to be much wondered at among Heathens that know not God yea many of them that worship the Devil But for those that own the Christian Religion a Gospel of Peace to abound herein is the greatest scandal possible to our holy Christian Profession The Almighty calls therefore aloud to us all to return to the Primitive Purity and Integrity of our Religion and if so then there would be neither place for Papal pride Tyranny Uncharitableness and Cruelty on the one hand nor for Pride Peevishness ignorant Confidence Factions Divisions Hatred and Variance on the other hand Alas Quis non vita etiam sua redimat subrotum istuc infinitum dissidii scandalum was the saying as I have read of the worthy Martin Bucer It is therefore Gentlemen a work very well becoming you to set your selves against all Faction and Division earnestly to promote the peace of the Church and State that we may be all united at home And in the next place promote the Peace and Unity of Christendom a brave and noble work if it were possible to be effected to unite all Christians together in Christendom which wise and good men of all sides have thought possible but if in this respect you can do little yet let us all wish and pray for the peace happiness and unity of the Christian world in the Language of our Church That God would inspire continually the Vniversal Church with the Spirit of Truth Vnity and Concord and grant that all they that do confess his holy name may agree in the truth of his holy word and live in Vnity and Godly love And however as to such who although they deny the Infalibility of the Papacy yet will every one claim it to himself that affirm they are every one guided by the Spirit and that adhere strongly to those tenents which are inconsistent with Government Order and Peace of the world if ever you would preserve peace and Unity these must be looked on as Religious Lunaticks and so to be dealt with kept from doing of mischief Consider our holy Profession enjoyns us nothing more than Unity and Peace to speak the same things to be all of one mind to study peace to keep the unity of the Spirit in the Bond of of Peace to love one another by which we should properly distinguish our selves to be the Disciples of Christ which our Fanaticks will nevertheless contradict and gainsay although it be to reproach God himself for they will confidently affirm that this which God requires of us is impossible and that it is as possible to make all faces alike as all Christians to speak one and the same thing and to be united And that to endeavour this is to do as Procrastes did with those that lay in his Bed with horrid cruelty to bring all men to the size thereof When in truth they herein plead but for their Lusts and Vices and because they be unwilling to bring their lives to the rule God hath given they would wickedly pervert the Rule and make it sute with their Lusts. For the great hinderance of this Unity Peace and Love arises from our Pride and Self confidences our Peevish Tempers our Lusts and Passions which we ought to mortify and subdue if we would be Christians as we profess our selves to be this excellent design of Unity and Peace among all Christians might meet with its desired effect I have read of St. Ambrose that he should say Si virtutem finis ille maximus sit qui plurimorum spectat profectum moderatio omnium pulcherima est if that end of Vertues be the greatest that looks at publick good moderation is of all the most beautiful And it is said of the Thebans that they made Harmonia a Goddess they accounted her the Defender of their City and surely she may be well accounted the Upholder of the Universe for by Order Agreement and Peace the whole world subsists and God in Scripture is styled the God of Order Therefore as one says well Harmonious Dispositions that are for Order and Government Unity and Peace have much of God in them there is a Nobleness in such hearts And doubtless those Principles Doctrines and Designs which most promote the great end and design of Christianity viz. The making men really good and vertuous and for the uniting us all together in mutual Love and Charity as Brethren all of one great Family of which Christ is the head will own God their Author So likewise all those that are of Dividing and Schismatical Principles and Practices whose very end and natural tendency is disturbance to order Government and Peace in the world are certainly from the Devil that Abaddon and Apollion the great Destroyer whatever their Pretences otherwise may be And now I think these truths which I have presented before you are worthy of our most serious thoughts and considerations and that it is high time when Gods dreadful Judgments are abroad that shake the Foundations of Christendom to leave off Jesting and Drolling with God and Religion Sharpness of Wit as a Learned Author hath observed hath commonly with it Pride and Levity two ill Companions therefore take heed and consider truly that wit and wisdom are far different things it is true that wit well improved by sound Study by time and experience improves into wisdom at last for wisdom is not born with us into the world yea wisdom is a solid and serious thing it teacheth us to consider truly and fully of all things to look beyond the surface or first representation and appearances of things and if