reasons First that they might remember th◠creation of the world for in sixe daies the Lord made heauen and earth and all that therein is and rested the seuenth day Secondly that they might assemble together gratefully thanke his diuine maiesty for his daily blessing powred down vpon them Thirdly that they might recreat refresh and repose themselues to th' end they might labour the next week more aptly Fourthly the Sabaoth is to be obserued by reason it is the seuenth day which number containeth great and hidden mysteries The skie is gouerned by seuen Planets The reuolutiō of time is accomplished in seuen dayes which wee call weekes God commaunded Noah to take into his arke cleane beasts fowle by seuens Pharaoh dreamed that he saw seuen fat kine and seuen leane Dauid deliuered seuen of Sauls sonnes to the Gibeonites to be hanged Christ being termed the first stone of God hath seuē eyes Seuen thousand men did God reserue that neuer bowed their knees to Baal Zachariah in a vision saw a candlesticke of gold with a bowle vpon the top of it and seuen lampes therein and seuen pipes to the lampes Iob had seuen sonnes Seuen Angels go forth before God Neither were the seuen brethren whom Antiochus put to death voyd of a mystery S. Iohn in the Reuelation sawe seuen golden Candlestickes and in the middest of them the Sonne of man hauing in his right hand seuen starres Moreouer he saw the opening of the seuenth seale and the seuen Angels which stood before the Lord to whome were giuen seuen trumpets The Antichrist is prophesied to sit vpon a scarlet coloured beast which hath◠seuen heads By which as all true Christians be perswaded the Pope and his Cardinals attired in Scarlet his seuen hilled city of Rome are meant What more shall I write of the worthinesse of this seuēfold number mans life goeth by seuens named climactericall yeers which Macrobius hath well obserued Sith therefore it hath pleased God so to esteeme of this number let vs Christians honour the same as fearing the scourage of the commaunder It was ordained by a good and godly act made in y e parliament of Scotlād in the yeere of our Lord 1512. being the one and twentieth yeere of the raigne of Iames the fourth that no markets nor fayres should be holden on the Sabaoth day Which act King Iames the sixt that nowe is by the consent of his three estates ratified and approoued in the Parliament holden in the yeere 1579. cōdemning the breakers of the Sabaoth to forfeit all their moueables to the vse of the poore within that parish where they dwelt It was likewise there enacted that no handy-work should be vsed on y t Sabaoth nor any gaming playing passing to Tauernes nor wilfull remaining from prayer and Sermons should bee in any case exercised vnder the penalties following to wit of euerie man for his labouring as often as he was taken in the fact ten shillings and of euerie person for gaming playing passing to Tauernes and wilfull remaining from praier and Sermons on the sunday twentie shillings to bee presently payed and imployed to the releefe of the poore in their parish I could wish that some speedy good order were taken here in Englād for the breakers of the Sabaoth For many now a-dayes hauing beene idle all the weeke before doe of set contumacie labour that day in despight of the Lord his Sabaoth Some frō morning to euening do nothing els but play at dice or tables swearing staring at the least crosse of fortune Others againe be delighted with reading of pāphlets louebooks ballads such like neuer once so deuout as to name God vnlesse shamefully abusing him Oh how oftē do they vse on that day vnseemly speeches the very Turks I feare me go beyond them in deuotion For they duly on their festiual daies resort to their Churches neuer once gazing or looking aside as long as seruice lasteth The seruice being ended they go home each mā to his house inuiting humbly beseeching the priests to beare them cōpany with whō they questiō touching diuine matters not by carping nicking nipping but with pure simplicity feruent care wheras many of vs Christians contrariwise do openly prophane not only holidaies but also the Lords day yet they terme themselues Christians Christiās O coūterfeit Christiās worse thē Painims Me thinks if nothing else could moue you yet the daily myraculous punishments inflicted on such prophane persons as you bee should bee a terrible warning for you At Kinstat a towne in France dwelled a certain couetous woman about fortie yeres ago who was so eager in gathering together worldly pelfe that shee would neither frequent the church to heare the word of God on sunday her selfe nor yet permit any of her familie to do it but alway toyled about pilling and drying of flaxe neither would shee bee disswaded by her neighbours frō such an vnseasonable work One sunday as she was thus busied fire seemed to fall downe among the flaxe without doing any hurt The next sunday it tooke fire indeed but was soone quenched For all this shee continued forwarde in her worke euen the third Sunday when the flaxe