¶ A forme of Christian pollicie drawne out of French by Geffray Fenton A worke very necessary to al sorts of people generally as wherein is contayned doctrine both vniuersall and special touching the institution of al Christian profession and also conuenient perticularly for all Magistrates and gouernours of common weales for their more happy Regiment according to God. Mon heur viendra ¶ Jmprinted at London by H. Middelton for Rafe Newbery dwelling in Fleetestreat a little aboue the Conduit Anno. 1574. To the right Honorable Sir William Cecill Knight Baron of Burghley Knight of the Honorable order of the Garter one of the Lordes of hir Maiesties priuie Councell and Lord high Treasurer of England Ieffray FENTON wisheth long life THERE IS nothing in this world more worthie then to hold soueraintie ouer people and nations nor any thing more happie then where a whole common weale is disposed in conuersation of iustice and pietie which yet if they bee not ioyned with true Religion can holde no long continuance for that chaunging according to the perplexities of tymes hapning daily in Realmes and Countreis they suffer alteration by little and little and in the end slyde into vices and imperfections which breede the reuolucions and ruines of all estates Religion can not be entertained if it bee not backt with ciuill Iustice which reciprocallie hath need of a deuout pietie for that as Religiō is iust and iustice of it selfe is holy and religious so thei are the two estates which the scripture names the true foundacions and pillors of cōmon weales They embrace and kisse one another and as Hipocrates twyns they ar sick togither well togither they laugh togither and weep togither and suffer in cōmon euē like self affections Ther is nothing necessary to the one which is not profitable to the other nor any thing meete for the one which is not made worthie of both yea they concurre in the same sociable vnion which we see obserued in the partes and members of an entier body who albeit they suffer distinction in their seuerall office and function yet they aspire and trauell to one common end which is to entertaine securitie in the whole Many auncient Magistrates therefore foreseeing the necessitie of Monarchies to bee erected vpon these two pillors consulted to raise ordonances for the perpetuall continuance of the Church and cōmon weal in one indissoluble vnitie of those some followed Moyses who as he was inspired of God and perswaded the people of Israell to be obedient to him so that eternall Lorde sent them holy commaundementes to establish the actions of their mindes and rates of policie to rule the residue appertaining to the necessitie of life wherein as by a diuine feare and reuerēce those people durst not attempt any thing contrarie to those holy lawes so the statuts pollitike and substitutes of iustice so supplied the residue that their cōmon weales so long as Religion was mainteined and iustice obserued and either one subsisting equally in the administration of affaires seldome suffered other chaunge then from good to better and neuer frō ill to worsse Much is required in the Magistrat to support these twoo pillors which holde vp the whole which then he dooth best performe when both in the councell and action of things hee bringes the one to consult with the other as vppon whose vnitie dependes the safetie of all and without whose conformitie and full agreement much lesse that there can be any suretie of policie seeing of the contrary things can not but diuolue to reuolt euen as in a temple or other building whose foundaciō being deuided the whole worke can not but shake hauing no stay to keepe him in integritie For this cause right honorable haue I ben bold to put out this discourse of Christiā policy qualified according to the rule of the infallible trueth which is the Scripture which onely showeth to man the true and right way for his assured gouernement in the vocation he ought to follow whether it be particular or publik and wherin he cā no more erre then the skilfull Architector following the line rule and compasse of his arte Many and great are the commaundements in the Bible recommended straitly to Gouernours as well Ecclesiastike as ciuill to holde alwayes in their hande that holy booke learning not onely that belonges to the office of their owne estates but also what they ought to prescribe for the policie of others for whom they are to render accompt in the iudgement of God wherin as to trauailing Councellours subiect to the seruice of sundrie great causes is reserued slender oportunitie to studie the Bible at large either to find out the dutie of their priuate charges or to limite statutes to the multitude and much lesse that the popular sorte for want of instruction hath meanes to vnderstand how farre their office stretcheth by the doctrine of that booke euē so I iudged it appertayning to my dutie aswell for the ease of the one as aduertisement of the other and common benefite of both but specially for the dutifull affectiō I haue alwaies borne to your Honor to offer to the same particularly these Christian memorials representing the very course and purtraite of the present gouernement vnder hir most Gracious Maiestie by the carefull direction of a most graue and wise counsell amongst whom it seemes God hath dispersed the very vertues and spirite of Moyses leading this Realme in such reuerence to God and obedience to hir Highnes that al nations confesse that here the mightie holy one of Israell hath chosen his Sanctuarie and here hath he raised hir right excellent Maiestie to that estate of power and vertue that onely she hath in hir handes the attonement of most part of the nations in this circuit of the earth which we call Christendome Amongest some of whose Princes and chiefest Potentates as I haue heard much attributed to the grauetie and prouidence of this worthy Senate for the quiet regiment of hir Maiesties Realmes in these