the dsposition of the partie this is ambitious and vaineglorious vanity which poisoneth all euen our best â—â—â—ons And herein they are not like the builders of Babel who â—â—â—ld make a tower whose top should reach to heauen and onely 〈◊〉 get a name but because they vndertake that in the pride of their heart which is aboue their reach therefore they must looke that Babel that is to say confusion shall fall vpon their heads But this is our comfort that God hath geuen to his children such grace as they will neuer let it raigne in them but will alwaies beate it downe and kepe it vnder that they may say as Dauid said By this I know O Lord that thou louest me because my enemie doth not triumph against me So by this Gods children do know that God doth loue them not because vainglorie doth neuer trouble them but because this enemie of ambition doth not triumph against them The Philosophers are woÌ„t to say Gloria calcar habet that is they account vainglorie a spurre and a pricke to help forward a sharpe witte and so do our profane professors think it a good thing too that it be done wisely and handsomly as 〈◊〉 manner of some men is to dispraise the gâ—â—d giftes and graces of God in themselue◠〈◊〉 purpose onely to heare other men praise â—â—â—m and commend them and this is a prettie kind of seeking after ambition and vanitie It is a good thing I confesse for men to see soberly and modestly what gifts God hath bestowed vpon them but to giue the glorie to God and see that we seeing the mercies of God in vs may with sobrietie and modestie bee stirred vp to vse the giftes and graces of God in vs to the glorie of God The 2. sin with which Suerties are ouertaken is rashnesse that is when wee promise for him that we know not and rashnesse commeth of ambitioÌ„ for ambition is the root of rashnesse therefore when we haue done any thing rashly let vs suspect that ambition went before Therefore to escape this rocke of mischiefe Salomons counsel is to be folowed Ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy waies he ordered aright for a good man is mercifull and lendeth saith Dauid but therewith he addeth that he ordereth al his affaires iudgement and deliberation to teach vs that all things done rashly and vaingloriously are euer out of order because discretion is wanting which should marshall them and set them in order where there is no order in our dealinges what can wee looke for but confusion in the ende Now let vs see brieflie how men in ancient time became Suerties one for an other It appeareth in the wordes of the Text that they did but strike handes together and giue their word one to another whereby they were so snared that they could not breake their bondes Such was the simplicitie of ancient times in making of bargaines which practice bewraieth the notable trecherie of our time which is such that no bond or writing is so sure for most men now as the touching of the hand or speaking the word was then Men think that fraud doth so ouerflow that the caÌ„not vse too many words in their bonds and bargaines And on the contrarie side they thinke that fraud lyeth and lurketh in multitude of words and that they be fit matter for wrangling heads to worke vppon And yet as men do sweare much because one man wil not trust another so in bargaining men do vse manie words because one man doth vse to deceaue another Whatsoeuer is added in communication saith the Lord Iesus more then yea and nay is of the Deuill So in bargaining whatsoeuer is vrged more then a mans promise it doth shew that there is falshood and deceite in the world It was most for the Centurions credit when he said to Christ Lord trouble not thy selfe to come home vnto me only speake the word and my seruant shal be whole So likewise this would make most for the credit of Christians if we could say one to another trouble not your selfe for bondes making c. Onely speake the word and I do beleeue you But deceit delighteth in multitude of wordes and starting holes when truth seeketh no corners like Balaam whose false heart sought for a bribe therfore he must haue seuen alters built here seuen more built there and vpon euery alter must be offred forsooth a bullock and a ramme and partly to couer his owne hipocrisie and partly to deliuer the king of Moab as Monkes and Friers deluded men in poperie wheras indeed he knew before how the matter stood Furthermore in the Text it is said that the Suertie was taken and snared with the wordes of his mouth Now wordes are counted but wind and men will aske what haue you to shew for it c. but wordes are bondes and snares that men cannot vntie and Salomon noteth that a man is taken with the wordes of his mouth as sure as with an obligation that he cannot breake it without trecherie by which we may perceiue that God seeth all our wordes and will call vs to reckoning for them Againe some will say it is no howling among Wolues he is a cosoner c. he beguiled me with deceit and therefore I will meet with him let him get it how he can c. so because fraud is driuen out with fraud they thinke themselues discharged But here Gods spirit meeteth with such fellowes for because thou wert ambitious or rash not so circumspect as thou shouldest haue bene And forasmuch as the follie of thine owne mouth hath entangled thee therefore thou must stand to it If he had lied vnto thee and so deceaued thee the law would haue helped thee In other sinnes we are readie to lay the fault vpon others as Adam did but now it will not be thou art holden with the cordes of thine owne sinne for howsoeuer others did entice thee thou hast lurking sinnes in thine owne heart which Dauid called his secret sinnes If we were so precise and strict as we ought to bee in all our waies none could deceaue vs for no man is hurt but of himselfe and as Saint Paul saith euerie man is tempted when hee is drawen away and entised by his owne concupiscence It is impossible that the secret thoughtes of another should hurt vs as wee thinke no man maketh a snare for him selfe and whatsoeuer euill is in vs it commeth from our owne heart Therefore it is in vain for men to traÌ„sferre their sinnes vnto others and say this and that c. but know that thine own sinne hath brought thee to that that thou art come vnto Thou art snared with the words of thine owne mouth and so much brieflie of the simplicitie which was vsed in ancient time in bargenning and becomming of Suertie one for another as also the trecherie of our time because no man will trust another Now let