againe taking fire could not be extinguished till it had burnt her two of her childrē to death for though they were recouered out of the fire aliue yet y e next day they all 3. died that which was most to be wondred at a yong infant in the Cradle was taken out of the midst of the flame without any hurt Thus God punisheth the breakers of y e sabaoth Famous is that example which chanced neere London in the yeere of our Lord 1583. on the thirteenth day of Ianuarie being Sunday at Paris garden where there met together as they were wont an infinite number of people to see the beare-baiting without any regard of that high day But in the middest of their sports all the scaffolds and galleries sodainely fell downe in such wise that two hundred persons were crushed well nigh to death besides eight that were killed forthwith In the yeere of our Lord 1589. I being as then but a boy do remember that an Alewife making no exception of dayes would needes brue vpon Saint Markes day but loe the maruailous worke of God whiles she was thus laboring the top of the chimney tooke fire and before it could bee quenched her house was quite burnt Surely a gentle warning to them that violate and prophane forbidden dayes Notwithstanding I am not so straight laced that I would not haue any labour done on Sundayes and holy dayes For I confesse It is lawfull to fight in our countries defence on any daie It is lawfull to enter into the bath and it is lawfull for Phisicians and Apothecaries to temper and prepare medicines for the sicke and for cookes to dresse meate for our sustenance It is lawfull for vs
fathers vertues but liued wickedly should be disinherited their reuenewes giuen to the most vertuous of that race not admitting any vitious heyre whatsoeuer The properties of a Gentleman Chap. 15. THe meanes to discerne a Gentleman bee these First hee must bee affable and courteous in speech and behauiour Secondly hee must haue an aduenturous heart to fight and that but for verie iust quarrels Thirdly hee must bee endued with mercie to forgiue the trespasses of his friendes and seruants Fourthly hee must stretch his purse to giue liberally vnto souldiours and vnto them that haue neede for a niggard is not worthie to bee called a Gentleman These bee the properties of a Gentleman which whosoeuer lacketh deserueth but the title of a clowne or of a countrie boore In breefe it fareth with Gentlemen as it doth with wine which ought to haue foure good qualities namely it must not taste of the Caske next it must sauour of a good soyle Thirdly it must haue a good colour Last of all it must sauour of the goodnes of the grape and not bee sophistically mingled with water and such like That Gentlemen must not greatly respect what the common people speake of them Chap. 16. THe common people groūd their actions vpō fallible expectations they are stout when perils bee farre off and very irresolute when they approach Who therefore is so brainesicke as to beleeue their assertions What else is glorie then a windie gale neuer comming from the heart but onely from the lungs They that be praysed vnworthily ought to bee ashamed of their praise Admit they bee iustly praised what thing more hath it augmented to the conscience of a wise man that measureth not his good by the rumour of the common people but by the trueth of the conscience For which cause the Romanes built two temples ioyning together the one being dedicated to vertue the other to honour but yet in such sort that no man could enter into that of honour except first hee passed through the temple of vertue Honor as the Philosopher sayth is a reuerence giuen to another for a testimonie of his vertue Insomuch as honor is not attributed to vertue by dignitie but rather it is attributed to dignity by vertue of them that vse the dignitie Howbeit notwithstanding I haue not such horny heart-strings that I would not at al haue mē to be praysed but my meaning is that Gentlemen should obserue a meane and a limitation in their common applauses and fine soothings For to bee altogether carelesse as Stoykes Cynicks would haue euerie one to be what men think of thē is not onely a marke of arrogancy but also a token of a loose life Wherefore gentlemen must endeuour by al meanes without vain-glory to keep a good name especially among their neighbors to beare themselues such men indeede as they would haue al men account thē Wherto accordeth that saying of the Poet Thou shalt liue well if thou takest care to be such a one as thou hearest how the people testifie of thee abroad Of Knights of honour Chap. 17. THose I call knights of honour who here in England are named Knights of the Garter and in France Knights of the order of saint Michael The original of the honorable order of the Garter was first inuented after this maner Whē K. Edward the third had by the means of Edward the blacke Prince his sonne taken captiues King Iohn of France and King Dauid of Scotland and had put them both in ward at London and also had expelled King Henrie the bastard of Spaine