men fall into many things that are not only hinderance to their happines but also bring them to extreme infelicity But this matter belongeth to another subject to go about to prove it is all one as if a man should offer to shew the light of the Sun with a candle And therfore to return from whence we digressed that the fruites which ambition and desire of dominion and glory doth ordinarily bring forth may further appeare the bloudy practices tragicall events that lately happened betweene the French King Henry the third and the Duke of Guise are nothing inferiour in that kinde to any examples of antiquitie CHAP. IIII. The death of the Duke of Guise and the Cardinall his brother The treason of Iohn lustinian and his reward Of divers that by notourious and infamous Act sought to winne fame and glorie as Pausanias Herostrarus Poltrot Iohn Ianrige Balthasar Seracke Iames Clement a Dominican Friar The Storie of a Spanish Priest Of such as from basenesse aspired to principality and empire of Tamerlaine Arsace c. With many histories to that purpose The originall of the Amazons of Sivard king of Sencia of fundry â—…artike Ladies c. A discourse of beauty and varity in apparell And that no traer felicitie can sabsist cytber in pleasure riches or benour CRedible â—…bors affirme that the Duke of Goise aspired to the kingdom of France which at length being known to the king he applied all his wirs to prevent him And after many accempts long deliberatioÌ„ he could find no berser means than to take his life from him And to bring this to pafs he called together divers of the Cardinals principall nobility among which were such as he most mistrusted misliked made the of his couÌ„cel And being asseÌ„bled to coÌ„sult upoÌ„ matters of great importaÌ„ce the king maketh to them a solemne eloquent speech feining that he was now sufficiently taught that the king of Navarre being an hereticke and excommunicate and by the Pope pronounced not capable of a kingdome conspired with his consederats to take from him his crowne He told them that hee was weary of the wars and travels of a kingdome was resolved to yield over all government and give himselfe to ease and rest And forasmuch as God had given him no heire of his body to inherite his crowne and small hope thereof left he desired them with a fatherly care that they would think upon some man that were meet to succeed him and take upon him the governement of the Realme such an one as would pursue the King of Navarre and the heretickes to death That at length the flourishing kingdom of France may enjoy his religion and long looked for peace These words he spake with such gravity and shew of plaine meaning that no man mistrusted any fraud or dissimulatioÌ„ This speech of the kings was nothing unpleasant to some of his new counsellers who answered him that the King was yong and lusty enough wel able to govern the Realm himself for the continuance wherofthey praicd to God nights and day that he needed no other mans counsel or help Neverthelesse seeing that the kings tâ—…ind was more addicted to quietnesse rest than to wars or government of his realme it were no reasorr for the to deny the king their counsell in those things that were agreeable to his will were profitable to the common-wealth yet they desired the king to name some man whom hee thought able to beare so great a burden and worthy of so high a dignitie that after his death were meet to succeed him The king after he had reckoned many Princes worthy to reign he concluded that he knew none among them more meet for this purpose than the Duke of Guise whose worthiness and praises and service done by him and his father to the Commonwealth when he had set forth with a great many goodly words his councell willingly allowed his choyce and sent presently to the Duke of Guise to â—…ine to the Court hom whence for feare he had before absented himselfe Who presently came in post to the king of whom he was with great courtesie and honour received and the whole Realme commited to his government with high â—…tes of dignities But this felicitic continued not long The King to avoyd the mischiefe that hanged over his own head pursuing his resolution to deliver himselfe of the feare of the Duke to bring the matter the better to passe the king stiored by devotion determined to remove to a Cell meaning there to bee confessed and to receive the Sacrament Hee called into his chamber soure of his Councell such as he best trusted where hee discovered about them the iâ—…arits and indigtitles hee had received of the Duke of Guise his extreme â—…bition and desire to migne the danger he stood in by the reasons continuatly practised by the Duke and his consederares against his person He told them that hee was determined to have the Duke slaine as a Traitor unprosicable member to the reaâ—…me And when he had desised their advise some were of opinion that it were better to coÌ„mit him some of his consederates to some strong prison and to proceede against them by order of justice But the rest considering the imminent danger were of a contrary opinion The King likewise uttered his conccit allodging it to be a thing full of porill to delay the time and to proceede with him by order of law That the Duke was grown so great that no Iudge in the realme would or durstadjudge him to death and therefore he was determined to have him killed Being thus resolved the king sends one to the Duke to shew him that he had some secret matter wherof to conferre with him before he went to consession and receive the Sacrament and therefore that he should come to the king in his chamber where he stayed for him The chamber was hanged with very rich Arras behinde which were hidden eight men appointed to doe the act The Gaiâ—…commâ—… into the the chamber but king was not there to hee found having withdrawn himselfe into and the chamber which made the Duke suspect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one steppeth forth from behinde the hangings and whom as the Duke coâ—… end 〈◊〉 the â—…her sevenâ—… him many wounds so as being ground crying alowd for helpe and mercy The Câ—…dinall his brother perceiving by his voyce the danger he was in ran to help him but being kept out by aâ—…men another came into the chamer and already â—…ing and vised him to aske God forgivenesse and the 〈◊〉 The Duke twise asked mercy of God and then spiâ—… no more words but held his hand upon his mouths as though the name of the king was odinâ—…s to him Alter the Duke was dead the Cardinall of Guise and divers others were apprehended and the Cardinall being brought into the place where his brother lay the king commeth in and asked him whether he
