the right way of Enriching and haue bene punished of God Pag. 182. 183. 184. 185. 186. 187. 188. 189. 190. 191. 192. 193. 194. 195. 196. 197. 198. 200. XXXIII A description of the sinnes reigning of old in the Citties of Sodome Babel Tyrus Samaria and Ierusalem with the Authors hearty wish for the Felicity of the two most famous Citties of this Ile London Edinburgh Pag. 200. 101. 202. 203. 204. 205. 206. 207. 208. 209. 210. 211. 212. 213. A short forme of prayer very fit to be vsed of euery regular student in this Arte. 1. Sam. 2.7 LORD thou that art the giuer of riches and sender of pouerty incline mine heart vnto thy testimonies Psa 119.36 Pro. 30.8 9. and not to couetousnesse Giue me not pouerty nor riches too much feede mee with foode conuenient for mee lest I bee full and deny thee and say who is the Lord or least I be poore and steale and take the name of my God in vaine Amen Errata PAg. 70. line 17. for gaine read gaine p. 109. l. 12. for wretchlesse read retchlesse p. 110. l. 10. for that read hath p. 111. l. 3. for free-parted read siue-parted p. 173. l. 1. for Elisha read Eliah p 185. l. 22. for vnit read vnion p. 201. l. 7. for wearing read swearing p. 203. l. 10. for cleere read clearer p. 211. l. 14. for maketh read made p. 212. l. 21. for name read day THE GOLDEN ART OR THE RIGHT way of Enriching The definition of this art The Golden art is the right way of getting increasing conseruing and vsing goods with a good conscience I. Rule The feare of the Lord and his blessing make the poore man rich and the rich man yet more rich Probation and declaration YE shall serue the Lord your God saith the Lord our God by his holy seruant Moses and he shall blesse thy bread and thy water Exod. 23.25 The land shal giue her fruit Leuit. 25 18.19 26.3.4.5.14.15.19.20 and ye shall eate your fill and dwell therein in safetie I will send you raine in due season and the land shall yeeld her increase and the trees of the field shall giue their fruite and your threshing shall reach vnto the vintage and the vintage shall reach vnto the sowing time and ye shall eate your bread in plenteousnesse and dwell in your land safelie But if you will not obey me but breake my couenant I will make your Heauen as iron and your earth as brasse and your strength shall be spent in vaine neither shall your land giue her increase neither shall the trees of the land giue their fruite Deut. 8.17.18 Beware lest thou say in thine heart my power and the strength of mine owne hand hath prepared me this abundance but remember the Lord thy God for it is hee which giueth thee power to get substance 7.12 13.14 For if ye hearkē vnto these lawes and obserue and doe them then the Lord thy God shall keepe with thee the couenant and the mercie which he sware vnto thy fathers and he will loue thee blesse thee and multiplie thee hee will also blesse the fruit of thy wombe and the fruit of thy land thy corne and thy wine and thine oile and the increase of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheepe and thou shalt be blessed aboue all people I will also giue raine vnto your land in due time 11.14.15 the first raine and the latter that thou maist gather in thy wheate and thy wine and thine oile also I will send grasse in thy fielde for thy cattell that thou maiest eate and haue enough 28.3.4.5.6.8.15.16.17.18.19 Blessed shalt thou be in the Citie and blessed also in the fielde blessed shall be the fruit of thy bodie and the fruit of thy ground the fruit of thy cattell the increase of thy kine and the flocks of thy sheepe blessed shalt bee thy basket and thy dough blessed shalt thou bee when thou commest in and blessed also when thou goest out The Lord shall command the blessing to be with thee in thy storehouses and in all that thou settest thine hand to Deut. 30.9 The Lord will make thee plenteous in euery work of thine hand in the fruite of thy bodie and in the fruit of thy cattell and in the fruit of the land for thy wealth But if thou wilt not obey the voice of the Lord thy God to keepe and to doe his commandements 28.15.16.17.18.19.23.24.38.39.40.42 then cursed shalt thou be in all the things aforesaid The Lord saith the godly woman Anna the mother of holy Samuel in her song maketh poore 1. Sam. 2.7.8 and maketh rich bringeth lowe and exalteth hee raiseth vp the poore out of the dust and lifteth vp the begger from the dunghill to set them among Princes and to make them inherit the seate of glorie for the pillars of the earth are the Lords 1. Chron. 29.12 Psalm 113.7.8 107.36.37.38.41 25.12.13 The same thing saith the holy Prophet and godly King Dauid The soule of the man that feareth the Lord shall dwell at ease and his seede shall inherit the land Trust thou in the Lord and doe good 37.3.4.5.7.9.11.18.19.22.29.34 dwell in the land and thou shalt be fed assuredly Delight thy selfe in the Lord and he shall giue thee thine hearts desire commit thy way vnto the Lord and trust in him and he shall bring it to passe waite patiently vpon the Lord and hope in him for they that waite vpon the Lord shall inherit the Land Meeke men shall possesse the earth and shall haue their delight in the multitude of peace The Lord knoweth the daies of vpright men and their inheritance shall be perpetuall They shall not be confounded in the perillous time and in the daies of famine they shall haue enough Such as be blessed of God shall inherit the land and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off The righteous men shall inherit the land and dwell therein for euer waite thou on the Lord and keepe his way and hee shall exalt thee that thou shalt inherit the land Psalm 61.5 for hee wil giue an heritage vnto those that feare his name Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord 112.1.2.3 and delighteth greatly in his commandements his seede shall be mightie vpon earth the generation of the righteous shall bee blessed and his righteousnesse indureth for euer 128.1.2 Blessed is euery one that feareth the Lord and walketh in his waies when thou eatest the labours of thine hands thou shalt be blessed and it shall be well with thee The blessing of the Lord saith king Salomon Prou. 10.22 whom the Lord blessed both with wisdome and riches maketh rich and hee addeth no sorrowes to it 13.22 The good man shall giue inheritance vnto his childrens children but the riches of the sinner is laid vp for the iust The feare of
eies of the wise and peruerteth the words of the iust God standeth in the assemblie of Gods Psal 82.2.3.4 saith the godly King Dauid hee iudgeth among Gods How long will ye iudge vniustly and accept the persons of the wicked doe right to the poore and fatherlesse doe iustice to the poore and needie deliuer them Prou. 15 25.2â— and saue them from the hand of the wicked The Lord saith wise Salomon will destroy the house of the proud oppressor but he will establish the borders of the widow He that is greedie of gaine troubleth his owne house but hee that hateth gifts shall liue 22.16.28 23.10.11 Rob not the poore because hee is poore neither oppresse the afflicted in iudgement for the Lord will reuenge their cause Deut. 28.17 and spoile the soule of him that spoileth them He that oppresseth the poore to increase himselfe and giueth vnto the rich shall surelie come to pouertie Remooue not the ancient bounds and enter not into the field of the fatherlesse for hee that redeemeth them is mightie and hee will defend their cause against thee and cursed bee hee that remooueth his neighbours marke Prou. 3.27.28.29 Withhold not the goods from the owners thereof though there be power in thine hand to doe it Say not vnto thy neighbour goe and come againe and to morrow will I giue thee if thou now haue it Intend none hurt against thy neighbour seeing hee doth dwell without feare by thee A man cannot bee established by wickednesse 12.3.7 11.4 but the root of the righteous shall not be moued for riches auaile not in the day of wrath but righteousnesse deliuereth from death Hee that oppresseth the poore 14.31 17.5 reprooueth him that made him 15.6.27 13.22 but hee honoureth him that hath mercie on the poore The house of the righteous hath much treasure but in the reuenewes of the wicked is troube yea the riches of the sinner is laid vp for the iust Hee that is greedie of gaine troubleth his owne house but hee that hateth gifts shall liue 16.8 19.1.8 28.6 Better is a little with righteousnesse then great reuenewes without equitie Better is the poore that walketh in his vprightnesse then he that peruerteth his waies though hee bee rich 21.7 The robberie of the wicked shall destroy them for they haue refused to execute iudgement 28.15.16.18 As a roaring Lion and an hungrie Beare so is a wicked ruler ouer the poore people A Prince destitute of vnderstanding is also a great oppressor but he that hateth couetousnesse shall prolong his daies He that walketh vprightlie shall be saued but hee that is froward in his waies shall once fall There is a generation 30.14.15 whose teeth are as swords and their chawes are are as kniues to eate vp the afflicted out of the earth and the poore from among men The horseleach hath two daughters which crie Giue giue Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all the children of destruction 31.8.9 open thy mouth iudge righteouslie the afflicted and the poore If in a countrey thou seest the oppression of the poore Ecclesiast 5.7 7.9 and the defrauding of iudgement and iustice bee not astonied at the matter for hee that is higher then the highest regardeth and there bee higher then they Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad and the reward destroyeth the heart Some saith the holy man Iob remooue the land-markes that robbe the flockes Iob 24.1 to 20. and feede thereof they leade away the asse of the fatherlesse and take the widowes oxe to pledge They make the poore to turne out of the way so that the poore of the earth hide themselues together Behold others as wild asses in the wildernesse rise earelie for a pray they reape his prouision in the field but they gather the late vintage of the wicked They cause the naked to lodge without garment and without couering in the cold They are wet with the showres of the mountaine and they embrace the rocke for want of a couering They plucke the fatherlesse from the breast and take the pledge of the poore they cause him to go naked without clothing and take the gleining from the hungrie They that make their oyle betweene their walles and tread their wine-presses suffer thirst men crie out of the citie and the soules of the slaine crie out The murtherer riseth earlie and killeth the poore and needie and in the night hee is a theefe But their portion shall bee cursed in the earth As the drie ground and heate consume the snow waters so shall the graue the sinners The pitifull man shall forget him the worme shall feele his sweetnesse hee shall be no more remembred and the wicked shall bee broken like a tree 15.21.28.34 The destroyer shall come vpon the wicked man in his prosperitie hee shall not bee rich alwaies neither shall his substance continue neither shall hee prolong the perfection thereof vpon earth and fire shall deuoure the houses of bribes 20.6.7.14 to 28. Though his excellencie mount vp to the heauens and his head reach vnto the cloudes yet shall hee perish for euer like his dung and they which haue seene him shall say Where is he Hee hath deuoured substance and hee shall vomit it for God shall draw it out of his bellie hee shall sucke the gall of aspes hee shall not see the riuers nor the floods and streames of honie and butter he shall restore the labour he shall deuoure no more Euen according to the substance shall bee his exchange and hee shall inioy it no more For hee hath vndone many hee hath forsaken the poore and hath spoiled houses which hee builded not surelie hee shall feele no quietnesse in his bodie neither shall he reserue of that which hee desired There shall none of his meate bee left therefore none of his shall hope for his goods when hee shall bee filled with his abundance hee shall bee in paine and the hand of all the wicked shall assaile him Hee shall bee about to fill his bellie but God shall send vpon him his fierce wrath and shall cause to raine vpon him euen vpon his meate Hee shall flee from the yron weapons and the bow of steele shall strike him through The arrow is drawne out and commeth foorth of the bodie and shineth of his gall so feare commeth vpon him All darkenesse shall bee hid in his secret places the fire that is not blowne shall deuour him and that which remaineth in his Tabernacle shall bee destroied The heauen shall declare his wickednesse and the earth shall rise vp against him The increase of his house shall goe away it shall flow away in the day of his wrath Isai 32.6.7.8 The niggard saith Isaiah will speake of niggardnesse and his heart will worke iniquitie and doe wickedly and speake falsely against the Lord to
