What maruell then if Achilles smote Thirsites for his foule mouth though otherwise a man that was not easily mooued The best men will not soone giue cause But vir iracundus prouocat rixas A hastle man Prou. 15. or a chollericke sir will still be quarrelling and prouoking euer vrging euer misconstruing neuer without a caprich or two in store An other man as good as hee will neuer doe it but leaue it to scouldes in allies and alehouses Hee will alwaies keepe himselfe in compasse of manhood as neere as he can and neuer debase himselfe to such vnworthy doings And there is a plaine precept for it Nolite prouocare Eph. 6. If I may not vrge my childe or seruants to anger how much lesse my fellowe or my better The law giues fauour to man slaughter if he be prouoked But there is not a greater infamy to a noble person then to prouoke or to be accounted a quarreller It is vnbecomming a woman much more a man at armes Quippes girdes flauntes tauntes farre be they from yee I beseech you They are but seedes of scoulding the scumme of a womans witte though some women delight in it and thinke it worth printing euery word they speake Words breede quarrels and of quarrelling comes blood-shedde An old Coronell of ours reioyced on his death bedde that hauing beene in many broyles in his life and many times prouoked he neuer gaue cause of quarrell by word or deed and yet he would not turne his face from any man breathing To detract or reueale a mans secret if it be not against the state or much hurtfull to his friend is very vnworthy a gentleman and breedeth much quarrell A man of sort would be loath to be thought a blabbe or tell-tale It begins with idlenesse and endes with damnation Granado saith there be multitudes in hell for nothing else but this They say there would be no theeues if there were no receiuers And surely there would be no picke-thankes or slanderers if there were no hearers to delight in them Possid S. Augustine had written about his dining bord these verses Quisquis amat dictis absentum rodere vitam Hanc mensam vetitam nouerit esse sibi This table them forbidden is In English thus That of the absent speake amisse Nemo sine crimine viuit No man liues without a fault But he that proclaimeth it is worse then he Abhominatio hominum detractor Prou. 24. the backe-biter is holden abhominable and to be shunned as a venemous thing And for this cause onely it hath beene allowed in Italy that the wronged should giue the wronger a Cartella to fight with him How iustly I will not now speake Neither speake I of the sinne to God-ward which I leaue wholly to preachers I touch it onely in point of dishonour and as they be aspersions to reputation which both the wronger is bound to recompence and the wronged may iustly require I touch them as they be make-bates and leaue a staine behinde them in anothers coate beeing slanderous and scandalous to fame and sooner raised then remooued if not repaired in time Conturbat sapientem It troubles a right wise body to haue the lye or a foule word giuen him which we vse to our Page or varlet Conturbat sapientem To haue a frumpe or a scoffe or a bore in the nose much more a stripe or a trippe at his heeles and no maruell if it cost bloud or sound blowes ere they part These matters are holden as small with vs as they be common But the Romanes held them very shamefull and censors taxed the cause-giuer with ignominie and shame which they vsed not to any man but vpon great cause Plut. vit besides losse of his horse To you my deere countrey men and friendes I must tell you it is the principall scope of my speech that howsoeuer your sudden occasions of heate may carry you at any time somewhat further then vpon aduisement you would to breake the peace or bond of charity with any and for which I can giue you no other rule then the measure of Gods grace in you yet vpon time of deliberation and space betweene that is to say vpon cold blood which was the other part I spake of I doe wish much and if I might I would command you as we doe in the warres that ye neither challenge your opposite into the field vpon any occasion or if ye be challenged that ye doe not accept it Being a thing both heinous in the sight of God to doe and no lesse then heresie to thinke yee may doe This may bee newes to some of you But not so newe as true Euill fashions driue olde folkes to Schoole againe And the eldest of you is not too olde to learne if any of ye be possessed with that pestiferous opinion That it is heinous and sinnefull it appeares by this for that it is against the lawe of God of nature and nations If against the lawe of God then heresie also to holde it lawfull This is in short but I will make it more plaine to you because it is a thing yee must informe your selues in and it is grosse to bee ignorant of Single combate is honourable if it bee in