corporall death is decréed in the Lawe of nature and other seuere iudgement of God inferred to the wicked as to Cayn for kyllyng his brother by the tremblyng of his bodye to the murtherers by the sworde to the worlde for his delightes glorie and whordome by the flood to them of Sodome and Gomorrhe for sinnes against nature by the fire of heauen to the adulterers and rauishers of women by terrible vengeaunce and to the chidren of Iudas who had done abhominable actes by paynes of suddaine deathes which they sawe euen by a naturall iudgement pronounced or inflicted as to Thamar for committing whordome and to the Sichimites for the Rape of Dina the daughter of Iacob If gouernours punishe not suche faultes by like paynes at the least let them ordaine others either conformable or neare approching them alwayes considering that corporall paines in the lawe bée figures and foreshowes of the eternall death which sinne deserueth In like sort where they sée in the Lawe of Moises certaine sinnes to bée punished by the body let them iudge them right sore displeasing and hateful to God who loueth his creature so dearelye as hée hath geuen him his owne image and likenesse and for whome he hath made the inferiour heauens the earth and the Elements with all thinges conteyned in the same and for whose cause hée sent his proper sonne vpon the earth to suffer all miseries yea most cruel and sclaunderous death And therfore being thus instructed bothe by the lawe whiche punisheth certaine sinnes with death specially suche as bée against the ten coÌ„maundements of the Moral Lawe or directly against Gods honour our neighbour or a wholâ— common weale and also by the Gospell to whom certeine sinnes are so abhominable as it condemnes them to eternall death and perpetual tormentes where is gnashing of téeth and lamentable sighinges they maye conclude suche offences to bée worthy of death specially where a whole common weale is iniured or offended For touching secréete sinnes wherein is no meane of proofe let them refer them to the iudgement of God and to the repentaunt Men sayeth the Scripture haue no power nor facultie to iudge but in matters apparant to the eye God séeing into the heart discernes the secréet things wherof hée defendes the iudgement to al others But where God is offended the coÌ„mon weaâ—e iniured there let theÌ„ follow the iudgement of god which we know to be thundred vpon sinners committing such faultes Therefore let Iudges bee well aduised and geue no libertye of life to suche whom God hath already condemned in heauen both to corporal and eternall death Let them acknowledge that they are here erected as imitatours executours of his iudgement Let them remember Saul who pardoned Agag whom God had condemned to death and Saul for his indulgencye was reproued depriued of his kingdom Let them not also forget the grace which Helias shewed to his dissolute children who for that they were abhorred of god were the cause of his death I meddle not with the reproches which God gaue to the gouernours of Israell because they suffered sinne with impunitye suffering suche to liue who had defiled the earth with theyr wickednes people abhominable to God and worthy so many deathes as they had committed horrible vices And therefore hee condemneth those Iudges euen so often to eternal death as they gaue sufferaunce to others to commit suche faultes without inflicting vpon them corporall death To this let them adioyne this aduertisement that as one member corruptes the rest so the rotten part disposing continuall infection into the rest of the body deserues to bée cut of euen as the good Surgeon not suffering a Canker to encrease cuttes it of so soone as it beginnes to appeare Let them not doubt but that according to the Gospel al euil wicked men which the Law of nature and Moises condemne yea the humane lawe also according to reason do adiudge to death ought to die For as the Gospel so aloweth al those lawes as is before prooued S. Paul aduiseth the Corinthians by them all others to take awaye the wicked man who being corrupt in maners corruptes others for which cause he compares them to the leuine aduising notwithstanding that the punishmeÌ„t come from the magistrate who hauing the sworde is a iust terror to the offeÌ„dor for that he carieth it not in vain being the minister of god executour of his law which euen in the gospel condemneth the man that hath done euil Wherefore al men disposed into the action of wickednes must be punished by the magistrate otherwaies he should bring abuse to his estate Is it not the magistrate by whom S. Paul willeth that all such in a coÌ„mon weale should be cut of by death which vexe the church and are mutinus sedicious iniurious false prophetes wherin because it may be douted to what vices the scripture appointeth punishment specially by death I meane to declare by order the paines of such as the law coÌ„demneth to the ende the magistrate leaue theÌ„ not vnpunished in his coÌ„mon weale nor iustifie such by which he should draw malediction as god hath already condemned by the scripture Heare we must not winke at an error of our time receiued almost thorow al christeÌ„dom which is that we obserue no better the imitacion so often recoÌ„mended to vs of the iudgements of God to leade vs being also commaunded in the scripture according to the same in the punishment of sinnes which is a kinde of infidelitye and ignorance of God or presumptuous boldnes or at least an inseÌ„sible dulnes This error deriueth partly from the humane lawes made by the Pagans whose gouernment being led for the most part by fleshly reason suffred impunity for many sinnes which God by his law condemneth to death as diuinations sorceries diuers sorts of magike with whoredomes sauing women whoremongers for men that made the lawes were exempted the virgins vestal or incestuous women with their adulterors condemning no more coÌ„mon vseries excessiue interestes with like sinnes which God abhorreth Gouernors of common weales ought in no wise to hold conformety with these Pagan iudgemeÌ„ts But reforme them making felt the grauitye of such sinnes by the rigour of worthy punishmeÌ„t Men were wont to haue regard only to punishe such sinnes as séemed to beare preiudice to a coÌ„mon weale and therfore sinnes common against god or which of their owne nature be common or Publike wherin the world delights without contradiction are left vnpunished the same being an occasion to prouoke the wrath of God vpon a whole nation destroye whole kingdomes If the auncient canons of the Church bée wel searched it wil be found that al such offences are punished by long straite penance as are also al othes yea the most execrable that men tooke in vaine of god or of the gods diuers opinions of religion although they were absurde wicked and lastly inuocation to the
speaking as when negligent children drawing to too much play and losse of time do mutuall iniuries with corruption of maners Where God is offended as in malice and wicked spéech and worke correction must not be dissembled euen from their infancie in which age aboue all other thinges they must be instructed to pray to God and by little little accustomed to feare and serue him as much as the state of their age wil beare Saint-Ierome holdeth it wel done that the childe be taught euen from his infancy to beare the yoke of the lord with whom Salomon agréeth saying Remember thy selfe O young man of thy creator in thy youth learne euen from thy youngest age to feare honour loue and serue thy God And Dauid is of opinion that there is nothing wherein a young man correcteth better his life then in considering and kéeping the commaundements of god Touching common doctrine it must be ministred gently familiarly easely and if it be possible without the rod according to the surname of scholes being called a play or exercise of learning where young wittes must be induced as to a pleasant play giuing to the young scholler some smal thing of pleasure to encourage him after the trauell of his lesson And for his better societie in studie it is good to ioyne him to a companion as a spurre to his Booke Proponing to him that merites some price commending the victor and blaming him that is ouercome yea sometimes driuing him to teares and yet afterwards recomfort him applying to the slow witte for aduauntage some what more labour of the Master to the end he dispaire not in study being alwaies ouercome This emulation in studie must be continued euen in great schollers for one of the greatest spurres to studie is mutuall enuie among companions as glory to winne and reproch to be surmounted if there be any young children malicious melancholly spitefull or negligent let the commaundement of Salomon be applied Restraine sayth he no discipline from a young childe for if thou strike him with a rod be shall not die of it beate him with a rod and thou shalt deliuer his soule from hell if malice be gathered in the heart of a child the rod of discipline will roote it out of him who spareth the rod to a young man hurteth him and sheweth no loue to the health of his soule but he that kéeps him familiar with the rod declareth his affection to him Therefore Masters that flatter their negligent leude children entertaining them in their vices for feare to loose the profite they get by them or to drawe a more number of schollers commit treble offence First against themselues being guiltie before God of all such offences together with other those faultes which their schollers shall euer commit Secondly they further the damnation of their disciples who such as they are nourished suffred such will they remaine sayth Salomon Lastly they do great wrong to their parents and common weales for that by the euils of those children the parents shall haue perpetuall sorrowe and the common weale continually vexed And in the end such Masters by the iust course of Gods iudgement shal be hated of their schollers and the gaine they shall get shall neuer rise to constant profite but perish before their eyes ¶ Masters ought to instruct their Disciples whome they receiue into commons touching the body with the same labour wherwith they institute their mindes prayses of Science Chapter viij WE must not forget here that euen as masters ought to feede the spirites of childrē with good learning forme them in ciuell mannors and kéepe them from corruption by euill example doctrine standing as condemned afore God deseruing so many eternall iudgmentes as their disciples by their negligence shall cōmit offences So they are bounde to no lesse care to norishe and to entertaine in health the tender bodies of their young scholers wher in it is chieflie necessary they vnderstande their perticuler natures together with the qualitie and operation of meates and so as phisitions prescribe their regiment touching the quantitie and qualitie of their féeding I mean that according to the naturs composicion of their children they muste varie in sorts measurs of meat and drinke geuing to some more and to others lesse As to great lampes where are great matches there muste be more infusion of oyle then to the little ones other waies where is great match and littell oyle and not often dropped in the fyer wil easely consume and put all to ashes Euen so young children whose nature bears a more ardent heat are more drye then others muste eate oftenner then such as are colde and moyst as are the flegmatike sort Let therfore masters entring in to the charge of children consider carfullye of their order of diet And as they ought to take héede not to traine them in intemperat or delicat féeding which makes them glottons and wanton and drawes both body and minde in to infirmities and corruptcion So let them no lesse beware to norishe them hardly and with meates of euill taste for great sobrietie in young children wekneth their bodyes in consumpcion of the roote humor through the naturall heat which is ardent in them by which default they fall in the end into a restraint of breth or tisycke and by the nature of euill meats they come to ill disgestion the worst of al lamentable and incurable disseases by these two extremities vnwise masters procure to their disciples expedicion of death and so are no other then the murderers of them wherin such aboue all other are most guiltie who taking children in to comons or pension for couetousnes doe eyther feede thē sparingly or by sluttishnes prepare them corrupt and vnholsom dyet wherin they merite sentence of cōdemnacion as traytors and suttel murderers of that simple youth abusing wickedly the truste of their parents who through their defaults are the proper deliuerers of their owne children to perill of death wine also being the instrument that leads them in to many sinns can not but shorten their life it burneth by his naturall heat the tender substāce of young men euen as the flame of fier consumes the oyle and so deuoureth the drye matter and wood alredy set on fier Then seing the young child is no other thing then fier to giue him wine is as to cast oyle in to a furnace to ēcrease the heat and burne all for which cause Plato in his comon weale restrained wine from youth till after xviij yeres and from those yeres till the beginning of olde age he suffered none to drinke wine but qualified with water and yet in great sobrietie Besides all these wine prouokes to whordom and engendreth coller adust which in the end by immoderat vse turneth into malencolie and so in the flower of their time makes them diseased with diuerse kindes of colde and incurable sicknes by which occasion the auncients in great reason called wine
