the doctrine wherein by his sister Pulcheria hee was trained vp namely the feare of God and the establishing of his seruice gathereth that the onely pietie of Kinges and Emperours is sufficient for the happy preseruation of the people Also that without the same all armies all strength of the empire and all other prouision whatsoeuer is in vaine The same author reporting that many and mightie enemies of the Emperour Honorius were ouerthrowen Sosom Eccl. hist l. 9. c. 16 addeth that God brought it to passe to shew that the true honour and feare of God in an Emperour as it was sayth hee in Honorius is sufficient to preserue anie Empire 16 This doth Lactantius also confirme saying that in case there arise anie question of the happy maintaining of the society of men Lact. of wrath c. 2. c. 8 euen in respect of this life religion and the feare of God is the only and true meanes to decide it as also in the same booke hee maketh this protestation Take awaie sayth hee this bond mans lyfe will be replenished wyth folly crueltie and wickednes And this is confirmed by the testimonie of the greatest heathen Philosophers Plâ—t l. 4 of his comonwelth Arist Eth. l. 5 who saie that the chiefe foundation the strongest sinew the only saftie of the establishment of a common wealth consisteth first in religion and then in iustice And Cicero a Heathen also to this purpose sayth Cicero in his nature of Gods l. 1 Take awaie deuotion to the Gods and ye take awaie all holynes and religion which beeing once vanished from among men there followeth perturbation in life and all confusion Neither doo I knowe sayth he whether vpon the taking awaye of deuotion to the Gods faith also and societie among men together wyth Iustice a most excellent vertue can remaine And in this consideration when Romulus had erected his new Romane common wealth in matter of armes Tit. Liui. Malicai l. 2 Va. Ma. l 1 c. 3 his successour Numa Pompilius for the establishment and assuring of his estate erected the religion and seruice of the Gods It must needes therefore bee a great shame and reproch to Christian Magistrates endued with the knowledge of the true and onely God and such as haue his holye worde in continuall view August to Volus Ep. 3. towards the end not to beleeue that the establishment and preseruation of religion is the steadfast foundation and happie piller of theyr estate Saint Augustine giueth a verie lit and notable reason for the premises saying The holye Scripture saieth he is the commendable safegarde of the common wealth For no man can build and vphold a citie in prosperitie without the foundation and bond of fidelitie stedfast concord Iosua 1.8 which is brought to passe by louing the common good which is the soueraigne and true God Also when men doo sincerely loue one another in him and for his sake that can sufficiently discerne with what affection they loue together And therefore to conclude this purpose God speaking to Iosua declareth that the same wisedome which is the mother and nurse of prosperitie proceedeth of the reading meditation in the word of God 17 The premises doo manifestly declare how mightily the christian Emperours in olde time were addicted to holinesse and how zealous they were in maintenance of the heauenly doctrine and establishment of the pure seruice of God how carefull to cut off the course of heresies how affectionate to the reading of the holie Scriptures how feruent in praiers and supplications To be short how readie and resolute in anie thing that might import the aduancement of the glory of God the Church of Iesus Christ And therfore may be most excellent myrrors and patterns to all kings princes and magistrates of our daies to imitate and follow 18 Especially because the truth of the doctrine is as the soule of our soules and that in consideration thereof the principall pointe requisite for the establishment and preseruation of true religion the pure seruice of God consisteth in this that there may be good and faithfull ministers of the word for the due prouision hereof it importeth all faithfull magistrates diligently to aduise As also in publike and free Churches it is conuenient that such as are to be employed in the holy ministerie beeing chosen in the consistories synods should be presented to the Magistrates protectors and fauorers of true religion that if they be meet and such as they can like of they may haue their admission and authorization But if they proue otherwise then that others be nominated who being by them allowed may by their saide authoritie bee established in their charge with the approbation of the church For sith the conseruation and aduancement of the Church is vnto them commended by the Lord as the chiefe principall end of their vocation reason willeth that they also haue knowledg of those persons that are to be