himselfe looking out of a grated window for not being séene and causing to be layd in the place instrumentes or tooles of craftes men bookes knyues swordes and such like things to obserue whereunto they were most addicted he iudged by this in what arte he was to instruct them if by long studie and his paines they changed not according to the desire of their parentes that connaturall inclination he aduised their friends to dispose them to such arte as their nature inclined them as to the warres to marchaundise or otherwayes saying which I doe well appoue that there is but one thinge to be chaunged a corrupt nature and wicked inclination for touching the naturall vocation it is necessarie séeing it is of God to follow it without contradiction onles we would séeme to resiste God because that as euery member of the naturall bodye hath his proper office so God hath giuen to euery man as to the member of his politike and mysticall body a certain instruction or rather inspiration to followe some peculiar estate or arte aboue others which S. Paule calles vocation wherin we must walke the better to expresse our obedience to God. ¶ Instructions to know by the way of contrary oppositions by the comparisons of the other Chapters the miseries which happen to the world by reason of leude schole Masters Chapter v. LEt vs now handle more at large the incommodities and euils hapning by the fault of Maisters ignoraunt negligent fayling in their charge for hitherto we haue touched them but briefely And for aduertisement to fathers and parents to prouide wise Masters for the institution of their children Let vs also looke into the miseries that happen for not hauing good doctrine in their youth Wherein not swaruing from the comparisons aforesayed in fauour of good Masters but by Antithesis or contrary opposition applying them to expresse our purpose further we say that where ignorant or negligent Dyers in place to giue good and faire die do either raise an euil cooller or ill applie that which is good and burne the cloth in not ministring fier according to time and measure What remedie to correct this desperate losse the cooller can not easely be chaunged and the cloth is either lost or at the least so defaced that he wil be no more brought to the price and value hoped for euen so when Masters vndertaking to imprint sprituall impressiōs in childrē haue taught them that which is euill and in place to leade their youth in good instructions infect them with naughtie principles either teaching that which is wicked or interpreting the good by corrupt and false exposition as not vnderstanding the pretended sence of the author or els as vain and barbarous bring it to their owne purpose how is it possible to supplant in young sprits this wicked impressiō which they haue so curiously receiued the table canuase or parchment receiuing any paynting or workemanship of drawing whatsoeuer can not so well be razed that the staine do not appeare to the disliking of the beholder and much lesse can there be bestowed vppon it any other better counterfet or painting which wil not steane corrupt or be defaced by the fier it is not possible to washe so well a pot which hath alwayes holden oyle but he will kéepe some smacke of his first liccour and putting wyne into it it is in perill to change his tast and be corrupted Euen so is it lost labour to men to breake their braines to roote out of the wittes of Children false opinions instilled into them from their youth by teachers of error and much lesse to clense or purge their fancie defiled with vnchast lessons and stayned with dissolute and filthy spéeches yea with actes and examples vile sclaūderous The Scripture teacheth by the figure of the shéepe of Jacob and Laban that they shoulde conceiue Lambes of cooller like to the roddes which Iacob shewed them in the fountaine where they dronke that euen so simple braynes receiuing any impression by Bookes or lectures preferred to them in the first heate of their conceiuing age do not onely reteine and by time expresse in action their first conception but also are hardly drawne from it most specially if it be euil either by perswasion or contrary instruction We read not that any Disciple of the Epicurien sect euer became stoicke notwithstanding all the Philosophers reproued that sect and by infinit reasons proued their opinion most damnable That was the cause why God sayed to the Jewes in Ieremie if the Ethiopian can change his skinne you may also do well séeing you haue learned in the scholes of false Prophets to do euill as if he had sayd you haue bene so much corrupted from your youth by false doctrine of wicked Masters that you can not now dispose your selues to do wel and receiue the holly doctrines which I giue you by my Prophets But now to the other infirmities if the potters be not skilful in their Art wise and carefull to prepare and worke their first matter to fashion proper mowlles and to applie the fier with rate and season shall they raise any pot or vessell to commoditie if it be euill made were he not better to breake it then to aske a new time to repaire it If the Goldsmith faile in his first workmanship notwithstanding he haue gold ready to make some excellent Iewell hee must of necessitie breake all otherwayes he is not to preferre it to the publike iudgemēt of honest men In the same sort if Masters faile by ignorance imprudence negligence or example to prepare and make perfect the sacred vesselles of the holy Ghost the better to receiue his deuine graces gifts yea tomake such faire precious Iuels as they may be presented afore God How can this error or rather infinit fault be reformed afterwardes Salamon according to the truth of the Hebrew is of opinion that that which is depraued cannot without great difficultie be corrupted meaning not without the speciall grace of GOD Let parents beware to giue to their children schole Masters vaine barbarous and dissolute seing without wise instruction and demonstration of good life there is more perill to their children then if they put them into houses of leprosie and vncleanes wyth good reason Philip of Macedonia did not onely reioyce that he had a sonne but thought him happely borne in the time of Aristotle in hope of the doctrine and vertue which he might get vnder the discipline of so wise and skilfull a Master If the laborers faile to till their grounds in season and replenish them with good séeds let them looke to make no plentifull haruest but if they suffer the vermine of the field and ayre to deuower the corne in the blade they shall reape little or no fruite at all If they suffer them to ouergrowe with thornes thistels and wicked wéedes notwithstanding their labour to wéede and purge them yet they leaue to the field that which the field
