first and second Rules pag. 441. third Rule pag. 444. fourth Rule Ibid. fifth Rule pag. 450. Discretions Rules touching the Circumstance of Time 3. The Circumstance of Time pag. 459. 1. Rule hereabout pag. 460. the second Rule 462. wherein a man may somewhat yeelde to the times and yet not be a Temporizer pag. 467. How farre euill men may in some cases be tollerated pag. 469. some indiscretion to bee pardoned to some men pag. 478. CHAP. VIII Of Compassion the last thing with which Zeale must be qualified page 479. False Compassion page 482. Three sorts of Compassion page 485. The fruitlesnesse of Zeale without Compassion page 490. THE FIRE of the SANCTVARIE Vncouered OR A TRACT OF ZEALE CHAP. I. EXCELLENT and Admirable is the Nature Vse of the holy Fire of Zeale No acceptable Sacrifice can be offered without it a Nullum omnipotenti Deo est tale Sacrificium quale est Zelus animaruâ— Greg. hom 12. in Ezek. no oblation it selfe so pleasing to God yet no one Grace so much in disgrace what by ignorance of and emnity against this arch enimy to sin b Irae sua stimulum iustitiae ZeluÌ„ putant cuÌ„ vitium virtus putatur culpa sine metu cumulatur Greg de past cura lib. 3. cap. 1. admâ—n 17. Some take the heate which their fiery disposition blowes vp to be Zeale for Religion and let vice once bee thought a virtue What a mountaine of euils will soone be cast vp without feare of ill-doing Others truly zealous are often at a losse when they set vpon the chace which prophane men espying thinke that warrant enough to pull downe the whole Fabricke of Zeale because indiscreete Zeale hath sparkled two farre And laying themselues in ballance with such zealots suppose that of the two themselues though the worst be the wisest men Thus is the pretious fire of Zeale blasphemed because mistaken And when more then now How few Ieremies feele that fire in their bones c Ier. 20.9 which will not be kept in How many ready to cut in whole riuers vpon that little sparke which is in those few How few Dauids that are eaten d Psal 69.9 vp with the zeale of Gods house How many zealous to e Psal 83.12 take to themselues the houses of God in possession and eate them vp The generall coldnesse of these last and therfore worst daies benuÌ„ming our spirits reqâ—ires a fire to warme them And the malice of the world puts a danger vpon Zeale vnlesse we haue wisedome so to guide this fire as to auoid the Snares which malice will set before vs and endeauour to hunt vs into The more disgrace to be zealous the more need to shew zeale accompanied with discretion to rule this heauenly flame Fire-workes proue dangerous to the vnskilfull Better quench that fire which is already kindled then to kindle that which we cannot gouerne It cannot then but bee a needfull and gratefull worke to shew the Nature and Qualities of a Fire so vsefull that he can be no good Christian who is without it so vnknowne that hardly the best know the properties of it and how to vse it How little hath beene written on this Theame a more able and exquisite Lynceus hath made report and powred out a zealous complaint against the great iniustice offered to zeale for that no man hath done her the right of a iust Treatise This I thinke is one maine cause that makes the world so strange to her and her to the world The Antients f Amb. in Psal 119. Greg Naz in LaudeÌ„ Heronis alibi August tract 10. in Iohn nec nâ—â— in Psal 69. Chrisost hom 62. ad Sopul Greg. Mag. Hom. 12. in Ezek. Bern. Ser. 23 24. 49. super Cant. alibi who taught it rather by Practise then Pen spent more lines in the praise then in the description of it After them the Schoole-men their translators either spake lesse or lesse to the purpose For by that time a thing nick-named Discretion had rak't out this fire Hee now was the onely man that could chop Diuinitie into smallest shreds and driue it nearest together placing Religion rather in Contemplation then Action No maruaile therefore if Zeale got no more rome in their Voluminous Writings and that as if she had deserued no better then Iezabel there is scarce so much left her as the skull and the feete and the palmes of her hands to know her by Long after the rode of Zeale had been vntrauelled and the High way growne ouer with the Mosse of Key-coldnesse New Zelographers arose who like Caleb Ioshua in coasting of Canaan began to trauell and discouer that Region anew setting vp way-markes and encouraging others to go vp and possesse it Of which first discouery I hope it will offend no good man to say that it deserues more honour then the latter more elaborate Descriptions of Others who taking direction from those first Spyes haue made the paths more plaine and the way more direct Those first Searchers of late time gaue a good ghesse at the Nature and Bounds of Zeale but drew it not in so large a Map as could bee wished Their meditations and labours in this kind are herein like the