base and beggerly fellow euerie lewd and wanton mistres euerie prophane and rusfianly gētleman euerie swearing swash-buckler and many such as make shew of honesty and conscience of religion in their feasting in their gaming in their riding in their going yea in all their affaires they will be medling and sensuring of ministers Some will blame them because of their conuersation some will despise them because of their wiues some will slander thē because of their apparel some wil disdaine them because they be poore some will scorne them because they be ritch and some will condemne them because they be couetous some cannot like them because they preach often some will discōmend them because they preach seldome and some will not fauor them because they preach too plaine and easie and some will not loue them if they preach too prosound and deepe some will not loue them if they pray for Bishops some will not loue them if they pray not for Bishops some cannot away with Latine Greeke and Hebrue some cannot away without it and some can not away with neither Alas poore silly souls of all sortes the greatest some mislikes you scornes you disdains you hates you and condemnes you O how few are there that likes you and loues you But be of good cheere saith Christ I haue ouercommed the world Ioh. 15 20. The seruant is not greater than his master if they persecuted me they will also persecute you all these things will they doe vnto you for my names sake 1. Cor 15 14. to 21. Blessed are yee c. reioice and be glad for great is your reward in heauen If our reward were not with God then were we of all men most miserable Parishioner You are beholding to your selfe and the rest of your bretheren haue cause to praise you and to pray for you You haue condemned me as a man of no knowledge of no conscience and of no charitie and you haue made others my partners and assotiats that said nothing at all to you to iustifie your selfe and all sorts of ministers good and bad and yet neuerthelesse you assure your selues of Gods blessing in earth and of aeternall fauour in heauen Pastor Good Sir I haue said nothing of my selfe nor for my bretheren but that the Lord hath said and warranted out of his holy word He it is that condemnes all such as you are for medling with other mens matters 1. Thess 3.11 the holy Ghost councelleth you to be quiet to meddle with your owne businesse and to worke with your owne hands Vziah was strucken dead when he did but set his hand to stay the Lords Arke from falling 2. Sam. 6 6.7.8 and shal you remaine aliue yea and vnhurt that put your hands not to helpe but to hinder the Lords proceedings Mat. 18 1.2.3 Christ did promise a woe and a heauie iudgement against him that offendeth a little one in the church or in the society of the faithfull and shall you escape this woe and heauie iudgement that maliciously wilfully and tirannously doe intreat and handle such as are great such as are the ministers the disposers of Gods secreats and his heauenly Embassadours no no. I speake not in the commendation of any such as deserue condemnation much lesse did I warrant their iustification or blessing from the Lord. If their conuersation be euill and their doctrine good take the one leaue the other their doctrine doth belong vnto you their life conuersation to themselues You shall answer for their doctrine not for their doing The Scribes and Pharisies were counted hipocrites painted Sepulchers and deuourers Ma. 23 1.2 yet Christ willed the people to heare them so long as they sate in Moses chaire meaning so long as they preached truely and taught the lawe of Moses And I pray you is the gospell of Iesus Christ more defiled and of lesse force by the ill demeanors of the ministers than the law was through the vilenesse and abhominations of the Pharisies no no so great a maiestie and so great might the preaching of Gods word hath as it cannot be diminished by the vilenesse of the vilest nor augmēted by the vertue of the most holiest and therefore it is a question generally cōcluded That a vicious minister preaching the Gospell truely and continually doth more good and lesse harme in the church of God than an honest minister and good house-keeper that cannot or will not feed the soules of his people with the continuall preaching of the word As a seale of copper or of wood if it be well graued doth make as good an impression in wax as a seale of siluer or of gold so the holy word of God being well deuided and deliuered by an vngodly man doth make as good an impression in the souls of the saints as if it were deuided and deliuered by a most honest and an vpright man God forbid yea let it be farre from any man to thinke much lesse to teach that the vilenesse of the minister should derogate any working or withhold any force or effect from so great a maiestie as the word of Reconciliation for then Lord what good shall it doe all men are sinners we haue all sinned we haue done amisse and delt wickedly We can not exclude the ministers out of this number S. Paule speaking of the Sacrament of Christs death 1. Cor. 11 29. saith Whosoeuer eateth and drinketh thereof vnworthilie eateth and drinketh his owne damnation Is he accounted an vnworthie receiuer in respect of the minister or in respect of himselfe if it be in respect of the minister because he is vile c. then must you make God contrary to himselfe who saith Deut. 24 18. 