cōspiring seasons so God graunt that as they haue happely begonne they may also long continew vnder hir Highnes carefull watchmen in the watch tower of this Church and cōmon weale of England laboring stil to maintaine peace first with God which he will thē perpetually assure and ratifie when he findes him selfe sought to and serued with one only true Religion and then to bring so many infinit soules and people the naturall subiectes of these dominions to beare to hir Maiestie but one vnfained hart and obedience which cannot but happen if there bee suffered no diuorce nor controuersie in faith and that in the church and common weale remaine but one constant consent and wil touching the regiment and disposing of all affaires J humblie beseech your Honor receiue this poore testimonie of my good will not with any iudgement of the merit or worthines of the worke but as a simple interpretor of the dutie I owe to your rare and reuerent vertues
ouer darknesse and death the deuyll and hell vanquished and ouercome For it is the victorie our assuraunce of life and puts vs lastly in the possession of the kingdome of the eternall god And as there is also one commaundement as well to men as women great as small learned as ignoraunt to heare it and make continuall exercise of it as is commaunded in Iosua So for the ignoraunce of this law of God Osee saith that the people of Israel were past into captiuitie and hauocke by the Assyrians and Babylonians to be short by hearing of this worde are knowen such as be of God and belong to Iesus Christ And nowe that Pastours are bounde to preache the Gospell and the people ought to heare it it is without question as well by the commaundement of Iesus Christ as by his Apostles and instruction of his Church not néeding further to alleadge infinite Textes of the olde Testament conteyning the same doctrine The last commaundement which Iesus Christ gaue to his Apostles when he ordayned his Testament and last wyll was that they shoulde go foorth preache throughout all the worlde vsing this speache Go into the worlde whither I sende you teache all sortes of people or preache to all creatures whether Iewes or Paynims instructing them first in Faith and Baptisme which is who beléeueth and wyll be baptized shal be saued baptizing them in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost and who doth not beleeue shal be damned Teache them in like sort to obserue and kepe all those thinges which I haue geuen you in charge to do and to saye to others Be not amazed nor gréeued because visibly I go to heauen for I assure you for the great loue I beare you that I am alwayes with you euen to the consummation of the heauens the same meaning as if he had sayde vnto them Feare not that I do abandon you For besides that I wyll sende you the holy ghost as a Comfortour an Aduocate and teacher yet I my selfe wyll be with you euen with that presence and power which replenisheth the heauen and the earth For it is geuen to me euerywhere And I wyll not onely remaine with you as touching the time of your persons for the Apostles and Disciples remayned but a time after him as Saint Iames the elder but two or thrée yeres at the most but also with your successours in that estate meaning the successours in the estate of the Church which is not but one body in him Yea the last and most base members haue as great interest in the promise of the presence of Iesus Christ as the first and highest according to their measure and quantitie proportioned to them as wée see the members of a naturall bodye partake by equall proportion with the presence of the soule by her vegetation sence and mouing And deliueryng to his Apostles and Disciples their charge in these wordes Go and preache c. He spake also to Bishops succéedyng his Apostles and Curates hauyng place and office of his Disciples geuyng them that commaundement euen vntyll the ende of the worlde for they are but of one bodie gouerned by one spirite vnder one heade Iesus Christ And as it is matter true in our common experience that the last speache and Lesson which a wise Father geues to his children and a Lorde to his friends is to recommende vnto them those thinges which they holde most deare and be of greatest importaunce Euen so when he geues them charge to preache the Gospell and teache all sortes of people he meaneth that euerye Pastour instruct diligently all such as are geuen to him in charge by the worlde as hauyng nothing in more deare affection then the care to féede his flocke By the Gospell he vnderstandes all doctrine of health of grace and of promise for remission of sinnes whereof Iesus Christ is the aucthour where he saith Happy are they that heare the worde of God he addeth this text and do kepe it wherein be comprehended the statutes and ordinaunces which the Apostles haue taught which we call traditions as beyng recommended vnto them by the holy spirite of Iesus Christ to his Church By the administration of Baptisme we vnderstande likewise the other Sacramentes seeyng that as he hath instituted them as well as it so they followe it afterwardes accordyng to their institution wherein séeyng he admittes the doctrine and geues it such dignitie it is necessarie that we teache the benefites graces which we receaue by the Sacramentes afore we administer them I knowe not howe such can haue excuse afore God who intruding them selues into the companie of Iesus Christ I meane Prelates and Curates successours to the Apostles and Disciples and beyng commaunded by him to teache and preache either wyll not or can not accomplishe such charge seeing that Christ called none but such as both coulde and woulde I may boldly affirme and mainteyne in trueth that according to the law deuine the office of the Preacher is annexed to the Bishop and benefice as by naturall vnion the soule is conioyned to the body therfore let such as haue charge of Soules consyder better the state and nature of their