when themselues shal be vngently handled by thē when they shal endure reproch when they shal be polled or afflicted with any kind of iniurie their comfort in al these euils will be to haue the last day before their eies in which they know that the lord wil gather his faithful ones togither into the rest of his kingdom that he wil wipe away the teares frō their eies crown thē with glory clothe thē with gladnes satisfie them with the exceeding sweetnes of his delicacies exalt them vnto his high mansion in a word make them partakers of his happines In the meane time going on in their course with all tranquillitie ioy of spirit they are cheerfully to giue vnto God that homage worship that is due vnto him submitting themselues wholy to his greatnesse receiuing with all reuerence his cōmandements Next they must put that trust hartie assurance in him which they haue receiued by knowing him aright attributing to him all wisdom iustice goodnes vertue truth making this account that all their happines is in communicating with him Inuocation foloweth wherby their soules must haue recourse vnto him as to their only hope whē they are pressed with any necessity In the last place is thanksgiuing which is that acknowledgement wherby all prayse is giuē vnto him Vnder these 4. points of worship trust prayer and thanksgiuing all those innumerable duties which we owe to God may well be comprehended Moreouer the contempt of this present life and the meditation of that which is immortal heauenly will teach vs the right vse of earthly goods created of God for the seruice of man as necessary helpes for this life Which things we must not neglect in such sort that we neuer vse them but vpon constraint necessity taking no delight in them as if we were sencelesse blocks Much lesse may we abuse them by ouer-great lust in superfluity delights but apply them to that end for which God hath created appointed thē for our good not for our hurt namely that they should sustain nourish preserue delight our nature vsing thē in al temperance mediocritie with thanksgiuing So that we are to vse these goods as though we vsed them not that is to say our chief affection and desire must be so smally set vpō them as if we were wholy depriued of them and we must be disposed and affected as well to sustaine pouertie patiently with a quiet mind as to vse abundance moderately Especially let vs referre the true and holy vse of all our earthly commodities to the works of charitie as we haue already touched knowing that all things are so giuē vnto vs by the goodnes of God appointed for our commoditie as things cōmitted to our trust of which we must one day giue account before his maiestie For the conclusion therfore of our speech we learn that thelife of a Christian is a perpetuall studie and exercise of the mortification of the flesh vntil it be so throughly dead that the spirit of God may raigne fully in his soule We learn also that our whole life ought to be a meditation and exercise of godlines bicause we are called to sanctification that true happines of life in this world consisteth therein namely when being regenerated by baptisme and the spirit of God we haue the loue of righteousnes throughly imprinted in our harts and follow the diuine rule thereof by framing and directing all our actions to the glory of our God and profit of our neighbors Wherfore euery one of vs must take his vocation and calling for a principle and ground for a station assigned of God vnto which we must direct our leuell withdrawing our mindes from the yoke and bondage of those naturall perturbations that are in vs. Wee must not be led with ambition and desire to take hold of many sundry matters at once being assured that euery worke done according to our calling how contemptible soeuer it be among men shineth before God and shall be rewarded by him beyng accounted very precious in his sight Of Death Chap. 72. AMANA NO man ought to be ignorant of this that after God had created man in the beginning he placed him in a garden and paradise ful of al pleasures and delights and gaue him leaue to vse all things contained therin the fruit of the knowledge of good and euill onely excepted which was expresly forbidden Neuerthelesse being vnable to keepe himselfe in that high degree and great dignitie he fell by disobedience so that thinking to make choice of life he chose the fruit of death as God had foretold him saying Whensoeuer thou eatest of this fruit of the knowledge of good and euil thou shalt die the death which thing fell vpon him and vpon all his posteritie Whereby we see that the reward and recompence of sinne is death not onely bodily death but which is more spirituall whereby we are banished and shut out of the heauenly kingdome and inheritance if we apprehend not that great grace and mercy of the father offered to all that draw neere vnto him by true confidence in Iesus Christ to the ende as the Apostle saith that as sinne raigned vnto death so grace might raign by righteousnes vnto eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. And this is the onely way wherby to passe from death to life when we shall be subiect to no condemnation or afflictiō Moreouer neither sworde famine nor any other miserie can hurt vs no not temporal death which according to mās iudgement is the extreamest of all miseries shall in any sort confound vs but rather be a meane and pleasant way for vs to passe by from prison and bondage to ioyfull liberty and from miserie to happinesse Therfore my companions as death is the end of all men happy to the elect and vnhappy to the reprobate so let vs finish our discourses with the handling thereof ARAM. Nothing but death and the end of this bodily life is able to accomplish the wish and desire of a faithful christian For the spirit being then deliuered as it were out of a noisome and filthie prison reioyceth with freedom and libertie in those pleasant places which it seeketh after and desireth so earnestly ACHITOB. It is decreed that all men must once die And therfeore as the Wiseman saith whatsoeuer thou takest in hand remember the end and thou shalt neuer do amisse Now ASER as thou beganst to lay the foundation of our Academie so make thou an end of it with the treatise of Death that endeth all things ASER. It is no maruell if natural sense be mooued astonished when we heare that our body must be separated from the soule But it is in no wise tollerable that a Christian hart should not haue so much light as to surmount suppresse this feare whatsoeuer it be by a greater comfort and consolation For if
And who is not content to depart out of an olde ruinous house What pleasure haue wee in this world which draweth neere to an end euery day which selleth vnto vs so deere those pleasures that wee receiue therein What other thing is this life but a perpetual battell and a sharpe skirmish wherein we are one while hurt with enuie another while with ambition and by and by with some other vice besides the suddaine onsets giuen vpon our bodies by a thousand sorts of diseases and fluds of aduersities vpō our spirits Who than will not say with S. Paul I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ Why do we daily pray that the kingdom of God should come if it be not for the desire which we ought to haue to see the fulfilling therof in the other life We haue a thousand testimonies in the scripture that the death of the body is a certaine way by which we passe into that true and eternal life and into our owne countrey Flesh and bloud saith Saint Paul cannot inherite the kingdom of God neither doth corruption inherite incorruption For this corruptible must put on incorruptiō and this mortali must put on immortalitie then shall bee fulfilled that which is written Death is swallowed vp in victory They that beleeue in Iesus Christ haue already ouercome death sin and hell And therefore contemning death they may say O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law but thanks be vnto God which hath giuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. He which hath raised vp the Lord Iesus shall raise vs vp also Our conuersation is in heauen from whence also we looke for the sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able euen to subdue all things-vnto himselfe Ye are dead saith he to the Colossians and your life is hid with Iesus Christ in God When Christ which is our life shall appeere then shall ye also appeere with him in glory My brethren saith he to the Thessalonians I would not haue you ignorant concerning them which are a sleepe that ye sorow not euen as other which haue no hope For if we beleeue that Iesus is dead and is risen euen so them which sleepe in Iesus will God bring with him Iesus Christ saith he to the Hebrewes was partaker of flesh and bloud that is to say was truly man that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death that is the deuill And that he might deliuer all them who for feare of death were all their life time subiect to bondage God hath saued vs and called vs with an holy calling as he saith to Timothie not according to our works but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen to vs through Christ Iesus before the world was but is now made manifest by the appeering of our Sauiour Iesus Christ who hath abolished death hath brought life immortalitie vnto light through the Gospel I am sure saith Iob that my redeemer liueth and he shall stand the last on the earth And though after my skin worms destroy this body yet shall I see God in my flesh Whom I my selfe shall see and mine eyes shall behold and none other for me Iesus Christ is our head and we are his members This head cannot be without his members neither can forsake them Where Christ is there shall we be also He that considereth diligently these places of Scripture and infinite others contained therein it cannot be but he should haue great ioy and comfort in his hart against all feare and horror of death And then comming to compare the miseries which neuer leaue this life with that vnspeakable happines and felicitie which eye hath not seene neyther eare hath heard neyther came into mans hart which God hath prepared in the second and eternall life for all faithfull beleeuers a christian will not onely passe ouer this mortall life with ease and without trouble but will euen contemne and make no account of it in respect of that which is immortall But to whome is death sweete if not to them that labour The poore hireling is well at ease when hee hath done his dayes woorke So death is alwayes sweete to the afflicted but to them that put their trust in wordly things the remembrance thereof is bitter Now then the children of God are not afrayd of death but as Cyprian writeth in an Epistle sent to the Martyrs of Christ hee that hath once ouercome death in his owne person doth daily ouercome him in his members so that we haue Iesus Christ not onely a beholder of our combates but also an assistant and fighter with vs. And by his grace abounding in the harts of the faithfull they are so much the more bent to meditate vpon the benefites of the future and eternall life as they see that they are inuironed with greater store of miseries in this fading and transitorie life Then comparing both togither they find nothing more easie than to finish sweetly their race and to value the one as litle as they account the other absolute in all felicitie Moreouer seeing heauen is our countrey what is the earth else but a passage in a strange land And bicause it is accursed vnto vs for sinne it is nothing else but the place of our banishment If our departure out of this world be an entrance to life what is this world but a sepulcher And to dwell heere what is it else but to be plunged in death If it be libertie to be deliuered out of this bodie what is this bodie but a prison And if it be our chiefe happines to enioie the presence of our God is it not a miserie not to enioie it Now vntill we go out of this world we shal be as it were separated from God Wherefore if this earthlie life be compared with the heauenlie no doubt but it may be contemned and accounted as it were doung True it is that we must not hate it but so far foorth as it keepeth vs in subiection to sinne And yet whilest we desire to see the ende of it we must not be carelesse to keepe our selues in it to the good pleasure of God that our longing may be far from all murmuring and impatiencie For our life is as a station wherein the Lord God hath placed vs that we should abide in it vntill he call vs backe againe Saint Paul indeed bewailed his estate bicause he was kept as it were bound in the prison of his body longer than he would groned with a burning desire vntill he was deliuered but withall to shew his obedience to the wil of God he protested that he was ready for both bicause he knew
time forward to liue a mortall life so that his bodie and soule became subiect to infinite miseries and damnable infirmities which draw vpon them the condemnation of eternall death Notwithstanding God whose goodnes and mercie are endles reestablished and assured the succession of his immortall inheritance vnto those whom it pleased him by grace to make dead to sin and aliue to himselfe through the satisfaction of his wrath made by the innocencie of his eternall sonne purging them in his bloud and opening vnto them by him the gates of heauen after he hath renewed them in righteousnes holines and innocencie that they may follow after godlines and religion And knowing that man so fraile and weake might easily fall downe vnder the heauie burden of those miseries and calamities whereunto the corruption of his nature made him subiect and wherein by reason of hereditarie sinne he should remaine during this mortall life as also that those furious and continuall passions which are mingled togither in his soule being ioined to the common infirmities of his bodie would be of too great force to throwe him againe headlong into destruction this infinite mercie of God appointed that from the beginning there should remaine in the spirite of man a little sparke of light which driueth him to a naturall loue of the truth and to a desire to inquire after it yea which pricketh and prouoketh him not to sleepe altogither in his vices This weake instinct being awaked stirred vp holpen and disposed by the pure grace vertue and power of the author of all goodnes draweth and moueth a Christian regenerated by the holie Ghost after knowledge of himselfe and hatred of that which is in him to seeke after and to couet with a speciall hartie desire that goodnes and righteousnes whereof he is void and that glorious libertie of which he depriued himselfe Furthermore the same heauenlie grace blessing this holie desire of the man regenerate causeth him to draw out of the doctrine of holie scriptures that wherewithall he may if not heale perfectly his wicked inclinations yet at the least containe and represse them in such sort that they breake not out into any damnable execution He teacheth him also to receiue the infirmities of his flesh as fatherly chastisements for his sin and as necessarie means to exercise him and to keepe him in awe And lastly for the vpshot and perfection of all happines and felicitie in this world he instructeth him how he may lead a quiet and peaceable life in beholding the woonderfull works of the diuinitie which he is to adore and honour and in the amendement and correction of his maners naturally corrupted by squaring them after the patterne of vertue that so he may be made worthie and fit to gouerne humane affaires for the profit of manie and at length attaine to the perfection of a wise man by ioining togither the actiue life with the contemplatiue in the certaine hope and expectation of a second immortall and most blessed life Whereunto also the precepts