A Civil Nosegay, Part 1 – Part 4

A Civil Nosegay · Part 1 – Part 4

¶ What is feare, and what is Iuſtyte.

RElygion comprehendyth .ij. thynges Relygion.the fere of God, and the truſte of mercy promyſed for Chriſte wherof holly letters dothe copynſly teache, and Philoſophy nothynge, but reaſon amonge all perſons doth iuge, there is a wyſe god, a good, a rightwiſe maker and conſeruator of thynges, and that paynes be to be fearyd, wherby flagicious and ſynfull dedes be ponyſſhed frō aboue. This knowledge of the Lawe bryngeth forth and engenderyth feare, and therfore feare is called a Relygious thynge. Foraſmoche therfore I do entende ſpedefully to ſpeake ef thoſe vertues, wherof the Philoſophers chifely do diſpute and whiche we vſe towarde men, I muſte therfore begynne at the Quene of Iuſtice.vertues whoſe name is Iuſtyce, of whom truely Ariſtotile wryterh on this maner. Nother Heſperus nor Lucifier is more beautefull then Iuſtyce, for ſhe gouernyth al other vertues, and ſhe is the chefe bonde of Ciuille ſociety and generally ſhe ſignyfieth obedyence towarde all lawes, and conteyneth in her all vertue, and when holye cſripture ſpeaketh of Iuſtyce, obedyence towarde all lawes oughte to be vnderſtande. Secondely Iuſtyce ſignyfieth onelyonly that vertue whiche in Iudgementes & cōtractes geuyth to eueryevery mā his owne Thyrdly Iuſtyce in Paules diſputacions ſignyfieth imputacion of Iuſtice, or a diuine acceptaciō, as whan it is ſayde, it is imputed to hym for Iuſtyce. But of this ſignyficacion the Philoſophers doo ſpeake nothynge, becauſe dyuers ſignyficacions conteyne dyuerſe kyndes, and that there be no more ſignyficacions thenne thoſe thre, there diuyſion therfore in the begynnynge is to be declared.

¶ The diuyſiſſon, or kyndes of Iuſtyce be .ij.

