children The Kingly Prophet exhorts Kings of the earth and all people Princes and Iudges of the world young men and maydens also old men and children to prayse the name of the Lord. Saint Paul chargeth Timothie and Titus to teach old and young without exception Saint Iohn writeth his Epistle to fathers young men and children therefore the youngest are not exempted in regard of their young and tender yeeres Inasmuch as God is their Creator they are to remember him in the dayes of their youth Seeing in their first entrance into the world they haue beene baptised into the name of the blessed Trinitie and so haue taken vpon them the profession of true religion their proceeding and practise when they come to yeeres must be answerable to their beginning Further that age is slipperie weake dangerous and subiect to many temptations easilie seduced and ouercome by bad counsell and company They had neede therefore betimes to bee armed with the shielde of faith and sword of the spirit their witte and capacitie is then most fresh pregnant to conceiue remember keepe and hold good and gratious instructions Parents therefore are commaunded to bring vp their children in instruction and information of the LORD And it is the counsell of the wise man Teach a childe the trade of his way and when hee is olde he will not depart from it Againe yong men are subiect to death and must appeare before the great Iudge in that day as well as other Neede therefore haue they of due preparation Besides a religious disposition and behauiour in young age will bring them credit and honour all the dayes of their life and comfort ioy and peace of conscience in old age And what ioy what exceeding ioy will this be to Parents friends Tutors teachers and to all that loue and feare God A wise sonne saith Salomon maketh a glad father but a foolish sonne is a heauinesse to his mother It is therefore sayde of Iohn the Baptist that his father should haue ioy of him and many should reioyce at his birth because hee was filled with the holy Ghost in his mothers wombe Saint Iohn writing to that noble and worthie Lady reioyceth greatly that hee found her children walking in the trueth And examples we haue of grace and religion in the younger sorte Samuel from his childhood was consecrated and dedicated to the seruice of God Iosiah was but eight yeares old when he began to raigne in Ierusalem yet there was neuer any before nor after him more vertuous and religious Salomon though most tender and deare in the eyes of his father and mother yet in his young yeares was taught diuine and heauenly wisedome When our Sauiour Christ came riding to Ierusalem in a base manner though the Scribes and Pharises disdained him yet children cry Hosanna the sonne of Dauid Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. Timothie from his childhood had knowledge in the scriptures being instructed by his good Grandmother Lois and his mother Eunicâ— Iohn the Baptist grew and â—â—â—ed strong in the spirit and Iesus Christ being but 12. yeares old increased in wisedome in statute and fauour with God and men God will haue the first borne the first fruits and he that begins well is halfe his way Dimidium facti qui bene caepit habet The tree that buds not in the spring is dead and such as are deformed in youth neuer proue welfauoured in age As the arrow is first directed so it flyeth youth is compared to the day while it is day let vs walke in the light the night commeth when no man can worke The time of youth is the summer time with the Ant and Bee we must prouide in summer against winter The time of youth is compared to Haruest wherin men take the occasioÌ„ vse all meanes they can for the reaping and enioying of the fruits of the earth if they let that time slip all is lost He that sleepes in haruest is the sonne of confusion Dauid in his youth killeth the Lyon the Beare and great Goliah Sampson in his youth killed the Philistines let vs by our spirituall armour ouercome the wicked one euen in our young time Now besides all this giue me leaue Right Hon. to put you in remembrance of one worthie example of a noble young man Ioseph full of grace and vertue worthie to be imitated of Kings Princes and Potentates In this famous patterne I obserue these sixe vertues The first is his rare chastitie who being tempted to follie by his mistresse did flatly refuse her saying How can I doe this great wickednesse and so sinne against God He knew with Iob that this was is a wickednesse and iniquitie to be condemned yea that it is a fire which shall deuoure to destruction and shall roote out all his encrease The second vertue in young 〈◊〉 which is the ground of all the rest is his religion and the true feare of God in his heart All his actions and all his proceedings doe sauour of the feare of God It was this that kept him from that grosse iniquitie He ascribes the interpretatioÌ„ of dreams not to himselfe but to God He protesteth to his brethren that