I. Rule. The feare of the Lord, and his blessing make the poore man rich, and the rich man yet more rich.
Probation, and declaration.

YE shall serue the Lord your God (saith the Lord our God by his holy seruant Moses) and he shall blesse thy bread, and thy water. Exod. 23.25. The land shal giue her fruit, Leuit. 25 18.19. & 26.3.4.5.14.15.19.20. and ye shall eate your fill, and dwell therein in safetie. I will send you raine in due sea­son, and the land shall yeeld her increase, and the trees of the field shall giue their fruite, and your threshing shall reach vnto the vintage, and the vin­tage [Page 2] shall reach vnto the sowing time, and ye shall eate your bread in plenteousnesse, and dwell in your land safelie. But if you will not obey me, but breake my couenant, I will make your Heauen as iron, and your earth as brasse, and your strength shall be spent in vaine, neither shall your land giue her increase, neither shall the trees of the land giue their fruite. Deut. 8.17.18. Beware lest thou say in thine heart, my power and the strength of mine owne hand hath prepared me this abundance, but remember the Lord thy God, for it is hee which giueth thee power to get substance. & 7.12 13.14. For if ye hearkē vnto these lawes, and obserue and doe them, then the Lord thy God shall keepe with thee the couenant and the mercie which he sware vnto thy fathers, and he will loue thee, blesse thee, and multiplie thee; hee will also blesse the fruit of thy wombe, and the fruit of thy land, thy corne, and thy wine, and thine oile, and the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheepe, and thou shalt be blessed aboue all people. I will also giue raine vnto your land in due time, & 11.14.15. the first raine and the latter, that thou maist gather in thy wheate, and thy wine, and thine oile; also I will send grasse in thy fielde, for thy cattell, that thou maiest eate and haue enough. & 28.3.4.5.6.8.15.16.17.18.19 Blessed shalt thou be in the Citie, and blessed also in the fielde, blessed shall be the fruit of thy bodie, and the fruit of thy ground, the fruit of thy cattell, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheepe, blessed shalt bee thy basket, and thy dough, blessed shalt thou bee when thou commest in, and blessed also when thou goest out. The Lord shall command [Page 3] the blessing to be with thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand to. Deut. 30.9. The Lord will make thee plenteous in euery work of thine hand, in the fruite of thy bodie, and in the fruit of thy cat­tell, and in the fruit of the land for thy wealth. But if thou wilt not obey the voice of the Lord thy God, to keepe and to doe his commandements, & 28.15.16.17.18.19.23.24.38.39.40.42. then cursed shalt thou be in all the things aforesaid.

The Lord (saith the godly woman Anna, the mother of holy Samuel in her song) maketh poore, 1. Sam. 2.7.8. and maketh rich, bringeth lowe and exalteth, hee raiseth vp the poore out of the dust, and lifteth vp the begger from the dunghill, to set them among Princes, and to make them inherit the seate of glo­rie, for the pillars of the earth are the Lords. 1. Chron. 29.12 Psalm. 113.7.8. & 107.36.37.38.41. & 25.12.13. The same thing saith the holy Prophet and godly King Dauid. The soule of the man that feareth the Lord shall dwell at ease, and his seede shall inherit the land. Trust thou in the Lord, and doe good: & 37.3.4.5.7.9.11.18.19.22.29.34. dwell in the land, and thou shalt be fed assuredly. Delight thy selfe in the Lord, and he shall giue thee thine hearts desire: commit thy way vnto the Lord, and trust in him, and he shall bring it to passe: waite pa­tiently vpon the Lord, and hope in him; for they that waite vpon the Lord shall inherit the Land. Meeke men shall possesse the earth, and shall haue their delight in the multitude of peace. The Lord knoweth the daies of vpright men, and their inheri­tance shall be perpetuall. They shall not be con­founded in the perillous time, and in the daies of famine they shall haue enough. Such as be blessed of God shall inherit the land, and they that be cur­sed [Page 4] of him, shall be cut off. The righteous men shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for euer: waite thou on the Lord, and keepe his way, and hee shall exalt thee that thou shalt inherit the land: Psalm. 61.5. for hee wil giue an heritage vnto those that feare his name. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, & 112.1.2.3. and de­lighteth greatly in his commandements, his seede shall be mightie vpon earth, the generation of the righteous shall bee blessed, and his righteousnesse indureth for euer. & 128.1.2. Blessed is euery one that feareth the Lord and walketh in his waies, when thou ea­test the labours of thine hands, thou shalt be bles­sed, and it shall be well with thee. The blessing of the Lord (saith king Salomon, Prou. 10.22. whom the Lord bles­sed both with wisdome and riches) maketh rich, and hee addeth no sorrowes to it. & 13.22. The good man shall giue inheritance vnto his childrens children: but the riches of the sinner is laid vp for the iust. The feare of the Lord leadeth to life, & 19.23. and he that is filled therewith shall continue, and shall not be vi­sited with euill. & 22.4. The reward of humilitie and the feare of God is riches, & 31.30. and glorie, and life. Also Sa­lomons vertuous woman that increaseth the wealth of her husband and house, is such a one as feareth the Lord.

Ecclesiastic. 1.11.12.13.18.20.21.23.The feare of the Lord (saith Iesus the sonne of Syrach) is glorie and gladnes, and a ioyfull crowne; who so feareth the Lord, it shall goe well with him at the last: he shall prosper, and in the day of his end he shall be blessed. She filleth men with her fruits, she filleth their house with all things desireable, and the garners with the things she bringeth forth; [Page 5] she hath brought vnto honour them that possessed her. & 11.14.17. The feare of God (saith he) filleth mens hearts with wisdome, and their houses with all desirable things. & 15.1.5.6. & 38.8. & 40.26.27. The feare of the Lord exalteth them aboue their neighbours, and clotheth them with the gar­ment of glorie, for of the Lord commeth prosperi­tie & wealth ouer all the earth. Riches and strength lift vp the heart, but the feare of the Lord is aboue them both. There is no want in the feare of the Lord, and it needeth no helpe. The feare of the Lord is a pleasant garden of blessing, and there is nothing so beautifull as it is. Finally, the blessed Apostle S. Paul teacheth vs, 1. Tim. 4.8. that godlines is profi­table vnto all things, as that which hath the pro­mise of the life present, and of that that is to come. Now what other thing else is godlines, but the feare and worship of God, and what other thing else is the feare of God, but godlines?

Thus yee see, O yee students in the art of Enri­ching, what an excellent thing the feare of God is; how that she is a pleasant and profitable garden of blessing and of blessednes. In this garden which the hand of God hath planted himselfe, grow the tree of knowledge, and the tree of life, euen both wisdome and wealth: Psalm. 111.10, Prou. 1.7. & 22 4. Ecclesiastic. 11.14.17. for the feare of the Lord is the beginning of both. She filleth the heart with wisdome, and the house with varietie of goods: with the right hand shee reacheth out spirituall wealth, and with the left hand, temporall store. Prosperitie on earth is her temporall guerdon, and felicitie in heauen is her eternall reward.

But I know some will obiect and say, that euen [Page 6] the godlesse, and such as will neither know God, nor acknowledge him, neither loue him as a Fa­ther, nor feare him as a Lord, may be likewise rich, and oftentimes enioy great prosperitie and wealth. To which I answere thus; such as the feare of God maketh rich, Luk. 12.21. they are rich in God, as our Sauiour in the gospell giueth vs to vnderstand: that is, they are rich with goods giuen out of Gods own hand, and their goods are gotten with a good conscience, they doe good with their goods, and reape more good and goods at Gods hand by vsing them to his glorie and their neighbours good. For vnto them that haue (saith our Sauiour) it shall bee gi­uen: Matth. 25.29. Luk. 19.26. that is, vnto such as haue godlines and good­nes, shall bee giuen goods, and vnto such as haue vsed their goods aright, shall bee giuen yet more goods: whereas from the man that hath not god­lines and goodnes, euen those goods he hath shall bee taken away, and giuen to him that hath more goodnes then he. Psal. 25.12.13. & 37.18.29. Moreouer, the riches of the man that feareth God, as they shall be increased, so shall they bee continued to him and his posteritie, wal­king after their fathers footesteps in the waies of Gods feare: as for the wicked, and such as are void of Gods feare, they may well be wealthie and rich, yea and very rich, they may waxe olde, and growe in wealth, Iob 21.7. saith Iob, the miror of patience, they may be strong and spread themselues like a greene bay tree, Psal. 37.35. saith diuine Dauid; they may take roote, grow and bring forth fruit, and their way may pros­per, Ierem. 12.1.2. saith holy Ieremie: yet for all this, they cannot be rich in God. For though the most high, who is [Page 7] kinde vnto the very vnkinde, and good vnto the e­uill, Matth. 5.45. Luk. 6.35. make his sunne to shine on the euill as well as the good, and send raine on the vniust, as well as the iust (as our Sauiour speaketh in the gospell:) though, I say, he raine downe riches euen vpon ir­religious men, and giue gold vnto the godles, and goods vnto such as haue no goodnes at all; yet it is in the same maner as he gaue of old, flesh vnto the murmuring Israelites to eate: Psal. 78.27.28.29.30. He rained flesh vpon them as dust, & feathered fowle as the sand of the sea, hee made it fall in the middest of their campe, euen round about their habitations. So they did eate, and were filled, for he gaue them their desire: hee made them to eate in his anger, Numb. 11.18.19.20.33.34. vntill it came out of their nostrils, and was loathsome vnto them; while their flesh was yet betweene their teeth, be­fore it was well chewed, euen the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and he smote them with an exceeding great plague, so that euer after, the place where they fell bare the name of the graues of lust. Iob 22.18. & 21.7.13.16.17 In like manner God oftentimes rai­neth riches vpon the godlesse, and hee filleth their houses with good things: they growe in wealth, they spend their daies in wealth: but loe for all this their wealth is not in their hand. It is not giuen to them and theirs for euer, but onely lent them for a time: and when the time is spent and past, & 15.29. God will put out the candle of the wicked, and diuide their liues in his wrath: he shall not be rich alwaies, & 20.10.15.23.28. neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof in the earth: his hands shall restore his substance; he hath deuoured [Page 8] substance, and he shall vomit it, for God shall draw it out of his bellie: Iob 26.14 16.17.21.22.23. he shall be about to fill his bel­lie, but God shall send vpon him his fierce wrath, and shall cause to raine vpon him, euen vpon his meate. The increase of his house shall goe away: hee shall flow away in the day of his wrath, and his posteritie shall not be satisfied with bread. Though hee should heape vp siluer as the dust, and prepare rayment as the clay, he may prepare it, but the iust shall put it on, and the innocent shall diuide the siluer. God shall hurle him out of his place, and shall cast vpon him, & not spare, though he would faine flie out of his hands. Euery man shall clappe their hands at him and hisse at him out of their place. & 20.6.7.29. Loe this is the portion of the godles rich man from God, and the heritage that the man shall haue of God that is rich, but not rich in God. Though his excellencie mount vp to the heauen, and his head reach vnto the cloudes, yet shall hee not enter into heauen, yea he shall be hurled not onely down from heauen, but also out of the earth, and shall perish for euer like his dung; and they which haue seene him shall say, where is hee? Though he be strong for a time, prosper and florish like a greene bay (as holy Dauid speaketh) yet his armes and his branches shall be broken; Psal. 37.17.20.29.30. he and his prosperitie shall perish and melt away like the fat of Lambes: whereas the righteous men (that is, such as feare God and eschew euill) shall inherit the land for euer. And thus I hope the obiection made against the infallibilitie of the first rule may be satisfied.

[Page 9]Now if a man that loueth to studie this art, will aske what the feare of God is, which openeth so wide a doore vnto a man to be rich, and how such a man may be knowne; Salomon, 1. King. 3.5.6.7.8 9.10. Eccles. 3.14. & 12.13. Prou. 8.13. & 14.16. (who was a man both rich and wise, and one that feared God not only before, but also after his fall in mine opinion) will giue him satisfaction. The feare of the Lord (saith he) is to hate euill. A wise man feareth and departeth from euill: Iob 1.1. & 28.28. and therefore it is said of Iob who was a wise man and a rich man both, that hee feared God and eschewed euill; and with all hee telleth vs that the feare of the Lord is wisdome, and to depart from euill is vnderstanding. So then the feare of God is the hatred of euill, and the man that hateth euill feareth God. And a man may know him by this marke, euen by his departing from euill and eschewing of sinne: and good rea­son forsooth, that a man who should loue God as the soueraigne good, and would be loued of God; that hee hate euill as the diuell, that would make him hated of God. The diuell is all made of euill, (for so hath he made himselfe by sinne) and euill floweth from the diuell; euen as God is all good, and euery good thing is from God. So that these vocables or words, God and good, diuell and euil, are not so neere or like one another in sound, as they are in substance. And as wee must hate euill with our hearts, so must wee depart from euill in our hands, yea in the actions of our whole liues. We must depart from euill, that would make vs de­part from God, and God from vs for euer. Wee must eschew the euill of sinne, as we would eschew [Page 10] the euill of eternall shame, and the horrors of hell.

Prou. 8.13. Salomon when he defineth the feare of God to bee the hating of euill, mentioneth immediatly three capitall euils, that a man must hate aboue all other; pride, the euil way, and the mouth that spea­keth lewde things. Genes. 18.27. Iob 10.9.10.11.12. & 25.6. 1. Mac. 2.62. Ecclesiast. 10.12. As for the euill of pride; what greater pride or what greater euill can there bee, then for man who is but a worme, and the ordina­rie repast of wormes, euen dust and ashes, and who holdeth his breath and all that he hath of God, not to humble himselfe daily before his footestoole, and to pray vnto him, earnestly for grace and all good things, and to praise him heartfully for such blessings as he hath bestowed vpon him, whether in bodie or in soule, or in both? withall acknow­ledging all his felicitie to flow from him, who (as the Apostle S. Iames teacheth) is the giuer of euery good and perfit gift from aboue. Iames 1.17. And as for the o­ther euill, of the euill way; good Lord! what way can be more euill, then for a man to doe his owne worldly will, and his owne wicked way on the Lords day? for a man, I say, to pollute the holy day of the holy One, by following the worldly waies of profit and of pleasure, and to steale away from him both his seruice and the day of his seruice, which ought to be wholly spent and imployed in holines (without which the Apostle saith, Heb. 12.14. no man shall see God) euen in the publike exercise of pietie towards God, and of charitie and mercie towards man for Gods sake? And as for the third euil, of the mouth and tongue that speaketh lewde things; what more lewde thing can the mouth of man vt­ter, [Page 11] then to vse or rather abuse so irreuerently, as the most part now adaies doe, the adorable name of God, to sweare almost at euery word by the same, and by the blessed name of Iesus, by his pas­sion, by his wounds, and by his blood? The holy Scripture willeth euery knee to bowe at the blessed name of Iesus, Isai. 45.23. Rom. 14.11. Phil. 2.10.11. in signe of reuerence and subiection (for thereby we doe acknowledge him euen as hee is man to be our Soueraigne, the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings) and enioyneth euery tongue to confesse that he is the Lord, 1. Cor. 15.24.25.26.27.28. Heb. 2.7.8. vnto the glo­rie of God the father, who hath put downe all things vnder his feete. But these lewde mouthed men will neither reuerence him with the bowing of the knee, nor honour him with the confession and sanctification of the tongue. Their knees will not honour the Sonne, and their tongues wil needs dishonour both the Father and the Sonne. Well, let them be rich who will, surely such as bee proud in Gods sight, and will neither praise him nor pray vnto him, and such as be prophaners of his holy name, and of his holy day, and will not sanctifie both, they shall neuer be rich in God. They may well gather goods, but they shall not proue goods to them, they shall not turne to their good, neither shall they reape any good at Gods hand by them, neither shall they remaine to them and theirs. For only the feare of God (which mother-vertue these men want) is the fountaine of good goods, and of durable riches.

Now the feare of God hath two branches, the one is, we must feare to offend him, because he is [Page 12] our Father, whom we must loue in the highest de­gree: the other is, when we haue offended him, we must feare his furie and punishments, because he is our Lord. Our feare must not be seruile or slauish, such as is the bond-mans feare of his master, which is onely and meerely because of punishment: but our feare must bee filiall and sonly, such as is the childrens feare of their father, Psalm. 2.11. as being loth to of­fend one whom we loue: we must serue the Lord in feare and trembling: we must feare to offend, before we offend; and when as through humane frailtie we fall into any offence, wee must tremble for feare of his rods: like faultie and guiltie chil­dren we must shake and quake before the face of our heauenly father, and prostrated at his feete, and vnder his feete, wee must intreate him with our teares to bee appeased towards vs for his mercies sake, and to be pleased with vs for his Sonnes sake, in whom he is well pleased. We must, I say, implore him by his fatherly pitie to lay his rods aside, each one with godly Dauid, Psalm. 6.1. saying and praying, Lord rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chastise me in thy wrath. But if our most wise and prouident fa­ther finde it not expedient for vs to spare vs, and to let vs passe vnpunished; then must we throw our selues downe at his feete, and offer willingly both our bodies and our goods vnto his blowes. Let vs suffer his punishment with all patience, his corre­ction with all submission of minde: let vs beware to murmur against our good father, though his blowes seeme somewhat bitter, and his stripes touch vs to the quicke: let vs alwaies intertaine [Page 13] this christian cogitation in our hearts, that our fa­ther is a most wise father, and therefore knoweth well, yea better then any other, and best of all o­ther, what is most for our good: and that hee is a most good father, and one that loueth his children most dearely and entirely, and therefore will doe nothing vnto vs, but that which will doe vs much good.

In the meane time let each one that is chastised, beseech God to doe it in so mercifull a manner, that his correction may serue for his erection and direction all the daies of his life: That it may serue for his instruction euer thereafter, and not for his destruction, as it doth to the obdured and repro­bate: and therefore let him say and pray with the holy prophet Ieremie, Lord, correct me, Ierem. 10.24. but with iudgement (that is, with moderation and measure) not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. Finally, he must be so farre from making peruerse inference vpon the correction of God, as though it did argue that God did hate him, because of hand­ling him so; that he must gather the quite contra­rie conclusion therof, and euen say to himself thus; The man God loueth most, hee correcteth most; for so saith Salomon the wise, My sonne, Prou. 3.11.12. Psalm. 9 4.12. refuse not the chastening of the Lord, neither bee grieued with his correction: for the Lord correcteth him whom he loueth, euē as the father doth the childe in whom he delighteth. So saith the Apostle Saint Paul to the Hebrews; Heb. 12.5.6.7.8. Whom the Lord loueth hee chasteneth, and he scourgeth euery sonne that hee receiueth. If ye endure chastening, God offereth [Page 14] himselfe vnto you as vnto sonnes; for what sonne is it, whom the father chasteneth not? If therefore ye be without correction, whereof all are partakers, then are yee bastards, and not sons. Lastly, so saith our Sauiour himselfe by his seruant S. Iohn, Reuel. 3.19. As ma­ny as I loue, I doe rebuke and chasten; bee zea­lous therefore and amend.

Thus wee haue three true witnesses, and one of them more then a witnes, telling and testifying, that correction & chastisement is a token of Gods loue. And we know, or at least ought to know, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, being true, euery word must stand; so then, if God correct vs because he loueth vs, as it is most certaine that hee doth, we must not doubt, but that it is done for our good. And therefore the holy Prophet Dauid, who was as much beloued of God as any; and therfore as much chastised of God as any, and who profited as much by correction and affliction as any, saith of himselfe thus; Psal. 119.67.71. It is good for me that I haue been afflicted, that I may learne thy statutes. For before I was afflicted and chastised, I went astray; but now I keepe thy word. As if he should say, affliction is a good rod, for it bringeth to God. Thus haue I shew­ed the nature, qualitie and good effects of the feare of God, so much as me thought might suffice for the declaration of the first rule of this Art, which taketh his beginning from that, which is the begin­ning both of wisdome, and of durable wealth. And therefore to shut vp this first discourse vpon this first rule of the golden art with some golden sen­tence; let mee say vnto euery one that would bee [Page 15] wise or wealthie in this world, and happie in the world to come, that which Iesus the sonne of Syrach saith: Trust in the Lord, hold fast his feare, Ecclesiast. 2.6. & 40.26. and grow old therein; there is no want in the feare of the Lord, and it needeth no helpe: for (as wise Sa­lomon saith) in the feare of God is an assured strength, and his children shall haue hope. Yea, Prou. 14.26. that which they hope for they shall haue; euen as much as is good for them to desire or haue here, and as much as they can desire, or would haue, or shall be able to receiue hereafter.

II. Rule. Wisdome and vnderstanding, that is, the knowledge of God and good things concerning the publicke good of Church or Common-wealth, with humane discretion, foresight and good gouernment about a mans owne pri­uate life, make the poore man rich, and the rich man yet more rich.
Probation, and declaration.

BLessed is the man that findeth wise­dom (saith Salomon, Prou. 3.13.14.15.16.17.18. who sought wis­dome and found it) and the man that getteth vnderstanding; for the merchandise thereof is better then the merchandise of siluer, and the gaine there­of is better then gold. It is more pretious then pearles: and all things that thou canst desire, are not to bee compared vnto her. Length of daies is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches [Page 16] and glorie. Her waies are waies of pleasures, and all her paths prosperitie. Shee is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her, and blessed is he that retaineth her. & 4.5.6.7.8.9. The wise shall inherit glory, but fooles dishonour, though they bee exalted. Get wisdome, and get vnderstanding; forget not, nei­ther decline from the words of my mouth. For­sake her not, and shee shall preserue thee, loue her and she shal keep thee. Wisdome is the beginning, get wisdome therefore, and aboue al thy possession get vnderstanding. Exalt her, and shee shall exalt thee, she shall bring thee to honor, if thou embrace her. She shall giue thee a comely ornament vnto thine head, yea she shal giue thee a crown of glory. I wisdome dwell with prudence. & 8.12.13.14.15.16.17.18.19.20.21. I haue counsell, and I haue strength. By me Princes rule, and the Nobles, and all the Iudges of the Earth. Riches and honour are with me, euen durable riches and righ­teousnesse. My fruit is better then gold, euen then fine gold, and my reuenues better then fine siluer. That I may cause them that loue me to inherit sub­stance, and I will fill their treasures. The wise man Iob hath an excellent description of the worth of wisdome. Iob 28.12.13.14.15.16.17.18.19.20.20.22.23.24.25.26.27.28. But where is wisdome found? And where is the place of vnderstanding? Man know­eth not the price thereof: for it is not found in the land of the liuing. The depth saith, it is not in me: the sea also saith, it is not with me. Gold shall not be giuen for it, neither shall siluer be weighed for the price thereof. It shall not bee valued with the wedge of gold of Ophir, nor with the pretious Onyx, nor the Saphir. The gold nor the Crystall [Page 17] shall be equall vnto it, nor the exchange shall be for plate of fine gold. No mention shall bee made of Corall, nor of the Gabish: for wisedome is more pretious then pearles. The Topaz of Aethiopia shal not be equall vnto it, neither shall it be valued with the wedge of pure gold. Behold the feare of the Lord is wisedome, and to depart from euil is vnder­standing. Prou. 12.14. A man shall bee satiat (saith Salomon) with good things by the fruit of his mouth, and the recompense of a mans hands shall God giue vnto him. & 13.2.18. A man shall eate good things by the fruit of his mouth, but the soule of the trespasser shall suffer violence. & 16.20. Pouertie and shame is to him that refu­seth instruction, but hee that regardeth correction shall be honoured. & 21.20. He that is wise in his businesse shall find good: for in the house of the wise, is a pleasant treasure and oile. & 15.31.32. Through wisedome is an house builded, and with vnderstanding it is e­stablished, and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all pretious and pleasant riches. Wisd. 7.11. Innume­rable riches come through her hands, & 8.5.18. & 10.10.11.12. and in the works thereof are infinite riches. Wisdome made Iacob rich in his labours, and made his paines profi­table, and gaue perpetuall glory to Ioseph, yea, brought him the scepter of a Kingdome. & 4.1.2. Vertue is alwaies crowned and triumpheth, and winneth the battell, and the vndefiled rewards. Ecclesiast. 11.1. & 15.3.4.5.6. & 24.19. Wisdome (saith Iesus the sonne of Syrach) lifteth vp the head of him that is low, and maketh him to sit among great men. Finally, the flowers of wisdome are the fruit of ho­nour and riches, euen the garment of glorie, the crowne of gladnes, and an euerlasting name.

[Page 18]Thus ye see, O yee students in the art of enrich­ing, of how great moment, wisedome and vnder­standing are for the attaining of riches. She maketh the poore man plenteous, and garnisheth the needy with wealth. The man that is low she raiseth aloft: she leadeth him by the hand from among the de­spised, and placeth him among princes. She lifteth vp his head, and as she storeth and decoreth his heart with grace, so shee crowneth his head with honour here, and with happinesse hereafter. It be­houeth therefore euery man next after the know­ledge of God, and of his dutie towards him (for this is the chiefe) to studie and learne the vnderstanding and knowledge of that calling God hath made him to embrace. Let him labour then to be wise and well seene in his owne art and occupation, be more then any other, and more in it then in any o­ther. The man that followeth the liberall pro­fession of letters, let him endeuour to know and comprehend the condition and constitution, the marrow and the mysteries of the art, science, and exercise hee hath betaken himselfe to. Prou. 21.1. For what wots hee, but that God, who hath the hearts of kings in his hand, may open a doore in some kings heart for him to enter into? and not onely open the doore of his hart to make the king loue him, but also the doore of his head, I meane his mouth, to make him say of him, Gen. 41.38.39. as once Pharaoh, King of Ae­gypt, said of Ioseph; Can we find such a man as this, in whom is the spirit of vnderstanding and wise­dome? Yea, more then this, open also his hand vn­to him, and make the Prince doe vnto him, as Pha­raoh [Page 19] did to Ioseph, euen prefer him vnto some wor­thie place in the Church, his Court or Common­wealth. What wots the lettered man, I say, but that God, Dan. 1.17.18.19.20. who oftentimes giueth his children fauour in the eies of kings, will make it befall him, as we find it did to the foure children, Daniel, Hananiah, Mi­shael and Azariah, to whom God gaue knowledge and vnderstanding in all learning and wisdome, and fauour in King NebuchadneZZars eies? So that the King disdained not to commune with them, though they were but young boies, who finding them ten times more cunning then all his other Wise men; he began to honour them with the li­bertie of ordinarie accesse vnto his presence, and appointed them alwaies to stand before him. And as God thus opened the Kings heart to loue them, and like of them more, then of the other wise men; who were not wise in God: so afterwards he ope­ned also the Kings hand vnto them in a more libe­rall and bountifull manner, then vnto the other wise men. For it is said, & 2.46.47.48.49. that the King greatly ho­noured Daniel, and for his great knowledge made him a great man, gaue him many great gifts; yea, he made him gouernour ouer the whole Prouince of Babel, and chiefe of the Rulers, and aboue all his wise men. So that he sat in the gate of the King, Genes. 41.40.41.42.43. e­uen as chiefe Ruler representing the King. Euen as Pharaoh set Ioseph ouer his house, yea, ouer all the land of Aegypt, to rule ouer his rulers, and to teach his wise men wisdome. Likewise Daniels three fel­lowes were preferred by NebuchadneZZar, and set ouer the Prouince of Babel vnder Daniel.

