Chapter XXXII: The Parson’s Surveys has 2 versions (see TEI-XML)
Table of Contents
Witness
p. 131
p. 109
THeTHe Countrey Parſon hath
not onelyou-
ly taken a particu-
larparticular ServeySurvey of
the faults of
his own Pariſh, but a generallge-
neral alſo
of the diſeaſes of the time,
p. 110
that ſoſo,
p. 132
when his occaſions carry him
a-
broadabroad, or bring ſtrangers to him,
he
may be the better armed to en-
counterencoun-
ter them. The great and na-
tionallnational ſin
of this LandLand, he eſteems to
be IdleneſſeIdle-
neſs; great in it ſelfe, and
great in ConſequenceCon-
ſequence: For when
men have nothingno-
thing to do, then they
fall to drink, to
ſteal, to whore,
to scoffe, to revile, to
all ſorts of
gamings. Come, ſay they,
we have
nothing to do, lets go to the
Tavern,
or to the ſtews, or what not.what not?
Where-
foreWherefore the Parſon ſtrongly oppoſethop-
poſeth
this ſin, wherſoeverwhereſoever he goes.
And be-
cauſebecauſe Idleneſs is twofold, the
one in
having no calling, the other in
wal-
kingwalking careleſly in our calling, he
firſt
repreſents to every body the neceſ-
ſityne-
ceſſity of a vocation. The reaſon of
this
aſſertion is taken from the nature
of
man, wherein God hath placed
two great Inſtruments, Reaſon in
the ſoul, and a hand in the Body,
as ingagements of working: So
p. 133
that even in Paradiſe man had a
calling, and how much more out of
Paradiſe, when the evillsevils which he is
now ſubject unto, may be prevented,
p. 111
or diverted by reaſonable imploy-
ment. Beſides, every gift or a-
bilityability is
a talent to be accounted for,
and to
be improved to our Ma-
ſtersMaſters AdvantageAdvan-
tage. Yet is itit is alſo
a debt to our CountreyCoun-
trey to have a
Calling, and it concernesconcerns
the Com-
mon-wealthCommon-wealth, that none
ſhould be i-
dleidle, but all buſied. Laſtly,
riches are
the bleſsingbleſſing of God, and the
great
Inſtrument of doing admirable
good;
therfore all are to procure them
ho-
neſtly,honeſtly and ſeaſonably, when they
are
not better imployed. Now this
rea-
ſonreaſon croſſeth not our Saviours pre-
cept of ſelling what we have, becauſe
when we have ſold all, and given it
to the poor, we muſt not be idle, but
labour to get more, that we may
give more, according to St. PaulsSt Pauls
rule, Epheſ. 4.28. I Theſ. 4.11, 12.
So4.11, 12.
p. 134
ſo that our Saviours ſelling is ſo far
from croſſing Saint Pauls working,
that it rather eſtabliſhethſtabliſheth it, ſince
they that have nothing, are fitteſt
to work. Now becauſe the onely
oppoſer to this Doctrine is the Gal-
lant, who is witty enough to a-
buſe both others, and himſelf, and
p. 112
who is ready to ask, if he ſhall mend
ſhoosſhoes, or what he ſhall do? Ther-
foreThere-
fore the Parſon unmoved, ſheweth,
that ingenuous and fit imployment
is never wanting to thoſe that ſeek
it. But if it ſhould be, the Aſſer-
tion ſtands thus: All are eithereitheir to
have
a Calling, or prepare for it:
He that
hath or can have yet no im-
ploymentimployment,
if he truly, and ſeriouſly
prepare for
it, he is ſafe and within
bounds.
Wherefore all are either
preſently to
enter into a Calling, if
they be fit for
it, and it for them;
or elſe to examineexa-
mine with care, and
advice, what they
are fitteſt for, and
to prepare for that
with all diligence.
p. 135
But it will not be
amiſſeamiſs in this ex-
ceedingexceeding uſefull point
to deſcend to
particulars: for exactneſſeexact-
neſs lyes in
particulars. Men are eitherei-
ther ſingle,
or marryed: The marryedmar-
ryed and
houſe-keeper hath his hands
full, if
he do what he ought to do.
