The Principles of Christian Religion, List of duties
¶The dutie of all estates and degrees.
¶The dutie of the hie powers, and of the other temporall Magistrates.
THe dutie of the high powers, and of the other temporall rulers, is to be learned in the lawe of God, to maintaine pure and Christian Religion, to nourishe and defend the preachers and studientes of Gods worde, to banishe all false religion & idolatry, to punishe, yea, and if they wil not turne, to kill the preachers and maintainers of false doctrine, to iudge equally & indifferently, without parcialitie, to take no bribes, nor to oppresse the common people, but to care for thē, as a father for his children, to defend the good, to correct the euill, to auaunce vertue, and to punishe vice.
That they ought to bee learned in the lawes of God.
☞Probations out of the holy Scriptures.
The king shall not multiplie horses to him self:Deut. xvij neither ought he to multiply wiues vntounto him self, least his hart turne away: neither shall he gather him siluer and golde to much. And when he is set vponupon the seate of hys kingdome, hee shall write hym out a copie of this lawe in a booke. And it shall bee with hym, and hee ought to read therin all the dayes of his life, that he may learne to feare the Lorde hys God, and to keepe all the wordes of this lawe, and these ordinaunces, for to doe them, and that his hart arise not aboue his brethren, and that he turne not frō the commaūdement, to the right hand or to the left, but that he may prolong his dayes in hys kingdome.
Let not the booke of thys lawe depart out of thy mouth,Iosu…. j. but recorde therin day & night, that thou mayest obserue & doe according to all that is written: For then shalt thou make thy way prosperous, and then shalt thou do wisely.
Get ye vnderstanding now,Psal. ij. O ye kinges: be learned ye that iudge the earth. Serue the Lord in feare, and reioyce vntounto hym with reuerence. Kisse the sonne least he be angry, & so ye perish frō the right way.
If your delight be in royall seates and scepters (O ye kinges of ye people) set your lust vppon wisedome,Sap. vj. that ye may raigne for euermore. O louelove the light of wisedome, all ye that be rulers of the people.
¶Read the ix. Chapter of the booke of Wisedome.
That they ought to maintaine pure and Christian Religion.
☞Probations out of the holy Scriptures.
How greatly king Dauid aduanced Gods religion,j. Paral. xxiij. xxiiij. xxvi. and xxviij. & sought hys glory, the holy Scriptures make mencion.
Asa king of Iuda did that was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God:2. Par. 14. For he tooke away straunge altars, & hill altars, and brake downe the images, and cut down the groues, and cōmaunded Iuda to seeke the Lorde God of their fathers, and to doe according to the law and commaundement.
Yea,2. Par. 15. he put away ye abominable Idols that hys father had made. And he put down Maacha his mother from bearing rule, because she had made images in groues. And Asa destroyed her images, & burnt thē by the broke Cedron. The Lord God therfore gaue hym and all his land rest and quietnes.
Iehosaphat king of Iuda sent to hys Lordes,2. Par. 17. that they shoulde teach in the cities of Iuda, & with them he sent Leuites, and priestes. And they taught in Iuda, and had the booke of the lawe of God with them, & went about through out all the cities of Iuda, and taught the people. And the feare of the Lorde fell vppon all the kingdomes of the landes yt were round about Iuda, & they fought not agaynst Iehosaphat. And the Lord stablished the kingdome in his hand, and all they that were in Iuda, brought king Iehosaphat presentes, so that hee duplicate page duplicate page had abundance of riches & honour.
King Hezekia put away the hill altars,4. Reg. 18. and brake the images, and cut downe the groues, and all to brake the brasen serpent that Moses had made. He renued the feast of the Passeouer.
He ordayned Priestes and Leuites to serue the Lord God,2. Par. 31. & prouided honest liuinges for them, that they might substantially apply thē selues to the lawe of the Lord. And the Lorde was with hym, so that he prospered in all thynges which he tooke in hand.
The good king Iosias,2. Par. 34. beside the purging of Iuda and Ierusalem frō hill altars, groues, carued images, and images of metall, and such other kindes of idolatry, he repayred the house of the Lord his God, renued the feast of the Passeouer, red in the eares of all the people the wordes of the lawe of the Lorde, and made a faythfull promise vntounto the Lorde, that he and all hys people should walke according to the statutes of that booke. And they turned not aside from the Lorde God of their fathers, so long as he liued. The Lorde God therfore deferred hys plague yt he had threatned to Iuda, suffered Iosias to liue in much honour, and brought hym to hys graue in peace, so that hys eyes dyd not see the mischiefe that the Lorde God afterward brought immediatly vppon Ierusalem, and vppon the inhabitors of the same.
Kinges shall bee thy nursing fathers,Esa. xlix. and Queenes shall be thy nursing mothers.
That they ought to punishe, yea, and if they will not turne, to kill the preachers and maintainers of false doctrine.
