children The Kingly Prophet exhorts Kings of the earth and all people Princes and Iudges of the world young men and maydens also old men and children to prayse the name of the Lord. Saint Paul chargeth Timothie and Titus to teach old and young without exception Saint Iohn writeth his Epistle to fathers young men and children therefore the youngest are not exempted in regard of their young and tender yeeres Inasmuch as God is their Creator they are to remember him in the dayes of their youth Seeing in their first entrance into the world they haue beene baptised into the name of the blessed Trinitie and so haue taken vpon them the profession of true religion their proceeding and practise when they come to yeeres must be answerable to their beginning Further that age is slipperie weake dangerous and subiect to many temptations easilie seduced and ouercome by bad counsell and company They had neede therefore betimes to bee armed with the shielde of faith and sword of the spirit their witte and capacitie is then most fresh pregnant to conceiue remember keepe and hold good and gratious instructions Parents therefore are commaunded to bring vp their children in instruction and information of the LORD And it is the counsell of the wise man Teach a childe the trade of his way and when hee is olde he will not depart from it Againe yong men are subiect to death and must appeare before the great Iudge in that day as well as other Neede therefore haue they of due preparation Besides a religious disposition and behauiour in young age will bring them credit and honour all the dayes of their life and comfort ioy and peace of conscience in old age And what ioy what exceeding ioy will this be to Parents friends Tutors teachers and to all that loue and feare God A wise sonne saith Salomon maketh a glad father but a foolish sonne is a heauinesse to his mother It is therefore sayde of Iohn the Baptist that his father should haue ioy of him and many should reioyce at his birth because hee was filled with the holy Ghost in his mothers wombe Saint Iohn writing to that noble and worthie Lady reioyceth greatly that hee found her children walking in the trueth And examples we haue of grace and religion in the younger sorte Samuel from his childhood was consecrated and dedicated to the seruice of God Iosiah was but eight yeares old when he began to raigne in Ierusalem yet there was neuer any before nor after him more vertuous and religious Salomon though most tender and deare in the eyes of his father and mother yet in his young yeares was taught diuine and heauenly wisedome When our Sauiour Christ came riding to Ierusalem in a base manner though the Scribes and Pharises disdained him yet children cry Hosanna the sonne of Dauid Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. Timothie from his childhood had knowledge in the scriptures being instructed by his good Grandmother Lois and his mother Eunicâ— Iohn the Baptist grew and â—â—â—ed strong in the spirit and Iesus Christ being but 12. yeares old increased in wisedome in statute and fauour with God and men God will haue the first borne the first fruits and he that begins well is halfe his way Dimidium facti qui bene caepit habet The tree that buds not in the spring is dead and such as are deformed in youth neuer proue welfauoured in age As the arrow is first directed so it flyeth youth is compared to the day while it is day let vs walke in the light the night commeth when no man can worke The time of youth is the summer time with the Ant and Bee we must prouide in summer against winter The time of youth is compared to Haruest wherin men take the occasioÌ„ vse all meanes they can for the reaping and enioying of the fruits of the earth if they let that time slip all is lost He that sleepes in haruest is the sonne of confusion Dauid in his youth killeth the Lyon the Beare and great Goliah Sampson in his youth killed the Philistines let vs by our spirituall armour ouercome the wicked one euen in our young time Now besides all this giue me leaue Right Hon. to put you in remembrance of one worthie example of a noble young man Ioseph full of grace and vertue worthie to be imitated of Kings Princes and Potentates In this famous patterne I obserue these sixe vertues The first is his rare chastitie who being tempted to follie by his mistresse did flatly refuse her saying How can I doe this great wickednesse and so sinne against God He knew with Iob that this was is a wickednesse and iniquitie to be condemned yea that it is a fire which shall deuoure to destruction and shall roote out all his encrease The second vertue in young 〈◊〉 which is the ground of all the rest is his religion and the true feare of God in his heart All his actions and