King Solomons Solace, Book · Chapter 39
CAP. XXXIX.
Zadoke anſwereth to Sixe other obiections for the King. 5. Of Iuſtice, wiſedome. 6. Quietnes. 7. Of women. 8. Of Gods love. 9. Of the Soules being. 10. Of the ſenſe of the ſoule after death.
ZAdoke procéeding, ſaide againe to Abiather: yee hauehave ſaide (as I well remember) that our Lord King Solomon in his words hath diſcouraged all men from the perfection of wiſedom, and from the exquiſite Iustice. Obiection 5 of the diſcouraging of men from wiſedom and Iuſtice.Out of what wordes of his, is this preſumed? can ye tell me? yea (ſaid Abiather) and of theſe his ſpeeches lately vttered in your owne hearing: Bee thou not iuſt overmuch: neither make thy ſelfe over wiſe:Eccles. 7.18. Anſwere. wherefore ſhouldſt thou bee deſolate? If yee gather from hence (ſaid Zadok) then I may well denie your conſequence: For yee ſhould hauehave diſtinguiſhed of theſe words Iuſtice and Wiſedome. For there is, the Iuſtice and wiſedome of God: and these is, that Iuſtice and wiſedome of men. The King in thoſe his words hath not diſſwaded any man liuing from the inueſtigation and ſearching after the Iuſtice and Wiſedom of God, for the which a man ſhould euer hunger and thirſt, and neuer bee weary or faint to ſeeke to obtaine the ſame, as moſt diuine graces and vertues in this life. Neither doeth the King deſiſt from this deſire and continuall exerciſe, although hee bee paſſing wiſe, knowing, that no man in this world ſhall yet be able to attaine to the full perfection therof, and therfore may yet ſtriue and endeuor eueryevery day to come neerer, and ſo neere, as he can with all kinde of ſtudyes and exerciſes before his death, perſwading yet, that the better hee ſhall be furniſhed in theſe vertues, the more hee ſhall be able to ſet foorth the praiſe and glory of God among men, and prepare himſelfe for the company of the holy Angels. But in this ſaying of the K. is ment the politicall, or civile wiſedome, Not to be over wiſe nor too iuſt.the like Iuſtice, the which is vſed in the gouerning of a Cōmon-wealth, or a familie, or the externall life of man. And herein, he would that men ſhould not ſéeme to be more wiſe, then the wiſedome of God requireth: that is, that they bee not wiſe in proper conceit, not to bee ſubtle Sophiſters, nor craftie diſputers, nor deceiuers, nor circumuentors of others, nor wiſe to the worlde, nor ſuch as the Serpent was, which tempted and beguiled Hevah: but rather, that they bee wiſe to ſobrietie. Againe, hee would that men ſhould not bee ouer iuſt, that is, that they be not too quick cenſors, nor haſtie accuſers of others nor too ſevere exactor of the extremitie of laws againſt eueryevery offender, either in his own houſe among his ſeruants, or in the Common-wealth among his citizen. But rather,Equitie is of requeſt. that Equitie ſhould be reſpected: for hee that will be either ſo euer wiſe to ſee all things: or ſo ouer iuſt to correct, puniſh or controll all things, and neither to winke at ſome things, nor to mitigate the rigor of the law in other things, ſhal neuer be able either to rule happily, or to liue quietly, either in the commonwealth, or within the gates of his owne houſe. Nowe I hope yee well vnderſtand the King in this point: Obiect. 6 of quietnes.But yee hauehave obiected againe, that the King condemned him that loveth quietnes, and flieth from toyle and trouble: wherein (as yee ſay) hee contraryeth himſelfe, commending elſe-where the quiet life. Where hauehave yee found that? I vnderſtand well the Kings meaning by your wordes in the former (ſaide Abiather) and this latter obiection is taken from that where hee ſayde: The Foole foldeth his handes and eateth vp his owne fleſh, Eccles. 4.5.and ſaith: that better is one morſell with quietneſſe then both the handes full with labour and vexation of the ſpirit. Héere hee calleth him a Foole that reſteth him content and quiet: and yet hee ſayde before in his Prouerbes:Pro. 15.16. Better is a little with the feare of GOD, then great treaſures and trouble there-with. To this Zadoke anſwered,The anſwere. denying the conſequence for that the King entended another thing in that his Prouerbe, then hee doth in thoſe his latter wories: For there hee ſpake of the godly minde which is content with whatſoeuer it ſhall pleaſe God to giuegive it, and eſteemeth more of that little with quietneſſe in the feare of God, which (indeed) is great riches to the godly minde: but here he ſpeaketh of the idle and ſluggiſh perſon: or of