fauour to the accomplishment of all our desiers wherin our generall prayers and spirituall demeanors accompanied with charitie and correction of vices are of great power to apease the furious stormes of heauen restore to the earth the calme of gods auncient clemencie euen as we sée the roaring noyse of huge Cannons breake the cloudes and persing through tempests séeme to make cease their thuÌ„ders and clarifie and reduce the trobled ayer to his clearnes The Phisicions hauing in cure a diseased body obserue all the signes that best serue to disclose the nature and state of the disease they beholde the patient they consider the part that is grieued they enquire of the houre of his sicknes and doubting of surfet they examine what and when he hath eaten or dronken yea they wil be enformed of his kéepers what rest he taketh and how his fits do discontinue or encrease wherein as by those obseruations examinations they bolt out the true cause of the disease and from thence do drawe the remedie So albeit the patient complaine of his extreame passions and desire them to take him out of the pangs he endureth yet they will aunswere him that they must not begin that way but first curing the cause all his consequent grieues will cease euen so in a common calamitie as a generall plague afflicting a whole countrey it belongs to our Christian and spirituall dutie neuer to cease to search out the first cause till we haue found it and then to be more carefull to administer imediat remedy theÌ„ curious to heale the perticular passions of the present miserie For the cause whether it be simple double or in many sortes being remoued the sinne is also purged and the plague prepared to cease as we haue read and séene that afflictions which God hath sent vppon his people haue bene dissolued in one instant when they entred into the correction of their vices But such is the mischiefe of the present season that suffring the cause we seldome séeke further then to cure the present passion whereby our euils rise to continuance and most often to perpetuity For if we minister purgation we do it not in fulnes whereby of the dregges remayning we fall eftsones into disease and tary not long without eyther warres plagues or generall dearth yea sometimes we sée raised from the earth and from the sea fo many vapours exhalations of our vncleane pleasuees heats of lust that they gather and congeale into a terrible storme breake downe our houses roote vp our trées blast our corne and bring vppon vs so many other calamities that a whole couÌ„trey as a sick body becomes by them so shaken weakoned and made miserable that there is no expectatioÌ„ but to sée and suffer vniuersall ruine For according eftsones to the resemblance of the dregges remayning whereby wée suffer relaps of sicknesse for waÌ„t of ful perfect purging we sée that after warres famine and then pestilence follow as in common societie which are not according to the argument of Philosophers to be attributed to the starres or by good Christians can not with out apostacie of faith be referred to naturall reasons since in the scriptures wherein with the suretie of the only truth the infallible iudgement of God is declared to vs we are assured that the will of God was not to scourge vs with two nor with thrée rods and much lesse to strike vs with the staffe of his rigorous iustice but as a father sought to whip vs with one only rod to make vs acknowledge our faults and yet sent vs afore hand certaine signes fore warnings to inuite vs to demaund pardon and not to punish vs or at the most to giue vs but certaine light lashes with a small rod For which cause as we seldome finde that God hath thundred such afflictions but that he hath sent afore forewarnings So yet if he sawe the people would not correct their faultes and draw to amendement by the rod of warre he would pinch them with famine and if by that discipline he saw no reformation he trebled his rod by pestilence sending sometimes the one afore the other by coÌ„trary order But séeing into their obstinacy resolute inclination to sinne he leaueth them often times according to his threates in Ose abandoned not caring to forewarne theÌ„ by such disciplines but to dissolue and breake them altogetâ—er or which is most to be feared to deliuer them ouer to their fleshly delites and to become apostates of true religion But here we must not thinke that the people of God as they of Juda acknowledging their faultes by the scourge of warre were iouched with other persecution no we find not but in Samarya a countrey of Idolaters that eyther famine or pestilence haue folow warres bycause there was conuersion of the people only at the notable sacke and spoyle of Ierusalem and Judea both by the Assirians and the Romaines wee read that in the chastisement of those people GOD did not only vse his thrée common scourges but also he stroke with his rod of Iron to breake all adding captiuitie and banishment to those that remained of the first furie slaughter wherein such may be noted of extreame