he feareth God And againe when he made himselfe knowne to his brethren he said Be not sad neither grieued with your selues that you sold me hither for God did send me before you for your preseruation And when his father asked him of his sonnes These are my sons sayd he which God hath giuen me This is the chiefe vertue in great persons the best Nobilitie A third vertue in Ioseph is his faithfulnes to his Prince He gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the corne which hee bought not for his owne priuate vse but for the profit of the King his maister And as he is carefull to preserue the royall dignitie of the King and seeketh the wealth of Pharoah so hee hath a pittifull heart to the poore distressed people and is carefull to relieue them This is an excellent vertue in great persons which serue in the Court not to seeke their owne priuate gaine but the credit and wealth of their Prince and yet to haue louing and merciful hearts to the poore distressed commons The fourth vertue in Ioseph is his seueritie and clemencie wisely mixed together Hee speaketh roughly to hiâ— brethren hee threatens them and chargeth them to be spyes and yet his heart is full of compassion and loue When they are truely humbled know themselues hee doth entertaine them kindly and receiue them with much ioy And this is a speciall vertue required of Princes and Magistrates They must with Dauid in the gouerning of their Court Church Common-wealth and house strike on these two strings Mercie and Iudgement They must bee seuere and rough against notorious offenders and yet
THE BLESSING OF A GOOD KING Deliuered in Eight Sermons vpon the storie of the Queene of the South her words to Salomon magnifying the gouernment of his familie and kingdome By THOMAS GIBSON Minister Eccles 10. 17. Blessed art thou ô Land when thy King is the sonne of Nobles AT LONDON Printed by Tho Creede for Arthur Iohnson Dwelling at the signe of the white Horse in Pauls Church-yard 1614. TO THE RIGHT HOnourable the Lord Harington Baron of Exton Thomas Gibson wisheth all true happines both in this life and in the life to come MY purpose Right Honourable in the dedication of these sermons was to haue ioyned your Honourable father with that worthy Citie whereof he was a principall member and had speciall command and authoritie which place he much respected and loued and where he was againe much respected and honoured The ioy and ornament of the Citie was his name and countenance the very report and newes of whose decease was the cause of many a watrie eye and of many a heauie heart But their speciall comfort and ioy is that the Lord hath in mercy prouided so gratious an heire so worthy a successor so vertuous a fauourer as of all that are honest religious so most of all such as haue beene the faithfull friends and intire louers of your Honourable father who himselfe was a louer of all learning religion and of all good men a true worshipper of God zealous in the truth a sincere professor friend of the Gospell a fauourer of faithfull Ministers a worthie member both of Church and common-wealth a faithful dutiful seruiceable and rare subiect like Moses in faithfulnes in meekenes and in zeale against Idolatrie like Iob a iust man fearing God and eschewing euill like Nathaniell a true Israelite without guile Finally a man full of grace pietie curtesie humilitie temperance and other both morall and christian vertues I am not able to commend him according to his deserts that requires a larger discourse and it would perhaps proue an increase of sorrow which is rather to be abated then renewed I will therefore bend my selfe to administer comfort for so great a losse a losse so generall to Church and common-wealth Friends and followers Tenants and seruants and for my owne part I cannot but beare a part in sorrow for the losse of so kind a Patron and Benefactor both to me and mine Yet this is the vse of the prayses of the dead not onely for imitation of their vertues but also for the coÌ„fort of friends aliue And is this a small comfort Right Honourable that you had such a father yea a comfort and blessing it is to be of the seed of the righteous It is a further comfort that you enioyed him so long till your selfe came to ripenesse of yeares that he died in a good age full of daies few of his Auncestors liued longer and howsoeuer he left this life in a strange countrey yet no doubt he died in the true faith of Iesus Christ which he sincerely professed all his life and in the honourable and faithfull seruice of his gratious Soueraigne the Lords annointed It is no wonder that old men die rather it is a wonder in these latter daies that any liue so long Moses in his time made account of mans ordinarie age to be threescore yeares and ten Now the world decayes and the daies of our life is shortned We heare daily of the death of Infants children young men yea Princes taken away in the prime and strength of their yeares what maruell then