A Preparative to Contention, Book · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
The troubles and afflictions of the Miniſter, of the houſholholder, of the Schoolemaiſter, of the Scribe, and of other faculties and conditions of men.
The paſtour his troubles.THe faithfull Paſtour and Miniſter in the Church, is for his part daylie perplexed & troubled with a mountaine of griefes and heauie woes: for whoſoeuer he bee that takes on him the miniſterie of the worde, and preaching of the Goſpel (by the Lords authoritie) hee is ſet as it were in an open battaile, and hath foorthwith the Diuell, and the worlde aduerſaties vntounto him, and profeſſed enemies, which endeuour to hinder and hurt him with all their power, and pollicies. The Diuell daily watcheth him,The practiſe of the diuell againſt the Miniſters. obſerueth his doctrine, and noteth his life, which hee couetteth to enſnare. He aſſaileth his life and conuerſation, that ſo hee might mooue him to denie in worke, that which in worde hee profeſſeth and teacheth: that ſo, though hee builde with the one hand, he might with the other hande, pull downe and deſtroy: for manie men, eſpecially the ignorant and common people, immitate and follow, rather the life and conditions of the Miniſters and teachers, then their wordes and doctrine. He aſſaulteth his doctrine alſo, that ſuch as heare him, beeing by errours deceiued and ſeduced, may togither with him bee damned, as when the blinde leadeth the blinde, they both fall into the pitte. And that hee might the better compaſſe that which he hath deuiſed agaynſt the ſeruaunts of God,The world is an enemie to the Miniſters of the worde. hee mooueth the worlde in the which hee dwelleth and rageth, which beeing ſet on miſchiefe (as Saint Iohn ſayeth) ſtrugleth and ſtriueth agaynſt him, I meane the Miniſter and his doctrine, ſometimes by Hypocriſie, ſometimes by Sophiſtrie, ſometimes by tyrannie, endeuouring to hinder him and enforce him to denie his profeſsion. To the which, though he bring the glad tidings of peace,Iſay. 53.1. who calleth him happie? though hee preach the truth, and publiſh the miſteries of God, who beleeueth his report? he talketh, who heareth him? he walketh, who followeth him? he pipeth vntounto the people, and they daunce not: hee ſorroweth, and they mourne not. He hath giuen none offence in anything, that the miniſterie be not blamed:1. Tim. 3.2. but he is blameleſſe, the husband of one wife, watching, ſober, comelie apparelled, a louer of hoſpitalitie, apt to teach, not giuen to ouermuch wine, no ſtriker, nor greedie of filthie lucre: but gentle, abhorring fighting, abhorring couetouſneſſe, one that ruleth well his owne houſe, hauing children in ſubiection, with all grauitie, &c. And yet his patience is tried by them of the worlde to the vttermoſt, in afflictions, in neceſſities,2. Cor. 2.6. in anguiſhes, in ſtripes, in priſonments, in ſtrifes, in labours, in watchings, in faſtings, in colde and nakedneſſe, in iourneying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of his own nation, in perils among the heathen, in perils in the citie, in perils in the wilderneſſe, in perils among falſe brethren, in torments, in death.
