detested because thorough such a mischiefe they leade men to destruction turning them from the eternall felicitie and infecte the most pure doctrine which is our spirituall foode and so separate men from the catholicke church without which is no saluation S. Augustin in his 4. booke of the Citie of God reproueth Varro Pontifex Sceuola who were of opinion that it was very expedient men should be deceiued in religiō because that there is no felicitie or rest but in the certaintie thereof and in an infallible truth And Chrisippus said that without diuinitie the doctrine of god none could take any principle at al in the discipline of maners And Polibius sheweth that there was nothing which so much aduāced the Romanes as their religion albeit it was not pure S. Paul writeth to the Corinthians that he had prepared them for one husbande to present them as a pure virgine to Christ And the Prophets cal lying adultery And S. Chrisostome vpō the argument of the Epistle to the Romanes sheweth that al mischeif proceedeth frō the ignorance of the scriptures as our Sauiour Christ imputed vnto the Iewes that they were deceiued not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God Matth. 22. Mark 12. And if it haue been saide of the auntient fathers that the word is a medicine to the greeued spirite a man may well say it is also poison being falsly taught The which moued the prophets Apostles so carefully to warne men to beware of false prophets seducers wolues which speake not by the mouth of God neither are sent by him because there is no cōparison to be made between the straw and the corne nor betweene an infected riuer and a good spring Againe we are exhorted to stand in the wayes behold and to aske for the olde way which is the good way and walke therein to the end we should not wander from that life thorough desearts but find rest for our souls And we read in the Acts of the Apostles that at the end of the sermons euerie man searched the scriptures to see whether those thinges they had harde were so For God by Isaiah sendeth vs backe to the lawe and to the testimonie because if they speake not according to this woorde it is for that there is no light in them as who would saye that they were abused and remayned in darkenesse And S. Peter caught nothing when hee fished by night vntill he cast out his net into the sea at the cōmandement of our Sauiour as some anciēt fathers haue gathered hereon What euer we do without the worde of God profiteth vs nothing and it shall be sayde vnto vs as in the first of Isaiah who hath required these thinges at your handes And if they say that the holy scripture is harde and not easely to be vnderstood God protesteth in Isaiah that he hath not spoken in secrete neither in a place of darkenesse and his doctrine is not obscure nor doubtfull but readie to instruct vs to perfection to lighten vs and guide vs to saluation And in an other place he sayth that the word of God is as the wordes of a booke that is sealed vp to the vnbeleeuers And Saint Paule wrote to the Corinthians that if his Gospel were hid it was hid to the infideles that were lost For this great Prince making his alliance with his subiectes and creatures to saue them deliuered all in cleare and simple termes And Saint Augustine writeth that whatsoeuer appertayneth to saluation is manifestly set downe in the scripture and whatsoeuer is obscure in one place is manifested in another and in the 15. Chapter of the same booke he giueth vs a notable rule howe to discerne figuratiue speeches as if we be commaunded to doe well straight wee are forbid the euill and so is it no figure for in that one shall finde the very scope of the scripture to wit the glory of God and charitie but contrariwise if taken according vnto the letter if it seeme to commaund ill and forbid the good then may we easely iudge it to be a figure whereof he giueth vs sundrie examples And Saint Paul in his seconde to Timothe sheweth that the whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to improoue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes The holy ghost is likewise called the spirite of prudence and discretion enterteyned by meditating of the scriptures contrary vnto the Philosophers bookes where leaues are onely gathered and not the trewe fruite And after that the Prophet Baruch had set downe what a number of mischeifes grewe by the carelesnesse of hearing of the worde of God and that we should drawe from the fountaine of wisedome he exhorteth vs to Learne where is wisedome where is strength where is vnderstanding that we might knowe also from whence commeth long continuance and life and where the light of the eyes and peace is The holy Scripture is also called the worde of reconciliation of life of peace and of saluation and there is not almost one line thorough out the hole Bible which doth not pull vs by the eare and sleeue to awake vs out of the sleepe of this world and to pull vs out of the clammie vanities wherein wee hange that it may bring vs to the glory and presence of God which is our saluation The which mooued S. Augustine Chrisostome Ierome Theophilact and other doctors to exhort the laytie the simple people artificers and all kinde of persons dayly to exercise themselues in the reading and meditating of the holye scriptures adding that they which haue founde a golde or siluer mine trauayle to digge the earth and endure most pestiferous ouerheating of themselues so as they may gather some fewe drammes of golde and siluer and ought we that haue so riche precious a treasor in the holy scriptures to neglect and not search it out being called therto by God Yea wee see what toyle men take in haruest season and yet howe slacke and sluggish we are to reape our celestiall wheate And the sayde holy scriptures are better vnderstoode of a modest idiote then of an arrogant Philosopher And as Saint Basile wrote the lambe wadeth thorough the streames of the scriptures when the Elephant swimmeth And in 119. Psalme it is saide that this word of God serueth for a rule and correction to youth and lightneth and giueth grace to the humble And the most auncient trueth sayth Tertullian is the most certaine It is also called a testament and alliance because we finde therein the legacye of eternall life and an immortall succession in communicating of all the riches merites and perfections of our Lorde and sauiour Christ Iesus thorough the fayth which we haue in his promises It is giuen vnto vs for a buckler defence and safegarde against all assaultes for a present medicine
learning he hath And Alexander saide that those discourses which hee had learned in Philosophie made him much more valiant aduised and assured as wel in warres as all other enterprises And not without cause Menander called ignorance a voluntarie misfortune and Seneca esteemed the vnwise man to be vnthankful of small assurance and angrie with his owne selfe One tolde Alphonsus that a King of Spaine saide that a Prince ought not to bee endued with learning then hee cryed out that it was the voyce of a beafe and not of a man And termed ignorant Kinges crowned Asses saying that by bookes men learned armes and shoulde thereby knowe more then their experience woulde teache them in a thousande yeares And the Emperour Sigismonde perswaded a Countie Palatine that was alreadie well stricken in yeares to learne Latin Petrarque rehearseth of one Robert King of Sicile that he was wont to saye hee had rather bee depriued of his Realme then of his learning And wee read in sundrie hystories that it hath beene inflicted to manie as a punishment that they shoulde not bee admitted to learning And it was not without cause saide of them in olde time that nothing was more pernitious then an ignorant man in aucthoritie as I coulde shewe by many examples and the deliberations of the ignorant can not bee but verie ambiguous slowe and without effecte Sundrie haue blamed Leonce the Emperour for that hee coulde neither write nor reade and Pope Paul the seconde for that hee hated such as were learned Pope Celestine the fifte deposed himselfe by reason of his ignorance And the Emperour Iulian to the ende hee mought molest the Christians forbad them the reading of all good bookes But the good Emperours and Kinges haue founded Colleges and Traian founde fiue thousande children at schoole thereby to driue awaye and banish the vice of ignorance And for the moste parte al Princes haue ayded themselues by learning or at the least made shewe of esteeming it Aristotle sayde that it were better to begge and be needie then vnlearned because the one hath neede of humanitie the other of money which may more easily bee recouered Hee sayde likewise as Plato and Demanes that there was as much difference betweene a learned man and an ignorant as betweene a liue and a dead a whole and a sicke a blinde and one of cleere sight or as betweene the Gods and men This made Menander to write that learning encreased and doubled the sight Yet men ought not to esteeme one that hath red much except he waxe the better thereby no more then as a bath which serueth to nothing except it bee cleansed And if wee bee accustomed in a Barbers chaire to beholde our selues in a glasse much more ought wee by a lesson sermon or lecture to examine our selues and see how our spirite is purged of sinne and howe much we thereby grow better And we must togither with a good nature ioyn the contemplation of learning the better to informe vs of our dutie afterwards to put in vse practise that good which we haue learned for as Plato wrote The end of Philosophie and of our studies is that by the searche which we haue made of naturall things wee may bee lead to the knowledge of God and vse that light which is bestowed vpon vs to conduct our life to pietie all good workes and vertue Euen Demosthenes wrote to a friend of his that he was glad hee followed Philosophie which detested all vnhonest gaine and deceite and whose finall scope was vertue and iustice The which with much more certaintie wee may auerre of the holy scripture wherein we ought to exercise our selues for feare of falling into that threatening which God pronounced by his Prophet because thou hast reiected knowledge therefore I wil cast thee off S. Augustin handling that place of S. Paul to the Romanes where he speaketh of the ignorance of the Iewes writeth that in them which would not vnderstand or knowe ignorance was a sinne but in them which were not able nor had the meanes how to knowe or vnderstand it was the paine of sinne So the not knowing of God or of our selues before wee were instructed by the worde of God was the payne of sinne vnto condemnation but after we haue hearde the word ignorance is of it selfe a most grieuous sinne For as S. Bernard writeth they which are ignorant and either for negligence or slothfulnes doe not learne or for shame enquire not out the trueth are voide of all excuse And if the Aegyptians counted it a moste intollerable calamitie to endure but for three dayes the darknesse which God sent vnto them by Moses how much more ought wee to be afraide when we remaine all our life long in the night of ignorance I could to this ende alledge sundrie examples of inconueniences that haue ensued through ignorance of the natural causes of the Eclipse of the Moone and Sunne of the impressions which are fashioned in the aire and of a superstitious feare of the Celestial signes and how by the ignorance of the Mathematikes of Cosmographie Chorographie and Geographie they haue not beene able to knowe their way nor to iudge of the heighth of a wall to be scalled nor of the passages riuers marishes and proper places to pitch a campe or retire themselues into and howe much sundrie historiographers haue failed herein but that I may not bee too tedious I wil referre the reader to the Greeke Latine and Frenche histories For this cause wee ought to enforce our selues to learne and to profit in the knowledge of the trueth that that in Ieremiah may not be reproched vnto vs You haue eyes see not and haue eares and heare not CHAP. XXXIII That one ought not rashly to borrowe money nor aunswere for another man for feare of lying IT is greatly to be presumed that the principal cause which moued them of olde time to councel a man not to be suretie for an other nor to borrowe money without verie vrgent necessitie or good pawne for the repaiment was for feare one should be founde a lyar which is a vice accompanied with impudencie and vniustice The Persians in like sort as Herodotus witnesseth blamed greatly two sinnes the one of owing the other of lying The which also moued Alexander the great after the victorie which he obtained against Darius to pay and aquite his souldiers debtes and Sophie the wife of Iustin to answere sundrie debts of the subiects of the Empire out of her owne coffers and Solon at Athens to establish an abolishing of al debtes which he termed by a word which signified a diminutiō of charge and sundrie other to doe the like in Lacedemon and Nehemiah to restore againe the burthens exactions And in Deuteronomie euerie seuenth yeare called the yeare of freedome debts could no more be demaunded to the ende this vice of