[Page 20]In one word, the lettered man must labour and endeauour to be such a one as Iesus the sonne of Sy­rach hath painted out in these words; Ecclesiasticus 39.1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.11. He only that applieth his mind to the law of the most High, and is occupied in the meditation thereof, seeketh out the wisdome of al the ancient, and exerciseth him­selfe in the prophecies. He keepeth the sayings of famous men, and entreth in also to the secrets of darke sentences. Hee seeketh out the mysterie of graue sentences, and exerciseth himselfe in darke parables. He shall serue among great men; and ap­peare before the Prince, hee shall trauell thorough strange countries: For he hath tried the good and the euill among men. He will giue his heart to re­sort early vnto the Lord that made him, and to pray before the most high, and wil open his mouth in prayer, and pray for his sinnes. When the great Lord will, he shall be filled with the spirit of vnder­standing; that he may powre out wise sentences, and giue thanks vnto the Lord in his prayer. Hee shall direct his counsell and knowledge, so shall hee meditate in his secrets. Hee shall shew foorth his science and learning, and reioyce in the law and co­uenant of the Lord. Many shall commend his vn­derstanding, and his memorie shall neuer bee put out, nor depart away: but his name shall continue from generation to generation. The congregation shall declare his wisedome, and shew it. Though he be dead, he shall leaue a greater fame then a thou­sand: and if he liue still, he shall get the same.

And as the literall man must labour to be wise, and well seene in his liberall profession; so must [Page 21] the merchant and trafficking man take pains to vn­derstand what belongeth to the handling of mer­chandise & wares in the ship, & in the shop, at home & abroad; that it may be said of him, Ezeck. 28.4.5. that was once said of the Prince of Tyrus, who was a merchant: Loe here a man, who with his wisdome and vnder­standing hath gotten him riches, & siluer and gold into his treasures, and by his wisdome and traffick­ing, hath increased the same. But let the Christian merchant in the meane time, beware of that other qualitie of this princely merchant, which the pro­phet doth mention in the next words; And thine heart is lifted vp because of thy riches: as also of that other euill qualitie noted in this Citie in these words; vers. 16.17.18. By the multitude of thy merchandise they haue filled the midst of thee with crueltie, and thou hast sinned. Let him beware of these, I say, lest God cast him with the princely merchant of Tyrus out of the mountaine of God, and bring him to ashes vpon the earth in the sight of all them that behold him. And therefore let our Christian merchant ra­ther imitate the godly and good qualities of the vertuous woman-merchant described by Salomon: Prou. 31.10. to 31. Who as shee is wise; for shee openeth her mouth with wisdom, and the law of grace is in her tongue: so she feareth the Lord, and is not proud of her ri­ches: she stretcheth out her hand to the poore, and in so doing, is not cruell or vnmercifull, as the mer­chants of Tyrus were. Well, my wish is, that it may be said of the merchants of these our two famous Cities, which was once said by the Prophet Isay of the merchants of Tyrus; Her Merchants are Prin­ces, [Page 22] and her Chapmen the Nobles of the earth. But yet more that that may be said of them, which Salo­mon hath vttered in the commendatiō of his vertu­ous woman merchant: The merchants of these Ci­ties feare the Lord, and stretch out their hands to the poore; the law of grace is in their tongue, and they feele that their merchandise is good.

And as the merchant and trafficking man must take paines to be skilfull in his calling, so must the husbandman and the labourer of the ground labor to vnderstand all things belonging to his farme, his plough, his cattell, his pasture, the fruits of his land, and the flockes of his sheepe. Genes. 26.12.13.14. To the end, that with Isaac, he may find an hundreth fold by estimation of his sowing, and waxe mightie in flocks of sheep, in heards of cattell, and in a great houshold. Like­wise must the tradesman or craftesman bee carefull to grow expert and cunning in his craft, and wise in his occupation, Exod. 28.3. & 31.2.3.4.5.6. & 35.30.31.32.33.34.35. that hee may be praised for his great skill with Bezaleel and Aholiab, two trades­men wise in heart, and in cunning; of whom it is said, that God filled them with an excellent Spirit of wisedome, vnderstanding and knowledge in all workemanship, to worke curiously in gold, siluer and brasse, in grauing and setting of stones, in hew­ing and caruing of wood, in working of broidred and needleworke, in blue silke, in purple, in skarlet and in fine linnen; in weauing and working all manner of curious deuices, and subtile inuentions. In one word, euerie man that desireth to bee rich, must endeauour to vnderstand the nature, qualitie, secrets, and perfection of his own vocation. Which [Page 23] if hee doe, and ioyne thereunto the feare of the Lord, whereby he shall draw downe Gods blessing vpon his adoes, he cannot but prosper.

But I know it will bee obiected, that it is often­times seene, that many ignorant men, many foolish and vnwise folkes are very rich: and on the other part, that many wise, learned, and well qualified men are oftentimes very poore; so that it may seeme that this second rule doth not hold true, &c. Hereunto I answere thus; It is very true which the Preacher of Ierusalem hath said, Ecclesiast. 9.11. that he saw vn­der the Sunne, that the bread is not to the wise, nor riches to men of vnderstanding, neither fauour to men of knowledge; meaning, that wealth, riches, honour, and fauour of princes and great men doe not befall onely, and alwaies vnto wise, learned, and well qualified persons, but also, and that very often, vnto ignorants, idiots and fooles: and yet notwithstanding the wise Preacher doth not con­tradict himselfe. For although aswell the euill as the good may bee rich, yet it is in a very different man­ner. For the ignorant and vnwise cannot be rich in God, nor with a good conscience, nor yet durablie rich, as the wise and well qualified are. Prou. 8.18. Riches and honour are with mee (saith Salomons Wisedome) euen durable riches and righteousnesse. So that durable riches and righteousnesse, that is, goods with a good conscience, Prou. 13.9.11. & 14.11.18. are only proper vnto such as are wise. For the riches of vanitie (saith he) that is of folly, shal diminish; the candle of the wicked shall be put out, his house shall bee destroyed, and the foolish shall inherit follie. In one word, his ri­ches, [Page 24] though in themselues they bee goods, yet are they not goods to him, because they turne not to his good, Ecclesiast. 13.25 but rather to his euill. For (as Iesus the son of Syrach saith) riches are good, or goods vnto him that hath no sinne in his conscience: that is, vnto the man that hath not gotten, increased, kept and vsed, or rather abused them with an euil conscience. And as the Apostle saith, Tit. 1.15. that vnto the pure are all things pure, but vnto them that are defiled and vn­beleeuing, is nothing pure, but euen their minds and consciences are impure: So likewise may it be wel said, that vnto the godly and good, are al things good, but vnto them that are godlesse and euill, is nothing good, but euen their verie goods to them are not goods, but euils. For as to the godly all things turne to the best, Rom. 8.28. so to the godlesse, al things, yea, euen such things as in themselues bee good, turne to the worst. And this is the saying of Iesus the sonne of Syrach; The principall things for the whole vse of mans life, is water, fire and yron, salt and meale, wheate, honey and milke, the blood of the grape, Ecclesiast. 39.26.27. oyle and clothing. All these things are for good to the godly, but to the sinners they are turned into euill. So then this standeth sure, that although foolish, vnwise and ignorant men may be rich, yet can they not bee rich in God. For I haue now shewed, Luke 12.15.16.17.18.19.20.21 his goods to him are not goods, and his riches are not durable riches. So saith Iesus, the Sonne of God, in the Gospell, of that rich foole, whose ground brought foorth fruits plenteously, so that he was constrained to build bigger barnes, to gather in his graines and his goods; and reioy­cingly [Page 25] said to his soule; Soule, soule, thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeeres, eate, drinke, liue at ease, and take thy pastime: O foole (saith our Sauiour) this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee; then whose shall those things be which thou hast prouided? And thus shall it fare with the man that gathereth riches to himselfe, and is not rich in God: Euen with the man who hath gotten or increased goods with an euill conscience, who hath goods and gold, but wanteth goodnesse and godlinesse; who is wise in the world, but not wise in God. Euen hee whose gold is his God, whose house is his heauen, whose bed is his Abrahams bosome, whose boord is to him the banket of the Lambe, whose praying is his playing, whose almes­deeds are all misdeeds, whose fasting is his feasting; and in one word, whose temporall fulnesse is his e­ternall felicitie.

As for the other part of the obiection touching the pouertie and need of many men that both feare God, and are wise and endued with great vnder­standing, and for the more full satisfaction thereof; it is to bee considered, that about pouertie and ri­ches, there doe occurre three diuers indeauours of men diuerslie disposed. Some are voluntarie yoke-embracers, others are voluntarie yoke-bea­rers, and other some are voluntarie yoke-breakers; and all the three orders are praisable, though in a different degree. The first two are properly stu­dents in the art of pouertie; for there is a kind of pouertie that doth require both great skil and great courage to embrace it, or to beare it, as it should, [Page 26] and ought to bee embraced or borne. So that the rules and precepts of this art do not concerne them who are either willing embracers, or patient bea­rers of pouerties yoke, but onely the third kind, who are yoke-breakers, that is, such as labour and studie to breake in peeces pouerties yoke, and to wind themselues out of want by winning of wealth by their vertuous endeauours. For this art teacheth a man, not how to make himselfe poore for Christs sake (which is an attempt and studie of an higher pitch) but how to make himselfe rich in God and with a good conscience, that hee may haue whereupon to impart vnto the poore for Christs sake.

And to speak a little more of the two first kinds of men; the voluntarie yoke-embracers, I call such as being rich, doe willingly abandon their riches to embrace pouerties yoke; either by forsaking all that they haue for Christs sake and the Gospell, as in the times and places of persecution; or by gi­uing away all that they haue, or the most part vnto the poore for Christs sake, and that in the time of peace and immunitie from persecution: Matth. 5.20.22 & 19.27.28.29. Luke 12.33. Act. 2.44.45. & 4.34.35. Such rare men esteeming it their greatest glorie to resemble our Sauiour by making themselues poore, that o­thers by their pouertie may be made rich. Euen as our blessed Iesus, who was rich, as heire of heauen and earth, for our sakes became poore, & so poore, that hee had not a house, yea hardly a hole to hide his head in, Matth. 8.20. Luke 9.58. 2. Cor. 8.9. euen poorer then the birds of the hea­uen, thē the swallow or the sparrow, & poorer then the foxes of the field; and all this, and more then [Page 27] this, for our sakes, that we who were poore, through his pouertie might bee made rich. And of such yoke-embracers and voluntarie poore men the pri­mitiue Church had not a few; but our age (where­in deuotion is nigh dead, and charity growne cold, and perfection almost euery where turned into im­perfection, yea, into defection) hath but too few. Now as for these men, who seeth not but they must needs be poore, though they feare God neuer so much, and bee neuer so well accomplished for wisedome, knowledge and good parts, seeing they are such, as will needs bee poore, and will not bee rich?

The other kind of voluntarie poore men, I call yoke-bearers, who bee they neuer so godly and wise, yet they may be and are ordinarily poore, be­cause they take not care to bee rich, their chiefe stu­die being to beare the yoke of pouertie patiently, with an inuincible courage & fortitude of mind, & to learne to bee content with a little for the loue they beare vnto tranquillitie of mind (as manie Philosophers and morall men haue done, Heb. 11.26. and yet doe,) or else for the respect they haue to the eternal reward, as many Ecclesiasticall and Churchmen haue done, and yet doe. And of this disposition are all those, that notwithstanding their abilitie, to fol­low a more gainefull calling, as great as that of o­thers, and perhaps greater, yet had rather decline and shunne the same, in regard of the manifold toiles, turmoiles, and dangerous snares it is subiect vnto, and betake themselues vnto a lesse gainefull calling; so that it be not accompanied with so ma­ny [Page 28] headstrong tentations and entanglements, as the other is enuironed with. As for example, a man that had rather follow the profession of Philo­sophie in the Academie for small gaines, then fol­low the practise of physicke in the citie or countrie with much gaines. Or a man that had rather play the physition and sauer of the sicke in the bed for little, then the pleader of the ignorants cause at the barre for much. For this second order of men con­sisteth for the most part of these two sorts; of Phi­losophicall and liberall professours, and of Ecclesi­astical ministers, which for the most part are poore, though in the meane time they be both godly and wise, and be appointed of God to teach and preach vnto men godlinesse and wisdome.

Psalm. 84.10.These men are such, that they had rather serue as doore-keepers in Gods house and want much, then dwell in the Tabernacles of wickednesse, and haue much. Isai. 55.1.2. Ezek. 47.1.7. Zachar. 13.1. Psalm. 36.8.9. 1. Cor. 3.1.2. Heb. 5.12.13.14. 1. Pet. 2.2. Iohn 6 50.51. & 15.1. Matth. 26.26.27.28. 1. Cor. 11 23.24 Reuel. 2.17. & 3.18. & 22.2. They had rather keepe Gods Inne to sell vnto men without siluer the liuing waters that flow from the fountaine of life, for the washing a­way of our fleshly filth; and for the refreshing of our spirituall thirst, to sell the pure milke of the principles of the word for the feeding of such as are babes in Christ, and the strong meate of the harder and higher things of the same word, for such as are more aged in Christ, and the bread of the hidden Manna that descendeth from hea­uen, and giueth spirituall strength vnto the heart of man, yea eternall life vnto the soule of man, toge­ther with the wine, that the true vine aboue doth yeeld, which maketh the heart glad, and the soule of [Page 29] man to sing: They had rather, I say, keepe an Inne for God, and winne little, there to sell without sil­uer for God spirituall victuals to feede and make fat mens soules, then to keepe an Inne for men, and winne much, by selling for siluer, Reuel. 3.18. food for the re­freshing and fatting of mens bodies. They had ra­ther sit in Christs shop, and sell for him vnto naked and needie soules gold tried by the fire, euen the gold of godly instructions, & good directions, that they may be made rich in godlinesse and in good­nesse, together with the white raiment of Christs righteousnesse (for as Iacob got his earthly fathers blessing in his elder brothers cloathes, Genes. 27.15. Mat. 22.11.12, Galath 3.27. Reuel. 19.8. so must wee our heauenly Fathers blessing in our elder brothers coate) that they may bee cloathed, and that their filthie nakednesse doe not appeare: they had ra­ther, I say, sit and sell in Gods shop without siluer such celestial wares, and in the mean time be poore; then to sit in mans shop, and sell silkes and satin, or cloathes of siluer and gold to couer mens backes with, and thereby to become very rich in siluer and gold. Reuel. 3.18. & 22.2. 1. Iohn 2.20. They had rather labour in anointing the inward eies of blind, or dim-sighted soules, with such eie-salue as Gods spirit composeth; and to an­noint the hard hearts of some, and the brused harts of other some with the suppling oyle of wholesom exhortations, and gracious consolations, and to ap­plie the spirituall plaister made of the leaues of the tree of life, for the purging & cleansing of sore-run­ning soules; they had rather, I say, play the spiritu­all physitions and be bare, then be ministers of me­dicine to sicke and sore bodies, and abound. They [Page 30] had rather stand in the pulpit, Isai. 1.2.16.17.18. & 34. & 48. & 51. & 58. Ierem. 2. & 7. & 27. Ezech. 3.17.18.19.20.21. Hose. 4. & 8. and pleade for Gods right, that is, for pietie and deuotion against irreli­gious men, and for the princes right, that is, for loi­altie, obedience and reliefe against disloiall, disobe­dient, and vnreasonable subiects, and for the poores right, that is, for charitie and mercie in almes and hospitalitie against couetous and vnmercifull men, and in the meane time bee but meane men them­selues in their worldly estate; then to stand and pleade at the barre for another mans right, and re­dresse of wrong, and thereby to become mighty on earth. They had rather stand and minister at the Lords Table in the Church, and get little, then at­tend or stand at the Kings table in the Court, and gather much. And yet to say somewhat more; they had rather sit in the chaire of the Church (for euery pastors and prelates particular Church-chaire is a part of the Apostolicall chaire) to iudge betweene doctrine and doctrine, Deutero. 13. & 17.8.9.10.11. 2. Chron. 19.8.9.10.11. Act. 15. 1. Cor. 14.32. 1. Iohn 4.12.13 2. Iohn 9.10. Matth. 21.42. Ephes. 2.20. 1. Cor. 3.11. 1. Pet. 2.6.7. veritie and here­sie, betweene the sound building of gold, siluer and pretious stones, and the slight building of wood, stubble and straw vpon the foundation and cor­ner stone, Christ Iesus; and that according to the rule and square of the sacred Scriptures; they had rather, I say, sit and iudge in doctrinall causes and cases, and possesse in the meane time, but little in comparison of many others, and yet haue lesse to leaue behind them vnto such as doe belong vnto them; then to sit in the gate or seate of ciuil iudge­ment to iudge betweene parties and parties, about cases and causes of inheritance, of vsurpations, vio­lence and wrongs, and therby acquire great posses­sions [Page 31] for them and theirs. Finally, as with Dauid, Psalm. 84.10. they had rather serue as doorekeepers in the house of God, then dwell in the tabernacles of wicked­nesse, (as I said of them in the beginning): so with Moses they had rather choose to suffer aduersitie with the people of God, Heb. 11.24.25.26.27.36.37 38 (who were tried by mock­ings and scourgings, by bonds and imprisonment, and did wander vp and downe through wilder­nesses and mountaines, hauing no other lodging but the dennes and caues of the earth, and no other clothing, but sheepes and goats skinnes, and at last were stoned, hewen asunder, or slaine with the sword) as the Apostle Paul speaketh to the He­brewes, then to inioy the pleasures of sinnes for a season: Esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater ri­ches, then the treasures of Egypt, yea then the trea­sures of the whole world; as hauing with godly Moses a respect vnto the recompense of the re­ward, euen the eternall reward in the heauens. So this being the disposition of poore Ecclesiasticall men (for generally such men are poore) what can we say of them else, Luke 10.40.41.42. but that which the blessed Son of blessed Marie said once of a happie Marie, that they haue chosen the better part, which shall not be taken away from them? whereas other men of other secular callings (for being a lay man my selfe, I would be loath to condemne any of the foresaid lay callings, and yet as loath would I bee to flatter any of them, as I would not wish any man should flatter himselfe in the vaine and friuolous prefer­ring of his secular vocation howsoeuer gainefull, honourable, or excellent it be, before the spirituall) [Page 32] where as, I say, other men of other callings are with carefull Martha combred about many things. And these things being duely considered, I hope both the parts of the obiection aboue propounded will bee satisfied, and the rule sufficientlie veri­fied.

And so much the more willing I haue been in this place vpon this occasion to discourse of the dignitie, and excellencie of the Ecclesiasticall cal­ling, as for that, because lay-men, and chiefly the richer sort, are commonly so prone to despise, and so apt to vilipend Churchmen, and that for no­thing so much as because of their pouertie & base estate. As also for that the richer sort of lay-men be generally so loath to consecrate any one of their children to the seruice of God, so that they do pre­ferre a gaineful calling, be it neuer so base, vnto that which is the Queen of callings. If we wil reade the histories of Kingdomes and Countries, yea euen but those of our owne, we shal find how in former times, the sons of Monarches, Kings and Princes haue been Ministers, Preachers and priests in Gods house: and yet now adaies, we see that a Lawyers, a Merchants, yea, a tradesmans sonne will skorne to be a Minister, if he haue any meanes. Alas misera­ble men that wee are, wee are so deafe wee cannot heare what the Euangelicall Prophet (who was both a Preacher, and of princely blood, euen bro­thers sonne of Vzziah King of Iudah) proclaimeth touching the dignitie of the Ministers of the Gos­pell; Isai. 52.7. How beautifull (saith he, and after him the Apostle Saint Paul) Rom. 10.15. vpon the mountaines are the [Page 33] feete of him that declareth and publisheth peace! That telleth good tidings, and publisheth saluati­on, saying vnto Zion, Thy God raigneth. Wee are so blind, we cannot see how that such as turne ma­ny to righteousnesse, (bee they neuer so base for birth, Fisher-mens sonnes, Tent makers sonnes, or Carpenters sonnes, or what ye will) that such, I say, shal one day shine as the stars for euer and euer. For this thing, godly Daniel (who was first a prisoner, Dan. 12.3. and afterward both a Prophet in the Church, and a Prince in the Common-wealth vnder the King) or rather the holy Angell by his mouth telleth vs. Fi­nally, we are so ignorant and lumpish, that wee can­not consider, Matth. 19.28. how that poore fishermen for being Christs Ministers, shall in that great day sit vpon twelue thrones, and iudge the twelue Tribes of Is­rael, as the great Iudge of the world hath said. And therefore to shut vp this present discourse, I my self being a lay-man, wish all lay-men to giue care vnto the exhortation of the holy Apostle; We beseech you brethren, 1. Thes. 5.12.13. that ye know them which labour a­mong you, and are ouer you in the Lord and ad­monish you; that ye haue them in singular loue for their works sake. Heb. 13.7.14. Remember them which haue the ouersight of you, which haue declared vnto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering what hath been the end of their conuersation. O­bey them and submit your selues vnto them: For they watch for your soules as they that must giue accounts, that they may doe it with ioy, and not with griefe: for that is vnprofitable for you.

III. Rule. Diligence in a lawfull calling, as in labouring the ground, in trading or trafficking, or in following some li­terall profession, together truth, temperancie in liuing, and flying of idlenesse, and excesse make the poore man rich, and the rich man yet more rich.
Probation, and declaration.

Prou. 5.26. DRinke the waters of thine owne cisterne, and of the springs out of the middest of thine owne well, saith Salomon. & 6.6.7.8.9.10.11. Goe to the Pis­mire O sluggard, Behold her waies, and be wise, for she hauing no guide, gouernour nor ruler, prepareth her meat in Summer, and gathereth her food in Haruest. How long wilt thou sleepe O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleepe? A little sleepe, a little slumber, a little folding of thy hands to sleep; therfore thy pouertie commeth as one that trauelleth by the way, and thy necessitie like an ar­med man. & 10.4.5. A slothfull hand maketh poore, but the hand of the diligent maketh rich, he that gathereth in summer, is the sonne of wisdome, but hee that sleepeth in haruest, is the sonne of confusion. Hee that tilleth his land, & 12.11.14.24.27. Eccles. 10.28. & 22.1, 2. shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth the idle, is destitute of vnderstan­ding. A man shall bee satiate with good things by [Page 35] the fruit of his mouth, and the recompense of a mans hands shall God giue vnto him. The hand of the diligent shall beare rule, but the idle shall bee vnder tribute; whereas the riches of the diligent man are pretious. Where none oxen are, Prou. 14.4.23. there the crib is emptie, but much increase commeth by the strength of the oxe. Where by the oxe is meant labour, and by the crib the barne, signifying, that without labour there is no profit. For in all labour, & 28.19. saith hee, there is abundance, but he that followeth the idle, shall be filled with pouertie. & 13.4. The sluggard lusteth and hath nought, but the soule of the dili­gent shall haue plentie. Loue not sleepe, & 20.13. Eccles. 40.28. lest thou come vnto pouertie, open thine eies, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. & 20.4. & 19.24. & 21.5.17.25.26. The slothfull will not plow because of winter; therefore shall he begge in sum­mer, and haue nothing. The thoughts of the dili­gent doe surely bring abundance, but whosoeuer is hastie, doth come to pouertie. He that loueth pa­stime, shall be a poore man, and he that loueth oyle and wine, shall not be rich. The desire of the sloth­full slaieth him, for his hands refuse to worke. Hee coueteth euer more greedily, but the righteous gi­ueth and spareth not. & 22.29. Wisd. 3.15. Prou. 23.20.21.22.29.30.31.32. 1. Cor. 5.11. & 26 14.15. Prou. 24.30. A diligent man in his busi­nesse standeth before Kings, and not before the baser sort: for glorious is the fruit of good labours. Keepe not companie with drunkards, and with gluttons, for the drunkard, and the glutton shall be poore, and the sleeper shal be cloathed with ragges. I passed by the field of the sloathfull, and by the vineyard of the man destitute of vnderstanding. [Page 36] And loe, it was all growne ouer with thornes, and nettles had couered the face thereof, 31.32.33.34. and the stone­wall thereof was broken downe. Then I beheld, and I considered it well: I looked vpon it, and re­ceiued instruction; yet a little sleepe, a little slum­ber, a little folding of the hands to sleepe; so thy pouertie commeth as one that trauelleth by the way, & 26.14.15. and thy necessitie like an armed man. As the doore turneth vpon his hinges: so doth the sloth­full man vpon his bed: hee hideth his hand in his bosome, and it grieueth him to put it againe to his mouth. & 27.23.24.25.26.27. Bee diligent therefore to know the state of thy flocke, and take heed to the heards. For ri­ches remaine not alwaies, nor the crowne from ge­neration to generation. The hay discouereth it selfe, and the grasse appeareth, and the hearbs of the mountaines are gathered. The lambes are for thy clothing, and the goates are the price of the field; and let the milke of the goates be sufficient for thy food, for the food of thy familie, and for the su­stenance of thy maids.

& 31.10. to 31.Likewise Salomons vertuous woman acquireth riches for her selfe, and her husband by diligence and industrie; for shee ouerseeth the waies of her houshold, and eateth not the bread of idlenesse. She seeketh wooll and flaxe, and laboureth cheerefullie with her hands. She riseth while it is yet night, and giueth the portion to her houshold, and the ordina­rie to her maides. Shee considereth a field, and getteth it, & with the fruits of her hands, she plan­teth a vineyard. Her candle is not put out by night, [Page 37] shee putteth her hand to the wheele, and her hand handleth the spindle. She maketh her selfe carpets, fine linnen: and purple is her garment. She maketh sheets and selleth them, she giueth girdles vnto the merchants, and she feeleth that her merchandise is good. This womans price the wise man accoun­teth farre aboue the pearles, honour is her clothing, and her children call her blessed. Her husband trusteth to her vertue, and by her vertue hee is knowne in the gates. So that he praiseth her, and crowneth her with this commendation, Manie daughters haue done vertuouslie, but thou sur­mountest them all. But Isaies idle and carelsse wo­men are of another nature. They are haughtie, Isai. 3.16.17.18.19.20.21.22.23.24. & 32.9.10.11.12.13.14. and not humble, they are walkers, and not workers, their feet and their eies are alwaies wandring. They spend whole daies and nights in decking them­selues, and in beautifying their bodies; their whole studie is about their onaments of tires, hoods and calles, of sweete balles, bracelets, and bonets, of ta­blets, earings, muflers and rings; of vailes, wimpels and crisping pins, of girdles, glasses, fine linnen and launes, and such other pieces of costly apparrell. And therfore the Prophet speaketh to them in this wise: Rise vp ye women that are at ease, heare my voice, ye carelesse daughters, hearken to my words. Ye women that are carelesse shall be in feare aboue a yeere in daies: for the vintage shall faile, and the gathering shall come no more: Yee women that be at ease be astonished: feare O yee idle women: put off the cloathes (meaning their costlie and [Page 38] pompous apparrell) make bare, and gird sackcloth vpon the loines, (as if he should say, Turne your silkes into sackcloth, and your odours into ashes): men shall lament for the teates, euen for the plea­sant fields, and the fruitfull vine. Vpon the land of my people shall grow thornes and briars: yea vpon all the houses of ioy in the citie of reioy­cing.

