A forme of Christian pollicie drawne out of French by Geffray Fenton. A worke very necessary to al sorts of people generally, as wherein is contayned doctrine, both vniuersall, and special touching the institution of al Christian profession: and also conuenient perticularly for all magistrates and gouernours of common weales, for their more happy regiment according to God.

¶ A Table of the particular Chap∣ters thorow the whole treatise.

The first Booke.

• WHat is first requisit in the well gouerning of a common weale: how Ciuill pollecie ought to be conformable to the celestiall gouernement: what good commeth of good pollecie: what maner of gouernors and iudges ought to be chosen to direct publike estates. Chap. 1. fol. 1.
• ¶ What gouernours God hath chosen, and how he hath declared them by miracles: they ought all to be instructed at the entrey of the tabernacle, & why: the great benefite comming of good Iudges, and why god doth ordeine some wicked. Chap. 2. fol. 6.
• ¶ Gouernours chosen according to GOD, make present profe of their election to the profit of the common weale: Let them know how to commaund, and subiects how to obey, the better to make their common weale florish, as inferior members obey the more worthy: Magistrates ought to be as Fathers: the lawe must be inuiolable: but specially one true amitie betwene the gouer∣nour and the subiect. Chap. 3. fol. 11.
• ¶ There be two principalities or pollecies which ought to be knit together in vnitie of frendship, as the soule and the bodie with∣out difference: they ought to aide one another with perpetuall succours. Chap. 4. fol. 16
• ¶ The faultes of the Clergie ought to bee corrected: gouernours ought aboue al things to prouide good Preachers, that the rude and plaine sort may be taught in familiar doctrine: All sortes ought to be constrained to be at the sermon: such constraint is authorised by y^e scripture, & is both profitable to y^e cōmon weale, and wholesome to such as are constrained, Chap. 5. fol. 20.
• ¶ The wise worldlings now a dayes would not willingly haue sermōs, as also certain pastors desire nothing lesse thē to preach, laying the blame of the miserie of this time vppon Sermons. Chap. 6. fol. 25
• ¶ A refutation of such as hold that people are not bound to heare so many sermons: wherefore are the Pastors if they feede not the flocke with the foode of the Scriptures. Chap. 7. fol. 30
• ¶ In how much good Phisitions are necessary to cōmon weales, by so much such as be euill are hurtfull and daungerous: who ought to be chosen Phisitions in a towne. Chap. 8. fol. 35
• ¶ Abuses hapning in the world by the supposed name of Phisiti∣ons, Apothicaries, and Chirurgions Chap. 9. fol. 42
• ¶ God hath erected Phisicke, and willeth that the Phisition bee honored. Chap. 10. fol. 48

The second Booke.

• JVdges and gouernours haue of God many seuere commaunde∣ments in the Scripture to exhibit iustice by rightfull lawes. Chapter. 1. fol. 52
• ¶ Iudges are warned not to be credulous, nor to iudge by reports to take heede of affections, and not to iudge by perticular opini∣on. &c. Chap. 2. 62
• ¶ In humane things Magistrates ought to followe the lawe na∣turall: and in causes diuine, the doctrine of faith, and the loue of God. &c. Chap. 3. fol. 68.
• ¶ Men may vse the morall lawes of the old testament, but not the ceremoniall and iudiciall applied to the times and maners of the Iewes, which Iesus Christ & also S Paul doth confirme these were natural, & therfore ought to be eternall. &c, Cha. 4. fol. 72
• ¶ The law naturall grounded vppon reason was two thousand yeres in vse without other ordenances sauing the Sabaoth and Circumcision. &c. Chap. 5. fol. 78
• ¶ Gouernours ought to punish by death such as God condemnes to eternall and temporall death. &c. Chap. 6. fol. 83
• ¶ Sinnes cōmitted against the second Table are worthy of death, euen so deserue they eternall damnation. &c. Chap. 7. fol. 89
• ¶ Diuerse punishments of whoredome according to the diuersitie of kyndes of the same sinne, Chap. 8. fol, 94
• ¶ Continuance of the punishment of this sinne according to his o∣ther kindes. Chap. 9. fol. 98
• ¶ Theft was not punished in the law but by restitution of double, treble, and foure fold, but now for iust causes, it is punnished by death: theft by necessitie in some sort excusable. Chap. 10 fol. 102
• ¶ There is a double lust or vrlawfull couetousnes forbidden vs. &c. Chap. 11. fol. 108

The third Booke.

• ENumeration of sinnes wherof men make no conscience, and are oftentimes in the condition of greeuous sinnes: their qualitie and grauetie do vary. &c. Chap. 1. fol. 115
• ¶ Flattery is declared very hurtful to commō weales & families: it makes young people rise into great pride &c. Chap. 2. fol. 119
• ¶ Let none glorifie himselfe but in his pouertie, necessitie and af∣fliction. &c. Chap. 3. fol. 123
• ¶ Scoffers, & men of pleasant conceit pretending none other end but to encrease pleasure, are rebukeable: but more, if their testing torne to the reproch of any: so do they offend God. Chap. 4. fo. 129
• ¶ Plaies, which of themselues beare no vice are not disalowable, in respect of their ends and lawfull causes: vnlawfull games at Dice, are causes of much euill. Chap. 5. fol. 133
• ¶ Daunces, with their wanton songs, at this day are vaine and vnchast. Chap. 6. fol. 137
• ¶ Minstrels are vnworthy of the state and fellowship of townes