Obseruations of seuerall Trauellers into Forraine Countries some obseruing one thing and some another but none all that deserues to be noted It will not then bee amisse out of the seuerall Trauells of Others and mine owne Suruey to compile a Compleate Treatise of Zeale In persuite of which proiect my cheefe aime is to set forth to life the Nature the Obiects the Grounds the Ends and the Qualification of this Sanctuary Fire CHAP. II. Of the Nature of Zeale This Chapter hath 3. Sections THE first thing to bee knowne is the Nature of Zeale To attaine this wee must first search out the precize signification of the word then the seuerall acceptations of it as by vse of speech it is applied and thirdly ariue at some Definition of it Sect. 1. Sect. 1. Of the signification of the word Zeale The word it selfe is Greeke which is therefore retained in the best later Languages because the most Learned could neuer finde another word fully to expresse it as he a Ioan. Driedo de Râ—gul dogm S. Script lib. 3. tract 2. Cap. 1. Augustinus autem quibusdam in locu Suidaâ— alij vtriusque linguae periti qui non habentes latinum vocabulum quo vim verbi Zeli sufficienter explicarent c. inquit ille that hath done best in explication thereof hath obserued Zeale b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ferueo bullio Eustathius annotat vero per onomatopaeian esse factum hoc verbum à sono literae is a branch of that Roote say Gramarians which signifieth a hyssing noise made by burning hot mettle cast into water Zeale then in strict acception of the word is a fiery hissing heat fighting
And yet alas How often is it vnawares maintained by such as would bee thought our greatest zealots Many of them being in Argument brought to a Non-plus for their last reply and strongest refuge they flie to this and I know this to be the iudgement of able sound worthy Reuerend Diuines and therefore all the world shall neuer driue me from it while I liue Which is no better then the last Argument of Scaligers foole who thinkes by a wager to maintaine that which by reason he cannot Is not this to set men vp in the Infallible Chaire and to create Popes at home while we defie them abroade yea to hold the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ as we affect and respect the Persons wee choose to follow therein The Apostles rule is to follow men as they follow Christ When they step out of his paths let vs if we can reduce them if wee cannot doe this let them wander without vs. It is more gainefull and safe to trauell alone in the high way of Christ then by following the best company out of the common Rode to be set fast in a slough Sect. 2. Sect. 2. Shewing what Zeale must oppose One Taske of Zeale hath been shewed wherein it must be a Defendant the other followeth wherein it must be an Opponent Zeale must neuer fly on the throate of any thing but what is certainly euill Whiles it is but suspected Zeale must be countermanded from discharging against it least shame sound a retraite to our furious marching and disgrace retort that bullet which was too hastily shot into the Aduerse Campe. The Israelites beyond Iordan thought there had beene great cause of a zealous quarrell at the Alter f Iosh 22.11 12. erected by the Tribes of Reuben Gad and part of Manasseh on this side the Riuer But when better information declared it to be built onely for a Memorial vnto Posterity of their samenesse of bloud and Religion with those within Canaan they saw cause to iustifie what before they condemned g Ibid. ver 31 32. and to blame themselues for blaming their Brethren Saul was a zealous persecutor of Dauid as of a dangerous Traytor to his Crowne h 1 Sam. 20.31 But which of the two was more righteous i Chap. 24.17 Sauls after-confession declared The Iewes wanted no heate against the Doctrine of our Sauiour and the rest of the Apostles But whosoeuer shall reade those stories may from them for euer take warning not to set against that which onely their owne frowardnesse fancies or humors haue made odious to them no sound euidence being found among the sacred Records to condemne it The beleeuing Iewes of the Circâ—mcision thought Peter k Act. 11.2 3 a prophane offender for going to the Gentiles and sharpely rebuked him for it Yet was not as they imagined for after his defence l Ver. 18. they glorified God for that which before with great heat they condemned The like violence haue I knowne in Some against some things in our Church which better vnderstood they admired Yea I am perswaded that ignorance of the originall causes and true vse of diuers things amongst vs doth breed a loâ—thing of that which deserues good acceptance Some stomakes loath vnknowne meats which if they tooke downe would do them no hurt yet out of a peeuish humor chuse rather to cast away their meate then their ignorance of it Many inueigh against Partiality that are themselues the greatest Partialists