and discourses of learned and ancient philosophers may serue for-our instruction and pricking forward as also the examples which are liuely reasons of the liues of so manie notable men as histories the mother of antiquitie do as it were represent aliue before our eies And this in my iudgement is sufficient generally to vnderstand of Man seeing we are heerafter to discourse more particularly of both his principall parts the bodie and the soule Of the bodie and soule ACHITOB THe bodie and soule are so knit and conioined togither that nothing can separate them but death the destroier of all which through sinne and for the iust punishment thereof entred into the world And this is no sooner done but that whatsoeuer we see of man vanisheth from before our eies the earthie part returning into the masse of earth frō whence it came according to that saying of Aristotle that All things are resolued into those things whereof they are compounded likewise that which is spirituall and inuisible goeth into an eternall immortalitie from whence the being thereof proceeded ASER. Truly this knitting togither and coniunction of the bodie and soule is a most wonderfull thing in nature yea as manie of the philosophers say against nature seeing the soule which is light is contained within the bodie being heauie that which is of celestiall fire within that which is cold and earthie that which is inuisible within that which is palpable that which is immortall within that which is mortall But what Where is the sence of man which is able to comprehend the reason of the doings of that great Maister-builder of the vniuersall frame Yea there is more For during this coniunction as all things that mooue within this generall globe are maintained by agreeing discords euen so of necessitie there must be such a harmonie betweene the bodie and the soule that by the helpe of the one the other subsisteth and abideth and that through their continuall striuing sometimes the one and then the other be in the end obeied AMANA Thou tellest vs heere of a wonderful strange thing that that which is spirituall and immortall sometime obeieth that which is mortal and made of a corruptible lumpe But I vnderstand thee well This proceedeth of the imperfection and imbecillitie of our nature For as Socrates said if we were perfect philosophers we would neuer agree with our selues but resist continually Now following this matter make vs to vnderstand more particularly ARAM what the bodie and soule are what properties they haue and what is the excellencie both of the one and the other ARAM. With a good will my companions and first I will begin at the definition of a body A body as the Philosophers say speaking generally of all things that haue bodies is that which may be deuided and measured after three sorts in length in breadth and in deapth Or according to others a bodie is a masse or lump which asmuch as lieth in it resisteth touching and occupieth a place A body saith Plato is that which being in his proper place is neither heauie nor light but being in a strange place first inclineth somewhat then is driuen and caried forward either with heauines or lightnes Hereupon both he and other Philosophers discourse learnedly and profoundly of the particular nature of al bodies of the earth of the fire of the aire of the water and of all other both simple and compound bodies and of their contrarie motions But seeing all those discourses are at this present without the compasse of our Academy let vs simplie with more profite and that according to the scripture define the body which we haue vndertaken to handle We say then that the body is flesh that euery affection of the flesh is deadly and that the works therof are vncleannes pride fornication enmity debate wrath contention enuy murder gluttonie and such like and therfore that the bodie is made of
as wel earthly as eternall Which that we may more surely auoid and marke better the excellencie and beautie of vertue by the lothsomnes and deformitie of vice bicause contraries set one by another as blacke neare to white shew themselues a great deale better I thinke it will not be to wander besides the matter if we bestow the rest of our mornings worke in the handling thereof ASER. There is no euill in man as the philosopers say but vice if we take that for euill which is offensiue Neither doth any thing offend and make a man woorse but that which endammageth his soule And in this maner vice onely and sinne is hurtfull vnto him yea as Plutarke saith is sufficient of it selfe to make a man miserable AMANA As vertue saith Plato is the health and forceable vigor of the soule so vice is the sicknes and imbecillitie thereof which hauing gotten a habit maketh a man vicious and corrupt For it is certaine that if men had sufficient force and constancie to resist vice which we haue by inheritance they would follow after vertue But being ouercome by the loosenes of their sensualitie they are led captiues as it were in a triumph vnder the yoke of sin Let vs then hearken to ARAM who I thinke will not forget to paint out vnto vs this pernitious Hydra with all hir colors that she may be so much the more odious vnto vs. ARAM. I haue alwaies learned of wise men that this saying of an ancient man is most true That there is a hundred times more paine in doing euill than in well doing and that vice hath the same effect in the soule which the dropsie hath in the bodie For both of them do plant in man a continuall desire of that which breedeth his greatest bane Whereupon most miserably he seeketh after his owne perdition and ruine with paine and trauell wheras he might passe through felicitie in this life into that life which is eternall and most happie One chiefe occasion heerof as I thinke may be attributed to the ignorance of euill For what wicked man is so dull of vnderstanding that if he knew certainly what vice were would not with all his might separate himselfe as farre from it as for the time he drew neere vnto it By a stronger reason it foloweth that he which truly knoweth it before it be growen to a habit within him wil shun it more diligently bicause we begin then to hate vices as Plutarke saith when by reason we vnderstand what shame and harme commeth of them Therefore it must needs be very profitable for vs to vtter heerin that which we haue learned by the studie of philosophie and that briefly for this present hoping heerafter to intreate more particularly of the principall parts of vice First we will define it then consider the pernitious effects thereof in the soule and the fruits which it bringeth with it thirdly declare how it neuer escapeth vnpunished and lastly shew how we must fortifie our selues against the priuie watchings and snares of such a dangerous and mightie enimie Vice is an inequalitie and iarring of maners proceeding from mans naturall inclination to pleasures and naughtie desires This inclination not being reined with the bit of reason guided by the spirit of grace nor ruled by the wise declarations thereof causeth a man by little and little to giue ouer himselfe to all wicked passions the end of one being the beginning of another whereby he becommeth most vnhappie yea more wild and sauage than any brute beast Chrysippus a Stoike philosopher called vice the proper essence of vnhappines And surely it is a very perfect workmaister of wretchednes disposing and framing men to all kinde of mischiefe and miserie For after it hath once taken hold of the soule it will neuer forsake it vntill it hath wholie brused ouerwhelmed and destroied it filling it daily with perturbations and new passions with voluptuousnes rancor enmities reuenge murders anguish feare fruitlesse repentance ambition couetousnes and with all other lusts which are incurable diseases of the soule after they haue once taken roote therein For the more they waxe the more they will grow vice being as Plato saith of an infinite and endles race And therefore the aboue named Chrysippus said not without reason that to auoid so dangerous an enimie and one that ought to be so odious vnto vs it were better for vs to cast our selues headlong into the sea than to suffer it to raigne ouer vs. Plato also writeth that it is far better for a man not to liue at all than to liue wickedly or in ignorance For such a life can haue no fitter name than to be called a true shadow of death I meane of eternal death which followeth the wicked euen at the heeles Bias one of the Sages said That no man could iustly be termed a captiue although he were loden with irons except also he were compassed about with vices Moreouer we see that neither sword nor fire doth carie away a man so violently as vice doth Many haue suffered a thousand outrages and punishments with such constancie that tyrants were sooner wearie of persecuting them than they of suffering Besides they had so great power ouer themselues that in the midst of torments they were able to stay their voice altogither insomuch that one would haue either iudged them to be senselesse or els think that in seeing them he did not see them But vice alwaies discouereth it selfe and euery where appeereth shamefull infamous and hurtfull Thales called vice the hurtfullest thing in the world bicause that where it is it marreth and destroieth all Moreouer it maketh those things which otherwise seeme honorable and magnifical lothsome and vnpleasant when it is mingled with them yea it appeereth so much the more infamons as the nobilitie and authoritie whereunto it is ioined is greater bicause then it discouereth better what pernitious and damnable effects it hath For taking a swift course by the high way of power and driuing forward euery wicked affection to execution it causeth choler to be turned presently into murder loue into adulterie couetousnes into confiscation and so in other passions But as the vices of the greater sort are more dangerous so no doubt shame and dishonor are likewise doubled vpon them bicause they are better seene and noted whereby they become more odious and contemptible to euery one Besides their reward lieth at their gate in great measure which will not be long from them For to whom more is giuen of him more shall be required And I pray you what greater cause of shame and blushing can that man haue who being borne to command men of all estates and conditions doth himselfe obey such vile and abiect things as are sensualitie ignorance concupiscence other like passions wrought by vice which being without reason are made to obey and to be ruled by reason Neither are we more
then we would knowe a good way how we shall neuer be vanquished we must not trust to our armour or force but alwaies call vpon God to direct our counsels for the best By this also we shall be perswaded to vse victorie mildly seeing it is the propertie of valiant men to be gentle and gratious ready to forgiue and to haue compassion of them that suffer and indure affliction There is no true victorie as Marcus Aurelius wrote to Popilion Captaine of the Parthians but that which carieth with it some clemencie so that a rigorous and cruell man may not in reason be called victorious And it is most true that to ouercome is humane but the action of pardoning is diuine As touching the sacking and ouerthrow of townes taken in warre carefull heede saith Cicero must be taken that nothing be done rashly or cruelly For it is the propertie of a noble hart to punish such onely as are most guiltie and the authors of euil and to saue the multitude Briefly to obserue in all thinges whatsoeuer is right and honest to be valiant and gentle to be an enimie to those that doe vniustly fauourable to the afflicted seuere to quarrellers and full of equitie to suppliants are those praise-woorthie qualities for which Alexander Iulius Casar Scipio Hannibal Cyrus and many other both Greeke and Romane Captaines are most commended who ought to be imitated in the arte of warre by all excellent men Of a happie Life Chap. 71. ARAM. WE haue hitherto discoursed my Companions of vertues vices for which the life of man is praised or dispraised in all Estats and conditions whereunto the varietie of maners and inclinations to sundry studies and works cal men and make them fit Wherin we haue chiefly followed the ends and bounds of honestie equitie propounded by Moral Philosophers from whence they draw particular duties and all actions of vertue vsing a very commendable and excellent order disposition Now seeing we are come to the end of the cause of our assemblie as we began it with the true Christian knowledge of the creation of man and of the end of his being vnknowne to so many great personages in the world who are lightened only with humane sciences which are but darkenes in regard of that heauenly light the eternal word of God that guideth the soules of the beleeuers I think that we ought also to end and breake vp this our meeting togither with the maner of a happie life and death according to those endes that are propounded vnto vs by the infallible rule of all vertue and truth which if they be not so subtilly set downe and disputed as the Philosophy of the Ancients is yet at the least they are without comparison better and more certaine Go to then let vs heare you discourse first of a happie life ACHITOB. Blessed are they saith the Prophet that dwell in the house of God and that euermore praise him hauing his waies in their harts He will giue them grace and glory and will with-hold no good thing from them that walke vprightly ASER. What happier life can we require than that which S. Iohn calleth eternal life namely to know one only true God Iesus Christ whō he hath sent But it belongeth to thee AMANA to feede our spirits with this excellent subiect AMANA Although the spirite of God teaching his iust and holy will by a doctrine that is simple and void of all vaine shew of wordes hath not alwaies obserued and kept so strictly such a certaine order and methode to prepare and to direct their liues that shall beleeue in him as the Philosophers did who affected the greatest shew outwardly that they could thereby to make manifest the sharpnes of their wit the greatnes of their humane vnderstanding yet may we easily gather out of this diuine doctrine which doth more deface all glittering shew and beauty of humane sciences than the Sun excelleth darkenes a most excellent order teaching vs to frame a happie life according to the mould paterne of true heauenly vertue This order consisteth of two parts the one imprinting in our harts the loue of iustice the other giuing vnto vs a certaine rule that will not suffer vs to wander hither thither nor to slip aside in the framing of our life Concerning the first point the Scripture is full of very good reasons to encline our harts to loue that Good which in deed is to be desired I meane perfect righteousnes With what foundation could it begin better than by admonishing vs to be sanctified bicause our God is holy Whereunto the reason is added that although we were gone astray as sheepe scattered dispersed in the Labyrinth of this world yet he hath gathered vs togither to ioine vs to himselfe When we heare mention made of the coniunction of god with vs we must remember that the bond thereof is holines and that we must direct our steps thither as to the end of our calling that we may be transformed into the true image of God which through sinne was defaced in the first man consequently in vs. Moreouer to mooue vs the more to embrace that only true God the spirit of God teacheth vs that as he hath reconciled vs vnto himselfe in his son Iesus Christ so he hath appointed him to be vnto vs an example and paterne vnto which wee must conforme our selues This heauenly worde also taketh occasion to exhort vs thereunto in infinite places drawing his reasons from all the benefits of God and from all the parts of our saluation As when it is saide That seeing God hath giuen himselfe to be our Father wee are to be accused of notable ingratitude if wee behaue not our selues as his children Seeing Iesus Christ hath clensed vs by the washing of his blood and hath communicated this purification vnto vs by baptisme there is no reason why we should defile our selues with new filthines Seeing he hath ioined ingrafted vs into his body we must carefully looke that we defile not our selues in any sort being members of his body Seeing he that is our Head is gone vp to heauen we must lay aside all earthly affections and aspire with all our hart to that heauenly life Seeing the holy Ghost hath consecrated vs to be the temples of God we must labour and striue that the glorie of God may be exalted in vs and beware that we receiue no pollution Seeing our soules and bodies are fore appointed to enioye that immortalitie of the kingdome of heauen and the incorruptible Crowne of God his glorie we must endeuour to keepe both the one and the other pure and vnspotted vntill the day of the Lord. Behold surely good grounds meete to frame and institute a happie life by and to mooue a Christian to bring foorth the effectes of such an excellent and woorthie title throught the loue
