noting his errour It is not your Hen that is lost but your Citie Roma that is taken by Alaricus King of the Gothes Wherewith comming a little to himselfe he seemed to beare with much more paâ—ience the surprize of the one than the losse of the other O childish simplicity you say well yet the like is in us We cannot endure that any one should steale from us our silver yet either honour riches or pleasure may have free leave to steale away our heart We would by no meanes be defrauded of our treasure yet it troubles us little to be depraved with errour We avoid the poisons of the body but not of the minde intending more the diet of the body than the discipline of the minde Since then in these externall desires this Actuall Perfection whereof we have formerly treated may receive no true rest or repose for to those it only aspireth wherin it resteth wee must search higher for this place of peace this repose of rest this heavenly Harbour of divine comfort we are to seeke it then while we are here upon earth yet not on earth would you know what this soveraigne or absolute end is wherein this Actuall Perfection solely resteth wherein the Heart only glorieth and to the receiver long life with comfort in abundance amply promiseth Hearken to the words of Iesus the Sonne of Sirach It is a great glory to follow the Lord and to be received of him is long life Nor skils it much how worldlings esteeme of us for perhaps they will judge it folly to see us become weaned from delights or pleasures of the world to see us embrace a rigorous or austere course of life to dis-esteem the pompe and port of this present world This I say they will account foolishnesse But blessed are they who deserve to be of that number which the world accounts for fooles God for wise men But miserable is the state of these forlorne worldlings whose chiefest aime is to circumvent or intrap their brethren making their highest aymes their owne ends and accounting bread eaten in secret to be the savourest and stolne waters the sweetest for these never drinke of their own Cisterne or feed of the flesh of their owne fold but partake in the spoile of others yet wipe their mouths as if they were innocent but behold this Haman-policy shall make them spectacles of finall misery wishing many times they had been lesse wise in the opinion of the world so they had relished of that divine wisdome which makes-man truly happy in another world even that wisdome I say who hath built an everlasting foundation with men and shall continue with their seed neither can this divine wisdome chuse but be fruitfull standing on so firme a root or the branches dry receiving life and heat from so faire a root Now to describe the beauty of her branches springing from so firme a root with the solidity of her root diffusing pith to her branches The root of wisdome saith the wise Son of Sirach is to feare the Lord and the branches thereof are long life This feare where it takes root suffers no worldly feare to take place Many worldlings become wretched only through feare lest they should be wretched and many die only through feare lest they should die but with these who are grounded in the feare of the Lord they neither feare death being assured that it imposeth an end to their misery nor the miseries of this present life being ever affied on the trust of Gods mercie How constantly zealously and gloriously many devout men have died and upon the very instant of their dissolution expostulated with their owne soules reproving in themselves their unwillingnesse to die may appeare by the examples of such whose lives as they were to God right pleasing so were their soules no lesse precious in their departing upon some whereof though I have formerly insisted yet in respect that such memorable Patteâ—nes of sanctity cannot be too often represented I thought good purposely as usually I have done in all the Series of this present Discourse where any remarkable thing was related to have it in divers places repeated to exemplifie this noble resolution or contempt of death in the proofe and practice of some one or two blessed Saints and Servants of God Ierome writeth of Hilarion that being ready to give up the ghost he said thus to his soule Goe forth my soule why fearest thou Goe forth why tremblest thou Thou hast served Christ almost those threescore and ten yeares and doest thou now feare death Saint Ambrose when he was readie to die speaking to Stillico and others about his bed I have not lived so among you saith he that I am ashamed to live longer to please God and yet againe I am not afraid to die because we have a good Lord. The reverend Bede whom wee may more easily admire than sufficiently praise for his profound learning in a most barbarous age when all good literature was in contempt being in the pangs of death said to the standers by I have so lived among you that I am not ashamed of my life neither feare I to die because I have a most gracious Redeemer He yeelded up his life with this prayer for the Church O King of glory Lord of Hostes which hast triumphantly ascended into heaven leave us not fatherlesse but send the promised Spirit of thy truth amongst us These last funerall Teares or dying mens Hymnes I have the rather renued to your memory that they might have the longer impression being uttered by dying men at the point of their dissolution And I know right well for experience hath informed me sufficiently therein that the words of dying men are precious even to strangers but when the voice of one we love and with whom we did familiarly live calls to us from the Death-bed O what a conflict doe his words raise How strongly doe griefe and affection strive to inclose them knowing that in a short space that tongue the organs whereof yet speak and move attention by their friendly accents was to be eternally tied up in silence nor should the sound of his words salute our eares any more and certainly the resolution of a devout dying man being upon the point of his dissolution cannot but be an especiall motive to the hearer of Mortification Which was one cause even among the Heathens of erecting Statues Obelisks or Monuments upon the Dead that eying the Sepulchres of such noble and heroick men as had their honour laid in the dust they might likewise understand that neither resolution of spirit nor puissance of body could free them from the common verdict of mortalitie which begot in many of them a wonderfull contempt of the world Albeit it is to be understood that Christians doe contemne this world much otherwise than Pagans for ambition is a guide to these but the love of
Hearer Likewise because examples illustrate though they doe not prove touching instancie of Demonstration we have an excellent one in that of Cato who determined to strike the Senate and Romans in feare discoursed at large of the Carthaginian warres aggravating the danger by proper circumstances which threatned the publike State and instancing the ruine of many eminent and flourishing States occasioned by the securitie of their people But they objecting againe that Carthage was farre from them He shewed them greene figs implying thereby that Carthage was not farre distant for otherwise the figges would have beene dried and withered These kindes of Discourses seconded by instance are very moving and perswasive for as Speech is called the object of the eare so is such kinde of instance an object to the eye which must needs be more perswading because visibly appearing But we have inlarged this Subject too much wherefore to draw in our sailes and apply particularly what in generall hath beene discoursed I could wish Young Gentlemen considerate in what they speak because Speech is termed the Index of the Minde and can best expresse him whether he taste of rinde or pith Now because moderation of the tongue is such an absolute vertue as it displayeth the wisdome of him that hath it whence the wisest of all Princes He that bridleth his tongue is most wise I must needs preferre discreet Silence before loquacitie for in much speech there shall want no sinne saith Solomon whereas Silence is exempted from all Censure so it bee mixed with discretion It is said that Pythagoras would desire two things of God if the possâ—bility thereof could stand with the conservation of humane Society that hee might not speake that he might not eat for by the one hee should prevent offence in discourse by the other avoid surfet through excesse Whence the Poet Silence is such a soule-entrancing charme It may doe good but can doe little harme Albeit that Pythagorian silence I cannot approve of being many times prejudiciall to the publike state for by silence saith the Orator is errour approved the lustre of vertue darkned good and wholesome precepts suppressed whereby Youth might be instructed private families directed all inordinate motions corrected and the whole structure of this little world Man rectified and repaired But especially in divine professors and dispencers of the sacred word is Silence most hurtfull for these should be shrill Trumpets in sounding and delivering the sweet tidings of salvation the tidings of peace and spirituall consolation The Pastor saith a blessed Father by holding his peace doubtlesly killeth sinners that is when he will not tell the house of Iacob his sinnes nor Israel her transgressions but cries peace peace when there can be no true peace for what peace unto the wicked saith the Lord So as the word of the Lord which came unto the Prophet rouzed him up with this fearfull caveat If thou givest not the ungodly warning he shall perish but his bloud will I require at thy hand With whom the Apostle harmoniously joyneth Woe unto mee if I preach not the Gospell For in that cause wherein the faithfull and painfull Pastor is to please God he is to sleight the pleasure or displeasure of men Now Gentlemen yee whose Education hath engaged you farre in the expectance and opinion of others yee whose more generous breeding promiseth more than others ye whose nobler parts should distinguish you from others let not those innate seeds of