secrets to any speciall person for he used to say that when the people do understand that the Prince is counselled or directed by any one person such a one may bee with gifts and requests easily corrupted Philip de Comines saith that if any private man hath such favour and grace with the Prince that all others be compelled to feare and please him that man reigneth and enjoyeth the kingdome and provideth so carefully for his owne matters that hee neglecteth the affaires of the common-wealth And those Magistrates that beare chiefe rule in the common wealth under their Prince are thought to commit a fault when they give such especial credit to any of their servants or favorites as to suffer them to be the preferrers and solliciters of mens suits abusing thereby many times their credit with their master to the hindrance of right and justice to their owne gaine and his scandall wherein they might doe much better to heare suiters deliver their owne cause and let their servants or favorites meddle with their private affaires These two things may be observed in histories to be dangerous apparent signes notes of the ruine or alteration of a common-wealth the one when the riches wealth of the realme is gathered together into a few mens hands the rest live in want and extreame poverty the other when the Magistrates be covetous and justice corrupted and the people licentious and wicked and given to all manner of vice And there be three srnnes especially above all others noted by historians that bring danger and publike punishment and calamitic to kingdoms empires Vngodlinesse Injustice and Luxuriousnesse Vngodlinesse troubleth the Church Injustice the common-wealth Luxuriousnesse private families and the hurt in particular redoundeth to the whole The vices of private families enter into the common-wealth the vices of the cōmon-wealth into every mans house and the infection of them both corrupteth the Church As contrariwise If the ecclesiasticall discipline begin to decay the others fall with it for if godlinesse bee extinguished the love of honestie and vertue waxeth cold These vices delivered the Iewes to the Assyrians and the Greekes to the Turkes Iosephus reporteth that in his time the Iewes were growne so wicked that if the Romanes had not destroyed them without doubt either the earth would have opened and swallowed them up or else fire from heaven would have consumed them CHAP. III. Of Henry the third king of France The miseries that attend on the neglect of justice Venses presented to the Senate of Rome by king Boccas The rare continency of Romane Scipio and king Alexander the Great Examples of rare friendship in Damon and Pythias and in Ephenus and Everitus Foolish friendship in the two kings Hading and Hunding The treachery of Duke Valentine sonne to the Pope How dangerous it is for yong Gentlemen to travellinto Italy Marcus Aurelius Emperour Of the vices of Rome Ancient writers concerns friendship The ingratitude of men reproved in the histories of bruit beasts as Dogs Horses Oxen Lyons c. OUr owne age hath given us examples and experience of the dangers that the generality of vices and corruption of good manners and customes hath brought to a common-wealth and how necessarie it is for a Prince to be inquisitive and looke often into the manners of his ministers and subjects and to foresee in season that the corruption of a few members doe not infect the whole body of the common-wealth In the latter troubles of France in the reigne of Henry the third all the states by the kings appointment were assembled to reforme the disorders abuses and corruptions that were crept into all parts of the realme When they had reckoned up to the king in the assembly the generalitie of vices the disorders abuses and corruptions which had over-run all parts of France they set before his eyes with eloquent speech the evill bestowing of the ecclesiasticall functions upon persons unfit the ambition the covetousnesse the plurality of benefices the non-residencie the contempt of the law of God the luxuriousnesse and dissolutenesse of Bishops and principall Prelates except some few that jetted in great pompe up and downe his Court and in all other places with troopes of servants the most wicked and lewd in al the realme their houses sound not of Psalmes and songs to the honour of God but of barking of dogs and singing of birds and of all manner of dissolute voyces Then they shewed how their Noblemen Gentlemen were degenerate from their forefathers and what vices were now usuall amongst them and among the rest their swearings and blasphemies of the name of God whereas the oath of their forefathers was By the faith of a Gentleman which was done with reverence and in cases necessary and not oherwise And speaking more generally blasphemie say they is their mother tongue and ordinary with many Frenchmen Adulterie is to them a pastime Symonie is common merchandise The richer ignorant sort of the Realme finde place in the chiefe dignities men are knowne rather by their proud attire than by their vertue their knowledge or by their goodnesse Then come they to the overthrow of Iustice and the great abuse that was therein committed the delayes the subtilties and disguising of the truth that was there usuall the miserie of them that followed sutes by the subtiltie of the parties the little zeale and negligence of Iudges by so many delayes such prolongings whereby justice was not exercised but rather vexed and encombred and often troden under foote that the particular respect of many was the cause of these evils who laboured by this meanes to increase their estate to their posteritie Of these and the like things say they the King had appointed to be informed of his Iudges but his commandement was all one as if hee had not commanded for all was unprofitable and unfruitfull And this is the wickednesse of this time that the Iudges are bound to judge according to the Lawes as they have sworne and promised when they received their charge yet notwithstanding it is glorious to a great many Iudges in these dayes to say that they are not bound to judge according to the lawes written by the Lawyers but they will judge according to their owne braines whereof it followeth that as every one aboundeth in his owne sense so many heads so many opinions so many Courts so many sentences Hereof riseth the diversity of judgments in the like cases and in the selfe same matter by meane whereof the poore suters fall into infinite charges and immortall sutes Lawes seeme no other things than written papers Then proceeding to other disorders and abuses they came to the selling of offices and the power of judgment which was the cause that the more wicked sort was most honoured the most ignorant most esteemed that the stronger oppresseth without punishment the weaker that without scruple they sell that justice by retaile that was bought in grosse that
THe respect the Heathens had to the observation not of one or two but of all morall vertues may make Christians blush to thinke what observers they would have beene of Christian vertues if they had knowne God as we doe Zeleucus made a law among the Locrians that whosoever committed adultery should lose both his eyes it chanced that his sonne was condemned for that crime and determining that the penalty of the law should with severity be inst upon him yet being intreated by the earnest petitioÌ„ of the whole city who in as much as in them was for the honor and reverence of the father forgave the necessity of the punishment of the yong man first caused one of his own eyes and after one of his sonues eyes to be plucked out leaving sight to them both Thus though the rigour of the law was in a sort qualified yet the penalty thereof was by a wonderfull moderation of equitie sufficiently fulfilled dividing himselfe indifferently betweene a mercifull father and a just law-maker Charondas having pacified the seditious assemblies of the people and meaning to provide for the like in time to come made a law that whosoever did enter into the Senate with any weapon should presently bee slaine in processe of time it chauned him to returne to his house from a farre journey out of the countrey having his sword by his side and in the same sort as hee then was forgetting the law upon some present occasion hee went into the Senate and being admonished by one that stood next him that he had broken his owne law not so quoth hee but I will