an evill whereto they lead Our Lords following words yeeld us our lesson Let your communication be yea yea nay nay I think of the Fryars note here it is a good one When the heart saith yea then the tongue must say yea that is yea yea and when the heart saith nay then the tongue must say nay that is nay nay a Quod affirmatis nude affirmetis quod negatis nudè negetis Bezaes note is to that very purpose What ye do affirme ye must affirm heartily clearly without reservation a Popish sleight b Latebra perjurio Cic li. 3. pag. 143. Quae dixeris jurasse puta in all sincerity and what ye do deny deny it so too An c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isid Pelus l. 2. Ep. 146. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. 7. p. 527 528. honest mans word is as good as his oath of more credit For a man to use his faith and troth two ordinarie words sheweth a man hath no credit for he sets his jewels to pawne if he had faith indeed or truth either or knew how pretious they were he would not be so lavish of them Yea. yea must be enough Nay nay sufficient unlesse the cause be weighty and before a Iudge as was said and if so to a parent much more to a childe Assuredly for Christ hath said it Whatsoever is more then these cometh of evill †8. And here I do not hold it any impertinency to teach the childe for the Fathers sake as before to hold his tongue till he hath examined his words and their errand so here to give words their weight that being spoken they meant what they said A wise man lookes * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. Iliad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before he leaps and well adviseth before he speaks but when he hath spoken he will not think he hath done We hold it a foule disgrace if a man shall give us the lie we must not put that disgrace upon our selves suffering our actions to disagree with our words which is to give our selves the lie Lelius passeth a short censure upon Cato and Socrates but he makes a wide difference in their commendations We have heard much from the mouth of the one we have observed more from the hand of the other * Hujus enim facta illius dicta laudantur The one mans words are commended the other mans deeds Bodin giveth a shorter censure but no commendations upon that holy-father Pope Alexander the sixth and Borgias his sonne The father never spake what he meant The sonne never did what he spake Their Maxime was Give thy word to all Keep touch with none And this was Dare verba indeed in plain English Knaverie by your leave An honest man will not passe his word lightly no not for himself much lesse for another for then he takes the ready and rode-way to need the same courtesie from another But when his word is passed he holds it as firm as his oath Shew me a man that makes light of his words and I will shew you the same man that he puts no weight in his oath if he breakes his word with you no bands a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pind. will hold him except one that hath his hand in it and the reason thereof is plain because he knows that is a manuduction to the prison he will hold with you there because he knows if he do not that the prison will hold him for that is a strong hold Remember we that we hold it the greatest indignitie in the world if a man can do to us as some-time he will threaten if he can make us Eat our own words Beware we that we do not put this dishonour upon our selves which we could not brook from another Of all beasts we have them in greatest detestation who devoure their own young such beasts there are our words what are they but the issue of our own mouth And if we resume and recall them what do we other then eat and devoure our own off-spring And hence a childe will learn it is not too subtill for him to detest their Religion who doctrinally b Qui dogmatizant mendacia teach That words how solemnly so ever pronounced are like Gypsies knots fast or loose at the Churches pleasure no faith no keeping touch with any but as it maketh for advantage c Nulla fides nâ—si prout expedit No what say they to the three yeares famine That is a resolved case 2. Sam. 21. so is that also Ezek. 17. 16. 17 18 19. very worth the noting And we learn too what Pharaoh teacheth by the light of nature saying thus to Ioseph Sith thy Father hath made thee sweare concerning the place of his buriall by all meanes go up and bury thy Father d Gen 50. 5. 6. But let us mark that which is most remarkable that which is to be wished were forgotten but it cannot be How God hath reproved this breach of covenant from heaven witnesse that sad sore and grievous stroake which by a Divine hand was inflicted upon that King e Lewis King of Hungary Vladislaus and his whole Royall army who made an oath taken upon the holy Evangelist for the concluding a peace with the Turkish Sultan f Hist profan Medul p. 8 23. but a broker to unworthy ends yet is an oath the greatest securitie that can be given the onely chaine on earth as one saith g S. Dan. Henry third p. 167. besides love to tie the conscience of a man and humane societie together Mark we must also in that stroake that the like vengeance was remarkably executed upon the Cardinall who absolved the said King from the said oath for being wounded unto death he was found lying in the high way by Gregory Sanose ready to give up the ghost and seemed but to stay to take with him the bitter curses of such as passed by flying from the battel as the due reward of his perfidious absolution What will the Pope now for the league was disannulled by power from the Pope or his Cardinalls that now are for it was by perswasion of Iulian a Cardinall what will they say to this vengeance to this sad stroake for Lege Barcl Euphor 4. p. 360. Asch Tox. p. 26. Psal 15. as that â—reach of covenant was to the reproach of the Christian name ever since so was that vengeance to the infeebleing the Christians arm to this very day Besides all this we must remember the words that are so plain A good man speaketh the truth from his heart and though he swear to his hurt yet he changeth not what say they to all this Nay I cannot tell nor themselves neither But this we can tell It is as familiar for them to eat their words as it is to drink bloud they are infamous all over the world for both i See Mr Bolton direct pag. 232. therewith they
