which giueth to all men liberallie and reprocheth no man and it shall bee giuen him For it is he that leadeth vnto Wisedome Wisd 7 15 16. and teacheth howe to vse the same aright In his hand are both wee and our wordes yea all our wisedome our vnderstanding and the knowledge of all our workes §. 4. If riches saith the Wiseman bee a possessioÌ„ Wisd 8 5 6 to be desired in this life what is richer then Wisedome that worketh all thinges For if Wisedom worketh what is it among all things that worketh better then shee If a man loue righteousnesse her labours verse 7 are full of vertue for shee teacheth sobernesse prudencie righteousnes strength which are the most profitable thinges that men can haue in this lyfe If a man desire great experience she can verse 8. tell the things that are past and discerne the things that are to come shee knoweth the subtilties of words and the solution of dark sentences she foreseeth the signes wonders or euer they come to passe the successe or end of all times ages to ensue Who so awaketh vnto her betimes shall Wisd 6 14. haue no great trauaile in seeking her for he shall finde her sitting at his doores To think vpon her is perfect vnderstanding verse 15 and who so watcheth for her shall be soone without care For shee walketh about seeking such as verse 16 bee meete for her and sheweth herselfe cheerefully vnto them in theyr wayes and meeteth them in euery thought Shee is an infinite treasure vnto men Wisd 7 14 which who so vse become pertakers of the loue and freendship of Almighty God are accepted for the gifts of knowledge vnderstanding All Gold is but grauell in respect of her Wisd 7 9 and Siluer shall be counted but clay before her She is more worth then precious stones Prou 8 11. yea all things that thou canst desire are not to be compared vnto her She hath her dwelling with knowledge verse 12 and prudent counsell is her owne By her Kings doe raigne and Counsellers Prou 8 15 16 make iust lawes through her doe Princes beare rule and all the Iudges of the earth execute iudgement By her also wee may be preserued from Solon the many perrils of this world and through her wee may attaine vnto a happy end §. 5. To conclude Of all the giftes that euer Plato God gaue vnto man saith Plato Wisedom is the most excellent For shee is the defence of the soule and the mirrour of reason she is the ground roote of all good endeuours she ordereth the mind of man and instructeth his vnderstanding she directeth his life and ruleth the works thereof shee teacheth what ought to be doone and what to be left vndone and vvithout her saith he no man liuing can be safe Also this likewise knew Salomon a far better Diuine then Plato to be most true as appeareth in his prayer which he so earnestly made vnto the Lord for wisedome and where vvithall in the same place hee plainely confesseth that * although a man Wisd 9 6 be neuer so perfect among the chyldren of men yet if the wisedome of GOD be not with him he shall be nothing regarded For the wisedome of this world is foolishnes 1 Cor 3 19 with God Because as the Apostle saith it is earthlie Iames 3 15 sensuall and deuilish But the vvisedome that is from aboue verse 17. is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercie good fruites without iudging and without hipocrisie ¶ Of the knowledge of Almightie God §. 1. THe Lord looketh downe from heauen saith Dauid and beholdeth all Psalm 33 13 14. the children of men From the habitation of his dwelling hee beholdeth all them that dwell vpon the earth Hee facioneth the harts of euery one of verse 15. them he vnderstandeth all their works For hee is as Hannah saith a God of 1 Sam 2 3 knowledge by him enterprises are established Yea from the beginning of the world Acts 15 18 saith S. Iames the Lorde our God knoweth all his workes He also vnderstandeth and seeth both Pet. Lomb. the deedes and the thoughts of all men liuing in the world and froÌ„ his knowledge no secrete can be hid For his eyes as Sirach saith are ten thousand Ecclê° 39. 19 times brighter theÌ„ the Sun beholding all the waies of men and the ground of the deepe considereth the most secret parts * Hee knewe all things or euer they vvere verse 20. made after they be brought to passe also hee looketh vpon them all The works of all flesh are before him Ecclê° 39 19 20. nothing can be hid froÌ„ his sight Hee seeth from euerlasting to euerlasting and there is nothing wondeful or hard vnto him For his wisedome is great he is mightie Ecclê° 15 18 in power and he beholdeth all things continually So that nothing can be doone in heauen Caluine earth or hell without his prouidence Neither is there any creature which is not Heb 4 13 manifest in his sight but all thinges are naked and open to the eyes of him concerning whom we speake For his eyes are vpon the wayes of man Iob 34 21. he seeth all his goings * His eyes in euery Prou 15 3 place behold the euill the good And hee onely knoweth the harts of all 1 Reg 8 39 the chyldren of men §. 2. Behold saith Esdras the Lord our God 2 Esdr 16 46. knoweth all the workes of men their imaginations their thoughts their harts Yea hee knoweth our inuentions and verse 55. what we think or imagine in our hart wheÌ„ we sinne and would hide our selues No thought may escape him neyther Ecclê° 42 20 may any word be hid from him For he * vnderstandeth euery hart Ecclê° 16 20 Hell with her paine saith Salomon is Prou 15 11 knovvne vnto the Lord hovve much more the harts of all the sonnes of men The graue likewise is naked before Iob 26 6 him and destruction cannot bee couered from him The wayes of all men in the worlde are Bernard knowne to him the words of all mouthes in the world are heard of him and the thoughts of all harts in the world are plainly perceiued of him There is nothing so secrete but he seeth P. Melanct. the same nor any purpose so priuilie practised but it is openly knowne vnto him The righteous and the vnrighteous are Bullenger both in their doings of him regarded and hee discerneth the counterfeite Christian from the faithfull professor §. 4. Saint Paule the Apostle writing vnto his Scholler Timothie in his second Epistle and second chapter both for his confirmation comfort against the doctrine of false Teachers telleth him That * the 2 Tim 2 19 foundation of God
euerlasting saluation of the godly not only in choosing but also in regenerating in iustifying and in glorifying them Also King Salomon as we reade in his booke of Wisedome after some mention made of Gods almighty power vttereth these speeches following in praise of his loue and mercie saying Thou ô Lord Wisd 11. 20 21 22 23. hast mercy vppon all for thou hast power ouer all and makest as though thou sawest not the sinnes of men because they should amend For thou louest all the things that are and hatest none of them whō thou hast made For thou vvouldest haue created nothing that thou hadst hated And how might any thing endure vnlesse it were thy will or howe coulde any thing be preserued except it were called of thee But thou sparest all for they are thine ô Lord which art the louer of soules And * for that thou Wisd 12 16 art Lorde of all thinges it causeth thee to spare all things And not much vnlike to this saying of Salomon is the confession of Esdras vnto the Angell which was sent to instruct him where hee saith I knovve Lord that the 2 Esdr 7. 62 63 64. c. most High is called mercifull in that hee hath mercy vppon them which are not yet come into the world And that he hath pittie on those that walke in his Lawe And that hee is patient for hee long suffereth those that haue sinned as his creatures And that hee is liberall for hee will giue as much as needeth And that he is of great mercy for hee ouercōmeth in mercy those that are present those that are past them that are to come For if hee were not aboundant in his mercies the world coulde not continue nor they that haue the possession thereof He pardoneth also for if he gaue not of his goodnesse that they which haue doone 2 Esdras 7. 68 69 70. euill might be releeued from their wickednesse the ten thousand part of men should not remaine aliue And if hee beeing Iudge forgaue not those that be healed with his word tooke away the multitude of their sinnes there should be very fewe people left among an innumerable multitude §. 5. Moreouer the Lorde our God is so full of pitty and compassion that as Gueuara Anth. Gueuara saith hee neuer sendeth downe his wrath vpon any people as a punishment for their offences but hee first seeketh rather by admonishment to bring them to his mercy and fauour through their true humilitie and vnfained repentance And many also are the testimonies which we finde in holie Scripture concerning the great kindnesse and compassion of Almighty God to the penitent but among sundry other I suppose for breuities sake that this one example following may sufficiently serue to instruct vs. Ionas beeing sent of God to preach and Ionas 3 4 5 6 7 c. denounce his iudgements against Niniuie the cheefest Citty of the Assyrians entred into the same a dayes iourney saith the Text and he cryed and sayd Yet fortie dayes and Niniuie shall be ouerthrowne Whereupon the King beleeuing the speech of the Prophet descended from his princely throne and speedily caused thys Proclamation to be made that neither man nor beast should taste any foode nor drink any water but let man beast quoth he put on sackcloth and cry mightilie vnto God yea let euery man turne from his euill wayes and from the wickednesse that is in their hands And * when the Almightie verse 10. saw theyr workes that they repented turned from theyr euill waies hee repented himselfe of the euill that hee had saide hee would doe vnto them and he did it not Which thing as the Text saith displeased Ionas exceedingly and hee was angry Notwithstanding he prayed vnto the lord and said I pray thee ô Lord was not this my saying when I was yet in my countrey Therefore I preuented it and fledde vnto Tarshish for I knew sayth hee that thou art a gracious God and mercifull slowe to anger and of great kindnesse repenting thee of the euill c. After this Ionas went out of the Cittie Ionas 4 1 2. and sate him downe vnder the East side thereof expecting what should bee doone vnto the same And the Lord in one night caused a Gourde to spring vp ouer Ionas that it might be a shadow ouer his head a defence for him against the heate of the Sunne but the next morning hee prepared a Worme also which smote the Gourd and it withered Then Ionas perceiuing himselfe bereft Ionas 4 5 6 7 8 c. of this succour and wexing faint through the extreame heate of the Sunne wished in his hart to die and sayd It is better for me to die then to liue But the Lord God called vnto him and said Ionas doost thou well to be angrie Thou hast pitty on the Gourde for which thou hast not laboured neither madest it to grow which came vp in a night and perished in a night and should not I sayth the most merciful spare Niniuie that great Cittie wherein are six-score thousand persons that cannot discerne betweene theyr right hand and their left and also much cattle By the which speech of the Almightie and example of his clemencie most plainlie it is approued that the Lord our God as S. Iames saith * is very pittifull mercifull Iames 5 11 And that as Ieremie saith * hee dooth Lam 3 33. not punish willingly Nay more so prone is the Almighty to pardon and so much inclined to mercie that although through mans vnrighteousnesse he be highly prouoked to anger and euen ready as it were to execute his fierce wrath vpon the vngodly yet notwithstanding it sometimes pleaseth him to spare a great company of wicked offenders by reason that some fewe righteous persons haue theyr habitation among them As may for example be seene in the eighteene of Genesis where we finde that according to the sixe seuerall peticions of the Patriarch Abraham hee was content to graunt first that if fiftie secondly that if fortie-fiue thirdly that if fortie fourthly Gene. 18. that if thirtie fiftly that if twentie lastlie that if but tenne righteous men coulde bee founde in all Sodome the whole Cittie shoulde bee spared for those tenne mens sake §. 6. Thus proue we our God to be as Dauid saith a pittifull God and mercifull slowe Psal 86 15 to anger and great in kindnes and truth Yea such a God whose compassion also is of no short cōtinuaunce but as the Psalmist saith * endureth for euer euer vppon Psal 103 17 them that feare him and his righteousnesse vppon theyr childrens children Shewing mercy vnto thousands of them Deut. 5. 10. that loue him and keepe his commaundements All yee therefore that worshippe the Dan 3 90. Lord blesse the God of Gods praise him and acknowledge him for his mercy endureth world without end And onely by the reason thereof all men liuing are