restoring the Kingdome to Peter the lawfull King then he to honor and grace his victories deuised an honourable fellowship and made choyse of the most famous persons for vertue and honoured them with this order giuing thē a garter adorned with gold and pretious stones together with a buckle of gold to weare onely on the left legge Of which order hee and his successors Kings and Queenes of England should be soueraigne and the rest by certaine lawes among themselues should bee taken as brethren and fellowes in that order to the number of sixe and twentie And this breefely touching the inuention and authour of the honourable order of Knights here in England Now I will addresse my pen to write of the honourable order in France King Lewes the eleuenth of France after he had made peace with his peeres whom in the beginning of his raigne he had excluded from his presence inuented at Amboise in the yeere of our Lord 1469. a societie of honour consisting of sixe and thirtie Noblemen and named Saint Michael Patron of them euen as the English knights had deuoted themselues to the tuition of Saint George giuing ot each of them a golden chaine of the value of two hundred pound which they were bound to weare daily not to bestow sell or gage the same as long as they liued if any one of them chanced to die forthwith there was an election to dubbe another in his roome not by voyces but by litle scrowles turned together in the forme of balles the which they did cast into a bason and the Lord Chauncelour was to reckon them Then he that had most balles on his side was admitted to the societie the King speaking these words The honourable societie do accept of thee as their brother and in regard of their good wil to thee-wards do bestow this golden chaine on thee God grāt thou maist long weare it When the King had spoken these words hee gaue him a kisse on the right cheek This is the custome of dubbing kinghts of the order of Saint Michael Also there be other orders of knights in Christendome as the kinghts of the golden Fleece knights of the Bathe knights of the patent deuised by y e Pope and knights of the Rhodes But because the rehearfall of them are not much appertaining to our purpose I cease to treate further of them Of Citizens Chap. 18. HE that first inuented a citie was the cause of much good The which praise some attribute vnto eloquent men Some to Saturne And others to Orpheus and Amphion For in the beginning of the world people liued barbarously like vnto bruit beasts and the nature of man was such that they not hauing eyther the law naturall or ciuill prescribed rogued vp and downe dispersed in the world possessed nothing except that which by force they tooke away from others til there arose some notable men both in wisedome and valour who knowing howe it was to instruct man assembled all of them into one place ordamed a Citie and enuironed them round about with walles Further Citizens in generall are they that liue vnder the same lawes and soueraigne magistrates But Citizens particularly are they that are free-men do dwel in Cities and boroughs or corporated townes Generally in the shire they be of no account saue onely in the Parliament to
mildly and modestly towards their inferiours The sixt that Princes bee not partiall in their subiects factions The seuenth the Prince his Coūcell must not giue care to euery tale and crafty deuice for it may be that the enemy hath his intelligence in the realme The eight to cast out Heretickes and Schismatickes frō amōg the people The ninth to muster traine the people once a moneth in martiall affaires The tenth is to discard stageplayes vsury extorsiō bribes and such like abominable vices Of Taxes and Subsidies Chap. 60. THe peace and tranquillity of a commonwealth can neuer be had without souldiours nor souldiours without maintenance pay not pay cā be purchased without taxes and subsidies which are the lawfull reuenewes of the Prince to maintaine his Realme But thou wilt say taxes and subsidies bee for the common good of the Realme not for the Princes maintenaunce To which I answere that the Prince may likewise vse taxes and subsidies to his priuat royalty which is after a maner conioyned with the honour of the Princely state that hee beareth How is it possible for a Prince to beare a stately port vnlesse hee hath sufficient reuenewes Let therefore all true hearted subiectes giue vnto Cesar that which is Cesars tribute to whome tribute belongeth and custome to whome custome Without this ground we had long since been a pray vnto our enemies The Scots would haue swalowed vs vp The Spaniards also would haue triūphed cruelly massacred vs as they did the poore Indians None but wizards and niggards will seeke to be exempted from contributions shake off the necessary yoke of obedience Experience layeth downe before our eyes the successe of them that grudge and rebelled against their Prince for taxing The beginnings haue beene vngodly and the ends miserable In the yeere of our Lord 1381. the cōmons of Kent Essex to the number