satisfied with exact and actuall punishment where to theyr proper iniuries or wronges done priuatelye against them selues their humilitye ouercame the moode of reuenge and they felt no inclination to furious indignitie But God being iniuried they helde them vnworthy seruaunts officers if they gaue not iustice to his wronges wherein they thought their life a swéete sacrifice being offred to death in his behalfe For this cause Moyses séeing the Idolatrye of the people after the Calfe made a maruailous Butcherye If hée knewe any blasphemer to bee in his Campe who was more readye to drawe him into iudgement yea he that had prophaned the Sabboth in fetching onely certayne wood to make a fire did not Moises forthwith cause him to be stoned But when Mary his sister and Aaron his Brother murmured against him despiting him with iniuries was hée not patient did hee not praye to God to pardon them What miserye happened to Ophine and Phineas for prophaning the sacrifices of God and to theyr father as hath béene sayde because hée did not iustice what slaughter did God to the blasphemye which Sennacherib by his Herraldes of Armes pronounced against him in the presence of Ezechias Did not God by his Aungell ouerthrow of them in one night a hundreth foure score and fiue thousand was not also Benadab because he sayed the God of Israel was a God of mountaines and not of valleyes ouerthrowen togeather with all the Kinges which hée led with him and fel into the hands of Achab Elias put to the edge of the sworde foure hundred false Prophetes of Baal so muche reuerenced in Israell and honoured of the Quéene Iezabel Surelye God so abhorreth the sinnes committed against the first table for so they are committed directlye against him that Hely iudged them irremysible saying If one man sinne against another God maye bée appeased But if the sinne stretche to the offence of God so farre forth as it concerneth his maiestie honour and holye ordinaunce what is hée that will praye to God for him as if hée should saye it is a sinne so greate that wée must confesse that if God will pardon it hée must vse a singular mercye muche lesse then is there power in men to pardon such crimes committed against the deuine maiestie Certaine holde opinion that the crimes against humane maiestie cannot haue remission of the Kinges against whome they are cōmitted as wel for that they bring intent of malice as for that they are done against him whom they represent in earth which is the liuing God and also against a whole nation or people whose heades they are Wée sée when the head is hurt all the members haue interest in the gréefe with him and demaunde altogeather reuenge against him that hath offended them neyther can the head heale the rest if first hée haue not full cure of his owne gréefe Howe is it then that crimes done against God should lightlye bée pardoned of men it was not without cause that in the first Churche hée that was guiltie in any such disordered Crime notwithstanding his penaunce of fiftye yéeres if hée liued so long after his sinne yet was hée not receyued into the holy Communion vntill the ende of his dayes which yet was holden an acte of great grace to the offendour whiche as I wishe might warne the gouernours of our pollecye not to suffer God to bée vnreuerentlye offended with such damnable crimes So for suche as haue prophaned holye places pilled and abused the sacred vesselles and yet thinke to eschewe the terrible iudgement of God let them resorte to the testimony of those miseries which happened to Balthasar Antiochus and Heliodorus ¶ Sinnes committed against the seconde table are worthy of death euen so deserue they eternall damnation Yet must vvee vnderstand vvhen they are done vvillingly and more vvhen they are done by pride and malice and the more that the obiect is noble and excellent so much are they more greeuous The .7 Chapter HAuing declared that in a common weale the transgressions of the commaundements of the first table deserue pains irremisible it is méete wée shewe wherin and how farre ought to stretche the punishmentes for the transgressors of the preceptes ordeined for instruction of due and honest conuersation of life in societye tranquilitye and mutuall loue to our neighbors Those commaundementes are seuen in number and written by Moyses in the second table which God gaue him with the other béeing both two of stone for the better obseruation of them and theyr perpetuall memory Like as also in the due kéeping of those statutes was eternall life comprehending faith in Iesus Christ and in transgressing them was condemnation to euerlasting death Séeing then that transgressours stande in suche estate of condemnacion by God in his iudgementes let it bée a rule to leade the magistrates pollitike to the conformetye of that iustice the rather for that they are as hath béene sayde before called in the scripture the commissionours of God to exercise his iudgements By the first commaundement of this table wée are bidden to honor our father and mother and so haue long life on earth And as this honor consistes not onely in reuerence but in loue feare obedience seruice office of nature so in the persons of Fathers mothers this precept is exhibited also to al Lordes Ladyes vniuersal Magistrates Pastours Doctours Maisters and al olde people yea al superiours being as publike and polletike fathers the one ouer the body and goodes the other ouer the soules If suche as onelye disobeye and vse conuersacion of rebellion speaking euill of theyr Fathers and Mothers are without remission condemned of God to bée stoned What punishment deserue others who pleade against them abandon them strike them suffer them to dye for hunger or laye violent handes vpon them And if there bée any dutye of reuerence to the Fathers of the bodye by greater reason doeth there belong a more higher estate of power to the Spirituall Parentes such as dispose norriture to the soules amongst whome as suche as are fierce and disobedient are subiecte to present punishment So euen they are within the power of the same sentence whiche gainesaye Magistrates being the Fathers of the common weale In this vice togeather with all others the causes and mouers of the same ought to bée punished as a proude hearte a hautye Spirite a malicious wyll and natures enclyning to arrogancye furye and disobedience Heare let Fathers also bée warned not to prouoke theyr children to wrath and by theyr straitenesse dryue them into contempt Touching the Seconde forbidding murder euen from the Lawe of nature GOD hath ordayned that not onelye man but euen the Beast that takes away the lyfe of a man shoulde suffer death wherein God him selfe séeming to geue the reason why hée dyd institute that payne sayeth That man being made to the Image of him selfe what other thing coulde it bée to kyll man then to rent the Image of
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
any feason reserue of the hollydays from their spirituall duties let it be performed in some playes or exercise of paine and trauell by the which both the mind shall be discontinued from idle thoughtes and the bodye taken out of the care of beastly desiers But seing the intent of mariage is the hope of procreation such as ar colde of nature defectiue and impotent ought not to marrie yea if they be married by faulse perswasion the mariage may be dissolued Such also as be vnclean and diseased ought not to entermedle mariage as well for the respect of their comon weale to the which their children should not only be vnprofitable hurtfull and burdenous but also in consideration of them selues but more for their issue whom they know are by their occasiones to remaine always misserable for they are not ignorant that such as them selues are such shal be the effect of their seede and generation So that what other thing can it be to them but a perpetuall infelicitie to sée their stock and children languish in wretchidnes afore their eyes Yea their whole howse borne to this misserie not to on suffered good day in all their life with out sorowe and sighing and bear as it weare a death vppon their backes euen from their first birth In this the woman disposed to marie ought as well as the man not to make fielthy luste the principall end of hir marriage for that were to enter wedding with infidells and an intention reproued in the scriptures as in Tobyas it is sayd that a deuill caulled Asmodeas killed seuen husbandes of Sara the first night of their marriges who for the only lust of the fleash and desier of hir beautie had maried her one after another So did the children of god marie afore the floud I mean the sonnes of Seth which had learned to serue God who seing the daughters of men that is descended of the race of Cain worldly faier and brauely attired maried with them For which carnall affection for they torned afterwardes from the feare of God the Lord roase in to such ire togteher also for other vices of that world that he sent a generall slud And Iesus Christ giues to vnderstand that that lust disordred pleasure are the causes that maried folkes called to the spirituall banquet of God make no rekconing of of it excusing themselues by the hinderance their mariadges which ought rather to bee aydes and common meanes for the man and woman to animat one an other to search God in whose name they are assembled to pray to prosper them in their mariadge giue them children whom they may instruct in his law acknowledging that they are mortall and if they offend God and liue not in him he can and will punnish them with some miserie I say not but beautie is requisite in mariage as wee read Jacob was more desirous to haue Rachell to wife because she was fairer then Lia And albeit in many places wiues are praysed in the Scripture for their beautie which is a gift of God in nature yet it is with this lesson that men take héede that it be not the only cause associated with lust to entise the minde to mariage For such societies of wedlocke as they are not of the Israelites and Christians who haue commaundements to renounce the affections and lustes and to put on a new man So they can not but stand in daunger to be prophaned by such affection as not diffring much from those fleshly mariages for that which partly the generall flood was sent to drown the creatures of the earth Touching wealth or riches for the which many do marry and in that onely consideration not marying wiues but their wealth many enter wedlocke with their Mistresses and chuse sometimes wiues whom they know to be barreine old and counterfet In whom hauing no hope of procreation what other thing doo such husbands but abuse mariage through couetousnes prophane it no lesse then others by vnbrideled and whorish lustes The poore ought to be maried with the riche according to the custome of the Lacedemonians And in the Scripture we find that men bought their wiues as Jacob redéemed his wherein as it is a great reproch to a man to take charge of a wife if he haue not abilitie and meane to mayntaine hir So in such societies I meane by vnlawful means in persons vnlike in qualitie and contrary in manners and nature it happneth that seldome is found true friendship betwene man and wife but dissembled loue perpetual dissention ielosies and dissolute whoredoms and in the end desperate diuorce But touching the man meaning to marrie séeing he ought to vnderstand that the good wife as Salomon sayth is giuen of God as inheritances are naturally left of parents to their children and according to the text of Iesus Christ God is hee that from heauen conioynes mariages inseperable Let him I say recommend himselfe altogether to God with peticion to bestow vpon him such one for his wife whom he séeth fit to assemble with him in mutuall amitie and to liue happely according to his holy will in raising children and them to teach in his feare in sort that afterwardes they may become instruments to his seruice and honour Wherein it is not to be doubted seing it is aduouched by many textes that importunitie of praier preuailes with God but his demaund shall find grace by this we read the Patriarkes Jsaac and Iacob were happy in their mariadges In this request and peticion to God the woman hath no lesse interest then the man for the obtayning of a good faithfull husband And so let there be no mariadge but in the Lord that is with yokefellowes of one faith and religion obseruing in their choise his inspiration and will and not induced by dishonest affectiōs couetousnes or pleasures which things much lesse that they are of God séeing of the cōtrary where any of them remaine he is not present at the coniunction of persons onely there his presence assisteth where is true amitie in conformetie of will manners and honestie in his feare and holy affectiōs In this sort the tiche shall chuse the poore assone as the wealthy to whom for charitie he ought to do as Booz taking to wife poore Ruth and the straunger as his neighbour so that he know hir for seldome we loue hartely that we know not well and lastly the Orphane before a mayde endowed yea and that rather for the honour of God For so shall they loue vertue better then beautie and the humilitie of the poore handmayd better thē the proud and fierce stomacke of a riche Lady against such mariadges was Themistocles who held it better to marry his daughter to a man néeding money albeit poore in wealth yet ritch in industrie and meanes to wealth then to money hauing néede of a man to vse it meaning that a richman weak in the vse and disposing of his wealth becomes
the prosperitie of life but to suffer all miseries since he is offensiue to these by whome hee liues in the worlde yea he is worthy to be throwne in a hollowe ditche without burial where carion vermine may deâ—ower his carcase as they do other dead beastes For which consideration the child is bound to this dutie to his parentes and not to refuse death to sustayne them in what so euer concerneth them in honour health and life For hauing receiued all his wealth and benefites of them what more worthy or iust recompense can he retorne then a frank and thankfull prostitution of all that he hath to their vses if he take pleasure to liue doubts not that of all other things of the world life is most excellent if he thinke that the pleasure of life is one of the moste singuler benefites that maye bee demaunded if lastly commodities riches or common goods and honours do please him What reuerence loue honour and obedience is hee bound to beare to his Father and mother by whom or at the least without whom he had not enioyed them but if he make no recompence to his power and lesse thankefull at all to his parents is not his ingratitude intollerable and by iust right him selfe deserue to be depriued of all the same goods The same also being the cause why God by his law takes away without appeale the life of him that offendes his father and mother But if the vnthankfull and disobedient child be flattered with some prosperitie let him thinke it hath no long continuaunce no more then the itch of an olde man is pleasaunt longer then it is clawed but being scratched it falles of smarting For it is written that who curseth or doth euill to his Father and mother his light shal be put out in the middest of darknes that is hée shall loose his prosperitie good hap in the middest of aduersities and darke miseries which shall fall vppon him euen when hee thinkes to sléepe most soundly in the delites pleasures and eases of this world Besides the better to drawe children to obedience God promiseth them long life honour saith he thy father and Mother so shalt thou liue long vpon the earth to which promise aboue all other Saint Paule sayth is added suretie of recompence as in the promise of long life is ment commoditie rest and necessary furnitures of life as plentie of wealth and humane felicities For which cause it is sayd in another place that the blessing of fathers and mothers giueÌ„ to their children confirmeth and continueth in happy succession the houses and families of their children as of the contrary their curse helpeth much to the ruine subuersion of the same Touching the honour they get by obeying their father and mother it is written listen my sonne to the discipline of thy father and let not the law of thy mother be forgotten of thée to the end grace might be ioyned to thy head and collers about thy necke if thou do thy dutie of a good sonne to them God wil giue thée this fauour and credite to be honored of all men raise thée into that estate where thou shalt beare the honorable enseignes of thy high dignitie euen as wée sée kynges beare their diademes vppon their heads and Knights of the order their precious collers of golde about their neckes in signe of their dignitie honour and authority due to them for their vertues by which they haue worthely aspired to such estates Seing then God reserueth for childreÌ„ such ample promises of