2. King 14 6. 2. Chro. 2.25 4. The soule that sinneth shall die and shall nor beare the iniquitie of another and then you must also grant that faith in the receauer hath no effect which is contrarie to S. Paule 1. Cor. 13.5 who willeth all men to search and to proue themselues for the same thereby to make them worthie If the receiuer be counted vnworthie in respect of himselfe then it followeth that the receiuer either good or euill doth not helpe nor hurt in the administration of the sacrament As the vertue attractiue to draw iron is not in the iron but in the A damant euen so the vertue and power of saluation lieth not in the minister but in the power of the word wrought by the spirit As the raine and the snow commeth downe from heauen and returneth not thither againe but watereth the earth and makes it fruictfull euen so saith the Lord my word shall not returne vnto me void Esa 55.10.11 but it shall accomplish that which I will and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it Thus much briefly concerning the truth and dignitie of the word preached Wherein I haue said nothing to excuse much lesse to iustifie the vnlawfull and dissolute liues of some
As the morning and euening is a sit and a conuenient time for sutors to attend vpon great men and as the morning was a sit and a conuenient time to gather Manna x Gen. 28 18. euen so good sir the morning and euening is a sitte and a conuenient time for you and your houshold to become sutors vnto the great maiesty of God for the spirituall Manna the food of your soules As Moses was commanded to come vp to Sinai with the two tables of the law early in the morning euen so are we commanded to appeare before God in our chambers early in the morning before we goe abroad hauing the two Testaments of God in our hands learning how to honor his maiesty in the one and how to vse our bretheren charitably in the other both which are the two principall dueties of euerie christian As the learning must needs goe before the practising so the practising must needs follow after the learning Learne I beseech you therefore and teach your houshold the learning of the Lord morning and euening not in regard of him to whom all times are alike but in regard of your selues because in the morning euening is the fittest and most conuenient time by meditations and praiers to recommend your soules vnto his maiesty and to contemplate of heauenly things And thus hauing indeuored your ease and speedy profit in these my introductions by taking some thing away and by adding other more needfull with answers to three necessarie questions I take my leaue not forgetting my humble commendations to your selfe and to the good Christian Gentlewoman Ms. Barbara your wife desiring the maiesty of my aeternall God to finish your labors to the glorie of his name to the good of his saints and to the saluation of your and their soules From Leonard Shorditch the 18 of Octob. 1594. Yours because you be of Christ Edw Vaughan An admonition to Contemplation for the Reader and especially for my countriemen of Wales AS among all other ordinarie accidences that are incident to the prosperitie or aduersitie of mankinde there is nothing in earth that more fully proportioneth the ioys in heauen than Musicke and Mariage to heare the one we leaue our meat and drinke and to be ioyned in the other w leaue father and mother euen so among all ordinarie instructions incident to the earthly prosperity and aeternall felicitie of mankinde there is nothing that more fully proportioneth our condemnation to be iust than the law nor any thing that more fully proportioneth our saluation to be in Christ Iesus than the Gospell In the one we heare thūdring earthquakes lamentations mournings and woe in the other nothing else but sweet voices pleasaunt songs and instruments of musicke all proportioning and perpetually pointing our marriage with Christ Iesus in whom we are freed from the curse threats of the law all other inconueniences whatsoeuer who saith vnto vs as vnto his bride My Doue shew me thy selfe let me heare thy voice thy voice is sweet Cant. 2 14.4 1. to 8. and thy sight comly Behold thou art faire behold thou art faire thou art all faire my loue there is no spot within thee Now then good christian Reader tell me tell me I pray you tel me who wil not leaue marrying with a noble Lady in Israel or in England to be marryed with Christ Iesus in heuen who wil not leaue all the musicke all the pleasurs of this life to obtaine the companie of Angels the ioys