From whence saluation is to be sought. WHosoeuer is very desirous of his Saluation, and ardently seeketh his owne safety and good state, and in this his appoynted standing place of life, wisheth with great watchfulnes and vigilancie, and without feare and faynting to abide and stand fast a­gainst imminent chances, harmes, damages and inconueniences, which in euery moment doo assayle vs, and soone and suddainely fall vpon vs: Let him fixe his eyes vpon our most gracious and most mighty God and heauen­ly father by Christ, and haue his minde, which [Page 2] hath flowed from this most plentifull foun­taine,God the fountaine of all good things. continually lifted vp vnto him, and me looke vnto any other, nor seeke assurance of Saluation of any other, but trust and leaue to him onely, serue, worship, and reuerence him, and aske of him all things necessarie to saluati­on through the trust and confidence of our Mediator.The mag­nificence of God to­wards man. And further let him diligently con­sider, and attentiuely ponder with himselfe, how great bounteousnesse God vseth to­wards mankinde, with what ornaments and gifts of nature hee furnisheth him, with what worthinesse and excellency he adorneth him, vnto what renowne and honor hee aduaun­ceth this his workemanship compact of the earth?

AS the forme & outward fashion and shape of mans body, being high and straight vp­right towards Heauen,The dou­ble shape of man. to the end hee may learne to haue his eyes directed vnto his first beginning, is goodly to behold and cunningly and comely expressed aboue other creatures: so also his inward shape doth meruailously a­dorne and beautifie him,Genes. 1. because it is confor­med according to the image and likenesse of [Page 3] God, that is, representeth and sheweth the substance of his Creator,Man is the image of God. and commeth nea­rest vnto his nature. Which vertue, efficacie and power, being excellent and infused into him from God, consisteth wholly in the soule and minde, being drawne forth from the prin­cipall paterne and sacred closet of the God­head. By which diuine gift man attayneth to be endued with reason, iudgement and vnder­standing, and made capeable of heauenly doctrine, and by conceiuing the knowledge of God,2. Cor. 3. and by the light of faith, is vnited vn­to him, and wholly transformed into him. But besides other notable prerogatiues, man hath specially gotten this, that whereas God hath made other creatures reasonlesse, that is to say, dumbe and destitute of the vse of speech and voyce, he hath graunted to man the gift of speaking,Wherein man diffe­reth from beasts. whereby he may communicate and impart to others the meaning of his minde, and declare the conceit of his counsell and purpose, & which is the chiefest of al and most acceptable to God,Speech is a singular gift of God. that with his voyce he extoll and most highly praise his Creator, the knowledge of whome he hath conceiued in minde by faith. For by this meanes not on­ly his Maiestie, and his great power,God requi­reth thank­fulnesse. and high honor is magnified, but also according to the small portion and measure of mans wit, some thankes (euen so great thankes as wee are able [Page 4] to giue) for the benefits that we receiue, is ac­quited, and a testification of our thankfull, readie, and well willing minde towards our bountifull father,Psalm. 16. is vttered and declared: and because God needeth not our goods, hee re­quireth nothing else of vs, but loue and thankefulnesse.

God bea­reth a mer­ueilous loue to mā.FOrasmuch as God beareth a singular loue towards man, hee hath garnished his heart and minde, wherein his diuine 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 Gods minister dooth plentifully poure forth, and hath giuen vnto him the gouernance,All things are created for the vse and benefit of man. rule and principali­tie of all the same wholly and vniuersally, yea euen to euery base cobler and meanest man, which enioyeth the bounty of his Creator, and the goodly and passing delectable pleasant­nesse 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 [Page 5] stranger borne, which dwelleth in another mans house, to whom the possession of world­ly things apperteyneth not, but as a citizen,Man is a ruler of the world. burgesse, and free man of the world, and Lord of all things which the earth containeth. For vnto his vse and commoditie, and the seruice and obedience of him, all things are created, whatsoeuer are contained in the compasse and circuit of Heauen and earth, and sea? which thing Dauid being an entier and sin­gular prayser of the workes of God, declareth in these verses. Psal. 1.8. O Lord our Lord, how wonder­full is thy name in all the world? For thy magni­ficence is exalted aboue the Heauens. What is man, that thou art mindefull of him, or the sonne of man, that thou hast regard of him? Thou hast made him a little lesse then God or the Angels. thou hast crowned him with glorie & honor, and hast made him ruler ouer the workes of they hands. Thou hast put all things in subiection vnder his feete &c. By which words he sheweth, how greatly God esteemeth man next after Christ, and how great the estimation of man is in his sight, to whome all the whole worke of na­ture vniuersally serueth and is obedient, so that not onely all things are created for his commoditie and ready for his vse,Rom. 8. but also Christ for his sake hath submitted himselfe to death, for whose fauour and merites the fa­ther giueth vs all thinges abundantly.

This thing ought chieflie to stirre vp man [...] loue God entirely and worshippe him sin­cerely, that when as man was abandoned from God, and cast downe into euerlasting death, for breaking his commandement, our heauen­ly father for the singular fauour and merites of Christ,The recon­ciliation of man. receiued him into fauour againe: for Christ hauing cōpassiō on the calamitie of [...] reconciled man to his father, being purged by his bloud, and conquering death, and shaking off the tyrrannie of our most cruell enimie, [...] whome man was bound and as it were in deb­ted, deliuered and brought man safe againe into the libertie which he had lost, and resto­red him vnto the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen, so that as Saint Paul witnesseth, we are no more foreiners and strangers with God,Ephes. 2. but citizens & heyres, finally his friends and of his houshold, being builded vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Ie­sus Christ being the head corner stone, by whome we haue accesse and entrance in one spirit vnto the father.Tit. 3. Wherefore sith that e­uery one of vs by the helpe of wholsome and sound doctrine, is graft into Christ by faith [Page 7] and by the fountaine of regeneration, and as Saint Paul saieth, 2. Tim. 1. Hath obtained grace and in­heritance by the renewing of his holy spirit, which he hath poured forth vpon vs richly: It is meete, and the restauration of our sauing health dooth require, that all our hope and trust being reposed in so bountifull a father, and his sonne Iesus Christ, who hath abolished death and sinne, we submit our selues to him, and direct our life, conuersation, desires, de­lights and studies vnto his good will and plea­sure, and with purenesse of heart, holy and vn­blameable manner of liuing,Our life must be ap­proued vn­to God. and continuall and feruent praier knit our selues and cleaue fast vnto him, and endeuour all that euer wee can, to seeke and get his fauour and grace, by and through Iesus Christ our onely aduocate with the father, the onely propitiation for our sinnes.

BEcause Baptisme or the holy washing is the first entrance,What ef­fect Bap­tisme hath. and the very dore and porch into the Church, congregation & com­pany of the faithfull, it bringeth vs into the hope and trust of our saluation. For our bo­dies being mortified, and our mindes renewed [Page 8] by faith and repentance, that is, by detesting and abhorring our former life we are graft [...] to Christ, who by the vse of this outward sym­bole, Sacrament and token, dooth wash ou [...], wipe away, and abolish the spotts and cor­ruption of our mind by sheading his holy Spi­rit into our hearts, by whome we concei [...]ing the assurance of our saluation, doo boldly [...] Abba Father. Which calling on the Father with twise and double repetition of the same word, is of such efficacie and so speedie a [...] ­medie, that it obtaineth al things at the hand of our bounteous father, so that a man direct his desires and praiers, his petitions and so has full sighes vnto him by Christ. For hee being our Captaine,1. Ioh. 5. Iam. 1. & 5 our guide, our leader, and onely Mediator, who by his owne bloud hath deli [...] ­ued and obtained grace for vs, verely there is nothing that is expedient for our health, safe­ty and saluation, but we haue the same gran­ted vnto vs,Praier by Christ is effectuall. neither shall our praiers at any time be voyde or vnauayleable: Neither are the eares of so good and gracious a Fa­ther shut vp, but are open vnto their praiers, for whose redemption he hath giuen and besto­wed his onely be­gottē sonne.

Loue to­wards God.AS our charitie, that is, our entier,Deut. 6. Iosu. 22. & 23. pure and sincere loue, must most specially be shew­ed, vttered and declared towards God, to whome we owe whatsoeuer we haue, and on whome all mans power and strength which consistes in the minde, heart, soule, and spirit,Marc. 12. Luc. 10. ought 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, commune and inciden [...] alike to euery one of vs, our loue must be bent and directed as largely, amply and feruently, as e­uery one of vs loue themselfe, so that all men willingly and gladly be diligent to help their neighbours, and succour them in their neces­sitie and pouertie,Loue to­wards our Neighbour. with their counsaile and ri­ches, if at any time the cause so require and occasion offer it selfe, which occasion a man also of himselfe ought to seeke and take, to doo a benefite to his neighbour, euen of his owne accord, without any crauing. For this is the chiefe fruite of faith, and a syncere and vn­feigned testification of the true profession of Christianitie.

BVt as wee owe all things to God, much [...] our countrey and friends, so also wee doe owe not a little deale to our parents. And al­beit it is not needful exactly to prescribe what obseruance and reuerence ought to bee done vnto them, for as much as it is naturall in man to haue loue and beare good will toward them that bee his owne, yea euen in the hea­then people,Matth. 5. as Christ our Sauiour saith, so that this affection (although the dutie thereof bee perfourmed) deserueth no praise, but es­cheweth offence and transgression:Affection of Chil­dren to­wards their Parents. Prouer. 23. yet ne­uerthelesse euery one, euen from his child­hood, must earnestly and throughly be taught this lesson, to loue his parents very entirely and hartily, by whose trauaile and meanes he had his first beginning of life and participa­tion of this light, so that he obey and followe their will in all things which reason induceth, and equitie requireth, as we reade how Christ was obedient to Ioseph and Marie his mo­ther.Luc. 2. Exod. 20. Deu. 5. Mat. 15. Ephes. 6. For that naturall and louing affection, obedience, and reuerence, which is exhibited to parents, is acceptable and well pleasing to [Page 11] God: which thing also is earnestly prescribed both in the old and new Testament. A pretie learned saying is that of Pittacus the Philoso­pher, Such rewards and stipends as thou be­stowest on thy parents, such doo thou looke to receiue of thy sonnes. To which effect be­longeth that sacred sentence of Christ, hauing a further and more ample signification,Matth 7. With what measure ye mete, with the same shall other men measure to you. Marc. 4. For by transgressing and neglecting of this precept, it commonly com­meth to passe, that parents find their children stiffnecked, stubborne and disobedient, so that when they are of more age, they refuse, dis­deigne and despise the admonitions of their fore-elders, yea and that worthily oftentimes by the iust vengeance of like punishment, be­cause they shewed themselues intractable to­wards their elders, and were despiteful against them.

Honor to be giuen to Schoolma­sters.EXhibite and giue vnto thy masters which enfourme and teach thee, and adorne thy minde with the studies of learning, no lesse honour then vnto thy parents. For so the Poet Inuenal praiseth those elders, and praieth that [Page 12] their soules flitted and departed from their bo­dies, may haue good lucke and prosperitie, be­cause they did beare singular fauour and good will towards their masters as well as toward their parents, thus he saith:

Lib. 2. cap. 10.So Fabius admonisheth schollers to loue their masters, no lesse then their studies, and to accompt them as parents, not of their bodies indeed, but of their mindes. 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 bodie, the o­ther doth informe, frame & fashion the mind. If therfore fathers which be adorned with the studies of humanitie,Instruction adorneth the minde. doo bestow and employ their diligence and labour in instructing and enforming their owne children, or if they being destitute of such ayde and readie furthe­rance, doo vse the helpe of a learned teacher for their children to attaine to wisedome and good discipline, surely there is nothing can be more largely and franckly bestowed on the [Page 13] children for the purchasing of renowne and the commendation and ornament of vertue. For by such education, nurture & good bring­ing vp, the mind is not only decked and beau­tified with most excellent vertues, to wit, inte­gritie and vprightnesse of life, honest & good behauiour, continencie, chastitie, lowlinesse, gentlenesse, meekenesse, modestie, humanitie, righteousnesse, temperancie, curtesie: but also great wealth, honour and preferment, where­unto learning is the way of aduancement, is appoynted, assigned and attributed to them without their seeking, yea and in a manner oft­times against their will and desire.

HOnour ought indeed to be giuen to euery man according to his dignitie and order,Rom. 13. as S. Paule commaundeth, but specially to the olde age full of yeares and hoarie haires, to which we all come soone and shortly, this du­tie must be fulfilled. Old men must be honored.So by the ordinance of God doth Moses teach, saying, Leuit. 19. Rise vp before the hoarie head, and honour the person of the old man. Lycurgus the Lacedemonians lawmaker appoynted this also to be obserued. He would not haue the rich and mightie men to haue the [Page 14] 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 whome honor must be giuen. Rom. 13. Magistrates must be honored. the dignitie of th [...] Consull or chiefe Iustice, Pretor or Maior, whose wise gouernment, policie and authori­tie, is a stedfast stay to the safetie of the Com­mon wealth, by meanes wherof all the realme hath peace and tranquillitie, without any sec­tion, tumult or rebellion. To these must we adde and accompt men that be of approoued honestie, and well known and well grown in yeares, or Gentlemen and Barons that come of gentle and noble house and auncestrie, or them also that bee excellently furnished with the studies of good learning, and thereby be­come worthie ornaments of their countrey. But the higher dignitie and more chiefe esti­mation in this respect,Ministers of the Church must be honored. and in obseruing of this dutie, doo I asscribe and assigne vnto them which labour feruently in the Ministerie and holy functions of the Church or congrega­tion, and bestowe their studie, labour and tra­uaile in enforming the mindes, and reform­ing the depraued manners of men. So doth S. Paule pronounce the Elders,1. Tim. 5. that is to say, they which giue light and ensample to their flock by sober and discreet behauiour, by sage fatherly wisedome, and integritie of life, and [Page 15] doo feede the hungrie multitude with whole­some doctrine, and with the pure and syncere foode of the word of the Gospell, these, I say,Rom. 12.13 Philip. 2. he affirmeth to be worthie of double honour, and all things requisite must be bestowed on them plenteously and copiously, not only re­uerence according to their age, but also such necessarie aydes and allowances, as they may therewith moderatly be susteyned, and be fur­nished and stored with necessarie houshold substance.

GReat respect,The good that man hath by in­struction. care and regard ought to bee had in what manner of learning any one is to be trayned vp. Wherefore so soone as euer age is capable of discipline, and apt and meet for the studie of good letters, let it be seasoned and sauoured speedily with liberall and gentle Artes. For by them chiefly the nature of man is fashioned and well framed vnto good be­hauiour, and trimly polished with the orna­ment of humanitie. But the most conuenient, commodious and prosperous beginning of trayning vp of youth, is first to bring their manners into good fashion. For which cause [Page 16] let a yong man addicted to studie, first re [...] his manners to good order, and then let [...] learne eloquence, and the cunning skill of [...] ­tering his cogitations learnedly,In Epist. which ( [...] Plinie saith) cannot well bee atchieued w [...] our good demeanour. For better is the tr [...] and manner of liuing honestly, then of sp [...] ­king finally and eloquētly: and the integri [...] of life is more to be desired, then the skill [...] eloquence: although indeed these two ought to be lincked together and not separate, and finally the one to bee a helpe to the other. In like manner may we reason & perswade con­cerning the choyse,Know­ledge of things and words must be acquired. discerning and iudgement of words and matters: for although the know­ledge of things is more to bee wished and sought, then the knowledge and elegancie of words, yet neuerthelesse, matters must be de­clared with such words as are plaine, manifest, and meete for the same. And this is the cause that the precepts & documents of life, which doo garnish and adorne the minde, and in­forme and frame the heart vnto godly con­uersation, although of themselues they be ho­nest and wholsome,Lib. 1. ca. 1. Lib. 1. ca. 3. yet notwithstanding (as Lactantius and Fabius doo affirme) they haue more importance and efficacie vnto perswa­sion, whensoeuer a plausible stile and laudable composition of words dooth illuminate and set forth to the vnderstanding of the hearers, [Page 17] the excellencie of the matter. For those things flowe into mens mindes the more effectually, which are compact & framed with such pith and force of words as is conuenient, and bee artificially amplified with rhetoricall skill. And albeit we must be so studious of words, and haue so great delight therein (as some that haue small skill vse to doo being destitute of the knowledge of things) yet for all that it is better to ioyne prudencie and good experi­ence with eloquence and elegancie of words and vtterance thereof: least by little and little we fall to the vse and custome of such words,Barbarous­nesse to be esch [...]wed. as are growne out of vse; as are barbarous, vn­fit, fond, and strange, whereby the discourse and treatise, although it be pit [...]ie and senten­tious, is rather obscured then adorned. If there­fore fine, trim and elegant words haue no wis­dome nor grauitie, weight nor pithinesse of sentences in them, experience and skill with­out eloquence is more to bee commended, then babling & foolish loquacitie. Wisdome, saith Cicero, as it is the foundation of other things, so is it also of eloquence. Wise, wittie,Lib. 2. de Orat. and learned is that saying of Horace, which e­uery man must follow in euery profession,

But the sacred Scripture giuen and vttered by the inspiration of the holy Spirit needeth no such helpe of man. For it delighteth, draw­eth, winneth and transformeth the hearts of men, not with eloquence, not with glorious­nesse of words, but with a certaine secret, hid­den and diuine efficacie. Which thing when S. Paul the Apostle would testifie and make known to the Corinthians, he saith thus, 1. Cor. 2. When I came vnto you, and opened vnto you the testi­monies of God, I vsed no glorious finesse of words, nor great shew of wisdome: neither was my word and preaching in the entycing and perswading words of mans wisdome, but in shewing of the spi­rit and power, that your faith should not consist in the wisdome of men, but in the power of God. Pauls mea­ning is de­clared.By which words he dooth not reiect the pithie importance of words and sentences, where­with he was plētifully stored furnished, neither doth he take frō himselfe the power & efficacy of perswasion,The holy Scripture is not with­out force & efficacie. wherewith, vsing firme reasons and strong arguments and words meete for the matter, hee drew mens mindes vnto the knowledge of the truth: but his will and mea­ning is to shew, that the professors of the Gos­pell doo not trust the force of eloquence, nor [Page 19] win mens hearts vnto them with the sweete and pleasant allurement of words, but with the Spirit and power of God. Therefore Paul speaketh wisdome among them that bee perfect, wisdome indeed not of this world, nor of the Prin­ces of this world, that is, of the Orators which are abolished, and the smokie glorie of their o­rations is vanished, but hee speaketh the wis­dome of God, that is secret & lieth hidden in a mysterie, which moueth mens minds, and ma­keth them to regarde it effectually, & pricketh and pierceth their hearts more vehemētly and sharply, then any humane learning & doctrine decked & polished with most exquisit words. The word of God is of fierie force. For the word of god is quick liuely, & mightie in operation, as the Apostle saieth,Heb. 4. and more pier­cing then any two edged sword, passing through e­uen to the diuision of the soule and the spirit, and of the ioyntes, and marrom, and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart. So saith God by the Prophet Ieremie, Ierem. 23. Is not my word like a fier, and like a hammer that breaketh the rockes? Dauid 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 vttermost. And Salomon, Prouer. 30. All the words of God are pure and cleane, and a shield to all them that put their trust in him. Wherefore the doc­trine of Christ and Christianitie ought not to bee deemed of the ignorant as idle, vnprofita­ble, [Page 20] or vnsauerie, seeing that it endeweth the mindes of men with such heauenly, holsome, and healthfull power and vertue. And this is a manifest proofe and token that the holy Pro­phets were not voyde of learning, but exactly and perfectly replenished with the knowledge of things and of words, because that euery where in the Bible there be so many notable parables,The Pro­phets indu­ed with knowledge of things. tropes, metaphors, comparisons, fi­guratiue speeches, similitudes deriued and ta­ken of liuing 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 Pro­phets elo­quent that no such thing is to be found in humane discipline and learning, nei­ther dooth there come to our hand in any place such and so great maiestie of words and sentences, which may affect, smite, and inuite mens mindes, and prouoke them to embrace such docu­mēts & perfect precepts, most expediēt & ne­cessarie vnto saluati­on.

Instruction must be­gin at Christ.HOw wee should leade an holy, honest, and vnblameable life, we can be taught no way more assuredly, thē by the ordinances, decrees, and commaundements of Christ, to whome wee being first admitted and instituted, made the first entrance of our profession, & gaue our name, whose doctrine dooth more effectually induce, affect, moue, perswade, and transforme the minde of man, because that the same being vttered by the inspiration and instinct of the Spirit of God, hath no worldly dreggs or cor­ruption mingled therewith, nor sauoreth of old wiues superstition, which is a certaine sha­dow & an hypocritical and feined kind of reli­gion, and because most behoueably for our sal­uation the same doctrine is most cleerely sepa­rated from idolatrie, that is to say, from such adulterous, counterfeit, & pernitious worship­ping, as is attributed to other, more or rather then vnto God. And therefore to whatsoeuer kinde of life and trade of liuing thou addictest and betakest thy selfe, whatsoeuer kinde of stu­die, practise and facultie thou takest in hand, wherein thou intendest to leade and spend thy [Page 22] whole life: exercise thy selfe in the word, will and testimonies of God,Tender age must be ac­customed vnto the best disci­pline. and from thy very childehoode embrace his holsome doctrine. For the heart of man euen from his infancie ha­uing the sweete tast and sauour of the word of God, and being enuironed with the safe de­fence thereof as with a strong munition and fortresse, standeth, stoutely, abideth constantly, and defendeth it self valiantly against al maner of euill lusts, inordinate affectiōs, & monstrous vices. For this cause Ieremie giueth holesome admonition. O how good is it, saith he,Lament. 3. for a man to take the yoke of the Lord from his youth vp? For looke what way a young man, saith Salomon, Prouer. 22. is taught to goe, the fame he will not leaue when he is old. A sentence. Cyprian.Whereunto that of Cyprian is very like. Neither suddainely nor hastily can that be shaken off, which by long vse and practise is growne to an olde custome. For those things which euery man hath beene wonted and ac­customed vnto from his first infancie, hee will not easily be drawne from them when he com­meth to moe yeares. And hereupon it com­meth to passe that by an old growne custome there bee almost in euery place so many olde men that bee dronkards, lecherous, and giuen to vnlawfull lust, A sentence of Iob ex­pounded.so that according to the sen­tence of Iob, Iob. 20. Their bones are filled with the vices and vicious pleasures of their youth, that is, they bee wanton and serue their leawd lusts, hauing [Page 23] no regarde either of comely behauiour or of their age, so that they cannot leaue off such ill custome, nor bee rid out of the snares and in­cumbrances of such olde long wonted vices wherewith they are intangled. There be some indeede, which assoone as the heate of youth is past, and the flames of flourishing age are quenched, doo retyre & withdraw themselues frō those vices vnto which that age is wont to be subiect, and reforming their maners, do ap­ply and addict themselues to a more mode­rate maner of life. So Cicero in his oration pro Coelio saith.Cicero pro Coelio. There haue been many worthie and famous men, both in our time and in our forcelders dayes, which when as the lusts of youth were cooled and restinguished, became excellent vertuous men in the full strength of their age. But although we knowe that it hath happened so to some, which either by griefe and yrkesomnesse of the life past, or else by the motion of Gods Spirit, or finally by the exhor­tation and admonition of their friends, haue beene reuoked and brought to a better and a more temperate minde: yet notwithstanding many being taken away sooner then they loo­ked for, haue beene vtterly disappoynted of the purpose of amendment of life, so that such pro­crastination and putting off from day to day, hath beene very hurtfull vnto them, and the good and conuenient occasion of repentance [Page 24] slipped away from them, before that they by detesting of vice, could embrace such purpose and maner of life as were most expedient for their saluation.Vice must be forsaken quickly and speedily. Wherefore it is better, putting away all delay, to be very carefull and diligent to adome the life with vertue, & to accustome those things that bee good euen from the ten­der age, rather then long to differ the occasion of better life. The Apostle S. Paul oftentimes and in many places beateth the same into our mindes,Ephes 5. Coloss. 4. and counsaileth vs to walke wisely and circumspectly in the course and race of this life, Not as vnwise, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the dayes are euill. By which words he giueth this admonition to euery man,A place of Paul ex­pounded. that in the race of this life they suffer not the opportu­nitie of obteining saluation to slip away, but euery moment to take sure holde of the same when it is offered,Galat. 6. & redeeme it with the losse of all other things, lest when we thinke least, wee happen to bee found and taken vnawares drowned in drousie securitie.Matth. 13. Luc 12. Christ also in e­uery place raiseth and stirreth vp sleepie slug­gards to watching & waking vigilantly,Christ ex­citeth vs to watchful­nesse. & ex­horteth thē with many examples to be careful of their saluatiō like valiāt, wel trained & well exercised souldiours, which being placed in a garrisō, wher euery mā must keep his stāding, do alwaies stand in readines & prepared fur­niture, and neuer cease or slack their diligence [Page 25] of ward and industrie of watching, lest any mā break into the camp, they being not aware thereof, A place of Abacuc declared. Abacuc vseth this Metaphor: Abacuc. [...].I will stand vpon my warde or watch, and set my step vpon my bulwarke, and looke and see what he saith to me. A similitude of the watch in the campe.He taketh on him the person of a watchman, who priuilie marketh the inuasi­on, irruption and deceitefull ambushes of the enemies, and hath his whole minde and cogi­tation fixed on God, and through the trust re­posed in him, withstandeth the enemie, and suffereth him not to enter.Luc. 12 Matth. 24. 1. Thess. 5. 2. Pet. 3. But our Sauiour bringeth and vseth many very apt and fit simi­litudes, whereby he warneth and putteth eue­ry one of vs in minde of our duetie, as namely, of the watching and scoultes of the campe, of the thiefe, robber & hous-breaker in the night, of the suddaine sorrow of a woman trauailing with childe,Luc. 12. of the bridegroome which goeth forth to make ready the manage, of the vn­knowne comming of the master and good­man of the house not looked for, of calamities,Matth. 25. troubles, sorrowes, and warres that shall come vpon the earth, of famine and desolation that is euen at hand,Marc. 11. of the figgtree that buddeth and blossometh and bringeth forth his greene tendrilles, of the day of death & of iudgement, and many such other: whereby he plucketh vs by the eares, and maketh vs attentiue to take heede vnto our saluation. They that be yong [Page 26] haue a very good example giuen to them of Christ,Luc. 2. The child­hoode of Christ cō ­mended. how they should trade and leade their life, euen in their very childhoode. For he be­ing a childe prospered in age and wisdome be­fore God and men, in whose sight his mode­stie, mildenesse, and innocencie of life made him gratious, amiable, and worthie of loue and fauour: him it is meete for children and all a­ges to follow aboue all other, and after his ex­ample to approue and make commendable their studie, zeale, affection and diligence vnto all men among whom they dwel. And where­as our Lord Iesus at the age of twelue yeares shewed a worthie triall and token of his to­wardnesse amongst the wise and learned men, and spake many things very fit for the time and meete for the matter, and when he was as­ked he answered mildely, gently, & modestly, without any token of arrogancie or pride, which vices are wont to be in yong men, that be of a ripe and bolde wit:Christ is the scope, marke, pa­terne and example of life. I expound this same thing to haue a great meaning in it, and this consideration to be had thereof, namely, that they which bee of such young age, folowing the example of our Sauiour, should euen in the spring time of their age declare some ma­nifest proofe of their towardnesse, and shew either to their parents or to their acquaintance some hope of vertue already begun.

But considering that thou hast neede of [Page 27] some leader and guide, which may plainelv as it were poynting with his finger, tel thee what way thou shouldst goe, and how to follow and attaine to the best exampls of life, I will shew thee now as occasion offereth me, what artes and sciences are best for thee to embrace, and to what authors thou shouldst addict and giue thy selfe, that thereby thou maist get sure, sound, and perfect learning, and maist be ad­uanced [...]o the highest dignitie, or such degree as is next thereunto.

SEe that thou haue such choyse of authors, that thou determine to reade and imitate those that bee best commanded and most ap­proued. For he is an vnwise man,The best authors must be imitated e­uery of them. which ende­uouring to imitate, and desiring and striuing to emulate and to doo as well as other men, dooth not seeke and earnestly followe those things that be good & most profitable. In the nature of things wee may plainely learne this by the very sowing of corne: for wee vse to sowe and put into the ground the best wheate we can choose and get: and the cunning feate [Page 28] of graffing teacheth vs the same euidently▪ for we vse to graffe the kindliest impes and most fruitfull young sets into the stocke of a [...] other tree.A simili­tude of graffing of Trees. Which thing also is vsually obser­ued in the liuely making of a picture, in setting of a song, in Poetrie, and Rhetorick, and in c [...] ­posing of Poemes and Orations, wherein the curious and industrious follower, that conten­deth to counteruaile his president, endeuou­reth and striueth to imitate those things that bee most cunningly done and most per­fectly made. We must endeuour vnto the best things after the ex­ample of S. Paul.The Apostle Saint Paul 1. Cor. 12. wil­leth men to obserue the same in those thinges that appertaine to godly zeale, and the giftes of the holy Ghost; that they should labour, aspire and couet after the best and chiefest of the same. For whosoeuer shall in such wise ei­ther bend his studie, or tend and direct the course of his life, he shall neuer repent him of his diligence so bestowed, or of his trauaile so well imployed, as we see commonly vnwise men to doe, which haue intangled themselues with a superstitious kind of life, or haue wa­sted much time in an vnpleasant stile & forme of speaking not vsed of the learned, and haue much a doe to leaue it: In this respect, me think,A prayse of Italy and Greece. Italie the nurse of studies, and Greece the fountayne of learning, is worthy to bee commended for trading and trayning vp the tender age in all the best Sciences: which [Page 29] manner of instruction France and Germanie ceaseth not to follow. For by this means it commeth to passe, that young men instru­cted with purenesse of wordes, and elegancie of speech, doe soone and speedily attaine to the knowledge of things.

ALthough there bee some,Those things which po­lish & a­dorne the stile and tongue, must be imbraced. which because they cānot rightly nor indifferently esteem & iudge of things, do contēptuously abandon & vtterly reiect prophane authors (as impro­perly & vnfitly they tearme them) & will haue no examples fetched from them, either of poli­shing the speech, or of ordering the life, yet in my iudgement they are not to be dispised. For Poets, Orators, Comedi-makers, Tragedie writers, Historiographers, are a good help for studious youngmen vnto the knowledge of thinges and of wordes, vnto liberall and na­tural Sciences, vnto sounde, sure and well grounded learning,The com­moditie of the finer & more poli­shed litera­ture & stu­dy of hu­manitie. yea and they doo sette open an easie & ready entraunce to the same. Good cause truly & great reason there is, that these studies are commendably entituled and worthily cōmēded with the name of humani­tie & fine kind of learning, because indeed they [Page 30] endew and inuest the tender and budding age with gentlenesse, meekenesse, and courteous conditions. Men also that be more growne in yeares and of ripe age, doo by this studie of hu­manitie delight and recreate themselues ho­nestly, and shake off such tediousnesse, as is commonly incident to them that haue many great businesses and weightie affaires. Which thing was the cause, that besides other writers that were of the true faith and of right iudge­ment and opinion,In Epist. ad Nepot. S. Basile called by sirname the Great, inuited and counsailed his nephew to reade Orators and Poets diligently.

