sheweth their exercises Apollog 2. Iustinus Martyr nameth the same daye and sheweth the workes Ignatius against some that being Christians woulde retayne the Iewish Sabaoth saith in plaine tearmes Wee celebrate no longer the Iewish Sabaoth but euerie one that loueth Christ kéepeth nowe holie the Lordes day being honored with his resurrection The like witnesseth Augustine Cyrill and euen all antiquitie And therefore though wee sée not the verie time definitely named when this Sabaoth was chaunged yet we sée it was by the Apostles in their times and therefore hath credite ynough Nowe the holy Church of Rome that would by this alteration made by this primitiue and pure Church chalenge authoritie and libertie to chaunge and doe what they list surely wee must denie their consequence till such time as they bréede in vs by good proofe that credite of their spirit that wee haue and ought to haue of the Apostles that made this alteration of the Sabaoth from Saturday to Sunday Que. This satisfieth mee for my part touching the alteration of that which was but ceremoniall in this commandement namely the day and the precise rest in it neither can it bee otherwise than absurd for any false Church onely vnder a title and an vsurped name of a Church to chalenge authoritie to doe matters both contrarie to pietie and comelinesse because the true Church of God hath doone what was most agreeable to them both But now as I see the bond vnto any particular day only to such strict rest in the same as the Iewes obserued is taken away by Christ so yet see I what is morall remaineth namely a day in seuen and a certaine rest in the same Wherefore I desire aswel to know the reason of the remaining of the one as I haue the cause of the abrogation of the other and therefore first I pray you why haue wee still yet a Sabaoth and shall haue till the ende of the world and secondly what rest and exercises are therein required Ans The ends of the remaining of a Sabaoth yet still in the Church of God are chiefely thrée First that we might haue a kinde of resemblance and forme of our eternall rest from sinne in the kingdome of God Secondly that by this meanes seruants and cattle might bee prouided for against the cruell gréedinesse and vnsatiable couetousnesse of some maisters and owners And lastly that Ecclesiasticall discipline some estate of a Christian common wealth in performing to the Lorde ioyntly together demanded dueties might this way be established Que. Of euerie one of these I pray you seuerally Maister N. for more plainenesse and first what is that spirituall rest and sanctifying of the Sabaoth which layeth before vs a resemblance of eternall rest Ans That is when resting from worldly businesse and from our owne workes and studies wee yéelde our selues wholly to GODS gouernaunce that hee may doe his worke in vs when as the Scripture tearmeth it we crucifie our flesh wee bridle the froward desires and motions of the heart restraining our owne nature that we may obey the will of God For thus doing our Sabaoth day here vppon earth shall most aptly expresse a figure and likenesse of the eternall and most holie rest which wee shall for euer enioy in Heauen Yet euer must wee knowe that these thinges are not to be doone onely on the Sabaoth but euen all our life long euerie daye of euerie priuate man and this one day is appoynted chiefely aboue the rest for our negligence and weakenesse sake only without which such appointment it is greatly to bee feared some woulde neuer doe it Que. And is this spirituall resting from sinne in deede necessarie in euerie one that will as he is bounde sanctifie the Sabaoth Ans Surely it is euen so necessarie as that without this all our other resting putting on our better apparell going to the Church hearing seruice c. is nothing but euen abhorred of God and detested This is a great matter if wee had grace to consider of it yet nothing but plaine open scripture For what saith the Prophet Esay Blessed is the man that doeth this Esay 56.2 and the sonne of man which layeth holde on it he that keepeth the Sabaoth and polluteth it not and keepeth his handes from dooing any euill Sée what it is to kéepe holy the Sabaoth in the iudgement of the Prophet euen to kéepe our handes from dooing any euill that is to cease from sinne and our owne wayes Againe the same Prophet in another place Esay 58.13 If thou consecrate the Sabaoth as glorious to the Lorde and shalt honour him not dooing thine owne wayes nor seeking thine owne will c. And in his first Chapter also Esay 1.13.14 I cannot suffer your newe Moones nor Sabaothes nor solemne dayes it is iniquitie nor solemne assemblies my soule hateth thē c. And why so The reason foloweth in the next wordes For your handes are full of bloud that is you abstaine not from sinne remaine still in auarice deceite crueltie extorsion and such like which as long as you doe howsoeuer you séeme to sanctifie the Sabaoth I