☞Probations out of the holy Scriptures.
If there rise among you a prophet,Deut. xiij. or a dreamer of dreames, and geue thee a signe or wonder, & that signe or wonder which hee hath said, come to passe, and then say: let vsus go after straunge Gods, which thou hast not knowen, and let vsus serue them: harken not thou vntounto the wordes of that prophet, or dreamer of dreames: For the Lorde thy God proueth you, to know whether you louelove the Lorde your God with all your hart, & with all your soule. Ye shall walke after y• Lorde your God, and feare hym, and kepe his commaundement, and harken vntounto his voyce, serue hym, & cleaue vntounto hym. And that prophet, or dreamer of dreames, shall die, because he hath spoken to turne you away from the Lord your God.
The Prophet which shall presume to speake a word in my name,Deut. 18. which I hauehave not commaunded hym to speake, or that he speaketh in the name of straunge Gods, the same Prophet shall die.
Iehu king of Israell,4. Reg. 10 caused all the priestes of Baal to be slaine, and all the images to bee fet out of the temple of Baal, & to bee burnt. He caused also hys captaines and men of warre, to breake the image of Baal, and to destroy the house of Baal, so yt Baals house was made a draft house vntounto thys day. And because Iehu thus sought the glory of God, and destroyed idolatry, with the maintainers therof, he liued quietly in hys kingdome vntounto hys dying day, and hys children vntounto the fourth generation, sat on the seate of Israell.
King Iosias put downe the ministers of Baal,4. Reg. 23 whom the kings of Iuda had foūded to burne incense in the hill altars and cities of Iuda, that were round about Ierusalem, & also them that burnt incense vntounto Baal, to the Sunne, to the Moone, to the Planets, and to all the Hoste of heauen.
That they ought to iudge equally.
☜Probations out of the holy Scriptures.
Ye shall doe no vnrighteousnes in iudgement.Leuit. xix Thou shalt not fauour ye poore, nor honour the mightie, but in righteousnes shalt thou iudge thy neighbour.
Moses sayd to y• Iudges:Deut. j. heare the cause of your brethren, & iudge righteously betwene eueryevery mā and his brother, & the straunger that is with hym. See that ye know no faces in iudgement: but heare the small as well as the great, and be afrayde of no man: for the iudgement is Gods.
King Iehosaphat said also to the Iudges:…. Par. 19. Take heede what ye do: for ye execute not the iudgementes of man, but of God, which is with you in iudgement. Wherfore, now let the feare of the Lord be vppon you, and take heede, & be doing the thing that pleaseth hym. For there is no vnrighteousnes with y• Lord our God, that should hauehave any respect of persons, or take rewardes.
A king that sitteth in the throne of iudgement,Pro. xx. and looketh well about hym, driueth away all euill.
He that sayth to y• vngodly:Pro. xxii…j thou art righteous, him shall the people curse, yea, the comminaltie shall abhorre hym. But they that rebuke the vngodly, in them doth God delight, and a rich blessing shall come vponupon them.
Iudge the thing that is right,Psal. 58. O ye sonnes of men.
O louelove righteousnes,Sap j. ye that are the Iudges of the earth.
That they ought to take no bribes.
☜Probations out of the holy Scriptures.
Thou shalt take no giftes:Exod. 23. for giftes blinde the fight, and peruert the wordes of the righteous.
Wrest not thou y• law,Deut. xvj nor know any person, neither take any reward: for giftes blind the wise, and peruert the wordes of the righteous. That which is iuste and right, shall thou follow, that thou mayest liue and enioy the land, which the Lord geueth thee.
Thou shalt seeke out among all the people,Exod. 18. men of actiuitie, & such as feare God, true men, hating couetousnes: and make them heades ouer the people.
The fire shall consume y• houses of such as are gredie to receiue giftes.Iob. xv.
Woe be to them y• geue sentence with y• vngodly for rewardes,Esa. v. but cōdemne the iust cause of the righteous. Therfore, like as fire licketh vp the straw, and as the flame consumeth y• stubble: euē so theyr roote shall be as corruption, & their blossome shall vanish away like dust.
He that kepeth hys hand that he touch no reward,Esa. 33. & he which stoppeth hys eares that hee heare no counsell against the innocēt bloud: he it is that shall dwell on hie.
That they ought not to oppresse the common people.
☜Probations out of the holy Scriptures.
The encrease and prosperitie of the commons,Pro. xiiiij. is y• kinges honour: but the decay of the people, is the confusion of the prince.
Like as a roaring Lion,Pro. 28. and as an hungry Beare, euen so is an vngodly prince ouer the poore people.
Where the prince is without vnderstanding, there is great oppression and wronge: but if he bee such a one as hateth couetousnes, hee shall long raigne.
When the righteous hauehave the ouerhand,Pro. xxix. the people are in prosperitie: but when the vngodly beare rule, then that people mourne.