though the ancient â—ie when the apple is ripe it must needs fall when the candle is spent the light must needs goe out This vse we are to make of the death of young or old to remember alwaies our mortall state and the vncertaintie of our life to be alwaies readie and prepared not to regard but contemne the lusts of the flesh the lust of the eie and the pride of life pleasures honours riches and the vanities of this wicked world Many moe comforts we haue against excessiue and immoderate sorrowe for the death of our best and dearest friends as to consider what they leaue a miserable world and whither they goe to the hauen of happinesse The best sort of the Heathen vsed three remedies against such kind of sorrow First to consider that death is common to all and vnauoydable Secondly that it is the end of miserie and hauen of rest Thirdly that it is likely that the soules liue and are blessed We haue the same and more sure comforts We know that our Redeemer liues and that wee shall see him as hee is Wee know not onely the immortality of the soule but the glorious resurrection of the body and that those that dye in the Lord are blessed Nothing comes to passe without Gods pouidence who is wise and mightie We pray that his will may be done both of vs and in vs. It will nothing auaile vs to torment our selues we are borne to dye many thousands are gone before vs and we must follow Pardon my boldnes right Honourable in presuming to put you in minde of these thinges which both by your own priuate reading and publicke heauing of many worthy men you doe already know and vnderstand sufficiently Yet in my loue to your Honour giue me leaue to adde some further instruction It hath alwaies beene the endeuour of Sathan the common aduersarie of mans saluation by all means possible to draw all sorts degrees and ages of men from the true care and studie of religion and vertue to the effecting whereof hee hath from euery estate his pretended colours and faire pleasing shewes of perswasion alluremeÌ„t perswading the elder sort that it is a thing vnseemely vnbefitting their grauitie to become schollers in Christs schoole seeing their heads are filled with other matters namely of the Common-wealth and affaires of this world Hee can tell the middle sort which are in the prime of strength and witte that it is against all equitie and reason that such should bee depriued of the pleasures and delights of the flesh and the world And as for the younger sort hee will easilie make make them beleeue that it is not yet time to serue God that the points of religion are too high for them and able to dull and trouble their tender wits buzzing into their eares that wicked prouerbe A young Saint an olde Diuâ—ll Thus by his will he would haue none religious because he would haue none saued but rather that all should perish and come to vtter ruine and destruction It is a torment and vexation vnto him to see any well disposed in religion but if wee hearken to the counsell of God in his word wee shall soone finde Sathan herein a lyer a murtherer a seducer For the Lord chargeth all sorts and degrees of men to giue themselues and that betimes to religion and vertue commaunding his law to bee read and published to men women and
you which will also doe it Brethren pray for vs. Yours alwaies in the Lord Iesus Thomas Gibson THE PRINCIPALL matters handled in euery Sermon The Contents of the first Sermon THe summe of the Bookes of the Kings and Chronicles The exceâ—lencie of the speaker of the parâ—â—e to whom these words are spoken and the excellencie of the matâ—er it selfe Eight marks of good hearers from the example of this Queene Verâ—ue and religion is to be praysed in any Against vaine glorie and hunting after the praise of men Diuers opinions of men touching true happinesse No perfection of happinesse in this life but in another Some description of that happinesse Our chiefe thoughts desires and affections are to be vpon that The Contents of the second Sermon THe diuision and difference of wisedome Salomons chiefe wisedome reuealed in the Prouerbes Ecclesiastes and Canticles True wisedome to be found onely in the Scriptures It consisteth in the knowledge of God and of our selues No perfection of wisedome in this life True wisedome alwaies ioyned with religiâ—n and vertue Three kinds of hearing the word The chiefe felicitie of this life to heare and obey wisedome The necessitie excellencie and profite of diuine â—isedome and of the ministerie of it The vnhappinesse of such as want it or seekâ— to stoppe the course of it or refuse to â—eare it or contâ—mne mockâ— it or profite not by it Causes why men profit not in wisdomes schoole The Contents of the third Sermon THe vanitie of such as repose felicitie in riches pleasures or honours The word of wisedome to bee reuereâ—tly and carefully heard We are to preferre it before all things eagerlie thirsting after it and reioycing in it We are to loue the publike