Gentlemen and Scholars will not study and consider things truly if they become careless and lay aside consideration what use will all the Pious and Learned Books in the world be for any more but to be consumed and destroyed and the Religion of Mahomet to be speedily expected among us for that will best befit an inconsiderate age given up wholly to their sensualities to gratify their carnal appetites for nothing will certainly please more such sensualities than a Mahumetan Paradice But I hope better things and that Gentlemen will yet be like Gentlemen Knowing Learned and Wise and let every one of you argue with your selves thus What although I am descended of a Noble of a Gentile Family and am possest of a fair Estate enjoy the fulness of all earthly felicities have a numerous train and live in great Pomp and State yet hath not the wisest Mortal that ever lived even wise Solomon after he had experienced the fulness of all these things in a greater measure then ever any before or since hath done and being inspired with wisdom from God concluded thus that Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity and Vexation of Spirit And shall I be so unwise as to put any other value or esteem upon all these far less injoyments that possibly I may possess Is not that a prudent Saying Si tibi Pulchra Domus si splendida mensa quid inde
recommend Popery but Christianity to you especially when these may serve to provoke you who think your selves more illuminated to a holy jealousy whilst you consider that if these worthy persons arrived to so high a pitch of Christian Graces and Perfection adjudged by you to be darkened with some Errors how much you ought to attain the same enjoying more Truth lest perhaps Error be said to produce more Piety than Truth and your Sin remain to you unexcusable CHAP. IV. Motives to Vertue and Goodness as follows That it is not only Birth and an Estate that makes us truly Gentlemen or makes us happy but Vertue and Goodness GEntlemen I bumbly request you to consider in short it is not only Birth and Estate that makes a man truly happy for many times wealth and grandure lye under great temptations as I before mentioned Estates and Power become as Fuel to mens lusts encourage and embolden them the more in sin is a means to debauch their minds to debase themselves in vice and wickedness defying God and his Laws injuring and oppressing those in their power by means of their Pride Passion Lust Envy and Revenge And can there be a more formidable mischief and unhappiness to man than this state and condition when their wealth and fulness of all Gods blessings leads them to be more impious and wicked when they lean upon their wealth while they fall from God when they think as Iulia Augustus's daughter did who being taxed for her too wanton and licentious living and counselled to conform her self to the Sobriety and Gravity of her Father Answered Pater meus obliviscitur seesse Caesarem Ego vero memini me esse Caesaris Filiam Thus greatness is commonly taken to be a priviledge to sin But true Generosity and Gentility doubtless consists as Caesar's did in Gravity and Sobriety in being eminent in Religion Vertue and Loyalty in Prudence Integrity and true Goodness for I have read of Seneca that he should say That this was true Wisdom and Happiness to have a purified heart for in these true generosity and nobleness of Spirit do consist these will beautify a man and cause him to have respects and honour although he be cloathed with Rags this will make his Face to shine will make him highly reverenced and esteemed for as a late worthy Author hath it what is the main end of our life What is it at which with so much pain and labour we strive to arive It is or should be nothing else but Vertue and Happiness Happiness therefore may as well dwell with the Poor Miserable and Distressed Persons as with Persons of better fortune since it is confess'd by all that Happiness is nothing else but Actio secundùm Virtutem a leading of our life according to Vertue Some man hath a Diamond a fair and glittering fortune some man hath a Flint a hard harsh and despicable fortune let him bestow the same skill and care in Polishing and Cutting of the latter as we would or could have done on the former and be confident it will be as highly valued if not more highly rewarded by God who is no accepter of Persons but accepteth every man according to what he hath and not according to what he hath not Let us truly consider that Gentility and Nobility first arose from heroick noble and generous Enterprises and Designs either more especially for the honour of God defence of his true Religion the support and honour of the Prince Gods Vicegerent and the publick Weal for the general good so that it could not be said of any one of them Vtilis ipse sibi fortasse inutiliis orbi for he was one of a Publick Spirit who mainly minded the general good and this is truly mans happiness as well as honour for as a late worthy Author hath expressed it He that lives a life conformed to the Divine Law that lives most to God best to himself and most useful to his Prince and Country and to all mankind and to the height of those excellent principles of vertue and true goodness with all the Sober and Serious men since the world began have justified and applauded deserves highest respect and esteem and to be accounted of a gentile and noble Spirit and if such a person be blest with a great Estate and Fortune as well as with the Goods of the mind before mentioned how great excellent and Illustrious will he appear to the world in the eyes of all that behold him This this is Gentility this is the way to make you Gentlemen this will make you like your selves will make you revered even adored as Gods on Earth Ecclus. 