Exhortation to the Ministers of Gods Word, Text 6
The Seruants dutie towards their Masters.
THis dutie consisteth in three points:
1. First, that seruants and prentices doe from their hearts, cheerefully, and willingly, performe the labours and workes, that their masters, mistresses, or dames, shall command them.
2. Secondly, that they be faithfull in things committed to them by their masters, mistresses and dames, that so they may keepe their goods.
3. Thirdly, that they be carefull to obserue vprightnesse of manners, that the wife, sonnes and daughters, or other fellow seruants, be not corrupted by their bad counsels, or lewd behauiour.
These points are plainely proued by these Eph. 6. 5. 6. 7. 8. Coloss. 3. 22. 23. 24. Tit. 2. 9. 10. 1. Pet. 2. 18. 19 20. 21.places of Scripture quoted in the margine: whereby seruants are straightly charged, reuerently, and faithfully to obey their bodily masters, mistresses, and dames, in all things which may be done without offence to God. And this obedience and seruice must be done with feare 1. Tim. 6. 1. 2. Luk. 17. 7. 8. 9.and trembling, in singlenesse of heart, as vntounto Christ, they being moued with a reuerence to-Godward, as though they serued God himself, and that as well in the absence of their masters, mistresses or dames, as in their presence: not constrainedly, as it were forced or compelled thereto, but heartily and with good will, as they that serue the Lord, and not men: not onelyonly in respect of the earthly reward, but because they know, and are assured, that of the Lord they shall receiue the reward of inheritance, in as much as they serue the Lord Christ. So that hereby all godly seruants, may in few words learne what dutie they owe to their masters, mistresses, and dames: namely, to louelove them, and to be affectioned towards them, as a dutifull childe is to his father: to be reuerent 2. King. 5. 13. The propert of a good seruant.and lowly to them in their wordes and gestures: to suffer and forbeare them: to obey with readie and willing minds all their lawfull and reasonable commaundements: to feare them, and to be loth to displease them: to be faithfull and trustie to them and theirs: in deedes and promises, to be diligent and seruiceable: to speake cheerefully: to answere discreetly: not ouer boldly to dallie with their Masters wife, daughters, or maidens: to be loyall and dutifull to their masters, mistresses, and dames: as Iacob was towards Laban, and Ioseph towards Potiphar. And they must carefully Gen 40. 27. 28▪ 22. 30. & 39. &indeuour to doe and procure, to the vttermost of their abilitie, that which may be to their masters, mistresses, and dames honestie, credit and profit, and that as well when they are absent and out of sight, as when they be present and looke on. This is a qualitie and propertie belonging to eueryevery good seruant, both men and maides: to wit, that whatsoeuer goods or necessaries of their masters, mistresses, or dames, they shall hauehave charge of, as committed to their trust and keeping; they carefully see such things so well and orderly placed, and laid vp, that if there shall be at any time any iust occasion to vse any necessarie in their custodie: yea, if it be in the night season, and that without a light, they then not onelyonly can say, in such a place it lyeth, but also, if they be required, they can presently fetch the same.
Seruants must take heede that they doe not wittingly and willingly anger or displease their masters, mistresses, or dames, which if they do, then they ought incontinent and forthwith to reconcile themselues vntounto them, and to aske them forgiuenesse. They must also forbeare them, and suffer their angrie and hastie words, and in no wise answere againe spightfully or scornefully, neither yet vponupon any such occasion run away. For the Angel taught and willed Hagar the seruant of Sarah, when shee fled from Gen. 16. 7. 8. 9.her mistresse, that she should returne and humble her selfe vnderunder the hands of her mistresse. So did Saint Paul make agreement betwixt Onesimus a vagabond and theeuish seruant, and sent him againe to his master Philemon, from Phil. 10. &c.whom he was fled away, and it is probable that he admonished Onesimus to submit himselfe to his master.
Seruants and prentices therefore according to the rule of Gods word, must patiently beare, and forbeare their masters, mistresses, and dames and doe whatsoeuer lawfull thing they shall command them, not being against a good conscience. And therefore they must remember, how farre forth they are bound to obey How farre forth seruants ought to obey their masters.their masters, that is, Ʋsque ad aras: that is, so far as Christian religion suffereth, and so far forth as they may do it with an vpright conscience: for otherwise, if their maisters shall command them to do any thing that is vnhonest, vnlawfull, wicked, vniust, or vngodly then they must in no wise obey it. 1. Sam. 20. 28. &c. and 22. 17. Dan. 3. 18. Act. 4. 19. and 5. 29.
