in all Churches sayth hee vnder thy charge as also in those that bee vnder other Bishoppes Priests and Deacons ye be diligent to restore such as be decaied likewise to build new in places conuenient And thy selfe and all other in thy name shall call to the gouernours and magistrates of prouinces for all things necessarie for the reparations or building of the same for I haue commanded them with al speed to prouide whatsoeuer your holynes shall call for Lykewise as it is requisite that there shoulde bee some prescript forme of Christian faith and Ecclesiasticall order and gouernment so haue they also extended theyr care in that dutie as we reade of the Emperour Iouinian of whome Ruffin writeth that the businesse of the Church was not the least parte of his care also that calling Athanasius Ruffin 〈◊〉 Eccl hist â— c. â—â— from him receiued he a forme of faith and order for the erecting and gouernment of the Churches 12 But to the end that magistrates may bee instructed and moued to the due practise of the matters aforesayde and so to cause theyr subiectes to liue in the feare of God It is also their dutie to procure the diligent reading of Gods worde and profiting in the same And some there haue beene that haue shewed great zeale in that behalfe Socr. l. 7. c. 22 Among others wee reade that the Emperour Theodosius would conferre of the holy Scriptures with the Bishops as if himselfe had bene a Bishop In this respect did God in old time command that the king that should be chosen ouer Israel so soone as he should be placed in the throne of his kingdome shoulde for himselfe write out a copie of the lawe in a booke Deut. 17.18 which he should take in the presence of the priests that it might remain with him and that he should reade therein all the daies of his life to the end to learne to feare God and to keepe all the wordes of his lawe and his ordinaunces to doo them The lyke commandement dyd hee giue vnto Iosua saying Let not this booke of the lawe departe out of thy mouth Iosua 1.8 but meditate therein daie and night that thou mauest obserue and doo according to all that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy waie prosperous and then shalt thou haue good successe The hundreth and nineteenth Psalme declareth how necessary this dutie is also how diligently Dauid emploied himselfe therein therby shewing himselfe to be a true patterne or myrror of pietie to all kings princes and magistrates Eusebius in the life of CoÌ„stantine l. 4 13 They are moreouer diligently to pray vnto God also to cause others to praie for them that they may duly discharge theyr dueties Heereto it seemeth that Constantine the great was much addicted For as Eusebius reporteth of him hee knowing verie well that the prayers of such as feared God might greatly profyte him in the due gouernment of all sought after such as might praie for him and besydes his owne prayers required also the praiers of the gouernours of the congregations for him In peeces also of golde that hee caused to bee coyned himselfe was portrayed wyth his handes lyfted vp to heauen as it were praying vnto God yea which is more hee tooke order that his souldyers shoulde learne to praie to God Pulcheria the daughter of the Emperour Arcadius Sozom. his Eccle. hist li. 9. cap. 1. vppon her fathers death at the age of fifteene yeeres taking vpon her the gouernment of the Empire caused her brother Theodosius the heire thereunto to bee brought vp in godlynesse and accustomed to much praier and hee thorough such bringing vp beeing much giuen to this godly exercise afterwarde in a matter of great importance founde the fruite of his praier for hauing on a time receiued from diuerse Bishoppes diuerse seuerall doctrines and confessions concerning the diuinitie of Christ Socrat. hist Eccl. l 5. c. 10 he went into a secrete place where hee feruently prayed vnto God to giue him grace to make choice of the same which contained the truth of that doctrine Then reading ouer all theyr confessions hee allowed and kept the same which taught that Christ was of the same essence wyth his father and defaced the rest as repugnant to the holy Trinitie Lykewise beeing to go to warre after the example of Dauid hee had recourse to prayers as knowing that it was in God onely to dispose of warres and as the same authour addeth hee executed his warres by praier and supplications Socrat. hist Eccl. l. 7. c. 22 c. 23. And after his victories ouer his enemies hee so acknowledged them to be from God that on a time as hee was looking vppon certaine triumphes and publike pastimes hearing of the death and ouerthrow of a certine tyrant that was risen against him immediatlye crying out to the people hee sayde Leauing these carnall pleasures let vs go to Church to giue thankes and praises vnto God And at the same verie instant leauing the pastimes being come into the Church they spent there the rest of the daie in praysing and blessing the Lorde 14 Some also there haue beene that so ordered theyr houses in the exercise of Christian religion Euseb in the lyfe of Constan li. 4 that theyr Courtes resembled Churches as Eusebius reporteth of great Constantine that hee had consecrated his whole house to the seruice of God the onely king of kinges that the domesticall multitude of his Court was euen a Church of God yea hee retayned aboute him sundrie ministers of God that ordinarilie praied for him Lykewise the Emperour Valerian in the beginning of his Empire so greatly fauoured the Christians that his Court beeing replenished wyth greate store of all sortes of people that feared God Eusebius tearmeth it The Church of God Eus hist Eccl. li. 7. ca. 10 They lykewyse verie well vnderstoode and perceiued that euen the prosperitie of theyr persons and estate depended vppon pietie and the establishment of the seruice of God according as the holie Apostle Saint Paule verie well noteth where hee sayth Godlynesse hath promise of the lyfe present and of that that is to come 1. Tim. 4.8 As also God speaking vnto the Prophet Samuell sayde I wyll honour those that honour mee Among others 1. Sam. 2.30 Constantine the greate writing vnto Anilin confesseth and acknowledgeth that by diuerse and sundrie experiences hee knewe that if Relygion wherein wee are to obserue wyth greate zeale a singular reuerence of holynesse and godlynesse bee anie whit neglected or diminished such neglect wyll prooue in time verye daungerous and hurtefull vnto the Common wealth And contrarywyse that being vpholden and maintained it breedeth great felicity and prosperitie to all men Zozom hist Eccl l. 9. c. 1 thorough the grace and blessing of God Heereupon Zozomenes rehearsing the wonderful prosperitie that God graunted to the Emperor Thedosius and wythall noting that this blessing proceeded of
the head our steadfast abiding in the doctrine of truth and vnion in the faith of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christe are all wrought by the ministerie of the woorde which Iesus Christ hath ordained in his holye Church To bee short that preaching is as it were the knitting and ioyning of the sinewes to vnite the faithfull into one bodie Whosoeuer therefore despiseth or reiecteth this order and benefite of Iesus Christ hee tendeth onely to scatter the Church or vtterly to destroy it Neither is the light of the sunne yea euen meat or drinke so necessarie and profitable for the preseruation of this present life as is the ministery for the vpholding of the church and bringing vs to saluation and life euerlasting 10 The premises throughly considered do also teach vs the reason why God where he might haue vsed the seruice of Angels to reueale vnto vs the doctrine of saluation Act. 8.26 and to instruct vs by the reading of his word vouchsafed to speak vnto vs by the ministerie of men like vnto our selues whereof we haue sundrie notable examples The Eunuch treasurer to Queene Candâ—ces read vppon his chariot the booke of the prophet Esaye Act. 9.9 God was not satisfied with this his affection and dutie neither did he send an Angell to expound it vnto him but imploying the ministerâ—e of man he sent him Philip. When Iesus Christ appeared to Paul and conuerted him yea euen spak vnto him he could also haue instructed him himselfe Act. 10.3 or haue sent some Angell to doo it but he contrarywise sent him to Ananias that at the mouth of an aÌ„ he might learn his will The Angell sent to Cornelius the Centurion to declare vnto him that his praiers and almes were come vp before God in liew of teaching him appointed him to send for Saint Peter that of him he might vnderstand the doctrine of saluation What man therefore is he that now dare either by expectation of reuelation from heauen or by contenting himselfe onely with reading presume to reuerse or controll the order established in the wisdome of God for the teaching of men and the bringing of them to saluation by the ministerie of men What confusion might insue of such rashnes and presumption What ingratitude against God to contemne such an honour and reuerence doone vnto men and a benefite of such greate excellencie yea euen of profite and necessitie Truely therefore inasmuch as the preaching of the Gospell is tearmed the kingdome of God Col. 4. such as doo despise and reiect it doo make themselues not onely vnworthy thereof but also most wretched and accursed instrumentes to aduance the kingdome of sathan Rather therfore apprehending the incomprensible treasure of the ministerie of the woorde let vs with the Prophet Esay and the holye Apostle Saint Paule saye O howe beautifull are the feete of them that bring gladde tidinges of peace and doo also bring gladde tidinges of good things 11 Neither must wee imagine or thinke with our selues Esa 52.7 Rom. 10.15 that being a little entered thereinto we neede not to heare anie more preaching for euen all the daies of our liues must wee be Christs schollers in the schoole of his Church vnder the ministerie of men As also the faithfull in olde time were called disciples whereby the holy Ghost signifieth vnto vs Act. 11 26. that the children of God must continue daily disciples and so learn in Christs schole vntill that departing out of the same they ascend into heauen And in deede such as being impotent and weake when they haue some voyage or iourney in hande and therefore doo take a waggon or a horse and when they haue ridde some fifteene or twentie leagues doo not straight waie without consideration of they businesse leaue theyr horse or chariot but doo retayne the same vntyll they come to theyr iourneyes ende but our iourney wyll neuer bee at an ende vntyll that by death wee bee lyfted vp into heauen The forwardest among vs as the holy Apostle Saint Paule saith doo yet knowe but in parte 1. Cor. 12.13 Ephes 4.13 And the ministerie is ordayned to profite vs vntyll wee become to bee perfect men and haue attayned to the perfect measure and full age of Iesus Christ as the same Apostle more at large doeth teach vs. And this perfection and age of man is neuer accomplyshed vntyll death And truely as the office of the ministerie consisteth in feeding the flocke of Iesus Christ by the preaching of his holie woorde so this woorde Foode doeth teach and admonish vs that as for the time of our lyuing and beeing in this worlde wee doo stande in neede of foode for our bodyes so can wee not forbeare preaching and teaching for the feeding and nourishment of our soules vntill we be lifted vp into heauen 12 But wert thou as skilful as Saint Paul yet must thou confesse that thou still standest in need of the holy ministerie 1. Cor. 14.3 2. Tim. 3.16 For preaching is ordained not onely to teach vs that which wee knowe not but also to reprehend our vices to exhort vs to our duties to comfort vs and to strengthen vs in the faith and obedience of God Whatsoeuer hee bee therefore that knoweth himselfe hee doeth sufficiently by these reasons and considerations vnderstande that hee hath neede of the holy ministerie all the dayes of his lyfe Schollers haue nothing to learne but knowledge and that euen of humane doctrine and therefore theyr studies haue a limitation but preaching is ordayned not onely for increase of knowledge but also to teach vs to put our knowledge in practise that is to say to aduaunce vs continually more and more in faith and amendement of lyfe wherein we shall neuer be perfect vntyll death By the premises then it doth appeare that euerie one that hath anie purpose to obeye this exhortation of Iesus Christ and of Saint Iohn where they saie Amend your liues must resolue to ioyne with the Church of Christ that diligently and carefully they may heare his worde all the dayes of theyr lyfe Also that it is the duetie of euerie Christian to put in practise this saying of the Prophet Esaie Esa 2.2 In the latter daies the mountaine of the house of the Lord shall bee prepared in the toppe of the mountaines and all Nations shall flow vnto it and many people shall go and saie Come let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lorde to the house of the God of Iacob and hee will teach vs his waies and wee will walke in his pathes And that wee may inioye such a benefite let vs euen feele in our selues that burning affection and desire which that excellent Prophet Dauid had Psal 27.4 that with him we may praie to God to giue vs grace that wee abide and remaine in his temple all the dayes of our liues 13 Some there are that confesse that indeed it is their duetie to doe this but they can not
Augustine alleadging this phrase of speech of Saint Ambrose sheweth sufficiently that he allowed of his iudgement 3 Secondly when God created the woman hee sayde Gen. 2.18 It is not good that man shoulde bee alone I will make him a helpe meete for him But whatsoeuer is sayde of the woman that shee should bee a helpe to the man must also bee put in practise 1. Cor. 7 and exercised by the husbande towarde the wife according to the doctrine of the Apostle Saint Paule whether in auoyding fornication whether in procuring generation the education and bringing vp of children whether in mayntaining a familie or for the seruice of God and saluation of soules Heereby it euidently appeareth that the duetie common both to the husband and wife importeth that the one shoulde aide and helpe the other 1. Cor. 7. 2 First that they maye leade theyr liues in chastitie and holynesse as the holie Apostle Paule noteth where hee setteth downe the ende of marryage Next that to auoyde fornication euerie man shoulde haue his owne wife and euerie woman her owne husband And thus the duetie of the husbande and the wyfe consisteth in this that they liue together in all chastitie and purenesse and that they take greate heede and beware of breaking the bonde and infringing and violating the sayth of marriage by fornication or adulterie which sinne we haue before declared to bee a detestable abhomination in the sight both of God and man If such as wanting the remedie of marryage by committing fornication doo incurre an offence worthie euerlasting damnation What may those deserue who hauing a remedie for theyr infyrmitie doo neuertheles ouerflow in adulterie Yet is it not inough onelie to abstaine from this abhomination vnlesse wee also forbeare from euery thing that may seeme to tend thereunto or to containe anie beginning apparance allurement or occasion of euill First because that by the lawe all this is prohibited Exod 20.14 euen in these expresse woordes Thou shalt not commit adulterie For the worde Adulterie comprehendeth all prouocations gestures Math. 5.28 speeches yea euen vnchast lookes And therefore sayth Iesus Christ Hee that looketh vppon another mannes wife to lust after her hath alreadie committed adulterie with her in his heart Next that wee maye preuent all argument of iealousie a most daungerous disease and of great difficultie to cure For as Chrisostome sayeth Chrisost vpō the 2. of Mathew Iulius Caesar Plutarch in the life of Iulius Caesar Where either the husbande or the wife is tainted with ielousie they beleeue euerie word that they heare spoken touching theyr passion albeit it beare no apparance of truth When a certaine Romane Emperour determined to put awaie his wife hee alledged this reason An Emperours wife sayde hee must so beare her selfe that the incurre no suspition of euill How much rather ought this to bee practised among Christian husbands and wiues as well to auoide occasion of offence as for feare least iealousie shoulde conuert marriage into a most miserable and wretched estate 4 Agayne as marriage was also ordained for generation so in that part thereof there are some duties that particularly concerne the wife and some that are common both to her and her husband Of the particular duties of the wife we will speake heereafter Those therefore that are common to them both doo concerne first the instruction of theyr children that wee will also referre to be intreated of in the Chapter that handleth The duties of parents toward the children secondly the meanes to bring vp theyr children and to maintaine theyr family For the care and burthen thereof is common yet so as properly the husband is to get it and to bring it in and the wife to order and dispose it Howbeit the dutie of the wife or of the husbād doth not so exempt either of them but that she also according to her ability and power must help her husband to get it he likewise in his discretion direct hir in the dispensatiō thereof Hee that doth not orderly gouerne his house Prou 11.29 shall inherite the winde sayth Salomon And order consisteth in this that the husband follow his businesse traffique or calling without anie molestation of the wife who ought not to meddle or controll him therin but with great discretion and gentlenesse as also the husband is not to deale but soberly and in great discretion with housholde affayres that are proper to the wife The man is iealous of his authoritie and reputation and the woman inclined to suspect her self to be despised Wherefore as the husband cannot well abide that his wife should shew her selfe more skilfull and wife in his busines than himselfe so cannot the wife suffer that her husband shoulde despise and account her a foole by medling with her small household affayres 5 As the dutie therefore of the husband and wife consisteth in looking to that which is aforesayd to the end their marriage may be quiet and themselues liue together in loue euen so an idle and vnthriftie husband and a prodigall and slouthfull wife are two redie wayes to destruction The husband that hath such a wife casteth his labours into a bottomlesse sacke and the wife that is sped of such a husband draweth a cart heauie loden through a sandie waie without a horse Such a husband especially if idlenes drawe him to loue and haunt tauernes is cruell to his wife and children and such a wife confoundeth her husband and bringeth reproch pouertie to her whole family The remedie for the husband that hath such a wife is patience with some seueritie discreet admonitions and prayer to God as also the helpe for the wife that hath such a husband is tolleration gentle exhortation and cheerefull and louing entertainment of her husband whereby to induce him willingly to keepe home 6 They are also to be mutuall helpes each to other in matters concerning their own saluation and the seruice of God First if one of them as saith the Apostle be an vnbeleeuer the other must labour to drawe his partie to the knowledge of the truth S. Paul exhorting the husband wife of contrarie religions not to part but to dwel together addeth a notable reson saying 1. Cor. 7.16 What knowest thou O man whether thou shalt saue thy wife or thou O woman whether thou shalt saue thy husband Therein declaring that the faithfull person in dutie is to labour indeuor to win his partie to the knowledge of the truth and so to saue her S. Peter exhorteth wiues to be subiect to their husbands albeit vnbeleeuers 1. Pet. 3.1 and such as do not obey the word that so without speech by their holy and vertuous conuersation they may winne them Secondly if both bee beleeuers their duetie is to confyrme each other in the time of persecution that they may constantly follow Iesus Christ Salomon indeuouring to declare the fruites of marriage Wis 4.10.12 sayth Two are
For sith from them we cannot expect this soueraigne felicitie namely to liue in peace in honesty and piety vnlesse they also be guided or strengthened by the spirite of God in their charge our desire and necessitie to enioye it doe sufficiently admonish vs feruently to praye vnto God for them And whereas Kinges were in those dayes idolaters hee addeth this farther reason that God desiring the saluation of all men that is to saye men of all callinges and that they should be brought to the knowledge of the truth wee might by our praiers obtaine that the idolatrous and peruerse Magistrates might be conuerted and saued as well in respect of themselues as for the happy conduct and gouernment of their subiects 12 Now if we be bound to pray for idolatrous and peruerse Magistrates how much rather for those whome God hath already in mercy vouchsafed to illuminate or adopt for his children and to constitute to be protectors and nurses in his Church Pro. 11.14 Both reason and experience doe shew what a benefite it is to haue such Iudg. 2.19 8.33 1. Sam. 7 13 Where the Gouernour is vnwise saith Salomon the people are scattered And it is with them as with a shippe that wanteth a Pylot or guide We read that when the iudge or gouernour of Israel was dead the people returned to their wickednes And it is noted in this historye that all the time of Samuel the hand of God was heauye against the Philistines and it is truely a great fauour and grace of God when he giueth vs good Magistrates as Hyran King of Tyre said vnto Salomon 2. Chro. 2 11. Iob. 34.30 Esay 3.3 Because God loued his people he made thee to raigne ouer them and contrariwise he maketh an hypocrite saith Iob to raign for the sinnes of the people And in the same sence doth God threaten to send children to be Princes and effeminate persons to beare dominion Sith then it is so great a benefite of God to haue good holy and vertuous Magistrates is it not our partes feruently and continually to pray to God still to send vs such to preserue them to guide them by his holy spirite and to blesse their counsails and labours to his glory and to the good and saluation of his people 13 It also hath beene the continuall custome of all Christian Churches to make publique supplications for Kinges Princes and Magistrates and thereof wee haue a formularye written by that good Father and Doctor Tertullian And the reformed Churches of our dayes doe also recōmend and ordinarely vse the same dutie for in trueth there is no seruice that the Magistrates ought more to desire and require of their subiects then that they should praye for them And in this respecte Dauid a King after Gods owne hart and endewed with such excellent graces knowing neuerthelesse how highly he stoode in necessitie of the praiers of his people framed them that excellent praier for their prosperitie which we doe reade of in the twentith Psalme Eusebius reporteth that the Emperour Constantius Euseb in the life of Const lib. 1. lib. 4. Euseb in his Ec. hist lib. 10 and cap. 8. lib. 1. of the life of Const the Father of great Constantine protected his house by the praiers of such as feared God Also that his Sonne Constantine the great imitated his pietye For knowing as the saide Eusebius writeth that the praiers of good men those that feared God did greatly conduce to his preseruation he instantly required them to pray for him and commaunded the Bishops by name to imploy themselues in this duetye and contrariwise he reproued the Emperour Licinius for banishing the Christians out of his Courte alleadging this reason that hee depriued himselfe of the fruit of their praiers 14 Seing the fruit of praier for the Magistrate is such how vnthankfull are those subiects that will not feruently employe themselues therein especially considering the good and prosperity that themselues are to reape thereof we may truely say that the vsuall negligence of the people in employing themselues in this duetye doth many times procure God to giue vs Kinges and Magistrates in his wrath to chastice our ingratitude and slackenesse in matter of such importance That we may therfore amend our liues according to the exhortation of Iesus Christ let vs diligently employe our selues in this so profitable necessary a dutie wherby we may alwaies haue good holye and vertuous Magistrates that vnder their conduct and gouernement we may liue happily and beare to them all loue and reuerence yeelding vnto them voluntarilye all subiection and obedience and employing our bodies and goods in their seruice and assistance with assurance that in so doing and in praying vnto God for them as is aforesaide the Lord will blesse them and vs with them and by them Of the duety of the Pastor and Minister of Gods woord to his congregation Chap. 8. IT now remaineth that wee speake of the duties of the Pastors and Ministers of Gods worde to their Congregations and of their congregations vnto them As concerning the Pastors dutye the same may be referred to the principall end of their vocation togither with whatsoeuer is requisite thereunto This end is the saluation of the soules redeemed with the bloud of Iesus Christ as the Apostle writing to Timothy doth note saying Take heed vnto thy selfe and vnto learning 1. Tim. 4.16 continue therein for in doing thus thou shalt saue both thy selfe and them that heare thee This is their principall end euen to saue soules and indeed S. Paul applieth to his Ministery this sentēce of Esay spoken in the person of the Lord I haue ordained thee to be a light to the Gentiles Esay 49.62 Acts 13.47 1. Cor. 3.1 Acts 13.26 Rom. 1.16 2. Cor 5.18 that thou maist be a saluation to all the ends of the earth True it is that God onely is the Sauiour also that he can saue without the ministery of men but it pleaseth him so to vse their seruice that S. Paul therfore calleth the Ministers of the word coadiutors and workemen with God therefore the doctrine that they preach is tearmed the worde of saluation and the power of God to saue all that beleeue likewise where the holy ministery is called the ministery and word of reconciliation with God the same is only to teach vs that where we be by nature the children of wrath and consequently in death the ende of the holy ministery is to withdraw saue vs by reconciling vs to God and making vs acceptable to him in his welbeloued sonne 2 Heerto must we also referre the saying of S. Paul that Iesus Christ gaue some to be Apostles Eph. 4.11 some to be Prophets some Euangelistes some Pastors and teachers for the gathering togither of the Saintes for the worke of the ministery and for the edification of the body of Christ. For sinne by seperating vs from God did engender this cursed dissipation
