Herodotus.

Doubtless good and godly men, weighing the great and manifold harms that come by idleness to a commonweal, have from time to time provided with all diligence, that sharp and severe laws might be made for the correction and amendment of this evil. The Egyptians had a law, that every man should weekly bring his name to the chief rulers of the province, and therewithal declare what trade of life he used, to the intent that idleness might be worthily punished, and diligent labour duly rewarded. The Athenians did chastise sluggish and slothful people no less than they did heinous and grievous offenders, considering (as the truth is) that idleness causeth much mischief. The Areopagites called every man to a strait account how he lived: and if they found any loiterers, that did not profit the commonweal by one means or other, they were driven out and banished, as unprofitable members that did only hurt and corrupt the body. And in this realm of England, good and godly laws have been divers times made, that no idle vagabonds and loitering runagates should be suffered to go from town to town, from place to place, without punishment, which neither serve God nor their prince, but devour the sweet fruits of other men's labour, being common liars, drunkards, swearers, thieves, whoremasters, and murderers, refusing all honest labour, and give themselves to nothing else but to invent and do mischief, whereof they are more desirous and greedy than is any lion of his prey.

To remedy this inconvenience, let all parents and others, which have the care and governance of youth, so bring them up either in good learning, labour, or some honest occupation or trade, whereby they may be able in time to come not only to sustain themselves competently, but also to relieve and supply the necessity and want of others. And St. Paul saith, Let him that hath stolen steal no more, and he that hath deceived others, or used unlawful ways to get his living, leave off the same, and labour rather, working with his hands that thing which is good, that he may have that which is necessary for himself, and also be able to give unto others that stand in need of his help (Ephes. iv. 28). The prophet David thinketh him happy that liveth upon his labour; saying, When thou eatest the labours of thine hands, happy art thou, and well is thee (Psal. cxxviii. 2). This happi

ness or blessing consisteth in these and such like points.

First, It is the gift of God, as Solomon saith, when one eateth and drinketh, and receiveth good of his labour (Eccles. iii. 13). Secondly, when one liveth of his own labour (so it be honest and good) he liveth of it with a good conscience; and an upright conscience is a treasure inestimable. Thirdly, he eateth his bread not with brawling and chiding, but with peace and quietness, when he quietly laboureth for the same, according to St. Paul's admonition. Fourthly, he is no man's bondman for his meat sake, and needeth not for that to hang upon the good will of other men; but so liveth of his own, that he is able to give part to others. And to conclude, the labouring man and his family, whilst they are busily occupied in their labour, be free from many temptations and occasions of sin, which they that live in idleness are subject unto.

And here ought artificers and labouring men, who be at wages for their work and labour, to consider their conscience to God, and their duty to their neighbour, lest they abuse their time in idleness, so defrauding them which be at charge both with great wages and dear commons. They be worse than idle men indeed, for that they seek to have wages for their loitering. It is less danger to God to be idle for no gain, than by idleness to win out of their neighbours' purses wages for that which is not deserved. It is true, that Almighty God is angry with such as do defraud the hired man of his wages; the cry of that injury ascendeth up to God's ear for vengeance [Jas. v. 4]. And as true it is, that the hired man, who useth deceit in his labour, is a thief before God. Let no man, saith St. Paul to the Thessalonians, subtilly beguile his brother; let him not defraud him in his business; for the Lord is a revenger of such deceits (1 Thess. iv. 6.) Whereupon he that will have a good conscience to God, that labouring man, I say, which dependeth wholly upon God's benediction, ministering all things sufficient for his living, let him use his time in a faithful labour; and when his labour by sickness or other misfortune doth cease, yet let him think for that in his health he served God and his neighbour truly, he shall not want in time of necessity. God, upon respect of his fidelity in

health, will recompense his indigence, to move the hearts of good men to relieve such decayed men in sickness. Where otherwise, whatsoever is gotten by idleness shall have no means to help in time of need. Let the labouring man therefore eschew for his part this vice of idleness and deceit, remembering that St. Paul exhorteth every man to lay away all deceit, dissimulation, and lying, and to use truth and plainness to his neighbour; because, saith he, we be members together in one body, under one head, Christ our Saviour (Ephes. iv. 25).

