to dwell in and sow the fields and plant vineyards which bring forth fruitfull increase for hee blesseth them and they multiply exceedingly and hee diminisheth not their cattell Hee powreth contempt vpon princes and turneth the springs of water into drinesse a fruitful land into barrennesse for the wickednes of them that dwel therin Yet he raiseth vp the poore out of misery and maketh him families like a flocke of sheep The righteous shall see it and reioyce and all iniquity shall stop her mouth And this is that which the holy Psalmist singeth of godly Ioseph more particularly Psal 105.17 18 19 20 21 22 Ioseph was sold for a slaue they held his feete in the stockes and hee was laid in yrons vntill his appointed time came and the counsell of the Lord tried him The King sent and loosed him he made him Lord of his house euen the ruler of the people deliuered him and made him ruler of his substance yea of his Princes and rulers that hee should bind them vnto his will and teach his ancient and wise men wisdome Gen. 45.16.17.18 19.20.21.22.23 And the Lord that thus gaue Ioseph fauour in the eyes of Pharaoh enclined likewise the heart of the King to fauour and loue Iacob the father of Ioseph and his brethren for his sake so that when the tidings came vnto Pharaohs house that Iosephs brethren were come it pleased Pharaoh well and his seruants Moreouer Pharaoh said vnto Ioseph say to thy brethren This doe yee lade your beasts and depart go to the land of Canaan and take your father and your housholds and come to me and I will giue you the best of the land of Aegypt and yee shall eate of the fat of the land And I command thee Thus doe ye Take you chariots out of the land of Aegypt for your children and for your wiues and bring your father and come also regard not your stuffe for the best of all the land of Aegypt is yours And the children of Israel did so and Ioseph gaue them Chariots according to the commandement of Pharaoh he gaue them victuals also for the iourney he gaue them all none excepted change of raiment and vnto Beniamin he gaue three hundreth peeces of siluer and fiue suites of raiment And vnto his father likewise he sent ten hee Asses laden with the best things of Egypt and ten shee Asses laden with wheat and bread and meate for his father by the way And when as Iosephs father and his brethren were come into Aegypt the good King knowing thereof Gen. 46.33 3â— 47.3 4.5 6.11 12. and vnderstanding that their trade for they liued not idle was to be occupied about cattell and sheepe as Sheepheards after that he had admitted them to his presence spake to Ioseph saying Thy father and thy brethren are come vnto thee the land of Egypt is before thee in the best place of the land make thy father and thy brethren dwell let them dwell in the land of Goshen and if thou knowest that there be men of actiuity among them make them rulers ouer my cattell And godly and happy Ioseph placed his father and his brethren and gaue them possession in the land of Egypt in the best of the land euen in the land of Rameses as good bountifull Pharaoh had commanded And the blessed son nourished his blessed father and his brethren and all his fathers houshold with bread euen to the yong children Dauid attained to great riches and honour by practising the rules of this Art 1 Sam. 16 17 2 Sam 2 5 7 8 22. 1 Chron 17 29. 1 King 3 6 Psal 78 70 71.72 hee feared God exceedingly called vpon him continally walking before him in truth in righteousnes and in purenes of his spirit yea he was a man after the Lords owne heart and he that was in his heart was with his heart and in his hand also and blessed him aboundantly Hee chose Dauid his seruant and tooke him from the sheepe-folds euen from behind the ewes with young brought hee him to feed his people in Iacob and his inheritance in Israel So he fed them according to the simplicitie of his heart 1 Sam. 18 18 23. Psal 113.7 and guided them by the discretion of his hands He was as hee saith of himselfe a poore man and of small reputation but God who taketh pleasure in raising vp the poore out of the dust and in lifting vp the beggar from the dongue-hil changed his pouertie into riches his despisednesse into honour his shepheards crooke into a princely scepter his countrey cap into a kingly crowne his base sheep-cote into a stately court and his pasture of small compasse into an ample kingdome In one word God that doth great things tooke him from following the sheep that he might rule ouer his people Israel 1 King 3 11 12 13. 10.21.23.25.27 28. 2 Chron. 1. 8. 13. Eccles 2.4.5.6.7 8.9 Salomon Dauids sonne did attaine to his great riches by practising these rules and namely because he did ask of the Lord vnderstanding to do iudgment and not riches nor honor nor long life nor yet the life of his enemies therfore the Lord gaue him not onely that which he asked but also those things he asked not euen riches and honor more then any in Israel had before him or yet after him So that hee builded houses planted vineyards pleasant gardens and orchards replenished with fruitfull trees purchased great possessions of Beeues and sheep gathered aboundance of siluer and gold yea hee made siluer as plenteous as stones in Ierusalem and exceeded all the Kings of the earth both in riches and in wisdome Iehosophat did attaine to great prosperitie by practising these Rules 2. Chro. 17. He sought the god of his fathers deuoutly and walked in his commandements diligently euen in the waies of his forefather Dauid and therefore the Lord was with him stablished the kingdom in his hand and all Iudah brought presents vnto him so that hee had of riches and honor in aboundance Esther and Mordecai attained to riches and honor by these Rules Esth 2. 6. 8. 10. The vncle the neece both of them feared God and therfore he raised them from low degree vnto princely dignitie from pouertie aduanced them to great riches So that Esther of a poore despised maid became a famous and an honourable queene euen the wife of king Ashuerus the mightie Monarke of the Medes and Persians and Mordecai of a poore despised man was preferred to great riches and honour so that he was made second vnto the king Daniel and his three fellowes Dan. 1 3 6. commonly called the three children practised the Rules of this art They excelled in the feare of the Lord and in wisdom which floweth therefro so that of poore captiues and prisoners hee made them Princes companions they were promoted in the Prouince of Babel to high honours
all the world but in Israel Now therefore I pray thee take a blessing of thy seruant And the Prophet hauing refused his reward Naaman said shall there not bee giuen to thy seruant as much of this earth as two Mules may beare for thy seruant will henceforth offer neither burnt sacrifice nor offering vnto any other God saue vnto the Lord. Herein the Lord be mercifull vnto thy seruant that when my maister goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there leaneth on mine hand and I bow my selfe in the house of Rimmon when I do bow downe I say in the house of Rimmon the Lord be merciful vnto thy seruant in this point Thus wee see how that this great and mightie man called himselfe at euery word the seruant of Gods seruant yea moreouer he bare him such honour that when as hee saw Gehezi the seruant of Elisha running after him he lighted downe from his Chariot to meete him and said Is all well Thus wee see how good and godly men and women as well the rich as the poore and as well the noble as the ignoble haue honored the seruants of God and the Gouernors of his Church and called them Lords And yet this is not all the honor the Spirit of God giueth them in the holy Scripture 2 Chron. 17.7 Psal 45.9.13 16. For the Prophet Dauid as he speaking of the future glory of the Catholicke Church vnder Christ the head thereof saith thus The Kings daughter is all glorious within her clothing is of broydred gold Shee shall bee brought vnto the King in raiment of needle-work so prophecying of the future splendour dignitie of the fathers and gouernours of the Church hee vseth these words In stead of thy fathers shall thy children be thou shalt make them Princes through all the earth meaning that of the children of the Church should be chosen such as should bee Fathers and Rulers of the Church as Patriarkes Archbishops and Bishops which should bee honored throughout the whole Christian world as Lords and Princes for the holy Prophet as hee describeth typically Christ as the King of the Catholike Church and none but he to bee King and the Church as the Queene and Spouse of this King so doth hee signifie vnto vs that the Princes of this King and kingdome are the Rulers and Gouernours of the Church aboue named which of children of the Church should be made Fathers of the Church and should be honored as Princes through all the earth for wee must not imagine that the kingdome of Christ is to bee included within the walles and circuite of one Citie whether Rome Ierusalem Geneua or Amsterdam nor yet within the compasse of some three or foure kingdomes but wee must beleeue that the Church of Christ is of farre more ample and spacious bounds then so Psal 45 27. All the ends of the world shall remember themselues saith the Prophet Dauid and turne to the Lord. And all the kindreds of the Nations shall worship before thee 2.8 Aske of mee saith the eternall father to the sonne and I shall giue thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy possession his dominion shall bee from sea to sea 72.8.11 and from the riuer vnto the ends of the land yea all kings shall worship him all nations serue him But to passe ouer this matter of the large extent of the Catholick Church and to returne to the honour the people owe vnto her gouernours we reade what was the demeanour of the Iayler toward Saint Paul and Silas being prisoners Acts 16.24.25 to 34. whose hands and feet the Lord loosed as also opened the doores of the prison by the meanes of a mighty earth-quake so that the Iayler came trembling and fell downe before Paul and Silas and brought them out and said Sirs or as the word in the originall also importeth my Lords what must I doe to be saued And they said beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt bee saued and thine houshold And they preached vnto him the word of the Lord and to all that were in his house and when he had brought them into his house and had washed the stripes and wounds of their bodies and likewise they the spirituall stripes and wounds of the soules of him and his houshold by baptisme