calling ioigne their priuate doynges to the coÌ„mon prefermeÌ„te y â— therby Lawes maie bee applied to the estate of a common weale whiche wee dooe addresse and allowe a greate parte whereof dependeth vpon the Magistrates wisedome as hath heretofore been opened For it can not be that that compaignie shall bee brought to embrace vertue to agre together whose gouernours swarue on the right or lefte side not respectyng the common profite nor yet true godlines but onely seke the baite of vainglorie and allurement of priuate gain giuing no small occasion vnto the people whiche of theimselues bee easely corrupted by the naughtie ensample of others bothe to fall from honeste liuyng and also beyng not therefore punished to bee to moche emholdened and to fall to wilfulnesse Therfore there muste nedes be a prince and magistrate as without whose wisdome and diligent ouersight a Citie can nether be ne yet be preserued but is ruled and strengthned by him as the hole bodie is by the heade in whose gouernemeÌ„t the hole moderation of the common weale consisteth which must not onlie prescribe vnto the people howe they owght to obeye but also how he himselfe ought to rule For who so ruleth well must nedes ones haue obeyd him self and who so hath ben obedieÌ„tly kept vnder semeth worthy to beare rule Therefore he that is vnder muste hope that he must once be aboue he that is aboue thinke with himselfe that he may perhaps once come vnder And this is it that Adrian themperour was wount to saie that he would so rule the coÌ„mon weale as a thing not his own but one to the hole comminaltie naie rather to God himself Wherby the people do not onely obey their magistrate but also by order doe loue reuerence and honour him Which thing Charondas the Catâ—niane lawmaker published to his citizins among their other lawes Plato coÌ„pareth theim to a kinde of wicked Giantes called Titanes which withstand the aunciente orders of their elders Yea the Romayne officers called Decemuiri full wel conteined both these braunches in one lawe by these wordes See that the Magistrates be iuste that thei that beare not office do modestly with all allegeance obey them And for so much as the vertue of the law is to commaunde to forbidde to permit to punishe the same thinges must needes accordingly agree vnto the magistrate Wherupon Chrisippus as Martian reporteth termeth it the Quene leader and gouernour of all thinges whiche prescribeth a rule for the iuste vniuste saying The law is the gouernour of all thinges concerning God and Man For it must be the ouerloker of thinges both good and euill the prince the guide and the rule of the iuste and vniuste For so shall that be well done which is for the common profite when the magistrate diligently and watchefully declareth himself to be a liuing and speaking lawe as without whiche we se the common weale to be sinewlesse and altogither dombe Yea Moses also which knewe god face to face in al his signes miracles appointed wife men and such as feared God in whome there was trueth princes and magistrates ouer the people and commaunded them to here him and to iudge that which was right without ante respecte of personnes were he of that countrey or were he forrenner great or small bicause that iudgement belongeth to God and not to man He also commaunded the kynge alreadie created that when he should sit in the seate of his kingdome he shoulde drawe out the Deuteronomie of the lawe and haue it with him and reade it al the daies of his life that he might learne to feare the Lorde his God and to kepe the wordes which are writen in the lawe The Lord said also to Iosue which after the death of Moses was commaunded to leade the people ouer Iordane let not the booke of this lawe departe out of thy mouthe but thou shalt thinke vpon it daie and night to the entent thou maiest kepe and performe al that is writen therin then shalt thou directe thy waie and vnderstand it Do you not se howe Kinges Princes and gouernours be commaunded to haue the lawes of God before their iyes to rule gouerne the people after theÌ„ and accordyng as their vocation requireth to directe their wayes Wherunto if you will ioyne those thinges whiche are commaunded Christianes so doe which in our religion must neades be done onles we will be secluded and banished from that heuenly kingdom whiche we all with a godlie and earnest desire looke for nothing then shalbe waunting which maie apperteyne to the true ornament and setting furth of the common weale For politicque lawes and ordenaunces must so be tempered that they be not contrarie or disagreable to the lawes ordinaunces of God for that citie maie ill seme sufficiently fenced which is onlie ledde by constitutions of man and casteth her hole eye onelie vpon her owne profite without respect of her neighbour not regarding those thinges which by gods mouth are ordeined as neadfull both for them that rule and for them that obey Certainlie it maye well be a whited toumbe set furth with colours to delite the beholders but it shalbe no commoÌ„ weale truely institute as in which those preceptes of liuinge be chiefelie lackyng which the societie of our life chiefelye requireth For so muste we entre with a mutuall consent into this politicque order of life and kepe vs in the same that we maye not swarue from the coÌ„munion of the holie church whose heade is Christ and we his membres Wherfore we ought not to stickein the allâ—remeÌ„tes or vaine triâ—â—es of this wicked world but refoâ—â—me our life iâ—â—ewnes of minde as sainct Paule writeth that we may proud what is the good well likyng and perfit will of god our father to whose onelie pleasure we be bounde to lyue through Iesus christ our onelie redeamer and Sauiour whiche cannot 〈…〉 es we kepe his commaundementes And therfore in euery part of our life must we set them before our eies that we maie learne to obeye his will and to exercise charitie one to an other which doth nothing wrongfully nothinge that is contrarye to a politicque order whereby we shall truely and face to face afterward see that whiche we now in this mortall life â—beyng honestly and godlily associated see obscurelye and as it were in a glasse Therfore so must ciuile ordinaunces be proponed that they be not seuered from the lawes of God And like as no house no citie no countrey no kind of men can longe continue without the defende of lawes politicque so can thei not staÌ„de without the knowledge tutele and protection of goddes lawe for to discerne a man from a brute beaste to cause him to leade his life agreable to reason and nature it maie certainly be brought to passe by ordinaunce of ciuill lawes for so muche as men desirous of wisedome and vnderstanding be reported by the
