comprehended in the grace gift of Prophecie which they had receiued of God Prophesying alwaies miraculouslye wherby they coulde not erre in iudgement because prophesye is without error and much lesse suffer impunity of sinn for that to Prophetes is a propertye of singular zeale to execute the wil and iudgement of God neither would they bée reproued in the action of those faultes whiche they condemned in others By this we sée what gouernours God choseth and by his example standing as a precedent to vs so farre as wée haue power to Imitate him we sée what godly respectes we ought to obserue in the choyse of our gouernors So that chosing them auncient such as alreadye haue beene invested in the office of Maisters and Leaders of the people hée prescribeth further that they be wise graue constant of good iudgment such as doubt not to cōmit their life to perill for the dutye of their office no more then olde Age feareth death which nature telleth them is not farre of and lastlye that they haue already exercised the state of Maisters the better to furnishe theyr counsels with experience examples Then where hée willeth that they assemble at the Tabernacle to institute them and impart graces he declareth how they ought al to concurre and agrée in one knowledge feare and seruice of God without scisme or faction obseruing deuout prayers to implore the inspiration power and grace of heauen to direct this estate of gouernors who being in this sort chosen and offered to God by the people presenting them selues vnto him in this holy preparatiō there is no doubt but God wil giue them part of the spirite of Moyses which is such perfection as is requisite to wéelde an estate in sort as he exercised his wherin by the spirite of Moises being made al one with theirs is meant that al gouernours Iudges ought to consent with the Law signified by Moyses and agrée with their Prince in al Law spirituall doctrine The people must assemble at the Tabernacle after the Election to pray to God for the institucion of these Magistrates for as it is one of the greatest benefites that can happen to the world when men of honestye wisedom and good counsel are called to publike gouernment so to raise euil men to rule and principallye is to prepare misery to kingdomes and ouer whelme the world with al iniquity So that wée see that by how much God doth ordaine inspire and distribute power and wil to Magistrates to execute offices by so much is it necessary to praye to him to institute them such as were the .70 Auncients to rule ouer the pollecie of Israel God created Moyses a supreame Iudge whose properties Saint Paul dyscribes to vs in this sort Moyses sayth hée being become great in the house of Pharao was at times prouoked to deny him selfe to bée the sonne of the kinges daughter by whom hée had béen nourished and raised to honour that is to say to renounce al vanityes of courts and worldly delites desiryng rather to bée afflicted with the people of God then to take his pleasure in sinne for a time as also estéeming more a reproche for Christ that is to bée partaker of the afflictions of his sauiour then to take reckoning of al the receites treasures and delightes of the Egiptians Being then such one both fearing louing God and an embraser of the truth and very wise hée was chosen of god Lyke as also such iudges and gouernours of Israel were chosen by diuine inspiration as Iosua Gedeon Sampson Ieptha and Samuel yea God sayd hée had chosen them to the estate Royal Wée know that Moyses had Children which hée might haue made gouernours after him if hée had would But hée preferred afore them his seruaunt Iosua who had alwaies assisted him in his affaires communicated with him in the perplexity of al his troubles and requited the trust and friendship of his Maister with fayth and obedience yea hée was the seruaunt of God in simplicitye and trueth of heart And therefore knowing him to bée more perfect in conscience and better exercised in the regiment of people then any other hee gaue him dignity aboue the rest reseruing no preheminence in publike businesse eyther to his fleshe blood friendes or great Lords but distributed offices to the most vertuous and best instructed in such charge No man of good iudgement wil call his kinseman or friend to gouerne a ship wherin hée meaneth to passe the Seas in presence vnlesse hée bée more assured of his knowledge then of any other much more ought wée to proue the skyll of him whome wée call to guide this pollitike shippe If this aduise had stande before the eyes of Hely the great sacrificator and gouernour of Israel hée had not chosen his Children to the regiment of the people wherein was wrought the confusion of him selfe common also to them the common Weale Yea the great Iudge recompensed theyr execrable Royats and offences with sharpe iustice and because hée abused his estate in chosing such to iudge the people in whom was merite of death both hée and they by the iust resolution of God dyed miserablye the poore people for their offences were ouerthrowen in Warre by the Philistines and the Arke of alliaunce which was the glory of Israel for their sinnes was taken transported into the lande of Infidels here we sée how much the deuine election of gouernours serueth to a common weale whervnto may bée applied the reason of the wise man that such as is the Iudge of the people suche is his minister and in the conuersation of the ruler is expressed a fourme of behauiour to the multitude the same being confirmed by examples in the Scripture and therefore of more necessitye to bée considered by suche as are chosers of gouernours it is sayde in the booke of Iudges that whilest hée and his Elders or senatours being gouernors of Israel and men of integrity liued the people serued God and prospered but when by theyr death there was no further restraint but a common libertye of wyll being voyde of good readers and no feare or respect to any good gouernour that people fell into Idolatrie and extreme wretchednesse Salomon is of opinion that where is no gouernour or where is any and hée subiect to negligence or vices the people runne headlong into impietie But when the merciful eyes of God saw his people in miserable desolation hee sent them a good gouernour during whose time they liued vnder good rule and obeyed the Law of God who suffred them eftsones with the death of theyr Iudge to reuert to their auncient impietye So long as Rome Lacedemonie and Athens liued vnder good rulers they with theyr siegniories and Townes depending vpon them florished but after they admitted fauour ambition and couetousnes and that knowledge and vertue were depriued of dominion they declined and suffered extreame ruine And
any feason reserue of the hollydays from their spirituall duties let it be performed in some playes or exercise of paine and trauell by the which both the mind shall be discontinued from idle thoughtes and the bodye taken out of the care of beastly desiers But seing the intent of mariage is the hope of procreation such as ar colde of nature defectiue and impotent ought not to marrie yea if they be married by faulse perswasion the mariage may be dissolued Such also as be vnclean and diseased ought not to entermedle mariage as well for the respect of their comon weale to the which their children should not only be vnprofitable hurtfull and burdenous but also in consideration of them selues but more for their issue whom they know are by their occasiones to remaine always misserable for they are not ignorant that such as them selues are such shal be the effect of their seede and generation So that what other thing can it be to them but a perpetuall infelicitie to sée their stock and children languish in wretchidnes afore their eyes Yea their whole howse borne to this misserie not to on suffered good day in all their life with out sorowe and sighing and bear as it weare a death vppon their backes euen from their first birth In this the woman disposed to marie ought as well as the man not to make fielthy luste the principall end of hir marriage for that were to enter wedding with infidells and an intention reproued in the scriptures as in Tobyas it is sayd that a deuill caulled Asmodeas killed seuen husbandes of Sara the first night of their marriges who for the only lust of the fleash and desier of hir beautie had maried her one after another So did the children of god marie afore the floud I mean the sonnes of Seth which had learned to serue God who seing the daughters of men that is descended of the race of Cain worldly faier and brauely attired maried with them For which carnall affection for they torned afterwardes from the feare of God the Lord roase in to such ire togteher also for other vices of that world that he sent a generall slud And Iesus Christ giues to vnderstand that that lust disordred pleasure are the causes that maried folkes called to the spirituall banquet of God make no rekconing of of it excusing themselues by the hinderance their mariadges which ought rather to bee aydes and common meanes for the man and woman to animat one an other to search God in whose name they are assembled to pray to prosper them in their mariadge giue them children whom they may instruct in his law acknowledging that they are mortall and if they offend God and liue not in him he can and will punnish them with some miserie I say not but beautie is requisite in mariage as wee read Jacob was more desirous to haue Rachell to wife because she was fairer then Lia And albeit in many places wiues are praysed in the Scripture for their beautie which is a gift of God in nature yet it is with this lesson that men take héede that it be not the only cause associated with lust to entise the minde to mariage For such societies of wedlocke as they are not of the Israelites and Christians who haue commaundements to renounce the affections and lustes and to put on a new man So they can not but stand in daunger to be prophaned by such affection as not diffring much from those fleshly mariages for that which partly the generall flood was sent to drown the creatures of the earth Touching wealth or riches for the which many do marry and in that onely consideration not marying wiues but their wealth many enter wedlocke with their Mistresses and chuse sometimes wiues whom they know to be barreine old and counterfet In whom hauing no hope of procreation what other thing doo such husbands but abuse mariage through couetousnes prophane it no lesse then others by vnbrideled and whorish lustes The poore ought to be maried with the riche according to the custome of the Lacedemonians And in the Scripture we find that men bought their wiues as Jacob redéemed his wherein as it is a great reproch to a man to take charge of a wife if he haue not abilitie and meane to mayntaine hir So in such societies I meane by vnlawful means in persons vnlike in qualitie and contrary in manners and nature it happneth that seldome is found true friendship betwene man and wife but dissembled loue perpetual dissention ielosies and dissolute whoredoms and in the end desperate diuorce But touching the man meaning to marrie séeing he ought to vnderstand that the good wife as Salomon sayth is giuen of God as inheritances are naturally left of parents to their children and according to the text of Iesus Christ God is hee that from heauen conioynes mariages inseperable Let him I say recommend himselfe altogether to God with peticion to bestow vpon him such one for his wife whom he séeth fit to assemble with him in mutuall amitie and to liue happely according to his holy will in raising children and them to teach in his feare in sort that afterwardes they may become instruments to his seruice and honour Wherein it is not to be doubted seing it is aduouched by many textes that importunitie of praier preuailes with God but his demaund shall find grace by this we read the Patriarkes Jsaac and Iacob were happy in their mariadges In this request and peticion to God the woman hath no lesse interest then the man for the obtayning of a good faithfull husband And so let there be no mariadge but in the Lord that is with yokefellowes of one faith and religion obseruing in their choise his inspiration and will and not induced by dishonest affectiōs couetousnes or pleasures which things much lesse that they are of God séeing of the cōtrary where any of them remaine he is not present at the coniunction of persons onely there his presence assisteth where is true amitie in conformetie of will manners and honestie in his feare and holy affectiōs In this sort the tiche shall chuse the poore assone as the wealthy to whom for charitie he ought to do as Booz taking to wife poore Ruth and the straunger as his neighbour so that he know hir for seldome we loue hartely that we know not well and lastly the Orphane before a mayde endowed yea and that rather for the honour of God For so shall they loue vertue better then beautie and the humilitie of the poore handmayd better thē the proud and fierce stomacke of a riche Lady against such mariadges was Themistocles who held it better to marry his daughter to a man néeding money albeit poore in wealth yet ritch in industrie and meanes to wealth then to money hauing néede of a man to vse it meaning that a richman weak in the vse and disposing of his wealth becomes
Gospell according to the simple letter all the worlde for the newnes ronne to it with great affection wherin this euil is happened that such as would vndertake to preache teach were men of passions enuiors of the Clergie Apostats and of a wil depraued they in some sorte adultered and corrupted by collour of Religion and with theyr intising eloquence the trueth of the Gospell and vnder Hony they haue caused poyson to bée founde good Wherunto must bée applied an Antidot by Preaching of sincere Doctrine and reforming theyr dissolute and infamous liues which if it had béene done there is no doubte but trueth had easely supplanted falshod corruption of maners being so annexed to the sinceritye of Doctrine Let therfore such Curates as will not allow Sermons geue place to these reasons and chaunge iudgement And let them not tarye the assaults of the enemies but prouide in oportunitye and prepare theyr parishoners by the meanes which Saint Paul aduiseth Titus to fight with Heretikes geuing them suche courage and constancye as they can not bée shaked If they saye they ought not to heare Heretikes nor dispute with them I say with Saint Paul that if I had aucthoritye to commaunde I would do it But they haue reason to saye so for men bée curious of nature and as Salomon sayeth the eye is neuer content with séeing nor the eare with hearing new thinges speciallye when men thinke they are not yll By this it happeneth that the Catholikes hearing no doctrine afore receaue easily false Prophets when they beginne to Preache the rather when they pronounce that they are the messengers of health and euerlasting life Where if the simple multitude had been taught by their Curates and defended with good disciplines they had not receyued the imaginations of light braines nor béene allured with theyr dreames And being drouned in this Sugred poyson in whiche they dye sweetely and yet féele not theyr wretched death they wil not easilie take cure but Scoffing at theyr Curates they fal also to hate them as enemies when they seeke to geue them purging wholsom Medicines But in this case it is no office of the Pastour or Priest to crye out of them with imputations of Heresy thinking they are well reuenged when they haue discharged theyr coller against them No let them rather study and practise the meanes to conuert them and praying to God for them let them take héede that others that yet doo stande fall not into such errours ¶ In howe muche good Phisitions are necessary to common vveales by so much such as bee euill are hurtfull and daungerous VVho ought to bee chosen Phisitions in a Toune The .8 Chapter HAuing alreadye deduced at large that the twoo estates Ecclesiastike and ciuil bée as necessary for the gouernmēt of the world as the soule and bodye in man to execute his humaine and natural actions And that Religion and the Lawe the Priest and the Prince the Preacher and the Magistrate can not bée disioygned without perrill of disorder confusion and present ruine It falles nowe to conuenient purpose that wee adde to these two estates two others as subsisting them and in nature verye necessarye accessaries to Publike estates I meane the Maisters of Schooles with their Vshers and Phisitions with their Surgeons and Pothicaries euen as vnder the Title of Pastours wee comprehende also Priestes and other orders and with the name of gouernours wée signifye Iudges and all such as are incident to them in the action of Iustice Touching Scholemaisters who bée as Liefetenaunts to the Pastours and polletike rulers in the regiment of Youth wée wil forbeare to speake of them for this time referring them to the treatise of Colledges appointed to the .v. Booke where wée meane to holde speciall discourse as of a matter not leaste necessary in a common weale Concerning Phisitions learned Faithful Wise and experienced to whom is ascribed the special gouernment of diseased bodies with the disposing of preseruatiue remedies for al infirmityes by whose meanes may bée brought to common weales no small commodities It belongs to wise gouernours to entertaine such wholsome members for their common weales honourably induing thē with competent estate according to the merite of their profession which ought to stand vpon learning trust graue experience for as in such men their arte being wiselye administred is layd the occasion and ground of many commodityes in a worlde whome antiquity hath not stucke to Canonyze honour as Gods as Apollo his sōne Esculapius euen so by the ignorāt and prentise Phisytions in whom is more rashnes then grauitie of iudgement or practise common weales are subiect to many perrillous accidentes And where good Phisitions are called the Coadiutour ministers Tutors and Conseruers of Nature and as it were deliuerers of men from sorrow and vnnatural death So to the others by good reason is geuen the name of deceyuors Abusers Robbers Poisoners and Murderers of men And therfore if the common Iugler or Abuser of the people bee whipt thorow stréetes if théeues bée hanged if poysoners bee brunt and murderers executed vppon the whéele or at least suffer Iustice by the sworde What punishmentes are due to such Blood spillers not Phisitions but by vsurpation of name and place ought not they at the least to make restitucion of the Ritches stollen with such iniquity And eyther causing or hastening the death of a poore diseased man both by want of skill in his arte and application of Medicines contrary to the state of his disease Is there not good merite of death This miserye hath happened by this abuse in maney worldes according to the Testimony of Plinie in his time that hée no soner geues out his name in the Citie and countrey to bée a Phisition Shewing him selfe to the foolishe multitude Araied in a Phisicke gowne with Ringes on his fingers Ietting vp and downe the Stréetes with a Potticarye who hath his share in the spoile But hée shal be saluted with the reuerent name of Maister Phisition where perhappes hée neuer saluted the knowledge of Phisicke but a farre of or at least lacketh ten yéeres studye in the arte If hée haue once made a receipte of Catholicon or Rubarb or stolne it out of the practise of some good Phisition or beguiled some Pothicaries shop Or which is more if hée take into cure any patient who hath lien long languishing in bed as there bée diseases of great continuance in respect of humors corrupt abounding Colde Rawe and Liquide and of suche contumacie that they will not geue place to remedies yea if it happen that this patient recouer in the handes of this reuerent Doctor which ministred nothing but some olde Iulep or drinke Lastlye if this pretended Phisition chaūce to minister to the patient which experienced men for good cause dare not do some sirope of Rosewater and then hée rise to health they will forthwith pronounce miracles vppon him as healing desperate Cures and such as other Phisitions
