businesse mearely He shall mearely so doe if he remember he is in the worlde in the middle of daungers c. Thus mishap is ouercomed before it come Woe to thee ó land when thy king is a childe and thy princes eate in the morning HEtherto we haue heard that the worlde goeth thus that fooles chiefly preuaile and beare the swinge although to theyr great losse that when they haue oppressed the wordes of the wyse they paye for their foolishnes Therfore where thinges thus goe it is very daūgerous for the king to be a childe seeing among such aboundaunce of fooles the kyng also is vnwise In this case stand the kingdomes of Germanie and Spayne at this day where the Princes iudged of all other to be most wyse rule and doe all for their owne cōmoditie and auayle The residue can doe nothing but ryde on a great horsse kéepe harlots quaffe c. committing all matters to their Coūsellers which séeke but their owne gayne nothing regarding the common weale And thus all Germanie lyeth wast as it were hauing in her no ciuilitie of manners no care of well bringing vp their youth the lawes all good discipline and artes being decayed and no consideration of Iustice being had A good Prince is a great gifte which consideration and vnderstandeth how to benefite his country which foreséeth what is fit for euery man that all things may be done and ordered according to lawes that all men may haue and enioye theyr right And yet all thinges shall not succéede with this man yea many thinges shall chaunce contrary but for all that let him not cease from his purpose but holde on to doe that he is able according to the forme aforesayd For such a good and a wise Prince or king was Salomō in so much that he wrote prouerbes for the instruction of youth and yet had he but his labour for his trauell If then matters succéede no better with the best Princes what will they doe where the kyng is but a childe and doth no exployte worthy for a Prince Whose princes eat in the morning THat is which distribute not their doinges into their tymes which haue no care how the affayers of the common weale fare so they may doe well Yea if any man be desirous to geue the Prince good counsell how to procéede they wyll séeke to oppresse him In the morning is as much as first and formost afore all other thinges for the morning is the first houre to labour and doe any thing in These men eate in the morning when they first of all make prouision for theyr owne game and belly and as for the affaiers of the kyngdome they are put of till the euening that is they are handled last of all Blessed art thou o lande when thy king is the sonne of Nobles thy Princes eate in tyme for strength and not for drunkennes THese be Hebrew phrases the childe of lyfe the childe of death the childe of the yeare euen so the childe of Nobles is he that hath nobles of his kynne For the Hebrew worde sonne we commonly expresse by this word hath as in Ezechiell it is sayd of Pharao I am the sonne of wise men that is I haue many wyse men The Hebrew word Horim signifieth men in white For it was the māner of the people in the East to weare white apparell as the Romaynes vsed purple and scarlet Princes therefore are called white of the garment they weare euen as some of the Romaynes were called Torquati of the bandrikes they weare about their neckes Whose Princes eate in their tyme. THat is which prefer not their owne belly before the affayres and cares of the kingdome séeking for their owne aduauntage But where are they founde Such couetousnes raigneth in the courte the nobles are couetousnes her self This maist thou sée in our Princes where kingdomes are wasted and consumed great men and nobles are enriched By reason of these pestelēt Péeres we can not bring to passe that poore people may be prourded for that Schooles may be sett vp mainteined that poore maydens maye haue competent Dowries appointed thē and such other workes of Godlines may be accomplished where they not with standing can exhorte and get of Princes euery thing Truely therefore is the lande blessed whose Péeres eate in due tyme and not for ryotousnes that is wich are content so to vse the Princes liberalitie that they and their familie may haue sufficient and be maynteyned and not séeke to hande and gather together infinite masses of treasure ¶ Through slouthfulnes the balkes of the house decaye and through Idle handes it rayneth into the house HE addeth a prouerbiall sentence as if he should saye In such a kingdome where Princes and Péeres séeke their owne and the king is a foole it happeneth as to a negligent howseholder who where he myght in tyme with one penny coste kéepe his rafters from rotting letteth it runne till the house be lyke to fall Where therfore the householder is not diligent and euery day repayring where decay is here alwayes one damage and losse followeth an other But a diligent body straight way repayreth a thing falllen in decay preserueth not onely that he hath but alwaies amendeth where he seeth faulte or breach still making his house more and more comelye And that he sayth of the house he will haue vnderstanded of all thinges belonging to house kéeping Euen as the building being neglected decayeth so doth the house keeping decay being neglected A diligent householder is alwayes increasing somewhat a slouthfull and negligent alwaies loseth somewhat Thus many Byshoprickes and Dukedomes haue decayed because no man hath set his hand to the restoring of them He that neglecteth that is small by lytle and lyttle loseth all An householder must be both a sparer and liberall and he must make much of small things that when tyme serueth he may be liberall For many small maketh a great Our Prince Fredericke a most praise