of heauen and the presence of Iesus Christ himselfe The studie and the diligent apprehending of these exceeding great blessednesse doe consist in the apprehending of the true vse and intent of the law and the Gospell Cease not cease not O my good contriemen and friends whilst you liue cease not to celebrate the wonderfull wonders of Iehoua of Iehoua our aeternall God and sauior Iehoua O behold and contemplate who is so great a God as our God is not the God of Israel the God of England and is not the vniformitie of his truth among vs as it was among them who liued in tents and tabernacles O English Israel O people of England the high Sacrificer the perpetuall Aaron hath powred out vpon thee as out of a ful horn the dew of Hermon Psal 133.1.2 the ioy of the whole earth O my loue my spouse saith Christ thou wast in the rocks solitarie Cant. 2.14 like a Doue that had lost hir mate thou wast vpon the hils all brused and broken like a bird scarred from hir young ones Psal 11.1.2 and thou wast in the wildernesse all weake and blodie like a woman no rather deliuered of hir child forced to flee Reu. 12 1.2.3 for the safegard of hir owne life Arise now my loue my faire one and come away Cant. 2 11.12.13 for behold winter is past the rain is changed and gone away the flowers appeare in the earth the time of the singing of birds is come and the voice of the Turtle is heard in our land As though Christ had said True it is O my beloued bride my wife my dear one yee were persecuted too and fro yee were hid here and there yee were in places of small comfort as in a rocke yee were in places of scarsitie as in a hill or mountaine and yee were in danger of your liues as among wild beasts in the wildernesse but take a good heart feare not cast away euerie thing that presseth downe and the sinne that hangs on so fast betraying the succors which reason offreth Winter which is by relation The time of desolation is past Sūmer which signifieth Peace and Plentie is come all arguments in the earth and in the elements inforceth the proofe thereof for euerie thing in their order and kind doe bring forth a ioy innarrable by the production of frute Well then my good friends and countriemen remember your selues consider wel what you are where you liue and the time you liue in take time in time to repent vse the season obserue the opportunity in which you may bequeath and dedicate your selues to God Now is that acceptable time You haue had many ioyfull iubilees you haue now the presence of the Ark nay ye haue the presēce of Iesus Christ himselfe Moses rod hath eaten vp the rods of the Aegyptian forcerers Exod. 7.12 1. Sam. 5 4. the Lords Arke hath thrown downe the Philistins Dagon and the sound of Gods siluer Trumpets haue broken the neck of poperie for the voice of the Turtle is heard in our land The church the Sanctified Syon is this Turtle the preaching of the word is hir voice which we haue heard this six and thirty summers by the godly gouernment of a Turtle in the same nature and kinde who liues solely and solitarily not meet to be matched with any but with Iesus Christ himselfe The son of Sirach saith There be two manner of people that I abhorre and
the third are no people the first that sit vpon the mountains of Samaria the second the Philistins that dwell in Sichimis They that sit vpon the mountaines of Samatia repose themselues vpon the authoritie of Rome the Philistins represent the Turke Sarazens and other miscreants These are the sons of men said Dauid These are the generation of vipers said Iohn Baptist These are the children of darkenesse said S. Paule and these are they say all men that labor to ouer-run our countries to ouerthrow our churches to burne our houses to bereaue vs of our liues and to depriue vs of our queene and both hir and vs of the Gospell They conspire against God like Hipocrites against our quiet queen like traitors against our common weale like spoilers My good countriemen and kinsmen if you will adhibite any credite to my councell if you haue any comfort in the mercifulnesse of God and if you haue any bowels of Christian affection to your posteritie then now at the last get you Bibles leaue off your beads place learned preachers displace Ieroboams Priests walke in the light of the gospell extinguish the light of Tapers and Torches the one brings you the high way to heauen the other the ready way to hell As Ioab tooke hold on the horns of the Alter for the safegard of his life so now take you hold on Iesus Christ for the safegard of your liues All kind of creatures are in an vnitie praising God they call you to ioyne and to vnite your selues with vs in one religion Strange sights haue bin seen in the element and in the earth calling you to repentance fire hath come downe from heauen fishes haue throwne thēselues to land and beasts haue brought foorth vntimely monsters calling you to repentance the earth hath quaked vnder our feete and our houses haue shaken ouer