THe fyrſt is vneuerſall Vniuerſalis IuſticisIuſtyce, whiche Ariſtotile deſcribeth breuely ſayeng vnyuerſall Iuſtyce is obedyence towarde all Lawes, and complectyth in her all vertues, therfore the name of Iuſtyce is tranſferyd generally to the whole quere of vertues, becauſe dewe obedyence is rendred, eyther be Lawes, or els be mageſtrates Partyculer Iuſtyce is a vertue that Perticularis. Iuſticisgyueth to eueryevery man his owne of whiche vertue, there be .ij. kyndes diſtributyne and cōmunatine whiche kyndes becauſe we may rightfully vnderſtande that the whole cōmonwele and vnyuerſall ſociate of men ought to be lokyd on in our mynde in the vnyuer…all ſoc…ate of mannes lyfe, there be onelyonly .ij. kyndes or maners of cōmunycacyon For eyther we doo cōmunycate, or els we doo commute thynges, or els we ordre perſons, as that empyres, Magiſtrates, degrees incyties in companyes & in famyles maye be conſtytuted & ordenyd here …o man dothe not ſ… that al the ſociate of lyfe, be the ſ… .ij. membres be to be gouernyd thynges be cōmuted & chaunged be contractes, and when this cō municacion, whiche is made for cauſe of lyuyng wandreth infinitlye, it is neceſſarye that there be therin an equalite, that is there be rendred or gyuen equal for equall, for yf any men ſhulde gyue theyr thynges without price, they ſhoulde peryſhe by hunger, then there ſhould be nodayly cōmunicacion. for yf ther were not one thyng gyuen for another ther coud be no cō municatiō, Iuſtice. diſtributyne.Iuſtice diſtributine is an ordenaunce of perſons in eueryevery lyfe publike & priuate according to a geometrical proporcion, as who ſayth wherby degres of offices & perſons be ordayned and made, & to apre and mete perſons functions of thynges be gyuen as in the churche the chife degre is the Iudgement and explycacion of doctrine. The ſecond degre is thad miniſtracion Degrs i the churche.of Iudgementes. The thyrde is thad miniſtracion of ceremonies. The laſt and loweſt is the procuracion of rentes, bil…dinges, elemoſynes, and ſuche other to eueryevery whiche maner of degres, apte & mete perſōs muſt be ſoughte for, for the iudgemēt oſ lernyng the beſt lerned, moſt wyſeſt, & beſt men ought to be electe & choſē. In thother, there is not ſomoch lernige to be required. In y^• procurator of rentes & ſuch other no doctrine is to be required▪ whē this proporcion is obſerued the ordenaūce is iuſt & ryghtous & tharmony of the church ſalutarius & holſome, but when the chife auctorite to iudge doctrine is at tributid to an vulerned Vnlearned byſſhop.& a wicked byſſhop, that contē pneth the iugemēt of god, & becauſe he may eſtablyſhe his tyranny he defendeth wycked opynyons, & ſo the lerned and the Godlye man worthy the fyrſt rome is detrudet and put to the loweſt office, That is to the procuraciō of the rentes, marius.wherto he is nothynge apte, then is all tharmony of the churche cō founded. Catulus.Thus yf Marious dothe gouerne at holme the comenwele and Catulus be ſent to warre agaynſt the cymbrokes, the cōmen wele in both places ſhall be in ioberdy, for Marius was a luckye warriar, but at holme he dyd troble the cōmen wele, cōtrary wyſe, Catulus was apte and mete to retayne & kepe the tranquilite & peace of the cytie. In feates of warre he was nothynge ſo happy, So a prynce, therome and the office of a chaunſeler, wyll cōmit rather to a wiſe man then to a yong & imperite A famely.& a foliſhe perſō or ſuch other, ſo in a famyly is to be ſene? what is cōueniēt for eueryevery perſō finally in eueryevery priuate & publyce lyfe we ought to vnderſtōd y^e degres of be ſynes & wittes, & in eueryevery thing to animaduert & take hede their peculyar vertue to conſyder the merytes, the wyttes, the maners of other, that we may ſet eueryevery man in his degre and place and moche to be lamēted that men vnworthy wolde accepte offices or romes of the cōmen wele. This Iuſtice is the chife conſeruatrix of commen weles & priuate cuſtomes. Therfore Plato ryght wyſely ſaych, the Plato▪beſt ſtate of the cōmen welle to be yf it be conſtytute & ordayned be a proporcion geometricall, and truely he addity this proporcion in publyce thinges to be the benefyt of god. Eaſely therfore may it be iudged wher iuſtice diſtributine hath vſe, as who ſayth eueryevery where. In ordeynynge degres of perſons, in choſynge mageſtrates, in empieris, in exercitutis famelis (as it is ſayd) in eueryevery cōuerſacion. Thoſe knowleges be called lawes, wherfore it is to be ſought what the lawe is The lawe is deuyded, in the law of nature, & the lawe poſityue. The lawe of nature.The lawe of nature doth properly ſignify natural knolege, y^e firſt law of nature ſhall be, y^e men ought to knowe god & obey hym, then according to nature is procreaciō & educacion Maryage.of children. Therfore matrimony or mariages be to be cōtracted by certayne lawes, & vnlaufull companyng with womē, be forbidden, no man ought to be hurt, they muſt be puniſhed that do parturbe and trouble the cōmen tranquilite Mageſtrates muſt be ordeined to defend the cōmen tranquilite, it is therfore neceſſary to obey the mageſtratꝭ, Mageſtrates. to obey.alſo y^t tranquilite be kept, thingꝭ muſt be deuided, eueryevery man muſt hauehave his own, truth muſt be Mageſtrates.worſhypped and moche made of, & bargens & couenauntes muſt be kept. This muſt be added, theſe natural knowleges be gods lawe, bycauſe they be diuinly indicted & gyuē to mēs mindes, therfore Paule calleth theſe lawes Rom .i. y^e law of God, herby eaſely maye by iudged what is the lawe of nature. The poſityue lawe is the ſentence of the mageſtrate, that addeth to Poſytyue lawethe lawe of nature ſome circumſtaunce with a probable reaſon, as the law of nature doth teache theft to be punyſhed, thē the mageſtrate addeth a ſpice or a, kynde as who ſaith y^e maner of payne in ordeynyng wherof he doth felow a probable reaſō, fearce and cruell wyttes muſt be coerſyd with hard bondes. Therfore the lawe poſitiue is properly a certayne determynacion Poſytyue laweof the lawe of nature to a ſuer and ſertayne meane or maner for ſome circumſtaunces.