hee set meate before them and reioyced that hee with all his houshold beleeued in God Lastly Reuel 1.11.19.20 11.8.12.18 3.1.7.14 Saint Iohn writing to the Bishops of the seuen Churches of Asia calleth them by the name of seuen Angels or rather our Sauiour and Soueraigne himselfe calleth them so who also expoundeth the seuen starres to bee the Angels of the seuen Churches and biddeth him write vnto the Angell of the Church of Ephesus thus and vnto the Angell of the Church of the Smyrnians thus and so vnto the other Angels of the other Churches Where note that although that in euery one of these Churches were more Ministers then one yea there was many in euery one of them and namely in Ephesus as is more then cleare by the tenour of Saint Pauls Epistle to Timothie 1 Tim. 13.4 3.1.2 the first Bishop of Ephesus yet the name of Angell is by the spirit of God the mouth of Christ and the penne of the Apostle appropriated vnto onely one of the Ministers of the foresaid Churches euen vnto him who was Bishop amongst them And as the foure and twentie Elders glorifie Christ for making them Kings and Priests vnto God so the holy Apostle and Prophet Saint Iohn Reuel 5.10 Reuel 1.4.5.6 writing vnto the said seuen Angels or Bishops of the said seuen Churches in his salutation ascribeth all glory and dominion to Iesus Christ the Prince of the Kings of the earth who saith he hath made vs Kings and Priestes vnto God the Father And thus haue I verified mine assertion that the holy Scripture honoreth the Gouernors Rulers of the Church with the honourable Titles and names of Fathers Lords Princes Kings and Angels And therefore let no man thinke that I haue said too much for yet I could say more and yet no more then the word of God doth warrant me to say And therefore I wish all vs Lay-men to think that it is not the peaceable spirit of Gods Church but the popular perturbing spirit of Amsterdam or some such other respectlesse priuate spirit that moueth men to dislike of the giuing of honourable titles to the Gouernors and Prelates of the Church But as the example of Cornelius his demeanour in the presence of the great Apostle doth teach vs Lay-men humility and reuerence in the behalfe of Gods Ministers so doth the example of the modest demeanour of the first of the Apostles in the behalfe of godly Cornelius teach all Pastours and Prelates all Patriarks Archbishops and Bishops to shew and Practise all Christian modestie in the peoples behalfe by letting them
Euery man shall clappe their hands at him and hisse at him out of their place 20.6.7.29 Loe this is the portion of the godles rich man from God and the heritage that the man shall haue of God that is rich but not rich in God Though his excellencie mount vp to the heauen and his head reach vnto the cloudes yet shall hee not enter into heauen yea he shall be hurled not onely down from heauen but also out of the earth and shall perish for euer like his dung and they which haue seene him shall say where is hee Though he be strong for a time prosper and florish like a greene bay as holy Dauid speaketh yet his armes and his branches shall be broken Psal 37.17.20.29.30 he and his prosperitie shall perish and melt away like the fat of Lambes whereas the righteous men that is such as feare God and eschew euill shall inherit the land for euer And thus I hope the obiection made against the infallibilitie of the first rule may be satisfied Now if a man that loueth to studie this art will aske what the feare of God is which openeth so wide a doore vnto a man to be rich and how such a man may be knowne Salomon 1. King 3.5.6.7.8 9.10 Eccles 3.14 12.13 Prou. 8.13 14.16 who was a man both rich and wise and one that feared God not only before but also after his fall in mine opinion will giue him satisfaction The feare of the Lord saith he is to hate euill A wise man feareth and departeth from euill Iob 1.1 28.28 and therefore it is said of Iob who was a wise man and a rich man both that hee feared God and eschewed euill and with all hee telleth vs that the feare of the Lord is wisdome and to depart from euill is vnderstanding So then the feare of God is the hatred of euill and the man that hateth euill feareth God And a man may know him by this marke euen by his departing from euill and eschewing of sinne and good reason forsooth that a man who should loue God as the soueraigne good and would be loued of God that hee hate euill as the diuell that would make him hated of God The diuell is all made of euill for so hath he made himselfe by sinne and euill floweth from the diuell euen as God is all good and euery good thing is from God So that these vocables or words God and good diuell and euil are not so neere or like one another in sound as they are in substance And as wee must hate euill with our hearts so must wee depart from euill in our hands yea in the actions of our whole liues We must depart from euill that would make vs depart from God and God from vs for euer Wee must eschew the euill of sinne as we would eschew the euill of eternall shame and the horrors of hell Prou. 8.13 Salomon when he defineth the feare of God to bee the hating of euill mentioneth immediatly three capitall euils that a man must hate aboue all other pride the euil way and the mouth that speaketh lewde things Genes 18.27 Iob 10.9.10.11.12 25.6 1. Mac. 2.62 Ecclesiast 10.12 As for the euill of pride what greater pride or what greater euill can there bee then for man who is but a worme and the ordinarie repast of wormes euen dust and ashes and who holdeth his breath and all that he hath of God not to humble himselfe daily before his footestoole and to pray vnto him earnestly for grace and all good things and to praise him heartfully for such blessings as he hath bestowed vpon him whether in bodie or in soule or in both withall acknowledging all his felicitie to flow from him who as the Apostle S. Iames teacheth is the giuer of euery good and perfit gift from aboue Iames 1.17 And as for the other euill of the euill way good Lord what way can be more euill then for a man to doe his owne worldly will and his owne wicked way on the Lords day for a man I say to pollute the holy day of the holy One by following the worldly waies of profit and of pleasure and to steale away from him both his seruice and the day of his seruice which ought to be wholly spent and imployed in holines without which the Apostle saith Heb. 12.14 no man shall see God euen in the publike exercise of pietie towards God and of charitie and mercie towards man for Gods sake And as for the third euil of the mouth and tongue that speaketh lewde things what more lewde thing can the mouth of man vtter then to vse or rather abuse so irreuerently as the most part now adaies doe the adorable name of God to sweare almost at euery word by the same and by the blessed name of Iesus by his passion by his wounds and by his blood The holy Scripture willeth euery knee to bowe at the blessed name of Iesus Isai 45.23 Rom. 14.11 Phil. 2.10.11 in signe of reuerence and subiection for thereby we doe acknowledge him euen as hee is man to be our Soueraigne the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings and enioyneth euery tongue to confesse that he is the Lord 1. Cor. 15.24.25.26.27.28 Heb. 2.7.8 vnto the glorie of God the father who hath put downe all things vnder his feete But these lewde mouthed men will neither reuerence him with the bowing of the knee nor honour him with the confession and sanctification of the tongue Their knees will not honour the Sonne and their tongues wil needs dishonour both the Father and the Sonne Well let them be rich who will surely such as bee proud in Gods sight and will neither praise him nor pray vnto him and such as be prophaners of his holy name and of his holy day and will not sanctifie both they shall neuer be rich in God They may well gather goods but they shall not proue goods to them they shall not turne to their good neither shall they reape any good at Gods hand by them neither shall they remaine to them and theirs For only the feare of God which mother-vertue these men want is the fountaine of good goods and of durable riches Now the feare of God hath two branches the one is we must feare to offend him because he is our Father whom we must loue in the highest degree the other is when we haue offended him we must feare his furie and punishments because he is our Lord. Our feare must not be seruile or slauish such as is the bond-mans feare of his master which is onely and meerely because of punishment but our feare must bee filiall and sonly such as is the childrens feare of their father Psalm 2.11 as being loth to offend one whom we loue we must serue the Lord in feare and trembling we must feare to offend before we offend and when as through humane
and workes as flow from the spirit of wisedome knowledge and vnderstanding And therefore they bee such exercises and employments as a Gentleman borne ought not to bee ashamed to learn thē and to practise them rather thē to liue in idlenesse If then euen almighty God himselfe disdained not to worke for the benefit behoofe and good example of men for as for himselfe there was neuer yet any that needed lesse to worke then hee what reason haue wee to bee ashamed to worke with our hands chiefly such as haue no other meanes besides working to liue by And not onely hath God wrought but also the best Gentlemen that euer were haue likewise followed some one laborious occupation or other and that both to gaine by it and to keepe themselues from idlenesse which is the roote of all euill and maketh a mans both soule and bodie poore Genes 2.15 3.23 4.2 9.20 13. 26. 29. 