speaking as when negligent children drawing to too much play and losse of time do mutuall iniuries with corruption of maners Where God is offended as in malice and wicked spéech and worke correction must not be dissembled euen from their infancie in which age aboue all other thinges they must be instructed to pray to God and by little little accustomed to feare and serue him as much as the state of their age wil beare Saint-Ierome holdeth it wel done that the childe be taught euen from his infancy to beare the yoke of the lord with whom Salomon agréeth saying Remember thy selfe O young man of thy creator in thy youth learne euen from thy youngest age to feare honour loue and serue thy God And Dauid is of opinion that there is nothing wherein a young man correcteth better his life then in considering and kéeping the commaundements of god Touching common doctrine it must be ministred gently familiarly easely and if it be possible without the rod according to the surname of scholes being called a play or exercise of learning where young wittes must be induced as to a pleasant play giuing to the young scholler some smal thing of pleasure to encourage him after the trauell of his lesson And for his better societie in studie it is good to ioyne him to a companion as a spurre to his Booke Proponing to him that merites some price commending the victor and blaming him that is ouercome yea sometimes driuing him to teares and yet afterwards recomfort him applying to the slow witte for aduauntage some what more labour of the Master to the end he dispaire not in study being alwaies ouercome This emulation in studie must be continued euen in great schollers for one of the greatest spurres to studie is mutuall enuie among companions as glory to winne and reproch to be surmounted if there be any young children malicious melancholly spitefull or negligent let the commaundement of Salomon be applied Restraine sayth he no discipline from a young childe for if thou strike him with a rod be shall not die of it beate him with a rod and thou shalt deliuer his soule from hell if malice be gathered in the heart of a child the rod of discipline will roote it out of him who spareth the rod to a young man hurteth him and sheweth no loue to the health of his soule but he that kéeps him familiar with the rod declareth his affection to him Therefore Masters that flatter their negligent leude children entertaining them in their vices for feare to loose the profite they get by them or to drawe a more number of schollers commit treble offence First against themselues being guiltie before God of all such offences together with other those faultes which their schollers shall euer commit Secondly they further the damnation of their disciples who such as they are nourished suffred such will they remaine sayth Salomon Lastly they do great wrong to their parents and common weales for that by the euils of those children the parents shall haue perpetuall sorrowe and the common weale continually vexed And in the end such Masters by the iust course of Gods iudgement shal be hated of their schollers and the gaine they shall get shall neuer rise to constant profite but perish before their eyes ¶ Masters ought to instruct their Disciples whome they receiue into commons touching the body with the same labour wherwith they institute their mindes prayses of Science Chapter viij WE must not forget here that euen as masters ought to feede the spirites of childrē with good learning forme them in ciuell mannors and kéepe them from corruption by euill example doctrine standing as condemned afore God deseruing so many eternall iudgmentes as their disciples by their negligence shall cōmit offences So they are bounde to no lesse care to norishe and to entertaine in health the tender bodies of their young scholers wher in it is chieflie necessary they vnderstande their perticuler natures together with the qualitie and operation of meates and so as phisitions prescribe their regiment touching the quantitie and qualitie of their féeding I mean that according to the naturs composicion of their children they muste varie in sorts measurs of meat and drinke geuing to some more and to others lesse As to great lampes where are great matches there muste be more infusion of oyle then to the little ones other waies where is great match and littell oyle and not often dropped in the fyer wil easely consume and put all to ashes Euen so young children whose nature bears a more ardent heat are more drye then others muste eate oftenner then such as are colde and moyst as are the flegmatike sort Let therfore masters entring in to the charge of children consider carfullye of their order of diet And as they ought to take héede not to traine them in intemperat or delicat féeding which makes them glottons and wanton and drawes both body and minde in to infirmities and corruptcion So let them no lesse beware to norishe them hardly and with meates of euill taste for great sobrietie in young children wekneth their bodyes in consumpcion of the roote humor through the naturall heat which is ardent in them by which default they fall in the end into a restraint of breth or tisycke and by the nature of euill meats they come to ill disgestion the worst of al lamentable and incurable disseases by these two extremities vnwise masters procure to their disciples expedicion of death and so are no other then the murderers of them wherin such aboue all other are most guiltie who taking children in to comons or pension for couetousnes doe eyther feede thē sparingly or by sluttishnes prepare them corrupt and vnholsom dyet wherin they merite sentence of cōdemnacion as traytors and suttel murderers of that simple youth abusing wickedly the truste of their parents who through their defaults are the proper deliuerers of their owne children to perill of death wine also being the instrument that leads them in to many sinns can not but shorten their life it burneth by his naturall heat the tender substāce of young men euen as the flame of fier consumes the oyle and so deuoureth the drye matter and wood alredy set on fier Then seing the young child is no other thing then fier to giue him wine is as to cast oyle in to a furnace to ēcrease the heat and burne all for which cause Plato in his comon weale restrained wine from youth till after xviij yeres and from those yeres till the beginning of olde age he suffered none to drinke wine but qualified with water and yet in great sobrietie Besides all these wine prouokes to whordom and engendreth coller adust which in the end by immoderat vse turneth into malencolie and so in the flower of their time makes them diseased with diuerse kindes of colde and incurable sicknes by which occasion the auncients in great reason called wine