to their owne Gamaliels It becomes euery sober Christian to doubt rather of the iudgement of few especially of his own then of a Whole Church It is more easy to quarrell then to finde cause to contradict then to disproue Where silly ignorance wilfull preiudice and affected partiality sit as Triumuirate Officers to iudge of the soundnesse lawfulnesse and conueniency of what they do not or will not or cannot vnderstand it will be easy for them to affirme that any thing maintained by others though sound lawfull and fit doth hit againe Scripture It is then our safest course to Submit to euery ordinance of man for the Lords sake m 1. Pet. 2 so farre as they disanull not the Ordinances of God Nor may we take vp an opinion vpon trust from any man liuing against euen humane Ordinances nor go about to oppose them till our owne vnderstandings discrie in them some contrariety to the written word Our libertie must not bee confined to the close prison of another mans n 1. Cor. 10.29 conscience nor his to ours Let vs not therefore iudge one another any more but iudge this rather that no man put a stumbling blocke or an occasion to fall into his brothers o Rom. 14.13 way Cast not scruples into mens minds touching the vnlawfulnesse of that which for the most part such as be most violent and bitter against are least able to infringe On the other side such as to feed other mens humours wil turne Ithacius Who mightily bending himselfe by all meanes against the Heresie of Priscilian the hatred of which one euill was all the vertue he had became so wise in the end that euery man carefull of vertuous conuersation studious of Scripture and giuen to any abstinence in diet was set downe in his Calender of suspected Priscillianists for whom it should be expedient to approue their soundnesse of faith by a more licentious and loose behauiour p M.R. Hooker ex Sulpit. seâ—â— such I say are but base clawbacks that so their owne turnes be serued care not whom they wrong by false accusations nor how much they abuse them whom they flatter by misinformations And here an Item to such as it concerneth to punish the sinnes of the people I speake not now of the lawes constitutions themselues but onely to preuent corruption in such to whom the execution of them is committed by superior Gouernors if they shal for gaine or other respect make the vnwitting or vnwilling omissioÌ„ of an inferior duty to be as bad as a breach of any substantiall part of Gods worship some small indiscretion and weakenesse either of iudgement or conscience with odious whoredome reeling gogle-eyed drunkennes and blasphemous swearing c. winking at these prosecuting the other with extreamest rigour this is vp downe to act a Pharisies part Wo to such q Mat 23.23 tything of Mint Annise and Cumen when the weightiest matters of the Law mercie iudgement and faith are omitted q Mat 23.23 They are but r Ver. 24. Blind guides who straine at gnats and swallow Camels Nor is it onely Pettie-larcenie but euen a capitall crime against zeale it selfe to driue it at the head of things not simply euill or to make vse of the sharpest edge of seuere iustice to hew downe lesser faults whilest greater sinnes be rather stroaked then so much as stricken with her scabberd This brings vp an euil report vpoÌ„ the best zeale and among such as are not
able or willing to discerne of things that differ takes away all difference betweene a zealous Christian and a head-strong headlong Aiax Some certainly in all places will be found that will be glad to take occasion to lay on Rutilius for Aemilius his fault Let Authoritie consider how great wrong it were to a common-wealth to punish Felons and to passe by Traitors The scandall is no lesse to the Gouernment of the Church to vse seueritie against peccadilloes and make a gaine of more scandalous courses Samuel neuer acknowledged Sauls diligence in killing the meaner Amalakites to smell of any coale from the Alter so long as Agag and the best of the Prey were spared aliue It were a foule blot to Israel that Tamar hauing plaid the incestuous whore should escape the fire yet most vnreasonable that guiltie Iudah should pronounce that sentence for though she deserued death by the Law of God yet was she in the conscience of her Iudge more righteous ſ Gen. 38.26 then himselfe so that he must needs condemne himselfe first in condemning of her Againe let such as be zealous sticklers for Democraticall or Aristocraticall discipline consider how ill the Church can be gouerned by one politie the Commonwealth by another Let them take notice of that woe which sticketh as close to the ribs of such as call good euill and sweete sowre as of such who call euill good and sowre sweete t Isai 5.20 The terror whereof should asswage the heate they are in against things not yet decided to their liking and keepe them from that violent pelting at Ceremonies and crying away with that which