When the man of Beniamin came frō the Israelites with his clothes rent and dust vpon his head in token of heauinesse and certified father Ely that Gods Arke was taken by the Philistines and that his two sonnes were slaine the old father fel backeward out of his seate and broke hys necke and his daughter in lawe Phynies wife being flighted with feare fell in trauell and dyed in child bed but before her death she called her sonne Icabod that is the glorie of God meaning thereby that she accōpted the glorie of God to be taken from Israel when Gods Arke which was a figure of his Churche wherein wee glorifie his name was taken awaie by the enemie And secondly to admonishe all parentes so to nuiture vp their children that they may seeke to maintaine the glorie of God better then Ely did for the wickednesse of whose children As also for the fathers default in not correcting them God had threatned before that if he once began with him he would make an end with him so that as the Prophet saith children being the fruite of the wombe as they are come from God are a good blessing and an heritage that commeth of the Lord because hee it is from whom euerie good and perfect gift doth proceede yet in respect of men so may the matter be handled that they shall finde no such crosse or curse as gracelesse or vnruled children such as Esau and his two wiues who were a griefe of minde and a heart breaking to Isaak their father and Rebekah their mother It is true that the verie godliest men and women haue rather desisired sonnes then daughters at the handes of God but they did it for good and godly purposes As when Abraham desired a sonne to the end that Eliezer the steward of his house being a stranger Namely a man of Damascus should not be the heyre of his goods So did Anna pray to God for a sonne when she said O Lord of hostes if thou wilt looke on the trouble of thine handmaid remember me c. And giue vnto thine handmayd a manchilde then will I giue him vnto the Lord al the daies of his life c. And as the verie name of a sonne is in price and preferred at this day so hath it beene heeretofore as when Phineas wife being neere her deathe in trauell the midwife with the rest thinking to comfort her said feare not for thou hast borne a sonne when the angell sayd to Abraham this time twelue monethes Sarah thy wife shall beare a sonne Sarah laughed as partly doubting and partly ioying that so sage a woman as shee should conceiue a sonne by so aged a man as Abraham was That same Angell that certified Zachario that Elizabeth his wife shoulde beare Iohn the Baptist said not onely that it should be a sonne but such a sonne as should bring ioy to him and many more And that Angel Gabriell that was sent of God Mary the mother of our sauiour according to his humanitie saith that in stead of feare shee had found fauour with God and his reason is this for thou shalt beare a son and shalt call his name Iesus As if he had said it is a great blessing of God to beare a childe and a greater to beare a man childe but to be so farre in Gods fauour as to beare such a sonne as shal be the sauiour of the worlde it is the greatest grace which hath beene heard of in the which God make his Church ioyfull and for the which in speciall and for all the rest of his blessinges in generall God make vs thankefull Amen Iohn 10. 9. I am the doore by me if any man enter in he shal be saued and shall go in and go out and shall find pasture FINIS A MEMENTO FOR MAGISTRATES By Henrie Smith LONDON Printed by Iohn Wolfe are to be sold by William Wright 1592. A Memento for Magistrates THe Apostle Paul writing to Timotheus amongst manie other things assureth him that those Elders which rule well are worthie of double honour And the Authour of the 45. Psame speaking of the gouernement of Salomon saith The Scepter of thy kingdoome is a right Scepter for thou louest righteousnes and hatest iniquitie in which words the Author aduoucheth that he cannot rule rightlie that loueth not to iudge iustlie and that he vsurpeth aucthoritie that dealeth partiallie for wee must remember that hee measurerh Salomons worthinesse to raign by his wel swaying of the scepter the which Salomō could not haue handled so commendablie as he did if he had not bene carried away with an earnest desire to deale indifferentlie amongst men in causes of controuersie but most plainly appeareth his great desire of godly gouernment in that heartie praier which hee vttered vnto almightie God when he said giue vnto thy seruant O Lord an vnderstanding and a wise hart to iudge thy people that I may discerne betwixt good and euill In this praier it is plaine that although hee was a King yet he calleth himselfe the seruaunt of God for promotion commeth neither from the East nor from the West nor yet from the south but from God who plucketh down one and setteth vppe another And Salomon hauing praied for wisdome and vnderstanding hee sheweth