maye stande guilty afore God and oure almes loase theyr fruite bycause oure almes they shall be entertayned in their vices and God abhorre vs for not seeing him obeyed So that if they bee poore and workeable let vs giue them nothing vnlesse they expresse a desire and wil to labour but if they will continue the occupation of nothing doing and so consequently to be nothing worth let the law examine their lewdenesse and the magistrate appoynt paynes to their ydlenesse if they finde nothing better than to trauell and know not now nor where let richmen by the example of the husbandman in the Gospell go seeke them in the publike place of the towne where all the poore ought to assemble and present themselues to trauell and so searching there and else euery where such as he findeth let him employ in labour giuing them somwhat more then the merite of their hyer in regarde of their pouertie wherein besides that they shall enure them to labor auoyde losse of time yet in this act they expresse doble almes and dutifull seruice to God in comforting their necessities and kéeping them from doing euill And where there are so many in one common weale that their numbers excéede their meanes to sustaine their lyfe by labour let euery able riche man be allotted by common counsell to a number for his seruice whome as daye labourers he may alwayes employ in something to auoyde ydlenesse And in cases of occupation and trade let the occupiers set them on woorke for the helpe of their sustenaunce But as in this businesse the wise prouidence of the gouernor is greatlye necessary to the prouision of the poore So touching suche as haue goodes and lacke foode for their necessitie the rest are bound to lend them vpon paune without vsury or publike excessiue interest which is vnworthy of Christians ¶ Compassion ought chiefelye to be shewed to poore maydes for the infirmitie of the kinde and not to suffer them to begge Exhortation to vvomen to take them into seruice for Gods sake for the vvhch they are assured to haue great revvardes according to the scriptures The maner hovv they ought to be prouided for vvhat vvas the auncient custome of the church for the releefe of the poore vvherin poore vviddovves and Orphanes vvere fyrst prouided for ¶ The .3 Chapter MVch greater compassion ought to be shewed vpon poore maydes but specially vpon Orphanes al others in whom is no other science Art or trade then to spin which being not sufficient to rayse theyr finding yet not finding worke inough to be imployed in the next coÌ„pulsion if thei be not succored by seruice in priuat houses is to go on begging which settes them in daunger of manye gréeuous inconueniences therfore as wée are bound by christian common pitty to succor aboue all other sortes of poore this fraile and weake womankinde so the most conuenient meane thervnto is if the vertuous and welthy Burgesse wiues vndertaking to prouide for them within their townes will in one common order take into their seruice so many as they may frame méete for their perticuler vses yea though the necessitie of their seruice require not yet for Godes cause let them receyue them into common discipline with their daughters instructing them in some trauell conuenient to their weake kinde And with this if in time they aduaunce them in mariage to some men of science besides the great and agréeable seruice they shall doe to God he shal make florish and prosper their house recompence them to the hundred folde and rewarde them in the ende with eternall lyfe If God requited the charitie of the wise women of Egipt for preseruing from death the little infantes of the Hebrues whome the tyrant Pharao had commaunded to kill what rewarde hath he layde vp for such good women by whome are preserued the bodyes and soules of those christian maydes from filthy polution and eternall destruction in the desire and will of Sathan If for sauing the corporall life of those small children God poured so many benifites vpon the sayde Egiptian woman what hope of lesse recompence remayneth to our good matrons of Cyties who haue protected young maydes from being dishonored an act more worthy then to kéepe them from being killed by impudicitie and defend their soules from perpetuall death what greater sacrifice of seruice can be offred to GOD then to kéepe the sacred temple of the holye ghost which is the bodye of a mayde from prophanation by impuritye and to protect the holye members of Iesus Christ from being soyled in that vncleane sinke of villany and whoredome wherein they shoulde be slaues to the diuell obeying him in all filthinesse and sinnes wherein if the honest and vertuous dames of their cytie eyther by negligence or couetousnesse should giue liberty of corruption and slaunder to these poore maydes applying neyther care nor succor to their wants I doubt whether in the iudgment of God they should stand cléere of their damnation hath not God giuen to euerye one a care and obseruation of his neyghbor who if he be lost by his fault himselfe can not be saued and because