assemblies to be arken to this wisedome read or preached and to despise no meanes of grace Wee are often in secret to conferre and meditate of it and to maintayne the credit of it by godly conuersation Wee are to hate all falshood and follie as enemies to wisedome Wee are to loue wisedome when it is most hated and persecuted in the world A comfort to the true sonnes and daughters of wisedome An application to the Auditors The happinesse of that Citie The necessitie and blessing of often and plâ—sntifull preaching The example of this Queene applyed to the shame of the Iewes and of vs. The Contents of the fourth Sermon THe example of the Niniuites and of diuers others alledged and applyed to the further condemnation of this our age The power of diuine wisedome Signes of true conuersion in this Queene Salomon a figure of Christ but Christ more excellent then Salomon Religion belongeth to all women much more to men and to great persons most of all The Contents of the fift Sermon THe pietie of this Queene in worshiping the true God God to be blessed for all his benefites The loue of thâ—â— Queene not enuying the prosperitie of Salomon but ioying and praysing God for it We are specially to reioyce and prayse God for the Kingdome of Christ God the disposer of Croâ—nes and Kingdomes All things fall in loue to Gods children A testimonie of Gods loue to bee called and fitted to high places Godâ— benefites to Salomon and his great felicitie Salomons great and grieuous fall in his olde dâ—yâ—s Some of the learned doubt of his saluation Arguments to proue his rising and repentance and that he could not finally perish The great danger of prosperitie Great and good Princes subiect to falling Some begin wâ—ll and end ill Instructions for young and old age The haynonsnesse of vncleane lusts and of Idolatrie It is most dangerous to mâ—tch with Idolaters Idolatrie not to bee tollerated for the sauour of any We are not to be offended at the fall of Princes or Preachers Their bad liues scandalous Their callings and doctrines not to be contemned The right vses of the falles of Saints The Contents of the Sixt Sermon A Good King is a rare blessing of God The originall of Kings and of diuers kinds of goâ—ernment The power of a King Miesticall The rushnesse and ficklenesse of people loathing and misliking Gods ordinance Bad Princes are of God in wrath to a people Their sinnes from themselues their callings from God Such Princes not to be resisted Such as are chosen in loue performe their dueties Many glorious titles of Princes in Scripture The like titles giuen to Ministers There is great affinitie agreement betwixt the callings of Magistrates and Ministers Good Rulers are to defend and countenance good Ministers The duetie of Princes and Rulers They must gouerne themselues their families and the people The summe of the seuenth Sermon THe true felicitie of Princes They are chiefely to regard the common good of the people Of lawes of Iudges of execution of lawes All notorious offenders to bee grieuouslie punished Good vses of such punishments Idolaters Heretikes and false Prophets are to dye the death All to bee compelled to the outward seruice of the true God Comforts to Magistrates punishing offenders Great offences not to be remitted Princes 〈◊〉 to be mercifull not cruell They are to comfort countenance the good and by kindnesse to winne the hearts of the people The Contents of the eight Sermon PRinces are to defend their subiects against forrayne enemies and oppressions at home Priuate men are not to reuenge themselues The haynousnesse of oppression Two worthie patternes of Iudgement and Mercie Against oppression by vsurie That the poore are to bee prouided for by the Magistrates Motiues to that duetie Caueats and comforts for the poore The care of religion belongeth to Magistrates Vses of the doctrine of Magistrates Ioy and thanksgiuing for the King We must be willing to learne of any THE FIRST SERMON 1. Kings 10. 8. 9. 8. Happie are thy men happie are these thy servants which stand euer before thee and heare thy wisedome 9. Blessed be the Lord thy God which loued thee to set thee on the throne of Israel because the Lord loued Israel for euer and made thee King to doe equitie and righteousnes THe whole scripture saith the Apostle is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to improue to correct to instruct in righteousnes that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto euery good worke As all and euery scripture serueth for these holie vses so especially these bookes of the historie and Chronicles of the Kings of Iuda and Ierusalem For here are not onely many examples of vice and vertue but here is described the true knowledge and worship of God the confutation of Idolitrie and false worship the true forme and patterne of all reformation of disorders The dutie and blessing of good Kings the ruine of the wicked the estate of the Church the care and protection of God for it Here we are taught that God is the chiefe Monarch the disposer the chiefe gouernor of kingdomes that the happines of Kings consisteth in maintaining true religion and