wherevnto he wold applie those good gifts of God euen vnto the glorie of him that gaue them to iudge thy people that I may discerne betwixt good euill saith hee for by him Kinges raigne and by him Princes decree Iustice When Iethro the father in law of Moses came out of the land of Madian to see Moses being at the mount of God which was mount Sinai and beheld how the people flocked vnto Moses their magistrate for iudgement iustice by due consideration therof Iethro found these three in conueniences First that Moses wearied himselfe with sitting in iudgement from the morning vntill night Secondly that he was too tedious vnto the people which attended vppon him in all that time And thirdly that notwithstanding his carefulnesse in iudgement and their earnest expectation of iustice hee was not able to dispatche so manye matters as vvas brought before him but with a light hearing and a little regarding of manie mens causes Wherefore Iethro beeing a man verie desirous that iustice might proceede that no mans matter should sleightlie be slipt ouer counsaileth Moses to make more Magistrates in Israel and to the end that this might be perfourmed the better Iethro dooth point at the disposition of those men which should bear rule for saith he thou shalt choose out amongest all the people men of courage dealing trulie fearing God and hating couetousnes and them shalt thou make gouernours ouer the people By this you may perceiue how Iethro in counsailing and Moses in practising did both aime at iustice and true iudgement For it is not a meane matter or light labour for men of yeeres to sit
from morning to night in iudgement no their yeares antiquitie consequentlie their bodies imbesilitie cannot easilie endure it besides the care of common causes heard at home and that which is the biggest burden of all the continuall good of the Common-weale which they meditate carefullie when vvee sleepe securely is not to be forgotten but herin are many Magistrats greatly to be blamed in that they cause the people to attend vpon thē from morning vntil night with expenses great and continuall whilest they find no end of poore mens matters because they wishe no ende of spending money Are their mindes set vpon righteousnes which deale thus No no they are the same that the Prophete spake of when he said the vngodlie seeketh occasion against the righteous and knasheth vpon him with his teeth for the crafty counseller taketh occasion to hinder his Cliants iust cause that he might still feede vppon the poore mans purse the Lawyer who careth not to deale vnfaithfully is like the christall glasse which flatteringly sheweth vnto euerie man a faire face how iuill fauoured so euer he be So can he perswade the simple swain that his cause wil bear a strong action bee it neuer so weake Oh remember what God said vnto Israell you shall not do what seemeth good in your owne eies but what I command you Then know that you do not that which he hath commanded because you deale not with mercie and truth for if euer the time required and occasion was offered to mooue that question to Magistrates which Dauid did in his daies namelie how long they will proceede to giue vniust iudgement and to accept the person of the vngodlie Nowe is the time and occasion present for I doe not doubt but it is too true that the Prophet hath spoken who saith that the vngodlie are more set by thē the righteous and this is the cause that wrong iudgement dooth proceed How can iustice sit when there is no seat appointed for her you may be sure she vvill not haue to do with the stoole of wickednes where mischiefe standeth in stead of iustice It was a woorthie commendation that Dauid vttered in the praise of Ierusalem when hee said there is the seate for iudgment the which appointing of that seat for iudgement was an argument that they loued iustice and first the place vvherein it vvas set assureth vs heereof for it was set in the gate vvher through men might haue passage to and from the iudgement seat Secondly the maner of framing that seat in the gate namely that the Iudges of force must sit with their faces towards the rising of the sunne in token that their iudgement shuld bee as pure from corruption as the sun vvas cleare in his chiefest brightnesse Oh happie house of Dauid vvhose seat vvas set so conueniently vvhose causes vvere heard so carefullie and matters iudged so iustlie The Israelites thought themselues well apaid vvhen they had the gouernement of Debora that vertuous VVoman for all vvas laied a bed vntill she came vppe a mother in Israell and as shee was a good gouernesse in her time so shee loued those that were like vnto her selfe for saieth shee my heart is set vpon the gouernours of Israell Dauid was a good King vvhile he liued as it did appeare by the testimonie of God himselfe who said of him I haue found Dauid my seruant with my holie oyle haue I annointed him Secondly by his appealing to God