THE AMENDMENT OF LIFE COMPRISED IN fower Bookes Faithfully Translated according to the French Coppie Written by Master Iohn Tassin Minister of the word of God at Amsterdam MATH 3. v. â— 4. v. 7. Amend your liues for the kingdome of heauen is at hand LONDINI Impensis Georg. Bishop 1595. To the chiefe Magistrates and Gouernours of the Towne of Amsterdam Grace and peace from God the Father and from his Sonne Iesus Christ our onely Sauiour MY verie good Lordes as Sainct Iohn propoundeth vnto vs two sorts of children of whome he calleth the one the children of God and the other the children of the deuill so doeth the holie Scripture plainly testifie that in the day of iudgement there shall bee a maruellous difference betweene the one and the other For the one shal incomprehensibly and eternally be blessed and the other extreamely and infinitly accursed and wretched This difference which shall then appeare betweene the children of God and the children of the deuill doth aduertise and admonish vs that there ought also to be a great difference betweene them euen in this life And in deed euery one may well vnderstand that the waie to heauen is one and to hell another and consequently that the workes and affections of Gods children are of one sorte and the workes of the children of the deuill of another Neuertheles so brutish are many become that they neuer think vpon this difference betweene the one and the other neither in regard of this life nor of the life to come Others thinking slightly thereupon do neuer take information of this difference to vnderstand it Others somewhat vnderstanding it are so dazeled with the glistering shew of the world so carried awaie with the lusts of the flesh that they haue no care therof Yea euen among the children of God liuing in this peruerse world abandoned to all wickednes we see verie few that doo make shew of that difference that in this life should be betweene them and the children of the deuill Now Saint Mathew in this sentence Amend your liues for the kingdome of heauen is at hand hauing comprehended the summarie of the first Sermons of Iesus Christ and S. Iohn the Baptist doth to this purpose teach vs. First that all the duties of the children of God are contained in this word Amend also that the same is it that representeth the difference betweene them and the children of the Deuill in this life Secondly that the apprehension of the kingdome of heauen to be so neare vs ought mightily to induce vs to Amendement Vpon this consideration to the end to correct the negligence or rather the brutishnes of men in this point I haue vpon this argument framed these fower books In the first shewing how many dangerous follies there are that hinder man from Amendment In the second Wherein we are to Amend In the third who ought to Amend And in the last haue I laid down the causes that should induce vs to Amend our liues gathered out of the names and attributes of Iesus Christ out of this reason by him selfe set downe For the kingdome of heauen is at hand The whole tending to make vs to vnderstand and indeed to practise the difference which euen in this life ought to bee betweene vs and the children of the Deuill to the ende to hope with incomprehensible ioye to beholde for our selues the most blessed separation that shall bee betweene them and vs when wee shall bee lifted vp into the fruition of the eternal glory that is prepared for vs in the kingdom of heauen And vpon three principall reasons haue I resolued and emboldned my selfe to present dedâ—cate them to your Lordships The first is generall comprised in three points First in consideration of the seruent zeale holy affection that you doe testifie to the preseruation and maintenance of the true and pure religion Secondly in regard of your iustice and politicke gouernment administred with such discretion wisedome and equitie that al your louing Subiects are in dutie to acknowledge and confesse themselues to be blessed therein Thirdly in respect of your wonderfull courtesie which you vouchsafe to extend to the faithfull fled into this towne who liue vnder your authoritie and gouernment in as great case libertie and freedome as possibly they might in their owne natiue countries Which example of your clemency is also seconded by the marueilous humanitie of your subiects towards those that are harboured among them The second reason is in respect of the French Church to the seruice whereof it hath pleased God to call me In that your Lo. haue permitted authorised the holy publick ministerie with all things necessarie to the same That you haue prouided theÌ„ of a larg coÌ„uenient Church That you giue maintenance to theÌ„ for three ministers Lastly that you exercise and performe a verierare and true Christian charitie to the poore of the same Church And this your wonderfull charitie with other the vertues before noted do I here set downe first to the end that all and euery the members of the said French Church may more and more perceiue how deepely they are bound to bee your faithfull and obedient subiects Secondly that they may vnderstand and the more diligently put in practise their dutie in feruent praier vnto God for your health and prosperitie Lastly that all other Magistrates may in heart bee moued to imitate the example of those vertues that shine in your Lordships The last reason is particuler to my selfe in regard of the desire that you had to retaine me to the seruice of this Church which your selues vouchsafed to testifie in that besides your liberalitie extended to the two other ministers you offered to prouide me also both of a house maintenance As in effect it pleased you at my coÌ„ming to make demonstration of your fauor liberality affection towards me in that behalf Whereupon all such graces as God hath vouchsafed to bestow vpon me being in reson vpon iust cause vnto you due vowed I haue formed and doe acknowledge my selfe bound to dedicate and present these my fower bookes of Amendment of life vnto you to the end that being published vnder your name they may witnesse as wel my bounden dutie vnto you as also my desire according to my smal habilitie to employ my selfe in the seruice both of the Church and your Lordships Beseeching God most magnificent and vertuous Lords to maintaine you in his holy protection and with his holy spirite to guide you in all your affaires with increase of all prosperitie both spirituall and corporall And particulerly so farre to fauour me with his grace as so to blesse this small worke together with the affection wherewith it is vnto you presented that being acceptable to your Lo. It may especially redound to the aduauncement of the kingdome of Iesus Christ From your town of Amsterdam This last of Iune 1594. Your most humble and obedient seruant Iohn Taffin
owne and welbeloued Sonne Iesus Christ What mercy goodnesse and loue shineth in this redemption That he so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne to the end that all that beleeue in him might not perish Ioh. 3.16 1. Ioh. 4.9 but haue life euerlasting What a seale of his truth in that notwithstanding the ingratitude and vnworthinesse of the world he yet in his appointed time sent the seed of the woman promised to our forefathers Gen. 3.15 to breake the Serpents head To be briefe what power shewed he in this redemption wrought by Iesus Christ Gal. 4.4 wherein he surmounted and ouercame the deuill sinne death and hell But what doth such an image of God so expressely represented before our eyes in the person of our Lord Iesus Christ accomplishing our redemption shoot at but to giue vs to vnderstand and earnestly to feele the wisedome holinesse righteousnesse mercy truth goodnesse loue and power of God the father of Iesus Christ That we might loue him put our trust in him cleane vnto him call vpon him acknowledging him to be the inexpuiseable fountaine of al goodnesse and so glorifie him And the rather because by this meanes we are reclaimed from death and euerlasting damnation we bee made the children of God through the same Iesus Christ and inheritors of his kingdome and glory Rightly therefore doe we say that the ende of our redemption shoulde tend to encrease our knowledge of God that we may glorifie him That it is the dutie whereto Saint Paul exhorteth vs saying You are bought for a price 1. Cor. 6.20 therfore glorifie God in your body in your spirit for they are Gods Also in another place Eph. 1.6 God hath chosē vs to him throgh Iesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace 8 Ther is yet another consideration When Christ gaue sight to the blind raised the dead healed the sicke wrought other like miracles Mat. 9.8 Luk. 13.13 the same were so many testimonies seales of his diuinitie consequently arguments to induce men to glorifie him As he himselfe saith speaking of the sicknes of Lazarus This sicknes is not vnto death but for the glory of God Ioh. 11.4 that the sonne might be glorified therby For his raising frō death was a testimony of his diuine power But we al are naturally as concerning the soul dead in sin blind sicke of a hūdred diseases And as the soule is more excellēt thē the body so the illuminating restoring to life curing of the diseases of the soule are miracles more excellētly representing the deuine power grace then those of the body Of necessity therefore these miracles being performed in vs through faith in Iesus Christ do bind vs to glorifie him And how By effectual demonstration that where we were blind sicke dead in spirit we are now illuminated cured raised againe to life And indeed the motions affections holy works of Gods children being assured testimonies that in soule they be illuminated risen againe are the true meanes to glorifie God Contrariwise if we walk as men yet blind in the darknes of ignorance as men sicke polluted in vice corruption as men yet dead in sin We doo so much as in vs lieth abolish the miracles of Iesus Christ consequently his glory In this respect Saint Peter saith Haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles 1. Pet. 2 1◠that they which speake euill of you as of euill doers may by your good works which they shall see glorifie God in the day of the visitation Mat. 5.16 And in the same sence saith Iesus Christ Let your light so shine before men that seing your good works they may glorify God your father 9 But what argument is this to glorifie God in our holy conuersation good works Because as we haue before said shewed the same be testimonies effects of our spiritual resurrection consequently of Gods power goodnes mercy toward vs. Wherupon the ignorant seing that we who in the time of our ignorāce were dead in sin giuen ouer to all vice corruption since we were illuminated in the truth of the Gospell haue by this spiritual resurrection declared such an alteration in vs that now we are contrariwise become as it were new creatures walking in purenes holines loue may also glorifie God in two sorts First in this miraculous alteration that they see in vs as being a worke truely proceeding of the power and goodnes of God Secondly in this that by such miracles they be moued to allowe and embrace the same religion which we professe as being conuict that it is truely of God not of man Psal 65.1 To conclude where Dauid crieth out O God praise waiteth for thee in Sion He manifestly declareth vnto vs that they which be regenerate through the redemption in Iesus Christ are burgeses of Sion and members of the Church bound to praise God And also that we frustrate God of his dutie and expectation Psal 119 175 if we refer not out whole liues to his glory saying with Dauid O Lord let my soule liue that I may praise thee 10 The secōd principal end of our life should tend to attaine to life euer lasting John 3.16.17 And indeed In as much as God hath sent his Son into the world that the world through him might be saued that he so loued the world that he hath giuē his only begottē son to the end that al that beleue in him might not perish but haue life euerlasting It thereby appeareth that as the end of our redemption accomplished in Iesus Christ is the sauing of the elect so we that beleeue in him shoulde in all the course of our liues aime at this To bee saued by him Otherwyse wee doo so much as in vs lieth reuerse that excellent and wonderfull work of our redemption God hath created man without comparison more excellent than beasts yet if man be not saued nor attaineth to life euerlasting hee is much more miserable than the brute beast which passing ouer this life a great deale more easilye than man after death feeleth no euill and contrariwise the man which aimeth not at this lyfe euerlasting after all his calamities both bodily and ghostly tribulations in this life at his death entereth into incomprehensible and eternall torments If man who naturally desireth felicitie could comprehend the felicitie of such as attaine to the kingdom of heauen likewise the miserie and woe of those who at their decease doo passe into euerlasting death the very horror of the death of these wretches together with the soueraigne felicitie of the blessed would make him earnestly to couet after life euerlasting to esteeme this incomprehensible felicitie to be one of the principall endes of his lyfe Such therefore as doo neuer propound the kingdome of
is nothing better than to take pleasure for at death they see not what becommeth of the soule of man no more than they do of beastes wyth many other such lyke speeches which tend to that purpose But they themselues are in deede verie beastes so to vnderstande and misconster it For Salomons meaning tended rather to confirme the same which wee doo seeeke to mayntayne namely that no man may by the outward shew iudge of mans felicitie or miserie because all things fall out alyke to the one and to the other And that is his meaning where he saith Man knoweth not eyther the loue or hatred of God toward him Eccles 9.1 Eccle. 3.19 if he wil iudge by the outward shew Then hee passeth to beasts saying No man seeth what becommeth of the soules either of man or beasts namely with bodyly eyes Eccl. 8.12.13 But when he addeth that It shall bee well with them that feare the Lord and doo reuerence before him but it shall not be well with the wicked hee shall be like a shadow because hee feareth not before God When also he exhorteth to keepe Gods commandementes protesting that it is the whole duetie of man and that concluding his speech hee saith Eccl. 12.13.14 that God will bring euerie thing to iudgement that man hath done throughout the whole course of his life withall adding that the spirite shall returne to God that gaue it Hee doth sufficiently shew that hee beleeued the immortalitie of the soule and the lyfe euerlasting But where hee seemeth to commend those that take theyr pleasures Eccl. 5.17 saying It is comely to eate and drinke cheerefully hee meaneth in the common opinion of the foolish and vnaduised who resting vppon this lyfe and the iudgement of felicitie or miserie by the outward shew without remembring that mans soule is immortall d◠imagine him to be as a beast among whom such as are best vsed are most happie Howbeit as man is a creature of much more excellencie than a beast and yet if we regarde but the outwarde shew of this lyfe the beast is much more happie than man So we must necessarily beleeue that there is another lyfe after this and therfore conclude that it is meere folly to iudge of mans felicitie or misery by the outward shew Psal 37. 10 Neither is it in vaine that Dauid so earnestly exhorteth vs to take heed of this folly and error to iudge by the outward shew as also he is neuer weary of admonishing vs not to enuy those who outwardly seem happie but constantly to depend vpon the Lord and to walke vprightlie in his sight And in deede this iudgement by the outward shew is not onely repugnant to faith but vtterly abolisheth the same and not faith onely but also hope and desire to walke in the feare and obedience of God The Apostle to the Hebrewes sayeth that Faith is the ground of thinges which are boped for Heb. 11.1 and the euidence of things which are not seene Saint Paul also teacheth vs that hope is of thinges which wee see not Nowe the foundation and obiect of faith is the worde of God Rom. 8.23 pronouncing and assuring vs that the righteous and holye suffering persecution for his name are happie well beloued and blessed of God yet canst thou not see this but with the eye of faith and therefore in iudging of a man with thy bodily eye to be accursed in his tribulations thou dost abolish faith Hope is founded vpon the promise of celestiall spirituall and eternall goods to come If therfore when thou seest a faithfull man in trouble thou presently dost iudge him to be accursed thou dost abolish hope which regardeth not the time present but to come Againe if we were to depend vpon the externall iudgement and to say that the wicked that are in prosperitie are blessed who will dispose himselfe to endure pouertie and other afflictions by walking vprightly and in holinesse Nay will not all men rather apply themselues to fraud iniury extortion and other iniquitie sith ritches honour and other carnall commodities will redound to their blisse and felicitie 11 By the premisses we may see what a dangerous and pernitious folly this is to iudge of mans felicitie or miserie by the outward shew wherby we abolish the immortalitie of the soule God and his righteousnesse saith hope and all care and desire to walke in the feare of God That we may therefore Amend our liues let vs hereafter be better aduised and iudge of mans felicitie or miserie not after the outward shew Mat. 5. but according to the infallible and assured testimonies of Gods word Thus when the eare shall heare these sentences Blessed are you poore in spirite Luk. 6.28 Amos. 6.1 that hunger and thirst and that mourne Blessed are you when men hate you and cast you forth and say all manner of euill against you for the sonne of mans sake Againe Woe be to you rich men woe be to you that be satisfied and reioyce wee bee to you that liue at ease in Sion Faith will iudge according to Gods word that the faithful in affliction are blessed and the wicked in prosperitie most accursed Yet if the eye beholding the ritches honour and commodities of the wicked shoulde iudge them to be happie faith leaning to the testimonie of Gods word will beate downe and suppresse the false iudgement of the eye concluding that it is meere folly to iudge of mans felicitie or miserie by the outwarde shewe And albeit the worlde and the flesh doe cry out to the contrarie yet will we harken to and stedfastly holde this sentence pronounced by him who is trueth it selfe saying Say yee it shall bee well with the iust for they shall eate the fruite of their workes but woe bee to the wicked Esa 3.10 11. who seeketh after iniquitie for the rewarde of his hand shall bee giuen vnto him 10 Let vs remember the contents of the 92. Psalme where Dauid exhorteth vs to praise God to declare foorth his mercie and truth to reioyce in his workes to crie out that they are glorious his thoughts very profoūd What thoughts works Euen that the wicked doe spring vp like grasse and all workers of iniquitie doe flourish that afterward they may bee rooted out for euer And heereof to giue vs the more assurance directing himselfe to God Psal 92. he saith For loe thine enemies O Lord for loe thine enemies shall perish and all workers of iniquitie shall bee destroied But the righteous shal flourish like a Palme tree shal grow like a Cedar in Libanon Such as be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courtes of our God They shall bring foorth fruite in their age they shall bee fat and flourishing To declare that the Lord is righteous and that no iniquitie is in him And in as much saith hee as man resembling a brute beast knoweth nothing and that the foole
and aske them whetâ—â—r they haue not all toâ—â—â—e necessarie for theyr trades and occupations notwithstandiâ—â— whatsoeuer hinderaunce of their pouertie Is not this a meere â—olly to excuse themselues by pouertie in this case and yet to haue no want of things necessarie for theyr occupations 〈◊〉 hee had cause to complaine when there were no bookes but such as were in written hand and consequently dere howe much more bitterly might hee compâ—aine of the negligence and slouth of our dayes in all this great plentie and abundance of good bookes that by the helpe of printing maye bee had for so lyttle money Chri. his third sermon of Lazarus Seest thou not sayeth hee in another place the worke-men in mettalles the Golde-smith the Siluer-smith and all others that exercise anie occupation keepe all theyr tooles readie and in good order Albeit hunger compelleth and pouertie pincheth yet will they rather beare all than sell anie necessarie or needfull toole of theyr occupation to feede themselues withall yea many had rather borrowe vppon vsurie than pawne foorth anie one toole and good reason For they knowe that by pawning foorth theyr tooles they do depriue themselues of all ordinarie meanes to get theyr liuings and contrarywise that by keeping them they maye with profite discharge theyr debt But as hammers stithes and pinsers are the tooles of theyr occupations wherewyth to get theyr liuinges so the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles and all the bookes of the holy Scriptures are the tooles of Christianitie wherewith to obtaine saluation and life euerlasting And as artificers with theyr tooles and instrumentes doo finish their woorke so by the reading of the holye Scriptures our soules are corrected formed and renewed Which is more Artificers cannot transforme earth or woode into siluer or golde onelie they can by theyr arte and workmanshippe giue forme and shape vnto thinges but by the reading of Gods worde thou maist of a wooden or earthen vessell make a vessell of golde or siluer as the holy Apostle Saint Paule teacheth saying In a great house are not onely vesselles of golde and of siluer 2. Tim. 2.20 z. 1 but also of woode and of earth If anie man therefore purge himselfe from these hee shall bee a vessell vnto honour sanctifyed and meete for the Lorde and prepared vnto euerie good worke Thus concluding his speech hee sayth Let vs not be neglygent to buy books For euen the sight of them as he addeth shall put vs in minde of our dueties as well to withdrawe vs from sinne and iniquitie as to cause vs to perseuere in holynesse and righteousnesse and to praie to God to giue vs grace so to doo 3 What excuse shall wee pretende in the sight of God when in this abundance and easie meanes to get bookes by the helpe of printing wee are so loth to buy them and so carelesse of reading them thereby shewing our selues most vnthankefull and vnworthie that fauour and grace at Gods hande considering withall that wee are so often and earnestly exhorted to our dueties in reading and meditating vppon his woorde Let the word of Christ sayth Saint Paule dwell in you plenteousâ—ie in all wisedome Colos 3 1â— teaching and admonishing one another Hee speaketh to the Collossians both to men and women and willeth that this doctrine of the Gospell should be so familiar vnto them that it might take roote in them whereby to be instructed both for themselues to teach others We haue sayth Saint Peter a most sure worde of the Prophets 2. Pet. 1.19 to the which yee do wel that ye take heed as vnto a light that shineth in a darke place Hee compareth the writings of the Prophets to a candle shining in the darke and therefore exhorteth vs to take the same to bee our light Psal 119.105 Ephes 6.17 as Dauid also sayth The woorde of God is a light to my steppes Saint Paule calleth Gods worde the swoord of the spirite wherewith he willeth vs to bee armed to fight against the deuill But how shall wee take this swoord in hande vnlesse wee become diligent readers of the holy Scriptures wherwith after the example of Iesus Christ Math. 4. Rom. 15.4 to resell the temptations of the deuill saying It is written It is written If as Saint Paule sayth all that is written is written for our learning that wee maye haue hope by patience and comfort in the Scriptures Shall not wee make vaine the prouidence of the heauenlye goodnesse which hath giuen and preserued the Scriptures for vs if we doo not with diligence reade in them to the end thereby to bee comforted and strengthned in patience 2. Tim. 3.16 hope and faith If all holie Scripture be giuen by inspiration from God and bee profitable to teach to improoue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse ought not wee diligently to exercise our selues in reading and meditation thereof to the end to reape such excellent fruit of the same 4 Men are flatterers and wee are blinde in our owne corruptions whereto we are naturally affected and therefore it is most necessarie that wee shoulde often heare God speaking vnto vs in the holy Scriptures instructing improuing correcting and exhorting vs to our duties When the young man mentioned by Saint Luke asked of Iesus Christ what hee should doe to obtayne euerlasting lyfe Luke 10.26 Christ aunswered What is written in the Lawe How doest thou reade Thereby shewing that the Lawe is written for vs to reade that in it wee maye knowe what wee are to doo in discharge of our duetie towarde God When the cursed rich man prayed Abraham to sende Lazarus to his brethren Luke 6.29 hee aunswered They haue Moses and the Prophets let them reade them He thereby taught vs that wee must reade the Scriptures and in them learne the meanes to escape euerlasting tormentes with that cursed riche man and neuer hope of anie mans comming from death to teach vs. Dauid a most excellent Prophet was well instructed in the Lawe yet the hundreth and nineteenth Psalme doth at large declare Psal 119 Dan. 9.2 Act. 17.11 how diligent and carefull hee was in reading and meditating Daniel notwithstanding his many reuelations lefte not off the reading of the bookes of Ieremie Saint Luke highlye commendeth the Birrheans because they were of better stomacke than the Iewes at Thessalonica to receiue with al readines the word preached by Saint Paul and dayly to conferre the scriptures to know whether it were so so the better to gather knowledge by the conference of the Scriptures with the truth which they had heard that they might bee the rather confirmed therein This zeale and diligence of the Birrheans shall rise vp in iudgement agaynst vs euen against vs who hauing heard the preaching do no farther endeuor by reading the Scriptures to confirme our selues more and more in the heauenly doctrine preached vnto vs. Act. 8 Queene Candaces Eunuch might wel as it seemeth haue exempted
liues To bee short euen wythout praying to God to giue them his holy spirite But wee must ioyne to our reading both pietie and feare of God wyth a desire to amend our liues as it is written in the Psalmes The secrete of God is reuealed to them that feare him Psal 25 14 Ioh. 7.17 Augustine of the profite of beleeuing c. 6 and his couenant to giue them vnderstanding Agayne If anie man sayth Iesus Christ will doo the will of my Father to him it shall bee giuen to knowe my doctrine whether it bee from God or whether I speake of my selfe Euerie man maye out of the holy Scriptures sayeth Saint Augustine drawe so much as maye suffice to satisfie and replenishe his spirite in case hee reade them wyth deuotion and holynesse according as Christian relygion requireth Moreouer wee are to praie vnto God August vpon the Epistle of Iohn Tract 2 that hee wyll graunt vs his spirite of vnderstanding Iesus Christ sayth Saint Augustine dyd open the harts of his disciples that they myght vnderstande the Scriptures Let vs lykewise praie vnto him to giue vs the lyke grace and to open our mindes and hee wyll heare vs. This prayer is to bee vsed before reading and of euerie man put in practise for if the prophet Dauid Psal 119 so perfectlye instructed in the lawe of God doth notwythstanding so often praie vnto him to giue him vnderstanding to comprehende it which of vs hath not neede to praie vnto God that wee maye profite in his holye woorde Let vs also accompt this doctrine of Saint Augustine as a holy rule August vpon Ioh. Tract 18 namely to reade the holy Scriptures with fruite and due reuerence that in those thinges which we shall vnderstand according to the analogie of faith wee may reioyce as of a good foode but for that which wee cannot vnderstand according to the rule of faith to deferre the comprehension thereof Yet in the meane time let vs not doubt but euen the same which we cannot comprehend is both true and holy 12 To conclude as Saint Peter admonisheth vs Let vs bee alwaies readie to giue accompt of that hope that is in vs 1. Pet. 3.15 And that wee may effect it and dulie discharge our selues Chrisostome vpon Iohn ho. 16. toward the end let vs bee carefull and diligent in the practise of this our dutie toward the holy Scriptures It is a straunge matter sayth Chrisostom that a Phisition a Shoomaker a Taylor generally euery Artificer is readie and able to yeelde a reason in defence of his profession and trade and yet the Christians can giue no accompt of their religion And yet ignoraunce in other Artes is no hinderaunce but in this life but ignoraunce in religion is hurtfull to the saluation of the soule That wee are so feruent and earnest in applying our mindes to other sciences and yet in that which is most necessarie for vs and as it were the fortresse of our soules wee are so negligent and slouthfull This sayth hee causeth the heathen to remaine obstinate in their errors and to skorne our religion For they studiing to maintaine falsehoode and wee not knowing how to defend the truth of our doctrine they conceiue that ours haue no soundation and thereof doo take occasion to blaspheame Iesus Christ as if he cunningly abusing the simplicitie of the people had deceiued and circummented them The same occasion doe we also minister as wel to those of the Romish Church as to the Anabaptists and other sectaries whereby to remaine obstinate in their errors because most of vs are so ignorant as you shall find very fewe able to yeelde any reason of the hope of their saluation no not so much as to shew wherefore they haue forsaken the Church of Rome and will not goe to Masse 13 Now as negligence in reading the holy Scriptures breedes this offence so is there yet another greater and more daungerous And that is that wee still abide in the former corruptions of the world and the flesh wheras contrariwise we should resemble burning torches to giue light to the poore and ignorant wee should I say be wholy renewed rauished in spiritual heauenly busines As in truth were wee more diligent and feruent in reading the holy Scriptures wee might greatly profite in this duetie for as in our prayers wee speake to God so in reading God speaketh to vs. Either is there anie sitter meanes or of greater efficacie for the reforming of vs into newnesse of lyfe than by dayly hearing them speaking vnto vs teaching admonishing reproouing and comforting vs setting before vs the blessed estate of the kingdome of heauen and lifting vp our mindes into the contemplation of Gods graces and of the life and glorie euerlasting There is no passion of our soules Chrisost on Gen. Hom. 29 sayth Chrisostome but needeth phisicke and cure from the holie Scripture Also whatsoeuer increase of strength groweth to the bodiâ— by meate the lyke groweth to the soule by the reading of the holy Scripture To bee short as a barre of yron by long lying in the fire waxeth hot red and of the nature of burning fire so that soule that dayly imployeth it selfe in reading and meditating the worde of God groweth to bee spirituall diuine heauenly and kindled in the loue of God The reading of the holy Scripture Chriso third sermon of Lazarus sayth Chrisostome is a strong fortresse agaynst sinne and the ignorance thereof a great daunger readie to cast vs headlong into a deepe gulfe and bottomlesse pit To knowe nothing of the holy Scripture is a great maime to saluation It engendreth heresies it begetteth corruption of lyfe and it maketh a mixture of heauen and earth Truely it cannot bee it cannot bee I saie that that man shal departe without fruit who taketh pleasure in the continuall and attentiue reading of the Scriptures As therefore this admonition of Iesus Christ Amend your liues ought continually to sounde in our eares so acknowledging our neglygence and former slouth in dayling reading Gods worde Aug. cap 22. of his meditations let vs heartily giue our selues to amend practising the same which Saint Augustine sayth of himselfe I delight O Lorde to heare of thee to talke of thee to write of thee to deuise of thee and in my heart to print whatsoeuer I reade of thee For this cause also doo I enter into the pleasant meddowes of the holy Scripture I gather the greene hearbes of holy sentences I eate them I chewe them I gather them together and I keep them in the coffer of my remembrance Let vs I saie doo our dueties better heereafter so that endeauouring and applying our selues with our whole heartes and mindes to the reading and meditating of the holye Scriptures with an carnest desire to profite and praier to God to graunt vs his holie spirite wee maye proceede in the knowledge of his heauenly will that so beeing instructed and readie to render a
