THE SANCTVARIE OF SALVATION, HELMET OF HEALTH, AND MIRROR OF MODESTY AND GOOD MANNERS. Wherein is contained an exhortation unto the institution of a Christian, virtuous, honest, and laudable life, very behoveful, wholesome and fruitful both to highest and lowest degrees of men, which desire either health of body, or salvation of soul: Written in Latin very learnedly and elegantly by Levinus Lemnius of Zirizaa Physician, and englished by H.K. for the common commodity and comfort of them which understand not the Latin tongue, and to be as it were a glass, wherein men may behold their life and conversation. MAT. 11. Come unto me, all ye that are weary and laden, and I will ease you. Take my yoke on you, and learn of me, that I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, & my burden light. printer's device of Hugh Singleton GOD IS MY HELPER Printed at London by Hugh Singleton. The printer to the Reader. THe gentleman (friendly reader) to whom this book in the english tongue was dedicated, and who for the excellency thereof reserved it for his own private Reading without suffering it to be published, is now deceased: The work thereupon coming to the hands of a gentleman his kinsman, he is desirous by my press to make thee partaker of it, as of a work unworthy to be obscured; Take then to thy profit (gentle reader) this book which being written by a famous author, summarily containeth precept in what soever necessary to human knowledge either concerning body o● soul: The preface of no less importance for instruction, than the book itself: I prai● the also look into, and be thankful to o● learned countryman the translator for hi● travail herein. And so far thou well in the lord, who prosper thee in thy good and virtuous studies. To the right worshipful Master Stephen Thimelby Esquire, Recorder of the City of Lincoln, Henry Kinder wisheth in this life all good hope worship, and prosperity, and in the life to come salvation and everlasting glory and felicity in jesus Christ. AFter that I had achieved the enterprise of the translation of this little book (right worshipful) to the end I might communicate, illustrate, and explanate the same to them which understand not the latin tongue, aswell for the commodity of the studious reader, as the commendation of Levinus Lemnius the learned author: I called to mind a certain brief & grave poem of Rhianus the Greek poet concerning the imprudency & inconstancy of some men, which cannot moderate their troublous affections & perturbations of mind with equanimity, which is a singular virtue & sovereign remedy of all griefs incident unto human life: which moderation of mind whosoever wanteth is either puffed up with prosperity, or discouraged with adversity. We, saith that poet, do err & judge amiss concerning the manifold gifts of God, and receive them foolishly and unadvisedly. For he that is poor & destitute of living, doth with sorrow, grief, & heaviness of heart, lay great blame on the determination and appointment of God: but he neglecteth the virtue, industry, and apt inclination of his own mind: neither dare he for fear say or do any thing where rich men be in presence, but bashfulness & pensiveness do consume his heart. Contrariwise he which liveth in prosperity, to whom God hath given riches, pre-eminence, & authority, often times forgetteth his condition, beginning, education, and mortality: and elevating himself with arrogancy and depraved haughtiness of heart, thundereth like jupiter: & though sometime he be of little stature, he stretcheth up his head on high, & with amiable arms wooeth fair Minerva, and seeketh to attain to the top of Olympus. When I had well pondered this pithy poesy, I was animated and encouraged thereby to dedicate these my little labours & lucubrations to your worship, as a testification of my prompt will, ready mind, & grateful heart: So that I was dismayed neither with the consideration of my poor low estate, neither with the fear of some such high-minded men, as the poet here doth reprehend: who being advanced and adorned with worldly wealth, wisdom, dignity, & prosperity, & every day expecting and desiring most exquisite and pleasant novelties, will peradventure contemn this rude, and unpolished piece of work. Therefore submitting the same to your favour and protection, I attempered my pen, not to be plausible to the learned, whereunto I am not able to attain, but to please and profit the mean & unlearned multitude, which is my only desire. And although I know there be an infinite nmber of learned students, whose diligence herein might have been far more commendable in polishing this translation with perfect and excellent Rhetorical skill, and so could have come nearer to the elegant style of the learned author: Yet I thought it better, thus boldly and rudely, as I could, to attempt the same, then that it shouldly hidden from the unlearned, for whose instruction, admonition, and exhortation it was meet and requisite to dinulgate the same. For to what end is a man borne & brought forth into the light of this life, but by his industry to glorify his Creator, and to benefit his neighbour? He hath lived long enough whosoever hath lived unto nature well and sufficiently, unto himself & his own salvation blessedly and happily, unto the comfort of others profitably, unto the glory of God acceptably and thankfully. He hath not lived, which hath left no issue proceeded of him, which graffeth not trees for another age to come, and so profit his posterity, which showeth not some good and profitable doctrine unto the people that shall be born after him. For as we at this day are the better established & more surely confirmed & grounded in the true faith, because we have learned and received the same into our hearts of Christ, of his Apostles, of the fathers, of the primitive Church, and likewise of this last Church, which was a disciple and scholar of sincerity and verity Even so our posterity shall learn and acquire understanding and knowledge of this our age, & of their ancestors & foreelders, and will be glade to hear of our consent and agreement in true religion, and our mutual confirmation and establishing of our assured and lively faith in Christ jesus, and will be delighted with the proper erudition of humanity, and profitable precepts of moral doctrine, which we deliver and leave unto them. Therefore trusting your worship will accept this fruit of my studies, be it never so unripe, so unseasonable and unpleasant, and will regard rather the benevolent affection of the giver, than the gift itself: I am thereupon emboldened to present the same unto you, as a token of this good and happy new year & many more, and also as a declaration of my willing and dutiful mind towards you, if able power were correspondent to the same. Truly I have good and just cause to assure myself of your favour, prompt readiness, & alacrity towards me in condescending to this my humble request, & have as it were the hope thereof in my hands, when I consider your courtesy, affability, and bounty towards all men but specially towards them, in whom some signification and token of Godly zeal, virtue, and industry, not coloured with hypocrisy, doth appear: So that if your christian modesty would suffer your praises to be emblazed to your face your bountifulness in the propagation of the gospel of jesus Christ, & the preferment of good learning (you being a benign patron of them both) deserveth to be more highly condecorated, than this my barbarous epistle can possibile reach unto. Wherefore your worship vouchsafing to grant this my humble suit in the cheerful acceptance of this my travail, I shall think myself most bound to your benignity, & shall have great cause, during life, to pray to God the father for his son Christ jesus sake, to increase in you great plenty of his good & gracious gifts, and to lift up his merciful and loving countenance upon you, all the days of your long life led in holiness & righteousness acceptable unto him, & to accumulate & bless you with worship, renown, prosperity, & felicity: And when our bodies shall be restored to a far better state of life, and joined together to their souls, to give you the most happy fruition and possession of eternity, immortality, and most blessed life, that shall never in everlasting continuance of time be changed. Amen. Your worship's most humble Henry kinder. The Preface to the Reader. THe whole sum and effect of all divine and human philosophy, wherein all kind of excellent and exquisite knowledge consisteth, tendeth chief unto this scope, and may be comprehended briefly in these two cardinal and principal precepts, namely: To know God, and, To know a man's self. For these two exceeding great and large branches of wisdom, reaching by faith (but not by curiosity) even to the throne of the Majesty of God above all heavens, Ephes. 4. and spreading and stretching forth themselves over all the works of God in nature, are not only very necessary unto virtuous life, and godly conversation, but also very expedient & behoveful unto everlasting life and salvation. These be the two ready steps, by which we must ascend up unto the only perfect and true door of eternal life, even jesus Christ, the Author, Captain, and finisher of our faith: by whom whosoever entereth, he shall be saved, and shall go in and our, and find pasture, that is, john 10. shall enjoy the gift of grace, the treasure of truth, the food of immortality. The knowledge of God is acquired by two manner of studies or meditations. First by the contemplation and consideration of his glorious, excellent, and wonderful works: for the invisible things of him, that is to say, his eternal power and Godhead, Rom. 1. are seen by the creation of the world, being considered in his works. Secondly, God is known by his word, and he will be found of them which seek him therein diligently and desirously. Prou. 8. For so saith the wisdom of God by Solomon, I love them that love me: and they that seek me early, shall find me. Unto them therefore which studiously meditate in the holy Scriptures, and attentively hear the Gospel preached, God doth reveal and make known the richer of his glorious mysteries, which riches is Christ m●… the hope of glory. For by the sincere preaching of him every man is admonished, Coloss. 1. & every man is taught in all wisdom, that every man may be presented perfect in Christ jesus. The knowledge of a man's self is attained likewise by two intentive cogitations, and diligent considerations, which do both proceed from the most pure fountain of the infallible word of God. The one is, if a man ponder and consider well the excellency of his creation. Gen. 1. Coloss. 3. 1 Cor. 11. jam. 1. The other is, if a ma● behold himself in the word of God, and look i● the perfect law of liberty, and continue therein. For God's word is a glass, wherein we must behold ourselves, and become like unto him. And therein he shall see, Eccles. 17. that as the wise man saith, God hath created man of the earth, and turned him unto it again. He hath given him the number of days and certain times, and power of the things that are upon ●arth. He clothed them with strength as they had need, and made them according to his image. He filled them with knowledge of understanding, and showed them good and evil He set his eye upon their hearts, declaring unto them his noble works. And gave them occasion to rejoice perpetually in his miracles, th●… they should prudently declare his works, and tha● the elect should praise his holy name together. The Philosophers having some taste and feeling of this knowledge, even by the law and instinct of nature (although they were destitute of the law of the holy spirit and of grace, that cometh by the faith of jesus Christ) called this studious meditation a contemplative life, or speculative science: wherein whosoever doth employ his travail and diligence industriously and give his heart to search and find out wisdom by all things that are done under the heaven, Eccl. 1. that is to say, of all the works of God in the wonderful workmanship and creation of the world, so far forth and so much as the lord God the giver of wisdom and of all good gifts, doth distribute and divide to every man, in such manner as it pleaseth him, & such measure as he knoweth every man hath need of: he shall surely find, and undoubtedly prove, yea even by experience, that in this life there is no felicity, Genes. 47. Hebr. 11. 1. joh. 5. job. 14. Galat. 5. Eccles. 2. that this world is nothing else but a perilous pilgrimage, a maze of misery, a surging sea of sorrows and troubles, a continual conflict, a wretched warfare, a gulf of griefs, a huge heap of iniquities, and a waste wilderness full of vanities and vexation of the spirit, & that there is no profit under the sun. For thus hath it pleased the lord the Creator and conservator of all things by his excellent wisdom, Eccles. 1. to humble the heart of man in this sore travail, that he hath given to the sons of men, & in the consideration of man's frail state and miserable condition: and to elevate, extol, and lift up his mind in looking and aspiring unto heavenvly things, to the end that he should, Cic. 4. Acad quest. & in Somn. Scip. as Cicero saith, with an high, noble, and invincible heart, contemn these humane, visible, corruptible, earthly, mortal, caducal, traunsitory & momentanythings: & as the Apostle saith, Philipp. 3. follow hard toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ jesus: sighing & desiring to be clothed with our house which is from heaven: 2. Cor. 5. And seek those things which are above, & set our affections on heavenly things, Coloss. 3. & not one things which are on the earth: and direct & erect all our cares, studies, cogitations, desires and delights unto Christ jesus, which sitteth at the right hand of God: that our conversation may be in heaven with him. And for him that true, incorruptible and unspeakable treasure to judge all these things to be but dung: Philipp. 3. And for the winning of him to think and count all these things but loss, that we may be found in him that is, not having our own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, even the righteousness which is of God through faith: 2. Cor. 4. And that we should not look on the things which are seen, but on the things which are not seen: Mat. 6. And that like the fowls of the heaven, and the lilies of the field, which live and grow without care and toil of this life, we should not weary ourselves in labouring for the meat which perisheth, but labour for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life, joh. 6. which the son of man shall give unto us. For as the Israelites walked, journeyed, and wandered in the great wilderness forty years, Psal. 66, & 107. and passed through many probations & tribulations, before they did go in and possess that good land that flowed with milk and honey, which the lord had promised, and sworn unto their fathers to give them Even so the same our good God, which so conducted his peculiar people, and proved them with many miseries & afflictions, before he brought them to that plentiful land, doth in like manner by his fatherly providence and favourable protection, lead us his adopted children, Galat. 4. Ephes. 1. whom he hath received by grace, through the great wide wilderness of this wicked & wretched world: In which our journey towards that happy and heavenly country, that continuing city to come, Heb. 11. & 12. he trieth us with many kind of troubles and calamities, Psal. 66. & 78. joh. 14. and causeth us, as the Psalmist saith, to go through fire & water, before he bring us forth to that wealthy place, that pleasant land, that celestial habitation, those eternal mansions, that supernal jerusalem the mother of us all, Galat. 4. Coloss. 1. Act. 14. the everlasting kingdom of his dear son jesus Christ, unto which we must enter through many tribulations. This is that precept which our Saviour doth inculcate into the ears and hearts of all them which will follow him, and become his true disciples, Luc. 9 namely to forsake and deny themselves, & take their cross patiently, that is to say, to suffer constantly all tribulations that the lord layeth upon them: Hebr. 12. 1. Cor. 9 And to cast away every thing that presseth down, as riches, cares, and voluptuousness: And so abstain, that they may get the mastery: and finally so run, that in Christ jesus they may obtain victoriously, and be crowned with him triumphantly. Unto this continual bickering and warfare, wherein the church of Christ militant here on earth is continually exercised, he himself being our most mighty and puissant captain, doth animate and encourage us most comfortably with these words, joh. 16. Be of good comfort (saith he) I have overcome the world. For he hath conquered the Devil, the world sin, damnation, death, and hell for us, and hath loosed all our sorrows. Therefore this holy, heavenly, & divine contemplation raiseth & lifteth up our hearts, our cogitations, our studies, our senses, desires, and love from vain pleasures unto the true and everlasting treasures, according to that effectual and pithy prayer of David: O turn away mine eyes, lest they behold vanity. For indeed all things are vain, Psal. 119. Wis. 13. except the knowledge of God, and most miserable are they that are destitute thereof. Now as concerning the Knowledge of a man's self, wherewith every Christian ought to be instructed & endued: there is almost no natural, mortal and earthly man no not commonly among the heathen, much less among true Christians, but that by the use of reason and quickness of wit infused by nature, he understandeth and perceiveth himself to be created and ordained of God to a far better, happier, and more excellent end & purpose, than all other creatures void of reason, wit, & judgement, over which creatures God the creator hath made and constituted man lord, ruler & governor: Psal. 8. And in the creation of him, which, as David saith, is wonderful and fearful, he hath made the fashion, Psal. 139. form, & shape of his body strait upright towards heaven: whereby he is admonished to lift up his heart unto heaven, & set his love on heavenly things: and not to fix and cast down his cogitations upon earthly things only: but to have mind continually on that divine, Genes. 1. spiritual, and immortal substance, whereof his soul is a likeness and image: And to consider, that in this his marvelous creation, he excelleth all other living creatures, whose bodily shape is in form prone and groveling down towards the earth, being created and ordained unto corruption, Rom. 8. and subject unto vanity, and destinated to perish with the earth: whereas contrariwise, man is appointed and assigned thorough faith in Christ jesus unto immortality and eternal felicity in heaven. This certain persuasion and true opinion the poet undoubtedly seemed to have fixed and established in his mind, declaring the same in these elegant verses. ovid. in. 1. lib. Metamorph. Os homini sublime dedit, coelumque videre jussit, & erectos ad sydera tollere vultus. which may be englished thus, God gave to man a face on high, And heaven to behold, And visage strait lift up toth' stars Commanded him he should. But whosoever will know himself rightly, and perfectly, must consider, that man consisteth of two parts, namely the body and kthe soul: whereof the one is subject to corruption, the other is incoruptible, the one perceived sensible, tother invisible, the one subject to death, the other immortal, the one a divine, spiritual and heavenly substance, the other a gross and frail lump of earth, which turneth into earth again. In every faithful, virtuous, and godly Christian the soul (which is the highest or chiefe●… part of the mind or spirit or power intellective) being led by the Spirit of God, aught to rule the body and the lusts, appetites and desires thereof: And the body as a servant or minister unto his lord & master, ought always to be obedient to the good and godly motions of the Spirit, as the Apostle teacheth, saying If ye mortify the deeds of the body by the Spirit ye shall live. And a little after he saith, Rom. 8. The same Spirit beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. So that we have two witnesses, that is to say, God's spirit, and ours, which is certified by the Spirit of God: which must have domination over the affections, lusts, perturbations, will, desires, & concupiscence. For if at any time the body being not thus kept in subjection, do happen to rebel and make insurection against the Spirit, and like an untamed colt which casteth of his rider, do throw away the yoke of obedience, and make war against the honest, good, godly, & virtuous desires of the mind, surely then the whole man both body and soul must needs run, even as though he were carried headlong, into all kind of vices, wickedness, and sin, and so consequently be thrown down into the guife or pit of eternal damnation and destruction. Of this most perilous and pernicious fall the Apostle giveth us a very good and profitable admonition, saying, Let not sin reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. For the body, Rom. 6. that is subject to sin, presseth down the soul that museth of many things, and cloggeth, darkeneth, & dulleth the understanding, so that it cannot lift up itself in godly meditations and heavenly contemplations. Unto this place that precept of Cicero seemeth not altogether unfit to be referred, when he saith, Rationi appetitus pareat. Let the appetite be ruled by reason. Cic. 1 lib. Offic. Cic. ibidem. And again he saith, Naturam optimam vivendi ducem sequamur. Let us follow nature the best guide of life. In these two brief documents the whole sum and scope of all moral philosophy, in my judgement, may well be comprehended. For when the gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, Rom. 2. they having not the law, are a law unto themselves, which show the effect of the law written in their hearts. I fear lest this may justly be spoken to our great shame in these days, which being professed Christians, and peyfectly instructed in the law of God, and many of us very skilful not only in human, but also in heavenly, sacred, and divine philosophy, are so led with self-love, and so carried away from God with worldly vanities and momentany delights: Mat. 10. and seek so much to save our lives, as our Saviour saith, that we lose our lives▪ for we prefer our lives before the glory of Christ: And knowing our masters will, and not preparing ourselves, Luc. 12. neither doing according to his will we shall be beaten with many stripes: I fear, I say, lest the heathen or gentiles, which in the time of nature without law, lived virtuously, shall condemn us, which in the time of grace, having the law of God do live viciously. To the end therefore to awake us from our sleepy senseless, and sinful security, where with many of us are heavily oppressed and deeply drowned: I have thought good by bringing this little book abroad unto the common commodity, I trust of all then that read the same, to stir up the minds of such as are drowned in voluptuousness, and cast down into the deepthe of the earth with cares of this life, and to raise them up unto the consideration of their sta●e and vocation, wherein God hath placed us, like unto soldiers, which must every one look surely and attend diligently to his order, array, standing place, and watching in this our continual conflict, bick●ing, and warfare: wherein because we have many tyranious enemies, many pernicious perils are i●…inent and incident unto every one of us, 1 Pet. 5. unless we warily, watchfully, and circumspectly, withstand and resist the assaults, invasions, and eruptions of our malicious and pestiferous adversaries, which continually by all means possible, do seek, devise, and work our overthrow and utter destruction. The author of this book being a very learned man, as it appeareth by his writing, was no doubt greatly inflamed with the godly zeal of Christianity and honesty, of true religion and integrity of life: because herein he hath left unto us such a worthy work? Wherein is contained the way and means, how we may and must acquire and obtain the assurance of our soul's health and salvation, which is a thing most necessary for all men to know. And this doctrine hath the author comprehended in a few chapters so briefly and compendiously, that the reader may gather and receive as sufficient instruction and utility by meditating in the same, as in perusing the whole Bible, and all the expositions and paraphrastical explications of the holy Scriptures, written by the ancient and learned fathers. Mat. 5.6 For like as our Saviour reduced the whole sum of all the law & the prophets into a sweet short sermon, Mat. 22. yea into two short commandments of perfect love towards God and towards our neighbour, Rom. 13. and therein hath knit up the knot of all righteousness, & tied the bond of perfection: Even so this author hath observed the same order, and used the like method in this compendious form of exhortation. Moreover he being a very expert and skilful physician, hath also prescribed unto the studious reader an excellent brief dietary for the conservation of the health of the body: which whosoever will deligentlie keep and follow, he shall, I dare be bold to say, have as many good precepts necessary and profitable enough for the preserving of bodily health, as in reading all the great volumes of Hypocrates, Galen, Auicenna, Rhazis', and whatsoever others, that have learnedly and largely written of Physic. And lastly of moral philosophy, or doctrine of manners, and politic regiment of life, he hath written so pithily and witrily, that these few leaves do afford as much good & wise instruction concerning virtuous and honest conversation, modesty, temperance, sobriety, and prudent governance of all men's public and private actions, as Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, and all other Philosophers and human writers (the reading of whose works were a tedious & infinite labour) do contain. In this book therefore the reader shall reap a triple or threefold commodity: namely, the health of body, the salvation of soul, and the integrity of life, as an inseparable companion of them both. This book is an Epitome, that is to say, a short summary or compendious collection of divine, human, natural, and moral Philosophy: So that in the little labour of reading the same studiously, and meditating and ruminating the precepts thereof diligently, the reader shallbe delighted and profited exceedingly. And because according to the corruption of our depraved nature we are more prone, more inclined, more diligent and careful to seek the health of our bodies, than the salfetie and salvation of our souls, & take more thought, and make greater provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts of it, Rom. 13. 1. Pet. 2. then to desire and acquire the sincere milk of the word of God, which being received with meekness, is able to save our soule●… Therefore of these two things, namely, health of body, and salvation of soul, which are both indeed worthy to be desired (but yet the one much more than the other) that which is a great deal more worthy to be sought & laboured for, is in this books very orderly and aptly first set down, according to that divine and principal precept of our Saviour, Mat. 6. Seek ye first the kingdom of God & his righteousness. Whereby we are admonished, that as the soul, being as I said before, a divine, spiritual, and immortal substance, doth far excel the body, which is nothing else but dust, earth and ashes: Genes. 18. Even so the sacred, and eternal food and assured salvation of the soul ought to be acquired with far greater care and more earnest study, zeal, love, desire and affection, than the health and welfare of the body. But alas, how lamentable a thing is it in these days, wherein the light of the Gospel shineth so clearly, to see the preposterous perversity of many of us, whose minds like unto brute beasts, are fixed upon present and caducall things, and are plucked and cast down from heaven and heavenly desires unto earth and earthly vanities, and do care and travail incessantly for the pampering and cherishing of the body, but are so slothful, careless and negligent in seeking the salvation of our souls. 1. Cor. 2. And albeit I confess with the Apostle, that no man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man which is in him: Neither doth any man know and understand the hearts of men, but God only: Psal. 33. Mat. 12. yet because a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things▪ and an evil man out of an evil treasure bringeth forth evil things: for of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh: Therefore by the outward man, may the inward man be perceived of them which intentively look thereupon, & examine the conversation of men by the law of God, and try the spirits, whether they be of God, 1. john. 4. by the touchstone of truth. And again, although we ought not to judge any thing of our brethren before the time until the Lord come, 1. Cor. 4. who will lighten things that are hid in darkness, and make the counsels of the hearts manifest: lest we ourselves by judging be judged, and in condemning be condemned: Luke. 6. Yet if we look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of other men: Philipp. 2. and behold some men's sins that are open before hand, and go before unto judgement: 1 Tim. 5. and take heed both unto ourselves, and to all the flock, whereof the holy Ghost hath made us overseers, Act. 20. to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood: (I speak to them that are called thereunto) we may easily and evidently see, 1. john. 5. if we will not wink one at another's faults, that the whole world lieth in wickedness, that is, all men generally, as of themselves, lie as it were buried in evil, and that many wicked people forget God, Psal. 9 and therefore, as the prophet sayeth, shall be turned into hell. For of two detestable iniquities & most grievous enormities, namely maliciousness, and forgetfulness of God, we have in these our days two manifest arguments, apparent signs, and plain tokens, to wit, men's negligence, coldness and slackness in the invocation of God by prayer, and their ingratitude in not ascribing praise and giving thanks to the Lord of life for his benefits bestowed upon us. These two kinds of impiety do spring from two most horrible and filthy fountains of all iniquity, namely ignorance, and security: Ignorance, when a man knoweth neither God, nor himself rightly, nor his due obedience to God: Security's when a man knoweth, and yet regardeth not, but contemneth the judgements and law of God. Therefore as all the faithful ministers of the word of God in fulfilling their functions diligently & faithfully, 〈◊〉 rebuking the people for their disobedience and iniquities meekly and modestly, 1. Tim. 5. 2 Tim. 2. must needs see a●… note these four pernicious and pestilent maladie●… wherewith the flock of jesus Christ is most mi●…rably assailed, dangerously depraved, and dea●… annoyed by that ancient, malicious and subtle serpent, and do like good Physicians apply wholesome medicines of the word of God unto these cruel wounds of the envious enemy, and after the example of that merciful Samaritaine, cure and comfort the wounded & afflicted consciences, Luke. 10. giving two pence unto the host for the relief and succour of him that is thus rob and spoiled of the grace of God that cometh by jesus Christ: which two pence are the two testaments, which our Saviour hath delivered unto the host, that is to say, to the faithful preacher and sincere disposer of the secrets of God, commanding him to take care & cure of his members, which are desttiute of the knowledge of God, and to minister unto them the most comfortable meditine of his mercy in the merits of jesus Christ: So I being one of the lest of the ministers of jesus Christ (which ●…m not worthy to be called his minister, because I ●m not any way at all able to fulfil the due office perfectly, nor do the duty thoroughly of that high, holy, worthy, excellent & reverend vocation) seeing and lamenting the ignorance and negligence of the people of God, the flock of jesus Christ, my brethren ●y adoption and grace in Christ, was moved and inflamed with zeal of the lords house to bring somewhat unto the building thereof by writing, sith that cannot by preaching, being not called to the divine, sacred and reverend function. Mat. 25. Luke. 19 For as our Saviour ●ayeth, he that receiveth but one talon, ought not to ●…igg and hide the same in the earth, or lay it up in secret. Cic. pro Arch. poe. And as Cicero saith in his oration Pro Archia Poeta Caeteros pudeat, siqui ita se literis abdierunt, ut nihil ●…ssint ex his neque ad commimen● afferre fructum, neque 〈◊〉 aspectum lucemque proffer. That is, Let others be shamed, or, other men may be ashamed, if any such ●ere be, that have so studied in secret, that out of ●…eir studies they can neither afford any thing unto the commodity of the common wealth, 〈◊〉 bring any thing abroad into the sight and light of the world. Let such be admonished of their charge, and excited and stirred up unto diligence and vigilancy with this sage sentence of Cicero Cic. Cornific. Famili 12. Nulla lassi●… impedire officium & fidem debet. That is. No wearyne●… ought to hinder men in doing their duty duty fully and faithfully. Therefore let us not be weary 〈◊〉 well doing, but labour to reap the fruit. I writ 〈◊〉 this, to dispraise or reprehend the negligence of any man, or to commend mine own industry, which were a point of errogancie, but to animate and encourage them, whom duty bindeth, and the gift of knowledge enableth, having received many tale●… of the Lord, to labour in the lords vinyeard diligently and faithfully, which is a part of charity. For the Lord God, who searcheth the hearts and rei●… and looketh into men's thoughts, Eccles. 23. whose eyes are 〈◊〉 thousand times brighter than the Sun, beholding all the ways and works of men, he, I say, knoweth all the mind, will, intent, desire and affection of 〈◊〉 faithful servants? Psal. 38. and their groanings are not hidd●… from him Surely all the faithful disposers and towards of the holy mysteries and secrets of God, 〈◊〉 of the manifold graces of jesus Christ, have gr●… cause to lament these evil and woeful days, Revel. 12. wherein the devil is come down to the inhabitants of the earth, that is, to those that are given to the wo●… and fleshly lusts: and to bewail the blindness 〈◊〉 hardness of man's heart, whose imaginations are 〈◊〉 even from his youth: Gen. 8. and the great wickedness 〈◊〉 man on the earth, so that the earth is corrupt before God, Gen. 6. and filled with cruelty, because all flesh 〈◊〉 corrupt his way upon earth. For even as it was in 〈◊〉 days before the deluge or flood, when those ob●…rate and obstinate Giants contemned the preachi●… and despised the warnings of Noah, the friend of God the eight person a preacher of righteousness, 2. Pet. 2. 1 Pet. 3. yea rather were disobedient unto our Saviour, who in spirit preached unto them by the mouth of No: So now it is to be feared, jerem. 9 yea rather with heads full of water, and with eyes that have a fountain of tears, the pastors of Christ's flock have cause to weep day and night, because so many wanton worldlings lie weltering in wickedness, and turn the grace of God into voluptuousness, jude. being fulled asleep in carelessness, and carried headlong to perdition with contempt of the word of God. Ephes. 2. 2. Tim. 2. Now undoubtedly is the time come, wherein the prince of darkness beareth such sway in the children of disobedience, and holdeth so many disobedient wretches captive at his will. Now doth that malicious adversary that roaring lion walk and let about, 1. Pet. 5. seeking and gaping for his prey most perniciously, devoureth so many silly miserable and succourless souls cruelly. Now because the hirelings (of whom we have to too many) care not for the sheep, john. 10. but leave them without succour and defence, and fly from them: the wolf cometh upon them with insatiable rapacity and greediness, and catcheth and scattereth the sheep and maketh lamentable havoc of the poor afflicted flock of jesus Christ. Now verily, yea even now at this present, Revel. 12. the great Dragon that old Serpent, called the devil and Satan, showeth his rage, and hath great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Mat. 4. For he is the Prince of this world: which title he usurpeth and challengeth to himself, and he rideth upon wanton wicked worldlings, as it were upon a horse. And this is the cause, that there be so many workers of iniquity, Mat. 7. 2. Thess. 3. so little faith on earth, so few faithful followers of Christ. We are they upon whom the end of the world is come: for whereas the Apostle saith, Hebr. 9 that Christ in the end of the world hath appeared once to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. To which wor● the Apostle Saint Peter agreeth, 1. Pet. 4. and saith, Now the end of all things is at hand: how much more now may this our time and age be called the end, si● that we are come so much nearer unto the day of the Lord? For now all those evils, calamities & sorrows which our Saviour foretold should come upon the earth, are come in deed, and those true prophecies of the infallible truth itself are now most certainly fulfilled, Mat. 24. and most manifestly verified. For, iniquity is increased, yea it aboundeth, and hath the upper hand upon the face of the whole earth. Charity is cold, yea it is extremely frozen. The Disciples of Christ are afflicted, yea they are hated and persecuted every where among all nations. And although indeed here in England the light of the loving & merciful countenance of our good, gracious, & long suffering God, doth now at this present shine among us most comfortably, (blessed be his holy name therefore:) yet it is to be feared, yea surely it is rather to be expected, that our sinful security, noughty negligence, and horrible ingratitude, will very shortly, and sooner than many think, turn away his favourable face from us, and set his face with heavy displeasure and indignation against us, and take away these his great blessings of peace, tranquillity, truth and prosperity from us. For when they shall say peace and safety, 1. Thess. 5. then shall sudden destruction come upon them. Ought not we then to look daily and continually for these imminent perils and punishments? Seeing therefore that all these calamities and afflictions present are justly come upon this wicked world, and many m● grievous sorrows are to be looked for: 2. Pet. 3. what manner persons ought we to be in holy conversation and godliness, looking for, and hasting unto the coming of the day of God? How great cause have we to watch, that we may be ready for the coming of the Lord? Happy are those wise virgins, who having oil in their lamps, Mat. 25. are ready to meet the blessed bridegroom jesus Christ, and do enter with him unto the glorious marriage of him that most loving husband with his Church, that is, the congregation of all faithful souls dispersed upon the face of the whole earth, and knit together in one by faith, and by the confession of his holy name, through the operation of his holy Spirit: Ephes. 5. Which Church he hath sanctified and appointed to be his spouse or bride, holy, chaste, and without reprehension. Mat. 22. Happy are those guests that come in thither, clothed and adorned with the most precious wedding garment of his righteousness, of a pure affection, and upright conscience, wherewith all they are invested that assuredly and constantly believe in him, and in whom by his righteousness grace reigneth unto everlasting life. Happy are those servants, whom their lord when he cometh, shall find well doing. Mat. 24. Luke. 12. &. 19 For such good faithful servants will the Lord himself commend in the presence and hearing of their brethren, and make them partakers, possessors of his unspeakable joys. Happy are they that so continue to the end, for they shall be saved. These are they that be clothed with white garments, even with the innocency, sincerity & perfect righteousness of that immaculate lamb, Revel. 7. whom he hath purged, washed, cleansed and purified with his most precious blood. These are they whom he that rideth on the red horse persecuteth, Revel 6. even Satan with his bloody tyranny. But the Lord will for their sakes shorten these evil, woeful, miserable, Mat. 24. and sorrowful days: for so he provideth for his children in the midst of their troubles. Yet a very little while, Hebr. 10. and he that shall come, will come, and will not carry: as he himself promiseth, saying, Revel. 22. Behold I come shortly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. Therefore he will come shortly; to comfort us which have the 〈◊〉 fruits of his Spirit, Rom. 8. which mourn in ourselves, and look and wait for the adoption. even the deliverance of our body. Philipp. 3. 1. Thess. 4. And he will come, to change o●… vile bodies, and make them like unto his glorious body, & to receive us up in glory, that we may ever be with him. burr we must beware, that we esteem not the length nor shortness of the Lords coming by our own imaginations, but with all patience ●… be constant and rejoice in all our tribulations: 2. Pet. 3. for the Lord is not slack concerning his promise. O how joyful shall his coming be to all them that look for the same patiently and faithfully! O how terrible and dreadful shall the fight of him be to them the pierced him, Zach. 12. Phis. 3. 2. Tim. 3. Heb. 6. Luke. 16. &. 17. Mark. 16. Luke. 16. &. 20. joh. 12. Rom. 9 Rom. 2. Mat. 25. 2. Cor. 5. to the enemies of his cross, to them that resist the truth, to them that crucify him afret, to the hypocrites and unbelievers, to them that ●…stifie themselves, and have not attained the righteousness of faith! Upon them shall that elect and precious stone fall, and all to grind them to powder. Upon them shall come indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon the soul of every man that doth evil. When the son of man cometh in his glory, and all the holy Angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory; and before hi● shall be gathered all nations. Therefore remembering and considering that we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that every man may receive the things that are done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good as evil: It behoveth us, as the Psalmist saith, to number our days, Psal. 90. that we may apply our heart's v●… wisdom. The days of our pilgrimage (as jacob saith) are few and evil, Gen. 47. which when they are passed, we can not call again, as the Poet hereunto alludeth: V●… irrevocabile tempus. Let us therefore follow the admonition of the Apostle, Ephes. 5. and redeem the time, because the days are evil: and recompense the race of lewd life that we have run, with godly conversation all the residue of our age. And forasmuch as we commonly consume and lose the most and best part of our age and life time, especially youth in vanities and frivolous delights: we must beware, Luke. 21. lest our hearts be oppressed and overcome with cares, with sensuality, with intemperance, with concupiscence, and voluptuousness, and so death come hastily upon us, and prevent us, Eccles. 12 before we remember our creator now in the days of our youth, wealth and prosperity: 1. Thess. 5. and lest the day of the Lord coming as uncertainly and suddenly as a thief in the night, take us unwares, and find us unprepared and provided. But let us watch diligently and continually for the defence and safeguard of our houses, that is to say, of these our earthly and transitory tabernacles, Mat. 24. our frail bodies, and let us not suffer them to be broken up and digged through, and the treasures of our souls dearly bought, Hebr. 9 and our consciences purged with the blood of jesus Christ, to be spoiled and carried away unto perdition by the unclean spirit, which never resteth until he return unto the place from whence he came out, Mat. 12. if he can find ingress and regress possibly, and maketh the end of his captive far worse, and more miserable than the beginning. And let us through assured faith in Christ jesus, Mat. 6. lay up for our souls incorruptible and unmovable treasures in heaven: and whilst we are in these tabernacles, let us keep surely and safely the same treasures of the grace of Christ jesus in these our earthen vessels. 