Gentilitie first sowne in you as in a hopefull Seed-plot be nipped in their rising which that yee may the better prevent exercise your selves in noble discourses not wanton or petulant for these breed a dangerous corruption even in the life and conversation of man Quintilian would not have Nurses to be of an immodest or uncomely Speech adding this cause Lest saith hee such manners precepts and discourses as young children learne in their unriper yeers remaine so deeply rooted as they shall scarce ever be relinquished Sure I am that the first impressions whether good or evill are most continuate and with least difficultie preserved How necessary then is it that an especiall care or respect be had herein that choice be made of such whose modest and blamelesse conversation may tender you their brests in your infancie and furnish you with grave and serious precepts in your minoritie that your Knowledge may be fruitfull your Discourses usefull and your actions in the eyes of the Almighty gratefull Of which Action we are now to speake being the third Branch which we observed in our definition of Education THat Education is the seasoner of our actions wee shall easily prove if we observe the rare and incredible effects derived from it which that we may the better doe you are to know that every Action hath two handles the One whereof consists in contriving the other in performing In the former we are to observe deliberation whence the Orator before wee take any thing in hand we are to use a diligent or serious preparation that we may effect what we intend and more prosperously succeed in that we take in hand In the Latter is diligence required for what is premeditation or preparation worth if it be not by diligence seconded When Annibal was a childe and at his fathers commandement he was brought into the place where he made sacrifice and laying his hand upon the Altar swore that so soone as he had any rule in the Common-wealth he would be a professed enemie to the Romans nor did hee infringe the vow which his infancie had professed but expressed when he came to be a man what he had protested to performe being a childe No device unassayed no Stratagem uncontrived no Labour neglected no Taske unattempted which might conferre honour on Carthage or expresse his mortall and implacable hate to Rome In this one example we shall see the strength of Education for though Annibal had no cause personally given him to vow all hostilitie rather on Rome than any other place yet in respect he received his breeding from such as were professed foes to the Romans he seconds their hate resolving to live and die Romes enemy The like may be observed in the demeanour and conversation of men in which respect also Education discovereth her absolute power For shall wee not see some whose faire outsides promise assured arguments of singular worth for want of breeding meere painted Trunks glorious features yet shallow Creatures and whence commeth this but through want of that which makes man accomplished seconding nature with such exquisite ornaments as they enable him for all managements publike or private Licurgâ—â— brought two dogges the one savage wilde and cruell the other trained to let the people see the difference betwixt men brought up well and badly and withall to let them understand the great good of keeping lawes Now what are these savage and wilde
Serpent Dipsas sucke the moisture and verdure of every hopefull Plant building their foundation on the ruine of others Surely as we have Statutes enacted of purpose to have such turbulent members duely curbed and censured so were it to be wished that such Lawes as are to this end provided were likewise executed for by this meanes the flourie borders of our Realme should bee stored with grave Divines and learned Professors leading their flocks to the greene pastures of ghostly instruction not to the by-paths of errour and confusion with judicious and expert Physitians who are not to learne experience by the death of their Patients with sincere and uncorrupted officers whose ayme is not to gaine but to redresse abuses with upright and conscionable Lawyers whose desire is to purchase their Clients peace and not by frivolous delayes to cram their purses O what a golden age were this when each performing a mutuall office vnto other might so support one another as what one wanted might be supplied by another Then should we have no Sectists or Separatists divided from the unity of faith to disturbe us No artlesse Quack-salvers or cheating Mountebanks to delude us no factious Brands to set a fire of debate amongst us no corrupt or unconscionable Lawyers by practising upon our states to make a prey of us Then should we heare no ignorant Laicks familiarly disputing of the too high points of Predestination rejecting the ordinary meanes of attaining salvation as may be seene in the Synodals or Conventicles of many seduced soules even in these dayes where some Barber is made a Cathedrall Doctor to improve rebuke and exhort but how is it possible that ought should be hatched but errour where singularity grounded on ignorance is made a Teacher S. Basil talking with the Emperour Valens of matters of religion and the Cooke comming in saucily and telling the holy man his opinion that it was but a small matter to yeeld to his master the Emperor in a word or two and that he needed not to stand so precisely in divine masters Which seemed indifferent or of no moment Yea Sir Cook quoth Saint Basil it is your part to tend to your pottage and not to boyle and chop up divine matters and then with great gravity turning to the Emperour said that those that were conversant in divine matters with conscience would rather suffer death than suffer one jot of holy Scripture much lesse an article of faith to be altered or corrupted So carefull have former times beene of the reverence which ought to be had in dispensing the heavenly Mysteries of Gods word admitting none to so holy and high a vocation but such who had Vrim and Thummim knowledge and holinesse beautifying their knowledge I say with holinesse of conversation being not onely Speakers but Doerâ— for no word-men but work-men are fit for the Lords Vineyard The like complaint might bee made touching these Physitians of our Bodies where artlesse and ignorant Handicrafts-men who perchance upon reading of some old Herball wherein were prescribed certaine doubtfull cures for certaine Maladies will not sticke to professe themselves Galenists the first houre setting out a painted Table of unknowne cures to raise them credit To whom in my opinion that Tale may be properly applyed which is related of one Alphonso an Italian who professing Physicke wherein his fortune was to kill oftner than he did cure one day as he and his man Nicolao rode on the way he might see a great multitude of people assembled upon a hill whereof being desirous to know the cause he sent his man Nicolao to inquire further who understanding that there was one to be executed for committing a murder put spurrs to his horse and running with all speed to his Master wished him to flie wherewith Alphonso not a little astonished demanded the cause Why Master quoth Nicolao yonder is a poore wretch adjudged to die for killing one man and you in your time have killed an hundred Neither are wee lesse to grieve for the pressures which burden our State by such who sow the seed of discord betwixt neighbour and neighbour supporting Champertie and Emoracerie in buying of Titles maintaining suits out of a contentious or turbulent disposition Which enormities as they are by apt and necessary Lawes thereto provided duly censured so were it to be wished that for example sake some one whom the impunitie and indulgencie of this time hath made too presuming were punished according to the extremitie of the Law thereto provided for then should wee enjoy those happy Halcyon dayes wherein Basil the Emperour of Constantinople lived who whensoever he came to his Iudgement Seat found neither partie to accuse not defendant to answer To this end then and purpose tendeth our present discourse that as a peculiar Vocation is deputed to every one in this Pilgrimage of humane frailtie so he should not intermix himselfe in affaires or offices of different nature A man may be excellent in one who cannot be exquisite in many Let us then so addresse our selves as wee may be rather fruitfull in one than fruitlesse in many Doe wee feare by being excellent in one to purchase hate of many Let us sleight that hate which is procured by good meanes for so long as we live here sometimes adverse fortune will crosse us oft times envie curbe us but where the minde hath given way to the infirmities of nature and beares with a prepared mind whatsoever may be inflicted on her shee makes no account of detraction for that vertuous resolution which is in her doth daily more and more raise and advance her Neither are wee to be strong in tongue and weake in act as those whose only valour is vaunting and honour verball glorying for of all others such men are the slothfull'st whose force and power is wholly seated in the tongue No rather let us know that vertue consists in action which by long habit becomes more pleasant than the habit of vice whose vaine delights tender no lesse bitternesse in the end than they did promise sweetnesse in the beginning Agendo aâ—dendoque res Romana crevit Let our eare as it is a sense of instruction become a light of direction for then wee heare with profit when wee reduce what wee heare to practice Thus you have heard both of the Necessitie of a Vocation and how none is to be exempted from a Vocation wherein Gentlemen I could wish that as birth and breeding have advanced you above others so you would shew such arguments of your birth and education as may make you seeme worthy of a glorious Vocation expressing such exemplary vertues in your life as might gaine you love even in death And so I descend to speake of Vocation in generall wherein I will be more briefe because I have partly glanced at it in our former discourse VOcation may be taken equivocally or univocally when wee speake of Vocation in generall it is equivocall when of any
