he knew thriftily to improve being a pregnant proficient in State-discipline CHAP. 7. The good Iudge THe good Advocate whom we formerly described is since by his Princes favour and own deserts advanced to be a Judge which his place he freely obtained with Sr. Augustine Nicolls whom King James used to call the Iudge that would give no money Otherwise they that buy Justice by wholesale to make themselves savers must sell it by retail He is patient and attentive in hearing the pleadings on both sides and hearkens to the witnesses though tedious He may give a waking testimony who hath but a dreaming utterance and many countrey people must be impertinent before they can be pertinent and cannot give evidence about an hen but first they must begin with it in the egge All which our Judge is contented to hearken to He meets not a testimony half-way but stayes till it come at him He that proceeds on half-evidence will not do quarter-justice Our Judge will not go till he is lead If any shall brow-beat a pregnant witnesse on purpose to make his proof miscarry he checketh them and helps the witnesse that labours in his delivery On the other side he nips those Lawyers who under a pretence of kindnesse to lend a witnesse some words give him new matter yea clean contrary to what he intended Having heard with patience he gives sentence with uprightnesse For when he put on his robes he put off his relations to any and like Melchisedech becomes without pedigree His private affections are swallowed up in the common cause as rivers lose their names in the ocean He therefore allows no noted favourites which cannot but cause multiplication of fees and suspicion of by-wayes He silences that Lawyer who seeks to set the neck of a bad cause once broken with a definitive sentence and causeth that contentious suits be spued out as the surfets of Courts He so hates bribes that he is jealous to receive any kindnesse above the ordinary proportion of friendship lest like the Sermons of wandring Preachers they should end in begging And surely Integrity is the proper portion of a Judge Men have a touch-stone whereby to try gold but gold is the touch-stone whereby to trie men It was a shrewd gird which Catulus gave the Romane Judges for acquitting Clodius a great malefactour when he met them going home well attended with Officers You do well quoth he to be well guarded for your safety lest the money be taken away from you you took for bribes Our Judge also detesteth the trick of Mendicant Friers who will touch no money themselves but have a boy with a bag to receive it for them When he sits upon life in judgement he remembreth mercy Then they say a butcher may not be of the Jurie much lesse let him be the Judge Oh let him take heed how he strikes that hath a dead hand It was the charge Queen Marie gave to Judge Morgan chief Justice of the common Pleas that notwithstanding the old errour amongst Judges did not admit any witnesse to speak or any other matter to be heard in favour of the adversary her Majestie being party yet her Highnesse pleasure was that whatsoever could be brought in the favour of the Subject should be admitted and heard If the cause be difficult his diligence is the greater to sift it out For though there be mention Psal. 37.6 of righteousnesse as clear as the noon-day yet God forbid that that innocency which is no clearer then twilight should be condemned And seeing ones oath commands anothers life he searcheth whether malice did not command that oath yet when all is done the Judge may be deceived by false evidence But blame not the hand of the diall if it points at a false houre when the fault 's in the wheels of the clock which direct it and are out of frame The sentence of condemnation he pronounceth with all gravity 'T is best when steep'd in the Judges tears He avoideth all jesting on men in misery easily may he put them out of countenance whom he hath power to put out of life Such as are unworthy to live and yet unfitted to die he provides shall be instructed By Gods mercy and good teaching the reprive of their bodies may get the pardon of their souls and one dayes longer life for them here may procure a blessed eternity for them hereafter as may appear by this memorable Example It happened about the yeare one thousand five hundred and fiftie six in the town of Weissenstein in Germany that a Jew for theft he had cōmitted was in this cruell manner to be executed He was hang'd by the feet with his head downwards betwixt two dogs which constantly snatch'd and bit at him The strangenesse of the torment moved Jacobus Andreas a grave moderate and learned Divine as any in that age to go to behold it Coming thither he found the poore wretch as he hung repeating Verses out of the Hebrew Psalmes wherein he cryed out to God for mercy Andreas hereupon took occasion to counsell him to trust in Jesus Christ the true Saviour of mankind The Jew embracing the Christian Faith requested but this one thing that he might be taken down and be baptized though presently after he were hanged again but by the neck as Christian malefactours suffered which was accordingly granted him He is exact to do justice in civill Suits betwixt Sovereigne and Subject This will most ingratiate him with his Prince at last Kings neither are can nor should be Lawyers themselves by reason of higher State-employments but herein they see with the eyes of their Judges and at last will break those false spectacles which in point of Law shall be found to have deceived them He counts the Rules of State and the Laws of the Realm mutually support each other Those who made the Laws to be not onely disparate but even opposite terms to maximes of Government were true friends neither to Laws nor Government Indeed Salus Reip. is Charta maxima extremity makes the next the best remedy Yet though hot waters be good to be given to one in a swound they will burn his heart out who drinks them constantly when in health Extraordinary courses are not ordinarily to be used when not enforced by absolute necessity And thus we leave our good Judge to receive a just reward of his integrity from the Judge of Judges at the great Assize of the world CHAP. 8. The life of Sr. JOHN MARKHAM IOhn Markham was born at Markham in Nottinghamshire descended of an ancient and worthy familie He employed his youth in the studying of the Municipall Law of this realm wherein he attained to such eminencie that King Edward the fourth Knighted him and made him Lord chief Justice of the Kings Bench in the place of S r John Fortescue that learned and upright Judge who fled away with King Henrie the sixth