POLITIQVE DISCOVRSES VPON TRVETH AND LYING AN INSTRVCTION TO PRINCES TO KEEPE THEIR FAITH AND PROMISE Containing the summe of Christian and Morall Philosophie and the duetie of a good man in sundrie politique discourses vpon the trueth and Lying First composed by Sir Martyn Cognet Knight one of the Kings priuie Councell master of requestes of his houshold and lately Embassadour to the Cantons of Zwitzers Grizons Newly translated out of French into English by Sir Edward Hoby Knight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is better to trust in the Lord then to put any confidence in Princes Psal 118.9 DESIR N'A REPOS 1586 AT LONDON Printed by Ralfe Newberie Cum gratia Priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis 1586. VNI SOLI ET SEMPER TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR VVILLIAM CECILL OF THE MOST NOBLE ORDER OF THE GARTER KNIGHT BARON OF BVRGHLEY Lord high Treasorer of England and one of her Maiesties most honorable priuie Councell MY good Lord it may seem in the conceits of the ouer-curious that in some sort it fareth at this instant with mee as it did sometime with the old Philosopher Phormio who amidst the most sumptuous entertainmentes at Ephesus which K. Antiochus made vnto Hannibal in the time of his banishment from Carthage for a further delight and recreation was willed to dilate vpon some theame and accordingly he tooke in hand to discourse of the duetie of a Captaine and to teach what was appertaining to the discipline of warre which when he had finished Hannibal beeing desired by the standers by to deliuer his opinion of him answered that he had before seene manie olde men doate but neuer none more then Phormio Like blame then I may incurre in beeing thought too busie in dealing with matters of Philosophie a matter as contrarie to my profession as the other was to the Philosophers and in me to be turned to the rashnes of youth what in him was to the dotage of olde age But howsoeuer these my endeuours may lye in the consideration of the enuious or ouercurious with which two humors this age most aboundeth yet if by your Lo they may be esteemed worthie of your honorable protection I shall not onely thinke it my greatest happines to haue employed my time herein but also with the like oportunitie and leasure shalbe incouraged to wade into some argument of greater paines and moment hauing at the first entred hereinto through the persuasion of a friend of mine who being in the Court of France the last yeare when the Author first published this booke sent mee one ouer highly commending the same and praying mee for his sake to spend some time in perusing thereof the which I was the more willing to performe considering howe conuenient it was when through the thicke mistes and vnhoalesome aires of this solitarie Island I was hindred of other recreation for the auoiding of idlenesse to betake my selfe to the contemplation of my studie and so onely that therby the matter might be the better vnderstood and carried away by mee I bestowed paines in the translation thereof which fully finished hath a good while since lyen by mee and longer knowing mine own weakenes and imbecilitie had done had I not lately beene much pressed by my good friend master T. D. to giue my consent to the publishing thereof as a matter necessarie as he thought for the time and especially for such as vnderstoode not the French tongue The matter contained in the booke may bee A commendation of this worke SIR with no small contentation of minde I haue according to your request perused your translation of Mounsieur Coggnets morall politicke or rather right Christian discourses in commendation of Veritie and detestation of her contrarie And as that honorable Aucthor made most graue election to handle such matter and subiect as for this time and state of his Countrey was more then necessarie so can I not but singularly commende your choyce of this stranger your endeuour to make him an English Denizon thereby to transport and communicate with your countrey generally such precious wares as will be founde no lesse holesome commodious then delectable and pleasant to all degrees but especially to the best and most noble For although Princes and great Estates haue many felicious blessinges whereof priuate men can not bee pertakers yet in this one respecte is their estate more miserable that they seeldome or neuer finde a faithfull friend that sincerely wil or dare Auriculas teneras mordaci rodere vero Wherby they reiect often the vnsauorie holesome bitter medicine that would reduce their health and preserue their strength And in steede thereof swallowe vp the delicate sweetened poyson that finally workes their helplesse bane and mortall confusion And therfore haue the wise Philosophers admonished Emperours Kinges Princes and other great and honourable persons that swymme in the Seas of felicitie by reading Histories and morall politicke discourses to enforme themselues of such matters as their Parasites will not and honest seruantes or freindes many times dare not reueale vnto them thereby to escape the daungerous downefall of impendant calamities whereunto the greatest Princes are much more subiect then the most inferiour priuate persons Since then this treatise conteyning a Methodicall abundance of such godlie graue admonitions for all estates may aptly be compared to a precious Posie of most fragrant flowers compendiously for that purpose gathered from infinite varietie of forren gardens Historicall Poeticall Politicke Morall Humane and Diuine grauely discreetly and Christianly conferred and applyed Depriue not your selfe of dewe prayse and thankes for publishing and emparting with your Countreymen so rare a Iewell whom you shall thereby also suspend in reuerent expectation of more honourable fruits to succede this your first right vertuous blossomes The true ensignes and very originall cause of right nobilitie Whereunto with your happie societie of the Muses I wish and very hartely recommende you Yours dutifully to commaund Thomas Digges The Contents THat the truth is a vertue most prayse worthy by what it may be discerned and of that which hindereth the knowledge thereof Fol. 1. The definition of truth and fayth Fol. 3. Properties of the trueth and howe much it is requisite in a Prince and Clergie 5 Extremities in the truth and how men may speake of themselues and of that which they vnderstand and that men ought not to publish any writing but of their owne inuention and to some purpose nor to attribute to themselues the honour of a thing well done 7 Of fayning and dissembling 10 That the deede ought to be correspondent to the word and to flie hypocrisie 12 That those which loue the truth should shewe it by good woorkes and of the meanes which doe leade vs therunto and of those which are far from it 15 How much true men haue ben esteemed and that all magistrates ought to be so and of the riches of Princes 21 That it behooueth to keepe promise with instruction not to make it
with ones disaduantage and not to giue place to the importunate 24 Examples of euils hapned to breakers of promise and of that which dependeth thereupon 26 Effects of the truth with exhortation not to change the statutes or lawes and not to daunce vpon holy dayes prayse of Frenchmen and a solution of that for which they are blamed 29 Of the meanes to withstande inconstancie and lightnesse and not to take in hande warre or fight without necessitie of the point of honour that one ought not to deferre a good purpose that the reading of good bookes giueth hardinesse and prudence that one ought not too hastely proceed in criminal iudgement that one ought to flie euill and seducing companies with other instructions to nobilitie worthie to be noted 42 That the truth findeth good that which many feare and flye and giueth contentment 51 Of the care which men haue had that youth might be instructed in the truth 60 Howe requisite it is to speake little and not to blase a secrete with aduise vppon newes inuented and of that which is to be spoken 61 That aswell of friendes as enemies one should learne the truth 68 That it is needefull to reade hystories there to see the trueth which one is a frayde to speake with aduise vppon the reading of all bookes and of the conquestes of Frenchmen of the meanes to keepe them and to assure a victorie of the dutie of a captayne and of that which is to be considered in examples and alterations 69 That one ought not to suffer himselfe to be deceiued by prayses nor be carryed away from modestie and that honour dependeth vpon vertue with aduise vpon the same or vpon the reproches or lyes of the people and howe much it is requisite to commaunde ones selfe 74 That without the truth there is nought else but darknesse and confusion and howe much the philosophers haue laboured to finde it out and howe farre wide they haue beene of it 80 Of disguisinges done to Princes and what is their dutie for their honour and quiet of their subiectes and of the miseries of the wicked of the obseruation of ordinances and of that which mainteineth or altereth an estate 83 That Princes ought to haue about them good councellours which may not spare to tell them the trueth and that their lyfe ought to serue as a rule and instruction to their subiectes not to graunt to any vniust thinge of excessiue giftes an aduertisement to such as are in fauour of warnings and that in all actions of importance one ought to take councell without trusting to his owne sufficiencie 95 That one ought not to iudge too readely of another 108 Of reprehensions and force of the truth with a description of detraction 109 That anger hindereth the truth of the euils which it bringes with it and of the meanes to resist it 113 Of the error of some authors which haue praysed promise breakers and the cruell of punishments of such what our gettinges and dealing with the great ought to be aduertisements to the readers and of pardonings 119 The definition of lying 127 The effectes of lying 128 The punishments of lying 129 That the periured and plasphemers are detestable lyers and the paynes for them 130 That lying in doctrine is most pernitious and that one ought carefully to search for the truth 134 That those which defer their amendment doe wrappe themselues in a daungerous lye 142 That ignorance is a lye and the gappe of great inconuenience 148 That one ought not rashly to borrowe money nor answere for another man for feare of lying 153 Of lying ingratitude 155 That lying hath made Poets and painters to be blamed and of the garnishing of houses 159 Of backebiters mockers and euill speakers and why the Comedians stage players and iuglers haue beene reiected 161 That accusers talebearers false pleaders and curious persons are of the same brotherhoode of lying 165 Of flatterers 168 That enuie is a miserable lye and of the meanes to remedy it 171 Howe pride ambition vaine boasting and presumption are lying and howe all passions leade cleane contrarie to what they pretende and who may be termed men of humilitie and of the meane which conteyneth vs therein 174 That painting is lying 183 That witches southsayers sorcerers and vserers are replenished with lying and how a man may exempt himselfe from them 185 Of the punishmentes which haue befallen vnto such as haue giuen eare vnto malitious surmises reiecting the truth 190 That we must auoyde sutes in lawe because of the lying and cawtell of the practisioners 192 That it is a lying in Iudges to receiue presents and what exercise is to be required to be meete with auarice buying of offices and couetousnesse 198 That it is a lye to be intemperate drunke excessife whoremonger player and ydle and to say that one would be in health of musicke Phisicke as wel for the bodie as the soule 209 What we ought to iudge of certaine examples of lying 225 Of the meanes howe to render a nation true and happie and of the bringing vp of youth 227 Of certaine pointes which might be added to this discourse 236 The conclusion 245 Politique discourses vpon Trueth and Lying CHAP. I. That the trueth is a vertue most praiseworthie by what it may be discerned and of that which hindereth the knowledge therof AMong the vertues contained in moral Philosophie the Trueth hath euer been esteemed as one of the moste praise worthie The which Plato called the fountaine of all goodnes and S. Augustine in his booke of the Citie of God ordaineth it as the King and faith as the foundation and piller of Iustice and all commen wealthes for so much as there is nothing more proper to man being formed according to the image of God than in his words and manners to approche him the nearest that he is able to make his words serue for no other ende than to declare his good intent meaning whereby he may be better able to informe his neighbour Agathius hauing written of the manners religion of the Persians saith that they had two gods as Marcion Manichaeus the heretikes haue heretofore helde the one good creator and aucthor of all good and of the light whome they called by the name of truth the other wicked aucthor of al euil resembling him to darkenes and ignorance And Martir intreating of the West Indies declareth that a certaine old man of the same countrie praying the first discouerer of them to behaue himself courteously shewed him that the soules of men departing their bodies passed by two wayes as also Philemon and Plato in his Phedon and tenth booke of his Common wealth hath written The one darke and obscure thorough which the soules of all cruell men wade grieuously tormented The other shining cleare full of all happinesse ordained for those that loue peace trueth and quietnes This the holie scripture ought more deepely to impresse into