of threescore thousand rebelled against king Richard the second beyng their Soueraigne but they were discomfited and the most part of them sharply punished Likewise in the yeere 1484. a great commotion was moued by the commons of the North by reason of a taxe which was imposed vpon them of the tēth peny of all their lands goods But their rash attempt was speedily broken and their ringleaders hanged at Yorke By this wee see the miserable issue of all such rash reuoltings and therewithall consider how detestable they are in the sight of God Let therfore al subiects patiently endure whatsoeuer subsidy is leuied and night day beseech the Lord to graunt thē peace whereby their taxes will become shortned Remedies against sedition and priuy conspiracies Chap. 61. THe plaisters that are to bee applied vnto sedition be diuers according to the causes therof Yet notwithstāding I will epitomize and draw some of them into a breuiary First the Prince must betimes forethinke to alay the seditions which beginne to kindle For euery mischiefe at first is soone cured but being let alone and taking farther roote it gathereth more strength Secondly the Prince must by espials know who slaūder or speake euil of him Howbeit respect must be had lest the innocent be iniuried Thirdly the Prince must proclaime rewards to the reuealers of conspiracies Fourthly the Prince must aforehand remoue munitions and artilleries out of the way put them in safe custody In so doing he shall find the seditious the more tractable Fiftly the Prince must seuerely punish the authors of sedition lest they that come after go about to imitate such wickednesse Sixtly the seditious must be sundred by some policy or other Seuenthly the seditious must be allured with ambiguous doubtfull promises Eightly the Prince must diligently looke that his loyall subiects cōmunicat not with the seditious for such communing together at such times and in such sort is very daungerous especially for the party that is like to take the foile Ninthly the Prince must * send men of honour and dignity vnto the rebels vnder pretence of reward to the intent that their Captaines who desire innouations may be withdrawen from them Of the felicity of a commonwealth Chap. 62. THe felicity of a commonwealth is when by some Diuine prouidēce frō aboue there meeteth in one person the right maiesty of a Prince and the mind of a wise Philosopher For then needeth no cōpulsion no rigour no extremity to bridle the subiects what is more delightfull then to see the true image of vertue in their visible Prince then to heare the wise lessons and golden speeches issuing out of such a mouth Happy I say is the Realme where the Prince imitateth the order of an expert Phisicion who whē the remedies which he prepareth to cure the weakenesse of the inferiour members encrease griefe in the head he throweth away all infirmities most light and with the fauour of time hee proceedeth carefully to the cure of that which necessarily importeth the health of the patient or commōwealth The eight Plant. Of warres Chap. 63. BEcause * a Prince ought to be prouided against all chaūces as well of warre as of peace it will not bee amisse if I write somewhat of warrelike affaires The original whereof in my opinion proceeded from Nemrod the iolly hunter before the Lord. The Graecians inuented first of all the vse of armour And the Almaines deuised in the yeere of our Lord 1381. gunnes being the most terrible engines of al others Now touching the causes and effects of warre doubtlesse God seing that no benefits could fructifie nor threatnings disswade vs from our disobedience sendeth warre as his fearefull instrument to rouse vs frō sluggishnes to plague vs for our manifold iniquities according to that dreadfull alarum which long since hee sounded against vs. If quoth he you wil walke in my ordinances I will send peace in the land but if you will not obey me but despise my cōmandements I will send a sword vpō you that shall auenge the quarrell of my couenant and you shall be deliuered into the hands of the enemy This the Spaniards of the Island saint Maries knew felt this last Summer being the yeere of our Lord 1599. insomuch as when two English ships and one ship of Amsterdame had taken the said Island and the Generall had demaunded the Spanish Gouernour wherefore hee yeelded so soone Hee answered that the sinnes of the inhabitants were great and therefore it was bootlesse for them to resist As for the discommodities of warre they be infinit it treadeth vnder foot the lawes of God and man it maketh the Church to be derided and placeth tyrants in the throne of Iustice. In conclusion warre enduceth many malecontēts to follow the importunity of the time and breedeth pestilence and dearth for victuals spent dearth must needs ensue Whereupon sundry infectious diseases spring Whether it be lawfull for Christians to make warre Chap. 64. ALthough the Marcionists haue heretofore doubted whether Christians might make
