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
Stone and Nantwich in Chesshire for horse and man to passe Hee caused the like causie to bee made betwixt Dunchurch and Brausen in Warwikshier well nere three miles in length Hee gaue twentie pounds in monie towards the making of Royton bridge he made also foure bridges two of stone and two of timber he built also a notable free schoole at DraitoÌ„ in Shrop-shier with lands sufficient for maister and vsher for euer Moreouer hee gaue in his life time fiue hundred poundes in monie to the hospitall of Christes Church in London and an hundred pounds at his death Sir William Peter knight besides that he gaue one hundred pounds a yeere in lands to Exeter colledge in Oxford builded also ten almes houses in Ingerstone for twentie poore people euerie one of them hauing two pence a daie a winter gowne and two loads of wood amongest them all keeping for sixe kine Winter and Summer for euer William Lambe Gentleman of the Chappell to king Henrie the eight made the great conduit nere Holborne bridge in London carrying the water by pipes of lead aboue two thousand yards and this he did of his owne proper cost and charges amounting by estimation to the summe of fifteene hundred poundes The same master Lambe gaue to the parish of Saint Faiths vnder Paules in London sixe poundes thirteene shillings and foure pence yeerely to be distributed equally amongst twelue pore people euerie fridaie twelue pence in monie and twelue pence in bread for euer He gaue also to Christs hospitall yerely for euer sixe pound and an hundred pound in monie to purchase lands to the same To Saint Thomas hospitall in Southwarke hee gaue 4. pound a yeere for euer To the hospitall called the Sauor hee gaue sometimes ten pounds at once towardes the buying of bedding for the poore He gaue to the Companie of the cloth workers in London foure poundes a yeere for euer He gaue to the same companie his dwelling house and other lands to the value of thirtie pounds a yeere to hire a Minister to saie seruice euerie wednesdaie fridaie and saterdaie to preach foure sermons euerie yeere after his decease in the Church called Saint Iamesses in the wall by Cripple gate in London and also to giue to xii poore men to euerie one a freeze gowne ready made a shirt of locoram and a new paire of shooes and to twelue pore women twelue gownes of freese twelue smockes and twelue payre of shooes for euer Hee also erected a free schoole and six almes houses at Sutton Valens in Kent with sufficient allowance mayntenance for them both Hee also gaue to the townes of Ludlow and Bridgenorth to either an hundred pounds a peece to set poore men on worke withall He gaue also towardes the setting of poore men on worke in Suffolke an hundred poundes I might heere recite many moe such lyke examples of our good forefathers if I feared not to bee tedious but I will wade no further heerein at this time hoping that those fewe except we haue shakeÌ„ hands with all godlynesse made a league with death a couenant with hell as the Prophet speaketh wil yet some what serue to the stirring vp of our drousie mindes to the exercise and practise of good workes and to leaue behinde vs to the posterityes to come some fruites of our faith some seales of our profession and some pledges of our christian loue and charitie as our good ancestors haue done before vs. For is it not a shame vnto vs that our forefathers liuing in the times of superstition when poperie and Idolatrie had ouerflowed almost the whole world and hauing but as it were a glimmering of the glorious lyght of the Gospell of Christe shoulde notwithstanding so farre passe vs in good workes as that we may not once be compared to them in anie small measure Oh what a condemnation will this be vnto vs It had bin better for vs a great deale we had neuer knowen the truth than knowing it not to follow it as Christ witneseth in a certayne place if I had not come vnto them and done those works which none else could do they should haue had no sinne yea I pray God that publicanes and sinners do not goe before many of vs Protestants into the kingdome of heauen for wee talke much but walke nothing after it And therfore now at the last euen in the name of God let vs contend and striue one with another in an holy zeale if not to excel yet to match or if not to match yet to come some-what neere our forefathers in doing of good works Let vs follow the councell of Christ who sayth Let your lightes so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorify your father which is in heauen And doubtles God is glorified by vs in nothing more than in good works being done in faith according to the word of God and in leauing of monuments and remembraÌ„ces of our christian loue and godly zeale towards the brethren behind vs. And no maruaile for in the very actioÌ„ of good works we effect three most excellent vertues christian dutiess as first we glorify God in our selues and by our selues secondly we