age against the true ministers of the Gospell Againe this woman accounteth it the chiefe happinesse in earth to heare true wisedome we preferre euery profit before it wee speake and thinke basely of it we haue neither true desire nor delight to be exercised in it either publikely or priuately we esteeme too much of follie we haue no true resolution to hazard life or goods for this wisedome nay we deface and discredit it by our bad liues and therefore we doe not truely loue it nor make it our ioy or happines and therefore this woman shall rise in iudgement against vs and her example doth make much to our shame and condemnation Finally this woman was with Salomon but some short time she could not stay long hauing a kingdome it may be she stayed some fewe weekes or monethes and in so short time she is called and conuerted by the force and power of Salomons wisedome we haue had a long time a greater wisedome then Salomons and yet it hath had no such power for the good and conuersion of many and let vs here set downe our rest a little The word of the Lord is mightie through God to cast downe holdes casting downe the imaginations and euery hie thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into Captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ It is able to conuert soules and to redresse the waies of young men be they neuer so leaude wilde or wanton This wisedome is of that power if it enter into thy heart and delight thy soule that it will preserue thee from the waies of wicked men and women It is a preseruatiue against all sinne It is compared to a hammer and to a fire which are of great force by the hammer and fire the smith buckles and bends the hard yron to his vse and purpose and is not the hammer of Gods word able to bruise and buckle breake our stonie and hard hearts the fire hath power to enflame to consume to purge and shall not the fire of Gods word be as powerfull to kindle zeale in our hearts to consume sinne and to purifie and clense vs within This word is compared to a shaft or an arrowe which striketh and entreth deepely and is not the word able to strike our hearts and to pearce them through It is compared to raine which sinketh and soaketh into the earth and softneth the hard ground and shall not so many sweet showers and deawes from heauen enter into our hearts soften them and make them fruitfull in grace finally it is the power of God to saluation and sharper then any two edged sword and can it not wound vs and cut downe out sinnes the enemies of our soule The Apostle saith That such is the power of prophecying that it is able to conuert an Infidell there hath beene great power of naturall philosophie in drawing men from the hatred of sinne to the loue of vertue A Philosopher could say when he saw a vitious man that he himselfe had beene as bad if he had not giuen himselfe to the studie of Philosophie And shall not the profession studie and preaching of heauenly wisedome be of greater power to vs there is an example of one Polemon of Athens a wild and Luxurious young man delighting and reioycing in infami◠like some of the swaggering youths of our daies this young man spending a whole night in drinking and wantonnes after the Sunne rising returning home from his riotousnes he entred into the schoole of Xenocrates the Philosopher not to learne but to laugh and deride him The Philosopher omitting the matter he was intreating of began to speake of modestie and temperance and he did it with such grauitie and authoritie that he so moued the young man that he shewed open signes of sorrowe and repentance and after forsooke his luxurious life A worthy example to the shame condemnation of many both old and young in our age which heare daily many worthy sermons full of grace and power and yet they are impudent desperate gracelesse and hard harted nothing can moue them to sorrowe and humiliation for their sinnes If such be the power of naturall Philosophie farre greater is the power of heauenly wisdome As one doth most soundly and truly describe it Onely the heauenly doctrine saith hee the which alone is wisedome bringeth to passe those things which the Philosophers were neuer able to doe The commandemēts of God because they are sincere and pure of how great force they are in the hearts of men daily experience doth shew it Bring me a man inclined to anger ill tongued vnruly and rash with a few of Gods words I wil make him as quiet as a lambe Bring me a couetous person a greedie scraper and a niggard hence forth will I make him liberall Bring me one that is fearefull of death and of paine straightway he will despise both gallous and fire and dangers yea the torments of the Brazen Bull Bring me him that is a leacher an adulterer a ruffion and a rioter henceforth shalt thou see him