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
comprehended in the grace gift of Prophecie which they had receiued of God Prophesying alwaies miraculouslye wherby they coulde not erre in iudgement because prophesye is without error and much lesse suffer impunity of sinn for that to Prophetes is a propertye of singular zeale to execute the wil and iudgement of God neither would they bée reproued in the action of those faultes whiche they condemned in others By this we sée what gouernours God choseth and by his example standing as a precedent to vs so farre as wée haue power to Imitate him we sée what godly respectes we ought to obserue in the choyse of our gouernors So that chosing them auncient such as alreadye haue beene invested in the office of Maisters and Leaders of the people hée prescribeth further that they be wise graue constant of good iudgment such as doubt not to cōmit their life to perill for the dutye of their office no more then olde Age feareth death which nature telleth them is not farre of and lastlye that they haue already exercised the state of Maisters the better to furnishe theyr counsels with experience examples Then where hée willeth that they assemble at the Tabernacle to institute them and impart graces he declareth how they ought al to concurre and agrée in one knowledge feare and seruice of God without scisme or faction obseruing deuout prayers to implore the inspiration power and grace of heauen to direct this estate of gouernors who being in this sort chosen and offered to God by the people presenting them selues vnto him in this holy preparatiō there is no doubt but God wil giue them part of the spirite of Moyses which is such perfection as is requisite to wéelde an estate in sort as he exercised his wherin by the spirite of Moises being made al one with theirs is meant that al gouernours Iudges ought to consent with the Law signified by Moyses and agrée with their Prince in al Law spirituall doctrine The people must assemble at the Tabernacle after the Election to pray to God for the institucion of these Magistrates for as it is one of the greatest benefites that can happen to the world when men of honestye wisedom and good counsel are called to publike gouernment so to raise euil men to rule and principallye is to prepare misery to kingdomes and ouer whelme the world with al iniquity So that wée see that by how much God doth ordaine inspire and distribute power and wil to Magistrates to execute offices by so much is it necessary to praye to him to institute them such as were the .70 Auncients to rule ouer the pollecie of Israel God created Moyses a supreame Iudge whose properties Saint Paul dyscribes to vs in this sort Moyses sayth hée being become great in the house of Pharao was at times prouoked to deny him selfe to bée the sonne of the kinges daughter by whom hée had béen nourished and raised to honour that is to say to renounce al vanityes of courts and worldly delites desiryng rather to bée afflicted with the people of God then to take his pleasure in sinne for a time as also estéeming more a reproche for Christ that is to bée partaker of the afflictions of his sauiour then to take reckoning of al the receites treasures and delightes of the Egiptians Being then such one both fearing louing God and an embraser of the truth and very wise hée was chosen of god Lyke as also such iudges and gouernours of Israel were chosen by diuine inspiration as Iosua Gedeon Sampson Ieptha and Samuel yea God sayd hée had chosen them to the estate Royal Wée know that Moyses had Children which hée might haue made gouernours after him if hée had would But hée preferred afore them his seruaunt Iosua who had alwaies assisted him in his affaires communicated with him in the perplexity of al his troubles and requited the trust and friendship of his Maister with fayth and obedience yea hée was the seruaunt of God in simplicitye and trueth of heart And therefore knowing him to bée more perfect in conscience and better exercised in the regiment of people then any other hee gaue him dignity aboue the rest reseruing no preheminence in publike businesse eyther to his fleshe blood friendes or great Lords but distributed offices to the most vertuous and best instructed in such charge No man of good iudgement wil call his kinseman or friend to gouerne a ship wherin hée meaneth to passe the Seas in presence vnlesse hée bée more assured of his knowledge then of any other much more ought wée to proue the skyll of him whome wée call to guide this pollitike shippe If this aduise had stande before the eyes of Hely the great sacrificator and gouernour of Israel hée had not chosen his Children to the regiment of the people wherein was wrought the confusion of him selfe common also to them the common Weale Yea the great Iudge recompensed theyr execrable Royats and offences with sharpe iustice and because hée abused his estate in chosing such to iudge the people in whom was merite of death both hée and they by the iust resolution of God dyed miserablye the poore people for their offences were ouerthrowen in Warre by the Philistines and the Arke of alliaunce which was the glory of Israel for their sinnes was taken transported into the lande of Infidels here we sée how much the deuine election of gouernours serueth to a common weale whervnto may bée applied the reason of the wise man that such as is the Iudge of the people suche is his minister and in the conuersation of the ruler is expressed a fourme of behauiour to the multitude the same being confirmed by examples in the Scripture and therefore of more necessitye to bée considered by suche as are chosers of gouernours it is sayde in the booke of Iudges that whilest hée and his Elders or senatours being gouernors of Israel and men of integrity liued the people serued God and prospered but when by theyr death there was no further restraint but a common libertye of wyll being voyde of good readers and no feare or respect to any good gouernour that people fell into Idolatrie and extreme wretchednesse Salomon is of opinion that where is no gouernour or where is any and hée subiect to negligence or vices the people runne headlong into impietie But when the merciful eyes of God saw his people in miserable desolation hee sent them a good gouernour during whose time they liued vnder good rule and obeyed the Law of God who suffred them eftsones with the death of theyr Iudge to reuert to their auncient impietye So long as Rome Lacedemonie and Athens liued vnder good rulers they with theyr siegniories and Townes depending vpon them florished but after they admitted fauour ambition and couetousnes and that knowledge and vertue were depriued of dominion they declined and suffered extreame ruine And