0. Adam the first father of mankind and the monarch of the earth when as he was yet innocent and therefore out of doubt a better Gentleman then any that are now was put into the garden to dresse it and to keepe it Though God was his father by creation and formation for besides him he had no other father yet hee was not brought foorth or borne to be idle but to be a gardiner before his fal a labourer of the ground after his fall Also his two sonnes were men of occupation Abel a keeper of sheepe and Cain a tiller of the ground And Noah the father and monarch of the renewed earth was he not an husband man and did he not plant a vineyard and were not Abraham and Lot Isaac and Iacob and their children husbandmen and shepheards Yea more all of these had lands fields and pastures besides houses and flockes yea more then many Lords and Knights now adaies haue and yet wee see they disdained not to labour whereas many of our Gentlemen that haue none of all these or but very little will be ashamed to doe as they did But what will our idle Gentleman say of Dauid who being a young man was the keeper of his fathers sheepe 1. Sam. 16.11.12.18.19.21.22.23 17.33.34.35.36.37.45.46.47.48.49.50.51 8.17.18.20.23.25.27 and who if God had not taken him from the sheepe-coate to make him a King and a keeper of his people would haue plaied the husbandman still was not young Dauid a Gentleman euen then when hee kept the sheepe If any one doubt of it I will shew them that he had euen then moe gentlemanlike qualities then any of our Gentlemen now a daies haue King Sauls seruants reported to their master that Ishai the Bethlemite had a sonne who was a cunning player vpon the harpe a man of warre strong and valiant and wise in matters and a comelie person and such a one as feared the Lord which is the crowne of al Gentilitie and Nobilitie Wherefore King Saul sent messengers vnto Ishai and said send mee Dauid thy sonne which is with the sheepe Thus Dauid was fetched from the sheepe-coate to the Kings court and brought from feeding of sheepe to bee the Kings Fauorite his Musition and Physition both at once For when the euill spirit came vpon the King Dauid tooke an harpe and plaied with his hand and Saul was refreshed and was eased for the euil spirit departed from him Also he was the Kings armour-bearer for hee was so strong that when as hee yet kept his fathers sheepe he slue both a lion and a beare that came among the flocke and afterwards in the field hee slew the mightie Giant Goliah Finallie hee behaued himselfe so valiantlie against the Philistims who were Gods enemies that by his vertue and valour hee deserued the mariage of the Kings daughter howsoeuer that hee was as he saith of himselfe to Saules seruants who in the Kings name made offer to him to bee his sonne in law a poore man Matth. 1.20 13.55 Marke 6.3 Luk 1.27 2.4.51 4.22 and of small reputation Thus I haue shewed then that Dauid was as good a Gentleman as any Gentleman of these daies is euen then when hee kept his fathers sheepe Moreouer what can our idle Gentlemen say of Ioseph the husband of the blessed virgin who was a man of the house and linage of Dauid and by the Angell called the sonne of Dauid was he not of as good an house and of as Gentle blood as any of our idle Gentlemen are yea and better by many degrees and yet he for all that disdained not to bee a Carpenter and to follow this trade Finallie Christ the sonne of Dauid yea more the Son of God would not be idle when as he was yet young but was subiect to his supposed father Ioseph and vnto Marie his mother and exercised the Carpenters trade and therefore the Iewes called him in disdaine not onely the Carpenters sonne but also the Carpenter Wherefore I wish that neuer a Gentleman borne should be ashamed of a mechanicall craft after our Sauiour Christ and that no Christian Common-wealth should esteeme a man to haue lost his Gentilitie for exercising of a trade Alas what will our idle Gentleman say when he shall be asked at the last day concerning the calling he should haue followed here in this life shall he haue no other thing to answere but that hee was of no craft or occupation because he was a Gentleman borne what an vnsauorie answere will it bee before God who not onely hath taught men mechanicall trades but also disdained not to worke himselfe by the word of his mouth in creating the world in planting the garden of Paradise and in making of skinne-cloathes for Adam and Eue What an vnsauourie answere shall it be I say before our Sauiour Christ Mark 3.6 Luke 2.51 Matth. 4.18.21 the Sonne of God who disdained not to worke in the Carpenters trade in his supposed fathers house Ioseph who was of the same craft Iohn 21.3 and before his blessed Apostles which were fishermen as Saint Paul was a Tent-maker Then I feare me Act. 18 1.2.3 shall the idle Gentleman say Would God I had been a Tailer when I was a stealer a Rope-maker when as I was a Robber a Pedler when as I was a Pirat a Dier when as I was a Dicer a Carter when as I was a Carder and a Shoomaker when as I was a swaggerer Would God I had been of any lawfull calling when as I was an idle man liuing without all calling And trulie if a man must render an account of euerie idle word hee speaketh in this life Matth. 12.36 at the day of iudgement as our Sauiour himselfe hath said how much more must he render and giue account of his idle liuing in this life at that day Idlenesse and excesse as the Prophet teacheth vs were two of the sinnes of Sodom Ezek. 16.49 and therefore if wee would shun and eschew the fire and
frailtie we fall into any offence wee must tremble for feare of his rods like faultie and guiltie children we must shake and quake before the face of our heauenly father and prostrated at his feete and vnder his feete wee must intreate him with our teares to bee appeased towards vs for his mercies sake and to be pleased with vs for his Sonnes sake in whom he is well pleased We must I say implore him by his fatherly pitie to lay his rods aside each one with godly Dauid Psalm 6.1 saying and praying Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chastise me in thy wrath But if our most wise and prouident father finde it not expedient for vs to spare vs and to let vs passe vnpunished then must we throw our selues downe at his feete and offer willingly both our bodies and our goods vnto his blowes Let vs suffer his punishment with all patience his correction with all submission of minde let vs beware to murmur against our good father though his blowes seeme somewhat bitter and his stripes touch vs to the quicke let vs alwaies intertaine this christian cogitation in our hearts that our father is a most wise father and therefore knoweth well yea better then any other and best of all other what is most for our good and that hee is a most good father and one that loueth his children most dearely and entirely and therefore will doe nothing vnto vs but that which will doe vs much good In the meane time let each one that is chastised beseech God to doe it in so mercifull a manner that his correction may serue for his erection and direction all the daies of his life That it may serue for his instruction euer thereafter and not for his destruction as it doth to the obdured and reprobate and therefore let him say and pray with the holy prophet Ieremie Lord correct me Ierem. 10.24 but with iudgement that is with moderation and measure not in thine anger lest thou bring me to nothing Finally he must be so farre from making peruerse inference vpon the correction of God as though it did argue that God did hate him because of handling him so that he must gather the quite contrarie conclusion therof and euen say to himself thus The man God loueth most hee correcteth most for so saith Salomon the wise My sonne Prou. 3.11.12 Psalm 9 4.12 refuse not the chastening of the Lord neither bee grieued with his correction for the Lord correcteth him whom he loueth euē as the father doth the childe in whom he delighteth So saith the Apostle Saint Paul to the Hebrews Heb. 12.5.6.7.8 Whom the Lord loueth hee chasteneth and he scourgeth euery sonne that hee receiueth If ye endure chastening God offereth himselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes for what sonne is it whom the father chasteneth not If therefore ye be without correction whereof all are partakers then are yee bastards and not sons Lastly so saith our Sauiour himselfe by his seruant S. Iohn Reuel 3.19 As many as I loue I doe rebuke and chasten bee zealous therefore and amend Thus wee haue three true witnesses and one of them more then a witnes telling and testifying that correction chastisement is a token of Gods loue And we know or at least ought to know that in the mouth of two or three witnesses being true euery word must stand so then if God correct vs because he loueth vs as it is most certaine that hee doth we must not doubt but that it is done for our good And therefore the holy Prophet Dauid who was as much beloued of God as any and therfore as much chastised of God as any and who profited as much by correction and affliction as any saith of himselfe thus Psal 119.67.71 It is good for me that I haue been afflicted that I may learne thy statutes For before I was afflicted and chastised I went astray but now I keepe thy word As if he should say affliction is a good rod for it bringeth to God Thus haue I shewed the nature qualitie and good effects of the feare of God so much as me thought might suffice for the declaration of the first rule of this Art which taketh his beginning from that which is the beginning both of wisdome and of durable wealth And therefore to shut vp this first discourse vpon this first rule of the golden art with some golden sentence let mee say vnto euery one that would bee wise or wealthie in this world and happie in the world to come that which Iesus the sonne of Syrach saith Trust in the Lord hold fast his feare Ecclesiast 2.6 40.26 and grow old therein there is no want in the feare of the Lord and it needeth no helpe for as wise Salomon saith in the feare of God is an assured strength and his children shall haue hope Yea Prou. 14.26 that which they hope for they shall haue euen as much as is good for them to desire or haue here and as much as they can desire or would haue or shall be able to receiue hereafter II. Rule Wisdome and vnderstanding that is the knowledge of God and good things concerning the publicke good of Church or Common-wealth with humane discretion foresight and good gouernment about a mans owne priuate life make the poore man rich and the rich man yet more rich Probation and declaration BLessed is the man that findeth wisedom saith Salomon Prou. 3.13.14.15.16.17.18 who sought wisdome and found it and the man that getteth vnderstanding for the merchandise thereof is better then the merchandise of siluer and the gaine thereof is better then gold It is more pretious then pearles and all things that thou canst desire are not to bee compared vnto her Length of daies is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and glorie Her waies are waies of pleasures and all her paths prosperitie Shee is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her and blessed is he that retaineth her 4.5.6.7.8.9 The wise shall inherit glory but fooles dishonour though they bee exalted Get wisdome and get vnderstanding forget not neither decline from the words of my mouth Forsake her not and shee shall preserue thee loue her and she shal keep thee Wisdome is the beginning get wisdome therefore and aboue al thy possession get vnderstanding Exalt her and shee shall exalt thee she shall bring thee to honor if thou embrace her She shall giue thee a comely ornament vnto thine head yea she shal giue thee a crown of glory I wisdome dwell with prudence 8.12.13.14.15.16.17.18.19.20.21 I haue counsell and I haue strength By me Princes rule and the Nobles and all the Iudges of the Earth Riches and honour are with me euen durable riches and righteousnesse My fruit is better then gold euen then fine gold and my reuenues better then fine siluer That I may cause them that loue