duetie as beyng not able of them selues let them at least supply it by others that both can and wyll with whom let them impart the profites and reuenues wherein in true iustice and merite they haue nothing because they do nothing Recompence is due to labour the hiered man ought to bée nourished with the benefite of the Vine and eate of the fruite he that fighteth in warre ought to receaue his paye he that féedes the flocke ought to take the Mylke and the Fléese and he that trauayles in the Temple and the Gospell deserues to liue by it Presidentes and Counsellours receiue not their wages if they do not their office then by what collour of right in conscience or common reason can he demaunde any rewarde which bringes foorth nothing but a show yea he is but an impediment to others in whom is more abilitie and better merite But if there be such Maskers in the Church as I feare there are to many let them be payde their right due to their estate according to God and to auoyde slaunder and let them not of their owne priuate aucthoritie do iustice of themselues against all pollitike order for it is not for the Shéepe to rise against his Shephearde but if they continue to bée as vnprofitable Dranes in the Hiue of the Church eating the Honie and Waxe of diligent and painefull Bées Let their processe be exactly pursued by such as beare rule in the Church and so to cut of the example of such disorder confusion and sacriledge more foule then theft reasoning that an estate so excellent shoulde not suffer so foule a staine to the contempt and blasphemie of Christian religion ¶ Suche are refuted as holde that people are not bounde to heare so many Sermons wherfore are they Pastours
his people to dispence with his son To be short there was neuer Nation so barbarous which did not punishe adulterie by death or at least heauie paynes And therefore it is an indulgencie very cryminall afore God that there is no common punishment to this detestable sinne to the which by all reason is no lesse due and merite of gréeuous paynes then to the Théefe whereof this furthereth the proofe that besides the grauitie which we find in fornication there be foure things greatly enforcing the enormitie of the Acte First it is cōmitted against the thrée essentiall partes of mariage as faith linage and Sacrament The faith which was geuen in this Mariage is broken which bringes periurie and by the ordinaunce of the Lawe the periurer ought to die the othe was made solemnly in the Church vnder inuocation of the name of God And the contract of faith and the othe made betwéene the parties aucthorised by the Priest and approoued by all the Churche as a signe of mutuall fidelitie signified by the King geuen vpon the Maryage day Linage is hindered by a commixture of the seede of the Husband and whoremonger or at least it is vncertaine to whom it appertayneth What certaintie hath the adulterous woman of her children whether they be her husbandes or her whoremongers And in this vncertainty and doubt what conscience can she haue to nourishe them at she charges of her Husbande and suffer them to put on the habite of his lawfull heires If she knowe it is not her theft the more And if hanging be a Lawe to Théeues what execution to such people There is also a Sacrament as S. Paul calleth it in Iesus Christe and the Churche which is a signe of the inseparable coniunction of the Lorde with the Church whom he hath maryed in faith and hath geuen him selfe wholly to her and become one fleshe with her in receiuing her into communitie of all his benefites with promise neuer to abandon her the Church hauyng lykewise promised him to cleaue to him and remaine firme in his faith lawe and obedience without taking other Lorde or Religion but his Euen in the like maner man and woman marying together make publike protestation to follow this holy coniunction in the faith and vertue whereof they receiue grace and sanctification in their Maryage and so protesting to liue together in all vnion of holynesse chaste and perpetuall societie according to the inuiolable example of Iesus Christe and the Church What great impietie is commited when they defile this Sacrament Is it not a prophaning of sanctification which is one of the sinnes against the first Table And if it be not a kinde of Heresie to adulterate and corrupt a holy thing at least if they beléeue not the mystery conteyned vnder this Sacrament it can not be but infidelitie so that if a Christian prophaner of a Sacrament an heretique or an Infidel deserue paynes of death what is due to the adulterer by whom it is thus depraued Besides the periurie of faith and hinderaunce which he geues to procreation by the vncertaine commixture of straunge séede there is in this vice a perpetuall grudge and resolucion to do murther either of the Husbandes part to whom the wrong is done or on the wiues behalfe by whom is endured the iniurie of her Husbande or by the rauisher whom gelousie enableth to all bloody actes Many are the slaunders prodigall expenses theftes Rauins and other inconueniences which come by adulterie but more murthers then by fornication I speake not here of Sodomitry with other beastlynesse so abhominable before God and man that the earth ought not to beare so infamous mōstrous actes Bawdes in the auncient church for the vilenesse of their profession notwithstanding their perpetuall penaunce coulde neuer obtayne admission to the holy Communion so great indignitie did the olde fathers impute to those wicked sellers of Christian flesh If he that selleth the seruaunt or handmayde of another meriteth condemnation of death how much more haynous is his desert who entertayneth a lust after the daughter or wife of the Father of a family Here must not be forgot that with the acte it selfe is forbidden all causes moouing or entertayning whoredome as gluttonie dronkennesse idlenesse wordes lookes gestures vnchaste writinges and féelings dissolute and indecent daunces