confirme it and immediately drawing his sword and turning the point to his brest hee fell downe upon it and slew himselfe I note not this example because I allow of the fact but that men may see how carefully the heathens observed justice and morall vertues which they preferred before their owne life for when he might easily have excused himselfe by haste and forgetfulnesse yet lest that might bee an occasion to some other with an evill intent to offend the law hee chose rather to warne others by his owne example Iulius Casar caused one of his Captaines to be beheaded because he had dishocoured the mistreste of the house where he lodged without staying for one to accuse him or for her husbands complaint Solyman Emperour of the Turks sent his Bassa into Valona to passe into Italy this man landed at the haven of Castro which so dismayed the inhabitants that they yeelded themselves to him upon his oath and promise that they should depart with bagge and baggage but contrary to his faith he caused them all to be slaine except such as were thought fit to serve for slaves After his returne to Constantinople the great being advertised of his breach of faith caused him to be strangled and sent back all his prisoners with their goods into Italy Among the rare examples of the Heathens we will recite a strange kind of severitie used by Christians out of the Histories of the Switzers The Switzers have a free common-wealth wherof they are very jealous There was a yong man among them that went about to usurpe the government and alter the state whom when they had condemned to death judgment was given that the execution should be done by his father as the cause of his evill education that hee might receive his death by the author of his life and that the father in some sort might be punished for his negligence used in the education of his child And these were notable examples of Iustice and policie used by the Emperours Trajan Antoninus Pius Alexander Severus and others worthie of consideration because the felicitie of Princes is said to bee in well governing their people For that common-wealth saith one cannot decay where the poore have justice and the wicked rich men punishment and especially if there bee good doctrine for the young and little covetousnesse in the olde In the daies of Trajan none that had charge of justice might augment his goods but in that estate of riches or poverty wherein hee beganne to governe in the same hee was to containe himselfe and to looke for reward at the Princes hand according to his merit Hoc deterius habet respublica quo magis res privatae slorent Hee also confidering the great impoverishing and tediousnesse that long suites brought to his people ordained that all suites of Italy should continue but one yeare and the suites of other countryes but halfe a yeare The Emperour Antoninus never sent any pretor to governe any Province that was wise and valiant onely but hee also must be without any infection of pride and covetousnesse For he thought that no man could well governe a common wealth that is subject to pride or covetousnesse Vnto Pretors Censors and Questors before he gave them any country to governe hee caused them first to give up an Inventory of their owne proper goods to the end that when their charge was finished the increase of their wealth should be considered And joyntly therewith he did both say and warne them that he sent them to minister justice and not by fraud to robbe his people The Emperours Valentiman and Theodosius tooke this order with Iudges governours of Provinces that they should sweare at the entring into their charge that they had not given nor promised any thing and that they would not give nor cause to be given any thing and also that they would take nothing but their fee. And if it were proved that they had taken any thing being lawfull for every man to accuse them they should pay foure times so much besides the infamie and perjurie and the like penaltie was against him that gave the present The Emperour Iustiman would say that all Iudges ought to contemne riches and to shew their hands cleane to God to the Emperour or King and to the law which is also to be understood of all Magistrates and governours It is unpossible saith one but the same day that riches treasures begin to increase in the houses of Magistrates and Iudges that the selfe same day the administration of Iustice should not decay And though he were ready to pardon all other offences yet in the executioÌ„ of justice he that did offend though the matter were not great he would with great severity punish him grievoasly Institia 〈◊〉 maxime reddunt dâ—…turnum 〈◊〉 When Augudus Casar sent a Governour into Affrica with the change of Iustice My friend quoth he I pat you not in trust with mine honour nor commit to you my justice to the end you should bee envious of innocents and an executioner of transgressours but that with one hand you should helpe to maintain the good and with the other hand helpe to amend the evill and if you will know what mine intent is I send you to bee a grandfather for orphants an advocate
Rome sounded of songs and in Pope Iulius time with the drumme and the fife Every one imitating the manners of his Prince Because the Emperour Charles the fift and Henry the eight our noble king and Francis the French king favoured learning and gave countenance and credit to learned men in all parts of their dominions learned men in their times beganne greatly to encrease And when the same king Francis was polled for the better healing of a wound in his head all his Courtiers presently and others by their example out off their haire which before they did weare long as a beauty Alexander the great by nature did hold his head aside whereupon his Courtiers to bee like him would hold their heades aside also And what earthly creature representeth so much the image of God as a good King For by how much the greater a man is in power and useth the same well according to Gods appointment by so much hee draweth nearer to God and therefore so much the nearer to felicity Hee giveth good lawes to his people and governeth with equitie administreth justice indifferently hee punisheth the wicked maintaineth the good protecteth the innocent hee sheweth mercie to divers and giveth life to many Hee onely among men doth all things as hee will yet alwayes respecting justice and remembring from whence hee hath his authoritie And Ecphautes the Philosopher saith that hee which beareth rule over others must not bee ignorant who rules him For as Marcus A◅relius saith The Magistrate is iudge of private men Princes of Magistrates and God of Princes By mee Kings reigne and Princes decree justice for iustice is the end of the law the law the worke of the Prince the Prince the image of God One saith that a Prince is custas boni aequi quasi animatum ius And therefore they that come to the Prince seeme not to come to him as to a man but as to iustice and equitie it selfe Artaxerxes to one that demaunded of him an u◅iust thing said that the office of a good King is above all things to esteeme iustice and equitie And Philip King of Macedon answered Arpalus that importuned him to favour a cause of his Cosins It were better that your Cosin should be defamed in the state bee is in for his outrage than I that am a King and command over so great a country should give occasion to my subjects to speake evill of mee for doing this injustice in fauour of him or of you The Emperor Galba would often say that a Prince should foresee that they of his Court