long life such worldly prosperities and such high honours which thrée béeing the very effect of all that may bee desired to make this life happye in earth comprehend also what else may be attributed to worldly felicitie How much are they bound besids the reasons earst rehearsed to beare humilitie obedience reuerent dutie to their parents whom if they disobey they haue their condemnation to miseries dishononours and to death yea and by their sinne of disobedience they stand in hazerd of the eternall curse The oblation of this duty of children to their parents is indispensible to all purposes but in cases of infidelitie as if the father being an Idolater séekes to seduce his sonne to that impietie in which this straite bond of dutie ceaseth For God is to be preferred and man abuseth his authoritie according to the vnderstanding of the gospell Who hateth not father mother brother sister and leaueth them with all that he hath can not haue the kyngdome of God yea they must leaue the dead to bury the dead to follow the Euangelicall vocation For touching the Apostolicall profession which may be alledged for that they forsooke father mother to follow Iesus Christ and to preach the Gospel it is a vocation perticuler priuileged as when Helizeus abaÌ„doned father mother to go with Helias as for this purpose may be disputed touching the life monasticall But that vocation ought not to bée alleadged to the execution of this commaundement for hée that calles such as he pleaseth reserueth such prouidence ouer the necessities of their parentes that they stande no néed of the peculiar seruice of their children whom their parentes of their proper will ought to exempt from that office of personall and temporal seruice since God calleth them to him selfe to doe to him a seruice spirituall and of more greater perfection and fruite then any function wherein they could employe them yet touching the vocation Monasticall Saint Augustin holdes good that in necessitie of the parentes the child being a Monke is bound to leaue his Monasterie to succoure them for as the law of God derogates not the right of nature but rather confirmes then restraines it so by greater reason in the humane and positiue statutes specially such as be in Monasteries there caÌ„ be no preiudice Therefore did the Scribes and Phariseis vnder colour of religion ordeyne that the childe giuinge all his goods to the temple was not bound to ayde hys father and mother yea by that meane he held him self no more bound to serue them according to that constitution by the which they expressed that such honour to God grounded vpon that deuotion abrogated all honor and naturall dutie which the childe ought to showe to his father But Iesus Christe gyueth them to vnderstand that by such tradicions they commit great impietie resisting the first ordinance of God natural and diuine also and inuiolable by his Scripture We sée that euen the most perfect and Apostolike life was not exempted from this subiection as Christe him selfe was subiect to Joseph and the virgin Marie and exercisinge xxx yeares after his diuine vocation he reiected not froÌ„ his trayne his mother his Auntes and cousines but called them and entertayned them with him I meane the poore of the reuenues which men presented him withall no lesse did the Apostles to their parentes and kinred of whom the greatest part which were
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
in which I am bolde to repose much for the protection of this my small labour and therwithall according to my long profession I humbly dedicate my selfe and seruice to your Honour on whom J doubt not but God will suffer still to attend that good Aungell which hee appointed to bee the guide of Tobias and to accomplishe all his vertuouse and iust desires At my chamber in the Blacke Friers this xvj of May. 1574. Your Honours in assured and faythfull seruice Geffray Fenton ¶ A Table of the particular Chapters thorow the whole treatise The first Booke WHat is first requisit in the well gouerning of a common weale how Ciuill pollecie ought to be conformable to the celestiall gouernement what good commeth of good pollecie what maner of gouernors and iudges ought to be chosen to direct publike estates Chap. 1. fol. 1. ¶ What gouernours God hath chosen and how he hath declared them by miracles they ought all to be instructed at the entrey of the tabernacle why the great benefite comming of good Iudges and why god doth ordeine some wicked Chap. 2. fol. 6. ¶ Gouernours chosen according to GOD make present profe of their election to the profit of the common weale Let them know how to commaund and subiects how to obey the better to make their common weale florish as inferior members obey the more worthy Magistrates ought to be as Fathers the lawe must be inuiolable but specially one true amitie betwene the gouernour and the subiect Chap. 3. fol. 11. ¶ There be two principalities or pollecies which ought to be knit together in vnitie of frendship as the soule and the bodie without difference they ought to aide one another with perpetuall succours Chap. 4. fol. 16 ¶ The faultes of the Clergie ought to bee corrected gouernours ought aboue al things to prouide good Preachers that the rude and plaine sort may be taught in familiar doctrine All sortes ought to be constrained to be at the sermon such constraint is authorised by the scripture is both profitable to the coÌ„mon weale and wholesome to such as are constrained Chap. 5. fol. 20. ¶ The wise worldlings now a dayes would not willingly haue sermoÌ„s as also certain pastors desire nothing lesse theÌ„ to preach laying the blame of the miserie of this time vppon Sermons Chap. 6. fol. 25 ¶ A refutation of such as hold that people are not bound to heare so many sermons wherefore are the Pastors if they feede not the flocke with the foode of the Scriptures Chap. 7. fol. 30 ¶ In how much good Phisitions are necessary to coÌ„mon weales by so much such as be euill are hurtfull and daungerous who ought to be chosen Phisitions in a towne Chap. 8. fol. 35 ¶ Abuses hapning in the world by the supposed name of Phisitions Apothicaries and Chirurgions Chap. 9. fol. 42 ¶ God hath erected Phisicke and willeth that the Phisition bee honored Chap. 10. fol. 48 The second Booke JVdges and gouernours haue of God many seuere commaundements in the Scripture to exhibit iustice by rightfull lawes Chapter 1. fol. 52 ¶ Iudges are warned not to be credulous nor to iudge by reports to take heede of affections and not to iudge by perticular opinion c. Chap. 2. 62 ¶ In humane things Magistrates ought to followe the lawe naturall and in causes diuine the doctrine of faith and the loue of god c. Chap. 3. fol. 68. ¶ Men may vse the morall lawes of the old testament but not the ceremoniall and iudiciall applied to the times and maners of the Iewes which Iesus Christ also S Paul doth confirme these were natural therfore ought to be eternall c Cha. 4. fol. 72 ¶ The law naturall grounded vppon reason was two thousand yeres in vse without other ordenances sauing the Sabaoth and Circumcision c. Chap. 5. fol. 78 ¶ Gouernours ought to punish by death such as God condemnes to eternall and temporall death c. Chap. 6. fol. 83 ¶ Sinnes coÌ„mitted against the second Table are worthy of death euen so deserue they eternall damnation c. Chap. 7. fol. 89 ¶ Diuerse punishments of whoredome according to the diuersitie of kyndes of the same sinne Chap. 8. fol 94 ¶ Continuance of the punishment of this sinne according to his other kindes Chap. 9. fol. 98 ¶ Theft was not punished in the law but by restitution of double treble and foure fold but now for iust causes it is punnished by death theft by necessitie in some sort excusable Chap. 10 fol. 102 ¶ There is a double lust or vrlawfull couetousnes forbidden vs c. Chap. 11. fol. 108 The third Booke ENumeration of sinnes wherof men make no conscience and are oftentimes in the condition of greeuous sinnes their qualitie and grauetie do vary c. Chap. 1. fol. 115 ¶ Flattery is declared very hurtful to commoÌ„ weales families it makes young people rise into great pride c. Chap. 2. fol. 119 ¶ Let none glorifie himselfe but in his pouertie necessitie and affliction c. Chap. 3. fol. 123 ¶ Scoffers men of pleasant conceit pretending none other end but to encrease pleasure are rebukeable but more if their testing torne to the reproch of any so do they offend god Chap. 4. fo 129 ¶ Plaies which of themselues beare no vice are not disalowable in respect of their ends and lawfull causes vnlawfull games at Dice are causes of much euill Chap. 5. fol. 133 ¶ Daunces with their wanton songs at this day are vaine and vnchast Chap. 6. fol. 137 ¶ Minstrels are vnworthy of the state and fellowship of townes men as also puppet players c. Chap. 7 fol. 141. ¶ Idlenes is a vice most common bringing with it most other offences yet no conscience made of it Chap. 8 fol 147 ¶ The ritch sort haue more to trauell then the poore and in what such as labour in mind trauell more then the painfull laborer Chap. 9. fol. 152 ¶ Gouernours ought not to suffer any idle men in their common weales c Chap. 10. fol 156 ¶ In all creatures is seene a perpetual labour whetâ—â—â— in heaueÌ„ in earth or in the sea c. Chap. 11. fol 161 ¶ There be diuers sortes of idle men some worke certain howers c. Chap 12. 1â—5 ¶ Loyâ—e eâ—s accustomed to begge wil be applied to no other trade c. Chap. 13. fol. 169 The fourth Booke THe simple impotent and true needie poore we ought to hold in singular and deare care Chap. 1. fol. 172 ¶ Many haue giuen all that they haue to the poore to follow Iesus Christ in hope to be happie c. Chap. 2. fol. 176 ¶ Compassion ought chiefly to be showed to poore maydes for the infirmitie of the kind c. Chap. 3. fol. 180 ¶ Hospitalitie and almes in all times haue ben in singular estimation c. Chap 4. fol. 183 ¶ We must not feare that by giuing Almes wee shal be poore for God c Chap. 5. fo
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
a cōmendable property to minister cure to the Soules of their patientes afore they vndertake to Remoue the diseases of the body But such is the wretchednes of many that if the Phisition speake to them of God or of consideration to the reckoning weale of their conscience they subborne by and by an habilitye of health saying they are not yet so farre spent nor that the necessity of theyr sicknes requireth the aduise or comfort of the Preacher And as such pacientes desire to bring them into no fancye of death and much lesse to increase theyr fraile sorrow with heauye counsell so there bée also phisitions of so colde reuerence and taste to God that they wil not haue theyr pacients to feede of other dyet then pleasaunt Speach and if they haue béene whoremongers they dispose the time into discourses of wanton Ribaldry feeding their cares and eyes with the presence of fayre Damselles singing and playing of Instrumentes and so leade them with theyr Pastimes into the bottome of Hell where they ought with the féeling of theyr Pulses to sounde also the bottome of their Consciences and Salue theyr sicke mindes with perswasions to demaunde pardon of God for want of whiche it maye bée that they are drawne into those afflictions But when these wretched Sycke men are as it were at theyr laste and abandoned of theyr Phisytions then God is brought into theyr remembraunce when the Spirites being weake the Sences dissolued the hearing without vertue and the heart languishing to his laste hée hath no iudgement of that which is preached to him but what so euer stoode in his affection afore bee it good or ill hée retaynes it and the minde hauing no Capacitye to comprehende Doctrine is without regarde to call it selfe to account or correction whereby it happeneth by the Iustice of God according to Sainct Augustine that that almightye and terrible Iudge doeth punishe the Synner in the ende of his dayes because during his health and good disposition hee liued in negligence towardes God and neuer gathered the actions of his life into accounte It is saide that as in death men haue no remembrance of God so the feare of death and hell more then the loue of God makes men oftentimes confessing their sinnes for touching the will there is more daunger that sinne will leaue man then man renounce sinne So that by the waye of aduertisement let as well the Phisition as the patient bee warned heare to exhibite the dutye of Christians and not to grudge if I dooe exhorte them for that hauing in hande to wryte a Christian gouernement and Pollecye I can not without offence dissemble any thing whiche tendes to common dutye in thinges concerning God. Therefore I aduise the sicke man so soone as hée comprehendes the mocion and qualitye of his disease to bequeathe himselfe altogeather to God and consulte with his Soule For suche maye bée the furye and violent nature of his Sickenesse that what for debilitye of bodye or sorrowe of minde or other accident of infirmitye muche lesse that hée shall haue oportunitye to common with his Conscience but of the contrarye power shal be taken from him to discerne in what state hée standes It is not good that euerye one make a Custome and common recourse to Phisicke reducing the disposition of theyr Stomackes to a Pothicarye shoppe the same agréeing with the prescript of the best Phisitions of our tyme who aboue all thinges geue this generall counsayle that men dispose theyr lyues in sobryetye forbeare Excesse and not to become subiect to immoderate affections as to bee geuen to anger to heauines of heart and to the actes of vnchaste loue They must refraine from hurtful thinges as corrupt meates infected ayres vncleane places contagious sicknesses vsing moderate labours neuer eating without appetit nor drinking without a desyre to quenche thirste wherin if any by negligence do runne into excesse let him vse the contrarye as if hee haue offended his Stomacke with surfeite let him suffer fasting and correct crudelitye by spéedye concoction If hée haue ouerwearyed his Bodye with trauaile let him vse rest and as health is to bée preserued by thinges lyke so in all excesses the reméedy is to bée deriued by their contraries obseruing this perpetual medicine to absteine as nere as hée can from offending God who is the generall most often the special cause of al diseases Who so euer entreth into medicines let him doo it in necessity as the scripture teacheth vs forbeare phisicke till the extremity for which purpose it was ordeined of God of whom as wée are taught the phisitions are ministers raised for the sick and not for the sounde so Gallen is of opinion that all Phisicke bringes with it some dommage to the person And therfore not without cause the Greeke word calles a Droage or reméedy Pharmacum signifying properly Venim rather then a thing wholsome as if the Greekes would haue said that medicionable droages are as matters venemous to a man touching a nature well disposed so that it behoueth there bée in the body corruptions and humours infected afore you receiue Droages by the which the enemye of the sound and not corrupt nature may bée driuen out which otherwayes woulde haue murdered and deuoured the same nature Such as compare medicine and Phisicke to a bucke of foule cloathes meane that they are not to bée vsed but in necessity For as the Bucke serues no other turne but to cleanse the Cloathes when they are foule which also being often Buckt can not but waste and consume So the body suffereth the like effect by Phisick whose often medicines as a canker doo fréete and eate out the strength of youth and so cleanse vs of health that wee can not reache to olde Age. Bée sure to kéepe your breathing Bodies pure and cleane so shal you haue no neede of Purgation no more then your Linnen being neate hath neede to be put into the buck the same standing with the aduise example of most wise Phisitions with whome nothing is lesse familier then to apply phisick to them selues and nothing more intollerable then to ioyne theyr stomackes to the custome of medicines which we may conclude bring no fruite but when they are vsed by necessity Therfore let euery one tye him selfe to good Regiment to temperate labour to wholsome meates sound Ayre sweete water cleane Places But aboue al let him eschewe the sweete allurement to sinne And when wée offend God let our first cure stand in action of penaunce and after vse mearines of minde and not to gréeue for any thing that may happen as in déede the faithfull Christian ought neuer discend into sorrow but for his sinne but hath cause to reioyce in al aduersity sicknes yea and in death it selfe for that as S. Paul sayth in al these thinges is wrought the matter of his benefite and health as thinking that al the passions and tribulations of this fraile and humane life are