ignorance of God or apostatie of ChristiaÌ„ faith who qualefying the lamentable euents and calamities hapning in these dayes in Christendome whether by the Turks or Christian nations one against an other or whether in one kyngdome by reuoltes mutinies and Ciuill warres yea not thinking their wickednes such as they ought to be considered vppon being indeede the moste hard scourges of God and signes of his extreame fury say they are but common miseries of the world such as men ought not to bee amased withall for that they are ordinary and hapning yerely in diuerse countreys as in Spaine hath bene séene many popular mutinies in Germanie and in the climats of the Turkes and regioÌ„s of very neare neighborhead Such men do either not at all or els very coldly affirme that those miseries are sent for the scourge of our sinnes no they call them rather with contradiction repugnance fatal as destinies ineuitable that the world must passe so as the skie tourneth the elements moue alter Oh barbarous opinions language of infidels wherein what other thing do they then applawde the vices of men support wicked warres helping to excuse such as raise factioÌ„s monopolies rebellions giue countenaÌ„ce to sedicious subiects against their naturall Prince fauouring and approuing thefts sacrileges murders and spoyles of good men and all vnder cooler of certaine destinies and deuine ordinances which cannot be resisted ascribing impunitie to such as do the wrong and will not holde them worthy to be corrected Confutation of humaine Philosophie touching the affaires of faith wherein and in things serious men ought not to decide but according to the Scripture Chapter ix TOuching humane Philosophiers it is written the as the wisedom of the world
all Create others Centeniers to rule ouer an hundred Cinquanteniers to beare aucthoritye ouer Fiftye and Disiniers to commaunde ouer ten Let these Iudge the people in all seasons according to their order and charge and bringing to thée the causes of greatest importance specially suche as concerne God let them iudge the rest So shalt thou bee discharged of that great burden of labour where in vaine thou dyddest consume thy selfe before In this aduise of God to Moyses we sée is expressed what ought to bée the office nature and state of suche as are chosen to leade and iudge others according to God and that not onely in highe and stately Courtes but in places of right meane sorte who notwithstanding as in degrées so also in knowledge and vertue ought to aspire to excellencie Suche then bée wise men who with the sence of deuine and humaine learning bée principally instructed in the knowledge of God and vnderstand his will and iudgement with contemplacion of the causes effectes and nature of all thinges And being wise in this sorte as theyr exact knowledge will leade them to geue a perfect iudgement of al thinges so being ignoraunt in the least much lesse that they can iudge in integretye séeing they can not merite the name of wyse men But because according to Sainct Paul men maye haue knowledge and yet in theyr doinges bée voyde of integritye Iethro addeth the feare of God that is that knowing God they doe also feare and serue him For suche men would not willingly feare God who knowe his iudgements to bée no lesse horrible to them that displease him then terrible to suche as execute false Iudgement whereby trueth is peruerted wrong pronounced to the multitude and their proper conscience defiled And therefore as hee woulde haue them to bée firme in simplicitye of worde Doctrine and iudgement without instabilytye in cases of trueth which by theyr wisedome they knowe to bée so agréeable to God as hée is called the selfe trueth so it is a breache of theyr duety if they bee subiect to the errour of mutacion They must also hate Couetousnes as in which is layde vp the roote of al euils A vyce of more damnable perril then all the rest and of a nature so wicked that it leades men to Idolatrye by preferring Golde and glorious drosse of the worlde afore the liuing God drawing from them in the ende all feare Religion Reuerence and knowledge of God translate their hearts to infidelitie both towards Heauen and earth Lyke as by lamentable experience wée sée that oftentimes the gréedines of a wretched present leades the couetous Iudge into such blinde and reprobate sence that to peruert Iustice hee stickes not to commit his soule to sale Louing rather the base Earth then the maiestie of heauen to handle Golde then behold the Sonne to bée ritche then honest and lastly seekes to laye vp his felicitie in his transitory presence of welth rather then to lift vp his minde to aspire to the life euerlasting So that in such as are chosen to the regiment of pollecie ought to bée no note of auarice and muche lesse any profe of corruption for doing any acte of iniustice seing that of all other there is this perill in that vice that being once made ritche by couetousnes there is no limit or measure of their extorcion euen as to a smal flame if you adde encrease of wod you