and looketh with a wry mouth But yet they do obiect and say that by the rule of charitie one man ought to beleeue another vpō his word and charitie is not suspitious and the Apostle saith that loue thinketh no euil but iudgeth the best and hopeth the best therfore if one promise payment or if one promise appearance by a day or if one promise amendement of his fault we ought to beleeue him without any further bōds or Suerties And if we do not it is a signe that we suspect his credite or his honestie or that he will not do as he said but will breake promise so deceiue vs and if we thinke so of him then we iudge vncharitably of him for charitie is not suspitious Now for an answer this I say First as charitie is not suspitious without cause so charitie is not blockish and foolish whē there is cause but doth and may learne to iudge of one thing by another Our Sauiour Christ would not commit himselfe vnto the Iewes because he knew what was in mā shall we therefore say that our Sauiour Christ brake the rule of charitie so whē we know what is in men we shall not breake the rule of charitie though we do not commit our selues to the curtesie of all men without the vse of some honest meanes for our safetie Now that which he knew was by his diuine knowledge without any signe or token for he was God and knew the hearts of all men and therefore it is said he needed not that any man should testifie of man for he knew what was in man but he hath taught vs to iudge the tree by the frutes that is to know what is in mā by his wordes and his deedes Secondly I answere that charitie is not suspitious but yet charitie worketh by ordinarie meanes and iudgeth according to the working of meanes when one seeth a smoke he suspecteth presently that there is fire but what saith the Lord Can the blacke more chāge his skinne and the Leopard his spots thē may ye also do good that are accustomed to do euill as if he should say it is impossible Therefore if we see a man that hath accustomed to do euill or that is a common lyer a cōmon cosoner and deceiuer a common barriter a common beast c. Charitie is not suspitious but by the Lordes owne rule we may doubt of his goodnesse and we may suspect his credite and his bonesty c. because he is accustomed to do euill And because the Prophet saith that all men are lyers therefore there is cause of suspitiō in all yea and in our selues too Thirdly I answere that this rule of the Apostle may be returned vpon themselues thus Charitie is not suspitious loue thinketh no euill but iudgeth and hopeth the best Therefore if their brother shall require their word or bonde in time of need and shall promise them that it shall no way be a hinderance vnto them they ought not to deny them for feare that they shall be driuen to answere the debt for if they thinke of their Christian that he will either runne away or suffer the matter to fal vpon the head of his friend then he iudgeth euill and therefore vncharitably of his neighbour doth not according to the rule of loue iudge the best hope the best Last of all to this it may be answered that there ought to be indeede such faithfulnesse such constancie and such vpright and simple hearted dealing amongest men that euery mans word should be as sure as his bonde and the bonds of Suerties with him But it is not so and therefore were bondes and Suerties appointed There ought to be such trustinesse in seruants and children and in all commers and goers to mēs houses that nothing should neede to stād vnder locke and key but there is not therfore lockes and keyes were ordained There ought to be such peace vnitie amōgst men that there should neede no bearing of weapons but there is not therefore weapons are ordained and for this cause were walled Cities strong holdes and all prouision of warre appointed If there were no coueting of other mens goods and hatred of other mens persons what need we haue doores and barres to our houses if there were that peace and loue which ought to be what needed so many lawes and so many lawyers amongst men If Adam had kept his first innocencie and puritie shame had not entred with his transgression and if shame had not come with sinne he might still haue bene naked and neuer haue blushed at his nakednesse but he did not keepe his first innocēcie therfore shame came vpō him and so apparell was ordained to couer his shame withall So that all these meanes which are now appointed for mans honestie for mans safetie and securitie what are they else but badges tokēs of mans shame and dishonestie of mans crueltie trecherie so we see how sinne and deceit brought in Suertiship and Suertiship is a badge of sinne and deceit when man kept not touch with God God would neuer haue had any thing to do with him againe neither would he trust him with any of his creatures except his own sonne Iesus Christ had become Suertie for man And therfore whē mē became trecherous against God no maruell though they be so vnfaithful full of trechery one against an other therfore there is no cause why we should be proude of our suerties but rather take occasion thereby to bewaile that horrible corruption of Adam and all Adams posteritie the very name of a Suertie should humble vs howsoeuer the Lord doth in mercy encline mens hearts vnto men In a word as the theefe hath no cause to be proude of his prison and fetters so hath no man cause to be proude of suertiship but yet that is lawfull to be vsed which must also serue to humble vs and so much for the lawfulnesse of Suertiship THE SECOND SERMON WE haue heard already what Suertiship is how many sortes of Suerties there be and the lawfulnesse of Suertiship as also how selfe-loue doth play her part in those men which do binde themselues from so necessarie and so Christian a duty we will now consider how it commeth to passe that so many men are hindred by it yea and beggered by it as by dayly experience we see in the world then we will see how men in auncient time became Suerties and lastly Gods counsell vnto Suerties for their safetie As touching the first point of these three we are to know that the God of all wisedome and Lord of mercy hath not commanded any thing for the vndoing and destroying of men but whatsoeuer he hath ordained is for the singular benefite and comfort of man but such is our corruption that we abuse all the ordinances of our most gracious God to our owne hinderance and destruction Meates and drinkes were appointed