somewhat declared howe expedient a thing it is that such as he about princes be good and Godly where at they maie take the rule of their life which al men vse to marke none otherwise then they beholde their face in a lokynge Glasse that thereby throughe example of their daiely conuersacion they maie learne and vnderstande to do that is best and to eschew that is contrary For with the good thou shalt be good with the noughtie thou shalt be naughtie which is so true that it behoueth eueÌ„ their very wordes to be honest and chaste least the minde consente thereunto and so be enfected for euill talke vseth to corrupt good maners as Menander saieth Whiche thing Sainte Paule also reciteth thus Ill conuersation hurteth good maners And like man like talke and that not without a cause seing talke is a signification of the minde Therefore Socrates whoÌ„ they report to haue called Philosophie the discipline of maners euen out of heauen saied vnto a yonge man whose towardenes he was requested to learne Speake that I maie see thee meanyng hereby that mannes minde might rather be knowen by his communication then by anye view of his countenaunce But for so much as kingdomes and dominions be geuen to kynges potentates ouer whiche they haue rule neither can they alone rule all neither be present eche where they must nedes do that by puttyng other in trust for it is better to do a thing by a deputie then quite to leaue it vndone or to attempt it out of tyme and so geue occasion of some vnrecouerable harme And hereby is it meant when we do saie that kinges haue manye eies and longe handes From whence it dothe not much disagree that is in the common prouerbe so much bruted A great birde must haue a wide neast But these must also be of good coÌ„uersation and loue honestie that they bothe maie in their offices do their Princes honour and also be nothing heauye to the subiectes For an Officiall or one that beareth office is called so of Officium which the Grekes do call To cathecon as who saie that belongeth to vs to doe And that dooeth Marcus Tullius call duetie whiche when it is done we maie geue a good reason whye it is done and this kinde of duetie hath place in the common weale Therefore whatsoeuer is done by officials or deputies in the whole kingdome and dominioÌ„ that must be vprightly and well done so that it doe agree with place time the thinge whiche ought to bee done the subiectes the deputies office and the honour of the high magistrate Whereby it shalbe occasioned that such thinges as be due to the officer shal be well preserued and the subiectes shall with all officiousnes performe and do that is their duetie so acknowledging the maiestie of him that is in office that they shall reuerence euen a staffe if he dooe set it vp before theim Whereof take this as an example Amasis the king of the Egyptians which neither came of royal bloud ne yet had any memoriall of his auncetours but being of a base degree was elected to the kingdome For which thinges when as sundrie men did contemne him he bethought him self howe he might couer this belmish and wittely bringe him selfe in reputacion among the rude people There was amongest the kinges plate a Basen of golde wherein after his countrey fashion hee and his gheâ—â—es after meate were wonte to washe their feete whiche he also sometime vsed in place of a chamber potte as some haue vsed Emeraude bowles for the same purpose This Basen did he breake and of it made an Image of an ydole and sette it vp in the middest of the market place to be worshipped of the Egyptians which they did very reuerentlye Which thinge when it was reported vnto the king he assembled all the people together and tolde them the whole matter howe it was that this ymage which they so highlye honoured was made of that Basen wherein he was wont to washe his fete pisse and vomite and to put it to such like kinde of vncleanely vses And so should they thinke of him who althoughe he was but of base birthe yet he was their kinge and worthye to be reuerenced with due honour They that be vnder Officers deputies or haue the administracion of some other officer must be circumspect that they faile not in their duties nor dooe anye thing wrongfully But they must especially take hede that they do neither take bribes ne yet suffer them selues to be seduced by corruption of ambicion For the roume that they supplye is not mans but Gods committed vnto the administracion of manne and their estate is so much the straighter because they be not onely compelled to geue an accompt of their stewardship to god but also to the prince or magistrate vnder whoÌ„ they be appointed to beare office which shall also answere for that whiche is done euill because he did not appoinct a conuenient man to be his deputie and suffred his people to take harme specially by him whom he knew to be an hirelyng and reatchles in the office of feadyng It is like as if a shepeheard when he hath sheepe committed to his charge while hee gathereth nuttes or otherwise spendeth the time idlely dooeth put theim ouer to an others kepynge and they in the meane while be yll fedde and fall away or negligently kept the Wolfe brusteth in amongest them What shall staye the Lord of these shepe but that he may examine therefore bothe the hirelyng and the shepeherd him selfe and call them bothe to accompt for the losse he hath susteined that if thone can not make amendes the other shall make it good and abye for his negligence as reason and iustice requireth There be also sundry other thinges whiche maye warne them of their duties and cause them that they do not go astray seing they be appointed ouer a whole people and manie of whom they can not deserue all in like as among whom there are so many mindes as heades And vnlesse thei haue before their eies the perfect rule of administration I meane the lawe temperaunce iustice and equitie after whiche they may direct all the order of their gouornement whereby they shall not onely be deliuered from the staine of errour iniquitie naughtines but also shall be without suspicion thereof there will alwaye be some that shall finde fault with their doinges be they neuer so honest neuer so vpright vnknowyng to them accuse them to the heade officer and thereby brynge theim out of fauour For Princes be men and easely will be brought to suspect other mennes doinges for so muche as they be very desierous thereof and thinke in a greate glorye to cloke their owne fault by the calamitie of others and will not sticke at the complaint of one that hath bene euill handeled to put a man from his office and to wipe him cleane of all his