seeing Grace doth not cut of the affections of nature but ripen them the rather because Christianity is not naild to Christs crosse and mount Calvary nor Piety fastned as we may say to the freehold of the land of Palestine But if any Papist make her a pattern for pilgrimages let them remember that she went from Rome and was it not an unnaturall motion in her to move from that centre of Sanctitie She with her daughter Eustochium began her journie and taking Cyprus in her way where she visited Epiphanius she came at last to Judea She measured that countrey with her travelling and drew the truest mappe thereof with her own feet so accurately that she left out no particular place of importance At last she was fixed at Bethlehem where she built one monasterie for men and three for women It will be worth our pains to take notice of some principall of the orders she made in those feminine Academies because Paula's practice herein was a leading case though those that came after her went beyond her For in the rules of monasticall life Paula stood at the head game and the Papists in after ages desirous to better her hand drew themselves quite out Each monasterie had a chief matrone whilst Paula was Principall over all These societies were severd at their meat and work but met together at their prayers they were carefully kept apart from men not like those Epicoene monasteries not long since invented by Joan Queen of Sweden wherein men and women lived under one roof not to speak of worse libertines Well were Nunnes called Recluses which according to the true meaning of the word signifie those which are set wide open or left at libertie though that Barbarous age mistook the sense of the word for such as were shut up and might not stirre out of their Cloyster They used to sing Halelujah which serv'd them both for a psalm and a bell to call them all together In the morning at nine a clock at noon at three a clock in the afternoon and at night they had prayers and sang the psalmes in order This I believe gave originall to canonicall houres The Apostles precept is the plain song Pray continually and thus mens inventions ran their descants upon it and confin'd it to certain houres A practice in it self not so bad for those who have leisure to observe it save that when devotion is thus artificially plaited into houres it may take up mens minds in formalities to neglect the substance They rose also at midnight to sing psalmes A custome begun before in the time of persecution when the Christians were forced to be Antipodes to other men so that when it was night with others it was day with them and they then began their devotions These night-prayers begun in necessitie were continued in Paula's time in gratefull remembrance and since corrupted with superstition the best is their rising at midnight breaks none of our sleep These virgins did every day learn some part of the holy Scriptures whereas those Nunnes which pretend to succeed them learn onely with post-horses to run over the stage of their beads so many Ave Maries and Pater nosters and are ignorant in all the Scripture besides Such as were faultie she caused to take their meat apart from others at the entrance of the dining-room with which mild severitie she reclaimed many shame in ingenuous natures making a deeper impression then pain Mean time I find amongst them no vow of virginitie no tyrannicall Penance no whipping themselves as if not content to interre their sinnes in Christs grave they had rather bury them in furrows digg'd in their own backs They wrought hard to get their living and on the Lords day alone went out of their monasterie to hear Gods word Yet was she more rigid and severe towards her self then to any of them macerating her body with fasting and refusing to drink any wine when advised thereto by Physicians for her health So that as an holy man complained of himself whilest he went about to subdue an enemie he kild a subject she overturned the state of her bodie and whilest she thought to snuff the candle put it quite out Yea S. Hierome himself what his Eloquence herein doth commend in her his Charity doth excuse and his Judgement doth condemne But we must Charitably believe that these her fastings proceeded out of true humiliation and sorrow for her sinnes otherwise where opinion of merit is annexed to them they are good onely to fill the body with wind and the soul with pride Certainly prodigious Popish self-penance is will-worship and the purest Epicurisme wherein pain is pleasant for as long as people impose it on themselves they do not deny their own will but fulfill it and whilst they beat down the body they may puff up the flesh Nor can her immoderate bounty be excused who gave all and more then all away taking up money at interest to give to the poore and leaving Eustochium her daughter deep in debt a great charge and nothing to maintain it Sure none need be more bountifull in giving then the Sunne is in shining which though freely bestowing his beams on the world keeps notwithstanding the body of