hidden Manna that descendeth from heauen and giueth spirituall strength vnto the heart of man yea eternall life vnto the soule of man together with the wine that the true vine aboue doth yeeld which maketh the heart glad and the soule of man to sing They had rather I say keepe an Inne for God and winne little there to sell without siluer for God spirituall victuals to feede and make fat mens soules then to keepe an Inne for men and winne much by selling for siluer Reuel 3.18 food for the refreshing and fatting of mens bodies They had rather sit in Christs shop and sell for him vnto naked and needie soules gold tried by the fire euen the gold of godly instructions good directions that they may be made rich in godlinesse and in goodnesse together with the white raiment of Christs righteousnesse for as Iacob got his earthly fathers blessing in his elder brothers cloathes Genes 27.15 Mat. 22.11.12 Galath 3.27 Reuel 19.8 so must wee our heauenly Fathers blessing in our elder brothers coate that they may bee cloathed and that their filthie nakednesse doe not appeare they had rather I say sit and sell in Gods shop without siluer such celestial wares and in the mean time be poore then to sit in mans shop and sell silkes and satin or cloathes of siluer and gold to couer mens backes with and thereby to become very rich in siluer and gold Reuel 3.18 22.2 1. Iohn 2.20 They had rather labour in anointing the inward eies of blind or dim-sighted soules with such eie-salue as Gods spirit composeth and to annoint the hard hearts of some and the brused harts of other some with the suppling oyle of wholesom exhortations and gracious consolations and to applie the spirituall plaister made of the leaues of the tree of life for the purging cleansing of sore-running soules they had rather I say play the spirituall physitions and be bare then be ministers of medicine to sicke and sore bodies and abound They had rather stand in the pulpit Isai 1.2.16.17.18 34. 48. 51. 58. Ierem. 2. 7. 27. Ezech. 3.17.18.19.20.21 Hose 4. 8. and pleade for Gods right that is for pietie and deuotion against irreligious men and for the princes right that is for loialtie obedience and reliefe against disloiall disobedient and vnreasonable subiects and for the poores right that is for charitie and mercie in almes and hospitalitie against couetous and vnmercifull men and in the meane time bee but meane men themselues in their worldly estate then to stand and pleade at the barre for another mans right and redresse of wrong and thereby to become mighty on earth They had rather stand and minister at the Lords Table in the Church and get little then attend or stand at the Kings table in the Court and gather much And yet to say somewhat more they had rather sit in the chaire of the Church for euery pastors and prelates particular Church-chaire is a part of the Apostolicall chaire to iudge betweene doctrine and doctrine Deutero 13. 17.8.9.10.11 2. Chron. 19.8.9.10.11 Act. 15. 1. Cor. 14.32 1. Iohn 4.12.13 2. Iohn 9.10 Matth. 21.42 Ephes 2.20 1. Cor. 3.11 1. Pet. 2.6.7 veritie and heresie betweene the sound building of gold siluer and pretious stones and the slight building of wood stubble and straw vpon the foundation and corner stone Christ Iesus and that according to the rule and square of the sacred Scriptures they had rather I say sit and iudge in doctrinall causes and cases and possesse in the meane time but little in comparison of many others and yet haue lesse to leaue behind them vnto such as doe belong vnto them then to sit in the gate or seate of ciuil iudgement to iudge betweene parties and parties about cases and causes of inheritance of vsurpations violence and wrongs and therby acquire great possessions for them and theirs Finally as with Dauid Psalm 84.10 they had rather serue as doorekeepers in the house of God then dwell in the tabernacles of wickednesse as I said of them in the beginning so with Moses they had rather choose to suffer aduersitie with the people of God Heb. 11.24.25.26.27.36.37 38 who were tried by mockings and scourgings by bonds and imprisonment and did wander vp and downe through wildernesses and mountaines hauing no other lodging but the dennes and caues of the earth and no other clothing but sheepes and goats skinnes and at last were stoned hewen asunder or slaine with the sword as the Apostle Paul speaketh