therefore it is not proper to a man to haue medling with this sex but more conuenient to graue matrons by a naturall proxâ—mity let the women then vndertake this act of piety and religion so commendable of the worlde and acceptable with God with recompence of immortal glory Here the burgesse dames must not alledge the number and charge of their owne daughters and so forbeare their christian compassion to others for that were the saying of Paganes who are ignoraunt in the benefit of our vnitie in Iesus Christ by the which we ought to holde all Christians aswell women as men in the estimation of our brothers and systers fauoring ayding and succoring them in true frindship in all their necessary wantes And euen as if we should leaue any man in pouerty without succours and his necessitye driue him into offence of the law and so to suffer sentence of death we should stand afore God as parties to his crime and guilty to his death euen so is it with women and riche matrons who much lesse that they can excuse themselues in the terrible iudgement of God but if for want of their ayde poore maydes fall to whoredome or other damnable vice they can not but be capable of hir fault and so merite communitie of payne with hyr Sure such surety of recompâ—nce standes in the true considâ—ration of Gods goodnesse that albeit eyther by their proper inhabiliâ—y or euercharge with their owne children they haue no great power at the beginning to aduauÌ„ce this poore maydes yet seeing it is familiar with God not to forget any good deede done in his name he will so prosper this good act of his lyberall charity that themselues in time will confesse that they féele an apparaunt and manifest blessing of God in more felicity and encrease of richesse then
meaning in releeuing theyr hungar plentifully repayring theyr bodies if they bee naked In recompence whereof God promiseth large blessings to theyr houses al their posterity And to induce the Israelits to this hospitality which properlye is no other thing then liberalitye to strangers for whose succor perticularlye Hospitalles were erected called by the Gréeks Xenodocheia whiche is places where Pilgrimes were bestowed as where the sicke were lodged was called Nosodocheia and where the common poore were bestowed Prochodocheia and in our time al such places of succor named at this day Xenodocheia beare the name of hospitals for straungers or passangers hée puttes them in remembrance that euen them selues were straungers in Egipt forbidding them to do them any dollor or wrong S. Paul also in a more zeale sayth that theyr Patriarkes dwelt not but in Tabernacles Lodginges portatiue thorow countreys hauing no permanent dwelling vpon the earth for that they confessed they searched a better abiding in heauen by which meane as also S. Peter with him he geueth vs aduertisemēt that wée are all strangers and being not of this world we haue our countrey house in heauen where is laid vp our inheritance with our euerlasting father And therefore let vs take héede as strangers be armed against al desyres of the flesh worldlye pleasures which hinder vs in the wel performing of our pilgrimage in this wicked world But in déede that we be truly strangers who searcheth the original of families yea of al cities coūtreis shal find that since certain times we are come out of strange countreies It can not bée denied but that we are discended of Sem Cham or Iaphet the children of Noe who for theyr first habitacion choase the Regions of the Orient therfore being discended of them we can not deny how auncient soeuer we make our Citye or countrey but that it was builded many thousand yéeres after so in the consideration of our auncestors wée can not be but straungers And as god then hath singularly recommended straungers so S. Peter S. Paul stoode in like care ouer them when they enioyne vs to succor them without murmor meaning that we should not excuse or complaine of the burden of Hospitality or that wée had not sufficient to norish the poore of our perticular tounes dwellinges for by our charity that way sayth the scripture wee shal receiue great reward yea euen the same which Iesuch Christ hath promised in S. Mathew I was sayth hée a stranger or passanger and you lodged mée in my pouerty for which hospitalitye he promiseth recompense of eternal life Abraham Loth and Tobias vnder the habit of poore straungers or passangers receiued Aungels into the succor of theyr houses to whom for recompence were prouided many blessinges as to the fyrst promise to haue children in his old age Loth was preserued from the fyre wherewith Sodom Gomorre were consumed to Tobias was geuen the Angel Raphael for the happy successe of al his good desires by whom was guided happely reguided his sōne with abundance of goods restitucion of the sight which hée had lost Dauid confesseth that God holds in singular grace the stranger pupill poore widowe and in Deutronomy it is witnessed the God kéepeth a deare care protectiō ouer the poore stranger such as haue béen vnpitiful to straungers haue