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.

❧ The discourse continued of the abuses happening in the vvorlde by the supposed name of Phisitions, Pothecaries, and Surgeons. The .9. Chapter.

THus we see the foolish world abused, and yet no man com∣plaineth, but such as vnder∣standing the common misery of this deceite, do sée many diseases become incurable, and mo passe by the peryll of death: we speake not here of the conference and confede∣racie which Charmers haue secretely with the deuyll, who with Papers, and certayne wordes, either intelli∣gible, or made holy against reason, do vndertake to heale men, and beastes, not sparing to deale with daun∣gerous and desperate cures, which drawes great con∣curse and admiration of people, and yet it is but a sub∣tile kinde of idolatrie, wherein as it were better for the pacient to abide the hazarde of death, then to take reme∣die at the handes of such Sorcerers: so in the case of in∣chantment, the Christian man ought not to resort to the

remedie of Witches, but recommende him selfe to God, without whose power nothing can be done.

The couetous & lewde Pothicaries, desirous to make spéedy sale of their Drognes, and by quicke vent to rai••e present gaine, do solicite the Phisitions to prescribe manye simples in the composition of their medicines, geuing great estimation to them that confect most, not regarding the goodnesse of the confection, and much lesse what conformitie it hath with the disease of the pacient, and least of all fauouryng the expenses of his Purse.

There be also of them which sell this for that, against whom is no lesse rigour to be vsed, then to those lewde Notaries which in writings of importaunce, wyll vse etcetera. In these men, the Phisitions reappose great trust, touching the receiptes which they sende to them, wherein their negligence bringes no small offence, for that they ought to see the Droages, to the ende there bee no supposition which may sende the patient to his last ende. These abuses are eyther the instrumentes of death, or at least, the causers of long and languishing diseases: they wyll not sticke to affirme that they are neuer without all sortes of Droages of Arabya, which they can well set out in the showe of manye gallande Boxes, which being but painted without, cary also lesse matter within.

There is also another abuse no lesse daungerous, which is the corruption of Droages, by their long and negligent keping, by which corruption, as Phisicke is turned into poyson, and the facultie to cure, into mortall perill of life: So in this, expert Phisitions haunting Shoppes, are so much the more to blame, by how much they forbeare to cast such poysons into Sinke holes, (for, to throw them into Riuers, were to infect the Fish) but it hapneth that the Phisition is either gossop, neigh∣bour, friend or parent to this pratling Pothicarie, wher∣by y^e tromperie shall not be discouered, yea, it behooueth

the Phisition to vse silence, if hée will haue Credite and gaine by his Pothicarye.

The ignoraunt knoweth not what to saye to it, who much lesse that hée can comprehende the abuse, séeing of the contrarye, hée is often taught by the Pothicarye to prescribe his receiptes, and compounde his Droages. There bée Phisitions called by the multitude, conscio∣nable, as to whose knowledge is ioygned regard of con∣science and desyre to discharge the dutye of honest men: they neuer prescribe medicine of importaunce, but they taste the Droages, and sée y^e making of the composition, and where they finde corruptions, they caste them out, committing the offendours to the censure of the Magi∣strate, to whome also belonges the rate and taxation of Droages, if the Pothicaries excéede therein. Touching Surgeons, and suche whose want of vse makes them ignoraunt, they are so muche the more worthy of repre∣hension, as from them are deriued perillous diseases to many, and to the more sort, death? with these maye bée coupled the couetous Surgeons, who to aduaunce their gaine, of a litle wheale can make a great Vlcer, prolon∣ging the paine of the patient, to geue more value to their practise.

But to preuent ignoraunce, it were expedient not to receyue any professour of that Arte, without good proofe of his knowledge, and exact examination of the rest tou∣ching his resolute sufficiencye: Let him bée sworne not to abuse the Arte to the hurt of any, nor suffer his ser∣uauntes vnder him to vndertake any Cure, eyther in the Citye or Countrey, without his commaundement and Counsell, as both to searche truelye the state of the di∣sease, and appoint due reméedye, calling if néede require the assistaunce of the Phisition, but not as some doo, who hauing a Phisition friende, doo call him rather for theyr common gaine, then for any necessitye of the disease, which is a suttle. Robberye, cunninglye cloaked with

apparant reason. Here is requisite the wise auctho∣ritye of the Magistrate, to whome according to the gra∣uitye of the matter, belonges to applye exact reforma∣tion: For in it is hazarded the state of your lyues. (O ye Gouernours) and the health of your Familyes, Friendes, Parentes, Kinred, Parishe, whole common weales, and euerye priuate mans well doing, whereun∣to you haue Dedicated your selues, with solemne othe to discharge your dutye in good offyce and equitye of conscience.