a cōmendable property to minister cure to the Soules of their patientes afore they vndertake to Remoue the diseases of the body But such is the wretchednes of many that if the Phisition speake to them of God or of consideration to the reckoning weale of their conscience they subborne by and by an habilitye of health saying they are not yet so farre spent nor that the necessity of theyr sicknes requireth the aduise or comfort of the Preacher And as such pacientes desire to bring them into no fancye of death and much lesse to increase theyr fraile sorrow with heauye counsell so there bée also phisitions of so colde reuerence and taste to God that they wil not haue theyr pacients to feede of other dyet then pleasaunt Speach and if they haue béene whoremongers they dispose the time into discourses of wanton Ribaldry feeding their cares and eyes with the presence of fayre Damselles singing and playing of Instrumentes and so leade them with theyr Pastimes into the bottome of Hell where they ought with the féeling of theyr Pulses to sounde also the bottome of their Consciences and Salue theyr sicke mindes with perswasions to demaunde pardon of God for want of whiche it maye bée that they are drawne into those afflictions But when these wretched Sycke men are as it were at theyr laste and abandoned of theyr Phisytions then God is brought into theyr remembraunce when the Spirites being weake the Sences dissolued the hearing without vertue and the heart languishing to his laste hée hath no iudgement of that which is preached to him but what so euer stoode in his affection afore bee it good or ill hée retaynes it and the minde hauing no Capacitye to comprehende Doctrine is without regarde to call it selfe to account or correction whereby it happeneth by the Iustice of God according to Sainct Augustine that that almightye and terrible Iudge doeth punishe the Synner in the ende of his dayes because during his health and good disposition hee liued in negligence towardes God and neuer gathered the actions of his life into accounte It is saide that as in death men haue no remembrance of God so the feare of death and hell more then the loue of God makes men oftentimes confessing their sinnes for touching the will there is more daunger that sinne will leaue man then man renounce sinne So that by the waye of aduertisement let as well the Phisition as the patient bee warned heare to exhibite the dutye of Christians and not to grudge if I dooe exhorte them for that hauing in hande to wryte a Christian gouernement and Pollecye I can not without offence dissemble any thing whiche tendes to common dutye in thinges concerning God. Therefore I aduise the sicke man so soone as hée comprehendes the mocion and qualitye of his disease to bequeathe himselfe altogeather to God and consulte with his Soule For suche maye bée the furye and violent nature of his Sickenesse that what for debilitye of bodye or sorrowe of minde or other accident of infirmitye muche lesse that hée shall haue oportunitye to common with his Conscience but of the contrarye power shal be taken from him to discerne in what state hée standes It is not good that euerye one make a Custome and common recourse to Phisicke reducing the disposition of theyr Stomackes to a Pothicarye shoppe the same agréeing with the prescript of the best Phisitions of our tyme who aboue all thinges geue this generall counsayle that men dispose theyr lyues in sobryetye forbeare Excesse and not to become subiect to immoderate affections as to bee geuen to anger to heauines of heart and to the actes of vnchaste loue They must refraine from hurtful thinges as corrupt meates infected ayres vncleane places contagious sicknesses vsing moderate labours neuer eating without appetit nor drinking without a desyre to quenche thirste wherin if any by negligence do runne into excesse let him vse the contrarye as if hee haue offended his Stomacke with surfeite let him suffer fasting and correct crudelitye by spéedye concoction If hée haue ouerwearyed his Bodye with trauaile let him vse rest and as health is to bée preserued by thinges lyke so in all excesses the reméedy is to bée deriued by their contraries obseruing this perpetual medicine to absteine as nere as hée can from offending God who is the generall most often the special cause of al diseases Who so euer entreth into medicines let him doo it in necessity as the scripture teacheth vs forbeare phisicke till the extremity for which purpose it was ordeined of God of whom as wée are taught the phisitions are ministers raised for the sick and not for the sounde so Gallen is of opinion that all Phisicke bringes with it some dommage to the person And therfore not without cause the Greeke word calles a Droage or reméedy Pharmacum signifying properly Venim rather then a thing wholsome as if the Greekes would haue said that medicionable droages are as matters venemous to a man touching a nature well disposed so that it behoueth there bée in the body corruptions and humours infected afore you receiue Droages by the which the enemye of the sound and not corrupt nature may bée driuen out which otherwayes woulde haue murdered and deuoured the same nature Such as compare medicine and Phisicke to a bucke of foule cloathes meane that they are not to bée vsed but in necessity For as the Bucke serues no other turne but to cleanse the Cloathes when they are foule which also being often Buckt can not but waste and consume So the body suffereth the like effect by Phisick whose often medicines as a canker doo fréete and eate out the strength of youth and so cleanse vs of health that wee can not reache to olde Age. Bée sure to kéepe your breathing Bodies pure and cleane so shal you haue no neede of Purgation no more then your Linnen being neate hath neede to be put into the buck the same standing with the aduise example of most wise Phisitions with whome nothing is lesse familier then to apply phisick to them selues and nothing more intollerable then to ioyne theyr stomackes to the custome of medicines which we may conclude bring no fruite but when they are vsed by necessity Therfore let euery one tye him selfe to good Regiment to temperate labour to wholsome meates sound Ayre sweete water cleane Places But aboue al let him eschewe the sweete allurement to sinne And when wée offend God let our first cure stand in action of penaunce and after vse mearines of minde and not to gréeue for any thing that may happen as in déede the faithfull Christian ought neuer discend into sorrow but for his sinne but hath cause to reioyce in al aduersity sicknes yea and in death it selfe for that as S. Paul sayth in al these thinges is wrought the matter of his benefite and health as thinking that al the passions and tribulations of this fraile and humane life are
corporall death is decréed in the Lawe of nature and other seuere iudgement of God inferred to the wicked as to Cayn for kyllyng his brother by the tremblyng of his bodye to the murtherers by the sworde to the worlde for his delightes glorie and whordome by the flood to them of Sodome and Gomorrhe for sinnes against nature by the fire of heauen to the adulterers and rauishers of women by terrible vengeaunce and to the chidren of Iudas who had done abhominable actes by paynes of suddaine deathes which they sawe euen by a naturall iudgement pronounced or inflicted as to Thamar for committing whordome and to the Sichimites for the Rape of Dina the daughter of Iacob If gouernours punishe not suche faultes by like paynes at the least let them ordaine others either conformable or neare approching them alwayes considering that corporall paines in the lawe bée figures and foreshowes of the eternall death which sinne deserueth In like sort where they sée in the Lawe of Moises certaine sinnes to bée punished by the body let them iudge them right sore displeasing and hateful to God who loueth his creature so dearelye as hée hath geuen him his owne image and likenesse and for whome he hath made the inferiour heauens the earth and the Elements with all thinges conteyned in the same and for whose cause hée sent his proper sonne vpon the earth to suffer all miseries yea most cruel and sclaunderous death And therfore being thus instructed bothe by the lawe whiche punisheth certaine sinnes with death specially suche as bée against the ten coÌ„maundements of the Moral Lawe or directly against Gods honour our neighbour or a wholâ— common weale and also by the Gospell to whom certeine sinnes are so abhominable as it condemnes them to eternall death and perpetual tormentes where is gnashing of téeth and lamentable sighinges they maye conclude suche offences to bée worthy of death specially where a whole common weale is iniured or offended For touching secréete sinnes wherein is no meane of proofe let them refer them to the iudgement of God and to the repentaunt Men sayeth the Scripture haue no power nor facultie to iudge but in matters apparant to the eye God séeing into the heart discernes the secréet things wherof hée defendes the iudgement to al others But where God is offended the coÌ„mon weaâ—e iniured there let theÌ„ follow the iudgement of god which we know to be thundred vpon sinners committing such faultes Therefore let Iudges bee well aduised and geue no libertye of life to suche whom God hath already condemned in heauen both to corporal and eternall death Let them acknowledge that they are here erected as imitatours executours of his iudgement Let them remember Saul who pardoned Agag whom God had condemned to death and Saul for his indulgencye was reproued depriued of his kingdom Let them not also forget the grace which Helias shewed to his dissolute children who for that they were abhorred of god were the cause of his death I meddle not with the reproches which God gaue to the gouernours of Israell because they suffered sinne with impunitye suffering suche to liue who had defiled the earth with theyr wickednes people abhominable to God and worthy so many deathes as they had committed horrible vices And therefore hee condemneth those Iudges euen so often to eternal death as they gaue sufferaunce to others to commit suche faultes without inflicting vpon them corporall death To this let them adioyne this aduertisement that as one member corruptes the rest so the rotten part disposing continuall infection into the rest of the body deserues to bée cut of euen as the good Surgeon not suffering a Canker to encrease cuttes it of so soone as it beginnes to appeare Let them not doubt but that according to the Gospel al euil wicked men which the Law of nature and Moises condemne yea the humane lawe also according to reason do adiudge to death ought to die For as the Gospel so aloweth al those lawes as is before prooued S. Paul aduiseth the Corinthians by them all others to take awaye the wicked man who being corrupt in maners corruptes others for which cause he compares them to the leuine aduising notwithstanding that the punishmeÌ„t come from the magistrate who hauing the sworde is a iust terror to the offeÌ„dor for that he carieth it not in vain being the minister of god executour of his law which euen in the gospel condemneth the man that hath done euil Wherefore al men disposed into the action of wickednes must be punished by the magistrate otherwaies he should bring abuse to his estate Is it not the magistrate by whom S. Paul willeth that all such in a coÌ„mon weale should be cut of by death which vexe the church and are mutinus sedicious iniurious false prophetes wherin because it may be douted to what vices the scripture appointeth punishment specially by death I meane to declare by order the paines of such as the law coÌ„demneth to the ende the magistrate leaue theÌ„ not vnpunished in his coÌ„mon weale nor iustifie such by which he should draw malediction as god hath already condemned by the scripture Heare we must not winke at an error of our time receiued almost thorow al christeÌ„dom which is that we obserue no better the imitacion so often recoÌ„mended to vs of the iudgements of God to leade vs being also commaunded in the scripture according to the same in the punishment of sinnes which is a kinde of infidelitye and ignorance of God or presumptuous boldnes or at least an inseÌ„sible dulnes This error deriueth partly from the humane lawes made by the Pagans whose gouernment being led for the most part by fleshly reason suffred impunity for many sinnes which God by his law condemneth to death as diuinations sorceries diuers sorts of magike with whoredomes sauing women whoremongers for men that made the lawes were exempted the virgins vestal or incestuous women with their adulterors condemning no more coÌ„mon vseries excessiue interestes with like sinnes which God abhorreth Gouernors of common weales ought in no wise to hold conformety with these Pagan iudgemeÌ„ts But reforme them making felt the grauitye of such sinnes by the rigour of worthy punishmeÌ„t Men were wont to haue regard only to punishe such sinnes as séemed to beare preiudice to a coÌ„mon weale and therfore sinnes common against god or which of their owne nature be common or Publike wherin the world delights without contradiction are left vnpunished the same being an occasion to prouoke the wrath of God vpon a whole nation destroye whole kingdomes If the auncient canons of the Church bée wel searched it wil be found that al such offences are punished by long straite penance as are also al othes yea the most execrable that men tooke in vaine of god or of the gods diuers opinions of religion although they were absurde wicked and lastly inuocation to the