as instruments helpes to them in the discharge of their office which consisteth in the maintenance of their subiectes in true religion and the pure seruice of God 19 Moreouer when themselues do allow their ministers by their authoritie establish them in their vocation it is also their dutie to maintaine their ministerie the doctrine by them taught and whatsoeuer may therupon depend But especially inasmuch as the rule order and ecclesiasticall discipline is iustly tearmed the mistres of vertue the gardian of faith the hedge to stop out vice the whetstone to sharpen reprehension and the rudder or sinnewes of the Church it is requisite yea euen verie necessarie that there should be some prescript forme in such manner set down that the Ministers Elders and Deacons might not intrude or vsurpe vpon anie matter of politike gouernment as also that the Magistrate should leaue to them the exercise of Ecclesiastical gouernment so far as it may depend vpon their charge and the authoritie of Gods word Likewise that this formularie be such as being authorised maintained by the superior powers Ierem. 7.11 1. Tim. 3.15 it may in the execution therof be effectuall to the purposes afore mentioned in the titles thereto attributed namely that so neere as may be the Church be no longer a den of theeues as Ieremie tearmeth it and a receptacle of riotous and dissolute liuers but a holy house of God and a piller and supporter of the truth 20 It is therefore the magistrates dutie to maintaine the right authoritie of the church in all matters that concerne the holy ministerie and the exercise thereof namely against the disturbers of the peace of the same as heretikes prophane persons and all contemners of Ecclesiasticall orders And particularly inasmuch as the vse of consistories and synodes is requisite for the blessed gouernment of Christs Church it is the office of the magistrates to take order that it be maintained in certaine seasons according to the state
hath yet farther scope for not contenting themselues with that naturall colour which God hath bestowed vppon them eyther with the vse of common water for cleanlynesse they daily imploie their waters wherewyth to make them seeme fairer than they are yea which is worse some doo euen paint themselues daubing theyr faces and laying on some colour wherewyth hyding the handie worke of God they maye seeme to haue more beautie than hee hath vouchsafed to giue vnto them This vanitie was in vse in the dayes of wicked Iezabel and hath euer since successiuely continued in many others that haue and doe imitate this accursed woman deuoured by dogges together with her painting 2. King 9.30 Augustine in his Epistle to Possidonius Tertullian of womans apparell Cyprian in his 5. Sermon of the fall and in his booke of virgins apparell Chrisostome hom 31 vpon Mathew Ierom against Heluidius Ierome to laeta of the instruction of maidens Ierome in his Epistle to Furia This corruption hath likewise beene euermore reproued by the holy fathers Saint Augustine hath written one expresse treatise thereof wherein hee at large condemneth all such paintings Tertullian protesting that God neuer created man so patcht or painted demandeth whether in their resurrectiō frō the dead their colours wil hold and seeing it is vnlike they should he exhorteth them to desist therfro as from things repugnant to their creation and resurrection and termeth such as paint themselues the deuils handmaides Cyprian by this similitude confirmeth the premises If when a painter hath finished a peece of worke and an other comming in should thereto set his hand and lay on other colours it would displease him how much rather will our creator be offended when a mortall man whom himselfe hath created shall by such painting take vpon him to correct the image and workemanship of his God Chrisostome resembleth such as paint themselues to those that daube clay or mire vpon an Image of golde And as Ierome termeth it what is it but a reproch to his creator who as hee imagineth hath not made him faire enough And hauing in another place reported the historie of a woman visited by the hand of God for painting her daughter he addeth that they that vse it doe pollute the temple of God and termeth their paintings firebrands to enflame youth nurses of fornication and tokens of vnpure harts 4 But to returne to the corruption in pompous and sumptuous apparell Euerie man can confesse that this excesse is ouer plentifull and common among vs. They can speake of it They can complaine of it they can say there is no amendement in vs but euery one doth giue occasion of offence They can grant that we deserue stripes that God will punish vs and that iustly and all these speeches be euen so many iudgements registred in heauen which in the end we shall find to be but an execution against vs