deuill and to cal him into testimony of any thing ¶ Gouernors ought to punishe by death such as God condemnes to eternall and temporall death and vvhome the Gospell detesteth and pronounceth vvorthy of eternall fire So that all sinnes committed against the ten commaundements ought to be so punished so that they vvere committed directlye and by a deliberate vvill but aboue all such deserue greeuous punishment as are done contrarye to the three preceptes of the fyrst table The .6 Chapter THE Christian Magistrate conforming him selfe thus to the lawe of God maye punishe crimes de lesa maiestate diuina Atheismes idolatries blasphemies Inuocation to deuilles sorceries incantacions charmes and al sortes of magicke damnable supersticions with other faultes against the first commaundement which is to know feare worship loue and serue God in spirite in trueth and obedience These crimes haue béene condemned to death by God for the whiche there neuer could bee any grace obtained in his lawe The magistrate shall not suffer to sweare by the name of God in vaine nor geue libertye to any light othes no though they bring no offence to conscience but onelye to sweare in iudgement in iustice and in trueth Hée shal not winke at any rashe othe made by any creature what so euer and muche lesse suffer in impunitye periuries renouncementes and execrations as to betake them selues to the deuill or other othes coniured in the name of the wicked fende which muche lesse that it is not a sinne most detestable but also it carieth euen a naturall kinde of Idolatrie hée ought not to suffer this common abuse to speake of God and holye thinges without reuerence and muche lesse to abuse the sacred scripture with scoffes other sence then the holy Ghost vnderstoode it as is done now a dayes in Pasquilles and which worse is in Charmes diuinations and sorceries as by the mistery of turning of a keye and pronouncing certaine holye names to finde a thing that is lost and by writing scrowes to cure an Ague Hée ought not to suffer prophanation of the Sabboth whiche is the Sundaye a daye appointed to rest in the Lorde and dispose in meditacion and exercise of deuoute labours yea let him see it sanctifyed with good and holye workes as by prayers hearing Sermons and lessons with doing actes of mercye not suffering games or dissolucions gluttonies dronkennes nor other actes whereby the holye daies maye be polluted Let him lastlye defende prophanation of the holy sacramentes temples with the holye relikes of holye men which in their liues they presented in immulation to God for the faith of Iesus Christ It is most certaine that the transgression of these three commaundementes of the first table was in all seasons punished with stoning to death Whereunto the good gouernours of the auncient common weales of Israell would neuer graunt grace In the first churche when any were receyued into penaunce the church ministred so straite paine and for so long time that there was none to whome the grauetye of the punishment gaue not great horrour euen to haue the thought to transgresse And I wishe in God that at the least those Crimes were punished with no lesse rigour then certaine naturall faultes committed against Kinges Princes and Lordes of the worlde hée that committes treason against the King knoweth his torment to be dismembred with fowre horses Who liues in court and entertayned by the wages of the King and should misknowe or derogate his Maiestie falsefye his Sygnet speake of the King as of a vile person without due honour woulde geue no obedience to his Lawes shoulde defile his Pallace with actes of villanye shoulde offer wrong to the reputacion of the Princes Gentlemen of his trayne or lastly should offende in any sort of contempte touching the greatnes and dignitye of the King would it not iustlye sturre vp the officers and good seruauntes of the King and laying handes of the offendour to commit him by good reason to the tormentes of the whéele or punishe vpon a Gibbet this arrogant contemnor of the sacred maiestie of the King. Oh howe many more vile actes doo our eyes beholde in all partes of the world committed against the sacred maiestie of our GOD afore whome his Aungels are restrained to so great reuerence that they dare not beholde him and for his wonderfull brightnes haue no power to settle their sight vppon him But where is the care of our magistrates who possessing the chiefest place in the house of God haue theyr reuenues to maintaine his honour with power to plant a reuerence and vniuersall obedience Saint Paul and Barnabe in a holye indignation and Spiritual anger which wée call zeale to God rent in peeces theyr Gownes for one onelye contempt which men would haue offered to the liuing God in theyr presence But howe many millions of blasphemies epicurities and impieties are offered afore our eyes and eares euerye daye and yet what officer of God entereth into the rebuke of them The Chaldees and Egyptians with theyr Iuglinges and artificiall masking of the sence are welcome into Courtes yea they which in times paste were burned quicke at Rome Deuinors Charmers and Sorcerers are in credite falsefiers of the sacred seale of the holye Ghost who are the false Prophetes are called great Doctours of the trueth Inuocatours of the Deuill denyers of GOD prophanours and contemnours of all holye thinges much lesse that they are delt with all iudiciallye but of the contrarye they haue honour countenaunce and rewarde of many Deuoute swearers or more properlye Anatomistes of the blessed Bodye and blood of Iesus Christ by the whiche they are redeemed get them selues the reputacion of greate Gentlemen by theyr cursed swearing and renounsing of God. Whereof thoughe the practise bée generall yet what Iudge takes suche impietye into punishment yea who is displeased with them And yet in the Iewes whose handes persecuted Christe with paynes of the Crosse was not founde perhappes so wicked