Deut 32 4. the mightie GOD For all his waies are iudgement God is true saith he without wickednes iust and righteous is he If thou sinne against him and prooue Osorius truly penitent hee will be found readie to graunt thee forgiuenesse but if thou persist in euill and presume vpon his mercie the path thou walkest in is very perrillous and thou daily standest in danger of his heauie wrath and iudgement For although it sometimes please God Mar. Aur. as Marcus Aurelius affirmeth to forbeare the sinnes and transgressions of diuers persons that persist in theyr euill liuing a great while yet notwithstanding wee â—ften see by example that hee dooth not sâ—are at length suddainly and vnawares to chastise such offenders vvith so much the greater chastisement according to the measure of theyr many iniquities For God is in his corrections saith he like vnto a man that giueth a blowe to another body the higher that hee lyfteth vp his hande vvith the greater force falleth downe the stroake semblably the more yeeres that the Almightie forbeareth our sinnes the more will he afterward afflict vs with punishment for them vnlesse we repent §. 6. It is not as Melancthon saith the great Phil. Mel. wealth of worldly rich men that can cause theyr Creator to with-hold his wrath from the wicked neyther is it the magnificence of mighty men that can procure him to proue partiall in iudgement For there is no iniquitie with the Lorde 2 Chro. 19 7. our God saith Iehosaphat neyther respect of persons nor receiuing of reward Hee being Lord ouer all will spare no Wisd 6. 7 person neyther shall he feare any greatnes For he hath made the small and great and careth for all alike Hee hath no respect vnto the persons of Iob 34 19 Princes neither regardeth he the rich more then the poore for they be all the vvorke of his hands Hee as Tobie saith is iust and all his Tob 3 2 workes and all his vvayes are mercie and truth and he iudgeth truly and iustlie for euer For his eyes are vpon all the wayes of the Iere 32 19 sonnes of men to giue to euery one according to his wayes and according to the fruite of his workes Whosoeuer he be therefore as Vincentius Vincentius saith that walketh in the vvay of the wicked and yet notwithstanding looketh for the reward of the righteous foolishlie flatters himselfe with a false hope and hath more neede of good counsaile to reclaime him from error then hee hath of badde encouragement to cause him continue his course §. 7. Beholde saith the Almightie all soules Ezech 18 4 20. are mine both the soule of the Father and also the soule of the sonne are mine The same soule that sinneth it shall die the sonne shall not beare the iniquitie of the Father neyther shall the Father beare the iniquity of the sonne but the righteousnes of the righteous shall be vpon him and the wickednes of the wicked shall bee vppon himselfe For euery man shall beare his own burden Gala 6 5 And as his workes are founde so shall Luther his reward be giuen Also It is most certaine saith Iob that Iob 34 12 the Lord our God will not doe wickedlie neither will the Almightie peruert iudgement Hee will not cast away an vpright man Iob 8 20. neither wil he take the wicked by the hand For as he is called the * God of iudgement Esay 30. 18 So hee is termed the rightfull * Iudge of Gene 18 25 all the world And therefore hee will vndoubtedly as Dauid sayth * iudge the worlde in righteousnesse Psalm 9 8. and the people with equitie §. 8. Diuers examples also may bee collected from the Scripture concerning the iustice of almighty God and the expressing of his punishments vpoÌ„ offenders but these few folowing shew proofe enough to perswade vs. As namely how he punished * Achan Iosua 7. the sonne of Carmi for his theft Nadab and Abihu for presuming to offer Leuit 10 1 * strange fire before him The two sonnes of Eli * for abusing the 1 Sam 4 Priestes office King Saule * for his disobedience in sparing 1 Sam 15 Agag Gehazi the seruaunt of Eliah * for his 2 Reg 5 couetousnesse Ananiah and his wife Saphira for * lying Acts 5 vnto the holy Ghost By which examples and the like we may coniecture that as the mercy of the Lorde is meruailous great to those that feare and loue him so is his punishment also vppon such as walke in wickednesse and wilfully presume to offend him For as the Angell said vnto Esdras there 2. Esdr 7 19 is no Iudge more iust then God nor anie more wise then the most High ¶ Of the wayes of Almighty God §. 1. THE * vvay of the Lorde or God 2 Sa. 22. 31 as Dauid sayth is vncorrupt And * all his pathes are mercie Psal 25. 10. and truth Vnto such as * keepe his couenaunt Psal 103. 18 thinke vpon his commaundements to doe them §. 2. God hath not as Caluine saith made Caluine manifest vnto man one way onely but he hath shewed vnto vs all his wayes that is all that is needful to make vs walke aright so that wee can neuer goe amisse if we followe the direction which hee in his holie Word hath set downe before vs. §. 3. The wayes of the Lorde our God as S. Augustine Augustine saith are to bee taken for all manner of his dooings and how soeuer it pleaseth him at any time to remoue things first to one side then to another yet his wayes therein are alwaies righteous and he best knoweth wherefore he doth so Besides It is not to be doubted saith he that God doth well yea when soeuer hee suffereth to be done whatsoeuer things are euill done for hee doth not suffer this otherwise then by iust iudgement and surelie all that is iust is good Although therefore those things that be euill inasmuch as they bee euill be not good yet it is good that there should be things not onelie that are good but also that are euill For except it were good that there should bee thinges that are euill the Almightie goodnesse woulde by no meanes suffer them to bee For it is no doubt as easie a thing to him not to suffer that thing to be which hee woulde shoulde not be as it is to doe that which he is willing to doe Therefore whatsoeuer happeneth heere at any time against our wills wee ought to vnderstande that it hapneth not but by the will of God by his prouidence by his decree by his commaundement and by his Law And although wee know not vvhy and wherfore it is done yet we must consider it is done according to his wisedome that gouerneth all things and that it is not done without some speciall cause For the Lord our God is righteous as
I loue them exceedingly §. 6. Againe The Lavve of the Lorde our Psalm 19 7 8 9 10. God as the Psalmist saith is perfect conuerting the soule the testimonie of the Lord is sure and giueth wisedom vnto the simple the statutes of the Lorde are right and reioyce the hart the commandement of the Lord is pure and giueth light vnto the eyes The feare of the Lorde is cleane and endureth for euer the iudgements of the Lord are truth they are righteous altogether and more are they to be desired theÌ„ gold yea then much fine golde they are sweeter also then Honey and the Honey combe By them ô Lord saith he is thy seruant Psal 19 11 made circumspect in keeping of them there is great reward §. 7. VVhat-soeuer thinges are written afore Rom 15 4 time are written as the Apostle sayth for our learning that vvee through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might haue hope For the whole Scripture saith hee is 2 Tim 3. 16 17. giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to conuince to correct and to instruct in righteousnes that the man of God may be absolute beeing made perfect vnto all good workes Yea vvhat-soeuer is required for our saluation Chrisostome is already contained as S. Chrisostome saith in the holy Scripture He that is ignorant shall finde there what hee may learne hee that is stubborne and a sinner may find there scourges of the iudgements to come the which he may feare and hee that is troubled may finde there the ioyful promises of euerlasting life through the beholding of the which hee may be stirred vp to doe good workes Finally the Scripture of God as S. Basill Basill saith is like vnto an Apothicaries shop full stored with medicines of sundry sorts so that euery man may there choose a conuenient remedy for his disease And surely as Beda saith without the Beda vnderstanding of the will of God by the sacred Scriptures our sight is but blindnes our knowledge ignorance our wisedom foolishnes and our deuotion deuilishnes §. 8. Nowe although indeede as Granado Granado saith wee must confesse with Saint Peter that there are some places in the Booke of God * hard to be vnderstood yet may we 2. Pet. 3 16. likewise saith hee say with the same Apostle that those places are hard to such as are vnlearned and vnstable which peruert and wrest them to theyr owne destruction For euerie worde of God as Salomon Prou 30. 5. saith is pure And the precepts of the Lord are plaine Prou 8 9. to him that vvill vnderstande and easie vnto all them that desire to finde knovvledge Nay more It cannot be possible saith Vincentius that that man vvhich with earnest studie and feruent desire often readeth Vincentius the holy Scriptures should euermore be forsaken or left vvithout vnderstanding of Gods holy will For although he want the instruction of learned men yet God himselfe from aboue entering into his heart by his holy Spirit lightneth his minde poureth his beames of grace into his wits openeth those things that before were hidden and becommeth vnto such a man a Schoolemaister of that he knew not only if he wil do so much as lieth in him Besides the holy Ghost as S. Augustine Augustine saith hath by his wisedome so notably and wholsomely tempered the Word that hee might with the easie places thereof satis-fie the greedy hunger of men and vvith the darkest places of it take away our lothsomnesse For there is no point almost founde of the darkest meaning in one place but it is plainly spoken of and easie to be vnderstood in another So that if the Gospell of Christ bee yet hid it is hid as the Apostle saith * to them 2 Cor 4 3 4. that perrish whose mindes sathan the god of this world hath blinded to the end the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the Image of GOD should not shine vnto them The certaine truth of which Gospell is so highlie to be esteemed and reuerentlie regarded that if an Angell from heauen Gala 1 8 should come and preach vnto vs any other doctrine then what we finde therein alreadie contayned we ought for his tydings to count him accursed ¶ Of the workes of God §. 1. THE workes of Almightie God although Chrisostome of themselues as S. Chrisostome saith they are infinite in nuÌ„ber yet may they all be reduced into these fiue heads following namely his worke of Creation his worke of Conseruation his vvorke of Redemption his vvorke of Iustification and his vvorke of Predestination §. 2. By the vvord of the Lord saith Dauid Psal 33 6 9 were the Heauens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth For hee spake and it was done he commaunded and it stoode As soone as hee saide Let the Earth be 2 Esdr 16 47 made it was made Let the Heauen bee created and it was created By his vvorde also vvere the Starres verse 48 established he knoweth the number of them Yea hee * counteth the number of the Psal 147 4. starres and calleth them all by their names At his commaundement likevvise the Ecclê° 39 17 water stoode as an heape and at the word of his mouth the vvaters gathered themselues He also hath shut the sea in the midst of 2. Esdras 16 50. the vvaters and vvith the vvorde of his mouth hath hee hanged the earth vppon the waters §. 3. Thy worde ô Lord saith Dauid endureth Psalm 119. 89 90 91 for euer in heauen thy truth also remaineth from one generation to another thou hast layd the foundation of the earth and it abideth They continue euen to this day by thine ordinaunces for all thinges serue thee The Heauens are thine the earth also is Psal 89. 11 thine thou hast layd the foundation of the World and all that therein is Thou spakest expresly in the first creation 2 Esdras 6 38. euen the first day and coÌ„maundedst that the Heauen Earth should be made and the vvorke followed thy word c. Vpon the second day thou createdst the 2 Esdr 6 41. heauenly ayre and commaundedst it that going betweene it should make a deuision betvveene the vvaters that the one part might remaine aboue and the other beneath Vpon the third day thou coÌ„maundedst that the waters should bee gathered together 2. Esd 6 42. in the seauenth part of the earth sixe parts hast thou dryed vp and kept them to the intent that men might sowe and occupie husbandâ—y therein Vpon the fourth day thou createdst the 2 Esdr 6. 45. 46. light of the Sunne and of the Moone and the order of the Sâ—arres and gauest them a charge that they should doe seruice euen vnto Man that was for to be created Vpon the fifth day thou sayd'st vnto 2 Esdr 6. 47. 48. the seauenth part where