vs hauing beene hitherto verie yl considered of the Spaniardes who for hauing exercised all their crueltie and inhumanitie which they were able to imagine against the poore Indians for the most part haue ended their liues most miserably as such as haue entreated of this historie more at large declare and that the same Spaniards counterfaiting as though they would instruct them in the trueth thorough their wicked life and excesse haue most estranged them from it and of a most populous countrie made a most horrible desert This trueth is called a vertue because they that vse to tel the trueth doe loue it and shee hath such a force that wheresoeuer shee is seene shee causeth her selfe to be the rather desired and loued Now since that our Creator of his pure grace performeth all the promises which he hath made vnto vs in the trueth whereof consisteth our assurance and saluation wee likewise ought to make good whatsoeuer in our christian professiō we haue promised to him seruing for nought els then our owne good quiet and happinesse And leauing all togither the Philosophers dalyings touching the true marke and knowledge of the trueth nor respecting their opinions who haue doubted of all things and helde for certaine that no man knew ought seeing how senselesse they were we wil wholie cleaue to common sense the onely meane betweene the senses and vnderstanding and will thinke that reasonable which we haue seene heard tasted and felt and so haue recourse to ech one in his science as Lawyers and others yeeld to Phisitions in their arte and runne to Astrologians when they woulde vnderstande by what meanes the Sunne is one hundred threescore sixe times greater than the earth and sixe thousande fiue hundred and fiue and fourtie times greater than the Moone albeit there be no appearance thereof at all And wil wholly followe the rules and maximes of Diuines who thorough the verie worde of God declare his will infallible trueth And herein it behoueth vs to shunne two faults which S. Augustine doeth thinke greatly hindereth the knowledge of the trueth to wit desperation presumption But most especially to haue a great desire to knowe it as a treasor and true science according to the exhortation of Salomon And humby beseeche at Gods handes that wee may learne and vnderstande it and let vs bende our selues thereto by readinge of good bookes and frequenting of Sermons and honest companie not imagininge wee see more then in deede wee doe see following the lesson of our Sauiour to the Scribes and Pharisees in the ninth of Saint Iohn and in the Chapter going before where he sayde to his disciples If you continue in my worde you verilie are my disciples and shall knowe the trueth So must wee heare the worde of God as beleeuing it and perseuering therein For thorough faith is our entrance thereto In this respect spake Saint Peter in the name of the whole in the sixth of Saint Iohn Master to whome shall wee goe thou hast the wordes of eternall life And wee beleeue and knowe that thou art the Christe the sonne of the liuinge God Saint Augustine likewise is of opinion that mans minde giuen to vice cannot be capable of the trueth Some haue writen that Saint Peter sayde that God did not couer nor hyde the trueth vnder a mountaine to the ende that none but such as toyled farre for her might finde her But as with the heauens he hath enuironed the earth and the hilles so hath he couered the trueth with the vayle of his charitie whereby whosoeuer will knocke at the heauenly dore might easily enter in Therefore it is a matter necessarie that who so will loue the trueth must first knowe her and louing her search her out and searching her must knocke at the gate of the heauenly loue our Sauiour hauing promised that Aske and it shalbee giuen you Seeke and you shall finde knocke and it shalbe opened vnto you And those of olde time haue set downe two principall partes to be especiall in man to wit his vnderstanding and his will which beeing once corrupted turne him cleane from the waye of trueth and leadeth him into an infinite number of discommodities and errours And all good things haue this nature and propertie that they be desirous not onely to bee knowen but likewise to bee beloued and coueted and the vnderstanding doth serue as a meanes to affection to shewe what it shoulde most of all pursue as hereafter wee will more at large declare CHAP. II. The definition of the trueth and faith CIcero writeth that the trueth causeth vs to speake assuredlie without chaunging of oughte which hath beene is or shall bee and that it is a vertue thorough which wee are enclined to speake no otherwise then as wee thinke The which definition Sainct Augustine followed in his Booke of true Religion addinge it further to bee a true signification of the voyce it is taken for the Gospel and the woorde of God the which as Dauid and Sainct Peter saieth is A lanterne to our feete and a light that shineth in a darke place And our Sauioure saieth that this trueth shall deliuer vs from the Worlde sinne and Diuell through faith which wee haue in him beeing giuen vs from God for righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption who came into the worlde to accomplishe the trueth of the promises of God who is as Sainct Paul saieth A light that none can attaine vnto to the which Christe Iesus doeth guide vs being the cleerenesse of the worlde and his reconciliation It is likewise taken for an inwarde integritie and a rule teachinge to liue well accordinge to the holye will of God And when Ezekias desired there might bee trueth in his dayes it is interpreted that thereby hee meant the continuaunce of a quiet and peaceable state And as the trueth conformeth wordes according to the meanyng of the hearte so doeth faith in the promises beeing a vertue which maketh our deedes aunswerable to our promises and a habite through which wee are enclined to perfourme whatsoeuer wee haue promised And our Sauiour in the Gospel of Sainct Matthewe saying that the weightie matters of the Lawe consisted in iudgement mercie and fidelitie by this word of fidelitie meant a trueth farre from anie disguising and treacherie And the Romanes in old time dedicated a temple to Faith the better to cause the people to keepe and reuerence it I leaue to the Diuines the definition of Faith which consisteth in the substance of that we hope for and in the knowledge of the good will of God towards vs of our reconciliatiō iustification founded vpon the promises freely giuen vnto vs in Christ Iesus which quickneth the soule and purifieth the heart maketh vs the children and sonnes of God causeth in vs a desire to walke holie and vnblamable taketh away the poyson abateth the sting of death
and engendreth within vs an amendment of life readie obedience and loue towardes God and our neighbour giueth vnto vs the hope of eternal life and of obtaining what we ask at Gods hands rendreth our conscience peaceable maketh vs to perseuere in the good giueth vnto vs a boldnes to addresse our selues to the throne of grace bringeth with it selfe a constancie and pacience in all aduersities and comforteth vs cleane remouing away all feare anguish vexation of minde For this cause God is called by S. Paul in the beginning of his second Epistle to the Corinthians The God of mercie and consolation And in the sixth to the Ephesians he doth exhort vs to take vpon vs the shielde of faith wherewith we may quench all the fierie dartes of the wicked CHAP. 3. Properties of the truth and how much it is requisite in a Prince and Clergie SAint Paul recommendeth this trueth vnto vs as an especiall and principall part of the armour required to be worne by a Christian Knight and as a bulwarke against all assaults And most excelent is that saying in the 8. chapter of the prophesie of Zecharie where hee exhorteth Euerie man to speake the trueth vnto his neighbour and as the bodie bereft of the soule is nought else then stinking carrion so man depriued of this trueth is no better then a verie infection and filthie carkasse For this cause Plato in his commonwealth ordained for a lawe that aboue all thinges the truth might be preserued And Xenophon bringing in a good Prince vnder the person of K. Cyrus requireth especialy that he be founde true This was also the first lesson which Aristotle taught Alexander the great And Isayah setteth downe a King to reigne in Iustice and a Prince to rule in Iudgement being as an hiding place from the winde and as a refuge for the tempest And a byshop of Cologne declared to Fredoric the Emperour that the bare worde of a Prince ought to be of as great weight as other mens othes and that the trueth ought to bee his chiefest ornament The aunsweare which Charles the fift Emperour made vnto such as would haue perswaded him by no meanes to sende backe Luther being come vnto him vnder his safe conduit is greatly praised saying that though the performance of promises were cleane banished the face of the earth yet it should be kept by an Emperour Our Sauiour also in manie places of the Euangelistes commaundeth vs in any wise to keepe truth and nameth himselfe the sonne of Iustice and the essentiall truth On the other side the Diuell is called a lyer and the father thereof to the end that euerie one abyding in God who is the soueraigne good and hauing him for a father Lorde Sauiour and Protectour might be founde true and that we should not serue so wicked a murtherer and cruell deceauer as Sathan and that we shoulde abhor lying with which he onely serueth his turne to extinguish the light of the truth the onely life of the soule And Iob sayth that the wicked abhor the light they knowe not the wayes therof nor continue in the pathes thereof The Catholique Church is likewise called of S. Paul The pillar and grounde of trueth And Lactantius calleth it the fountaine of trueth house of faith and temple of God into which who so doth not enter is cleane shut vp from anie hope of eternall life For out of her is there no saluation to be found but euen as it fared with them that were without the Arke of Noah in the time of the flood And our religion hath beene founded vppon faith which dependeth of this truth which alone hath much more vertue than Cicero would attribute to Philosophie as in casting out of spirits remouing vaine solitarinesse deliuering vs from lusts and chasing away all feare For she teacheth vs the true seruice of God how to worshippe his mightinesse admire at his wisedome loue his bountie trust vnto his promises and rule our life according vnto his holie will She cleareth and giueth light vnto the course of reason thorough the knowledge of thinges and guideth our will vnto