reason of the hope of our saluation wee may feele within vs the efficacie of this doctrine making vs to renounce the earth the world and the flesh that through true and liuely faith wee may aspire to the inioying of the heauenly glorie and finally attaine thereunto through our Lord Iesus Christ That we ought to put in practise the word of God Chap. 8. NOw as we vnderstand that in dutie we are to ioyne with the Church of Christ carefully to frequent Sermons deuoutly to communicate in the holy Sacraments namely in the Supper zealously to assist at common praiers feruently to exercise our selues in priuate praier and diligently to reade Gods word so the principall end and purpose of all these duties doth import that we should order our liues according to the will of God and thereafter put in effect and practise as well whatsoeuer wee learne in the worde and Sacramentes as also euerye thing which in our praiers we beg at Gods hand For as medicines doo minister health to none but those that take them whose nature also is strong and wel prepared to receiue their operations so is it requisite that they which heare and reade Gods word should receiue and apply it to themselues and praie vnto God to prepare them and by his holie spirite so to dispose their harts that the doctrine and exhortations may worke their operation in them And in deed if the end of all sciences as an ancient philosopher teacheth consist not in the knowledge but in the practise the same ought especially to take place in Christian religion and doctrine Hee that studieth ciuill law or Phisicke is not straight satisfied with the knowledge that he hath gotten but proceedeth to practise One becommeth an aduocate a counseller or a president the other spendeth his time in the cure of diseases They that haue learned the arte of sewing of cordwainrie of draperie and so foorth yet are not reputed taylers cordwainers or drapers vnlesse they doo in act exercise those sciences which is in deede the purpose of theyr apprentishippe in like manner let vs neuer looke to bee Christians or Gods children notwithstanding wee haue learned the manner thereof vnlesse wee also performe the woorkes of Christians and of the children of God Blessed are they sayeth Iesus Christe that heare the worde of God Luke 11.28 Rom. 2.13 Iam. 1.22 and keepe it Agayne The hearers of the lawe are not righteous before God but the dooers of the lawe shall bee iustifyed Wee must therefore as Saint Iames saith bee doers of the lawe and not hearers only otherwise we shall deceiue our selues And in deede as the holy Scripture is full of exhortations to obedience to the will of God and Amendement of lyfe so it importeth not onely that wee shoulde knowe that wee must amend but also that wee amend really and in deede Luke 16.6 The figge tree that bare no fruite was threatened to bee cut downe a Sunne without light Iam. 2.17 is but a painted Sunne a coale without heate is dead a bodie without motion liueth not euen so saith without woorkes is dead and the Christian that bringeth not foorth the fruites of the spirite of Christ belongeth not to Christ and so is no Christian After we haue shorne our heads and our beardes Rom. 8 before we come foorth wee looke in the glasse whether it bee well how much rather ought wee after wee haue heard the Sermon the end whereof tendeth to amend our liues immediatly to looke vppon and peruse our soules to the ende to see whether our corruptions and vices beeing cut downe and mortifyed the same bee cleere and pure in the sight of God For as a certayne Philosopher in olde sayde The vse of the bath and of the worde that purgeth not is vayne and vnprofytable and therefore sayth the Apostle Saint Paule Yee haue not so learned Christ if so bee ye haue hearde him and haue beene taught by him and the truth is in him That yee cast off concerning the conuersation in time past the olde man which is corrupt through the deceiueable lustes Ephe. 3.20.21 22.23.24 and bee renewed thorough the spirite of your minde and put on the newe man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holynesse Still labouring that in the ende wee maye bee founde irreprehensible without spot wrinckle or blemish and that the image of God maye bee restored and shine in vs. This is it that wee are now to intreate of 2 Heere haue wee worke inough cut out For what is man become by the transgression of Adam Euen the verie same as the Apostle Saint Paule describeth him saying There is none righteous no not one there is none that vnderstandeth there is none seeketh God they are all gone out of the waie they haue beene made altogether vnprofytable Rom. 3.10 there is none that doeth good no not one Their throate is an open sepulchre they haue vsed theyr tongues to deceite the poison of Aspes is vnder theyr lippes whose mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse Destruction and calamitie are in their wayes and the waie of peace haue they not knowen the feare of God is not before their eies True it is that some sparkes of the image of God doo yet remayne in man but verie fewe small and of no strength which also wee doo quench or at the least so abuse that man is neuer more deuoyde of reason than when hee suffereth himselfe to bee lead by reason and of those sparkes he is to looke for no profite but that thorough them hee shall bee made the more inexcusable in the daie of the Lorde Manye beastes and fowles doo in vertue goe beyonde man The Doue in simplicitie the Ant or Emet in diligence and industrie Esa 1. the Storke in kindnesse the Dogge in loue and fidelitie the Oxe and the Asse in memorie and acknowledging of benefites the Lambe in meeknesse the Lyon in magnanimitie the Cocke in wakefulnesse and lyberalitie the Serpent in wisedome generally all in sobrietie and contentment But in vice man passeth them all For hee is more traiterous and cruell than a woolfe more craftie and subtill than a Foxe more proude than a Peacocke more voluptuous and vnthankefull than a Hogge more daungerous than an Aspick Moreouer al vices and wickednesse whatsoeuer that resteth particuler and seuerall in sundrie beastes are altogether or for the most parte in one man For wee shall see one man both couetous proude craftie cruell enuious vnthankefull and a theefe To bee short as many members vnited make one bodie Rom. 6.6 so the holie Apostle Saint Paule tearmeth this heaping of vices in man the bodie of sinne euerie vice beeing as it were a member to that bodie It is sayde that in a sheepe euerie thing returneth to profite and commoditie the flesh for foode the wooll for clothing the sinnewes for strings for musicall instrumentes and so foorth But contrarywise euerie thing that is in man
is eyther naught or tendeth to euyll The reason to beguile and deceiue the lybertie to riotous licentiousnesse and other wantonnesse the eyes to see and beholde vanitie the heart to couet and thirst thereafter the handes to beate to strike and oppresse the feete to runne after sinne and wickednesse the tongue to backbite lie and blaspheme to bee short all the members are instrumentes of iniquitie Rom. 6.19 as Saint Paul tearmeth them 3 Heereby maye euerie man whatsoeuer hee bee perceiue and knowe that Christes exhortation saying Amend your liues stretcheth verie farre Also that manye are the vices that we are to amende especiallye considering howe Saint Paul admonisheth vs Rom. 8.13 Ehe 4.22 Col. 3.9 Math. 16.24 not to mortifie two or three members of this bodie of sin but the whole body as also to put of the olde man and as Iesus Christ saith to denie our selues In the deduction of this matter we will therefore deale somtimes with the names of the vertues which we are to put in practise and sometimes of the vices that wee are to shunne according as the names doo import some generalitie or do best fit our intent So shall euerie one vnderstand that the amenment of lyfe consisteth in the deniall of vice and contrariwise in the aduancement of vertue Of Loue and Charitie in generall Chap. 9. WE will begin with loue which hath two respects The first is to God Math. 22. 1. Iohn 4.19 Ephe. 2.4 Rom. 5.8 Iohn 3.16 as it is commanded that wee shoulde loue him with all our heart with all our strength and with all our mind The second to our neighbour whome wee ought to loue as our selues As for our loue to God the same as Saint Iohn saith proceedeth of his loue to vs We loue him because he first loued vs. He loued vs euen when we were dead in sinne when we were his enemies yea hee so loued vs that he gaue his onely begotten and welbeloued sonne to die for vs. This his incomprehensible loue toward vs doth therefore bind vs most feruently to loue him And in deed as a colde stone by liyng three or foure houres in the warme Sunne gathereth heate so this loue of God shining vpon our soules should kindle them in his loue 1. Ioh. 4.16 1. Ioh. 4.7 Iohn 13.33 August vpon Iohns gospel 1. Cor. 13 As for loue toward our neighbor we are the rather to desire it and to put it in practise because it is the marke of Gods children the disciples of Iesus Christ And therefore sayth Saint Iohn God is loue and he that loueth is borne of God and knoweth God And as all Gods children are the disciples of Christ Heereby also sayth Iesus Christ shall men know that ye are my disciples if ye loue one another as I haue loued you They that are not my disciples saith Saint Augustine in the person of Christ doo notwithstanding participate in many other my benefites They haue not only nature life sense reason and common preseruation among al mankind but also the gift of tongues the sacramentes prophesie knowledge faith to worke miracles distribution of their goods to the poore yea euen the giuing of their bodies to fire but because they haue no loue they are as sounding brasse and tinkling cimbals they are nothing It is not therefore by these my benefits Augustine in praise of charitie which euen they that are not my Disciples may also haue that men shall know you to be my Disciples but onely in this that ye loue one another Likewise a man may receiue the sacraments and yet be wicked but no man can haue loue and be wicked Not without reason therefore doth Saint Paul writing to the Galathians say Neither circumcision auaileth anything neither vncircumcision Cal 5.6 but faith which worketh by loue In which sentence the Apostle sheweth that in the kingdome of Christ the matter wherein we doe most testifie our faith which is of greatest accompt and whereto wee are especially to apply and giue our selues is loue Augustine in praise of charitie which also Saint Augustine calleth the fountaine of all goodnesse as couetousnesse is the roote of all euill 2 That this loue may be pure and true Augustine in his confessions Prosper in his sentences of Augustine it must so proceed from our loue of God that we may loue our neighbour in respect of that loue which we beare to God For as Saint Augustine saith we loue not God so much as we should if we loue any thing but him which we loue not for the loue of him and therefore in another place he saith Blessed is he that loueth God and his friend in God and his enemie for the loue of God Hereby are we to gather three points First that albeit some heathen may seeme to haue done workes of great charitie and loue yet was the same no true or liuely charitie which is proper and peculier to the children of God for they only doe know and loue God and their neighbours for Gods sake And indeed loue ought to proceed from a pure hart as both Paul and Peter doth teach By faith our harts are purified 1. Tim. 1.5 1. Pet. 1.22 Act. 15.9 None therefore but the faithfull haue true loue which proceedeth not from the loue of themselues but from their loue to God Secondly it appeareth in this that in vaine we boast that we loue God if wee loue not our neighbour for his sake This is it that Saint Iohn noteth saying If any man say I loue God and yet hate his brother the same is a lier For he that loueth not his brother whom he seeth 1. Ioh. 4.20 Rom 13 10 how can he loue God whom he seeth not And this commandement haue wee of him that he which loueth God loueth his brother also Thirdly hereby we vnderstand the truth of the saying of Saint Paul that Loue is the fulfilling of the law For if we cannot loue God vnlesse wee loue our neighbour neither our neighbour vnlesse our loue to him proceed of our loue towards God It must needes follow that louing our neighbour we also loue God and so fulfill the law which is comprehended in this That wee loue both God and our neighbour 3 The better that we may yet vnderstand what our loue ought to be we are diligently to note the commandement of God that we should loue our neighbor as our selfe and explane this duty by two very naturall and iust rules which necessarily doe ensue The first by this auncient prouerbe common euen among the heathen Lampridius in the life of Alexander Seuerus Do no otherwise by another then we would be done vnto Alexander Seuerus an Emperour endued with many excellent vertues had this sentence ordinarily in his mouth thereby reprouing such as wronged or iniuried others Yea in publishing any sentence of condemnation against transgressors he caused the same to be added as the ground thereof Doe no
otherwise to another then thou wouldest be done vnto To be short he had such a liking and so hartely embraced this sentence that he caused the same to be written and engrauen in his imperial pallace and in many publique works The other rule resteth in this which Iesus Christ commaundeth saying Mat. 7.21 Whatsoeuer yee would that men should doe to you euen so doe yee to them Now the loue of our selues importeth that men shoulde not only forbeare doing of vs hurt but also that they should do vs good Draco Licurgus Solon and other lawgiuers haue written and set foorth many good lawes whereby to maintaine man in equitie and vpright dealing many Philosophers haue written good bookes for the framing of the manners of men Yet all their great volumes their long discourses and the multitude of their lawes haue alwaies had great imperfections and tended as it were to the ordering but of the outward man and so in parte to make men hypocrites because they could neuer attaine to the knowledge of true Christian loue But God in one onely short sentence saying Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe hath comprehended the whole dutie of man one towarde another that they may liue together in al equitie peace loue and felicitie And thus may these two naturall rules Doe no otherwise to another then thou wouldest be doone vnto and Doe as yee woulde be doone vnto be sufficient commentaries vpon all Christian pollicie In this sence did Saint Paule iustly call this loue Col 3.14 the bond of all perfection And indeed if we would loue one another as our selues and declare our loue by these two naturall rules then should there bee among vs neither fraud iniurie wrong nor deceitfull dealing Then should all ambition pride couetousnesse enuie hatred euill speaking and other like passions cease We should see nothing but equitie peace concord 1. Cor. 13.4 loue reliefe and mutuall assistance And these fruites of loue doth Saint Paul note saying Loue suffereth long it is bountifull loue enuieth not loue doth not boast it selfe it is not puffed vp It disdaineth not it seeketh not her owne thinges it is not prouoked to anger it thinketh none euill It reioyceth not in iniquitie but reioyceth in the truth It suffereth all thinges it beleeueth all thinges It hopeth all thinges it endureth all things To be short if wee practise this loue we shall euen in this life beginne to tast the blessed estate of the kingdome of heauen whereto being lifted vp wee shall loue one another as our selues and reioyce at our neighbours good as at our owne Let vs alwaies therefore remember this commaundement that we loue our neighbour as our selues and hartely let vs endeuour to shew it by the practise of these two rules still harkening to nature who crieth saying Doe no otherwise to another then thou wouldest bee doone vnto And Doe as thou wouldest be done by 4 We are also farther to consider 1 Pet. 1.22 1 Pet. 4 8. that this loue must not bee colde but seruent not slacke but earnest and vehement as Saint Peter admonisheth vs. And that it may bee such it is requisite first that we hold nothing so deare or so precious as to bee alwayes readie to employ our selues for our neighbour yea euen to the spending of our liues Iohn 3.16 after the example of the loue that Iesus Christ shewed vnto vs as Saint Iohn sayth Hereby haue we knowen his loue that he gaue his life for vs. So are wee also to giue our liues for our brethren Secondly the heate and seruencie of our loue and charitie ought to bee such as might suâ—mount any thinge that shoulde quaile it as ingratitude hatred iniurie or vnworthienesse of our neighbours And indeede if wee must loue our neighbour for the loue of God If the Image God in him doth thereto binde vs. If being parcell of our flesh wee ought thereto to bee affected then notwithstanding whatsoeuer vnworthienesse bee in him yet God must not loose his right his image is not vtterly defaced Neither is that coniunction wherewith God bindeth vs together taken away Luk. 10.29 Therefore doth Iesus Christ by the parable of the Samaritan teach vs that euery one knowen vnknowen straunger yea euen an enemie as were the Samaritans to the Iewes is our neighbour whome wee must loue as our selues And so did Iesus Christ Mat. 5.43 correcting the false glose of the Pharisies expound it saying You haue heard that it hath beene saide Thou shalt loue thy neighbour and hate thine enemie But I saye vnto you loue your enemies And which is more hee willeth that wee shoulde testifie this loue not with our lippes only but also in deedes and workes by blessing those that curse vs by doing well to those that hate vs and by praying for those that molest and persecute vs. Exod. 23.4.5 5 This did Moses in his daies teach saying If thou meetest thy enemies Oxe or his Asse going astray thou shalt bring him to him againe Againe If thou see thy enemies Asse lying vnder his burden leaue thy busines that he may not rise alone yea leaue thy busines help him vp 1. Cor. 9.9 Or as others doe expound it See thou dost not forsake him vntill his master hath first forsaken him Careth God for beastes saith S. Paul That he should thus commend them to vs. Is it not rather hereby to shew vs what we are to doe to the person of our enemie sith we are bound to such a dutie to his Oxe or his Asse Rom. 12 20. as Saint Paul teacheth vs saying If thy enemie hungereth giue him meate If he thirst giue him drinke And because the practise hereof is very difficult Iesus Christ himselfe Mat. 5.45 the rather to induce vs to this dutie protesteth that In so doing we shall be the Children of his heauenly father who maketh his sunne to shine vpon both good and bad Mat. 5 46. and causeth his raine to fall vpon the righteous and the vnrighteous Hereby we gather that if our charitie be boundâ—d onely to our friendes and that we extend not the same euen to our enemies it is not the charitie of the children of God but as Iesus Christ addeth of publicans and infidels Also in workes and deedes if we shew not the loue that wee beare to our enemies it is in vaine for vs to protest that wee wish them no more hurt then to our selues or that wee loue them or wish as well to them as to our selues The holy historie expressely noteth that Absalom vsed no hard words to his brother Ammon who had defouled Thamar the said Absalons sister Yet loued he him not neither wished his good but in his hart nourished cruell hatred against him which hee finally declared by proâ—â—â—â—â—g him trayterously to bee murthered And thus it appeareth that speaking neither well nor ill betokeneth hatred and mallice For loue can not but both speake wel and do well euen to
wee haue giuen anie occasion thereof let the same bee a cause to make vs to amende our liues If it bee false let it bee a warning to beware thereof because wee are men and may fall Let vs in this case remember the saying of Socrates They speake no euill of vs when that which they saie is not in vs. And in deede it is as if a man reporting some harme of a bad man should call him by my name for whatsoeuer he should saie should concerne not mee but him that he calleth by my name Aug. against Petilian 1. Pet. 2.23 18 Especially let vs remember that as Saint Augustine sayth our patience is tryed by detraction And let vs imitate our Sauior Iesus Christ who when hee was reuiled reuiled not againe but prayed for those that reuiled him As in truth it is woorse for the backbiters than for vs and consequently wee are to take compassion of them and to praie to GOD for them For as one stripe of the tongue woundeth three the backbiter him that giueth eare to the back-biting the back-biten so the two first do thereby wound their cōsciences to the death by deseruing the sentence of eternal fire but the third is no whit damnified but in his good name and that peraduēture but for a short space It beseemeth not a christian to returne iniurie for iniurie Neither is it good to render euill for euill if he that wrongeth thee saith Seneca bee weaker then thy selfe forgiue him if stronger forgiue they selfe It is a vice to reuenge and a vertue to forgiue and therefore when Pittacus had caught one that had wronged him hee let him go and said Pardon is better than reuenge To the end therfore to take away all replication to the example of Iesus Christ let vs also ioyne the exāple of Dauid that we may follow the same Hee protesteth that when they which had charged him with reproaches and false accusations Psalme 37.13 were sicke hee put on sackcloth and vexed his soule with fasting and his prayer returned into his bosome Psal 35.13 so that hee redoubled and reiterated the same with a sorrowfull and troubled hart Yea heerein let vs imitate the moderation and temperance of Euagrius whose mortification was such Zozom in his Ecclesiastical historie lib. 6. cap. 38 Prou. 22.1 that no praises coulde lifte him vp neither anie iniuries moue him to displeasure 19 Not that we should vtterly neglect our same good name For A good name sayth Salomon is to bee chosen before great riches and louing fauor is aboue siluer and gold Besides as by our sinnes God is dishonoured and our neighbours take offence so contrarywise by our holy conuersation and good name God is glorifyed our neighbours edyfied And this doth Saint Augustine teach saying Hee that leadeth an innocent lyfe by shunning sinne and iniquitie benefiteth himselfe but he who besides is not negligent in mayntayning his good name doth benefite others and is mercifull vnto them If God therfore giue vs conuenient meanes without breach of the bond of peace loue and without giuing cause of offence to defend our innocencie and good name wee ought to keepe and preserue it in procuring honest things not onely before the Lord 2. Cor. 8.28 2. Cor. 6.8 but also before men Otherwise contenting our selues with the testimonie of a good conscience let vs with the Apostle wade thorough honour and dishonour thorough euill report and good report As being assured that God will in the end make manifest our innocencie and blesse our patience with peace and contentation in him Psalme 37.6 Thus the dutie of euerie Christian that longeth to amend his lyfe doth consist in this First that he abstaine from all slaunder backbiting and euill speech secondly that we giue no eare to backbiters and slanderers and lastly that he be not mooued by their backbitinges slanders and harde wordes in worde or deede to render euill for euill But rather let him praie vnto God for those that seeme in minde to be troubled and sicke in that they speake euill of him Amen The end of the second Booke The third Booke Who it is that ought to Amend Of the duties common both to the husband and the wife Chapter 1. WE haue in the former bookes propounded some examples of the thinges wherein wee ought principally to refourme our liues and to amend Now let vs vnderstand who ought to amend Anie man euen wythout studie will answere that euerie Christian is bounde thereto And it is true for there is no man whosoeuer but both needeth and is bound to amende his life in the premises as also in euerie other the dueties required in the generall vocation and calling of a Christian Neuerthelesse there bee also certaine particular callinges wherein eache man in his owne behalfe is to vnderstand what God requireth of men in the same that so they may reforme theyr faultes and more vertuously emploie themselues in theyr vocations according to the wyll of God But of these wee wyll consider onelye of eight First of the husband to the wife and the wife to the husbande Next of parents to theyr children and of children to theyr parents Then of the Magistrate to the subiect and of the subiect to the magistrate Lastly of the ministers of the word to the congregation and of the congregation to their ministers 2 As concerning the dueties of those that are vnited by marryage Gen. 2 some there are that bee common to eyther partie and some that particularly doo importe the husbande to the wife and other some the wife to her husband But first wee wyll intreate of those that bee common to both Iohn 2.1 Heb. 4.4 Moses writing of the institution of Marriage doeth euidently declare that it is a holy ordinance of God Iesus Christ also honoured it both with his presence and first myracle And the Apostle to the Hebrewes sayth that marriage is honourable Such therefore as doo aspyre thereunto are to beginne in prayer and holynesse to God 1. Cor. 7. 2 And hauing attayned to that estate to vse this benefite of marriage as an holy ordynance of God in all godlynesse and puritie for a remedie against the weaknesse of the flesh as the Apostle Paule teacheth and not for prouocation and lust to intemperancie True it is that honestie of marryage grounded vppon Gods ordinaunce doeth couer the shame of incontinencie yet not so as that wee shoulde defyle and pollute that estate by admitting all thinges Ambos li. de Philos but that wee shoulde so vse it as there myght bee no excesse in dissolution neyther anie intemperancie contrarie to the holynesse of marryage And in deede Saint Ambrose reproouing those that doo abuse it in lasciuious excesse tearmeth them fornicatours wyth theyr wiues And albeit that tearme seemeth harde yet let vs not thinke or imagine that hee spake it wythout reason Aug. against Iuli. li. 2 especially considering that Saint