Sodom and Gomorre to see if the desolution of the people aunswered the horrible brute that went of them his wordes were I will discend and see if it be so Hée that knoweth whatsoeuer is done euen in the déepest bottomes and from whome no secréete can bée hid declares by this familiar manner and phrase of Speache applyed to our infirmitye that it belonges to Iudges afore they enter into sentence or pronounce against such as are accused to bée assured of the trueth of the fact least by theyr lightnes or soure passion they committe errour in iudgement In the lawe when the affaires stoode vpon any harde or obscure doubte this was the custome to referre it to the iudgement of God as in the punishment of the blasphemour and what right daughters had to the goods of theyr Fathers in whiche cases there was no resolution set downe in the Law the same seruing as matter of aduertisement to examine exactlye such controuersies and harde causes as the lawes haue no habilitye to decide beséeching God according to the aduise of the scripture so to lighten their inward reason that they may bring forth true and perfect Iudgement But when Iudges will not beginne by this aduertisement nor conforme them selues to this iustice of God his iudgements let them looke for that terrible seuerytie which hee hath thundered vpon those Iudges countries where he found negligence in punishment to those sortes of crimes Hely the great gouernour and Iudge of Israel because hée did not iustice vppon his children brake his necke his children were kylled and all the countrey brought to desolacion The sonnes of Samuel were deposed because they tooke presentes Saul was reprooued for geuing grace to such as hée ought to haue punished after whose death famine came ouer all the land of Palestin for that hée gaue wicked iudgementes in the landes of the Gabaonites whom hée afflicted and made certaine of them passe by vniust death to satisfye which iniquity Seuen of the race of Saule were hanged vpon Gibbertes The Captiuitie of the Israelites and ruine of Ierusalem of the Temple and their Townes happened for the transgression of the Priestes and Kinges done in Iustice corrupting it by presents condemning the iust and iustifying the wicked for Bribes Whereof Esay speaketh thy Princes that is thy gouernours as well in Pollecye Ecclesiasticall as Ciuill are vnfaithfull and haue forsworne them selues yea euen they that haue taken othe to doo good Iustice and haue not obserued it but are become companions of Robbers and haue share in their praye They all loue Bribes and folowe recompenses because they haue done pleasure in iudgement to the ritche But euen those as they were the chiefe in honour and superioritye so also were they first taken Captiues murdered their houses and goodes suffered spoile and they more then others defaced with ignominie contempt and all sortes of wretchednes These bée the miseryes whiche happen to wicked Iudges and theyr Children and for theyr abuses to Tounes Countreyes and Kingdomes So that with good cause I maye recommende as a laste aduertisement to al Iudges to remember the saying of Dauid in this sorte God assistes the assembly of the Gods who are the Iudges and gouernours of his people vnder whome they exercise the iudgement which is proper to God the true and eternall Iudge and therefore are they as partakers of a deuine aucthoritye by enterteining ruling his people by that iustice and souerainty So that as God is in the Courtes of his Iudges and in the middest of them so hée iudgeth them whereby is meant that hée condemneth them if they iudge not according to God. Dauid also pursues them crying in this sort How long O ye peruerse Iudges wil you Iudge so wickedly wyll you not acknowledge your selues in your false iudgementes wyll you alwayes haue regarde to the faces of offendours geuing them support and absolution of their wickednes and liberty to sinne with impunity deliuer the poore man Orphane and iustifie the simple and néedye suffer no wrong to bée done to such as haue no maintenance in the world are without fauourers in courtes Take the poore and néedy out of the hand of the transgressor But what much lesse that these worldlie lordings haue cōmunity with this great pitie seeing as Dauid sayeth they neuer knewe nor vnderstoode what they were bound to doo according to God so greatlye were they inuironed with wretched darkenes and whollye possessed with ignorance of God and his lawes whereby it happeneth that the foundation of the earth shal be moued whiche is that by that occasion exceding great euilles and intollerable aduersityes shall fall vppon the nations of the earth Therfore where I sayd you were gods so greatlye honoured of God by the state which hée geues you representing him in case of iudgemēt I forgat not your infidelity meaning that you shal fal into no lesse miserye wretchednes then any of the auncient wicked Iudges to whose iniquitye was apointed a miserable conclusiō of their vnhappy daies Wherin Dauid considering the lamentable infelicities ouerwhelming the world for the false corrupt iudgemēt of Iudges cries out to God saying Raise thy selfe O Lord God and Iudge the Earth condemne the abuses and faultes of suche people as haue corrupted the earth with impietye by their vnrighteous Iudgementes so shalt thou raigne ouer all nations and bée honoured as a true and iust Lorde and Iudge of the earth doing iustice vpon so many iniquities By this psalme Iudges are instructed to iudge well as well for the reuerence of the great Lord sitting in the middest of them in theyr Iudgements to approue them if they bée righteous and reproue them yea dissolue them if they hold of iniquity condemning the persons to horrible misteries yea euen to shake the foundations of the maine earth so gréeuous to God is a false and vnrighteous Iudge as of the con-contrary hee delites in him who according to conscience acquites his charge duty as also for that they haue the honour estate reuerence of Iudges to distribute right to euery one remembring that lord in their iudgement who hath this perpetuall property to iudge without affection they ought also to haue such exquisite knowledge with exact iudgemēt of reason that according to cōmon naturall sence they iudge to estéeme it a horrible sinne to iudge against their conscience séeing that as infinite Pagans with this iudgement of reason haue established their perpetual glory for the true deciding of causes so the errour of our Iudges being layde vp in the memory of God wil bring them to receyue sētence afore his seate of iudgement to their assured confusion And so let all Iudges knowe that if by their sinister sentences any one is depriued of his goodes honour or life by whiche it can not bée chosen but many calamities wyll happen euen so many eternal damnations do they deserue with no lesse horrible paines
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
Paul in many places pronounceth them abhominable before God the same agréeing with common experience wherein wée sée that in no Synne is more power of beastialitye ouer man nor more draweth him into thraledome yea it kéepes him in more subiection then the Wine that makes him Droncke or the King that commaundes him The Wise man sayeth that as Wine and Women doo make men Apostates and to abuse theyr honourable profession so all sinne is without man sauing this whiche corruptes effeminates defiles and dishonoureth euerye parte of the man yea it pollutes the sacred Temple of GOD and bringes to passe that the holye members of IESVS Christe are made infected members of a Whoore If the Lawe did so expreslye forbydde that there shoulde bée no whore in Israel which countreye was but a shadowe of Christendome and that the paine was no lesse then death Why should it be endured amongst Christians who being most cleare and holy by that holy and deuine profession ought to expresse as great power of perfection as the light hath ouer darknesse there is no sinne which bringes to man more miseries blindnesse and beastlynesse nor by whose occasion more controuersies and murders do rise if it did onely but make man lose the reputation of his honour and libertie of his minde that extreme wretchednesse ought to make it hatefull much more then is it detestable by howe much it leades him into the destruction of his soule which is the principall Besides that the sinne is monstrous to lose the séede which GOD hath ordeyned for the generation of man so precious in nature yea if there be encrease of children what shame and dishonour followeth their foule procreation and to howe many vices are they subiect for the contempt which the worlde hath of them in their education If then so generall slaunder hang ouer all Christendome by fornication if it make Realmes subiect to reproches of forreine Nations if in it be nourished the occasion of euyll doyng by wicked examples so manye secrete murders of Infantes without Baptisme and the enforced deliuerie of wretched maydes to auoyde sclaunder of the worlde If lastlye vnder the winges of fornication be hatched the Egges and broode of so many diuisions questions controuersies murders and warres why should there be sufferaunce of whoredome so reprobate and condemned and the onely Nurse of all miseries happening to Nations and men were it not better to condemne it to death or at the least to ioyne it to such gréeuous paynes that there might be no further wyll to followe such allurement the miserable cause of all wretched deathes Here if any wyl obiect the example and custome of the Gentils who to entertayne their pleasures in their brothell places helde opinion that man and woman consenting to suche Acte did no wrong to any séeing hauing libertie they stoode also in power to do what they woulde Let them be aunswered with this text of S. Paul Do you not knowe that you are not of your selues but that you are redeemed with a great price vvhich is the blood of Iesus Christe therfore glorifie God and carye him both in your bodies and in your spirites for so doth it appertaine to him the body was not made to play the whoremonger but to serue God who in the resurrection wyll geue it an immortall glory where some may obiect that the sinne is naturall I confesse it as touching a nature corrupted which beyng the more daungerous ought so much the more to be eschewed and corrected So much may be sayde also af naturall choller procéeding of nature vicious and so of all other vices but by the grace of Iesus Christ that vicious or corrupt nature by studie and exercise of doctrine may be reformed and by vertue chaunged by force tamed so by constraint brought to God. Socrates confessed that the Philosophie of Zophyrus was true as who saye his iudgemente by naturall coniecture vpon the lineaments of his body pronounced him to be a great whoremonger which being reprehended in Zophyrus by Socrates friendes he tolde them that Zophyrus had not iudged amisse as touching his inclination but Philosophie made him another man so that when it is sayd that this sinne is common throughout the worlde we must conclude that there is no feare of God no exercise of true doctrine nor any vse of vertue no not so much as Moral by the which thinges the Philosophers Gentiles eschewed sinnes and wonne the reputation of honest people Let vs feare that the worlde be not fallen into the like estate of wretchednesse as when God powred the generall flood ouer all the earth that as the Scripture saith All fleshe had corrupted his vvay meaning that man euen from his youth ranged after the delyte of his fleshly pleasure the same being one signe of the ende of the worlde wherein S. Paul saith that men shal be more louers of them selues then of god Let these terrors be warnings to vs to correct our vnbridled lustes after filthy and fowle pleasures Let youth restraine their inclination by good discipline continuall labours and perpetuall study of vertue Let them learne to beare the Yoke of the Lorde from the beginning mortifiyng their passions and frayle desires by meditation of death and the iudgement of god Let Parentes according to the counsell of Chrisostome rather vse a ripe care in oportunitie to mary their children then to leaue them in the handes of daunger to offende God and damne their Soules ⧠Continuaunce of the punishment of this sinne according to his other kindes ⧠The .9 Chapter TOuching Incestes amongest néere Parentes or with religious women or rauishmentes of maydes the Law hath alwayes condempned them to death The Positiue Lawe hath alwayes iudged worthye of the fire Inceste with the maides cōsecrated to god At Rome the Vestal Virgines Pagans beyng defiled with Inceste were buryed quicke and so dyed miserablie The auncient Church receiued not the incestuous religious man or woman to the Communion vntyl death In all times the lawe of nature hath condemned adulterie to extreame punishment Pharao and Abimelech iudged it one of the greatest sinnes that coulde be as by whose occasion death did not onely followe such as had commited it but also it drewe infinite miseries vppon houses Courtes and Kingdomes Amongst the Hebrues the offendour was stoned to death At Rome by the Cornelian Lawe it was lawfull to kyll the adulterer without reprehension and also for a man to refuse his wife for the suspicion of that vice euen as for the sinne beyng notorious and prooued the Christian may dissolue mariage touching cohabitation In many places men cut of the nose of the adulterer and sometimes the eares as in Egypt they pluckt out both the eyes of Locres that was the cause why Zalence King of that people pulled out owne of his owne eyes and another from his sonne who was taken with the acte which he did to accomplishe the Law notwithstanding the importunitie of