the true good and taketh away the clowdes of our vnderstanding as it is saide the North winde doth in the ayre And wee daylie see that the afflicted and wretched innocent taketh his greatest comfort in that the trueth is of his side And this truth causeth that parte of our vnderstanding wherein reason lyeth to rule and our will affections and like partes willingly obey thereto and suffer themselues to be gouerned therby And we may the rather be termed men in neare approching to God our patron For all the doctrine of the lawe tendeth to ioyne man through holinesse of life vnto his God as Moyses in Deutronomy sayth to make him leane vnto him For neither the worlde nor anie other creature can make man happie but he alone which made him man And thorough this truth are we deliuered from false opinions and ignorance and in al actions she is the light to guide vs frō stumbling and bringeth foorth all vertues And since that the end of Grammer is to speake aptly and agreeably and the end of speech societie of Rhethoricke to carrie all mens mindes to one opinion And of Logicke to finde out a truth amidst manie falshoodes all other artes doe likewise tende to this trueth And let vs make our senses to serue our vnderstanding and that vnderstanding of ours to serue him by whom it is and doth vnderstand And since this truth is a light her propertie is to chase away the darkenesse blindnesse and ignorance of our vnderstandings and to reioyce and comfort vs as the sunne rising doth to Pilgrims except they be such as our Sauiour spoke of who loue darkenesse more then the light which maketh vs to perceaue what hath beene hidden from vs. And men are more afraide to do amisse by day then by night and we are better able to guide our selues and can yeelde a better testimonie of what we haue seene as our Sauiour sayde in S. Iohn we speake that we knowe and testifie that we haue seene CHAP. 4. Extremities in the truth and how men may speake of themselues and of that which they vnderstande and that men ought not to publish anie writing but of their owne inuention and to some purpose nor to attribute to themselues the honour of a thing well done SInce that this trueth is approued to be a vertue she ought to hold a mediocritie to be set betweene two vitious extremities of either too little or too much as it is saide of the rest of the vertues which make them selues more apparaunt in gayning vnto themselues by those actions which consist in the middest of two contrarie vices as doeth the true tune among discords The excesse and ouerplus shal proceede of arrogancie pride vaunting disdain insolencie
and of good credit which attribute vnto them a gentle heart fauourable courteous religious vpright vertuous louing one eche other and keeping their faith more constantly then any other people and they haue beene called the inuincible and most noble And if they haue any imperfections at al as no man is without yet are they couered with an infinite number of vertues for as much as reason causeth them to tame and subdue this liuelinesse promptnes and heate which they haue naturally And histories are full of the prowesse of our auncestours who with their victorious hande haue runne ouer wel-neare the whole worlde setting downe orders and lawes to all prouinces there plantinge the memorie of their name and markes of their Empire Italie which speaketh of enuie hath beene well coursed and tamed and sundrie other countries as well in Europe as Asia haue hence beene peopled and receiued their gouernours And an infinite number of Emperours Princes and prouinces haue had recourse vnto them for their owne assurance and haue lefte behinde them moste notable monumentes of their gouernement and iustice to the profite of manie prouinces This woulde gladsomly encourage mee particularly to declare and make recytall of the most famous in all disciplines and knowledge of tongues sciences of a great number of Martyrs which haue suffered for the testimonie of the faith of excellent Emperours Captains and souldiars that wee might well compare to the moste valiant that euer was during the verie flower of the Romanes and Greekes I will not forget what Iulius Caesar in the sixth of his Comentaries and Tacitus hath written that the French men haue farre surpassed the Almaines in prowesse valor and courtesie and haue euer had the first starte of them Salust in the ende of the warre of Iugurth writeth that the auncient Romanes and such as haue beene since haue euer had this opinion that by their owne valour they easily attained to the ende of all other nations but that with the Frenche men they stroue for their owne safetie and not for honour And it is not to be red in al histories of any people that hath attained to their valour and dexteritie nor whose conquestes were more wonderfull expeditions more remarqueable and successe of their battailes more happie and pollicie or lawes better ordayned or pietie bountie and religion better nor their vnitie greater And there is no nation whose brightnesse is not darkened and obscured thorough the high shyning of the glorie of the French men But to satisfie what the sayde Caesar hath written that Frenchemen are soudeine headie desirous of nouelties and deliberatinge vppon vncertaine purposes and coyners of affaires of importance whereupon they must needes quickely repent themselues Other historiographers strangers condemne them of lightnesse And the Emperour Charles the fifth saide to the Kinges Ambassador the which before that hee had proposed to the Consistorie of Rome that he was nowise able to assure himselfe of the French because they began manie things but brought nothing to ende and did no otherwise by their wordes then by their garmentes which they disguised into so manie fashions as one day they were of one minde and tomorrow of another And that a bodie could not beleeue ought except he sawe it done and that if they did anie good at all it was by bountie for the great desire they had to drawe others to their owne aduantage And that they had euer their foote and their wit in the aire their purposes more changeable then the winde And further discharging his choler at that time as the Embassadour him selfe tolde me he greatly blamed the diuersitie and changing of Edicts and ordinances which wee handle so yll and publish so lightly that anon after wee are constrained to change them being a cause that they were so little made account of And then in his passion hee repeated certaine places wherein he thought some words wanted which speach of his notwithstanding he afterwardes excused And in trueth Plato did not amisse compare how manie more tauernes so manie more drinkers The number of Phisitions the encrease of diseases The more accompt the iustice is made of the more sutes So the more lawes the more corruption as daily experience doth teach vs profiting vs no more then great varietie of Medicines doth to a verie weake stomach And in the time of the Emperours Caligula Claudus were manie lawes made and yet tyrannie and corruption tooke neuer more place If youth were well taught in Princes courtes vniuersities scholes but constancie grauitie the trueth they should be a great deale better receiued and strangers woulde more assure themselues of our promises and then mought we wel say of France as S. Ierom attributed vnto it that it were a countrie refyned and purged of monsters I will not here sylently passe ouer to this purpose that counsel which the Princes of Persia Media gaue to King Darius as the Prophet Daniel witnesseth that he should be founde true and neuer change a lawe which was once made according to the custome of the Medes and Persians which altereth not It is also written in the booke of Hester that the writings written in the K. name and sealed with the Kings ring may no man reuoke Diodorus and Demosthenes tel of certaine people that no man mought so much as speak of the change of a lawe except he wore a halter with which he was hanged if his opinion tooke not place So greatly in auncient time did they detest all changes and nouelties The citizens of Marseilles were much renowned by Cicero and Titus Liuius for that they remained constant in their lawes customes and fashions without changing ought yea and as a great treasor they kept their olde sworde of iustice in the smallest matters to shewe howe much they honoured antiquitie And for the like constancie haue the Romanes receiued great glorie And Paulus Aemilius writeth that the Frenche men euer tooke great heede that nought in their lawes and customes shoulde be changed And greatly was Lycurgus praised for that after he had brought the Lacedemonians to receiue his lawes he made them all sweare that they shoulde alter no one iotte of them during his absence and after that neuer retourned into his countrie againe which caused it to fare much the better with them For as Plato hath written in the seuenth of his lawes and Xenophon likewise Change in all matters except they be mischieuous is most daungerous beit in the dyet of the bodie or in manners And according to the olde prouerbe A man shoulde not awake a sleeping Dogge And euerie knowen euill to which a man is vsed is tollerable as Titus Liuius writeth And Aristotle in his Politickes sheweth it is much better to beare with some imperfections faultes in lawes Magistrates if they be not too notorious then in thinking to change them to ruyne a whole estate which
were penned vp who if they once goe abroad dyd much harme and oftentimes men were constrayned to kill them In the time of Augustus one Fuluius for hauing disclosed a secret to his wife caused themselues both to be put to death And Quintus Cursius sheweth what great punishmentes the Persians ordained for the like Amasis king of Egipt sent vnto Pittacus one of the seuen wise men of Greece that was come to see him a mutton willing him to send backe that peece which he accounted as best and that which he iudged to be the worst in steede of the two peeces so differing hee sent vnto him the tongue as the instrument both of the greatest good greatest harme that might be and that therein as it is sayd among great wits consisted moste excellent vertues and notorious vices as it is written in the Prouerbs that death and lyfe are in the power of the tongue and that he which keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soule from tribulations Let vs then I pray you consider that we haue two eyes and two eares but one onely tongue and that to inclosed within the teeth and lipps betweene the braine and the hart seruing as their truche man hauing aboue it the instrument of all the sences the eyes the eares and the nose obedient vnto reason to the end she put foorth nothing before shee haue taken counsell of the sayde sences her neighbours and of the inward faculties of the soule which are the vnderstanding and reason placed within the brayne whereby we maye easely iudge how faultye they are who are so lauishe of their tongue before they haue fully pondred and considered what they ought to speake Homer blamed Thersites for too much speaking and praysed Menelaus because he spoke little The which Plutarque did of Phocion by whom it was wrytten that he spoke better then Demosthenes because when he spoke in few wordes he comprehended much matter The sayd Demosthenes likewyse termed him the knife of his wordes And was wont to say that such as knew much spoke little Pericles before he mounted into his cheyre was wont to pray vnto God that no word might escape his mouth that serued not to the matter he had in hand And Zeno reproched a great prater in that his eares was founded vpon his tongue And to an other he sayd he was borne of a druncken father for drunckennes is myxed with this vice that it causeth one to speake more then appertayneth The Pye in this respect was consecrated to Bacchus Certayne of auncient tyme sayde that wine descending into the body caused the wordes to ascende Ecclesiasticus called the comprehending of much in little speach good musique We must then set before our tongue the bulwarke of reason which hindreth flowynge and the slypperinesse of inconstancie And as ryders when they breake their coultes firste teach them to haue a good mouth and obey the brydle so ought we to teach our children to heare much and speake little Cato sayde of the Greekes that their speach came but from the teeth outwarde but the Romanes spoke from the hart as Homer wryteth of Vlisses and in his youth he sayde hee refrayned from speach vntill he knew how to