daunger of our soules wee moue warres runne headlong vpon manslaughter while wee labour to harme others while wee endeuour by right or wrong to seeke booties and praies dooe not wee lease heauen Let vs see now if these good fellowes which delight to be accompted good men of warre whiche when thei haue wasted their goodes in riotte or gamnyng labour to recouer it againe vpon other mennes thrifte can escape reuengement at goddes hande whiche undoubtedlie in prepared for soche wicked warriers Yea I accoumpte warres emong vs Christians detestable bicause thei bee euen within our owne bowelles emong brethren and more then ciuill Moreouer admitte we were not vâ—iâ—ed in Christe yet by the constitucions of Emperours thei bee al as it were of one citee that acknowlege y â— Romain Empire wherin there is neither any lawe to receius those thynges againe whiche be loste in the warres nor any Lawe of armes Then ought we not to thinke that we may iustlie and lawfullie one inuade an other breake the bande of charitie vpon a pretenced quarell one subiect drawe his sweard againste an other without breache of this societie Emong the Ethenikes there was nothing couÌ„pted more detestable nothing more miserable then ciuill warre which endeth so that as Tullie saieth not onelie the victours will must staÌ„d for a law but thei must also be obeied by whose aide the victorie hath been gotten that is that lawes abolished iustice expelled al thinges maie lye open to slaughter spoile couetousnesse and insolencie and that the sonne may fight against the father and brother against brother whereby the societie of menne the face of the common weale the coÌ„municatyng of profites may decaie and be brought to vtter ruine How moche more daunger hangeth ouer them whiche by regeneracion in Baptisme haue professed themselues to Christ the GOD and aucthour not of warre and disseÌ„cion but of peace and quietnesse so couenaunting that one should beare an others burden not doyng that to an other whiche he would not haue doen to hymself to embrace one an other with mutuall loue and not to prouoke any to fighte whiche is prohibited not to bryng any to their vtter vndoyng and to make no ende of molestacions contrarie vnto Goddes commaundement whiche we ought not in any poincte to transgresse You vnderstande how detestable a thing it is that warres should be stirred vp emong vs not onely contrarie to Goddes commauÌ„dement and to the order of our profession but also against thordinaunces of men Wherevnto if it please you to knitte the dolefull and heauie ende whiche ensueth herevpon it shall appere that there is nothing more pernicious nothyng more to be eschewed And to know the Lion by his pawes who is there whiche seeth not that Dauid who by Goddes commaundemente did so oft warre againste the wicked did perceiue the incommodities of warre not by barrennesse and hunger onelie but also by pestilence Wherefore hauyng his choise of these three he choosed pestilence as the most tollerable which he laboured to tourne awaie lamentyng in the sight of God for his offence And shortlie to conclude warre is euen Ate her self and a brande sente from helle to consume the worlde whiche leaueth nothyng in safetie nothing out of hazard nothyng vnspoiled wherevpon vngodlinesse the roote of all euill blasphemie the contempte of God and manne robberie rauine slaughter burnyng violente defilyng of maried women widowes and virgines iniustice dissolucion of the common weale destruction of all thinges doe issue as it were foorth of the Marshe of Lerna with the serpent of so many heades and that not without the iust iudgemente of God whiche so oftymes in his anger reuengeth the sinnes of his people accordyng vnto the saiyng of Esaie And thei would not walke in his waies neither heard thei his lawe And he poâ—ted vpon hym the indignacion of his furie and strong battaill and brent hym and he knewe not and sette hym on fire rounde aboute and he perceiued not And that not without a cause For God when he purposeth to chauÌ„ge the state of any dominion whiche leaneth toward decaie for transgressing his commauÌ„dement vseth to permit bothe the Magistrate and the people to doe that wherby thei maie learne although to late that thei be iustlie punished whiche sometime might be forseen if it wer considered that the scourge which this offeÌ„ce deserueth is soche as maie by praier and amendement of life bee tourned awaie But wee in the meane while liue in securitie trustyng in our owne strength vntill we be ouerthrowen and giuen ouer in praie to our enemies For proofe whereof I could rehearse vnto you not one kyngdom onely but sixe hundred countreis whiche as wee reade in histories in the middest of their roialtie in their highest ruffe haue been vtterly subuerted For God vseth to set them before our iyes for example that it is vain hopyng for victorie in horses waggons and souldiours but that wee muste ceasse from sinne learne to call vppon hym alone whiche mercifullie and spedelie heareth the voice of his suppliauntes ouerthroweth the enemies campe and destroieth the aduersarie Man from the beginning hath ben enclined to ciuilitie who ought by honestie of maners and iustice to kepe himself within the compas of lawes and emparting of commodities and looking vp to heauen to acknowledge and glorifie his onlie creatour Wherfore it was appointed that men should mete in assemblies whiche might growe in one as it were into one bodie to be gouerned by most wise valiaunt kinges and Princes Whervppon the Monarchies beganne the first wherof was assigned to the Assirians where Ninus Semiramis and Sardanapalus the vicious Prince did reigne vnder whome when the Medes and Babilonians refused to serue bycause of his riot and filthines of liuing and had in open battaill vanquessed him he burned himselfe miserablie in a toure in Babilonia This Monarchie dissolued the kingdome of Babilon encreased aboue measure whose king Balthasar when he had blasphemed the God of Israel and had prophanelie vsed the holie vessel of the temple in riot and banquetting the Persianes dispoyled of his Kyngdome whyche also erected another Monarchie wherin Cirus CaÌ„bises diuerse Daries Xerxes and Artaxerxes were gouernours But wheÌ„ Darius beyng none of the kinges bloode had taken vpon him the princely estate AlexaÌ„der the great slew him which after the losse of al his dominions at ones lost bothe life and monarchie Where vppon Carion appointeth the thirde Monarchie to be of the Grekes whiche did not longe continue For by diuision made by Alexander vnto his successours Seleucus raigned in Syria Ptolomey in Egipte Antigonus in Asia Caâ—â—ander in Macedonia and Grecia whose gouernement although it were somewhat bloodie yet it endured vntill the Romaines purposing to obteyne the Empire of the hole worlde in deed ouercame the hole yet not vnpunished For the kingdome whiche thei had goten by force and swerd thei lâ—st agayne by the swerd and that