an acte against the Lorde whose Garmentes they neuer durste teare in peeces and muche lesse dismember his bodye whiche these swearing Crucifiers forbeare not to committe to a thousande morselles Let then the administours of common Weales if they will haue theyr estates to prosper and procure felicitye to that poore multitude ouer the which they gouerne with the correction of suche vices haue Gods honour in deare regarde whiche they they doo in ful office when they cause these thrée first commaundements to bée straitelye obserued imparting no grace to transgressions wherein let them folowe the auncient gouernours of Israel and speciallye Moyses in whome for one only offence against one of these sayd three commaundementes was expressed suche passion of feruent zeale that they had no rule ouer their patience till they had done seuere iustice as standing in most assured resolucion that some cloude of misery hong ouer their heads whiche woulde burst out into a storme to the whole multitude if the offence were not
If they feede not their flocke with the foode of the Scripture If the Pastours had done their duties the VVolues had not entered the folde ⧠The .7 Chapter IF to vnderstande the Pater-noster were inough why did Iesus christ preach thrée yéeres and an halfe many and diuers doctrines being alwayes for the moste part preaching in the Temple to the common People more then to others By what reason did the Apostles teache so long tyme as Saint Paul .xxxvi. yéeres Saint Iohn more then fiftye and others so long as they liued aswell Apostles as Disciples Martyrs and infinite holye Bishoppes distributing sometimes thrée Sermons a daye To what ende hath béene written so many Gospels so many Epistles and Sermons and all rather to the common people then to others Homelies also bee familiar and popular Sermons suche Saint Ciprian Saint Ambrose Saint Chrisostome Saint Augustine with many others haue written S. Paul coÌ„maunded his Epistles to be read in the Churches and writing them generall he willed that all the Churche shoulde vnderstande them he wrote to the common people of Colosse commaunding them to aduertise their minister named Archyppus of the word of God and to discharge well his ministerie and office And writyng to others we finde that he spake to the common sort wherein though some times he spake of Bishops and Deacons yet he alwayes preferred the people as an estate most néede of instructioÌ„ because the Clargie either be or by reason ought to be best instructed Therefore O aduersarie of Iesus Christe and enemie to trueth why art thou so full of iniquitie as not to graunt that common people may enioy the doctrine which Christ him selfe preached and caused to be taught inducing by his holy spirite that it was written by the Euangelistes Apostles and Prophetes Wylt thou take from the children the bread which their father hath put in their hande and commaunded thée to sée distribution of it Let it like thée that the people reade the Scriptures though euery one haue not libertie to enterprete them after his owne sence For what cause saith S. Paul hath God put into his Church Apostles Euangelistes Prophetes Pastours and Doctours but to giue edifiyng to his people So that as it is their office to teache interprete and preache So God hath annexed to this worde Pastour Doctour as who say he is a Pastour but by name and vsurpation if hée haue not abilitie to teache and do it In howe many places doeth the Scripture call the Pastours to teache their flocke and wylt thou be a Priest worthy of double honour and wylt not vse a simple trauaile in the worde and doctrine Saint Peter wylleth the Pastours to nourishe the flocke of Iesus Christe with the foode of the Scripture aduising them to do it diligentlye and liberallye without constraint or couetousnesse And yet thou who speakest not but for the benefite of thy Purse wilt neyther bestowe trauaile nor foode on thy Cure nor impart so muche as a thirde part with the good Preacher to whome in common equitie the whole belongeth for that according to God there is nothing due but to the labourer Learne then and geue thy selfe to studye more and more to make thée worthy to bée a Pastour make restitucion of that which thou hast taken for doing nothing yea that which was due to the merite of him that hath taken paines But now touching the constitucion and vse of all the Church concerning Doctrine wée reade in the Canons of the Apostles that no man must go out of the Temple on the holye dayes afore hée hath hearde the Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophetes and communicated If hée do let him bée marked as if hee were an Infidel and worthy to be excoÌ„municated much more if the Pastour preache not hée is reprehendible and more worthy of excommunication of this institution Apostolâ—cal there remayneth yet to vs the Epistle and the Gospell of the Deuine seruice which wée must not heare as did the Asse of Socrates the dayly wise Lessons of his Maister and gather no fruicte by them no we must vnderstande them by the explication which ought to bée geuen to the assistauntes wherein as it is commaunded to the Pastours to preache so are the common people enioyned also to heare the Sermons euerye holydaye with reuerence And therefore according to our aduise before it belonges to the gouernours Polletike to assemble on the Festiuall dayes all the Congregation to bée taught and not suffer any to be absent Otherwise suche as haue aucthority of God to make him to bée honoured and obeyed in all his commaundementes stande in hazarde of his Iudgement not onely al those sinnes which the people commit for want of being well instructed but also for that they supported the negligeÌ„ce of pastors who doo nothing but sucke the Milke sheare the poore shéepe For ende if Moyses I meane the Lawe and the Prophetes was reade in the synagogue of the Iewes euerye Sabboth which were theyr lawful Feastes why should that