It cannot be otherwise said then, but that as a ver­tuous woman is a most great good, so an idle vici­ous woman is a most great euill. Eccles. 10.18. By slothfulnes, the roofe of the house goeth to decay, and by the idle­nesse of the hands, the house droppeth thorow. Hate not labourious worke, (saith Iesus the sonne of Syrach) neither the husbandrie, Eccles. 7.15.22. which the most high hath created; and if thou haue cattell, looke well to them. & 9.19. Also in the hands of the craftesman shall the workes be commended. & 25.3. If thou hast ga­thered nothing in thy youth, what canst thou find in thine age? & 40.28.29.30. My sonne leade not a beggers life, for better it were to digge, then to begge. Begging is sweet in the mouth of the vnshamefast, and in his bellie there burneth a fire. Act. 20.34 35. 1. Thes. 4.11. 2. Thes 3.7.10.11.12. 1. Tim. 5.8. 2. Tim. 2.6. Likewise the holy Apo­stle, as he laboured with his owne hands, to relieue his owne necessities, and those of other poore bre­thren, so he will not haue idle men, and such as will not worke, to eate. And therfore very earnestly he exhorteth, yea commandeth such folkes to labour with quietnesse, and to eate their owne bread; for the husband-man must labour before he receiue the fruits, and he that prouideth not for his house­hold, [Page 39] is in that part worse then an Infidell.

The world now a daies is combred with two sorts of idle men; some haue a calling, and will not follow it, and others are ashamed to learne a manu­all trade or occupation, because they are Gentle­men borne, though they haue no lands. As for the first order of idle men, it were a pitilesse pitie, to pi­tie such mens pouertie; for it is good reason that he be poore, who hauing a calling to wind himselfe out of pouertie, will not inure himselfe to exercise and follow the same. And good reason that hee eate not, but starue for hunger, who may work, and can worke, and hath occasion offered him to work, and yet will not worke, 2. Thes. 3.8.9.10.11.12. whereby hee may haue what to eate, (for so saith the Apostle) yee that will not imitate the holy Apostles example, who wrought with labour, and trauell night and day with his owne hands, lest hee should haue been chargeable to others. And therefore all that haue betaken themselues to a gainefull calling ought to imitate the diligence of Salomons vertuous wo­man, bee they women, or bee they men. Prou. 31.13.15.18. Shee la­boureth cheerefully with her hands, yea her can­dle is not put out by night, for she riseth while it is yet night, and giueth the portion to her houshold, and the ordinarie to her maides. As for the other order of idle men, who are gentlemen, but without lands, and yet are ashamed to betake themselues to a trade, because of their Gentrie, or Nobilitie of blood. Trulie in my conceit, their pouertie is to be pitied, but yet their idlenesse me thinketh cannot [Page 40] be excused. Neither can I see, how a mans Gentili­tie can be disparaged any whit by the meanes of a vertuous art of an honest craft or occupation. Nei­ther can I see any such antipathie, or opposition be­tweene Gentilitie, and mechanicall industrie that they cannot consist together. No, no, they can well enough agree together, though poore Gen­tlemen be loath and are ashamed, that in their per­sons they should ioyne together. But this shame of theirs is not a good shame, but such a shame as they ought rather to bee ashamed of. Gentilitie tooke the first originall from vertue, and there is no Gentilitie or Nobilitie in blood, but in regard of the seeds of vertue, which are supposed to accom­panie the blood of such as are called Gentlemen borne. The which thing being true, as it is most true, it followeth that Gentilitie cannot be either extinguished, or impaired by a mechanicall trade, which is likewise grounded and founded vpon vertue, and is practised for the cherishing of vertue, and the quelling of vice. So that Gentilitie, and mechanicall industry are sisters, euen the daughters of one dame; for vertue is the mother and mistris of both. Men may well set them together by the eares; but (as I said before) they of themselues could well enough agree. Genes. 2.8. The Lord himself would not be idle: for besides the creation of the world, he planted a Garden Eastward in Eden, and so in a manner played the Gardiner. It is also said, that he made skinne-coates for Adam and Eue, & 3.7.21. and so for the good of man, and for our good example, he [Page 41] disdained not in a manner to play the tayler. For whether the Lord himselfe as hee planted the garden of Eden for our first parents, so also made the skinne-coates for them, as the letter of the text doth import, or whether hee gaue them knowledge to make themselues cloathes, as some doe suppose; it is not much materiall. It is sufficient that we learne this lesson hence, Exod. 28.3. & 31.3.4.5.6. & 35.30.31.32.33.34.35. that a man ought not to be ashamed to practise a me­chanicall art, seeing God is the author thereof. And therefore God himselfe by Moses calleth the making of Aarons garments, a worke of the Spirit of wisedome: As also the working in gold, siluer and brasse, the grauing and setting of stones, and caruing of wood, the working in broi­dred and needle worke, in blue silke, in purple, in skarlet, and in fine linnen, together with wea­uing, and the practising of such inuentions, and workes as flow from the spirit of wisedome, knowledge and vnderstanding. And therefore they bee such exercises and employments, as a Gentleman borne ought not to bee ashamed to learn thē, and to practise them rather thē to liue in idlenesse. If then euen almighty God himselfe disdained not to worke for the benefit, behoofe, and good example of men (for as for himselfe, there was neuer yet any that needed lesse to worke then hee) what reason haue wee to bee a­shamed to worke with our hands, chiefly such as haue no other meanes besides working to liue by?

[Page 42]And not onely hath God wrought, but also the best Gentlemen that euer were, haue likewise followed some one laborious occupation or o­ther, and that both to gaine by it, and to keepe themselues from idlenesse, which is the roote of all euill, and maketh a mans, both soule and bo­die poore. Genes. 2.15. & 3.23. & 4.2. & 9.20. & 13. & 26. & 29. &, 0. Adam, the first father of mankind, and the monarch of the earth, when as he was yet innocent, (and therefore out of doubt a better Gentleman, then any that are now) was put into the garden to dresse it, and to keepe it. Though God was his father by creation, and formation, (for besides him, he had no other father) yet hee was not brought foorth, or borne to be idle, but to be a gardiner, before his fal, & a labourer of the ground after his fall. Also his two sonnes were men of occupation, Abel a keeper of sheepe, and Cain a tiller of the ground. And Noah the father and monarch of the renewed earth, was he not an husband man, and did he not plant a vine­yard? and were not Abraham and Lot, Isaac and Iacob, and their children husbandmen and shep­heards? Yea more, all of these had lands, fields and pastures, besides houses and flockes, yea more then many Lords and Knights, now adaies haue, and yet wee see they disdained not to labour; whereas many of our Gentlemen that haue none of all these, or but very little, will be ashamed to doe as they did. But what will our idle Gentle­man say of Dauid, who being a young man, was the keeper of his fathers sheepe, 1. Sam. 16.11.12.18.19.21.22.23. & 17.33.34.35.36.37.45.46.47.48.49.50.51. & 8.17.18.20.23.25.27 and who (if God [Page 43] had not taken him from the sheepe-coate to make him a King, and a keeper of his people) would haue plaied the husbandman still? was not young Dauid a Gentleman, euen then when hee kept the sheepe? If any one doubt of it, I will shew them that he had euen then moe gentlemanlike qualities, then any of our Gentlemen now a daies haue. King Sauls ser­uants reported to their master, that Ishai the Bethlemite had a sonne, who was a cunning player vpon the harpe, a man of warre, strong and valiant, and wise in matters, and a comelie person, and such a one as feared the Lord, which is the crowne of al Gentilitie and Nobi­litie. Wherefore King Saul sent messengers vn­to Ishai, and said, send mee Dauid thy sonne, which is with the sheepe. Thus Dauid was fet­ched from the sheepe-coate to the Kings court, and brought from feeding of sheepe, to bee the Kings Fauorite, his Musition and Physition both at once. For when the euill spirit came vpon the King, Dauid tooke an harpe, and plai­ed with his hand, and Saul was refreshed and was eased, for the euil spirit departed from him. Also he was the Kings armour-bearer; for hee was so strong, that when as hee yet kept his fathers sheepe, he slue both a lion and a beare that came among the flocke; and afterwards in the field hee slew the mightie Giant Goli­ah. Finallie, hee behaued himselfe so valiant­lie against the Philistims, who were Gods ene­mies, [Page 44] that by his vertue and valour, hee deser­ued the mariage of the Kings daughter, how­soeuer that hee was (as he saith of himselfe to Saules seruants, who in the Kings name made offer to him to bee his sonne in law) a poore man, Matth. 1.20. & 13.55. Marke 6.3. Luk 1.27. & 2.4.51. & 4.22. and of small reputation. Thus I haue shewed then, that Dauid was as good a Gentle­man, as any Gentleman of these daies is, euen then when hee kept his fathers sheepe. More­ouer, what can our idle Gentlemen say of Io­seph, the husband of the blessed virgin, who was a man of the house and linage of Dauid, and by the Angell, called the sonne of Dauid; was he not of as good an house, and of as Gentle blood as any of our idle Gentlemen are, yea, and bet­ter by many degrees? and yet he for all that, dis­dained not to bee a Carpenter, and to follow this trade. Finallie, Christ the sonne of Dauid, yea more, the Son of God, would not be idle, when as he was yet young, but was subiect to his supposed father Ioseph, and vnto Marie his mother, and exercised the Carpenters trade; and therefore the Iewes called him in disdaine, not onely the Carpenters sonne, but also the Carpenter. Wherefore I wish, that neuer a Gentleman borne should be ashamed of a me­chanicall craft after our Sauiour Christ, and that no Christian Common-wealth should esteeme a man to haue lost his Gentilitie for exercising of a trade.

Alas what will our idle Gentleman say, [Page 45] when he shall be asked at the last day, concer­ning the calling he should haue followed here in this life? shall he haue no other thing to an­swere, but that hee was of no craft or occupati­on, because he was a Gentleman borne? what an vnsauorie answere will it bee before God, who not onely hath taught men mechanicall trades, but also disdained not to worke him­selfe by the word of his mouth, in creating the world, in planting the garden of Paradise, and in making of skinne-cloathes for Adam and Eue? What an vnsauourie answere shall it be, I say, before our Sauiour Christ, Mark. 3.6. Luke 2.51. Matth. 4.18.21 the Sonne of God, who disdained not to worke in the Car­penters trade in his supposed fathers house Io­seph, who was of the same craft? Iohn 21.3. and before his blessed Apostles, which were fishermen, as Saint Paul was a Tent-maker? Then I feare me, Act. 18 1.2.3. shall the idle Gentleman say; Would God I had been a Tailer, when I was a stealer; a Rope­maker, when as I was a Robber; a Pedler, when as I was a Pirat; a Dier, when as I was a Dicer; a Carter, when as I was a Carder; and a Shoo­maker, when as I was a swaggerer. Would God I had been of any lawfull calling, when as I was an idle man liuing without all calling. And trulie if a man must render an account of e­uerie idle word hee speaketh in this life, Matth. 12.36. at the day of iudgement (as our Sauiour him­selfe hath said) how much more must he ren­der and giue account of his idle liuing in this [Page 46] life at that day? Idlenesse and excesse (as the Prophet teacheth vs) were two of the sinnes of Sodom; Ezek. 16.49. and therefore if wee would shun and eschew the fire and brimstone of Sodom, let vs shunne and eschew their sinnes. Be­sides that (as the Wise man telleth vs) the drunkard and the glutton shall bee poore, Prou. 23.21. and the idle sleeper shall bee clothed with ragges; And the labouring man that is giuen to drun­kennesse, Eccles. 19.1. & 33 26. shall not bee rich. Thus we see then, that diligence and temperance are of great mo­ment, both to get and augment riches. And trulie as the loue of intemperance and excesse doth hold the poore man from being rich, so doth the practise of excesse in table or appar­rell make the rich man poore, as wee shall shew in the declaration of the ninth Rule of this Art.

And therefore to conclude this present dis­course concerning diligence in a lawfull cal­ling, I wish the student in this Art to obserue this one thing, that except hee begge dailie Gods blessing to his businesse, his diligence and industrie will but little auaile. Hee may well carrie out much seede into the field, Deut. 28.23.24.38. Micah. 6.14. Haggai. 1.6. Amos 4.7.8.9. but except the Lord blesse it, hee shall gather but little in, for the grashoppers shall destroy it, or the heauen shall bee as brasse aboue it, and the earth as yron vnder it, for the Lord shall with­hold the first, and the latter raine, and shall shut the windowes of heauen, so that it shall [Page 47] bee consumed with drought: or hee will o­pen the windowes of heauen in such a manner, Ioel 1. Genes. 7.11. Psalm. 107.33.34. that either the floods shall ouerflow the fields, or the cloudes shall powre downe riuers of wa­ters to drowne the cornes, so that the seed shal rot vnder the clods; or else will he smite them with blasting and mildew; so that howsoeuer he sow much, yet shal he reape but little, except the Lord blesse that which he hath sowen. Hee may well plant a vineyard, or a hopyard, and dresse it, but except the Lord blesse it, hee shall not drinke of it, for the wormes shall eate it. Hee may well plant many fruit-trees, fig-trees, Deut. 28.39. Ioel 1.4.12. apple-trees, & plum-trees; but except the bles­sing of the Lord be present with his planting, swarmes and armies of palmer-wormes, can­ker-wormes, and caterpillers shall deuoute and eate vp his fruites, and the buddes of his trees. Deut. 28.18. Ioel 1.4.18.19.20. Hee may well enioy heardes of cattell and flockes of sheepe, but except the Lords bles­sing bee with the owner, hee shall bee cursed in them all; yea, the Lord shall make his beasts to mourne, his cattell to consume, and his flockes to fall away for want of pasture, which shall either not spring out of the earth, being hard as yron, or shal be withered away through the excessiue heate, or shall bee eaten vp by the multitudes of grashoppers. Zephan. 1.13. Hee may well get goods, and build houses, but except the Lord blesse him in the same, his goods shall doe him no good, they shall goe away from him, or [Page 48] hee shall bee spoiled of them, Prou. 28.8. Eccles. 2.26. or hee shall leaue them to such as wil doe more good with them, then he: he shall heape vp, to giue and leaue to him that is good before God; and the houses that hee hath builded, hee and his shall not inhabit. In one word, to speake with the Pro­phet Haggai, Hag. 1.6. Hee may well eate, but hee shal not bee satisfied, nor haue inough; hee may well drinke, but hee shall not bee filled; hee may well cloath himselfe, but hee shall not bee warme; and hee may well earne wages, but hee shall put them into a broken bagge. And the cause of all this, is the want of the Lords blessing. Psalm. 127.1.2. For as the Kinglie Prophet saith, except the Lord build the house, they labour in vaine that build it: Except the Lord keepe the citie, the keeper watcheth in vaine. It is in vaine for you to rise earlie, and to lie downe late, and eate the bread of sorrow: but hee will surelie giue rest to his beloued. Not that hee will exempt them from labour, but onelie from the vnprofitablenesse and vn­comfortablenesse thereof. For hee will giue to his beloued, that is, to such as are deare vn­to him for the loue and feare of his name, and doe continuallie begge his blessing to their adoes, hee will giue them rest from all, vnprofitable and vncomfortable paines taking; Leuit. 26.20. whereas without his blessing, a mans strength shall bee spent in vaine. Hee may well passe and spend nights and daies in toiling and moi­ling, [Page 49] but hee shall reape but little profit and lesse comfort, let him labour neuer so much, and neuer so long. For diligence is no better then negligence, and businesse is but idlenesse without the Lords blessing. Psal. 65.9.10.11.12.13. & 107.35.36.37.38.41. & 67.6.7. & 68.9. For it is the Lords blessing that watereth the earth, and makes it very rich, euen that watereth abundantly the furrowes of the earth, and causeth the raine to descend into the valleies thereof, and ma­keth it soft with showers, and droppeth fat­nesse vpon the fieldes, so that the hilles are compassed with gladnesse, the pastures are clad with sheepe, and the valleies are couered with corne, which maketh men to shout for ioy and sing.

IIII. Rule. The poore man must not purchase, nor the rich man increase his riches by violence, oppression, theft, robberie, extortion, bribing, vniust detention, nei­ther yet by peruerting of equitie, as by false testimo­nie, pleading in an euill cause, or vnrighteous iudge­ment.
Probation, and declaration.

Exod. 22.21.22.23.24. TThou shalt not doe iniu­rie to a stranger; (saith the Lord by Moses) neither oppresse him; yee shall not trouble any widow, nor fatherlesse child. If thou vexe and trouble such, and so hee call and crie vnto me, I will surely heare his crie; then shall my wrath bee kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and you wiues shall bee widowes, and your children fatherlesse. Thou shalt not ouerthrow the right of the poore in his suite. & 23.1.3.6.7.8.9. Thou shalt keepe thee farre from a false matter, and shalt not slay the innocent, and the righteous. Thou shalt not receiue a false tale, neither shalt thou put thine hand with the wicked, to bee a false witnesse. Thou shalt not esteeme a poore man in his cause. Leuit. 19.13. Thou [Page 51] shalt not oppresse thy neighbour by violence, neither robbe him, or doe him wrong. The workemans hire shal not abide with thee vntil the morning. Thou shalt not oppresse an hired seruant, that is needie and poore, neither of thy brethren, nor of the stranger, that is in the land within thy gates. Deut. 14.15. Thou shalt giue him his hire for his day, neither shall the sunne goe downe vpon it, for he is poore, and therewith sustaines his life, lest he crie against thee, vnto the Lord, and it be sinne vnto thee: & 16.19. Wrest not thou the law (saith the Lord to Lawyers and Iudges) nor respect any person, neither take reward, for the reward blindeth the eies of the wise, and per­uerteth the words of the iust. God standeth in the assemblie of Gods, Psal. 82.2.3.4. (saith the godly King Dauid) hee iudgeth among Gods. How long will ye iudge vniustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? doe right to the poore and fa­therlesse, doe iustice to the poore and needie, deliuer them, Prou. 15.25.2 [...] and saue them from the hand of the wicked. The Lord (saith wise Salomon) will destroy the house of the proud oppressor, but he will establish the borders of the widow. He that is greedie of gaine, troubleth his owne house, but hee that hateth gifts shall liue. & 22.16.28. & 23.10.11. Rob not the poore, because hee is poore, neither op­presse the afflicted in iudgement, for the Lord will reuenge their cause, Deut. 28.17. and spoile the soule of him that spoileth them. He that oppresseth the poore to increase himselfe, and giueth vnto the [Page 52] rich, shall surelie come to pouertie. Remooue not the ancient bounds, and enter not into the field of the fatherlesse, for hee that redeemeth them is mightie, and hee will defend their cause against thee; and cursed bee hee that re­mooueth his neighbours marke. Prou. 3.27.28.29. Withhold not the goods from the owners thereof, though there be power in thine hand to doe it. Say not vnto thy neighbour, goe and come againe, and to morrow will I giue thee, if thou now haue it. Intend none hurt against thy neighbour, seeing hee doth dwell without feare by thee. A man cannot bee established by wickednesse, & 12.3.7. & 11.4. but the root of the righteous shall not be mo­ued: for riches auaile not in the day of wrath, but righteousnesse deliuereth from death. Hee that oppresseth the poore, & 14.31. & 17.5. reprooueth him that made him; & 15.6.27. & 13.22. but hee honoureth him that hath mercie on the poore. The house of the righ­teous hath much treasure, but in the reuenewes of the wicked is troube: yea, the riches of the sinner is laid vp for the iust. Hee that is greedie of gaine, troubleth his owne house, but hee that hateth gifts shall liue. & 16.8. & 19.1.8. & 28.6. Better is a little with righteousnesse, then great reuenewes without equitie. Better is the poore that walketh in his vprightnesse, then he that peruerteth his waies though hee bee rich. & 21.7. The robberie of the wic­ked shall destroy them, for they haue refu­sed to execute iudgement. & 28.15.16.18. As a roaring Li­on, and an hungrie Beare, so is a wicked ruler [Page 53] ouer the poore people. A Prince destitute of vnderstanding, is also a great oppressor, but he that hateth couetousnesse, shall prolong his daies. He that walketh vprightlie shall be saued, but hee that is froward in his waies shall once fall. There is a generation, & 30.14.15. whose teeth are as swords, and their chawes are are as kniues, to eate vp the afflicted out of the earth, and the poore from among men. The horseleach hath two daughters, which crie, Giue, giue. O­pen thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all the children of destruction, & 31.8.9. open thy mouth, iudge righteouslie the afflicted and the poore.

If in a countrey thou seest the oppression of the poore, Ecclesiast. 5.7. & 7.9. and the defrauding of iudgement and iustice, bee not astonied at the matter: for hee that is higher then the highest regardeth, and there bee higher then they. Surely oppres­sion maketh a wise man mad, and the reward destroyeth the heart.

Some (saith the holy man Iob) remooue the land-markes, that robbe the flockes, Iob 24.1. to 20. and feede thereof, they leade away the asse of the father­lesse, and take the widowes oxe to pledge. They make the poore to turne out of the way, so that the poore of the earth hide themselues together. Behold, others as wild asses in the wildernesse, rise earelie for a pray, they reape his prouision in the field, but they gather the [Page 54] late vintage of the wicked. They cause the naked to lodge without garment, and with­out couering in the cold. They are wet with the showres of the mountaine, and they em­brace the rocke, for want of a couering. They plucke the fatherlesse from the breast, and take the pledge of the poore, they cause him to go naked without clothing, and take the gleining from the hungrie. They that make their oyle betweene their walles, and tread their wine­presses suffer thirst: men crie out of the citie, and the soules of the slaine crie out. The murtherer riseth earlie, and killeth the poore and needie, and in the night hee is a theefe. But their portion shall bee cursed in the earth. As the drie ground and heate consume the snow waters, so shall the graue the sinners. The pitifull man shall forget him, the worme shall feele his sweetnesse, hee shall be no more remembred, and the wicked shall bee broken like a tree. & 15.21.28.34. The destroyer shall come vpon the wicked man in his prosperitie, hee shall not bee rich alwaies, neither shall his substance conti­nue, neither shall hee prolong the perfection thereof vpon earth, and fire shall deuoure the houses of bribes. & 20.6.7.14. to 28. Though his excellencie mount vp to the heauens, and his head reach vnto the cloudes, yet shall hee perish for euer like his dung, and they which haue seene him shall say, Where is he? Hee hath deuoured [Page 55] substance, and hee shall vomit it, for God shall draw it out of his bellie: hee shall sucke the gall of aspes; hee shall not see the riuers, nor the floods and streames of honie and butter: he shall restore the labour, he shall deuoure no more. Euen according to the substance shall bee his exchange, and hee shall inioy it no more. For hee hath vndone many, hee hath forsaken the poore, and hath spoiled houses, which hee builded not; surelie hee shall feele no quietnesse in his bodie, neither shall he re­serue of that which hee desired. There shall none of his meate bee left; therefore none of his shall hope for his goods: when hee shall bee filled with his abundance, hee shall bee in paine, and the hand of all the wicked shall assaile him. Hee shall bee about to fill his bel­lie, but God shall send vpon him his fierce wrath, and shall cause to raine vpon him, euen vpon his meate. Hee shall flee from the yron weapons, and the bow of steele shall strike him through. The arrow is drawne out, and commeth foorth of the bodie, and shineth of his gall, so feare commeth vpon him. All darkenesse shall bee hid in his secret places: the fire that is not blowne, shall deuour him, and that which remaineth in his Tabernacle shall bee destroied. The heauen shall declare his wickednesse, and the earth shall rise vp a­gainst him. The increase of his house shall [Page 56] goe away: it shall flow away in the day of his wrath.

Isai. 32.6.7.8.The niggard (saith Isaiah) will speake of nig­gardnesse, and his heart will worke iniquitie, and doe wickedly, and speake falsely against the Lord to make emptie the hungrie soule, and to cause the drinke of the thirstie to faile, for the weapons of the churle are wicked. Hee deuiseth wicked counsels to vndoe the poore with lying words, and to speake against the poore in iudgement: but the liberall man will deuise of liberall things, and hee will continue his liberalitie. & 33.1. Woe to thee that spoilest, and wast not spoiled: and doest wickedly, and they did not wickedly against thee: when thou shalt cease to spoile, thou shalt bee spoiled: when thou shalt make an end of doing wickedlie, they shall do wickedly against thee. The Lord looked for iudgement, & 5.7.8.9. but behold oppressi­on; for righteousnesse, but behold a crying. Woe vnto them that ioyne house to house, and lay field to field, till there bee no place, that yee may bee placed by your selues in the middest of the earth. This is in mine eares, saith the Lord of hosts, surelie many houses shall bee desolate, euen great and faire with­out inhabitant. As a cage is full of birds (saith the Prophet Ieremie) so are their houses full of deceit, Ier. 5.27.28.29. thereby they are become great, and waxen rich. They are waxen fat and shining, [Page 57] they doe ouerpasse the deeds of the wicked: They execute no iudgement, no not the iudge­ment of the fatherlesse; yet they prosper, though they execute no iudgement for the poore. Shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord? or shall not my soule bee auenged on such a Na­tion as this? & 22.13. Woe vnto him that buildeth his house by vnrighteousnesse, and his chambers without equitie, he vseth his neighbour with­out wages, and giueth him not for his worke. Let it suffice you, O Princes of Israel (saith the Lord by his Prophet Ezekiel) leaue off crueltie and oppression, Ezek. 45.9▪ and execute iudgement and iu­stice, take away your exactions from my peo­ple, saith the Lord.

Also the Lord complaineth by his Prophet Amos very earnestly of such as turne iudge­ment to wormewood, Amos 5.7. and leaue off righteous­nesse in the earth: They haue turned iudge­ment into gall, saith hee, the fruit of righte­ousnesse into wormewood. That is, in stead of iustice and mercie, they exercise oppression and crueltie. Ierem. 8.14. & 9.15. And therefore what maruell though the Lord gaue them water with gall to drinke, and fed them with wormewood? & 23.15. Woe vnto them (saith the Prophet Micah) that imagine iniquitie, Micah. 2.1.2. & 3.2.3.9.10.11.12. and worke wickednesse vpon their beds, when the morning is light, they practise it, because their hand hath power, and they co­uet fields, and take them by violence, and hou­ses, [Page 58] and take them away, so they oppresse a man and his house, euen man and his heritage. They hate the good, and loue the euill, they plucke off their skinnes from them, and they breake their bones, and chop them in peeces as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron. They abhorre iudgement, and peruert all equi­tie. They build vp Sion with blood, and Ieru­salem with iniquitie. The heads thereof iudge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the Prophets thereof prophesie for money. Therefore shall Sion for your sake bee plowed as a field, and Ierusalem shall bee an heape, and the mountaine of the house, as the high places of the forest. The Prophet Haba­kuck complaininglie crieth vnto the Lord in this manner; Habbak. 1.1.2.3.4.13.14.15.16.17. Why doest thou shew me iniqui­tie, and cause me to behold sorow? for spoilings and violence are before mee, and there are that raise vp strife and contention. Therefore the Law is dissolued, and iudgement doth neuer goe forth: for the wicked doe compasse about the righteous; therefore wrong iudgement proceedeth. Thou O God art of pure eies, and canst not endure to see euill, thou canst not be­hold wickednesse; wherefore doest thou looke vpon the transgressors, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked deuoureth the man that is more righteous then hee? and makest men as the fishes of the sea, and as the creeping things [Page 59] that haue no ruler ouer them? They take vp all with the angle: they catch it in their net, and gather it in their yarne, whereof they reioyce and are glad. Therefore they sacrifice vnto their net, and burne incense vnto their yarne, because by them their portion is fat, and their meate plenteous. Shall they therefore stretch out their net, and not spare continuallie to slay the nations? Ho, & 2.5.6.7.8.9.10.11.12. hee that increaseth that which is not his, how long? That is to say, the man that enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot bee satisfied, but gathereth and heapeth vnto himselfe al things (as the Prophet speaketh in that same place) how long shall hee continue his oppression? And hee that ladeth himselfe with thicke clay? shall they not rise vp suddenly that shall bite thee? and awake that shall stirre thee, and thou shalt bee their pray? because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoile thee, because of mens blood, and for the wrong done in the land, in the Citie, and vnto all that dwel therein. Ho, he that coueteth an euill couetous­nesse to his house, that hee may set his nest on high, to escape from the power of euill. Thou hast consulted shame to thine owne house, by destroying many people, and hast sinned a­gainst thine owne soule. For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beame out of the tim­ber shall answere it. Woe vnto him that buil­deth [Page 60] a towne with blood, and erecteth a citie by iniquitie.