rayse it easilie to a greater blase For by howe much more there is offer and meane of gaine euen by so much more doeth the raging zeale of auaâ—ice growe great yea euentâ—â— iâ— bée vnquencheable in the Ritche couetous man it takes continual increase not onely with the poyson of ritches but also with the yeres of their age where other vices carye this common property to diminishe with time the same being the cause why the Scripture saieth There is nothing more wicked then a couetous man for hée is not onely wicked to others by bringing pouertie vpon them in rauishing their goodes but also hee is the confounder of him selfe as touching his soule which hée bequeathes to the Deuil for nothing and oftentimes selleth it for a bare hope of a base profite executing the like iniurye vpon his bodye from the which hee oftentimes restraines natural and necessary nourishment becomes a nigarde to his health by sparing his purse makes his mind and body subiect to passions and perpetual labors shorteneth his temporal life and which worse is loseth euerlasting felicitye So that as Iesus Christ and after him Saint Paul not without cause do exhort in great affectioÌ„ to flée couetousnes as the nurse of infidelity the mother of perdition and lastly the infectious roote of al euils to such as folow it so if this vyce bring such damnable miseries to all mankinde as in respect of his continual wretchednes it ought chiefly to bee auoyded of the Iudge in whome ought not to appeare so much as a suspicion of such euil insomuch that besides the extreme peril of his Soule infinite are the temporal iniquityes which flow from a couetous Iudge in whom for gaine-sake is seldome found any difficultie to offer to hassard the goodes honour and life of many persons the same being the cause why the Sonnes of Samuel were deposed from their iudgement seate and why Cambises caused one of his Iudges to be slaine quick and with his skin couered his chaire the better to aduertise the sonne and successors of the sayd Iudge that they were subiect to the same iustice if for gaine they pronounced corrupt iudgement ¶ What gouernors God hath chosen and howe he hath declared them by myracles they ought all to be instructed at the entree of the Tabernacle and why the great benefite which commeth of good Iudges and why God doth ordaine some wicked ⧠The .2 Chapter TO resort eftsones to the matter of election of gouernours to common weales who are Iudges by theyr institution with the counsell of Iethro wée will ioyne the example of God when hée elected rulers ouer his people as Moyses for the most perfect and Iosua and for his Tabernacle Aaron and Phineus and then examine what commaundemente God gaue to Moyses for the calling of seuenty Elders or Senators whome hée ordayned as soueraygne Iudges and gouernours ouer the Townes of Israel Moyses in his complaint to be insufficient to susteine so great a charge and burden of affaires was hearde of God by him coÌ„manded to assemble at the Gate of the Tabernacle Seuenty of the most Auncient of Israel suche as were most wise best experienced amongst the people causing them to assist and stay with him to impart with them graces requisit to the estate office of good gouernors which graces hée calleth part communion of the spirite of Moyses whose perfect knowledge of thinges exact iudgement Holye zeale and integritye of Fayth Doctrine and lyfe such as were in him so they are al
corporall death is decréed in the Lawe of nature and other seuere iudgement of God inferred to the wicked as to Cayn for kyllyng his brother by the tremblyng of his bodye to the murtherers by the sworde to the worlde for his delightes glorie and whordome by the flood to them of Sodome and Gomorrhe for sinnes against nature by the fire of heauen to the adulterers and rauishers of women by terrible vengeaunce and to the chidren of Iudas who had done abhominable actes by paynes of suddaine deathes which they sawe euen by a naturall iudgement pronounced or inflicted as to Thamar for committing whordome and to the Sichimites for the Rape of Dina the daughter of Iacob If gouernours punishe not suche faultes by like paynes at the least let them ordaine others either conformable or neare approching them alwayes considering that corporall paines in the lawe bée figures and foreshowes of the eternall death which sinne deserueth In like sort where they sée in the Lawe of Moises certaine sinnes to bée punished by the body let them iudge them right sore displeasing and hateful to God who loueth his creature so dearelye as hée hath geuen him his owne image and likenesse and for whome he hath made the inferiour heauens the earth and the Elements with all thinges conteyned in the same and for whose cause hée sent his proper sonne vpon the earth to suffer all miseries yea most cruel and sclaunderous death And therfore being thus instructed bothe by the lawe whiche punisheth certaine sinnes with death specially suche as bée against the ten coÌ„maundements of the Moral Lawe or directly against Gods honour