morrow and for this life what we shall eate or what we shall drinke or what we shall put on for our heauenly Father saith the Sonne knoweth that we haue neede of all those things Philip. 4.6 Bee nothing carefull saith the Apostle but cast all your care on God for hee careth for you Heb 13.5 Let your conuersation bee without couetousnesse and bee content with those things that yee haue for hee hath said I will not faile thee Psal 55 22. 107.9 neither forsake thee Cast thy burthen vpon the Lord saith the holy Prophet and hee shall nourish thee for he satisfieth the thirsty soule and filleth the hungry soule with goodnesse 65.9.10.11.12.13 He visiteth the earth and watereth it hee maketh it very rich the Riuer of God is full of water and hee prepareth men corne Hee watereth aboundantly the furrowes of the earth and causeth the raine to descend into the valleyes thereof Hee maketh it soft with showers and blesseth the bud thereof Hee crowneth the yeare with his goodnesse and his steppes droppe fatnesse They drop vpon the pastures of the wildernesse and the hilles are compassed with gladnesse The pastures are clad with Sheepe the valleyes also are couered with corne therefore the shout for ioy and sing As it is hee that giueth deliuerance vnto Kings 144.10.11.12.13.14 and rescueth Dauid his seruant from the hurtfull sword and maketh our sonnes to bee as the plantes growing vp in their youth and our daughters as the corner-stones grauen after the similitude of a palace So is it he that maketh our corners to bee full and abounding with diuers sorts and that our Sheepe may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streetes 145 15.16 and that our Oxen may bee strong to labour Finally the eyes of all waite vpon him and hee giueth them their meate in due season he openeth his hands and filleth all things liuing of his good pleasure Wherefore let the Christian learne to depend vpon Gods prouidence and to cast all his care vpon him Phil. 3.11.12 let him study and endeuour with the holy Apostle in whatsoeuer state hee bee therewith to be content euen as well to haue want as to haue wealth to bee bare as to abound And with the holy Prophet Psal 119.36 let him alwayes pray Incline mine heart Lord vnto thy testimonies and not vnto couetousnesse VII Rule The man that would bee rich must before all other things and more then all other things with great feruency and constancy craue at God spirituall blessings and when he hath gotten riches as he must not set his affection thereupon in louing them too much so he must not put his affiance or confidence in them by trusting to them or glorying and boasting himselfe of them Neither must hee murmure against God if he afflict him by the losse of a part thereof or yet of the whole but ought to beare his crosse patiently and valiantly Finally he must loue his riches so little in comparison of Christ and the saluation of his owne soule that if the cause and occasion offer it selfe hee bee content to forsake all for Christs sake and for the sauing of his owne soule Probation and declaration Math. 6.33 Luke 12.29.30.31 SEekee yee first saith our Sauiour the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these things to wit foode and raiment and such other externall commodities of this life shall bee ministred vnto you And the Apostle exhorteth vs to set our affections on things which are aboue Colos 3.2 1 Tim. 4.8 and not on things which are on the earth For godlinesse is profitable vnto all things as that which hath the promise of the life present and of that that is to come Psal 119.165 They that loue thy law saith the holy Prophet Dauid shall haue great prosperity And because that Salomon asked of God 2 King 3.5.9.10.11.12.13 not long life nor riches nor the life of his enemies but onely an vnderstanding heart to iudge his people Therefore said the Lord vnto him Behold I haue done according to thy words loe I haue giuen thee a wise and an vnderstanding heart so that there hath beene none like thee before thee neither after thee shall arise the like vnto thee And I haue also giuen thee that which thou hast not asked both riches and honour so that among the Kings there shall bee none like vnto thee all thy daies If riches increase saith the holy Prophet set not your heart thereon Psal 62.10 49.6.10.11.12.16.17 The wicked trust in their goods and boast themselues in the multitude of their riches they thinke their houses and habitations shall continue for euer and call their lands by their names but they shall die like the beasts and leaue their riches for others they shall take nothing away with them when they die neither shall their power descend after them 52.5.6.7 The man that trusteth vnto the multitude of his â—iches Pruerb 11.28 Ecclesiastic 5.1.8 31.8 Ecclesiast 5.9 shall bee rooted out of the land of the liâ—ing He that trusteth in his riches saith Salomon â—hall fall but the righteous shall flourish like a â—eafe He that loueth siluer shall not be satisfied with siluer and he that loueth riches shall be without the fruit thereof Iob. 31.24.25.26.27.28 The holy man Iob protesteth â—f himselfe that he made not gold his hope nor â—et said euer at any time to the wedge of gold Thou art my confidence That he neuer boasted â—imselfe because his substance was great or because his hand had gotten much for in so doing saith he I should haue denyed the God aboue And the same holy man notwithstanding hee was the richest of all the men of the East 1.3.4.20.21 Iob 42.10.12 for his substance besides money houses and lands was seuen thousand sheepe and three thousand Camels and fiue hundreth yoke of Oxen and fiue hundreth she Asses yet when God suffered him to be spoiled and denuded of all hee fell not into murmuring and grudging impatiently against God but fell downe vpon the ground and worshipped God saying Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thither The Lord hath giuen the Lord hath taken it blessed be the name of the Lord. And we find also that God did reward him for his patience for he gaue him twise so much as he had before and blessed his last dayes more then his first Ierem. 9.23.24 Let not the wise man saith the Lord by the Prophet Ieremie glory in his wisedome nor the strong man glorie in his strength neither the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me for I am the Lord which shews mercy iudgment and righteousnes in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. Trust not vnto thy riches and say not I haue
enough for my life saith Iesus the sonne of Sirach Ecclesiast 5.1 31.8 2.4.5.6 blessed is the rich which is found without blemish and hath not gone after gold nor hoped in money and treasures Whatsoeuer commeth vnto thee receiue it patiently be patient in thy change into affliction for as gold and siluer are tryed in the fire euen so are men acceptable in the furnace of aduersity beleeue in God and he will helpe thee order thy way aright and trust in him hold fast his feare and grow old therein Heereby Christians are taught not to grudge against God if at any time hee crosse vs in our prosperity and take from vs our substance whether in part or whole yea wee ought to confide so farre in Gods goodnesse that hee will send vs againe that which hee hath taken from vs and restore it with aduantage if hee seeth that it shall bee expedient for vs and profitable for our soules health Otherwise we ought to thinke that it is farre better for vs to want goods then to be voyd of goodnesse and that our case is more blessed to lacke or loose goods then to enioy them and withall to abuse them to luxury superfluity licentiousnes and sin Psal 119.71 94.12 Heb. 2.10.18 Act. 14.22 Eccles 2.4.5.6 It is good for me saith holy Dauid that I haue beene afflicted that I may learne thy statutes And blessed is the man whom thou chastisest ô Lord teachest him in thy law And therefore the blessed Apostle telleth vs that by affliction we are made like to the Son of God yea that we must through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God Our most wise bountifull Father knoweth best what is best for his childrens behoofe Neither ought the vertuous minded man thinke any whit the worse of himselfe for his want of wealth or yet be deiected in courage therefore as though he were by reason of his indigence lesse in Gods fauour then others that do abound Neither must we measure Gods fauour with the yard or ell of earthly prosperity For the Prophet Dauid telleth vs Psal 10 4.5.6 37.7.35 73 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 that the wicked and his waies doe prosper oftentimes so that hee saith in his heart he shall neuer bee mooued nor be in danger yea he is strong and spreadeth himselfe like a greene baie tree there are no bands in their death but they are lustie and strong they are not in trouble as other men neither are they plagued with other men their eies stand out for fatnesse they haue more then heart can wish they are licentious and speake wickedly they talke presumptuously they set their mouth against heauen and their tongue walketh through the earth Lo these are the wicked saith Dauid yet prosper they alwaies and increase in riches And the holy Prophet Ieremie questioneth the Lord about the same matter in this manner Ierem. 12.1 2. Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper why are all they in wealth that rebelliously transgresse thou hast planted them and they haue taken root they growe and bring forth fruit thou art neere in their mouth and farre from their reines Likewise the holy man Iob sheweth vs in very large and ample manner the wickeds prosperitie Iob 21.7 8 9 10 11 12 13. They liue and waxe old and growe in wealth their seed is established in their sight their houses are peaceable without feare and the rod of God is not vpon them their bullocke gendreth and faileth not their cowe calueth and casteth not the calfe they send forth their children like sheepe and their sonnes daunce they take the tabret and the harp and reioyce in the found of the organs they spend their daies in wealth and suddainely they goe downe to the graue Thus we see that euen the wicked and such as blaspheme God and oppresse the poore may enioy great prosperitie and wealth for a time And truely it shall be no more but for a time for as the same two holy men teach vs Psal 10.15 37 9 10 17 20 34 36. 52.5 7.3 18 19 20. Iob 21 17 18 19 20 30. 27.13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 The Lord will breake the arme of the wicked God shall cut off him and his seed he shal destroy him for euer hee shall plucke him out of his Tabernacle and roote him out of the land of the liuing he shall passe away and perish and shal not be found any more he shall be suddainly destroyed horribly confounded and his image shall be despised The candle of the wicked shall bee put out they shall be as stubble before the wind and as chaffe that the storme carrieth away they are kept vnto the day of destruction and they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath The sword shall destroy his children and his posteritie shall not be satisfied with bread Though hee should heap vp siluer as the dust and prepare raiment as the clay hee may prepare it but the iust shall put it on and the innocent shall diuide the siluer Terrours shal take him as waters and a tempest shall carrie him away by night And as the wicked oftentimes enioy great plentie and prosperitie so haue many of the godly many times beene afflicted with penurie pouertie and want And yet for all this God left not off to loue them most deerely For their aduersitie affliction and trouble they were not a whit the lesse beloued of God but rather the more according to that saying of the holy man Iob Iob 5.17 Blessed is the man whom the Lord correcteth And therefore not onely wise king Salomon Prou. 3.11 12. Heb. 12.5.6 7.8.9.10 11. and the holy Apostle Paul but also our Sauiour himselfe teacheth vs that the Lord correcteth him whom hee loueth euen as the father doth the child in whom he delighteth Also the same Apostle telleth vs Reuel 3.19 that many of the children of God of the olde times were brought to such a pinch that they were bitten with pouertie and want Heb. 11.36.37.38 for they wandred saith he vp and downe in sheepes skinnes and in goates skins beeing destitute afflicted and tormented they wandred in wildernesses and mountaines and dennes and caues of the earth obnoxious vnto racking mocking scourging chaining imprisoning stoning hewing and slaying with the sword And what was the pouertie of Christ Iesus the Sonne of God in his birth life and death it is more then manifest 2. Cor. 8.9 for hee beeing rich as Lord of heauen and earth became poore for our sakes saith the Apostle that we through his pouertie might bee made rich Matth. 1.16.20 13.55 Hee was so poore in the time and manner of his birth that he was laid in a cratch Luk 2.4.5.6.7 Mark 6.3 euen in a stable among oxen and asses folded and swathed in clothes of little price The house wherein he was borne was a
vpon their knees in good earnest and be made to feed with the beasts vntill they learne to liue like reasonable and moderate men and not like vnreasonable and intemperate beasts X. Rule A man to whom God hath giuen riches and store though but in a meane measure if hee would haue God to blesse him and it both with increase and continuance as hee ought to giue a part thereof cheerefully vnto the Prince and another part vnto the priests and take a third part for himselfe so ought he charitably to impart a proportionable part thereof to the poore by lending or giuing to them according to his power and their pouertie and need Probation and declaration Deut. 15 7 8 9 10 11. IF one of thy brethren with thee saith the Lord by Moses bee poore within any of thy gates in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee thou shalt not harden thine heart nor shut thine hand from thy poore brother but thou shalt open thine hand vnto him and shalt lend him sufficient for his neede which he hath thou shalt giue him and let it not grieue thine heart to giue vnto him for because of this the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy workes and in all that thou puttest thine hand to Because there shall bee euer some poore in the land therefore I command thee Exod. 22.25 26 27. Leuit. 25.35.36 37. saying Thou shalt open thine hand vnto thy brother to thy needie and to thy poore in the land Thou shalt relieue him and if thou lend money vnto him thou shalt not be as an vsurer to him thou shalt not giue him thy money to vsurie or vantage nor lend him thy victuals for encrease And if thou take thy neighbours rayment to pledge thou shalt restore it vnto him before the Sunne goe downe for that it is his couering onely and this is his garment for his skinne wherein shall he sleepe therefore when he crieth vnto me I wil heare him for I am mercifull Leuit. 