light to himself Yea it is necessary that Liberality should as well have banks as a stream She was an excellent text-woman yea could say the holy Scriptures by heart and attained to understand and speak the Hebrew tongue a language which Hierome himself got with great difficultie and kept with constant use skill in Hebrew will quickly go out and burn no longer then 't is blown yet she in her old age did speedily learn it She diligently heard Hierome expounding the old and new Testament asking him many doubts and Quaeres in difficult places such constant scouring makes our knowledge brighter and would not suffer his judgement to stand neuter in hard points but made him expresse the probable opinion Most naturally flie from death Gods Saints stand still till death comes to them Paula went out to meet it not to say call'd death unto her by consuming her self in fasting she died in the fiftie sixth yeare of her age and was solemnly buried in Bethlehem People of all countreys flockt to her funerall Bishops carried her corps to the grave others carried torches and lamps before it which though some may condemne to be but burning of day was no more then needed she being buried in a cave or grot as an eyewitnesse doth testifie Psalmes were sung at her buriall in the Hebrew Greek Latine and Syriack tongue it being fit there should be a key for every lock and languages to be understood by all the miscelany company there present Eustochium her daughter had little comfort to be Executrix or Administratrix unto her leaving her not a pennie of monie great debts and many brothers and sisters to provide for quos sustentare arduum abjicere impium I like not
heaven Or was it onely the true body of Samuel no the pretious ashes of the Saints the pawn for the return of their souls are lock'd up safe in the cabinet of their graves and the devil hath no key unto it Or lastly was it his seeming body he that could not counterfeit the least and worst of worms could he dissemble the shape of one of the best and greatest of men Yet this is most probable seeing Satan could change himself into an Angel of light and God gives him more power at some times then at other However we will not be too peremptory herein and build standing structures of bold assertions on so uncertain a foundation rather with the Rechabites we will live in tents of conjectures which on better reason we may easily alter and remove The devils speech looks backward and forward relates and foretells the Historicall part thereof is easie recounting Gods speciall favours to Saul and his ingratitude to God and the matter thereof very pious Not every one that saith Lord Lord whether to him or of him shall enter into the kingdome of heaven for Satan here useth the Lords name six times in foure verses The Propheticall part of his speech is harder how he could foretell to morrow shalt thou and thy sonnes be with me what with me true Samuel in heaven that was too good a place will some say for Saul or with me true Satan in hell that was too bad a place for Jonathan What then with me pretended Samuel in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the state of the dead But how came the Witch or Satan by this knowledge surely that uggly monster never look'd his face in that beautifull glasse of the Trinity which as some will have it represents things to the blessed Angels No doubt then he gathered it by experimentall collection who having kept an exact Ephemerides of all actions for more then five thousand years together can thereby make a more then probable guesse of future contingents the rather because accidents in this world are not so much new as renewed Besides he saw it in the naturall causes in the strength of the Philistines and weaknesse of the Israelitish army and in Davids ripenesse to succeed Saul in the Throne Perchance as vulturs are said to smell the earthlinesse of a dying corps so this bird of prey resented a worse then earthly savour in the soul of Saul an evidence of his death at hand Or else we may say the devil knew it by particular revelation for God to use the devil for his own turn might impart it unto him to advance wicked mens repute of Satans power that they who would be deceived should be deceived to believe that Satan knows more then he does The dismall news so frighted Saul that he fell along on the earth and yet at last is perswaded to arise and eat meat she killing and dressing a fat calf for him Witches generally are so poore they can scarce feed themselves see here one able to feast a King That which goeth into the mouth defileth not better eat meat of her dressing then take counsell of her giving and her hands might be clean whose soul meddled with unclean spirits Saul must eat somewhat that he might be strengthned to live to be kill'd as afterwards it came to passe And here the mention of this Witch in Scripture vanisheth away we will follow her no farther If afterward she escaped the justice of man Gods judgement without her repentance hath long since overtaken her CHAP. 5. The life of JOAN of Arc. IOan of Arc was born in a village called Domrenny upon the Marches of Bar near to Vaucoleurs Her parents James of Arc and Isabell were very poore people and brought her up to keep sheep where for a while we will leave her and come to behold the miserable estate of the kingdome of France wherein she lived In her time Charles the seventh was the distressed French King having onely two entire Provinces left him Gascoigne and Languedoc and his enemies were about them and in all the rest which were possessed by the English under their young King Henrie the sixth and his aged Generalls the Duke of Bedford and the Earls of Salisbury and Suffolk Besides they had besieged the city of Orleance and brought it to that passe that the highest hopes of those therein was to yield on