the waters vvere gathered that it should bring forth beasts as foules and fishes and it was so For the dumme waters and without life brought foorth lyuing thinges at the commaundement of GOD that the Nations might prayse thy wonderous works Vpon the sixth day thou gauest commaundement 2. Esdr 6. 53 vnto the Earth that before thee it should bring forth beasts cattell creeping things And besides this Adam also whom verse 54 thou madest Lorde ouer all the workes vvhich thou hast created Of him come wee all and the people also whom thou hast chosen §. 4. Hee that liueth for euer made al thinges Ecclus. 18. 1 2. together saith Sirach the Lord who onlie is iust and there is none other but hee and hee remaineth a victorious King for euer He ordereth the world with the power of his hande and all thinges obey his will for hee gouerneth all things by his power and deuideth the holie thinges froÌ„ the prophane O hovve delectable saith he are all the Ecclus 42 22 23 workes of God and to be considered euen to the sparkes of fire they liue all and endure for euer and when soeuer neede is they are all obedient They are all double one against another verse 24 25 he hath made nothing that hath any fault the one commendeth the goodnesse of the other and who can bee satis-fied with beholding Gods glory For all the workes of the Lord our God Ecclus 39 33 34 are good and hee giueth euery one in due season and when neede is So that a man neede not say this is worse then that for in due season they are all worthie praise §. 5. The heauens declare the glory of God Psal 19 1 2 saith Dauid and the firmament sheweth his handie worke Day vnto day vttereth the same and night vnto night teacheth knowledge The Sunne also a meruailous instrument Ecclus 43 2 3 4 when it appeareth declareth at his going out the worke of the most mightie God At noone it burneth the earth and who may abide the heate thereof It burneth the mountaines three times more then hee that keepeth a fornace with continuall heate It likewise casteth forth fierie vapours and with shining beames it blindeth the eyes Great is the Lord our God that made it Ecclê° 43 5 and by his commaundement hee causeth it to runne hastily For it turneth round about heauen in 1 Esdr 4. 34 one day and runneth againe into his owne place The Moone also hath hee made to appeare Ecclê° 43 6. 7 according to her season that shee shoulde be a declaration of the time and a signe for the world The remembrance of solemne feasts are verse 8. appoynted by her she is a light that diminisheth and increaseth againe The month is called after the name thereof and shee groweth wonderously in her changing The Armie of Heauen also is in the Ecclê° 43. 9 height in the firmament of heauen it giueth a cleere and glorious shine This is the cleerenes of the starres the beautifull apparrell of heauen and the ornament that shineth in the high places of the Lord. By the commaundement of the Holie verse 10 one they continue in their order and not one of them faileth in his watch Looke vpon the Raine-bow and prayse Ecclê° 43. 11 him that made it very beautifull is it in the brightnesse thereof It compasseth the heauen about vvith a verse 12 glorious circle and the handes of the most High haue bended it Through his commaundement also hee Ecclê° 43 13 maketh the snowe to fall and the thunder of his iudgement to smite speedily At the worde of his mouth the treasures verse 14 are opened and the clowdes flee foorth as the fowles For in his power hath hee strengthened Ecclê° 43 15 the clowdes and by his might hath he broken the haylestones The Mountaines melt at the sight of verse 16 him and the South-winde bloweth according to his will The sounde of his thunder beateth the Ecclê° 43 17 earth so doth the storme of the North The vvhirle-winde also as byrds that flie scattereth the snow and the falling downe thereof is as the Grashoppers that light vpon the ground The eye meruaileth at the beautie of the verse 18 whitenes thereof and the heart of man is astonished at the raine of it Hee also poureth out the frost vpon the Ecclê° 43 19 earth like salt and when it is frosen it sticketh on the toppes of pales When the colde North-winde blovveth verse 20. an Ice is frosen of the vvater and it abideth vpon all the gatherings together therof couereth theÌ„ ouer as it were with a breast-plate It likewise deuoureth the mountaines Ecclê° 43. 21 and burneth the Wildernesse and destroyeth that that is greene like fire But the remedy of all these saith Sirach verse 22 is when a clowde commeth hastily and when a dew commeth vppon the heate it refresheth it §. 6. VVith all manner of liuing beastes as the vviseman saith hath the Lord our God Ecclê° 16 30 couered the face of the earth and they shal all be turned into it againe In the desert likewise hath hee made 2 Esdras 16 52 53 springes of vvater and Pooles vppon the toppes of Mountaines to poure out floods froÌ„ the high Rocks to water the ground Yea he hath made Man also and put his hart in the midst of his body and giueÌ„ him breath life and vnderstanding So that among all the vvorkes of God Augustine his creation of Man as S. Augustine saith is the cheefest and hath the most principall or first place For in creating all other creatures but Ambrose Man hee saide FIAT Let this be and that be but in creating Man hee spake in the person of the Trinitie saying FACIAMVS Let * vs make Man according to our similitude c. But heere by the way vvee ought thus much to vnderstand that Man as Beza Beza â— saith is the Image of God neyther as touching his body neyther yet as touching his soule but as touching the principalitie and dominion that God hath giuen him For GOD calleth the principality and Chrisostoms lordship that he gaue to Adam his Image and likenes because hee made him Emperour Ruler ouer all things vpon earth Besides the Image of Almighty God in Man is referred as S. Augustine saith vnto Augustine the workes of righteousnesse and true sanctification of our liues As the speech of God himselfe importeth in the Law where he sayth Be * ye holy because I the Lord Leuit 19. 2. your God am holy And the very wordes likewise of the Apostle testifie asmuch vnto vs vvhere hee saith * Put yee on the new man vvhich Ephe 4 24 after God is created vnto righteousnes and true holines Moreouer God hath created Man as S. Bernard saith foure seuerall waies The Bernard first without Man and Woman as
Adam out of the earth The second of man without woman as Eue of Adams ribbe The third of man woman as we are all now borne into the world The fourth and last of a virgine without man as Christ our Sauiour of the blessed virgine Mary And of all the creatures of GOD vnder the Sunne saith Lyra there is none Lyra. more noble and greater then Man for all things in the VVorld are â—ut vnder his power §. 7. O Lord how manifold are thy workes Psalme 104. 24 25 saith Dauid in wisedome hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches so is the sea great wide for therin are things creeping innumerable both small beastes and great There goe the shippes and the Leuiathan verse 26. also whom thou hast made to play therein They that saile ouer the Sea tell of the Ecclê° 43 24 25 perrils thereof and when we heare it with our eares we meruaile thereat For there be strange and wonderous workes diuers manner of beastes and tâ—e creation of Whales Yea such men see the vvorkes of the Psalm 107 24 25. 26 27 c. Lord behold his wonders in the deepe For hee coÌ„maundeth and rayseth the stormie winde and it lifteth vp the waues therof They mount vp to the heauen and descend downe to the deepe so that theyr soule melteth for trouble They are tossed to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and all their cunning is gone Then they cry vnto the Lorde in theyr verse 28 29 trouble and he bringeth them out of theyr distresse He turneth the storme to calme so that the wau◠〈…〉 ereof are still When they are quieted they are gladde verse 30. and he bringeth them to the Hauen where they would be Let them therefore confesse before the verse 31 Lord his louing kindnesse and his vvonderfull workes before the sonnes of men And let them exalt him in the congregation verse 32 of the people and prayse him in the assembly of the Elders For by his word hee stilleth the vvinde Ecclê° 43 23 and by his counsel he appeaseth the deepe and planteth Ilands therein §. 8. Beholde saith Salomon the vvorke of Ecclesi 7. 15 GOD for vvho can make straight that which he hath made crooked I know saith hee that whatsoeuer God Ecclesi 3. 14 shall doe it shall be for euer to it can no man adde and from it can none diminish for God hath doone it that they shoulde feare before him §. 9. Among the Gods saith Dauid there is Psalm 86 8 none like vnto thee ô Lorde neyther is there any that can doe like thy workes Thou hast made thy wonderfull workes Psalm 40 5. so many that none can count in order to thee thy thoughts towards vs I vvoulde declare and speake of them saith hee but they are moe then I am able to expresse §. 10. VVho can as the Psalmist saith declare Psal 106 2 the noble actes of the Lorde our God or shew forth all his prayse Which made heauen earth the sea Psaâ— 146 6 and all that therein is And which keepeth his fidelitie for euer VVhich also verse 7 executeth iustice for the oppressed and giueth bread vnto the hungry Psalme 147 8 9 Which couereth the heaueÌ„ with clowdes and prepareth raine for the earth and maketh the grasse to growe vpon the Mountaines Which giueth to beasts their foode and feedeth the young Rauens that cry vnto him Prayse him magnifie him as much as Ecclê° 43 30 ye can yet doth hee far exceede exalt him with all your power and be not weary yet can ye not attaine vnto it Neither may the number of his workes be counted For * his works are wonderfull Ecclê° 11 4 his works are glorious secrete vnknowne are his workes among men And * wee haue seene but a few thereof Ecclê° 43 32 Ecclê° 16 21 For the most * part of them are hid §. 11. To finish therfore this first poynt I will say as Iesus the sonne of Sirach saith As for the wondrous works of the Lord there Ecclus 18 5 6. may nothing be taken from them neither can any thing be put vnto them neyther may the ground of them be found out But vvhen a man hath done his best hee must beginne againe and when hee thinketh to come to an end he must returne againe to his labour Also * when vve haue spoken Ecclê° 43 27 much vvee cannot attaine vnto them But this is the summe of all that GOD is all Hee onely hath set his works in good Ecclê° 16 26 order froÌ„ the beginning and part of them hath he sundred from the other when hee first made them Hee hath garnished them for euer and verse 27 28 theyr beginnings so long as they shall endure they are not hungry nor wearied in theyr labours neither cease from their offices None of them hindereth another neither was any of them disobedient vnto his words For all his workes are exceeding good Ecclê° 39 16 and all his commaundements are doone in due season A man neede not to say VVhat is this Ecclê° 39 21 VVherefore is that For hee hath made all things for their owne vse Yea hee alone hath garnished the excellent Ecclê° 42 21 vvorks of his vvisedome And he is froÌ„ euerlasting to euerlasting for euer vnto him may nothing be added neyther can hee be diminished hee hath no neede of anie Counseller ¶ What Man is by nature how short and vncertaine the dayes of his life are And howe sure it is that after this life ended we must all appeare before the Iudgement seate of God to receiue euery man his wages or reward according to the works which he hath doone in this life WISDOM 2. verse 23. 24. God created Man without corruption and made him after the Image of his owne likenes Neuerthelesse through the enuy of the deuill Death came into the world ¶ Of Man and of his naturall inclination §. 1. WE reade in the third of Genesis that when Almightie GOD pronounced the heauie sentence of his great displeasure conceiued against our first Father Adam for tasting the fruite of the forbidden Tree hee closed vp the end of his speech with this Period telling Adam that as concerning his body hee was created of no better thing then the very dust of the earth and Gene. 3. 19. that into dust he should be turned againe VVee reade also that the Prophet Dauid in the 144. psalme demaunded of God this question saying Lord what is Man Psal 144. 3. that thou regardest him or the sonne of Man that thou thinkest vpon him And being sufficiently instructed by the holy Ghost hee presently giueth aunswere in the same place to his owne question saying * Man is like to vanitie his dayes are verse 4. like a shadow that vanisheth §. 2. VVhat is Man saith Sirach Whereto
that beleeueth in the Sonne of God 1 Iohn 5. 10 hath the witnes of God in himselfe hee that beleeueth not God hath made him a lyer because hee beleeued not the record that God witnessed of his Sonne And this is the record that God hath verse 11 12 giuen vnto vs euerlasting life and this life is in his Sonne Hee that hath the Sonne hath life and hee that hath not the Sonne of God hath not life These thinges haue I written vnto you 1 Iohn 5. 1â— that beleeue in the Name of the Sonne of GOD that yee may know that yee haue euerlasting life and that ye may beleeue in the Name of the Sonne of God For hee that shall beleeue and be baptized Mar. 16. 16. shall be saued but he that will not beleeue shall be damned §. 11. S. Paule going about in his Epistle to the Galathians to prooue our iustification to come onely by the grace and mercie of God through fayth in Iesus Christ not by the works of the Law beginneth thus VVee * which are Iewes by nature and Gala. 2. 15. 16. not sinners of the Gentiles knowe that a man is not iustified by the vvorkes of the Law but by the faith of Iesus Christ Euen wee I say haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that wee might be iustified by the fayth of Christ and not by the works of the Lawe because that by the works of the Lawe no flesh shall be iustified But wee beleeue to be saued through Acts 15. 11. the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ For as many as are of the workes of the Gala. 3. 10. Law are vnder the curse For it is written Cuâ—sed is euery man that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them And that no man is iustified by the lawe Gala 3 11. in the sight of God it is euident for the iust shall liue by fayth I through the Law saith he am dead to Gala 2 19. 