sober chaste and continent Bring me a cruell person one that thirsteth after blood soone shal that furie be changed into clemencie and mercy Bring me an vniust man vnwise sinfull he shall straitway be iust wise innocent harmelesse so great is the might of godly wisdome that being powred into the hart of men it will at once euen at one push expell and driue out foolishnes Hath euer yet hitherto any of the Philosophers performed these things Or if he were willing were he able to doe it who when they haue spent their whole time in the studie of Philosophie yet neuerthelesse are not able if nature doe a little withstand it to make themselues or any others the better therewith Their wisedome therefore how much soeuer it can doe yet doth it not roote out vices but hide them but a fewe of Gods commandements doe so throughly and wholy change man and so make him new that thou canst not knowe him to be the same man he was The meaning of this worthy man is that the wisedome of the word excelleth infinitely the wisedome of nature be it neuer so absolute And howsoeuer Philosophers sometimes might make some men ashamed of their vices and to forsake them yet they could neuer throughly conuert any because they could not teach them true religion and the feare of God which is the beginning of all true wisedome Many examples we haue of the power of Gods word in the calling and conuerting of mens soules By this both this woman and the Niniuites were conuerted Peter preaching euen to those Iewes that crucified Christ their hearts were pricked and they said Men and brethren what shall we doe And by that sermon he wonne three thousand soules to God Oh the mightie power of the word if the Lord lay his helping hand to it Paul preached to Lidea she gaue attendance to Pauls preaching the Lord
in this distresse Both these examples of Iob and Nehemiah are as looking-glasses and mirrours for Magistrates to looke into wherein they may see what care and counsell what pitty and compassion they are to haue to ease and releiue the oppressions of their people And this will be greatly to their comfort credite and honour And indeed it may be a great discomfort and discredite to Princes to suffer their people to bee abused by oppressours and tyrants especially when it lyeth in their power to helpe and relieue them A reuerend Father and blessed Martyr in a certaine Sermon before a King of worthy memory sheweth wherin the honour of a King consisteth It is saith hee the Kings honour that his Subiects be led in true Religion that his Prelates and Cleargy bee set about their worke in Preaching and Studying and not to be interrupted from their charge Also it is the Kings honor that the Common-wealth bee aduanced and that the dearth of things bee prouided for and the commodities of the Realme bee so employed as it may bee to the setting of his Subiects on worke and keeping them from Idlenesse and herein consisteth the Kings honour and Office Furthermore if the Kings honour as some men say standeth in great multitude of people then these Grasiers Enclosers and rent-raisers are hinderers of the Kings honour For where there hath beene a great many of Housholders and Inhabitants there is now but the Shepeheard and his do so they hinder the Kings honour most of all And indded these bee the words of Salomon In the multitude of the people is the honour of a King and for want of the people commeth the destruction of a Prince Increase and aboundance of people is a great blessing of God and a credite and strength to the Prince They are not Oxen or Sheepe but men that must fight for Prince and Country if the enemies arise and assault the Land And there be many oppressions amongst vs besides these Oppressours in the Church and in the Common-wealth oppressions in euery Court in buying and selling and in other dealings amongst men to the hinderance and vndoing of many poore people But to let passe the many kinds of oppressions which the true Magistrate is to looke into and so farre as hee can to redresse and remoue I speake onely of that one kind of oppression that is biting and cruell vsury which Nehemiah reformed among his people I will speake of this because it is most common and generall yet most pernicious detestable though many do count it no sin at all Vsury had wont to be called the woe and sin of Citties and it seemeth that as pride and other sinnes had their beginnings in great Citties so had vsury but it hath passed from Citties to the Country to Townes and Villages Euery place all sorts of persons in the Land are infected with this pestilence leprosy high low rich and poore men women and children fathers mothers Maisters and Dames sons daughters men-seruants and maide-seruants husband-men trades-men and Labourers yea some that go from dore to dore to beg and craue of others haue learned this trade of vsury Free lending is hardly to be found charity is waxen cold this iniquity hath gotten the vpper hand so that