suffred seuere punishment as was expressed by god to those people which denied passage to the poore Israelits cōming from Egipt into Canaan would not aforde meate to sustaine theyr liues But if the Egiptians intreated Abraham so gently in time of famine what ought we Christians to do to our poore brethren And as such as gaue louing aide to the Israelits when they wandred into Arabia were highly fauored of God so when the Egiptians entred into hard dealing with that people did they not begin to search theyr owne ruine Where so long as they gaue fauor to that desolate flock of Israel they florished in al worldly felicity were euen Lords ouer al theyr humane desyres Al which examples ought to remayne to our gouernors of this time as warnings to cherish more such poore passangers and strangers to whome the place afordes no special fauor credite nor knowledge then other the needy sort naturall to their Tonnes known abroade in the countrey least being abandoned of succors which is more oftē seen then pitied they dye vnder hedges theyr bodies remaine in pray to Rauēs Dogs Wolues other vermine of the field For which vnpitiful dealing great plagues of famine pestilence or other miseries haue happened to those places from whence they were reiected For the death of such as are secréetly killed as perishing for not being succored in their nakednes pouerty procureth vengeance in the scripture against the inhabitaūts of the place by whose inhumanity those poore soules are suffred to dye What may bée then aunswered against our polletike worldlinges of these daies who with theyr goodly fraile reasons impugne the very expresse cōmandements of God neglecting so many Ritch ample promises wherof they are not worthy which God hath made to such as harbor such kind of poore They alleadge that when vittails grow deare it sufficeth theyr proporcion to norish the poore of theyr perticular Townes that if they gaue entrye to strangers in so straite a time they should famishe them selues and fyl theyr tounes with mouthes without meate and so they holde them vnable to sustaine so great a charge By which reasōs may be gathred that in time of darth it behoueth to suffer to starue die the true poore passāgers who without suttelty or affected pouerty passe only by countreys hauing no commodity of sustenaunce but by almes trauailing to ouercome theyr necessityes fall eyther into the spoile of Théeues as happeneth to Marchants or driuen into the wages of the Warres which of al other refuges is a most pitiful and daungerous succor In this case as the dealing of one Cite is an example to other countreys who with cōmon consent dispatch those miserable soules to theyr destruction eyther by Robbery flaughter or rage of Hungar. So howe can those gouernors eyther auoide the crime of Murder or merit the reward of Christian charitie which at such seasons and to such people ought chieflye to bée showed when is pitye either more necessary then in time of darth or more meritorious then in cases of extreame necessity wée reade that wée must communicate that is to saye distribute our common goodes to the necessityes of the holy ones which are christians sanctified haue wée not commaundements to norish our enemies to geue them meate if they bée oppressed with hungar to reach them drinke when they suffer thirst and yet we restraine lodging and refection from him which beséecheth vs in gods name which honoreth vs with his knée touching the earth which geues vs reuerence as to his lord yea hée
Paul in many places pronounceth them abhominable before God the same agréeing with common experience wherein wée sée that in no Synne is more power of beastialitye ouer man nor more draweth him into thraledome yea it kéepes him in more subiection then the Wine that makes him Droncke or the King that commaundes him The Wise man sayeth that as Wine and Women doo make men Apostates and to abuse theyr honourable profession so all sinne is without man sauing this whiche corruptes effeminates defiles and dishonoureth euerye parte of the man yea it pollutes the sacred Temple of GOD and bringes to passe that the holye members of IESVS Christe are made infected members of a Whoore If the Lawe did so expreslye forbydde that there shoulde bée no whore in Israel which countreye was but a shadowe of Christendome and that the paine was no lesse then death Why should it be endured amongst Christians who being most cleare and holy by that holy and deuine profession ought to expresse as great power of perfection as the light hath ouer darknesse there is no sinne which bringes to man more miseries blindnesse and beastlynesse nor by whose occasion more controuersies and murders do rise if it did onely but make man lose the reputation of his honour and libertie of his minde that extreme wretchednesse ought to make it hatefull much more then is it detestable by howe much it leades him into the destruction of his soule which is the principall Besides that the sinne is monstrous to lose the séede which GOD hath ordeyned for the generation