he command an Unlawful act give Passive Obedience What thy well-grounded Conscience will suffer do cheerfully without repining where thou may'st not do Lawfully suffer couragiously without Rebellion Thy Life and Livelihood is thy Prince's thy Conscience is thy own MAX. 52. If thou givest to receive the like it is Exchange If to receive more 't is covetousness If to receive thanks it is Vanity If to be seen 't is Vain-Glory If to corrupt 't is Bribery If for Example 't is Formality If for Compassion 't is Charity If because thou art Commanded 't is Obedience The affection in doing the work gives a name to the work done MAX. 53. Fear Death but be not afraid of Death To fear it whets thy Expectation to be afraid of it dulls thy Preparation If thou canst endure it it is but a flight pain if not 't is but a short pain To fear Death is the way to Live long To be afraid of Death is to be long a Dying MAX. 54. If thou desire the love of God and Man be humble for the proud heart as it loves none but it self so it is beloved of none but by it self The Voice of humility is God's Rhetorick Humility enforces where neither Virtue nor Strength nor Reason can prevail MAX. 55. Look upon thy burning Taper and there see the Emblem of thy Life The flame is thy Soul the Wax thy Body and is commonly a span long the Wax if never so well temper'd can but last his length and who can lengthen it If ill temper'd it shall waste the the faster yet last his length an open Window shall hasten either an Extinguisher shall put out both Husband them the best thou canst thou canst not lengthen them beyond their date Leave them to the injury of the Wind or to the mercy of a wastful hand thou hastnest them but still they burn their length But puff them out and thou hast shortned them and stop'd their passage which else had brought them to their appointed End Bodies according to their Constitutions stronger or weaker acoording to the equality or inequality of their Elements have their dates and may be preserved from shortning but not lengthned Neglect may waste them ill Diet may hasten them to their Journey 's End yet they have lived their length a violent hand may interrupt them a sudden death may stop them and they are shortned It lies in the power of Man either permissively to hasten or actively to shorten but not to lengthen or extend the Limits of his Natural Life He only if any hath the art to lengthen out his Taper that puts it to the best advantage MAX. 56. Demean thy self in the presence of thy Prince with reverence and chearfulness That without this is too much sadness this without that is too much boldness Let thy Wisdom endeavour to gain his opinion and labour to make thy Loyalty his Confidence Let him not find thee false in Words unjust in thy Actions unseasonable in thy Suits nor careless in his Service Cross not his passion Question not his pleasures Press not into his secrets Pry not in his prerogative Displease him not lest he be angry appear not displeased lest he be jealous The anger of a King is implacable The Jealousie of a Prince is Incurable MAX. 57. Give thy heart to thy Creator and reverence thy Superiors Give diligence to thy Calling and ear to good Counsel Give alms to the Poor and the Glory to God Forgive him that ignorantly offends thee and him that wittingly offended thee seeks thee Forgive him that hath forcibly abused thoe and him that hath fraudulently betray'd thee Forgive all thine Enemies but least of all thy self Give and it shall be given to thee Forgive and it shall be Forgiven thee the sum of all Christianity is Give and Forgive MAX. 58. Be not too great a Niggard in the Commendations of him that professes thy own Quality If he deserves thy praise thou hast discovered thy Judgment If not thy Modesty Honour either returns or reflects to the Giver MAX. 59. If thou desire to raise thy Fortunes Encourage thy delights to the casts of Fortune be wise betimes lest thou repent too late what thou gettest thou gainest by abused Providence what thou losest thou losest by abused Patience what thou winnest is prodigally spent what thou losest is prodigally lost It is an Evil trade that prodigally drives and a bad Voyage where the Pilot is blind MAX. 60. Be very wary for whom thou becomest Security and for no more than thou art able to discharge if thou lovest thy Liberty The Borrower is a Slave to the Lender the