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
benefices Prebendes Prelatesship estates are purchased wherein may bee gessed how well they will behaue themselues séeing they were neuer touched with the thought to become worthy of them and so are raised to priestes afore they deserue to be clerks Abbots not being méete to be Monkes Iudges afore they haue pleaded in causes of right and Masters afore they were disciples No greater disorder or confusion in a common weale When Fathers shall finde their children enclined to learning let theÌ„ applie their purse to their disposition so shall they make them most seruiceable to their countreyes honorable to themselues and most happy as touching their proper saluation if they haue no sufficient meane to continue entertaine their studie let them praye to God and rather then to discoÌ„tinue their booke bestow theÌ„ in colledges to serue some Doctors Regents or learned schollers and so leade them by long and painefull wayes to the estimacion and conquest of learning foreséeing in any wise not to discourage or dispaire the liuely will and spirite of a young child taking pleasure to studie For as it is a signe certaine of the calling of God so ther is no lesse hope and suertie but that to that inclination and vehement affection the almightie Lord being earnestly prayed vnto wil ioyne coÌ„uenient oportunities to come to that whereunto he calleth him by the which wée read of many prouing so excellent in all liberall sciences that by their doctrine they haue bene chosen Bishops Presidents yea and made more great then in their youth they were meane poore and simple some of them hauing no other beginning then trained in the function euen of the meanest seruant wherein is fulfilled the sentence of Salomon that there be poore seruants who in the end by their wisedome will beare rule ouer the riche children in whom is no habilitie to gouerne themselues discréetely There resteth to a young man but a strong desire and feruent mind to studie to make him at last wise and learned and such one sayth Aristotle though he knoweth nothing yet he is more then halfe learned if he begin well Touching the election of Masters to institute children I haue spoken at large in the last booke only I aduertise rich pareÌ„ts that to entertaine good Masters it is better to bestowe crownes then shillings For by them money time honour knowledge vertue are gained foure fold which all are lost where the instructor is either ignoraunt negligent or corrupt In this the consideration of couetousnes doth much blind vndiscréete parents more fearefull of the wast of their money then fauoring the benefite of their children according to the example of the man in Plutarch who suing to a Philosopher to teach his sonne and he requiring compotent hier what saith this couetous father with so much money can I buy a slaue by whoÌ„ I can raise yerely great reuenue so saith the Philosopher may you haue two for one if you leaue your childe ignorant and without discipline meaning that by his couetousnes he should haue a sonne a slaue to his desires and affections who liuing alwayes in dishonour and subiection would neuer bring forth any good actions but by force or feare where hauing institution as hée might by doctrine and vertue leade his lyfe in right honorable libertie so if for want of discipline he became prodigall and spent his wealth he should be driuen to serue to supplie the necessitie of hys miserable life Touching the subiection wherein a Father ought to leade his childe he hath prescription in the scripture that he must minister Discipline to his childe that is not wise and by the rod chastise his malice to the end to deliuer his soule from hell The wise man in an other text giues this councell if thou hast childreÌ„ teache and discipline them and leade them in humble subiection euen from their youth hold them shorte by sharp correction hyde in thy hart the loue thou bearest them and giue them no indulgence libertie to pleasure since as by thy good correction thou shalt receyue of them great ioye and comfort vppon the ende of thy dayes so how much thou doest enlarge their youth to libertie euen so farre doest thou leade them in the pathe of their owne destruction to thy right worthy displeasure and dishonor The childe sayeth Salomon that is left to liue at his will giues confusion to his mother We haue an example in our great and heauenly Father who the more he loueth the straiter discipline subiection doth he holde ouer those whoÌ„ he best loueth as we reade by his hard dealing with the Jsraelites and leauing the Pagans without correction saying In thy lyfe time giue not thy children power ouer thee as if he had sayde dispossesse not thy selfe of thy goods to thy children yea make not thy selfe familiar with them put thée not into their mercie but being maister so long as thou liuest retayne thy authoritie ouer them to correct them to disinherite them and punishe them if they offende Who spareth the rod from his child saieth Salomon hateth