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
starres in the night leade vs by infallible Lightes Thus there is no creature which God hath made séene idle but man who of a corrupt nature paruerteth his order where he is bound by most iust reasons both for the mind body to trauaile seeing that as labour is healthful and necessary to him so hée onely aboue al other creatures of God receiueth the profite of the earth and hath of God in the ende eternal recompense which proueth that trauaile whether it bée to gaine and preserue goodes or that it reléeue the necessitye of the bodye or tende to the health of the soule is most behoueful and necessarye to man. It is great hurt to a common weale to nourish mouthes that eate and labour not Who besides theyr owne idlenes are hurtful examples of disorder to others For such people are not satisfied with the losse of theyr owne time but sinisterlye seduce others to theyr faction and ten of those are inough to corrupt fiftye yea a whole Towne Therfore let the Magistrate purge his city of such dranes table Iestours Parasites forgers of Newes builders of scoffes to goo scotfrée them selues very natural pyllors of Tauerns And with the same seuere diligence let him cleanse his cōmon weale of al filthy quagmiers of ruffenrie scurility seruice of bawdes and bawdry for if one out-corner of his Toune bée infected with that pestilence it is inough to impoison the whole yea euen as there is precise order to clense the stréetes chanels of al filth vncleanes to kéepe the toune from corruption of aire and as the head of mans body foreséeth that there remaine no impedimēt to any member but the eye lokes about the body that it be kept cleane if there bée any offence there is a plaister applied to cure cleanse it euen so al such as the magistrate shal see through idlenes or vaine or vnlawful arte to prepare to corrupt them selues infect others Let him either by iustice or discipline reforme them or by good pollecye auoide them from the society of others If there be any fathers through whose negligence or other default theyr children of good houses become customarye to idlenesse sinne and other vices Let the Magistrate punish by heauy fines such fathers for bringing into theyr common weale such pernicious education and for example sake compell their children to ciuilitye by publike discipline It belongeth no lesse to the office of the gouernor to correct the prodigalities of such whose parentes diceassed and they left to theyr owne election of libertye and life with full Coffers waste their wealth in plaies glottonies pompes taking vpon them the title of Gentlemen attyre of yong Princes make loue to Ladies they which are the Sonnes of Marchantes who to get the name of nobilitye sell theyr shoppes holding it a staine to theyr reputacion to continue the trade of theyr fathers And so in continuaunce by much spending and neuer winning theyr prodigalitye leades them at last to sel euen theyr houses and implements litle knowing theyr value at the first and lesse considering to what vses God had ordained them Sure such ought to bée bridled by Publike aucthorytye and restrayned to rule and measure liuing according to the rate of other wise Burgesses And if they are vnapt to continue theyr Shops there may bée constraint to frame them to other trade bothe to theyr proper commoditye example of the Citye and to kéepe them from extreame pouertye whereunto there Idlenesse will bring them Heare let no man say haue not I onely propertye in mine owne may not I doo with my goodes what I list yea who can let me to sell it sith euery man is maister of his owne suche speaches please well the humour of the speaker but agree not with the statutes of a common weale wel directed and much lesse haue conformetye with cōmon reason because a perticular is but a member of the bodye polletike who ought to bee gouerned by his head and geue all the ayde hee can to his body Horace sayeth wée owe our selues and al that wee haue to our common weale as who saye wée are not for our selues neyther is our goodes our owne but all ought to bee employed to Publike behoofe but more to God of whome wee haue al so that if our countrey haue neede of our goodes or our life we ought to refuse nothing ought not the Arme to suffer to lose his sleeue yea and the ioynt to keepe his bodye were it not better the hand were cut of then to loase both the leggs or the whole bodye But a man to hurt him selfe is another matter for he should not onely do iniurye to him selfe but wrong to others For that cause wée say that if a man set fire in his owne house he ought to bée hanged for the act bearing common interest to the citye makes the man reputed as a publike iniuror of the state bée it that the house was his and builded by him yet to propertyes is anexed this condicion to vse them well to the behofe of al and not abuse them to the offence of any So goodes are a mans owne for his necessarye vse but if he abuse them they are none of his but the common weale ought to resume thē as a good mother and kéepe them for the after necessity of her child If hée that cuttes his Arme for the nonse deserue the punishmēt of a murderer no lesse merite of paine belongs to him who doeth wrong to his common weale to whome hée oweth that arme for the seruice of the rest For that cause euen amongst the Pagans hée which killed him selfe was led to the scaffolde and hanged as an offendour because hée had in that sort cutte him selfe of from his bodye polletike to whose seruice hée ought him selfe and al that was his The prodigal and vnthrifty man hauing turned his great wealth into a mountaine of smoke by his disorder leaues this charge to the Citye to kéepe his wife and to prouide for the sustenaunce and education of his children who being accustomed with theyr Father to epicuritie and deliteful pleasures can not but smel of their first corruption and be hardly kept from intemperance without a harde hand wil not bée restrayned from the life of theyr dissolute Father And therefore as wel to preuent this publike charge to the Citye as to reduce to modestye Impes of suche disordered stockes it is good to shake the rodde of discipline to kéepe such Youth from corruption not suffering any to liue in Idlenes least their example infect others ⧠There bee diuerse sortes of Idle pople some worcke certaine howres onelye and they bee certaine Artificers Some as vacabondes vvill neuer doo any thing vvho bringing vp theyr children in the same trade traine them to the vvallet betime Discourse of poore Beggers vvandring in Countreyes and of the euill that they doo ⧠The .12 Chapter BVT because this Idlenes hath so large a sircuite
maye stande guilty afore God and oure almes loase theyr fruite bycause oure almes they shall be entertayned in their vices and God abhorre vs for not seeing him obeyed So that if they bee poore and workeable let vs giue them nothing vnlesse they expresse a desire and wil to labour but if they will continue the occupation of nothing doing and so consequently to be nothing worth let the law examine their lewdenesse and the magistrate appoynt paynes to their ydlenesse if they finde nothing better than to trauell and know not now nor where let richmen by the example of the husbandman in the Gospell go seeke them in the publike place of the towne where all the poore ought to assemble and present themselues to trauell and so searching there and else euery where such as he findeth let him employ in labour giuing them somwhat more then the merite of their hyer in regarde of their pouertie wherein besides that they shall enure them to labor auoyde losse of time yet in this act they expresse doble almes and dutifull seruice to God in comforting their necessities and kéeping them from doing euill And where there are so many in one common weale that their numbers excéede their meanes to sustaine their lyfe by labour let euery able riche man be allotted by common counsell to a number for his seruice whome as daye labourers he may alwayes employ in something to auoyde ydlenesse And in cases of occupation and trade let the occupiers set them on woorke for the helpe of their sustenaunce But as in this businesse the wise prouidence of the gouernor is greatlye necessary to the prouision of the poore So touching suche as haue goodes and lacke foode for their necessitie the rest are bound to lend them vpon paune without vsury or publike excessiue interest which is vnworthy of Christians ¶ Compassion ought chiefelye to be shewed to poore maydes for the infirmitie of the kinde and not to suffer them to begge Exhortation to vvomen to take them into seruice for Gods sake for the vvhch they are assured to haue great revvardes according to the scriptures The maner hovv they ought to be prouided for vvhat vvas the auncient custome of the church for the releefe of the poore vvherin poore vviddovves and Orphanes vvere fyrst prouided for ¶ The .3 Chapter MVch greater compassion ought to be shewed vpon poore maydes but specially vpon Orphanes al others in whom is no other science Art or trade then to spin which being not sufficient to rayse theyr finding yet not finding worke inough to be imployed in the next coÌ„pulsion if thei be not succored by seruice in priuat houses is to go on begging which settes them in daunger of manye gréeuous inconueniences therfore as wée are bound by christian common pitty to succor aboue all other sortes of poore this fraile and weake womankinde so the most conuenient meane thervnto is if the vertuous and welthy Burgesse wiues vndertaking to prouide for them within their townes will in one common order take into their seruice so many as they may frame méete for their perticuler vses yea though the necessitie of their seruice require not yet for Godes cause let them receyue them into common discipline with their daughters instructing them in some trauell conuenient to their weake kinde And with this if in time they aduaunce them in mariage to some men of science besides the great and agréeable seruice they shall doe to God he shal make florish and prosper their house recompence them to the hundred folde and rewarde them in the ende with eternall lyfe If God requited the charitie of the wise women of Egipt for preseruing from death the little infantes of the Hebrues whome the tyrant Pharao had commaunded to kill what rewarde hath he layde vp for such good women by whome are preserued the bodyes and soules of those christian maydes from filthy polution and eternall destruction in the desire and will of Sathan If for sauing the corporall life of those small children God poured so many benifites vpon the sayde Egiptian woman what hope of lesse recompence remayneth to our good matrons of Cyties who haue protected young maydes from being dishonored an act more worthy then to kéepe them from being killed by impudicitie and defend their soules from perpetuall death what greater sacrifice of seruice can be offred to GOD then to kéepe the sacred temple of the holye ghost which is the bodye of a mayde from prophanation by impuritye and to protect the holye members of Iesus Christ from being soyled in that vncleane sinke of villany and whoredome wherein they shoulde be slaues to the diuell obeying him in all filthinesse and sinnes wherein if the honest and vertuous dames of their cytie eyther by negligence or couetousnesse should giue liberty of corruption and slaunder to these poore maydes applying neyther care nor succor to their wants I doubt whether in the iudgment of God they should stand cléere of their damnation hath not God giuen to euerye one a care and obseruation of his neyghbor who if he be lost by his fault himselfe can not be saued and because therefore it is not proper to a man to haue medling with this sex but more conuenient to graue matrons by a naturall proxâ—mity let the women then vndertake this act of piety and religion so commendable of the worlde and acceptable with God with recompence of immortal glory Here the burgesse dames must not alledge the number and charge of their owne daughters and so forbeare their christian compassion to others for that were the saying of Paganes who are ignoraunt in the benefit of our vnitie in Iesus Christ by the which we ought to holde all Christians aswell women as men in the estimation of our brothers and systers fauoring ayding and succoring them in true frindship in all their necessary wantes And euen as if we should leaue any man in pouerty without succours and his necessitye driue him into offence of the law and so to suffer sentence of death we should stand afore God as parties to his crime and guilty to his death euen so is it with women and riche matrons who much lesse that they can excuse themselues in the terrible iudgement of God but if for want of their ayde poore maydes fall to whoredome or other damnable vice they can not but be capable of hir fault and so merite communitie of payne with hyr Sure such surety of recompâ—nce standes in the true considâ—ration of Gods goodnesse that albeit eyther by their proper inhabiliâ—y or euercharge with their owne children they haue no great power at the beginning to aduauÌ„ce this poore maydes yet seeing it is familiar with God not to forget any good deede done in his name he will so prosper this good act of his lyberall charity that themselues in time will confesse that they féele an apparaunt and manifest blessing of God in more felicity and encrease of richesse then