10.24 Great men and Iudges and Potentates shall be honoured yet there is none of them greater than he that feareth the Lord. O how would Vertue and true worth and Goodness render you amiable in the sight of the most high place you under the best and safest guidance and protection in this world make you to be Delicium humani generis as was said of Titus the Noble Roman as I remember the delight of Mankind the great Reformers of the Nation your example would render Religion and Vertue acceptable to all your inferiors You would be the strong supports of the Crown and Government great helps to the Clergy in their Function in disseminating Religion and Goodness as the worthy Dean of Canterbury hath observed who speaks thus It is our part to exhort men to their duty but 't is you that would be the powerful and effectual Preachers of Righteousness we may endeavonr to make men Proselytes to vertue but you would infallibly draw Disciples after you we may try to perswade but you would certainly prevail either to make them good or to restrain them from being bad and thus be sovereign restorers of Piety and Vertue to a degenerate age To which I may add you Gentlemen would be a means thus to bring honour to God you would credit your Religion you profess and revive the ancient glory of it you would again make it eminent and famous in the world bring in the Golden Age among us so much talked of in the world make this Nation the happiest People under the Sun for doubtless happy are the people that are in such a case yea happy are the people who have the Lord for their God And more particularly as to every one of you Vertue and true Goodness would put you under the highest protection under the care and guard of Heaven God and his blessed Angels for you see by daily experience the multiplying of dangers and hazards that attend upon us all poor Mortals in this vally of Tears and how that as the Sacred Scriptures testify The evil Spirits are daily and hourly watchful to mischief and hurt us both Soul and Body for the Devil is said To go about like a Roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour And as I have read of Plutarch who relates that it was the general opinion of
Example for you know that Suadet loquentis vita non Oratio and Dicta factis deficientibus erubescunt I have read of a Gentlewoman that turned Atheist upon this account that she living under a great Doctor that Preached excellently was very Learned but lived very Licentiously and this was no wonder for she saw plainly that he was but in jest when he was in the Pulpit and that he did not really believe himself what he preach'd to others and ignorance will think why should it fear where knowledge dares venture And alas Dicta factis deficientibus what do they signify But I hope I shall not be misunderstood that hereby I intend to asperse the Sacred Function in general far be it from my thoughts for I am verily perswaded that the Church of England is through the good providence of God and the wise conduct and incouragement of the Governours thereof blest at present with as Learned Able Orthodox and Pious a Ministry in general as ever possibly it had since the first Reformation of Religion My design is principally by way of Caution to our worthy Clergy against the Fanaticks of our times and that none of our Clergy might afford them any cause of advantage hreein to improve against us who are as studious to search after the slips and failings in our Ministry maliciously to asperse the Church Just as Sir Edwin Sands relates that the malicious Iews in places where they live among Christians are very curious to spy out and discover the pious frauds of the Fryers in forging of Miracles not out of Love or Design to have things reformed but out of Hatred to Christianity to asperse the Christians In the next place I would humbly propose this to our Clergy that according to their interest and opportunity they would mainly and principally intend the promoting of the spiritual welfare of the worthy Gentry by indeavouring to work upon their hearts and Consciences a lively sence of God and Religion by Wise Humble Affectionate Religious Exhortation Reproof Advice and Counsel together with Pious Conversations and when you have once gained them a great part of your work is done in your Parishes and Precincts make once but the Gentry and Principal Persons the affectionate Patrons of Religion and Vertue the greatest Honour and Glory they are capable of in this world and all their Tenents and Dependents will quickly follow and with great ease you will reduce all the rest under your Chatge especially as to their outward deportment and this good and honest policy you may learn from an Enemy even the wise and subtil Jesuites But I must crave your pardon thus far for what I have taken the boldness to say unto you How much better could you say it to