A CAVEAT FOR SVERTIES Two Sermons of Suertiship made in Bristoll by VV. Burton LONDON Printed by Richard Field for Tobie Cooke dwelling in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Tygers-head 1593. ACAVEAT FOR SVERTIES Prou. 6. 1. My sonne if thou be Suerty for thy neighbour and hast stricken hands vvith the straunger 2. Thou art snared vvith the vvordes of thy mouth thou art euen taken vvith the vvordes of thy own mouth 3. Do this novv my sonne and deliuer thy selfe seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbour go and humble thy selfe and sollicite thy friends 4. Giue no sleepe to thy eyes nor slumber to thy eye liddes 5. Deliuer thy selfe as a Doe frō the hād of the hunter as a bird from the hande of the fowler THis text is a schoole wherin Suerties are taught to flie such discommodities and annoyaunces as commonly come to Suerties by vndiscretenesse and rashnesse And it may be called the Suerties text because it prouideth for the securitie of Suerties as Suerties prouide for the securitie of others wherein almightie God giueth counsell vnto Suerties as vnto his children which if they follow then are they sure to stand when other are like to fall Therfore as S. Paul saith to Timothy in an other case Take heede to thy selfe to learning and continue therein for in so doing thou shalt saue thy selfe them that heare thee So I say to Suerties take heed to your selues and to your heauenly Fathers counsell and continue therein for in so doing you shall saue both your selues and others The candle that is carried in a lāterne shall light many cādels yet loose no part of his owne light be the winde neuer so boisterous but that candle that is opē to the weather a litle puffe of winde or one drop of raine shal put it out that it can neither giue light to others nor to it selfe So he to whom the word of God is a lanterne a light shall helpe himselfe and others when he that ventureth without it shall put out his owne light and the light of others also Here therefore the Lord doth teach mē to auoide such discommodities and annoyances as many through rashnesse and for want of discretion do fall into for the Lordes people must be a wise people And God would not haue thee to helpe thy neighbour without any care to saue thy selfe for although he hath said Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe yet he neuer said loue thy neighbour better thē thy selfe or loue thy selfe lesse then thy neighbour but loue him as thy selfe that is helpe him and saue thy selfe too or else thou shouldest loue him and hate thy selfe which in the same wordes is condemned For this end and purpose it hath pleased the Lord that dwelleth in the heauens to stoupe downe so low as to take order for our businesse here vpō earth that we following his orders it might go well with vs and our children for euer And this counsell concerning Suerties though it be an oeconomicall thing yet it is not a base thing as some haue thought the spirite of God to occupie himselfe in base matters But by this we may perceiue how carefull the spirite of God is for vs in all things he is become our ouerseer and would keepe vs euen in the smallest things that we are to take in hād He hath giuen vs this warning as if he were an ouerseer of our money and our losses but yet he doth not so much prouide for the benefite of the body as of the soule God hath set down a perfect rule for all things which is able to make the man of God perfect yea he hath vouchsafed to stoupe so low as to come home into euery mans familie and to haue a care of our domesticall affaires that though we care not how we go to worke yet our heauenly Father hath a care that we should walke according to his word which he hath set vp to be a lanterne to our feete and a light vnto our pathes This being true as it is most true we may be bold to lay downe these three conclusions following First that the word of God containeth a perfect rule for the ordering of all our affaires And whatsoeuer is requisite either to be beleeued in matters of doctrine or to be practised in matters of manners either towards God or man is from that fountaine to be drawen and in that schoole most exactly and perfectly taught It teacheth the King to raigne the Iudge to giue iudgemēt the Magistrate to beare rule the subiect to obey The Minister from hence may learne how to preach and the people may learne how to heare Here the Captaine may learne how to pitch his battaile and the common souldier is taught his dutie If thou be a husband here thou mayst learne how to rule thy wife and the wife may see in this glasse how to obey and to please her husbād The word of God hath layd downe most absolute instructions for fathers and children for masters and seruaunts for superiours and inferiours and for all estates In prosperitie and aduersitie in sicknesse and in health in warre in peace in youth in old age in the field at home at bed and at bord in all places and at all times thou mayst here learne how to behaue thy selfe Here is order taken for our eating and drinking for feasting and fasting for sportes and pastimes how to recreat the body and how to solace the minde for the apparell we put on and for the very haire of our head for the gestures of our body and the whole behauiour of our life It hath taken order for buying and selling for borrowing and lēding for giuing taking for finding and loosing there is a rule layd downe in the word of God how to become Suertie and how to escape the daunger of Suertiship here may the man of God be instructed in a word whatsoeuer belongeth to pollicie to ciuilitie or to Christianitie for this life or for the life to come it is most exquisitly most plentifully and most plainly layd downe in the booke of God If thou delightest to read Histories or Chronicles read Gods booke If thou wouldest see the creation of the world and how the same is preserued and the nature of the creatures read Gods booke If thou louest to tell and to heare of famous Kings Captaines of wonderfull battailes and victories of excellent Iudges and Magistrates of renowned Preachers and Prophets of cōstant professours and martyrs peruse the booke of God If thou wouldest see cōmon-wealthes florishing and going to ruine with the causes of both be acquainted with the booke of God If thou wouldest see the Church of God in her infancie and in her riper age in her rags and in her robes clensed and polluted increasing and decreasing with her enemies and her friends be not straunge to the word of God Would any see the
