voluntary cripples We reade Acts 27.12 of an Haven in Crete which lay towards the South-West and towards the North-West strange that it could have part of two opposite points North and South sure it must be very winding And thus some mens souls are in such intricate postures they lay towards the Papists and towards the Protestants such we count not of a moderate judgement but of an immoderate unsettlednesse Nor is it a lukewarmnesse in those things wherein Gods glory is concernd Herein it 's a true Rule Non amat qui non zelat And they that are thus lukewarm here shall be too hot hereafter in that oven wherein Dow-bak'd cakes shall be burnt But it is a mixture of discretion and charity in ones judgement Discretion puts a difference betwixt things absolutely necessary to salvation to be done and believed and those which are of a second sort and lower form wherein more liberty and latitude is allowed In maintaining whereof the stiffnesse of the judgement is abated and suppled with charity towards his neighbour The lukewarm man eyes onely his own ends and particular profit the moderate man aims at the good of others and unity of the Church Yet such moderate men are commonly crush'd betwixt the extreme parties on both sides But what said Ignatius I am Christs wheat and must be ground with the teeth of beasts that I may be made Gods pure manchet Saints are born to suffer and must take it patiently Besides in this world generally they get the least preferment it faring with them as with the guest that sat in the midst of the table who could reach to neither messe above or beneath him Esuriunt Medii Fines bene sunt saturati Dixerunt stulti Medium tenuere beati Both ends o' th' table furnish'd are with meat Whilst they in middle nothing have to eat They were none of the wisest well I wist Who made blisse in the middle to consist Yet these temporall inconveniences of moderation are abundantly recompenced with other better benefits for 1 A well inform'd judgement in it self is a preferment Potamon began a sect of Philosophers called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who wholly adher'd to no former sect but chose out of all of them what they thought best Surely such Divines who in unimporting controversies extract the probablest opinions from all Professions are best at ease in their minds 2 As the moderate mans temporall hopes are not great so his fears are the lesse He fears not to have the splinters of his party when it breaks flie into his eyes or to be buried under the ruines of his side if supprest He never pinn'd his religion on any mans sleeve no not on the Arme of flesh and therefore is free from all dangerous engagements 3 His conscience is clear from raising Schismes in the Church The Turks did use to wonder much at our English men for pinking or cutting their clothes counting them little better then mad for their pains to make holes in whole cloth which time of it self would tear too soon But grant men may doe with their own garments as their phancy adviseth them yet woe be to such who willingly cut and rend the seamlesse Coat of Christ with dissentions 4 His religion is more constant and durable being here in via in his way to Heaven and jogging on a good Travellers pace he overtakes and out-goes many violent men whose over-hot ill-grounded Zeal was quickly tired 5 In matters of moment indeed none are more Zealous He thriftily treasur'd up his spirits for that time who if he had formerly rent his lungs for every trifle he would have wanted breath in points of importance 6 Once in an age the moderate man is in fashion Each extreme courts him to make them friends and surely he hath a great advantage to be a Peace-maker betwixt opposite parties Now whilest as we have said moderate men are constant to themselves Violent men reel from one extremity to another Who would think that the East and West Indies were so near together whose names speak them at diametricall opposition And yet their extremities are either the same Continent or parted with a very narrow Sea As the world is round so we may observe a circulation in opinions and Violent men turn often round in their tenets Pride is the greatest enemy to Moderation This makes men stickle for their opinions to make them fundamentall Proud men having deeply studied some additionall point in Divinity will strive to make the same necessary to salvation to enhanse the value of their own worth and pains and it must be fundamentall in religion because it is fundamentall to their reputation Yea as love doth descend and men doat most on their Grandchildren so these are indulgent to the deductions of their deductions and consequentiall inferences to the seventh generation making them all of the foundation though scarce of the building of religion Ancient Fathers made the Creed symbolum the shot and totall summe of Faith Since which how many arrearages and after-reckonings have men brought us in to which if we will not pay our belief our souls