The Holy Life and Happy Death of John Bruen, Chapter 40
CHAP. XL.
NOW after a while having thus rid his hands, and fired out of his houſe theſe ſo dangerous inſtruments of idleneſſe, and profaneneſſe, waſtfulneſſe and much wickedneſſe, as he ſaw every where Cards and Dice, Tables and Tablemen to be: Hee began to think of a wiſer, and better courſe, both to prevent theſe miſchiefs,In ſtead of Tables, Cards, and Dice, hee ſet up two Bibles. and to exerciſe the minds and hearts of his own family (and ſuch as might by occaſion come to his houſe) unto godlineſſe and good things. To which end hee brought in, and ſet up upon a deske, both in his Hall, and in his Parlour, two goodly faire Bibles of the beſt Edition, and largeſt Volume (as then they were Printed, ſome in a larger, and ſome in a larger and ſome in a leſſer Fol.) and theſe hee placed to be continuall reſidentiaries, the bigger in the Parlour,Ohe in his Parlour. Another in his Hal. and the leſſer in the Hall (as the holy Tables of the Covenant of God, inſtead of the profane Tables of the men of the world) wherein men of good minds might exerciſe themſelves in reading, and hearing the Word of God, for their farther edification and comfort, as their liſt, and leiſure would ſerve them thereunto.
A good purpoſe, I confeſſe, and that of an honeſt and well affected heart, both to cut off all occaſions, and provocations to evill, and to open a way and offer a paſſage by good meanes unto better things: And a courſe, no doubt, ſo much the more commendable,Agreeable to Church Canons. as it was more anſwerable to the Canons and Conſtitutions of our own Church of England, by which there is a ſerious and heavy charge laid upon all Arch-Biſhops,Can. Eccleſiae Anglicanae, anno 1571. Cap. de Epiſco. Biſhops, Deanes, Cathedrall Churches, &c. that they provide themſelves of Bibles in the faireſt and largeſt Volume, and of the Book of the Acts and Monuments, and place them in their Hals, or dyning Chambers [Ʋs & ipſorum famulis, & advenis uſui eſſe poſſint] that they might be for the uſe of their own ſervants,Bibles for Biſhops Servants and for Strangers. and for ſtrangers alſo, which come in unto them. Which good order I would to God it had been ever ſince as carefully and conſcionably obſerved, as it was at the firſt well and wiſely ordained and enjoyned by them.This neglected.
For then ſhould we have had leſſe cauſe to complaine of the ſtrange dealing of ſome, who have been ſo buſie about tything mint and cummin, that theſe and other weightier things the Law are yet left undone.
A ſpeciall remedy hereof might more eaſily bee procured,A remedy for recovery. if they whom it may moſt concerne would be pleaſed to take into due conſideration, & ſo put in due execution, one or two other clauſes of the ſame Canons, touching the ordering, and governing of their own Families.
Epiſcopus etiam atque; etīa conſiderabit, quod genus hominum admittat in famulitium, &c. A Biſh muſt very diligently conſider & take heed what maner of men he admits into his ſervice,To take heed of evill, and provide good ſervants. for it ſometimes ſo falleth out, where this carefulnes & diligence is wanting, Ʋt homines impios & verae Religionis inimicos & criminoſos, & tota vita impuros, & ſceleratos admittamus? that we admit ungodly perſons, enemies of true Religion, criminous, uncleane, and wicked men in their whole carriage and converſation.
Great pity it were, that for want of this godly care in providing honeſt and good ſervants, ſuch Waſpes,Telluris inutile p̄odus; Nos unmeri ſumus fruges conſumere nati. Epiſ. Wint. Scholares Col. Corp. Ch. Apesnominat. vit. Juel. p. 25. Our Can. againſt Cards and Dice and Al unlawfull games. and Hornets as theſe ſhould ever be bred or brought up in a Bs. Hive, beeing good fornothing but to eat up and devoure all the Hony in it, and to vexe and ſting the induſtrious, harmleſſe and profitable Bees, which ſhould live upon it, and ſo labour thereby to bring more Hony to the Hive, and greater profit and commodity to the whole Family.
Another clauſe of the ſame Canons is, that both they and their families, All Deanes, Prebends, Canons, petty Canons, and Miniſters of the Church, Parſons, Vicars, Curats, &c. are abſolutely inhibited to play at Cards, or dice, or Tables, or any other unlawfull games whatſoever. Dabunt operam ne ludant aleam, neve Chartis, aut aliis improbatis luſibus ſe exerceant. Dabunt operam ne ignavi & inutiles vitam ducdut in otio, & illititis luſibusſh exerceant.
Which order how well it is,Some of our Divines in the Countrey make little conſcience of theſe Canons. or hath beene kept and obſerved, they can beſt tell, and teſtifie, that are moſt converſant in thoſe great Families.
Thus much we can ſay for divers of our Divines, ſome Doctors, Parſons, and Preachers in the Countrey: They are ſo ordinary Companions of Gameſters, ſorting and ſuteing with ſome of greater, and ſome of meaner place in Carding, Dicing, and Tabling with them, that they ſeeme to make no more conſcience of breaking theſe Canons, than children do of breaking ſticks, or Boyes are wont to do of burſting through Cobweb-nets as they ſtand before them.
O that theſe men (otherwiſe learned and of good parts) would ſeriouſly conſider their owne ways in their own hearts, and not diſdaine to walke according to this Rule, nor to follow this good example of this worthy Gentleman, of whom wee write. So would they be more fearefull, as he ever was, to make ſad the hearts of the righteous, whom the Lord hath not made ſad, and more carefull, not to ſtrengthen the hands of the wicked that he cannot returne from his wickedneſſe,Ezek. 13.22. by their example, and practice of theſe things. Conſider what is ſaid, and the Lord-give you underſtanding in all things.