relieue sustaine and comfort our poore brethren and thirdly we moue theyr harts their soules spirits to thank God for vs to pray for vs and to praise the Lord for his blessings bestowed vpon them in the mouing of our harts to the succoring of theÌ„ For if the goods that wee bestowe be the Lordes and not ours as without all peraduenture they are the Psalmist bearing witnes where he sayth Domini est terra plenitudo eius The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof and the Prophet affirming the same speaking in the person of God golde is mine siluer is mine and all the riches vpon the face of the earth is mine and haue not my handes made them all and if it be God that geueth both the will and the deede as the Apostle sayth it is then great cause haue the poore soules to prayse the goodnes of God for hys fatherly care and mercifull prouidence towardes them in succouring and relieuing theyr necessities by the hande or ministery of such and such hys seruants And vppon the other side happie and blessed art thou whome God thy creator doth vse as an instrumeÌ„t to do good and to relieue his Saints vppon the earth that haue neede It is a testimonie to thy conscience that thou art a childe of grace a vessell of saluation and feaâ—â—ed vp to the day of redemption But heere peraduenture it may be obiected that these men that did these workes were for the most part Papists and therfore their deedes were naught and no better than the workes of the Turkes Infidels or Pagans I graunt that the most part of them were indeede Papists but yet it followeth not therefore that they were absolutely euill because they were done by Papists The Deuill may doe and sometimes
shall iudge But this winde shakes no corne as the Papists say for the Pope cā easily wipe away al this a thousād times more with a word What am not I Christs viccar generall and Peters successor Haue not I claues regni caelorum the keyes of the kingdome of heauen haue not I potestatem soluendi ligandi power to bind loose In a word am not I God can not I forgiue sinne at my pleasure Oh blasphemous mouth God shall destroy thee with the breath of his mouth The very Iewes shal rise vp in iudgemēt against thee cōdemne thee who sayd Can any mā forgiue sin 〈◊〉 God alone They thinke it also a good worke and of great merite to gad vp and down the cuntreys on Pilgrimage to this place and that place to this hee Saint and that shee Saint yea although it be as farre off as Rome Constantinople or Ierusalem is hence the further the more merite to visite Bethleem where Christ was borne the holie Sepulchre where he was buried the holy Crosse wherevpon he suffered the nayles that were driuen into his handes and feete the speare that was thrust into his side his bloud that was shed when he hanged vppon the Crosse the milke of Maries brests or else they lye the cratch or manger wherein Christ lay with infinite the like supersticious reliques too long to be recited heere To all which must be attributed a diuine worship with kneeling before them praying vnto them belieuing and trusting in them and aboue all for this is the chiefest work they shoote at offering vnto them as it were a sacrifice to Baal gould siluer iewels and precious stones of infinite varietie These things although they doe the idolls no good for so I will not feare to call them yet doe they serue to inritch these ambicious and greedie Priests who dayly gape for such prayes And truely but that the iudgements of God are a deapth without bottome hys counsayles vnsearchable and hys wayes past finding out I would wonder that any man could be so blinded or besotted as to trauayle so many hundred myles nay so many thousand myles sometymes in the meane tyme not regarding hys or theyr poore wyfe and children at home how miserably so euer they lyued to thys Saint and that Saint to thys Idoll and that idoll as though one were better than an other or that one could helpe better or more than an other Therefore it is true which the Apostle by the holy Ghost vttereth of such men where he sayth when men will not belieue the truth then God geueth them ouer to a reprobate sence to belieue lyes Alas did they or doe they thinke that these idolls can doe them any good eyther heare theyr prayers relieue theyr necessities or graunt theyr petitions No no this was but the subtiltie or rather playne knauerie of the couetous Priests to get money withall although to the destruction of theyr owne and infinite millions of Christian soules besides Full well was it sayde therefore of the heathen Poete Oh auri sacra fames quid non mortalia pectora cogis Oh cursed loue of money what wickednes is there in all the worlde which thou wilt not cause a man to doe for the loue of thee This caused the holy Ghost to denounce that couetousnes is the roote of all euill Oh remember what the Apostle sayth Godlynes is great riches if a man be content with that that hee hath Forget not what hee telleth you in an other place those that studie