abhorre you and your dooings And then followeth notably a description euen of this spirituall rest Wash you make you cleane take away the euill of your workes from before mine eyes cease to doe euill learne to do well seeke iudgement releeue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse defend the widow c. Many other such places are there Que. Now I pray you of the seconde end and vse of the Sabaoth a little also Ans That was and is as hath béene said in regard of seruants and the brute beasts who are to haue mutuall rest frō their trauel which yet some cruel vnsatiable wretched misers woulde hardly haue graunted had not God instituted this day both for man and beast to rest in This that I say is euident in the words of this law and therefore it néedeth no further proofe But let vs thus profit by it First it doth woonderfully shewe the goodnes of God who neglecteth nothing that he hath made but carefully prouideth for the welfare euen of brute beasts O faithlesse hearts if wee can doubt the goodnes of our God to vs when we here before vs sée his care for those creatures whō he hath made vs lords of Secondly it well teacheth vs what nature pietie and charitie requireth at our hands touching our seruauntes and Cattell Nature saieth Quod caret alterna requie durabile non est What wants his mutuall rest and ease still tost in paine and strife Can not continue long that course of labour or of life And therefore nature hath appointed aswell the one as the other for her creatures willeth that senselesse hearts in vs should not breake the same Pietie willeth that we should let them serue God on this day aswel as our selues yea euē sée that they doe it Ephes 6. Who are all one with vs in
heauen doth defend féede thée cōfort blesse thée is contented but in one day especially to be regarded vow with thy self in request of strength to kéepe it that to the Lord that one day shall be consecrated of thée obserued according to his will Que. These things thē thus passed ouer I pray you are these words Six days shalt thou labour c. a commaundement so that we sinne if we labour not on them al Ans No they are no commandement but a permission or a remission rather of so much right of the Lords For euer hath the Church vpon occasions separated some of the wéeke days also to the seruice of the Lord rested from their labors Which they neuer wold haue presumd to do if the Lord had commaunded to the contrary And euen now our holy daies commanded by publike order are not all to be misliked if to the glory of GOD and sanctification of his name they be bestowed as they are intended Therefore a commaundement I say they are not but a remitting of the Lords right who in déede might chalenge all Que. And for the 7. day it selfe may wee not in case doe any thing thereon because the words here are so in it thou shalt doe no maner of worke c Ans I haue said before if you remēber that the precise strict rest of the Iewes on this day was ceremoniall therfore now by Christ taken away that it bindeth not vs. And therefore touching your question and our estate in these daies vnder the Gospell very certaine it is that not euen in the seuenth day we stand so bound to rest but that in it also we may worke if either necessitie so vrgently requireth or the déede doone be greatly to the glorie of God Examples of the first are Dauid eating the shewebread 1. Kings 22. and the Disciples gathering and rubbing the eares of corne Of the second Christ himselfe healing on the sabaoth day many which yet the Iewes thought to be vnlawful The discourse of Christ touching this point in the Gospell is very woorthy noting wherein he flatly and strongly refuteth this superstitious conceit of the sabaoth in the Pharisees and all other by diuerse argumentes as first by the example of Dauid aboue named Secondly of their lawfull practise they circumcised children and slewe their sacrifices c. on the Sabaoth Thirdly by the testimonie of Osce I will rather haue mercie than sacrifice That is loue to our brethren than outward seruice Fourthly from the lesse to the greater it is lawfull on the Sabaoth day to pull out a brute beast that is fallen into a pit or is in such like danger as néeds it must be helped or else it perisheth therfore much more a man c. By all which you sée that man is not made for the Sabaoth but the Sabaoth for man And euen in the right of our Christ wee also are in some sort Lordes of the Sabaoth as in it to doe what vrgent cause constraineth in déede and may not conueniently be differred Que. Here is named in the wordes of the commandement the straunger that is within the gates I pray you therefore howe farre thinke you this bindeth vs Ans I doe willingly still tell you my opinion in euerie thing my selfe and you also I trust readie to yéeld to better aduise when we shall heare it For my part I sée not how we may aunswere it to the Lorde if being priuate men and householders we