themselues are not able from good grounds to condemne It were ridiculous to the world scandalous to the Church dangerous to a mans owne selfe to be obserued more afraid of a Ceremonie in a Church then of worldlinesse pride malice and selfe-loue in his owne bowels Poore Vzzah was smitten dead but for touching the Arke when it was not lawfull for any to touch the body of the Arke and when if in that case of necessitie it might be thought a tollerable offence yet it pertained to others more neare about it to performe that office And yet men now count it an high peece of zeale to direct their Directors and like Clockemakers to take the Church all in peeces at their pleasure But what should the sheepe do with the shepheards crooke what the foote in turning the body topsy-turuey to become the head and what the common souldier in leading the u Greg Naz. in Orat. de moderatione seruand in disput 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 armie It was long since the zealous complaint of an holy man that men could no sooner get vp their names in the world and be able readily confidently to muster vp a few places of Scripture nothing to the purpose but they thought themselues sufficient to encounter Moses himselfe setting vpon him as furiously as * Idem ibid. Dathan and Abiram euer did Happie were this age had it none of that temper To such as these it is in vaine to say any thing therefore directing my speech to them whom moderation hath yet a better hand ouer I will say but this of that same ancient Father their cōtumacie I beseech you let vs flie from their madnesse let vs abhorre lest we perish with them in the same vengeance If there be any thing amisse let our zeale set vs to praying not to rayling which becomes neither men nor Angels toward the Diuell himselfe If the Church be foule the struglings of priuate persons will but raise the dust If any thing be faultie our Sauiours rule in another case will fit inferiors passing well Let him that is without sinne cast the first stone at it If wee cannot do this the next way we can possibly take to the best reformation is by prayers x Psal 83. and teares y Psal 119.136 CHAP. IIII. Of the Grounds of Zeale VVE haue seene the Obiects for which and against which our zeale must giue fire Next I must shew on what Grounds we must plant it This Chapter hath two Sections cōtaining the two grounds of zeale Our zeale cannot but bee naught be the Obiect neuer so good vnlesse wee go to worke vpon Grounds as good The grounds be generally two A distinct knowledge and a lawfull calling Sect. 1 Sect. 1. Shewing the first ground of zeale knowledge One Ground of zeale is a distinct knowledge of the cause we take vp The goodnesse of any thing is not of it selfe warrant enough to vs till in our apprehension wee know it to be good A Lawyer may haue a good cause brought him but it were neither safe for his Clyent nor wisedome for himselfe to pleade it till he fully vnderstand it from one end to the other because of the many turnings and windings which a subtill aduersarie will make aduantages of It is Satans policie not to cast any quench-coale into an ignorant Zelots fire but rather helpe him with bellowes to blow it vp The Diuell sees that such an one will not proue so dangerous to any as vnto himselfe vnlesse it be vnto God and Religion who many times receiue greater blowes from such fresh water souldiers then from a professed enemie For though they haue an heart willing to stand for good things yet they are like a second that fighting in the darke many times knocks downe his friend in stead of his foe This ignis fatuus or fooles fire haunted those Iewes who by the Apostles testimonie were zealous enough but it was not according to a Rom. 10.2 knowledge This want led them so much astray that when they thought themselues in the best straightest course and most zealous for God Phaeton-like they did what they could to set the world on fire and became most sacrilegious against the Sonne of b Quid prodest habere zelū Dei non hábere scientiā Dei Iudei putantes se zelum Dei habere sacrilegi extiterunt in filium Dei quia non secundum scientiam zelati sunt Origen God So then zeale is worth nothing without knowledge to guide it yea ignorant zeale is an intollerable c Importabilis absque scientià zelus est Bern Sup. Cant. ser 49. euill Who would endure a Commander setting or directing a battell when his eves be put out Who would trust a head-strong blind horse with the raines Would he not more often run his head against a post then keepe his way and if he come at a dangerous bridge choose rather to go beside it then ouer it It is as naturall to error to draw ignorance after it as for the load-stone to attract Iron An ignorant man being euer suspitious that others will deceiue him preuents them by doing it himselfe and then proues more confident then before he was suspitious And though he may haue an Item that he hath abused himselfe yet this will but adde passion