synagogue be more happy then the church of Iesus Christ or why should not there bée exercise of his Doctrine in it at the least euery holyday in the which séeing it is forbiddeÌ„ to trauaile or occupy the mind in prophane secular causes what should the poore man doo in whome is no habilitye to reade and vnderstande and much lesse may not meddle to interprete the Scriptures being so obscure in what exercise should hée employ the day spending but one howre at Publike Seruice should he ioyne his time which ought to bée deare to him to drinking and eating with other actions vnlawful and damnable is that the kéeping of the Sabboth which is a time to repose altogeather in God and to sanctify him with good workes So that it is a thing no lesse holye then necessarye to annexe to the deuine seruice of the Holydaye familiar sermons to the multitude by the which they may truely reappose in tranquilitye of conscience in God in purging suche wicked affections and sinnes as trauaile perpetuallye the mindes of sinners The people will thinke al the wéeke on the Sermons they hearde on the Sundaye Fathers wyl appose their Children and maisters examine theyr seruantes who by this meane wyl take héede to offende God on worke daies Touching our worldly Philosophers who saye that since sermons haue béene so rife and common all hath beene marred I say on the contrarye that if there had béen diligence and plenty of Preachers in al Churches that the Chaires and Pulpets had neuer béene voyde of Pastours as they haue béen these fiftye yéeres men had not nowe knowen what heresie is If the foolde had béen wel kept the Wolfe had not entered yea hée had beene chased away if the Pastour and his voice had béen heard But when there was no Sermons but of the Wallet and such fabulous Trashe of begging Friars wherein was more matter of Scoffe then serious Doctrine And when some begonne to preache the
throughe all the world and is more generall in most sortes of people then any other vice and aboue al the rest most hurtfull to common weales It is necessary we pursue it euen til we bring it to the last confusiō some there be that worcke by fittes and as it were obeye theyr howres and seasons and in some wée sée a perpetuall Idlenes not folowing any art or labour There bée some Artificers and handycraftesmen who when they put them selues in negligence disorder haue no power to geue ouer tyll hunger constraine them to recontinue their worke Theyr speciall time which they reserue for these disorders are the Holye dayes whiche as Beastes they abuse in gluttony and dronkennesse and by their behauiour become beggarly Varlettes If they finde no worke of necessity they must begge or become théeues and if they fall sicke they die of hunger theyr familye are left to the reléefe of the common almes But much more euill do those which are poore wantonlye or counterfeite poore who as stout beggarly varlettes hauing once layde the Wallet on their shoulders are not afterwarde made tractable to any occupation truly natural liuely roages whose bringing vp is in begging to the ende they may become miserable betimes by whome the world is so replenished with suche vermine for want of good pollecie The best reméedy for our first halfe workemen and halfe idle men standing vpon the brotherhood of Loyterours suche as are sone cloyed with worke I meane also such as for an howre of labour wil plaie and haunte the Tauerne a whole daye The best meane to reduce such were to geue order that no Tauerne nor Inne either in the Towne or Subberbes should receiue any inhabitaunt vpon a great paine and that the workemaisters of such Iourneymen distribute no wages but at the wéekes end or els to theyr wiues if there bée necessitie to nourishe theyr familie driuing them by this meanes when they are disposed to recreation to doo it modestly at hoame and not to ronne into insolencies abroade wée haue declared elswhere when what recreation of the mind and rest of the body we ought to take after labour but neyther to vse it but as wée vse Phisicke which is by necessitye nor to acquainte it commonly for feare of bréeding a custome wherein is no lesse daunger then when a whole bodye will proue Phisicke which onely is due to the diseased Touching the children of the Poore wée will speake of them heareafter But to the other Loytering Idle poore begging for the nonse or by malicious sleight they can not bée persecuted with too seuere correction as either with the sentence of the Gibbet or at least condemnation to the Galleys For some of them bée expert Théeues Robbbers in the ende as bée these countrey runners stoute beggars a people drawen togeather from many places bearing the name of Gipsies or Bohemiens who much lesse that they euer sawe Egipt but knowe not where it standeth These with their wiues being sorcerors interpretors of Satā abuse the simple vnhappye casting a powder into their purses whose vertue is to bring away al the money others there be called poore beggars no more tollerable then they they are varlettes all of a route and race and for the most part great Cossinges to Ragot who in a language or Gibberishe onely vnderstande of them selues geue great estimation to their trade by pitiful voyces counterfeit sicknesses groaning sighing in apparance inwardly mery minded picking in this sort the purses of many poore wiues in the countrey who if they geue them not a good deuotion for they make no reckoning of bread they wil threten thē to burne their barnes in the nights to cut their throtes If the théefe receyue the gibbet for his hyre what sentence can bée lesse against those who making an acte to beguile and abuse the worlde are worse then Théeues for that they take awaye the sustenaunce from such as are in déede poore they will saye it is better to aske then to take awaye what more sutteltye is there in robberye or what greater deceyte and abuse then this yea if they founde the doores open and houses