20. the Law and that I might liue vnto God I am crucified with Christ Neuerthelesse I liue yet not I now but Christ liueth in mee and in that that I nowe liue in the flesh I liue by the faith in the Son of God vvho hath loued mee and giuen himselfe for mee I do not abrogate the grace of God for verse 21. if righteousnes be by the lawe then Christ died without a cause But nowe is the righteousnes of GOD Rom 3 21 22 made manifest without the Lawe hauing witnes of the Law of the Prophets To wit the righteousnes of God by the fayth of Iesus Christ vnto all and vpon all that beleeue For by grace we are saued through faith Ephe 2 8 9 and that not of our selues it is the gift of God Not of works least any man should boast himselfe §. 12. If Abraham saith the same Apostle Rom 4 2 3. were iustified by works he hath wherin to reioyce but not with God For what saith the Scripture Abraham beleeued God it was counted to him for righteoushes Now to him that worketh the wages is verse 4 5 not counted by fauour but by debt but to him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his fayth is counted for righteousnes For * Gregory onely beleeuing is righteousnes Besides it is not vvritten for Abraham Rom 4 23 24 25. onely that it was imputed to him for righteousnes but also for vs to whom it shall be imputed for righteousnesse which beleeue in him that raised vp Iesus our Lord from the dead who was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification Knowe yee therefore that they vvhich Gala 3 7 are of fayth the same are the chyldren of Abraham For the Scripture fore-seeing that God verse 8 9. would iustifie the Gentiles through fayth preached before the Gospell vnto Abraham saying In thee shall all the Gentiles be blessed So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham For the promise that hee should be the Rom 4 13 heire of the world was not giuen to Abraham or to his seede through the Law but through the righteousnes of fayth For if verse 14 they which are of the Law be heires faith is made voyde and the promise is made of none effect For the Law causeth wrath but vvhere verse 15. no Law is there is no transgression By the lawe also commeth the knowledge Rom 3 20. of sinne Nay I knew not sinne but by the lavve Rom. 7 7. for I had not knowne lust except the law had said Thou shalt not lust Therefore is the promise by faith that it Rom. 4 16. might come by grace and the promise might bee sure vnto all the seede not to that onely which is of the lawe but also to that which is of the faith of Abraham who is the father of vs all §. 13. Doe wee then make the lawe of none effect Rom 3 31 through fayth God forbid yea vvee rather establish the law For the doctrine of faith is the ornament Caluine of the lawe and by it wee embrace Christ who by his death hath fully satisfied the lawe So that the law which could not bring vs to saluation by reason of our owne corruption is nowe made effectuall to vs by the meanes of Christ Iesus Iâ— the lawe then against the promise of Gala 3 21 22. God God forbid For if there had been a lawe giuen which coulde haue giuen life surely righteousnes shoulde haue beene by the law But the Scripture hath concluded all vnder sin that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ shoulde be giuen to them that beleeue But before faith came we were kept vnder verse 23. the law shut vp vnto the faith which should afterward be reuealed Wherefore the lawe was our Schoolemaister verse 24 to bring vs to Christ that vvee might be made righteous by fayth But after that fayth is come we are no longer vnder a Schoole-maister for wee are all the sonnes of God by faith in Iesus Christ Not that the doctrine or any commaundement Caluine of God in the law concerning vertuous life is abolished but that all Iewish Ceremonies are nowe ceast and the curse or condemnation of the lawe which vvas due vnto vs for our sinnes is cleane taken avvay through fayth in our Redeemer Christ Iesus Who came into the world as hath already Math 5 17. been shewed not to destroy the law or the prophets but that he might fulfil them VVee conclude therefore that a man is Rom 3. 28. iâ—stisâ—â—d by faith vvithout the vvorkes of the Lawe And beeing iustifieâ—d by faith wee haue Rom 5 1 2 peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom also â— vvee haue acâ—esse through fayth vnto this grace whereiâ— we stanâ—â— and reioyce vnder the hope
8 of thine house the place where thine honour dwelleth The zeale of thine house ô Lord hath Psalm 69 6. eaten mee vp One day in thy Courts is better then a Psal 84 10. thousand other-where I had rather be a Doore-keeper in the house of my GOD then to dwell in the Tents of the vngodly As the Hart brayeth for the Riuers of Psal 42 1 2 water so panteth my soule after thee ô Lord. My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God When shall I come appeare before the presence of God I will loue thee deerely ô Lorde my Psal 18. 1. strength VVhom haue I ô Lord in heauen but Psal 73 25. thee and there is none vpon earth that I desire in comparison of thee I haue longed ô Lord for thy saluation Ps 119. 174. and thy law is my delight Oh how I loue thy law It is my meditation Psal 119. 97 continually Oh teach mee thy statutes ô Lorde Psalm 119. 26 27. make mee to vnderstand the vvay of thy commaundements and I will meditate in thy wondrous workes Teach mee ô Lord the way of thy statutes Psal 119 33 34 I will keepe it vnto the end Giue mee vnderstanding and I will keepe thy Law yea I will keepe it with my vvhole hart Direct me in the path of thy commaundements verse 35 for therein is my delight Behold I desire thy commaundements verse 40 quicken me in thy righteousnes And incline my hart vnto thy testimonies verse 36 Deale with thy seruaunt ô Lord according Ps 119 124. 125. to thy mercie and teach mee thy statutes I ô Lord am thy seruaunt graunt mee therefore vnderstanding that I may know thy testimonies Looke vpon mee and be mercifull vnto Psalm 119 132. mee as thou vsest to doe vnto those that loue thy Name Direct my steps in thy Worde and let verse 133. none iniquitie haue dominion ouer me Teach mee to doe thy will for thou art Psal 143. 10 my God Let thy good Spirit lead me vnto the Land of righteousnesse By these and manie moe such like sayings in the Booke of Psalmes dooth thys princely Prophet make manifest as I said before with vvhat earnest zeale feruent affection hee alwayes loued the Lord and his Law The true and perfect loue also of man to his Maker was as it seemeth deeply rooted in the hart of old Eleazer when he refused all the friendship worldly fauours 2 Mac 6 28 that were offered vnto him by the seruants of Antiochus and chose rather to suffer death by torments then to saue his life by breaking the rules of his Religion With the like loue and constancie did the seauen brethren and their mother endure 2 Mac. 7. death by tortures vnder that wicked Tyrant Antiochus and left behinde them a woorthy remembrance of their feruent affection to the Lawe of the Lorde their God VVe reade also in the Newe-testament that Saint Stephen the first Martir after Acts 7 59. Christ through his religious loue to his Lord and Maister willingly suffered himselfe to be stoned to death commending his spirit into the hands of his Creator And such like diuine and holy loue to Christ our Captaine ought euery Christian professor to harbour in his heart else may it greatly be doubted that hee shall shoote short of life euerlasting §. 6. But as I said in the beginning this loue is both diuine and charitable First mouing man to loue the Lord and his lawe for the sundry blessings and benefits which God both already hath and daily doth bestowe vppon him through Christ Secondlie to loue his neighbour or brother as himselfe because GOD in his holy Worde hath so commaunded him and for that hee is the very forme of his own Image or likenes With which kinde of charitable loue of man to man or man to his neighbour was the heart of the Samaritane softned vvho Luke 10. 33 34 35. finding a stranger in the high-vvay halfe dead first bound vp the wounds of his body then setting him vpon his own beast brought him to an Inne and made prouision for him commaunding the Host of the house to take care of him and looke quoth he what-soeuer the charges of this man commeth vnto more then the two pence which I now giue thee at my next comming hether I will pay thee all But with more then charitable loue of man to his neighbour was the hart of holy Moises moued when through his great affection hee prayed vnto the Lord to pardon the foolish and Idolatrous sinne of his people Yea such was his feruent affection more theÌ„ charitable loue towards them that he desired of GOD in his prayer to Exod 32 32 graunt that theyr foule offence might be forgiuen or else his owne name to be rased out of the Booke of life And vvith more also then charitable loue of man to his neighbour was the Apostle Saint Paule acquainted when verie zeale for Gods glory and loue to his owne Nation enforced him to say * I vvould Rom 9 3. wish my selfe to be separated from Christ or to loose mine owne saluation for my Bretheren that are my kinsmen according to the flesh I terme these two last ensamples more then charitable loue because it made these men ready to refuse their ovvne soules health rather then their Brethren should be vnpardoned and cast from their Creator for their offences §. 7. By which few examples onely wee may sufficiently perceiue the forcible effect of true and perfect loue and iustly may wee confesse with the afore-named Apostle That * although we speak with the tungs 1 Cor 13 1 2 3. of men and Angels and haue not loue we are but as sounding Brasse or a tinckling Cymball And though wee had the gift of prophecie and knewe all secrets and all knowledge yea if we had all fayth so that we could remoue mountaines and had not loue we were nothing And though vvee feede the poore with all our goods giue our bodies to be burned haue not loue it profiteth vs nothing For God hath chosen vs in Christ Iesus Ephe 1 4 before the foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue And this commaundement haue we of 1 Ioh 4 21. him that he which loueth GOD should loue his brother also For as a King is honoured in his Image Bernard so God in man is either loued or hated hee cannot hate man who loueth GOD neither can hee loue GOD who hateth man Also like as the body without the soule Fulgotiâ—â— enioyeth no life so all other vertues without godlie loue are but colde and fruitlesse §. 8. If wee loue one another saith S. Iohn 1 Ioh 4 12 God dwelleth in vs and his loue is perfect in vs. Also hee that loueth his Brother abideth 1 Ioh 2 10 in the
the day Augustine of his death concerning eyther his vertue or vice euen such shall hee appeare againe before God in the day of generall iudgement And except wee be conuerted become Math 18 3 as little children wee shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen Not chyldren in vnderstanding but as 1. Cor. 14 15. concerning maliciousnesse or any other euill we must be children and in vnderstanding of a ripe ag◠¶ What manner of seruice is required of vs during this life both towards God and our neighbour ECCLVS 15. verse 17. Before man is life and death good and euill what him liketh shall be giuen him ¶ What seruice God requireth c. §. 1. WHen Christ our Sauiour vvas demaunded by a certaine Ruler Math 19 16 17 Luke 18 18 this question Good Maister vvhat good thing shall I doe that I may haue eternall life He presently returned him this aunswer saying Why callest thou mee good there is none good but one euen God but if thou wilt enter into life keepe the commaundedements And beeing likewise asked at an other time by a tempting Pharisee vvhich was the greatest or cheefest commaundement Math. 22 36 37 c. in the lawe of God Hee forth-with made this reply vnto the partie saying Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine hart with all thy soule and with all thy minde This is the first and the greatest commaundement And the second is like vnto this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe On these two commaundements hangeth the whole Lawe and the Prophets Also being in talke with his owne Disciples a little before the time of his suffering amongst many other things which he then taught hee gaue this short lesson following as a speciall rule for them to direct their life by saying * If yee loue me keep Iohn 14 15 my commaundements And as in the 15. of S. Iohns Gospell Iohn 15 14 our Sauiour Christ counteth all those men to be his friendes which doe whatsoeuer hee hath commaunded them So in the second of S. Iohns Epistle the 1 Ioh 2 4. holy Ghost reckoneth euery one to bee a lyer which saith hee knoweth God and keepeth not his commaundements Take heede therefore that ye doe as the Deut 5 32. Lord your God hath commaunded you turne not aside to the right hande nor to the left But vvalke in all the vvayes vvhich the verse 33. Lord your God hath commaunded you that yee may liue and 〈◊〉 that it may goe well with you and that your dayes may be prolonged in the Land which ye possesse §. 2. Let not the Booke of the Law as saith Iosua 1 8 the Lord vnto Iosua depart out of thy mouth but meditate therein day night that thou maist obserue doe according to all that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou haue good successe Yea let thy minde be vppon the ordinaunces Ecclê° 6 38 of the Almighty be thou continually occupied in his coÌ„maundements so shall he stablish thy heart and giue thee wisedome at thine owne desire For the knowledge of the commaundements Ecclê° 19 19 of God is the doctrine of life and they that obey him shall receiue the fruite of immortalitie §. 