suffer within our gate to lurke and lie hid and that refuseth to obey the Lord in the sanctifying of this day as is commaunded to the glorie of his name after that such meanes haue béene vsed for the reforming of them as possiblie we can And the more I wey with my selfe that most straite law of the Lorde for execution of them that should séek to estrange any from the true God Deut. 13. the more I am confirmed by the verie end equitie and meaning of it in this opinion against al affection of kindred aliance friendship or whatsoeuer Reade the words mark the zeale which God requireth in al men towards him when as no meanes will reforme our friends but they stil peraduēture tempt vs. And then by the way let it not passe vnmarked I pray you howe straitely all masters and mistresses stand bound to sée that the Lorde be honoured not onely in themselues but by manseruaunt and maide seruant olde and young in their houses of discretion of the Sabaoth day séeing God of purpose nameth them And sée againe how this naming of the straunger doubleth the bond more vpon vs. For by comparison if we stand charged with our stranger and guest much more with our daily seruauntes children c. it must néedes be and indéede wey it well Que. I am then thus I thinke satisfied in euery point of this commaundement neither doe I remember what further to aske you herein Ans The commandements of the Lord saith Dauid are exceeding broad neyther in déede is any man able so to laie open any one of them but iudgement by the gift of God increased more may be séene and espied in them but thus much nowe shall suffice for my measure this only added that this reason drawen for the Lordes owne example who rested from his worke on this day ought greatly to mooue vs to the carefull kéeping of it as euen the very first worde also of the Lawe for if you marke it he doeth not say Kéepe holie the Sabaoth day but Remember to keepe it holie that is haue an earnest care of it and in any case forget it not but remember to kéepe it holie And thus much of this Commaundement The examination of the conscience The profitable vse and application of this commandement is to wey and duely consider that it is the Lawe of no man but of God the chiefest lawegiuer the wisest most righteous and most able to reuenge instituted of purpose by him for these and such like ends First that we should wholy consecrate as that day ourselues vnto the Lord his seruice hearing reading meditating those things which might lay before vs the goodnesse of almightie God toward vs and our great ingratitude to him againe with all other sinnes whereby we haue prouoked him to wrath stirring vp our hearts to true repentaunce for them and amendement of the same Secondly for the ease of seruants cattell which otherwise by the vnmerciful gréedinesse and crueltie of some might happily be abused Lastly to expresse and lay before vs some shew of that spirituall and eternal rest in heauen which we all so looke and long for Then these thinges considered to call to minde howe often and grieuously wee haue offended against euery one of these as against the first by absenting ourselues from the Church What it is to be absent from Church and place of common prayer and place of common méeting when wee might haue béene present if
this matter Ans Truth it is but none to the warranting of this sinne For first saith hee what if a woman do it to shunne pollution of her body or after shée is polluted to flie the ignominie following vpon it And he answereth to it that the first is wicked and procéedeth of this error that whatsoeuer is doone in vs the same is also doone by vs which is not so For then were chastitie a vertue of the bodie and not of the mind It is not for a christian to say this will I not suffer but this wil I not do The mind being stained the body is filthie though it neuer did act but not contrariwise for the bodie by violēce abused is neuer able to make guilty that mind which cōsenteth not to it And therfore this excuse saith Austen can not warrant such sin as to kil ourselues For flying of shame which would follow the fact neither yet may it be doone For the shame is not so great as the act and therefore if the déed done vnto her may not warrant her the ignominy following may not do it Si non est impudica quae inuita comprimitur non est illa iustitia qua casta punitur That is If she be not vnchast which vnwilling is oppressed thē is it no iustice whereby the harmeles is punished Sed mulier auida laudis metuit ne quod violenter passa est dum viueret putaretur libenter passa si viueret But saith he a woman that standeth vpon speach and praise reasoneth with her selfe that what she suffered against her wil while she liued she should be thought to suffer with her wil if she liued And therfore she wil kil her selfe Indéede so may a womā reason the regardeth more man thā God but the christian guided with the spirit that Dauid had learneth to