The intent and pur­pose and practist of a Poet.HOw perfectly and exactly a Poet, being ve­ry like to an Orator, teacheth, ordereth, and enformeth children in such speech and be­hauiour as is most decent and conuenient (for which cause he is accounted to bee the master of liberall artes and comely conuersation) Ho­race dooth properly shew in elegant verse,

The Poet also dooth inculcate into the minde of young and tender age certaine other profitable precepts, not seuerely, not threat­ningly, not imperiously, least they should bee discouraged, and leaue of so good a purpose: but handleth & entreateth them gently, mildly sweetely, pleasantly, and with such moderation and cunning skill, as hostlers and horsebrea­kers doo with gentle stroaking and clapping, and noyse made with their mouth, accustome noble and stout stomacked horses to praunce and leape vp, and with cunning nimblenesse of their feete Virgil. Georg. 3. To bounce so brauely on the ground with swift, stout, lofty pase. Moreouer these pleasant delights and recreations of studies do not onely stir vp, animate, & quicken the hue­linesse of the spirit and power of the minde in young men & striplings, but they are also cō ­modious, & profitable to mē of greater age, whensoeuer they may haue conuenient lea­sure from troublesome businesses, and encum­brances of the common wealth, and weightie [Page 32] and earnest affayres of ciuil policie. Poetrie is the most ancient of artes. Theoph [...] ­stus and likewise Cicero and Fabius do affir [...] that the generation of Poets is of great anti­quitie and very auncient, and much commen­ded of the olde world.Lib. 10. c. 1. For it is certaine and well knowen, that by them the barbarous, straying, and sauage people wandring here & there like wilde beasts, were drawen together, and brought to ciuill societie of life, as Ho­race hath expressed in prety pleasant verse,

FOrasmuch as an historie, that is to say, a true and trustie narration reciting and telling of exploites and things done, hath in it no lesse [Page 33] profite then pleasure, and besides the pleasant­nesse of reading, bringeth very much fruite of wisedome: it is me [...] to that euery man exercise himselfe in the same studiously. But by the way let Titus Lini [...]s tell vs the vse, fruit and com­moditie of histories. Amongst all things which thou knowest, this is a thing specially auailable for thy health and profite (saith he),The vse and commodi­tie of histo­ries. The com­mendati­on of an hi­story out of Liuie. That thou mayest beholde the documents of euery example, euen as though they were pla­ced and set in a famous and renowmed monu­ment, Out of them thou mayst take that which is good for thee and the common wealth to follow, byt [...] in thou mayst beware of those actions and enterprises, whose beginning with dishonestie, haue their ende, shame and re­proch, and such to eschew. So in like maner when as one demaunded of Zeno, by what meanes a man might be made happy: If (saith he) a man earnestly beholde the age that is past, that is, if he mark and consider the actes and deedes of his fore-elders, & view well the mo­numents and renowmed memoriall of men of olde time. The iudge­ment of Ci­cero concer­ning an hi­storie. For a historie, as Cicero witnesseth,De Oratore is the light of truth, the keeper of times, the liuely and stedfast stay of memorie, the maistresse of life, the messenger of olde age and antiquitie, wherein all things bee described elegantly and copiously, and very faythfully as it behaueth, & with a true narration of things as they were done. But the sa­cred [Page 34] The Bible exhibiteth holsome histories & profitable vnto the doctrine of saluation. Bible chiefly openeth vnto vs a [...] ple fielde and discourse of histories, and [...] streth and bringeth to our handes very [...] narrations of most memorable actes, wher [...] we may finde 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 minde the wonder­full and dreadfull iudgements of God, and [...] teach and admonish euery one of vs, how de­testable Idolatry is in the sight of God, [...] contempt of his holy word, and to be affected with no reuerence towards him, and to so [...]e protection and assurance of saluation by any other meanes, then by trust and confide [...] in God onely, and so in heart to depart from the Lord.Ierem. 17.

The vse of a Comedie.A Comedie is like to an historie, because it is the mirror & glasse of mās life, wherin e [...]e­ry mā, vnder the person of another, behold [...] & perceiueth his own maners and affections▪ and an expresse Image of his dayly life, and marketh his own vices or vertues after a many sorte, as Cicero saith, in a prety, fine, witty, and pleasant maner. In which kind of exercise all nations for the most part, euery one in their [Page 35] owne proper tongue and peculiar language,The licence of the play­ers of Co­medies or Enterludes do vse 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 plai­ers are ouer sharp and bitter in noting and re­buking vices: for they doe not onely checke men of meane estate and of the lowest sorte, but they quip and taunt, and with very sharp rithmes reprehend the nobility, and men of high degree, euen in the most frequēted stage and scaffold of the Citie.Moderatiō of Come­dies or plaies must be v­sed. Which men if they would attempt such a thing qithout any spite or spot of infamie, and with verses that bee not so seditious, & would sharpen their toungs against them onely which haue deserued it, thē it may seeme tolerable, to the end that the diseased and sicke persons, when they are rub­bed on the sore, may repent, and remember to haue better regard of their duety. We com­monly call the Rhythmicall verse and tunable modulations, where with Comedies are made, Stage playes or Enterludes.Certaine things which must be learned in youthly age. But in very truth it is decent for young striplings and children to learne these recreations and pleasant de­lights of wittes, & not for men of greater age: For these studies agree best with flourishing age, wherewith neuerthelesse the riper age, hauing had some tast of the same in the yeres that are passed, may bee recreated and refre­shed. [Page 36] Howbeit let not men of the elder so [...] ▪ nor old men that howe and sloupe for age,No age too late to learne. [...] ashamed to learne those things that are good for their soules health, and profitable vnto the increase of vertue & honesty: For to acqui [...]e these things, as also to retire and depart from sinne, there is no time either too late or out of season.

RHetorique or the arte of Orators, the pro­pertie whereof is to declare, pleade and pronounce a matter aptly, distinctly, and ele­gantly,To what things elo­quence is profitable. and with best chosen words, and graue pithy sentences, to allure and inflame the hearts of the hearers, is profitable and necessa­ry for those men chiefly, which fulfill the fun­ction of preaching, which administer and go­uerne the common wealth, and execute the office of a Magistrate, or are placed in the dig­nitie of Consul or chiefe Iustice, or the order of Pretor or Maior,Seditions are quieted, appeased & repressed by eloquence. or which are busied and encumbred with the discord of souldiers, and hurley burley and outrage of the campe, and the tumult and vprore of the people and ciuill sedition, whose duety bindeth, and authority [Page 37] requireth to rule with reason and counsaile, & mitigate with Maiestie of words the minds of the disordered multitude kindled with fu­ry and rage. For subiects must not alwayes be kept in obedience with threatnings, terror, violence, fiercenesse, cruelty, sword & punish­ments, (vnlesse some heynous offence and bloody matter require such remedy to as­swage and pacifie sedition and tumultuous dissention) but they must bee reuoked from wicked enterprises, and redu [...]d vnto the do­ing of their dutie, with milde wordes, with sweete soueraign speech, & with graue & con­stant countenance. And euen such like pru­dencie and dexterity must the housholder vse towards his familie, and schoolemaisters to­wards their schollers, which be inclined to tu­mult and refuse due obedience.

The studies of humanity or liberall learning and discipline is commodious and auaila­ble,The fine polished learning of humanity adorneth the studies. not onely to the polishing and adorning of the speech with pleasaunt allurement of wordes and intisements of talke, but also vnto such artes and sciences as are good and neces­sary for mans life, as namely Phisicke, skill of [Page 38] healing, knowledge of the Law, and Philo [...] phie, wherein mans minde chiefly delighte [...] and taketh comfort, not humane, The Philo­sophie of Christ.do I mea [...] but heauenly Philosophie, wherby Christ be­ing our captaine, leader and guide, wee con­ceiue the knowledge and loue of God and sure trust and confidence in him, For all a [...] wherein mans industrie exerciseth it selfe, ought to be referred and applyed to this end, and directed to this marke, scope, and pur­pose. The professors of worldly wisedome attayned not to this most excellent Philoso­phie, who erring and wandering wide from the trueth, doe inueigle mens mindes with falsehood in steed of trueth, with vanitie and trifles in steed of the true treasure, with co­loured simulation in place of sound syncerity▪ with things doubtfull for things certayne and sure, and hurtful for wholesome: because they were destitute of the spirit of God, and wan­ted the reuelation and knowledge of his di­uine wisdome and will.

Three kinds of learning that be most pro­fitable.But seeing that amongst other, there be three sortes of learning chiefly, which do not onely aduance and profite the professours of them (although that thing ought not so great­ly to be regarded) but also are commodious for men of meane estate, and a help to the competent and conuenient sustenaunce of the life: it behoueth to deliberate without delay, [Page 39] which of them thou int [...]dest to induce [...], and vnto which by nature thou art aptly and fitly framed. Theologie or study of diuinity, that is,The com­modity and fruit of the study of di­uinity. the knowledge of diuine matters, being she­wed, giuen, and vttered by the inspiration of the holy spirite, doth informe and frame the minde to pietie and godlynesse, and sheweth how God ought to be worshipped, and by what means euery man may obtaine saluatiō, which (if it be purely and sincerely deliuered vnto vs) doth leaue all other artes farre behind it, euen as far as things diuine doo surmount humane, and things firme, sure and sound, do passe those that be frayle, caducall and transi­tory.What part of diuinitie is profitable for all men. That part of this knowledge is most ne­cessary and needfull for all men to the obtai­ning of saluation, which instilleth and infuseth fayth into the heart, fayth, I say, garnished & beautified with the works of charitie and sin­cere loue, as in an other place I haue declared. For by this faith through Christ our condu­ctor, We haue accesse and entrance in one spirit vnto the Father. The com­moditie of Phisicke.Phisick or the knowledge of medicine by prescribing vnto vs frugality and temperance of sustenance, and by the vse of holesome things, respecteth and mayntaineth the health, and remedieth diseases.Of preser­uing the health. This sci­ence, as Plutarch affirmeth, is so of the number of the seauen liberall artes, that in the ex­cellency of good regiment, in delectable [Page 40] pleasantnesse and fine ciuilitie, it is in [...] to none of them. It also bringeth a [...] plenteous rewarde to them that bee st [...] ous thereof, that is to say, beside the in [...] of wealthe, it also ministreth health, which [...] more worth then all manner of riches and p [...] sessions. The pleasāt contempla­tion of herbs.As for the delight and commodi [...] which commeth of the contemplatiō of herb [...] and the knowledge of their operation and vertue of the anatomie and dissection of th [...] members of mans body, and the obseruati [...] of all the partes thereof, no man can [...] easily bee perswaded therein or acknowledg [...] the same, vnlesse hee haue experience of it by vse and exercise. The knowledge of the ciuill law hath been alwayes had in gre [...] honour,The com­modity of the skil and knowledge of the law. whereof the office and function is to gouerne Cities with counsaile, to sta­blish them with lawes, to reforme them with iudgement,

Cic. pro Coe­lio.Which order whosoeuer contemneth and renounceth, hee as Cicero sayeth, not onely breaketh the bonds of iudgements,The know­ledge of the law com­mended of Cicero. but also of common commoditie and life. Wee see day­ly that the sure staie of the common wealth standeth hereupon, and that amongst our in­habitants [Page 41] and countrey men tranquilitie and peace hath possessed euery place, which com­meth to passe by the authority of most sure & inuiolable lawes, whereby the prince and magistrate exerciseth iustice, and receiuing his power from God, as Paul affirmeth,Rom. 13. puni­sheth the euil doers and the wicked, defendeth the well doers and the godly.The ciuill law appro­ued of Christ and Paul. For which cause God will haue singular honour & obedience giuen vnto Kings, and to them which admi­nister and gouerne the common wealth, so that they commaunde those things that be a­greeable to equitie, and not disagreeable with the word of God.

We must cleaue to one certain & determi­nate kind of learning.FOrasmuch as there bee some, which the more pleasant those studies are that they like of, the more time and trauaile they spend therein, & do not apply themselues vnto sure & sound literature: I do think it a part of wis­dome, that he which wisheth to reape the cō ­modity of eruditiō, & not to lose both cost & labor, do giue himself to that kind of learning,Doo no­thing a­gainst na­ture. vnto which by nature he is most fit, lest he seem to attēpt some thing in despite of Minerua, [Page 12] that is to say, quite against nature, his in [...] tion being vtterly vnapt therevnto: And [...] ther, that he diligently apply the study of t [...] arte, whereunto he hath addicted himse [...] and with great and earnest endeuour [...] with all speed possible to come to the [...] and prefixed end of his trauaile, that wh [...] the space of his study & race of the time the [...] of is runne out, he may attaine to full and perfect learning (if by any meanes it may be [...] tayned.) Continue at study without wearinesse.But as for other delights and recre [...] tions of studies, let him take a smack or ta [...] thereof now and then by fittes, at certai [...] houres of best leasure spared from other nec [...] sarie busines, to cut off tediousnesse, and to rest him a little from his laborious industrie, so that neuerthelesse he apply himselfe vnto his accustomed businesse and dayly tas [...] and returne seriously vnto his studyes that were intermitted and left of for a time.

WE must beware of that which some [...] vse to do in some kindes of learning, th [...] is, lest we bestow great study and much labo [...] in things obscure and difficult, which be [...] [Page 43] necessary,Vnprofita­ble studies must be re­iected. but to imploy our diligence and [...]rauaile in things commendable and worthy of knowledge, for that deserueth prayse. For some be occupied and much encumbred with [...]inolous studies, and bestow all their industry [...]n those things which haue much tediousnes, [...]nxietie, and perplexitie, but haue very small fruit of the labour bestowed. Such are the ex­ceeding curious obseruations and iudgemēts of the planets and stars,How far forth Astrology is to be exercised. and of their constella­tions & influēces, which be brought & sought out of the vanity of the Caldees, wherupon the vndiscreet professors therof rashly presuming, do boldly foreshew and tell, what shall chance to euery man, how his natiuitie shall be, what fortune and happe shall come vnto him, what successe euery man shall haue, and doo neuer seek counsaile at the prouidēce of God, whē as it is manifest & most certain, that all the whole world is gouerned according to his good will & pleasure. The Prophet Esay reprooueth the rashnes of these men,Esa. 47. & 44. and reprehendeth their foretellings of fortune and chaunces, & deri­deth them which seek counsaile at these, & in­quire Oracles & answeres of such deceiuers. For thus he inueieth against them and sharply rebuketh them: Let the heauen gazers stand vp and saue thee, which beheld the stars, and coūted the months, that therby they might tel thee things to come. Ieremie likewise, Ier. 10. Do not ye learn after [Page 44] the waies and manner of the Gentiles, and [...] afraid of the tokēs of heauē. For the lawes of [...] people are vaine, that is to say, their [...] proofes or demōstrations are deceitfull [...] bulous. Astrologie not vtterly to be con­demned.By which word the holy Proph [...] not vtterly condemne or reiect Astrolog [...] which hath vse, commoditie and profit p [...] liar vnto it, but they speak against such skil [...] men of this arte, as with deceitfull diuinat [...] and telling of false things for true,The vanity of Astrolo­gy reproued of the pro­phets. doe del [...] the people, & do blind & bleare the credul [...] & easily beleeuing multitude with vaine e [...] ctation of things. Of like sort are the vaniti [...] Palmestrie,Artes that be hurtfull. which by beholding the linea [...] or lines & marks of the hands, doe trifle wo [...] derfully. Likewise the dazling deceit and c [...] loured craft of Alcumistrie, where with fri [...] lous triflers do perswade men, that they [...] turne the propriety & kind of things, & chāg [...] siluer & brasse into gold. Amongst these [...] we reckon those artes that be worse, nam [...] Necromancie, wherby the bodies of the d [...] are wont to be called out of their graues, & a [...] ­swers required of thē, as we read that the Sorceresse or inchanting woman did, who to gratifie Saul, 1. Reg. 28. brought vp Samuel in a fained, false & counterfeit shape. Not vnlike to this be Hy­dromancie, & Pyromancie, which be done [...] water & fire: & many other illusions and iug­ling casts of diuels, & inchantmēts of Magick [...] [Page 45] as Ariolation, that is prophecie of things to come, Sooth saying by view of sacrifices, noise & flying of birds, that is to say, diuinations & coniectures by beholding of bowels,Witchcraft & inchaunting hurtful & by the singing, chirping & chattring of birds amōgst these do I reckon mischieuous deeds done by sorcery & witchcraft, wherewith in Germanie diuers witches that hurt infants, & sorceresses by their inchantmēts, doe hurt & harme their neigbours herds of cattell & sheepe, & by the ministry of deuils, do rob them of their milk & butter, & wast, spoyle & break their haruest & vineyards. More ouer they take frō men their bodily & manly strength, & make them feeble & vnable [...] natural copulatiō, euen as though they were gelded: wherof diuers mē strong & firmly cōpact haue made cōplaint to me, who lamented that they were degenerated into eu­nuches and emasculate persons, to their great shame, & the detriment of their wiues, to whō I indeuoured to minister remedy & preserua­tiues against witchcraft, with laying to of herbs, which by the gift of God are effectuall, medicinable, & a soueraigne succour against such delusiōs of Inchantmēts. And therfore to weary the wit with such witchcraft, is a thing not onely vnnecessary & vnprofitable, but also very pernitious & dangerous:Deuter. 18. for by the lawes of God & men they are worthily punished & put to death, which doe practise any such mis­chieuous arts, which are y^e works of euil spirits. [Page 46] But for what cause enchantments ought [...] vtterly reproued and abandoned, I will [...] more at large in the end of this booke, w [...] will intreate of the Maiestie of the name of [...] sus, left here the order and course of my [...] ter and treatise be interrupted.

The care & culture that is to be imployed on the mind & the bodyCOnsidering that man consisteth and [...] compact of bodie and soule, we must [...] very diligent respect and foresig [...] to the [...] tie and soundnesse of both these parts. [...] soule is the chiefest part of man: the bo [...] the mansion place of the soule. We haue [...] soule for a ruler and gouernour, but we vse [...] bodie rather as a seruant and minister. A [...] therefore we must not be negligent in the cul­ture and due ordering of either of them.A simili­tude taken of hous­hold affairs Fo [...] we be carefull, that our houses be not da [...] and moyst, and that the roofes and tops [...] them be not gaping open with chinckes and crannies to receaue rayne and winde, and [...] ­nally, lest our garments and couerings being filthie and not ayred should be full of moc [...]es and wormes: how much more ought we [...] looke well to the bodie? the vices whereof [...] [Page 47] annoy the mind, and pa [...] to and fro from the one to the other by the consent and meanes of societie and mutuall participation.

For,

Whereunto that saying of the wise man a­greeth, Wisd. 1. The bodie that is corrupted, is a heauie burthen to the soule, and keepeth downe the vn­derstanding that museth of many things. There­fore some respect must be giuen to the bodie, by the firmenesse and corrobation whereof (as Plinie saith) the minde is susteyned. This did S. Paule obserue,1. Timot. 5. who forbidding Timothie to vse water, prescribed vnto him the moderate vse of wine, that thereby he might strengthen his stomacke, and be the more chearefully a­nimated and encouraged in the spreading a­broad and publishing of the Gospell. For the bodie being kept sound and preserued safe from sicknesse, doth seruice to the minde the better, and is no hinderance or encumbrance to the cleare vnderstanding in the contempla­tion and studious beholding of things that be highest, most excellent, and most worthie to be knowne. But it is required at our hands to haue speciall care of the soule, and to adorne and garnish it by all meanes possible. And there is no way better to bring this to passe, [Page 48] then by sure and ste [...]dfast trust in God, which rayseth vp man vnto the certain and vndoub­ted hope of immortalitie, and deliuereth [...]he mind from feare and dread of death. And [...] meat is the nourishment of the bodie: so is the word of God the foode and sustenance of the soule,The foode of the soule by which onely peace and tranquilitie is conceiued in the conscience, then 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 griefe,The vngod­ly are vn­quiet. trouble, and vnquietnes of conscience the vngodly are vexed, how cruell tormen [...] of minde the wicked feele, euen the outward h [...] bite, quality and condition of the body doth declare. For wickednes is a reuenger and puni­sher of it selfe, so that whatsoeuer conscience it hath once caught and possessed, it neuer suf­fereth the same to bee quiet, but continually vexeth tosteth, and disquieteth it with pertur­batiōs. Which the Prophet Esay euidently end pressed by a prety similitude takē of the raging & surges of the Sea, for thus he saith: Esay. 57. The hea [...] of the wicked rageth like the Sea, and the wayes thereof boyle out myre and dyrt: that is to say the conscience of thē which are contaminated with wickednesse and polluted with impietie, is tumultuous,Vicious af­fections do annoy and hurt the minde. troublous and vnquiet. And in verie deede what man can haue a sweete and pleasant life, or a calme and quiet mind, which [Page 49] carieth about with him a body defiled with most filthy diseases, and a mind vtterly ouer­whelmed and deformed with foule and abho­minable vices? Wherefore seeing that the most parte of enormities proceede from the corrupt & vicious affections of the minde, we must resist the same by al meanes possible, lest the body haue any hurte or ind [...]mmage­ment thereby. With like care and indeuour must the body be preserued from diseases and sicknesse, lest some spot or contagion happen to redound from the body to the minde.Ill humors do dull and darken the vnderstan­ding. For when naughty & corrupt humors bring foule fumes to the braine, they driue and prouoke the minde vnto many euils and inconueni­ences.

Frugality or moderatiō of repast is good for the health.COntentation with a little, and temperance of foode preserueth health, and driueth a­way sicknesse, vsing therewithal a moderation of those thinges, which are necessary for the stablishing of the health, & confirming of the strength. These are called of Galen the causes of conseruation,Artis Me­di. 85. because they be requisite and meete for the preseruation of the state of the body, so that we vse them conueniently, com­modiously, [Page 50] and in due time. Men of later [...] call them things not naturall, not because [...] be cōtrary to nature, but for that they are cō [...] tute without the body, and be not, as the humors, are naturally graffed in vs, and by vse [...] effect doe some what hurt nature and the p [...] wers therof, if they be not rightly and con [...] niently vsed. Of this sort is the ayre that com­passeth vs about, meat and drinke, sleepe and waking, repletion, emptines, affections and motions of the minde, euery one of the which constrayneth, driueth, and reduceth the both vnto the conseruation and safegard of it selfe. But because the chiefest part of sound health consisteth in holesome diet, we must diligen [...] ­ly obserue and consider, what in the same is ei­ther good or hurtfull for the bodie. And for that ingurgitation or gluttonie is no lesse fil­thy and odious, then noysome and pernitious to the health, so much meat and drink must be taken, as necessitie of nature requireth, and that the strength of the body be refreshed, and not oppressed.Moderatiō of suste­nance good for students For the moderation of suste­nance is very conuenient and necessarie in all earnest applying of studies, and businesses of great and weighty affayres, in enduring the labours of painfull watching work, and in ful­filling publike offices and common dueties. This is it that surely stablisheth good health, this maketh both the animal & the vitall spi­rites, [Page 51] which are ascribed to the braine and hart, so chearfull, so glad, prompt and couragious, that euery man easily, and speedily, and with­out any griefe, accomplisheth and bringeth to passe those things which hee hath conceiued and purposed in minde. But on the other side daily examples doe shew, that by excesse, ry­ot, and intemperaunce of life diseases are cau­sed, studies, are hindred, all honest cogitations languish and waxe feeble, good enterprises and laborious lucubrations goe not forward, the promptnesse and readinesse of the vnder­standing decayeth, the strength, power, and liuely quicknesse of the minde is extinguished; men are made sluggish, vnapt, slothfull, sleepy, lazie, and indeuour not to doe any excellent acte or laudable exployt. Wherefore let him that hath addicted himselfe 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 vnto the cōmoditie of life & necessitie of nature. Christ commandeth vs to be mode­rate in meat.Christ requireth this of them that professe him, and reduceth them vnto tempe­raunce with these wordes: Luc. 21. Take heed, lest at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfeiting and drunkennesse, and cares of this life, and so that day come vpon you sodainly. For as a snare shall it come vpon all them that dwell vpon the face of [Page 52] the whole earth. By which sermon hee se [...] sobrietie in mens mindes, and banisheth [...]he loue of worldly thinges, and will haue their continue in that conflict euen vntill the last day of life, lest some worse thing happen vn­to them. Satietie or fulnesse is to be esche­wed.A proper and prety saying is that of Cornelius Celsus, Cornel. Cels. lib. 1. When ye come to meat, too much satietie is neuer good, too much absti­nence oftentimes is ill, neither is hunger con­uenient after fulnesse, nor fulnesse and immo­derate ingurgitation after hunger. Wherefore foolishly doe they, which after banquetting, feasting and good cheere the day before, doe so macerate, make leane, and pine themselues with want of meate out of measure the next day after, that sometime their heart fainteth, and they fall in sowne, and haue neede to bee recouered with things odiferous and of sweet smelling sauour. Other againe after fasting & hunger of the day before doe loade and ouer charge themselues with meat and drink more then is meete, in such abundance, that vnlesse they be loosed, they seem to be bursten. How­beit sometime for a man to haue the more li­berall repast,More libe­ral refectiō sometime may be vsed and to refresh himselfe with his friends and companions in conuenient feasts, is not culpable, nor deserueth in any respect to be reprooued, so that all things bee done moderately, and keepe within the compasse of mediocritie and the limites of temperance. [Page 53] For by such recreations sorrow and sadnesse is driuen away, which by ouer ardent and ear­nest contemplation, dulleth and darkneth the quicknesse and sharpnesse of the minde and vnderstanding, and by extenuating and ex­hausting the spirits, maketh students melan­cholicke, vnpleasant, sad, soure, silent, and wayward, and causeth them to abhorre all good fellowship, and to be estranged from all ciuill familiaritie, which perturbations ought to be very farre from louers of studies, politick men, and them that haue attayned the best degrees of learning.

FOrasmuch as by the munificence and free gift of God wee enioy his creatures plente­ously and abundantly,At our meat let vs acknow­ledge the bountiful­nes of God. and that all things are created frō the beginning of the world for the vse and commoditie of men: For this cause so soon as we sit down at the table before we put our hands to the dish or foode, our mind must be lift vp vnto the Creator of al vniuersally, to obtaine of him with hearty, liuelie, faythfull, and earnest prayer, that hee will vouchsafe to make those thinges which wee receiue [Page 54] holesome for vs by fayth, and giue them effi [...] ­cie to feede, foster and nourish out bodies. [...] the nourishment, vigour, and liuely strength consisteth not in much meate, neither in ma­ny fine and sundry sortes of meates, but in [...] word of God which endueth them with [...] effectuall power.1. Tim. 4. Rom. 14. 1. Cor. 10. Wherefore all thinges must be rendred, yeelded, and ascribed to God. For so dooth S. Paul teach, and so likewise dooth Prudentius shewe vs, who it is of whome wee ought to craue and trust surely to obtaine s [...] ­stenance and succour of our life, forsooth euen of God the father, of whom by Christ wee ob­taine all things. For hee directeth his prayers to that effect and with that confidence thus,

[Page 55]Assoone as our strength is recreated with meat, hee exhorteth vs vnto thanksgiuing by the example of Christ. For our Sauiour when supper was ended,Matth. 26. Marc. 14. went not from the table be­fore a hymne or song of prayse were sayd, to the ende that we should acknowledge that all things doe proceede from the plenteous, rich, and bounteous hand of God, and by his gifte are holesome and healthfull for vs. Thus ther­fore he goeth forward with grace and thanks­giuing,

There be very many such formes and sorts of prayer extant in most approued and well commended authors, and in the Bible also we finde euery where pithie, hearty, earnest, and piercing petitions: But there is none more ef­fectuall to obtaine withall, then that which is prescribed to vs of Christ.Matt. 6. Luk. 11. For whatsoeuer is either asked or conceiued in the mind, ought to bee referred to this prayer, and springeth and floweth from this fountaine. That prayer indeed consisteth but of very few wordes, and [Page 56] is deuided into sixe or seuen partes, but it i [...] and replenished with mysteries, that it con­taineth in it all things which appertaine [...] to the glory of GOD, or our necessitie, [...] and profite, or the commoditie also of [...] neighbour.

Strangers & guestes must be wel entertained & intreated liberally & courteouslyAS concerning the respect that is to be [...] of the entertainment of guests and straun­gers, or of them which seek and hunt for feasts and banquets of another mans cost, it becom­meth euery man to bee well aduised, wary & circumspect. First verily it is meete for euery man to haue care of hospitalitie, which the A­postles and other writers doc commend,Rom. 12. 1. Tim. 3 Tit. 1. and S. Paul requireth in a Bishop, and the doores of the house and entrance of the parlours must be open vnto modest Citizens and courteous neighbours. For as Cicero saieth, it is very decent and conuenient that the houses of no­ble and honourable men bee open and reach to receiue noble and worthie guests.1. Pet. 4. Heb. 13. In which duetie of humanity to auoyde ambition and ostentation, sumptuousnesse, and respect of persons,We must haue respect & regard of the poore. Christ woulde haue the poore and needy to be inuited and bidden, and in so do­ing that wee should not looke for like giftes [Page 57] againe,Luc. 14. nor for recompence of benefites be­stowed at our neighbours handes, but onely at our heauenly fathers hand, who giueth vs all things againe, pouring his blessings vpon vs with aboundant and exceeding ouerplus. But because there bee some men impudent and of a brasen face,A choice & discresion is to be had of guests. which being past shame and modestie, doe at theyr owne pleasure intrude themselues into feasts, and some­time when they are well fedde, steale a­way priuily out of the company, and giue not thankes to the maister of the feast: Therefore I thinke it conuenient to make such a difference and choyse of guests, that they which bee modest, thriftie and tempe­rate be entertayned: But vnthrifts, licorous persons, gluttons, insatiable eaters, and flat­tering parasites, which shoue and push in themselues impudently, contrarie to the will of the maister of the house, must bee shutte out at the doores, or sent away with some ciuilitie and courteous excuse, or if that will not serue, nor canne bee obtayned, some notable good sentences or wise sayings written and set vp in the parlour, must bee obiected vnto them, which may admonish them of their duetie, vnto which effect this prety precept, as well as any other, may bee sette vpon the postes in the parlour, for them to looke vppon, that they being much a­shamed [Page 58] ashamed may remember what is seemely comely to be obserued,

A prouerb vsed at feastsThere is a prety Prouerb also, which she­weth vs that we must not neglect the compa­ny and familiaritie of guests, but to keepe the lawes of humanitie and obserue the rites of a­mity, which is this: Doe not passe the salt and the table. For when as men in olde time vsed to make feasts amongst themselues one to an other, and from one place to another, with [Page 59] such like sage sentences and good prudent counsaile they nourished & fostred friendship being once begonne, and stablished it in their mery meetings and ioyfull cheere. For which cause it was an ancient custome to appeach those men of trechery and disloyalty, which had gone beyond the Salt and the Table, that is to say, had broken the token and couenaunt of amitie, and violated the league and most hearty friendship, and faythfull coniunction of life, where with they were linked and knit together amongst themselues by salt & bread, and by the participation and societie of one table. Vnto this symbole, this token of amitie, this good precept, that complaint of Dauid hath relation, wherein hee representing the person of Christ, appealeth his friend and fa­miliar of treason, falshood and vnfaithfulnesse, which was hidden vnder the shew & colour of honestie, and fayned & counterfeit pretence of godlinesse. Psal. 41. Iohn. 13.For thus he complayneth of him, Euen that man of my peace, in whome 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 ouerthrow me. It were a thing tolerable and I could more mildely beare it,A place of Dauid ex­pounded. if mine enimie denouncing warre by Heraulds of armes, had assayled mee in open battaile: But him to circumuent me, to goe a­bout to deceiue me, to lay great waite for me, [Page 60] stifly to stand against me and to supplant [...] with whome I had entercourse of most nea [...]e & deare familiaritie, & whom I made partake of my counsailes and secrets, it is a thing intol­lerable and which cannot bee borne withall▪ In like maner Christ being moued and grie­ued with such a villainous and malitious fast sayeth thus: Iohn 13. He which did eate bread with me, hath lift vp his heele agaynst mee, that is to say, my housholde enemie, who is more pernici­ous then any other enemie, purposeth pre­cisely with deceitfull deuises and priuie pra­ctises how he may oppresse and entrappe me. He taketh his Metaphore of friends which in outward shew and first view are fayre spea­kers, but inwardly they are full of fraude, and the poyson of aspes lieth vnder their lips, hid­den in the heart: for they smite a man priui­ly and hit him with the heele on the back part, that it cannot be perceiued who did the hurt. A prouerb against treacherous persons.By a prouerbiall figure, such claw-backs of Colax crew may well bee sayde to strike with turning away the poynt, that is to say, not be­fore on the face, but behinde on the back and on the hinder parte of the body. Dauid ma­keth another expostulation or complaint like vnto this, wherein hee complayneth him­selfe to bee greatly endammaged of that man, whose familiaritie hee specially vsed, and was so knitte and vnited vnto him in the [Page 61] league of amitie, that hee was partaker of all his purposes, and as his most trustie and speciall friende that knewe his secretes. Which cruell dealing and haynous fact hee very vehemently rebuketh and reprooueth with these wordes: Psalm. 55. For if an open enemie had done mee this dishonour, then I coulde haue borne it. And if mine aduersaries hadde lift vp themselues agaynst mee, I would per­aduenture haue hidden my selfe from them. But it was euen thou a man of one minde with mee, and one that knewe my minde onely, my guide, and mine owne familiar friende, which diddest receiue sweete meate in my companie, and wee were conuersaunt in the house of GOD with consent &c. A place of Dauid de­clared.These are patheticall verses, that is to say, full of passions and perturbations of minde, whereby hee declared himselfe to take much griefe and to haue great in­dignation, because hee findeth him, that hitherto bare a shew of a trustie friend, to bee his most mortall and enuious enemie, and couertly and closely to seeke and worke his destruction. But to painte out liuely and to sette foorth in his colours such a craftie turne-coate, chaungling, and sub­till surmiser, which vnder a certayne shew & pretence of fayned friendship & counterfeit [Page 62] vertue doth in countenaunce, eyes, and wo [...] flatter his friend, when as inwardly he nouri­sheth ranck poyson and vipers venime for his destruction, he addeth this also to the crime of disloyalty:A simili­tude of oile and butter. The wordes of his mouth are softer then butter, wheras war is prepared in his heart▪ His speeches are smoother then oyle, when as i [...] very deede they be swords and dartes. By which similitude hee describeth and noteth fayned and malitious friends, which haue one thing close in their heart, and another ready in their tongue, and which doe shew bread in the one hand and beare a stone in the other. Of which falshood and treachery Iudas Iscariot prefixed a paterne, and after him many other, which learned that lewd lesson of him, and haue ta­ken fraudulent examples.