owne naturall subiects and continually goeth garded with a strong company As Vortiger sometime king of this Realme did when he brought in Hengist and the Saxons and gaue them the countreys of Kent and Essex to inhabit The fift if he without cause coÌ„mand his chiefest nobles to be cashiered branded with ignominy or to be imprisoned and put to death for feare lest they should waxe too popular and ouermighty Such a one was Frauncis Sfortia Duke of Millain that caused Alphonsus king of Naples villanously at a banquet to murther Earle Iames sonne to Nicholas Picinio whome he had sent Ambassadour to the sayd Alphonsus for no other cause then for that hee feared his might because the Braciques in Italy some of his subiects highly esteemed him The sixt token to know a tyrant is if he do away learned and wise men for no other intent then that fearing they should reproue him write against his depraued vngodly life As Domitius Nero that commaunded Seneca the Philosopher and the Poet Lucan to be slaine and Domitian that banished the Poet luuenal for the same cause But of this matter I haue spoken in another booke Whether it be lawfull for subiects to rise against their Prince being a tyraunt or an heretique Chap. 10. EVen as the Prince ought to remoue the causes of mislike which his subiects haue conceiued against him and to extinguish the flame that being nourished in one seuerall house would breake into the next and at last into the whole towne so in like maner subiects ought to please their soueraigne and to tolerat all rigour yea and to lay downe their neckes vpon the block rather then to coÌ„spire against his power which he hath from God It may be that he is raised as another Nabuchodonozor of the Lord for a scourge to punish the transgressioÌ„s and enormities of the inhabitants The dishonourable things which a Prince doth ought to be accounted honourable Men must patieÌ„tly for they can do no otherwise beare with an vnreasonable deà re yeere with vnseasonable stormes and with many blemishes and imperfections of nature Therefore they ought to endure with as constant courages the heresies and tyrannies of their soueraigne But thou wilt say subiectes must obey only iust and vpright Princes To which I answere that parents are bound to their children with reciprocall and mutuall duties Yet if parents depart from their duty and prouoke their children to desperation it becommeth not children to be lesse obedient to their parents But they are subiect both to euill pareÌ„ts and to such as do not their duty Further if seruants must be obedient to their masters aswel curteuos as curst much more ought subiects to obey not onely their gentle but also their cruell Princes This Didacus Couarruuias an excellent Lawier confirmeth saying If a Prince whether by succession or election he was made it skilleth not doth exceed the limits of law and reason he cannot bee deposed nor put to death by any subiect Yea it is hereticall to hold that paradoxe For God is he which chaungeth the times and seasons he taketh away kings and setteth vp Kings to the intent that liuing men might know that the most high hath power ouer the kingdome of men and giueth it to whomesoeuer hee will and appointeth ouer it the most abiect among men Hence is it that we seldome heare of rebels that euer prospered but in the end they were bewrayed and brought to confusion In the time of Henry the fourth there rebelled at one time against him the Duke of Exceter with the Dukes of Gloucester Surrey Aumarle Salisburie and at another time the Earle of Worcester the Archbishop of Yorke HeÌ„ry Hotspurre sonne to the Earle of NorthuÌ„berland all which were either slaine or beheaded To come neerer the state of this question we find that Leonagildus an auncient king of the Gothes in Spaine both a tyrant and an Arrian in the yeere of our Lord 568. pursued the true Christians and exiled his own sonne because he was of the true religion Whereupon this young Prince being moued at the persecution of the Christians in his countrey did twise raise armes against his Lord and Father At the first he was taken captiue and banished at the second he was put to death on Easter day By which example wee may note the effects of Gods iudgements and rebuke the rashnesse of this Prince that rebelled against his soueraigne Wherefore O yee that be subiect to cruell Princes refraine your fury learne to obey beware lest the same chance vnto you which is faigned to haue chanced vnto the frogs who being importunat on Iupiter to haue a king a beame was giuen them the fiâ—â—t fall whereof did somwhat affright them but when they saw it stil lie in the streame they insulted theron with great disdain praied for a king of a quicker spirit theÌ„ was sent vnto them a stork which tyraÌ„nized daily deuoured them In a word rebels in taking care to auoid one calamity do entaÌ„gle themselues in a whole peck of troubles as by this fable of y e frogs is euident And oftentimes it hapneth that the remedy is more dangerous then the malady it selfe for of one tyraunt they make three Hydraes or els in seeking to