without garde I doubte not but they woulde enter and take what they found without asking If Ipocrites bée accursed if Théeues bée hanged if lyers bée so much hated of God if the idle sort deserue excommunication and are condempned by the Scripture to dye of Hungar what grace then can these deserue yea being no lesse hurtfull then all the rest why shoulde they bée more fauoured then any other But nowe to a pleasaunt and true Historye of certaine poore Beggers counterfeyting sick men In the time of the good King Lois the twelfth a very father of the people and most pitifull to the poore as it was a custome of this good Prince to goo euery daye from his Pallace to a Chapel for deuotion sake so one daye al the Beggars there aboutes were drawne togeather afore the sayd Chappel prepared to play their partes in hope to bée well paide of the King to whose nature nothing was more familiar then pitye mercye when they sawe him comming they scriked fell down to the earth beating them selues foaming at the mouth by a quantety of Soape which they had sutlye conueied vnder their tongues the better to set out their deceit and draw this simple King to a large Almes A Gentlemā spying the Prince to fal into moodes of pitye and at point to shew large compassion besought him to stay a litle promising to shew him a fayre miracle The Gentleman caused to bring him a great Carters whip wherewith entering into the first parte of his miracle hée lashed with all his force these stoute Beggars who with strugling with them selues were become more then halfe naked By that tyme the Oyle of his whyp had suppled theyr bare fleshe and drawne the blood to trikle downe féeling styl the rage of the whipping placester to redouble in sharpenes these traunsed men recouered theyr Legges ranne faster then those that folowed them and forgetting theyr late frensie and foaming in the mouth euerye other fit of a counterfeyte they cryed for compassion and cursed the whip the arme by the which the miracle and mistery was so sharply pursued This proueth that there is no better meane to cure saith Epilepsia commonly called S. Iohns disease nor other counterfeyte diseases in such deceytful beggars but eyther to whip or to hang them without which reméedye theyr disease wil be incurable we sée in our cōmon weale many that haue such infirmitye or defect of members eyther by nature or accident as they haue no hability to trauaile the onely excuse for idlenes and begging and yet are hardly drawne to receyue cure the same agréeing with the time of s Martin in the example of the lame man who vnderstāding that in the sayd Byshop was power to heale the
maye stande guilty afore God and oure almes loase theyr fruite bycause oure almes they shall be entertayned in their vices and God abhorre vs for not seeing him obeyed So that if they bee poore and workeable let vs giue them nothing vnlesse they expresse a desire and wil to labour but if they will continue the occupation of nothing doing and so consequently to be nothing worth let the law examine their lewdenesse and the magistrate appoynt paynes to their ydlenesse if they finde nothing better than to trauell and know not now nor where let richmen by the example of the husbandman in the Gospell go seeke them in the publike place of the towne where all the poore ought to assemble and present themselues to trauell and so searching there and else euery where such as he findeth let him employ in labour giuing them somwhat more then the merite of their hyer in regarde of their pouertie wherein besides that they shall enure them to labor auoyde losse of time yet in this act they expresse doble almes and dutifull seruice to God in comforting their necessities and kéeping them from doing euill And where there are so many in one common weale that their numbers excéede their meanes to sustaine their lyfe by labour let euery able riche man be allotted by common counsell to a number for his seruice whome as daye labourers he may alwayes employ in something to auoyde ydlenesse And in cases of occupation and trade let the occupiers set them on woorke for the helpe of their sustenaunce But as in this businesse the wise prouidence of the gouernor is greatlye necessary to the prouision of the poore So touching suche as haue goodes and lacke foode for their necessitie the rest are bound to lend them vpon paune without vsury or publike excessiue interest which is vnworthy of Christians ¶ Compassion ought chiefelye to be shewed to poore maydes for the infirmitie of the kinde and not to suffer them to begge Exhortation to vvomen to take them into seruice for Gods sake for the vvhch they are assured to haue great revvardes according to the scriptures The maner hovv they ought to be prouided for vvhat vvas the auncient custome of the church for the releefe of the poore vvherin poore vviddovves and Orphanes vvere fyrst prouided for ¶ The .3 Chapter MVch greater compassion ought to be shewed vpon poore maydes but specially vpon Orphanes al others in whom is no other science Art or trade then to spin which being not sufficient to rayse theyr finding yet not finding worke inough to be imployed in the next coÌ„pulsion if thei be not succored by seruice in priuat houses is to go on begging which settes them in daunger of manye gréeuous inconueniences therfore as wée are bound by christian common pitty to succor aboue all other sortes of poore this fraile and weake womankinde so the most conuenient meane thervnto is if the vertuous and welthy Burgesse wiues vndertaking to prouide for them within their townes will in one common order take into their seruice so many as they may frame méete for their perticuler vses yea though the necessitie of their seruice require not yet for Godes cause let them receyue them into common discipline with their daughters instructing them in some trauell conuenient to their weake kinde And with this if in time they aduaunce them in mariage to some