his people to dispence with his son To be short there was neuer Nation so barbarous which did not punishe adulterie by death or at least heauie paynes And therefore it is an indulgencie very cryminall afore God that there is no common punishment to this detestable sinne to the which by all reason is no lesse due and merite of gréeuous paynes then to the Théefe whereof this furthereth the proofe that besides the grauitie which we find in fornication there be foure things greatly enforcing the enormitie of the Acte First it is cōmitted against the thrée essentiall partes of mariage as faith linage and Sacrament The faith which was geuen in this Mariage is broken which bringes periurie and by the ordinaunce of the Lawe the periurer ought to die the othe was made solemnly in the Church vnder inuocation of the name of God And the contract of faith and the othe made betwéene the parties aucthorised by the Priest and approoued by all the Churche as a signe of mutuall fidelitie signified by the King geuen vpon the Maryage day Linage is hindered by a commixture of the seede of the Husband and whoremonger or at least it is vncertaine to whom it appertayneth What certaintie hath the adulterous woman of her children whether they be her husbandes or her whoremongers And in this vncertainty and doubt what conscience can she haue to nourishe them at she charges of her Husbande and suffer them to put on the habite of his lawfull heires If she knowe it is not her theft the more And if hanging be a Lawe to Théeues what execution to such people There is also a Sacrament as S. Paul calleth it in Iesus Christe and the Churche which is a signe of the inseparable coniunction of the Lorde with the Church whom he hath maryed in faith and hath geuen him selfe wholly to her and become one fleshe with her in receiuing her into communitie of all his benefites with promise neuer to abandon her the Church hauyng lykewise promised him to cleaue to him and remaine firme in his faith lawe and obedience without taking other Lorde or Religion but his Euen in the like maner man and woman marying together make publike protestation to follow this holy coniunction in the faith and vertue whereof they receiue grace and sanctification in their Maryage and so protesting to liue together in all vnion of holynesse chaste and perpetuall societie according to the inuiolable example of Iesus Christe and the Church What great impietie is commited when they defile this Sacrament Is it not a prophaning of sanctification which is one of the sinnes against the first Table And if it be not a kinde of Heresie to adulterate and corrupt a holy thing at least if they beléeue not the mystery conteyned vnder this Sacrament it can not be but infidelitie so that if a Christian prophaner of a Sacrament an heretique or an Infidel deserue paynes of death what is due to the adulterer by whom it is thus depraued Besides the periurie of faith and hinderaunce which he geues to procreation by the vncertaine commixture of straunge séede there is in this vice a perpetuall grudge and resolucion to do murther either of the Husbandes part to whom the wrong is done or on the wiues behalfe by whom is endured the iniurie of her Husbande or by the rauisher whom gelousie enableth to all bloody actes Many are the slaunders prodigall expenses theftes Rauins and other inconueniences which come by adulterie but more murthers then by fornication I speake not here of Sodomitry with other beastlynesse so abhominable before God and man that the earth ought not to beare so infamous mōstrous actes Bawdes in the auncient church for the vilenesse of their profession notwithstanding their perpetuall penaunce coulde neuer obtayne admission to the holy Communion so great indignitie did the olde fathers impute to those wicked sellers of Christian flesh If he that selleth the seruaunt or handmayde of another meriteth condemnation of death how much more haynous is his desert who entertayneth a lust after the daughter or wife of the Father of a family Here must not be forgot that with the acte it selfe is forbidden all causes moouing or entertayning whoredome as gluttonie dronkennesse idlenesse wordes lookes gestures vnchaste writinges and féelings dissolute and indecent daunces and superfluous riche ornamentes with other such like sturring to wantonnesse which causes most often are no lesse mortall then the effectes that followe them Kepe you from gluttonie dronkennesse and cares of this world saith Christ S. Paul reseruing no porcion of Gods kingdome to drunkardes biddes vs not to bée drunke with Wine where is superfluitie and dissolucion And to the dronkarde guiltie in vicious actes the Philosophers of the auncient time iudged double punishment as S. Paul besides their depriuation from the kingdome of heauen pronounceth them worthy of excommunication ⧠Theft was not punished in the Lawe but by restitucion of double treble and foure folde yea and seruitude but novve for iust causes it is punished vvith death Theft by necessitie in some sort excusable in the prohibition of theft the causes are also contained By this commaundement it is defended to take avvay the honour of another False vvitnesse is more vnlavvfull then theft neither hath it any grace in the Lavve All deceiuers hypocrites and lyars are condemned by these last preceptes ⧠The .10 Chapter THE fourth commaundement of the seconde Table is Thou shalt not steale the transgression whereof in the Law of Moyses was not punished with death but by restitution of double treble and sometime foure folde And in whom was no abilitie of restitution they were condemned to perpetuall seruitude till the wrong was satisfied by iust seruice publike theft as robberie violent theft and murther were condemned to death in the Lawe wherein was no excuse of pouertie as had simple picking whereunto was ioyned no custome but mooued of malicious wyll and affection But because those simple theftes supported with this charitable fauour rose to the state of high and noble robberies they became after by wise aduise subiect to the sentence of the Gybbet Wherein also this was one consyderation that who embeaselleth the goodes of another séemeth by consequence of the euyll that many times happeneth to take away also his life The bread of the needie saith the wise man is the life of the poore and who beguileth them of it is a bloody man He that taketh away the bread that hath béene gayned with the sweate of labour is as the man that kylleth his neighbour whereby may be concluded that the blood spyller and he that deceiueth another are brethren as séeming to haue an affinitie of euyll the same beyng eftsones confirmed by a notable text of the sayde wise man that who offereth vp his sacrifice compounded of the substance of the poore cōmits no lesse offence thē he that afore the eyes of the father killeth his proper sonne So that
by good reason the iustice of the Gallowes is executed vpon the Théefe if he be not excusable by extreme necessitye or if being ashamed to demaunde almes not hable to susteine his necessityes nor haue credite to nourishe his poore familye he hath purloyned the reléefe of others notwithstanding it had béene better for him to haue begged then to lay his hand vppon the goodes of an other wherein he can not haue excuse of sinne for that it is neuer lawefull to do euill euen no lesse or more ought to be punished the ritchman whome al Lawe doth bynde to beare aide to the necessitye of his poore brother appealing to his succor and finding him shamfaste his office is not onelye to lende him his hande but also to impart with him by pure gifte yea if the poore man dye by famine or any of his familye by the violent rage of necessitye the ritche man as a murderer is to geue Reconing of that death in the iudgement of God to which iudgmēt as the true christian ought to Raise vp his eyes and not to stande in the consideration of this fleshlye iudgement wherein is fulnesse of infidelity and errour so if this iudgement of God were temporalye executed heare vppon those that suffer the poore to endure hunger thurste and miserie whose necessities often times throwe them into the action of theftes and other violent wretchednes and somtimes to suffer death for want of their succor there should at this day fewe ritche men enioye their corrupt wealth and much lesse their sinnefull lyfe séeing then the ritche sort are blameable afore God for all these offences and no lesse subiect to punishment then if they were the immediate parties to the fact or procurers of the same it belonges to the authoritye and office of the Magistrate whith whome the consideration of this iudgement of God ought to be familiar to execute it vpon earth constraining such people to contribute to the helpe of the poore and néedie applying to the default of the ritche in this case present punishement to the ende they maye repent and bring recompense and others take example By this defence not to be a Théefe is comprehended also all prohibition against suttletie deceite reproache treason couetousnesse vsuries with all other vnlawefull meanes to gather ritches or to spoyle the wealth of an other to enuye him to speake euill of him to dishonour him to beguile him to vexe him by processe to obtayne his goodes or to consume him with pouertie In this are most of all reprehensible the Lawyers aduocates and Iudges whose eyes are closed from the sinne but their handes wide and wide open to receiue part of the spoyle wherein by so much more are they guiltye by howe much they beare fauour to lewde men whom if they blamed and gaue no support to their wickednesse much lesse that such iniustice shoulde be suffered but withall there shoulde be small cause of complaint Let all sortes of people dwell absolutely resolued in this that who doth wrong to another in what sort soeuer or procureth it to be done by counsell support fauour or geues sufferaunce to the wrong with impunitie or lastly who consentes to it without restitution either by him selfe or the aucthours or parties to the fact can not stande assured of their saluation S. Paul saith that the wicked shall not haue the kingdome of God bringing within the compasse of wicked men all such as do any thing against the Lawe of God or willyngly oppresse others with wrong yea if they haue but wyll thereunto though there be no abilitie of power Séeing the Scripture condemneth all iniquitie to eternall death it behooueth the Magistrate when it comes to his knowledge to follow as néere as he can the tract of the diuine iustice being the officer of God to administer his iudgementes not to laye his gouernment to the customes of the Pagans who condemned none but such as had done some notable burglarie deceite reproches vsuries maledictions and all iniquitie by expresse textes of the Bible are declared worthy of death by the iudgement of God So that if the Lawes of men be not such or that they beare no power to punishe suche sinnes let Christian Princes erect Statutes conformable to the wyll of God wherin maye bée abilitie of punishment to such intollerable crymes séeing it is an opinion oftentymes to many eyther simple or vnfaithfull that offences are not punished with God when they passe with impunitie here vpon earth By common reason and also by the experience drawen out of the doinges of the Pagans such men and their opinions are more worthy of death then the théefe Cicero when he cryeth out that iustice is broken by force and by craft applyeth the one to the propertie of the Lyon and the other to the nature of the Foxe wherin as is more merite of hate so by reason it bringes no lesse desert of punishment Cato was of opinion that to geue money to Vsurie was an Acte of great iniustice calling it the murther and death of the néedie as in which is wrought the extreame necessitie of the poore sort sometime compelling them to dye for hunger so that if the murtherer be holden worthy of death who can auoyde the merite of punishement to the Vsurer Agesilaus sayde That sclaunder false accusation or suttle craftie or malicious interpretacion which can not but holde also of false witnesse is more sharpe and cutting then a two edged Dagger wherewith it were better to haue a wounde then to be hurt with sclaunder What other thing is the deuyll then a sclaunderer and false accuser of the faithfull then such as practise sclaunder are of a faction of the deuyll All the wise men that euer were haue preferred honour before riches and weighed it euen in the same ballaunce and estimacion that they helde their life If then to him that steales golde and siluer the Gybbet is due and the murtherer looseth his head vpon a Blocke what sentence is reserued for the sclaunderer and wicked speaker which procureth infamie to honest men and heapes wicked hatred against them Touching false witnesse forbidden and expresly condemned by God to death it is consequent and conioyned to theft at the least it tendeth to one common ende with it and procéedes of one Roote which is couetousnesse though some times it deriues of malice or spitefull wil of reuenge or hath some other wicked purpose It is more intollerable hurtfull then robberie which Salomon holdes to be a cryme of lesse domage thē lying aswell for the necessitie of life as for other reasons yea false witnesse is so execrable that the scripture nameth it amongest these seuen sinnes which GOD hateth proude eyes a lying tongue handes spillyng innocent blood a heart deuising wicked thoughtes féete nemble to runne to naughty actes the man that hath no shame to speake vntruthes the deceitful witnesse bearer which is so much more detestable afore God by howe