2. Cor. 4. Happy are they that have their loins girded about, and wait for their master, with their lights or lamps burning in their hands: Luke 12. the light whereof shineth to the glory and praise of God, and to the good example of men, and edification of the Church of Christ, whose godly, virtuous, and honest conversation even the Gentile, superstitious, & idolatrous people beholding, 1. Pet. 2. are moved and induced thereby to extol and magnify the name of god, in the day when God doth mollify, open, and illuminate their blind and hard hearts, by the light of the Gospel of jesus Christ. If we would consider how short, momentany & miserable our life is, we should never be drawn with any earthly pleasures, and worldly delights (which indeed are nothing else but miseries) from the most comfortable contemplation, cogitation, and desire of that life to come, which so far exceedeth this, as no heart is able to conceive, nor tongue express. For, as the Apostle sayeth, The things which eye hath not seen, neither ear hath heard, 1. Cor. 2. neither came into man's heart, are, which God hath prepared for them that love him. Esai. 64. So that no mortal man can think God's providence towards his. The eternity of which incomprehensible and inexplicable felicity may be perceived by these words, Eccles. 18. like as drops of rain are unto the sea, and as a gravel stone is unto the sand, even so is a thousand years unto the days everlasting. But as for our life what is it else but a vapour, jam. 4. that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away? David very aptly likeneth and resembleth the life of man sometime to a span, Psal. 39 Psal. 90. sometime to a shadow, sometime to sleep, sometime to a wind that passeth over, and cometh not again, sometime to a dream, sometime to a tale that is told, Psal. 49 62 102 & 103 73. & 78. the remembrance whereof is soon and suddenly gone, sometime to vanity, sometime to a flower, to hay, to grass, to beasts that perish. And therefore he oftentimes complaineth of the shortness of his age and life time. Full well in deed may our life be likened to a dream, the delights & pleasures thereof do so soon vanish away, even as commonly it cometh to pass in a dream when one awaketh. For a man dreameth, that he hath great plenty of delicious meats and banqueting cheer, & when he awaketh, he feeleth nothing but hunger. Again, in sleep a man weeneth, that he hath abundance of riches, gold and silver, and worldly wealth, and being awaked, findeth nothing but poverty. Even so all the glory, beauty, bravery, pomp, pride and pleasure of this world, passeth and vanisheth away like a dream or a trance, like a fantasy or most vain vision. Therefore the earth is as it were a stage, whereon every man living in his state, condition, order and degree, doth play his part: Some representeth and beareth one person, some another. Emperors, kings, princes, precedents, lieutenants, bishops, judges, magistrates, philosophers, learned men, and all they which being placed in any degree of dignity, do rule & govern the common wealth, Psal. 39 are not in deed those persons, which in the eye of the world, and light of the common wealth they show themselves to be, neither are they in very deed endued with such good things as they seem to have. No surely, they are but players upon the scaffold for a short time: yea according to this common saying, Homo bulla, they walk in a vain shadow. And therefore their felicity, Psal. 39 be it never so glorious in the eyes of men, Eccle. 1. is nothing else but vanity. For the riches of this world is even beggary: and the wisdom of men what is it else but foolishness? 1. Cor. 1. They that take pain and have pleasure and delectation in reading, not only the sacred monuments and holy histories contained in the Bible, but also the strange mutations, alterations, subversions and ruins of the greatest Monarchies, famous Kingdoms, royal realms, and flourishing common wealths, and of the sudden decay and passing away of the pomp & pride of this world, which profane writers have chronicled, and left unto their posterity, may well consider and easily see, how frail, fickle, and transitory the glory of all famous antiquities, and renowned monuments hath been, whereof n●… in these days scarcely any token or memorial is le●… in the world to be seen: which fading away of all these goodly flowers, a very learned writer in these our days hath pithily and prettily comprehended in this elegant Distichon, or couple of verses: Laurentius Humfredus in lib. de vita & morte joan. juelli. En fuit, en non est Babylon, nec Persicae pompae, Nec Graecum imperium nec Latialis honos. Lo Babylon was, but now is not, nor pomp of Persian land, Nor Empire of the Greeks', nor wealth of royal Rome doth stand. Eccles. 10. The Lord hath cast down the thrones of proud princes, and set up the meek in their stead. Seeing then that God hath thus cut down and overthrown all the proud nations, ever since the beginning of the world: will he not likewise destroy that man of sin, even the son of perdition, which exalteth himself so high, 2. Thes. 2. that he sitteth as God in the temple of God, and showeth and boasteth himself that he is God? Yes no doubt, the Lord will consume him with the spirit of his mouth, that is, with his word, yes and that shortly: Revel. 22. for he promiseth so, and saith: Surely, I come quickly. Amen Even so come Lord jesus, Et citò conteras, oraemus illum fumosum saeculi Typh●…. And beat and break down quickly that smoky pride of the world, Lord we pray thee. And then God the father will exalt and set up for ever and ever throughout all worlds, and all endless eternity the kingdom of the meek and lowly Prince, Act. 10. even his dear son jesus Christ: with whom is no respect of persons, but among all men he that feareth God, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. And when he hath put down and subdued all his enemies, and joined his chosen unto himself, spiritually and corporally, then will he deliver up to God his father that peaceable kingdom, 1. Cor. 15. that is to say, those whom he hath redeemed with his own blood, Mat. 13. and they shall shine as the Sun in his heavenly kingdom. There they shall see the eternal fountain, and (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Mat. 5. job. 9 Psal. 24. Esai. 60. 1. Pet. 1. Philpp. 3 1. joh. 3. Revel. 7. & 21. Psal. 91.96.121. Esai. 35.49.60.65. Psal. 16. 1. Cor. 15. Revel. 22. that is) form of the highest excellency, of the most principal beautitude of the chiefest goodness communicating himself with them all: unto whom things that be past, do not pass, nor things to come do succeed, almighty, incomprehensible, whom the Angels desire to behold. None lame, or blind, none deformed or maimed, shall be there. Life shall be without end, love shall not languish, joy shall not decrease, nor youth wax old. No grief, no pain, no sorrow shall be felt, no mourning shall be heard, no grievous thing seen, no danger of sin, no rebellion of the flesh, no night, no sleep the image of death, no meat or drink the helps of humane infirmity, no traffic or merchandise, no arts or sciences, no money the cause of discord, and the root of all evil: but all goodness, immortal peace, and perfect tranquillity, unspeakable felicity, the most blessed presence of the divine majesty shall be all in all, to whom be all praise, power, glory, honour, might, and majesty for ever and ever, throughout infinite eternity. Amen. The Sanctuary of Salvation, Helmet of Health, and Mirror of Modesty and good manners. We must chiefly fasten our eyes upon God through Christ, and lift up our mind unto him. CHAP. 1. From whence salvation is to be sought. Whosoever is very desirous of his Salvation, and ardently seeketh his own safety and good state, and in this his appointed standing place of life, wisheth with great watchfulness and vigilancy, and without fear and fainting to abide and stand fast against imminent chances, harms, damages and inconveniences, which in every moment do assail us, and soon and suddenly fall upon us: Let him fix his eyes upon our most gracious and most mighty God and heavenly father by Christ, and have his mind, which hath flowed from this most plentiful fountain, God the fountain of all good things. continually lifted up unto him, and me look unto any other, nor seek assurance of Salvation of any other, but trust and leave to him only, serve, worship, and reverence him, and ask of him all things necessary to salvation through the trust and confidence of our Mediator. The magnificence of God towards man. And further let him diligently consider, and attentively ponder with himself, how great bounteousness God useth towards mankind, with what ornaments and gifts of nature he furnisheth him, with what worthiness and excellency he adorneth him, unto what renown and honour he advanceth this his workmanship compact of the earth? How great benefits God the Creator of all things hath bestowed upon man. CHAP. 2. AS the form & outward fashion and shape of man's body, being high and strait upright towards Heaven, The double shape of man. to the end he may learn to have his eyes directed unto his first beginning, is goodly to behold and cunningly and comely expressed above other creatures: so also his inward shape doth marvelously adorn and beautify him, Genes. 1. because it is conformed according to the image and likeness of God, that is, representeth and showeth the substance of his Creator, Man is the image of God. and cometh nearest unto his nature. Which virtue, efficacy and power, being excellent and infused into him from God, consisteth wholly in the soul and mind, being drawn forth from the principal pattern and sacred closet of the Godhead. By which divine gift man attaineth to be endued with reason, judgement and understanding, and made capable of heavenly doctrine, and by conceiving the knowledge of God, 2. Cor. 3. and by the light of faith, is united unto him, and wholly transformed into him. But besides other notable prerogatives, man hath specially gotten this, that whereas God hath made other creatures reasonless, that is to say, dumb and destitute of the use of speech and voice, he hath granted to man the gift of speaking, Wherein man differeth from beasts. whereby he may communicate and impart to others the meaning of his mind, and declare the conceit of his counsel and purpose, & which is the chiefest of all and most acceptable to God, Speech is a singular gift of God. that with his voice he extol and most highly praise his Creator, the knowledge of whom he hath conceived in mind by faith. For by this means not only his Majesty, and his great power, God requireth thankfulness. and high honour is magnified, but also according to the small portion and measure of man's wit, some thanks (even so great thanks as we are able to give) for the benefits that we receive, is acquitted, and a testification of our thankful, ready, and well willing mind towards our bountiful father, Psalm. 16. is uttered and declared: and because God needeth not our goods, he requireth nothing else of us, but love and thankfulness. Nothing more dear in the sight of God the● man, and that all things are created for the use and commodity of man. CHAP. 3. God beareth a marvelous love to man. FOrasmuch as God beareth a singular love towards man, he hath garnished his heart and mind, wherein his divine power appeareth, with many and great ornaments, and hath also furnished him abundantly with outward gifts, and with the most ample possession of things, which nature God's minister doth plentifully pour forth, and hath given unto him the governance, All things are created for the use and benefit of man. rule and principality of all the same wholly and universally, yea even to every base cobbler and meanest man, which enjoyeth the bounty of his Creator, and the goodly and passing delectable pleasantness of the whole world, aswell as any King of them all that aboundeth in wealth and riches, so that he dwelleth in the great wide and large stage of this world, not as a forayner and stranger borne, which dwelleth in another man's house, to whom the possession of worldly things appertaineth not, but as a citizen, Man is a ruler of the world. burgess, and free man of the world, and Lord of all things which the earth containeth. For unto his use and commodity, and the service and obedience of him, all things are created, whatsoever are contained in the compass and circuit of Heaven and earth, and sea? which thing David being an entire and singular praiser of the works of God, declareth in these verses. Psal. 1.8. O Lord our Lord, how wonderful is thy name in all the world? For thy magnificence is exalted above the Heavens. What is man, that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man, that thou hast regard of him? Thou hast made him a little less than God or the Angels. thou hast crowned him with glory & honour, and hast made him ruler over the works of they hands. Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet etc. By which words he showeth, how greatly God esteemeth man next after Christ, and how great the estimation of man is in his sight, to whom all the whole work of nature universally serveth and is obedient, so that not only all things are created for his commodity and ready for his use, Rom. 8. but also Christ for his sake hath submitted himself to death, for whose favour and merits the father giveth us all things abundantly. How great the thankfulness of man toward God ought to be. CHAP. 4. This thing ought chiefly to stir up man ●… love God entirely and worship him sincerely, that when as man was abandoned from God, and cast down into everlasting death, for breaking his commandment, our heavenly father for the singular favour and merits of Christ, The reconciliation of man. received him into favour again: for Christ having compassion on the calamity of 〈◊〉 reconciled man to his father, being purged by his blood, and conquering death, and shaking off the tyranny of our most cruel enemy, ●… whom man was bound and as it were in debted, delivered and brought man safe again into the liberty which he had lost, and restored him unto the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven, so that as Saint Paul witnesseth, we are no more foreigners and strangers with God, Ephes. 2. but citizens & heirs, finally his friends and of his household, being builded upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, jesus Christ being the head corner stone, by whom we have access and entrance in one spirit unto the father. Tit. 3. Wherefore sith that every one of us by the help of wholesome and sound doctrine, is grafted into Christ by faith and by the fountain of regeneration, and as Saint Paul saith, 2. Tim. 1. Hath obtained grace and inheritance by the renewing of his holy spirit, which he hath poured forth upon us richly: It is meet, and the restoration of our saving health doth require, that all our hope and trust being reposed in so bountiful a father, and his son jesus Christ, who hath abolished death and sin, we submit ourselves to him, and direct our life, conversation, desires, delights and studies unto his good will and pleasure, and with pureness of heart, holy and unblamable manner of living, Our life must be approved unto God. and continual and fervent prayer knit ourselves and cleave fast unto him, and endeavour all that ever we can, to seek and get his favour and grace, by and through jesus Christ our only advocate with the father, the only propitiation for our sins. What good man hath by Baptism, and what we are taught thereby. CHAP. 5. BEcause Baptism or the holy washing is the first entrance, What effect Baptism hath. and the very door and porch into the Church, congregation & company of the faithful, it bringeth us into the hope and trust of our salvation. For our bodies being mortified, and our minds renewed by faith and repentance, that is, by detesting and abhorring our former life we are graft●… to Christ, who by the use of this outward symbol, Sacrament and token, doth wash ou●, wipe away, and abolish the spots and corruption of our mind by shedding his holy Spirit into our hearts, by whom we concei●…ing the assurance of our salvation, do boldly 〈◊〉 Abba Father. Which calling on the Father with twice and double repetition of the same word, is of such efficacy and so speedy a●…medie, that it obtaineth all things at the hand of our bounteous father, so that a man direct his desires and prayers, his petitions and so has full sighs unto him by Christ. For he being our Captain, 1. joh. 5. jam. 1. & 5 our guide, our leader, and only Mediator, who by his own blood hath deli●…ued and obtained grace for us, verily there is nothing that is expedient for our health, safety and salvation, but we have the same granted unto us, Prayer by Christ is effectual. neither shall our prayers at any time be void or unavayleable: Neither are the ears of so good and gracious a Father shut up, but are open unto their prayers, for whose redemption he hath given and bestowed his only begotten son. We must love God first and chiefly, and then our neighbour. CHAP. 6. Love towards God. AS our charity, that is, our entire, Deut. 6. josu. 22. & 23. pure and sincere love, must most specially be showed, uttered and declared towards God, to whom we own whatsoever we have, and on whom all man's power and strength which consists in the mind, heart, soul, and spirit, Marc. 12. Luc. 10. aught to be employed, fixed and bestowed: so consequently also towards our neighbour, that is, towards him that is of the sal●er nature and condition, common and incident alike to every one of us, our love must be bend and directed as largely, amply and fervently, as every one of us love themself, so that all men willingly and gladly be diligent to help their neighbours, and secure them in their necessity and poverty, Love towards our Neighbour. with their counsel and riches, if at any time the cause so require and occasion offer itself, which occasion a man also of himself ought to seek and take, to do a benefit to his neighbour, even of his own accord, without any craving. For this is the chief fruit of faith, and a sincere and unfeigned testification of the true profession of Christianity. How great the loving kindness and 〈◊〉 affection of Children ought to be toward their Parents. CHAP. 7. But as we own all things to God, much ●… our country and friends, so also we do own not a little deal to our parents. And albeit it is not needful exactly to prescribe what observance and reverence ought to be done unto them, for as much as it is natural in man to have love and bear good will toward them that be his own, yea even in the heathen people, Matth. 5. as Christ our Saviour saith, so that this affection (although the duty thereof be performed) deserveth no praise, but escheweth offence and transgression: Affection of Children towards their Parents. Prover. 23. yet nevertheless every one, even from his childhood, must earnestly and thoroughly be taught this lesson, to love his parents very entirely and heartily, by whose travail and means he had his first beginning of life and participation of this light, so that he obey and follow their will in all things which reason induceth, and equity requireth, as we read how Christ was obedient to joseph and Marie his mother. Luc. 2. Exod. 20. Deu. 5. Mat. 15. Ephes. 6. For that natural and loving affection, obedience, and reverence, which is exhibited to parents, is acceptable and well pleasing to God: which thing also is earnestly prescribed both in the old and new Testament. A pretty learned saying is that of Pittacus the Philosopher, Such rewards and stipends as thou bestowest on thy parents, such do thou look to receive of thy sons. To which effect belongeth that sacred sentence of Christ, having a further and more ample signification, Matth 7. With what measure ye meet, with the same shall other men measure to you. Marc. 4. For by transgressing and neglecting of this precept, it commonly cometh to pass, that parents find their children stiffnecked, stubborn and disobedient, so that when they are of more age, they refuse, disdain and despise the admonitions of their foreelders, yea and that worthily oftentimes by the just vengeance of like punishment, because they showed themselves intractable towards their elders, and were despiteful against them. How every one should behave himself towards his master that instructeth him. CHAP. 8. Honour to be given to Schoolmasters. Exhibit and give unto thy masters which inform and teach thee, and adorn thy mind with the studies of learning, no less honour than unto thy parents. For so the Poet Inuenal praiseth those elders, and prayeth that their souls flitted and departed from their bodies, may have good luck and prosperity, because they did bear singular favour and good will towards their masters as well as toward their parents, thus he saith: Sat. 7. God give the ghosts of those old men a light thin easy ground, And saffron sweet to smell therein, and spring in pitcher found Perpetually, because that they would have their master be In parent's steed, whom to obey they counted equity. Lib. 2. cap. 10. So Fabius admonisheth scholars to love their masters, no less than their studies, and to account them as parents, not of their bodies indeed, but of their minds. For, to be borne, and to be instructed, are two things of like sort and condition, and almost of like nature: because the one doth procreate the body, the other doth inform, frame & fashion the mind. If therefore fathers which be adorned with the studies of humanity, Instruction adorneth the mind. do bestow and employ their diligence and labour in instructing and informing their own children, or if they being destitute of such aid and ready furtherance, do use the help of a learned teacher for their children to attain to wisdom and good discipline, surely there is nothing can be more largely and frankly bestowed on the children for the purchasing of renown and the commendation and ornament of virtue. For by such education, nurture & good bringing up, the mind is not only decked and beautified with most excellent virtues, to wit, integrity and uprightness of life, honest & good behaviour, continency, chastity, lowliness, gentleness, meekness, modesty, humanity, righteousness, temperancy, courtesy: but also great wealth, honour and preferment, whereunto learning is the way of advancement, is appointed, assigned and attributed to them without their seeking, yea and in a manner oft-times against their will and desire. Unto what persons in human society honour and reverence must chiefly be given. CHAP. 9 HOnour ought indeed to be given to every man according to his dignity and order, Rom. 13. as S. Paul commandeth, but specially to the old age full of years and hoary hairs, to which we all come soon and shortly, this duty must be fulfilled. Old men must be honoured. So by the ordinance of God doth Moses teach, saying, Levit. 19 Rise up before the hoary head, and honour the person of the old man. Lycurgus the Lacedæmonians lawmaker appointed this also to be observed. He would not have the rich and mighty men to have the greatest honour, but the old men according to the degree of their age. And surely age● not more honoured in any place of the wo●… Amongst this sort and order we must recla●… and repute the Magistrate, To whom honour must be given. Rom. 13. Magistrates must be honoured. the dignity of th● Consul or chief justice, Praetor or Mayor, whose wise government, policy and authority, is a steadfast stay to the safety of the Common wealth, by means whereof all the realm hath peace and tranquillity, without any section, tumult or rebellion. To these must we add and account men that be of approved honesty, and well known and well grown in years, or Gentlemen and Barons that come of gentle and noble house and ancestry, or them also that be excellently furnished with the studies of good learning, and thereby become worthy ornaments of their country. But the higher dignity and more chief estimation in this respect, Ministers of the Church must be honoured. and in observing of this duty, do I ascribe and assign unto them which labour fervently in the ministery and holy functions of the Church or congregation, and bestow their study, labour and travail in informing the minds, and reforming the depraved manners of men. So doth S. Paul pronounce the Elders, 1. Tim. 5. that is to say, they which give light and ensample to their flock by sober and discreet behaviour, by sage fatherly wisdom, and integrity of life, and do feed the hungry multitude with wholesome doctrine, and with the pure and sincere food of the word of the Gospel, these, I say, Rom. 12.13 Philip. 2. he affirmeth to be worthy of double honour, and all things requisite must be bestowed on them plenteously and copiously, not only reverence according to their age, but also such necessary aids and allowances, as they may therewith moderately be sustained, and be furnished and stored with necessary household substance. What commodity instruction bringeth to a man, and how it must be used, and of what manner and sort it ought to be. CHAP. 10. GReat respect, The good that man hath by instruction. care and regard ought to be had in what manner of learning any one is to be trained up. Wherefore so soon as ever age is capable of discipline, and apt and meet for the study of good letters, let it be seasoned and savoured speedily with liberal and gentle Artes. For by them chief the nature of man is fashioned and well framed unto good behaviour, and trimly polished with the ornament of humanity. But the most convenient, commodious and prosperous beginning of training up of youth, is first to bring their manners into good fashion. For which cause let a young man addicted to study, first re●… his manners to good order, and then let 〈◊〉 learn eloquence, and the cunning skill of ●…tering his cogitations learnedly, In Epist. which (〈◊〉 Pliny saith) cannot well be achieved w●… our good demeanour. For better is the tr●… and manner of living honestly, then of sp●…king finally and eloquently: and the integri●… of life is more to be desired, than the skill 〈◊〉 eloquence: although indeed these two ought to be linked together and not separate, and finally the one to be a help to the other. In like manner may we reason & persuade concerning the choice, Knowledge of things and words must be acquired. discerning and judgement of words and matters: for although the knowledge of things is more to be wished and sought, than the knowledge and elegancy of words, yet nevertheless, matters must be declared with such words as are plain, manifest, and meet for the same. And this is the cause that the precepts & documents of life, which do garnish and adorn the mind, and inform and frame the heart unto godly conversation, although of themselves they be honest and wholesome, Lib. 1. ca 1. Lib. 1. ca 3. yet notwithstanding (as Lactantius and Fabius do affirm) they have more importance and efficacy unto persuasion, whensoever a plausible style and laudable composition of words doth illuminate and set forth to the understanding of the hearers, the excellency of the matter. For those things flow into men's minds the more effectually, which are compact & framed with such pith and force of words as is convenient, and be artificially amplified with rhetorical skill. And albeit we must be so studious of words, and have so great delight therein (as some that have small skill use to do being destitute of the knowledge of things) yet for all that it is better to join prudency and good experience with eloquence and elegancy of words and utterance thereof: lest by little and little we fall to the use and custom of such words, Barbarousness to be eschewed. as are grown out of use; as are barbarous, unfit, fond, and strange, whereby the discourse and treatise, although it be pity and sententious, is rather obscured then adorned. If therefore fine, trim and elegant words have no wisdom nor gravity, weight nor pithiness of sentences in them, experience and skill without eloquence is more to be commended, then babbling & foolish loquacity. Wisdom, saith Cicero, as it is the foundation of other things, so is it also of eloquence. Wise, witty, Lib. 2. de Orat. and learned is that saying of Horace, which every man must follow in every profession, In art. Poet. The Poets red do profit men, or do delight them well, And lessons good they now and then among such pleasures tell. The praise of perfect skill is his, which mingleth goodwith sweet, His reader he doth greatly please, and gives him counsel meet. But the sacred Scripture given and uttered by the inspiration of the holy Spirit needeth no such help of man. For it delighteth, draweth, winneth and transformeth the hearts of men, not with eloquence, not with gloriousness of words, but with a certain secret, hidden and divine efficacy. Which thing when S. Paul the Apostle would testify and make known to the Corinthians, he saith thus, 1. Cor. 2. When I came unto you, and opened unto you the testimonies of God, I used no glorious finesse of words, nor great show of wisdom: neither was my word and preaching in the enticing and persuading words of man's wisdom, but in showing of the spirit and power, that your faith should not consist in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Paul's meaning is declared. By which words he doth not reject the pithy importance of words and sentences, wherewith he was plentifully stored furnished, neither doth he take from himself the power & efficacy of persuasion, The holy Scripture is not without force & efficacy. wherewith, using firm reasons and strong arguments and words meet for the matter, he drew men's minds unto the knowledge of the truth: but his will and meaning is to show, that the professors of the Gospel do not trust the force of eloquence, nor win men's hearts unto them with the sweet and pleasant allurement of words, but with the Spirit and power of God. Therefore Paul speaketh wisdom among them that be perfect, wisdom indeed not of this world, nor of the Princes of this world, that is, of the Orators which are abolished, and the smoky glory of their orations is vanished, but he speaketh the wisdom of God, that is secret & lieth hidden in a mystery, which moveth men's minds, and maketh them to regard it effectually, & pricketh and pierceth their hearts more vehemently and sharply, than any human learning & doctrine decked & polished with most exquisite words. The word of God is of fiery force. For the word of god is quick lively, & mighty in operation, as the Apostle saith, Heb. 4. and more piercing than any two edged sword, passing through even to the division of the soul and the spirit, and of the joints, and marrom, and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart. So saith God by the Prophet jeremy, jerem. 23. Is not my word like a fire, and like a hammer that breaketh the rocks? David acknowledged the same, who in his heart felt the force and flames of the word of God, saying, Psalm. 119. Thy word is tried to the uttermost. And Solomon, Prover. 30. All the words of God are pure and clean, and a shield to all them that put their trust in him. Wherefore the doctrine of Christ and Christianity ought not to be deemed of the ignorant as idle, unprofitable, or unsavoury, seeing that it endueth the minds of men with such heavenly, wholesome, and healthful power and virtue. And this is a manifest proof and token that the holy Prophets were not void of learning, but exactly and perfectly replenished with the knowledge of things and of words, because that every where in the Bible there be so many notable parables, The Prophets endued with knowledge of things. tropes, metaphors, comparisons, figurative speeches, similitudes derived and taken of living and growing creatures, and of the whole nature of things, which is most large and ample, whereby the preachings and sermons of the Prophets are so trimly decked and garnished, The Prophet's eloquent that no such thing is to be found in human discipline and learning, neither doth there come to our hand in any place such and so great majesty of words and sentences, which may affect, smite, and invite men's minds, and provoke them to embrace such documents & perfect precepts, most expedient & necessary unto salvation. Out of what books we must learn integrity of manners, honest behaviour, and good precepts of life. CHAP. 11. Instruction must begin at Christ. HOw we should lead an holy, honest, and unblamable life, we can be taught no way more assuredly, than by the ordinances, decrees, and commandments of Christ, to whom we being first admitted and instituted, made the first entrance of our profession, & gave our name, whose doctrine doth more effectually induce, affect, move, persuade, and transform the mind of man, because that the same being uttered by the inspiration and instinct of the Spirit of God, hath no worldly dregs or corruption mingled therewith, nor savoureth of old wives superstition, which is a certain shadow & an hypocritical and feigned kind of religion, and because most behoveably for our salvation the same doctrine is most clearly separated from idolatry, that is to say, from such adulterous, counterfeit, & pernicious worshipping, as is attributed to other, more or rather than unto God. And therefore to whatsoever kind of life and trade of living thou addictest and betakest thyself, whatsoever kind of study, practice and faculty thou takest in hand, wherein thou intendest to lead and spend thy whole life: exercise thyself in the word, will and testimonies of God, Tender age must be accustomed unto the best discipline. and from thy very childhood embrace his wholesome doctrine. For the heart of man even from his infancy having the sweet taste and savour of the word of God, and being environed with the safe defence thereof as with a strong munition and fortress, standeth, stoutly, abideth constantly, and defendeth itself valiantly against all manner of evil lusts, inordinate affections, & monstrous vices. For this cause jeremy giveth wholesome admonition. O how good is it, saith he, Lament. 3. for a man to take the yoke of the Lord from his youth up? For look what way a young man, saith Solomon, Prover. 22. is taught to go, the fame he will not leave when he is old. A sentence. Cyprian. Whereunto that of Cyprian is very like. Neither suddenly nor hastily can that be shaken off, which by long use and practice is grown to an old custom. For those things which every man hath been wont and accustomed unto from his first infancy, he will not easily be drawn from them when he cometh to more years. And hereupon it cometh to pass that by an old grown custom there be almost in every place so many old men that be drunkards, lecherous, and given to unlawful lust, A sentence of job expounded. so that according to the sentence of job, job. 20. Their bones are filled with the vices and vicious pleasures of their youth, that is, they be wanton and serve their lewd lusts, having no regard either of comely behaviour or of their age, so that they cannot leave off such ill custom, nor be rid out of the snares and encumbrances of such old long wont vices wherewith they are entangled. There be some indeed, which assoon as the heat of youth is past, and the flames of flourishing age are quenched, do retire & withdraw themselves from those vices unto which that age is wont to be subject, and reforming their manners, do apply and addict themselves to a more moderate manner of life. So Cicero in his oration pro Coelio saith. Cicero pro Coelio. There have been many worthy and famous men, both in our time and in our forcelders' days, which when as the lusts of youth were cooled and restinguished, became excellent virtuous men in the full strength of their age. But although we know that it hath happened so to some, which either by grief and irksomeness of the life past, or else by the motion of God's Spirit, or finally by the exhortation and admonition of their friends, have been revoked and brought to a better and a more temperate mind: yet notwithstanding many being taken away sooner than they looked for, have been utterly disappointed of the purpose of amendment of life, so that such procrastination and putting off from day to day, hath been very hurtful unto them, and the good and convenient occasion of repentance slipped away from them, before that they by detesting of vice, could embrace such purpose and manner of life as were most expedient for their salvation. Vice must be forsaken quickly and speedily. Wherefore it is better, putting away all delay, to be very careful and diligent to adome the life with virtue, & to accustom those things that be good even from the tender age, rather than long to differ the occasion of better life. The Apostle S. Paul oftentimes and in many places beateth the same into our minds, Ephes 5. Coloss. 4. and counseleth us to walk wisely and circumspectly in the course and race of this life, Not as unwise, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. By which words he giveth this admonition to every man, A place of Paul expounded. that in the race of this life they suffer not the opportunity of obtaining salvation to slip away, but every moment to take sure hold of the same when it is offered, Galat. 6. & redeem it with the loss of all other things, lest when we think least, we happen to be found and taken unawares drowned in drowsy security. Matth. 13. Luc 12. Christ also in every place raiseth and stirreth up sleepy sluggards to watching & waking vigilantly, Christ exciteth us to watchfulness. & exhorteth them with many examples to be careful of their salvation like valiant, well trained & well exercised soldiers, which being placed in a garrison, where every man must keep his standing, do always stand in readiness & prepared furniture, and never cease or slack their diligence of ward and industry of watching, lest any man break into the camp, they being not aware thereof, A place of Abacuc declared. Abacuc useth this Metaphor: Abacuc. ●. I will stand upon my ward or watch, and set my step upon my bulwark, and look and see what he saith to me. A similitude of the watch in the camp. He taketh on him the person of a watchman, who privily marketh the invasion, irruption and deceitful ambushes of the enemies, and hath his whole mind and cogitation fixed on God, and through the trust reposed in him, withstandeth the enemy, and suffereth him not to enter. Luc. 12 Matth. 24. 1. Thess. 5. 2. Pet. 3. But our Saviour bringeth and useth many very apt and fit similitudes, whereby he warneth and putteth every one of us in mind of our duty, as namely, of the watching and scoultes of the camp, of the thief, robber & hous-breaker in the night, of the sudden sorrow of a woman travailing with child, Luc. 12. of the bridegroom which goeth forth to make ready the manage, of the unknown coming of the master and goodman of the house not looked for, of calamities, Matth. 25. troubles, sorrows, and wars that shall come upon the earth, of famine and desolation that is even at hand, Marc. 11. of the figgtree that buddeth and blossometh and bringeth forth his green tendrilles, of the day of death & of judgement, and many such other: whereby he plucketh us by the ears, and maketh us attentive to take heed unto our salvation. They that be young have a very good example given to them of Christ, Luc. 2. The childhood of Christ commended. how they should trade and lead their life, even in their very childhood. For he being a child prospered in age and wisdom before God and men, in whose sight his modesty, mildness, and innocency of life made him gracious, amiable, and worthy of love and favour: him it is meet for children and all ages to follow above all other, and after his example to approve and make commendable their study, zeal, affection and diligence unto all men among whom they dwell. And whereas our Lord jesus at the age of twelve years showed a worthy trial and token of his towardness amongst the wise and learned men, and spoke many things very fit for the time and meet for the matter, and when he was asked he answered mildly, gently, & modestly, without any token of arrogancy or pride, which vices are wont to be in young men, that be of a ripe and bold wit: Christ is the scope, mark, pattern and example of life. I expound this same thing to have a great meaning in it, and this consideration to be had thereof, namely, that they which be of such young age, following the example of our Saviour, should even in the spring time of their age declare some manifest proof of their towardness, and show either to their parents or to their acquaintance some hope of virtue already begun. But considering that thou hast need of some leader and guide, which may plainelv as it were pointing with his finger, tell thee what way thou shouldst go, and how to follow and attain to the best exampls of life, I will show thee now as occasion offereth me, what arts and sciences are best for thee to embrace, and to what authors thou shouldst addict and give thyself, that thereby thou mayst get sure, sound, and perfect learning, and mayst be advanced ●o the highest dignity, or such degree as is next thereunto. What authors are most profitable for the attaining of eloquence, and to adorn the mind, and what arts must chiefly be embraced. CHAP. 12. SEe that thou have such choice of authors, that thou determine to read and imitate those that be best commanded and most approved. For he is an unwise man, The best authors must be imitated every of them. which endeavouring to imitate, and desiring and striving to emulate and to do as well as other men, doth not seek and earnestly follow those things that be good & most profitable. In the nature of things we may plainly learn this by the very sowing of corn: for we use to sow and put into the ground the best wheat we can choose and get: and the cunning feat of graffing teacheth us the same evidently▪ for we use to graff the kindliest imps and most fruitful young sets into the stock of a● other tree. A similitude of graffing of Trees. Which thing also is usually observed in the lively making of a picture, in setting of a song, in Poetry, and Rhetoric, and in c●posing of Poems and Orations, wherein the curious and industrious follower, that contendeth to countervail his precedent, endeavoureth and striveth to imitate those things that be most cunningly done and most perfectly made. We must endeavour unto the best things after the example of S. Paul. The Apostle Saint Paul 1. Cor. 12. willeth men to observe the same in those things that appertain to godly zeal, and the gifts of the holy Ghost; that they should labour, aspire and covet after the best and chiefest of the same. For whosoever shall in such wise either bend his study, or tend and direct the course of his life, he shall never repent him of his diligence so bestowed, or of his travail so well employed, as we see commonly unwise men to do, which have entangled themselves with a superstitious kind of life, or have wasted much time in an unpleasant style & form of speaking not used of the learned, and have much a do to leave it: In this respect, me think, A praise of Italy and Greece. Italy the nurse of studies, and Greece the fountain of learning, is worthy to be commended for trading and training up the tender age in all the best Sciences: which manner of instruction France and Germany ceaseth not to follow. For by this means it cometh to pass, that young men instructed with pureness of words, and elegancy of speech, do soon and speedily attain to the knowledge of things. judgement, censure, or opinion concerning heathen or profane writers. CHAP. 13. ALthough there be some, Those things which polish & adorn the style and tongue, must be embraced. which because they cannot rightly nor indifferently esteem & judge of things, do contemptuously abandon & utterly reject profane authors (as improperly & unfitly they term them) & will have no examples fetched from them, either of polishing the speech, or of ordering the life, yet in my judgement they are not to be despised. For Poets, Orators, Comedi-makers, Tragedy writers, Historiographers, are a good help for studious young men unto the knowledge of things and of words, unto liberal and natural Sciences, unto sound, sure and well grounded learning, The commodity of the finer & more polished literature & study of humanity. yea and they do set open an easy & ready entrance to the same. Good cause truly & great reason there is, that these studies are commendably entitled and worthily commended with the name of humanity & fine kind of learning, because indeed they endew and invest the tender and budding age with gentleness, meekness, and courteous conditions. Men also that be more grown in years and of ripe age, do by this study of humanity delight and recreate themselves honestly, and shake off such tediousness, as is commonly incident to them that have many great businesses and weighty affairs. Which thing was the cause, that besides other writers that were of the true faith and of right judgement and opinion, In Epist. ad Nepot. S. Basile called by surname the Great, invited and counseled his nephew to read Orators and Poets diligently. The office and duty of a Poet, and what profit studious youth and men also of good years may reap by reading of Poets. CHAP. 14. The intent and purpose and practist of a Poet. HOw perfectly and exactly a Poet, being very like to an Orator, teacheth, ordereth, and informeth children in such speech and behaviour as is most decent and convenient (for which cause he is accounted to be the master of liberal arts and comely conversation) Horace doth properly show in elegant verse, Lib. 2. Epis. ad Augustum. A Poet is a perfect informer of manners. The tender maffling mouth of child the Poet formeth well, From talk wherewith mind is dewilde his cares he doth repel, And strait his heart he brings in frame with lovely lessons so, From wrath and rancour to refrain, and envy to let go, Of deeds well done he makes report, each time how men should know Examples gives, and great comfort to poor and sick doth show. The Poet also doth inculcate into the mind of young and tender age certain other profitable precepts, not severely, not threateningly, not imperiously, lest they should be discouraged, and leave of so good a purpose: but handleth & entreateth them gently, mildly sweetly, pleasantly, and with such moderation and cunning skill, as ostler's and horsebreakers do with gentle stroking and clapping, and noise made with their mouth, accustom noble and stout stomached horses to prance and leap up, and with cunning nimbleness of their feet Virgil. Georg. 