I will visit (saith the Lord by his Prophet Zephaniah) all those which fill their masters houses by crueltie and deceit, Zephan. 1.9.12.13. and the men that are frozen in their dregges. Their goods shall bee spoiled, and their houses waste; they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drinke the wine thereof. Execute true iudgement (saith the Lord by his Prophet Zecharie) and shew mercie and compassion euery man to his brother, Zechar. 7.9.10. and oppresse not the widow, nor the fatherlesse, the strangers, nor the poore, and let none of you imagine euill against his brother in his heart. For I will come neere to you to iudgement (saith the Lord by his Prophet Ma­lachie) and I will bee a swift witnesse against false swearers, Malach. 3.5. against those that keepe backe wrongfully the hirelings wages, and vexe the widow, and the fatherlesse, and oppresse the stranger, and feare not me. Behold (saith Saint Iames) the hire of the labourers, Iames 5.4. which haue reaped your fields, which is of you kept backe by fraud, crieth, and the cries of them which haue reaped are entred into the eares of the Lord of hosts. Luke 6.24. And as vnto such vngodly and vniust rich men, Christ Iesus doth pronounce a terrible woe, so the holie Apostle threatneth fearefullie wicked rich men in this manner; Go [Page 61] to now (saith hee to them) weepe and howle for your miseries that shall come vpon you, your riches are corrupt, Iam. 5.1.2.3.4.5. and your garments are motheaten, your gold and siluer is cankred, and the rust of them shall bee a witnesse against you, and shall eate your flesh as it were fire. Ye haue heaped vp treasure (to wit, by violent op­pression, cruell extortion, vsury and vnrigh­teous detention) for the last daies: yee haue withholden the hire of the labourers, yee haue liued in pleasure on the earth, and in wanton­nesse, yee haue nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter, yee haue condemned and killed the iust, and hee hath not resisted you. Finallie, the blessed Apostle Paul exhorteth, 1. Thes. 4.6. that no man oppresse or defraud his brother in any matter, for the Lord is the auenger of all such things. Hee will bee auenged on all op­pressours, Godspoilers, Church-robbers, extor­tioners, bribers, vniust detainers, and all such violent men, Prou. 4.17. that (as Salomon speaketh) eate the bread of wickednesse, and drinke the wine of violence, and chiefly vpon all peruerters of equitie, iustice and iudgement. Euen vpon such as imagine iniquitie vpon their beds, and eate the bread of iniquitie at their bords, and speake and practise iniquitie at the barre, and in the seate of iudgement. In a word, the great Law­giuer and Iudge of the world will bee auenged on all lawlesse Lawyers, on all peruerse pleaders [Page 62] and proctors, and on all vniust Iudges.

And therefore let all such folkes as are ex­cised and emploied about lawes, iustice and iudgement perswade themselues of this, that the time shall come, when a day of law shall hold, when all their tricks and entanglements, their niceties and their nets, their deceits and their delaies, their bribing and their biting, their negligence in following and furthering a good cause, and their diligence in an euill: And finallie, their deceitfull collusions, and vnlawfull conclusions shall bee laid open be­fore men and Angels. Then they shall bee all tongue-tied, and shall not haue so much as one word to answere or pleade for themselues. No, though all the subtiltie, policie, craft and eloquence of all the Lawyers and Iudges of the world were to bee found in any one such man, yet shall hee not haue so much as one word to vtter in his owne defence. God shall intend processe against him, the Angels both good and bad shall pleade against him, so shall good and holie men: and that which is more, his owne conscience shall accuse him, yea, his owne tongue shall condemne him. So that it may bee well said, that as a iust Iudge is a visible god, so is an vniust Iudge a visible di­uell. And as an vpright Lawyer is an earth­lie Saint, so is an vnrighteous Aduocate, Plea­der, Proctour or Atturney, worse then an he­reticke. [Page 63] For the hereticke sinneth most part of ignorance; where as the vnrighteous and de­ceitfull Lawyer sinneth against his knowledge both wittinglie and willinglie. For although hee know his parties cause to bee euill, yet benefit and gaine will make him to say, that it is good, and his aduersaries cause which hee knoweth to bee good, the same gaine will make him to say, that it is euill. In which do­ing, they make themselues obnoxious vnto that fearefull woe pronounced by the Lord and his holie seruant Isaiah, Isai. 5.18.19.20.23. Woe vnto them that draw iniquitie with cordes of vanitie, and sinne as with cartropes. Woe vnto them that speake good of euill, and euill of good, which put darkenesse for light, and light for darke­nesse, that put bitter for sweete, and sweet for soure; which iustifie the wicked for a reward, and take away the right of the vpright or righ­teous man from him. Amos 5.7. Woe vnto them that de­cree wicked decrees, and write grieuous things. As if he should say, such Iudges as turne iudge­ment into gall, and such Lawyers as turne the fruit of righteousnesse into wormewood, shall one day know, what it is to peruert iustice, e­quitie and iudgement, what it is to call euill good, and good euill, what it is to make right wrong, and wrong right. Their delight was in turning of things one into another; and therefore their plague shall bee conformable to [Page 64] the nature of their trespasse: They turned good into euill, and sweete into sowre; and there­fore shall God turne their sweete wine into wa­ters of gall, Ierem. 8.14. & 9.15. & 23.15. Iob 20.16. and their daintie cheere and plea­sant bread into wormewood; they shall sucke the gall of Aspes, and the old Serpents tongue shall slay them, Isai. 66.24. for their worme shall not die, neither shall their fire bee quenched. Iob 15.33.34.35. God shall destroy them, as the vine her sowre grapes, and shall cast them off, as the oliue doth her floure. For the congregation of the hypocrite shall be desolate, and fire shall deuoure the hou­ses of bribes. For they conceiue mischiefe, and bring foorth vanitie, and their bellie hath pre­pared deceit. That is, their bellie hath made them deceiuers, and double dealers, and per­uerters of equitie and right, euen belli-gods, who for the loue of their bellie, care not a pin to displease God. & 20.12.13.14.15.23.26. And because wickednesse was sweet in their mouth, and they hid it vn­der their tongue, and fauoured it, and would not forsake it, but keepe it close in their mouth; therefore God (saith the holie man) shall turne their meate in their bellie into the gall of Aspes; yea, the substance they haue deuoured, God shall draw it out of their bellie. So that when they shall bee about to fill their bellie (with meate gotten by peruerting of equitie, by vn­righteous pleading, and vniust iudgement) God shall send vpon them his fierce wrath, [Page 65] and shall cause to raine vpon them, euen vp­on their meate, yea, the fire that is not blowne, shall deuoure them and their bellie both, and that which remaineth in their Tabernacle shal bee destroyed. And therefore let mee say vn­to euery student in this Art, that which Salo­mon saith, Prou. 2.20.21.22. Walke thou in the way of good men, and keepe the waies of the righteous. For the iust shall dwell in the land, and the vpright men shall remaine in it, but the wic­ked shall bee cut off from the earth, and the transgressour shall bee rooted out of it.

V. Rule. The poore man must not purchase goods, nor the rich man increase his goods alreadie gotten by vsing of vsurie, or false weights, by keeping of pledges, or hording vp of corne to a more deare time, and by o­uerprising of wares; by keeping or holding of whore­houses, by sinfull playing and gaining, nor yet by cose­ning, cogging, deceiuing and lying, for all such wealth of vanitie will soone vanish.
Probation, and declaration.

Exod. 22.25.26.27. Deut. 24.12.13. IF thou lend money to my people (saith the Lord by Moses) that is, to the poore with thee, thou shalt not be as an vsurer vnto him, yee shall not grieue him with v­surie. If thou take thy neigh­bours raiment to pledge, thou shalt restore it vnto him before the Sunne goe downe, for that is his couering onely, and this is his garment for his skinne, wherein shall he sleepe? Therefore when he crieth vnto mee, I will heare him, for I am mercifull. Thou shalt not sleepe with the poore bodies pledge, but shall restore it when the Sunne goeth downe, that he may sleepe in his raiment, and blesse thee, and it shall be righ­teousnesse [Page 67] vnto thee before the Lord thy God. Whē thou sellest ought to thy neighbor, or buiest at thy neighbours hands, ye shal not oppresse one another. That is, neither must the seller take occa­sion of the buyers need, to ouerprise his wares, a­boue the iust value; neither must the buyer take aduantage of the sellers present necessitie, and so giue him much lesse then it is worth. Leuit. 25.36.37. If thy bro­ther bee impouerished, and fallen in decay with thee, thou shall relieue him, thou shalt take no v­surie of him, nor vantage; thou shalt not giue him thy money to vsurie, nor lend him thy vi­ctuals for increase. There shal be no whore of the daughters of Israel, neither shal there be a whore­keeper of the sonnes of Israel. Deut. 23.17.18.19.20. Thou shalt nei­ther bring the hire of a whore, nor the price of a dog into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow: for euen both these are abomination vnto the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not giue to vsury to thy brother; as vsurie of money, vsurie of meat, vsurie of any thing that is put to vsurie; thou shalt not lend vpon vsurie vnto thy brother, that the Lord thy God may blesse thee in all that thou settest thine hand to. Leuit. 9.3. Yee shall haue iust balan­ces, true weights, a true Ephah, and a true hin. Thou shalt not haue in thy bag two manner of waights, a great and a small. Deut. 25.13.14.15. Neither shalt thou haue in thine house diuers measures, a great and a small, but thou shalt haue a right and a iust weight, a perfit and a iust measure shalt thou haue, that thy daies may bee lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee. Hee [Page 68] that giueth not his money to vsurie (saith the Prophet Dauid) nor taketh reward against the in­nocent, Psalm. 15.5. Prou. 12.27. shal neuer be moued. The deceitful man (saith Salomon) rosteth not that hee tooke in hun­ting. & 21.6. The gathering of treasures by a deceitfull tongue is vanitie tossed to and fro of them that seeke death. & 13.11. The riches of vanitie shall diminish, but he that gathereth with the hand (that is, with his handie labour, and by his vertuous industrie) shall increase them. & 10.2.3. The Lord will not famish the soule of the righteous, but hee casteth away the substance of the wicked, & 19.15. and a deceitfull person shall bee famished. & 20.17. The bread of deceit is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth is filled with grauell. & 19.22. & 28.6.8. A poore man is better then a liar. Hee that increaseth his riches by vsurie and interest, gathereth them for him that wil be mercifull vn­to the poore. & 11.1. Diuers weights and diuers mea­sures are both of them abomination vnto the Lord; & 16.11. & 20.10.23. deceitfull balances are not good, but a true weight and balance are of the Lord, and a perfit waight pleaseth him. & 21.17. & 11.27. Hee that loueth pa­stime and play, shall bee a poore man. Hee that withdraweth the corne, the people will curse him, but blessing shall be vpon the head of him that selleth corne. The Prophet Ieremie complai­neth of the people of the Iewes, and amongst o­ther things of this: Ierem. 9.3.4.5.6.7.8.9. that they did bend their tongues like bowes for lies, that euery brother did vse deceit, and euerie friend did deale deceit­fully, that they taught their tongues to speake lies, so that their habitation was in the middest of de­ceiuers. [Page 69] Shal I not visit them for these things, saith the Lord? Or shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this? & 17.1 [...]. As the Partrich gathereth the yong which she hath not brought foorth, so hee that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leaue them in the middest of his daies, and at his end shall be a foole.

Heare this, Amos 8.4.5.6.7.8. (saith the Prophet Amos) O yee that swallow vp the poore, that ye may make the needie of the land to faile, saying, When will the new moone bee gone, that wee may sell the corne, and the Sabbath, that we may set foorth wheate, and make the Ephah small, and the she­kel great, and falsifie the weights by deceit, that we may buy the poore for siluer and the needie for shooes, yea, and sell the refuse of the wheate? The Lord hath sworne by the excellencie of Ia­cob, surely I will neuer forget any of their workes. Shall not the land tremble for this, and euerie one mourne that dwelleth therein? Micah. 6.9.10.11.12.13.14.15 The Lords voice (saith the Prophet Micah) crieth vnto the citie, and the man of wisdome shall see thy name: heare the rod, and who hath appointed it. Are yet the treasures of wickednesse in the house of the wicked, and the skant measure that is abomi­nable? Shall I iustifie the wicked balances, and the bag of deceitfull weights? For the rich men thereof are full of crueltie, and the inhabitants thereof haue spoken lies, and their tongue is de­ceitful in their mouth. Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, and in making thee de­solate, because of thy sinnes. Thou shalt eate, and [Page 70] not be satisfied, and thy casting downe shall be in the middest of thee, and thou shalt take hold, but not deliuer; and that which thou deliuerest, will I giue vp to the sword. Thou shalt sow, but not reape. Thou shalt tread the oliues, but thou shalt not annoint thee with oile, & make sweet wine, but shalt not drinke thereof. Matth. 7.2.12. Mark. 4.24. Luke 6.31.38. And our Sauiour commandeth to giue a good measure, pressed downe, shaken together, and running ouer, for with what measure ye mete, with the same shall men mete to you againe. And whatsoeuer we would that men should doe to vs, euen so must we doe to them. Now no man would willing­lie that another man should oppresse, rob, extort, bribe, spoile, cosen, deceiue, indamage, hurt or impouerish him by violence, deceit, briberie, vsu­rie, exorbitant gaine, or yet by gaine; and there­fore according to our Sauiours rule, No man ought to hurt or indamage another man by any of the foresaid waies. For that which a man would not haue done to himselfe, he ought not to doe it to another: and as hee would that men should doe to him, so let him doe to them like­wise, for this is the Law and the Prophets, saith our Sauiour. As for vsurie, as it crosseth the law of nature, which suffereth nothing to be emptie, for we see and find, that the aire which naturallie ascendeth, will rather descend into the hollowest places of the earth to fill them, then suffer any void roome therin; so it crosseth the law of grace, which enioyneth men to be gratious and chari­table, and commandeth such as haue more, to [Page 71] giue cheerefullie; or to lend freelie a part of their goods to such as haue lesse. Giue to euery man that asketh of thee (saith our Sauiour) doe good, Luke 6.30.35.38. and lend, looking for nothing again, and your re­ward shall be great, and yee shall be the children of the most high. Giue, and it shall be giuen vn­to you. Giue, and giue chearefullie; 2. Cor. 9.7. for God loueth a chearefull giuer: lend, and lend freelie, looking for nothing again; Psalm 37.21.26. for God loueth a free and a frank lender. And the righteous man (saith Dauid) is mercifull and giueth, and like mercifull and lendeth, and his seed enioyeth the blessing. Psalm. 15.1.5. And in expresse termes he telleth vs, that the vsu­rer shall not dwell in Gods tabernacle, nor rest in his holy mountaine. So that the Christian must beware of vsurie, and of getting, or increasing goods by any such meanes. So must hee like­wise not onely in his owne person flee whore­dome, but also all sorts of whoremongerie in re­gard of others, that he vse no such abominable meanes to come by money. Deut. 23.17.18. The Lord expresly forbiddeth there should be any whorekeeper a­mong his people, and telleth vs, that both the whore and her price are an abomination vnto the Lord. Let the whoremonger gather neuer so much goods by his whoremongerie, yet both he and his wealth shall perish. Eccles. 23.17. All bread (saith Iesus the sonne of Syrach) is sweet to a whoremonger, he will not leaue off till he perish. Ephes. 5.3. And the holy Apostle forbiddeth couetousnesse and vnclean­nesse once to be named amongst Christians, and [Page 72] therefore exhorteth vs to mortifie our earthlie members fornication, Colos. 3.5.6. vncleannes, and euill con­cupiscence, inordinate affection and couetous­nesse; 1. Thes. 4 3.4.5.7. for the which things (saith he) the wrath of God commeth on the children of disobedi­ence; for this is the will of God, euen your sancti­fication, and that yee should abstaine from forni­cation, that euerie one of you should know how to possesse his vessel in holinesse and honour, and not in the lust of concupisence, euen as the Gen­tiles which know not God: 1. Cor. 6.9.10.15 Heb. 13.4. for God hath not called vs vnto vncleannesse, but vnto holinesse. And as for whores and whoremongers and adul­terers, such God will iudge; neither can they in­herit the Kingdome of God, saith the same Apo­stle. That is, as the blessed Apostle S. Iohn ex­poundeth it, Reuel. 21.8.27. they shall not enter into the great citie, holy Ierusalem, but shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

Now if Christians bee commanded by God, by his Sonne Iesus Christ, and by his seruants, to mortifie, flie, abhorre and shunne all vn­cleannesse and concupiscence, doth it not thence most necessarily follow, that Christian magistrates may not permit any place for the exercise thereof? And if whoredome is not to bee once named amongst Christians, how much more ought it not to bee practised by priuate men, or permitted by the Prince in the common-wealth for anie respect whatsoeuer? [Page 73] and if God will iudge whooremongers, and not suffer them to enter into his holy Citty, and king­dome, then they that are called Gods ought like­wise to punish them, and not suffer any such per­sons to haue any place in their citties or king­dome: But rather with godly Iehoshaphat, 1. King. 22.40. 2. King. 23.7. and Io­siah, they ought to put cleane out of the land all whooremongers and whoorekeepers, and breake down, & burne all their brothel-houses, as an ab­homination vnto the Lord. Far be it from all such as are called Gods, and ought to represse and pu­nish sinne, to permit any place in their Citties or kingdomes for the increasing of sinne, and the di­shonouring of God, by the professed practise of sinne. Neither doth it suffice to say, that Magi­strates and Princes, for the preuention of the greater euils of priuate Sodomites, of vnnaturall copulations, and priuate fornications, may per­mit and tolerate the lesser euill of a publicke bro­thel-house, in some place remote from the Citty; for besides that the Magistrates care and vigilan­cy ought to be such, that there be no enormious sinne or hainous offence priuately or publikely committed, or at least left vnpunished; it can not bee otherwise but that one whore-house publick­ly permitted, is more able to pull downe Gods indignation and iudgement against the whole Citty or kingdome, aswell Prince as people, then an hundreth priuate houses being defiled can do, being either not knowne vnto the Magistrate, or being punished by him, if they be knowne: For a smaller sinne being permitted to bee publickely [Page 75] professed & practised, prouoketh God more then a greater sinne doth, if it be by the Magistrate re­pressed and punished, It is not in the Princes po­wer to keep sinne out of his Citty or Kingdome, neither is he liable to iudgement & punishment for that, which commeth not within the com­passe of his possibility; But it lyeth in his power to keepe out of his kingdome a schoole-house for sinne, and a worke-house for wickednesse; and therefore if hee doe otherwise for any respect whatsoeuer, hee in so doing maketh himselfe and his kingdome obnoxious vnto Gods indignation. In one word it is an intolerable shame, that Chri­stians, who are called to study and learne in Christs schoole, mortification and sanctification of the flesh, should haue a schoole of sinne opened vp to them, wherein they can learne no other thing but to offend God, to slay their owne soules, to consume their bodies, and to wast their substance, and in one word, to make shipwracke at once of godlinesse, goodnesse and their goods. Hereunto also it belongeth that no amorous or voluptuous books, ballads, or songs, nor no lasciuious and pro­phane plaies, or representations ought or are to suffered in a Christian Commonwealth: For as the whore-house is the diuels schoole-house, and whoremongers are the keepers and vshers of the schoole vnder the great maister thereof, the spirit of vncleannes; so amorous and lasciuious bookes, ballads, and songs, are the bookes that this vncleane schoolemaister maketh his scholers buy, to teach them how to defile their bodies, and to [Page 74] slay their soules, that in the end they may be made fit fewel for hell-fire: And lasciuious stage-playes and representations are the same vncleane school-maisters sports, pastimes, and plaies, which he ap­pointeth vnto his schollers, for to quicken and encourage them, in the study and exercise of sinne; Not that I meane to condemne all ex­ercises of stage-playings, minstrelzies, or musicke, for I doubt not, but in themselues they are all lawfull, and may bee so vsed, that men may bee much furthered thereby in the way of vertue; But onely that in a Christian Commonwealth great care ought to be had, least that any of them be abused to the stirring vp, inticing or alluring of men vnto sinne, prophanity, vanity, and vice. Truely in my conceite, the stories and accidents of the time past may bee represented in such maner vpon the stage, that both men and woe­men may bee more and more stirred vp to loue and follow vertue, and to hate and flie vice, to feare to offend God, and to tremble at his iudge­ments shewed from time to time vpon men and woemen for their sinnes; and stage-plaies being thus vsed, are in mine opinion both lawfull, ho­nest, pleasant, and profitable. But if either the sub­iect in part, or in whole, be lasciuious and licenti­ous, or yet the wordes wherewith it is expressed, or the gestures whereby it is acted, bee either im­pious, irreligious, filthy, and prophane, or hurtfull to honest eares, or offensiue to modest eyes; then in that case, the Christian Magistrate ought to punish all such abuses of stage-plaies: for stage-playing [Page 76] being thus abused, is no better then a contemplatiue brothel-house. For there men are taught by the lasciuious and wanton words and gestures which they vse in playing, how to play the vncleane persons, and in the brothel-house they put in practise the sinne, and wicked­nesse which they learned at the stage, by the eare and by the eye. And therefore I wish that all stage-players should so carry themselues, that they minister not any occasion of sinne, and vice vnto their auditors and spectators, but rather help them and further them what they can, to vertu­ous liuing, whereas otherwise by abusing their exercise to sinne, both sinning themselues and in­citing others to sinne, they shall heape vp vnto themselues wrath against the day of wrath and endlesse confusion, for making an exercise and trade of sinne, to heape vp vnto themselues wealth and money here on earth.

Lastly, I say the Christian ought to beware, least he gather or increase his wealth, by the en­damaging and impouerishing of his neighbour through playing and game. If no man wisheth or would willingly that another should winne his money or goods, by play, then no man ought to desire to winne another mans money by that way, for it is expresly against the law of God; which beareth that the thing a man would not to be done vnto himselfe, he ought not do it to an­other. Not that I meane to condemne all playing at cards, or any such other games as vnlawfull, for there is nothing more reasonable, then that a [Page 77] man may well take a little of his time from his more serious affaires, for refreshing of himselfe with any honest passetime, to the end he may be the better enabled to follow the actions of his or­dinary calling, and yet must it be but a little time that is this way spent: for time is pretious, and therefore ought to bee employed and spent in pretious employments, neither must hee make a vocation of a recreation, or of an houres passe­time, an ordinary practise, for God hath not cal­led men to play away time, but to spend time in good and godly employments, and to redeeme time by doubling our diligence, when as we haue idily mispent any part thereof. True it is that di­uers good men haue thought playing at cards al­together vnlawfull, in regard that they do beare in their conceite, the nature and quality of a Lot, which being vsed to diuine purposes, ought not to be abused to any humane or prophane action or affaire. But by their leaue, their reason is not so sound as they do suppose. For if cardes be lots, then it were lawfull for men to vse cardes in the consulting of God for the determination of some certaine doubtes, as wee read both in the old and the new Testament, that lots haue beene vsed, and if this be absurd, then it followeth that they are not lottes as they do imagine. But sup­posing that to be true which they say, euen that cardes are Lottes, I say that it doth not follow, but that they may be vsed in humane affaires: Prou. 18, 18. for it is well knowne, that Lottes haue bene, and yet are lawfully vsed, in ciuill bargaines and businesses [Page 78] belonging to partition and diuision of lands, mar­chandise and wares; and why may they not bee likewise vsed in other humane exercises of recre­ations and plaies? Of their owne nature, lottes are indifferent, and are neither in themselues good or euill, diuine or humane but become such by the abuse or right vse thereof; Euen as Musicke which is vsed both at home, for humane delight and recreation, and in Gods house, in the diuine and solemne celebration of seruice, and as it were ab­surd and ridiculous, to thinke or maintaine, that Musicke, whether in voyces or instruments, may not be vsed at home for humane delight, because it is vsed in the house of God, to the setting forth of Gods praises; so were it a thing no lesse absurd and ridiculous, to argue, that Lottes may not bee vsed in humane delights and recreations, because that they haue bene sometlme vsed in the consul­ting of God, for the determination of certaine doubts. Hence it followeth, that though cardes were a kind of Lottes, yet they may bee lawfully vsed in exercises, of play and passetime. But in the meane time the Christian must take diligent heede, least hee abuse a lawfull recreation to his owne damnation hereafter, and to the indamage­ment of himselfe or of his neighbour here, and therefore he must not make of an houres recrea­tion, a dayly or a nightly vocation (as I sayd be­fore,) nor yet turne a matter of delight into a matter of debate, by vnchristian and vncharita­ble altercations, quarrellings, and contentions; That we turne not the time of ceasing from our [Page 79] ordinary actions, and of solacing our selues, into a time of sinning, by swearing, banning, cursing, and blaspheming the blessed name of God, and of his Sonne Iesus. A man also must beware, least hee change the nature of the thing it selfe, by ma­king it of an excerise of pleasure and company, an exercise of profite and commodity. For a man ought to play, onely to refresh himselfe, not to enrich himselfe by anothers losse, not yet to im­pouerish himselfe by anothers winning; The one is vnthriftinesse, and doth not beseeme a pru­dent or prouident man; the other is couetous­nesse, and doth not become a Christian. So that if men will needs play for money, it were very well done, to play for no more, then they would willingly bestow vpon the poore, and therefore Christians shall shew themselues Christians, in the very playing at cards, if they shall agree vp­on conuerting the wager being wonne, into some charitable vse, for the support of the indigent brethren; If they do otherwise, they play not as becommeth Christians, but do bewray their co­uetous, and vncharitable disposition, flowing from a base minde, which is so farre bewitched with the loue of money, that it maketh them to forget that they are Christen men. And chiefly this ought to be the practise of all Carders, play­ers, and gamesters, at Christmasse, and such other Festiaull times, euen to play for the poore, and to giue the gaine of our gaiming to God, To the end that the poore being supported by this meanes, may bee the more encouraged to cele­brate [Page 90] ioyfully the solemne time of our Sauiours birth. For what thing is there more vnbeseeming Christianity, then for men to spend the dayes of this festiuall time, in playing to gather money for themselues, and to practise either more coue­tousnesse, or else more vnthriftinesse, at this time more then at any other? What thing is there I say or can there be more vnbecomming a Christian, then not to spend this time in the exercise of pie­ty towards God, and of charity towards our neighbour for his sake? Shall one Christian be so vnchristianly affected as to turne his playing with his brother into a preying vpon his brother, so that his couetousnesse cannot bee quenched till he haue emptied his purse? Or shall the Christian play, and not shew himselfe a Christian in his playing, by imparting the pence hee hath wonne vnto the poore? and therefore to shut vp this pre­sent discourse, as the Apostle exhorteth vs, that whether we eate or drinke, we doe all to the glo­ry of God, so say I of this matter; whether wee play for money, or lay money for a wager, let vs alwaies remember to play and lay like Christian and charitable men: and in all our actions let our piety towards God, and our cha­rity towards our neighbours appeare.