worke the like effecte which good tutors by their doctrine and singular industrie bring forth in yong wittes They be fathers to the spirites of yong children because they forme and as it were regenerate or renew them to make theÌ„ by their doctrines spirituall diuine and heauenly who of their nature corrupt in Adam were altogyther fleshly and earthlie in which estate where they should haue liued as beastes they are polished by their tutors and prepared to vertues and so made men and of men aspire to the similitude of halfe Goddes here also they may not vnaptly be compared to Beares who in the first birth of their whelpes séeing them more like a vile and ougly masse of flesh then breathing creatures they fashion them into such proporcion with continuall licking with their tounge that in the end they giue them such a new fourme of their kinde that by this naturall industrie they séeme to haue reengendred them In this scholemaisters are phisicions to the soules of youth because they purge them of vile and foule affections and prescribing them singuler remedies antidotes and preseruatiues against vices they prepare by this spirituall medecine a perpetuall sauetie to their soules Labourers wéeding their ground couered with thornes and thistles and then applying conuenient tilthes make it ready for the séede which being good and sowen in season expresseth apparaÌ„tly what profit and benefit the trauell of the plough man bringes Gardeners by newe griffing or impinge vnfrutefull or sauage trees doe as it were renew them and chaunge all their first and naturall qualitie of a tree It is seene in euery countrey of the world howe necessarie is the office of a good heards man to leade and guide his flocke which without his prouidence would stande dispersed in to many casualties and perilles The potters of clayish earth foule to sée but more noysome to handle for that it embrueth the hand by their art make vessels so faire and delightfull that they are made necessary to the vses of great men Lastly who knoweth not that the goldsmith by the skill of his arte draweth out of lumpes of mettell and stones vnpollished euen suche faire and precious iewelles that they giue beautie and honor to the most stately Scepters of the greatest Emperours Kings and regentes of the world By these comparisons the auncientes gaue the worlde to vnderstande howe much younge children stood néede of the good and diligente institucions and doctrine of learned Masters by whose meanes chaunging both manners and corrupt complexions they are by discipline as it were refyned and made others then they were afore by their infected nature which was very well confessed by Socrates when Zophirus a Southsayer of the condicions of men by their Linaments and outward pourtraites Iudged him intemperat and Lecherus which being found false by all such as knewe his spare conuersacion and chastitie Socrates aunswered for Zophirus that he iudged not amisse of the propertie of his outward nature for that such a one had he béen by his inclinacion if Philosophie had not wholly chaunged him and made him an other The teachers and instructers of youth resemble aptlie the paynfull masters and tamers of fierce sauage beasts for in handling them in their first and fearfull age they chaunge the firste nature of those beastes and make them forget the vices errors of theyr originall kinde as we sée by yonge Lions who are made familier and obedient to theyr teachers béeing of theyr nature full of fury and crueltie we sée birds brought to speake Haukes reclaymed from theyr fierce nature familierly féede vpon the fyst of their kéepers euen so by good institucioÌ„s of graue and wise masters the wits of children are conuerted and made tractable to any maners or condicions wée will which can not bée done when they are risen in years stomak for that theyr corruption backt with custome maks them careles of correction The tender twigge or braunche of a trée albeit it be crooked may be easely made straight in the time of his tendernes but being growen to his strength he is more apt to be broken then bowed The waxe whyleste it is softe is ready to receaue any impression or forme of him that chaffeth it by the fier but being eftsons resolued to hardnes he bears no comoditye or vse The birdes that are taught to speake must be taken younge and made to know the cage Lions if they bée not litell are not made tame but with perill yea they muste be shut in yron grates and enclosed in straight lodgings and so of other sauage beastes which you go about to make familiar Euen so is it of young children who in their young ages apt then to take discipline instructioÌ„ if they be not diligently taught but that you fauour them with sufferance of time and years you take awaye the onlye ready mean to fâ—â—me them as you wishe and they ought to be They muste be instructed by men of learning vertuous life and great grauety in discretioÌ„ yea by such as haue béen first taught them selues they muste be holden shorte and kept with in the compasse of a college for that to ioyne libertie to their inclinacions is to make them resolute in euill and lead them in to infinit periles Plato left many lessons to parents to instruct their childreÌ„ when they wear young and by teachers lerned wise well-condicioned And the scripture in many places enioynneth them ther vnto vpon straight paine to be condemned with there children in such faultes as they shall comit for not benig well instructed here for a laste resemblaunce to proue how necessary is the first educatioÌ„ to chaunge nature I may auowch the experience of Licurgus by two litle whelps who comiÌ„g of on litter ought also to expresse on self comoÌ„ nature yet bicause that on was fed in the kitchin the other in the chamber where were geuen to him hares to accustome him to hunt by their diuerse and contrarie bringing vp they brought foorth diuersitie of nature the same being witnessed publikelye by the order of Licurgus who commaunding the dogges to be brought vppon a skaffolde set downe a dishe with potage and a quicke hare The kitching dogge smelling the potage and seing the hare run would not be beaten from the brothe till he had lapt vp al and lickt the dish wher the other no lesse hungrie then he was carles of the potage and ranne after the hare as a foode more agreing to his bringing vp By which familier resmblance he perswaded the citisens rude and barbarous to exercise a greater care in the institucion of their children whilst they were young leauing as a sentence that education passeth nature ¶ Wisdome science vertue diligence and feruent zeale with loue to their Disciples are very necessarie for Schoolemaisters The iiij Chapter TO the knowledge vertue and diligence of good scholemaisters muste be ioyned wisdom and déepe iudgement to discerne the humours complexions and working