your selves and so I hope you all either have or will do and it would be a joy to me to have humbly presented my thoughts and well wishes to you and thereby expressed my affections although you needed it not as a late worthy Author once expressed himself It will not I hope be unpleasant to you to be assured of your Friends fidelity and to accept of what proceeds from his ardent desires of your welfare and of the Peace Happiness and Prosperity of the Church of England as now by Law happily establish'd And that considering that neither Laws nor Government to Governours are sufficient to uphold and maintain this excellent Fabrick without those solid supports of true and syncere Piety and Goodness I hope you will please to excuse me thus far and let it never be said of us in this Nation That the Priest and the Prophet have erred through strong drink they are all swallowed up of Wine they are out of the way through strong drink c. Isaiah 28.7 CHAP. VI. An Exhortation to all to live answerable to our Christian Religion we profess I speak to Gentlemen to Scholars to Divines yea to all Persons we have an excellent Religion the best in the world let us I humbly beseech you live something answerable to it in our several stations if our Religion doth not sway with us and regulate us what is it good for and what are we the better for it Christians doubtless should be the best men in the world Let us all therefore cease to be as Monuments of shame and reproach to it as if the holy Pen-men of the Scriptures had brought us Vota magis quà m praecepta Think of that reproachful Proverb among the Turks when they are suspected or charged with unfaithfulness or an unworthy action and behaviour Dost thou think I am a Christian I heartily wish there were not too much occasion given them by Christians for this reflection Let us for shame live somewhat answerably to our holy and excellent Religion which we profess to believe and own or else blot out of our Bibles the precepts of Justice Righteousness Purity Chastity Temperance and Sobriety Humility Patience Loyalty c. or renounce our Christianity for Inter Christianum Gentilem non tantùm fides oportet sed etiam vita distinguere And may we be all a little serious and thus argue with our selves every one of us Am not I a Christian What is it therefore that the holy and excellent Religion of the ever blessed Jesus requires of me Is it not to love God before all things with all our Hearts with all our Souls with all our Strength and to love our Neighbours as our selves to be Just and Honest to be Sober Temperate and Chaste abounding in Love and Charity even towards our very Enemies not to swear at all in our ordinary Communication to be Dutiful and Loyal to our Prince and Governours to obey his Laws to render unto Caesar the the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods to submit our selves to those that have the spiritual rule and oversight of us that watch for our souls to abandon all Faction and Schism Errours and Heresy to love one another and to labour and endeavour after unity and peace among all Christians that so we may all live in unity and love together as Children of one and the same Father as Servants of one and the same Lord being all of one Houshold and Family of which Christ is the Head and Governour To be all of Holy and Exemplary lives to be Universally Good and Vertuous beyond the extent of the most sublimest Philosophy that ever was in the world we having the greatest and clearest light of truth the most powerful assistances of Divine Grace ever afforded to the Sons of men together with the great encouragement by the highest assurances possible of most high excellent and glorious rewards of happiness and immortality so transcendent beyond all our thoughts and imaginations such as neither eye hath seen nor ear heard nor ever entred into the heart of man to conceive If this be the Sum of the Christian Religion which I think every one of us must acknowledge let us in
us we would never entertain them these goodly things have their Recipisti written upon them Son remember thou hast received thy good things c. How many of those think you saith the Author who out of their opinion of skill and strength hath given free entertainment to the world and made large use of it when their time and hour came would rather have gon out of some poor Cottage than out of a Princes Palace and have lived with no noise in the world that so they might have died with some peace Charles the 5 th the Prince of Parma and sundry others though they lived in all pomp and state yet at their death they desired to be buried in a poor Capuchins Hood I hope Gentlemen you will accept of plain reason and truth although coming to you in a plain and Country Dress without Ornament of Language Fine Words and Complement usually have a prevalency with Ladies but it is Reason that is or should be at least most acceptable to and most prevalent with men especially with Gentlemen that better part of Mankind the well educated the best instructed the most knowing part of the world with them especially the universal reason of all Mankind the Ius Naturale should prevail I cannot but express my respects I bear for a Gentleman that is such and truly deserves that name And this brief Essay proceeds therefrom designing next to the honour of God and Loyalty to my Sovereign the Credit the Honour the Profit of the Gentry of England their greatest interest and happiness their highest concern the welfare both of their Minds Bodies Estates and Families their felicity both Temporal and Eternal Gentlemen as the Son of Syrach speaks Ecclus. 