himselfe indebted for the glorifieng of his name whether it were by death or by life For it belongeth to him to determine what is expedient for his glorie Wherefore if it behooueth vs to liue and die vnto him let vs leaue both our life death to his good pleasure but yet so that we alwaies desire rather to die than to liue be ready cheerfully to renounce this life whensoeuer it pleaseth the Lord bicause it holdeth vs vnder sin And let vs hold this Maxime that no man hath throughly profited in the school of Christ Iesus but he that with ioy gladnes expecteth the day of death and of the last resurrection S. Paul in his epistle to Titus describeth al the faithful by this mark the scripture when it propouÌ„deth vnto vs matter of reioicing calleth vs backe thither Reioice saith the Lord in Luke and lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neere It were absurd that that thing should breed nothing but sorow and astonishment in vs which Christ thought was fit matter to worke ioy in vs. Now than seeing death is dead to them that beleeue in him there is nothing in death which a maÌ„ ought to feare It is true that the image thereof is hideous and terrible bicause that besides the violent taking away of life it representeth vnto vs the wrath of God which biteth like a serpent but now the venome of it is taken away and can not hurt vs. And as through the brasen serpent which Moses lift vp in the wildernesse the liuing serpents died and their venome hurt not the Israelites so our death dieth and is not able in any sort to hurt vs if we behold with the eyes of faith the death of Iesus Christ Briefly it is nothing but an image and shadow of death and the beginning and entrance vnto true life Wherefore concluding our present speech let vs learne that as our miserable nature had brought vs to the like condition of death so the grace of God maketh this difference that some namely the wicked die to their destruction and others which are the children of God led by his spirit and word die to liue more happily so that their very death is precious in the sight of God And although the lust of our fleshe beyng blind and earthly striueth continually against the desires of the spirit seeking to separate vs as far as it can from our soueraigne Good yet let vs haue this ingrauen in our harts that they are happy that know the vanitie of this world more happy that set not their affections vpon it and they most happy that are taken out of it to be with GOD in the kingdome of heauen The ende of this Academie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist lib. 2. Eth. cap. 2. Aug. lib. 2. de doct chr cap. 40. Aug. lib. 8. de ciuit Dei cap. 6. 7. 8. c. Aristotle de Mundo Lib. 6. Strommat This commendation of vertue is chiefly to be vnderstood of faith the roote of all good vertues Hebr. 1. Psalm 8. All things were created for man To knowo our selues is true wisedome The soule is truly man Socrates was called the father of Philosophie Socrates said that the knowledge of God and of our selues must be ioined together Wherin the dutio of man consisteth Ignorance of our selues the cause of much euill What man is Gen. 1. Col. 3. The ende of mans being There is a double reason in man Heraclitus wept continually Democritus alwaies laughed The iudgement of Philosophers concerning the nature of man Pindarus Homer Timon Plinie The custome of the Scythians The presumptuous opinion of the Stoiks The end of the knowledge of our selues The wilfull fall of man The restoring of man All men naturally haue some loue and liking of the truth Effects of Christian regeneration The perfection of a wise mans life The wonderfull coniunction of the bodie and soule All things are preserued by agreeing discords The definition of a bodie Gen. 6. Rom. 8. Gal. 5. The works of the flesh Man is a little world Gen. 3. Of the conception and fashioning of man Of the excellencie of the bodie and of all the parts thereof Great secrets of nature The diuersitie of mens voices and writings The soule is infused not 〈◊〉 The definition of the soule Pythagoras was the first that was called a Philosopher The diuision of the soule Plato maketh sixe parts of the soule Aristotle diuideth it in two parts Foure parts of the soule The best diuision of the soule The soule cannot be diuided but is made subiect to two parts Both parts of the soule are corrupted Rom. 7. 23. The properties of the soule The actions of the soule The beautie of the soule Gal. 5. 22. 23. The true delight of the sense Phil. 4. 4. Luke 10. 20. How a man ought to vse both body and soule Nothing woorse to man than man himselfe Rom. 7. 18. 19. There is no good thing in the flesh of man Man is a mutable creature Pleasure and griefe the cause of passions Manis more carefull of his body then of his soule The ende cause and remedie of bodily diseases Naturall passions The definition of passion The diuision of passions All men haue naturally a desire of happines No man by nature can finde out the right way that leadeth to happines The word of God sheweth vs the right way to happines Of the perturbations of the soule The scope of our passions The ancient heathen may rise vp in iudgement against many Christians in these daies The originall nature and effects of perturbations All perturbations are contained vnder these foure heads Desire Ioy Feare Griefe An excellent comparison The cause of the diseases of the soule Reason is the medicine of the soule A sound soule correcteth the naughtines of the bodie The passions of the soule are headstrong and hard to be cured The passions of men commonly bring foorth effects contrarie to their purposes Reason is wisedome inspired from heauen A remedie against passions Examples of death by ouer-great ioy Herennus died for feare Plautius through griefe The effects of desire Vertue is alwais without excessiue passion The nature of worldly goods A wise soule gouerneth the affections What it is to liue happilie The common drife of men What men ought chiefly to leuell at The worke of philosophie The proper end and scope of Philosophie Why the philosophers could neuer attaine to the souereigne good in this life The definition of philosophie The diâ—ision of philosophie Of diuine philosophie How we must behaue out selues in searching our the secrets of God Of naturall philosophie Aâ—ule to be kept in naturall philosophie Against sorcerers magitians and birth-gazers The issue of all things is to be referred to the prouidence of God Of morall philosophie God the Idea of all good The benefit that commeth by philosophie Philosophie is the art of life What it is to play the philosopher Where and how philosophie is
man must vse his own subiectes in warre Three causes from whence proceeded the ruine of the Romane empire The diuision of the empire weakened the same Dangerous to an Estate to call in forraine succours As appeereth by the Sequani By the Frenchmen The end that forraine souldiours propound to themselues Reasons why forraine force is woorth nothing The cause of the last destruction of Italy The discommoditie of bringing in hired Captaines Dangerous for a Prince to call in a Potentate to succour him Examples of the change of Estats by meanes of forraine succour Charles the fift bound by oath not to bring any forraine souldiors into Germany Charles 7. made decrees for French souldiors What inconueniences France is fallen into by hiring Switzers Francis 1. established seuen legions of footmen How a Prince may vse the succours of his Allies How a Captain should exhort his souldiors How victory is to be vsed Examples of such as knew not how to vse victorie wisely and to take opportunitie offered The Tyrians besieged and subdued by Alexander It is not good to fight with desperate men Iohn king of France taken by the Englishment Gaston de Foix. Small armies that ouercame great Victorie commeth only from God Valiant men are full of compassion No true victorie without clemencie Ringleaders of euill are to be punished and the multitude to be pardoned Humane sciences are but darkenes in regard of the word of God Psal 84. 4. 5. 11. Iohn 17. 3. Of the loue of righteousnes Leuit. 19. 2. 1. Pet. 1. 15. 16. Holines is the end of our calling Christ is a paterne of righteousnes vnto vs. Malach. 1. 6. Eph. 5. 26. 30. Col. 3. 1. 2. 1. Cor. 6. 19. 1. Thes 5 9. We must alwaies striue to come to perfection What the dutie of euery faithful man is Rom. 12. 1. 2. What it is to consecrate our selues to God Gal. 2. 20. True loue of God breedeth in vs a dislike of ourselues Matth. 16. 24. Fruits of the deniall of our selues Selfe loue is the cause of the most of our imperfections The definition of charitie 1. Cor. 13. 4. The effect of true charitie towards our neighbour The naturall inclination of men Corruptible things are no sufficient recompence for vertuous men Rom. 8. 28. Matth. 16. 24. 25. Rom. 8. 17. How God teacheth vs to know the vanitie of this life We must not hate the blessings of this life Psal 44. 22. The comfort of the godly in the midst of troubles Math. 25. 34. Isai 25. 8. Apoc. 7. 17. The summe of our dutie towards God The true vse of temporal things Wherein a happy life consisteth Gen. 2. 17. Rom. 6. 23. Rom. 5. 21. Temporal death is the way that leadeth the godly from bondage to blessednesse Heb. 9. 27. Ecclus 7. 36. The comsort of euery true christian against death Rom. 8. 22. Against Atheists and Epicures that deny the immortalitie of the soule Plato prooueth that there is a iudgement to come and a second life How good men are discerned from the wicked The afflictions of the godly in this world prooue a second life Three kinds of death Apoc. 20. 6. Why the faithfull ought to desire death What the life of man is Phil. 1. 23. 1. Cor. 15. 50. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 2. Cor. 4. 14. Phil. 3. 20. 21. Col. 3. 3. 4. 1. Thes 4. 13. 14. Heb. 2 14. 15. 2. Tim. 1. 9. 10. Iob 19. 25. 26. 27. Iohn 12. 17. 1. Cor. 2. 9. Who they be that feare not death A comparison betweene this life and that which is eternall Phil. 1. 23. Titus 2. 13. Luke 21. 28. How death can not hurt Psal 116. 15. A TABLE OF THE PRINCIPALL MATTERS CONTAINED IN THIS ACADEMIE A ADmonition sundrie instructions how to admonish wisely Pag. 153 Aduersitie who are soonest thrown downe with aduersitie 301. the cōmon effects thereof 345. the Romanes were wisest and most constant in aduersitie 347. examples of constancie in aduersitie 348 Adulterie the miserable effects of adulterie 240. the punishment of adulterers among the Egyptians 241. Zaleucus law and the law of Iulia against it 240. testimonies of Gods wrath against it 241 Age hath no power ouer vertue 61. the diuision of the ages of man 563-564 Ambition two kindes of ambition 224. the cause of ambitious desires 225. the effects of ambition 224. 229. examples of mê void of ambition 186. ambition breedeth sedition 225. ambitious men full of selfe-prayse 226. examples of ambitious men 227. c. they cannot be good counsellours to Princes 231 Anger the crueltie of Theodosius committed in his anger 316. Valentinian brake a veine in his anger 317 Apparell against excesse in apparell 219. examples of sobrietie in apparel 219 Archbishop the free gird of a Pesant giuen to an Archbishop 158. the Archbishop of Magdeburg brake his neck in dancing 216 Armes Armie the exercise of armes must alwayes continue 762. the auncient order of the Romane armie 766 Arrogancie dwelleth in the ends with solitarines 157 Aristocratie the description of an Aristocratie 579. the estate of Lacedemonia was Aristocraticall 580 Artes and Artificers the necessitie of artes and artificers in a common-wealth 750. artificers of one science ought not to dwell all togither 751 Authors how much we owe to good authors 45 Authoritie what authoritie a prince hath ouer his subiects 670 B Backbiting the prudence of Dionysius in punishing two backbiters 388. when backbiting hurteth most 460 Bankets the custome of the Egyptians and Lacedemonians at bankets 203 Beard what vse is to bee made of a white beard 572 Belly the belly an vnthankefull and feeding beast 201. 202. it hath no eares 212 Birth the follie of birth-gazers 42 Biting what biting of beasts is most dangerous 460 Body the wonderfull coniunction of the body and soule of man 19. the conceptiō framing and excellencie of the body 21 Brother he that hateth his brother hateth his parents 542. the benefite that brethren receiue by hauing common friends 544. examples of brotherly loue 545 C Calling callings were distinct from the beginning 478. sixe sundry callings necessary in euery common-wealth 744. holinesse is the end of our calling 795 Captaine the losse of a captaine commonly causeth the ruine of an armie III. how captaines were punished if they offended 768. a captaine must not offend twise in warre 773. what captains are woorthiest of their charge 784. the captains of an armie must be very secret 781. two faults to be eschewed of euery captaine 778. how a captain should exhort his souldiors 790 Cheere good cheere keepeth base mindes in subiection 206 Children must loue feare reuerence their father 533. the dutie of children towardes their parents 541. examples of the loue of children towards their parents 541 Choler whereof choler is bred 314. how the Pythagorians resisted choler 315. magistrates ought to punish none in their choler 316 Citie what Citie seemed to Clcobulus best guided 264 Citizens who are truly citizens 606