2 And in all theſe hard aduentures, whiles he deſerueth a good report, hee getteth an euill report: though he be true, yet is he taken for a deceiuer: he is ſcarcely knowne to his own acquaintance, though he hath bin moſt bountifull vntounto them: he is as dying daily, though not killed: he is very poor, though hee enricheth manie; and though by ruling well, and labouring both in the worde and doctrine, hee hath merited that double honour which the Apoſtle ſayeth is vntounto ſuch perſons due: yet hath hee no honour at all. Hee hath well deſerued of all men: but of all men hee is badlie rewarded. Thus Amos the Prophette was accuſed and reprooued. Michea was impriſoned:The Prophets and Martyrs hauehave bin hardly rewarded for their labours. Zacharias was murthered: Ieremie was caſt downe into a deepe Dungeon, and his feete made faſt in the ſtockes: Iſaiah was cut a ſunder with a Sawe: Eliah was threatned and perſecuted: Ezechiel had bands for him prepared: and Daniel was throwne into the Lions Denne. Chriſt Ieſus our Lorde and Sauiour himſelfe, though hee came into the worlde, not to condemne the worlde, but that the worlde through him might bee ſaued: yet his owne receiued him not, the darkneſſe comprehended him not, the worlde knewe him not: he bound the ſtrong man, and deliuered them that were captiued: yet no man thought vponupon him: he was perſecuted, taken, crucified, and reiected. So his Ambaſſadour Iohn Baptist was beheaded: his Apoſtles, Iames, Peter, and Paul, were killed. Alſo his Martyr Stephen was ſtoned to death: Iohn the Euangeliſt was baniſhed: Ireneus, and Policarpus, were martyred: ſo was Laurentius, Iohn Hus, Hierome of Prage, VVicliffe, Ridley, Cranmer, Latimer, Bradford, Tindall, with a thouſande others, which hauehave beene tried by mockinges and ſcourginges, yea, and moreouer, by bandes, and impriſonment: they were ſtoned, they were hewen aſunder, they were tempted, they were ſlaine with the ſworde, burned in the fire,Heb. 11.38. VVorld is not worthie of good men. afflicted and tormented moſt cruellie, of whome indeede The worlde was nothing worthie, as the Apoſtle ſayeth. So thankleſſe is this office: ſuch is the rewarde of the painfull preaching of the Goſpel, and for labouring hardlie in the Lords harueſt, which the worlde is moſt readie at all times to beſtow. Manie there bee that cleaue vntounto the painfull miniſter fainedly:Dan. 11.34. few there be which ioyne themſelues with him in truth and ſinceritie:Homer. wherein they find this verified: foreign, Benefits beſtowed hauehave not ſo much as thanks.
A dangerous matter to deal with Princes and great perſons.3 But as it is no meane matter for him to deale in his miniſterie with the common people, to perſwade them to the feare of God, and honour of the Prince, and ſo to liue in Chriſtian Contentation, being as thoſe with whome Ieremie had to do, poore, fooliſh,Iere. 5.4.5. ignoraunt of the way of the Lord, and the iudgement of their God: ſo is their no ſmall wiſedome to bee had in the perſwading of the Princes and great perſonages, to admit the worde of God: for their eares bee ſo tender (as one ſayde) that they can ſcarcelie ſuffer any truth to touch them.P. Mart. 1. 1. King. 20. Therefore, though Ieremie ſay, I will get me vntounto the great men, and will ſpeake vntounto them: for they hauehave knowne the way of the Lorde, and the iudgements of their God: yet finding them to bee breakers of the yoake, it ſhall bee booteleſſe for him to commit himſelfe vntounto them:Amos 7.10. and ſo is it for Amos to go to the Court, and to preach in the Kings Chappell, except hee can handle his matter with rare wiſedome, and ſingular dexteritie. Yea, Nathan being ſent from God to Dauid the King, dareth not to approach neare the preſence of the King, but with ſuch a Parrable in his mouth, as manie men hauehave neither the witte to inuent, nor the grace to applie. Chriſt himſelfe vppon this occaſion, propoſeth to the Scribes and Phariſees, learned Parables, and in certain riddles, ſimilitudes and prouerbs, he reproueth them, which otherwiſe would not abide the hearing of plaine words.