teacheth and naturall iudgement that we ought to bee instructed euen from our youth For as the mind as Aristotle saieth is as a table wherevpon nothing is written nor painted and so of our owne nature we can doe nothing but thinke euill speake and doe euill so reason is none other thing in vs then a little sparke of light yet so darkned in our obscure nature that it cā no more guide vs to marche in the darknes of this worlde then a little snoffe of a candell showing darkly in a lanterne dymmed with durt or other filthines is able to giue vs light to passe in suretie through darke and daungerous places it may be aptly resembled to a flashe of lightening in the night which when it showeth vppon the earth gyues a certayne glymse of light but very short leauing afterward the traueling man in greater darknesse not knowing which way to take euen so when our reason hath aduertised vs of that which is good being presently occupied with the affections and dark passions in vs striues not valiauntly to repulse and dissolue them by her naturall light being of her selfe of too great infirmities but yéeldes to them as soone as shée is surprised leauing vs in greater perplexities of oure obscure mynd then we felt afore Whereupon as wée may cōclude that reason without doctrine is as a spark quickly quenched hauing no more power in a man to do well then a body hath meane to trauell without a minde So to the end we stomble not vppon error and vice it is necessary we haue a perpetuall cleare burning lighte of mynde which is doctrine and holy erudition For the same difference that we finde betwéene light and darknes doth Salomon set betwéene the wiseman and the foole or the ignorant Chryste calles the ignorant blind who if they vndertake to leade others fall altogither in the ditch wherein is signified the extremitie of errors whereunto do runne headlong all such as haue not true science It is sayd in the law that for the infirmitie of this reason and naturall deprauation men ought not to do what séemed good to their iudgement and mind but must raise their regarde to that which God commaundeth specially in matters concerning Religion for in things naturall and ciuill there was more libertie Then seeing children are corrupte as Quintilianus saith before they can goe being norisshed in delites rather then vnderstand them and loue the vices which they learne in the pallaices of their parents afore they haue ability to iudge of them such is their infection euen from their first education and norture thei stand need of rate and measure and to be corrected euen from their cradle We sayed before that doctrine chaungeth the mind and makes it fructifie for which cause the scripture compares it to the good séede which as with good tylthe bringes foorth good fruite so without it the best groundes would rather yéelde thistles and thornes then graine of profit as happeneth in often experience by the best kinde of corne which diligently sowne but in common grounde tournes oftentymes into poppel and light graine either by the fault of the ground the tyme or the laborer So there is great néede that with the doctrine and good institution of youth there be suffered no corruption of manners We sée the grounde without tilling and séede bringes forth of it selfe naturally and without art ill hearbes wéedes much more would our nature produce vices and néedeth no instructor to doe euill where vertues come by force of instruction and labor aswell of the maisters as disciples For hauing in our selues but certain seminaries or as litle matches which we must kindle by force of blowing applying matter to entertayne the fire if we will make any So we must suffer this nature of ours to be qualified and fashioned by doctrine and labor as we sée fyer striken out of the flinte by the instrument of stéele ¶ Continuance of the said comparisons Chapter vij THE Philosophers estéemed a man without learning as a slaue that doth all his actions by force where the learned hath a liberall agilitie to all vertuous doings they compared the man without Science to a beast accompting him not worthy to be called a man reasonable of whom one of the greatest glories is to vse reason which he can not do if he haue not Science For which cause Solō the Law reader of Athens iudged not the naturall father worthy of honour and obedience of his child if he instructed not his youth in learning and exercised his tender yeares in vertuous conuersation which opinion albeit is condemned of the Scripture which enioynes to children straite charge of dutie loue reuerence and seruice to their parents Yet so great faultes of Fathers and Mothers by the iust iudgement of God deserue no dutie at all in their children hauing onely receiued of them generation fleshly noriture without goo◠struction for which end God specially blessed them with children And often doth it happen that such children without discipline dishonour their houses destroy great families and by displeasure procure death to their parents to hasten their succession yea they are troublous sedicious and ruines of good cōmon weales And when they come to the scaffolde the last pause to the gibbot they dissemble not but crie with mayne voyce that if their Fathers had made them familiar with correction and discipline they had ben farre from those miseries Truth and dicipline sayth Salomon bee two thinges that giue correction to a young man and the child that is left to his will bringes his Mother to shame and confusion meaning that a yoūg man without instruction can giue no delite nor honour to his parents and to his friendes he cannot but bring rebuke and infamie So that if hée be not reformed by good doctrine and induced to good by the spirite of God with a true faith and charitie he can not by his owne nature but dreame vppon all euill no more thē the thornie brier can of himselfe shake of his prickes or the wild trée bring forth swéete fruit if he be not oftsones gryffed And therfore it can not be iustified to say that it were better to leaue a child to liue at his owne nature wherein as S. Paule sayth is found nothing but deprauation No let him tast of good doctrine which wil be to him as a regeneration and reformation of nature And because it may be asked in what age is best to put children to learning it may be aunswered euen so soone as in the childe is expressed a minde capable of doctrine as to some at fiue yeres to some rather and toothers later beginning with them easely or as it were by pleasure without threates the rod feare or constraint For as science of it selfe is liberall so it requires in such as séeke it libertie and fréedome of wit But if there be cause or place of correction let it be for euill doing and wicked