up in store to speake for him taint you Fie for shame saith Innocentius now adayes man is esteemed according to his money whereas rather the money should bee esteemed according to the man Every one is reputed worthy if he be wealthy and naught if he be needy whereas rather every one should be reputed wealthy if he be worthy and needy if he be naught Marcus Caelius was said to have a good right hand but an ill left hand because he could plead against a man better than for him Be you so equally handed as poyzing the weight of the cause sincerely you may minister right judgment to all parties being as ready to defend the cause of the needy as of the wealthy giving him the best countenance who hath the best cause It was Romes fault which presages Romes fall to be facunda inimicuiis faecunda praemiis farre be it from our Iland who as she hath enjoyed a long peace so ought shee to become more thankfull to that God of peace who in his mercy hath strengthned her bulwarkes enclosed her as a hedged garden fed her with the flower of wheat making her feet like Hindes feet to runne the wayes which hee hath appointed And so I come to speake of such private affaires as require the care and charge of a Gentleman even within the compasse of his owne family IF there bee any that provideth not for his owne and namely for them of his Houshold he denieth the faith and is worse than an Infidell saith the Apostle Now how carefull should we be to remove from us so hatefull a title as the name of infidell Have we not our appellation from Christ but in vaine are we named after Christ if wee doe not follow Christ. Wee were not borne to passe our time in an improvident or carelesse sensuality wee were not created onely to cramme our selves and spend our dayes in securitie Man saith Iob was borne to labour as the sparkes to flie upward at least to provide for his owne family over which hee is made a master by releeving them outwardly with all necessaries and inwardly with all good and wholsome instructions Now to propose you a forme in what manner you are to demeane your selves towards all degrees within your family I shall little need since the Apostle himselfe hath so notably laid downe every ones office or duty where hee sheweth in what manner Wives are to submit themselves unto their Husbands and againe how Husbands should love their Wives Even as Christ loved the Church and gave himselfe for it In the next ensuing chapter hee declareth the duty of Children in these words Children obey your parents in the Lord for this is right Then he descendeth to the duty of Parents And ye Fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in instruction and information of the Lord. Then touching servants Servants bee obedient unto them that are your masters according to the flesh with feare and trembling in singlenesse of your hearts as unto Christ. Concluding the last duty with Masters And yee Masters doe the same thing unto them putting away threatning and know that even your master also is in heaven neither is there respect of person with him Thus have wee briefly and cursorily runne over those particular duties deputed to every one from the highest to the lowest in their peculiar places and offices where we can finde no exemption from the servant to the master but that certaine particular duties are injoyned either As every mans house is his Castle so is his family a private Common-wealth wherein if due government be not observed nothing but confusion is to be expected For the better prevention whereof I have thought good to set downe sundry cautions as well for direction in affaires temporall as spirituall which observed it is not to bee doubted but that God will give you all good successe to your endevours First therefore in affaires Temporall I could wish you to observe this course so to provide for the releefe and supportance of your family as you may not onely have sufficient for yourselves but also bee helpfull unto others sufficient for your selves in providing food and apparell being all which Iaakob desired of God and helpfull unto others in giving food and raiment to the fatherlesse in providing releefe for the desolate and comfortlesse in harbouring the poore needy and succourlesse and briefly in ministring to the necessity of the Saints and all such as are of the family of faith And because providence is the way by which releefe both to your selves and others may bee sufficiently ministred beware of Prodigality and excesse lest you give your honour unto others and your yeares to the cruell Lest the stranger should be filled with your strength and your labours be in the house of a stranger Go rather to the Pismire who though she have no guide governour nor ruler provideth in Summer her granary for Winter Neither is it sufficient to gather but frugally to dispose of that which is gathered This Providence admits of no Vitellius break-fasts nor Cleopatra's bankets The Prodigalls daintie tooth brought him to feed on husks Esau's to sell his birth-right for a messe of pottage Ionathans for a honey-combe to endanger his life The Israelites to murmure against Moses Babylons golden cup to fill her full of abominations I have observed and no lesse admired than observed how some have consumed their estates in satisfying their appetites and that only in the choice of meats and drinkes and was not this a great vanitie That those whom meats though lesse delightfull yet more healthfull might haue sustained and fewer diseases occasioned could not content themselves with that which might have better satisfied nature but to shew themselves Epicures rather than Christians will bestow the revenues of a Manour upon the superfluous charge of a supper For these are they who like Eryâ—thous bowels will disgorge as much upon the boundlesse expence of their owne Family as might serve well for releeving a whole Countrey These are they who like the Endive or Misselto sucke up all the native verdure and vigour of such plants as they inwreath for by their excesse though their owne luscious palats taste no want the commonaltie feeles it when they goe to the Markets and finde the rate of all provision inhanced by such whose Prodigalitie scarce extends a provident eye to themselves much lesse to the behoose of others It is said of Cambletes the gluttonous King of Lydia that he dreamed he devoured his wife while they lay sleeping together in the same bed and finding her hand betweene his teeth when he awaked hee slow himselfe fearing dishonour Howsoever the History be authenticke sure I am the Morall taxeth such whose Epicureall mindes are only set upon prodigall expence without respect either of present fortunes or care to posteritie whose want is oft-times procured by their riot To be short as Parcimonie is
Leycester the Temple of Ianus in Yorke where Peters is now the Temple of Bellona in London where Pauls is now the Temple of Diana Therefore it is very likely that they esteemed as highly then of the Goddesse Diana in London as they did in Ephesus and that as they cried there Great is Diana of the Ephesians so they cried here being deluded with the same spirit Great is Diana of the Londoners Even no more than 53. yeeres before the incarnation of Christ when Iulius Caesar came out of France into England so absurd senselesse and stupid were the people of this Land that instead of the true and ever-living Lord they served these Heathenish and abominable Idols Mars Mercurie Minerva Victoria Apollo Ianus Bellona Diana and such like And not long after to wit Anno Christi 180. King Lucius being first Christened himselfe forthwith established Religion in this whole Kingdome But thankes thankes be to God in the time of the New Testament three and fifty yeeres after the incarnation of Christ when Ioseph of Arimathea came out of France into England many in this Realme of blinde and ignorant Pagans became very zealous and sincere Christians For Saint Philip the Apostle after he had preached the Gospell throughout all France at length sent Ioseph of Arimathea hither into England Who when he had converted very many to the Faith died in this Land and he that buried the body of Christ was buried in Glastenbury himselfe Also Simon Zelotes another Apostle after he had preached the Gospel thorowout all Mauritania at length came over into England who when he had declared likewise to us the doctrine of Christ crucified was in the end crucified himselfe and buried here in Britaine About this time Aristobulus one of the seventie Disciples whom Saint Paul mentioneth in his Epistle to the Romans was a reverend and renowned Bishop in this Land Also Claudia a noble English Ladie whom Saint Paul mentioneth in his second Epistle to Timothy was here amongst us a famous professour of the faith Since which time though the civill state hath beene often turned up-side downe by the Romans by the Saxons by the Danes by the Normans yet the Gospell of Christ hath never utterly failed or beene taken from us This the holy Fathers of the Church which have lived in the ages next ensuing doe declare Tertullian who lived Anno 200. writeth thus All the coasts of Spaine and divers parts of France and many places of Britaine which the Romans could never subdue with their sword Christ hath subdued with his word Origen who lived Anno 260. writeth thus Did the I le of Britaine before the comming of Christ ever acknowledge the faith of one God No but yet now all that Countrey singeth joyfully unto the Lord. Constantine the Great the glory of all the Emperours borne here in England and of English bloud who lived Anno 306. writeth in an Epistle thus Whatsoever custome is of force in all the Churches of Aegypt Spaine France and Britaine looke that the same be like wise ratified among you Saint Chrysostome who lived An. 405. writeth thus In all places wheresoever you goe into any Church whether it be of the Moores or of the Persians or even of the very Iles of Britaine you may heare Iohn Baptist preaching Saint Ierome who