noble actes of God the wonderfull deliuerances of Gods people and the horrible confusion of wicked men let him hearken to the word of God If thou wouldest know thy maker thy redeemer thy sāctifier if thou wouldest know the vanitie the miserie and the wickednesse of the world with the subtilties sleightes of Sathan if thou wouldest know the happinesse the ioyes and felicities of heauen and finde the way thither if thou wouldst know the paines tormēts of hell and how to escape them enquire of Moses and the Prophets and they will tell thee What shall I say for one thing ouer-taketh another in such sort that confusion wil ouerwhelme vs before we can tell what riches are contained in the storehouse of Gods booke for who can sound the depth of a bottomlesse sea but in a word if a man desire to know himselfe throughly within and without in all his affaires betweene God and man let him behold himselfe in the glasse of Gods booke and when we haue so done we will say as the woman of Samaria said whē she had reasoned with the Lord Iesus Be hold one that hath told me all that euer I did and more euē al that euer I should do Therfore let no man maruell what we meane being the Ministers of God to speake of such and such matters or to medle in the businesse and dealings of mē for the word of God doth take order for all our affaires neither wonder who told tales of thee as the king of Aram did for the word doth rifle the hiddē corners of the heart But how are our aduersaries the Papistes deceiued which hold that the word of God doth not containe all things necessarie to the saluation of the elect but ô Lord what spirite of Atheisme and blasphemie doth possesse those men which durst compare Plimes Philosophie with the bookes of Moses Aristotles Ethickes and Politiques with the Prouerbes of Salomō Marcus Aurelius with Marke the Euangelist Marlins Prophesies with the Prophesies of Esay and the rest the eloquence of Cicero or Demostenes with the eloquēce of the holy ghost in the mouths of the Prophets and Apostles and in all the Scriptures or any doctours or fathers before the Doctours and Fathers of the Bible For what is lead to gold what is water to wine what is ignorance to learning what is darknesse to light what is the chaffe to the wheate what is falsehood to truth what is earth to heauen what comparison can there be betweene God and man and so much for that point Secōdly we may learne here that except God doth teach vs direct vs as it were by line by leuell by precept vpō precept by litle and by litle as the Prophet speaketh we know not how to order rightly our common businesse and dayly affaires of this life but we shalbe snared and entangled with our owne words or ouertakē one way or other to our own hinderance so foolish ignorant is man by nature And againe whē we are snared and brought into danger we know not how to helpe our selues except the Lord do teach vs but if he should let vs alone to shift for our selues we would neuer leaue vntill we had wrapped our selues in ten times more danger thē we were in before Adam hauing transgressed will thinke to hide himselfe frō God in the trees of the garden to couer his nakednesse with fig leaues His faulte he will excuse by the fault of another and rather then fayle he will not sticke to lay it vpō God him selfe so foolish was Adam and so are all his posteritie Cain will incurre the vengeance of God by killing of his brother when he hath done he thinkes to saue himselfe by outfacing of the matter but it will not be and so do all Cains brood Saul will disobey Gods cōmaundement like an hypocrite and then like a foole he will say he ment no harme he did it of a good intent and such fooles are we all by nature We are become like foolish marriners which will runne vpon the rockes to auoide the sandes We are become like Sisera who flying for his life will runne into Iaells tent for succour where the nayle and the hammer is prepared for his head and whē he thinketh to take vp his rest and sleepe most soūdly then is he nearest his destruction We are like children and sicke folkes which do desire nothing so much as those things which may hurt them We are become like the Philistines which were most merry when the house was ready to fall vpon their heades We are secure like the men of Laish which mistrusted nothing vntill the children of Dan did smite them with the edge of the sword and burnt their Citie with fire Now if we be so foolish for this life how foolish are we for the life to come we see that except our heauenly father doth direct vs by his counsell as he led Israell by the cloud and warne vs by his messengers as he warned the wisemē by his Angell we know not how to order our commō businesse the affaires of this life much lesse do we know by nature how to serue the Lord our God and how to worship him aright If by all our cunning which we haue by nature we cānot auoide the snares of men how shall we thinke by our naturall wit and cunning to auoide the snares of the deuill if we know not how to get out of bodily dāger without Gods direction how shall we thinke to get out of spiritual dāger without Gods direction for there is no craftinesse like spiritual craftinesse as there was no beast so subtill as the serpent Againe if we cā not of our selues get out of trouble whē we are in trouble how do we thinke of our selues to winde out of the temptations of Sathan except God do teach vs. For all the wayes of sinne are like the wayes of a harlot vvhich are moueable saith Salomō thou canst not know thē that is there is such varietie and store of them to bewitch men that we can neuer know which is which so in the crooked wayes of the deuill there be so many windings and turnings that whē a man is once in he cānot finde the way out againe vntil the Lord do bring him out againe And yet euery one thinketh that he may aduenture vpon any temptation and he shall easily get out againe when he list by his mother wit c. and no maruell for it is the easiest thing in the word for a man to deceiue his owne soule and so much for the 2. point Thirdly we may learne here that almightie God doth not leaue his childrē to thēselues but cōsidering how simple they are by nature he doth take paines to teach them how and which way to helpe themselues in euery action and for this cause hath he set down rules and instructions for all their affaires in