him and loues not his saluacion therefore â—o long as thy power remaynes ouer them if thou punish not their offences thou standest in the same estate of blame and damnation with them as witnesseth Hely whereof we haue spoken before It happeneth ordinarely by the iust course of Gods iudgement that as the father forgettes in his office and authoritie to minister instruction and discipline to his childe so in hys ryper yeares that negligeÌ„ce eftsâ—ones turnes his sonne froÌ„ the dutie of a child becomming disobedient disordered and dissolute and giues no reuerence eyther to father or mother yea sometimes he robbeth them dooth them wrong outrage and iniurie and setting his feete euen vpon their throate is the cause oftentymes that thei dye afore the ende of their dayes Saule is commended for that finding his sonne Ionathas by chaunce in transgression of the law he condemned him to death as if he had ben another which also he had suffered if the people had not deliuered him Dauid was somewhat to deare ouer his children which in the ende tourned to his rebuke and hurt Iacob depriued his eldest Sonne Ruben of his right of inheritaunce because hée was an inceste Abraham chased Jsmael because he had plaied with Jsaac which some interprete that hee had beaten him and others that he would haue committed Idolatrie and induced Jsaac to that impietie which thoughe it be vnderstand simplie to playe and loose time in importunat and vnlawfull sportes séeking also to seduce his younger brother and that Abraham could not bée ignorant but that Jsmael was corrupte yet hée expulsed him iustly yea euen by the commaundement of God. Noe punished with cursse ouer the familie of Cham the mocking that he made of him wherein is no great cause of maruell for that the father being the Lieuetenant of god here in earth ouer the regiment of his
seing they misknowe and offend their creator no more should they enioy it longe if the nomber of Gods elect and his faithfull seruants were accomplished for then would he reuerse the world to the which he giues not this continuance but for their sakes And therfore wicked men ought to honor the good sort by whome they are and prosper in the world as with out them they had ben ere this caried into the déepest botoms But much lesse that those pore blind men can sée the estat of their proper errors seing they haue not the facultie of consideration of thinges necessarie for they haue neyther eyes of fayth nor light of scriptures to deserne that which concernes the health or perdicion of men Touching factions and warrs of one Christian realme against an other there can not happen to the world a more great malediction no ther are no actions of men where with the maiestie of God is more offended wherin such as vnder the pretence of any profite giue councells and be as it were the bellowes to blowe the brondes of such murders cannot but stand guiltie and worthy of a thousand hels in respect of the infinit offences committed against God by breaking the league of Christian fraternitie and indissoluble aliance of amitie wherin Iesus christ hath knit vs together in more strong charitie then naturall brethern one with an other who if they raise contention one against an other what will their Father saye if they strike one an other what cause of indignation against them but if they kill one an other what great displeasur to him it is holden by the scripture the Adam remained a hundreth yeares frō knowing his wife Eue for the sorow which he had of the murder of his sonne Cayn against his brother Abell if such as sowe discord amongst brethern be aboue other most displeasing and abhominable to god what reputacion to those brothers entertayning ciuill debate amongest them selues who in nothing more can incurre so great abhomination afore god if such as only hate their brethren be murderours can not haue eternall life in what daunger of iudgement stand they who not onely hate but oppresse persecute and kill if simplie to bée angrie against reason and of a wicked hart deserueth condemnacion if to offer half an iniurie bringes merit of punishment and if for calling our brother foole we stand in daunger of hell fyer what infliction of punishmēt ought to be prepared for brethern maintayning controuersie by hate enforcing actes of mutuall hostilitie and with great cōtempt of nature cut one anothers throate if God refuseth the prayers or sacrifices of such as present them afore his aulter bearing enimitie against any and not performed reconcilement how can such as slaughter one another so directly against the will and commaundement of the Lord offer eyther prayers or other acts helping to their saluation yea if they purge not their grudge by recōciliation their praiers can not be drawn vp to heauen Let therefore these reasons with others of no lesse consideracion be drawne into déepe coūcell afore warre be taken in hand let all meanes of peace be searched and if there bee malice séeke after attonement yea let not the sunne goe downe vppon your anger saith S Paule if there be question for a towne fortresse or countrey let wise Princes Presidents and Councellours accorde the difference For if warre bée once begonne perill appeares on euery syde and as the euent is vncertaine so the charge of thrée monthes pay for an armie will ryse to more then the profit that comes by it in many yeares besides to a place being gotten with great cost belonges no lesse care to kéepe it and therefore no small grief when it is eftsoones recouered not reckoning the spoyles robberies murders violation of wiues mayds and widowes with other infinit euils incident by the fury of warre for the which what satisfaction can be acceptable afore God wo be to those seducers who for any temporal benefit sturre vp Christiā Princes to lenie warre one against another to the great dishonour of Christian Religion oftentimes their proper ruine by this it hapneth