iust warre or commanded by the Prince or common-weale As Dauid did against Golias for auoiding of blood-shedde of many by the blood of one Many in this kinde we finde in histories of one to one or more to more to weaken or discourage the contrary and wee reade them willingly in our bookes And God hath fauoured it so that it hath saued the liues of many for the time Wee haue also an ancient tryall for title of land or appeales of felony by single combate where matters bee so obscure or otherwise carried that common lawe or iustice can hardly decide them And the forme is yet in vse but seldome suffered by Magistrates to take effect as sauouring more of heathenish times when such customes began then of Christian lenity which thanks be to God hath almost worne it away This kinde of combate also is needfull sometimes and men be forced to it in defence of ones person or purse or honor to auoide a bastinado or such like disgrace But this must be as the learned say out of Saint Augustine in delicto flagrante vpon assault Nauar. or a waite and cum moderamine in culpatae tutelae Intending onely their iust defence and not otherwise It must not be if any meanes else be by flying backe or stepping aside sayes the Lawe But I holde it probable with others that if one assault me let him stand to his perill he forces me to fight I meete him not of purpose nor vpon challenge which I may not doe nor any authority vpon earth can giue leaue to doe nor scarce conniue with against the law of God thou shalt not kill The learned hold Exod 20. that by killing heere is vnderstood murther And this difference is betweene killing
heauen what is God who is the summe and substance of all reward and felicitie We that be Christians haue much more knowledge then heathens had Our light of reason is doubled with our light of faith annexed therunto by which wee both see more then we see with our eye what we beleeue we beleeue more then had we seen with eie What seek wee more We beleeue that heauen is truely great and our reward vnspeakeably great What seeke we further into the secrets of God to know how Let vs not be curious in matters not belonging to vs yet Let vs not destroy faith with too much curiositie If God would condescend to giue vs a sight of heauen and of our glory there we should rather refuse it with humilitie then expect it with importunitie Wee should rather say to him Satis domine thy promise is asmuch to me Lord as if I were there to see it It is enough to me that I knowe it is so O let me not see vntill it please thee to call This should be our speech to God and much heede wee ought to take that we diminish not his faith with least doubt of his promise or desire to haue it prooued by sence Sence knowledge derogats from faith knowledge If we see it once it is faith no more And wee may offend in it ere wee bee aware For hee that searcheth into Maiestie shall bee ouercome of glory Prou. 25. As much to say as he that will enter into Gods counsell before hee be called shall be punished as Phaeton was his owne pride will ouerthrowe him This alone may suffice for the greatnesse of our reward yee apprehend it with faith and that is enough yea a great deale more then any eloquence in the world can paint vnto you I omit therefore to speake of many things besides that would expresse this greatnesse As also of the many names whereby it is called in holy writ and ancient fathers which would greatly testifie the greatnesse of it As where it is called Mons pacis the Mountaine of peace where no disquiet or brabble can reach at vs and that which Princes haue much adoe to performe with all their power and policie is there done with ease No warre or dissentation can approach this hill where hearts and mindes are all one one will in all and there is not found a second It is called Domus dei Eccl. 4.17 Psal 22. The house of God Or if ye will Gods court and wee his courtiers or seruants in ordinary or if yee will Gods hospitall and wee his olde souldiers when age hath weakened vs infirmity disabled vs and death put downe the barre that we may fight no more O happy they that can get a place there where al sit rent free shal haueoile for their wounds ease for cumber pleasure for their paine and all things prouided for their hand and can neuer say this they want or this they would haue more Apoc. 3. Heauen is called also new Hierusalem and well may it bee so called For olde Hierusalem is in the enemies hands while all good people groane and will neuer linne grieuing I feare till God shall make them free of the new It is many times called regnum coelorum Mat. 5. Mat. 19. Luk. 7. the kingdome of heauen Let vs consider of this world a little A king and a kingdome are relatiues And he that hath a kingdome must needes bee a king What is a kingdome worth if a man should buy it or who hath price