The care & good regard of house­hold and hous-kee­ping.AS touching Oeconomicall prudencie, that is, the administration of housholde busi­nesses and affayres, which as Cicero testifieth, is the minister and seruant of the body; it is decent for euery man to bee diligent and dis­creete in stablishing and garnishing the same so, that the enlarging and augmentation ther­of bee referred vnto the necessary vse of life, [Page 63] vnto commoditie, vnto neatnesse, cleanlinesse and trimnesse, not vnto excesse and delicate pleasures, not vnto sumptuous fare and immo­derate prouision and furnishing of dishes, which disperse, diminish, waste and consume riches, yea euen great substaunce and large possessions. Therefore in adorning feasts & furnishing the table, frugalitie, thriftie sparing, and moderation of meats must chiefly bee ob­serued, and all prouocations of gluttonie and lewd lust must bee eschewed: and finally all fine delicate iunckets & banquetting dishes,Costly pro­uision of meats is to be eschew­ed. Ephes. 5. which are vsed cōmōly to be brought in at the second course to them that are already well sa­tiate with meat, to prouoke them to desire to eate a fresh againe, must bee auoyded. This prodigalitie, superfluitie, and ryotous life doth not onely make wealth decay, & causeth sick­nesse, but also when banquetters are hot with drinking wine, it ministreth heat and nourish­ment vnto luxurie, and stirreth vp the loynes, and affecteth the priuities and vncomely parts with stiffnesse, whereby they begin to itch, and that I may vse the Apostles word,1. Cor. 7. to bee burned, that is to say, to be the more mighti­lie prouoked and inflamed vnto inordinate de­sire of vncleannesse:Rom. 13. For which cause S. Paul would haue nothing done according to the will and pleasure of our lusts, but would haue all things tende vnto the necessitie, vse and [Page 64] commoditie of nature, not vnto superfl [...] and voluptuousnesse, which is very hu [...] both to body and soule. There is no man [...] deede so insensible or vnnaturall, that hee [...] abide to hate his body,Ephes. 5. but as S. Paul saieth, nourisheth and cherisheth it, as Christ doth [...]he cōgregation. By which example the Apostle inuiteth and willeth husbands to loue th [...] wiues, and indeuour to haue such care of them, as euery man hath of his owne body, and per­forme that vnto them which Christ hath per­formed to his Church & cōgregation his only & entirely beloued spouse. But in the admini­stration and ordering of houshold businesse and in establishing and maintaining houshold substance, and sauing it from detriment and losse, all things must bee so measurably and temperately vsed, that thou incurre not the name either of a spend-good or an vnthrift, [...] of a very niggard, a pinch-penie, a nip-crust [...] holdfast.Vse mea­sure, for that is a vertue and treasure. Goods are saued & kept by sparing [...] augmented & increased thereby: But yet thy substance ought not to bee so pinched and streictly stored vp, that thou defraud thine owne belly of naturall refection, and pin [...] both thy selfe and thine, which some vile mi­sers vse to doe: And againe on the other side that thou do not as ryotous reuellers are wont, spend out of measure thy gotten goods, and waste thine inheritance, and consume thy [Page 65] substance in licorousnesse and dainty dishes, amongst a crew of such dissolute and vnthrif­ty companions, which doe instigate, intice, and incourage thee to make such hauock of all. For as indeede according to the saying of Terence, A man that seeketh to haue gaine, must needes bestow cost: so according to the sentence of Plautus, A prouerb cōmending frugality or temperate sparing. A man cannot be sure to haue gaine, if the cost be greater then it. Wher­by he giueth aduertisement and admonition so to moderate and measure cost and charges, lest by vnmeasurable spending and wasting, the mayntenance of housekeeping happen to be impayred: but let the reckoning of re­ceites and expences be alike, eeuen and equal. Wherfore it is the duety of a diligent houshol­der, when time requireth, to bring foorth such things as are requisite out of his storehouse, & when need is & occasion serueth, to lay vp in store agaye. For it is too late to spare when all is spent, as the common saying is.Late spa­ring loseth much pro­fite. That law which Amasis king of the Aegyptians caused to be published, and was also put in practise of Solon the law-giuer to the Atheni­ens, is agreeable to this purpose,Lib 3. Eu­terpe. and conue­nient for the commoditie of the common wealth, and conseruation of housholde sub­stance, by which lawe it was prouided,The law of Amasis a­gainst idle persons. as Herodotus affirmeth, That as well the people of the countrey as straungers inhabiting there, [Page 66] should euery yeare declare before the Presi­dents of Prouinces, how & whereupon they liued, and by what meanes and trade they got their liuing. And they which could not giue such notice, nor bring testimony that they li­ued lawfully; should bee punished by death. By the seueritie and rigor of which edict, com­maundement, and decree, his intent was to restraine idle persons from robbery, rapine, pilling, and spoyling, that they should haue no prouocation thereunto, to which state those vnthrifts vse commonly to come, which haue spent away the inheritance and landes left vnto them by their fathers, and haue vtterly wasted and consumed their patrimony at the dice, among whores, and in ryotous reuell and drunken feasting. Vpon these respects and considerations I think the law of expen­ses grew vp among the Corinthians against vnthrifts, and such as make hauock of theyr goods vnaduisedly, or make more sumptuous feasts & with greater prodigalitie, then their substance and yearely reuenews will beare. Which law,Lib. 6. forasmuch as Diphilus pronoun­ceth it in that publike place in Rome where all sciences were read, & Erasmus, a man famous in all kinde of learning, hath expressed it in Latine verses, shall here be annexed, that ther­by Magistrates may take such order and vse such meanes to bring the same to passe, that [Page 67] Cities and Fermes without the towne walles & graunges be not molested of violēt theeues and robbers, which both on the day time and on the night doe rob and spoyle mens riches and quiet possessions, and cruelly cruciate & torment their bodies, except they forthwith reueile and bring foorth vnto them their trea­sure. The sentence of this law is expressed in these verses,

S. Paul pricketh slug­gards for­ward to la­bour and industrie.With like seueritie doth S. Paul the Apo­stle require dueties to bee done:2. Thes. 3. For he cō ­maundeth slouthfull and idle persons to shake off drowsie sluggishnesse, and to employ their labour and diligence in handy works and ma­nuall occupations, wherewith they may su­stayne themselues and their housholdes: which precept he would haue to be so seuere­ly obserued, that those men which would not apply their labour, and be diligent and care­full to maintaine their housholde estate, but like Drones or dorre bees which seeke to con­sume the labours and honie making of the hyue bees, doe liue of other mens liberalitie and gifts, and be idle, occupied in no worke, but onely in being busi-bodies in other mens matters, that those, I say, shoulde haue no meat graunted nor giuen to them. The admo­nition of S. Paul to theeues.Vnto this discipline and seueritie of reforming maners S. Paul Ephes 4. also reuoketh and reduceth theeues which robbe, pill & spoyle other mens goods, whom he doth not onely admonish to abstain & refrain their hands from other mens goods, [Page 69] but also to bestow on the relieuing of the poore & nedy those goods which are acquired & gotten with honest labour, so that their for­mer lewd & dissolute life, stayned and polluted with robbery, rapines & vniustly gottē goods, may now be reformed, renewed, and garni­shed with good works and liberalitie towards them that are pressed with pouerty.Luk. 19. Whereof we haue an example in Zachaeus, who distri­buted vnto the poore those goods that he had gotten by vsury. For by this meanes it com­meth to passe, that the faults and vices of the life heretofore wickedly led, may bee chaun­ged into vertue and godlinesse, to wit, the affections being quite altered, and the na­turall naughtinesse being put off, and corrupt customes abolished.

Moderatiō of sleeping & waking.STudious and politike men amongst other thinges must haue regard of sleepe and wa­king. For if these things be vsed moderately, conueniently and in due season, they bring very much commoditie in stablishing and strengthning the health. For they doe not only make the body prompte, chearefull, liuelie, stronge, and lusty, but also specially cause [Page 70] the minde to be the more quicke, apt, prone and ready to fulfill such office, charge and du­tie as is appoynted and committed. But im­moderate and vnmeasurable sleepe maketh men dull, foolish, sluggish, forgetfull, and such as hardly can atchieue any good and lau­dable enterprises, or attaine vnto the know­ledge of any excellent Artes and Sciences. Wherefore men of such sorte and condition must be animated vnto good exercises, and to take paines, to the ende they may shake off heauy idlenesse and sleepie sloath, and apply the powers of the minde vnto some such acti­ons as are seemely for a man of good witte, calling and estimation.

Noon sleep when and how it is hurtfull.Now as concerning sleepe at noone and on the daye time, I doe aduise young men not to accustome themselues thereunto, vnlesse wearinesse proceeding of great heate and la­bour, doe afflict the strength, or that they haue passed the night before either in watching or banquetting out of due time: for then noone rest may be taken without hurte. But other­wise it causeth the memory to fayle, and dark­neth the vnderstanding, and besides the hea­uinesse of the head, it bringeth dimnesse of the eyes, especially when men lie downe vpon a full stomack. And therewithall they haue this inconuenience, that immediately after their heauy, dead, and drousie sleepe is past, they [Page 71] are disposed and desirous to vomite, and doe gape and yawn, and raskle with their armes abroad, that is to say, stretch forth their mem­bers euery way, hauing a concourse of vapors diffused throughout the whole body, by rea­son of a sickly griefe and a stiffnesse of a feuer or ague,A dispositiō, to vomite proceeding of surfet. which the old Latines do call Helu­cus: which signifieth sicke of yesterdayes drinking. Which worde betokeneth such as either after surfet or noone sleepe bee rea­dy to vomit, and are faynt, feeble and accra­sed, and incontinently inclined to yawning & yexing. But olde men and they that are in their perfect, ripe and best age, may safely sleepe at noone, that is to say,Sleepe at noone is conuenient for old men when dinner is done (so that there bee some little space of time be­tweene) may giue themselues to slumber a little, especiallie in summer time and hote weather: for then the intemperatenesse of the ayre maketh men sleepy, at which time this ease may bee commodiously taken either sit­ting in a chayre or lying on a bed, the head be­ing layd the higher and a little the more vp­right on the pillow, for by such recreation with sleepe the spirits both naturall and vitall, from which the animall power that abideth in the brayne, receiueth nourishment, be refre­shed and reuiued. But waking out of due sea­son is both hurtfull to euery age,Much wa­king drieth the body. and especi­ally very harmfull to olde age, as also hunger, [Page 72] for both these bring drynesse to the bray [...] and besides frensie and doting folly procee­ding thereof, these two inconueniences make the body drie, euill fauoured, and very leane. If therefore strength be impayred, or the spirits and powers wasted, and the vitall iuice being consumed, the body waxe leane, either with immoderate waking, or hunger, or working in the night out of due time, or by too much labour, or by intemperate carnall copulation, then must the strength bee recouered and re­freshed with moyst meats and drinks, or poti­ons that cause sleepe, as lettuce, spinach, orage in operation like vnto mallowes, buglosse, bo­rage, the seedes of newe or fresh poppie, the flowers of water lilie,Things that cause sleepe which moysten the brayne. whereunto are added flowers of violets, pine apple kernels, sweet [...] almonds, the kinde of nuttes which the Apo­thecaries commonly call fistici, the iuice of barley steeped or pressed, great raysins and small raysins called Corins, which haue no stones or kernels in them, Dates, Orenges or the rindes of lymons or citrons confected with sugar or hony. For with these the natu­ral and vital humor is refreshed, and the brain, which is the habitacle of the minde and vnder­standing, is as it were perfumed and imbrue [...] with a dew like moistning vapour, and watred with a sweet breathing vpward or sent, wher­of commeth quiet sleepe without any trouble [Page 73] or tumultuous disquietnesse.How sleepy drowsines may and must be shaken off. But if any man be by nature more inclined to sleepe, and not ar­dently bent vnto any laudable practises & en­terprises, let him continually cleane vnto exer­cise & labour, let him eschew al meats that be of cold and moist facultie, and vse those which hauing efficacie to heate, do drye vp superflu­ous humors, wherein the cause of sleepe doth consist: Of which qualitie are these, hyssope, rosemary, sage, organum, marioram, sauerie, red coleworts, ginger, pepper, nutmeg, cloues, and many other things which doe ease and comfort the brayn being stuffed with vapours and fumie humor, and doe stirre vp and quic­ken the minde darkned with grosse and thick vapours, and make it liuely, prompt and ready to conceiue honest cogitations.

THe same moderation also must be vsed in other things which be either good or hurt­ful for the health: as fulnes & emptines, wher­by the body is refreshed with meat and drink, or being filled full of humors is euacuated.Moderatiō in meat must be vsed. But as the diet of studious and politique persons ought to be moderate & tēperate: so the same [Page 74] must not be ouer small and sparing, lest th [...] spirits be extenuated: and they must also dili­gently obserue, that they be not more costi [...] ▪ or more laxatiue then is requisite. For both these aswell the one as the other (if they [...] ­ceede measure) be hurtfull to the health alike. For if the belly haue too great a fluxe, or bea­uer loose, it maketh the body drie and very leane, and to haue very little sleepe, and [...]o bringeth drinesse into the brayne, and there­by impayreth the memorie. But if the belly be ouer dry and too much stinted and stopped it obscureth the memory, dazeleth the eyes, causeth vnquiet and troublesome dreames, by meanes of grosse and thicke humors which ascend to the braine. The thinges which doe gently soften and laxe the belly, be these, to wit,Herbs that loose the belly. Violets, Lettuce, Spinach, Orage which in their kinde and effect are like to Mallowes, which herb the Poet Martial testifieth to bee commended and committed vnto men of old time for that purpose,

Put to these buglosse, borage, cheruil [...]d bete, blete, damask prunes, raysins and cori [...] ▪ mulberies, figges. The thinges which mini­ster soueraigne medicine for this effect, bee [Page 75] these, namely, mercurie, fumitorie, ferne grow­ing on trees called Polipodie, sene, rubarbe, wilde or bastard saffrō 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 vsed as a gentle purger of me­lancholie: cassia, manna, which is a maner of dew congelated on trees and plants, and so is gathered in certaine countreys and reserued as a gentle purger of choler: It is also called Melaerium. As for scamonie, the roote of the herbe tripolium commonly called Turbit, Me­zereon, and such like strong purgatiue medi­cines, doe debilitate and ouerthrowe the strength: and therefore are not to bee mini­stred but vnto them that bee of strong nature and constitution, when as a shrewd knotte requireth a shrewd wedge.Things that binde the belly. But if the belly be more loose then is conuenient for the health, it may be stinted and stayed, with often vsing of red mynt, and with the confection or syrop therof tempered with honie, which is euery where to be had in the Apothecaries shoppes. Quinces likewise that haue tender mosinesse, & any confection of them, do binde & corro­borate the belly, likewise red roses: To these may you adde medlers, before they come to their kindly moystnes, softnes, and tendernes: in like maner heppes whose kernell within is full of stones, but they are of a sweet and plea­sant [Page 76] taste, and therewithall tarte and binding Rhus Ponticum, which our countrey [...] Ribes or Respes, which stirreth vp the app [...] ­tite marueilously, and driueth away the ab [...] ­ring and loathing, which a weak stomack [...] when it is ready to vomite, and strengthneth [...] with vertue retentiue, especiallie in sum [...] time, when as cholericke humor washeth [...] intrayles much, and prouoketh fluxe, to which vse and effect the iuice therof 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 panch that is annoyed with too great a fluxe, it raiseth vp the weaknesse of the appetite, and stirreth vp a good desire to eate, as doe also pomegranates, hauing within them red kernels full of corners, which bee i [...] taste somtime sweete, somtime tarte.

The pores are ordai­ned to purge the excrements.GOD the Creator of mans body hath not without great cause and good considerati­on, made so many passages and wayes for the purging out of humors and the clensing forth of excrements, lest in very deede man shoulde happen to bee ouerthrowen with the great [Page 77] abundance of them, and bee suffocated and [...]trangled with the vapours which proceede from them. So the head purgeth and exone­ [...]ateth it selfe by the nostrels, eares, and roufe of the mouth with spitting and sneesing: The breast and lungs bringe out fleume by the artery of the voyce or windepipe with cough­ing: The stomacke or ventricle draweth out the pumpe or sinke by vomite and bel­chings: The bowels cleanse themselues by the belly or panche, and shutting foorth ven­ [...]ositie at the backe doore, doe washe the gutter cleane from fylth and dregges: The reynes and bladder deriue and cary the v­rine by the passages and conduits thereof: And the superficiall or outward parte of the body dryueth out the soote-like vapours and sweat-breeding exhalations by the skin that is full of pores, and hath a passage thorow it by many little holes. Wherefore seeing that the body cannot continue in sound and perfect health, vnlesse all the partes thereof bee well ordered and in good state, and fulfill e­uery one their function and office without any annoyaunce or hurte: care and diligence must bee employed herein specially, that no disorder or distemperance growe vp in the bodie, whereby the action or wor­king of the instruments thereof might either bee marred or made worse. For the minde [Page 78] vseth the ministerie of these, and thereby brin­geth to passe excellent enterprises. If some disease molest, if the head bee troubled with heauinesse, if fleume be grieuous, if the [...] or strangurie or dropping of the vrine do [...] vexe, if dimnesse or blearenesse corrupt the eyes, if the handes or feete bee afflicted with the gowte,

mans minde can not speedily fulfill or execute any office, affayres or businesse appointed. For which cause those men may bee reputed wise, which seeke to haue regard of health, & to purge and clense the body and the partes thereof from all excrements. For so the mind or intellectiue power is more cleare, and made the more apt, able and conuenient for euery action. A great sorte of men neglecting all comely and due order, and hauing no respect of health, doe gape for riches, and are onely and wholly bent vnto the desire of getting and scraping of worldly goods together, when as yet notwithstanding sound health is better then golde,Health is better thē golde. and nothing more worthy to bee wished for then the tranquilitie and quietnesse of the minde. Horace confirmeth the same in these verses,

And to the ende he might bring euery man to a temperate and moderate vse of things, he addeth further,

To which wordes the wise Hebrue plainly and wholly agreeth thus,Eccles. 30. Better it is to bee poore, being whole and strong, then to bee rich and not to haue health. Health and good liking is aboue all golde, and a sound bodie is better thā great riches. There is no riches better then health of bodie, nor any delight greater, thē the gladnesse of the minde, and ioy of the heart. Wisd 4. Eccles. 30.Therefore felicitie must not bee measured by the abundant plenty of riches or prosperous successe of things, but by perfect health and vnreproueable soundnesse of body and mind. For in very deede that man both liueth and hath the fruition of health and welfare, which enioyeth the pleasure & commoditie of these things without any annoyance or inconueni­ence.

THere bee three thinges accompted very holesome in the opinion and iudgement of all men, and therefore it is meet for euery man to obserue them, namely, To feede with­out fulnesse, Not to refuse labour, To conserue the seed of nature. To the which I haue opposed iump so many very vnholsome things, which do not only bring sicknes & diseases, but also do accelerate old age before the time, and de­stroy men with hasty death. vz. To bee stuffed and stretched with surfet, To bee idle and slouth­full, To bee weakned with immoderate carnall concupiscence. Measure must be v­sed in things conuenient for nature.For not onely frugality, by ex­pelling gluttony, cōstituteth a healthful body, Exercise, by shaking off idlenesse and slug­gishnesse, maketh it nimble, quicke and liue­ly: but also if we may receiue documentes of the kinde and naturall property of horses,

Because indeede an intemperate and libi­dinous youth deliuereth vnto olde age a fee­ble and fruitlesse body. Therefore not onely [Page 81] in youthfull yeares, but most chiefly in olde age, inordinate lusts must be restrayned, and the entrie into luxurie stopped, which as it is shamefull for youth: so, as Cicero saith,Loue and lust not de­cent for old age. it is most filthy and vnseemly for olde age. For as in warre and in the campe souldiers haue neede of strength, haue neede of nimblenesse, haue neede of valiauntnesse to suffer and in­dure labour and trauayle: euen so in loue and in accomplishing the pleasures thereof, strength is requisite to sustaine the labours of the night, to ouercome and abolish the tedi­ousnesse of matrimonie, to beare and abide the conditions of a malapert wife, of an im­perious and stately dame. Wherefore nei­ther warre nor loue is meete for olde men, because either of them caryeth with it many troubles, griefes, and inconueniences, for the which olde age is ouer weake, and an vnequall match and vnmeete to indure them. The Poet Ouid hath expressed the same in e­legant verse,

Moreouer, who dooth not see howe vndecent a thing it is for an olde man growen our of fauour and fashion and riuelled, to basse and kisse, and striue to embrace like a young man? When as he is vnable to accomplish the solace of marriage. So sayd Sophocles well & truely, who being aged was asked, whether he vsed the pleasures of the body: The Gods forbid, (quoth he) I haue fled far from thence verily & runne away gladly from that, euen as from a churlish and furious maister.

Regard is to be had of a mans fame, name and report.ENdeuour by all meanes possible to bringe this to passe, that thy neighbours and all they which knowe thee, may conceiue a very good opinion of thee, and giue laudable te­stimonie to thy estimation and name: and fi­nally, thinke very well of thee, and speake of [Page 83] thee to thy prayse and good credite. And bee not ashamed to mark well, with what perswa­sion the countrey men are induced, and how they are affectioned in their minds towardes thee. For if a man neglect and care not what euery man thinketh or speaketh of him, it is not onely, as Cicero sayth,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 concei­ued of him, what reporte went of him,Mat. 16. and fi­nally what they perswaded themselues con­cerning the Messias, not led weth ambition, nor that he sought glory, prayse or renowme,Christ sought not the praise of the people. but that he might prooue and trie them, whe­ther by hearing of so many healthful sermons, and beholding of so many miracles, they did thinke of him more highly, reuerently and magnificently, then the common people: therefore he enquired and demaunded this of them, to the ende he might get out of them, & cause them to vtter a sound profession of the fayth, and might trie how much they had pro­fited in heauēly doctrine, which hath no false­hood, no vanity, no deceit, no simulation, no guile, as the Pharisies malitiously surmised & falsly detracted: but is very expedient vnto saluation, pure and sincere, being spoken and pronounced of the trueth it selfe, euen of the sonne of God our Sauiour so long time looked [Page 84] for. Which when Peter, by the inspiration of the higest father, had in the name of all the A­postles singularly, playnely and openly profes­sed,Profession of fayth. and constantly pronounced Iesus the au­thour of all saluation, and that mankinde by trust & confidence in him obtayneth redemp­tion, Christ commended the profession of Pe­ter giuen vnto him by the inspiratiō of the ho­ly spirite, and confirmeth it being grounded & stablished vpon an vnmoueable foundation, that it should be vnuincible & inexpugnable. In euery action and in all thy wordes & deeds haue a care of comlynes,Regard is to bee had of comlines & decencie. and remember what is most decent & seemely, for this doth the re­gard of honesty require: Wherupō ariseth that preatie prudēt prouerbe, The chiefest part of any art is to do that which is decēt, to wit, that which is fit for nature, cōuenient for the wit & natural inclinatiō,Howe and by what means glo­ry is to bee sought & attained. and meet for the maners & conditions. The readie, easie, speedie, and short way to the atteyning of perfect & permanent renowne, is to be such an one, and behaue thee selfe so, as thou wouldest be accompted, wher­of by the waye Horace giueth aduertise­ment,

that is to say, such an one as thou art said to be, and as thy neighbours, and countrimen testy­fie of thee: Which if they thinke & accompt [Page 85] thee to be an honest, innocent and true mea­ning man, then indeede thou doest wel, so that thou doe not play the hypocrite and false dis­sembler, nor deceiue them with a colour, shew add pretence of honesty, as some players do in their counterfayt apparell, visours and visa­ges, which at the first view appeare to bee of approoued honestie, when as indeede they are turne-coats, variable & inconstant & naugh­typacks,

The sure reward of si­lence.Remember that there be two singular ver­tues, by which young men are wont chiefly to be commended, namely faithfulnes and taci­turnitie: to the which if shamfastnes be adioy­ned, being an amiable colour of young strip­lings age, adorned with mixture of redde and white, being as it were therwith cōmendably decked: there is nothing surely can be added to the ornament & commendation of naturall comelynes and modesty, more fauourable, or more gracious & acceptable. But whosoeuer is destitute of this towardnes and lacketh these ornaments of youth, or hath lost them, we cō ­monly accompt him past help, past hope and grace, notable in vngraciousnes, and excee­ding impudent. Therefore is this saying true,

Shamefast­nes cōmen­deth young men.For shamefastnes & bashfulnes doth cōmend & adorne yong men more then can be expres­sed, so that those yong striplings vndoubtedly become honest, or shew concerning them­selues some hope of vertue or token of hone­stie, in whom there appeareth some signe and signification of shamefastnesse, which appa­rantly sheweth it selfe.A token of a good na­ture & dis­position. So Diogenes when he beheld a certaine young man, and perceiued that he was ashamed and did blush, sayth to him, My sonne, be bolde, for such is the colour of vertue, honestie, and modestie. Likewise we reade in Terence, when Mitio conceiued a ve­ry good hope of his sonne; He blushed, saith he, therefore all is safe and well. Moreouer, shame and confession is a token and testi­fication of Innocencie, if at any time it bee found and perceiued in them which haue not committed offences of purposed and wilfull malice. But contrarywise vnshamefastnesse and impudent obstinacie, is an euident signe and argument of vngraciousnesse.Boldnesse is naught. For some young men that be very bolde, are not afrayd at all to looke stedfastly and fasten their eies euen vpon graue men and to denie their fact, yea althoug it be manifestly prooued and can not be denied. But to the ende thou mayest without enuy purchase prayse, and procure [Page 87] friendship, Thou shalt accustome thy selfe, as the Comicall Poet sayth, to suffer, endure, and beare with all sortes of men patiently.

For it is a token of a noble & gentle heart & dest minde, to doe much, but to speake little of himselfe, after the example of Iugurtha, whome in this respect Salust commendeth, not as proud Thrasolike boasters and brag­ging souldiers, which insolently aduance thē ­selues, and tell euery man of their owne fa­mous facts and excellent exployts, with braue boasting and great ostentation. Wherefore seeing that friuolous bragging and vaine boa­sting is odious to euery man,Boasting is odious. let no man flat­ter himselfe in the prayse of his witte, learning, or wealth, nor ambitiously shew and set forth his owne giftes, but so moderate his doings, that he thinke and speake of himselfe humbly and modestlie, lest, as S. Paul sayth,Rom. 12. he seeme to despise, disdayne, and contemne other men. We haue admonition hereof by many men in their writings, and namely by Horace in these verses,

Reioyce no [...] scoffe at other mens mise­rie.Let it neuer be in thy minde to reioyce at another mans calamitie, nor laugh at his mise­ry, no not of thy foe or enemy, but rather be so­ry for it, euen as though thou were partaker of his griefe, & count his hap & condition worthy of compassion. For such is the course, chaunge and mutability of mans state, that many from high felicity, & very large & ample possession of great wealth are throwen down vnto po­uerty, & brought into a miserable case, & som­time their hard hap is to haue a woful, sorrow­ful, and lamentable end. Other again from the very lowest degree and base parentage, and wretched bondage, are aduanced vnto riches, vnto honour, vnto dignitie, rule and dominion.