of giuing anie occasion The bell hath a loude sound and therefore hee that wyll not heare it must beware how hee pull the roape and shake it So if the one wyll beginne to chide without a cause let the other bee eyther deafe Eras Apotheg lib. 8 and so not heare it or dumbe and make no aunswere Heereto hath the saying of Alphonsus king of Arragon relation Where the husband is deafe and the wife blinde marriage is quyet and free from dissention Heereby meaning that the wife must winke at many the infyrmities of her husband as if shee see them not and the husband put vp many shrewde speeches of his wyfe as if hee heard them not Neyther can it bee anie reproch to the husband and wife so steadfastly vnited to practise this dutie considering that Dauid protesteth that hee vsed the like patience and discretion among his enemies Psalme 38.12 They that seek after my life lay snares and they that go about to do me euil talke wicked things and imagine deceite continuallie But I as a deafe man hearde not and am as a dumbe man which openeth not his mouth Thus I am as a man that heareth not and in whose mouth are no reproofes 10 This vnion betweene man and wife doth also engender that dutie which the holy Ghost noteth saying Mat. 19.5 Ephe. 5.31 For this cause shal a man leaue his father and mother and cleaue to his wife As also the wife in the like respect is bound to the like dutie toward her husband Not the marriage exempteth any from their due honor and obedience to parents but to declare that the vnion betweene man and wife is greater then betweene the children and the parents And indeede the true loue of the husband to the wife and of the wife to the husband surmounteth all loue of children to their parents The husband and the wife haue their secret counsels and communication of matters concerning their profit and commoditie The wife is more obedient to her husband and the husbandmore desirous to please his wife then their parents Yea and at length it falleth out that they depart from their parents to keepe house by themselues And this plainely appeared in Lea and Rachell being sisters and the wiues of Iacob For Iacob grieued at the wronge offered him by their father Laban boldly made his moane to them Wherupon they also complaining of their father agreed with Iacob and consented together to leaue their father and to follow their husband Iacob Herein likewise consisteth another dutie of the husband to the wife and of the wife to the husband namely that they shew no greater secrecie or communication of their housholde affaires to their parents Gen. 26. then mutually each to other and this rule is especially to be put in practise when they groweth any discontent betweene themselues For if the husband should complaine to his parents of his wife or the wife of her husband such dealing might breede a most dangerous ielouzie and consequently perhaps irreconciliable dissention strife But if it should grow to any complaint it were requisite so discreetly to prosecute the matter as that the woman should come to her husbands parents and the husband to his wiues So should all cause of iealouzie cease and the complaint procure most assured remedie 11 This vnion in marriage produceth yet another dutie common both to the husband and the wife And that is that they neuer seeke neither once thinke of diuorce And to that end let them remember what is written That which God hath ioyned together Matt 10.6 let no man put asunder Likewise that nothing but adulterie may separate those that are vnited by marriage All other agreements and contracts made by mutuall consent may be broken and dissolued by the like consent of both parties but in the contract of marriage almightie God commeth in as a witnes yea he receaueth the promise of both parties as ioyning them in that estate And this doth Salomon note Prou. 2.17 where he obiecteth to the harlot that she hath forgotten the couenant or alliance of her God But Maâ—achie speaketh more plainely and giueth a reason why God punished such husbands as leauing their lawful wiues tooke others Because saith he Mala. 2.14 the Lord hath beene witnesse between thee the wife of thy youth against whom thou hast transgressed yet is she thy companion and the wife of thy couenant The promise therefore to God cannot be broken but onely by his authoritie In the daies of Moses husbands were very easily and soone entreated to forsake their wiues by giuing them a Bill of diuorce Yet so farre was this course from being lawfull that contrariwise Iesus Christ saith that it was tollerated onely in respect of the hardnesse of husbands hearts who otherwise would haue vexed their wiues and intreate them cruelly Mat. 19. 8 And this libell containing the cause of diuorce and putting away of the woman Leuit. 20.10 did iustifie her and condemne the man For seeing it was neuer giuen in case of adulterie which was punished with death all other causes aledged in the libell tended to iustifie the woman Iohn 8.5 and to declare that she was wrongfully diuorced and so condemned the husband as one that contraried the first institution of marriage whereto Iesus Christ condemning this corruption Mat. 1â— 1 doth returne them saying It was not so from the beginning and therefore whosoeuer shall put away his wife except it be for whoredome and marrie another committeth Adulterie and whosoeuer marrieth her which is diuorced doth commit Adulterie with her So straight is the bond of marriage 12 Hereof it followeth that notwithstanding whatsoeuer difficulties that may arise betweene the husband and the wife whether it be long tedious and incurable sickenesse of either partie whether naturall and contrarie humours that breede debate wrangling or strife about householde affaires Whether it be any vice as the husband to be a drunkerd or the wife a slouthfull Idle or vnthrustie huswife whether either partie forsake the truth and profession of religion doe fall into Idolatrie or heresie Yet still the bond of marriage remaineth steadfast and not to be dissolued Neither may they be seperated euen by their owne mutuall consent Mat. 19.6 2. Cor. 7.12 For as the holy Ghost hath pronounced That which God hath ioyned together let not man put a sunder And therefore S. Paul saith If any brother haue a wife that beleeueth not if shee bee content to dwell with him let him not forsake her And the woman which hath a husband that beleeueth not if he be content to dwell with her let her not forsake him Also because some did suppose that the vnbeleefe in any of the parties might breed some pollution or disquiet in marriage he aunswereth no his reason For the vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified by his beleeuing wife And the vnbeleeuing wife by her beleeuing husband And this he proueth by
God And so let her humble her selfe in the sight of God and bee well assured that her subiection and obedience is acceptable vnto him Likewise that the more that the Image of God is restored in her and her husband through the regeneration of the holy Ghost the lesse difficultie shall she finde in that subiection and obedience as many in their marriage haue indeede tried to their great contentment and consolation 8 Some other duties ther be that particularly belong to women As first a certaine discretion and desire required at their handes to please the nature inclination and maners of their husbands so long as the same import no wickednesse For as the looking glasse how soeuer faire and beautifully adorned is nothing worth if it shew that countenaunce sad which is pleasaunt Eras Apotheg lib. 3. or the same pleasant that is sad So the woman deserueth no commendation that as it were contrarying her husband when hee is merie sheweth her selfe sad or in his sadnes vttereth her mirth And hereto may we referre the old saying of Socrates Men should obey the lawes of their Citties and women the maners of their husbands 9 Moreouer a modest and chast woman that loueth her husband must also loue her house as remembring that the husband that loueth his wife cannot so well like of the sight of any Tapisserie as to see his wife in his house Tit. 2. 5. And Saint Paule willeth the auncient women to teach the yonger sort among other things to bee chast to loue their husbands and to keepe the house Plut. in the precepts of marriage In this sence did our auncesters represent a woman by a Torteyse who neuer goeth out of her shell The woman that gaddeth from house to house to prate confoundeth her selfe her husband and her familie But there are fower seasons wherein the woman is to goe abroad The first to come to holy meetings according to the duty of pietie The second to visit such as stand in neede as the dutie of loue and charitie doe require The third for employment in houshold affaires committed to her charge The last with her husband when he shall require her As also Abimelech king of Gerar reprouing Sarah because she had as it were abandoned her selfe in that shee confessed not that Abraham was her husband Gen. 20.16 said vnto her Thy husband is the vayle of thine eyes to all men 10 The wife also is in dutie to bee content to please her husband and not to bee curious or giuen to adorning of her bodie or sumptuousnesse in apparell Which vanitie must of necessitie proceede either of ambition and pride or of some disordinate desire to content others rather then her husband And therefore it will better like him and bee more seemely and fit for her to vse modestie heerein especiall considering that such curiositie and vanitie is accompanied with great expence yea and in some with danger of lasciuiousnes And therfore Saint Paul admonisheth women to aray themselues in seemely and honest apparel with shamefastnes modesty not in brayded haire gold pearle 1. Tim. 2.9 or sumptuous apparel And the rather to correct this corruptioÌ„ being too coÌ„mon among women he exhorteth theÌ„ to be adorned with good works 1. Pet. 3.3 which saith he do best beseem such women as professe the seruice of God S Peter also hauing likewise coÌ„demned the outward ornaments which doe consist in imbrayded haire golde lace and gorgeous apparel admonisheth them to labour that the hidden man that is the soule may bee well furnished of vertue And in truth pietie and vertue are excellent ornaments for a woman of smal charge and the common prouerb is true that the women which are curious in adorning their bodies are negligent in furnishing the wants of their soules An ornament saith the Philosopher Crates is that which adorneth that adorneth which ministreth honor But gold-rings other deckings of the body are not the purchasers of honor but wisedome modestie chastitie and other vertues The woman that loueth her husband well must studie vpon all these duties aforesaid which as SalomoÌ„ saith wil make her happy Happy is the husband that hath a good wife and the reckoning of his life is double Prou. 26. Againe A vertuous wife reioyceth her husband and causeth him to liue in peace A good wife is a good inheritance which shall be giuen in recompence to those that feare God 11 To conclude let the wife carefully meditate practise the vertues which Salomon coÌ„mendeth in wise vertuous women in the 31. Chapter of the Prouerbs And the rather because the same are represented in 22. verses whereof the first beginneth at A the second at B Prou. 31. c. After the order of the Hebrew Alphabet were in that sort set downe by Salomon for a helpe to memorie consequently to shew that they are worthy to be learned by hart And therfore we wil here insert them to the end that wiues daily vsing them may studie to be more and more adorned with such vertues as make the woman commendable and the man blessed The vertues of a faithfull woman and a good huswife as they be described in Salomons Prouerbs Chap. 31. Who shall find a vertuous woman for her price is far aboue the pearles The hart of her husband trusteth in her and he shall haue no neede of spoyle She will doe him good and not euill all the daies of her life She seeketh Woole and Flax and laboureth cheerefully with her hands She is like the Marchants ships she bringeth her foode from a far She riseth while it is yet night giueth the portion to her houshold the ordinarie to her maides She considereth a field and getteth it with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard She girdeth her loynes with strength strengthneth her armes She feeleth that her marchandise is good her candle is not put out by night Shee putteth her hands to the wheele her handes handle the spindle She stretcheth out her hand to the poore and putteth foorth her handes to the neede She feareth not the Snow for her familie for all her familie is â—othed with Scarlet She maketh her selfe carpets fine linnen and pâ—â—ple is her garment Her husband is knowen in the gates when he sitteth with the elders of the land She maketh sheetes and selleth them and giueth girdles to the Marchant Strength and honor is her clothing and in the latter day she shall reioyce She openeth her mouth with wisedome and the law of grace is in her tongue She ouerseeth the waies of her husband and eateth not the bread of Idlenesse Her children rise vp and cal her blessed her husband also shall praise her saying Many daughters haue doone vertuously but thou surmountest them all Fauour is deceitfull and beautie is vanitie but a woman that feareth the Lord shee shall be praysed Giue her of the fruite of her handes and let
For as in a great stormie winde a man lappeth his cloke about him holdeth it fast for feare of loosing but when the winde is downe and the wether calme he letteth it hang easily so when husbands will as it were perforce wrest awaie their wiues infirnities manye of them will obstinately resist yet coÌ„trariwise by sweete words louing exhortations they might be wonne voluntarily to forsake them Thirdly the husband must seeke diligently to remoue the stone wherat his wife stumbleth taketh occasion of grief So when Sarah was moued against Abraham because of Agar obiected vnto him albeit wroÌ„gfully Gen. 16. that he was the cause that she contemned her bearing with his wife he remoued the cause of the contention in suffering her to turne Agar out of doores He must also take heed that himself be not taynted with the same vice which hee reproueth in his wife least shee stoppe his mouth with the reproch of the same fault But rather by giuing her example by the contrarie vertue let her be induced to imitate him In reprouing the wife the husband must alwaies vse such discretion that she bee not brought into contempt and therefore it should neuer bee doone in the presence of more then themselues For as it is meere follie for a husband to praise and commend his wife in companie so is it as daungerous to checke and reproue her before witnesse For indeede thereof it commeth that women being not able to beare that disgrace will replie and so prouoke strife and dissention in open presence which will redound to great reproch and offence And therefore doth Cleobulus of Lyndie one of the wisemen of Greece deliuer these two precepts to the married man First that he flatter not his wife Secondly that hee reproue her not before straungers And Marcus Aurelius vseth three saying A wise husband and one that seeketh to liue in quiet with his wife must obserue these three rules Often to admonish Seeldome to reproue and neuer to smite her Let the husband also remember the sayinges of a heathen who speaking of the infirmities of the woman very aptly saith That they must bee either taken away or borne withall Hee that can take them quite away maketh the woman farre more commodious and fit for his purpose and hee that can beare with them maketh himselfe better and more vertuous 5 The husband is also to vnderstand that as God created the woman not of the head and so equall in authoritie with her husband so also he created her not of Adams foote that shee should bee troden downe and despised but hee tooke her out of the ribbe that shee might walke ioyntly with him vnder the conduct and gouernment of her head And in that respect the husband is not to commaund his wife in manner as the master his seruaunt but as the soule doth the body as being conioyned in like affection and good will For as the soule in gouerning the bodie tendeth to the benefite and commoditie of the same so ought the dominion commaundement of the husband ouer his wife to tend to reioyce and content her 6 To conclude As God hath testified his singular goodnes vnto man in creating him an helper to assist him so let him consider in how many sortes shee is to him a helper to passe ouer this lyfe in blessednesse And let this dayly seeking of such a benefite receyued at the hand of God induce him to render thankes and to dispose himselfe to vse it well to his owne comfort and saluation and not to abuse it to the destruction both of himself and his wife But if hee chaunceth as many do vpon troubles afflictions in marriage let him remember that the same doo proceed not properly from marriage but from the corruptions of the parties marryed and for his parte let him studie to amend his infirmities and faults by amendement of lyfe and withall praie to God to grant the like grace vnto his wise to the ende that the more they recouer the image of God the more feeling they maye haue of the felicitie of marryage which Adam and Eue had inioyed had they continued as they were created in the image of God Of the duties of parents towards their children Chap 4. SVch as bee married doo growe to bee fathers and mothers by bringing forth children thorough the blessing of God Let vs therefore vnderstand the duties of parents to theyr children and of children to theyr parents And now wee will begin wyth parents First of theyr due care to see theyr children taught to praie to God and to rehearse the Apostles Creed and the ten commandements For as by this exercise theyr heartes and mindes shall the rather bee inclined to godlynesse and reuerence toward God so as they increase in age they shall euerie daie better than other comprehend that which they learne to theyr owne comfort and instruction to saluation Also as the tongue is called the glorie of man because that besides all other reasons by his speech he is discerned from the brute beastes so is it meete that so soone as the child can begin to speake his tongue should bee imployed to glorifie God by calling vpon him and protesting the grounds of faith As also in repeating the will of God in such sort as he will that wee should serue and honor him 2 Secondly if parents doo note anie vice in theyr little ones as lying choller enuie couetousnesse contempt of parents reâ—dines to strife and other lyke corruptions it is theyr duetie diligently in time to reproue correct them as men vse to plucke vp weedes while they bee yet young least growing vp among the good seed they shoulde hinder their growth and choake them vp By experience wee can see that mothers swathing theyr little ones doo laie theyr limmes right each in his place likewise if a child be geuen to bee left handed they chide him yea sometimes they binde it vp or otherwise restraine the vse of it that hee may bee accustomed to the right Also if the childe hath some string vnder his tongue they cut it least it shoulde hinder his speech much rather then ought they to beware that by theyr inconuenience the vices of the soule doo not increase for it is the dutie of parents euen in the infancie to beginne to shape and frame the soule vnto vertue 3 It is also the dutie of parents to prouide that theyr children maye learne to write and reade for it maye bee vnto them a great helpe in the course of this life and a treasure of greater account than money And therfore the negligence of many is sharply to bee reproued Besides that the peformance of the dueties of parents heerein doth greatly binde theyr children vnto them Neuerthelesse the principall end thereof shoulde not haue respect to such commoditie as the children may reape thereby towardes the vse of this present life but rather that they may reade the word of God to
theyr comfort and instruction to saluation As also it were theyr partes to vse them dayly to reade some Chapters of the holy Scriptures thereby to incline theyr affections to the word of God to inure them in the phrase of the holy Ghost by lyttle and lyttle to learne the heauenly doctrine to note the examples of Gods vengeance poured vpon the wicked and disobedient and of his blessinges vnto those that walke in his feare Athanasius to this purpose sayth verie well If thou lookest that thy children shoulde obey thee Athan. vpon the 6. to the Ephe. ioyne and accustome them to Gods woorde it wyll redound greatlye to thy profyte Let thy children heare and reade the holy Scriptures for in them shall they learne Honour thy father and thy mother But if thou doest otherwise thou trainest them vp in the Scriptures of deuilles whereout they learne most wicked things But it is not so when they are instructed in the holy Scriptures 4 Parents therefore are diligently to applie themselues to this which God commandeth and so often and earnestly commendeth vnto them namely to instruct theyr children in the knowledge feare of God Plut. in his Lacon Apotheg and in the faith of Iesus Christ When one asked of Agesilaus king of Lacedemon wherin it were best to instruct children Hee answered In those things which they are to vse in theyr age This aunswere sheweth what a folly it is to linger children in the learning of vaine trifling and vnprofytable things which as they grow in yeres they will contemne and forget Parents can be carefull enough to bring vp theyr children in some course trade or other estate wherin to get their liuings wheÌ„ they come to be men and in deede such fathers as doo neglect that are vnworthie to haue children and in that consideration dyd a certaine lawe giuer in olde time ordaine Solon that the child whom his parents had not trained vp in some conuenient course whereby to get his liuing should not be bound to nourish them in their olde age But as the soule is more precious than the bodie so is it the duetie of parents in youth to traine vp their children in the practise of those thinges wherewith in age euen in this life they may glorifie God and bee heires of the Lord. 5 And to that end they are to consider especiallye so many the commandements of God so expresly inioyning parents to instruct their children in the heauenly doctrine Deut. 6.6 These words which I command thee this daie sayth Moses shall be in thine heart thou shalt continually rehearse them vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou tarriest in thine house as thou walkest by the waie when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp Now the worde whereby wee doo saie Thou shalt teach in that language wherein Moses wrote signifyeth Thou shalt sharpen Therein shewing that as when wee should pitch some stake in a hard ground by making it a point we sharpen it so parents are to sharpen instruction to theyr children But how By often repeating vnto them the heauenly doctrine that it may enter euen into the dullest wits Moses hauing written that excellent song which containeth so many notable aduertisements and is rehearsed in the two thirteth chap. of Exodus Deu. 32 4â— doth adde Set your heartes vnto all the woordes which I testifye against you this daie that yee may commaund them vnto your children Ephes 6.4 that they may obserue and doo all the wordes of this lawe The Apostle Saint Paule exhorteth Christians to the lyke duetie commaunding parents to bring vp theyr children in the instruction of the Lorde 6 The examples of such as haue shewed themselues faythfull and obedient to these commaundementes of God ought to moue our heartes to imitate them This testimonie doth God himselfe giue of Abraham Gen. 18.19 1. King 2.1 1. Chro. 28.9 that he knew that he would command his children and his familie after him to keepe the wayes of the Lord and to minister iustice and iudgement Dauid before his death gaue notable and holy preceptes vnto Salomon admonishing him to keepe the commandements of God and to walke in his feare And it is not the dutie of fathers onely but also of mothers to bring vp their children and to instruct them in the knowledge and feare of the Lord. Prou. 31 2. Tim. 1.5 Act. 16.1 As Bethsheba Dauids wife gaue notable instructions to her sonne Salomon as appeareth in the booke of Prouerbes And as Saint Paul beareth witnes that Timothie euen in his childhood was instructed in holy writ thereby commending the faith of his grandmother Loys and his mother Eunice by whom no doubt hee was taught especially considering his father was a Gentile 7 Saint Hierome writing to Leta not only exhorteth her to instruct her daughter in her youth in holy writ but also telleth her that her selfe must teach her Let her sayth he in stead of precious stones and silks loue godly bookes and in those bookes let her delight not in the leaues beautifyed with sundrie colours but in the distinct and pure doctrine according to faith First let her learne the Psalter that by such Canticles she may forsake the world and in Salomons Prouerbes let her bee taught to liue vertuously In Ecclesiastes let her accustome her selfe to tread vnder foot and to contemne worldly matters in the booke of Iob let her imitate his example of vertue and patience Let her laie holde of the Gospels and still keepe them in hand and with her whole hart let her learne the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles Thus when she hath stored the closet of her heart with such treasure let her by heart learne the Prophets the bookes of Moses of Kings of Chronicles Esdras and Hester last of all let her learne Salomons song For if shee shoulde reade that first shee might take harme as not vnderstanding the holye songes of spirituall marriage vnder carnall wordes But let her forbeare all Apocrypha let her bee still busied in the bookes of Cyprian Athanasius and Hillarie It maye seeme that Saint Hierome requireth much more than a christian maiden albeit zealous is able to performe But let this exhortation make the maidens of our daies to blush yea euen men and women who are so farre from this dutie that they are not able to alleadge one sentence of holy Scripture either for their own comfort or to resell the errour of heretikes or to instruct their neighbours 8 Moreouer Parents are commanded to instruct their children not onely in the worde but also in the vnderstanding of the Sacraments sacrifices and other of Gods holye ordinaunces When thy childe Deut. 6.20 sayth Moses shall hereafter aske thee saying What meane these testimonies ordinances and lawes which the Lorde our God hath commanded you Then shalt thou saie vnto thy sonne Wee were Phaâ—aohs bond men in Egypt but the Lord brought vs out
of Egypt with a mightie hande and the Lord shewed signes and great wonders and euill vpon Egypt vpon Pharaoh and vpon all his householdâ— before our eies And brought vs out from thence to bring vs in and to giue vs the lande which hee sware vnto our fathers Therefore the Lord hath commaunded vs to doo all these ordinances to feare the Lord our God that it may go euer well with vs and that hee may preserue vs aliue as at this present Exod. 12.26 Particularly concerning the pascall lambe Moses sayd When your children aske you what seruice is this you keepe Then shall yee saie It is the sacrifice of the Lordes passeouer Exod. 13.14 who passed ouer the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when hee smote the Egyptians and preserued our houses Hee lykewise ordayned that they should teach theyr children what was meant by the commaundement to offer vnto God euerie male that first openeth the wombe and to redeeme the first borne of theyr children When thy sonne shall aske thee to morrowe saying What is this Thou shalt then saie vnto him With a mightie hand the Lord brought vs out of Egipt out of the house of bondage For when Pharaoh was hard hearted against our departing the Lorde then slew all the first borne in the land of Egipt therefore I sacrifice vnto the Lord all the males that first open the wombe but all the first borne of my sonnes I redeeme Iosua 4.21 And as Iosua commanded the people to take the twelue stones that they tooke out of Iordan when thy passed ouer drie shood so hee inioyned the fathers to teach theyr children the signification of those stones thereby to remember Gods wonderfull workes 9 By the premises wee may manifestly see the duties of Christian parents to teach theyr children But how doo they perform it Themselues at the least for the most parte knowe not the signification of Baptisme or the supper or wherefore those Sacramentes were instituted How can they then put in action these commandements of God or instruct their children in heuenly doctrin When they shall aske what is signified by the water that is pâ—ured vpon the babe or by the bread or wine that are deliuered in the holye supper How many bee there that can teach or tell them What a slacknesse is this that wee profyte no better in obedience to God in a matter so requisite and necessarie as is the instruction of our children 10 Neyther is this all for they are also diligently to note Gods wonderfull workes whether in the chastising of his people in the deliuerie of his Church or in the punishing of his enemies Deut. 4 9 thereof to make reporte to theyr children thereby to teach them to feare God and to put theyr trust in him Take heed to thy selfe sayth Moses and keepe thy soule diligently that thou forget not the thinges which thine eies haue seene that they depart not out of thy hart all the daies of thy life but teach them to thy sonnes and to thy sonnes sonnes This dutie is more amplie declared in the 78. psalme Psalme 78. 2 where the prophet sayth thus I will open my mouth in a parable I will declare high sentences of olde which wee haue heard and knowen and our fathers haue tolde vs. Wee will not hide them from their children but to the generation to come wee will shew the praises of the Lord his power also and his wonderfull workes that he hath done How hee established a testimonie in Iacob and ordained a lawe in Israel which hee commanded our Fathers that they shoulde teache their children c. Ezechias king of Iuda beeing recouered of a daungerous sicknesse protesteth that the fruit of his deliuerie shall be to praise God and to instruct his children in the lyke dutie The liuing sayth hee the liuing shall confesse thee Esa 38.19 The father to the children shall declare thy truth God hauing grieuously chastised his people sayth by the prophet Ioel Such a thing was done in your time or in the time of your fathers tell ye it to your children and your children to their children and their children to another generation Ioel 1. 3 By the premises may parents vnderstand how farre in duty they are bound to instruct theyr children in the heauenly doctrine and to rehearse vnto them the wonderfull workes of God that euen from theyr youth they may print in theyr heartes true godlynesse with an apprehension of lyfe euerlasting so leade them into the knowledge and obedience of God But what Some parents are so ignorant that albeit they would yet are they not able to teach theyr children As this ignorance is vnbeseeming any christian so shoulde the feeling thereof induce them to seeke to profit in the knowledge of the word and workes of God first in regard of their owne comfort and consolation next that they may bee able to instruct their children We reade of many who euen in their old age haue learned the Greeke tong or the arts Yea there was one that said that albeit one of his feet were in the graue yet wold he learn But our argument importeth not the knowledge or the learning of the artes or sciences that serueth this present life but the knowledge requisite for the glorifying of God and the attaining to life euerlasting And therefore it were good they should begin to profit in so neâ—essary a felicity rather late than neuer yet not in respect onely of their owne persons but also as is aforesaid that according to so many commandements so expresse and so often reiterated they may be able to instruct their children We reade of a Grecian Ladie who being a mother learned the liberall arts that she might teach her children and thereby purchased great praise Euridice Plut. in the bringing vp of children How much rather ought parents to be careful and zealous to profit in the heauenly doctrine were it onely to be able to instruct their children 12 At the least if they want knowledge or bee vnwilling to take leasure to teach them yet let them do as much for their soules and the life to come as for their bodies and this present life Parents that either cannot write and reade or will not or haue not time to teach their children will yet send them to schoole and such as would haue them learn some art or occupation or traâ—â—ike if them selues professe not the same wherin they like to imploy their children they will yet put theÌ„ to dwell with those that do professe the same to the end they may learne How therfore can parents excuse theÌ„selues when their children remain vntaught in these things that concern the glory of God life euerlasting But howsoeuer it be if they be neither able of themselues nor do prouide to haue them taught by others they shall be inexcusable in the sight of God the ignorance of the children ingendering contempt of