world had once ruefull cause to obserue and bewaile in that Great Wit Arrius This man out of a vaine glorious emulation to excell Alexander Bishop of Alexandria where himselfe was also a l Niceph. lib. 8. cap. 5. Minister diued so farre into curious Questions beyond his reach that at length he went as low as hell it selfe brought vp thence that Heresie which to his euerlasting reproach beareth his name denying the Godhead of Christ After him Nestorius out of Zeale maintaining the rashnesse of his much admired friend Anastasius m Socratt li. 1 cap. 32. Niceph. lib. 14 cap. 31 32 33. fell into as grosse an Heresie The occasion this Anastasius hauing in a Sermon bitterly railed against that Antient Title which hee vnderstood not saith Nicephorus giuen to the Virgine Mary n Maria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The mother of God Vide Origen tom 3. in Rom. Euseb lib. 3. de vit Constant by the Fathers and that sharpe Censure of his being distasted by them Nestorius would needs vndertake in fauour of his Anastasius to iustifie spending whole Sermons in protesting against that Phrase of speech Afterwards being by that ReuereÌ„d Alexandrian Cyril in sundry letters shewed the lawfulnesse of that which he with much heate had publikely condemned And his shallow braines not able to hold it vp any longer without admitting many grosse absurdities against the Person of Christ and Lastly his proud heart disdaining submission and recantation made choise in maintaining thereof for want of other arguments out of which he had been beaten by disputation to fall into that most execrable Heresie which denieth the Vnion of the two Natures of Christ in one Person It were tedious to particularize the detriments of blind Zeale since this hath been the wall by which the Iuy of Heresie error and schisme hath euer got vp to that vnhappy height which oft they mount vnto Great reason then it is that wee should euer build our Zeale on the sure foundation of a distinct knowledge and rather stand in doubt and suspence touching things vnknowne n Melius est dubitare de occultis quam litigare de incerâ—is August de Trin. li. 8. Cap. 5. then contentiously bicker for things vncertaine or beyond our Ken. Sect. 2. Shewing the other ground of Zeale a lawfull Calling Sect. 2. The other Ground of Zeale no lesse necessary is a Lawfull Calling If Inferiour Magistrates may not execute any part of Iustice without Authority deriued from Superiour Power how much doth it concerne Christians to attend vpon God for a Calling and Commission to warrant their proceedings Once haue a Calling and spare for no Zeale which that Calling will admit It is not for Saul himselfe but for Samuel to offer Sacrifice It is not for euery Person to mount the Magistrates Chaire or the Prophets Pulpit but for such as are called of God as Moses o Exod. 3.10 to the one and p Heb. 5 4 Aaron to the other How often haue the Lords Messengers powred out bitter complaints and heauy woes against such as runne before they were sent Did they onely touch such as in those times vsurped the Propheticall Office as their Successors the Anabaptists doe now Doth not the Gospel also confine men to their proper stations which they may not goe from or beyond It is true that in times of general Eclipses and corruption of Gods Word and Worship Elisha haue been from the Plowe q 1 Kin. 19.19 and Amos from the Heard r Amos 7.14 15. Hooker in his Preface to his Eccl. Polity aduanced to the function of Prophets Caluin left the Profession of Ciuill Law in France to professe Diuinity at Geneua forsaken of her Bishop and impatient of longer bondage in Popery But where the Word and Worship is truly taught by able Professors and when a man is set setled in a lawful Calling already and not forced out of it then to suppose that Zeale for God moueth him to abandon his former function and to become a Preacher vnlesse he be vnable or vnfit for his former Calling and extraordinarily fitted for the function hee would now imbrace is to suppose without ground and against that Rule Å¿ 1 Cor. 7.23 Let euery man abide in the same Calling wherein he was called And againe t Ibid. ver 24. Let euery man wherein hee is called therein abide with God If God in his Prouidence haue set a man in a Calling of vse fitted him for it and giuen him comfortable imployment in it abide in it he must though he imagine he could be more vsefull in another course or else he abides not with God Leaue that and he leaueth God Go beyond that and he goes without God His vtmost tether is u 1 Thes 4.11 Studie to bee quiet and meddle with your owne businesse Euery one must bee a Labourer * 2 Thes 3.11 no Loyterer no Wanderer a Workeman no idle Person watchfull in his owne charge x 1 Pet 4.