men of science besides the great and agréeable seruice they shall doe to God he shal make florish and prosper their house recompence them to the hundred folde and rewarde them in the ende with eternall lyfe If God requited the charitie of the wise women of Egipt for preseruing from death the little infantes of the Hebrues whome the tyrant Pharao had commaunded to kill what rewarde hath he layde vp for such good women by whome are preserued the bodyes and soules of those christian maydes from filthy polution and eternall destruction in the desire and will of Sathan If for sauing the corporall life of those small children God poured so many benifites vpon the sayde Egiptian woman what hope of lesse recompence remayneth to our good matrons of Cyties who haue protected young maydes from being dishonored an act more worthy then to kéepe them from being killed by impudicitie and defend their soules from perpetuall death what greater sacrifice of seruice can be offred to GOD then to kéepe the sacred temple of the holye ghost which is the bodye of a mayde from prophanation by impuritye and to protect the holye members of Iesus Christ from being soyled in that vncleane sinke of villany and whoredome wherein they shoulde be slaues to the diuell obeying him in all filthinesse and sinnes wherein if the honest and vertuous dames of their cytie eyther by negligence or couetousnesse should giue liberty of corruption and slaunder to these poore maydes applying neyther care nor succor to their wants I doubt whether in the iudgment of God they should stand cléere of their damnation hath not God giuen to euerye one a care and obseruation of his neyghbor who if he be lost by his fault himselfe can not be saued and because therefore it is not proper to a man to haue medling with this sex but more conuenient to graue matrons by a naturall proxâ—mity let the women then vndertake this act of piety and religion so commendable of the worlde and acceptable with God with recompence of immortal glory Here the burgesse dames must not alledge the number and charge of their owne daughters and so forbeare their christian compassion to others for that were the saying of Paganes who are ignoraunt in the benefit of our vnitie in Iesus Christ by the which we ought to holde all Christians aswell women as men in the estimation of our brothers and systers fauoring ayding and succoring them in true frindship in all their necessary wantes And euen as if we should leaue any man in pouerty without succours and his necessitye driue him into offence of the law and so to suffer sentence of death we should stand afore God as parties to his crime and guilty to his death euen so is it with women and riche matrons who much lesse that they can excuse themselues in the terrible iudgement of God but if for want of their ayde poore maydes fall to whoredome or other damnable vice they can not but be capable of hir fault and so merite communitie of payne with hyr Sure such surety of recompâ—nce standes in the true considâ—ration of Gods goodnesse that albeit eyther by their proper inhabiliâ—y or euercharge with their owne children they haue no great power at the beginning to aduauÌ„ce this poore maydes yet seeing it is familiar with God not to forget any good deede done in his name he will so prosper this good act of his lyberall charity that themselues in time will confesse that they féele an apparaunt and manifest blessing of God in more felicity and encrease of richesse then
cause helping to the excuse and they by vnrulie disobedience abuse her in their dutie or that by some collaterall match shée may eyther bring encrease to hir reuenue or helpe the porcion of her daughters shée is iustified in her second mariage wherein aboue all other cares let her beware that no moode of incontinencie lead hir for that in our Christian religion it is accompted a vice moste slaunderous Touching such as are contented with the state of widowhed let them with S. Paules councel exercise their times in prayers take their delites in holy and godly things and trauell with all their harte to cleaue to God and to please and serue him in al puritie of will and spirituall affection and for their better meane to those holy actions let them eschew conuersation with men and prepare their flesh by fastinges and great sobrietie for as S. Paule sayeth the widowe that liues in delites is dead as whose wanton conuersation wallowing in ease and belly cheare hath corrupted hir mind with affections of mortall sinne wherein shée is readie to ioyne effect to hir fleshly wil as opportunitie shall consent But holy widowes liue spiritually and kéepe their bodies in necessities and their myndes in deuoute exercise as fasting prayer and other deuoute meditations of the spirit séeking after the perfection of the vertuouse widowes in the scripture as Iudith and Anne the prophetisse who from their youthes béeinge widowes receiued great graces from God as the one in the execution of Gods enemies and the other in prophesying of the comming of Christe publishing openly in the temple when the Lord was brought thither that hée was the true Messias ¶ The office of Fathers and Mothers towardes their children and the dutie of children to their parentes Chapter iiij TOuching the office of the second societie in nature pertaining parents towardes their children and of them reciprocallie to their fathers and mothers we will discourse according to the scripture Leauing the doctrine of the Pagan Philosophers as opinions doubtfull in themselues and vncertaine to Christians fathers and mothers haue in comen to bring vp and institute their children where of the mother is tied to a speciall care whilest they are young as growing into state of years and bignes thei belong chiefly to the fathers aswel for their authoritie as their greater and more wise prouidence Touching administration of noriture to their bodies with all other prouisions which the