morrow and for this life what we shall eate or what we shall drinke or what we shall put on for our heauenly Father saith the Sonne knoweth that we haue neede of all those things Philip. 4.6 Bee nothing carefull saith the Apostle but cast all your care on God for hee careth for you Heb 13.5 Let your conuersation bee without couetousnesse and bee content with those things that yee haue for hee hath said I will not faile thee Psal 55 22. 107.9 neither forsake thee Cast thy burthen vpon the Lord saith the holy Prophet and hee shall nourish thee for he satisfieth the thirsty soule and filleth the hungry soule with goodnesse 65.9.10.11.12.13 He visiteth the earth and watereth it hee maketh it very rich the Riuer of God is full of water and hee prepareth men corne Hee watereth aboundantly the furrowes of the earth and causeth the raine to descend into the valleyes thereof Hee maketh it soft with showers and blesseth the bud thereof Hee crowneth the yeare with his goodnesse and his steppes droppe fatnesse They drop vpon the pastures of the wildernesse and the hilles are compassed with gladnesse The pastures are clad with Sheepe the valleyes also are couered with corne therefore the shout for ioy and sing As it is hee that giueth deliuerance vnto Kings 144.10.11.12.13.14 and rescueth Dauid his seruant from the hurtfull sword and maketh our sonnes to bee as the plantes growing vp in their youth and our daughters as the corner-stones grauen after the similitude of a palace So is it he that maketh our corners to bee full and abounding with diuers sorts and that our Sheepe may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streetes 145 15.16 and that our Oxen may bee strong to labour Finally the eyes of all waite vpon him and hee giueth them their meate in due season he openeth his hands and filleth all things liuing of his good pleasure Wherefore let the Christian learne to depend vpon Gods prouidence and to cast all his care vpon him Phil. 3.11.12 let him study and endeuour with the holy Apostle in whatsoeuer state hee bee therewith to be content euen as well to haue want as to haue wealth to bee bare as to abound And with the holy Prophet Psal 119.36 let him alwayes pray Incline mine heart Lord vnto thy testimonies and not vnto couetousnesse VII Rule The man that would bee rich must before all other things and more then all other things with great feruency and constancy craue at God spirituall blessings and when he hath gotten riches as he must not set his affection thereupon in louing them too much so he must not put his affiance or confidence in them by trusting to them or glorying and boasting himselfe of them Neither must hee murmure against God if he afflict him by the losse of a part thereof or yet of the whole but ought to beare his crosse patiently and valiantly Finally he must loue his riches so little in comparison of Christ and the saluation of his owne soule that if the cause and occasion offer it selfe hee bee content to forsake all for Christs sake and for the sauing of his owne soule Probation and declaration Math. 6.33 Luke 12.29.30.31 SEekee yee first saith our Sauiour the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these things to wit foode and raiment and such other externall commodities of this life shall bee ministred vnto you And the Apostle exhorteth vs to set our affections on things which are aboue Colos 3.2 1 Tim. 4.8 and not on things which are on the earth For godlinesse is profitable vnto all things as that which hath the promise of the life present and of that that is to come Psal 119.165 They that loue thy law saith the holy Prophet Dauid shall haue great prosperity And because that Salomon asked of God 2 King 3.5.9.10.11.12.13 not long life nor riches nor the life of his enemies but onely an vnderstanding heart to iudge his people Therefore said the Lord vnto him Behold I haue done according to thy words loe I haue giuen thee a wise and an vnderstanding heart so that there hath beene none like thee before thee neither after thee shall arise the like vnto thee And I haue also giuen thee that which thou hast not asked both riches and honour so that among the Kings there shall bee none like vnto thee all thy daies If riches increase saith the holy Prophet set not your heart thereon Psal 62.10 49.6.10.11.12.16.17 The wicked trust in their goods and boast themselues in the multitude of their riches they thinke their houses and habitations shall continue for euer and call their lands by their names but they shall die like the beasts and leaue their riches for others they shall take nothing away with them when they die neither shall their power descend after them 52.5.6.7 The man that trusteth vnto the multitude of his â—iches Pruerb 11.28 Ecclesiastic 5.1.8 31.8 Ecclesiast 5.9 shall bee rooted out of the land of the liâ—ing He that trusteth in his riches saith Salomon â—hall fall but the righteous shall flourish like a â—eafe He that loueth siluer shall not be satisfied with siluer and he that loueth riches shall be without the fruit thereof Iob. 31.24.25.26.27.28 The holy man Iob protesteth â—f himselfe that he made not gold his hope nor â—et said euer at any time to the wedge of gold Thou art my confidence That he neuer boasted â—imselfe because his substance was great or because his hand had gotten much for in so doing saith he I should haue denyed the God aboue And the same holy man notwithstanding hee was the richest of all the men of the East 1.3.4.20.21 Iob 42.10.12 for his substance besides money houses and lands was seuen thousand sheepe and three thousand Camels and fiue hundreth yoke of Oxen and fiue hundreth she Asses yet when God suffered him to be spoiled and denuded of all hee fell not into murmuring and grudging impatiently against God but fell downe vpon the ground and worshipped God saying Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thither The Lord hath giuen the Lord hath taken it blessed be the name of the Lord. And we find also that God did reward him for his patience for he gaue him twise so much as he had before and blessed his last dayes more then his first Ierem. 9.23.24 Let not the wise man saith the Lord by the Prophet Ieremie glory in his wisedome nor the strong man glorie in his strength neither the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me for I am the Lord which shews mercy iudgment and righteousnes in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. Trust not vnto thy riches and say not I haue
enough for my life saith Iesus the sonne of Sirach Ecclesiast 5.1 31.8 2.4.5.6 blessed is the rich which is found without blemish and hath not gone after gold nor hoped in money and treasures Whatsoeuer commeth vnto thee receiue it patiently be patient in thy change into affliction for as gold and siluer are tryed in the fire euen so are men acceptable in the furnace of aduersity beleeue in God and he will helpe thee order thy way aright and trust in him hold fast his feare and grow old therein Heereby Christians are taught not to grudge against God if at any time hee crosse vs in our prosperity and take from vs our substance whether in part or whole yea wee ought to confide so farre in Gods goodnesse that hee will send vs againe that which hee hath taken from vs and restore it with aduantage if hee seeth that it shall bee expedient for vs and profitable for our soules health Otherwise we ought to thinke that it is farre better for vs to want goods then to be voyd of goodnesse and that our case is more blessed to lacke or loose goods then to enioy them and withall to abuse them to luxury superfluity licentiousnes and sin Psal 119.71 94.12 Heb. 2.10.18 Act. 14.22 Eccles 2.4.5.6 It is good for me saith holy Dauid that I haue beene afflicted that I may learne thy statutes And blessed is the man whom thou chastisest ô Lord teachest him in thy law And therefore the blessed Apostle telleth vs that by affliction we are made like to the Son of God yea that we must through many afflictions enter into the kingdome of God Our most wise bountifull Father knoweth best what is best for his childrens behoofe Neither ought the vertuous minded man thinke any whit the worse of himselfe for his want of wealth or yet be deiected in courage therefore as though he were by reason of his indigence lesse in Gods fauour then others that do abound Neither must we measure Gods fauour with the yard or ell of earthly prosperity For the Prophet Dauid telleth vs Psal 10 4.5.6 37.7.35 73 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 that the wicked and his waies doe prosper oftentimes so that hee saith in his heart he shall neuer bee mooued nor be in danger yea he is strong and spreadeth himselfe like a greene baie tree there are no bands in their death but they are lustie and strong they are not in trouble as other men neither are they plagued with other men their eies stand out for fatnesse they haue more then heart can wish they are licentious and speake wickedly they talke presumptuously they set their mouth against heauen and their tongue walketh through the earth Lo these are the wicked saith Dauid yet prosper they alwaies and increase in riches And the holy Prophet Ieremie questioneth the Lord about the same matter in this manner Ierem. 12.1 2. Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper why are all they in wealth that rebelliously transgresse thou hast planted them and they haue taken root they growe and bring forth fruit thou art neere in their mouth and farre from their reines Likewise the holy man Iob sheweth vs in very large and ample manner the wickeds prosperitie Iob 21.7 8 9 10 11 12 13. They liue and waxe old and growe in wealth their seed is established in their sight their houses are peaceable without feare and the rod of God is not vpon them their bullocke gendreth and faileth not their cowe calueth and casteth not the calfe they send forth their children like sheepe and their sonnes daunce they take the tabret and the harp and reioyce in the found of the organs they spend their daies in wealth and suddainely they goe downe to the graue Thus we see that euen the wicked and such as blaspheme God and oppresse the poore may enioy great prosperitie and wealth for a time And truely it shall be no more but for a time for as the same two holy men teach vs Psal 10.15 37 9 10 17 20 34 36. 