lived Anno 420. writeth thus The French-men the English-men they of Africa they of Persia and all barbarous Nations worship one Christ and observe one rule of religion Theodoret who lived Anno 450. writeth thus The blessed Apostles have induced English-men the Danes the Saxons in one word all people and countries to embrace the doctrine of Christ. Gregory the Great who lived An. 605. writeth thus Who can sufficiently expresse how glad all the faithfull are for that the English-men have forsaken the darknesse of their errours and have againe received the light of the Gospell Beda who lived Anno 730. writeth thus England at this present is inhabited by English-men Britaines Scots Picts and Romans all which though they speake severall tongues yet they professe but one faith Thus you see how the Gospell of Christ having beene first planted in this Land by Ioseph of Arimathea and Simon Zelotes in whose time Aristobulus and Claudia and not long after King Lucius also lived hath ever since continued amongst us as testifieth Tertullian Origen Constantine the Great Athanasius Chrysostome Ierome Theodoret Gregory Beda and many more which might here have beene alleaged Now how singular and exquisite a benefit have our Progenitours received by meanes of these faithfuâ—l professours of the Gospell and first planters of the Christian faith here in this Iland What a miserable famine of the Word had the people of this Land sustained if these faithfull friends and sincere Witnesses of the truth had not loosed from the shore and embarked themselves in danger to deliver them from the danger of soules shipwracke In which danger we likewise had beene sharers had not this so rich a fraught so inestimable a prize rescued us from danger and directed our feet in the way of peace The story of Theseus includes an excellent Morall whose love to his deare friend Perithous the Poet labouring to expresse shewes how he went downe to hell of purpose to deliver his friend from the thraldom of Pluto under whom he remained captive Which without offence or derogation may properly seeme to allude next to that inimitable mirrour of divine amitie to these noble and heavenly Warriours who descended as it were even to the jawes of hell encountring with the insolent affronts of many barbarous Assassinates readie to practise all hostilitie upon them Yet see their undanted spirits their godly care inflamed with the zeale of devotion and their love to the members of Christ kindled with the coale of brotherly compassion made them as readie to endure as those hellish fiends and furies the enemies of the truth were ready to inflict choosing rather to perish in the bodie than to suffer the poorest soule bought with so high a price to be deprived of the hope of glory These were good and kinde friends being such as would not sticke to lay downe their lives for their friends suffering all things with patience and puissance of minde to free their distressed brethren from the servile yoke of hellish slavery and bring them by meanes of Gods Spirit by which they were directed to the knowledge of the all-seeing veritie Such as these professe not friendship under pretences or glozing semblances making their heart a stranger to their tongue or walking invisible as if they had found the stone in the Lapwings nest but as they are so they appeare affecting nothing but what is sincerely good and by the best approved Their absolute ayme or end of friendship is to improve reprove correct reforme and conforme the whole Image of that man with whom they converse
in that he could not but through an incessant desire to his studies with a vehement affection to the preservation or propagation rather of all living creatures as he would desire two things of God if the possibility thereof could stand with the conservation of humane societie that he might not Speake that he might not Eat by the one to prevent offence in discourse by the other avoid surfet by excesse So as hee commanded his schollers even in unreasonable things as Birds Beasts Fishes c. to abstaine from crueltie entreating both Fowlers and Fishers to let goe the fowle and fish they had caught or at least redeeme them with money and let them goe But too immoderate was this care and too foolish this pitie for creatures were ordained for the use and service of man he then that neglecteth the use neglecteth likewise the ordinance But in Subjects of Moderation none more absolute than where Nature is urged by necessitie to crave releefe and occasion is ministred yet the desire restrained as in extremitie of thirst when Nature requiteth drinke which according to the Philosophers axiom is the very last refuge of Nature either through compassion or manly Moderation her desire is restrained This did Alexander who out of a princely Moderation or noble compassion when he was almost consumed with drought having a head-peece full of water presented unto him would not drink himselfe but offered it to his souldiers Much to be admired was this act of Moderation and a motive of generall affection that a Prince urged by the extremest effects of Thirst and having occasion and meanes to satisfie the request of Nature yet moved with compassion towards his fellow-souldiers for so used he to terme them hee chused rather to want himselfe than to be a wanting in any compassionate office to their necessitie Certainly this act deserveth so much the more to be commended by how much the extremitie was greater which he suffered Darius when in his flight he dranke muddy and stinking water said That he never dranke a sweeter draught Which implyes what torment he indures who feeles the extremitie of thirst The last assailant of Temperance as we formerly observed was Company-keeping which indeed is such a stealer of time or béguiler of tedious houres as it makes passing of time a meere pastime Yet observe what diligent care hath beene had by making choice of such as I have else-where noted whose society might better them Peruse those Athenian nights in Gellius and you shall finde how fruitfully those nights were employed how delightfully passed making discourse of Philosophie that well-consorting Melodie which gave generall content to all the Company Besides it is worth our observation to take a view of the speciall care divers Ancients have had of the Company they consorted with having such in as great distaste that were evill as they bore all due reverence to such as were good We reade how the Prienean Bias having occasion to saile on a time with some ill-disposed men by reason of a violent tempest the ship wherein they sailed was so shaken as these wicked men moved rather by feare than devotion begun to call upon their gods which Bias hearing Hold your peace quoth he lest the gods you call upon understand that you be here covertly taxing their impiety and shewing that their prayers would be little acceptable to the gods But an example much more divine and so much more deserving our imitation may be here commended to us in the person of the blessed Evangelist S. Iohn who would not come within the Bath where the Hereticke Corinthus was so much did he hate the fellowship of him who to use Augustines words Was no fan for the Lords floore Thus have we runne over those mainest and mightiest assailants of Temperance now let us as wee have illustrated each of them with proper instances of Moderation annex some reasons why these assailants of Temperance ought to be restrained and first for the first Lust the sensuall mans sin is said to be a friend which brings man in acquaintance with the Devill as Ebrietie is an enemie to the knowledge of God Besides it is a vice detestable both to the brute beast and Barbarian it withdrawes the minde of the creature from meditation of his Creator makes man commit sinne even with greedinesse makes the Image of God companion for a Harlot makes him who should be the Temple of the Holy Ghost a Cage of uncleane birds prostitutes the glory of the soule to the pleasure of sinne and prefers a sensuall delight before the obedience of reason Hee sells his Birth-right for lesse than a messe of pottage exposing his soule to the trafficke of shame Hee vaâ—ues a minutes joy above all future delight yea rather than lose his present content he will suffer an eternitie of torment This bleere-eyed Lover is so blinded with affection towards his beloved that he will rather lose his owne soule than lose that which he affecteth Thus you see the Lustfull man uncased his blindnesse discovered his sundry weaknesses displayed and the heavie effects which from hence are derived good reason then have you to restraine an affection so over-spreading a motion so mortally wounded a contagion so generally killing Take into your consideration the shortnesse of the pleasure being but a moment the vengeance or punishment due to that pleasure being eternall What wise man having neerely served his apprentiship will for a minutes pleasure forfeit his Indenture and lose his freedome for ever We should hold him destitute of common sense who having a Princesse offered him will foolishly lose her for embraces of an Harlot If you will keep your selves unspotted till the day of his comming you shall be espoused to a princely Bridegroome and receive Palmes in your hands at his comming Goe not in by the wayes of the strange woman but keepe your beds undefiled knowing the state which you have undertaken to be honourable before God and man For I in no case will limit you to a monasticke or regular restraint but approve of both estates I meane both the single and married life being undertaken in the feare of God worthy the acceptance of every faithfull Christian For the Virgins estate as it drawes neerer to angelicall perfection so the Married to the preservation of humane society or propagation So as Saint Augustinemight seeme rather to be traduced than truely alleged for this place Virgins doe more than lawfull as Adulterers lesse for my conceit shall ever be freed from imagining so divine a Father to approve of such an errour for both estates are commended the one good the other better both which titles as they are by the Apostle on these two estates conferred so are they by us to be reverently esteemed Briefly restraine all immoderate desires of the flesh which fight against the spirit so shall you finde that inward tranquillitie which obedience to your lusts
