Balm from Gilead to Recover Conscience, Dedication

Balm from Gilead to Recover Conscience · Dedication

TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE S^r. FRANCIS BACON Knight, Lord Chancelor of England, &c.

WHen wee see one goe or doe amisse, though his feete or hands bee the next actors and instruments of his errour: yet wee say not, Are you lame? but, HaueHave you no eyes? or Can you not see? What euer sweruings or stumblings any part of the holy politique maks, the blame lights not vponupon the Gentry or Comminalty, the immediate delinquents, but on the principall lights in Magistracy or Ministry, which being as Guardiants and Tutors of the rest, should either preuent or reforme their aberrations. And herein miserable is the condition of these two opticke peeces, that they are more subiect, and that to more distempers then other inferiour parts: yet heerein more, that being hurt, they are more impatient of cure; not only of searching acrimonous waters (which yet oft are needefull) but shie of the most soft and lawny touches: but most of all in this, that being once extinct, they leaue a voyd darkenesse to the whole body, exposing it to the pits of destruction. As exceeding great on the other hand, is the happines, honor & vse of them, if cleere and single. For this our Nationall body, it will little boot either to applaude the one, or to bewaile the other: I rather wish …nd looke about mee for some eye-salue, which may helpe to descry and redresse, if any thing be amisse. And behold heere (Right Honourable) a confection promising something thereto: It was prescribed first by Iethro, whom Moses calls the eyes of Israel, Num. 10. 31. And newly compounded by an Oculist, of whom as I may not, so I need not say any thing at all. Next vnderunder the sacred Fountaine of light (the light of our Israel) I worthily accompt your Lordship most sufficient in law to accept, to make vse, to iudge, to patronize it. The subiect of the book is the principall obiect of your Office, to elect, direct and correct inferiour Magistracy. To which purposes, Nature, Literature and Grace hauehave inabled you, that if you should faile the worlds expectation, they will hardly trust any other in hast. Many in rising hauehave followed the stirrop, pampered and letting honor not standing the ground, but once seated hauehave done renownedly. But your Lordship had neuer any other graces them your birth and desert; to which, hereditary dignity hath so gently tendred it selfe, that you hauehave not let fal your name of religion in getting vp. Therefore now you are in the top of honour, all that know you looke you will be exactly honourable. For my part, bounden to your Lordship for a fauour formerly receiued, greater then your Honour knowes of, or I can expresse: I shall leaue Iethro to be your Montoir, and my self remaine euer an humble suitor to God, who hath made you a Iudge of conscience, that he would make you continue a conscionable Iudge, improouing your place & abilities to the best aduantage belonging to it, the furtherance of your reckoning at the last day.

Your Honours daily Beadsman, NATH. WARD.

p. 1EXOD. 18. 21. 22. 23.

Moreouer, thou shalt prouide out of all the people able men, such as feare God, men of truth, hs…ing couetousnesse, and place such ouer them, to …ee rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

And let them iudge the people at all seasons: and it shall be that eueryevery great matter they shall bring vntounto thee, but eueryevery small matter they shal iudge: so shal it … easier for thy selfe, and they shal beare the burthen with thee.

If thou doe this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, & al this people shall also goe to their place in peace.

IF Iethro were, as the fashion of those times, and the Nature of his stile will beare, and (as some conceipt) both Prince and Priest; Cohen.then p. 2was hee beyond all exception, eueryevery way qualified; for skill, as a Iudicious Diuine; and for experience, as an aged Gouernour, to giuegive direction in matters of Magistracy, and to cast Mo…ses a mold for a Policie in Israel. Sure I am, a godly and religious man hee was, for he begins with prayer and ends with sacrifice. And such as himselfe, was his aduise, sage and holy. And howsoeuer it passed from him at the first vnderunder Gods correction, yet afterward allowed by God and practised by Moses, becomes of good policie, sound diuinity; of priuate counsell, a generall oracle: ruling for the substance of it, all ages and persons.

2Venerable it is for the very antiquity of it. What price doe men set vpō old copies,foreign. …gnat. ad M…rian Cassob. coynes and Statues: who passeth by a christall fountaine be… ring some ancient name or date, and tastes not of it, though no thirst prouokes him? Such is this, the cleare head-spring of al ensueing brookes in p. 3Scripture & other … concerning Magistracy. All those texts (which I wish were set as a frontlet betweene the eyes & as a seale vponupon the harts of al in authority Iehosaphats charge, 2 Chro. 16. 5. Iob his character, cha. 29. Dauids vow, Psas. 101. The scattered Parables of Salomon, & passages of the Prophets, cheefly that round & smart one Isai. 33. 14. are they not all branches of this root? In which respect it must needes be of souaraigne vse for the discouering and reforming of whatsoeuer error time hath soyled gouerment withall. How are defaced copies and disfigured pictures better amended, then by reducing them to their originall? if the pipe faile, goe we not to the head?