the liuely foode of the life present and a comfort in all tribulations Thus may the Magistrate pollitike reléeue the infirmities of his people and kepe them from the desire of euyll and corruption in wicked wyll which is the cause of all wicked workes as by the contrary is wrought all good actions according to the text of Iesus Christ That the euil Tree bringes foorth sowre fruites and the good Tree yeeldes fruite like to him selfe But because he can neither geue ayde to them nor forme iudgement of them if the fruites declare not the nature quality of the wil he ought as shal be further declared in the fourth booke to trauayle diligently that the new plant of his commō weale be not nor remaine not corrupt no nor can not be corrupted the which shal be easie for him to do by the meanes which I wyll set out in the sayde booke treating of the institucion of youth In the meane while we wil procéede in the other sinnes which séeme not to be redily comprised in the ten commaundements of the Law and yet aswell that which we are commaunded as forbidden to do is there conteyned as may be easily discerned by whosoeuer searcheth exactly the iudgement of the Scripture for those then in whom is not that exact knowledge I wyll entreate of other offences which men would not haue sought there and yet are to be found and are most damnable determining not to omit any thing that may be preiudiciall to a Christian common weale yea euen to handle seriously those sinnes wherof men make no conscience as though they were light and contemnible in common iudgement But séeyng GOD condemnes them and inflictes gréeuous punishment vppon the parties it behooueth the polletike Magistrates beyng the follower of this great and Soueraigne Iudge to condemne them also in their Courtes with the same grauetie and measure wherewith he punisheth them in his And albeit there were verye smal vices whiche yet are not so if their errour bee considered séeing they are committed against so great a Lorde of him selfe infinite and against deuine iustice whiche punisheth them greuously yet wée can not iudge them suche but by a comparison with others that bée verye execrable as is Idolatrye Neyther ought the Magistrate for all this to neglecte them séeing as the Wise man sayeth who is careles in small thinges slides easilye into great faultes the same agréeing with the resolucion of Aristotle that an errour howe little soeuer it bée in the beginning wyll ryse great in the ende if there bée not correction in tyme. The Canker appeares litle at the first as a wheale but by sufferaunce it deuoures the partes about it and consumes at last the whole body A disciple of Plato being rebuked for playing at Cardes and Dise aunswered that he did no great harme to whome Plato replied that small Vices doo drawe with them those that bée greater sure sinnes are as linkes annexed togeather in a chaine whereof when you pull one lynke the rest doo followe Euen so the threde of vices if they be not restrained howe litle soeuer it bée wyll ryse to a great webbe of sinnes yea euen to bée able to make a long and huge Corde wherewith Satan doeth binde and imprison man in seruitude and perpetual damnation And like as Phisitions who to auoide the greater sicknesse are not careles of the least disease that happeneth to man but eyther minister some bitter Droages for purgation or at least prescribe him some Diete as also it belonges to the good Surgeon to applye some plaister to an Apostume to rype and purge it least otherwaies there might bée daunger of desperate corruption Euen so the Pollitike Magistrates whiche haue taken in cure this bodye Ciuill if the least in their Citye offende in dutye by light faultes but more if the faulte be great ought immediatelye to applye correction to the offendour and suffer no consequence nor example to others Heare if any wil saye there néedes not so straite censure hée maye be aunswered with that that maye bée sayde to a Pagan who knoweth not what miserye the impunitie of sinne doeth bring sometimes holdes vice in the reputacion opinion of vertue But the true christian who is commaunded to be perfect to offend in nothing for in breaking one commaundement he standes depriued of the fruite for obseruing the rest yea who ought not to faile so much as in an ydle worde whiche Iesus Christ holdes worthy of Iudgement is also commaunded to laye vp all his heart in the Lorde and neyther to speake or doo any thing no not to eate or drinke but to geue all the honour and glorye to God from whiche duetie if man doo swarue neuer so litle hée sinneth for hée faileth of his rule and is subiect to damnation sayeth the Scripture And Saint Paul sayeth that the recompense and stipend of sinne is death It is therfore a vaine obiection to saie that we neede not make so great conscience of so small faultes which albeit they drawe no great moment yet according to the resemblaunce of Saint Augustine If there bée but onelye one creuise or vent in a Shippe by the whiche the water entereth if it bee not stopped the whole shippe in the ende is full of water and the passengers with the vessell in manifest perril to perishe but if there bée more ventes they giue to the water a more spéedye power to drowne them all Euen so is it of vices whereof there néedeth but one to leade a man to his destruction if he bée careles but much more spedelye is he drawne into vndoing if he bée possessed with many Séest thou not sayeth hée that the ship ouercharged with Corne hath her fraught with no other thing but many graines which in tyme of tempest shée must discharge and cast all into the Sea for her safetye And as the burthen is no other thing then abundance of litle graines gathered togeather to drowne the vessel so the multitude of small sinnes leades the soule to perdition if in oportunity shee discharge not her burthen and for the safetie of her selfe and vessell throwe her fraught into the Sea. By this resemblaunce let the wyse Gouernours of this Ciuil Nauye foresée if it bée possible not to suffer one onelye faulte howe light so euer it bee without spéedye resistaunce and much lesse geue passage to many popular and vulgare offences but cast them out of their Shippes least by them they bée drowned in the bottome of all miseries many small diseases suffered rise to a great sicknes the stinging of nyne Hornettes as the saying is sufficeth to kyll a man where a lesse number were in sufficient Let the Magistrate therefore beware not to geue custome to many small vices nor yet to one for frequentacion of sinne procureth to the Soule death eternal ¶ The thirde Booke ⧠Enumeration of sinnes wherof men make no conscience and are oftentimes in the condicion of greeuous sinnes their
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
would haue yéelded to them If children in like sort be not carefully instructed in their beginning by good wholesome disciplines it is hardly possible to see them members of profite to their commonweale although afterwards they get knowledge No rather that is to bee looked for which the Poet speaketh of that the light and baren otes will excéede the good corne the same agréeing with the prophesie of Salomon that when the vine is neglected and so ouergrowen with thornes that the cluster cannot appeare the swéetenes of the grape wil be torned into vergesse All these we sée happen in those times wherein parēts are carelesse to exercise their children in good learning but specially in the first principles of true Religion which hath brought the world to such dissolutenes that we may say with Osea that the sinke of iniquities hath ouerflowen the earth and hath so washed all knowledge and feare of God from the world that from the lowest euen to the highest euery one hath corrupted their waye If the earth be not painefully labored well séeded and carefully kept from Crowes and Cattell what reuenue can it yéeld to the Master If the little plant in the husbandmans orchard be not pruned and preserued from cropping of beastes he cannot hope to sée it a great trée if he water it not it will wither and so either be barreine or at least bring forth fruite of little price euen no more may be hoped for of the young plant or orchard of the common weale which is the number of youth if in their first graffing they bée not pruned with good principles and preserued from caterpillers whose nature is to deuower both lease fruit Christ hath already pronounced sentence against the vnfruitefull trée or that yéeldes euill fruite either to be cut downe or cast into the fier Euen so what other thing do young children procure but by their so abhominable vices to hasten the ire of GOD vppon themselues their parents gouernours of townes and the whole realme expressed in many miseries as plagues warres famines and desolations of regiments not speaking of horrible paines prepared for them after their death We must therefore plie and bend the braunch whilest it is yet a little twigge because being come to his greatnes there is perill to breake it if in like sort the nature of little children of it selfe inclined to vice be not in his gréene tendernes corrected by discipline time and custome will enhable it aboue the power of reformation When it hath once taken his folde it will not bee easely vnfolded according to the saying of the wise man that the youngman followeth all the time of his life that way which he takes in his young age ¶ Amplifications of the sayd comparisons touching wicked Masters with aunswere to the obiections made to reiect Doctrine prayse of Science euils of ignorance and leude education Chapter v. IF lewd Masters resemble wicked heardsmen what hurt doe they to younge children béeing the little Lambs of the parke of Iesus Christ when they féed them not with good pasture which is sound doctrine the proper noriture of their soules with out the which they cannot soundly liue if they vse not care to kepe them from the iawes of Woulfes which are false prophets but leauing them to the pasture of heritikes and sectuaries suffer them to liue at randome wandring by hils valeys of infinit errours let them behold in Ezechiell how greuously God complayneth against them and all other pastours of his people If such masters be as carles and negligent parēts geuing sufferāce to the vanities of their childrē as Helie did to his what masters or gouernours can be raised to comōweals of such disordered disciples Such as be tamers of wild beasts if they fashion them not by exact industrie and by longe custome chaunge their nature sée their trauel bring forth vain effect for that their Disicples put one eftsons their originall habit Birds taught to speake retorne to their sauage lay if they bee not reteined in custome by continuall trauell of their teachers Euen so lewd wicked scolemasters neither learned diligent nor tractable to tame and frame the natures of children for bearing Discipline make them at laste like them selues and worse then they weare when they first tooke them in hand If they put euil doctrine or administer lewd cōuersasion to thē what greater paine then to reclaime them and what more hartie griefe then to sée them infected and not to be cured but by painfull remedies Tymotheus demaunded doble wages of a father presenting him with a dissciple that had ben ill taught by an ignorant master he saide that to make him méet for new doctrine he must first drawe from him that which he had learned before other waies to administer good instruction should be but paines and time loste euen as we sée good wine to bee spoiled assone as it is put into a vessell of viniger or other sower Liquore And as to preserue the goodnes and true taste of the wine it is méete first to make cleā the vessell So whoe goeth about to institute instruct youth left him geue no liberty of corrupcion for there doctrine profiteth nothing wher wicked affections remaine But if teachers haue knowlegde and wil to reclaime children of hard and infected natures wher in nothnig is better then continuance of art diligence they shall in the end bring them to facilitie of vertue mannors as wée sée the young horse fierce hawty of nature after he be well manned becomes tractable to the seruice of his master and better condicioned then the rest The earth ouer growē with bushes thornes lesse easie to be broken with the plowe is made more apt to beare good fruet when it is purged by the diligēc of the laberor wher if the grounde be sandie or couered with fearne it is not made half so frutfull by any industrie of husbandrie The vine spreding in manye branches and leaues if that which is superfluous bée cut away becomes more fertill and florishing Thus by the consideracion of these similitudes we sée what great benefits come by the instruction of youth by wise learned masters the infinyt intolerable euels rising by such as are lewd and ignoraunt of instructing well disposed wits in doctrī according to their excelent deuine capasitie But wée must not conclude by this defaulte that it were better to leaue children without any instruction least they fal into the discipline of such teachers for that were as much as to giue consent and libertie to the destruction of children and so abandone them to the perill of all wretchednesse many are the commaundementes in the holy scripture to parents for the good instruction of their children and specially in the knowledge and feare of God enioyning them for that purpose to searche out men sufficient euen such as we haue described with the scripture reason also
teacheth and naturall iudgement that we ought to bee instructed euen from our youth For as the mind as Aristotle saieth is as a table wherevpon nothing is written nor painted and so of our owne nature we can doe nothing but thinke euill speake and doe euill so reason is none other thing in vs then a little sparke of light yet so darkned in our obscure nature that it cā no more guide vs to marche in the darknes of this worlde then a little snoffe of a candell showing darkly in a lanterne dymmed with durt or other filthines is able to giue vs light to passe in suretie through darke and daungerous places it may be aptly resembled to a flashe of lightening in the night which when it showeth vppon the earth gyues a certayne glymse of light but very short leauing afterward the traueling man in greater darknesse not knowing which way to take euen so when our reason hath aduertised vs of that which is good being presently occupied with the affections and dark passions in vs striues not valiauntly to repulse and dissolue them by her naturall light being of her selfe of too great infirmities but yéeldes to them as soone as shée is surprised leauing vs in greater perplexities of oure obscure mynd then we felt afore Whereupon as wée may cōclude that reason without doctrine is as a spark quickly quenched hauing no more power in a man to do well then a body hath meane to trauell without a minde So to the end we stomble not vppon error and vice it is necessary we haue a perpetuall cleare burning lighte of mynde which is doctrine and holy erudition For the same difference that we finde betwéene light and darknes doth Salomon set betwéene the wiseman and the foole or the ignorant Chryste calles the ignorant blind who if they vndertake to leade others fall altogither in the ditch wherein is signified the extremitie of errors whereunto do runne headlong all such as haue not true science It is sayd in the law that for the infirmitie of this reason and naturall deprauation men ought not to do what séemed good to their iudgement and mind but must raise their regarde to that which God commaundeth specially in matters concerning Religion for in things naturall and ciuill there was more libertie Then seeing children are corrupte as Quintilianus saith before they can goe being norisshed in delites rather then vnderstand them and loue the vices which they learne in the pallaices of their parents afore they haue ability to iudge of them such is their infection euen from their first education and norture thei stand need of rate and measure and to be corrected euen from their cradle We sayed before that doctrine chaungeth the mind and makes it fructifie for which cause the scripture compares it to the good séede which as with good tylthe bringes foorth good fruite so without it the best groundes would rather yéelde thistles and thornes then graine of profit as happeneth in often experience by the best kinde of corne which diligently sowne but in common grounde tournes oftentymes into poppel and light graine either by the fault of the ground the tyme or the laborer So there is great néede that with the doctrine and good institution of youth there be suffered no corruption of manners We sée the grounde without tilling and séede bringes forth of it selfe naturally and without art ill hearbes wéedes much more would our nature produce vices and néedeth no