his power ayde sufficiently to make what he will right Polion He whose owne ayde makes his own cause makes it too much to make it more thē sure Feare casteth too deepe and is euer too vvise if it be not ayded by some resolution One man is borne to helpe another as farre as his abilitie will serue To helpe the weake is charitie and to ayde the mightie presumption Greg. A doubtfull minded man can neuer endure to be ayded by any vsuall meanes The ayde of the Spirit is fayth by which a man is deliuered from a second death The grace and lawe of the Spirit furnished with the ayde of God iustifieth the wicked reconcileth the sinfull and giueth life to the dead VVisedome learning are the two chiefe aydes to vertue and good conditions Lawe is the Queene of immortalitie aide the Lord which restores the oppressed VVise men are not ayded by the Lawes of men but by the rules of vertue Euill ayde and inconstant loue is like the shadow of a cloude which vanisheth as soone as it is seene Honest assistance is without hurt vvithout hate and without penury The ayde of a friend in lawe is halfe an end to the law He is rash witted that presumeth too much vpon his owne power Anaxag God giueth his wrath by weight mercy without measure Erasmus To try the ayde of friends is to prooue the hope of fortunes Two crafty men can neuer agree vvell together for Fortune to the one is mother to the other a stepdame to neither of them a certaine ayde He is a monstrous foole that will presume to flye with the ayde of waxen wings Homo homini quicunque sit ob eam ipsam causam quod is homo sit consulere debet Nil habet alicuius fortuna melius quā vt possit nec natura quam vt velit seruare plurimum Cicero Of Meane Defi. Meane is the mediocritie and best part of any action and must be vsed in all things it containeth the full effect of prudence touching gouernment and tranquilitie concerning the soule THE dyfference of good or badde consisteth in mediocritie or a meane in all things Curiositie and extreamitie banished man from the first modestie of his nature Nothing too much nothing too little preserueth a meane in all things The meane estate is the best estate indifferent equality is safest superiority Hee that starueth for drinke by a fountaine side hath no meane in his misery The meane loue is the surest loue to loue extreamely procureth eyther death or danger Of two euills the least is to be chosen for that is the meane to well choosing Meane gyfts are most acceptable because they are not corrupted with prodigalitie The more men are threatned the greater meanes they seeke for theyr safetie First to become a seruant is the best meane to become a maister Hidden thoughts may be discouered and meane estates highly erected As stormes wither flowers so pride confounds meane callings All men must till sowe before they can reape and the meaner man the more painful in his labour The smallest hayre hath his shadow and the meanest estate his rising and down-falling Fire is neuer without smoake nor extreamitie without crosses Mountaines hauing too much heate of the Sunne are burnt Valleys hauing too lyttle heate thereof are barraine but such places as hold a meane are most fruitfull Meane thoughts without extreamities gather both beauties and vertues together Of all the parts in musicke the meane is the sweetest Hee which keepes a meane in his dyet shall neuer surfeit Rage is the mother of repentance but mild dealing sheweth loue The increasing of passion multiplieth complaints Extreamity harbours where meane is not kept Cruell men haue cruell deaths where temperate persons out-liue nature Meane thoughts excell ambitious deeds VVise men temper their actions to the time and hold a meane in all matters Bias. The fairest flower may wither the highest hopes decline by misfortune The meane cottage of a swaine standes in more safety then the pallace of a Prince Standing water is worse then the running riuer idle ambition more dangerous then meane industrie The Mouse which hath but one hole is easily taken and he that hath but one meane to resist harme is quickly ouerthrowne VVhere there is no meane there is no order and where proportion is not kept there is speedy confusion Ere mischiefe come the meanes to preuent it ought to be prouided Est modus in rebus sunt certi denique fines Quos vltra citraque nequit consistere rectum Suus cutque modus est tamen magis offendit nimium quam parum Of Labour Defi. Labour is or ought to be the honest recreation of the minde and that industrious worke-maister which buildeth our knowledges and makes them absolute hy exercise of good Letters and continuall trauaile in the Sciences IT is not freedome to liue licentiously neither is it liberty to lyue without labour Labour is a mortall enemy to loue deadly foe to fancie Great labours require sometimes to be eased with honest pastimes That which is doone slowly is neuer doone vvillingly Take good aduisement ere thou begin but the thing once determined dispatch vvith all diligence Labour is the father of a good name