our neighbour or a wholâ— common weale and also by the Gospell to whom certeine sinnes are so abhominable as it condemnes them to eternall death and perpetual tormentes where is gnashing of téeth and lamentable sighinges they maye conclude suche offences to bée worthy of death specially where a whole common weale is iniured or offended For touching secréete sinnes wherein is no meane of proofe let them refer them to the iudgement of God and to the repentaunt Men sayeth the Scripture haue no power nor facultie to iudge but in matters apparant to the eye God séeing into the heart discernes the secréet things wherof hée defendes the iudgement to al others But where God is offended the coÌ„mon weaâ—e iniured there let theÌ„ follow the iudgement of god which we know to be thundred vpon sinners committing such faultes Therefore let Iudges bee well aduised and geue no libertye of life to suche whom God hath already condemned in heauen both to corporal and eternall death Let them acknowledge that they are here erected as imitatours executours of his iudgement Let them remember Saul who pardoned Agag whom God had condemned to death and Saul for his indulgencye was reproued depriued of his kingdom Let them not also forget the grace which Helias shewed to his dissolute children who for that they were abhorred of god were the cause of his death I meddle not with the reproches which God gaue to the gouernours of Israell because they suffered sinne with impunitye suffering suche to liue who had defiled the earth with theyr wickednes people abhominable to God and worthy so many deathes as they had committed horrible vices And therefore hee condemneth those Iudges euen so often to eternal death as they gaue sufferaunce to others to commit suche faultes without inflicting vpon them corporall death To this let them adioyne this aduertisement that as one member corruptes the rest so the rotten part disposing continuall infection into the rest of the body deserues to bée cut of euen as the good Surgeon not suffering a Canker to encrease cuttes it of so soone as it beginnes to appeare Let them not doubt but that according to the Gospel al euil wicked men which the Law of nature and Moises condemne yea the humane lawe also according to reason do adiudge to death ought to die For as the Gospel so aloweth al those lawes as is before prooued S. Paul aduiseth the Corinthians by them all others to take awaye the wicked man who being corrupt in maners corruptes others for which cause he compares them to the leuine aduising notwithstanding that the punishmeÌ„t come from the magistrate who hauing the sworde is a iust terror to the offeÌ„dor for that he carieth it not in vain being the minister of god executour of his law which euen in the gospel condemneth the man that hath done euil Wherefore al men disposed into the action of wickednes must be punished by the magistrate otherwaies he should bring abuse to his estate Is it not the magistrate by whom S. Paul willeth that all such in a coÌ„mon weale should be cut of by death which vexe the church and are mutinus sedicious iniurious false prophetes wherin because it may be douted to what vices the scripture appointeth punishment specially by death I meane to declare by order the paines of such as the law coÌ„demneth to the ende the magistrate leaue theÌ„ not vnpunished in his coÌ„mon weale nor iustifie such by which he should draw malediction as god hath already condemned by the scripture Heare we must not winke at an error of our time receiued almost thorow al christeÌ„dom which is that we obserue no better the imitacion so often recoÌ„mended to vs of the iudgements of God to leade vs being also commaunded in the scripture according to the same in the punishment of sinnes which is a kinde of infidelitye and ignorance of God or presumptuous boldnes or at least an inseÌ„sible dulnes This error deriueth partly from the humane lawes made by the Pagans whose gouernment being led for the most part by fleshly reason suffred impunity for many sinnes which God by his law condemneth to death as diuinations sorceries diuers sorts of magike with whoredomes sauing women whoremongers for men that made the lawes were exempted the virgins vestal or incestuous women with their adulterors condemning no more coÌ„mon vseries excessiue interestes with like sinnes which God abhorreth Gouernors of common weales ought in no wise to hold conformety with these Pagan iudgemeÌ„ts But reforme them making felt the grauitye of such sinnes by the rigour of worthy punishmeÌ„t Men were wont to haue regard only to punishe such sinnes as séemed to beare preiudice to a coÌ„mon weale and therfore sinnes common against god or which of their owne nature be common or Publike wherin the world delights without contradiction are left vnpunished the same being an occasion to prouoke the wrath of God vpon a whole nation destroye whole kingdomes If the auncient canons of the Church bée wel searched it wil be found that al such offences are punished by long straite penance as are also al othes yea the most execrable that men tooke in vaine of god or of the gods diuers opinions of religion although they were absurde wicked and lastly inuocation to the