for iudgement in this case when he saith be thou my iudge O Lord for I haue walked innocently c. And last of all by that good counsell which hee gaue vpon his death-bedde vnto Salomon his Sonne who was to succeed him in that kingdom for saith he thou shalt prosper and come to great honor if thou keepest the commandements which GOD commanded Moses when Phillip the King of Macedonia did cast of the earnest sute of a poore widowe with this slender answere go thy way for I haue no leasure to heare thee now She replied thus and why hast thou leasure to be a King as if shee should haue said God hath giuen thee time to raigne and power to gouern that thou mightest applie them both vnto that end wherefore they are giuen thee for mercie and truth preserueth a King and with louing kindnes his seat is vpholden When Salomon praied to God for an vnderstanding hart that he might do iustice among gods people it is said that his praier pleased God passing well because Salomon asked wisedoome rather then wealth and knowledge rather then honor for thereby he gaue euidence that his heart was set vpon righteousnes for out of the aboundaunce of the heart the mouth speaketh It is a most excellent praier which the Prophet maketh when he saith giue thy iudgement vnto the King O Lorde and thy righteousnes vnto the kings sonne c. then shall hee iudge the people according vnto right and defend the poore wherein the Prophet praied for himselfe while he gouerned the kingdome of Israell and for his successors in the same hauing relation vnto that promise spoken of in the 132. Psalme the Lord hath made a faithfull oath vnto Dauid and hee will not shrincke from it saying of the fruit of thy bodie shall I set vpon thy seat if thy children keepe may testimonies which I shall learne them And the Prophet proceedeth to say then shall he iudge the people according vnto right and defend the pore by the word then hee insinuateth that when God giueth grace to the Magistrate then hee cannot choose but do right and defend those which doe sustaine wrong But when the Prophet saith and defend the pore Some man would thinke that he had saide enough before and therefore might haue cut of this speach but it is to be remembred that as sick men nedeth not the Phisition or the way fairing man his weapon at one time onelie but as often as the patient is sicke so often hee must haue the Phisitions counsaile and as often as the traueiler is assaulted so often hee vseth his weapon In like sort the pore man oppressed often doth as often neede the defence of the Magistrate And therefore hath the Magistrate the sword is alwaies caried before him this sword is alwaies caried before rather the behind the Magistrat that he might rather remēber iustice then cast the care thereof behind his back the last but not the least thing to bee marked of the Magistrate is that iustice is set foorth with a paire of ballaunces in the one hand whiche admonisheth him to waie those matters iustlie which are brought before him And within the other hand a two edged sword to the intent that iustice might returne to iudgement that is that thinges iustlye iudged might bee rightly rewarded on both sides whereof King Salomon hath giuen a good president First in finding out the true mother of the smothered childe which
is a point of iudgement Secondlie in restoring the liuing childe to his owne mother whiche was a point of iustice And these partes of a Christian Magistrate duetie are so necessarilie lincked togeather that so often as one of them is wanting the lavv receiueth a maime at the hand of the Magistrate As when Pilate iudged Christ guiltlesse but yet put him to death and when Paules cause was heard and approoued yet hee was left in prison Therefore it is good counsaile and worthie to bee hearkened vnto which Dauid gaue vnto all Kings and Magistrates that they bee learned and wise for if the Magistrate be not wise words may carie the matter away As when Daniel when he was accused of dispising the decree of Nabucadnezer the King of Babilon Ieremie to bee an enemie to the common-wealth of Israell Elias to bee a troubler of the state Paule to be a factious seditious fellow Naboath to haue blasphemed God and king Ahab and as at the importunate crye of the Iewes Christ was put to death and Barrabas the murtherer set at libertie The speciall wisedome of God matched Moses the Magistrat with Aron the minister thereby gyuing vs to vnderstand that when the word the sword go together there can be none other but good gouernment As for example so long as the good priest Iehoiba the godly king Ioas liued together God was worshiped and his people guided according vnto his word for the man of God counsailed vertuously and the King practised carefully whereunto that saying of Solon doth verie well agree who being asked when the common wealth did best florish he answered when the people obey the magistrat and the magistrate obeyeth