this sinne is not onely now a woe to Citties but a woe to Townes to Villages and to priuate houses It is the ruine and decay of many poore people in most places of the Land nay it is the decay ouerthrow of many worthy and great houses and families in the Land It hath bitten them it hath eaten them it hath deuoured consumed them to nothing It is pittifull and lamentable that such a destroying and murdering sin should bee suffered or tollerated in a Christian Land Those that be true Christians indeed are to abstaine from all appearance of euill How much more from so grosse and apparant euill directly and expresly against the Law of God If thou lend money to my people saith God that is to the poore with thee thou shalt not bee as an Vsurer vnto him yee shall not oppresse him with Vsury Againe If thy brother bee impouerished and fallen into decay with thee thou shalt releiue him thou shalt take no vsury of him nor aduantage but thou shalt feare thy God that thy brother may liue with thee thou shalt not giue him thy money to vsury nor lend him victuals for increase Dauid shutteth out the vsurer out of Gods Kingdome as well as the slanderer and him that taketh reward against the innocent Another Prophet putteth Vsury amongst Idols Adultery and other filthy sinnes and threatneth the same punishment to one as to the other Christ saith Whatsoeuer you would men should do to you euen so doe yee to them for this is the Law and the Prophets Againe Giue to him that asketh and from him that would borrow of thee turne not away A Heathen man being asked what Vsury was hee answered what is it to kill a man Another saith that it is robbery Another that it is the death of life The ancient learned fathers do vtterly condemne it One saith that Vsury swalloweth vp mens goods and Lands large Patrimony as it were a Sea yet the Sea is neuer filled The Seas for the most part are for profite and gaine but the Vsurer can no man vse but to his owne hinderance In the Sea there is profite of many things but with the Vsurer shipwracke of all things Againe hee that taketh vsury committeth extortion rauen and pillage If hee will say I haue nothing else to liue by so may the Theefe say the Bawde the Witch the Sorcerer Some compare the loane of mony vpon vse to the poyson of Aspes Whosoeuer is strucken and stung of the Aspe he falleth into a sweet pleasant sleep and so by sweetnesse of that sleepe dyeth for then the venemous poyson disperseth into euery member So he that beginneth with vsury thinketh for a time that hee hath a great benefite but vsury runneth through all his riches and conuerteth all he hath to debt Another father being asked what vsury is saith It is a poyson of patrimony And being asked what is vsury permitted by Law hee saith that it is a Theefe that before hand giueth warning what he mindeth to do Some say that a Vsurer is worse then all sinners hee is worse then a theefe for he robbeth in the night but the Vsurer robbeth day and night He is worse then hel for in hel onely the wicked shall bee punished but the Vsurer spoyleth and punisheth both the good and bad spareth neither holy nor vnholy He is worse then a Iew for one Iew will not take vsury of another but the Vsurer will take vsury of his Christian brother Hee is worse then death for death killeth but the body the Vsurer killeth bodies and soules He is worse then Iudas for he sold Christ
prouidence that there shall bee some poore as long as the world endureth Let them therefore bee content with their state seeing God who knoweth what is best for them hath so decreed it in his Wisedome It may bee if they had riches they would abuse them in pride and wantonnesse he can if he see good turne their want into plenty Let them know that many worthy men haue beene in want and necessity Let them take their pouerty as a crosse and let them be patient and humble the rather because sometimes their owne idlenesse and loosenesse of life hath caused it let them repent of their sinnes past let them take heed hereafter of pride enâ—y slothfulnesse and vnlawfull shifts and meanes Let them depend vpon God and cast their whole care vpon him and though they bee poore in the world let their chiefe care bee to bee rich in grace in knowledge and in faith and so they shall bee sure to bee greatly in the fauour of God Let euery one of them say with the Apostle I haue learned in what state I am there-with to bee content I can be abased and I can abound euery where in all things I am instructed both to bee full and to be hungry and to abound and to haue want I am able to doe all things through the helpe of Christ which strengthneth mee Let them bee kind and pittifull to those which bee in like case with them seeing they are in the same misery Let them bee thankefull towards their Benefactors and though some rich-men bee hard-hearted vnmercifull to theÌ„ let them not curse but blesse and pray to God for them who is able to mollifie and soften their hard