52.5 7.3 18 19 20. Iob 21 17 18 19 20 30. 27.13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 The Lord will breake the arme of the wicked God shall cut off him and his seed he shal destroy him for euer hee shall plucke him out of his Tabernacle and roote him out of the land of the liuing he shall passe away and perish and shal not be found any more he shall be suddainly destroyed horribly confounded and his image shall be despised The candle of the wicked shall bee put out they shall be as stubble before the wind and as chaffe that the storme carrieth away they are kept vnto the day of destruction and they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath The sword shall destroy his children and his posteritie shall not be satisfied with bread Though hee should heap vp siluer as the dust and prepare raiment as the clay hee may prepare it but the iust shall put it on and the innocent shall diuide the siluer Terrours shal take him as waters and a tempest shall carrie him away by night And as the wicked oftentimes enioy great plentie and prosperitie so haue many of the godly many times beene afflicted with penurie pouertie and want And yet for all this God left not off to loue them most deerely For their aduersitie affliction and trouble they were not a whit the lesse beloued of God but rather the more according to that saying of the holy man Iob Iob 5.17 Blessed is the man whom the Lord correcteth And therefore not onely wise king Salomon Prou. 3.11 12. Heb. 12.5.6 7.8.9.10 11. and the holy Apostle Paul but also our Sauiour himselfe teacheth vs that the Lord correcteth him whom hee loueth euen as the father doth the child in whom he delighteth Also the same Apostle telleth vs Reuel 3.19 that many of the children of God of the olde times were brought to such a pinch that they were bitten with pouertie and want Heb. 11.36.37.38 for they wandred saith he vp and downe in sheepes skinnes and in goates skins beeing destitute afflicted and tormented they wandred in wildernesses and mountaines and dennes and caues of the earth obnoxious vnto racking mocking scourging chaining imprisoning stoning hewing and slaying with the sword And what was the pouertie of Christ Iesus the Sonne of God in his birth life and death it is more then manifest 2. Cor. 8.9 for hee beeing rich as Lord of heauen and earth became poore for our sakes saith the Apostle that we through his pouertie might bee made rich Matth. 1.16.20 13.55 Hee was so poore in the time and manner of his birth that he was laid in a cratch Luk 2.4.5.6.7 Mark 6.3 euen in a stable among oxen and asses folded and swathed in clothes of little price The house wherein he was borne was a
exaction practised vpon his people whereof if hee had beene guiltie it should haue beene recorded no doubt amongst his other grieuous trespasses Likewise king Dauid who was their first king by Gods absolute approbation and therefore the spirit of God hath begun with Dauid the first Booke of the Kings euen a man after Gods own heart 1. Sam. 13.14 no doubt he exercised the same power ouer his people 1. Chro. 27.1 25 31. as may appeare by the monthly courses of his officers appointed ouer the treasures in the fieldes in the cities and in the villages for the collection custodie and dispensation of his substance And as for Salomon king Dauids sonne and successor it is more then manifest that he did put in practise this foresaid kingly power 1. King 4.7 22 23 27 28. described by the Prophet in taking order for the monthly prouision of his house by his twelue officers whom he appointed each man his month to prouide victuals in the diuers parts and quarters of his kingdome for himselfe and all that came to his table And who will or dare say that Salomon in so doing played the tyrant 1. King 10.23 was hee not a wise King and so wise that hee excelled all the kings of the earth no lesse in wisedom then in wealth and beeing so wise as he was did he not know well enough what was both fit for a King to require at his subiects hands and what was fit for subiects to impart to their Prince yea was he not a iust king and one that did gouerne his people as with wisedome so also with equitie and iustice shall wee thinke that king Dauids prayer for the prosperous estate of his sonne Salomon and of his kingdome was frustrate and without effect Giue thy iudgements to the king Psal 72.1 2 3.4.12.13 14. O God and thy righteousnesse to the kings sonne Then shall he iudge thy people in righteousnesse and thy poore with equity the mountaines and the hilles shall bring peace to the people by iustice Hee shall iudge the poore of the people hee shall saue the children of the needy and shall subdue the oppressor he shall deliuer the poore when hee crieth the needy also and him that hath no helper he shall be mercifull to the poore and needie and shall preserue their liues hee shall redeeme them from deceit and violence and deere shall their blood be in his sight Shall we thinke I say that the holy Prophets prayer and prediction touching the excellencie of his sonnes godly iust and peaceable gouernment was either false or of none effect God forbid farre bee it from vs to thinke that God would haue chosen an oppressor of his people to bee a type of the king of righteousnesse to bee his sonne 1 Chron 22.9 10.11 28.5.6 10. and to build the house of his sanctuarie Hee asked of God wisdome and vnderstanding to doe iudgement and to rule and iudge his people aright 1. King 3.7 8 9 10 11 12 13.28 and the Lord granted him his petition and gaue him besides great wisedome euen honour and riches also and it is said that the people saw that the wisedom of God was in him to doe iustice so that they feared the King Wherefore wee must not thinke that hee was guiltie of tyrannie oppression or exaction in the behalfe of his people but rather that his leuying of the Tenths of his subiects substance was an effect of his diuine wisedome and the lawfull meanes whereby hee gathered together so much wealth and so great riches as he did 1 King 9.20.21 together with the tribute hee did receiue at the hands of many other nations And it is to be noted that the people of Iudah and Israel by their cheerefull readinesse and willingnesse in yeelding vnto Salomon their king the Tenthes of their fruites and of their flockes for the monthly prouision of his houshold procured at Gods hands the blessing of great prosperitie securitie and peace which hee powred vpon Israel and Iudah in Salomons daies 1 Chron. 22.9 1 King 4.20.25 They multiplied as the sand of the sea in number eating drinking and making merrie They dwelt without feare euery man vnder his vine and vnder his figge tree from Dan euen to Beersheba all the daies of Salomon 1. King 10.21 27. during the which there was so great wealth that he made siluer as plentious as stones in Ierusalem And though after the death of Salomon the people did insinuate vnto his sonne Rehoboam 1. King 12.1 2 3 4 11 14. the grieuousnesse of the yoke his father had put vpon them in his life and therefore did present a petition vnto him for the lightening thereof at his entring to the crowne yet wee find no mention made of any such murmuring of the people against Salomon in the time of his owne raigne And therefore wee may well thinke that the people made this complaint and petition not so much as for that they had any iust cause for as I said before Salomon was no tyrant nor yet an vniust exacting king as for that they were become more couetous after the death of Salomon then they had beene in the time of his life and together more factious and seditious then they had beene before Where it is to bee noted that the Lord punished this their couetous and grudging disposition with the diminution of their wealth so that their condition became much vnlike vnto that it had beene in the daies of Salomon 1. King 12. 2. Chron. 10. 11. 12. Besides that this their preposterous loue of commoditie brought them into the guilt of two grieuous sinnes of Rebellion from their lawfull king and of idolatrous defection from the true worship of Almightie God So that not without cause the holy Apostle calleth the loue of money 1. Tim. 6.10 the roote of all euill And certainly Ezek. 45 7 8.9 Prou 28.15.16 as God would not haue his sons to oppresse his seruants that is Princes to grieue their people with vnnecessary exorbitant and cruell exactions and with ill-aduised Rehoboam to make their subiects yoake heauier then it ought to bee Exod. 22 28 29 So would hee not haue the people to bee so vnnaturall vnreasonable and vniust as to abound themselues and in the meane time to see their Princes destitute of prouision answerable to their place As the Prince I say must not with wretchlesse Rehoboam make the peoples yoake more heauie then it ought to bee by right so must not the people with the murmuring and complaining Israelites call that a grieuance or a grieuous yoake which is not so indeede but onely in the apprehension of their couetous conceit 1 Tim. 5 17 18 The Apostle speaking of the maintenance of the ministerie saith That such Priestes as rule well and labour in the word and doctrine are worthy of a double honour And the same may bee well said of a Prince