season now follows and the instructions therefrom CHAP. VI. The second season seasonable for instruction and yeelding a great deale 2. AT noon we eat bread at noon which implyeth that we have done our worke before we are not content to feed an unprofitable servant nor a Lord-Dane an idle drone nor doth the great House-keeper of the world make any allowance here for idle and lazy servants That pattern Å¿ Gen. 24. 33. of servants doth his work first and eates after Ioseph returnes home at noone from his necessary affaires then eates bread with his brethren t Gen. 43. 25. It is supposed and granted That the servant sitting down to eat came from the field plowing there or feeding cattell u Luke 17. 7. He that like an idle Serving-man can finde no good imployment for his hand or minde should be kept fasting according to the Apostles rule He that doth not labour must not eat He that laboureth not lives like a mouse x Quasi mures sâ—mper odêre alicnum panem Plaut Pers Act. 1. Scen. 2. he eats not his own bread Nay he is a thief because he worketh not the thing that is good Ephes 4. 28. And now that we have laboured see our frailtie and what it is wearinesse is a fruit of the curse and now a kinde of sicknesse Rest cures that hunger a sicknesse also meat cureth it But behold how little a satisfaction here is in it and for how little a while we are refreshed now with rest and repast presently again we are weary and faint Our bodies need continuall repairing we are still falling toward our earth dust is turning to dust before our last glasse be turned and the last sand run out Every day there is a spending of the vitalls some dilapidations in our building which these comforts of meat and drink through Gods blessing prop and make up again but with some losse in the principalls A consideration which may assure us that we are but men fraile decaying men and minde us of that state where is constancy and to seek Him who is fulnesse and onely satisfies Here below our comforts and refreshments lie scattered some here some there some in this some in that we go to the fire for some to the cup board for other some to the cisterne of water for other but they are indeed but cisterns quickly suckt up and emptied and then are we as before God is the ever springing-fountain All comforts are summ'd up in Him as the drops in the ocean They are divided here below but united in Christ get Him and we have all in Him Oh say then Give us evermore from that fountain That though we do come to these cisternes to draw yet we may know them to be but cisternes and Him to be the Fountain from whom we may receive fullnesse and satisfaction and so wait for His appearance when we shall be ever with the Lord where we shall hunger no more nor thirst any more c. 3. And this instructs also that we have no true right to the Creatures before us a kinde of right there is y All are yours 1. Cor. 3. 21. 22. that is the churches in order to comfort and happiness but for proprietie so all things are not ours Religion takes not away the distinction of master and servant And therefore it takes not away distinction of goods which is the lesser Doctor Sibs on that Text. Non fundatur dominium nisi in Imagine Dei. Imago baec quid est aut quomo lo deletur Respondebunt spiritus fanatici Imaginem Dei esse puritatem id autem quod delet esse peccatum Verùm hoc ad eversionem imperii omnis spectat Interpretes igitur saniores banc imaginem interpretantur esse rationem naturalem Quae si in toto aut maximâex parte deformetur jus imperii extinguitur L. Verul de bello sacro p. 3. 345. In Engl. p. 122. 123. Lege Clem. Alex. Ad Gentes pag. 44. which is not here a place to dispute but no true nor comfortable right but in our Head the Lord Iesus Christ By sinne we have forfeited them all and more then so we have brought a curse upon them and a vanitie In Christ they are restored and through Him the curse taken off I will cite Mr Dearings words here on Heb. the first chapter verse 2. They are these and yeeld us profitable instruction We must learn of our selves we have nothing but being ingrafted in Him we are owners of all things In mine own right I am naked and void of all I have no meat to feed my hungry body no drink to comfort my faint and thirsty spirit no clothes to keep me warm no house to harbour me c. for the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof I may have from man my warrant here in earth that my house is mine and my land is mine and he is a thief and a robber that taketh it from me But all the men in the world cannot give me my possession before the living God but onely his Sonne Christ who is Heire of all Then that our lands may be our own our goods our own yea and our meat ours let us be Christs that in Him we may have the good assurance of all our substance Take not thy meat but as the gift of Christ who hath sanctified it unto thee nor any thing thou hast but with thanksgiving to Christ that hath sanctified it for thee †4. And the consideration hereof should be a meanes to lift up our hearts as well as our hands and eyes to Him that spreadeth our table prevents the snare feeds us with the finest wheat when others are fed with the bread of affliction and water of affliction or if our bread be course or not that but pulse instead of bread yet He can nourish by it and make the countenance z Dan. 1. ruddy whereas the more daintie fare may tend to leannesse So the parent must teach the childe not to eat with common hands or mouth that is not before the hands be lifted up and the mouth opened to Him Who opened His hand to the parent first before the parent could open his to the childe And now onely commands a blessing and gives the bread power to nourish making it a staffe of bread both to parent and childe which must minde the parent that it is not a childes work to blesse the table but according to the ancient custome the masters duty to pray for a blessing who should best understand that all things are sanctified by the word of God and prayer And so much to raise our hearts before we take our meat towards Him who onely commands a blessing upon our meat and strengtheneth with strength in our souls Psal 138. verse 3. 5. And now that we suppose we are set down to feel and taste how good the Lord is who hath so furnished our table we must consider well what is set