and superfluous riche ornamentes with other such like sturring to wantonnesse which causes most often are no lesse mortall then the effectes that followe them Kepe you from gluttonie dronkennesse and cares of this world saith Christ S. Paul reseruing no porcion of Gods kingdome to drunkardes biddes vs not to bée drunke with Wine where is superfluitie and dissolucion And to the dronkarde guiltie in vicious actes the Philosophers of the auncient time iudged double punishment as S. Paul besides their depriuation from the kingdome of heauen pronounceth them worthy of excommunication ⧠Theft was not punished in the Lawe but by restitucion of double treble and foure folde yea and seruitude but novve for iust causes it is punished vvith death Theft by necessitie in some sort excusable in the prohibition of theft the causes are also contained By this commaundement it is defended to take avvay the honour of another False vvitnesse is more vnlavvfull then theft neither hath it any grace in the Lavve All deceiuers hypocrites and lyars are condemned by these last preceptes ⧠The .10 Chapter THE fourth commaundement of the seconde Table is Thou shalt not steale the transgression whereof in the Law of Moyses was not punished with death but by restitution of double treble and sometime foure folde And in whom was no abilitie of restitution they were condemned to perpetuall seruitude till the wrong was satisfied by iust seruice publike theft as robberie violent theft and murther were condemned to death in the Lawe wherein was no excuse of pouertie as had simple picking whereunto was ioyned no custome but mooued of malicious wyll and affection But because those simple theftes supported with this charitable fauour rose to the state of high and noble robberies they became after by wise aduise subiect to the sentence of the Gybbet Wherein also this was one consyderation that who embeaselleth the goodes of another séemeth by consequence of the euyll that many times happeneth to take away also his life The bread of the needie saith the wise man is the life of the poore and who beguileth them of it is a bloody man He that taketh away the bread that hath béene gayned with the sweate of labour is as the man that kylleth his neighbour whereby may be concluded that the blood spyller and he that deceiueth another are brethren as séeming to haue an affinitie of euyll the same beyng eftsones confirmed by a notable text of the sayde wise man that who offereth vp his sacrifice compounded of the substance of the poore cōmits no lesse offence thē he that afore the eyes of the father killeth his proper sonne So that
corporall death is decréed in the Lawe of nature and other seuere iudgement of God inferred to the wicked as to Cayn for kyllyng his brother by the tremblyng of his bodye to the murtherers by the sworde to the worlde for his delightes glorie and whordome by the flood to them of Sodome and Gomorrhe for sinnes against nature by the fire of heauen to the adulterers and rauishers of women by terrible vengeaunce and to the chidren of Iudas who had done abhominable actes by paynes of suddaine deathes which they sawe euen by a naturall iudgement pronounced or inflicted as to Thamar for committing whordome and to the Sichimites for the Rape of Dina the daughter of Iacob If gouernours punishe not suche faultes by like paynes at the least let them ordaine others either conformable or neare approching them alwayes considering that corporall paines in the lawe bée figures and foreshowes of the eternall death which sinne deserueth In like sort where they sée in the Lawe of Moises certaine sinnes to bée punished by the body let them iudge them right sore displeasing and hateful to God who loueth his creature so dearelye as hée hath geuen him his owne image and likenesse and for whome he hath made the inferiour heauens the earth and the Elements with all thinges conteyned in the same and for whose cause hée sent his proper sonne vpon the earth to suffer all miseries yea most cruel and sclaunderous death And therfore being thus instructed bothe by the lawe whiche punisheth certaine sinnes with death specially suche as bée against the ten coÌ„maundements of the Moral Lawe or directly against Gods honour our neighbour or a wholâ— common weale and also by the Gospell to whom certeine sinnes are so abhominable as it condemnes them to eternall death and perpetual tormentes where is gnashing of téeth and lamentable sighinges they maye conclude suche offences to bée worthy of death specially where a whole common weale is iniured or offended For touching secréete sinnes wherein is no meane of proofe let them refer them to the iudgement of God and to the repentaunt Men sayeth the Scripture haue no power nor facultie to iudge but in matters apparant to the eye God séeing into the heart discernes the secréet things wherof hée defendes the iudgement to al others But where God is offended the coÌ„mon weaâ—e iniured there let theÌ„ follow the iudgement of god which we know to be thundred vpon sinners committing such faultes Therefore let Iudges bee well aduised and geue no libertye of life to suche whom God hath already condemned in heauen both to corporal and eternall death Let them acknowledge that they are here erected as imitatours executours of his iudgement Let them remember Saul who pardoned Agag whom God had condemned to death and Saul for his indulgencye was reproued depriued of his kingdom Let them not also forget the grace which Helias shewed to his dissolute children who for that they were abhorred of god were the cause of his death I meddle not with the reproches which God gaue to the gouernours of Israell because they suffered sinne with impunitye suffering suche to liue who had defiled the earth with theyr wickednes people abhominable to God and worthy so many deathes as they had committed horrible vices And therefore hee condemneth those Iudges euen so often to eternal death