8 9 101 11 16. Giue almes saith Tobias to his sonne of thy substance and when thou giuest it let not thine eye be enuious neither turne thy face from any poore least that God turne his face from thee Giue almes according to thy store if thou haue but a little be not afraid to giue a little almes for thou layest vp a good store for thy selfe against the day of necessity Because that almes doth deliuer from death and suffereth not to come into darknesse for almes is a good gift or present before the most high to all them which vse it Giue of thy bread to the hungry and of thy garments to them that are naked yea of all thine aboundance giue alms and let not thine eye bee enuious when thou giuest almes It is better to giue almes then to lay vp gold saith the glorious Angell Raphael to Tobias for almes doth deliuer from death 12 8.9 and doth purge all sinne and those which exercise almes and righteousnesse shall bee filled with life Water quencheth burning fire and almes taketh away sinnes saith Iesus the sonne of Sirach and hee that rewardeth good deedes will remember it afterwards Eccles 3.33 34. and in the time of the fall he shall finde a stay 4.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9.10 My sonne defraude not the poore of his liuing and make not the needy eyes to waite long make not an hungry soule sorrowfull neither vex a man in his necessity Trouble not the heart that is griued and desire not the gift of the needy Refuse not the praier of one that is in trouble turne not away thy face from the poore nor thine eies aside from him and giue him none occasion to speake euill of thee for if hee curse thee in the bitternesse of his soule his prayer shall be heard of him that made him Bee courteous vnto the company of the poore let it not grieue thee to bow downe thine eare vnto the poore but pay thy debt and giue him a friendly answere Bee as a father vnto the fatherlesse and as an husband vnto their mothers so shalt thou bee as the sonne of the most high and hee shall loue thee more then thy mother doth Stretch thine hand vnto the poore 7.33 34 35. that thy blessing and reconciliation may bee accomplished Liberalitie pleaseth all men liuing Tobit 2.4 7. and from the dead refraine it not Let not them that weepe bee without comfort 4.17 Bee not slow to visite the sicke for that shall make thee to be beloued Let vpright men eate and drinke with thee Eccles 9.18 and let thy reioicing bee in the feare of the Lord. Do good vnto the righteous 12.2.4.5 7. and thou shalt finde great reward though not of him yet of the most high Giue vnto such as feare God do well vnto him that is lowly 14.13 Do good vnto thy friend before thou die according to thine ability stretch out thine hand and giue him 17.20 25. The almes of a man is as a thing sealed vp before God and hee keepeth the good deedes of a man as the apple of the eye and giueth repentance to their sons daughters At the last shall hee arise and reward them and shall repay their reward vpon their heads Hee that will shew mercy 29.1.2.9.11 12.13.14 lendeth to his neighbour Lend to thy neibour in the time of his need and pay thou thy neighbour againe in due season Helpe the poore for the commandements sake and turne him not away because of his pouerty Bestow the treasure after the commandement of the most high and it shall bring thee more profite then gold Lay vp thine almes in thy secret chambers and it shall keepe thee from all affliction A mans almes is as a purse with him and shall keepe a mans fauour as the apple of the eye and afterwards shall it arise and pay euery man his reward vpon his head 40.24 It shall fight for thee against thine enemies better then the Shield of a strong man or the Speare of the mighty yea almes shall deliuer more then friends I haue shewed you all things saith Saint Paul to the Ephesians how that so labouring yee ought to support the weake Acts 20.35 and to remember the words of the Lord Iesus how that hee said It is a blessed thing to giue rather then to receiue And the same Apostle laboureth much in exhorting the faithfull to distribute vnto the necessities of the Saints Rom. 13.8.13 and to giue themselues to hospitalitie and to shew mercy with all cheerefulnesse of minde Heb. 13.2.16 Bee not forgetfull saith hee to lodge strangers for thereby haue some receiued Angels into their houses vnawares to doe good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is pleased This remember that hee which soweth sparingly shall reape also sparingly 2 Cor. 9 6.7.10.11 and hee that soweth liberally shall reape also liberally As euery man wisheth in his heart so let him giue not grudgingly or of constraint for God loueth a cheerefull giuer Also he that findeth seede to the sower will minister likewise bread for food and multiply your seed and increase the fruits of your beneuolence that on all parts ye may be made rich vnto all liberalitie which causeth through vs thankesgiuing vnto God Gal. 6.9.10 Let vs not be weary of well-doing for in due season wee shall reape if wee faint not While we haue therefore time let vs doe good vnto all men but specially vnto them which are of the houshold of faith 1 Tim. 6.17.18.19 And hee enieoyneth Timothie the first Bishop of Ephesus to charge them that are rich in this world that they doe good and be rich in good works and ready to distribute and communicate laying vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come that they may obtaine eternall life Whosoeuer hath this worlds goods 1 Ioh. 3.17 saith the Disciple whom the Lord Loued and seeth his brother haue neede and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him The Apostle S. Iames Iam. 127. 2.1.2 3 4.5 6.13 14 15 16. and first Bishop of Ierusalem teacheth vs that we must not despise the poore for their pouerty and course clothing seeing God hath chosen the poore of this world that they should bee rich in Faith and heires of the kingdome which hee promised to them that loue him He likewise warneth vs how there that shall bee iudgment mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercy to him that will not fill the hungry belly and clothe the naked backe for pure religion and vndefiled before God the father saith he is this to vesit the fatherlesse and widows in their aduersitie and for a man to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world 1. Pet 4.8 9.10 Aboue all things saith S. Peter the first of the
Apostles haue feruent charity among you for charity couereth the multitude of sins Be ye harborous one to another without grudging Let euery man as he hath receiued the gift minister the same one to another Math. 5 42. Luk 6.30.35.36.38 as good disposers of the manifold grace of God Giue vnto him that asketh saith our Sauiour and from him that would borrow of thee turne not away Loue your enemies do good and lend looking for nothing againe and your reward shall be great and ye shall bee the children of the most high for he is kind vnto the vnkind good vnto the euill Be ye therfore mercifull as your father also is mercifull Giue and it shall bee giuen vnto you a good measure pressed downe shaken together and running ouer shall men giue vnto your bosome for with what measure ye mete with the same shal men men mete to you againe Math. 5.7 Math. 10.42 Marke 9.41 Blessed are the merciful for they shal obtain mercy Whosoeuer shall giue vnto one of these little ones to drinke a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple verily I say vnto you hee shall not loose his reward Math. 6 19 20 21 Lay not vp treasures for your selues vpon the earth where the Moath and Canker corrupt and where theeues digge through steale but lay vp treasures for your selues in Heauen where neither the Moath nor Canker corrupteth and where theeues neither dig through nor steale for where your treasure is there will your heart be also Sell that ye haue and giue almes Luk. 12.33 14.12.13 14 16.9 make you bagges which waxe not olde a treasure that can neuer faile in heauen Make you friends with the riches of iniquitie that when yee shall want they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations And when thou makest a dinner or a supper call not thy friends nor thy brethren neither thy kinsmen nor thy rich neighbors lest they also bid thee again a recompense be made thee But when thou makest a feast call the poore the maymed the lame and the blind and thou shalt be blessed because they cannot recompence thee for thou shalt be recompenced at the resurrection of the iust Matth. 25.34 35 36 40 41 42 43 46. Then shall the King say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world for I was an hungred and ye gaue me meat I thirsted and ye gaue me drink I was a stranger ye lodged me I was naked and ye cloathed mee I was sicke and ye visited mee I was in prison and ye came vnto me verely I say vnto you in as much as ye haue done it vnto one of the least of these my brethren ye haue done it to me Then shall hee say vnto them on the left hand Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the deuill and his angels for I was an hungred and yee gaue me no meate I thirsted and yee gaue mee no drinke I was naked and yee cloathed mee not I was a stranger and ye lodged me not I was sicke and in prison and yee visited mee not Verely I say vnto you in as much as yee did it not to one of the least of these yee did it not to mee If this be true which the Truth hath both said and saieth he shall say then truely many Christians of this last age in Gods account are accursed and many of the men of these last daies must needs go at the last day into euerlasting fire Euen as many as doe now refuse to feed and refresh to cloth and to lodge to visit to comfort Christ Iesus liuing or rather dying daily amongst vs in the persons of poore needie sicke and comfortlesse men Charitie is growne so cold in these last daies that Christ may well wander through our streets wee will not bring him in hee may stand crying at our doors and starue of hunger cold for fault of food and clothes we will neither fill his bellie nor couer his backe hee may lie sicke and sore in the high way and in the corners of our townes we will not build him an hospitall or if we doe it is so little it can hardly lodge him or hold him neither will wee take the paines to goe see him there to cause minister him medicine to bind vp his wounds to cure his sores and to comfort him in his anguish He may for vs lie in prison with fetters on his feet and yet the mercilesse rich man that hath put him in prison will not proue the deliuerer and set him free nor yet will one or moe rich men prooue the redeemer and pay his debts that he may be set at libertie Yea hee may lie dead at our doores or in the high streets and scarcely will we burie him or if we burie him we will be ashamed to accompany him to the buriall place hee is in his members so abiect and contemptible in our eies Euery man findeth out some one excuse or other to cloake and to couer this his coldnesse of charitie The man that hath much and may giue much almes saith hee hath so much adoe with it for other vses that hee cannot spare any part thereof to releeue the poore Christ in heauen I wot well saith hee hath enough and needeth none of my goods and if he were on earth stood in need I would not stand to bestowe vpon him all that I haue And this may suffice On the other hand the man that hath little and yet not so little but that he might impart a little thereof vnto such as haue lesse then he saith he hath little enough for himselfe So that betweene these two sorts of men haue they much or haue they little Christ can haue nothing at all For both of them pretend that they haue too little for themselues too little meate for their owne bellies and therefore Christ must be hungrie too little drinke for their owne mouthes and therefore Christ must bee thirstie too little cloathing for their owne backes and therefore Christ must goe vncouered except hee be couered with ragges too little money in their purses and therefore Christ must be still in prison vnredeemed Thus then all plead they haue too little no than is found that thinketh he hath much or too much And yet Salomon thought Prou. 30 8 that a man might haue too much when hee prayed vnto the Lord not to giue him too much And truely if the man hath too much burthen on his backe when he doth not onely vnder it bow but also breake and if the ship hath too much loading when not onely shee drinketh the salt sea but also sinketh therein then truely that man hath too much riches when his loue of them confidence in them and care for them make the backe of his soule cracke or make the ship of his