they haue discharged themselues of a great care for it is theyr partes to thinke thereof 1 Cor. 7 and generally to prouide for the marriage of theyr children not to tarrie vntill through their negligence peeuishnesse and other difficulties in that prouision for them the children take occasion of lewdnesse or so ship themselues without the knowledge of their parents that afterward they bee forced to proceede to that that may redound to theyr greate sorrow and heartbreaking So dyd Abraham thinke vppon the marriage of his sonne Isaac to that end committed the charge thereof to his eldest and most faithfull seruant Gen. 24.3 whome hee wylled to seeke a wife for his sonne as in truth it is not properly for the children but for the parents to thinke vpon and prouide for the same The same doth Ieremie teach where writing to the Iewish Fathers in the captiuitie of Babylon hee sayth Iere. 29.6 Iud. 14.2 Take wiues for your sonnes and giue your daughters in marriage Heereupon when Sampson had found a maiden to his lyking himselfe dyd not demaunde her in marriage but comming to his parents hee sayd Gen. 34.3 Giue mee her to Wife Likewyse Sichem the sonne of Hemor hauing bent his heart vnto Dina the daughter of Iacob sayde vnto his father Giue mee this maide to wife Yet is it meete that as the parents make the motion so the children giue the consent Gen. 24.57 This dyd Laban declare when talking of Rebecca whome Abrahams seruant craued in marriage for his masters sonne Isaac he sayde Let vs call the mayden and aske her consent So calling her they sayde vnto her Wilt thou goe with this man And shee aunswered I will go For of matching eyther sonne or daughter agaynst theyr wylles there doo many times arise great inconueniences and much sorrowe and griefe yea the lawyers are of opinion that a free wyll is not so expedient in anie thing as in marryage 27 Now 1. Cor. 7.40 as it is the dutie of parents to prouide to match their children so are they diligently to see it be done as Saint Paul saith In the Lord that is not to demaund anie maiden for their sonne or to accept anie sonne for their daughter vnlesse the same bee affected to true religion and make profession thereof hauing a good reporte of pietie the feare of God and other Christian vertues which qualities and giftes of God are to be preferred before wealth or anie other worldly or carnall considerations So when Abraham sent his man to seeke a wife for his sonne Isaac Gen 24.3 he sware him that hee shoulde not take anie Daughter of Chanaan So when Sampson required his parents to giue him a wife of the daughters of the Philistians they aunswered Is there neuer a wife among the daughters of thy brethren Iudg. 14.3 or among my people that thou must go take a wife of the vncircumcised Philistines If Parents would consider of the daunger of the losse of theyr childrens soules by matching them with such as are of a contrarie religion or otherwyse giuen more to the world than to pietie and the seruice of God eyther what strife or contention doo for the most part ensue of such marriages how small comfort is taken in the same how slenderlie the dutie of praier is performed and what a neglygence or hinderance they are to the bringing vp of children in the feare of God they woulde abhorre euen to thinke of anie such match and in few speeches preferre him that were endued with godlynesse other vertues before riches and all other carnall and worldly considerations They would put in practise the wise aduertisement propounded by Salomons mother albeit but simply folowed by her sonne which wee reade in the Prouerbes Many daughters haue done vertuously Prou. 31.29 but thou surmountest them all Fauour is deceitfull and beautie is vanitie but the woman that feareth the Lord shall be praised But if the difficultie rest in question of maintenance for the familie let parents remember that it is better to choose knowledge than wealth that is skill and industrie howe to get than goods alreadye gotten and in his possession that hath no skill or knowledge howe to vse them Heereto may wee referre the answere of Themistocles Plutarch in his life Ci. in the first booke of offices who purposing to marrie his daughter and beeing asked why hee preferred a vertuous man before a rich answered That he liked better of a man without monie than of monie without a man or as some doo write that hee had rather match his daughter to a head of a man than to a head of siluer And therefore to conclude this speech we may wel say it is better to match our children with Christian vertuous heads that haue litle monie than with much treasure in the possession of worldly and vicious heads 28 Heereto will we yet adde two points concerning the duties of parents to their children first that in all their wordes workes they be vnto them continuall examples and myrrors of pietie and vertue so shall their admonitions exhortations be still of greater efficacie and themselues shall haue more authoritie to reproue admonish chastise their children And in deed the same that Marcus Aurelius saith that to make children vertuous they shall more profit by good example in one month than by instructiō in a whole yere may be most truely applied vnto parents He that teacheth a childe to write may sometime saye yee must make this letter long this short this straight c. But the chiefe meanes to make him to profit in writing is to set him good examples or coppies to write before him And so is it in the instruction of vertue and the feare of God For contrariwise he that teacheth well and liueth euil buildeth with one hand and pulleth downe with another And experience teacheth that more may be pulled downe in one hower then will be built vp in one day The euill example of parents is as a line to draw the children to follow them And therefore the Prophet Ezechiell reprouing the people of his time for their Idolatrie and other corruptions declareth that therin they haue taken the ordinarie course that is Ezech. 16 42. they haue followed the example of their parents Behold saith he all that vse prouerbs shall vse this prouerbe against thee saying like mother like daughter Thou art thy mothers daughter that hath cast off her hushand and her children and thou art the sister of thy sisters which forsooke their husbands and their children your mother is an Hittite and your father an Ammorite Here are three olde prouerbes which proue that children ordinarily are ready to imitate the bad examples of their parents First Like mother like daughter Secondly Thou art thy mothers daughter Thirdly Thy mother is an Hittite and thy father an Ammorite That is to say Thy parents forsaking the seruice of God haue
Finally that according to the exhortation of Iesus Christ we may Amend our liues besides all that is before spoken let vs adde the counsels Ecclesiatheus 3.2 admonitions and exhortations of Ecclesiasticus deliuered vnto children concerning their due obedience to their parents Here your fathers iudgement children saith he and do therafter that ye may be safe For the Lord wil haue the father honored of the children and hath confirmed the authoritie of the mother ouer the children Who so honoreth his father his sinnes shall be forgiuen him and he shall abstaine from them and he shall haue his dayly desire And he that honoreth his mother is like one that gathereth treasure Who so honoreth his father shall haue ioy of his owne children and when he maketh his praier he shall be heard He that honoreth his father shall haue a long life and he that is obedient to the Lord shall comfort his mother He that feareth the Lord honoreth his parents and doth seruice vnto his parents as vnto Lords Honor thy father and mother in deed and word that thou maiest haue Gods blessing and that it may abide with thee vnto the end For the blessing of the father establisheth the houses of the children and the mothers curse rooteth out the foundations Reioyce not at the dishonor of thy father for it is not honor vnto thee but shame Seeing that mans glorie commeth by his fathers honor and the reproch of the mother is dishonor to the children My sonne helpe thy father in his age and grieue him not as long as hee lyueth And if his vnderstanding faile haue pacience with him and despise him not when thou art in thy full strength For the good entreatie of thy father shall not be forgotten but it shall bee a fortresse to thee against sinnes In the day of trouble thou shalt bee remembred and thy sinnes shall melt away as the Ice in faire wether Hee that forsaketh his father shall come to shame and he that angreth his mother is cursed of God These admonitions and exhortations are as a summary of the duties of children to their parents And therfore it resteth that they vnderstanding them do pray vnto God to giue them grace to put them in practise to his glory and their good saluation Lastly let them remember the saying of Plato that God is not more enclined to heare any praiers then such as parents doe poure forth for their children As they are therefore to feare their curse for offending them so must they by honoring and pleasing them seeke to be blessed in their praiers Gen. 27 28 which are bessings ratefied vnto them in heauen as the blessings of Isaac to his sonne Iacob doe manifestly declare Of the duties of magistrates to their subiects Chap. 6. NOw let vs come to the duties of Kings Rom. 13. Princes other Magistrates or as S. Paule termeth them superior powers ouer their subiects The first point that the magistrates to the end duely to discharge their office are to consider is this That God hath aduanced them to that authoritie not for their priuate commoditie or honor but to do seruice vnto God in seruing to the benefite and saluation of their subiectes And this doth the Apostle note saying The magistrate is the minister of God for the wealth of the people Which he also confirmeth in a more particular declaration Rom. 13. importing that the end of their vocation office is that we may liue a quiet and peaceable life in al godlinesse honesty Euen the heathē in sundry notable sentences did teach that Magistrates are ordained to liue and to serue not themselues but their subiects 1. Tim. 2.2 First one of thē saith Princes are the seruants of God ordained to take care for men and to prouide for their preseruation Plutarch in a booke of the doctrine required in a Prince Cicero in his cōmonwelth lib. 5. Xenophon in his rememb of Socrates lib. 3. Arist Polit. lib. 8. c. 10. Cic. Offic. l. ◠whether by ministring to them of their goods that hee hath bestowed vpon them or by defending them Cicero also writeth that the end of gouernors should ayme at the prosperous life of their subiects because as another saith they be chosen not to liue at ease daintily but that they which haue chosen them may by their industrie liue quietly and happily And therefore saith the Prince of Philosophers Herein resteth a difference betweene a King and a tyrant That the tyrant seeketh his owne profit the Kinge or Magistrate the profit commoditie of his subiects Such saith Cicero as are to gouerne the common wealth ought diligently to obserue these two instructions of Plato First that they so maintain the cōmodity of the people that euery their action without respect of their owne priuate profit may haue respect thereto Secondly that they tend to the preseruation of the whole body of their people that they seeke not so to maintaine one part that they forsake the other 2 Thus may the magistrate easily learne that the greatnesse of gouernment is but a greatnes of care also that as Seneca saith he is in duty to warant the sleep of his subiects by his own wakfulnes their peace by his labour Iustin lib. 6. Epaminondas Plutarch in his Apotheg their ease by his industrie and their leasure by his businesse And in that sence doe we reade of a great personage who neuer accepted gouernment or publike office for his owne sake but for the common wealth of his countrie so that on a time when the people were feasting and very merrie being asked why himselfe walked sadly vp and downe the towne he answered That you may make merrie and reioyce Thus when the magistrate is called the sheepeheard the father and head of the people he is to remember that the sheepheard being more excellent then the sheepe the father then the children and the head then the body the sheepheard the father and the head are established in this preheminence The one to lead and feed the flock the other to nourish and bring vp his children and the other happily to gouerne the body It is therefore the magistrates dutie so to gouerne his subiects Seneca of clemencie that by the effects they may know that he is ordained not onely to be ouer them but also for them 3 For the better vnderstanding and practise hereof let vs more perticularly lay down the dutie of their function by three principall endes thereof before mentioned Namely that wee may liue a quiet and peaceable life in al godlinesse and honestie Now godlinesse comprehendeth the religion and seruice of God Peace and quietnesse proceedeth of the administration of iustice and iudgement and by honestie is ment sobrietie chastitie and other the vertues required for an honest life as by day and in the sight of God Concerning godlinesse and religion As God is aboue all men the soule more excellent then the
most liuely teach all Christians to feare God to serue him to put their trust in him and to set forth his glory 8 As for Cyrus Esay 44.28 45.1 as God a hundreth yeeres before the captiuitie had chosen him and by the Prophet Esaie named him to bee his minister in the deliue ie of his people so hee after hee had attayned to the monarchy of the Chaldees did declare a commendable zeale to the seruice of God in licensing his people to returne to Iudea and in restoring vnto them the golden and siluer vessells of the temple which hee suffered them to reedifie in commaunding his subiects to releeue with golde siluer goods and horse all such as were not able to furnish theyr iourney True it is that as those Heathen kings were possessed wyth great ignorance so their zeale to the seruice of God was of small continuance yet shall they in the daie of iudgement rise against our Christian kings and magistrates vnlesse more amplie and constantly than they they employ themselues in the establishment and maintenance of the pure seruice of God and in effect declare the same to bee the scope and principal end of theyr vocation and office Psal 2.10 Also that Dauid speaketh to them where hee sayth Bee wise now therefore yee Kinges bee learned yee Iudges of the earth Serue yee the Lord in feare and reioyce in trembling Kisse the Sonne that is to saie Doo homage to the sonne For it is not the meaning of the holy Ghost that onely in the title of priuate persons they shoulde doe homadge to Iesus Christ But also as magistrates in maintaining and establishing the pure seruice of God And in the same sence are wee to vnderstand the promise of Esaye saying Kinges shall bee the Nursing fathers Esay 49.23 and Queenes shall bee the nurses of the Church And indeede it is one thinge to bee the suckling or nursed childe of the Church as are all the faithful and another to bee the nursing fathers or nurses that doe employ themselues to nurse vp the Church Augustine to Boniface Ep◠50 As also Saint Augustine sayth A Kinge doeth seruice after one sorte as hee is a man and after an other as hee is a Kinge As hee is a man hee serueth God in leading a faithfull and Christian lyfe But as hee is a Kinge he serueth him in making lawes pertinentlie with authoritie commaunding that which is iust and prohibiting things contrarie 9 Christian Emperours in olde time did well vnderstand and declare the same to be the end and dutie of theyr vocation namely to establish the pure seruice of God and to maintaine the truth of the heauenly doctrine Socrates in his Eccle. hist li. 1. cap. 9. Among others great Constantine in an Epistle written to the Churches sayth Because that by the prosperitie of the publike estate I doo in deed perceiue the greatnes of the heauenly grace and power I haue thought it requisite before all things that I should bend my whole endeuour to this euen among the blessed of the Catholike church to maintain one faith one true charitie and loue and one vniuersall deuotion towardes God almightie Theod. in his Eccl. hi. l. 5. c. 6 When the Emperor Theodosius accepted the gouernment of the Empire his first care tended to establish concord vnitie in the puritie of doctrine throughout the whole Church And therupō he assembled sundry Bishops to confute suppresse the error of Arrius For as in all times there haue beene heretikes that haue assalted the truth of the heauenly doctrine Ruffin in his Ecc. hi. l. 1. c. 2 The Tripartit hist li. 1 c. 8 Socrat. hist Eccl. li. 1 ca. 9 Gracian Valent Theo. li. 2. cap. de Summa Trin. fide Cath. Euseb in the lyfe of Constan li. 4 so haue christian Magistrates opposed agaynst them the remedies of generall counsels As the afornamed Emperor Constantine the great in the yeere 333. summoned the famous Counsell of Nice whether hee brought three hundred and eighteene Bishoppes to maintaine the truth of the diuinitie of Christ against Arrius So they dyd moreouer publish decrees concerning hereticall bookes and writinges importing theyr abolishment As great Constantine commanded the writings of Arrius to bee burned So other Emperors lykewise hauing commaunded to maintaine the truth haue also expreslye forbidden both the doctrine of heretikes and theyr assemblyes and haue made notable decrees for the abolishing of Idolatrie and superstition as the same Emperour Constantine the greate by many lawes and decrees prohibited all sacrificing to Idols all enquirie of Sorcerers and Charmers all erection of Images and all secret sacrifices Theod. Eccle. hist li 5. ca. 2 10 But aboue all things they tooke care to establish good Bishoppes and Pastors And in deede Gratian the sonne of the Emperour Valentine consecrating as Theodoret writeth the first fruites of his Empire to God made a lawe for the restoring of good pastors that had beene banished to theyr Churches and commanded that such as preached the blasphemies of Arrius shoulde as beastes bee put from their Churches Socrat. hist Eccle. li. 6. c. 2 and the same to bee restored to the heauenly flockes and faithfull shepheards We also reade of the Emperor Arcadius that by the common petition of the Clergy and people of Constantinople he called home Iohn and to the end to reestablish him in the Bishoprick wyth lawful authoritie he summoned sundrie Bishoppes and so hee was chosen to be Bishop of Constantinople To this purpose is the exhortation of the Emperor Valentinian verie notable Theodor. his Eccl. hist l c. 5 After the death of Auxentius the Arrian Bishoppe of Millaine hauing assembled sundrie Bishoppes he sayde Your selues hauing beene brought vp in heauenly doctrine cannot bee ignorant what manner of man hee ought to bee to whome the dignitie of a Bishoppe should bee committed Likewise how hee ought to instruct the people not onelye by doctrine but also by good example of manners and to be vnto them a myrrour of all honestie to the end that the exercise of such his duetie may beare witnesse of his doctrine and therefore establish in the Bishoppes sea him to whome wee gouernours of the Empire maye sincerely submit our heades and from whome in that beeing men wee bee all subiect to sinne wee maye bee content to receiue reprehension and admonition as healthsome phisicke for our soules 11 Which is more Eus hist Eccl. li. 10. ca. 7 Socrat. Eccl. hist l. 1. c. 9. such was theyr care that Bishoppes and pastors should not bee withdrawen by politike functions from the exercise of theyr vocation that Constantine the great writing to Anilin ordained that they that gaue themselues to the exercise of diuine matters whome he called the Cleargie shoulde be free and exempt from all publike charge The building and repairing of Churches was also commended to them as the same Constantine declareth writing to Eusebius See that
necessitie of the Churches yea to summon the same extraordinarily according to the extraordinarie occasions that may fall out and after the ancient practise and vse of all Christian Emperours 21 Moreouer the care of the saluation of the soules of their subiects doth sufficiently admonish them not to permit any assembly of heretiks that teach anie thing contrary to the truth also to prohibit the print sale of books especially not to admit or tollerate any heretikes in the instructing of youth or in anie publike charge of teaching in respect of the danger of infecting or casting away of the soules that are redeemed by the bloud of Christ As also in duty they are to prouide for the building and reparation of Churches likewise for the conuenient maintenance of such as doo seruice in the church of Christ not to permit that want shuld driue any to the vse of meanes and practises dishonorable to their ministery or to withdraw them from their studies and the exercise of their vocation Withall to take heed least any parents otherwise reasonably inclined to the bringing vp of their children in studie wherby to serue in the ministerie be not drawen to mislike or induced to take them from studie by the apprehension of the pouertie necessitie and contempt of diuers ministers whom they see for want of means to maintaine their families pining away at their decease vnable to leaue any thing for their wiues children to liue vpon 22 Likewise inasmuch as daily experience testifieth such a dislike in parents it is necessarie that the magistrates shuld maintain such yong men as may hereafter serue in the holy ministry And in truth it is the dutie of all men especially of such as haue both abilitie authoritie to labor that the heauenly truth and doctrine may bee maintained not onely among vs during our liues but also among our posteritie so that as S. Paul saith the Lords death may be preched euen vntill he come To be short 1. Cor. 11.26 let all magistrates vnderstand that whatsoeuer may serue to the aduancemēt of the church and the good ordring of the same is to them commanded commended by the Lord to the end that their subiects may serue God according to his word to this end let them behold the zeale deuotion of the kings of Iuda the Christian Emperours before mentioned that folowing their steps themselues may also be foūd to be true nurses and protectors of the church of Christ also that their families courts may be so guided according to Gods word in his feare in al godly exercises that they may be as holy churches consecrated to the Lord. 23 This one point will I also adde that besides all publike domesticall exercises of pietie seruice of God which no man shuld neglect it is requisite that all men especially kings magistrates should daily goe aside into some secret place there make theyr priuate praiers vnto God reade some chapters of the holy scriptures whereby to feed themselues in true godlines to guide theyr subiects in al happines to purchase Gods blessings to thēselues their gouernment people To conclude it were meet they shuld practise the counsell of Demetrius Phalerius Eras Apot. l. 7 who exhorted king Ptolome diligently to reade all that was written concerning the manner of good gouernment to the end ther to find such instructions as his friends durst not declare or make shew of And to this duty let them also adioine the praier of Salomon that God would giue them wisdome wherby they may happily gouerne their subiects 1. King 3.2 24 The second principall point of the duetie of Magistrates to their subiects consisteth in the maintaining of them in a peaceable and quiet life Rom. 3.14 1. Chro. 18.14 in such sort that none may sustaine iniury in his person name or goods And because that want of loue and charitie contrariwise abundance of mallice and frowardnesse among men maketh them to be wolues foxes each to other wherby as their mouths are full of cursings and bitternes so destruction and miserie so crosseth their paths that they knowe not the waie of peace Magistrates are ordained after the example of Dauid to minister iustice in maintaining the good punishing the wicked Now that they may well execute this part of their charge it behoueth them to haue fit and conuenient lawes whereby to maintaine theyr subiects in peace and tranquility with right and equitie And this did God manifestly declare in deliuering by the hands of Moses those lawes whereby he willed that his people Israel should be directed gouerned The heathen also haue euermore had most excellent personages to prescribe vnto them their lawes as Solon to the Athenians and Lycurgus to the Lacedemonians The Romanes hearing of Solons lawes Tit. Liui. l. 3 Feneste of the Romane magistrates c. 14. Pom. Laetus of Rom. Mag. Tit. of the Decemuirat sent three honorable personages to Athens for a copie of them as also to take information of the lawes customes of sundry other prouinces And at their returne to Rome which was three yeeres after their departure with the lawes that they had gathered they chose forth ten notable personages to reduce draw the same into ten tables which done they were read vnto the people and so allowed Afterward there were also added to them yet two more And thus were the so famous lawes intituled Of the twelue Tables Lampridius in his lyfe first collected Alexander Seuerus an Emperour of Rome shewed such care heereof that being to establish a certaine lawe for the gouernment of his subiects hee called twentie of the skilfullest and most learned Lawyers of his Empire to haue their opinions which hee demanded of each of them and that not simply but so as that hee woulde also heare their reasons neither would he accept of anie present aunswere but gaue them time to consider thereof least in a matter of so great importance they might happily deliuer some rash or vnpremeditated resolution Such lawes therefore are verie profitable and euen necessarie For inasmuch as men are inclined to error subiect to their passions laws are to magistrates as wel counsellors discreet guides as bridles to keepe themselues in the right course contained in the same Thus should all townes common wealths prouinces kingdomes haue theyr assured lawes whereof the Magistrates are gardians as the prince of Philosophers tearmeth them Aristotle in the vertuous execution of their charge according to the tenure of the same Heereupon sayth Dauid to his sonne Salomon 1. King 2.3 Take heed to the charge of the Lord thy God to walke in his waies and keepe his statutes commandements iudgements and testimonies as it is written in the lawe of Moses that thou maist prosper in all thou doest and in euerie thing whereto thou turnest thee Astuerus also a Heathen king Ester 1.15