worthy householder so ordered his house kéeping that he séemed a Niggard for he payed all his seruauntes Cookes and other their wages in their hand but to those that came to his Court which were to be rewarded he was most bountifull which he should not haue bene able to do vnles at other tymes he had spared it And thus he brought to passe that he had a most well ordered house and familie So Princes when they neglect one or two vserers or other Malefactors it cōmeth to passe at length that they punishe none at all so the whole cōmon weale falleth So the Romane Captaines would haue no enemye despised were he of neuer so small force To conclude where the kinge is a foole there is a foolish gouernement such a kingdome as must néedes fall For so is it in a kingdome as in house kéeping And the house to drop is as much as to perish and decaye With laughing thei get their liuing
vanities but feare thou the Lord. THis is a confirmation of the same sētence admonishing vs that we be not obstinate in refusing to doe that we ought as he taught vs before not to be too carefull to doe all according to our phāsie deuise Speake not sayth he so carnally so rashely so foolishely to harken to thyne owne fleshe but speake accordyng to the wrode of god And say not this is ignoraunce or a trifling fault if I labour not or perfourme not that I haue promised as men of light consciences make light of sinne and thinke that God regardeth not sinnes or requireth not our good deedes See thou excuse thee not or neglecte if thou offēde him For hereof spring heresies when they set the word of God at naught and shamefully defende it standing so highly in their owne conceit that they thinke they haue no neede of Gods worde This securitie or negligence the Hebrew word Sigaion declareth which is vsed also in the title of the seuenth Psal. in the title of the song of Habacuc For it signifieth ignoraunce but not that that we call foolishnes or lacke of knowledge but rather that which more truely we may call lacke of conscience or inconscience if that were a Latine word that is when one doth not know a thing or maketh no conscience of it so that thou mayst referre it not to the Angell but vnto him that saith I know no fault by my selfe God will not reprooue me Before the Angell BEcause God gouerned this people by the meane of Angels as is sayde in the epistle to the Galathyans The law was ordayned by Angels in the hand of a mediatour And Moyses sayth to the people The Angell shall go before you commending to them the Angell that gouerned them after this maner Salomon sayth say not before the angell c. whom the Lord hath appoynted to be our gouernour Before the Angell is all one as if he should say before God Least God be angry with the same c. that is See thou contemne not thy vow so become infortunate in all thy waies and doinges Afterward he cōcludeth all this place after the same sort with the same sentēce almost that went before Dreames only vanities c. For where many cares are there be many dreames and where are many counsels and disputations there be many vanities Therefore feare thou God be content with his worde suffer him to rule at his pleasure For he is in heauen and thou on the earth as afore is sayd Labour thou but let hym gouerne thy labour geue successe For what gettest thou by all thy wordes coūsulting and disputing but trouble For where many wordes are there are many dreames c. This is the vniuersall proposition simply conuerted Where are many cogitations disputations there are many dreames where are many dreames there are many wordes disputations The summe therfore of all is to feare God and in thyne harte to reuerence worship him So Paule commaundeth the wife to feare her husband that is so to reuerence him that shée committe nothing that may offend him Euen so shall we feare God that is we shall reuerence him and doe or commit nothing that shall offend him This he meaneth Neyther consent thou to them that are too carefull nor to those that are too careles Be thou neyther impious Despiser nor presumptuous Counseller Searcher Here now is the ende of this place and admonitiō not to be offended at the course of this lyfe Neyther fayth he dispute nor contemne but reuerence God and think that it is Gods doing c. For god thus doth all thinges to confound our deuises and our flesh and to declare that he is god c. For the flesh is eyther to carefull or to contemptuous Thus Salomon in the myddle of his oration taketh care to put away offence least any should be offended at his doctrine and eyther neglect his busines or presume to much of him selfe Therefore he counselleth vs to performe our vowe that is to feare God and keepe his commaundement The Scripture vnderstandeth by a vowe not onely Ceremoniales but the whole seruing of god as Dauid sayth psalme 49. Pay thy vowes to the highhest Likewise that the Iewes cried out All the thinges that God hath commaunded we will doo This was a very great vowe Euē so thou the hast promysed to perfourme his will stand to this vow letting passe all other thinges which God will not haue the to searche or care for Now returneth he to the rehearsall of mens affayres If in a countrey thou seest the oppression of the poore and the defrauding of iudgment and iustice be not astonied at the matter For he that is higher then the highest regardeth and there be higher then they and the King is ouer all the earth so se the ground tylled AFter this treatye of godlynes he returneth agayne trymly to his Roll of vanities where he repeteth one thinge oftentimes as is vsed in Sermones This he sayth I bad you feare God or els you shuld do no good yea you would say there is no God onlesse you were armed with the feare of