to the Hebrewes then to inioy the pleasures of sinnes for a season Esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt yea then the treasures of the whole world as hauing with godly Moses a respect vnto the recompense of the reward euen the eternall reward in the heauens So this being the disposition of poore Ecclesiasticall men for generally such men are poore what can we say of them else Luke 10.40.41.42 but that which the blessed Son of blessed Marie said once of a happie Marie that they haue chosen the better part which shall not be taken away from them whereas other men of other secular callings for being a lay man my selfe I would be loath to condemne any of the foresaid lay callings and yet as loath would I bee to flatter any of them as I would not wish any man should flatter himselfe in the vaine and friuolous preferring of his secular vocation howsoeuer gainefull honourable or excellent it be before the spirituall where as I say other men of other callings are with carefull Martha combred about many things And these things being duely considered I hope both the parts of the obiection aboue propounded will bee satisfied and the rule sufficientlie verified And so much the more willing I haue been in this place vpon this occasion to discourse of the dignitie and excellencie of the Ecclesiasticall calling as for that because lay-men and chiefly the richer sort are commonly so prone to despise and so apt to vilipend Churchmen and that for nothing so much as because of their pouertie base estate As also for that the richer sort of lay-men be generally so loath to consecrate any one of their children to the seruice of God so that they do preferre a gaineful calling be it neuer so base vnto that which is the Queen of callings If we wil reade the histories of Kingdomes and Countries yea euen but those of our owne we shal find how in former times the sons of Monarches Kings and Princes haue been Ministers Preachers and priests in Gods house and yet now adaies we see that a Lawyers a Merchants yea a tradesmans sonne will skorne to be a Minister if he haue any meanes Alas miserable men that wee are wee are so deafe wee cannot heare what the Euangelicall Prophet who was both a Preacher and of princely blood euen brothers sonne of Vzziah King
becommeth miserable both heere and hence and this is that which the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 6.10 That drunkards and gluttons shall not inherit the kingdome of God Heauen as great and wide as it is cannot hold a glutton nor harbour a drunken head Gods kingdome hath no roome to receiue a belly-god Reu. 21.21 Euery gate of the heauenly Ierusalem is of one pearle saith Saint Iohn how then should a belly-god whose head is a hogs-head of drinke and whose belly is a buriall place of so much meate how should such a big body and such a swolne soule enter at so narrow a gate Get in then who will into the kingdome of God a belly-god cannot get in The Christian that would bee rich must likewise beware of excesse and all pompousnes of apparell Eccles 11.4 Bee not proud of clothing and rayment saith Iesus the sonne of Sirach and exalt not thy selfe in the day of honour Luke 16.19 And the holy Euangelist telleth vs or rather our blessed Sauiour Iesus the Sonne of God that the damned rich glutton was cloathed in purple and fine linnen and fared well and delicately euery day 1. Tim. 2.9 10. 1. Pet. 3.3 And the blessed Apostle as knowing how that women are more subiect vnto this fault of excesse in apparel then ordinarily men are and how that thereby both pride in their hearts is nourished intemperancie and daintinesse cherished and the substance of the house much diminished hee enioyneth them that they aray themselues in comely apparel with shamefastnesse and modestie not with broyded haire or gold or pearle or costly apparell but as becommeth women that professe the feare of God with good workes and with a meek and quiet spirit which is before God a thing much set by Iam. 2.1 2 3 4. And the Apostle S. Iames willeth vs to make no reckoning of a man for his gold ring and his goodly apparel nor yet to despise the poore and modest man for his course and slender array Psal 147.10 11 as the Lord hath no pleasure in the strength of a horse neither delighteth in the legs of man but onely in them that feare him and attend vpon his mercie so hee hath