that happen in the world they are alreadie well proued to discend directly from God and not by any prouidence of fortune as the Epicuriens and Atheists of our time beleue nor fatally according to the opinion of the infidels togither with the Astrologians who attribute all to their aspects constellations oppositions and reuolutions of starres and much lesse according to the philosophicall perswasion of the Phisitions bringing in the alterations and corruption of Elements and naturall bodies not raising vp their spirites to the consideration of the deuine prouidence that the soule gouernes not better all the parts of our humane body then the great God rules measures this huge world not suffring the least herb or plant to moue or grow without feeling his vertue and power Nor little bird to fall vppon the branch of any trée without the prouidence and will of that omnipotent mouer of all things nor lastly the least haire of our head which is not kept in reckoning by him The Phisitions or later Philosophers do oftentimes beguile themselues by the second causes as making them the imediat or first causes of any euill that hapneth which is a kind of infidelitie not fixing their iudgmeÌ„ts but on things which they see as when the South wind hot and moyst hath blowne much most commonly in a yere when ponds lakes and fennes are corrupted when in a dearth of vittailes people are constrayned to eate vnseasonable meates when the ayre is close and giues out an euill seat when the winter contrary to his nature is hot and sootie when many vile and vememous beastes engender vppon the earth and caterpillers frogges and other vermine fall out of the ayre when such signes appeare the Phisitions say they are the cause of plague sicknes not considering that GOD vseth these second causes ordeyned by his prouidence as instruments and manifest signes of the same prouidence that for this reason By those signes he giues warning to the world that he prepareth to execute his iustice vppon people nations and by these foretokens inuites and aduertiseth men to fall to submission and supplication for pardon to the end he thunder not suddenly his ful indignatioÌ„ rigor vppon sinnes A child séeing his father prepare rods and bindes them shake them in his hand hath to thinke that he hath offended the time of his scourging draweth neare and therfore in feare teares humilitie he ought to fall prostrate afore the knées of his father as we haue afore aduised By these meanes sayth Joel what know we if God of nature good and reconcileable to our vices wil be conuerted and aforde grace at the least he will not condemne our soules if with a changed harte we performe action of penance when the Prince by long counsell and aduise causeth to be erected in many publike places of his Realmes great scaffoldes gibbets and the instruments of torment such as haue offended the law haue no meane to flée what other thing can they thinke of this preparation then a resolute purpose of the Prince to execute smarting iustice vppon them great is their present feare but farre greater the griefe displeasure which they ought to haue of their offences ought they not to call into practise all meanes seruing for their deliuery yea if they tary till they be led to the scaffold their haÌ„ds and feete bound with other attires of high offenders being ready to be offred to the execution there is small hope or expectation of mercie let them go themselues with their halters about their neckes and taking their best frieÌ„ds to solicit in their intercession to the Prince let them discouer true effects of contricion and imploring the frée mercy of the Prince let theÌ„ offer restitution to the parties offended and better obedience and behauior here after in them selues so shall they with Dauid not suffer the vtter most rigor of iustice or els auoid it altogither as the Jsraelites escaped it in the time of Jonathas the Niniuits also by their seuere woÌ„derful penaÌ„ce eueÌ„ so al these second causes are but signes instruments of Gods iustice tokens preparations and fore shewes as according to the examples of the rodds skafoldes and gibbets by the which he declares his anger and disposicion to punish sin The semblance that is made the preparation and the rod as they are no causes of gods iustice but it is for the punishment of our sinnes that execution is so aparantly prepared So after such shewes and warnings doeth not the Father begin to scourge his sonne Doth he lay aside the rod afore he sée the amendment of his sonne or at least some hope that he will coreâ—t him selfe and not returne eftsoones to his naughtines The childe can not accuse the rod as the cause of his scourging much lesse the trée where it was gotten and least of all his father that layd one the lashes But entring in to the vew and iudgment of his owne life let him accuse himselfe and saye that his sinne is the first cause of the euill that he suffereth For if he had done well because the lawe is not to punish the iuste he had not feared that rod as in déed to speak properly he feareth it not though he haue offended but feares his father which holdes it in his hand since the rod can do him no harme if he be reconsiled to his father ¶ To remedie all euils the causes must be taken away the discrtion and wisdome requisite there vnto Chapter viij I Would we were as good Philosophers touching our faith as Phisicions be in their medicines and phisick Then would we apply as good spiritual cures against sinne as by them are ministred temporall remedies to heale and preserue bodies from diseases They assone as they deserne the second causes of a sicknes apply present prouision to the place where they remaine they minister purgations to kepe bodies from corruption by euill humors they cause the stréets and straight corners of the towne to be clensed lest the ayer congeale infectioÌ„ they make fiers abroad to mortefie and purge euill smells and within howses disperse and strew perfumes They prescribe sobrietie and forbid excesse they banish all vnsauerie meates bringe in abstinence from cohabitacion they apoynt Methredat and other preseruatiues and giue order to weare Rue and other strong hearbs proper against the Plague In like sort if we vsed spirituall meanes to kéepe vs from euill doing we should with the fact of sinne auoid also the perills miseries that are brought with it yea if assone as we deserned the second causes threatning signes of the vengance of God we would purge our selues of all wicked affections and vices not suffer in our commoÌ„ weale impunitie of sinne but performe one holy and generall conuertion and conuersation according to christianitie we should not only tourne away the hand of God from vs but eftsones restablish his gracious
it meaning that when there is sufferaunce to any one to breake the Lawes and statutes it geues great perill of common ruine to al the common weale by an vnbridled libertye for that the multitude aspiring to maistership eyther the most strong or the most Ritche or the most subtile or the most bold wil get the principality where the wise man in the like sence resembleth the Lawes to a fountaine or waye of life hée speaketh vnder the construction that as the lawe administreth enterteyneth a life ciuill without debate deuerse or daunger so where the statutes are not wel enterteined and iustified there is layde the occasion of strife quarell grudge percialities questions murders and general licence to doe al euyll So that in the discipline of the Lawe is wrought the conuersation of quiet life ciuyll securitye and common conuersation neyther was it without reason that wee resembled the Lawes to the Soule of the common weale for euen as the Soule of man vniformelye rules his bodye guides it susteines it entertaines it in being instructes it in what is good for euery one of his members bringes prouision for his necessities teacheth it touching the function of his naturall office in all his members enterteyning and reteyning them togeather by such coniunction that muche lesse there is amongest them any passion of enuye hatered or debate seeing of the contrary shée makes the griefe of â—ne to bée felt of them all and to complaine it no lesse then if euerye one did perticipate in it as if the foote bée gréeued we sée the tongue speakes for it and expresseth sorrowe the eye is readye to looke to it the hande to touche it to bée short they communicate all in common with the good and euil that happeneth euery one imparting with another and all with one and one with all Euen so the law is a perfect vnion of all the partes estates of publike weales equall to all without exception of persons and instructing them in their general and particular duty defendes them all thinges contrary to the same comprehending vnder her aswell the great as the small the noble men as the paisaunt men of knowledge as the ignoraunt meane artificer Beside this it makes the magistrate féele as his owne the displeasure which happeneth euen to the meanest of the Citie as afore wee haue sayde the head hath his part in the hurt of the foote enclining to helpe it as if it were to him selfe And gréeuing thus in the euill of another with no lesse compassion then if it were proper to him selfe and seeing it common to all the body polletike which ought to complaine and demaund remedy of him being his head if hée giue that cure which is expedient much more the head being greeued wherin restes the vniuersall gouernment and prouidence of the whole body of the common weale is required a coÌ„mon and dutyfull diligence of all the members to do seuere iustice of him that had committed so daungerous a fault for the which all auncient common weales haue well prouided by good statutes and not forgot remedies for ciuill maladies supplying euerye of the same with conuenient cure according to the qualitye of the hurt wherin they obserued a forme of equall prouision both to heale the partye gréeued and preserue the rest of the bodye in his perfect integritie sometimes applying the colde and sharpedged yron and in an extreame remedye would cut of that part that would bée incurable least the other neare partes and consequentlye the whole bodye might fall into the infection of that contagious plague ¶ There be twoo principalities or pollecies which ought to bee knit together in vnitye of friendship as the soule and the body without difference they ought to ayde one another with mutuall and perpetuall succour for so shall not one of them passe an other The .4 Chap. AND as in Man bee twoo partes the one spiritual and the other corporall so in one coÌ„mon weale bée two principalityes that is to say the state Ecclesiasticall and ciuill they both notwithstanding vnited and conioyned as the minde and the body concurring in the perfite action of man And albeit they haue béene alwayes concordant for two endes yet as touching the Subiect they are different and vnlyke Priesthood temporal principalitye were conceyued at the first in the lawe of nature in the lawe written in two brethren Moyses and Aaron representing that they haue in al times consented in vnitye and brotherly concorde the one not vndertaking ouer the other but either one contented with his perticular charge and dutye The clergie directed speciallye the regiment of Soules by spirituall doctrines sacrifices Sacraments prayers and other actes and exercises of Diuine and Spirituall qualitye whose iurisdiction in like sort tended not but to spirituall endes without any medling or managing of temporal affaires as when they prescribed exercise of fasting penaunce and other disciplines to acknowledge sinnes or for Canonicall satisfaction of offences enioyned by penaunce with suertye and tranquilitye of conscience where the secular magistrate hath the wéelding of the sworde to geue correction to offendours rebelles mutinors and such as refusing the Spirituall Doctrine which the Church administreth doo contemne and persecute it and commit transgressions against the Lawes Ciuil deseruing punishment Aaron and the auncient sacrificatours medled onely with ceremonies sacrifices and interpretation of the Lawe Iesus Christ likewise and his Apostles made not but Spirituall profession as apeareth by the aunswere of our sauiour when hee was solicited to iudge a controuersie betwéene twoo Brethren touching the particion of their goodes what is hee sayth hée that hath instituted mée a Iudge or deuider of heritages betwéene you as who saye you are wrong ariued to mée for such a busines For I am come onely to preache and make spirituall exercise I wyll helpe you onely in that which I ought which is in Doctrine kéepe you from all Couetousnesse for by the abundaunce of Ritches which man possesseth his life is not susteyned and much lesse prolonged yea they can not make it any waye happy it is for that cause that Saint Paul willeth that hée that is militant to God and geuen whollye to his seruice shoulde haue no communitie with secular affaires eyther in traffike or any temporall profession The iudgement of this estate as we began to rehearse afore is not specially established but ouer consciences that is to absolue them when they are knowen to repent Sinne and whollye abandon it where if repentaunce bée not expressed they must stande restrained to theyr offences that is not to admit them to absolution And where the offences bée publike and no due penaunce done then to punishe them by excoÌ„municatioÌ„ which notwithstanding is rather a medicine then a payne and yet spiritual also as bée al the Ecclesiastical corrections theyr sworde is Gods worde their practises are Prayers Fastinges Teares Holye Meditacions continuall studie of the Scriptures and perpetuall
Conflictes against vices So that theyr office standes onelye vppon these that they Preache sincerelye and Catholikelye and administer the Sacramentes Holylye if they bée Pastours let them feede the Shéepe of Iesus Christ with good Doctrine and holy example not regarding more the fléese then the flocke Let them admonishe priuately secréete Sinners to doo penaunce Rebuke suche as bée Publike seuerelye committing the impenitent to punishment Let them suffer no scabbed Sheepe in theyr Flocke and yet trauaile to heale them as all other maledyes Let them sustaine suche as bée weake and aboue all let them so prouide that no Woolues enter into theyr Shéepe fooldes and if they bée entred let them searche by all meanes to hunt them out with good Dogges I meane good Preachers whose zeale wyll not suffer them to spare to barke not onelye against Heresies but also against sinnes al abuses the onely causes of the greatest part of Schismes and conspiracies in al partes of the world Let them well consider of the Text of Ezechiel If they haue fayled sayeth hée to instruct well suche ouer whome they haue charge and that by theyr default any bée lost they can not bée saued But if they vse Faith and diligence in the execution of theyr charge being ayded with the trauaile of good Scolemaisters for the instituction of Youth in good learning and manners besides the reuerend commendation and felycitye that will growe to them selues by their industrie and dutye Ecclesiasticall the secular estate also shal be discharged of great care and trauaile in the correction of many dissolute and hurfull men to Common Weales who for want of good instruction shal nourishe hurtful members to the perril of their common ruine and miserye vntill this estate of the Churche bring foorth true effectes of their function and dutye and that young children bée diligentlye trained in Doctrine and vertue For euen as our bodye materiall replenished with humours corrupt if it bée not pourged by some inwarde Medicine wyl alwayes throwe out to the vtter partes Blaines Apostumes and Vlcers or at least engender Catars that the Surgeon sometime in vaine is dryuen to applye outwarde remedies where in déede there was this one conuenient remedye to make cleane the bodye within euen so the bodye Polletike corrupted by innumerable Vices ought to bée made cleane by inward Doctrines the true Medicines of Soules administred by Priestes and Wise Pastours otherwayes it will bée perpetuallye couered with a Scorfe of infinite factions Sedicions Heresies and other sinnes So that it is necessarye that this estate Ecclesiasticall agrée with the other not onelye in diligence and dutye to administer good Doctrine but also to shine by liuelye examples and Actes of good lyfe making cleane mens consciences by holye documents and wholsome exhortacions So shal it bée easie to the Magistrate of the Pollecy Ciuill to correct and cut of all Wheales and other outward Impostumes I meane all enormities offending their common weales This is in effect the brotherly concord deare coniunction which ought to stande indissoluble betwéene these two estates for the gouernment of this Christian man as well touching the health of his Soule as his assured tranquilitye in Ciuill societye with the preseruation of his life and goodes ¶ The Faultes of the Clargie ought to be corrected Gouernors ought aboue al things to prouide good Preachers that the rude and plaine sort should be taught in familiar