good terms Matters standing in this wofull case three French Noblemen projected with themselves to make a cordiall for the consumption of the spirits of their King and Countreymen but this seemed a great difficulty to perform the French people being so much dejected and when mens hearts are once down it is hard to fasten any pullies to them to draw them up However they resolved to pitch upon some project out of the ordinary road of accidents to elevate the peoples phancies thereby knowing that mens phancies easily slip off from smooth and common things but are quickly catch'd longest kept in such plots as have odde angles and strange unusuall corners in them JOAN of Arc the Victorious Leader of the French Armyes She was condemned by the English for a Witch burnt at Rohan julij the 6 th 1461. being about 22 yeares of Age. Pag◠373. W. Marshall sculp By the mediation of a Lord she is brought to the presence of King Charles whom she instantly knew though never seen before and at that time of set purpose much disguised This very thing some heighten to a miracle though others make it fall much beneath a wonder as being no more then a Scholars ready saying of that lesson which he hath formerly learned without book To the King she boldly delivers her message how that this was the time wherein the sinnes of the English and the sufferings of the French were come to the height and she appointed by the God of heaven to be the French leader to conquer the English If this opportunity were let slip let them thank heavens bounty for the tender and their own folly for the refusall and who would pity their eternall slavery who thrust their own liberty from themselves He must be deaf indeed who heares not that spoken which he desires Charles triumphs at this news Both his armes were to few too embrace the motion The Fame of her flies through France and all talk of her whom the Divines esteem as Deborah the Souldiers as Semiramis People found out a nest of miracles in her education that so lyon-like a spirit should be bred amongst sheep like David Ever after she went in mans clothes being armed cap-a-pe and mounted on a brave Steed and which was a wonder when she was on horseback none was more bold and daring when alighted none more tame and meek so that one could scarce see her for her self she was so chang'd and alter'd as if her spirits dismounted with her body No sword would please her but one taken out of the Church
children It being true of him also what is said of the famous Lawyer Andreas Tiraquillus singulis annis singulos libros liberos Reipublicae dedit My Father hath told me that he often wished that he might lose so much Learning as he had gotten in after-supper studies on condition he might gain so much strength as he had lost thereby Indeed his body was strongly built for the naturall temper and well repair'd by his temperate diet and recreations but first he foundred the foundation of this house by immoderate study and at last the roof was set on fire by a hot disease The unhappy controversie was then started Whether justifying faith may be lost And this thorny question would not suffer our Nightingale to sleep He was sent for up by Arch-bishop Whitgift to the conference at Lambeth after which returning home unseasonable riding late studying and night-watching brought him to a burning-fever to which his body was naturally disposed as appeared by the mastery of rednesse in his complexion Thus lost he the health of his body in maintaining That the health of the soul could not be lost All agreed that he should be let bloud which might then easily have been done but was deferred by the fault of some about him till it was too late Thus when God intends to cut a mans life off his dearest friends by dangerous involuntarie mistakes shall bring the knife He died in the 47. yeare of his age Anno Dom. 1595. and in S. Johns Colledge whereof he was Master was solemnly interred with the grief of the University and whole Church of God CHAP. 6. The true Church Antiquary HE is a traveller into former times whence he hath learnt their language and fashions If he meets with an old manuscript which hath the mark worn out of its mouth and hath lost the date yet he can tell the age thereof either by the phrase or character He baits at middle Antiquity but lodges not till he comes at that which is ancient indeed Some scoure off the rust of old inscriptions into their own souls cankering themselves with superstition having read so often Orate pro anima that at last they fall a praying for the departed and they more lament the ruine of Monasteryes then the decay and ruine of Monks lives degenerating from their ancient piety and painfulnesse Indeed a little skill in Antiquity inclines a man to Popery but depth in that study brings him about again to our religion A Nobleman who had heard of the extreme age of one dwelling not farre off made a journey to visit him and finding an aged person sitting in the chimney-corner addressed himself unto him with admiration of his age till his mistake was rectified for Oh S r said the young-old man I am not he whom you seek for but his sonne my father is farther off in the field The same errour is daily cōmitted by the Romish Church adoring the reverend brow and gray hairs of some ancient Ceremonyes perchance but of some seven or eight hundred years standing in the Church and mistake these for their fathers of farre greater age in the Primitive times He desires to imitate the ancient Fathers as well in their Piety as in their Postures Not onely conforming his hands and knees but chiefly his heart to their pattern O the holinesse of their living and painfulnesse of their preaching how full were they of mortified thoughts and heavenly meditations Let us not make the ceremoniall part of their lives onely Canonicall and the morall