necessitie of nature requiers the mother most cōmonly takes vppon hir that special care as in whom the zeale of nature doeth most abounde some times sparing foode from hir selfe to féed hir children and restraining hir owne body to colde and hunger stickes not to cloathe hir naked tender impes to whome she bears more compassion then to hir proper wantes But for the féeding of the soule being the principall part of man and by the which wee are men and regenerated in to the children of God the body being none other thing then the vessell or mantiō of this sowle the prouision and care is equall to the father and mother both streightly enioyned without distinction to prouide such spirituall féeding clothing as may be worthy for this soule formed to the Image of God which is holly doctrine of saluation and correction instruction in good maners the same as it is the principall cause why God hath blessed them with children So with out those institutions children would fall into degeneration with natures and actions of brute and hurtefull beastes they would be come children accurssed whose dispsiscion would bring forth nothing but pride couetousnes glottony whoredome malice dissolute maners yea they wold become instruments altogither obedient to the wil of Sathan Prince of the world some what to qualifie the grieues of mothers bringing forth their childrē in great paine sorow often times in hard mortal peril of life lulling cherishing them with cares and watching day night with many other perplexities belonging to the institution of their litle youth S. Paule giues them this great consolation that the woman shall be saued by the generation of hir children if with hir instruction she conioyne this care to kepe them by exhortation and hir example in the constancie of faith charitie and sanctification which they receiue by baptisme enclining alwayes to do holy déedes with sobrietye which to young people is the mother noresse of all good doctrines and vertue as of the contrarie children dissolute folowing their foule will neuer attaine to scence and lesse folowe studie and least of all exercise verteous actions and because the mother ought thus to teatch hir children Salomon giues them commaundement to heare and receiue hir lawe aswell as to harken to the doctrine of their father And for example he resites that his mother Bersaba taught him from his infancie in the feare and wisdom of God wher by euen in his youth he became so wise as the scripture reporteth And albeit S. Paule restraines a mother of a family to preache in the church yet he takes no libertie from hir to instruct hir houshold and children in their dutie and office of life with out offending god which then is best performed when she makes the doctrine of God familier with them The daughter of Pithagoras well instructed by hir father in vertue and loue to virginitie kepte a schoole for mayds whō she made so singulerly wise and learned that they confounded the ignorance of many men and with hir resolued to perseuer in the state of perpetuall virgins Cornelia mother to both the Gracchus read to hir children the arte of retoricke whearein she raised them to such knowledg of excelency and eloquence that she was estemed for the most happie lady of Rome yea one day when a gallant or vaine dame of the cittie bragging of hir Iewels shewed hir much stately worke of embrodery and stones she aunswered hir I neuer was careful to make my selfe shine with so false lights as Iewels and stones nor to embosi my house with florishing hangings of goldworke but here sayth shée shewing hir eloquent and learned children is the sunne wherin I shine and the tapistrie Iewels and treasure of my house which in déede as they brought hir more honour then if she had ben Lady and owner of all the riches in Rome So yet she had aspired to more great supreame felicitie if according to hir trauell to distill knowledge into them they had expressed their excellēt learning in actes of modestie vertue in the discourse of their life But because it is a common question at these dayes whither the dugge of a mother is more proper to féede the tender infancie of the childe then the milke of a straunger as also what sortes of meates afterwardes are fit for their noriture it can not bée impertinent to declare our opinion as it were in passing Touching the first noriture if there be no lawfull excuses in the
séeing man is the holye temple of God wherein the holy ghost dwelleth and the bodies also the holy members of Iesus christ who being holy hath incorporated them in him Is not he then truly holy where the Chalice or Cup a thing insensible is not but for the vse of a holy thing consecrated made holye What sinne therfore is it to conuert the vse of this mēber the tongue into vaine fonde speach which worse is to speake vnchastly to pronounce euill of another to sweare to blaspheme which be thinges not onely prophane but damnable reprobate and restraine it from exercise of holye discourse for which ende it was created of God and reformed by Iesus Christ as of purpose to praye and prayse God to teache and instruct And as to suche as speake vanelye the soddaine iudgement of God is pronounced so let the scoffer and idle inuentour of Pastime looke for theyr share in the same iustice Saint Paul commaundes vs to redéeme or buye againe our time whiche hée sayeth is done in speaking and perpetual well doing of thinges holy and edifying restoring in that sort the season which wée had lost in actes of vice and vanitye afore wée knewe God which is a satisfaction of dutye which hée requires of vs when hée sayeth Doo penaunce for with repentaunce and mutacion of will which is the first act of penaunce the change also of the fact or worke is requisit geuing recompense to our power to the iniuries and wrongs which we had done to others If we haue abused our time in vaine idle talke or employed it in vnlawful things what better recompense can wée