bicause he discouereth manifesteth and sheweth vnto them from what they are to beware and what to correct and yet in the mean while he seeth not the most part of that which is within himself so greatly is he dazeled by beholding that which is without in other men He openeth all euen to the very wals of strange houses and pearceth like a wind into the midst of those things that are most secret His mind is both vpon the pallaces of the rich and cotages of the poore He ferretteth out euerie thing and inquireth many times after the affaires of the greatest which is the cause of his ouerthrow when he busieth himself too far in them This was wisely noted by Philippides when Lysimachus the king asked him what part of his goods he would haue imparted vnto him What you please sir quoth he so it be no part of your secrets Now if we desite to diuert and to quench the heate of this vicious passion of curiositie which is too familiar amongst vs and vnseemlie in a prudent and vertuous man we must sometimes abstaine from inquiring after lawfull things though otherwise not necessarie In the exercise and practise of iustice it is expedient sometime to leaue vntaken that which a man may lawfully take thereby to accustome himselfe to abstaine more easily from taking any thing vniustly Likewise it is good for a man sometime to abstaine from his owne wife that he may attaine to the vertue of temperancie and so be neuer mooued to desire another mans wife In like maner if in stead of shewing our selues to be of the number of these diligent and curious inquirers after vnprofitable newes we signifie rather to him that commeth to tell vs of some newes that he should please vs better if he had some good and profitable matter to speake than should we thereby giue testimonie of a staied and setled nature despising curiositie This was noted in Alexander the great who seeing a messenger running apace towards him with a smiling countenance said vnto him not shewing himselfe to bee mooued at all or desirous to vnderstand what he would speake what good newes canst thou bring me my friend vnles thou didst come to tel me that Homer is risen again And truly he had great reason to thinke that no more excellencie could be added to his valiant acts and deeds except it were to haue them consecrated to immortalitie by the writings of some learned and notable wit The example of Phocion deserueth well to be heere alledged against curious folks who are commonly light of beliefe For as soone as the Athenians receiued newes of Alexanders death they purposed presently to alter their estate and to shake off the yoke of the Macedonian alliance But Phocion being of a contrarie opinion said vnto them If this newes be true to day it will be true also to morow And therfore my Lords Athenians make no haste but deliberate leisurely and looke safely to that which ye haue to do It is certaine that if we vse in this sort to shew our selues staied in such things and in all other things of smal importance wherein our naturall inclination would prouoke vs to be curious as namely to breake off good communication begun vpon the receit of a letter to forsake companie to run and meet a messenger onely to know what newes he bringeth and a thousand such like sudden motions proceeding of lightnes and curiositie I say by auoiding such things we should prepare a way to the restraining of al curiositie in greater matters which otherwise may procure blame As for example to open another bodies letter to intrude our selues into the secret counsels of our neighbors to seeke out their faults and imperfections to inquire busily after that which may greeue our familiar friends or to aske them of that which they like not of neither is grounded vpon any good cause or reason least peraduenture the answer of some wise man should turne more to our shame than be framed according to our desire Thus dealt Demaratus with a curious importunate fellow that had oftentimes asked of him who was the honestest man in Sparta He that resembleth thee lest quoth he vnto him The answer also of an Egyptian was not vnfitly made to one that asked him what he caried there folded It is wrapped vp quoth he bicause thou shouldst not know what it is Now by that which hath been hitherto discoursed it appeereth sufficiently that al kind of curiositie is hurtful hateful and greatly to be blamed in euerie one if it be not bounded and limited by the reason of true prudence which guideth and stirreth vs vp to seeke after good honest and profitable things either in heauen in earth in the aire or in the sea according to the gift and capacitie of our vnderstanding and iudgement which may be necessarie for vs to know or may helpe vs to liue well and happily For whatsoeuer is more we ought to account it vnprofitable and superfluous Let vs learne then not to know more than we ought but vnto sobrietie containing our spirits within the limits of mediocritie simplicitie and modestie Let vs forsake all sophisticall curiositie and worldlie wisedome which is meere foolishnes before God that we may imbrace a simple popular and Academicall kind of knowledge which will teach vs to know our selues and our dutie whereby we shall be led to that happy end which we seeke for and desire Let vs not admire any more the merchandise and outward shewes wherewith strangers feed the eies of curious folks but let vs wonder at vertue onely saying with the comicall poet where he speaketh of those that couered their bedsteads with gold and siluer what great follie is it to make sleepe so deere which God hath freely giuen vnto vs So to seeke for that of strangers with such great expences which we may haue at our owne hauen better more cōmodiously were all one as if we shuld leaue the substance run after the shadow or that which is certain for an vncertaintie We may haue in France if our blockishnes stay vs not Vniuersities and schooles for all honest exercises meet for our nobilitie without strangers And if we think that in some places amongst them they haue better teachers than we haue let vs first seeke amongst our selues for those instructions that are most necessarie namely for the knowledge of good letters and institution of vertue and then if we thinke good we may heare their teachers and maisters without infecting our behauiour with the corruption of their maners Besides by the same studie we shal learne to shun al curious inquiry into other mens imperfections that we may diligently looke into our owne Of Nature and Education Chap. 16. AMANA SEeing that in the entrance of our former treatise we began with that naturall instinct of man which mooueth and disposeth him to desire and to seeke after his good we may in continuing
such as wil cause thē to buy the violating of so holy a thing very deerly seeing they spare not him who calleth himself equitie iustice it selfe Further if as histories teach vs some haue been so wretched miserable as to giue themselues to the Art of Necromancie and to contract with the deuill that they might come to soueraigne power and authoritie what other thing how strange soeuer it be will not they vndertake that suffer themselues to be wholy caried away with this vice of ambition It is ambitiō that setteth the sonne against the father and imboldeneth him to seeke his destruction of whom he holdeth his life Henry the fift by force depriued his father from the Empire caused him to die miserably in prison Fredericke the third after he had raigned thirtie yeeres was miserably strangled by Manfroy his bastard sonne whom he had made prince of Tarentum And after he had committed this Parricide he poisoned his brother Conradus lawfull inheritor to Fredericke that he might make himselfe king of Naples Antoninus Geta brothers successors in the Empire to Seuerus their father could not suffer one another to enioy so large a Monarchie for Antoninus slew his brother Geta with a dagger that himself might rule alone Solyman king of the Turkes grandfather to him that now raigneth when he heard the loud acclamations and shoutes for ioy which all his armie made to Sultan Mustapha his sonne returning out of Persia after he had caused him to be strangled in his outward chamber and presently to be cast out dead before his whole armie he made this speech to be published with a loud voice that there was but one God in heauen and one Sultan vpon earth Within two dayes he put to death Sultan Soba bicause he wept for his brother and Sultan Mahomet his third sonne bicause he fled for feare leauing one onely aliue to auoid the inconueniencie of many Lordes These are but of the smaller fruits of this wild plant of ambition in respects of those that cause men to put innocents to death that themselues may take surer footing to growe vp and encrease And no doubt but for the most part iust punishment for example to mē foloweth such an ambitious passion whereof there are infinite examples both in the Greeke and Latin histories Marcus Crassus a Romane Consul and the richest man in his time not contenting himself with many goodly victories gotten by him but burning with an excessiue ambition and desire of new triumphes and being iealous of Caesars glory obtained by his great feats of armes presumed at the age of three score yeeres to vndertake the warre agaynst Arsaces king of the Parthians contrary to the will of the Senate feeding himselfe with vaine hope which led him to a shameful death ioyned with publike losse and calamitie For being ouercome and his armie discomfited he was miserably slaine with twentie thousand of his men tenne thousand taken prisoners Marius hauing passed through al the degrees of honor and been six times Consul which neuer any Romane before was not content with all this would notwithstanding take vnto himselfe the charge of the warre against Mithridates which fell to Sylla by lot euen then when he was weakened with olde age thinking with himselfe to get the Consulship the seuenth time and to continue that soueraigne authoritie in his owne person But this was the cause of his vtter ouerthrow of that slaughter wherby all Italy Spaine were imbrued with bloud by Sylla the popular estate brought in the end to extreme tyrannie Spurius Melius a Senator of Rome was murthered for his ambition and his house rased by Cincinnatus the Dictator because he sought by meanes of a certain distribution of wheate to make himself king of Rome Marcus Manlius was also vpon the like occasion throwen downe headlong from the toppe of a rocke Therefore it appeereth sufficiently vnto vs how pernitious this vice of ambition is in the soules of great men and worthy of perpetuall blame And although the matter be not of so great waight when they that follow this vicious passion are but meane men and of small account yet we are to know that all they depart farre from dutie and honestie who for the obtaining of glorie and renowne shew themselues inflamed and desirous to excel others in all those things which they ought to haue common together for the mutuall aide and comfort of euery one Onely we must seeke without pride and enuie after excellencie and preferment in that which is vertuous and profitable for humain societie contenting our selues notwithstanding with that which we are able to performe so we shall neuer be blamed but iustly may we be condemned if we vndertake that which is aboue our strēgth Especially let our desires and passions giue place to the benefit of the Common-wealth as heretofore Cretes and Hermias two great men of Magnesia delt one towards an other Their citie being besieged by Mithridates themselues hauing before been at great strife for honor preheminence Cretes offered Hermias to let him haue the charge of captaine generall in the meane time he would depart the citie or if he had rather depart that he should leaue that office to him This offer he made lest if both of them should be together their ielousie might breed some mischief to their countrey Hermias seeing the honest offer of his companion and knowing him to be more expert in feats of war willingly surrendred the authority of cōmanding vnto him Now to end our present discourse let vs learne to know their outragious folly who for imaginarie honors and those of so smal continuance that the wise mā compareth them to smoke dispersed of the wind desire nothing more than to run out the race of their days in continuall miseries and calamities trauels and cares depriuing themselues of all libertie and which is worse pawning their soules to an eternall and most miserable thraldome Thus let vs detest ambition which is an infinite euil and companion of pride so much hated of God and men Let vs consider a little that point of Philosophy which we find written by Traian to Plutarke I enuie sayd this good prince Cincinnatus Scipio Africanus and Marcus Portius more for their contempt of offices than for the victories which they haue gotten bicause a conqueror is for the most part in fortunes power but the contempt and refusall of offices and honours consisteth onely in prudence Let vs marke well the example of the emperor Flauius Vespasianus who being admonished by his friends to beware of one Metius Pomposianus bicause it was a common rumor that he should one day be emperor was so farre from procuring him any harme or displeasure or from hating or enuying him as it is the propertie of ambitious men to feare aboue all things least their estate be touched bicause they would raigne alone that
cruell beast making men hir slaues and chaining them as Sophocles saith with diamond chaines She is so much the more odious by how much the more she hideth hir venom putting vpon hir the garment of good liking betraying vertue and killing a man euen when she flattereth him When pleasures come saith Erasmus they flatter vs with a disguised visage and when they depart they leaue vs full of sorow and sadnes Which Xenophon very wittily deuised vnder the name of Hercules saying that as he went one day into the fields in a certaine threefold high-way he met Vertue and Vice both of them being in the shape and apparell of women Vice being clothed in a stately delicate gorgeous and lasciuious gowne with a smiling painted and coloured countenance which did woonderfull allure by reason of the sweetnes and flourishing beautie that seemed to be in it offred her selfe suddenly vnto the said Hercules saying that if he would follow hir she would cause him to lead his whole life in delight and pleasure But Vertue with a sorowfull leane and dismaied face and clad with a long and plaine robe without any decking of hir speech vsed these words If thou wilt come to me Hercules thou shalt be indued not with bodilie ornaments nor with vading and vanishing beautie but with certaine other riches which are more worth and indure for euer For whosoeuer beleeueth me forsaking that which seemeth faire cleauing to those things which outwardly appeere austere and hard he receiueth in the end an eternall felicitie Let vs vncloth voluptuous men saith Plutark and consider their doings They are drunkards whoremongers sluggish in all waightie matters neglecting the benefit of the Common-wealth of their parents and of their friends But of all kind of voluptuousnes Lecherie is most defiled filthy vile and pernitious whereof especially we are now to discourse being properly called of the Philosophers a furious passion which corrupteth the sence of man and a burning fire that consumeth him All vnmeasurable pleasure which men take by their fiue sences is vile and dishonest but the Grecians after a speciall manner called those men incontinent and immoderate who exceeded in tasting and touching And Hippocrates said that he supposed copulation to be a part of that foule disease which we call the Epilepsie or falling sicknes And truly there is nothing more certaine than that immoderate vse of the venereous act spoileth beautie defileth the bodie drieth it vp and causeth it to stinke maketh the face pale wanne or yellow weakneth the members and ioints ingendreth Sciaticke goutes collick passions griefes of the stomacke giddines of the head or dimnes of sight the leprosie and pocks It shortneth life taketh away the vnderstanding darkeneth the memorie and as the Prophet Osey saith taketh away the hart Moreouer how odious all whoredome ought to be vnto vs so that it be not so much as once named amongst vs the onely curse that is laid vpon it of God ought sufficiently to persuade vs seeing thereby he condemneth it both with temporall and with eternall death But we haue besides many goodlie sentences and notable examples of Ethnicks and Pagans and namely of the iust punishment which for the most part followed this detestable vice hard at the heeles and which ought to stir vs vp to hate it and to flie from it with all our might especially when adulterie is ioined therwith which is when the sacred knot of mariage is violated and broken Concupiscence saith Aristotle changeth mens bodies and