that as Kinges Christian Princes haue ben in diuision the furious tyger of Christendome obseruing his oprtunitie hath entred into our common weale of Europe and made much of it subiect to his tirannie against whom all nations Kings of the faith ought to conspire in one cōmon force and chase him out of the parke of Iesus Christ which he hath already inuaded with violent slaughter of the séely sheepe of our almightie Lord yea they ought also to keepe warre against the Wolues Foxes wandring throughout the world to deuower the residue of this poore flocke I meane heritikes authors of these new reprobat sects against whom the Princes of Christian nations ought to fight no lesse valiantly then did the Jewes against the Philistines Amalachites other Idolaters Christians ought not to commence sute one against an other least by pleading in processes there arise hate or malice And to the man of GOD better were it to suffer the losse of worldly goods then to vex the quiet tranquillitie of his spirit to lose the exercise of his godly vocation to put him selfe in hazerd of Idolatrie to corrupt Iudges for the gaining of his cause to take occasiō to beare euil wil to his aduersary to forge deceites delayes lies lastly to be constrained for his iustification to discouer the vices of the witnesses suborned against him All which perplexities ioyned to abuses damnable ought to warne arme al Christiās not to attēpt proces for light causes but rather to search all meanes of concord as Iesus Christ commaunds vs And in cases where men are cōpelled to prosecute pleading as S. Paule was to defend him selfe against the false accusations of the Jewes let them beware they beare no malice to the partie whom we are bound to loue according to the aduertisement exāmple of Christ as also whē a Prince raiseth warre against a tirant he ought not to bear hate to his person but pursue him to iustice with compassion Let Princes al other popular states obserue the rules of charitie in whom since God is delited to make his perpetual residence there is no doubt but if she be the guide to our worldly actions we shall bring forth in our cōmon cōuersatiō such true effects of Christianitie that neyther ambiciō malice nor preheminence of place or authoritie shal carie vs into actes of opression against our neyghbour nor yet the consideration of small wronges offered to our selues by others moue vs to take to blame those thinges which by the office of our religiō we ar bound to couer or at least not to enter into violent recompence but to leaue the reueng to God to whom it belongeth Let thefore publike preachers and pastors of the holy word exhorte the worlde on all sides to reconcilement
in communicatinge to her parte of all his benefits and making her with himselfe coinheritor of his Paradise Could hée showe her more great signes of perfect amitie yea hee hath conioyned himselfe with her as one flesh making hir flesh of his fleshe bloud of his bloud and bones of his bones as we beléeue Eua was taken out of the ribbe of Adā whereby he acknowledged her to be his fleshe bones And for vertue of that coniunction he saied that touching cohabitation togither man should leaue Father and mother to cleaue to his wife yea so great is this coniunction and inseparable vnitie that no more can it be deuided then the fleshe of the ribbe being connaturall to it by consent and order of nature can be separated from the bone nor the body disioyned frō his head wherein man may vnderstand with what loue hée is bound to his wife how he ought to loue her as his proper fleshe with resolution to liue with her in amitie vnitie of indiuidible will as he séeth her conioyned to him by indissoluble communion both according to the first ordinance of God and by the seconde renouation alliance which Iesus Christ hath made with his church in spirituall mariage with this a thing knit to true loue let him thinke that the woman was taken out of the ribbe of the man to signifie that she should bee hys companion and not cut out of his héele to be his handmaid and subiect For that cause S. Peter calleth the woman coinheritrix of grace and life with the man and with S. Paule exhorteth husbandes to entreate their wyues with all gentlenes and cohabit with them by discretion as being weake vesselles giuing them honour and not to gréeue them eyther with too great burden of busines or by worldly or fleshly lettes whereby their prayers may be hindered meaning partlie with the councell of S. Paule that man and wife sometimes ought to refraine mutuall cohabitacion of their bodies to exercise themselues in prayer and fastinge as when there is preparacion for the communion whiche Ioell commaundes also to doe in tyme of penaunce when there is question to reconcile God with teares and fasting then is the tyme sayeth he that the husbande should deuide bedd with his wife and shée forbeare her mariage couche the better to praye to god For notwithstanding such cohabitacions and actes of the flesh in mariage are not of themselues in respect of the purpose of that institution vnlawfull at all tymes yet because they draw the spirit of it selfe diuine and heauēly into corrupt thoughts quenching the spirituall force and action of the same and as it were weaken it of power to rayse it selfe to God in pure and liuely contemplacion they can not be but hurtfull without moderation For which purposes if men be bound to fast and to qualefye their vnrulie lustes with better reason ought they to absteyne from suche actes which no lesse or rather more but in other qualitie peruert the spirituall faculties of the mind then either aboundance of meats or plentie of wine yet the scripture séemes to giue no such expresse commaundement touching cōtinencie as of abstinence as not to condemne the inuincible infirmitie and incontinency of many fleshly creatures who euen in mariage haue not power in respect of their custome to