3. Delight thy selfe then in the Lord thy Psalm 37 4 God the shall giue thee thy harts desire Commit thy workes vnto him and thy Prou 16 3 thoughts shall be directed Loue the Lord all thy life long and call Ecclê° 13 15 vpon him for thy saluation Beleeue in him and hee will helpe thee Ecclus 2 6 order thy way 〈◊〉 trust in him hold fast his feare and growe old therein Trust in him with all thine hart leane Prou. 3. 5 6 7. not vnto thine owne wisedome In all thy wayes acknowledge him and hee shall direct thy steps Be not wise in thine ovvne eyes but feare the Lord and depart from euill So health shall be vnto thy nauell and verse 8 marrow vnto thy bones §. 4. The Lorde saith Msâ—ah hath shovved Mica 6 8 thee ô man what is good and vvhat hee requireth of thee namely to doe iustice to loue mercy and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God And now ô Israell saith Moises what Deut 10 12 is it that the Lord thy GOD requireth of thee but to feare the Lord thy God to walke in all his waies and to loue him and serue him with all thine hart and with all thy soule For this commaundement which I coÌ„maund Deut 30 11 thee this day is not hid from thee neither is it farre off It is not in heauen that thou shouldest verse 12 13 say Who shall goe vp for vs to heauen bring it vs and cause vs to heare it that wee may doe it Neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldest say Who shall goe ouer the Sea for vs and bring it vs cause vs to heare it that we may doe it But the Word is very neere vnto thee verse 14 euen in thy mouth and in thy hart for to doe it And this saith the Apostle is the word Rom 10 8 of faith which vvee preach §. 5. If any man saith Saint Peter long after 1 Pet 3. 10. 11. life and to see good daies let him refraine his tongue from euill and his lips that they speake not guile Let him eschew euill and doe good let him seeke peace and follow after it Let euery man be swift to heare slowe Iam 1 19 to speake and slow to wrath For he that hath knowledge spareth Prou. 17 27 his speech And hee that sinneth not in vvord is a Iames. 3 2. perfect man and able to bridle his vvhole bodie Bee swift to heare good things and let Ecclus 5 12 thy life be pure and giue a patient aunswere If thou hast vnderstanding aunswer thy verse 13. neighbour if not lay thy hand vppon thy mouth least thou be trapped in an vndiscreet word and so be blamed Apply thine heart to instruction and Prou 23 12. thine eares vnto the words of knowledge Be humble to heare the word of God Ecclus 5 11 that thou maist vnderstand it and make a true aunswere with wisedome For to lacke knowledge is a very euill Orosius thing to thinke scorne to learne is worse but to with-stand and repugne the truth against men of knowledge teaching the same is the worst thing that may be and furthest from all grace Wherefore if thou desire to be good Pet. Lomb. endeuour thy selfe to learne to know and to follow the truth for he that is ignorant therein and will not learne can neuer be good Endeuour thy selfe diligently euen in Siluius thy youth to learne wisedome and knowledge though for the time present it seeme painfull vnto thee for it is lesse paine for a man to
learne in youth then in age to be vnskilfull §. 6. Sanctifie the Lorde God in your harts 1 Pet 3 15. 16. saith the Apostle and be ready alwayes to giue an aunswere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you and that with meekenes reuerence hauing a good conscience that when they speake euill of you as of euill dooers they may be ashamed which blame your good conuersation in Christ Yea let the vvord of Christ dwell in Colos 3. 16. you plenteously in all wisedome teaching and admonishing your owne selues in Psalmes and Hymnes spirituall songs singing with a grace in your harts vnto the Lord. And whatsoeuer yee shall doe in vvord verse 17. or in deed do all in the Name of the Lord Iesus giuing thanks to God euen the Father by him For God is a Spirit and they that worship Iohn 4. 24 him must worship him in spirit and truth He is likewise a God of wonderfull great Tertullian power might and majestie and therefore we ought alwaies to serue him truely with feare and reuerence §. 7. I beseech you brethren by the mercies Rom 12. 1. 2. of God saith S. Paule that yee giue vp your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable to GOD which is your reasonable seruing of God And fashion not your selues like vnto this world but be ye changed by the renewing of your minde that yee may proue vvhat is the good vvill of God and acceptable and perfect Lay apart all filthines and superfluitie Iames 1 21. 22. of maliciousnes and receiue with meekenesse the vvorde vvhich is grafted in you which is able to saue your soules And bee yee dooers of the vvord and not hearers onely deceiuing your selues For if any man heare the word doe verse 23 24 it not he is like vnto a man that beholdeth his naturall face in a glasse For when hee hath considered himselfe he goeth his way and forgetteth immediatly what manner of one hee was But who so looketh in the perfect Lawe verse 2◠of libertie and continueth therein he not beeing a forgetfull hearer but a dooer of the worke shall be blessed in his deede For the hearers of the Law are not righteous Rom 2. 13 before God but the dooers of the lawe shall be iustified And not euery one that saith vnto Christ Math 7 21. Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but hee that doth the will of God which is in heauen Take heede therefore that yee vvalke Ephe 5. 15. 16 circumspectly not as fooles but as wise redeeming the time for the dayes are euill That is that ye cast off concerning the Ephe 4 22 23 24 conuersation in time past the olde man which is corrupt through deceiueable lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind And put on the newe man which after God is created in righteousnes true holinesse For the grace of GOD that bringeth Titus 2. 11. 12. saluation to all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we should denie vngodlines and worldly lusts and that we should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world Looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the mightie God verse 13. 14. and of our sauiour Iesus Christ who gaue himselfe for vs that hee might redeeme vs from all iniquitie and purge vs to be a peculier people vnto himselfe zealous of good workes §. 8. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered ◠Pet. 4 1. for vs in the flesh arme your selues likewise vvith the same minde which is that hee vvhich hath suffered in the fleshe hath ceased from sinne that hee hence-foorth should liue as much time as remaineth in verse 2. 3 the flesh not after the lusts of men but after the will of God For it is sufficient for vs that wee haue spent the time past of the life after the lust of the Gentiles walking in wantonnes lusts in excesse of wines in excesse of eatings in excesse of drinkings and in abhominable Idolatries Therefore if any man be in Christ let 2. Cor. 5. 17. him be a newe creature For they that are Christes haue crucified Gala 5 24 the flesh with the affections the lusts §. 9. The night saith the Apostle is past Rom 13 12 13. 14 the day is at hand let vs therefore cast away the works of darknes let vs put on the Armour of light so that we walke honestly as in the day not in gluttony and drunkennes neither in chambering and wantonnesse nor in strife enuying But put yee on the Lord Iesus Christ take no thought for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof * For if yee liue after the flesh ye Rom 8 13 shal die but if yee mortifie the deedes of the body by the Spirit ye shall liue VValke then I say in the Spirit and yee Gala. 5. 16 17 shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh for the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary one to another so that ye cannot doe the same things that ye would Striue therefore to enter into heauen at Luke 13 24 the straite gate for many will seeke to enter in and shall not be able §. 10. If yee be risen with Christ seeke those Colo 3 1 2 things which are aboue vvhere Christ sitteth at the right hande of God Set your affections on thinges which are in heauen and not on things which are on the earth Gird vp the loynes of your minde be sober and trust perfectly on the grace that is 1 Pet 1 13. 14 15 16. brought vnto you by the reuelation of Iesus Christ as obedient children not fashioning your selues vnto the former lusts of your ignoraunce but as hee vvhich hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conuersation because it is written Be yee holy for I am holy Let no corrupt communication proceed Ephe. 4. 29. out of your mouthes but that vvhich is good to the vse of edifying that it may minister grace vnto the hearers For euill speakings corrupt good manners 1 Cor 15 33. And those thinges are alwaies vnhonest Iraeneus to be spoken of vvhich are filthy to bee done Onely let your conuersation be as it becommeth Philip. 1. 27 the Gospell of Christ That ye may walke worthy of the Lord Colos 1 10 and please him in all things beeing fruitefull in all good works and increasing in the knowledge of God Who hath saued vs and called vs with 2. Tim 1 9. 10 an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen to vs through Christ Iesus before the vvorlde was but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Sauiour Iesus Christ who hath as I haue already declared abolished death and hath
honoureth and obeyeth Tertullian his Prince honoureth and obeyeth God for the Prince is Gods Vizegerent here on earth and representeth amongst men vsing his authoritie as hee ought the glorious state and high Maiestie of GOD in heauen §. 9. Obey them saith the Apostle that haue Heb 13 17 the ouer-sight of you and submit your selues for they watch for your soules as they that must giue accounts that they may doe it with ioy not with griefe for that is vnprofitable for you The Elders that rule well saith hee are 1 Tim 5 17. 18 woorthy of double honour specially they that labour in the Word doctrine For the Scripture saith Thou shalt not mousell the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne and The labourer is worthy of his wages Nowe therefore we beseech you brethren 1 Thes 5 12 13 that yee knowe them which labour among you and are ouer you in the Lord and admonish you that yee haue them in singuler loue for their workes sake * And Philip. 2. 29. make much of such §. 10. Honour all men loue brotherly fellowship 1 Pet 2 17. feare God honour the King For the Kings wrath is like the roaring Prou 19 12 of a Lyon but his fauour is like the dewe vpon the grasse And as Princes are men before God so Lactantius are they Gods before men This alwaies yet remember That vvee Acts. 5 29. ought rather to obey God than man ¶ A further declaration of diuers other speciall commaundements which we finde contained in the Booke of GOD concerning our dutie towards him and our loue towards our neighbour With many profitable sayings tending to the same effect and purpose collected foorth of the workes of sundry learned and worthy Writers ¶ Against the worshipping of Images and false Gods §. 1. THus spake the Almightie vnto Israell Exod. 20 1 2 3. in the twenty chapter of Exodus saying I am the Lorde thy GOD which haue brought thee out of the Lande of Egypt out of the house of bondage Thou shalt haue none other Gods but mee Thou shalt make thee no grauen Image verse 4. neyther any similitude of things that are in heauen aboue neither that are in the earth beneath nor that are in the waters vnder the earth Thou shalt not bowe downe to them Exod 20 5 nor serue them for I am the Lorde thy God a ielous God visiting the iniquitie of the fathers vppon the children vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate mee And shewing mercy vnto thousands in verse 6. them that loue mee and keepe my commaundements §. 2. To vvhom saith Esay vvill yee liken Esay 40 18. GOD or what similitude will yee set vp vnto him Hee is a King euerlasting immortall 1 Tim 1 17 and invisible * And there is none like vnto Deuâ— 33. 26 to him Take therefore good heede vnto your Deut 4 15 16. selues for ye saw no image in the day that the Lord spake vnto you in Horeb out of the middes of the fire that yee corrupt not your selues make you a grauen image or representation of any figure whether it be the likenes of male or female The likenes of any beast that is on the verse 17 18 earth or the likenes of any fethered foule that flieth in the ayre The likenesse of any thing that creepeth on the earth or the likenes of any fish that is in the vvaters beneath the earth c. For the Lord thy GOD is a consuming Deut 4 24 fire and a ielous God §. 3. Confounded be all they saith Dauid Psalm 97 7 that serue grauen Images and that glorie in their Idols Miserable are they and among the dead Wisd 13 10 is their hope that call them Gods which are the workes of mens hands For the worshipping of Idols vvhich Wisd 14 26 ought not to be named is the beginning the cause and the end of all euill The inuenting of them was the beginning Wisd 14 11 of whoredome and the finding of them is the corruption of life For they were not from the beginning verse 12. 13 neyther shall they continue for euer The vaine-glory of men brought them into the world therefore shal they come shortly to an end They haue mouthes and speake not Psalm 115 5. 6. 