as they gaue sufferaunce to others to commit suche faultes without inflicting vpon them corporall death To this let them adioyne this aduertisement that as one member corruptes the rest so the rotten part disposing continuall infection into the rest of the body deserues to bée cut of euen as the good Surgeon not suffering a Canker to encrease cuttes it of so soone as it beginnes to appeare Let them not doubt but that according to the Gospel al euil wicked men which the Law of nature and Moises condemne yea the humane lawe also according to reason do adiudge to death ought to die For as the Gospel so aloweth al those lawes as is before prooued S. Paul aduiseth the Corinthians by them all others to take awaye the wicked man who being corrupt in maners corruptes others for which cause he compares them to the leuine aduising notwithstanding that the punishmeÌ„t come from the magistrate who hauing the sworde is a iust terror to the offeÌ„dor for that he carieth it not in vain being the minister of god executour of his law which euen in the gospel condemneth the man that hath done euil Wherefore al men disposed into the action of wickednes must be punished by the magistrate otherwaies he should bring abuse to his estate Is it not the magistrate by whom S. Paul willeth that all such in a coÌ„mon weale should be cut of by death which vexe the church and are mutinus sedicious iniurious false prophetes wherin because it may be douted to what vices the scripture appointeth punishment specially by death I meane to declare by order the paines of such as the law coÌ„demneth to the ende the magistrate leaue theÌ„ not vnpunished in his coÌ„mon weale nor iustifie such by which he should draw malediction as god hath already condemned by the scripture Heare we must not winke at an error of our time receiued almost thorow al christeÌ„dom which is that we obserue no better the imitacion so often recoÌ„mended to vs of the iudgements of God to leade vs being also commaunded in the scripture according to the same in the punishment of sinnes which is a kinde of infidelitye and ignorance of God or presumptuous boldnes or at least an inseÌ„sible dulnes This error deriueth partly from the humane lawes made by the Pagans whose gouernment being led for the most part by fleshly reason suffred impunity for many sinnes which God by his law condemneth to death as diuinations sorceries diuers sorts of magike with whoredomes sauing women whoremongers for men that made the lawes were exempted the virgins vestal or incestuous women with their adulterors condemning no more coÌ„mon vseries excessiue interestes with like sinnes which God abhorreth Gouernors of common weales ought in no wise to hold conformety with these Pagan iudgemeÌ„ts But reforme them making felt the grauitye of such sinnes by the rigour of worthy punishmeÌ„t Men were wont to haue regard only to punishe such sinnes as séemed to beare preiudice to a coÌ„mon weale and therfore sinnes common against god or which of their owne nature be common or Publike wherin the world delights without contradiction are left vnpunished the same being an occasion to prouoke the wrath of God vpon a whole nation destroye whole kingdomes If the auncient canons of the Church bée wel searched it wil be found that al such offences are punished by long straite penance as are also al othes yea the most execrable that men tooke in vaine of god or of the gods diuers opinions of religion although they were absurde wicked and lastly inuocation to the
they hoped for The scripture is full of the greate benefits which hospitalytie or almes brought to suche as exercised it it makes prosper the house where it is vsed as appeareâ—h in the bookes of the Kings in the example of the two Ladies grea almes giuers and nourishers of the poore The one was a widdow who receyuing Helyas and by reason of the extreame dearth of Israell not hauing for the sustenaunce of her and her sonne for one day but onely one little Torteise imparted it notwithstanding with Helyas hir gest for recompence whereof shée receyued contrary to hir hope such abundance of vittels for hir hospitality that shee and hir houshold were fed with a happy fulnesse The other good woman was maried but harraine without children and poore she receiued Elizea for the which lodging this prophete ordinarily she became riche and contrary to the hope of nature had a childe I medle not here with the hospitalities of men as of Abraham and Lot who thinking to welcome men receiued Angels neither how God hath made happy all fathers of hospitality as hauing nowe to deale with the hospitality of women the rather to draw all honourable dames to liberall consyderatioÌ„ of desolate maydes yea though they be them selues poore for of that pouerty God wyll sturre vp plentifull riches of misery he wyll rayse felicity and out of harrennesse he wyll drawe fruite by this holy hospitality and almes So that if our Christian dames in this harde age would to the honour of Iesus Christ receyue into their houses and succors poore maydes destitute there is great suretie through the whole discourse of the scripture that all happie blissing and felicity of heauen will follow to the aduauncement of their families In what worldly thing can those vertuous dames be more honored than to giue impediment to poore abandoned maydes not to wander vp and downe countries townes as séelly errant shéepe ready for the Iawes of the woolfe to kéepe them that they begge not from doore to doore and so be solde as fleshe in the butchery and fall in praye and spoyle to whooremongers wherwith this miserable time swarmes yea what glory can be greater to them then in protecting virginitie from prostitution to preserue those sacred vessels of the holy ghost in holinesse and christian honesty and what greater prayse can they deserue afore God then to the vertuous education of perplexed soules to ioyne a disposition and meane to marye them to the which