With true iudgement y• king setteth vp the land: but if he be a mā y• oppresseth the people with gatheringes, he turneth it vpside downe.
O heare thys worde,Amo…. iiij. ye that do poore mē wronge, and oppresse the needie: ye that say to your Lordes, bring hether, let vsus drinke. Therfore the Lorde hath sworne by hys holines: The dayes shall come vponupon you, that the enemies shall cary you away. &c.
O woe be to the proud wealthy,Amos. vj. to such as thinke thē selues so sure, which hold them selues for the best of the world, and rule the house of Israell, euen as they list. Ye are taken out for the euill day, euen ye that sit in the stoole of wilfulnes. Ye that lye vponupon beds of Iuory, …nd vse your wantonnes vppon your couches: ye that eate the best lambes of the flocke, and the fattest calues of the droue: ye that sing at the lute, and in playing of instrumentes, compare your selues to Dauid: ye that drinke wine out of goblets, and annoynt your selues with the best oyle: but as for Iosephes hurt, none of you all are sory for it. Therfore, now shall ye be the first of them that shall be led away captiue, and the lustie cheere of the wilfull shall come to an end. &c. The Lorde is minded to smite the great houses. For ye hauehave turned true iudgement vntounto bitternes, and the fruite of righteousnes into wormewoode.
O ye that oppresse the poore,Amos. vi…j. and destroy the needie in the land, shall not your destruction come vppon you, as a water streame? &c.
O ye heades of the house of Iacob,Mich. i…. & ye leaders of the house of Israell: should not ye know what were lawfull & right? But ye hate the good, & louelove the euill. Ye plucke of men skinnes, and the fleshe from their bones. Ye eate the flesh of my people, and f…ay of their skinne: ye breake their bones: ye chop them in peeces as it were into a Caldrone, & as fleshe into a pot. Now the time shall come, that when they call vntounto the Lorde, hee shall not heare them, but hide hys face from them, because that through their own imaginations, they hauehave delt so wickedly. &c.
Beholde,…. Reg. xij. here am I (sayd Samuell to the children of Israell): beare recorde of me before y• Lord, & before his annoynted. Whose oxe hauehave I takē? or whose Asse hauehave I taken? whom hauehave I done wrong to? whom hauehave I hurt? or of whose hand hauehave I receaued any bribe, to blind my eies therwith, and I will restore it you againe? They sayd: thou hast done vsus no wronge, nor hurt vsus, neither hast thou taken ought of any mans hand. He sayd vntounto them againe: the Lorde is witnes agaynst you, and hys annointed is witnes thys day, that ye hauehave no euill in my handes.
What chaunced to Rehoboam king Salomons sonne,iij. Reg. xij for the vngentle entreating of hys cōmons, the holy histories do testifie. Read iij. Regum .xij. Chapt.
That they ought to care for the commo…, as a father for hys children.
☜The confirmations.
Mercy and faythfulnes preserue the king:Pro. xx. and with louing kindnes hys seate is holden vp.
If thou be made a ruler,Eccle. 32. pride not thy selfe therin, but be thou as one of the people. Take diligent care for them, and looke well therto: and when thou hast done all thy dutie, set thee down, that thou mayest be mery with thē, & receaue a crowne of glory.
With how fatherly a care Moses, Samuell, Dauid, and diuers other noble princes gouerned their people, the holy Scriptures doe euidently declare.
That they ought to defend the good, and to correct the euill, to aduaunce vertue, and to punishe vice.
☜Probations out of the holy Scriptures.
Learne to doe right,Esa. j. apply your selues to equitie, deliuer the oppressed, helpe the fatherles to his right, let the widowes complaint come before you.
Thus the Lord commaundeth:Iere. xxij. keepe equitie and righteousnes: deliuer the oppressed from the power of the violent: doe not greeue nor oppresse the straunger, the fatherles, nor the widow, and shed no innocent bloud.
Execute true iudgement:Zach. vij. shew mercy and louing kindnes eueryevery mā to his brother. Do the widow, the fatherles, the straūger, & poore, no wrong: and let no mā imagine euil against his brother in his hart.
Deliuer hym y• suffereth wrong,Eccle. iiij. from the hand of the oppressour, and be not faint harted when thou sittest in iudgement. Be mercifull vntounto the fatherles as a father, and be in stede of an husbād vntounto their mother: so shalt thou be as an obedient sonne of the hiest: and he shall louelove thee more then thy mother doth.
My song shall bee of merciemercy and iudgement:Psal. … ▪ vntounto thee (O Lorde) will I sing.
O let me hauehave vnderstāding in the way of godlines: when wilt thou come vntounto me? I will walke in my house with a perfect hart.
I will take no wicked thing in hand: I hate the sinnes of vnfaithfulnes: there shall no such cleaue vntounto me.
A froward hart shall depart frō me: I will not know a wicked person.