his word Our heauenly Father I say doth not adopt any in Christ Iesus to be his sonnes and daughters and then leaue thē to thēselues to be guided or rather beguiled by the counsell of their owne hearts nor by custome nor by worldly reason nor by the examples of their forefathers in any thing whether it concerneth this life or the life to come for then there were no difference betweene the elect and the reprobate whom God hath deliuered vp vnto a reprobate minde to do those things that are not conuenient because they regarded not to know God But the Lord wil instruct his children in the way which he hath appointed for them and wil guide them with his eye Yea with his counsell he will guide them and afterward receiue them to glory and therefore will he guide them with his counsell that he may receiue them into glory because ordinarily no man is glorified in heauen that is not first sanctified by the word of God vpō earth Therefore doth the Prophet Dauid call the word of God a lanterne to his feete and a light vnto his pathes as if the Lord should go before his children with a candle and a lanterne to guide their feete into the wayes of peace to teach vs that if we were as wise and as holy as Dauid was yet without the discretion of Gods word we do but grope in the darke like the men of Sodome and go we cannot tell whither like the mē of Samaria In another place he calleth the statutes of the Lord his coūsellers as if he knew not what to do without thē And surely so it was for in another place when he was ruled by his owne heart affectiō he saith that he plaied both the foole the beast vntill he went to schoole in the house of God where he learned that holy wisedome which he had not before so that this point is manifest and plaine that God doth not leaue his childrē to themselues in any thing but as a most mercifull father doth teach and instruct them by his word and spirite And therefore who soeuer shall either refuse to be ordered by the same or shal prefer his own wisedome or any mans workes before it or cōpare them with it may iustly suspect himselfe to be none of Gods children vntill he repent for the children of God knowing their owne ignorāce weaknesse euery manner of way are glad to be counselled by their heauenly father But what hath the lord takē order for Suertiship and all other of our worldly businesse and hath he not likewise takē order for his owne businesse will he not leaue vs to our selues in the lesser things wil he leaue vs to our selues in greater matters will he not let vs serue one another otherwise then himselfe hath appointed and will he be content that we shall serue his maiestie otherwise then he hath appointed himselfe Would he giue a paterne and direction to his people for making of the Tabernacle and building of the Tēple to that end that they might do euery thing or any thing thereunto belonging as they listed no surely and therfore he himselfe set down an order for the very vessells for the ashe-pannes the beesomes the flesh-hookes yea and euery pinne about the worke beyōd which paterne they might not go much lesse hath he left his worship vnder the Gospell vnto our discretion and he that is so carefull as that he would not leaue men to themselues and to their own deuises in matters of Suertiship affaires of the world surely he would neuer be so carelesse as to leaue men to themselues in the ordering and gouerning of his Church To conclude he that hath in his word set downe orders for oeconomical matters no doubt but he hath also in his word set downe orders for Ecclesiasticall matters for seeing as he will not allow men to haue more care for the ordering of other mēs houses then their owne farre be it from vs that we should thinke so of the Lord that he would haue greater care for the ordering of our houses then for the gouernement of his owne house which is his Church but as we finde certaine rules and perpetuall directions for the one so shall we finde in the same booke most certaine rules and perpetuall instructiōs for the other if we do not put some thing before our eyes and say we cānot see And so much for this 3. point Now we will come to the matter of Suertiship it selfe My sonne if thou be Suertie for thy neighbour c. Concerning Suertiship we will consider vpon this text of VI points 1. What Suertiship is 2. How many sorts of Suerties there be 3. Whether it be lawfull for Christiās to become Suerties one for another 4. How men in Salomons time became Suerties 5. How men are hindred by Suertiship 6. We will see what counsell God giueth vnto Suerties for their safetie As touching the first point To become a Suertie is nothing else but by word or writing or by pledge to make another sure so farre as man can of that which before he was not sure of or to put a man out of doubt so farre as law and equitie will require for the receiuing or enioying or recouering of some thing whereof he stood in doubt before therefore it is called securitie I reckon pledges amongest Suerties because a pledge is a kinde of Suertie for if the principall do faile the Suertie must answere the debt but when Suerties cānot be gotten then men lay somewhat to pledge that is better or as good as the debt commeth vnto And if the partie faileth the pledge must answere the debt sometime a pledge is layd because the thing is so small that one would be loth to haue his friend come in bandes or giue his word for the same and yet that which is but a smal matter amōgest rich men may be a great matter amōgest poore men And sometimes pledges are vsed in things vnlawful dishonest that is when mē do promise a thing vpō such conditions as they are ashamed to make knowē vnto any as Iudah promised his daughter in law Thamar a kid of the goates vpō cōditiō that he might lye with her but he knew her not well saith Thamar if thou vvilt giue me a pledge till thou send it that is if thou wilt put me in good securitie and that must be by some pledge at this time so he gaue her his signet his cloake and his stasse for a pledge that if the kid came not they must answere the matter And this was such a matter that when she was gone Iudah was ashamed to send after her for his pledge he had rather loose it then to recouer it with so much infamie as he was sure would ensue The end of Suertiship and pledges c. is that all men might haue their owne without which no trade nor traffique nor