19 9 10 23 22. Deut. 24 19 20 21. Also when yee reape the haruest of your land yee shall not reape euery corner of your field neither shalt thou gather the glainings of thy haruest thou shalt not gather the grapes of thy vineyard but thou shalt leaue them for the poore the stranger the fatherlesse and the widow When thou cuttest downe thy haruest in the field and hast forgotten a sheafe in the field thou shalt not goe againe to fet it but it shall bee for the stranger Psal 37 21 26. for the fatherlesse and for the widowe that the Lord thy God may blesse thee in all the workes of thine hands The righteous is mercifull saith the prophet Dauid and giueth 41.1 hee is euer mercifull and lendeth and his seed enioyeth the blessing Blessed is hee that iudgeth wisely of the poore the LORD shall deliuer him in the time of trouble 112.4 5 9. Vnto the righteous ariseth light in darkenesse hee is mercifull and full of compassion a good man is mercifull and lendeth and will measure his affaires by iudgement hee hath distributed and giuen to the poore his righteousnesse remaineth for euer his horne shall bee exalted with glorie Let not mercie and truth forsake thee saith King Salomon bind them on thy necke Prou. 3.3.4 and write them vpon the table of thine heart so shalt thou find fauour in the fight of God and Man â— 27 Hee that is mercifull rewardeth his owne soule 14.21.31 Hee that hath mercy on the poore is blessed yea the Lord honoureth him that hath mercy on the poore 19.17 Hee that hath mercy vpon the poore 21.13.21 26. lendeth vnto the Lord and the Lord will recompence that which he hath giuen The righteous giueth and spareth not and he that followeth after righteousnes and mercy shall finde life righteousnes and glory but hee that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore hee shall also cry and not bee heard 11.24.25.26 There is that scattereth and is more increased but he that spareth more then is right surely commeth to pouerty the liberall person shall haue plenty and hee that watereth shall also haue raine Hee that withdraweth the corne the people will curse him but blessing shall be vpon the head of him that selleth corne to wit 22 9. Eccles 31.29 good cheape and when the people stand in need by reason of scarcity and famine Hee that hath a good eye hee shall bee blessed for he giueth of his bread vnto the poore Prou. 25.21.22 If he that hateth thee be hungry giue him bread to eate and if he be thirsty giue him water to drinke for thou shalt lay coales vpon his head 28.27 and the Lord shall recompence thee He that giueth vnto the poore shall not lacke but he that hideth his eyes shall haue many curses Giue ye strong drinke vnto him that is ready to perish 31.6.7 and wine vnto them that haue griefe of heart let him drinke that hee may forget his pouerty and remember his misery no more 31.20 Also Salomons vertuous woman that encreaseth exceedingly her store and her substance is described to be such a one as stretcheth out her hand to the poore and needy Eccles 11.1.2 And therefore in his Preacher he exhorteth men to be liberall to the poore in these words Cast thy bread vpon the waters for after many dayes thou shalt finde it Giue a portion to seuen and also to eight for thou knowest not what euill shall be vpon the earth Is not this the fasting that I haue chosen saith the Lord by his prophet I say to loose the bands of wickednesse to take off the heauie burthens and to let the oppressed go free and that yee breake euery yoake Is it not to deale thy bread to the hungrie and that thou bring the poore that wander to thine house when thou seest the naked that thou couer him and hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh Then shal thy light breake forth as the morning and thine health shall grow speedily thy righteousnes shall goe before thee and the glory of the Lord shall embrace thee then shalt thou call and the Lord will answer thou shalt cry and he will say here I am If thou powre out thy soule to the hungry and refresh the troubled soule then shall thy light spring out in the darknes and thy darknes shall bee as the noone day and the Lord shall guide thee continually and satisfie thy soule in drought and make fat thy bones and thou shalt be like a watered garden and like a spring of water where waters faile not And they shall bee of thee that shall build the old waste places thou shalt raise vp the foundations for many generations and thou shalt be called the Repairer of the Breach and the restorer of the pathes to dwell in Tobit 4.7
Prophet Ieremie complaineth Ierem. 5.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8.25 26 27 28. that in Ierusalem iustice and iudgement were not executed no not for the fatherlesse the widow and the poore And that their fulnesse was accompanied with adulterie and whoredome for they assembled themselues by companies in the harlots houses so that their yong men spent the day-time in wine and the night-time they spent in venerie Also amongst them were found wicked persons entrappers setters of snares and makers of pits to catch men As a Cage is full of birdes so were their houses full of deceit 6.13 8.10 and thereby they became great waxed rich fat and shining From the least to the greatest they were generally giuen to couetousnesse 9 3.4 5 6 7 8 9. and from the Prophet euen to the Priest they all dealt falsely Yea they did bend their tongues like their bowes for lies euery one did deale deceitfully and they taught their tongues to speake lies Ezek. 22.7.12.13.27.29.31 Also the Prophet Ezekiel complaineth of the like enormities of the oppressing of strangers of vexing the fatherlesse and the widow of taking of gifts of spoyling the poore of taking of vsurie and the encrease of defrauding their neighbours by extortion and such other courses of their couetousnesse and loue of lucre Therefore saith the Lord I haue smitten mine hands vpon thy couetousnesse that thou hast vsed I haue powred out mine indignation vpon them and consumed them with the fire of my wrath their own waies haue I rendred vpon their heads Ierem. 9.15 15.1 2 3 4. Behold I will feed this people with wormewood saith the Lord and giue them waters of gall to drinke Such as are appointed to death vnto death such as are for the sword to the sword and such as are for the famine to the famine and such as are for the captiuitie to the captiuitie I will appoint ouer them foure kindes the sword to slaie the dogges to teare in peeces the fowles of the heauen to deuoure and the beasts of the field to destroy 24.10 29.16 17 18. I will scatter them also in all kingdomes of the earth And vpon them that goe not into captiuitie I will send the sword the famine and the pestilence and will make them like naughtie figges that cannot be eaten they are so naughtie I will make them a terrour to all kingdomes of the earth and a curse and astonishment and an hissing and a reproach among all the nations Isay 24. Thus the Lord for the sinnes of his people made their land emptie and waste scattered the inhabitants and made them desolate spoyled the rich debased the proud weakened the mightie and powred contempt vpon their princes He made the earth to defraud them of their bread and the vine to withdrawe from them their drinke and instead of sweet wine 51.17 18 19 20. Habbak 2.15 16. that maketh the heart glad hee reached them a cup of sowre wine that maketh their hearts sad euen the vineger of his wrath the cup of trembling the cup of his right hand that is a cup of strong drinke which hee made them to drinke out dregs and all in recompence of their early rising to follow drunkennesse This cuppe was so strong that it brought the strongest powrer in of strong drinke soone vpon his backe and turned the drunkards glorie in drinking into shamefull spewing Thus finally the Lord turned Ierusalems ioy into woe her solace into sorrow her mirth into mourning her laughing into lamenting her feasting into fasting her fulnesse into famine her aboundance into indigence her plentie into penurie her glorie into shame her praise into reproach her blessednesse into cursednesse her honour into hissing her triumphs into terrour her statelinesse into astonishment her security into ieopardy her libertie into captiuity Thus I say hee smote her gate with destruction and her Citizens with desolation Conclusion Thus you see most noble Cities what hath beene the fortune and fall of a most noble Citie and a citie if euer any in the wide world beloued of God yee see the greatnesse of her desolation and that her great sinnes for commonly in great Cities dwell great sinnes did occasion the same Considering the which my thrise hearty wish vnto God for you is that her desolation may serue for your edification and her lamentable destruction may be vnto you a profitable instruction That auoiding and shunning her sins and all kinde of enormous and heinous impietie all sacriledge idololatrie pride adulterie couetousnesse crueltie deceit briberie extortion oppression vsurie and vnmercifulnesse to the poore Finally all prophanation of Gods holy name by vnreuerent and vnrespectfull naming thereof by swearing and forswearing and all vnhallowing of his holy name in whole or in part by flying from the congregation and following our owne waies of profite and of pleasure and forsaking the Lords waies of piety and of charitie yee may likewise escape her plagues ye may be free from her wormwood bread her waters of gall her famine her sword her pestilence her captiuity her scattering her reproach her astonishment her shame her seruitude her desolation and destruction That so right noble and flourishing Cities yee may long continue noble and long flourish in piety and prosperity your Citizens and inhabitants may be long rich and euery day more and more rich both in goods and goodnesse that being rich in God heere on earth yee may be rich with God hereafter in heauen And that this Art may end whereas it did begin euen at God who as he is the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the ending of all things so me thinketh is it good reason that he be the Alpha and the Omega of this Art Psal 119.36 Let euery man that desireth to see good things pray to God with good King Dauid Lord incline mine heart vnto thy testimonies and not vnto couetousnesse Prou. 30.8.9 And with wise King Salomon his sonne Giue me not pouertie nor riches too much Feede mee with food conuenient for me least I bee full and denie thee and say Who is the Lord or least I bee poore and steale and take the Name of my God in vaine Amen FINJS
frailtie we fall into any offence wee must tremble for feare of his rods like faultie and guiltie children we must shake and quake before the face of our heauenly father and prostrated at his feete and vnder his feete wee must intreate him with our teares to bee appeased towards vs for his mercies sake and to be pleased with vs for his Sonnes sake in whom he is well pleased We must I say implore him by his fatherly pitie to lay his rods aside each one with godly Dauid Psalm 6.1 saying and praying Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chastise me in thy wrath But if our most wise and prouident father finde it not expedient for vs to spare vs and to let vs passe vnpunished then must we throw our selues downe at his feete and offer willingly both our bodies and our goods vnto his blowes Let vs suffer his punishment with all patience his correction with all submission of minde let vs beware to murmur against our good father though his blowes seeme somewhat bitter and his stripes touch vs to the quicke let vs alwaies intertaine this christian cogitation in our hearts that our father is a most wise father and therefore knoweth well yea better then any other and best of all other what is most for our good and that hee is a most good father and one that loueth his children most dearely and entirely and therefore will doe nothing vnto vs but that which will doe vs much good In the meane time let each one that is chastised beseech God to doe it in so mercifull a manner that his correction may serue for his erection and direction all the daies of his life That it may serue for his instruction euer thereafter and not for his destruction as it doth to the obdured and reprobate and therefore let him say and pray with the holy prophet Ieremie Lord correct me Ierem. 10.24 but with iudgement that is with moderation and measure not in thine anger lest thou bring me to nothing Finally he must be so farre from making peruerse inference vpon the correction of God as though it did argue that God did hate him because of handling him so that he must gather the quite contrarie conclusion therof and euen say to himself thus The man God loueth most hee correcteth most for so saith Salomon the wise My sonne Prou. 3.11.12 Psalm 9 4.12 refuse not the chastening of the Lord neither bee grieued with his correction for the Lord correcteth him whom he loueth euē as the father doth the childe in whom he delighteth So saith the Apostle Saint Paul to the Hebrews Heb. 12.5.6.7.8 Whom the Lord loueth hee chasteneth and he scourgeth euery sonne that hee receiueth If ye endure chastening God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes for what sonne is it whom the father chasteneth not If therefore ye be without correction whereof all are partakers then are yee bastards and not sons Lastly so saith our Sauiour himselfe by his seruant S. Iohn Reuel 3.19 As many as I loue I doe rebuke and chasten bee zealous therefore and amend Thus wee haue three true witnesses and one of them more then a witnes telling and testifying that correction chastisement is a token of Gods loue And we know or at least ought to know that in the mouth of two or three witnesses being true euery word must stand so then if God correct vs because he loueth vs as it is most certaine that hee doth we must not doubt but that it is done for our good And therefore the holy Prophet Dauid who was as much beloued of God as any and therfore as much chastised of God as any and who profited as much by correction and affliction as any saith of himselfe thus Psal 119.67.71 It is good for me that I haue been afflicted that I may learne thy statutes For before I was afflicted and chastised I went astray but now I keepe thy word As if he should say affliction is a good rod for it bringeth to God Thus haue I shewed the nature qualitie and good effects of the feare of God so much as me thought might suffice for the declaration of the first rule of this Art which taketh his beginning from that which is the beginning both of wisdome and of durable wealth And therefore to shut vp this first discourse vpon this first rule of the golden art with some golden sentence let mee say vnto euery one that would bee wise or wealthie in this world and happie in the world to come that which Iesus the sonne of Syrach saith Trust in the Lord hold fast his feare Ecclesiast 2.6 40.26 and grow old therein there is no want in the feare of the Lord and it needeth no helpe for as wise Salomon saith in the feare of God is an assured strength and his children shall haue hope Yea Prou. 14.26 that which they hope for they shall haue euen as much as is good for them to desire or haue here and as much as they can desire or would haue or shall be able to receiue hereafter II. Rule Wisdome and vnderstanding that is the knowledge of God and good things concerning the publicke good of Church or Common-wealth with humane discretion foresight and good gouernment about a mans owne priuate life make the poore man rich and the rich man yet more rich Probation and declaration BLessed is the man that findeth wisedom saith Salomon Prou. 3.13.14.15.16.17.18 who sought wisdome and found it and the man that getteth vnderstanding for the merchandise thereof is better then the merchandise of siluer and the gaine thereof is better then gold It is more pretious then pearles and all things that thou canst desire are not to bee compared vnto her Length of daies is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and glorie Her waies are waies of pleasures and all her paths prosperitie Shee is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her and blessed is he that retaineth her 4.5.6.7.8.9 The wise shall inherit glory but fooles dishonour though they bee exalted Get wisdome and get vnderstanding forget not neither decline from the words of my mouth Forsake her not and shee shall preserue thee loue her and she shal keep thee Wisdome is the beginning get wisdome therefore and aboue al thy possession get vnderstanding Exalt her and shee shall exalt thee she shall bring thee to honor if thou embrace her She shall giue thee a comely ornament vnto thine head yea she shal giue thee a crown of glory I wisdome dwell with prudence 8.12.13.14.15.16.17.18.19.20.21 I haue counsell and I haue strength By me Princes rule and the Nobles and all the Iudges of the Earth Riches and honour are with me euen durable riches and righteousnesse My fruit is better then gold euen then fine gold and my reuenues better then fine siluer That I may cause them that loue