albeit it is no maruaile if suche as aspire to regimentes by indirect meanes bring forth wicked and imperfect gouernment seeing that al endes depend consequently vpon theyr beginninges and buildinges hauing no firme foundation can hold no long continuance yet when any such attaine to the direction of pollicie there is no occasion to condemne them rashelie for that it may bée that such scourges are due to the offences of the people neither do they them selues thinke them condemned in the ertreame iudgement seeing they follow not their beginning but recompense all faultes by theyr vertue and wisedome as did young Scipio who contrarye to the iudgement of Cato and diuers graue Romaines being called to bée Captaine generall of the armye which had béene long in Spaine expressed in his behauiour suche heroicall vertues that his election descending to him by fauour was approued for lawfull euen by those wise men who beholding more the follies of his youth passed then hoping in his toward vertues impugned his aduauncement at the first The Scripture sayth that as it is one speciall signe of Gods loue to a Nation when hee indueth them with good gouernours so when hée restraines them to rulers inclined to impietye it is then that hee geues warning of his furie and that hée is entred into displeasure for theyr offences as is sayd in Iob Esaie and Osie which god hath also oftentimes confirmed by examples but speciallye in the booke of Iudges which I bring in but by the waye the better to make vs enter into our selues when wée are not blessed with such gouernours as wee wishe ¶ Gouernours chosen according to God do make present proofe of their election to the profite of the common vveale Let them knovve hovv to commaund and subiectes hovve to obeye the better to make their common vveale florishe as inferiour members obeye the more vvorthy Magistrates ought to be as Fathers Let the lavve be inuiolable and speciallye one true amitie betvveene the gouernour and the subiect ⧠The .3 Chapter GOuernours being thus chosen by the rule of the Scripture knowe that it belongeth to their christian duetye to consecrate them selues whollye to the benefite profite honor quiet of that publike state wherein they are instituted And not sparing any labour care expenses or perplexitie of minde or bodye no not the sacrifice of their lyfe to rayse theyr common weale into florishing felicitye they geue alwayes more readye furtherance to common affayres then ordinary fauour to their own not sparing to restraine them selues from all priuate pleasure profite to consult in all necessarye meanes to raise t'haduauncement of the Publike weale And as in good magistrates doth worke a continual care to erect execute a sounde aucthority so in all Citizens subiectes publike multitudes is great necessitye of resolute obedience duty Amongst whom if there be any in whome is no suretye of allegeaunce but suspition of rebellious practise or sedicious behauiour let al the rest ioyne in common ayde to commit him to the censure of ciuill iustice For it is sayde of auncient wise men and iustified in common experience that by well commaunding and ready obeying a common weale is happely gouerned as who saye where the Magistrate erectes wholsome lawes the subiect yeldes duty in simplicity it hapneth that to such regimentes belongeth happy successe and long continuance euen as in a natural body is figured a forme of perfect gouernement because the inferiour members obey such as bée more principal which is the head heart A priuate house is replenished with good order when seruantes yéeld obedience to their maisters children humilitie to their parents as also a ship is well guided when the marriners acknowledge power in the maister that mooueth the Helme euen so is it in a common weale which being a body pollitike as is sayd ought according to God to holde comformetie with the quality mistical of the natural body It is also as a generall familie or houshold wherin good gouernours do put on the same carefull affection to the aduauncement of theyr subiectes which wise and deare fathers vse to their entierely beloued Children And being lastly as a true Spiritual shippe seated in the middest of the stormes of this waspishe moueable world the two preseruatiues to kéepe it from perishing are the wholsome commaundementes of the gouernour and willing obedience of the inferiour Let then the wisedome loue and zeale of magistrates to the common weale surmount theyr aucthoritye in commaunding And let humilitye franke obedience and perfect loue bée greater in the subiectes thē theyr ciuyl subiection For if Fathers geue to theyr children doctrines and good lessons to eschewe vice learne to aspire to vertue and by good examples aswell of them selues as other their parentes and predecessours true pattornes of vertue doo sturre them vp to t'himitacion of goodnesse and in respect of zeale doo studye to enritche and aduaunce them muche more belonges it to magistrates as Fathers pollitike of the people to expresse a zeale and fatherlye dutie in erecting good statutes orders and Customes hollye happy and profitable whervnto they must geue the first honourable obedience seruing as reuerent examples to the rest to obserue the Lawes without violence eyther for fauour frendship parentage respecte of Person or feare of corruption suche good Lawes and iust iudgementes sayeth Salomon are the strong Barres and boltes to the Gates of Cities and inuinsible Trenches and Walles to the Vines of Esau yea they are the wayes of life and the verye Soules of common weales For euen as to the Gates of Cities and Townes great and massiue Barres of yron are as defences to withstande Violence and iniurye which else myght happen with the perryll of Sacking if also there were no countergarde by gouernours euen so where wholsome and holye Constitutions bée seuerelye obserued there is the Gate closed against al vices sclaunders sedicions and factions to enter into Cities and Kingdomes But where is a negligent or partiall countenaunce geuen to the lawes and aucthority as enclining sinisterly eyther for gossop kinred friend feare or gaine or that they be but as spider webbes wherein the small flies are taken and sucke the blood and great waspes do pearse and passe thorow at pleasure of such a vaine and weake iustice there can bée no other expectation but an vniuersall reuersement of all pollecye euen as when as vineyarde or garden being strongly fensed with hedge or ditche there is great seueritye that neyther the night théefe nor the hungrye beast can haue power to enter and commit it to praye where if there bee neyther wall nor closure the negligence of the owner offereth occasion to the théefe or Beast to inuade his ground to the spoile of his commoditye and fruictes The same resembling the complaint of Dauid al passingers sayeth hée at theyr pleasure haue power to hauocke the Vine and the wilde Boore launsing out of the Forest is entered to waste
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
God and as it were to deface him Besides man being the headde and ende of the workes of God for whome all thinges were created and subsist and for whose restitution God toke vpon him the qualety of man shedding his Blood in the same to whome the Aungelles serue in earth as his ministers and for whome God hath prepared so excellent a kingdome in heauen what offence then doeth the murderer to committe slaughter on a creature so dearelye estéemed of God and so artificiallye made that neyther the heauen the earth nor all the perticular creatures in them can not holde comparison with that incomprehensible workmanship hée that shoulde breake the Image or feiture of a King or raze or plucke downe one of his Castles which hée had erected with great pompe coste yea if the King had employed the life of his proper sonne to make it vp againe after it bee destroied would the King euer receiue this man into grace it is not therefore without cause that in the scripture there is neuer grace graunted to the murderer it is also forbidden to take the price of blood vniustlye spilt meaning that in the Iudge is no power to consent that the Parents of the dead should sell the death of him that was murdered but that life should bee rendered for life neyther doo I thinke that there had béene any paine sufficient to punish the effusion of blood if it had not beene ruled by the Lawe seeing that in true equitie it can not bée possible to satisfye so vile an acte yea though the partie endured straite