Security is a Slave to both whilst the Borrower and Lender are both eased the Security bears both their burthens He is a Wise Security that recovers himself MAX. 61. Look upon thy Affliction as thou dost upon thy Physick both imply a Disease and both are applied for a Cure that of the Body this of the Soul If they work they promise health if not they threaten death He is not happy that is not Afflicted but he that finds happiness by his Affliction MAX. 62. If the knowledge of good whet thy desire to good it is a happy knowledge If by thy ignorance of Evil thou art surpriz'd with Evil it is an unhappy Ignorance Happy is he that hath so much Knowledge of Good as to desire it and but so much Knowledge of Evil as to fear it MAX. 63. When the Flesh presents thee with delights then present thy self with dangers Where the World possesses thee with vain Hopes there possess thy self with true Fear When the Devil brings thee Oil bring thou Vinegar The way to be safe is never to be secure MAX. 64. If thy Brother hath offended thee forgive him freely and be reconciled To do Evil for Evil is humane Corruption to do Good for Good is civil Retribution To do Good for Evil is Christian perfection the Act of Forgiveness is God's Precept the manner of Forgiveness is God's President MAX. 65. Reverence the Writings of Holy Men but lodge not thy Faith upon them because but Men They are good Pools but no Fountains Build on Paul himself no longer than he builds on Christ If Peter renounce his Master renounce Peter The word of Man may convince Reason but the word of God alone can compel Conscience MAX. 66. In Civil things follow the most in matters of Religion the fewest in all things follow the best so shall thy ways be pleasing to God so shall thy behaviour be plausible with Men. MAX. 67. If any loss or misery hath befallen to thy Brother dissemble it to thy self and what Counsel thou givest him Register carefully and when the case is thine follow it so shall thine own Reason convince thy Passion or thy Passion confess her own Unreasonableness MAX. 68. When thou goest about to change thy Moral Liberty into a Christian Servitude prepare thy self to be the world's laughing stock if thou overcome
Stout and great things be like Manlius stout to Execute great commands It is a great blemish in Sovereignty when the Will roars and the Power whispers If thou canst not Execute as freely as thou Commandst Command no more than what thou mayst as freely Execute MAX. 86. If one Prince desire to obtain any thing of another let him if occasion will bear it give him no time to advise let him endeavour to make him see a necessity of sudden resolution and the danger either of denial or delay He that gives times to resolve gives leisure to deny and warning to prepare MAX. 87. Let not thine Army at the first Encounter be too prodigal in her assaults but husband her strength at a dead life When the Enemy hath abated the fury of his first heat let him then feel thou hast reserved thy Forces for the last blow So shall the honour he hath gained by his Valour encrease the Glory of thy Victory Fore-Games when they prove are speediest but After-games if wisely plaid are surest MAX. 88. It is very requisite for a Prince to keep the Church always in proportion to the State If the Government of the one be Monarchical and the other Democratical they will agree like Metal joyned with Clay But for a while durable is that State where Aaron commands the People and where Moses commands Aaron but most happy in the continuance where God commands both MAX. 89. Let not the Covetousness of a Captain purloyn to his own own use or any way bereave his Soldiers of any profit due unto their service either in their means or spoils Such injuries being quickned by their daily Necessities are never forgot What Soldiers earn with the hazard of their Lives if not enjoyed prophesies an Overthrow in the next battle MAX. 90. If a Prince expect Virtuous Subjects let his Subjects have a Virtuous Prince and so shall he the better punish the Vices of his degenerate Subjects so shall they trulier prize Virtue and follow it being exemplified in their Prince MAX. 91. It is the property of a Wise Commander to cast an Eye rather uponActions than upon Persons and rather to reward the Merits of Men than to read the Letters of Ladies He that for favour or reward prefers a worthless Soldier Betrays a