if they be vnhable of themselues let them call the ayde of others more welthy but specially of the Churchmen whose superfluities are dedicated to such vses and they dutifully bounde to be furthering instrumentes to aduaunce so holly and charitable actes wherein I thinke they will finde none so harde harted as to deny contribution to further a worke of suche Christian and common mercy Touching olde and poore widowes and other women in whose age is expressed some suretye of chastity in their behauior no feare of slaunderous frailty if they haue no places proper to themselues nor meane to be receyued into perticuler houses it were good to bestow them amongst the impotent in an hospital S. Paul commaundeth the rich parents kindred and alies to nourish the poore widdowes of their race to the ende saith he the Church be not to much charged with the poore wherein may be gathered vpon s Paules meaning that the true poore without parents and frindes and power to gaine the sustenaunce of their lyfe are appoynted to the goods and reuenues of the Churchmen giuing also to vnderstande that the Church certaine dayes but specially the sundais contributed by collections monye for the succour of the poore which the Byshops and pastors gaue in charge to sée distributed by the deacons and other inferiour ministers yea such of the ecclesiasticall ministers as had no patrimony or other benefit of liuing tooke of this collection so much as was necessary for them leauing the rest to be shared amongst the other poore in general But here must be considered that pastours in those dayes hadde no other goodes nor reuenues then oblations first fruites almes not knowing so much as the name of tenths when Princes were not christened poore widdowes and orphanes but specially néedy straungers passengers people vnhable to gaine their conuenient sustenaunce as little children and weake olde men were fedde of those goods in a publicke place which since hath bene called an hospitall or Gods house for there for the honour of him were norished poore people which had no house to retyre vnto And where there was no Publike house to receiue theÌ„ many vertuous people tooke them into theyr proper houses but specially more amply the Bishops and pastors So that the perticular houses of good almes geuers were as litle hospitals and the houses of Bishops as great gods houses S. Paul commandeth Bishops to maintaine hospitalitye aboue al other sortes of people to be succourors of poore straungers For so we reade that in perticular houses they receyued Passangers washed their féete entertained them with no lesse humanitye then if they had béene theyr nearest Parentes Amongst whom if to the woman had not béene ioyned the custome to washe theyr féete vse them in due sort of hospitality she could not be receiued into the ministery of the Church as to haue estate to minister and serue vnder the Deacons at the table of the poore to prouide for their necessityes which holy custome Apostolical of the first Church is yet continued in many places where Maydes and religious Women professing the state of chastity are solemlye vowed to this office Wherein as may be séene what opinion of honour it was to serue the poore publikely So let it then in these dayes bee no shame to aske gather in Churches for this Christian pietye nor to visite hospitalles with diligent care to ayde them for it is one of the greatest honors that may be gotten a fore god an expresse estate and effect of true and Christian religion ¶ Hospitallitye and Almes in all times haue beene in sin ular estimation Howe hospitalles haue beene named By vvhat reasons the Scripture inuiteth vs to hospitality in calling vs al straungers Exhortacion to be housekeepers Examples of hospitalitye and the recompense thereof Obiections against the ayde of straungers in necessity and their confutacion ¶ The 4 Chapter IN all actes of pietie we finde that hospitalitye and Almes are most recommended in the olde and newe Testament Beue saith God to the stranger which is within thy gates meate to eate if he bée poore and sel to him if he haue to paye thée for thou art a people holy of the Lord God In another place he biddes vs nourishe the poore Leuit ministers of the Temple and cause to enter into our houses passangers Strangers Pilgrimes Orphanes Widowes poore people demanding almes at our gate and to breake breade vnto theÌ„
the prosperitie of life but to suffer all miseries since he is offensiue to these by whome hee liues in the worlde yea he is worthy to be throwne in a hollowe ditche without burial where carion vermine may deâ—ower his carcase as they do other dead beastes For which consideration the child is bound to this dutie to his parentes and not to refuse death to sustayne them in what so euer concerneth them in honour health and life For hauing receiued all his wealth and benefites of them what more worthy or iust recompense can he retorne then a frank and thankfull prostitution of all that he hath to their vses if he take pleasure to liue doubts not that of all other things of the world life is most excellent if he thinke that the pleasure of life is one of the moste singuler benefites that maye bee demaunded if lastly commodities riches or common goods and honours do please him What reuerence loue honour and obedience is hee bound to beare to his Father and mother by whom or at the least without whom he had not enioyed them but if he make no recompence to his power and lesse thankefull at all to his parents is not his ingratitude intollerable and by iust right him selfe deserue to be depriued of all the same goods The same also being the cause why God by his law takes away without appeale the life of him that offendes his father and mother But if the vnthankfull and disobedient child be flattered with some prosperitie let him thinke it hath no long continuaunce no more then the itch of an olde man is pleasaunt longer then it is clawed but