doctrine all sortes ought to be constrained to be at the Sermon such constraint is aucthorised by the Scripture and is both profitable to the common vveale and vvholsome to suche as are constrained ⧠The .5 Chapter WHen the Clargie or estate Ecclesiasticall shal faile in their dutie I meane if the pastors bée careles to execute theyr vocation or negligent in the function of their charge and office wherein they are many wayes aduertised by the Scripture and being solicited thereunto by the Magistrate they ought to be constrayned by iustice as the auncient Canons and laste counsel haue ordeyned if in them selues bée no habilitye to preach at least let them substitute in their places men of sufficient facultie knowledge will to do it wherein the magistrate hath power to ioyne with them to finde out men expedient for that vse as Preachers in whose grauitye of life is expressed the Doctrine whiche they ought to pronounce to the people Let them reade certayne dayes in the wéeke and spend the Sabboth daye in Preaching publikelye in Churches In the morning let them propound to the simple and rude multitude a familiar instruction in the principles of Christian profession expounding to them first of all the Doctrine of the Articles of Faith the commaundementes of the Lawe and statutes of the Churche the misterye of Sacraments and their vse together with the Lords praier interpreting al thinges by sincere order and in such popular sence and Doctrine that euen litle Children maye easilye comprehende it the same to bée continued from yéere to yéere with such necessary repeticion as nothing bée omitted by him to whome the exposition belongeth At publike Seruice where is commonlye a presence of the principall of the Parishe let the Epistle bée expounded and at after noone the Gospel interpreted the scripture geues commaundement that if the Preacher bée learned and holye al the inhabitauntes ought to congregate in audience as was commaunded to the people of the olde Lawe to assist the Lecture of Deuteronomie yea euen the litle Children of all Iudea And because many men eyther by a Vice in nature or corruption of maners carrye this frowardnes that without compulsion they will not bée drawen to doo or bée good it belonges to the Magistrate who is to aunswere before the Iudgement seate of God if in his common weale hée nourishe by negligence or by conniuencye dissemble any vice to drawe them to the hearing of the worde by perswasions and al easy meanes and where they finde no willing conformetye in any let there bée constraynt by fine and afterward according to the nature and continuaunce of their resistaunce to Gods woorde whiche can not bée but a kinde of infidelitie to procéede by seueritye and rigour of Iustice And as these Lordes Gouernours and Magistrates are as fathers to their common weales so they â—ught in their regiment to expresse no lesse affection of fatherly will and aucthoritye to their Citizens and subiects then in a naturall Father nature demaundes to his proper Children whom by the propertye of his zeale and loue he hath power to constraine them to doo what he thinks méete for their aduauncement when hée findes them voide of wil to doo it frankely oftentimes hée makes his Sonne take a bitter medicine to cure his sicknesse and as occasion requireth makes incision in his vlcer whiche coulde not bee healed but by fire muche more ought the father pollitike to constraine him to receiue a spirituall medicine for whome hée is exercised in great care to cure his
as in prescribing Medicines without the knowledge of the phisition purging restrayning and geuing Diottes yea taking vppon them the qualitye of sufficient Maisters being not halfe instructed in the office of simple seruauntes of these are sprong our Triaclors gadding vp and downe the Countrey Bragging that in them is power to Cure all Diseases and many mo Tying Laces about mens Armes and Shreedes aboute theyr Neckes with theyr Cossinges enchamtors and Sorcerors of these some vndertake with greate impudencye to reméedye Ruptures and Disloâ—ations by holy wordes sending away the girdle of the pacient But in suche Charmes those holy wordes are abused being written and spoken by the holy spirite to other endes yea olde wiues carye suche generall practise in these thinges hauing more Cures then the great Phisitions that to good workemen the Arte is become vnprofitable Lastly there be Horse Leaches who whispering secretly in the Eare of the Horse do bragge that they heale him which is also one of the Sorceryrs of Satan ⧠The discourse continued of the abuses happening in the vvorlde by the supposed name of Phisitions Pothecaries and Surgeons The .9 Chapter THus we see the foolish world abused and yet no man complaineth but such as vnderstanding the common misery of this deceite do sée many diseases become incurable and mo passe by the peryll of death we speake not here of the conference and confederacie which Charmers haue secretely with the deuyll who with Papers and certayne wordes either intelligible or made holy against reason do vndertake to heale men and beastes not sparing to deale with daungerous and desperate cures which drawes great concurse and admiration of people and yet it is but a subtile kinde of idolatrie wherein as it were better for the pacient to abide the hazarde of death then to take remedie at the handes of such Sorcerers so in the case of inchantment the Christian man ought not to resort to the remedie of Witches but recommende him selfe to God without whose power nothing can be done The couetous lewde Pothicaries desirous to make spéedy sale of their Drognes and by quicke vent to raiâ—e present gaine do solicite the Phisitions to prescribe manye simples in the composition of their medicines geuing great estimation to them that confect most not regarding the goodnesse of the confection and much lesse what conformitie it hath with the disease of the pacient and least of all fauouryng the expenses of his Purse There be also of them which sell this for that against whom is no lesse rigour to be vsed then to those lewde Notaries which in writings of importaunce wyll vse etcetera In these men the Phisitions reappose great trust touching the receiptes which they sende to them wherein their negligence bringes no small offence for that they ought to see the Droages to the ende there bee no supposition which may sende the patient to his last ende These abuses are eyther the instrumentes of death or at least the causers of long and languishing diseases they wyll not sticke to affirme that they are neuer without all sortes of Droages of Arabya which they can well set out in the showe of manye gallande Boxes which being but painted without cary also lesse matter within There is also another abuse no lesse daungerous which is the corruption of Droages by their long and negligent keping by which corruption as Phisicke is turned into poyson and the facultie to cure into mortall perill of life So in this expert Phisitions haunting Shoppes are so much the more to blame by how much they forbeare to cast such poysons into Sinke holes for to throw them into Riuers were to infect the Fish but it hapneth that the Phisition is either gossop neighbour friend or parent to this pratling Pothicarie wherby the tromperie shall not be discouered yea it behooueth the Phisition to vse silence if hée will haue Credite and gaine by his Pothicarye The ignoraunt knoweth not what to saye to it who much lesse that hée can comprehende the abuse séeing of the contrarye hée is often taught by the Pothicarye to prescribe his receiptes and compounde his Droages There bée Phisitions called by the multitude conscionable as to whose knowledge is ioygned regard of conscience and desyre to discharge the dutye of honest men they neuer prescribe medicine of importaunce but they taste the Droages and sée the making of the composition and where they finde corruptions they caste them out committing the offendours to the censure of the Magistrate to whome also belonges the rate and taxation of Droages if the Pothicaries excéede therein Touching Surgeons and suche whose want of vse makes them ignoraunt they are so muche the more worthy of reprehension as from them are deriued perillous diseases to many and to the more sort death with these maye bée coupled the couetous Surgeons who to aduaunce their gaine of a litle wheale can make a great Vlcer prolonging the paine of the patient to geue more value to their practise But to preuent ignoraunce it were expedient not to receyue any professour of that Arte without good proofe of his knowledge and exact examination of the rest touching his resolute sufficiencye Let him bée sworne not to abuse the Arte to the hurt of any nor suffer his seruauntes vnder him to vndertake any Cure eyther in the Citye or Countrey without his commaundement and Counsell as both to searche truelye the state of the disease and appoint due reméedye calling if néede require the assistaunce of the Phisition but not as some doo who hauing a Phisition friende doo call him rather for theyr common gaine then for any necessitye of the disease which is a suttle Robberye cunninglye cloaked with apparant reason Here is requisite the wise aucthoritye of the Magistrate to whome according to the grauitye of the matter belonges to applye exact reformation For in it is hazarded the state of your lyues O ye Gouernours and the health of your Familyes Friendes Parentes Kinred Parishe whole common weales and euerye priuate mans well doing whereunto you haue Dedicated your selues with solemne othe to discharge your dutye in good offyce and equitye of conscience But here it may be obiected that greater is the necessitie to reforme the ecclesiasticall abuses which I do not onely confesse but wishe it with expresse desire for that as by the other the bodie is led to hurt and hazarde so in this is laide vp the health or perdition of Soules wherein as Iesus Christ saith is no exchaunge or commutation nor any thing more precious more diuine or of more woonderfull excellencie then the soule fourmed to the image and semblaunce of God the daughter of God the Spowse of Christ and sanctuarie of the holy Ghoste I wishe in God that touching Preaching no man might be admitted to that estate without the study of ten or twelue yeres in holy Scripture ioyning with all the conference of Lectures and Lessons of learned men as also I woulde that in the Vniuersities
not worthy of the eternall glory which he hopes for in Heauen wherof hée assureth him selfe for that by how much hée endureth afflictions heare in earth by so much is his glory layd vp the greater and he made more happy in heauen in which consideration onely S. Paul toke comfort in perplexityes Torments Extreme miseryes and in the Crosse wherin hée reioysed more spiritually as al the other Saints did then the fleshly men in all theyr banquets pleasures and idle delights of the world Let therfore the Christian pacient after the due action of penaunce submission for his faultes reioyce him selfe in his sicknes with singing of psalmes and holye himnes hauing also instruments of musicke whervnto hée maye sing deuout Notes or haue them song in his presence to raise his heart and spirite into spirituall ioye in the Lord in which sort S. Paul willeth men to dispose theyr pastimes of the worlde as also S. Iames in all euents and dollerous accidents counselles men to relieue theyr hearts with the solace of Psalmes vsing in cases of sicknes and times of aduersity with the example of S. Augustine when hée was sicke the conference of Bookes of consolation and spiritual Doctrines vsing the company of Learned men for his better assistaunce in so holy discourse sparing to ouercharge his minde with doutes and difficulties but rather to recreate it with familiar textes by the which his faith maye bee entertained and his loue to God increased with desire to bée ioyned to him and hope to enioye his euerlasting glorye But the sickeman whose conscience testifyeth against him as hauing his life embrued with dissolutiō in place of this musicke and comfortable ioye which hée can not haue because it is onely to holye men let him washe the remembrance of his life past with penitent teares and recorde his sinnes to God with vehemencye of prayer for mercye and pardon and taking his sicknes as an officer or messenger to sommon him to appeare afore the eternall iudgement let him prepare to sue for grace afore he bée presented afore the burning Throane sith afterwarde there is no remission Wherin the better to acknowledge his offence to God let him vse satisfaction to his neyghbour and doo the dutye of a true penitent Christian But now to knit vp eftsones with the matter of the Phisitions who in many partes of Christendome are worse disposed then those whome wée named before as being readye ministers eyther for hate or couetousnes fauour or hyre to murder and sell the liues of theyr miserable pacients by horrible meanes too familiar in the world now a dayes to whose vnnaturall treasons I account the tormentes of hell to bée but a due iustice O lamentable corruption of our time whē euen there where wée laye vp the confidence of our lyues wée finde murder with infidelyty and where with the breath of hope of comfort and securitye wée drinke vp the sirope of poyson prepared by the handes of the creator to the kinde of man There is an other sort in whome is litle difference of sinne from the others who geuing counsell to deuide the bodye into straunge fleshe to cure a disease do nothing els then with the title of wretched bawdrye damne many soules in the filthye suddes of the fleshe where there is prouidence by infinite remeedyes to pourge all suche vicious humours Thus they abuse the arte which being a gift of God they become vnfaithfull and vnthankefull ministers against his honour will and commaundement offending God more then they who by theyr counsell commit suche wicked actes Suche also as kéepe patientes long on theyr handes and Surgeons who for gaine and practise nourishe long time Vlcers Woundes and Apostumes as in theyr doing is expressed an imitacion of Théeues so what can they deserue lesse then the reward of that crime Lastly I wishe bothe the one and the other to treade in the steppes of certaine deuoute and good Phisitions who will not medle with the cure of the body afore they haue first prepared a purgation to the soule and muche lesse will minister any thing to the pleasure of the body against the health of the Soule but both the one and the other in sociable vnitye of frendship making alwayes the seruaunt obey his Ladye and Mistresse in humble and reasonable subiection ¶ The Second booke ¶ Iudges and gouernours of common VVeales haue of God many seuere commaundements in the Scriptures to exhibite iustice by rightful lavves vvherin as they are threatened of God if they faile so because they shall not erre the fourme hovve to Iudge is prescribed them God so being set afore them in imitacion of Judgements vvhich he doeth vvhich by reason they ought to doe because as he is of him selfe iust and his iudgementes righteous yea iustice it selfe so they are his liefetenauntes ordeyned of him to administer his iustice vvherein because they shal not be fearefull to exercise theyr estate he promiseth them his asistaunce Jf they be fearefull they deserue not to be Judges because in suche a seruice of his hee vvill haue no faint hearted ministers The .1 Chapter FOr that in Regiment of common Weales according to God the christiā Magistrates neyther may nor can erre in the executiō of their charges they haue in the scripture the cōmaundements of the Lord whose lieftenants they are yea often Reiterated with straite seuere charge faithfully to Gouerne his people with Lawful and righteous iudgements wherof as hee geueth them a forme by such as hee exerciseth vppon his people so if they proceede by imitacion of so perfect an example they ought not nor cannot bring forth faulte or errour of good iustice speciallye if they obserue those Lawes by the which hée declareth his true and vpright iudgement in iustifying the innocentes correcting and condemning the guiltie exhorting the yll liuer to reformation in teaching the Doctrines of vertue to the ignoraunte and lastly in distributing to euery one according to the rate and measure of his desert The lawes which hée will haue vs to follow bée first ordinaunces of him selfe which hee expresseth to vs in the scripture I meane as well morall as diuine and eternall whereof wée will speake heareafter the others are they which wée call natural and humaine grounded vppon the same conteyning honesty or Publike profit or altogeather By these foundacions and causes wée maye affirme the humaine lawes to bee Lawfull and directly cōmaunded by Iesus Christ by the declaration of Saint Peter and S. Paul. in the obedience to Caesar and other Magistrates to the whiche obedience wée must necessarylye ioyne the Lawes by them ordeyned And for the more vpright direction of gouernors I wil recite the expresse commaundement of God concerning their Estate of Iudging and by the scripture laye afore them in what sort they ought to kepe them from corruption of iustice and how many miseries ensue the tract of false iudgements beséeching them in the name of God whose Delegates they
