Of wisdome three bookes written in French by Peter Charro[n] Doctr of Lawe in Paris. Translated by Samson Lennard

CHAP. LI. Lawyers, Doctours, Teachers.

IT is one of the vanities & follies of man, to prescribe lawes and rules that exceed the vse and capacitie of men, as some Philosophers and Doctors haue done. They propose strange and eleuated formes or images of life, or at leastwise so diffi∣cult and austere, that the practise of them is impossible at least for a long time, yea the attempt is dangerous to manie. These are castles in the aire, as the Common-wealth of Plato, and More, the Oratour of Cicero, the Poet of Horace, beauti∣full and excellent imaginations; but he was yet neuer found that put them in vse. The soueraigne and perfect Lawgiuer and Doctor tooke heed of this, who both in himselfe, his life and his doctrine, hath not sought these extrauagancies and formes diuided from the common capacitie of men; and therefore he calleth his yoke easie, and his burden light. Iu∣gum

meum suaue, & onus meum leue. And they that haue in∣stituted and ordered their companie vnder his name, haue very wisely considered of the matter, that though they make speciall profession of vertue, deuotion, and to serue the weale∣publike aboue all others, neuerthelesse they differ very little from the common and ciuill life. Wherein there is first great iustice: for there must alwaies be kept a proportion betwixt the commandement and the obedience, the duetie and the power, the rule and the workmaster: and these binde them∣selues and others to be necessarilie in want, cutting out more worke than they know how to finish: and many times these goodly Law-makers are the first Law-breakers: for they do nothing, and many times do quite contrarie to that they en∣ioyne others, like the Pharises, Imponunt onera grauia, & no∣lunt ea digito mouere. So do some Physitians and Diuines: so liues the world; rules and precepts are enioined, and men not only by an irregularitie of life and maners, but also by contra∣rie opinion and iudgement follow others.

There is likewise another fault full of iniustice, they are farre more scrupulous, exact, and rigorous in things free and accidentall than in necessarie and substantiall, in positiue and humane than in naturall and diuine; like them that are con∣tent to lend, but not to pay their debts: and all like the Pha∣rises, as the great and heauenly Doctour telleth them to their reproch. All this is but hypocrisie and deceit.