sayeth that who feareth the Birdes obserueth the windes in doubt of stormes let him neuer cast séede into the earth nor make his haruest euen so let not man thinke that by his prouidence the Citie is kept from the euils which hée feareth to happen by meane of the poore as from great famine dangerous sicknesses who sendes the misery and who preserueth the Citie frō it is it not God whose grace if wée haue shal we not be assured with Dauid that malice can not hurt vs enemies can not anoye vs nor plague no nor death it selfe haue power ouer vs By what meanes can wée better obtaine the graces of God or if he bée angry what easter way haue wée to reconcile him thē by almes hospitality if wée lodge the sonne of God in our house and entreate him with franke will in zelous charitye which wée doo in harboring his poore creatures in his name Let vs thinke that we stand in such estate of grace both with the Father the Sonne as our requests are alwayes acceptable with them Shal we haue feare of euil wée that receyue him that preserueth and deliuereth vs from it hée that hath power to ceasse the rage of Tempests stormes restoreth life to the dead euen so of the contrary if wee reiect him and threaten him to auoide from our gates what wretchednes do wee worke to our selues euen no lesse then damnation If Iesus Christ assure vs that making the poore our frindes by the plenty of our wicked richesse we shal haue them as aduocates to receiue vs into their eternall tabernacles let vs not doubt but as they liue exercised in prayer for vs so they are heard in their requestes their deuotion acceptable with God If then by the meane of the poore that pray for vs we haue the redier place with who hath them his enimies can haue no accesse to heauen then where is our refuge séeing they are only the heyres of the kingdome of god In making them our enimies wée prouoke God grieuouslye against vs to chase them out of our townes or threaten them if they approche néere our gates is to bring vs and our Citty in perill of his iustice who is their soueraigne father and protector There can not be a more iust cause to bring in the plagues miseries that we feare then to deale straightly with the poore passengers straungers here I allow not that without discresion there be suffraunce of frée entry to whome that will but at the least let suche be sustayned whose necessitie most requires it giuing consolation to their pouerty and not cause of further gréefe in their present sorrowe which of it selfe is intollerable ynough It is written that we are bound to compassion ouer she distresse of an other and not to defrawde the poore of his almes And if no man be defrauded but when that is taken from him which appertayneth to hym then to giue him that is his owne is but common iustice and christian piety Strayne not thine eyes ouer the poore in his pouerty and delay not that which thou wilt giue him to encrease his perplexity if he curse thée that is if he complayne iustly of thée he shall be hearde of God who turneth directly to thy destruction Let vs be therefore affable and mylde to the assembly of the poore for these speaches of the wise man are ministred for our instruction Still touching the recōmendation of hospitalitie and almes BVt the better to prouide for all sortes of poore it were good to follow the order of the Apostls who elected deacons such as among the people by common iudgement had the estimation of honest men and fearing god and they to distribute according to the perticuler necessity of euery poore of the churche to which office were called oftentimes the most honorable and vertuous dames choosing also inhabitantes of the towne of sounde conscience and feruent followers of charitye to administer the almes by faythfull seruauntes This Apostolik custome appéereth euen at this day in many sortes agréeing with that antiquity in certaine auncient townes where be many hospitals called commaunderyes as hauing in euery one of them a Deacon commaunding as a speciall gouernour vnder the Bishop or Chapter to whom he was to make account at certaine times of the receypt distribution to the profite of the poore For to al those houses belonged great reuenues because the churchmen liberally contributing departed the reuenues with the Bishop and the thirde part or according to the counsell of Rome in Siluesters time the fourth part at the least was employed that waye the Byshop tooke the first the Canons the second the third was giuen to the reperation of Churches the fourth as is sayde was the share of the poore There were besides these many generall collections many perticuler almes in large charity many legasies by the testamentes of richmen were transferred thyther and after the churches were riche all fines and common confiscations were applied therevnto by which meanes hospitals became the richest houses