fervation what is the main foundation and pillar of their caufe, whereon they rely; as, if he be a Papift, the Church is the hinge he turns on; if a Schifmatic, fcandal. Wherefore the Parfon hath diligently examined thefe two with himself; as, what the Church is; how it began; how it proceeded; whether it be a rule to itself; whether it hath a rule; whether, having a rule, it ought not to be guided by it; whether any rule in the world be obfcure; and how then fhould the best be so, at least in fundamental things; the obfcurity in fome points being the exercife of the Church, the light in the foundations being the guide: the Church needing both an evidence, and an exercife. So for fcandal: what fcandal is, when given or taken; whether, there being two precepts, one of obeying authority, the other of not giving fcandal, that ought not to be preferred, efpecially fince in difobeying there is fcandal alfo; whether things once indifferent, being made by the precept of authority more than indifferent, it be in our power to omit or refuse them. These and the like points he hath accurately digested, having ever befides two great helps and powerful perfuaders on his fide; the one, a ftrict religious life; the other, an humble and ingenuous search of truth, being unmoved in arguing, and void of all contentioufnels: which are two great lights able to dazzle the eyes of the misled, while they confider that God cannot be wanting to them in doctrine, to whom he is fo gracious. in life.

CHAP. XXV.

The Parfon Punishing.

WHENSOEVER the Country Parfon proceeds fo far as to call in authority, and to do fuch things of legal oppofition, either in the prefenting or punishing of any, as the vulgar ever conftrues for figns of ill will; he forbears not in any wife to ufe the delinquent as before, in his behaviour and carriage towards him, not avoiding his company, or doing any thing of averfenefs, fave in the very act of punishment: neither doth he esteem him for an enemy, but as a brother ftill, except fome fmall and temporary eftranging may corroborate the punishment to a better fubduing and humbling of the delinquent; which if it happily take effect, he then comes on the faster, and

F 4

makes

makes fo much the more of him, as before he alienated himself; doubling his regards, and thewing by all means, that the delinquent's return is to his advantage.

CHAP. XXVI.

The Parfon's Eye.

THE Country Parfon at spare times from action, standing on a hill, and confidering his flock, difcovers two forts of vices, and two forts of vicious perfons. There are some vices whofe natures are always clear and evident, as adultery, murder, hatred, lying, &c. There are other vices, whose natures, at least in the beginning, are dark and obfcure; as covetoufnefs and gluttony. So likewife there are fome perfons who abftain not even from known fins; there are others, who when they know a fin evidently, they commit it not. It is true indeed, they are long a knowing it, being partial to themselves, and witty to others who fhall reprove them for it. A man may be both covetous and intemperate, and yet hear fermons against both, and himself condemn both in good earnest: and the reafon hereof is, because the natures of these vices being not evidently difcuffed, or known commonly, the beginnings of them are not easily obfervable: and the beginnings of them are not observed, because of the fudden paffing from that which was juft now lawful, to that which is prefently unlawful, even in one continued action. So a man dining eats at firft lawfully; but proceeding on, comes to do unlawfully, even before he is aware, not knowing the bounds of the action, nor when his eating begins to be unlawful. So a man ftoring up money for his neceffary provifions, both in prefent for his family, and in future for his children, hardly perceives when his ftoring becomes unlawful; yet is there a period for his ftoring, and a point or centre when his ftoring, which was even now good, paffeth from good to bad. Wherefore the Parfon, being true to his bufinefs, hath exactly fifted the definitions of all virtues and vices; efpecially canvaffing those, whofe natures are moft ftealing, and beginnings uncertain. Particularly concerning thefe two vices, not because they are all that are of this dark and creeping difpofition, but for example fake, and because they are moft common, he thus thinks: Firft, for covetoufnefs, he

lays

lays this ground: Whofoever, when a juft occafion calls, either spends not at all, or not in fome proportion to God's bleffing upon him, is covetous. The reafon of the ground is manifeft, because wealth is given to that end to supply our occafions. Now, if I do not give every thing its end, I abuse the creature; I am false to my reason, which should guide me; I offend the fupreme Judge, in perverting that order which he hath fet both to things and to reafon. The application of the ground would be infinite; but in brief, a poor man is an occafion, my country is an occafion, my friend is an occafion, my table is an occafion, my apparel is an occafion: if in all these, and those more which concern me, I either do nothing, or pinch, and fcrape, and fqueeze blood, undecently to the station wherein God hath placed me, I am covetous. More particularly, and to give one inftance for all, if God hath given me fervants, and I either provide too little for them, or that which is unwholefome, being fometimes baned meat, fometimes too falt, and fo not competent nourishment, I am covetous. I bring this example, because men ufually think, that fervants for their money are as other things. that they buy, even as a piece of wood, which they may cut, or hack, or throw into the fire, and fo they pay them their wages, all is well. Nay, to defcend yet more particularly, if a man hath wherewithal to buy a fpade, and yet he choofeth rather to use his neighbour's, and wear out that, he is covetous. Nevertheless, few bring covetoufnefs thus low, or confider it fo narrowly, which yet ought to be done, fince there is a juftice in the leaft things, and for the leaft there fhall be a judgment. Country people are full of these petty injuftices, being cunning to make ufe of another, and fpare themfelves; and fcholars ought to be diligent in the obfervation of these, and driving of their general fchool-rules ever to the smallest actions of life which while they dwell in their books, they will never find; but being feated in the country, and doing their duty faithfully, they will foon difcover: especially if they carry their eyes ever open, and fix them on their charge, and not on their preferment. Secondly, for gluttony, the Parfon lays this ground: He that either for quan tity eats more than his health or employment will bear, or for quality is lickerous after dainties, is a glutton; as he that eats more than his eftate will bear is a prodigal; and be that eats offenfively to the company, either in his order or length of eating, is fcandalous and uncharitable. These three rules generally comprehend the faults of eating, and