Who so priuily slaundreth hys neighbor, him will I destroy: who so hath also a proud looke, & an hie stomacke, I will not suffer hym.
Mine eyes loke vntounto such as be faithfull in the land, that they may dwell with me: who so leadeth a godly life, he shall be my seruant.
There shall no deceitefull person dwell in my house: he that telleth lies, shall not tary in my sight.
I shall soone destroy all the vngodly that are in the land, that I may roote out all wicked doers from the citie of the Lord.
Rulers are not fearefull to them that do good,Rom. xiij. but to thē y• do euill. Wilt thou be without feare of the power? Do well then: and so shalt thou be praysed of y• same. For he is the minister of God for thy wealth. But and if thou doe that which is euill, then feare: for he beareth not the sworde for nought: for he is the minister of God, to take vengeance on hym that doth euill.
¶The duteie of Subiectes vntounto the high powers.
THe dutie of Subiectes vntounto the hie powers is, honourably to speake of them, hartily to louelove and reuerence them, hum…bly to obey them for conscience sake in all thynges that fight not with Gods worde, feruently to pray for them, and willingly to pay such charges vntounto them, as they reasonably require, eyther for the mainteinance of their princelike estate, or els for the sauegarde of the common wealth.
☜Probations out of the holy Scriptures.Exod. 22.
Thou shalt not raile vppon the Gods (that is to say, the temporall Magistrates, which execute that office of God) neyther blaspheme the ruler of thy people.
Wishe the king no euill in thy thought,Eccle. x. and speake no hurt of the rich in thy priuie chāber: for a byrde of the ayre shall betray thy voyce, and with her feathers shall she bewray thy wordes.
Let eueryevery soule submit him selfe vntounto the hier powers.Rom. xiij. For there is no power but of God. The powers that be, are ordayned of God. Who soeuer therfore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinaunce of God. But they that resiste, shall receaue to them selues damnation. For rulers are not fearefull to them that doe good, but to them that do euill. Wilt thou be without feare of the power? Do well then: and so shalt thou be praysed of the same. For he is ye minister of God for thy wealth. But if thou do that which is euill, then feare: for hee beareth not the sworde for nought: for he is the minister of God to take vengeance on hym that doth euill. Wherefore, ye must needes obey, not only for feare of punishment, but also for conscience sake. And for this cause pay ye tribute. For they are Gods ministers, seruing for the same purpose. Geue to eueryevery mā therfore hys dutie: tribute, to whō tribute belongeth: custome, to whom custome is due: feare, to whō feare belongeth: honour, to whō honour pertaineth.
I exhort therfore,j. Tim. ij. that aboue all thinges, prayers, supplications, intercessions, and geuing of thankes, be had for all men, for kinges, and for all that are in authoritie, that we may liue a quiet and peaceable life, with all godlines and honestie. For that is good and acceptable in the …ght of God our Sauiour.
Warne the subiectes that they submit thē selues to rule & power,Titus. iij. that they obey y• officers, that they be ready vntounto eueryevery good worke, that they speake euill of no mā, that they bee no fighters, but gentle, shewing meekenes vntounto all men.
Submit your selues vntounto all maner ordinance of man,j. Pet. ij. for y• Lordes sake, whether it be vntounto the king, as vntounto the chiefe head, either vntounto rulers, as vntounto them that are sent of him, for y• punishment of euill doers, but for the prayse of thē that do well. &c.
Feare God: Honour the king.
¶The dutie of Bishops and Ministers of Gods worde.
THe dutie of Bishops & Ministers of Gods word is, first to feede Christes flocke with y• sweete bread of Christes Gospell, without mingling of the Phariseis leauen. Secondly, to lead a life agreable to their doctrine, y• they may teach both with word & worke. Thirdly, to relieue y• poore & nedie with such goods as they receaue of y• Church, either by maintaining hospitalitie, or els by some other godly meanes.
☜Probations out of the holy Scriptures.
¶Of Doctrine.
Goe vp vntounto y• hie hill,Esa. xl. thou that bringest good tidinges: lift vp thy voyce with power, O thou preacher: lift it vp, and be not afraide.
Cry now as loud as y• canst:Esa. lviij. leaue not of: lift vp thy voice like a trumpet, & shew my people their offēces, and y• house of Iacob their sinnes.
I hauehave set watchmen vponupon thy walles (O Ierusalem) which shall neuer cease day nor night to preach the Lorde.Esa. lxij.
Behold,Iere. j. I put my wordes in thy mouth: & behold, this day do I set thee ouer y• people and kingdomes, that thou mayest roote out, breake of, destroy, & make waste, and that thou mayest build vp and plant.