shun tyranny they reduce their gouernment to a troublesome Democracy Of an Aristocracy Chap. 11. THe rule of a certain and prescribed number of noblemen GentlemeÌ„ respecting the benefite of the common wealth is termed an Aristocracy if any ambitiously preferre their priuat coÌ„modity before the publick good and by coÌ„spiracies dispose of all matters appertaining to the coÌ„monwealth as it please theÌ„ it is named an Oligarchy For as iroÌ„ is consumed in time by rust although it auoideth al incoÌ„uenieÌ„ces so some peculiar dammage or other sticketh to euery commonwealth according to the nature therof as for exaÌ„ple this Oligarchy endamageth an Aristocracy TyraÌ„ny is opposite to a Monarchy sedition to a Democracy That Aristocracy is best allowed where the gouernment is allotted to a few noble vertuous men which bestow most in common seruices and make lawes for the rest directing their cogitations to no other scope then the publick good of their countrey The citizens of Venice do deliuer the discussing of their matters aswell ordinary as of importance to the Senate which are very fewe in number as not ignorant how few being made priuy of their matters they should bee the more priuily managed Neuerthelesse this kind of commonwealth being compared with a monarchy will be found imperfect farre inferiour True it is that siluer and tinne are good but yet imperfect metals in comparison of gold wherein the souerainety and perfection of all metals consist In like maner an Aristocracy well tempered may be good but seldome it so falleth out This Realme of England when it was diuided into prouinces as Mercia NorthuÌ„berlaÌ„d others ruled by
them Then in the succession of time raigned Saint Edward a right vertuous Prince who selected and enacted excellent good lawes but within a while after the Normans conquered this land and altered the estate thereof appoynting new lawes in their owne language as a people naturally inclined to sophisticall and doubtful sence whereby they wrested the lawes to all constructions Yet notwithstanding King Edward the third was enduced to abrogate many of the Norman lawes and in their stead to inuest new and wholesome lawes The method of which is at this day put in practise among our Sergeants and vtter-Sarristers Obiection That law which is of no antiquitie neither grounded vpon any good foundations nor vsed in any countrey but one cannot bee good such is the common law of England therefore it is of no effect Answere Our Common law of England I confesse is of no great antiquitie yet grounded vpon the law of Nature and approoued by the vniuersall consent of the Prince Nobles Commons in a generall Parliament In briefe necessity hath no reason Whether alteration of lawes be good in a commonwealth Chap. 48. THere was a law amōg the Locrensians that whosoeuer did intrude himself to make a new law should come with a halter about his necke insomuch that if his lawes were approued he went away safe as he came if reproued hee was presently hanged So in like maner when we alter our vsuall diet wee feele great innouations in our bodies and do perhaps fall into some sicknesse or other but when we be accustomed once vnto it then we recouer waxe more lusty then before we were Custome as they say is another nature But yet this custome may bee reduced into a better The alteration of lawes I confesse at the first seemeth rough and raw vnto our fraile and queizy natures But within a while they be better liked of Which moued the Diuine Philosopher to say that chaunge of lawes excepting those that be bad is perilous at all times This caused the Kentishmen to rise against king William the Conquerour of this land and priuily to enclose him round about in the woods that thereby hee might the sooner be compelled to cōdiscend to their petition which was that they might be suffered to enioy their ancient customes and liberties As for the deciding of this question I thinke that some lawes may bee altered and reduced into better Howbeit law-makers must aduise themselues wel in that behalfe take great heed therein for where there ariseth small good by innouations of lawes it is an euill thing Surely It is better to beare with the imperfections of lawes because the alteration of them will not do so much benefit as harme by vsing men to disobey And againe who is so dull-spirited which will not graunt that defects of lawes ought now and then to be winked at and dissembled Vpon which occasion all persons vnder the age of forty were heretofore forbidden to enquire whether lawes were well or ill made Ripenesse of yeares is a great meane to conserue people in their obedience And for that cause young men are thought vnfit to deale in matters of state and morall Philosophy Of Diuinity Chap. 49. THe auncient Philosophers accounted three kinds of speculatiue or contemplatiue Sciences to wit naturall philosophy the Mathematickes and Diuinity which is the first and chiefest beginning of all things which is the cement that soddereth the peeces of the building of our