part thereof altogether Apocrypha imitating their devotion not in the finenesse of the stuff but onely in the fashion of the making He carefully marks the declination of the Church from the Primitive purity Observing how sometimes humble devotion was contented to lie down whilest proud superstition got on her back Yea not onely Frederick the Emperour but many a godly Father some hundreds of years before held the Pope's stirrop and by their well-meaning simplicity gave occasion to his future greatnesse He takes notice how their Rhetorical hyperboles were afterwards accounted the just measure of dogmaticall truths How plain people took them at their word in their funerall apostrophes to the dead How praying for the departed brought the fuell under which after-ages kindled the fire of Purgatory How one Ceremony begat another there being no bounds in will-worship wherewith one may sooner be wearied then satisfied the inventours of new Ceremonyes endeavouring to supply in number what their conceits want in solidity How mens souls being in the full speed and career of the Historicall use of Pictures could not stop short but must lash out into superstition vailing their bonnets to Rome in civill courtesie when making honourable mention thereof are interpreted by modern Papists to have done it in adoration of the idole of the Popes infallibility All these things he ponders in his heart observing both the times and places when and where they happened He is not zealous for the introducing of old uselesse Ceremonies The mischief is some that are most violent to bring such in are most negligent to preach the cautions in using them and simple people like Children in eating of fish swallow bones and all to their danger of choking Besides what is observed of horse-hairs that lying nine dayes in water they turn to snakes so some Ceremonies though dead at first in continuance of time quicken get stings and may do much mischief especially if in such an age wherein the meddling of some have justly awaked the jealousie of all When many Popish tricks are abroad in the countrey if then men meet with a Ceremony which is a stranger especially if it can give but a bad account of it self no wonder if the watch take it up for one on suspicion He is not peremptory but conjecturall in doubtfull matters Not forcing others to his own opinion but leaving them to their own libertie not filling up all with his own conjectures to leave no room for other men nor tramples he on their credits if in them he finds slips and mistakes For here our souls have but one eye the Apostle saith we know in part be not proud if that chance to come athwart thy seeing side which meets with the blind side of another He thankfully acknowledgeth those by whom he hath profited Base natured they who when they have quenched their own thirst stop up at least muddy the fountain But our Antiquary if he be not the first Founder of a commendable conceit contents himself to be a Benefactour to it in clearing and adorning it He affects not phancy-full singularity in his behaviour Nor cares he to have a proper mark in writing of words to disguise some peculiar letter from the ordinary character Others for fear travellers should take no notice that skill in Antiquity dwells in such an head hang out an antique hat for the signe or use some obsolete garb in their garments
save that this one action of his is so great and strong it cannot be kept in silence but will be recorded In the cruel battel at Ravenna betwixt the Emperour and the French he not onely bravely fetch'd off the dead bodies of Benedictus and Titus his father and brother but also with his own hands rescued the Eagle the standard Imperiall which was taken by the enemies For which his prowesse Maximilian knighted him and with his own hands put on him the golden spurres and chain the badges of knight-hood Amidst these his Martiall employments he made many a clandestine match with the Muses and whilest he expected the tides and returns of businesse he fill'd up the empty places of leisure with his studies Well did the Poets feigne Pallas Patronesse of arts and armes there being ever good intelligence betwixt the two Professions and as it were but a narrow cut to ferry over out of one into the other At last Scaliger sounded a retreat to himself from the warres and wholly applyed himself to his book especially after his wandring life was fixed by marriage unto the beautifull Andietta Lobeiaca with whom he lived at Agin near Montpeliar in France His Latine was twice refined and most criticall as appears by his own writings and notes on other Authours He was an accurate Grecian yet began to study it when well nigh fourty years old when a mans tongue is too stiff to bow to words What a torture was it to him who flowed with streams of matter then to learn words yea letters drop by drop But nothing was unconquerable to his pains who had a golden wit in an iron body Let his book of Subtilties witnesse his profound skill in Logick and Naturall Philosophy His skill in Physick was as great as his practice therein was happy in so much that he did many strange and admirable cures Heare how a noble and learned pen doth commend him Non hunc fefellit ulla vis recondita Salubris herbae saltibus si quam aviis Celat nivosus Caucasus seu quam procul Riphaea duro contigit rupes gelu Hic jamque spectantes ad orcum non semel Animas repressit victor membris suis Haerere succis compulit felicibus Nigrique avaras Ditis elusit manus On snowy Caucasus there grew no root Of secret power but he was privy to 't On cold Riphean hills no simple grew But he the force thereof and virtue knew Wherewith apply'd by his successefull art Such sullen souls as would this world depart He forc'd still in their bodies to remain And from deaths doore fetch'd others back again As for his