our heads calling you to repentance O ioyne then with vs we wil now ioyne with you let vs goe togither into the house of God hād in hand heart in heart let vs sing one song as with one voice to the praise of our one only God Thus I haue boldly briefly admonished you in the Lord and that you may the better cōtemplate to your cōfort I haue here as you see comprised and composed my two former labors into one with some substraction and with some such addition as may best further you to the speech of his diuine maiesty in your owne person when occasion shal be offered for your selues for your houshold One quarter of a years pains as I haue pointed will bring you 40 years profit in earth and at the expiration thereof aeternall pleasure in heauen And when you haue obtained my promise I desire but your praiers and your meditations to God for me for the posteritie of the religious and magnanimious gentleman Sir William Herberd knight who for his owne part hath runne his race in the faith of Iesus Christ and finished his course according to conscience towards you as may appeare whose body is a sleepe in the Lord and whose soule is in ioy with Iesus Christ There are three sorts of professors that doe suffer great indignitie at the hands and from the hearts of many picke-thanke Parasites stily Sicophants too too hard yea heathenish or rather hellish censures are giuen in and granted out against them I know their obiections vpon long experience and I know that vpon small skill and little reading their turnesicke spirite of giddinesse may easily be quailed although through ignorance and wilfull stubbernnesse they will neuer be answered Good Christian countriemen and courteous Readers I am loath to offend you with tediousnesse about these matters hauing a great shew of indeuour and purpose to draw you to other matters of greater importance I haue therfore thought good and more conuenient to speake of them in the latter end of this booke The first doth partlie concerne this worshipfull gentleman to whom I write for protection The second doth concerne partly mine owne bodily health and the third doth concerne the earthly prosperity and the heauenly faelicity of all the elect and therefore I may not passe it neither may you in any case omit the learning of it that with him and me and with the rest of Gods inheritance you may be readie to defend it And thus for this time I humbly take my leaue and with such conueniencie as I may do now betake my selfe in the feare of God to the matter From Leonard Shordich and county of Middlesex nere London Yours if you be the Lords Edw Vaughan A briefe recitall of the generall heads or places of inuention contained in this booke 1 Away to know or to fetch readilie and roundly al the books in the booke of God either backward or forward in the old and new Testament 2 The Author the originall the occasion and the chiefe matter of euerie such booke 3 The books called Apocrypha how farre they are to be receiued and their imperfectiō when where and by whom found out among themselues 4 The principall stories chaining the whole scripture dispersed here and there in the old and new where euerie such storie doth begin and where it ends with a recitall of the principall matters therin 5 Sir William Herberts account vpon the tenth story of the age and time from the birth of Christ vnto the worlds end 6 Certaine principall obseruations or speciall matter to be marked for the reading and vnderstanding of all such books as are called Laegall 7 Certaine principall obseruations or speciall matter to be marked for the reading and vnderstanding of all such books as are called Sapientall 8 Certaine principall obseruations or speciall matter to be marked for the reading and vnderstanding of all such books as are called Propheticall 9 Other fourteene places and most direct rules how to read and vnderstand euery booke chapter and verse 10 Other foure and forty sure titles or matter supporting or agreeing with all the scriptures to be digested or framed into common places 11 The right vse of positiue Laws 12 The necessitie of Phisicke 13 The excellencie of the Ministerie 1 Introduction LEarne perfectly all the names of the Canonicall bookes as they are in order from Genesis to the Reuelation You must be able readily to render an account what booke is next before or next after any such booke taken in hand Then returne back and learne how many chapters is in euerie booke 2 Introduction NOw you must go ouer these books old and new by some proportion dayly either morning or euening after this maner wherein you shall see many profitable notes and especially the argument or summe of euerie booke it will pleasure you greatly by the report and iudgement of all antient authours The Argument of Genesis THis booke is called of the Hebrues Verescith that is to say Beginning Generation or Creation giuing vs to vnderstand that it containes the creation of all things Moses the son of Amram