The conditions of a good maid-seruant, are, that she be carefull, faithfull, patient, neat, and pleasant: that she be cleanly, quicke, and handsome, and of few words; honest in her word, deed, and attire: diligent in a household, and hauehave skill in washing, baking, brewing, sowing, and spinning, but chiefly in holding her peace.
Seruants must lay apart all euill conditions, pride, vnfaithfulnesse, brawling, murmuring, lying, swearing, and filthie communication, picking; stealing, and tales telling.
If seruants would carefully mark and learne, and so diligently practise these three shortlessons Mat. 8. 9.following: so doing (no doubt) they might both procure and purchase much quietnesse to themselues, and also winne and get the great good will and liking of their masters, mistresses, and dames, thereby: First, that they would cheerefully go when they are bidden. Secondly, that they would come willingly and readilie when they be called. And lastly, that they would remember to shut and sparre the doores after them. They neglect and omitting of this last dutie, may happily be thought no great matter: but if such as be house-keepers will carefully obserue it, they shall finde, that they sustaine both losse and hinderanee by it.
And because it somtime hapneth, that one seruant is too much charged with labour & work, Ayd amongst …eruants for …elp and ease …f one another …ccessarie.and another of his fellowes hath more ease then worke, one therfore should help another, as we see by vse in our owne bodies, when one leg is weary, we can rest it on the other, or when the right hand is ouerlabored, we can ease it with the left: and when enter course of louelove & curtesie entreates and perswades not this fauour and kindnesse amongst them, then should the master himselfe command the negligent and loytering seruant, to help and ease the weary, and him that is well imployed and ouer-charged.
Againe, seruants are to be admonished and Seruants must to the vttermost of their power, seeke the commoditie and benefit of their masters.put in minde, that they doe not (as some doe without all conscience) make spoyle and hauock of their masters goods, wittingly, and willingly, neyther yet that they suffer any of those things that they are put in trust with, through their heedlesnesse and retchlesnesse, to be mard and lost: but specially that they doe not make spoyle and waste of such broken meate as remaineth after their meales, or at other times: which doing is not onelyonly an hinderance to their masters profit, but also a great offence to God, who commandeth that such broken meate as remaineth be gathered vp and saued, that so nonothing be lost. Iohn. 6. 12. Therefore to conclude, let seruants and prentises, both men and maids assure themselues that as they deale and behaue themselues to their Masters, Mistresses or dames, and their goods, whilst they are seruants, so likewise the Lord in iustice will cause their seruants to deale and behaue themselues to them when they shall come to be masters or dames themselues, so punishing sinne with sinne.
And as religious and godly masters be very Mat. 7. 2.wary and circumspect, when they hire and entertaine any seruants into their seruice, that they be such as be godly, honest and religious, or at least such as will be tractable and obedient to such good order, and godly gouernement, as is, or shall be vsed & exercised daily in their houses, but contrariwise, such masters as be prophane and irreligious, hauehave no care or regard whom they hire, or receiue into their houses, so they will fit and serue their turne for gaine and profit, though they be neuer so lewd, vicious, or vngodly in word or deed: so likewise, such as are Christian and religious seruants, ought also to be very wary and carefull, that they doe not place themselues with any such masters, as are prophane and wicked, or in such townes and parishes where there wants good meanes, and exercises both of preaching and catechising, whereby they may daily profit and goe forward in that good course, which they hauehave begun: whereas on the other side, such seruants as are without God, irreligious and ignorant of the meanes of their saluation, care not where, or with whom they dwell: nay, they will not with their good wils, come to dwell either in that towne, or with those masters, where they shall be restrained and kept from swearing, dicing, carding, tabling, prophaning of the Lords day, and other such wickednesses: who in thus doing, doe flie from God, and so seeke and follow after their owne destruction.
FINIS.
End of the text · Henrich Bullinger, Exhortation to the Ministers of Gods Word (1575)