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no Bishop in another mans Diocesse It is not for euery man to punish or magisterially reproue sinne in all that commit it No man could haue better cause to draw sword then Peter for Christ if our Lord had giuen him as good a calling as the Iews did occasion but both not coÌ„curring his zeale proued but rashnes y Mat. 26. and incurred his reproofe whose cause he defended Dauid would not fall vpon sinners nor bee speaking of good things in companies knowne to bee desperately wicked accounting it a duty to keepe his mouth close shut whiles the wicked were before him z Psal 39.1 2 3. and saith of himselfe I was dumbe with silence I held my peace euen from good and my sorrow was stirred my heart was hot within me while I was museing the fire burned Here was zeale but no speech And when hee did speake it was not to them but to God and that no doubt in such a tone as they descerned not for otherwise it had been as good to haue spoken vnto them as in their hearing If any doubt whether Dauid did well they may be resolued by comparing this action to the rules of Salomon and Christ the one counselling not to rebuke a scorner the other aduising not to cast Pearles before swine least they turne againe and all to rend you It is then a cleare case that a Christian is not bound to reproue or discourse of Religion to knowne or suspected Scoffers If hee testify in secret vnto his God his dislike of such Varlets auoid needlesse society and vnnecessary Commerce with them and in his soule secretly mourne for their dishonoring of God he hath done his duty To leade the Reader in circuite to the particular bounds of each mans calling were too long a Walke and it would tyre vs both Breefly therefore it may suffice for the present to know that euery mans Zeale must bee principally spent within
nurture and admonition of the g Ephes 6 4. Lord. Seruants must also walke in the same trade and way Both these offending must abide rebuke from him who is aboue them as a father or as a maister because he is a Gouernor equally to both If a brother offending must be reproued a child and a seruant must not think to scape These are not onely vnder the tongue but the hand of correction too Withhold not correction from the child for if thou beatest him with the rod he shall not die Thou shalt beate him with the rod and deliuer his soule from h Prou 23.13 14. hell Nor is this hatred and want of naturall affection but cockering is He that spareth the rod hateth his sonne but he that loueth him chasteneth him i Prou. 13.24 betimes Zeale therefore must set vpon this irkesome office although the father be as vnwilling to it as euer Zippora to circumcise her sonne Foolishnesse is bound in the heart of a k Prou 22.15 child and the rod of correction is the onely Bezoar to driue it out Nor must he be let alone till he bee growne vp or till he will accept it without an out-crie Weeds will easily come vp if they be taken yong but let them grow a while and wee know what followes Therefore as this worke must bee done so it requires hast Chasten thy sonne while there is hope and let not thy soule spare for his l Prou. 19.18 crying The mother also may do this worke although the father hath the charge immediatly giuen him That God bids him do it and not the mother is not to forbid her but to double his diligence If all were left to her she would do too little The father is or should be wiser of the two therefore fittest to take the charge vppon him The mothers tendernesse may bee too much the fathers wisedome must supply that failing And though he may forbeare the execution when the mothers moderation will serue the turne yet when she bestowes too little his dutie is with more seueritie to make it vp Seruants are vnder the yoke as much as children yea more vnlesse they will bee men of * Vnyoked Belial Their stubbornes and leudnesse is not to be endured if it were but for the bad example Children learne more euill from their ill carriage then they will get good from their parents goodnesse Fodder a wand and a burden are for the Asse and bread correction and worke for a m Eccl. 33.24 seruant Not that all need all these but onely euill seruants Let not them thinke this counsell to be onely Apocryphall The sacred Canon will allow a rod for the backes of fooles Nor doth this allow maisters to be tyrants as oft they be Many maisters thinke they may do any thing vnto a seruant but Paul saith no. As maisters looke for seruice and obedience so they must giue loue as well as wages forbearing n Ephes 6.9 that is to say moderating o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 threatnings knowing that they also haue a maister in heauen neither is there respect of persons with him When thy seruant worketh truly entreate him not euill nor the hireling that bestoweth himselfe wholly vpon thee let thy soule loue a good seruant and defraud him not of p Ecclus. 