VI. Rule. A man must not make haste to be rich, as being posses­sed with an immoderate desire and loue of riches, & miscaried with an excessiue care to purchase or in­crease wealth: But ought rather to bee content with little goods gotten with a good conscience, and enioy­ed with quietnesse of minde, then to purchase or pos­sesse much with an euill conscience, with strife, toile, and trouble of spirit.
Probation and declaration.

TRauaile not too much to bee rich (saith Salo­mon) for riches taketh her to her wings as an Eagle, and flyeth into the aire; Prouerb. 23.4.5. & 28.20.22. Eccles. 31.1.2.5.6. Prouerb. 21.5. & 20.21. and he that maketh haste to bee rich, shall not bee innocent. A man with a wicked eye hasteth to riches, and knoweth not that pouertie shall come vpon him: for who­soeuer is hastie commeth surely to pouertie. An heritage is hastily gotten at the beginning, but the end thereof shall not be blessed. & 29.20, Seest thou a man hastie in his matters, there is more hope of a foole then of him. & 15.27, He that is greedy of gaine troubleth his owne house, and hee that troubleth his owne house shall inherit the winde. & 11.29. An honest name is to bee chosen aboue great riches, & 22.1. and a good conscience is a continuall feast. & 15, 15, 16, 17, Better is a little with the feare of the Lord, then great treasures, and troubles therwith. Better is a dinner of greene hearbes where loue is, then a stalled Oxe, & 28, 6, and ha­tred therewith. Better is the poore that walketh [Page 82] in his vprightnesse, then hee that peruerteth his waies, & 17.1. though he be rich. Better is a dry morsell, if peace bee with it, then an house full of sacrifices with strife. Ecclesiast. 4.6. Ecclesiast, 29.24 25. Better is an handfull with quietnesse, then two handfuls with labour, and vexation of spirit. Better is a little with righteousnesse, then great reuenewes without equity. Prouerb. 16 8, Tobith. 1 [...].8. Ecclesiast. 5.9. He that loueth siluer, shall not be satisfied with siluer. And hee that loueth riches (meaning immoderately) shall be without the fruit thereof. Psal 37.16.17. A small thing vnto the iust man is better then great riches to the wic­ked and mighty (saith the holy Prophet Dauid) for the armes of the wicked shall bee broken, & 39.6. & 49.16.17. but the Lord vpholdeth the iust man. Man walketh in a shadow, and disquieteth himselfe in vaine, he heapeth vp riches, and cannot tell who shall ga­ther them, for hee shall take nothing away with him when he dieth, neither shall his pompe des­cend after him. Prou. 4, 17, & 23 34. Ecclesiast. 5.11 The man who eateth the bread of wickednes, and drinketh the wine of violence, in his sleepe is as one that sleepeth in the mids of the sea, and as hee that sleepeth in the top of the mast: yea the satietie of such a rich man will not suffer him to sleepe: whereas the man who is con­tent of a little with a good conscience, Psal. 4.7.8. may well say with godly King Dauid: Thou hast gi­uen mee more ioy of heart, then they haue had when their wheate and their wine did abound. I will lay me downe, Ecclesiast. 40, 18. & 29.25. and also sleepe in peace, for thou (O Lord) wilt make me dwell in safety. To labour, and to be content with that a man hath, is a sweete life, saith Siracides. Be it little or much, [Page 83] let him hold himselfe contented.

Godlinesse is great gaine (saith the holy Apo­stle Paul) if a man be content with that he hath: 1 Tim 6.6.7.8.9.10. for we brought nothing into the world, and it is certaine that wee can carry nothing out. There­fore when wee haue foode and rayment, let vs therewith be content. For they that will bee rich, fall into tentations and snares, and into many foo­lish and noisome lusts, which drowne men in per­dition and destruction. For the desire of money is the roote of all euill, which while some lusted after, they erred from the faith, and pierced them­selues through with many sorrowes. And in a­nother place he willeth that couetousnes should not be once named amongst Christians, Ephes 5.3.5. 1. Cor. 6.10. and tel­leth vs that a couetous man is an idolater, and that he shall not inherite the kingdome of God, meaning that the couetous mans God is his gold, as the gluttons God is his belly. The one is well called a belly-god, and the other may bee rightly called a pelfe-god, or if ye will, a gold-god. The ones religion is belly-goddisme, and Epicurisme, Soule, eate, drinke, and take thy rest, for thou hast much meate layed vp for many yeares. The o­thers religion is little differing, but in name, from the first, and is gold-goddisme: Soule, take thy rest and be merry, for thou hast much money & gold layd vp for many yeares. As this mans gold is his God, so his house is his heauen, his bed is his Abrahams bosome, his boord is to him the ban­quet of the Lambe, his praying is his playing, his misdeeds are all his almesdeedes, his fasting is [Page 84] his feasting, and his temporall fulnesse is his eter­nall felicity. Marke 4, 18.19. Wherefore our Sauiour teacheth vs, that the immoderate cares of the world, and the deceitfulnesse of riches, and the lusts of o­ther things, choake the seede of the word, so­wen by the spirituall Sower, and make it vn­fruitfull. Math. 26.27.28.29.30.31.32.33.34. Luke 21 34. & 13.22.29. And therefore hee would haue vs to bee so farre and free from all excesse of care for worldly things, that he forbiddeth vs to be grie­uously carefull for the morrow, and for this life, what we shall eate, or what we shall drinke, or what we shall put on, for our heauenly Father (saith the Sonne) knoweth that we haue neede of all those things. Philip. 4.6. Bee nothing carefull (saith the Apostle) but cast all your care on God, for hee careth for you. Heb 13.5. Let your conuersation bee without couetousnesse, and bee content with those things that yee haue; for hee hath said: I will not faile thee, Psal. 55, 22. & 107.9. neither forsake thee. Cast thy burthen vpon the Lord (saith the holy Pro­phet) and hee shall nourish thee: for he satisfi­eth the thirsty soule, and filleth the hungry soule with goodnesse. & 65.9.10.11.12.13. He visiteth the earth, and wa­tereth it, hee maketh it very rich: the Riuer of God is full of water, and hee prepareth men corne. Hee watereth aboundantly the furrowes of the earth, and causeth the raine to descend into the valleyes thereof. Hee maketh it soft with showers, and blesseth the bud thereof. Hee crowneth the yeare with his goodnesse, and his steppes droppe fatnesse. They drop vp­on the pastures of the wildernesse, and the hilles [Page 85] are compassed with gladnesse. The pastures are clad with Sheepe, the valleyes also are couered with corne, therefore the shout for ioy, and sing. As it is hee that giueth deliuerance vnto Kings, & 144.10.11.12.13.14. and rescueth Dauid his seruant from the hurtfull sword, and maketh our sonnes to bee as the plantes growing vp in their youth, and our daughters as the corner-stones grauen after the similitude of a palace. So is it he that maketh our corners to bee full and abounding with diuers sorts, and that our Sheepe may bring forth thou­sands, and ten thousands in our streetes; & 145, 15.16. and that our Oxen may bee strong to labour. Finally, the eyes of all waite vpon him, and hee giueth them their meate in due season, he openeth his hands, and filleth all things liuing of his good plea­sure. Wherefore let the Christian learne to de­pend vpon Gods prouidence, and to cast all his care vpon him; Phil. 3.11.12. let him study and endeuour with the holy Apostle, in whatsoeuer state hee bee, therewith to be content, euen as well to haue want, as to haue wealth, to bee bare, as to abound. And with the holy Prophet, Psal. 119.36. let him alwayes pray: Incline mine heart Lord vnto thy testimonies, and not vnto coue­tousnesse.

VII. Rule. The man that would bee rich, must before all other things, and more then all other things, with great feruency and constancy craue at God spirituall bles­sings; and when he hath gotten riches as he must not set his affection thereupon in louing them too much, so he must not put his affiance or confidence in them by trusting to them, or glorying and boasting him­selfe of them: Neither must hee murmure against God if he afflict him by the losse of a part thereof, or yet of the whole; but ought to beare his crosse pati­ently and valiantly. Finally, he must loue his ri­ches so little in comparison of Christ, and the sal­uation of his owne soule that (if the cause and occasi­on offer it selfe) hee bee content to forsake all for Christs sake, and for the sauing of his owne soule.
Probation and declaration.

Math. 6.33. Luke 12.29.30.31.SEekee yee first (saith our Sauiour) the kingdome of God, and his righteousnesse, and all these things (to wit, foode and raiment, and such other externall commodities of this life) shall bee mini­stred vnto you. And the Apostle exhorteth vs to set our affections on things which are aboue, Colos. 3.2. 1 Tim. 4.8. and not on things which are on the earth. For godli­nesse is profitable vnto all things, as that which hath the promise of the life present, and of that that is to come. Psal 119.165. They that loue thy law (saith the holy Prophet Dauid) shall haue great prosperity. And because that Salomon asked of God, 2 King. 3.5.9.10.11.12.13. not long [Page 87] life, nor riches, nor the life of his enemies, but onely an vnderstanding heart to iudge his people. Therefore said the Lord vnto him: Behold I haue done according to thy words, loe, I haue giuen thee a wise and an vnderstanding heart: so that there hath beene none like thee before thee, nei­ther after thee shall arise the like vnto thee. And I haue also giuen thee that which thou hast not as­ked, both riches and honour, so that among the Kings there shall bee none like vnto thee all thy daies. If riches increase, (saith the holy Prophet) set not your heart thereon. Psal 62.10. & 49.6.10.11.12.16.17. The wicked trust in their goods, and boast themselues in the multi­tude of their riches, they thinke their houses and habitations shall continue for euer, and call their lands by their names, but they shall die like the beasts, and leaue their riches for others; they shall take nothing away with them when they die, neither shall their power descend after them. & 52.5.6.7. The man that trusteth vnto the multitude of his [...]iches, Pruerb. 11.28. Ecclesiastic. 5.1.8. & 31.8. Ecclesiast. 5.9. shall bee rooted out of the land of the li­ [...]ing. He that trusteth in his riches (saith Salomon) [...]hall fall, but the righteous shall flourish like a [...]eafe. He that loueth siluer, shall not be satisfied with siluer, and he that loueth riches shall be with­out the fruit thereof. Iob. 31.24.25.26.27.28. The holy man Iob protesteth [...]f himselfe that he made not gold his hope, nor [...]et said euer at any time to the wedge of gold: Thou art my confidence. That he neuer boasted [...]imselfe, because his substance was great, or be­cause his hand had gotten much: for in so doing saith he) I should haue denyed the God aboue. [Page 88] And the same holy man, notwithstanding hee was the richest of all the men of the East, & 1.3.4.20.21. Iob, 42.10.12. (for his substance besides money, houses, and lands, was seuen thousand sheepe, and three thousand Ca­mels, and fiue hundreth yoke of Oxen, and fiue hundreth she Asses) yet when God suffered him to be spoiled and denuded of all, hee fell not into murmuring, and grudging impatiently against God; but fell downe vpon the ground, and wor­shipped God, saying: Naked came I out of my mothers wombe, and naked shall I returne thi­ther. The Lord hath giuen, & the Lord hath taken it; blessed be the name of the Lord. And we find also that God did reward him for his patience, for he gaue him twise so much as he had before, and blessed his last dayes more then his first. Ierem. 9.23.24. Let not the wise man (saith the Lord by the Prophet Iere­mie) glory in his wisedome, nor the strong man glorie in his strength, neither the rich man glory in his riches, but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me: for I am the Lord which shews mercy, iudgment, and righteousnes in the earth, for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. Trust not vnto thy ri­ches, and say not, I haue enough for my life (saith Iesus the sonne of Sirach: Ecclesiast. 5.1. & 31.8. & 2.4.5.6.) blessed is the rich which is found without blemish, and hath not gone after gold, nor hoped in money and treasures. What­soeuer commeth vnto thee, receiue it patiently, be patient in thy change into affliction, for as gold and siluer are tryed in the fire, euen so are men ac­ceptable in the furnace of aduersity: beleeue in [Page 89] God, and he will helpe thee, order thy way aright, and trust in him, hold fast his feare, and grow old therein.

Heereby Christians are taught, not to grudge against God, if at any time hee crosse vs in our prosperity, and take from vs our substance, whe­ther in part, or whole: yea wee ought to confide so farre in Gods goodnesse, that hee will send vs againe, that which hee hath taken from vs, and re­store it with aduantage, if hee seeth that it shall bee expedient for vs, and profitable for our soules health. Otherwise we ought to thinke that it is farre better for vs to want goods, then to be voyd of goodnesse, and that our case is more blessed to lacke or loose goods, then to enioy them, and withall to abuse them to luxury, superfluity, licen­tiousnes, and sin. Psal. 119.71, & 94.12. Heb. 2.10.18. Act. 14.22. Eccles. 2.4.5.6. It is good for me (saith holy Da­uid) that I haue beene afflicted, that I may learne thy statutes. And blessed is the man whom thou chastisest, ô Lord, & teachest him in thy law. And therefore the blessed Apostle telleth vs, that by affliction we are made like to the Son of God: yea that we must through many afflictions enter in­to the kingdome of God. Our most wise & boun­tifull Father knoweth best what is best for his childrens behoofe. Neither ought the vertuous minded man thinke any whit the worse of him­selfe for his want of wealth, or yet be deiected in courage therefore, as though he were by reason of his indigence, lesse in Gods fauour, then others that do abound. Neither must we measure Gods fauour with the yard or ell of earthly prosperity. [Page 90] For the Prophet Dauid telleth vs, Psal. 10 4.5.6. & 37.7.35. & 73 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 that the wicked and his waies doe prosper oftentimes; so that hee saith in his heart, he shall neuer bee mooued nor be in danger; yea he is strong, and spreadeth him­selfe like a greene baie tree: there are no bands in their death, but they are lustie and strong, they are not in trouble as other men, neither are they plagued with other men, their eies stand out for fatnesse, they haue more then heart can wish, they are licentious and speake wickedly, they talke presumptuously, they set their mouth against hea­uen, and their tongue walketh through the earth: Lo these are the wicked (saith Dauid) yet prosper they alwaies and increase in riches. And the holy Prophet Ieremie questioneth the Lord about the same matter in this manner; Ierem. 12.1, 2. Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper, why are all they in wealth that rebelliously transgresse? thou hast planted them, and they haue taken root, they growe and bring forth fruit, thou art neere in their mouth, and farre from their reines. Like­wise the holy man Iob sheweth vs in very large and ample manner the wickeds prosperitie; Iob 21.7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. They liue and waxe old, and growe in wealth, their seed is established in their sight, their houses are peace­able without feare, and the rod of God is not vp­on them, their bullocke gendreth and faileth not, their cowe calueth and casteth not the calfe, they send forth their children like sheepe, and their sonnes daunce; they take the tabret and the harp, and reioyce in the found of the organs; they spend their daies in wealth, and suddainely they [Page 91] goe downe to the graue. Thus we see, that euen the wicked, and such as blaspheme God, and op­presse the poore, may enioy great prosperitie and wealth for a time. And truely it shall be no more but for a time: for as the same two holy men teach vs, Psal. 10.15. & 37 9, 10, 17, 20, 34, 36. & 52.5. & 7.3, 18, 19, 20. Iob 21, 17, 18, 19, 20, 30. & 27.13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 The Lord will breake the arme of the wicked, God shall cut off him and his seed, he shal destroy him for euer, hee shall plucke him out of his Tabernacle, and roote him out of the land of the liuing: he shall passe away and perish, and shal not be found any more, he shall be suddainly de­stroyed, horribly confounded, and his image shall be despised. The candle of the wicked shall bee put out, they shall be as stubble before the wind, and as chaffe that the storme carrieth away, they are kept vnto the day of destruction, and they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath. The sword shall destroy his children, and his posteritie shall not be satisfied with bread. Though hee should heap vp siluer as the dust, and prepare rai­ment as the clay, hee may prepare it, but the iust shall put it on, and the innocent shall diuide the siluer. Terrours shal take him as waters, and a tem­pest shall carrie him away by night. And as the wicked oftentimes enioy great plentie and pro­speritie, so haue many of the godly many times beene afflicted with penurie, pouertie, and want. And yet for all this, God left not off to loue them most deerely. For their aduersitie, affliction, and trouble, they were not a whit the lesse beloued of God, but rather the more, according to that say­ing of the holy man Iob, Iob 5.17. Blessed is the man whom [Page 92] the Lord correcteth. And therefore not onely wise king Salomon, Prou. 3.11, 12. Heb. 12.5.6, 7.8.9.10, 11. and the holy Apostle Paul, but also our Sauiour himselfe teacheth vs, that the Lord correcteth him whom hee loueth, euen as the father doth the child in whom he delighteth. Also the same Apostle telleth vs, Reuel. 3.19. that many of the children of God of the olde times were brought to such a pinch, that they were bitten with po­uertie and want, Heb. 11.36.37.38. for they wandred (saith he) vp and downe in sheepes skinnes, and in goates skins, beeing destitute, afflicted, and tormented: they wandred in wildernesses, and mountaines, and dennes, and caues of the earth, obnoxious vnto racking, mocking, scourging, chaining, impriso­ning, stoning, hewing, and slaying with the sword.

And what was the pouertie of Christ Iesus the Sonne of God, in his birth, life, and death, it is more then manifest; 2. Cor. 8.9. for hee beeing rich (as Lord of heauen and earth) became poore for our sakes (saith the Apostle) that we through his pouertie might bee made rich. Matth. 1.16.20. & 13.55. Hee was so poore in the time and manner of his birth, that he was laid in a cratch, Luk 2.4.5.6.7. Mark. 6.3. euen in a stable among oxen and asses, folded and swathed in clothes of little price. The house wherein he was borne was a base Inne, yea a stinking stable. The cradle wherein he was laid was a cratch, a place more fit for beasts to eate in, then for the Sonne of God to lie in. His mother that bare him, though descended of noble linage, yea of royall blood, was also abiect and poore, both in her owne person, and in her fortune. [Page 93] For shee was betroathed to a poore Carpen­ter, Ioseph, a trades-man, though descended of the noble house and linage of King Dauid. Hence it was that the Iewes called our Sauiour Christ in contempt, the Carpenter, and the Carpenters sonne. In his life hee was so poore, Matth. 8.20. Luk. 9.58. that hee had not a hole to hide his head in, or a bed to rest his bodie on, whereas the Foxes of the field had their holes, and the birds of the heauen had their nests. Matth. 27.55. So that it behooued certaine godly women of Galile to minister of their sub­stance for the releeuing of his necessitie. Luk. 8.2.3. Finally, in his death hee was so poore, that he had not so much money as to buy himselfe a winding sheet, or to defraie the charges of his buriall, till there came a rich man of Arimathea, Matth. 27.57.58, 59, 60. named Io­seph, who tooke the naked body of poore Ie­sus, and wrapped it in a cleane linnen cloath, and put it in the selfe same newe tombe which he had hewen out in a rocke for himselfe. A hap­pie rich man in so doing: and therefore such a rich man, as all rich men that desire to be happie ought to imitate, and doe imitate, when as vpon their owne charges (as godly Tobias did) they do burie the bodies of the poore members of Ie­sus, who shall one day, Tobit. 1. Matth. 25.34.35.36.37.38.39.40. euen in that great day, acknowledge all the good, good rich men haue done to good poore men, as if they had done it vnto himselfe, and withall re­compence their charity with an inestimable re­ward.

And as for the Apostles, how poore & indigent [Page 94] they were, Mat. 4, 18, 29.20 21, 22. Marke 1, 16, 17.18, 19, 20. Luke 5, 8, 9, 10 11, 28, Math. 10.2, & 19, 24, 27, 28.29 Mark. 10, 28, 29, 30, Luke 18, 28. no man doth know; poore Fisher­men they were for the most part, who yet for­sooke their nets, and all that they had to embrace Christs pouerty, who was yet poorer then they, and followed him. Likewise Mathew the Custo­mer, as soone as Christ said vnto him, follow me, left all, rose vp and followed him. Whereupon the prime of the Apostles, in the name of the rest, said vnto our Sauiour on a time, when as hee had discoursed of the difficultie of rich mens sal­uation: Behold we haue forsaken all, and follow­ed thee, what shall we haue? And Iesus answered: Verily I say vnto you, that when the Sonne of man shal sit in the throne of his Maiesty, ye which followed mee in the regeneration, shall sit also vpon twelue Tribes of Israel. And whosoe­uer shall forsake houses or lands for my names sake, and the Gospels, he shall receiue more in this world, yea an hundreth fold more, and shall in­herite euerlasting life.

Wherby Christians are taught to be ready and willing to forsake all their goods, bee they neuer so precious and copious, rather then to forsake God, and a good conscience, to leaue their inhe­ritance on earth, rather then their inheritance in heauen, and to loose the life temporall rather then the eternall. Math, 16, 25, 26, & 10, 39, Mark, 8, 35, 36, 37. Luke 9, 23, 24, 25, 26, For whosoeuer will saue his life, (saith our Sauiour) shall loose it, and whosoeuer shall loose his life for my sake, shall finde it. For what shall it profit a man though hee should win a whole world, if hee loose his owne soule? or what shall a man giue for recompence of his [Page 95] soule? And if the man that loueth father or mo­ther, or yet his owne life, more then Christ, Math. 10, 37, 38, 39. Luke 14, 26, is not worthy of Christ (as himselfe saith:) How shall that man bee worthy of the eternall inheri­tance, that loueth the temporall inheritance bet­ter then it? And truly whosoeuer will be loath to leaue and loose his worldly wealth, for to follow Christ, and to saue his owne soule by embracing the Gospell, will bee much more loath to lay downe his life for Christs sake and the Gospels in the time of persecution. And with what face can such a man claime or craue at Gods hands, the life eternall, that will not for his sake, leaue, or lay downe his life temporall?

Thus we see that rich men must be so farre from louing their riches too much, Math, 13, 20, 21 Mark, 4, 16.17, Luk. 8 13, 1 Tim, 1, 29, and trusting vnto them, that they should resolue with themselues rather to leaue and loose their gold, then God and godlines, rather to forsake their whole goods, then to fall from the faith, or to make shipwracke of a good conscience, to exempt themselues from persecution, and to the end they may possesse in peace their worldly commodities. Ephes. 5, [...]. Colos, 3, 5, Godlesse rich men they are, who will prefer earthly trash before heauenly treasure, goods before goodnes, and gold before God; whose God is their belly, 1 Tim, 6, 5, Philip, 3.19, and all their godlines is gaine, and their religion gol­den idolatry, goldisme, or belly-godisme, (for so may their irreligious religion bee well called) whose glorie is to their shame, and whose end is damnation, saith the Apostle. Exod. 32.31. Oh said Moses vn­to the Lord, this people haue sinned a great sinne, [Page 96] and haue made them Gods of gold. And may not the like be well said of godlesse rich men, that make gold their God; yea make a God of their belly, which is yet a more base stuffe, and are guil­ty of a kinde of idolatry, which is the basest of all other. And therfore the holy Apostle biddeth the godly Bishop of Ephesus, Timothie: 1 Tim. 6.17. Charge them that be rich in this world, that they bee not high minded, and that they trust not in vncer­taine riches, but in the liuing God, which giueth vs aboundantly all things to enioy. And it is to such godlesse rich men that the holy Apostle, and first Bishop of Ierusalem, S. Iames, crieth out, say­ing: Iam. 5.2.3. Go to now ye rich men, weepe and howle for the miseries that shall come vpon you; your riches are corrupt, and your garments are moath­eaten, your gold and siluer is cankered, and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against you, and shall eate your flesh as it were fire: yee haue hea­ped vp treasures for the last daies. And in another place hee speaketh of such godlesse rich men in this manner: & 1.10.11. For as when the Sunne riseth with heate, then the grasse withereth, and his floure fal­leth away, and the beauty of the fashion of it pe­risheth: Euen so shall the rich man fade away in all his waies. Luke 16.13. No man (saith our Sauiour, the great Bishop of our soules) can serue God and riches. And it is to such seruers, and immoderate louers of riches, & 6.24.25. that he saith: Woe bee to you that are rich, for ye haue receiued your consolation. Woe be to you that are full, for yee shall hunger. Final­ly it is chiefly of such as trust in their riches, and [Page 97] serue them, and loue them more then God, or their poore brethren, Mat. 19.23, 24. that our Sauiour giueth out this verdict: Verily I say vnto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of hea­uen: yea I say vnto you againe, Marke 11.23. Luke 12.5. & 18.24. it is easier for a Camell, or a Cable-rope to go through the eye of a needle, then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God. Wherefore take heede, and beware of couetousnesse, (saith our Saui­our) for though a man haue aboundance, yet his life standeth not in his riches.

VIII. Rule. The man that would procure Gods blessing for the aug­mentation, and conseruation of his store, both to him­selfe & to his posterity, must shew himselfe thankful to God in blessing & praising him for his benefites, and in giuing vnto God that which is Gods, to wit, first fruites & tithes vnto his Friests, and like­wise in giuing vnto Caesar that which is Caesars. That is to say, he must giue vnto the prince (but chief­ly if he be a Christian Prince) as being Gods great Minister and Deputy for the good gouernment of his people, be they Ecclesiasticall or secular persons, a pro­portionable proportion of his goods, tribute, & sub­sidie, whensoeuer he standeth in need. And this ought each one to do with all possible good will, readinesse, and cheerfulnes of mind, without grudging resist­ing, and rebelling, loue we our wealth neuer so well.
Probation and Declaration.

VVHen thou hast eaten and filled thy selfe (saith Moses) Deut. 8.10, 15, 12, 13, 14. thou shalt blesse the Lord [Page 98] thy God, for the good land which he hath giuen thee, beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, least when thou hast eaten, and filled thy selfe, and hast builded goodly houses, and dwelt therein, and thy beasts, and thy sheepe are increa­sed, and thy siluer and gold is multiplyed, and all that thou hast is encreased, then thine heart be lif­ted vp. Prou. 3.9.10. Honour the Lord with thy riches (saith Salomon) and with the first fruits of all thine in­crease, so shall thy barnes bee filled with aboun­dance, and thy presse shall burst with new wine. Aboue all things (saith Iesus the sonne of Sirach) giue thankes vnto him that hath made thee, Eccles 32.14. & 7.29.30. and replenished thee with his goods. Feare the Lord with all thy soule, and honor his Ministers; Loue him that made thee, with all thy strength, and forsake not his seruants. Exod. 22.28.29 Thou shalt not speake euill of the ruler of thy people, (saith the Lord by his seruant Moses) thine aboundance and thy li­quor shalt thou not keepe backe.