breedeth madnes in their soules The end thereof is luxuriousnes from whence proceede a thousand wrongs violences incests murders poisonings and innumerable other impieties Is it not then a signe of great loosenes and basenes of mind for a man to subiect himselfe to carnall concupiscences which are disordered desires contrarie to reason and whose office and practise is to chuse euill for good Let vs heere giue eare to Socrates disputation with Enthydemus being very fit for our present matter Tell me O Euthydemus doest thou thinke that libertie is a good great and profitable possession whether it belongeth either to a man or to a citie Verie great Therefore whosoeuer serueth the pleasures and vnbrideled desires of the bodie so that for loue of them he cannot execute that which he knoweth to be very good Doest thou thinke that he is free No. It may be thou iudgest it a thing woorthy a free man to be able to put in practise whatsoeuer he taketh to be good and contrarywise to be hindred from so doing to be seruile and slauish So it is Thou beleeuest then that no incontinent men are free Yea truly and that iustly Thinkest thou that incontinent men are hindred frō doing that which is honest or compelled to commit vicious things I thinke they are as much compelled to do the one as hindered from practising the other But what maisters doest thou thinke them to be who forbid well doing and constraine men to embrace euill In good truth very wicked And doest thou not thinke that bondage of all others most troublesome when one serueth most wicked and naughtie maisters Yea. Then incontinent men are of all others most miserable of what estate or condition soeuer they be Besides he that neuer thinketh vpon goodnes but seeketh by all means to fulfill his vntamed desires of pleasure and lust hath no more vse of reason than beasts haue This wise Philosopher teacheth vs sufficiently how hurtfull and pernitious a thing it is to suffer the desires of the flesh to raigne in vs considering that they draw vs vehemently to the practise of them to our owne destruction especially whoredom which bringeth with it all kind of mischiefe dissolueth and weakneth the body and offendeth all the vertues and goods of the soule Through hir it commeth that men abase themselues so lowe as to submit both their bodies and soules to the inconstant will and vnrulie desire of a foolish woman For we see some men so bewitched with a harlot that if neede be and she commaund it they will hazard their honour and credit and oftentimes make themselues an example to a whole country vpon an open scaffold And then they labor to couer their folly with this goodly name of Loue which is better termed of Euripides by the name of Furie madnes in men For true good loue which is the fountain of friēdship is alwais grounded vpō vertue tendeth to that ende but this slipperie and loose loue is a desire founded vpon the opinion of a Good which in deede is a most pernitious euil And if adulterie follow vp̄ it which according to Aristotle is a curious inquirie after another mans loue the vice is two fold more detestable and wicked bicause that he which committeth it seeketh against all dutie of nature to take away another mans honor and reputatiō spoileth him of that which he accounteth most precious namely of the loue and
hart as that which vndoubtedly is comprehended vnder the first part of Fortitude which Cicero calleth Magnificence or a doing of great excellent things yet notwithstanding it seemeth that this word Magnanimitie carieth with it some greater and more particular Empasis that a man may say that the wonderful effects thereof appeare principally in three points whereof I purpose here to discourse The first concerning extreme and desperate matters as when a man is past all hope of sauing his life wherein perfect magnanimitie always knoweth how to find out a conuenient remedie and wise consolation not suffering himselfe to be vexed therewith The second respecteth dutie towards enimies against whom generositie will in no wise suffer a man to practise or to consent to any wickednesse vnder what pretence so euer it be nor for any aduantage which may be reaped thereby The third causeth a noble minded man to contemne and to account that thing vnworthy the care of his soule which others wonder at labor by all means to obtaine namelie strength health beauty which the Philosophers call the goods of the bodie and riches honor and glory which they say are the goods of fortune and likewise not to stand in feare of their contraries Amongst the woorthy and famous men of olde time whose names and glorious factes crowned with an immortall Lawrell are ingrauen in the temple of Memorie we find no praise woorthie of greater admiration or that ought to awaken and stirre vs vp better in Christian dutie than the effects of this vertue of Magnanimitie vpon these three occasions presently touched Whereof one effect is that we yeeld not against reason nor passe the limits of duty by fainting vnder that heauy burthen of extreme distresses which the horror of death bringeth with it but that euen in the midst of greatest agonie which seemeth intollerable in mans iudgement we shew such grauitie and woorthines that we depart not in any sort from the peace and quietnes of our soules but with constancie and cheerefulnes of spirit meditate vpon the ioy of that hauen of saluation which we behold with the eyes of our soule whereinto through a happy death at hand we shall shortly be receiued Another effect is that we accomplish so farre as our frailtie can approch to perfection the commandement of the diuine will by louing our neighbors as our selues and by abstaining euen in regard of our greatest enimies from doing procuring or consenting yea by hindring that no treacherie or treason should be wrought them nor any other thing vnbeseeming that naturall loue which ought to be in euery one towards his like and further by procuring them all the good and profit that may be The third effect of this great vertue no les wonderful thā the rest is in that a noble minded man solong as he liueth wholy withdraweth his affection from worldly and corruptible things through a stedfast constant reason and lifteth it vp to the meditation and holy desire of heauenly and eternal things The remedy which these great personages destitute of the right knowledge of the truth most commonly vsed when their affaires were past all hope of mans helpe was death which they chose rather to bring vpon themselues by their owne handes than to fall into the mercy of their enimies whereby they supposed that they committed a noble act woorthie the greatnes of their inuincible courage And if peraduenture they were surprised and forced in such sort by their enemies that they were compelled to become their prisoners they neuer desired them to saue their liues saying that it beseemed not a noble hart and that in so doing they should submit both hart and bodie to him who before had but the bodie in his power Cato the yoonger being brought to such extremity in the towne of Vtica that by the aduice of all those that were with him he was to send Embassadors to Caesar the Conqueror to practise an agreement after submission to his mercie yeelded therevnto in the behalfe of others but forbad that any mention should be made of himselfe It belongeth quoth he to those that are ouercome to make request and to such as haue done amisse to craue pardon As for me I will account my selfe inuincible so long as in right and iustice I shall be mightier than Caesar He it is that is now taken and ouercome bicause that which hitherto he denied to take in hand against the Common-wealth is at this present sufficiently testified against him and discouered Neither will I be beholding or bound to a Tyrant for an vniust matter For it is a point of iniustice in him to vsurpe the power of sauing their liues like a Lord ouer whome he hath no right to command After many other speeches of Philosophie vsed by him standing much vpon that Stoicall opinion that onely a wise and good man is free and that all wicked men are bond men and slaues he went alone into his chamber and slew himselfe with his sword Sylla the Dictator hauing condemned to death all the inhabitants of Perouza and pardoning none but his Host he also would needes die saying that he would not hold his life of the murtherer of his countrey Brutus after the battel lost against Augustus Caesar was counselled by certaine of his friends to flie I must flie in deed said he but with hands not with feete And taking them all by the hand he vttered these words with a very good and cheerfull countenance I feele my hart greatly contented bicause none of my friends haue for saken me in this busines neither complaine I of fortune at all but onely so farre foorth as toucheth my countrey For I esteeme my selfe happier than they that haue vanquished as long as I leaue behind me a glorie of vertue for hazarding all liberally to free from bondage my brethren and countreymen Which praise our conquering enemies neither by might nor money can obtaine and leaue to posteritie but men will alwaies say of them that being vniust and wicked they haue ouerthrowne good men to vsurpe a tyrannous rule and dominion that belongeth not vnto them After he had thus spokē he tooke his sword and falling vpon the point thereof gaue vp the ghost Cassius also his companion caused his owne head to be cut off by one of his slaues whom he had made free and kept with him long time before for such a necessitie The historie which we read of the Numantines commeth in fitly for this matter which we handle heere For after they had sustained the siege of the Romanes fourteene yeeres togither and were in the ende inclosed by Scipio with a very great ditch of two and fortie foote in depth and thirtie in breadth which compassed the citie round about the Consul summoned them to commit themselues to the clemencie of the Romanes and to trust to their promise seeing all meanes of sallying foorth to fight and of
recouering any victuals were taken from them To whome they made this onely answer that forasmuch as they had liued for the space of 338. yeeres in freedom they would not die slaues in any sort Whereupon such as were most valiant assembled togither and slew those that were most growne in yeeres with women and children Then they tooke all the riches of the citie and of the temples and brought it into the midst of a great hall and setting fire to all quarters of the citie each of them tooke the speediest poison they could find so that the temples houses riches and people of Numantia ended all in one day leauing to Scipio neither riches to spoile neither man or woman to triumph withal For during the whole time wherin their citie was besieged not one Numantine yeelded himselfe prisoner to any Romane but slew himselfe rather than he would yeeld Which Magnanimitie caused Scipio to bewaile the desolation of such a people in these words O happie Numantia which the Gods had decreed should once end but neuer be vanquished Now albeit these examples and infinite other like to these are set foorth vnto vs by Historiographers as testimonies of an excellent Magnanimitie whereby they would teach vs both to be neuer discouraged for the most tedious trauels and irkesome miseries of mans life and also to stand so little in awe of death that for feare thereof much lesse for any other torment or griefe we neuer commit any thing vnbeseeming a noble hart yet notwithstanding no man that feareth God and is willing to obey him ought to forget himselfe so much as to hasten forward the end of his daies for any occasion whatsoeuer This did Socrates knowe very well when he said that we must not suffer our soule to depart from the Sentinell wherein she is placed in this bodie without the leaue of hir Captaine and that so waightie a matter as death ought not as Plato saith to be in mans power But if it be offred vnto vs by the will of God then with a magnanimious hart void of al starting aside in any thing against dutie we must set free this passage being staied and assuredly grounded vpon that consolation which neuer forsaketh a good conscience not onely through the expectation of a naked and simple humane glorie which most of the Heathen propounded to themselues but of that life which abideth for euer following therein the constancie of Alcibiades a great Captaine of Grecia who hearing the sentence of his condemnation to death pronounced said It is I that leaue the Athenians condemned to die and not they me For I go to seeke the Gods where I shall be immortall but they shall remaine still amongst men who are all subiect to death Socrates also hauing a capitall accusation laid against him wrongfully directed his speech to the Iudges and said vnto them that his accusers by their false depositions might wel cause him to die but hurt him they could not adding further that he woulde neuer leaue his profession of Philosophie for feare of death I â—m per swaded quoth he in Plato that this my opinion is very good namely that euery one ought to abide constantly in that place and trade of life which either he hath chosen himselfe or is appointed him by his superior that he must account that for the best and hazard himselfe therein to all dangers without feare either of death or of any other thing whatsoeuer And therfore I should erre greatly if obeying the Generall of warre which ye appointed vnto me in Potidaea Amphipolis and Delos and abiding in that place wherein he set me without feare of death I should now for feare of death or of any other thing forsake that rancke wherein God hath placed me and would haue me remaine in as I alwaies beleeued thought namely that I should liue a student in Philosophie correcting mine owne and other mens vices Now if I should do otherwise I might iustly be accused for calling my selfe a wise man not being so indeed seeing to feare death is to thinke that to be which is not But neither I nor any other man ought to do all that we may either in iudgement or in warre to the end to auoid death For it is very certaine that he who would in time of battell cast downe his armour and flie away might by that meane auoid death and the like is to be vnderstood in al dangers perils if he were not afraid of infamie But consider O countreymen that it is no very hard matter to auoid death but farre more difficult to eschew wickednes and the shame therof which are a great deale swifier of foote than that is O speech woorthie of eternal praise and such a one as instructeth a Christian notably in a great and noble resolution namely to run the race of his short daies in that vocation wherunto God hath called him and that in the midst of tortures torments all agonies of death From which whilest we expect a happie passage we ought to be no more destitute of an apt remedie in all those things which according to the world are most irkesome and desperate but sustaine them with like constancie and woorthines not departing from the tranquillitie and rest of our soules which is a more noble act than to hasten forward the end of our daies that we may be deliuered of them But howsoeuer it be let vs alwaies preferre a vertuous and honest death before any kind of life be it neuer so pleasant And seeing that one and the same passage is prepared aswell for the coward as the couragious it being decreed that all men must once die the louers of vertue shall do well to reape to themselues some honor of common necessity and to depart out of this life with such a comfort Now to come to the second commendable effect of this vertue of Magnanimity wherof Heroical men were so prodigall heeretofore for the benefit and safetie of their enemies we can bring no better testimonie than the courteous fact of Fabritius the Romane Consul towards Pyrrhus who warred against him and whose Physition wrote vnto him that he offered himselfe to murder his maister by poison and so to end their strife without danger But Fabritius sent the letter vnto him and signified withall that he had made a bad choice of friends aswell as of enemies bicause he made warre with vpright good men and trusted such as were disloiall and wicked whereof he thought good to let him vnderstand not so much to gratifie him as least the accident of his death should procure blame to the Romanes as if they had sought or consented to end the warre by meanes of treason not being able to obtaine their purpose by their vertue Camillus a Romane Dictator is no lesse to be commended for that which he did during the siege of the citie of the Fallerians For he that was Schoolemaister to