all his proceedings doe sauour of the feare of God It was this that kept him from that grosse iniquitie He ascribes the interpretatioÌ„ of dreams not to himselfe but to God He protesteth to his brethren that he feareth God And againe when he made himselfe knowne to his brethren he said Be not sad neither grieued with your selues that you sold me hither for God did send me before you for your preseruation And when his father asked him of his sonnes These are my sons sayd he which God hath giuen me This is the chiefe vertue in great persons the best Nobilitie A third vertue in Ioseph is his faithfulnes to his Prince He gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the corne which hee bought not for his owne priuate vse but for the profit of the King his maister And as he is carefull to preserue the royall dignitie of the King and seeketh the wealth of Pharoah so hee hath a pittifull heart to the poore distressed people and is carefull to relieue them This is an excellent vertue in great persons which serue in the Court not to seeke their owne priuate gaine but the credit and wealth of their Prince and yet to haue louing and merciful hearts to the poore distressed commons The fourth vertue in Ioseph is his seueritie and clemencie wisely mixed together Hee speaketh roughly to hiâ— brethren hee threatens them and chargeth them to be spyes and yet his heart is full of compassion and loue When they are truely humbled know themselues hee doth entertaine them kindly and receiue them with much ioy And this is a speciall vertue required of Princes and Magistrates They must with Dauid in the gouerning of their Court Church Common-wealth and house strike on these two strings Mercie and Iudgement They must bee seuere and rough against notorious offenders and yet
Iustice that impietie in religion and false worship is the ouerthrowe of kingdomes and as the whole storie is of great vse and instruction to the Church so especially the Chronicle of Dauid the father and Salomon the sonne they being the first Kings that God gaue to Israel next to Saul yea indeed the first that God gaue his people in loue men qualified with extraordinarie graces the one a Prophet the other a Preacher both of them tipes and figures of Christ Iesus the true Dauid and Salomon Their storie is large and long as you may reade in the two bookes of Samuel and a great part of the first booke of the Kings and further in the first booke of the Chronicles and the nine first Chapters of the second booke Touching Salomon in those bookes there is set downe the fauour of God towards him in appearing familiarly twise vnto him the singular blessings of wisedome honor and riches bestowed vpon him the care of Salomon in building the Temple Gods house according to his minde his ioy praise and sacrifices for the same now this chapter in hand containeth two generall heads First a profitable and pleasant storie of the Queene of the south Secondly the magnificence and greatnes of Salomon This text is a branch of the first part and containeth a worthie commendation of Salomon First commending the happie gouernment of his familie secondly of his whole kingdome whatsoeuer is in these two short sentences of scripture all is worthie and excellent and of great force to drawe reuerence and attention whether we consider the person that speaketh the partie to whom it is spoken or the matter and subiect it selfe the speaker no simple nor base person though the weaker vessell a woman yet of great estate and maiestie a famous Royall Queene the person to whom this is spoken is no lesse a man then Salomon a most worthie and glorious King of Israel beloued and chosen of God excelling all the Kings of the earth in riches honor and wisedome A liuely tipe and figure of Christ Iesus the sonne of God the King of all Kings and Lord of heauen and earth The matter and subiect here handled and commended is neither riches nor pleasure nor the pompe nor the glorie of the world but wisedome diuine wisedome which she saw and heard in Salomon and for the enioying whereof she tooke so tedious so long and costly a iourney after her conference with Salomon and after she heard him speake so diuinely to her selfe and other strangers to his courtiers seruants and people her heart being inamoured with loue of this wisedome and feeling the power and vertue of it working in her soule she crieth and exclaimeth Happie are these thy men happie are these thy seruants which stand euer before thee and heare thy wisedome c. Before we come to this speech it selfe it shall not be amisse to say some thing of the speaker a woman a Queene of excellent vertues the whole speech it selfe commends her for here she speaketh reuerently of Salomon commending and magnifying