For
there are two branches of his af-
fairesaf-
fairs; firſt, the improvement of
his familyfa-
mily, by bringing them up
in the fear
and nurture of the Lord;
and ſecondlyſecond-
ly, the improvement of
his grounds,
p. 113
by drowning, or
draining, ſtocking,or ſtock-
ing, or fencing, and
orderingor ordering his land
to the beſt advan-
tageadvantage both of himſelf,him-
ſelf and his neigh-
boursneighbours. The Italian
ſays, None
fouls his hands in his own
buſineſſebuſineſs:
and it is an honeſt, and juſt
care,
ſo it exceeds not bounds, for every
oneeve-
ry one to imploy himſelfe to the ad-
vancement of his affairs, that heehe
may
have wherewithallwherewithal to do good.
But
his family is his beſt care, to la-
bourlabour
Chriſtian ſoulesſouls, and raiſe
p. 136
them to
their height, even to heaven;
to dreſſedreſs
and prune them, and take
as much
joy in a ſtraight-growing
childe, or
ſervant, as a Gardiner
doth in a choiſechoice
treeTree. Could men
findefind out this delightde-
light, they would
ſeldome be from
home; whereas
now, of any place,
they are leaſt
there. But if after
all this care well
diſpatched, the
houſe-keepers Fami-
lyFamily be ſo ſmall,
and his dexterity ſo
great, that he
have leiſure to look
out, the Village
or Pariſh which ei-
thereither he lives in, or is
neernear unto it,
is his imployment. HeeHe
conſiders
every one there, and either
helps
them in particularparticular, or hath gene-
rallgene-
p. 114
ral Propoſitions to the whole
Towne
or Hamlet, of advancing
the publick
Stock, and managing
Commons, or
Woods, according
as the place ſuggeſtsſug-
eſts. But if heehe
may beebe of the CommiſſionCom-
miſſion of
Peace, there is nothing to
that:
No Common-wealth in the
world
p. 137
hath a braverbetter Inſtitution then
that
of Juſtices of the Peace: For it
is both a ſecurity to the King,
who
hath ſo many diſperſed Offi-
cersOfficers at his
beck throughout the
KingdomeKingdom, accountableac-
countable for the
publick good;
and alſo an honou-
rablehonourable Imploymentimployment
of a Gentle, or
Noble-man in the
Country he lives
in, inabling him
with power to do
good, and to reſtrainre-
ſtrain all thoſe,
who elſe might both
trouble him
and the whole State.
Wherefore
it behoves all, who are
come to the
gravitie,gravity and ripeneſſeripeneſs of
judge-
mentjudgment for ſo excellent a Place,
not to refuſe, but rather to pro-
cureprocure
it. And whereas there are
uſually
three Objections made a-
gainſtagainſt the
Place; the one, the a-
buſeabuſe of it, by
taking petty Countrey bribespetty-Coun-
trey-bribes; the
other, the caſt-
ingcaſting of it on mean perſonsper-
p. 115
ſons, eſpe-
ciallyeſpecially in ſome Shires: and
laſt-
lylaſtly, the trouble of it: Theſe are
p. 138
ſo
far from deterring any good man
from the place, that they kindle
them
rather to redeem the Dignity
either
from true faults, or unjuſt a-
ſperſionsaſperſions.
Now, for ſingle men,
they are either
Heirs, or younger
Brothers: The
Heirs are to prepare
in all the fore-
mentioned points a-
gainſtagainſt the time of
their practice.
Therefore they are to
mark their
Fathers diſcretion in orderingor-
dering his
Houſe and Affairs; and alſoal-
ſo elſe-
whereelſewhere, when they ſee any remark-
ablere-
markable point of Education or good
husbandry, and to tranſplant it in
time to his own home, with the ſame
care as others, when they meetmet with
good fruit, get a graffegraffgraft of the treeTree,
inriching their Orchard, and negle-
ctingneglect-
ing their Houſe. Beſides, they
are
to read Books of Law,Law and Ju-
ſticeJuſtice;
eſpecially,eſpecially the Statutes at
large. As
for better Books of Di-
vinityDivinity, they
are not in this Conſide-
rationConſideration, becauſe
we are about a Cal-
p. 139
lingCalling, and a preparationprepa-
ration thereunto.