instructor to doe euill where vertues come by force of instruction and labor aswell of the maisters as disciples For hauing in our selues but certain seminaries or as litle matches which we must kindle by force of blowing applying matter to entertayne the fire if we will make any So we must suffer this nature of ours to be qualified and fashioned by doctrine and labor as we sée fyer striken out of the flinte by the instrument of stéele ¶ Continuance of the said comparisons Chapter vij THE Philosophers estéemed a man without learning as a slaue that doth all his actions by force where the learned hath a liberall agilitie to all vertuous doings they compared the man without Science to a beast accompting him not worthy to be called a man reasonable of whom one of the greatest glories is to vse reason which he can not do if he haue not Science For which cause Solō the Law reader of Athens iudged not the naturall father worthy of honour and obedience of his child if he instructed not his youth in learning and exercised his tender yeares in vertuous conuersation which opinion albeit is condemned of the Scripture which enioynes to children straite charge of dutie loue reuerence and seruice to their parents Yet so great faultes of Fathers and Mothers by the iust iudgement of God deserue no dutie at all in their children hauing onely receiued of them generation fleshly noriture without goo◠struction for which end God specially blessed them with children And often doth it happen that such children without discipline dishonour their houses destroy great families and by displeasure procure death to their parents to hasten their succession yea they are troublous sedicious and ruines of good cōmon weales And when they come to the scaffolde the last pause to the gibbot they dissemble not but crie with mayne voyce that if their Fathers had made them familiar with correction and discipline they had ben farre from those miseries Truth and dicipline sayth Salomon bee two thinges that giue correction to a young man and the child that is left to his will bringes his Mother to shame and confusion meaning that a yoūg man without instruction can giue no delite nor honour to his parents and to his friendes he cannot but bring rebuke and infamie So that if hée be not reformed by good doctrine and induced to good by the spirite of God with a true faith and charitie he can not by his owne nature but dreame vppon all euill no more thē the thornie brier can of himselfe shake of his prickes or the wild trée bring forth swéete fruit if he be not oftsones gryffed And therfore it can not be iustified to say that it were better to leaue a child to liue at his owne nature wherein as S. Paule sayth is found nothing but deprauation No let him tast of good doctrine which wil be to him as a regeneration and reformation of nature And because it may be asked in what age is best to put children to learning it may be aunswered euen so soone as in the childe is expressed a minde capable of doctrine as to some at fiue yeres to some rather and toothers later beginning with them easely or as it were by pleasure without threates the rod feare or constraint For as science of it selfe is liberall so it requires in such as séeke it libertie and fréedome of wit But if there be cause or place of correction let it be for euill doing and wicked
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
maried according to Jgnatius caried with them their wyues and nourished them togyther with their parentes and poore of the Apostolicall reuenue For as who holdes no accompte of his houshold and domestical familiars is as an apostate and more wicked then if he were an infidell so wee ought not wickedly and wrongfully thinke that the Gospell takes away any humanitie naturall pietie but rather nourisheth susteyneth and confirmes it making it spirituall in true loue and duetie and so much the more perfect as the doctrine is more excellent then the doctrine of nature and Moyses It is a question of many whether a man is more bouÌ„d to nourishe and succour his father mother or his proper wife whereunto may bée aunswered that in the case of obedience and subuention there is more bounde of dutie to parents but not touching cohabitation And to proue the bonde of dutie to parentes it is certayn by treble right naturall diuine and humane which including an immutable and inuiolable bonde can not bée weakened or abolished by mariage aswell for that it is the first most autentike and hath a tâ—eble bonde for euery law hath his proper obligacion and subiection where this hath but one touching corporall cohabitacion as also for that it bindes mariage with a new subiectioÌ„ that the wife with her husband ought to straine all their power and meanes to reléeue suche as by mariage are made their father and mother and to helpe their grand parentes by whom both they and their fathers haue being in the worlde There bée yet these causes consequent and as it were accidentes to the former reasons which ought greatly to stirre vp children to honor their parentes that is to saye the inexplicable loue of fathers and mothers to their children their care in their first nouriture or nurssage their continual trauelles and perplexities to preserue and prefer them lastly this iust consideration that as they behaue them selues to their parentes so to expecte the lyke recompence of disposition and experience in their children towardes them The loue of parents is so great to their children that they sticke not to take to them selues the greeues and displeasures of their children not refusing sometyme the hazard of death to preserue their little-ones from perill And the scripture neuer commauÌ„des them to loue their children to nourish nor prefer them because by nature parentes haue that forward inclination but they are enioyned in many places of the scripture to discipline instructe them in the loue of God as therein prescribing to them the manner how to rule and moderate their affections not louing their childreÌ„ otherwaies then God loueth them neyther to let their zeale be so vehement fleshly and partiall as with the shée Apes to destroye their children nor yet with extremitie of affection to holde them in seueritie feare and so make them at vnwares towards or weake sprited wherein albeit thei are forbidden for that they are alwayes restrayned to moderation in discipline yet in holding ouer a hard hand vpoÌ„ theÌ„ thei expresse the best and truest affectioÌ„ and leade them in the readiest waye to the estate and reputacion of honest men Great then is the bond of dutie obedience and affection of the child to his father and mother if with his vnthankfulnes he be not altogither out of the sense and iudgement of nature yea he shall aunswere to that so perfect loue for God in this case challengeth that he ought to bée beloued of vs by reason If I be a father sayeth he where is the zeale wherwith you loue me as children do their Fathers Here if any will obiect certain mothers procuring vntimely birth to their children or others that kill them after their deliuerie to auoyde dishonoure I aunswer that to such mordering mothers expressing worse nature then the most fell or fierce beastes who cherish lick their litle ones ofteÌ„ times fight for their safetie ther can not be deuised lawes seuere inough for their punishmeÌ„t yea Moyses as after him Licurgus Solon erected no prescript lawe for such morders nor againste children likewise that killed their fathers as estéeming it an offeÌ„ce to which man coulde not ascribe sufficient seuere worthy punishment Touching the cares labor and industrie in bringing them vp ther is no estate subiect to so many perplexities the mother specially bearing the infant in hir belly what care hath she to preserue so precious a frute and in hir trauell is there greater panges or more perill of present death how long remaines she in weake estat and sicknes what paines takes she to norish it what be hir sorowes if it wéepe if it miscarie if it falle sicke she fasteth to féede it and being hongrie restraines foode from hir selfe to appease the vnruely appetite of hir childe she with hir husband offer their bodies to pasion of colde and heat yea somtimes go naked to cloath wrap and entertaine their children What recompence of affection and dutie do these cares and perplexities of parents deserue of the children where in if they be necligent how can they a voyde the crime of ingratitude or be innocent in the vices proper to the reprobate yea let them assuredly trust that the displeasures wronges and disobedience which they do to their parents by the iust measure of Gods iudgment shal be retorned in more heauie greuous qualitie vppon themselues by their proper children for so we finde hapened to a contemtuous and disobedient childe who trailing his father by the haire of his head out of his owne house This is but a iust recompence my sonne sayth the father seing that euen the like behauior I shewed to thy grandfather in this house which now thou vsest to me But of the contrarie we read that many weare the benifites and graces doubled vppon the obedient children of the patriarkes as is expressed in the example of Joseph to whom his father Jacob gaue double blessing aboue his other brethern because he honored him with more seruice then they for ende let children in all thinges discharge the right and law of pietie to their parents with this consideration that because Fathers represent God on earth he will take the disobedience done to them as an iniurie ment to him selfe moreouer in the consideration of their dutie and ayde to their parents let them remember that in succouring their necessities they offer acceptable seruice to God for the which as we haue said their recompence is layd vp both in earthe in heauen which with suertye to finde at the hands of their owne children the like measure of relife in their necessities together with the same rate of comfort if they fall into impotencie of age But if they fayle of this dutie they stande in hazard of treble condemnation of death as they are bound to that office by treble lawes hauing interest in all such acts of humanitie euen towardes all olde straungers according to the reuerent
be kept one of the first actes of vertue and in iustifying the innocent he defendes him from violent oppression and preseruing his smal porcion of goods kéepes him from the hospitall and his wife and familie from perishing by hunger In sustayning the cause of the poore and procuring condemnation to the wicked he doth double worke of mercie obserueth that which so often God recommendes in the Scripture wherein the Iudge executing the good aduise and exhortacion of the aduocate accomplisheth the iudgement of God doing an act of high praise and worthy of eternall felicitie The aduocate thus being the mouth of the people and chiefe enformer of the Iudge ought not to bee ignorant in the written lawe customes statutes and ordenances of the land helping his wit with the art of reasoning and his iudgement with general experience in all affaires wherein the science of Logicke morall discourse and specially the studie of polletike reasoning may bring great helpe to him for if by ignorance hée giue wicked counsel and leade the partie in a vaine expence of money to pursue an vniust cause or if by indirect or suttle dealing hee cause an other to loose his righteous sute though the lawes of ages and countreis appoynt him no punishment yet being guiltie both to the one and other losse I doubt not but by the lawes of heauen and conscience he ought to refine to the parties the full damage hapned by his corrupt counsell No lesse punishment but greater shame is due to the ignorant iudge giuing corrupt sentence by the perswasion of the aduocate as to whom it belonges to be more wise and resolute not deseruing to sit in the seate of a Iudge afore he haue thorowly passed the office of an aduocate and practised lawes in publike court which hée had read in priuate studies But if the aduocate entertaine by couert sleightes and suttleties vniust causes procuring cauillations by delayes to weary the man whose sute is good and enforce him to a hurtfull accord and so by his shiftes peruert iustice into iniquitie besides that he is bound to satisfaction of the losse yet he is not out of the perill of Gods curse Aduocates and procurers who by entertayning processes in delayes empouerish good men and become riche them selues and such the very instruments of Sathan as eyther bréede or norish quarell betwéene parties are condemned to all wretchednes by Iesus Christ For if such as be peaceworkers be happy of common congruence thē who hindreth confoundeth or delayeth peaceable causes are ordayned to misery as by whom is set abroche among neighbours the vessell of grudge malice hatred sorowe heauines and vtter vndoing and also losse of time in their established trades and vocations wherevnto they are called by God and if they be not the causes directly that their clients offend God in many sorts at least they kéepe them from seruing him restrayning al their hart thoughts and industrie to the furthering of their proces which cannot bée but a kind of impietie yea oftentimes it hapneth that by the dilatorie shiftes of solicitors and attorneys many rich clients sée no end of their cause in many yeres whereby it hapneth that he that preuaileth reapes not so much as he hath spent and he that is ouerthrowne is sent to the bagge wallet being afore the beginning of the sute of good estate of habilitie To such as be the occasions of this euill I aske this question if they be not iudged by their owne lawe which sayth such as giue the occasion of euill séeme to do the euill it selfe if the sinne bee as great to him that holdeth as to the other that cuts the throte of the iust mā is there any grace or distinction in the sentence touching the Iudge specially if he may apply remedie and abuse his meane Let no man erre by couertures of writtes or wrested titles of the expounders of the law or orders of courtes for in what sort so euer they do wrong to any man according to iudgement and conscience which with great aduise ought to be considered more then the opinion and comments of writers hid vnder the shadowe of the lawe and yet against the lawe which of it selfe is iust and good so that it be not abused they worke their owne depriuation of the life eternall The vnrighteous sath Saint Paule shall neuer possesse the kingdome of God And who are more vnrighteous thē such as worke against the iudgement and intencion of the lawe and contrary to the secret aduise of reason and sense of conscience which is not blinded through affections and custome of euill Would those smooth and coosening Lawyers if they were in the state of their simple clyents attribute it to wel doing to haue with them their best bloud drawne from them without féeling and that which remaines become too corrupt for horseleaches Let them thinke vnhappie is the gaine wherein vnhappely is wrought the destruction of poore soules What other thing doe counsellors and attorneys committing to their Clerks Bookes of length and many lines and consequently of more gaine to them selues but draw by suteltie money out of the poore mans purse What other thing is it then to impugne God hurt their conscience seduce the Prince the Court and the world and vnder cooller of that iust and lawful gaine to commit manifest theft whereof they stand condemned in the iudgement of God where all suttletie shal be reuealed which Saint Paule calleth darknes and all iniquitie examined not according to the vaine fancie of couetous fleshly men which think there is no other iniquitie but that which is séene and palpable to the hand but euen the most suttle craft that may be imagined shal be by the euerlasting eye so clearely spied and descerned that it shal be iudged worthy of death one of the offēces that most displeaseth God is the sinne of the Deuill as to be a deceiuer a Traytor a dissembler malicious author of quarrelles suttle and polletike to do euill it is said the Deuill that appeared to Eue hid vnder the visible serpēt was of all other creatures most craftie suttle Then if our aduocates and attorneis being instructed in the deuils sutteltie sticke not to glorifie themseiues to haue so good a teacher and master to learne them by good reason as they practise his instruction and example they are also to receiue with him a common rewarde and recompence yea let them be assured that the suttle are taken in their owne snares and that no councell cunning nor reason stande a fore God who being able to confound all will call into terible iudgment al such masquid and disguised suttelties is it not a vaine and foolish sutteltie to beguile a poore man of a halfpeny and for it to be condemned to lose a crowne what folly more then for the gaining of certaine transitorie drosse here on earth by suttle means to be condemned to the losse of all goodes body and