him that is wearie or diſcouraged in the performance of his office or dutie, by reaſon of the common emulations, enuies, croſſings and thwartings of his aduerſaries, and the afflictions and troubles which are incident to his calling and place. Such a one he calleth a foole, and that worthily: for whereas the Wiſe-man (notwithſtanding all theſe things) giueth not ouer, nor is faint-hearted, but continueth his calling to the ende and is happy therein: the other being daunted and yeeldeth which the fooliſh Maryner to eueryevery contrary winde, and ſo periſheth to his diffame and endles miſerie. In this ſaying therefore, the King is not to be reproued. But in the ſeuenth place ye ſaid, Obiection 7 of women. Ca. 7.29.that the King was thought to condemne womens Sexe. May I alſo heare from whence this ſurmiſe is taken? from that (ſaid Abiather) where he ſaid. This have I found ſeeking one by one, to finde the count: and yet my ſoule ſeeketh but I finde it not. I hauehave found one man of a thouſand, but a woman among them all have I not found. Anſwere. And will they heereof conclude (ſaid Zadok) that a woman therefore is not found among the Saintes?He condemneth not womans ſexe. or that womans Sexe is prophane, & an euill thing? I deny the conſequence, for yee wander farre from the kings meaning therin. It is very plaine, that howſoeuer the K. knoweth that he hath bin deceiued and polluted with wicked women: and himſelfe hath ſpoken againſt the vngodly and ſtrange women and their vices: yet did he neuer condemne the ſexe or kinde of women,He ſpeaketh by compariſon nor the godly woman and her vertues. But he hath ſpoken by way of compariſon, as thus: If of men there be found as fewe as one man of a thouſand, which vnderſtandeth and conſidereth of the courſe of mans affayres, and of his vanities vnderunder the Sunne, and of the cariage of things in this world (according to the will and prouidence of God) ſurely of women there is not found one, within that number: for if men hauehave not that wiſedō, how ſhould thoſe weaker veſſels, I mean womē? Howbeit, we may not for all yt think that by this number certain, which he taketh for a number vncertaine, & by this hyperbolicall ſpeach, hee vtterly excludeth all women from the life of the ſaints & number of the wiſe. Thē might he bee found indeed to condemne Sarah, the wife of Abraham, and Rebecca the wife of Iſaack, and Hanna, the mother of Samuel, and the wife of Manoah the mother of Sāpſon, & Ruth the Moabiteſſe, and Rahab of Ierico, and Abigael, and Bethſabee the kings mother, & others of the generation of the iuſt, which are ſo much commended in the holy write. But the King in his wiſedome knowing the excellencie of ſuch women, hath worthily prayſed them and their vertues: ſaying:Pro. 31. The woman that feareth the Lord ſhalbe cōmended: give her of the fruit of her hands and let her owne works praiſe her openly. And he ſaid againe, that ſuch a woman ſhall be given by the Lord for a good portion to ſuch a man as feareth him. *8. Obiection 8 of the doubtfulnes of Gods louelove, & merciemercy. Chap. 9.1.Anſwere Ye hauehave ſaid said that the King hath taught a doubtfulnes of the Love & mercy of God. But let me heare of what words ye hauehave taken that? The king hath oftē ſaid (quod Abiather) that No man knoweth either love or hatred of all that is before them. And both this (ſayde zadoke) teach vsus a doubtfulnes of the louelove and mercy of God towardes his children in this life? No truely, for by this he ſpeaketh of an other thing, as firſt, yt conſidering the manifold confuſions of mans affayres in this world, no man in the view thereof, or of any other external thing, can take cenſure of matters diuine, nor truely diſcerne,No man can iudge of divine things by theſe externall things. what things he ought either to chooſe or refuſe in this world. For the Lord ſendeth both proſperitie and aduerſitie aſwell to the wicked as to the godly. Next the King knoweth, that albeit the ſoules of the righteous bee in the hand of GOD, ſo that none euill may touch them: yet ſuch is the corrupt iudgement of fleſh and blood, ignorant of GOD and of his wayes,Men conſider not whō God either loueth or hateth. that he neuer ſomuch as conſidereth what kinde of men the yare which God loueth, and what kinde of men they are which God hateth: and therefore are they no more louing nor thankfull vntounto the godly whom the Lorde loueth (howſoeuer they hauehave well deſerued) then they are vntounto the