God and as it were to deface him Besides man being the headde and ende of the workes of God for whome all thinges were created and subsist and for whose restitution God toke vpon him the qualety of man shedding his Blood in the same to whome the Aungelles serue in earth as his ministers and for whome God hath prepared so excellent a kingdome in heauen what offence then doeth the murderer to committe slaughter on a creature so dearelye estéemed of God and so artificiallye made that neyther the heauen the earth nor all the perticular creatures in them can not holde comparison with that incomprehensible workmanship hée that shoulde breake the Image or feiture of a King or raze or plucke downe one of his Castles which hée had erected with great pompe coste yea if the King had employed the life of his proper sonne to make it vp againe after it bee destroied would the King euer receiue this man into grace it is not therefore without cause that in the scripture there is neuer grace graunted to the murderer it is also forbidden to take the price of blood vniustlye spilt meaning that in the Iudge is no power to consent that the Parents of the dead should sell the death of him that was murdered but that life should bee rendered for life neyther doo I thinke that there had béene any paine sufficient to punish the effusion of blood if it had not beene ruled by the Lawe seeing that in true equitie it can not bée possible to satisfye so vile an acte yea though the partie endured straite and long fasting to praye incessantly to God to distribute all his goodes for Gods sake put on héere cloathe to suffer harde lodging and passe in effect thorowe euery pang and passion of a Martyre That is no satisfaction where restitucion is not made with the like who hath power to geue life in exchaunge for lyfe what iust recompence can bée offered to the parentes for the slaughter of theyr Childe or howe can the Sonne bee satisfied for the death of his Parentes euen so in other murders there can bée no iust satisfaction and muche lesse any equalitye So that if for razing or burning a materiall temple or sometimes a common house the offendour suffereth iustlye the torment of the fyre howe shoulde hée escape who pulleth downe to the earth the true and spirituall temple of God and his sacred house Dauid by whom was wrought the death of his Capitaine Vrias coulde neuer haue pardon of God notwithstanding his great penaunce in continuall teares wherewith hée sayde hée watered and bathed euerye night his couche before hée had proued infinite miseries and his sonne conceiued in adulterye dead Yea knowing the lawe to bée inuiolable hée would not graunt Pardon to the murderer Ioab his great Constable notwithstanding the merite of his many seruices and being the onelye meane by the which hée recouered his Kingdome so well did hee know the indignation that God bare to sette murder and suche as by malice spill blood which cryeth on earth continuall vengeance afore God against the murderer and against the Iudge that delaieth sharpe and spéedy iustice yea also against the inhabitauntes of the place if they bée carelesse to procure seuere punishment this is also one argument that the effucion of blood is of great displeasure with God for that who so killeth another by chaunce being frée from malice farre from any moode of grudge must of necessity withdrawe him selfe into a Toune of refuge assured by the lawe there to remaine vntil the death of the great Priest otherwaies there is no suretie of his life From thence comes the custome of our time to sue to the Prince for grace in cases of such murders For much lesse that the lawe geues pardon to the Traiterous or malicious murderer seeing shée giues power and commaundement to kill him yea euen afore the high Aulter of the Temple The Lawe forbidding murders and distributing as hath béene sayd seuere punishmentes hath also a meaning to restraine and defend the causes motions propratiues to such sinnes as iniuryes choller 's inimities wicked cousayls false reports detractiōs diffamations enuies desire of reuenge couetousnesse debates quarels factions warres The which causes for that they were not wel vnderstoode in the lawe Christ toucheth expresseth some of them when he saith vvho is angrye vvith his brother vvithout cause is vvorthy of condemnation but more hée the speakes an iniury to him thirdly who with the hart of an enemy accomplisheth the iniurie if hée that calles his brother or neighbor foole bée of hel what punishmēts are due to contencions detractiōs vniust violences if he that beareth hate to his brother in his heart bée a murderer afore God expressing this damnable grudge by outward signes by which the magistrate may bée induced to certainty of iudgement is he not bound to put in execution the sentence of the scripture specially if they bée propratiues to the murder such as séeme to geue apparant motion to the facte But if the doctrine of god were rightly preached vnderstoode how could there bee any assault or acte of murder when euen to bée angry hate or speake euil of our neighbor brings with it the paine of eternal damnation Let vs loue one another yea beare such affectiō to our enemies as to die for them according to the example of Iesus Christ who loued prayed and did many benefits and dyed also euen for his enemies ¶ Diuers punishmentes of whoredome according to the diuersitie of kindes of the same sinne ¶ The .8 Chapter THE thirde commaundement forbiddes whordom of what kind soeuer it be fornicatiō which wée call simple as betwéene a man a woman not maried hath béene alwaies in the law of nature condemned to the fire as witnesseth Iudas who condemned Thamar his moare being accused of whoredome aftershée had béene the Widdowe of twoo of the dead Children of Iudas by succession of death as the Lawe and custome of that tyme did beare yea hée had committed her to the fire if hee had not béene guiltie in the fact In the law of Moyses if the Daughter had defiled the house of her Father with actes of lust and that hée knewe of it shee was stoned to death with her whoremonger yea if she cryed not out in open voyce in what place soeuer the violence was vsed shée dyed by the Lawe and her rauisher also the most excusable fornication was condemned to infamye and gréeuous correction of fines Moyses forbadde that there shoulde bee no whoore nor stewes and in respect of the grauetye of that sinne the lawe receyued the offering of a whoore no otherwaies then as money for the sale of a dogge In the new testament such whoredoms are pronounced worthy of eternal death then nothing lesse doo they merite corporall death according to God Christ sayeth They do transforme and defile a man and Saint
Paul in many places pronounceth them abhominable before God the same agréeing with common experience wherein wée sée that in no Synne is more power of beastialitye ouer man nor more draweth him into thraledome yea it kéepes him in more subiection then the Wine that makes him Droncke or the King that commaundes him The Wise man sayeth that as Wine and Women doo make men Apostates and to abuse theyr honourable profession so all sinne is without man sauing this whiche corruptes effeminates defiles and dishonoureth euerye parte of the man yea it pollutes the sacred Temple of GOD and bringes to passe that the holye members of IESVS Christe are made infected members of a Whoore If the Lawe did so expreslye forbydde that there shoulde bée no whore in Israel which countreye was but a shadowe of Christendome and that the paine was no lesse then death Why should it be endured amongst Christians who being most cleare and holy by that holy and deuine profession ought to expresse as great power of perfection as the light hath ouer darknesse there is no sinne which bringes to man more miseries blindnesse and beastlynesse nor by whose occasion more controuersies and murders do rise if it did onely but make man lose the reputation of his honour and libertie of his minde that extreme wretchednesse ought to make it hatefull much more then is it detestable by howe much it leades him into the destruction of his soule which is the principall Besides that the sinne is monstrous to lose the séede which GOD hath ordeyned for the generation of man so precious in nature yea if there be encrease of children what shame and dishonour followeth their foule procreation and to howe many vices are they subiect for the contempt which the worlde hath of them in their education If then so generall slaunder hang ouer all Christendome by fornication if it make Realmes subiect to reproches of forreine Nations if in it be nourished the occasion of euyll doyng by wicked examples so manye secrete murders of Infantes without Baptisme and the enforced deliuerie of wretched maydes to auoyde sclaunder of the worlde If lastlye vnder the winges of fornication be hatched the Egges and broode of so many diuisions questions controuersies murders and warres why should there be sufferaunce of whoredome so reprobate and condemned and the onely Nurse of all miseries happening to Nations and men were it not better to condemne it to death or at the least to ioyne it to such gréeuous paynes that there might be no further wyll to followe such allurement the miserable cause of all wretched deathes Here if any wyl obiect the example and custome of the Gentils who to entertayne their pleasures in their brothell places helde opinion that man and woman consenting to suche Acte did no wrong to any séeing hauing libertie they stoode also in power to do what they woulde Let them be aunswered with this text of S. Paul Do you not knowe that you are not of your selues but that you are redeemed with a great price vvhich is the blood of Iesus Christe therfore glorifie God and carye him both in your bodies and in your spirites for so doth it appertaine to him the body was not made to play the whoremonger but to serue God who in the resurrection wyll geue it an immortall glory where some may obiect that the sinne is naturall I confesse it as touching a nature corrupted which beyng the more daungerous ought so much the more to be eschewed and corrected So much may be sayde also af naturall choller procéeding of nature vicious and so of all other vices but by the grace of Iesus Christ that vicious or corrupt nature by studie and exercise of doctrine may be reformed and by vertue chaunged by force tamed so by constraint brought to God. Socrates confessed that the Philosophie of Zophyrus was true as who saye his iudgemente by naturall coniecture vpon the lineaments of his body pronounced him to be a great whoremonger which being reprehended in Zophyrus by Socrates friendes he tolde them that Zophyrus had not iudged amisse as touching his inclination but Philosophie made him another man so that when it is sayd that this sinne is common throughout the worlde we must conclude that there is no feare of God no exercise of true doctrine nor any vse of vertue no not so much as Moral by the which thinges the Philosophers Gentiles eschewed sinnes and wonne the reputation of honest people Let vs feare that the worlde be not fallen into the like estate of wretchednesse as when God powred the generall flood ouer all the earth that as the Scripture saith All fleshe had corrupted his vvay meaning that man euen from his youth ranged after the delyte of his fleshly pleasure the same being one signe of the ende of the worlde wherein S. Paul saith that men shal be more louers of them selues then of god Let these terrors be warnings to vs to correct our vnbridled lustes after filthy and fowle pleasures Let youth restraine their inclination by good discipline continuall labours and perpetuall study of vertue Let them learne to beare the Yoke of the Lorde from the beginning mortifiyng their passions and frayle desires by meditation of death and the iudgement of god Let Parentes according to the counsell of Chrisostome rather vse a ripe care in oportunitie to mary their children then to leaue them in the handes of daunger to offende God and damne their Soules ⧠Continuaunce of the punishment of this sinne according to his other kindes ⧠The .9 Chapter TOuching Incestes amongest néere Parentes or with religious women or rauishmentes of maydes the Law hath alwayes condempned them to death The Positiue Lawe hath alwayes iudged worthye of the fire Inceste with the maides cōsecrated to god At Rome the Vestal Virgines Pagans beyng defiled with Inceste were buryed quicke and so dyed miserablie The auncient Church receiued not the incestuous religious man or woman to the Communion vntyl death In all times the lawe of nature hath condemned adulterie to extreame punishment Pharao and Abimelech iudged it one of the greatest sinnes that coulde be as by whose occasion death did not onely followe such as had commited it but also it drewe infinite miseries vppon houses Courtes and Kingdomes Amongst the Hebrues the offendour was stoned to death At Rome by the Cornelian Lawe it was lawfull to kyll the adulterer without reprehension and also for a man to refuse his wife for the suspicion of that vice euen as for the sinne beyng notorious and prooued the Christian may dissolue mariage touching cohabitation In many places men cut of the nose of the adulterer and sometimes the eares as in Egypt they pluckt out both the eyes of Locres that was the cause why Zalence King of that people pulled out owne of his owne eyes and another from his sonne who was taken with the acte which he did to accomplishe the Law notwithstanding the importunitie of
by good reason the iustice of the Gallowes is executed vpon the Théefe if he be not excusable by extreme necessitye or if being ashamed to demaunde almes not hable to susteine his necessityes nor haue credite to nourishe his poore familye he hath purloyned the reléefe of others notwithstanding it had béene better for him to haue begged then to lay his hand vppon the goodes of an other wherein he can not haue excuse of sinne for that it is neuer lawefull to do euill euen no lesse or more ought to be punished the ritchman whome al Lawe doth bynde to beare aide to the necessitye of his poore brother appealing to his succor and finding him shamfaste his office is not onelye to lende him his hande but also to impart with him by pure gifte yea if the poore man dye by famine or any of his familye by the violent rage of necessitye the ritche man as a murderer is to geue Reconing of that death in the iudgement of God to which iudgmēt as the true christian ought to Raise vp his eyes and not to stande in the consideration of this fleshlye iudgement wherein is fulnesse of infidelity and errour so if this iudgement of God were temporalye executed heare vppon those that suffer the poore to endure hunger thurste and miserie whose necessities often times throwe them into the action of theftes and other violent wretchednes and somtimes to suffer death for want of their succor there should at this day fewe ritche men enioye their corrupt wealth and much lesse their sinnefull lyfe séeing then the ritche sort are blameable afore God for all these offences and no lesse subiect to punishment then if they were the immediate parties to the fact or procurers of the same it belonges to the authoritye and office of the Magistrate whith whome the consideration of this iudgement of God ought to be familiar to execute it vpon earth constraining such people to contribute to the helpe of the poore and néedie applying to the default of the ritche in this case present punishement to the ende they maye repent and bring recompense and others take example By this defence not to be a Théefe is comprehended also all prohibition against suttletie deceite reproache treason couetousnesse vsuries with all other vnlawefull meanes to gather ritches or to spoyle the wealth of an other to enuye him to speake euill of him to dishonour him to beguile him to vexe him by processe to obtayne his goodes or to consume him with pouertie In this are most of all reprehensible the Lawyers aduocates and Iudges whose eyes are closed from the sinne but their handes wide and wide open to receiue part of the spoyle wherein by so much more are they guiltye by howe much they beare fauour to lewde men whom if they blamed and gaue no support to their wickednesse much lesse that such iniustice shoulde be suffered but withall there shoulde be small cause of complaint Let all sortes of people dwell absolutely resolued in this that who doth wrong to another in what sort soeuer or procureth it to be done by counsell support fauour or geues sufferaunce to the wrong with impunitie or lastly who consentes to it without restitution either by him selfe or the aucthours or parties to the fact can not stande assured of their saluation S. Paul saith that the wicked shall not haue the kingdome of God bringing within the compasse of wicked men all such as do any thing against the Lawe of God or willyngly oppresse others with wrong yea if they haue but wyll thereunto though there be no abilitie of power Séeing the Scripture condemneth all iniquitie to eternall death it behooueth the Magistrate when it comes to his knowledge to follow as néere as he can the tract of the diuine iustice being the officer of God to administer his iudgementes not to laye his gouernment to the customes of the Pagans who condemned none but such as had done some notable burglarie deceite reproches vsuries maledictions and all iniquitie by expresse textes of the Bible are declared worthy of death by the iudgement of God So that if the Lawes of men be not such or that they beare no power to punishe suche sinnes let Christian Princes erect Statutes conformable to the wyll of God wherin maye bée abilitie of punishment to such intollerable crymes séeing it is an opinion oftentymes to many eyther simple or vnfaithfull that offences are not punished with God when they passe with impunitie here vpon earth By common reason and also by the experience drawen out of the doinges of the Pagans such men and their opinions are more worthy of death then the théefe Cicero when he cryeth out that iustice is broken by force and by craft applyeth the one to the propertie of the Lyon and the other to the nature of the Foxe wherin as is more merite of hate so by reason it bringes no lesse desert of punishment Cato was of opinion that to geue money to Vsurie was an Acte of great iniustice calling it the murther and death of the néedie as in which is wrought the extreame necessitie of the poore sort sometime compelling them to dye for hunger so that if the murtherer be holden worthy of death who can auoyde the merite of punishement to the Vsurer Agesilaus sayde That sclaunder false accusation or suttle craftie or malicious interpretacion which can not but holde also of false witnesse is more sharpe and cutting then a two edged Dagger wherewith it were better to haue a wounde then to be hurt with sclaunder What other thing is the deuyll then a sclaunderer and false accuser of the faithfull then such as practise sclaunder are of a faction of the deuyll All the wise men that euer were haue preferred honour before riches and weighed it euen in the same ballaunce and estimacion that they helde their life If then to him that steales golde and siluer the Gybbet is due and the murtherer looseth his head vpon a Blocke what sentence is reserued for the sclaunderer and wicked speaker which procureth infamie to honest men and heapes wicked hatred against them Touching false witnesse forbidden and expresly condemned by God to death it is consequent and conioyned to theft at the least it tendeth to one common ende with it and procéedes of one Roote which is couetousnesse though some times it deriues of malice or spitefull wil of reuenge or hath some other wicked purpose It is more intollerable hurtfull then robberie which Salomon holdes to be a cryme of lesse domage thē lying aswell for the necessitie of life as for other reasons yea false witnesse is so execrable that the scripture nameth it amongest these seuen sinnes which GOD hateth proude eyes a lying tongue handes spillyng innocent blood a heart deuising wicked thoughtes féete nemble to runne to naughty actes the man that hath no shame to speake vntruthes the deceitful witnesse bearer which is so much more detestable afore God by howe