enough to buy a kingdome with It is a rare fortune to rise of nothing to be kings and yet such fortune some haue had Saul Dauid Ieroboam Iehu Darius and diuers Emperours and it is not euery ones fortune yet may it be euery ones fortune to haue a farre greater in heauen and it lyeth in his owne will Hee may haue his crowne there his robes and purple there and those more glorious there then we can imagine heere Iac. 3. And in this sence S. Iames doth call vs heires of the kingdom that God did promise Rom. 8. S. Paul doth likewise call vs heires of God and ioynt heires with Christ more then this he saith we shall reigne together with him Homer illiad For kigns are not there as they be heere where one crowne royall none can haue but one Non bona res multi domini rex vnicus esto Two kings in a kingdome will neuer stand long In heauen quite contrary It is no disgrace to a king to haue many fellowes Yea Angels themselues reioyce exceedingly and Christ our Lord disdaineth not to set vs by him 2 Tim. 2. and to communicate his crowne with vs. Saint Paules word is conregnabimus We shall bee fellow kings with him this were treason heere But wee must knowe that by this word king are vnderstood two great titles The one of necessity the other of honour the one a title of paine and charge begotten of common good for preseruing of peace and iustice among men the other a title of honour and greatnesse deserued by themselues or their ancestours or both In the right of the one 2 Pet. 2. Apoc. 20.19 ibid. 44. he carrieth a sword ad vindictam in right of the other he weareth a Crowne on his head as a conquerour The one needlesse in heauen where all be good the other needfull in heauen to despite the diuell and them that be bad And this kingly honour no king hath more on earth then soules haue in heauen 1. Pet. 5. who acknowledge no superiour there but God as kings doe heere Onely their crownes differ the one is of gold the other is of glory they differ also not a little in there estates the one is for life the other for euer And therefore in our creede it is called by another name Vita aeterna or life euerlasting Our estate in our kingdome there is for life but wee shall liue for euer How farre better this then your fee simple heere which yee say yee haue for euer yet cannot haue longer then for life nor so long neither many times And if they that follow you waste it where is your fee simple It may rightly bee called fee simple a simple for euer But ours not so it will bee for euer which no violence can wrest from vs no rust or moth weare away no time nor oldenesse wrinkle or disfigure no sickenesse consume no wrong hazzard or misinformation call in question Our estate there pure perfect and indefeazable tyed to no condition charged with no incumbrance or feare of forfeiture Subiect to no law like a king no mans vassall and doing no mans will but our owne and ours none of our owne but Gods What an inexplicable greatnesse is this and yet I cannot leaue it so the more I haue said the more me thinke I haue to say But I will bound my selfe to one or two considerations more and so
forgotten how little care of vs when we be dead and put into a hole to reuenge our quarrell euery one is not Patroclus who had an Achilles to reuenge him It hath beene comfort to many that their death should cost many deaths Epaminondas died ioyfully of his deadly wound when hee heard that hee had wonne the field Wee neither winnne field nor shield by it but content our selues with a little fearefull honour which is no honour Wee little remember that our life is all our stocke and what merchant will aduenture all at once to make but owne of owne If I kill I kill but one if I be killed also I loose two What is gotten by this if a man had many liues hee might hardly spend one idlely Hauing but one life then and to spend it so prodigally I would thinke he had too much of one And I cannot but here while I thinke of it digresse a little from the matter although not much And great Princes I hope will not blame me if I remēber them of an intolerable abuse of their Jrascible part if they take not heede And their fault therin is the greater and commoner the more absolute their authority is where no man is to controle them in the power that is giuen them by Gods assignment They are appointed by God or rather put in trust to bee his vindices ad iram Reuengers for God to execute his wrath vpon those that bee euill Rom. 13. and wrong doers ijs qui mali sunt I speake not of the power they haue ouer their subiects which is meant directly in this place but of that they haue ouer their equals in other countries if they or theirs be wronged may right themselues by the sword if cause require It is seldome seene that right is on both sides And therfore how many battels we reade of or heare of so many wrōgs most cōmonly