:

the

the truth of them needs no proof: fo that men must eat neither to the disturbance of their health, nor of their affairs, (which being overburdened, or studying dainties too much, they cannot well dispatch,) nor of their eftate, nor of their brethren. One act in these things is bad, but it is the custom and habit that names a glutton. Many think they are at more liberty than they are, as if they were mafters of their health, and fo they will stand to the pain, all is well. But to eat to one's hurt, comprehends, befides the hurt, an act against reafon, because it is unnatural to hurt onefelf; and this they are not masters of. Yet of hurtful things, I am more bound to abftain from thofe, which by mine own experience I have found hurtful, than from those which by a common tradition and vulgar knowledge are reputed to be fo. That which is faid of hurtful meats extends to hurtful drinks also. As for the quantity, touching our employments, none muft eat fo as to difable themselves from a fit difcharging either of divine duties, or duties of their calling. So that if after dinner they are not fit (or unwieldy) either to pray, or work, they are gluttons. Not that all muft prefently work after dinner; for they rather muft not work, especially students, and thofe that are weakly; but that they must rise so, as that it is not meat or drink that hinders them from working. To guide them in this, there are three rules: first, the custom and knowledge of their own body, and what it can well digeft: the fecond, the feeling of themselves in time of eating; which because it is deceitful, (for one thinks in eating, that he can eat more than afterwards he finds true,) the third is the obfervation with what appetite they fit down. This laft rule joined with the first never fails. For knowing what one ufually can well digeft, and feeling when I go to meat in what difpofition I am, either hungry or not, according as I feel myfelf, either I take my wonted proportion, or diminish of it. Yet phyficians bid thofe that would live in health not keep an uniform diet, but to feed varioufly, now more, now lefs: and Gerfon, a fpiritual man, wifheth all to incline rather to too much, than to too little; his reason is, becaufe difeafes of exinanition are more dangerous than difeafes of repletion. But the Parfon diftinguifheth according to his double aim, either of abftinence a moral virtue, or mortification a divine. When he deals with any that is heavy and carnal, he gives him thofe freer rules: but when he meets with a refined and heavenly difpofition, he carries them higher, even fometimes to a forgetting of themfelves,

themselves, knowing that there is one, who, when they forget, remembers for them; as when the people hungeredand thirfted after our Saviour's doctrine, and tarried fo long at it, that they would have fainted, had they returned empty, he suffered it not; but rather made food miraculously, than fuffered fo good defires to miscarry.

THE

CHAP. XXVII.

The Parfon in Mirth.

E Country Parfon is generally fad, because he knows nothing but the Crofs of Chrift, his mind being defixed on it with thofe nails wherewith his Mafter was: or if he have any leifure to look off from thence, he meets continually with two most fad spectacles, fin and mifery; God difhonoured every day, and man afflicted. Neverthelefs, he fometimes refrefheth himfelf, as knowing that nature will not bear everlasting droopings, and that pleasantnefs of difpofition is a great key to do good; not only because all men fhun the company of perpetual feverity, but alfo for that when they are in company, inftructions feafoned with pleafantnefs both enter fooner, and root deeper.. Wherefore he condefcends to human frailties both in himfelf and others; and intermingles fome mirth in his difcourfes occasionally, according to the pulfe of the hearer.

CHAP. XXVIII.

The Parfon in Contempt.

THE Country Parfon knows well, that both for the general ignominy which is caft upon the profeffion, and much more for those rules, which out of his choiceft judgment he hath refolved to obferve, and which are defcribed in this book, he must be defpifed; because this hath been the portion of God his mafter, and of God's faints his brethren, and this is foretold, that it shall be fo ftill, until things be Nevertheless, according to the Apoftle's rule, he endeavours that none Jhall defpife him; efpecially in his own parish he fuffers it not to his utmoft power; for that, where contempt is, there is no room for inftruction.