Eccle. 10.Doe not that to another man, which thou wouldest not haue done to thy self. For Christ would haue all our actions, studies and medi­tations to be squared by this squire, and per­fectly tried according to this rule, when as he sayth, Matt. 7. All things whatsoeuer ye would that men should doe vnto you, euen so also doe ye to them: that is, giue to euery man honour, reuerence, succour and other dueties of humanity, which euery man would haue exhibited to himselfe. [Page 89] Too much hastines of speech run­neth into reprehension.Be not hasty, rash; or vnaduised in vttering thy wordes: Finally so gouerne thy selfe, that thy tongue runne not before thy minde, neither let words passe vnwisely through thy throat, which afterward had neede returne backe a­gaine the same way to bee better tempered. For many with whome wee dwell and deale are slippery in fidelitie, and voyde of tacitur­nitie, which do not only cary all abroad those wordes which escape any mans mouth impru­dently, but also with back-biting and craftie accusations and chalenges, doe empayre, hurt, stayne and violate the good name and fame of their neighbour. For this cause Horace in­structeth euery man with holesome admoniti­on and counsayle thus,

Babling is hurtfull.In which verses he giueth admonition to e­uery man, to speak of other men aduisedly, & moderately, not to blab out any thing rashly, which may at any time be his harme or hinde­rance, [Page 90] & do him some dammage or detriment. Lastly, he aduiseth vs to obserue and beware of priuie harkeners and secret serchers & spies what men say or do, which intrude themselues into all companies, and subtilly smel out som­thing, whereof they may bring complaint & accusation before the chiefe Constables, Iusti­ces and Iudges, so that no man may safely mutter, whisper, or murmure concerning a­ny matter, neither may any man in such infe­licitie and so great miserie of our dayes, open­ly and playnlie professe those things that lie in his minde, and which reason induceth, al­though it be agreeable to the trueth and sin­cere religion, euen for feare of promoters, tale-bearers, and accusers, to whom also rewards, fees, and preferment is appoynted, that they may shew themselues the more circumspect & attentiue to see,Beware of word-spiers and priuie harkeners. heare, prie and espie in this their very ignominious and detestable busi­nesse of spying, marking and searching, inso­much that men in authoritie, which vse the mi­nisterie of these men, do hate & abhorre them euen for their office sake. For some men are delighted to haue mens faults bewrayed, no­ted, and appeached: but yet they hate the craftsmen and doers thereof, although for the time the office which they so fulfill,Tale-bea­rers are odi­ous to all men. pleaseth them well. For they suspect them as vntrusty, treacherous, and disloyall fellowes. Augustus [Page 91] Caesar declared the same plainely, in whose presence whē as Rhymirales King of the Thra­cians boasted too insolently of his owne me­rites: The saying of Augustus concerning treason. I loue, sayth he, the treason, but I detest the Traytor. So, as Iulius Capitolinus recor­deth; tale-cariers were repressed and ex­tinct of the Emperour Antonius Pius, to wit, that kind of men which by accusatiō was wont to get the fourth part of mens goods, which sorte 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 aggra­uate all things, and make them more haynous then the trueth of the matter is. Marcus Emperour CapitolinusWherefore Marcus the Philosopher being Emperour tooke good order, and vsed politike meanes for the craftie and malitious accusations of such tale-bearers, adiudging the note of infa­mie to false accusers and secret complayners. Saturio the Parasite as we read in Plautus, In Persa. ac­compteth it an infamous and detestable thing to practise priuy accusing & carying of tales, and had rather that a man should feede his bel­ly by playing the Parasite after the trade & ma­ner of his auncestors,A Parasite is not so ill as a tale-bearer. then to play the accusa­tion carier, and by such meanes to become rich, and to gape for the goods and life of o­ther men. Although indeede such kinde of of­fices deserueth no great prayse among wise [Page 92] men, which suffer not parasites and flatter [...]s to sow prety fine eares to their heads, that is to say, to make them fooles, nor their minde and vnderstanding to be taken away, and so to be deluded by their fayre sweete plausible wordes and pleasaunt entisements.

Contenti­ons must be appeasedIF any hidden hatred, grudge and contention happen among any Citizens, neighbours or companions, it is the dutie of an honest man as much as he can to asswage & quiet the same, to put away & remoue the offences, hurt & dis­pleasures done, to bring the dissentions to a­greement, lest they waxe more bitter and grie­uous, to breake off debate and controuersies, to mitigate discord, to renew concord, to pro­cure peace betweene the contentious & disa­greeing persons, and to offer and shew him­selfe a faithfull and diligent pacifier of mens alterations. Which dutie of humanitic our Sa­uiour placeth not in the lest parte of blessed­nesse,Mat. 5. who adorneth and honoureth them that be desirous & studious louers hereof,A peace maker de­serueth praise. with the glorious title of the sonnes of God. From this & from many other vertues, wherwith charity, that is, a desire to doe good to all men, is gar­nished, [Page 93] some troublous, seditious and tumultu­ous felowes are vtterly reuolted, who because they hate & abhorr al maner of peace-making and reconciliation, do of a malitious, wicked, & peeuish purpose, sow sedition euerie where, & doe not remedie nor redresse grieuous ran­cor and cankered contention, but doe rather make the same more rough and rigorous, & as the prouerb is, Doe put oyle to the flame, and when a thing is naught, make it worse, A kinges mind may be prouo­ked to wrath.yea euen when Kings and Princes happen to be moued and prouoked, whose minde by nature being noble, stout and fierce, is more and more kind­led and inflamed with the corrupt and maliti­ous counsayle of these men. Surely there is nothing more detestable, or more to bee abhorred then these kinde of men, speci­ally when there is any businesse in hande concerning Religion, from which all corrupt and peruerse affections ought to bee vtter­ly secluded, lest by any seueritie, rygor, austeritie, and cruelty mens mindes happen rather to bee alienated and withdrawen from the zeale of godlynesse, then by lenitie, mildenesse, and clemencie to bee inuited, mooued and prouoked thereunto. For if it seeme good either to stablish the olde custome, or by taking away errours which by little and little are crepte in, to re­newe and redintegrate some thinge, and [Page 94] reduce religion vnto the first fountaine, all such things ought to be done with iudgement, discretion and good aduisement, vsing such regarde, order and meanes, that no vprore a­rise, as of late yeares it chaunced in France: In which countrey mens mindes being drawen into diuers partes, some one way, some ano­ther, Religion was begonne to bee broached, spread abroade and set foorth with force and armes, the end of which matter was wofull & lamentable. A venemous back-biter is as hurt­ful also as a priuy accuser,Backbiting must be es­chewed. who with reproches, ignominie, slaunders, diffamations, and re­proofes, worketh the ouerthrow of him that deserueth it not, & with his poysoned tongue defaceth and destroyeth him vtterly: which kinde of men Horace in these verses both re­prooueth and teacheth vs to auoyd them,

Like to this is that same admonition of Sa­lomon: Prouer. 4. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and [Page 95] let back-biting lippes be farre from thee, And a little after likewise he sayth: Prouer. 24. Keepe no company with back-biters, for their destruction shall come sodainely. The holy writers doe testifie and plainly shew in euery place,Eccles. 10. Exod. 22. Psal. 70.71.101. Ezech. 22. Iam. 4. Rom. 1. howe much this rage of detracting and madnesse of ill spea­king hath been alwayes abhorred, hated and detested of al honest, wise, and godly men, and namely of S. Augustine himselfe, inso­much that he caused these verses to be set vp in his parlour, to obiect them against back­biters, and to stop their mouthes withall,

For by this meanes hee alienated and se­gregated from his table and company, them that bee delighted with gluttony, or that loue to speake ill of men, or vse also at meate vnhonest, shamefull, and filthy commu­nication.

BEcause in mans life nothing is sure nor con­tinueth long, neither doe all thinges runne alwayes in one state, continuing euer in one order, but by a certaine enterchaunge and tur­ning of their course, sometime prosperitie & felicitie flattereth, sometime the case being altered, aduersitie pincheth and wringeth. Therefore the minde must be confirmed with such constancie,Stedfastnes and constā ­cie is com­mendable. and stablished with such e­quabilitie, indifferencie and equall condition, that thou be not insolent in prosperitie, nor cast downe or ouer come with aduersitie, but which way soeuer mans state inclineth it selfe (as sometime it is wont in a light moment) thou alwayes strengthen, assure, and support thy selfe vpon the word of God and his proui­dence,The minde must bee strengthe­ned and cō ­forted with the proui­dēce of God according to whose good pleasure wee know certainly that this world is ordered and & gouerned that al things are done & fulfilled after his wil, to the which al euents, chances, & successes, whether they be prosperous or con­trarie, ought to be referred, not vnto the incon­stācie & temerity of fortune. For, that be far frō vs, that men which are endewed with the vn­derstanding [Page 97] and knowledge of GOD,This worde (fortune) is to be aban­doned and reiected of Christians. should perswade themselues, that any thing is done by chaunce, happe, or fortune, when as indeed the chiefe cause of all things must be ascribed vnto God.

Marking of other mens matters is reprehēded.BE not a curious marker of other mens mat­ters: but rather endeuour diligently to a­mend thine owne life, then to looke narrow­ly into an other mans, or to reprehend his con­uersation. S. Paul the Apostle also doth di­ligently and earnestly giue euery man this precept,1. Cor. 5. not to haue circumspect eyes a­broad, and looke on other mens businesses, but to bee carefull, warie, and vigilant in his owne housholde affayres, and to take good heede, that nothing bee done amisse, which may worthylie bee reprooued of foreyners. But as for the thinges, matters and busines­ses of other men, which appertaine not to vs, hee woulde not haue any man to haue great regarde thereof, or carefully to looke to the same, no not if any fault bee commit­ted. For there bee some so farre wyde from the true profession of Christ,A si [...] tude of [...] sitions. that they despise holesome counsayle, and hate them which labour to bringe them to a better [Page 98] minde: euen like to some which being disea­sed and full of byles and sores in the funda­ment, doe contemne and neglect the health­full and faythfull Phisition, and had leuer cō ­tinue stil in filthie corrupt humors, then to re­ceiue a singular and soueraigne remedy. Be­cause therefore it is not alwaies a wise mans parte to be busie or to meddle in all busines­ses,Meddle not in other mens busi­nesses. nor expedient to be curious in other mens matters, this prouerbiall sentence may wel be obiected against such busi-bodies, as will haue an oare in euery boate, thus, Hee procu­reth himselfe much quietnes, which medleth not in other mens businesse. Hereupon S. Paul cal­leth backe and reduceth the Thessalonians to their owne occupations and businesses,1. Thess. 4. and suf­fereth them not to bee curious in other mens matters. But it is wonderfull to consider, how quick-witted many be in the businesses of fo­reiners,Quick eied abroad, blinde at home. how quick-sighted in examming, fear­ching, sifting, spying, and marking other mens doings, when as in the meane time they neg­lect their owne, and let their whole mind and cogitation goe a pilgrimage and runne all a­broad, but at home they are as dimme of sight as Fayrees, hobgoblins, or night-sprites, and blinder then Mooles?

Which sorte of men as Persius, so likewise also Horace doth check and sharply reprehend in these verses,

The blinde loue of a mans selfe is to be de­tested.Seeing therefore that this vice of selfe-loue doth dimme & blinden mans vnderstanding, and darken his minde so much, that many men fauour and flatter their owne vices: Christ our Sauiour doth sharply inueigh against those men which fasten their eyes vpon the life and maners of other men,Mat 7. Luc. 6. rather than vpon theyr owne, and which curiously marke a mote or a straw, that is to say, the smallest faults and of no value or importance, and doe aggrauate them exceedingly, when in the meane while, they doe not marke, perceiue, nor consider the beame, that is to say, their owne great and grieuous offences.

The mode­rate vse of things is to be respectedAS in the furnishing of feasts, frugalitie and temperaunce of fare must be regarded: so also in the apparell and attire of the body, the same moderation must bee had in such wise, that nothing bee referred vnto prodigalitie and vayne ostentation, but that all thinges tende vnto the necessitie of nature, and the vse, profite and commoditie of life: wher­unto if comely trimnesse, and neate comely­nesse, not too gay and exquisite galantnesse, bee added, I see no cause but that it is tol­lerable.Womē are desirous of fine attire. But because woman-kinde doth chiefly desire and greatly delight to bee gayly and galantly attired and decently trimmed, therby to acquire beauty & the grace of beau­tifull fayrenesse,1 Pet. 3. S. Peter the Apostle admoni­sheth matrons, not to bestow too much cost on fine rayment, nor to make themselues gay and braue to the eyes of the beholders, with frisled and broydered hayre, or gold, or pearls, or cheynes, or bracelets, but to please and de­light their husbands, and to winne their fauour and beneuolence with modest maner of appa­rell, and sober attire and arraying, without gor­giousnes or curiositie, as in olde time those ho­ly and honourable dames Rachel, Gen. 16. Sara, Rebecca [Page 101] and Susanna vsed to doe. Prodigality and ryot to be eschewedFor truly I knowe many both in our time and in our foreelders dayes, which with wearing sumptuous and costly garments, yea and the same eftsoones renewed after sundry outlandish fashions, and consequently by fine and curious furniture of dayntie dishes, haue been brought to vtter beggery and extreame pouerty, and haue been also derided of those men which prouo­ked and helped them to waste their patrimo­nie, and which also by deceipt, craftinesse, sleight, guile and fraudulent subtilty had scra­ped, catched and gotten somthing from them, insomuch that they would not bestow one farthing to relieue and succour those men in their calamitie and miserie, whome they had brought euen to the hospital or almeshouse, & extreame penury. But forasmuch as we see eue­ry where so many vnthrifts, ryotous persons, spenders and wasters of their owne substance, & greedy of other mens goods: no man ought to think it strange or marueilous, that we find in euery place so many mē in so great debt,How men come in debt. not only of the vulgar & mean sort & cōmon peo­ple, but gentlemen also, yea Courtiers, Barons & noble mē of the realm, that ride roially with notable pomp like princes, which somtime de­frauding wards & widowes, from whom they scrape all the money that can bee gotten, yet they pay no man any part of their debt, no not [Page 102] whilest they bee aliue, much lesse doe they leaue order to pay it after their decease, when in trueth they haue more then their life so ga­ged and so farre indaunger to their creditors, that immediately after they haue chaunged life, all their goods are put vnder the voyce of the Bedle or Cryer, and the creditors striue who should be first serued.

Let euery man be cō ­tent with his owne state.BE content with that state and condition which hath happened vnto thee, in this course and standing place of life, and stage of this worlde, and beare the same for the time moderately and patiently, yea what person or parte soeuer thou beare, in what place, or in what order and state soeuer thou stand. Let euery man abide in his cal­ling.S. Paul requireth the same of the Corinthians,1. Cor. 7. bring­ing in his exhortation the example of a freemā and of a seruant, of the circumcised and vncir­cumcised, of maried and vnmaryed, and ex­horteth euery one willingly and gladly to a­bide in his calling, and not for any state of life to swarue or shrinke from the true religion of Christ, after they haue once begonne to imbrace and professe the same. For godlines, [Page 103] as he teacheth Timothie, 1. Tim. 6. is plenteous & great gayne to a man that with his whole heart is content with that which is allotted vnto him. But some there be,Inconstācie is reproued. who because they are grie­ued with their condition, and weary of the state wherein they liue, doe wish to haue it chaunged, and to bee translated into another which may be more commodious and conue­nient for them: Which thing if it cannot bee obtayned according to their minde 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, vexe, disquiet or consume themselues with sorrow, but take all things mildely and quietly, and not resist, striue, grudge,God is the gouernour of all things or murmure against God the gouernor of all things, who by his sin­gular prouidence ruleth and ordereth this worlde, and prouideth very well for the main­tenance and welfare of men, not onely as Ci­cero sayth, for all vniuersally but also for eue­ry one particularly. Which thing also Dauid in many places doth inculcate and oftentimes repeate, and specially when he sayth, Psal. 33. He fa­shioneth the hearts of men euery one, he vnder­standeth all their workes. Wherfore euery man ought to bee perswaded and assured of this, that God is the gouernour of all thinges, and that euery thing is done according to his good pleasure, at his beck, and after his will, and fi­nally [Page 104] that he seeth, marketh and considere [...] of what condition, inclination and disposition euery man is, what he doth, what offence hee committeth, with what minde purpose and in­tent, with what affection, loue and zeale hee doth fauour and reuerence religion, what is expedient, necessary, conuenient, behoouefull and healthfull for euery man.

And therefore if at any time al things bee not answerable to our desires, and that we bee disappoynted of those things that we wish for, yet let euery man abide in his vocation which God hath appoynted vnto him, vntill the fa­uour and louing kindnes of our highest father doe determine otherwise concerning his e­state.4. King. 20. Esai. 38 Iusu. 10. For he chaungeth the course, he turneth and altereth the order of humane things ac­cording to the rule, power and dominion of his will. He rayseth vp the abiect and despised from the base and lowest estate of beggers,Psal. 113. and doth illustrate and make them famous & noble with dignitie, honour, and power. Hee bringeth downe the arrogant and hautie, and such as be puffed with pride,Psal. 113. and throweth them out of the throne of their felicitie. Hee maketh the barren and fruitlesse women to be fruitful, and to be ioyful mothers of many chil­dren. Wherefore let euery man quietly and gently beare and indure his calling in hope & trust to obtaine and haue a better, and let him [Page 105] leane wholly to God and rest onely in him, for vpō him chiefly & principally lieth the care of mās estate. To which effect that saying of Esai hath relation. Esai. 30. Thus saith the Lord God, euen the holy one of Israel, In silence and hope shalbe your strength and safetie. A place of Esai expoū ­ded.By which wordes he dri­ueth mistrust out of troublesome and vnquiet mindes, and exhorteth them quietly and assu­redly to looke for the help, ayde, and succour of God. For it shall come to passe that in his good time, when he thinketh & knoweth best, they shall obtayne their desire, so that they do not distrust his promises: although sometime he defer his help, yet them that long and labor to come to him, he neuer disappointeth of their affectuous hope and patient expectation. The Poet Horace, who curiously espied & marked mens doings, when he perceiued that men are as it were tossed too and fro with such incon­stancie in that maner, purpose, & trade of life which they haue once imbraced, & that there is no stedfastnes nor constancy in their minds, insomuch that euery man contemneth & dis­dayneth his owne estate, & desireth to change with another mans, the marchant, the souldier, the husband man, the lawyer: He demandeth thus,

Which afterward he prosecuteth with an ele­gant prouerb by a Metaphore taken of heard [...] of cattell,

Whereby he noteth the naturall propertie of mans inclination to be yrke of his owne estate and condition,We are yrke of our selues. and desireth that it might bee chaunged with another mans, and counteth things vnprooued better then things prooued. In another place also hee giueth a reason of this inconstancie and lightnesse, whereby the mind wauereth, by an altercatiō that arose be­twixt two, concerning the delight to dwell in the country and in the Citie. For the one prai­sed the ciuilitie, vrbanitie, courtesie, and af­fayres of the Citie; the assembly, resorte, hant, & noise of the people: the other esteemed soli­tarynesse and husbandry, and the pleasauntnes of the woods to be better. For thus they dis­pute betweene themselues,

The mind is the cause of incōstancie.Truely the Poet in my iudgement doth with good reason blame the mind & lay al the fault on the rashnesse and vnstedfastnesse thereof. For sith that mans mind is led with affections, and not with reason, and is tossed too and fro,A simili­tude of the raging Sea. euen as a ship with the rage and surges of the Sea: he is plucked and drawen euery momēt into diuers purposes, and conceiueth many kindes of variable cogitations and intents, whereby it commeth to passe, that whatsoe­uer kinde of life or purpose or trade of liuing he imbraceth, he doth not stedfastly perseuere and continue in the same, but doth eftsoones cast in his minde, deuise and purpose some o­ther thing, which hee hopeth shall bee more commodious: When as in very deede the chaunge of his state and condition cannot shake off nor remoue such perturbatiōs & af­fections, nor take away cares because it is eui­dent, that these are not incident vnto the thinges, but dwell in the mindes of men. For if either euery mans solitarinesse be chaunged into frequented company, or his pouerty bee translated and altered into wealthy plenty and abundance of all thinges, yet for all that his minde shalbe neuer a whit the more quiet, because he doth not lay away the troublesom motions of the minde, that are not obedient to reason. Such men in some respect (as Plu­tarch Plut. de trāq. animi. [Page 108] and Basil Basil de vi­ta solitaria. testifie) haue like hap as they haue which committe themselues to sayle vp­on the Ocean and huge sea, desiring to be con­ueyed and caried into some hauen, wherunto they direct their course.A simili­tude of thē that are tossed in the sea. For they are afflicted as well in a great ship as in a small barke with loathsomnes of stomack, with giddines of the head, with vomiting, so, that their disposiued and desire to vomite is not released or mitiga­ted more in the one then in the other, because choler and fleume abounding in the body, doth accompany and goe with them in both places. So likewise in chaunging the purpose, trade and manner of life, no man obtayneth tranquilitie of minde, vnlesse hee vtterly aban­don his affections, and rule all his dooinges with reason. To which end and effect that say­ing of Seneca agreeth very well. Sen. ad Lu­cil. Epist. 1. Me think it is a speciall token of a quiet and moderate minde, when a man can bee constant and continue with himselfe. Wherefore, ô Lucilius, I am glad, saith he, that thou doest not runne here and there or wander abroad. For he that is euery where, is no where. Therefore it auaileth not to go beyond sea, or to chaunge the Cities, or to seeke one while for this abiding place, an other while for that. If thou wilt shunne these things that so vrge and molest thee, thou must not bee in another place, but must bee another man, that is, order, stay, and quiet thy minde, [Page 109] cast off corrupt and naughty affections, mo­derate all thy doings, delights and desires with reason, aduisement, counsaile, and wisedome. For as he truely sayth,

But against such tumultuous & troublous affe­ctions, which do so draw the mind into diuers desires, & pluck it into so many variable pur­poses, that in a light moment it retireth from an enterprise determined and begonne, wee must constantly fight, and continually with­stand them with the worde of God, and the holesome and healthfull doctrine thereof.What sta­blisheth the minde. For this sworde of the spirite causeth the minde, which strayeth here and there, and wandereth all abroad, to bee stable, firme and stedfast, and to be content with his owne lot, state and condition, so that he neither forsake, contemne nor disdaine the same, nor ambitiously & gree­dily couet and gape for another mans calling.

FLie from the fellowship and sodalitie of lewd and naughty persons, euen as from the pestilence.Sen. lib. 3. de ira. For manners and conditions, as Se­neca saith plainly, are taken by the cōuersation [Page 110] and company. Keep com­pany with them that be honest.And euen as infectious [...] contagious sicknesses are brought into the bodie, so vices by wordes enter into the hea [...] & contaminate the mind. So that the cleered holesom ayre is not so profitable for health, [...] it is for weak, feeble & wauering minds to be conuersant & keepe company with vertuo [...], good, & honest men. The cruell, sauage, fierce, & wilde beasts are a documēt & example vn­to vs, for they by mens frequēted & hanted cō ­pany do waxe meek & gētle, & become tame. And as it is the condition of honesty and good behauiour to indue the louers and followers thereof with vertue, and to adorne them with honest and vncorrupt maners: so is it also the propertie of vngraciousnesse, vnthriftinesse, and naughtinesse, to depraue, pollute and co­inquinate with vices them that bee delighted therewith.1. Cor. 15. Therefore the Apostle S. Paul, lest any man should happen to be withdrawne frō the truth, from the hope of saluation, from the trust to obtayne immortalitie, from inte­gritie and honestie of conuersation, hee studi­ously & diligently admonisheth the louers of godlinesse, not to conceiue such an opinion in their minde, to perswade themselues that no parte of man remayneth after death, but that this whole workmanship perisheth vtter­ly, and commeth to naught euen as brute and dumbe beasts. Which error the vngodly and [Page 111] such as bee far from God, doe earnestly incul­cate into the eares of vnwise and vncircum­spect men, and with that pernitious heresie, sect and opinion, doe turne away their waue­ring and inconstant mindes from holesome doctrine, from a thing certain and sure, wherof there should or can be no doubt. For this cause the Apostle by al means possible withdraweth Christians from the conuersation of those mē,Wicked & lewd per­sons to be auoyded. which by their fradulent and deceiptfull do­ctrine seeke to intrappe and intangle in an er­ror imprudent and heedlesse men. For with Menander his little sixe foote verse thus hee doth illustrate his exhortation: Euill communi­cation corrupteth good conuersation.

VVHen as wee heare that our Sauiour Christ Iesus reprehendeth and reproo­ueth ydle wordes,Mat. 12. that is to say, vnfruitful, vn­profitable, superfluous, friuolous, vainly prat­led and foolishly babled words, and such as are vttered without any profite either of the hea­rer or of the speaker, so that he shall giue and render accompt of them in the day of iudge­ment: how much more, as S. Paul saith, ought we to detest filthy and scoffing talke,Ephes. 5. vncomly [Page 112] iesting, vnhonest mirth, vndecent and vns [...] ­ly vrbanitie or pleasantnesse of speech, which doe greatly hurt the integritie of behauiour [...] finally biting taunts,Scoffing talke is to be eschewed nipping quippes, bi [...]er floutes and mockes, which because they leaue in the minde a grieuous remenbraunce there­of, and fixe a sharpe impression therein, like waspes which flying away fasten their stings, and minister nourishment and occasion of ha­tred both open and couert, insomuch that at length by heaping vp words redounding frō one to another, & interlacing their debate with figuratiue and crooked taunts, cast like dartes one at another too and fro, the matter com­meth to a bloody fight, & by the instigation of som persōs stirreth vp bitter hatred & rancor, and vnappeasable wrath & indignation, which being conceiued deeply in the minde and im­pressed obstinately in the heart, are rubbed vp and exasperate againe euen then most of all, when as they seemed to haue been blot­ted and rased out, extinct, and vtterly forgot­ten. Backbiting taunts and quips to be eschewed.Moreouer, discord, dissention, and the fu­rious rage of cursed speaking and brauling do displease the Apostle S. Paul exceedingly, and therefore hee giueth warning to the Galathi­ansGal 5. to abstayne from those soule, cancred and horrible affections, and not to suffer any bitter, spiteful, and venemous biting contumelies, nor any reprochfull wordes or delight in back­biting [Page 113] to grow to malice & rancor amongst thē: lest when one biteth, quippeth, taunteth, reprocheth, angreth and vexeth another, one doe consume and rent another in pieces like wilde beasts. Grudges & priuie ha­tred to be eschewed.The very same admonition gi­ueth he also to the Corinthians,1. Cor. 1. whom hee lo­uingly inuiteth and induceth vnto mutual con­cord by the name of our God and Lord Iesus Christ, and exhorteth them not to disagree amōg themselues with hatred and malice, but to haue concord & to agree together, & to be of one mind and one meaning. S. Paul taketh this example of Christ,Iohn. 15. who so oft & so many waies doth inculcate into the minds of his dis­ciples mutual loue & charitie, which only is the bond of perfection, and the onely lawe and summe of many lawes. For there is no need of the spurs and stimulations of lawes,Colos. 3. Ephes. 4. when be­neuolence is readily, willingly and gladly she­wed, and entire & ardent charity towards his neigbour, euē such as spareth neither himselfe nor his substāce to do his neighbour good. But because lamentable tragedies & grieuous tu­mults do cōmonly rise of the incontinencie & vnrulines of the toung, specially whē one doth as it were spit & spew out the poison of his bit­ter gall: therfore S. Paul with holsom admoni­tiō instructeth the Colossians, & by the way sheweth thē, what moderation must be vsed in words, Colos. 4. Let your speech with al grace be wel sauored, & [Page 114] decently powdered with salt, that ye may mark [...] and know how ye ought to answere euery man, that is to say, The tongue must be bridled.Let not your talke runne too much at large, or out of measure in mirth or iesting, lest it turne to wantonnes; neither let it be seuere, sharpe, eagre, or full of bitternes, lest it offend, driue away or alienate the hearers. An holsom exhortation of S. Paul. 1. Tim. 3. Let all your communication tast of the grace, comlinesse and delectablenes of humanity, and bee seasoned with the salt of wisdome. For this cause also hee re­quireth meeknesse, mildnesse, gentlenesse, and lenitie in Bishops and ministers of the Church,Tit. 1. neither doth hee permit that subiects be rebu­ked rigorously or handled too sharpely. S. Paul would haue vs to ob­serue come­lines in all things.Now therfore because S. Paul in euery action of life, in words and deeds exacteth, confirmeth and measureth euery thing according to the per­fect rule of comelines & honesty, and for that the intemperancy of the tongue, besides back­biting, cursed & euil speaking, besides priuie, craftie and false accusation, and open reproch­full and rebukefull railing, which are the enor­mities thereof, doth also infect and staine syn­cere and pure mindes with dishonesty of talke and filthynes of words: therefore, I say, he la­boureth to extirpate and pluck these vices also out of mens 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 cōmunication proceed out of your mouth, but such [Page 115] as is good vnto edification, as oft as need is, that it may giue grace vnto the hearers, that is to say, that it may instruct the hearers, that it may bring and minister some fruit & profite vnto them. One vice springeth and grow­eth of ano­ther.And forasmuch as all vices are tyed and linked together, & one springeth vp & grow­eth of another, to the end that no maner euill should rest or remain in mēs harts, he saith, Beneuolēce of one to­wards ano­ther is to be maintained Let all bitternes, swelling, wrath, hatred, roaring, cur­sed speaking, be put away frō you withal malicious­nes. Be ye courteous one to another, mercifull, for­giuing one another, euen as GOD for Christ his sake hath forgiuen you. The same admonition also doth he inculcate to the Romans at large, teaching them these precepts, namely: Rom. 12. That loue must be vnfayned, That they must hate that which is euil, That by brotherly charity they must be ready and prone to loue one another, That in giuing honour they go one before another, that is, one to excell an other in ministring helpe and succour:2. Cor. 8. Heb. 12. & accomplishing the dutie of louing kindnes, To applie themselues to the time, To support and exhilarate themselues with hope, To speake well of those which persecute them, not to curse or banne them, To be like affectioned and of like minde one towards another, Not to think ar­rogantly of themselues, Not to requite euill for e­uill, To giue place vnto wrath, Not to reuenge themselues, With benefites louingly, heartily & franckly bestowed, to ouerwhelme and lade the e­nemie, [Page 116] and inflame him thereby to shew like loue againe. Deut. 32.For indeede this is to burne the aduer­sary, and to heape coles of fire vpon his head. Wherefore amongst other documents,Prouer. 25. which he reciteth at large, hee reckoneth and comp­teth it to be meete and decent, that euery man exercise all the dueties of humanitie towards all men, and be ready to benefite euery one. For,Cic. lib. 1. Offic. as Cicero sayth, affabilitie and courtesie of speech winneth one man to another, and cour­teous gentlenes,In the due­ties of hu­manitie let Christians labour to excel one anther. and the indeuour to deserue well of men getteth sure, permanent and long continuing friendship. And if mutuall loue be thus nourished and by this meanes stablished among the heathen, how much more ought the same to be entire, vnfained, stedfast, and ar­dent in them which are vnited and knit toge­ther in the league, aliāce, & couenāt of Christ?

LEarne to vtter and speak the truth alwaies. For to lie, to speak doubtfully, intricately, confusedly, stammeringly, faynedly, and to turne back & shrink from the truth, is a seruile guise and not decent nor comely for a freeman or one well brought vp in honest and good discipline. Therefore the Apostle S. Paule [Page 117] grauely & seuerely giueth this excellēt exhor­tation, Philip. 4. An holsom exhortatiō of S. Paul. Whatsoeuer things are true, whatsoeuer things are comly & honest, whatsoeuer things are iust & agreeable vnto equity, whatsoeuer things are pure & syncere, whatsoeuer things are cōueni­ent to maintain concord, whatsoeuer things are of good and honest report, that is, do win commen­dable fame and estimation, if there be any ver­tue, and if there be any prayse, that is to say, if there be any thing ioined with vertue & praise worthie: haue those same thinges in your minde, that is, let those things be your only delight, imprint and keepe surely those thinges conti­nually in your hearts, let those thinges bee al­wayes fixed before your eyes, let those things be deeply fastned & grounded in your minds, and endeuour with all your power to attaine those things and to expresse them in your life and conuersation: And the God of peace shalbe with you. For truly as the same Apostle saith, Rom. 8. Al things are an help for good vnto thē that loue God, that is to say, haue happy & prosperous succes.