his wisedome she confesseth and worshippeth the true God she acknowledgeth him to be the disposer of kingdomes and Israel to be his people she putteth Salomon in minde of the dutie of a King She is a tipe of the calling of the Gentiles and finally she is commended by Christ himselfe in the Gospell as we shall see hereafter And though all the world and all the Kings of the earth sought to see Salomon and to heare his wisedome yet this woman is especially named commended and a whole storie is written of her because it was a great matter and almost a wonder that a woman should take so great so troublesome and tedious a iourney and it seemeth her zeale and pietie exceeded all the rest In the beginning of this chapter it is set downe whence she came namely from Sheba being as Christ saith from the vttermost part of the earth that the fame of Salomon moued her to come that she came with a great traine and brought with her sweet odours gold and precious stones the end of her comming was to proue SalomoÌ„ with hard questions in matters of religion and as she spared neither paines nor cost but cheerfully tooke vpon her so great a iourney so when she is come she is carefull to learne and enquire of the true knowledge of God to be satisfied and resolued concerning all points she stood in doubt of she confesseth her ignorance and neglecteth no occasion to doe her soule good And now after Salomon had answered all things to the full she highly commends him she stirreth vp his courtiers subiects and seruants to be thankfull for such a Maister Lord and King she reioyceth praising God for him and after in token of thankfulnes she bestoweth vpon him gold odors and precious stones she could not then perfectly learne true religion in her owne countrie Ierusalem was the seate and schoole of religion the scripture not being then in all tongues as it was after in the time of the Apostles therefore she commeth so farre to learne true wisedome both for her priuate comfort and the publike good of her people and now hauing found felt and inioyed it she both blesseth God the Author and Salomon the teacher In this example we are to obserue diuers worthie notes and markes of gracious and good hearers First in that she seekes for wisedome and such things as concerne the name of the Lord and that from Salomon who was so wise in so great a measure Good hearers must follow her example not to seeke for follie or fables but for true wisedome and that from the true Salomon Christ Iesus in his word and Gospell For the scriptures onely as the Apostle saith are able to make vs wise vnto saluation And the Psalmist saith The lawe of the Lord is perfect conuerting soules and giueth wisedome to the simple Salomon himselfe giues this counsell Incline thine eare heare the words of the wise and applie thine heart to my knowledge Secondly good hearers after this worthie patterne must refuse no paines nor labor for the attaining of this wisedome The wise man will haue vs call and crie for it to seeke it as siluer and search for it as for treasures And againe buy the truth but sell it not likewise wisedome and instruction and vnderstanding when Christ was borne at Bethlem in Iudea there came certaine wise men from the East to Ierusalem to seeke for him this woman and they in many things are much alike they were some great men she a Queene they came to Ierusalem so did she they came to seeke Christ she came to Salomon the figure of Christ they enquire of the Priests to be satisfied where Christ should be borne she seeketh to be satisfied of her doubts from Sâ—lomon a preacher they seeing the starre leading them to Christ reioyced she hauing comfort and knowledge from Salomon reioyceth also they offer gold Incense
doctrine of saluation speaking in sinceritie as of God in the sight of God casting from them the cloakes of shame neither handling the word of God deceitfully but in declaration of the truth approuing themselues to the consciences of all good men There be many worthie meÌ„ in our Church of excellent gifts and graces whose ministrie hath beene powerfull to call many thousands from sinne and error to truth and holines to the conuersion and sauing of soules Our Church holdeth the true foundation it setteth it selfe by doctrine and sword against all heretickes it hath bredde many worthy Martyrs it is a true witnes keeper interpreter and translator of the holy scripture it is an helper and harbourer of the Saints and it doth truely call vpon the name of the true God and hath the true word and Sacrament the essentiall markes of the true Church What cause then is there of separation from vs though there be great oddes betwixt these two kindes of Recusants the one in greater degree of error then the other Yet we