Law as appeares by the Prophet Esay in Chap. 2. verse 3. But the Law in speciall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by excellency doth shew all the old testament as appeares by the Apostle Paul Rom. 3.19 By Law here is meant the moral Law of Moses called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a perpetual rule of liuing wel vnto which the maners of all people are to be directed subiected both towards God and towards their Neighbour And this is most briefly and plainly set down in the Decalogue or ten commandements the matter or obiect of which is the loue of God and the loue of our neighbour which loue of our neighbour is nothing els but to doe as we would be done vnto And the Prophets There were Prophets in speciall and Prophets in generall Prophets in speciall were they that did excell in wisedome by the singular gift of the holy Ghost and did foretell things to come either to the Church or to any of the faithfull Such were Agabus and the 4 daughters of Philip the Euangelist Prophets in generall were they that did excell in the singular gift of interpreting the Scriptures And such are the learned Interpreters of the Scripture at this day as appeares by the Apostle Paul 1. Cor. 14.29.32 There were Priests and Prophets but there was a difference betweene them The Priests were alwaies out of the tribe of Leui the Prophets out of other tribes The Priests were not onely to pray and to teach but to administer holy things the Prophets did not so The Preists might erre as Aaron but the Prophets as farre forth as they were Prophets and inspired with the spirit of the Lord could not erre And therefore the spirit of Prophecie was giuen to Elisha as it was to Elias 2. King 2.15 True Prophets were called Seers as in 1. Sa. 9.9 They were called Seers because they did Prophecie by visions or apparations obiect to the eye or the mind or as S. Ierome tells vs in his Epistle to Paulinus quia videbant eum quem â—aeteri non vedebant They did prophecie either by dreames sent from aboue or by expresse word or by an inward inspiration of the spirit of God or by the apparition of an Angell representing God or by the mouth of God himselfe familiarly speaking vnto them as he speake to Moses to whom he is said to speake mouth to mouth as in Numb 12.8 To this purpose the Apostle S. Paul speaketh in Heb. 1.1 2 where he saith At sundry times and in diuers manners God in the old time spake vnto our Fathers by the Prophets But is these last dayes he hath spoken vnto vs by his Sonne whom hee hath made heyre of all things By his Sonne he tels vs what the Law is by his Sonne he tels vs what the Prophets are by his Son hee tels vs how the Law and the Prophets are nothing else but to doe vnto others as we would be done vnto our selues Therefore whatsoeuer ye would that men should doe to you euen so doe yee to them for this is the Law and the Prophets The point of Doctrine and obseruation that ariseth from hence may be this To doe as wee would bee done vnto is a generall rule of Iustice and he summe of the Law and the Prophets Although this Point is so plaine and pregnant that it need no farther discourse nor any more proofe to be assured of his goodnesse because as soone as it is alleadged yet it is acknowledged to bee good yet giue me leaue I beseech you to goe farther with it and to shew vnto you the dignitie of it with the Author and affirmation the benefite of it with the effects and the necessity of it with the subiects obiects and the end And to proue and approue all this by testimonie of Scriptures examples of Scriptures testimony of ancient Fathers and late writers Emperours Kings Philosophers and heathen people led only by instinct of Nature Great is the dignitie of this generall rule of Iustice not only because it is a Principle of Law and Nature the root of Iustice the foundation of equitie and Lex inscripta scripta as S. Ambrose tels vs in vision 5. vpon the 10. Chapter of the Reuel But because it is a prescript rule of our Sauiour Christ himselfe It was his own speech an blessed counsell to his Disciples It was a breath of his mouth who was not as a man that he should lye nor as the sonne of man that he should repent And it was not by him barely spoken but affirmatiuely spoken because as the Law is of greater perfection so that which is affirmatiue is of greater perfection also though affirmatiue precepts as the Schoole-men tels vs obligant semper non pro semper sed tantum in loco tempore necessitatis And it was by him not onely affirmatiuely spoken but it was strongly also inferred concluded and pithily vrged to his disciples aboue any other thing Therefore whatsoeuer ye would that men should doe to you euen so doe yee to them for this is the Law and the Prophets The benefit of this generall rule of Iustice is great and the effects good and goldly for it will cause euery one of vs to liue honestly and vprightly in his place and calling and neuer to binde any one of these three sinnes together which by many and too many are bound together in this age Periury false testimonie iniury This will make vs draw neere vnto Christs example and to follow his steps And this will still produce in vs these effects to loue God truly our neighbour vnfainedly and to giue