But here it may be obiected, that greater is the ne∣cessitie to reforme the ecclesiasticall abuses, which I do not onely confesse, but wishe it with expresse desire, for that as by the other, the bodie is led to hurt and hazarde, so in this is laide vp the health or perdition of Soules, wherein as Iesus Christ saith, is no exchaunge or com∣mutation, nor any thing more precious, more diuine, or of more woonderfull excellencie, then the soule, four∣med to the image and semblaunce of God, the daughter of God, the Spowse of Christ, and sanctuarie of the holy Ghoste. I wishe in God, that touching Preaching, no man might be admitted to that estate, without the study of ten or twelue yeres in holy Scripture, ioyning with all the conference of Lectures and Lessons of learned men: as also I woulde that in the Vniuersities, none shoulde be receiued into the degrées of Doctours, with∣out proofe of so long time studie after he be admitted to the state of Maister of Arte, wherein if they haue not studied seriuslye, or haue aspired to the degrees by fraud and supposition of witnesses, or if they haue conuerted to other exercise, the time that shoulde haue béen reser∣ued to searche out that knowledge, they committed wrong, chiefly to God, with whom it is not lawfull for any to enter into degrée and aucthoritie to teache, if hée be not expert in all his Lawe. To this may be ioyned the prouidence of the elders, by whom it was ordeyned

that in this case none shoulde employ time in other stu∣die then in the Scriptures, to the ende that beyng re∣solute in that knowledge, the worlde shoulde not bée led in errours and false doctrines. It were therefore a good order to be obserued in Vniuersities and places of congregation, not to sende any young Preachers or Nouises into the countrey, before they haue expressed their doctrine afore the auncientes and multitude of the religion, & that in the same exposition wherin they must teache their congregation abroade, neither adding nor diminishing when they shall preache to the multitude: For other wayes there were daunger, that without this long custome or diligent exercise of priuate preaching, these young prentises woulde deliuer to their audience suttle and false propositions, which we call either vaine doctrines, or heretical, although they helde them without any wicked or peruerse wyll: Besides, hauing once pronounced them, they woulde be ashamed to renounce them, and so the people in the meane while should stand seduced: And if they do renownce them, the multitude woulde not afterwarde beléeue them easily, because in opinion they woulde holde that they were constrayned to denie them, as we reade that Berengarius was not able to reduce those, whom he had seduced by ignorance: So that, as there woulde be alwayes feare of some errour, so it coulde not be without blasphemie to the trueth of the Scripture, to suppose in place of the same, a falsehood, and that in the Pulpit, which being the seate of trueth, such as are appointed to pronounce it, ought to haue knowledge of good iudgement, great wisedome, perfect vnderstanding, and holy affection, pretending no other ende or purpose but the honour of God, and health of soules, without aspiring to particuler glorie, séeing all glorie is due to God: Let them beare no affection to couetousnesse, and much lesse to please men, but studie and preach to edifie, forbearing for malice to any singu∣ler

person, to exhibite bityng inuectiues in generall speache, and lesse against estates.

Here, when we speake of Preachers, who ought to be such in all perfection of excellencie, we meane Cu∣rates and Pastours, which by the charge and duetie of their Pastorall profession, are actuallye bounde to dis∣charge that estate: For as all other Preachers are but their Vicars, so if it belong to the Curate to be no lesse learned then his Vicar, is it not then contrary to all or∣der and reason, that he shoulde be raised into estate and dignitie aboue others, if he expresse not greater perfecti∣ons, as in wisedome, doctrine, experience, and vertue? Why is the head raysed aboue the other members of the body, but because he is endued with more excellen∣cies of nature?

I wishe that none shoulde make practise of this pro∣fession without knowledge of all the Scripture, and ab∣solute interpretation of the holy Doctours, which if it had béen obserued in the first institution, the Church had béen replenished with learned and feruent Pastours, Neither had the worlde swarmed with these newe opi∣nions, if they had well studied and obserued the Doc∣tours of the Church. This reformation also belonges to such as enter into the exercise of the lawes, and all others that aspire to offices, for the function of which, be∣longes singuler knowledge to vnderstande the lawe and mainteyne it in all Courtes, and not to lose anye lawfull cause by ignoraunce, or for not being resolute in the Lawe: in which default, or if by corruption the equitie of a good cause be confounded, the Lawyer is bounde to iust restitution.