all poinctes staâ—e it self Therefore thei â—â—ist feede the flocke comâ—â—â—ted vnto theâ—â— and not at their pleasure pill or as it wer shaue to the skinne burden and afflict the same Of whose duetiâ— in due place I will more conueniently entreate Alwaâ—â— prouided that there be twoo kyndes of magistrates one the head an other the petie officer The head officer dâ—â— I call â—â—m which hath the chief â—â—roke in this common weale as who by his â—wne aucthoritie establisheth and adnulleth lawes whiche poinct belongeth to Kynges and Princes whiche haue Kyngdomes and Prouinces of their owne But bicause thei can not gouerne all the multitâ—de of people alone thei must nedes haue some emong â—â—he sâ—rte whiche maie particularely beare rule and these dâ—â—â— Iâ—â—all petie officers or vnder magistrates whiche dependâ— vpon the head and referre the weightiest matters to his hearing and it is no small poincte in the Prince to see that the vnder officers also doe their â—uetiâ— accordingly So Iethro the priest of Madiane whom Iosephus calleth Raguel speaketh to Moses his sonne-in-lawâ— and cousin But heare my wordes and counsaill and God the Lorde shall be with thee Be thou assistaunt to the people in those thynges that pertaine to God that thou maiest report that is saied vnto hym and shewe the people the Ceremonies and maner of worshippyng and the waie by whiche thei must goe and the woorke that thei muste doe Prouide for thy self out of all the people certain wittie menne and suche as feare God in whom there is trueth and that hate couetuousnes And appoinct amongest them Tribunes Capitaines of an hundreth fiftie and ten men a piece whiche maie iudge the people at all times But if there happen any matter of greate weight let them referre it vnto thy hearyng and let theim selues onely iudge meaner matters so that the burden maie bee the lesser when it is parted with other Whiche place I doe therfore more willingly recite bicause it is a place worthy to be written with golden letters in all partes of the Courte and guild haules no lesse then that whiche the Emperoure Alexander commaunded thus to bee noted doe not that to an other whiche thou wouldest not haue doen to thy self Whereby bothe the officers be as it were by an oracle naie rather by the spirite of GOD put in mynde of their duetie whence to swarâ—e is peâ—niâ—ious to the common weale Moreouer here we maie also â—eken as a singular ornament suche as takyng orders bee called to the administration of diuine Seruice whom we doe not displace out of the common weale and assemble of men knit together and vnited bothe by the lawe of God and man for it is but one thyng â–ª and receiueth one forme whiche must not be seuered into soundrie but kept in the whole vnitie vnder one head whiche is Christ none otherwise then a body whiche is made of diuerse partâ—â— so farre furthe as the commodities bothe godlie and manly doe retche Of the whiche thing the holy Moses is a testimonie whom God seyng the affliction of his people â–ª and hearyng their crie â—ppoiâ—â—ted and gaue as their prince to leade them furthe of Egipte in that he was commauÌ„ded to ioyne vnto hym his brother Aaron with his sonnes furthe of the middest of the children of Israell that thei might take on them Priesthode beare the iniquities of the children of Israel and late their iudgemét alwaie in the sight of the Lorde Neither was he with this content but moreouer commaunded holy vestimentes to be made whereby thoffice of priesthod doctrine and truth might beâ— declared that so nothyng might bee lackyng whiche should appertaine bothe to the bryngyng out and feadyng of the children of Israell Whiche amounted as it is said to the number of sixe hundred thousand footemen besides children women and other people And we must not grudge bicause that thei of the clergie beyng endowed with muche prerogatiue and many priuileges bee oftymes exempte from ciuill bourdens and â—ondes of the lawe For thei must not be encumbred with forrein cares that be appoincted for the ministring of Gods woorde and holy misteries for the propitiation of the people For by this their vocation thei bee not seperate from the societie whiche the citee wherein thei liue hath entred For it is an estate confirmed bothe by God and mannes lawe wherein we be commaunded to liue accordyng to lawes to seke honestie to doe that to an other whiche you would haue doen to your self to regarde godlines to call vpon God whiche thei moste of all teache to consent vpon the worship and wealth of the coÌ„mon weale that out of this visible citee we maie prepare our selues a passage to that whiche is inuisible where vnto wee haue conceiued a blessed hope that wee haue been eternally ordeined And this is it that we bee commaunded one to praie for an other one to beare an others burden to bee irreprehensible and without any blame so many as haue been anoynted with that holie oyntment and taken vpon vs the priesthode of Christe in whiche coÌ„panie who so is not neither doeth acknowledge his head to be one as is afore said but attempteth to entre heauen an other waie and not by the gate whiche is also oue neither by our onely sauiour and mediatour â–ª he runneth in vain as one that goeth astraie not hauyng on his wedding coate Thus he that is appoincted to the holie ministration is not pulled awaie thence neither is he exempt froÌ„ the ciuill constitutions and coustomes seyng he goeth aboute in no poincte to contrary or disobeye those thynges that hee ordeined for good liuyng So suche thinges as be priuately necessary in the shambles market or other where after the appoinctmeÌ„t of the ciuill Magistrate he prouideth for hymself and getteth after the common maner of other citezens so be ceaseth not to mainteine and staie the common safetie worthines and wealth of the citee and so farre furth as he maie for entendyng his diuine seruice he kepeth theÌ„ without breache neither spurneth against his ordinauÌ„ce which is Gods to whom all we that haue life be bound to obeie as the electe vessell sainct Paule in this maner witnesseth Let euery soule be obedient to superiour powers for there is no power but it is from God And the powers that be he appoincted from God therefore who so withstandeth the powers withstandeth Goddes ordinaunce but thei that withstande shall receiue their own iudgemente For rulers bee no feare to good doers but to euill You doe see how the holy ghoste willeth euery soule to be obedient to superiour powers whom who so resisteth he resisteth the ordinaunce of God and purchaseth himself iudgemente for God will reuenge his vngodlines and so muche the soner the longer he forbeareth And it forceth not muche if that thei of the Clergie haue their Magistrate I meane an Ecclesiasticall persone to whom thei maâ—e submitte themselues â–ª and giue due