vnto euery one his due and his dutie without any wrong or iniury The effects of this generall rule of Iustice cannot better be opened then S. Austen doth open them in lib. 3. Cap. 14. de doct Chrift where he saith thus Facere alijs quod tibi vis fieri sententia est c. To doe as thou wouldeft be done vnto is a sentence which all nations vnder heauen haue agreed vpon Referre this sentence saith he to the loue of God and it extinguisheth all hainous offences referre this sentence to the loue of thy neighbour and it banisheth all grieuous wrongs out of the world The necessity of this generall rule of Iustice is great in respect of the subiects the obiects and the end The subiects because we are all Christians and brethren and haue one and the same God for our Creator one and the same Christ for our Sauiour and one and the same holy Ghost for our sanctifier and preseruer The obiects because it respecteth right and the good gouernmet of humane societies and the end because it was ordained by Christ himselfe for the generall good one of another teaching vs not only to be priuatiue in ceasing to doe ill but still to bee positiue in doing good one to another Wee are not sent into this world onely to speake well but to doe well and to doe well and truly
others all agree and concurre in this that to doe as wee would be done vnto is a generall rule of Iustice a Sentence teaching all charitie humanitie moderation and good dealing one to another and a sentence as it were pointing out the way to eternall blisse and happinesse Alexander Seuerus the Emperour had this for his Symbole Emperours as Bullinger tells vs in Decade 11. Serm. 1. pag. 93. This saith Bullinger hee had often in his mouth this he commanded to be engrauen and writen in his Pallace and other of his buildings Hoc coluit in larario suo saith Bullinger and when any one of his disorderly souldiers was to be punished hee would haue this spoken vnto him by the voyce of a Crier Quod tibi hoc alteri Traian the Emperour a great obseruer of Iustice and called the Darling of Mankinde would very often say how he himselfe and all others must doe as they would be done vnto and how Subjects ought to be such towards their Prince as they would haue their Prince to be towards them It is written in the life of Augustus the Emperour how one Zonaras did often remember this generall rule of Iustice to Augustus the Emperour and would say to him Siipse alijs feceris quae tibi fieri velles non peccabis quippiam omnia suauissimè felicitèr administrabis nullo cum periculo vitam deges That learned Lawyer Vlpian principall Counceller to Alexander Seuerus the Emperour framed this as as a Constitution which is found in the Pandects that is the volume of the Ciuill Law called the Digests And this was done by the commandement of Iustinian that learned and worthy Emperour That of our wise Kings worthy learned and of blessed and happy memory King Iames deceased may serue for all the rest in his Basilicon doron li. 2. pag. 6. where shewing to his Son Prince Henry what formes were to be vsed with other Princes he saith thus vnto him Vse all other Princes as thy brethren honestly and kindly Striue with euery one of them in courtesie and in kindnes and as with all men so specially with them be plaine and truthfull euer keeping that Christian Rule to doe as yee would be done vnto Where we see King Iames cals it a Christian rule and would haue his Sonne Prince Henry euer to keepe it Philosophers and Heathen people Pythagoras and Plato Socrates and Xenophon with many others taught this Philosophy and generall rule of Iustice to do as they would be done vnto and very carefully obserued it in their life and conuersation So did Solon and Aristides among the Athenians Agesilaus and Lycurgus among the Lacedemonians Curius Fabricius and Numa Pompilius among the Romanes Xamelzis among the Gothes Zaleuchus among the Locrians Trismegistus among the Egyptians and Dunwallo Mulmutius among the old Brittons of this Land Nay more and that which is very strange That diuilish Impostor and damnable wretch Mahomet hath recommended this generall rule of Iustice to doe as we would be done vnto and hath inserted it among the 8. Ordinances which hee left to the Musalmans telling them how they were sent downe from heauen by the Angell Gabriel This also the heathen haue not obscurely insinuated by making Themis which is Law or right a Goddesse by building a Temple vnto her in Beoetia and by making her to be the Daughter of Heauen and earth for heauen and earth doe applaud this generall rule of Iustice to doe as we would be done vnto it is the Royall Law of Loue it was taught by our Sauiour Christ deliuered by the law of Nature and obserued by Heathen people led onely by instinct of Nature Seeing then that the dignitie of this generall rule of Iustice is so great with the Author and affirmation the benefit of it is so great with the effects and the necessity of it is so great with the subiects obiects and the end And seeing this is proued and approued by testimonies of Scriptures examples of Scriptures testimonies of ancient Fathers and late Writers Emperours Kings and Philosophers and Heathen people led by instinct of Nature It is fit and worthy to be remembred and followed