by so much are they slowe in pittie but as men resolued whollye in forgetfulnesse of GOD they reioyce they laugh they sing at their Tables and passe their time in enterchaunge of wanton companies If this abuse be reprooued vnto them they aunswere Malencollye is hurtfull to their health not remembring the warning of Iesus Christe against them O wretchednesse saith he vppon you that laugh for you shall wéepe and lamente And miserye also vpon you O ye riche men which take your pleasures here and haue your consolations And no lesse vnhappye are all your others which fyll your bellyes for you shall endure eternall hunger In this are most to be reprehended Magistrates and gouernours to whose prouidence are committed so many poore people in their common weale that haue so manye desolate soules to comfort kepe so many sorowfull persons in delay of iustice and yet wil geue them neither hope in their causes nor helpe in their necessities And as they stande guiltye in the same vice with those intemperate sort if they correct not their conuersation with fines paynes and punish their bodyes to whom the Scripture pronounceth malediction Euen so they stande subiect to fall with them but much more gréeuouslye if they vse not diligence to take away the cause of this wretchednesse At Rome in the time of the Pagans there was a Law coherciue against excessiue and extraordinary expenses Much more then in the common wealth of Christendome should there be Statutes and seuere cohercions against superfluities and damnable delytes Let those epicures and belly gods of this worlde looke vp to the warning of Iesus Christ and prediction of Iob. They leade saith he their liues in good cheare and pleasures and vpon the point of death they fall into hell The riche man in the Gospell is not punished but because he helde sumptuous feastes put on gorgeous attire and despised the poore And when in hell he cryeth to refresh his tongue with one drop of water Abraham aunswered him My sonne thou hast receiued in thy lyfe thy benefites meanyng thou hast had richesse thou hast taken thy pleasures and made great cheare and this Lazarus felt nothing but miseries therfore content thy selfe thou canst not haue thy felicities twise neither he his perplexities againe Who in life tastes of pleasure after death shall be recompensed with displeasure as of the contrarye for him that suffreth euil for the honor of God is laid vp in heauen euerlasting good Other gluttons dronkards in general haue their sentence to be shut out of the kingdome of God wherein to auoide tediousnes I will not nowe medle with the examples of miseries hapned to glottons as to the Sodomites Israelites Holofernes to al which the sinne of epicurity brought miserable death Heare may bée resolued the question of some whether it bée lawfull to make banquets and whether they may be made to Ritche men wheren is to be considered that if the ende bée good and grounded vppon some office of Ciuill honestye they are not reproued Abraham made a godly banquet the same day his sōne was wained or taken from the nourse but it was an invitement to thanke God with his houshold friends for geuing him a sonne in his olde age Lot banqueted Angels whome hée tooke to bée certaine poore passangers Isaac banqueted with Abimilech for confederation of amity Ioseph congratulated the cōming of his Brethren with a sumptuous feast expressing only his feruent and natural loue to them The scripture geues much mention of Banquets Mariages and feastes of Kings such as were made on the solempne daies of sacrifices to God into the which were receiued the poore Leuites or ministers of the Temple other needy people as also in the new Testament speciallye on those daies when the communion was ministred the poore with the rest for the societye of christian Loue being made partakers of the Banquet whereof it tooke the name Agape that is charitye Christ him selfe was often at Banquets Mariages But whosoeuer made banquets to maintaine gluttony for which S. Iames reproues the Ritchmen of his time or for vaine glorye they haue theyr share with the wicked Ritche man in the Gospell in the tormentes of hell Touching mockers and scoffers let them thinke they are in the warning of Salomon That as their sinne is gréeuous so the iudgementes of God are prepared for them For séeing they ought to loue theyr neighbour as them selues they ought not onelye to bée sorye for the faulte which they reprehend and scoffe at in another but to haue compassion of it to correct it and to pray to God for him that hath the errour Repulse them farre from you sayeth the wise man for in them is nourished the causes of many contencions and therfore besides their condemnacion they shal be sure to be scoffed of others for that Gods iustice keepes his course ⧠Scoffers and men of pleasaunt conceyte pretending none other ende but to encrease pleasure are rebukeable But more if their I esting turne to the reproche of any so do they offend God Hovve vvee are bounde to employe our time It is not forbidden for all that to recreate our selues for honest purposes nor to vse our pastime and pleasure ⧠The .4 Chapter LET Scoffers and the vaine conceyted sort commonlye called pleasaunt men practising to make others laugh liue in pleasure not thinke they are without rebuke In whom albeit séemes no purpose of hurt to any yet the ende tending to the scorne of another can not bée without sinne and therefore suche pastime cannot auoide the due blame of vice Saint Paul reproueth them when hée willeth that there bée no fornication nor vncleannes nor couetousnesse named amongst them as is conuenient beséeming to holines And much lesse that there bée villany cloaked with fond speache or slenting contrarye to ciuill modestye which ought to be farre remoued from christians whose exercise standes in geuing thankes to God praising him and speaking of him employing the time also in discourse of thinges profitable good honest and tending to edifye the company Iesus Christ calleth this scoffing meaning idle wordes whereof there is reckoning to bée geuen in the iudgement of God speache vnprofitable time lost And as by S. Paul wée are warned to vse no talke but suche as maye serue and apply to edifye our neighbour So our tongue was consecrated of god by baptisme not to be emploied to other vses then to forme deuout speaches the handes to minister holy workes all the other members to be disposed to actes of goodnes acccording to theyr office for being dedicated to God to prophane thē in thinges worldlye vile filthy and vicious were as a detestable sacrileage impiety farre more greater then the prophanation which Balthasar vsed of the vessels of the temple of Salomon wherwith he banqueted his Cōcubines féeling therfore a sodaine terrible iudgement of God the night folowing And
speaking as when negligent children drawing to too much play and losse of time do mutuall iniuries with corruption of maners Where God is offended as in malice and wicked spéech and worke correction must not be dissembled euen from their infancie in which age aboue all other thinges they must be instructed to pray to God and by little little accustomed to feare and serue him as much as the state of their age wil beare Saint-Ierome holdeth it wel done that the childe be taught euen from his infancy to beare the yoke of the lord with whom Salomon agréeth saying Remember thy selfe O young man of thy creator in thy youth learne euen from thy youngest age to feare honour loue and serue thy God And Dauid is of opinion that there is nothing wherein a young man correcteth better his life then in considering and kéeping the commaundements of god Touching common doctrine it must be ministred gently familiarly easely and if it be possible without the rod according to the surname of scholes being called a play or exercise of learning where young wittes must be induced as to a pleasant play giuing to the young scholler some smal thing of pleasure to encourage him after the trauell of his lesson And for his better societie in studie it is good to ioyne him to a companion as a spurre to his Booke Proponing to him that merites some price commending the victor and blaming him that is ouercome yea sometimes driuing him to teares and yet afterwards recomfort him applying to the slow witte for aduauntage some what more labour of the Master to the end he dispaire not in study being alwaies ouercome This emulation in studie must be continued euen in great schollers for one of the greatest spurres to studie is mutuall enuie among companions as glory to winne and reproch to be surmounted if there be any young children malicious melancholly spitefull or negligent let the commaundement of Salomon be applied Restraine sayth he no discipline from a young childe for if thou strike him with a rod be shall not die of it beate him with a rod and thou shalt deliuer his soule from hell if malice be gathered in the heart of a child the rod of discipline will roote it out of him who spareth the rod to a young man hurteth him and sheweth no loue to the health of his soule but he that kéeps him familiar with the rod declareth his affection to him Therefore Masters that flatter their negligent leude children entertaining them in their vices for feare to loose the profite they get by them or to drawe a more number of schollers commit treble offence First against themselues being guiltie before God of all such offences together with other those faultes which their schollers shall euer commit Secondly they further the damnation of their disciples who such as they are nourished suffred such will they remaine sayth Salomon Lastly they do great wrong to their parents and common weales for that by the euils of those children the parents shall haue perpetuall sorrowe and the common weale continually vexed And in the end such Masters by the iust course of Gods iudgement shal be hated of their schollers and the gaine they shall get shall neuer rise to constant profite but perish before their eyes ¶ Masters ought to instruct their Disciples whome they receiue into commons touching the body with the same labour wherwith they institute their mindes prayses of Science Chapter viij WE must not forget here that euen as masters ought to feede the spirites of childrē with good learning forme them in ciuell mannors and kéepe them from corruption by euill example doctrine standing as condemned afore God deseruing so many eternall iudgmentes as their disciples by their negligence shall cōmit offences So they are bounde to no lesse care to norishe and to entertaine in health the tender bodies of their young scholers wher in it is chieflie necessary they vnderstande their perticuler natures together with the qualitie and operation of meates and so as phisitions prescribe their regiment touching the quantitie and qualitie of their féeding I mean that according to the naturs composicion of their children they muste varie in sorts measurs of meat and drinke geuing to some more and to others lesse As to great lampes where are great matches there muste be more infusion of oyle then to the little ones other waies where is great match and littell oyle and not often dropped in the fyer wil easely consume and put all to ashes Euen so young children whose nature bears a more ardent heat are more drye then others muste eate oftenner then such as are colde and moyst as are the flegmatike sort Let therfore masters entring in to the charge of children consider carfullye of their order of diet And as they ought to take héede not to traine them in intemperat or delicat féeding which makes them glottons and wanton and drawes both body and minde in to infirmities and corruptcion So let them no lesse beware to norishe them hardly and with meates of euill taste for great sobrietie in young children wekneth their bodyes in consumpcion of the roote humor through the naturall heat which is ardent in them by which default they fall in the end into a restraint of breth or tisycke and by the nature of euill meats they come to ill disgestion the worst of al lamentable and incurable disseases by these two extremities vnwise masters procure to their disciples expedicion of death and so are no other then the murderers of them wherin such aboue all other are most guiltie who taking children in to comons or pension for couetousnes doe eyther feede thē sparingly or by sluttishnes prepare them corrupt and vnholsom dyet wherin they merite sentence of cōdemnacion as traytors and suttel murderers of that simple youth abusing wickedly the truste of their parents who through their defaults are the proper deliuerers of their owne children to perill of death wine also being the instrument that leads them in to many sinns can not but shorten their life it burneth by his naturall heat the tender substāce of young men euen as the flame of fier consumes the oyle and so deuoureth the drye matter and wood alredy set on fier Then seing the young child is no other thing then fier to giue him wine is as to cast oyle in to a furnace to ēcrease the heat and burne all for which cause Plato in his comon weale restrained wine from youth till after xviij yeres and from those yeres till the beginning of olde age he suffered none to drinke wine but qualified with water and yet in great sobrietie Besides all these wine prouokes to whordom and engendreth coller adust which in the end by immoderat vse turneth into malencolie and so in the flower of their time makes them diseased with diuerse kindes of colde and incurable sicknes by which occasion the auncients in great reason called wine
are vnder theyr Prince being the generall Iudge vppon earth to drawe into déepe consideration the aduertisement of the wise man expressed in these wordes Loue iustice you that iudge the earth power is geuen you of the Lorde and the vertue of the soueraigne God communicated vnto you hée will examine your workes and search out your thoughtes And because you are the administors of his kingdom and haue not pronounced good iudgement and much lesse obserued the law of iustice nor walked according to his wyl there wyl appeare vpon you a horrible iudgement as a due sentence executed vppon suche as beare rule mercye is shewed to the litle ones but the mighty shall endure gréeuous torments Such as hée meaneth shal be punished which are those that doo not good iustice sée him in this sort interpreted to them afore the same being the cause why the scripture so cōmonly exhortes the Iudge to Iudge wel thou shalt not O Iudge sayth God in Leuticus doo that which is vnrighteous meaning thou shalt doo nothing against the Law nor intangle thy iudgementes with iniustice thou shalt not haue regard to the person of the poore man by pitye to take awaye the punishment of his transgression amongest other offendours and muche lesse shalt thou honour the face of the mightye to gratifye him in iustice but doo iust iudgement to thy neyghbour In the Booke of Nombers hée speaketh to the Iudges you shal not take the price of the blood of him which is condemned to haue spilt it but let him dye forthwith by your iudgement It is is sayd in Deuteronomy thou shalt ordaine in all the portes of thy Tounes whiche God hath geuen thée through euery family Iudges to iudge iustlye not declyning eyther to the one part or to the other Thou shalt not O Iudge admit acception of person in case of iudgement thou shalt haue no respect whether the man bée Ritche a great Lorde thy Parent Friende neighbour or familiar to the ende to minister fauour neither shalt thou take any presents for presents doo blind the eyes of wise men chaunge the wordes of the iust meaing the oftentimes they put in the mouthes of honest men other language to peruert iustice then they spake afore Thou shalt pursue iustly that which is iust to the ende thou maist liue happely and possesse the lande which thy God will geue thée if thou obey him This Lawe was plainely and fully executed by Iosaphat King of Iudea who erecting Gouernours and Iudges through all the Townes of his kingdome prescribed them these commaundementes folowing take good héede saith he to the duetie of your estate for you exercise not the iudgement of a man but of the great God by whom euen all the iudgementes which you shal geue be they good or euyll shal be returned vppon you that that is good shall bring foorth benefite to your saluation that that is euil shal resolue to your destructiō Aboue all thinges holde before your eyes the feare of God and in cases of your estate and office whether it concerne Inquisition examining of witnesses confrontment of parties pursuite of euyll men or execution of iustice in what sort so euer vse diligence with integrity distribute right to parties according to Lawe and conscience For there is no iniquitie in God as who say he doth no wrong to any man nor hath no power therevnto being Iustice it selfe but hateth all