must be arrested without bail upon pain of damnation Next to Pride popular Applause is the greatest foe Moderation hath and sure they who sail with that wind have their own vain glory for their Haven To close up all Let men on Gods blessing soundly yet wisely whip and lash Lukewarmnesse and Time-serving their thongs will never flie in the face of true Moderation to do it any harm for however men may undervalue it that Father spake most truly Si virtutum finis ille sit maximus qui plurimorum spectat profectum Moderatio prope omnium pulcherrima est CHAP. 21. Of Gravity GRavity is the ballast of the soul which keeps the mind steddy It is either true or counterfeit Naturall dulnesse and heavinesse of temper is sometimes mistaken for true Gravity In such men in whose constitutions one of the tetrarch Elements fire may seem to be omitted These sometimes not onely cover their defects but get praise Saepe latet vitium proximitate boni They do wisely to counterfeit a reservednesse and to keep their chests alwayes lock'd not for fear any should steal treasure thence but lest some should look in and see that there is nothing within them But they who are born Eunuchs deserve no such great commendation for their chastity Wonder not so much that such men are grave but wonder at them if they be not grave Affected Gravity passes often for that which is true I mean with dull eyes for in it self nothing is more ridiculous When one shall use the preface of a mile to bring in a furlong of matter set his face and speech in a frame and to make men believe it is some pretious liquour their words come out drop by drop Such mens visards do sometimes fall from them not without the laughter of the
teach them justice Excellently Luther Nisi superesset spolium Aegypti quod rapuimus Papae omnibus Ministris Verbi fame pereundum esset quod si sustentandi essent de contributione populi misere profecto ac duriter viverent Alimur ergo de spoliis Aegypti collectis sub Papatu hoc ipsum tamen quod reliquum est diripitur à Magistratu spoliantur Parochiae Scholae non aliter ac si fame necare nos velint Ob. But in the pure Primitive times the Means were least and Ministers the best And nowadayes does not wealth make them lazy and poverty keep them painfull like Hawks they flie best when sharp The best way to keep the stream of the Clergie sweet and clear is to fence out the tide of wealth from coming unto them Answ. Is this our thankfulnesse to the God of heaven for turning persecution into peace in pinching his poore Ministers When the Commonwealth now makes a feast shall neither Zadok the Priest nor Nathan the Prophet be invited to it that so the footsteps of Primitive persecution may still remain in these peaceable times amongst the Papists in their needlesse burning of candles and amongst the Protestants in the poore means of their Ministers And what if some turn the spurres unto Virtue into the stirrups of Pride grow idle and insolent let them soundly suffer for it themselves on Gods blessing but let not the bees be sterved that the drones may be punished Ministers Maintenance ought to be certain lest some of them meet with Labans for their Patrons and parishioners changing their wages ten times and at last if the fear of God doth not fright thē send them away empty It is unequall that there should be an equality betwixt all Ministers Maintenance Except that first there were made an equality betwixt all their Parts Pains and Piety Parity in means will quickly bring a levell and flat in Learning and few will strive to be such spirituall Musicians to whom David directeth many Psalms To him that excelleth but will even content themselves with a Canonicall sufficiency and desiring no more then what the Law requires More learning would be of more pains and the same profit seeing the mediocriter goeth abreast with optime Ob. But neither the best nor the most painfull and learned get the best preferment Sometimes men of the least get Livings of the best worth yea such as are not worthy to be the curates to their curates and crassa Ingenia go away with opima Sacerdotia Answ. Thus it ever was and will be But is this dust onely to be found in Churches and not in Civill Courts Is merit everywhere else made the exact square of preferment or did ever any urge that all Offices should be made champian for their profits none higher then other such corruption will ever be in the Church except there were a Law ridiculous to be made and impossible to be kept that men should be no men but that all Patrons or people in their Election or Presentations of Ministers should wholly devest themselves of by-respects of kinred friendship profit affection and merely chuse for desert and then should we have all things so well ordered such Pastours and such people the Church in a manner would be Triumphant whilest Militant Till then though the best livings light not alwayes on the ablest men yet as long as there be such preferments in the Church there are still