goodes Whiche thinge deputies and vnder officers in our time do not weye whiche neither knowyng mannes nor yet Gods lawe do neither consider any percell of equitie ne yet of Godlines but onely seke how to circumuent the pore comminaltie how to ouerlay them with Subsidies how to compasse all their attemptes be it by right be it by wronge thinkyng so to gratifie their Lordes if thei can torcioully leuie a greate substaunce of money from their subiectes and therby augment their accoumptes In the meane tyme not forgettyng them selues for thei handle thinges so finelie and so craftely that thei will haue store of riches as it were out of an horne of plentie and after the fashion of a flowyng water make theim come vnto theÌ„ faster and faster till thei bee swellyng ripe like leane flies whiche in the Sommer season sittyng vpon a scabbed horse doe soone fill them selues so full that either thei doe fall of or els sometymes burst in fonder The Romaines whose common weale farre excelled all others purposyng to remedie this sore appointed their officers but of short tyme whiche thyng Aristotle in his Politiques doeth not moche discommend Some were for a moneth some for halfe a yere some for a tweluemoneth as thei had lawes for requirings again soche money as any officer ruler or other put in trust with the commoÌ„ affaires did against the worship of their aucthoritie take for false iudgemente in the waie of briberie or otherwise Whiche if he had been found giltie he was compelled to restore no lesse then if he had stollen the same And soche lawes bee those that were made â–ª and bare the names of their makers Calphurnius Eecilius Seruilius Aâ—ilius and Iulius whiche all were lawes touchyng the restitucion of money â–ª Of whiche you maie reade moche in Marcus Tullius Cicero â–ª and other writers of the Romaine Histories The argument of the second Chapiter That officers â–ª although thei doe not all seâ— to one thyng yet their whole drifte must bee all to one ende that is the ornaments of the common 〈…〉 NEither be thei all of one sorte or all of one kinde of function whiche bee put in truste to gouerne the common affaires in shires Yet not withstandyng the marke whereat thei must all shoote is that the bodie of the whole common weale bee preserued and saued whiche is but one bee the dominion or power neuer so greate and so named but one as the gouernour or head therof is but one And like as in euery house all the implementes thereof be put to their proper vses and yet be directed and haue respect vnto the common commoditie of the whole familie so I doe graunt in euery citie town and shire a priuate kinde of gouernement one not aunsweryng to an other For the diuersitie of the place of the trafficque of the people and of liuyng causeth receiueth some varietie but such as it doeth ioigne in one for the profite of the whole Countrie whiche therefore is one bicause it hath respecte vnto one prince as one head of whom it receiueth lawes ordinaunces iniunctions and all soche thinges as apparteine to the wealth and dignitie thereof And this is the cause wherefore in this earthly citie we bee prepared towarde that whiche is in heauen wherein we acknowledge Christe our heade whiche must be the goale of our race that after the ceasing of that whiche is mortall and shall shortely decaie wee may come to that whiche is euerlastyng the onely reward of the life past Euen so euery particuler assemble hath his churche but ruled after the image of that whiche we call generall or catholique wherein is the holye communion of sainctes after whiche as a leader all other be streightened and receiue their staie Againe the higher officers in euery Citie towne shire and politique gouernaunie haue other whiche be also vnder theim accordynge vnto the diuersitie of their offices The chiefe of those be the Shirifes or suche as stande in roume of the pretor among the Romayns whose office is to see that iudgementes be vpright and sincere and that euery man accordynge to the rule of iustice haue his owne For the administration of Iustice is so necessarie that no kingdome no citie no assemble of men can either be begonne or coÌ„tinue without it whiche is not onely an ornament to the common weale as a garlande to a maide but laieth the foundacion and sure grouÌ„dworke of the same And hereupon thexecution of iudgement is called the kinges handemaide without whiche he ought not to come abroade or thinke him selfe a king They therefore to whom thexecution of iudgement is committed ought to do their endeuour by all meanes lest their duetie neglected they either perswade theim selues a certaine râ—tchlesnesse and securitie or being with bribes corrupted or allured by parcialitie do despise the outcrie of the people and doe not iudge vprightlie For it is no small burden that such a man hath vndertaken and laied vpon his shoulders but the verie charge of God whereof he shall not escape but geue a sure accompt in the greate daie of the Lord although by some collusion conueyaunce or other pretenced lye he hath escaped the handes of his Prince when he hath done euil For iudgement is the lordes as Esaie saieth This is the waie walke in it neither do ye decline either on the right or lift hande And Iosophat appoincted Iudges of the lande in the citees of Iuda fortified in euery place and commaunded the Iudges saiyng looke what ye doe For you dooe not exercise the iudgement of man but of God And what soeuer ye shall iudge it shall retourne vpon your self Moreouer the prophane powers soche as haue been stained with impietie would that iudgemeÌ„tes should be vndefiled In consideracion whereof Cambises the Porsian kyng commaunded the Iudge whom he had perceiued to haue iudged vniustly to be flain and flain quicke and his skinne to be hanged vp before the iudgemente seate whereby his soonne was enforced vprightly to giue right iudgement Alexander Seuerus likened soche menne to theues affirmyng that if any came to meete hym he was ready with his finger to plucke out his iyes But to the entente my talke maie driue to some ende and that I maie not seme as it wer to tell a tale to a deaffe manne I must procede to other matters since that this thing is so moche bewailed of many that it cannot easely be amended But the estate of the Iudges officers is so moche the more to be borne with all bicause thei do not them selues pronounce sentence but giue iudgement which thei doe take of other but yet of their felowes in commission thei be not to be reproued specially if thei had any knowledge in the lawe and were not led with affections Albeit there be among them some of singuler vprightnesse whiche neuer refuse to followe equitie wherevnto thei be naturally moued and would iudge that whiche wer