7. they haue eyes and see not they haue eares and heare not they haue noses and smell not they haue hands and touch not they haue feete walk not neither make they any sound with theyr throate They that make them are like vnto theÌ„ and so are all they that put theyr trust in Psal 115 8 them But cursed be the Image the image-maker Wisd 14 8 hee because hee made it and it because that beeing a corruptible thing it was called God §. 4. VVho-soeuer saith S. Augustine adoreth or maketh his prayer beholding an Image Augustine hee is so moued thereby in his owne minde that he thinketh the Image heareth him and also hopeth that it will performe his peticion An vnhappy memory therfore is that which to remember Christ vvho neuer Carolus magnus ought to depart out of the hart of the iust man standeth in neede of a sightfull conceite nor otherwise can haue the presence of Christ within him vnlesse hee haue his Image painted on a vvall or expressed in some other matter for such a memory as is nourished and kept by Images proceedeth not of harty loue but necessitie of eye-sight And out of all doubt there is no true religion Lactantius to be looked for wheresoeuer an Image hath any abyding ¶ Against swearing §. 1. THou shalt not take the Name of the Exod 20 7 Lord thy God in vaine for the Lorde will not holde him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine Yee haue heard that it was saide to them Math 5 33 of old time Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe but shalt performe thine oath vnto the Lord. But I say vnto you sweare not at all neither verse 34 35 by heauen for it is the throne of God nor yet by the earth for it is his footestoole neyther by Ierusalem for it is the Cittie of the great King Neyther shalt thou swear by thine head verse 36. because thou canst not make one hayre white or blacke But let your communication bee Yea verse 37 yea Nay nay for vvhat-soeuer is more then these commeth of euill §. 2. Aboue all thinges my brethren sweare Iames 5 12. not neither by heauen nor by earth nor by any other oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay least yee fall into condemnation Accustome not thy mouth to swearing Ecclê° 23 9 for in it there are many falles neyther take vp for an ordinary vse the naming of the Holy one for thou shalt not escape vnpunished for such things For as a seruaunt
that is often beaten verse 10. cannot be without some skarre so hee that sweareth and nameth GOD continually shall not be faultlesse But as hee blasphemeth the Name of Sigismund GOD by his often swearing so he dailie procureth vnto himselfe many plague for his punishment Yea the man that vseth much swearing Ecclê° 23 11 shall be filled with wickednes the plague shall neuer goe from his house when he shall offend his fault shall be vppon him and if hee acknowledge not his sinne hee maketh a double offence if hee sweare in vaine he shall not be innocent but his house shall be full of plagues Vse not thy mouth therefore to ignoraunt Ecclê° 23 13 rashnesse for therein is the occasion of sinne ¶ Of sanctifying the Sabaoth-day §. 1. REmember thou keep holy the Sabaoth Exod 20. 8. day Sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all that thou hast to doe But the seuenth day is the Sabaoth of the verse 9. Lord thy God in it thou-shalt do no manner of worke neither thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter nor thy man seruaunt nor thy mayd seruaunt nor thy cattell nor the stranger that is within thy gates For in sixe dayes the Lord made heauen verse 10. and earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seuenth day wherefore the Lord blessed the seuenth day and hallowed it §. 2. If saith the Almighty thou turne away Esay 58. 13. thy foote from the Sabaoth from doing thy will on mine holy day and call the Sabaoth a delight to consecrate it as glorious vnto the Lord shalt honour him not dooing thine owne wayes nor seeking thine ovvne vvill nor speaking a vaine vvord Then shalt thou delight in the Lorde verse 14. and I will cause thee to mount vpon the hie places of the earth feede thee vvith the heritage of Iacob thy Father for the the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it But take heede to thy foote when thou Ecclesi 4 â—7 entrest into the House of GOD and be more neere or ready to heare then to giue the sacrifice of fooles for they know not that they doe euill ¶ Of honouring our Parents §. 1. HOnour thy father thy mother that Exod 20 12 thy dayes may be prolonged in the Land which the Lord thy GOD giueth thee Honour thy father from thy whole hart Ecclus 7 27 28. forget not the sorrowes of thy mother Remember that thou wast borne of them and how canst thou recompence them the things that they haue done for thee Obey thy father therfore that hath begotten Prou 23 22. thee and despise not thy mother when shee is old For the Lord will haue the father honored Ecclus 3 3 of the children and hath confirmed the authoritie of the mother ouer them §. 2. It is the first lawe euen of nature saith Val. Max. Valerius that we should in all kindnes and affection deerelie loue our parents And the honour which wee owe vnto Chilo them is no otherwise to be vnderstood but to iudge discreetly reuerently and honourably of them to esteeme wel of all their dooings not onely because they are our elders but chiefely because they are our parents whom it pleased God to vse as instruments to the intent that by them wee might haue our first beginning and naturall entrance into this world by whom also after our birth wee be most tenderlie brought vp carefully attended on naturallie beloued and most daintily fedde and nourished both in sicknes in health Also in dutifully honouring of our parents Chilo wee doe not onely honour the great vertue and power of God but also the excellencie of his goodnesse whereby we are made men and borne into the world euen of the blood of man §. 3. Honour thy father thy mother saith Ecclê° 3 9 10. Sirach in deede and in word and in all patience that thou mayst haue Gods blessing and that his blessing may abide with thee in the end For the blessing of the father establisheth the houses of the chyldren and the mothers curse rooteth out the foundations Helpe thy father in his age and grieue Ecclus 3 13 him not as long as he liueth And if his vnderstanding faile haue patience verse 14. with him and despise him not when thou art in thy full strength For the good intreatie of thy father shall verse 15 not be forgotten but it shall be a fortresse for thee against sinnes And in the day of trouble thou shalt be verse 16. remembred thyne iniquities also shal melt away as the yâ—e in the faire weather §. 4. Who so honoureth his father his sinnes Ecclê° 3 4 5 shall be forgiuen him and he shal abstaine from them and shall haue his daily desires And he that honoureth his mother is like one that gathereth treasure VVho so honoureth his father shall verse 6 haue ioy of his owne chyldren and vvhen hee maketh his prayer he shal be â—eard Who so honoreth his father shall haue a verse 7 long life and hee that is obedient vnto the Lord shall comfort his mother But hee that forsaketh his father shall Ecclê° 3 17 come to shame and hee that despiseth his mother is cursed of God Hee also that curseth his father or his Exod 21 17 mother shall die the death And that childs light shall be put out Prou 20 20. in obscure darknes ¶ Against Pride §. 1. THere are sixe things as Salomon saith Prou 6 16. 17 18 19. which the Lord hateth yea his soule abhorreth seauen namely these hautie or proude lookes a lying tongue the hands that shedde innocent blood a heart that imagineth wicked enterprises feete that be swift in running to mischiefe a false witnes that speaketh lyes and him that raiseth vp contentions among bretheren §. 2. Pride as Pacuuius saith is a subtile Serpent Paâ—uuius which slilie insinuateth her selfe into the mindes of men and the very cheefe cause of all superstition and enuie It is an vgly and lothsome monster both Plato in the sight of God man continually accompanied with these foure bad companions Folly Rashnes Audacitie and Impudencie The beginning of mans pride is to fall Ecclê° 10 13 away from God to turne away his hart from his Maker For pride is the originall of sinne he verse 14. that hath it shall powre out abhomination till at last himselfe be ouerthrowne But the rewarde of humilitie and the Prou 22 4 feare of God is riches honour health §. 3. Pride enuie and impatiencie are the Augustine three capitall enemies of mans constancie And it commonly falleth out that hee Arnobius which is proud himselfe thinketh it a matter vnpossible for any man to be humble Pride is also such a turbulent euill to him Ambrose that is possessed there-with that it maketh his maister like a shyp
griefe vexation §. 9. If thou vvilt liue according to nature Seneca thou shalt neuer be poore but if thou wilt liue after thine owne greedy desire thou shalt neuer be rich If thou couet to bee rich in vvorldly Hermes wealth thou shalt receiue there-with sorrow care trouble of minde many other greeuances but if thou seeke to be godly thou shalt thereby finde comfort quiet euerlasting felicitie Prepare thy selfe therfore of such riches Plotinus as when the shyp is broken may swimme and scape to land with theyr maister For no man is more wealthy then hee Augustine that is rich in good workes ¶ Against Vsury §. 1. IF thou lend money to my people sayth Exod 22 25 the Lord that is to the poore with thee thou shalt not be as an Vsurer vnto him yee shall not oppresse him with vsury If thy brother bee impouerished and Leuit 25 35 fallen in decay with thee thou shalt relieue him and as a stranger and soiourner so shall hee liue with thee Thou shalt take no vsury of him nor aduantage Leuit 25 36 but thou shalt feare thy GOD that thy brother may liue by thee Thou shalt neither giue him thy money verse 37 to vsury nor lend him thy victuals for increase Moreouer if thou take thy neighbours Exod 22 26 raiment to pledge thou shalt restore it vnto him before the Sunne goe downe For that is his couering onely and this verse 27. is his garment for his skinne wherein shall he sleepe Therefore when he cryeth vnto mee I will heare him for I am mercifull §. 2. Some men saith S. Ierome thinke vsurie Ierome to be onely in money which thing the Scripture fore-seeing doth name the ouerplusse in all things For vsurie is vvhere more is required Bernard then was deliuered whether in money or in meates or in any other thing As if thou deliuer tenne shillings lookest for more at the returne thereof or deliuerest a bushell of Corne and requirest aboue that So after the like sort in any thing els whatsoeuer is receiued more then the principall it is vsury Yea whatsoeuer name thou giuest it the Ambrose ouer-plus in all things receiued more then was deliuered is vsurie §. 3. Vsury saith Constantius is the daughter Constantius of Auarice the nurse of Idlenes the cause of ciuill discord among brethren It is also a secret euill which daily deuoureth Cassianus the wealth of our neighbour may wel be likened to a greedy whirle-poole which speedily swalloweth what-soeuer it catcheth Of all euill members therfore in a Common-wealth Perdicas none is more perrillous then the greedy-minded Vsurer for he priuily deceiueth euery man with whom he medleth and neuer doth good to any so long as he liueth Hee is worse then a theefe for a theefe Agesilaus robbeth onely by night but the Vsurer robbeth both by day and night And like as a Hare deliuereth nourisheth Pet. Lomb. and is with young all at once so the fraudulent Vsurer before hee hath fully finished his deceite against one man casteth in his mind how he may best beguile another through some subtile bargaine §. 4. But hee that increaseth his riched by vsurie Prou 28 8 and interest gathereth them for him which will be mercifull vnto the poore And as a Partrich gathereth together Iere 17 11 the young vvhich shee hath not brought forth who afterward forsake her vvhen they perceiue that she is not their damme so he that getteth riches and not by right shall leaue them in the middes of his dayes and at his end shal be a foole For the gathering of treasures by a deceitfull Prou 21 6 tongue is vanity tossed to and fro of them that seeke death And hee that through vsury oppresseth Basill the poore robbeth both his conscience of comfort and his soule of saluation ¶ Against Gluttony and drunkennesse §. 1. BE not greedy saith Sirach in all delights neyther be thou too hastie vpon all meates For excesse of meates bringeth sicknes gluttony turneth into cholerick diseases By surfet many haue perrished but hee that dâ—eteth himselfe prolongeth his life Oh how little is sufficient for a man well Ecclê° 31 19 taught For thereby hee belcheth not in his chamber nor feeleth any paine A sweet wholsome sleepe also commeth verse 20. of a temperate feeding such a man feeleth no inward paine hee riseth vp betimes in the morning and is well at ease in himselfe But an vnsatiable eater sleepeth vnquietly and is troubled with panges of the belly and many other hurtfull diseases §. 2. Gluttony is a filthy vile and vgly vice Gueuara consisting onely in a greedie desire after daintie fare It is the sworne enemie to temperance Hipocrates a mortall or deadly foe to health and a most lothsome blemish to humanitie Oh what a monstrous sight is it to behold Protogenes the full furnished table of some vnsatiable and rich glutton how with sundry sorts of the most rarest meates costliest delicates it is thorowly beset and couered from end to end And as the maister of the feast is himselfe there-vnto strangely affected such guests for his companions will he coÌ„monly be sure to haue about him who like flattering Parasites weighing his inclination will for theyr owne profit sake highly extoll him in his grosse worke of vvickednesse and feede his humour not onely with vaine talke and foolish iesting but nowe and then also with some shew of scurility to make his meate haue the better digestion But they that are so greatly addicted to Crates belly-cheere and regard more the pampering of theyr panch then the wisedome of the minde may well be likened to fooles who giue more credite to theyr owne conceit then to any other mans grounded reason And the man that refraineth not his apperite Prou 25 28 is like a Citty broken downe and without walles §. 3. It is not the needfull vse of meate that Augustine any man ought to forbeare but it is the inordinate desire thereof which ought to be blamed And he is not to be counted a glutton Aristotle which feedeth onely sufficiently for the nourishment of his owne nature but hee that gurmundizeth much more in quantitie then sundry other men hee that dailie delighteth to fare deliciously satisfying the pleasure of his sensual appetite through excesse and making his belly his God For meate and drinke are the good gifts Gueuara of God and ought of all men thankfullie to be receiued and moderately taken at times conuenient for our naturall vse and sustenaunce but hee that greedily consumeth more then hee needeth abuseth both his body through his misdiet the good gifts of God by turning them from the right vse for which they were ordained §. 4. Of all the parts of mans body sayth Tully Tully the bolly is the most