say with him O god thou knowest mine innocencie c. And to rest in ioy of spotlesse minde whatsoeuer the worlde speaketh Then goeth hee further and they will aunswere saith hee what can they tell howe they may be tempted to consent by long importunitie or by sight of hard extxemity and therefore they will prouide before hand least they should offend and they wil kill thēselues O saith Austen what a speach is this Iam nunc peccemus ne postea forte peccemus iam nunc perpetremus certum homicidium ne postea incidamus in incertum adulterium That is Let vs nowe sinne least hereafter wee doe sinne let vs now commit certaine murder least wee fall hereafter into vncertayne adulterie Let vs nowe doe that which wee cannot liue to repent least hereafter wee doe what we may repent c. Que. But indeede is it not a vile thing to fall into the handes of mine enemie Ans In déed Cato an heathen with manie other could not abide it neither Saul a cast away coulde suffer it But better is the warrant euer of this ought to be done than of this is doone therefore we must not weygh the latter but the former And we sée neither Patriarches Prophetes nor Apostles euer to haue doone it Nay saith Christ When they persecute you in one Citie flie into an other Where he might haue saide dispatch your selues least your enimies triumph ouer you Nowe if they might not doe it for whom euerlasting mansions in heauen were prouided what care we for a thousande examples of infidels and Paganes Thus then I conclude that neither for these causes alleadged nor anie other whatsoeuer wee may violentlie deale with our selues and ende our life Que What if wee neither kill others nor our selues but yet peraduenture cōsent Ans Euen that consent of heart is horrible murther condemned in this lawe Herodias as guiltie for consenting to the death of Iohn Baptist and séeking it as if shée had hewed off hys heade her selfe Haman as guiltie for Mardocheus as if he had doone it Dauid for Vrias Iesabel for Naboth Pylate for Christ as if they themselues had béene executioners Que. Often also haue I hard men say that sorow and care wil shorten our time Ans Indéed it is not mans speach only but euen the doctrine of the spirit of God Prou. 17.22.12.25 For a ioyfull hart saith Salomon causeth good health a sorowful mind drieth the bones Heauinesse in the heart of man bringeth it downe but a good word reioyceth it yea a ioyfull hart maketh a cheereful countenance 15. v. 13. by the sorow of the hart the mind is heauie This doctrine of god hath man by experience found euer so true that when any of thē in their writings haue spoken of care sorow they haue giuē vnto thē the epithites of biting eating consuming care such like because in déed they haue that worke in those that are too much subiect to them Galen the Prince of Phisitions in his booke of the preseruation of health affirmeth plainly that cares doe pull on and hasten many diseases in vs. Aristotle a Philosopher saith that sorowe drieth wasteth that naturall heat in vs wherein our life consisteth and so as it were giueth a reason of Galens assertiō No doubt the thing is true tryed and found to their harme in thousands And therfore euē in this respect must a christian beware least the Lord haue against him in the day of iudgement that he shortned his owne life by suffering vncomfortable sorowe to lie snubbing chéecking his hart within both day night Alas what is it that euer happen to that man or woman in earth which tast the mercie of God in Christ Iesus towardes them so bitter as that it may not be delaied and comforted euen with this that God is on their side Rom. 8. who or what can be against them Doth not euerie thing yea euen euery thing happen for the best to those that loue God Haue a true hart and meane not falsely and then say in faith as Dauid doth My helpe commeth of God which preserueth them that are true of heart Yea Psal 7.11 let me say to all that euer shall reade this in the name of the Lorde of heauen when cause of humilitie happeneth differre not to be humbled harden not your hearts in the day of affliction but sacrifice them vp brused and troubled to the LORD O Lord helpe Omnes cum valemus c. yet euer so farre yéelde to sorowe as that you constantlie and euen chéerefullie holde that which followeth in the Prophet a broken and contrite heart is neuer despised And therfore whatsoeuer the matter is with Dauid vnto your sad soule in euerie corner crie Psal 42. Why art thou so sad O my soule Psal 27. vlt. and why art thou so disquieted in mee Still trust in God still trust in God for I will yet thanke him hee is the helpe of my countenaunce and my God Thus tarrie ye the Lordes leasure be strong and he shall comfort your heart and put your trust in the