4 In the conſideration of theſe and ſuch like things,Ionas. 1. the Prophet Ionas being commaunded to go and preach againſt Nineuy the Metropolitan Citie of Aſſyria, wherein were congregated the mightieſt and wiſeſt men of that Monarch, would hauehave eaſed himſelfe from the danger therof, by flying into Tharſhiſh from the Lords preſence: that is, from performing of that which the Lord had to him cō maunded. And ſo Ieremy, being firſt called to preach and to propheſie in the name of the Lorde,Ieremy. would hauehave excuſed himſelfe by his tender age, & by that he could not ſpeake eloquently. And afterward, hauing felt the tight of the burthen, hee complained thus: Oh mother: that euer thou beareſt mee! Ier. 15.10. & 20.18. Iſay. 49.4.The Prophet Iſay ſeeing what ingratefulneſſe came from worldly men, after his long miniſterie, he thought verily that he had laboured all in vaine: & that godly Polycarpus hauing found the like thanks,Polycarpus. exclaimeth thus: foreign: O good God! for what times haſt thou reſerued me to feele thoſe torments? Hereuppon was it, that one ſaide to Chriſt when hee was called, that hee would firſt go home and burne his Father: and that another ſaid, he would go & bid his friends farewell at home. This cauſed Peter to denie his maiſter, and Demas to forſake Pauls ſociety. This cauſed the ſtarres to fall from heauen, that the labourers be few, though the harueſt bee full great, and that not many do with wiſedome inſtruct the people in the way of righteouſneſſe. An heauie caſe, the Lord knoweth, and moſt intollerable, without the great merciemercy of God which ſtrengtheneth.
5 Alſo the good Houſholder matcheth with many afflictions: ſometimes through an vnruly wife,The houſholder hath his afflictions. as Socrates did with his Xantippe: ſometimes by diſobedient Children, as Dauid did with his ſonne Abſalom, and Eli with his ſonnes Hophnes and Phinez: and Samuel with his Children, Ioel and Abia: and Iacob with his ſonnes, and his daughter Dina: ſometimes by ſeruants, as Philaemon did with Oniſimus: ſometime by badde neighbours, as Tobias did with the Niniuites, & Loth with the Sodomites: beſides many diſorders in domeſticall and houſhold affayres, wherby he is prouoked to diſcontentation, and yet, doing his beſt,Ouid. li. 4. metam. Siſyphus. Auguſtus. hee is tied faſt with tyred Siſyphus, to the daily turning of his ſtone. Auguſtus himſelfe (though in the higheſt authority, yet as an houſholder) as often as he heard mention made of Iulia his daughter, and Iulia his daughters daughter, and of Agrippa his daughters ſon, which he was moued to baniſh from his Houſe for theyr open wicked and diſſolute maners, and odious conditions, he would ſigh and complaine therof with this verſe of Homer.
VVold god my lot had bin t'haue had neither wife nor child.
That olde man in Terence called him happie that was freed from ſuch heauie fetters, to the which the monaſticall life is preferred in the iudgement of many men:1. Cor. 7.8.38.40. yea, Paul himſelfe held it good for the widowes, and for the vnmaried perſons, at that time, and on that preſent occaſion, ſo to conteine themſelues, reſoluing that he did better which gaue not in marriage, then hee did which gaue in marriage: that the ſingle life is the beſt kind of life, and that Peter ſpake wiſely when hee ſayde to his Maiſter, If the cauſe ſtandeth ſo betweene a man and his wife, then it is not good to marrie: notwithſtanding that God ſaide in the beginning:Gen. 2. It is not good that the man ſhould be alone.
6 The painfull Schoolemaiſter alſo finding few or none of his ſchollers ſo induſtrious and thankful as King Alexander the great was to his maiſter Ariſtotle: or as the wiſe Salomon was to learned Aſaph:The ſchoolemaiſters coraſiues. Ariſtotle. but rather dull of hearing, ſlow in learning,Aſaph. indutifull, ingratefull: yea,Seneca▪ and vppon ſmall occaſions ſo cruell to him, as Nero was to his Mayſter Seneca when hee killed him:Ariſtomenes▪ or as Peholomeus was to his Tutour Aristomenes, Iuuenall Satyr.when hee impriſoned him: and conſidering howe truely Iuuenal ſingeth, Scire volunt omnes, mercedem ſoluere nemo: that men ſcarcely reward well thoſe perſons of whome they would that eyther themſelues, or theyr children ſhoulde learne wiſedome. Hee is quite ouerthrowne with furie and diſpleaſure, and eaſeth himſelfe of his painefull trauailes with finall diſpayre. Oleum & laborem per do: I do but looſe all my labour
