The Governance of Virtue, Part 2 · Section 16 – Section 17
Against Idlenes.
IF Sathan moue the vntounto idelnes, which is the wel spring and rote of al vice, …et before the eyes of thy mind both these sentences and examples of the holy scripture.
Sentences out of the olde Testament.
The Lord toke Adam, and put him intoGe. 2. the garden of Eden, that he might dresse and kepe it.
In the sweate of thy face shalt thou eatGene. 3 thy bread, vntil thou teturnest into the earth, from whence thou wast taken. For dust thou art and into duste thou shalt bee turned agayne.
A man is borne to labour, and a byrdeIob. 5. to flye.
Thou shalt eate the labour of thy hand.Psal. 128
Go to the Emmet (thou fluggarde) considerPro. 6 her wayes, and learne to be wyse. She hath no guyde nor ouersear, nor ruler: yet in the sommer she prouideth her meat, and gathereth her foode together in the haruest. How long wilt thou slep thou sluggish man? When wilt thou arise out of thy slepe? Yea slepe on still a litle, slum ber a litle, folde thyne handes together yet a litle that thou maiest slepe: …o shall pouerty come vntounto, the as one that traualeth by the way, and oppresse thee like a thefe.
If thow be not stouthful thy haruest shal come as a springinge well, and pouertye shall flye far from thee.
Who so gathereth in sommer is wyse,Pro. 10 but he that is sluggishe in haruest, bringeth himselfe to confusion.
The sluggard would …aine hauehave, and cā Pro. 13.not get his desire, but the soule of thē that woorke shal hauehave plentye.Pro. 2…
A …outhfull body wil not go to plowe for colde in Winter, therfore shall he go a begging in sommer, and hauehave nothing.
Delight not in slepe, least thou come vn to pouerty, but open thyne eyes, that thou mayest hauehave breade inough.Pro. 2…
He that tilleth his lande shall hauehave plē teousnesse of bread, but he that followeth idlenes, shall hauehave pouertye ynough.
Idlensse hath bene the occasion of muchEccle. 33 euill and wickednes.
Behold the sinnes of Sodom were theseEzech. 1… pryde, fulnesse of meat, aboundaunce, and idlenes.
Examples out of the olde Testament.
Adam gate his liuing with the labour ofGe. 2. 3 his hands, and the sweat of his browes.
Caine was a plowman and tilled theGe. 4 earth.
Abel was a shepeheard and kept shepe.
Iubal was a Musicion and exercised Musycke.
Thubal Cayne was a Smithe, and a grauer in mettall.
Nohe was a Planter of Uineyardes.Gen. 9
Abraham, Lot, Isaac, and Iacob, wereGe. 13. 2… Plowmen and shepeheardes.
Ioseph was a magistrate and a publiqueGe. 14 minister in the common weale of Egipt vnderunder king Pharao.
Moyses was a shepehard and kept theExo. 3 shepe of Iethro his Father in law, Preist of Madian.
The Children of Israell got their lyuing with hard and painful laboure in EgiptExod. 1 vnderunder king Pharao.
Dauid before he was annointed kinge of Israel, was a shepeheard.
All the preistes and leuites of the oldeExod. 28 law, eueryevery man according to his vocation laboured by geuing attendaunce in the tē ple, by killing of beastes and offering of sacrifices, by studiyng the scriptures of god and teaching the same vntounto the people.
Amos the Prophet was one of ye shep…mos. 1 heardes of Thecua.
Abacuk the Prophet trauailed in husbandry.…an. 14
☞ Sentences out of the olde Testament.
LEt vsus not be wery of wel doyng. For…al. 6 when the time is come, we shall reape without werines.
Let him that stole, steale no more: but…he. 4 let him rather labour with his handes the thing whiche is good, that he may geue to him that needeth.
We beseche you brethern that ye studye.1. Thes. 4 to be quiet, and to meddle with your own busines, and to worke with youre owne handes, as we commaunded you.
When we were with you, we gaue you2. Thes. 3 this commaundement, that if anye man wil not labour, the same should not eate. Let▪all men worke with quietnes and eat their own bread.
Examples out of the newe Testament.
CHrist was a carpenter.Math. 6
The Apostles of Christe were fisherMath. 4 men.Act. 20
Paule laboured with his own handes, and get both his own liuinge and others that were with him.
Saint Luke was a Phisicion, and asCol. 4 some write a painter also.
Aquila was a maker of tentes, of theAct. 18 which occupation saint Paule was.