their eyes to follow it And to that end let them remember first that by taking gifts they are bound and cannot satisfie both the giuer and a good conscience in the sight of God as a heathen hath wel noted Alâ—â—amenes the sonne of Telecres Plut. in his Apotheg Iob 15 34. Deut. 27.25 saying If I should receaue the gifts that are offered I cannot be at peace with the lawes Secondly let theÌ„ not thinke that God will suffer such corruption and prophaning of the seat and throne of his maiestie according to the saying of Iob. The fire shall deuoure the tabernacles that are built with presents which also concurreth with the sentence of almighty God before aledged Lamp in the life of Seuer Valer Max. lib. 6. cap. 3 Cursed be hee that taketh rewards to condemne the innocent And this sentence haue the hethen also coÌ„firmed by seuere executions as we read of the Emperor Alexander Seuerus who caused his secretary to bee empaled because he had been with money corrupted and induced to do some wrong And as he caused him to be executed so would he haue the body left in the high way whereby his seruants and officers had their vsuall passage that hee might so be an example vnto them Cambises King of Persia causing a iudge to be slaine quicke because he had suffered himself to be corrupted with money Valerius Max. lib. 6. c. 3 willed his skinne also to be hanged vp in the iudgement seate thereby to warne all other iudges that should succeed to beware of that iniquitie On the other side let theÌ„ ponder the saying of Salomon He that hateth rewards shal liue euen which is the principal for euer Which also Dauid confirmeth Pro. 15.27 saying He that taketh not rewards against the innocent shal not be moued but shal abide in the tabernacle of God Psal 15. and shal inhabit in the hil of his holynes And Esay also saith He that shaketh his hands from taking of gifts shall dwell on high his defence shall bee the munitions of rockes Esay 33.15 Bread shall be giuen him and his waters shall bee sure yea his eyes shall see the king in his glorie 37 But as auarice engendreth couetousnes after gifts and consequently the peruerting of iustice so out of the same spring floweth another most pernitious corruption Plato in his common wealth lib. 4. Cicero offic lib. 2. Plutarch in his politicks Namely the sale and purchase of publike offices and functions And indeede what is to be looked of such purchasers but that he that hath bought his office by whole sale will afterward sell iustice by retayle and doe wrong to reembourse and enritch himselfe And therefore the Philosophers euen the heathen are of this opinion that nothing can bee more pernicious in a common wealth then the traficke and sale of offices For the sellers of them doe sell the most sacred thing in the world euen iustice They sell the common wealth the bloud of the subiects and the lawes They take away the reward of honour Lamprid. in his life learning godlinesse religion They open the gates to the euery spoyle iniustice euen to all vice and corruption In this respect would not the Emperour Alexander Seuerus tollerate the sale of any office or dignitie His reason For the buyer must of necessitie sell againe victorin in his life Sith in a heathen and a yong Prince this holy resolution could take such roote what shame is it that Christian Kinges and Magistrates should take another course The Emperour Septianus Seuerus being endued with the like vertue wold neuer suffer the sale of any office or estate This dutie haue many Christian Kings and Princes also acknowledged Aemilius Gaguin lib 7 who haue made sundry expresse decrees in prohibition of purchase of offices especially of iudgement Among the rest King Lewes the ninth of Fraunce most straightly prohibited the sale of offices and dignities which hee willeth shoulde bee giuen to vertuous and capable persons But experience hath often taught that such decrees haue bene but simply obserued also that there was neuer seller but found a purchaser neither purchaser but found one that would sel But as such as thrust themselues into publike offices or purchase the same with quoyne doe thereby reueale their auarice and ambition the mothers and nurses of great hainous corruptions So they that make sale of the same are the causes of vniustice wrong thereof ensuing and thereof shall giue accompt in the sight of God 38 Nowe let vs proceede to another dutie requisite for the maintaining of subiects in peace tranquility That is to execute iustice against transgressions and trespasses Deut. 13.17.11 Heereof besides the commaundement of God so often and so expressely propounded in his word the holy Scripture also exhibiteth two notable reasons The one to appease Gods wrath The other that others may feare to commit the like iniquitie As concerning the first This is one resolute point albeit few doe consider of it that vpon the committing of a trespasse man-slaughter fornication or such like God is highly displeased not onely with him that hath committed it but also with the whole nation as if all the people had committed it And to this purpose hath almightie God set downe a notable decree saying If one be found slaine in the land and it is not knowne who hath slaine him then shall the elders of the next towne to him that is slaine Deut. 21.1 take a Heyfer that hath not beene put to labour and bring her into a vally that is vntilled There shall they smite off her head and wash their handes ouer the Heyfer that is beheadded and say Our bands haue not shed this bloud neither haue our eyes seene it O Lord be mercifull to thy people Israel whom thou hast redeemed and lay no innocent bloud to the charge of thy people Israel And the bloud shall be forgiuen them So shalt thou take away the cry of innocent bloud from thee This doth euidently declare that albeit the murder was committed in the field and no man knoweth who committed it yet is the people of the next towne polluted therewith holden so guiltie in the sight of God that they must haue recourse to his mercy by praier that he execute not his wrath against the people 39 This same doth the historie of Acan also represent vnto vs for when Acan had taken of the forbidden things God was wroth against all Israel And that did he testifie in causing the souldiers whom Iosua had sent Iosua 7. to flie before the enhabitants of Hay But Iosua disquieted with their flight complaineth to God who maketh him answere saying Jsrael hath sinned they haue transgressed my couenaunt which I commaunded them For they haue euen taken of the excommunicated thing and haue also stolen and haue dissembled also and haue put it euen with their owne stuffe Therefore the children
euill for euill and so to vsurpe vpon the authoritie of God to whome only vengeance doth belong 45 By the premises it euidently appeareth that it is a meere most dangerous corruption in shewing fauour to offenders to let them escape vnpunished yet this was a custome among the Iewes after the Romanes had subdued them that at the feast of the passouer they would haue such a prisoner let loose vnto them as them selues would demand to the end to exempt him of his deserued punishment and thereupon was Barrabas a seditious person and a murtherer by them preferred before the righteous Iesus Christ by Pilat at their request deliuered to go free without punishmēt But greater corruption than this may wee finde among Christians First in that at the first entrie of kings princes into their towns Math. 27. also in some places vpon the day that is tearmed Good friday many transgressors are deliuered out of prison This is a peruerse affectation of mercie in princes and a wicked imitation of the grace and mercie of God As also it it is a pernitious priuiledge pretended by those that name themselues Ecclesiasticall persons and repugnant to the dutie authoritie of magistrates to exempt from punishment by death such manstaiers as haue taken the first tonsure or crowne as they tearme it And therefore it is the office of the faithfull magistrate to abolish such corruption 46 What then Is it not lawfull for the Prince to pardon an offender In answere hereto we say that he ought to distinguish between sinnes transgressions prepetrated contrarie to the law of God which hee commandeth to punish and such offences as are committed against the lawes and statutes of magistrates in matters either of warre or pollicie only As concerning the first true it is that Christan magistrates are not bound to inflict the same punishment which God in his lawe hath decreed Yet are they bound to obserue this rule namely that they punish all transgressions each according to the grauitie thereof· For that doeth Gods Iustice require Secondly that the grauitie as well of the offence as of the punishment for the same bee estimated not after the lycence and tolleration now in vse euen among Christians but after the rule of Gods wisedome reuealed in his word Wherein wee are to consider first the kindes of sinne as that murther is more heynous then theft because mans life is more precious then his goods And therefore hath God decreed one punishment against the murtherer and another against the theefe Moreouer in one kinde of sinne there are sundrie circumstaunces to be considered which make the sinne and consequently doe enforce or mitigate the punishment As manslaughter vpon ignorance or at vnawares is not so heinous neither so seuerely to bee punished as when it is doone vpon hatred and wilfully And in that consideration did the Lorde in olde time graunte townes of sanctuarie for the safetie of such as vnwittingly chanced to kill any man Deut. 14. 4. Num. 35 As contrariwise hee commaunded the execution of such as wilfully and vpon mallice slew any man to bee performed without remission or exception So likewise doeth God by Moses decree diuers sortes of punishmentes for theft according to the diuers circumstaunces thereof Exod. 22.1 And therfore according to such considerations noted in Gods worde as the sinne is more heynous or easie euen so must the punishment be executed without respect of persons whether kinsfolke or straungers Deut. 13. friendes or vnknowne persons rich or poore and so consequently For as it is great rigour to condemne to death the man that by mischaunce killeth one So is it a mercie condemned by the Lorde himselfe to pardon him that wilfully committeth murder Neither can it bee denyed but that such negligence as wee dayly see among Christians in not punishing blasphemie against Gods Maiestie fornication and especially whoredome haunting of Tauernes and ordinarie drunkennesse cryeth for vengeance against those Magistrates that suffer such abhomination to beare sway and haue free passage without exemplarie punishment requisite for the appeasing of Gods wrath for the terryfiyng of others and for the maintenaunce of their subiectes in peace and tranquilitie But as for transgressions against the politicke lawes and Statutes of Magistrates themselues haue power and authoritie vpon sundrie and diuers reasons to mittigate or wholly to remit the punishment As when Saule following the Philistians 1. Sam. 14. decreed death against anie that shoulde tast anie foode before night and therevpon determining the death of his sonne Ionathan for tasting the honie It rested in the people to free him from death in respect of the great victorie by him obtained against the Philistians 47 But in as much as there bee sundrie Christian Magistrates that bee negligent in this dutie of punishing the trespasses and offences of their Subiectes in hope of amendement Let such remember the horrible vengeaunce executed vpon the enhabitants of Gibeah and almost the whole tribe of Beniamin Iudges 21. 21. who were in manner vtterly rooted out because that when the saide enhabitantes of Gibeah had committed great abhomination against a Leuites concubine the said tribe of Beniamin refused either to punish them or to deliuer them into the hands of the children of Israell to be punished Let them consider what became of the Lacedemonians when they cared not to punish two of their Subiectes that had deflowred and murthered and throwne into a well the two daughters of Scedasus an enhabitant of Leuctres This Scedasus vpon notice of this odious fact complained to the Magistrates tearmed the Ephores and craued iustice But in vaine Then hee went to the King but might not bee hearde Plut. in the life of Pelopidas Thence to the people weeping and crying out vpon such an outrage but no man tooke heede Shortely after in a battell betweene the Lacedemonians and the Thebans the Lacedemonians were vtterly ouerthrowne and lost the dominion that they had holden for six or seuen hundred yeeres This historie doeth Plutarch a heathen man report which thus aptly fitteth our purpose to bee fought neere to Leuctres the same ground where the two daughters of Scedasus were buried Yea hee addeth that as Pelopidas one of the Theban Captaines stoode in some doubte before the battell Scedasus appeared vnto hym in a mighty vision and exhorted him to march against the Lacedemonians assuring him as it also came to passe that they should there make satisfaction for the wrong and outrage vnto him and his two daughters done by two of theyr subiectes and theyr neglect and contempt of punishing that iniquitie Let also the sentence pronounced to Achab by a prophet concerning Benhadad king of Syria 1. King 20.42 founde in theyr cares Because thou hast let goe out of thy handes a man whome I appointed to die thy life shall go for his life and thy people for his people Psal 101 Psal 75 Neither let them
sayde Abiah was ouerthrowen wyth a great wound and there remayned dead in the battell fiue hundred thousand choice men of Israel Moreouer as there be two meanes sayth Cicero to decide controuersies Cic. Off. l. 1 the one by wordes and lawe the other by force also that the first is proper to man the other to beasts so ought we neuer to proceed to force but in case it cannot bee otherwise decided And in deed it is not lawfull to leuie warre against him that is readie to determine the controuersie by lawe and to make satisfaction yea Thucid. l. 1 as it is better to loose some parte of a mans right than to goe to lawe so ought wee to beare much before wee resolue vppon warre For as the Surgion doeth neuer proceede to cauterising or cutting off of the member vnlesse the whole bodie bee in daunger to be lost so are wee neuer to enter into warre but vppon the necessarie good and safetie of the people and theyr preseruation from destruction 56 Let Magistrates also remember Salust in Iugurth Thucid. l. 1 Cicero for the law Mamlia that the enterie into warre is easie but the returne most difficult in that the ende resteth not in the power of man as doth the beginning and therefore before the warre beginne wee are to thinke what maye followe For not the warre onely but euen the verie feare thereof breedeth great calamities Augustine of the city of God lib 19. Augustine against Faustus lib. â—2 c 74. Neither can wee enter into warre albeit most iust but with horror yea euen the name whereby the Hebrewes doo signifie war sufficiently declareth that it is as a consuming of all namely of godlynes and good manners of goods and of the liues of a number of men Let them withall remember what Saint Augustine writeth that a desire to hurt a crueltie in reuenge difficultie to be appeased couetousnesse of dominion the brutish passion of rebellion and all other lyke affections are iustly to bee reprehended in warres As in deede all warres arising of ambition and couetousnesse are vniust and as an ancient historiographer sayth doo breed great inconueniences Tacitus lib 4. Euripides as also the Greeke Poet noteth who sayth He that warres vniustly craue Happie issue shall neuer haue But those warres sayth Saint Austen are lawfull that are followed August of the of the word of the Lord. Cic. offic lib 1 Liuy lib 9. not vpon couetousnesse or crueltie but for the purchasing of peace the suppressing of the wicked the releeuing of the good The end of war saith Cicero is to get peace and that warre is iust saith Liuie that is necessarie and the weapons lawfull where there is no hope but in weapons Augustus Caesar was accounted happy and great Suetonius in the life of August c. 20. Liui. li. 5 because hee neuer prosecuted anie warres but wyth iust and necessarie cause For warres are to be followed with no lesse iustice than courage neither shuld a prince notwithstanding whatsoeuer confidence in his power and strength hazard an estate certaine for an vncertaine 57 Moreouer as princes magistrates haue their lawes statutes and ordinances wherwith to contain their subiects in their duties in the time of peace so shuld they take order for good gouernment in the wars to the end their iust wars may iustly holyly be prosecuted So did God in olde time by the handes of Moses deliuer lawes to his people Deuter. 20 whereby they should be guided in the warres But especially a prince is to prouide that warlike discipline well deuised be strictly obserued likewise that his souldiers may bee restrained from blaspheming from forcing of women maidens from dronkennes as S. Iohn Baptist taught them from dooing wrong or iniurie to any But that by paying them their hire faithfullye Luke 3 14 hee may giue them cause of contentment as Saint Iohn commanded them withall may haue authoritie and iust reason to punish transgressors 58 To conclude Magistrates are to remember that in old time God commanded that the sonnes of Aaron the priest shuld sound the trumpets wheresoeuer there was anie question of warres Numb 10.9 Deut. 20.1 Also that the priest should then speake to the people to exhort them not to feare or doubt and to assure them that God marched with them to fight for them against their enemies For herein princes magistrates are admonished and taught first not to leuie anie war but that which is iust approued by God and as it were summoned thereto by Gods trumpet secondly so to behaue themselues as in his presence vnder his conduct thirdly not to trust to their own strength neither to feare the strength of their enemies but to repose themselues vppon God the captaine and conducter of the war so that albeit their enemies be more in number yet they may be assured through Gods assistance to ouercome them Thus wil he giue them grace either to preuent the tribulations of war or els to vndertake leade happy blessed wars whereby ouercomming their enimies they may keep their subiects in peace prosperity 59 We haue already declared how far the duty of the magistrate doth extend namely so to imploy his authoritie that his subiects may liue religiously in all godlynes and peaceably in tranquilitie There yet remaineth the third point namely that they also leade their liues in all honestie Now this honestie consisteth principally in two things first that among subiects ther be found no pollution in fornication lust other villanies secondly that al dronkennes gluttony such like excesse riot be suppressed bannished and driuen awaie As concerning the first point God in his word doth sufficiently testifie and by the examples of diuers his vengeances declare that he detesteth all fornication and the magistrate is the seruant of God it is therefore his dutie to conforme his will to the will of his God by making coÌ„uenient decrees to restrain all whordome fornication by abolishing all occasions Exod 20.19 Leuit. â—0 11.13.15 c. by punishing such as giue themselues thereto Neither is God satisfied with the simple prohibition of fornication but he also addeth politike decrees which he commandeth the magistrates to put in execution for the punishing of such as shall transgresse his lawes prohibitions aforesaid Deut. 22.22.24 c. First therfore he commandeth them to put to death all such male female as do abandon themselues to anie vnnaturall carnall coniunction Also all incestuous persons that is all that by carnall copulation ioyne in any degree prohibited in his law and all adulterers men or women this taketh place in him that coÌ„panieth with a woman vnmarried or betrothed to another 60 This sinne of adulterie hath euermore bin accounted so worthie of punishment that wee shall scarce finde anie people or nation in the worlde that hath not from time to time exemplarily and notably punished
the same as before wee haue more at large declared In the second booke c. 17. of Adulterie and all fornicatiō Princes therefore and Christian magistrates that inflict no punishment for adulterie are vnexcusable in the sight both of God and men And they must thinke that as such iniquitie doeth prouoke Gods wrath not against the adulterers onely but also against the whole nation where it is tollerated so by not punishing it themselues doo maintaine the wrath of God as a fyre kindled to consume both them and their subiects To whom by such slacknesse and conniuence they also giue head to commit it wythout all feare The Emperour Iustinian in a decree whereby he ordayneth death to baudes that make sale of women or maidens for fornication In the Nouell Constitutions Rub. of Bauds Gen. 38.24 doth adde this Wee beleeue that thorough this our care to maintain chastitie our common wealth wyll take great increase and that God will graunt vs all prosperitie We reade that the Patriarke Iuda when hee sawe that his daughter in law Thamar whome hee had promised in marriage to his sonne Sella had played the harlot hee condemned her to die euen to bee burned Wherein the Magistrates of our time are to note three points that may induce them to doo their duties First that albeit the persons bee not yet married but betrothed onely yet as is aforesayd this adulterie deserueth death Secondly that adulterie was punished wyth death namely by fyre euen before the lawe giuen by Moses Thirdly that no kindred or friendshippe shoulde withholde the Magistrate from punishing adulterers And heereof we haue an instance in Zaleucus the Locryan Lawyer Val. Max ca. 5 Aelian l 1◠hee hauing ordained that both the eies of an adulterer shoulde bee pulled out when his owne sonne was taken wyth that fault would needes haue two eyes lost and so caused one of his owne and another of his sayde sonnes to be plucked forth 61 It is therefore a great reproch and slacknesse in Christians so to mitigate the punishment of this sinne that they haue shewed themselues in manner neuer touched with the abhomination of such iniquitie In the dayes of the Emperour Iustinian adulterers were put onely to some fine of monie which might in deed somewhat restraine the poore but the rich thereby tooke occasion to commit it the more as thinking themselues quit for a smal summe of monie True it is that by vertue of some decrees of the said Iustinian the women taken in adulterie were thrust into some monasterie But what else was this but formally to oppugne the saying of Saint Paule who commandeth that the woman who cannot containe should marrie In the Councell of Tibur it was decreed that if the woman that had committed adulterie Counsell of Tibu◠holden the yeare 895. cap. 46. Counsel of Orleance cap. 1. Causaid constitui mus 17. q. 4. could retire and saue her selfe in the Church shee should not bee redeliuered into the handes either of her husband or of the Iudge The lyke was also decreed in the first Councell at Orleance where it was moreouer ordained that if her husband or the Iudge did redemaund her shee should be redeliuered but with an oath that they should doo her no hurt vpon paine of excommunication And thus dyd the Cleargie in those daies drawe vnto them the notice and iudgement of adulterie whether to purchase thereby the fines for their owne profite or for anie more vilanous or detestable purpose But as by that meanes they were wylling to saue and preserue the bodyes of the adultresses so haue they strained the soules to the end to cast them headlong into euerlasting death The Counsell of Elibertin cap 18. In deed in a Councell holden in Spaine it was decreed that if a Bishoppe a priest or a Deacon were taken in adulterie hee should neuer againe be receiued into the peace and reconcilement of the Church no not in the houre of death Also that this rule should bee in force against all other persons vpon theyr seconde offence And therefore sayth Saint Cyprian in his dayes some Bishoppes woulde not receiue adulterers to the peace of the Church But hee was of opinion to vse some moderation least sinners should fall into desperation and that desperation should draw them on headlong into all wickednesse And therefore sayth hee The Councel of Ancyra Cap. 20. it were good they shoulde trye theyr repentaunce wythout limitation of time which notwithstanding by one Councell was appointed to be seuen yeres 62 Thus may wee see whereinto those men do fall that will be wiser and shew more mercie than God But mortall man notwithstanding whatsoeuer authoritie hee pretendeth must not alter the decrees of the liuing Lord. And the Lord hath commanded that adulterers should bee punished with death Neyther is there in manner anie nation in the world but agreeth to this iudgement of God as wee haue before declared If therefore wee would obeye God in punishing adulterie with death his wrath would be turned from vs and wee should bee freed from thousands of questions difficulties that growe vppon the sparing of theyr liues and men standing in more feare of God would not so soone abandon them selues thereto In olde time theeues were not by anie lawe eyther of God or man punished wyth death but adulterers were but now contrarywise theeues must die for it and adulterers must escape in manner scotfree Is not this a token that Christians are more feruently bent to the preseruation of their goods than of the chastitie or honour of their wiues They alleadge the example of Christ who dismissed the woman that was taken in adulterie with out condemnation Iohn 8. But as Christ came not to execute the office of a Iudge neither would vsurp it so when he had asked her whether the sentence of the Iudges had condemned her and vnderstood no before he dismissed her hee sufficiently declared that if sentence had bene passed he would not haue hindered the execution 1. Cor. 10.8 And therefore by the premises let all Christian Magistrates vnderstand that it is theyr dutie to punish such iniquitie and with all remember that whatsoeuer slacknesse or negligence shall bee found in them shall not remaine vnpunished And so let them in holines resolue straightly to forbid this abhomination of adultry to stop the course of it and to take away all allurements entisements thereto and that with such punishment that all other may feare to commit the like iniquitie Let them also diligently see to other fornication that it escape not vnpunished as remembring the vengeaunce that the Lorde did take of the like when for the same in one daie he slew twentie and three thousand 63 Namely let them not suffer among their subiects any stews tauernes or other receptacles of adulterie for hire which serue as baites allurements and meanes to defile and destroy both bodies and soules for euer also to prouoke Gods
sake As also Paule sayth Obey the magistrate for conscience sake As if he sayde that albeit wee coulde escape the punishment of the magistrate yet our conscience condemning vs in the sight of God shoulde restraine vs from offending those whome hee hath appointed to bee ouer vs. It went hard with Abrahams seruants to bee circumcised especially in that they were well stroken in yeeres yet dyd they obey him without replie or gaynsaying And not they onely who were instructed in true religion but also the inhabitants of Sichem poore idolaters in like obedience to theyr king Gen. 17.23 Gen. 34. suffered themselues also to bee circumcised 5 Which is more as Saint Peter admonisheth seruants to bee subiect to their masters albeit froward and peeuish So are subiects bound to obey their magistrate albeit an infidell a wicked man or an Idolater as were they that bare rule in the daies of Saint Paule and S. Peter to whom neuerthelesse they commaunded to yeeld obedience and subiection For as Christian religion doth not subuert the order of policie so the wickednesse and impietie of the magistrate doth not depriue him of his right to command neither doth it exempt the subiects from their dutie to obey And surely so long as in them remaineth the image and ordinance of God euen so long continueth the bond to yeeld obedience to them not as to man but as to God And in this case wee are to consider and diligently to note that albeit euerie thing that happeneth is by the prouidence of God Yet doth the holy Scripture represent vnto vs this diuine prouidence and conduct as it were most expressely and vsually in the vocation and establishment of Kings Princes and Magistrates euen heathen Idolaters tyrants and such as are giuen to all wickednesse iniquitie What tyrannie did Pharao exercise against the children of Israel Exod. 9.16 Yet God himselfe saith that he had exalted him into that estate What a robber a reauar and a tyrant was Nabuchadnezzer Yet Daniel speaking vnto him Rom. 9.17 saith Thou king art a king of kinges For the God of heauen hath giuen thee a kingdome power strength and glorie Dan. 2.37 How tyrannously and vniustly did Saule gouerne as in that hee commanded to slaie all the priestes and enhabitants of Nob 1. Sam. 21. and so diuersly persecuted Dauid to the death Yet had Samuel by the expresse commaundement of God anoynted him king ouer Israel 1 Sam 10.1 As good Princes therefore are giuen by the Lord in his mercie to do good to their subiects so doth he giue wicked Princes to correct some and to punish others and thus the princes whether good or bad albeit of themselues not knowing so much doe seruice vnto God Ierem. 35.9 And in that sence doth the Lord call that great tyrant Nabuchadnezzer his seruant Ezech. 29.18 He giueth him Egypt in recompence for his seruice making his armie to serue against Tyrus Ieremie 26.7 He commandeth all nations to be subiect vnto him and to obey him yea which is more He commaundeth the poore Iewes that were in his captiuitie Ieremie 29.7 to pray to God for the peace of his Citie promising that in his peace they shall haue prosperitie And therefore notwithstandin◠wee hate their tyrannie yet ought wee to loue their parsons in respect of the image of God that they doe beare Prosper in his sentences out of S. August and also for their vocation which proceedeth of the will of the Lorde For sayth Saint Augustine It is one thinge to hate that which they doo And an other to loue that which they are 6 We are therefore to yeelde vnto them subiection and obedience without murmuring or strife against them When the people of Israel asked a King Samuel at Gods commaundement warned them how they should be entreated 1. Sam. 8.11 saying This shal be the manner that is to say the ordinary and customable entreaty for the worde sometime signifieth custome of the king that shal raigne ouer you He will take your sonnes and apoint them to his Chariots and to be his horsemen and some shall runne before his chariot He will also make them his captains ouer thousands and captains ouer fifties and to eare his ground and to reape his haruest and to make his instruments of warre and the thinges that serue for his chariots He will also take your daughters and make them apothecaries and cookes and Bakers He wil take your fields your vineyards and your best Olyue trees and giue them to his seruants And he will take the tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and giue it to his Eunuches and to his seruantes He will take your menseruantes and your maid seruants c. Heereto he addeth that when they finde themselues thus tirannized they will crye out to the Lord because of their King whome they haue chosen and the Lord will not heare them Whereby he sheweth first that such as finde themselues so oppressed must haue recourse to God by prayers Secondly that albeit God doth not deliuer them yet they must continue and with patience beare their estate and not rebell or raise mutinie muche lesse therefore is it lawfull for them to attempt against the life of the Prince albeit a tyrant and heereof we haue a notable example in Dauid who notwithstanding he was annointed to raigne after Saul yet when Saul tyrannously pursued him would not neuerthelesse attempt any thing against his person but euer restrayned others that would haue slayne him Slay him not said he to Abisay 1. Sam. 26.9 for who can laye his hand on the Lordes annointed and be guiltlesse then he addeth As the Lord liueth either the Lord shall smite him or his day shall come to dye or he shall discend into battell and perish The Lord forbid that I should lay my hand vpon the Lords annointed 7 Neuerthelesse albeit God thus defendeth their right and authoritie yet it is not meant that we should forsake him or dispence with our selues by obeying man to disobey him for sith man hath no power as Iesus Christ saith but what is giuen him from aboue it is not meet that man should be obeyed Iohn 19.11 when he commaundeth any thing repugnant to the will of him without whose authoritye he hath no power to commaund 1. Pet. 4.13 Also in as much as it is for the loue of God as S. Peter saith that we must yeeld to be subiect and obey them this loue of God bindeth vs to refuse to obey them in any thing that they commaund contrary to the loue that we owe vnto God and this they ought thēselues to acknowledge confesse as the Apostles shewed to the gouernours of the Iewes Acts 4.19 saying Whether it be right in the sight of God to obey you rather then God iudge yee We must therefore as they did adde obeye God rather then man and this doth S. Augustin confirme saying