The perswasion of be­ing learned is to be abo­lished out of the mindCOnsidering that the opiniō of learning cō ­ceiued sooner thē it ought to be, doth not a little harm to studies, and hindreth the pro­gres therof: this thing oughtst thou to beware [Page 118] of principally, that neither in the studies of learning nor in any other arte which thou in­tendest perfectly to learne, thou suffer such perswasion to enter into thy minde, to thinke that thou hast attayned to those things, from which thou art far off, & wherof thou hast nei­ther knowledge, proofe, nor experience, inas­much as thou hast not thorowly searched nor sought out the same. For there be many louers of thēselues, which stand highly in their owne conceit, which reioyce and glory, and flatter themselues concerning their owne learning, & think they lack no part of the perfectiō either of learning or of godlines, & that they are com to the mark, whē as indeed they are scarsely in the half or midway: And this is the cause, that so many excellēt wits ordained & appoynted vnto famous & most worthy exploytes, do ne­uer come to the top of perfection. Which whē Fabius did well perceiue,Fab lib. 1. cap. 2. he required this prin­cipally of the professors of sciences that either they be learned indeede, or else acknowledge themselues not to be so. For there is nothing worse then for men to presume vpon a false perswasion of learning, when they haue pro­ceeded but a little further then the first prin­ciples thereof. For such doe not onely disdaine to giue place to them that are able to teach & skilful to instruct, but also with great pride & presumptuousnes, do boldly impart their igno­raunce [Page 119] Vnskilfull Schoolma­sters.and inculcate their vnskilfulnes vnto o­thers, chalēging vnto themselues such ability, with which this kinde of men is puffed vp in arrogancie. Vnlearned preachers.There be some also in these dayes which do impudently presume to the office of preaching, when as in deede they be not ex­ercised nor trayned in this holy colluctation or wrastling, nor furnished with efficacie of vtte­raunce, nor indued with knowledge of things, nor adorned with the vnderstanding of the sa­cred scriptures. Whereby it commeth to passe that the desirous & hungry hearers are not re­freshed with any foode of holesome doctrine, nor conceiue any comfort of the word of God, nor any nourishment of the soule, but receiue into their mindes onely meere trifles and olde wiues superstitiōs. Vnskilfull Phisitions.Amongst these men of this order I may rightly reckon those, which be­ing neither stablished with good aduisement and consideration, nor confirmed with expe­rience, do take vpon them the difficult and la­borious enterprise of curing, healing, & doing the part of a Phisition, and do practise the arte of Phisick, to the great dammage & detriment of people, and the ieopardy and losse of their health. The opiniō of learning and know­ledge to be abolished.Seeing therefore such vaine perswasion of learning with the glorious and proud boa­sting therof, doth so much indammage & hin­der fruitfull wits: studious men which doe af­fectate & greatly desire sound, sure, & perfect [Page 120] learning, must endeuour by all means possible vsing al means, helps, and furtherāces of their studies, to attain soone & speedily vnto princi­pall perfection, abolishing & reiecting al opi­niō of learning already acquired, so that if they haue profited & proceeded to some purpose, yet not to leaue off or recoyle frō so good an enterprise, but still to goe forward, vntill they haue attained to the mark, & haue run out their prefixed race, & win the garlād, prise & praise, or obtaine the next place therunto. Let neuer that foolish opinion so pernitious vnto noble wits be cōceiued in thy mind or rest in thy hart, to think that thou hast fulfilled & fully accom­plished the industry & labor of learning, when as yet thou art but at the threshold, & staiest in the first entry & porch of learning, nor to ima­gine that thou hast attained to those things, wherunto thou hast not reached by far, but ar [...] a great way frō thē. For such perswasion wor­keth this in mēs minds, that they loiter long be­fore they come to the mark, & becom slack & negligēt in al their doings, & go not forward, euē like to slothful & sluggish felowes which whē they run in a race, do not lustily & speedi­ly make hast to win the prise and rewarde of victorie, but eftsoones stay and stand still [...] while looking back, & suffer the garland to be intercepted from them, to their great shame & reproch: Herein we ought to follow the exam­ple of S. Paul, who in the function of his Apo­stleship, [Page 121] & percelebrating & publishing of the doctrine of the Gospel, wherein the saluation of all men doth consist, Phil. 3. A place of S. Paule ex­planated.he confesseth indeede freely, that he hath not gottē that which he la­bored to attain vnto, but without any delay or stay, he manfully performeth and finisheth his course, & with al his endeuour, labor & power he preaseth according to the mark appointed, to the reward of the high calling, that is, to the beatitude & felicitie which is ordained of God for euery man by Christ, so that he forgetteth all those things which were cast behinde him, and which he seemeth alreadie to haue fulfil­led and finished, neither doth he call them in­to remembrance at all: but couragiously, chearefully, gladly, and with his whole force and might, applieth and employeth himselfe vnto those things which are before, and re­maine yet to be accomplished, reiecting and not regarding all those things, which might hinder him hastening to the prefixed marke and reward of immortalitie. Hereunto be­longeth that sermon of Christ, Luk. 9. The hole­some and healthfull sermon of Christ. No man that putteth his hand to the plough, and looketh backe, is apt for the kingdome of God. By which simi­litude deriued of the industrie of plowing and tilling the ground, he admonisheth his faith­full followers, that in the businesse and worke of saluation looke what euery man hath at­tempted and once taken in hand, he must per­sist [Page 122] and go forward in the same, vntill he haue atchieued to perfection and consummation thereof, and not turne aside his minde vnto transitorie and momentanie things, or retyne from his enterprise, or be drawne some other way from his purpose: but to accomplish and finish that thing which he hath well begonne. For slacknesse, procrastination, or delay in an holesome & earnest matter, and vnlustie and slowe going forward in a good businesse be­gon,1. Cor. 9. is not a little hurtful. Saint Paule also wil­leth that a man, which is prepared and made readie for such a iourney, should not haue his course hindered, or his way stopped by any meanes, taking an example of them which in a publique and common game of wrastling, combat,A simili­tude of champions. or conflict, or bickering in the sight of the people, doe feruently couet and striue to get the reward, wherein euery one of them is readie to doe and suffer all that he can,Virg. lib. 5. Aeneid. and to aduenture his life for the acquiring of com­mendation, so that he may winne the prise and praise, and the exaltation and reioysing of the people. Horace being indeede an heathen Poet, but yet a very good nurturer and infor­mer of maners, when he considered how great dāmage and detriment men sustaine by slack­ing, loytering,Horat. lib. 1 Epistol. 2. Ad Lollium and lingering their businesses, he taketh an example of an ignominious and shamefull act, and applieth the same to exhort [Page 123] men to healthfull, fruitfull and profitable things,

Ouid expresseth the same sentence and meaning thereof.

Christ our Sauiour vseth the same argu­ment,Mat. 24. and therewith whetteth and quickneth our industrie, and pricketh forward and pro­uoketh euery man to watch,Luc. 12. by producing a parable of the euill, vniust, and vnfaithfull stewards, bayliffes, ouerseers and rulers of the [Page 124] houshold, of theeues and housebreakers in the night. For as they are very diligent in the ac­quiring of their commodities, and seeke any occasion to scrape something together, to steale something away priuilie, and robbe o­ther men of their goods: so is it meet, behoue­able and expedient that euery man be carefull of his saluation, and let no commoditie passe, nor oportunitie slip, whereby and wherein he may in due time and conuenient season, pro­uide and get those things which are necessarie for his saluation, and shall be profitable and good for his soule and mind.

DO not vnaduisedly admit & receiue euery man into familiaritie without any choyse and difference, but those only whose vertue is well knowne, and honestie of life well appro­ued. A good precept hereof is that prouerbe, viz. Haue a cer­taine choise of friends. A prouerbe taken of daunces. Lay not thine hand vpon euery man, deri­uing a similitude of daunces & the fashion & maner of dauncings. For young men when they goe to daunce, doe not reach forth their hands to euery mate, but they vse a certaine discretion and kind of chosing either of the [Page 125] vulgar, common and meaner sort, or of Sena­tours daughters which be of honorable estate and noble degree: which thing also must prin­cipally be obserued in the societie of life, get­ting of amitie, and contracting of friendship. For there be some, which because they want experience in humane estate, cannot discerne pure or vncorrupt friends from such as be feig­ned, coloured, & counterfeit: but without any difference, doe admit into their faithfull and trustie familiaritie those whom they haue nei­ther wel knowne nor tried, euen such as after­wards they finde to be sycophants, talecariers, and craftie deceiuers. Wherefore as it becom­meth thee to shew thy selfe faithfull & trustie toward all men: Euery man is not to be trusted.so to trust no man imprudent­ly and rashly, vnles, as the common saying is, thou haue eaten a bushell of salt with him, that is, vnles thou haue had long acquaintance and conuersation with him, and haue well knowne and throughly tried his behauiour and dispo­sition. Whereunto belongeth that saying of the wise Hebrew. Eccles. 8. Commit not thy counsaile to a stranger, for thou knowest not what may come thereof: that is, what monster, what wonder­full and merueilous thing he keepeth in his bosome. Open not thy minde to euery man, lest peraduenture he be vnthankful vnto thee, and so deceiue thee, and afterward bring re­proach vpō thee. For the lightnesse, disloyaltie, [Page 126] and inconstancie of men is the cause, that the leagues of amitie doe not last nor continue long,Friendship ought to be immortall. and for this cause many are minded so to vse their friends, as if in time to come they should become their foes: And againe, so to practise malice and hatred against their ene­mies and foes, as though in conuenient time their enmitie should be abolished and put a­way, and they receiued againe into fauour and faithfull societie of life. So the Poet Mar­tial maketh men afraid to tye themselues very strictly in the bond of familiaritie,

Let enmity be mortall.Notwithstanding the sentence and opinion of those men is not dissonant from reason, nor repugnant to humane nature, which thinke that malice, hatred and enmitie ought to be mortall, but friendship and amitie, which consisteth of a certaine faithfull societie and trustie participation of mens minds, and the consent and agreement of their wils and pur­poses, ought to be perpetuall and euerlasting. For they which rashly let the bondes of amity & friendship be dissolued, cannot escape the crime of lightnes and inconstancie. Therfore Cicero thinketh it best,Cic. lib. offic. 2. that such friendship as a man liketh not, be ripped a sunder by little [Page 127] and little leisurely, and not cut off violently.

In suretie­ship is dan­ger and dammage.BEware that thou doe not hastilie and vnad­uisedly offer thy selfe to bee surety for e­uery man. Because immediatly after surety­ship followeth harme and losse euen at hand. For he that vndertaketh, promiseth, and ga­geth his credit for another man, putteth him­selfe in daunger: Because if the other man fayle, the surety abideth the punishment and smarte thereof, and must pay and performe that which he hath promised for another. For this cause Salomon hauing great experience of humane affayres, doth put his sonne in feare of readinesse and alacritie vnto suretiship, Salomon putteth mē in feare of suretiship. Prouer. 6. My sonne, sayth he, if thou bee surety for thy neigh­bour, and hast fastned thy hand with a straunger, thou art snared, bound and intangled with the wordes of thy lips, & taken with thine own speech: Wherfore make speed possible to be discharged & deliuered out of the hand of thy neighbour. But yet this precept ought not to be obserued with too much hardnes of heart, because often­times in very vrgent causes we ought to plea­sure our friends, and to gratifie them to whom we are bound by the lawes of nature, and to [Page 128] lay downe our credite and wealth, yea and sometime our life also for them, yet for all that so, that none of them in his cause decline or swarue from right and equitie, nor commit a­ny thing that is contrarie to honestie, as the prouerbe teacheth vs,How farre friendship is to be shewed. which is, Thou must do as thy friends desire thee, but euen to the al­tars, that is to say, thou must not passe nor transgresse the lawes of religion: for it is not lawfull for a man to doe his friend a good turne, or followe his fantasie, with the hurt of conscience or losse of pietie.

A flatterer is pernici­ous.FOrasmuch as flatterie and the cunning, or rather craftinesse of adulation doth easilie deceiue a simple & plaine meaning man with a certaine pleasant allurement of words, com­posed very subtilly and artificially: I would aduertise thee not to giue eare to a flatterer, nor suffer thy selfe to be besmeared and plea­santly delighted with his fayre speaches and delectable entisements. The diffe­rence of a friend and a flatterer.And by these markes thou maiest discerne a sincere and faithfull friend from a naughtie and feigned flatterer. For the one freely and grauely admonisheth him of his dutie, whose good and godly estate he desireth to continue, which Salomon ac­compteth [Page 129] to be the chiefest part of friend­ship: The other flattereth and fauneth craftily and subtilly, commendeth euery thing, reioy­seth at the errors and faults of the hearer, and altogether delighteth his hearing, & frameth and applieth the flattering and faire plea­santnesse of his words,Esa. 30. not onely agreeable to his will, but also euen according to his becke and countenance. Gnatho who first in­stituted parasiticall discipline, as wee reade in Terence, doth expresse and describe this sort of men so plainlie, as if it were in a liuely picture, and sheweth in these verses how he is wont to binde and winne mens hearts vn­to him:

Wherefore seeing that fayre flattering speach is detestable and odious to all men: al­though thy substance be slender & thy goods small, yet neuer shewe thy selfe a parasite, a smelfeast, a disciple or follower of Gnatho: ne­uer goe about to flatter any man by vphol­ding or soothing his tale.The vnsure friendship that flatte­rers get. Such tickling of mens cares getteth fauour indeede of some men, but that fauour vanisheth away soone and continueth not long. Great gayne and aduantage sometime is gotten thereby, but it is infamous and ignominious, and coupled with shame and reproach; and in the end hurt­full to the craftsman and author thereof, when the deceit and coloured craft thereof is detec­ted: so that no honest gentleman, and liberal­ly brought vp, can abide to haue this note of infamie and reproach imputed vnto him. There be also certaine old craftie knaues and chaungeable fellowes in their words & deeds,An old, craftie and naughtie craft. next cousins to flatterers, which by wylie sub­tiltie and craftinesse are marueilous cunning in deceitfull arguments and fraudulent falla­cies [Page 131] to circumuent and deceiue simple and plaine meaning men, and they gape for their goods and wiues, euen like vnto Hyaenae, Subtile and deceitfull ciuilitie. which is a kind of wild beast that counterfaiteth the voice of men, and so entiseth them out of their houses, and destroyeth them, and like vnto Crocodiles, being fayre speakers to the out­warde apparance and at the first sight, but they are such as afterwards do endammage a man, and craftily attempt and worke his vtter destruction. Some there bee of this sort who indeede are subtile and craftie, but they are marueilous officious, seruiceable and diligent, and readie at euery becke vnto all obedience and obeysance, which for that purpose and in­tent doe insinuate themselues and creepe in­to the familiaritie, friendship and societie of some men, to the end they may scrape, catch, steale and pilfer some thing from them. For these fellowes seeking and getting opportu­nitie by all meanes possible, haue eyes and hands readie bent, and diligent to gather by stealth, packe and conueigh away something sleightly. And therefore thou mayest not vn­aduisedly trust euery man, vnlesse thou haue some speciall tryall and proofe of his loyaltie and honestie.

In what things hap­pinesse of life consi­steth.AMongst many documents deliuered vnto vs of learned and eloquent men, exhor­ting vs to liue well and in happinesse, the Poet Martial specially hath briefly comprehen­ded certaine precepts agreeable vnto hone­stie, whereby as it were poynting with the finger he plainly sheweth, how a man may leade his life commodiously and conuenient­ly, and haue good regarde not onely to the health of the bodie, but also to the tranquil­litie of the mind: which he prosecuteth thus:

If thou canst not obtaine these commodi­ties of life altogether as thou wishest and ac­cording to thy desire: yet hast thou no cause, neither is it meete for thee to macerate or an­noy thee with griefe, or consume and destroy thy selfe with sorrow, but referre all things to the will of God and his prouidence,Gods pro­uidence go­uerneth things. which is the onely ruler and gouernour of humane e­state: which thing Dauid also vsed alwaies to doe in those things which were wont to hap­pen vnto him,The godly doe not ac­knowledge fortune. whether they were prosperous or otherwise, he committeth and submitteth all the same to his power, without any respect of chaunce or fortune. And so when he attri­buteth all the course and race of his life vnto him, he saith, Psal. 31. My time is in thy hand that is to say, All things runne and passe their course, euen as it pleaseth thee, & as it seemeth good in thy sight.

BEcause humane nature cannot abide still and cōtinue, vnlesse it eftsoones or incon­tinently after take breath agayne and pause a while, and be renewed with some refreshing: therefore some relaxation, or recreation, or loosing agayne from labour must be graunted and giuen thereunto, to cherish it withall, lest the strength of the bodie waxe feeble, and the liuely quicknesse of the mind be debilitated and weakened, and ouerthrowne with too much businesse and immoderate labour.Rest from labour is good. And as quiet and conuenient sleepe doth recreate and refresh the members that be wearied and attenuated with labour & trauaile: so also the relaxation & intermissiion of vigilant studies and industrious contemplation doth comfort & redintegrate the mind being wearied with intentiue meditation, or the laborious ioyle of nightworks, & restoreth the spirits that be exhausted & lulled on sleepe with drousnesse. Men of old time, whensoeuer they might rest themselues,The delec­t [...]ble recrea­tion of hus­bandrie. or had leisure from the functions of the Commonwealth and forren affayres, recreated and delighted themselues with the pleasantnes of husbandrie, & reaped no lesse [Page 135] profite then 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 Farmes and Manours separated from con­course of people, they got gayn & aduantage both very iust and very plentious of their fruit­full and well tilled soyle, by their goodly har­uest, and yerely increase & reuenew. For pro­fite ioyned with honestie and righteousnesse cannot be reprehended of any man. And in­deed among all things, as Cicero saith,Cic. lib. 1. Offic. wherof some good is gottē, there is none better, none more plentious, none more seemely for a free man, then husbandry. Insomuch that Hesiodus iudged and deemed nothing to be so royall & magnificke, as to till the ground, and to be ex­ercised & occupied in the facultie of countrey mans life. For which cause the Romanes in old time forsaking the citie being wearie of it, like men deliuered out of imprisonmēt, vsed to go & solace themselues in the coūtrey. For in this kind of life many things come in hand, where­with a man may be delighted & recreated, be­cause they happen euery one in his ordinarie time, turne, & course. For one while time and occasion serueth to prune, cleanse and cut trees: another while the fayre, milde sweete spring time entiseth and allureth men, to [Page 136] The hus­bandma [...] is neuer idle. graft impes or young settes and slips in ano­ther tree: sometime the season requireth to dresse vineyards, and to ioyne the high pop­lar trees with the well growne stocke and broadspred branches of the vine,Horat. in Od.

Many kinds of exercises. For hawking and hunting is a healthfull ex­ercise, and conuenient for a young mans bo­die that is of full age, and not vtterly to be dis­praised, so that a man be not too much giuen thereunto, and employ all his labour and tra­uaile in chasing renting, and tearing of wilde beasts, and in the meane time neglect his ear­nest businesses & gouernance of his houshold. But to delight and recreate a mans selfe with tables of Geographie or description of the earth, and within the limits of his studie to goe through the whole circuite of the world stretching farre and wide, & to measure with his eyes and a paire of compasses, regions that be farre distant one from another, rather then in bodie with great daunger and losse of his goods to trauaile abroad, & iourney through many straunge countries, not without great ieopardy, this contemplation, I say, doth mar­ueylously [Page 137] refresh the minde. A picture delight [...] and recrea­teth the eiesAmongst the Chartes or descriptions Cosmographicall I make accōpt of those pictures which be made with great cunning & arte, & liuely expressed, which bee either adorned with colours, or which haue their portraiture of one colour, that is to say, naked and bare, & not portrayed with any varietie of painting or colouring, which delight the eies with no vain spectacle, specially if it be done or beholdē without su­perstitiō, & they minister som documēts vnto vertue & pietie, as those be which contain the sacred & holy histories. For that cause a Poesie or a Poets work is of thē in olde time proper­ly called a dumb picture. But indeed a Poeme is a speaking & a liuely & not a dumb picture. Musick re­fresheth the minde.Moreouer, the recreatiō & delight of musick is honest and principally pleasant, wherwith the mind, when it languisheth or faynteth, is very much cōforted, quickned, & reuiued. For Mu­sick with her harmony, good concordance, & instrumēts which sound tunably, doth not on­ly delight the eares with sweetnes of the soūds, but also by the same melodious noise piercing and passing throughout all the arteries and pipes of the body, stirreth vp and quickneth the spirites both vital and animall, and disper­sing the darke dimnesse and mistie dulnesse of the mind, maketh the vnderstanding liuely, cheereful and actiue. This was the cause that [Page 138] Pythagoras vsed,Fab. lib. 1. cap. 7. as soone as he was awaked, to moue and stir vp his mind with a harpe, to the end it might be the more prone & ready to fulfill such functions, and accomplish such publique dueties, as the day required: And when he went to sleepe, he was wont to mit­tigate his minde againe 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 voyces and musical strings, and he that was vnskilfull of that arte, was accomp­ted the lesse learned. So in the old world they were wont at their royall tables to haue the famous facts & excellent acts of noble and re­nowmed personages,Louers of musick in old time. & such as were honored like Gods, sweetly sung vpō the harp. For thus Virgil writeth,

The He­brues refu­sed not the pleasant re­creation & delight of musick.And besides other monuments the history of Dauid sheweth plainly, that the Hebrues also had the vse and benefite 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 hymnes and Psalmes to the harpe,1. King. 16. Dauid ho­noureth God with instrumēts of musick. and with his sweete melodiously sounding harpe to mitigate and asswage the furious minde of Saul, when hee was vexed of the ill spirit, and troubled with melancholie, and so to bring the king to a better reformed and more quiet mind. Also the prophet Heli­saeus being angred and molested with the im­portunate calling of kings,4. King. 3. Helisaeus is delighted with mu­sick. desired that a min­strell should bee brought vnto him, by whose harmonie and musicall melodie hee appea­sed his minde, and so when all perturbati­ons and disquietnesse was driuen away, & the troublous motions and passions brought to rest, hee being inspired with the Spirit of God, beginneth to prophesie, and to foreshewe to the three kinges those thinges which should come to passe. The holy Bible sheweth plainly euery where, that musick was wont to [Page 140] bee vsed also at feasts. For the wise man taking a similitude of pearles garnished with golde, saith thus, Eccle. 32. Similitudes of musick & pearles. Like as the Carbuncle stone shineth that is set in golde: so doth musick and melodie with moderate drinking of wine adorne the feast. He sayth moreouer, Like as the Smaragde, the greenenesse whereof is very bright and insa­tiable, commonly called Amarant, commen­deth the golde so is the sweete symphonie of fin­gers in a mery feast. But lest any man consume too much time, or bee occupied in such enti­sing delights and allurements more then is conuenient: he sheweth among his good pre­cepts, what ought to be more esteemed and regarded, then this delectable recreation, with these words, Eccle. 40. Esai repro­ueth great wine drin­kers. Wine and minstrilsie reioyce the minde and heart, but the loue of wisdome more then they both. Esai indeede reprooueth wine bibbers, and such as are continually giuen to banquetting, and delight themselues sweetly and pleasantly with musicall instruments, but it is because they haue so great minde of their owne pleasures, that they haue no respect of the Creator, nor be thankfull to God, from whose bountifulnesse all things doe flow, for a­ny of those things which they in their welfare doe plenteously and abundantly enioy. For thus he threatneth them. Esai. 5. Woe to you that rise early to follow drunkennes, and to quaffe so vntill the euening, that ye are set on fire with wine. The [Page 142] harpe, lute, timbrell, and pipe is at your feaste: & ye regarde not the worke of the Lord, neither do ye consider the workes of his hands, that is to say, ye haue not your eyes and your minde erected and lifted vp vnto him, from whose goodnes, benignitie, and liberalitie these things do pro­ceede. The Prophet Amos in effect hath the like wordes, who with these kind of threat­nings doth as it were pluck by the eares, and sharply rebuke them that liue lasciuiously, wantonly, and ryotously. Amos rebuketh drun­kards and wine bib­bers. Amos. 6. Woe to you which are wealthy in Sion, which go pompously, which lie in yuory beds, & play the wantōs on your couches, which sing to the sound of the psalterie, and drink wine in goblets, and are annointed with the best oyntmēt, but none of you is moued to haue cōpassi­on on the calamitie of your poore brethren, or is sory for the misery of the afflicted, ye haue no re­gard nor respect of the needy, nor exhibite thanke­fulnesse to God for so great benefites. Therefore the pleasant delight of musick, and therewithal the moderate vse of wine and good cheere, by which the drowsie, dull, and faynt spirits are quickned, cōforted & reuiued, by which me­lācholike fumes are dispersed, is blamelesse, & deserueth not to be reprehended of any sowre, sad and vnpleasant Stoick, vnlesse by the abuse and vnmeasurable cōtinuance of these things men waxe forgetfull of the due seruice and worship of God, and of their owne saluation. [Page 142] Exercise lesse labo­rious.Amongst exercises that be milde, soft and gē ­tle, and lesse troublous or laborious, cariages are reckoned which bee done either on horse back or in a wagon, or in a shippe also, and walkings abroad in the open aire, which a man may haue in garden alleys, and in vineyards that be spread and stretched in great length,The pleasātnes of gar­dens refre­sheth the minde. running on frames and ioyned together throughout, so that vnder such a fayre greene vault and chamberlike roufe of flourishing vine leaues, is as holesome walking as in the o­pen pleasant field. And when a man walketh, if he happen to waxe weary, well dressed and trimmed gardens are not without prety seats made in finely wrought arbours, & vmbrages or shadowing places,To take the coole shade in summer. vnder which a man may take the coole shade, and shield himselfe from heate. But when a man is disposed to walke in the Sunne-shine, and to take the free and open ayre,To walk in the Sun­shine in winter is very pleasāt. he may conueniently doe it in the wide open field or in some eminent and high place. But amongst moderate and hole­some exercises, as cleere and lowde reading and the vse of declaiming is conueniēt and be­seeming for studious and politique men:Exercise meate for students. so for them which bee mightie and stronge, wrastling, the vse of crosse-bowes and the little ball commended of Galen in a booke thereof set foorth, the conflict or game of sword players and of running with horses, [Page 143] whereby naturall heat increaseth, and the bo­dy getteth strength, the blood passing and hauing recourse throughout all the members: which causeth them that bee so exercised to haue a flourishing colour, and their skinne all ouer spread with a delectable rednesse. But they which exercise themselues in such manner striuing for the best game, must re­member that all things bee done moderately, lest violent mouings with forcible wresting and turning of the body, loose the members out of ioynt, or lest any part of the body start out of his stedfast roume, or be remoued from his place by winding and bowing himselfe round in compasse with too much vehemen­cy. Moreouer as the mind must not be weari­ed with studies immediatly after refection, but that the stomack may the more easily con­coct and digest the meat receiued without any hinderāce, and that naturall heat happē not to be dispersed, & dissolued: euen so they which haue dined liberally, & stuffed thēselues with meat, must not sustain ouer much labor or la­borious exercises. For violēt & intēperate mo­uings do hurt & hinder digestion,Vehement & violent mouing hindereth digestion. & al immo­derate & vehemēt agitatiōs & stirrings of the body do draw into the veins crude, raw & vn­perfectly digested meat, which by opilatiō or stopping & putrifactiō proceding therof is the cause, & ingendring of diseases & sicknes. The [Page 144] olde play that is like vnto the game at tables or casting of the dice,Play at huckle bones or with coytes which was made with small sheepe bones finely smoothed, where­with our coūtrey maids, being yong & not yet mariageable,Many kind of childish games and exercises. are wont to play, and immediat­ly after they be maried do despise the same. But young striplings haue a game amongst them­selues with a certaine kinde of bones called huckle-bones or coytes, takē out of neats feet, wherewith they exercise themselues at a cer­taine time of the yeare, as also with nuttes and timbrels. These childish exercises are reiected and counted despiseable of them which bee somewhat more in yeres, so that after they come to mans state, they think it not besee­ming nor gentlemanlike to be occupied with such trifles. For after the fashion of children as Horace saith,

The dice play vndo­eth many men.But if there be dice also of another sorte, for those, which I spake of before, consist of foure sides, but these haue sixe sides being eeuen foure square whereof there is so often and so much abuse in all Europe, that many often­times by vsing them doe vnmeasurably spend, disperse, and consume their inheritance, lands and possessions, and after they haue so wasted [Page 145] their wealth and substance, are brought to ex­treame pouerty: when as the vse of playing at huckle-bones, which girles of our countrey do accustom, doth not empaire or diminish their goods. For with them they make sport to driue away tediousnesse of the time, or when they may keepe holy day, they play for something of no great value, as namely, chestnuts, fil­birds, pinnes, buttons, clasps, laces, and such like things, as they vse to giue to their friends at the end of a feast. Furthermore,Driuing of tops. yong strip­lings doe exercise themselues liuely and lusti­ly with driuing of the top, and with the swift rūning roūd of the whirle-gig, so fast, that one can scarcely see or perceiue it, & this doe they in winter time to get themselues heate with­all. Which kinde of exercise was vsed also of men in olde time, as Persius testifieth, being himselfe greatly delighted with it and with many other, as he saith,

Ʋirgil also maketh mention of this chil­dish instrument, and in very elegant verses compareth the minde of Lauinia raging mad with the loue of Turnus, to a whirle-gigge, & saith that it is turned and tossed, like a toppe that is driuen to and fro with whips and scour­ges, which matter he prosecuteth thus,

Children commonly vse to bee delighted and occupied with these kind of playes; But the age that is more growne to perfection, [Page 147] and beginneth to come to full ripenesse, requi­reth more decent games. But in euery kind of exercise that is commodious and profitable for the bodie and the minde, we must alwaies haue regard of comelinesse and honestie. So Salust commendeth the towardnesse & good disposition of Iugurtha, The good towardnes of Iugur­tha. when as yet the same was not depraued with ambition, nor corrup­ted with the couetous desire of dominion. For he assoone as he was well and fully growne, being indued with puissant strength and com­ly countenance, but most chiefly excelling in wit, did not giue himselfe to excesse ryot, or idlenesse to bee corrupted therewith: but as the custome of that countrey is, to ryding,The exer­cise of youth. to casting of the da [...], to runne with his like com­panions for wag [...]rs; and when he excelled them all in glorie and renowne, yet was he well loued of all men: he vsed to doe very much, but to speake very little of himselfe. As for the playes of Dice, & Cards,Infamous games. and all other vaine delights of idle persons, see that thou es­chew them, as a thing most hurtfull, shameful, and ignominious. For in such games no cun­ning skill preuaileth, but craft, deceit, guile, sleight, and subtiltie: neither doth conside­ration, aduisement or wisedome take place, but chaunce, fortune, temeritie and rashnesse. The dice comprehendeth euery kinde of play [Page 148] that is subiect to the mutabilitie of fortune, as draughts,What dice is. casting of dice out of a boxe or out of the hand, chests-play, & all kind of dice ca­sting or table-play: so that in very small things and childrens pastime it deserueth reprehen­sion, if it be done either too oft, or deceitfully, or contentiously. So saith Martial featly and properly,

Wherfore seeing that in this kind of game all things for the most part vse to be done co­uetously, lewdly, naughtily and deceitfully, such moderation must be had, that we seeke for delight some recreation,Winning without wylie deceit rather then to be greedie of gayne gotten by winning. For we see commonly, that they which doe not take heede nor bee circumspect, are cleane wiped and beguiled of their money, & craftily trom­ped by fraudulent and wylie fellowes. And al­beit some hope of winning in such exercises tickleth a mans mind, and the reward of victo­rie comforteth the winner, yet notwithstan­ding no man ought to do any thing vpō gree­die hope or couetous gaping for aduantage. For exercise is ordained, and licence to play is permitted, not for the winning or the getting [Page 149] of gayne thereby, but in respect of health and pleasant recreation, to the end that the wea­ried mind may haue some rest, & so conceiue new strength to tolerate and sustaine labours agayne. But it is the nature and condition of dice-players, that assoone as once that itch and scabbe hath gotten hold on their minds,The condi­tiō of dice-players. it can hardly be extinguished. For men of that habite, qualitie, and sort on euery side solici­ting and procuring them thereunto, they run agayne to those hurtfull and noysome plea­sures euery moment. Which vice also is euen graffed and rooted in whoremongers. There­fore Ouid giueth wholesome counsaile,

Indeed the industrie of getting goods, and the increasing and enlarging of household wealth, in my iudgement, ought not to be dis­praised nor reproued: but it is meete and de­cent to seeke to get such gayne as is profitable and honest, & such as may be acquired with­out the iniurie, displeasure and dāmage of any man. A proper wittie prouerbe is that of Plau­tus, It is right and reason that euery man for his owne gayne bee more diligent then frau­dulent. For goods wrongfully and wickedly gotten doe not onely bring infamie and re­proach, [Page 150] but also hauing no certaintie nor sure continuance,Deceitfully gotten quickly spent. are very soone spent, and quick­ly consumed and gone: such is the end of ri­ches lewdly gotten with deceit, craft, false re­porting and accusing, sleight, fraude, subtiltie, and finally with vsurie, with table play, with dicing and carding. Wherefore see that thou ceasse not by all meanes possible to with­drawe them which bee thy companions in studies and exercises, from such lewdnesse and vnthriftinesse, and to solicite and exhort them vnto honestie, vnto commendable com­linesse, vnto vertue. For this duetie and me­rite of humanitie doth not only deserue praise amongst wise men, but also it is well pleasing and acceptable to God: which the Lord af­firmeth plainlie by the Prophet Ieremie in these words, Ieremy. 15. He that separateth the thing that is precious from the vile, shallbe euen as myne owne mouth. A place of Ieremy de­clared.Whereby he giueth vs to vnder­stand, that the man which withdraweth ey­ther himselfe or his neighbour (for GOD lo­ueth or esteemeth nothing better then man) from things that bee most vile, from a fil­thie, polluted, and defiled life, from erring and going astray, and bee his principall leader and chiefe onsetter vnto integritie of life and vnblameable conuersation, such a man that so dooth is worthie of excellent praise, and draweth neerest vnto God, and [Page 151] deserueth diuine honour. And hereunto be­longeth and accordeth that saying of Saint Iames the Apostle, Iames. 5. Brethren, if any man a­mongst you erre from the trueth, and some man conuert him, let him, that so doth, knowe, that he hath reuiued a sinner from death, and saued his soule.