and long fasting to praye incessantly to God to distribute all his goodes for Gods sake put on héere cloathe to suffer harde lodging and passe in effect thorowe euery pang and passion of a Martyre That is no satisfaction where restitucion is not made with the like who hath power to geue life in exchaunge for lyfe what iust recompence can bée offered to the parentes for the slaughter of theyr Childe or howe can the Sonne bee satisfied for the death of his Parentes euen so in other murders there can bée no iust satisfaction and muche lesse any equalitye So that if for razing or burning a materiall temple or sometimes a common house the offendour suffereth iustlye the torment of the fyre howe shoulde hée escape who pulleth downe to the earth the true and spirituall temple of God and his sacred house Dauid by whom was wrought the death of his Capitaine Vrias coulde neuer haue pardon of God notwithstanding his great penaunce in continuall teares wherewith hée sayde hée watered and bathed euerye night his couche before hée had proued infinite miseries and his sonne conceiued in adulterye dead Yea knowing the lawe to bée inuiolable hée would not graunt Pardon to the murderer Ioab his great Constable notwithstanding the merite of his many seruices and being the onelye meane by the which hée recouered his Kingdome so well did hee know the indignation that God bare to sette murder and suche as by malice spill blood which cryeth on earth continuall vengeance afore God against the murderer and against the Iudge that delaieth sharpe and spéedy iustice yea also against the inhabitauntes of the place if they bée carelesse to procure seuere punishment this is also one argument that the effucion of blood is of great displeasure with God for that who so killeth another by chaunce being frée from malice farre from any moode of grudge must of necessity withdrawe him selfe into a Toune of refuge assured by the lawe there to remaine vntil the death of the great Priest otherwaies there is no suretie of his life From thence comes the custome of our time to sue to the Prince for grace in cases of such murders For much lesse that the lawe geues pardon to the Traiterous or malicious murderer seeing shée giues power and commaundement to kill him yea euen afore the high Aulter of the Temple The Lawe forbidding murders and distributing as hath béene sayd seuere punishmentes hath also a meaning to restraine and defend the causes motions propratiues to such sinnes as iniuryes choller 's inimities wicked cousayls false reports detractiōs diffamations enuies desire of reuenge couetousnesse debates quarels factions warres The which causes for that they were not wel vnderstoode in the lawe Christ toucheth expresseth some of them when he saith vvho is angrye vvith his brother vvithout cause is vvorthy of condemnation but more hée the speakes an iniury to him thirdly who with the hart of an enemy accomplisheth the iniurie if hée that calles his brother or neighbor foole bée of hel what punishmēts are due to contencions detractiōs vniust violences if he that beareth hate to his brother in his heart bée a murderer afore God expressing this damnable grudge by outward signes by which the magistrate may bée induced to certainty of iudgement is he not bound to put in execution the sentence of the scripture specially if they bée propratiues to the murder such as séeme to geue apparant motion to the facte But if the doctrine of god were rightly preached vnderstoode how could there bee any assault or acte of murder when euen to bée angry hate or speake euil of our neighbor brings with it the paine of eternal damnation Let vs loue one another yea beare such affectiō to our enemies as to die for them according to the example of Iesus Christ who loued prayed and did many benefits and dyed also euen for his enemies ¶ Diuers punishmentes of whoredome according to the diuersitie of kindes of the same sinne ¶ The .8 Chapter THE thirde commaundement forbiddes whordom of what kind soeuer it be fornicatiō which wée call simple as betwéene a man a woman not maried hath béene alwaies in the law of nature condemned to the fire as witnesseth Iudas who condemned Thamar his moare being accused of whoredome aftershée had béene the Widdowe of twoo of the dead Children of Iudas by succession of death as the Lawe and custome of that tyme did beare yea hée had committed her to the fire if hee had not béene guiltie in the fact In the law of Moyses if the Daughter had defiled the house of her Father with actes of lust and that hée knewe of it shee was stoned to death with her whoremonger yea if she cryed not out in open voyce in what place soeuer the violence was vsed shée dyed by the Lawe and her rauisher also the most excusable fornication was condemned to infamye and gréeuous correction of fines Moyses forbadde that there shoulde bee no whoore nor stewes and in respect of the grauetye of that sinne the lawe receyued the offering of a whoore no otherwaies then as money for the sale of a dogge In the new testament such whoredoms are pronounced worthy of eternal death then nothing lesse doo they merite corporall death according to God Christ sayeth They do transforme and defile a man and Saint
qualetye and grauetye doo varye according to the matters and obiectes as lying dissembling scoffes flatteries c. ⧠The .1 Chapter MAny men for the most part make no conscience of raylings Scoffes Iestes Dances wanton Musicke and dissolute Songes nor of diuerse other kindes of Idlenesse Pastimes and speciallye of the vaine losse of their tyme Many also holde no reckoning of deceytes Lyes diuerse Ipocrisies Flatteryes with other lyke vices which according to theyr diuerse vse or rather abuse are forbidden by sundry commaundementes of God As if flatterye for examples sake bée practised to this ende to drawe the goodes of any one it apertaines to the defence of that coÌ„maundement wherin wée are forbidden to steale If it leade you to the acte of any dishonest pleasures or procure it in others it is within the coÌ„passe of this coÌ„maundement Thou shalt commit no whordom If the flatterer pretende to stryke or cause to bée stroken any man he shal find that forbidden in the precept which warnes vs to do no murder And so of others and many together maye bée forbidden by diuerse commaundementes not speaking heare of lying which ordinarilye is accompanyed with peruersitye of the minde and will. But sith flatterie is first brought into example wée can not tearme it more properly then a pleasant deceite a swéete lye a mortal poyson and a sinne aboue al other most pernicious cloaked with inuented speache whiche as the wise man sayth is the deceyte of fooles A swéete and delitefull venim to the glorious a destruction of Yong men a consumer of the Ritche and noble rase the abusor of great Princes and absolute ruine of great houses That was it that made Salomon saye it were better to bée wel scooled and disciplined of wise men then deceiued with the flattery of Fooles who with publike signes wil not sticke to Iest at those whom they flatter and speake as much euill behinde theyr backes as theyr wordes bée pleasaunt afore their faces For this cause Dauid sayeth that their wordes were as swéete as the Oyle of Odour or smelling oyntment and yet being sharpe as dartes they were notwithstanding very traytours who as Iudas betrayed Christ with a kisse so doo they abuse the foolishe Right Architophels and Dechistes wicked counsellours and cariers of vntrue reportes from whome warres controuersies grudges and murders doo flowe yea oftentimes they sowe gréeuous diuorces betwéene deare friendes They