sonnes head to be cut off bicause he fought agaynst his enimie bodie to bodie contrary to the Edicts and out of his ranke albeit he came away victor The act of Ausidius the Romane was more cruel barbarous than iust when he slew his sonne for withdrawing himselfe to take part with Catiline vttring this speech vnto him I did not wretch as thou art beget thee for Catiline but for thy countrey Such murders and cruelties deface all the commendation of Iustice whose waies ought to be ordinary and vsuall ruling rigor with gentlenes as the rigor of discipline ought to moderate gentlenes that the one may be commended by the other Seneca rehearseth a crueller fact than any of the former committed by Piso the Proconsul who seeyng a souldior returne alone to the campe condemned him to withstanding he affirmed that his fellow came after him At the very instant of the execution his companion came whereupon the captaine that had charge to see the condemned partie executed returned to the Proconsul with both the souldiors But Piso being offended therwith put them all three to death the first bicause he was condemned the second bicause he was the cause of the condemnation and the captaine bicause he obeied not so that he put three to death for the innocencie of one man abusing his authoritie and power in most cruell maner what soeuer rigor was vsed in those times in the ordinaunce of warlike discipline Now to take from vs all taste of such barbarousnesse let vs cal to mind an act of Augustus Caesar worthie of eternall praise who would not condemne one that was accused of seeking his death bicause the arguments and proofes were insufficient but left him to the iudgement of God Let vs learne therfore for the conclusion of our discourse to hate all kind of Iniustice in such sort that euery one of vs seeke to profit his neighbour rating at an high price as Euripi saith the violating of right which is holy and sacred And thus through the good order of magistrates and reformation of euery one by himselfe the wicked shall haue no means to rob to spoile by force to take bribes and to deceiue others when breakers of iust lawes shall be punished Then will the effect of those two sentences take place which are taken out of the holy scriptures and written in a table in the great chamber of the palace belonging to the head citie of this kingdome and which ought to be well engrauen in the harts of all Iudges the first sentence is conteined in these words Execute iudgement and righteousnesse or otherwise I haue sworne by my selfe saith the Lord that this house shall be waste The other sentence is this O ye Iudges take heed what ye do for ye execute not the iudgements of man but of the Lord and with what iudgement ye iudge ye shal be iudged For truely the crowne of praise and immortall glory is kept and prepared for them that walke in truth and righteousnes but shame and dishonor with eternall fire for those that perseuer in vnrighteousnes Of Fidelitie Forswearing and of Treason Chap. 39. ARAM. SVch is the corruption of our age wherin impietie and malice are come in place of ancient innocencie that vertue seemeth very vnfit to be receiued and imploied in affaires seeing the gate is quite shut vp against hit So that a man might aptly say that whosoeuer should thinke to bring backe agayne amidst the peruerse liues and corrupt maners of this present time the vprightnesse and integritie of ancient behauior he did as much as if he offered fruites out of season which being faire in sight were notwithstanding vnfit to be vsed Neuerthelesse we must not doubt to bring hir in sight and to maintaine hir with all our power who knoweth how to cause hir enimie Vice both to reuerence and feare hir and in the end also to triumph ouer him mauger all the power and vnder-propping which he receiueth from the wicked In the middest therfore of so many trecheries and treasons wherof men glory now adaies let vs not be afraid to paint them out in their colors therby giuing honor to Fidelitie which is a part of Iustice or rather Iustice it selfe which I leaue to you my companions to make plaine vnto vs. ACHITOB. It is impietie to violate faith For God who is truth detesteth all lying and is a terrible reuenger of the contempt of his name To loue or to hate openly saith Cicero doth better beseeme a noble hart than for a man to hide and to dissemble his will and affection ASER. Guile and fraud saith Seneca are meete weapons for a cowardly and base-minded man Therefore we must take good heed as Pittacus said That fame speake not euill of vs to them vnto whom we haue given our faith But it belongeth to thee AMANA to handle this matter AMANA Amongst the famous and great personages of olde time no vertue was more commended or straightlier kept and obserued than Faith and Fidelitie which they affirmed to be the foundation of Iustice the indissoluble bond of friendship and the sure supporter of humane societie Of this Faith we mind now to speake not touching at all that religious and sacred faith concerning the holy mysteries of true pietie which is a singular gift of God his spirit and peculiar to those that appertain to his eternall election This therfore which respecteth the mutuall conuersation and promises of men hath been always kept vnuiolable of honorable men ought to be so amongst vs bicause he that giueth his faith layeth to pawne whatsoeuer is most precious diuine in his soule So that if he forget himselfe somuch as to breake and violate the same he committeth manifest impietie shewing that he careth not to offend God by abusing his name to colour his lying It were a great deale better neuer to take God to witnes than to forsweare him in mockerie seeing the Scripture so often forbiddeth vs to take his name in vaine to sweare falsly by it or in any sort to defile the same It is true that this question hath alwaies beene and is at this daye more than euer in controuersie namely whether a man is bound to performe that which he hath promised and sworne to by compulsion or no And this sentence is receiued approoued of many that nothing but our Will bindeth vs to performe those things which necessitie forceth vs to promise But to speake according to truth and without any particular passion we say that true and perfect magnanimitie suffereth vs not to promise any thing and to pawne our faith thereunto except we were willing to performe it bicause no vertuous and wise man ought to forget himselfe so farre as to do or to promise any thing contrary to his dutie for any necessity no not for death it selfe Neither is there any thing wherby a foole is sooner discerned from
Paule we speake the truth euery one to his neighbour who is euery one that needeth our helpe and let all faining and dissimulation be banished from vs and all roundnes and integritie of hart and manners appeere in all our actions let vs hate periurie and treason periured and traiterous persons knowing that faith being taken away the whole foundation of Iustice is ouerthrowne al bonds of friendship broken and all humane societie confounded Of Ingratitude Chap. 40. AMANA AS the remembrance of an euil is kept a long time bicause that which offendeth is very hardly forgotten so we commonly see that the memorie of benefits receiued is as suddenly vanished lost as the fruite of the good turne is perceiued Which thing doth so ill beseeme a man well brought vp and instructed in vertue that there is no kind of Iniustice which he ought more to eschew And therefore my Companions I thinke that according to the order of our discourse we are nowe to speake of the vice of Ingratitude that knowing the ignominie therof and the pernitious effects which flowe from it we may beware of spotting our life therewithall ARAM. An vngratefull person can not be of a noble mind nor yet iust And therefore as Sophocles said a man is to remember him often of whome he hath receiued curtesie and pleasure For one good turne begetteth another and euery gentle hart easily pardoneth all iniuries except vnthankfulnes which it hardly forgetteth ACHITOB. Ingratitude maketh men impudent so that they dare ioine togither to hurt those that haue been their friends and them to whom they are bound both by blood and nature Let vs then heare ASER discourse more amply of this pernitious vice ASER. If man had not shewed himselfe vnthankfull for the vnspeakeable benefits which he had receiued of his Creator by eating of the fruite of the tree of life at the perswasion of Satan contrarie to his expresse commandement to whome he owed all obedience it is certaine that neither sinne nor death neither through them any kind of miserie and calamitie should haue had any power ouer him But as by his Ingratitude he neglected his obedience to his Lord and Creator so it seemeth also that his punishment was according to the manner of his offence For his owne members which before were in subiection to the will of his spirite rebelled against it and that with such force that they led him often captiue into the bondage of sinne Now although we are necessarily and iustly made inheritors of the same curse both of sinne death yet how become we so dull of vnderstanding as to desire with cheerefulnes of hart and without constraint to succeede him in the cause therof I meane Ingratitude which we ought to hate in greater measure and to slie from it more than from death it self by reason of the euils which it hath brought vpon vs Notwithstanding if we looke narrowly into the iustest mans life that is it will be a hard matter yea altogither vnpossible to find it purged and exempted of this detestable vice aswell towards God as towards his neighbours But this is farre woorse to behold the greatest part of men to nourish and feede their soules with Ingratitude as if they tooke singular delight therein by accustoming their mindes to keepe very diligently the memorie of the aduersities and iniuries which they suffer and to let the remembrance of those graces and benefits which they receiue slip away incontinently euen as soone as the pleasure of them is past Whereas dutie bindeth all persons to esteeme as a great benefit all fauour how little soeuer it be which the heauens or mer impart vnto them and to preserue it in perpetuall memorie as in a most safe Treasurie wherein they may keepe lay vp those good things which they receiue But contrariwise vnthankefull men suffer the remembrance of their greatest felicities to slide away suddenly which is the cause that they are alwaies void of happines of rest and tranquillitie and full of vnquietnes vncertaine desires which is an argument of the imperfection of their reason and of their ignorance of that which is good This is that which Seneca saith that the life of the ignorant is vnthankful wauering vnstaied in things present through the desire of things to come And as it is the propertie of an ignorant man to be alwaies troublesome to himselfe so from Ingratitude and the forgetfulnes of our prosperitie proceede cares melancholie passions to no purpose which consume men pull on age vpon them more than yeeres For it is vnthankfulnes that causeth vs to be neuer contented with our present estate but to complaine and murmure in steede of giuing praise as it becommeth vs to him that sendeth vs far better things than we deserue Vpon the least touch of affliction the Ingratitude for a million of graces receiued before causeth vs to cry out that we neuer had any thing but mishap whereas rather we ought to take aduersitie for a blessing and testimonie of the loue of God towards vs being assured that by Iustice rightly ordeined he dispenseth pouertie and riches health sicknes honor and contempt according as he seeth it expedient for euery one of vs. Yea it is necessarie by reason of the intemperancie of our flesh which is redie to cast off the yoke of the Lord when he handleth vs ouergently that he should reiue vs in hard with the bridle and keep vs within the compasse of some discipline least we wholy giue ouer that seruice obedience which we owe vnto him But to vexe our selues vpon euery occasion and as often as things fal out contrary to our inconstant rebellious will which for the most part is ignorant of that which belongeth vnto it is that which Pythagoras sayd To eat our hart or to offend wound our soule and spirit by consuming them with cares griefs as also not to know that one cause which most of all troubleth this miserable life is the suddain entrance of sorowes and irksomnes into the hart which afterward will not depart out of it but by litle and litle These are melancholy passions voyd of reason which as Plato saith proceed from naughty fumes and bitter vapors gathered togither within vs and which ascend and mingle themselues amidst the passages of the soule Euen as our strange and vnwoonted dreams testifie signifie that there is within vs repletion of grosse gluish humors perturbations of the vital spirits so are those euil vapors which darken our senses dim the eies of our soule namely ignorance rebellion arrogancie murmuring vnsatiable desires other inward corruptions which ingratitude stirreth vp and nourisheth and which hinder vs from acknowledging the benefits that God bestoweth vpon vs either towards him by thanksgiuing or towards his creatures by good deeds which he accepteth as done to himself For only God needeth nothing neither asketh any thing for