vnderstand that all worship and honour is properly due vnto God that men whom God hath set in authority are to bee respected and reuerenced not for their person but for their place not for their owne sakes but for his sake whose seruants they are Reuel 1 6. And alwaies it becommeth them with the holy Prophet Saint Iohn to ascribe all the glory honour vnto him who hath made them Kings and Priests vnto God the father yea Kings themselues Psal 82 1 6. I meane the Kings and Monarkes of the earth whom God hath called Gods because they represent him most in power maiestie iustice mercy and bounty when as they are honoured of their subiects as God with prostration and adoration of the body supplication of the mouth and with illustrious and lofty compellations or yet with egregious and great commendations they must remember to giue all this honour they receiue at their subiects hands vnto God acknowledging themselues but as the conduit-pipes whereby all honour whatsoeuer all glory and praise is conueied vnto him to whom it most properly belongeth Otherwise God will be auenged on his little Gods for holding back of his honour from him Psal 107.40 Iob. 12.18 19 21. and hee that powreth contempt vpon Princes for contemning of him and looseth the coller of Kings yea and leadeth them as a prey for not praying and praising him will abate their honour and turne their glory into ignominie and their fame into shame as hee did in the behalfe of Herode Act. 12.21.22.23 of whom it is written that vpon a day appointed hee arraied himselfe in royall apparrell and sate on the iudgment seate and made an Oration vnto them and the people gaue a shout saying The voice of God and not of man But immediatly the Angell of the Lord smote him because hee gaue not glory vnto God so that hee was eaten of wormes and gaue vp the ghost This godlesse little God would not giue glory vnto the great God and therefore the highest creature in heauen and the lowest creature on earth conspired together to be auenged on him for his godlesse with-holding of Gods honour Thus hee that was a litle God and spake like a little God became a Theefe and robber of the glory of the great God and therefore died like a man yea like a beast so that the wormes eate vp his flesh One part of his flesh was turned into wormes and they preyed vpon the other part till hee gaue vp the ghost which fell into the hands of a worse worme then all the other wormes Isay 66 2◠euen a worme that neuer dieth but alwaies liueth and neuer leaueth eating Psal 2.10.11.12 And therefore let all Kings hearken vnto the exhortation and admonition of a King Be wise now therefore O Kings be learned ye Iudges of the earth serue the Lord in feare and reioyce in trembling kisse the Sonne least hee bee angry and yee perish in the way when his wrath shall suddenly burne blessed are all that trust in him Acts 14.15 Lydia a seller of purple was a regular Student in this Arte shee feared God and worshipped him deuoutly shee heard the blessed Apostle of the Gentiles attentiuely shee beleeued stedfastly and was baptised also shee ministred vnto the necessities of the Saints liberally and God blessed her both with spirituall and temporall blessings aboundantly I wish that this godly woman should serue for a mirrour to all Merchants Prou. 31.10 c. and Salomons vertuous woman for a patterne to all good Christian huswiues Acts 9.43 10.32 Simon the Tanner practised the Rules of this Art hee feared God and entertained his seruants chiefly the chiefe of the Apostles Saint Peter who tarried many daies in his house he was likewise diligent in his calling and doubtlesse God blessed him with prosperity in a competent measure Onesiphorus was a man that feared God 2 Tim. 1.16 17.18 and refreshed his seruants namely the blessed Apostle of the Gentiles Saint Paul neither was hee ashamed of his chaine but when hee was at Rome hee sought him out very diligently and found him and in many things hee ministred vnto him at Ephesus Wherefore no doubt but it fared with him according to the holy Apostles prayer The Lord giue mercy vnto the house of Onesiphorus for hee oft refreshed mee and was not ashamed of my chaine but when hee was at Rome he sought mee out very diligently and found mee The Lord grant vnto him that he may finde mercy with the Lord at that day And the same grace and mercy the same God graunt vnto all good men which resemble good Onesiphorus in giuing of their goods vnto the Ministers and poore members of Iesus Christ EXAMPLES OF SVCH As labouring to bee rich were Irregulars that is did not study nor practise the Rules of this Art and therefore haue beene both accursed and punished of GOD. Iosh 6.24 7. ACHAN was an irregular Student in the way of Enriching Hee feared not the Lord and walked not with an vpright heart before him but vpon a couetous desire hasted to bee rich by vnlawfull meanes euen by theft and sacriledge for he stole of the excommunicate thing at the ransacking of Iericho he stole euen of that part of the spoyles which the Lord had appointed to be set aside from a common vse and to bee put into the treasure of his house For hee stole a rich Babylonish garment and two hundreth shekles of siluer and a wedge of gold of fiftie shekles weight For this sinne of sacriledge the Lord punished the whole Israelites so that they were put to flight before their enemies and the hearts of their huge troupes melted away like water vntill the sacrilegious God spoyler was found out stoned to death and burned with fire both hee and his sonnes and his daughters his Oxen and Asses his sheepe and all that he had Now if God punished so exemplarily this sacrilegious stealth of Achan for coueting and conueying away a part of the spoiles which hee had appointed to bee put into the treasure of his house to serue for the garnishing and adorning thereof and for the necessary vses of his Priests shal we thinke that our sacrilegious Achans shall alwaies both here and hence escape vnpunished which with a strong hand haue robed the Lord of his own perpetual inheritance Acts 5. And if the Lord was so angry with Ananias and Sapphira for keeping backe but a part of the price of the possessions which they themselues of their owne accord had offered vnto God for the reliefe of his Saints that by the hand of his seruant Saint Peter in a sudden hee bereft them of their liues How shall he not be angry one day with our Church-robbers and God-spoyling Gospellers men an hundreth fold worse then Ananias for they are so far frō giuing any part at all of their lands or goods to Gods Ministers whereas Ananias gaue almost
9 10.11 Iohn 11.2 12.3.4 5 6 Iudas Iscariot the peerelesse traytour was an irregular student in the way of enriching hee was so miserably miscarried with the spirit of couetousnes that he was sorry that the box of costly oyntmēt which religious Mary Magdalen powred vpon our Sauiours head should haue bene so spent as it was for in his opinion it was but mis-spent and foolishly and superstitiously employed What needed this waste quoth he with some others of the company as he had moued to finde fault with the godly womans praisable fact why was not this ointment sold for three hundreth pence and giuen to the poore For so he knew it should haue come into his bagge and being bag-bearer he thought all that lost that passed by his bag yea though it had bene bestowed vpon Christs owne blessed body The couetous wretch pleaded for his bagge and his belly but pretended to pleade for the poore and their belly yea though hee had pleaded sincerely for the poore yet in this case he did greatly offend for Christs body was to be preferred befote the bellies of the poore There was some other meanes to relieue them then by conuerting this oyntment to their vse And therefore Iesus knowing of this their preposterous pleading for the poore said vnto them Why trouble yee the woman For shee hath wrought a good worke vpon me for yee haue the poore with you alwaies and when yee will yee may do them good but me yee shall not haue alwaies Shee hath done that shee could she came aforehand to anoint my body to the burying Verily I say vnto you wheresoeuer this gospell shall bee preached throughout the whole world this also that shee hath done shall be spoken of in remembrance of her Of such bagge-bearing Indases now a daies there is not a few who will bestowe nothing vpon Christ and his seruants themselues and yet grudge at the charitie and liberalitie of others and blame the good and godly men of the former times for bestowing of their goods lands and liuings vpon the Church Let a man talke with these bagge-bearing Church-banes touching the great care the good men of old haue had to supply the wants and relieue the necessities of Gods ministers by their charitable donations and liberall endowments they will tell you againe that they were silly simple idiots that liued in the time of darkenesse and ignorance 1. Iohn 2 10. and knewe not what they did And yet S. Iohn saith that hee that loueth his brother abideth in the light And who loued their brethren more then these that were so charitable vnto the poore and so beneficiall vnto the seruants of God But let it be so as they say that they liued in a darke age for so me thinketh it was in some respect if it bee compared with ours wherein