such as commit iniquitie there is not with him exception of persons nor any lust to receiue presentes whereby he warneth all Iudges to iudge in the same qualitie that hée iudgeth that is in right and equitie in trueth and iudgement This was long time before recommended to posteritie by Moyses as being the Liefetenaunt of God whom he calles the God of Gods Lorde of Lordes the mightie and terrible God with whom is no respect of persons nor hath his handes defiled with presentes he that geues iustice to the Orphane and right to the widdowe euen hée that beares affection to the straunger and furnisheth him with foode and clothing by this all Magistrates are warned to suffer no iniurie to be done to poore people who much lesse that they haue any common support in the worlde but of the contrarye they stande subiect to scoffes rebukes and afflictions of the wicked oftentimes to sturre them to a more zeale to straungers he biddeth them remember that they haue béen straungers in Egypt To this he addeth in another place that who doth not obey the commaundement of the Priest at the time when he doeth his ministerye meaning when he is in the exercise of his office as preaching teaching and instructing in Ciuill and common dutye the iudge hath power to condemne him to death thou O Iudge shalt cut of by death euerye wicked man al wickednesse in Israel as the rebellious proude arrogant and all other expressing a wicked will by any dissolute acte the which when the people shall heare or see they will feare neyther shall any man afterwarde dare raise his minde to pride or arrogancye against his superiours God speaketh to Iosua the gouernour and Iudge ouer Israel and immediate successour to Moises I wyll not leaue nor forsake thée be strong valiaunt that is take great courage the better to execute my Law which my seruaunt Moyses left vnto thee Leane neyther to the right nor left hand of the same so shalt thou know what thou ought to doo Let not this booke of the lawe depart out of thy mouth meaning exercise thy selfe with the argumēt of it euery day the better to measure the executiō of al those things which thou shalt finde written there then shalt thou direct thy way knowe it which is thou shalt then vnderstand what thou oughtest to doo prosper These speaches bring interest to all Magistrates gouernours of people as well as they were directly spoken to Iosua for what so euer he speaketh to any one singularly the same caryeth entendment to al others of the same estate So that let all gouernours of common weales bée aduertised by this doctrine that in the due execution of their office God wyll alwayes reache them his hande neuer forsaking them his ayde shal be alwayes readily distributed to whatsoeuer they shal do duely concerning their charge in terrefiyng the guiltie and makyng the rest subiect to them which be within their iurisdiction therfore as they néede not feare any thing but to corrupt iustice in their gouernment so for the execution of their iudgementes they are sure of the protection of God whose chosen Lieftenauntes they are Let them vse suche aucthoritie as they maye make tremble the whole worlde vnder them specially the euyll lyuers and conteine others in office of good conuersation For this cause the Ecclesiastike aduiseth vs to take héede to aspire to the state of iudging if we haue not the courage and power to breake the iniquities of all sortes of people séeing
satisfied with exact and actuall punishment where to theyr proper iniuries or wronges done priuatelye against them selues their humilitye ouercame the moode of reuenge and they felt no inclination to furious indignitie But God being iniuried they helde them vnworthy seruaunts officers if they gaue not iustice to his wronges wherein they thought their life a swéete sacrifice being offred to death in his behalfe For this cause Moyses séeing the Idolatrye of the people after the Calfe made a maruailous Butcherye If hée knewe any blasphemer to bee in his Campe who was more readye to drawe him into iudgement yea he that had prophaned the Sabboth in fetching onely certayne wood to make a fire did not Moises forthwith cause him to be stoned But when Mary his sister and Aaron his Brother murmured against him despiting him with iniuries was hée not patient did hee not praye to God to pardon them What miserye happened to Ophine and Phineas for prophaning the sacrifices of God and to theyr father as hath béene sayde because hée did not iustice what slaughter did God to the blasphemye which Sennacherib by his Herraldes of Armes pronounced against him in the presence of Ezechias Did not God by his Aungell ouerthrow of them in one night a hundreth foure score and fiue thousand was not also Benadab because he sayed the God of Israel was a God of mountaines and not of valleyes ouerthrowen togeather with all the Kinges which hée led with him and fel into the hands of Achab Elias put to the edge of the sworde foure hundred false Prophetes of Baal so muche reuerenced in Israell and honoured of the Quéene Iezabel Surelye God so abhorreth the sinnes committed against the first table for so they are committed directlye against him that Hely iudged them irremysible saying If one man sinne against another God maye bée appeased But if the sinne stretche to the offence of God so farre forth as it concerneth his maiestie honour and holye ordinaunce what is hée that will praye to God for him as if hée should saye it is a sinne so greate that wée must confesse that if God will pardon it hée must vse a singular mercye muche lesse then is there power in men to pardon such crimes committed against the deuine maiestie Certaine holde opinion that the crimes against humane maiestie cannot haue remission of the Kinges against whome they are cōmitted as wel for that they bring intent of malice as for that they are done against him whom they represent in earth which is the liuing God and also against a whole nation or people whose heades they are Wée sée when the head is hurt all the members haue interest in the gréefe with him and demaunde altogeather reuenge against him that hath offended them neyther can the head heale the rest if first hée haue not full cure of his owne gréefe Howe is it then that crimes done against God should lightlye bée pardoned of men it was not without cause that in the first Churche hée that was guiltie in any such disordered Crime notwithstanding his penaunce of fiftye yéeres if hée liued so long after his sinne yet was hée not receyued into the holy Communion vntill the ende of his dayes which yet was holden an acte of great grace to the offendour whiche as I wishe might warne the gouernours of our pollecye not to suffer God to bée vnreuerentlye offended with such damnable crimes So for suche as haue prophaned holye places pilled and abused the sacred vesselles and yet thinke to eschewe the terrible iudgement of God let them resorte to the testimony of those miseries which happened to Balthasar Antiochus and Heliodorus ¶ Sinnes committed against the seconde table are worthy of death euen so deserue they eternall damnation Yet must vvee vnderstand vvhen they are done vvillingly and more vvhen they are done by pride and malice and the more that the obiect is noble and excellent so much are they more greeuous The .7 Chapter HAuing declared that in a common weale the transgressions of the commaundements of the first table deserue pains irremisible it is méete wée shewe wherin and how farre ought to stretche the punishmentes for the transgressors of the preceptes ordeined for instruction of due and honest conuersation of life in societye tranquilitye and mutuall loue to our neighbors Those commaundementes are seuen in number and written by Moyses in the second table which God gaue him with the other béeing both two of stone for the better obseruation of them and theyr perpetuall memory Like as also in the due kéeping of those statutes was eternall life comprehending faith in Iesus Christ and in transgressing them was condemnation to euerlasting death Séeing then that transgressours stande in suche estate of condemnacion by God in his iudgementes let it bée a rule to leade the magistrates pollitike to the conformetye of that iustice the rather for that they are as hath béene sayde before called in the scripture the commissionours of God to exercise his iudgements By the first commaundement of this table wée are bidden to honor our father and mother and so haue long life on earth And as this honor consistes not onely in reuerence but in loue feare obedience seruice office of nature so in the persons of Fathers mothers this precept is exhibited also to al Lordes Ladyes vniuersal Magistrates Pastours Doctours Maisters and al olde people yea al superiours being as publike and polletike fathers the one ouer the body and goodes the other ouer the soules If suche as onelye disobeye and vse conuersacion of rebellion speaking euill of theyr Fathers and Mothers are without remission condemned of God to bée stoned What punishment deserue others who pleade against them abandon them strike them suffer them to dye for hunger or laye violent handes vpon them And if there bée any dutye of reuerence to the Fathers of the bodye by greater reason doeth there belong a more higher estate of power to the Spirituall Parentes such as dispose norriture to the soules amongst whome as suche as are fierce and disobedient are subiecte to present punishment So euen they are within the power of the same sentence whiche gainesaye Magistrates being the Fathers of the common weale In this vice togeather with all others the causes and mouers of the same ought to bée punished as a proude hearte a hautye Spirite a malicious wyll and natures enclyning to arrogancye furye and disobedience Heare let Fathers also bée warned not to prouoke theyr children to wrath and by theyr straitenesse dryue them into contempt Touching the Seconde forbidding murder euen from the Lawe of nature GOD hath ordayned that not onelye man but euen the Beast that takes away the lyfe of a man shoulde suffer death wherein God him selfe séeming to geue the reason why hée dyd institute that payne sayeth That man being made to the Image of him selfe what other thing coulde it bée to kyll man then to rent the Image of
qualetye and grauetye doo varye according to the matters and obiectes as lying dissembling scoffes flatteries c. ⧠The .1 Chapter MAny men for the most part make no conscience of raylings Scoffes Iestes Dances wanton Musicke and dissolute Songes nor of diuerse other kindes of Idlenesse Pastimes and speciallye of the vaine losse of their tyme Many also holde no reckoning of deceytes Lyes diuerse Ipocrisies Flatteryes with other lyke vices which according to theyr diuerse vse or rather abuse are forbidden by sundry commaundementes of God As if flatterye for examples sake bée practised to this ende to drawe the goodes of any one it apertaines to the defence of that coÌ„maundement wherin wée are forbidden to steale If it leade you to the acte of any dishonest pleasures or procure it in others it is within the coÌ„passe of this coÌ„maundement Thou shalt commit no whordom If the flatterer pretende to stryke or cause to bée stroken any man he shal find that forbidden in the precept which warnes vs to do no murder And so of others and many together maye bée forbidden by diuerse commaundementes not speaking heare of lying which ordinarilye is accompanyed with peruersitye of the minde and will. But sith flatterie is first brought into example wée can not tearme it more properly then a pleasant deceite a swéete lye a mortal poyson and a sinne aboue al other most pernicious cloaked with inuented speache whiche as the wise man sayth is the deceyte of fooles A swéete and delitefull venim to the glorious a destruction of Yong men a consumer of the Ritche and noble rase the abusor of great Princes and absolute ruine of great houses That was it that made Salomon saye it were better to bée wel scooled and disciplined of wise men then deceiued with the flattery of Fooles who with publike signes wil not sticke to Iest at those whom they flatter and speake as much euill behinde theyr backes as theyr wordes bée pleasaunt afore their faces For this cause Dauid sayeth that their wordes were as swéete as the Oyle of Odour or smelling oyntment and yet being sharpe as dartes they were notwithstanding very traytours who as Iudas betrayed Christ with a kisse so doo they abuse the foolishe Right Architophels and Dechistes wicked counsellours and cariers of vntrue reportes from whome warres controuersies grudges and murders doo flowe yea oftentimes they sowe gréeuous diuorces betwéene deare friendes They are transformed into this trade chiefly for couetousnes for seldome doo they flatter but with an entent to enritche them selues folowing for the most suche as bée wealthye and are disposed into bellichéere and prodigall expenses I wishe that to these filthes all men would doo as Dauid did to a flatterer who to obtaine the grace of Dauid and bring great benefite to him selfe brought to him the Diademe of Saul and his braflettes saying he had killed him and was come with great diligence to bring him those good newes to whom for recoÌ„pense of his dissembled trâ—th Dauid gaue present execution of death Dauid prophesied no lesse of the miserable ende of Doech the flatterer of Saul and wicked reporter of that which Dauid had done to Achimelech the great Priest whiche was that Dauid tooke Armes in the Tabernacle when hee fledde and that Achimelech suffered him so to doo and gaue him vittails to goo his waye whereof grewe great murders Architophel by the iust iudgement of God hanged him selfe for that hée came not to the ende of his counsailes and flatteries by the whiche hée had abused poore Absalon indusing him to leauye warre against his Father Séeing also it is written that the detractour and hée which as the Cameleon wil turne his tongue into many Languages sometimes saying one thing sometimes holding another as doe flatterers bée cursed for they trouble many people which haue peace togeather And séeing withall that they are so expreslye forbidden in the Scripture to bée such the Magistrate hath no reason to geue sufferaunce and much lesse grace of pardon to people so abhominable to God and hurtful to theyr countrey Yea and as gouernours them selues haue néede to take héede that they be not the first taken and enchaunted with these hurtful Serenes so let them not suffer that the youth of theyr Citye bée seduced by such spiders whose custome is to sucke the blood of great flies Let them rather with the example of the good Heardsman who pursueth the Rauens that folowe the weakest Beastes to picke out theyr eyes and so kill them to the ende they may féede vpon the Carkasse Let I saye our polletike Pastors ouer kingdoms and common weales thonder exemplary iustice vpon these deuouring Rauens whose custome as the Philosopher sayth is to hunt after weake braines and giue them so many pouders of glory that at the last picking out their eyes they make them so blinde that by the perswasions of these wretches they sée them selues to bée no more men but rather halfe Gods when in déede these mistes make theyr miserye the greater The next waye not to bee beguiled with flatterers is to geue them no eare to him that knoweth them not when they beginne to make way into his fauour by extolling his vertues let him acknowledge al vertues to bée of God and that for one vertue hée is infected with ten vices and therefore hath more cause to humble him selfe as in déede a man can not haue vertue if with humilitye he bée not a condemnour of him selfe Besides there is no iuste man which oftentimes falles not into sinne and hee that standes nowe vpright maye stumble and fall in a moment as was the case of Salomon For which cause the wise man sayth wée ought not to praise man in life for that hée beareth on his backe a subiection to chaunge If it bée forbidden to praise a man it is no lesse defended to a man to heare his owne commendation When the flatterer therefore goeth about to extol him let him saye that as hée is forbidden to demaunde glory for his good déedes so hath hée no power to geue it but that it is his part to ascribe all glorye to God who is the onelye aucthour of al good And if hée magnify him in that which hée hath not let him franklye saye that hée brookes no praise in Lyes Hée can not beguile a wise man for that his conscience which is the true witnes and iudge of all our doinges impugneth the prayses of the flatterer And so who wil not bée abused by the flatterer let him geue him no audience and if hée wyll eschew the Poyson of his practise let him stop his eares from the Charme of his wordes Howe many flatterers haue accesse to a mans person euen so many spyes and enemyes doo enuyron his estate and life The Fowler counterfetteth the laye of the Birde but it is to bring her to his Net the Scorpion smiles with his countenaunce but it is to strike with his Taile The