and workes as flow from the spirit of wisedome knowledge and vnderstanding And therefore they bee such exercises and employments as a Gentleman borne ought not to bee ashamed to learn thē and to practise them rather thē to liue in idlenesse If then euen almighty God himselfe disdained not to worke for the benefit behoofe and good example of men for as for himselfe there was neuer yet any that needed lesse to worke then hee what reason haue wee to bee ashamed to worke with our hands chiefly such as haue no other meanes besides working to liue by And not onely hath God wrought but also the best Gentlemen that euer were haue likewise followed some one laborious occupation or other and that both to gaine by it and to keepe themselues from idlenesse which is the roote of all euill and maketh a mans both soule and bodie poore Genes 2.15 3.23 4.2 9.20 13. 26. 29. 0. Adam the first father of mankind and the monarch of the earth when as he was yet innocent and therefore out of doubt a better Gentleman then any that are now was put into the garden to dresse it and to keepe it Though God was his father by creation and formation for besides him he had no other father yet hee was not brought foorth or borne to be idle but to be a gardiner before his fal a labourer of the ground after his fall Also his two sonnes were men of occupation Abel a keeper of sheepe and Cain a tiller of the ground And Noah the father and monarch of the renewed earth was he not an husband man and did he not plant a vineyard and were not Abraham and Lot Isaac and Iacob and their children husbandmen and shepheards Yea more all of these had lands fields and pastures besides houses and flockes yea more then many Lords and Knights now adaies haue and yet wee see they disdained not to labour whereas many of our Gentlemen that haue none of all these or but very little will be ashamed to doe as they did But what will our idle Gentleman say of Dauid who being a young man was the keeper of his fathers sheepe 1. Sam. 16.11.12.18.19.21.22.23 17.33.34.35.36.37.45.46.47.48.49.50.51 8.17.18.20.23.25.27 and who if God had not taken him from the sheepe-coate to make him a King and a keeper of his people would haue plaied the husbandman still was not young Dauid a Gentleman euen then when hee kept the sheepe If any one doubt of it I will shew them that he had euen then moe gentlemanlike qualities then any of our Gentlemen now a daies haue King Sauls seruants reported to their master that Ishai the Bethlemite had a sonne who was a cunning player vpon the harpe a man of warre strong and valiant and wise in matters and a comelie person and such a one as feared the Lord which is the crowne of al Gentilitie and Nobilitie Wherefore King Saul sent messengers vnto Ishai and said send mee Dauid thy sonne which is with the sheepe Thus Dauid was fetched from the sheepe-coate to the Kings court and brought from feeding of sheepe to bee the Kings Fauorite his Musition and Physition both at once For when the euill spirit came vpon the King Dauid tooke an harpe and plaied with his hand and Saul was refreshed and was eased for the euil spirit departed from him Also he was the Kings armour-bearer for hee was so strong that when as hee yet kept his fathers sheepe he slue both a lion and a beare that came among the flocke and afterwards in the field hee slew the mightie Giant Goliah Finallie hee behaued himselfe so valiantlie against the Philistims who were Gods enemies that by his vertue and valour hee deserued the mariage of the Kings daughter howsoeuer that hee was as he saith of himselfe to Saules seruants who in the Kings name made offer to him to bee his sonne in law a poore man Matth. 1.20 13.55 Marke 6.3 Luk 1.27 2.4.51 4.22 and of small reputation Thus I haue shewed then that Dauid was as good a Gentleman as any Gentleman of these daies is euen then when hee kept his fathers sheepe Moreouer what can our idle Gentlemen say of Ioseph the husband of the blessed virgin who was a man of the house and linage of Dauid and by the Angell called the sonne of Dauid was he not of as good an house and of as Gentle blood as any of our idle Gentlemen are yea and better by many degrees and yet he for all that disdained not to bee a Carpenter and to follow this trade Finallie Christ the sonne of Dauid yea more the Son of God would not be idle when as he was yet young but was subiect to his supposed father Ioseph and vnto Marie his mother and exercised the Carpenters trade and therefore the Iewes called him in disdaine not onely the Carpenters sonne but also the Carpenter Wherefore I wish that neuer a Gentleman borne should be ashamed of a mechanicall craft after our Sauiour Christ and that no Christian Common-wealth should esteeme a man to haue lost his Gentilitie for exercising of a trade Alas what will our idle Gentleman say when he shall be asked at the last day concerning the calling he should haue followed here in this life shall he haue no other thing to answere but that hee was of no craft or occupation because he was a Gentleman borne what an vnsauorie answere will it bee before God who not onely hath taught men mechanicall trades but also disdained not to worke himselfe by the word of his mouth in creating the world in planting the garden of Paradise and in making of skinne-cloathes for Adam and Eue What an vnsauourie answere shall it be I say before our Sauiour Christ Mark 3.6 Luke 2.51 Matth. 4.18.21 the Sonne of God who disdained not to worke in the Carpenters trade in his supposed fathers house Ioseph who was of the same craft Iohn 21.3 and before his blessed Apostles which were fishermen as Saint Paul was a Tent-maker Then I feare me Act. 18 1.2.3 shall the idle Gentleman say Would God I had been a Tailer when I was a stealer a Rope-maker when as I was a Robber a Pedler when as I was a Pirat a Dier when as I was a Dicer a Carter when as I was a Carder and a Shoomaker when as I was a swaggerer Would God I had been of any lawfull calling when as I was an idle man liuing without all calling And trulie if a man must render an account of euerie idle word hee speaketh in this life Matth. 12.36 at the day of iudgement as our Sauiour himselfe hath said how much more must he render and giue account of his idle liuing in this life at that day Idlenesse and excesse as the Prophet teacheth vs were two of the sinnes of Sodom Ezek. 16.49 and therefore if wee would shun and eschew the fire and
God To the end that the poore being supported by this meanes may bee the more encouraged to celebrate ioyfully the solemne time of our Sauiours birth For what thing is there more vnbeseeming Christianity then for men to spend the dayes of this festiuall time in playing to gather money for themselues and to practise either more couetousnesse or else more vnthriftinesse at this time more then at any other What thing is there I say or can there be more vnbecomming a Christian then not to spend this time in the exercise of piety towards God and of charity towards our neighbour for his sake Shall one Christian be so vnchristianly affected as to turne his playing with his brother into a preying vpon his brother so that his couetousnesse cannot bee quenched till he haue emptied his purse Or shall the Christian play and not shew himselfe a Christian in his playing by imparting the pence hee hath wonne vnto the poore and therefore to shut vp this present discourse as the Apostle exhorteth vs that whether we eate or drinke we doe all to the glory of God so say I of this matter whether wee play for money or lay money for a wager let vs alwaies remember to play and lay like Christian and charitable men and in all our actions let our piety towards God and our charity towards our neighbours appeare VI. Rule A man must not make haste to be rich as being possessed with an immoderate desire and loue of riches miscaried with an excessiue care to purchase or increase wealth But ought rather to bee content with little goods gotten with a good conscience and enioyed with quietnesse of minde then to purchase or possesse much with an euill conscience with strife toile and trouble of spirit Probation and declaration TRauaile not too much to bee rich saith Salomon for riches taketh her to her wings as an Eagle and flyeth into the aire Prouerb 23.4.5 28.20.22 Eccles 31.1.2.5.6 Prouerb 21.5 20.21 and he that maketh haste to bee rich shall not bee innocent A man with a wicked eye hasteth to riches and knoweth not that pouertie shall come vpon him for whosoeuer is hastie commeth surely to pouertie An heritage is hastily gotten at the beginning but the end thereof shall not be blessed 29.20 Seest thou a man hastie in his matters there is more hope of a foole then of him 15.27 He that is greedy of gaine troubleth his owne house and hee that troubleth his owne house shall inherit the winde 11.29 An honest name is to bee chosen aboue great riches 22.1 and a good conscience is a continuall feast 15 15 16 17 Better is a little with the feare of the Lord then great treasures and troubles therwith Better is a dinner of greene hearbes where loue is then a stalled Oxe 28 6 and hatred therewith Better is the poore that walketh in his vprightnesse then hee that peruerteth his waies 17.1 though he be rich Better is a dry morsell if peace bee with it then an house full of sacrifices with strife Ecclesiast 4.6 Ecclesiast 29.24 25. Better is an handfull with quietnesse then two handfuls with labour and vexation of spirit Better is a little with righteousnesse then great reuenewes without equity Prouerb 16 8 Tobith 1â— 8 Ecclesiast 5.9 He that loueth siluer shall not be satisfied with siluer And hee that loueth riches meaning immoderately shall be without the fruit thereof Psal 37.16.17 A small thing vnto the iust man is better then great riches to the wicked and mighty saith the holy Prophet Dauid for the armes of the wicked shall bee broken 39.6 49.16.17 but the Lord vpholdeth the iust man Man walketh in a shadow and disquieteth himselfe in vaine he heapeth vp riches and cannot tell who shall gather them for hee shall take nothing away with him when he dieth neither shall his pompe descend after him Prou. 4 17 23 34. Ecclesiast 5.11 The man who eateth the bread of wickednes and drinketh the wine of violence in his sleepe is as one that sleepeth in the mids of the sea and as hee that sleepeth in the top of the mast yea the satietie of such a rich man will not suffer him to sleepe whereas the man who is content of a little with a good conscience Psal 4.7.8 may well say with godly King Dauid Thou hast giuen mee more ioy of heart then they haue had when their wheate and their wine did abound I will lay me downe Ecclesiast 40 18. 29.25 and also sleepe in peace for thou O Lord wilt make me dwell in safety To labour and to be content with that a man hath is a sweete life saith Siracides Be it little or much let him hold himselfe contented Godlinesse is great gaine saith the holy Apostle Paul if a man be content with that he hath 1 Tim 6.6.7.8.9.10 for we brought nothing into the world and it is certaine that wee can carry nothing out Therefore when wee haue foode and rayment let vs therewith be content For they that will bee rich fall into tentations and snares and into many foolish and noisome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction For the desire of money is the roote of all euill which while some lusted after they erred from the faith and pierced themselues through with many sorrowes And in another place he willeth that couetousnes should not be once named amongst Christians Ephes 5.3.5 1. Cor. 6.10 and telleth vs that a couetous man is an idolater and that he shall not inherite the kingdome of God meaning that the couetous mans God is his gold as the gluttons God is his belly The one is well called a belly-god and the other may bee rightly called a pelfe-god or if ye will a gold-god The ones religion is belly-goddisme and Epicurisme Soule eate drinke and take thy rest for thou hast much meate layed vp for many yeares The others religion is little differing but in name from the first and is gold-goddisme Soule take thy rest and be merry for thou hast much money gold layd vp for many yeares As this mans gold is his God so his house is his heauen his bed is his Abrahams bosome his boord is to him the banquet of the Lambe his praying is his playing his misdeeds are all his almesdeedes his fasting is his feasting and his temporall fulnesse is his eternall felicity Marke 4 18.19 Wherefore our Sauiour teacheth vs that the immoderate cares of the world and the deceitfulnesse of riches and the lusts of other things choake the seede of the word sowen by the spirituall Sower and make it vnfruitfull Math. 26.27.28.29.30.31.32.33.34 Luke 21 34. 13.22.29 And therefore hee would haue vs to bee so farre and free from all excesse of care for worldly things that he forbiddeth vs to be grieuously carefull for the