theim that were with him But when his companions were minded to returne into their countrey and asked him whether he would haue any thinge conueied home he willed theim to reporte this as Vitruuius rehearseth That they ought to prepare such possessions and such prouision for their children as if they suffered shippewrake might swimme to the shoore with them For they be the true staies of our life which neither the stormes of fortune neither the chaunge of common weales ne yet the iniquitie of warre can harme But how muche the studies of humanitie haue alwaye from the beginnynge holpen common weales hereby we maie perceiue because no manne can more perfitely reason and decide of the vertue and happines whiche we seke in the societie of menne then he that hath the knowledge of such thinges as belong to god and manne By the guidynge whereof he perceyueth what is right what conscionable what iuste what it is to helpe one another and what is required to aduaunce the common weale whereby not onely good gouernement is fortified but also lawes the whole frame of kepyng a ciuill order is established For no man euer well adourned any Citie that hath not had the knowledge of these thinges So that he semed to haue aunswered verye wiselye whiche saide that this was the principall praise of Philosophers that they coulde write lawes and builde cities Suche a manne was Zaleucus at Locrus Charondas among the Catinians Philolaus amonge the Thebanes Plato to the Magnesians Draco and Solon to the Athenians Pittacus to the Prienians Androdamas to the Tracians and other lawe makers in other places as Aristotle hath left in writynge Moreouer Horace testifieth that the Poetes were wonte to call menne into townes from their wilde and sauage life and to shew them a trade of good liuinge in these verses The sacred prophete of the Gods sometime that Orpheus hight The vgglie shapen vvilde vvoode men subdued and put to flight Thereof vppe spronge the fable first that he the Tygers tamde And rampyng Lyons had by notes of ciuill musicke framde Amphion ehe that Thebes builte by sounde of harpe vvas saied To haue removde the senselesse stones and vvhere he vvoulde them laied The former vvisedome taught from priuate publike thinges to deme And hovve vve shoulde before prophane the sacred thinges esteme From vvanderyng lust eke to abstaine and bridebed lavves to haue To builde vp tovvnes for our defence and Lavves in vvoode to graue Thus sprong vp honour first to men and high renouvmed name Thus first encreast the prophetes praise and eke the Póétes fame For this is the studie for the zeale whereof good men haue not onely forsaken their riches but also them selues sekyng that whiche was for the common profite and might lincke men together by lawe this doe they call Philosophie vnto whom Tullie dothe speake on this wise O Philosophie the leader of our life the emplantour of vertue the weeder out of vyces what shoulde either I or the whole life of man be withoute thee Thou hast brought foorthe Cities thou hast assembled menne before dispersed into a societie of life thou ioynest them firste in houses then in marriages last of all in the communitye of learnyng and languages Thou hast bene the founder of lawes thou the maistres of maners and discipline Hereupon sayeth Plato that that common weale is happy where either Philosophers raigne or the kinges and rulers be studious of Philosophie Moreouer vnlesse there be practised in the common weale the doctrine of true religion and Godlinesse the discipline of good behauioure and the balaunce of Iustice what shall it be els but a conuocacion of wicked men wherein riote licenciousnes filthinesse beastlinesse intemperancie vngodlines and all kinde of viciousnes for vertues take place and beare swaye whiche neuertheles men of excellent learnynge and cleannesse of life may by conueniente meanes rote out and by openynge the right waye of vertue bringe menne to ciuilitie and nurture As be the professours of diuinitie whose vocation is to sette forthe Goddes worde Lawyers whiche decide what is agreable to reason and cōscience which shew what is right and what wronge and foresee that menne be not more senselesse and sauage then brute Beastes For the waies of men in this poincte dooe differ from the dennes caues couertes filthines of other liuing Creatures because they ought to be strengthened by reason onely and so to passe foorthe vnto the degrees of humanitie But ymagine a citie to be well peopled fortified faire builded but yet geuen to ydolatrie and wickednesse as Cayrum and the more is the pitie Constantinople and many other kingdomes seigniories and subiect to the Turkes tyranny Such be preserued and for the moste parte dooe most flourishe not onely by the kinges power and sworde but more by the instinct of nature whiche reason frameth and moueth to the societie of life that is by ordinaunce of lawes whereby euerie man is commaunded to liue and to obey higher powers For the Turke althoughe he hath forbidden his subiects al other kinde of learning yet he suffreth as thei saie houses of lawe that thereby the people may be prouoked to ciuilitie and be kept in doing their duetie And surely vnlesse the zeale of furtheryng one another and the wealthe and worshippe of the common weale had bene by common consent of all men established through the settyng on of suche as be studious of wisedome iustice and humanitie neither Carthage neither Athenes ne yet Rome the Ladye of the whole worlde nor other notable common weales could haue common vnto so greate famousnesse To the whiche learned men did not only prescribe lawes and the rule of liuyng wel but also gouerned the same with great honour Neither were they therewith content but set forth bokes wherin thei wrote preceptes of liuing not onely to their owne Citezins but to the profitynge of all countreys and their whole posteritie enfourming them with like traines of learning men worthy to receiue the rewarde of their trauailes and writinges to be well spoken of amongest good men to be reported to haue farre passed all other For the learned saieth Daniel shal shine like the brightnes of the firmament and they that instruct manie to righteousnesse as starres for euer Moreouer wisedome wherewith the multitude of people is knit together and ruled is holpen by the experience of many thinges mēnes natures and worldly affaires whiche thei shall the readier attaine vnto who haue trauailed in readyng of histories and chronicles whiche God would haue to be set before vs as an ensample of life whereby wee might vnderstande his goodnesse his loue towarde mankinde some taste of vertue and order of gouernement to the entent we might learne to receiue soche thinges as doe prepare vs to blessednesse and to eschue soche thinges as bee dishonest and vnsemelie for a ciuill liuer But there be certaine Touneshippes and Villages where none