of man so precious in nature yea if there be encrease of children what shame and dishonour followeth their foule procreation and to howe many vices are they subiect for the contempt which the worlde hath of them in their education If then so generall slaunder hang ouer all Christendome by fornication if it make Realmes subiect to reproches of forreine Nations if in it be nourished the occasion of euyll doyng by wicked examples so manye secrete murders of Infantes without Baptisme and the enforced deliuerie of wretched maydes to auoyde sclaunder of the worlde If lastlye vnder the winges of fornication be hatched the Egges and broode of so many diuisions questions controuersies murders and warres why should there be sufferaunce of whoredome so reprobate and condemned and the onely Nurse of all miseries happening to Nations and men were it not better to condemne it to death or at the least to ioyne it to such gréeuous paynes that there might be no further wyll to followe such allurement the miserable cause of all wretched deathes Here if any wyl obiect the example and custome of the Gentils who to entertayne their pleasures in their brothell places helde opinion that man and woman consenting to suche Acte did no wrong to any séeing hauing libertie they stoode also in power to do what they woulde Let them be aunswered with this text of S. Paul Do you not knowe that you are not of your selues but that you are redeemed with a great price vvhich is the blood of Iesus Christe therfore glorifie God and carye him both in your bodies and in your spirites for so doth it appertaine to him the body was not made to play the whoremonger but to serue God who in the resurrection wyll geue it an immortall glory where some may obiect that the sinne is naturall I confesse it as touching a nature corrupted which beyng the more daungerous ought so much the more to be eschewed and corrected So much may be sayde also af naturall choller procéeding of nature vicious and so of all other vices but by the grace of Iesus Christ that vicious or corrupt nature by studie and exercise of doctrine may be reformed and by vertue chaunged by force tamed so by constraint brought to God. Socrates confessed that the Philosophie of Zophyrus was true as who saye his iudgemente by naturall coniecture vpon the lineaments of his body pronounced him to be a great whoremonger which being reprehended in Zophyrus by Socrates friendes he tolde them that Zophyrus had not iudged amisse as touching his inclination but Philosophie made him another man so that when it is sayd that this sinne is common throughout the worlde we must conclude that there is no feare of God no exercise of true doctrine nor any vse of vertue no not so much as Moral by the which thinges the Philosophers Gentiles eschewed sinnes and wonne the reputation of honest people Let vs feare that the worlde be not fallen into the like estate of wretchednesse as when God powred the generall flood ouer all the earth that as the Scripture saith All fleshe had corrupted his vvay meaning that man euen from his youth ranged after the delyte of his fleshly pleasure the same being one signe of the ende of the worlde wherein S. Paul saith that men shal be more louers of them selues then of god Let these terrors be warnings to vs to correct our vnbridled lustes after filthy and fowle pleasures Let youth restraine their inclination by good discipline continuall labours and perpetuall study of vertue Let them learne to beare the Yoke of the Lorde from the beginning mortifiyng their passions and frayle desires by meditation of death and the iudgement of god Let Parentes according to the counsell of Chrisostome rather vse a ripe care in oportunitie to mary their children then to leaue them in the handes of daunger to offende God and damne their Soules ⧠Continuaunce of the punishment of this sinne according to his other kindes ⧠The .9 Chapter TOuching Incestes amongest néere Parentes or with religious women or rauishmentes of maydes the Law hath alwayes condempned them to death The Positiue Lawe hath alwayes iudged worthye of the fire Inceste with the maides cōsecrated to god At Rome the Vestal Virgines Pagans beyng defiled with Inceste were buryed quicke and so dyed miserablie The auncient Church receiued not the incestuous religious man or woman to the Communion vntyl death In all times the lawe of nature hath condemned adulterie to extreame punishment Pharao and Abimelech iudged it one of the greatest sinnes that coulde be as by whose occasion death did not onely followe such as had commited it but also it drewe infinite miseries vppon houses Courtes and Kingdomes Amongst the Hebrues the offendour was stoned to death At Rome by the Cornelian Lawe it was lawfull to kyll the adulterer without reprehension and also for a man to refuse his wife for the suspicion of that vice euen as for the sinne beyng notorious and prooued the Christian may dissolue mariage touching cohabitation In many places men cut of the nose of the adulterer and sometimes the eares as in Egypt they pluckt out both the eyes of Locres that was the cause why Zalence King of that people pulled out owne of his owne eyes and another from his sonne who was taken with the acte which he did to accomplishe the Law notwithstanding the importunitie of