because no man amendeth but euery one looketh who shall first beginne Euery man imagineth that himselfe may well weare such apparell and that he may better doe it then another of his like calling Euerie man condemneth excesse and vanitie yet wil he therby declare himselfe to be more rich then an other allowing that in himselfe which he reproueth in others Wee confesse the obiections made vnto such as flee from their owne habitations for religion to bee most true namely that they bring their pompe and sumpteous apparell with them into the townes that receiue them thereby alluring the naturall inhabitants who before liued in greater simplicitie and modestie to the like vanitie and corruption To bee short it seemeth that we who vnto others should be as lampes and ministers of reformation are growen to be auctors of infection offence And this may be but too truely obiected euē to our great confusion and to the slaunder of the doctrine which we doe professe Remembring therefore the exhortations of Christ and Saint Iohn importing that we should Amend our liues let vs lastly resolue to leaue off forsake and detest all this excesse vanity pompe and sumptuousnesse in apparell 5 But truely neither the Censors of Rome who made so manie good lawes concerning this matter neither the wisest reformers of our time could euer so bridle this ambition and excesse but that as an cele it would slide forth and shew it selfe transformed into some new fashion To be short there is not any lawgiuer that can sound the depth of this corruption but onely one God who teacheth vs to beginne reformation at the hart And indeed as euery seede bringeth forth hearbes or fruite according to his kind as Lettice seede Lettice Thistle seede Thistles so if the hart be humble and modest the garment for the bodye will bee euen so but if the heart bee proude and ambitious it will shew foorth some kinde of excesse and pride notwithstanding whatsoeuer lawes to the contrarie Gen. 3. 6 The first thing thereof that the Christian which mindeth to roote out pompe and excesse in apparell is to note is as well the qualitie of the garments that God made for Adam and Eue after their fall as the occasion of the same Their first garmentes were of the skinnes of beastes thereby to declare that they were become as beastes by transgressing the commaundement of God The occasion of the garmentes was shame to see themselues naked whereinto they sell by transgressing the saide commaundement of God The first vse of the garmentes therefore is vnto vs an euident reproch of their sinne to the end to humble vs in the sight of God as when a man weareth a plaister it is a signe hee hath some wounde And therefore such as seeke glorie in garmentes are like vnto those that builde faire sepulchers for their dead corps For where as their sepulcher shoulde bee a warning to them that they must dye and thereupon cause them to reiect all ambition and pride yet thereof they take occasion to boast so where as our garment shoulde bee a continuall memorie of sinne to humble vs yet wee as if wee woulde euen spite God doe procure sumptuous and gorgeous apparell to testifie our ambition and pride As a theefe by law burned in the foreheade for theft ought so oft as he looketh in a glasse and perceiueth the scarre thereof to thinke vpon and detest his inclination to that vice so our garmentes being as the scarre in the foreheade of our first fathers and our selues for their ambition in that they sought to bee like vnto God should by the onely sight of them put vs in minde to renounce all pride and ambition Let vs therefore couer our bodies decently to hide our shame and not proudly to augment it 7 The second vse of garmentes is to defend vs from colde from raine from the heate of the sunne c. What argument can we gather hereof to grow proud Hereby we ought to cal to mind Gods wrath against sinne considering that had it not beene for sinne man shoulde
to another whereto they inuited their sisters Iob 1. they could not beare themselues so soberly and modestly as were to be wished Yet their father Iob a man that feared God sent vnto them and purified them and rising earely offered sacrifice according to their number saying in himselfe Mat. 12.36 It may bee my sonnes haue sinned and blasphemed God in their harts Thus did Iob euery day And vndoubtedly we also do diuersly and in sundry maners offend God in our feastes if it be but in a number of vaine friuolous speeches of the which wee must giue accompt in the day of iudgement 5 We are moreouer for feare of offending God in our feasts Plu. in his banquet of 7. Sages to stand vpon our guard least we there meete with dissolute persons Chylon one of the seuen Sages of Greece had such a regard hereto that when he was inuited to any feast he would neuer promise to come before he knew who