¶ Whether it is a dedly ſynne to violate the lawes ciuill, that is the edictes of ciuill Mageſtrates.

FYrſt of all therfore, it is a dedly ſynne to vyolate the Cyuyll lawes, or the edictꝭ of ciuill Mageſtrates / though it be without the caſe of ſlaūder, for Paule clearly ſayth it is neceſſarye to obey, not onelye for wrath but alſo for conſcience, that is we ought not to fere onelyonly the ciuill peyne but alſo we ought to knowe our conſcience to be gylty, yf we do not obey. Now it is y^e parte of a good mynde to conſydre howe moche this kynde of obedyence and publice trāquiliteis, whiche To obey the lawes,god alſo doth require that we obey the lawes & Mageſtrates, & he ſayth y^t he wilbe auēgeſer if we do not obey, & truely for the ſame, god doth puniſhe aſwel in this life as after this lyfe, as the fourth precept of peyns doth alſo ſpeake. &c. For that precept of obedience doth Obedyence.cōmaunde that not onelyonly our parentes, but all thoſe whō our Fathers or parentes do gyue auctorite to, that is to the mageſtrates we do obey. Therfore alſo many other ſentenſes in ſcryptures do cō ſtionate of giuing peynys in this lyfe, as. Prouer…iorū, xxiiij. Fere god and the kyng, & with ſedicius perſons kepe no cōpany, for ſhortly ſhall come theyr periſhement, & Chriſt ſayth he that wyll take the ſworde, ſhal periſhe be the ſworde.

¶ To take the ſworde.

TO take the ſworde do the ſygnyfy to take y^e ſworde not geuyn of the lawes and mageſtrates, that is to be ſedicius and not to obey to the preſent mageſtrates, & not only examples proponed in holyleters, but alſo thyſtores of altymes do wytnes that frō aboue be retarcted ī this lyfe to peynys for the moſt part homycides, thefes, periured perſons vniuſt iudges ſedycius, and tyrannes, I ſpeke this becauſe God rerequireth that with the fere of peynes, mē ſhuld be coercid, & this fere Fere of paynes.doth noriſhe reuerence to lawes & maketh in our mindes a vertue, & makith it accuſtomed to obediēce, gods law doth not deceiue, which ſaith honor thy father & mother if y^• wilt be long liuing vpō y^e earth. This ſētence of the dictes of mageſtratꝭ Edictes of Mageſtrates.ought wiſeli to be vnderſtōd as who ſayth of thoſe edictes y^e cō maūdth not to do againſt gods cō maūdemētes, it is therfore profytable both to diſcipline & to y^• tranquilite of y^e cōmēwele, ſo to a cuſtome our myndes y^t alſo in ſmal thī ges we make moch of y^e auctorite of lawes, furdre alſo we muſt knowe that we do not liue to our ſelfes but to y^e cōmēwele, we ought therfore take hede & beware y^t our exā ples do not hurt in cōmyn, y^• ſame The beſt citeſme.very thing doth plato ſpeke ryght grauely of, in y^e firſt delegibꝰ, he to be y^• beſt & chifeſt citeſen y^t taketh the chife glori to be in the citie, not trifiphes, not any victories, but to ouercome other by deligēce in obeyng the lawes. A ciuil mageſtrate be deuine au…torite hath auctorite A ciuill Mageſtrate.to make honeſt & profitable lawes for thoſe thynges that to & for the defēce of corporally…e, & ciuill ſociete, do pertaine, as of iudgementꝭ, of paynes, of fautes, of cōtractes, of ſuceſſions, & of lyke thinges. As Salamō ſaith by me kinges doth reigne & do make laufull thinges. The ſecond reaſō, y^e lawes ciuil be bōdes of cōmyn ſociete, wherfore Cōmen traquillite.in vi…latīg of thē alway charite is hu…t, harmed or brokē, becauſe y^t eueryevery mā ought to cōfer there obediēce, ther tributes, there workīgꝭ to y^e defēce of cōmen tranquil…te.