the fatherlesse Gueuara and oppressed For hee that is rich commonly seeketh to reuenge himselfe eyther by lawe or armes but the poore mans remedy is wholy procured from God by his pittifull lamentations mournings Doth not the teares runne downe the Ecclê° 35 15 widdowes cheekes and her cry is against him that caused them for froÌ„ her cheekes doe they goe vp vnto heauen the Lord which heareth them doth accept them For hee despiseth not the desire of the Ecclê° 35 14 fatherlesse nor the widdowe when shee powreth out her prayer before him But heareth the peticion of the partie Ecclê° 35 13 oppressed §. 8. Thou shalt not saith the Lord doe thy Leuit. 19. 13 neighbour wrong neither rob him The worke-mans hire shall not abide with thee vntill the morning Thou shalt not oppresse an hired seruaunt Deut 24 14 that is needy and poore neyther of thy brethren nor of the stranger that is in the Land within thy gates But thou shalt giue him his hire for the day and shalt not let the sunne goe downe verse 15. vpon it for hee is poore there-withall sustaineth his life least hee cry against thee vnto the Lord it be sinne vnto thee §. 9. Rob not the poore because he is poore Prou 22 22 23. neither oppresse the afflicted in iudgement for the Lorde will defende theyr cause and spoyle the soule of those that spoyle them With-hold not the good from the ovvners Prou 3 23 thereof though there be power in thy hand to doe it Neyther let the vvages of any man that Tob 4 24 hath wrought for thee tarry with thee but giue it him out of hand The bread of the needfull is the life of Ecclê° 34 22 the poore he that defraudeth him thereof is a murtherer Hee that taketh away his neighbours liuing verse 23 sleyeth him he that with-holdeth the labourers hire from him is a blood-shedder And this yee know that no man-sleyer 1. Ioh 3 15 hath eternall life abyding in him §. 10. Vse therefore mercie gentlenes pittie â—ulgosius and compassion towards the poore and suffer not him that hath done thy vvill to make sute vnto thee for his recompence Defraude not the poore of his liuing Eccâ—us 4 1. neither make the needy eyes to waite long Make not an hungry soule sorrowful neyther vexe a man in his necessity Trouble verse 2 3 not the heart that is greeued neyther defer thou the gift of the needy Refuse not the prayer of him that is in trouble neyther turne away thy face from verse 4 5. 6 the poore Turne not thine eyes aside in anger from the poore neither giue him any occasion to speake euill of thee For if hee curse thee in the bitternes of his soule his prayer shall be heard of him that made him For the prayer of the poore going out Ecclus 21 5. of the mouth commeth vnto the eares of the Lord and iustice is doone him incontinently Yea the prayer of him that humbleth himselfe is of such force that it pierceth Ecclê° 35 17 thorow the clowdes and ceaseth not till it come neere will not depart till the most High haue respect there-vnto to iudge righteously and to execute iudgement And the Almighty wil not be slack nor Ecclê° 35 18 tarry long from them till hee hath smitten in sunder the loynes of the vnmercifull auenged himselfe of the heathen or vngodly ones till hee hath taken away the multitude of the cruell and broken the scepter of the vnrighteous till he giue euerie man after his works and reward them after theyr deuises till he haue iudged the cause of his people and comforted them with his mercie §. 11. Let it not then grieue thee to bowe Ecclus 4 8 downe thyne eare vnto the poore but pay thy debt and giue him a friendlie aunswere For if thou shewe compassion vâ—â—o the Isidorus poore that can doe but little thou shalt be highly fauoured of GOD that can doe much But who soeuer stoppeth his eare at the Prou 21 13 crying of the poore he shall also cry himselfe and not be heard ¶ Against ouer-hastie and rash iudgement §. 1. IVdge not saith Christ and ye shall not Luke 6 37 be iudged condemne not and yee shall not be condemned For with what iudgement yee iudge ye Math 7 2 shall be iudged and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured vnto you againe §. 2. Thou art inexcusable ô man saith the Rom 2 1. Apostle whosoeuer thou art that iudgest For in that that thou iudgest another thou condemnest thy selfe for thou that iudgest doost the same things VVhy seest thou the mote that is in thy Math 7 3 4 brothers eye perceiuest not the beame that is in thine owne eye Or howe sayest thou to thy brother Suffer me to cast out the â—â—te out of thine eye and beholde a beame is in thine owne eye Hypocrite first cast out the beame that verse 5 is in thine owne eye then shalt thou see cleerly to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye Besides who art thou that iudgest or Rom 14 4 Iames. 4. 12 condemnest another mans seruaunt hee standeth or falleth to his owne maister Iudge nothing therfore before the time 1 Cor 4. 5. vntill the Lord come who will lighten the the things that are hid in darknes make the counsels of each hart manifest then shall euery man haue prayse of God §. 3. Iudge not according to the appearance Iohn 7. 24. saith Christ but iudge righteous iudgement For Eli the priest being some-what too forward to iudge by coniecture rashlie reprooued 1. Sam. 1. 14. Hannah of the sinne of drunkennesse when shee was zealously busied at her prayers And the barbarous people of Malta Acts. 28. 3. 4 5 6. seeing a viper fastned to the hand of Paule presently at the first sight thereof condemned him for a murtherer But when they saw him shake off the worme into the fire feele no harme thereby then shewing themselues as farre from reason as they vvere before from wisedome they imagined him to be a God §. 4. Commend no man for his beautie sayth Ecclê° 11 2. Sirach neyther despise a man in his vtter appearance For the Bee is but small among the verse 3 foules yet dooth the fruite of her labour passe in sweetnesse Blame no man before thou hast enquired Ecclê° 11 7 the matter vnderstand first and then reforme righteously Giue no sentence before thou hast heard Ecclus. 11. 8. the cause neyther interrupt any man in the midst of his tale For hee that giueth sentence before the Thales matter be throughly heard shewes himselfe eyther partiall in affection or culpable in dooing wrong for some priuate aduauntage And hee that taketh a tale out of his Plâ—tarch neighbours mouth is like him
the body then rayment Behold the foules of the heauen for they sow not neyther reape nor carry into the Barnes yet your heauenly father feedeth them Are yee not much better then they Which of you by taking care is able to adde one cubite vnto his stature And why care yee for raiment Learne how the Lillies of the fielde do grow they labour not neither spinne Yet I say vnto you that euen Salomon in all his glory was not arayed like one of these Wherefore if God so clothe the grasse of the fielde which is to day and to morrow is cast into the ouen shall hee not doe much more vnto you ô ye of little faith Take no thought therfore saying what shall we eate or what shall we drinke or where-with shall we be clothed For after all these things seek the Gentiles for your heauenly Father knoweth that yee haue neede of all these things But seeke ye first the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and all these thinges shall be ministred vnto you §. 11. My sonne saith Sirach leade not a beggers Ecclus 40 28 life for better it were to die then to begge The life of him that dependeth on another verse 29 mans table is not to be counted for a life for he tormenteth himselfe after other mens meate But a wise man and wel nurtured will beware thereof It is not freedome to liue licentiously Alex. Seue neyther is it libertie to liue without labour To liue idely is to liue wickedly to Crates depend vpon other mens liberalitie is the ready way to bring thee to misery But to labour and to be content with Ecclê° 40 18 that a man hath is a sweete life §. 12. Beware least thou say in thine hart My Deut. 8. 17 18 power and the strength of mine owne hand hath prepared me this aboundance But remember the Lord thy God for it is hee which giueth thee power to gette substance And it is an easie thing with him suddainly Ecclê° 11 21 to make a poore man rich §. 13. Say not thou Why is it that the former Eccles 7. 12 dayes vvere better then these for thou doost not enquire wisely of this thing Say not The time that our fore-fathers Ierome liued in was better then this present age for vertue and good life make good daies but aboundance of vice corrupteth the time §. 14. Many miseries and calamities saith Esdras 2 Esdr 8. 50 remaine for them that shall liue in the latter time because they shall walke in great pride And the weaker that the worlde is by 2. Esdr 14. 16. reason of age the more shal the euils be increased vpon them that dwell therein This knowe also that in the last dayes 2. Tim 3 1 shall come perrillous times For men shall be louers of their owne verse 2 selues couetous boasters proude cursed speakers disobedient to parents vnthankfull vnholy Without naturall affection truce-breakers verse 3 4 false accusers intemperate fierce despisers of theÌ„ that are good traitours headie high minded louers of pleasures more then louers of GOD hauing a shewe of verse 5 godlines but haue denied the power therof turne away therefore from such §. 15. Aske no counsell for religion saith Sirach Ecclê° 37 11 of him that is without religion nor of iustice of him that hath no iustice nor of a woman touching her of whom shee is iealous nor of a coward in matters of warre nor of a Merchant concerning exchange nor of a buyer for the sale nor of an enuious man touching thankfulnesse nor of the vnmercifull touching kindnes nor of an vnhonest man of honestie nor of the slothfull for any labour nor of an hireling for the finishing of a work nor of an idle seruaunt for much busines harken not vnto these in any matter of counsell But be continually with a godly man Ecclus 37 12 13. whom thou knowest to keep the coÌ„maundements of the Lorde whose minde is according to thy minde and is sorry for thee wheÌ„ thou stumblest And hold thy counsell fast in thine heart for there is no man more faithfull to keepe it then thou thy selfe §. 16. Despise not the exhortations of those Ecclus 8 8 Elders that be wise but acquaint thy selfe with theyr sentences for of theÌ„ thou shalt learne wisedome and the doctrine of vnderstanding and howe to serue great men without complaint Stand with the multitude of the Elders that are wise ioyne thy selfe to him that Ecclus. 6 35. 36 hath wisedome Desire to heare all godly talke and let not the graue sentences of knowledge escape thee And if thou seest a man of vnderstanding verse 37. get thee soone vnto him and let thy foote weare the steppes of his doores If thou doubt in any thing aske counsel Socrates of such men as haue knowledge and bee not angry if they chaunce to reproue thee For if when thou art reproued thou depart Mar. Aurel. immediatly hating thy couÌ„seller thou shalt be like vnto the sicke man which so soone as his Surgion hath cut his vlcer goeth his way not tarrying till his wound be dressed his griefe asswaged §. 17. Lende not vnto the man that is mightier Ecclê° 8 12. or richer then thy selfe for if thou lendest to such an one count it but lost Lende to thy neighbour in time of his Ecclus 29 2 3. neede and pay thou thy neighbour againe in due season Keepe thy worde and deale faithfully with him and thou shalt alway finde the thing that is necessary for thee Many after a thing is once lent theÌ„ reckon verse 4 it to be founde thereby grieue him that hath helped them Till they receiue they kisse his hands verse 5 for theyr neighbours good they humble theyr voyce but when they should pay againe they prolong the terme and giue a carelesse aunswer make excuses by reason of the time And though hee be able yet giueth hee verse 6 scarce the halfe againe and reckoneth the other as a thing found else hee deceiueth him of his money and maketh him an enemie without a cause hee payeth him with cursing and rebuke and giueth him euill words for his good deede There be many which refuse to lend because Ecclê° 29 7 of this inconuenience fearing to be defrauded without cause Yet haue thou patience with him that verse 8 9 humbleth himselfe and deferre not mercy from him Helpe the poore for the commaundements sake turne him not away because of his pouertie Loose thy money Ecclê° 29 10 for thy brothers and neighbours sake and let it not rust vnder a stone to thy destruction §. 18. Be not suretie aboue thy power saith Ecclus 8 13 Sirach for if thou be suretie thinke to pay it A man destitute of vnderstanding toucheth Prou 17. 18 the hand and becommeth surety for his neighbour And is thereby