exaction practised vpon his people whereof if hee had beene guiltie it should haue beene recorded no doubt amongst his other grieuous trespasses Likewise king Dauid who was their first king by Gods absolute approbation and therefore the spirit of God hath begun with Dauid the first Booke of the Kings euen a man after Gods own heart 1. Sam. 13.14 no doubt he exercised the same power ouer his people 1. Chro. 27.1 25 31. as may appeare by the monthly courses of his officers appointed ouer the treasures in the fieldes in the cities and in the villages for the collection custodie and dispensation of his substance And as for Salomon king Dauids sonne and successor it is more then manifest that he did put in practise this foresaid kingly power 1. King 4.7 22 23 27 28. described by the Prophet in taking order for the monthly prouision of his house by his twelue officers whom he appointed each man his month to prouide victuals in the diuers parts and quarters of his kingdome for himselfe and all that came to his table And who will or dare say that Salomon in so doing played the tyrant 1. King 10.23 was hee not a wise King and so wise that hee excelled all the kings of the earth no lesse in wisedom then in wealth and beeing so wise as he was did he not know well enough what was both fit for a King to require at his subiects hands and what was fit for subiects to impart to their Prince yea was he not a iust king and one that did gouerne his people as with wisedome so also with equitie and iustice shall wee thinke that king Dauids prayer for the prosperous estate of his sonne Salomon and of his kingdome was frustrate and without effect Giue thy iudgements to the king Psal 72.1 2 3.4.12.13 14. O God and thy righteousnesse to the kings sonne Then shall he iudge thy people in righteousnesse and thy poore with equity the mountaines and the hilles shall bring peace to the people by iustice Hee shall iudge the poore of the people hee shall saue the children of the needy and shall subdue the oppressor he shall deliuer the poore when hee crieth the needy also and him that hath no helper he shall be mercifull to the poore and needie and shall preserue their liues hee shall redeeme them from deceit and violence and deere shall their blood be in his sight Shall we thinke I say that the holy Prophets prayer and prediction touching the excellencie of his sonnes godly iust and peaceable gouernment was either false or of none effect God forbid farre bee it from vs to thinke that God would haue chosen an oppressor of his people to bee a type of the king of righteousnesse to bee his sonne 1 Chron 22.9 10.11 28.5.6 10. and to build the house of his sanctuarie Hee asked of God wisdome and vnderstanding to doe iudgement and to rule and iudge his people aright 1. King 3.7 8 9 10 11 12 13.28 and the Lord granted him his petition and gaue him besides great wisedome euen honour and riches also and it is said that the people saw that the wisedom of God was in him to doe iustice so that they feared the King Wherefore wee must not thinke that hee was guiltie of tyrannie oppression or exaction in the behalfe of his people but rather that his leuying of the Tenths of his subiects substance was an effect of his diuine wisedome and the lawfull meanes whereby hee gathered together so much wealth and so great riches as he did 1 King 9.20.21 together with the tribute hee did receiue at the hands of many other nations And it is to be noted that the people of Iudah and Israel by their cheerefull readinesse and willingnesse in yeelding vnto Salomon their king the Tenthes of their fruites and of their flockes for the monthly prouision of his houshold procured at Gods hands the blessing of great prosperitie securitie and peace which hee powred vpon Israel and Iudah in Salomons daies 1 Chron. 22.9 1 King 4.20.25 They multiplied as the sand of the sea in number eating drinking and making merrie They dwelt without feare euery man vnder his vine and vnder his figge tree from Dan euen to Beersheba all the daies of Salomon 1. King 10.21 27. during the which there was so great wealth that he made siluer as plentious as stones in Ierusalem And though after the death of Salomon the people did insinuate vnto his sonne Rehoboam 1. King 12.1 2 3 4 11 14. the grieuousnesse of the yoke his father had put vpon them in his life and therefore did present a petition vnto him for the lightening thereof at his entring to the crowne yet wee find no mention made of any such murmuring of the people against Salomon in the time of his owne raigne And therefore wee may well thinke that the people made this complaint and petition not so much as for that they had any iust cause for as I said before Salomon was no tyrant nor yet an vniust exacting king as for that they were become more couetous after the death of Salomon then they had beene in the time of his life and together more factious and seditious then they had beene before Where it is to bee noted that the Lord punished this their couetous and grudging disposition with the diminution of their wealth so that their condition became much vnlike vnto that it had beene in the daies of Salomon 1. King 12. 2. Chron. 10. 11. 12. Besides that this their preposterous loue of commoditie brought them into the guilt of two grieuous sinnes of Rebellion from their lawfull king and of idolatrous defection from the true worship of Almightie God So that not without cause the holy Apostle calleth the loue of money 1. Tim. 6.10 the roote of all euill And certainly Ezek. 45 7 8.9 Prou 28.15.16 as God would not haue his sons to oppresse his seruants that is Princes to grieue their people with vnnecessary exorbitant and cruell exactions and with ill-aduised Rehoboam to make their subiects yoake heauier then it ought to bee Exod. 22 28 29 So would hee not haue the people to bee so vnnaturall vnreasonable and vniust as to abound themselues and in the meane time to see their Princes destitute of prouision answerable to their place As the Prince I say must not with wretchlesse Rehoboam make the peoples yoake more heauie then it ought to bee by right so must not the people with the murmuring and complaining Israelites call that a grieuance or a grieuous yoake which is not so indeede but onely in the apprehension of their couetous conceit 1 Tim. 5 17 18 The Apostle speaking of the maintenance of the ministerie saith That such Priestes as rule well and labour in the word and doctrine are worthy of a double honour And the same may bee well said of a Prince
to dwell in and sow the fields and plant vineyards which bring forth fruitfull increase for hee blesseth them and they multiply exceedingly and hee diminisheth not their cattell Hee powreth contempt vpon princes and turneth the springs of water into drinesse a fruitful land into barrennesse for the wickednes of them that dwel therin Yet he raiseth vp the poore out of misery and maketh him families like a flocke of sheep The righteous shall see it and reioyce and all iniquity shall stop her mouth And this is that which the holy Psalmist singeth of godly Ioseph more particularly Psal 105.17 18 19 20 21 22 Ioseph was sold for a slaue they held his feete in the stockes and hee was laid in yrons vntill his appointed time came and the counsell of the Lord tried him The King sent and loosed him he made him Lord of his house euen the ruler of the people deliuered him and made him ruler of his substance yea of his Princes and rulers that hee should bind them vnto his will and teach his ancient and wise men wisdome Gen. 45.16.17.18 19.20.21.22.23 And the Lord that thus gaue Ioseph fauour in the eyes of Pharaoh enclined likewise the heart of the King to fauour and loue Iacob the father of Ioseph and his brethren for his sake so that when the tidings came vnto Pharaohs house that Iosephs brethren were come it pleased Pharaoh well and his seruants Moreouer Pharaoh said vnto Ioseph say to thy brethren This doe yee lade your beasts and depart go to the land of Canaan and take your father and your housholds and come to me and I will giue you the best of the land of Aegypt and yee shall eate of the fat of the land And I command thee Thus doe ye Take you chariots out of the land of Aegypt for your children and for your wiues and bring your father and come also regard not your stuffe for the best of all the land of Aegypt is yours And the children of Israel did so and Ioseph gaue them Chariots according to the commandement of Pharaoh he gaue them victuals also for the iourney he gaue them all none excepted change of raiment and vnto Beniamin he gaue three hundreth peeces of siluer and fiue suites of raiment And vnto his father likewise he sent ten hee Asses laden with the best things of Egypt and ten shee Asses laden with wheat and bread and meate for his father by the way And when as Iosephs father and his brethren were come into Aegypt the good King knowing thereof Gen. 46.33 3â— 47.3 4.5 6.11 12. and vnderstanding that their trade for they liued not idle was to be occupied about cattell and sheepe as Sheepheards after that he had admitted them to his presence spake to Ioseph saying Thy father and thy brethren are come vnto thee the land of Egypt is before thee in the best place of the land make thy father and thy brethren dwell let them dwell in the land of Goshen and if thou knowest that there be men of actiuity among them make them rulers ouer my cattell And godly and happy Ioseph placed his father and his brethren and gaue them possession in the land of Egypt in the best of the land euen in the land of Rameses as good bountifull Pharaoh had commanded And the blessed son nourished his blessed father and his brethren and all his fathers houshold with bread euen to the yong children Dauid attained to great riches and honour by practising the rules of this Art 1 Sam. 16 17 2 Sam 2 5 7 8 22. 1 Chron 17 29. 1 King 3 6 Psal 78 70 71.72 hee feared God exceedingly called vpon him continally walking before him in truth in righteousnes and in purenes of his spirit yea he was a man after the Lords owne heart and he that was in his heart was with his heart and in his hand also and blessed him aboundantly Hee chose Dauid his seruant and tooke him from the sheepe-folds euen from behind the ewes with young brought hee him to feed his people in Iacob and his inheritance in Israel So he fed them according to the simplicitie of his heart 1 Sam. 18 18 23. Psal 113.7 and guided them by the discretion of his hands He was as hee saith of himselfe a poore man and of small reputation but God who taketh pleasure in raising vp the poore out of the dust and in lifting vp the beggar from the dongue-hil changed his pouertie into riches his despisednesse into honour his shepheards crooke into a princely scepter his countrey cap into a kingly crowne his base sheep-cote into a stately court and his pasture of small compasse into an ample kingdome In one word God that doth great things tooke him from following the sheep that he might rule ouer his people Israel 1 King 3 11 12 13. 10.21.23.25.27 28. 2 Chron. 1. 8. 13. Eccles 2.4.5.6.7 8.9 Salomon Dauids sonne did attaine to his great riches by practising these rules and namely because he did ask of the Lord vnderstanding to do iudgment and not riches nor honor nor long life nor yet the life of his enemies therfore the Lord gaue him not onely that which he asked but also those things he asked not euen riches and honor more then any in Israel had before him or yet after him So that hee builded houses planted vineyards pleasant gardens and orchards replenished with fruitfull trees purchased great possessions of Beeues and sheep gathered aboundance of siluer and gold yea hee made siluer as plenteous as stones in Ierusalem and exceeded all the Kings of the earth both in riches and in wisdome Iehosophat did attaine to great prosperitie by practising these Rules 2. Chro. 17. He sought the god of his fathers deuoutly and walked in his commandements diligently euen in the waies of his forefather Dauid and therefore the Lord was with him stablished the kingdom in his hand and all Iudah brought presents vnto him so that hee had of riches and honor in aboundance Esther and Mordecai attained to riches and honor by these Rules Esth 2. 6. 8. 10. The vncle the neece both of them feared God and therfore he raised them from low degree vnto princely dignitie from pouertie aduanced them to great riches So that Esther of a poore despised maid became a famous and an honourable queene euen the wife of king Ashuerus the mightie Monarke of the Medes and Persians and Mordecai of a poore despised man was preferred to great riches and honour so that he was made second vnto the king Daniel and his three fellowes Dan. 1 3 6. commonly called the three children practised the Rules of this art They excelled in the feare of the Lord and in wisdom which floweth therefro so that of poore captiues and prisoners hee made them Princes companions they were promoted in the Prouince of Babel to high honours