Kingdom to advance a Traytor MAX. 92. Where order and fury are well acquainted the War prospers and Soldiers end no less Men than they begun Order is quickned by Fury and Fury is regulated by Order but where Order is wanting Fury runs her own way and being unthrift of its own strength failing in the first assault cravens and such beginning more than Men end less than Women MAX. 93. It is the quality of a wise Commander to make his Soldiers confident of his Wisdom and their own Strength If any danger be to conceal it if manifest to lessen it Let him possess his Army with the Justness of the War and a certainty of Victory A good Cause makes a stout Heart and a strong Arm. They that fear an Overthrow are half Conquered MAX. 94. It is requisite in a General to mingle Love with the severity of his Discipline They that cannot be induced to Fear for Love will never be inforced to Love for Fear Love opens the heart Fear shuts it that Encourages this Compels and Victory meets Encouragement but flees Compulsion MAX. 95. It is the part of a well-advised State never to entrust a weighty service unto whom a noted Injury or dishonour hath been done he can never be Zealous in performance of service the height of whose Expectation can rather recover a lost Name than gain a fresh Honour MAX. 96. Three ways there be to begin a repute and gain Dignities in a Common wealth The first by the Virtue of glorious Parents which till thou degenerate too much may raise thee upon the wings of Opinion The second is by associating with those whose actions are known Eminent The third by acting some Exploit either Publick or Private which in thy hand hath proved Honourable The two first may miss boing founded upon Opinion The last soldom fails being grounded upon Evidence MAX. 97. If thou art called to the Dignity of a Commander dignify thy place by thy Commands and that thou mayst be the more perfect in Commanding others practise upon thy self Remember that thou art a Servant to the Publick-weal and therefore forget all private respects either of Kin or Friends Remember thou art a Champion for a Kingdom Forget therefore all private affections either of Love or Hate He that would do his Country right must not be too sensible of a Personal wrong MAX. 98. It is the part of a wise Commander to read Books not so much as Men nor Men so much as Nations He that can discern the Inclinations Conditions and Passions of a Kingdom gains his Prince a great advantage both in Peace and War MAX. 99. And you most high and mighty Princes of this Lower World who at this Intricate and various Game of War vye Kingdoms and win Crowns and by the death of your reverend Subjects gain the Lives of your bold hearted Enemies Know there is a Quo Quarranto whereto you are to give account of your Eye-Glorious Actions according to the Righteous rules of Sacred Justice How Warrantable it is to read Imperial Crowns from off the Sovereign Heads of their too weak Possessors or to snatch Scepters from out the hand of Heaven Anointed Majesty and by your vast ambitions still to enlarge Dominions with Kingdoms ravish'd from their Natural Princes Judge you O let your brave designs and well weighed actions be as Just as they are Glorious and consider that all your Wars whose ends are not to defend your own Possessions or to recover your dispossessions are but Princely Injuries which none but Heaven can right But where necessity strikes up her hard alarms or wrong'd Religion beats her Zealous marches go on and prosper and let both Swords and Stratagems proclaim a Victory whose Nois'd Renown may fill the World with your Eternal Glory MAX. 100. Piety and Policy are like Martha and Mary Sisters Martha fails if Mary helps not and Mary suffers if Martha be Idle Happy is that Kingdom where Martha complains of Mary but most happy where Mary complys with Martha where Piety and Policy go hand in hand there War shall be Just and Peace honourable The End of the First Century INSTITUTIONS AND MAXIMS Moral and Divine c. CENT II. MAXIM 1. A Promise is a Child of the Understanding and the Will the Understanding begets it the Will brings it forth He that performs it delivers the Mother He that breaks it Murthers the Child If he be begotten in the absence of the Understanding it is a Bastard but the Child must be kept If thou mistrust thy Understanding Promise not If thou hast Promis'd break it not It is better to maintain a Bastard than to murther a Child MAX. 2. Charity is a