dare bouldly say to them both as Saint Paul saith to the Corinthians who began to contemne their Apostle Paul and to get other teachers If he that commeth saith Paul preacheth an other Iesus then him whom wee haue preached or if you receiue an other spirit then that which you haue receiued either an other Gospell then that you haue receiued ye might well haue suffred him As if he should say If any man can preach a better Iesus a better Gospell a better spirit they might hearken to him but indeed none could doe it And therfore he saith in an other place Though that wee or an Angell from heauen preach vnto you otherwise theÌ„ that which we haue preached vnto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now againe If any man preach vnto you otherwise then that you haue receiued let him bee accursed We preach the true Iesus according to the scriptures that there is no Name vnder heauen that wee can be saued by but by him that hee is both true God and man that he is the King the Priest and Prophet of his Church we preach the true Gospell containing the doctrine of Faith and Repentance To this doctrine is ioyned the true spirit the spirit of Adoption the spirit of boldnes of comfort and sanctifâ—cation If any of them can teach a better Iesus a better Gospel a better spirit we will harken to them The Papists they teach hold many things corruptly of Christ Iesus the sonne of God ouerthrowing the power and ende of his comming and derogating from him the glory of our owne and full redemption by their Masse and manie Mediators they abolish the Priesthood of Christ by the Popes supremacie making him the vniuersall head of the Church they diminish dishonor and quite ouerthrow the Kingly Office of Christ by their owne Inuentions and vaine Traditions they take away his Propheticall office their Gospell is full of superstition and Idolatrie adding and diminishing at their pleasure making newe Articles and new Sacraments their spirit is a spirit of Error of Ignorance of doubting and torment But to let these goe and to come to the other It may beâ— some will say that they hold the same Iesus and Gospell with vs Let it be graunted that they and wee agree in all matters concerning Faith and saluation as it may appeare by their owne confession of Faith wherin there is nothing that is sound and Orthodoxall but they receiued it from vs Many of them specially of their founders and first beginners were bredde and borne amongst vs they had their faith if they haue any their knowledge the word and SacrameÌ„ts from vs they confesse they holde the same things with vs and other Churches touching matters of Faith the more shame for them to flie and run away from vs as though they had some better Iesus some better Gospell then wee haue where as all may see that they haue no other And therefore their separation is most vnkinde and ridiculous Let the best reformed churches in the world who haue giuen vs the right hands of fellowship Let them I say be Iudges between vs them or let the scriptures theÌ„selues truly opened applied be the true touch-stone triall betweene vs. Let them shew bring forth one scripture commanding or one holy example approuing such a separation from such a church from such ministers holding professing teaching that which they do from wheÌ„ce you your selues haue receiued all the good things which you holde maintaine or professe in matters of Religion So that you might say as Carneados a Philosopher was woont to say of his Maister and reader Chrisippus If it had not bene for Chrisippus I neuer had bene any body So might you say If the pride of your heart will suffer you If it had not beene for the church of EnglaÌ„d many of you could neuer haue had Bible Faith nor knowledge in the matters of your saluation Now you doe very ill requite the fathers that begot you the mother that bare you thus to flie from them to accuse slaunder reuile and curse them Herein you deale as Aristotle dealt with his maistar Plato who hauing gotten great Learning from his master did after oppose himself against him and by all meanes sought his disgrace and discredit Therfore Plato was wont to call Aristotle a Mule because when shee hath filled her self with her mothers milke she will beate her damme with her heeles Plato signified by this the ingratitude of Aristotle for when he had receiued from Plato the principles of Phylosophie and encrease of knowledge therein he became enemy to the schoole of Plato and with his Familiers and Schollers did alwayes contend and striue against Plato If the dealing of these men bee not as harde and vnkinde against our Church let any reasonable indifferent men iudge And are they not too neere like the Viper who gnaweth out the dammes bellie and so liueth by