encouragements for men to endeavour to excell all hoping and some hapning on advancement Ob. But Ministers ought to serve God merely for love of himself and pity but his eyes were out that squints at his own ends in doing Gods work Answ. Then should Gods best Saints be blind for Moses himself had an eye to the recompence of reward Yea Ministers may look not onely on their eternall but on their temporall reward as motives to quicken their endeavours And though it be true that grave and pious men do study for learning sake and embrace virtue for it self yet it is as true that youth which is the season when learning is gotten is not without ambition nor will ever take pains to excell in any thing when there is not some hope of excelling others in reward and dignity And what reason is it that whilest Law and Physick bring great portions to such as marry them Divinity their elder sister should onely be put off with her own beauty In after-ages men will rather bind their sonnes to one gainfull then to seven liberall Sciences onely the lowest of the people would be made Ministers which cannot otherwise subsist and it will be bad when Gods Church is made a Sanctuary onely for men of desperate estates to take refuge in it However let every Minister take up this resolution To preach the word to be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine If thou hast competent means comfortably to subsist on be the more thankfull to God the fountain to man the channell painfull in thy place pitifull to the poore cheerfull in spending some carefull in keeping the rest If not yet tire not for want of a spurre do something for love and not all for money for love of God of goodnesse of the godly of a good conscience Know 't is better to want means then to detain them the one onely suffers the other deeply sinnes and it is as dangerous a persecution to religion to draw the fewell from it as to cast water on it Comfort thy self that another world will pay this worlds debts and great is thy reward with God in heaven A reward in respect of his promise a gift in respect of thy worthlesnesse And yet the lesse thou lookest at it the surer thou shalt find it if labouring with thy self to serve God for himself in respect of whom even heaven it self is but a sinister end To the Reader THese Generall Rules we have placed in the middle that the Books on both sides may equally reach to them because all Persons therein are indifferently concerned The Holy State THE FOURTH BOOK CHAP. 1. The Favourite A Favourite is a Court-diall whereon all look whilest the King shines on him and none when it is night with him A Minion differs from a Favourite for He acts things by his own will and appetite as a Favourite by the judgement and pleasure of his Prince These again are twofold either such as relie wholly on their Kings favour or such as the King partly relies on their wisdome loving them rather for use then affection The former are like pretty wands in a Princes hand for him to play with at pleasure the latter like staves whereon he leans and supports himself in State-affairs God is the originall Patron of all preferment all dignities being in his disposall Promotion saith David comes neither from the East nor from the West nor yet from the South The word here translated South in
Court-Lady TO describe an Holy State without a virtuous Lady therein were to paint out a yeare without a Spring we come therefore to her Character She sets not her face so often by her glasse as she composeth her soul by Gods word Which hath all the excellent qualities of a glasse indeed 1 It is clear in all points necessary to Salvation except to such whose eyes are blinded 2 It is true not like those false glasses some Ladyes dresse themselves by And how common is flattery at Court when even glasses have learnt to be parasites 3 It is large presenting all spots Cap-a-pe behind and before within and without 4 It is durable though in one sense it is broken too often when Gods Laws are neglected yet it will last to break them that break it and one tittle thereof shall not fall to the ground 5. This glasse hath power to smooth the wrinkles cleanse the spots and mend the faults it discovers She walks humbly before God in all religious duties Humbly For she well knows that the strongest Christian is like the city of Rome which was never besieged but it was taken and the best Saint without Gods assistance would be as often foyled as tempted She is most constant and diligent at her houres of private prayer Queen Katharine Dowager never kneeld on a cushion when she was at her devotions This matters not at all our Lady is more carefull of her heart then of her knees that her soul be settled aright She is carefull and most tender of her credit and reputation There is a tree in Mexicana which is so exceedingly tender that a man cannot touch any of his branches but it withers presently A Ladyes credit is of equall nicenesse a small touch may wound and kill it which makes