue me backe vnto my Maker Nay with our Apostle Saint Paul like a prisoner that would be enlarged I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ which is best of all And as thus the beleeuer comforts himselfe in the Power of God so likewise in the Wisedome of God who afflicts him onely when he needs affliction as Saint Peter hath it though now for a season if need be ye are in heauinesse c. These corroding medicines need be applyed to eate out proud flesh these bitter potions to purge out peccant humours these dusts to smoake vs out of the high-way of the world these vnpleasant things to acquaint vs with the bitter fruit of sinne and what that wrath-full cup was which Christ our Sauiour dranke of for our sins these to try our faith our patience and the naturalnesse of our loue whether it will beare the rod laid on not so much for the Fathers pleasure as for the childrens profit And in the Loue of God he can take comfort who when he giues a bitter potion stands by to see the working of his Physicke And when the Physicians of our bodies are not touched with the sicke fits of their patients God Almighty the Physician of Israel can condole with vs. To this purpose Isaiah In all their affliction he was afflicted and Ioel he is such a one as is sorry for our afflictions Finally he can comfort himselfe in the faithfulnesse of the Lord. For God is faithfull who will not suffer vs to be tempted aboue our strength but will giue the issue with the temptation saith our Apostle God will not suffer the smarting playster longer on than needs must but will be a refuge in due time as Dauid tells vs and speake comfortable things to our hearts euen in the wildernesse as he promiseth by another Prophet Thus he that hath faith in his heart cheareth vp himselfe in the midst of discomforts by the Power Wisedome Loue Faithfulnesse of his God which sets him downe with the Churches soliloquies in her Lamentations The Lord is my portion saith my soule therefore will I hope in him The Lord is good to them that wait for him to the soule ●hat seeketh him It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the saluation of the Lord. Foolish therefore and impious is the practice of those to make some vse of this matter who in times of feare of care of sorrow or of distresse of conscience seeke to allay or forget their heart-pangs by ioyning to merry riotous and profane company As if a man ranne from a Lion and a Beare met him or leaned his hand on a wall and a Serpent bit him this is to put more on the ●core where is too much already and to make two reall euils of one seeming one Forsaking the fountaine of liuing waters to dig to themselues pits broken pits that can hold no water Ionas the Prophet would be an example to such for euer who flying from the pre●ence of the Lord toward Tarshish there to hide from God and to solace and forget himselfe if possible among the Learned of that Vniuersity was pursued by vengeance throwne into the bottome of the sea filled with feare lest the Whale should deuoure his body and hell his soule for as a man already in the state of the dead he