should do no man wrong but he that did it should be punished with rigour Plinie the younger speaketh thus of the good Emperour Trajane Vtenim felicitatis est posse quantumvelis velis sic m◅tudinis velle quantum possis For as it belongeth to felicity to be able to doe what thou wilt so doth it belong to mightinesse to will what thou art able to do As if he should say that the felicity of a Prince consisteth in commaunding and governing according to iustice Alexander the great was used to say that all the felicitie of a Prince consisteth in well governing of the common-wealth for as the subiect oweth to the Prince obedience ayd and honour so the Prince oweth to his subiects iustice defence and protection The end of all lawes and government saith Plato is that the people be happy love one another and follow vertue As it belongeth to the eye to see to the eare to heare to the nose to smell so doth it to the Prince to provide for the matters of his people a kingdom being no other thing than a care of others safety Antigonus said to his sonne that their kingdome was a noble servitude In shew saith a king we live in greatnes but in effect we serve our people For a king is chosen not to live deliciously but that they who chuse him should live well and happily A good king is a publike servant a distributer of the goods of fortune a protector of the good and a whip of the wicked a minister of mercy and iustice example of life to his inferiours Plinie said to his master Trajan the life of a Prince is a censure that is to say the rule the square the line and the forme of an honest life according to which their subiects direct their maner of life and governe their families of the life of Princes the subjects take their patterne and example more than of their lawes In maxima fortuna minima licentia est for in a true Prince publike piety doth alwayes restraine private affection A King is Lord of all but then especially when he over-ruleth himselfe and becommeth master over the lusts that bring all the world in subjection That Prince sayth one that hath his mouth full of truth his hands open to give rewards his eares stopped to lyes and his heart open to mercy is happy the people that hath him fortunate Alphonsus king of Spaine sayd that the fimple word of a Prince ought to be of as great weight as the oath of private persons And Princes oftentimes commit faults not because they have no desire to do well but because no man dare or will admonish them Vices sayth one are nourished in Princes palaces because pleasures abound and counsell wanteth Neither do they become evill so much by their owne disposition as by the evill example and shamelesse flattery of their parasites One sayth Principum aula mendacii adulationis gymnasium est Wilt thou know saith Seneca what thing is very scarce with them that be advanced to high dignities what is wanting to them that possesse all things a man that will speake truth The administration saith one of the affaires of a common-wealth by experience onely without learning doth often deceive as learning onely without experience doth the like but when both are joyned together it maketh a happy common-wealth It is a goodly thing sayth the Emperor Theodosine for a Prince to have stout captaines for the wars but without comparison it is better to keepe have wisemen in his palace It is very hard to find a man that is a very valiant soldier a very good coūseller The counsellers officers of Princes ought to be so just that sherers cannotfind what to cut away in their lives nor that there needeth any needle or thread to amend their fame It is an unseemly thing for a man that is in an honourable place to live delicately loosely or incontinently The Emperour Alexander Severus would often say that good Princes ought to esteeme them for greater enemies that deceive them with flattering and lyes than such as doe intrude upon their countries for the one taketh not but of his goods but the other robbeth him of his fame Flattery hath more often overthrowne the riches of Kings than his enemies Miser est imperator
hee could have hindered it and did not because he ought not to hinder it lest hee should disturbe his apointed and settled order and destroy his owne worke God therefore is not the Authour of evill and sin for al things which he made are good It is no efficient but a deficient cause Evil is no substance nor nature but an accident that commeth to the substance when it is voyde of those good qualities that ought naturally to be in them and supplieth the others absence with his presence And that hee suffereth evill to be done agreeeth with his great justice and mercy For if God should suffer no evill to be done men could not finne which agreeth not with his nature the Creator of all things having given him in the beginning free-will And except there should bee sinners how should God shew mercy But because all men commit sinne many waies God findeth every where matter to forgive every whereupon whom to shew mercy Saint Augustine sayth If the disease were light the Physitian would bee contemned and not sought and if the Physitian should not be sought the disease would have no end Therefore where sinne abounded there also grace abounded which onely divideth the redeemed from the damned All which things are sufficient testimonie against us that God made all things good and the evill that is happened to us is come upon us by our owne fault that disobeied God to obey the Divell Wee must confesse therefore that God made man good and a divine creature after his owne image that he endued him with many goodly gifts and ornaments that hee made the world and all things therein to serve man as he made man to serve him and as man is the end of the world so God is the end of man that he esteemed him in place of his sonne and opened his mind to him But because man preferred his owne appetite before the will of his Creator and became as a bastard and degenerate not onely by breaking Gods commandement but by affecting an equality with him he fell out of his favour and lost those gifts hee first gave him and is justly punished by him that is most just with the alteration of his estate and condition as a rebell against his Sovereigne and Creator because he would not continue and rest in his felicitie wherein God had first placed him that is in the contemplation of his Creator but would needs seeke his felicity some other where For the end of man is to glorifie God having made him for his own glory and the end felicity beatitude and Sumâ—… bâ—…num of man is all one by the Philosophers confession as hath been shewed before Therfore God that hath made all things good and is most good and goodnesse it selfe is the felicitie or beatitude and Summum bonum of man And though man by his ungratefull revolting from God that had bestowed such innumerable benefits upon him deserved justly to bee utterly destroyed yet hee dealt mercisully with him that hee took not away all as his demerits required and left him a meanes to returne into his grace againe For by taking away the things he first gave us he would make us humble by the fall of our first parent lest by the like presumptuousnesse we should fall againe A King buildeth a new city and endoweth it as the manner is with many priviledges and liberties it happeneth the citizens to rebel the king taketh away from them many of their liberties and priviledges Which punishment of rebellion descendeth to all their posterity though the city was begun with a few families it groweth at length to bee very