3. To bounce so bravely on the ground with swift, stout, lofty pace. Moreover these pleasant delights and recreations of studies do not only stir up, animate, & quicken the huelinesse of the spirit and power of the mind in young men & striplings, but they are also commodious, & profitable to men of greater age, whensoever they may have convenient leisure from troublesome businesses, and encumbrances of the common wealth, and weighty and earnest affairs of civil policy. Poetry is the most ancient of arts. Theoph●…stus and likewise Cicero and Fabius do affirm that the generation of Poets is of great antiquity and very ancient, and much commended of the old world. Lib. 10. c. 1. For it is certain and well known, that by them the barbarous, straying, and savage people wandering here & there like wild beasts, were drawn together, and brought to civil society of life, as Horace hath expressed in pretty pleasant verse, In art. Poet. The excellent praise of a Poet. The sacred Poet Orpheus the God's interpreter The savage people did restrain from barbarique murder And filthy feeding, for which cause the Tigers he to ta●… And Lion's rage to mitigate, is said with lasting fame. Amphion founder of the Towers of thebes with sound of 〈◊〉 Reported is to move the rocks, with sweet entreating su●e To lead them as he list. This was in old time wisdom plain The public things from private goods, the sacred from profane Discerning right to separate: give God & men their own, The bed defiled to forbid, let nuptial laws be known. Towns & Cities great to build, and grave good laws 〈◊〉 wood. Such fame and name have Poets divine, their works are thought so good. Of the use and commodity of Histories. CHAP. 15. FOrasmuch as an history, that is to say, a true and trusty narration reciting and telling of exploits and things done, hath in it no less profit than pleasure, and besides the pleasantness of reading, bringeth very much fruit of wisdom: it is me● to that every man exercise himself in the same studiously. But by the way let Titus Lini●s tell us the use, fruit and commodity of histories. Amongst all things which thou knowest, this is a thing specially available for thy health and profit (saith he), The use and commodity of histories. The commendation of an history out of Livy. That thou mayest behold the documents of every example, even as though they were placed and set in a famous and renowned monument, Out of them thou mayst take that which is good for thee and the common wealth to follow, bite in thou mayst beware of those actions and enterprises, whose beginning with dishonesty, have their end, shame and reproach, and such to eschew. So in like manner when as one demanded of Zeno, by what means a man might be made happy: If (saith he) a man earnestly behold the age that is past, that is, if he mark and consider the acts and deeds of his foreelders, & view well the monuments and renowned memorial of men of old time. The judgement of Cicero concerning an history. For a history, as Cicero witnesseth, De Oratore is the light of truth, the keeper of times, the lively and steadfast stay of memory, the mistress of life, the messenger of old age and antiquity, wherein all things be described elegantly and copiously, and very faithfully as it behaveth, & with a true narration of things as they were done. But the sacred The Bible exhibiteth wholesome histories & profitable unto the doctrine of salvation. Bible chief openeth unto us a ●…ple field and discourse of histories, and ●…streth and bringeth to our hands very 〈◊〉 narrations of most memorable acts, wher●… we may find very profitable documents, and take examples fit for the framing and leading of our life, whereof many, y●… the most pa●… do set before our eyes and mind the wonderful and dreadful judgements of God, and 〈◊〉 teach and admonish every one of us, how detestable Idolatry is in the sight of God, 〈◊〉 contempt of his holy word, and to be affected with no reverence towards him, and to so●…e protection and assurance of salvation by any other means, then by trust and confide●… in God only, and so in heart to departed from the Lord. jerem. 17. Of Comedies. CHAP. 16. The use of a Comedy. A Comedy is like to an history, because it is the mirror & glass of man's life, wherein e●ery man, under the person of another, behold 〈◊〉 & perceiveth his own manners and affections▪ and an express Image of his daily life, and marketh his own vices or virtues after a many sort, as Cicero saith, in a pretty, fine, witty, and pleasant manner. In which kind of exercise all nations for the most part, every one in their own proper tongue and peculiar language, The licence of the players of Comedies or Interludes do use oftentimes great licence and liberty of words, so that according to the saying of Horace, such liberty falleth into reprehension, & is blame worthy, because commonly the players are over sharp and bitter in noting and rebuking vices: for they do not only check men of mean estate and of the lowest sort, but they quip and taunt, and with very sharp rhythms reprehend the nobility, and men of high degree, even in the most frequented stage and scaffold of the City. Moderation of Comedies or plays must be used. Which men if they would attempt such a thing qithout any spite or spot of infamy, and with verses that be not so seditious, & would sharpen their tongues against them only which have deserved it, then it may seem tolerable, to the end that the diseased and sick persons, when they are rubbed on the sore, may repent, and remember to have better regard of their duty. We commonly call the rhythmical verse and tunable modulations, where with Comedies are made, Stage plays or Interludes. Certain things which must be learned in youthly age. But in very truth it is decent for young striplings and children to learn these recreations and pleasant delights of wits, & not for men of greater age: For these studies agree best with flourishing age, wherewith nevertheless the riper age, having had some taste of the same in the years that are passed, may be recreated and refreshed. Howbeit let not men of the elder so●▪ nor old men that how and sloupe for age, No age too late to learn. 〈◊〉 ashamed to learn those things that are good for their soul's health, and profitable unto the increase of virtue & honesty: For to acquire these things, as also to retire and departed from sin, there is no time either too late or out of season. Of eloquence and skilful utterance, which is profitable and necessary for every man, of what language soever he be. CHAP. 17. Rhetoric or the art of Orators, the property whereof is to declare, plead and pronounce a matter aptly, distinctly, and elegantly, To what things eloquence is profitable. and with best chosen words, and grave pithy sentences, to allure and inflame the hearts of the hearers, is profitable and necessary for those men chief, which fulfil the function of preaching, which administer and govern the common wealth, and execute the office of a Magistrate, or are placed in the dignity of Consul or chief justice, or the order of Praetor or Mayor, Seditions are quieted, appeased & repressed by eloquence. or which are busied and encumbered with the discord of soldiers, and hurley burley and outrage of the camp, and the tumult and uproar of the people and civil sedition, whose duty bindeth, and authority requireth to rule with reason and counsel, & mitigate with Majesty of words the minds of the disordered multitude kindled with fury and rage. For subjects must not always be kept in obedience with threatenings, terror, violence, fierceness, cruelty, sword & punishments, (unless some heinous offence and bloody matter require such remedy to assuage and pacify sedition and tumultuous dissension) but they must be revoked from wicked enterprises, and redu●…d unto the doing of their duty, with mild words, with sweet sovereign speech, & with grave & constant countenance. And even such like prudency and dexterity must the householder use towards his family, and schoolmasters towards their scholars, which be inclined to tumult and refuse due obedience. To what sciences and worthy learning the studies of humanity open us the way. CAP. 18. The studies of humanity or liberal learning and discipline is commodious and available, The fine polished learning of humanity adorneth the studies. not only to the polishing and adorning of the speech with pleasant allurement of words and enticements of talk, but also unto such arts and sciences as are good and necessary for man's life, as namely Physic, skill of healing, knowledge of the Law, and Philo●…phie, wherein man's mind chief delighte●… and taketh comfort, not human, The Philosophy of Christ. do I mea●… but heavenly Philosophy, whereby Christ being our captain, leader and guide, we conceive the knowledge and love of God and sure trust and confidence in him, For all a●… wherein man's industry exerciseth itself, aught to be referred and applied to this end, and directed to this mark, scope, and purpose. The professors of worldly wisdom attained not to this most excellent Philosophy, who erring and wandering wide from the truth, do inveigle men's minds with falsehood in steed of truth, with vanity and trifles in steed of the true treasure, with coloured simulation in place of sound sincerity▪ with things doubtful for things certain and sure, and hurtful for wholesome: because they were destitute of the spirit of God, and wanted the revelation and knowledge of his divine wisdom and will. Three kinds of learning that be most profitable. But seeing that amongst other, there be three sorts of learning chief, which do not only advance and profit the professors of them (although that thing ought not so greatly to be regarded) but also are commodious for men of mean estate, and a help to the competent and convenient sustenance of the life: it behoveth to deliberate without delay, which of them thou int●…dest to induce●, and unto which by nature thou art aptly and fitly framed. theology or study of divinity, that is, The commodity and fruit of the study of divinity. the knowledge of divine matters, being showed, given, and uttered by the inspiration of the holy spirit, doth inform and frame the mind to piety and godliness, and showeth how God ought to be worshipped, and by what means every man may obtain salvation, which (if it be purely and sincerely delivered unto us) doth leave all other arts far behind it, even as far as things divine do surmount human, and things firm, sure and sound, do pass those that be frail, caducall and transitory. What part of divinity is profitable for all men. That part of this knowledge is most necessary and needful for all men to the obtaining of salvation, which instilleth and infuseth faith into the heart, faith, I say, garnished & beautified with the works of charity and sincere love, as in an other place I have declared. For by this faith through Christ our conductor, We have access and entrance in one spirit unto the Father. The commodity of Physic. Physic or the knowledge of medicine by prescribing unto us frugality and temperance of sustenance, and by the use of wholesome things, respecteth and maintaineth the health, and remedieth diseases. Of preserving the health. This science, as Plutarch affirmeth, is so of the number of the seven liberal arts, that in the excellency of good regiment, in delectable pleasantness and fine civility, it is in●… to none of them. It also bringeth a 〈◊〉 plenteous reward to them that be st●…ous thereof, that is to say, beside the in●… of wealth, it also ministereth health, which 〈◊〉 more worth than all manner of riches and p●…sessions. The pleasant contemplation of herbs. As for the delight and commodi●… which cometh of the contemplation of herb●… and the knowledge of their operation and virtue of the anatomy and dissection of th● members of man's body, and the obseruati●… of all the parts thereof, no man can●… easily be persuaded therein or acknowledg●… the same, unless he have experience of it by use and exercise. The knowledge of the civil law hath been always had in gre●… honour, The commodity of the skill and knowledge of the law. whereof the office and function is to govern Cities with counsel, to 'stablish them with laws, to reform them with judgement, For common wealth to counsel well, disorders to amend, To beat down them that do rebel, true subjects to defend. Cic. pro Coelio. Which order whosoever contemneth and renounceth, he as Cicero sayeth, not only breaketh the bonds of judgements, The knowledge of the law commended of Cicero. but also of common commodity and life. We see daily that the sure stay of the common wealth standeth hereupon, and that amongst our inhabitants and country men tranquillity and peace hath possessed every place, which cometh to pass by the authority of most sure & inviolable laws, whereby the prince and magistrate exerciseth justice, and receiving his power from God, as Paul affirmeth, Rom. 13. punisheth the evil doers and the wicked, defendeth the well doers and the godly. The civil law approved of Christ and Paul. For which cause God will have singular honour & obedience given unto Kings, and to them which administer and govern the common wealth, so that they command those things that be agreeable to equity, and not disagreeable with the word of God. We must wholly addict ourselves and cleave surely unto one certain and determined kind of learning. CHAP. 19 We must cleave to one certain & determinate kind of learning. FOrasmuch as there be some, which the more pleasant those studies are that they like of, the more time and travail they spend therein, & do not apply themselves unto sure & sound literature: I do think it a part of wisdom, that he which wisheth to reap the commodity of erudition, & not to lose both cost & labour, do give himself to that kind of learning, Do nothing against nature. unto which by nature he is most fit, lest he seem to attempt some thing in despite of Minerva, that is to say, quite against nature, his in●…tion being utterly unapt thereunto: And ●…ther, that he diligently apply the study of t●… art, whereunto he hath addicted himse●… and with great and earnest endeavour 〈◊〉 with all speed possible to come to the 〈◊〉 and prefixed end of his travail, that wh●… the space of his study & race of the time the●…of is run out, he may attain to full and perfect learning (if by any means it may be ●…tayned.) Continue at study without weariness. But as for other delights and recre●tions of studies, let him take a smack or ta●… thereof now and then by fits, at certai●… hours of best leisure spared from other nec●…sarie business, to cut off tediousness, and to rest him a little from his laborious industry, so that nevertheless he apply himself unto his accustomed business and daily tas●… and return seriously unto his studies that were intermitted and left of for a time. What studies and occupations be painful and not profitable, and what studies be hurt 〈◊〉 and pernicious. CHAP. 20. WE must beware of that which some 〈◊〉 use to do in some kinds of learning, th●… is, lest we bestow great study and much labo●… in things obscure and difficult, which be 〈◊〉 necessary, Unprofitable studies must be rejected. but to employ our diligence and travail in things commendable and worthy of knowledge, for that deserveth praise. For some be occupied and much encumbered with ●inolous studies, and bestow all their industry ●n those things which have much tediousness, anxiety, and perplexity, but have very small fruit of the labour bestowed. Such are the exceeding curious observations and judgements of the planets and stars, How far forth Astrology is to be exercised. and of their constellations & influences, which be brought & sought out of the vanity of the Caldees, whereupon the undiscreet professors thereof rashly presuming, do boldly foreshow and tell, what shall chance to every man, how his nativity shall be, what fortune and hap shall come unto him, what success every man shall have, and do never seek counsel at the providence of God, when as it is manifest & most certain, that all the whole world is governed according to his good will & pleasure. The Prophet Esay reproveth the rashness of these men, Esa. 47. & 44. and reprehendeth their foretellings of fortune and chances, & derideth them which seek counsel at these, & inquire Oracles & answers of such deceivers. For thus he inveigheth against them and sharply rebuketh them: Let the heaven gazers stand up and save thee, which beheld the stars, and counted the months, that thereby they might tell thee things to come. jeremy likewise, jer. 10. Do not ye learn after the ways and manner of the Gentiles, and 〈◊〉 afraid of the tokens of heaven. For the laws of 〈◊〉 people are vain, that is to say, their 〈◊〉 proofs or demonstrations are deceitful ●…bulous. Astrology not utterly to be condemned. By which word the holy Proph●… not utterly condemn or reject Astrolog●… which hath use, commodity and profit p●…liar unto it, but they speak against such skil●… men of this art, as with deceitful diuinat●… and telling of false things for true, The vanity of Astrology reproved of the prophets. do del●… the people, & do blind & blear the credul●… & easily believing multitude with vain e●…ctation of things. Of like sort are the vaniti●… Palmistry, Arts that be hurtful. which by beholding the linea●… or lines & marks of the hands, do trifle wonderfully. Likewise the dazzling deceit and coloured craft of alchumistry, where with fri●…lous triflers do persuade men, that they 〈◊〉 turn the propriety & kind of things, & chang● silver & brass into gold. Amongst these 〈◊〉 we reckon those arts that be worse, nam●… Necromancy, whereby the bodies of the d●… are wont to be called out of their graves, & answers required of them, as we read that the Sorceress or enchanting woman did, who to gratify Saul, 1. Reg. 28. brought up Samuel in a feigned, false & counterfeit shape. Not unlike to this be hydromancy, & pyromancy, which be done 〈◊〉 water & fire: & many other illusions and juggling casts of devils, & enchantments of Magick● as Ariolation, that is prophecy of things to come, Sooth saying by view of sacrifices, noise & flying of birds, that is to say, divinations & conjectures by beholding of bowels, Witchcraft & enchanting hurtful & by the singing, chirping & chattering of birds amongst these do I reckon mischievous deeds done by sorcery & witchcraft, wherewith in Germany divers witches that hurt infants, & sorceresses by their enchantments, do hurt & harm their neighbours herds of cattle & sheep, & by the ministry of devils, do rob them of their milk & butter, & waste, spoil & break their harvest & vineyards. More over they take from men their bodily & manly strength, & make them feeble & unable 〈◊〉 natural copulation, even as though they were gelded: whereof divers men strong & firmly compact have made complaint to me, who lamented that they were degenerated into eunuchs and emasculate persons, to their great shame, & the detriment of their wives, to whom I endeavoured to minister remedy & preservatives against witchcraft, with laying to of herbs, which by the gift of God are effectual, medicinable, & a sovereign succour against such delusions of Enchantments. And therefore to weary the wit with such witchcraft, is a thing not only unnecessary & unprofitable, but also very pernicious & dangerous: Deuter. 18. for by the laws of God & men they are worthily punished & put to death, which do practise any such mischievous arts, which are the works of evil spirits. But for what cause enchantments ought 〈◊〉 utterly reproved and abandoned, I will 〈◊〉 more at large in the end of this book, w●… will entreat of the Majesty of the name of ●…sus, left here the order and course of my ●…ter and treatise be interrupted. We ought to have as great care and regard the soul and mind, as of the body, year●… much more. CHAP. 21. The care & culture that is to be employed on the mind & the body COnsidering that man consisteth and 〈◊〉 compact of body and soul, we must 〈◊〉 very diligent respect and foresig●… to the ●…tie and soundness of both these parts. 〈◊〉 soul is the chiefest part of man: the bo●… the mansion place of the soul. We have 〈◊〉 soul for a ruler and governor, but we use 〈◊〉 body rather as a servant and minister. A●… therefore we must not be negligent in the culture and due ordering of either of them. A similitude taken of household affairs Fo● we be careful, that our houses be not da●… and moist, and that the roofs and tops 〈◊〉 them be not gaping open with chinks and crannies to receive rain and wind, and ●…nally, lest our garments and coverings being filthy and not aired should be full of mocks and worms: how much more ought we 〈◊〉 look well to the body? the vices whereof 〈◊〉 annoy the mind, and pa●… to and fro from the one to the other by the consent and means of society and mutual participation. For, Horat. lib. 2 Serm. Satyr. 2. The body clogged with outward vice doth press the mind down too, And suffereth not from earth to rise the soul, as it should do. Whereunto that saying of the wise man agreeth, Wisd. 1. The body that is corrupted, is a heavy burden to the soul, and keepeth down the understanding that museth of many things. Therefore some respect must be given to the body, by the firmness and corrobation whereof (as Pliny saith) the mind is sustained. This did S. Paul observe, 1. Timot. 5. who forbidding Timothy to use water, prescribed unto him the moderate use of wine, that thereby he might strengthen his stomach, and be the more cheerfully animated and encouraged in the spreading abroad and publishing of the Gospel. For the body being kept sound and preserved safe from sickness, doth service to the mind the better, and is no hindrance or encumbrance to the clear understanding in the contemplation and studious beholding of things that be highest, most excellent, and most worthy to be known. But it is required at our hands to have special care of the soul, and to adorn and garnish it by all means possible. And there is no way better to bring this to pass, then by sure and steadfast trust in God, which raiseth up man unto the certain and undoubted hope of immortality, and delivereth ●he mind from fear and dread of death. And 〈◊〉 meat is the nourishment of the body: so is the word of God the food and sustenance of the soul, The food of the soul by which only peace and tranquillity is conceived in the conscience, than the which there is nothing more to be wished of man 〈◊〉 more worthy to be desired or fought for in the course and race of this life. But with how great grief, The ungodly are unquiet. trouble, and unquietness of conscience the ungodly are vexed, how cruel torment of mind the wicked feel, even the outward h●… bite, quality and condition of the body doth declare. For wickedness is a revenger and punisher of itself, so that whatsoever conscience it hath once caught and possessed, it never suffereth the same to be quiet, but continually vexeth tosteth, and disquieteth it with perturbations. Which the Prophet Esay evidently end pressed by a pretty similitude taken of the raging & surges of the Sea, for thus he saith: Esay. 57 The hea●… of the wicked rageth like the Sea, and the ways thereof boil out mire and dirt: that is to say the conscience of them which are contaminated with wickedness and polluted with impiety, is tumultuous, Vicious affections do annoy and hurt the mind. troublous and unquiet. And in very deed what man can have a sweet and pleasant life, or a calm and quiet mind, which carrieth about with him a body defiled with most filthy diseases, and a mind utterly overwhelmed and deformed with foul and abominable vices? Wherefore seeing that the most part of enormities proceed from the corrupt & vicious affections of the mind, we must resist the same by all means possible, lest the body have any hurt or endamagement thereby. With like care and endeavour must the body be preserved from diseases and sickness, lest some spot or contagion happen to redound from the body to the mind. Ill humours do dull and darken the understanding. For when naughty & corrupt humours bring foul fumes to the brain, they drive and provoke the mind unto many evils and inconveniences. What help must be used for the body, that it may continue in perfect health. CHAP. 22. Frugality or moderation of repast is good for the health. COntentation with a little, and temperance of food preserveth health, and driveth away sickness, using therewithal a moderation of those things, which are necessary for the stablishing of the health, & confirming of the strength. These are called of Galen the causes of conservation, Artis Medi. 85. because they be requisite and meet for the preservation of the state of the body, so that we use them conveniently, commodiously, and in due time. Men of later 〈◊〉 call them things not natural, not because 〈◊〉 be contrary to nature, but for that they are cō●…tute without the body, and be not, as the humours, are naturally graffed in us, and by vse●… effect do some what hurt nature and the pours thereof, if they be not rightly and con●…niently used. Of this sort is the air that compasseth us about, meat and drink, sleep and waking, repletion, emptiness, affections and motions of the mind, every one of the which constraineth, driveth, and reduceth the both unto the conservation and safeguard of itself. But because the chiefest part of sound health consisteth in wholesome diet, we must diligently observe and consider, what in the same is either good or hurtful for the body. And for that ingurgitation or gluttony is no less filthy and odious, then noisome and pernicious to the health, so much meat and drink must be taken, as necessity of nature requireth, and that the strength of the body be refreshed, and not oppressed. Moderation of sustenance good for students For the moderation of sustenance is very convenient and necessary in all earnest applying of studies, and businesses of great and weighty affairs, in enduring the labours of painful watching work, and in fulfilling public offices and common duties. This is it that surely stablisheth good health, this maketh both the animal & the vital spirits, which are ascribed to the brain and heart, so cheerful, so glad, prompt and courageous, that every man easily, and speedily, and without any grief, accomplisheth and bringeth to pass those things which he hath conceived and purposed in mind. But on the other side daily examples do show, that by excess, riot, and intemperance of life diseases are caused, studies, are hindered, all honest cogitations languish and wax feeble, good enterprises and laborious lucubrations go not forward, the promptness and readiness of the understanding decayeth, the strength, power, and lively quickness of the mind is extinguished; men are made sluggish, unapt, slothful, sleepy, lazy, and endeavour not to do any excellent act or laudable exploit. Wherefore let him that hath addicted himself to the study of learning, and is very desirous of erudition, so moderate and rule his state of life, that nothing be done after the pleasure of his lust, but that his appetite obey reason, a●nd that he refer all things unto the commodity of life & necessity of nature. Christ commandeth us to be moderate in meat. Christ requireth this of them that profess him, and reduceth them unto temperance with these words: Luc. 21. Take heed, lest at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you suddenly. For as a snare shall it come upon all them that dwell upon the face of the whole earth. By which sermon he se●… sobriety in men's minds, and banisheth ●he love of worldly things, and will have their continue in that conflict even until the last day of life, lest some worse thing happen unto them. Satiety or fullness is to be eschewed. A proper and pretty saying is that of Cornelius Celsus, Cornel. Cells. lib. 1. When ye come to meat, too much satiety is never good, too much abstinence oftentimes is ill, neither is hunger convenient after fullness, nor fullness and immoderate ingurgitation after hunger. Wherefore foolishly do they, which after banqueting, feasting and good cheer the day before, do so macerate, make lean, and pine themselves with want of meat out of measure the next day after, that sometime their heart fainteth, and they fall in sown, and have need to be recovered with things odiferous and of sweet smelling savour. Other again after fasting & hunger of the day before do load and over charge themselves with meat and drink more than is meet, in such abundance, that unless they be loosed, they seem to be bursten. Howbeit sometime for a man to have the more liberal repast, More liberal refection sometime may be used and to refresh himself with his friends and companions in convenient feasts, is not culpable, nor deserveth in any respect to be reproved, so that all things be done moderately, and keep within the compass of mediocrity and the limits of temperance. For by such recreations sorrow and sadness is driven away, which by over ardent and earnest contemplation, dulleth and darkeneth the quickness and sharpness of the mind and understanding, and by extenuating and exhausting the spirits, maketh students melancholic, unpleasant, sad, sour, silent, and wayward, and causeth them to abhor all good fellowship, and to be estranged from all civil familiarity, which perturbations ought to be very far from lovers of studies, politic men, and them that have attained the best degrees of learning. Meats must be received of the liberality and bounteousness of GOD, with great thankfulness and thanksgiving. CHAP. 23. FOrasmuch as by the munificence and free gift of God we enjoy his creatures plenteously and abundantly, At our meat let us acknowledge the bountifulness of God. and that all things are created from the beginning of the world for the use and commodity of men: For this cause so soon as we sit down at the table before we put our hands to the dish or food, our mind must be lift up unto the Creator of all universally, to obtain of him with hearty, lively, faithful, and earnest prayer, that he will vouchsafe to make those things which we receive wholesome for us by faith, and give them effi●…cie to feed, foster and nourish out bodies. 〈◊〉 the nourishment, vigour, and lively strength consisteth not in much meat, neither in many fine and sundry sorts of meats, but in 〈◊〉 word of God which endueth them with 〈◊〉 effectual power. 1. Tim. 4. Rom. 14. 1. Cor. 10. Wherefore all things must be rendered, yielded, and ascribed to God. For so doth S. Paul teach, and so likewise doth Prudentius show us, who it is of whom we ought to crave and trust surely to obtain s●…stenance and succour of our life, forsooth even of God the father, of whom by Christ we obtain all things. For he directeth his prayers to that effect and with that confidence thus, Cathimer. An hymn of Prudentius at sitting down to meat, or before dinner of supper. O Christ next to thy father is thy might, Behold I pray thee with countenance bright, Bow down thy face which is our saving health, Thy fair & mild beams cast forth for our wealth, That to the honour of thy name we may Take our refection now and always. Without thee O Lord nothing can be sweet, Nor mouth doth avail to taste any meat, Unless our food thy favour bless O Christ, By faith in thee all things thou sanctifiest, God grant our meats may of him have their taste, And Christ be among us at this our repast, Our earnest, our sport, words, and merry talk, And what we be, and do, and where we walk, The high and holy Trinity guide his steck. Assoon as our strength is recreated with meat, he exhorteth us unto thanksgiving by the example of Christ. For our Saviour when supper was ended, Matth. 26. Marc. 14. went not from the table before a hymn or song of praise were said, to the end that we should acknowledge that all things do proceed from the plenteous, rich, and bounteous hand of God, and by his gift are wholesome and healthful for us. Thus therefore he goeth forward with grace and thanksgiving, Prudentius his grace or thanksgiving. With meat received our bodies fed, our weakness to sustain, God let our tongue, as we are bid, the father praise again. So we with these thy gifts refreshed, God which giv'st all good thing, Do render thanks to thee the highest, and hymns with heart we sing. There be very many such forms and sorts of prayer extant in most approved and well commended authors, and in the Bible also we find every where pithy, hearty, earnest, and piercing petitions: But there is none more effectual to obtain withal, then that which is prescribed to us of Christ. Matt. 6. Luk. 11. For whatsoever is either asked or conceived in the mind, aught to be referred to this prayer, and springeth and floweth from this fountain. That prayer indeed consisteth but of very few words, and is divided into six or seven parts, but it i●… and replenished with mysteries, that it containeth in it all things which appertain 〈◊〉 to the glory of GOD, or our necessity, 〈◊〉 and profit, or the commodity also of 〈◊〉 neighbour. How w● must have regard of hospitality. CHAP. 24. Strangers & guests must be well entertained & entreated liberally & courteously AS concerning the respect that is to be 〈◊〉 of the entertainment of guests and strangers, or of them which seek and hunt for feasts and banquets of another man's cost, it becometh every man to be well advised, wary & circumspect. First verily it is meet for every man to have care of hospitality, which the Apostles and other writers doc commend, Rom. 12. 1. Tim. 3 Tit. 1. and S. Paul requireth in a Bishop, and the doors of the house and entrance of the parlours must be open unto modest Citizens and courteous neighbours. For as Cicero saith, it is very decent and convenient that the houses of noble and honourable men be open and reach to receive noble and worthy guests. 1. Pet. 4. Heb. 13. In which duty of humanity to avoid ambition and ostentation, sumptuousness, and respect of persons, We must have respect & regard of the poor. Christ would have the poor and needy to be invited and bidden, and in so doing that we should not look for like gifts again, Luc. 14. nor for recompense of benefits bestowed at our neighbour's hands, but only at our heavenly father's hand, who giveth us all things again, pouring his blessings upon us with abundant and exceeding overplus. But because there be some men impudent and of a brazen face, A choice & discretion is to be had of guests. which being past shame and modesty, do at their own pleasure intrude themselves into feasts, and sometime when they are well fed, steal away privily out of the company, and give not thanks to the master of the feast: Therefore I think it convenient to make such a difference and choice of guests, that they which be modest, thrifty and temperate be entertained: But unthrifts, liquorous persons, gluttons, insatiable eaters, and flattering parasites, which shove and push in themselves impudently, contrary to the will of the master of the house, must be shut out at the doors, or sent away with some civility and courteous excuse, or if that will not serve, nor can be obtained, some notable good sentences or wise sayings written and set up in the parlour, must be objected unto them, which may admonish them of their duty, unto which effect this pretty precept, as well as any other, may be set upon the posts in the parlour, for them to look upon, that they being much ashamed ashamed may remember what is seemly comely to be observed, An elegant verse for guests at feasts. Wilt thou sit at my board my guest? these paradoxes keep: With biting jests, or spiteful speech reproach on no man heap, Take in good part such meats as be before thee set to eat. Dispraise nor falsely him accuse, whose praise thou canst not treat. Of equal quaffing to and fro I monish thee beware. Thy lowering looks put quit away. Thy pleasant speech declare, Be merry jesting honestly, Pay thanks to God thy debt. Requite thine host like amity, that which he did not get In fallow land his resting field. Do thus, if thou desire Twice welcome to thy friend to be, and favour to acquire. A proverb used at feasts There is a pretty Proverb also, which showeth us that we must not neglect the company and familiarity of guests, but to keep the laws of humanity and observe the rites of amity, which is this: Do not pass the salt and the table. For when as men in old time used to make feasts amongst themselves one to an other, and from one place to another, with such like sage sentences and good prudent counsel they nourished & fostered friendship being once begun, and established it in their merry meetings and joyful cheer. For which cause it was an ancient custom to appeach those men of treachery and disloyalty, which had gone beyond the Salt and the Table, that is to say, had broken the token and covenant of amity, and violated the league and most hearty friendship, and faithful conjunction of life, where with they were linked and knit together amongst themselves by salt & bread, and by the participation and society of one table. Unto this symbol, this token of amity, this good precept, that complaint of David hath relation, wherein he representing the person of Christ, appealeth his friend and familiar of treason, falsehood and unfaithfulness, which was hidden under the show & colour of honesty, and feigned & counterfeit pretence of godliness. Psal. 41. john. 13. For thus he complaineth of him, Even that man of my peace, in whom I hoped, whom I trusted, and which did eat bread with me, that is to say, was my mate at meat & table fellow, hath attempted to overthrow me. It were a thing tolerable and I could more mildly bear it, A place of David expounded. if mine enemy denouncing war by Heralds of arms, had assailed me in open battle: But him to cirumvent me, to go about to deceive me, to lay great wait for me, stiffly to stand against me and to supplant 〈◊〉 with whom I had intercourse of most nea●e & dear familiarity, & whom I made partake of my counsels and secrets, it is a thing intolerable and which cannot be borne withal▪ In like manner Christ being moved and grieved with such a villainous and malicious fast sayeth thus: john 13. He which did eat bread with me, hath lift up his heel against me, that is to say, my household enemy, who is more pernicious than any other enemy, purposeth precisely with deceitful devices and privy practices how he may oppress and entrap me. He taketh his Metaphor of friends which in outward show and first view are fair speakers, but inwardly they are full of fraud, and the poison of asps lieth under their lips, hidden in the heart: for they smite a man privily and hit him with the heel on the back part, that it cannot be perceived who did the hurt. A proverb against treacherous persons. By a proverbial figure, such clawbacks of Colax crew may well be said to strike with turning away the point, that is to say, not before on the face, but behind on the back and on the hinder part of the body. David maketh another expostulation or complaint like unto this, wherein he complaineth himself to be greatly endamaged of that man, whose familiarity he specially used, and was so knit and united unto him in the league of amity, that he was partaker of all his purposes, and as his most trusty and special friend that knew his secrets. Which cruel dealing and heinous fact he very vehemently rebuketh and reproveth with these words: Psalm. 55. For if an open enemy had done me this dishonour, than I could have borne it. And if mine adversaries had lift up themselves against me, I would peradventure have hidden myself from them. But it was even thou a man of one mind with me, and one that knew my mind only, my guide, and mine own familiar friend, which didst receive sweet meat in my company, and we were conversant in the house of GOD with consent etc. A place of David declared. These are pathetical verses, that is to say, full of passions and perturbations of mind, whereby he declared himself to take much grief and to have great indignation, because he findeth him, that hitherto bare a show of a trusty friend, to be his most mortal and envious enemy, and covertly and closely to seek and work his destruction. But to paint out lively and to set forth in his colours such a crafty turncoat, changeling, and subtle surmiser, which under a certain show & pretence of feigned friendship & counterfeit virtue doth in countenance, eyes, and wo●… flatter his friend, when as inwardly he nourisheth rank poison and viper's venom for his destruction, he addeth this also to the crime of disloyalty: A similitude of oil and butter. The words of his mouth are softer than butter, whereas war is prepared in his heart▪ His speeches are smother than oil, when as i● very deed they be swords and darts. By which similitude he describeth and noteth feigned and malicious friends, which have one thing close in their heart, and another ready in their tongue, and which do show bread in the one hand and bear a stone in the other. Of which falsehood and treachery judas Iscariot prefixed a pattern, and after him many other, which learned that lewd lesson of him, and have taken fraudulent examples. Of the care of household wealth and housekeeping, and the governance thereof. CHAP. 25. The care & good regard of household and housekeeping. AS touching Economical prudency, that is, the administration of household businesses and affairs, which as Cicero testifieth, is the minister and servant of the body; it is decent for every man to be diligent and discreet in stablishing and garnishing the same so, that the enlarging and augmentation thereof be referred unto the necessary use of life, unto commodity, unto neatness, cleanliness and trimness, not unto excess and delicate pleasures, not unto sumptuous fare and immoderate provision and furnishing of dishes, which disperse, diminish, waste and consume riches, yea even great substance and large possessions. Therefore in adorning feasts & furnishing the table, frugality, thrifty sparing, and moderation of meats must chief be observed, and all provocations of gluttony and lewd lust must be eschewed: and finally all fine delicate iunckets & banqueting dishes, Costly provision of meats is to be eschewed. Ephes. 5. which are used commonly to be brought in at the second course to them that are already well satiate with meat, to provoke them to desire to eat a fresh again, must be avoided. This prodigality, superfluity, and riotous life doth not only make wealth decay, & causeth sickness, but also when banquetters are hot with drinking wine, it ministereth heat and nourishment unto luxury, and stirreth up the loins, and affecteth the privities and uncomely parts with stiffness, whereby they begin to itch, and that I may use the Apostles word, 1. Cor. 7. to be burned, that is to say, to be the more mightily provoked and inflamed unto inordinate desire of uncleanness: Rom. 13. For which cause S. Paul would have nothing done according to the will and pleasure of our lusts, but would have all things tend unto the necessity, use and commodity of nature, not unto superfl●… and voluptuousness, which is very hu●… both to body and soul. There is no man ●…deede so insensible or unnatural, that he ●… abide to hate his body, Ephes. 