skill in Physiognomy it was wonderfull I know some will say that cannot be read in mens faces which was never wrote there and that he that seeks to find the disposition of mens souls in the figures of their bodies looks for letters on the backside of the book Yet is it credibly averred that he never look'd on his infant-sonne Audectus but with grief as sorrow-struck with some sad signe of ill successe he saw in his face which child at last was found stifled in bed with the embraces of his nurce being fast asleep In Mathematicks he was no Archimedes though he shewed his skill therein with the best advantage and stood therein on his tiptoes that his learning might seem the taller But in Poetry his over-measure of skill might make up this defect as is attested by his book de Arte Poetica Yet his own Poems are harsh and unsmooth as if he rather snorted then slept on Parnassus and they sound better to the brain then the eare Indeed his censure in Poetry was incomparable but he was more happy in repairing of Poems then in building them from the ground which speaks his judgement to be better then his invention What shall I speak of his skill in History whose own actions were a sufficient History He was excellently vers'd in the passages of the world both modern and ancient Many modern languages which departed from Babel in a confusion met in his mouth in a method being skilfull in the Sclavonick tongue the Hungarian Dutch Italian Spanish and French But these his excellent parts were attended with prodigious pride and he had much of the humour of the Ottomans in him to kill all his brethren and cry down all his equalls which were corrivalls with him in the honour of arts which was his principall quarrell with Cardan Great was his spight at Erasmus the morning-starre of learning and one by whom Julius himself had profited though afterwards he sought to put out that candle whereat he had lighted his own In the bickering betwixt them Erasmus pluckt Scaliger by the long locks of his immoderate boasting and touched him to the quick a proud man lies pat for a jeering mans hand to hit yea Erasmus was a badger in his jeeres where he did bite he would make his teeth meet Nor came Scaliger behind him in railing However afterward Scaliger repented of his bitternesse and before his death was reconciled unto him Thus his learning being in the circuit of arts spread so wide no wonder if it lay thinne in some places His parts were nimble that starting so late he overtook yea overran his equalls so that we may safely conclude that making abatement for his military avocations and late applying himself to study scarce any one is to be preferred before him for generality of humane learning He died Anno 1558. in the 75. yeare of his age CHAP. 9. The faithfull Minister VVE suppose him not brought up by hand onely in his own countrey studies but that he hath suckt of his Mother University and throughly learnt the arts Not as S. Rumball who is said to have spoken as soon as he was born doth he preach as soon as he is Matriculated Conceive him now a Graduate in arts and entred into orders according to the solemn form of the Church of England and presented by some Patrone to a pastorall charge or place equivalent and then let us see how well he dischargeth his office He endeavours to get the generall love and good will of his parish This he doth not so much to make a benefit of them as a benefit for them that his ministry may be more effectuall otherwise he may preach his own heart out before he preacheth any thing into theirs The good conceit of the Physician is half a cure and his practice will scarce be happy where his person is hated yet he humours them not in his Doctrine to get their love for such a spanniel is worse then a dumbe dog He shall sooner get their good will by walking uprightly then by crouching and creeping If pious living and painfull labouring in his calling will not win their affections he counts it gain to lose them As for those which causelessely hate him he pities and prayes for them and such there will be I should suspect his preaching
am much perplexed to find the beginning of Christian Churches in the Scripture There I find the Saints meeting in the house of Marie the mother of Mark in the School of Tyrannus in an upper Chamber but can see no foundation of a Church I mean of a place and structure separated and set apart solely for Divine Service B. That the Saints had afterwards Churches in your sense is plain 1. Cor. 11.22 Have ye not Houses to eat and drink in or despise ye the Church of God and shame them that have not Here the opposition is a good exposition of the Apostles meaning and the Antithesis betwixt Houses and Church speaks them both to be locall so that S. Paul thought their materiall Church despised that is abused and unreverenc'd by their lay-meetings of Love-feasts therein A. By your favour S r the Apostle by Church meaneth there the assembly or society of Gods servants as appears by what followeth or despise ye the Church of God and shame them that have not Them and not that not speaking of the Place but Persons The latter words of the Apostle comment on the former shewing how to shame those who had not that is to neglect and upbraid the poore is to despise the Church of God B. Pardon me S r for the Apostle therein accuseth the Corinthians of a second fault Imprimis he chargeth them for despising Gods materiall Church Item for shaming their poore brethren in their Love-feasts The particle And sheweth the addition of a new charge but no expounding or amplifying of the former But S r suspending our judgements herein let us descend to the Primitive times before Constantine we shall there find Churches without any contradiction A. Not so neither Herein also the trumpet of Antiquity giveth a very uncertain sound Indeed we