Naked Child giving Honey to a Bee without Wings Naked because Excuseless and Simple a Child because tender and growing giving Honey because Honey is pleasant and comfortable To a Bee because a Bee is laborious and deserving without Wings because helpless and wanting If thou deniest to such thou killest a Bee if thou givest to other than such thou preservest a Drone MAX. 3. Before thy Undertaking of any design weigh the Glory of thy Action with the Danger of the Attempt If the Glory outweigh the Danger it is Cowardise to neglect it If the Danger exceed the Glory it is rashness to attempt it If the Ballances stand pois'd let thy own Genius cast them MAX. 4. Wouldst thou know the Lawfulness of the action which thou desirest to undertake Let thy Devotion recommend it to Divine Blessing If it be Lawful thou shalt perceive thy Heart Encouraged by Prayer If Unlawful thou shalt find thy Prayer discouraged by thy Heart That action is not Warrantable which either blushes to beg a Blessing or having succeeded dares not present Thanksgiving MAX. 5. If Evil men speak good or good men Evil of thy Conversation Examine all thy actions and suspect thy self But if Evil men speak Evil of thee hold it as thy honour and by way of thankfulness Love them but upon condition that they continue to hate thee MAX. 6. If thou hope to please all thy hopes are vain If thou fear to displease some thy fears are Idle The way to please thy self is not to displease the best and the way to displease the best is to please the most If thou canst fashion thy self to please all thou shalt displease him that is all in all MAX. 7. If thou Neglectest thy Love to thy Neighbour in vain thou professest thy Love to God for by thy Love to God the Love to thy Neighbour is begotten and by the Love to thy Neighbour thy Love to God is nourish'd MAX. 8. Thy Ignorance in unreveal'd Mysteries is the Mother of a Saving Faith and thy Understanding in reveal'd Truths is the Mother of a Sacred Knowledge Understand not therefore that thou mayst Believe but believe that thou mayst Understand Understanding is the wages of a Lively Faith and Faith is the reward of an humbler Ignorance MAX. 9. Pride is the Ape of Charity in shew not much unlike but somewhat fuller of action In seeking the one take heed thou light not on the other they are two Parallels never but asunder Charity feeds the Poor so does Pride Charity builds an Hospital so does Pride In this they differ Charity gives her Glory to God Pride takes her Glory from Man MAX. 10. Hast thou lost thy Money and dost thou Mourn another lost it before thou hadst it Be not troubled perchance if thou hadst not lost it now it had lost thee for ever Think therefore what thou hast rather escaped than lost Perhaps thou hadst not been so much thine own had not thy Money been so little thine MAX. 11. Flatter not thy self in thy Faith to God it thou wantst Charity for thy Neighbour and think not that thou hast Charity for thy Neighbour if thou wantst Faith to God where they are not both together they are both wanting they are both dead if once divided MAX. 12. Be not too slow in breaking of a sinful Custom a quick Couragious Resolution is better than a Gradual Deliberation In such a Combate he is the bravest Soldier that lays about him without fear or wit Wit Pleads Fear disheartens He that would kill Hydra had better strike off one Neck than Five Heads Fell the Tree and the Branches are soon cut off MAX. 13. Be careful rather of what thou dost than of what thou hast for what thou hast is none of thine and will leave thee at thy death or thou the pleasure of it in thy sickness But what thou dost is thine and will follow thee to thy Grave and plead for thee or against thee at thy Resurrection MAX. 14. If thou enjoyest not the God of Love thou canst not obtain the Love of God neither until then canst thou Enjoy a desire to Love God nor relish the Love of God thy Love to God is nothing but a faint reflection of God's love to thee till he please to Love thee thy Love can never please him MAX. 15. Let not thy Fancy be guided by thine Eye nor let thy Will be govern'd by thy Fancy Thine Eye may be deceived in her Object and thy Fancy may be deluded in her Subject Let thine Understanding moderate between thine Eye and thy Fancy and let thy Judgment Arbitrate