countrey dispence not therewith doth abuse the vse of garments So was the wicked riche man beyng through pride and glory clad euery day in Purple partlie condemned for that excesse The Iewe vsed an habite proper or singuler by the which he was discerned from other Nations and so the Samarytane knewe Iesus Christ to bée a iewe And the prophete rebuked the Iewe that vsed a straunge attyre as newe and to sumptuous but aboue other Nations the Venetians haue neuer changed their fashion of garmentes whose constancie that way remaynes to their perpetuall prayse ⧠Let none glorifie him selfe but in his pouerty necessitie and affliction such as glorfie them selues in goodes scienses c. are vaine but much more do they offende vvho vaunt of their euyll doing the euyls that come by intemperance what great faults are cōmitted by gluttons and people geuē to delicacy ¶ Chap. 3. IT is declared before that man ought not to glory in his riches in his power nor in his wisedome but rather in affliction as S. Paul saith vnder the Crosse of Iesus Christ taking specially his glory in god in that he knoweth him feareth him and loueth him for all other things are to the fleshly man rather occasion of perdicion then saluatiō and are the very stipends rewardes effect of the reprobate We haue now somewhat to vnfolde the vices in intemperaunce excesse of eating and drinking in this many do lay vp their glory and sometimes in thinges more wretched béeing one of the sinnes of Sodome and Gomorrhe as Esay saieth Wherein they commit sinne of his owne nature irremisible for that it procéedes of a sence reprobate neither séeing nor feelyng his proper euyll to the ende to searche for cure euen as doth the Letargie in his mortall sléepe out of the which much lesse that he wyll be awaked but hateth and striketh him that goeth about to helpe him And as when medicine is refused to be geuē to a sicke man and Phisitions turne him ouer to his owne desires it is a signe that hée is abandoned and his life in extreme peryll So when God puts into the hande of man the Bridle libertie of his owne pleasures suffreth him to prosper in worldly delytes it is then he hath least care of him expressing by that a daungerous signe of his saluation I meane not here intemperaunce by gluttony onely the very Nurse of whoredome where is excesse of meate and Wine which the Lorde warneth vs to take béede of lest we be taken in his iudgement as in déede we haue perfection neither of reason nor sence to consider of our conscience if we be guilty in any sinne And of this gluttony speaketh Ezechiel Beholde O Ierusalem saith he the iniquitie of thy sister Sodome the pride the fulnesse of bread and victuels and abundaunce of idlenesse but I comprehend also all epicurity of belly cheare where mē followe the affection of their delytes and wallowe in the contentment of the flesh Of which intemperaunce Salomon noteth the great Lordes and riche men of the worlde when he saith that region is miserable whose King is a childe not so much for yeres as for sence and whose principall states and Magistrates eate early in the morning that is to say according to the exposition of Esay wretchednesse wyll alwayes hang ouer that kingdome whose gouernours rise early in the morning to drinke and be dronke taking so great pleasure in banquets meates dilicious Wines that laying vp there all their humaine felicitie they make their God of their bellyes They are like to those wretches that say there is no life but to make good cheare against whom Amos cryeth out Wretchednesse vpon you O riche men in Syon who sléepe in beds of Iuory and take your pleasures therein who eate the best Muttons of the flocke and deuour the fat Veales who sing to the voyce of the Psalter or haue Musitions at your Tables drincke swéete Wines in gorgeous Cuppes and annoynt your selues with precious oyntments as if he had sayd You that surfet of your owne pleasures and delytes féele no compassion of the sorowe misery of Ioseph representing the state of the poore sort Esay rebuketh them for that they regarde not the worke of God and seeke out howe he ioynes his wyll and commaundement to our duety So that this intemperaunce is not the gluttony of villaynes whose maner is to engorge them selues like Woolues be dronke as beastes yea euen as Swine that are soyled in the filthyest myre but in this is expressed the epicuritie of the most delicate such as are more skilfull in delicious fare and swéete wines then in vertue and learning such as corrupting iustice haue also no care of it for that they are altogether partiall to their bellyes without all regarde to God yea the time which they shoulde apply to the cause and compassion of the poore and such as liue in teares sorrowe and want they abuse in dissolute Musicke