Thou sonne of mā, I hauehave made thee a watchman vntounto the house of Israell:Ezech. iij. therfore take good heede to the wordes of my mouth, and geue them warning at my commaundement. If I say vntounto thee cōcerning the vngodly man, that (without doubt) he must die, and thou geuest him not warning, nor speakest vntounto hym y• he may turne from hys euill way, & so to liue, then shall the same vngodly man die in hys own vnrighteousnes: but his bloud will I require of thy hand. Neuertheles, if thou geue wa…ning vntounto the wicked, and he yet forsake not hys vngodlines, then shall he die in hys own wickednes: but thou hast discharged thy soule.
If thou louest me,…ohn. xxj. fede my shepe. Woe vntounto me,…. Cor. ix. if I preach not the Gospell.
We preach not our selues,ij. Cor. iiij. but Iesus Christ our Lord.
We are not as the most part are,ij. Cor. ij. which chop and chaunge with the word of God: but out of purenes, and by the power of God, in y• sight of God, so speake we in Christ.
Though we our selues,Gala. j. or an angell from heauen, preach any other Gospell vntounto you, then that which we hauehave preached vntounto you, let him be accursed.
A Bishop must be apt to teach.j. Tim. iij.
Geue attendance to reading,j. Tim. iiij. to exhortation, to doctrine.
Preach thou y• word:ij. Tim. iiij be …eruent in season, & out of season: improue, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
¶Of life and conuersation.
God sayd to the vngodly:Psal. l. Why doost thou preach my lawes, & takest my testament in thy mouth: Seing thou hatest to be reformed, & hast cast my words behind thee?
When as y• sawest a theefe, thou cōsentedst vntounto him: and hast bene partaker with the adulterers.
Who soeuer doth and teacheth,Mat. v. the same shall be called great in the kingdome of heauen.
Be vntounto them that beleue,j. Tim. iiij. an ensample, in worde, in cōuersation, in louelove, in spirite, in fayth, in purenes.
Keepe thy selfe pure.j. Tim. v.
Studie to shew thy selfe laudable vntounto God,ij. Tim. ij. a workmā that needeth not to be ashamed, distributing the word of truth iustly.
In all thinges shew thy selfe an ensample of good workes in y• doctrine,Titus. ij. with honestie, grauitie, and with the wholesome worde, which can not be rebuked, that he which withstandeth, may be ashamed, hauing no euill thing to say of you.
Feede ye Christes flocke,j. Pet. …. as much as lieth in you, taking ye ouersight of them, not as cōpelled therto, but willingly: not for ye desire of filthy luker, but of a good minde: not as though ye were Lordes ouer ye parishes, but that ye be an ensample to the flocke. And when ye chief shepeheard shall appeare, ye shal receaue an incorruptible crowne of glory.
¶Of Hospitalitie.
Distribute vntounto y• necessitie of the Sainctes.Rom. xij. Be ready to harbour.
A Bishop must be a maintayner of hospitalitie.j. Tim. iij.
Forget not hospitalitie:Heb. xiij. for therby hauehave diuers mē lodged Angels vnwares.
¶The dutie of Parishioners vntounto the Ministers of Gods worde.
THe dutie of Parishioners vntounto the Ministers of Gods worde is, outwardly to honour and reuerence them, to receaue them as the Angels & Ambassadors of God, to regard thē as the ministers and stewardes of Gods misteries, & liberally to geue vntounto thē what soeuer is necessary for the mainteinaunce of their degree and estate, that they may quietly geue theyr mindes to ye studie of godly letters, to prayer, to the preaching of Gods worde, and to the ministration of the Sacramentes.
☞Probations out of the holy Scriptures.
Feare ye Lord with all thy soule,Eccle. vij. & honour hys ministers. LoueLove thy maker with all thy strength, & forsake not his ministers. Honor God with all thy soule, & reuerence hys priestes. Geue thē their porcion of the first fruites and encrease of the earth, like as it is cōmaunded thee.
The priestes that rule well,…. Tim. v. are worthy of double honour, most specially they which labour in ye word and teaching. For ye scripture saith: Thou shalt not mosell the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne.Deut. xx… j. Cor. ix. Math. x. And the labourer is worthy of hys reward.
We besech you brethren,…. Thess. s. that ye know them which labour among you, & hauehave the ouersight of you in the Lord, and geue you exhortatiō, that ye hauehave them in hie reputation through louelove, for theyr workes sake, and be at peace with them.
Obey them that hauehave the ouersight of you,Heb. xi…. and submit your selues vntounto them: for they watch for your soules, euen as they that must geue accomptes, that they may doe it with ioy, and not with griefe.
In the priestes lippes should bee sure knowledge,Mala …. …. that mē may seke the law at hys mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hostes.
Ye despised me not,Gal. ii…. neyther did ye abhorre me: but ye receaued me as an Angell of God, yea, euen as Christ Iesus. For I beare you recorde, that if it had bene possible, ye would hauehave plucked out your own eyes, and hauehave geuen thē vntounto me.
He that receaueth you,…. x. receaueth me: and he that receaueth me, receaueth hym that sent me.