the contemplative man whose affections are estranged from earth and seated in heaven makes use of whatsoever he seeth on earth as directions to guide him in his progresse to heaven His eyes are not like the Ambitious mans whose eye-sore is only to see others great and himselfe unadvanced nor like the Covetous mans whose eyes Tarpeia-like betray his soule seeing nothing precious or prosperous which he wisheth not nor like the Voluptuous mans whose sealed eyes are blinde to the objects of vertue but unsealed to the objects of vanitie seeing nothing sensually moving which he affects not nor like the Vain-glorious maâ—s who practiseth seldome what is good or honest for the love of goodnesse but to bee praised and observed Whereas the true Contemplative man loves vertue for vertues sake concluding divinely with the Poet This amongst good men hath beene ever knowne Vertue rewards herselfe herselfe's her crowne And for these light objects of vanity he as much loaths them as the Voluptuous man loves them and for coveting he is so farre from desiring more than he hath as he is indifferent either for injoying or forgoing what he already hath and for aspiring he holds it the best ambition of any creature to promote the glory of his Maker He is ever descanting on this divine ditty O how glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God! for his thoughts are sphered above earth and lodged in the Contemplation of heaven And if so be that he chance to fix his eye upon earth it is as I said before to direct his feet and erect his faith to the Contemplation of heaven For by consideration had to these temporall goods to use the words of a devout Father hee gathereth the greatnesse of the heavenly Councell comprehending by these little ones those great ones by these visible those invisible ones For if the Lord shew or rather showre so great and innumerable benefits from heaven and from the aire from the land and sea light and darknesse heat and shadow dew and raine winds and showres birds and fishes and multiplicity of herbs and plants of the earth and the ministry of all creatures successively in their seasons ministring to us to allay our loathing and beget in us towards our Maker an incessant longing and all this for an ignoble and corruptible body what how great and innumerable shall those good things be which he hath prepared for them that love him in that heavenly Countrey where we shall see him face to face If he doe such things for us in this prison what will â—ee doe for us in that Palace Great and innumerable are thy workes O Lord King of heaven For seeing all these are very good and delectable which hee hath equally bestowed upon both good and evill how great shall those be which he hath laid up only for the good If so divers and innumerable be the gifts which he bestoweth both upon friends and foes how sweet and delectable shall those be which he will only bestow upon his friends If such comforts in this day of teares and anguish what will he conferre on us in that day of Nuptiall solace If a prison containe such delights what I pray you shall our Countrey containe No eye O Lord without thee hath seene those things which thou hast prepared for them that love thee for according to the great multitude of thy magnificence there is also a multitude of thy sweetnesse which thou hast hid for them that feare thee for great thou art O Lord our God and unmeasurable neither is there end of thy greatnesse nor number of thy wisdome nor measure of thy mercy neither is there end nor number nor measure of thy bountie but as thou art great so be thy gifts great because thou thy selfe art the reward and gift of thy faithfull warriours Thus is the spiritually Contemplative man ever employed thus are his affections planted thus his desires seated caring so little for earth as he is dead to earth long before hee returne to earth drawing daily neerer heaven having his desire only there long before he come there Now to instance some whose profession was meerely contemplative having retired or sequestred themselves from the society of this world we might illustrate this subject with many excellent Patternes in this kinde as those especially who strictly professed a monasticke life becomming severe Enemies to their owne flesh and estranging themselves from conversing wittâ—man Which kinde of discipline as it was in respect of humanity too unsociable so in respect of themselves doubtlesse sweet and delightfull being so intraunced with divine contemplation as they forgot earth and all earthly affections Of this sort you shall reade sundry examples whereof one more memorable than the rest might be instanced in him who reading that sentence of holy Scripture Goe and sell all that thou hast presently imagining it to be meant by him did so The like contempt towards the world might be instanced in holy Ierome Paulinus that good Bishop of Nola and many others upon which I would be loth to insist for brevity sake Neither certainly can they whose thoughts are erected above the centre of earth having their Hearts planted where their treasure is placed deigne to fix their eye upon ought in the world because they see nothing worthy affecting in the World for they thinke godlinesse is a great gaine if a man be content with that he hath They doe good being rich in good workes and ready to distribute and communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may obtaine eternall life Yea they have not only learned in whatsoever state they are therewith to be content but wholly to relinquish both selfe and state to advance the glory of God But it may be now well objected that these men whereof we now treat are fitter for a Cell than a Court and therefore too regular masters to have young Gentlemen for their Schollers for how should these whose education hath beene liberty conversation publike society and who hold good fellowship an appendice to Gentry betake themselves to such strictnesse as to be deprived of common aire live remote from all company passing the remainder of their dayes in a wildernesse as if they had committed some egregious fact that deserved such severe Penance mistake me not my meaning is much otherwise for as I would not have Gentlemen Libertines so I would not have them Hermits for the first as they are too prodigally secular so the latter are too severely regular Neither am I ignorant how a Cloister may be no lesse shelter unto error than a more publike place of delight or pleasure But my discourse touching this Contemplative Perfection was purposely to draw the Curtaine from before the Picture and to shew to their eye that faire Idaea or feature which hath beene so long shadowed I meane the faire and beautifull structure of the inward man
Serpent or some brute beast and this it knew but it would not for thy goodnesse sake This it was which forced from that devout and zealous Father this emphaticall discourse or intercourse rather with God who upon a time walking in his garden and beholding a little worme creeping and crawling upon the ground presently used these words Deare Lord thou might'st have made me like this Worme a crawling despicable creature but thou would'st not and it was thy mercy that thou would'st not O as thou hasâ— ennobled me with the Image of thy selfe make me conformable to thy self that of a worm I may become an angel of a vassall of sin a vessell of Sion of a shell of corruption a Star of glory in thy heavenly mansion And in truth there is nothing which may move us to a more serious consideration of Gods gracious affection towards us than the very image which we carry about us preferring us not only before all the rest of his creatures in soveraignty and dominion but also in an amiable similitude feature and proportion whereby we become not only equall but even superiour unto Angells because Man was God and God Man and no Angell To whom are wee then to make recourse to as the Author of our Creation save God whose hand hath made and fashioned us whose grace hath ever since directed and prevented us and whose continued love for whom he loveth he loveth unto the end hath ever extended it selfe in ample manner towards us How frivolous then and ridiculous were their opinions who ascribed the Creation of all things to the Elements as Anaximenes to the piercing Aire Hippeas to the fleeting Water Zeno to the purifying Fire Zenophanes to the lumpish Earth How miserably were these blinded and how notably evinced by that learned Father who speaking in the persons of all these Elements and of all other his good creatures proceedeth in this sort I tooke my compasse saith he speaking to God in the survey of all things seeking thee and for all things relinquishing my selfe I asked the Earth if it were my god and it said unto me that it was not and all things in it confessed the same I asked the Sea and the depths and the creeping things in them and they answered we are not thy god seeke him above us I asked the breathing Aire and the whole Aire with all the inhabitants thereof made answer Anaximenes is deceived I am not thy God I asked the Heaven Sun Moone and Stars neither are wee thy god answered they And I spake to all these who stand about the gates of my flesh tell me what you know concerning my god tell mee something of him and they cryed out with a great voice He made us Then I asked the whole Frame and fabricke of this World tell me if thou be my god and it answered with a strong voyce I am not said it but by him I am whom thou seekest in mee hee it was that made mee seeke him above me who governeth me who made me The interrogation of the creatures is the profound consideration of them and their answer the witnesse they beare of God because all things cry God hath made us for as the Apostle saith the invisible things of God