absteyne easelie Here the mā and wife are to bée aduertised that séeing mariage of his proper institution is a thing honorable and vndefiled let them not deface and stayne it by vnlawfull and immoderat pleasures more beastly then naturall let them remember the warning of Dauid Be not sayeth he as a Horse or Moyle in whom is no vnderstanding let them beware that they séeke not after inordinate passions which prouoke to actes of Pagans sayeth S. Paul let them be without perturbation of mynd as not bearing anger nor grudge agaynst any man let them not lurfeyte of eating and drinking nor be subiect to gluttonie and dronkenes For it is most certayne that the procreation shall resemble the qualities and corrupte natures of the Father and mother and therefore Diogenes not without cause séeing a yong boy wanton and giuen to wine gaue iudgement that his father begotte him when he was dronke as also most commonly bastardes be leacherous by reason of the vnchaste lust of their Father and mother wherein they were engendered But nowe to the lawes and rules which the husband ought to gyue to his wyfe according to the doctrine of god First the better to prepare her to humilitie she ought to acknowledge in her selfe such frayelty and infirmitie by nature both in mynd and body that as Aristotle sayeth without the guide of the man she is no other then as a matter without a forme and naturally can not liue without his direction as being drawn out of the ribbe of man and therefore what shée hath touching her body is deriued of man and was made for him and not man for hir being the first in creation forbearing here to recite all that may be sayd particularly touching his preheminence onely I maye alleadge in generall that as the man was not seduced by the Serpent as was the woman so the reason of the great error and fall of the man was the obedience hee bare to his wife contrary to Gods commaundement for the which she also was first condemned and made subiecte to more miseries then the man. These textes beare this intent to make the woman more humble and obedient aswell to God as to hir husband for that by hir nature she is easely caried in to arrogancie pride ouerwéening glorie and disobedience as being envenomed with the poyson which hir great mother Eue tooke of the Serpent suttill arrogāt proude glorious cruell here the husbande must giue hir to vnderstand that in nothing God is more displeased then in pride and disobedience done aswell against him as to her superiours Then lett him discende to the declaration of his superioritie ouer hir according to Gods creation in nature according to his holy ordenaunce according to the example of Iesus Christ by whome he is apoynted head ouer hir with authority as to a husband with promise not withstanding to vse this preheminence to hir benefit and contentment with loyall amytie here he must not for gett to putt hir in rememberaunce of the confederation which they haue made togeather to liue in holynes according to the similitude of the sacred coniunction and marriage of Iesus Christ with his church and that in all mutuall honesty and holy conuersation on with an other lett him then prescribe lawes and rules fitt for a wife That she serue God with all hir hart and loue hir husband only with franck obedience to his commaundementes giuing no occasion wherin he shall perceiue that she hath eyther said or done any thing to the offence of God Secondly lett hir beare to him affection and care as to hir husband and head as he for recompence must loue
hir as his proper fleshe and as Iesus Christ loues his church chastely vnfainedly and perfectlie Thirdly that she be to him as to hir lord and head obedient and yeld to him all honor as the churche doeth to Iesus Christ wher of she is a figure resisting him in nothing but honor him with francke and liberall affection We read Sara exercised the same dutie to hir husband Abraham and called him Lord of whome so honorable a mother in the scripture wiues in all ages ought to be as good daughters and folowers aspiring to hir vertues the wiues of Jacob also yelde to the will of their husband and thought the greatest effect of their dutie consisted to obey him Fourthly with this obedience sayth S. Paule she ought to feare and please him and not greue him at any time as the church sheweth hir an example in hir behauiour to hir deare spouse it is writtten howe Vasthy Quene of Assiria for that she fell from feare to disobey and displease hir husband Assuerus was refused of him and in hir place Hester was receiued for amongst hir other vertues she bare a name to be gratious and of great humilitie Let hir consider that she was giuen to man to be an ayder and a comfort to him so that as often as she findes hir husband perplexed with much busines cares gréefes displesures losses dishonors with other like accidentes and disquietts of the world it belonges to hir office to bring consolation to him in modestie and discresion as Micholl did to hir husband Dauid who suffering passion for the heauie malice that Saule bare to him found comfort in his wife and councell to flée taking vppon hir the remedie of his perill that might come by pursuit Lethir not be as those foolish women which the scripture condemneth I meane the wiues of Job Tobias who in place to recomfort those good Fathers so heauely laden with affliction reproched vnto them that their good works were the cause of their miseries and wickedly sayd that for their good they had recompence of euill not considering that as God vseth to proue his people by tribulation so he can giue them power patience to endure them and at his pleasure deliuereth them to their great praise and happines Let hir neuer giue wicked counsell to hir husband as did Jezabel who séeing hir husband Achab in desier to haue the vine of Naboth counselled him to worke his death by suborned iudges and witnss s and so receiue the vine by