no pleasure in the brauerie and beautie of apparell neither delighteth he in the costlinesse and curiositie of cloathing God seeth not as man seeth 1. Sam. 16.7 for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord beholdeth the heart God looketh not to the decking and arraying of the body but to the decking and adorning of the minde Sack-cloth liketh him better then sattin or silke 2. King 1.8 Mark 1.6 Luk. 7.25 16.19 hee is more delighted with the hairecloth of Eliah of Iohn Baptist then with the soft and silken raiment of courtiers or with the purple and fine linnen of Diues The king of Niniue lying vpon the earth Ionah 2.6 Act. 12.21 22 23. couered with sack-cloth and sitting in ashes found mercy with God whereas Herod sitting in his throne arraied in royall apparell was smitten by an angel and eaten vp of wormes Thus wee see how displeasing vnto God and how hurtfull vnto man this vice of excesse is whether in diet or apparell and how that it is an enemie both vnto mans prosperitie on earth and his felicitie in heauen It shutteth him out of his inheritance on earth and bereaueth him of his inheritance in heauen And this is not all the euill that commeth by excesse for God oftentimes punisheth the whole citie the countrey yea the whole kingdome with scarcitie and famine for this abuse of his benefit Woe vnto them saith the Prophet Isaie that are mighty to drinke wine Isa 5.11 12 13 22. and to them that are strong to powre in strong drinke therefore they are men famished and the multitude thereof is dried vp with thirst They lie vpon beddes of Iuorie saith the Prophet Amos and stretch themselues thereupon Amos 6.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. they eate of the lambes of the flocke and the calues out of the stall they sing to the sound of the violl they inuent to themselues instruments of musicke they drinke wine in bowles and annoint themselues with the chiefe oyntments and therefore their sorrow is at hand saith the prophet and that so much the more in that they vsed this excesse in a time when as they ought to haue beene rather sorie for the affliction of Ioseph that is of their brethren Ioel. 1. whereof now many were slaine and carried away captiue And the Prophet Ioel soundeth into their eares this exhortation and commination Awake ye drunkards and weepe howle all ye drinkers of wine because of the new wine for it shall be pulled from your mouth As if he should say yee drunkards that lie snorting and sleeping in your beds of downe awake and ye that vse to quaffe and swill vpon your knees doing worship to Bacchus like idolaters or to your owne bellies like belly-gods arise and all ye that bee merrie begin to mourne and turne your lowd laughing into lamenting your harping into howling for the new wine the strong drinke and the daintie cheere which ye doe abuse in this maner shall be pulled from your mouthes and not onely from yours but also from many other mouthes for your sakes For behold the vine and the new wine is dried vp the oyle is decayed the corne is destroyed the field is wasted the fruits of the ground are eaten vp by the palmer-worme the grashopper and the caterpiller the trees of the field are withered the seed is rotten vnder the clods the garners are destroyed and the barnes broken downe the pastures of the wildernesse are burned vp and the springs of water dried vp so that the heards of cattle the flocks of sheepe doe pine away for want of pasture and the beasts of the field doe crie and mourne for lacke of water Ierem. 14.3 4 5 6. yea the whole land mourneth And as the Prophet Ieremie speaketh the ground is destroyed for want of raine the plowe-men are ashamed and couer their heads the Hind also calueth in the field and forsaketh it for lacke of grasse Thus it appeareth manifestly how horrible a sinne excesse is and how Almightie God is wont to punish the abuse of his benefits with famine scarcenesse penurie and indigence When men in their aboundance wil needs play the beasts God will be auenged both on them and on the beasts for their cause yea he will change their diet and send them to feed with the beasts So that they shall bee faine for extreame famine to eat the grasse of the field and gnawe the barke and roots of the trees and to drinke the water of the flood that the table of beasts may teach them not to play the beasts any more in abusing Gods good creatures to excesse And good reason forsooth that such as will needes liue riotously and quaffe and swill vpon their knees should be brought