being scratched it falles of smarting For it is written that who curseth or doth euill to his Father and mother his light shal be put out in the middest of darknes that is hée shall loose his prosperitie good hap in the middest of aduersities and darke miseries which shall fall vppon him euen when hee thinkes to sléepe most soundly in the delites pleasures and eases of this world Besides the better to drawe children to obedience God promiseth them long life honour saith he thy father and Mother so shalt thou liue long vpon the earth to which promise aboue all other Saint Paule sayth is added suretie of recompence as in the promise of long life is ment commoditie rest and necessary furnitures of life as plentie of wealth and humane felicities For which cause it is sayd in another place that the blessing of fathers and mothers giueÌ„ to their children confirmeth and continueth in happy succession the houses and families of their children as of the contrary their curse helpeth much to the ruine subuersion of the same Touching the honour they get by obeying their father and mother it is written listen my sonne to the discipline of thy father and let not the law of thy mother be forgotten of thée to the end grace might be ioyned to thy head and collers about thy necke if thou do thy dutie of a good sonne to them God wil giue thée this fauour and credite to be honored of all men raise thée into that estate where thou shalt beare the honorable enseignes of thy high dignitie euen as wée sée kynges beare their diademes vppon their heads and Knights of the order their precious collers of golde about their neckes in signe of their dignitie honour and authority due to them for their vertues by which they haue worthely aspired to such estates Seing then God reserueth for childreÌ„ such ample promises of long life such worldly prosperities and such high honours which thrée béeing the very effect of all that may bee desired to make this life happye in earth comprehend also what else may be attributed to worldly felicitie How much are they bound besids the reasons earst rehearsed to beare humilitie obedience reuerent dutie to their parents whom if they disobey they haue their condemnation to miseries dishononours and to death yea and by their sinne of disobedience they stand in hazerd of the eternall curse The oblation of this duty of children to their parents is indispensible to all purposes but in cases of infidelitie as if the father being an Idolater séekes to seduce his sonne to that impietie in which this straite bond of dutie ceaseth For God is to be preferred and man abuseth his authoritie according to the vnderstanding of the gospell Who hateth not father mother brother sister and leaueth them with all that he hath can not haue the kyngdome of God yea they must leaue the dead to bury the dead to follow the Euangelicall vocation For touching the Apostolicall profession which may be alledged for that they forsooke father mother to follow Iesus Christ and to preach the Gospel it is a vocation perticuler priuileged as when Helizeus abaÌ„doned father mother to go with Helias as for this purpose may be disputed touching the life monasticall But that vocation ought not to bée alleadged to the execution of this commaundement for hée that calles such as he pleaseth reserueth such prouidence ouer the necessities of their parentes that they stande no néed of the peculiar seruice of their children whom their parentes of their proper will ought to exempt from that office of personall and temporal seruice since God calleth them to him selfe to doe to him a seruice spirituall and of more greater perfection and fruite then any function wherein they could employe them yet touching the vocation Monasticall Saint Augustin holdes good that in necessitie of the parentes the child being a Monke is bound to leaue his Monasterie to succoure them for as the law of God derogates not the right of nature but rather confirmes then restraines it so by greater reason in the humane and positiue statutes specially such as be in Monasteries there caÌ„ be no preiudice Therefore did the Scribes and Phariseis vnder colour of religion ordeyne that the childe giuinge all his goods to the temple was not bound to ayde hys father and mother yea by that meane he held him self no more bound to serue them according to that constitution by the which they expressed that such honour to God grounded vpon that deuotion abrogated all honor and naturall dutie which the childe ought to showe to his father But Iesus Christe gyueth them to vnderstand that by such tradicions they commit great impietie resisting the first ordinance of God natural and diuine also and inuiolable by his Scripture We sée that euen the most perfect and Apostolike life was not exempted from this subiection as Christe him selfe was subiect to Joseph and the virgin Marie and exercisinge xxx yeares after his diuine vocation he reiected not froÌ„ his trayne his mother his Auntes and cousines but called them and entertayned them with him I meane the poore of the reuenues which men presented him withall no lesse did the Apostles to their parentes and kinred of whom the greatest part which were