God and knowledge of the truth For when you sée the poore oppressed and iudgment subuerted here you will murmure what vnrighteousnes will you say is this where is god become why suffereth he these thinges against these cogitations and offences Salomon confirmeth vs feare thou God sayth he and thinke there is a iudge appoynted for it he shall redresse it If thou canst not amend the Iudge thinke this is the course of this world and howe no man is able to cause all Iudges to be iust this onely is in Gods power the high Kinge None vnderstand these thinges but those that haue beene in office I haue seene and prooued in the Monastery how many vniust mē haue béene put in office which thing yet coulde not be remedyed So Doctour Sulpitius beyng very wylling and desirous to put good men in euery office and yet could not was wont to say men must goe to the plough with such horsses as they haue he that hath no horsse must goe to plough with Oxen according to the prouerbe So it fareth in worldly affayres Sometyme there is a good Prince but he is not able to sée that all Presidentes and Iudges be good and iust men and yet he is compelled to haue officers So wise men haue great care to make good lawes for the commons that they should be obediēt but yet they murmure and complaine of the force and vnrighteousnes of the Iudges c. When thou séest such thinges thinke these be the vanities of this worlde and flye not out of the worlde as the Monkes doe into the wildernes For they fare like the husbandman that hath fierce horsses and will geue them vp where rather he should vse all kinde of diligence to tame and breake thē So
worlde It followeth therfore There is no new thing vnder the Sunne neither any thing whereof it may be sayd loe this is new THis place hath meruelously troubled the Sophisters because they read in the Scriptures many new thinges were done For the natiuitie of Christ was a new thing A Virgine to be a mother was a new thing Againe I will make a new heauen and a new earth And agayne I will make all thinges a new Againe The Lord wil doe a new thing vpon the earth c. These sentences haue caused them to trifle egregiously vppon this place because they would reconcile both Salomons sayinges these other sentences But this commeth to passe through the ignorance of SalomoÌ„s phrase because they marke not what he meaneth when he saith vnder the Sun. For if thou vnderstand these wordes of Gods creatures and workinges it is no true saying For God worketh alwayes newe thinges and we doe nothing that is new For there is but one old Adam in all meÌ„ Our forefathers therfore haue abused these thinges euen as we abuse them The same affection that was in Alexander was in Iulius and the lyke in all Emperours and kinges the same is in vs also Euen as they coulde not be satisfied no more can wée They were wicked and vngodly so be wée We desire to satisfie all our sences but we are not able because our hart is insatiable Therfore we doe no new thing vnder the Sunne There are no new affections in men but we abyde alwayes one neyther refraine wee our curiositie no although we be waâ—ned by their exaÌ„ples Mans hart ought to be content with thinges present and to mortifie the affection of thinges to come which thyng because they doe not it is iustly all togither vanitie This it is therefore that he sayth There is no new thing vnder the sunne that is in men there is nothing that new in But God doth newe thinges euery day And yet afterward in this same chappiter he sayth he saith I haue passed all the kinges that were before me in wisdome was not this a now or straunge thing Yes truely But this was the gyft of god Ergo a very new thyng And all men desire euen the same but thou shalt scarcely finde one that hath altered this affectioÌ„ Others haue builded as we doe haue made wars as we doe And euen as they haue not by their desires enterprises attayned to that they desired no more haue wée But God by his workes both many and great doth alwayes new thinges There is no remembraunce of thinges passed That is to say men follow their desires and set forward their owne enterprises they will not consider by example of their predecessours how they nothing preuailed No man marketh how Alexander and Iulius attemptes were but vaine The example of Dion that so vnluckely vrged his owne deuise in calling home Dionisius againe and in stablishing his coÌ„mon weale could not make Brutus take héede These are the themes as it were of his whole booke whereof he meaneth to speake that is to say of the vanities of man which goeth about diuerse thinges and can not bring them to passe that is of the inconstancie and insatiabilitie of mans hart I my selfe the preacher was a kyng of Israell at Hierusalem and dyd apply my mynde to seeke search out the knowledge of all thinges that are vnder heauen WEe haue hetherto heard the generall theam and argument of the booke wherein he purposed to treat of the vnhappy deuises and enterprises of men striuing to set forward and fulfill their owne wayes which God doth frustrate as one alwayes withstaÌ„ding such atteÌ„ptes Now he beginneth to rehearse certaine particulars gathering by a dialecticall induction that vniuersall propositions wherwith he began his booke that is to say that all thinges were but vanitie And he increaseth this misery or vanitie that where maÌ„ séeth his forefathers deuises and enterprises made frustrate and how they wearyed themselues in vaine will not yet be learned For the fleshe is so foolishe and the reason so blynded that it can by no examples be amended He beginneth with him selfe and setteth him selfe for an example of this vanitie I sayth he went about to gouerne my kyngdome prudently and