vaine-glorie nor worldly prayse which many greene heades make so much account of but profite to the reader and gaine of Christian soules vnto GOD. And for those faultes which haue passed eyther my penne in writing or the presse in printing I pray thee friendly reader either amend them with thy pen or else couer them with the vaile of modestie And if thou reapest anie commoditie by these my labours ascribe the glorie to him whome the heauens doo worship the Angels reuerence and the powers adore And thus I commit thee to God and my booke to the censure of the godly wheresoeuer dispersed vpon the face of the earth Thine in the Lord Phillip Stubbes Gentleman Faults escaped in printing Fol. 89. line 23. for chase reade chastise Fol. 94. line 1. blot out these words Let vs rest contented with whatsoeuer he doth Fol. 95. line 22. for renumeration reade remuneration Fol. 96. last line for in that famous reade to that famous Fol. 102. line 2. for per sanctis reade pro sanctis Fol. 102. for supereminentibas reade supereminentibus Fol. 113. line 2. for chiefest worke reade chiefest marke Fol. 120. line 1. for a moment reade a monument Fol. 122. line 12. for pessessions reade possessions Fol. 154. line 20. for at last reade at least Fol. 159. line 17. for what soeuer reade wheresoeuer Fol. 164. line 1. for willingly reade willinglier Fol. 168. line 22. for defile reade defileth Fol. 188. line 13. for momentary reade momentany Fol. eodem line 21. for holy Iob reade the holy man Iob. A MOTIVE TO GOOD WORKES The first Section Wherein is shewed the end of mans creation in this life how all creatures do serue and obey their creator better than man in their seuerall callings with an exhortation to good workes IF God created the whole world with all things contayned therein of infinit variety to this end that he might be glorified by them and in them as without al controuersie he did than much more created he man to the same end whom he made after his owne similitude and likenesse indued with almost vnspeakable graces and whome also hee constituted Lord and ruler ouer all his other creatures And therefore euen as an earthly prince that shuld promote and aduance the meanest vassal or basest peasant of his realm as it were from the dunghill to great honor and dignitie making him not onely ruler ouer all his iewels and treasure whatsoeuer but also chiefe ruler and gouernor vnder him ouer all his people might in reason looke for greater gratitude loue obedience and loialtie at such a ones handes whome hee shuld so aduance than at the hands of the rest of his subiects whom he hath put in subiectioÌ„ so the heaueÌ„ly king calling vs as it were froÌ„ the dunghil and aduancing vs to great honor and glorie in this world and making vs Lords rulers ouer all things vnder him doth and in all reason may loke for greater thankfulnesse loue and obedience at our handes for it than hee doth or may looke for at the hands of all or anie of his other creaturs whome hee hath put in subiection vnder our feete And yet notwithstanding whether they or we in our seuerall conditions and callings do glorifie him the more it will easily appeare in the further discourse of this booke if we compare their doings and ours a little together And first to beginne with the Angells The Angels which as Paul saith are ministring spirites and most glorious substaunces created for the execution of Gods will for the comfort defence protection of such as be heires of saluation in Christ are so ready and prest to execute accomplish the will and purpose of God that they faile not in the least point And therefore when God sent them not onely to denounce but also to execute his iudgement and decree ouer Sodome and Gomorrha they were so precise and so exquisite in performing the least circumstaunce of their commission that they tolde Lot they could doe nothing till hee were gone forth of the citie Againe God commanded them not only to comfort but also to feed the good Prophet Eliiah when hee fled from the face of cruel Iezabel who presently obeied as you may read in the sacred historie They were sent to comfort Hagar who fled from the presence of her mistresse Sarah they performed their embassage both feeding and also comforting of her They were sent to accompanie Iacob trauelling from Haran towards his natiue Countrie they obeyed presently without all reluctation or resistance An Angell was sent to deliuer the three children Shadrach Mishach and Abednego from the furie of the raging furnace who without delay accomplished his charge so strictly that the very hairs of their heads were not once touched nor so much as anie smell of fire felt about them although they walked vp downe the firy flame The Angels also were sent to pitch their tents about the good Prophet Elisha