Augustin let me releeue him whose necessitie is first offred to me drawing by my example rich men to reléeue others In this case the rich man refusing to ayde the poore is a tyrant and vniust possessor of the goods of others for that the superfluitie is a due portion of the poore according in the wordes of Saint Basill The money saith he that thou kéepest in thy coffers the apparel not seruing thée to vse and the vittailes that thou hast in aboundance are the goods of the poore ouer whose right thou dost vsurpe In this he séemes to holde conformitie with S. James that the rich men ought to sighe and wéepe for the miseries that will happen to them whereof he alleadgeth thrée causes the first for that they kéepe their gold and siluer till it ruste and haue no néede where many poore bodies perish of hunger and that their garments are gnawne with moathes where infinite poore creatures stand naked subiect to the iniury of the weather The second is that they paye not reasonably suche as serue them whose crye pearceth the very eares of the lord of hostes demaūding vengeance of their iniquitie The third is that they make great cheare and anoynt their throats with the liccorous sirops of swéet meats suffer the téeth of their poore brother to bite no bread nor his stomacke to be refreshed with whole some liccour Many other néedy people remaine in a Citie who notwithstanding their trade and occupation are driuen by some ouercharge of children or casualitie to sel their necessary implements and sometime the very instruments of their occupation not being hable to borowe and hauing shame to aske Of Christian amitie and how many sortes of friendships there be Chapter iij. HAuing not yet spoken of the dutie of a friend but in generall sort nor of Christian charitie wherein consists the perfection of a Christian and of moste deare commendacion in the Scripture it cannot be impertinēt to inferre some discourse therof the necessitie of our purpose so requiring Amitie is of foure kindes as naturall ciuill carnall such as was amongst the Pagans and Christian or spirituall The two first haue their approbation euen by the scripture the third which is carnall hath ben by the iudgemēt of good men reputed corrupt as in déede it is and much reproued according to the doctrine of god Naturall friendship is as the loue of parents towards their children and one kinsman or countrey man to an other Ciuill amitie is got either by conuersation and society of men together or in respect of profites eyther receiued or hoped for this friendship is called of the Philosophers humane and as it were due of common office But better is it expressed whereby it is called a vertue morall when it vnites mutually heartes and willes together sometimes it is but of the one part which is the cause of Tullies opinion that such is the force and propertie of vertue that it constraynes men to loue such on whom there goeth but an opinion and reputatiō of honestie though they neuer saw nor knew the persons But notwithstanding the reasons and iudgements of the Philosophers touching that kind of amitie the Scripture will neuer repute it a vertue if it haue not a purpose and end to the honour and loue of God without which end much lesse that all vertuous actions haue any recompence or glory afore God but with Saint Ambrose that kind of amitie is accompted corrupt as not done to that end which the Scripture cōmaundes by which we are cōmaunded to do al things for the honour of god Fleshly amitie or friendship is contracted vnder a hope or present enioying of goods honours and carnall pleasures And sometimes the naturall and ciuill amitie degenerate into this damnable loue being most often the very loue wée beare to our selues deliting more in our owne glory and pleasures then in GOD or that concernes our saluation Where vppon it is sayd that men vppon the end of the world shal be so worldly and fleshly a signe of reprobation that they shal be more feruēt followers of their proper delites then of God This loue Saint Augustine with good reason sayth is the foundation of the Citie of the Deuil as the loue to God is the ground worke of the holy citie of the soueraigne Lord Christian loue is that charitie which so often God recommends to vs comprehending an entier loue with all our power to him and a sincere amitie without fiction to our neighbour euen by the same measure that naturally we loue our selues with this intēdement alwayes that all be for the loue honor of God as the cause end of al amitie al our actions to the end to receiue for it eternal retribuciō This amitie leads directs makes perfect the natural ciuil moral friendship euen so corrects altogether that the is carnall as being corrupt by wicked affections makes it turne into spiritual by spiritual conuersation as if a man louing his wife onely for that she is faire and riche and for his beastly pleasure a Pagan loue and little differing from the affection of a whoremonger to his concubine and being afterwardes instructed by Christian doctrine with what zeale he ought to embrase his wife in mariage loueth her not for the reasons of the flesh aforesayd but as his companion of grace coenheritrice of the glory of heauen louing hir with that spirituall and true loue wher with Iesus Christ loued his Church And as a Father louing his sonne not simplie nor naturally but with a worldly affection as making him his Idoll falleth to loue him afterwards in God by Christian institution that is according to the prescript of the Scripture kéeping him in discipline and vertuous exercise Thus the whoremonger is conuerted and forbearing his fleshly affection to his troll will hate in him selfe and hir all damnable lightnes and neuer looke on hir but with a displeasure and remorse of his sinne which after their conuersion she is also bound to do And if there bée daunger eftsones to fall they are bound to restraine sight and mutuall company and stand vpon their gard no lesse then such as hauing ben once enuenimed with a swéete poyson by an antidot preserued from death will beware eftsones of charmes or swéete liccours neyther is penaunce of any force if the sinne bée not altogether abandoned and all carnaletie abhorred And if in déede amitie to speake more properlye bée a vertue more then morrall and not affection onely according to the error of some Philosophers it can not be ioyned with vice for so théeues other of vice albeit they vaunt of frendship in susteyning one an other can not truly be called frends but confederats in league conspiring by common consent to do euill Amitie is perpetuall as is all vertue of his liuely and proper nature So that such as loue richmen by reason of the proffites they receiue by them are not
prouide so that this soule I meane the diuine law entertayning with it the lawe naturall and politike as the reasonable soule in man compreheÌ„des vnder her regiment the spirit sensitiue and vegatiue be Lady and mistres chiefly ouer your selues as gouerning your dooings according to hir direction to the ende that by your guyde she gouerne and entertayne all the rest of the body politike without being hindered by you in fauours or other corruptions ciuill yea let her fréely stretche out her selfe in vigour and vertue equally to euery generall and particular parte for the better abilitie of his proper and naturall action I meane let euery one exercise the particular vocation whereunto he is called for the better regiment of the whole in one equall faith without acception of persones euery one with franke readines enclining to the prescript of that law according to the limite of his particular charge by which obseruation there can not happen eyther to the whole or any peculiar proporcion of the body any disorder disagréement contencion or confusion And euen as when the humane body of man is gouerned and ruled by phisicke it seldome falles into disease for that in that Science is prescription of all thinges necessarie to conserue health euen so by this lawe the true Phisicke medcine of mindes so long as they obserue the rules of it common weales are not onely entertained in plausible and constant prosperitie but withall armed against the assaultes of al casuall inconuenieÌ„ces eyther by suttletie malicious force or pollecie But as the body then slides into infirmities and diseases when it giues ouer the counsell and iudgement of phisicke so the body ciuill neglecting the rule of the law prepares to it self occasions of many passions as warre famine with such miseries as God vseth to sende for the transgression of his law God in many places in his law but specially in Deuteronomie forespeakes blissinges and happy successe to the good obseruers of his lawe that aswell in their houses as their Cities Countreys and whole affaires as of the contrary his threates be terrible to the traÌ„sgressors prophesying all miseries to their families their goods their cattell yea to their owne bodies with these miseries the Prophetes often tymes threaten the Israelites for their transgression as also other straunge nations for that they had ben cruel to the desolate people of Jsraell There are none more imediat causes of the miseries afflicting men in priuate or common weales in generall then the transgression of the lawe and obstinate constancie in wickednes For we find that in all times miserie hath followed sinne as the smoke doth the fier aswell to perticular men as in Cayn Lamech Agar Iâ—maell Esau Hei Onan with many such from the beginning of the world as to whole commoÌ„ weales suffring impunitie of sinne as in Josua it is sayed that for Acham who contrary to Gods commaundement tooke a wedge of gold and for the sacrileage of Hiericho all the Armie of Jsraell to whom was promised victory was put to flight so grieuous to God is sinne how secret so euer it be who will haue it punished for that cause Salomon sayth that sinnes makes people and nations vnhappy which then appeareth most when it is knowne and the common weale makes no care to do iustice of it as we sée hapned in Gabaon of the Beniamits in which Citie for the vnchast violacion of a woman dying of the violence almost all the sayd Beniamites were ouerthrowen by the other Jsraelites God ordeyning this iudgement for the reuenge of the womans dishonour oftentimes the man that hath done euill is not punished only but also the affliction stretcheth to his house as hapned to Cham for mocking his Father with whom his sonne Canaan with all his Chananites were scourged The sinne of Loth and his daughters is not punnished only with the penance of the good Patriarch but also vppon his children The Moabites and Ammonites who were reiected froÌ„ the alliaÌ„ce with the Jsraelites for their reproued generatioÌ„ yea forbideÌ„ to enter into the temple albeit thei were coÌ„uerted to god much more grieuously is punished the sin of the Prince the Magistrate not vppoÌ„ themselues only but what they loue is touched their whole people visited as is manifest in Dauid who notwithstanding he did penaÌ„ce for his adultery murder yet his sonne died for the punishmeÌ„t or satisfaction of those two sinnes as also for the adultery he did to an other maÌ„s wife his owne coÌ„cubines in the meane while were polluted And for that he rose into pride he was striken with plague by the death of three score and ten thousaÌ„d persons who consenting with their Prince in his vain glory and vices had their share in his iudgement and punishment when all the world was resolued into sin God spared not a generall punnishment by the great flood which had power ouer all flesh sauing eight persons preserued in the Arke In Sodome and Gomorrhe the fier of heauen consumed all but Loth his wife his two daughters And in the first sacking of Ierusalem but much more in the last and generall spoyle of Titus Vespatian to the ruine of all Iuda according to the prophesie of Iesus Christ For all the world had erred eyther actually or by manifest consent or secretly and to come yea euen the little-children who albeit had yet done none euill yet if they had had then iudgement or ripe age they had had the same will with their pareÌ„ts as with all children in some sort are the substance and principall goods of their parents So that their fathers offending and deseruing to be grieuously punished the scourge falles also vpon their goods children I meane touching temporall paines for concerning the soule the sinne followeth the author according to the iudgement of God who as a iust and soueraigne Lord punisheth the man for his proper vice and euery vice in the man as we sée hee did in the first ruine of the worlde when he drowned fathers mothers children seruants with all sortes of beastes sauing such as he reserued for propagation and sacrifice ¶ Counsell of the remedies to cure and preserue common weales from miserie Chapter v. IT belongs then to gouernours of a common weale as to good Phisitions by the doctrine of the law both deuine and humaine the true medecine and preseruatiue of Christian soules to kéepe and conteyne their people and gouerning them both in generall and perticular by this law that they fall into no daungerous sinnes and mortal diseases of the soule they are restrained to no lesse care art and dutie to preserue them then the Phisitions corporall are bound to defend the bodies from sicknesses by iudgement rule of good regiment And not confounding the two estates Ecclesiastical and pollitike or secular from doing their perticular functions albeit in profession diffring yet teÌ„ding to one generall end to erect Gods kyngdome