notably could not bring it to passe although I was a kyng appointed by god For it is well knowen that this kyng was greatly commended for his diuine wisedome and highly renowned in the Scriptures 3. Reg. 3. Bicause saith God thou hast asked this thyng and not long lyfe nor riches c. Loe I haue giuen thee a wife and an vnderstandyng hart so that there hath been none before lyke vnto thee nor shall be after thee This is a singular testimonye of this kings wisedome yet this prudent and wise kyng could not bring his desire to passe his atteÌ„ptes could haue no successe not without a cause For god gaue him not this wisedome to the end hee might do all thinges God sayd not I will giue thee such wisedome as all other shall obey c. So that by reason of this wisedome Salomon had more trauell and grief then good successe He sawe it was the will of God that hee should well gouerne his kingdome and giue and appointe good lawes for his people But no man followed him neither his chief rulers nor the people He sayth therfore for asmuch as my deuises haue not succeded to my mynde nor haue beene obeyed what shall happen to other of lesse wisedome First saith he I protest myne own experieÌ„ce I that here speake vnto you was king of the Israelites All these wordes are spoken with a vehemencie of affection I am a king and yet I can not preuaile For who is able to resist the kyng which is Lord ouer all men I am not a king onely nor of euery people but of the people of God amongest whom haue been many holy men Prophetes and teachers of Gods law c. To conclude I am king of HierusaleÌ„ that holy place which God chose to dwell in If a kyng of such power so frée so wise of so holy a people in so holy a Citie where God and his word was continually could not bryng his holy and good deuises to passe what shall we say of others I did apply my minde to seeke and search out the knowledge of all thynges that are vnder the sonne WE must abide againe in the Theme He speaketh not of Gods workes which are not onely vnder the Sunne but are euery where but of those things that are done by meÌ„ vnder heaueÌ„ which is the place and kyngdome appointed for vs For Gods workes are aboue heaueÌ„ beneath heauen and euery where They are the workes therefore that we doe of our owne heades and power wherof he saith I purposed in my mynde to set all thinges well in order to haue my kyngdome well gouerned But looke how much God wrought so much was ordeined And
wisdome passeth foolishnes although things be gouerned neither by foolishnes nor wisdome We must holde therefore a meane betwéene both we must commit our matters to the king which made vs If he offer vs any commoditie wée must vse it if he geue vs ought we must take it if he take ought from vs we must suffer it c. Doe that thou art able what thou canst not doe that let alone Looke what thou canst not lift let it lye So my wisdome shall be profitable vnto me if I doe that I know pleaseth God and leaue to his ordering that he will doe by me If we would thus doe then should we be wisemen in déede For the wyse are euer as little in remembraunce as the foolishe For the dayes shall come when all shal be forgotten BOth that the wise man hath done and deuised by this counsell and that the foole hath done through his foolishnesse whether it succéeded well or euill shal be forgotten For neither they themselues nor other shall be the better for it that they may learne to committe all thinges vnto God but their posteritie shall follow their owne wayes and not be content with the ordinaunces of their Auncestors but séeke new deuises lothyng that they haue and séeking for that they haue not dreaming thus If it once succeeded well with me it will doe so once agayne If it did not before succéede it will now succéede We wil doe wiselyer then they haue done before vs c. Beholde the Romaines cōmon weale how the Consulles alwayes and the Emperours afterwarde still repealed their Predecessours Actes disdayning thinges present and past and lookyng on thinges to come Why therefore doest thou take such care as though thy posteritie would like or allow that thou doost It will not be For that men haue they reiecte as vnprofitable c. Therfore it is impossible that thinges should remaine in the same estimation wyth posteritie that they were in before Lycurgus thought he had geuen such lawes to the Lacedemonians as they would haue kept till he had come backe agayne that is for euer According to the which deuise he went his wayes mynding to returne backe no more hoping by this meanes that his lawes should be alwayes obserued but he nothing preuailed Augustus sayd he had layd such foundations of a common weale as he hoped should stand for euer but they that came after turned all vp set downe The people of Rome wished the death of Nero hoping they should haue had a better cōmon weale But afterward it went neuer the better with their commō weale Salomon so gouerned his Realme that he thought it shoulde haue so continued still and by and by after his death it was deuided For Roboam which succéeded him not content with his fathers wyse gouernaunce of the kingdome rent it in two partes And it commeth not onely thus to passe in externe and ciuile matters where such foolishnes is the more tollerable because there is but the losse of thinges corporall but also in religion and in the word of God where posteritie alway neglecting the puritie of the doctrine left by our predecessours séeke newe inuentions euen as they which now the Gospell is published not content with the puritie of fayth doctrine of the Gospell raise newe disputations about the Sacramentes which when it hath béene of any continuaunce newe sectes will arise without ende For the