countrey dispence not therewith doth abuse the vse of garments So was the wicked riche man beyng through pride and glory clad euery day in Purple partlie condemned for that excesse The Iewe vsed an habite proper or singuler by the which he was discerned from other Nations and so the Samarytane knewe Iesus Christ to bée a iewe And the prophete rebuked the Iewe that vsed a straunge attyre as newe and to sumptuous but aboue other Nations the Venetians haue neuer changed their fashion of garmentes whose constancie that way remaynes to their perpetuall prayse ⧠Let none glorifie him selfe but in his pouerty necessitie and affliction such as glorfie them selues in goodes scienses c. are vaine but much more do they offende vvho vaunt of their euyll doing the euyls that come by intemperance what great faults are cōmitted by gluttons and people geuē to delicacy ¶ Chap. 3. IT is declared before that man ought not to glory in his riches in his power nor in his wisedome but rather in affliction as S. Paul saith vnder the Crosse of Iesus Christ taking specially his glory in god in that he knoweth him feareth him and loueth him for all other things are to the fleshly man rather occasion of perdicion then saluatiō and are the very stipends rewardes effect of the reprobate We haue now somewhat to vnfolde the vices in intemperaunce excesse of eating and drinking in this many do lay vp their glory and sometimes in thinges more wretched béeing one of the sinnes of Sodome and Gomorrhe as Esay saieth Wherein they commit sinne of his owne nature irremisible for that it procéedes of a sence reprobate neither séeing nor feelyng his proper euyll to the ende to searche for cure euen as doth the Letargie in his mortall sléepe out of the which much lesse that he wyll be awaked but hateth and striketh him that goeth about to helpe him And as when medicine is refused to be geuē to a sicke man and Phisitions turne him ouer to his owne desires it is a signe that hée is abandoned and his life in extreme peryll So when God puts into the hande of man the Bridle libertie of his owne pleasures suffreth him to prosper in worldly delytes it is then he hath least care of him expressing by that a daungerous signe of his saluation I meane not here intemperaunce by gluttony onely the very Nurse of whoredome where is excesse of meate and Wine which the Lorde warneth vs to take béede of lest we be taken in his iudgement as in déede we haue perfection neither of reason nor sence to consider of our conscience if we be guilty in any sinne And of this gluttony speaketh Ezechiel Beholde O Ierusalem saith he the iniquitie of thy sister Sodome the pride the fulnesse of bread and victuels and abundaunce of idlenesse but I comprehend also all epicurity of belly cheare where mē followe the affection of their delytes and wallowe in the contentment of the flesh Of which intemperaunce Salomon noteth the great Lordes and riche men of the worlde when he saith that region is miserable whose King is a childe not so much for yeres as for sence and whose principall states and Magistrates eate early in the morning that is to say according to the exposition of Esay wretchednesse wyll alwayes hang ouer that kingdome whose gouernours rise early in the morning to drinke and be dronke taking so great pleasure in banquets meates dilicious Wines that laying vp there all their humaine felicitie they make their God of their bellyes They are like to those wretches that say there is no life but to make good cheare against whom Amos cryeth out Wretchednesse vpon you O riche men in Syon who sléepe in beds of Iuory and take your pleasures therein who eate the best Muttons of the flocke and deuour the fat Veales who sing to the voyce of the Psalter or haue Musitions at your Tables drincke swéete Wines in gorgeous Cuppes and annoynt your selues with precious oyntments as if he had sayd You that surfet of your owne pleasures and delytes féele no compassion of the sorowe misery of Ioseph representing the state of the poore sort Esay rebuketh them for that they regarde not the worke of God and seeke out howe he ioynes his wyll and commaundement to our duety So that this intemperaunce is not the gluttony of villaynes whose maner is to engorge them selues like Woolues be dronke as beastes yea euen as Swine that are soyled in the filthyest myre but in this is expressed the epicuritie of the most delicate such as are more skilfull in delicious fare and swéete wines then in vertue and learning such as corrupting iustice haue also no care of it for that they are altogether partiall to their bellyes without all regarde to God yea the time which they shoulde apply to the cause and compassion of the poore and such as liue in teares sorrowe and want they abuse in dissolute Musicke Masques making cheare to Curtysanes A common vice of our time famylyar euen with the greatest who notwithstanding do take more glory therin then in actes of Chyualrie Is it not a great offence to eate drinke more for pleasure thē for necessitie not to restore the strength of the body but by abundaunce variety of meates and Wines to procure debility to abuse the Creature against the wyll honour of the Creator Lastly by that excesse to bring diuers diseases to the body wherby men are made vnprofitable to their common weale often times passe by vntimely death He wylleth vs to do all thinges to his honour that he may be glorified therein But in this intemperaunce much lesse that men haue remembraunce of him séeing of the contrary there is no exercise but of scoffing railing speache of the throte and belly in al vnchastnes setting the tongue at liberty to al sclaunder blasphemy impudency what glory doth this behauiour to God whose benefite is so abused contrary to his wyll and commaundement We eate we drinke at his charges we liue by his benefites and we sit at his Table and yet we are not ashamed to offend him vnreuerentlye He commaundeth vs to liue soberly to pray vnto him to praise him to breake our bread to the hungrye and to call the poore to our eatinges and drinkinges but what care is re-reserued to this cōmaundement when the rich wil close their gates against the cryes of the poore and they them selues wallow in the excesse of eating much lesse is he honored of such people whē he is disobeyed in this commaundement to haue compassion on the afflicted that we shoulde wéepe with them that wéepe Many are the poore about them to whose teares they ioyne no compassion Many are the widdowes that sigh Orphants that lament with others whom they sée to languishe in their miseries whose estate by how much they know to bée harde and sorowfull
continually for after death thou shalt haue no more worke to dooe meaning whilest thou liuest doo as muche good as thou canst for after death thou hast no more time to trauaile Play is also occasion of theft companion to gluttony a baite to whoredom a mouer of quarels and murders It is written in the story of the Corinthians that plaies were causes of their ruine for this reason Chilon a philosopher being sent in embassage frō the Atheniens to Corinthe to treate of peace for there were warres betwéen those .ii. tounes finding the Corinthians vpon a Festiuall daye so generally set at playe that not one of them would vouchsafe to enquire what was the ambassador and much lesse the cause of his comming And when he sawe that aswell the counsellors and chiefest as the rest were so caryed awaye with the delites of theyr playes that hee could not haue worthy audience hée returned at the instant iudging it to great indignitie that the magistrates and Senate should ioyne them selues with the folly of the popular sort And iudging that the best meane to reduce such incenset people were to assaile them by Armes perswaded the Atheniens therunto who afterward would neuer graunt them peace Playing at tables such like sléeping games are called of Aristotle the sportes of women for that to men those sportes are proper wherin is exercise of the body Touching playes at hazard wée finde them vncomely for all men but specially indecent for the christian profession For as the plaiers are led more by fortune chaunse as they terme it thē by wisedom or ability of the mind which is contrary to the nature of sports wherin is sought recreatiō by some industry of labor or dexterity of the spirit in which the praise is alwayes geuen to the vanquisher So in that play is no glory at all and much lesse duty of praise to the player because he doth no acte to deserue it The minde loaseth his practise reason hath no place the iudgement is confounded and the body hath no exercise the same being the cause why by the iust iudgement of God that kinde of playe neuer contenteth the player for that the more hée playeth the more ryseth hée in desire being prickt foreward with hope of profit abandoned to couetousnes wherby it hapneth that the gaine rising by that playe turneth seldome to profit being rather of a nature so wicked that it drawes men into disorder makes thē poore euen to nakednes retaines them in that basenes of minde that euen in the hardest winter they sit suffer as slaues the rigour of many cold nights with their féete benōmed vnder a cold table wherof are bred gouts reumes litargies appoplexies and yet these miserable plaiers haue no féeling of their wretchednes so swéetly are they lulled in the delites of this playe by the wicked spirite the very author therof For these such like reasons there was neuer christian who estéemed not playe vnlawful wherof a womā pronounsing her selfe a prophetis for holding opinion of certaine heresies was cōuinced by an Auncient and learned Bishop who iudged her not to be such one as she made her selfe estéemed for many reasons wherof one was for that shée was séene to playe at cardes and Dice at hazarde A pastime which neuer any of our religion was séene to vse The Philosophers estéemed them vnlawfull for that they haue no similitude with vertue delude reason and delite not so much the mind as they trouble it For as to the noble spirite nothing is more pleasaunt then when he may winne glory by the show of some excellency so nothing can be more contrary to his nature then eyther by sleight or fortune to bée vanquished by his inferior ouer whom by dexterity of nature actes of vertue hée is superiour Plato likewise would not geue sufferance to those plaies amongst his Disciples to whome when they excused them selues that they did no great faulte hée said this litle vice draweth to a greater offence meaning that from litle faults not thinking theron we slide into higher abuses if the humor of the first vice bee not restrained What then shal our christian gouernors say to our ordinary gamesters but euen séeing they abuse so many sportes and practise the plaies of Infidels contrarye to christian profession to forbid some moderate others aswel by measure and limitacion of time as by rate of money to loase at play the same being a necessary bridle to the affection of plaiers who séeme not to bée maisters of them selues the winners so gréedy of gaine and the losers of perplexed hope and desire to recouer theyr losses for which cause if they seldom geue ouer when al is lost at least recouering a new supply they ronne to a new reuenge so finde no ende in their playes turning theyr time into vnlawful acts and so from quarrels iniuries othes renounsing of God yong men fal into inuentions of theft and robberye with other practises of more wickednes Some haue placed Hunting amongst the sportes and pastimes of noble wittes wherunto Zenophon séemes to allure Princes great estates as to an exercise worthy of them hée sayth there is nothing aspireth so nearelye to the fierce fight with the enemye as to pursue the wilde Beast against whom must bée vsed art industrie labor and watching and sometimes suttletie and force to withstande daunger onely it behooueth the noble man so to choose his time for this exercise that he bring no incommodity to the countrey by reason of their corne Grasse Much lesse ought he to preferre his delyte to any pastime when his office is to consult in necessary matters abstayning from all vpon the Sabboth day And as hunting to the ecclesiasticall sort is an exercise most indecent so there is no lesse cause of restraint to meane people who haue to follow any faculty or arte profitable to the common wealth and necessary to the releefe of their priuate life Daunces with their wanton songes at this day are vaine and vnchaste Musicke of an Arte liberall is conuerted to an vnvvorthy vanity vvhat Daunces shoulde be lavvfull vvhat Daunces Musicke and Songes vve ought to vse a examples of holy men vvho neuer vvould be seene in Daunces ⧠The .6 Chapter DAunces and Roundes no lesse then wanton Musicke nowe a dayes are more dissolute then in times past yea resembling the vnchaste customes of the Pagans without faith and ignoraunt of God the same béeing a manifest token of the general corruption vanity of the present age And Musicke which according to the auncients was an Arte liberall in the which men praysed God song exaltacions to the noble actes of the elders recreated mindes heauyly loden with passions and reléeued bodies wéeryed with actions of trauayle is now become an arte of al vanity and filthynesse helping to the seruice of Sathan the delite of the worlde and pleasures of the fleshe I deny not but Daunces were in vse
maye stande guilty afore God and oure almes loase theyr fruite bycause oure almes they shall be entertayned in their vices and God abhorre vs for not seeing him obeyed So that if they bee poore and workeable let vs giue them nothing vnlesse they expresse a desire and wil to labour but if they will continue the occupation of nothing doing and so consequently to be nothing worth let the law examine their lewdenesse and the magistrate appoynt paynes to their ydlenesse if they finde nothing better than to trauell and know not now nor where let richmen by the example of the husbandman in the Gospell go seeke them in the publike place of the towne where all the poore ought to assemble and present themselues to trauell and so searching there and else euery where such as he findeth let him employ in labour giuing them somwhat more then the merite of their hyer in regarde of their pouertie wherein besides that they shall enure them to labor auoyde losse of time yet in this act they expresse doble almes and dutifull seruice to God in comforting their necessities and kéeping them from doing euill And where there are so many in one common weale that their numbers excéede their meanes to sustaine their lyfe by labour let euery able riche man be allotted by common counsell to a number for his seruice whome as daye labourers he may alwayes employ in something to auoyde ydlenesse And in cases of occupation and trade let the occupiers set them on woorke for the helpe of their sustenaunce But as in this businesse the wise prouidence of the gouernor is greatlye necessary to the prouision of the poore So touching suche as haue goodes and lacke foode for their necessitie the rest are bound to lend them vpon paune without vsury or publike excessiue interest which is vnworthy of Christians ¶ Compassion ought chiefelye to be shewed to poore maydes for the infirmitie of the kinde and not to suffer them to begge Exhortation to vvomen to take them into seruice for Gods sake for the vvhch they are assured to haue great revvardes according to the scriptures The maner hovv they ought to be prouided for vvhat vvas the auncient custome of the church for the releefe of the poore vvherin poore vviddovves and Orphanes vvere fyrst prouided for ¶ The .3 Chapter MVch greater compassion ought to be shewed vpon poore maydes but specially vpon Orphanes al others in whom is no other science Art or trade then to spin which being not sufficient to rayse theyr finding yet not finding worke inough to be imployed in the next coÌ„pulsion if thei be not succored by seruice in priuat houses is to go on begging which settes them in daunger of manye gréeuous inconueniences therfore as wée are bound by christian common pitty to succor aboue all other sortes of poore this fraile and weake womankinde so the most conuenient meane thervnto is if the vertuous and welthy Burgesse wiues vndertaking to prouide for them within their townes will in one common order take into their seruice so many as they may frame méete for their perticuler vses yea though the necessitie of their seruice require not yet for Godes cause let them receyue them into common discipline with their daughters instructing them in some trauell conuenient to their weake kinde And with this if in time they aduaunce them in mariage to some men of science besides the great and agréeable seruice they shall doe to God he shal make florish and prosper their house recompence them to the hundred folde and rewarde them in the ende with eternall lyfe If God requited the charitie of the wise women of Egipt for preseruing from death the little infantes of the Hebrues whome the tyrant Pharao had commaunded to kill what rewarde hath he layde vp for such good women by whome are preserued the bodyes and soules of those christian maydes from filthy polution and eternall destruction in the desire and will of Sathan If for sauing the corporall life of those small children God poured so many benifites vpon the sayde Egiptian woman what hope of lesse recompence remayneth to our good matrons of Cyties who haue protected young maydes from being dishonored an act more worthy then to kéepe them from being killed by impudicitie and defend their soules from perpetuall death what greater sacrifice of seruice can be offred to GOD then to kéepe the sacred temple of the holye ghost which is the bodye of a mayde from prophanation by impuritye and to protect the holye members of Iesus Christ from being soyled in that vncleane sinke of villany and whoredome wherein they shoulde be slaues to the diuell obeying him in all filthinesse and sinnes wherein if the honest and vertuous dames of their cytie eyther by negligence or couetousnesse should giue liberty of corruption and slaunder to these poore maydes applying neyther care nor succor to their wants I doubt whether in the iudgment of God they should stand cléere of their damnation hath not God giuen to euerye one a care and obseruation of his neyghbor who if he be lost by his fault himselfe can not be saued and because therefore it is not proper to a man to haue medling with this sex but more conuenient to graue matrons by a naturall proxâ—mity let the women then vndertake this act of piety and religion so commendable of the worlde and acceptable with God with recompence of immortal glory Here the burgesse dames must not alledge the number and charge of their owne daughters and so forbeare their christian compassion to others for that were the saying of Paganes who are ignoraunt in the benefit of our vnitie in Iesus Christ by the which we ought to holde all Christians aswell women as men in the estimation of our brothers and systers fauoring ayding and succoring them in true frindship in all their necessary wantes And euen as if we should leaue any man in pouerty without succours and his necessitye driue him into offence of the law and so to suffer sentence of death we should stand afore God as parties to his crime and guilty to his death euen so is it with women and riche matrons who much lesse that they can excuse themselues in the terrible iudgement of God but if for want of their ayde poore maydes fall to whoredome or other damnable vice they can not but be capable of hir fault and so merite communitie of payne with hyr Sure such surety of recompâ—nce standes in the true considâ—ration of Gods goodnesse that albeit eyther by their proper inhabiliâ—y or euercharge with their owne children they haue no great power at the beginning to aduauÌ„ce this poore maydes yet seeing it is familiar with God not to forget any good deede done in his name he will so prosper this good act of his lyberall charity that themselues in time will confesse that they féele an apparaunt and manifest blessing of God in more felicity and encrease of richesse then