speake well and that it was the propertie of Lelius to speake too muche And if there proceeded but this benefite vnto a man which had once gayned this reputation to bee accounted discreete in his speach and true that he is beloued of God and men hee is honoured and beleeued in what so euer he sayth he goeth with his heade lyfted vppe and contrarywyse he which is once caught with a lye or is a pratler is hated blamed and destitute of friendes looseth his credite and meanes to teach it were sufficient to make vs to embrace the truth and shunne lying And whereas Caesar in his commentaries founde fault with the french men because they receaued for certayne such brutes as ranne vp and downe and vncertayne aduertisementes whereof shortlye after they repented as before I touched it were very requisite that that order which he then wryteth to haue beene obserued were at this present practised that hee which had learned ought that concerned the state shoulde presentlye make relation to the magistrate and not speake thereof to anye other personne for that sayth hee we haue often seene by experience that men beeing light and ignoraunt easelye made them selues afrayde with false and counterfaite newes which ledde them to a resolution to vndertake matters of importaunce and daungerous as wee haue sundrye examples of our tyme and all histories are full of the misfortunes which haue happened to such as haue spoken enterprised and beleeued too lightly Moreouer in some cases to bee silent is as daungerous as if anye knowe anye conspiracie agaynste their countrey or kinge or anye that mighte greatlye preiudice their neyghboure they ought to discouer it To them lykewyse whose dutie is to teach Vertue and reprehende vice and to preache silence is forbidden both by GOD and the lawes And as Saint Ambrose learnedlye wryteth if we muste render account to GOD for euerye idle worde so muste we lykewyse for our idle scilence if at anye tyme wee haue omitted accordinge to oure duetye to instruct or correct oure neighbour there by beeynge able to tourne him from his euill waye or errour Wee must lykewyse consider the time and place to speake or hold our peace as it is written that Socrates being requested at a feast that he would speake of his arte had reason to aunswere it is not now time for what I can doe and that which the time now requireth can I not doe CHAP. 16. That as well of friendes as enemies one should learne the truth DIuers haue written that the better to discern trueth from falshoode it were requisite to haue either very entire friendes or enemies for these meaning to anger one do vpraide and blame whatsoeuer seemeth vitious vnto them and as out of a watche discouer suche imperfections as oftentimes men doe not thinke on and so are a meanes that they are corrected As Xenophon writeth that a wise man is able to reape his profite by his enemies And Philp king of Macedon said that he was bound to the Athenians which reuiled him because they were an occasion to make him the more vertuous and aduised and enforced hym all hys life long both in his actions and wordes to make them lyers And in truth they are a cause that maketh men contain theyr fashions and maners as in a straight dyet And this habit that one vndertake nothing vpon the suddaine cleane taketh away all occasion from our enemies of mocking vs or reioysing For this cause Scipio answering them that immagined the estate of the Romanes to be in verie great suretie the Carthagenians being ouerthrowne and the Acheens subdued said Nay now are we in greatest
Titus the Emperour was wont to say that because he did nothing that deserued blame or reprehēsiō he cared not for any lies wer made of him As also Fabius surnamed the most high answered some that rayled on him that a Captaine ruler in the field who for feare of speaking or of the opinion of the commons ceased from doing what he knewe to be profitable or to desist from a purpose fully deliberated of wherof he wel vnderstood the causes reasons ought to be esteemed more faint then he which feareth to proue his strength when hee seeth occasion giuen for his aduantage And chose rather that his wise enimy might feare him then the folish citizens should praise him that being wel aduised he cared not for being accounted too fearefull or too slack It is the lesson of Ecclesiasticus Set not thy heart vppon euery worde that is reported And Plato in Criton admonisheth vs not to regarde what euery man sayth but what he saith that seeth al things the truth And not without cause an auncient father said I wil lose the verie reputation of an honest man rather then not to be an honest man Cato was accustomed as Plutarque writeth in his life time to bee ashamed only for dishonest things but euer to despise what was reproued by opinion S. Augustine attributed the death of Lucretia to her imbecillitie as fearing the euil opinion suspition of the common sort And there is no enterprise or execution so right worthie of praise that is not subiect to the reproche detraction of the ignorant to the passions of the malignant enuious to rash iudgements For this cause in al our actions we ought to cōtent our selues with a conscience well informed And but that I feare I shoulde be too tedious I coulde alledge a number of most notable examples of the inconueniences that haue happened as wel to them of old time as of ours for esteeming more the iudgement of the ignorant then the truth Which detractions K. Demetrius was wont to say he cared not for not esteemed them better then a fart not much passing whether it made a noyse before or behind aboue or below Marius likewise spake wisely in Salust how no report was able to offend him because if it were true it woulde sound to his praise if false his life manners should proue it contrarie By this discourse I desire to impresse into the nobilitie a sound iudgemēt of true honor which is engendred but by vertue good deedes and to make them laye aside that foolish opinion which they haue of falshod vnder colour whereof vpon light occasion and offence they vndertake combates neuer regarding the lawes of God nature ciuil canonical priuate nor their owne saluation or duetie of charitie hazarding their liues soules goods friends for that stale infected passionate fantastical tyrant termed honor neuer embrasing such meanes of concord as the lawes commaund And remaine so stubborne blind that whereas the true honour consisteth in obeying God and his laws in mastering ones passions in louing forgiuing succouring ones neighbour they make it to be in disobeying of God his holie lawes going about to diffame destroy murther their neighbours render themselues slaues to their owne choler And how can that be honorable which God forbiddeth detesteth condemneth to eternal death And also to be meeke peaceable reconciled to ouercome wrath and passions to aproch neere vnto God through his clemencie and mercie which are the actes of vertue and of true Christians how can these I say breede vnto the nobilitie either dishonor or infamie Considering that by the auncient discipline of warre it was adiudged dishonest worthie of punishment if one combatted with his enimie without his Captaines leaue or if he left the place giuen to him in gard And the auncient Emperors and Kings esteemed it a point of greater magnanimitie and nobilitie to pardon and commaund ones selfe then to be reuenged as a murtherer of himselfe to laye open his owne life to euident peril Wee proceede all of vs from God our creator not of our selues into his handes wee ought to put all our reuenges as hee himselfe willeth vs and not to make our selues the accusers Iudges and hangmen of him whome wee pretende to haue cast an eye vppon the shadowe of this delicate honor as I haue els where touched for the importance of this pernitious error CHAP. XIX That without the trueth there is nought else but darknes and confusion and how much the Philosophers haue laboured to find it out how farre wide they haue beene of it HE made no bad comparison in my opinion that said that pollicies gouernements and kingdomes were like an emptie lampe or lanterne and that the trueth was the match with the oyle and the waxe or the tallowe that gaue the light for without this Sunne shine of trueth there is nothing but darkenesse and disorders in this life and we may say with the Prophets that without it the people remaine lying in darkenesse and in the region of the shadowe of death And with Ieremie that the wise boast not in his knowledge nor the strong in his force nor the riche in his wealth but that all our glorie bee to knowe him which is the verie trueth for whatsoeuer men maye alledge vnto vs of victories tryumphes honours eloquence force and other gyftes and graces they are nought else if this trueth bee taken awaye but as if one shoulde sayle in a darke nyght among the floodes rockes and tempestes of the sea and in the ende prooue a sorrowfull tragedie Sainct Paul iudged all thinges to be doung in respect of this knowledge and the excellencie thereof which hath lyen hidden manie ages and made most clearely manifest thorough our Lorde and Sauiour Christ Iesus who hath imparted vnto vs the heauenly treasures and hath beene made for vs iustice righteousnesse life sanctification and redemption And albeit the Philosophers of olde time attayned not vnto this light yet did they not cease to pursue the shadowes thereof of which in parte wee entreate leauinge vnto the Diuines the deepe insight into this light and maiestie of the essentiall trueth The sayde Phylosophers as Socrates Plato Democritus Aristotle Plinie Architas Tales Tianeus an infinite number of other haue made verie farre long voiages the better to be instructed in this trueth in the knowledge hereof to the end they might not ouerlightly beleeue or speake out of purpose The said Tales being demanded what distance there was betweene the trueth and a lye aunswered as much as betweene the eyes and the eares as if he would haue said that we may boldly declare what we haue seene but that often times one is deceiued trusting vnto anothers report And albeit the said Plato Aristotle and other Philosophers haue written many notable
things concerning the vertues yet haue they not declared at whose handes they ought to be demaunded nor whither they ought to bee referred neither haue they knowen the beginning of the corruption of mans nature nor the remedie of al euils which is reuealed in the Gospel by the knowledge of the trueth and the adoption of the Christians the remission of sinnes and the promises which giue vs a certaintie of the fauour blessing and good will of our good God whereof ensueth a good conscience hope and peace in the spirite which consumeth all the greefe and sorrowe as the Sunne doth the morning dewe And there is none of the said Philosophers except Plato which was able to set downe that the soueraigne good of man was to be ioyned with God but he had no tast at all what this coniunction meant nor the meane to attaine vnto it And as touching the comfortes of the Philosophers the complaint which Cicero made in his Epistle to Atticus is true that the medicine is not of force enough for the disease that neither the discipline learning nor bookes ought profited him Which a body cannot auerre by the holy scriptures as Dauid saide that hee was quickened comforted instructed that they gaue light to idiots And there is another manner of efficacie then the drougg which Homer called Nepenthes which he said was able to keep one from smelling yll sauours charme greefe vnderstanding therby a discreate speaker one able to apply himself to the present affections times affaires as more at large we haue before declared Which maketh me to disproue the opinion of Seneca which attributeth it to god in that we liue but in that we liue wel to Philosophie which in deede ought rather to be referred to God the aucthor of all good Horace spoke as ignorantly writing that God gaue him life riches but that he furnished himselfe with a good and right vnderstanding For God causeth the eye to see the eare to heare and giueth the right iudgement both to will and to perfourme as S. Paul sayth and he disposeth the pathes intentions of men This word Philosophie hath beene interpreted for the loue of wisedome and Aristotle in his second booke of his Metaphisicks taketh it for the knowledge of the trueth Many haue noted great varietie ambiguitie vncertaintie in the doctrine of Aristotle and that he was ignorant of the most excellent things of nature