fleshe can not be cōtēted with one plaine and true doctrine Thou must vnderstand that Salomō speaketh not here of the persons but of the things that men do whether they be wise or foolish because they be neglected The remembraunce of men indureth in bookes but not in ordering of the commōweale and matters are registred and put in Recordes but no mā careth or taketh héede to them neither is posteritie moued with the examples of their predecessours Still they deuise new wayes and fashions That lyeth before them is lothed that they haue not is desired Briefly to be content with thinges present is playnely a gift of the holy ghost a thyng impossible to the fleshe which alwayes forsaketh thinges present for thinges to come and whiles it pursueth the one it loseth the other defrauding it selfe of the vse of both A couetous man lacketh aswell that hee hath as that hee hath not And as it fareth with the couetous in money so fareth it with all mankind in pleasures and deuises c. that is to say they haue nothing though they haue all thing Let Alexander Magnus stand for an example whose mynde was not satisfied after hee had conquered all Asia If this be true in outwarde thinges what maruell is it in matters of the Gospell That we haue we haue not because our affection is not settled but are desirous of other thinges On the other side Christians haue all things though they haue nothyng And the wyse man dyeth as well as the foole THe lyke saying is in the Psalme 49. Wise men also dye and perishe togither aswel as the ignoraūt and foolish and leaue their riches for other c. This also is to bee vnderstanded of things that men doe The wise mā dyeth for all his doynges aswell as the foole No man regardeth what they well ordeined And when thou hast done aswell as is possible for thy reward are all thy doynges disdayned or els thou art hanished or put to death c. Yea many will contemne thine Actes and repeale them Wherefore I was weary of my lyfe because I saw that all thinges done vnder the sunne were naught For all was but vanitie and vexation of mynde THat is whatsoeuer was done vnder the Sunne did much displease mee forasmuch as it was naught elles but vaine labour and vexation Not that Salomon wished his death but for that hee thought it was a miserable case to leade a mās life in such doings Thus he meaneth I became weary of it and ouerladen therewith For who can suffer to haue nothing but labour in diuising and contempt after he hath done To liue or life after the phrase of Scripture signifieth to liue well and at ease To leade a perfect life Psalme 22. No man hath quickened his owne soule that is whose soule liued not well Those that liue euill and a hard lyfe as poore men that are oppressed and in misery and appointed to dye Of these it is sayd in the scriptures they liue not Therefore he sayth not he desireth death but that this trade of life wherein men are so wearyed and vexed with their owne deuises displeaseth him Salomon meaneth that wee should stand in a readines whether life or death betyde and calleth vs backe to the vse of thinges present because we should bee content with them without care of hereafter and commit all thinges vnto God who will worke by vs as it were vnwitting to vs Euē as the Oxe that treadeth out the corne and eateth knoweth not
there be some so froward wayward housholders so sharpe exactors of worke that they doe nothing but disturbe the whole house with theyr vnreasonablenes This is a notable saying of Frederike the third which was Emperour He that can not dessemble cā not be an Emperour Adde this he that knoweth not how to dissemble knoweth not how to liue If thou wylt◠liue in the world learne to sée this Then let vs doe nothing Not so We must labour and be doing but that thou canst not bring to passe dissemble Thus it behooueth a wise housholder to dissemble and make as he knew not of diuers thinges that offend him For it is impossible that all thinges can be done well rightly This booke therefore teacheth peace and quietnes of mynde in these worldly affayres that when thou séest or hearest of euils thou shouldest not vexe thy selfe but say this is the course of the worlde It goeth none otherwise here Againe when thou seest thinges goe wel to say Blessed be God which so ordreth these thinges that not onely he suffreth euill to be done but intermedleth good with euill Doe thou that thou art able the rest commit vnto God and according to the prouerbe He that can not lyfte vp the heauy stone must let it lie still and let him take vp the stone that he is able Therfore when thou séest euill in Princes Officers abuse their authoritie Iudges geue wrong iudgemēt the commons murmure and wise men dispute thinke God will redresse this geare Let not this matter trouble thee HE goeth about to quiet and pacifye our mynde Maruell not sayth hée though thou sée such thinges but be conted Thou art not able to remedy these thinges for thou canst not helpe or better them wherfore feare God and commit the matter vnto him so shalt thou be quyet He that will not thus doe shall finde nothing but trouble For he that is higher thē the highest regardeth THat is doe not thou vexe thy selfe if thou canst not redresse it leaue it to an higher Iudge That that the inferior is not able to compasse let him thynke it belongeth to the superior If the Prince be euill complayne of it to an higher power euen to god So if I shoulde vexe my selfe much about the schismes and sectes which disturbe the Church and contaminate the Gospell what should I preuaile Therfore I commit the matter to God that is the Iudge in whose hand are all thinges Notwithstandyng I am sory that the soules of men are so miserably seduced and deceaued