satisfied with exact and actuall punishment where to theyr proper iniuries or wronges done priuatelye against them selues their humilitye ouercame the moode of reuenge and they felt no inclination to furious indignitie But God being iniuried they helde them vnworthy seruaunts officers if they gaue not iustice to his wronges wherein they thought their life a swéete sacrifice being offred to death in his behalfe For this cause Moyses séeing the Idolatrye of the people after the Calfe made a maruailous Butcherye If hée knewe any blasphemer to bee in his Campe who was more readye to drawe him into iudgement yea he that had prophaned the Sabboth in fetching onely certayne wood to make a fire did not Moises forthwith cause him to be stoned But when Mary his sister and Aaron his Brother murmured against him despiting him with iniuries was hée not patient did hee not praye to God to pardon them What miserye happened to Ophine and Phineas for prophaning the sacrifices of God and to theyr father as hath béene sayde because hée did not iustice what slaughter did God to the blasphemye which Sennacherib by his Herraldes of Armes pronounced against him in the presence of Ezechias Did not God by his Aungell ouerthrow of them in one night a hundreth foure score and fiue thousand was not also Benadab because he sayed the God of Israel was a God of mountaines and not of valleyes ouerthrowen togeather with all the Kinges which hée led with him and fel into the hands of Achab Elias put to the edge of the sworde foure hundred false Prophetes of Baal so muche reuerenced in Israell and honoured of the Quéene Iezabel Surelye God so abhorreth the sinnes committed against the first table for so they are committed directlye against him that Hely iudged them irremysible saying If one man sinne against another God maye bée appeased But if the sinne stretche to the offence of God so farre forth as it concerneth his maiestie honour and holye ordinaunce what is hée that will praye to God for him as if hée should saye it is a sinne so greate that wée must confesse that if God will pardon it hée must vse a singular mercye muche lesse then is there power in men to pardon such crimes committed against the deuine maiestie Certaine holde opinion that the crimes against humane maiestie cannot haue remission of the Kinges against whome they are cōmitted as wel for that they bring intent of malice as for that they are done against him whom they represent in earth which is the liuing God and also against a whole nation or people whose heades they are Wée sée when the head is hurt all the members haue interest in the gréefe with him and demaunde altogeather reuenge against him that hath offended them neyther can the head heale the rest if first hée haue not full cure of his owne gréefe Howe is it then that crimes done against God should lightlye bée pardoned of men it was not without cause that in the first Churche hée that was guiltie in any such disordered Crime notwithstanding his penaunce of fiftye yéeres if hée liued so long after his sinne yet was hée not receyued into the holy Communion vntill the ende of his dayes which yet was holden an acte of great grace to the offendour whiche as I wishe might warne the gouernours of our pollecye not to suffer God to bée vnreuerentlye offended with such damnable crimes So for suche as haue prophaned holye places pilled and abused the sacred vesselles and yet thinke to eschewe the terrible iudgement of God let them resorte to the testimony of those miseries which happened to Balthasar Antiochus and Heliodorus ¶ Sinnes committed against the seconde table are worthy of death euen so deserue they eternall damnation Yet must vvee vnderstand vvhen they are done vvillingly and more vvhen they are done by pride and malice and the more that the obiect is noble and excellent so much are they more greeuous The .7 Chapter HAuing declared that in a common weale the transgressions of the commaundements of the first table deserue pains irremisible it is méete wée shewe wherin and how farre ought to stretche the punishmentes for the transgressors of the preceptes ordeined for instruction of due and honest conuersation of life in societye tranquilitye and mutuall loue to our neighbors Those commaundementes are seuen in number and written by Moyses in the second table which God gaue him with the other béeing both two of stone for the better obseruation of them and theyr perpetuall memory Like as also in the due kéeping of those statutes was eternall life comprehending faith in Iesus Christ and in transgressing them was condemnation to euerlasting death Séeing then that transgressours stande in suche estate of condemnacion by God in his iudgementes let it bée a rule to leade the magistrates pollitike to the conformetye of that iustice the rather for that they are as hath béene sayde before called in the scripture the commissionours of God to exercise his iudgements By the first commaundement of this table wée are bidden to honor our father and mother and so haue long life on earth And as this honor consistes not onely in reuerence but in loue feare obedience seruice office of nature so in the persons of Fathers mothers this precept is exhibited also to al Lordes Ladyes vniuersal Magistrates Pastours Doctours Maisters and al olde people yea al superiours being as publike and polletike fathers the one ouer the body and goodes the other ouer the soules If suche as onelye disobeye and vse conuersacion of rebellion speaking euill of theyr Fathers and Mothers are without remission condemned of God to bée stoned What punishment deserue others who pleade against them abandon them strike them suffer them to dye for hunger or laye violent handes vpon them And if there bée any dutye of reuerence to the Fathers of the bodye by greater reason doeth there belong a more higher estate of power to the Spirituall Parentes such as dispose norriture to the soules amongst whome as suche as are fierce and disobedient are subiecte to present punishment So euen they are within the power of the same sentence whiche gainesaye Magistrates being the Fathers of the common weale In this vice togeather with all others the causes and mouers of the same ought to bée punished as a proude hearte a hautye Spirite a malicious wyll and natures enclyning to arrogancye furye and disobedience Heare let Fathers also bée warned not to prouoke theyr children to wrath and by theyr straitenesse dryue them into contempt Touching the Seconde forbidding murder euen from the Lawe of nature GOD hath ordayned that not onelye man but euen the Beast that takes away the lyfe of a man shoulde suffer death wherein God him selfe séeming to geue the reason why hée dyd institute that payne sayeth That man being made to the Image of him selfe what other thing coulde it bée to kyll man then to rent the Image of
lame and malady of the palsey and that he should passe thorow the village where he was caused him self to be caried to an other place to auoyde the restitutioÌ„ of his lims ⧠Loyterers accustomed to beg vvill be applyed to no other trade The poore religious beggers ought to be entertayned by them in vvhose seruice they trauell as Byshops and Pastors Hermittes ought to trauell according to their fyrst institution the Hermites of Thebaides in Aegypt of their trauels nourished the poore the vvell reformed religion trauell certaine hovvers of the day ⧠The .13 Chapter THus we sée many desire not to be made hole disposed of their members because they would not be employed in trauelles necessarye to liue so swéete is this vice of begging to the miserable sorte which sure is an apparant wretchednesse to man to encline so to ydlenesse and séeke to lyue at the charges of an other séeing the greatest benefit that God hath bestowed on manne after he had transgressed the lawe was to giue him habilitie to labor the better to kéepe him from infinite euils which ydlenesse bringeth whereof one is to beholden vile contemnible shamefull and miserable The poore sayth Salomon hath spoken and none made reckning of him all his frindes forsooke him and mockt him at last as is séene in the history of Iob wherein is not ment that we shoulde blame pouertie or begging sent of God to the weake which for many causes is most pitifull and merites support but that it is an errour and fault to take pleasure in that which is wicked or which was sent vpon men for paine of the curse of sin and to delight in that which of his proper nature as it is shamefull so it was a reason to S. Paule not to giue foode to them but to bid that the begger shoulde be shut out of christian company and therfore he commaundeth all that haue habilitye to trauel not to spare labor saying worke that you haue no neede of any other as who say trauell with such dilligence for the reliefe of your lyfe that your wantes come not to be rated by the fauour of an other nor the restitution of your loanes compelled muche lesse then giues he liberty to go from doore to doore to proue mens compassioÌ„ Here if any obiect that the religious beggers commonlye called Mendians are within the compasse of this correction as hauing made vowes to begge it may be aunswered that in their vowes is nothing lesse included then promise to begge from doore to doore for so shoulde they all go to it necessarily but they haue taken vppon them simply a profession of pouerty which is not to care or study for richesse which they abandoned both in will and fact and gaue all that they had to the poore to go the more fréely thorow the worlde to preache neyther did their vowe stretch to take nothing for their sermons and other spirituall actions to the which by the scripture is due honest recompence sufficient to entertaine them And therefore because suche religious fathers haue bequeathed themselues to preache and supply the defaultes of pastors for which labor at the least they deserue to be nourished and entertayned we saye that in this act they ought not to be called beggers for as the pastors are bound to recoÌ„pence their labours so haue they iuste occasion to demaund their byer without néede to aske it at their gates S. Paule also to the Corinthians declareth that such as preache haue good right and auctoritie to demaunde their iust payment Others there be appertayning to this profession which do nothing in a couent neither studying to preach much lesse preaching actually nor serue in any vse to prechers there is nothing in them to deserue to be norished in vnprofitable ydlenes If they say they pray for their benefactors let them resort to s Agustine who will satisfie them in that point He reformed certaine Monkes or hermits of his time who because they woulde doe nothing but praye were called prayers or praying men wresting this text of the Gospell pray without ceasing and a place in s Paule Praying vvithout intermission These were therefore founde alwayes mumbling in the fieldes stréetes at the doores where they begged meate yea they mumbled prayers euen whilst they did eate But S. Augustine told them lernedly that all thinges had their time as in déede he prayeth without ceasing which prayeth in opportunity hauing his heart and affection alwayes raysed to God he tolde them farther that he that had willed them to praye without ceasing had tolde them also before by his irreuocable senteÌ„ce that thei must eate their bread by the sweat of their bodies saying by his holy spirite thou shalt eate the labors of thy handes and shalt be happy and good shall come to thée thereof He resisteth besides that much lesse that the Monkes of Egypt went a begging but they trauelled with their handes to nourish their liues according to gods ordinaunce and distributed the rest of their labors to the poore in suche sort that in a dearth in Affrike they sent from Egypt whole ships charged with corne to succor the necessities of the poore of Affrick which the sayde holye doctor affirmeth was done in his time to the great glory of god who by the poore did as it were miraculously nourish the poore and sterue the riche by the generall famine of that couÌ„try If those poore Hermits and other religious soules nourished with the sweate of their bodies so many numbers of pouertie through the worlde howe much more are bound to this dutie the riche Churchmen of this time whose reuenues are dedicated to their necessities and to sustaine the poore much more ought they to distribute the superfluity of their reuenues séeing they are bounde certayne howers to ayde with their labours the poore according to the meaning of S. Paule who willeth them to trauell not only to lyue as doth the poore but also with the profits of their labor to bring succour and noritâ—re to the néedy whose handes suffice not to sustayne their lyfe but specially in tyme of famine or to bestowe reléefe vpon them whose infirmities of body denye them all power to succour themselues And as wise and holye men vnderstande so well by the scrypture that labour is the expresse commaundement of God and that they reproue ydlenesse euen in the religions most strayght although there be sufficiency with fulnesse So also in religions well instituted and reformed notwithstanding their compotency of reuenue are continued certayne howres in labor in some arte or honest exercise of the hand selling their workes to the ende to make almes to the poore whose example I beséech God may chance others to the ende that in their sinfull ydlenesse be found no more cause of their damnation nor to the worlde occasion of slaunder to their holye profession ¶ The fourth Booke ⧠The simple impotent and true needy poore we ought