are transformed into this trade chiefly for couetousnes for seldome doo they flatter but with an entent to enritche them selues folowing for the most suche as bée wealthye and are disposed into bellichéere and prodigall expenses I wishe that to these filthes all men would doo as Dauid did to a flatterer who to obtaine the grace of Dauid and bring great benefite to him selfe brought to him the Diademe of Saul and his braflettes saying he had killed him and was come with great diligence to bring him those good newes to whom for recoÌ„pense of his dissembled trâ—th Dauid gaue present execution of death Dauid prophesied no lesse of the miserable ende of Doech the flatterer of Saul and wicked reporter of that which Dauid had done to Achimelech the great Priest whiche was that Dauid tooke Armes in the Tabernacle when hee fledde and that Achimelech suffered him so to doo and gaue him vittails to goo his waye whereof grewe great murders Architophel by the iust iudgement of God hanged him selfe for that hée came not to the ende of his counsailes and flatteries by the whiche hée had abused poore Absalon indusing him to leauye warre against his Father Séeing also it is written that the detractour and hée which as the Cameleon wil turne his tongue into many Languages sometimes saying one thing sometimes holding another as doe flatterers bée cursed for they trouble many people which haue peace togeather And séeing withall that they are so expreslye forbidden in the Scripture to bée such the Magistrate hath no reason to geue sufferaunce and much lesse grace of pardon to people so abhominable to God and hurtful to theyr countrey Yea and as gouernours them selues haue néede to take héede that they be not the first taken and enchaunted with these hurtful Serenes so let them not suffer that the youth of theyr Citye bée seduced by such spiders whose custome is to sucke the blood of great flies Let them rather with the example of the good Heardsman who pursueth the Rauens that folowe the weakest Beastes to picke out theyr eyes and so kill them to the ende they may féede vpon the Carkasse Let I saye our polletike Pastors ouer kingdoms and common weales thonder exemplary iustice vpon these deuouring Rauens whose custome as the Philosopher sayth is to hunt after weake braines and giue them so many pouders of glory that at the last picking out their eyes they make them so blinde that by the perswasions of these wretches they sée them selues to bée no more men but rather halfe Gods when in déede these mistes make theyr miserye the greater The next waye not to bee beguiled with flatterers is to geue them no eare to him that knoweth them not when they beginne to make way into his fauour by extolling his vertues let him acknowledge al vertues to bée of God and that for one vertue hée is infected with ten vices and therefore hath more cause to humble him selfe as in déede a man can not haue vertue if with humilitye he bée not a condemnour of him selfe Besides there is no iuste man which oftentimes falles not into sinne and hee that standes nowe vpright maye stumble and fall in a moment as was the case of Salomon For which cause the wise man sayth wée ought not to praise man in life for that hée beareth on his backe a subiection to chaunge If it bée forbidden to praise a man it is no lesse defended to a man to heare his owne commendation When the flatterer therefore goeth about to extol him let him saye that as hée is forbidden to demaunde glory for his good déedes so hath hée no power to geue it but that it is his part to ascribe all glorye to God who is the onelye aucthour of al good And if hée magnify him in that which hée hath not let him franklye saye that hée brookes no praise in Lyes Hée can not beguile a wise man for that his conscience which is the true witnes and iudge of all our doinges impugneth the prayses of the flatterer And so who wil not bée abused by the flatterer let him geue him no audience and if hée wyll eschew the Poyson of his practise let him stop his eares from the Charme of his wordes Howe many flatterers haue accesse to a mans person euen so many spyes and enemyes doo enuyron his estate and life The Fowler counterfetteth the laye of the Birde but it is to bring her to his Net the Scorpion smiles with his countenaunce but it is to strike with his Taile The
mother as weaknes want of milke or necessitie of other extréeme sicknes she ought not to commit so deare a Iewell to the fashioning of a straunger wherein besides that it is an act expressely againe nature yet she sheweth hir self to be but halfe a mother and more corrupt in kind then Tigresses or Lionesses who hauing passed the panges of bringing forth their young ones thinke the greatest part of their zeale doth yet remaine and therfore they giue them sucke couer them licke them delite in them and till they be great thee defend them to the daunger of their owne liues from the violence of such as would take them The mother refusing the nursing of hir proper child giues suspicion of hir loue to the Father and great signes of corrupt zeale and nature toward hir children and nurses for the most part being but mercenarie beare no other loue and care to their nurse children then for the time for money whereby the poore infants sucking the seedes of diseases become impotent all the dayes of their life féele the vnnatural vnkindnes of their mothers who with their wretched nurses stand in great hazerd of iudgement afore GOD and no lesse to their Fathers suffring this vnnaturall disorder if there bée not lawfull excuse if to take the rest of the night at their pleasure and to eschew the disquiets of the daye they banish their little children into the hands of straūge nurses wherefore are they Fathers Mothers Why shoulde they desire children if they haue not delite to nurse them If God haue replenished the dugges of the Mother with milke to serue for a noriture to hir child is it not to impugne the lawe of nature ordeined of GOD and slaunder all humane reason to restrayne gods benefit plentifully intended to little infants The straunge nurse perhappes is compounded of other cōplexion and humor then the mother and the childe accustomed to a natural noriture which hée receiued in the belly of his mother what may be feared by this mutation but either change of nature or at the least a miserable subiection to sicknesses which bring more perill of death then any other disease If the nurse by necessitie vse a spare diet what shal be the strength of the child If she be giuen to gluttony what indigestion to the weak stomacke of the infant Who with the milke of hir pap will sucke the intemperance of the nurse séeing the maners and customes of the mind followe the complexions noritures and outward temperatures if the nurse be chollerike melancholy or furious what hope of good composition in the child If they saye such things may be holpen reformed afterwardes it may be answered that it is hard to correct nature Let therfore mothers according to God nature and reason nurse their proper children if they be not excusable by the causes aforesayde wherein they shall but followe the vertues of auncient Ladies yea Empresses and Quéenes to whom it was not irkesome to giue the dugge to their owne children and hauing not sufficiēt milke of thēselues they supplied it by the aide of some other good nurses but not in full noriture for feare of daunger and rather then they would vse two nurses because the diuersitie of milkes can not but be hurtful they obserued the order of the Saxons to norish the child with meat chawed in their owne mouthes by which remaynes yet a common