Labour is a burden that man vnder-goeth with pleasure Cic. A man that dooth all he can doe doth what he should doe Man is borne to labour though not created to labour By diligent and laborious examination of things past we may easily fore-see things to come Diligence is the searcher out of truth Labour armeth subiects to all vertuous enterprises He that endureth labour shall tast the fruit of his trauaile Aginip Publicola was blessed in his indeuours got fame by his industrie wonne battailes by hys forwardnesse and dyed fortunatly through lyuing laboriously As nothing mounteth swifter then fire so nothing atchiueth sooner then labour He that endeuoureth attaineth hee that neglecteth repenteth Philotis by labour ouer-came the Latines and by his study and policie got that victory which the Romaines detracted by their feare The stuttering in Alcibiades dyd not so much hurt him as his industrie in warres renowned him All errors by labour are cured huge mountaines leuelled and weake wits refined The hope of a good rewarde is a great incouragement to labour Immoderate labours doe weaken the body but a temperate kinde of exercise conserueth the same in health As the sweetest Rose groweth vppon the sharpest prickles so the hardest labours bring forth the sweetest profits As brightnes is to rustinesse so labour excelleth idlenesse Thales No worthy act can be accomplished vvithout payne and diligence No profit is denyed to the painfull person By vse and labour a man may bee brought to a newe nature Demost. The industrious man by his diligence oftentimes excelleth him to whom nature hath beene most beautifull If Demosthenes had seene any Cittizen vp before him and at worke it woulde greatly haue greeued him His continuall labour
by reason of their age and weaknesse of theyr strength are subiect to sundry imperfections and molested with many diseases Pacunius Gray hayres oft-times are intangled vvith loue but stailesse youth intrapped with lust Age is more to be honored for his wisdom then youth commended for his beauty The mind of an old man is not mutable his fancies are fixed his affections not fleeting he chooseth without intention to change neuer forsaketh his choyce till death make challenge of his life The olde Cedar tree is lesse shaken with the winde then the young bâ—amble and age farre more stayed in his affaires then youth Old men are more meet to giue counsaile then fit to follow warres Bias. Though young men excell in strength yet old men exceede in stedfastnes Though all men are subiect to the suddaine stroke of death yet old men in nature seeme neerest to their graue Age is a crowne of glory when it is adorned with righteousnes but the dregs of dishonor when it is mingled with mischiefe Honorable age consisteth not in the terme of yeeres neyther is it measured by the date of mans dayes but by godly wisedome and an vndefiled life Age is forgetfull and gray hayres are declining steps from strength Age is giuen to melanâ—hollie and manie yeeres acquainted with many dumps Age speaketh by experience and liketh by tryall but youth leaneth vnto vvit vvhich is voyde of wisedome He that will not be aduised by age shall be deceiued by youth Old age is the fore-runner of death Age and time are two thinges which men may fore-thinke of but neuer preuent Men of age â—eare and fore-see that vvhich youth neuer regardeth Olde folkes oft-times are more greedie of coyne then carefull to keepe a good conscience Bias. Age may bee allotted to gaze at beauties blossoms but youth must clime the tree and enioy the fruit Nature lendeth age authority 〈…〉 nes of hart is the glory of all yeeres VVhilst the haires be hidden craftily age bewrayes it selfe Children are compared to the spring-time striplings to sommer-season young-men to autumn and old men to winter An olde man ought to remember his age past and to bethinke himselfe hovv hee hath spent his time if he finde himselfe faulty in neglecting such good deedes as hee might haue done he ought forth-with to be carefull to spend the remainder of his life in liberality towards the poore Old men are commonly couetous because their getting dayes are past It is a great shame for an olde man to be ignorant in the principles of religion An old man ought to be reuerenced for his grauity sooner then for his gray haires If young men had knowledge and old men strength the vvorld vvould become a nevv paradice A man aged and wise is worthy double reuerence Infancie is but a foolish simplicity full of lamentations and harmes as it were laid open to a maine Sea without a sterne Youth is an indiscreete heate outragious blind heady violent and vaine Mans estate is trouble vexation of mind full of repentance and plunged in care Non est senectus vt tu opinaris pater Onus grauissimum sed impatientius Qui fert sibi ipse est author illius mali Patienter at qui sibi quietem comparat Dum dextere eius moribus se accomodat Nec ille solum detrahit molestiam Accersit aliquam sed voluptatem sibi Si nauig andum sit quatuor per dies De comeatu