between thy Fancy and thy Will so shall Fancy apprehend what is true so shall thy Will elect what is good MAX. 16. Endeavour to subdue as well thy irascible as thy concupiscible Affections To endure Injuries with a brave Mind is one half of the Conquest and to abstain from pleasing Evils with a couragious Spirit is the other The Sum of all Humanity and height of Moral Perfection is Bear and Forbear MAX. 17. If thou desire not to be too poor desire not to be too rich He is rich not that posseffeth much but he that covets no more and he is poor not that enjoyslittle but that wants too much The contented Mind wants nothing which it hath not the covetous Mind wants not only what it hath not but likewise what it hath MAX. 18. The outward Senses are the common Cinque-Ports where every Subject lands towards the Understanding The Ear hears a confused Noise and presents it to the Common Sense the common Sense distinguishes the several Sounds and conveys them to the Fancy the Fancy wildly discants on it The Understanding whose Object is Truth apprehending it to be Musick commends it to the Judgment the Judgment severally and jointly examines it and recommends it to the Will the Will whose Object is Good approves it or dislikes it and the Memory records it And so in the other Senses according to their Subjects observe this Progress and thou shalt easily find where the defect of every Action lyes MAX. 19. The way to subject all things to thy self is to subject thy self to Reason thou shalt govern many if Reason govern thee Would'st thou be crowned the Monarch of a little World Command thy self MAX. 20. Tho' thou givest all thou hast for Charity 's sake and yet retainest a secret desire of keeping it for thy own sake thou rather leavest it than forsakest it He that hath relinquish'd all things and not himself hath forsaken nothing He that sets not his Heart on what he possesses forsaketh all things tho' he keep his Possessions MAX. 21. Search into thy self before thou accept the Ceremony of Honour If thou art a Palace Honour like the Sun-beams will make thee more Glorious if thou art a Dunghil the Sun may shine upon thee but not to sweeten thee Thy Prince may give thee Honour but not make thee honourable MAX. 22. Every Man is a
Giver He that confers his Gift upon a worthy receiver makes many Debtors and by giving receives He that gives for his own ends makes his Gift a Bribe and the receiver a Prisoner He that gives often teacheth requitance to the Receiver and discovers a crafty confidence in the Giver MAX. 86. Hath any wrong'd thee bravely reveng'd slight it and the Work is begun forgive it and it is finisht He is below himself that is not above an Injury MAX. 87. Let not thy Passion miscall thy Child lest thou Prophesy his misfortunes let not thy Tongue curse him lest it return from whence it came Curses sent in the room of Blessings are sent back with a double Vengeance MAX. 88. In all the Ceremonies of the Church which remain indifferent do according to the Constitution of that Church where thou art The God of Order and Unity who created both the Soul and the Body expects Unity in the one and Order in both MAX. 89. Let thy Religious Fast be a voluntary Abstinence not so much from Flesh as fleshly Thoughts God is pleased with that Fast which gives to another what thou deniest to thy self and when the afflicting of thy own Body is the repairing of thy Brother 's he fasts truly that abstains sadly grieves really gives cheerfully and forgives charitably MAX. 90. In the hearing of mysteries keep thy Tongue quiet five Words cost Zacharias 40 weeks Silence In such heights convert thy Questions into Wonders and let this suffice thee the Reason of the Deed is the Power of the Doer MAX. 91. Deride not him whom the looser World calls Punitan lest thou offend a little one if he be an Hypocrite God that knows him will reward him if zealous that God that loves him will revenge him if he be good he is good to god's glory if evil let him be evil at his own Charges He that judges shall be judged MAX. 92. So long as thou art ignorant be not ashamed to learn he that is so fondly modest not to acknowledge his own Defects of Knowledge shall in time be so foully impudent to justifie his own Ignorance Ignorance is the greatest of all Infirmities and justified the chiefest of all Follies MAX. 93. If thou be a Servant deal justly by