of vs and to be written vpon the tables of our hearts with the point of a Diamond that it may neuer be forgotten for it is old Philosophie and Christian Religion it is the end and the scope of all the Commandements of the second Table and the onely type and token of euery good Christian Therefore whatsoeuer yee would that men should doe to you euen so doe ye to them for this is the Law and the Prophets That learned Father S. Austin in his 54. Epistle tels vs there that we may occupare negotiosissimum in Republica virum proemio we may not hold a man of the greatest employment in the Common-weale with a long preface If not with a long Preface then not with a long discourse Pardon therefore my boldnesse right honourable and reuerend Iudges if I first speake to you and tell you that this generall rule of Iustice to doe as ye would be done vnto is fit and worthy to be remembred of you who are loquentes leges chiefe guardians of iustice and Altars vnto which such flye for succour and reliefe as are wronged and iniuried By this you shall take Gallioes course as it is in Act. 18.16 to driue away friuolous and iniurious suites from the iudgement seat By this you shall be faithfull Stewards of the highest Iudge and by this you shall keepe safe and sound those two Salts that are in you the Salt of knowledge and the Salt of Conscience which Salt of Conscience is the inward Court wherein the highest Iudge of all doth sit This generall rule of Iustice is fit to be remembred and followed of you also who are Magistrates and in the Commission of peace the Princes eyes to see withall and the Princes hands to worke withall the Ephori of the Common-weale and the Ouer-seers of common quietnesse This will make you good and iust like Iosoph of Arimathea This will make Iustice in you neuer to draw her breath faintly or to be peruerted with any feare or fauour passion or precipitation malice or presumption and this will make you like Atropos to cut off the web of many debates and quarrels at home among your neighbours and to be of that worthy Lord Iudge Dyers minde who when there came before him any controuersies of poore men to be tryed at the Assises would vually say that either the parties themselues were wilfull or their neighbours at home vncharitable because their suites were not quietly ended at home Many poore mens suits may be quietly ended at home by you who are the Iudges eyes It is well knowne that some of you doe so O that all would doe so It is a blessed action to doe so for Blessed are the peace-makers This generall rule of Iustice is fit also to be remembred and followed of you who practise
that which belongs to our seuerall places and callings It is better to doe and say not then to say and doe not speculation is not so hard as practice It is much more easie for any one to know then to do to discourse then to worke and to beleeue as he ought then to liue as he should And therefore our Sauiour Christ and his disciples in all their speeches and in all their writings do specially admonish vs to do well do speak much more of things to be done then of things to be spokâ—n and much more of vertuous liuing then of right beleâ—uing for non verbased aduerbia corenantur The Lord our God is said to loue Aduerbs He respects not how good but how well those things are which we doe and our Sauiour Christ himselfe began 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to doe and to teach first to doe and then to teach Act. 1. verse 1. Testimonies of Scriptures In Leuit. 19 verse 11. we read how the Lord our God commanded Moses to speake vnto all the congregation of Israel and to say thus vnto them in a negatiue precept Ye shall not steale nor deale falsly nor lie one to another which is in effect yee shall not doe to others but as ye would be done vnto your selues To bias gaue this generall rule of Iustice to his sonne but in a negatiue precept also which bindeth at all times My Sonne saith he that which thou wouldest not haue others to doe vnto thee doe not to them at any time Tob. chap. 4. verse 15. Our Sauiour Christ not onely in Mat. 7 12. but also in Luke 6.31 gaue this generall rule of Iustice againe to his Disciples and to a great company of people that came from Iudea and Ierusalem and from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon to heare him And as ye would that men should doe to you so doe ye to them likewise The Apostle S. Paul gaue this generall rule of Iustice to Titus his naturall sonne according to the common faith as appeares 〈◊〉 â—is 2 Chap. to Titus 11. and 12. verses wheâ—e he saith thus The grace of God which bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth vs that we should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world To liue righteously what is it any other thing in effect then to doe as we would be done vnto Examples of Scriptures Obadiah the gouernour of Ahabs house remembred and followed this generall rule of Iustice to doe as he would be done vnto for when Iezabel destroyed the Prophets of the Lord he tooke an hundred Prophets and hid them by fifties in acaue and fed them with bread and water 1. King 18. That good widow of Sarepta remembred and followed this generall rule of Iustice to doe as she would be done vnto for