to holde in singuler and deere care asvvell for Gods commaundements as for that he hath promised vs great recompences both temporall and eternall by the vvhich many haue bene stirred vp to giue all their goodes to the poore but specially such as vvould follovve Iesus Christ to doe holy profession The .1 Chapter TOuching the true poore who eyther for their small age as children are vnable to labour or being olde haue no force to trauell or suche as by diseases in disposition and true infirmities of the state decrepit as the blinde and lame are vnapte to seruice yea their handye worke not sufficient to giue nouriture to their family specially in times of dearth togither with those poore soules who hauing bene riche are now fallen to pouertie whose shame makes them endure much because they dare not aske And lastely all poore passengers and néedy straungers ought to stande with vs in due recommendation by the commaundements more often repeated to vs in the scrypture with more great promises of recompence then for any other thing which God hath giuen vs in charge to doe the same being a signe most certaine that we can not doe an act more agréeable to God touching duetie to our neyghbour then to vse charitie comprehending alwayes that which we ought to God without which though we giue all our goods to the poore yet we lose all for as charity is the perfection and full ende of the law yea the very marke whervnto it drawes proceding of a pure heart a conscience perfect faith not dissembled but entire expressing a true trust reposed vpon the goodnesse of God in hope of eternall lyfe so is it called mercye which who so euer doe vse are called by Iesus Christ happy for they shall find mercy afore god Dauid assureth the man that reléeueth the poore neuer to stand abandoned of god in his necessities yea so far doth he loue this mercy that he preferreth it afore sacrifice due to him as to god I loue saith he mercy better then sacrifice obediēce knowledg of god more then holacust which was a sacrifice wherin the whole beast was burnt and consumed in perfit oblation to God. By this he auiseth vs that it were better to nourish a poore soule and preserue him from perishing by hunger then to offer all the beastes in the world in sacrifice for as the beastes and all other perticuler creatures of the worlde were made for the vse of man So it were better there were a generall wrack of them all then to suffer the meanest man that beareth lyfe to perish and dye for want to be succored by this mercy This worde almes according to the Gréeke hath hys deriuation from thence so that to doe mercye is to giue almes according to the Gréeke propertie whereof it is sayd who hath pity on the poore shall be most happy who exerciseth pitie on the poore man and aydeth him hath his recompence of pity layde vp with God who will neuer abandon him and according to the succors which he bestoweth on the néedy God will measure reléefe to him in his proper necessities Yea suche high dignity and prayse of vertue hath this charitie to the poore that it only amongst all other vertues is called iustice which is the most perfit vertue conteyning all other vertues and according to the name of it all honest people are called iust sure none can worthyly be called honest men vnlesse they be pitifull to the poore expresse actes of comfort in their necessities and frankely and gladsomly giue vnto them the duety of their estate which is norriture and necessarye succors For which cause Dauid called such Acte iustice the iust man sayth he hath distributed his goodes to the poore and his iustice remaines eternallye as if he hadde sayde then doth a manne shewe himselfe to be of perfect honesty when he imparteth a good portion of his welth with the poore hée shall not loase by that benefit which he doth to the poore for he shall be iustified by it vnder the merit of Iesus Christ of all sinnes of the which he shoulde be accused in the iustice of God that was the cause why Daniell spake to Nabucodonosor redéeme thy sins with almes and thine iniquities by charitable déedes to the poore For that cause will Iesus Christ absolue in his iudgement all such as in his name haue giuen succors to the poore Thus doth almes make and expresse a good man helping to hys iustification in that he workes or prepareth remission of sinnes as the almes done to Cornelius and prayers by the which he was heard of God and instructed in true faith by S. Peter And almes proceeding of true fayth iustifying by charitie helpeth to iustifie in that they deminishe the paines of sinnes and make that man after he haue obtained remission which is done by the efficacy of the passion of Iesus Christ apprehended by fayth stande with God in more grace of pardon Besides all this to almes is ioyned of God a promise of succors in all affayres as deliueraunce from diseases and death encrease and aboundaunce of welth and fruition of eternall lyfe yea they suffer not as Toby sayth a man to go in darcknesse meaning dollors heauinesse perplexities and perpetuall sorrowes of hell The assured consideration of which promises hath drawne many christians to dispose all their goods to the poore some of them choosing a solitary lyfe in the desertes others to take vppon them euen the seruice of the poore in hospitals others endued with knowledge to become preachers not regarding temporall goodes in hope of the eternall felicytye which hope woulde not suffer them to take goodes of any In this they conformed themselues with the Prophetes of the olde testament and with Iesus Christ who had not so much as a bolster to rest his head vpon he sayde to his Apostles that such as forsake not all they haue can not be his disciples They séemed also to beléeue and take suerty in that which he said to a certayne rych man go thy waies sell all thou hast and giue it to the poore then returne to me and follow me and thou shalt haue a treasour in heauen Christ willeth not by these texts that in al men indifferently should be such actual prostitution of their goodes to the poore and that they shoulde leaue all and follow him and become his disciples which haunt with publicans and hauing conuerted them he commaundes them not to leaue al to follow him nor to Zachea who was principall amongst them and for shewed that there should be alwayes poore in the worlde meaning then by consequence that there should be also riche men in the world which is very well confirmed by S. Paule in the lesson which he giueth to the richemen what they ought to doe for their saluation not prescribing to them to leaue al but to distribute part to the poore of whome Iesus Christ
poyson being in temperatly dronke But if masters are reprehensible for the offence of this education no lesse reproch belongs to fathers and mothers who foreseing not by counsell to whome to commit the institution of the youth of their children haue oftentimes mor care to entertaine horsriders and falkners for the delight of their trifling fancy then to prouide good and lerned scholemasters to breath knowledg and manors into their precious children yea they had rather spare a fewe crownes to the hurt somtims and vtter destruction of their children in committing thē to sellie ignorant corrupte and couetous masters whō to fauour their purse they take by report with out other proof then depart with liberall alowance to worthy sufficient men for the good institution and bringing vp of their youth for the which they stand in hazard of the seuere iudgment of god as guilty to all the wickednes which their children shall do together with the miseries happening to them for not being instructed and their youth trayned by wise and worthy maisters But a little more to touche the fonde couetousnes and inconsiderat consideration of such Fathers is not that man too farre from his senses who careth for his shoe and not for the foote for the which he had caused the shoe to be made euen no lesse vndiscrete is hee who séekes to heape and get great store of goodes and is negligent to fourme and fashion such to whom hee muste leaue hys wealthe if that man be a naturall foole sayth Salomō who breakes his body and witte to gette goodes and knoweth not his heire or whether he be good or euill What more extréeme follie can be in a rich father who hauing children to succéede him prouides not to make them able to vse his goodes after him But leauing by necessitie his grosse wealth to a sort of foolish and corrupt children neyther worthy to possesse them nor sufficient to vse them is hee not more fonde then hée that Salomon speakes of who condemned not the ritch man but for his too much care to heape goods and had no suertie to leaue behind him good heires the same by experience happening to some fathers nowe a dayes who of their children will not make them worthie and able heyres to their wealth by good diligent institution such Fathers are euill aduised who in the framing of their frayle children beare most regarde care to their purses First in trayning their children by vnworthie maisters besides the losse of time they make them learne mani things which of necessitie thei must learne eftsoones to forget by which the Fathers vainely spende their money and to the hinderance of their children withal besides the inconueniences happening by wicked education and forming of children aswell to them selues as to others the miserable infantes rysing into age and iudgement are ashamed of their nakednes knowe not what estate to practise no they haue no honest meane to liue in honor nor trade to entertayne their necessarie lyfe where the learned if they be not lefte to amplitude of liuinge and goods their learninge and industrie are lynes to leade them easely to preferment And being left ritch by their parents they haue meanes at pleasure to kéepe and encrease their reuenue Learned men haue honor rents and reuenues where euer they goe they are welcome where they come and haue reuerence in all Countreis and companies doctrine is a nouriture to goe to the end of the world without suffering necessitie It is a riche treasure that can not fall into pouertie it is a guyde that will not let vs erre in the wayes of this lyfe it is an vnconsuming light to light vs in the way of vertue it is a perpetual pleasure without enuie the very honor ornament and glory of a man for it formeth in man swéete deliuerie of woordes orderly methode of reasoning and bringes him to perfecte iudgement so that science is to the mind the same that the soule is to the body For which cause Aristotle being asked howe much the ignorant man differed from him that had learninge euen no lesse sayeth hee then the brute beast from the naturall man And so with good authoritie we may conclude that a mā without science is as a body without a Soule or as a simple humaine beast when she doth no iniurie to any but beinge corrupt and cruell he may be resembled with the fierce sauage beastes if he be suttle hee degenerates into a Foxe into a Swyne when he is a glutton into a dogge when he is impudent and intemperate into a Wolfe when he spoiles poore people and into a Lion Tiger Libberd when he vseth slaughter and tyrannie yea Seneca called an ignorant man but an Image of a liuely man. ¶ A continuance of the praise of science exhortation too builde Colledges in Townes The 9. Chapter BVt now let vs returne to our Science which séeing it is as the soule or spirit of a man it makes him reasonable and if it bée diuine it makes him altogither celestiall if the man be corrupt it corrects him and purgeth all his wicked affections whereuppon in good reason it is named the medcine of the soule if the man be poore it enritcheth him if he be low borne it makes him noble if he be contemned it honoreth him if he be little it makes him great rayseth him into dignitie and of a mortall and miserable man it giueth him immortalitie and makes him happie Then if learning be one of the most excellent benefites yea a treasure aboue all ritches comprehending in it selfe all that man can wishe for the contentment of all his desires and perfection of all humane felicities and séeing it is gotten in a colledge the permanent mansion of science yea the pallace of the Muses and their Helicon how much ought we to be affected to erect stately Colledges in euery Cathedrall Town and indue them honorably whereunto the learned mē getting there the meane of their honour and dignitie ought to beare speciall fauour and the vertuouse sorte to contribute franckly séeing by them they haue receyued theyr vertues yea and all others haue interest therein for respect of common benefite as doctrine for their children and correction of manners and to them selues exampes of all vertues Parentes being Colledges in the towne where they dwell shall alwaies be assured of the certain discipline and institution of their children and vnderstanding from one time to another what aduauncement they haue in their Colledge they shall not loase their money vpon credit and much lesse put it to hazarde and fortune as they should if they sent them further where they are also vncertaine of their profit and successe in learning For being farre from them they heare but opinions vntrue prayses of the learning of their children who in the meane while run foorth their time in playe and pasing the streates looking as the prouerbe is who hath the longest nose and liue altogither as