the sting or the life of death the life of sinne is the law now take away the law take away sin take away sinne then death is dead death is gon and vtterly destroyed d Luke 7 and to conclude your husband sweete Lady is aliue he is not dead but liueth he was a knight on earth he is now a e Gal. 5 Re. 1 6. Cant. 5 1. king in heauen And since his chance was to make such an exchange good Madame be merrie though his companie was your comfort yet be not against his preferment and know this to be a common and a commendable saying Past cure past care Out of remedie out of remēbrance f 1. Sam. 12 20.21.22.23 Dauid whilst his sonne was aliue fasted and wept bitterly but when he was dead he was merrie and reioysed greatly As it is sure whilst your husband was aliue you did the one so now seing he is dead let it be surely seene for good example that you doe the other As Dauid said of his sonne I shall goe to him but he shall not come to me so say you good worshipfull Lady I shall goe to my husband my husband shal not returne to me Beare you the crosse valiantly which you haue taken vp zealously no manner of discōtentment is ioyous for the present time but grieuous neuerthelesse afterwards it bringeth quiet rest As fine Gold is wrought in flaming fire and white siluer in blacke pitch euen so glorie is to be gotten with the depth of danger and pleasure with the price of paine As the roots of a tree are bitter and the fruits sweete euen so of bitter annoy comes pleasant ioy and of an heauie sute happy successe That it may be a parcell of your ioy in heauē to see him which was your ioy in earth remēber the instruction he gaue you whilst he was liuing remēber the councell he gaue you whilst he was dying remember to keepe in practise seriously and sinceerely among your houshold the studie and the excercise of true religion according to the doctrine of Iesus Christ To whose holy tuition and mercifull prouidence I leaue your Ladiship with so many good desires for your godly deserts as miles hath seuered S. Iulian and S. Leonard Yours in the Lord Edw Vaughan Sir William Herberd knight his particulars vpon the tenth story to weet from the birth of Christ to the worlds end COnsider the times from the birth of Christ to the end of the world which by the doctrin of Elias amounteth to 2000 yeares the whole time may be deuided into seuen successiue ages according to the Seuen Churches Reuel 1 4. Seales 5 1. Trumpets 8 6. The two first are ascribed to the church of Ephesus and Smyrma which accomplished the first 300 yeares for it is manifest that the things spoken to those churches concerne the first 300 yeares after Christ that is to say The examination of false Apostles the hating of the Nicolaitans heresies the induring of the extreame malice of the Iews Reu. 2 10. and of the ten persecutions with patience and constancie is called the tribulation of ten daies The third deuision belongeth to the church of Pergamus to which as to each that follow we attribute 340 yeares which reacheth from the yeare of our Lord till the 640. That age is cōmended for constancie in the truth and because there were then some that doted vpon images and had ordained dedication to the Idols temple to the martyrs and vigils in their honour which was a spirituall fornication practised of the Nicolaitans this age was therefore thus reprooued I haue a few things to say to thee because thou hast maintained the doctrine of Balaam which taught Balac to put a stumbling blocke before the children of Israel and that they should eat things sacrificed to Idols and to commit fornication Reu. 2 14. The fourth deuision or age is appropriated to the church of Thiatira extending from the yeare 640 to the yeare 980. The church in this age is commended for hir great deuotion but because it permitted the church of Rome to vsurpe authoritie and to be another Iesabel in Samaria drawing people to Idolatrie it is therefore reproued the plagues that God would bring vpon the church of Rome are declared and the children of the true church exhorted to continue in the antient faith which they haue already receiued The fift deuision or age is the church of Sardic which beginneth at the yere 980 continued till the yeare 1332. In this age the spirit of Iesabel was growne so strong and hir Achab so wicked that the visible church bare onely the name of a church the doctrine generally corrupted and things reduced touching the publicke worshipping of the Almightie vnto that miserable estare that they resembled the raigne of Achab and Iesabel wherein Elias had so greatly complained yet God had then his secreat elect expressed in these wordes I know thy workes and where thou dwellest Reu. 2 13. euen where Sathans throne is thou keepest my name and hast not denied the faith The sixt deuision appertaineth to the church of Philodelphia which containes the times that we liue and all the yeares from 1320 till the yeare of our Lord 1660. In this age of the