day of the Lorde Iesus Christ Manie such as these are there all which our vnerâ—ring Papistes take and expounde of sinâ—gle life and will haue them so manie testimonies of the same to excell mariâ—age But their bould speaking is noâ— euer sounde proouing and therefore wâ— stay to beléeue them Que. In other matters indeede we haue good cause to refuse them but in this giue me leaue to speake as I thinke being readie to learne if I erre meâ— thinke we are not to mislike so much oâ— their speech For surelie it cannot be denied that the single life is farre aboue the maried The scriptures you knowe haue manie speeches to this ende Ans Well then for your better satisâ—faction it will not be amisse if we a litlâ— consider the course of this errour And first I pray you marke that during alâ— the time of the olde testament they dare not nor do not say that single life passed mariage in excellencie but contrarie to be fruitefull and stored of children was a blessing and to be otherwise was a reproch vnto them Therefore this perfection and excellencie of single life they set it to be but nowe in the time of the gospell Where let vs also beginne and going with them sée whether it be so or no. We consider then and sée that as the Lorde is holy himselfe and pure and therefore hath euer liked and loued all holinesse in his children and by name this cleannesse of bodie and mind which we speake of so on the otherside Sathan being impure and filthy hath euer sought and laboured to worke the like in vs and by name to drawe vs to impuritie of flesh and staine of minde in this behalfe The Lorde hath had euer his meanes to worke the one Sathan hath had his againe to bréede the other The Lorde by his word and spirite and what else it pleased him to vse Sathan by sundrie also verie forcible wayes wrought the contrarie Some hee so mightily hardened and strangely ouercame Want of feeling one meanes of Sathan that euen contemning the Lord and his threates and smoothering what in their owne consciences at anie time they founde contrarie to it gaue themselues ouer as it had béene brute and sauage beastes to all lust and vncleannesse without remorse Of these spake the Apostle to the Ephesians saying Ephes 4.19 That they being past feeling gaue themselues to all wantonnesse to worke vncleannesse euen with greedinesse where the worde hee vseth is verie significant And againe to the Romans he saith that God gaue them vp to their hearts lustes vnto vncleannesse Rom. 26. to defile their owne bodies betwixt themselues yea he gaue them vp to vile affections For the women changed the naturall vse into that which is against nature Then sheweth he the meanes and way whereby all this was wrought in them For a man would thinke that euen reason and naturâ— should kéepe vs from such pollution They regarded not sayth the Apostle to knowe God Ver. 28. and therefore God deliuered them vp into a reprobate mind to doe those thinges which are not conuenient That is God suffered Satan so to harden their heartes and to depriue them of the vse euen of naturall light as that those thinges séemed but sportes vnto them and matters of small weight which otherwise would haue feared them euen to thinke vpon The prophet Ose séemeth to alledge the very same manner of procéeding of Sathan in those that know God When he saith of Israel Ose 4.11 that whoredome and wine and newe wine tooke away their heartes That is their iudgement and vnderstanding their conscience and féeling whereby they should abhorre so displeasing a life before the Lorde And what meaneth Salomon when he saith that The young man followeth the inticeing harlotte to her house as an oxe to the slaughter but euen this Prou. 7.22 that by the subtill malice of Sathan hee is depriued of sense to decerne whither hee goeth and what his fall will be So then I say one meanes whereby Sathan in times past drewe men from chastitie the vertue of this commaundement to lust and impuritie the breaches of the same was by dulling their heartes in most fearefull manner that they felt not sinne to be sin no not euen verie great and gréeuous sinnes to be anie at all An other meanes was by instilling into their mindes an opinion of indifferencie in these matters Opinion of indifferencie an other meanes and that God so he were serued in spirite of them passed not for their bodies but left them in some sort to themselues to vse to their pleasures This to omit a multitude of heathen histories as also Simon Magus whome Austen noteth a defender of this doctrine may appeare by that decrée of the Apostles that the Gentilles should abstaine from fornication Act. 15. as also most euidently by the epistle of Paule to the Corinthians who thought of this matter as of a méere naturall thing so lawefull for them as either to eate or drinke so they reserued their soules and spirites to worshippe GOD. But the Apostle sheweth it to be farre otherwise and with manie vehement repetitions of the duties of their bodies impugneth so vile a conceite of libertie to vse them vnto lust Hee hath created your bodies saith the Apostle V. 13. 