hist l. 6. c. 45 forced agaynst thy will thou mayst now shew it in returning with thy will It had beene better to haue indured all things rather than to haue brought a schisme into the church Martirdome for preseruing the Church from diuision is no lesse glorious than the same that is suffered for not communicating in Idolatrie yea in my opinion it is worthie greater glorie because it is a greater matter to suffer for the preseruation of the vniuersall Church than for the sauing of one soule Now therefore if thou perswadest the brethren and euen compellest them to reunite themselues with the Church that notable action will be accounted greater than the former fault yea as the fault shall not bee imputed so the duetie and power to reduce them to concord shall be commended Yet if it shall happen that they rest so obstinate that thou canst not induce or perswade them at the least haue a care to saue thy owne soule by retiring from them 14 It is another case when the question concerneth thinges indifferent in Gods Church For therein wee must much relent and rather accomodate our selues than trouble the Churches or bring in anie schisme Euseb Eccle. hist l. 5. c. 26. And therefore when Victor Bishoppe of Rome had excommunicated all the Churches in Asia because they celebrated the feast of Easter vpon the fourteenth daie of the Moone contrarie to the custome vsed in the Latine churches where it was holden as it yet is vpon the daie of the resurrection Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons albeit himselfe also allowed the celebration vpon the daie of the resurrection did iustly reproue him and wrote to him a notable Epistle wherein he alledged the example of his predecessor Anicetus and of Polycarpus S. Iohns disciple who when he came to Rome and could not by Anicetus bee induced to alter the custome receiued from Saint Iohn in the Churches of Asia neither could induce Anicetus to receiue his custome they notwithstanding remained vnited and sealed their agreement wyth the holy communion 15 If the pastor for the faithfull discharge of his dutie in defence of the truth be wronged or slaundered euen of some of his owne flocke the rather must he beare it seeke to cure reduce them to amendement of lyfe And in deed albeit a sicke bodie troubled in minde should spit in the phisitions face yet would he not bee so displeased as to forsake and giue him ouer for it Likewise albeit the nipples of a womans brest should be so sore that she could not suffer her child without great pain to take them yet would she indure all to suckle her child euen so must pastors deale with theyr flockes and haue patience as S. Paul requireth them For hee exhorteth Timothie to preach the word to reproue 2. Tim. 2.24 2. Tim. 4.2 2. Cor. 6.4 to chide with all patience And in another place he saieth In all thinges let vs approue our selues as the ministers of Christ in much patience 16 Againe when the Phisition hath prescribed some potion or other receit for the cure of the sicke man returning the next daie he enquireth of the operation thereof and feeleth his pulses that hee may learne his disposition and thereafter order himselfe so it is not inough that the pastor preach reproue exhort and comfort the Church but he must also seeke to vnderstand how euery member thereof is disposed and what his preaching hath wrought in them In this sense are they tearmed Bishops which is as much to saie as ouerseers or watchmen to haue their eies vpon those whom the Lord hath committed to their charge And this is it that God noteth saying to Ezechiel I haue made thee a watchmaÌ„ ouer the house of Israel Ezech. 3.14 Heb. 13.17 Acts 20. Hereby are they warned to watch ouer the flocke which the Lorde hath committed vnto them as the Apostle saith that they watch ouer the soules as men that are to giue account vnto God As also Saint Paul saith Looke to your selues and to the whole flocke that the Lord committed to you 17 In this consideration they ought after the example of Iesus Christ to know their sheep Ioh. 10.14 27 chiefly to marke whether they heare their voice in diligent frequenting of their sermons and communicating in the holy supper of the Lord. For as at a feast when one that sitteth at the table eateâ—h nothing wee vse to demaund whether he be well or no so if anie of those that are committed to the pastors charge doo not eate of the spirituall foode vnto him offered it is to bee feared least he bee crased or not well at his ease and therefore without delaie the pastour is to hearken out the cause and diligently to see to his cure and to procure him an appetite Secondly as Iesus Christ requireth that his sheepe should not onely heare his voyce but also follow him so is it the pastors duetie to learne whether his auditours doo followe the doctrine preached vnto them and to that end he is to visit his sheepe Ioh 10.27 to see whether they bee instructed in the knowledge of the principall points of doctrine required to saluation whether they perseuere in the truth whether they profite in purenesse of lyfe and holy conuersation yea and to that effect hee is to take example in the care and diligence of some parents towardes theyr children that go to schoole whome they cause to saie theyr lessons or looke vpon theyr writing and by such examination trie and see whether they profite or no But finding them to bee neglygent and faultie they reproue admonish and exhort them to their dutie For so must the good and faithfull pastours deale with theyr sheep following the example of Saint Paul who visited the churches and thereby enquired of their estate As also hee wrote to the Thessalonians saying Yee are witnesses and God also how holily and iustly and vnblameably wee behaued our selues among you that beleeue As you know how that wee exhorted you Acts 15 36 1 Thes 2 10 and comforted and besought euerie one of you as a father his children that ye would walke worthie of God who hath called you to his kingdome and glorie And this doeth hee also protest to the Elders of the Church of Ephesus saying I haue kept from you nothing that was profitable Acts 20 20 but haue taught you openly and throughout your houses witnessing the repentance towardes God and faith in our Lord Iesus Christ. Heereto also should wee bee moued by the threatnings of the Lorde against the pastours of Israel where hee sayth Iere 23.2 Because yee haue not visited my sheepe beholde I will visite vppon you the maliciousnes of your actions And as a good shepheard seketh his lost sheep a surgeon bindeth vp the wounds a phisition trieth all medicines for the cure of the sick and a father seeketh all meanes to reclaime his vnthriftie sonne into the ryght
of such a benefite of God and according to the threatning of Amos to endure such a famine not of bread but of the worde Amos 8.11 that the strongest and most lustie seeking after it but not finding it may perishe 5 Now it resteth that we speak of the third parte signified in the worde Honor which is the assistaunce of the Pastour and this is to be practised especially in two sortes First the Church is in dutie to prouide that her Ministers may haue conuenient mainteynance least they should be withdrawne from their charge by labouring for the sustenance of their family True it is that S. Act. 20.34 Paul did sometimes labour with his handes for his liuing but it was when the Churches had no meanes to prouide for him by reason of persecution or else when he perceiued that by receiuing his maintenance from the Church there was some back-sliding in the preaching of the Gospel as at Corinth For when some false Apostles preached there without reward Saint Paul would be no president for them to receiue maintenance from the Church as himselfe writeth vnto them saying We haue not vsed this power 1. Cor. 9.12 namely to take hyer of the Church but suffer all things that we should not hinder the Gospell of Christ 2 Cor. 11.9 but otherwise hee vsually tooke of the Churches wherwith to liue as himselfe saith that hee euen robbed them and tooke wages to doe the Corinthians seruice 6 Likewise albeit himselfe tooke nothing of them yet doth he at large tel them their duties to their Pastors Who saith he 1. Cor. 9.7 doth go a warfare any time at his owne cost Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruite thereof or who feedeth a flocke and eateth not of the milke of the flocke doth not the lâ—we say the same For it is written in the law of Moses thou shalt not mussell vp the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne doth God care for Oxen or saith he it not for our sakes For our sakes no doubt it is written that hee which eareth should eare in hope Gal. 6 6. and that hee which thrasheth in hope should be partaker of his hope And heereof he addeth a notable reason If wee haue sowen vnto you spiritual things is it a great thing if we reap your carnal things Know ye not that they which minister about the holy thinges eate of the thinges of the Temple and they which waite at the aulter are partakers with the aulter So also hath the Lord ordeined that they which preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell It seemeth that among the Galathians some had small care of this duetie for where S. Paul saith Let him that is taught make him that teacheth him partaker in all his goods he addeth Be ye not deceiued God is not mocked for whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall he also reape Here the Apostle sheweth that as the Church is bound to prouide for the maintenance of her Pastors so by such employment of her goods she receiueth not onely this incomprehensible benefite of instruction to saluation but also a reward in the life to come and they which make no accompt of this dutie and of Gods promises shall as contemners of him feele his vengeance Likewise as the Church is the house of God and the kingdome of Christ so they that bestow their goods vpon the maintenance of the holy ministerye without the which this house kingdome cannot subsist do offer a sacrifice of a most excelleÌ„t sweet sauour in the presence of the Lord. Prouision therfore for the Pastors whether by the magistrate or by the contribution of the flock is a most necessary and profitable duty of the church 7 The second and principall assistance that the Church oweth to the Pastors is earnestly and continuallye to praye to God for them for as Christ coÌ„mandeth vs to pray to the Lord of the hâ—uest to send workemen into his haruest Mat. 9. â—8 so is it our duty when hee hath giuen vs faithful Pastors to pray vnto him firste to preseâ—ue them in health and long life for the good and edification his Church secondly by his holy spirite to guide them that they may faithfully and with fruit employ themselues in their ministerye The rather is the Church bound to this dutie because it cannot otherwise expect any great fruit from man And indeed Sainâ— Paul an Apostle endued with most excellent giftes doth neuertheâ—esse desire the Churches incessantly to make supplications for him namely writing to the Ephesians he requireth theÌ„ to pray to God for him that he may open his mouth boldely to publishe the secrets of the Gospell that therein he may speake boldely as hee ought to speake The same doth he also require of the Colossians praying also for vs Colos 4. â— that God may open vnto vs the doore of vtterance to speake the misterie of Christ wherfore I am also in bonds that I may vtter it as it becommeth me to speake Writing also to the Thessalonians he saith Brethren 2. Thes 3.1 pray for vs that the worde of the Lord may haue free passage and be glorified euen as with you Rom. 15.30 and that wee maye be deliuered from vnreasonable and euill men for all men haue not faith Writing to the Romains he proceedeth further saying Brethren I beseech you for our Lord Iesus Christs sake and for the loue of the spirite that ye would striue with me by praiers to God for me That I may be deliuered from them which are disobedient in Iudea and that my seruice which I haue to doe at Ierusalem may be accepted of the Saints If so excellent an Apostle doth plainely confesse that hee cannot open his mouth to preach the worde that he cannot auoide the crosses and assaultes of the wicked or that he can doe nothing that may be acceptable to the Saints without the assistance and blessing of God If hee acknowledge that to obtain these graces he standeth in need of the praiers of the Church and if in so many places so instanly he desireth her employment heerin what good may we expect in the ministery of our Pastors euen of those that be most apt and faithfull vnlesse feruently and continually we doe praye vnto God for them Most men haue small minde of the dutie and importance of these praiers yet is this negligence and ingratitude many times punished in the most dangerous faults of the Pastors which turn to the great preiudice of the Church besides that God also in his iust iudgement taking to himselfe the faithfull Ministers or transporting them elsewhere doth either giue vs hyrelinges or wholye depriueth the Church of the holy ministery To the end therefore that according to the exhortation of Iesus Christ wee maye amend let vs acknowledge how precious the spirituall heauenly and eternall giftes that we receiue by the ministery of our Pastors are And what an excellent charge
God hath giuen them ouer vs that therupon we may hartely loue them respect them obey them be carefull for them and especially employ our selues diligently in feruent praiers to God that he may vouchsafe to preserue the good and faithfull Pastors and that he would replenishe thē with the gifts of the holy spirite that they may faithfully employ themselues in their charge and that hee will mightily blesse their labours to his glory and the saluation of his Church 8 Hauing now declared the duties as well common to the Husband and the wife as perticularly of the husband to the wife and of the wife to the husband of parentes to their children and of children to their parents of Magistrates to their subiects and of subiects to their Magistrates lastly of Pastors and Ministers of the worde to the Church and of the Church to them euery one that desireth to amend his life according to the exhortation of Iesus Christ is to examine himselfe First because he is a Christian by the law of God that he may thereby know his sinnes and wickednes and so amend Next euery one in his vocation as the husband the wife the father the mother the childe the Magistrate the subiect the Pastor and the Church each in his seuerall calling is likewise to enter into examination of himselfe by that which hath bene aboue spoken in this third Booke touching their duties to the end that knowing and feeling in how many sortes and waies we do faile in that which God requireth of euery one in his perticular calling we may aduise our selues how to amend our liues And that we may be the more earnestly stirred and moued hereunto we will in the next book lay down the principall causes and reasons whereby all Christians in generall and euery one perticularly in his vocation ought may in their harts be touched and fele themselues bound and affectionate to amendment according as Iesus Christ doth exhort The fourth Booke Of the causes of Amendement of Life The first cause why we should Amend is taken of the authoritie of Iesus Christ to command vs. Chapter 1. THe onely and sole commaundement of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God who saith Amend your liues Mat. 4.17 ought to induce vs to yeald vnto him all ready and voluntarye obedience For that hee is of authoritie to commaund vs his very names and tytles doe sufficiently declare As therefore Kinges Princes and other Magistrates doe set down their names tytles in the beginnings of their Proclamations as well to authorise them as to binde their subiectes to obey them so before we enter into the reason which Iesus Christ to induce vs to this amendement of life namely because the kingdome of heauen is at hand doth alleadge we will lay downe some of the names and tytles of him that commaundeth vs to amend Exod. 20.2 whereby we may the better vnderstand as well his authoritie to commaund as our dutie to obey 2 First he is the sonne of God who in the preface of the law executing euen then the office of a Prophet a King Exod. 3.14 and a leader of his people speaking saith I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egipt out of the house of bondage Act. 17.28 These titles in the beginning of the law doe declare that he hath double authoritye to commaund vs and that we likewise are double bound to yealde to him our obedience First he calleth himselfe The Lord and vseth this worde Iehoua which signifieth Essence or him that is Col. 1.16.17 wherein he teacheth that it is in him and by him as S. Paul also affirmeth that we are that we liue and that we haue our mouing And therfore in another place speaking of Iesus Christ he saith All things were created by him and for him and in him all thinges consist What a monstrous matter were it if we should not consecrate our whole life to the seruice and obedience of him without whole power we can neither liue neither be neither subsist one onely houre But this name Iehoua is to be drawen yet further Exod. 6. 3. namely to the effect of his promises because it is he who giueth as it were essence vnto them and by his fulfilling a new being to his creatures Himselfe hath taught vs saying I appeared to Abraham Isaac and Iacob in my name Schaddei that is to say God Almighty yet did they not know me by my name Iehoua Exod. 20. 2. for by this name Iehoua he meaneth his Essence whereby he hath with efficacy and effect made the truth of his promises long since promised to the Fathers to be giuing as it were a new being to their children at the bringing of thē forth of Egipt and therefore he addeth Thy God thereby to signifie that it was his people whom he had redeemed and so dedicated and consecrated to himselfe Then doth hee remember them of th◠deliuerye out of the bondage of Egipt which was to them as a resurrection reestablishment vnto life He then that gaue the law being the same God that commanded vs to amend by liuing according to the rule of the same hath declared by his titles and names set down in this preface that he hath duble right authority to commaund vs and therefore that it is a two-fold and monstrous ingratitude not to obey him Exod. 13.2 who commaunding vs by the right both of our creation and of our redemption doth sufficiently declare that we cānot subsist in life either of body or soule without his power and grace Exod. 13.2 Exod. 12.29 3 God in olde time ordained that euery male that opened the wombe should be consecrated to the Lord for at such time as for the bringing forth of his people he slewe all the first borne of Egipt he willed that the first born of the Iewes should be giuen and dedicated to him as being his owne And the more euidentlye to declare vnto them this dutie to be consecrated vnto him he took the Leuites in stead of the first borne of all the other tribes Num. 3.44 to employ them wholy in his seruice yet did he also ordein that all that were aboue twentye yeeres olde Exod. 30.12 should paye euery man halfe a shekle to be employed in the seruice of the tabernacle of the congregation to be a memoriall before the Lord of the redemption of their persons and that being freede from the yoake of Pharaoh and made a nation subiect vnto God who had redeemed and deliuered them they might giue themselues wholy to serue and obey him and altogither to liue to him The fulfilling of these figures and ordenances we haue in Iesus Christ who besides that he is our creator as is aforesaid hath also reuealed himselfe in the fleshe to be our redeemer and sauiour he it is that hath saued and brought vs forth not of the bondage of Pharaoh but from the tirannye
absurditye forged in their own brains they may cauil and reiect this doctrine of predestination and consequently deny the worde of God let them rather acknowledge their ignorance and confesse that they ought to beleeue and doe that which God saith albeit they cannot comprehend the reason therof and not complaine in their false conceits and so reiect the euident testimonies of the holy scripture Secondly in as much as God who knoweth both the elect and the reprobate commaundeth all to amend 2. Tim. 2.19 Iohn 13.8 with what conscience can they which know not whether they be of the number of the reprobates think to exempt themselues from their due obedience or alleadge that it were in vaine in case they were reprobates for they cannot deny but that all men are bound to obey God vnder paine of damnation euen albeit they could not comprehend whereto this obedience should serue yea or that of their obedience they should not looke to reape any benefite or profit 2 Thirdly such as God hath forsaken and so are reprobates can neuer amend and therefore it is a false presupposion to say that it were in vaine for them to amend in case they should be of the number of the reprobate considering that it cannot be that the reprobate should amend as if a man should say seeing that hee that sinneth against the holy Ghost shall neuer obtaine remission of his sinne it is in vaine for him to amend this speech presupposeth false namely that he can amend so likewise that it is in vaine for a reprobate to amend is a false imagination because no reprobate can amend Againe the same which those men doe confesse must be done for the bodily life Mat. 12.31 because they know not how God hath ordained therof doth condemne them in that which they alledge concerning the soule for not knowing how God hath ordeined of their bodily life or death they can confesse that they must eate and drinke to preserue life and neuer alleadge that it is in vaine in case God hath decreed that they should dye the next day In matter therefore of the soule they are likewise to confesse that they ought to amend and neuer to alledge that it is in vaine in case their place be among the reprobate otherwise that which they eat and drinke for the preseruing of their transitory liues wil beare witnesse against them that the allegation of this abâ—urditye by themselues forged doth in matter of the soule proceede either of grosse ignorance or of malice and peeuishnesse 3 Moreouer as the effect of Predestination sheweth it selfe either by the obedience or disobedience to Gods worde so they which say that if they be not of the number of the elect it is in vaine for them to amend doe teach men to take the marke and way of the reprobate which is not to amend rather should the horrible punishment of the reprobate induce them to amend in hope that by amendment they may grow into the number of the eiect Marc. 1.15 To conclude where God preaching his Gospell declareth that it is his will that thou shouldest beleeue amend and be saued Mat. 4.17 Why dost thou reiect his reuealed wil vnder a pretence that thou wottest not what hee hath determined of thee in his secret counsaile Why dost thou not rather giue credit to his protestation Ezech. 33.11 who saith I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he should conuert and liue Conuert therfore and liue and forsaking that wicked suggestion of the deuill who saieth Peraduenture it is in vaine for thee to conuert for if thou beest none of the elect thou shalt not liue doe God that honor to beleeue that hee is true and the deuill a lyer for in that doubte whether thou beest elect or no know thou that conuersion and amendment is a token fruit of thy election and contrariwise obstinacie and proceeding in wickednes is a manifest signe of reprobation 4 Let vs now come to the other proposition If we be elect say they we cannot perish and therefore need not to amend First this is the speeche of a hyreling who properly feareth not to offend God but to be punished by God for that he would not amend but for feare of damnation Secondly in as much as by the amendement of our liues God is greatly glorified and our neighbours edified Confesse that either thou makest no accompt of the glory of God or the saluation of thy neighbours or else that thy speeche is peruerse when thou saiest Being elected I cannot perish and therfore neede not to amend for albeit amendment should stand thee in no stead yet is it requisite and meet that thou shouldst amend were it but to glorifie God Mat. 22.37 and to helpe to the saluation of thy neighbour and heereto art thou bound because God commaundeth thee to loue him with all thy hart and thy neighbour as thy selfe Thirdly thou dost plainely beat downe this purpose of election which S. Paul doth propound Eph. 1.4 when he saith God hath elected vs that we might be holy and vnreproueable As if a Souldier saith I am enrowled and therefore I need not to fight wil not euery man say that he doth but mocke for hee is not enrowled for any other end euen so doe wee mocke with God if we say that being elected we need not to liue vertuously considering that contrariwise we are elected onely to this end to be holy 5 Again election to saluation doth not abolish but establish the second causes and the meanes by God ordeined for the attayning therto And indeed God for the sauing of his elect hath ordained that they should beleeue in Iesus Christ that to procure beleefe they should heare the Gospell that they should pray to God to giue them his holy spirite that they should amend and walke in his feare and that they should be exhorted to these duties God I say hath in his wisedome ordeined all these meanes whereby to bring his elect to eternall saluation What rashenesse is it therfore in man to vpholde that the elect neede not beleeue in Iesus Christ heare the holy Gospell or amende their liues To be shorte that they neede not the meanes ordeyned by God for the bringing of them vnto life euerlasting Is not this to seeke to be wiser then God to striue against his wisedome to reuerse his will and to abolish the meanes whereby hee hath ordeined to bring the elect to saluation When therefore to the end to bring the doctrine of predestination into hatred thou saiest that thereof it doth necessarily followe that the elect need not to heare the Gospell to beleeue in Iesus Christ to amend their liues to praye to God or to be exhorted to these duties thou seest that it is all false and that contrariwise God will saue his electe by these meanes which in his wisedome hee hath ordeyned Necessarilye therefore the elect must be saued yet by