me to inherit substance and I will fill their treasures The wise man Iob hath an excellent description of the worth of wisdome Iob 28.12.13.14.15.16.17.18.19.20.20.22.23.24.25.26.27.28 But where is wisdome found And where is the place of vnderstanding Man knoweth not the price thereof for it is not found in the land of the liuing The depth saith it is not in me the sea also saith it is not with me Gold shall not be giuen for it neither shall siluer be weighed for the price thereof It shall not bee valued with the wedge of gold of Ophir nor with the pretious Onyx nor the Saphir The gold nor the Crystall shall be equall vnto it nor the exchange shall be for plate of fine gold No mention shall bee made of Corall nor of the Gabish for wisedome is more pretious then pearles The Topaz of Aethiopia shal not be equall vnto it neither shall it be valued with the wedge of pure gold Behold the feare of the Lord is wisedome and to depart from euil is vnderstanding Prou. 12.14 A man shall bee satiat saith Salomon with good things by the fruit of his mouth and the recompense of a mans hands shall God giue vnto him 13.2.18 A man shall eate good things by the fruit of his mouth but the soule of the trespasser shall suffer violence 16.20 Pouertie and shame is to him that refuseth instruction but hee that regardeth correction shall be honoured 21.20 He that is wise in his businesse shall find good for in the house of the wise is a pleasant treasure and oile 15.31.32 Through wisedome is an house builded and with vnderstanding it is established and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all pretious and pleasant riches Wisd 7.11 Innumerable riches come through her hands 8.5.18 10.10.11.12 and in the works thereof are infinite riches Wisdome made Iacob rich in his labours and made his paines profitable and gaue perpetuall glory to Ioseph yea brought him the scepter of a Kingdome 4.1.2 Vertue is alwaies crowned and triumpheth and winneth the battell and the vndefiled rewards Ecclesiast 11.1 15.3.4.5.6 24.19 Wisdome saith Iesus the sonne of Syrach lifteth vp the head of him that is low and maketh him to sit among great men Finally the flowers of wisdome are the fruit of honour and riches euen the garment of glorie the crowne of gladnes and an euerlasting name Thus ye see O yee students in the art of enriching of how great moment wisedome and vnderstanding are for the attaining of riches She maketh the poore man plenteous and garnisheth the needy with wealth The man that is low she raiseth aloft she leadeth him by the hand from among the despised and placeth him among princes She lifteth vp his head and as she storeth and decoreth his heart with grace so shee crowneth his head with honour here and with happinesse hereafter It behoueth therefore euery man next after the knowledge of God and of his dutie towards him for this is the chiefe to studie and learne the vnderstanding and knowledge of that calling God hath made him to embrace Let him labour then to be wise and well seene in his owne art and occupation be more then any other and more in it then in any other The man that followeth the liberall profession of letters let him endeuour to know and comprehend the condition and constitution the marrow and the mysteries of the art science and exercise hee hath betaken himselfe to Prou. 21.1 For what wots hee but that God who hath the hearts of kings in his hand may open a doore in some kings heart for him to enter into and not onely open the doore of his hart to make the king loue him but also the doore of his head I meane his mouth to make him say of him Gen. 41.38.39 as once Pharaoh King of Aegypt said of Ioseph Can we find such a man as this in whom is the spirit of vnderstanding and wisedome Yea more then this open also his hand vnto him and make the Prince doe vnto him as Pharaoh did to Ioseph euen prefer him vnto some worthie place in the Church his Court or Common-wealth What wots the lettered man I say but that God Dan. 1.17.18.19.20 who oftentimes giueth his children fauour in the eies of kings will make it befall him as we find it did to the foure children Daniel Hananiah Mishael and Azariah to whom God gaue knowledge and vnderstanding in all learning and wisdome and fauour in King NebuchadneZZars eies So that the King disdained not to commune with them though they were but young boies who finding them ten times more cunning then all his other Wise men he began to honour them with the libertie of ordinarie accesse vnto his presence and appointed them alwaies to stand before him And as God thus opened the Kings heart to loue them and like of them more then of the other wise men who were not wise in God so afterwards he opened also the Kings hand vnto them in a more liberall and bountifull manner then vnto the other wise men For it is said 2.46.47.48.49 that the King greatly honoured Daniel and for his great knowledge made him a great man gaue him many great gifts yea he made him gouernour ouer the whole Prouince of Babel and chiefe of the Rulers and aboue all his wise men So that he sat in the gate of the King Genes 41.40.41.42.43 euen as chiefe Ruler representing the King Euen as Pharaoh set Ioseph ouer his house yea ouer all the land of Aegypt to rule ouer his rulers and to teach his wise men wisdome Likewise Daniels three fellowes were preferred by NebuchadneZZar and set ouer the Prouince of Babel vnder Daniel In one word the lettered man must labour and endeauour to be such a one as Iesus the sonne of Syrach hath painted out in these words Ecclesiasticus 39.1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11 He only that applieth his mind to the law of the most High and is occupied in the meditation thereof seeketh out the wisdome of al the ancient and exerciseth himselfe in the prophecies He keepeth the sayings of famous men and entreth in also to the secrets of darke sentences Hee seeketh out the mysterie of graue sentences and exerciseth himselfe in darke parables He shall serue among great men and appeare before the Prince hee shall trauell thorough strange countries For he hath tried the good and the euill among men He will giue his heart to resort early vnto the Lord that made him and to pray before the most high and wil open his mouth in prayer and pray for his sinnes When the great Lord will he shall be filled with the spirit of vnderstanding that he may powre out wise sentences and giue thanks vnto the Lord in his prayer Hee shall direct his counsell and knowledge so shall hee meditate in his
that shall come vpon you your riches are corrupt Iam. 5.1.2.3.4.5 and your garments are motheaten your gold and siluer is cankred and the rust of them shall bee a witnesse against you and shall eate your flesh as it were fire Ye haue heaped vp treasure to wit by violent oppression cruell extortion vsury and vnrighteous detention for the last daies yee haue withholden the hire of the labourers yee haue liued in pleasure on the earth and in wantonnesse yee haue nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter yee haue condemned and killed the iust and hee hath not resisted you Finallie the blessed Apostle Paul exhorteth 1. Thes 4.6 that no man oppresse or defraud his brother in any matter for the Lord is the auenger of all such things Hee will bee auenged on all oppressours Godspoilers Church-robbers extortioners bribers vniust detainers and all such violent men Prou. 4.17 that as Salomon speaketh eate the bread of wickednesse and drinke the wine of violence and chiefly vpon all peruerters of equitie iustice and iudgement Euen vpon such as imagine iniquitie vpon their beds and eate the bread of iniquitie at their bords and speake and practise iniquitie at the barre and in the seate of iudgement In a word the great Law-giuer and Iudge of the world will bee auenged on all lawlesse Lawyers on all peruerse pleaders and proctors and on all vniust Iudges And therefore let all such folkes as are excised and emploied about lawes iustice and iudgement perswade themselues of this that the time shall come when a day of law shall hold when all their tricks and entanglements their niceties and their nets their deceits and their delaies their bribing and their biting their negligence in following and furthering a good cause and their diligence in an euill And finallie their deceitfull collusions and vnlawfull conclusions shall bee laid open before men and Angels Then they shall bee all tongue-tied and shall not haue so much as one word to answere or pleade for themselues No though all the subtiltie policie craft and eloquence of all the Lawyers and Iudges of the world were to bee found in any one such man yet shall hee not haue so much as one word to vtter in his owne defence God shall intend processe against him the Angels both good and bad shall pleade against him so shall good and holie men and that which is more his owne conscience shall accuse him yea his owne tongue shall condemne him So that it may bee well said that as a iust Iudge is a visible god so is an vniust Iudge a visible diuell And as an vpright Lawyer is an earthlie Saint so is an vnrighteous Aduocate Pleader Proctour or Atturney worse then an hereticke For the hereticke sinneth most part of ignorance where as the vnrighteous and deceitfull Lawyer sinneth against his knowledge both wittinglie and willinglie For although hee know his parties cause to bee euill yet benefit and gaine will make him to say that it is good and his aduersaries cause which hee knoweth to bee good the same gaine will make him to say that it is euill In which doing they make themselues obnoxious vnto that fearefull woe pronounced by the Lord and his holie seruant Isaiah Isai 5.18.19.20.23 Woe vnto them that draw iniquitie with cordes of vanitie and sinne as with cartropes Woe vnto them that speake good of euill and euill of good which put darkenesse for light and light for darkenesse that put bitter for sweete and sweet for soure which iustifie the wicked for a reward and take away the right of the vpright or righteous man from him Amos 5.7 Woe vnto them that decree wicked decrees and write grieuous things As if he should say such Iudges as turne iudgement into gall and such Lawyers as turne the fruit of righteousnesse into wormewood shall one day know what it is to peruert iustice equitie and iudgement what it is to call euill good and good euill what it is to make right wrong and wrong right Their delight was in turning of things one into another and therefore their plague shall bee conformable to the nature of their trespasse They turned good into euill and sweete into sowre and therefore shall God turne their sweete wine into waters of gall Ierem. 8.14 9.15 23.15 Iob 20.16 and their daintie cheere and pleasant bread into wormewood they shall sucke the gall of Aspes and the old Serpents tongue shall slay them Isai 66.24 for their worme shall not die neither shall their fire bee quenched Iob 15.33.34.35 God shall destroy them as the vine her sowre grapes and shall cast them off as the oliue doth her floure For the congregation of the hypocrite shall be desolate and fire shall deuoure the houses of bribes For they conceiue mischiefe and bring foorth vanitie and their bellie hath prepared deceit That is their bellie hath made them deceiuers and double dealers and peruerters of equitie and right euen belli-gods who for the loue of their bellie care not a pin to displease God 20.12.13.14.15.23.26 And because wickednesse was sweet in their mouth and they hid it vnder their tongue and fauoured it and would not forsake it but keepe it close in their mouth therefore God saith the holie man shall turne their meate in their bellie into the gall of Aspes yea the substance they haue deuoured God shall draw it out of their bellie So that when they shall bee about to fill their bellie with meate gotten by peruerting of equitie by vnrighteous pleading and vniust iudgement God shall send vpon them his fierce wrath and shall cause to raine vpon them euen vpon their meate yea the fire that is not blowne shall deuoure them and their bellie both and that which remaineth in their Tabernacle shal bee destroyed And therefore let mee say vnto euery student in this Art that which Salomon saith Prou. 2.20.21.22 Walke thou in the way of good men and keepe the waies of the righteous For the iust shall dwell in the land and the vpright men shall remaine in it but the wicked shall bee cut off from the earth and the transgressour shall bee rooted out of it V. Rule The poore man must not purchase goods nor the rich man increase his goods alreadie gotten by vsing of vsurie or false weights by keeping of pledges or hording vp of corne to a more deare time and by ouerprising of wares by keeping or holding of whore-houses by sinfull playing and gaining nor yet by cosening cogging deceiuing and lying for all such wealth of vanitie will soone vanish Probation and declaration Exod. 22.25.26.27 Deut. 24.12.13 IF thou lend money to my people saith the Lord by Moses that is to the poore with thee thou shalt not be as an vsurer vnto him yee shall not grieue him with vsurie If thou take thy neighbours raiment to pledge thou shalt restore it vnto him before the Sunne goe downe for
that is his couering onely and this is his garment for his skinne wherein shall he sleepe Therefore when he crieth vnto mee I will heare him for I am mercifull Thou shalt not sleepe with the poore bodies pledge but shall restore it when the Sunne goeth downe that he may sleepe in his raiment and blesse thee and it shall be righteousnesse vnto thee before the Lord thy God Whē thou sellest ought to thy neighbor or buiest at thy neighbours hands ye shal not oppresse one another That is neither must the seller take occasion of the buyers need to ouerprise his wares aboue the iust value neither must the buyer take aduantage of the sellers present necessitie and so giue him much lesse then it is worth Leuit. 25.36.37 If thy brother bee impouerished and fallen in decay with thee thou shall relieue him thou shalt take no vsurie of him nor vantage thou shalt not giue him thy money to vsurie nor lend him thy victuals for increase There shal be no whore of the daughters of Israel neither shal there be a whore-keeper of the sonnes of Israel Deut. 23.17.18.19.20 Thou shalt neither bring the hire of a whore nor the price of a dog into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow for euen both these are abomination vnto the Lord thy God Thou shalt not giue to vsury to thy brother as vsurie of money vsurie of meat vsurie of any thing that is put to vsurie thou shalt not lend vpon vsurie vnto thy brother that the Lord thy God may blesse thee in all that thou settest thine hand to Leuit. 9.3 Yee shall haue iust balances true weights a true Ephah and a true hin Thou shalt not haue in thy bag two manner of waights a great and a small Deut. 25.13.14.15 Neither shalt thou haue in thine house diuers measures a great and a small but thou shalt haue a right and a iust weight a perfit and a iust measure shalt thou haue that thy daies may bee lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee Hee that giueth not his money to vsurie saith the Prophet Dauid nor taketh reward against the innocent Psalm 15.5 Prou. 12.27 shal neuer be moued The deceitful man saith Salomon rosteth not that hee tooke in hunting 21.6 The gathering of treasures by a deceitfull tongue is vanitie tossed to and fro of them that seeke death 13.11 The riches of vanitie shall diminish but he that gathereth with the hand that is with his handie labour and by his vertuous industrie shall increase them 10.2.3 The Lord will not famish the soule of the righteous but hee casteth away the substance of the wicked 19.15 and a deceitfull person shall bee famished 20.17 The bread of deceit is sweet to a man but afterwards his mouth is filled with grauell 19.22 28.6.8 A poore man is better then a liar Hee that increaseth his riches by vsurie and interest gathereth them for him that wil be mercifull vnto the poore 11.1 Diuers weights and diuers measures are both of them abomination vnto the Lord 16.11 20.10.23 deceitfull balances are not good but a true weight and balance are of the Lord and a perfit waight pleaseth him 21.17 11.27 Hee that loueth pastime and play shall bee a poore man Hee that withdraweth the corne the people will curse him but blessing shall be vpon the head of him that selleth corne The Prophet Ieremie complaineth of the people of the Iewes and amongst other things of this Ierem. 