populous His giving those priviledges to the first inhabitants was to bee imputed to his bounteousnesse and liberality that he took them away was his justice that he denied restitution of them to their posterity was his clemency lest they being of the same disposition should procure againe their owne destruction So God gave unto man liberty a great priviledge and adorned him with many goodly gifts both of body mind for the which he ought to praise his goodness And because by abusing his gifts he hath taken them away or diminished them is to be attributed to his justice which hee hath done lest by example of the first man his posterity being of the same condition should commit againe the like offence and fall into the like punishment Thus it pleased God of his goodnesse to chastise his people and to suffer them to bee governed by his lawes but not utterly destroy them And that mankinde might feele and know how great miseries follow their sin and fall and thereby learn humility and godlines and to call for his great mercy apparent in the middest of his high justice that notwithstanding mans grievous offence ingratitude he would not utterly destroy his posterity whom he had made to his glory but raised up one out of that rebellious stocke that should satisfie his justice wherby they might live and bee received into grace againe hereby it is evident that mans nature is corrupted not so created at the first by God but by abusing his gifts and graces is fallen from goodnesse into wickednesse from his speciall favour into his just indignation And as we are of the nature of that man our first parent in whom humane nature was universally polluted so doe wee receive from him his nature and draw to us the corruption thereof from whence is derived by propagation the cause of our miserable estate and condition Now that we have shewed how by what meâ—…es wee fell out of Gods favour into this stinking pit and dunge on let us see how we may wade out of it againe God all men confesse to be Creator of all things and as he is good goodnesse it selfe all that he hath made must needs bee also good as proceeding from the fountaine of goodnesse And because God is wisedome all his creations we must needs acknowledge were made to some end For nature say the Philosophers doth nothing in vaine but all things well much more God the Creator of nature doth all things to an end And as God is the beginning middle and end of all things so hath he none other end of his workes but himselfe For he made all things to his own glorie and therefore we that be the creatures of God of whom we have our beginning and life can have no other end but God So that God is our Summum bonum or Soveraigne good our beatitude and felicity To that end therefore to the attaining of that good which is the proper action and true felicity of man all our studies and desires all our labours and diligence ought to be directed and employed If mans first nature had remained whole and uncorrupted there would not have needed any great search to bee made to find out his felicity For our end or felicity did then shine in our understanding and the same
arrogant to take upon him to enter into the knowledge and secrets of God as to prescribe a rule by which God is to be worshipped We must flye unto God for his helpe poore wretches as we are to whom wee are not able to goe except hee vouchsafe to come downe unto vs. The Sunne cannot be seene without the Sunne no more can God be knowne without his helpe and light No man can worship God except he know him and no man can know him except hee discover himselfe to him And therefore what worship is meete for him can be knowne of none except hee vouchsafe to reveale himselfe in his word and oracles For that God cannot be worshipped but by the prescript of his owne will both the consciences of all men and God himselfe in his holy word doth testifie Esay and Matth. In vaine doe they worship mee who teach the doctrines and commandements of men And this therefore is the second marke that the religion teacheth the worshipping of God leaning upon the word of God and revealed of God himselfe But this neither is sufficient that the religion we seeke for teacheth us to worship the true God and that by Gods word and appointment for God gave us a law out of his owne mouth according to his holinesse and justice that wee might be holy like him But if we cannot of our selves know God nor how to worship him how can we after he revealed himselfe to us and gave us a law to worship him performe our duty to God and fulfill the law We ought to loue God above all things and for his sake whatsoever beareth his image though wee never knew or saw him before But who dare arrogate to himselfe such a perfect charity to love his neighbour as hee ought and for his sake that hee ought that is no otherwise than for himselfe and for God But if wee examine our coldnesse in the love of God wee shall perceive the reflexion thereof to our neighbour to bee frozen And therefore the third marke is that the religion we seeke must helpe us to a means whereby Gods justice must be satisfied without which not only all other religions are vain and of none effect but that also which seemeth to have the keeping of the worshipping of God So that the Heathens saw by instinct of nature and by reason that there is a God and that mans soveraigne good is to bee joyned with God and that some way to the same was necessary which they thought to bee any religion which they had invented to worship and adore him And hereof came their magicke and idolatry and superstitious ceremonies of their owne invention But the right way is beyond their reach and a great deale higher than it can be found out by men for there is a great difference betweene to know that God must bee worshipped and to know how hee should rightly bee worshipped Hierocles saith that religion is the study of wisedome consisting in the purgation and perfection of life by which we are joyned againe and made like to God And the way saith he to that purgation is to enter into our conscience to search out our sinnes and confesse them to God But here they are all gravelled and at a stand for of the confession of our sinnes followeth death and damnation except God that is Iustice it selfe and most good and to evill most contrary be pacified and made mercifull to us sinners But we seeke for the true and everlasting life in religion and not immortall death Seing then that the end of man in this life is to returne to God that hee may bee joyned with him in the other life which is his soveraigne good and felicity or beatitude and that the way to returne to God is religion and that as there is one true God so there can be but one true religion whose markes be to worship the true God and that by the appointment of his owne word and such as reconcileth man to God let us see what religion hath the same markes and meanes That the Israelites worshipped the true God the Creator of heaven is apparant by the confession also of some of the learned Heathens Seneca said the basest people meaning the Iewes gave lawes unto all the world that is they onely worshipped the true God the Creator of all things for the Israelites onely of all the world worshipped the true God the knowledge of whom they received from hand to hand even from the first man and how hee would bee worshipped among which people hee wrought wonderfull matters But the Painims worshipped goddes of their owne making sometimes men and sometimes divels that are enemies to God Such was the blindnesse of man in