conuite them to a voluntari forwardnes besides that by custom those labors are made easte and pleasant conteyning in them a feeding delight the same iudgment may be made of vertu of whom learning is the norsse and most faithfull preseruation which is the reason that as a man riseth in knowledg so he encreseth in studie more then at the beginning And being come to greater skill he féeles not at all the grauitie of his paines for that inward delight of mind which he findes therin and so aspiring as it weare in an ambicius zeal to learning he findes that the knowledg he hath gotten is nothing in regard of that which he is ignorant of according to the aunswer of Socrates that his knowledg was yet nothing in comparison of his ignorance Fourthly to attaine to lerning it is expedient to vse with the labor you take inteligence or vnderstanding of that you learne order of studies repeticion conference and exercise of memorie and stile Intelligence aides the iudgement order repeticion or conference and stile frame the memorie which of all other faculties of the mind is most necessary to knowledge as being the gardien or kéeper of them for as the immagination aprehendes the vnderstanding comprehendes debats and iudgeth So the memorie reteins as a tresur coÌ„serues what so euer is heard seen and red And to haue a good memorie it ss necessary to vnderstand perfectly that is learned seing to things well vnderstand memorie is a faithfull and plentifull storehowse order serueth as an artificiall memoriall which was familier with Symonides and for that he was iudged to excell in memorie Repeticion engraueth the impression of things which you will reteine and therfore if was a custome amongest the folowers of Pythagoras to repeat euery day that which they learned the day before which made them aboue al other Philosophers most singuler in knowledg as indéed we know nothing but what we haue committed to the gard and kéeping of our memorie for if wée haue learned much at times and do not retain it we cannot say we know it if we cannot remember it and apply it as the occasion of our purpose requiers no more then that man may be called riche which gained much in times past and kept little but better may he be estéemed welthy who hauing got much hath of that to serue his vse plentifully do pleasure to his frieÌ„ds So that aboue all let young wittes exercise their memorie by diligent and perfect intelligence of the whiche they studie then by exact meditation and after by repeticion in them selues or conference with their companions not learning that which they doe not communicate or dispute with an other the better to commit it to writing or else reduce it into common places which wil be to them as certaine perpetuall memorialles The woll must lye long in the dye the better to take a continuall cooller other wayes much lesse that it wold be dyed to an excellent and lasting hew but of the contrarie the cooller would be course and yet fade quickly it is then requisite that tutors who haue iudgement for their Disciples applie carefully these meanes or better if they know any for the better institution of their schollers not doubting but that memorie as doth the spirite is quickned by that exercise and séemes to rise into dayly encrease by that meane euen vntill it touche the type of singular perfection There bée that haue readie wittes and sharpe memories by nature but nature without art without doctrine and exercise is a thing maimed and vnperfect but hauing the ayde of these it yéeldes wonderfull fruite euen as the fertill ground wel tilled fructifieth the better without which industrie it would yéeld an vnprofitable haruest to the owner And as there is no ground so barene by nature which by plowing fatting and laboring is not reduced to some fruiâ—â— by the same reason there can not be such dull wittes and short memories which by the benefits of the meanes aforesaide are not sharpened and made better This I bring in by the way the more to sturre vp young spirites feeling such weaknesse of nature to trauell to correct them by those industries as we read Demosthenes by importunat and continuall laboures reformed so well his vice of nature being giueÌ„ to stutt and very vnapt to learne that he came to excell euen the most excellent Orators of his tyme In this sorte then both the one and the other young wittes aswell sharpe and forwarde as slowe and dull are exhorted to gette knowledge for the which togither with actes of true vertue they are truely acknowledged worthie of the name of men as without them they are but creatures masked rather then men neither worthy of worldly honor nor resolued of the certaine meane to their saluation and much lesse able to comprehende what God is knowledge will enable them and set them oute to what estate they like to follow and bring them honor though they will not make exercise of learning And besides the pleasure they shall receyue by it swéet profite and assured honor yea be it that they professe estate of armes a lyfe séeming farre estraunged from learning euen there also doctrine giues the greatest ayde according to the fame of the Athenian Captaines who being learned men brought foorth actes more valiant and wonderful then others and by learning the great Alexander Caesar Augustus amongest other princes most learned haue brought no small renowne to their enterprises and actes of warre For this cause the poetes haue fayned Pallas signifying science armed and as a leader of a campe meaning by that fiction that an armie is most suerly guyded by Captaines learned as in whom resteth most suttle and sharp spirites and a settled iudgement of all the pollicies and strategemes of other auncient Captaines conquering townes couÌ„treys and kingdomes Besides this the memorie of such valiaunt actes would perish were not for the writings of learned men who being Captaines as Thucidides Iulius Caesar and Iosephus or at the least men at armes as Salust haue a better order of descriptioÌ„ then such as know nothing but by heare say to such as hold that learning make mennes mindes fearfull to much deliberate or thoughtfull it may be aunswered that in the liberall and noble minds it rather workes an effect of greater courage as is most certaine in the former examples And touching thought it is necessarie to coÌ„sider with aduise when where and howe to direct attemptes of warre wherein as it is found true in common experience that councell and discretion in warres do more then force so it falles out most commonly that battailes gouerned with rashe boldnes bringe foorth vnhappie issues where wisedom ruling fortune séemes to goe with Gods deliberat prouidence For a last prayse of learning in attemptes of warre we finde that the Lacedemonians painted the nyne Muses armed declaring that men of knowledge doe then best dispose and instruct in warres when