are visibly to be understood by those things which are made by the creatures of the world Thus wee understand the Author of our Creation of whom seriously to meditate and with due reverence to contemplate is to die to all earthly cogitations which delude the sinne-belulled soule with extravagancies And let this suffice for the first Memoriall or Consideration to wit who it was that made us we are now to descend to the second particular which is for what end he made us He who rested not till he had composed and disposed in an absolute order of this Vniverse proposed us an example that we should imitate So long as we are Pilgrims here on earth so long as we are Sojourners in this world wee may not enjoy our spirituall Sabbath wee may stay a little and breath under the Crosse after the example of our best Master but rest wee may not For what end then did he make us That we might live such lives as may please him and die such deaths as may praise him lives blamelesse and unreproveable lives sanctified throughout pure without blemish fruitfull in example plentifull in all holy duties and exercised in the workes of charitie that he who begetteth in us both the Will and the Worke may present us blamelesse at his comming Now that our lives may become acceptable unto him to whose glory they ought to be directed we are in this Tabernaâ—le of clay to addresse our selves to those studies exercises and labours which may benefit the Church or Common-weale ministring matter unto others of imitation to our soules of consolation and in both to Gods name of glorification Wherein appeareth a maine difference betwixt the Contemplative and Active part for sufficient it is not to know acknowledge and confesse the divine Majesty to dispute or reason upon high points touching the blessed Trinitie to be rapt up to the third heaven as it were by the wings of Contemplation but to addresse our selves to an actuall performance of such offices and peculiar duties as we are expresly injoyned by the divine Law of God Our Lord in the Gospell when the woman said Blessed is the wombe that bare thee and the brests that gave thee sucke Answered Yea rather blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it And when one of the Iewes told him that his mother and brethren stood without desiring to speake with him He answered and said unto him that told him Who is my mother and who are my brethren And stretching forth his hand toward his Disciples he said Behold my mother and my brethren For whosoever shall doe the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my brother and sister and mother It is not knowledge then but practice which presents us blamelesse before God Therefore are we exhorted to worke out our salvation with feare and trembling Not to idle out our time in the market-place as such who make their life a repose or cessation from all labours studies or vertuous intendments Of which sort those are and too many of those there are who advanced to great fortunes by their provident Ancestors imagine it a Taske worthy men of their places to passe their time in pastime and imploy their dayes in an infinite consumption of mis-spent houres for which they must be accomptants in that great Assize where neither greatnesse shall be a subtâ—â—â—â—g to guiltinesse nor their descent plead privilege for those many houres they have mis-spent O how can they answer for so many vaine and fruitlesse pleasures which they have enjoyed and with all greedinesse embraced in this life Many they shall have to witnesse against them none to
who saw you you shall be plenteously rewarded by him whose eyes are ever upon you or fasted without hanging downe your heads to cause men observe you you shall feast with him who will erect your heads and with glory crowne you or performed works of charity for conscience sake and not for vain-glory your workes shall goe before you and be accounted for righteous through him who shall cloath you with glory or not too Pharisaically prided your selves in your owne integrity you shall become justified with the Publican and admitted to honour by humility or ascribed to your selves shame and to God the glory God shall wipe off your shame and bring you to the full fruition of his glory or heartily wished to bee deprived of all hope of glory rather than by your meanes to detract in any wise from Gods glory your desire of advancing Gods glory shall after your passage from this vale of misery estate you in the inheritance of glory Againe have ye heard with patience such as revile you Have ye answered them as he did who being accused by his enemie of one sinne accused him likewise of ignorance saying Thou accusest mee of one when I am guiltie of a thousand Have ye not stood upon termes of reputation but with patience suffered all disgraces Have ye overcome your enemie with mildnesse taken revenge on him by your vertue and goodnesse Fortified your selves against all calumnie with the spirit of patience O then right blessed are you for having heard with patience such as revile you an eternall blessing is pronounced on you or having beene as ready to condemne your selves as others to accuse you your purged conscience shall freely acquit you or not stood on termes of reputation when men disgrac'd you you shall be graced in heaven where no disgrace shall touch you or overcome your enemy with mildnesse the milde Lambe shall crowne you with happinesse or taken revenge on him by your vertue and goodnesse you shall be refreshed with the fountaine of sweetnesse or fortified your selves against all calumnie with the spirit of patience with Palmes in your hands shall yee sing with joyfulnesse Gather O gather hence with ineffable Solace is conferred on the patient whatsoever hee suffer here shall in superabundant measure be recompenced else-where But it may be objected that some aspersions are not to be borne with for those scandals which are laid upō our persons where our faith is not taxed or touched may be more easily endured but where these are struck at they are not to be suffered To confirme which we reade how Peter and Iohn having by prayer and imposition of hands given the holy Ghost and Simon the Sorcerer saw that through laying on of the Apostles hands the holy Ghost was given he offered them money saying Give mee also this power that on whomsoever I lay hands he may receive the holy Ghost But Peter incensed herewith said unto him Thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money Whence it appeareth that out of a holy zeale one may shew passion towards such as detract from the honour of God or asperse a blemish upon his servants in the worke of their ministerie The like wee reade of Paul that glorious vessell of election conceiving much indignation against one who had withstood the word saying Alexander the Copper-smith did mee much evill the Lord reward him according to his workes The reason is inclusively annexed of whom be thou ware also for he hath greatly withstood our words The like spirit of zeale might Iames and Iohn be said to be of who when they saw that the Samaritanes would not receive Christ said Lord wilt thou that wee command fire to come downe from heaven and consume them even as Elias did But how this passion of theirs was approved may appeare by the ensuing verse But he turned and rebuked them and said Yee know not what manner of spirit yee are of Now to cleare this objection there is no Patterne which wee ought sooner to imitate than Christ himselfe who is the master of truth and directeth us in all truth who as hee was most blamelesse of all others for in his mouth was never guile found yet was he in his owne person more blamed in his doctrine more reproved in his miracles more injured than all others for one while he is accused to have a Devill anon that he casteth out Devils through the prince of the Devils anon that he is a man gluttonous and a wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and Sinners Yet what answer vouchsafed he unto all these save only this Wisdome is justified of her children Now I know there are differences of Scandals or aspersions where some leave deeper impression than others doe for as the name is more precious than any earthly substance so it receiveth the deepest staine when the estimation of our faith is questioned being the very maine foundation whereon all religion is grounded and the perfection of that building which makes a Christian rightly accomplishd Saint Basil could shew himselfe calme enough in his conference with the Emperour till a Cooke came in and saucily told him he did not well to stand so precisely upon such small matters but rather to yeeld to his master the Emperour in a word or two for what were those divine affaires whereon hee so much insisted but such as with indifferencie might be dispensed But what answered this reverend Father Yea Sir Cooke quoth he it is your part to tend your pottage and not to boile and chop up divine matters which as they little trouble you so in weight and consequence are farre above you And then with great gravitie turning to the Emperour said that those that were conversant in divine matters which were principally to be intended would with conscience rather suffer death than suffer one jot of holy Scripture much lesse an article of faith to be altere◠or corrupted Another holy man though most innocent could endure to be accounted a whoremaster an uncleane person and the like but when one called him an Heretike he could beare no longer so neere be wee touched when our faith is questioned But as we have a noble and glorious Patterne who shewed himselfe a Conquerour in his suffering let us wrastle with flesh and bloud that suffering all things for him and with him wee may after our conquest joy in him and with him And let this be sufficient to have beene spoken of Mortification in respect of our name or esteeme in the world labouring daily to dis-value and huminate our selves while wee are in the world If it be no great thing to leave our substance but our selves let us at least leave our substance that wee may the better enjoy our selves It was the wise exhortation of the wisest of Princes Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all