them If to men vsing great estates and offices be reserued an vniuersall reuerence What lesse honour is due to him that makes them worthy of it and by his industry brings them into the merit of such high calling If wise and learned men be famous through the world for the benefites that growe by their counsell commaūdement and authoritie is there lesse dutie of renoume and immortall praise to such as are the authors of those benefites by their learning If men learned in the lawes profite so much common weales If Phisitions be so necessary for that in them resteth the cure of bodies If lastly by the deuines wée finde comfort to our heauie soules how much are we bound to such as are the first causes of these deuine fruites who are the schoolemasters without whom and the foundation by them layed in those doctrines they had neuer ascended to those seates of honour when we sée a goodly building so excellent in beautie that the worlde giues it singuler estimation what can we ascribe lesse to him who laied the foundation and raised the worke to that excellencie then the principall praise For if faire delitefull and profitable workes be so generally praysed nothing lesse is due to the hand that fashioned them Who delites to behold a goodly picture doth great wrong to the painter if he ascribe not much to the commendation of his skill yea if there were layd on but the first coollers yet the beholder ought to be thankfull to his industrie and labour But if such as nourish our mortall bodies deserue great affection memorable renoume much more are we bound both in loue and perpetuall dutie to them that minister foode to the immortall spirites of little children if so great reuerence be reserued to Phisitions for helping the health of bodies which one day must die notwithstanding Is there not more merit of honour to such as cure our soules of immortal diseases The scripture pronounceth many textes to the shame of those which despise scholemasters of which profession Christ séemed to make his Apostles when he spake to Peter if thou louest mée féede my Lambes What other thing is it to féede then to nourish teach in good doctrine and the Lambes of the flocke of Iesus Christ according to the natural propertie of speaking are young children whom he holdes no lesse deare then his proper fleshe I saye not that vnder that name are ment all sortes of people and yet it can not be denied but that those littleones deserue chief instruction For S. John after he had taught in diuers countreys being compelled to leaue them for a time and go elswhether by speciall writing sayd to the little ones comfort your selues O ye young ones in that you are by the grace word of God strong and vertuous for that the woord of God remaynes in you and that you haue vanquished the wicked spirit through the grace and merit of Iesus Christ Yea Christ him selfe caused the little children to come into his schoole blaming the Apostles being yet of the flesh by cause they let those littleones for comming to him as though he would not haue taught and holpen them aswell as euen the greatest but he commaunded to bring them to him and pronounced them in that instruction and imposition of hands which hée gaue them worthy of the kyngdome of GOD saying that to those and such like the euerlasting worlde belongeth Then such as receiue little children into discipline exercise the office of Iesus Church the same sturring vp the Bishops in old time to take into charge of discipline and teaching little children as also did both the one and the other S. Iohn and the Prophets had many disciples who otherwayes were called the children of the Prophets it is written that many holy men went thorough the world to teach schollers with this intention that with the rules of learning they should also instruct them in the principles of faith and by that meane winne the Fathers mothers to Iesus christ amongest these Origen was not the least zealous and S. Gregorie the Pope refused not this vocation for certaine houres of the day For which considerations a certaine learned doctor of our time and chauncellor of a famous vniuersitie had no shame to go thorow the Colleadges of the vniuersities at certaine conuenient houres and teach little children in familiar doctrines which he did for the loue zeale of God And being oftentimes reproched by other doctors that he shewed an example vnworthy his place specially for that there were sufficient tuters to that purpose he aunswered that they were as fleshly doctors resembling the Apostles not yet in full libertie of the spirite who by glorious opinion forbad little children to approche neare to Iesus Christ alleadging that there was no dutie of accesse to him but by those that were graue I aske of those fleshly doctors whether the shepeheard that kéeps the Lambes of a Father of houshold do not as good and agréeable seruice to his Master as if he had in charge greater shéepe If a Father shew more deare loue to his little children then to those that haue riper age foloweth it not by congruent reason that such as giue succoures to those little ones and kéepe them from daunger deserue better recompence of the Father then if they had done seruice to his greater sonnes If the little plant in the garden of any Farmer be so much cherished that the eye of the owner is seldome from it hée then that watreth it prunes it and defends it from the cropping of beastes and other iniuries what seruice doth he to the owner Yea what greater pleasure can he do to the Farmer whose young plant without this industrie were subiect to spoyle without hope to yéeld any fruite euen as if the little Lambes of the flocke were lost and the young children corrupt there were no exspectation of restitution of that losse and corruption The schoolemaster then hauing in charge these little lambes of Iesus Christ and the preparing of this tender plant of his gardeine which is the Church and lastly the leading of these little children being the delites of the Lord how acceptable is his loyall and diligent seruice to his Lorde and to God And if such as sclaunder these little ones through wicked doctrine example deserue to haue fastened to their necke a milstone and drowned in the bottome of the déepest Sea What recompence or reward is due to those tutors scholemasters by whome those littleones are instructed and led in example of all holines Are they not worthy as Daniell sayeth to shine as the firmament and starres of heauen in euerlasting glory and to be called the greatest of the kyngdome of God Yea according to Iesus Christ euen the most happie of all And if euerie one ought to receiue the reward of his trauels as there is no estate of more hard laboures more great paines more perpetuall perplexeties and
cause helping to the excuse and they by vnrulie disobedience abuse her in their dutie or that by some collaterall match shée may eyther bring encrease to hir reuenue or helpe the porcion of her daughters shée is iustified in her second mariage wherein aboue all other cares let her beware that no moode of incontinencie lead hir for that in our Christian religion it is accompted a vice moste slaunderous Touching such as are contented with the state of widowhed let them with S. Paules councel exercise their times in prayers take their delites in holy and godly things and trauell with all their harte to cleaue to God and to please and serue him in al puritie of will and spirituall affection and for their better meane to those holy actions let them eschew conuersation with men and prepare their flesh by fastinges and great sobrietie for as S. Paule sayeth the widowe that liues in delites is dead as whose wanton conuersation wallowing in ease and belly cheare hath corrupted hir mind with affections of mortall sinne wherein shée is readie to ioyne effect to hir fleshly wil as opportunitie shall consent But holy widowes liue spiritually and kéepe their bodies in necessities and their myndes in deuoute exercise as fasting prayer and other deuoute meditations of the spirit séeking after the perfection of the vertuouse widowes in the scripture as Iudith and Anne the prophetisse who from their youthes béeinge widowes receiued great graces from God as the one in the execution of Gods enemies and the other in prophesying of the comming of Christe publishing openly in the temple when the Lord was brought thither that hée was the true Messias ¶ The office of Fathers and Mothers towardes their children and the dutie of children to their parentes Chapter iiij TOuching the office of the second societie in nature pertaining parents towardes their children and of them reciprocallie to their fathers and mothers we will discourse according to the scripture Leauing the doctrine of the Pagan Philosophers as opinions doubtfull in themselues and vncertaine to Christians fathers and mothers haue in comen to bring vp and institute their children where of the mother is tied to a speciall care whilest they are young as growing into state of years and bignes thei belong chiefly to the fathers aswel for their authoritie as their greater and more wise prouidence Touching administration of noriture to their bodies with all other prouisions which the necessitie of nature requiers the mother most cōmonly takes vppon hir that special care as in whom the zeale of nature doeth most abounde some times sparing foode from hir selfe to féed hir children and restraining hir owne body to colde and hunger stickes not to cloathe hir naked tender impes to whome she bears more compassion then to hir proper wantes But for the féeding of the soule being the principall part of man and by the which wee are men and regenerated in to the children of God the body being none other thing then the vessell or mantiō of this sowle the prouision and care is equall to the father and mother both streightly enioyned without distinction to prouide such spirituall féeding clothing as may be worthy for this soule formed to the Image of God which is holly doctrine of saluation and correction instruction in good maners the same as it is the principall cause why God hath blessed them with children So with out those institutions children would fall into degeneration with natures and actions of brute and hurtefull beastes they would be come children accurssed whose dispsiscion would bring forth nothing but pride couetousnes glottony whoredome malice dissolute maners yea they wold become instruments altogither obedient to the wil of Sathan Prince of the world some what to qualifie the grieues of mothers bringing forth their childrē in great paine sorow often times in hard mortal peril of life lulling cherishing them with cares and watching day night with many other perplexities belonging to the institution of their litle youth S. Paule giues them this great consolation that the woman shall be saued by the generation of hir children if with hir instruction she conioyne this care to kepe them by exhortation and hir example in the constancie of faith charitie and sanctification which they receiue by baptisme enclining alwayes to do holy déedes with sobrietye which to young people is the mother noresse of all good doctrines and vertue as of the contrarie children dissolute folowing their foule will neuer attaine to scence and lesse folowe studie and least of all exercise verteous actions and because the mother ought thus to teatch hir children Salomon giues them commaundement to heare and receiue hir lawe aswell as to harken to the doctrine of their father And for example he resites that his mother Bersaba taught him from his infancie in the feare and wisdom of God wher by euen in his youth he became so wise as the scripture reporteth And albeit S. Paule restraines a mother of a family to preache in the church yet he takes no libertie from hir to instruct hir houshold and children in their dutie and office of life with out offending god which then is best performed when she makes the doctrine of God familier with them The daughter of Pithagoras well instructed by hir father in vertue and loue to virginitie kepte a schoole for mayds whō she made so singulerly wise and learned that they confounded the ignorance of many men and with hir resolued to perseuer in the state of perpetuall virgins Cornelia mother to both the Gracchus read to hir children the arte of retoricke whearein she raised them to such knowledg of excelency and eloquence that she was estemed for the most happie lady of Rome yea one day when a gallant or vaine dame of the cittie bragging of hir Iewels shewed hir much stately worke of embrodery and stones she aunswered hir I neuer was careful to make my selfe shine with so false lights as Iewels and stones nor to embosi my house with florishing hangings of goldworke but here sayth shée shewing hir eloquent and learned children is the sunne wherin I shine and the tapistrie Iewels and treasure of my house which in déede as they brought hir more honour then if she had ben Lady and owner of all the riches in Rome So yet she had aspired to more great supreame felicitie if according to hir trauell to distill knowledge into them they had expressed their excellēt learning in actes of modestie vertue in the discourse of their life But because it is a common question at these dayes whither the dugge of a mother is more proper to féede the tender infancie of the childe then the milke of a straunger as also what sortes of meates afterwardes are fit for their noriture it can not bée impertinent to declare our opinion as it were in passing Touching the first noriture if there be no lawfull excuses in the
soule eternally in the worlde to come But good aduocates led by simplicitie of conscience as Aristotell sayth by his knife seruing to mani vses and therfore very profitable are men no lesse conuenient necessarie and honorable then any other sort in a comon weale and of whom perticular estates in a kingdom stand in nede so that if they pursue their estate according to the right office and dutie of the same they conteine men in order and bring infinit commodities to a whole countrie they supporte the right of the prince and valiantly resiste such as seeke to blaspheme against his maiestie blasphemye I call with the apostels outrage done against the maiestie of the prince representing God in earth and therfore the iniurie done against the prince turneth against God In causes of affairs concerning princes officers of all estates chauncelers presidents counselers noble men marchants riche pore widowes maides ther is necessitie of the aduocate who in causes of pleading is called and instructed in the cause yea in these dayes the dissembled vicar of Rome his cardinalls bishops curats pristes clarkes if there be question touching their office or authoritie must resorte to the aduocate to emplede the estate of the cause in what supreame courte soeuer it be he good aduocate seruing God and folowing integritie is the mediator betwéene quarilous people O reconcilar of ennmies the authore of peace and an example to a common weale Touching common proces he accordeth mo in one hower then a whole parciall court doth in thrée yeres he will make conscience to enterteyne a proces which he foreseith is like to continue longe and therfore giueth councell of agrement to the parties if he knowe any pore man ouermatched with a riche or captious aduersarie he doth what he can to drawe the matter to accorde wherby he deliuereth the person from encomber and his goodes from daunger to be loste by the hazard of the iudges yea one good aduocat doth more good seruice to the world then many iudges in whome is constraint to giue sentence according to their offices being not able to accorde the parties by arbitration it is not meete that an aduocate notwithstanding his excelencie of knowledge without longe experience of pleading aspire to the office of a iudge or president but eyther by constraint of the Prince or by compulsion of olde age being no more able to sustaine the labours due to the dutie of that profession not buying the dignitie which the Pagans estéemed the same vice which we call simonie but by election of other Iudges of the Court in whom may rest suretie for his vpright dealing procurers which are as publike soliciters and generall syndickes of all causes in place of the parties to solicit aduocates and Iudges and procure expedicion of Iustice to their clients and notaries appoynted to receiue faithfully truly the appoyntments of Iudges contenting them selues with their rate authorised by the court or ordained by their Prince ought without futtletie delaye or couetousnes exercise their estate wicked notaries in Esaie are subiect to malediction as also vnrighteous Law readers and Iudges because they write and pronounce vnrighteous Lawes ¶ The dutie of Marchants Chapter x. MArchants folowing an estate of iust commutacion are men no lesse profitable necessary and farre more honorable in their