Selected quad for the lemma: hand_n
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A07227
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A handful of essaies. Or Imperfect offers: by W: Mason Master of Arts
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Mason, William, M.A.
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1621
(1621)
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STC 17624; ESTC S112442
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21,733
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138
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A HANDFVL OF ESSAIES OR Imperfect Offers By W MASON Master of Arts. Neque Imperiale est libertatem dicendi negare neque Sacerdotale quod sentiat non dicere Ambr. Epist. 17. LONDON Printed by Aug. Mathewes for Iohn Grismand and are to bee Sold in Pauls Alley at the Signe of the Gunne 1621. Essaies 1 OF Disloyalty 2 Of Sermon-hearers 3 Of Atheisme 4 Of Parents 5 Of the Commons 6 Of Bribing 7 Of Vsury 8 Of Pride 9 Of Couetousnesse 10 Of the deay of Hospitality 11 Of Glutony and Drunckennesse 12 Of ill gotten Goods 13 Of Whooredome 14 Of Idlenesse 15 Of Cosenage 16 Of Swearing and Forswearing 17 Of Bad Company 18 Of Enuy. 19 Of Flatterers A HANDFVL OF ESSAIES 1 Of Disloyaltie WHat our friends counsell vs is left vnto our owne discretion to do or leaue vndon but what a Religious Prince commandeth that of force must bee performed It is well said of Samuel that Rebellion is as the sinne of Witchcraft for as the Witch knowing the Deuill to bee the Father of lies yet will trust him So the disobedient knowing that he oweth all good loyalty to the King will yeeld none vnto him These haue made mercy a warrant for sinn which is onely a warning from sinning busying themselues with Haman to prouide their owne gallowes Zimry who slew his master had no peace the Earth cloue asunder and swallowed vp rebellious Corah and his faction it was at once an executioner and a graue vnto them Plutarch well obserues that all those who had any hand in the conspiracy against Caesar did come to bloudy ends and Cassius one of the conspirators slew himselfe with the same Dagger wherewith he wounded Caesar. They that resist shall receiue to themselues iudgement Rom. 13. 2. acquirunt sibi damnationem as the vulgar reades it they doe not onely receiue but pull vpon themselues heauy iudgements Kings are Gods by deputation he who resisteth their authority resisteth Gods ordinance for the powers that be are ordained of God Traianus is commended for that saying of his when hee gaue the sword vnto a chiefe Officer Hoc pro me vtere si iusta imperauero contra me si iniusta Yet Dauid would not lay violent hands vpon Saul though none of the best Kings because he was the Lords annointed The rule of Augustine is good Bonus si fuerit qui tibi praeest nutritor tuus est malus si fuerit tentator tuus est nutrimeÌ„ta libenter accipe in tentatione approbare Ser. 6. dev D sec. Mat. So there must be no rebelling good Gouernors we must obey willinglingly bad ones wee must endure patiently Gods ordinance must not be resisted no not for the personable crimes of those who supply the seat of Iustice but rather bee obeyed because they beare diuinity about theÌ„ and the sparkes of Gods Maiesty remaines in some measure in euery Maiestrate The image and superscription of a Prince stamped in base mettall is currant among his Subiects as well as that which is made in the finest siluer though indeede it be not so precious Saint Peter 1. 2. 18. admonisheth seruants and vnder that title Subiects to be obedient in all feare not onely to the good and gracious but also to the froward Iulian was an infidell Emperour an Apostata an Idolater yet the Christian Soldiers serued the Infidell Emperor but when he would haue them worship Idols they preferred God before him In such a case it is better to obey God then man Hic contemne potestatem timendo potestatem But when Iulian led those Souldiers against an enemy they presently obeyed him propter Domiuum eternum subditi etiam erant domino temporali Aug. de Psalm 124. If nothing plucketh downe sooner then that which promiseth an vntimely ende Let no man thinke that God wil leaue that vnpunished in vs which he hath not pardoned in our betters 2 Of Sermon-hearers I Obserue three sorts of Sermon-hearers one of which I may not vnfitly call indifferent professors these walke like Nicodemus in the twilight of their Infolded Faith and not vnlike that white liuered Iewe Ioh. 9. which chose rather to conceale his knowledge of Christ then to bee put out of the Sinagogue and so it fareth with euery lanus in Religion These haue good cause to pray that by their wilfull blindnesse they fall not with Iudas into that euerlasting night whilest for their euening repentance their be found with God no place of acceptance These Heare-Sermons as trauellers in the time of the Law might take Grapes eate some for the present time but carry away none with them A second sort are such as being tempestiously carried with the violence of their owne affections doe come to Church as did the Athenians to heare newes whose itching eares would haue scratching doctrine they thinke not the word of God to bee his power to saluation except it be deliuered by a Chaplaine of their owne choosing Such Ammons of the people cannot be perswaded to let any cakes goe downe but those of Thamars baking If others looke but into the Pulpit presently they cry out against him as those did against Paul Quid vult seminilegus dicere They hold it lawfull to checke their Teacher as they taunt their Tailor if hee fit them not with a Sermon of the fashion The last in place but the first in price are zealous Protestants who being backed by the holy-Ghost doe resemble their Father Abraham with a fire in one hand and a knife in the other to figure their full resolution to affect what God affecteth hauing their hearts bleeding at their eyes in sorrowe for their sinnes If a Rauen bring these men food with Elias they will receiue and eate it Dum cadunt eundo cauent cadendo they loose not the faculty of going but learne to looke better to their feete by falling though their braines should bee beaten out of their heads yet the iustifying Faith is neuer banished out of their hearts They are as willing to suffer euill as to receiue good at the hands of God else were they guilty of charging God foolishly like good Nâ—aboth they are ready and willing to defend the Vine with their heart-blood whilst others being but Comedians in Religion act in voice gesture diuine vertues but in the course of their liues renounce the persons and parts they play These with Simeon take Christ in their armes by Faith and carry him about in their liues by a holy conuersation hauing learned that the practike knowledge of the Scriptures is the perfect knowledge of them and the art of doing that saues the soule 3. Of Atheisme A Theisme not daring to say with Rabsaketh that our God deceiueth vs as an Imposture like enuy creepeth closely where it dares not appeare openly In corde dixit insipiens non est Deus Diagoras was but a foole for saying so if hee had but asked the heauens they would haue told him that they are the worke of Natures God