Suertie nor peace could be preserued amongest mē and so much for the first point Now as touching the second point in a word There be diuerse kindes of Suerties for some are Suerties for mens persons that they shalbe forth cōming by a day either to answere such matters as shalbe obiected against them before some Iudge or to receiue such punishment as is already awarded for his misdemeanour In such cases commonly the prison is the best Suerty Some are Suerties for mens debtes and bargaines that they shalbe payd and performed accordingly as they be made and promised Some are Suerties for mens behauiour that it shalbe good honest and peaceable towardes all men in generall or towardes some one especiall partie and towardes his goods and familie and this is cōmōly required of notorious offēders in cases of slandering and quarrelling against a mans person or deprauing of a mās good name lest a mans good name should be more impeached and his credite more hindred then it was before Men in such cases become Suerties for their friendes in hope of their amendement And Suertiship in such cases do more binde a mans toung then the prison can because most men if there be but common ciuilitie in them will forbeare many times for their friendes sake lest they should be endamaged to whō they are so much beholding then for all the extremitie that can be vsed There is no man so wicked but he shall finde some body ready to promise for him as one theefe for another or one bankerupt for another or one beastly person for the honestie of another or one rakehel for another now this it but a mockery as if one should say Aske my fellow if I be theefe or if I be dishonest or if I be not a mā of my word c. And therfore haue Christian lawes well prouided that euery mans word or bond is not to be admitted neither shall all persons and causes passe and repasse vnder Suerties for though some might flie to the hornes of the alter haue the benefite of a priuiledged place yet Ioab the man of bloud shalbe smitten before the alter neither shall the sanctuarie saue his life when he flieth vnto it much lesse shall any Suerties giue their word for him We are all bound to do what we can to winne men to God and to perswade all men vnto holy obedience but to answer vnto God whatsoeuer his law can charge vs withall is a thing which belongeth onely and properly to the Lord Iesus Christ that great Suertie of mankind and so much for the 2. point Now for the lawfulnesse of Suertiship we are to know that it is a dutie both Christian and necessarie and therfore it cannot be vnlawfull That it is a dutie of Christianitie may appeare two wayes first by the rule of charitie secōdly by the exāples of godly men which haue practised the same The rule of charitie we know and that is to do for others as we would be done vnto our selues If therefore Christians would be glad of a Suertie when they are in necessitie then Christians must also when neede requireth do so much for others To become Suertie for mēs persons is no doubt a worke of charity for what if mē be arrested of mallice euill will as many be or what if such extreme actiōs be layd by vnreasonable men vpon thy neighbour as shall make a man afrayde to speake for him as many do or what if such practises be vsed of purpose to discredite thy neighbour in a strange place where he is not knowen shall it not be then lawful to relieue thy neighbour by thy word vntil his cause may be knowē verely if thou wilt not rescue him and shrowde him vnder the shadow of thy wings but let the prison consume his body and wicked men make a pray of his goods thou thy selfe mayst one day come into the like predicament and then thou wilt cōfesse that Suertiship in such a case is a worke of charitie But further what if thy Christian brother be arrested vpon suspition of euill when notwithstanding he is innocent if he go to prison his good name is called into question if he lye in prison his goods go to wracke his health is in hazard his life is in danger both he and his are like to smart for it Now if any man thinke it vnlawfull to giue his neighbour leaue to refresh himselfe and to saue his life his goodes and his good name vnder the shadow of his credite protection of his promise let him imagine himselfe to be the man that is so handled and then he will confesse that Suertiship for mēs persons is a worke of charitie and therefore lawfull But yet further what if thy Christian brother be falsely accused and wrongfully imprisoned as Ioseph was and it is yet vnknowen is it not lawfull nay are we not bound in such a case to redeeme the libertie of our brother with our word or bonds if it may be or what if a man had bene Suertie for Iosephs appearance if his libertie might haue bene obtained shall we say that such a man had sinned God forbid if any thinke so let him know that Iosephs case may one day proue his case and then he will confesse that Suertiship for mens persons is a worke of charitie and therefore lawfull But what if my brother be in debt must either go to prison or finde Suerties for the payment of the debt by a day Surely if he be a Christian he is thy brother how canst thou see thy Christian brother by languishing in prison where he doth onely spend but not get when if he were abroad to worke in his calling he might both helpe himselfe and pay his debtes Imagine that rich Iob were the man when all was gone frō him and he left as naked in the world as he was when he came into the world what if his creditors should then take him by the throate and say pay that thou owest or else put me in sufficient Suerties lest thou go to prison as the manner of many is when they see their debters fall in decay shall we say that he should haue sinned against the law of charitie which is the rule of Christianitie that should haue giuen his word with Iob for the payment of his debt by such a time and in such a reasonable maner as might be agreed vpon If this be not sufficient to perswade thee remember that no man is so high but may be brought low as there is no full sea but hath his ebbing and Iobs case may proue thy case and then thou wilt hold that Suertiship is a dutie both necessarie and Christian and therfore very lawfull But put case that my brother hath offended some body by word or deede and must either finde Suerties for his good behauiour or else go to prison Surely if he be sorie for his offence and if he shall craue