a cōmendable property to minister cure to the Soules of their patientes afore they vndertake to Remoue the diseases of the body But such is the wretchednes of many that if the Phisition speake to them of God or of consideration to the reckoning weale of their conscience they subborne by and by an habilitye of health saying they are not yet so farre spent nor that the necessity of theyr sicknes requireth the aduise or comfort of the Preacher And as such pacientes desire to bring them into no fancye of death and much lesse to increase theyr fraile sorrow with heauye counsell so there bée also phisitions of so colde reuerence and taste to God that they wil not haue theyr pacients to feede of other dyet then pleasaunt Speach and if they haue béene whoremongers they dispose the time into discourses of wanton Ribaldry feeding their cares and eyes with the presence of fayre Damselles singing and playing of Instrumentes and so leade them with theyr Pastimes into the bottome of Hell where they ought with the féeling of theyr Pulses to sounde also the bottome of their Consciences and Salue theyr sicke mindes with perswasions to demaunde pardon of God for want of whiche it maye bée that they are drawne into those afflictions But when these wretched Sycke men are as it were at theyr laste and abandoned of theyr Phisytions then God is brought into theyr remembraunce when the Spirites being weake the Sences dissolued the hearing without vertue and the heart languishing to his laste hée hath no iudgement of that which is preached to him but what so euer stoode in his affection afore bee it good or ill hée retaynes it and the minde hauing no Capacitye to comprehende Doctrine is without regarde to call it selfe to account or correction whereby it happeneth by the Iustice of God according to Sainct Augustine that that almightye and terrible Iudge doeth punishe the Synner in the ende of his dayes because during his health and good disposition hee liued in negligence towardes God and neuer gathered the actions of his life into accounte It is saide that as in death men haue no remembrance of God so the feare of death and hell more then the loue of God makes men oftentimes confessing their sinnes for touching the will there is more daunger that sinne will leaue man then man renounce sinne So that by the waye of aduertisement let as well the Phisition as the patient bee warned heare to exhibite the dutye of Christians and not to grudge if I dooe exhorte them for that hauing in hande to wryte a Christian gouernement and Pollecye I can not without offence dissemble any thing whiche tendes to common dutye in thinges concerning God. Therefore I aduise the sicke man so soone as hée comprehendes the mocion and qualitye of his disease to bequeathe himselfe altogeather to God and consulte with his Soule For suche maye bée the furye and violent nature of his Sickenesse that what for debilitye of bodye or sorrowe of minde or other accident of infirmitye muche lesse that hée shall haue oportunitye to common with his Conscience but of the contrarye power shal be taken from him to discerne in what state hée standes It is not good that euerye one make a Custome and common recourse to Phisicke reducing the disposition of theyr Stomackes to a Pothicarye shoppe the same agréeing with the prescript of the best Phisitions of our tyme who aboue all thinges geue this generall counsayle that men dispose theyr lyues in sobryetye forbeare Excesse and not to become subiect to immoderate affections as to bee geuen to anger to heauines of heart and to the actes of vnchaste loue They must refraine from hurtful thinges as corrupt meates infected ayres vncleane places contagious sicknesses vsing moderate labours neuer eating without appetit nor drinking without a desyre to quenche thirste wherin if any by negligence do runne into excesse let him vse the contrarye as if hee haue offended his Stomacke with surfeite let him suffer fasting and correct crudelitye by spéedye concoction If hée haue ouerwearyed his Bodye with trauaile let him vse rest and as health is to bée preserued by thinges lyke so in all excesses the reméedy is to bée deriued by their contraries obseruing this perpetual medicine to absteine as nere as hée can from offending God who is the generall most often the special cause of al diseases Who so euer entreth into medicines let him doo it in necessity as the scripture teacheth vs forbeare phisicke till the extremity for which purpose it was ordeined of God of whom as wée are taught the phisitions are ministers raised for the sick and not for the sounde so Gallen is of opinion that all Phisicke bringes with it some dommage to the person And therfore not without cause the Greeke word calles a Droage or reméedy Pharmacum signifying properly Venim rather then a thing wholsome as if the Greekes would haue said that medicionable droages are as matters venemous to a man touching a nature well disposed so that it behoueth there bée in the body corruptions and humours infected afore you receiue Droages by the which the enemye of the sound and not corrupt nature may bée driuen out which otherwayes woulde haue murdered and deuoured the same nature Such as compare medicine and Phisicke to a bucke of foule cloathes meane that they are not to bée vsed but in necessity For as the Bucke serues no other turne but to cleanse the Cloathes when they are foule which also being often Buckt can not but waste and consume So the body suffereth the like effect by Phisick whose often medicines as a canker doo fréete and eate out the strength of youth and so cleanse vs of health that wee can not reache to olde Age. Bée sure to kéepe your breathing Bodies pure and cleane so shal you haue no neede of Purgation no more then your Linnen being neate hath neede to be put into the buck the same standing with the aduise example of most wise Phisitions with whome nothing is lesse familier then to apply phisick to them selues and nothing more intollerable then to ioyne theyr stomackes to the custome of medicines which we may conclude bring no fruite but when they are vsed by necessity Therfore let euery one tye him selfe to good Regiment to temperate labour to wholsome meates sound Ayre sweete water cleane Places But aboue al let him eschewe the sweete allurement to sinne And when wée offend God let our first cure stand in action of penaunce and after vse mearines of minde and not to gréeue for any thing that may happen as in déede the faithfull Christian ought neuer discend into sorrow but for his sinne but hath cause to reioyce in al aduersity sicknes yea and in death it selfe for that as S. Paul sayth in al these thinges is wrought the matter of his benefite and health as thinking that al the passions and tribulations of this fraile and humane life are