to speake with a moderne Diuine there is more science and lesse conscience then was in theirs shal it follow therefore that their liberalitie towards the ministers of God was a worke of darkenesse also If any man thinketh so mee thinketh he hath good cause to feare and tremble lest at the last day darkenesse bee his doome No rather as Christ Iesus said once to the Scribes and Pharisees requiring a signe The men of Niniueh shall rise in iudgement with this generation and condemne it for they repented at the preaching of Ionas and behold a greater then Ionas is heere So may it be well said in this matter The owle-eied Christians of the old time shall rise in iudgement with this eagle-eied generation and condemne it for those blinde beleeuers were more bountifull and beneficiall vnto Gods Ministers then our sharpe-sighted professors and protesters are now and behold a greater light then was then is now and greater knowledge by many degrees And yet for all that our conscience and charity is as many degrees inferiour to theirs as their science and knowledge commeth short of ours Their night was more fruitfull in good workes then our light their darknesse more deuout then our day And who seeth not but that all the shame redoundeth vnto our selues Eccles 44.1 And therefore as Iesus the sonne of Sirach exhorteth men to praise the godly men of old Let vs now commend saith hee the famous men of our Fathers of whom wee are begotten And as Iesus the sonne of Mary saith of an other Mary that the good worke which shee had wrought vpon him should bee spoken of throughout the whole world in remembrance of her So may wee well say of such good men and women as in former times were so beneficiall vnto Gods Ministers and so charitable to the poore Let vs commend the deuout and bountifull men and women of old of whom wee are begotten and let vs praise them for their deuotion and good deedes which all deuout and godly persons shall remember so long as the world standeth But in our daies alas that old serpent the diuell whose onely study is to vndermine piety and true religion hath inuented a new deuise to disgrace and discredite both deuotion and deuout men For the deuout person is called a Papist in halfe or in whole and diuers exercises of piety are called by the hatefull name of Popery as namely the obseruing of holy daies the kneeling or capping at the adorable name of Iesus the fasting on certaine set times of the weeke or of the yeare the founding of hospitals the beautifying of Churches and the endowing of Church-men with ample liuings and titles of honour When any motion chanceth to bee made for the building and repairing of Churches the decking or adorning of the same or for the furnishing of Gods house with such implements and instruments as are requisite for the reuerent performing of his seruice and the decent celebration of his Sacraments forthwith will these Church-banes obiect with Iudas What needes all this waste were it not better to bestow all this geare vpon the poore then to spend or imploy the same about such needlesse vses They pleade for the poore in shew but for their owne purses in substance for they will not feare to pull from the poore both with tooth and naile all that they can and from Gods Priestes likewise yea they will bestow more vpon their horses their haukes and their hounds then they will doe vpon both More vpon the building of a Kitchin then of a Kyrke more vpon a stable then the Lords Table No Iudas was not so loath that the three hundreth pence worth of oyntment should passe by his bagge and be spent vpon the Lords body as these men are that once one peece of money should go out of their bagges to any such religious vse And yet to say the very truth our Sauiours sweet body stood not so much in need of any such anoynting with balme spikenard or any such sweet smelling oyntment as we do of buildings and Churches to worship God in and of externall furniture for the comely execution of
his seruice in his house And wherupon can our siluer and gold be better imployed then vpon Gods seruice To which purpose the Euangelicall Prophet hath foretold that in the last times Isay 60.5.6.7.8.9.13 the riches of the Gentiles shall come vnto the Church and they shall bring not only their sonnes and daughters vnto Christ but also their treasure and their substance their siluer and their gold their balme trees and firre trees their boxes and their elmes to beautifie the place of the sanctuarie of God and to adorne the house of his glorie The kings daughter that is the Church is all glorious within Psal 45.13.14.15.16 saith the kingly Prophet but yet he meaneth not that all her glory is within for immediatly after he saith that her clothing is of broidred gold and her raiment of needle-worke and her Fathers that is her Rulers and Gouernours as Patriarkes and Prelates are Princes throughout all the earth But now-adaies men are like vnto the slacke and slow people of the Iewes in the time of the Prophet Haggai who said the time is not yet come that the Lords house should bee builded Haggai 1 2.3.4 5.6.7.8 9.10.11 And therefore the word of the Lord came vnto them by the ministerie of the Prophet saying Is it time for your selues to dwell in your seeled houses and this house lie waste Now therefore thus saith the Lord of Hostes consider your owne wayes in your owne hearts yee haue sowen much and bring in little ye eate but yee haue not enough yee drinke but ye are not filled yee doe cloath you but yee be not warme and hee that earneth wages putteth the wages into a broken bagge Thus saith the Lord of hoasts consider your owne waies in your owne hearts Go vp to the mountaine and bring wood and build this house and I will be fauourable in it and I will be glorified saith the Lord. Yee looked for much and loe it came to little and when yee brought it home I did blow vpon it And why saith the Lord of hoastes because of mine house that is waste and yee run euery man vnto his owne house Therefore the heauen ouer you stayed it selfe from dew and the earth stayed her fruit and I called for a drought vpon the land and vpon the mountaines and vpon the corne and vpon the wine and vpon the oyle vpon all that the ground bringeth forth both vpon men and vpon cattell and vpon all the labour of the hands Thus we see how sharply God hath punished mens niggardnesse and slownesse about the building and beautifying of his house And are not we as much bound to haue an house of praier to pray in to God as were the Israelites of old and is not God to bee honoured with our riches and treasure now as well as he was then And is not our niggardnesse and slownesse in doing of such duties as punishable as theirs But to returne from pleading against our yong Iudases 1 Tim. 1 19. 6.10 to old Iudas the miserable man was so much mis-caried with the loue of money which carrieth many a soule away from the faith and maketh them to make a sorrowfull ship-wracke that he could neuer be satisfied with siluer till he had sold his owne maister the sonne of God and Sauiour of the world vnto the Iewes for thirtie peeces of siluer Math. 27.5 We haue heard tell in our time of many treasons and traffickes but the world neuer hath heard nor shall heare tell of such a treason and trafficke as this The sonne of God betrayed by his seruant whom hee came to saue and sold for thirtie pence of him whom he came to ransome and redeeme from sinne Sathan and hell by the shedding of his bloud But behold the sequele of the attempt forthwith the wretch went and first restored the money and then hanged himselfe At the last though too late he began to consider with his minde how that he had played both the bad Marchant and ill seruant at once in selling the most precious iewell that euer the Sunne saw euen his owne maister for so small a summe and that hee had made the worst market that euer man made or euer shall or can make though the world should last as many millions of yeares as there is of sands vpon the shore or of drops of water in the maine sea Demetrius the siluer-smith Act 19.24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34. was an irregular student in the way of enriching for he together with diuers others his fellow-smithes had made themselues rich by making of siluer temples shrines of the idol Diana wherefore loue of gaine moued them to raise sedition in the city of Ephesus when as Saint Paul and some others of the godly did endeauour to drawe backe the citizens thereof from idolatrie 16.16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24. Such irregulars were also the maisters of the Pythonist maid which gate her maisters much vantage with diuining who when as the Apostle had separated the familiar spirit from her in the name of Iesus seeing that the hope of their gaine was gone they caught Paul and Silas and drew them into the market place vnto the magistrates and accused them of preaching vnlawfull ordinances Whereupon the people rose vp together against them and the gouernours rent their cloathes and commaunded them to be beaten with rods and to be cast in prison and that their feete should be made fast in the stockes Demas and Alexander the Copper-smith 1. Tim. 1 20. 2. Tim 4.10.14 15. were likewise irregulars the one forsooke Paul to embrace this present world and the other to the end hee might follow the world forsooke the faith and as the siluer-smith aforesaid did raise sedition against the Apostle so this copper-smith did much euill vnto him and with great earnestnesse withstood his preaching whom the Lord no doubt rewarded according to his workes and the holy Apostles imprecation And the like out of all question wil befall vnto all such impenitent resisters of veritie and breakers of Christian vnitie bee they smiths in office or in name For our time is not the first time that smiths haue beene resisters of the truth and molesters of the ministerie And maister Iohn Smith the father of the few re-baptized Brownists hath not beene the first Smith that hath proued the perturber of the peace of Christs Church God graunt hee may make some better vse of his good parts hereafter then to play the forger of a new faith and of a new Church vpon the anuill of his owne wit and that hee play not the Smith in this manner any more Gen 19.24 25. Ezech. 16.49 50. 2. Pet. 2.6 Iude 7 The citizens of Sodome were irregulars and neglected the studie and practise of the rules of this Art they were proud of their prosperitie liued idly and gaue themselues to gluttonie excesse and lubricitie for heape of wickednesse