cura nobis maxima At se in senectam quid licet comparcere Non instruemus nos eo viatico Of Death Defi. Death is taken three maner of wayes the first is the seperation of the soule from the bodie with the dissolution of the body vntil the resurrection the second is the death of sinne sith he is sayd to be dead which lyeth sleeping in sin the third is eternall death vnto which the wicked shall bee condemned in the day of generall iudgement DEath is the law of nature the trybute of the flesh the remedy of euills and the path eyther to heauenly felicitie or eternall misery Heâ—â—clit Destenie may be deferred but can neuer be preuented An honourable death is to be preferred before an infamous life That man is very simple that dreadeth death because he feareth thereby to be cutte off from the pleasures of this life Death hath his roote from sinne August Death is the end of feare and beginning of felicitie There is nothing more certaine theÌ„ death nor any thing more vncertain then the houre of death No man dyeth more willingly then he that hath liued most honestly It is better to die well then to liue wantonlie Socrat. Death it selfe is not so painfull as the feare of death is vnpleasant Death is the end of all miseries but infamy is the beginning of all sorrowes Plut. VVhile men seeke to prolong theyr lyfe they are preuented by some suddaine death VVhile wee thinke to flie death wee most earnestly follow death VVhat is he that being lustie and young in the morning can promise himselfe life vntill the euening Many men desire death in their misery that cannot abide his presence in the time of their prosperitie An euill death putteth great doubt of a good life and a good death partly excuseth an euill life The death of euill men is the safety of good men liuing Cicero Hee that euery hower feareth death can neuer be possessed of a quiet conscience Nothing is more like to death then sleepe who is deaths elder brother Cicero There is nothing more common then suddaine death which beeing considered by the great Phylosopher Demonax hee therefore warned the Emperour Adrian and such other as lyued at theyr pleasure and ease in no wise to forget how in euery short moment they should be no more Nature hath giuen no better thing then death Plinie To men in misery death is most welcome Death deadly woundeth without eyther dread or daliance Sith death is a thing that cannot be auoided it ought of all men the lesse to be feared By the same vvay that life goeth death coÌ„meth Aurelius The most profitable thing for the worlde is the death of couetous and euill people Death is lyfe to the godly minded man whose meditation is on diuine matters and whose hope is heauen Death is common to all persons though to some one way and to some another If we liue to die then we die to liue All things haue an end by death saue onely death whose end is vnknowne Death is metaphorically called the end of all flesh Aristot. The last curer of diseases is death Death despiseth all riches and glory and ruleth ouer all estates alike Boetius None neede to feare death saue those that haue committed so much iniquitie as after death deserueth damnation Socrat. VVisedome maketh men to despise death it ought therefore of all men to be imbraced as the best remedy against the feare of death Hermes So liue and hope as if thou shouldest dye immediatly Plinie Non
Empedocles because he could not learne the cause of the burning Aetna leapt into it Aristotle for that hee could not giue the reason for Euripus flowing drovvned himselfe As he which without licence breaketh a prison procureth his owne death so in the world to come shall hee be perpetually punished which contraâ—y to the will of God will set the soule at liberty Plato Vincitur haud gratis iugulo qui prouocat hostem Qui nil potest sperare desperet nihil Of Deuils Defi. Deuils are our temptours to sinne blasphemie and all other euills they that standing in feare of God take pleasure in that which displeaseth him THe deuill labours to deceaue men and greatly enuies that any should be saued The deuill was the first author of lying the first beginner of all subtile deceites and the cheefe delighter in all sinne and wickednes Philo. Diuers spirits were wont to deceaue people eyther by misleading them in theyr iourneyes or murdering them in theyr sleepes Psellus The more the deuills increase in theyr boldnes the more increaseth theyr punishment The deuils not able to oppresse GOD in himselfe assault him in his members Aug. The deuill intangleth youth with beautie the Vsurer with golde the ambitious vvith smooth lookes the learned by false doctrine The deuills oft-times spake truth in Oracles to the intent they might shadowe theyr falseshoods the more cunningly Lactan. The deuill vvith false miracles beguileth the world The deuills as being immortall spirits and exercised in much knowledge seeme to worke many thinges which in truth are no miracles but meere works of nature All the great power of deuills proceedeth from the iust indignation of