manifold allegations of sacred Scripture both of the old and new Testament in the manner abouesaid It followeth that in the next place we mention certaine such examples as may serue to illustrate the foresaid rules and those we do distinguish into two ranckes The one is of such notable persons as are recorded in holy writt to haue attained to riches by right meanes and to haue vsed the same according to the rules of this art the which haue bene blessed of God and haue prospered for their regularities sake The other rancke is of such others as in labouring and studying to bee rich haue bene irregulars that is either haue not attained to riches by the right way or else neuer vsed them after the right manner and therefore haue beene accursed of God Of the first ranke the examples are these Abraham the father of the faithfull Gen. 12.1 2 3 7. 13.4.18 14 20 18.23 20.17 21.33 23.13 24.34.35 was a regular student in this Art for hee was a man that feared God deuoutly called vpon his name diligently obeyed his voice readily liued amongst men vprightly following the vocation the Lord had called him vnto carefully Hee was likewise carefull for all such as were vnder his charge that they should doe the like for he commanded his sonnes and his seruants to keepe the way of the Lord euen to liue religiously and soberly and iustly in this present world And the Lord blessed him exceedingly hee magnified and multiplied him so that he gaue him in great store men seruants and maid seruants siluer and gold Camels and Asses Sheepe and Beeues Gen. 12.5 14.12 19.1 2 3. 13.5.6.7 Lot Abrahams brothers sonne was likewise a regular Student in this Art Hee was a man that feared God vpright in his waies hospitable charitable and diligent in his calling And the Lord blessed him with store and aboundance of sheepe cattell and tents so that the land could not beare them that hee and his Vncle might dwell together Gen. 26.2 3 4.12.13.14.24.25.26.27.28.29.30 Isaac the sonne of Abraham was also a regular Sudent to wit a man fearing the Lord vpright charitable and diligent in his calling And the Lord whom hee serued deuoutly was with him effectually and blessed him exceedingly so that hee waxed mighty and still increased his hand brought forth an hundreth fold hee had flockes of Sheepe and heardes of cattell and a mighty housholde so that the Philistines amongst whom hee dwelt enuied his greatnesse but king Abimelech seeing manifestly that the Lord was with his seruant Isaac made an alliance and couenant of amity peace with him Iacob the sonne of Isaac Gen. 28.13 14.15 16 17 18 19 20.21.22 30.27.43 31 17.18.38.40 32.9.10 7. 33 4.11 35 1 2 3.4 36.6.7 was a man father-like religious iust charitable and diligent wherefore the Lord was with him whithersoeuer hee went so that hee became very rich and increased exceedingly for he had man seruants and maid seruants Camels and Asses and many flockes of sheepe and heards of cattell yea Laban his father in law who was an Idolater was blessed of God with temporall increase for Iacobs sake And it is very likely that God blessed also Esau with temporall blessings for receiuing his brother Iacob at his returne so kindly and so tenderly as hee did and for being appeased towards him For Esau hearing that his brother Iacob was comming home againe hee ranne to meete him and embraced him and fell on his necke and kissed him and they wept And therefore Iacob called the present hee sent to his brother Esau of his goods his blessing I pray thee quoth hee to him take my blessing that is brought thee The holy man insinuating thereby that as it was a blessing from God vnto Iacob so it should bee a blessing from God vnto Esau by Iacobs hand And consequently a meanes to make Esau more blessed in worldly wealth for Iacobs sake Ioseph the sonne of Iacob Gen. 37.26.27 36. was a man that feared God sober and chaste in his carriage vpright amongst men and diligent in his calling first in Potiphars house 39 2 3 4 5 6 20 21 22 23. 