men are condemned for sinne so it behoueth euerye one howe Ritche so euer he bée or what power or principalitye so euer he possesse to obeye the lawe and this ordinaunce otherwaies he is a transgressour of the lawe and punishable as an offendur it is therfore that S. Paul teacheth that all men ought to trauaile condemning the loyterour not to bée worthy to liue and with all excōmunicates al idle people calling them disordered because they are not in the order polletike where all the worlde according to theyr perticular vocation doth trauaile and none is founde vnprofitable euen as in the natural body which suffereth no part or member to be Idle but all seruing an vse in their body do trauaile in their humane functions If no man bée excommunicated but for some great crime séeing Saint Paul excommunicated Idle people they can not be but very criminal God hath ordained labour as a penaunce to man and to be to him as a remembraunce of the wretchednes which sinne bringeth an exercise to kéepe him in vertue and a meane to traine him to humility and dutye according to the arte whereunto hée is called by the which his spirite is drawn from wicked thoughts corrupt affections and reprobate desires wherwith the Idle man is continuallye vexed For this cause S. Ierome biddes vs bée doing alwaies some worke to the ende the Deuil may finde vs occupied Besides this moderate labour is very profitable to the health of the body without the which by crudity and indigestion of humours retaining the excrements many diseases may bréede And therfore who wil not bende his body to labour should in the consideration of these reasons commit great faultes against God against him selfe against his common weale wherunto hée is bound with al his meane and power For as according to the resemblance before there is no member in the humane bodye which trauailes not according to the facultye of his nature and office to geue ayde to the general bodye and euery member in perticular which otherwayes would fal into infirmitye yea if it should perseuere without geuing succors and bréede hurt by contagion it should bée cut of from the body not onely as vnprofitable but as a corruptor of the other members so what lesse office belonges to the member of this body polletike Deserueth hée not that which S. Paul geues to the idle Thessalonians to bée cut of and excluded from Christian society And if Iesus Christ condemne an idle worde that is bringing no profite to our neighbour to the iudgement of God what sentence may bée geuen of suche as not onelye liue in idle wordes but loase theyr precious time and omitting innumerable good déedes stand idle vnprofitable euen in their proper vocation If any wil saye that in this idlenes men offende not for that they doo but walke talke sléepe make méerye passe the time without doing euil to any hauing withall whereupon to liue without trauaile it maye bée denyed for the first part of the aunswere that they cannot but doo euill for that as suche lyfe and Pastimes are reprooued and that in all times and for all our workes and wordes wée are bounde to geue accoumpt to God. So it is not inough to abstaine from doing euill but wée must also without ceassing bée exercised in doing good according to the Scripture So that the Ritche man must not say I haue inough and néede not take paine Nor the Gentleman must not vaunte of his great reuenues say hée hath no further care but to passe his time in hunting and other delites Nor let the Bishop and Churchman excuse him selfe of trauaile for that his liuing is plentifull and prepared to his handes For euery man is bounde to followe his vocation and walke as Saint Paul sayth according to the same Hée must not sléepe then in that vocation if his office bée to trauaile and that with as great diligence as he maye euen no lesse then belonges to him that hath vndertaken for some necessary affaires to make some painefull iourney Let suche people whome God hath blessed with suche wealthe as to maintaine theyr life there is no necessitye of labour consider why they were raysed to such Ritch estates who the more they haue the greater reckoning haue they to make to God are subiect to more déedes of charitye then others In this I bind not al sorts of men to a dutye of trauaile with the hand in workes of labour But as there be diuerse sorts of trauailes some of the minde and some of the body So to some kindes of labor is required sometimes the strayning of the bodye and sometime the exercise of the minde The Ritch man hath his part of trauaile to direct his affaires kéepe his seruantes in office wherin let him with Abraham seeke out in the high wayes poore passangers about his house his néedy neighbors imparting vnto them of his goodes geuen him by God for that ende The Gentleman hath inough to prouide for the quiet of his Tenauntes that they consume not one another with sutes and to defend them from the oppression of the théefe or enemye hée ought to bée to them as a shéephearde to his flocke whose office is not onelye to defend them from the Iawes of the Wolfe but also so to leade them as they doo no hurt to the seuerall Féeldes of another But in warre the Gentleman is bounde for the publike defence of his Countrey to commit his person to hazarde So that whether in peace or in warre the Gentleman hauing due regarde to the discharge of his office and estate hath no leasure to leade or loase his time in Idlenes What belongeth then to the Magistrate Polletike who likewise is a pastour of his people to guide them ciuilly by counsell to kéepe them according to the Lawe to defende them with his aucthoritye and vse such prouidence as they bée not molested But much more yea most of all it belongeth to the spirituall pastour of Soules the churchman of what order soeuer he bée to bée vigelaunt in his estate as hauing in charge farre more precious thinges then the others of a greater perrill if he loase them for in loosing one Soule being so deare to Christ as he gaue his life for it he loseth also his owne and can not bée saued if onelye one bée spilt thorow his default Right straitely therefore is he bound to pray incessauntly to preache diligently and to show holy conuersation in his office who if he lose many soules eyther by his example or through his false Doctrine or by negligence in his duty incurreth horrible damtion for that in losing a Soule hée suffereth to bée lost and spilt the blood of Iesus Christ Thus as there is no man who notwithstanding his sufficiencye of wealthe hath not occasion to trauaile more then others whome necessitye enforceth to paynes for theyr reléefe so the more hée is bounde to God for his wealthe by