yea so many massacres or wilfull murthers on t 'one side which is horrible to thinke that it should be amongst Christians Some goe to it with as slender pretences as may be Some with iustice enough but vniustly Our Charles the eight will neuer be forgotten who ranne through Italy like a fury for recouery of Scicilie and Naples set townes and people on fire where he came robbed Churches and profained them rauished women and cutte their throates when they had done In a towne of Tuscane where they had nothing to do but to passe it through yet spared they not man or woman poore innocent people till they had slaine seauen hundred of them How farre was this from Charles the wise his grandfather a most peaceable and powerful Prince Charles of Burgundy likewise had the name of a worthy Prince yet not to be excused for the malice he bare to them of Leodes where he made his souldiers carry firebrands in t 'one hand and their swords in t'other throughout his army He left not a stone of their walles one vpon an other to wreake his will on them for a very small cause And against the Switchers soone after what outrage committed he where he hung fiue hundred captiues at once without all redemption brake promise foulely with those of Granson demanded of his subiects a sixt of their goods but they would not yeelde him a penny vnlesse he would come home and leaue those idle they might haue said pernicious warres And to goe no further then our next neighbours what a diuelish fight was that betweene the Switchers and some of the Cantons because they would not leaue their league with Austria They grew to that rancour and mortall feud that when they had vanquished them in a sore battel they were not thus content but made stooles and tabels of their dead bodies to sit on and feast vpon And that which is more they opened their breasts and drunke their blood to one an other and pulled out their hearts to teare them with their teeth Would ye thinke this were in Christendome I giue but a few examples in stead of many and am ashamed to tell what hath hapned neerer our time The like not read of scare in all the Bible that faithfull were against faithfull Yet with vs daily Christians against Christians and suffer their faith to sleepe the whilest There want not prelates and clergie-men to forward Princes in such businesse and to sowe pillowes to euery bedde There want not histories great plenty to extoll their doings Ezech. 19. and magnifie their names for executing brauely vpon their owne tribe Pom. Let. and alliance without all respect of nature and pitty He that kils most is extolled most saith one A Christian is but a dogge to him if he be angry And if a Prince be of quiet disposition and peaceable and thinkes he hath enough of his owne to gouerne in peace and feare of God as Numa and Salomon did they count them scarce worth writing of because there be no battles nor conquests in his time Where contrary they should thinke him wise for sparing and not spending so much treasure and blood vpon that which they cannot keepe no longer then they be stronger and haue no more title to most commonly then is sealed with an edge on their next neighbours flesh It is a wonder to see what paines and eloquence our writers bestow in this kinde to set forth the glory they thinke but indeed the sinne and shame of their countries if it were not apparantly iust and honourable which they tooke in hand We reade in the booke of Iudges how ten tribes fought against one which was Beniamin The quarrell was iust the reuenge approoued of God for a horrible crime committed in Beniamin and the whole tribe ouerthrowne by them except a few Yet when they had done their worst doluerunt they were pittifully grieued at it and penitentiam egerunt Iudg. 21. their sorrow was expressed in deedes and care to make them amends as it their appeares They vaunted not of their valour nor made bragges of the blood they spilt but lamented with teares and with wringing of hands for that was past and could not now be recalled How many Princes haue wee knowne in Christendome that haue shewne much sorrow for twenty or forty thousand slaine on a day of the same tribe themselues were of and bought with the same blood Yea haue they not made tryumphs and bonefires for it when they came home and Te deum sung in Churches for them when they had more neede of a miserere There haue beene thrice fiue hundred yeares since the comming of Christ and the fourth is begunne In the first fiue hundreth began our greatest Monarchies In the second they grew Christian and were of great example In the third they beganne to neglect religion and to preferre their owne ends pulling from each others greatnesse and abiding no equals which caused much warre What will become of this fourth fiue hundreth we know not yet But if the rest holde out like the