church the truth of the doctrine is replenished and the truth of the Gospell florished notwithstanding all indeuours against it the faithfull are endued with spirituall strength thus I haue set before thee an open doore and no man can shut it for thou hast a little strength and hast kept my works Reu. 3 8. and hast not denied my name The seuenth deuision or age is attributed to the yeare 2000 this age forgetting the mercie of God wil proue to be carelesse of heauenly things being neither hote nor cold Therefore God will loath and abhorre this age manifest in these wordes I know thy workes and tribulation and pouertie but thou art ritch and I know the blasphemie of those which say they are Iews and are not Reu. 2.8.9 but are the synagogue of Sathan Besides these mysteries of the seuen churches let vs receiue farther instruction in the opening of the seuen seales concerning those things from the birth of our sauiour vnto the end of the world THe first seale being opened is discouered the preaching of the Gospell and the victories of Christ in subduing multitudes to his truth I beheld and loe there was a while horse and he that sate on him had a bow and a crowne was giuen vnto him Reu. 6 1.2 and he went out conquering that he might ouercome Hereof speakes that princely prophet Dauid Psal 45. Good lucke haue thou with thine honour ride on because of the word of truth of meekenesse and righteousnesse thine arrowes are verie sharpe and the people shal be subdued vnto thee euen in the middest among the kings enemies thy seal O God endureth for euer the scepter of thy kingdome is a right scepter 1.
yeare 1323. The next verse hath relation to the beginning of the times of the church of Philodelphia when as the truth began to be taught blessed is he that waiteth and commeth to 1335 dayes That extreame pollution of the spirituall temple was such as it hath an alogie with the vtter destruction of the temple at Ierusalem by Vaspatian and Titus It was prefigured in the yeare and halfe and odde daies of Antiochus horrible tiranny in Ierusalem from the fourth yeare and some moneths more of his raigne whereas he caused the law of Moses to be abolished the sacrifices to cease the temple to be defiled the abhominable idol of Iupiter Olimpius to be worshipped for the space of 1290 daies till the eight yeare that Iudas Machabeus clensed the temple and decked it with crownes and shields of Gold a figure of Christ Iesus The time of extreame darkenesse and tyranny of Antechrist by Achab and Iesabell had Elias been of this age he would haue so cried out as he did then but God would haue answered I haue a few names in Sardie that haue not defiled their garments The seale opened openeth vnto vs that in this age the soules of the Martirs crieth for vengance at the hands of God who lost their liues for the truths sake and for that they would not embrace falshood But it was told them that they should rest till the number of their bretheren were fulfilled who should also be slaine by Antechrist This trumpet telleth vs He had gotten the key of the bottomelesse pit and opened the gulfe of hell and hence produced an innumerable companie of Locusts that is to say of friers monkes and such like the smoke of whose errors darkened the bright sunne of the Gospell and the aire of mens minds but these haue not power ouer Gods elect The sixt trumpet comprehendeth the times of the church of Philodelphia and the opening of the sixt seale Reu. 9 8. in these the gospell is preached the Babylonians fallen the synagogue of sathan shal be subdued the elect of God are sealed Antechrist with his kings confederates shal be astonished At the iudgement of God they shall crie Mountaines fall vpon vs. This trumpet sheweth that not onely the spirituall temple shall be re-edified by the true Zorobabel Iesus Christ and the gospel preached generally but also many particulars touching the same which to auoid tediousnesse I must leaue The seuenth trumpet is agreeable to the euent of the church of Laodicia Reu. 5 ◠whom the Lord as soone as he tasteth will spew out of his mouth It hath resemblance to the opening of the seuenth seale which doth intimate vnto vs the euerlasting sabaoth and rest for a mightie angell lifted vp his hand to heauen and sware by him that liueth for euermore which created all things that Time should be no more but in the daies of the voice of the seuenth angell when he shall begin to blow the trūpet And there were great voices in heauen saying The kingdome of this world are our Lords and his Christ and he shall raigne for euer Then the 24 elders which sate before God fell vpon their faces and worshipped God saying We giue thee thanks O Lord God almightie c. The fift Introduction YOu shall doe well to obserue this order and thereby you may be able to vnfold hard and intricate places and to expound all such parts or parcell of the scripture as doe come in question doubtfully The fiue books of Moses and the