cause helping to the excuse and they by vnrulie disobedience abuse her in their dutie or that by some collaterall match shée may eyther bring encrease to hir reuenue or helpe the porcion of her daughters shée is iustified in her second mariage wherein aboue all other cares let her beware that no moode of incontinencie lead hir for that in our Christian religion it is accompted a vice moste slaunderous Touching such as are contented with the state of widowhed let them with S. Paules councel exercise their times in prayers take their delites in holy and godly things and trauell with all their harte to cleaue to God and to please and serue him in al puritie of will and spirituall affection and for their better meane to those holy actions let them eschew conuersation with men and prepare their flesh by fastinges and great sobrietie for as S. Paule sayeth the widowe that liues in delites is dead as whose wanton conuersation wallowing in ease and belly cheare hath corrupted hir mind with affections of mortall sinne wherein shée is readie to ioyne effect to hir fleshly wil as opportunitie shall consent But holy widowes liue spiritually and kéepe their bodies in necessities and their myndes in deuoute exercise as fasting prayer and other deuoute meditations of the spirit séeking after the perfection of the vertuouse widowes in the scripture as Iudith and Anne the prophetisse who from their youthes béeinge widowes receiued great graces from God as the one in the execution of Gods enemies and the other in prophesying of the comming of Christe publishing openly in the temple when the Lord was brought thither that hée was the true Messias ¶ The office of Fathers and Mothers towardes their children and the dutie of children to their parentes Chapter iiij TOuching the office of the second societie in nature pertaining parents towardes their children and of them reciprocallie to their fathers and mothers we will discourse according to the scripture Leauing the doctrine of the Pagan Philosophers as opinions doubtfull in themselues and vncertaine to Christians fathers and mothers haue in comen to bring vp and institute their children where of the mother is tied to a speciall care whilest they are young as growing into state of years and bignes thei belong chiefly to the fathers aswel for their authoritie as their greater and more wise prouidence Touching administration of noriture to their bodies with all other prouisions which the necessitie of nature requiers the mother most cōmonly takes vppon hir that special care as in whom the zeale of nature doeth most abounde some times sparing foode from hir selfe to féed hir children and restraining hir owne body to colde and hunger stickes not to cloathe hir naked tender impes to whome she bears more compassion then to hir proper wantes But for the féeding of the soule being the principall part of man and by the which wee are men and regenerated in to the children of God the body being none other thing then the vessell or mantiō of this sowle the prouision and care is equall to the father and mother both streightly enioyned without distinction to prouide such spirituall féeding clothing as may be worthy for this soule formed to the Image of God which is holly doctrine of saluation and correction instruction in good maners the same as it is the principall cause why God hath blessed them with children So with out those institutions children would fall into degeneration with natures and actions of brute and hurtefull beastes they would be come children accurssed whose dispsiscion would bring forth nothing but pride couetousnes glottony whoredome malice dissolute maners yea they wold become instruments altogither obedient to the wil of Sathan Prince of the world some what to qualifie the grieues of mothers bringing forth their childrē in great paine sorow often times in hard mortal peril of life lulling cherishing them with cares and watching day night with many other perplexities belonging to the institution of their litle youth S. Paule giues them this great consolation that the woman shall be saued by the generation of hir children if with hir instruction she conioyne this care to kepe them by exhortation and hir example in the constancie of faith charitie and sanctification which they receiue by baptisme enclining alwayes to do holy déedes with sobrietye which to young people is the mother noresse of all good doctrines and vertue as of the contrarie children dissolute folowing their foule will neuer attaine to scence and lesse folowe studie and least of all exercise verteous actions and because the mother ought thus to teatch hir children Salomon giues them commaundement to heare and receiue hir lawe aswell as to harken to the doctrine of their father And for example he resites that his mother Bersaba taught him from his infancie in the feare and wisdom of God wher by euen in his youth he became so wise as the scripture reporteth And albeit S. Paule restraines a mother of a family to preache in the church yet he takes no libertie from hir to instruct hir houshold and children in their dutie and office of life with out offending god which then is best performed when she makes the doctrine of God familier with them The daughter of Pithagoras well instructed by hir father in vertue and loue to virginitie kepte a schoole for mayds whō she made so singulerly wise and learned that they confounded the ignorance of many men and with hir resolued to perseuer in the state of perpetuall virgins Cornelia mother to both the Gracchus read to hir children the arte of retoricke whearein she raised them to such knowledg of excelency and eloquence that she was estemed for the most happie lady of Rome yea one day when a gallant or vaine dame of the cittie bragging of hir Iewels shewed hir much stately worke of embrodery and stones she aunswered hir I neuer was careful to make my selfe shine with so false lights as Iewels and stones nor to embosi my house with florishing hangings of goldworke but here sayth shée shewing hir eloquent and learned children is the sunne wherin I shine and the tapistrie Iewels and treasure of my house which in déede as they brought hir more honour then if she had ben Lady and owner of all the riches in Rome So yet she had aspired to more great supreame felicitie if according to hir trauell to distill knowledge into them they had expressed their excellēt learning in actes of modestie vertue in the discourse of their life But because it is a common question at these dayes whither the dugge of a mother is more proper to féede the tender infancie of the childe then the milke of a straunger as also what sortes of meates afterwardes are fit for their noriture it can not bée impertinent to declare our opinion as it were in passing Touching the first noriture if there be no lawfull excuses in the