Whereby we are giuen to vnderstand, that we must not thinke, or speake vnreuerently of the Prince, for crauing of subsidie, or requiring of tribute: neither must wee deny him, or keepe backe from him a part and portion of our store, if he stand in need therof, or require it at our hands, as also we must beware, least by our murmuring against the Ruler wee doe procure vnto our selues at Gods hands, the diminution of our a­boundance and store. Math 22.17.21. & 17.24, 25, 26.27. And therefore our Saui­our being asked concerning the paying of tri­bute to Caesar, answered thus: Giue vnto Caesar [Page 99] the things which are Caesars, and vnto God, the things which are Gods. Luk. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. Likewise the holy Apo­stle exhorteth men to all dutifulnesse, and obedi­ence in the behalfe of Princes. Rom. 13, 1.5.6.7. Let euery soule (saith hee) be subiect vnto the higher powers, not because of wrath onely, but also for conscience sake. For this cause (saith he) yee pay also tribute, for they are Gods ministers, applying themselues for the same thing. Giue therefore to all men their dutie, tribute to whom yee owe tribute, custome, to whom custome, feare, to whom feare, honor to whom ye owe honor. He also enioyneth Titus the first Bishop of Crete, Tit. 3.1, 2. to put the people in remembrance that they should bee subiect to the principalities and powers, and that they bee obe­dient and ready to euery good worke.

And truly if it be a good worke for the brother to relieue the brother in his neede with a portion of his goods, it cannot but be a farre better worke for the children to releiue the parent in his neede. Now the Prince is the parent of the patrie, and the great and common father of this great family, the subiects are the Princes children, and there­fore they are bound to impart vnto him a part and portion of their goods, when as his neede presseth him to require the same at their hands. And the Apostle telling vs that Princes are Gods Ministers, in the very leuying and taking of tri­bute, doth teach vs that when we pay tribute vnto Princes, or affoord them any such furthe­rance, subsidie, or reliefe, that we doe it not so much vnto them as vnto God himselfe. For what [Page 100] good office soeuer we performe at any time vnto Gods Ministers, but chiefly to his chiefe Mini­ster, that hee doth repute as done vnto himselfe. And therefore wee ought to obey the Prince in this duty as in all other, not onely for feare of his anger and indignation, but also for the conscience we must make of our Christian vocation, and sub­iectionall condition. 1 Pet. 2.17. Feare God, honor the King, saith the blessed Apostle S. Peter. An exhortation worthy of all Bishops, Prelates, and Patriarkes, to whom it doth belong especially to exhort, per­swade, and encourage the subiects of all Christi­stian Kings to loialty, reuerence, & obedience in their behalfe. Wee must honor the Prince in the worthy and reuerent opinion of our minds, in the respectfull and dutifull speeches of our mouthes, in the submisse and humble gesture of our bodies: and lastly, Prou. 3.9, 10. Exod. 22.8. Psal. 82.1.6. Ioh. 10.34.35. as we must honor God with our riches, and the oblations of our handes, so must wee likewise them whom God hath called Gods: to wit, godly Princes, whom when as wee honour with our riches, in giuing them cheerefully a por­tion for their honourable prouision, then wee honour God himselfe with our riches, as Salo­mon exhorteth all men to doe that would haue God to blesse them with aboundance. And truly if wee would bee loath to let God want (if hee were subiect to want in his owne person, as man is, then ought wee likewise bee loath to let the Prince want, who representeth God, and therefore is called God (to teach vs) that what wee bestow vpon him we offer vnto God) [Page 101] and in whose person God oftentimes carrieth himselfe as one that wanteth, and standeth in neede of our helpe. And if wee would willing­ly, cheerefully, and without murmuring bestowe vpon our most bountifull father, our goods, in whole or in halfe, then truely wee ought not to murmure or grudge to bestowe vpon Princes, (whom God hath called by the name of the chil­dren of the most high) a conuenient portion of the same, at least, for their fathers sake. Psal. 82.6. So that a Christian subiect, when hee seeth a king, chief­ly a Christian king, and such a one as besides his power is adorned with the diuine qualities of wisedome, bountie, iustice, and mercie, hee ought to thinke with himselfe, that he seeth God in mans likenesse. And when such a one asketh a Subsidie, or any such releefe at his subiects hands, hee ought to shewe himselfe as willing and ready thereunto, as hee should if God him­selfe in a mans likenesse were come downe a­mongst men to craue a sacrifice or oblation at their hands.

And though it bee true, that Almightie God doth not stand in need of any thing wee haue, (for hee is al-sufficient in himselfe) yet wee must thinke that it is his pleasure to carrie him­selfe as one that doth need oftentimes in the persons of the Prince, the Priests, and the Poore. And this hee doth, to trie whether wee loue Almightie God and our neighbour better then our goods, or no, and to knowe by the effect, if wee haue as yet attained to this [Page 102] perfection, as to giue vnto God all that we haue, if he should require it at our hands. For the man that will grudge to giue a part vnto Gods image and chiefe minister for his sake, will neuer be wil­ling to forsake all for Gods sake: no, hee would neuer be willing to bestowe his whole goods vp­on God himselfe, that will refuse or repine to giue a part vnto his chiefe minister. And contra­riwise, the man that doth cheerefully bestowe vp­on the prince, in regard that he is Gods image and deputie, doth euidently shew that he loueth God better then his goods, and goodnesse better then his goods, and that he would make no difficultie to bestowe most willingly all that hee hath vpon God; yea to forsake his whole goods for Gods sake. Wherefore if we resolue to giue cheerefully vnto Gods Vicar for his sake, a proportionable portion of our goods, he will both account it as giuen vnto himselfe, and will reward the giuer for his gift, 2. Cor. 9.7. Philip. 2.14. and for his cheerefull giuing likewise; for God loueth a cheerefull giuer, and therefore wil­leth vs to doe all things without murmuring and reasoning, hee will reward him with encrease of goods and goodnesse in this life, and with fulnesse of glorie in the life to come. Kings bee also cal­led Gods, for that they must excell all other men, as in power, so likewise in beneficence: so that the Prince, as hee shall haue cause and occasion, may lawfully aske, craue, and receiue a part of his richer subiects goods, and giue of the same to such as are poorer. And this he may doe, yea and ought to doe, to the end his beneficence & boun­tie [Page 103] (wherein he must resemble God most of all o­ther) may bee shewed and continued, Psal. 112.9. 2. Cor. 9.9. and that it may be said and sung of him, hee hath distributed and giuen to the poore, his righteousnesse and be­neuolence remaineth for euer, his horne shall bee exalted with glorie. In one word, to the end that both his poorer subiects may be releeued, and his faithfull seruants may be rewarded.

Princes are likewise called Gods, to shewe vs that they haue a right, I say not vnto all, but vnto a certaine part of each of their subiects goods. For as I would be loath to flatter the prince and wrong the people, by affirming or maintaining the ex­tent of his right and interest to the bodies and whole goods of his subiects (for the most absolute Prince that is, must not thinke himselfe so abso­lute: and as it were a ridiculous thing to subiect the prince to his subiects lawes, so were it an impi­ous crime, to exempt him from Gods lawes) as I would be loath, I say, to flatter the prince, and wrong the people, by affirming his right to their whole goods, so would I be loath to flatter the people, and wrong the Prince, by denying his right to a proportionable part of their goods. And therefore as God doth require at his peoples hands, for the maintenance of his ministers, first fruits, because he is the first, and tythes because he is the last (as an auncient writer yeeldeth the rea­son) and that in name of an annuall and perpetu­all rent, and in token of a double acknowledge­ment we owe him: the one, that he is alpha and omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and [Page 104] the last: the other, that all that we haue, we haue it and hold it of him. So Princes, who are called Gods, of God himselfe, and are his immediate subiects, and his subiects onely, and are liable, if they offend, to the punishment of his hand one­ly, they may iustly claime and require at their subiects hands a competent portion of their goods, for the maintenance of themselues, their families, and seruants, as the holy Prophet Samu­el describing the qualitie and priuiledge of an ab­solute Prince, doth aboundantly testifie. For the holy Prophet disswading the Israelites from the seeking of a King as yet, 1. Sam. 8.14.15.16.17. and before the conueni­ent time (for as yet the time was not come that God should set his seruant Dauid aboue them, who was to be the first elected King of Israel with Gods absolute approbation, and the type & fore­father of the king of kings, according to the flesh) telleth them before hand what power he should haue ouer them and their goods. And namely, that he would not only take their fields and their vineyards, and giue them to his seruants, mea­ning, in case they did heinously offend against his lawes, (for as God is the Law-giuer of Kings, so are Kings the Law-giuers of their people) but also yearly aske and take the tenth of their cornes, of their vineyards, of their fruits, and of their flockes, for the maintenance of himselfe, and of his seruants. And yet in all this, the holy man painteth out no vsurping or vntitular tyrant, Vers. 18. but euen an orderly elected king, that is, such a king as they themselues with a common consent [Page 105] should receiue: neither yet any practicall tyrant, Vers. 11. or tyrannizing king: but euen such a king as should raigne ouer them, and not tyrannize ouer them; as should rule them, and not ruinate them. To which purpose the wordes of the Prophet are most perspicuous and cleare, read them who will.

But hereof wee shall entreat more fully in our Alboni, or Patterne of a perfit Subiect; wherein we shall God-willing discourse substantially and soundly of the seuerall duties of subiects, in the behalfe of Princes. And out of doubt, their first king Saul raigned in this manner ouer them, and yet wee find him not blamed for any tyrannicall oppression, extortion, or exaction practised vpon his people: whereof, if hee had beene guiltie, it should haue beene recorded, no doubt, amongst his other grieuous trespasses. Likewise king Da­uid, who was their first king, by Gods absolute ap­probation (and therefore the spirit of God hath begun with Dauid the first Booke of the Kings) e­uen a man after Gods own heart, 1. Sam. 13.14. no doubt he ex­ercised the same power ouer his people: 1. Chro. 27.1, 25, 31. as may appeare by the monthly courses of his officers ap­pointed ouer the treasures in the fieldes, in the cities, and in the villages, for the collection, custodie, and dispensation of his substance.

And as for Salomon, king Dauids sonne and suc­cessor, it is more then manifest, that he did put in practise this foresaid kingly power, 1. King. 4.7, 22, 23, 27, 28. descri­bed by the Prophet, in taking order for the monthly prouision of his house, by his twelue [Page 106] officers, whom he appointed each man his month to prouide victuals in the diuers parts and quar­ters of his kingdome, for himselfe, and all that came to his table. And who will, or dare say, that Salomon in so doing played the tyrant? 1. King. 10.23. was hee not a wise King, and so wise that hee excelled all the kings of the earth, no lesse in wisedom then in wealth? and beeing so wise as he was, did he not know well enough what was both fit for a King to require at his subiects hands, and what was fit for subiects to impart to their Prince? yea, was he not a iust king, and one that did gouerne his people, as with wisedome, so also with equitie and iustice? shall wee thinke that king Dauids prayer for the prosperous estate of his sonne Salomon and of his kingdome, was frustrate and without effect? Giue thy iudgements to the king, Psal. 72.1, 2, 3.4.12.13, 14. O God, and thy righteousnesse to the kings sonne: Then shall he iudge thy people in righteousnesse, and thy poore with equity: the mountaines and the hilles shall bring peace to the people by iustice. Hee shall iudge the poore of the people, hee shall saue the children of the needy, and shall subdue the oppressor; he shall deliuer the poore when hee crieth, the needy also, and him that hath no hel­per, he shall be mercifull to the poore and needie, and shall preserue their liues, hee shall redeeme them from deceit and violence, and deere shall their blood be in his sight. Shall we thinke I say, that the holy Prophets prayer and prediction touching the excellencie of his sonnes, godly, iust, and peaceable gouernment, was either false, [Page 107] or of none effect? God forbid: farre bee it from vs to thinke that God would haue chosen an oppressor of his people to bee a type of the king of righteousnesse, to bee his sonne, 1 Chron, 22.9, 10.11. & 28.5.6, 10. and to build the house of his sanctuarie. Hee asked of God wis­dome and vnderstanding to doe iudgement, and to rule and iudge his people aright, 1. King. 3.7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.28. and the Lord granted him his petition, and gaue him besides great wisedome, euen honour and riches also: and it is said, that the people saw that the wisedom of God was in him to doe iustice, so that they feared the King.

Wherefore wee must not thinke that hee was guiltie of tyrannie, oppression, or exaction in the behalfe of his people: but rather that his leuy­ing of the Tenths of his subiects substance, was an effect of his diuine wisedome, and the lawfull meanes whereby hee gathered together so much wealth, and so great riches as he did, 1 King 9.20.21. together with the tribute hee did receiue at the hands of many other nations.

And it is to be noted, that the people of Iu­dah and Israel by their cheerefull readinesse and willingnesse in yeelding vnto Salomon their king the Tenthes of their fruites and of their flockes, for the monthly prouision of his houshold, pro­cured at Gods hands the blessing of great pro­speritie, securitie, and peace, which hee powred vpon Israel and Iudah in Salomons daies. 1 Chron. 22.9. 1 King. 4.20.25. They multiplied as the sand of the sea in number, ea­ting, drinking, and making merrie. They dwelt without feare, euery man vnder his vine, and vn­der [Page 108] his figge tree, from Dan euen to Beersheba, all the daies of Salomon: 1. King. 10.21, 27. during the which, there was so great wealth, that he made siluer as plenti­ous as stones in Ierusalem.

And though after the death of Salomon the people did insinuate vnto his sonne Rehoboam, 1. King. 12.1, 2, 3, 4, 11, 14. the grieuousnesse of the yoke his father had put vp­on them in his life, and therefore did present a pe­tition vnto him for the lightening thereof, at his entring to the crowne: yet wee find no mention made of any such murmuring of the people a­gainst Salomon, in the time of his owne raigne. And therefore wee may well thinke, that the people made this complaint and petition, not so much as for that they had any iust cause (for as I said before, Salomon was no tyrant, nor yet an vn­iust exacting king) as for that they were become more couetous after the death of Salomon, then they had beene in the time of his life; and toge­ther more factious and seditious then they had beene before.

Where it is to bee noted, that the Lord puni­shed this their couetous and grudging dispositi­on, with the diminution of their wealth; so that their condition became much vnlike vnto that it had beene in the daies of Salomon. 1. King. 12. 2. Chron. 10. & 11. & 12. Besides, that this their preposterous loue of commoditie, brought them into the guilt of two grieuous sinnes, of Rebellion from their lawfull king, and of idolatrous defection from the true wor­ship of Almightie God. So that not without cause the holy Apostle calleth the loue of mo­ney 1. Tim. 6.10. [Page 109] the roote of all euill.

And certainly, Ezek. 45, 7, 8.9. Prou 28.15.16. as God would not haue his sons to oppresse his seruants: that is, Princes to grieue their people with vnnecessary, exorbitant, and cruell exactions, and with ill-aduised Rehoboam, to make their subiects yoake heauier then it ought to bee: Exod. 22, 28, 29 So would hee not haue the peo­ple to bee so vnnaturall, vnreasonable, and vn­iust, as to abound themselues, and in the meane time to see their Princes destitute of prouision answerable to their place.

As the Prince, I say, must not with wretch­lesse Rehoboam, make the peoples yoake more heauie then it ought to bee by right: so must not the people, with the murmuring and com­plaining Israelites, call that a grieuance, or a grieuous yoake, which is not so indeede, but onely in the apprehension of their couetous con­ceit. 1 Tim. 5, 17, 18, The Apostle speaking of the maintenance of the ministerie, saith: That such Priestes as rule well, and labour in the word and doctrine, are worthy of a double honour. And the same may bee well said of a Prince, that is also a Christian, and consequently ruleth and labou­reth not onely in the Common-wealth, but al­so in the Church of his kingdome, by protection of her spirituall, and direction of her temporall estate, euen that he is worthy of a double main­tenance: especially of such a Prince as detesteth nothing so much as the oppression of the poore, and the destruction of the needy, Amos. 4, 1, Prou. 31, 4, 5. and delighteth in nothing so much, as in bountie [Page 110] and beneficence. Eccles. 10.16, 17 Amos 6.1.4.5.6, Deut. 17.17. A Prince that abhorreth all vo­luptuous, intemperate, and delicious liuing; and that hath not taken to himselfe many wiues, or many Concubines, thereby to be chargeable vn­to his people, but such a one that as he loueth vni­tie and vnion, both of Britannes, and of all other Christians: so that hee made choyce of one to loue, and shee a happie mother of most hopefull children, the honorable maintenance of whom ought to bee deere and precious in our eyes. A Prince, I say, renowned for his singular tempe­rance, continence and sobriety ouer the whole world. And such a one as (according to that which our Lord himselfe requireth of a Prince) doth not giue himselfe to gather together in heaps much siluer and gold, being borne to giue, and not to gather; who like vnto the Sunne, hath no sooner drawne vp vapours and waters into the aire, that is, customes, taxations, and subsidies in­to his treasurie, but as soone powreth the same downe againe vpon the earth, by distributing that which he receiueth, amongst his seruants, English as well as Scottish, as he seeth either their necessity, or yet their desert doth require. So that all the ri­uers of his reuenues, rents, and riches, do returne into the sea of the common-wealth, whence they came.

Finally, a Prince all made of bountie and be­neficence, to whom God hath giuen (as vnto Sa­lomon) a large heart, 1 King. 4.29. 1 Chron. 9. both for learning and libera­lity, euen as the sand that is on the sea shore, and who deserueth no lesse at his subiects hands then [Page 111] as Salomon like a purueiance, as their ability can reach vnto, for the honorable maintenance and su­stenance of himselfe, and his free-parted family. And this much shall it suffice to haue spoken of the maintenance of the Lords chiefe Minister, to wit, the Prince.

In the next place it followeth, that we speake of the maintenance of his other Ministers, to wit, the Priests, which rule or serue in the Church, ei­ther in keeping of vniformity and good order a­mongst the Cleargie themselues, or in reading publickly, and expounding the word, and mini­string the sacraments vnto the people.

All the tithe of the land, Leuit, 27.30, 31, 32. both of the seed of the ground, and of the fruit of the trees is the Lords, it is holy to the Lord (saith the Lord by Moses) and euery tithe of bullocke and of sheep, and of all that goeth vnder the rod, the tenth shall be holy vnto the Lord. Deut. 14.22.23.27.29. Thou shalt giue the tithe of all the in­crease of thy seede that commeth forth of the field, yeare by yeare, the tithe of thy corne, of thy wine, and of thine oyle, and the first borne of thy kine, and of thy sheepe, that thou maiest learne to feare the Lord thy God alwaies, and that the Lord thy God may blesse thee in all the works of thine hands, which thou doest. Deut. 12.17.18.19. Thou maiest not eate within thy gates the tithe of thy corne, nor of thy wine, nor the first borne of thy kine, nor of thy sheepe, neither any of thy vowes which thou vowest, nor thy free offerings, nor the offering of thine hands. Beware that thou forsake not the Le­uite, as long as thou liuest vpon the earth. For be­hold [Page 112] I haue giuen the children of Leui all the tenth of Israel for an inheritance for their seruice which they serue in the congregation, Deut. 26. Numb. 18.12.13.17, 18, 19.20.21.22.23.24. euen the tithes of the children of Israel haue I giuen them. Also the fat of the oyle, of the wine, of the wheate, which they shall offer vnto the Lord for their first fruits, I haue giuen them vnto thee, saith the Lord to Aaron. And the first ripe of all that is in their land, which they shall bring vnto the Lord, shall be thine, as also the first borne of kine, sheep, and goats. Nehem. 10.35.36.37.38, 39. And therefore Nehemiah and Ezra doe mention, how that the people after their captiui­ty being restored to liberty, and to the enioying of their owne land, amongst other duties, resol­ued, and protested before God, that they would bring the first fruites of their land, and of their fruit-bearing-trees, yeare by yeare into the house of the Lord, and the first borne of their flockes, of their cattell, bullockes, and sheepe, of their trees, wine, wheate, and oyle, vnto the Priests, to the chambers of the house of our God (for there the Ministers of God dwelt) and the tithes of their land vnto the Leuites, that they might haue the tithes in all the Cities of their trauell. 2 Chron. 31.4.5.6.7.8. And of Hezekiah, that godly king, it is written that hee commanded the people that dwelt in Ierusalem, to giue a part to the Priests and Leuites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord. And when the commandement was spred, the chil­dren of Israel brought aboundance of first fruits of corne, wine, and oyle, and hony, and of all the increase of the field, and the tithes of all things [Page 113] brought they aboundantly: so that when Ezeki­ah, and the Princes saw the heapes which they had brought for the space of 4. whole monethes, they blessed the Lord, and his people Israel. Euery where the Lord doth claime first fruits and tythes as his proper possession and inheritance, the which he hath allotted vnto his Priests for their perpetuall wages and peculiar patrimonie, saying vnto them, or rather resigning vnto them his whole title, right and claime thereunto. Numb. 18.20, 21. Deut. 10.9. & 18.2, Iosh. 13.14.33. Ezek. 44.28.29.30. I am your inheritance, part & possession among the children of Israell: yea the Lord is so iealous of this their right, that he doth repute himselfe as spoyled and robbed with a violent and strong hand, when his Ministers are defrauded of their due, cursing such as with-hold from them, what is theirs, and blessing those that giue them their owne.

And as the Lord expostulating with his peo­ple for their idolatry, saith vnto them: Ierem. 2.11. Hath any Nation changed their Gods, which yet are no Gods? but my people haue changed their glo­ry, euen their God, for that which doth them no good: So likewise expostulating with them for their sacrilege, hee saith vnto them: Molach, 3, 8, 9.10, 11, 12. Will a man spoyle his Gods? yet haue yee spoyled mee: but yee say▪ Wherein haue wee spoyled thee? in tythes & offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse, for yee haue spoyled me, euen this whole nation. Bring ye all the tythes into the storehouse, and proue me now therewith, saith the Lord of Hoastes. If I will not open the windowes of [Page 114] heauen vnto you, and powre you out a bles­sing without measure. And I will rebuke the de­uourer for your sakes, and hee shall not de­stroy the fruit of your ground, neither shall your vine bee barren in the field, and all Na­tions shall call you blessed: for yee shall bee a pleasant land saith the Lord of hostes.

But it will bee said of some, and chiefly of such as loue more to prey vpon the Church, then to pray in the Church, that the paying of first fruites and tithes doth belong to the Ce­remoniall law of the Iewes, and therefore doth not oblige vs Christians to the obseruing there­of. Ephes. 5, 3, 5, Colos. 3, 5, For the refutation of which errrour, and double idolatry flowing therefro, (for if coue­tousnesse bee idolatry, as the holy Apostle af­firmeth that it is, then sacriledge which is not onely a coueting, but also an occupying, yea a robbing and stealing of holy things must needes bee a double idolatry) I will shew such substanti­all reasons, as that the verity and truth of this matter shall bee made manifest, and this errour sufficiently refuted.

Heb. 9, 10, & 10, 1, & 8, 4, 5.First, Iudaicall ceremonies were euanishing shadowes and externall representations of spiri­tuall things to bee accomplished in Christ, and they had relation to God alone, as being a part of his worship. But so it is that first fruites and tithes were no shadowes, or figures of spiritu­all things to bee accomplished in Christ, nei­ther had the paying thereof onely a respect vn­to God, as all the externall and ceremoniall or­dinances [Page 115] of Religion had, but it was a duty to bee performed by man vnto God and man coniunctly: that is, vnto his Priests or Mini­sters, for a demonstration of the perpetuall ac­knowledgement and obligation wee owe vnto God, as being the Alpha and Omega, the begin­ning and ending of all our good, for bestow­ing vpon vs these earthly things, and for the honourable and perpetuall maintenance of his Ministers; Wherefore paying of first fruits and tithes, is no ceremony of the Iewish religion, and consequently is not abolished. Numb. 18, 12, 13.17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 1 Cor. 9, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,

Secondly, the maintenance of such as are worthy of maintenance, is no ceremoniall, but a morall thing. But so it is, that the paying of first fruits and tithes is the maintenance of such as are worthy of maintenance, euen of Gods Ministers, and such as serue him in his house, and therefore paying of tithes is no ceremoniall, but a morall, and perpetuall dutie.

Thirdly, 1 Cor. 9, 9, 10, 11, 12.13, Heb. 10. the Priests and Ministers of the Gos­pell haue succeeded in the roome of the legall Priests and Ministers of the Tabernacle. Where­fore it followeth, that they haue succeeded to their maintenance and prouision, except wee thinke them vnworthy of any certaine mainte­nance.

Fourthly, Gen. 33, 11, Deut. 10, 14. Acts 17, 28, Psal. 24, 1. 1 Cor. 10, 26, Christians doe hold their earthly things of God, no lesse then did the Iewes, and therefore they are bound by the same law, that the Iewes were, to acknowledge this their tenure and holding of him as the Lord and owner [Page 116] of the earth, and all that is therein: and conse­quently must deliuer into the hands of his Col­lectors and Stewards, which are his Ministers, the annuall rent of first fruits and tythes.

Gen. 1.1. Reuel. 22, 23.V. Wee doe not finde in the Scripture, that God hath giuen his proper inheritance to Lay­men, or that he hath made Lay men the collectors of his annual rents, or that he hath vnder the Gos­pell giuen and granted his possession vnto other men then such as do serue him in his house.

Deut. 10.9, & 12, 19. & 14, 23.29. 1 Tim. 5.17, 18, 1 Cor. 9.9.10.VI. If God was so carefull for the prouisi­on of his Priests and Ministers vnder the Law, how much more then may we thinke hee would be carefull for his Priests and Ministers vnder the Gospell, chiefly seeing they serue him in a more excellent manner, then the other did? If he would not haue his Ministers to begge vnder the law, or yet to depend vpon popular beneuolences, shall wee thinke that he would now haue his Ministers vnder the Gospell to be subiect to such a beggerly condition?

Gen. 14.20, Heb. 7 4.8.VII. Before there was any ceremoniall Law deliuered by Moses, the seruant of God, vnto the people, Gen, 28.22. we find that Abraham, the Father of the faithfull, payed tythes vnto Melchisedeck, the high Priest of the most high. Likewise Iacob, his Grand-child, vowed to giue vnto God tythe of all his increase. Whence it appeareth, that the pay­ing of tythes is not a branch of the ceremoniall, but euen a dutie of the moral law. And seing that not onely the Priests after the order of Aaron, but also those of Melchisedeckes order receiued [Page 117] tythes, it followeth that Euangelicall priests, Heb. 7.17, 21, 26, 28. & 8.1, 2, 3, 4. as beeing vnder Christ, who was an high priest after Melchisedecks order (for euery high priest must haue his inferiour priests, according to his order) may and ought to receiue tythes also.

VIII. Euery prouident and wise master pro­uideth for his houshold and seruants; wherefore it followeth, 2. Tim. 2.6. that God who is the most prouident and wise master of all other, hath prouided for the maintenance of his houshold seruants, for his priests and ministers of his house; and we find no other maintenance allotted them in the Scrip­ture, but onely first fruits and tythes: wherefore these must either be their portion and allowance, or else they haue nothing certaine at all.