Simon S. Peters host was a tanner.Act. 10
Dorcas that vertuous woman madeAct. 9 garmentes with her owne handes & gaue them to the poore people
YE hauehave hearde how it was said to themMath. 5 of ye olde time, thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe, but shalt performe vntounto the Lord those thinges that thou swearest. But I say vntounto you sweare not at all, neyther by heauen, for it is Gods seat: nor by the earth for it is his footestole, neither by Ierusalē, for it is the Citie of the great Kinge: neyther shalt thou sweare by thy hed, because thou canste not make one hayre white or blacke. But your communication shalbe yea, yea, nay, naye. For whatsoeuer is added more then these, it commeth of euill.
Aboue all thynges my brethren sweareIacob. 5 not, neyther by heauen, neither by earth, nether any other othe. Let your yea, be yea and your naye, naye, leaste ye fall into hipocrisy.
Examples out of the newe Testament.
HErod to performe his wicked and diuelisheMath. 14 othe which he had made to the doughter of▪ Herodias hys whore for her pleasaunte daunsinge, suffered and commaunded the heade of that moste godlye preacher saynt Iohn Baptist, to be cut of. Let all men therfore beware of vayn, rash and wicked othes.
Saynt Peter, when it was layde to hisMath. 2… chardge, that he was one of Christes disciples▪ sware that he knew not the mā. But afterwarde he bitterly wept for his swearing and denying of Christ. Let vsus also lament and be sory sor our idle and wicked manner of swering and leane it, and praise t…e name of the Lord our God.
¶ Agaynste lying. slaunderinge and fylthy or vncleane talke
IF Sathan at any time moueth thee to abuse thy tonge contrarye to the will of God, either in lying slaundering, or other wicked and idle words resist his temptacion … these scriptures following.
Sentences out of the olde Testament.
THou shalte eschue lyinge.Exod. 23
Ye shall not lye, neither shall anyeLeuit. 19 of you deceiue his neighbor.
Thou (O Lord) shalt destroye all themPsal. 6. that speake lies.
There be sixe things that God hateth,Pro. 6 and the seuenth hee vtterlye abhorreth. A proude countenaunce, a lying tong, hands defiled with innocent bloud, an harte imagining wicked councels, feete swifte vntounto mischiefe, a false witnesse, the sower of discorde among brethren.
Liyng lips are abhominatiō to the lord:Pro. 2 but they that do faithfully, please him.
A false witnes shall not escape vnpunished,…ro. 19 and he that speaketh lyes, shall pea rish and come to nought.
He that gathereth his goodes with a ly…ro. 14 ing toung shall leese all, and be in peril of his life. He that kepeth his tonge, kepeth his life from troubles.
A lying witnes shall perish, hauehave thou…ccle. 7 no delite to speak lies against thy brother, nor yet against thy frend: hauehave no pleasure in lying, for the vse therof is naught.
The mouth that lyeth sleyeth, the soule.…ap. 1.
☞ Examples out of the olde Testament.
SAthan brought forth the first lie, whenGene. 3. he made our grandmother Eue beleue that if she and her husband did eate of the forbidden fruite, they should be as Gods. Therefore, is he a lyar and the Father of lying.…an. 3.
The two iudges whiche accused the moste vertuous woman Susanna of vnclennes, because she woulde not agree to their most filthy & vnhonest request: were moste abhominable lyers and slaunderers, but they receiued a reward worthye their lying.
All the false prophets of ye olde law which …ained them selues to be sent of God, and yet prophecied lyes to please the Princes and rulers withall, were lyers ond blasphemers of God.
Sentences out of the new Testament:
LYing set aside, let eueryevery man speak theEphe. 4 truth to his neighboure for as much as we are members together.
Lye not one to another.Col. 3.
Let no filthy communication proceadeEphe. 4▪ out of your mouthes, but y• whiche is good to edifie. Let all bitternes, fearcenes, and wrath, roring and cursed speaking be put away from you, with all maliciousnes. Be curteous one to another and merciful, for geuīg one an other euē, as god for christes sake forgaue you.
Let neither filthines, nor foolishe talking,Ephe. 5 neither iesting, whiche are not comely, be once named among you, but rather thankesgeuing.
Examples out of the new Testament.
THe Scribes and the Phariseis with ye Math. 1…other enemies of Christe whiche called Christ a wine bibber, a glotton, a deceiuer of ye people, a blasphemer, one possessed we a deuill, suche one as forbade the people to pay tribute vntounto Cesar. &c, were moste ab hominable liers and blasphemers.
Ananias and Saphira died sodenly, becauseAct. 5. they lied.
They were liers & blasphemers, whicheAct. 6. said that the blessed Martir saint Stephē, spake blasphemous words against Moyses and agaynste God: when of God, no man spake more godlye, nor of Moses more reuerentlye.
They also that complayned of the ApostiesActs. 17. of Christ, calling them sedicious persons and teachers of new learninge, were also liers and slaunderers.
So many as make or louelove lies, shalbe cast…po. 22 among murtherers and Idolatrers in the lake of hell, burning with fire & brimstone