aforde then to vse holy speaches of God and dispose our handes to actes of compassion and charitye Plynie being an Infidel but an excellent Historian was so gréedye of time that hée made Conscience to employe a moment otherwaies then to benefite Theophrastus sayd time was deare and an expence very precious meaning that it ought not to be spent vainelye what then ought to bée the consideration of the Christian who knoweth that as well of the meanest moment of his doinges as of the least minute of his time and wordes he is to yéelde reason to God. Therefore let Magistrates whose doinges ought to holde conformetye with the iudgement of God and are heare as the scripture sayth to make him obeyed in his commaundementes and statutes vse prouidence in a cause of so greate importaunce and dispose theyr office by such wisedome as time a gift so precious maye not bée turned to the abuse and dishonour of God. I condemne not heare myrth in things indifferent admistred to a good ende as eyther to refreshe the minde or recreate the Sycke the same being as a medicine to a spirite troubled and is then best approued when it tendes to edification as was that of Helias to the sacrificatours of Baal Crie lowder sayeth hée for perhappes your God is at rest in his Inne or vpon the way or els he sléepes crye therfore alowde that he may awake As much may be sayd of honest profit or necessary pastime such as Isaac tooke with his wife by familiar recreation and as Susanna did when shée walked in her Garden washed her selfe where shée was inuaded by the twoo corrupt Iudges of Israel and as also is written of S. Iohn who sometimes would hathe him selfe with his Disciples but would not enter into the bathe wherein Cherinthus an Heretike had bathed him selfe fearing least for the wretchednes of the Heretike the bath should fall In these and such like things which of nature are neither good nor euil the consideratiō of the ende and intent measureth alwaies the praise or dispraise wherin let vs obserue the saying of Iesus Christ If the eye bee simple al the body is illuminate as who say if in séeking thy profite or prouiding for thy health thy ende bée good and that the thing which thou doest meane bée pleasing to God thy worke is good for so did christ suffer him selfe to bée annointed on his head féete by Mary Magdalen the ende entent being commendable where if shée had employed lo long time and trauaile about another for delite onely and pleasure it had béen an act of vice euen so iesting pronounced of a wicked wyll or to dishonour or scorne any man can not bée but mortal sinne by reason of the ende and corrupt intent And these scoffers Parasites and table minstrelles who no lesse vaine in heart then vicious in affection practise an estate of squirilitye with an entent to deuoure other mens goodes maye sée howe farre they offende God and howe iustlye they stand subiect to seuere correction ¶ Plaies which of them selues beare no vice are not disalowable in respect of their endes and lavvfull causes Vnlavvfull games at Dice are causes of muche euill ⧠The .5 Chapter GAmes which of them selues beare no vice as suche as are deuised to recreate the minde or restore the vertues or natural faculties of the vnderstanding trauailed in Spirituall actions are not by the same reasons we gaue to honest Pastimes not to bée reproued no more then we may reprehend sléepe after labour of the body and the minde To refreshe the minde it is good to exercise the body with games of labour the better to entertaine strength and health as also sportes prepared to the exercise of an act necessary to a common weale as the practise of warre is verye profitable to which sports were trained by the institucion of Romulus the youth of Rome of fiftene twenty yéeres to rise by that meanes to a further habilitye to Armes And albeit they are rather painefull exercises whose ende is profitable instruction then simple games which bring intent of recreation yet they beare but the name of sports because there is no serious grauetie in their actes being as then ordained not to strike and kil but to prepare youth to a more agilitye in warre afterwardes In such like sportes men of warre should passe their time in truse peace to the end they fal not into delicate idlenes These sportes as they maye bée resembled with the exercise of students in the Retrician scooles touching declamations to forme speaches in Courtes so of simple sportes whose mater ende are not euil men may make theyr exercise as of medicine for cure of diseases not making marchandise or traffike of it for gaine For so it could not be properly called sport or playe but matter of good earnest for that sport ought to be referred to som honest ende Otherwaies who excedeth the ende of sport ought to suffer gréeuous punishment not only as vnprofitable but as sclaunderous to the common wealth For play is occasion of infinit euils as is expressed commonly vpon the experience of yong men now a daies without reckoning the losse of their time where Salomon commandes vs to trauaile withal our power without intermission al that the hand may worke do it sayth hée