and to defend him from the violence of them that were sent to take him they straight waie obeyed compassing him round about with firie chariots as it had beene mightie mountaines not onely defending him from harme but also striking his enimies with palpable blindnesse They were sent to conduct Tobias in his iourney to Rages in Media they straight obeyed guiding him not only thether but also bringing him home againe to the no smal ioy of his olde parents They were sent also to comfort to feede and to deliuer Daniel out of the Lions den they feede him by the Prophet Abacuc comforted him by most sweete wordes of consolation and finally stopping the mouthes of the greedie lions deliuered him by the power of him who worketh whatsoeuer hee will in heauen and in earth They were sent to conduct the Israelites thorough the wildernesse they obeyed going before them in the day time in a pillar of a cloude and in the night time in a pillar of fire shielding them from their enimies on euery side They were sent to strike the hoast of Dauid with the pestylence they obeyed slaying seuaentie thousande before they ceased and beeing commanded to staie their hande they stayed forthwith They were commanded to slaie all the valiant men of Sanâ—â—â—rib king of Asbur who inuaded â—â—dah with a mightie hoast in the daies of Hezechia they presently slew all the princes captains and famous men of the armie according to theyr commission inioyned them by the Lorde To conclude they were sent to salute the virgine Marie and to signifie vnto her the mysterie of the incarnation of our sauiour Christ they presently without all delaye obeyed as you may reade more at large in the Gospel after S. Luke I might heere inferre many moe the lyke examples of the obedience of Angelles towardes GOD who made them but these few least I might seeme tedious at this time shal suffice Nowe who seeth not except he bee
them they could haue none lest there were not inogh for them both Wherby wee see that as no man can buy the good workes of another so no man hath inough to saue himselfe The Apostle Peter saith There is no other name giuen vnder heauen whereby man can bee saued but onely Iesus Christ. And if good workes coulde saue vs as the same Apostle reasoneth then had Christ died in vaine For how vaine a thing had it ben for the maiesty of God to haue sent his owne sonne into this miserable worlde to take our nature vpon him to shed his most precious bloud for vs if wee coulde haue iustified our selues or purchased our saluation either through our inherent righteousnes as the papists most blasphemously affirme by our merits or by anie other means whatsoeuer And therefore Paul was bold to conclude that wee are iustified by faith only without the works of the law Being iustified sayth he by faith we haue peace with God thorough Iesus Christ. And to the Galath he sayth further that as many as do relye vpon the works of the lawe are vnder the curse and banished frō grace To which the Prophet Abacuc seemeth to agree saying the iust shall liue by faith But what shall we say then to the Apostle Iames who sayth we are iustified by works and not by faith only I answere There are two maner of iustifications one absolute before GOD the other demonstratiue before the world Paule writing that wee are iustifyed by fayth onely meaneth absolutely before God Iames saying wee are iustifyed by workes meaneth demonstratiuely before the worlde Agayne Paule wrighteth of the efficient cause of our iustification Iames of the effecte Paule had to do with them that contemned faith as the Heathen Iewes and Turks do now and therefore he attributed and that worthely iustification to faith only Iames he had to do with them that contemned good works as things of no value affirming that bare faith alone was sufficiēt to saluation therefore he attributeth the more to works therby to draw them to the practising of them Againe Paule speaketh of such works as goe before iustification Iames of such as followe after Paule meaneth not of a bare and naked faith without good works but of such a faith as can no more be without good workes than the sunne without light or the fire without heate Iames he meaneth of a bare naked and dead faith such as the very deuils haue as the very heathen infidels haue So that in substance matter they both meane and speake one and the same thing For truly as faith is the efficient cause of our iustification before God so our workes are the effects or fruits issuing thereout whereby wee are knowen to bee iustified before the world And therefore let vs brag of our faith as much as we will if it bee but such a faith as bringeth forth no good workes we can neuer be saued by it This is not that iustifieng faith which Paule speaketh of nor which the children of God haue