14. aswel as your soules and therefore you must glorifie him aswell in bodie as in soule Hee preserueth also the one aswell as the other the bloude of Christ was shedde aswell for the one as the other to redéeme it from death they are both indifferentlie the Temples of the holie ghost they are both the members of Christ and at the latter day they must both by Christ be raysed the body then to be ioyned to the soule which before liued separated and therefore aswell in bodie as soule God must be glorified and both of them from filthie lust and pollution kept chast Manie moe are the reasons of Paul in that Epistle to driue the Corinthians from this detestable conceipt V. 17. that fornication was a matter indifferent and chastitie required not so much in bodie as in mind But I referre them to the diligent reader himselfe to marke and thus much onelie note to shew the meanes whereby Satan in those dayes preuailed so much to draw men to the breach of this commandement A thirde meanes wee reade of which argueth not a litle the dulnesse of man the boldnesse of satan if once he get any vantage Euen the verie word of god abused to confirme that which neither God nor his worde could euer abide The scriptures wrested an other meanes Chap. 2. In the Apocalips mention is made of the Nicolaitans sinning in this respect most fearfully it is also by learned meÌ„ recorded how Nicholas the first father of the filthinesse fel into grosse most fearful sinne Clemens Eusebius say that he did it of méere simplicity to remooue froÌ„ him the
also All contreyes and all people to conclude that haue liued vnder anie good gouernement haue abhorred it Salomon sendeth the idle bellie to learne his dutie of the verie vilest creature the pismire who laboureth in sumâ—mer to liue in winter Prou. 6. and whose maâ—ny litle cariages as you sée make 〈◊〉 great heape at last And in an otheâ— place he sayeth that he which will noâ— plowe because it is cold Chap. 20. shall begge hiâ— breade when it is warme and no maâ— shall giue him which is worse euen puâ—nishing iustly his great slouth Therâ— was a litle tittle tattle when time waâ— they say betwixt the grashopper and thâ— pismire and we may laugh at it yeâ— looke better about vs as admonished bâ— it The grashopper hauing passed thâ— summer ouer merily as her customâ— is singing and tuning the notes of 〈◊〉 thoughtlesse minde vnder euerie leafe at last when winter came on begannâ— to shake and to goe to bedde with aâ— emptie bellie manie a night to the great weakening of her liuely limmes and the quite marring of all her muâ—sicke To steale shée refuseth of heâ— honest nature and to begge shee iâ— ashamed for feare to be mocked Yeâ— néede maketh the olde wife trotteâ— they say and modestie in this hungriâ— â—â—eature must yéelde to necessitie To 〈◊〉 therefore shée goeth and hauing a â—ealthie neighbour not farre off that 〈◊〉 laboured sore all summer and â—â—de vppe much good vitaile to her 〈◊〉 commeth and craueth some sucâ—â—ur at her hande Who by and by â—â—maunded of her what shee did all â—â—mmer Alas sayeth the grashopâ—â—r I sung and litle remembred â—is change Did you so sayth the â—â—t in déede did you sing all sumâ—er Nowe trust me for mee you all daunce all winter for I liue 〈◊〉 my labour and I will neuer mainâ—â—ine idlenesse in anie Thus reâ—â—iued slouth a checke when it looâ—â—d for helpe and wee warned by it â—â—ay learne this morall to labour â—â—ast we lacke Optimum obsonium â—pectute labor sayth one They are â—ood refreshinges in our age the welâ—estowed trauelles of our youth â—eares passe and strength fayles â—â—tte nothing in youth and haue â—â—thing in age But O careâ—â—sse heartes of ours and headie will who can perswade this or beate it into the heades of young men and maydes of seruantes and such as are comminâ— on No no we will hoppe and daunce tipple and drinke banket and reuelâ— what counsell soeuer is giuen vs to thâ— contrarie with that litle we haue anâ— sing care away And a litlegaie apparell on the backe is worth much moneâ— in the chest But wise is he whome other mens harmes can cause to takâ— héede Sicknesse may come and euerâ— maister will not keepe a sicke seruant mayme may fall to vs and wee theâ— may heare it I haue no wages vnlesâ— you could worke many thinges maâ— happen and a mans owne is his ownâ— and great is gods blessing to faithfuâ— labour as trulie his plagues are noâ— litle or rare to idlenesse and slouth Que. Well sir then since labour wâ— must and so liue I pray you is not euerâ— labour commendable Ans No indéede For the Apostle iâ— the place I named before maketh 〈◊〉 distinction which I pray you markâ— and sayeth Ephes 4.18 Let him labour with 〈◊〉 owne handes the thing that is good as â—f he should haue said there are labours which are naught and yet labours too Wherefore it is not ynough to make â—s guiltlesse of this commaundement â—o say we get that we haue by labour â—ut it must be good labour sayth Paule