have but little left of the story of those times wherein Christian books were as much persecuted as men and but a few Counfessour-records escaping martyrdome are come to our hands Yea God may seem to have permitted the suppression of primitive History lest men should be too studious in reading and observant in practising the customes of that age even to the neglecting and undervaluing of his written Word B. Yet how slenderly soever those Primitive times are storied there is enough in them to prove the Antiquity of Churches I will not instance on the decrees of Evaristus Hyginus and other Popes in the first three hundred years about the consecrating of Churches because their authority is suspected as antedated and none are bound to believe that the Gibeonites came from so far a Countrey as their mouldy bread clouted shoes did pretend Churches are plainly to be found in Tertullian two hundred years after Christ and Eusebius witnesseth that before the time of Dioclesian the Christians had Churches which the Tyrant caused to be destroyed A. But Origen Minutius Felix Arnobius and Lactantius being press'd by the Heathen that Christians had no Churches answered by way of confession yielding that they had none This is the difficulty perplexeth me It was a bloody speech of Abner Let the young men rise up and play before us But worse is their cruelty who make sport at the falling out of the old men when the reverend brows of Antiquity knock one against another and Fathers thus extremely differ in matters of fact B. Why S r A charitable distinction may reconcile them if by Churches stately magnificent Fabricks be meant in that acception the Christians had no Churches but small Oratories and Prayer-places they then had though little low and dark being so fearfull of persecution they were jealous the Sunne-beams should behold them and indeed stately Churches had but given a fairer aim to their Enemies malice to hit them Such an homely place learned S r Henrie Spelman presents us with which was first founded at Glastenbury thatched and wattled And let not our Churches now grown men look with a scornfull eye on their own picture when babes in their swadling clothes And no wonder if Gods House Erubuit domino cultior esse suo The Church did blush more glory for to have Then had her Lord. He begg'd should she be brave Christ himself being then cold and hungry and naked in his afflicted members Such a mean Oratory Tertullian calls Triclimum Christianorum the Parlour or Three-bed-room of the Christians A. But it seems not to consist with Christian ingenuity for the fore-named Fathers absolutely to deny their having of Churches because they had onely poore ones B. Take then another Answer namely in denying they had no Temples they meant it in the same notion wherein they were interrogated to wit they had no Temples like the Pagans for Heathen Gods no claustra Numinum wherein the Deity they served was imprisoned Or may we not say that in that age the Christians had no Churches generally though they might have them in some places the elevation of their happinesse being varied according to severall climates And Christendome then being of so large an extent it might be stormy with persecution in one countrey and fair weather in another We come now to the Necessity There is no absolute necessity that Christians should have Churches No necessity at all in respect of God no absolute necessity in respect of men when persecution hinders the erecting of them In such a case any place is made a Church for the time being as any private house where the King and his Retinue meet is presently made the Court. Christians have no direct precept to build Churches under the Gospel I say direct For the Law of God which commands a publick Sanctification of a Sabbath must needs by way of necessary consequence imply a set known and publick Place Besides Gods command to Moses and Solomon to build a Temple in a manner obligeth us to build Churches In which command observe the body and the soul thereof The body thereof was Ceremoniall and mortall yea dyed and is buried in our Saviours grave The soul thereof is Morall and eternall as founded in Nature and is alwayes to endure Thus S. Paul finds a constant bank for Ministers Maintenance lockt up in a Ceremoniall Law Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the corn The Apostle on the Morality couched therein founded the Charter of endowment for Ministers in the Gospel Besides God hath left a warrant dormant with his Church Let all things be done decently and in order And this ties Christians to the building of Churches for their publick Assemblies whereby not onely Decency but Piety is so much advanced especially in these three respects 1 Hereby the same meat serves to feed many guests one Pastour instructing many people in the same place 2 Devotion is increased with company Their praises are the louder and musick is sweetest in a full consort their prayers are the stronger besetting God as it were in a round and not suffering him to