39.20 Wine and Musick rejoice the heart but the love of wisdom is above them both The great design and main end of Gentlemen in all their study should be a solid piety according to that saying Finis studiorum sit erudita pietas You had better been without an Estate then without this for as Solomon speaks Prov. 26.1 As Snow in Summer and as Rain in Harvest so honour is not seemly for a fool I hope I may propose this to you in the words of the Royal Martyr to his Majesty that now is in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is better to be Charles le Bon than Charles le Grand it is better to be Good than Great CHAP. VIII Cautions to Gentlemen to take care to preserve their Estates by wise management of them I Hope it will be now needless further to pursue my design and to beseech you not to dishonour and degrade your selves by any sordid base and unworthy Actions but to uphold and keep up your eminency and Repute in the world to maintain your honour and that by actions truly Generous Noble and Excellent and this the rather upon this further consideration that the Gentry are usually the object of the Common peoples hatred doubtless you have many Enemies of the vulgar who have of a long time had an aking tooth at your Grandure and Estates and you may be sure you are the objects of their envy witness the designs of the Levellers in our late times take heed therefore you do not cherish an Enemy in your own bosom also I mean your Intemperance and Excesses Let this therefore be in the number of your Litanies A meipso Libera me Domine and be you solicitous to preserve your Estates as from the Assaults of others so more especially from the Assaults of your own Extravagancies Riot and Excess May I propose a few things for your welfare and preservation of your Estates and Fortunes in the world Live answerable to your selves and to your Estates but not above them and beware of Suretiship this being a fault that the best natures are most incident to Great reason that Gentlemen should be warned of the danger hereof and that their generous and friendly natures do not prejudice or undo them there being very many instances that many Families have been ruined thereby And certainly no charity should lead a man out of desire to save his friend wilfully to ruin himself and offer up himself Wife and Children a Sacrifice to Friendship Compute therefore often your incomes and disbursments that so you may see whether you go forward or backward in your Estates and think this no despicable Counsel for if this advice had been followed it had preserved many a gentile and worthy Family from ruin in this Nation that are come to nothing A Gentleman of Four or Five Thousand Pounds per Ann. may as soon be undone as a Gentleman of Two or Three Hundred when he will every year exceed his Income and Estate especially when it meets also with other chances and contingencies unseen and unthought of which very many times fall out in the world Expect not therefore impossibilities but if that you yearly sink in your Estate at last it may end in beggery And think seriously what entertainment you are like then to meet with in the world especially from the common sort of people It is true that Donec eris feliix multos numerabis Amicos but alas then you will find things far otherwise In time consider therefore to prevent this mischief by retrenching your Expences and reducing them to be answerable at least to your Estates that you come not to Iulius Caesar's Reckoning as a late Author hath it who when he had considered of his Estate and summ'd it up and found how great a Sum he was indebted beyond what he was worth said merrily Tantum me oportet habere ut nihil habeam so much must I have that I may give every man his own and my self have nothing Now doubtless it cannot be prudent therefore to live to the utmost extent of an Estate but to live above an Estate what less can it be but the height of madness and folly Get faithful Servants and that they may be diligent and faithful to you promote Religion among them if they are not under there straints of Religion and Conscience I know not how they should prove Good Servants for it is most certain that it is true Religion that makes Good and Loyal Subjects and good diligent and faithful Servants Do not therefore corrupt and debauch your Servants by promoting what is sinful in them either by your countenance or command for that is directly acting against your own great interest Gentlemen may I humbly tender this further to your consideration whether it might not better become you and be also for your real advantage to be more resident upon your Estates and at your ancient Mannor-Houses and Habitations in the Country not only to keep them up in good repair but to keep up and maintain your Honour Splendour and Repute by the ancient and good House-keeping and Hospitality and there to live as petty Monarchs in your own Principalities and to well-manage and govern your Tenants and Dependants to serve your King and