of a country But such wretchednesse is happened with the corruption of time that those Deacons or substitutes which we sayde are called at this day commaunders and the syndicks haue folowed the declination of the time conuerted to them selues what they thought good not bearyng care to their estate and office wherevpon is happened a generall discontinuaunce of Almes geuing yea Bishops and Churchmen also haue either resumed or at least restrayned their fourth part and the reuenues and benefites growing by Legacies of good men are lost for want of lyuing For those commaunders durst not draw them into question either fearing to be reproched for their owne dissolucions or glad to vse scilence and liue in peace with their vsurped share of the liuing of the poore And so they haue suffered all to be lost which was proper to the poore both what was in certayne reuenue and what might haue growen to their reléefe by casuall devocion reteyning to them selues what they list attribute to the merite of their paynes which besides their trauayle to collect shoulde haue stretched to visite comfort and care for the poore If they had with halfe of that they tooke but preserued the houses which now are fallen to ruine they had yet perfourmed a great parte of their duetye for these latter times For touching the first seasons as there hath béen allowed no excuse so in these latter dayes shall none be admitted if they do not commit their charges into the handes of such as haue power to reduce them to order which are gouernors of the pollecy who according to God and the zeale to their country are to take hart enforce restitution of that that hath béene taken away deuided into cantels whereby the poore house of God is robbed by sacriledge procuring also restoration of the first collections and almes for the continuance of a thing so pittifull
any feason reserue of the hollydays from their spirituall duties let it be performed in some playes or exercise of paine and trauell by the which both the mind shall be discontinued from idle thoughtes and the bodye taken out of the care of beastly desiers But seing the intent of mariage is the hope of procreation such as ar colde of nature defectiue and impotent ought not to marrie yea if they be married by faulse perswasion the mariage may be dissolued Such also as be vnclean and diseased ought not to entermedle mariage as well for the respect of their comon weale to the which their children should not only be vnprofitable hurtfull and burdenous but also in consideration of them selues but more for their issue whom they know are by their occasiones to remaine always misserable for they are not ignorant that such as them selues are such shal be the effect of their seede and generation So that what other thing can it be to them but a perpetuall infelicitie to sée their stock and children languish in wretchidnes afore their eyes Yea their whole howse borne to this misserie not to on suffered good day in all their life with out sorowe and sighing and bear as it weare a death vppon their backes euen from their first birth In this the woman disposed to marie ought as well as the man not to make fielthy luste the principall end of hir marriage for that were to enter wedding with infidells and an intention reproued in the scriptures as in Tobyas it is sayd that a deuill caulled Asmodeas killed seuen husbandes of Sara the first night of their marriges who for the only lust of the fleash and desier of hir beautie had maried her one after another So did the children of god marie afore the floud I mean the sonnes of Seth which had learned to serue God who seing the daughters of men that is descended of the race of Cain worldly faier and brauely attired maried with them For which carnall affection for they torned afterwardes from the feare of God the Lord roase in to such ire togteher also for other vices of that world that he sent a generall slud And Iesus Christ giues to vnderstand that that lust disordred pleasure are the causes that maried folkes called to the spirituall banquet of God make no rekconing of of it excusing themselues by the hinderance their mariadges which ought rather to bee aydes and common meanes for the man and woman to animat one an other to search God in whose name they are assembled to pray to prosper them in their mariadge giue them children whom they may instruct in his law acknowledging that they are mortall and if they offend God and liue not in him he can and will punnish them with some miserie I say not but beautie is requisite in mariage as wee read Jacob was more desirous to haue Rachell to wife because she was fairer then Lia And albeit in many places wiues are praysed in the Scripture for their beautie which is a gift of God in nature yet it is with this lesson that men take héede that it be not the only cause associated with lust to entise the minde to mariage For such societies of wedlocke as they are not of the Israelites and Christians who haue commaundements to renounce the affections and lustes and to put