opinion that the Saxons are more strong then the other Almaines Touching their other foode in any wise wyne must be auoyded for that it inflames the bloud and their generall diet ministred rather in sobrietie then in fulnes of delicacie For too great abundance of deyntie meates quencheth natural heat euen as too much doung or fatnesse rancketh the earth and cloyeth the corne it is conuenient euen to children of great houses risen into strēgth and age not to liue in choyse of their meates but to accustome their stomackes to all sortes of diet indifferently to drinke such liccour as is most common the better to enhable them against necessities and extremities of countreys warres and barbarous places where perhaps in place of delicate wynes they shal be glad of puddle watter their fyne fare tourned into foule and vncoath meats and yet in no plentie How heauely and hardly will such penury bee borne Yea what perill of life comes with this straunge suddaine mutation If they haue neuer endured cold and after come into snow and yce and want their wrapping what passion more intollerable yea they will thinke they haue death betwéene their teeth if they be straungers to paynes and trauell how vnapt are they to endure the perplexities of warre If they haue no exercise how hardly are they fashioned to the vse of weapons And being neuer accustomed to marche they are with great difficultie trained and prepared to the field And therfore let no youth be norished in ease but specially none that are dedicated to great affaires and martiall actions In such sort were fashioned the youth of Rome and Lacedemonie who in those two estates of people was most valiant and industrious after Lacedemonie the youth of Germany florished most by this education which ioyned with custome made them hable bodies against hunger thirst colde heate and all intollerable labours and necessities But so sone as they changed this excellēt course of exercise and suffred their youth to slide languish in pleasures their cōmon weale became weake and their florishing triumphes turned into tauerne playes whereby Lacedemonie was made a slaue to those straungers ouer whom she had commaunded Rome the triumphant Lady of the whole world become but to the coūtenāce of a handmayd and Germany by this corruption of the youth of great houses is now a place of good cheare and beares no other renoume then for banquets and feast makinge the same giuinge a daungerous argument that the destinie of the Empire aspireth to his ende But in the meane while the youth of the Turkes nourished in great sobrietie is accustomed to drink water is careles of fleshe and fine meates delites more in labor then in rest takes pleasure in perpetual exercises of the fielde the better to prepare them to the warre whereunto their vse bringes great dexteritie as appereth by their many enterprises against the Christians to the dishonour of holy religion In the tyme of Aristotle the Lacedemonians vsed their children to goe bare-headed naked on their féet the better to ouercome heat and colde and as soone as they were wayned from the dugge they were caried out of the citie as not to be corrupted by the swéete and softe pampering of their mothers and brought vp in the countrey and fieldes their bodies being made acquainted with sweat and labors when they had desire to meat they wonne it by killing some wild beast or foule which they brought to their maister and being but of small age there was hanged by a thréed in a high place some
calling them villains peasantes and varlettes who notwithstāding are their norsses that put the bread into their hande wherewith they liue they make readie the meat and wine wherwith they are fedde they prepare the garmentes that cloth their bodies the horses whereupon they are moūted and put into their pursses the money that supplieth their common vses and for recompence they are beaten if they whyne as the saying is when they iustly complayne Such Gentlemen also whose delite is laid vp in dronkenes and whoredome to the dishonour of God and slaunder of the people such whose couetousnes is not satisfied but with the spoyle of their people yea drawing the skinne quicke from the carkasse taking the pullettes from the widow and the best shéepe from the farmor and from the poore husband man the haye and oates wherwith his traueling cattell should liue such as promise and performe not borrowe and paye not againe follow their hawking and huntinge oftentymes to the hurt of the countrey as when corne and grasse are in their encreasing season suche as are serued with the labors of their tenantes without recōpense and straine their horse their oxe and cariadge to their proper worke without satisfaction To be short who so euer wrongeth in any sort the meanest that is can not in any equitie merit the name of Gentlemen and much lesse enterprise vpon a title so honorable in whose life are expressed suche apparant effectes of dishonour and publique infamie can they in actes of villainy and vices worthely displaye the honourable enseignes of vertue and nobilitie will they make noblenes the cloake to oppressions and wronges which by vertuouse actes is raised the beautie excellencie and dignitie of houses he is not gentle in whom is founde violence or tyrannie and farre from the name of a Gentleman whose conuersation expresseth dissolute deformed dispositiō no he is a villain in equitie whose lyfe is stayned with actes of villainy as of the contrary vertue doth rayse and enoble villains of blud and race yea vertue only is as the soule of noble families without the which they were but as vaine and dead By which reason as to our place and estate of nobilitie is tyed higher and greater pretences of vertue so also by reasonable congruence the more higher wee stande in title and dignitie the more notable are our vices and faultes as a skar or deformitie in the face showes more then if it were in the hand or foote because those partes be more inferior and lesse apparant yea one small vice in a Gentleman is more reprocheable to the world and damnable afore God then many faultes in manye meaner people as in the law a prince ouer a whole nation offered as much sacrifice to God for his sinnes as the whole multitude for their common offences for the in place where hée should expresse to his people exāples of vertue and leade them in conuersation of ciuill lyfe he giues publike occasion to doe euill for that his errors being knowen draw the multitude to imitacion If a Gentleman so often as he falleth vnderstood the grauitie of his damnation where as his lightnes leades him some times to glorifye or vaunt his nobilitie to shake his sword to manage his great horses and to muster in gorgious garmentes and armour as pompes of his nobilitie he would euen so often common with his carefull thoughts how to discharge and acquite that dutie of a good and Christian Gentleman such one according to our prescription I denie not but touchinge his generall estimation with the world he must maintayne place and countenance according to his house and race both for the honor of the vertues of his auncestors and to expresse in him selfe fruits resembling and worthie of such trées Let him haue castels horses armour and ornamentes aunswering the estate and maiestie of his house and withall let him to that honorable prerogatiue expressed in those visible fignes ioyne the consideration of his office which is to leade his people whose nature is to beare reuerēce and loue to suche as are worthie of them in equitie obedience order and feare as in déed it hath ben a perpetuall custome in all ages and Countreys that as in