9.3.4.5.6.7.8.9 that they did bend their tongues like bowes for lies that euery brother did vse deceit and euerie friend did deale deceitfully that they taught their tongues to speake lies so that their habitation was in the middest of deceiuers Shal I not visit them for these things saith the Lord Or shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this 17 1◠As the Partrich gathereth the yong which she hath not brought foorth so hee that getteth riches and not by right shall leaue them in the middest of his daies and at his end shall be a foole Heare this Amos 8.4.5.6.7.8 saith the Prophet Amos O yee that swallow vp the poore that ye may make the needie of the land to faile saying When will the new moone bee gone that wee may sell the corne and the Sabbath that we may set foorth wheate and make the Ephah small and the shekel great and falsifie the weights by deceit that we may buy the poore for siluer and the needie for shooes yea and sell the refuse of the wheate The Lord hath sworne by the excellencie of Iacob surely I will neuer forget any of their workes Shall not the land tremble for this and euerie one mourne that dwelleth therein Micah 6.9.10.11.12.13.14.15 The Lords voice saith the Prophet Micah crieth vnto the citie and the man of wisdome shall see thy name heare the rod and who hath appointed it Are yet the treasures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked and the skant measure that is abominable Shall I iustifie the wicked balances and the bag of deceitfull weights For the rich men thereof are full of crueltie and the inhabitants thereof haue spoken lies and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee and in making thee desolate because of thy sinnes Thou shalt eate and not be satisfied and thy casting downe shall be in the middest of thee and thou shalt take hold but not deliuer and that which thou deliuerest will I giue vp to the sword Thou shalt sow but not reape Thou shalt tread the oliues but thou shalt not annoint thee with oile make sweet wine but shalt not drinke thereof Matth. 7.2.12 Mark 4.24 Luke 6.31.38 And our Sauiour commandeth to giue a good measure pressed downe shaken together and running ouer for with what measure ye mete with the same shall men mete to you againe And whatsoeuer we would that men should doe to vs euen so must we doe to them Now no man would willinglie that another man should oppresse rob extort bribe spoile cosen deceiue indamage hurt or impouerish him by violence deceit briberie vsurie exorbitant gaine or yet by gaine and therefore according to our Sauiours rule No man ought to hurt or indamage another man by any of the foresaid waies For that which a man would not haue done to himselfe he ought not to doe it to another and as hee would that men should doe to him so let him doe to them likewise for this is the Law and the Prophets saith our Sauiour As for vsurie as it crosseth the law of nature which suffereth nothing to be emptie for we see and find that the aire which naturallie ascendeth will rather descend into the hollowest places of the earth to fill them then
the great Bishop of our soules can serue God and riches And it is to such seruers and immoderate louers of riches 6.24.25 that he saith Woe bee to you that are rich for ye haue receiued your consolation Woe be to you that are full for yee shall hunger Finally it is chiefly of such as trust in their riches and serue them and loue them more then God or their poore brethren Mat. 19.23 24. that our Sauiour giueth out this verdict Verily I say vnto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of heauen yea I say vnto you againe Marke 11.23 Luke 12.5 18.24 it is easier for a Camell or a Cable-rope to go through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God Wherefore take heede and beware of couetousnesse saith our Sauiour for though a man haue aboundance yet his life standeth not in his riches VIII Rule The man that would procure Gods blessing for the augmentation and conseruation of his store both to himselfe to his posterity must shew himselfe thankful to God in blessing praising him for his benefites and in giuing vnto God that which is Gods to wit first fruites tithes vnto his Friests and likewise in giuing vnto Caesar that which is Caesars That is to say he must giue vnto the prince but chiefly if he be a Christian Prince as being Gods great Minister and Deputy for the good gouernment of his people be they Ecclesiasticall or secular persons a proportionable proportion of his goods tribute subsidie whensoeuer he standeth in need And this ought each one to do with all possible good will readinesse and cheerfulnes of mind without grudging resisting and rebelling loue we our wealth neuer so well Probation and Declaration VVHen thou hast eaten and filled thy selfe saith Moses Deut. 8.10 15 12 13 14. thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath giuen thee beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God least when thou hast eaten and filled thy selfe and hast builded goodly houses and dwelt therein and thy beasts and thy sheepe are increased and thy siluer and gold is multiplyed and all that thou hast is encreased then thine heart be lifted vp Prou. 3.9.10 Honour the Lord with thy riches saith Salomon and with the first fruits of all thine increase so shall thy barnes bee filled with aboundance and thy presse shall burst with new wine Aboue all things saith Iesus the sonne of Sirach giue thankes vnto him that hath made thee Eccles 32.14 7.29.30 and replenished thee with his goods Feare the Lord with all thy soule and honor his Ministers Loue him that made thee with all thy strength and forsake not his seruants Exod. 22.28.29 Thou shalt not speake euill of the ruler of thy people saith the Lord by his seruant Moses thine aboundance and thy liquor shalt thou not keepe backe Whereby we are giuen to vnderstand that we must not thinke or speake vnreuerently of the Prince for crauing of subsidie or requiring of tribute neither must wee deny him or keepe backe from him a part and portion of our store if he stand in need therof or require it at our hands as also we must beware least by our murmuring against the Ruler wee doe procure vnto our selues at Gods hands the diminution of our aboundance and store Math 22.17.21 17.24 25 26.27 And therefore our Sauiour being asked concerning the paying of tribute to Caesar answered thus Giue vnto Caesar the things which are Caesars and vnto God the things which are Gods Luk. 20 21 22 23 24 25. Likewise the holy Apostle exhorteth men to all dutifulnesse and obedience in the behalfe of Princes Rom. 13 1.5.6.7 Let euery soule saith hee be subiect vnto the higher powers not because of wrath onely but also for conscience sake For this cause saith he yee pay also tribute for they are Gods ministers applying themselues for the same thing Giue therefore to all men their dutie tribute to whom yee owe tribute custome to whom custome feare to whom feare honor to whom ye owe honor He also enioyneth Titus the first Bishop of Crete Tit. 3.1 2. to put the people in remembrance that they should bee subiect to the principalities and powers and that they bee obedient and ready to euery good worke And truly if it be a good worke for the brother to relieue the brother in his neede with a portion of his goods it cannot but be a farre better worke for the children to releiue the parent in his neede Now the Prince is the parent of the patrie and the great and common father of this great family the subiects are the Princes children and therefore they are bound to impart vnto him a part and portion of their goods when as his neede presseth him to require the same at their hands And the Apostle telling vs that Princes are Gods Ministers in the very leuying and taking of tribute doth teach vs that when we pay tribute vnto Princes or affoord them any such furtherance subsidie or reliefe that we doe it not so much vnto them as vnto God himselfe For what good office soeuer we performe at any time vnto Gods Ministers but chiefly to his chiefe Minister that hee doth repute as done vnto himselfe And therefore wee ought to obey the Prince in this duty as in all other not onely for feare of his anger and indignation but also for the conscience we must make of our Christian vocation and subiectionall condition 1 Pet. 2.17 Feare God honor the King saith the blessed Apostle S. Peter An exhortation worthy of all Bishops Prelates and Patriarkes to whom it doth belong especially to exhort perswade and encourage the subiects of all Christistian Kings to loialty reuerence obedience in their behalfe Wee must honor the Prince in the worthy and reuerent opinion of our minds in the respectfull and dutifull speeches of our mouthes in the submisse and humble gesture of our bodies and lastly Prou. 3.9 10. Exod. 22.8 Psal 82.1.6 Ioh. 10.34.35 as we must honor God with our riches and the oblations of our handes so must wee likewise them whom God hath called Gods to wit godly Princes whom when as wee honour with our riches in giuing them cheerefully a portion for their honourable prouision then wee honour God himselfe with our riches as Salomon exhorteth all men to doe that would haue God to blesse them with aboundance And truly if wee would bee loath to let God want if hee were subiect to want in his owne person as man is then ought wee likewise bee loath to let the Prince want who representeth God and therefore is called God to teach vs that what wee bestow vpon him we offer vnto God and in whose person God oftentimes carrieth himselfe as one that wanteth and standeth in neede of our helpe And if wee
fruits and tythes vnto Gods priests are perpetuall to wit that the Ministers of God may bee maintained and not forsaken but more and more encouraged in the seruice of God that God may be honoured with our riches and acknowledged to bee our great Land-lord and good-lord that we may learne to feare the Lord and that he may blesse vs in all the workes of our hands that so our store may be encreased and our barnes filled with aboundance Are not Christians Gods tenants farmers and vassals as well as were the Iewes and doe we not hold all that we haue of God as well as they and are we not bound to pay our annuall rents vnto God as duely and truely as they and what reason haue Christians to forsake their ministers more then the Iewes had and doe not the one deserue as well to be liberally maintained and encouraged in their worke as the other and haue not Christians as great cause to learne to feare God as had the Iewes Finally doe not Christians desire as earnestly as the Iewes did to bee blessed in the workes of their hands and in the increase of their store Wherefore it followeth necessarily that we Christians must not pretend any exemption from paying of tythes and first fruits more then did the Iewes XI The holy Scriptures set downe the paying of these yearely Church-rents amongst morall duties and accounteth of Sacriledge not as if it were the meere transgression of a ceremoniall ordinance but euen the violation of a morall law Will a man spoyle his gods Malach. 3.8 saith the Lord God by his Prophet Malachie yet ye haue spoyled me in tithes and in offerings Prou. 3.9 10. 20.25 Honor the Lord saith Salomon with thy riches and with the first fruits of all thine encrease so shall thy barnes bee filled with aboundance and thy presse shall burst with new wine But it is a destruction for a man to deuoure that which is sanctified meaning that the man who wil not honor God with first fruits and tythes but doth deuoure the holy things and committeth sacriledge bringeth destruction vpon himselfe his soule his body his goods and his house Rom. 2 2â— Thou that sayest a man should not commit adulterie breakest thou wedlocke saith the holy Apostle and thou that abhorrest idols doest thou commit sacriledge as if hee should say thou that detestest the honouring of a false god wilt thou neuerthelesse spoyle and dishonour the true God Whereby wee are giuen to vnderstand that sacriledge is not onely a transgression of the morall law but that it is euen a double sinne compounded of robberie and idolatrie and consequently a more detestable and abhominable euill then idolatrie it selfe Leuit. 18.21 20.2 2. King 23.10 16.3 17 17. Ierem. 7.31 For the idolater with his heart his body and substance yea sometimes with the blood of his deerest children honoureth a false god yet thinking that it is the true God indeed he doth thus worship wheras the sacrilegious god-spoyler robbeth the true God of his owne The idolater is carefull to worship some god but the god-spoyler careth for no god at all a false god hee doth not know and the true God he will not acknowledge The idolater beeing misse-led with an erroneous opinion maketh taketh that to be God which is not God that is ignorantly of an idol hee maketh God whereas the sacrilegious god-spoyler malitiously euen wittingly and willingly of the true God maketh no god at all but a meere idol otherwise he durst not be so bold as to rob him of his right For it is an infallible maxime That a man wil neuer rob or spoyle him whom hee loueth honoureth or feareth 1. Tim. 5.17.18 XII The maintenance of the ministerie is very diligently recommended vnto Christians by the holy Apostle The Priests saith hee that rule well are worthy of double honour specially they which labour in the word and doctrine for the Scripture saith thou shalt not mousle the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne 1. Cor. 9.7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. and the labourer is worthy of his wages Who goeth a warfare any time at his owne cost who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof or who feedeth a flocke and eateth not of the milke of the flocke say I these things according to man sayeth not the law the same also for it is written in the law of Moses Thou shalt not musle the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne Doth God take care for oxen either saith he it not altogether for our sakes for our sakes no doubt it is written that he which eareth should eare in hope that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope If we haue sowen vnto you spiritual things it is a great thing if we reape your carnall things doe ye not knowe that they which minister about the holy things eate of the things of the temple and they which waite at the altar are partakers with the altar So also hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should liue of the Gospel Now who is he that can say from his heart that to liue of the Gospel is to liue of begging and of popular beneuolences and not rather of hauing by way of iustice the tenthes of the goods of them to whom they preach the Gospel Except we meane to make the condition of liuing by the Gospel inferiour vnto the condition of liuing by the legall sacrifices And it is to bee noted that the holy Apostle prooueth euen by the law of Moses the right that the Ministers of the Gospel haue vnto our carnall things and that vnto such carnall things as both Moses doth prescribe in his lawe and the Apostle himselfe doth mention entreating of this matter comprehending them vnder these two kinds the fruits of the field and the flocks of the fold Wherby it is more then apparant that the Apostle meaned that the perpetuall maintenance allotted vnto the legall priests in first fruits and tythes by the Lawe of Moses was due vnto the priests and ministers of the Gospel after the ceasing and abolishing of the other And that as the Gospel of Christ hath succeeded into the roome of the law of Moses Heb 7.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 17 26. and the Euangelicall priesthood into the place of the Legall priesthood euen the renued order of Melchisedecke into the roome of the abolished order of Aaron so haue the priests of the one order succeeded vnto the maintenance of the other euen the inferiour priests of Melchisedecks renued order vnder their high priest Christ Iesus vnto the patrimonie and prouision of the inferiour priests of Aarons abolished order For as I said before the law of maintenance is perpetuall and common to the priests of both orders though the law of the priesthood bee but temporall and changeable And as for such