aliue as after their death by refusing to ouer-liue them Queene Hipsicrates the wife of king Mithridates cōmeth first to mind who bare such loue towards hir husband that polling hir selfe for his sake although she was yong and very faire she acquainted hir selfe with the wearing of armour and rode with him to the war And when he was ouercome by Pompey she accompanied him in his flight through all Asia whereby she mollified the griefe and sorow which he receiued by his losse Triara wife to Lucius Vitellus brother to the emperour Vitellus seeyng hir husband in a daungerous battell thrust hir selfe amongst the souldiours to beare him company and to helpe him both in death and life and fought as well as the valiauntest amongst them When king Admetus his wife sawe hir husband very sicke and heard the answere of the oracle which was That he could not recouer except one of his best friendes died for him she slew hir selfe When the wife of Ferdinando Gonçales a prince of Italy knewe that hir husband was prisoner and in daunger of death she went to visite him and putting on his apparell abode in his place whilest he beyng clothed in hir garmentes saued him-selfe Zenobia Queene of Armenia seeing hir husband Radamisus flie from a battell and not beyng able to follow him bicause she was great with childe besought him to kill hir Which when he thought to haue done she was striken downe with the blowe of a sworde but being taken of the enimie and throughly healed Tyridates the king who had vanquished hir husband maried hir afterward for the great loue that was in hir The princesse Panthea loued hir husband Abradatus so well that when he died in Cyrus campe she slue hir selfe vpon his bodie Artemisia Queene of Caria for the great loue she bare to hir husband that was dead dranke all the ashes of his bodie meanyng thereby to be his sepulchre When Iulia the wife of Pompey sawe a gowne of hir husbande 's all bloodie wherewith he had offered some sacrifice she imagined that he was slayne and so died presently after When Porcia the wife of Brutus heard of hir husbandes death and perceiued that hir kinsfolkes tooke away all meanes of killing hir self she drew hote burning coles out of the fire and threw them into hir mouth which she closed so fast that shee was choked thereby Sulpitia beyng carefully restrained by hir mother Iulia from seeking hir husband Lentulus in Sicilia whither hee was banished shee went thither beyng apparelled like a slaue banishing hir selfe voluntarily rather than she would forsake hir husband Octauia sister to Augustus and wife to Antonius notwithstanding the iniurie that hir husband offered vnto hir in preferring before hir a Queene that was nothing so yong or faire as she bare such great loue towards him that setting aside al intreatie of hir brother she would neuer leaue hir husbands house but stil brought vp his children by his first mariage as carefully as if they had been hir owne Moreouer she sought by all means to reconcile those two emperors saying that it was an vnworthy thing that two so mightie princes the one for the euil intreatie of his sister the other bicause he was bewitched by a wicked woman should warre one against another As this vertuous princes had taken hir iourney as far as Athens where she ment to take shipping to seeke out hir husband being then in war with the Parthians bringing with hir souldiers mony furniture other munitions he sent hir word that she should passe no farther but stay for him at Rome This she performed and sent him all the aboue named things not seeming at all to be offended with him Wheras he in the mean while skorned hir sporting himself with Cleopatra in the sight and knowledge of all men and afterward delt worse with hir when the warre was begunne between him and Augustus For he sent a commandement to Octauia at Rome to go out of his house which she presently obeied albeit she would not therefore forsake any of hir husbands children but wept and bewailed hir mishap which had brought hir to be a principal cause of that ciuill warre Aria the wife of Cecinna followed in a little boate vnto Rome hir husband who was taken prisoner bicause he had borne armes against the emperour Claudius Being there condemned to die she would haue borne him companie but that hir sonne in lawe and hir daughter stayed hir When she sawe that she strake hir head so hard agaynst the wall that she fell downe amazed and beyng come to hir selfe agayne sayde vnto them You see that you can not hinder me from dying cruelly if ye stay mee from a more gentle death They being astonished at the fact and at hir words suffered hir to do what she would who then ran to the place where hir husband was and slewe hir selfe first after she had spoken thus courageously vnto him I am not Cecinna sorie for that which is done but bicause the race of thy life must end When Seneca was condemned to die by Nero and had libertie to chuse what kind of death he would he caused his veines to be opened in a bath His wife Paulina of hir owne accord did the like to hir self in the same bath mingling togither their blood for a greater vnion and coronation of their long and perfect loue Whereof Nero being aduertised presently commanded that hir veines should be stopt constraining hir thereby to liue a little longer in continuall griefe Hipparchia a very faire rich woman was so farre in loue with the Philosopher Crates who was hard-fauoured and poore that she maried him against all hir kinsfolks minde and followed him throughout all the countrie being poorely apparelled barefoote after the Cynick fashion Pisca seeing hir husband pine away daily through a great and strange discase which he had concealed from hir of long time hauing at the length knowledge thereof and perceiuing it to be incurable she was mooued with pitie for the euill which he suffered whom she loued better than hir selfe and therevpon counselled him with great courage to asswage his griefe by death and the better to stirre him vp thereunto she offered to beare him companie Whereunto hir husband agreeing they imbraced each other and cast themselues headlong into the sea from the top of a rocke The king of Persia taking prisoner the wife of Pandoërus whom he had vanquished and slaine would haue maried hir But she slew hir selfe after she had vttered these words God forbid that to be a Queene I should euer wed him that hath beene the murderer of my deere husband Pandoërus Camma a Greekish woman of the countrie of Galatia bare such loue to hir husband euen after his death that to be reuenged of a great Lorde called Synorix who had put hir husband to death that he might marrie hir she gently
their strongest reasons that haue misliked a monarchy to the end that by contrary concluding arguments which maintaine defend it both they and we may be so much the more stirred vp to range our selues willingly vnder the happy lawful rule of our king considering the agreement participation which it hath with al the good policies that can be named as also the happines certain benefit that commeth to vs as well in respect of this our priuate life as of the cōmon prosperitie of the whole publike body vnto which we owe our selues First we wil note that a monarchie a kingdome or royall power signifie one and the same thing namely one kind of Common-wealth wherein the absolute soueraigntie consisteth in one onely Prince who may not be commanded by any but may command all If there be two Princes of equall power in one estate neither the one nor the other is soueraigne But a man may well say that both togither haue the soueraignty of the Estate which is comprehended vnder this word Oligarchye and is properly called a Duarchy which may continue so long as those two Princes agree otherwise it must needes be that the one will ouerthrow the other Therefore to auoid discord the Emperours diuided the Estate into two parts the one taking himselfe for Emperour of the East the other of the West and yet the edicts and ordinances were published by the common consent of both Princes to serue both their empires But as soone as they fell in debate both the Empires were in deede diuided both for power for lawes and for estate He therefore may be called a Monarch that of himselfe alone hath power to prescribe lawes to all in generall and to euery one in particular And vnder this power are comprehended all the other rights and marks of soueraigntie which the Lawyers call regall rights and handle them seuerally which neuertheles we may comprehend vnder eight soueraigne marks namely to make and to abrogate a lawe to proclaime warre or to make peace to take knowledge in the last appeale of the iudgments of all Magistrates to appoint or to disappoint the greatest officers to charge or to discharge the subiects of taxes and subsidies to grant tollerations and dispensations against the rigour of lawes to inhaunce or to pull downe the title value and constant rate of monie to cause subiects and liege people to sweare that they will be faithfull without exception to him vnto whome the oath is due Now to enter into that matter which we purposed especially to handle namely whether a Monarchie be more profitable than any other forme of estate many haue maintained that it is a dangerous thing to liue vnder the rule of one onely king or prince bicause it is a very hard matter to find one perfect in all points as euery King or Prince must of necessity be if he will deserue that name according to that which Cyrus Monarch of the Persians sayd That it belonged to none to command if he were not better than all those ouer whome he commanded Moreouer although it were possible to finde one of that perfection which is required yet were it a thing alwaies to be greatly feared that by reason of humane frailtie and of the great licence that kings haue to execute their wils he would change both condition and nature and of a King become a Tyrant of which there are infinite examples set downe in histories Yea it is certaine and granted by the greatest part of them that haue written of state matters that euery kind of Common-wealth that is established simply and alone by it selfe quickly degenerateth into the next vice if it be not moderated and held backe by the rest As a kingdome is soone changed into a tyrannie an Aristocraty into an Oligarchy and so of the other But this danger is greater in a Monarchy as they say that mislike it than vnder the rule of many bicause it is vnlikely that all of them should be wicked and if any one be so the good men may bridle him And so they conclude that it is not so dangerous a matter to liue vnder the gouernment of many as of one who may more easily corrupt his nature being a Monarch than many can doe that are elected in an Aristocraty as the Areopagiticall Lordes in Athens the Ephoryes in Lacedemonia and the Senate in Rome After the death of Cambyses Monarch of the Persians when the chiefe Lords of the kingdome had slaine that Magus who vnder the name of Smerdis had vsurped the rule of the Estate they deliberated of the affaires and helde a generall Councell wherein as Herodotus writeth many very woorthie and memorable speeches were vttered Otanes mooued this that the affaires might be gouerned in common by the Persians speaking vnto them in this manner I am not of opinion that one of vs from hence forward should be sole Monarch ouer all bicause it is neither pleasant nor good to haue it so For ye know to what insolencie Cambyses was growne ye haue also throughly seene the boldnes of the Magus and ye may thinke with your selues how perilous a thing it is to haue a Monarchy which may do what it list not being subiect to correction The best man in the world placed in this estate will soone be caried away with his woonted thoughts Insolencie possesseth him bicause of present prosperitie and hatred is soone bred in such a man Now hauing these two vices he aboundeth in all iniquitie and committeth great iniustice one while through insolency another while of hatred Although a Tyrant hauing abundance of all good things should be farre from enuy yet the contrary falleth out in him towards his subiects For he hateth good men that liue and prosper well he delighteth in the wicked and gladly heareth euill reports of other men And which becommeth him very il if you admire and praise him moderately he is angry that you do it not excessiuely yet if you doe so he will mislike it thinking that you flatter him Besides which is woorst of all he changeth the lawes and customs of the countrie forceth women killeth good men not taking knowledge of their cause Thus did this Persian Lord conclude that a Monarchy was to be left a Democraty to be chosen Megabyses one of his companions liked well the abolishing of a Monarchy but perswaded the Oligarchical gouernmēt saying that nothing was more ignorant or more insolent than an vnprofitable multitude Therefore it was in no wise tollerable that eschewing the insolencie of a Tyrant they should fall into the handes of an vnbrideled and disordered people Many others haue noted great dangers and discommodities in a Monarchy especially in the change of the Monarch whether it be from ill to good or from good to better For we commonly see at the changing of Princes new deuices newe lawes newe officers newe friends newe forme of
we consider that this tabernacle of our body which is weake vicious corruptible casuall and inclining to putrefaction is dissolued and as it were pulled downe by death that it may afterward be restored to a perfect firme incorruptible and heauenly glory shal not this certain assurance compel vs to desire earnestly that which nature flieth and abhorreth If we consider that by death we are called home from a miserable exile to dwel in our countrey yea in our celestial coūtrey shall we not conceiue singular consolation thereby But some man may say that al things desire to continue in their being For the same cause I say we ought to aspire to the immortalitie to come where we haue a setled estate which is not seene at all vpon earth How commeth it to passe that the bruite beasts and sencelesse creatures euen wood and stones hauing as it were some feeling of their vanitie corruption are in expectation of the iudgement day that they may be deliuered from their corruption and yet we that haue some light of nature boast that we are illuminated by the spirit of God lift not vp our eies aboue this earthly putrefaction when we talk of our beeing But what shal we say of those men whose number alas is very great who quenching all natural light opposing themselues directly against the testimonies of truth which presse their consciences sound daily in their eares dare yet doubt of yea impudently deny this day of iudgement and the change of this mortall life into a second which is immortal If the word of god so expresly set down for our assurance be of so litle credit that it wil not satissie them yet how is it that they are not conuinced by the writings of so many Ethnike and heathen Philosophers who make the immortalitie of the soule out of doubt by the consideration of the being of this life conclude a iudgemēt to come which bringeth perpetuall happines and felicitie to the soules of the blessed euerlasting miserie paine to them that are vnhappy Plato vnder the name of Socrates may serue for a fit teacher for such Epicures and Atheists that wil not heare the heauenly word of the almighty Frō whence commeth it saith he that we see so many wicked mē passe the course of their days in worldly happines and fclicitie and die in great rest quietnes whereas on the other side so many good men liue die in great afflictions most hard calamities The reason is bicause God doth not punish and chastise all the wicked vpon the earth to the end men may know that there is a iudgement to come wherin the vngodlines of such men shal be corrected Neither doth he recompence all good men with blessings in this world to the ende they may hope that there is a place in the other life where the vertuous shal be rewarded Likewise he doth not punish all the wicked nor reward al good men here beneath least men should thinke that the vertuous folowed vertue in hope of a carnal earthly reward or eschewed vice for feare of punishmēts torments in this world For so vertue should be no more vertue seing there is no action that may cary the surname of vertuous if the intent of him that doth it be in hope of some earthly carnal recompence not for the loue of vertue it self that he may be accepted of God and so conceiue hope of eternal rewards in the other life Also he punisheth and correcteth some wicked men vpon earth rewardeth some good men least if good men only were afflicted the wicked suffred in quiet men might be brought to beleeue that there were no prouidence that the diuine nature had no care of vs so all men would giue ouer themselues to folow iniustice By the sequele of this speech Plato inferreth proueth that there is one God that hath care ouer his cretures that naturally euery spirit loueth him better that striueth to resemble him in manners fashiōs of liuing that reuerēceth honoreth him thā those that feare him not but despise him whose conditions are altogither vnlike his Moreouer he prooueth euidētly that good men in feare reuerence of the Deitie striue to imitate it by good works done to the benefit and safetie of others and contrarywise that the wicked despise God and all lawes both diuine and humane whereupon it followeth that God loueth good men and hateth the wicked And bicause we see that good mē are subiect to calamity ignominy in this world we must therfore vndoubtedly confesse that there is another life after this wherein good men are eternally rewarded the wicked punished Otherwise it would folow that God cared more for the wicked than for the good which were too absurd to graunt From hence that diuine Philosopher draweth this conclusion that the life of a wise man ought to be a perpetual meditation of death and that the very feare to die not any desire to liue is that which maketh death fearefull to them that know not the immortalitie of the soule Now then ought not these men to blush for shame that dare doubt of the second life and future iudgement when they heare this discourse of an Ethnike and Pagan destitute of that true light of God and sincere religion which is manifested to vs in Iesus Christ Truly nothing is more cleere in all the holy scripture than that as before the first day mētioned in Genesis all things were possessed of Eternitie so that there was neither time nor yeere nor moneth nor season but all things were in that Eternitie so when the last day shal come all shall be eternall for the felicitie of the good torment of the wicked But to returne to our speech of death the worde of God giueth vs to vnderstand of three kinds of death the one is the separation of the soule from the body with the dissolution of the body vntill the resurrection and of this is our present discourse The second is the death of sinne as it is said oftentimes that they are dead that nourish themselues in sinne The third is called in the Apocalyps the second death and sometimes eternal death vnto which the wicked shal be condemned in the last iudgemēt Therfore to cōtinue our speech of corporal temporal death if the doctrine of the sonne of God be neuer so little apprehended of vs by faith we shall see cleerely enough that the faithful ought to haue that in great request which to humane sense seemeth neither happie nor to be desired seeing it turneth to their saluation It belongeth to him that will not goe vnto Iesus Christ to feare death and to be vnwilling to goe to Christ is a badge of such a one as wil not raign with him What traueller hauing passed many dangerous wayes reioyceth not when he draweth neer to his countrey