foure Euangelists doe comprehend generally and most principally the rules of iustice discerning betwixt good and euill which was in the beginning grafted in the soules of our first parents and afterwards in writing that we might the better know our creator and our selues with threats restraining vs from euill and with promises persuading vs to vertue which bookes in my method were called Laegall The twelue next books that are in the old and the acts in the new doth comprehend all those things that were either famously done or famously spoken in good or euil called historical For the reading and speedy vnderstanding thereof you must learne by heart these three particulars Principall 1 Times 2 Places 3 Persons If Time Whether Past Present To come If place Whether For warre For religion For worldly affaires If persons VVhether Politicke Religious Publique Priuate The sixt Jntroduction THese books following next in order to weet Iob Psal Pro. Ecclesiastes Cant. 14 Epistles of S. Paule and seuen other being catholicall Epistles doe comprehend the wisdome of God for the instruction of euerie member of Christ particularly as occasion by time and place is offred They are called Sapientall which are thus to be vnderstood 1 Consider the chapter or verses going before or following after any such matter taken in hand you shall finde that it helpeth much 2 By some quotation opposite in the margent 3 By some notes after this sort marked as a starre * at the beginning of some verses and sometimes at the end the one expounds the other if you compare them 4 By these notes ¶ shewing the end of one matter and the beginning of an other 5 These notes ‖ at the end in the middle or in the beginning pointeth you to the margent for some short definition of wordes desscription of places or aetymologie of names 6 To what Parable miracle or historie that doe pertaine which you haue in hand 7 The time whether houres daies weekes moneths or yeares night or day sunday or holyday Confer it with the like els where by marking what was done 8 If there be any thing spoken of God the creator as of his head his arme his hand or any part of his body c. By the head you must vnderstand his principallitie or gouernment by the arme his strength by the hand his giuing and helping and so throughout the rest of his members named in scripture The like is to be considered of all other creatures bearing life which are vsed in scriptures for the better explaining of hard places You are verie carefullie to consider the nature and propertie of euerie such thing and then make your comparison by a spirituall application 9 If there be a speech of the quantitie length breadth height depth c. or of the qualitie as hard soft bitter sweet gentle currish 10 If there be any thing spoken in one place that is not to be leueld and made plaine in another then take it not literally you must seeke for some other sence 11 If it be spoken by similitude phrase comparison figure parable c. then goe no further the interpretation thereof is easie marking well their manners properties and kinde 12 If there bemention made of these numbers 3 4 6 7 10 12 the matter adioyning will shew you whether it be good or euill then compare euerie such mumber with the like If there be any thing of faith of religion of life and conuersation then compare it with the
their wealth to suppresse the truth and by long delaies so to impouerish their aduersary as they should neuer be able to bring the cause to hearing haue in the bitternesse of their heart and in the heat of their furie vttered these words I will not leaue him worth a great I will make him daunce the beggers galliard before I haue done with him with such other cruell and vnchristian speeches And these and such like minded men for the better effecting of this their wicked intention labor and endeuour to seeke vnto themselues such lawyers as will sit their humors wherevpon if God for the hardening of their hearts doe send them vnto to such a one then they haue their desire if otherwise they light vpon such a lawyer that will not fauour nor further that their extreame bitternesse and cruelty then they themselues partly by wrong informations giuen to their lawyer and partly by other subtill and secret practises find out the means to delay lengthen their suits and to hold detaine and keepe both themselues and their aduersaries in long and tedious actions to the poore mens great decay and impouerishment if not to their vtter vndoing By means whereof the law is euill spoken of and the lawyers are slaundered whereas indeed the law it selfe is good and holy and may be well vsed and so is by a great many of the professours thereof and when it is otherwise administred the fault is not in the law but in the practisers thereof that are defectiue either in learning or conscience but most commonly in the clients themselues Parishioner As you thought me to speake ill of Lawyers vpon spleene onely by reason of