but a dead faith a barren faith an historical faith which the deuills and all reprobates haue But here perchāce some captious sophister wil aske me if we cānot be iustified by good workes to ' what end then shoulde wee doo them To whom I answere We are to do good workes for sixe causes especially first for the loue obedience which wee owe vnto God secondly for the mutuall loue brotherly charity which wee beare one towardes an other thirdly to make our saluation sure certaine vnto vs as the Apostle saith Make your saluation sure by good workes fourthly for the zeale wee haue of the glorie of God fiftly to drawe others from sinne to the practife of godlinesse by our good example and sixtly for the increase of our owne rewarde in the life to come where no good worke such is the bountifull liberalitie and mercifull beneficence of our good GOD towards vs miserable sinners shall bee lefte vnrewarded And albeit that good workes are no causes of our iustification nor that thou canst not be iustified by them yet canst thou neuer be saued without thē And therefore woulde I wish euerie one that hath a care of his saluation to labor studie endeuor night day to do good workes Remember how notably our forefathers haue behaued thē selues heerein what monuments of charity and almes deedes haue they left behinde them to the posterities to come and yet liued in feare and trembling And doe wee thinke to come to heauen and leaue no good works behinde vs at all but rather infinite millions of wicked deedes and vngodly examples which cry for vengeance before the throne of God night and day incessantly Oh let vs remember and neuer forget if it be true which some do hould as I fully perswade my selfe it is that as our wicked deedes and euill examples which wee haue left behinde vs in this life do hurt vnto other and dishonor the Maiestie of God so shall our paine be increased augmented in hell for euermore world without end And againe as our good deeds and good examples which we haue left behind vs in this life do good to the Saints of God vppon earth and increase his glory so shall our glory and our ioy be increased from day to day to the end of the world in the kingdome of heauen Let either the feare of the one therfore deare christian or the loue of the other moue thee now at the last to this resolution of good works Let not the vayne-glory and deceiptfull honor of this world beguile thee let not couetousnes blinde thee nor any priuate affection else moue thee to do euill or to deceiue any more in bargaining selling or otherwise howsoeuer for the Lord as the Apostle witnesseth is the reuenger of all such wickednes and though thou escapest for a time the lawes of men yet canst thou not escape the iudgements of God but in his good time he wyll finde thee out and recompence thee according to thy deserts Remember that Salomon was rich and had as plenty of gould siluer as of stones iewells and ornaments great store with fish-pondes orchards gardens forrests parkes men-singers women singers musicke and all pleasures else vnder the Sunne and of them all he pronounced this sentence Vanitas vanitatis omnia vanitas Vanitie of vanities and all is but vanitie Consider with thy selfe and often reuolue in thy minde the wordes of our sauiour Heauen and earth shal passe but the word of God indureth for euer And againe in another place No mans life standeth in the abundance of those thinges which he possesseth And againe What will it preuaile a man to win the whole world loose his owne soule Remember the rich glutton though he fared dilitiouslie and ruffeled in his silkes and veluets euerie daie yet in one moment his soule was taken from him he lodged in hell Take example by the rich man in the gospell who flowed with such abundance of all things that he was forced to pull downe his olde barnes and to build new ones was it not saide to him Thou foole this night shall they fetch awaie thy soul and then whose shall those things be which thou hast gathered Oh what a vaine thing is it therfore for a man to rake into his handes fiue hundred or one thousand mens liuinges to leaue it to his children who for the the most parte spend it either in hauking hunting dicing carding or else in whooring gourmandizing and infinite the lyke vices for Malè parta malè dilabuntur Ill got ill spent whereas in the meane time thou must goe to the barre to aunswere for the getting of them peraduenture to euerlasting damnation both of bodie and soule Therefore haue a care whatsoeuer thou be that thou get thy goods in the feare of God with a good conscience so shall they prosper with thy children after thee and thou blessed eternally And when thou hast thus got them be carefull how thou bestowest them and to whome thou geuest them For it is not inough for thee to say I gaue so much and so much to my carnall kindred friends and aliance but if thou hast geuen so much and so much to the poore so much and so much to this good end and to that good end to this good worke and that good worke to remayne to the posterities after thee to the end of the world oh then well is thee and happy shalt thou be yea then shalt thou be sure to attayne to the end of thy hope that is euerlasting life To the which hee bring vs all that apperteyne to his kingdome that dyed for vs to whom with the Father the holy Ghost be all glory and prayse for euer Amen FINIS Heb. 1.14 Gen. 19.22 1. Reg. 19. Gen. 21. Gen. 16. Gen. 21. Dan. 3. 