of it What the law of nature is The diuision of the written law The diuision of the law of God Of the Morall law Of the Ceremoniall law Of the Iudiciall law Of ciuill or positiue lawes The diuision of ciuill lawes What ciuill lawes may not be changed The Salick law immutable What ciuill lawes may be changed A Prince may deny the request of his three Estates hauing reason and iustice on his side The change of lawes in a well setled Estate is dangerous A seuere decree of the Locrians against such as would bring in new lawes Mischiefs in a commonwealth must be resisted in the beginning The law is the foundation of ciuill societies Bias. We must not iudge of the law but according to the law Why the Lacedemonian lawes might not be changed The ancient law-makers No law before the law of God The necessitie and profit of a law The vpright and equall distribution of the law maketh a good gouernment To dispence with good statuts and daily to make new is a token of the decay of a common-wealth Examples therof in Caligula in Claudius How lawes may be kept inuiolable Two things required in the keeping of euery law Equitie is alwayes one and the same to all people The equitie of the morall law ought to be the end and rule of all other lawes Their opinion confuted who would tie all nations to the policie of Moses Theft punished diuersly in diuers nations How false witnes was punished among the Iewes Ciuil ordinances depend only of the soueraign ruler The end wherunto all lawes are to be referred The magistrate is the head the law the soule and the people the body of the common-welth The Nowne and Verbe are no parts of Logike but of Grammer The definition of a citizen in a popular state Other definitions of a citizen A general definition of a citizen Of the state of Venice Of the ancient estate in Rome Who are truly citizens The diuision of the whole people into three orders or estates The diuision of citizens in Venice and Florence In Egypt and among the ancient Gaules These gardes were the Senate and councell for state affaires consisting of 400. Burgesses Of the agreement that is to be kept between the estates of a common-wealth One cause of the â—â—serie of France at this present The office and dutie of subiects The soueraign magistrate compared to the Sunne Against them that thinke the magistrate to be a necessarie euil Prou. 24. 21. What is ment by honouring the King Rom. 13. 5. Subiects must obey their prince for the feare of God Of the seruice due to the prince Rom. 13. 1. 2. Tit. 3. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13. 14. 1. Tim. 2. 1. 2. Priuate men must not busie themselues in publike affairs The counsailors of a prince are his eies eares and his officers are his hands Two kinds of publike power The difference between the prince the magistrate and the priuate man How farre subiects are bound to obey their prince and his lawes The titles of a good magistrate The behauiour of euil princes Tirants are naturally hated We must obey and reuerence vniust princes a well as iust Dan. 1. 21. 4. 14. Nebuchadnezzer Eze. 29. 18. 19. Dan. 2. 37. 1. Sam. 3. Iere. 27. 5. c. A tyrant called the seruant of God Ier. 29. 7. 1. Sam. 24. 7. 26. 9. 10. Dauid would not lay viosent hands vpon Sauls person These Essaei or Esseni were a superstitious sect among the Iewes that pretended to lead a most perfect kind of life Exod. 22. 28. A gentleman iudged to die bicause he once thought to haue killed his prince A sâ—uâ—râ— law against treason How we must behaue our selues vnder a tyrant Psal 82. 1. 2. 12. Esay 10. 1. The lawes of nature lead vs to a monarchie In euery kind of thing one excelleth A monarchie most significantly representeth the diuine regiment What a Monarchie or kingly power is Of a Duarchy that is of the rule of two The diuision of the Empire 8. Marks of soueraigntie Their reasons who mislike a Monarchie What excellencie is required in him that ruleth others The Persian Councell held for the establishing of their Estate Otanes oration The effects of a Tyrant Megabyses oration for an Aristocraty The dangers of a Monarchy A child Prince is a token of Gods wrath Darius oration for a Monarchy Against an Oligarchy A Monarchy concluded vpon in the Councell of the Persians of Romulus and of Augustus The commodities of a Monarchy Italy a praie to all hâ—r neighbours and â—â—y Of the antiquitie of a kingdome Ninus was the first that extended the limits of his kingdom What Estates were ruled Monaâ—chically The Dukedome of Venice is electiue What this word Emperour importeth Vpon what occasion the name of Emperour was first giuen to a Monarch The reasons alleadged against a Monarchie answered One iust Princ better than many good Lords and many Tyrants woorse than one Monarchies haue continu longest The opinion of many Politicks touching a mixt estate of a Common wealth The Lacedemonian estate mingled The Carthaginian Common-wealth was mixt The Romane estate mingled The estate of Venice compounded What agreemeÌ„t the French Monarchy hath with euery good policie Why men are diueisly affected vnto diuers formes of gouernments The praise of the French nation for their loue to a Monarchy The difference betweene the rule of a king and of a tyrant Fiue kinds of Monarchies How the first Monarchy came vp Gen. 10. 8. of the raigne of Nimrod Nimrod was the first king that warred vpon his neighbours Of the happie raigne of the king of Egypt They vsed the seruice onely of Noble mens children â—nd they wel learned The Priests of Egypt vsed to praise their Princes in the Temple before the people The diet of the ancient kings of Egypt Of the second kind of Monarchy The difference betweene a Lord-like Monarchy and a tyranny Marks of a tyrannicall gouernment Of the estate of the Turke The death of Hibrahim Bascha The Turke disposeth of all Lordships at his pleasure Of the Estate of Moscouia Of the king of Ethiopia The king of Ethiopia whipped his Lords like slaues Of the kingdom of Peru. Of the third kind of Monarchy What kings took vpon them soueraigntie in religion Of the 4. kind of monarchie which is electiue The dangerous state of an electiue kingdom when the prince is dead Examples therof in the kingdoms of Thuâ—es of Egâ—pt The great disorder in Rome vpâ—n the death of the Pope In the empire of Germanie In the Popedome All electiue princes are either taken indefinitely or out of certaine estates The Souldans of Cayre chosen out of the Mammelucks The great mastership of Malta electiue and that also of Prussia Of the fift kind of Monarchie which is hereditarie The Salick law excludeth daughters and their sonnes Kingdoms left by will Of the happy gouernment of the estate of France The Chancellor of France must approoue all
as he is man and according to his habilitie and maner of life he imitateth and followeth is diuers from that which by speciall grace from aboue commeth to the elect accompanieth them and helpeth them in all their actions This is full of faith and of vndeceaueable assurance of eternal promises the other weake troubled and woonderfully hindred wherin a man can neuer haue any certaine resolution This is that which caused Aristotle who was Platoes disciple and prince of the Peripatetike schoole to say that the more knowledge a man hath the greater occasion of doubting was offred Neither can we iudge otherwise but that the same reason of trouble and doubting mooued the aboue named Heraclitus that great Philosopher to spend his life in continuall weeping howsoeuer he alleageth wisely that it was for the compassion he had of mans nature both for that the life of men consisted in nothing but in miseries as also because all the labours wherein they exercised themselues seemed vnto him to be woorthy of great commiseration and pitie namely seeing that they being farre wide of iustice did yet through too greedie desire make themselues slaues vnto all couetousnes and vainglorie This also was an argument of inconstancie and wauering in Democritus who neuer came abroad amongst men but he laughed vnmeasurably at all their works and deeds Howbeit herein he said truely that the life of man was vanitie and follie and that all their lustes and desires were fonde and woorthy to be laughed at But such extremities of laughter and weeping are not seemely in him who is well instructed in the studie of Philosophie and in the certaine knowledge of himselfe which thing these Philosophers so earnestly laboured to attaine vnto as we shall see anon after we haue learned what other ancient men haue thought of the nature and state of man What other thing saith Pindarus is man than the shadow of a dreame in ones sleepe Whereby he sheweth the vanitie of man by an excellent manner of speaking verie significantly vttering his meaning For what thing is lesse than a dreame yea than the shadow of a dreame Homer hauing compared mortall creatures together both in respect of their continuance as of the maintenance of their life crieth out that of all those which walke on the earth and draw breath there is not one more miserable than man Timon the Athenian detesting much more than al these the imbecility of mans nature vsed and imploied all his skill to perswade his countrimen to abridge and shorten the course of their so miserable life and to hasten their end by hanging themselues vpon gibbets which he had caused to be set vp in great number in a fielde that he bought for the same purpose vnto whose perswasions many gaue place Plinie rehearsing the great miseries wherewith man commeth into this world and the manifold labors wherin he liueth saide that it were good for a man not to be borne at all or else so soone as he is borne to die It was a custome amongst the Scythians to weepe at the birth of their children and to reioice and make a solemne feast at the death of their parents Now as the opinions of these philosophers heere named by vs who being destitute of the light of God and of true religion had no other foundation but their owne humane and weake discourses are to be reiected for inclosing all mankind in such a vile and abiect estate so on the other side we must take heed that we enter not into that presumptuous opinion of many others who endeuour to lead man to the consideration of his dignitie and excellencie as being endewed with infinite graces For they persuade him that through the quicknes of his vnderstanding he may mount vp to the perfect knowledge of the greatest secrets of God and nature and that by the only studie of philosophie he may of himselfe following his owne nature become maister of all euill passions and perturbations and attaine to a rare and supreme kinde of vertue which is void of those affections that being thus exempted and freed from all vice he may lead a most happy and perfect life This did the Stoike philosophers with one consent maintaine and teach saying Whosoeuer receiued their doctrine if in the morning he were very wicked in the euening he should become a very good man if he laid himselfe downe to sleepe being ignorant vicious poore the next morning he should arise wise vertuous rich happie and iust Zeno Seneca Diogenes Chrysippus and infinite mo otherwise endewed with most fruitful doctrine as we shall vnderstand heerafter were of this opinion Insomuch that Chrysippus said that Dion the chiefest man for knowledge in Syracusa was no lesse vertuous than his god Iupiter to whom they attributed perfect diuinitie Seneca also boasted that he had receiued life by the benefit of God but to liue wel from himselfe Thus whilest they granted to mans power such an excellent and diuine disposition they lift him vp in a vaine presumption in pride and trust in himselfe and in his owne vertue which in the end cannot but be the cause of his vtter vndoing We therefore holding the meane betweene these two contrarie opinions as the perfection and goodnes of all things consisteth in mediocritie and continuing to speake of man as we haue alreadie begun do say that the knowledge of himselfe is very necessarie for him and that hauing perfectly attained therunto he hath cause both to be humbled greatly as also to glorie and reioice First to humble himselfe through the sence and feeling of his vanitie peruersnes corruption in which respect he ought to hate and be displeased with himselfe bicause he beholdeth his destruction and condemnation ingrauen in his conscience Secondly he is to glorie in the knowledge of God which inseparably followeth the other after he hath learned this that in the mercie of God he may recouer that which is wanting in himselfe hauing once beene made and fashioned of God who is altogither pure wise true good and almightie to the end he might be partaker of his glorie For the obtaining heerof he had giuen vnto him from the beginning as trustie guides godlines holines and religion godlines to the end he might knowe thereby that he had God for his father holines to yeeld vnto him continuall glorie and praise and religion to keepe him in a continuall meditation of his grace and benefits and to serue him for an indissoluble bond to knit him to his Creator who threatened him with death if he did the contrarie But our first father through ingratitude and disobedience forsaking those heauenlie guides to follow his owne free-will depriued himselfe and all his posteritie of that promise of eternall life that was made vnto him Whereupon being dead to his first life which was most happie and innocent through his offence and peruersnes of his sin he began from that