but I cā doe no more but according to myne office resiste them and say leaue of you haue erred long inough repent When thou hast thus counselled an other then commit him to God according to Pauls saying Him that is an heretike after one or two admonitions shunne and auoyde c. Agayne wicked men waxe worse and worse For they shall not escape their Iudge Euery one hath hys Iudge if the Bailiffe doeth it not the Sheriffe or Maior will doe it And if he will not iudge them the king shall if the kyng regarde it not the Emperour shal If the Emperour will not God wil not contemne or neglect it This is it that he meaneth The king is ruler ouer all the earth Salomon had no higher office thē a kynges Let the kyng bring to passe that thou art not able To see the grounde tylled THis séemeth to be as an adiection or addition to a kyngly estate Wherby is signified to what office he is appointed and what charge is of the secular power To this ende sayth he is he ordayned a Magistrate and officer to sée the earth be tylled to reuenge the iniuries wrongs of inferiors The kyng hath the sworde to defend the innocent and to punishe the malefactour and God suffereth no wickednes on the earth which he punisheth not by the magistrate If the inferior officer doth it not yet the higher doth It cōmeth at length to the power of the sworde This is notable that he calleth the kyng a tyller of the ground which thing signifieth not onely the tyllage of the earth but the whole maintenaunce of the common weale which consisteth of lawes iudgementes c. For it is a kynges duty aswel to defend as to make prouision for victuals and other necessaries Tyllage prepareth foode warre or the sworde defendeth vs kéepeth vnder the malefactor that other may ply their tyllage and doe that they ought So it lyeth in the kyng as well to make prouision for necessaries as to sée them conserued For vnles he defend them other can not follow theyr tyllage Thus Salomon both armeth vs against offēces and also teacheth vs that our deuises are but vayne I sayth he am a kyng by Gods appointmēt and albeit I am not able to redresse all things yet I doe as much as I am able the rest I am cōpelled to beare and suffer least the whole land should be left waste cōmending all things in the meane while to God the high Iudge who hath all the power of the sword in his hand Thus let euery man in his calling doe what he is able and commit the rest to the higher power He that loueth siluer shall not be satisfied with siluer and he that loueth riches shall be without the fruite therof this also is a vanitie When goods increase they are increased that eate them and what good cōmeth to the owners thereof but the beholding of them with their eyes THis belongeth to that he sayd in the first chapiter The eare is not satisfied with hearing nor the eye with seing Here he treateth of the vanitie and desires of mans hart One worlde was not inough for Alexander So fareth it in all other affayres honours ryches c. For so goeth the miserable life of man that a couetous man is an example to all men He hath money and yet is he not satisfied yea he enioyeth it not being present onely he thyrsteth after other that he hath not What els therfore is a couetous man but an hart stretched out to that it hath not and turned from that it hath Therfore this is a vanitie of the hart were it not better to be content with things present and to cast of the care of thinges to come Souldiours are happier then couetous men although they be the worste of all other men liue most hardly For els all men be couetous except such in whom other lyke vices put couetousnes away But the godly onely haue this benefite that they are contēted with things presēt and can vse them also with mirth and thankes geeuing A couetous man hath no greater mouth belly c. then a godly poore man nor digesteth no more then he and yet is he contented with a litle yea he is riche where the couetous in the middle of his riches is a begger These things men are taught both holesomly and godlyly but the fleshe is careles say
wil not away with this Obserue therefore the lawes teaching and preaching and giue thankes to God if at any tyme thy family or hearers confesse thy lawes to be right holy although they perfourme them not according to the prescript So art thou in déede a iust and a wise man But theÌ„ art thou too wyse too iust when in authoritie or in thyne owne house thou hast good lawes and wilt haue them so straightly vrged and folowed that thou wilt not haue one Iote of them broken For this is Extreame right extreame rigour A wyse Magistrate and householder must make a difference betwéene the goodnes of lawes and the obedience of Subiectes It is better we beare and suffer a little rebellion then the whole common weale should perish as commeth to passe where there are such seuere Exactours of lawes Therefore lawes must be vrged and set forward as thinges will beare not farther Thus doe Phisicians also they iudge not nor heale not dyseases according to the prescript of their bookes onely but many tymes are compelled to take an other way according to the quantitie of the bodyes they haue in cure So mens myndes are so diuersly affectioned that many tymes lawes must be moderated To this purpose we haue neede of most wise men whereof there are but fewe in the worlde Therefore we should choose all Magistrates and howseholders lyke vnto Dauid Abraham Salomon Iosua and such like if they could be had which could vse lawes aright So expedient it were to haue the common weale well gouerned ¶ Be not thou too wicked c. THis is the other parte of the conclusion Sée the as thou art not too iust so thou also be not to wicked that is that thou coÌ„temne and