confiske for the which wrechednes fell vppon hir vppon him and their whole race what other successe folowed the wicked perswasion of the first woman to hir husband then the coommon ruine of all the world In this men ought to be most circumspect to heare nothing of wiues tending against God or his honor euen no lesse belongs to the office of the wife to administer no wicked aduise for that as she is giuen to hir husband to be to him as a worker and cause of God so if she finde in him any impression of wicked will it belonges to hirto vse diligence to remoue it according to the example of Pilates wife whose perswasions if hir hubsand had beleued he had not ben the morderer of the sonne of God yet the wife is bound to this iustice in hir duetie to restore any default hir husband makes as did Abigail the ritch Nabals wife who vnderstanding that hir foolish husbande had retorned the people of Dauid not only with out the effect of their demaund but had done iniurie to them and taken their master tooke great store of vittells and went to méete Dauid whome shée doubted not to be iustlye displesed comming to commit all to sacke and spoyle she so appeased him with modest gratious and wise spech that he did not only dissolue his enterprise but tooke hir afterwardes to his wife when he vnderstood Nabal was dead Lastlie let the husband remember that if he receiue good counsell from his wife not to reiect it such as was the aduise of Micholl and that which Sara gaue to Abraham to expulse Hagar and his sonne Jsmaell which God ratified by a consequent commaundement to do so ¶ Still touching the dutie of the wife Chapter iij. FIftly if in the husband be vnquiet moodes or mind of anger if he bée an euill liuer yea an infidell the wife is commaūded to be humble modest pacient and also of so good conuersation that by hir vertues she may reclaime the wickednes of hir husband so did Moniqua the Mother of Saint Augustine winne hir husband being a Pagan Saint Paule perswades hir much to that dutie seeing that by those meanes at the least she workes this good that hir children which should haue ben dissolute are by hir institution and example sanctefied This vertue of modestie and pacience is declared to women in the ceremonie of the Doues which wiues offred in their purification signifying that they ought to beare the importunitie and angrie natures of their husbandes by the humilitie and méekenes of the Doues who enduring the continuall pecking and crying of the Cocke doues much lesse that they abandon them séeing they neuer mislike or are angrie nor do any thing to their displeasure Sixtly the wife is bound to the circuite of hir owne house without libertie to iorneyes or voyages no not to go from house to house being also forbidden to wydowes nor to walke the streates as one séeking aduētures yea she is tied to modest humilitie as the vine or latteise is fastned to the walles of the house which is neuer remoued else whether she ought to be a carefull huswife to gouerne hir house wisely to trauell diligētly and to kéepe hir seruants and handmaydes in office not giuing them any occasion of disorder or ill thought Let hir read the last Chapter of the Prouerbes of Salomon wherein she shall finde the lesson of a huswife or Mother of a familie rising early with hir maydes and seruants to enter into trauel and not to take vppon hir the state of a great Lady being a huswife and much lesse hunt after hir pleasure and delites as a worldly and Pagan woman nor decke or make hir selfe glorious bycause of hir beautie which she ought to estéeme as deceitfull vaine and transitory No let hir feare God in whom is reposed hir glory yéeld to no other desires then the care of hir estate requires fashioninge hir attire according to the honour rate of hir calling and yet with such modestie as the mind though there be no oportunitie to the fact be not corrupted with vaine glory and wantonnes Let hir leaue precious embrodery and carquanets to great Princes whose estate tollerates those sumptuous attires and was thought well of in Hester specially ioyning to those braue outward ornaments a heart repleat with inward humilitie To honest matrons seeking reputation by their chast and vertuous liues let it be a shame to be séene in such dissolute habits
seruitude and seeing them disposed to their seruice with a franke and liberall will gaue them libertie wherein I wishe and exhort that no man holding of the gospell which is a law of libertie and grace bée surmounted by such as were vnder the lawe of seruitude and Moyses in the which the Jewes enfréeed their poore brethren bond men in the vii yeare of their seruice and in the Jubilei gaue libertie to all the other slaues of straunge nations or at the least such bond mē were as their marcenarie seruauntes hauing yearely hyer for the labours they tooke in hande to the end that with tyme they might redéeme their miserable condicion But now eftsones to the dutie of a Master wherein as we haue spoken of the loue and gentle dealing which he oweth to his seruant so hée must vnderstand that with this loue he must minister to him doctrine and discipline Doctrine in instructing him in the rules of faith according to the example of the Iewes who neuer tooke bondmen whom they caused not to be circumcised and taught in the law so leading them in good examples of faithfull Jsraelites as for whose faultes they shoulde aunswere euen no lesse then for the rest of his familie There be thrée things sayth the wiseman necessary for the good entertaining of a seruant bread discipline and worke as to the Asse men giue prouender beating and his burden by the bread is vnderstoode sufficiēt noriture being too great iniquitie to kéepe seruants at trauell and make small allowance of sustenance if the Oxe reserued for the plough giues ouer his worke when he is faint for want of meate why should the poore seruaunt be shortned of his