her very cautious what company she keeps The Latine tongue seems somewhat injurious to the feminine sex for whereas therein Amicus is a friend Amica alwayes signifies a Sweetheart as if their sex in reference to men were not capable of any other kind of familiar friendship but in way to marriage which makes our Lady avoid all privacie with suspicious company Yet is she not more carefull of her own credit then of Gods glory and stands up valiantly in the defence thereof She hath read how at the Coronation of King Richard the second Dame Margaret Dimock wife to S r John Dimock came into the Court and claimed the place to be the Kings Champion by the virtue of the tenure of her Mannour of Scrinelby in Lincolnshire to challenge and defie all such as opposed the Kings right to the Crown But if our Lady heares any speaking disgracefully of God or Religion she counts her self bound by her tenure whereby she holds possession of grace here and reversion of glory hereafter to assert and vindicate the honour of the King of Heaven whose Champion she professeth to be One may be a lambe in private wrongs but in hearing generall affronts to goodnesse they are asses which are not lions She is pitifull and bountifull to people in distresse We reade how a daughter of the Duke of Exeter invented a brake or cruel rack to torment people withall to which purpose it was long reserved and often used in the Tower of London and commonly called was it not fit so pretty a babe should bear her mothers name The Duke of Exeters daughter Me thinks the finding out of a salve to ease poore people in pain had born better proportion to her Ladiship then to have been the inventer of instruments of cruelty She is a good scholar and well learned in usefull Authours Indeed as in purchases an house is valued at nothing because it returneth no profit and requires great charges to maintain it so for the same reasons Learning in a woman is but little to be prized But as for great Ladyes who ought to be a confluence of all rarities and perfections some Learning in them is not onely usefull but necessary In discourse her words are rather fit then fine very choice and yet not chosen Though her language be not gaudy yet the plainnesse thereof pleaseth it is so proper and handsomly put on Some having a set of fine phrases will hazard an impertinency to use them all as thinking they give full satisfaction for dragging in the matter by head and shoulders if they dresse it in queint expressions Others often repeat the same things the Platonick yeare of their discourses being not above three dayes long in which term all the same matter returns over again threadbare talk ill suiting with the variety of their clothes She affects not the vanity of foolish fashions but is decently apparelled according to her state and condition He that should have guessed the bignesse of Alexanders souldiers by their shields left in India would much overproportion their true greatnesse But what a vast overgrown creature would some guesse a woman to be taking his aim by the multitude and variety of clothes and ornaments which some of them use insomuch as the ancient Latines called a womans wardrope Mundus a World wherein notwithstanding was much terra incognita then undiscovered but since found out by the curiosity of modern Fashion-mongers We find a mappe of this world drawn by Gods Spirit Isaiah the third wherein one and twenty womens ornaments all superfluous are reckoned up which at this day are much encreased The moons there mentioned which they wore on their heads may seem since grown to the full in the luxury of after-ages She is contented with that beauty which God hath given her If very handsome no whit the more proud but farre the more thankfull If unhandsome she labours to better it in the virtues of her mind that what is but plain cloth without may be rich plush within Indeed such naturall defects as hinder her comfortable serving of God in her calling may be amended by art and any member of the body being defective may thereby be lawfully supplied Thus glasse-eyes may be used though not for seeing for sightlinesse But our Lady detesteth all adulterate complexions finding no president thereof in the Bible save one and her so bad that Ladyes would blush through their paint to make her the pattern of their imitation Yet are there many that think the grossest fault in painting is to paint grossely making their faces with thick daubing not onely new pictures but new statues and that the greatest sinne therein is to be discover'd In her marriage she principally respects virtue and religion and next that other accomodations as we have formerly discours'd of And she is carefull in match not to bestow her self unworthily beneath her own degree to an ignoble person except in case of necessity Thus the Gentlewomen in Champaigne in France some three hundred years since were enforced to marry Yeomen and Farmers because all the Nobility in that countrey were slain in the