the helpe of thy word for his enlargement brotherly kindnesse wil perswade thee to succour him the law of loue will forbid thee to denie him And if this be not sufficiēt to moue thee then remember that he which thinkes that he stādeth may fall and when his case shall proue thy case thou wilt then plead for thy selfe and say that except thou mayst be at libertie there can be no triall of thy amendement and except thou mayst be bailed by Suerties thou canst not be enlarged and then thou wilt thinke that Suertiship is a dutie both Christian and necessarie in euery common wealth and therefore lawfull and thus we see that Suertiship is proued lawfull by the rule of charitie As this point is sufficiently proued by the rule of charitie so it is no lesse confirmed by sundry examples of holy men which feared God When Iacob was loth to part from his sonne Beniamin first Reuben entreateth him and offreth himselfe to become Suertie for his safe rerurne and for his greater securitie he leaueth his owne sonnes as a pledge instead of Beniamin if his offer would haue bene accepted Afterward cōmeth Iudah to entreat Iacob I vvill be Suertie for him saith he of mine hand shalt thou require him if I bring him not to thee and set him before thee then let me beare the blame for euer Againe Paule perswading Philemon to receiue his old seruant Onesimus doth offer himselfe to become Suertie for him If he hath hurt thee saith the Apostle or oweth thee ought that put on mine accountes What is that but thus much if he be not able to pay thee I will pay thee for him Last of all our Sauiour Christ doth not onely approue it but he seemeth also to commaund the same in the parable of the Samaritane and the man that fell amongest theeues For the Samaritane seeing the man wounded by theeues came vnto him powred wine and oyle into his wounds he set him on his beast he brought him to his Inne and made prouisiō for him he gaue his hoste some money in hand and bad him see that he lacked nothing that was needefull for him and saith he looke what thou prouidest for him take my word for it I will see thee recompenced for it This man did the part indeed of a neighbour saith the Lawyer that came to tempt the Lord Iesus then sayd the Lord Iesus go and do thou likewise By these reasons and examples the lawfulnesse of Suertiship is sufficiently established By which we may easily perceiue what sinne they cōmit against God and how much those mē do offend against the rule of charitie which do hold it as a thing vnlawfull Such are those men which vtterly refuse it being required thereunto because forsooth they haue made a vow to the contrary or they haue forsworne it or they haue bounde themselues to such a friend of theirs and he againe is bound againe to him that neither of them both shal euer become Suerties for any mā while they liue so that if their owne father or mother require this dutie at their handes they haue but a cold sute of it for their child hath boūd himselfe to the contrary But let vs see is it lawfull for a Christian to binde himselfe by vow or by oth or by bond from a dutie so necessarie so charitable and so Christian many good men haue bound themselues from sinne as Iob tooke bonde of his eyes that they should not wantonly behold a mayde and Dauid vowed to serue the Lord his God And Dauid and Daniell both did as it were binde themselues to pray so many times a day to God but we shall neuer read of any man fearing God which did euer binde themselues from seruing of God Men count it a shame and so it is to be bounde to the good behauiour but what a shame is it for a Christian to binde himselfe from performing the duties of a Christian But because many are decayed by Suertiship they say therfore haue they boūd thēselues frō being Suerties for any mā By the same reasō why do they not also binde themselues from eating and dringing because many men by eating and drinking do surfet themselues Or why do they not binde themselues neuer to come neare any water because some mē haue desperately drowned themselues c. but what slauerie do these men endure which haue bound themselues frō relieuing of others and themselues like the Iewes which vowed neither to eate nor drinke vntill they had killed Paule For how can they with cōmon honestie denie their brother so Christian a dutie so on the other side with what faces can they craue any reliefe of any mā in their neede seeing as they haue bounde them selues from helping of euery man what need soeuer he hath But as the deuill had Scripture for that he said so haue these mē too for A man destitute of vnderstanding toucheth the hand and becommeth Suertie for his neighbour saith Salomon Therfore Suertiship is vnlawfull said they for euery one that becommeth Suertie for his neighbour is a foolish man and voide of vnderstanding But the reason halteth right downe and if we shall make such a conclusion in other matters we shall shew our selues to be destitute of vnderstanding indeed for a man voide of vnderstanding pulleth off his clothes and goeth into the water to swimme before he be taught and perhaps is drowned is euery one therefore a foole that goeth into the water to swimme The deuill confessed Christ to be the sonne of God is euery one therefore a deuill that confesseth Christ to be the sonne of God A riotous person borroweth money of his neighbour and is in debt is euery one therefore a riotous person that borroweth and oweth Or a mad man walketh vp and downe with a sword is euery one therefore which walketh with a sword become a mad man Or a scholler of Cambridge goeth in blacke therfore is euery one that goeth in blacke a scholler of Cambridge and many moe such absurde cōclusions might be made like vnto that but how feeble they are who doth not see But indeede Salomons meaning is nothing lesse then to condemne Suertiship but rather to shew that it must be done with aduise and good deliberation not rashly we care not for whom nor for what And if any man thinke that there belōgeth no more to the matter then to touch the hand to become Suertie that man is a man destitute of vnderstanding but yet euery one is not destitute of vnderstanding that becommeth Suertie for wise men are wel aduised in that they do So again on the other side some man that hath no loue to God nor his neighbour refuseth to become Suertie for any mā shall we now conclude that he which refuseth to become Suertie for euery one hath no loue to God nor his neighbour this cōclusion is but of a bad cōstitutiō