that happen in the world they are alreadie well proued to discend directly from God and not by any prouidence of fortune as the Epicuriens and Atheists of our time beleue nor fatally according to the opinion of the infidels togither with the Astrologians who attribute all to their aspects constellations oppositions and reuolutions of starres and much lesse according to the philosophicall perswasion of the Phisitions bringing in the alterations and corruption of Elements and naturall bodies not raising vp their spirites to the consideration of the deuine prouidence that the soule gouernes not better all the parts of our humane body then the great God rules measures this huge world not suffring the least herb or plant to moue or grow without feeling his vertue and power Nor little bird to fall vppon the branch of any trée without the prouidence and will of that omnipotent mouer of all things nor lastly the least haire of our head which is not kept in reckoning by him The Phisitions or later Philosophers do oftentimes beguile themselues by the second causes as making them the imediat or first causes of any euill that hapneth which is a kind of infidelitie not fixing their iudgmeÌ„ts but on things which they see as when the South wind hot and moyst hath blowne much most commonly in a yere when ponds lakes and fennes are corrupted when in a dearth of vittailes people are constrayned to eate vnseasonable meates when the ayre is close and giues out an euill seat when the winter contrary to his nature is hot and sootie when many vile and vememous beastes engender vppon the earth and caterpillers frogges and other vermine fall out of the ayre when such signes appeare the Phisitions say they are the cause of plague sicknes not considering that GOD vseth these second causes ordeyned by his prouidence as instruments and manifest signes of the same prouidence that for this reason By those signes he giues warning to the world that he prepareth to execute his iustice vppon people nations and by these foretokens inuites and aduertiseth men to fall to submission and supplication for pardon to the end he thunder not suddenly his ful indignatioÌ„ rigor vppon sinnes A child séeing his father prepare rods and bindes them shake them in his hand hath to thinke that he hath offended the time of his scourging draweth neare and therfore in feare teares humilitie he ought to fall prostrate afore the knées of his father as we haue afore aduised By these meanes sayth Joel what know we if God of nature good and reconcileable to our vices wil be conuerted and aforde grace at the least he will not condemne our soules if with a changed harte we performe action of penance when the Prince by long counsell and aduise causeth to be erected in many publike places of his Realmes great scaffoldes gibbets and the instruments of torment such as haue offended the law haue no meane to flée what other thing can they thinke of this preparation then a resolute purpose of the Prince to execute smarting iustice vppon them great is their present feare but farre greater the griefe displeasure which they ought to haue of their offences ought they not to call into practise all meanes seruing for their deliuery yea if they tary till they be led to the scaffold their haÌ„ds and feete bound with other attires of high offenders being ready to be offred to the execution there is small hope or expectation of mercie let them go themselues with their halters about their neckes and taking their best frieÌ„ds to solicit in their intercession to the Prince let them discouer true effects of contricion and imploring the frée mercy of the Prince let theÌ„ offer restitution to the parties offended and better obedience and behauior here after in them selues so shall they with Dauid not suffer the vtter most rigor of iustice or els auoid it altogither as the Jsraelites escaped it in the time of Jonathas the Niniuits also by their seuere woÌ„derful penaÌ„ce eueÌ„ so al these second causes are but signes instruments of Gods iustice tokens preparations and fore shewes as according to the examples of the rodds skafoldes and gibbets by the which he declares his anger and disposicion to punish sin The semblance that is made the preparation and the rod as they are no causes of gods iustice but it is for the punishment of our sinnes that execution is so aparantly prepared So after such shewes and warnings doeth not the Father begin to scourge his sonne Doth he lay aside the rod afore he sée the amendment of his sonne or at least some hope that he will coreâ—t him selfe and not returne eftsoones to his naughtines The childe can not accuse the rod as the cause of his scourging much lesse the trée where it was gotten and least of all his father that layd one the lashes But entring in to the vew and iudgment of his owne life let him accuse himselfe and saye that his sinne is the first cause of the euill that he suffereth For if he had done well because the lawe is not to punish the iuste he had not feared that rod as in déed to speak properly he feareth it not though he haue offended but feares his father which holdes it in his hand since the rod can do him no harme if he be reconsiled to his father ¶ To remedie all euils the causes must be taken away the discrtion and wisdome requisite there vnto Chapter viij I Would we were as good Philosophers touching our faith as Phisicions be in their medicines and phisick Then would we apply as good spiritual cures against sinne as by them are ministred temporall remedies to heale and preserue bodies from diseases They assone as they deserne the second causes of a sicknes apply present prouision to the place where they remaine they minister purgations to kepe bodies from corruption by euill humors they cause the stréets and straight corners of the towne to be clensed lest the ayer congeale infectioÌ„ they make fiers abroad to mortefie and purge euill smells and within howses disperse and strew perfumes They prescribe sobrietie and forbid excesse they banish all vnsauerie meates bringe in abstinence from cohabitacion they apoynt Methredat and other preseruatiues and giue order to weare Rue and other strong hearbs proper against the Plague In like sort if we vsed spirituall meanes to kéepe vs from euill doing we should with the fact of sinne auoid also the perills miseries that are brought with it yea if assone as we deserned the second causes threatning signes of the vengance of God we would purge our selues of all wicked affections and vices not suffer in our commoÌ„ weale impunitie of sinne but performe one holy and generall conuertion and conuersation according to christianitie we should not only tourne away the hand of God from vs but eftsones restablish his gracious