Masques making cheare to Curtysanes A common vice of our time famylyar euen with the greatest who notwithstanding do take more glory therin then in actes of Chyualrie Is it not a great offence to eate drinke more for pleasure thē for necessitie not to restore the strength of the body but by abundaunce variety of meates and Wines to procure debility to abuse the Creature against the wyll honour of the Creator Lastly by that excesse to bring diuers diseases to the body wherby men are made vnprofitable to their common weale often times passe by vntimely death He wylleth vs to do all thinges to his honour that he may be glorified therein But in this intemperaunce much lesse that men haue remembraunce of him séeing of the contrary there is no exercise but of scoffing railing speache of the throte and belly in al vnchastnes setting the tongue at liberty to al sclaunder blasphemy impudency what glory doth this behauiour to God whose benefite is so abused contrary to his wyll and commaundement We eate we drinke at his charges we liue by his benefites and we sit at his Table and yet we are not ashamed to offend him vnreuerentlye He commaundeth vs to liue soberly to pray vnto him to praise him to breake our bread to the hungrye and to call the poore to our eatinges and drinkinges but what care is re-reserued to this cōmaundement when the rich wil close their gates against the cryes of the poore and they them selues wallow in the excesse of eating much lesse is he honored of such people whē he is disobeyed in this commaundement to haue compassion on the afflicted that we shoulde wéepe with them that wéepe Many are the poore about them to whose teares they ioyne no compassion Many are the widdowes that sigh Orphants that lament with others whom they sée to languishe in their miseries whose estate by how much they know to bée harde and sorowfull
true frindes for that when such rich men shall become pore which God doeth often suffer they are for saken of their frindes because riches was the only cause of such frendship and who loues an other as it were in recompence of affection that he beareth to him loueth not as he ought for that the cause rising of bare fancie which afterwardes may chaunge into hate the frendshipp can not be certein nor perpetuall yea he that loueth an other for his vertue loues not simplie as he ought according to God for that as the vertue of the man enclines to vice so the affection of his frend will conuert into hate for which cause Aristotle aloweth the sentence of a wise Philosopher saying that men ought to loue but not so much but that they may hate meaning that louing men of vertue and their vertues torning into vices our affection may resume his first qualitie if for charitie sake we forbeare to hate them This was his iudgment of frendes that might chaung by francke and louing will But by the Gospell we are warned to loue our ennemies and wicked men yea Infidels which séeke to persecute vs to death so much are we bound to loue them as to praye to God for thē and to present them with our goodes help and life if there be hope of their saluation not so much as willing or doing to them any displeasure so did Christ loue vs all and died for vs being his ennemies The cause of this loue is God for the honor loue and commaundement of whome we loue louing that which he loueth according as he loueth and for what cause he loueth conforming vs wholy to his will and his loue in the which and for the which he loueth vs all Let vs loue therfore that which is of him as in man his Image and semblance his handie worke his vertues his graces conforming ourselues to the loue which he bears him hauing made for him so many creaturs giuen him his Aungells for his protectores and guides and his only sonne to death for him yea euen when man was his enemye blasphemed him and was altogether disobedient to him Thus must we loue the soule of our neighboure albeit he be our ennemie as the deare cōquest of the precious blode of IESVS CHRIST and his body being the sacred temple of the holy ghost yea so we must loue him as Iesus Christ loued him giuing his life frankelye for him whom by baptisme as he hath incorporated him in him selfe to be a member of his bodye and by faith in the holy communion made him his flesh and blood so I ought to loue him as one of the members of the bodie of this Lord and as his flesh and blood with all seing we are all made by him members of the same misticall bodye and childrē all of one father by spirituall adoption then the same affection ought to be conuersant amongest vs which passeth betwéene members of one selfe bodye proper and naturall brethern in effect the friendship that we ought to beare one to another ought to be without acception of personnes counthries kindred or parents with which zeale if we loue not euen the most strangers of the worlde the most vnthankefull amongest men and our mortall enemies we are not the disciples of Iesus Christ by whome we are tolde that then we declare our selues his folowers when we do that which