common weale thē many of the other perticuler sortes of calling mentioned in the other Chapters And albeit according to the consequence and order of the Booke I haue placed them after the other as I haue coopled clerkes with their Masters procurers with their aduocates other necessary officers with men of Iustice most necessary to serue them in that estate yet there is no cause of disgrace to the honest marchant in this preheminence of place for that only necessitie of order tied me thereunto which I haue obserued in the discourse of Apothicaries and Chirurgions following the Phisitions where I should haue placed them after the aduocates and many other of qualetie But as in this obseruation is no dishonour to the marchaunt so hee shall find no lesse instruction touching the office of his calling according to God then if his discourse had come afore the rest ouer many of whom I must confesse hee hath right of preheminence by common custome of nations and reason The Marchant then aboue al thinges in the exercise of common traffike betweene men is to consider déepely of the two generall lawes Thou shalt not doo to another that which thou wouldest not haue done to thy selfe and loue thy neighbour as thy selfe And as they vse the yard to measure their wares and the ballance to waigh it and that there is no cloth nor other wares measurable which they do not passe by the yard or elne nor any thing méete to be waighed which they cast not into the ballance vsing both the one and the other aswell in vile and base as riche and precious thinges applying also the helpe of nombers for the better diuision of perticularities if néede requireth So in all traffikes whither in grosse or in retaile the marchant is bound to the obseruation of those two commaundements by the which he is expressely enioyned that as he would not him self be deceiued so also he must not willingly administer deceite or wrong to an other neyther beare such loue to his proper profite as in it maye be bred the iniurie or harme of another but in all things of commutation bargaine to vse the same conuersation to straungers which he would others should vse to him Who in their common actions would rightly applie this lawe of nature grounded on true reason and the other of the Gospell deriued of charitie the perfect fulfilling of all lawes much lesse that they should néede instructions séeinge they should seldome finde occasions to erre And the cause why there remaine at these dayes so manye prescript constitutions and statutes is in no other respect but that men eyther could not or would not rule their actions by those two lawes and much lesse applie them from generalitie into speciall particulars I would to God that euen as the Marchant of cloth vseth his elne or yarde not to beguile him selfe or his chapman in the measure that also and aswell he would vse the lawe of nature and charitie in the price goodnes of his cloth euen such as he would the other should sell to him if there were exchaunge of qualitie if he would haue the price reasonable full measure not to be passed by the short yarde which ought to be solde by the longe and that the cloth be good substantiall and sufficient neyther corrupted in the making nor burnt in the dying Let him euen do the like to his chapman comming to buy of him where then shal be the common sayinge amongst them Let the marchant sell his wares as well as he can it is lawfull to euery one to make his best profit No man is bound to sell so iustely and
well the care dutie of their office and that by the direction of the Gouernours to whom belonges the first example of behauior as a head and the principall member of a body naturall do first their proper and generall offices for the better regimēt of euery common and particular part of the said bodye A body pollitike vnder these obseruations can not erre nor much faile to liue togither in happie conuersation and consent to peace concord amitie and euery other good conuersation And as we see the naturall bodye of man compleate with his due organes and instruments disposed and sound to doe his perfect actions thoroughe all his partes not suffering any faulte or negligence in any one to whom belonges office or function So they doe all agrée and consent albeit by trauels and operations vnlike or differing as is difference amongest the members yet conspiring and tending all to vnitie vnder the will and iudgement of the head euery one employeth his force to doe that belonges to his natural facultie wherein if there be any that fayleth in his proper action his infirmitie is immediatly discerned eyther that he is sicke or other waies restrained by dolour and grief that he can not performe his office as when the eye refuseth to ayde the body and euery outwarde part with his visible facultie it is seene that he is troubled with some corrupt humor falling out of the braine or being vexed with some other accident he cānot serue his body for the which as he remaines in sorrowe and grief so euery member in particular and all togyther in common do ioyne to his succours Firste the braine beginnes to debate and iudge what the disease is and how to prouide the remedie commaundes the toung to declare the grief and demaund meanes to cure it the eare heareth the foote trauelleth the hand is diligent to applie the medcine wherein all the rest haue common interest and that with generall care compassion and busie trauell as if the passion were proper to euery of them euen so and by this resemblance we sée thys body pollitike to be then in his best estate when it suffereth none of any condicion or calling what soeuer to liue voyd of function and trauell according to his dutie where if there be any eyther by superfluitie of euill humor or by nature corrupt or of discipline peruersed which leaueth his function he is not onely vnprofitable to him selfe and others but also a trouble to the reste of the partes but specially to the moste neare and noble partes which are his neighbours parentes and néerest familiars euen so in a body pollitike the greatest in office or credit ought to aduertise the magistrate which is the head to the ende to consider howe the infirmitie may be holpen to whom all the reste of the partes are bound to be assistant for the cure of the parte infected which least it growe to encrease of euill they ought to purge by some sharp discipline And that dooing no good in his simple application they are bound to redouble it to the vttermost wherein if it proue incurable let thē applie the searing yron and as an extréeme remedie cut it of to kéepe the other partes from corruption and the whole body sound And this albeit can not be done without extréeme sorrow to our whole common weale but specially to the next parentes neighbours and familiars yet being driuen thereunto for the health and sauetie of the whole the necessitie makes the cōstraint neyther hatefull nor intollerable The magistrat only as being the head of this body hath the iudgement and execution of this busines as he onely hath the eye to sée the eare to heare and the imagination and iudgement to determine to the sauetie of him that fayleth in his dutie and to the benefit and profit of the whole body pollitike wherein is not to be forgottē that naturally the head of man findes out spéedely the griefe or disease of the member to giue succours to it the same being an aduertisement that the chief ruler or head of a common weale ought also to know the euill that is happened in any place of his gouernement whereunto he is bounde with his eyes his eares his vnderstanding and all his other sensible synowes I meane officers inferiour to whom belonges the information of euery thing to the end reasonable remedie may be applied But this were a great euill if the head should become diseased by vices and peruersed affections for being so he would make to languish all his poore body and leade the members into disorder yea worse would happen if any grosse or corrupt humour hindered or stopped the naturall conduites by the which the liuely spirites procéeding from the braine could not pearce and passe thorough all the partes of the body whereby it might fall by apoplexie as dead without spéeche without mouing of breath and séeme to haue no sence In this we signifie that if the law which is as the soule of the body ciuill be in the head of the magistrat restrayned or hindred by corruption or aboundance of humores infected as couetousenesse hate feare loue and false opinion touching religion to performe her frée functions through all the saied body pollitike in motions and senses which are gouernements by wyse prouidence equitie and iustice The poore common weale can not but fall quickly to the ground euen as a house hath no meane to stand when his proppes are taken from vnder him This we reade happened in the time of Sedechias king of Jsraell when the great Sacrificator Phassur and all his vnder sacrificators and Prophetes except Jeremie EZechiell Daniel and a few others togither with their king and his officers were occupied in actes of couetousnes rapines iniustice and pagan superstitions and forhearing the exercise of the law of God all those as they were the first that declined to sinne so they were the firste that were committed to spoile captiuitie and murther and afterwardes the rest of the whole body slaughtered with al that miserable common weale defaced whiche afore stood in florishing prosperitie so long as hir heades performed their office and iustly exercised the lawe And where the soule of the common weale which is the law were not but by certayne smal humors corrupte with certaine vices hindred to do hir action whereby one only member should be distressed all the body could not but be in payne and not able fréely to doo his general office So the default of execution of iustice in one particular man is the error of the magistrate and the cause by the which the whole cōmon weale is put to trouble Therefore O you Magistrates in whose handes standes the direction of the soule and body of this Christian common weale and also of whom depend the successe rest and happynes of the same by your graue gouernement as of the contrary if there bée default in you what wretchednes and miserie it suffereth is attributed to you
prouide so that this soule I meane the diuine law entertayning with it the lawe naturall and politike as the reasonable soule in man compreheÌ„des vnder her regiment the spirit sensitiue and vegatiue be Lady and mistres chiefly ouer your selues as gouerning your dooings according to hir direction to the ende that by your guyde she gouerne and entertayne all the rest of the body politike without being hindered by you in fauours or other corruptions ciuill yea let her fréely stretche out her selfe in vigour and vertue equally to euery generall and particular parte for the better abilitie of his proper and naturall action I meane let euery one exercise the particular vocation whereunto he is called for the better regiment of the whole in one equall faith without acception of persones euery one with franke readines enclining to the prescript of that law according to the limite of his particular charge by which obseruation there can not happen eyther to the whole or any peculiar proporcion of the body any disorder disagréement contencion or confusion And euen as when the humane body of man is gouerned and ruled by phisicke it seldome falles into disease for that in that Science is prescription of all thinges necessarie to conserue health euen so by this lawe the true Phisicke medcine of mindes so long as they obserue the rules of it common weales are not onely entertained in plausible and constant prosperitie but withall armed against the assaultes of al casuall inconuenieÌ„ces eyther by suttletie malicious force or pollecie But as the body then slides into infirmities and diseases when it giues ouer the counsell and iudgement of phisicke so the body ciuill neglecting the rule of the law prepares to it self occasions of many passions as warre famine with such miseries as God vseth to sende for the transgression of his law God in many places in his law but specially in Deuteronomie forespeakes blissinges and happy successe to the good obseruers of his lawe that aswell in their houses as their Cities Countreys and whole affaires as of the contrary his threates be terrible to the traÌ„sgressors prophesying all miseries to their families their goods their cattell yea to their owne bodies with these miseries the Prophetes often tymes threaten the Israelites for their transgression as also other straunge nations for that they had ben cruel to the desolate people of Jsraell There are none more imediat causes of the miseries afflicting men in priuate or common weales in generall then the transgression of the lawe and obstinate constancie in wickednes For we find that in all times miserie hath followed sinne as the smoke doth the fier aswell to perticular men as in Cayn Lamech Agar Iâ—maell Esau Hei Onan with many such from the beginning of the world as to whole commoÌ„ weales suffring impunitie of sinne as in Josua it is sayed that for Acham who contrary to Gods commaundement tooke a wedge of gold and for the sacrileage of Hiericho all the Armie of Jsraell to whom was promised victory was put to flight so grieuous to God is sinne how secret so euer it be who will haue it punished for that cause Salomon sayth that sinnes makes people and nations vnhappy which then appeareth most when it is knowne and the common weale makes no care to do iustice of it as we sée hapned in Gabaon of the Beniamits in which Citie for the vnchast violacion of a woman dying of the violence almost all the sayd Beniamites were ouerthrowen by the other Jsraelites God ordeyning this iudgement for the reuenge of the womans dishonour oftentimes the man that hath done euill is not punished only but also the affliction stretcheth to his house as hapned to Cham for mocking his Father with whom his sonne Canaan with all his Chananites were scourged The sinne of Loth and his daughters is not punnished only with the penance of the good Patriarch but also vppon his children The Moabites and Ammonites who were reiected froÌ„ the alliaÌ„ce with the Jsraelites for their reproued generatioÌ„ yea forbideÌ„ to enter into the temple albeit thei were coÌ„uerted to god much more grieuously is punished the sin of the Prince the Magistrate not vppoÌ„ themselues only but what they loue is touched their whole people visited as is manifest in Dauid who notwithstanding he did penaÌ„ce for his adultery murder yet his sonne died for the punishmeÌ„t or satisfaction of those two sinnes as also for the adultery he did to an other maÌ„s wife his owne coÌ„cubines in the meane while were polluted And for that he rose into pride he was striken with plague by the death of three score and ten thousaÌ„d persons who consenting with their Prince in his vain glory and vices had their share in his iudgement and punishment when all the world was resolued into sin God spared not a generall punnishment by the great flood which had power ouer all flesh sauing eight persons preserued in the Arke In Sodome and Gomorrhe the fier of heauen consumed all but Loth his wife his two daughters And in the first sacking of Ierusalem but much more in the last and generall spoyle of Titus Vespatian to the ruine of all Iuda according to the prophesie of Iesus Christ For all the world had erred eyther actually or by manifest consent or secretly and to come yea euen the little-children who albeit had yet done none euill yet if they had had then iudgement or ripe age they had had the same will with their pareÌ„ts as with all children in some sort are the substance and principall goods of their parents So that their fathers offending and deseruing to be grieuously punished the scourge falles also vpon their goods children I meane touching temporall paines for concerning the soule the sinne followeth the author according to the iudgement of God who as a iust and soueraigne Lord punisheth the man for his proper vice and euery vice in the man as we sée hee did in the first ruine of the worlde when he drowned fathers mothers children seruants with all sortes of beastes sauing such as he reserued for propagation and sacrifice ¶ Counsell of the remedies to cure and preserue common weales from miserie Chapter v. IT belongs then to gouernours of a common weale as to good Phisitions by the doctrine of the law both deuine and humaine the true medecine and preseruatiue of Christian soules to kéepe and conteyne their people and gouerning them both in generall and perticular by this law that they fall into no daungerous sinnes and mortal diseases of the soule they are restrained to no lesse care art and dutie to preserue them then the Phisitions corporall are bound to defend the bodies from sicknesses by iudgement rule of good regiment And not confounding the two estates Ecclesiastical and pollitike or secular from doing their perticular functions albeit in profession diffring yet teÌ„ding to one generall end to erect Gods kyngdome