He that heareth you,Luke. x. heareth me: he that despiseth you, despiseth me: and he that despiseth me, despiseth hym that sent me.
Let a man this wise esteeme vsus,j. Cor. iiij. euen as ye Ministers of Christ, and stewardes of the misteries of God.
Bryng eueryevery tith into my barne,Malac. iij. yt there may be meate in my house.
The workman is worthy of hys meate.Math. x.
If the Gentiles be made partakers of their spirituall things,Rom. xv. their dutie is to minister vntounto them in bodily thinges.
Who goeth a warfare at any time at his own cost?j. Cor. ix. who plāteth a vineyard, & eateth not of the fruite therof? or who feedeth a flocke, and eateth not of yt milke of the flocke? For it is written in the law of Moses: Thou shalt not mosell ye mouth of the Oxe y• treadeth out the corne. Doth God take thought for oxen? Saith he it not all together for our sakes? For our sakes no doubt thys is written: that he which eareth, should eare in hope: and he which threasheth in hope, should be partaker of hys hope. If we sow vntounto you spirituall thinges, is it a great thing if we reape your bodily thinges? Do ye not know how yt they which minister about holy things, li…e of the Sacrifice? They which waite of the temple, are partakers of the temple? Euen so also did the Lorde ordaine, yt they which preach the Gospel, should liue of y• Gospel.
Let hym that is taught in the worde,Gal. vj. minister vntounto him that teacheth him in all good thinges. Be not deceaued: God is not mocked.
¶The duetie of husbandes vntounto their wiues.
THe dutie of a faithfull husband vntounto hys wife is, to forsake all other for her sake, to cleaue onelyonly to his wife, to louelove her as Christ loued the congregation, to cherish her as he would cherishe hys owne body, to prouide for her, to teach her the lawe of God, to dwell with her according to knowledge, and to geue honour vntounto her, although y• weaker vessell, as to one that is fellowe heyre with him of the grace of life.
☞Probations out of the holy Scriptures.
This is now bone of my bones,Gene. ij. and flesh of my fleshe. She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. For this cause shall a mā leaue his father and mother, and shall be ioyned with hys wife: and they shall become one fleshe.
Be glad with the wife of thy youth.Pro. v. Let her brestes alway satisfie thee, and holde thee euer cōtent with her louelove. My sonne, why wilt thou hauehave pleasure in an harlotte, and embrace the bosome of an other woman.
Ye husbandes,Ephe. v. louelove your wiues, euen as Christ also loued the congregation, & gaue him self for it, to sanctifie it, & clensed it in the fountaine of water through y• worde, to make it vntounto him self a glorious cō gregatiō, without spot or wrinkle, or any thing: but yt it should be holy and without blame. So ought mē to louelove their wiues, as their owne bodyes. He that loueth his wife, loueth him selfe: For no mā euer yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, euen as the Lord doth the congregation. &c.
Ye husbandes, louelove your wiues,Coloss. i…j. and be not bitter to them.
Ye mē,j. Pet. iij. dwell with your wiues according to knowledge, geuing honour vntounto the wife, as vntounto the weaker vessell, & as vntounto them that are heyres also of the grace of life.
¶The dutie of wiues vntounto their husbandes.
THe dutie of an honest faythfull woman vntounto her husband is, to knowledge her husband to bee her head, to bee subiecte vntounto hym, to reuerence hym, to obey hym, quietly to learne of hym, to lead a blameles life, to vse much silence, peaceably & circumspectly to looke vntounto her housholde, and to tier her self with such apparell as becommeth a sober Christian woman.
☞Probations out of the holy Scriptures.
Ye women,Ephe. v. submit your selues vntounto your own husbandes, as vntounto the Lord. For y• husband is y• wiues head, euen as Christ is the head of the congregation, & the same is he yt ministreth saluation to the body. Therefore as the congregation is in subiection to Christ, euen so let the wiues be in subiection to their husbandes in all thinges.
Ye wiues,Coloss. iij. submit your selues vntounto your owne husbandes, as it is comely in the Lord.
I will that women aray them selues in comely apparell,j. Tim. ij. with shamefastnes & discrete behauour, not with broydered heare, eyther golde, or pearles, or costly aray, but as it becommeth women yt professe godlines through good works. Let the womā learne in silence with all subiectiō. But I suffer not a womā to teach, neither to vsurpe authoritie ouer y• man, but to be in silence.
Ye wiues,j. Pet. iij. be in subiectiō to your husbandes, yt euen they which obey not y• worde, may without y• worde bee wonne by y• conuersation of the wiues, while they beholde your …hast conuersation coupled with feare. Who…e apparell shall not bee outward with broydered heare, & hanging on of golde, eyther in putting on of gorgious apparell: but let the hid man, which is in y• hart, be without all corruption, so that the spirite be at rest & quiet: which spirite before God is a thing much set by. For after this maner in the olde time did y• holy women, which trusted in God, tier thē selues, and were obedient to their husbandes, euen as Sara obeyed Abrahā, and called hym Lord: whose daughters ye are, so long as ye do well.