to be rich in thys world fall into diuers temptations and snares of the Deuill Seeke therefore to be ritch in God and not in the transitorie vanities of thys lyfe whiche vanishe away lyke a scumme or bubble before a man haue any vse or fruition of them Deceyue the world no longer with your bableries for filthy lucre sake repent and turne to God for hee is mercifull and would not your destruction Agayne the Papists accoumpt it a wonderfull good worke to make and erect Images and Idols in Churches and crosses in high wayes to creepe to them bare foote and bare legged to kneele before them to adore and worship them to pray to them to trust and belieue in them to aske and looke for all good thyngs at theyr handes to offer to them and in summe to attribute all diuine honor and worship to them being notwithstanding stocks and stones dead and insensible creatures and which as the Prophet sayth can neyther heare see smell taste nor vnderstande no nor so much as stirre out of theyr places If they be ouerwhelmed with dust they can not so much as make themselues cleane or if they be throwne into the fyre they can not ryse vp agayne and therefore not without cause doth the Lord pronounce accursed both the image and the image maker And as for crosses I see neyther reason nor scripture for them why they should be set vp eyther in Churches Churchyards high wayes or any place else Oh but say the Papists it doth a man good to looke vppon that engine whereupon Christ dyed But if they wyll needes haue crosses to gaze vppon let them looke vppon euery Christian man and woman who theyr armes being spread abroade doe resemble most liuely both the crosse and also Christ himselfe a thousand tymes more truely than these idolatrous counterfeite crosses of wood and stone And because they shall see the small or rather the no necessitie at all of these crosses amongst vs Christians I will shew the originall of them how and vppon what grounds and for what causes they fyrst came vp The heathen people and infidels denegers of the faith professed enemies to Christ Iesus reproched the Christians and cast in their teeth that their Sauiour and theyr Messias in whome they trusted was hanged vppon a crosse betweene two theeues as the most notorioust malefactor of all to his and theyr perpetuall approbrie ignominie and shame for euer as they most blasphemously affyrmed The Christians heerevpon to shewe that they were not ashamed neyther of Christ Iesus nor yet of his crosse caused to be set vp as well in Churches and Churchyards as also in high wayes streetes and lanes diuers and sundry crosses which custome hath continued and descended as it were by succession from them vnto vs at this day Now who seeth not heereby the small necessity of them amongst Christians For at this day there be none that doe vpbrayd vs that our Sauiour in whom we belieue was hanged vppon a crosse and therefore the cause of the erection or setting vp of crosses being ceased let the crosses themselues be remoued also For certainly the continuance of them in high wayes or elsewhere doth mayntayne a notable branch of Popish idolatrie and superstition amongst vs whilest some when they passe by them will geue them the right hand put off theyr caps make obeysance and worship them as that archtraytor seducer of Gods Saints Campion did passing along
doe nowe almost in Scotland If this be not the way to bring the ministery into contempt the Sacraments and word of God into hatred and religion into detestacion Say if this be not the way to bring in playne Atheisme and consequētly confusion and ouerthrow of all things I knowe not what is For take away reward frō learning who will set his sonne to learning who I say will set his child to the Vniuersitie and bestowe almost all hee hath vppon hym to get him learning wheras afterwards he shall liue but as a begger all dayes of his life But as I would wish that they who be good able and sufficient preachers indeede should haue liuing enough so would I wish that those who haue too much should part with some of their superfluitie to others that eyther haue too little or iust none at all For you shall haue some that can speake but little congrue latine much lesse preach the word of God nay would God they could reade english well and yet they haue some of them two some of them three and it is well if not four benefices a peece you shal haue othersome fine schollers and famous preachers indeed want euen competent mayntenance And therefore could I wish if it might possibly be brought to passe that a more equall distribution of liuings were had amongst vs. But it may sooner I feare me be wished for than hastely effected Now as this is a great plague to our Church so I doubt least in time these impropriacions will be the bane of the same I pray God to moue her Maiesties royall heart and the heartes of her honorable Councell to redresse this great calamitie if it be his blessed will But whether am I caryed It is a good worke in a