IX. Luk. 10.2.7. 1. Tim. 5.18. Matth. 9.37, 38. All labourers haue certaine standing wa­ges: the ministers of the Gospel are Gods labourers, therefore they ought to haue their standing wages likewise: and we read of none other, ex­cept first fruits and tythes. Luk. 10.7. And therefore our Sa­uiour forbiddeth his Apostles to goe from house to house, telling them that the workeman is wor­thy of his hire. And truely, if he would not haue his Apostles to goe from house to house, euen in that time when as tythes were with-holden from them by the Iewish cleargie; shall wee thinke that now, when as the Iewish cleargie is abolished, he would haue his ministers of the Gospel to goe from house to house, or yet to send from house to house, to beg the peoples beneuolences? those that hold from Christs ministers & Apostles the duty of first fruits and tythes, were such as persecuted [Page 118] both them and Christ, and crucified him in the end. And such god-spoyling Gospellers as doe now a daies with-hold the Church-rents from Church-men, what doe they else but persecute Gods ministers, and crucifie Christ daily in his members?

Deut. 10 9. & 12.19 & 14.23, 29. 2. Chro. 31.4. Prou. 3 9, 10.X. The ends of paying first fruits and tythes vnto Gods priests are perpetuall, to wit, that the Ministers of God may bee maintained, and not forsaken, but more and more encouraged in the seruice of God, that God may be honoured with our riches, and acknowledged to bee our great Land-lord, and good-lord, that we may learne to feare the Lord, and that he may blesse vs in all the workes of our hands, that so our store may be en­creased, and our barnes filled with aboundance. Are not Christians Gods tenants, farmers, and vassals, as well as were the Iewes? and doe we not hold all that we haue of God, as well as they? and are we not bound to pay our annuall rents vnto God, as duely and truely as they? and what rea­son haue Christians to forsake their ministers, more then the Iewes had? and doe not the one deserue as well to be liberally maintained and en­couraged in their worke as the other? and haue not Christians as great cause to learne to feare God as had the Iewes? Finally, doe not Christi­ans desire as earnestly as the Iewes did to bee bles­sed in the workes of their hands, and in the in­crease of their store? Wherefore it followeth ne­cessarily, that we Christians must not pretend any exemption from paying of tythes and first fruits [Page 119] more then did the Iewes?

XI. The holy Scriptures set downe the pay­ing of these yearely Church-rents, amongst mo­rall duties, and accounteth of Sacriledge, not as if it were the meere transgression of a ceremoniall ordinance, but euen the violation of a morall law. Will a man spoyle his gods? Malach. 3.8. (saith the Lord God by his Prophet Malachie) yet ye haue spoy­led me in tithes and in offerings. Prou. 3.9, 10. & 20.25. Honor the Lord (saith Salomon) with thy riches, and with the first fruits of all thine encrease, so shall thy barnes bee filled with aboundance, and thy presse shall burst with new wine. But it is a destruction for a man to deuoure that which is sanctified: meaning, that the man who wil not honor God with first fruits, and tythes, but doth deuoure the holy things, and committeth sacriledge, bringeth destruction vpon himselfe, his soule, his body, his goods, and his house. Rom. 2.2 [...] Thou that sayest a man should not commit adulterie, breakest thou wedlocke? (saith the holy Apostle:) and thou that abhorrest i­dols, doest thou commit sacriledge? as if hee should say, thou that detestest the honouring of a false god, wilt thou neuerthelesse spoyle and dis­honour the true God? Whereby wee are giuen to vnderstand, that sacriledge is not onely a trans­gression of the morall law, but that it is euen a double sinne, compounded of robberie and ido­latrie, and consequently, a more detestable and abhominable euill then idolatrie it selfe. Leuit. 18.21. & 20.2. 2. King. 23.10. & 16.3. & 17 17. Ierem. 7.31. For the idolater with his heart, his body, and substance; yea sometimes with the blood of his deerest chil­dren [Page 120] honoureth a false god, yet thinking that it is the true God indeed he doth thus worship: wher­as the sacrilegious god-spoyler robbeth the true God of his owne. The idolater is carefull to wor­ship some god, but the god-spoyler careth for no god at all, a false god hee doth not know, and the true God he will not acknowledge. The idolater beeing misse-led with an erroneous opinion, ma­keth & taketh that to be God, which is not God, that is, ignorantly of an idol hee maketh God; whereas the sacrilegious god-spoyler, malitiously, euen wittingly and willingly of the true God, maketh no god at all, but a meere idol; otherwise he durst not be so bold, as to rob him of his right. For it is an infallible maxime, That a man wil ne­uer rob or spoyle him whom hee loueth, honou­reth, or feareth.

1. Tim. 5.17.18.XII. The maintenance of the ministerie is very diligently recommended vnto Christians by the holy Apostle. The Priests (saith hee) that rule well, are worthy of double honour, specially they which labour in the word and doctrine: for the Scripture saith, thou shalt not mousle the mouth of the oxe that treadeth out the corne, 1. Cor. 9.7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. and the labourer is worthy of his wages. Who goeth a warfare any time at his owne cost? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flocke, and eateth not of the milke of the flocke? say I these things ac­cording to man? sayeth not the law the same al­so? for it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not musle the mouth of the oxe that trea­deth [Page 121] out the corne. Doth God take care for ox­en? either saith he it not altogether for our sakes? for our sakes, no doubt, it is written, that he which eareth should eare in hope, & that he that thresh­eth in hope, should be partaker of his hope. If we haue sowen vnto you spiritual things, it is a great thing if we reape your carnall things: doe ye not knowe that they which minister about the holy things, eate of the things of the temple? and they which waite at the altar are partakers with the al­tar? So also hath the Lord ordained, that they which preach the Gospel, should liue of the Go­spel. Now who is he that can say from his heart, that to liue of the Gospel is to liue of begging, and of popular beneuolences? and not rather of hauing, by way of iustice, the tenthes of the goods of them to whom they preach the Go­spel. Except we meane to make the condition of liuing by the Gospel, inferiour vnto the con­dition of liuing by the legall sacrifices. And it is to bee noted, that the holy Apostle proo­ueth, euen by the law of Moses, the right that the Ministers of the Gospel haue vnto our car­nall things, and that vnto such carnall things, as both Moses doth prescribe in his lawe, and the Apostle himselfe doth mention, entreating of this matter, comprehending them vnder these two kinds; the fruits of the field, and the flocks of the fold. Wherby it is more then apparant, that the Apostle meaned, that the perpetuall mainte­nance, allotted vnto the legall priests, in first fruits and tythes, by the Lawe of Moses was due [Page 122] vnto the priests and ministers of the Gospel, after the ceasing and abolishing of the other. And that as the Gospel of Christ hath succeeded into the roome of the law of Moses, Heb 7.1, 2, 3, 4, 5 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 17, 26. and the Euangeli­call priesthood into the place of the Legall priest­hood; euen the renued order of Melchisedecke into the roome of the abolished order of Aaron: so haue the priests of the one order succeeded vn­to the maintenance of the other, euen the infe­riour priests of Melchisedecks renued order, vnder their high priest Christ Iesus, vnto the patrimo­nie and prouision of the inferiour priests of Aa­rons abolished order. For as I said before, the law of maintenance is perpetuall and common to the priests of both orders, though the law of the priesthood bee but temporall and change­able.

And as for such ministers as disdaine to bee called by the name of priests, but delight in new names and new opinions, and would rather want tythes then be called priests, to the end they may be vnlike vnto other Churches of Christendome, and the Church-men thereof: I wil say no more, but that it is a great pittie that the Church of God should be troubled with such newfangled­nesse, and that any of Gods ministers should bee misse-led with such fond and friuolous, yea vnmi­nisterly opinions. As learned, godly, & holy men as they are said to bee, or thought to bee, they are much deceiued, if they doe thinke otherwise, but that more learned, more wise, and holy Church-men haue bin called by the name of priests, then [Page 123] they: If the whole people of God be called a roy­all priesthood by the holy Apostle S. Peter; 1. Pet. 2.9. Reuel. 1.4, 5, 6, & 5.9, 10. and if the blessed Apostle S. Iohn, writing vnto the an­gels or bishops of the 7. Churches of Asia, calleth them priests, and if the 24. Elders in heauen call themselues priests: finally, Heb. 7.15, 17, 21, 24, 26, 28, & 8.1, 2.3. if Christ Iesus himselfe be called a priest, yea an high priest (which presup­poseth that he hath priests vnder him, for as much as euery high priest must haue his inferiours) shall any of the ministers of the Gospel then bee asha­med to be called priests? or shall any of them bee so fond as to disclaime tythes, which are due to priests, rather then to bee called by this honoura­ble name of priest?

XIII. And lastly, the holy Apostle Paul, not onely exhorteth Christians to remember them which haue the ouersight of them, Heb. 13.7. and haue de­clared vnto them the word of God, but also in expresse words hee enioyneth him that is taught in the word, Galat. 6.6. to make him that hath taught him partaker of all his goods. The people must giue a part of their goods vnto their pastours, and this part must either be equall vnto the Leuitical part, or greater then it, or else smaller. To giue them a smaller, were a most vnreasonable indiscretion, & a more then beastly ingratitude: and if they will not bestow a greater, then they must either giue an equall portion to that of the legall priests, or else no portion at all. Yea the iniunction of the Apostle beareth, that the maintenance of the E­uangelicall priests, ought rather to be more, then lesse then was that of the legall priests: for they [Page 124] had a right vnto a tenth part of some certaine goods; namely of fruits, and of flocks, but not of all their goods whatsoeuer, or of the value there­of in money: whereas the Euangelicall priestes ought to bee made partakers of all indifferently. And truely, 2. Cor. 3.6, 7, 8, 6, 10, 11. looke how farre the ministery of the Gospel is more excellent then that of the Law, so much the more ample & liberall ought to bee the maintenance of the ministers of the Gospel, then was that of the ministers of the tabernacle. O how vgly then is the sinne of sacriledge, that beareth neuerthelesse such a sway in this Isle! O how horrible an iniquitie is it for men of might to pull out of Gods mouth the diet of the church, to put it into their owne, and to fill the bellies of their hounds and their horses, with the meat of Gods ministers! It is a sinne of that high nature, that because of it God hath said vnto vs, Malach. 3.9, 10, 11. as once he said vnto the people of Israel vpon the like oc­casion, ye are cursed with a curse, for ye haue spoi­led me, euen this whole nation: and that he hath sometimes sent scarcenes of bread, Amos 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. and cleannesse of teeth in our cities, and townes, sometimes hath with-holden the raine from vs, when there were yet three months to the haruest, and shut the win­dows of heauen vpon vs, Isa. 16, 9, 10. & staied the raine til the fruits of the earth were destroyed with drought, somtimes hath smitten our fruits with blasting & mildew, & sent the palmer-worm to deuoure the fruits of our trees, Hagg. 1.10, & 2.18. yea made our singing & show­ting for ioy in haruest to cease, & made vs drunke with our tears, for that the heauen aboue vs was [Page 125] stayed from dew, and the earth vnder vs from yeelding her increase. For this abhominable sinne God hath sometimes sent the pestilence amongst vs, to rage in most violent manner, to consume our bodies, and the fire to burne, and the water to o­uerflow our townes, lands, houses, and habitati­ons.

In one word, it is this horrible sin of sacriledge that hath ouerthrowne the strength and glory of diuers mighty and wealthy houses; God in his most iust iudgement shutting such from their inheritance, as were so audacious and bold as to robbe him of his. Iob. 15.25.26, 27. The sacrilegious God-spoy­ler is the man which (as Iob speaketh) hath stret­ched out his hand against God, and made him­selfe strong against the Almightie. Therefore God shall run vpon him, euen vpon his necke, and against the most thicke part of his Shield, because hee hath couered his face with his fatnesse, and hath collopes in his flankes. As if the holy man should say, because this God-spoy­ling anti-god hath presumed to shut God from his inheritance, and hath taken from him his tythes, and hath made himselfe fat with Gods meate, which hee hath pulled out of the hands and mouthes of his Ministers, Ver. 29.30.31.32, 34. therefore God shal bee auenged on him, he shall not be rich alwaies, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall hee prolong the perfection thereof in the earth. Hee shall neuer depart out of darknesse, the flame shall dry vp his branches, and hee shall goe away with the breath of his mouth. His [Page 126] branch shall not be greene, but shall be cut off be­fore his day, and the congregation of the hypo­crite shall bee desolate. And who is so great an hypocrite as the sacrilegious Church-robber, who being an impure God-spoyler indeed, will needs in the meane time be esteemed a pure Gos­peller, and one of the most precise professors of the reformed Church? Hee may well make him­selfe merry with the meate of Gods Ministers, as prophane Balthasar did with the golden and sil­uer vessels of Gods house; Dan. 5.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Iob. 20.5, 6, 7, 8.9, 10. but he shall know in the end, that the reioycing of the wicked shall take an end: and (as Zophar speaketh) that the ioy of hypocrites is but a moment. Though his excel­lency mount vp to the heauen, and his head reach vnto the cloudes, yet shall he perish for euer, like his dung, and they which haue seene him, shall say: Where is he? He shall flye away as a dreame, and they shall not find him, he shal passe away as a vision of the night; so that the eie which had seene shall doe so no more, and his place shall see him him, no more. As if he should say, though he were neuer so great and mighty a man, that robbeth Gods Church, yea though his height did reach vnto heauen, yet for all his height shall he not en­ter into heauen; but shall fall to the earth like his owne dung, and his sacrilegious soule shall stinke more vilely then his dung amids hell flames. His children shall flatter the poore, Vers. 10. and his hands shall restore his substance. As if hee should say: Be­cause the father, through pride and tyranny op­pressed the poore, and spoyled Gods Ministers, [Page 127] therefore God shall make the posterity of that man, for pouerty and want, to beg at other poore folkes doores: yea that thing which the sacrile­gious father tooke away by violence, his barnes shall be brought to restore againe by force. Vers. 15.16.17. Hee hath deuoured substance, and hee shall vomit it: for God shall draw it out of his belly, for to him it belongeth, and in place thereof hee shall sucke the gall of aspes, and the vipers tongue shall slay him: that is, his portion shall be with hypocrites, and the generation of vipers, for the old Serpent shall slay his soule, he shall not see the riuers, nor the floods and streames of hony and butter. That is, he shall not taste of the happinesse of the hea­uenly Canaan. Hee on earth shut God from his inheritance on earth, but in the end God shall shut him out of the earth, and debarre him from heauen, and hurle him headlong into hell. Vers. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23. He shal restore the labour, and shall deuoure no more, euen according to the substance shall bee his exchange, and hee shall enioy it no more. For hee hath vndone many, hee hath forsaken the poore, and hath spoyled houses which he builded not, euen Church-mens houses, yea Gods house, and God himselfe hath hee spoyled. Surely hee shall feele no quietnesse in his body, neither shall he reserue of that which hee desired: there shall none of his meate be left, therefore none of his shall hope for his goods. As if he should say, be­cause he would needs deuoure Gods meate, and the dyet of his Ministers, therfore God shall send the deuourer to deuoure his meate. For when [Page 128] he shall bee filled with his aboundance, that is, with Gods portion, and Church-mens prouision, he shall bee in paine, and the hand of all the wic­ked shall assaile him: that is, because hee was so wicked as to stretch out his hand to spoyle God, therefore God shall make many wicked mens hands to spoyle him: He shall be about to fill his belly, to wit, with Gods Ministers meate, but God shall send vpon him his fierce wrath, and shall cause to raine vpon him, euen vpon his meat. As if hee should say, Ver. 14.15.16. Gods Ministers meate shall do him no good: for God shall either draw it out of his belly, or else he shall turne it into the gall of Aspes in the midst of him. And not only shall God draw his meate out of the God-spoilers mi­serable belly, Ver. 26.27.28.29. but he shall also draw his sacrilegious soule out of his deuouring body, and it shall burne in the fire that is not blowne: that is, in hell fire that needeth no blowing. The heauen shall declare his wickednesse (for he was so impious as to spoyle the God of heauen) and the earth shall rise vp against him (for he was so vngracious as to robbe Gods Ministers and Vicegerents on earth) the increase of his house shall goe away, it shall flow away in the day of his wrath. As if he should say, the mans house that is increased, builded, or reared vp by the decrease and robbery of Gods house, it shal not stand alwaies, the grease and fatnesse of it shall flow away like water, the pelfe and wealth thereof shall euanish and melt away like the fat of lambes, or as doth the snow before the Sun. Such is the portion of the wicked [Page 129] from God, and the heritage that of GOD hee shall haue. As if hee should say, desolati­on and destruction in substance, in body, and soule shall bee the portion and heritage of all impenitent God-spoyling Gospellers, men worse then idolaters, which turne the true God into an Idoll, as the other doe an Idoll into God, and worship and feare neither true, nor false deity. A false God they know not, and the true God they will not acknowledge: for otherwise they would stand in awe to spoyle God of his portion, and to bereaue him of his inheritance.

And therfore to shut vp this pleading for Gods Priestes, let mee say vnto euery Student in this Art of Enriching, that desireth to be rich, heere, and happie hence, that which rich Za­cheus promised to doe, Luke 19.8 and practised at the time of his conuersion: That euery man that hath taken from the Church, or with-holden from the Church-men their tythes by sacrile­gious impropriation, and wicked vsurpation, that hee restore with repenting Zacheus, foure-fold, or at least, let him restore the principall stocke, which he hath in his hands. Let him, I say, listen vnto the morall exhortation of wise Salomon: Prou. 3.9 Ho­nor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruites of all thine increase, so shall thy barnes be filled with aboundance, and thy Presse shall flow ouer with new wine, and to the precept of the most high, vttered by the mouth of his prophet Malachie: Bring euery tythe into the store-house, Mallach. 3.10.11.12. that there may be meate in mine house, and proue [Page 130] me withall, saith the Lord of hoasts, if I will not open the windowes of heauen vnto you, & powre you out a blessing without measure; And I will reproue the deuourer for your sakes, and hee shall not destroy the fruit of the ground, neither shall your vine be barren in the field, saith the Lord of hoasts, and all nations shall call you blessed, be­cause yee shall be a pleasant land.

IX. Rule. A man, to whom God hath giuen riches and store, ought to take his owne part thereof cheerefully, so long as hee enioyeth the same: yet so that in the meane time hee keepe himselfe from all excesse in dyet, or apparrell; all intemperancy, luxurie, superfluity, drunkennesse, gluttony, and prodigality, least God punish the abuse of his benefits with penury and pouerty.
Probation and declaration.

Eccles. 9.7.8.GO eate thy bread with ioy (saith Salomon) and drinke thy wine with a cheerefull heart, and let thy garments be white or neat: for there is no profite to a man, & 2 24, 25. 26. but that hee eate and drinke, and delight his soule with the profite of his la­bour: I saw also that this was of the hand of God. Surely to a man that is good in his sight, God gi­ueth wisdome, and knowledge, and ioy; but to the sinner he giueth paine to gather, and to heape, to giue to him that is good before God. When goods increase, & 5.10.16.17.18.19. they are increased that eate them. And this is also an euill sicknesse, that all his daies [Page 131] hee eateth in darknesse with much griefe, sorrow, and anger. Behold then, what I haue seene good, that it is comly to eate, and to drinke, and to take pleasure in all his labour wherin he trauelleth vn­der the Sun, the whole number of the dayes of his life which God giueth him, for this is his por­tion. Also to euery man, to whom God hath gi­uen riches and treasures, and giueth him power to eate thereof, and to take his part, and to enioy his labour, this is the gift of God. Surely he will not much remember the daies of his life (that is, the painfull dayes of the time past) because God answereth to the ioy of his heart. & 6.1. [...]. There is an euill which I saw vnder the Sun, and it is much among men: A man, to whom God hath giuen riches, and treasures, and honour, and hee wanteth no­thing for his soule of all that it desireth: But God giueth him not power to eate thereof, but a strange man shall eate it vp; this is vanity, and an euill sicknesse.

Riches are not comely for a niggard (saith Iesus the sonne of Sirach) and what should he doe with money? Eccles. 14.3.4.5.6.10.11.14. & 31.23.24. Hee that gathereth together from his owne soule, heapeth together for others that will make good cheere with his goods. Hee that is e­uill vnto himselfe, to whom will he be good? for such a one can haue no plesure of his goods. Such a man (saith he) enuieth himselfe the bread, and withereth his own soule by the scarcenesse of his table. Wherefore he exhorteth a man to do good to himselfe of that he hath, and not to defraude himselfe of the good day. In one word, as man [Page 132] is apppointed to serue God, and not Riches: so Riches are appointed to serue Man, and not Man to serue them. Luke 16.13. Ye cannot serue God and Riches, saith Iesus the sonne of God. Wherefore the man that maketh himselfe a slaue vnto his sub­stance, it is a pitty hee should haue any place a­mongst free-men, but that hee should bee seque­stred and put apart, as one stricken with an infe­ctious disease; and that on the gate of his slauish aboad should be engrauen in great letters: Here dwelleth a monster, a man without an heart, a rich man, but a slaue vnto his riches. Thou that passest along, and viewest his aboad, spit at his doore, but enter not in, least that going in a free-man, thou returne from thence turned into a slaue.

But as a man that hath wealth should take his part thereof in all cheerefull and hearty manner: (for what profiteth it for a man to haue goods, and to want the good vse therof?) So must he be­ware on the other hand, of abusing Gods bene­fits to intemperancy, luxurie, gluttony, drunken­nesse, superfluity, and excesse, whether in table or attire. For by this meanes hee shall both prouoke God to anger against him, and bring himselfe in­to pouerty, necessity, and neede. Besides that it is the custome of men, for the most part, not to pitty such a one, as through his owne miscariage hath made himselfe poore, whereas, by good gouern­ment, hee might haue had sufficient for himselfe, yea also whereupon to gratifie his friends, and to relieue the poore. Keepe not company (saith Sa­lomon) [Page 133] with drunkards, nor with gluttons, Prou. 23.20.21. for the drunkard and the glutton shall be poore; and the sleeper shall be clothed with ragges. He that hath pleasure in bankets (saith he) shall bee poore, & 21.17. and who so delighteth in wine, and delicates, shall not be rich. Iesus the sonne of Sirach, as he commen­deth the liberall man, so he condemneth the nig­gard; and yet hee painteth out the manifold in­commodities that follow vpon excesse. Who so is liberall in his meate (saith hee) men shall blesse him, Eccles. 21.23.24.27.28.29.30. and the testimony of his honesty shall be be­leeued: but against him that is a niggard of his meate, the whole Cittie shall murmure, the testi­monies of his niggardnesse shall be sure. Yet shew not thy valiantnesse in wine, for wine hath de­stroyed many. Wine soberly drunken, is profita­ble for the life of man: what is his life that is ouer­come with wine? wine was made from the begin­ning to make men glad, and not for drunken­nesse. Wine measurably drunken, and in time, bringeth gladnesse, and cheerfulnes of minde: but wine drunken with excesse, maketh bitternes of mind, with brawlings, and scoldings: drunken­nes increaseth the courage of a foole, til he offend, & it diminisheth his strength, & maketh wounds. Vers. 19.20. How little is sufficient for a man well taught? and thereby he belcheth not in his chamber, nor fee­leth any paine. A wholsome sleepe commeth of a temperate belly, he riseth vp betimes in the mor­ning, and is well at ease in himselfe, but paine in watchings, and cholericke diseases, and pangs of the belly are with an vnsatiable man.

[Page 134]Therefore (saith hee) bee not greedy in all delights, & 37.28.29.30. and be not too hastie in all meates, for excesse of meates bringeth sicknesse, and glutto­ny commeth into cholericke diseases, by surfeit haue many perished, but he that gouerneth him­selfe prolongeth his life. Prou. 23, 29.30 31.32. To whom is woe (saith the wise man?) to whom is sorrow? to whom is strife? to whom is murmuring? to whom are wounds without cause? and to whom is the red­nesse of the eyes? Euen to them that tarry long at the wine, to them that go and seeke mixt wine. Looke not thou vpon the wine when it is red, and when it sheweth his colour in the cup, or goeth downe pleasantly. In the end thereof it will bite like a Serpent, and hurt like a Cockatrice.

Whereby we are taught, that excesse and su­perfluity doth occasion many incommodities to man, not onely in his substance, but also in his bo­dy, and in his soule, and that it maketh many a soule sinfull, many a body sickly, and many a man miserable and poore. Wine and strong drinke, immoderately vsed, will steale away a mans strength, be he neuer so strong: yea it will steale away the strength of his soule: for true fortitude cannot harbour in that heart, that is alwaies swimming and bathing in the bar­rell of strong drinke. The head that cannot bee holden from the Hogs-head, but must alwaies be tumbling and tipling in the Tunne, is more like vnto a hogs head indeed, then a mans head, & the heart of him likewise: yea not only shall strong drinke immoderately vsed, wound the man that [Page 135] vseth it in his soule, in his body, and in his sub­stance, besides his offensiue wounding and hur­ting of others, but also (saith Salomon) it will in the end bite him like a serpent, and hurt him, or rather kill him like a cockatrice. It will euen slay him, both in his soule and in his substance; for as the drunkard and the glutton drinketh away and deuoureth his inheritance on earth, whereby hee becommeth poore, so he drinketh & eateth away his inheritance in heauen, to please his belly hee selleth away his part of paradice, whereby he be­commeth miserable both heere and hence, and this is that which the Apostle saith, 1 Cor. 6.10. That drun­kards and gluttons shall not inherit the kingdome of God, Heauen, as great and wide as it is, cannot hold a glutton nor harbour a drunken head. Gods kingdome hath no roome to receiue a belly-god. Reu. 21.21. Euery gate of the heauenly Ierusalem, is of one pearle (saith Saint Iohn) how then should a belly-god, whose head is a hogs-head of drinke, and whose belly is a buriall place of so much meate, how should such a big body, and such a swolne soule enter at so narrow a gate? Get in then who will into the kingdome of God, a belly-god can­not get in.

The Christian that would bee rich must like­wise beware of excesse and all pompousnes of ap­parell. Eccles. 11.4. Bee not proud of clothing and rayment (saith Iesus the sonne of Sirach) and exalt not thy selfe in the day of honour. Luke 16.19. And the holy Euan­gelist telleth vs, or rather our blessed Sauiour Ie­sus the Sonne of God, that the damned rich glut­ton [Page 136] was cloathed in purple, and fine linnen, and fared well and delicately euery day. 1. Tim. 2.9, 10. 1. Pet. 3.3. And the bles­sed Apostle, as knowing how that women are more subiect vnto this fault of excesse in apparel, then ordinarily men are, and how that thereby both pride in their hearts is nourished, intempe­rancie and daintinesse cherished, and the substance of the house much diminished; hee enioyneth them, that they aray themselues in comely appa­rel, with shamefastnesse and modestie, not with broyded haire, or gold, or pearle, or costly appa­rell, but as becommeth women that professe the feare of God, with good workes, and with a meek and quiet spirit, which is before God a thing much set by. Iam. 2.1, 2, 3, 4. And the Apostle S. Iames willeth vs to make no reckoning of a man for his gold ring, and his goodly apparel, nor yet to despise the poore and modest man for his course and slender array: Psal. 147.10, 11 as the Lord hath no pleasure in the strength of a horse, neither delighteth in the legs of man, but onely in them that feare him, and attend vp­on his mercie; so hee hath no pleasure in the bra­uerie and beautie of apparell, neither delighteth he in the costlinesse and curiositie of cloathing. God seeth not as man seeth, 1. Sam. 16.7. for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord beholdeth the heart. God looketh not to the decking and arraying of the body, but to the decking and a­dorning of the minde. Sack-cloth liketh him bet­ter then sattin or silke, 2. King. 1.8. Mark. 1.6. Luk. 7.25. & 16.19. hee is more delighted with the hairecloth of Eliah, & of Iohn Baptist, then with the soft and silken raiment of courtiers, or with [Page 137] the purple, and fine linnen of Diues. The king of Niniue lying vpon the earth, Ionah. 2.6. Act. 12.21, 22, 23. couered with sack-cloth, and sitting in ashes, found mercy with God, whereas Herod sitting in his throne, arraied in roy­all apparell, was smitten by an angel, and eaten vp of wormes.