¶The dutie of fathers and mothers vntounto their children.
THe dutie of fathers & mothers vntounto their children is, to traine them vp in the law of God, to teach thē to know God & his holy word, euen frō their cradles, to bring thē vp in good learning and necessary artes, to bridle them from the folishe and noysome lustes of youth, and to garnishe their life with sober and graue maners.
☞Probations out of the holy Scriptures.
Set your hartes vntounto all the wordes which I testifie vntounto you this day,Deut. vj. & ye shall cōmaund them vntounto your children, yt they may obserue & do all y• wordes of this law.
If thou hauehave sonnes,Eccle. vij. bring them vp in nurture and learning, & holde them in awe from their youth vp. If thou hauehave daughters, kepe their body, and shew not thy face cheerefull toward thē. Mary thy daughter, and so shalt thou perfourme a waightie matter: but geue her to a man of vnderstanding.
He y• teacheth his sōne,Eccl. xxx. shall hauehave ioy in him, and nede not to be ashamed of him amōg his aquaintance.
He that spareth the rod,Pro. xi…j. hateth the sonne: but who so loueth hym, chasteneth hym betimes.
Ye fathers,Ephe. vj. moue not your children to wrath: but bring them vp through the doctrine and information of the Lord.
How godly Salomon, yoūg Toby, Susāna, Philip y• Euangelistes daughters, Timothe, and such lyke were brought vp of their parentes, the holy scriptures beare witnes.
¶The dutie of children toward their fathers and mothers.
THe dutie of childrē toward their parentes is, in their minde to louelove them, outwardly to reuerence and honour them, to obey them in all thynges that are agreable to Gods will, and if they chaunce to fall into pouertie, to helpe thē, and to geue them wherof to liue.
☞Probations out of the holy Scriptures.
Honour thy father frō thy whole hart,Eccle. vij. and forget not the sorrowfull trauell yt thy mother had with thee. Remember that thou wast borne through them, and how canst thou recompence them the thinges that they hauehave done for thee?
Children,Ephe. vj. obey your fathers and mothers in the Lord: for yt is right. Honour thy father and mother (the same is the first cōmaundement in the promise) that thou mayest prosper, and liue long on earth.
Read the confirmations of the fift commaundement.
¶The dutie of Maisters to their Seruauntes.
THe dutie of Maisters to their Seruauntes is, to entreate thē gently, to geue them their couenauntes, and to helpe thē, that they may afterward be able to liue.
☞Probations out of the holy Scriptures.
Where as thy seruāt worketh truly,Eccle. vij. entreate him not euil, nor yt hireling y• is faythfull vntounto thee. LoueLove a discrete seruaunt as thine owne soule, defraude him not of his libertie, neither leaue him a poore man.
Ye maisters,Caloss. iiij. doe vntounto your seruauntes that which is iust and equall, putting away threatninges, knowing that ye also hauehave a maister in heauen. Neither is there any respect of persons with God.
¶The dutie of Seruauntes to their Maisters.
THe dutie of seruauntes to their maisters is, willingly & with a free courage to serue thē for conscience sake, not with y• eye, but with the hart, to obey thē, to honour thē, gently to answere thē, not to picke or steale away their goods, but to be faythfull vntounto thē in all thinges.
☞Probations out of the holy Scriptures.
Ye seruantes,Ephe. vj. obey thē yt are your bodily maisters, with feare & trembling, euē with y• singlenes of your hart, as vntounto Christ, not doing seruice vntounto the eie, as they yt go about to please men, but as the seruantes of Christ, doing the will of God frō the hart with good wil, seruing the Lord & not mē. Knowing this, that what soeuer good deede any man doth, y• same shall he receaue againe of God, whether he be bond or free.
Let as many seruauntes as are vnderunder the yoke,j. Tim. vj. count their masters worthy of all honour, that y• name of God, and his doctrine, be not euill spoken of.
Exhort seruantes to be obedient vntounto their owne maisters,Titus. ij. and to please them in all thinges, not aunswering againe, neither to be pickers, but that they shewe all good faithfulnes, that they may do worship to the doctrine of God our Sauiour in all thinges.
¶The dutie of Widowes.
THe dutie of true auncient widowes (besides the looking to their own houshold, & prouisiō making for their liuing) is, to put their trust in God, to geue thē selues to the exercise of y• spirite, to frequent the tēple, to be present at y• sermons, to visite the sicke, to relieue y• nedy, to be rich in good workes, & to cōtinue in …upplications & praiers both day and night. But as touching the yoūger widowes, least they should waxe wanton against Christ, & follow Sathan, breakyng their fyrst fayth & promise that they made to God at their baptisme (which is to abstaine from all vncleannes both of body & minde, and to lead a pure and honest life) & so cast thē selues into daūger of euerlasting damnation, it is conuenient that they mary again, bryng forth childrē, guide their house vertuously, and so liue in the holy estate of matrimonie, that no man may hauehave occasion to speake euill of them.