euerye man and to hurte no bodye Neither dothe this naturall ciuillitie more beseme anie man then a christian whiche ought to regarde nothing in the worlde more then the furtheringe of his neighboure For if in olde time it were reaâ—ened a vertue for one man to deserue well of an other whereupon they placed such in heauen and named theim Goddes that had aduaunced their countrey by thâ—â— Prowes and worthye actes Whereupon also the prouerbe had his beginnynge Man is a God to man Surely it standeth with more reason that he which hath the knowledge of the truth should so doe and declare himself to be a man of ciuill behauiour by his liberalitie and by geuing good couÌ„saile whiche he ought to employ vpon such as he knoweth not to be his frendes as well as vpon theim at whose handes he findeth great frendshippe to gratifie the one and to winne the other and to moue theim bothe to a like gentlenes Therefore Pythagoras spake not vnproperlie wheÌ„ he saied All thinges are common amongest frendes and yet this saiynge was more receiued amonge the Philosophers in their scholes then amonge menne in their liuynges Also he saied that a frende is an other my selfe Howbeit for the profitynge of a common weale this is not inough to haue al thinges common amongest frendes but also amongest enemies so that not my frende onely but also mine enemie shall be another my self without any colouryng Otherwise the saiynge of Martiale to one Candidus will be layed against vs The goodes of friendes my friend thou saiest to friendes thei common are This boaâ—ting bragge bothe night and daie to speake thou doest not spare But to thy friend thou geust no vvhitt and yet still saiest thou this My frinde eche thing that friendes possesse vvith friendes in common is For he with whome we haue to dooe searcheth the hart requireth the hart and not a counterfayte countinance And therfore we must learne our rule to liue by not out of the Philosophers writinges but out of the word of truthe So in the fifth of Mathew ye haue heard that it is sayd thou shalt loue thy neighbour hate thine enemie But I saye vnto you loue your enemies wishe well to them that curse you do well to them that hate you praye for them that hurt and accuse you that you maye be the sonnes of your father whiche suffereth the sunne to rise vpon the good and euill and sendeth raine vpon the iust and vniuste For if you loue them that loue you what reward shall you haue do not the Publicanes so Whiche sainct Paule opening biddeth vs seade our enemie if he be hungry and geue him drynke if he be thirstie for so we shall heape coles of fyre vpoÌ„ his heade these be his wordes if thine enemie bee hungrie geue him meate if he bee thirstie giue him drinke for so shalt thou heape coles of fyre vpon his heade You here that word which nether the Philosopher could vnderstand nor he whiche bought the ferme nor he that maried the wyfe nor he that had gotteÌ„ the fiue yoke of oxen so that these when they were bidden to that great supper could not goe But the Fisher men here it and they that be poore in spirite merciful gentle peace makers lowlie in hart such as thirste for iustice bycause theyres is the kingdome of heauen Whiche thinges admit no dissimulation but beloÌ„g onelye to perfit men and we muste not thinke that a man maie be a true christian altho he suffer his enemie to die for hunger and thirste as they would beate into our heades whiche nether be themselues partakers of the heauenlie kyngdome nether suffer other to enter into it for it is the worde of trueth whereof no iote shall passe vnfulfilled Therefore if thou doest not feede thine enemie with meate and refreshe him with drinke thou semest to be a manquellour offending against the lawes and if thou be founde giltie in one thou shalt be giltie in all Whiche although they be hard to the world straunge and vnknowne to the Philosophers yet they be pleasaunt vnto our heaueÌ„ly father which putteth vpon vs a light and swete yoke whiche who so taketh vpon him as no man ought to refuse his goodes be not onely coÌ„mon to his friendes but also to his enemies For this is to deserue well of man this is to kepe the commaundement of the lord and wel to vse that whiche is well gotten and to empart the same to suche as be in necessitie which reken thou as true as Sybilles oracle and let it not fall out of thy minde for the scripture sayeth thou shalt not lacke poore folke in the lande of thine habitacion and therefore â—ooe I commaund the that thou open thine hande to thy neadie and poore brother whiche dwelleth with the in the Laude And Ezechiell the Prophet saieth Behold this was the iniquitie of thy sister Sodonia pride fulnes of meate aboundance idelnes in her and in her doughters thei did not stretche their haundes to the poore and neadie and they were hygh minded and did abhominaciones before me and I destroyed them as thou sawest Moreouer Ambrose saieth Consider o man whence thou haddest thy name surely from the yearth whiche taketh nothing awaye from anye man but giueth all to all and ministreth diuerse fruites to diuerse vses of al liuing creatures Therupon it is called humanitie a speciall and peculiare vertue to man whereby one helpeth an other c. All we therfore be but one bodie and diuerse partes but altogether to this one bodie necessarie This is the lawe of nature whiche bindeth vs to all humanitie that one should helpe another as partes all of one bodie whereby you maie easelie perceyue the fourme of that common weale whiche is grounded vpon Christe wherein there is iustice gentelnes mercie modestie humilitie pacience long sufferynge trueth steadfastnes faithe and charitie wherein thinges are vsed according to a ciuill and honest moderation The argument of the. viii Chapiter That the inuention of money is very commodious the occupiyng wherof is then most allowable when it standeth moste vpon honest dealyng MOney euen ymediatlie after that it was first coigned began to bee suche a nourishement of riot and couetousnes that it maye be had in question whether it were better that it neuer had ben inuented or y t with so great toile trouble the commoditie thereof should haue been receaued And surely that is deare ynough bought for the obteyninge wherof we endanger our liues It was not inough for man by naturall corruption to haue ben so muche seduced vnles this other pestelent poyson the caÌ„kred carke of mony had ensued for the muckering vp whereof we trie the mines we search the vaynes of euery mountayne we crosse the seas we assaulte heauen And we hold all the world be it neuer so wide but small and attempt to seke out an other worlde amonge the Antipodes which yf we coulde