on a new man So they can not but stand in daunger to be prophaned by such affection as not diffring much from those fleshly mariages for that which partly the generall flood was sent to drown the creatures of the earth Touching wealth or riches for the which many do marry and in that onely consideration not marying wiues but their wealth many enter wedlocke with their Mistresses and chuse sometimes wiues whom they know to be barreine old and counterfet In whom hauing no hope of procreation what other thing doo such husbands but abuse mariage through couetousnes prophane it no lesse then others by vnbrideled and whorish lustes The poore ought to be maried with the riche according to the custome of the Lacedemonians And in the Scripture we find that men bought their wiues as Jacob redéemed his wherein as it is a great reproch to a man to take charge of a wife if he haue not abilitie and meane to mayntaine hir So in such societies I meane by vnlawful means in persons vnlike in qualitie and contrary in manners and nature it happneth that seldome is found true friendship betwene man and wife but dissembled loue perpetual dissention ielosies and dissolute whoredoms and in the end desperate diuorce But touching the man meaning to marrie séeing he ought to vnderstand that the good wife as Salomon sayth is giuen of God as inheritances are naturally left of parents to their children and according to the text of Iesus Christ God is hee that from heauen conioynes mariages inseperable Let him I say recommend himselfe altogether to God with peticion to bestow vpon him such one for his wife whom he séeth fit to assemble with him in mutuall amitie and to liue happely according to his holy will in raising children and them to teach in his feare in sort that afterwardes they may become instruments to his seruice and honour Wherein it is not to be doubted seing it is aduouched by many textes that importunitie of praier preuailes with God but his demaund shall find grace by this we read the Patriarkes Jsaac and Iacob were happy in their mariadges In this request and peticion to God the woman hath no lesse interest then the man for the obtayning of a good faithfull husband And so let there be no mariadge but in the Lord that is with yokefellowes of one faith and religion obseruing in their choise his inspiration and will and not induced by dishonest affectiōs couetousnes or pleasures which things much lesse that they are of God séeing of the cōtrary where any of them remaine he is not present at the coniunction of persons onely there his presence assisteth where is true amitie in conformetie of will manners and honestie in his feare and holy affectiōs In this sort the tiche shall chuse the poore assone as the wealthy to whom for charitie he ought to do as Booz taking to wife poore Ruth and the straunger as his neighbour so that he know hir for seldome we loue hartely that we know not well and lastly the Orphane before a mayde endowed yea and that rather for the honour of God For so shall they loue vertue better then beautie and the humilitie of the poore handmayd better thē the proud and fierce stomacke of a riche Lady against such mariadges was Themistocles who held it better to marry his daughter to a man néeding money albeit poore in wealth yet ritch in industrie and meanes to wealth then to money hauing néede of a man to vse it meaning that a richman weak in the vse and disposing of his wealth becomes
follow All which hapneth by the default of the head in whom was vnderstanding both to kéepe him selfe and the body from euill and also to prouide remedy if it did happen euen so when there is either ill prouidence to preuent an euill or worse negligence to purge and cure it nor seeking out the cause till the effect be expressed it is then we see plagues famine with other rodds of God wherewith yet as he doth not scourge specially a countrey or common weale without great offence as one that will not strike with his staffe but where he finds obstinacie and resistance So let vs then do as children to their father whoÌ„ they haue offended for he strikes as a father and seeing him staÌ„d with rods in his hand ready to discipline fall vpon their knées at his feete and with teares demaund pardoÌ„ on whom in respect of their hartie submission as he is coÌ„tent to bestow but two or thrée little lashes presently cast the rods in the fier so also if their wéeping humilitie had appeared afore he tooke the rods in his haÌ„d they had not at all felt the smart euen so deales GOD with vs correcting vs with easie discipline as his children and if we crie him mercy there is nothing more familiar with him then forgiuenes yea he will burne his roddes and embrase our conuersion withall such is his goodnes towardes vs that afore he enter into correction be inuites vs to submit acknowledge to the end he be not constrayned being a iust iudge to lift vp his hand and make vs feele the rod conuert sayth he by his Prophets to me and I will be conuerted to you I will kéepe no remembrance of