neglect not all gouernment geuen thee in charge and that thou suffer not all things to runne to hauock It is good to dissemble some thinges but not to neglect all thinges If thy wysedome procéede not thou must not therefore rage in Ire and desyre of reuenge Againe giue not thy selfe to Idlenes as one that careth not which ende goe forwarde Doo not lyke the wicked seruauÌ„t that hid his tallent in the grounde and would not put it to vsaunce Sée thou bée iust other with thée set forward Godlynes and continewe so doing howsoeuer thinges fall out Why so least thou perish and dye not in thy tyme. For it is to be feared least thy Lorde come and call thée to iudgement as he did the rich mans sowle in a night when he least thought of it If this were an heauenly and Angelicall lyfe nothing should be done vniustly but this sinful nature can doe naught els but sin and play the foole He that knoweth not this knoweth not the worlde as yet We must imagine that we be here as it were in a shipwracke or in the middle of a great fier where we must labour to take some brandes away séeing we can not stâ—nt or put the fier cleane out Wherfore if thou be an householder be content if thou canst pull but one out of the common fier of naughty men If thou be a teacher of children labour to teach and bring vp well though it be but one c. If thou be a preacher of the Gospell so preach not as thou wouldest win all men vnto Christ for all wil not obey the gospell but if thou canst bring and conuerte but two or thrée soules as it were smokye brands endes vnto Christ geue God thanks for we must not therfore geue ouer because so fewe amende through preaching of the Gospell But as Christ did so doe thou He deliuered his elect the other he let alone So did the Apostles thou shalt be able to doe no better Thou art a foole if eyther thou presume to doe all thing or contrariwyse if thy doinges succéede not despayrest of all thyng It is good for thee to take holde of this and not to let that goe out of thy hand for he that feareth God shall come forth with them all A Lyke senteÌ„ce vseth Christ Math 23. saying These thinges it behoued you had done and not haue omitted or left vndone the other So here also he requireth bothe iustice and not exacte iustice so that thou shouldest be neyther too remisse nor too precise Sometimes dissemble the lawes equitie as though thou were wicked Sometyme agayne lay holde on the lawe and shew thy selfe iust But remember that Salomon speaketh not here of such iustice as is requyred of euery person as was sayd before but of ciuile and politike iustice which is not before God but in gouerning of others and before the worlde For in personall and particular iustice there caÌ„ not be too much He that feareth God shall come forth of them all THat is the feare of God shall iudge what is best in both to doe If I feare the Lord my hart sayth oftentimes I haue lyued thus and as yet I lyue filthely Therefore I will vse compassion towarde those that offende If I can kéepe theÌ„ vnder by moderate discipline I will if not I will let them goe till they incurre the daunger of the sworde And if they escape all these yet shall they not escape the iudgement of god Thus he the feareth God walketh vprightly in these things when he séeth he caÌ„ not preuaile he calleth vpon god Wherfore doe that is thy duetie admonishe exhorte cease not He that will not harken vnto thée shal fall into punishment although thou punishe him not There shall be one that will punishe him As it chaunced of late to the Bowers who when they woulde not harkeÌ„ to our rebuking of them were punished inough by others c. Wisedome shall comfort the wyse man more then tenne myghty men in the Citie THis is a commendation of the wysedome he spake of before that is to say of iustice and equitie Thinges are not preserued by force but all things are done and procéede through wisedome in the kingdome in lawes in administrations in occupations So we are made men to doe all thinges by reason and to preuaile more therby then all beastes by their streÌ„gth Therfore though lawes be neuer so well made common weales neuer so well ordered and appointed yet if wisdome lacke all things goe backward For when a wyse man maketh lawes it is impossible that he caÌ„ foresée all cases circumstaunces Wherfore many things are left to the order of those that execute lawes So the lawyers call the Emperour a lyuely lawe because he is set in place to moderate lawes as he that sitteth at the charrette to rule it disposeth all things according to place tyme and persons c. For a foole doth more hurt by his precisenes in séeing lawes obserued then a wise man doth in dissembling some lawes All these thinges as yet are sayd by way of exhortation Be not angry sayth he though thinges succéede not accordyng to thy desier Let
it suffise thée to kéepe lawes so farforth as all thinges be not trod vnder foote For this is the greatest wisedome not to know what lawe and equitie is but to know that wisedome is not followed nor obeyed in this worlde This lyfe will not abyde to haue all thynges done right The summe therefore of this place is not to put any trust in our strength but to rule by wisedome which oftentymes kéepeth all things vpright in a kyngdome where force and violence marreth all Why so Because there is no mā on the earth that doth good and sinneth not MArke this alway the Salomon speaketh of things vnder the sunne and of such thinges as may be donne Neyther informeth he here mens consciences chieflie but teacheth quietnes of mynde in difficulte matters of this world Therfore he addeth expressely on the earth vnderstanding worldly iustice and such offēces as we make one against the other as if he should