to sustaine nature but not to surfet nature yet many do surfet of their excessiue eating and drinking and immoderat dieting of themselues Water is appointed for mē to wash themselues in not to drowne themselues yet many foole-hardie men by venturing too far haue bene drowned when by taking heede they might haue bene saued The horse is made to carrie but if he be ouerladen he will sinke downe vnder the burden And so is suertiship a burden which hath made manie to lie downe but that was when the burden was too heauie and themselues were too weake Suertiship is like a deepe water and a mightie streame that hath drowned some carried other some away God knowes whither that they could neuer recouer themselues againe therefore when a man seeth his neighbour in this deepe let him do what he can to helpe him out but so as hee may saue himselfe let him not run in at all aduentures but first feele the bottom as hee goeth lest he be drowned together with his neighbour Zacheus because he is a little man and of a low stature must runne vp into a tree to see Christ as hee passed by when tall men may goe vpon the plaine ground and see him And the child must be carried in his fathers arms amidst the prease if he will see as much as his father but if he will presume to goe vpon the ground aswel as his father a thousand to one but the throng of people will beare him downe and treade vpon him Some men wil by suertiship take vppon them to beare other men when they had more neede to be borne themselues like children Some are as little and as low in credit and welth and abilitie euerie way as Zacheus was in bodily stature and yet they will presume to goe amongst the highest and strongest when they had more neede clime vp into a tree to saue themselues and hereof commeth all their ruine and decay And to speake more plainlie the cause why manie men are impouerished by suertiship is because they are not so carefull and circumspect in giuing their word as they should be Therefore saith Salomon A māvoid of vnderstanding toucheth the hand and is suertie for his neighbour to shew that such matters must not rashly be taken in hand but euerie man must vnderstand what he doth and not promise rashlie and vaingloriouslie we care neither what nor yet for whom Therefore in another place hee saith Take his garment that is suertie for a stranger and take a pledge of him for the stranger as if he were not to be trusted without a pledge that will promise hee care not for whom And he nameth his garment to shew that if a man promise he must performe his promise though it be to his owne hinderance euen to the losse of the garment from his backe which can worst be spared And therefore it standeth Christians in hand which make a consciēce of their word to take great heede both what they promise and for whom they giue their word In all these places the Lords meaning is that we must not so vnaduisedlie as manie doo giue our wordes or passe our promise for such deceiuers as care not whether euer or neuer their debtes be paid and hauing once vnburdened themselues vppon other mens shoulders would neuer trauel or labour to get any thing to pay their debt Therefore when Christians are about to become Suerties for other men they must first sit downe and wisely consider with themselues of these three pointes First thine own abilitie if thou be a single man Secondly the estate and condition of thine owne familie if thou haue one to looke vnto Thirdly the estate and condition of that partie for whom thou art to giue thy word Thy owne abilitie is to be considered for what wise man will vndertake to beare more thē he is able to carry As in vowes to God mē must cōsider whether it be in their power or no to performe that which they vow so in making of promises to men thou must consider whether thou be able to performe that which thou hast promised if it be required at thy hands for when thou doest promise thou must thinke that it may fall vppon thee by one meanes or other Further in regard of thy owne credit it will stand thee in hand to looke to thy owne estate as he that is about to build a house must first sit downe and cast his account whether he be able to finish it or no lest when it is begun it stand still at a staie and so turne to the reproach of the builder Thy owne estate is further to be considered in respect of thy person and in regard of thy profession for if thou be not able to performe that which thou hast promised for an other man then thy person must answere the matter in prison or if the fairest come thou art driuen for feare to keepe thy house or with shame to flie thy countrey which way so euer thou goest be sure that feare care and shame will attend vpon thee And if thou be a yoong man discredite wil hunt thee but if thou be an old man sorrow griefe will surprise thy soule heauinesse will lodge in thy heart vexation of spirit will be sawce to thy meate and many troublesome thoughtes will busie thy head if grace do not preuent them and all these will gnaw vpō thee as a dog vpon a bone vntil thy bones be dried vp and thy health be decaied and thy bodie be consumed thy strength be wasted and thy heart be broken and thy life ended and thy olde age carried with dishonour to the graue and therefore in regard of thy person take heede what thou doest promise lest thou become a murtherer of thy selfe Againe thou must remember that when thy person is arrested thy profession is also arested therewithall Therefore for thy profession sake thou shouldest looke vnto thy selfe lest the name of God be euil spoken of by thy fal as it was by Dauids For what wil the enemy of the Gospell say or rather what will he not say to make the profession thereof to becom odious Is this the man that was so strict precise in all his waies Is this the wisedom of the Gospel is this the life of a professor doth it become a Christian to be so vnaduised or doth rashnesse and vaine glorie beseeme the sonnes of God And surely it is no maruell though religion thriue no better in many which are accounted good men for through their rashnesse foolish kindnesse they are so ouer reached and entangled that afterward their heads are wholly possessed with care partly how to keep credit and partly how to recouer themselues again like the vniust steward in the Gospel that could not tel what to do whē he had wasted his maisters goods to labour some cannot some wil not and to beg some are ashamed And ifthere