7.20.21 libertie Make him not a slaue but giue him some encouragement if he do not abuse it And euen in his failings he must not be too much lookt after if they be but failings of an honest heart As a maister must not make a seruant his fellow for this is the way to let him at length to become his q Prou. 29.21 sonne that is to wrong his sonne in carrying away that which should be the sonnes inheritance So he must not stand and hearken at euery doore corner to tyrannize ouer a faithfull seruant and to take notice of euery word that is spoken lest he get a curse for his labour Although God hath giuen the maister power to correct the seruant when hee hath made a wilfull fault yet he must know that if hee wrong his seruant God will set it vp in skore and he himselfe will auenge the seruant on his maister for r Col. 3.25 him Men must not fight nor women neither for euery fault of infirmitie when wee take seruants we do not take Angels but men and women as bad our selues and that for the most part is bad enough Do wee looke God should beare with vs for all faults euen of the highest nature and yet thinke that vnder pretence of zeale wee should beare with no faults at all in a seruant I dare boldly say no man hath more sinnes vpon the skore then a dogged maister or curst mistresse They will forgiue nothing if they do they will nose a poore seruant that maketh more faults out of feare then purpose with their mercy a weeke after Now can they looke to speed better at the hands of God Christ ſ Mat. 18.35 I am sure said that his Father hath another purpose Not that I meane to restraine iust seueritie but onely tyrannie and that Gouernours should wisely consider and distinguish betweene fault and fault seruant and seruant I know some seruants make shew of much religion but looke vpon them better and you shall find that this is taken vp to become more saucie to get vnto themselues a greater libertie and to serue as a buckler to beare off all blowes and all reproofes As if Religion brought some priuiledge to seruants not onely to bee indocible for they must be taught nothing crost in nothing but incorrigible for they must not haue a blow or a sharpe word offered to them Such Religion would bee brusht off the coate and some better beaten into the heart in stead of that which onely hung without Such seruants are of all others the worst to be endured and most dangerous in any familie For a while they will bee deuout in a religious house for none else will fit them but giue them libertie and they often put all their Religion into a Babie I did not vrge the former moderation to pleade the cause of such proud selfe-willed hypocrites who haue nothing to boast of but a demure looke and carrying of a Bible being otherwise neither good seruants nor willing to bee better no more then I would teach prophane scoffers and persecuting Ishmaels to call good euill and light darknesse I know there be many gracious and worthy men and maids that bring in more blessings to the familie then all the house besides * Gen. 39.5 Ioseph was diligent in his maisters seruice but his hands were nothing to his heart his labour nothing to his grace for the aduancement of his maisters gaine Such a seruant would be intreated as a t Ecclus 33.31 brother loued aboue gold and praised to the heauens and for nothing so much as for his Religion expressed in his
diligence and humble dutie But some may take aduantage from my former words and make his conclusion larger then my premisses And when they see a seruant zealous in Religion begin to say Here is one of those hypocrites I read of the other day you are so bookish so holy and so pure that I doubt all will prooue starke naught ere long c. To stop their mouthes I must enforme them that Religion is not to blame if hypocrites abuse it The wine is not in fault because the drunkard reeles Therefore beware how you blaspheme religion and religious duties If he that seemes religious will yet be idle false vndutifull and stubborne raile at Ceremonies Bishops and Common Prayer disdaine to be corrected and maintaine his faults that man or woman will neuer haue any true Religion in him till with a cudgell all these counterfeits be beaten off But if he reade and pray fall into good discourses to his fellowes talke of what he reades and heares to edifie himselfe and others And to this deuotion and humble diligence and care to please this man or woman is a precious Iewell What though he sometimes fault was it with his will did he study for it and now it is made doth he mâ—intaine himselfe or it doth he not confesse it doth he not bewaile it doth hee not submit to checkes and blowes if they be giuen doth he not endeauour to do better doth not his former fault make him to double his future diligence Let no man thinke Religion can keepe backe all faults that none shall passe her bay but this she doth those that by force leape through her hands she fetcheth backe againe If thus they do He