estate and the planke wherewith our ship is fortified Take away this beginning and the world will seeme a confused Chaos Take away this cement and our building is ruinous In a word vncaske the plāks of a ship it wil leake sinke into the sea Plant ye therfore religion in your kingdomes and let not the heathen rise vp against you at the day of iudgement The Romanes we read through the bare instinct of nature did so reuerētly thinke of Diuinity that they sent their childrē into Hetruria to learne it there And yet many of vs Christiās presume to iniure the ministers God albeit we know that nothing is hidde from him and that he is present and still accompanieth vs in the midst of our secrete cogitations God make cleane our hearts within vs and cause vs to regard his ministers and word better then wee do Otherwise let vs expect for nothing but fearfull alarums warres heresies pestilence and famine continually without ceasing to annoy and destroy both vs and our countrey Whether two religions may be tolerated in one kingdome Chap. 50. TWo religions cannot be suffered in one kingdome for diuersities cause factions garboiles and ciuill warres which neuer end but with the subuersiō of the commonwealth The tranquillity of all estates consisteth in the vnion and consent of the inhabitants Take away this vnion and it is but a denne for rouers and theeues The first foundations of kingdomes were built vpon the rock of one religion and the heathen themselues had neuer established their lawes if they had harboured pluralities of religions He that displaceth this stone shaketh all the building No man can serue two masters for eyther he must despise the one or loue the other Neither must Princes halt betweene two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal be hee then go after him In religion there is no mediocrity for a man must either be a Christian or els he must be an enemy of Christ that is an Antichristian according to our Sauiour Christes words He that is not with mee is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth I am the Lord saith God this is my name and my glory wil I not giue away to another neyther my prayse to grauen images Also it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue But how is it possible to obserue this commaundement as long as our Papists beleeue that the Pope is no man but Gods vicar and more expresly that hee is God Theodosius therefore is highly commended in that he made warre with the. Arrians and proclaimed one true religion 〈◊〉 be planted throughout all his Empire in this likewise England may faithfully glory that beyng welnigh drowned in the sea of Popish superstition she is now saued and restored to the true and Apostolicall doctrine the which God of his goodnesse maintaine from heresies and schismes Of Simony one of the chiefest ouerthrowes of religion Chap. 51. SImony is a deliberatiue will eyther of buying and selling or els of posting ouer and exchaunging some spirituall thing or some thing annexed to the spirituality as aduowsons presentations and such like This vice is called after the name of Simon Magus by reason that he offred the Apostles money that they might giue him the power that on whomsoeuer he layd his hands he should receyue the holy Ghost For which his execrable proffer hee had this answere of
warre yet notwithstanding I wil by forcible reasons maintaine the contrary First it is written that the Israelites should warre against their enemies and not faint nor feare nor be amazed nor a-dread of them Secondly lawfull warres are named the battels of the Lord. Thirdly the Lord himselfe is a maÌ„ of warre Fourthly Saint Iohn Baptist confirmeth the lawfulnesse of warre in these wordes which he spoke vnto the souldiers Do no violeÌ„ce to any man neyther accuse any falsly and be content with your wages Fiftly Cornelius a Captaine was so fauoured of God that he receyued the holy Ghost Sixthly the Magistrate carieth not the sword in vaine Seuenthly it is lawfull for any man to defend himselfe For reason teacheth that it is lawfull to repell force offred to our liues and to our persons with force To conclude it is lawfull for one people to assault another so that it it bee either to get their owne againe or els to punish reuolters Howbeit neuerthelesse I counsell warre to be practized as a last and desperat medicine which without very vrgent occasion ought neuer to be applied What warres be most lawfull Chap. 65. THose warres be most iust whereto we are constrained and with good coÌ„scieÌ„ce may we take armes when there is no safetâ—â— for vs but in armes To this an anciet Bishop subscribeth saying That fortitude which defendeth a mans countrey from forrayne enemies or sustaineth the desolat and oppressed is perfect iustice Moreouer the holy Ghost by many testimonies of Scripture declareth such warres to bee lawfull The iniury which is done to Ambassadours ministreth lawfull cause for Princes to take armes in hand Therefore K. Dauid made war with the Ammonits for that they villanously misused