shee tooke pitty and compassion vpon Elias relieued him in his greatest necessity and sustained him with part of that poore pittance that was left her 1. King ch 17. Samuel offered to God by his Mother thrice called and made a Prophet remembrad and followed this generall rule of Iustice to doe as he would be done vnto for he boldly and stoutly stood vp vnto all Israel and said Whose Oxe haue I taken or whose Asse haue I taken or whom haue I done wrong to or whom haue I hurt That was not all he left not there but went father and said At whose hands haue I receiued any bribes to blind mine eyes therewith 1 Sam. 12.3 Simeon in Ierusalem Cornelius in Cesarea and Lidia the seller of purple in the City of the Thiatirians And the very Barbarians as in Act 28.2 remembred and followed this generall rule of Iustice to doe as they would be done vnto for they gently intreated Paul and his company when they came to shore in the I le Melita kindled a good fire and receiued euery one of them Testimonie of ancient Fathers That mirror of vnderstanding and learned Father S. Austin in l. 1. cap. vlt. conf in his ser ad frat in eremo in a tract which he writeth de decem chordis speaketh there of this generall rule of Iustice and specially in his 96. Sermon de tempore where he saith thus Decem precepta ad duo illa referuntur vt diligamus Deum Proximum Et duo illa ad vnum illud quod vnum est Quod tibi non vis alteri ne feceris Ibi decem ibi duo continentur praecepta That mellifluous Father S. Bernard in his 77. Epistle and in a tract which he writes de triplici bonorum genere cals to doe as we would be done vnto naturalem legem societatis cui concordat Euangelium Haec est lex naturalis societatis saith he vt omnia quaecunque nobis fieri velimus alijs faciamus Peter Lumbard the master of the Sentences approues this same in lib. 3. distinct 37. where speaking of the commandements of the second Table cals to doe as we would be done vnto naturalem legem cui concordat Euangelium lex moralis praeceptionis Hoc veritas scripsit in corde hominis saith Lumbard quia non legebatur in corde iterauit in tabulis vt voce forinsecus admota rediret ad cor S. Ambrose vision 4. in 8. chap. of the Reuel speaking there of the holy men that liued before the floud saith thus of them Quamuis nullum legem nisi naturalem habuerunt tamen hoc quibuscunque poterant suasisse conati sunt vt Deum creatorem suum timerent ligerent quod quis pati non vellet alteri non faceret Gregory the great in lib. 10. Moral in cap. 11. of Iob. in the beginning of the Chapter tels vs there That to doe as we would be done vnto is commanded and commended both in the old and new Testament saith he per iustum Tobiam and in the new Testament per veritatem ipsam which is our Sauiour Christ Quibus duobus saith Gregorie vtriusque testamenti mandatis per vnum malitia compescitur per aliud benignitas prorogatur To these may bee added Gratian in his golden Decrees 1. part 1. dictinct the first words of all the booke which are these Genus humanum duobus regitur naturali videlicet iure moribus naturale ius est quod in in lege Euangelio continetur quo quisque iubetur alij facere quod sibi vult fieri prohibetur alij inferre quod sibi nollet fieri Testimony of late writers Zuinglius hath written at large vpon this in 7. Chap. Mat. in pag. 28.29 And there hee tels vs how our Sauiour Christ doth call it fundamentum naturalis iuris because hee was the reformer of our nature corrupted by Adam Aretius vpon this place tels vs the like how these words are a natural Law and the precepts of right are as he there tels vs honeste viuere alterum non laedere ius suum cuique tribuere Beza Bullinger Caluin Hemingius Piscator with many
and professe the Lawes and plead present matters for your Clients for this will make you square sound and sincere in all your actions and to auoid all those foule aspersions and scandals that are cast vpon you of bribery corruption and extortion of spinning out suits to the downfall of the Clients estates of wrangling and wrestling as the Greeke Sophisters were wont to doe to make the worse the better and that which is worst inded of animating and setting of some malicious make-bates to sow Cadmus teeth abroad and like Salamanders still to liue in the fire of debate and discord among their neighbours The Law is of masculine force as Saint Austin tels vs vpon the 59. Psalme for though in the Latine tongue it is of the feminine gender yet in the Greeke tongue it is of the masculine gender because it is of more masculine force and power Regit non regitur It rules and it doth not rule with any respect of persons or with any floting or imaginary affection for if it hath but one soule which is reason and one onely function which is the peace and quietnesse of States and Common-weales which peace and quietnesse of States and Common-weales shall the better be established and continued if you follow this generall rule of Iustice to doe as you would be done vnto This Christian and generall rule of Iustice is fit to be remembred ad followed of you who are Actors and commence suites of you that are witnesses to testifie and giue in euidence of you that are Iuries and bring in verdicts and of you that bee Constables and exhibite Bils O this will