thy Master as thou desirest thy Servant should deal by thee where thou art commanded be obedient where not commanded be provident let Diligence be thy Credit let Faithfulness be thy Crown let thy Master's Credit be thy Care and let his Welfare be thy Content Let thine Eye be single and thine Heart humble be sober that thou may'st be circumspect He that in Sobriety is not his own man being drunk whose is he Be neither contentious nor lascivious the one shews a turbulent Hcart the other an idle Brain A good Servant is a great Master MAX. 94. Let the Foundation of thy Affection be Virtue then make the Building as rich and as glorious as thou canst if the Foundation be Beauty or Wealth and the Building Virtue the Foundation is too week for the Building and it will fall Happy is he the Palace of whose Affection is founded upon Virtue wall'd with Riches glaz'd with Beauty and Roofed with Honour MAX. 95. If thy Mother be a Widow give her double Honour who now acts the part of a double Parent Remember her nine months Burthen and her ten months Travel forget not her Indulgence when thou didst hang upon her tender Breast call to mind her Prayers for thee before thou cam'st into the World and her Cares for thee when thou wert come into it remember her secret Groans her affectionate Tears her broken Slumbers her daily Fears her nightly Frights relieve her Wants cover her Imperfections comfort her Age and the Widow's Husband will be the Orphan's Father MAX. 96. As thou desirest the Love of God and Man beware of Pride it is a Tumour in thy mind that breaks and poisons all thy Actions it is a Worm in thy Treasure that eats andruines thy Estate it loves no man is beloved of no man it disparageth Virtue in another by Detraction it disrewards Goodness in it self by Vain Glory the Friend of the Flatterer the Mother of Envy the Nurse of Fury the Band of Luxury the Sin of Devils and the Devil in mankind It hates Superiours it scorns Inferiours it owns no Equals in short till thou hate it God hates thee MAX. 97. So behave thy self amongst thy Children that they may love and honour thy presence be not too fond lest they fear thee not be not too bitter lest they fear thee too much Too much Familiarity will embolden them too little Countenance discourage them So carry thy self that they may rather fear thy displeasure than thy correction when thou reprovest them do it in season when thou correctest them do it not in Passion As a wise Child makes a happy Father so a wise Father makes a happy Child MAX. 98. When thy hand hath done a good Act ask thy heart if it be well done the matter of a good action is the deed done the form of a good action is the manner of the doing in the first another hath the Comfort and thou the Glory in the other thou hast the Comfort and God the Glory That Deed is ill done wherein God is no Sharer MAX. 99. Should'st thou purchase Heaven advise not with thy own ability The Price of Heaven is what thou hast examine not what thou hast but what thou art give thy self and thou hast bought it If thy own Vileness be thy Fears offer thy self and thou art pretious MAX. 100. The Birds of the Air dye to sustain thee the Beasts of the Field dye to nourish thee the Fishes of the Sea dye to feed thee our Stomacks are their common Sepulchres Good God! with how many Deaths are our Lives patch'd up how ful of Death is the miserable Life of momentary Man The End of the Second Century INSTITUTIONS AND MAXIMS Moral and Divine c. CENT III. MAXIM 1. IF thou take pains in what is good the Pains vanish the Good remains if thou take pleasure in what is evil the Evil remains and the Pleasure vanisheth What art thou the worse for Pains or the better for Pleasure when both are past MAX. 2. If thy Fancy and Judgment have agreed in the choice of a Wife be not too fond lest she surfeit nor too peevish lest she languish Love so that thou may'st be feared rule so that thou may'st be honoured be not too diffident lest thou teach her to deceive thee nor too suspicious lest thou teach her to abuse thee If thou see a fault let thy Love hide it if she continue it let thy Wisdom reprove it Reprove her not openly lest she grow bold rebuke her not tauntingly lest she grow spiteful proclaim not her Beauty lest she grow proud boast not her Wisdom lest thou be thought foolish shew her not thy Imperfections lest she disdain thee pry not into her Dairy