2. Reg. 5 Tobit 5 Dan. 6 Exo. 1◠2. Sam. 24 2. Chr. 12.21 Luke 1.26 27 28 Iude vers 6 Gen. 6. Psal. 51.5 Math. 5.28 Math. 15.18 19.20 Gen. 1 ◠Gen. 1 ◠Gen. 6. Esa. 1 Gen. 47 9◠Gen. 3. Reuel 22 Iudic. 20.35.46 Nu. 25.8 Gen. 18.1.2 Gen. 19.1.2 3. 1. Timot. 3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1. Cor. 14. Psal. 1.1.2 Deut. 6. Matth. 4. Rom. 13.8 3. 4. 6. 7. Tit. 3 Timoth. 2. Rom. 14◠1. Cor 13 Esay ◠Tim. 4◠Math. 5.33 34. 35. Iacob v. 12. 1. Cor. 13. 1. Pet. 4.8 1. Ioh. 4.16 Iob. 14. Luke 1.74.75 Matth. 25. Galath 5.
much as once steppīg aside from perfourming that office and dutie wherin God hath placed them The Sun was created to giue light to diuide the daie from the night to distinguish betwixt times and seasons and to fertillize and make fruitfull the earth by his heauenly influence which otherwise of it selfe is barren and vnfruitfull The Moone in like sorte was made to giue shine in the night to fructifie the ground and as it were to dominiere and to beare rule ouer the huge and mightie seas by her celestiall power and heauenly influence also The starres were likewise created not only as ornaments to decore beautifie the heauens but also as helps and adiuments to the fructifying and increasing of al things vpon the earth and to conduct and guide marriners and sea-faring men amidst the surging seas Now who is so blinde that seeth not that by euery days successe the truth of these things who seeth not I say how strictly how precisely euerie one of them doo performe their duties offices in their seuerall places and degrees according to the first ordinance of God theyr creator without all reluctation repugnance or disobedience whatsoeuer And therefore I will not doubt to conclude that these celestiall bodies do reuerence honor and obey the ordinance and decree of theyr maker farre better than man and yet were they created for the benefite vse and seruice of man The fire also a pure element was created by God to giue light to warme and heate to drie to purge to cleanse and purifie all which seuerall properties we see it yeeldeth and euerie daie performeth The water he created to humect and moisten to feede nourish and sustaine to runne to wash awaie to scoure and make cleane and these things wee see by daily experience it performeth without resistance The trees likewise were created to burgen and bring forth fruite and fragrant smels as well for the pleasure delight of men as also for his singular profite and commoditie In a word for that I will not be tedious to the reader especially in a matter cleerer than the light the earth the mother and procreatrix of all things was created and commanded by God to bring forth fruit as hearbs flowers corne grasse and other species and simples of infinite varietie seruing not only for the sustentation of man and beast but also for their pleasure and health in lyke maner Now the earth like an obedient child yeeldeth her self to the lawes of her creator performing what so euer God hath enioyned her and that without all degeneracion resistance or rebellion What should I speake of bruite beasts which are singular in this kinde Of creeping things vpon the earth of flying fowles in the ayre of fishes in the Sea and other creatures without number of all which if I shoulde speake seuerally rather tyme than matter would be wanting which all feare honor and obey the ordenance and lawe of theyr creator and in their nature and kinde do glorifye him more than man Yea such is the rebellion the ingratitude the vnthankefulnes and blockishnes of man towards his creator that God himselfe is forced to complayne of it by his Prophet and to preferre the obedience knowledge of bruite beastes before hys The Oxe sayth he knoweth his maysters stall and the asse his cribbe but my people will not know nor obey me And as bruite beasts doe excell man in the obseruing keeping the lawes of nature so doe they excell most men in temperancie sobrietie abstinence gratitude kindnes and many other vertues besides For take me the insaciablest or rauenoust beast in the world let him be neuer so hungry and yet when he commeth to his meate he will eate no