let them labour to kéepe their common weale whole and sound that neyther in maners nor discipline nor touching the lawes customes statutes and ordenances there bee no error by superfluitie or want receyuing succours by doctrine sermons and perticular lessons touching Religion of the Churchmen to whome they are bound to stretche and leade their hand according to GOD as we sée the bodie serueth the soule in that is necessary for the vse and conseruatioÌ„ of man And if in the said bodye politike there bee hapned any euill of what side soeuer it be eyther of them selues or others eyther within or without whether of one or many or all together they ought presently to discend to the remedie to the rooting vp of the euill if it be possible in the beginning and not suffer it to encrease by conueniencie or dissimulation Let them not doubt but God as he is of nature mercifull so he is greatly prouoked when he punisheth man for vice but more angrie when he scourgeth a whole family afflictes a towne and visites a whole countrie but extremly and most of all is he stirred when he distroyeth a kingdom and generall nation let them not thinke that then the cause of the sinne is small or simple but in diuers sorts multiplied touching the nomber of haynous importaÌ„ce concerning the qualitie quantitie yea encreased with the nomber complet euen to an incensible grauitie for often times God attends the fulnes of our sinnes specialy afore he strike a nation or whole people according to the text of Genesis that he would not punishe the Channites till their iniquities were accomplished The best preseruatiue against all these euils is diligent prouidence of the gouernour and magistrat who then may best restrain vices when they prouid that the lawe may be vnderstand of all with such commandement to kéepe it vnder paine of such due ponishment that euen in the first that transgresseth against him that made it there may be actuall iustice to the common instruction and example of others wherein for their better helpe and effect of this verteous pollicy they must begin to institute the litelones to teach the ignorant blaming both sorts if they do not learne and obserue and so to others instructtng euerie one in the office and dutie of their estate and in what sort they ought to serue the common weale vsing herein specially for their first foundation the doctrine of fayth then the groundes of good conditions and lastly the rules of policie which doctrine in these thrée partes we haue declared before In this sort the magistrate may preserue his common weale from infinit euills as we read Iosua and Samuell standing vppon these reasons of gouernment neuer were trobled with sedicious nor any miseries hapened to them after they had purged them by penance of former offences There hapened in the gouernment of Josua but one defalt by Achan but imediatly after inquisition was made he passed by ponishment by whose example let gouernours bring into correction what vice soeuer they find done against god with out regard to qualifie it eyther by persone parentage place or other partiall or corupt circomstance for it is most cerraine that as that vice being suffered will be the cause of the damnation of the doer so the impunitie and example will drawe many oâ—hers to do euill wherby the ire of God will kindle against a whole kingdome For which cause Abraham assone as he vnderstode that Ismaell went forth to playe with Isaac or as some in terperet to prouoke him to Idolatrie he expulsed him his howse with his mother Moses when he founde any fault done in his campe specially bearing offeÌ„ce to God exercised present and sharp punishment what iustice thundredhe vppon those that worshipped the golden Calfe and no lesse vppon the blaspheamor and transgressor of the Sabaoth with other offences which he foresawe might prouoke god to sentence against the doers and to destroy him first being gouernour for negligence of iustice and so consequently all others consenting to the vices he was aduertised of the iudgemeÌ„t of God aswell by his expresse lawe as by examples past and such as stood in present experience as in the case of whoredome he had séene 24 thousand ouerthrowne by the hands of God with commaundement to him to xecute the Princes captaines of the people by whose wicked example the multitude ronne to their sinne of vncleanes he knew also that for the zeale of iustice God appeaseth his fury as appeareth by that which Phineas the sonne of Eleazer did vppon two fornicators thrusting them both thorow with his sword for the which it is writteÌ„ that God ceased to make the people die he knew by many other examples that the furie of God was terrible vpon a whole world if he fouÌ„d not exercise of good iustice by correctioÌ„ which the Israelites sought to eschew in punishing the offences done in Gabaa as hath ben sayd And Saule being yet a man of grace and fearing God when he vnderstood the people had eaten flesh with his bloud against the lawe cried out saying roole vppon me some great stone and put me to death Oh what sinne haue the people commitied against the Lord séeing God hath ben offended he will punish vs all iustly by some miserable accident if we resort not all to penance therefore he commauÌ„ds to make ready sacrifices to confesse their sinnes detest them and aske pardon of God by prayer whose example if the Magistrates of the world afore the flood had obserued and after in many places of the world if gouernours had applied such quicke Iustice and discipline in the first beginning of vices neyther had the vniuersall ruine hapned nor such common miserie to many generall nations if Helie had chastised his sonnes and kept the people from corruption of Idolatrie he nor his children had not died nor the people suffred slaughter and destruction If Jonathas had not transgressed the Edict of Kyng Saule his father the oracle of God had not ceased he not runne vnder iudgement of death which he had suffred had it not ben for the intercession of the people if Saule had not done wrong to the Gabonites he had not ben the cause of the famine which hapned in the time of Dauid for the appeasing whereof there was commaundement to execute seuen of the race of Saule By these exemplary aduertisements let Magistrates of the present time foresee that in their gouernements there be no vice done or being done that it be pursued with present punishment other wayes let them be assured that with the example of a disease in the body entertained and norished and neither preuenting it afore it happen nor being hapned is carefull to purge and heale it wil breede by continuance a feuer disquieting the head so much vex the whole body that in the end he shal not be able to haue any vse of his meÌ„bers wherby death doth
be kept one of the first actes of vertue and in iustifying the innocent he defendes him from violent oppression and preseruing his smal porcion of goods kéepes him from the hospitall and his wife and familie from perishing by hunger In sustayning the cause of the poore and procuring condemnation to the wicked he doth double worke of mercie obserueth that which so often God recommendes in the Scripture wherein the Iudge executing the good aduise and exhortacion of the aduocate accomplisheth the iudgement of God doing an act of high praise and worthy of eternall felicitie The aduocate thus being the mouth of the people and chiefe enformer of the Iudge ought not to bee ignorant in the written lawe customes statutes and ordenances of the land helping his wit with the art of reasoning and his iudgement with general experience in all affaires wherein the science of Logicke morall discourse and specially the studie of polletike reasoning may bring great helpe to him for if by ignorance hée giue wicked counsel and leade the partie in a vaine expence of money to pursue an vniust cause or if by indirect or suttle dealing hee cause an other to loose his righteous sute though the lawes of ages and countreis appoynt him no punishment yet being guiltie both to the one and other losse I doubt not but by the lawes of heauen and conscience he ought to refine to the parties the full damage hapned by his corrupt counsell No lesse punishment but greater shame is due to the ignorant iudge giuing corrupt sentence by the perswasion of the aduocate as to whom it belonges to be more wise and resolute not deseruing to sit in the seate of a Iudge afore he haue thorowly passed the office of an aduocate and practised lawes in publike court which hée had read in priuate studies But if the aduocate entertaine by couert sleightes and suttleties vniust causes procuring cauillations by delayes to weary the man whose sute is good and enforce him to a hurtfull accord and so by his shiftes peruert iustice into iniquitie besides that he is bound to satisfaction of the losse yet he is not out of the perill of Gods curse Aduocates and procurers who by entertayning processes in delayes empouerish good men and become riche them selues and such the very instruments of Sathan as eyther bréede or norish quarell betwéene parties are condemned to all wretchednes by Iesus Christ For if such as be peaceworkers be happy of common congruence thē who hindreth confoundeth or delayeth peaceable causes are ordayned to misery as by whom is set abroche among neighbours the vessell of grudge malice hatred sorowe heauines and vtter vndoing and also losse of time in their established trades and vocations wherevnto they are called by God and if they be not the causes directly that their clients offend God in many sorts at least they kéepe them from seruing him restrayning al their hart thoughts and industrie to the furthering of their proces which cannot bée but a kind of impietie yea oftentimes it hapneth that by the dilatorie shiftes of solicitors and attorneys many rich clients sée no end of their cause in many yeres whereby it hapneth that he that preuaileth reapes not so much as he hath spent and he that is ouerthrowne is sent to the bagge wallet being afore the beginning of the sute of good estate of habilitie To such as be the occasions of this euill I aske this question if they be not iudged by their owne lawe which sayth such as giue the occasion of euill séeme to do the euill it selfe if the sinne bee as great to him that holdeth as to the other that cuts the throte of the iust mā is there any grace or distinction in the sentence touching the Iudge specially if he may apply remedie and abuse his meane Let no man erre by couertures of writtes or wrested titles of the expounders of the law or orders of courtes for in what sort so euer they do wrong to any man according to iudgement and conscience which with great aduise ought to be considered more then the opinion and comments of writers hid vnder the shadowe of the lawe and yet against the lawe which of it selfe is iust and good so that it be not abused they worke their owne depriuation of the life eternall The vnrighteous sath Saint Paule shall neuer possesse the kingdome of God And who are more vnrighteous thē such as worke against the iudgement and intencion of the lawe and contrary to the secret aduise of reason and sense of conscience which is not blinded through affections and custome of euill Would those smooth and coosening Lawyers if they were in the state of their simple clyents attribute it to wel doing to haue with them their best bloud drawne from them without féeling and that which remaines become too corrupt for horseleaches Let them thinke vnhappie is the gaine wherein vnhappely is wrought the destruction of poore soules What other thing doe counsellors and attorneys committing to their Clerks Bookes of length and many lines and consequently of more gaine to them selues but draw by suteltie money out of the poore mans purse What other thing is it then to impugne God hurt their conscience seduce the Prince the Court and the world and vnder cooller of that iust and lawful gaine to commit manifest theft whereof they stand condemned in the iudgement of God where all suttletie shal be reuealed which Saint Paule calleth darknes and all iniquitie examined not according to the vaine fancie of couetous fleshly men which think there is no other iniquitie but that which is séene and palpable to the hand but euen the most suttle craft that may be imagined shal be by the euerlasting eye so clearely spied and descerned that it shal be iudged worthy of death one of the offēces that most displeaseth God is the sinne of the Deuill as to be a deceiuer a Traytor a dissembler malicious author of quarrelles suttle and polletike to do euill it is said the Deuill that appeared to Eue hid vnder the visible serpēt was of all other creatures most craftie suttle Then if our aduocates and attorneis being instructed in the deuils sutteltie sticke not to glorifie themseiues to haue so good a teacher and master to learne them by good reason as they practise his instruction and example they are also to receiue with him a common rewarde and recompence yea let them be assured that the suttle are taken in their owne snares and that no councell cunning nor reason stande a fore God who being able to confound all will call into terible iudgment al such masquid and disguised suttelties is it not a vaine and foolish sutteltie to beguile a poore man of a halfpeny and for it to be condemned to lose a crowne what folly more then for the gaining of certaine transitorie drosse here on earth by suttle means to be condemned to the losse of all goodes body and