digested yet can it help little the tediousnesse of our common course nor much promote a speedier and quicker way These helps before mentioned if we may call them so because so intended are above and in sight other things of more substance lie under hatch and cannot appeare Here at this point I must make mention of two the one Mr Brook projecting the other digesting a very exact method whereby Mr Horne the tongue may be moulded and framed to a speedy attaining of three languages The former was a seeing a Multorum ingeniorum magnae dotes veluti debiles ipsa paupertate aegrae jacent Barcl Euph. 3. 226. man though outwardly dark and had a clearer insight into the way of training-up youth then any man that hath yet appeared in so weighty a businesse wherein he laboured above strength and so broke himself in the work God hath now removed his shoulder from theburthen he is taken away from us and a poore widow with foure children the eldest not nine left behinde Gods peculiar care these and it is well they are for the common care is no bodies in particular we traversed this way and that and the other all three wayes but found no way for relief of the Mother and her orphanes so they are resigned unto His hand who makes a way in the wildernesse and will be seen in the Mount providing a lamb for a sacrifice He will provide also that the children of such a Father so carefull so faithfull shall not perish for want of bread nor perish yet worse for want of breeding But I recall my self remembring what I was speaking this That had this person before mentioned found incouragement and help for it is a work too hard for one or two he had then very much promoted the publick good for he had set out the clearest light to Grammar for the clearing and speeding the childes understanding and way therein that ever yet our Church hath seen And in good forwardnesse this work was set by him Mr Horne who was more then an eye and hand to Mr Brookes therein but there being little hope then and lesse now that there can be a hand which can widwife forth that birth if it should be perfected and fitted therefore it was but coldly proceeded in then and is like to lie now as a thing not thought upon or forgotten And therefore the forementioned Mr Horne hath taken the best and safest course and but according to the advice of his Elders he hath laboured for himself and is setting forth a work of his own whereby he leades on the childe to Rhetorick Oratorie Grammar is touched upon too in passage in a clearer way then any man yet hath gone before him in So Schollers like wells are the fuller the more they are drained x Pag. 71. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys Tom. 5. serm 55 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The more they let out themselves for the good of others the more they are filled And a fulnesse this man hath if the skill in the languages and arts may be accounted so and which is the crown of all he hath an heart to lay forth his treasure and to spend himself for the common good And that is the way to encrease even to a fulnesse to empty our selves continually for the publick good as Chrysostome writes very usefully I have spoken this at this point in a zeal I have to promote the childes good my subject now and he who gives another his due doth not in so doing detract from any other I know there are many able and faithfull Ministers this way and the Lord encrease the number of them But I consider Schollers must be wound-up within the same common winding-sheet and laid to the same mould In that very day though their works follow them for their labour cannot be in vain in the Lord yet their thoughts perish It is good to know them and to use them while we have them Thus farre touching the way the Master must go and such helps which serve very much to promote the Scholler in the same way The Masters duty follows and that is to do his work throughly and fully in point of reformation and information before the childe passe from under his hand And Parents must have patience and suffer both to be done before the childe be other-where disposed of It proves no small disadvantage to the childe and Church that he is hasted to an higher Forme or place while his minde is empty and unfurnisht of such matter whereof before he came thither he should be well furnished or that he is posted into a strange countrey to learn the language before he hath learnt his Religion or attained any stayed or fixed carriage or command over himself The successe must needs be answerable for the childe is then most left to himself when he is least himself when he is in the most slipperie age and place y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrys in Gen. Hom. 44. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reade Ascham schol p. 13. I mean when the furnace of concupiscence is most heated as the Father speaks when affections are strongest from within and provocations more stirring from without Therefore till the childe hath some good understanding of himself and book till he can command the one and well use the other what should he do abroad either at the Vniversitie Innes of Court or in a farre Countrey We can neither teach nor learn how to weigh measure or point the winde as the Noble Advancer speaketh against the sending of children abroad too soon and too unripe Humanitie will not down nor Logick neither and Littleton worse then either of the former They that go too unripe to those places quickly grow rotten In all probabilitie and we cannot easily conceive otherwise youth will leave that they understand not and can finde no sweetnesse in And they will to that which they can do and their natures must needs relish They will to such companions their books they understand not whose language they can skill off and when they cannot draw at the fountain they will to the sinke in those places and you may sent them as strongly that there they have been as if they had fell into a vessell wherein is no pleasure There is great cause we should labour to set our children as upright as we can and to fix their carriage before we send them forth from us else there is great danger of miscarrying considering what our natures are as was said z Pag. 44. The summe then touching this point is That there be a Graduat proceeding with the childe as up a paire of staires That the childes seed-time be improved to the utmost And for the daughter that she have generall instructions all qualities the parent can bestow which may set off and yet stand with decency and sobrietie more specially that she be accustomed to the essentialls of huswifery unto all