Heere is the Archetype or first 3draught of Magistracy, worthily in this regard chosen by Iudicious Buc…r to presse vponupon Edward the sixt, for the purgation of his offices and Lawes, from the drosse and filth contracted p. 4vnderunder the … confusion: which considering, that worthy Iosiah of ours tooke in such good part, and practised with such good successe. Yea, Moses himselfe learned in al good litterature, trained vp in Court, the greatest Law giuer that euer was, and father of all Law-giuers, of the thrice great Hermes, Lycurgus, Solon. Plato, Iustinian, & the rest. Yea, Gods familiar fauorite, faithfull in his house, knowne by name and face, honoured with miraculous power, &c. And that at the hands of one (age and fatherhood excepted) his inferiour. I trust that none will dare to reiect or sleight it of, remembring that Diuinity, as the mistresse taketh vponupon her to direct her hand-mayd, and that the Scripture is the best man of counsell for the greatest Statesman in the world: This little portion therof containing in it more then all Lipsius his Bee-hiue, or Machiauels Spider-web. All which will best appeare by the opening p. 5of this rich cabinet, and viewing the seuerall Iewels in it, which are these.

The parts of the Text.Diuision.

It first giues order for the care and 1circumspection in the choyce,

Prouide.

Secondly, it directs this choyce by foure essentiall characters of Magistrates.

1. Men of ability.

2. Fearing God.

3. Men of truth.

4. Hating couetousnesse.

Thirdly, it applies these foure to 3Magistrates of all degrees, in an exact distribution of them, by way of gradation ascending step by step, from the highest to the lowest. And place such ouer them to be rulers. 1. of thousands. 2. of hundreds. 3. of fifties. 4. of tens.

Fourthly, it prescribes to the Magistrates, 4thus qualified and chosen, their offices; viz. to iudge the people p. 6in the smaller causes, &c. and their assiduity and industry therein. And let them iudge the people at all seasons, &c. And it shall be that they shall bring eueryevery great matter to thee, but eueryevery small matter they shall iudge.

5Lastly, it propounds the blessed fruit & emolument that will necessarily ensue thereupon. First to Moses himselfe, So shall it be easier for thy selfe, and they shall beare the burthen with thee, and thou shalt bee able to endure. Secondly, to the people, And all this people shall goe to their place in peace.

1The first poynt, Techezeh, Prouide, or looke out. A word implying all exactnesse and curiosity incident to elections,Circumspection. as Inspection, circumspection, inquisition, suspition, information, deliberation, comming of Chozah, to see or contemplate, whence the Prophets were called Chosi, Seers. It is in a manner translated by a word of the like force in a businesse of the like nature▪ Acts 6. 5. foreign, suruey the whole p. 7body of the people, & chuse the best you can cull out. It were somewhat strict and strange to say, that Prayer and fasting must be vsed: And yet this I finde practised in such cases, Acts 1. and Numb. 27. 16. Let the Lord God of the spirits of all flesh set a man ouer this Congregation. Yea, Iethro himselfe sanctified this his aduice with a prayer, verse 19. God be with thee. And good reason hee should be called to counsell whose the iudgement is, and whose prouidence is alwayes very speciall in those elections, whether sought or no.1 Samuel 19.1 Sam 19 If God supravise not, Samuel the Seer shall take seauen wrong before one right. Some mens faults are palpable, and goe before election, som are cunningly concealed and breake not out till after. First, therefore looke vp to God, and then amongst the people, hauehave thine eyes in thy head, all the care that may bee will be little enough. Say not there are no sufficient persons, nor yet think p. 8eueryevery one that thinkes himselfe so, or commonly goes for such, is sufficient: seeke out such, and such may be found. Looke amongst the Oliues, Vines, and Flg-trees: such trees must be climbed. Brambles will lay holde on the sleeue for preferment. Ne sit qui ambit. Let him neuer speed that sues. Lay hands on none rashly. They that are fit & able, must and will bee sought to; yea, haled out of their ease & priuacy into the light of employment: the charge & danger wherof they waighing, as wel as the credit, or gaine, and knowing them to bee callings, will not meddle with them, till they be called to them. Which ambitious Inconsiderates not being able to ponder, much lesse to sustaine, thrust their shoulders vnderunder, and either by hooke or crooke come in, or climbe into the chaire of honor, more tickle then the stoole Eli brake his necke off: whither when they hauehave aspired with much trauaile and cost p. 9they fit as in the top of a mast in feare and hazard, and often fall with shame & confusion. Not vnlike to some rash youth, that hauing gotten an horse as wilde as himselfe, with much a doe backes him, sits him in a sweat, and comes downe with a mischeefe.