vsed verie necessarie demonstrations The which men in time past wel marked picturing behind his portracture a woman which had her face couered with a vayle named Physis that is to say Nature And it is no maruaile at al if all of them were not able to attaine to those supernaturall things since that the most excellent treasors of nature were concealed from them The which ought to make vs admyre at Gods speach in the fiue last Chapters of Iob discoursing of the mouings of the heauens force of the starres of the earth founded vpon the waters of the waters hanging in the middle of the worlde and sundry other wonders which a body may perceiue able to declare the knowledge of man to be verie ful of ignorance S. Augustine compared the life of the ancient Pagans which were accounted so wise vertuous to a wandring course their argumēts to a glasse which is shining but verie brickle Concluding it better to halt in the way of truth then to runne lightly without it He wrote likewise that their vertues were impure imperfect because there is nothing good without the soueraigne good And where there is defect of the knowledge of eternal life there vertue is false mens intentions go awrie And there is no man that can haue any quietnes of conscience but through the promises of God from which they were shut out also by the inward obedience required of God by trusting in him by repentance righteousnes iustification of the faithful by the free forgiuenes of our sinnes by hope patience confidence in aduersitie confession giuing of thanks by referring al things to the glorie of God to charitie And S. Chrisostom vpon the first to the Corinthians fourth Homelie cōpareth the subtile disputations of the Philosophers to cobwebbes which breake rent asunder with the wind speaking of a happy life were neuer able to attaine vnto it and as S. Paul writeth professing themselues to be wise they became fooles And not without cause Socrates in Plato lamented that the Philosophers studyed more the contemplation of nature knowledge then to liue well or giue good precepts And towards the end of the treatise of his lawes as through a diuine inspiration he giueth hope of the comming of one more excellent more redoubted and more holy then any man whose office was to open the secrete places of truth and the hidden fountaines who should be folowed honored of al men which surely could not be vnderstood but by our Lord Iesus Christ which is the waie the truth and the life S. Chrisostome setteth downe in the ranke of Philosophers Aristides Cato Solon Lycurgus Epaminundas sundrie other who besides their knowledge were excellent in matters of state gouernement as was our lawyer Vlpian and studied more to do good to euery one then to bee conuersant in contemplation For the Sophisters counterfait to be wise in deed their ende is but glorie and proud boasting And S. Augustine thought that all Philosophers were rather giuen to the seruice and searching out of the intelligences seperate which we call angels diuels and which they called gods and spirites then of the true God albeit they confessed there was one only almightie father of the Gods and men And it is easie to gather out of their writings how they confessed one only God in three persons the Father the Sonne the holy ghost and other Articles contained in the Apostles Creede to conuict Atheists and Epicures withal CHAP. XX. Of disguisings done to Princes and what is their duetie for their honour and quiet of their subiects and of the miseries of the wicked of the obseruation of ordinances and of that which maintaineth or altereth an estate PRinces were ordained of God to be fathers protectors and shephardes ouer the people cōmitted to their charge to serue to maintaine their libertie and to defende them against all iniuries and to shewe them good example to entertaine iustice and peace to cause vertue learning sciences and good lawes to flourish to prouide for the instruction of youth to esteeme of the good and chastice the wicked Plato did write following the fixion of Homer that children born of Kings were composed of a pretious masse to be seperate from the common sort And it is saide of Scipio and certaine other great personages that they were descended from a
rebuked vice Sundry Emperours haue done the like We haue sundry examples in the scriptures of Baasha for killing the Prophet Iehu because he tolde him the truth Likewise of Achab Asa Ioas and Ozias 1. King 22.2 Paral. 18.16.24 26. of Sedichias of Ioachim and of the princes of Iuda Ierem. 23.32 38. But as the wise man saith in the Prouerbes in the end he shall be conned more thanke which rebuketh then he that deceaueth by flattery Notwithstanding euery man according as his vocation the times the persons and places will permit him ought to declare the truth to such as he seeth neede with an intention to profit instruct thē without any choler disdain immodesty or other passiō mingling with the bitternes of reprehension the sweetnes of some praises A man ought likewise to consider that the egernes and sharpnes of biting wordes especially spoken to one that is in aduersity profiteth nothing being a kinde of incontinencie of a tong mingled with malignitye and a will to iniury carrying a very declaration of enmitye which is the cause that they which vse it hurt them selues As did Antiphon about Dyonisius the tyraunt where a dispute beeing helde betweene them what brasse was best he aunswered that whereof the Athenians made the statuas of Armodius and Aristogiton for this soure aunswer caused him to be put to death And as Plutarque sayde in the life of Phocion euen as the honye which is sweete of his owne nature engendreth greefe and payne beeing applyed to partes infected so doe true admonitions the more prouoke such as are in misery if they bee not well sweetned and mingled with pitye and consolation Clytus an auncient Captaine of Alexanders maye serue for an example who was slayne for vsinge too arrogant an admonition In lyke sort one ought not at the boarde to vse such reprehensions as make men knitte the browes forgetting the occasion and place of pleasure and there is required a dexteritie as it is written of Socrates who beeinge desired at a feaste to speake and discourse of his arte it is not now time sayde he to discourse of what I knowe and in that for which the tyme now serueth I am no whit skilfull in And when Damaratus was arryued in Macedonia during the time that king Philip was fallen out with his Wyfe and Sonne the kinge hauinge saluted and embraced him demaunded of him if the Greekes agreed well one with an other Demaratus who was verye familiar with him aunsweared it becommeth you very well O kinge to enquire of the concorde of the Athenians and Peloponesians in the meane time suffer your owne house to be so full of discord and diuision A captiue which the sayde Philip caused to be solde to him that woulde giue moste bad him in his eare to let downe the fore part of his robe because hee shewed what was not comelye to bee discouered the whiche was the cause of his deliuerie An other beeing taken for a spie sayde vnto him that he came to espie his follye in that without necessity he put both his realme and life in hasard Some haue compared reprehensions to the remedies of the splene which ought to be souer and sharpe so truth told in fit oportunitie is profitable and is of such force as Eschines saide that shee surpassed all the cogitations of man And Menander wrote that shee commeth into light although shee be not sought for and defendeth her selfe easely against all the deceates craftinesse and wilines of men And in the disputation that was held before Darius truth was found the greatest and most strong for euer S. Augustin in the citie of God lib. 2. c. 19 calleth her an eternall victorye and in the question 108 ex vtr he sayth that It is better to be ouercome of the truth then to be willing to surmount her in vaine To which purpose may very well serue the summarie description of the table which Apelles painted after he was eschaped out of a false accusation and an extreame daunger He had pictured a Iudge with the eares of an Asse hauing on the one side two Ladies Ignoraunce and Suspition before him stood false accusation with a countenaunce full of rage and furie holding in the left hande a burning torche and with the right pulled a young man by the heare lifting vp his eyes and handes to heauen neare vnto whome was a man painted looking pale earthly and a squint which was enuie two damsels followed false Accusation named Treason and Deceat behind whome stoode a Ladye all wailing and mourning which was Repentaunce which fastened her eye sight vppon a verye fayre Lady intituled Truth declaring by this picture to all Princes and Iudges that they ought not too lightly to beleeue As Alexander closing one of his eares to an accuser sayde he kept the other for him which was accused And it was commaunded Moyses straightlye to forbid the children of Israell lying false accusation and malitious detraction and cause them to keepe iustice equalitie and truth I will not heare omit the aduertisement giuen by wise Plato commended so much by Plutarque that when one founde anye committing anye fault he ought to discende into him selfe and say priuatelye vnto him selfe Am not I such a one To the ende wee may auoyde the like errours When in like sort we woulde iustifie our selues for anye reprehension we mought praye him that did it to reserue that freedome of speach againste he committed a fault him selfe And it was not sayde amisse of them of olde time that the beginning to liue well and repulse ignoraunce was to be reprehended mocked and blamed Sainct Basyl for this cause named reprehension the healing of the soule and in the Prouerbes 25. it is called an ornament of fine gold And in the 29. it is written a man that hardeneth his neck when he is rebuked shall suddainly be destroyed can not be cured And Dauid Psal 41. sayd that it was like the precious baulme We read euen of the Emperours Philip Theodosius and Valentinian that they did great penitence after they were admonished as also did Dauid and other kinges being reprehended by the Prophetes And Sainct Augustine in his booke of recantations acknowledged how he had erred But as Plato sayd that Speusippus corrected other by the example of his owne life so men ought to esteeme those reprehensions that are made without a word speaking thorough a single life irreprehensible and vertuous CHAP. 24. That anger hindereth the truth of the euilles which it bringes with it and of the meanes to resist it PHisitions esteeme the sicknesse very daungerous when the face is disfigured The which we maye saye of choler which altereth the countenaunce speach and all the sences of man It hath beene termed a fury darkning iudgement And as in the darke a man is not able to discerne his kinsman or friende from his enemye so amidst the