5. but as S. Paul saith, nourisheth and cherisheth it, as Christ doth ●he congregation. By which example the Apostle inviteth and willeth husbands to love th●… wives, and endeavour to have such care of them, as every man hath of his own body, and perform that unto them which Christ hath performed to his Church & congregation his only & entirely beloved spouse. But in the administration and ordering of household business and in establishing and maintaining household substance, and saving it from detriment and loss, all things must be so measurably and temperately used, that thou incur not the name either of a spend-good or an unthrift, ●… of a very niggard, a pinchpenie, a nip-crust● holdfast. Use measure, for that is a virtue and treasure. Goods are saved & kept by sparing●… augmented & increased thereby: But yet thy substance ought not to be so pinched and streictly stored up, that thou defraud thine own belly of natural refection, and pin● both thyself and thine, which some vile miser's use to do: And again on the other side that thou do not as riotous revellers are wont, spend out of measure thy got goods, and waste thine inheritance, and consume thy substance in liquorousness and dainty dishes, amongst a crew of such dissolute and unthrifty companions, which do instigate, entice, and encourage thee to make such havoc of all. For as indeed according to the saying of Terence, A man that seeketh to have gain, must needs bestow cost: so according to the sentence of Plautus, A proverb commending frugality or temperate sparing. A man cannot be sure to have gain, if the cost be greater than it. Whereby he giveth advertisement and admonition so to moderate and measure cost and charges, lest by unmeasurable spending and wasting, the maintenance of housekeeping happen to be impaired: but let the reckoning of receipt and expenses be alike, even and equal. Wherefore it is the duty of a diligent householder, when time requireth, to bring forth such things as are requisite out of his storehouse, & when need is & occasion serveth, to lay up in store again. For it is too late to spare when all is spent, as the common saying is. Late sparing loseth much profit. That law which Amasis king of the Egyptians caused to be published, and was also put in practice of Solon the lawgiver to the Athenians, is agreeable to this purpose, Lib 3. Euterpe. and convenient for the commodity of the common wealth, and conservation of household substance, by which law it was provided, The law of Amasis against idle persons. as Herodotus affirmeth, That as well the people of the country as strangers inhabiting there, should every year declare before the Precedents of Provinces, how & whereupon they lived, and by what means and trade they got their living. And they which could not give such notice, nor bring testimony that they lived lawfully; should be punished by death. By the severity and rigour of which edict, commandment, and decree, his intent was to restrain idle persons from robbery, rapine, pilling, and spoiling, that they should have no provocation thereunto, to which state those unthrifts use commonly to come, which have spent away the inheritance and lands left unto them by their fathers, and have utterly wasted and consumed their patrimony at the dice, among whores, and in riotous revel and drunken feasting. Upon these respects and considerations I think the law of expenses grew up among the Corinthians against unthrifts, and such as make havoc of their goods unadvisedly, or make more sumptuous feasts & with greater prodigality, than their substance and yearly revenues will bear. Which law, Lib. 6. forasmuch as Diphilus pronounceth it in that public place in Rome where all sciences were read, & Erasmus, a man famous in all kind of learning, hath expressed it in Latin verses, shall here be annexed, that thereby Magistrates may take such order and use such means to bring the same to pass, that Cities and Fermes without the town walls & granges be not molested of violent thieves and robbers, which both on the day time and on the night do rob and spoil men's riches and quiet possessions, and cruelly cruciate & torment their bodies, except they forthwith reveal and bring forth unto them their treasure. The sentence of this law is expressed in these verses, The law of the Corinthians concerning expenses and charges. This by the law provided was Corinthians here among, If any man we see always fine fare to have so long, We ask him, how he liveth so, what work he doth always: If he have lands, thus for to do, and rends that charges pays, We let him use his goods at will. but if the cost exceed His substance, we forbidden him still such thriftless life to lead. If he will not this now obey, his penalty is great. Of living he that hath no stay, and costly cheer will eat, Tormentors must have him to pain. oh God, is not this fit? For such cannot it's most certain offences but commit, But must needs drive a prey by night, or break a house to steal, Or be a mate to them, of theft whom wicked deeds appeal: Or carry tales and lies t'accuse, or witness false to bear. Such men as filth we do refuse, and purge this City clear. S. Paul pricketh sluggards forward to labour and industry. With like severity doth S. Paul the Apostle require duties to be done: 2. Thes. 3. For he commandeth slothful and idle persons to shake off drowsy sluggishness, and to employ their labour and diligence in handy works and manual occupations, wherewith they may sustain themselves and their households: which precept he would have to be so severely observed, that those men which would not apply their labour, and be diligent and careful to maintain their household estate, but like Drones or dorre bees which seek to consume the labours and honey making of the hive bees, do live of other men's liberality and gifts, and be idle, occupied in no work, but only in being busi-bodies in other men's matters, that those, I say, should have no meat granted nor given to them. The admonition of S. Paul to thieves. Unto this discipline and severity of reforming manners S. Paul Ephes 4. also revoketh and reduceth thieves which rob, pill & spoil other men's goods, whom he doth not only admonish to abstain & refrain their hands from other men's goods, but also to bestow on the relieving of the poor & needy those goods which are acquired & gotten with honest labour, so that their former lewd & dissolute life, stained and polluted with robbery, rapines & unjustly gotten goods, may now be reform, renewed, and garnished with good works and liberality towards them that are pressed with poverty. Luk. 19 Whereof we have an example in Zachaeus, who distributed unto the poor those goods that he had gotten by usury. For by this means it cometh to pass, that the faults and vices of the life heretofore wickedly led, may be changed into virtue and godliness, to wit, the affections being quite altered, and the natural naughtiness being put off, and corrupt customs abolished. The moderation and measurable use of sleeping and waking. CHAP. 26. Moderation of sleeping & waking. Studiou and politic men amongst other things must have regard of sleep and waking. For if these things be used moderately, conveniently and in due season, they bring very much commodity in stablishing and strengthening the health. For they do not only make the body prompt, cheerful, lively, strong, and lusty, but also specially cause the mind to be the more quick, apt, prone and ready to fulfil such office, charge and duty as is appointed and committed. But immoderate and unmeasurable sleep maketh men dull, foolish, sluggish, forgetful, and such as hardly can achieve any good and laudable enterprises, or attain unto the knowledge of any excellent Arts and Sciences. Wherefore men of such sort and condition must be animated unto good exercises, and to take pains, to the end they may shake off heavy idleness and sleepy sloth, and apply the powers of the mind unto some such actions as are seemly for a man of good wit, calling and estimation. Noon sleep when and how it is hurtful. Now as concerning sleep at noon and on the day time, I do advise young men not to accustom themselves thereunto, unless weariness proceeding of great heat and labour, do afflict the strength, or that they have passed the night before either in watching or banqueting out of due time: for then noon rest may be taken without hurt. But otherwise it causeth the memory to fail, and darkeneth the understanding, and besides the heaviness of the head, it bringeth dimness of the eyes, especially when men lie down upon a full stomach. And therewithal they have this inconvenience, that immediately after their heavy, dead, and drowsy sleep is past, they are disposed and desirous to vomit, and do gape and yawn, and raskle with their arms abroad, that is to say, stretch forth their members every way, having a concourse of vapours diffused throughout the whole body, by reason of a sickly grief and a stiffness of a fever or ague, A disposition, to vomit proceeding of surfeit. which the old Latins do call Helucus: which signifieth sick of yesterdays drinking. Which word betokeneth such as either after surfeit or noon sleep be ready to vomit, and are faint, feeble and accrased, and incontinently inclined to yawning & yexing. But old men and they that are in their perfect, ripe and best age, may safely sleep at noon, that is to say, Sleep at noon is convenient for old men when dinner is done (so that there be some little space of time between) may give themselves to slumber a little, especially in summer time and hot weather: for then the intemperateness of the air maketh men sleepy, at which time this ease may be commodiously taken either sitting in a chair or lying on a bed, the head being laid the higher and a little the more upright on the pillow, for by such recreation with sleep the spirits both natural and vital, from which the animal power that abideth in the brain, receiveth nourishment, be refreshed and revived. But waking out of due season is both hurtful to every age, Much waking drieth the body. and especially very harmful to old age, as also hunger, for both these bring dryness to the bray●… and besides frenzy and doting folly proceeding thereof, these two inconveniences make the body dry, evil favoured, and very lean. If therefore strength be impaired, or the spirits and powers wasted, and the vital juice being consumed, the body wax lean, either with immoderate waking, or hunger, or working in the night out of due time, or by too much labour, or by intemperate carnal copulation, then must the strength be recovered and refreshed with moist meats and drinks, or potions that cause sleep, as lettuce, spinach, orage in operation like unto mallows, bugloss, borage, the seeds of new or fresh poppy, the flowers of water lily, Things that cause sleep which moisten the brain. whereunto are added flowers of violets, pine apple kernels, sweet● almonds, the kind of nuts which the Apothecaries commonly call fistici, the juice of barley steeped or pressed, great raisins and small raisins called Corins, which have no stones or kernels in them, Dates, Oranges or the rinds of lemons or citrons confected with sugar or honey. For with these the natural and vital humour is refreshed, and the brain, which is the habitacle of the mind and understanding, is as it were perfumed and imbrued with a dew like moistening vapour, and watered with a sweet breathing upward or sent, whereof cometh quiet sleep without any trouble or tumultuous disquietness. How sleepy drowsiness may and must be shaken off. But if any man be by nature more inclined to sleep, and not ardently bend unto any laudable practices & enterprises, let him continually clean unto exercise & labour, let him eschew all meats that be of cold and moist faculty, and use those which having efficacy to heat, do dry up superfluous humours, wherein the cause of sleep doth consist: Of which quality are these, hyssop, rosemary, sage, organum, marjoram, savoury, red coleworts, ginger, pepper, nutmeg, cloves, and many other things which do ease and comfort the brain being stuffed with vapours and fumie humour, and do stir up and quicken the mind darkened with gross and thick vapours, and make it lively, prompt and ready to conceive honest cogitations. What good or hurt cometh of repletion and abstinence, and consequently of the belly too much laxative or of the contrary. CHAP. 27. THe same moderation also must be used in other things which be either good or hurtful for the health: as fullness & emptiness, whereby the body is refreshed with meat and drink, or being filled full of humours is evacuated. Moderation in meat must be used. But as the diet of studious and politic persons ought to be moderate & temperate: so the same must not be over small and sparing, lest th● spirits be extenuated: and they must also diligently observe, that they be not more costi●…▪ or more laxative than is requisite. For both these aswell the one as the other (if they ●…ceede measure) be hurtful to the health alike. For if the belly have too great a flux, or beaver lose, it maketh the body dry and very lean, and to have very little sleep, and ●o bringeth dryness into the brain, and thereby impaireth the memory. But if the belly be over dry and too much stinted and stopped it obscureth the memory, dazzleth the eyes, causeth unquiet and troublesome dreams, by means of gross and thick humours which ascend to the brain. The things which do gently soften and lax the belly, be these, to wit, Herbs that lose the belly. Violets, Lettuce, Spinach, Orage which in their kind and effect are like to Mallows, which herb the Poet Martial testifieth to be commended and committed unto men of old time for that purpose, The Bailiff of the Farm his wife brought Mallows unto me To lax, and divers herbs for life which garden riches be. Put to these bugloss, borage, cheruil●d beat, blete, damask prunes, raisins and cori●…▪ mulberries, figs. The things which minister sovereign medicine for this effect, be these, namely, mercury, fumitory, fern growing on trees called Polipodie, seen, rhubarb, wild or bastard saffron or as we call it English saffron; epithyme which is a weed that groweth winding about thyme, and hath a flower like thyme: It is used as a gentle purger of melancholy: cassia, manna, which is a manner of dew congelated on trees and plants, and so is gathered in certain countries and reserved as a gentle purger of choler: It is also called Melaerium. As for scamonie, the root of the herb tripolium commonly called Turbit, Mezereon, and such like strong purgative medicines, do debilitate and overthrow the strength: and therefore are not to be ministered but unto them that be of strong nature and constitution, when as a shrewd knot requireth a shrewd wedge. Things that bind the belly. But if the belly be more lose than is convenient for the health, it may be stinted and stayed, with often using of red mint, and with the confection or syrup thereof tempered with honey, which is every where to be had in the Apothecary's shops. Quinces likewise that have tender mosinesse, & any confection of them, do bind & corroborate the belly, likewise red roses: To these may you add meddlers, before they come to their kindly moistness, softness, and tenderness: in like manner heppes whose kernel within is full of stones, but they are of a sweet and pleasant taste, and therewithal tart and binding Rhus Ponticum, which our country 〈◊〉 Ribs or Respes, which stirreth up the appetite marvelously, and driveth away the ab●…ring and loathing, which a weak stomach 〈◊〉 when it is ready to vomit, and strengtheneth ●… with virtue retentive, especially in sum●… time, when as choleric humour washeth 〈◊〉 entrails much, and provoketh flux, to which use and effect the juice thereof being tempered with sugar, What it is that Auicenna calleth Rob. which Auicenna calleth Rob, in singular medicine and ready remedy: for it stayeth the paunch that is annoyed with too great a flux, it raiseth up the weakness of the appetite, and stirreth up a good desire to eat, as do also pomegranates, having within them red kernels full of corners, which be i● taste sometime sweet, sometime tart. Studious and politic persons must often times purge the pores, by which the excrements are evacuated. CHAP. 28. The pores are ordained to purge the excrements. GOD the Creator of man's body hath not without great cause and good consideration, made so many passages and ways for the purging out of humours and the cleansing forth of excrements, lest in very deed man should happen to be overthrown with the great abundance of them, and be suffocated and strangled with the vapours which proceed from them. So the head purgeth and exone●ateth itself by the nostrils, ears, and roof of the mouth with spitting and sneezing: The breast and lungs bring out phlegm by the artery of the voice or windepipe with coughing: The stomach or ventricle draweth out the pump or sink by vomit and belchings: The bowels cleanse themselves by the belly or paunch, and shutting forth ventosity at the back door, do wash the gutter clean from filth and dregs: The reins and bladder derive and carry the urine by the passages and conduits thereof: And the superficial or outward part of the body driveth out the soote-like vapours and sweat-breeding exhalations by the skin that is full of pores, and hath a passage thorough it by many little holes. Wherefore seeing that the body cannot continue in sound and perfect health, unless all the parts thereof be well ordered and in good state, and fulfil every one their function and office without any annoyance or hurt: care and diligence must be employed herein specially, that no disorder or distemperance grow up in the body, whereby the action or working of the instruments thereof might either be marred or made worse. For the mind useth the ministery of these, and thereby bringeth to pass excellent enterprises. If some disease molest, if the head be troubled with heaviness, if phlegm be grievous, if the 〈◊〉 or strangury or dropping of the urine do● vex, if dimness or blearenesse corrupt the eyes, if the hands or feet be afflicted with the gout, Horat. in Arte. If any man with noisome scab or jaundice troubled be, man's mind can not speedily fulfil or execute any office, affairs or business appointed. For which cause those men may be reputed wise, which seek to have regard of health, & to purge and cleanse the body and the parts thereof from all excrements. For so the mind or intellective power is more clear, and made the more apt, able and convenient for every action. A great sort of men neglecting all comely and due order, and having no respect of health, do gape for riches, and are only and wholly bend unto the desire of getting and scraping of worldly goods together, when as yet notwithstanding sound health is better than gold, Health is better than gold. and nothing more worthy to be wished for then the tranquillity and quietness of the mind. Horace confirmeth the same in these verses, Horat. lib. 1 epistol. 12. Ad Iccium. If belly and sides be well in health, and feet do feel no pain: What greater good in royal wealth can to a King remain? No house, no farm, no heap of coin the owner's body saves From fevers, nor from cares the mind which toss like raging waves. And to the end he might bring every man to a temperate and moderate use of things, he addeth further, Horat. lib. 1 Epistol. 2. Ad Lollium The owner must be sound in health, if he mind well to use His substance and acquired wealth, and counsel not refuse. To which words the wise Hebrew plainly and wholly agreeth thus, Eccles. 30. Better it is to be poor, being whole and strong, then to be rich and not to have health. Health and good liking is above all gold, and a sound body is better than great riches. There is no riches better than health of body, nor any delight greater, than the gladness of the mind, and joy of the heart. Wisd 4. Eccles. 30. Therefore felicity must not be measured by the abundant plenty of riches or prosperous success of things, but by perfect health and unreprovable soundness of body and mind. For in very deed that man both liveth and hath the fruition of health and welfare, which enjoyeth the pleasure & commodity of these things without any annoyance or inconvenience. Wholesome precepts necessary and requisite aswell for the mind as for the body. CAP. 29. THere be three things accounted very wholesome in the opinion and judgement of all men, and therefore it is meet for every man to observe them, namely, To feed without fullness, Not to refuse labour, To conserve the seed of nature. To the which I have opposed jump so many very unwholesome things, which do not only bring sickness & diseases, but also do accelerate old age before the time, and destroy men with hasty death. uz. To be stuffed and stretched with surfeit, To be idle and slothful, To be weakened with immoderate carnal concupiscence. Measure must be used in things convenient for nature. For not only frugality, by expelling gluttony, constituteth a healthful body, Exercise, by shaking off idleness and sluggishness, maketh it nimble, quick and lively: but also if we may receive documents of the kind and natural property of horses, Virgil. lib. 3 Georg. No diligence them stronger makes and stomach stout to have, Then from blind love to pull them back and lust which they do crave. Because indeed an intemperate and libidinous youth delivereth unto old age a feeble and fruitless body. Therefore not only in youthful years, but most chief in old age, inordinate lusts must be restrained, and the entry into luxury stopped, which as it is shameful for youth: so, as Cicero saith, Love and lust not decent for old age. it is most filthy and unseemly for old age. For as in war and in the camp soldiers have need of strength, have need of nimbleness, have need of valiantness to suffer and endure labour and travail: even so in love and in accomplishing the pleasures thereof, strength is requisite to sustain the labours of the night, to overcome and abolish the tediousness of matrimony, to bear and abide the conditions of a malapert wife, of an imperious and stately dame. Wherefore neither war nor love is meet for old men, because either of them carrieth with it many troubles, griefs, and inconveniences, for the which old age is over weak, and an unequal match and unmeet to endure them. The Poet Ovid hath expressed the same in elegant verse, Ovid lib. 1. Amo. Eleg. 9 All lovers play the soldiers part, and Cupid hath his compe: O Atticus believe me well, all lovers play this part. A man that able is for war, his age is meet for lust: Old men forwarres both unfit are, and love forsake they must. Love is a kind of warfare, than ye which are weak depart: Defend this standard must those men which have no fearful heart. The night, the cold, and journeys long, and labours full of pain, All grief endure those soldiers strong, in sweet camp to remain. Moreover, who doth not see how undecent a thing it is for an old man grown our of favour and fashion and riveled, to basse and kiss, and strive to embrace like a young man? When as he is unable to accomplish the solace of marriage. So said Sophocles well & truly, who being aged was asked, whether he used the pleasures of the body: The Gods forbidden, (quoth he) I have fled far from thence verily & run away gladly from that, even as from a churlish and furious master. A man must have respect of his estimation and good name. CHAP. 30. Regard is to be had of a man's fame, name and report. Endeavour by all means possible to bring this to pass, that thy neighbours and all they which know thee, may conceive a very good opinion of thee, and give laudable testimony to thy estimation and name: and finally, think very well of thee, and speak of thee to thy praise and good credit. And be not ashamed to mark well, with what persuasion the country men are induced, and how they are affectioned in their minds towards thee. For if a man neglect and care not what every man thinketh or speaketh of him, it is not only, as Cicero saith, Cic. lib. 1. Offic. a token of an arrogant man, but also of one that is dissolute. So we read, that Christ asked of his Apostles, what opinion the confused multitude conceived of him, what report went of him, Mat. 16. and finally what they persuaded themselves concerning the Messiah, not led weth ambition, nor that he sought glory, praise or renown, Christ sought not the praise of the people. but that he might prove and try them, whether by hearing of so many healthful sermons, and beholding of so many miracles, they did think of him more highly, reverently and magnificently, than the common people: therefore he inquired and demanded this of them, to the end he might get out of them, & cause them to utter a sound profession of the faith, and might try how much they had profited in heavenvly doctrine, which hath no falsehood, no vanity, no deceit, no simulation, no guile, as the pharisees maliciously surmised & falsely detracted: but is very expedient unto salvation, pure and sincere, being spoken and pronounced of the truth itself, even of the son of God our Saviour so long time looked for. Which when Peter, by the inspiration of the highest father, had in the name of all the Apostles singularly, plainly and openly professed, Profession of faith. and constantly pronounced jesus the author of all salvation, and that mankind by trust & confidence in him obtaineth redemption, Christ commended the profession of Peter given unto him by the inspiration of the holy spirit, and confirmeth it being grounded & established upon an unmovable foundation, that it should be unvincible & inexpugnable. In every action and in all thy words & deeds have a care of comeliness, Regard is to be had of comeliness & decency. and remember what is most decent & seemly, for this doth the regard of honesty require: Whereupon ariseth that pretty prudent proverb, The chiefest part of any art is to do that which is decent, to wit, that which is fit for nature, convenient for the wit & natural inclination, How and by what means glory is to be sought & attained. and meet for the manners & conditions. The ready, easy, speedy, and short way to the attaining of perfect & permanent renown, is to be such an one, and behave thee self so, as thou wouldst be accounted, whereof by the way Horace giveth advertisement, Horat. lib. 1. Epistol. 7. Thou shalt live well, if thou have care To be that same which thou dost hear. that is to say, such an one as thou art said to be, and as thy neighbours, and countrymen testify of thee: Which if they think & account thee to be an honest, innocent and true meaning man, than indeed thou dost well, so that thou do not play the hypocrite and false dissembler, nor deceive them with a colour, show add pretence of honesty, as some players do in their counterfeit apparel, visors and visages, which at the first view appear to be of approved honesty, when as indeed they are turne-coats, variable & inconstant & naughtypacks, Pers. Sat. 5. For being trimmed outwardly on face, they hide in heart An old and naughty crafty mind a wily fox's part. The sure reward of silence. Remember that there be two singular virtues, by which young men are wont chief to be commended, namely faithfulness and taciturnity: to the which if shamefastness be adjoined, being an amiable colour of young striplings age, adorned with mixture of red and white, being as it were therewith commendably decked: there is nothing surely can be added to the ornament & commendation of natural comeliness and modesty, more favourable, or more gracious & acceptable. But whosoever is destitute of this towardness and lacketh these ornaments of youth, or hath lost them, we commonly account him past help, past hope and grace, notable in ungraciousness, and exceeding impudent. Therefore is this saying true, I count him quite lost verily, Who is past all shame utterly. Shamefastness commendeth young men. For shamefastness & bashfulness doth commend & adorn young men more than can be expressed, so that those young striplings undoubtedly become honest, or show concerning themselves some hope of virtue or token of honesty, in whom there appeareth some sign and signification of shamefastness, which apparently showeth itself. A token of a good nature & disposition. So Diogenes when he beheld a certain young man, and perceived that he was ashamed and did blush, saith to him, My son, be bold, for such is the colour of virtue, honesty, and modesty. Likewise we read in Terence, when Mitio conceived a very good hope of his son; He blushed, saith he, therefore all is safe and well. Moreover, shame and confession is a token and testification of innocency, if at any time it be found and perceived in them which have not committed offences of purposed and wilful malice. But contrariwise unshamefastness and impudent obstinacy, is an evident sign and argument of ungraciousness. Boldness is nought. For some young men that be very bold, are not afraid at all to look steadfastly and fasten their eyes even upon grave men and to deny their fact, yea although it be manifestly proved and can not be denied. But to the end thou mayest without envy purchase praise, and procure friendship, Thou shalt accustom thyself, as the Comical Poet saith, to suffer, endure, and bear with all sorts of men patiently. Teren. Andr. Act. 1. Scen. 1. With whom thou keepest company A match thyself to yield thee, Their studies honest if they be, To practise do not disagree, Against no man see thou be, Nor count thyself better than he. For it is a token of a noble & gentle heart & dost mind, to do much, but to speak little of himself, after the example of jugurtha, whom in this respect Sallust commendeth, not as proud Thrasolike boasters and bragging soldiers, which insolently advance themselves, and tell every man of their own famous facts and excellent exploits, with brave boasting and great ostentation. Wherefore seeing that frivolous bragging and vain boasting is odious to every man, Boasting is odious. let no man flatter himself in the praise of his wit, learning, or wealth, nor ambitiously show and set forth his own gifts, but so moderate his doings, that he think and speak of himself humbly and modestly, lest, as S. Paul saith, Rom. 12. he seem to despise, disdain, and contemn other men. We have admonition hereof by many men in their writings, and namely by Horace in these verses, Horat. lib. 1 Epistol. 18. Ad Lollium Of no man search at any time the secrets for to know, But keep them close when either wine or wrath wrist thee to show, Thy studies thou shalt not commend, Nor other men's shalt reprehend. Rejoice no● scoff at other men's misery. Let it never be in thy mind to rejoice at another man's calamity, nor laugh at his misery, no not of thy foe or enemy, but rather be sorry for it, even as though thou were partaker of his grief, & count his hap & condition worthy of compassion. For such is the course, change and mutability of man's state, that many from high felicity, & very large & ample possession of great wealth are thrown down unto poverty, & brought into a miserable case, & sometime their hard hap is to have a woeful, sorrowful, and lamentable end. Other again from the very lowest degree and base parentage, and wretched bondage, are advanced unto riches, unto honour, unto dignity, rule and dominion. Eccle. 10. Do not that to another man, which thou wouldst not have done to thyself. For Christ would have all our actions, studies and meditations to be squared by this squire, and perfectly tried according to this rule, when as he saith, Matt. 7. All things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so also do ye to them: that is, give to every man honour, reverence, succour and other duties of humanity, which every man would have exhibited to himself. Too much hastiness of speech runneth into reprehension. Be not hasty, rash; or unadvised in uttering thy words: Finally so govern thyself, that thy tongue run not before thy mind, neither let words pass unwisely through thy throat, which afterward had need return back again the same way to be better tempered. For many with whom we dwell and deal are slippery in fidelity, and void of taciturnity, which do not only carry all abroad those words which escape any man's mouth imprudently, but also with backbiting and crafty accusations and challenges, do empayre, hurt, stain and violate the good name and fame of their neighbour. For this cause Horace instructeth every man with wholesome admonition and counsel thus, Horat. epist. 18. Ad Lollium lib. 1. Epist. That I may counsel thee forthwith, if counsellor thou need, What of each man thou sayest, and it to whom thou sayest, take heed. Fly busy man demanding much, for that's a babbler sure, No secrets broad wide ears of such can keep, but them out pour. And words once past do fly Past calling back to thee. Babbling is hurtful. In which verses he giveth admonition to every man, to speak of other men advisedly, & moderately, not to blab out any thing rashly, which may at any time be his harm or hindrance, & do him some damage or detriment. Lastly, he adviseth us to observe and beware of privy harkeners and secret searchers & spies what men say or do, which intrude themselves into all companies, and subtly smell out something, whereof they may bring complaint & accusation before the chief Constables, justices and judges, so that no man may safely mutter, whisper, or murmur concerning any matter, neither may any man in such infelicity and so great misery of our days, openly and plainly profess those things that lie in his mind, and which reason induceth, although it be agreeable to the truth and sincere religion, even for fear of promoters, talebearers, and accusers, to whom also rewards, fees, and preferment is appointed, that they may show themselves the more circumspect & attentive to see, Beware of word-spiers and privy harkeners. hear, pry and espy in this their very ignominious and detestable business of spying, marking and searching, insomuch that men in authority, which use the ministery of these men, do hate & abhor them even for their office sake. For some men are delighted to have men's faults bewrayed, noted, and appeached: but yet they hate the craftsmen and doers thereof, although for the time the office which they so fulfil, talebearers are odious to all men. pleaseth them well. For they suspect them as untrusty, treacherous, and disloyal fellows. Augustus Caesar declared the same plainly, in whose presence when as Rhymirales King of the Thracians boasted too insolently of his own merits: The saying of Augustus concerning treason. I love, saith he, the treason, but I detest the Traitor. So, as julius Capitolinus recordeth; talecariers were repressed and extinct of the Emperor Antonius Pius, to wit, that kind of men which by accusation was wont to get the fourth part of men's goods, which sort of men are the more hated and abhorred both of the highest, and likewise of the lowest degrees of men, because in their sayings and doings they do exasperate and aggravate all things, and make them more heinous than the truth of the matter is. Marcus' Emperor Capitolinus Wherefore Marcus the Philosopher being Emperor took good order, and used politic means for the crafty and malicious accusations of such talebearers, adjudging the note of infamy to false accusers and secret maintainers. Saturio the Parasite as we read in Plautus, In Persa. accounteth it an infamous and detestable thing to practise privy accusing & carrying of tales, and had rather that a man should feed his belly by playing the Parasite after the trade & manner of his ancestors, A Parasite is not so ill as a talebearer. then to play the accusation carrier, and by such means to become rich, and to gape for the goods and life of other men. Although indeed such kind of offices deserveth no great praise among wise men, which suffer not parasites and flatter●…s to sow pretty fine ears to their heads, that is to say, to make them fools, nor their mind and understanding to be taken away, and so to be deluded by their fair sweet plausible words and pleasant enticements. The appeasing and pacifying of discord and dissensions is praise worthy. CHAP. 31. Contentions must be appeased IF any hidden hatred, grudge and contention happen among any Citizens, neighbours or companions, it is the duty of an honest man as much as he can to assuage & quiet the same, to put away & remove the offences, hurt & displeasures done, to bring the dissensions to agreement, lest they wax more bitter and grievous, to break off debate and controversies, to mitigate discord, to renew concord, to procure peace between the contentious & disagreeing persons, and to offer and show himself a faithful and diligent pacifier of men's alterations. Which duty of humanitic our Saviour placeth not in the part of blessedness, Mat. 5. who adorneth and honoureth them that be desirous & studious lovers hereof, A peace maker deserveth praise. with the glorious title of the sons of God. From this & from many other virtues, wherewith charity, that is, a desire to do good to all men, is garnished, some troublous, seditious and tumultuous fellows are utterly revolted, who because they hate & abhor all manner of peacemaking and reconciliation, do of a malicious, wicked, & peevish purpose, sow sedition every where, & do not remedy nor redress grievous rancour and cankered contention, but do rather make the same more rough and rigorous, & as the proverb is, Do put oil to the flame, and when a thing is nought, make it worse, A kings mind may be provoked to wrath. yea even when Kings and Princes happen to be moved and provoked, whose mind by nature being noble, stout and fierce, is more and more kindled and inflamed with the corrupt and malicious counsel of these men. Surely there is nothing more detestable, or more to be abhorred then these kind of men, specially when there is any business in hand concerning Religion, from which all corrupt and perverse affections ought to be utterly secluded, lest by any severity, rigour, austerity, and cruelty men's minds happen rather to be alienated and withdrawn from the zeal of godliness, then by lenity, mildness, and clemency to be invited, moved and provoked thereunto. For if it seem good either to 'stablish the old custom, or by taking away errors which by little and little are crept in, to renew and redintegrate some thing, and reduce religion unto the first fountain, all such things ought to be done with judgement, discretion and good advisement, using such regard, order and means, that no uproar arise, as of late years it chanced in France: In which country men's minds being drawn into divers parts, some one way, some another, Religion was begun to be broached, spread abroad and set forth with force and arms, the end of which matter was woeful & lamentable. A venomous backbiter is as hurtful also as a privy accuser, Backbiting must be eschewed. who with reproaches, ignominy, slanders, diffamations, and reproofs, worketh the overthrow of him that deserveth it not, & with his poisoned tongue defaceth and destroyeth him utterly: which kind of men Horace in these verses both reproveth and teacheth us to avoid them, Horat lib. Sir 1. Saty. 4 His absent friend he which doth gnaw, and not defend when other blame, men's laughter he that makes to flow, and eke their talk to note the same, He that cannot dissemble well, nor cloak those things which he doth see, He which cannot but secrets tell, he ugly is abhorred to be: O Roman have thou care, Of such for to beware. Like to this is that same admonition of Solomon: Prover. 4. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and let backbiting lips be far from thee, And a little after likewise he saith: Prover. 24. Keep no company with backbiters, for their destruction shall come suddenly. The holy writers do testify and plainly show in every place, Eccles. 10. Exod. 22. Psal. 70.71.101. Ezech. 22. jam. 4. Rom. 1. how much this rage of detracting and madness of ill speaking hath been always abhorred, hated and detested of all honest, wise, and godly men, and namely of S. Augustine himself, insomuch that he caused these verses to be set up in his parlour, to object them against backbiters, and to stop their mouths withal, Verses used of S. Augustine. Whoso delighteth to diffame those men which are not here, Or bitter tongue which will not tame, whose babbling who can bear? Or pleasant mates with quaffing much and full cups weary make: This board receiveth here none such, let him this warning take. For by this means he alienated and segregated from his table and company, them that be delighted with gluttony, or that love to speak ill of men, or use also at meat unhonest, shameful, and filthy communication. Let no man be proud in prosperity, nor discomforted in adversity, but rest and stay himself upon the providence of God. CHAP. 32. BEcause in man's life nothing is sure nor continueth long, neither do all things run always in one state, continuing ever in one order, but by a certain interchange and turning of their course, sometime prosperity & felicity flattereth, sometime the case being altered, adversity pincheth and wringeth. Therefore the mind must be confirmed with such constancy, Steadfastness and constancy is commendable. and established with such equability, indifferency and equal condition, that thou be not insolent in prosperity, nor cast down or over come with adversity, but which way soever man's state inclineth itself (as sometime it is wont in a light moment) thou always strengthen, assure, and support thyself upon the word of God and his providence, The mind must be strengthened and comforted with the providence of God according to whose good pleasure we know certainly that this world is ordered and & governed that all things are done & fulfilled after his will, to the which all events, chances, & successes, whether they be prosperous or contrary, aught to be referred, not unto the inconstancy & temerity of fortune. For, that be far from us, that men which are endued with the understanding and knowledge of GOD, This word (fortune) is to be abandoned and rejected of Christians. should persuade themselves, that any thing is done by chance, hap, or fortune, when as indeed the chief cause of all things must be ascribed unto God. Curiosity must be eschewed. CHAP. 33. Marking of other men's matters is reprehended. BE not a curious marker of other men's matters: but rather endeavour diligently to amend thine own life, then to look narrowly into an other man's, or to reprehend his conversation. S. Paul the Apostle also doth diligently and earnestly give every man this precept, 1. Cor. 5. not to have circumspect eyes abroad, and look on other men's businesses, but to be careful, wary, and vigilant in his own household affairs, and to take good heed, that nothing be done amiss, which may worthily be reproved of foreigners. But as for the things, matters and businesses of other men, which appertain not to us, he would not have any man to have great regard thereof, or carefully to look to the same, no not if any fault be committed. For there be some so far wide from the true profession of Christ, A si●…tude of ●…sitions. that they despise wholesome counsel, and hate them which labour to bring them to a better mind: even like to some which being diseased and full of biles and sores in the fundament, do contemn and neglect the healthful and faithful Physician, and had liefer continued still in filthy corrupt humours, then to receive a singular and sovereign remedy. Because therefore it is not always a wise man's part to be busy or to meddle in all businesses, Meddle not in other men's businesses. nor expedient to be curious in other men's matters, this proverbial sentence may well be objected against such busi-bodies, as will have an oar in every boat, thus, He procureth himself much quietness, which meddleth not in other men's business. Hereupon S. Paul calleth back and reduceth the Thessalonians to their own occupations and businesses, 1. Thess. 