For the preuention of all which euils 2vnauoidably attending ambition, lighting partly vponupon the intruders, themselues, partly vponupon the admitters, but most heauily vponupon the common weale, see how needeful Iethro's counsell was and euer will bee; That such be prouided, not as would hauehave places, but as places should hauehave. Which care, as Iethro commits to Moses, so both the Scripture and reason imposeth vpō the superiour Magistrate, in whose power and place, it …s either to nominate or constitute inferiour Authorities: and whose fault cheefly it is, if they be otherwise then they ought, or the people iniured in this kinde. How circumspect and p. 10religious ought such to be, in the performance of this greatest and waightiest duty.

3Vnlesse you will reply, as I feare many a Fox doth in his bosome; Thus indeede you hauehave heard it sayd of olde, but those times were plaine, and Iethro a simple meaning olde man. A beaten Politician of our times, learned in the wisdom of newer state, & acquainted with the mysteries of the market, that knows how to improue things to the best, for his owne time and turne, and to let the common body shift for it selfe, would hauehave proiected Moses a farre more commodious plot, after this or the like manner: Now you hauehave offices to bestow, a faire opportunity in your hand, to ma…e your selfe for euer, to raise your house, to pleasure your friends, eie…h…r proclamime it openly or secretly, set it abroach by some meanes or other, see who bids fairest, waigh the sacrifices, chuse the men of p. 11the best and greatest gifts.

Oh gall of bitternesse! oh root of 4all euill to Church and Common-wealth, when authorities and offices of Iustice shall be bought and solde, as with a trumpet or drum to the candle or outrope.Tanqum sub…asta. The partic…lar branches whereof, when I seriously consider, I wonder not that Christ with s…ch zealous seuerity brake down the bankes, and whipt out the chapmen …ut of the Temple: nor that Peter with such fiery indignation banned Simon and his money. For if such …en & money perish not, Kingdoms and Churches must perish, and both Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall Courts will soone prooue dens of theeues.

Whose soule bleedes not to see 5mens soules bought and solde, like sheep at the market to eueryevery butcher; of this you Lawyers …uch complain against the Clergy men, for bying of …enefices: which you might doe the more iustly, if your selues were not p. 12often the sellers of them. I would the fault rested onelyonly in benefices, and reached not into offices and ciuill dignities. Indeede that kinde of purchase we cal not simony, it may from his other name be fitlier stiled magick, for by I know not what kinde of witch-craft, men sinne by leaue and law in these ciuill purchases. The lawes and statutes prouided for the remedie of the euil in som cases, tolerating it in other, and the practise by meanes of this allowance growing intolerable. Some of thē (as the world reports) offices for life & at pleasure, amounting to the rate of lands and inheritances.

6I am not Ignorant of the distinction of Iudicature, trust and paines; but are they not all offices of Iustice? doe they not prepare to Iudicate, and lies it not in them to guide or misguide, to hasten or delay Iustice, &c. which how can they freely giuegive, which buy dearely.

p. 13Doth not Bucer deale faithfully 7with his Soueraigne? Offices are not liuings and salaries, but charges and duties: not preferments for fauourites; but rewards of deserts, &c. Doth Iulius, …ustinianus, or Theodosius their lawes giuegive allowance to any? See then how prouidētly Iethro prouides against this Hemlock-root of Iustice? out of whose prouiso I conclude that which Augustine saw in his time, and deere experience confirmes in others:Aug. lib. 10. de …. Dei. cap. 14. That such as prouid themselues places, and are not prouided for them; come into them, and execute them, not with a minde of doing good, but domineering; not of prouiding for others welfare, but for their owne turnes. Le… vsus pray, that if it be possible this fault may bee forgiuen and amended.

And not this onelyonly; but another 1neere of kinde to this,Generality. met withall in the very next clause of my text, Among all the People (Mical Hagnam▪) p. 14Where Iethro restraines not Moses to his owne Familie, to any particular Tribe, or to the richer sort: but requires this freedome, as well as the former circumspection. Generality and impartiality being requisite to the good being of a choyce: and limitation and restraint the very banes of Election; yea, contradictions to it. As if one should say, you shall chuse amonst twenty, but you shall chuse this or that on…: Doth he not in effect say you shall not hauehave your choyce? will a man when hee goes to Market be confined to any shop or stall, if hee meane to prouide the best? How grossely is the countrey wronged & befooled, cheefly in the choyse of such, as into whose hands they put their liues and lands at Parliaments, by a kinde of Conge defliers, vsually sent them by some of the Gentry of the shires, perswading (if not prescribing) the very cople they must chuse. Thus hauehave we seen Naturalls tied to a p. 15poste with a straw, which they durst not breake.

This text bids you know and stand 2fast in your lawfull liberties of election, which that you may not abuse, I come to the second part of the Text.