should be there For said he of necessitie a man must light vpon such coÌ„panie as in a ship or in the wars yet is it not the part of a wise man voluntarily at feastes to medle with any whosoeuer In like maner we reade that Antigonus the sonne of Demetrius being inuited to a banquet at the which hee knew there should be some insolent light women asked the aduice of the Philosopher Menedemus who answered only that hee shold remeÌ„ber that he was a kings son by that saying admonishing him to refraine and beware of all vnhonest companie occasion of euill How much rather ought wee who are the children of the king of heauen earth to remember to refraine froÌ„ banquets or any other coÌ„panie wher ther may be cause of riot vnthriftines 6 Why Will some men say is it not lawfull at feastes to haue any talke but of God or to vse any communication but of religion There is great difference betweene euer and neuer Men vse to water their wine for feare of drunkennes and put salt in their meate to season it euen so must our speeches sauour of sobrietie Christian reformatioÌ„ We may reioice together yet in the Lord in al modesty beseeming the childreÌ„ of God Besides in our plenty we must remember the poore and the saying of Iesus Christ to this purpose Giue Almes of those thinges which you haue and all things shall bee cleane vnto yow Luk. 11.41 Thereby declaring that the meate at our feasts and other al our goods shall be vnto vs vncleane vnlesse during such plentie wee take care of the poore to releeue their necessities by cutting off of our superfluitie to helpe their miserie In the daies of Assuerus King of Persia when Haman had obtained and published a decree whereby all the Iewes that dwelt within the seuen and twentie prouinces of the Kinges dominions should the thirteenth day of the twelfth month haue beene slaughtered God by his wonderfull prouidence reuersed that bloudie decree vpon Haman his children and their adherentes that hated the Iewes And such was this victorie and deliueraunce Ester 9.22 that Hester and Mardocheus ordained in remembraunce of so great a benefite that among all other matters yeerelie the fourtenth and fiftenth of this month should be ioyful and feastiuall daies wherein they should send giftes to the poore that they together with the rich might all reioyce in the Lord. Among the Romaines they had one law which inuiolably they obserued namely that no man should make any publique feast before hee had prouided for the poore in his quarter Where Iesus Christ sayth Luk. 14. 13. When thou makest a feast call the poore the naked the blinde and the lame and thou shalt be blessed because they cannot recompence thee for thou shalt be recompenced at the resurrection of the iust Hee thereby sheweth that inuiting those that inuite vs wee reape a simple reward for our paines and expences in our feasts For our payment is but I thank you or a dinner or a supper But contrariwise when we giue to the poore euerie dinner and supper is a treasure in heauen Yet are we not forbidden to inuite those that are able to requite vs But Iesus Christ teacheth vs that it is a wiser way to bestow the charges of our feast vpoÌ„ the reliefe of the poor for where they want wherewith to requite vs we know that Iesus Christ hath promised to recompence vs in heauen 7 To this purpose are we to remember that wee are not Lordes but stewardes of the goods which wee haue receiued vpon condition to render accompt to him that seeth all and most carefully commendeth to vs the feeding of the poore And therfore it is not lawfull for vs to spend so much as wee list but so much as we imagine in our perticuler of expences shall bee alowed in the recorde of the liuing Lorde Delâ—uering to thy seruaunt three or sower bushels of salt is it to the end she should put the more into the pot and so by casting in of whole handfuls ouer salt theyr pottage Yet the reprouing of her and saying that thy meaning was that shee should take so much as was requisite sufficiently to seasen thy meate will redound to thy condemnation In this pointe may the heathen make vs ashamed Agasicles being demanded wherefore he liued so sparingly considering his plentie of goods aunswered that hee who is able must not spend according to his lustes or couetousnesse but in reason and as neede requireth The Lacedemonian feasts were so wel ordered that they were termed scholes of sobrietie and abstinence But such are the feasts of Christians that lesse then the reuersion might suffice the whole companie which notwithstanding we suffer the poore to starue who might be well fed with the superfluitie thereof Plu. in his banquets of the 7. Sages Plutarch writeth that Perianders feast to the seuen Sages was moderate and more sober then this ordinarie diet because hee had inuited wise men Much rather shoulde our