all the world but in Israel Now therefore I pray thee take a blessing of thy seruant And the Prophet hauing refused his reward Naaman said shall there not bee giuen to thy seruant as much of this earth as two Mules may beare for thy seruant will henceforth offer neither burnt sacrifice nor offering vnto any other God saue vnto the Lord. Herein the Lord be mercifull vnto thy seruant that when my maister goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there leaneth on mine hand and I bow my selfe in the house of Rimmon when I do bow downe I say in the house of Rimmon the Lord be merciful vnto thy seruant in this point Thus wee see how that this great and mightie man called himselfe at euery word the seruant of Gods seruant yea moreouer he bare him such honour that when as hee saw Gehezi the seruant of Elisha running after him he lighted downe from his Chariot to meete him and said Is all well Thus wee see how good and godly men and women as well the rich as the poore and as well the noble as the ignoble haue honored the seruants of God and the Gouernors of his Church and called them Lords And yet this is not all the honor the Spirit of God giueth them in the holy Scripture 2 Chron. 17.7 Psal 45.9.13 16. For the Prophet Dauid as he speaking of the future glory of the Catholicke Church vnder Christ the head thereof saith thus The Kings daughter is all glorious within her clothing is of broydred gold Shee shall bee brought vnto the King in raiment of needle-work so prophecying of the future splendour dignitie of the fathers and gouernours of the Church hee vseth these words In stead of thy fathers shall thy children be thou shalt make them Princes through all the earth meaning that of the children of the Church should be chosen such as should bee Fathers and Rulers of the Church as Patriarkes Archbishops and Bishops which should bee honored throughout the whole Christian world as Lords and Princes for the holy Prophet as hee describeth typically Christ as the King of the Catholike Church and none but he to bee King and the Church as the Queene and Spouse of this King so doth hee signifie vnto vs that the Princes of this King and kingdome are the Rulers and Gouernours of the Church aboue named which of children of the Church should be made Fathers of the Church and should be honored as Princes through all the earth for wee must not imagine that the kingdome of Christ is to bee included within the walles and circuite of one Citie whether Rome Ierusalem Geneua or Amsterdam nor yet within the compasse of some three or foure kingdomes but wee must beleeue that the Church of Christ is of farre more ample and spacious bounds then so Psal 45 27. All the ends of the world shall remember themselues saith the Prophet Dauid and turne to the Lord. And all the kindreds of the Nations shall worship before thee 2.8 Aske of mee saith the eternall father to the sonne and I shall giue thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy possession his dominion shall bee from sea to sea 72.8.11 and from the riuer vnto the ends of the land yea all kings shall worship him all nations serue him But to passe ouer this matter of the large extent of the Catholick Church and to returne to the honour the people owe vnto her gouernours we reade what was the demeanour of the Iayler toward Saint Paul and Silas being prisoners Acts 16.24.25 to 34. whose hands and feet the Lord loosed as also opened the doores of the prison by the meanes of a mighty earth-quake so that the Iayler came trembling and fell downe before Paul and Silas and brought them out and said Sirs or as the word in the originall also importeth my Lords what must I doe to be saued And they said beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt bee saued and thine houshold And they preached vnto him the word of the Lord and to all that were in his house and when he had brought them into his house and had washed the stripes and wounds of their bodies and likewise they the spirituall stripes and wounds of the soules of him and his houshold by baptisme hee set meate before them and reioyced that hee with all his houshold beleeued in God Lastly Reuel 1.11.19.20 11.8.12.18 3.1.7.14 Saint Iohn writing to the Bishops of the seuen Churches of Asia calleth them by the name of seuen Angels or rather our Sauiour and Soueraigne himselfe calleth them so who also expoundeth the seuen starres to bee the Angels of the seuen Churches and biddeth him write vnto the Angell of the Church of Ephesus thus and vnto the Angell of the Church of the Smyrnians thus and so vnto the other Angels of the other Churches Where note that although that in euery one of these Churches were more Ministers then one yea there was many in euery one of them and namely in Ephesus as is more then cleare by the tenour of Saint Pauls Epistle to Timothie 1 Tim. 13.4 3.1.2 the first Bishop of Ephesus yet the name of Angell is by the spirit of God the mouth of Christ and the penne of the Apostle appropriated vnto onely one of the Ministers of the foresaid Churches euen vnto him who was Bishop amongst them And as the foure and twentie Elders glorifie Christ for making them Kings and Priests vnto God so the holy Apostle and Prophet Saint Iohn Reuel 5.10 Reuel 1.4.5.6 writing vnto the said seuen Angels or Bishops of the said seuen Churches in his salutation ascribeth all glory and dominion to Iesus Christ the Prince of the Kings of the earth who saith he hath made vs Kings and Priestes vnto God the Father And thus haue I verified mine assertion that the holy Scripture honoreth the Gouernors Rulers of the Church with the honourable Titles and names of Fathers Lords Princes Kings and Angels And therefore let no man thinke that I haue said too much for yet I could say more and yet no more then the word of God doth warrant me to say And therefore I wish all vs Lay-men to think that it is not the peaceable spirit of Gods Church but the popular perturbing spirit of Amsterdam or some such other respectlesse priuate spirit that moueth men to dislike of the giuing of honourable titles to the Gouernors and Prelates of the Church But as the example of Cornelius his demeanour in the presence of the great Apostle doth teach vs Lay-men humility and reuerence in the behalfe of Gods Ministers so doth the example of the modest demeanour of the first of the Apostles in the behalfe of godly Cornelius teach all Pastours and Prelates all Patriarks Archbishops and Bishops to shew and Practise all Christian modestie in the peoples behalfe by letting them
may be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters that couer the sea that the wolfe may dwell with the lamb the leopard may lie with the kid and that there may bee no more destruction or contention amongst Christians in the mountaine of thine holinesse Come God of peace we pray according to thy promise and turne to thy people a pure language that they may all call vpon the name of the Lord with one consent Nabal was an irregular rich man destitute of the feare of the Lord couetous churlish il-conditioned The wretch would not releeue the necessities of worthy Dauid and his distressed seruants In reuenge whereof the Lord smote the couetous churles heart with amasement and feare so that about 10 daies after that he died I wish all rich subiects should beware of Nabals niggardlines that they no wise refuse or repine grudgingly to impart a part of their wealth to Dauid that is to the prince when he standeth in need thereof and requireth their supply And therefore let them alwaies remember how that the Lord punished the churlish and couetous refusall of niggardly Nabal both by bereauing him of his goods of his life at once Besides that a good part of his wealth fell presently thereafter into the hands of godly and bountifull Dauid by the means of Nabals widow the vertuous and wise Abigail whom he tooke to wife 1. King 21. 22 2. King 9 Achab and Iesabel were both of them irregulars in the way of enriching both of them were void of Gods feare and vniust for they would needes haue Naboths vineyard by cruell violence and tyranicall oppression But God to whom it is proper to chastise kings and to punish princes was auenged of them for their idolatrie and tyrany Hee gaue the blood of Achab to the dogges to licke and the flesh of Iesabel to the dogges to deuoure and her carkasse though shee was a Kings daughter a kings wife was made as dongue vpon the ground in the field of Isreel so that none could say this is the faire painted Iezabel And this example teacheth Kings and Queenes to subiect themselues vnto Gods lawes howsoeuer they bee aboue their owne And therefore they as well as other men are bound to practise the Rules of this Art which is gathered out of Gods word if they would get gather or increase goods with a good conscience If they doe otherwise God who is the great Schoole-maister and scourger of Kings will vndoubtedly punish them for their tyrany cruelty or oppression when and in what manner hee thinketh good Gehezi the seruant of Elisha the man of God 2 King 2 20.21.22.23 24.25.26 27. was an irregular in the way of Enriching for hee seeing that his maister had not receiued the reward that Naaman the Syrian had brought him after that hee was cleansed of his leprosie hee followed speedily after him and asked of him in the name of his maister a Talent of siluer and two change of garments who gaue him more then he asked euen the two change of garments together with the two Talents which hee bound in two bagges and gaue them to two of his seruants that they might beare them before him But when he came home and stood before his maister Elisha said vnto him Whence commest thou Gehezi And he said Thy seruant went no whither To whom hee replied Went not mine heart with thee when the man turned againe from his chariot to meet thee Is this a time to take money to receiue garments oliues vineyards and sheep and oxen men seruants and maide seruants The Leprosie therfore of Naaman shall cleaue vnto thee and to thy seed for euer And he went out from his presence a Leaper as white as snow How detestable a thing is it then in the seruants of God to haue couetous mindes Luk. 12.16.17.18.19.20 16.19 20.21.22.23 Diues the rich glutton was an irregular rich man his soule was hunger-bit and bare in the meane while that his backe was clothed with purple and fine linnen and his belly fed euery day with dainty and delicate dishes like that other rich man whose ground brought forth fruites aboundantly so that hee had scarcely roome enough to lay vp his fruits till hee pulled downe his barnes and builded greater and in the meane time the belly-god saith to his barren soule Soule thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeares liue at ease eate drinke and take thy pastime The wretch had much goods for his body but little goodnesse and no godlinesse at all in his soule For hee was so vncharitable that hee would not vouchsafe so much as the very crummes of his Table to refresh poore Lazarus who was layed at his gate full of soares No the little dogs were more pittifull kind in the poore mans behalfe then this vnnatural mastie the miserable maister of these dogs was for they came licked the poore mans soares and so gaue him some ease Prou. 6.6 Had Salomon seene this sight who sendeth the sluggard to the Pismire to learne of her wisdome and diligence in gathering of meate no doubt but hee would haue sent this mercilesse rich glutton to learne of his dogges pitty and compassion in giuing to the poore a part of his meate Go to the Pismire O sluggard saith he to the sluggard behold her waies and bee wise learne of her to gather thy meate in due season Go to thy dogges thou rich glutton behold their wayes and learne of them to pitty the poore for they licke his soares with their tongues and yet thou canst not finde in thine heart to refresh him with the crums that fall from thy table But looke to the end it was as easie for these little dogges to enter into the kingdome of heauen as for this vnnaturall monster-masties soule Ere it was long his barren soule was fetched out of the beastly abode of his body and his body that had so much dainty meate to feede on and so many suites of costly apparrell to put on had no longer leisure to enioy so much goods Behold the body that did feede vpon so much good meate was by and by in a grauie earthen dish set before the wormes of the earth to feed on and the soule that had so much goods and so little goodnesse was carried into hell fire where there is no good thing at all to be had no not so much as a droppe of cold water to coole the burning heate of the tippe of his tongue which in this life had not so much goodnesse in it as was in the tongue of his dogges wheras Lazarus soule was carried into blessed Abrahams bosome I wish then that this voice should sound at all meales in rich mens eares least they bee made partakers of this rich mans anguish and end When Diues hath dined let Lazarus haue the crummes Math. 26.6.7 8.9 10.14.15 Mark 14.3 4 5 6 7 8