4. and suffereth them not to be curious in other men's matters. But it is wonderful to consider, how quickwitted many be in the businesses of foreigners, Quick eyed abroad, blind at home. how quicksighted in examming, fearching, sifting, spying, and marking other men's doings, when as in the mean time they neglect their own, and let their whole mind and cogitation go a pilgrimage and run all abroad, but at home they are as dim of sight as Fayrees, hobgoblins, or night-sprites, and blinder than Mooles? Pers. Sat. 4. No man attempteth to descend into himself, no man: But on his back, which goeth before, the wallet spy we can. Which sort of men as Persius, so likewise also Horace doth check and sharply reprehend in these verses, Horat. Serm. 1. Satyr. 3. When thou with bleared and nointed eyes thine own faults dost foresee: To spy thy friend's offence and vice, so sharp why is thine eye, An Aegle-like most quick of sight, or dragon Epidaure? No more ado, thine own self sift and try, if heretofore Thy nature or ill custom hath engrafted some vice in thee: For in such fields as are neglect growth fern that burnt must be. The blind love of a man's self is to be detested. Seeing therefore that this vice of self-love doth dim & blinden man's understanding, and darken his mind so much, that many men favour and flatter their own vices: Christ our Saviour doth sharply inveigh against those men which fasten their eyes upon the life and manners of other men, Mat 7. Luc. 6. rather than upon their own, and which curiously mark a mote or a straw, that is to say, the smallest faults and of no value or importance, and do aggravate them exceedingly, when in the mean while, they do not mark, perceive, nor consider the beam, that is to say, their own great and grievous offences. Moderation in apparel. CHAP. 34. The moderate use of things is to be respected AS in the furnishing of feasts, frugality and temperance of fare must be regarded: so also in the apparel and attire of the body, the same moderation must be had in such wise, that nothing be referred unto prodigality and vain ostentation, but that all things tend unto the necessity of nature, and the use, profit and commodity of life: whereunto if comely trimness, and neat comeliness, not too gay and exquisite galantness, be added, I see no cause but that it is tolerable. Women are desirous of fine attire. But because womankind doth chief desire and greatly delight to be gaily and gallantly attired and decently trimmed, thereby to acquire beauty & the grace of beautiful fairness, 1 Pet. 3. S. Peter the Apostle admonisheth matrons, not to bestow too much cost on fine raiment, nor to make themselves gay and brave to the eyes of the beholders, with frizzled and broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or chains, or bracelets, but to please and delight their husbands, and to win their favour and benevolence with modest manner of apparel, and sober attire and arraying, without gorgeousness or curiosity, as in old time those holy and honourable dames Rachel, Gen. 16. Sara, Rebecca and Susanna used to do. Prodigality and riot to be eschewed For truly I know many both in our time and in our foreelders' days, which with wearing sumptuous and costly garments, yea and the same eftsoons renewed after sundry outlandish fashions, and consequently by fine and curious furniture of dainty dishes, have been brought to utter beggary and extreme poverty, and have been also derided of those men which provoked and helped them to waste their patrimony, and which also by deceit, craftiness, sleight, guile and fraudulent subtlety had scraped, catched and gotten something from them, insomuch that they would not bestow one farthing to relieve and secure those men in their calamity and misery, whom they had brought even to the hospital or almeshouse, & extreme penury. But forasmuch as we see every where so many unthrifts, riotous persons, spenders and wasters of their own substance, & greedy of other men's goods: no man ought to think it strange or marvelous, that we find in every place so many men in so great debt, How men come in debt. not only of the vulgar & mean sort & common people, but gentlemen also, yea Courtiers, Barons & noble men of the realm, that ride royally with notable pomp like princes, which sometime defrauding wards & widows, from whom they scrape all the money that can be gotten, yet they pay no man any part of their debt, no not whilst they be alive, much less do they leave order to pay it after their decease, when in truth they have more than their life so gauged and so far endanger to their creditors, that immediately after they have changed life, all their goods are put under the voice of the beadle or crier, and the creditors strive who should be first served. Let no man despise that estate, lot or condition, that is allotted and appointed unto him. CHAP. 35. Let every man be content with his own state. BE content with that state and condition which hath happened unto thee, in this course and standing place of life, and stage of this world, and bear the same for the time moderately and patiently, yea what person or part soever thou bear, in what place, or in what order and state soever thou stand. Let every man abide in his calling. S. Paul requireth the same of the Corinthians, 1. Cor. 7. bringing in his exhortation the example of a freeman and of a servant, of the circumcised and uncircumcised, of married and unmarried, and exhorteth every one willingly and gladly to abide in his calling, and not for any state of life to serve or shrink from the true religion of Christ, after they have once begun to embrace and profess the same. For godliness, as he teacheth Timothy, 1. Tim. 6. is plenteous & great gain to a man that with his whole heart is content with that which is allotted unto him. But some there be, Inconstancy is reproved. who because they are grieved with their condition, and weary of the state wherein they live, do wish to have it changed, and to be translated into another which may be more commodious and convenient for them: Which thing if it cannot be obtained according to their mind and will, and as they desire, or that it be not altogether so expedient for them, there is no cause nor reason why they should macerate, afflict, vex, disquiet or consume themselves with sorrow, but take all things mildly and quietly, and not resist, strive, grudge, God is the governor of all things or murmur against God the governor of all things, who by his singular providence ruleth and ordereth this world, and provideth very well for the maintenance and welfare of men, not only as Cicero saith, for all universally but also for every one particularly. Which thing also David in many places doth inculcate and oftentimes repeat, and specially when he saith, Psal. 33. He fashioneth the hearts of men every one, he understandeth all their works. Wherefore every man ought to be persuaded and assured of this, that God is the governor of all things, and that every thing is done according to his good pleasure, at his beck, and after his will, and finally that he seethe, marketh and considere● of what condition, inclination and disposition every man is, what he doth, what offence he committeth, with what mind purpose and intent, with what affection, love and zeal he doth favour and reverence religion, what is expedient, necessary, convenient, behoveful and healthful for every man. And therefore if at any time all things be not answerable to our desires, and that we be disappointed of those things that we wish for, yet let every man abide in his vocation which God hath appointed unto him, until the favour and loving kindness of our highest father do determine otherwise concerning his estate. 4. King. 20. Esai. 38 jusu. 10. For he changeth the course, he turneth and altereth the order of human things according to the rule, power and dominion of his will. He raiseth up the abject and despised from the base and lowest estate of beggars, Psal. 113. and doth illustrate and make them famous & noble with dignity, honour, and power. He bringeth down the arrogant and haughty, and such as be puffed with pride, Psal. 113. and throweth them out of the throne of their felicity. He maketh the barren and fruitless women to be fruitful, and to be joyful mothers of many children. Wherefore let every man quietly and gently bear and endure his calling in hope & trust to obtain and have a better, and let him lean wholly to God and rest only in him, for upon him chief & principally lieth the care of man's estate. To which effect that saying of Esai hath relation. Esai. 30. Thus saith the Lord God, even the holy one of Israel, In silence and hope shallbe your strength and safety. A place of Esai expounded. By which words he driveth mistrust out of troublesome and unquiet minds, and exhorteth them quietly and assuredly to look for the help, aid, and secure of God. For it shall come to pass that in his good time, when he thinketh & knoweth best, they shall obtain their desire, so that they do not distrust his promises: although sometime he defer his help, yet them that long and labour to come to him, he never disappointeth of their affectuous hope and patiented expectation. The Poet Horace, who curiously espied & marked men's doings, when he perceived that men are as it were tossed too and fro with such inconstancy in that manner, purpose, & trade of life which they have once embraced, & that there is no steadfastness nor constancy in their minds, insomuch that every man contemneth & disdaineth his own estate, & desireth to change with another man's, the merchant, the soldier, the husband man, the lawyer: He demandeth thus, Horat. lib. 1 Serm. Sat. 1 Maecenas, how com'th it to pass, that no man liu'th content With such state, as his purpose was, or fortune to him sent, But rather do those men commend, Who divers arts to prove intend? Which afterward he prosecuteth with an elegant proverb by a Metaphor taken of heard● of cattle, Horat. lib. 1 Epist. 14. The slow ox would the saddle bear, the horse doth wish the plough. Whereby he noteth the natural property of man's inclination to be irk of his own estate and condition, We are irk of ourselves. and desireth that it might be changed with another man's, and counteth things unprooved better than things proved. In another place also he giveth a reason of this inconstancy and lightness, whereby the mind wavereth, by an altercation that arose betwixt two, concerning the delight to dwell in the country and in the City. For the one praised the civility, urbanity, courtesy, and affairs of the City; the assembly, resort, haunt, & noise of the people: the other esteemed solitarynesse and husbandry, and the pleasantness of the woods to be better. For thus they dispute between themselves, Horat. epist. 14 Lib. 1. Epist. Ad Villicum suum. Country life count I the best, the City thou dost praise: His own● state he doth sure detest, whom other men's doth please. These fools do both of place complain not justly: For the mind Is to be blamed, which doth remain and shuns not corrupt kind. The mind is the cause of inconstancy. Truly the Poet in my judgement doth with good reason blame the mind & lay all the fault on the rashness and unsteadfastness thereof. For sith that man's mind is led with affections, and not with reason, and is tossed too and fro, A similitude of the raging Sea. even as a ship with the rage and surges of the Sea: he is plucked and drawn every moment into divers purposes, and conceiveth many kinds of variable cogitations and intents, whereby it cometh to pass, that whatsoever kind of life or purpose or trade of living he embraceth, he doth not steadfastly persevere and continue in the same, but doth eftsoons cast in his mind, devise and purpose some other thing, which he hopeth shall be more commodious: When as in very deed the change of his state and condition cannot shake off nor remove such perturbations & affections, nor take away cares because it is evident, that these are not incident unto the things, but dwell in the minds of men. For if either every man's solitariness be changed into frequented company, or his poverty be translated and altered into wealthy plenty and abundance of all things, yet for all that his mind shallbe never a whit the more quiet, because he doth not lay away the troublesome motions of the mind, that are not obedient to reason. Such men in some respect (as Plutarch Plut. de trāq. animi. and Basil Basil de vita solitaria. testify) have like hap as they have which commit themselves to sail upon the Ocean and huge sea, desiring to be conveyed and carried into some haven, whereunto they direct their course. A similitude of them that are tossed in the sea. For they are afflicted as well in a great ship as in a small bark with loathsomeness of stomach, with giddiness of the head, with vomiting, so, that their disposived and desire to vomit is not released or mitigated more in the one then in the other, because choler and phlegm abounding in the body, doth accompany and go with them in both places. So likewise in changing the purpose, trade and manner of life, no man obtaineth tranquillity of mind, unless he utterly abandon his affections, and rule all his doings with reason. To which end and effect that saying of Seneca agreeth very well. Sen. ad Lucil. Epist. 1. Me think it is a special token of a quiet and moderate mind, when a man can be constant and continue with himself. Wherefore, o Lucilius, I am glad, saith he, that thou dost not run here and there or wander abroad. For he that is every where, is no where. Therefore it availeth not to go beyond sea, or to change the Cities, or to seek one while for this abiding place, an other while for that. If thou wilt shun these things that so urge and molest thee, thou must not be in another place, but must be another man, that is, order, stay, and quiet thy mind, cast off corrupt and naughty affections, moderate all thy doings, delights and desires with reason, advisement, counsel, and wisdom. For as he truly saith, The air they change but not their mind which run beyond the seas. But against such tumultuous & troublous affections, which do so draw the mind into divers desires, & pluck it into so many variable purposes, that in a light moment it retireth from an enterprise determined and begun, we must constantly fight, and continually withstand them with the word of God, and the wholesome and healthful doctrine thereof. What stablisheth the mind. For this sword of the spirit causeth the mind, which strayeth here and there, and wandereth all abroad, to be stable, firm and steadfast, and to be content with his own lot, state and condition, so that he neither forsake, contemn nor disdain the same, nor ambitiously & greedily covet and gape for another man's calling. The society, company, and familiarity of unhonest and wicked persons must be eschewed. CHAP. 36. Fly from the fellowship and sodality of lewd and naughty persons, even as from the pestilence. Sen. lib. 3. de ira. For manners and conditions, as Seneca saith plainly, are taken by the conversation and company. Keep company with them that be honest. And even as infectious 〈◊〉 contagious sicknesses are brought into the body, so vices by words enter into the hea●… & contaminate the mind. So that the cleared wholesome air is not so profitable for health, 〈◊〉 it is for weak, feeble & wavering minds to be conversant & keep company with vertuo●…, good, & honest men. The cruel, savage, fierce, & wild beasts are a document & example unto us, for they by men's frequented & haunted company do wax meek & gentle, & become tame. And as it is the condition of honesty and good behaviour to endue the lovers and followers thereof with virtue, and to adorn them with honest and uncorrupt manners: so is it also the property of ungraciousness, unthriftiness, and naughtiness, to deprave, pollute and coinquinate with vices them that be delighted therewith. 1. Cor. 15. Therefore the Apostle S. Paul, lest any man should happen to be withdrawn from the truth, from the hope of salvation, from the trust to obtain immortality, from integrity and honesty of conversation, he studiously & diligently admonisheth the lovers of godliness, not to conceive such an opinion in their mind, to persuade themselves that no part of man remaineth after death, but that this whole workmanship perisheth utterly, and cometh to nought even as brute and dumb beasts. Which error the ungodly and such as be far from God, do earnestly inculcate into the ears of unwise and uncircumspect men, and with that pernicious heresy, sect and opinion, do turn away their wavering and inconstant minds from wholesome doctrine, from a thing certain and sure, whereof there should or can be no doubt. For this cause the Apostle by all means possible withdraweth Christians from the conversation of those men, Wicked & lewd persons to be avoided. which by their fraudulent and deceitful doctrine seek to entrap and entangle in an error imprudent and heedless men. For with Menander his little six foot verse thus he doth illustrate his exhortation: Evil communication corrupteth good conversation. The tongue must be restrained not only from filthy talk, but also from idle words. CHAP. 37. WHen as we hear that our Saviour Christ jesus reprehendeth and reproveth idle words, Mat. 12. that is to say, unfruitful, unprofitable, superfluous, frivolous, vainly prattled and foolishly babbled words, and such as are uttered without any profit either of the hearer or of the speaker, so that he shall give and render account of them in the day of judgement: how much more, as S. Paul saith, ought we to detest filthy and scoffing talk, Ephes. 5. uncomely jesting, unhonest mirth, undecent and vns●…ly urbanity or pleasantness of speech, which do greatly hurt the integrity of behaviours finally biting taunts, Scoffing talk is to be eschewed nipping quips, bi●…er flouts and mocks, which because they leave in the mind a grievous remenbrance thereof, and fix a sharp impression therein, like wasps which flying away fasten their stings, and minister nourishment and occasion of hatred both open and covert, insomuch that at length by heaping up words redounding from one to another, & interlacing their debate with figurative and crooked taunts, cast like darts one at another too and fro, the matter cometh to a bloody fight, & by the instigation of some people stirreth up bitter hatred & rancour, and unappeasable wrath & indignation, which being conceived deeply in the mind and impressed obstinately in the heart, are rubbed up and exasperate again even than most of all, when as they seemed to have been blotted and razed out, extinct, and utterly forgotten. Backbiting taunts and quips to be eschewed. Moreover, discord, dissension, and the furious rage of cursed speaking and brawling do displease the Apostle S. Paul exceedingly, and therefore he giveth warning to the Galathians Gal 5. to abstain from those soul, cankered and horrible affections, and not to suffer any bitter, spiteful, and venomous biting contumelies, nor any reproachful words or delight in backbiting to grow to malice & rancour amongst them: lest when one biteth, quippeth, taunteth, reproacheth, angreth and vexeth another, one do consume and rend another in pieces like wild beasts. Grudges & privy hatred to be eschewed. The very same admonition giveth he also to the Corinthians, 1. Cor. 1. whom he lovingly inviteth and induceth unto mutual concord by the name of our God and Lord jesus Christ, and exhorteth them not to disagree among themselves with hatred and malice, but to have concord & to agree together, & to be of one mind and one meaning. S. Paul taketh this example of Christ, john. 15. who so oft & so many ways doth inculcate into the minds of his disciples mutual love & charity, which only is the bond of perfection, and the only law and sum of many laws. For there is no need of the spurs and stimulations of laws, Colos. 3. Ephes. 4. when benevolence is readily, willingly and gladly showed, and entire & ardent charity towards his neighbour, even such as spareth neither himself nor his substance to do his neighbour good. But because lamentable tragedies & grievous tumults do commonly rise of the incontinency & unruliness of the tongue, specially when one doth as it were spit & spew out the poison of his bitter gall: therefore S. Paul with wholesome admonition instructeth the Colossians, & by the way showeth them, what moderation must be used in words, Colos. 4. Let your speech with all grace be well savoured, & decently powdered with salt, that ye may mark● and know how ye ought to answer every man, that is to say, The tongue must be bridled. Let not your talk run too much at large, or out of measure in mirth or jesting, lest it turn to wantonness; neither let it be severe, sharp, eager, or full of bitterness, lest it offend, drive away or alienate the hearers. An wholesome exhortation of S. Paul. 1. Tim. 3. Let all your communication taste of the grace, comeliness and delectablenes of humanity, and be seasoned with the salt of wisdom. For this cause also he requireth meekness, mildness, gentleness, and lenity in Bishops and ministers of the Church, Tit. 1. neither doth he permit that subjects be rebuked rigorously or handled too sharply. S. Paul would have us to observe comeliness in all things. Now therefore because S. Paul in every action of life, in words and deeds exacteth, confirmeth and measureth every thing according to the perfect rule of comeliness & honesty, and for that the intemperancy of the tongue, besides backbiting, cursed & evil speaking, besides privy, crafty and false accusation, and open reproachful and rebukeful railing, which are the enormities thereof, doth also infect and stain sincere and pure minds with dishonesty of talk and filthiness of words: therefore, I say, he laboureth to extirpate and pluck these vices also out of men's hearts. So when he frameth and fashioneth the tongue, and informeth the mind of the Ephesians, he saith, Ephes. 4. Let no filthy or vicious communication proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good unto edification, as oft as need is, that it may give grace unto the hearers, that is to say, that it may instruct the hearers, that it may bring and minister some fruit & profit unto them. One vice springeth and groweth of another. And forasmuch as all vices are tied and linked together, & one springeth up & groweth of another, to the end that no manner evil should rest or remain in men's hearts, he saith, Benevolence of one towards another is to be maintained Let all bitterness, swelling, wrath, hatred, roaring, cursed speaking, be put away from you withal maliciousness. Be ye courteous one to another, merciful, forgiving one another, even as GOD for Christ his sake hath forgiven you. The same admonition also doth he inculcate to the Romans at large, teaching them these precepts, namely: Rom. 12. That love must be unfeigned, That they must hate that which is evil, That by brotherly charity they must be ready and prone to love one another, That in giving honour they go one before another, that is, one to excel an other in ministering help and secure: 2. Cor. 8. Heb. 12. & accomplishing the duty of loving kindness, To apply themselves to the time, To support and exhilarate themselves with hope, To speak well of those which persecute them, not to curse or ban them, To be like affectioned and of like mind one towards another, Not to think arrogantly of themselves, Not to requite evil for evil, To give place unto wrath, Not to revenge themselves, With benefits lovingly, hearty & frankly bestowed, to overwhelm and lad the enemy, and inflame him thereby to show like love again. Deut. 32. For indeed this is to burn the adversary, and to heap coals of fire upon his head. Wherefore amongst other documents, Prover. 25. which he reciteth at large, he reckoneth and counteth it to be meet and decent, that every man exercise all the duties of humanity towards all men, and be ready to benefit every one. For, Cic. lib. 1. Offic. as Cicero saith, affability and courtesy of speech winneth one man to another, and courteous gentleness, In the duties of humanity let Christians labour to excel one another. and the endeavour to deserve well of men getteth sure, permanent and long continuing friendship. And if mutual love be thus nourished and by this means established among the heathen, how much more ought the same to be entire, unfeigned, steadfast, and ardent in them which are united and knit together in the league, alliance, & covenant of Christ? In words and every action of life, falsehood and feigning, covered deceit and dissembling is detestable. CHAP. 38. Learn to utter and speak the truth always. For to lie, to speak doubtfully, intricately, confusedly, stammeringly, feignedly, and to turn back & shrink from the truth, is a servile guise and not decent nor comely for a freeman or one well brought up in honest and good discipline. Therefore the Apostle S. Paul gravely & severely giveth this excellent exhortation, Philip. 4. An wholesome exhortation of S. Paul. Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are comely & honest, whatsoever things are just & agreeable unto equity, whatsoever things are pure & sincere, whatsoever things are convenient to maintain concord, whatsoever things are of good and honest report, that is, do win commendable fame and estimation, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, that is to say, if there be any thing joined with virtue & praise worthy: have those same things in your mind, that is, let those things be your only delight, imprint and keep surely those things continually in your hearts, let those things be always fixed before your eyes, let those things be deeply fastened & grounded in your minds, and endeavour with all your power to attain those things and to express them in your life and conversation: And the God of peace shallbe with you. For truly as the same Apostle saith, Rom. 8. All things are an help for good unto them that love God, that is to say, have happy & prosperous success. The fond & blind love of a man's self, & vain persuasion of learning, must be abandoned. CHAP. 39 The persuasion of being learned is to be abolished out of the mind COnsidering that the opinion of learning conceived sooner than it ought to be, doth not a little harm to studies, and hindereth the progress thereof: this thing oughtest thou to beware of principally, that neither in the studies of learning nor in any other art which thou intendest perfectly to learn, thou suffer such persuasion to enter into thy mind, to think that thou hast attained to those things, from which thou art far off, & whereof thou hast neither knowledge, proof, nor experience, inasmuch as thou hast not thoroughly searched nor sought out the same. For there be many lovers of themselves, which stand highly in their own conceit, which rejoice and glory, and flatter themselves concerning their own learning, & think they lack no part of the perfection either of learning or of godliness, & that they are come to the mark, when as indeed they are scarcely in the half or midway: And this is the cause, that so many excellent wits ordained & appointed unto famous & most worthy exploits, do never come to the top of perfection. Which when Fabius did well perceive, Fab lib. 1. cap. 2. he required this principally of the professors of sciences that either they be learned indeed, or else acknowledge themselves not to be so. For there is nothing worse than for men to presume upon a false persuasion of learning, when they have proceeded but a little further than the first principles thereof. For such do not only disdain to give place to them that are able to teach & skilful to instruct, but also with great pride & presumptuousness, do boldly impart their ignorance Unskilful Schoolmasters. and inculcate their unskilfulness unto others, challenging unto themselves such ability, with which this kind of men is puffed up in arrogancy. Unlearned preachers. There be some also in these days which do impudently presume to the office of preaching, when as in deed they be not exercised nor trained in this holy colluctation or wrestling, nor furnished with efficacy of utterance, nor endued with knowledge of things, nor adorned with the understanding of the sacred scriptures. Whereby it cometh to pass that the desirous & hungry hearers are not refreshed with any food of wholesome doctrine, nor conceive any comfort of the word of God, nor any nourishment of the soul, but receive into their minds only mere trifles and old wives superstitions. Unskilful Physicians. Amongst these men of this order I may rightly reckon those, which being neither established with good advisement and consideration, nor confirmed with experience, do take upon them the difficult and laborious enterprise of curing, healing, & doing the part of a Physician, and do practise the art of Physic, to the great damage & detriment of people, and the jeopardy and loss of their health. The opinion of learning and knowledge to be abolished. Seeing therefore such vain persuasion of learning with the glorious and proud boasting thereof, doth so much endamage & hinder fruitful wits: studious men which do affectate & greatly desire sound, sure, & perfect learning, must endeavour by all means possible using all means, helps, and furtherances of their studies, to attain soon & speedily unto principal perfection, abolishing & rejecting all opinion of learning already acquired, so that if they have profited & proceeded to some purpose, yet not to leave off or recoil from so good an enterprise, but still to go forward, until they have attained to the mark, & have run out their prefixed race, & win the garland, prize & praise, or obtain the next place thereunto. Let never that foolish opinion so pernicious unto noble wits be conceived in thy mind or rest in thy heart, to think that thou hast fulfilled & fully accomplished the industry & labour of learning, when as yet thou art but at the threshold, & stayest in the first entry & porch of learning, nor to imagine that thou hast attained to those things, whereunto thou hast not reached by far, but ar● a great way from them. For such persuasion worketh this in men's minds, that they loiter long before they come to the mark, & become slack & negligent in all their doings, & go not forward, even like to slothful & sluggish fellows which when they run in a race, do not lustily & speedily make haste to win the prize and reward of victory, but eftsoons stay and stand still● while looking back, & suffer the garland to be intercepted from them, to their great shame & reproach: Herein we ought to follow the example of S. Paul, who in the function of his Apostleship, & percelebrating & publishing of the doctrine of the Gospel, wherein the salvation of all men doth consist, Phil. 3. A place of S. Paul explanated. he confesseth indeed freely, that he hath not gotten that which he laboured to attain unto, but without any delay or stay, he manfully performeth and finisheth his course, & with all his endeavour, labour & power he presseth according to the mark appointed, to the reward of the high calling, that is, to the beatitude & felicity which is ordained of God for every man by Christ, so that he forgetteth all those things which were cast behind him, and which he seemeth already to have fulfilled and finished, neither doth he call them into remembrance at all: but courageously, cheerfully, gladly, and with his whole force and might, apply and employeth himself unto those things which are before, and remain yet to be accomplished, rejecting and not regarding all those things, which might hinder him hastening to the prefixed mark and reward of immortality. Hereunto belongeth that sermon of Christ, Luk. 9 The wholesome and healthful sermon of Christ. No man that putteth his hand to the plough, and looketh back, is apt for the kingdom of God. By which similitude derived of the industry of ploughing and tilling the ground, he admonisheth his faithful followers, that in the business and work of salvation look what every man hath attempted and once taken in hand, he must persist and go forward in the same, until he have achieved to perfection and consummation thereof, and not turn aside his mind unto transitory and momentany things, or retyne from his enterprise, or be drawn some other way from his purpose: but to accomplish and finish that thing which he hath well begun. For slackness, procrastination, or delay in an wholesome & earnest matter, and unlusty and slow going forward in a good business begun, 1. Cor. 9 is not a little hurtful. Saint Paul also willeth that a man, which is prepared and made ready for such a journey, should not have his course hindered, or his way stopped by any means, taking an example of them which in a public and common game of wrestling, combat, A similitude of champions. or conflict, or bickering in the sight of the people, do fervently covet and strive to get the reward, wherein every one of them is ready to do and suffer all that he can, Virg. lib. 5. Aeneid. and to adventure his life for the acquiring of commendation, so that he may win the prize and praise, and the exaltation and rejoicing of the people. Horace being indeed an heathen Poet, but yet a very good nurturer and informer of manners, when he considered how great damage and detriment men sustain by slacking, loitering, Horat. lib. 1 Epistol. 2. Ad Lollium and linger their businesses, he taketh an example of an ignominious and shameful act, and apply the same to exhort men to healthful, fruitful and profitable things, An example of night robbers. To kill men thieves arise by night, and dost thou not awake To keep thyself in health? But yet if warning thou forsake While thou art sound, yet have thou care when dropsy makes thee swell. Why things to eyes which noyful are dost thou so soon repel, If thou a year defer good time of curing well thy mind? Thing well begun I count half done, this proverb true I find. Ovid expresseth the same sentence and meaning thereof. ovid. lib. 2. de Rem. amoris. Thou sufferest fire and surgeons tool, thy health to get again, Thy thirsty mouth thou wilt not cool, of dryth thou bearest the pain. Wilt thou not then those things endure, that sound thy mind may save? But this part is more worth, and sure more cost it ought to have. Christ our Saviour useth the same argument, Mat. 24. and therewith whetteth and quickeneth our industry, and pricketh forward and provoketh every man to watch, Luc. 12. by producing a parable of the evil, unjust, and unfaithful stewards, bailiffs, overseers and rulers of the household, of thieves and housebreakers in the night. For as they are very diligent in the acquiring of their commodities, and seek any occasion to scrape something together, to steal something away privily, and rob other men of their goods: so is it meet, behovable and expedient that every man be careful of his salvation, and let no commodity pass, nor opportunity slip, whereby and wherein he may in due time and convenient season, provide and get those things which are necessary for his salvation, and shall be profitable and good for his soul and mind. A man must have choice and difference of familiars and friends. CHAP. 40. DO not unadvisedly admit & receive every man into familiarity without any choice and difference, but those only whose virtue is well known, and honesty of life well approved. A good precept hereof is that proverb, viz. Have a certain choice of friends. A proverb taken of dances. Lay not thine hand upon every man, deriving a similitude of dances & the fashion & manner of dancings. For young men when they go to dance, do not reach forth their hands to every mate, but they use a certain discretion and kind of choosing either of the vulgar, common and meaner sort, or of Senators daughters which be of honourable estate and noble degree: which thing also must principally be observed in the society of life, getting of amity, and contracting of friendship. For there be some, which because they want experience in human estate, cannot discern pure or uncorrupt friends from such as be feigned, coloured, & counterfeit: but without any difference, do admit into their faithful and trusty familiarity those whom they have neither well known nor tried, even such as afterwards they find to be sycophants, talecariers, and crafty deceivers. Wherefore as it becometh thee to show thyself faithful & trusty toward all men: Every man is not to be trusted. so to trust no man imprudently and rashly, unless, as the common saying is, thou have eaten a bushel of salt with him, that is, unless thou have had long acquaintance and conversation with him, and have well known and thoroughly tried his behaviour and disposition. Whereunto belongeth that saying of the wise Hebrew. Eccles. 8. Commit not thy counsel to a stranger, for thou knowest not what may come thereof: that is, what monster, what wonderful and marvelous thing he keepeth in his bosom. Open not thy mind to every man, lest peradventure he be unthankful unto thee, and so deceive thee, and afterward bring reproach upon thee. For the lightness, disloyalty, and inconstancy of men is the cause, that the leagues of amity do not last nor continue long, Friendship ought to be immortal. and for this cause many are minded so to use their friends, as if in time to come they should become their foes: And again, so to practise malice and hatred against their enemies and foes, as though in convenient time their enmity should be abolished and put away, and they received again into favour and faithful society of life. So the Poet Martial maketh men afraid to tie themselves very strictly in the bond of familiarity, Mar. lib. 12 If thou desire some bitter griefs to shun, And heavy bitings of the heart avoid: With none too far in friendship see thou run: Less shalt thou joy, with sorrow less annoyed. Let enmity be mortal. Notwithstanding the sentence and opinion of those men is not dissonant from reason, nor repugnant to human nature, which think that malice, hatred and enmity ought to be mortal, but friendship and amity, which consisteth of a certain faithful society and trusty participation of men's minds, and the consent and agreement of their wills and purposes, aught to be perpetual and everlasting. For they which rashly let the bonds of amity & friendship be dissolved, cannot escape the crime of lightness and inconstancy. Therefore Cicero thinketh it best, Cic. lib. offic. 2. that such friendship as a man liketh not, be ripped a sunder by little and little leisurely, and not cut off violently. Do not rashly offer thyself to be surety for any man. CHAP. 41. In suretieship is danger and damage. BEware that thou do not hastily and unadvisedly offer thyself to be surety for every man. Because immediately after suretyship followeth harm and loss even at hand. For he that undertaketh, promiseth, and gageth his credit for another man, putteth himself in danger: Because if the other man fail, the surety abideth the punishment and smart thereof, and must pay and perform that which he hath promised for another. For this cause Solomon having great experience of human affairs, doth put his son in fear of readiness and alacrity unto suretyship, Solomon putteth men in fear of suretyship. Prover. 6. My son, saith he, if thou be surety for thy neighbour, and hast fastened thy hand with a stranger, thou art snared, bound and entangled with the words of thy lips, & taken with thine own speech: Wherefore make speed possible to be discharged & delivered out of the hand of thy neighbour. But yet this precept ought not to be observed with too much hardness of heart, because oftentimes in very urgent causes we ought to pleasure our friends, and to gratify them to whom we are bound by the laws of nature, and to lay down our credit and wealth, yea and sometime our life also for them, yet for all that so, that none of them in his cause decline or serve from right and equity, nor commit any thing that is contrary to honesty, as the proverb teacheth us, How far friendship is to be showed. which is, Thou must do as thy friends desire thee, but even to the altars, that is to say, thou must not pass nor transgress the laws of religion: for it is not lawful for a man to do his friend a good turn, or follow his fantasy, with the hurt of conscience or loss of piety. Flatterers must be eschewed. CHAP. 42. A flatterer is pernicious. FOrasmuch as flattery and the cunning, or rather craftiness of adulation doth easily deceive a simple & plain meaning man with a certain pleasant allurement of words, composed very subtly and artificially: I would advertise thee not to give ear to a flatterer, nor suffer thyself to be besmeared and pleasantly delighted with his fair speeches and delectable enticements. The difference of a friend and a flatterer. And by these marks thou mayest discern a sincere and faithful friend from a naughty and feigned flatterer. For the one freely and gravely admonisheth him of his duty, whose good and godly estate he desireth to continue, which Solomon accounteth to be the chiefest part of friendship: The other flattereth and fawneth craftily and subtly, commendeth every thing, rejoiceth at the errors and faults of the hearer, and altogether delighteth his hearing, & frameth and apply the flattering and fair pleasantness of his words, Esa. 30. not only agreeable to his will, but also even according to his beck and countenance. Gnatho who first instituted parasitical discipline, as we read in Terence, doth express and describe this sort of men so plainly, as if it were in a lively picture, and showeth in these verses how he is wont to bind and win men's hearts unto him: Terent. in Eunuch. Act. 2. See. 2. The condition of a flatterer. There is a kind of men, which would be counted chief of all, And are not so: their humour I and fantasy do feed, Yet not that they may laugh at me too far in folly fall: But of myself I do them please, with praise I do them lead, Their wits I do extol so high, commending all they say, Which if again they do deny, that also I commend: If he say no then I say no, if yea, then say I yea: Thus have I framed myself to do, this is my scope and end, In every thing to follow men, and to their mind agree, To flatter them: for now a days this gain is great I see. Wherefore seeing that fair flattering speech is detestable and odious to all men: although thy substance be slender & thy goods small, yet never show thyself a parasite, a smelfeast, a disciple or follower of Gnatho: never go about to flatter any man by upholding or soothing his tale. The unsure friendship that flatterers get. Such tickling of men's cares getteth favour indeed of some men, but that favour vanisheth away soon and continueth not long. Great gain and advantage sometime is gotten thereby, but it is infamous and ignominious, and coupled with shame and reproach; and in the end hurtful to the craftsman and author thereof, when the deceit and coloured craft thereof is detected: so that no honest gentleman, and liberally brought up, can abide to have this note of infamy and reproach imputed unto him. There be also certain old crafty knaves and changeable fellows in their words & deeds, An old, crafty and naughty craft. next cousins to flatterers, which by wily subtlety and craftiness are marvelous cunning in deceitful arguments and fraudulent fallacies to cirumvent and deceive simple and plain meaning men, and they gape for their goods and wives, even like unto Hyaenae, Subtle and deceitful civility. which is a kind of wild beast that counterfaiteth the voice of men, and so enticeth them out of their houses, and destroyeth them, and like unto Crocodiles, being fair speakers to the outward appearance and at the first sight, but they are such as afterwards do endamage a man, and craftily attempt and work his utter destruction. Some there be of this sort who indeed are subtle and crafty, but they are marvelous officious, serviceable and diligent, and ready at every beck unto all obedience and obeisance, which for that purpose and intent do insinuate themselves and creep into the familiarity, friendship and society of some men, to the end they may scrape, catch, steal and pilfer some thing from them. For these fellows seeking and getting opportunity by all means possible, have eyes and hands ready bent, and diligent to gather by stealth, pack and convey away something slightly. And therefore thou mayest not unadvisedly trust every man, unless thou have some special trial and proof of his loyalty and honesty. Certain precepts convenient and profitable to the leading of a man's life well, happily, and prosperously. CHAP. 43. In what things happiness of life consisteth. AMongst many documents delivered unto us of learned and eloquent men, exhorting us to live well and in happiness, the Poet Martial specially hath briefly comprehended certain precepts agreeable unto honesty, whereby as it were pointing with the finger he plainly showeth, how a man may lead his life commodiously and conveniently, and have good regard not only to the health of the body, but also to the tranquillity of the mind: which he prosecuteth thus: Martial. lib. 10. The things which make the happy life, most pleasant Martial, Be, Goods not gotten painfully, but left to live withal, The fruitful field, the lasting fire, at no time any strife, The raiment course no fine attire, the quiet mind is chief, The natural strength, the body sound, prudent simplicity, Equal friends, far easily found, no costly cookery, The night that shuneth surfeiting, and from all cares is free, The bed that hath no sorrowing, but kept in chastity, And be such as thou wouldst be thought, nothing desire thou more: Thy last day fear not to be brought, nor wish the same before. If thou canst not obtain these commodities of life altogether as thou wishest and according to thy desire: yet hast thou no cause, neither is it meet for thee to macerate or annoy thee with grief, or consume and destroy thyself with sorrow, but refer all things to the will of God and his providence, God's providence governeth things. which is the only ruler and governor of human estate: which thing David also used always to do in those things which were wont to happen unto him, The godly do not acknowledge fortune. whether they were prosperous or otherwise, he committeth and submitteth all the same to his power, without any respect of chance or fortune. And so when he attributeth all the course and race of his life unto him, he saith, Psal. 31. My time is in thy hand that is to say, All things run and pass their course, even as it pleaseth thee, & as it seemeth good in thy sight. Of exercise, whereby the wearied strength both of the mind and body is refreshed, recreated, and restored. CHAP. 44. BEcause human nature cannot abide still and continued, unless it eftsoons or incontinently after take breath again and pause a while, and be renewed with some refreshing: therefore some relaxation, or recreation, or losing again from labour must be granted and given thereunto, to cherish it withal, lest the strength of the body wax feeble, and the lively quickness of the mind be debilitated and weakened, and overthrown with too much business and immoderate labour. Rest from labour is good. And as quiet and convenient sleep doth recreate and refresh the members that be wearied and attenuated with labour & travail: so also the relaxation & intermissiion of vigilant studies and industrious contemplation doth comfort & redintegrate the mind being wearied with intentive meditation, or the laborious ioyle of nightworks, & restoreth the spirits that be exhausted & lulled on sleep with drousnesse. Men of old time, whensoever they might rest themselves, The delect●ble recreation of husbandry. or had leisure from the functions of the Commonwealth and foreign affairs, recreated and delighted themselves with the pleasantness of husbandry, & reaped no less profit than pleasure of the exercise of tillage. For besides woods and harbours very delectable to behold, besides places planted, set and compassed with trees, & trimly decked with hedgerowes full of fine twigs & rods, besides the commodities and pleasant secret situation of Farms and Manors separated from concourse of people, they got gain & advantage both very just and very plenteous of their fruitful and well tilled soil, by their goodly harvest, and yearly increase & revenue. For profit joined with honesty and righteousness cannot be reprehended of any man. And indeed among all things, as Cicero saith, Cic. lib. 1. Offic. whereof some good is gotten, there is none better, none more plenteous, none more seemly for a free man, than husbandry. Insomuch that Hesiodus judged and deemed nothing to be so royal & magnific, as to till the ground, and to be exercised & occupied in the faculty of country man's life. For which cause the Romans in old time forsaking the city being weary of it, like men delivered out of imprisonment, used to go & solace themselves in the country. For in this kind of life many things come in hand, wherewith a man may be delighted & recreated, because they happen every one in his ordinary time, turn, & course. For one while time and occasion serveth to prune, cleanse and cut trees: another while the fair, mild sweet spring time enticeth and allureth men, to The husbandman is never idle. graft imps or young sets and slips in another tree: sometime the season requireth to dress vineyards, and to join the high poplar trees with the well grown stock and broadspred branches of the vine, Horat. in Od. Virgil. 