Kings Princes Noble men and Magistrates haue ben more perfecte exāples of ciuill and christian order so to such hath ben alwayes moste due and decent all stately pompes whether in ritch iewelles apparell horses or costly houses wherin this care is carefully and continually to bee applied not as preposterous men to make of the accessary the principall of the shadow the body and of the accidence the substance but alwayes to entertain the autētike first causes of the nobilitie of the house which ar religiō Iustice and zeale to Gods honour and the defense of his Countrey accompanied with wisedome aduise sobrietie temperance and inuincible magnanimitie by whiche vertues Josua Othoniel Sampson Jeptha and Dauid haue wonne honour to them selues and perpetual noblenes to their houses ¶ The dutie of Aduocats or Councellours at law Chapter ix ADuocates or Councellours at law are not as coadiutors to Iudges and Gentlemen Presidents and chiefe Iustices to decyde and determine but onely with their aduise by opinions and reasons alleadginge customes ordinances statutes and lawes they serue to explayne causes of their clyentes leauing the iudgement to the Iudges called and constituted To euery one of those the wise man speaketh open thy mouth to the dombe meaning speake for the ignorant man and vnderstand the causes of al persons consider well that which is iuste and take vppon thée the cause of the poore and néedie as if he had saied thou which art Aduocat receyue the causes of all suche as come vnto thée and their complaintes for that thou art bound to all by thine estate speake liberally for the poore in whom being no knowledge to deduce their case they haue lesse meane to informe the Iudge such instructe both what they shall saye and doe be no partie eyther in councell or mayntenance to a wicked cause nor suffer any to doe wronge to the poore to whom the wise man séemes to perswade moste compassion for that to such is seldome showed fauour or credite of men for God hath giuen thée grace to speake and opened to thée the vnderstanding of the Lawes to the ende to minister helpe to others as to the toong hée hath gyuen the facultie of spéech to speake for the whole bodie and for euery perticuler member chiefly when any of them is grieued and in cases of wrong euen so the Lawyer which is the toūg and interpretor to the body polletike and of all men being in affaires and busines ought to spare no compassion to the cause of the poore disposing his office to iustefie right and bring all wrong to punnishment wherein besides that he satisfieth at the full the office of his vocation yet in soliciting for the poore he doth a seruice of greatest merit with God in seeing iustice to
let them labour to kéepe their common weale whole and sound that neyther in maners nor discipline nor touching the lawes customes statutes and ordenances there bee no error by superfluitie or want receyuing succours by doctrine sermons and perticular lessons touching Religion of the Churchmen to whome they are bound to stretche and leade their hand according to GOD as we sée the bodie serueth the soule in that is necessary for the vse and conseruatioÌ„ of man And if in the said bodye politike there bee hapned any euill of what side soeuer it be eyther of them selues or others eyther within or without whether of one or many or all together they ought presently to discend to the remedie to the rooting vp of the euill if it be possible in the beginning and not suffer it to encrease by conueniencie or dissimulation Let them not doubt but God as he is of nature mercifull so he is greatly prouoked when he punisheth man for vice but more angrie when he scourgeth a whole family afflictes a towne and visites a whole countrie but extremly and most of all is he stirred when he distroyeth a kingdom and generall nation let them not thinke that then the cause of the sinne is small or simple but in diuers sorts multiplied touching the nomber of haynous importaÌ„ce concerning the qualitie quantitie yea encreased with the nomber complet euen to an incensible grauitie for often times God attends the fulnes of our sinnes specialy afore he strike a nation or whole people according to the text of Genesis that he would not punishe the Channites till their iniquities were accomplished The best preseruatiue against all these euils is diligent prouidence of the gouernour and magistrat who then may best restrain vices when they prouid that the lawe may be vnderstand of all with such commandement to kéepe it vnder paine of such due ponishment that euen in the first that transgresseth against him that made it there may be actuall iustice to the common instruction and example of others wherein for their better helpe and effect of this verteous pollicy they must begin to institute the litelones to teach the ignorant blaming both sorts if they do not learne and obserue and so to others instructtng euerie one in the office and dutie of their estate and in what sort they ought to serue the common weale vsing herein specially for their first foundation the doctrine of fayth then the groundes of good conditions and lastly the rules of policie which doctrine in these thrée partes we haue declared before In this sort the magistrate may preserue his common weale from infinit euills as we read Iosua and Samuell standing vppon these reasons of gouernment neuer were trobled with sedicious nor any miseries hapened to them after they had purged them by penance of former offences There hapened in the gouernment of Josua but one defalt by Achan but imediatly after inquisition was made he passed by ponishment by whose example let gouernours bring into correction what vice soeuer they find done against god with out regard to qualifie it eyther by persone parentage place or other partiall or corupt circomstance for it is most cerraine that as that vice being suffered will be the cause of the damnation of the doer so the impunitie and example will drawe many oâ—hers to do euill wherby the ire of God will kindle against a whole kingdome For which cause Abraham assone as he vnderstode that Ismaell went forth to playe with Isaac or as some in terperet to prouoke him to Idolatrie he expulsed him his howse with his mother Moses when he founde any fault done in his campe specially bearing offeÌ„ce to God exercised present and sharp punishment what iustice thundredhe vppon those that worshipped the golden Calfe and no lesse vppon the blaspheamor and transgressor of the Sabaoth with other offences which he foresawe might prouoke god to sentence against the doers and to destroy him first being gouernour for negligence of iustice and so consequently all others consenting to the vices he was aduertised of the iudgemeÌ„t of God aswell by his expresse lawe as by examples past and such as stood in present experience as in the case of whoredome he had séene 24 thousand ouerthrowne by the hands of God with commaundement to him to xecute the Princes captaines of the people by whose wicked example the multitude ronne to their sinne of vncleanes he knew also that for the zeale of iustice God appeaseth his fury as appeareth by that which Phineas the sonne of Eleazer did vppon two fornicators thrusting them both thorow with his sword for the which it is writteÌ„ that God ceased to make the people die he knew by many other examples that the furie of God was terrible vpon a whole world if he fouÌ„d not exercise of good iustice by correctioÌ„ which the Israelites sought to eschew in punishing the offences done in Gabaa as hath ben sayd And Saule being yet a man of grace and fearing God when he vnderstood the people