some grieuance receiued by or from some of them so I thinke that you speake well of Lawyers by reason of some fauour or good done vnto you by some Lawyer as partly it appears by the dedication of your booke There were many better men and greater in account more likely to gratifie you than a Lawyer Pastor Esa 15 20.21 As he that iustifieth the wicked is subiect to woe so he that condemneth the godly is subiect to woe as it is a sinne to arrogate for him that deserueth ill so it is a sinne to derogate from him that deserueth well you can not denie but all that I haue said concerning the law and the professours generally is true And whereas you seeme to charge me with some benefit past which makes me partiall I confesse that euen he was the pleader and that by his learning and paines yea without fee he deliuered me from a greedy Informer who through his subtiltie and my simplicitie had condemned me in a hundred marks more than I was worth to which worshipful Lawyer I dedicate this my labour thinking it a sufficient gratification in that it pleaseth him to patronize the same and me also who as a poore Doue among Kites Crowes am throwne into the world into many dangers and hard aduentures whose loue and faithfull friendship towards me I assure my selfe is sealed and deliuered whose readinesse likewise to helpe all such as are helplesse if it be desired and whose vprightnesse in his profession towards all hath many yeares appeared And shall I suffer this man to be obscure no no I will not no he is not no if I you and 1000 more with vs both tooke in hand to dimme that he hath done the saincts in earth would praise him and the angels in heauen would pray for him that God might regard and reward him Carpturum alios immaculatum esse oportet Parishioner For my question I rest satisfied Now therefore I pray you what is your opinion and iudgement of Phisitions they robbe men of their liuings and spoile men of their liues vnder the pretence of doing good they heale few and kil many Pastor PHisicke is a preseruer of health Hipocrates De arte and the repulser of sicknesses Phisicke is a putting too and a taking from that is to say It doth adde encrease strengthen and augment good blood where it is decaied by age by imperfection of nature by surfait or by any other means howsoeuer and it doth take away cut off kill destroy purge or by some such way it doth discharge the body of that which is ouer aboue nature as of chollor rheume corrupt blood impostumes c. The body of man is subiect to infinite diseases and therefore through the corruption therof it is likened by the holy Ghost Esa 6 4. to a filthie clout or the cloath of a menstruous woman Exo 9.9.17 2. King 1 2. 2. Cron. 11 14. It is subiect to the leprosie to the pluresie to the dropsie to the frensie to the palsie to the botch to the canker and to other infinit diseases which will soone infect ouerrunne and destroy the body if it be not aided maintained supported and defended by Phisicke whence our sauiour Christ said The whole haue no need of the Phisition as well to confound the opinion of those that trusted in their owne righteousnes as also to shew that it was a matter necessarie requisite Mat. 9 22. that he which was sicke should seeke to the Phisition Answerable to this Eccle. 38 1. c. Iesus the grandfather and Iesus the nephew gaue in commaundement highly to esteeme and reuerently to account of the Phisition with this great word Honor which indeed is a word of great dignitie and commonly yeelded to Lords of nobilitie Honor saith he the Phisition with that honor which is due vnto him which is as much to say He deserueth to be honored it doth pertaine vnto him it is his right and his duetie to be had in aestimation and to be reuerenced not because it doth any way good vnto him not that he hath any vse of thy honour reuerence or seruice but in respect of thy owne necessitie for thine owne need thou shalt haue continuall occasion to vse him Honor therefore the Phisition because of necessitie And for another reason he is to be honored because the Lord hath created him the Lord hath ordained and constituted him forthy sake and for thy good as thou wilt not be found to neglect the good gifts the good ordinances of almightie God Honor the Phisition A third reason enforceth this honor to weet his studie his calling and his profession which commeth of God his maiestie hath created it he it is that hath instituted and ordained it If Phisicke be not the ordinance of Almightie God I would faine know what vse haue we of diuerse roots hearbs flowers trees plants licours and many other things in beasts in foules in fish and creeping creatures whose effects are verie strange and wonderfull all working the health and preseruation of mans bodie or were they created in vaine we haue in our knowledge no other vse of the Rose than the sight the sappe and the sauour yet it hath many other excellent vses and effects simple or compounded What shal