Fonseca - Houston-Packer Collection. BX1756.F66 D5713 1629

Miniftenought to have but one 25¢ I Wife,oneVine,oneLiuinm Vpon the Fryday after The ignorice °t the Prieft, thePeopl thePeople. Gods v'ne. yard muff not beturaed into agardcn. Euery maps foulc is vine yard to him felfe, and he muttdreffe it The hafard wherant° the Pnrouteiof the route is expofed. thouthen brokendownher hedge , that allthey which goe by plucke off her Grapes r thewildeBoareout of thewood doth root it vp, and the wildeBeafts ofthe fielddeuour it. Behold, and vifite thisvine; Lord, and theplace of the vine and that thineowne right hand bath planted and the branches that thou ÿ g p , =deft ftrong for thy felfe. It is burnt with fire,and cut down;&c. But there, & fuch other faults,may be mended;but ignorancc,canneuerbe repaired. Ifthe Renter knownothow&when he ought to prune the vine, to loofen theearth a- bout the rootes,andto plant it,&c. it will quickly go to ruine.It isa great vnhap- pineffe,that for tomake thy (Itooes, thouwilt inquire out thebelt íhooe-maker; And for to gouerne a Commonwealth , which is Ars artium , The Art of Arts; thou(halt thinke aCobler fitenough to doe ir. Therearemany reafons why a Prince fhouldmakeNoblemen and Gentlemen, Prefidents, andPrelates. But toweigh downe this , there isanother greatcounter-poifè. For being bred vp daintily from their cradle, fomeofthemmake gardensof this Vineyard ; others houles of pleafure. Nabothmade choyce rather to dye , than to part withhis Vineyardto the King ; becaufe he wouldnot fee it turned toagarden;forto that end onelydid hedelire it. Shall my inheritance (fayd he) with the fruit where- of my houfc is maintained, bee turned intoagarden, for atyrant to fport him- felfe therein t Godwould take it very heauily, to fee the Vineyard,whichhee bought with his bloud ,to bee, by fome gentleman-like Prelate, turned into a greene Court : efpecially, hauing layd fuch a greeuous curfeonthofeHuf- bandmen,that (hall not looke well vnto it,as Regimes veflrtoalieni deuerant, &c. Heelet it out to Husbandmen. Locare,is awordof Efpoufall,or Marriage ; and it futes wellwith that Loueand Zeale,which aPrelat oughtto haue to the Vine, his Spoufe. To this marriage,the intereftof Wealth,therefpe&ofHonour,nor thepleafures of this Life,muftnot mooue him ; but the good onlyofthe Vine, andthe delire he hath to takepaines therein, till, like fait inwater himfelfe(hall waft away and confume. He thatenters uponGods patrimony,muft enterthere- uponwith a far different end to that,which he doth,who entersvponthat ofthe King ; forthis (commonly)makeshis owne privatebenefit the marke whereat heaymes: But the Prelat,muftmake another mans profit, the pinnewhich her muff hit.TheMinifter of a King, takes a leffer charge firft vpon him, that it may feuue as aftep togreater preferment: But a Prelat muff not marry himfelfeto the Churchvpon hope to meet with a betterbenefice the nextday after. Spofpondi enimvas vniviro,virginemcaflamexhibereChriflo. Many Prelats feemevntome tobelikevnto thofe feuen husbands which wereefpoufed toonewoman, who in that other life was wife tonone of themall. So ( putting thecafe the other way ) let measkeyou, (as thofe other did our Sauiour) when feuen Churches fhall beemarried toone PreIat, which of thofe ihalibefayd to, bee his wife in that other Life. Heplanted vineyard,and let it out to Huebandmen. Saint Bernard fayth, Viro fapienri, pa vitavincaefl,er fuaCon f ientia. Toawife man,his own life,and con- fcience,isa Vineyard. So that not onel theChurch is calledaVine, but euerie y y mans particular Soule,may alto beimmaginedtobe a flocke of thisVine. And that forthreeprincipallconueniences. Firft, In regard of the great hazaradswhich theVine runneth,as frofts,haile, wormes , want ofwater,carelefrieffeof him that keepesthe Vineyard, theeues, dogges,boares,foxes,andet1 mies,fuchasHolofernes commanded to takeaway thewaters from thofe ofBethulia. Butfarregreater perils than there dothmates Soulepaffe through; asthofe frofts, that nip it through default ofCharitie ; thofe

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