time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evill things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented And in the Parable of the ten Virgins where the five foolish Virgins tooke their Lamps and tooke no oyle with them but the wise tooke oyle in their vessels with their Lamps and when the Bridegroome came those that were ready went in with him and were received but those foolish ones who were unprovided though they came afterwards crying Lord Lord open unto us could not be admitted For know deare Christian and apply it to thy heart for knowledge without use application or practice is a fruitlesse and soule-beguiling knowledge that hee who promiseth forgivenesse to thee repenting hath not promised thee to morrow to repent in Why therefore deferrest thou till to morrow when thou little knowest but thou maist die before to morrow This day this houre is the opportunate season take hold of it then lest thou repent thee when it is past season Man hath no inte est in time save this very instant which hee may properly terme his let him then so imploy this instant of time as hee may be heire of eternitie which exceeds the limit of time Let us worke now while it is day for the night commeth when no man can worke Why therefore stand wee idling Why delay wee our conversion Why cry wee with the sluggard Yet a little and then a little and no end of that little Why to morrow and to morrow and no end of to morrow being as neere our Conversion to day as to morrow Why not to day as well as to morrow seeing every day bringeth with it her affliction both to day and to morrow Meet it is then for us to make recourse to the Throne of mercy in the day of mercie and before the evill day come lest wee be taken as he who beat his fellow servants when the great Master of the Houshold shall come O earth earth earth heare the Word of the Lord Earth by creation earth by condition earth by corruption Remember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth while the evill dayes come not nor the yeares draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them While the Sun or the light or the Moone or the Stars that be not darkened nor the clouds returne after the raine In the day when the Keepers of the house shall tremble and the strong men shall bow themselves and the grinders cease because they are few and those that looke out of the windowes be darkened And the doores shall be shut in the streets when the sound of the grinding is low and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high and fears shall be in the way and the Almond tree shall flourish and the Grashopper shall be a burden and desire shall faile because man goeth to his long home and the mourners goe about the streets Or ever the silver coard be loosed or the golden bowle be broken or the pitcher be broken at the fountaine or the wheele broken at the Cisterne Then shall the dust returne to the earth as it was and the spirit shall returne unto God who gave it Hence then are we warned not to deferre time lest wee neglect the opportunate time the time of grace which neglected miserable shall we be when from hence dissolved Yea but will some object True repentance is never too late which is most true but againe I answer that late repentance is seldome true Repent then while yee have time for as in Hell there is no redemption so after death there is no time admitted for repentance O remember that a wounded conscience none can heale so that like as the Scorpion hath in her the remedy of her owne poison so the evill man carrieth alwayes with him the punishment of his owne wickednesse the which doth never leave to torment and afflict his minde both sleeping and waking So as the wicked man is oft-times forced to speake unto his conscience as Ahab said to Eliah Hast thou found me O mine enemie Now there is no better meanes to make peace with our consciences than to set God continually before our eyes that his Spirit may witnesse to our spirits that we are the children of grace Wherein many offend daily who promise to themselves security either by sinning subtilly or secretly Subtilly as in dazling or deluding the eyes of the world with pretended sanctity and concluding with the Poet That I may just and holy seeme and so the world deceive And with a cloud my cunning shroud is all that I doe crave But such Hypocrites will God judge and redouble the viols of his wrath upon their double sinne Secretly when man in the foolishnesse of his heart committeth some secret sin and saith Who seeth him There is none looking thorow the chinke to see mee none that can heare me but simple fooles how much are these deceived Is there any darknesse so thicke and palâ—able that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the piercing eye of heaven cannot spie thee thorow it O if thou hope by sinning secretly to sin securely thou shalt be forced to say unto thy God as Ahab said unto Elijah Hast thou found mee O mine enemie Nay O God terrible and dreadfull thou hast found me And then let me aske thee in the same termes that the young Gallant in Erasmus asked his wanton mistresse Art thou not ashamed to doe that in the sight of God and witnesse of holy Angels which thou art ashamed to doe in the sight of men Art thou so afraid of disgrace with men and little carest whether thou be or no in the state of grace with God Art thou more jealous of the eyes of men who have but power only to asperse a blemish on thy name or inflict a temporall punishment on thy person than of his who hath power to throw both thy soule and body into the burning Lake of perdition It was a pretty saying of Epicurus in Seneca Whereto are offences safe if they cannot be secure Or what availes it guiltie men to finde a place to lye hid in when they have no confidence in the place where they lye hid in Excellent therefore was the counsell of zealous Bernard and sententious Seneca that wee should alwayes as in a mirrour represent unto our eyes the example of some good man and so to live as if he did alwayes see us alwayes behold us for wee who know that the eyes of God are upon all the wayes of men and that no place so remote no place so desart or desolatâ— as may divide us from his all-seeing presence ought to be in all our workes so provident and circumspect as if God were present before our eyes as in truth he
any losse sustained 〈◊〉 they entertaine affliction with a desperate sorrow crying out with Afranius sonne Alas mee wretched or Philotas-like receive such deepe impression or apprehension of their disgrace as through it they are forced to lose the faculty of speech Whereas others like Furius Camillus are neither puffed up with honour nor cast downe with disgrace as his Dictator-ship could not make him too haughtily affected no more could exile from his Countrey cause him to bee dejected Such was the resolution of the ancient Romans who at the disaster of Cannae when their utter ruine and overthrow was rung in every place did nothing unworthy themselves Here you shall encounter with a Iugurth Speaking little but doing much There with a Catiline Speaking much but doing little Here one in all mens opinions worthy of an Empire before he had it but most unworthy when he hath it exemplified in Galba there one much doubted before he have it but generally loved when he had it exemplified in Severus Againe observe you may in the course of Histories how justly God hath shewne himselfe towards such as practised treason against their Princes though they were heathens finde out one of all those who conspired Caesars death in the Capitoll who died in their bed For no sooner had Antonie shewed in his funerall Oration the thirty three wounds wherewith Caesar was deprived of life by his conspirators and erected a Temple to Caesar and sung a mournfull hymne in memory of Caesar then Trebonius and Decimuâ— were the first that were dispatched being of the conspiracie Cassius likewise was killed on his Birth-day who some say killed himselfe with the same dagger wherewith Caesar was killed yea observe the misery of these Assacinates being so unhappy as they could hardly finde one so friendly as to lend a hand to end their â—â—sery For Cassius offered his throat to Pindarus his Page Brutus to Strato who denying to doe it was answered by a servant Votis tuis nec deërit amicus nec servus The like revenge was inflicted on Septimius for betraying his master Pompey The like on the Magi for their treacherous attempts after the death of Cambises The like on Bessus for his disloyalty towards Darius And to descend to later times even within the bounds of our owne nation what just revenge seconded those perfidious Complices Alectus for conspiring against his deare Soveraigne Carausius and that Arch-traitour Edrike for his treacherous practices with Canutus the Dane and breach of allegeance towards King Edmond for seldome hath any State in any age beene so happy as it hath not bred a Catiline with a Catulus a Cethegus with a Curtius a Sertorius with a Soranus a Quadratus and Quintianus with an Aemilius and Coriolanus Besides you shall observe what justice and integrity appeared in the heathen chastising such as would be bribed or corrupted though they were their enemies So as Mithridates tooke Manius Acilius one of the chiefest Embassadours of the Romans and set him contemptuously upon an Asse till he was come to Pergamo where hee put molten gold in his mouth reproving the Romans for taking gifts The like reward had Tarpeia being corrupted by T. Tatius to deliver the Capitoll for having betrayed the gates of the Capitoll to the enemie onely upon promise that they should throw her the bracelets which they wore on their left armes this they accordingly performed throwing also their targets upon her with which she was pressed to death You shall likewise finde there what reverence the Pagans shewed to their Idolatrous Temples and how carefull they were to observe their Countrie rites which they esteemed