allowance by whose industrie both the plough goeth the Ox is preserued and the Master liueth discipline is due to him for that if he be not well instructed nor of him self wel giuen he workes with an euill will and encreaseth in vices as hauing not tasted from his infancy of any good instruction For that cause sayth the wiseman it is néedefull to offer him the racke that is a good correctiō specially when he ronnes either from his Master or frō his worke euen as the Asse must féele the cudgell whē he will not go But when he corrects him selfe or commits any light fault let the Master saith S. Paule pardon his offences as hee will haue God to remit such as he hath done so often times in the Scripture and the perpetuall paines which he hath deserued In that sort S. Paule willeth Philemon to pardon Onesyme a bondman who in his running away became a Christian by his doctrine he willeth to rebuke him without rigor and kéepe against him no passion of euill will but receiue him as his deare brother to serue him in all temporall and spirituall things And therfore let the Maister take héede not to be bitter against his seruaunt by hate for in that case S. John saith he should be as a murderer and much lesse do him wrong by malicious choller crueltie and impacience For he must remember that he hath a Master in heauen and that the other is but as a seruant with him of that great Maister wyth whom is regard neither of Lord nor master nor acception of persons but iudgeth equally the one as the other in all things touching well or ill doing Let him not then thinke that either his person shal be more worthy or his workes better accepted bycause he is a master or a Lord of greater estate For there is but the multitude of vertues which stand in place of credit and fauor wherein both the one and the other are indifferently receiued And hath not Iesus Christ employed his life and bloud indifferently for the one and other Then touching estate and greatnes according to the world it is but vanitie and a certaine apparant felicitie and the chaunce of worldly things may be such that this day a Master and to morowe a seruant which we read hath hapned to many Let him consider lastly whilest he is a master to make accompt to God of his authoritie and rule which he hath receiued of him where in he is so much the more subiect to reckoning by how much GOD hath called him aboue the other to that estate Touching trauell let him rather kéepe him in continual worke then ouerlay him with heauy labors measuring his bourden accordinge to the rate of his strength to beare it Let him not followe the example of Pharao in the time of Moyses who of a wicked wyll layd vppon the people of Israel more great and hard laboures then they were able to ouercome beating them if they perfourmed not their compleat taske of worke which hée prescribed to them aboue their forces wherein the oppressed Israelites crying out to God were heard in their complaintes to the ruine of Egypt and drowning of the Kyng and all his proud armie The Master ought neuer to suffer his seruant to be idle but at resting times in the night on the holy day he ought to kéepe him exercised spiritually eyther in prayers or to heare Sermons giuing him no libertie to hunt after gluttonie and vnlawfull playes which two kyndes of most daungerous idlenes aboue all others are causes of infinit euils to many men but specially to seruants and the young sort In which reason the wiseman saith that aswell as the Asse ought to be fed with prouander so hath hée néede also of the bastonado the bridell and the burden so must the Master sometime entertayne the seruaunt with the noriture of the rod and worke not giue libertie to his nature which of it selfe wyll raise him into disorder and disobedience sayth Salomon only his correction must runne in a course of amitie of a Christian Father of housholde who hath commaundement from S Paule to do that which is iust and reason to his seruant whom hee ought to estéeme as his spirituall sonne and companion according to God of the life to come The wise man aduiseth him also if he be faithfull and wise to loue him as his soule and to giue him fréedome and aduauncement as in déede the seruant puts his soule which is his life his bodie his laboures and industrie to continuall paines for the seruice of his master so did Abraham loue his seruant Elizer cōmitting to him all his most waightie affaires and for recompence if hée had had no childe hée had succéeded him in his inheritance In the gospel we sée how the Centenier loued his seruāt trauelling carefully for his health when he was sicke In whose examples may be reprehended now a days many masters who handling hardly their poore seruants sende them in their sicknes and impotencie to hospitals but if they haue but an Ox sicke or a horse lame they fayle not to aplie remedies for their cure as bearing more care to a beast then affection to a man who toucheth them in Christian brotherhoode touching
the dutie of the seruant to his master as he is not only bound to feare and honoure him as his lord but loue him as his head as in déede he is according to God so it is chieflie his office to ioyne to his seruice an effectioned francke and readye will euen as the member should serue his naturall head and as the sonne with a good hart should do seruice to his father his seruice must not be for the eye only or for manners sake as the saying is but with the consent of the hart vsing his absence and presence with one loyaltie in seruice as if he should serue God and that with out hipocresie or wicked affection for that God seing into the meaning of the hart abhoreth all corrupt will malice hipocrisie and sutteltie so that if he serue with these vertues fidelitie diligence hartie zeale or true loue with humilitie or obedience with out resistance or countermaund with consideration that what seruice he doth for his master ought