IN euery action, and in all manner busines­ses and affayres of this life, all things must bee so moderated with reason, circumspect aduisement, and premeditation, that thou doe nothing the day before, which may cause thee to repent the next day after. It is nought to say, I had not thoughtFor it is a shame to commit any such fact, that when the deed is done and past, thou bee constrayned to say, I had not thought. Nothing must be done ha­stily.Vpon the which rock thou shalt neither fall nor be hurt, if thou doe nothing rashly, vnaduisedly, and hastely, but let all things bee done circumspectly, sober­ly, diligently, discreetly, in such wise, that thou frame and conforme euery thing accor­ding to the rule of reason. So Salust doth ad­uertise [Page 152] by a good precept, Before thou en [...] ­prise or begin a thing, it is needfull to hand good aduisement wisely, and when thou hast well deliberated, then to accomplish the same speedily. And Cicero likewise,Cic. lib. 1. Offic. In al things that thou attemptest, or takest in hand, a diligent preparation must be had. Whereunto belon­geth that prouerbe or old saying commonly vsed, Make speed soft and fayre: Soft fire ma­keth sweete mault: and Soone enough, if it be well enough.

DOe nothing that may put thy minde in a scruple, and cause ambiguitie, so, that thou doubt, whether it be right or wrong that thou intendest to attempt or enterprise. For equi­tie, as Cicero saith,Cic. 1. Offic. is cleere and euident of it selfe, and is ioyned and vnited both with ver­tue and honestie. But doubtfulnesse is alied and confederated with vnrighteousnesse and other vices. Hereunto agreeth that saying of S. Paule, Rom. 14. Happie is he which iudgeth not him­selfe in that thing which he alloweth: that is to say, which in attempting any businesse doth [Page 153] not feele his conscience secretly reclaiming and denying the same. A place of S. Paul ex­pounded.Which sentence, al­though the Apostle wrote it concerning the choise of meats, and eschewing offence and hurt of conscience, as is declared before: yet it may bee also conueniently applyed to o­ther things.Doubting bringeth a scruple and trouble to the consci­ence. For in euery action which wee doe not performe with firme stedfastnesse and sure constancie of purpose, but with a waue­ring, scrupulous and doubtfull minde, surely we are condemned, euen our owne consci-being iudge. For whatsoeuer proceedeth not of fayth, whereby wee approue our mindes and become acceptable before God, & what­soeuer is done against the consent of consci­ence, it is an offence and in daunger of sinne. And the reason is this, because that when a man doubteth whether a thing be euill or no, and yet committeth the same thing being of it selfe not euill, he declareth plainly that hee would commit some wicked and flagitious fact, if occasion doe happen or opportunitie be offered. But true godlinesse and well sta­blished wisedome enuironed and fenced with fayth, and strengthened with the holy spirite, discerneth and discusseth all things prudently and wisely, and cannot abide to attempt any thing, which hath any appearance of euill, or which may temerate the minde, or contami­nate the conscience with any griefe.

THat good & wise admonition which Cate the elder was wont to inculcate and often repeate to his companions in warre, that same ought to be fixed and fastned in euery mans minde and memory: Vertue is e­ternall. If with labour thou doe some excellent act and honest exployt, the paines taken departeth, thy honest deede remayneth: Pleasure or voluptuousnes is mo­mentanie. If with voluptuousnesse any euill fact bee com­mitted: the pleasure, as a thing transitorie, flieth and vanisheth away soone and quickly, but the lewdnesse and wickednesse, as a stayne of infamy and note of reproch that cannot be blotted out, a­bideth and sticketh stil continually. A Prouerbe against thē that goe and grow out of kindHereunto we may well referre this prouerb, Hee that hath once beene a malapart iester or saucie scoffer, will neuer be good housholder. For he that hath once in an ignominious matter lost his good name and cracked his credite, shal not easily get the commendable report of an honest man, no al­though he wax rich or become very wealthy. An exhor­tation of Plato vnto vertue.In like maner Plato doth instigate and exhort yong men to the winning & obtaining of feli­city, by setting before thē the image of famous vertue & vicious pleasure. For soone & sodain repentance, anguish of heart, vnquietnesse of mind, & continual griefe & sorrow doth accō ­pany [Page 155] the momētany sweetnes & sweet entise­ments of voluptuousnes, according to the cō ­mō saying, Sweet meat must haue soure sauce. But contrariwise quietnes of mind, tranquility of hart, safety of conscience, & finally sure, per­fect, & perpetuall ioy doth immediatly follow the labors & miserable toyle & trauaile of ver­tue. Sentence of S. Gregory.The whole effect hereof may bee briefly comprehended in this sentence, That which delighteth, is caducall, that which afflicteth, is perpetuall.

The begin­nings of our actions must we ask & haue of God.WHatsoeuer thou art minded to attēpt & performe, ask counsaile of our most gra­cious and most mighty God. And if thou pur­pose to dilate & intreat of any matter, if thou goe about to administer or fulfill any offices or dueties either priuate or publike, humbly and lamentably beseech his diuine power, will and maiestie to inspire into thine heart by his holy Spirite those things that bee good, necessa­ry, profitable and expedient vnto saluation. For I am not able to expresse howe much it helpeth and auayleth vnto the happy and prosperous successe of our works, to refer al the beginnings of our actions & committe all our [Page 156] wayes, purposes and desires vnto God For those things which are not begonne, attemp­ted, or taken in hand with such beginning, we see commonly for the most parte, that they proceed vnfortunatly and vnluckely. For this cause the Lord threatneth by the Prophet Esai, saying, Esai. 30. Woe to you yee shrinking children, which take counsayle, but not by me, which we are a web, and not by my spirit. By which words he denounceth vnto them vnhappy and vnlucky successe, because they seeke the defence, pro­tection, and assurance of their saluation from some other place, and by some other meanes, rather then at God his hand, neither doe they aske counsaile of him, nor pray and desire to receiue answere of him,God gouer­neth our doings. to whome all thinges are subiect, and in whose hand and power the domination, rule and gouernance of the whole world doth consist. For by him, as Salom [...] sayth,Prouer. 8. Kings raigne, and law-makers decree iust ordinances: By him princes beare rule, and all iudges of the earth execute right iudgement. For counsaile and equitie is his, wisdome is his, in his hande is all strength, honour, and power, whereby they that haue gouernment and are set in authoritie doe stablish their dominions, and keepe their subiects in due obedience.God is the first & principall cause of things. Wherfore sith that all things are done, atchie­ued, accōplished & brought to passe according to the iust iudgement, good will, and pleasure [Page 157] of God, and that he is the first, chiefe, & prin­cipal cause of things: We must with most ef­fectual praiers desire of him prosperous succes of our works, we must craue and begge of him all things that be profitable and expedient vn­to our saluation, and necessary to the leading of our liues well and happily. Which precept and document Christ doth inculcate and often beat into our mindes, when hee sayth, Mat. 6. Luk. 12. First seeke ye the kingdome of God and his righteous­nesse: and other things shall come franckly and freely vnto you, and shall bee added and giuen in surplusage or ouerplus.

And therefore that beginning of the day is most fortunate, luckie and prosperous, which is commenced with contemplation of heauenly thinges, with the doctrine of the Gospell, with worshipping and honoring the maiestie of God.

The early morning is meet for prayer.THere is no part of the day more conuena­ble to eleuate & direct the mind vnto God, then a little before day-light. For then when [Page 158] the darknesse of the night is dispearsed, the minde is the more chearefull, prompt, and apt to conceiue good cogitations that be condu­cible for health and profitable vnto saluation. The bookes of the Bible doe in euery place te­stifie, that the holy Prophets vsed so to do. Da­uid being wrapped in perplexity and distresse, calleth on God for helpe thus, Psal. 5. O God thou art my God, Psal. 63. early do I wake vnto thee. Betimes will I stand by thee & wil look vp. Early in the morning shall my prayer come before thee. So Esai, Esa. 50. The Lord lifteth vp mine eare, yea hee lifteth vp mine eare betimes, that I may heare him at a maister, that is to say, as an admonisher who doth stir vp, quicken, and as it were plucke by the care them that be rechlesse and negligent. And againe, Esai. 26. My soule hath longed for thee in the night season, yea and in my spirite and with my whole heart will I wake vnto thee betimes in the morning. A place of Esai ex­pounded.By which wordes the Prophet sheweth, that his whole minde, and all the strength and powers of his soule, his spirites both vitall and animall & whatsoeuer force & efficacie of nature hee hath, is so fixed and fastened on God continually, that no part or parcell of time passeth without remembrance of him, but all his words and deedes, yea and whatsoeuer thought entreth into his minde, is directed and transferred vnto God.

Of all our doings we must aske accompt of our mind & consciēceREquire a reckoning of thy minde euery day at eeuen of all thy dayly affayres, busi­nesses and actions, whatsoeuer hath been said or done that daye. And so when the day is ended, before thou committe thy selfe to rest, take an accompts of thy selfe, how the day hath beene passed and bestowed, and aske thine owne minde: What fault hast thou a­mended or redressed this day? What vice hast thou resisted? Wherein or in what parte and respect art thou become better? How much is thy godlinesse increased? How much hast thou proceeded and gone forward in vertue?

[Page 160] Euery day must we cō ceiue pur­pose of a­mendment of life.It can scarcely be tolde or expressed, how caulme and peaceable the minde will be, how quiet and restfull the sleepe shall bee, when as by conceiuing sure purpose of amendment, thou doest with such maner of thought, intent and meditation driue away the heauinesse of the heart. Bestow the day in ho­nest busi­nesses.Forasmuch then as dayly actions & things which we see on the day time, do som­time trouble & hinder the sleep, men must di­ligently endeuour to passe and bestow the day in honest businesses, so that nothing come to minde to the griefe thereof, which may dis­quiet or trouble the night rest.

Vices must not be ex­tenuated.IF any thing be done vnwisely, if any offence wilfully contrary to right & reason be com­mitted, which is repugnant to honestie and comly behauiour: let neuer thy mind be mo­ued or induced to glose thine own error, or ex­tenuate thine offence with excuse. For excuse bringeth boldnes to sin, & ministreth occasion to do the like fault again. When Dauid cōside­red how great wickednesse springeth of this lewd, naughtie, & erronious opinion of plea­sing a mans selfe in his owne vices, he prayeth thus, O decline not my heart vnto the wordes of [Page 161] wickednesse to consent vnto the excusing of sinnes and vngodly works. A place of Dauid ex­pounded.In which words he praieth, that an euill mind, a naughtie will, and delight of the heart may be farre from him, wherwith wicked and vngracious persons being depra­ued, doe heape mischiefes vpon mischiefes, and doe cleerely cleanse, purge, extenuate, and diminish their mischieuous deedes, and suffer not any fault to bee imputed, or blame to bee layed on themselues. By which blindnesse and darke dimnesse of the minde it commeth to passe, that when as the minde is once enured and hardened in sinne, and being accustomed thereunto, hath gotten an habite therein, and hath lincked it selfe with lewd lust, it doth slip forward euery day more and more into that which is worse, and so falleth and commeth vtterly to naught without any hope of recoue­ry or amendment. Whereunto belongeth that saying of Salomon, Prouer. 18. The vngodly when he is tumbled downe into the bottome of sinne, contem­neth and despiseth, that is to say, thinketh sure­ly and fully perswadeth himselfe, that hee hath committed none offence, neither is he greatly mooued or grieued with the enormitie of that mischieuous deede or wicked fact which hee hath perpetrated: But as the same wise man saith, Shame and reproch followeth him that is such an one. Wherby he signifieth playnly, that he sustayneth so great losse of his good name, [Page 162] and getteth such a spot of infamie, that it i [...] hard for him euer after to winne and purchase the name and commendation of an hones [...] man. The minde of the vn­godly is ob­durated & hardened in wickednes.In the like mischiefe are those men wrap­ped, which when they haue offended, and are fallen into some sinne, doe not acknowledge their iniquitie, neither can they abide to con­fesse it, although the torment of their con­science dooth force and compell them to make confession thereof, but they hide the same in silence and in holding their peace, & think to couer & bury al things in obliuiō. A simili­tude of the nature of children.For these men doe euen like vnto children, which doe not abstaine from thinges forbidden them, specially when they hope, that it shall be kept secret, and that their father or mo­ther shall not know of it. Whereof wee haue examples in Adam and Cain, and in their po­steritie, vpon whome the spot of transgression is spread and transfused, euen as if it were come by inheritance. Therefore whosoeuer desireth to haue the happy fruition of tranqui­litie of minde, 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 shew them before GOD. The ac­knowledg­ing of sinne putteth a­way the sinFor the acknowledg­ing of sinne, and confession of the offence obtayneth forgiuenesse, and by fayth in the [Page 163] blood of Iesus Christ washeth out, wipeth a­way, and abolisheth all the filthinesse, spots, and vncleannesse of the minde.Concea­ling of a fault in si­lence ag­grauateth it But keeping of silence and shrinking backe from such con­fession, doth exasperate the euill, and aggra­uate the crime, and maketh the cause of the guilty person to bee worse. Whereof Dauid hauing proofe and experience in himselfe, sayth: Psal. 32. Because I held my peace, my bones are waxen olde, when I cryed all the day. Payne and grief which he could not indure, cōpelled him to crie and wayle, but it cōstrayned him not to make confession of his sinne: Gods facili­tic and rea­dines in for­giuing.yet notwithstanding by and by after, he purposeth and intendeth to disclose and open vnto God his offence that he hath committed, whome he vndoubtedly knoweth to be inclined, prone, and ready to forgiue sinne, when any man repenteth from the bottome of his heart, and detesteth his e­uill life. Therefore taking boldnesse and con­fidence he sayth, I saide, I will confesse my vn­righteousnesse vnto the Lord against my selfe, and so thou forgauest the wickednesse of my sinne. For such is the loue and louing inclination of God towards men, such is his mildnesse, meek­nesse, long suffering and lenitie, that as soone as men think and purpose to repent, forthwith hee forgiueth them their sinne. Which hee sheweth playnelie by the Prophet Esaie in these wordes, Esai. 65. And it shall bee, that or euer [Page 164] they call, I will answere them, and whilest they are yet but thinking how to speake, I shall heare them. Wherby he declareth his prompt good­nesse, his prone louing kindnesse and ready fauour, that if a man doe but conceiue in his minde the purpose of a better amended life, straight way the Lord remitteth vnto him the offence that he hath committed. So in Eze­chiel, Ezech. 18. At what time soeuer a sinner shall bewaile his sinne, I will no more remember his iniqui­tyes.

Whatsoe­uer good thing hap­peneth to man must be transfer­red & ascri­bed vnto God.IF any honourable, famous, royal, or magni­fique thing happen vnto thee in this fraile & caducall body, and in this momentany and transitory life, if thou haue great possessions, hereditaments, and goodly manours nigh vn­to to the Citie, if thy wealth and riches doe a­bound, and if honour, reputation, greatnesse of power or maiestie, noblenesse, dignitie, and renowme doe adorne the same: if thy minde be endewed with the knowledge, skil, & vnderstanding of many things, & doest not want wisedome ioyned with prudencie and discretion: finally, if thy body bee healthfull, lusty and strong, or if thou haue any thing [Page 165] more then all these, acknowledge that thou hast receiued all these things of our most bountifull father, from whome euery good thing, whatsoeuer it be, proceedeth, cōmeth, springeth, and floweth. To this document S. Paul reduceth him that swelleth with pride, and is puffed vp with vaine perswasion, and taketh away from him the trust which he hath of himselfe with these words, 1. Cor. 4. What is it which thou hast not receiued? which if thou haue re­ceiued, why doost thou boast as though thou hadst not receiued it? The Lord also by the Prophet Ieremie doth euen print, thrust, and beate the same into euery mans heart, saying, Ierem. 9. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdome, nor the strong man glory in his strength, nor the rich man glo­ry in his riches: but whosoeuer glorieth, let him glory in this, that he vnderstandeth and knoweth mee. He that glorieth, saith S. Paul, 1. Cor. 1. 2. Cor 10. let him glo­rie in the Lord, of whome wee haue obtayned all good things, whatsoeuer they bee, plentifully and aboundantly by Iesus Christ, who is made vnto vs of God wisdome, righteousnesse, sanctification, saluation, redemption. And further to the end that no man should reioyce in himselfe, or fa­uour and flatter himselfe, and extoll himselfe too insolently and proudly concerning out­ward and inward gifts, S. Paul putteth vs in minde and telleth vs, that we beare this trea­sure in earthen vessels, that is to say, in a frayle [Page 166] and dying body, to the ende that euery man may know, that this ought to bee ascribed to the power, highnesse, and excellencie of God, and not to the strength of man. All good things that we haue come from God.And as all good things that bee in man, whatsoeuer light and vnderstanding, whatsoeuer wisdom and knowledge, whatsoeuer vertue or righ­teousnesse is in him, ought to bee yeelded, reckoned and rendered vnto God, and to the father of light from whome all good giuings and gifts doe descend, as S. Iames Iam. 1. the Apostle testifieth: All naugh­tines & wic­kednes pro­ceedeth frō our corrup­ted mind.so whatsoeuer vice, vngraciousnesse, malitiousnesse, wickednesse, whatsoeuer dark­nes, ignorance, and blindnesse, whatsoeuer lewdnesse, naughtinesse, and corruption is in mans minde, all that same ought to bee ascri­bed and imputed vnto our owne malicious will, and not the very least fault to be laid on God.Wisd. 2. For sin & the transgression of God his cō ­mandement, hath brought vpon vs al kinde of miseries, calamities, diseases, sicknesses & griefs both of body & mind, & lastly death, & hath graffed in mans heart al maner of procliuitie and inclination vnto wickednesse.

Deliberatiō in choosing any kind of life.IN chusing that kinde & maner of life which thou determinest to imbrace, & wherin thou purposest to rest & abide vnto the end, & qui­etly to passe thy dayes vntil old age come stea­ling [Page 167] vpō thee, this thing ought chiefly to be re­garded, namely, to attempt things prudētly & aduisedly, & not rashly to addict thy self to a­ny purpose & fashion of life, from which after­ward, if thou repēt or be yrke therof, thou maist not retire or be released. For they which being of vnripe age, & hauing apt inclination of na­ture, which is not yet well tried nor perfectly proued and knowen, neither well considering whereunto by nature they be most fitly bent, doe take in hand some kinde of life, and binde themselues therunto perpetually, they lead an vnpleasant life and ful of tediousnes and grief, if at any time (as oftentimes it commeth to passe) they begin to be yrke or weary of their maner & trade of life, or perceiue themselues vnable to beare the burthen & charge therof. Wherfore lest any man snare or intangle him­selfe vnaduisedly, before that he imbrace any trade or maner of life, let him take himselfe a time to deliberate, what course of life hee will chiefly folow, & wherunto he is minded to ad­dict himself. In which deliberation, according to the aduertisement of Cicero, all counsayle and aduisement must haue respect & regard to the nature of euery man,Cic. lib. 1. Offic. to the ende that fra­ming himself to som fashiō of liuing very care­fully he may persist in his enterprise stedfastly. For many seeking & laboring to attaine to the best, are deceiued, not so much with their will, [Page 168] as with the error of their course,Some goe awry & de­cline frō the right way, not willing­ly but erro­niously. who go [...] wrong way to worke, and wandering with from the marke which Christ hath prefixed [...] set before vs, doe decline vnto superstition, that is to say, doe fall into a shew and appea­rance of religion coloured with simulation & coūterfayted with hypocrisie. But the ayd, for­tification, and protection of our saluatiō must chiefly & principally be sought for at Christs hand, who being our onely captaine, we passe through the raging waues of the surging Sea of this world, and arriue in the happy hauen long looked for.Iohn. 10. Hee is the doore which o­peneth vnto vs the entrance and way to come to the Father:Of Christ must we seeke salua­tion. He is the way, the truth, and the life, from whom Satan seeketh and labo­reth to draw vs away, who transforming him­selfe into an Angel of light, by his wicked tea­chers inueigleth mens minds with falshood in stead of trueth, with doubtfull things for thinges certaine, with fainednesse and hypo­crisie in place of pure religion and sinceritie, with hurtfull thinges in stead of holesome things. Gen. 2. Adam was deceiued with a shew & colour of truth.This was the first deceit of our enemy wherewith he assayled Adam, and darkened, daziled, and blinded his minde, and deceiued him being vncircūspect & too light a belee­uer, with a shew and colour of trueth, so that he ceaseth not craftily to deuise and work the same against all his posteritie, and abolishing [Page 169] the syncere worshipping of God and true re­ligion requisite vnto saluation,The deuill withdraw­eth mens minds frō sound do­ctrine. to bring in su­perstition, idolatrie, false doctrine, & doubt­full and dangerous traditions of life, and final­ly to plant all maner engines, and vse all craf­tie inuentions possible, and endeuour there­with by extinguishing the cleere light of the truth, and obscuring the shining brightnesse of faith, to lead and draw mankinde from the knowledge of God, and to bring blindnesse and dimme grosse darknesse into his mind.

A definitiō of matri­monie.MAtrimonie is a lawfull and inseparable ioyning together of man and woman, instituted of God, partly to subdue inordi­nate lusts, and to auoyde vnlawfull, vncer­taine, 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 booke of oeconomie or houshold gouernance, made by Xenophon, hath left vnto vs in writing, that mariage was inuented by nature, that men might enter in­to that societie 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 mankinde should not [Page 170] decay & perish, nature hath ordained man [...] be lawfully ioyned vnto woman, by the bles­sing of God powred vpō thē, that by this indis­soluble coupling together mortal man should not lack ayd & help,Gen. 2. wherwith not only loue of procreatiō, but also mutual participatiō of life, condition and estate should knit thē together. Wherefore seeing that wedlock is a most safe hauen,The com­moditie of mariage. & a sure stay & trusty stāding place for mankind, in whom by nature there is ingraffed a feruent desire and inclination to increase his linage & off-spring: surely that man doth well prouide for his tranquilitie, who doth betake himselfe thereunto, specially when his age is growen to ful ripenesse, & is come to the per­fect strength of a man.Mariage must not be rashly taken in hand. But they which attempt the same too soone, and before their conueni­ent time be come, and haue not wel tried their strength, nor perfectly prooued their firme­nesse of nature, surely such men are vnwise in so dooing, and haue small consideration of their age. For there be some young striplings hauing almost no tokens of a man,Vntimely wedlock weakneth many. which doe enter into this yoake either by a certain vnad­uised rashnes, or by the instigation of baudes, or else by the compulsion of their parents, which gape for a great dowrie: Of this sorte I haue knowen some, which before the yeere were ended, haue been very weak and fee­ble in their loynes and shancks, and all their [Page 171] vitall iuice was so exhausted and consumed, that I was constrayned to comfort, recreate, and restore their decayed and impayred strength with nourishing medicines. Where­fore let not boyes, or those that be little elder then boyes, apply thēselues to the procreation of Children: but let euery one measure & trie well his owne strength; whether his loynes be strong enough to beare the same or no. But he that purposeth to addict himselfe to ma­trimoniall societie,In choosing a wife haue regard of her honest stock and kindred. must obserue this thing specially, to choose for his wife one that is of honest stock and kindred, not somuch respect­ing her great dowrie (although that ought not to be refused) as her gētle, comly, honest, chast and shamfast maners, and good behauiour. For a woman (as the Comicall Poet sayth) Amphi. act. 2. if she be commendably manered, she is sufficiently dowred. A proper wittie and sage saying is that of Alcumena, as Plautus hath written, which euery young mayd & matron ought to keepe sure in remembrance, I doe not accompt (sayth she) that to be a dowrie which commonly is called so: But I iudge this to be the right and best dow­rie, namely, honestie, chastitie, shamefastnesse, and continencie, feare of GOD, loue of parentes, and concord of Kinsfolkes, obedience to my husband, and to be chiefe ouer them that be honest, that I may bee bounteous to the good. Therefore parentes muste very carefully [Page 172] beware,Parēts must haue good regard to the frailty of their daughters. lest this fraile feminine sexe being brickle vessels, and prone to ruine, should be stayned with any spot of infamie, or sustaine any losse of honestie, especially when they be­ginne to be mariagable, and come to their full ripenesse, but they must enforme and instruct their daughters vnto decent behauiour and vertue,Eccles. 7. and exhort and prouoke them vnto honestie of life and blamelesse nourture.No occasiō of offence or falling must be giuen to yong mai­dens. There be some lewd progenitors and wicked parents which vtterly neglect, yee rather doe depraue and corrupt the integritie of their daughters & virgins. For they marre them with domesti­call and familiar examples, and do open them the window vnto drunkennesse, malapartnes, and vnshamefastnesse. Whereby it commeth to passe, that by little and little they vse to shake off all shamefastnesse, and set their ho­nestie to safe, so that they suffer the same ve­ry easily to be assaulted, wonne, and spoyled, or doe not greatly resist the craftie deceiuer of virginitie, whose touching, feeling, hand­ling, groaping, kisses, and ticklings, they nei­ther feare nor abhorre, but willingly without resistance receiue the flattering allurements of such wantons.

Faults and errors com­mitted in entring into mariage.Amongst many enormities and faults vsu­ally committed in entring into the state of ma­trimonie, there be three specially, in my iudg­ment, to bee reprehended, whereof many [Page 173] dammages and inconueniences do proceede. The first is, because the most part of mē do ha­stily & vnaduisedly, & without any ripe or cō ­uenient deliberation, attempt this kind of life, yea & that at such age as is vnmeete for the same. Secondly because some do addict them­selues to matrimonie too late and out of due season, & take vpon thē to beare this burthen, when as their flourishing age fadeth,Feeble and weak per­sons vnfit for wedlock and they begin to waxe olde. Lastly, because they suf­fer themselues to bee coupled in an vnequall yoake of wedlock, the healthfull and sound with the sick and diseased, the young man, because he gapeth for a great dowrie, with the olde woman: Which is a thing dissonant and discordant from naturall societie; the old man with the young girle, which is a match not vtterly to be reprehended, nor in mine o­pinion, altogether contrary to the order of na­ture, considering that many crude olde men, and such as bee of greene olde age, are not vnable for procreation, which cannot bee in aged and fruitlesse women. But as too much hastinesse and speede in setting their mindes on mariage too soone, is to be dispraysed in young men: so is the slacknesse, slownesse,In entring into matri­mony, all things must be done in due season conueniētly and long delay thereof in them that bee of full yeeres. For they which suffer themselues to be tyed with this bond too soone, and bound with this knot too hastily, their bodies being [Page 174] not yet firme and able enough, nor their strength sufficiently increased, such young vn­expert Souldiers cannot long abide the bru [...] in this wrestling conflict, but after one assault or two, their courage fayleth them, and their liuely vigor withereth like plants plucked vp by the rootes. But they which delaying from day to day do suffer the lawfull time of mari­age to passe away from them,Let thē that be of full age and strength, many. and doe long time deferre the purpose of contracting ma­trimonie, doe liue a sad, sowre and vnpleasant life, or sometimes pollute themselues with in ordinate and vnlawfull vncleannesse: Which inconuenience is euery where euidently to be seene in so many men that bee diseased in the fundament, that bee annoyed with ma­ny maladies, wryed, bleare eyed, crooked, gowtie, and hauing legges puffed and swolne: which men, if afterward when they are wea­ry and yrke of that kinde of life, do happen to be associated & linked in lawful wedlock, they throw thēselues into a great heap of griefes & troubles & much tediousnes. For insomuch as they are exhausted, wasted, spent, worne out, and their strength impayred by the intempe­rance of Venerie, wherein they lewdly liued before, they are both grieuous to themselues, and the hope and desire of the newe maried woman is frustrate.

FOrasmuch as Christ our Sauiour and his A­postles doe detest incontinencie,Mat. 5. & 11 vnclean­nesse, inordinate lust, and vnlawfull loue, and doe pronounce them to be excluded from the Kingdome of God,Hebr. 13. which doe contaminate themselues with adultery or with the filthy lust of whoredome and fornication, I cannot see with what face or colours those persons are a­ble to defend themselues, which abhorring matrimonie, doe purpose to liue at their owne liberty, viciously, delitiously, and dissolutely. For there be some, which without the bounds and compasse of wedlock, doe addict them­selues for a time to one louer, concubine, or paramour, neither with comelinesse,Vnlawfull loue, lust, & carnall copulation. nor ho­nesty, nor quiet minde, nor safe conscience. They indeede seeke for commoditie and ease of their life as they perswade them­selues, neither can they abide to assigne themselues to any woman, from whome they may not leape backe nor recoyle. But sometime they find a great deale more bitter [Page 176] griefe and anguish,What hap­peneth to thē which dissolutely delight thē ­selues with lecherie. and are constrayned t [...] suffer and abide more contumelious despight at the hands of their imperious, stout, & ma­lapart leman or louer, then of her which is a mans wife lawfully assigned and admitted. And they haue this inconueniēce also besides; because that long familiaritie maketh this set bolde and presumptuous, so that if a man bee weary of her, and would gladly bee rid of her, and send her packing, he cannot doe it with­out tumult and troublous stir. For they make an outragious vprore and confused hurlie burlie, when any mention of diuorce or sepa­ration happeneth, or when they feare, because of some storme which is risen, that they shall be shut out of doores.