more than his nature is able to beare and his stomacke well to digest Againe let a beast be neuer so thirstie and let him haue the best drinke in the world yet will hee drinke no more than will suffice him And which is more there is not any beast that will eate oftner than hee hath neede but when hee hath eaten his belly full then will he take his rest and absteyne from eating till he feele himselfe eyther hungrie or at least till his former meate be perfectly digested But you shall haue some men that will neuer stint cramming and ingorging theyr filthie paunches with delicate meates and theyr heads with strong drinkes till nature beeing surcharged they vomite them vp agayne lyke fylthie dogs And whereas bruite beastes as I noted before wyll not eate till they haue neede these epicures and filthy belly gods for so the Apostle Paule calleth them wyll doe nothing else almost but eate and drinke euery howre and that not onely of the day but also of the night neyther keeping order dyet meane nor measure but as though they were borne to eate and drinke and cleane contrarie to the rules of the wise Philosophers who taught that wee should eate to liue and not liue to eate to consume and deuoure the good creatures of God they spend theyr whole lyues or the most parte of them in filthie gourmandize gluttonie drunkennesse ryot and excesse lyke Sardanapalus that filthy and swynish Epicure whose damnable opinion was Ede bibe lude post mortem nulla voluptas Eate drinke and be merry whilest we be heare for when wee be gone there is no pleasure to be found And truly the Epicure sayth well in some sence for there is no ioye no felicitie no comfort nor pleasure after this life for him nor such as hee was but for the children of God their ioy their felicitie their comfort and pleasure indeede beginneth not till after this life in the kingdome of heauen Now for gratitude kindnes of bruite beasts not only one towards an other but also towards mā their enemy we reade of many and almost incredible examples recorded by ancient and approued Historians But of many I will recite one or two The Romanes had a law or custome amongst thē that what seruant soeuer should runne away or make escape from his maister without his leaue or licēce should be cast into a denne of Lyons to be deuoured It fell out so that a certaine seruant ranne away from his maister fearing to be apprehended fled into a great forrest or wood where finding a caue or den in the groūd he entred in minding there to ende his languishing pining life hauing beene in the caue but a small space there came in a monstrous great Lyon who in pursuing of his pray had pricked hys foote with a thorne or stumpe The poore wretch seeyng the Lyon come in looked for nothing else but present death The Lyon espying the man came sawning vppon hym and offered hym his foote the seely fellowe gathering a little courage by reason of the fawning of the Lyon looked vppon hys foote and espyed a great thorne or stumpe in it and so plucked it out The Lyon in luye thereof not onely fead hym from day
is honored by these two kindes of othes so is hee dishonored and displeased with swearing by him at euery word in our ordenary talke and that vppon euery trifle or light occasion or rather for no cause at all This kinde of vsuall swearing is altogether forbidden by our Sauiour himselfe where he sayth Sweare not at all neyther by heauen for it is the throne of God nor yet by the earth for it is his footestoole neyther by Ierusalem for it is the City of the great King neyther shalt thou sweare by thy head because thou canst not make one hayre white or blacke but your communication shall be yea yea nay nay for whatsoeuer is more than this commeth of euill The Apostle S. Iames also warneth vs to the same effect saying but aboue all things my brethren sweare not neither by heauen nor by earth nor by any other kinde of oth but let your communication be yea yea nay nay least you fall into cōdemnation The very same doth Salomon teach vs when he sayth The man that vseth much swearing shall be filled with iniquity the plague of God shall neuer goe frō his house And yet notwithstanding all this there are not a few that make euen as it were an occupation of swearing and forswearing of blaspheming cursing and banning at euery word accoumpting him a peasant and no man that cannot sweare it out lustely In which point the diuels are better than they for as the Apostle Iames recordeth they tremble and quake at the very name of the Maiestie of God but these desperate roagues and shagd hayred ruffians are so farre off from trembling or quaking at the name of God that they rent and teare him in a thousand pieces at euery word as much as lieth in their powers blaspheming both him and his glorious name without all remorse