he commaundes vs his precept is that we loue one an other as he hath loued vs to saye and doe well by our enemies yea to dye for them if néede require in hope to gaine and saue their soules in sorte as he is deade for ours So that who hateth another beareth malice to him doeth him iniurie séeckes reueng of him strikes him and which is extreme iniquitie killeth him apertains no more to Iesus Christ as to beare the name of on of his disciples or of his flock thē the wolues Lions Tigres are of the heard and flocke of Lambes vnder the charge of a shepherd Suchthen that haue quarrells aspiringe to combate one against another practise reuenge of wronges by their proper authorities belong nothing to the profession of Christ and in their hartes haue no more taste of God then Pagans and vnbeleuing Atheists He that will offer sacrifice to God can not by Iesus Christ make it acceptable to his father if he haue offended his neyghboure and is not reconciled as also who hateth his Brother is a murderer and stands voyde of grace for eternall life I comprehend not in this such Christians as by lawfull iustice pursue the restitution of their goods honour or wrongs receiued by any wicked men for séeing iustice and iudiciall order is of God and by him commaunded to procure punishment in forme of iustice to the wicked acording to their merits and that by the Magistrate the law is not onely lawfull but also acceptable to god so that it be done without hatred and affection of perticular vengeance not regarding so much our proper benefit honour or priuate interest as to correct vices by that iustice to giue succour to the soule of the transgressor to the better stay and example of a whole communaltie This is also expressed in the exāple of a body which we go about to purge frō botches impostumes boyles In which body if there be any member so corrupt that it would infect the others to the daunger of the whole bodie it is cut of but with a great displeasure to all the other members who by a communion of nature being conioyned and knit together do loue one an other with connaturall and perfect zeale And to retourne to the matter of Christian amitie we are bound to loue men as God loueth thē whose loue is so much the greater towardes them by how much hée findeth their affection pure to him and the more doth his zeale increase the more he séeth in them that which is his as faith and charitie with feruent zeale to his honour and exercise of good déedes euen so the more faith and simplicitie we find in men the better affected to Gods honour of a more ready and franke minde to his seruice better disposed to actes of compassion and aspiring nearer a deuine perfection of God euen in so much greater affection honour and franke mind of seruice are we bound to them as knowing that in that we most please God who for those respects honoreth them more then others And therefore we honour nor loue them not so much in their persons as we expresse our selues to loue God in them in whom we honour his giftes and graces and all that we find to be deuine in them So that as we are bound in a stronger affection and more readines of seruice to those whom we know to be men of honest integretie then to others in whom we can acknowledge no such vertues So yet we must hate no creature according to the example of
let them labour to kéepe their common weale whole and sound that neyther in maners nor discipline nor touching the lawes customes statutes and ordenances there bee no error by superfluitie or want receyuing succours by doctrine sermons and perticular lessons touching Religion of the Churchmen to whome they are bound to stretche and leade their hand according to GOD as we sée the bodie serueth the soule in that is necessary for the vse and conseruatioÌ„ of man And if in the said bodye politike there bee hapned any euill of what side soeuer it be eyther of them selues or others eyther within or without whether of one or many or all together they ought presently to discend to the remedie to the rooting vp of the euill if it be possible in the beginning and not suffer it to encrease by conueniencie or dissimulation Let them not doubt but God as he is of nature mercifull so he is greatly prouoked when he punisheth man for vice but more angrie when he scourgeth a whole family afflictes a towne and visites a whole countrie but extremly and most of all is he stirred when he distroyeth a kingdom and generall nation let them not thinke that then the cause of the sinne is small or simple but in diuers sorts multiplied touching the nomber of haynous importaÌ„ce concerning the qualitie quantitie yea encreased with the nomber complet euen to an incensible grauitie for often times God attends the fulnes of our sinnes specialy afore he strike a nation or whole people according to the text of Genesis that he would not punishe the Channites till their iniquities were accomplished The best preseruatiue against all these euils is diligent prouidence of the gouernour and magistrat who then may best restrain vices when