the matters of God and his vanitie and negligence in the matters pertaining to his salvation after the corruption received by his fall But it is certaine and manifest by that which hath beene said that man was placed in this world to worshippe God his Creatour which worshippe wee call religion and therefore as soone as man was in the world there was without doubt also religion for mans band and covenant towards God was made even with man the very same day that hee was created that is the duty of man towards God which is religion or godlinesse And because it is not doubted but that the first habitation of men was in the country about Damasco wee may also with reason beleeve that there the first man was created which Countries thereabout have beene of great antiquitie the habitation of the Israelites and even from the beginning of them from whom they descended who alwayes 〈◊〉 from age to age certaine bookes those which wee call the Bible or old Testament which they followed and had in great reverence as the true word of the true God in which hee did vouchsafe to reveale himselfe to men and to give them a law how to bee worshipped which bookes bee continued without intermission from the creation of the world and by little and little leadeth us even to Christ which have alwaies beene of such authority with the true 〈◊〉 that they have given no credit to any other books neither could they bee drawne from their beleese in them by no warres calamities exiles torments nor slaughter which cannot be sayd of any other people All the bookes histories or chronicles of the Romanes Grecians Egyptians or of any other nations be as yesterday in respect of the antiquitie of the Bible Therefore wee are assured in that booke is contained the true religion that is the true worshipping of the true God and Creator of the world in which hee hath revealed unto us himselfe by his owne word In the religion also contained in that book is the third marke that is the means by which men may be reconciled to God And because this is the principall part of religion to make it more plaine wee must make a repetition of some thing that hath
been said Man is immortall his soveraigne good or beatitude is not to bee had in this life but it is to bee joyned with God in heaven to which hee shall attaine if whilst he is here upon the earth he love and worship God with all his heart and bee obedient continually to his will But our first parent that was by nature free and capable of goodnesse revolted from God that is from his soveraigne good and by his rebellion was made a flave to sinne by means whereof he fell from God and from his beatitude And therefore except he find pardon by grace he is fallen into extreame misery which we call hell From this man wee derive our pedegree whose 〈◊〉 hath begotten our flesh and made us the servants of sinne as hee was made himselfe so that naturally we are to expect the reward of sin that is death for wee are heires to our father whose inheritance is death onely and damnation And we heape daily more coales upon our heads For no man performeth that to God which the law most justly requireth and therefore every one daily offendeth God many waies in thought word and deede so as they sinke continually deeper And against whom do wee commit these offences Against our Father our Creator that hath bestowed so many things upon us from whom we revolt to the deuill his enemy And as the offence doth multiply and encrease according to the respect of him against whom it is committed so doth the offence against his divine Majestie that is infinite deserve punishment In what case then are wee miserable creatures that dayly commit sinne upon sin except God himselfe discover some way how his justice may by satisfied and how wee may come into his favour againe In this distresse religion presenteth it selfe to us which sheweth us the true God But what is that but to present the guilty before the Iudge What doth religion then availe us It leadeth us to the Scripture which sheweth the expresse will of God to bee that we should love him with all our heart and our neighbour as our selfe and to them that obey his will he pronounceth eternall life to the disobedient eternall death Seeing the same Scripture sheweth that mankind is corrupted from the beginning and that all our imaginations and 〈◊〉 are wicked and seeing we all feele in our selves and in our members motions contrary to the will of God and therefore wee detest with horrour the botomelesse pit of hell But as this Scripture pronounceth against us our condemnation and a severe sentence of death so doth it also shew us a Mediator by whose helpe and meanes we may obtaine pardon and grace and be reconciled to God againe In which conjunction that beatitude and felicity may bee restored to us for which wee were created at the first And this is the third marke of the true religion for it is certaine that the religion which God hath so deepely engraven in our hearts is not in vaine Now he that will enter into himselfe and duely consider his owne insufficiency to performe the justice of the Lawe shall easily see how necessary it was for us to have a Mediaâ—…our to pacific Gods wrath and to satisfie his justice and how greatly we are bound to our Creator that would not reject or utterly destroy us as our demerits required but rather would leave us a meanes to returne into his favour againe without which wee must have all suffered eternall death and damnation which favour sheweth us plainely that as God is just so he is mercifull This Mediatour therefore must bee such as will not onely 〈◊〉 his wrath by fulfilling our obedience due to our Creator and purchase his grace and procure us his mercy but also satisfie his justice which is immutable And for as much as the offence is infinite and the punishment likewise being committed against the Creator which is infinite the satisfaction of the punishment must also be infinite If man should offer the world to God hee received it of God and by his owne fault hath lost it againe And seeing God made the world of nothing which must also have an end the world can bee no sufficient satisfaction for the offence that is infinite If man offer himselfe what doth hee offer but an unthankfull and rebellious mind blasphemous wordes and perverse deeds by which hee shall provoke the wrath of God and incense him the more against us If an Angell should intreat for us a creature will bee no sufficient Intercessor to pacifiethe the Creator and though hee bee good yet not being infinite hee cannot cover an infinite evill So that we must needs say that God must set himselfe between his justice and his mercy and that as hee created us at the first so he must new make us againe and as he created us in his favour so hee must absolve us from his wrath and as hee declared hi wisedome in creating us so hee must shew the same in restoring us But who then is that Mediator God against God Infinite against Infinite that can both cancel that infinit obligation satisfie that infinite punishment It is even Iesus Christ the only Sonne and wisedome of the eternall Father both God and man A man that he may be borne under the law God that he may fulfill the law a man that he may serve God that he may redeem a man that he may submit himselfe with all humility God that he may submit himself above all things a man that he may suffer God that he may overcome a man that he may die God 〈◊〉 hee may truimph over death It is also necessary to our salvation that our Mediatour be a man that he may suffer punishment for our sins and reconcile mankinde to God againe For except he were descended of the same kinde we are wee could not bee partakers in any sort of him nor he of us so should his satisfaction merits appertain nothing unto us therfore it is requisit that he should be borne of our progeny that he may be flesh of our flesh bones of our bones that as we be all in Adam the servants of sinne so we may be in the Mediatour free and discharged of the reward of sin that is from death againe he must overcom sin he must be without sin and because he must make us cleane he must be without spoâ—… for we are conceived in iniquity borne in filthiness and corruption insomuch that as it is necessary he should be a man so it is requisite hee should bee conceived in another sort than after the manner of men And after so many great miracles which God hath wrought we need not wonder at this that 〈◊〉 was conceived of the holy Ghost and brought forth by a Virgin Hee that could draw out a woman from a man without a man could also bring forth a man from a woman without a man Many things seeme unpossible if