7 The learned Scribe alſo neuer or verie ſeldome findeth the one moitie of ſuch bountifull rewards,The Scribe his afflictions. as one Octauius beſtowed on a poore Greeke Poet, who had exhibited to him certayne learned Epigrams (which rewarde, as it is ſayde, was an hundred thouſande peeces of Golde) but hee rather findeth, that his beſt labours doo purchaſe emulation, enuie, diſdaine, and many hard conſtructions, with diriſions: therefore hee accounteth with Baruch, Baruch. Ier. 45.3.that hee hath gained nought elſe beſides paynes for his trauailes, and waxeth wearie of wryting. So alſo many others, both well learned and experienced, from whome at length the Common-wealth expecteth the fruits of their ſtudies & trauailes,The cunning and wiſe men hauehave afflictions and enemies. Boet. de. conſ. Phil. li. 1. proſ. 3. Socrates. Ʋaler. max. li. 1.2. & li. 3.3 Zeno. Anaxagoras. are wonderfully daunted, when they heare, that Socrates (which was by the Oracle at Delphos, teſtified to bee the wiſeſt among the Philoſophers) was through enuie accuſed by Anetus, for the Citizens of Athens: by Meletus, for the Poets: by Lycon, for the Oratours: wherevpon he was forced to drinke poyſon, whereof he died: and that Zeno was tormented by Nearchus, in the ſight of his owne Citizens: and that Anaxagoras with much adoo eſcaped the like: that the men of Delphos threw downe Aeſope off an high Rock, and brake his necke:Aeſope. that Octauius Caeſar baniſhed Ouid the Poet from his Court,Ouid. and ſent him an exile into Pontus:Iuuenal. that Domitian the Emperour exiled Iuuenal the Poet: and that Tiberius commaunded that cunning craftſ-man,A cunning maker of Glaſſe. which had made Glaſſe malleable, that is, to abide the hammer as gold, tinne, or other mettals, to be beheaded. And weighing and perpending how many others alſo, both cunning and well learned in their ſeuerall facluties, hauehave beene burned in the furious fires of enuie and diſdaine: they do, I ſay, fold their handes and ceaſe from altogether with this account: Terra moueatur: Lette the world wag.
8 Finally, it is daily conſidered and obſerued, that all ſuch (for the moſt parte) as hauehave aduentured farre, and taken hard trauailes for the good and ſafetie of other men, yea, of Churches and whole Common-wealthes, hauehave found euen them whom they hauehave benefitted, and to whom they hauehave well wiſhed, to be affected towards them, as were the people of Rome towards Telemalchus the Monke, in the time of Honorius the Emperour.Telemalchus. Eraſ. in praefac ad Paraph. in Marcum. This Telemalchus hearing of the great delight that the people of Rome had in their accuſtomed combats on the common hearer, wherewith no ſmall number of men had beene murthered one of another of them: hee of very zeale came to Rome, with purpoſe to diſſwade them from that barbarous crueltie. And as the ſaw two men now readie to fight, hee ſtept on the ſtage and ſpake unto them thus: Quid facit is fratres? quur in mutuum exitium ferarum more ruitis? That is, VVhat me and yee brethren? wherefore do ye thus like bruite beasts ſeeke one anothers deſtruction? But thus was hee rewarded: the people of Rome roſe vp with one accord againſt him, and ſtoned him with ſtones, that he dyed. This kind of thankfulneſſe towards them which well deſerue, Virgil prettily bewrayeth, and the ſame reprooueth in the table of the ſleeping Paſtour and the watchfull Gnat, thus.The fable of the Paſtour and the gnat. Virg. As a certaine Paſtour ſlept in the fields in the heate of the Summer, there glided towards him a venemous ſerpēt, with full purpoſe to ſting him being a ſleepe. This thing the little Gnat perceiuing, came haſtily, and pight on the Paſtours face, tickling him, with intent to awaken him, to eſchew that preſent euill. But the peeuiſh Paſtour hauing no conſideration either of his owne danger, or of the Gnats good mind, ſodainly put vp his hand and killed the Gnat, whoſe death afterward, but all too late, he thus lamented.
O little Culex, thus thou gain'ſtParue culex pecudum cuſtos, &c. Virg.
for gard of life, thy death:
By Paſtour, who for thy good deed,
bereaues thy vitall breath!