the messengers which he sent to comfort the youÌ„g king of AmmoÌ„ for his fathers death Most iust likewise was that warre which king Richard the first of this Realme made with the Infidels for the recouery of the holy land And surely it is a meritorious and religious deed that Christian Princes should vnite their forces together and proclaime warres against the Trukes who to their great shame haue now welnigh conquered all Hungary are at the very gates of Germany and consequently or all Christendome this peril how long soeuer it is deâ—ferred doubtles is like to happen Suppose our Christian Princes could do no other good but keepe back the Turkes forces from further inuasions would not this be a meanes to restore and reuiue the dismembred estate of ChristeÌ„dome Yea certainely To that end I constantly auerre that it is lawfull to warre prouided still that the determination be not to put to death any that will be brought to the true knowledge of the Gospell For it is not with swords but with words not with constraint but with coÌ„ference that misbeleeuers are become conuerted That before we begin warres preparation is to be made of sufficient necessaries thereto belonging Chap. 66. TO the execution of warres three things are needfull prouision men and adnice Vnder prouision I comprehend armour money victuals Touching armour I would haue an indifferent company of weapoÌ„s prepared both for horsmen and footmen as artillery powder bullets billes pikes launces bowes and arrowes plated doublets iackets of male and such like Next money must be gotten without the which nothing can be done as it ought to be And if they fight with siluer speares they will conquer all Money being gotten it is meete that victuals be prouided seeing through want thereof souldiers will bee ouercome without stroke Against other euils there are cures but there is no striuing against hunger herehence proceed mutines despaires infectious sicknesses and innumerable kinds of calamities Hauing forethought of prouision it is also necessary that men should bee mustered and chosen out For if there be a mighty hoste of men in the field what towne or countrey is not willing to welcome them In like maner the Captaine generall must forecast whether horsemen would serue his turne better then footemen This question being well discussed the Generall must take aduice with his chiefe and wisest Lieftenaunts concerning the successe of the warres For what King going to make warre with another King sitteth not downe first and taketh counsell whether he be able with ten thousand to meete him that coÌ„meth against him with twenty thousand or els while hee is yet a-great way off he sendeth an ambassage and desireth peace The dueties of a Generall Chap. 67. IN a Generall seuen things are required First that he be religious and deuout for theÌ„ if he with Iosuah say Sunne stay thou in Gibeon and thou Moone in the valley of Aialon the Sunne wil abide and the Moone will stand still vntill he be auenged vpon his enemies Secondly a Generall must be a man of authority by reason that nothing is more auailable in the ordering of battels then authority Thirdly he ought to be temperate for how can he gouerne others that cannot rule his owne affections Fourthly he must be well experienced that he may see how the enemy lieth what way is best eyther to prouoke the enemy or to defend himselfe Fiftly a Generall must be witty and well spoken because souldiers minds will be sooner inflamed to fight by sweet exhortations then by all the trumpets in the world Sixtly he must be couragious and valiant that he may giue the first onset when any bickering is at hand and shew the way to others Lastly a Generall ought to be very well seene in Philosophy specially in Geometry otherwise he will neuer be able either to incampe himselfe to find out the enemy or to coÌ„ceiue the scituation of places as for example how the champion fields are couched together how the valleys hang how broad the marishes be how the mountaines are lift vp Of the choyse of Souldiers Chap. 68. THere be six notes to discerne a good souldiour The first is that he be an honest maÌ„ The second that he be stroÌ„g and valiant The third that he be constant patient The fourth that if it be possible he be a Gentle-man borne the reason is because most commonly he is more easily trained for the warres and will scorne to yeeld himselfe vanquished to the enemy The fift marke of a souldier is that he be nimble actiue and not of a fat or grosse body lest like a carters iade he founder and fal downe The sixt a souldier ought to be chosen from seueÌ„teene yeeres old to sixe and forty But in my opinion elderly souldiers are more apt fit to go to the warres then young men by reason that they are lesse mutinous and better able to endure Whether the straunger or the home-borne subiect ought to be preferred Chap. 69. IF we coÌ„sider the cause froÌ„ wheÌ„ce proceeded the late destructioÌ„ of Italy we shall find that the calling in of the Switzers and Frenchmen to aide it turned