the second who summoned him before the Tribunall seat in heaven 203 A contention betwixt the Abbot of Fulda and the Bishop of Hildeseme ibid. Of Pope 〈◊〉 a woman 204 Of the Popes scrutiny 205 The pride of king Herod and 〈◊〉 205 Divers examples of the Divels 〈◊〉 answers to the ruine of those that trust in him 206 A worthy example in one 〈◊〉 207 The insuffrable ambition of 〈◊〉 Magus 208 Of a 〈◊〉 in Constantinople 209 Of the Magician 〈◊〉 ibid. The Abbot 〈◊〉 a great Nocromancer 210 His Art shewed before the Emperour Maximilian 211 Albertus 〈◊〉 a Monke and Necromancer 212 Pope Gragory the seventh a Magician 213 A letter of 〈◊〉 to the Clergy 214 The Earle of Mascon a Magician ibid. A strange story of a Spanish woman of Corduba called 〈◊〉 215 Her hypocrisie disclosed and confest 218 The history of the false Prophet 〈◊〉 219 His miserable and wretched end 226 An Epitaph of a tyrannous Viceroy in Sicilia 227 Of Salmoxes 228 The strange ambition of an Hermite in Affrica 229 Who in three yeares became Monarch of six Kingdoms pag. 230 The miserable ends of him and his Councell 232 Of 〈◊〉 Adella sonne to the Hermit 233 The resolute end of those Turkes which starved the Hermit ibid. Of a blasphemous Iew 234 Of George 〈◊〉 a new Prophet 235 A strange history of a child borne in Babylon 236 A strange history extracted out of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 237 Of the instigation of evill 〈◊〉 241 〈◊〉 IIII. A curious policy prosecuted by the King of France against the Duke of Guise 242 The Sacrament made a colour for murder 244 The death of the Duke of Guise 〈◊〉 The death of the Cardinal the brother to the Guise 245 The complaint of the 〈◊〉 of Guise 246 A great justice upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Genoway 248 Philip King of Macedon 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 249 Of Herostratus that burnt the Temple of 〈◊〉 and others ib. The great ambition of the Duke of Alva 250 The old Duke of Guise 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 251 Of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who would have slaine the Prince of 〈◊〉 252 Of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who slew the Prince of Orange His 〈◊〉 255 Of 〈◊〉 Clement a Dominican Monke who slew the 〈◊〉 King Henry the 〈◊〉 256 Of Pope 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 after the French Kings death 258 A Friar canoniz'd for a Saint because he was a 〈◊〉 259 The story of a Spanish Priest 260 Of the Lady Mary de 〈◊〉 261 That all glory is but vanity 263 Of 〈◊〉 a Portugall 264 Of 〈◊〉 ibid. Of Arsaces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Probus 〈◊〉 Agelmund 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 Of 〈◊〉 of Leyden 266 The originall of the Amazons 267 Of 〈◊〉 King of 〈◊〉 268 Of c. 269 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Q 〈◊〉 270 A custome in the Indies 273 Of true nobility ibid. The rich are of true 〈◊〉 274 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 276 Of Beauty ibid. Of vanity in apparell 277 Of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Bernard 278 The excellency of learning 279 The modesty of Alexander 〈◊〉 Philip k. of Macedon pag. 280 Of Queene 〈◊〉 ib.d. 〈◊〉 and Heliogabalus 281 Of Proculus a Romane Emp. 282 The fable of the Boycs and the Asse 283 Envie attendeth honour 284 The frailty of glory 285 The Contents of the fourth Booke VVHerein the felicitie of man doth consist according to the ancient Philosophers Cap. 1. pag. 188 Three things required to attaine to true felicitie 289 Of vertue wisedome and knowledge 290 How a man may fall from blessednesse to infelicity 291 The Gordian knot dissolved by Alexander 292 Wherein true felicitie consisteth 293 Of Sydrach Mysach and 〈◊〉 294 The effects of vertue 295 Temples crected to vertue and honour 296 Detraction murder punisht 297 Vain-glory derided in 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 king of Sparta 298 Of Romane Regulus 299 Of divers who preferred their Countries before their own lives 300 Of 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 king of Sparta 302 〈◊〉 Iustice in 〈◊〉 Cap. 2. 304 A remarkeable Act in Charondes 305 Severe Iustice in 〈◊〉 casar ibid. Great justice in 〈◊〉 306 Examples of Iustice and Policie in Trajan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Alexander 〈◊〉 ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 307 Marous 〈◊〉 concerning the choyce of Magistrates 308 Gregory 〈◊〉 concerning the same 310 Of Favorites to Princes 311 The counsell of Vegetius and vegetins to Princes 312 Good Lawes 〈◊〉 and Peace the three daughters of Honesty 313 Duties belonging to a Prince ibid. An Invective against 〈◊〉 314 Of Alexander 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 315 The remarkeable death of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. Of three observable 〈◊〉 316 Divers 〈◊〉 reformed by Henry the 3d of France Cap. 3. pag. 318 The French nation reproved for many vices pag. 319 Miseries attending the neglect of 〈◊〉 318 The rare Temperance of Scipioâ—… 319 The Temperance of Alexander 320 〈◊〉 the Tyrant against adultery 321 Agapete to 〈◊〉 ibid. The rare friendship of 〈◊〉 and Everitus 324 The rare friendship of 〈◊〉 and Everitus ibid. Friendship without wisedome in Hading and Hunding two kings of Denmarke and 〈◊〉 325 How vices apparell themselves like vertues 326 Of Duke Valentine the Popes son 327 Italianisme deciphered with the danger of travell 328 The finnes of ancient times 329 In new Count eyes are learned new fashions 330 What Rome was and what it now is ibid. Marcus 〈◊〉 concerning the vices of Rome and Italy 331 King Memon an inventer of delicacy 333 An history out of plutarch to the fame purpose ibid Strange justice done upon Lueius 〈◊〉 by the Romane senate 334 Against drunkennesse ibid. Of the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 336 Against pride in apparell 337 The 〈◊〉 that carried the Image of 〈◊〉 338 A taxation of vanity in attyre and 〈◊〉 gesture 339 Due prayses conferred upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 340 Gaine getteth friendship 341 A discourse of friendship 342 The Story of a Beare ibid. Another of a Dogge 343 A french dogge the dogge of 〈◊〉 and the dogge of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 344 The Horse of 〈◊〉 345 Of an Oxe ibid. The history of Androcles and a Lyon 346 Of a Boy an Eagle Cap. 4 p. 349 Of a Boy and a Dolphin ibid. A witty and ingenious Host 350 Of riches 352 An aspersion layd upon dice-players 353 A custome in China and against new fashions 354 A Law amongst the Thebans 355 Forreine manners interdicted with perfumes c. ibid. Against excesse in 〈◊〉 and garments 356 The rare modesty of the ancient times 357 Of Regulus and 〈◊〉 the Dictator c. ibid. The Magnanimitie of 〈◊〉 the Philosopher pag. 358 The maners of this age compared with the former 359 Artaxerxes to Teribarus the Persian 360 To thinke our selves wise the greatest folly 362 The life contemplative preferred before the civill 363 Fortune hath no power over the life contemplative 365 3. bodily worlds concatinated 366 Examples of divers who forsooke the world for a life contemplative 367 Of Paul an Hermit c. 368 The Contents of the fifth Booke CHAPTER I. Simonides the Poet unto King Cyrus pag. 368 The true property of Felicity 369 Distinction betwixt the