But if that men (after their good deſerts) founde not ſuch extreme requitals, yet they ſcarcely eſcaped that thankfulneſſ▪e which the Phiſitians that had cured Triſelaus founde at his handes.Triſelaus and his Phiſitions. For this fellow, beeing ſometimes ouercome with a melancholike paſſion, perſwaded himſelfe to be the right owner of al the graet Nauie that arriued at the Port Pireus: but when through the great cunning and care of his Phiſitians he was healed, he, in ſteede of thankfulneſſe began to curſe them: ſaying, that they had therein robbed him of all his wealth, & vtterly ſpoyled him of his delights. Lo, ſuch be the rewards which the world commonly beſtoweth on thē that do good, & benefit others. Wherfore, not onelyonly the commō ſort, but alſo many of the better account (as in this conceite made wearie of well doing for others) hauehave bin moued to ſing thus with Catullus.
Omnia ſunt ingrata nihil feaſſe benigne eſt. Catul.Let paſſe the minde well to deſerue of any wight:
Or to perſwade, that men will reform'd aright.
Ingratefull all things be: that one deſerueth well,
Is nothing elſe but yrkſome toyle, and labour fell.
And others, in the conſideration of theſe things, vſe to rumynate that notable ſong of the Lorde touching his ingratefull vineyarde, complayning alſo to him of the maligne worlde: VVhat could wee hauehave doone more vntounto them, Iſa. 5.1.then that which wee hauehave done? after our labours wee did onelyonly expect this, that they ſhould be thankfull and the neere to all vertues: but lo, they be moſt ingratefull, and flow with all vices! Therfore they reſolue, that it is a farre better thing to bee medling with nothing at all. My talent (ſayth one) is mine owne and in mine owne hand: I may burie it in the earth if I will, which yet had I leauer doo, then thus to employ it to any perill and paine. I will (ſayth another) aſſay ſome other thing to liue on, for my more credit, quiet, profit and pleaſure: for I perceiue that in theſe my great trauailes, I am worthily moued to ſing out the hand-maides ſorie Song: Mane furgo & fatigo me, The handmaids ſong.ac manduco panem Doloris, that is: Early vp, wearie toyle, and ſorrie fare.
10 Beſides all this,No man liueth content. looking yet more neere into the particular eſtates and conditions of men in this wretched world, I finde not may that are willing to liſten to that morall ſentence of Ben-Syrah:Sent. Burniſh that boane which falles in thy lot: becauſe they neuer learned Pauls leſſon, foreign:Phil. 4.11. I hauehave learned (ſayth hee) in what ſoeuer eſtate I am, to be therewith content. But the Pooreman,1. Tim. 6.8.9. although he hauehave foode and rayment where with he ſhould be contented (as the Apoſtle aduiſeth) yet hee thinketh his eſtate but miſerable, the rather becauſe hee ſuffereth many an iniurie of them that be rich, which hee is not of power to reſiſt, nor of might to reuenge. Therefore he be pittieth himſelfe, hee bewayleth his lot, he emulateth the condition of other men: yea, hee laboureth to bee made rich, and hauehave worldly poſſeſſions by all wayes and meanes, though that thereby hee fall into tentation and ſnares, and into many fooliſh and noyſome luſtes, which drawe men to perdition and deſtruction. For the louelove of Money is the roote of all euill, which while ſome luſted after, they miſſed the marke concerning the Fayth, and pearced themſelues through with many ſorrowes. Howbeit, if theſe worldly riches could by him be obtained, then were he the happieſt man (in his owne conceite) and therfore riches is made that Summum Bonum, and cheefe ſcope whereunto the labours of many poore men dotend and are directed. In the meane whiles, hee liueth in high murmur, grudge, and diſcontentation of minde: and why? he hath not yet learned the leſſon of Contentation:1. Tim. 6.6. he beleeueth not that godlineſſe is great riches to him that is pleaſed with that which God hath giuen him: and hee cannot conceiue this, that to labour and to be contented with that a man hath, be it little or be it much,Ecclus. 40.18. is a ſweete pleaſant life, and a treaſure aboue all treaſures. Neither doth hee thinke that Chriſt ſpake trueth, when he ſaid, that it is eaſier for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle, then for the rich men, or for him that truſteth in money to enter into the kingdome of God: or that the poore in Spirit, though neuer ſo poore in wealth, are beloued of God, and bleſſed.