is a true Israelite in whom there is no guile Blessed that family who doth enioy him Blessed that Master that hath such a Treasure If such a Iacob meet with a hoggish Laban hee hath a hard condition but Laban shall haue a harder if Iacob goe away And though Laban cannot frame his tongue to giue him one good word yet he were better mend his wages then loose his seruant since he cannot but learne by experience that the Lord hath blest him for that Seruants u Gen. 30.27 sake So then if men delight in fighting it must not bee with those that seeke to please although they sometimes faile but those that seeke to sinne although they sometimes please And yet with these Zeale must not bee a Bedlam alwaies Though they prouoke his passion his passion must not fight His wisedome must doe this when that is ouer And execution daies must haue their euenings and their prorogations If thou hast a bad Seruant said a wise man set him to worke that is fit for him if hee be not obedient put on more heauy fetters But be not excessiue towards any and without discretion doe x Ecclus 33.28.29 nothing The Magistrate must put in mercy to his song as well as y Psal 101.2 iudgement and thou much more There is a kind of sowernes in some fathers and maisters which makes them vnable to frame themselues to kindnesse euen when their children and seruants do deserue it Such a soure peece was Laban vnto Iacob such are many now who thinke their frowning browes and lookes as sowre as meale a weeke in leauen should be interpreted their grauity and fatherly authoritie but this the world expounds another way and they must mend their looke or looke for little loue They may be feared because they will enforce it but neuer loued because they loue to feare There is another wind-gaule worse then this and that is Nabals boysterous-furious chiding roaring tone Nabal himselfe may count his loudnesse zeale but none about him are of his opinion Hee may make a shift to charme his tongue abroad because if hee neglect it others would do it for him But aske his seruants how they would describe him and they with readinesse will giue him this description z 1. Sam. 25 17. He is such a sonne of Belial that a man cannot speake to him If we shall doubt his seruants were partiall to themselues and spake in passion what he deserued not yet let the holy Ghost himselfe bee heard to speake and he will giue this censure of him The man was churlish and euill in his a 1. Sam 25.3 doings Therefore euill because churlish Find me a bedlam furious man that is alwaies chiding skoulding finding fault or fighting and proue that man to be no wicked person and hee may well bee called the wonder of his age Neuer tell me thy people are too bad and that with all thy stirre thou canst not make them good this I will beleeue without thy telling and tell thee backe againe if they were good thou wouldst but make them bad He was no foole that said Be not as a Lion in thine house nor franticke among thy b Ecclus 4.30 seruants therefore take his counsell and be assured He that troubleth his owne house shall inherit the c Prou 11 29 wind How can hee looke for more who blowes so strongly euery time hee breathes that with his very breath hee blowes the rest away His rage is such as sets his wife on fire and if she be not moued his rage is much the more Let children and seruants do what they can to tame him by their musicke their best reward from him is but the Fidlers liuerie which hee may claime by d Rogues 39. Elizab. cap. 4 Statute But now me thinkes the Grumbol comes to parle Why what would you haue me do I cannot turne my backe but all is out of order children and seruants are so idle and so false that I cannot trust them with a straw One lies a bed another runneth to the Ale-house a third keepes idle company a fourth spends my estate and shee that should looke to them cares for nothing but to helpe wast my goods to maintaine the rest in all their villanie What should not a man speake Should hee not giue his children due correction Doth not God himselfe require him to vse seueritie when gentle meanes suffice not Why then do you taxe me as if I did amisse And is this so indeed Then search the cause when this is found I will helpe thee to some remedy Do children and seruants thus abuse thee when thou turnest thy backe What then dost thou make from them Hast thou a calling here and will no place hold thee but some Ale-bench Tauerne Bowling-alley Cock-pit or worse then all these And dost thou wonder that others looke not to thy businesse when thou thy selfe so often leauest all Thou wilt runne abroad and spend a moneths reuenue in an afternoone or by occasion of some Vsurers lime-twig set to catch the Gallant bring thy selfe in snares that none but fooles go into and hazard the greatest part of thine estate by thine owne Act and deed at halfe an houres warning And when thou feelest the gin begin to gird