make you neuer to open the sluces of any fauour feare or partiality to any neuer to straine out gnats and to swallow downe Camels and neuer to be so rash with your mouthes as to say Sibboleth Iudg. 12.6 for Shiboleth great for little or little for great cold for hot or hot for cold man-slaughter for wilfull murther or wilfull murther for man-slaughter This Christian and generall rule of Iustice is fit to be remembred and followed of all you that bee here present of what age or condition ranke or fashion soeuer ye bee for by this you shall neuer be barbarous nor cruel one to another you shall neuer statue nor strip one another and neuer seeke the downefall and confusion one of another by any vniust meanes or iniurious courses We are all by nature louers of our selues and willingly we would haue no harme nor hurt done to our selues the like we must do vnto others we may not harme nor hurt them in their bodies goods or name for what saith Salomon in Pro. 3.29 Intend none hurt to thy neighbour seing he doth dwell without feare by thee The loue of our neighbour is no meane matter It is not meanly graced by our Sauiour Christ himselfe for there are but ten commandements and no lesse them sixe of them concernes our neighbour These 10. are contracted into two one of them is our neighbours The first is great the second is like vnto it which is our neighbours the Law and the Prophets depend vpon the one and the Law and the Prophets depend vpon the other This is plainly proued by the Apostle Gal. 5.14 All the Law is fulfulfilled in one word which is this Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe The Mathematicians tell vs that of all figures a a Circle is the most absolute because the beginning and the end concurres in one Such is this generall rule of Iustice It comes from Christ in grace and ends in Christ by the workes of grace The then that neglect this generall rule of Iustice and doe not as they would be done vnto haue little or no grace in them they can hope to heare well of none but of cowards and flatterers and they can neuer haue a good Conscience in them which is a continuall feast and the best friend that is in the world Plerique faman pauci conscientiam verentur saith Seneca they little respect that they can play fast and loose with that at their pleasure they can make it of what size or fashion they list themselues They can vse it as Procrustes the Gyant did those whom hee layd in his bed when they were too long he had an axe to cut them shorter and when they were too short hee had a racke to stretch them longer Conscientia est cordis scientia and Gods golden dowry bestowed vpon the soule and yet it hath had them worst hap that any word had in the world in the Common weale especially in the Church of Christ for neuer as yet could it be found in her full sillables at once but some sillable or other was wanting in her Fasciculus temporum tels vs this in A.D. 1426. In the Apostles time saith hee there was con and sci but entia was wanting they had the endowment of the spirit but not the endowment of possessions Afterwards there was con and entia but sci was wanting they were not the learnedst men But in my time saith he con and sci are both gone and there is nothing left but entia they haue all the Honours Mannours and fat of the Land But we may now say that it is come round about againe and it is with vs as it was at the first we haue con and sci but our entia are called in question by many embeziled and by too many enuied and thought too much O nauis referunt in the noui fluctus O quid agis fortitèr occupaportum Wee may now well entertaine and renew that allegoricall speech of the Lyricke Poet O ship new waues come and dash vpon thee O what doest thou manfully and strongly hold and keepe thine harbour and thy hauen Certainly people are neuer miserable till conscience turnes their enemy then they are miserable indeed for Nocte dieque suum gestabunt pectore testem Cui non sanus erit They shall carry about their witnesse night and day which witnesse dyeth not We shall all die but our Conscience shall not die we may lose our selues but we cannot lose our Conscience the light of it may be shadowed for a time but it cannot be cleane put out It shall appeare with vs at the day of iudgement and then it shall speake with vs or against vs. If against vs then most miserable wretches shall wee be for then it shall be said vnto vs Depart ye cursed into euerlasting fire But if it shall be with vs then blessed and and happy shall we be for then it shall be said vnto vs Come ye blessed â—f my Father inberite the Kingdome of heauen prepared for you from the beginning of the world I feare the time is past and willingly I would not be tedious vnto you I will therefore conclude and commit you and commend you to the Author of this generall rule of Iustice Christ Iesus our Sauiour begging and beseeching him to blesse sanctifie guide and direct you all that you may still remember and follow this generall rule of Iustice to doe as ye would be done vnto in all your actions and in all your life conuersation that so you may liue in the feare die in the fauour rest in the peace rise in the power and at last remaine with him in euerlasting glory to whom with the Father c. FINIS