â—ust labour and lawefull labour The which distinctioÌ„ ouerthroweth al maintaynance gotten by massing by iugling â—y charming by playing interludes by â—idling and pyping vppe and downe the â—ountrey by carying about beares and â—â—pes by telling of fortunes and such like trades mentioned in the statute of this lande touching vagabundes For though they be labours and make them â—weate often some of them yet want they warrant in the worde to prooue them good and lawefull labours And therefore subiect to the penaltie of this lawe before God Que. And I pray you let me adde one thing more because you say all labours must be lawefull what if a man in the pursuite of a pyrate or anie enemie in fielde get a spoyle whether is it lawefull to retaine it and conceile it or it is stealth so to doe The labour is iust honest and lawefull Ans Truely I must néedes answere you that albeit the labour in resisting and repelling any enimie be commendable and good and therefore goods so gotten lawfully possessed of the Prince the léefetenant Gen. 14. the generall or chiefe whosoeuer yet is there no warrant that euerie souldier should bee his owne caruer and take what he can get But the custome law of all well ordered wars is this or should be that what spoyle soeuer is got and not giuen before hand by the captayne to the souldiers ought by them to be brought vnto him and by him to be disposed to euerie man geometrically that is according to euerie mans seruice and worthinesse 1. Sam. 30.20 c. noâ— Arithmetically that is to euerie man alike And if anie man of his owne gréedinesse alienate to himselfe anie thing any otherwise than thus thaâ— is either with a generall guift of thâ— captaine to take what he can or a particular guift to take this and thus much surely that possession is not warranted by Gods lawe but lighteth vnder this commaundement For as for a mans labour first hee oweth â—t both to God and to his countrey and then he hath his sette pay for it which hee agréeeth to as sufficient and therefore he should not serue his gréedie affection disorderly As for the case of pyrates if vpon anie cost they be taken and imprisoned surely â—t is verie barbarous crueltie to leaue them vtterly vncomforted with anie portion of that which was taken aâ—out them and with them euen so that for foode they starue ere euer their cause bee hearde This spoyle to â—péede our selues and spill our breâ—hren in this lamentable and vnmercifull manner what defence soâ—uer it may haue by lawe of man â—urely it sauoreth not of that compasâ—ion and tender bowelles of pittie which is required by the lawe of GOD. And therefore I include it where no doubt the day of iudgement will finde it euen within the forbidden braunches of this commandement Que. I take your answere and therefore nowe followe your owne course againe Ans It is nowe time to drawe to an ende and there yet remaine to be some what touched the theft of the heart through gréedie couetousnesse and the theft of the tongue by false and filthie flatterie Wherefore a litle of these also as of the other That this commandement then doeth reache vnto the thoughtes and inwarde conceits of the heart it is first prooued by that reason that often before hath béene alleadged namely because the lawegiuer is
spirituall and therefore his lawes not resting onely in outwarde actions as mens lawes doe Secondly by that spéech concerning adulterie which is true in all the commaundementes Hee that looketh Mark 7.23 and lusteth or coueteth hath sinned And by the testimonie of our Sauiour Christ who reckneth couetousnesse amongst those thinges that procéeding out and not going in difile a man To all which Chrysostome subscribeth and sayeth In Thes homilia 11. Auarus fur latro est A couetous man is a theefe Nowe what couetousnesse is albeit euerie man for the acquaintance that he hath with it may knowe yet doe I thus define it to be a damnable vice of the mind pricking and prouoking vs to followe after filthy lucre Which thing without the name and euen vnder the name is maruelously inueighed against in the scripture Chap. 2.5 The prophet Habacuc cryeth out against the heart that inlargeth his desire as the hell and is as death and cannot be satisfied but gathereth vnto him all nations and heapeth vnto him all people No he that coueteth an euill couetousnesse to his house that he may set his nest on heigh to escape from the power of euill Thou hast consulted shame to thine owne house by destroying many people and hast sinned against thine owne soule The stone shall cry out of the wall and the beame of the timber shall answere it wo to him that buildeth a towne by bloud and erecteth a citie by iniquitie and so foorth It is cryed out against in the gospell called the roote of all euill idolatrie and a thing not to be named amongest Christians Luke 12. 1. Timoth. 