banquetes whereto wee inuite the children of God and professors of reformation bee sober and moderate to the end that the companie of honest and vertuous personages as Diocles one of the same seuen euen there noted shoulde bee no encrease but rather a deminishing of expenses 8 Some men to excuse their aboundaunce in banquetes doe aledge custome But custome contrarie to reason is a tyraunt who to get dominion reuerseth all law Others will demaund who shall first beginne to breake the custome of excesse and superfluitie But men should enquire who shall first leaue wickednesse and doe well and while others continue in euill deferre to doe good In a case of mischiefe or wickednesse wee are not so long in deliberating Wee neuer tarrie for another to beginne Wee make post hast to euill If a man speake of worldly gaine euery man will be foremost but if of losse last Yet in profiting the soule wee tarrie for another to beginne 9 Besides
in all Churches sayth hee vnder thy charge as also in those that bee vnder other Bishoppes Priests and Deacons ye be diligent to restore such as be decaied likewise to build new in places conuenient And thy selfe and all other in thy name shall call to the gouernours and magistrates of prouinces for all things necessarie for the reparations or building of the same for I haue commanded them with al speed to prouide whatsoeuer your holynes shall call for Lykewise as it is requisite that there shoulde bee some prescript forme of Christian faith and Ecclesiasticall order and gouernment so haue they also extended theyr care in that dutie as we reade of the Emperour Iouinian of whome Ruffin writeth that the businesse of the Church was not the least parte of his care also that calling Athanasius Ruffin 〈◊〉 Eccl hist â— c. â—â— from him receiued he a forme of faith and order for the erecting and gouernment of the Churches 12 But to the end that magistrates may bee instructed and moued to the due practise of the matters aforesayde and so to cause theyr subiectes to liue in the feare of God It is also their dutie to procure the diligent reading of Gods worde and profiting in the same And some there haue beene that haue shewed great zeale in that behalfe Socr. l. 7. c. 22 Among others wee reade that the Emperour Theodosius would conferre of the holy Scriptures with the Bishops as if himselfe had bene a Bishop In this respect did God in old time command that the king that should be chosen ouer Israel so soone as he should be placed in the throne of his kingdome shoulde for himselfe write out a copie of the lawe in a booke Deut. 17.18 which he should take in the presence of the priests that it might remain with him and that he should reade therein all the daies of his life to the end to learne to feare God and to keepe all the wordes of his lawe and his ordinaunces to doo them The lyke commandement dyd hee giue vnto Iosua saying Let not this booke of the lawe departe out of thy mouth Iosua 1.8 but meditate therein daie and night that thou mauest obserue and doo according to all that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy waie prosperous and then shalt thou haue good successe The hundreth and nineteenth Psalme declareth how necessary this dutie is also how diligently Dauid emploied himselfe therein therby shewing himselfe to be a true patterne or myrror of pietie to all kings princes and magistrates Eusebius in the life of CoÌ„stantine l. 4 13 They are moreouer diligently to pray vnto God also to cause others to praie for them that they may duly discharge theyr dueties Heereto it seemeth that Constantine the great was much addicted For as Eusebius reporteth of him hee knowing verie well that the prayers of such as feared God might greatly profyte him in the due gouernment of all sought after such as might praie for him and besydes his owne prayers required also the praiers of the gouernours of the congregations for him In peeces also of golde that hee caused to bee coyned himselfe was portrayed wyth his handes lyfted vp to heauen as it were praying vnto God yea which is more hee tooke order that his souldyers shoulde learne to praie to God Pulcheria the daughter of the Emperour Arcadius Sozom. his Eccle. hist li. 9. cap. 1. vppon her fathers death at the age of fifteene yeeres taking vpon her the gouernment of the Empire caused her brother Theodosius the heire thereunto to bee brought vp in godlynesse and accustomed to much praier and hee thorough such bringing vp beeing much giuen to this godly exercise afterwarde in a matter of great importance founde the fruite of his praier for hauing on a time receiued from diuerse Bishoppes diuerse seuerall doctrines and confessions concerning the diuinitie of Christ Socrat. hist Eccl. l 5. c. 10 he went into a secrete place where hee feruently prayed vnto God to giue him grace