the law for lawes are better vnmade then vnkept no doubt there want not such as wilsay with those head strong people in Dauids daies let vs break their bonds in sunder and cast away their coardes from vs and our lawes haue bene a long time like to spiders webs so that the great buzzing bees break through the little feeble flies hang fast in them But admitte that you replye and saye they are made stronger then in the daies of our forefathers yet are they like vnto walled Citties in the time of warre at the which time bee your walkes neuer so strong they are beaten downe if they want men and munition so if your lawes wiselie made doe want Patrones to defend them they will soone be little worth therefore it was not the worst vvarning that Iethro gaue to Moses that he should make such magistrats as were men of courage For as Crisippus sayd somtimes so it is true at all times that if a magistrate ruleth amisse hee shall procure the displeasure of God if well hee shall be hated of men and herof it commeth that Valerius Maximus writeth to Antigonus the Emperour who vvhen he should put on his imperiall crovvn and roabes stepping vppon the cloath of estate vttered these vvordes vvith a very loude voice Oh cloath of more honourable then happie estate vvherewith if a man vvere so thorouglie acquainted that hee coulde number the cares that concerne thee â—hee woulde not stoope for thee though hee might haue thee for the taking vp for great and vvaightie is that charge vvhiche is layde vppon a Christian magistrate in common-wealthes affaires of no lesse continuance then care wherfore Haimo would haue euery magistrate to remember these 3. things 1. that himselfe is but a man 2. that he gouerneth men like to him selfe and 3. that he shall not alwaies bee a magistrate as the Prophet hath taught when he spake thus in the person of GOD I said you are Gods but you shal die like men and fall like one of the Princes and yet shall they not be so excused but must also giue accomptes of their gouernment as did that Steward mentioned by S. Luke It is good therefore not onely for those men that haue the election of Magistrats to make such choise of officers as Iethro inioyneth Moses and as God himselfe commaunded Israel when hee said you shall make him king whome the Lord our God shall chuse but also verie meete for those magistrates being so elected to haue a care that as they are in place aboue other men so in good life they go before the people for this was it that the Israelites desired God to graunt vnto Iosua beeing newly made their gouernour Namely a faithful heart to go in and out before them For said they euen as wee obeyed Moses in all things so will wee obey thee Onely the Lord thy God be with thee as hee was with Moses And it was a necessarie praier for howe fowle a fault were it that the man which is appointed to punishe adulterie should be more worthie of correction for the same kind of sin then the partie punishied Like vnto the whore-hunting Iudges of Samaria mentioned by the Prophet Ieremie in his fift chapter or that hee whiche is appointed to iudge according to lawe should doe anie thing contrarie to the law As angrie Ananias commanded that Paul should be smitten contrary to law in this point doth the Lord schoole the king of Iuda by his Prophet Ieremie who saieth heare the word of the Lord thou King of Iuda that sittest in thy kinglie seat of Dauid thou and thy seruaunts and thy people that goe in and out at this gate thus the Lorde commaundeth keepe equitie and righteousnes deliuer the oppressed from the power of the violent doe not greeue nor oppresse the stranger the fatherlesse nor the widowe and shed no innocent bloud in this place and if you keepe these thinges faithfully then shall there come in at the doore of this house kings to sit vpon Dauids seate c. But if you will not be obedient vnto these commandements I sweare by mine own self saith the Lord this house shall be waste for example the same prophet speaking there of the wicked gouernement of Seluin the sonne of good king Iosias that gouerned Iuda sayth did not thy father eate and drinke and prosper well so long as hee dealt with righteousnesse from whence came this but because hee had mee before his eies saith the Lord. Nowe when Ieremy saith that Iosias had God before his eies hys meaning is all one with Dauids intent when he saith God standeth in the parliament of princes he is iudge among Gods to giue all Magistrates a Memento that God is present in all their assemblies and iudgeth them that iudge vnder him whereof they had neede to bee put in minde for oftentimes Mycheas prooueth too true a prophet in saying that the great man will speake what his heart desireth and the hearers must allowe it well of the whiche sorte of men the verie best is but as a thisle whiche a man can hardly touche vnpricked and the moste iust like a bramble wherevnto the sillye sheep seeking to be