Those familiar and domesticall compani­ons which foolish Priests doe receiue into so­cietie of life, doe minister many, yea and a­bundant examples, of which Priests single life is exacted and required, a thing truely very hard and exceeding difficult for thē, which be strong, lustie & of good constitution & com­plexion, to obserue and keepe inuiolated; and so the lawfull vse of matrimonie is forbidden. Wherefore those men erre greatly being farre wide from the trueth, and in the choice of humane societie are vtterly deceiued in an ill opinion, and blinded in a detestable error, which thinke that those men liue at ease and [Page 177] in quiet, who being free from a wife, do keepe some woman at home, or hunt and seeke for one abroad, with whom they may recreate & delight themselues, and whose company they may enioy and take pleasure of, when they lust. When as indeede oftentimes,Carnall cō ­panie with­out matri­monie bur­deneth the conscience. yea and commonly for the most part, besides the dis­quietnesse of mind and tormenting griefe of conscience, more tediousnesse, trouble and vexation, more ielously and suspition riseth by meanes of such a louer or concubine, that may bee taken or let to hire, and tarieth but for a time, then of a lawfull and faithfull wife, so­lemnely admitted and taken vnto perpetuall societie of life. And albeit in this estate, as in many other, the sweet is mingled among the bitter, the sower with the pleasant, the merie with the sorie, foule weather with fayre; nei­ther is this ordinance of life free from couert hatred, contentions, alterations, obiurgations,No state of life without griefe. chidings, & the affection of iealousie (as there is noth [...]ng in any kind of life that is happie and blessed in euery respect:) yet for all that, no fault or blame must be layd or imputed to the order of matrimonie. For although very ma­ny detriments, dammages, and inconuenien­ces be incident vnto this kind of life, and ma­ried folkes be molested with great grief, care, thought, heauinesse, and trauaile in the nou­rishing, education and bringing vp of their [Page 178] children,1. Cor. 7. and, as S. Paule testifieth, in establish­ing their houshold substance and domesticall estate: yet neuerthelesse mutuall loue & pro­creation of childrē, by the ordinance of God, doth mitigate all these dolours, and sweet­neth all this bitternesse.Childrē are the delight of matri­monie. Children also are a de­lectable pleasure and singular delight of ma­trimonie, whereby matrimoniall loue is in­creased and maintained, and great solace and comfort mutually on either partie is concei­ued.The lacke of children must be ta­kē patiently But if contrarie to their will and desire, they happen to haue no increase by issue, and the hope of their posteritie for the space of some yeeres to be differred: yet neuerthelesse the faithfull loyaltie of matrimonie must bee kept inuiolably, and the mutuall fellowship of life maintained so, that the one be a good stay to the other, euen like to fruitfull trees planted and set nigh together in a border, which doe shore and proppe vp a vine, where­on it is sustained, and being as it were maried, ioyned, and nayled thereunto, groweth vp ex­ceedingly, and spreadeth it selfe very largely. For as a vine destitute of proppes and shores,Matrimony compared to a vine. falleth downe and lyeth flat on the ground: so doth matrimonie also fall and houshold wealth decay, vnles it be vpholden with mu­tuall helpe and diligence of man and woman. But if there be any enormitie in this societie, if any inconuenience, suspitions, tumults, dis­quietnesse [Page 179] or discord doe inuade the maried couple: it must be rather imputed and ascri­bed to the affections, perturbations,Mens affe­ctions are to be bla­med & not nature. and way­wardnesse of both sexes, then to this institu­tion and ordinance. For these enormities are not proper to wedlocke, but be the offences and vices of our depraued and corrupt nature and of a troublous mind, which we haue got­ten by the spot of originall sinne, vpon which all the blame ought to be layed.

COnsidering that in humane estate there is nothing permanent, nothing sure & sted­fast, but all things, yea euen the best commen­ded & most approued, are momentanie, fraile,We must haue no trust in ca­ducall things. transitorie, and doe soone faile and fall: there is no cause why a man should greatly loue, like, extoll, and esteeme the same, and be de­lighted withall more then is meete: but ra­ther erect and lift vp his minde and heart vnto the heauenly habitations, and regarde, consider, meditate, and muse vpon thinges perfect, sure, and eternall. For whosoeuer fixeth in his heart vndoubted trust in GOD the father by Christ Iesus, and thereupon [Page 180] groundeth the sure hope and expectation of immortalitie,Assured trust in Christ put­teth away the feare of death. he need not feare any imminent chaunces and endammagements, he hath [...] cause to dread sicknesse, calamities, daungers, no nor finally death, whereof those men spe­cially be sore afrayd, who are destitute of the Spirit of God, & not endued with any know­ledge of the deitie. For they which put the [...] confidence in GOD, being strengthened and supported with his holy spirit, doe boldly and manly, without any feare or discouraging, stand and abide against all aduersities. For as S. Paule saith, Rom. 8. 2. Tim. 1. Gal. 4. We haue not receiued the spirit of bondage, or of feare, but the spirit of adoption, of power, and of loue, by whom we boldly cry Ab­ba, father. Herein, saith S. Iohn, 1. Ioh. 4. is the loue per­fect with vs, that we should haue trust in the day of iudgement. There is no feare in loue but per­fect loue casteth out all feare, for feare bringeth painfulnesse or trembling dread. Therefore to the end we may shake off all feare, and driue out of our minds all dread of death, and what­soeuer it be that causeth trembling horror, let vs cast all our care on our bountifull father; and referre and erect all our thoughts, our hope,Coloss. 2. our prayers, and our whole trust and confidence vnto him, and vnto Iesus Christ, who hath purged, cleansed, and cleared vs with his bloud,Christ hath ouercome death. and hath deliuered vs and set vs at libertie from sinne, and from the tyran­nie [Page 181] of death, and hath blotted out, rased, and quite cancelled the obligation or handwri­ting which was against vs,A simili­tude of thē that be in great debt. wherewith wee were bound, and as it were indebted to the diuell. Moreouer, Christ our Sauiour, to the end he might comfort and fortifie mens feare­full minds, and declare that all our hope and trust consisteth and resteth in him, saith thus, Ioh. 16. Be of good comfort, I haue ouercome the world. Now is the Prince of this world iudged, that is to say, he which brought in death, is repulsed by my death, and condemned in iudgement, and deposed from his power to doe hurt, whereof hee is depriued. Ioh. 14. The Prince of this world commeth, and hath not any thing in mee. By the comfort of which words he sheweth manifestly, that Satan, Christ is a terror to Satan. and those which in this world by sinne are his confederates, hath no power against Christ or his members which cleaue vnto him,Comfor­table sen­tences. and bee graffed in him by faith. These holesome and liuely sermons worke this effect in the mindes of those men which leane and trust vnto his defence, that casting away the feare of death, they lustily, cheerefully, and couragiously enuirone and fortifie themselues against any assaults, or in­uasions of troubles, or calamities whatsoeuer, and declare their inuincible magnanimitie, and with great confidence breake forth into these words: Psal. 25. Myne eyes are euer looking vnto [Page 182] the Lord, for he shall plucke my feete out of the nette. Psal. 27. The Lord is my light, and my saluation, whom then shall I feare? The Lord is the defen­der of my life, of whom then shall I be afrayed▪ If an hoast of men were layed agaynst me, yet shall not my heart bee afrayed: Psal. 3. I will not feare thousands of people that compasse mee about. If there rise vp warre agaynst mee, yet my hope is in him. Psal. 23. Though I walke in the middest of the shadowe of death, I will feare no euill, for thou art with mee. Iob. 13. Though hee kill mee, I will put my trust in him: that is to say, If he cast vpon mee the horrour of death, and if I must b [...] spoyled of my life, yet for all that I will trust in him, who by his prouidence will make a way and vse meanes to saue mee. Psal. 118. Hebr. 13. The Lord is my helper, I will not feare what flesh shall do vnto mee. And that saying of Ieremie. Ieremy. 17. Behold, say they, where is the word of the Lord? Let [...] come. And I was not troubled, following this the sheepeheard, and thou knowest, I haue not desired the day of man: that is, A place of Ieremy ex­pounded.I looke not for helpe of any other, but of thee, so that I re­gard not a whit, neither doe I feare them which threaten my death. Be not thou a terror vnto mee, O my hope, in the day of my affliction. Let them be afeard, but let not me feare.

Saint Paule being inflamed with the same feruent and ardent zeale of faith, and trusting vnto the ayde and protection of GOD, pro­nounceth [Page 183] assuredly, and boldly, that there is nothing in the world so dreadfull or horrible, that can put godly mens mindes in feare, of plucke them away from the loue of GOD and sure trust reposed in him. For I surely perswade my selfe, saith he,Rom. 8. that neither death, neither life, neither angels or inuisible spirites, neither principalities or powers, neither things now at hand, nor things to come, neither any o­ther creature, shall be able to separate vs from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesus our Lord.

The confi­dence of Paul quick­neth al mē.So S. Paule doth constantly shewe, that he which is graft in GOD the father by Christ, doth valiantly, fearing nothing, stand and a­bide agaynst all manner terrours, how or whence soeuer they happen, agaynst the in­uasions, furious rage, and raging noyse of ene­mies, agaynst the horrour of death,Psal. 46. which either enemies or foes doe threaten, or which sicknesse accelerateth, or the lawe of nature bringeth.What ta­keth away feare of death. Seeing therefore that there is no­thing more effectuall to deliuer mens minds from the feare and great dread of death, then sure and stedfast trust in GOD through Christ our leader, guide and Captaine, whereby we conceiue most sure and vndoubted hope of resurrection, and most assured expecta­tion of euerlasting life: vnto this most sure [Page 184] refuge let all men make all speede possible▪ and bend all their endeuour, let euery one of vs embrace, accept, loue, and imprint in his heart this holesome and heauenly doctrine▪ herewith let all men comfort, stay, and streng­then themselues in all daungers, distresse, and imminent extremities: herewith let them ap­pease and quiet their conscience, and with the meditation hereof let them put away all sorowe of heart, and shake off heauinesse and mourning, which they conceiue, when they are depriued either of parents or of children Hereunto belongeth that liuely consolation of the Apostle, wherewith he comforteth the Thessalonians with cōstant expectation of the resurrection & sure hope of eternall life, and willeth them to refraine from weeping, and not to mourne and make lamentation for their friends departed and taken away from amongst the liuing, as the Ethnickes or hea­then vse to doe. I would not brethren, saith he,2. Thess. 4. that yee should bee ignorant concerning them which are fallen a sleepe, (being brought to rest as it were with, sleepe, and not with death) The dead must not be mour­ned for af­ter the maner of the heathen. that yee sorrowe not nor take griefe, as other doe which haue no hope of returning to life againe. Death is a sleepe. For if wee beleeue that Iesus dyed and liued a­gaine, euen so them also which are fallen a sleepe by Iesus, God will b [...]ing with him. And a­gaine, [Page 185] when he withdraweth the Philippians from worldly things, and reduceth them to thinges sure, incorruptible and perfect, hee saith, Philip. 3. Our conuersation is in heauen, out of the which wee looke for the Lord Iesus Christ, who will transfigure our base bodie, and make it in fashion like vnto his glorious bodie, according to the mightie working whereby he is able to sub­due all things to himselfe. By what things and meanes the feare of death is to be put a­way.In which wordes Saint Paule admonisheth them, to comfort, strengthen and fortifie themselues in all their afflictions, with the loue and longing desire of eternitie, and in the conflict of this life to bee afrayd of nothing that may withdrawe or call vs away from that farre better life, to the which Christ hath opened vs the way by the power of his resurrection.Comfort in Christ. Wherfore whē we come to the last day of our life, and when death is euen hard at hand, which euery man feareth, vnlesse he consolate and corroborate himselfe in Christ, or when any meditation hereof commeth into the minds of them that be sound and well in health, or if pouertie, or sicknesse, or miserie, or any other daungers and perills of this life doe oppresse and af­flict vs: let vs then, and at all times,Our eyes must be fastened and fixed on Christ. referre all our petitions, hope, and desires vnto Christ Iesus, who by his death hath payed the penal­tie, and suffered the punishment that was due [Page 186] to vs,Coloss. 3. who hath forgiuen vs all our sinnes who is the propitiation for our offences, who is our aduocate, as Saint Iohn saith,1. Ioh. 2. our inter­cessor and spokesman vnto GOD the father, who is the reconciler of GOD and man, and who, as Saint Paule saith, 1. Tim. 2. Esai. 50. hath giuen and offe­red vp himselfe a redemption, raunsome, offe­ring, and sacrifice for all men. In him onely consisteth our saluation, life, and resurrection. Ephes 2.. By him wee haue accesse and entraunce in one spirit vnto the father. Coloss. 1. Ioh. 1. By his bloud shed wee haue obtayned redemption and remission of si [...]. Because it well pleased the father that in him should all fulnesse dwell, and by him to reconcile vnto himselfe all things being pacified by his bloud. Seeing therefore that wee haue such a great, such a worthie, and such an excellent high Priest, as saith the author to the Hebrewes, Hebr. 4. who hath pierced the heauens, euen Iesus the sonne of God, who being tempted by all me [...] without sinne, feeleth and hath compassion on our infirmities: Christ is the peace­maker be­tween God and man. Let vs come with trustie bold­nesse vnto the throne of grace, that wee may ob­taine mercie to helpe in time of our neede. For wee being succoured with the defence and protection, and stronglie enuironed and fenced with the garde of such a renowmed Captaine, doe valiantly withstand and con­stantly [Page 187] abide against all monstrous mischiefes of diuels,How the mind and conscience is to be strengthe­ned when death ap­procheth. which forthwith vanish away as­soone as the light of the trueth ariseth; a­gaynst sinne, death, and hell: and so wee are brought out of the daungerous watch and watchfull warfare of this life vnto that desired and happie hauen, and most blessed habita­tion in heauen. Wherefore if any dammage, detriment, in conuenience, misfortune, or mi­serie 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 daunger of his life, to bee pinched with pouertie, to bee afflicted with sicknesse, to bee vexed of enemies, if desolation and calamitie fall vpon him, if his wickednesses and iniquities abound, if the innocent and giltlesse be oppressed and killed, if sounde and holesome doctrine bee contemned, if heresies and pernicious sects and opinions growe vp, if peruerse errours bee sowne abroad on euery side: in all this so great confusion and troublous tumult of worldlie affayres,Christ is the sacred and sure anchor in al tempests of this trou­blous world let euerie man betake and committe himselfe vnto Christ, and seeke the assurance of saluation at and of him onelie, rest and trust whollie in him and vpon him, staye and strengthen him­selfe on him as on the sacred anchor, and [Page 188] finally eftsoones meditate and ruminate in his minde that constant profession of Dauid Psal. 16. I will set the Lord alwayes in my sight, for hee is on my right hand, so that I shall not bee mooued nor troubled. In which wordes hee sheweth that hee hath his eyes still continually fixed on GOD, and that he trusteth in his defence, and that by his helpe hee abideth stedfast in daungerous and doubtfull matters, and wa­uereth not, nor is carried about with any winde of doctrine,Ephes. 4. but is stable and con­stant, and is not mooued away from that trust which hee hath reposed in GOD, euen for this cause onely, because he findeth God fauourable and inclined to mercie,Hebr. 13. and to assist him in all things; so that boldlie hee breaketh foorth into these wordes: 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 confesse vnto him.

FOrasmuch as I haue shewed a little before, that enchauntments, sorcerie, and Artes of Magicke ought to be vtterly rooted out, and that such wicked and mischieuous practises ought not to bee exercised of any man: It re­maineth now, that I shew by the way as occa­sion serueth, with what vertue, power and ef­ficacie, with what wordes and prayers mens minds that are besieged, afflicted, and snared with the delusions and deceitfull iugling casts of diuels, may be eased and helped:Diuels are enuious & malicious aduersaries vnto men. moreouer by what meanes we may driue away and de­stroy witching sorcerie, which the ministers of diuels doe bring vpon their miserable cap­tiues, vexing & tormenting both their minds and bodies.Diuels mingle thē ­selues with humours as infectiōs in mens bo­dies. These wicked ministers doe priui­lie leape into the bodies of men and women, and doe violence to humane nature, and de­priue the same of her proper power and na­turall strength, or at least way alter & change [Page 190] the same. These euill angels or spirites doe mingle and conioyne themselues with the foode, nourishments, and humours of mens bodies, with their spirites or soules, and with the winde and ayre which wee receiue within our bodies, and wherewith we breathe, and doe corrupt many other things which we vse necessarilie, and wherewith health is preser­ued. Therfore I haue thought it good, and doe iudge this thing worth the labour, to shewe plainly, by what meanes miserable wretched men may well and conueniently be eased, rid, and deliuered from such bonds of thraldome and mischiefe, wherewith they feele them­selues wrapped & encombred.The hurts which di­uels do, can not be re­ferred vnto naturall causes. For the harmes and hurts wherewith they are annoyed, can not bee referred vnto any naturall causes, nor bee expelled with those remedies, wherewith common diseases are cured. If any disease or sicknesse come of surfetting, of venereous act, of wearinesse, of cold, heate, fulnesse, hunger: euery one of these is driuen out by peculiar re­medies. But such mischieuous hurts as are done by euill spirits, doe not require any na­turall remedies at all, but diuine, heauenly, and supernaturall medicines.

Why God suffereth vs to be vexed of diuels.Some men meruaile that so great power is giuen to the diuell and his ministers, so to vexe, torment, and afflict men. God dooth partly winke at, and will not behold those [Page 191] harmes which the souldiers of Satan and di­uellish sorcerers doe vnto wretched men, but suffereth them to be vexed, payned,God vseth the malice of diuels to punish the wicked therewith. and mace­rated, and herein consisteth the good consi­deration of his mercifull purpose and proui­dence: and partly he doth instigate the diuell and his ministers, to vse such fiercenesse and crueltie agaynst manie that haue deserued such affliction, and so vseth the malice of them for the punishment and chastisement of the vngodlie. So is the lying spirit sent into the mouthes of all the Prophets,3. King. 22. Achab de­ceiued. to the ende that Achab being deceiued and seduced, may goe vp to battaile, wherein present destruction was prepared for him. Sometime God doth suffer some men to haue such harme, dam­mage, and detriment done vnto them, there­by to trye their constancie. So he permitted Iob not onely to bee depriued of his goods,Iob. 2. and robbed and spoyled of all his riches, but also to haue his bodie rent and tormented with most grieuous payne. And this same hee suffered to bee done,Why Iob was vexed of the di­uell. partly to prooue and trye the constancie of the man, and to encourage other men to the patient endu­ring of tribulations, lest they beeing dis­couraged with miseries, should fall from GOD: and partly to declare his power, by which he comforteth & strengtheneth them [Page 192] that put their trust in him, and when as the are brought euen to nought, he lifteth and setteth them vp, and restoreth them to their old former dignitie. But we must consider the diuersitie of the common sort of lunaticke persons possessed with ill spirits, which are be­sieged and assaulted of the diuell, or be vexed of him in any part of their bodie. For very many of them are dull and senselesse, an [...] farre from the knowledge of GOD, vpo [...] whom the diuell (as an apt and readie instrument) exerciseth his tyrannie. So Satan assayleth sluggards, Idolaters, and supersti­tious persons, in whose mindes rather he fin­deth a resting place, then in theirs, who are instructed with the knowledge of the maie­stie and power of God,The diuell assaileth dull and senselesse men. and doe stablish and stay themselues with assured trust in him, fo [...] he is rather afrayd of such godly persons, and dare not plant his engines, nor worke his sub­tile inuentions against thē, because he know­eth surely, that his attempts and enterprises shall be vayne and frustrate, and not preuaile agaynst them which do watch diligently, and are strengthened with the ayd and protection of God.A simili­tude of a citie neither well walled nor forti­fied. For like as Castles, Towers, and Cities that be not enuironed with any walles, that be not fortified with any ditches, trenches, rā ­pars, or fortresses, that bee not furnished with [Page 193] any garrisons of souldiers, are wont easely to [...] wonne: euen so mens slouthfull and slug­ [...]ishe mindes, which bee not strengthened with holesome and heauenly doctrine, nor [...]ablished with confidence in God, are the more in daunger, being subiect and ready to [...]e snared and caught with the wily deceipts [...]f Diuels, and so fall the sooner.The diuell prouoketh men to eue­ry wicked and hurtful thing. And be­ [...]use aboue all other thinges, Sathan desi­ [...]eth this chiefly, to abolish the glory of God, [...]o draw man from saluation, and to sollicite [...]nd moue him to fal away from God, he cea­ [...]eth not to assaile him within and without, [...]nd enuiously and maliciously dooth what he [...]an, to worke destruction sometime to the [...]ody, sometime to the soule, and sometime [...]o both body and soule.Genes 4. 1. King. 31. Mat. 27. As Cain and King Saul doe minister examples vnto vs, so doth [...]lso Iudas Ischariot, whose mind whē the Di­ [...]el had driuen to desperation and mistrust, [...]hen with tediousnes & wearines of his life he [...]ompelled him to hang himselfe, and so de­ [...]med his body with the publique reproche [...] ignominy of such an horrible, mischieuous, and most wicked fact.Mat. 8. But although Sathan [...]eing a most enuious and malignant enemy of mankinde, hath and vseth a thousand wiles [...]nd sleights to deceiue and hurt vs: yet ne­uerthelesse, he is put to flight and to the foile with this one thing only, which is very effec­tuall [Page 194] and a soueraigne helpe,The diuell is driuen a­way by trust in God. and present remedy, namely with sound and sure faith, and constant and stedfast trust in GOD the Father by Christ. With which fortificati­on the Apostle Saint Peter admonisheth vs, to fight against the crafty laying in waite, fallacies, fraudulent attemptes, deceiptes, slilinesse, subtilties, rage, and fiercenesse of that pestiferous tyranne, that is to witte, with sobriety and watchfulnesse, fortified and fenced with Faith. For hee dooth as it were plucke by the eare, awake, stirre vp and quicken secure, negligent, and rech­lesse persons with these wordes. 1. Pet. 5. Saint Peter armeth vs against the Diuell. Bee yee sober and watch: [...]or your aduersary the Di­uell goeth about as a roaring Lion, seeking whome hee may deuour, whome resist yee being stedfast in Faith. For as Saint Iohn sayth, 1. Ioh. 5. This is the victory which hath ouercome the worlde, euen our Faith. For the trust which we haue surely reposed in Christ, and wherewith we commit our selues wholly vnto such a vali­aunt defender,Diuels must be driuen away by trust in Christ. against the Diuels and Prin­ces of this world, doth winne and get vs the victory so triumphantly, that wee bring home rich and goodly spoiles taken from the enemy thus conquered and ouerthrown. Therefore whensoeuer wee determine and goe about to worke some thing against the aduersary, and to withstand his enchaunt­ments [Page 195] and resist his bewitching sorceries, or driue euill spirites out of mens mindes: all the same must bee wrought and brought to passe by assured trust and confidence in Christ Iesus, reiecting and abandoning all olde wiues superstition, and vanity of the Ethnickes or Heathen, and other exe­crable blasphemies and detestable cursinges done by Magicke. For GOD by his Sonne, who is the brightnesse of his glory,Heb. 1. and the expresse Image of his substaunce, wor­keth all thinges in all men, and ruleth euery thing with the word of his power.All attribu­ted to Christ. And this prerogatiue deserued hee to haue for his singular obedience, humility, and mode­stie towardes his Father. Philipp 2. For when hee was in the forme of GOD, that is to say, like match and equall vnto him, Christ e­quall to God. he thought it no robberie to bee equall vnto GOD, but hee abased himselfe, taking on him the shape of a seruaunt, and humbled himselfe, and became obedient euen to the ignominious and detestable death of the Crosse. The great­nes and highnes of the name of Iesus. Wherefore God hath exalted him vnto the chiefest and most excellent highnesse, and hath honoured and il­lustrated him with a name which excelleth euerie name, that in the name of IE­SVS euery knee should bowe both of thinges in Heauen and thinges in earth, and thinges vnder the earth, and that all tongues [Page 196] should confesse and acknowledge, that Iesus Christ is the Lord vnto the glory of God the Father, Vnto whome all the glory of the son redoundeth, and is referred, and contrariwise al glorie of the Father vnto the Son.Great and hard things are done by the name of Christ. Therfore if any man purpose to attempt any such thing, if hee goe about to ease and helpe afflicted mindes, if hee labour to driue Diuels out of mens bodies, let him take in hand to perform the same by calling on God the Father, with vndoubted trust and confidence of and in the name of Iesus Christ: for so shall hee obtayne all those thinges, and shall not bee frustrate of his desire. For by the efficacy, vertue and pow­er of this marueylous, wonderfull, high, hono­rable, and excellent name (so that a man doo not doubt nor mistrust the promises of God) sickenesse is asswaged, maladies bee mittiga­ted, affections, passions and perturbations of the mind be quieted, tempests, stormes, and tempestuous seas become calme, Deuils flye away, as Christ immediately before his ascen­sion into heauen, promised, poisoned potions lose their strength,Mar. 16. All kynd of euils are o­uercome & expelled by confidence in Christ. serpents cannot sting nor hurt, the darkenesse of the minde is dispersed, the terror, feare and horrour of death is dri­uen away, hurtfull and noisome thoughtes are expelled and vanishe away, the minde concei­ueth tranquillity, and a quiet and peaceable conscience, so that whatsoeuer commeth or [Page 197] falleth vppon vs, and wheresoeuer it chance, nothing in the world can make vs afraide, be­cause God the Father comforteth, strengthe­neth, and stablisheth vs with his spirite by Ie­sus Christ. Therefore thy minde must be lifted vp vnto the liuing God by his sonne being our guide and leader: and remember that al things which thou purposest to take in hand must be accomplished by the power of the wonderful name of Iesus.Mat. 28. Mar. 16. Act. 2. For all power in heauen and earth is giuen to him. Neither is there any o­ther name vnder the sunne wherin consisteth sal­uation: Which name is terrible to the vngod­ly, dreadfull to Diuels, so that it maketh them to tremble: but to them which beleeue and trust in him, it is power, wisedome, saluation, life, and resurrection. For he is ordayned of God to be iudge of the quicke and the dead, I meane Iesus Christ, the faithfull witnesse,Act. 4. 1. Cor. 1. Apoc. 1. the Prince of the Kings of the earth, which lo­ued vs, and washed vs from our sinnes by his owne bloud. In Christ is forgiuenes of sinnes. To him as Saint Peter saieth in the Actes of the Apostles,Act. 10. all the Prophetes giue witnesse, that whosoeuer beleeueth in him, shall by his name receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes. This is euerlasting life (which testimony Christ exhibiteth to the Father)Ioh. 17. to knowe thee the onely true God, and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent, vnto whom the whole efficacie and vertue of the Godhead, and whatsoeuer po­wer [Page 198] and wisedome may bee ascribed vnto GOD, is referred, attributed, and deriued. Seeing therefore that this name is so glorious, so noble, so renowmed, so honourable, so holy, so inuiolable, and of so great Maie­sty and power: we must diligently take heed and studiously beware, that it bee not vsed vainly and vnreuerently,Act. 19. as those derided con­iurers did, who when they attempted and tooke vppon them, with certaine rites and wordes purposely conceiued for their gaine and for an ostentation, to driue away the hurtfull spirite, abusing the name of Iesus, by the power of which name Paul did worke miracles, they brought themselues into great daunger, and their coniuring or rather moc­king delusion was endammageable to them. For hee that was possessed of the Diuell pre­uailed against them,The coniu­rers rent & torne. and ranne vppon them, and rent and wounded them so cruelly, that they were constrayned to saue themselues by flying away out of the house.Coniurers now a daies folish bab­lers and led with vaine doctrine. There haue been also euen in our time certaine seely foolishe priestes, who when as they, being neither ar­med with any Faith of the name of Christ, nor indewed with integrity, attempted the like enterprise, were derided of the Diuell, and put to such shame, that they were com­pelled to leaue the thing vndone, and de­part away with great feare and trembling. [Page 199] But if any man will goe about any such at­tempt, and endeuour to driue out euill spi­rites out of mens bodies: Let him followe the example of Peter and Iohn, who vsing no ambitious wordes, lifted vppe the lame in this manner: Act. 3. The mira­cle of Peter and Iohn.IN THE NAME OF IESVS CHRIST OF NAZARETH arise and walke: and he forthwith receiuing strength in his legges and anckles, and star­ting vp, stoode and walked, and entred with them into the Temple, leaping and wal­king, and praysing God. All glory is giuen to Christ. Coloss. 2. Heb. 1.Seeing therefore that Iesus Christ the onely begotten Sonne of God, coeternall and coequall with the fa­ther, in whome all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge are hidden, doth rule and gouerne all thinges with the worde of his power: it is meete that we, conceiuing and reposing our whole trust and confidence in God through Iesus Christ, doe by his power, mighty operation, aide and protection, re­sist and withstand Sathan, sinne, hell, and whatsoeuer other thinges are malicious ad­uersaries and hurtfull vnto man. For, as Saint Paul sayeth, Ephes. 1. Excellent is that greatnesse, strength, power, and puissance, which God shewed according to his mightie working in Christ, when he raysed him from the dead, and made him sitte at his right hand in heauen­ly things aboue al power, and principality, and do­minion, [Page 200] and abole euery thing that is named [...] in this worlde onely, but also in that that is to come. Christ is the head of the Church or Congre­gation. And hee hath put all thinges vnder his feete, and gaue him the head aboue all thinges to the Church or Congregation which is his body, the fulnesse 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, perfourmeth and accomplisheth all thinges in all men, especially in them which beleeue and trust in him, and as the Apostle sayeth a little before, are sealed with the holy spirite of promise, who is the pledge and earnest of our in­heritance vnto the redemption of the purchased and acquired possession, vnto the praise of his glo­ry. Christ cō ­forteth and strength­neth vs in afflictions.Wherefore Saint Paul, who was accusto­med to be exercised and tried in innumerable conflictes, and was constrayned patiently to suffer and constantly to endure many assaults, admonisheth al men, that whensoeuer dāgers are imminēt, death is threatned, Sathan laieth siege and assault to the minde, they resist, withstand, and wrestle against them with a valiaunt heart that cannot be discouraged. For thus he encourageth and fortifieth the Ephesi­ans: Ephes. 6. Finally my bretheren, 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 assaultes of the Diuell. For wee wrestle not against bloud and fleshe, that is to say, against fraile and dying men, although euen they also [Page 201] sometime are malicious aduersaries, but a­gainst Lordes and Rulers of the world, Gouer­nours of the darkenesse of this world, against spi­rituall craftinesse in heauenly things. By which plenteousnesse of wordes and copiousnesse of sentences, as also by an elegant Metaphor de­riued and taken of the conflict and inuasion of enemies, he sheweth that deuilish spirites,A simili­tude of in­dustry in warfare. and their souldiers, gard, and ministers, doe with marueylous craft and wonderfull subtill polli­cies, lay snares and go about to deceiue them, which bee addicted vnto Christ, and haue gi­uen their name vnto him. Wherefore, seeing that our enemies are so terrible, and so full of spiritual craftines, he proceedeth in his exhor­tation plainely to informe vs, with what mu­nition and weapons we must withstand them:The armor of christian souldiers. Take vnto 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 embattayled armie, and stand readie in their aray) that yee may be able to re­sist the aduersarie, and to stand vntill all things bee perfectly accomplished, and your businesse fully dispatched, as they which bee not put to flight, nor constrayned to turne their backes. Stand therefore with your loynes girded about with the girdle of truth, and hauing on the breast plate of righteousnesse, and shodde with shooes, that ye may be prepared and ready for the Gos­pell [Page 202] of peace. Aboue all take vnto you th [...] shielde of Faith, wherewith yee may quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of saluation, and the sword of the spi­rite which is the word of God. Prayer is a good ar­mour a­gainst the Diuell.Wherunto he addeth prayers and supplications, as it were succour, aides, and defences in the reregard or arriere band, which worke such effect, that wee obtaine the victory, and as Saint Peter sayeth, who treateth of the same mat­ter,1. Pet. 5. that God in so doubtfull a conflict and in euent of battaile sometime so vncertaine, doth renew, refreshe, settle, stablish, streng­then, and sustaine them that be a little while af­flicted,An argu­ment of the authority of Christ. & euen as it were ready to fal. And sith that the authority of Pythagoras was in times past had in so high reputation amongst them that were addicted vnto him, and his doc­trine so greatly esteemed, that it was ac­compted in stead of an Oracle, and as it were spoken from the threefooted stoole or tables in the Temple of Apollo at Delphos, so that when any man doubted, by and by without a­ny stay they obiected vnto him these wordes for perswasion, [...]. Ipse dixit, hee sayde it, as though then it were neither right nor lawfull to repugne or reclaime the same: ve­rely it is meete, right, and very requisite vnto our saluation, to ascribe the same honor, and attribute the same reuerence, yea rather farre [Page 203] greater, vnto Iesus Christ, and in affirming and defending his doctrine, and stablishing the profession of Faith, to make these wordes o­penly and clearely to sound in mens deafe and dull eares, Ipse dixit, must be at­tributed to Christ.ΠΙΣΤΕΥΣΟΝ, ΑΥΤΟΣ ΕΦΑ ΣΩΤΗΡ. CREDE, IPSE DIXIT SERVA­TOR. Beleeue thou, for our Sauiour sayd it.For his doctrine is not mans doctrine, his do­ctrine is not disproueable, not colde,The doc­trine of Christ ex­celleth all wisedome. not without authority and power, but liuelye, wholesome, effectuall, diuine, and godly, and bringeth beatitude and felicity vnto man, which onely must be acquired and obtayned of Christ, who is the fountaine of all wisedome and goodnesse, Colos. 2. And in whome dwelleth all the fulnesse of GOD bodily, by whome wee are complete. By him, as Saint Paul sayth,Colos. 1. God the Father hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenesse, and translated vs into the kingdom of his beloued sonne, by whome wee haue redemp­tion in his bloud, euen the forgiuenesse of sins. God hath poured all things on Christ most aboun­dantly. Who is the Image of the inuisible God, the first begotten of all creatures, because that by him all things are created, which are in heauen & earth, visible & inuisible, thrones, dominations, princi­palities, powers. Al things are created by him & for him, and hee is before all things, and by him all things haue their being. And he is the head of the body of the Church, the beginning & first be­gottē of the dead, that in al things he might haue [Page 204] the preeminence, and obtayne the principalitie. For it pleased the Father that the fulnesse of all thinges should dwell in him, and by him to recon­cile toward himselfe all things, being pacified & appeased by the bloud of his Crosse. Seeing there­fore that God the Father hath giuen and be­stowed, hath shed and poured on Christ all thinges so liberally, plentifully and aboundan­tly, let vs labour and striue to come, with all speede possible, vnto this most plenteous, ne­uer-wasting and euer-lasting fountaine, and let vs be bolde, with must assured trust and effectuall confidence, to aske, hope, and ex­pect euery thing of him, let vs enterprise and take in hand to bring any thing to passe by him.The force of faith. If thou intend to driue away Diuels, to heale diseases, to deliuer and rid thy selfe out of daungers, to destroy venemous beastes, to expell the pernicious power of poison, and a­bolish the hurt thereof, to moue mountaines out of their place, remember that all these thinges must be atchieued and accomplished by the strength and power of Iesus Christ, and by vndoubted affiance in him. For Christ pro­miseth that all thinges shalbe plain, manifest, open, and easie vnto him that beleeueth and trusteth in him: Which most comfortable promise it pleased him to confirme vnto his Apostles in his last Sermon before he was ta­ken vp into heauen. When he saieth: Mar. 16. Goe yee [Page 205] into all the whole world, and preach the Gospell to euery creature. Hee that shall beleeue and bee baptised, shall be saued, but hee that will not be­leeue, shall be condemned. And these signes shall follow them which beleeue, In my name they shal cast out diuels, they shall speak with new tongues, they shall driue away and destroy Serpentes, and if they drinke any deadly thing, it shall not hurte them, they shall lay their handes on the sicke, and they shall be well, that is to say, at the touching of them they shall waxe healthfull and bee hole and sound. Al these things shalbe alwaies prest and ready, when the fruite and profite of the Gospell shal require a miracle. But indeed these things are alwaies wrought and perfor­med in the hearts of men by the ministers of the profession of the Gospell,Miracles wrought in mens harts and minds. when as they driue and pluck filthy vices and abhominable sinne out of mens mindes, when as they heale the sicknesses and diseases of the minde, with the effectuall power of the spirite and with holesome doctrine, when as they doe deliuer and set the heart at liberty from coueteous­nesse, hatred, wrath, euill concupiscence, craf­ty, false, and malicious surmises and accusati­ons, backebiting and slaundering, and other renemous affections, and doe adorne the minde with diuine, holy, and godly giftes.