hearts for it may bee God in his iustice doth turne the hearts of men from them because they haue turned their eares and hearts from him they haue beene hard hearted against God against Gods word and against their brethren and therefore the hearts of others are iustly hardened against them Let them remember and follow the example of poore Lazarus which though the rich man dealtmore cruelly with him theÌ„ did his dogs had no pitty at all of so poore a creature yet this poore man did neither grudge repine nor curse and therefore being full of faith and patience he was receiued into Abrahams bosome And finally seeing that God hath such a great care of the poore in making so many Lawes for them in giuing so many preceps for their reliefe and taketh their cause to be his owne and seeing he hath appointed Ministers to speake for them and Officers and Magistrates yea Kings and Princes for their defence and reliefe Let the poore I say bee carefull to serue feare that God which is so carefull of them let them reuerence and loue the Ministers louingly embrace that word which doth perswade moue prouoke all men to the duties of mercy loue liberality Let them honor the Magistrates who are appointed as fathers vnto them who take care and watch and take continuall paines to comfort and helpe them And let them say in their soules blessed be God for good Gouernours And thus we haue heard many good parts of good Gouernours that by their meanes the wicked are punished the good are praised and countenanced euery man possesseth his owne oppressions and wrongs are suppressed the poore and needy are comforted and relieued and all these benefits duties this gracious Queene includeth in these words Equity and Righteousnesse One duty yet remaineth which is also a part of Equity and that is to establish and mainetaine true Religion this is the first chiefe duty of a good Prince though I haue referred it to the last place Good Princes are not onely to haue a care of iustice in punishing the wicked of mercy in defending the good and releeuing the distressed but also to plant and maintane the worship of God in their Kingdomes Thus much wee haue heard already that Religion Diuine Wisedome belongeth to all sorts degrees of men to rich and poore to yong old to men women children and most of all to Princes Gouernours who are to be giudes and ringleaders to others We haue examples before our eyes of a religious Queene comming so great and long a iourny to be resolued in the truth of religion reposing the greatest happines in true heauenly wisedome Here also is the example of Salomon a mirrour of Religion and Diuine Wisedom to all the world who also planted and established the true worship of God in his Kingdome We haue heard also that God is the authour of the callings of Kings and Princes that they are in his steed and carry his Name and Image therfore they of all others are to be most Religious to be most carefull that the true God who hath so highly aduanced them may bee worshipped and serued in their Kingdomes And this is Equity and Righteousnesse to command establish the Law and Seruice of their Creator and Protector And further wee haue heard that it is the duty of Gouernours to ouerthrow and roote out all false worship all false doctrine heresie and idolatry as all these are to bee remoued so in steed of these good Princes are to plant true Religion to establish faithfull Teachers in their Kingdomes They must be examples of Religion and Piety to others they must guide their families so carefully religiously that they may be patternes and presidents to others If Religion be first in their owne hearts also planted in their houshold and families they will be also carefull that all the people committed to their charge may feare God be truely Religious This is part of the counsell of Iethro Moses father in law wishing him that hee should prouide not onely men of courage and iust men hating couetousnesse but also such as feared God There be generall places in the Scripture as Loue God with all thine heart with all thy soule with all thy strength Feare God and keep his CoÌ„mandements Seeke for Gods Kingdome Labor for the meat that neuer perisheth These such like commandements exhortations as they belong to all Christians so also to Magistrates They are keepers of both the Tables of the Commandements therfore to maintaine the one as well as the other they must see as well the duties to God performed to him as the duties to meÌ„ one to another They must haue a care not only of iustice peace ciuil honesty but also of the sincerity of Religion The King is commanded to haue the book of the Law to reade in it continually that so he may learne to feare both his God and to keep al the words of the Law Dauid saith Be wise ye Kings be learned ye Iudges of the earth serue the Lord in feare reioyce in trembling kisse the sonne least hee bee angry And in another place he saith Kings of the earth all people Princes