tongue to slaunder them that be dead Be alwayes one to thy friende aswell in Mar. Aur. aduersitie as in prosperitie and keepe thy promise as truly as thou wouldest pay thy debt Vse in all things and towards all men a Socrates simple veritie without fraude deceit or guile eyther in word or deed And be not ashamed to doe iustice to euery Boetius man for what-soeuer is doone vvithout iustice is tyrannie §. 30. Doe no secrete thing before a stranger Ecclê° 8 18 for thou canst not tell vvhat hee goeth about Neither tell the thoughts of thy heart Ecclê° 8 19 vnto euery man least he be vnthankfull to thee and put thee to reproofe Dishonour no man in his olde age for Ecclus 8. 6 they were as wee which are not old Sit not at all with another mans wife neither Ecclê° 9 11 lie with her vpon the bed nor banket with her least thine hart incline vnto her and so through thy desire thou fall into destruction Be not glad of the death of thine enemy Ecclus. 8 7 but remember that wee must die all and so enter into ioy Be gentle and curteous to euery one but Theophras flatter no man neyther suffer thy selfe to be flattered of any Be familiar with fewe men and beware Macrobius whom thou trustest Be patient constant in the time of aduersitie Arnobius and in thy prosperitie be of an humble spirit §. 31. If thy parents wexe poore supply theyr Socrates want with thy wealth if froward with age beare patiently with their imperfections And striue not with thy father mother Anacharsis in words although thou tell the truth If thou haue sonnes bring them vp in Ecclê° 7 23 nurture and learning hold them in awe euen from their youth Chasten thy childe while there is hope Prou. 19 18 and let not thy soule spare for his murmuring For it is better that thou should'st make Antisth thy sonne weepe in his youth then hee should make thee mourne when thou art old If thou haue daughters keepe theyr bodie Ecclê° 7 24 and shewe not thy face cheerefull towards them Suffer not thy daughter to walke abroad Anaxag after her owne will for it is the ready vvay to bring her to wickednesse If thy daughter be not shamefast holde Ecclê° 26 10 her straitly least she abuse herselfe through ouermuch libertie Take heed of her that hath an vnshamefast Ecclê° 26 11 looke meruaile not if she trespasse against thee For. as one that goeth by the way and Ecclê° 26 12 is thirstie so shall shee open her mouth drink of euery next water by euery hedge shall she sitte downe and open her quiuer against euery arrow §. 32. Let no couetous man haue any rule ouer Aristotle thee neither yeeld thy selfe subiect vnto couetousnesse for the couetous man wil deceiue thee of thy goods and couetousnesse will defraude thee of thy life If thou intendest any thing whereof may Xenocrates grow any goodnes deuise to proceed with all diligence but if by thy workes may chaunce that which is euill then be as forward to conquer thy will Sowe good works and thou shalt reape Socrates the flowers of ioy and gladnesse When thou risest in the morning determine Pythagoras so to spend the day following as though at night a graue should be thy bed Endeuour thy selfe at all times to doe so Plato well that the wicked may rather enuie thee for thy vertuous life then good men pitty thee for thy euill liuing So liue and so hope as though thou Thales shouldest die immediatly Order thy selfe so that thy soule may alwayes Pythago be in good estate what-soeuer become of thy body §. 33. Be not as a Lyon in thine owne house Ecclus 4 30 neyther beate thy seruaunts for thy fantasie nor oppresse them that are vnder thee Doe nothing vvithout aduisement so Ecclê° 32 20 shall it not repent thee after the deede Be not excessiue toward any without Ecclê° 33 28 discretion doe nothing Let reason goe before euery enterprise Ecclê° 37 16 and counsell before euery action Thinke first then speake and last of all Isocrates fulfill Liue alwayes with thine vnderlings as Mar. Aurel. thou wouldest thy betters should liue with thee do to all men as thou wouldest be done by §. 34. Be not ashamed to heare the truth of Socrates whomsoeuer it be for truth is so noble of it selfe that it maketh them honorable that pronounce it Be sober and chast among young folkes Plato that they may learne of thee and among old that thou mayst learne of them Learne those thinges whilst thou art a Anaxag chylde as may afterward profite thee by practise when thou art a man And let it not grieue thee in youth to Socrates follow vertue for if thou deferre it off till age it will seeme like a heauie burden vnpleasant to be borne §. 35. Holde friendship with many men neuerthelesse Ecclus 6 6 haue but one counsellour of a thousand If thou get a friende proue him first verse 7 8 be not hastie to credite him For some man is a friende for is owne occasion and will not abide in the day of thy trouble Againe some friende is but a companion verse 10. at thy table and in the day of thine affliction he continueth not But in thy prosperitie he will be as thou verse 11. thy selfe and will vse libertie ouer thy seruaunts If thou be brought low he wil be against verse 12 thee and will hide himselfe froÌ„ thy face Contrariwise a faithfull freende is a verse 14. strong defence hee that findeth such an one findeth a treasure §. 36. Abide not thou in the errour of the vngodly Ecclê° 17 27 but prayse the Lord before death For thankfulnes perrisheth from the verse 28. dead as though hee were not but the liuing and he that is sound of hart praiseth the Lord and reioyceth in his mercy Number not thy selfe in the multitude Ecclus 7 16 17 of the wicked but remember that vengeance will not be long in tarrying and that the rewarde of the vngodly is fire and wormes Seeke not death in the error of your life Wisd 1 12 13. destroy not your selues thorow the works of your owne hands for GOD hath not made death neither hath hee pleasure in the destruction of the liuing Righteousnes is euerlasting and immortall Wisd 1. 15 but vnrighteousnes bringeth death To depart from euill is a thankful thing Ecclus 35 3. to the Lord and to forsake vnrighteousnesse is a reconciling vnto him ¶ Of trouble and affliction whereby GOD tryeth the harts of all such as faithfully loue him PROVERBS 17. verse 3. As is the sining pot for siluer and the fornace for gold so the Lord tryeth the harts ¶
blesse all the worke of thine hands and thou shalt lend vnto many Nations but shalt not borrow thy selfe §. 6. VVith all these heere rehearsed and sundry other benefites both corporall and spirituall did the Lord God as we read promise to blesse his then peculiar people the children of Israel if they woulde faithfully beleeue in him and diligentlie endeuour to liue vprightly in all theyr dooings according to the meaning of his coÌ„maundements By which protestation made vnto them we may verie well be drawne vndoubtedly to beleeue that hee whose power in time past was sufficiently able to performe so many fauours to one speciall Nation that serued him is now as well able as euer he was not onely to extend the like mercy to one Nation alone because hee is for euer the selfe same God but also to euery Nation vnder the sun where soeuer his Name is called vpon and to euery priuate man in what Prouince soeuer that truly trusteth in him and vnfainedly frameth all his actions will according to his holy word For vvhat necessary benefite is it saith Vincentius Vincentius that the Lord our God vvill deny to grant vnto any one of vs when we pray if we religiously liue after the rule of his law sincerely seeke to serue him in the way of truth and righteousnes Or who is he that will harme you saith 1. Pet 3 13. S. Peter if yee follow that which is good §. 7. Blessed therfore is the man that findeth Prou 3 13 14. wisedome and the man that getteth vnderstanding for the merchandise thereof is better then the merchandise of siluer and the gaine thereof is better then gold It is more precious then pearles and all verse 15 things that thou canst desire are not to be compared vnto her Length of dayes is in her right hand Prou. 3 16. in her left riches and glory Her wayes are wayes of pleasure and all verse 17 18 her pathes prosperitie Shee is a tree of life to them that lay holde on her and blessed is the man that retaineth her §. 8. The word of GOD most high is the Ecclus 1 5 fountaine of Wisedome the euerlasting commaundements are the entrance vnto her Wherefore if thou desire Wisedome Ecclê° 1 31 keepe the commaundements the Lord God shall giue her vnto thee And shee shall instruct and teach thee in Hermes the true path of his precepts and lead thee the right vvay to life euerlasting By her thou shalt possesse a peaceable Constantius and pleasant life and through her thou shalt attaine vnto a happy end For hee that findeth her findeth life Prou 28 34 35 shall obtaine fauour of the Lord but hee that sinneth against her hurteth his owne soule and all that hate her loue death §. 9. If thou followe after righteousnes saith Ecclê° 27 8 Sirach thou shalt get her and put her on as a faire garment shalt dwell with her and shee shall defende thee for euer and in the day of knowledge thou shalt finde stedfastnes Yea if thou callest after knowledge Prou 2 3 4 5 cryest for vnderstanding if thou seekest her as siluer searchest for her as for treasures then shalt thou vnderstand the feare of the Lorde and finde the knowledge of God Then shalt thou vnderstand righteousnesse Prou 2 9 and iudgement and equitie euerie good path §. 10. When wisedom â—aith Salomon entereth Prou 2 10 11 12 13 into thy hart knowledge delighteth thy soule then shall counsell preserue thee vnderstanding shall keepe thee and deliuer thee from the euill way and from the man that speaketh froward thinges and from them that leaue the wayes of righteousnes to walke in the waies of darknes It shall likewise deliuer thee from the Prou. 2 16 17 strange woman euen froÌ„ the stranger that flattereth with her words Which forsaketh the guide of her youth and forgetteth the couenaunt of her God Thou shalt also vvalke safely by thy Prou 3 23 way and thy foote shall not stumble If thou sleepest thou shalt not be afraid verse 24 and when-soeuer thou sleepest thy sleepe shall be sweete Thou shalt not feare for any suddaine Prou 3 25. feare neyther for the destruction of the wicked when it commeth For the Lord shal be for thine assurance verse 26 and hee shall preserue thy foote from taking §. 11. Surely hee will deliuer thee froÌ„ the snare Psalm 91 3 of the hunter from the noysome pestilence Hee will couer thee vnder his wings and verse 4. thou shalt be safe vnder his feathers his truth shall be thy shielde and buckler Thou shalt not be afraide of the feare of verse 5 6 the night nor of the arrovve that flyeth by day Nor of the pessilence that walketh in the darknesse nor of the plague that destroyeth at noone day A thousand shall fall at thy side tenne Psalm 91 7 thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come neere thee In famine hee shall deliuer thee from Iob 5 20 21. death and in battell from the power of the sword Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue and thou shalt not be afraid of destruction when it commeth But thou shalt laugh at destruction and Iob 5 22 23 dearth and shalt not be afraid of the beasts of the earth For the stones of the fielde shall be in league with thee and the beasts of the fielde shall be at peace with thee And thou shalt knowe that peace shall Iob 5 24 be in thy Tabernacle and thou shalt visite thine habitation and shalt not sinne There shall none euill come neere thee Psal 91 10 neither shall any plague come nie vnto thy dwelling For the Lord shal giue his Angels charge verse 11 ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes And they shall beare thee in theyr hands verse 12 that thou hurte not thy foote against a stone Thou shalt walke vpon the Lyon the Psal 91 13. Aspe the young Lyon the Dragon shalt thou treade vnder thy feete Also vvhen thou eatest the labours of Psal 128. 2. thine hands thou shalt be blessed it shall be well with thee Thy wife shall be as the fruitefull Vine verse 3 on the sides of thy house and thy chyldren like the Oliue plants round about thy table Thou shalt perceiue also that thy seede Iob 5 25 shall be great thy posteritie as the grasse of the earth And thou shalt goe to thy graue in a full verse 26. age as a rick of corne which commeth into the barne in due season Loe thus haue wee enquired of it and Iob. 5 27. so it is Surely thus shall the man be blessed that Psal 128 4 feareth the Lord. For the Lord will blesse the righteous Psalm 5. 12. and with fauour will compasse