they prouid that the lawe may be vnderstand of all with such commandement to kéepe it vnder paine of such due ponishment that euen in the first that transgresseth against him that made it there may be actuall iustice to the common instruction and example of others wherein for their better helpe and effect of this verteous pollicy they must begin to institute the litelones to teach the ignorant blaming both sorts if they do not learne and obserue and so to others instructtng euerie one in the office and dutie of their estate and in what sort they ought to serue the common weale vsing herein specially for their first foundation the doctrine of fayth then the groundes of good conditions and lastly the rules of policie which doctrine in these thrée partes we haue declared before In this sort the magistrate may preserue his common weale from infinit euills as we read Iosua and Samuell standing vppon these reasons of gouernment neuer were trobled with sedicious nor any miseries hapened to them after they had purged them by penance of former offences There hapened in the gouernment of Josua but one defalt by Achan but imediatly after inquisition was made he passed by ponishment by whose example let gouernours bring into correction what vice soeuer they find done against god with out regard to qualifie it eyther by persone parentage place or other partiall or corupt circomstance for it is most cerraine that as that vice being suffered will be the cause of the damnation of the doer so the impunitie and example will drawe many oâ—hers to do euill wherby the ire of God will kindle against a whole kingdome For which cause Abraham assone as he vnderstode that Ismaell went forth to playe with Isaac or as some in terperet to prouoke him to Idolatrie he expulsed him his howse with his mother Moses when he founde any fault done in his campe specially bearing offeÌ„ce to God exercised present and sharp punishment what iustice thundredhe vppon those that worshipped the golden Calfe and no lesse vppon the blaspheamor and transgressor of the Sabaoth with other offences which he foresawe might prouoke god to sentence against the doers and to destroy him first being gouernour for negligence of iustice and so consequently all others consenting to the vices he was aduertised of the iudgemeÌ„t of God aswell by his expresse lawe as by examples past and such as stood in present experience as in the case of whoredome he had séene 24 thousand ouerthrowne by the hands of God with commaundement to him to xecute the Princes captaines of the people by whose wicked example the multitude ronne to their sinne of vncleanes he knew also that for the zeale of iustice God appeaseth his fury as appeareth by that which Phineas the sonne of Eleazer did vppon two fornicators thrusting them both thorow with his sword for the which it is writteÌ„ that God ceased to make the people die he knew by many other examples that the furie of God was terrible vpon a whole world if he fouÌ„d not exercise of good iustice by correctioÌ„ which the Israelites sought to eschew in punishing the offences done in Gabaa as hath ben sayd And Saule being yet a man of grace and fearing God when he vnderstood the people had eaten flesh with his bloud against the lawe cried out saying roole vppon me some great stone and put me to death Oh what sinne haue the people commitied against the Lord séeing God hath ben offended he will punish vs all iustly by some miserable accident if we resort not all to penance therefore he commauÌ„ds to make ready sacrifices to confesse their sinnes detest them and aske pardon of God by prayer whose example if the Magistrates of the world afore the flood had obserued and after in many places of the world if gouernours had applied such quicke Iustice and discipline in the first beginning of vices neyther had the vniuersall ruine hapned nor such common miserie to many generall nations if Helie had chastised his sonnes and kept the people from corruption of Idolatrie he nor his children had not died nor the people suffred slaughter and destruction If Jonathas had not transgressed the Edict of Kyng Saule his father the oracle of God had not ceased he not runne vnder iudgement of death which he had suffred had it not ben for the intercession of the people if Saule had not done wrong to the Gabonites he had not ben the cause of the famine which hapned in the time of Dauid for the appeasing whereof there was commaundement to execute seuen of the race of Saule By these exemplary aduertisements let Magistrates of the present time foresee that in their gouernements there be no vice done or being done that it be pursued with present punishment other wayes let them be assured that with the example of a disease in the body entertained and norished and neither preuenting it afore it happen nor being hapned is carefull to purge and heale it wil breede by continuance a feuer disquieting the head so much vex the whole body that in the end he shal not be able to haue any vse of his meÌ„bers wherby death doth