Thus wee see how displeasing vnto God, and how hurtfull vnto man, this vice of excesse is, whether in diet or apparell, and how that it is an enemie both vnto mans prosperitie on earth, and his felicitie in heauen. It shutteth him out of his inheritance on earth, and bereaueth him of his inheritance in heauen. And this is not all the euill that commeth by excesse, for God oftentimes punisheth the whole citie, the countrey, yea the whole kingdome with scarcitie and famine for this abuse of his benefit. Woe vnto them (saith the Prophet Isaie) that are mighty to drinke wine, Isa. 5.11, 12, 13, 22. and to them that are strong to powre in strong drinke, therefore they are men famished, and the multitude thereof is dried vp with thirst. They lie vpon beddes of Iuorie (saith the Prophet Amos) and stretch themselues thereupon, Amos 6.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. they eate of the lambes of the flocke, and the calues out of the stall, they sing to the sound of the violl: they in­uent to themselues instruments of musicke, they drinke wine in bowles, and annoint themselues with the chiefe oyntments, and therefore their sorrow is at hand saith the prophet: and that so much the more in that they vsed this excesse in a time when as they ought to haue beene rather sorie for the affliction of Ioseph, that is, of [Page 138] their brethren, Ioel. 1. whereof now many were slaine and carried away captiue. And the Prophet Ioel soundeth into their eares this exhortation and commination, Awake ye drunkards, and weepe, howle all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine, for it shall be pulled from your mouth. As if he should say, yee drunkards that lie snorting and sleeping in your beds of downe, awake; and ye that vse to quaffe and swill vpon your knees, doing worship to Bacchus, like idolaters, or to your owne bellies like belly-gods, arise: and all ye that bee merrie begin to mourne, and turne your lowd laughing into lamenting, your har­ping into howling, for the new wine, the strong drinke, and the daintie cheere, which ye doe abuse in this maner, shall be pulled from your mouthes, and not onely from yours, but also from many o­ther mouthes for your sakes. For behold, the vine and the new wine is dried vp, the oyle is de­cayed, the corne is destroyed, the field is wasted, the fruits of the ground are eaten vp by the pal­mer-worme, the grashopper, and the caterpiller, the trees of the field are withered, the seed is rot­ten vnder the clods, the garners are destroyed, and the barnes broken downe, the pastures of the wil­dernesse are burned vp, and the springs of water dried vp; so that the heards of cattle, & the flocks of sheepe doe pine away for want of pasture, and the beasts of the field doe crie and mourne for lacke of water: Ierem. 14.3, 4, 5, 6. yea, the whole land mourneth. And as the Prophet Ieremie speaketh, the ground is destroyed for want of raine, the plowe-men are [Page 139] ashamed, and couer their heads, the Hind also cal­ueth in the field, and forsaketh it for lacke of grasse.

Thus it appeareth manifestly, how horrible a sinne excesse is, and how Almightie God is wont to punish the abuse of his benefits, with famine, scarcenesse, penurie, and indigence When men in their aboundance wil needs play the beasts, God will be auenged both on them, and on the beasts for their cause: yea, he will change their diet, and send them to feed with the beasts. So that they shall bee faine for extreame famine to eat the grasse of the field, and gnawe the barke and roots of the trees, and to drinke the water of the flood, that the table of beasts may teach them not to play the beasts any more, in abusing Gods good crea­tures to excesse. And good reason forsooth, that such as will needes liue riotously, and quaffe and swill vpon their knees, should be brought vpon their knees in good earnest, and be made to feed with the beasts, vntill they learne to liue like rea­sonable and moderate men, and not like vnreaso­nable and intemperate beasts.

X. Rule. A man to whom God hath giuen riches and store, (though but in a meane measure) if hee would haue God to blesse him and it, both with increase and continuance, as hee ought to giue a part thereof cheerefully vnto the Prince, and another part [Page 140] vnto the priests, and take a third part for him­selfe, so ought he charitably to impart a proportio­nable part thereof to the poore, by lending or giuing to them according to his power, and their pouertie and need.
Probation and declaration.

Deut. 15, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.IF one of thy brethren with thee (saith the Lord by Moses) bee poore within any of thy gates, in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poore brother: but thou shalt open thine hand vnto him, and shalt lend him sufficient for his neede which he hath: thou shalt giue him, and let it not grieue thine heart to giue vnto him, for because of this the Lord thy God shall blesse thee in all thy workes, and in all that thou puttest thine hand to. Be­cause there shall bee euer some poore in the land, therefore I command thee, Exod. 22.25, 26, 27. Leuit. 25.35.36, 37. saying, Thou shalt open thine hand vnto thy brother, to thy nee­die, and to thy poore in the land. Thou shalt relieue him, and if thou lend money vnto him, thou shalt not be as an vsurer to him, thou shalt not giue him thy money to vsurie, or vantage, nor lend him thy victuals for en­crease. And if thou take thy neighbours ray­ment to pledge, thou shalt restore it vnto him before the Sunne goe downe, for that it is his couering onely, and this is his garment [Page 141] for his skinne, wherein shall he sleepe: therefore when he crieth vnto me, I wil heare him, for I am mercifull. Leuit. 19, 9, 10, & 23, 22. Deut. 24, 19, 20 21. Also when yee reape the haruest of your land, yee shall not reape euery corner of your field, neither shalt thou gather the glai­nings of thy haruest, thou shalt not gather the grapes of thy vineyard, but thou shalt leaue them for the poore, the stranger, the fatherlesse, and the widow. When thou cuttest downe thy har­uest in the field, and hast forgotten a sheafe in the field, thou shalt not goe againe to fet it, but it shall bee for the stranger, Psal. 37, 21, 26. for the father­lesse, and for the widowe, that the Lord thy God may blesse thee in all the workes of thine hands.

The righteous is mercifull (saith the prophet Dauid) and giueth, & 41.1. hee is euer mercifull and lendeth, and his seed enioyeth the blessing. Blessed is hee that iudgeth wisely of the poore, the LORD shall deliuer him in the time of trouble. & 112.4, 5, 9. Vnto the righteous ariseth light in darkenesse, hee is mercifull and full of compas­sion, a good man is mercifull and lendeth, and will measure his affaires by iudgement, hee hath distributed and giuen to the poore, his righteousnesse remaineth for euer, his horne shall bee exalted with glorie. Let not mercie and truth forsake thee (saith King Salomon) bind them on thy necke, Prou. 3.3.4. and write them vpon the table of thine heart, so shalt thou find fauour in the fight of God and Man. & [...], 27, Hee that is mercifull rewardeth his owne [Page 142] soule. & 14.21.31. Hee that hath mercy on the poore is bles­sed; yea the Lord honoureth him that hath mer­cy on the poore. & 19.17. Hee that hath mercy vpon the poore, & 21.13.21, 26. lendeth vnto the Lord, and the Lord will recompence that which he hath giuen. The righ­teous giueth and spareth not, and he that follow­eth after righteousnes and mercy, shall finde life, righteousnes and glory; but hee that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore, hee shall also cry and not bee heard. & 11.24.25.26. There is that scattereth and is more increased, but he that spareth more then is right, surely commeth to pouerty: the liberall person shall haue plenty, and hee that watereth, shall also haue raine. Hee that withdraweth the corne, the people will curse him; but blessing shall be vpon the head of him that selleth corne: to wit, & 22 9. Eccles. 31.29. good cheape, and when the people stand in need, by reason of scarcity and famine. Hee that hath a good eye, hee shall bee blessed: for he giueth of his bread vnto the poore. Prou. 25.21.22. If he that hateth thee be hungry, giue him bread to eate; and if he be thirsty, giue him water to drinke, for thou shalt lay coales vpon his head, & 28.27. and the Lord shall recompence thee. He that giueth vnto the poore shall not lacke, but he that hideth his eyes shall haue many curses. Giue ye strong drinke vn­to him that is ready to perish, & 31.6.7. and wine vnto them that haue griefe of heart, let him drinke that hee may forget his pouerty, and remember his mi­sery no more.

& 31.20.Also Salomons vertuous woman, that encreaseth exceedingly her store and her substance, is descri­bed [Page 143] to be such a one as stretcheth out her hand to the poore and needy. Eccles. 11.1.2. And therefore in his Prea­cher he exhorteth men to be liberall to the poore in these words: Cast thy bread vpon the waters, for after many dayes thou shalt finde it. Giue a portion to seuen, and also to eight, for thou know­est not what euill shall be vpon the earth. Is not this the fasting that I haue chosen (saith the Lord by his prophet I say) to loose the bands of wic­kednesse, to take off the heauie burthens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that yee breake e­uery yoake? Is it not to deale thy bread to the hungrie, and that thou bring the poore that wander to thine house, when thou seest the na­ked that thou couer him, and hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh? Then shal thy light breake forth as the morning, and thine health shall grow speedily, thy righteousnes shall goe before thee, and the glory of the Lord shall embrace thee: then shalt thou call, and the Lord will answer, thou shalt cry, and he will say, here I am. If thou powre out thy soule to the hungry, and refresh the troubled soule, then shall thy light spring out in the darknes, and thy darknes shall bee as the noone day, and the Lord shall guide thee con­tinually, and satisfie thy soule in drought, and make fat thy bones, and thou shalt be like a wa­tered garden, and like a spring of water where waters faile not. And they shall bee of thee that shall build the old waste places, thou shalt raise vp the foundations for many generations, and thou shalt be called, the Repairer of the Breach, and the [Page 144] restorer of the pathes to dwell in. Tobit. 4.7, 8, 9, 101 11, 16. Giue almes, (saith Tobias to his sonne) of thy substance, and when thou giuest it, let not thine eye be enuious, neither turne thy face from any poore, least that God turne his face from thee. Giue almes accor­ding to thy store; if thou haue but a little, be not afraid to giue a little almes, for thou layest vp a good store for thy selfe against the day of ne­cessity.

Because that almes doth deliuer from death, and suffereth not to come into darknesse: for almes is a good gift, or present before the most high, to all them which vse it. Giue of thy bread to the hungry, and of thy garments to them that are naked; yea of all thine aboundance giue alms, and let not thine eye bee enuious when thou gi­uest almes. It is better to giue almes then to lay vp gold (saith the glorious Angell Raphael to Tobias) for almes doth deliuer from death, & 12, 8.9. and doth purge all sinne, and those which exercise almes, and righteousnesse shall bee filled with life. Water quencheth burning fire, and almes taketh away sinnes (saith Iesus the sonne of Sirach) and hee that rewardeth good deedes will remember it af­terwards, Eccles. 3.33, 34. and in the time of the fall he shall finde a stay. & 4.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.10. My sonne, defraude not the poore of his liuing, and make not the needy eyes to waite long: make not an hungry soule sorrowfull, nei­ther vex a man in his necessity. Trouble not the heart that is griued, and desire not the gift of the needy. Refuse not the praier of one that is in trouble: turne not away thy face from the poore, [Page 145] nor thine eies aside from him, and giue him none occasion to speake euill of thee: for if hee curse thee in the bitternesse of his soule, his prayer shall be heard of him that made him. Bee cour­teous vnto the company of the poore; let it not grieue thee to bow downe thine eare vnto the poore, but pay thy debt, and giue him a friend­ly answere. Bee as a father vnto the fatherlesse, and as an husband vnto their mothers; so shalt thou bee as the sonne of the most high, and hee shall loue thee more then thy mother doth. Stretch thine hand vnto the poore, & 7.33, 34, 35. that thy blessing and reconciliation may bee accompli­shed. Liberalitie pleaseth all men liuing, Tobit. 2.4 7. and from the dead refraine it not. Let not them that weepe bee without comfort. & 4.17. Bee not slow to visite the sicke: for that shall make thee to be be­loued. Let vpright men eate and drinke with thee, Eccles 9.18. and let thy reioicing bee in the feare of the Lord. Do good vnto the righteous, & 12.2.4.5, 7. and thou shalt finde great reward, though not of him, yet of the most high. Giue vnto such as feare God, & do well vn­to him that is lowly. & 14.13. Do good vnto thy friend be­fore thou die; & according to thine ability stretch out thine hand, and giue him. & 17.20, 25. The almes of a man is as a thing sealed vp before God, and hee kee­peth the good deedes of a man as the apple of the eye, and giueth repentance to their sons & daugh­ters. At the last shall hee arise and reward them, and shall repay their reward vpon their heads. Hee that will shew mercy, & 29.1.2.9.11, 12.13.14. lendeth to his neigh­bour. Lend to thy neibour in the time of his [Page 146] need, and pay thou thy neighbour againe in due season. Helpe the poore for the commandements sake, and turne him not away because of his po­uerty. Bestow the treasure after the commande­ment of the most high, and it shall bring thee more profite then gold. Lay vp thine almes in thy secret chambers, and it shall keepe thee from all affliction. A mans almes is as a purse with him, and shall keepe a mans fauour as the apple of the eye, and afterwards shall it arise, and pay euery man his reward vpon his head. & 40.24. It shall fight for thee against thine enemies, better then the Shield of a strong man, or the Speare of the migh­ty: yea almes shall deliuer more then friends. I haue shewed you all things (saith Saint Paul to the Ephesians) how that so labouring yee ought to support the weake, Acts 20.35. and to remember the words of the Lord Iesus, how that hee said: It is a blessed thing to giue rather then to receiue. And the same Apostle laboureth much in exhorting the faithfull to distribute vnto the necessities of the Saints, Rom. 13.8.13. and to giue themselues to hospitali­tie, and to shew mercy with all cheerefulnesse of minde. Heb. 13.2.16. Bee not forgetfull (saith hee) to lodge strangers: for thereby haue some recei­ued Angels into their houses vnawares: to doe good, and to distribute forget not, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. This remember, that hee which soweth sparingly, shall reape also sparingly, 2 Cor. 9, 6.7.10.11. and hee that soweth liberally, shall reape also liberally. As euery man wisheth in his heart, so let him giue, not grudgingly, [Page 147] or of constraint, for God loueth a cheerefull giuer. Also he that findeth seede to the sower, will minister likewise bread for food, and multiply your seed, and increase the fruits of your beneuo­lence, that on all parts ye may be made rich vnto all liberalitie, which causeth through vs thankes­giuing vnto God. Gal. 6.9.10. Let vs not be weary of well-doing, for in due season wee shall reape, if wee faint not. While we haue therefore time, let vs doe good vnto all men, but specially vnto them which are of the houshold of faith. 1 Tim. 6.17.18.19. And hee enieoyneth Timothie, the first Bishop of Ephe­sus, to charge them that are rich in this world, that they doe good, and be rich in good works, and ready to distribute and communicate, lay­ing vp in store for themselues a good foundation against the time to come, that they may obtaine eternall life. Whosoeuer hath this worlds goods, 1 Ioh. 3.17. (saith the Disciple whom the Lord Loued) and seeth his brother haue neede, and shutteth vp his compassion from him, how dwelleth the loue of God in him? The Apostle S. Iames, Iam. 127. & 2.1.2, 3, 4.5, 6.13, 14, 15, 16. and first Bi­shop of Ierusalem, teacheth vs, that we must not despise the poore for their pouerty, and course clothing, seeing God hath chosen the poore of this world, that they should bee rich in Faith, and heires of the kingdome which hee promi­sed to them that loue him. He likewise warneth vs, how there that shall bee iudgment mercilesse to him that sheweth no mercy, to him that will not fill the hungry belly, and clothe the naked backe; for pure religion, and vndefiled before [Page 148] God the father (saith he)is this to vesit the father­lesse, and widows in their aduersitie, and for a man to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world. 1. Pet 4.8, 9.10. Aboue all things (saith S. Peter, the first of the Apostles) haue feruent charity among you: for charity co­uereth the multitude of sins. Be ye harborous one to another, without grudging. Let euery man, as he hath receiued the gift, minister the same one to a­nother, Math. 5 42. Luk 6.30.35.36.38. as good disposers of the manifold grace of God. Giue vnto him that asketh (saith our Saui­our) and from him that would borrow of thee, turne not away. Loue your enemies, do good and lend, looking for nothing againe, and your reward shall be great, and ye shall bee the children of the most high: for he is kind vnto the vnkind, & good vnto the euill. Be ye therfore mercifull, as your fa­ther also is mercifull. Giue, and it shall bee giuen vnto you, a good measure, pressed downe, shaken together, and running ouer, shall men giue vnto your bosome: for with what measure ye mete, with the same shal men men mete to you againe. Math. 5.7. Math. 10.42: Marke 9.41. Blessed are the merciful, for they shal obtain mercy. Who­soeuer shall giue vnto one of these little ones to drinke, a cup of cold water, in the name of a disci­ple, verily I say vnto you, hee shall not loose his reward. Math. 6, 19, 20, 21, Lay not vp treasures for your selues vp­on the earth, where the Moath and Canker cor­rupt, and where theeues digge through & steale: but lay vp treasures for your selues in Heauen, where neither the Moath nor Canker corrupteth, and where theeues neither dig through, nor steale: for where your treasure is, there will your heart [Page 149] be also. Sell that ye haue, and giue almes, Luk. 12.33. & 14.12.13, 14, & 16.9. make you bagges which waxe not olde, a treasure that can neuer faile in heauen. Make you friends with the riches of iniquitie, that when yee shall want, they may receiue you into euerlasting habitati­ons. And when thou makest a dinner, or a sup­per, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors, lest they also bid thee again, & a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poore, the may­med, the lame, and the blind, and thou shalt be blessed, because they cannot recompence thee: for thou shalt be recompenced at the resurrection of the iust. Matth. 25.34, 35, 36, 40 41, 42, 43, 46. Then shall the King say to them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foun­dations of the world: for I was an hungred, and ye gaue me meat, I thirsted, and ye gaue me drink, I was a stranger, & ye lodged me, I was naked, and ye cloathed mee, I was sicke, and ye visited mee, I was in prison, and ye came vnto me: verely I say vnto you, in as much as ye haue done it vnto one of the least of these my brethren, ye haue done it to me. Then shall hee say vnto them on the left hand, Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire, which is prepared for the deuill and his an­gels: for I was an hungred, and yee gaue me no meate, I thirsted, and yee gaue mee no drinke, I was naked, and yee cloathed mee not, I was a stranger, and ye lodged me not, I was sicke, and in prison, and yee visited mee not: Verely I say vnto you, in as much as yee did it not to one [Page 150] of the least of these, yee did it not to mee.

If this be true, which the Truth hath both said, and saieth he shall say, then truely many Christi­ans of this last age, in Gods account, are accursed, and many of the men of these last daies, must needs go at the last day into euerlasting fire. Euen as many as doe now refuse to feed and refresh, to cloth and to lodge, to visit & to comfort Christ Iesus, liuing, or rather dying daily amongst vs, in the persons of poore, needie, sicke, and comfort­lesse men. Charitie is growne so cold in these last daies, that Christ may well wander through our streets, wee will not bring him in, hee may stand crying at our doors, and starue of hunger & cold, for fault of food and clothes, we will neither fill his bellie, nor couer his backe; hee may lie sicke and sore in the high way, and in the corners of our townes, we will not build him an hospitall, or if we doe, it is so little it can hardly lodge him, or hold him, neither will wee take the paines to goe see him there, to cause minister him medicine, to bind vp his wounds, to cure his sores, and to comfort him in his anguish. He may for vs lie in prison with fetters on his feet, and yet the merci­lesse rich man that hath put him in prison, will not proue the deliuerer, and set him free; nor yet will one or moe rich men prooue the redeemer, and pay his debts, that he may be set at libertie. Yea, hee may lie dead at our doores, or in the high streets, and scarcely will we burie him; or if we bu­rie him, we will be ashamed to accompany him to the buriall place, hee is in his members so abiect [Page 151] and contemptible in our eies. Euery man findeth out some one excuse or other, to cloake and to co­uer this his coldnesse of charitie. The man that hath much, and may giue much almes, saith, hee hath so much adoe with it for other vses, that hee cannot spare any part thereof to releeue the poore. Christ in heauen (I wot well saith hee) hath enough, and needeth none of my goods, and if he were on earth, & stood in need, I would not stand to bestowe vpon him all that I haue. And this may suffice. On the other hand, the man that hath little (and yet not so little, but that he might impart a little thereof, vnto such as haue lesse then he) saith, he hath little enough for him­selfe: So that betweene these two sorts of men, haue they much, or haue they little, Christ can haue nothing at all: For both of them pretend that they haue too little for themselues, too little meate for their owne bellies, and therefore Christ must be hungrie; too little drinke for their owne mouthes, and therefore Christ must bee thirstie: too little cloathing for their owne backes, and therefore Christ must goe vncouered, except hee be couered with ragges: too little money in their purses, and therefore Christ must be still in prison vnredeemed.

Thus then all plead they haue too little, no than is found that thinketh he hath much, or too much: And yet Salomon thought, Prou. 30, 8, that a man might haue too much, when hee prayed vnto the Lord, not to giue him too much. And truely, if the man hath too much burthen on his backe, when [Page 152] he doth not onely vnder it bow, but also breake: and if the ship hath too much loading, when not onely shee drinketh the salt sea, but also sinketh therein: then truely that man hath too much ri­ches, when his loue of them, confidence in them, and care for them, make the backe of his soule cracke, or make the ship of his soule to drinke, yea to sinke in the infernall flood of Gods furie. Then shall the poore soule say, Woe is mee, that I had so much riches, yea too much, though once I thought a man could not haue too much, Amos 4.2, Prou. 30.15. but said alwaies, bring, bring, giue, giue: and woe is me, I gaue so little almes vpon so much as I had, for if I had not had so much, and done so little good with my so much goods, I should not now haue tasted of so much torment. What a foole was I, Luk. 12, 48 that would not beleeue the true saying of the master of Truth? Vnto whomsoeuer much is giuen, of him much shall bee required. Good Lord! how is it possible that men can looke for so much good and glorie at Christs hands, who will yet giue so little of their goods, or nothing at all vnto him and his for his sake? How can they hope at his hands to be fed with the bread of life, the hidden Manna from aboue, or refreshed with the water of life, out of the fountaine of the Pa­radice of God, or cloathed with the white robe of righteousnesse, and couered with the garmen [...] of glorie, or redeemed from their spirituall debts, and deliuered from the bondage and fetters of sinne and Satan, & brought into the fruition and libertie of Gods kingdome? How is it possible I [Page 153] say that such men as doe behaue themselues in the behalfe of Christs poore members so vncha­ritably, should expect at Christs hands, for such great and inestimable goods? With what face I say, can the man craue, or yet hope to receiue at Christs hands, the bread and drinke of eternall life, that will refuse to minister vnto him, or his members for his sake, the bread and drinke of this transitorie and temporall life? or how can hee expect to haue the filthie nakednesse of his soule couered with the white-red robes of Christs righteousnesse in this life, and after this life to bee clothed both soule and body with the robe-roy­all of glorie, who wil refuse now to couer Christs nakednesse with a peece of his course cloth, or with his old clothes?

It is recorded of the first Christians, Act. 2.44, 45, & 4.34, 35. that they had all things common, for they sold their pos­sessions, and goods, and parted them to all men, as euery one had need; so that there was none a­mong them that lacked. Was it so? then, merci­full God, how vnlike are our Christians of these last times, vnto those of the first times! euen as vnlike vnto them in deuotion and charitie, as were the feet of Nebuchadnezzars image vnto the head thereof, in nature and qualitie. Dan. 2.32, 33. The head of the image was of fine gold, but the feet of it were part of yron, and part of clay. And the first Chri­stians were euen fine as the finest gold of Ophir, they were tried & fined euery day in the furnace of affliction: godlinesse to them was gaine, and their glorie was not to gather and hoord vp gold, [Page 154] but to giue their gold and their goods vnto the poore and needie members of Christ Iesus: yea euen to forsake their gold and their goods, and to lay downe their liues for Christs sake. And such was the godlinesse and goodnesse, the pietie and charitie of those golden times. But wee Christi­ans of these last times, are more like vnto the feet of Nebuchadnezzars image, which were of yron and clay mingled together. Our hearts are hard as yron, we take no pitie nor compassion vpon the poore, they are hard as an Adamant, they are hardly mooued with any contrition or sorrow for sinne. As they are void of compassion in behalfe of the poore, so are they of compunction for our manifold trespasses. Our hands are hard as yron, and in a manner made of yron, for they are more readie to bruize and breake our poore brethren by oppression, extortion, vsurie, robberie, and all kind of hard and cruell vsage, then to helpe them any whit. Our soules, as they are lodged in taber­nacles of clay, so are they almost turned into a clay eie substance: for what other thing doe wee mind but claie, and corruptible things? Our af­fections are set vpon the things that are belowe, and wee are wholly consumed with worldly cares. So that, looke how great oddes there is be­tweene gold and yron mingled with clay, be­tweene the head and the feet of that image: as great oddes is there betweene the Christians of the first and last times. The first Christians were sellers of their substance, to the end they might giue vnto the poore: but the last Christians [Page 155] are many of them buyers of the substance, and taskers of the goods of the poore. The first Christians had the vse of all things necessarie common: but the last Christians haue the vse of all things priuate. The first Christians parted their goods among such as had neede: but the last Christians doe rather plucke and pull from such as doe neede. Finally, the first Christians suffered none amongst them to lacke: but the last Christians suffer many multitudes of their poore brethren, not onely to lacke, but euen to lose their liues for want.

Except your righteousnesse (saith our Sauiour) exceed the rihhteousnesse of the Scribes & Pha­rises, Matth. 5.20. yee shall not enter into the kingdome of God. And may it not be well said? That except the charitie of Christians, equalize at least, if not exceed, the charitie of the heathen Lacedemoni­ans (who sufferered none in their commonwealth to want) we shall not, nor cannot prooue worthy of such a king, as is the sonne of God, nor of such a kingdome, as is the kingdom of heauen. Matth. 12.41. The men of Niniue (saith our Soueraigne) shall rise in iudgement with this generation, and condemne it, for they repented at the preaching of Ionas, and behold, a greater then Ionas is here: So may it be well said, The men of Lacedemon shall rise in iudgement with vs Christians of the last times, & condemne vs; for they did communicate their goods amongst themselues, at the appointment of their Law-giuer Lycurgus, and behold a grea­ter then Lycurgus hath enioyned vs to doe the [Page 156] like, to communicate, not indeede the right and possession it selfe (as the Anabaptists doe dreame) but the vse of our goods onely, for the mutual re­liefe of one another. O then the vnspeaka­ble shame! that heathen men should doe more for the commandement of a temporall law-giuer, or king, then we Christians for the law and coun­sell of the eternall law-giuer, and the king of the whole world; Or that men liuing vnder the ob­scure light of nature, should be so charitable; and we who liue vnder the cleere light of grace, should proue so mercilesse and miserable.