mother as weaknes want of milke or necessitie of other extréeme sicknes she ought not to commit so deare a Iewell to the fashioning of a straunger wherein besides that it is an act expressely againe nature yet she sheweth hir self to be but halfe a mother and more corrupt in kind then Tigresses or Lionesses who hauing passed the panges of bringing forth their young ones thinke the greatest part of their zeale doth yet remaine and therfore they giue them sucke couer them licke them delite in them and till they be great thee defend them to the daunger of their owne liues from the violence of such as would take them The mother refusing the nursing of hir proper child giues suspicion of hir loue to the Father and great signes of corrupt zeale and nature toward hir children and nurses for the most part being but mercenarie beare no other loue and care to their nurse children then for the time for money whereby the poore infants sucking the seedes of diseases become impotent all the dayes of their life féele the vnnatural vnkindnes of their mothers who with their wretched nurses stand in great hazerd of iudgement afore GOD and no lesse to their Fathers suffring this vnnaturall disorder if there bée not lawfull excuse if to take the rest of the night at their pleasure and to eschew the disquiets of the daye they banish their little children into the hands of straūge nurses wherefore are they Fathers Mothers Why shoulde they desire children if they haue not delite to nurse them If God haue replenished the dugges of the Mother with milke to serue for a noriture to hir child is it not to impugne the lawe of nature ordeined of GOD and slaunder all humane reason to restrayne gods benefit plentifully intended to little infants The straunge nurse perhappes is compounded of other cōplexion and humor then the mother and the childe accustomed to a natural noriture which hée receiued in the belly of his mother what may be feared by this mutation but either change of nature or at the least a miserable subiection to sicknesses which bring more perill of death then any other disease If the nurse by necessitie vse a spare diet what shal be the strength of the child If she be giuen to gluttony what indigestion to the weak stomacke of the infant Who with the milke of hir pap will sucke the intemperance of the nurse séeing the maners and customes of the mind followe the complexions noritures and outward temperatures if the nurse be chollerike melancholy or furious what hope of good composition in the child If they saye such things may be holpen reformed afterwardes it may be answered that it is hard to correct nature Let therfore mothers according to God nature and reason nurse their proper children if they be not excusable by the causes aforesayde wherein they shall but followe the vertues of auncient Ladies yea Empresses and Quéenes to whom it was not irkesome to giue the dugge to their owne children and hauing not sufficiēt milke of thēselues they supplied it by the aide of some other good nurses but not in full noriture for feare of daunger and rather then they would vse two nurses because the diuersitie of milkes can not but be hurtful they obserued the order of the Saxons to norish the child with meat chawed in their owne mouthes by which remaynes yet a common opinion that the Saxons are more strong then the other Almaines Touching their other foode in any wise wyne must be auoyded for that it inflames the bloud and their generall diet ministred rather in sobrietie then in fulnes of delicacie For too great abundance of deyntie meates quencheth natural heat euen as too much doung or fatnesse rancketh the earth and cloyeth the corne it is conuenient euen to children of great houses risen into strēgth and age not to liue in choyse of their meates but to accustome their stomackes to all sortes of diet indifferently to drinke such liccour as is most common the better to enhable them against necessities and extremities of countreys warres and barbarous places where perhaps in place of delicate wynes they shal be glad of puddle watter their fyne fare tourned into foule and vncoath meats and yet in no plentie How heauely and hardly will such penury bee borne Yea what perill of life comes with this straunge suddaine mutation If they haue neuer endured cold and after come into snow and yce and want their wrapping what passion more intollerable yea they will thinke they haue death betwéene their teeth if they be straungers to paynes and trauell how vnapt are they to endure the perplexities of warre If they haue no exercise how hardly are they fashioned to the vse of weapons And being neuer accustomed to marche they are with great difficultie trained and prepared to the field And therfore let no youth be norished in ease but specially none that are dedicated to great affaires and martiall actions In such sort were fashioned the youth of Rome and Lacedemonie who in those two estates of people was most valiant and industrious after Lacedemonie the youth of Germany florished most by this education which ioyned with custome made them hable bodies against hunger thirst colde heate and all intollerable labours and necessities But so sone as they changed this excellēt course of exercise and suffred their youth to slide languish in pleasures their cōmon weale became weake and their florishing triumphes turned into tauerne playes whereby Lacedemonie was made a slaue to those straungers ouer whom she had commaunded Rome the triumphant Lady of the whole world become but to the coūtenāce of a handmayd and Germany by this corruption of the youth of great houses is now a place of good cheare and beares no other renoume then for banquets and feast makinge the same giuinge a daungerous argument that the destinie of the Empire aspireth to his ende But in the meane while the youth of the Turkes nourished in great sobrietie is accustomed to drink water is careles of fleshe and fine meates delites more in labor then in rest takes pleasure in perpetual exercises of the fielde the better to prepare them to the warre whereunto their vse bringes great dexteritie as appereth by their many enterprises against the Christians to the dishonour of holy religion In the tyme of Aristotle the Lacedemonians vsed their children to goe bare-headed naked on their féet the better to ouercome heat and colde and as soone as they were wayned from the dugge they were caried out of the citie as not to be corrupted by the swéete and softe pampering of their mothers and brought vp in the countrey and fieldes their bodies being made acquainted with sweat and labors when they had desire to meat they wonne it by killing some wild beast or foule which they brought to their maister and being but of small age there was hanged by a thréed in a high place some
shall pronounce Wherein the Curat and hée ought to be as the spirit and soule in the gouernement of the bodie and as Aaron and Moyses knit in indissoluble amitie to establish a cure peaceable and happie to the people the pastor preaching doctrine the gentleman ministring discipline to reduce by force the wicked and disobedient in whom is no readines of wil to Gods seruice or ciuill order But if eyther in matters of doctrine or temporalitie there happen causes of hard dicision wherein the one without preiudice of conscience cannot determine and the other by his coūsell can assure no certaine iudgement Let the curat returne the cause to the Bishop if it be ecclesiasticall and Gentlemen appeale to the higher courtes temporall as we sée in the old lawe God ordayned both the one and the other court with diuersitie and distinction erecting in euery court Iudges superior for the graue and hard causes others more inferior to debate matters of meaner qualetie So that as Curats are as first iudges spirituall and Gentlemen as temporall and seculer for the courtes ciuill the second are as seneshals or baylifs the highest as presidents coūsellours So yet all causes requiring dispēse of the law or that haue néed of grace are sent to the Prince in whō only is power to make chaung lawes vpon iuste causes to him only belongs the gifte of pardon grace euen in such causes of crime as deserue death But now to retorne to our gentilman seing he is iudge of his tenaunts let him resort to the instructions of our second booke the better to leade him in that estate and if eyther for the nomber or grauitie of causes he call to him a iudg let him chuse him by the rule and prescription of our first booke not suffering him to pronounce affected or faulse iudgments which is a vice most heinous against God whose iudgments be iuste and euen as a balance acording to the which the iudgments of men ought to be ruled wherin in déed as iustice and iudgment belonge properly to God such then as execute them vnder him in lawful authoritie ought to obserue his commaundement and manner in the measure of iustice and iudgments otherwise their vsurpation makes them guiltie of high crime afore the heauenly iudge Togither with this order of iustice the gentilman is bound to kéepe and defend his tenants as the shepherd his Lambes that they be not deuoured of vagabounds spoyled of théeues and mordered by robbers But as the good shepherd watcheth ouer his flocke defends it from woulues chasing them with dogges takes them and hanges them on trees to terifie others not to anoy◠the slocke euen with such liuelie diligence ought the gentilman to pursew roages and rauinors seruing to no other vse but to deuoure a countrie causing them to be hanged in publike places by the highe waye side and to exinte vtterlye that wicked generation And if their skinne be worthy any thing I meane if they haue substance remaining uppon their rauinus trade let it be distributed to such frō whome it waa vniustly taken In consideration of such regiment guarde and defence of pore contrimen the gentilman hath rents and reuenue and is honored feared and loued and called Lord of such as resort vnder him Wherfore doth he only in a parish weare a sworde but that to him a lone belonges the defence of his people and to serue the prince Therfore so often as he is called Lord and that with reuerence and homage they bring him rents and benefites let him euen so often remember for what cause he is raised into such singuler estimation and by what merit he aspired to that dignitie of honour And if eyther by his proper vertues or desert of his aūcestors he hath atchieued that estate of noblenes Lett him euen by the same vertues retaine and kepe his repuacion by the which he got it Let him thinke the honor is not due but to vertue authoritie belōges not but to the wise and discrete no more are his rentes reuenues constituted for other purpose then for the regiment guarde and defense of his tenantes as the farmor takes not the fléese and milke of the shéepe but to féede and kéepe the flock since he is a Gentleman let him refraine from all actes of villanie let him not bée ignorant wherefore he hath the name of noble which according to the Gréeke signifieth bright as a cléere light and in Latin it is hée that is knowne and renoumed generally hée can not shine with cleare light nor be knowne famous thorough the world but by his enseignes and valiant actes not sparing his life for the defence of the church and his Countrey employing his body and goods for the support of Gods honour and put his life in hazard to deliuer the people from extréeme daungers which he could not doe but by seruinge and praying to God liuing soberly vsing iustice and wisedome in his actions magnanimitie and patience to the reproches of his enemies tolleration of hunger cold with other passions of hardnes and kéeping no reckoning of the woundes he hath receyued traueling in the action of these high vertues for a singular charitie towardes God whose honour with the common spoile of the people had else stand in hasarde Then this noble Gentleman passinge so many perplexities to put in suertie and rest a towne or a region can the merite of his vertues bring to him lesse rewarde then the title name of noble both according to the Greeke and Lattin phrase hath he not wonne and purchased rentes and reuenues that hath wasted his proper liuing for the benefite and publique sauetie Euen so who followeth not the vertues by the which this name Honour Renowne and Rentes haue ben gotten howe can hée deserue the vse benefit or estimation of them yea what degeneration doth he expresse from his auncestors by whom they were gotten with the sweat of their bodies and common daungers of their persones should he not bring foorth dishonour if he followed not their steppes If he be giuen to vices greatly would hée darken their noble vertues if he be a coward much more would he deface their high and valiaunt attemptes and if he giue not him selfe to the maintenance of the church and defense of the people specially such as he hath in singuler charge what imitacion of his vertuouse predecessours who reposed all their glorie in the happie occomplishing of these things thinking they could not woorthely retaine the name nor the honor or at least holde them by false and vniust titles if they conserued not the iust causes of those dignities as also vnworthely possessed their rentes and reuenues due by their originall nature to the exercise and hyer of such noble enterprises Gentlemen then not liuing within the limites of religion but persecute blaspheme and vnder the title of their noblenes not knowing the woorthines of it doe manye iniuries despise others