had eaten flesh with his bloud against the lawe cried out saying roole vppon me some great stone and put me to death Oh what sinne haue the people commitied against the Lord séeing God hath ben offended he will punish vs all iustly by some miserable accident if we resort not all to penance therefore he commauÌ„ds to make ready sacrifices to confesse their sinnes detest them and aske pardon of God by prayer whose example if the Magistrates of the world afore the flood had obserued and after in many places of the world if gouernours had applied such quicke Iustice and discipline in the first beginning of vices neyther had the vniuersall ruine hapned nor such common miserie to many generall nations if Helie had chastised his sonnes and kept the people from corruption of Idolatrie he nor his children had not died nor the people suffred slaughter and destruction If Jonathas had not transgressed the Edict of Kyng Saule his father the oracle of God had not ceased he not runne vnder iudgement of death which he had suffred had it not ben for the intercession of the people if Saule had not done wrong to the Gabonites he had not ben the cause of the famine which hapned in the time of Dauid for the appeasing whereof there was commaundement to execute seuen of the race of Saule By these exemplary aduertisements let Magistrates of the present time foresee that in their gouernements there be no vice done or being done that it be pursued with present punishment other wayes let them be assured that with the example of a disease in the body entertained and norished and neither preuenting it afore it happen nor being hapned is carefull to purge and heale it wil breede by continuance a feuer disquieting the head so much vex the whole body that in the end he shal not be able to haue any vse of his meÌ„bers wherby death doth
poore for want of capacitie and industrie herein the iudgements of the Lacedemonians were righteous against certaine rich Lordes demaunding the daughters of their Kyng Lyander in hope of great credite by that alliance But the king being dead they would haue refused the contractes if they had not bene constrained by publike authoritie of the Court such also deserue like condemnation who by fearefull distrust dare not enter mariadge without great porcions fearing in chusing poore maydes to suffer continuall necessitie which of all other ought least to be feared for that if to their trade or industrie to liue be ioyned a will to trauell calling vppon God fearing him the Lord will so blesse their laboures that in the end they shal be rich aboue their hope At the least if they liue iustly and in the conuersation of honest men they haue promises not to be abandoned in their necessities nor their children to liue by almes for that god wil prouide for their necessary wantes which promises are confirmed by many miracles in the old and new testament as of the Israelites whom he nourished in the desert fortie yeres and of Helias and Eliseus Likewise such as followed Iesus Christ in the mountaines and desertes wée read what prouidence hée raised to féede them Besides in this we are confounded euen by the birdes of the aire in whom being no reason of care God prouides foode for them by his prouidence Much more then is his care ouer vs if we trauell in our vocation with feare prayer seruice and thankesgiuing we read how Iesus Christ approued the societie of such poore when with the virgin Mary and his disciples he assisted the mariadges of such people For as when the wine failed and no more to be had there it is to be concluded that their want was great so if enough had remayned the virgin Mary had not prayed for them and Christ had not done his miracle if it had not bene in time of necessitie if then Iesus Christ beare such fauour to mariadges of the poore that he turnes their water into wine in signe that he will aide them Let those of little faith whose disposition of mariadge is drawne by a desire of wealth and being afrayed to suffer hunger refuse to enter wedlocke Let such be assured that God will defend his poore from famine and want whē they shall fall into actes of infamous life And let not good Christians albeit they haue not such plentie of wealth make difficultie to marry in sort as I haue prescribed and much lesse distrust the increase of goods séeing as labour and time make men ritche so where Iesus Christ is called to the mariadge although the wine fayle at the length he will turne all those malencholly waters into comfortable wines and euen so all their small necessities into great aboundance of wealth Where I spake of the poore sort I meane such as are industrious as for others that wyll not trauell nor learne a trade to liue by ought to be constrayned to labour rather then suffred to marry séeing God assistes not the assembly of such people but from pouertie suffreth them to fall into extréeme miserie wherein is wrought a common burden to common weales ¶ A continuance of the matter of marriage and the dutie of the husband to his wife as also of hir office to her good man Chapter ij A Man hauing determined in himself with the iudgement and good will of his néerest Parentes to ioyne to a wife such one as he hath long knowen to be worthie of him and shée also with the consent of such to whō she appertaines agéeeth with liberall will to such marriage ought afore all other things to obserue the publique Banes for auoyding of slaunder and after to procéede to the rest by the hande of the minister in the word of God and that faith one to another which publikely he shal minister to them addinge the blissing which he shall giue and the prayer whiche he makes with all the assistantes for them to GOD to knit them togither in holy vnitie inuiolable loue and societie and giue them happie dayes in their marriage with plentifull multiplication of children such as they may institute bring vp to his seruice without which obseruations the auncient fathers iudged such societie of man and wife no lawfull marriage but rather a bed of concubines and pagan coniunction This man béeing thus married ought first with the consideration of his perfection of nature and common graces of GOD which he hath more then the woman to employe them all chiefly to the instruction guyde and gouernement of his wyfe and then to the direction of his affaires he is bound to communicate such lawes as he would haue his wyfe to kéepe with louing instruction exhortinge her to the partes of her dutie friendly without anye force protesting also to performe what belonges to his office being both bound thereunto by the expresse statutes of god Touching his parte besides the first consideration of his more perfect creation he ought to consider that as he is the head of his wife so in that he resembleth the purtreite of Iesus Christe so to leade hys wife as our Lord gouerneth his church The head gouernes his body by the vnderstanding mouing sense euen so Iesus Christ inspireth his church and infuseth his graces into her the better to knowe and doe that which concernes God and her owne sauetie The head hath the eye to sée the eare to heare the tong to speake and taste and all to the profit and benefit of the whole bodye taking perpetuall care of it féeling the gréeues of euery member as his own euen the like doth Iesus Christ for his Church spiritually séeing and foreséeing what so euer is necessary for it he heareth her plaintes and necessities and gyues her succour with perpetuall ayde what then ought the man to doe to his wife to what care and prouidence is he bound ouer her yea to what rate of ayde and succour is he tyed if he will worthely expresse the example of his patron if he do it not what greater wrong can he offer to God or manifest iniurie to the holy institution of mariage makes hée not solemne profession to follow that diuine Spouse of the Church by his mariage as also the womā protestes for her parte to follow the church Besides as the head naturally loues the body as vnited with it by nature in indiuisible vnitie he workes for it he takes thought for it and defendes it so Iesus Christ conioyned to his church loueth it dearely watcheth for it kepes and protectes it against the assaultes of all visible and inuisible enemies What belonges then to the husbande the image of this spirituall spouse of Iesus Christ who redéemed his church with his bloud when shée was thrall to sathan washed her with his proper bloud when shée was vncleane dyed to reuiue her being dead iustifieth her and blisseth her afterwardes