say Why goest thou about to haue all thinges donne straightly according to lawe It shall neuer be that all thinges shall be aright If thou wilt lyue in the common weale thou muste winke at many thinges thou must not knowe many thinges to the ende thou mayst obserue some iustice Looke vpon thy selfe and thou shalt sée how many tymes thy selfe doost vniustly so not without a cause offendest many Therfore séeme not too iust because thou sinnest and offendest in many ihinges So Christ in the seuenth of Mathew sayth Thou seest a mote in thy neighbours eye and considerest not the beame in thine owne although there he speaketh of heauenly iustice If we would looke on our selues at home thē surely we should fynde these defectes that iustly offende others This thing surely ought to admonish vs not to be so seuere Iudges towarde others nor to iust exactours of others Iustice For hereof it commeth that such rigorous exactours are manye tymes most vitious men They haue no affection of mercy and compassion they are greuous and intollerable both toward them selues and others Salomon therefore meaneth that we should not be angrie though we sée things donne that offende vs For we our selues alwayes doe not that we ought At many thinges we must winke and beare with them For as it is the propertie of the righteousnes of fayth and spirituall Iustice to beare with the weake and gently to enfourme them so it belōgeth to ciuile iustice wherof he speaketh in this place to beare with others defaultes so that there ought to be a mutuall bearing and suffring one with an other Cicero in his booke of frendship will haue nothing dissembled in frendeship And Erasmus in his Moria will haue all the faultes of our frendes corrected There be also speculations of most passionate men Fooles will gouerne the worlde with bookes not perceauing how no man is able to perfourme that is prescribed So the Stoikes fayned most foolishly a wyse man without sence being themselues greuous to all men It remayneth therefore that we winke and beare one with an other For there is no man but offendeth and doth that that greueth an other Take not heede vnto euery worde that is spoken least thou heare thy seuaūt curse thee For thine owne hart knoweth that thou thy selfe also hast often tymes spoken euill by other men EVen as I sayd to thée touching the experience of thine owne sight so say I also touching the hearing of other men In déede thy familye must be gouerned and the wicked must be punished If thou canst amend or redresse no farther let it alone The wicked shall not goe vnpunished For this is a true prouerbe or saying thou doest not clerely runne from the hangman for God is the hangeman him selfe Least thou perhappes here thy Seruaunt cursse thee THere are some so curiouse in them selues that they will hunte out all mens sayings and signes in so much that they will harken at the windowes and péepe in at the creuesses of the walles to heare what euery body speaketh of them To whom it iustly falleth out to heare that of their owne familye that gréeueth them Therefore if thou wilte geue eare to euery bodyes taulke looke to heare euen thine owne householde to speake euill of thée Yea perhappes when thou thinkest not of it For as thou shalt trye and proue many thinges so shalt thou heare many thinges that thou wouldest not so that thou shalt not néede curiously to harken what euery body sayth Neyther be thou therfore by and by angry take weapon in hand but make light of them cosidering that thy selfe also hast offended others in many thinges If Iupiter shoulde throw foorth his thunderboltes as often as men deserue them he would in short space be left weapōles as Horace sayth Therefore these two thinges are necessary in the gouernaunce of the world The lawe maker and the Qualifier of the lawe The lawe maker to order and gouerne the comon weale by wholsome lawes The Qualifier of the lawe to applye them rightly and to vse them prudently according to tyme place and persons c. And a Moderator of the lawe is more necessary in the comon weale then a lawe maker as we may sée by the example of our owne howses A wyse housholder appointeth euery seruaunt his dutie his tyme and place to doe it in moreouer he appoynteth meate drynke and clothing for men seruaunts and mayde seruauntes But it chaunceth that his seruaunt falleth sicke Here the lawe must be broken and tyme must be serued He will not require his taske of the sicke body He prepareth for him better meate drynke and more handsome lodging then for the rest c. And he is discharged of his taske For els his maister shoulde be a foolyshe man and an vngodly So here the appointment of the lawe is dashed because the person is chaunged Therfore if we many tymes depare frō the lawe and offende in our sayinges doinges let vs beare with the same in others All these thinges haue I proued by wysedome for I thought I would be wise but it wēt the farther from me It is farre of What may it be And it is a profounde deepenes Who can finde it HE alleadgeth his owne experience declaring what heretofore hath happened vnto him while he wente aboute to search these things I instruct thée saith he by myne owne example I teach y to leaue of this precise wisdome that wisdome a wise man be not all one I was cōpelled to learne these things by experience when I would go about to be wise and bring all the worlde to be ruled by my straight lawes But nothing succeded lesse Therefore these two as I sayde are necessary for the lyfe of man a lawemaker and a moderator of lawe this one aswel as that other Euen as it is not inough for a wagener to haue good horses and to knowe what waye to goe vnlesse he gouerne well his wagen in the way as he goeth