al things to detest it to vse liberalitie to the ende they may prouoke drawe euerie man to embrase the good happines of their estate holde men still diligent in their seruice in the duetie of good men And as Salust rehearseth Bocchus the king of the Getules had reason to tell Sylla that it was a lesse shame for a king to be ouercome by armes then by courtesie And before hee wrote of the same Sylla that hee neuer willingly woulde receiue a pleasure at the handes of any except he mought verie speedily requite them and neuer asked his owne of any studying aboue all thinges to make multitudes of nations fast bound vnto him CHAP. XXXV That lying hath made Poets and Painters to be blamed and of the garnishing of houses PLato wrote that Poetrie consisted in the cunning inuention of fables which are a false narration resembling a true and that therein they did often manifest sundrie follies of the gods for this cause he banished and excluded them out of his common wealth as men that mingled poyson with honie Besides thorough their lying and wanton discourses they corrupt the manners of youth and diminish that reuerence which men ought to carrie towards their superiors and the lawes of God whom they faine to be replenished with passions vice And the principall ornament of their verses are tales made at pleasure foolish disorderly subiectes cleane disguising the trueth hystorie to the end they might the more delight and for this cause haue they bin thrust out of sundry cities Among other after that Archilocus came into Sparta he was presently thrust out as soon as they had vnderstood how he had writtē in his poemes that it was better to lose a mans weopens then his life forbad euer after al such deceitful poesies Hence grew the common prouerb that al Poets are lyers And it was written of Socrates that hee was yl brought vp to poesie because he loued the truth And a man mought say that this moued Caligula to cōdemne Virgils Homers books because of their prophane fables which S Paul exhorted Timothie to cast away Plutarque telleth of a Lacedemonian who when he was demanded what he thought of the Poet Tirteus answered that he was very good to infect yong mens wits And Hieron of Siracusa condemned Epicarinus the Poet in a great fine because in his wiues presence he had repeated certaine lasciuious verses And Viues writeth that Ouid was most iustly sent into banishment as an instrument of wantonnesse He which first inuented the Iambique versifying to byte and quippe was the first that felt the smart And Archilocus the Poet fell into confusion through his own detractions as Horace and sundry other haue written and Aulus Gellius reporteth that Orpheus Homer and Hesiodus gaue names honours to the gods And Pithagoras saide that their soules hong in hel vpon a tree still pulled of euery side by serpents for their so damnable inuention And Domitian banished Iuuenal and Pope Paul 2. and Adrian 6. held them as enimies to religion Eusebius in his 8. booke first Chapter de Preparatione Euangelica setteth down an example of a Poet who for hauing lewdly applyed a peece of Scripture to a fable suddenly lost his naturall sight and after that he had done penance it was restored to him againe And as touching Painters they haue beene greatly misliked of for representing such fictions Poetical deceits For as Simonides saide Painting is a dumme Poesie and a Poesie is a speaking painting the actions which the Painters set out with visible colours and figures the Poets recken with wordes as though they had in deede beene perfourmed And the ende of eche is but to yeeld pleasure by lying not esteeming the sequele and custome or impression which hereby giue to the violating of the lawes and corruption of good manners For this cause the Prophets called the statuas images and wanton pictures the teachers of vanitie of lyes deceite abhomination And Lactantius writeth that a counterfait tooke the name of counterfaiting and all deceit as wee before declared springeth from falshood and lying This was it which mooued S. Iohn in the ende of his first Epistle to warne men to keepe themselues from images for an image doeth at their fansie counterfait the bodie of a man dead but is not able to yeelde the least gaspe of breath And idolatrie is properly such seruice as is done vnto Idoles Wee reade howe God especially forbad it in the first table and how long the Romanes and Persians liued without any vse thereof and howe the Lacedemonians coulde neuer abyde that an image should stand in their Senate There hath beene in sundrye councels mention made thereof S. Athanasius more at large discoursed thereof in a sermon he made against Idols and S. Augustin in his booke de fide Simbolo and vppon 150. Psalm in his eighth book of the citie of God Damascene in his 4. book 8. C. The occasion of so free passage giuen to Poets is for that their fables slyde awaye easily and cunningly turne them selues to tickel at pleasure whereas the trueth plainly setteth downe the matter as it is in deede albeit the euent thereof bee not verie pleasant Plato in like sort compared the disputes in Poetrie to the banquets of the ignorant who vse Musike in steede of good discourse and in his thirde booke of his commonwealth he forbiddeth Poets or painters to set downe or represent any thinge dishonest or wanton for feare of corrupting of good manners And Aristotle in his Politiques the third booke and 17. Chapter woulde haue all vyle wordes to be banished And Saint Paul to the Ephesians that any vncleannesse foolish iesting or talking shoulde bee once named among them And Tertullian an auncient doctor of the Church called Poets and certaine Philosophers the Patriarches of heretiques This which I haue spoken of must not be vnderstood of Poesies wherein much trueth and instruction is contained nor of pictures which represent the actes of holye and vertuous personages nor of fables taken out of hystories whereof there maye growe some edifying but onely of that which is lasciuious and grounded vpon naughtie argument rendring youth effeminate and men more giuen to wantonnesse pleasures passion vayne opinions then to vertue cleane turning away the honour that is due vnto God or to good edifying for according vnto the commaundement of God Cherubyns were made The admonition which Epictetus gaue to such as were too curious in pictures ought by no meanes to be here forgotten Trim not thy house saith hee with tables and pictures but paint it and guild it with Temperance the one vainely feedeth the eyes the other is an eternall ornament which cannot be defaced The same doeth Plutarque teache in the life of Dion that more
care is to bee taken for the hanging and adorning of the palace of the soule then of the outwarde And the same Philosopher did not muche out of the waye warne vs that wee shoulde take heede that the skirt of our garments shoulde not carrie a stinche of life CHAP. XXXVI Of backebyters mockers and euill speakers and why the Comedians stage players and Iugglers haue beene reiected WE haue heretofore shewed that our mouth ought to serue our neighbour as wel to preserue him in honor as in profit and for that our Lord God commaundeth that wee should neither deale falsly nor lye one to another He forbiddeth vs either to depraue or deceiue any for deprauing backbiting is an enimie vnto the trueth to the weale honour of our neighbor forbidden by God in the commandement of not bearing false witnes hath euer bin accounted as manslaughter stealing away of the renowne which we ought to esteeme according to the saying of the wise man aboue great riches Plato in his common wealth greatly praised the lawes of Lidia which punished backbiters as murtherers neither doe wee want sundrie examples which shew what mischiefe hath ensued through backbyting Wee haue one in Hester c. 3. of the mischiefe which Haman pursued against the Iewes which K. Ahashueroh of Doeg which through his backbiting was the cause of the death of 85. persons that did wear a lynen Ephod sundrie other myseries And Dauid did attribute vnto slanderers al the euil which Saul had wrought against him The backbiter is in degree neare vnto the flatterer hurteth three persons the absent of whom he speaketh the present which giueth eare vnto him himselfe And it is written in Ecclesiast that hatred enmitie reproch attendeth the backbiter And S. Paul writeth that railers shal not inherit the kingdome of God to the Ephesians Let al bitternes anger wrath crying euil speaking be put away from you with al malitiousnes Be ye courteous one to another tender harted forgiuing one another euen as God for Christes sake forgaue you Solon being demanded what was more cutting then a knife answered a slaunderous toung the which Dauid calleth a sharpe razor and hot burning coales The same writeth S. Iames in his Epistle more at large And as it is taken for a signe of health so is it a signe of a sound vnderstanding to be exempt from al words that may do harme And not without cause said Salomon that death life are in the power of the tongue more perish thereby then by the sword And addeth that he which keepeth his tongue keepeth his life S. Augustin sheweth that the truth hath written in our hearts this commandement Do vnto an other as thou wouldst be done vnto thy selfe And S. Ierom vppon Isaiah in like sort saith euen as wee woulde not that men shoulde speake euil of vs no more ought we to depraue our neighbour S. Paul willeth vs not so much as to eat or drink with the railers and so did S. Iames. Al kind of mockerie ought also to be shunned which is a reproch couered with some fault and which accustometh the mocker to raile lie moueth more then an iniurie when it proceedeth from a wil to outrage a malice without necessitie The which moued some to terme it an artificial iniurie Salomon writeth in his prouerbs that God doth abhorre al mockers the which Isaiah comprehendeth C. 38. 57. The lieutenant of K. Darius put to death one of his soldiars which had railed vpon Alexander saiing that the part of a soldiar was to fight not to raile Antigonus caused one to dye for the like cause and they of Alexandria were well chastised by Vespasian and diuers children were torne in peeces for mockinge of Elisha with wylde beares At the least wee ought to resemble the Phisitiōs which Hipocrates made to sweare that they shoulde not bewraye the secrete and hidden faultes and euils And Saint Gregorie in his Morals compareth the backebiter vnto him which bloweth the powder that flasheth into his owne eyes and hindereth his seeing For this cause ought wee to followe the councel giuen vnto vs by Saint Peter that laying aside all malitiousnesse and all guile and dissimulation and enuie and all euil speaking as newe borne babes wee desire the milke of the worde that wee may growe thereby And aboue all thinges followinge the councell of Demosthenes wee must take heede of speaking yll of the absent or giuing eare vnto the backebiters as Alexander Seuerus was wont to saye and doe And for as much as comedies are compounded of fixions fables and lyes they haue of diuers beene reiected As touchinge Playes they are full of filthie wordes which woulde not become verie lacqueys and courtisanes and haue sundrie inuentions which infect the spirite and replenish it with vnchaste whorishe cosening deceitfull wanton and mischeeuous passions Atheneus writinge of the inuention of a Comedie and tragedie sayeth that they haue euer been inuented in a time of vintage drunkennesse And for that besides all these inconueniences Comedians and stage players doe often times enuie and gnawe at the honor of another and to please the vulgar people set before them sundrie lies teach much dissolutenes and deceit by this meanes turning vpside downe all discipline and good manners many cities wel gouerned would neuer at any time intertaine thē And the citie of Marseilles hath beene maruelously praised in auncient time for that she alwaies reiected such kind of people And the Emperours Augustus Anthony Frederick the first and Henry the thirde caused them to be driuen out of their Empire And the Tribunes banished one Neuius out of Rome And S. Chrisostome in his 17 homilie vpon S. Matth. saith that there is no peril vppon the sea so dangerous as are the Theaters and places of Commedies playes and declareth at large what dissolutenes disorder factions mischiefes inconueniences haue ensued thereby The like doth Seneca declare in his first Epistle of the first booke Caelius Rodiginus in his 5. booke 7. Chapter And S. Augustine in his Citie of God commendeth Scipio for that he forbad the vse of any such pastimes as an enimie to al vertue honesty And saieth that the diuels vnder the similitude of false gods erected them The Lacedemonians also would neuer permit such playes acts for feare somewhat might be imprinted into the peoples brest cōtrary to the lawes truth For as the Apostle writeth Euil words corrupt good manners And this caused the good king S. Louis to banish them out of his court And S. Ierom towards the end of his first booke against Iouinian writeth that tragedies are ful of contempt of mariage good lawes And Seneca wisely wrote in his Epistles that it is verie daungerous