in communicatinge to her parte of all his benefits and making her with himselfe coinheritor of his Paradise Could hée showe her more great signes of perfect amitie yea hee hath conioyned himselfe with her as one flesh making hir flesh of his fleshe bloud of his bloud and bones of his bones as we beléeue Eua was taken out of the ribbe of Adā whereby he acknowledged her to be his fleshe bones And for vertue of that coniunction he saied that touching cohabitation togither man should leaue Father and mother to cleaue to his wife yea so great is this coniunction and inseparable vnitie that no more can it be deuided then the fleshe of the ribbe being connaturall to it by consent and order of nature can be separated from the bone nor the body disioyned frō his head wherein man may vnderstand with what loue hée is bound to his wife how he ought to loue her as his proper fleshe with resolution to liue with her in amitie vnitie of indiuidible will as he séeth her conioyned to him by indissoluble communion both according to the first ordinance of God and by the seconde renouation alliance which Iesus Christ hath made with his church in spirituall mariage with this a thing knit to true loue let him thinke that the woman was taken out of the ribbe of the man to signifie that she should bee hys companion and not cut out of his héele to be his handmaid and subiect For that cause S. Peter calleth the woman coinheritrix of grace and life with the man and with S. Paule exhorteth husbandes to entreate their wyues with all gentlenes and cohabit with them by discretion as being weake vesselles giuing them honour and not to gréeue them eyther with too great burden of busines or by worldly or fleshly lettes whereby their prayers may be hindered meaning partlie with the councell of S. Paule that man and wife sometimes ought to refraine mutuall cohabitacion of their bodies to exercise themselues in prayer and fastinge as when there is preparacion for the communion whiche Ioell commaundes also to doe in tyme of penaunce when there is question to reconcile God with teares and fasting then is the tyme sayeth he that the husbande should deuide bedd with his wife and shée forbeare her mariage couche the better to praye to god For notwithstanding such cohabitacions and actes of the flesh in mariage are not of themselues in respect of the purpose of that institution vnlawfull at all tymes yet because they draw the spirit of it selfe diuine and heauēly into corrupt thoughts quenching the spirituall force and action of the same and as it were weaken it of power to rayse it selfe to God in pure and liuely contemplacion they can not be but hurtfull without moderation For which purposes if men be bound to fast and to qualefye their vnrulie lustes with better reason ought they to absteyne from suche actes which no lesse or rather more but in other qualitie peruert the spirituall faculties of the mind then either aboundance of meats or plentie of wine yet the scripture séemes to giue no such expresse commaundement touching cōtinencie as of abstinence as not to condemne the inuincible infirmitie and incontinency of many fleshly creatures who euen in mariage haue not power in respect of their custome to absteyne easelie Here the mā and wife are to bée aduertised that séeing mariage of his proper institution is a thing honorable and vndefiled let them not deface and stayne it by vnlawfull and immoderat pleasures more beastly then naturall let them remember the warning of Dauid Be not sayeth he as a Horse or Moyle in whom is no vnderstanding let them beware that they séeke not after inordinate passions which prouoke to actes of Pagans sayeth S. Paul let them be without perturbation of mynd as not bearing anger nor grudge agaynst any man let them not lurfeyte of eating and drinking nor be subiect to gluttonie and dronkenes For it is most certayne that the procreation shall resemble the qualities and corrupte natures of the Father and mother and therefore Diogenes not without cause séeing a yong boy wanton and giuen to wine gaue iudgement that his father begotte him when he was dronke as also most commonly bastardes be leacherous by reason of the vnchaste lust of their Father and mother wherein they were engendered But nowe to the lawes and rules which the husband ought to gyue to his wyfe according to the doctrine of god First the better to prepare her to humilitie she ought to acknowledge in her selfe such frayelty and infirmitie by nature both in mynd and body that as Aristotle sayeth without the guide of the man she is no other then as a matter without a forme and naturally can not liue without his direction as being drawn out of the ribbe of man and therefore what shée hath touching her body is deriued of man and was made for him and not man for hir being the first in creation forbearing here to recite all that may be sayd particularly touching his preheminence onely I maye alleadge in generall that as the man was not seduced by the Serpent as was the woman so the reason of the great error and fall of the man was the obedience hee bare to his wife contrary to Gods commaundement for the which she also was first condemned and made subiecte to more miseries then the man. These textes beare this intent to make the woman more humble and obedient aswell to God as to hir husband for that by hir nature she is easely caried in to arrogancie pride ouerwéening glorie and disobedience as being envenomed with the poyson which hir great mother Eue tooke of the Serpent suttill arrogāt proude glorious cruell here the husbande must giue hir to vnderstand that in nothing God is more displeased then in pride and disobedience done aswell against him as to her superiours Then lett him discende to the declaration of his superioritie ouer hir according to Gods creation in nature according to his holy ordenaunce according to the example of Iesus Christ by whome he is apoynted head ouer hir with authority as to a husband with promise not withstanding to vse this preheminence to hir benefit and contentment with loyall amytie here he must not for gett to putt hir in rememberaunce of the confederation which they haue made togeather to liue in holynes according to the similitude of the sacred coniunction and marriage of Iesus Christ with his church and that in all mutuall honesty and holy conuersation on with an other lett him then prescribe lawes and rules fitt for a wife That she serue God with all hir hart and loue hir husband only with franck obedience to his commaundementes giuing no occasion wherin he shall perceiue that she hath eyther said or done any thing to the offence of God Secondly lett hir beare to him affection and care as to hir husband and head as he for recompence must loue