the death of her damme But of the vnthankfulnes of these men to God their Prince and this Church we shall speake of it in an other place For this time I referre them to the iudgment of two worthy men writing iointly vpon the 13. chap of the Prouerbs 13. verse the words are these He that despiseth the word shall be destroyed but he that feareth the commandement hee shall be rewarded This sentence say they will presse so vpon the Brownists who are become bitter despisers of the Ministrie of Iesus Christ by separating themselues from the Churches of God and deprauing all the holy meanes of saluation howsoeuer they preteÌ„d to stand for sinceritie yet they resist it taking vpon them to be chaÌ„pions for Christ his kingdom they fight against it though their argumeÌ„ts seeme to be grounded on the word yet being well sifted they proue meere falacies haue no agreement with the meaning of the holy Ghost in the
respect of wilde beastes theeues enemies Christ was borne amoÌ„gst them he was brought vp and dwelt with them he came to them preaching in euery Citie Towne Synagogues his wisedom cryed in their streetes and at their doores This gracious woman spent much was at great charges in comming and returning and giuing costly presents to Salomon Christ freely offreth to them temporall and spiritual graces foode to soule and body and yet they regard him not She was moued with fame and report which is often falâ—e and vntrue they saw before their eyes his wonders wisedome There came to Salomon a man being onely a tipe of Christ but the Sonne of God the true Messias the wisedome of the father came of his owne accord to them yea he came amongst his owne but his owne receiued him not She came to learne to be resolued and satisfied of her doubts Christ offreth them diuine wisedome such as is able to satisfie and resolue any that are willing to learne in all the matters of their saluation but they being carried away by a conceit of their owne wisedome and righteousnes thinke scornâ— to be resolued by him this Queen aboue all things preferreth this heauenly wisedome as the chiefe treasure felicitie but they make the commandements of God to be of no force by their owne traditions She moueth many doubts to Salomon with a good minde to be resolued they indeed aske many questions propound many doubts to our Sauiour but with most wicked malicious mindes to catch entangle and intrappe him in his speech This Queene commendeth magnifieth reuerenceth SalomoÌ„ her teacher but they râ—uile and blaspheme our Sauiour Christ She stirreth vp others to loue and honour Salomon they withdrawe others so many as they can from honouring of Christ She accounteth it true happines to heare Salomons wisedome they feele and finde no such thing though they heare the wisedome of Christ She a stranger admireth Salomon they of the same countrey stocke and kindred with Christ Iesus and yet reiect and despise him She most thankfull to God and to Salomon for the comfort good which she had receiued but they most creul vnthankfull against Iesus Christ thogh he bestowed many great blessings benefits vpon them they were those bad husbandmen to whoÌ„ the Lord set his vineyard and sending his seruants to receiue fruit some of them they beate and some of them they killed and at last sending his sonne they said among themselues This is the heire come let vs kill him and let vs take his inheritance Therefore saith our Sauiour to these That the kingdome of God should be taken from them and shall be giuen to a nation which shall bring forth the fruits thereof Finally this woman obserued all things that Salomon spake or did and wondreth but they are so blinde that neither the power of his doctrine nor the greatnes of his miracles could moue them to admiration She was not brought vp in the schoole of God and yet seeketh for instruction they were learned in the lawe and the Prophets and yet despise the true teacher and Prince of Prophets Therefore shall this Queene rise it iudgement against these blind and obstinate Iewes which is not so to be taken aâ— if she had any power of iudging or condemning for that properly belongeth to Christ but that by this example and fact oâ—hers they shall be conuicted and left without excuse It shall clearely testifie to all the world that their damnation is most iust THE FOVRTH SERMON MAny worthy and excellent things we haue heard alreadie of this gracious woman her great care desire and loue to knowe the truth in comming so great a iourney to her great paines and charge her reuerencing and magnifying of Salomon and accounting the hearing and obeying true wisedome as the greatest felicitie in this life We haue heard her example commended by our Sauiour Christ and alledged by him to the shame