to make choice of the same which contained the truth of that doctrine Then reading ouer all theyr confessions hee allowed and kept the same which taught that Christ was of the same essence wyth his father and defaced the rest as repugnant to the holy Trinitie Lykewise beeing to go to warre after the example of Dauid hee had recourse to prayers as knowing that it was in God onely to dispose of warres and as the same authour addeth hee executed his warres by praier and supplications Socrat. hist Eccl. l. 7. c. 22 c. 23. And after his victories ouer his enemies hee so acknowledged them to be from God that on a time as hee was looking vppon certaine triumphes and publike pastimes hearing of the death and ouerthrow of a certine tyrant that was risen against him immediatlye crying out to the people hee sayde Leauing these carnall pleasures let vs go to Church to giue thankes and praises vnto God And at the same verie instant leauing the pastimes being come into the Church they spent there the rest of the daie in praysing and blessing the Lorde 14 Some also there haue beene that so ordered theyr houses in the exercise of Christian religion Euseb in the lyfe of Constan li. 4 that theyr Courtes resembled Churches as Eusebius reporteth of great Constantine that hee had consecrated his whole house to the seruice of God the onely king of kinges that the domesticall multitude of his Court was euen a Church of God yea hee retayned aboute him sundrie ministers of God that ordinarilie praied for him Lykewise the Emperour Valerian in the beginning of his Empire so greatly fauoured the Christians that his Court beeing replenished wyth greate store of all sortes of people that feared God Eusebius tearmeth it The Church of God Eus hist Eccl. li. 7. ca. 10 They lykewyse verie well vnderstoode and perceiued that euen the prosperitie of theyr persons and estate depended vppon pietie and the establishment of the seruice of God according as the holie Apostle Saint Paule verie well noteth where hee sayth Godlynesse hath promise of the lyfe present and of that that is to come 1. Tim. 4.8 As also God speaking vnto the Prophet Samuell sayde I wyll honour those that honour mee Among others 1. Sam. 2.30 Constantine the greate writing vnto Anilin confesseth and acknowledgeth that by diuerse and sundrie experiences hee knewe that if Relygion wherein wee are to obserue wyth greate zeale a singular reuerence of holynesse and godlynesse bee anie whit neglected or diminished such neglect wyll prooue in time verye daungerous and hurtefull vnto the Common wealth And contrarywyse that being vpholden and maintained it breedeth great felicity and prosperitie to all men Zozom hist Eccl l. 9. c. 1 thorough the grace and blessing of God Heereupon Zozomenes rehearsing the wonderful prosperitie that God graunted to the Emperor Thedosius and wythall noting that this blessing proceeded of
may well and prosperously guide their subiects together with all other vertues requisite and perseuerance in their duties also Iames 8.17 the blessing of the father of light from whom come all good gifts and who onely is able to giue successe and happie issue to all their labours Secondly that they put in practise the commandement of God to Iosua Iosu 1.8 saying Let not this booke of the law depart out of thy mouth but meditate therein day and night that thou maist take heed to doo all that is written in the same for in so doing let them be assured that they shal prosper as the Lord addeth saying For then shalt thou make thy way prosperous then shalt thou haue good successe And in that sense let theÌ„ expect the performance of the same which God said to Samuel 1. Sam. 2.30 I wil honor those that honor me they that despise me shal be set at naught 71 Let them remember that two things are required in a prince or magistrate namely holines in time of peace and magnanimitie in wars in both discretioÌ„ Aurel. Vict. in his lyfe Polibius wherof the Emperor Traâ—an shewed him selfe as a patterne for he was indued with both these vertues That two things maintaine the commonwealth Force and magnanimitie against enimies and concord among subiectes That the preseruation of the Princes estate consisteth first in the integritie of religion Secondly in the loue of the subiects That they which are in office of magistrates must as sayth great Cato vse soberlie their power authoritie Plutarch in his Apoth Plato in his comonwelth that they may stil vse it That that com-wealth is happie wherein euerie man obeyeth the prince and the prince obeyeth the lawe That the magistrate as the same Cato sayth must not tarrie for exhortation to gouerne iustly neither by exhortation bee mooued to beare himselfe vniustly That it is a calling both steadfast and to bee desired Polib l. 6 when euerie one in priuate doth liue in peace and holynesse and that iustice and mercie doo abide in publike persons That the prince must make his subiects to loue him and his enemies to feare him and as well to remember that he is a man Tacitus Annal. 