1. Georg. Sometime to catch wild beasts with snare, sometime with lime beguiled, Sometime with hounds to hunt the hare and dear through forest wild, The birds with pretty craft to take, the brimbles eke to burn. Many kinds of exercises. For hawking and hunting is a healthful exercise, and convenient for a young man's body that is of full age, and not utterly to be dispraised, so that a man be not too much given thereunto, and employ all his labour and travail in chase renting, and tearing of wild beasts, and in the mean time neglect his earnest businesses & governance of his household. But to delight and recreate a man's self with tables of Geography or description of the earth, and within the limits of his study to go through the whole circuit of the world stretching far and wide, & to measure with his eyes and a pair of compasses, regions that be far distant one from another, rather than in body with great danger and loss of his goods to travail abroad, & journey through many strange countries, not without great jeopardy, this contemplation, I say, doth marvelously refresh the mind. A picture delight●… and recreateth the eyes Amongst the charts or descriptions Cosmographical I make account of those pictures which be made with great cunning & art, & lively expressed, which be either adorned with colours, or which have their portraiture of one colour, that is to say, naked and bare, & not portrayed with any variety of painting or colouring, which delight the eyes with no vain spectacle, specially if it be done or beholden without superstition, & they minister some documents unto virtue & piety, as those be which contain the sacred & holy histories. For that cause a Poesy or a Poet's work is of them in old time properly called a dumb picture. But indeed a Poem is a speaking & a lively & not a dumb picture. Music refresheth the mind. Moreover, the recreation & delight of music is honest and principally pleasant, wherewith the mind, when it languisheth or fainteth, is very much comforted, quickened, & revived. For Music with her harmony, good concordance, & instruments which sound tunably, doth not only delight the ears with sweetness of the sounds, but also by the same melodious noise piercing and passing throughout all the arteries and pipes of the body, stirreth up and quickeneth the spirits both vital and animal, and dispersing the dark dimness and misty dullness of the mind, maketh the understanding lively, cheerful and active. This was the cause that Pythagoras used, Fab. lib. 1. cap. 7. as soon as he was awaked, to move and stir up his mind with a harp, to the end it might be the more prone & ready to fulfil such functions, and accomplish such public duties, as the day required: And when he went to sleep, he was wont to mitigate his mind again with a lute, to the end he might make his affections more quiet. Cii. 1. Tuscul. So we read that Epaminondas prince of Greece sung and played on instruments properly and trimly, and all Grece, as Cicero testifieth, reputed great learning to consist in sweet modulation of voices and musical strings, and he that was unskilful of that art, was accounted the less learned. So in the old world they were wont at their royal tables to have the famous facts & excellent acts of noble and renowned personages, Lovers of music in old time. & such as were honoured like Gods, sweetly sung upon the harp. For thus Virgil writeth, Virgil. lib. 1 Aeneid. Hairy jopas with great sound of gild a harp doth sing, Those things which famous Atlas taught he plays on pleasant string. He telleth of the wandering moon, and travails of the Sun: From whence mankind, and beasts, and rain, and fire their course begun: The star that stands behind the tail of greater bear the sign, The rainy seven stars, and the seven which in the north combine: Why in the winter days the Sun itself in Ocean sea, Makes haste to dip, or what those nights doth cause so long to stay. The Hebrues refused not the pleasant recreation & delight of music. And besides other monuments the history of David showeth plainly, that the Hebrues also had the use and benefit of this delitesome recreation, and that the same of famous and worthy men was trimly adorned and highly esteemed. For that princely prophet was accustomed to sing holy hymns and Psalms to the harp, 1. King. 16. David honoureth God with instruments of music. and with his sweet melodiously sounding harp to mitigate and assuage the furious mind of Saul, when he was vexed of the ill spirit, and troubled with melancholy, and so to bring the king to a better reform and more quiet mind. Also the prophet Helisaeus being angered and molested with the importunate calling of kings, 4. King. 3. Helisaeus is delighted with music. desired that a minstrel should be brought unto him, by whose harmony and musical melody he appeased his mind, and so when all perturbations and disquietness was driven away, & the troublous motions and passions brought to rest, he being inspired with the Spirit of God, beginneth to prophesy, and to foreshow to the three kings those things which should come to pass. The holy Bible showeth plainly every where, that music was wont to be used also at feasts. For the wise man taking a similitude of pearls garnished with gold, saith thus, Eccle. 32. Similitudes of music & pearls. Like as the Carbuncle stone shineth that is set in gold: so doth music and melody with moderate drinking of wine adorn the feast. He saith moreover, Like as the smaragd, the greenness whereof is very bright and insatiable, commonly called Amarant, commendeth the gold so is the sweet symphony of fingers in a merry feast. But lest any man consume too much time, or be occupied in such enticing delights and allurements more than is convenient: he showeth among his good precepts, what ought to be more esteemed and regarded, than this delectable recreation, with these words, Eccle. 40. Esai reproveth great wine drinkers. Wine and minstrilsie rejoice the mind and heart, but the love of wisdom more than they both. Esai indeed reproveth wine bibbers, and such as are continually given to banqueting, and delight themselves sweetly and pleasantly with musical instruments, but it is because they have so great mind of their own pleasures, that they have no respect of the Creator, nor be thankful to God, from whose bountifulness all things do flow, for any of those things which they in their welfare do plenteously and abundantly enjoy. For thus he threateneth them. Esai. 5. Woe to you that rise early to follow drunkenness, and to quaff so until the evening, that ye are set on fire with wine. The harp, lute, timbrel, and pipe is at your feast: & ye regard not the work of the Lord, neither do ye consider the works of his hands, that is to say, ye have not your eyes and your mind erected and lifted up unto him, from whose goodness, benignity, and liberality these things do proceed. The Prophet Amos in effect hath the like words, who with these kind of threatenings doth as it were pluck by the ears, and sharply rebuke them that live lasciviously, wanton, and riotously. Amos rebuketh drunkards and wine bibbers. Amos. 6. Woe to you which are wealthy in Zion, which go pompously, which lie in ivory beds, & play the wantoness on your couches, which sing to the sound of the psaltery, and drink wine in goblets, and are anointed with the best ointment, but none of you is moved to have compassion on the calamity of your poor brethren, or is sorry for the misery of the afflicted, ye have no regard nor respect of the needy, nor exhibit thankfulness to God for so great benefits. Therefore the pleasant delight of music, and therewithal the moderate use of wine and good cheer, by which the drowsy, dull, and faint spirits are quickened, comforted & revived, by which melancholic fumes are dispersed, is blameless, & deserveth not to be reprehended of any sour, sad and unpleasant Stoic, unless by the abuse and unmeasurable continuance of these things men wax forgetful of the due service and worship of God, and of their own salvation. Exercise less laborious. Amongst exercises that be mild, soft and gentle, and less troublous or laborious, carriages are reckoned which be done either on horse back or in a waggon, or in a ship also, and walkings abroad in the open air, which a man may have in garden alleys, and in vineyards that be spread and stretched in great length, The pleasantness of gardens refresheth the mind. running on frames and joined together throughout, so that under such a fair green vault and chamberlike roof of flourishing vine leaves, is as wholesome walking as in the open pleasant field. And when a man walketh, if he happen to wax weary, well dressed and trimmed gardens are not without pretty seats made in finely wrought arbours, & umbrages or shadowing places, To take the cool shade in summer. under which a man may take the cool shade, and shield himself from heat. But when a man is disposed to walk in the Sunshine, and to take the free and open air, To walk in the Sunshine in winter is very pleasant. he may conveniently do it in the wide open field or in some eminent and high place. But amongst moderate and wholesome exercises, as clear and loud reading and the use of declaiming is convenient and beseeming for studious and politic men: Exercise meat for students. so for them which be mighty and strong, wrestling, the use of crossbows and the little ball commended of Galen in a book thereof set forth, the conflict or game of sword players and of running with horses, whereby natural heat increaseth, and the body getteth strength, the blood passing and having recourse throughout all the members: which causeth them that be so exercised to have a flourishing colour, and their skin all over spread with a delectable redness. But they which exercise themselves in such manner striving for the best game, must remember that all things be done moderately, lest violent movings with forcible wresting and turning of the body, lose the members out of joint, or lest any part of the body start out of his steadfast room, or be removed from his place by winding and bowing himself round in compass with too much vehemency. Moreover as the mind must not be wearied with studies immediately after refection, but that the stomach may the more easily concoct and digest the meat received without any hindrance, and that natural heat hap not to be dispersed, & dissolved: even so they which have dined liberally, & stuffed themselves with meat, must not sustain over much labour or laborious exercises. For violent & intemperate movings do hurt & hinder digestion, Vehement & violent moving hindereth digestion. & all immoderate & vehement agitations & stir of the body do draw into the veins crude, raw & unperfectly digested meat, which by oppilation or stopping & putrefaction proceeding thereof is the cause, & engendering of diseases & sickness. The old play that is like unto the game at tables or casting of the dice, Play at huckle bones or with coites which was made with small sheep bones finely smoothed, wherewith our country maids, being young & not yet marriageable, Many kind of childish games and exercises. are wont to play, and immediately after they be married do despise the same. But young striplings have a game amongst themselves with a certain kind of bones called hucklebones or coites, taken out of neat's feet, wherewith they exercise themselves at a certain time of the year, as also with nuts and timbrels. These childish exercises are rejected and counted despiseable of them which be somewhat more in years, so that after they come to man's state, they think it not beseeming nor gentlemanlike to be occupied with such trifles. For after the fashion of children as Horace saith, Horat. lib. Serm. 2. Sat. 3. To build little cottages, to tie mice to a little cart, To play at even and odd, to ride on a long rod If any man delight that hath a beard, He is not well in his wit, it is to be feared. The dice play undoth many men. But if there be dice also of another sort, for those, which I spoke of before, consist of four sides, but these have six sides being even four square whereof there is so often and so much abuse in all Europe, that many oftentimes by using them do unmeasurably spend, disperse, and consume their inheritance, lands and possessions, and after they have so wasted their wealth and substance, are brought to extreme poverty: when as the use of playing at hucklebones, which girls of our country do accustom, doth not impair or diminish their goods. For with them they make sport to drive away tediousness of the time, or when they may keep holy day, they play for something of no great value, as namely, chestnuts, filbirds, pings, buttons, clasps, laces, and such like things, as they use to give to their friends at the end of a feast. Furthermore, Driving of tops. young striplings do exercise themselves lively and lustily with driving of the top, and with the swift running round of the whirligig, so fast, that one can scarcely see or perceive it, & this do they in winter time to get themselves heat withal. Which kind of exercise was used also of men in old time, as Persius testifieth, being himself greatly delighted with it and with many other, as he saith, Pers. Sat. 3. For by good right I did desire to know that cunning feat, What winning lucky size point brings: what loss and eke how great That losing cast by hazard hath: the fraud how to eschew Practised with neck of narrow box, whereout the dice they threw: Or with a scourge to drive the top wrought finely of box tree, That none herein should more excel or should more slighty be. Virgil also maketh mention of this childish instrument, and in very elegant verses compareth the mind of Lavinia raging mad with the love of Turnus, to a whirlegigge, & saith that it is turned and tossed, like a top that is driven to and fro with whips and scourges, which matter he prosecuteth thus, Virg. lib. 7. Aeneid. Virgil maketh an elegant description. Then this unhappy woman runs that huge great City through, Incensed with mad and monstrous rage, not decently enough: As sometimes doth the whirling-gigge with vehement stroke of whip, Which boys, intentive to their play, make round about to skip Void halls throughout in compass great, with lashes to and fro, And crookedly at random drive: fools are amazed so, The flock of children marvel how the top can turn so fast: The stripes encourage them: so she with furious course in haste Through midst of city headlong runs, through people fierce doth pass. Children commonly use to be delighted and occupied with these kind of plays; But the age that is more grown to perfection, and beginneth to come to full ripeness, requireth more decent games. But in every kind of exercise that is commodious and profitable for the body and the mind, we must always have regard of comeliness and honesty. So Sallust commendeth the towardness & good disposition of jugurtha, The good towardness of jugurtha. when as yet the same was not depraved with ambition, nor corrupted with the covetous desire of dominion. For he assoon as he was well and fully grown, being endued with puissant strength and comely countenance, but most chief excelling in wit, did not give himself to excess riot, or idleness to be corrupted therewith: but as the custom of that country is, to riding, The exercise of youth. to casting of the da●, to run with his like companions for wagers; and when he excelled them all in glory and renown, yet was he well loved of all men: he used to do very much, but to speak very little of himself. As for the plays of Dice, & Cards, Infamous games. and all other vain delights of idle persons, see that thou eschew them, as a thing most hurtful, shameful, and ignominious. For in such games no cunning skill prevaileth, but craft, deceit, guile, sleight, and subtlety: neither doth consideration, advisement or wisdom take place, but chance, fortune, temerity and rashness. The dice comprehendeth every kind of play that is subject to the mutability of fortune, as draughts, What dice is. casting of dice out of a box or out of the hand, chests-play, & all kind of dice casting or table-play: so that in very small things and children's pastime it deserveth reprehension, if it be done either too oft, or deceitfully, or contentiously. So saith Martial featly and properly, Martial. lib. 14. Small dice do seem a trifling game, And hurt to have none in the same: Yet boys they make oft times to lose Even all the points that tie their hose. Wherefore seeing that in this kind of game all things for the most part use to be done covetously, lewdly, naughtily and deceitfully, such moderation must be had, that we seek for delight some recreation, Winning without wily deceit rather than to be greedy of gain gotten by winning. For we see commonly, that they which do not take heed nor be circumspect, are clean wiped and beguiled of their money, & craftily tromped by fraudulent and wily fellows. And albeit some hope of winning in such exercises tickleth a man's mind, and the reward of victory comforteth the winner, yet notwithstanding no man ought to do any thing upon greedy hope or covetous gaping for advantage. For exercise is ordained, and licence to play is permitted, not for the winning or the getting of gain thereby, but in respect of health and pleasant recreation, to the end that the wearied mind may have some rest, & so conceive new strength to tolerate and sustain labours again. But it is the nature and condition of dice-players, that assoon as once that itch and scab hath gotten hold on their minds, The condition of dice-players. it can hardly be extinguished. For men of that habit, quality, and sort on every side soliciting and procuring them thereunto, they run again to those hurtful and noisome pleasures every moment. Which vice also is even graffed and rooted in whoremongers. Therefore Ovid giveth wholesome counsel, Let winning go: mad avarice doth vex the mind of men, And fearful hands oft times the dice allure to play again. Indeed the industry of getting goods, and the increasing and enlarging of household wealth, in my judgement, ought not to be dispraised nor reproved: but it is meet and decent to seek to get such gain as is profitable and honest, & such as may be acquired without the injury, displeasure and damage of any man. A proper witty proverb is that of Plautus, It is right and reason that every man for his own gain be more diligent than fraudulent. For goods wrongfully and wickedly gotten do not only bring infamy and reproach, but also having no certainty nor sure continuance, Deceitfully gotten quickly spent. are very soon spent, and quickly consumed and gone: such is the end of riches lewdly gotten with deceit, craft, false reporting and accusing, sleight, fraud, subtlety, and finally with usury, with table play, with dicing and carding. Wherefore see that thou cease not by all means possible to withdraw them which be thy companions in studies and exercises, from such lewdness and unthriftiness, and to solicit and exhort them unto honesty, unto commendable comeliness, unto virtue. For this duty and merit of humanity doth not only deserve praise amongst wise men, but also it is well pleasing and acceptable to God: which the Lord affirmeth plainly by the Prophet jeremy in these words, jeremy. 15. He that separateth the thing that is precious from the vile, shallbe even as mine own mouth. A place of jeremy declared. Whereby he giveth us to understand, that the man which withdraweth either himself or his neighbour (for GOD loveth or esteemeth nothing better than man) from things that be most vile, from a filthy, polluted, and defiled life, from erring and going astray, and be his principal leader and chief onsetter unto integrity of life and unblamable conversation, such a man that so doth is worthy of excellent praise, and draweth nearest unto God, and deserveth divine honour. And hereunto belongeth and accordeth that saying of Saint james the Apostle, james. 5. Brethren, if any man amongst you err from the truth, and some man convert him, let him, that so doth, know, that he hath revived a sinner from death, and saved his soul. In all enterprises, acts & exploits, good consideration and advised deliberation must be our counsellor. CHAP. 45. IN every action, and in all manner businesses and affairs of this life, all things must be so moderated with reason, circumspect advisement, and premeditation, that thou do nothing the day before, which may cause thee to repent the next day after. It is nought to say, I had not thought For it is a shame to commit any such fact, that when the deed is done and passed, thou be constrained to say, I had not thought. Nothing must be done hastily. Upon the which rock thou shalt neither fall nor be hurt, if thou do nothing rashly, unadvisedly, and hastily, but let all things be done circumspectly, soberly, diligently, discreetly, in such wise, that thou frame and conform every thing according to the rule of reason. So Sallust doth advertise by a good precept, Before thou en●…prise or begin a thing, it is needful to hand good advisement wisely, and when thou hast well deliberated, then to accomplish the same speedily. And Cicero likewise, Cic. lib. 1. Offic. In all things that thou attemptest, or takest in hand, a diligent preparation must be had. Whereunto belongeth that proverb or old saying commonly used, Make speed soft and fair: Soft fire maketh sweet malt: and Soon enough, if it be well enough. Do not those things whereof thou standest in doubt. CHAP. 46. Do nothing that may put thy mind in a scruple, and cause ambiguity, so, that thou doubt, whether it be right or wrong that thou intendest to attempt or enterprise. For equity, as Cicero saith, Cic. 1. Offic. is clear and evident of itself, and is joined and united both with virtue and honesty. But doubtfulness is allied and confederated with unrighteousness and other vices. Hereunto agreeth that saying of S. Paul, Rom. 14. Happy is he which judgeth not himself in that thing which he alloweth: that is to say, which in attempting any business doth not feel his conscience secretly reclaiming and denying the same. A place of S. Paul expounded. Which sentence, although the Apostle wrote it concerning the choice of meats, and eschewing offence and hurt of conscience, as is declared before: yet it may be also conveniently applied to other things. Doubting bringeth a scruple and trouble to the conscience. For in every action which we do not perform with firm steadfastness and sure constancy of purpose, but with a wavering, scrupulous and doubtful mind, surely we are condemned, even our own consci-being judge. For whatsoever proceedeth not of faith, whereby we approve our minds and become acceptable before God, & whatsoever is done against the consent of conscience, it is an offence and in danger of sin. And the reason is this, because that when a man doubteth whether a thing be evil or no, and yet committeth the same thing being of itself not evil, he declareth plainly that he would commit some wicked and flagitious fact, if occasion do happen or opportunity be offered. But true godliness and well established wisdom environed and fenced with faith, and strengthened with the holy spirit, discerneth and discusseth all things prudently and wisely, and cannot abide to attempt any thing, which hath any appearance of evil, or which may temerate the mind, or contaminate the conscience with any grief. The rewards of virtue and vice. CHAP. 47. THat good & wise admonition which Cate the elder was wont to inculcate and often repeat to his companions in war, that same aught to be fixed and fastened in every man's mind and memory: Virtue is eternal. If with labour thou do some excellent act and honest exploit, the pains taken departeth, thy honest deed remaineth: Pleasure or voluptuousness is momentany. If with voluptuousness any evil fact be committed: the pleasure, as a thing transitory, flieth and vanisheth away soon and quickly, but the lewdness and wickedness, as a stain of infamy and note of reproach that cannot be blotted out, abideth and sticketh still continually. A Proverb against them that go and grow out of kind Hereunto we may well refer this proverb, He that hath once been a malapert jester or saucy scoffer, will never be good householder. For he that hath once in an ignominious matter lost his good name and cracked his credit, shall not easily get the commendable report of an honest man, no although he wax rich or become very wealthy. An exhortation of Plato unto virtue. In like manner Plato doth instigate and exhort young men to the winning & obtaining of felicity, by setting before them the image of famous virtue & vicious pleasure. For soon & sudden repentance, anguish of heart, unquietness of mind, & continual grief & sorrow doth accompany the momentany sweetness & sweet enticements of voluptuousness, according to the common saying, Sweet meat must have sour sauce. But contrariwise quietness of mind, tranquillity of heart, safety of conscience, & finally sure, perfect, & perpetual joy doth immediately follow the labours & miserable toil & travail of virtue. Sentence of S. Gregory. The whole effect hereof may be briefly comprehended in this sentence, That which delighteth, is caducall, that which afflicteth, is perpetual. The beginning of all our actions must we take of God. CAP. 48. The beginnings of our actions must we ask & have of God. Whatsoever thou art minded to attempt & perform, ask counsel of our most gracious and most mighty God. And if thou purpose to dilate & entreat of any matter, if thou go about to administer or fulfil any offices or duties either private or public, humbly and lamentably beseech his divine power, will and majesty to inspire into thine heart by his holy Spirit those things that be good, necessary, profitable and expedient unto salvation. For I am not able to express how much it helpeth and availeth unto the happy and prosperous success of our works, to refer all the beginnings of our actions & commit all our ways, purposes and desires unto God For those things which are not begun, attempted, or taken in hand with such beginning, we see commonly for the most part, that they proceed unfortunately and unluckily. For this cause the Lord threateneth by the Prophet Esai, saying, Esai. 30. Woe to you ye shrinking children, which take counsel, but not by me, which we are a web, and not by my spirit. By which words he denounceth unto them unhappy and unlucky success, because they seek the defence, protection, and assurance of their salvation from some other place, and by some other means, rather than at God his hand, neither do they ask counsel of him, nor pray and desire to receive answer of him, God governeth our doings. to whom all things are subject, and in whose hand and power the domination, rule and governance of the whole world doth consist. For by him, as Salom●… saith, Prover. 8. King's reign, and lawmakers decree just ordinances: By him princes bear rule, and all judges of the earth execute right judgement. For counsel and equity is his, wisdom is his, in his hand is all strength, honour, and power, whereby they that have government and are set in authority do 'stablish their dominions, and keep their subjects in due obedience. God is the first & principal cause of things. Wherefore sith that all things are done, achieved, accomplished & brought to pass according to the just judgement, good will, and pleasure of God, and that he is the first, chief, & principal cause of things: We must with most effectual prayers desire of him prosperous success of our works, we must crave and beg of him all things that be profitable and expedient unto our salvation, and necessary to the leading of our lives well and happily. Which precept and document Christ doth inculcate and often beat into our minds, when he saith, Mat. 6. Luk. 12. First seek ye the kingdom of God and his righteousness: and other things shall come frankly and freely unto you, and shall be added and given in surplusage or overplus. And therefore that beginning of the day is most fortunate, lucky and prosperous, which is commenced with contemplation of heavenly things, with the doctrine of the Gospel, with worshipping and honouring the majesty of God. The dawning of the day, and betimes in the morning is the most meet and convenient time to order, dispose, & prepare the mind, and to lift up the heart unto God. CHAP. 49. The early morning is meet for prayer. THere is no part of the day more convenable to elevate & direct the mind unto God, than a little before daylight. For then when the darkness of the night is dispersed, the mind is the more cheerful, prompt, and apt to conceive good cogitations that be conducible for health and profitable unto salvation. The books of the Bible do in every place testify, that the holy Prophets used so to do. David being wrapped in perplexity and distress, calleth on God for help thus, Psal. 5. O God thou art my God, Psal. 63. early do I wake unto thee. Betimes will I stand by thee & will look up. Early in the morning shall my prayer come before thee. So Esai, Esa. 50. The Lord lifteth up mine ear, yea he lifteth up mine ear betimes, that I may hear him at a master, that is to say, as an admonisher who doth stir up, quicken, and as it were pluck by the care them that be reckless and negligent. And again, Esai. 26. My soul hath longed for thee in the night season, yea and in my spirit and with my whole heart will I wake unto thee betimes in the morning. A place of Esai expounded. By which words the Prophet showeth, that his whole mind, and all the strength and powers of his soul, his spirits both vital and animal & whatsoever force & efficacy of nature he hath, is so fixed and fastened on God continually, that no part or parcel of time passeth without remembrance of him, but all his words and deeds, yea and whatsoever thought entereth into his mind, is directed and transferred unto God. In the end of the day the mind must give account of such deeds as were done that day. CHAP. 50. Of all our doings we must ask account of our mind & conscience REquire a reckoning of thy mind every day at even of all thy daily affairs, businesses and actions, whatsoever hath been said or done that day. And so when the day is ended, before thou commit thyself to rest, take an accounts of thyself, how the day hath been passed and bestowed, and ask thine own mind: What fault hast thou amended or redressed this day? What vice hast thou resisted? Wherein or in what part and respect art thou become better? How much is thy godliness increased? How much hast thou proceeded and gone forward in virtue? Virgil. in viro bono. Wherein have I transgressed? what hath been done in time? what not? Why was this deed so decent? or what reason was in that? What have I left undone? why held I this opinion? Which better was for me to change? why did compassion On needy man make some remorse discouraged mind to feel? Every day must we conceive purpose of amendment of life. It can scarcely be told or expressed, how calm and peaceable the mind will be, how quiet and restful the sleep shall be, when as by conceiving sure purpose of amendment, thou dost with such manner of thought, intent and meditation drive away the heaviness of the heart. Bestow the day in honest businesses. Forasmuch then as daily actions & things which we see on the day time, do sometime trouble & hinder the sleep, men must diligently endeavour to pass and bestow the day in honest businesses, so that nothing come to mind to the grief thereof, which may disquiet or trouble the night rest. Let no man flatter his own faults, or diminish his evil deeds. CHAP. 51. Vice's must not be extenuated. IF any thing be done unwisely, if any offence wilfully contrary to right & reason be committed, which is repugnant to honesty and comely behaviour: let never thy mind be moved or induced to gloze thine own error, or extenuate thine offence with excuse. For excuse bringeth boldness to sin, & ministereth occasion to do the like fault again. When David considered how great wickedness springeth of this lewd, naughty, & erroneous opinion of pleasing a man's self in his own vices, he prayeth thus, O decline not my heart unto the words of wickedness to consent unto the excusing of sins and ungodly works. A place of David expounded. In which words he prayeth, that an evil mind, a naughty will, and delight of the heart may be far from him, wherewith wicked and ungracious persons being depraved, do heap mischiefs upon mischiefs, and do clearly cleanse, purge, extenuate, and diminish their mischievous deeds, and suffer not any fault to be imputed, or blame to be laid on themselves. By which blindness and dark dimness of the mind it cometh to pass, that when as the mind is once enured and hardened in sin, and being accustomed thereunto, hath gotten an habit therein, and hath linked itself with lewd lust, it doth slip forward every day more and more into that which is worse, and so falleth and cometh utterly to nought without any hope of recovery or amendment. Whereunto belongeth that saying of Solomon, Prover. 18. The ungodly when he is tumbled down into the bottom of sin, contemneth and despiseth, that is to say, thinketh surely and fully persuadeth himself, that he hath committed none offence, neither is he greatly moved or grieved with the enormity of that mischievous deed or wicked fact which he hath perpetrated: But as the same wise man saith, Shame and reproach followeth him that is such an one. Whereby he signifieth plainly, that he sustaineth so great loss of his good name, and getteth such a spot of infamy, that it i● hard for him ever after to win and purchase the name and commendation of an honest man. The mind of the ungodly is obdurated & hardened in wickedness. In the like mischief are those men wrapped, which when they have offended, and are fallen into some sin, do not acknowledge their iniquity, neither can they abide to confess it, although the torment of their conscience doth force and compel them to make confession thereof, but they hide the same in silence and in holding their peace, & think to cover & bury all things in oblivion. A similitude of the nature of children. For these men do even like unto children, which do not abstain from things forbidden them, specially when they hope, that it shall be kept secret, and that their father or mother shall not know of it. Whereof we have examples in Adam and Cain, and in their posterity, upon whom the spot of transgression is spread and transfused, even as if it were come by inheritance. Therefore whosoever desireth to have the happy fruition of tranquillity of mind, and to suffer no tormenting vexation thereof, let him not wilfully nor obstinately deny, or hide in silence those faults which he hath committed, but openly show them before God. The acknowledging of sin putteth away the sin For the acknowledging of sin, and confession of the offence obtaineth forgiveness, and by faith in the blood of jesus Christ washeth out, wipeth away, and abolisheth all the filthiness, spots, and uncleanness of the mind. Concealing of a fault in silence aggravateth it But keeping of silence and shrinking back from such confession, doth exasperate the evil, and aggravate the crime, and maketh the cause of the guilty person to be worse. Whereof David having proof and experience in himself, saith: Psal. 32. Because I held my peace, my bones are waxen old, when I cried all the day. pain and grief which he could not endure, compelled him to cry and wail, but it constrained him not to make confession of his sin: God's facilitic and readiness in forgiving. yet notwithstanding by and by after, he purposeth and intendeth to disclose and open unto God his offence that he hath committed, whom he undoubtedly knoweth to be inclined, prone, and ready to forgive sin, when any man repenteth from the bottom of his heart, and detesteth his evil life. Therefore taking boldness and confidence he saith, I said, I will confess my unrighteousness unto the Lord against myself, and so thou forgavest the wickedness of my sin. For such is the love and loving inclination of God towards men, such is his mildness, meekness, long suffering and lenity, that as soon as men think and purpose to repent, forthwith he forgiveth them their sin. Which he showeth plainly by the Prophet Esaie in these words, Esai. 65. And it shall be, that or ever they call, I will answer them, and whilst they are yet but thinking how to speak, I shall hear them. Whereby he declareth his prompt goodness, his prone loving kindness and ready favour, that if a man do but conceive in his mind the purpose of a better amended life, strait way the Lord remitteth unto him the offence that he hath committed. So in Ezechiel, Ezech. 18. At what time soever a sinner shall bewail his sin, I will no more remember his iniquities. Whatsoever good thing happeneth unto us we must ascribe the same unto God: CHAP. 52. Whatsoever good thing happeneth to man must be transferred & ascribed unto God. IF any honourable, famous, royal, or magnific thing happen unto thee in this frail & caducall body, and in this momentany and transitory life, if thou have great possessions, hereditaments, and goodly manors nigh unto to the City, if thy wealth and riches do abound, and if honour, reputation, greatness of power or majesty, nobleness, dignity, and renown do adorn the same: if thy mind be endued with the knowledge, skill, & understanding of many things, & dost not want wisdom joined with prudency and discretion: finally, if thy body be healthful, lusty and strong, or if thou have any thing more than all these, acknowledge that thou hast received all these things of our most bountiful father, from whom every good thing, whatsoever it be, proceedeth, cometh, springeth, and floweth. To this document S. Paul reduceth him that swelleth with pride, and is puffed up with vain persuasion, and taketh away from him the trust which he hath of himself with these words, 1. Cor. 4. What is it which thou hast not received? which if thou have received, why dost thou boast as though thou hadst not received it? The Lord also by the Prophet jeremy doth even print, thrust, and beat the same into every man's heart, saying, jerem. 9 Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, nor the strong man glory in his strength, nor the rich man glory in his riches: but whosoever glorieth, let him glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me. He that glorieth, saith S. Paul, 1. Cor. 1. 