not so moche by forreyne as by ciuill warres and soche rebellioÌ„s as rose amongst them selues Wherwith when they had well beaten weried them selues they perceiued that ambition and contempt of the common weale the rule of manie of the mightier sorte beyng dissolued were the occasion that Iulius Cesar after manie sore bruntes and lamentable miseries of the Citie at the length gote the hole Empire Which after his pitiful murder deuolued to Augustus and so to other vntill it came to forreyners as they were by their souldiours aduauÌ„ced till at the last it was deuided into the easte weaste And finallie by reason y â— the bouÌ„des of Christendome were negligently defended it was brought by Charles the great into Germanie the Egle so dispoyled of her fethers as some thinke that she were not able to finde postes and post horses if the Peeres of the Empire did not otherwise prouide I could here also declare manie flourishing kingdomes whiche bare great stroke while these Monarchies yet endured and manie common weales worthily aduaunced whiche persuading themselues to be in sauetie and contemnyng other in comparison of them by their great fal euen in their greatest pompe learned how vnconstaunt fortune is Moreouer who so will coÌ„sider the kingdome of Israell and the Iewes ouer whome God himselfe set anointed Kinges and iudges and would that thei should be a terrour to the gentiles to passe ouer the dominions of Samaria Egipte Macedonie the Gothes whiche brought an hundred thousand menne out of Hungarie into Germanie the Vandales whiche fraied not Affrike onely but also Germanie and many other Seigniories who so further will remember how thâ— Rome the Ladie of all the worlde hath been so ofte taken and sackt that Carthage so famous and matche to Rome was so destroied that Hierusalem was so ofte taken and laste of all vtterlie defaced that Athenes and Lacedemone the twoo iyes of Grece were broughte to ruyne and raced euen to the grounde shall easelie perceiue what calamitie ensueth vpon warres and that the iniquitie deliciousnesse and vnthankfulnesse of manne towarde his creatour riotte and impietie be scourged with that whip whiche argueth the iuste vengeaunce of God that thei maie well saie with the Prophete Beholde this daie we bee seruauntes our corne is multiplied vnto the princes whiche thou hast set ouer vs for our sinnes whiche be Lordes ouer our bodies yea ouer our wiues and daughters Neither nede we to seke forrein examples consideryng that Germanie and other Countreis adioigned to the Empire haue store therof and mo then in dede be requisite For not to make mencion of antiquities who can sufficiently declare what calamitie waste and spoile moste part of men haue tasted in our tyme For intelligence whereof aske Saxonie Gelderland Friselande Brabant Flaunders all the lowe countreis Fraunce Italie speciallie Lombardie and a greate parte of East Fraunce whiche hath been pitifullie wasted and thei by experience can tell you how sore the smart of warre pincheth how sharpe a rodde it is to punishe the iniquitie of the worlde Whiche soche shall sone tourne awaie as will fall to praier call vpon God euen from the botome of their hartes But although God would euen froÌ„ the beginning that these examples should be written and kept in memorie that men might learne thereby to looke vpon theimselues and to amende their liues consideryng howe thei ought to conuert from their sinnes if thei will auoide the greate plague of heauen I meane the stroke of 〈…〉 es yet the Iewes alone were sufficient to put vs in minde of reformyng our liues and to declare vnto vs that the transgressyng of Goddes commaundemente hath neuer escaped vnreuenged For this is the people whiche he loued aboue all other to whom the promise of redempcion was made froÌ„ heauen which by a thousande figures and miracles was deliuered froÌ„ the heauie yoke of bondage whiche passed the sea drifoote whiche sawe Pharao that persued theim with a greate armie drouned at the closyng of the waters whiche should haue been conueighed into the lande of the wicked whiche had aboundaunce of Milke and Honie whiche receiued drinke out of the rocke and bread from heauen But bicause thei would not heare god whiche so oft warned theÌ„ thei were so plagued that in those fowrtie yeres wherin thei wer constrained to wander in the deserte emong serpentes and wilde beastes all thei that were brought forth of Egipte to the nâ—mber of sixe hundred thousande men were destruied and slaine euery one sauyng Iosue and Calephe by whose guiding and counsaill the reste were conueyed into the lande of promesse WhoÌ„ God so dearely loued that he would his onely soonne our sauiour to bee borne emongest them to teache to woorke miracles and laste of all by his death to purchace vnto vs life Whome when thei beyng wickedly â—â—nt woulde not acknowledge either by warre he destroied or by captiuitie dispersed into the whole worlde and gaue theim ouer to bee despised of all the worlde for ensample of Goddes vengeaunce whiche is ordeined for soche as will not repeÌ„t for their sinnes The outrage of warre is so pestiferous an euill so contagious and cankryng that she poureth her poison bothe vpon forriners and a farre of and ere she be seen she pearceth more deadlie then any Cocatrice For who is so blinde that he dooeth not see that these warres kept emong christen Princes for priuate quarelles haue giuen a merueilous encouragemente and hope to the enemies of the Empire to encroche vpon that wherevnto thei haue no right title and what decaie thei haue been vnto all christendome And for ensample to make mencion but of one whiche hath been an Helene or principall cause of the moste part of this trouble wherevnto if ye doe adde the disagremente of Princes and ciuill debates you shall perceiue nothyng lackyng that maie tend to the common destruccion of the whole worlde how many of the Lumbardes haue had occasion hereby to fall to murder robberie manslaughter spoile besides the making of widowes the vndoyng of fatherlesse childreÌ„ and deâ—â—ouring of maidens beside the prophaning of sacred thinges and a thousande other kindes of impietie How many kyngdomes hath the Turke an vnapeasable and mortall enemie to all Christians hereby conquered That all good menne complaine saiyng that the ambicion of our Princes ministereth occasion to the Turke of victorie Now if we will accoumpt from the yere of our Lorde M. D. when Lewes the Frenche kyng firste inuaded Milaine the chief toune in Lumbardie and draue out the Duke thereof you shall vnderstande how greatlie Christendome hath been endammaged sence the moste mightie Princes haue coÌ„tended who should haue the most iust title to the same Belligrade the onely Bulwarke of Hungarie was violently wonne Rhodes whiche could not be lightly assaulted was taken the countreis of Bachie and Syrmie were wasted Varadine by siege loste Lewes the kyng slain in the fielde Buda sacked a great part of Hungarie