first reason of this commandement tended by the ceasing from manuall labour to figure vnto vs the spirituall rest namely the mortification and ceasing from all desires willes workes and wordes of the flesh Esa 58.13 as the Prophet Esay also declareth saying If thou refrainest vpon the sabaoth from dooing thy will vpon my holie daie and doest consecrate it to bee a holie and pleasing Sabaoth to the Lorde of glorie and that thou glorifie him in not dooing thy owne workes and that thy owne will be not found therein thou shalt prosper in God Besides this figure hath farther relation euen vnto Iesus Christ as to the truth thereof because it was hee who dying for vs purchased vnto vs the grace so to mortifie the olde man that beeing dead vnto sinne Col. 2.16 wee might sanctifie this Sabaoth in resting from our workes and labours And to that purpose wee reade in Exodus Obserue my Sabaoth for it is a signe that I am the God that sanctifyeth you Exod. 31.13 Ezech. 20.12 Now how necessarie this amendement sanctification of life is it doth appeare in this that God neuer required anie thing more strictly than obedience to this commandement of the Sabaoth Ezech. 20.13 22.8 23 38. Iere. 17.21.27 For wheresoeuer he wil note that all religion is subuerted he complaineth that his Sabaoth is defiled and violated 9 Where God also commaundeth that hee that had gathered a few stickes vpon the saboath day should be put to death he plainly sheweth that the least will word or work of our sleth deserueth euerlasting death And in deed this Emanuel perfectly and infinitly holy cannot indure any filthynes and sinne in that which is ioyned and vnited vnto him As we doo also reade that when the soâ—s of Aaron Nadab and Abiu offered strange fire before the Lorde the fire proceeded from the presence of the Lorde and deuoured them Leuit. 10. 1 and they died before the Lord whereupon Moses said vnto Aaron This is it that the Lord pronounced saying I will be sanctified in those that come neere vnto me and I will bee glorified in the presence of all the people Therby shewing that the neerer that Emanuel commeth vnto men or draweth men vnto him the lesse will hee beare with their corruptions and the sooner will he punish theÌ„ as doth appeare in a lump of waxe which the neerer that it is laid to the fire the more doth the fire shew his heate in melting it And in this respect when God appearing out of the burning bush to Moses commanded him to put of his shooes of his feet he addeth this reason For the ground whereon thou standest is holy not by nature more than anie other Exod. 3.5 but in regard of the presence of God 10 In olde time God dwelt in the midst of the people of Israel and the Arke and the Temple were testimonies of his presence which presence tended to assure them either of his sauor to blesse those that yeelded due obedience by amendement of lyfe oâ— of his wrath to punish those most grieuously who contemning this grace should rebell against him And this dyd Iosua most liuelye represent to the people of Israel For when they had protested that they would serue God and no Idols hee sayde vnto them You cannot serue the Lord for hee is a holy and iealous God and will not pardon your sinnes and transgressions so that if you forsake him hee will roughly intreate you Ios 24.19 When God named his sonne Iesus Christ Emanuel hee thereby declared vnto vs that hee is in the middest among vs and with vs after a more excellent fashion as beeing vnited and conioyned in our flesh and consequentlye vnto vs. And therefore we are also the more bounde in duetie to liue in holynesse by amendement of lyfe as beeing assured that as hee is come neerer vnto vs and more excellently into vs thorough his sonne Emanuel so will hee shew himselfe more seuere and iealous in punishing vs when wee turne from him and serue his enemies the world and the flesh So often therefore as wee shall heare or reade this name Emanuel attributed to Iesus Christ let vs remember that the same is a summon to vs to amend our liues that separating our selues from all filthinesse and corruption wee may bee consecrated and wholy dedicated to the seruice of God who is with vs in praying him fully to sanctifie vs both in bodie in soule and in minde that wee may bee preserued without reproch vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ Hee sayth Saint Paul that hath called vs to this sanctification ioyning vs vnto Iesus Christ 1. Thes 5.23 is faithfull and will doo it 11 Secondly this name Emanuel teacheth vs that God is with vs wheresoeuer wee bee and consequently that he seeth and knoweth all our thoughts wills wordes and workes For as wee haue before sayde his diuinitie is in all places and consequently by vs with vs and in vs. Not that we should rest vpon the bare contemplation of this diuine essence to vs incomprehensible but that we should referre all to his prouidence by beleeuing that it is he that seeth knoweth guideth and gouerneth all that is done in heauen in earth neither that he should need to stand neere vs to looke vpon our affections and works And in deed marke how he reproueth hypocrites Iere. 23.23 that thought that they had to do with a God of a short or a dim sight Weenest thou sayeth he that I am a God neere at hand and not a God a farre off Can anie hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him sayth the Lorde Doo not I fill heauen and earth sayth the Lord Hypocrits did imagine such a God in heauen that withall they represented him to themselues to be like a man yea euen short sighted such a one as could not see farre so perswaded themselues that God did not see theyr wicked thoughtes and workes But hee reproued them saying that hee is not a God at hand only that is to saie such a one as is lyke vnto men that had need to stand by when they will see anie thing but that hee seeth a farre of As Dauid also representeth him vnto vs saying Psalme 33. 13 Hebr. 4.13 The Lord looketh from the heauens hee beholdeth all the sonnes of men and from his dwelling hee seeth all the inhabitants of the earth And the Apostle plainly declareth that no creature can be hidden from him but all things lie open and bare to his sight that wee haue to doo withall In the meane time because that men according to theyr nature doo more easily beleeue that such as are neere them do see them let them thinke that in whatsoeuer place they be God is neere them as this name Emanuel doth admonish which signifieth that God is with vs yea euen in vs as hauing ioyned and vnited vs to himselfe and therefore that
heereof wee haue examples and assured pledges in his deliuery of his people Exod. 14. whom he led dry foote through the sea Dan. 3. Dan. 6. in the three Hebrew Princes in the burning furnace and in Daniel in the Lyons denne 19 Finally he is called the Father of eternity thereby to teach vs that it is he that poureth forth his blessings vpon vs all the dayes of our liues and will continue vnto vs the fruition of the same with wonderfull encrease eternally and infinitely in his kingdome and glory and hereof to assure vs Mat. 28.20 1. Thes 4.16 he hath promised to be with vs euen vnto the end of the worlde And S. Paul saith that he will then lift vs vp into heauen into the house of God his father there to abide with Iesus Christ the immortall King 2. Tim. 1.10 who through his Gospel hath brought vs to light life and immortalitie This eternitye of ioy and glory should binde vs greatly to loue Iesus Christ to obey him and to put our whole confidence in him considering that it is he by whom we are by whome we shall continue to be and be for euer blessed Let therefore these tytles wonderfull Counsailor strong and mighty God Prince of peace Father of eternity be alwaies in our sight and in our mindes to the end that as Iesus Christ to whome they be giuen doth commaund vs to amend so we diligently amēding our liues may finally by a happy path replenished with all blessings proceeding from the wisedome power and goodnes of Iesus Christ attaine to the fruition of the wonderfull and perpetually perdurable felicity which this wonderfull and father of eternity shall giue vs to enioy continually and without end The sixt cause of amendment deriued of these two names Iesus Christ. Chap. 6. THe angel of God being sent vnto Ioseph when the virgine was conceiued Mat. 1.21 declared vnto him that she should bring forth a sonne and commaunded him to name him Iesus and for a reason of this name added That he should saue his people from their sinnes according whereto as also to shew that he is our Sauiour the angel that declared his natiuitie to the Shepheards said vnto them Luke 2.11 This day is borne the Sauiour which is Christ As therefore it is this Christ that commandeth vs to amend so the consideration of these two names may stand vs in great stead to moue vs to yeeld vnto him al obedience and so to amend our liues First this name Iesus signifying a Sauiour admonisheth vs that by nature we are lost and that there is no other saluation for vs but in him onely as it is written Act. 4.12 that There is no other name vnder heauen giuen vnto man whereby we must be saued This onely tytle therefore of Sauiour doth already binde vs to acknowledge that we are not our owne but his that hath saued vs from euerlasting destruction and that in that consideration we are bound to deny our selues that we may liue 1. Cor. 19. not to our selues neither after our discretion and will but according to the good pleasure of our Sauiour so that not liuing to our selues but he liuing in vs we may amend our liues 2 But let vs moreouer consider what manner of destruction this is wherefro he hath saued vs it is from the fire of hell from the curse and wrath of God from darkenesse from the woorme that will euer be gnawing and from the sorrowes that engender eternall weeping and gnashing of teeth this is a merueilous enforcement of our duetye to amend And indeede if thou fallest into a deep riuer in apparant danger of drowning if any man should cast thee a rope or himselfe leap into the water to saue thy life thou canst not sufficientlye confesse and acknowledge thy selfe his debtor to doe him pleasure and seruice all the dayes of thy life But we were not onely in danger of falling into hell but were already fallen euen from our infancy and dayly through our sinnes fell deeper and deeper yet Christ cast vs not in a rope to pull vs vp and saue vs but threw himselfe into our sea of woe into our hel to be shorte into horrible death wherein wee were drowned to plucke vs foorth with what affection then ought we to say vnto him Lord we are more then bound to loue honor serue please and obey thee in all that we may with our whole hearts all the dayes of our life Ionas being in the bottome of the sea in the Whales bellie protested that being deliuered hee would sacrifice to the Lord a Song of thankesgiuing Ionas 2.10 that hee would paye vnto him his vowes namely besides his prayses that he would no more disobey God but readyly and willingly would obeye him as in effect he well shewed when being againe commaunded to go to Niniuie he went boldely and spake freelye in the name of God Now if we could feele according as we ought that our sinnes doe dayly cast vs into the bottome not of the sea but of hell and that by them not a fish but the deuill doth swallow vs vp what protestations would we make to Iesus Christ to holde our liues and saluations of him in case he would vouchsafe to plucke vs out of this pit and gulfe of death how feruently would we vow to praise him and to renounce all rebellion and disobedience and to amend our liues Being therefore by such a Sauiour drawen out of such a gulf of death are we not bound to perfourme such vowes and by amendment of life to correct our passed disobedience with Ionas and to become ready and willing to doe whatsoeuer he shall commaund vs If thou beest vpon a scaffold ready to bee beheaded for thy drunkennesse or adulterye and thereupon hast a pardon and thy life saued vpon condition thou fallest no more thereinto how hartily wilt thou promise with thy hand subscribe and with thy tung swear that thou wilt neuer more cōmit adultery or drunkennes that thou wilt abhorre all tauerns and drunkards all whores and bauds and to be short amend thy life Now Iesus Christ hath saued thee not from an apparant danger of death but euen from death it self and not from the death of body but from euerlasting death And what doth he require of thee he cōmandeth thee to amend thy life art thou not bound so to do shuldst thou not feele thy hart euen open to promise and sweare to amend and to shun al occasions that might procure thee to displease and offend him 3. How often doth the Lord represent to his people of Israel their deliuery out of Egipt thereby to make them to vnderstand how much they are bound to loue him and to keep his commaundements as a preface at the publishing of his law hee maketh this protestation I am the Lord thy God that hath brought thee out of the land of Egipt out of the house of bondage And in another
in execration yea maranatha or excommunicate to death That is to saie let him bee cut off from the Church as the reprobate shal be at the comming of Christ whereof they are warned in this word Maran-atha which signifieth The Lorde commeth Yet is there more This Priest dying for vs hath killed sinne and corruption in his owne bodie as is before declared And to the end that sinne might die in vs and that we might practise this saying of the holy Apostle Saint Peter Inasmuch as Christ hath suffered for vs in the flesh 1 Pet. 4.1 that is to saie in his humanitie let vs arme our selues with the same minde which is that wee hauing suffered and beeing dead with him as concerning the corruption of the flesh shoulde desist from sinne to the ende that hence forwarde wee shoulde liue as much time as remaineth in the flesh not after the lustes of men but after the will of God And this is the amendement that Iesus doeth commaunde Saint Iohn sayth that Christ hath made vs kinges and Priestes vnto God This is another reason to moue vs the more seruently to amende in respect as well of the one office as of the other First Apoc. 1.6 seeing wee are raysed to this honour to bee kinges shall wee bee so miserable and senselesse as to make our selues the vile and wretched bonde men of Sathan and the seruauntes of sinne and the worlde If a king redeeming a poore bonde man whome his master diuersely tormented shoulde besides so farre fauour and honour him as to adopt him for his child Were it not a frantike or senselesse parte in him to forsake such honour and preferment and to returne to liue vnder the tyrannie and thraldome of his olde master Yet this doo they who beeing deliuered from the tyrannie and crueltie of Sathan and made kinges in Iesus Christ doo giue themselues to the lustes and pleasures of the flesh and the allurementes of the worlde thereby returning themselues into the wretched bondage of the deuill to abide eternally vnder his tyrannous dominion Let therefore this title King aduertise and admonish vs so to amende our liues that forsaking and vtterly renouncing the dominion and tyrannie of Sathan and the corruptions of the flesh wee may effectually shew our selues to bee spirituall Kinges and that the kingdome of Iesus Christ is in vs. Moreouer in as much as wee are also made Priestes let vs remember that if wee will amende our liues wee must with the kingly Prophet Dauid offer contrite and broken heartes pulled downe and humbled with the feeling of our sinnes with condition that wee will heereafter beware and take heede of the same Let vs also call to minde that we must offer our bodies a liuely holy and acceptable sacrifice vnto God which is our reasonable seruice and not to forme our selues after this worlde Psal 51.19 but bee transformed by the renuing of our mindes to the ende wee may proue what is the good perfect and acceptable will of God Neyther let vs forget alwayes to offer vnto God thorough Iesus Christ the sacrifice of praise and thankesgiuing which is the fruite of our lippes confessing and acknowledging his name Rom. 12.1 To conclude let vs remember his benefites and communication wyth vs for God is delighted with such sacrifices Beholde therefore howe this honour which wee receiue of Iesus Christ Heb 13 16 euen to bee kings and priests to our God may be a mighty inducement vnto vs to amend our liues 14 There doth yet remaine the office of a Prophet which also doth admonish vs to amend because hee hath reuealed vnto vs all that hee hath knowen of his father Iohn 15.15 and declared as well what wee must doo in obeying him as what wee are to beleeue to our saluation And this is an incomprehensible benefite as wee may euydently consider by the miserable and wretched estate of those to whome the worde of God comprised in the Lawe and the Gospel is not preached And this doth Saint Paul in few words represent vnto vs saying They are not in Christ neither haue anie portion in the commonwealth of Israel but are straungers to the couenant of the promise Ephes 2 12 without hope and are without God in the world And in deede if Gods worde bee as Dauid calleth it a light to our steps those men to whome the worde is not directed Psa 119.105 are poore and blinde cannot choose in all their wordes and deeds but stumble and fall All that they doo is sinne because they doo it wythout faith whereof the word is the foundation Much lesse also haue they any knowledge of the remission and satisfaction of theyr sinnes in the bloud of Christ Rom. 14. 25 10.17 and therefore all theyr sinnes doo remaine and shall be imputed vnto them to be in the daie of iudgement most horribly and eternally punished If they then that neuer heard this prophet shall bee iustly punished in eternal fyre what iudgement and vengeance are they to expect for theyr ingratitude and rebellion that heare this Prophet and by him eyther by reading or hearing his worde doo vnderstand the will of God and yet doo make no care of amendement of lyfe by obeying the will of God vnto them reuealed Luke 12.47 and by them knowen The seruant sayth Iesus Christ that hath knowen his masters will and hath not done it shal be punished much more grieuously than hee that neuer knew it And surely the sins committed by those that know the wil of God are not only transgression against the lawe but also contempt misprision against the maiestie of God And in that regard doth Iesus Christ denounce agaynst many townes wherein the Gospell was preached a more horrible and terrible iudgement than against Sodome Gomorrha and other townes that heard the word of the Lorde Seeing therefore that this worde Math. 10.15 to vs addressed by this prophet Iesus Christ doeth tend to illuminate and to exhort vs to amendement of life Let this office and name of Prophet attributed to Iesus Christ make vs to remember our bonde and duetie whereby wee are bound to amend and to yeld obedience vnto all that our Prophet Christ doth teach ordaine and command as being assured that as they that will not heare this Prophet to obey him shall bee rooted out so contrarywise they that shall heare and obey him shall by the path of good workes proceeding of faith apprehending the iustice of Christ attaine to the fruition of life euerlasting In this sort must these two names and titles Iesus and Christ serue to make vs to feele our bond and dutie and to inflame our affections to amend all the daies of our lyfe The seuenth cause of Amendement gathered of the signification of this worde Amend Chap. 7. IN the first Chapter of the first booke we haue declared that the holy Ghost commanding vs to amend doeth ordinarily vse two wordes
obey him that hath alreadie done vs so much good both in bodie and soule Not without cause therefore doth God so sharply complaine of those that rent and tread vnder foot such vehement bondes whereby they are summoned to theyr duty in amendement as we haue many notable examples in the writings both of the Prophets and Apostles Gods benefites are the cordes of humanitie Osc 11.4 as Oseas tearmeth them whereby hee seeketh to plucke vs from the waie of perdition and by amendement of lyfe to leade vs to saluation Doeth not the deuill thinke you hold vs fall fettered in mightie and strong chaines sith we cannot be drawen by these cordes of mercie and humanitie to the seruice of our God 6 Yet is there thus much more The ministers do propound not onely the benefites receiued out also the promises of other most excellent and plentifull blessings and benefites both bodily and ghostly to those that by amending theyr liues shall labour to obey God And this it were to bee wished that euerie man would note in the reading of the olde and newe Testament to the ende they might both the better vnderstand them and be by them the more earnestly moued when they are in the sermons represented vnto vs. For how wonderfull is the goodnes of God who vouchsaseth to promise vs so many benefites if wee amend our liues that is to saie if we performe the thing whereto we are alreadie bound If I owe vpon a verie formall bill a hundred crownes will my creditor to the end to induce me to paie the same faithfully promise to giue mee ten times as many more Yet thus doth God deale with vs. For what is al our obedience and amendement of life in respect of the benefites that God promiseth to obey him whereto we are alreadie bound If he that is free bindeth himselfe to serue another then is it reason that his master should promise him some wages reward for his seruice but we are not free but alreadie bound to serue our God yet doth he promise vs great benefits if we imploy our selues faithfully in his seruice by amending our liues Are not wee then verie stubborne against God and enemies to our selues that thus contemne the promises of his rewards and benefites towards vs If a Prince should promise a tayler or shoomaker sonne thousand crownes for one yeeres seruice would any man refuse it Would not he to whome it were offered or promised bee readie to leaue his house his wise his children and all other things to goe to seruice to such a Lord for one yeere How vnthankfull or senslesse are we therefore that will not be otherwise wonne and induced to serue God who by so many so excellent and so assured promises doth daily inuite vs thereto 7 Besides the representation of benefites alreadie receiued and of promises of more to come doo they not also propounde in the name of the almightie righteous and true God most grieuous and manifolde threatnings to the end that if we will not by curteous and fatherly gentlenesse bee induced to amend Leuit. 26. Deut. 28 Leuit. 26. wee may bee as it were forced by the threatninges of a seuere and rigorous Iudge What a scroule of woes doeth the Lorde by his seruant Moses propound agaynst such as will not amend Wherein wee are also well to note that hee denounceth if the first stripes can breede no amendement hee will adde seuen times as many more Also if wee will not yet amend our liues he wyll yet double them seuen times more And in deede as hee afflicteth and punisheth vs to the ende to make vs to conuert and turne to him and consequently to induce vs to amendement of lyfe so doeth hee by his so often redoubling of his threates shewe that wee must eyther humble and bowe our selues by obedience or else breake them to our euerlasting and eternall destruction Is it not then a horrible obstinacie and monstrous mâ—re dulitie not to feare and tremble at such threatnings of the liuing God Are not the same which hee heeretofore hath executed and daily doeth execute against the impenitent euen so many seales and myrrours representing vnto vs the verie truth of his great and terrible threatnings thereby to induce and perswade vs steadfastly and vndoubtedly to beleeue that our selues vnlesse we amend shall also feele the execution of his vengeance against vs as himselfe sayth in Saint Luke Luke 13 3 1. Cor. 10.7 If yee will not amend you shall perish likewise In lyke manner also Saint Paule noting some punishmentes and vengeances inflicted in the wildernesse vppon Idolaters fornicators tempters of Christ and such as murthured against him thereby to warne the Corinthians to beware of the like iniquities in conclusion doth adde that all these things were done for example sake and are written for our learning as those vppon whome the endes of the world are come Wherefore sayth hee let him that standeth take heede that hee doo not fall And in deed wherefore are offenders publikely executed but for example to those that looke vpon them that they may beware of committing the lyke offences least themselues doo also incurre the lyke punishment When he that hath committed some wicked murther seeth another murtherer executed will hee not saie in his heart If the Iudge wist what I haue done hee would lykewise condemne mee to die But God seeth all hee is iust and will not bee corrupted with rewards WheÌ„ therfore the minister of the word doth lay before vs the horrible punishments executed agaynst those that will not amende doth hee it not to the end that they which heare of such iudgements of God shoulde immediatly resolue to amend and saie in themselues If we wil amend this fault which we so grieuously punished in such and such wee also shall vndoubtedly perish in like sorte 8 Neither maye wee harden our heartes in wickednesse because there is no lykelyhoode of occasion to feare anie calamitie or affliction but contrarywise let vs remember the Niniuites What lykelyhood was there that they shoulde feare that within fortie daies Niniuie shoulde bee destroyed Ionas 3 Math. 12.41 It was a flourishing towne the chiefe citye of a mightie realme yet at the preaching of Ionas a man to them vnknowen they also heathen deuoid of all knowledge of the true God or of his holy doctrine dyd conuert to God in fasting sackcloth And shall not they bee iudges against such as dayly hearing Gods threatnings at the mouthes of those whome they knowe to bee his seruants doo notwithstanding continue obstinate without amendement And albeit it seeme that God slackneth the execution of his vengeance against many vnpenitent persons yet ther is a time of their punishment ordained and it shall be executed vpon many in this life but in the later day of iudgement vpon all those that make no account to amend 9 Heereof let vs well note the examples propounded by Saint Peter and Saint Iude
If God sayth hee spared not the Angels that had sinned but cast them downe into hell 2. Pet. 2.4 and deliuered them into the chaines of darknes to be kept vnto iudgement Neither spared the olde worlde but saued Noah the eight person a preacher of righteousnes and brought in the floud vpon the world of the vngodly And turned the cities of Sodome and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them ouerthrewe them and made them an example vnto them that afterward should liue vngodly and deliuered the iust Loth The Lord knoweth to deliuer the godly that honor him out of temptation and to reserue the vngodly vnto the daie of iudgement to be punished Saint Iude in stead of the example of the floud propoundeth the vengeance of God poured vpon the vnbeleeuing Israelites in the wildernesse Also Iude vers 5 making mention of the horrible punishment fallen vpon Sodome and Gomorrha sayth that they were set forth for an example and suffered the vengeance of eternall fire When therefore wee heare the threatnings of the liuing God by the mouth of his seruants let vs make hast to conuert to the Lord in amendement of lyfe lest by our obstinacie as Saint Paul sayth and our hearts not knowing howe to repent we heape vp wrath for the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 and of the manifestation of the iust iudgement of God who shall render to euerie man according to his workes 10 Inasmuch therefore as through our infirmitie albeit wee bee taught the waie to heauen and that we bee put in minde to walke in the same by representation of benefits receiued of promises of blessings to come yea euen of threatninges with the examples of vengeance we neuertheles cannot desist from offending of God and so from turning out of the waie of saluation and lyfe euerlasting The ministers of the word doo moreouer vse reprehensions reprouing our sinnes and offences thereby to reduce vs into the right waie and in respect of our slownesse to doo good and to amend our liues they also vse vehement exhortations yea they do euen praie adiure and intreate vs in the name of God to amend and to walke in the feare of God And where wee haue many noâ—some hinderances that trouble vs and quaile our courages 2. Thes 2.11 they do likewise propound vnto vs mightie consolations in the woorde of God to the end wee may cheerefully and constantly proceede in the waie of saluation What man therefore inioying the holy ministerie can excuse himselfe in the sight of God in case hee doo not constantly resolue to amend his lyfe and dayly to put the same in practise How horrible a iudgement shall he deserue that is so hardened in wickednesse and so tied in the chaines of Sathan that there is no light before his eyes no path to the waie of saluation no feeling of Gods benefites no remembrance of his promises no feare of his threatninges no apprehension of the examples of his vengeance no reprehension no exhortation no consolation that can bee of strength and sufficient to moue his heart to amend Be not these men then that remaine thus obstinate without amendement euen monsters in nature 11 Now as the administration of the Sacraments is one part of the holy ministery let vs first see how forcibly our Baptisme shuld moue vs to amend our liues Baptisme is the seale of the couenant of God comprehending especially two graces namely remission of sinnes our regeneration or spirituall renuing When the children of Christians therfore are baptised the same is as if God speaking by the mouthes of his ministers shoulde saie O my people acknowledge my great mercie and goodnesse towards these little babes they are conceiued in sinne borne in iniquity by nature the children of wrath yet doo I aduow them for mine their sinne a d corruption is washed awaie in the bloud of Iesus Christ I doâ—â—nite and ioyne them vnto him to the end that being grafted into his death and resurrection they may bee regenerated theyr olde man bee mortified and themselues become newe creatures in my sight In them do I seale these graces whilest they be yet babes before they know me euen before they haue done anie good that so they may be acknowledged to bee meerely free to my glorie Is not this a great bond vnto children to binde them as they come to age to loue God who loued them before they knew him and to doo the dutie of children because hee aduowed them to be his children euen before they hadde done anie good Surelye loue should beget loue and loue feare to offend and feare to offend amendement of lyfe If by Baptisme wee bee regenerate and made the children of God are wee not bound to liue as the children of God and as it may beseem the holynes of such a father The kings children doo not apply theyr minds to handle crafts but to works fitting their greatnes much lesse then should the children of God applie themselues to the works of the darke Such as by Baptisme are recalled from death should doo no deadly works they that by Baptisme are incorporated into Iesus Christ ought so to be guided by his spirit that as it is the soule that worketh all the workes of the bodie so the spirit of Christ as it were the soule of this new man Iesus Christ being considered as vnited with his bodie there should be no motion thought worde or worke but such as should proceed from the spirite of Iesus Christ in all fulnesse dwelling in him and in vs his members according to the measure limited to euery one of vs. 12 Moreouer if by Baptisme we be grafted into Iesus Christ we must bring forth fruit worthie of Iesus Christ Iohn 15 5. Hee that dwelleth in me sayth he and I in him beareth much fruit If wee speake of trees experience teacheth vs that the signe that is thereinto grafted doth in such wise drawe awaie thâ— sappe and force thereof that it bringeth forth fruit according to it selfe kinde not after the kinde of the tree whereinto it is grafted but wyth Iesus Christe it is contrarie for they that are grafted in him doo in deede gather strength from him yet so that they alter their nature bring forth fruit not after the kinde of Adams children but of Iesus Christe into whom they are grafted And therefore as it were a monstrous matter to see an apple tree whereupon nothing had beene grafted beare acornes so is it as straunge and repugnaunt to reason that they who by Baptisme are ingrafted into Iesus Christ should not bring foorth the fruites of righteousnesse according to his kinde Lykewise if Baptisme bee a pledge of our regeneration of necessitie the workes and affections of our first generation according to the which we are full of corruption and wickednesse must cease and be mortified and now we must shew forth the fruits and effects of our regeneration in newnes of life sith by our baptisme our olde