Bishop to preache the worde of God truely to minister the Sacraments sincerely to execute ecclesiasticall discipline and other censures of the Churche seuearely to rule and gouerne the Churche of God vprightly according to the word of God to constitute and place in euery seuerall Church and congregation as neere as is possible a good and sufficient preacher and to see that euery one in hys perticular charge and calling doe hys duety diligently He must bee an example to his flocke as well in life as in doctrine else what hee buildeth with one hand hee pulleth downe with the other Yea hee must bee of that holy conuersation and integritie of life that euen they that are without as the Apostle speaketh may bee wonne and reclaymed thereby Briefely hee must be in all poynts such a one as Paule describeth to Timothy and to such a one is all honor due as the same Apostle sayth in an other place those Elders that gouerne well are worthye of double honour It is also a principall good worke in a King or Prince fyrst and aboue all things to establish the true religion and worship of God to abolish all superstition idolatrie and Popery to roote out all vayne tradicions ordenances and constitutions of men eyther not grounded vppon the word of God or else repugnant to the same euer taking the worde of God for hys tutchstone and square rule to leuile all hys actions by It is also a good worke in a King of Prince and his very duty to publish enact good lawes and wholesome Statutes tending to the aduancement of vertue and godlynes and to the suppressing and ouerthrowing of all sinne and wickednes to see iustice ministred to all men alike without parcialitie fauour or affection to restrayne and inhibite all gnawing vsury extortion and exaction to suppresse all robbing murthering slaying and killing one of an other to defend the pore from the iniury and violence of the mighty to punish sin in all men according to the nature and quality therof as well in the nobility gentry and yeomanry as in them of the lowest degree knowing that the iudgement is the Lords that they be the Lords ministers and that they carry not the sword for naught as Paule witnesseth being also assured of this that the Lord respecteth no mans person neyther hath he graunted any greater charter to the mightie than to the poore to sinne No no they haue neyther commission nor priuiledge eyther of immunitie or impunitie no more than the poorest swayne or meanest peasant that lyueth vppon the face of the earth hath But the soule that sinneth shall dye sayth the Apostle of what condicion estate or degree soeuer they be Yea the greater honor or dignitie that the Lord bestoweth vppon any one in this life the greater innocency and perfection he requireth at his hands so farre off is hee from dispensing with any to sinne Princes therefore Noble men and Gentlemen should be examples of godlynes and holynes to those that bee theyr inferiors for it is an olde prouerbe and verie true Quales Principes Nobiles Gubernatores tales populi subditi Such as the Prince Nobles and Gentlemen are such are commonly the people and subiects also It is also an excellent good worke in a Prince to see that euery one man woman and childe be Cathechised and taught the true Religion of God and to compell them to heare reade meditate conferre and talke of the same contrarie to that blasphemous opinion of the Papists who teach that the knowledge of the word of God amongst the Layty as they call them doth make them Heretiques But our Sauiour Christ teacheth vs another lesson Scrutamini Scripturas Search the Scriptures for in them yee hope to haue eternall life And in an other place agayne Search the scriptures for they are they which testifye of me Also in the Acts we reade that the Byrreans searched the Scriptures dayly to see whether those things preached by the Apostles were so or not and they are wonderfully commended therefore by the holy Ghost in the same place Agayne when the Pharises came to Christ tempting him concerning the faith of the resurrection he answered them yee erre not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God So that whereas the Papists contrary to all truth do hould that the knowledge of the scriptures is cause of heresy we finde heere by our Sauiours owne words that the ignorance of them is cause of all errors heresy and supersticion Dauid in his first Psalme verse 1.2 accoumpted hym blessed that was conuersant dayly in the word of God saying Blessed is the man that doth not walke in the councell of the wicked nor stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the seate of the scornefull but his delight is in the lawe of the Lord and in this lawe doth hee exercise himselfe day and night Agayne in the syxt of Deuteronomie wee are commaunded by expresse wordes that the word of God shall neuer goe out of our heartes that wee shall teache it to our children that wee shall talke of it when wee are in our houses when wee goe by the waye when wee