to be profitable agreable and honest he serueth God for so doeth God lay out the estat and rate of his seruice which he ought to accomplish according to the vocation whervnto he hath called him referring the end of all to Gods honoure by faith and hope to please him and to obtaine in the end his last and eternal reward Therefor being thus instructed as S Paule teacheth him hée néed not care to be saued remayning still a bondman for in such estate he may pertake with the grace of saluation aswell as his master for that God as was euen nowe sayd regardes more the vertue then the persone Besides he is made fre by Iesus Christ from the seruitude of sinn and sathan which only seruitude is to be feared of the Christian and not the other which often times helpes to saluation where licentious libertie giues occasion to many of perpetual sentence here some philosopher might saye further for the bondman who seruing still not hauing where with to redéeme his libertie for that he ought to do to the end to serue God with more fréedome of mind liues a martir taking and suffering patiently his seruile condicion and praysing his creator in all trauel when he dieth in Iesus Christ they will folowe him for eternall rest and perpetuall recompence in heauen And so he shall so much the more glorifie God for that bondestate by how much he knoweth that by the prouidence and goodnes of heauen he hath béene preserued in it from infinit sinnes which with many others he had committed in fleshly libertie and receiued damnacion where now he hath hope to be saued in this estate Thus his seruile condition is made happie which with worldly men was holden wretched desperate here also we haue to vnderstand that God doeth a great grace to such as of their natures are seruants that is borne to serue and hauing neither iudgment nor authoritie nor meane to get power knowledge yet acknowleging themselues do follow their humble vocation in honest seruice and dutie But if they take it against their naturall inclination being a secrett motion of God touching the vocation their vsurped ambiciō and ouerwéening leades them into manie offences being causing to their damnation Touching hireling or yeare seruants their condicion is all one for the time they serue and dayly laborers for the dayes and space of their couenant are no lesse bound to serue then the slaue condemned to perpetuall seruice during his life And being subiect to the same lawes of discipline with the bond seruants they are also bound to the same fidelitie and simplicitie of heart in working by this generall commaundement of nature authorised by the scripture thou shalt not do to an other that thou wouldest not haue done to thy selfe and by consequent thou shalt do to another as thou wouldest be done vnto and as thou wouldest doe for thy selfe louing an other as thy self and his goods as theine owne And as God hath cōmaunded the master to pay well his seruant and workman yea not to detaine the hier of the day laborer till the morning for it is the sweat of his bodie his life So seruants and workemen are enioyned by the same commaundement to trauell in simplicitie honestie and truth euen as they should trauell for them selues in their owne busines ¶ How men haue ben made noble and of their dutie towards their subiects or tenants Chapter viij WE haue discoursed vppon the authoritie of Magistrates touching their rule ouer common weales as Fathers Maisters and Lordes polletike hauing a lesson in the Scripture to entertaine their authoritie by true fatherly loue and care vnder the rule or Lordship of these may bee comprehended the regiment of gentlemen ouer their tenants hauing gotten their noblenes prorogatiues of honour iurisdiction in their landes by their vertues valiantnes and high enterprises euen as gouernours and Magistrates for the merit of their doctrine and knowledge haue worthely aspired to the regiment and gouernment of others Noble men and gentlemen are as speciall gouernours and Magistrates in their proper landes wherein they haue double office as both to gouerne by the lawe being perticuler iudges of their tenants and defend them by armes from the inuation of oppressors And as to gouernours and Magistrates belongeth vnder the Prince generall authoritie ouer all so these haue speciall iurisdiction vnder the same Prince for their perticuler gouernement And therefore are bound to gouerne their tenaunts not onely as masters vse their seruants but as fathers cherish their children with singuler loue and as the head with louing direction guides his members and being also as pastors and heards men ouer their peculiar people they are bound to no lesse affection care prouidence dutie then the shepheard to his flocke the head to his members and the Father to his deare children But if they fayle in their regiment or misleade their priuate charge as we haue shewed these for the vices of their generall gouernement to deserue a horrible sentence of God without grace fo gentlemen abusing their perticuler estate stand in hazerd of a terrible iudgement séeing as the mightie saith the wise man shall suffer cruell torments so stand they accomptable afore God for euery their perticular tenaunt touching ciuill gouernement and defence of them as the curate must answere for euery soule within his parishe And so the temporall Lord for temporall pollecie hath speciall gouernement ouer his landes so to guide his tenants as their conuersation be honest farre from quarrelles discordes do no mutuall wrong one to another nor iniurie to straungers to kéepe them from sutes or at least to accord their diffrences and cut of waye to processes and giuing no scope to controuersies to kéepe thē all in modestie and office and suffer no idlenes nor vagabondrie Lastly let him prosecute the obseruation of Gods commaundements and establish and follow the instructions and doctrine which the Curat or spiritual pastor