obseruatiō amongst the Lacedemonians who vsed not only the lawe of perfect pietie to their proper and fleshly parents but also euen to all old people whome they honored as their fathers and gaue succor to all their affaiers as if they had bene their naturall children They estemed them happie if they were called to do seruice to olde men tacking it for the greatest prayse that coulde be ascribed to the actions of their life to pushe forward the affires of auncient men wherby it was sayde in comon prouerbe that happie was he that became olde in Lacedemonia as hauing so many childrē readily disposed to honor serue and support him as there was young people in the towne ¶ The dutie of Maisters towards their Seruauntes Chapter vij THe third ground of a cōmon weale and order of pollecie conteineth the authoritie of Maisters ouer Seruauntes and obedience of seruants to maisters wherein the maister mai be considered in two manners either as Lord buying with his money his seruaunt which they call bondman or slaue or conquering him in warre by victorie as his enemie or else he is maister not as Lord proper or owner but as trying and vsing the seruaunt only for a time as in England we haue no others So that this second sorte of seruaunt is no bond man but rather in the nature of a hyreling or marcenarie reteyned for a season when the scripture speakes in the Hebrew woorde of this name aued and the auncient Latines of seruus as also the Gréekes of their Donlos thei meane no other commonly then the perpetuall bondman This maister called Lord hath borne afore time supreme power ouer hys seruauntes putting them to death by his discretion without lawe of reprehension For so we reade Metellus a Citizen of Rome handled so many bond men as brake him cuppes of Crystall and was not called to punishement for it which comming to the knowledge of Augustus an Emperour pitifull he entred the house of the said Romane and to take away the occasion of a second crueltie to his poore bond men passhed in péeces al the vesselles of Crystall and glasses that hée founde in the house Olde Cato otherwayes reputed very wise was so tyrannous ouer his bondmen that whē by extréeme age they had no further abilitie to serue hym hée caused some to be committed to slaughter and suffered others to dye of hūger which cōmō humanitie denieth euen to a dogge or horse that had ben long vsed in seruice but that libertie or rather imperious and vnnatural authoritie of Maisters was afterwardes bridled and limited by many lawes as is written in Exodus who strikes his bond man or bond woman with a rod and they dye presently vppon the blow is guiltie of capitall crime but if they liue a daye or two after he shal not be punished for he hath bought them with his money as if the law had saied he thought not to kil them and so loose the money which they had cost him And albeit God often times recommendes vnto maisters to handle their bond men gentlie wherein to drawe them to more pitie hée puttes them in remembrance of the miserable seruitude which they endured in Egypte yet the hautie couetous and malicious nature of manye maisters draw them often tymes into actes of great tyrannie towardes their bond men vsinge them more cruelly then their necessary and trauelling cattell yea in no other estimacion nor vse then as brute beastes For the which God by his prophete declares howe angrie he is and sending ruine spoyle to their townes he suffereth some of them to be murdered and others made slaues to straunge and barbarous nations The Jewes had commaundement to giue libertie to the bond men of their nation the vii yeare which was as a sabboth sanctified to god But because aboue their prescript limite thei retayned their poore bondmen in hard subiection and if they complayned redoubled the straynesse of their bondage eyther not suffered them to appeare in the court to demaund iustice or else corrupted the Iudges and so choak the way of their remedie the Lord partly for this transgression sent desolation vpon Juda and transmigration into Babylon Let vs nowe sée the office of a maister to his bonde seruauntes wherein we shall finde that by reason hée ought with much more lenitie to behaue him selfe towards those which are not to him but as temporall seruauntes First séeing their slaues are men as well as they they ought to loue them as their neighbours for all men are our neighbours and if he were a Pagan or ennemie should a man doe wrong to him whom he loueth would hée enioyne him to thinges vnrighteous hurtfull hard and too full of labour If euery one by the law of nature be bounde to doe to an other as hee would be done vnto him selfe would he in the state of such subiection be commaunded to things aboue his abilitie to execute Secondly if the bond men or slaues be Christians religion much more then the law of nature ought to draw vs to affection towardes them If they be young we ought to hold them in the reputacion of our brethren if they be auncient let vs giue them reuerence as to Fathers I meane touchinge loue for concerning the bond ciuill and seruile it is not cancelled by the law of the gospell why should wée then with so arrogant proud and angrie hart commaund such rigorously whom we ought to loue and cherish with Christian humanitie If we be al vnited by one IESVS Christe as are the members of one bodye vnder this Lord which is made our head should it bée possible that the maister who in this body is as the eye or hand and the bond seruaunt to him is as the foote or least toa of his foote to obey and serue him should commaund or enioyne to this bond man any thing which should not bée reasonable honest and profitable the same agréeinge with the commaundement of Saint Paule not to doe any displeasure damage or wrong to that low part being so conioyned to him by naturall harmonie no rather if it suffer necessitie grief or anguish the superior parte is bound to trauell for it and yéeld compassion to his sorrow The Maister not touched with this spirituall iudgement and lesse féeling of this inwarde sence touching his office to his seruaunt doth not rightly acknowledge him selfe to be a man but much lesse a true Christian and faithfull member of the mysticall body of this Lord The same being the cause why many Christian nations in the consideration of suche loue according to nature and grace will not vse that imperious authoritie in their house ouer any bond man But taking certayne infidelles prisoners in lawfull warres as soone as they become Christians they giue them libertie and receyue them into their houses with wages and hyers for their labours obseruinge the vertues of the auncient Nations who after long proofe of their bond mē in