the Cities and Countries were overwhelmed with murders and robberies unpunished that there was no order in governement neither respect to the law nor love to vertue and that a licentiousnesse addicted to all evill is spread throughout all the realme Now said they if you will turne from you the ruines that are prepared you must degrade and discharge a number aswell of your Prelates as of your civill Magistrates that are now established in your high Courts and punish them severely that have abused themselves in their callings and offices otherwise you cannot preserve your estate Then make inquirie in all parts where good and honest men doe dwell and replenish your counsell with them and God will bee there among them God is alwaies at hand with the just man and will rather bring to effect your enterprises by their hands whom he blesseth than by the subtill devices of prophane wise men whose labour he curseth it is very true that good men are not seene to walke in troopes by great companies yet let the torrent of corrupt manners bee never so violent the world was never nor will bee without some number of men of excellent vertue How many heroicall courages replenished with a holy magnanimitie and with an incredible valour be in the state of the Nobilitie and Gentilitie not these villanous blasphemous Nobilitie and Gentilitie but that which loves and feares God that never saw your Court but remaine in their houses without being imployed which kinde of men if they were imployed in your service would in a few moneths reforme all the ruines and disorders of the state But these men are not knowne but of God and of some good men King Boccas presented to the Senate of Rome these verses among others in reprehension of some disorders that were dangerous to a Common-wealth Wo be to that Kingdome where all be such that neither the good are knowne among the evill nor the evill among the good Woe be to that Realme where the poore be suffered to be proud and the rich to be tyrants Woe be to that Realme where so great vices be committed openly which in some other Countries they would feare to commit secretly But to returne to the Heathens And what an example of continencie or rather temperance for Plutarch saith Continencie is no vertue but the way to vertue that is temperance was shewed by Scipio being Generall of the Romanes Armie in Spaine when in the slower of his youth certaine beautifull young women of the Nobilitie were taken Prisoners and brought to him among the which there was a young virgin that was contract unto a Prince of the Countrey of Luccio of such a singular beautie and favour that whither soever shee went she drew all mens eyes to behold her Scipio committed her and the rest to safe custody with straight charge that no dishonour should bee offered them and sent for the parents and husband of this young virgin and after some comfortable words used to them hee restored the virgin to her husband undefiled in the same sort hee received her for the which he told him he would looke for none other satisfaction but that hee would bee a friend to the people of Rome And when her parents offered him a great summe of money in gold which they had brought for her ransome desiring him earnestly to accept it and affirming that they should take the receiving of that money for as great a pleasure as the restoring of their daughter Scipio seeing their importunacie told them hee would accept it and commanded them to lay downe the gold at his feete and calling the young Prince hee gave him this gold with his wife for her dower over and besides that which her parents had promised to give him The young man returned into his Countrey with his wife and gold in great joy and published every where as he went that there was a yong man come into Spain like unto the gods that overcame all with Armes with Courtesie and Liberalitie and within few dayes after to shew himselfe gratefull hee returned to Scipio with one thousand foure hundred horse Alexander the Great when hee had taken Darius mother and his wife prisoners a woman of singular beautie with divers other faire young virgins attending upon them was of that continency that he would not be allured by their beauties though in the flourishing time of his youth to offer them any dishonour but caused them to be kept safe from all violence and honourably used according to their estate The same Alexander having appointed on a time some woman to be brought to him after hee had looked long for her when she came to his bed side hee asked her why shee had tarried so long because quoth she I could no sooner steale from my husband when Alexander heard that shee was a married woman hee sent her presently away untouched because hee would not commit adultery Where shall we find such scrupulosity of conscience or respect of honestie among Christians that know the greatnesse of that sin and perill thereof as was in that heathen Monarch that commanded almost all the world and was subject to the controlment of no man and did forbeare onely for vertues sake It is true that the Poet saith Non facile invenies multis è millibus unum Virtutem pretium qui putet esse sui Mongst many thousands to finde one t is hard Who vertue makes the price of his reward Dionysius the elder hearing that his sonne who was to succeed him in his kingdome had committed adultery with a mans wife rebuked him sharply askt whether ever hee heard of any such act done by him No marvell quoth hee for you had not a king to your father No more wilt thou said Dionysius have a King to thy son if thou leave not these maners The tyrant thought his sonne worthy to be dis-inherited for committing adultery which now is an ordinary matter and accounted a pastime and play of the better sort Agapete said to Iustinian you are now rightly a King seeing that you can rule and governe your delights by wearing on your head the Diademe of temperance for it is a very great and princely vertue to rule himselfe and to beware of his affections the enticements of pleasures of fraud and of flatteries And where is there to bee found that faith and perfection of friendship a necessarie vertue and to bee imbraced of all men among us Christians in whom charity and love ought to abound as was betweene Damon and Pythias and divers other heathens Damon and Pythias were joyned together in such perfect friendship that when Dionysius the tyrant had determined to put one of them to death yet having obtained of Disnysius licence to go home for a time to set his things in order before hee should dye upon condition that his fellow should remaine with him to dye the death appointed to him if hee brake his day the