sacred and what successe ever followed the enterprises of such as committed sacrilege The very heathen observed that after such time as the Grecians once offered violence to the Temple of Pallas that they lost all their hope and never thrived after Lactantius reporteth of divers who were grievously punished for their impiety and prophanenesse towards the gods as namely Fulvius the Censor who for taking away certaine marmoreas tegulas out of the temple of Iuno Lacinia was distraught of his wits Appius Claudius for translating and conveying those sacred reliques which were before consecrate to Hercules within a while after lost the use of his eyes Dionysius who made a jest of Sacrilege taking a golden cloake from Iupiter Olympius his image a woollen cloake being put in stead thereof saying That a golden cloake was too heavie in Summer and too cold in Winter but a linsie-woolsie cloake was fit for both cutting off also Aesculapius golden beard saying It was no reason that the son should have a beard and Apollo his father have none and taking away certaine cups of gold which they held in their hands saying It was a great madnesse to refuse them offered was for these driven into banishment Pyrrhus for robbing Proserpina's treasury suffered ship wrack not farre from the shore Zerxes who sent foure hundred of his souldiers to Delphos to spoile the Temple of Apollo had them all destroyed and burnt with thunder and lightning Marcus Crâ—ssus for taking a great masse of money out of the Temple which Pompey would not meddle withall perished there with his whole armie And here in Albion we reade of Brennus who in his expedition to Delphos was by a sudden hurly-burly or immoderate feare through a noise heard in the bowels of the earth raised indeed by the lamentable shrikings and howlings of the distracted Druids and ministers of Apollo despairing of further successe perished with all his army Whence may be observed how justly such 〈◊〉 punished who contemned the religion of their Countrey robbing their Temples and enriching themselves with the spoile of their gods who albeit they were Idols and no gods or rather Devills and no Idols yet so ill was their successe in all their affaires afterwards as they attributed the cause of their miserable ends to the contempt of their gods But howsoever this may seeme erroneously ascribed sure I am that thus it may be rightly applied that where God is dishonoured his Temple prophaned and religion contemned nothing can be succesfully or prosperously concluded It is wonderfull to note in such evill times so good men as we shall every where meet with in the course of Histories An Aristides for Iustice a Pelopidas for Temperance a Numa for Prudence a Trajan for Patience an African for Continence all which in this Cleanthes Table History shew admirable vertues in a corrupt government Againe reflect your eye on those whose love to their Countrey deserves eternall memory and you will no lesse wonder at the greatnesse of their mindes than the happinesse of those Realmes that enjoyed them King Darius upon a time by chance opening a great Pomegranat and being demanded of what hee would wish to have as many as there were graines in that Pomegranat answered in one word of Zopyrusses Now this
Zopyrus was a right noble and valiant Knight who to reduce Babylon to the subjection of his Lord and Master and defeat the traiterous Assyrians suffered his body to be rent and mangled and being thus disfigured fled straight-wayes to Babylon where the Assyrians were intrenched whom he made beleeve that Darius had mis-used him in this sort because hee had spoken in their behalfe counselling him to breake up his siege and to remove his armie from assaulting their Citie They hearing this tale and the rather induced to thinke it true because they saw him so shamefully disfigured in his bodie were perswaded to make him their chiefe Captaine by which meanes heâ— betrayed them all and surrendred both them and their Citie into his Masters hands The like we reade of Codrus Prince of Athens who according to the counsell of the Oracle sacrificed his life willingly to preserve the Libertie of his Countrey The like did Gobrias who offered his bodie to slaughter to free his Countrey of a tyrannous Traitour Yet observe withall the ingratitude of former Ages to men of best deservings which caused Aeschines say That though the Citie of Thebes and Athens were full of naughtie men yet not so full of any sort as of ungratefull men This felt Annibal this felt Asdrubal this felt African while Asdrubal within must be accused by Asdrubal without and noble African than whom none ever deserved better of his Countrey may begge a resting place for his bones but must not have it Againe it will not be amisse to note the sundry occasions of warres proceeding from the sundry dispositions of men Some strove for soveraigntie others for preservation of their Libertie where so eager was the one of gaining glory the other of defending their Libertie they were many times brought to such straights as there was more roome for beholders than fighters many bearing armes but could not use them No lesse remarkable is it to note what incredible exploits have beene atchieved by a handfull of men under a valiant Leader where by a more particular survey had of their actions we shall finde that observation of Plutarch to be most true Better is an armie of Harts with a Lion to their Leader than an armie of Lions with a Hart to their Leader An Armie being said to derive her strength from her selfe but her spirit from her Captaine In â— word Gentlemen to observe the revolution of times â—he mutation of States the Natures and dispositions of persons the issues and events of things would 〈◊〉 an imployment of no lesse delight than profit conferring the ebbings and flowings of forraine estates with our owne But to draw homeward lest like Messala Carvinus by remembring the name of a stranger we forget our owne there is no History more usefull or relation more needfull for any Gentleman than our owne Moderne Chronicles where he shall observe many notable passages worthy his reading As first how his Countrey was first planted how by degrees it became peopled how to civilitie reduced how by wholesome Lawes restrained and how by the providence of the Almightie in so calme and peaceable manner established Here he shall see a good King but a bad man there a good man but a bad King Againe here hee shall see the State more weakned by civill broiles than forraine warres Securitie being no lesse hurtfull at home than hostilitie abroad Scipio used to have this sentence in his mouth That easie favourable and affable Captains were profitable to the Enemie which though they were beloved of their Souldiers yet they set little by them This shall you see verified in the too much indulgencie of many of our Captaines through which lenitie they made many hopefull Souldiers absolute cowards Againe to note the raising of many obscure persons to great honour as likewise the pulling down of many eminent houses and families would enforce no lesse admiration in us of Gods divine Providence than of his secret Iustice who pulleth downe and setteth up as seemeth best to his wisdome To observe likewise in the corruption of bloud what Noble Families have beene tainted which by the Princes clemencie were againe restored What dangerous attempts and practices have beene undertaken not only to shake but supplant the glorious frame of this Ilaâ—d labouring to divide and remove all succession to this Crowne from the Royall Line of our Princes and to inâ—est forraine Princes therewith where an English King was summoned to the French Kings Court while Normandie was yeelded by us the Welsh invaded us Lewis with a speedie arrivall accosted us and Iohn himselfe was forced to leave us Nay which was more one of the Nurseries of our Iland was displanted for at that time was Oxford of her Students forsaken and abandoned which before for the space of three hundred and nine yeares had successfully flourished so as not onely the State but Learning the sterne of State became much weakned Yet observe how happily this storme was calmed when it was least expected for by the Vicount of Mellin his confession lying then upon his death-bed was the whole practice of the French by a Frenchman discovered which was no lesse happily afterwards prevented For King Iohn being to repentance moved tooke an oath before his Barons that all things should be reformed which the Barons likewise seconded with an oath to confirme his proceedings So Iohn was absolved and that Crowne which he had before resigned he forth with resumed being in this made more happie in that being once so unhappie hee came to defeat his foes make sufficient triall of his friends and recover that by submission which he had lost by his pride Againe if we should but reade and reading consider how peacefull the government how quiet the sleepes how cheerefull the delights were of such as came by lawfull and lineall succession to the Crowne and the heavie Nights troubled thoughts broken sleepes and many tedious houres which those were owners of who came by usurpation to enjoy with little joy a princely Diadem we should of necessitie conclude with Pompey who being combred with his Honour exclaimed to see Sylla's crueltie being ignorant after what sort to behave himselfe in the dignitie he had and cried out O perill and dâ—â—ger never like to have an end For to use one example for all who should but consider the practices which Richard the third used to get a Crowne planting his Kingdome on an indirect foundation Blond and those many strange passages and overtures which happened in his Reigne with those fearefull Visions which appeared to him before his death would certainly set downe this for his rest that it is not what we have without us but what we have within us that procures us peace or disquiet Whence Polydore Virgil upon that terrible dreame of Richard the third the night before Bosworth field in which hee was slaine useth these words I doe not beleeve that these were the