or conscience But let them take heede for surely I am of this minde that it were better though both in the iustice of God be damnable to kill a man than to sweare an oth or once to blaspheme the name of God any maner of way for the one is the breach of the first Table which respecteth the worship of God only the other is but the breach of the second Table which compriseth our duties one towards an other And as it is forbid to sweare vaynely by the name of God in our ordenary talke familiar communication at euery word for euery trifle so is it also forbid to sweare by any other than by God alone in the two respects before remembred and neither by Saints nor Angels Sunne nor Moone Starres nor Planets bread nor salt fire nor water nor any other creature else what so euer neyther is it lawfull to sweare by any counterfaite oth as fay or fecke gogs bud gogs lownes nor the lyke for all these kindes of swearings are abhomination before the Lord who hath geuen vs an expresse commaundement that wee neyther sweare by their idolls nor yet once make mention of theyr gods in our mouthes For whatsoeuer we sweare by we make an idoll of it and a false God attributing that honor and worship to the creature which is due to the creator who only is to be inuocate and called vppon as a witnesse in all our actions and none but hee And nowe to the second part of theyr blasphemous allegacion Whereas they say that it is lawfull to haue the name of God often in our mouthes and the oftner the better I aunswere true it is wee ought indeede to haue the maiestie of God both in our heartes and in our mouthes and the oftener the better but how not in blasphemous sort to make a stale or a iesting stocke of hym for we are forbid to take the name of God in vayne and the Lorde wyll not hould hym guiltlesse that taketh hys name in vayne but in all holy reuerence deuotion and obedience yea in all holy feare and trembling This the Apostle meant when he sayde If any man speake let hym speake as sayth the word of God againe let your cōmunication be such as may minister grace to the hearers Let these lusty Caueliroes take heed how they dally with the Lord any while for as the Apostle noteth God is a consuming fire and in an other place it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of God yea he is that stone that vpon whom soeuer he falleth he grindeth to powder But to draw towards an end It is a good worke in euery one to be carefull of his brothers good name neyther backbiting detracting slaundering nor any way discrediting him by word or deede but rather seeking by all meanes possible to conserue his credit as much yea and in some respects more than his owne And if he knowe or heare any thing which might sound to the impayring of his credit or blemishing of hys good name to bury it in the graue of obliuion that it may neuer rise agayne nor come to light to the disparagement or preiudice of his brothers good name for euer What shall we say then to those vile persons and scummes of the worlde not worthie to haue cōmon breath amongst christians who are so farre off from christian charitie that albeit they neither knowe nor in truth neuer heard anie euill of their brother will yet in the fulnesse of their mallice coine and forge matter defamatorie agaynst him and when they haue done publish it to the view of the world in railing pamphlets and paltrie libels to his vniust infamie and their owne perpetuall shame The badge or cognisance of the children of God whereby they are knowen and discerned from the children of the deuill is loue as our sauiour Christ saith himselfe By this shall all men knowe that you are my disciples if you loue one another Again the badge or cognisance of the children of the deuill whereby they are discerned from the children of God is hatred rancour mallice enuie lying slaundering detracting and backbiting of theyr brethren and the lyke Now then these fellowes are so farre off from wearing the cognizance of the children of God that they marshall themselues vnder the standard of the deuill being inuested with his cognizance as his seruants and vassals Is this to doe to an other as they would wish an other should doe to them Is this the nature of that loue which Paule describeth where he saith Loue suffereth long is bountiful enuieth not doth no euill is not prouoked to anger thinketh no euill reioyseth not in iniquity Is this the fruite of that loue which the Apostle Peter goeth about so earnestly to perswade vs vnto where he sayth But aboue all things my brethren haue feruent loue amongst your selues for loue shall couer a multitude of sins The Apostle S. Iohn sayth that God is loue and that those that dwell in loue dwell in God and God in thē Then it must needes follow that if those that dwell in loue do dwell