your faultes yea I will repent me that I went about to strike you it is grieuous to him to scourge his people and an act which becomes him not properly his nature is to do mercy for the which he is called mercifull long suffring patient and mercy it selfe he would not punish Dauid vppon his person notwithstanding he had deserued extreame Iustice but pardoned his sinnes when hee asked forgiuenes with great contrition griefe Touching the rods which he holdeth in his hand and strikes not but sheweth them as matters of feare to offenders we sée that Josophat being threatned with such roddes which were the Moabites Ammonites Sirians his enemies withdrew himself altogether to god published fastings through all the couÌ„trey of Juda asseÌ„bling all the people to pray to god in the teÌ„ple he in the middest of theÌ„ made this oration O Lord God which art the god of our fathers the god of heaueÌ„ and hast dominion ouer the kingdoms of all nations in thy hand is force and power there is none that can resist thée is it not thou O Lorde that hast killed all the inhabitants of this land being idolators and pagans before thy people of Jsraell We haue not force to resist so great a multitude and therfore not knowing what we should do there restes nothing to vs but to turne our eyes to thée O Lord as hoping in thée only for ayde and succours And as he continued thus in prayer wherin there was not so meane a woman and least childe which did not pray with him in the temple behold the prophet spake vnto him feare not this multitude it shall not be thy warre but the warre of God which hapned accordingly for all those armed enemies forsaking their purpose fell vpon the Jdumeans and after slaughtered one an other without any necessitie of him to go to the battell so happened it in the time of Ionas to the towne of Niniuie where the king vnderstanding the hand of God to be ready to destroy them with in xl dayes commaunded a general fast for thrée daies yea euen little children and beastes were restrained to abstinence and ioyning to this penance contrition and supplication for mercy it fell out that the Citie felt not the roddes of God otherwaies then in feare Touching the whippes wherewith hee scourgeth for not hauing thus preueÌ„ted and yet in correcting them selues and asking pardon he forgiueth them it is written of the Jsraelites that they cryed to God when they were in tribulacioÌ„ he deliuered them from their necessities which is amplie declared in their deliuerance from the captiuitie of Egypt wherein they felt sharppe and smartinge roddes yet crying mercy to God they were heard and deliuered Dauid seeing the furie of the plague vppon his people and lifting vp his eyes to heauen where hée saw an Aungell holding a sword ouer Jerusalem in signe of the punishement which hee made of the people by plague cryed with a lowd voyce O Lord God it is I that haue offended punish me afterwardes he offereth sacrifice to God and the death ceased Ezechias for particular example who féeling in his persone the discipline of God by a disease whereof he must dye after he had acknowledged him selfe and cryed to God for grace had answer to liue yet xv yere with the receipt of the remedie to heale his infirmitie And touching the publike affliction which he and his town of Ierusalem suffered by the Assirians that had besieged the town made breaches to enter the same night by great miracle the Aungell of God slew a hundreth foure score and sixe thousand of his enemies which brought such confusion and feare to their King Senacherib that he fled early in the next morning In these maibe noted as it were by the way that as it is said in the booke of Iudith accordinge to the promises which God made in his lawe when the people of Jsrael serued God well and obserued his law they were not vexed of straungers nor felt common miseries but such as offered to oppresse them were confounded as Pharao and his ofte in the chase of these people were swallowed in the red sea euen so when the Israelites fell froÌ„ this course and offended God he stirred by enemies on all sides of whom they were either ouercome slaughtered or at least by other hurtes felt and found the certein tokens of gods wrath whose effects thei proued w extréeme miserie if they did not repent many nations people were not reformed by preachings nor threats of gods iudgements but scorned the prophets that pronounced them calling them fooles mad men and sedicious and deliting in their owne scornes they saied let the day of God come we sâ—are it not for wée haue the temple Many trusted in Idolles and others hoped for succours of Kings to be strong against their enemies yea there were that persecuted the good Prophetes that foretold their calamities to come and the false Prophetes reassured them againe with promises of all good successe yea when famines diseases or other punishements hapned they laid the occasions to the good Prophetes and catholike people as some of them attributed their plagues to the starres which were the Chaldeis others