let them labour to kéepe their common weale whole and sound that neyther in maners nor discipline nor touching the lawes customes statutes and ordenances there bee no error by superfluitie or want receyuing succours by doctrine sermons and perticular lessons touching Religion of the Churchmen to whome they are bound to stretche and leade their hand according to GOD as we sée the bodie serueth the soule in that is necessary for the vse and conseruatioÌ„ of man And if in the said bodye politike there bee hapned any euill of what side soeuer it be eyther of them selues or others eyther within or without whether of one or many or all together they ought presently to discend to the remedie to the rooting vp of the euill if it be possible in the beginning and not suffer it to encrease by conueniencie or dissimulation Let them not doubt but God as he is of nature mercifull so he is greatly prouoked when he punisheth man for vice but more angrie when he scourgeth a whole family afflictes a towne and visites a whole countrie but extremly and most of all is he stirred when he distroyeth a kingdom and generall nation let them not thinke that then the cause of the sinne is small or simple but in diuers sorts multiplied touching the nomber of haynous importaÌ„ce concerning the qualitie quantitie yea encreased with the nomber complet euen to an incensible grauitie for often times God attends the fulnes of our sinnes specialy afore he strike a nation or whole people according to the text of Genesis that he would not punishe the Channites till their iniquities were accomplished The best preseruatiue against all these euils is diligent prouidence of the gouernour and magistrat who then may best restrain vices when they prouid that the lawe may be vnderstand of all with such commandement to kéepe it vnder paine of such due ponishment that euen in the first that transgresseth against him that made it there may be actuall iustice to the common instruction and example of others wherein for their better helpe and effect of this verteous pollicy they must begin to institute the litelones to teach the ignorant blaming both sorts if they do not learne and obserue and so to others instructtng euerie one in the office and dutie of their estate and in what sort they ought to serue the common weale vsing herein specially for their first foundation the doctrine of fayth then the groundes of good conditions and lastly the rules of policie which doctrine in these thrée partes we haue declared before In this sort the magistrate may preserue his common weale from infinit euills as we read Iosua and Samuell standing vppon these reasons of gouernment neuer were trobled with sedicious nor any miseries hapened to them after they had purged them by penance of former offences There hapened in the gouernment of Josua but one defalt by Achan but imediatly after inquisition was made he passed by ponishment by whose example let gouernours bring into correction what vice soeuer they find done against god with out regard to qualifie it eyther by persone parentage place or other partiall or corupt circomstance for it is most cerraine that as that vice being suffered will be the cause of the damnation of the doer so the impunitie and example will drawe many oâ—hers to do euill wherby the ire of God will kindle against a whole kingdome For which cause Abraham assone as he vnderstode that Ismaell went forth to playe with Isaac or as some in terperet to prouoke him to Idolatrie he expulsed him his howse with his mother Moses when he founde any fault done in his campe specially bearing offeÌ„ce to God exercised present and sharp punishment what iustice thundredhe vppon those that worshipped the golden Calfe and no lesse vppon the blaspheamor and transgressor of the Sabaoth with other offences which he foresawe might prouoke god to sentence against the doers and to destroy him first being gouernour for negligence of iustice and so consequently all others consenting to the vices he was aduertised of the iudgemeÌ„t of God aswell by his expresse lawe as by examples past and such as stood in present experience as in the case of whoredome he had séene 24 thousand ouerthrowne by the hands of God with commaundement to him to xecute the Princes captaines of the people by whose wicked example the multitude ronne to their sinne of vncleanes he knew also that for the zeale of iustice God appeaseth his fury as appeareth by that which Phineas the sonne of Eleazer did vppon two fornicators thrusting them both thorow with his sword for the which it is writteÌ„ that God ceased to make the people die he knew by many other examples that the furie of God was terrible vpon a whole world if he fouÌ„d not exercise of good iustice by correctioÌ„ which the Israelites sought to eschew in punishing the offences done in Gabaa as hath ben sayd And Saule being yet a man of grace and fearing God when he vnderstood the people had eaten flesh with his bloud against the lawe cried out saying roole vppon me some great stone and put me to death Oh what sinne haue the people commitied against the Lord séeing God hath ben offended he will punish vs all iustly by some miserable accident if we resort not all to penance therefore he commauÌ„ds to make ready sacrifices to confesse their sinnes detest them and aske pardon of God by prayer whose example if the Magistrates of the world afore the flood had obserued and after in many places of the world if gouernours had applied such quicke Iustice and discipline in the first beginning of vices neyther had the vniuersall ruine hapned nor such common miserie to many generall nations if Helie had chastised his sonnes and kept the people from corruption of Idolatrie he nor his children had not died nor the people suffred slaughter and destruction If Jonathas had not transgressed the Edict of Kyng Saule his father the oracle of God had not ceased he not runne vnder iudgement of death which he had suffred had it not ben for the intercession of the people if Saule had not done wrong to the Gabonites he had not ben the cause of the famine which hapned in the time of Dauid for the appeasing whereof there was commaundement to execute seuen of the race of Saule By these exemplary aduertisements let Magistrates of the present time foresee that in their gouernements there be no vice done or being done that it be pursued with present punishment other wayes let them be assured that with the example of a disease in the body entertained and norished and neither preuenting it afore it happen nor being hapned is carefull to purge and heale it wil breede by continuance a feuer disquieting the head so much vex the whole body that in the end he shal not be able to haue any vse of his meÌ„bers wherby death doth
is but foolishnes afore God so with him such fleshly wisedom is also enuied therfore who seekes to be wise according to God let him labor to be a foole according to the world as if Saint Paule had said that there is no other wisdom according to god then the holy scripture according to the which we must aspire to become wise But if we moderate and rule our selues by our own knowledge and fleshly iudgment contrary to the doctrine of the same wisdom we are fooles and beguile our selues in faith such philosophie being suttle deceitfull and no lesse differing from faith then bestialitie from the sense of reason the same being the cause why the wise man saith that vaine are those men in whō is no knowledge of God And to resolue touching the opinions of those new philosophers concerning the euentes of the miseries happening in Christendome it is méete we stand resolutly vpon the iudgement of the scripture without passing further following simply the which briefly we haue spoken before which is in effect that we beléeue that they fal vpon the earth by the wisdome and prouidence diuine to such as knowe and loue God and that for their profit benefit and health sayeth S. Paule and that he empouerisheth not but to enrich againe hurtes not but eftsoones to cure and heale nor strikes none to death but to reuiue them againe to life he sendes not into hell meaning eternall miseries but eftsoones to deliuer them so that nothing hapneth but by Gods prouidēce and that for our profit whereby the elect and holy ones receyue their probation and are kept in bridle and made better Secondly wée muste thinke that he kéepeth vs not in punishement for our sinnes no longer then we deserue it no more then the Phisicion purgeth his patient but according to the necessitie of his disease for which cause affliction is called purgation And as the mettall by the fyer is purified of his rust and earthy filthines vntill he be refined euen so God clenseth vs of our iniquities vnder faith in Iesus Christ making vs by that meane become better therfore when he layeth his hand vpon vs he doth it with the clemencie of a father but if we correct our selues his roddes are throwne into the fire and with our deliuerance he giues vs spirituall pleasure ioye and plentie of all necessarie benefites Thirdly if he sée we perseuer in vices he continueth his punishment making them so much the more sharpe and gréeuous by howe much our sinnes are cankered and of hard cure not sparing according to our obstinacie merit and grauetie of our wickednes to roote vs vp by death as he did Herod or else deliuereth vs vp to our owne lustes and wil punish vs no more as reseruing vs for his iust and terrible iudgement as he dealt with the rich man This is that which according to the scriptures we ought to beléeue touching the calamities which God sendes to a common weale or a whole realme and therefore to those dispusers and doctors of policie speaking not only so rashly but also in infidelitie of the aduersities of the world be it sayed that they learne a new lesson speak as Christians least the world hold them in the reputacion of infidelles and men ignorant of god Touching such as maintaine that thorow out the world and in all ages there haue bene miseries and therefore not to bée holden strange that in this time perticular nations suffer aflictions let them ioyne with all these further cōsiderations that God vseth other wayes I meane for other causes to touch with miseries those men and nations which acknowledge honor and worship him in true religion as their souereigne Lord then he doth to other eyther Apostats and schismatikes or all together Infidels the good sort and holy ones receiue these afflictions as disciplines corrections by the which being aduertised of the indignation of their heauenly Father against them they are stirred to conuertion to crie him mercie and with all dutie to dispose themselues to serue him where the others when he hath rebuked thē yet they are not chastised by those scurges which in déede he will not suffer to worke the effect of correction in them as knowing their obstinacie but as they are punished for that they haue done wrong to his children being to them as Lions and wolues to the pore flocke so he maketh them vnderstand it to th end they do no more wronge to them That is the cause why Esay and Ezechiell fore tell the desolation of many townes and regions of the infidells as hauing vexed with cruell warrs the Israelites or to stay them with mutuall warrs from offering oppression and tiranny to the faithfull as we sée proued by many examples in the olde Testament And albeit God serued his turne with them and made them his scorges to whip his children the axes to dismember them yet he ment not that they should tiranously deale with them but as oftē times it hapneth they acknowleged not how nor for what they were victors but proudly attributed to themselues the glory of victories So for that pride and tiranny God sent them afterwards other tirants that requited them with iust recompence both for that they might vnderstand they had euill done so to vex his people as also to call them to a better modestie if afterward he should send them to discipline his people for no other causes God séemes to care for such reprobates but with the sentence of the scripture deliuereth them vp to their perticular affections desiers and wills with whome the deuill who is their prince doth what he list And where he giues them the fruition of this inferior world common with his other people as helth libertie and plintie of goodes He doth that of his generall prouidence not meaning for their impietie to break the order established from the beginning of the world as giuing blessing to the earth to beasts fishe and men for procreacion hauing so disposed the Elements the generation and corruption of naturall thinges all which do aswell bring profit and pleasure to Idolators and infidels as to the people of God and euen so so many calamities and miseries yea often times more and death it selfe do happen aswell to those as to others as the wise man saith Here may be deserned how our babling naturall disputers doo slide with their swéet error in to extreme impietie not seing in to the high councell and wisdom of God who as he is wise constant and immouable in his generall ordenances so he enterteyneth the order established in perpetuall prouidence of his creation they consider not as wisemen ought to do and much lesse see in to the cause why he hath made all this that is nor for what end he entertayneth and preserueth it They ought to haue learned that the vnfaithfull and euill liuer deserue not to possesse the vse and benefit of any creature
forbare to meddle withall getting by this meanes full power and libertye to make the sound sicke and to geue death to suche as are but litle diseased the same being more familiar with him then to cure one onely Ephemerides or an Ague of one fit Such one shal beare more renoune then euer did Hipocrates or his interpretour Galien and his name so plawsible that in it is drowned the estimation of others in whom is more knowledge iudgement Honesty and Sad experience So that these counterfeites in whom is none other experience then in cōmon Herbes or receiptes or haue the faculty to make Distillations applying them to all diseases without iudgement of the reason or obseruation of Ages complexions Times Places and other Circumstaunces shall drawe more Dignitye and Credite with their masking behauiour then other Phisitions whose skill is approued by aucthoritie of the Vniuersities Wherin if these deceiuers deserue rebuke seueritie of paine the common people is no lesse reprehendible for their hasty credulity Therfore it behoueth the Magistrate to bée so muche the more prouident in these cases by how muche the life of man is precious being committed to the hazarde of such men Who so euer hath any processe of det House or land hee wil recommend his cause to the best Lawier hée can finde Much more doeth the case of life require care and prouidence specially where is more perril of death then profe of knowledge And now touching the seruice of good Phisitions in common weales this is to bée obserued in their election that they bée learned faithful wise and well experienced it is a good argument that they are learned if they haue diligentlye studied Philosophie and beene three yeres at the least resolute practisors in Phisicke and ten yéeres in the medicine Theorical employing twoo of the last yéeres in Anathomie in the knowledge of Herbes and in Pharmacopole to vnderstand the composition of al medicines those thrée things are to bée learned by the eye To the wisedome of a Phisition is required an exquisyte iudgement whiche is made perfect by experience wherin by necessary reason they ought to haue good vnderstanding séeing they haue the life of al sortes of men in iudgement with power to dispose without appeale to any higher Iudges but to God where to all other inferiour Courtes belonges this prorogatiue That albeit the Iudges bée neuer so wise yet there is liberty to appeale to higher places And if in a common consult assembly of Phisitions to debate vpon a disease there can bée no good resolution where is no grauety of learning experience much lesse ought a yong phisition to bée receyued whose want of practise takes from him the estimation of iudgement and experience So that it is highly necessary to the credite of a Phisition to study the time appointed and duly runne ouer the thrée thinges aforesayde Then let him haue conuersation certaine yéeres with learned Phisitions practising in Cities and good Tounes A custome which certaine phisitions vse to their learned disciples carying them with them when they visite their paciēts explaning by palpable demonstration of the eye hand the true practise of the Arte Which sort time of exercise wyl bring vnto them hability of practise wherein they néede not faile for want of experiēce the like is obserued amongst Lawiers who hauing ouercom the discourse of the lawes take not vpō them forthwith the state of pleaders for so might many causes suffer hazard but obseruing two or three yeres the examples of the most famous counsellers of a court haunting the bar rather to heare then pleade they searche out the Counsels writinges and memoryes of excellent Aduocates and so gooe out perfect Maysters hauing as good habilitye to pleade at the first as if they had had no other exercise during their life Euen so it is not for yong Phisitions to practise their prentise cunning vpon fat monkes which beare no importaunce in the worlde and muche lesse in Hospitalities or Vplandish Tounes afore they come to the chiefe Cities the same being as muche as if they should bée counselled to goo kill the world or at least to learne the meanes thereunto Let them honour their beginnings with the presence and testimony of the best Cities drawing their practise from the example of the most excellent in that arte And making profe of their learning by publike disputes and aucthority of auncient professours let them shewe Certificate of the continuaunce of their studie and time of their Degrées Herein it maye bée sayde that in regarde of the time of this Studye it is necessarye that suche as Aspire to the Arte bée eyther verye Ritche or at least furnished to beare out so chargeable a Cost I must in déede confesse that that common weale suffereth great inconueneience wherein the poore sort make profession of Phisicke For as pouerty being voide of power to releue the time of so long studie hath lesse meane to furnishe other necessary charges as Bookes whereof they must haue great stoore for the due searching out of the secréetes of that Arte So it is for the most part gréedye of Gaine aspiring to wealth whersoeuer they may finde it And being neuer satisfied they fall by increase of newe and freshe profite into extréeme auarice It is written that the first professours of this Arte were Ritche men and great Lordes as amongest others Apollo Esculapius and Hipocrates Whose truth and maner of adiuration as I wishe might stande alwaies afore the eyes of suche couetous people as séeke to enter into the studye of Phisicke So I woulde also that the example of that Pagan him might kéepe our Christian Phisitions from periurye by impietye as abusing this Arte eyther by ignoraunce auarice rashnesse infidelity or peruerse affection They were at the first Arboristes Pothicaries and Surgeons as appeareth by the last Chapter of Genesis where the Phisitions had charge to embaume the bodye of Iacob the same being also expressed in the .xxi. chap. of Exodus and by all the auncient bookes But since the world beganne to multiply and Ambition Couetousnes beare rule ouer the heartes of men of one Estate they haue made thrée yea a fourth which bee Arboristes whereof there bée companies in diuers places notwithstanding Phisitions holde the most honourable most gainefull and least painful Estate being as maisters to iudge and command the others vsing the seruice of the Arboristes and Pothicaries ioyntly to discerne the simples and the Pothicaries alone to compose drognes and minister thē to the patient And imploying the Surgeons to cut or Anothomise and doo handy Cures vppon the outward partes of the bodye the Phisitions reserue them selues onely for the inward partes and iudgement of purgations afore the Surgeon apply his Plaster or make incision But such is the malice of time and men that in these twoo last Estates who ought to bée subiect to the phisition hath béen found no small abuse by vsurpation of the Arte