• men, as also puppet players &c. Chap. 7 fol. 141.
• ¶ Idlenes is a vice most common, bringing with it most other of∣fences, & yet no conscience made of it. Chap. 8 fol 147
• ¶ The ritch sort haue more to trauell then the poore, and in what: such as labour in mind, trauell more then the painfull laborer. Chap. 9. fol. 152
• ¶ Gouernours ought not to suffer any idle men in their common weales, &c Chap. 10. fol 156
• ¶ In all creatures is seene a perpetual labour, whet•••••• in heauē, in earth, or in the sea, &c. Chap. 11. fol 161
• ¶ There be diuers sortes of idle men, some worke certain howers &c. Chap 12. 1••5
• ¶ Loy••e e••s accustomed to begge, wilbe applied to no other trade &c. Chap. 13. fol. 169

The fourth Booke.

• THe simple, impotent, and true needie poore, we ought to hold in singular and deare care. Chap. 1. fol. 172
• ¶ Many haue giuen all that they haue to the poore to follow Iesus Christ, in hope to be happie, &c. Chap. 2. fol. 176
• ¶ Compassion ought chiefly to be showed to poore maydes for the infirmitie of the kind, &c. Chap. 3. fol. 180
• ¶ Hospitalitie and almes in all times haue ben in singular estima¦tion, &c. Chap 4. fol. 183
• ¶ We must not feare that by giuing Almes wee shal be poore, for God, &c Chap. 5. fo. 185
• ¶ Still touchinge the recommendation of hospitalitie and almes. Chap. 6. fo. 187
• ¶ Generall and speciall recommendation for prisoners, and that for debtes, we ought not lightly to emprison one an other. fo. 189

The fifth Booke.

• OF the institution of youth, with a prayse of free schooles, &c. Chap. 1. fol. 191
• ¶ What Principall and Regents ought to bee called to in∣stitute a Colledge, &c. Chap. 2 fol. 190
• ¶ A continuance of the discourse of Colledges by other compari∣sons. Chap. 3. fol. 193
• ¶ Wisedom, science, vertue, diligence, and feruent zeale to their dis∣ciples, are very necessary for scholemaisters. Chap. 4. fol. 197
• ¶ Instructions to know, by the way of contrary oppositions by the comparisons of the other chapters, the miseries hapning by lewde scholemaisters. Chap. 5. fol. 202
• ¶ Amplifications of the said comparisons touching wicked mai∣sters, &c. Chap. 6. fol 206
• ¶ Continuance of the sayd comparisons. Chap. 7. fol. 211
• ¶ Maisters ought to instruct their disciples, &c. Chap. 8. 214
• ¶ A continuance of the prayse of science, &c. Chap. 9. fo. 219
• ¶ Examples of commodities which science bringeth to the lear∣ned, &c. Chap. 10. fol. 223

• ¶ It is necessarie for many reasons, that all schollers remayne in one Colledge. Chap. 11. folio 227
• ¶ In a Colledge or schoole there ought to be statutes authorised by the Vniuersities, &c. Chap. 12. fo. 215
• ¶ Refutation of the false iudgements of some proude worldlings, touching the profession of schoole maisters. Chap. 13. fol. 235
• ¶ An exhortation to young children to studie. Chap. 14. fol. 241

The sixt Booke.

• OF the office of euery estate, and first of the dutie of the hus∣band to his wife. Chap. 1. 247
• ¶ A continuance of the matter of mariage, and the dutie of &c. Chap. 2. fo. 255
• ¶ Still touching the dutie of the wife. Chap. 3. fol. 263
• ¶ The office of fathers and mothers, and the dutie of children. Chapter 4 folio 273
• Still touching the education of young children Chap. 5. fo: 280
• ¶ In what dutie children are bound to their fathers and mothers Chap. 6. fol. 289
• ¶ The dutie of maisters towardes their seruaunts. Cha. 7. 398
• ¶ How men haue ben made noble, and of their dutie towardes their subieetes or tenantes. Chap. 8. fol. 307
• ¶ The dutie of Aduocates or Councellors at law. Cha. 9. 315
• ¶ The dutie of Marchants. Chap. 10. fo. 321
• ¶ How the Marchant may performe his lawfull trades & gayne iustly his estate. Chap. 11. fol. 328

The seuenth Booke.

• AL other estates are comprehended in those that haue bene al∣readie debated: the explication of the qualities of personnes. Chap. 1. fo. 339
• ¶ Still touching the qualities of persons. Chap. 2. fol. 345
• ¶ Of Christian amitie, and how many sortes of friendship there be. Chap. fo. 350
• ¶ How a common weale is gouerned, and wherein it erreth. Chap. 4. fol. 359
• ¶ Councell of the remedies to cure and preserue common weales from miserie. Chap. 5. fol. 366
• ¶ How God some times punisheth a whole people for a secret sin, &c. Chapter 6. fol. 375
• ¶ To remedie all euils, the causes must be taken away, the discre∣tion and wisedome requisite thereunto. Chapter 8. fol 440
• ¶ Confutation of humaine philosophie touchinge the affaires of faith, wherein, and in things serious, men ought not to decyde but according to the scripture. Chap. 9. folio 345

FINIS.