☞Probations out of the holy Scriptures.
She that is a true widow and frendles,j. Tim. v. putteth her trust in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers day and night.
Iudith yt vertuous widow,Iudit. viij in the hier partes of her house, made her self a priuie chāber, where she dwelt being closed in with her maides. She ware a smocke of heare, and fasted all y• dayes of her life, except the Sabbaothes, & new Moones, and the solemne dayes yt the people of Israell kept. She was a womā of a very good report with eueryevery one, for she feared y• Lorde greatly, and there was no body that spake an euill worde of her.
The godly auncient widow Anna,Luke. ij. departed not from the temple, but serued God with fastings and prayers night and day.
¶Of the younger widowes.
THe younger widowes refuse.j. Tim. v. For whē they hauehave begun to waxe wāton against Christ, they wil mary, hauing damnation, because they hauehave cast away their fyrst fayth. And also they learne to go frō house to house idle: yea, not idle only, but also tatlers and busie bodies, speaking things which are not comely. I will therfore, yt the younger women mary, to beare children, to guide the house, & geue none occasion to the aduersary to speake euill.
¶The dutie of olde men.
THe dutie of olde mē is, to auoide all lightnes, both in word, dede, & coūtenance, to talke of wisedome & graue matters, to be sober, sage, & discrete, & to lead a pure & vndefiled life, yt they may be an ensample of true godlines to y• yoūger folke.
☞Probations out of the holy Scriptures.
God hateth an olde body that doteth,Eccle. xxv and is vnchaste.
Age is an honourable thyng:Sap. iiij. neuertheles, it standeth not onelyonly in the length of time, nor in the multitude of yeares, but a mans wisedome is the gray heare, and an vndefiled life is the olde age.
Exhort the elder men to be sober,Tit …. …j. sage, discrete, sound in the fayth, in louelove, in pacience.
¶The dutie of olde women.
THe dutie of olde womē is, as in age, so in maners, to be sober, sage, & auncient, to weare no light apparell, but such rayment as become their age & profession, to be no tatlers, but to order their tounges discretely, to be no tauerne hūters, nor geuen to drunckennes, but to lead a sober life, to prouoke no yoūg women vntounto le…udnes and dishonestie, but rather to shew thē selues liuely glasses & naturall myrrours of all godlines and honestie.
☞Probations out of the holy Scriptures.
Exhort y• elder women that they… be in such raymēt as becōmeth holines, not being false accusers, not geuen to much wine, but that they teach honest thinges, to make the younge women sober minded, to louelove their husbandes, to louelove theyr children, to be discrete, chaste, huswifely, good, obedient to their husbandes, that the worde of God bee not euill spoken of.
¶The dutie of younge folke.
THe dutie of younge folke is, not to be proud, but humble, lowly, and gentle, gladly to heare the discrete talke of their elders, and to be ordered by them, not to be rash, but sober minded in all their doinges.
☞Probations out of the holy Scriptures.
Ye yoūger folke,j. Peth v. submit your selues vntounto y• elders: submit your selues eueryevery mā, one to an other: knit your selues together in lowlines of minde: For God resisteth ye proude, and geueth grace to the humble.
Thou young man,Eccle. vj. keepe cōpany with the multitude of such elders as hauehave vnderstanding, & consent vntounto their wisedome with thine hart: that thou mayest heare all godly sermons, and that the worthy sentences escape thee not.
If yu be among mē of higher authoritie,Eccl. 3…. desire not to cōpare thy self vntounto thē: and when an elder speaketh, make not thou many wordes.
Exhort the younge mē that they be sober minded.Tit…. ij.
¶The dutie of all degrees and estates generally, both toward God and their neighbour.
THe dutie of all degrees & estates generally, both toward God & their neighbor is, to beleue in God, to feare God, & to kepe his cōmaū demētes, to louelove god aboue al thinges, & our neighbor as our self, & to do none otherwise vntounto other, then we wish to be done vntounto our selues.
☞Probations out of the holy.
He bele… God,Iob. xiiij. beleue also in me (sayth Christ).
Fears God,Eccle. xij. and keepe his commaundementes for that be lōgeth vntounto all me…
Thou shalt louelove the Lorde thy God with …ll thy hart,Mat. xxij. with all thy soule, and … all thy mind. Thys is the first … est commanndement. And the second is like vntounto it. Thou sh… louelove thy neighbour as thy self ▪In these two cōm…undementes, are contained the whole lawe and the Prophetees.
Whatsoeuer ye would that men shoulde doe to you,Mat. vij. doe you euen the same to them also. For thys is the law and the Prophets.
¶Geue the glory to God alone.
End of the text · Thomas Becon, The Principles of Christian Religion (1569)