continually for after death thou shalt haue no more worke to dooe meaning whilest thou liuest doo as muche good as thou canst for after death thou hast no more time to trauaile Play is also occasion of theft companion to gluttony a baite to whoredom a mouer of quarels and murders It is written in the story of the Corinthians that plaies were causes of their ruine for this reason Chilon a philosopher being sent in embassage frō the Atheniens to Corinthe to treate of peace for there were warres betwéen those .ii. tounes finding the Corinthians vpon a Festiuall daye so generally set at playe that not one of them would vouchsafe to enquire what was the ambassador and much lesse the cause of his comming And when he sawe that aswell the counsellors and chiefest as the rest were so caryed awaye with the delites of theyr playes that hee could not haue worthy audience hée returned at the instant iudging it to great indignitie that the magistrates and Senate should ioyne them selues with the folly of the popular sort And iudging that the best meane to reduce such incenset people were to assaile them by Armes perswaded the Atheniens therunto who afterward would neuer graunt them peace Playing at tables such like sléeping games are called of Aristotle the sportes of women for that to men those sportes are proper wherin is exercise of the body Touching playes at hazard wée finde them vncomely for all men but specially indecent for the christian profession For as the plaiers are led more by fortune chaunse as they terme it thē by wisedom or ability of the mind which is contrary to the nature of sports wherin is sought recreatiō by some industry of labor or dexterity of the spirit in which the praise is alwayes geuen to the vanquisher So in that play is no glory at all and much lesse duty of praise to the player because he doth no acte to deserue it The minde loaseth his practise reason hath no place the iudgement is confounded and the body hath no exercise the same being the cause why by the iust iudgement of God that kinde of playe neuer contenteth the player for that the more hée playeth the more ryseth hée in desire being prickt foreward with hope of profit abandoned to couetousnes wherby it hapneth that the gaine rising by that playe turneth seldome to profit being rather of a nature so wicked that it drawes men into disorder makes thē poore euen to nakednes retaines them in that basenes of minde that euen in the hardest winter they sit suffer as slaues the rigour of many cold nights with their féete benōmed vnder a cold table wherof are bred gouts reumes litargies appoplexies and yet these miserable plaiers haue no féeling of their wretchednes so swéetly are they lulled in the delites of this playe by the wicked spirite the very author therof For these such like reasons there was neuer christian who estéemed not playe vnlawful wherof a womā pronounsing her selfe a prophetis for holding opinion of certaine heresies was cōuinced by an Auncient and learned Bishop who iudged her not to be such one as she made her selfe estéemed for many reasons wherof one was for that shée was séene to playe at cardes and Dice at hazarde A pastime which neuer any of our religion was séene to vse The Philosophers estéemed them vnlawfull for that they haue no similitude with vertue delude reason and delite not so much the mind as they trouble it For as to the noble spirite nothing is more pleasaunt then when he may winne glory by the show of some excellency so nothing can be more contrary to his nature then eyther by sleight or fortune to bée vanquished by his inferior ouer whom by dexterity of nature actes of vertue hée is superiour Plato likewise would not geue sufferance to those plaies amongst his Disciples to whome when they excused them selues that they did no great faulte hée said this litle vice draweth to a greater offence meaning that from litle faults not thinking theron we slide into higher abuses if the humor of the first vice bee not restrained What then shal our christian gouernors say to our ordinary gamesters but euen séeing they abuse so many sportes and practise the plaies of Infidels contrarye to christian profession to forbid some moderate others aswel by measure and limitacion of time as by rate of money to loase at play the same being a necessary bridle to the affection of plaiers who séeme not to bée maisters of them selues the winners so gréedy of gaine and the losers of perplexed hope and desire to recouer theyr losses for which cause if they seldom geue ouer when al is lost at least recouering a new supply they ronne to a new reuenge so finde no ende in their playes turning theyr time into vnlawful acts and so from quarrels iniuries othes renounsing of God yong men fal into inuentions of theft and robberye with other practises of more wickednes Some haue placed Hunting amongst the sportes and pastimes of noble wittes wherunto Zenophon séemes to allure Princes great estates as to an exercise worthy of them hée sayth there is nothing aspireth so nearelye to the fierce fight with the enemye as to pursue the wilde Beast against whom must bée vsed art industrie labor and watching and sometimes suttletie and force to withstande daunger onely it behooueth the noble man so to choose his time for this exercise that he bring no incommodity to the countrey by reason of their corne Grasse Much lesse ought he to preferre his delyte to any pastime when his office is to consult in necessary matters abstayning from all vpon the Sabboth day And as hunting to the ecclesiasticall sort is an exercise most indecent so there is no lesse cause of restraint to meane people who haue to follow any faculty or arte profitable to the common wealth and necessary to the releefe of their priuate life Daunces with their wanton songes at this day are vaine and vnchaste Musicke of an Arte liberall is conuerted to an vnvvorthy vanity vvhat Daunces shoulde be lavvfull vvhat Daunces Musicke and Songes vve ought to vse a examples of holy men vvho neuer vvould be seene in Daunces ⧠The .6 Chapter DAunces and Roundes no lesse then wanton Musicke nowe a dayes are more dissolute then in times past yea resembling the vnchaste customes of the Pagans without faith and ignoraunt of God the same béeing a manifest token of the general corruption vanity of the present age And Musicke which according to the auncients was an Arte liberall in the which men praysed God song exaltacions to the noble actes of the elders recreated mindes heauyly loden with passions and reléeued bodies wéeryed with actions of trauayle is now become an arte of al vanity and filthynesse helping to the seruice of Sathan the delite of the worlde and pleasures of the fleshe I deny not but Daunces were in vse