time which is so precious and not able to be againe recouered And in a good beginning we ought to perseuer without loosing courage And forasmuch as meere leasure is the cause of disorders and little honest thoughtes we ought not to spend one bare houre in vaine Many haue counselled youth to exercise themselues in Musicke to employ their time in those harmonies which stirre vp to commendable operations and moral vertues tempering desires greedinesse and sorrowes for so much as rimes melodies consist in certaine proportions and concords of the voyce And so long as this pleasure without wantonnesse allureth them they loose the occasion of deuising any lesse honest sport according to Plato his opinion the seconde of his lawes and eight of his commonwealth and Aristotle in his Politiques lib. 8.3 5. 7. This mooued Architas to inuent a certaine musicall instrument to stay the running wit of children I could here extoll Curius Diocletian Lucullus and sundry other who retyred themselues into a little small farme to the ploughe And Cicinnatus who after he had giuen ouer his Dictatorshippe returned to his plough as did Attilius Calatinus Attilius Regulus and sundrye other who contented themselues with the labour of the field despising all honours The which in my opinion mooued Plynie to write that the grounde tooke pleasure in being ploughed by Emperours Wantonnesse and daintinesse breedeth vexation of minde strange fashions and choler whereas facilitie of manners maketh one content with what he hath in hande and to seeke nothing too exquisite or superfluous I am of opinion that the manner which the Aegyptians helde and long time obserued in carrying vp and downe the hall at feastes a dryed anatomie of a dead mans bodie and shewing it vnto the companie thereby admonishing men to remember that in short time they should be a like was to make men more sober and temperate And sundry before time haue written that the diseases of the body be not to be feared so as the soule be sounde the health whereof consisteth in the good temperature of powers couragious or wrathfull coueting and reasonable she being the reasonable mistresse and bridling the two other as two furious and vnbroken coltes For as wee are curious to preserue the health of our bodie through the receites which are giuen and prescribed vnto vs by Phisitians or experience and so abstayne from meates and excesse which may offende or alter the same it is more required at our handes to remayne in the trueth and to haue a greater desire and care to preserue the health of our soules diligently obseruing all the rules which God the souerayne Phisitian of all prescribeth vnto vs and taking great heede on the other side that we shunne and auoyde whatsoeuer he hath forbidden And if we be carefull to seeke out those remedies which nature art and experience present vnto vs to preserue the health of our bodie much more ought wee to drawe and sucke out of the holy scriptures and histories that which formeth dresseth teacheth aduiseth reformeth and healeth the most noble and excellent part of vs which prepareth and strengtheneth vs at all assayes to receiue and carie with great contentment hope God assisting whatsoeuer may befall vnto vs in this life CHAP. XLVII What we ought to iudge of certaine examples of lying WE haue before recited the maxime which Vlysses in Sophocles would teach the sonne of Achilles as a matter very necessarie neuer to bee ashamed to lye when a man may reape profit thereby as also we put in vre what Plato permitted to Magistrates and Phisitians to lye so some other benefit mought be reaped for the scriptures and Doctors of the Church forbid all kinde of lying as well to great as to small And none ought to saue his corporall life to loose his spirituall And such helpe as we ought to minister vnto our neighbour ought to be without offence to God by iust vpright and honest means A man must not in like sort doe euill in hope of good And as touching that kinde of lying which is called ioyfull or offycious it discouereth it selfe easely doth no great harme Now to satisfie what may be obiected of the ly which the midwiues of the Hebrewes made and of Rahab which hid the spies of the children of Israell of Iacob which saide he was Esau and of other places which seeme to derogate from the truth S. Augustine sayth that as touching the midwiues we ought not so much to respect the lie as the fayth which they had in God and the affection and mercie which they shewed vnto the children of Israell In the rest wee are to consider the will of God and that they haue beene moued thorough the holy Ghost to foretell like Prophets what God had ordayned for his glory And when he willeth a thing then is sinne cleane excluded and what may seeme vnto men most vniust is in respect of our soueraine Lorde most iust Constance the father of Constantine the great made proclamaton that all Christians should giue ouer their offyces and lyuing which the good did and went from the court but such as were but in name gaue ouer their religion The sayde Emperour shortly after caused all those to be called home agayne which were departed and droue away the rest saying that if they were not faythfull to God they would not be to his seruice The like was doone by Iehu who after he had summoned all the Priests of Baal as though he would reestablish their idolatrie put them all to the edge of the sworde and made a iakes of their temple Yet ceased he not to worship the golden calfes We ought then to admire the sayinges and deedes of great personages and not to imitate them in what is not conformable to the rule which God hath prescribed or wherein they shall fayle like men and to followe the counsell giuen vnto vs by S. Paul to trie all things and holde that which is good CHAP. XLVIII Of the meanes how to render a nation true and happie and of the bringing vp of youth ALbeit that sundry of those meanes may bee perceiued by that which we haue before touched yet by reason of their importance to be meete with sundry inconueniences which happen I thought good to set forth more at large howe the very fountayne of all trueth godlines bountie iustice pollicy and vertue proceedeth frō a naturall good and that thorough the carelesnes of heads Magistrates guiding their affayres by hazard without any foresight according to the humor of mē which in all time haue halted in their dutie youth neuer hauing receiued good bringing vp corruption hath in euery place mightely increased For as Isocrates wrote in his Areopagiticke it is not great reuenewes nor riches nor lawes ordinances which make a citie quiet and happie but the good nourture of youth which being ill brought vp maketh no account
It is not founde likewise in anye part of this brittle and wretched lyfe but in the trust mercy puissance and bounty of God and remission of our sinnes as Dauid setteth it 32. Psalme and Saint Paule to the Romanes in the feare and loue of God and of his worde and to put oure whole confidence in him and in that which our Sauiour reciteth in the 6. of Sainct Mathew It had not likewise beene vnfruitfull to haue shewed how hurtfull impatience and murmuring are and how necessarye to be eschewed followinge the instruction of Salomon Prouerb 14. 19. and of Sainct Paule 1. Corrinth 10. 2. Phil. the example of Achitophel is in the 2. of Samuel cap. 17. I referre other greater reasons of the aboue sayde articles vntill an other season I coulde also haue discoursed at large of sundry other opinions which are in controuersie were it not for feare of beeing too long and ouer tedious The Conclusion CHAP. L. TO the end then that we may rest beloued of God and of good men and haue a good conscience a peaceable life a guide in all affaires with hope of eternall life and heape of blysse we must walke wisely and be founde true in all our thoughtes wordes and actions and so to accustome our selues thereto that we giue no place to any lye though it be the lightest which may be made Nowe for feare least we should fall hereunto to our great greife let vs be time thinke of what we would doe or say before we put it in execution beseeching God with Dauid that he will addresse vs in his trueth and that it may alwayes remayne in our heart and mouth that he will make vs to vnderstande howe short and vncertaine the course of this our life is to the ende that wee may retyre our heartes from the vanities and false apparances of this worlde and spende that little time which we haue to liue in learning of his wisedome that is to saye to beleeue and assure our selues vpon his promises to obey whatsoeuer it pleaseth him to commaunde vs and carefully to eschewe whatsoeuer he hath forbidden And as this contagion of lying hath well gayned place in many thorough custome and is growen by little and litle so let vs exercise our selues to followe truth though in tryfles and euery day before we sleepe examine and trie what we haue gotten by being true and vertuous and according to Seneca his counsell in all our actions howe secrete soeuer they be let vs imagine that God his saintes and Angels be present or some man of great aucthoritie and grauitie to the ende our countenances wordes and actions may be the better gouerned And of such as shall liue in this truth shunning lying we may say as Moyses prophesied and pronounced to the children of Israel to whom al christians haue succeeded that they shall be blessed in the citie and blessed also in the fielde blessed shalbe the fruite of their bodye and the fruite of their grounde and the fruit of their cattell God shall make an alliance with them he shall make them increase and multiply in abundance of whatsoeuer is necessarie But if contrariwise they followe lying and liue disorderly feare and trembling feauers burning agewes and all sorts of curses there set downe shall fall vpon them There is no question to be made which way is to be followed that wee may attayne to all felicitie and the inheritance promised to such as are sanctified of God and to those are thinges which neyther eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor came into mans heart which God hath prepared for them which loue him Saint Paul wrote to the Romaines that the wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of men which withholde the truth in vnrighteousnesse And to them which by continuance in well doing seeke glory honour and immortalitie to giue euerlasting life but to them that are contentious and disobey the truth and obey vnrighteousnesse shal be indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish shall be vppon the soule of euery man that doth euill but to euery man that doth good shalbe glory and honour and peace And seeing the chastisements miseries and afflictions so many tragicall euents sent from God to so many people Christians but in name which are set before our eyes for an example to reconcile vs to God we haue great occasion humbly to beseech by feruent prayers and groanes that he will bende our heartes to his obedience and so make other mens plagues and visitations to profit vs that we may not drawe through our vnthankfulnesse more greeuous paynes vppon vs and ours most humbly thanking him for that amidst so great darkenesse error and ignorance as couereth the worlde it pleaseth him to cast some beames of his grace and truth vpon vs beseeching him that he wil warme quicken and illuminate vs more and more attending the day of our deliuerie out of this world already vanquished by him Τω θεω δωξα Τελος Trueth a vertue most praise vvorthie Marcion Manichaeus heresie The religion of the Indians touching the soules departure out of the bodie The crueltie of the Spanyardes Trueth called a vertue Common sense The Sunne 166 times greater than the earth 6545 times greater than the Moone l. 2. ca. 3. contra academ Prou. 2. Iohn 8.32 Iohn 6.68 S. Augustine Hovv the trueth appeareth Matth. 7.7 Tvvo principall partes in man VVhat truth is Psa 119.105 2. Pet. 2.19 Iohn 5.39 2. Cor. 1.30 2. Tim. 6.16 Iohn 3.16 Isaiah 39.8 Faith Math. 23.23 Iohn 6. 8. Heb. 11.1 Act. 15.9 Gal. 4.6 Ephes 1.4 Act. 19. Rom. 8.1 1. Cor. 13.2 2. Thes 1.3 Mat. 6.8 Ioh. 14.1 2. Cor. 1.3 Ephe. 6.16 Ephes 6.14 Zechar. 8.16 Ephes 4.15 Plato Zenophon A king to be faithfull Aristotle Isaiah 32.1 Fredericke emperoure Charles the 5 emperoure Christ Iesus the sonne shining of iustice Iohn 14.6 Iohn 8.45 The Diuell a father of lies Iob. 24.13 1. Tim. 3.15 Lactantius Gen. 7.21 Cicero To vvhat the doctrine of the lavve tendeth Deut. 6.14 Hovv man becommeth happie The ende of all artes Ioh. 3.19 Iohn 3.11 All vertues holde a meane Democritus speache Euripides Plato Methode Phocion Ecclesiast VVhat in speach is to be considered Prouerb 27.2 August vpon the Psalm 85 Not to be vnthankfull for benefites receiued Plin. in his nat hist The Lybrarie of Ptolomie Not to speake of vvhat a man doth not vnderstand 2. Chr. 25.17 Lavves and pollicy ordayned from God Pro. 16.2.9 Phil. 2.13 2. Cor. 3.8 Counterfayting Dissembling Alexander 6. Duke of Valentinois his sonne Fredericke emperoure Paulus Iouius Aristotle 1. Pet. 2.1 Luke 24.28 1. Sam. 21.13 Great personages haue fayned them selues madde Speache a shaddovve of deades Emperoures of dubble hearte Pertinax surnamed Chrestologus Tiberius Speake Homer Othon 4. Frederic 2. Innocent 3. Guychardyne Augustus VVhy the Lacedemonians banished Chesiphon Hipocrisie an enimie to the trueth Dissembled equitie double iniquitie 1.