vngodly,9. Oiection of the ſoule. Cha. 3.21 which neither feare God, nor endeuor to benefite his Church. *Yee further obiected that the King hath caſt into doubt the being of the Soule. I pray, what hath he ſayde to occaſion this conceite of him? he hath ſayd (quod Abiather) Who knoweth duplicate page duplicate page whether the ſoule of man aſcendeth vpward, and the ſpirite of the beast deſcendeth downward to the earth? As who ſhould vehemētly affirme, that no man knoweth the life, or being of the ſoule? Ergo he doubteth thereof.Mans iudgement of the ſoule of a man. I deny that (ſaid Zadoke) for albeit the naturall man neither knoweth, nor vnderſtandeth this by his reaſon: yet the godly man by his faith beleeueth and comprehendeth it. The purpoſe of the King therefore in theſe words is to ſet foorth the imagination of the children of men, which cannot conceiue by any wiſedome or reaſon of man, that the ſoule of man is immortall, and aſcendeth vp into heauen after his diſſolution: no more then doth the breath of a beaſt. Ye hauehave ſaid alſo that the K. doubteth of the life & ſenſe of the humane ſoule. 10. Obeiction of the ſenſe of the ſoule▪ Chap. 9 5.9.10.Yea (ſaid Abiather) for he ſaith: Whoſoever is ioyned to the living, there is hope: for it is better to a living dog, thē to a dead Lyon, for the living know that they ſhal die, but the dead know nothing at all. Neither have they any more a reward: for their remēbrance is forgottē. Alſo their love, & their hatred, and their envy is now periſhed, & they have no more portiō for ever in al that is done vnderunder the ſun. Anſwere To this anſwered Zadok, I meruaile what ſhould moue any man to think by theſe words, that the king doubteth of the life and ſenſe of the ſoule after his departure, as therein to giuegive aime to the opinion of them that thinke the ſoules doe either die, or ſléepe vntill the iudgement which is to come, ſo contrary to the holy Scriptures and beliefe of our Fathers: for Solomon hath no ſuch aime nor meaning.All men are admoniſhed to vſe the time of their life in the works of their vocation But hee ſpeaketh of the dead and not of the ſoules which liue for euer: and wiſheth all men to vſe the time of their life and preſent opportunitie, for the exerciſing and performing of the woorkes of their vocation for the benefite of the Church, the good of the Common-wealth, the diſcharge of duties, and the glorie of GOD. For that by death (which dayly draweth on them) all men are depriued of all ſenſe, worke and labour of this life, to doe thencefoorth therein either good or euill. For they hauehave finiſhed their courſe, played their partes, and cannot returne, either to perfect their defectes or to ſupply their wants in the performāce of that dutie wherunto they were both created and called: but muſt from hence-foorth let all alone for euer, that ſo the tree might lie, wheras it is fallen. Therefore the king would that men ſhould reſpect the ende of their Creation and calling,Reſpecte the end. and not to neglect or paſſe ouer the fitteſt times of working and effecting their duties in the ſame. This is the kings purpoſe, and not, that hee either denyeth or doubteth of the immortalitie or ſenſe of the ſoule of mā, wherof I hauehave heard him ſay, that departing hence it goeth to God, which gaue it: and that the ſoules of the righteous are in the hand of God, Eccles. 12.and there ſhall none evill touch them. For though in the ſight of the vnwiſe they apeare to dye, their ende is taken for miſerie, and their departing from vsus to bee a very deſtruction: yet are they at reſt, and their hope is full of immortalitie. The iuſt ſhall liue for euer. Moreouer the King as hee had well learned and vnderſtood: ſo he likewiſe remembred Iobs reſolution, where he ſaid: I am ſure that my Redeemer liveth, Iob. 19.25.and that I ſhall riſe out of the earth in the latter day: and ſhall bee covered againe with my skinne, and ſhall ſee God in my fleſh: whom I my ſelfe ſhall ſee, and mine eyes ſhall behold, and none other for me, This my hope is layd vp in mine heart. Thus hauehave I anſwerd ten of your Obiections (Abiather) in which mine anſweres, let mee know whether your minde be ſatiſfied. To this anſwered Abiather; ye hauehave well ſatiſfied me (moſt reuerend father) therefore I will not reply, and I doubt not, but that ye hauehave alſo pleaſed all the Lords aſſembled. And we (ſayd the Lords) hold our mindes well reſolued in thoſe doubtfull poyntes, and are thankefull for the ſame.