2. Cor 10. let him glory in the Lord, of whom we have obtained all good things, whatsoever they be, plentifully and abundantly by jesus Christ, who is made unto us of God wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, salvation, redemption. And further to the end that no man should rejoice in himself, or favour and flatter himself, and extol himself too insolently and proudly concerning outward and inward gifts, S. Paul putteth us in mind and telleth us, that we bear this treasure in earthen vessels, that is to say, in a frail and dying body, to the end that every man may know, that this aught to be ascribed to the power, highness, and excellency of God, and not to the strength of man. All good things that we have come from God. And as all good things that be in man, whatsoever light and understanding, whatsoever wisdom and knowledge, whatsoever virtue or righteousness is in him, aught to be yielded, reckoned and rendered unto God, and to the father of light from whom all good givings and gifts do descend, as S. james jam. 1. the Apostle testifieth: All naughtiness & wickedness proceedeth from our corrupted mind. so whatsoever vice, ungraciousness, maliciousness, wickedness, whatsoever darkness, ignorance, and blindness, whatsoever lewdness, naughtiness, and corruption is in man's mind, all that same aught to be ascribed and imputed unto our own malicious will, and not the very lest fault to be laid on God. Wisd. 2. For sin & the transgression of God his commandment, hath brought upon us all kind of miseries, calamities, diseases, sicknesses & griefs both of body & mind, & lastly death, & hath graffed in man's heart all manner of proclivity and inclination unto wickedness. Discretion, advisement, and consideration must be had in choosing the kind of life: CHAP. 53. Deliberation in choosing any kind of life. IN choosing that kind & manner of life which thou determinest to embrace, & wherein thou purposest to rest & abide unto the end, & quietly to pass thy days until old age come stealing upon thee, this thing ought chief to be regarded, namely, to attempt things prudently & advisedly, & not rashly to addict thyself to any purpose & fashion of life, from which afterward, if thou repent or be irk thereof, thou mayst not retire or be released. For they which being of unripe age, & having apt inclination of nature, which is not yet well tried nor perfectly proved and known, neither well considering whereunto by nature they be most fitly bend, do take in hand some kind of life, and bind themselves thereunto perpetually, they lead an unpleasant life and full of tediousness and grief, if at any time (as oftentimes it cometh to pass) they begin to be irk or weary of their manner & trade of life, or perceive themselves unable to bear the burden & charge thereof. Wherefore lest any man snare or entangle himself unadvisedly, before that he embrace any trade or manner of life, let him take himself a time to deliberate, what course of life he will chief follow, & whereunto he is minded to addict himself. In which deliberation, according to the advertisement of Cicero, all counsel and advisement must have respect & regard to the nature of every man, Cic. lib. 1. Offic. to the end that framing himself to some fashion of living very carefully he may persist in his enterprise steadfastly. For many seeking & labouring to attain to the best, are deceived, not so much with their will, as with the error of their course, Some go awry & decline from the right way, not willingly but erroneously. who go●… wrong way to work, and wandering with from the mark which Christ hath prefixed 〈◊〉 set before us, do decline unto superstition, that is to say, do fall into a show and appearance of religion coloured with simulation & counterfeited with hypocrisy. But the aid, fortification, and protection of our salvation must chief & principally be sought for at Christ's hand, who being our only captain, we pass through the raging waves of the surging Sea of this world, and arrive in the happy haven long looked for. john. 10. He is the door which openeth unto us the entrance and way to come to the Father: Of Christ must we seek salvation. He is the way, the truth, and the life, from whom Satan seeketh and laboureth to draw us away, who transforming himself into an Angel of light, by his wicked teachers inveigleth men's minds with falsehood in stead of truth, with doubtful things for things certain, with feignedness and hypocrisy in place of pure religion and sincerity, with hurtful things in stead of wholesome things. Gen. 2. Adam was deceived with a show & colour of truth. This was the first deceit of our enemy wherewith he assailed Adam, and darkened, daziled, and blinded his mind, and deceived him being uncircumspect & too light a believer, with a show and colour of truth, so that he ceaseth not craftily to devise and work the same against all his posterity, and abolishing the sincere worshipping of God and true religion requisite unto salvation, The devil withdraweth men's minds from sound doctrine. to bring in superstition, idolatry, false doctrine, & doubtful and dangerous traditions of life, and finally to plant all manner engines, and use all crafty inventions possible, and endeavour therewith by extinguishing the clear light of the truth, and obscuring the shining brightness of faith, to lead and draw mankind from the knowledge of God, and to bring blindness and dim gross darkness into his mind. Of the lawful society of matrimony. CHAP. 54. A definition of matrimony. Matrimony is a lawful and inseparable joining together of man and woman, instituted of God, partly to subdue inordinate lusts, and to avoid unlawful, uncertain, and confused keeping of company together, and partly for the procreation of children. And as S. Paul hath written of it, Lib. 12. cap. so also Columella out of the book of economy or household governance, made by Xenophon, hath left unto us in writing, that marriage was invented by nature, that men might enter into that society of life which is not only most pleasant, but also most profitable: And to the end the same might be maintained, and that in continuance of time mankind should not decay & perish, nature hath ordained man 〈◊〉 be lawfully joined unto woman, by the blessing of God powered upon them, that by this indissoluble coupling together mortal man should not lack aid & help, Gen. 2. wherewith not only love of procreation, but also mutual participation of life, condition and estate should knit them together. Wherefore seeing that wedlock is a most safe haven, The commodity of marriage. & a sure stay & trusty standing place for mankind, in whom by nature there is engraffed a fervent desire and inclination to increase his lineage & offspring: surely that man doth well provide for his tranquillity, who doth betake himself thereunto, specially when his age is grown to full ripeness, & is come to the perfect strength of a man. Marriage must not be rashly taken in hand. But they which attempt the same too soon, and before their convenient time be come, and have not well tried their strength, nor perfectly proved their firmness of nature, surely such men are unwise in so doing, and have small consideration of their age. For there be some young striplings having almost no tokens of a man, Untimely wedlock weakeneth many. which do enter into this yoke either by a certain unadvised rashness, or by the instigation of bawds, or else by the compulsion of their parents, which gape for a great dowry: Of this sort I have known some, which before the year were ended, have been very weak and feeble in their loins and shanks, and all their vital juice was so exhausted and consumed, that I was constrained to comfort, recreate, and restore their decayed and impaired strength with nourishing medicines. Wherefore let not boys, or those that be little elder than boys, apply themselves to the procreation of Children: but let every one measure & try well his own strength; whether his loins be strong enough to bear the same or no. But he that purposeth to addict himself to matrimonial society, In choosing a wife have regard of her honest stock and kindred. must observe this thing specially, to choose for his wife one that is of honest stock and kindred, not somuch respecting her great dowry (although that ought not to be refused) as her gentle, comely, honest, chaste and shamefast manners, and good behaviour. For a woman (as the Comical Poet saith) Amphi. act. 2. if she be commendably mannered, she is sufficiently dowred. A proper witty and sage saying is that of Alcumena, as Plautus hath written, which every young maid & matron ought to keep sure in remembrance, I do not account (saith she) that to be a dowry which commonly is called so: But I judge this to be the right and best dowry, namely, honesty, chastity, shamefastness, and continency, fear of GOD, love of parents, and concord of Kinsfolks, obedience to my husband, and to be chief over them that be honest, that I may be bounteous to the good. Therefore parents must very carefully beware, Parents must have good regard to the frailty of their daughters. lest this frail feminine sex being brickle vessels, and prone to ruin, should be stained with any spot of infamy, or sustain any loss of honesty, especially when they begin to be mariagable, and come to their full ripeness, but they must inform and instruct their daughters unto decent behaviour and virtue, Eccles. 7. and exhort and provoke them unto honesty of life and blameless nurture. No occasion of offence or falling must be given to young maidens. There be some lewd progenitors and wicked parents which utterly neglect, ye rather do deprave and corrupt the integrity of their daughters & virgins. For they mar them with domestical and familiar examples, and do open them the window unto drunkenness, malapartnes, and unshamefastness. Whereby it cometh to pass, that by little and little they use to shake off all shamefastness, and set their honesty to safe, so that they suffer the same very easily to be assaulted, won, and spoiled, or do not greatly resist the crafty deceiver of virginity, whose touching, feeling, handling, groping, kisses, and tickle, they neither fear nor abhor, but willingly without resistance receive the flattering allurements of such wantoness. Faults and errors committed in entering into marriage. Amongst many enormities and faults usually committed in entering into the state of matrimony, there be three specially, in my judgement, to be reprehended, whereof many damages and inconveniences do proceed. The first is, because the most part of men do hastily & unadvisedly, & without any ripe or convenient deliberation, attempt this kind of life, yea & that at such age as is unmeet for the same. Secondly because some do addict themselves to matrimony too late and out of due season, & take upon them to bear this burden, when as their flourishing age fadeth, Feeble and weak persons unfit for wedlock and they begin to wax old. Lastly, because they suffer themselves to be coupled in an unequal yoke of wedlock, the healthful and sound with the sick and diseased, the young man, because he gapeth for a great dowry, with the old woman: Which is a thing dissonant and discordant from natural society; the old man with the young girl, which is a match not utterly to be reprehended, nor in mine opinion, altogether contrary to the order of nature, considering that many crude old men, and such as be of green old age, are not unable for procreation, which cannot be in aged and fruitless women. But as too much hastiness and speed in setting their minds on marriage too soon, is to be dispraised in young men: so is the slackness, slowness, In entering into matrimony, all things must be done in due season conveniently and long delay thereof in them that be of full years. For they which suffer themselves to be tied with this bond too soon, and bound with this knot too hastily, their bodies being not yet firm and able enough, nor their strength sufficiently increased, such young unexpert Soldiers cannot long abide the bru●… in this wrestling conflict, but after one assault or two, their courage faileth them, and their lively vigour withereth like plants plucked up by the roots. But they which delaying from day to day do suffer the lawful time of marriage to pass away from them, Let them that be of full age and strength, many. and do long time defer the purpose of contracting matrimony, do live a sad, sour and unpleasant life, or sometimes pollute themselves with in ordinate and unlawful uncleanness: Which inconvenience is every where evidently to be seen in so many men that be diseased in the fundament, that be annoyed with many maladies, wried, blear eyed, crooked, gouty, and having legs puffed and swollen: which men, if afterward when they are weary and irk of that kind of life, do happen to be associated & linked in lawful wedlock, they throw themselves into a great heap of griefs & troubles & much tediousness. For insomuch as they are exhausted, wasted, spent, worn out, and their strength impaired by the intemperance of Venery, wherein they lewdly lived before, they are both grievous to themselves, and the hope and desire of the new married woman is frustrate. Whatsoever society consisteth not within the limits of marriage, is reprovable, and disagreeable from lawful matrimony. CHAP. 55. FOrasmuch as Christ our Saviour and his Apostles do detest incontinency, Mat. 5. & 11 uncleanness, inordinate lust, and unlawful love, and do pronounce them to be excluded from the Kingdom of God, Hebr. 13. which do contaminate themselves with adultery or with the filthy lust of whoredom and fornication, I cannot see with what face or colours those persons are able to defend themselves, which abhorring matrimony, do purpose to live at their own liberty, viciously, deliciously, and dissolutely. For there be some, which without the bounds and compass of wedlock, do addict themselves for a time to one lover, concubine, or paramour, neither with comeliness, Unlawful love, lust, & carnal copulation. nor honesty, nor quiet mind, nor safe conscience. They indeed seek for commodity and ease of their life as they persuade themselves, neither can they abide to assign themselves to any woman, from whom they may not leap back nor recoil. But sometime they find a great deal more bitter grief and anguish, What happeneth to them which dissolutely delight themselves with lechery. and are constrained t● suffer and abide more contumelious despite at the hands of their imperious, stout, & malapert leman or lover, then of her which is a man's wife lawfully assigned and admitted. And they have this inconvenience also beside; because that long familiarity maketh this set bold and presumptuous, so that if a man be weary of her, and would gladly be rid of her, and send her packing, he cannot do it without tumult and troublous stir. For they make an outrageous uproar and confused hurlie burlie, when any mention of divorce or separation happeneth, or when they fear, because of some storm which is risen, that they shall be shut out of doors. Those familiar and domestical companions which foolish Priests do receive into society of life, do minister many, yea and abundant examples, of which Priests single life is exacted and required, a thing truly very hard and exceeding difficult for them, which be strong, lusty & of good constitution & complexion, to observe and keep inviolated; and so the lawful use of matrimony is forbidden. Wherefore those men err greatly being far wide from the truth, and in the choice of human society are utterly deceived in an ill opinion, and blinded in a detestable error, which think that those men live at ease and in quiet, who being free from a wife, do keep some woman at home, or hunt and seek for one abroad, with whom they may recreate & delight themselves, and whose company they may enjoy and take pleasure of, when they lust. When as indeed oftentimes, Carnal company without matrimony burdeneth the conscience. yea and commonly for the most part, besides the disquietness of mind and tormenting grief of conscience, more tediousness, trouble and vexation, more ielously and suspicion riseth by means of such a lover or concubine, that may be taken or let to hire, and tarrieth but for a time, then of a lawful and faithful wife, solemnly admitted and taken unto perpetual society of life. And albeit in this estate, as in many other, the sweet is mingled among the bitter, the sour with the pleasant, the merry with the sorry, foul weather with fair; neither is this ordinance of life free from covert hatred, contentions, alterations, obiurgations, No state of life without grief. chide, & the affection of jealousy (as there is nothing in any kind of life that is happy and blessed in every respect:) yet for all that, no fault or blame must be laid or imputed to the order of matrimony. For although very many detriments, damages, and inconveniences be incident unto this kind of life, and married folks be molested with great grief, care, thought, heaviness, and travail in the nourishing, education and bringing up of their children, 1. Cor. 7. and, as S. Paul testifieth, in establishing their household substance and domestical estate: yet nevertheless mutual love & procreation of children, by the ordinance of God, doth mitigate all these dolours, and sweeteneth all this bitterness. Children are the delight of matrimony. Children also are a delectable pleasure and singular delight of matrimony, whereby matrimonial love is increased and maintained, and great solace and comfort mutually on either party is conceived. The lack of children must be taken patiently But if contrary to their will and desire, they happen to have no increase by issue, and the hope of their posterity for the space of some years to be differred: yet nevertheless the faithful loyalty of matrimony must be kept inviolably, and the mutual fellowship of life maintained so, that the one be a good stay to the other, even like to fruitful trees planted and set nigh together in a border, which do shore and prop up a vine, whereon it is sustained, and being as it were married, joined, and nailed thereunto, groweth up exceedingly, and spreadeth itself very largely. For as a vine destitute of props and shores, Matrimony compared to a vine. falleth down and lieth flat on the ground: so doth matrimony also fall and household wealth decay, unless it be upholden with mutual help and diligence of man and woman. But if there be any enormity in this society, if any inconvenience, suspicions, tumults, disquietness or discord do invade the married couple: it must be rather imputed and ascribed to the affections, perturbations, men's affections are to be blamed & not nature. and waywardness of both sexes, then to this institution and ordinance. For these enormities are not proper to wedlock, but be the offences and vices of our depraved and corrupt nature and of a troublous mind, which we have gotten by the spot of original sin, upon which all the blame ought to be laid. How and by what means it may be brought to pass, that death be not terrible to a man of lewd and naughty nature. CHAP. 56. COnsidering that in human estate there is nothing permanent, nothing sure & steadfast, but all things, yea even the best commended & most approved, are momentany, frail, We must have no trust in caducall things. transitory, and do soon fail and fall: there is no cause why a man should greatly love, like, extol, and esteem the same, and be delighted withal more than is meet: but rather erect and lift up his mind and heart unto the heavenly habitations, and regard, consider, meditate, and muse upon things perfect, sure, and eternal. For whosoever fixeth in his heart undoubted trust in GOD the father by Christ jesus, and thereupon groundeth the sure hope and expectation of immortality, Assured trust in Christ putteth away the fear of death. he need not fear any imminent chances and endammagements, he hath 〈◊〉 cause to dread sickness, calamities, dangers, no nor finally death, whereof those men specially be sore afraid, who are destitute of the Spirit of God, & not endued with any knowledge of the deity. For they which put the● confidence in GOD, being strengthened and supported with his holy spirit, do boldly and manly, without any fear or discouraging, stand and abide against all adversities. For as S. Paul saith, Rom. 8. 2. Tim. 1. Gal. 4. We have not received the spirit of bondage, or of fear, but the spirit of adoption, of power, and of love, by whom we boldly cry Abba, father. Herein, saith S. john, 1. joh. 4. is the love perfect with us, that we should have trust in the day of judgement. There is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out all fear, for fear bringeth painfulness or trembling dread. Therefore to the end we may shake off all fear, and drive out of our minds all dread of death, and whatsoever it be that causeth trembling horror, let us cast all our care on our bountiful father; and refer and erect all our thoughts, our hope, Coloss. 2. our prayers, and our whole trust and confidence unto him, and unto jesus Christ, who hath purged, cleansed, and cleared us with his blood, Christ hath overcome death. and hath delivered us and set us at liberty from sin, and from the tyranny of death, and hath blotted out, razed, and quite canceled the obligation or handwriting which was against us, A similitude of them that be in great debt. wherewith we were bound, and as it were indebted to the devil. Moreover, Christ our Saviour, to the end he might comfort and fortify men's fearful minds, and declare that all our hope and trust consisteth and resteth in him, saith thus, joh. 16. Be of good comfort, I have overcome the world. Now is the Prince of this world judged, that is to say, he which brought in death, is repulsed by my death, and condemned in judgement, and deposed from his power to do hurt, whereof he is deprived. joh. 14. The Prince of this world cometh, and hath not any thing in me. By the comfort of which words he showeth manifestly, that Satan, Christ is a terror to Satan. and those which in this world by sin are his confederates, hath no power against Christ or his members which cleave unto him, Comfortable sentences. and be graffed in him by faith. These wholesome and lively sermons work this effect in the minds of those men which lean and trust unto his defence, that casting away the fear of death, they lustily, cheerfully, and courageously environ and fortify themselves against any assaults, or invasions of troubles, or calamities whatsoever, and declare their invincible magnanimity, and with great confidence break forth into these words: Psal. 25. Mine eyes are ever looking unto the Lord, for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. Psal. 27. The Lord is my light, and my salvation, whom then shall I fear? The Lord is the defender of my life, of whom then shall I be afraid▪ If an host of men were laid against me, yet shall not my heart be afraid: Psal. 3. I will not fear thousands of people that compass me about. If there rise up war against me, yet my hope is in him. Psal. 23. Though I walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. job. 13. Though he kill me, I will put my trust in him: that is to say, If he cast upon me the horror of death, and if I must b●… spoiled of my life, yet for all that I will trust in him, who by his providence will make a way and use means to save me. Psal. 118. Hebr. 13. The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what flesh shall do unto me. And that saying of jeremy. jeremy. 17. Behold, say they, where is the word of the Lord? Let 〈◊〉 come. And I was not troubled, following this the shepherd, and thou knowest, I have not desired the day of man: that is, A place of jeremy expounded. I look not for help of any other, but of thee, so that I regard not a whit, neither do I fear them which threaten my death. Be not thou a terror unto me, O my hope, in the day of my affliction. Let them be afeard, but let not me fear. Saint Paul being inflamed with the same fervent and ardent zeal of faith, and trusting unto the aid and protection of GOD, pronounceth assuredly, and boldly, that there is nothing in the world so dreadful or horrible, that can put godly men's minds in fear, of pluck them away from the love of GOD and sure trust reposed in him. For I surely persuade myself, saith he, Rom. 8. that neither death, neither life, neither angels or invisible spirits, neither principalities or powers, neither things now at hand, nor things to come, neither any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of GOD which is in Christ jesus our Lord. The confidence of Paul quickeneth all men. So S. Paul doth constantly show, that he which is grafted in GOD the father by Christ, doth valiantly, fearing nothing, stand and abide against all manner terrors, how or whence soever they happen, against the invasions, furious rage, and raging noise of enemies, against the horror of death, Psal. 46. which either enemies or foes do threaten, or which sickness accelerateth, or the law of nature bringeth. What taketh away fear of death. Seeing therefore that there is nothing more effectual to deliver men's minds from the fear and great dread of death, then sure and steadfast trust in GOD through Christ our leader, guide and Captain, whereby we conceive most sure and undoubted hope of resurrection, and most assured expectation of everlasting life: unto this most sure refuge let all men make all speed possible▪ and bend all their endeavour, let every one of us embrace, accept, love, and imprint in his heart this wholesome and heavenly doctrine▪ herewith let all men comfort, stay, and strengthen themselves in all dangers, distress, and imminent extremities: herewith let them appease and quiet their conscience, and with the meditation hereof let them put away all sorrow of heart, and shake off heaviness and mourning, which they conceive, when they are deprived either of parents or of children Hereunto belongeth that lively consolation of the Apostle, wherewith he comforteth the Thessalonians with constant expectation of the resurrection & sure hope of eternal life, and willeth them to refrain from weeping, and not to mourn and make lamentation for their friends departed and taken away from amongst the living, as the Ethnics or heathen use to do. I would not brethren, saith he, 2. Thess. 4. that ye should be ignorant concerning them which are fallen a sleep, (being brought to rest as it were with, sleep, and not with death) The dead must not be mourned for after the manner of the heathen. that ye sorrow not nor take grief, as other do which have no hope of returning to life again. Death is a sleep. For if we believe that jesus died and lived again, even so them also which are fallen a sleep by jesus, God will b●ing with him. And again, when he withdraweth the Philippians from worldly things, and reduceth them to things sure, incorruptible and perfect, he saith, Philip. 3. Our conversation is in heaven, out of the which we look for the Lord jesus Christ, who will transfigure our base body, and make it in fashion like unto his glorious body, according to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself. By what things and means the fear of death is to be put away. In which words Saint Paul admonisheth them, to comfort, strengthen and fortify themselves in all their afflictions, with the love and longing desire of eternity, and in the conflict of this life to be afraid of nothing that may withdraw or call us away from that far better life, to the which Christ hath opened us the way by the power of his resurrection. Comfort in Christ. Wherefore when we come to the last day of our life, and when death is even hard at hand, which every man feareth, unless he consolate and corroborate himself in Christ, or when any meditation hereof cometh into the minds of them that be sound and well in health, or if poverty, or sickness, or misery, or any other dangers and perils of this life do oppress and afflict us: let us then, and at all times, Our eyes must be fastened and fixed on Christ. refer all our petitions, hope, and desires unto Christ jesus, who by his death hath paid the penalty, and suffered the punishment that was due to us, Coloss. 3. who hath forgiven us all our sins who is the propitiation for our offences, who is our advocate, as Saint john saith, 1. joh. 2. our intercessor and spokesman unto GOD the father, who is the reconciler of GOD and man, and who, as Saint Paul saith, 1. Tim. 2. Esai. 50. hath given and offered up himself a redemption, ransom, offering, and sacrifice for all men. In him only consisteth our salvation, life, and resurrection. Ephes 2.. By him we have access and entrance in one spirit unto the father. Coloss. 1. joh. 1. By his blood shed we have obtained redemption and remission of si●…. Because it well pleased the father that in him should all fullness dwell, and by him to reconcile unto himself all things being pacified by his blood. Seeing therefore that we have such a great, such a worthy, and such an excellent high Priest, as saith the author to the Hebrews, Hebr. 4. who hath pierced the heavens, even jesus the son of God, who being tempted by all me 〈◊〉 without sin, feeleth and hath compassion on our infirmities: Christ is the peacemaker between God and man. Let us come with trusty boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy to help in time of our need. For we being succoured with the defence and protection, and strongly environed and fenced with the guard of such a renowned Captain, do valiantly withstand and constantly abide against all monstrous mischiefs of devils, How the mind and conscience is to be strengthened when death approacheth. which forthwith vanish away assoon as the light of the truth ariseth; against sin, death, and hell: and so we are brought out of the dangerous watch and watchful warfare of this life unto that desired and happy haven, and most blessed habitation in heaven. Wherefore if any damage, detriment, in convenience, misfortune, or misery shall come to a man in the swift running course of this life, In Christ is the comfort of all calamities. if any man happen to be cast or brought into any danger of his life, to be pinched with poverty, to be afflicted with sickness, to be vexed of enemies, if desolation and calamity fall upon him, if his wickednesses and iniquities abound, if the innocent and guiltless be oppressed and killed, if sound and wholesome doctrine be contemned, if heresies and pernicious sects and opinions grow up, if perverse errors be sown abroad on every side: in all this so great confusion and troublous tumult of worldly affairs, Christ is the sacred and sure anchor in all tempests of this troublous world let every man betake and commit himself unto Christ, and seek the assurance of salvation at and of him only, rest and trust wholly in him and upon him, stay and strengthen himself on him as on the sacred anchor, and finally eftsoons meditate and ruminate in his mind that constant profession of David Psal. 16. I will set the Lord always in my sight, for he is on my right hand, so that I shall not be moved nor troubled. In which words he showeth that he hath his eyes still continually fixed on GOD, and that he trusteth in his defence, and that by his help he abideth steadfast in dangerous and doubtful matters, and wavereth not, nor is carried about with any wind of doctrine, Ephes. 4. but is stable and constant, and is not moved away from that trust which he hath reposed in GOD, even for this cause only, because he findeth God favourable and inclined to mercy, Hebr. 13. and to assist him in all things; so that boldly he breaketh forth into these words: Psal. 28. Behold the Lord is my helper, and my heart hath trusted in him, and I am helped, and my flesh hath flourished much in him, and willingly and gladly will I confess unto him. Of the greatness, highness, majesty, and power of the name of jesus Christ by which only Magical enchantments must be resisted, and illusions of Devils vanquished, and whatsoever damages, hurts, or inconveniences happen to be done either to the mind or to the body, must be avoided. CHAP. 57 FOrasmuch as I have showed a little before, that enchantments, sorcery, and Arts of Magic aught to be utterly rooted out, and that such wicked and mischievous practices ought not to be exercised of any man: It remaineth now, that I show by the way as occasion serveth, with what virtue, power and efficacy, with what words and prayers men's minds that are besieged, afflicted, and snared with the delusions and deceitful juggling casts of devils, may be eased and helped: devils are envious & malicious adversaries unto men. moreover by what means we may drive away and destroy witching sorcery, which the ministers of devils do bring upon their miserable captives, vexing & tormenting both their minds and bodies. devils mingle themselves with humours as infections in men's bodies. These wicked ministers do privily leap into the bodies of men and women, and do violence to human nature, and deprive the same of her proper power and natural strength, or at least way alter & change the same. These evil angels or spirits do mingle and conjoin themselves with the food, nourishments, and humours of men's bodies, with their spirits or souls, and with the wind and air which we receive within our bodies, and wherewith we breath, and do corrupt many other things which we use necessarily, and wherewith health is preserved. Therefore I have thought it good, and do judge this thing worth the labour, to show plainly, by what means miserable wretched men may well and conveniently be eased, rid, and delivered from such bonds of thraldom and mischief, wherewith they feel themselves wrapped & encumbered. The hurts which devils do, can not be referred unto natural causes. For the harms and hurts wherewith they are annoyed, can not be referred unto any natural causes, nor be expelled with those remedies, wherewith common diseases are cured. If any disease or sickness come of surfeiting, of venereous act, of weariness, of cold, heat, fullness, hunger: every one of these is driven out by peculiar remedies. But such mischievous hurts as are done by evil spirits, do not require any natural remedies at all, but divine, heavenly, and supernatural medicines. Why God suffereth us to be vexed of devils. Some men marvel that so great power is given to the devil and his ministers, so to vex, torment, and afflict men. God doth partly wink at, and will not behold those harms which the soldiers of Satan and devilish sorcerers do unto wretched men, but suffereth them to be vexed, pained, God useth the malice of devils to punish the wicked therewith. and macerated, and herein consisteth the good consideration of his merciful purpose and providence: and partly he doth instigate the devil and his ministers, to use such fierceness and cruelty against many that have deserved such affliction, and so useth the malice of them for the punishment and chastisement of the ungodly. So is the lying spirit sent into the mouths of all the Prophets, 3. King. 22. Achab deceived. to the end that Achab being deceived and seduced, may go up to battle, wherein present destruction was prepared for him. Sometime God doth suffer some men to have such harm, damage, and detriment done unto them, thereby to try their constancy. So he permitted job not only to be deprived of his goods, job. 2. and rob and spoiled of all his riches, but also to have his body rend and tormented with most grievous pain. And this same he suffered to be done, Why job was vexed of the devil. partly to prove and try the constancy of the man, and to encourage other men to the patiented enduring of tribulations, lest they being discouraged with miseries, should fall from GOD: and partly to declare his power, by which he comforteth & strengtheneth them that put their trust in him, and when as the are brought even to nought, he lifteth and setteth them up, and restoreth them to their old former dignity. But we must consider the diversity of the common sort of lunatic persons possessed with ill spirits, which are besieged and assaulted of the devil, or be vexed of him in any part of their body. For very many of them are dull and senseless, an● far from the knowledge of GOD, vpo● whom the devil (as an apt and ready instrument) exerciseth his tyranny. So Satan assaileth sluggards, Idolaters, and superstitious persons, in whose minds rather he findeth a resting place, then in theirs, who are instructed with the knowledge of the majesty and power of God, The devil assaileth dull and senseless men. and do 'stablish and stay themselves with assured trust in him, fo● he is rather afraid of such godly persons, and dare not plant his engines, nor work his subtle inventions against them, because he knoweth surely, that his attempts and enterprises shall be vain and frustrate, and not prevail against them which do watch diligently, and are strengthened with the aid and protection of God. A similitude of a city neither well walled nor fortified. For like as Castles, Towers, and Cities that be not environed with any walls, that be not fortified with any ditches, trenches, ramparts, or fortresses, that be not furnished with any garrisons of soldiers, are wont easily to 〈◊〉 won: even so men's slothful and slug●ishe minds, which be not strengthened with wholesome and heavenly doctrine, nor ●…ablished with confidence in God, are the more in danger, being subject and ready to ●e snared and caught with the wily deceits ●f Devils, and so fall the sooner. The devil provoketh men to every wicked and hurtful thing. And be●…use above all other things, Satan desires this chief, to abolish the glory of God, ●o draw man from salvation, and to solicit ●nd move him to fall away from God, he ceaseth not to assail him within and without, ●nd enviously and maliciously doth what he ●an, to work destruction sometime to the ●ody, sometime to the soul, and sometime ●o both body and soul. Genes 4. 1. King. 31. Mat. 27. As Cain and King Saul do minister examples unto us, so doth also judas Ischariot, whose mind when the Di●el had driven to desperation and mistrust, ●hen with tediousness & weariness of his life he compelled him to hang himself, and so de●…med his body with the public reproach 〈◊〉 ignominy of such an horrible, mischievous, and most wicked fact. Mat. 8. But although Satan ●eing a most envious and malignant enemy of mankind, hath and useth a thousand wiles ●nd sleights to deceive and hurt us: yet nevertheless, he is put to flight and to the foil with this one thing only, which is very effectual and a sovereign help, The devil is driven away by trust in God. and present remedy, namely with sound and sure faith, and constant and steadfast trust in GOD the Father by Christ. With which fortification the Apostle Saint Peter admonisheth us, to fight against the crafty laying in wait, fallacies, fraudulent attempts, deceipts, slilinesse, subtleties, rage, and fierceness of that pestiferous tyrant, that is to wit, with sobriety and watchfulness, fortified and fenced with Faith. For he doth as it were pluck by the ear, awake, stir up and quicken secure, negligent, and reckless persons with these words. 1. Pet. 5. Saint Peter armeth us against the Devil. Be ye sober and watch: ●or your adversary the Devil goeth about as a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may devour, whom resist ye being steadfast in Faith. For as Saint john saith, 1. joh. 5. This is the victory which hath overcome the world, even our Faith. For the trust which we have surely reposed in Christ, and wherewith we commit ourselves wholly unto such a valiant defender, devils must be driven away by trust in Christ. against the Devils and Princes of this world, doth win and get us the victory so triumphantly, that we bring home rich and goodly spoils taken from the enemy thus conquered and overthrown. Therefore whensoever we determine and go about to work some thing against the adversary, and to withstand his enchantments and resist his bewitching sorceries, or drive evil spirits out of men's minds: all the same must be wrought and brought to pass by assured trust and confidence in Christ jesus, rejecting and abandoning all old wives superstition, and vanity of the Ethnics or Heathen, and other execrable blasphemies and detestable cursings done by Magic. For GOD by his Son, who is the brightness of his glory, Heb. 1. and the express Image of his substance, worketh all things in all men, and ruleth every thing with the word of his power. All attributed to Christ. And this prerogative deserved he to have for his singular obedience, humility, and modesty towards his Father. Philipp 2. For when he was in the form of GOD, that is to say, like match and equal unto him, Christ equal to God. he thought it no robbery to be equal unto GOD, but he abased himself, taking on him the shape of a servant, and humbled himself, and became obedient even to the ignominious and detestable death of the Cross. The greatness and highness of the name of jesus. Wherefore God hath exalted him unto the chiefest and most excellent highness, and hath honoured and illustrated him with a name which excelleth every name, that in the name of JESUS every knee should bow both of things in Heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that all tongues should confess and acknowledge, that jesus Christ is the Lord unto the glory of God the Father, Unto whom all the glory of the son redoundeth, and is referred, and contrariwise all glory of the Father unto the Son. Great and hard things are done by the name of Christ. Therefore if any man purpose to attempt any such thing, if he go about to ease and help afflicted minds, if he labour to drive Devils out of men's bodies, let him take in hand to perform the same by calling on God the Father, with undoubted trust and confidence of and in the name of jesus Christ: for so shall he obtain all those things, and shall not be frustrate of his desire. For by the efficacy, virtue and power of this marvelous, wonderful, high, honourable, and excellent name (so that a man do not doubt nor mistrust the promises of God) sickness is assuaged, maladies be mitigated, affections, passions and perturbations of the mind be quieted, tempests, storms, and tempestuous seas become calm, Devils fly away, as Christ immediately before his ascension into heaven, promised, poisoned potions lose their strength, Mar. 16. All kind of evils are overcome & expelled by confidence in Christ. serpents cannot sting nor hurt, the darkness of the mind is dispersed, the terror, fear and horror of death is driven away, hurtful and noisome thoughts are expelled and vanish away, the mind conceiveth tranquillity, and a quiet and peaceable conscience, so that whatsoever cometh or falleth upon us, and wheresoever it chance, nothing in the world can make us afraid, because God the Father comforteth, strengtheneth, and stablisheth us with his spirit by jesus Christ. Therefore thy mind must be lifted up unto the living God by his son being our guide and leader: and remember that all things which thou purposest to take in hand must be accomplished by the power of the wonderful name of jesus. Mat. 28. Mar. 16. Act. 2. For all power in heaven and earth is given to him. Neither is there any other name under the sun wherein consisteth salvation: Which name is terrible to the ungodly, dreadful to Devils, so that it maketh them to tremble: but to them which believe and trust in him, it is power, wisdom, salvation, life, and resurrection. For he is ordained of God to be judge of the quick and the dead, I mean jesus Christ, the faithful witness, Act. 4. 1. Cor. 1. Apoc. 1. the Prince of the Kings of the earth, which loved us, and washed us from our sins by his own blood. In Christ is forgiveness of sins. To him as Saint Peter saith in the Acts of the Apostles, Act. 10. all the Prophets give witness, that whosoever believeth in him, shall by his name receive forgiveness of sins. This is everlasting life (which testimony Christ exhibiteth to the Father) joh. 17. to know thee the only true God, and jesus Christ whom thou hast sent, unto whom the whole efficacy and virtue of the Godhead, and whatsoever power and wisdom may be ascribed unto GOD, is referred, attributed, and derived. Seeing therefore that this name is so glorious, so noble, so renowned, so honourable, so holy, so inviolable, and of so great Majesty and power: we must diligently take heed and studiously beware, that it be not used vainly and unreverently, Act. 19 as those derided conjurers did, who when they attempted and took upon them, with certain rites and words purposely conceived for their gain and for an ostentation, to drive away the hurtful spirit, abusing the name of jesus, by the power of which name Paul did work miracles, they brought themselves into great danger, and their conjuring or rather mocking delusion was endammageable to them. For he that was possessed of the Devil prevailed against them, The conjurers rend & torn. and ran upon them, and rend and wounded them so cruelly, that they were constrained to save themselves by flying away out of the house. conjurers now a days foolish babblers and led with vain doctrine. There have been also even in our time certain silly foolish priests, who when as they, being neither armed with any Faith of the name of Christ, nor endued with integrity, attempted the like enterprise, were derided of the Devil, and put to such shame, that they were compelled to leave the thing undone, and departed away with great fear and trembling. But if any man will go about any such attempt, and endeavour to drive out evil spirits out of men's bodies: Let him follow the example of Peter and john, who using no ambitious words, lifted up the lame in this manner: Act. 3. The miracle of Peter and john. IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH arise and walk: and he forthwith receiving strength in his legs and ankles, and starting up, stood and walked, and entered with them into the Temple, leaping and walking, and praising God. All glory is given to Christ. Coloss. 