and condemnation of the Scribes and Pharises and all the obstinate and vnbeleeuing Iewes who did not receiue but reiect him that was far greater then Salomon Now let vs adde the other example of the Niniuites applied also by our Sauiour to the same purpose against the Iewes and so let vs make some vse of them both to our selues The men of Niniuie saith Christ shall rise in iudgement with this generation and shall conemne it for they repented at the preaching of Ionas and behold a greater then Ionas is here Heere is a like comparison as before to the same vse and ende the Niniuites being Gentiles strangers from the coÌ„mon-wealth of Israel yet at the preaching of Ionas suffer themselues to be reproued reformed these were Israelites the seede of AbrahaÌ„ to whom pertained the Adoption the couenant the promises the law the oracles of God yet they wil not harkeÌ„ to the voyce of the soÌ„ne of God the sauiour of the world They had but one Preacher of the word the prophet Ionas these had manie prophets yea Iohn the Baptist Christ him selfe yet they did not belieue them The Niniuites in one day at one Sermon were touched conuerted To them the word had bin preached a loÌ„g time many yeres yet they were not the better They repeÌ„ted at the preaching of Ionas being confirmed by no signe nor miracle they saw daily new signes and wonders wrought among them such as neuer any did before yet they coÌ„temned both his Doctrine and miracles Theywere moued at the preaching of Ionas a stranger being a Iewe coÌ„ming froÌ„ the Iewes a nation odious to theÌ„ but these loathed CHRIST being their owne Countryman borne among them The Niniuites endured Ionas his sermon threatning most fearfull and general destruction vpon them but they hated Christ and could not abide him but thought him worthie of death though he preached offered to them the treasures grace of mercie Finally they belieued Ionas a mortall and sinfull man these would not belieue Christ being not onely man but God whom they could not reproue of any sinne hauing so many witnesses from the Law froÌ„ the prophets from God the Father from Iohn the Baptist and from his owne glorious works And very notably doth one knit vp this comparison together in these words The Niniuites saith he a nation strange froÌ„ God Ionas a wan vnknowne of a base condition came to them No man commended him vnto them before hee came none foretold his comming he wrought no miracles at all hee got no mans fauour by any benefites hee promised no great matter he onely threatneth destruction and he preached no longer then three dayes but CHRIST was promised long before by the Oracles of the Prophets often commended by the testimonie of Iohn and his Father proceeding from the same progenitors of whom they gloried he had taught them a good while and wrought many miracles among them he bestowed many benefites vpon many both vpon their soules
ô Iuda and you inhabitants of Iersalem put your trust in the Lord your God and you shall be assured beleeue his Prophets and you shall prosper Now let vs come to the dutie of a king and of all gouernours set downe in fewe words by this blessed Queene she putteth Salomon in minde oâ— the end why God did thus highly preferre and aduance him it was to execute iudgement and iustice to doe equitie and righteousnes This is the end and calling of aâ— gouernours and rulers appoynted by God himselfe and let vs in respect of the place and persons applie our speech to subordinate magistrates who are the kings deputies and rule in his name vnder him they must faithfully doe their duties and iustly discharge their places and the trust committed to them And by the king being the chiefe magistrate the scripture doâ—â— vnderstand all other gouernours officers assistance and helpers to him he cannot rule and gouerne alone by himselfe so great a kingdome and people he hath need of many eies many eares many heads and hands to helpe and assist him in gouernment Moses by the counsell of Iethrohâ—s father in lawe prouideth sundrie officers and iudges vnder him for hearing and iudging of causes King Iehosephat setteth iudges in the land throughout all the strong Cities in Iuda Citie by Citie and telleth them and teacheth them what they are to doe in their places S. Peter exhorting vs to submission to the king as to the superior so he maketh mention of gouernours vnder the king for the punishment of euill doers and for the praise of them that doe well We haue hard before the excellencie of kings and magistrates namely that God is the author of their place that they are in Gods stead and called by his name This no doubt is a great honour and dignitie to be aboue others to be chiefe in a kingdome in a citie towne or countrie to represent the person