The rich man and his affliction. Eccles. 4.8.11 On the other ſide, the rich man cannot content himſelfe neither, ſeeing hee feeleth ſuch torments as much trouble him too. The more he hath, the more mouthes muſt hee fill: the greater gaine, the greater greefe: he watcheth in the night: hee hath no quietneſſe in the day. When the poore man iournyeth without all feare, and ſingeth before the robbers face, the rich man is moſt fearefull, & ſtandeth in doubt of eueryevery buſh. Where flocke the flyes, but to the Carions? where lurketh the Theefe, but there where wealth is?Euclio, apud Plant. in ſua Aulularia. Therefore the Nigard Euclio, whome Plautus bringeth in, reaſoning with Megadorus, feareth that eueryevery one which commeth to his houſe, intendeth to rob him of his money and wealth: and that whoſoeuer beginneth any conference or talke with him, mindeth to borrow ſome of his gold: he thinketh that his Cheſts are not made and banded ſtrong inough to keepe faſt his treaſure, nor that the doores of his houſe be barred & locked faſt inough to keepe out theeues. So that in ſuch his perplexitie, hee often calleth him happie, that hauing nothing to looſe, could ſay with a mind content, Omnia mea mecum porto: I beare all my wealth with mee, whither ſo euer I go. Such is his vanitie,The rich man is loath to exchange his condition with the poore man. and vnmeaſurable toyle: howbeit, hee is farre off from the poore mans deſire, to exchange his condition with the poore man, albeit the poore man woulde willingly exchange with him: but rather moſt deſirous to keep al that he hath, and yet to incroach and get in more: yea, and hauing inough, and too much, he neuer ſaith to them that bring in, ho, ho. Neither is rich Craeſus ſatisfied with his wealth,Craeſus. Alexander. nor will Alexander bee contented with the conqueſt of one world. His diſeaſe therefore is a dangerous dropſie, whoſe thirſt is not quēched with much water, but the more hauehave, the more craue, the more drinke, the dryer: and his deſire is like the bottomleſſe gulfe inſatiable. Surely, this man hath made that to himſelfe euill, which of it owne nature is good: for riches are not euill, but onelie vntounto them which ſet their hearts on them and ſo abuſe them. Abraham was a verie rich man, ſo alſo was Loth, ſo was Iſaak, ſo was Iacob, ſo was Ioſeph, and Ioſeph of Aramathia: yet were they neuertheleſſe the friends of God, and righteous men. Therefore Dauid in the Pſalme did not condemne riches, nor the true vſe of them: but hee ſayde: Set not thine heart therevpon. For the Lord ſayth: GiueGive mee thine heart. They doo ſet their heart vponupon riches, which do in them place their felicitie, and make riches their God, and truſt in them. And as the godlie Saints do euer hunger and thirſt after righteous and the holie preſence of God, vntill they come home to him into his glorie, ſo the worldlie rich man (though not with the like heart) doth euer thirſt for that his God Mammon, and the treaſures of Pluto, and cannot be appeaſed: but he ſaith ſtill, I will pull downe my Barnes, and build them bigger, vntill it bee ſaide to him,Luke 12. Thou foole, this verie night they ſhall fetch away thy ſoule from thee.