2. Heb. 1. Seeing therefore that jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God, coeternal and coequal with the father, in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden, doth rule and govern all things with the word of his power: it is meet that we, conceiving and reposing our whole trust and confidence in God through jesus Christ, do by his power, mighty operation, aid and protection, resist and withstand Satan, sin, hell, and whatsoever other things are malicious adversaries and hurtful unto man. For, as Saint Paul sayeth, Ephes. 1. Excellent is that greatness, strength, power, and puissance, which God showed according to his mighty working in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him sit at his right hand in heavenly things above all power, and principality, and dominion, and abole every thing that is named 〈◊〉 in this world only, but also in that that is to come. Christ is the head of the Church or Congregation. And he hath put all things under his feet, and gave him the head above all things to the Church or Congregation which is his body, the fullness of him, which filleth all in all: that is to say, Christ fulfilleth all things in all men. Christ is he by whom God fulfilleth, performeth and accomplisheth all things in all men, especially in them which believe and trust in him, and as the Apostle sayeth a little before, are sealed with the holy spirit of promise, who is the pledge and earnest of our inheritance unto the redemption of the purchased and acquired possession, unto the praise of his glory. Christ comforteth and strengtheneth us in afflictions. Wherefore Saint Paul, who was accustomed to be exercised and tried in innumerable conflicts, and was constrained patiently to suffer and constantly to endure many assaults, admonisheth all men, that whensoever dangers are imminent, death is threatened, Satan layeth siege and assault to the mind, they resist, withstand, and wrestle against them with a valiant heart that cannot be discouraged. For thus he encourageth and fortifieth the Ephesians: Ephes. 6. Finally my brethren, be strong through the Lord, and through the power of his might, put on all the armour of God, that ye may stand against the assaults of the Devil. For we wrestle not against blood and flesh, that is to say, against frail and dying men, although even they also sometime are malicious adversaries, but against Lords and Rulers of the world, Governors of the darkness of this world, against spiritual craftiness in heavenly things. By which plenteousness of words and copiousness of sentences, as also by an elegant Metaphor derived and taken of the conflict and invasion of enemies, he showeth that devilish spirits, A similitude of industry in warfare. and their soldiers, guard, and ministers, do with marvelous craft and wonderful subtle policies, lay snares and go about to deceive them, which be addicted unto Christ, and have given their name unto him. Wherefore, seeing that our enemies are so terrible, and so full of spiritual craftiness, he proceedeth in his exhortation plainly to inform us, with what munition and weapons we must withstand them: The armour of christian soldiers. Take unto you, sayeth he, Ephes. 6. the whole armour of God (taking example of them which being well harnessed, fenced, and appointed, do go forth into the embattled army, and stand ready in their array) that ye may be able to resist the adversary, and to stand until all things be perfectly accomplished, and your business fully dispatched, as they which be not put to flight, nor constrained to turn their backs. Stand therefore with your loins girded about with the girdle of truth, and having on the breast plate of righteousness, and shod with shoes, that ye may be prepared and ready for the Gospel of peace. Above all take unto you th● shield of Faith, wherewith ye may quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. Prayer is a good armour against the Devil. Whereunto he addeth prayers and supplications, as it were secure, aids, and defences in the rearguard or arriere band, which work such effect, that we obtain the victory, and as Saint Peter sayeth, who treateth of the same matter, 1. Pet. 5. that God in so doubtful a conflict and in event of battle sometime so uncertain, doth renew, refresh, settle, establish, strengthen, and sustain them that be a little while afflicted, An argument of the authority of Christ. & even as it were ready to fall. And sith that the authority of Pythagoras was in times past had in so high reputation amongst them that were addicted unto him, and his doctrine so greatly esteemed, that it was accounted in stead of an Oracle, and as it were spoken from the threefooted stool or tables in the Temple of Apollo at Delphos, so that when any man doubted, by and by without any stay they objected unto him these words for persuasion, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Ipse dixit, he said it, as though then it were neither right nor lawful to repugn or reclaim the same: verily it is meet, right, and very requisite unto our salvation, to ascribe the same honour, and attribute the same reverence, yea rather far greater, unto jesus Christ, and in affirming and defending his doctrine, and stablishing the profession of Faith, to make these words openly and clearly to sound in men's deaf and dull ears, Ipse dixit, must be attributed to Christ. ΠΙΣΤΕΥΣΟΝ, ΑΥΤΟΣ ΕΦΑ ΣΩΤΗΡ. CREDE, IPSE DIXIT SERVATOR. Believe thou, for our Saviour said it. For his doctrine is not man's doctrine, his doctrine is not disproveable, not cold, The doctrine of Christ excelleth all wisdom. not without authority and power, but lively, wholesome, effectual, divine, and godly, and bringeth beatitude and felicity unto man, which only must be acquired and obtained of Christ, who is the fountain of all wisdom and goodness, Colos. 2. And in whom dwelleth all the fullness of GOD bodily, by whom we are complete. By him, as Saint Paul saith, Colos. 1. God the Father hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of his beloved son, by whom we have redemption in his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. God hath poured all things on Christ most abundantly. Who is the Image of the invisible God, the first begotten of all creatures, because that by him all things are created, which are in heaven & earth, visible & invisible, thrones, dominations, principalities, powers. All things are created by him & for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things have their being. And he is the head of the body of the Church, the beginning & first begotten of the dead, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence, and obtain the principality. For it pleased the Father that the fullness of all things should dwell in him, and by him to reconcile toward himself all things, being pacified & appeased by the blood of his Cross. Seeing therefore that God the Father hath given and bestowed, hath shed and poured on Christ all things so liberally, plentifully and abundantly, let us labour and strive to come, with all speed possible, unto this most plenteous, never-wasting and everlasting fountain, and let us be bold, with must assured trust and effectual confidence, to ask, hope, and expect every thing of him, let us enterprise and take in hand to bring any thing to pass by him. The force of faith. If thou intent to drive away Devils, to heal diseases, to deliver and rid thyself out of dangers, to destroy venomous beasts, to expel the pernicious power of poison, and abolish the hurt thereof, to move mountains out of their place, remember that all these things must be achieved and accomplished by the strength and power of jesus Christ, and by undoubted affiance in him. For Christ promiseth that all things shallbe plain, manifest, open, and easy unto him that believeth and trusteth in him: Which most comfortable promise it pleased him to confirm unto his Apostles in his last Sermon before he was taken up into heaven. When he saith: Mar. 16. Go ye into all the whole world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that shall believe and be baptized, shall be saved, but he that will not believe, shall be condemned. And these signs shall follow them which believe, In my name they shall cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues, they shall drive away and destroy Serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them, they shall lay their hands on the sick, and they shall be well, that is to say, at the touching of them they shall wax healthful and be hole and sound. All these things shallbe always priest and ready, when the fruit and profit of the Gospel shall require a miracle. But indeed these things are always wrought and performed in the hearts of men by the ministers of the profession of the Gospel, Miracles wrought in men's hearts and minds. when as they drive and pluck filthy vices and abominable sin out of men's minds, when as they heal the sicknesses and diseases of the mind, with the effectual power of the spirit and with wholesome doctrine, when as they do deliver and set the heart at liberty from covetousness, hatred, wrath, evil concupiscence, crafty, false, and malicious surmises and accusations, backebiting and slandering, and other renemous affections, and do adorn the mind with divine, holy, and godly gifts. Whether herbs and precious stones be of any power or available efficacy in driving away Devils, and expelling other hurtful things. CHAP. 58. ALthough herbs have such peculiar use and commodity, and such special force and strength naturally by the wonderful work of the Creator of nature, that they be meet & conveniently used and necessarily applied for the sustenance and medicine of men's bodies: Herbs effectual unto many things. yet notwithstanding some herbs are nobly commended of old and ancient writers, because they be good helps against mischievous hurts, and do drive away and expel all kind of enchantments, witchcraft, and sorcery. These are called remedies against all ill and mischiefs, or preservatives against poison and sorcery, because they put away and expulse whatsoever things are hurtful, Pearls endued with secret efficacy. noyous, and grievous to man. And this virtue is attributed not only to herbs, but also to pearls and precious stones, which efficacy they have not of their first form and qualities, that is to say, of the temperature of heat, of coldness, of dryness, and moistness, but by a peculiar power specially pertaining to their kind, and by a secret effect and hidden property, the cause whereof can not be declared. loadstone. Amber or Aumber. jeate. sapphire. So the loadstone by rubbing of it, draweth iron to it. The jeate stone and Aumbre, that Beads were made of, draweth chaff and little straws. The sapphire which is of the colour of the sky, light, watchet, or bluncket, preserveth chastity. jacint. Chrysolit. The jacint and Chrysolite being worn in a ring on the finger, resisteth the pestilence, emerald. The Emeraud and Prasine stone, which are green stones, do make the heart merry. Turquoyse. The Turquoyse saveth and preserveth from slipping, falling, and rushing against any thing, or if any such thing do happen, it keepeth the body safe from hurt. Coral. Coral put on the neck, driveth away troublous and terrible dreams, and mitigateth the fear that children have in the night. Carbuncle. Sardine. The Carbuncle and Sardine stone, commonly called Corneol, so named of the red bury of the Cornelier Tree, the fruit whereof is like to heppes, provoketh mirth and gladness, and maketh a man cheerful, and causeth him to have a goodly fair fresh flourishing colour, by reason that the blood hath ready passage and course throughout the body. So other precious stones have power & do excel in other virtues, some in one, some in another, & do chase & drive away hobgoblins or night spirits, fairees or elses that do bewitch infants, the night mares or hedges, and evil spirits of the air, if we may give credence to the monuments and works of ancient writers. So amongst herbs there be some which prevail against those diseases and horrible maladies, which are much like unto the malicious vexations, grievous afflictions and horrible torments of Devils. Of which sort be these, Horrible diseases are are driven out by the help of herbs. melancholy, frenzy, madness, falling sickness or foul evil, and most grievous and cruel diseases, which come to maids and widows, of the passions of the womb, or late fluxion of their natural evacuations, or when they defer the time of marriage too long, and then be matched in matrimony. For the mind is so troubled and affected by means of noyous fumes, black and gross vapours like unto soot of a chimney, that they think themselves to be vexed of some hurtful spirit, and persuade themselves that the Devil assaileth their mind, and driveth them unto many absurd, inconvenient, foolish, and odious imaginations. Unto which noyful malady, attempting first incision or cutting open of the vain for Phlebotomy or bloudletting about the ankles, wholesome herbs are applied in medicine, which may deliver them from such accidents: as namely these, Mugworth, Savoury, Penny royal or Pulioll royal, Organum or Organie, Clary. Moreover among herbs which do ease and help afflicted minds, and keep them harmless from the devil, or from conceiving imagination of him, or from poisoned fumes which do annoy and corrupt the brain, these be reckoned, Rew, Squilla or sea onion. namely Rew, Squilla or sea onion, of the juice whereof both the syrup, oxymel and vinegar is confected; Osteritium, commonly called Magistrantia: Angelica or imperial: a kind of fennel giant, or of the herb that groweth in Syria, the juice whereof is called of the Apothecaries Asadulcis, Belzoe or Belzoin, commonly called Benjamin, or rather Benzwin; Alisson, Madder. the herb called the lesser Madder, wherewith they use to colour skins, which herb remedieth the madness of a dog, and healeth them also that be bitten of a mad dog, which affection, hurt and grief is not unlike to those which are vexed of Satan, and incensed with furious raging: Rosemary. Rosemary purgeth the house, and a stalk of this herb, or a stem or branch of the body of this tree, hanged on the threshold, driveth away devils, and the infection of pestilence. Palmae Christi. And so doth also that herb which in every place is commonly known by the name of Palma, or Palmus Christi, because the leaves of it are in fashion like unto a hand stretched out. Things good against falling sickness So likewise Coral, Pyonie, Mistelden, do expel the falling sickness, if they be either hanged on the neck, or given to drink in wine. Of which remedies if any man think that some may be exhibited and ministered for the driving out of devils: then, away with all vanity and heathenish superstition, away with all babbling prayers, and such kind of outlandish or strange country words, wherewith the professors of Magical Arts, do commonly bring to pass their enchantments and sorceries. Herbs have their effect of God. If herbs have any effectual operation or power, as experience doth plainly show that they have, remember that they have it of the Lord. For all medicines and medicinable stems and herbs, which are applied unto men's bodies, are not effectual, nor have the effect of restoring health, in respect of themselves, or by their own virtue, but by the gift and goodness of God. Therefore if thou intent to do some good cure, by the help of herbs, do not put thy trust in the herbs, but in God. For so shall thy enterprise have such good hap and prosperous success in driving away diseases, as thou wouldst wish to have. Otherwise this endeavour goeth wrong way to work, and the event thereof deceiveth the skilful professor of the Art, when as he doth neither weigh in his mind the power of the Creator, nor trusteth in him of whom all things have and receive their effect. Why king Asa obtained not his health. 2. Paral. 16. 2. Paral. 16. For this cause Asa king of juda, when he was afflicted & stricken with very vehement grief & pain in his feet, and sought not God, nor asked remedy of him, but trusted only to Physicians, he felt no ease nor help by their fomentations, but died of the gout, as the history doth testify. For God doth not forbid men to use the help of Physicians, but to trust in them too much, and to have no regard of him which maketh hole and giveth health, Psal. 62. and by whose gift all things are effectual. Moreover, those men do fond and superstitiously, and do attempt a thing not altogether differing from idolatry, who in their enchantments, use herbs consecrated with certain counterfeit prayers, or do also labour to expel diseases with them by their sorcery. So they apply and use fern or Brake gathered in the night season, when the Sun entering into Cancer is at the highest, and the day at the longest, Rew, Herbs must not be applied to Magical enchantments. three leaved grass, or Trifoyle, and Vervain, mixed in their Magical delusions, wherewith they deceive and blind the rude and ignorant people, to the end they may scrape and get something from them, and beguile them of their money. And yet for all that, those vain craftsmen do never become rich men. This advertisement have I thought convenient and necessary to be annexed to this treatise, O studious reader, to admonish every man to abstain from Magical enchantments, and to mark well and consider, of whom the aid, succour, and safeguard of health and soundness must be asked and sought, and in what manner (rejecting heathenish vanity and superstition) we ought to use those priest and ready remedies, which GOD of his great goodness and bountiful liberality, hath plentifully and abundantly granted unto us. Of the majesty and power of the most highest, and how many divers titles and names are attributed and ascribed unto that one only substance of GOD, distinct and divided into three equal persons. By the contemplation whereof, man's mind conceiveth tranquillity and comfort, and most effectual faith and trust towards God. CHAP. 59 The nature of God is unsearchable. BEcause GOD that most excellent, most mighty and puissant nature, and the very eternal mind or spirit free and clear from all mortal mixture and congelation, extendeth himself so exceedingly, as cannot be measured, and dilateth, stretcheth, and sheddeth forth himself so far on every side, as cannot be comprehended, who ruleth and governeth every thing, joh. 1. and endueth them with his power: for that cause that same one deity, for this virtue, power, excellent and mighty operation, is highly entitled with divers names, and nobly renowned, celebrated, and adorned with many glorious testifications of praise and honour, both of the Hebrews, and also among other nations that have had any knowledge of the Godhead. So in the sacred and holy history the Lord is called El, Eloim, Adonai, Emanuel: God hath sundry names. Of the which names every one signifieth peculiar strength, and might, and attributeth great power unto GOD, the which he exerciseth and executeth on things here beneath. For which cause when he set forth, published, and ordained the commandments of his law to be carefully kept and observed of the jews, to the end that greater authority and higher worship might the more honourably and reverently be given and ascribed unto him, he saith, Exod. 20. Deut. 5. I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt and house of bondage. Thou shalt have no strange Gods before me. jehova, that is, Lord, is a singular name of God. By this holy and wonderful name, he ascribeth unto himself the rule and dominion of all things that have their being. For sith that he is the fountain, spring, and beginning of all universally, and sith that he alone hath his permanent being and perpetual abiding by himself, he only giveth power and strength to all things to have their being and abiding. Wherefore it is meet and decent, This name is assigned to God of his effect. that all mortal men obey his commandments and ordinances, and be subject unto his laws, and not seek protection, health, help, and salvation of any other, but of him, nor turn themselves unto any other, but unto him, who only is from everlasting. This name which the Hebrews call jehova, the Greeks' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Latins call the same Existentem, that is, being. Therefore the nomination of the divine substance, is derived of many things. Namely, of his first and perpetual power and might to be, of his eternity, of his magnificence, Majesty, rule and dominion, to the which all things are subject and under obedience, and by which he ruleth all creatures, and guideth and governeth them by his most effectual and principal providence. GOD hath also a name assigned unto him of his placability or mildness, Ose. 3. joel. 2. Naum 1. in that his displeasure is so soon appeased and so easily mitigated, of his meekness, mercy, and compassion, which he useth towards men, which do humbly beseech and lamentably desire his aid, his help and secure in their necessity, distress and misery. For the hebrewe word, El, expresseth the clemency or mercy of God joined with his righteousness, Naum. 2. Ose. 11. wherewith he comforteth, strengtheneth, and preserveth the godly, and chastiseth, punisheth, and correcteth the wicked, and by putting his fear in their hearts, calleth them back from their wickedness. He is also named of the light, wherewith he driveth away the darkness, the blindness, ignorance, and errors of the mind and understanding, and doth illuminate & lighten men's hearts which are full of darkness, with the light of his truth and knowledge of him. For so saith our Saviour, joh. 8. I am the light of the world, he that followeth me; walketh not in darkness. Of the fire also, wherewith he inflameth and brenneth the godly with the love of his divine Majesty, and endueth their minds with wholesome and lively doctrine. But he consumeth and utterly destroyeth his adversaries, which neither reverence, worship, nor fear him, and bringeth them to nought, even as the fire licketh up dry straw, or stubble, or such like light nourishments thereof. Deut. 4. Therefore Moses and Saint Paul do admonish us, to worship GOD reverently and religiously, that is, with pure heart and good conscience, that we may be accepted before him. For our GOD, saith he, Hebr. 12. is a consuming fire. Wherefore let every man behave himself lowly and humbly before him. Mich. 6. Ose. 2. GOD hath also a name attributed unto him of his goodness, He is called God of his goodness. liberality, and bounteousness, which he useth toward his faithful servants: whom he suffereth not to be oppressed with any extreme necessity, or to perish for want of things necessary: but in all things that they have need of, he provideth for them plentifully, and giveth unto them abundantly all things needful and profitable, both outward goods, and also tranquillity of heart, quietness of mind, and peace of conscience. And he is called Father, of his piety, loving kindness, and fatherly affection, wherewith he embraceth his children, and by his bountiful providence careth and provideth for their health, safety, and commodity. So the Lord saith by the Prophet jeremy, jeremy. 31. Malach. 1. Thou shalt call me father, and shalt not cease to go after me. Again, jeremy. 1. Esa. 63. I am become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first borne, and I will lea●e them forth by the brook of waters in the right way, and they shall not fall: That is to say, they shall follow my steps, they shall go with me, and they shall agree unto my will, and continue therein, and I will keep them safe in all their ways, neither shall any harm happen unto them, no injury, no wrong or despite shall be done unto them, no destruction, no calamity, no misery shallbe brought upon them. Moreover the Prophet Esay doth commemorate and recoumpt those goodly, fair, glorious and triumphant titles, which God the Father attributeth unto Christ, that every man may know what Christ hath done for us by his nativity, death, and resurrection, and by his ascension into Heaven. For thus the Prophet expresseth the greatness of his might and power, his magnificence, his excellency, his brightness, his glory, his honour, his power, his highness, his majesty: Of the which every one redoundeth unto our profit and commodity: whereupon he is called Emanuel, that is to say, What Emanuel doth signify. Esai 9 God with us. A child is borne unto us, and a Son is given unto us, and the principality is upon his shoulder, and his name shallbe called Wonderful, The giver of counsel, The mighty God, The Father of the world to come, The Prince of peace. jerem. 5. Innumerable and infinite are the testifications of praise, honour, and glory, which may be applied and ascribed unto his exceeding, infinite, incomprehensible and surpassing majesty, yea even which he attributeth unto himself. Ose. 7. Esa. 61. Mat. 9 So he calleth himself the Physician, because he giveth & assureth the health of soul and body, and cureth, amendeth, and healeth both the inward and outward vices & corruption of men. He calleth himself the Shepherd, Esai. 40. joh. 10. Psal. 77. & 78. 1. Pet. 2. because he very carefully, diligently, and watchfully looketh unto his flock, and gathereth together the dispersed and scattere● sheep, and feedeth and refresheth them with the wholesome pasture and food of his holy word. joh. 15. A similitude of a vine. So Christ calleth himself the fruitful vine, and his Father the husbandman, and us the branches growing and abiding in the vine, whom he purgeth and pruneth, and cleanseth from the vine the unprofitable stalks or stems, that is to say, cutteth clean away superfluous lusts and covetous desires, to the end they may bring forth more fruit. But those whom he findeth unfruitful and void of yearly profit and increase (by which Metaphor he meaneth them which bring forth no fruit of Faith) he adjudgeth and appointeth them to the fire, as unprofitable and dry withered shragges that have no juice, but are utterly fruitless. A similitude of building. 1. Cor. ●. Saint Paul also useth a like Metaphor derived of diligence in husbandry and industry of building. For, privy hatred, variance, and strife being repressed & abolished, wherewith the Corinthians were at discord among themselves, and were puffed up and swollen one against another, in the behalf of their Doctors and Teachers, (as we see men do oftentimes even now in these our days) he admonisheth and warneth every one of them, that if they have gotten any wholesome learning, they do not attibute it to the Ministers, but ascribe it unto GOD the author of all good things. The Apostles are Gods ministers. We, sayeth he, are helpers, and as it were hired workmen. We do God's business, to him do we approve our industry, for him do we take all this pains. Ye are God's husbandry, and as it were his ground, soil or land, which we till, and make more apt for fruit, with sowing the seed of wholesome doctrine. Ye are God's building and workmanship, which ariseth and is erected up unto his glory. But as concerning the great highness, honour, and Majesty of God, nothing can be invented or devised, nothing can be thought, mused, or conceived in the mind, so high, so magnific, so renowned, so excellent, so glorious, God is the perfect pattern and absolute ensample of virtue. so surpassing fair and goodly, finally so perfect in every respect, and in all kind of virtues, but the same ought worthily to be referred and attributed unto the essency or substance of God, or applied and ascribed unto him. The wisdom of God. Psal. 66.104.107.147. His wisdom being the ruler and governor of all things, wherewith he preserveth, supporteth, and sustaineth the whole universal world by his counsel & providence, is incomprehensible, inexplicable; unspeakable, and infinite, so that the order and orderly continuance of all things from time to time so wonderfully, doth draw all men into admiration and love of the Creator, inflaming and provoking them to extol and magnify him for his excellent and marvelous works. The strength and might of God. The power of God. Psal. 18 27. 62. He might, strength, and power, wherewith he casteth down and overthroweth his enemies, and wherewith he helpeth and maintaineth the godly, is inexpugnable and invincible, & cannot be resisted. For there is nothing which doth not give place unto his strength. Esai. 25. Proverb. 8. Luc. 2. No castles, no towers, no fortifications, no defences, no fortresses or bulwarks, how strong soever they be, can withstand his puissance. The righteousness of God. His judgement and justice, wherewith he distributeth to every man that which is due, convenient, and requisite for him, and adjudgeth and rendereth rewards to every man according to his worthiness and deserts, Psal. 18.48.85. is right, lawful, holy, sincere, pure, Psal. 22.145. laudable, and of excellent equity, so that no man (unless he be of depraved judgement) hath any cause to complain of the same. The mercy of God is a sure refuge to sinners. His mercy, compassion, pity, clemency, and mildness, which every one of the Prophets do greatly commend and highly extol, is exceeding, and excelleth and surpasseth all his virtuous. For all men which fear his justice flee unto his Mercy as unto a sure sanctuary, and do humbly desire his help and secure. This taketh away despair and distrust out of men's fearful hearts and consciences. With this the holy Spirit the Comforter doth comfort, strengthen, Psal. 32.57. Colos. 2. and raise up them that suddenly fall, and grafting and fixing in their hearts assured hope and trust to obtain salvation, maketh them come boldly unto the throne of grace, to obtain mercy and receive remission of sins, Hebr. 4. so that there is nothing which may be imputed unto them, there is none that can accuse, appeach, or condemn them to be guilty of death. Saint Paul having good proof and experience of this mercy of God, and being of a persecuter chosen and admitted to be an Apostle, doth support, stay, comfort, and strengthen the doubtful and wavering minds of men, and provoketh and allureth them unto the mercy of God, even by his own notable and excellent example, with these words: Whereas before, sayeth he, 1. Tim. 1. I was a persecuter, a blaspemer, a violent tyrant: I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly through unbelief. That is to say, void of faith, and not knowing the counsel, purpose, and determination of God. For he supposed, when he persecuted the Christians, that he did God good service. And further, to the end that all men may have good consideration and careful regard of their salvation, and that every man may assuredly know that his sins are purged and cleansed away by the blood of Christ, 1. joh. 1.6. Saint Paul with assured protestation and affirmance pronounceth these words to them that trust in him. Saint Paul praiseth & extolleth the mercy of God. This is a sure saying and by all means worthy to be received, that jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of when I am chief. Saint Paul provoketh all men to commit themselves to the mercy of God. But for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me he might first show all clemency, to declare an ensample unto them, which should believe on him unto everlasting life, that is to say, with hope and constant expectation of the kingdom of heaven. And because this benefit ought wholly to be ascribed unto our heavenly Father, and that he ought not to be rob of his due praise, not defrauded of the testification and percelebration of his infinite goodness, he immediately annexeth these words: Unto the immortal King of World, unto the invisible, and only wise God be honour, praise, and glory for ever, Amen. Saint Peter also for the mystery of our redemption, attributeth the like praise 1. Pet. 1. Saint Peter extolleth the mercy of God exceedingly. Unto God and the Father of our Lord jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy regenerated us unto a lively hope, by this that jesus Christ rose again from the dead, to an inheritance immortal, undefiled, and that cannot fade nor perish, laid up in heaven towards us: that is to say, for the love of us and for our sakes. Tit. 3. For after that the kindness, and love and humanity of God our Saviour towards man appeared, not for any of our deserts, nor for the works of righteousness which we wrought, but according to his mercy he saved us by the fountain of regeneration and renewing of the holy Spirit, which he hath shed forth richly by jesus Christ our Saviour, that we being justified by his grace, might be made heirs according to the hope of everlasting life: which saying is certain true and undoubted, and to be infixed and surely kept by all means in every man's mind. Seeing therefore that the love & ready kindness of God is so great, his favour, charity, his fatherly dear and tender affection towards mankind is such, that he hath not only given us the use and commodity of all things, but also (which far exceedeth these benefits) hath bestowed even his only beloved Son for the redemption of man, that by the death & resurrection of Christ, man might obtain reconciliation and grace: it is meet and decent, and both equity, and thankfulness for such a benefit bestowed on us, doth require, that every one of us do put all our whole hope, trust and confidence in him, Our life must be approved unto God. and magnify him with most high and excellent praises, and endeavour to approve our conversation, & lead our lives acceptable before him, & please him with Faith, not an idle and vain Faith, Faith is adorned with fruits. but that which is sustained, declared, environed, and accompanied with the works of charity: and denying and forsaking ungodliness, and rejecting carnal lusts and worldly desires, consecrat ourselves wholly unto him, and live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, Tit. 2. Looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purge us a peculiar people unto himself zealous and fervent follower of good works: For by framing our lives and ordering our conversation after this manner, and by the operation and consolation of the holy Spirit the Comforter given unto us and dwelling in us, Rom. 5. peace, tranquillity, and sure safety shallbe nourished and established in our hearts and consciences, and dread & fear of death being shaken off and driven away, Christ being our leader and guide, our captain and forerunner, we shall enter into immortality, and the blessed and everlasting mansions. And indeed death is not the destruction of the body, Death is the renewing of life. but the renewing of it. It is not the extinguishment or perishing of nature, but it is the porch and door of the other far better life to come, and the very gate and first entry unto the heavenly City, and the entrance and way unto everlasting life. Of the certainty whereof no man hath cause to doubt, or mistrust the promises of God, when as the truth itself, which is infallible and never falleth or deceiveth, doth faithfully perform that which it hath promised. God is true in his promises. For God is true, and every man is a liar, that is, God saileth no man, deceiveth no man, nor disappointeth any man of his hope and expectation. Psal. 62.116. He is no vain promiser nor unfaithful promis-keeper, as men use to be, which dissolve leagues and alliance, break covenants, and with a kind of old crafty subtlety, wind themselves out of the bonds of their promises, and slip from their word, but he is constant, steadfast, sure, and very faithfully performeth and accomplisheth that which he hath promised, and which he hath undertaken to bring to pass. But every man is a liar, that is to say, deceitful, slippery, light, inconstant, mutable, doubtful, wavering, variable, The exposition of these words (man is a liar.) fraudulent, vain, crafty, sly, unfaithful, and which speaketh one thing standing, and another sitting, so that no man may safely trust him. Which vices are very far from the Majesty of God, yea so far as cannot be expressed, because that no human affections can be incident unto him. Therefore we must with most assured confidence trust, lean, and clean unto him, specially and principally, and direct & refer all our prayers requests, hope, In danger and distress we must flee to God. and desires ●nto him only, whensoever either dangers or calamities are imminent, or when death and our extreme conflict is even at hand. For by his favour, presence, & present help, all things are mitigated, and made mild, easy and tolerable, and all things are of sour, grievous & bitter, made sweet, delectable, and pleasant. By sure trust in him the fear of death is driue● away, and all terror and trembling is abolished out of our hearts. For the love of him we contemn & despise the fawning delights & flattering pleasures of this life. By the power and help of him we endure and patiently suffer miseries, damages, and inconveniences, which compass, besiege, and assail us every moment. With firmly established hope in him and constant expectation of immortality we● being supported and comforted, do willingly, gladly, and cheerfully flit and departed from the prison of this life and short time of our abiding here, and by Christ our guide and leader we are conducted and brought unto those eternal and blessed dwelling places. And with less grief and greater joy, are we separa●… from the society of the body, and from the course and standing place of this life: And our last conflict and wrestling with death, (in which for the most part mistrust and despair assaileth the conscience) maketh us to have the less carefulness, heaviness, and perplexity, because we are sure, 1. Tim. 2. that redemption & grace i● obtained for us by the merit of Christ. The death of Christ washeth away our sins. For the Mediator between God and man jesus Christ hath reconciled us unto his father, and with his blood hath washed away our sins, and by the power of his resurrection hath given 〈◊〉 righteousness: 1. Ioh 2. For Christ was delivered for our sins, as Saint Paul sayeth. Rom. 4. And was raised for the justification of us. The resurrection of Christ justifieth us. So that we being confirmed and assured by the resurrection of Christ, as by a sure pledge, do trust that we shallbe saved and raised up by his power. For he, as the Apostle testifieth, Philip. 3. Will transform our vile body, and make it of like fashion unto his glorious body, according to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself. For although, according to the doctrine of Saint Paul, 2. Cor 4. & 5. This our earthly mansion of this tabernacle must be destroyed, even as a ruinous house, which is dissolved, when the joints and ●enons are loosed, and the framing together of the ●afters is plucked asunder: yet that building which we have of God, is not made with hands, but eternal in heaven. For God which hath raised up the Lord jesus, shall raise us up also by him, and shall make us partakers of the common resurrection; Which most certain hope bringeth this to pass, that we being less deprived, naked, or destitute do suffer ourselves to be withdrawn and removed from hence. FINIS. A Table of all the Chapters contained in this exhortation. 1 WE must chiefly fasten our eyes upon God through Christ, and lift up our mind unto him. pag. 1 2 How great benefits God the Creator of ●ll things hath bestowed upon man. p. 2 3 Nothing more dear in the sight of God than man, and that all things are created for the use of man. p. 4 4 How great the thankfulness of man towards God ought to be. p. ● 5 What baptism availeth unto man, and wh● we are taught thereby. p. 7 6 We must love God first and chiefly, and then our neighbour. p. 9 7 How great the loving kindness and natural affection of children ought to be towards the● parents. p. 10 8 How every one should behave himself towards his master that instructeth him. p. 11 9 Unto what persons in humane society honour and reverence must chiefly be given. p. 13 10 What commodity instruction bringeth to a man, and of what manner and sort it ought to be. p. 15 11 Out of what books we must learn integrity of manners, honest behaviour, and good precepts of life. p. 21 12 What authors are most profitable for the attaining of eloquence, and to adorn the mind, and what arts must chiefly be embraced p. 27 13 judgement or opinions concerning heathen and profane writers. p. 29 14 The office and d●…ty of a Poet, and what praefite studious youth, & men also of good years, may reap by reading of Poets p. 30 15 Of the use and commodity of historians. p. 32 16 Of Comedies. p. 34 17 Of eloquence and skilful utterance, which in profitable and necessary for every man, of what language soever he be. p. 36 18 To what sciences and worthy knowledge the studies of humanity open us the way. p. 37 19 We must addict ourselves and cleave surely unto one certain and determined kind of learning. p. 4● 20. What studies and ocupations be painful and not profitable, and what studies be hurtful and pernicious. p. 42 21 We ought to have us great 〈◊〉 and regard of the soul and mind, as of the body, yea rather much more. p. 46 22 What help must be used for the body that it may continue in perfect health. p. 49 23 Meats must be received of the liberality and bounteousness of God with great thankfulness and thanksgiving. p. 53 24 How we must have regard of Hospitality. p. 56 25 Of the care of household wealth 〈◊〉 housekeeping, and the governauce thereof. p. 62 26 The moderation and measurable use of steeping and waking. p. 69 27 What good or hurt cometh of repletion and abstinence, and finally of the 〈◊〉 ●… much laxative or of the contrary. p. 73 28. Studious and politic persons must oftentimes purge the pores by which the excrements are ●…cuted. p. 76 29 Wholesome precepts necessary and requisite as well for the mind as for the body. p. 80 30 A man must have respect of his estimation and good name. p. 82 31 The appeasing and pacifying of discord and dissension is praise worthy. p. 92 32 Let no man be proud in prosperity, nor discomforted in adversity, but rest and stay himself upon the providence of God. p. 96 33 Curiosity must be eschewed. p. 97 34 Moderation in apparel. p. 100 35 Let no man despise that state, lot or condition that is appointed unto him. p. 102 36 The society company and familiarity of unhonest & wicked persons to be eschewed. p. 109 37 The tongue must be restrained only from filthy talk but also from idle words. p. 111 38 In words and in every action of life, falsehood and feigning is detestable. p. 116 39 The fond and blind love of a man's self and vain persuasion of learning must be abandoned. p. 117 40 A man must have choice and difference of familiars and friends. p. 124 41 Do not rashly offer thyself to be surety for any man. p. 127 42 Flatterers must be eschewed. p. 128 43 Certain precepts convenient and profitable to the leading of a man's life well, happily and prosperously. p. 132 44 Of exercise whereby the wearied strength both of mind and body is recreated. p. 134 45 In all exploits good advisement must be our counsellor. p. 151 46 Do not those things, whereof thou art in doubt. p. 152 47 The rewards of virtue and vice. p. 154 48 The beginning of all our actions must we take of God. p. 155 49 The dawning of the day and betimes in the morning is the most meetest and convenient time to order, dispose, and prepare the mind & lift up the heart unto God. p. 157 50 In the end of the day the mind must give account of such dread as were done that day. p. 159 51 Let no man flatter his own faults, or extenuate his offences. p. 160 52 Whatsoever good thing happeneth unto us, we must ascribe the same to God. p. 164 53 Discretion, advisement and consideration must be had in choosing the kind of life. p. 166 54 Of the lawful society of matrimony. p. 169 55 Whatsoever society consisteth not within the limits of wedlock, is reprovable and disagreeable from lawful matrimony. p. 175 56 How and by what means it may be obtained and brought to pass, that death be not dreadful and terrible to a man of lewd and naughty nature. p. 179 57 Of the greatness, highness, majesty and power of the name of jesus Christ, by which only magical enchantments must be resisted, and illusions of devils overcome, driven away, and vanquished, and whatsoever other damages, hurts or inconveniences happen to be done either to the mind or to the body, must be expelled and avoided. p. 189 58 Whether herbs and precious stones be of any power or availeabe efficacy in driving away devils, and expelling other hurtful things. p. 206 59 Of the majesty and power of the most highest, and how many divers titles and names are ascribed and attributed to that one only substance of God, distinct and divided into three equal persons. By the contemplation whereof, man's mind conceiveth traquillity, & comfort and most effectual faith & trust towards God. p. 212 The end of the Table.