God vvho by such whyps chastiseth the wicked and exerciseth the good The deuils haue diuers effects the one troubleth the spirit the other molesteth the body some insinuate steale into our harts where depraued desires are ingendered or els into our vnderstanding to hinder the vse and office of reason The power of God and not the deuill is to be feared Greg. The inuisible enemy is ouer-come by faith The deuils haue will to hurt but they want power Augustine The deuill is ouer-come by humilitie The deuill is strong against those that entertaine him but weake against those that resist him Aug. From euill spirits proceedeth Art-magick whereby the slauish practisers of that damnable Art by many false miracles deceiue the simple and confound themselues God many times suffereth the deuill to tempt the godly that by temptation theyr fayth might be tryed He that giueth his word to the deuill breaketh his bond with God Luther The deuill temptation and sinne vvere the occasions of mans fall He that makes a God of the world and vanitie is a deuill in the fight of heauen wisedome The harts of the rebrobate containe as many deuils as vnchast thoughts Greg. The deuill is to some a Lyon to some an Ant. Gregory The deuill ceaseth to tempt them whom he hath already wonne The worlde the flesh and the deuill are three powerfull enemies to prouoke men to wickednesse The deuill is the Father of lies the chiefe author of all deceit The deuil tempteth the righteous one way and the wicked another way Greg. The deuill presents before vs many vaine delights to the intent hee might the better keepe our minds from godly meditation VVhat sinne soeuer hath beene by man at any time committed was first by the deuill inuented The deuill first accuseth vs of our euill words next of our euill works lastly of our euill thoughts Greg. Vt cum princeps vult hospitari in aliquo domo praemittit nuncium et vbi ille recipitur ibi descendit Dominus sic diabolus praemittit malas cogitationes vt ei preparent hospitium vt vbi recipiuntur illuc declinat Christus Leo dicitur propter fortitudinem Agnus propter innocentiam Leo quod inuictus Agnus quia mansuâ—tus Ipse Agnus occisus vicit Leonem qui circuit quaerens quem deuoret diabolus leo dictus feritate non virtute Of Hell Defi. Hell is in all things contrary to heauen it is a place of torment misery and desolation where the wicked shall endure the endlesse iudgement of paine for their offences ZEno the stoick taught that the places of the reprobate were seperate from the righteous the one beeing pleasant delectable the other darksome and damnable Hell is the hold of horror distresse and misery the Cell of torment griefe and vexation The losse of heauen is to the damned more grieuous then the torments of hell Chriso Hell is the land of darknes Greg. In hell all torments are not alike Aug. VVoe be to him that by experience knoweth there is a hell Chrisost. Hell is in the center of the earth remote from all comforts replenished with endlesse horror where desolation raigneth no redemption may be expected Hel is the place of punishment which God hath reserued for the reprobates In hell is no order but a heape and Chaos of confusion The wretches in hell haue an end without end a death without death a defect without defect for theyr death liueth continuallie the end beginneth alwayes the defect can neuer faile Eternall death is the reward of sinne the plague of sinne hell and damnation Hell is euery where where heauen is not The torture of a bad conscience is the hell of a lyuing soule Caluine Good men haue theyr hell in thys worlde that they may knowe there is a heauen after death to reward the vertuous and vvicked men escape torments in this worlde because they shal finde there is a iudgement to come wherein the wicked shall haue punishment according to the number of theyr offences Lactan. They that beleeue in Christ haue alreadie ouer-come sinne and hell To them that are enamored of the worlde the remembrance of hell is bitter The image of our sinnes represent vnto vs the picture of hell Hell like death is most incertaine a place of punishment most assured Hell that is knowne no where is euerie where and though now neuer so priuate yet in the end it will be most publique Hell is compared to the Laborinth vvhich Dedalus made whose entrance is easie but beeing once in it is not possible to rerurne If thy minde bee not mooued with the fire of heauen take heede least thy soule feele the flames of hell Infernus lacâ—s est sine mensura profunditas sine fundo plenus ardoris incomparabilis plenus faetoris intolerabilis ibi miseriae ibi tenebrae ibi horror aeternus ibi nulla spes boni nulla desperatio mali Noctes atque dies patet atri ianua Ditis FINIS A Table of all the principall matters contayned in the former Treatise A. A Boundance 2. vide riches Absence 124 62 Abstinence vide Temperance Acts 125 94 Actions 4 6 42 91 103 113 182 228. Action 48 92. Accusation 153 Admonition 17 41. 64. Admiration 52 48 168 Aduise vide Counsell Aduersity 6 114 vide