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And here might be charged the serving men of this realm, who spend their time in much idleness of life, nothing regarding the opportunity of their time, forgetting how service is no heritage, how age will creep upon them where wisdom were they should expend their idle time in some good business, whereby they might increase in knowledge, and so the more worthy to be ready for every man's service. It is a great rebuke to them, that they study not either to write fair, to keep a book of account, to study the tongues, and so to get wisdom and knowledge in such books and works, as be now plentifully set out in print of all manner of languages. Let young men consider the precious value of their time, and waste it not in idleness, in jollity, in gaming, in banqueting, in ruffians' company. Youth is but vanity, and must be accounted for before God. How merry and glad soever thou be in thy youth, O young man, saith the Preacher, how glad soever thy heart be in thy young days, how fast and freely soever thou follow the ways of thine own heart, and the lust of thine own eyes; yet be thou sure that God shall bring thee into judgment for all these things (Eccles. xi. 9).

God of his mercy put it into the hearts and minds of all them that have the sword of punishment in their hands, or have families under their governance, to labour to redress this great enormity, of all such as live idly and unprofitably in the commonweal, to the great dishonour of God, and the grievous plague of his silly people. To leave sin unpunished, and to neglect the good bringing up of youth, is nothing else but to kindle the Lord's wrath against us, and to heap plagues upon our own heads. As long as the adulterous people were suffered to live licentiously without reformation, so long did the plague continue and increase in Israel, as you may see in the book of Num

bers. But when due correction was done upon them, the Lord's anger was straightway pacified, and the plague ceased (Num. xxv. 8). Let all officers therefore look straitly to their charge. Let all masters of households reform this abuse in their families; let them use the authority that God hath given them, let them not maintain vagabonds and idle persons, but deliver the realm. and their households from such noisome loiterers; that idleness, the mother of all mischief, being clean taken away, Almighty God may turn his dreadful anger away from us, and confirm the covenant of peace upon us for ever, through the merits of Jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour: to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

[Suitable Prayers after reading the foregoing Homily.

O ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, of thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech thee, from all things that may hurt us; that we, being ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those things that thou wouldest have done; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.-Collect for Twentieth Sunday after Trinity. THAT it may please thee to give us an heart..... diligently to live after thy commandments;

We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

Litany.

My duty towards my Neighbour is to love him as myself, . . . . Not to covet nor desire other men's goods; but to learn and labour truly to get mine own living, and to do my duty in that state of life, unto which it shall please God to call me.-Catechism.

By this word [daily bread] we are put in mind that we must get our living with our labour, or by other lawful mean.-Nowell's Catechism, p. 101.

THE same ancient father [Augustine] denies it to be lawful for a monk to live lazily in idleness, and, under the show and pretence of sanctity, to live on what is another's; and the ancient father Apollonius saith, Such a monk is no better than a thief.-Jewell's Apology, p. 72.]

AN HOMILY OF REPENTANCE, AND of TRUE RECONCILIATION UNTO GOD.

of repentance

THERE is nothing that the Holy Ghost doth so much labour in all the Scriptures to beat into men's heads, as repentance, amendment of life, and speedy returning unto the Lord God of hosts. And no marvel why: for we do daily and hourly, by our wickedness and stubborn disobedience, horribly fall away from God, thereby purchasing unto ourselves (if he should deal with us according to his justice) eternal damnation. So that no doctrine is so necessary in the church of God, as is the doc- The doctrine trine of repentance and amendment of life. is most necesAnd verily the true preachers of the gospel sary. of the kingdom of heaven, and of the glad and joyful tidings of salvation, have always in their godly sermons and preachings unto the people, joined these two together; I mean repentance and forgiveness of sins, even as our Saviour Jesus Christ did appoint himself, saying, So it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise again the third day; and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name among all nations (Luke xxiv. 46, 47). And therefore the holy apostle doth, in the Acts, speak after this manner, I have witnessed both to the Jews and to the Gentiles, the repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts xx. 21). Did not John Baptist, Zacharias' son, begin his ministry with the doctrine of repentance, saying, Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand (Matt. iii. 2)? The like doctrine did our Saviour Jesus Christ preach himself, and commanded his apostles to preach the same.

I might here allege very many places out of the prophets, in the which this most wholesome doctrine of repentance is very earnestly urged, as most needful for all degrees and orders of men: but one shall be sufficient at this present time.

These are the words of Joel the prophet, Therefore also now the Lord saith, Return unto me with all your heart,