ALthough herbes haue such peculiar vse and commodity, and such speciall force and strength naturally by the wonderful work of the Creatour of nature, that they be meete & conueniently vsed and necessarily applyed for the sustenaunce and medecine of mens bo­dies:Herbes ef­fectuall vn­to many things. yet notwithstanding some herbes are no­bly commended of old and auncient writers, because they bee good helpes against mis­chieuous hurtes, and doe driue away and ex­pell all kinde of enchauntments, witchcraft, and sorcery. These are called remedies a­gainst all ill and mischiefes, or preseruatiues against poyson and sorcerie, because they put away and expulse whatsoeuer thinges are hurtfull,Pearles in­dued with secret effi­cacie. noyous, and grieuous to man. And this vertue is attributed not onely to herbes, but also to pearles and precious stones, which efficacy they haue not of their first fourme and qualities, that is to say, of the tempera­ture of heate, of coldnesse, of drinesse, and moystnesse, but by a peculiar power speci­ally pertaining to their kinde, and by a se­cret [Page 207] effect and hidden propertie, the cause whereof can not bee declared. Lodestone. Amber or Aumber. Ieate. Saphire.So the Lodestone by rubbing of it, draweth iron to it. The Ieate stone and Aumbre, that Beades were made of, draweth chaffe and little strawes. The Saphire which is of the colour of the skie, light, watchet, or blunc­ket, preserueth chastity. Iacint. Chrysolit.The Iacint and Chrysolite being worn in a ring on the fin­ger, resisteth the pestilence, Emeraude.The Emeraud and Prasine stone, which are green stones, doe make the heart merry. Turquoyse.The Turquoyse saueth and preserueth from slipping, falling, and rushing against any thing, or if any such thing doe happen, it keepeth the body safe from hurt. Corall.Corall put on the necke, driueth away troublous and terrible dreames, and mittigateth the feare that children haue in the night. Carbuncle. Sardine.The Carbuncle and Sardine stone, commonly called Corneol, so named of the redde berye of the Cornelier Tree, the fruit whereof is like to heppes, prouoketh mirth and gladnesse, and maketh a man cherefull, and causeth him to haue a goodly faire fresh florishing colour, by reason that the bloude hath ready passage and course throughout the body. So other precious stones haue power & do excel in other vertues, some in one, some in another, & do chase & driue away hobgob­lins or night spirits, fairees or elses that do be­witch [Page 208] infantes, the night mares or hegges, and euil spirites of the aire, if we may giue cre­dence to the monuments and workes of aun­cient wryters. So amongest herbes there bee some which preuaile against those diseases and horrible maladies, which are much like vnto the malicious vexations, grieuous afflic­tions and horrible tormentes of Diuels. Of which sort be these,Horr [...]ble diseases are are driuen out by the helpe of herbes. melancholy, frensie, mad­nesse, falling sickenesse or foule euill, and most grieuous and cruell diseases, which come to maides and widowes, of the passions of the wombe, or late fluxion of their naturall euacu­ations, or when they defer the time of mari­age too long, and then be matched in matri­mony. For the minde is so troubled and affec­ted by meanes of noyous fumes, blacke and grosse vapours like vnto soote of a chimney, that they thinke thēselues to be vexed of some hurtfull spirite, and perswade themselues that the Diuell assayleth their minde, and driueth them vnto many absurd, inconuenient, foolish, and odious imaginations. Vnto which noyful malady, attempting first incision or cutting o­pen of the vaine for Phlebotomy or bloudlet­ting about the ancles, holesome herbes are applied in medicine, which may deliuer them from such accidents: as namely these, Mug­worth, Sauory, Peny royall or Pulioll royall, Organum or Organie, Clary. Moreouer [Page 209] among herbes which doe ease and helpe af­flicted minds, and keep them harmelesse from the diuell, or from conceiuing imagination of him, or from poysoned fumes which doe an­noy and corrupt the brain, these be reckoned, Rew, Squilla or sea onyon.namely Rew, Squilla or sea onion, of the iuyce whereof both the syrupe, oxymel and vineger is confected; Osteritium, cōmonly called Ma­gistrantia: Angelica or Imperiall: a kinde of fenell gyant, or of the herbe that groweth in Syria, the iuyce whereof is called of the Apo­thecaries Asadulcis, Belzoe or Belzoin, cōmon­ly called Beniamin, or rather Benzwin; Alisson, Madder.the herbe called the lesser Madder, wherwith they vse to colour skinnes, which herbe remedieth the madnesse of a dog, and healeth them also that bee bitten of a mad dog, which affection, hurt and griefe is not vnlike to those which are vexed of Satan, and incensed with furious raging: Rosemary.Rosemary purgeth the house, and a stalke of this herbe, or a stemme or braunch of the bodie of this tree, hāged on the threshold, driueth away diuels, and the infection of pesti­lence. Palmae Christi.And so doth also that herbe which in e­uery place is commonly knowne by the name of Palma, or Palmus Christi, because the leaues of it are in fashion like vnto a hand stretched out. Things good a­gainst fal­ling sicknesSo likewise Corrall, Pyonie, Mistelden, doe expell the falling sicknesse, if they bee ei­ther hanged on the necke, or giuen to drinke [Page 210] in wine. Of which remedies if any man think that some may be exhibited and ministred for the driuing out of diuels: then, away with all vanitie and heathnish superstition, away with all babling prayers, and such kind of outlan­dish or straunge countrey words, wherewith the professors of Magicall Artes, do common­ly bring to passe their enchauntments and sor­ceries. Herbs haue their effect of God.If herbes haue any effectuall operation or power, as experience doth plainly shewe that they haue, remember that they haue it of the Lord. For all medicines and medicinable stemmes and herbes, which are applied vnto mens bodies, are not effectuall, nor haue the effect of restoring health, in respect of them­selues, or by their owne vertue, but by the gift and goodnesse of God. Therfore if thou in­tend to doe some good cure, by the helpe of herbes, doe not put thy trust in the herbes, but in God. For so shall thy enterprise haue such good happe and prosperous successe in dri­uing away diseases, as thou wouldest wish to haue. Otherwise this endeuour goeth wrong way to worke, and the euent thereof decei­ueth the skilfull professour of the Arte, when as he doth neither wey in his minde the power of the Creator, nor trusteth in him of whom all things haue and receiue their effect. Why king Asa obtay­ned not his health. 2. Paral. 16. 2. Paral. 16.For this cause Asa king of Iuda, when he was afflicted & striken with very vehemēt griefe & payn in [Page 211] his feete, and sought not God, nor asked re­medie of him, but trusted onely to Phisitions, hee felt no ease nor helpe by their fomenta­tions, but dyed of the gowte, as the historie doth testifie. For God doth not forbid men to vse the helpe of Phisitions, but to trust in them too much, and to haue no regard of him which maketh hole and giueth health,Psal. 62. and by whose gift all things are effectuall. More­ouer, those men doe fondly and superstitious­ly, and doe attempt a thing not altogither differing from idolatrie, who in their en­chauntments, vse herbes consecrated with certaine counterfait prayers, or doe also la­bour to expell diseases with them by theyr sorcerie. So they applye and vse Ferne or Brake gathered in the night season, when the Sunne entring into Cancer is at the highest, and the day at the longest, Rew,Herbs must not be ap­plied to Magicall enchaunt­ments. three leaued grasse, or Trifoyle, and Veruaine, mixed in their Magicall delusions, wherewith they de­ceiue and blind the rude and ignorant people, to the ende they may scrape and get some­thing from them, and beguile them of their money. And yet for all that, those vayne craftsmen doe neuer become rich men. This aduertisement haue I thought conuenient and necessarie to bee annexed to this treatise, O studious reader, to admonish euery man to abstaine from Magicall enchauntments, and [Page 212] to marke well and consider, of whome the ayde, succour, and safegarde of health and soundnesse must bee asked and sought, and in what manner (reiecting heathnish vanitie and superstition) wee ought to vse those prest and readie remedies, which GOD of his great goodnesse and bountifull liberalitie, hath plentifullie and aboundantlie graunted vnto vs.

The nature of God is vnsearch­able.BEcause GOD that most excellent, most mightie and puissant nature, and the very eternall minde or spirite free and cleare from all mortall mixture and congelation, exten­deth himselfe so exceedingly, as cannot bee measured, and dilateth, stretcheth, and shed­deth foorth himselfe so farre on euery side, as cannot bee comprehended, who ruleth and [Page 213] gouerneth euerie thing,Ioh. 1. and endueth them with his power: for that cause that same one deitie, for this vertue, power, excellent and mightie operation, is highly entituled with diuers names, and nobly renowmed, celebra­ted, and adorned with many glorious testifi­cations of prayse and honour, both of the Hebrewes, and also among other nations that haue had anie knowledge of the Godhead. So in the sacred and holie historie the Lorde is called El, Eloim, Adonai, Emanuel: God hath sundrie names. Of the which names euery one signifieth pecu­liar strength, and might, and attributeth great power vnto GOD, the which hee exerciseth and executeth on thinges here beneath. For which cause when hee set foorth, published, and ordained the commaundements of his lawe to bee carefully kept and obserued of the Iewes, to the ende that greater authori­tie and higher worshippe might the more honourablie and reuerentlie bee giuen and ascribed vnto him, hee saith, Exod. 20. Deut. 5. I am the Lorde thy God, which brought thee out of the lande of Egypt and house of bondage. Thou shalt haue no straunge Gods before mee. Iehoua, that is, Lord, is a singular name of God.By this holy and wonderfull name, he ascribeth vnto himselfe the rule and dominion of all thinges that haue their being. For sith that he is the foun­tayne, spring, and beginning of all vniuer­sally, and sith that hee alone hath his perma­nent [Page 214] being and perpetuall abiding by him­selfe, hee onely giueth power and strength to all things to haue their being and abiding. Wherefore it is meete and decent,This name is assigned to God of his effect. that all mortall men obey his commaundements and ordinaunces, and bee subiect vnto his lawes, and not seeke protection, health, helpe, and saluation of any other, but of him, nor turne themselues vnto any other, but vnto him, who onely is from euerlasting. This name which the Hebrewes call Iehoua, the Greekes [...], the Latines call the same Existentem, that is, being. Therefore the nomination of the di­uine substance, is deriued of many thinges. Namely, of his first and perpetuall power and might to bee, of his eternitie, of his mag­nificence, Maiestie, rule and dominion, to the which all things are subiect and vnder obe­dience, and by which hee ruleth all creatures, and guideth and gouerneth them by his most effectuall and principall prouidence. GOD hath also a name assigned vnto him of his placabilitie or mildnesse,Ose. 3. Ioel. 2. Naum 1. in that his displea­sure is so soone appeased and so easily miti­gated, of his meekenesse, mercie, and com­passion, which he vseth towards men, which doe humbly beseech and lamentably desire his ayde, his helpe and succour in their neces­sitie, distresse and miserie. For the hebrewe word, El, expresseth the clemencie or mercie [Page 215] of God ioyned with his righteousnesse,Naum. 2. Ose. 11. wher­with hee comforteth, strengtheneth, and pre­serueth the godly, and chastiseth, punisheth, and correcteth the wicked, and by putting his feare in their hearts, calleth them backe from their wickednesse. Hee is also named of the light, wherewith he driueth away the darknesse, the blindnesse, ignorance, and er­rours of the minde and vnderstanding, and doth illuminate & lighten mens hearts which are full of darknesse, with the light of his trueth and knowledge of him. For so saith our Sauiour, Ioh. 8. I am the light of the worlde, hee that followeth mee; walketh not in darkenesse. Of the fire also, wherewith hee enflameth and brenneth the godlie with the loue of his diuine Maiestie, and endueth their mindes with holesome and liuely doctrine. But hee consumeth and vtterlie destroyeth his ad­uersaries, which neither reuerence, wor­shippe, nor feare him, and bringeth them to naught, euen as the fire licketh vp drye strawe, or stubble, or such like light nou­rishments thereof.Deut. 4. Therefore Moses and Saint Paul doe admonish vs, to worshippe GOD reuerentlie and religiouslie, that is, with pure heart and good conscience, that wee may bee accepted before him. For our GOD, saith hee,Hebr. 12. is a consuming fire. Where­fore [Page 216] let euery man behaue himselfe lowlie and humblie before him.Mich. 6. Ose. 2. GOD hath also a name attributed vnto him of his good­nesse,He is called God of his goodnesse. liberalitie, and bounteousnesse, which hee vseth toward his faithfull seruants: whom hee suffereth not to bee oppressed with a­ny extreame necessitie, or to perish for want of thinges necessarie: but in all things that they haue neede of, he prouideth for them plentifully, and giueth vnto them aboun­dantly all thinges needfull and profitable, both outward goods, and also tranquillitie of heart, quietnesse of minde, and peace of conscience. And hee is called Father, of his pietie, louing kindnesse, and fatherlie affection, wherewith he embraceth his chil­dren, and by his bountifull prouidence ca­reth and prouideth for theyr health, safe­tie, and commoditie. So the Lorde saith by the Prophet Ieremie, Ieremy. 31. Malach. 1. Thou shalt call mee fa­ther, and shalt not ceasse to goe after mee. Agayne, Ieremy. 1. Esa. 63. I am become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first borne, and I will lea [...]e them foorth by the brooke of waters in the right waye, and they shall not fall: That is to saye, they shall followe my steppes, they shall goe with mee, and they shall agree vnto my will, and continue there­in, and I will keepe them safe in all theyr [Page 217] waies, neither shall any harme happen vn­to them, no iniury, no wrong or despite shall bee done vnto them, no destruction, no ca­lamity, no misery shalbe brought vpon them. Moreouer the Prophet Esay doth commemo­rate and recoumpt those goodly, faire, glori­ous and triumphant titles, which God the Fa­ther attributeth vnto Christ, that euery man may knowe what Christ hath done for vs by his natiuity, death, and resurrection, and by his ascension into Heauen. For thus the Prophet expresseth the greatnesse of his might and po­wer, his magnificence, his excellency, his brightnesse, his glory, his honour, his power, his highnesse, his maiesty: Of the which euery one redoundeth vnto our profite and commo­dity: whereuppon he is called Emanuel, that is to say, What E­manuel doth signi­fy. Esai 9. God with vs. A childe is borne vnto vs, and a Sonne is giuen vnto vs, and the principali­ty is vppon his shoulder, and his name shalbe cal­led Wonderfull, The giuer of counsail, The migh­ty God, The Father of the world to come, The Prince of peace. Ierem. 5. Innumerable and infinit are the testifications of praise, honour, and glory, which may be applied and ascribed vnto his exceeding, infinite, incomprehensible and sur­passing maiesty, yea euen which he attributeth vnto himselfe.Ose. 7. Esa. 61. Mat. 9. So he calleth himselfe the Phi­sition, because he giueth & assureth the health of soule and body, and cureth, amendeth, and [Page 218] healeth both the inward and outward vices & corruption of men. Hee calleth himselfe the Sheepheard,Esai. 40. Ioh. 10. Psal. 77. & 78. 1. Pet. 2. because he very carefully, diligēt­ly, and watchfully looketh vnto his flocke, and gathereth together the dispersed and scattere [...] sheepe, and feedeth and refresheth them with the holesome pasture and foode of his holy word. Ioh. 15. A simili­tude of a vine.So Christ calleth himselfe the fruitefull vine, and his Father the husbandman, and vs the braunches growing and abiding in the vine, whom he purgeth and pruneth, and clen­seth from the vine the vnprofitable stalkes or stemmes, that is to say, cutteth cleane away su­perfluous lustes and couetous desires, to the end they may bring forth more fruit. But those whome he findeth vnfruitefull and voide of yearely profite and increase (by which Meta­phor he meaneth them which bring foorth no fruite of Faith) hee adiudgeth and appointeth them to the fire, as vnprofitable and dry wi­thered shragges that haue no iuice, but are vt­terly fruitelesse. A simili­tude of building. 1. Cor. [...].Saint Paul also vseth a like Me­taphor deriued of diligence in husbandry and industry of building. For, priuie hatred, vari­aunce, and strife being repressed & abolished, wherewith the Corinthians were at discord a­mong themselues, and were puffed vp and swelled one against another, in the behalfe of their Doctors and Teachers, (as we see men do oftentimes euen now in these our daies) he ad­monisheth [Page 219] and warneth euery one of them, that if they haue gotten any holesom learning, they doe not attibute it to the Ministers, but ascribe it vnto GOD the author of all good thinges. The Apo­stles are Gods mini­sters. Wee, sayeth he, are helpers, and as it were hired workemen. Wee doe Gods businesse, to him doe wee approue our industry, for him do we take all this paines. Ye are Gods husbandrie, and as it were his ground, soile or land, which we til, and make more apt for fruit, with sowing the seed of holesome doctrine. Yee are Gods building and workemanship, which ariseth and is erected vppe vnto his glory. But as concerning the great highnesse, honour, and Maiesty of God, no­thing can be inuented or deuised, nothing can be thought, mused, or conceiued in the mind, so high, so magnificke, so renowmed, so excel­lent, so glorious,God is the perfect pa­terne and absolute ensample of vertue. so surpassing faire and good­ly, finally so perfect in euery respect, and in al kinde of vertues, but the same ought worthyly to be referred and attributed vnto the essency or substaunce of God, or applied and ascribed vnto him. The wise­dome of God. Psal. 66.104.107.147.His wisedome being the ruler and gouernour of all things, wherewith he preser­ueth, supporteth, and sustayneth the whole v­niuersal world by his counsaile & prouidence, is incomprehensible, inexplicable; vnspeake­able, and infinite, so that the order and orderly continuance of all thinges from time to time so wonderfully, doth draw all men into admi­ration [Page 220] and loue of the Creator, inflaming and prouoking them to extoll and magnifie him for his excellent and marueylous workes. The strēgth and might of God. The power of God. Psal. 18 27. 62.He might, strength, and power, wherewith hee casteth down and ouerthroweth his enemies, and wherewith he helpeth and maintayneth the godly, is inexpugnable and inuincible, & cannot be resisted. For there is nothing which doth not giue place vnto his strength. Esai. 25. Prouerb. 8. Luc. 2.No ca­stles, no towres, no fortifications, no defences, no fortresses or bulwarkes, how strong soeuer they be, can withstād his puissance. The righ­teousnes of God.His Iudge­ment and Iustice, wherwith he distributeth to euery man that which is due, conuenient, and requisite for him, and adiudgeth and rendreth rewardes to euery man according to his wor­thinesse and desertes,Psal. 18.48.85. is right, lawful, holy, sin­cere, pure,Psal. 22.145. laudable, and of excellent equity, so that no man (vnlesse hee bee of depraued iudgement) hath any cause to complain of the same.The mercy of God is a sure refuge to sinners. His mercy, compassion, pitty, clemen­cy, and mildnesse, which euery one of the Pro­phets doe greatly commend and highly extol, is exceeding, and excelleth and surpasseth all his vertuous. For all men which feare his Iu­stice flee vnto his Mercy as vnto a sure sanctu­arie, and doe humbly desire his helpe and suc­cour. This taketh away despaire and distrust out of mens fearefull hartes and consciences. With this the holy Spirit the Comforter doth [Page 221] comfort, strengthen,Psal. 32.57. Colos. 2. and raise vp them that suddainly fall, and grafting and fixing in their harts assured hope and trust to obtaine salua­tion, maketh thē come boldly vnto the throne of grace, to obtaine mercy and receiue remis­sion of sinnes,Hebr. 4. so that there is nothing which may be imputed vnto them, there is none that can accuse, appeach, or condemne them to be guiltie of death. Saint Paul hauing good proofe 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 doubtfull and waue­ring mindes of men, and prouoketh and allu­reth them vnto the mercy of God, euen by his owne notable and excellent example, with these wordes: Whereas before, sayeth he,1. Tim. 1. I was a persecuter, a blaspemer, a violent tyranne: I obtayned mercy, because I did it ignorauntly through vnbeleefe. That is to say, voyd of faith, and not knowing the counsaile, purpose, and determination of God. For he supposed, when he persecuted the Christians, that hee did God good seruice. And further, to the end that all men may haue good consideration and care­full regard of their saluation, and that euery mā may assuredly know that his sinnes are purged and cleansed away by the bloud of Christ,1. Ioh. 1.6. Saint Paul with assured protestation and af­firmance pronounceth these wordes to them [Page 222] that trust in him. Saint Paul praiseth & extolleth the mercy of God. This is a sure saying and by all meanes worthy to bee receiued, that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners, of whē I am chiefe. Saint Paul prouoketh all men to committe themselues to the mer­cy of God. But for this cause I obtayned mer­cy, that in me he might first shewe all clemency, to declare an ensample vnto them, which should beleeue on him vnto euerlasting life, that is to say, with hope and constant expectation of the kingdome of heauen. And because this be­nefite ought wholly to be ascribed vnto our heauenly Father, and that he ought not to be robbed of his due prayse, not defrauded of the testification and percelebration of his infinite goodnesse, hee immediatly annexeth these wordes: Vnto the immortall King of Worlde, vnto the inuisible, and onely wise God be honour, prayse, and glory for euer, Amen. Saint Peter also for the mystery of our redemption, attri­buteth the like prayse 1. Pet. 1. Saint Peter extolleth the mercy of God ex­ceedingly. Vnto God and the Fa­ther of our Lord Iesus Christ, who according to his aboundant mercy regenerated vs vnto a liue­ly hope, by this that Iesus Christ rose again from the dead, to an inheritance immortall, vndefiled, and that cannot fade nor perish, laid vp in hea­uen towardes vs: that is to say, for the loue of vs and for our sakes. Tit. 3. For after that the kinde­nesse, and loue and humanity of God our Sauiour towards man appeared, not for any of our deserts, nor for the workes of righteousnesse which wee wrought, but according to his mercy he saued vs [Page 223] by the fountaine of regeneration and renewing of the holy Spirite, which hee hath shed foorth richly by Iesus Christ our Sauiour, that wee be­ing iustified by his grace, might be made heires according to the hope of euerlasting life: which saying is certaine true and vndoubted, and to bee infixed and surely kept by all meanes in euery mans minde. Seeing therefore that the loue & ready kindnesse of God is so great, his fauor, charity, his fatherly deare and tender affection towardes mankinde is such, that hee hath not onely giuen vs the vse and commodity of all thinges, but also (which farre exceedeth these benefites) hath bestowed euen his onely belo­ued Sonne 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 thankefulnesse for such a benefite bestowed on vs, doth re­quire, that euery one of vs do put al our whole hope, trust and confidence in him,Our life must be ap­proued vn­to God. and magni­fie him with most high and excellent prayses, and endeuour to approue our conuersation, & lead our liues acceptable before him, & please him with Faith, not an idle and vaine Faith,Faith is a­dorned with fruits. but that which is susteyned, declared, enuironed, and accompanied with the workes of charity: and denying and forsaking vngodlinesse, and reiecting carnal lusts and worldly desires, con­secrat our selues wholly vnto him, and liue so­berly, [Page 224] 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 Sauiour Ie­sus Christ, who gaue himselfe for vs, to redeeme vs from all iniquity, and to purge vs a peculiar people vnto himselfe zealous and feruent follo­wer of good workes: For by framing our liues and ordering our conuersation after this man­ner, and by the operation and consolation of the holy Spirite the Comforter giuen vnto vs and dwelling in vs,Rom. 5. peace, tranquility, and sure safety shalbe nourished and stablished in our hartes and consciences, and dread & feare of death being shaken off and driuen away, Christ being our leader and guide, our captain and forerunner, we shall enter into immorta­lity, and the blessed and euerlasting mansions. And indeede 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 porche and doore of the other farre bet­ter life to come, and the very gate and first en­try vnto the heauenly Cittie, and the entrance and way vnto euerlasting life. Of the certain­ty whereof no man hath cause to doubt, or mi­strust the promises of God, when as the trueth it selfe, which is infallible and neuer falleth or deceiueth, doth faithfully perfourme that which it hath promised. God is true in his pro­mises. For God is true, and e­uery man is a lyer, that is, God saileth no man, [Page 225] deceiueth no man, nor disappointeth any man of his hope and expectation.Psal. 62.116. He is no vaine promiser nor vnfaithful promis-keeper, as men vse to be, which dissolue leagues and alliance, breake couenants, and with a kind of old craf­ty subtilty, winde themselues out of the bonds of their promises, and slip from their word, but he is constant, stedfast, sure, and very faithful­ly performeth and accomplisheth that which he hath promised, and which he hath vnderta­ken to bring to passe. But euery man is a lyer, that is to say, deceitfull, slippery, light, incon­stant, mutable, doubtfull, wauering, variable,The exposi­tiō of these words (man is a lyer.) fraudulent, vaine, crafty, slie, vnfaithfull, and which speaketh one thing standing, and ano­ther sitting, so that no mā may safely trust him. Which vices are very farre from the Maiesty of God, yea so far as cannot be expressed, be­cause that no humane affections can bee inci­ [...]ent vnto him. Therefore we must with most assured confidence trust, leane, and cleane vn­to him, specially and principally, and direct & refer all our praiers requests, hope,In daunger and distres we must flee to God. and desires [...]nto him onely, whensoeuer either dangers or calamities are imminent, or when death and our extreame conflict is euen at hand. For by his fauour, presence, & present helpe, al things are mittigated, and made mild, easie and tol­lerable, and al things are of sowre, grieuous & bitter, made sweete, delectable, and pleasant. [Page 226] By sure trust in him the feare of death is driue [...] away, and al terror and trembling is abolished out of our harts. For the loue of him wee con­temne & despise the fawning delights & flat­tering pleasures of this life. By the power and helpe of him wee endure and patiently suffer miseries, dammages, and inconueniences, which compasse, besiege, and assaile vs euery moment. With firmely stablished hope in him and constant expectation of immortality we [...] being supported and comforted, doe willing­ly, gladly, and chearefully flit and depart 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 vnto those e­ternall and blessed dwelling places. And with lesse griefe and greater ioy, are wee separa [...] from the society of the body, and from the course and standing place of this life: And our last conflict and wrastling with death, (in which for the most part mistrust and despaire assaileth the consciēce) maketh vs to haue the lesse carefulnesse, heauinesse, and perplexity, because we are sure,1. Tim. 2. that redēption & grace i [...] obtained for vs by the merit of Christ. The death of Christ washeth a­way our sinnes.For the Mediator between God and man Iesus Christ hath reconciled vs vnto his father, and with his bloud hath washed away our sinnes, and by the power of his resurrection hath giuen [...] righteousnesse: 1. Ioh 2. For Christ was deliuered for our [Page 227] sinnes, as Saint Paul sayeth. Rom. 4. And was raised for the iustification of vs. The resur­rection of Christ ius­tifieth vs.So that wee being con­firmed and assured by the resurrection of Christ, as by a sure pledge, doe trust that wee shalbe saued and raysed vp by his power. For he, as the Apostle testifieth,Philip. 3. Wil transforme our vile body, and make it of like fashion vnto his glo­rious body, according to the mighty working whereby hee is able to subdue all thinges to him­selfe. For although, according to the doctrine of Saint Paul, 2. Cor 4. & 5. This our earthly mansion of this tabernacle must be destroyed, euen as a ruinous house, which is dissolued, when the ioints and [...]enons are loosed, and the framing together of the [...]afters is plucked asunder: yet that buil­ding which we haue of God, is not made with handes, but eternall in heauen. For God which hath raised up the Lord Iesus, shall raise vs vppe also by him, and shall make vs partakers of the common resurrection; Which most certaine hope bringeth this to passe, that we being lesse depriued, naked, or destitute doe suffer our selues to be withdrawen and remoued from hence.