41.14 38 39 40 41 42 43 44. then in the prison and afterwards in the Princes palace The Lord was with him euery where and he prospered yea all his maisters prospered for his sake Potiphar Pharaohs Steward was his first maister who bought him at the hands of the Israelites vnto whom his brethren had sold him Potiphar seeing that the Lord was with him and that hee made all that he did to prosper in his hand of a slaue he made him the ruler of his house and put all that hee had vnder his hand And the Lord blessed the Aegyptians house for Iosephs sake yea the blessing of the Lord was vpon all that he had in the house and in the field His second maister was the maister of the Kings prison house After that he was put in prison by the malitious craft of Potiphars wife But euen there the Lord was with Ioseph and got him fauour in the sight of the maister of the prison so that he committed to Iosephs hand all the prisoners that were in the prison and looked vnto nothing that was vnder his hand but trusted Ioseph with all seeing the Lord was with him for whatsoeuer he did the Lord made it to prosper His third maister was King Pharaoh himselfe who sent for him out of prison to interprete his dreames and afterwards for his diuine wisdome made him chiefe ruler ouer his house yea ouer all the Kingdomes of Egypt so that all the reuenues and riches thereof came vnder his hand Thus we see Ioseph of a slaue made a seruant and a ruler of seruants in his maister Potiphars house and thereafter of a prisoner made a ruler of prisoners in the prison and in the end of a poore prisoner made a potent Prince so that such as hee once serued were made to serue him and hee made the maister and Lord of such as had beene his maisters before His brethren had sold him for siluer into Egypt Gen. 45 4 5 6 7 8 9. and hee afterwards sold them without siluer corne in Egypt yea saued them in Egypt from the great famine euen his father and all his family Thus we find it most true which the holy woman Anna singeth in her song 1 Sam. 2 7 8. Psal 113.7.107 33 34 35 36 37 38 40 41 42. and the sweet singer of Israel in his Psalme The Lord maketh poore and maketh rich bringeth low exalteth hee raiseth vp the poore out of the dust and lifteth vp the begger from the dung-hill to set them among Princes and to make them inherit the seate of glory Hee turneth the wildernesse into pooles of water and the dry land into water springs And there hee placeth the hungry and they build a Citie
to dwell in and sow the fields and plant vineyards which bring forth fruitfull increase for hee blesseth them and they multiply exceedingly and hee diminisheth not their cattell Hee powreth contempt vpon princes and turneth the springs of water into drinesse a fruitful land into barrennesse for the wickednes of them that dwel therin Yet he raiseth vp the poore out of misery and maketh him families like a flocke of sheep The righteous shall see it and reioyce and all iniquity shall stop her mouth And this is that which the holy Psalmist singeth of godly Ioseph more particularly Psal 105.17 18 19 20 21 22 Ioseph was sold for a slaue they held his feete in the stockes and hee was laid in yrons vntill his appointed time came and the counsell of the Lord tried him The King sent and loosed him he made him Lord of his house euen the ruler of the people deliuered him and made him ruler of his substance yea of his Princes and rulers that hee should bind them vnto his will and teach his ancient and wise men wisdome Gen. 45.16.17.18 19.20.21.22.23 And the Lord that thus gaue Ioseph fauour in the eyes of Pharaoh enclined likewise the heart of the King to fauour and loue Iacob the father of Ioseph and his brethren for his sake so that when the tidings came vnto Pharaohs house that Iosephs brethren were come it pleased Pharaoh well and his seruants Moreouer Pharaoh said vnto Ioseph say to thy brethren This doe yee lade your beasts and depart go to the land of Canaan and take your father and your housholds and come to me and I will giue you the best of the land of Aegypt and yee shall eate of the fat of the land And I command thee Thus doe ye Take you chariots out of the land of Aegypt for your children and for your wiues and bring your father and come also regard not your stuffe for the best of all the land of Aegypt is yours And the children of Israel did so and Ioseph gaue them Chariots according to the commandement of Pharaoh he gaue them victuals also for the iourney he gaue them all none excepted change of raiment and vnto Beniamin he gaue three hundreth peeces of siluer and fiue suites of