Aug. de Charit.12 Thus are men hardly perſwaded, that he is onlie rich, which in Charitie is contented, and that he is a poore man indeed, which in the middeſt of his aboundance hath not a contented minde. They beleeue not Chriſt in this, that much better it is for a man to be poore Lazarus, then that wealthy Diues in this life. Neither do they conſider, that it little profiteth a man to labour in the winde with ſuch eager thirſting after the riches of this world, when in regarde thereof, he miſſeth King Salomons thouſand: that is, his owne ſoule, and the life euerlaſting. And they remember not (notwithſtanding the common and daylie examples before their eyes) that a man going from hence towardes his long home, leaueth all his riches and wealth behinde him, departing from this worlde as naked as he came into the ſame. In trueth, if they did well weigh this one thing, they woulde not be ſo greedie with the hungrie Rauen, to pray on the venemous Serpent to his owne deſtruction, as ſayth the Prouerbe. Onlie the wiſe man conſidereth well theſe things, and yeeldeth to this, that Content is rich. And thus that wiſe Agur, the ſonne of Iake, conſidered, and knowing alſo, on the one ſide worldly riches and wealth, was a mightie prouocation of pride, couetouſneſſe, luſt, enuie, diſdaine, rapine, gluttonie, and ſuch like: and that on the other ſide, worldly pouertie was the mother of impatiencie, diſcontentation, blaſphemie, theft, lying, and ſuch like: and that of all others the meane eſtate was the beſt, hee both taught and prayed thus. Two thinges (ſayeth hee to the Lorde) hauehave I required of thee, denie them not before I die. Remooue from mee vanitie and lies. GiueGive mee neither pouertie nor riches: feede mee with foode conuenient for mee: leaſt I be full, and doo denie thee, and ſay, who is the Lord? or leaſt I bee poore, and ſteale, and blaſpheme the name of my God.
13 To be ſhort,1. Tim. 6, 8, 9 howſoeuer it bee that Saint Paul aduiſeth men to abide within the compaſſe of their owne vocations and conditions of life, and therein to ſerue God with pure cōſciences, & contentation: yet (that notwithſtanding) wee ſee, that the man which hath a wife, commendeth him that hath not yet married a wife: the woman which is bound to an husband, praiſeth her that remaineth a virgine. Again, few married men (as the world goeth) liſten to Salomons counſaile, to drinke of the water of their owne welles, and of the riuers that runne out of their owne ſprings. They are ſcarcely pleaſed, to reioyne with the wiues of their youth, which ſhould in all equitie, be to them as the louing Hind, and pleaſant Roe. Their breaſt cannot cōtent them, nor can they bee ſatisfied with their good louelove. Therfore they affect ſtraunge women, and aſſay to pleaſe themſelues in other mens houſes. And this is alſo the deſire of many maried women, who would if they could, forſake the guide of their youth, and follow ſtraungers. Furthermore, the ſouldior will not be content with his wages, but he will oppreſſe and proll for ſpoyles, neither is hee pleaſed with his condition. The Marchant man commendeth the husbandman,Baſyl. Mag. and the husbandman liketh well of marchandize. The yeoman would be a gentleman: the eſquire would be a knight: the knight would be a Lord: the Lord would bee a Prince: the Prince would be a king, and Emperor of the whole world. The child would he were a man, the mayd would be a wife, the wife would bee her husbands maiſter. The olde man being ſorie that ſo many dayes of his life be worne out, wiſheth that he were a yong man againe. And thus eueryevery vocation and condition, being loathſome to it ſelfe, eueryevery man looketh with hote emulation on the calling & condition of ſome other man without contentation, wherin the Poets aime, hitterh home on the nailes head.
Perſ.Optat Ephipia, Bos piger:
Optat arare Caballus.
Thus engliſhed:
The lazie Oxe doth wiſh, he were
an Horſe, on backe to beare:
And ſo the Horſe doth wiſh, he were
an Oxe, the ſoyle to teare.
Againe, conſidering manie vnmeaſurable cares and great vanities of mens affaires, hee thus lamenteth the miſerie of the ſame.
O curas hominum! O quantum est in rebus in ane?
Thus engliſhed.
Alas mans cares: how full of paine?
Alas mans wayes: how vile and vaine?
Indeed right iuſtly (as ſaid Auguſtine) hath the Lord appoynted an vnquiet heart and minde, for a puniſhment to the men of this life, which will not be contented & pleaſed with that which they hauehave: and this affliction (ſaith Salomon) hath God giuen to the children of men, to humble them.