drive more from him then Nassaw's courtesie invited to him His popular nature was of such receipt that he had room to lodge all comers In peoples eyes his light shined bright yet dazled none all having free accesse unto him every one was as well pleased as if he had been Prince himself because he might be so familiar with the Prince He was wont to content those who reproved his too much humanity with this saying That man is cheap bought who costs but a salutation I report the Reader to the Belgian Histories where he may see the changes of warre betwixt these two sides We will onely observe that Duke D'Alva's covetousnesse was above his policy in fencing the rich inland and neglecting the barren maritime places He onely look'd on the broad gates of the countrey whereby it openeth to the continent of Germany and France whilest in the mean time almost half the Netherlands ran out at the postern doore towards the sea Nassaw's side then wounded Achilles in the heel indeed and touch'd the Spaniard to the quick when on Palm-sunday as if the day promised victory at Brill they took the first livery and seasin of the land and got soon after most cities towards the sea Had Alva herein prevented him probably he had made those Provinces as low in subjection as situation Now at last he began to be sensible of his errour and grew weary of his command desiring to hold that staff no longer which he perceived he had taken by the wrong end He saw that going about to bridle the Netherlanders with building of castles in many places they had gotten the bit into their own teeth He saw that warre was not quickly to be hunted out of that countrey where it had taken covert in a wood of cities He saw the cost of some one cities siege would pave the streets thereof with silver each city â—ort and sconce being a Gordian knot which would make Alexanders sword turn edge before he could cut thorow it so that this warre and the world were likely to end together these Netherlands being like the head-block in the chimney where the fire of warre is alwayes kept in though out every where else never quite quench'd though rak'd up sometimes in the ashes of a truce Besides he saw that the subdued part of the Netherlands obeyed more for fear then love and their loyalty did rather lie in the Spanish Garisons then their own hearts and that in their sighes they breathed many a prosperous gale to Nassaw's party Lastly he saw that forrein Princes having the Spaniards greatnesse in suspicion desired he might long be digesting this break-fast lest he should make his dinner on them both France and England counting the Low-countreys their outworks to defend their walls wherefore he petitioned the King of Spain his Master to call him home from this unprofitable service Then was he called home and lived some years after in Spain being well respected of the King and employed by him in conquering Portugall contrary to the expectation of most who look'd that the Kings displeasure would fall heavy on him for causing by his cruelty the defection of so many countreys yet the King favourably reflected on him perchance to frustrate on purpose the hopes of many and to shew that Kings affections will not tread in the beaten path of vulgar expectation or seeing that the Dukes life and state could amount to poore satisfaction for his own losses he thought it more Princely to remit the whole then to be revenged but in part or lastly because he would not measure his servants loyalty by the successe and lay the unexpected rubs in the allie to the bowlers fault who took good aim though missing the mark This led many to believe that Alva onely acted the Kings will and not willed his acts following the instructions he received and rather going beyond then against his Commission However most barbarous was his cruelty He bragg'd as he sate at dinner and was it not a good grace after meat that he had caused eighteen thousand to be executed by the ordinary minister of justice within the space of six years besides an infinite more murthered by other tyrannous means Yea some men he killed many times giving order to the executioners to pronounce each syllable of torment long upon them that the thred of their life might not be cut off but unravell'd as counting it no pain for men to die except they dyed with pain witnesse Anthony Utenhow whom he caused to be tied to a stake with a chain in Brussells compassing him about with a great fire but not touching him turning him round about like a poore beast who was forced to live in that great torment and extremity roasting before the fire so long untill the Halberdiers themselves having compassion on him thrust him through contrary to the will both of the Duke and the Spanish Priests When the city of Harlem surrendred themselves unto him on condition to have their lives he suffered some of the Souldiers and Burgers thereof to be starved to death saying that though he promised to give them their lives he did not promise to find them meat The Netherlanders used to fright their children with telling them Duke D'Alva was coming and no wonder if children were scared with him of whom their fathers were afraid He was one of a lean body and visage as if his eager soul biting for anger at the clog of his body desired to fret a passage through it He had this humour that he neglected the good counsel of others especially if given him before he ask'd it and had rather stumble then beware of a block of another mans telling But as his life was a miroir of cruelty so was his death of Gods patience It was admirable that his tragicall acts should have a comicall end that he that sent so many to the grave should go to his own die in peace But Gods justice on offenders goes not alwayes in the same path nor the same pace And he is not pardoned for the fault who is for a while reprived from the punishment yea sometimes the guest in the inne goes quietly to bed before the reckoning for his supper is brought to him to discharge FINIS Maxime 1 * Comineus lib. 4. cap. 8 Rodinus De Repub. lib. 5. p. 782. 2 * Erasmus Dial. in nausragio 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. * August confess lib. 9. c. 8. * August confess lib. 9. c. 9. * August confess lib. 6. c. 2. * August lib. 1. De ordine c. 8. * August confess lib. 9. c. 10. Maxime 1 * Plin. Nat. hist. lib. 10. cap. 62. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 * 1. Sam. 1.11 Maxime 1 * Eccles 12.11 2 3 * Giveâ— each child a part Versteg Oâ— decayed intell cap 3. 4 * Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. 8. c. 18. 5 6 * Exod. 2.4 7 8 9 Maxime 1 * Stapleton in vita Tho. Mori cap. 1. 2 *