raiment And vnto his father likewise he sent ten hee Asses laden with the best things of Egypt and ten shee Asses laden with wheat and bread and meate for his father by the way And when as Iosephs father and his brethren were come into Aegypt the good King knowing thereof Gen. 46.33 3â— 47.3 4.5 6.11 12. and vnderstanding that their trade for they liued not idle was to be occupied about cattell and sheepe as Sheepheards after that he had admitted them to his presence spake to Ioseph saying Thy father and thy brethren are come vnto thee the land of Egypt is before thee in the best place of the land make thy father and thy brethren dwell let them dwell in the land of Goshen and if thou knowest that there be men of actiuity among them make them rulers ouer my cattell And godly and happy Ioseph placed his father and his brethren and gaue them possession in the land of Egypt in the best of the land euen in the land of Rameses as good bountifull Pharaoh had commanded And the blessed son nourished his blessed father and his brethren and all his fathers houshold with bread euen to the yong children Dauid attained to great riches and honour by practising the rules of this Art 1 Sam. 16 17 2 Sam 2 5 7 8 22. 1 Chron 17 29. 1 King 3 6 Psal 78 70 71.72 hee feared God exceedingly called vpon him continally walking before him in truth in righteousnes and in purenes of his spirit yea he was a man after the Lords owne heart and he that was in his heart was with his heart and in his hand also and blessed him aboundantly Hee chose Dauid his seruant and tooke him from the sheepe-folds euen from behind the ewes with young brought hee him to feed his people in Iacob and his inheritance in Israel So he fed them according to the simplicitie of his heart 1 Sam. 18 18 23. Psal 113.7 and guided them by the discretion of his hands He was as hee saith of himselfe a poore man and of small reputation but God who taketh pleasure in raising vp the poore out of the dust and in lifting vp the beggar from the dongue-hil changed his pouertie into riches his despisednesse into honour his shepheards crooke into a princely scepter his countrey cap into a kingly crowne his base sheep-cote into a stately court and his pasture of small compasse into an ample kingdome In one word God that doth great things tooke him from following the sheep that he might rule ouer his people Israel 1 King 3 11 12 13. 10.21.23.25.27 28. 2 Chron. 1. 8. 13. Eccles 2.4.5.6.7 8.9 Salomon Dauids sonne did attaine to his great riches by practising these rules and namely because he did ask of the Lord vnderstanding to do iudgment and not riches nor honor nor long life nor yet the life of his enemies therfore the Lord gaue him not onely that which he asked but also those things he asked not euen riches and honor more then any in Israel had before him or yet after him So that hee builded houses planted vineyards pleasant gardens and orchards replenished with fruitfull trees purchased great possessions of Beeues and sheep gathered aboundance of siluer and gold yea hee made siluer as plenteous as stones in Ierusalem and exceeded all the Kings of the earth both in riches and in wisdome Iehosophat did attaine to great prosperitie by practising these Rules 2. Chro. 17. He sought the god of his fathers deuoutly and walked in his commandements diligently euen in the waies of his forefather Dauid and therefore the Lord was with him stablished the kingdom in his hand and all Iudah brought presents vnto him so that hee had of riches and honor in aboundance Esther and Mordecai attained to riches and honor by these Rules Esth 2. 6. 8. 10. The vncle the neece both of them feared God and therfore he raised them from low degree vnto princely dignitie from pouertie aduanced them to great riches So that Esther of a poore despised maid became a famous and an honourable queene euen the wife of king Ashuerus the mightie Monarke of the Medes and Persians and Mordecai of a poore despised man was preferred to great riches and honour so that he was made second vnto the king Daniel and his three fellowes Dan. 1 3 6. commonly called the three children practised the Rules of this art They excelled in the feare of the Lord and in wisdom which floweth therefro so that of poore captiues and prisoners hee made them Princes companions they were promoted in the Prouince of Babel to high honours