11 Plinie in his Panegiricks Curtius l. 7. as that he is established ouer men That there is nothing so firme strong but is subiect to inconuenience and danger euen by the feeble and weake And to this purpose let them call to minde that great trees are long in growing but cut downe in an houre Let them not forget that they beare the image of God in regard of theyr office and are called Gods to the end they should neither speake nor doo anie thing vnworthie the maiestie of God Tacitus Let them beware of abating theyr authoritie either by too much lenitie or the peoples loue by like seueritie Let them not prefer the aduise of young Counsellors before the iudgement of the auncient and to that purpose make vse of the example of Roboam 2 Chro. 10 who by the contrarie alienated the ten Tribes of Israel and lost his dominion ouer them Let them neuer pronounce sentence in wrath neither vndertake anie thing in displeasure but remember the saying of Saint Iames Wrath in man fulfilleth not the iustice of God Let this saying of Saint Augustine bee printed in their heartes Iames 1 20 Augustine in the 13. a-abuses of degrees Degree 6. Three things are requisite in a gouernor Calling feare of him and loue towards him Calling is requisite to the end he may beare himselfe in a good conscience cheerefully yet if hee bee not both loued and feared he cannot subsist in his calling Let him therefore aduise himselfe to procure loue by benefites and affâ—bilitie and â—eare by punishing wrong done not against himselfe but against the lawe 72 Let him consider of the titles that Iulius Pollux who was gouernor of the Emperor Comodus in his youth attributeth to the prince whome hee calleth father of the people gentle louing mercifull wise iust courteous couragious despising monie not subiect to passion but commaunding ouer himselfe ouercomming lust vsing reason quicke of conceit sober religious carefull for his subiectes constant no deceiuer adorned with authoritie readie in his affayres prouided to doo well slowe to reuenge affable gracious in speech open hearted a louer of the vertuous desyrous of peace valiant in warre an example of good manners to his subiects a maker of good lawes and an obseruer of the same Let him remember these wordes of Lewes the ninth lefte by his last will to his eldest sonne and successour Philip and are recorded in the chamber of accounts Be deuout in the seruice of God bee in heart pittifull and charitable to the poore and comfort them wyth thy good deedes keepe the good lawes of thy realme take no subsidies or releef of thy subiects but vpon vrgent necessitie and for the profite of thy common wealth vppon iust cause and voluntarily 73 Let them continually looke vpon the table of Ptolome Arsacides which the Emperour Marcus Aurelius found at Thebes an auncient towne of Aegypt and was alwayes layde at the kinges beds head when hee was chosen and by the sayde Marcus Aurelius at his death giuen as a singular treasure to his sonne Comodus This Table was written in Greeke Characters and contayned the protestations and sentences following I neuer exalted the proud rich man neyther hated the poore man that was iust I neuer denied iustice to the poore for his pouertie neither pardoned the wealthie for his riches I neuer benefited or gaue rewarde for affection neither punished vpon passion onely I neuer suffered euill to escape vnpunished neyther goodnesse vnrewarded I neuer committed the execution of manifest iustice to another neyther determined that which was difficult by my selfe alone I neuer denied iustice to him that asked it neither mercie to him that deserued it I neuer punished in anger neither promised benefite in mirth I was neuer carelesse in prosperitie neyther faint hearted in aduersitie I neuer dyd euill vpon mallice neither committed villanie for couetize I neuer opened my gate to the flatterer neither gaue eare to the backbiter I alwais sought to be loued of the good and feared of the wicked lastly I alwaies fauoured the poore that was able to doo little and God who was able to doo much fauoured me 74 To conclude wee will adde these short excellent sayinges of Saint Augustine Augustine of the degrees of abuse Degree 9. wherein he representeth vnto vs the duties of princes and magistrates The iustice of the king saith he is that he doo not wrongfully oppresse anie man by his power that he iudge without acceptance of persons betweene man and man that hee bee a defence to the straunger the fatherlesse and the widow that he suppresse theft punish adulterie exalt not the wicked maintain no quarrellers or lasciuious persons root out the