6. Ephes 5. Coloss 3. There is no speciall calling amongest men whereunto by name this vice is not forbidden as a venome of all vertue in euerie degrée in Princes in iudges in ministers in all it is forbidden and surely this is no small argument to a Christian man against it Fearefully punished was it in Gehezi the prophets man in Achan and a number mo And to conclude our scriptures Iob the seruant of the Lorde most notablie sheweth Iob. 31. howe hee shunned it Psal 119. and Dauid with all the heat of his heart prayeth against it O Lorde let my heart be neuer inclined to coueteousnesse I might recite the lawes oâ— God against raking their landes too cleane in the time of haruest Deut. 24.19 against gathering so cleane their grapes in thâ— time of vintage as that nothing was left for the poore All which directly shoote at the shame of this sinne in 〈◊〉 professour of godlinesse And I mighâ— also heape vp héereunto a thousandâ— testimonies of men heathen and Christian vttered in detestation of this foule sinne But whom the word feares not men shall hardly moue Onely a spéech or two I cannot passe ouer which pretily describe the corruption of our nature De breuitate vitae Omma tanquam mortales timemus omnia tanquam immortales concupiscimus sayth Seneca That is Wee stand in feare of diuers things as though we thought we could die but we couet so as though we thought we should neuer die Fortune sayth an other hath giueÌ„ too much to many but ynough to none And againe Non solum auarus est quirapit aliena August sed qui cupidè seruat sua He is not onely couetous which greedilie catcheth at more but he also which pinchinglie spareth that which he hath Whereof verie excellentie speaketh both Salomon and Syrac Eccles 6.1 Syrac 14.3 paynting out the filth of this follie to haue the blessinges of GOD and yet to want no thing more through a miserable minde than the blessinges of GOD. But I will followe no further this common place this litle which I haue spoken I haue doone it to giue vs a tast of this subtle sinne which with griefe we may marke those men and women verie gréeuously assaulted withall and fearefully ouercome after their profession made of Gods trueth and his glorious gospell who in the dayes of their vanitie before their calling neuer felt any such temptation So séeketh Sathan to slander the worde and to hinder the credit of the gospell When he cannot longer detaine vs in swearing in excesse of diet or apparell in adulterie and vncleannesse in spoyling and spending wastfully Gods giuen graces and in other fruites of ignorance and of an vnreformed soule then créepeth he in and draweth vs subtlelie ere euer wee espie him to the other extremitie euen greater care to get and nearer séeking howe to saue than can or may stande with the credit of the trueth which we professe or calling often which wee haue in the common wealth This is too true wee sée examples daylie and mens owne heartes being well examined shall confesse it The Lorde then giue vs iudgementes to sée and heartes to abhorre so foule an euill For what a derogation from Gods promises and damnable mistrust is this when wee doe feare God and serue him attende to his worde vse his Sacramentes forbid sinne in others and forbeare it our selues then so to looke at wife and children and other expenses as that we feare to want who liuing before in a farre looser sort neuer doubted yet anie such defect Will God bee worse to men when they followe him than hee was when they forsooke him Surelie an eye must be had vnto this thing and â—erie déere vnto must be the credite of the Gospell that others by vs may be woonne vnto it or at least none deterâ—ed from it God strengthen vs for satan is subtill and we are soone deceiued And truely better wee had neuer giuen our names to Christ than by any faithâ—esse gréedinesse or vnséemely hardnes to ouerthrowe all againe and hinder by offence others that are yet without The earth is the Lords and the Lord â—s ours if wee serue him with all that either heauen or earth hath to doe vs good withall Que. And what of the stealth of the eye Ans The eye is saide to steale because it maketh the heart to couet For by our eyes créepe in desires into our heartes both in this behalfe which nowe wee meane and in other also as before hath béene saide By the eye first did Achab steale Nabothes vineyarde 1. King 21. and then by his eye the desire of it créept into his heart And the Prophete saith They couet feeldes meaning no doubte which they sawe to lie commodious for them Wherefore Gods children must stop the verie first beginnings and lookâ— to their eyes Mach. 2.2 and eares that they makâ— no flame which God or charitie doth mislike and let vs learne to thinke aâ— an heathen saide Turpe est non soluâ— pedes sed oculos in alienas possessioneâ— immittere It is a foule thing not onely tâ— let our feete but euen our eyes walkâ— into other mens possessions anie further than becommeth vs as wee arâ— Christians Que. What stealth committeth the â—ongue Ans By fraude