of a king yea to represent the person of God this may be an occasion to lift vp the hearts of many aboue their brethren because of the greatnes of their place and many in this their office doe onely respect the highnes the glory and worship of it and therefore are conceited in themselues But as it is Honâ—â— so it is Onus As the place of the magistrate is an honour so it is a burden a great and heauie burden and the consideration of this may serue to humble good magistrates both in the sight of God and men to remember in what low and base astate they haue beene heretofore though they be now aduanced They may say to God in the humilitie of their soules with Iacob I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies and all the truth which thou hast shewed to thy seruant for with my staffe came I ouer this Iorden and now haue I gotten two bands And may not some say with Dauid that the Lord hath chosen and taken them from the Sheepefoldes to feed his people in Iacob and his inheritance in Israel May not many truly say that though they be now of great wealth yet they haue beene as poore as others though they be now gouernours and rulers of others yet they haue beene subiect to those whom they gouerne Nay the greatnes of their place the honor and dignitie that they are in should not make them proud for if they looke well to the great and manifold duties required they shall haue no cause to be lifted vp but rather to be humbled and cast downe they are not called to the place of gouernment to be proud idle to take their pleasure and ease to liue in â—otousnes in luxurie and licensiousnes but faithfully and carefully to performe all the duties which God requireth of good gouernours in holie scripture to gouerne well is a matter of great difficultie care labour and danger many times in pleasing men they displease God and in pleasing God they displease men so that they can hardly so behaue themselues but that they shall displease the one or the other What wisedome humane and diuine is required in good gouernors or else they must see with other mens eies he must speake with other mens tongues and they must be wise by other mens heads gouernours without true wisedome are like a ship without an anker like birdes without winges A wise gouernour is like salt to season others he is as the eie and the heart of the people What courage and magnanimitie is required in good rulers for the suppressing of the rebellious and wicked and for doing of iustice without partialitie and what care diligence prouidence labour and toyle for the right gouernment of so many and so many sorts of men The heathen could say that the greatnes of gouernment is the greatnesâ— of care he is in dutie to warrant the sleepe of his subiects by his owne watchfulnes their peace by his labour their ease by his industrie their leisure by his busines the head watcheth and prouideth for the gouernment of the whole body how carefull and watchfull are nurces for the feeding and ordering of their children how watchful are good Shepheards for the leading and feeding of their sheepe and how carefull is a good householder and maister for the gouernment of the whole familie so that it is an old saying Therein but one seruant in an house meaning that the maister is seruant to all in respect of his care and prouidence ouer all In very deed saith one it seemeth to me that it is the art of all artes the discipline of all disciplines to gouerne man which of all creatures is most variable in manners and diuers in will An other saith that to gouerne is not onely a dignitie but an art yea the greatest of all other for if they rule ouer other things which are without man the skill and the cunning is better then all the things themselues how much more is the gouernment ouer men most excellent seeing that men doe excell all other things There are diuers kindes of artes one excelling an other there is the art and skill of husbandrie of carpentrie and building which are very necessaire and doe serue for the helpe and conseruation of this life there be other artes which are lesse then these As to be shepheards taylors smithes but amongst all these husbandrie is most necessarie which God himselfe ordained and commaunded so soone as he had made man for it is possible for a man to liue without most of the other arts but without husbandrie it is impossible to liue without it all the rest are to no purpose yet kings doe gouerne husbandmen and there is some likenes betweene husbandrie and gouernment the gouernor is a setter of plants some he proyneth some he cherisheth and causeth to growe some he cutteth downe and pulleth vp by the rootes good gouernours are like husbandmen by husbandrie the badnes of the earth the wildnes of the plants