But chiefly, and
above all things,
they are to frequent
p. 116
Seſſions and
SizesAſſizes; for it is both an
honor which
they owe to the ReverendReve-
rend Judges
and Magiſtrates, to attendat-
tend them,them
at leaſt in their Shire; and
it is a
great advantage to know the
pra-
cticepractice of the Land; for our Law is
Practice. Sometimes he may go to
Court, as the eminent place both of
good and ill. At other times he is
to travelltravel over the King’s Domini-
onsDominions,
cutting out the Kingdome into
PortionsPor-
tions, which every yeeryear he ſur-
veysſurveys
peece-mealpiece-meal. When there is a
ParliamentParlia-
ment, he is to endeavour by
all means
to be a Knight or Burgeſs
there; for
there is no School to a Par-
liamentParliament.
And when he is there, he
muſt not onlyon-
ly be a morning man, but
at CommitteesCommit-
tees alſo; for there the
particulars are
exactly diſcuſſed,
which are brought
from thence to
the Houſe but in generallge-
neral. When
p. 140
none of theſe occaſions
call him a-
broadabroad, every morning that
heehe is
at home hee muſt either ride the
Great Horſe, or exerciſe ſome of
his
Military geſturesPoſtures. For all Gen-
tlemenGentle-
men, that are now weaknednot weakned, and diſ-
armed with ſedentary lives, are to
p. 117
know the uſe of their Arms: and as
the Husbandman labours for them,
ſo muſt they fight for, and defend
them, when occaſion calls. This is
the duty of each to other, which
they ought to fulfill: And the Par-
ſon is a lover oflover and exciter to juſtice in
all things, even as John the Baptiſt
ſquared out to every one (even to
Souldiers) what to do. As for
younger Brothers, thoſe whom the
Parſon finds looſe, and not ingaged
into ſome Profeſſion by their Pa-
rents, whoſe neglect in this point is
intolerable, and a ſhamefull wrong
both to the Common-wealth, and
their own Houſe: To them, after he
hath ſhew’dſhewd the unlawfulneſs of ſpen-
p. 141
dingſpen-
ding the day in dreſsingdreſſing, Comple-
menting, viſiting, and ſporting, he
firſt commends the ſtudy of the Ci-
villCi-
vil Law, as a brave, and wiſe know-
ledg, the ProfeſſoursProfeſſors whereof were
much imployed by Q Eliz.Qneen Eliza-
beth, becauſe it is
the key of Com-
merceCommerce, &and diſcovers the
Rulesrules of
forraineforrain Nations. Secondly,
he
commends the Mathematicks, as
the only wonder-workingwonder working know-
ledg,knowledg
p. 118
and therefore requiring the
beſt ſpiritsſpi-
rits. After the ſeverallſeveral know-
ledgknowledg of
theſe, he adviſeth to inſiſt
and dwell
chiefly on the two noble
branches
therofthereof, of Fortification,
and NavigationNavi-
gation; The one being
uſefulluſeful to all
Countreys, and the o-
therother eſpecially
to IlandsIſlands. But if the
young Gallant
think theſe Courſes
dull, and phlegmatickphleg-
matick, where can
he buſie himſelf
better, thenthan in thoſe
new Plantations,
and diſcoveryesdiſcoveries,
which are not only
a noble, but
alſo as they may be handledhan-
dled, a reli-
p. 142
giousreligious imploymentimploymeut? Or let
him travel
into Germany,Germany and France,
and
obſerving the Artifices, and Manu-
facturesMa-
nufactures there, tranſplant them hi-
ther, as divers have done lately, to
our Countrey’s advantage.
Chap.CHAP.
XXXII.
The Parſon’s Surveys.
The Parſon’s Surveys.
THeTHe Countrey Parſon hath
not onelyou-
ly taken a particu-
larparticular ServeySurvey of
the faults of
his own Pariſh, but a generallge-
neral alſo
of the diſeaſes of the time,
p. 110
110 The Parſon’s Surveys.
that ſoſo,
p. 132
132 The Parſon’s
Surveys.
when his occaſions carry him
a-
broadabroad, or bring ſtrangers to him,
he
may be the better armed to en-
counterencoun-
ter them. The great and na-
tionallnational ſin
of this LandLand, he eſteems to
be IdleneſſeIdle-
neſs; great in it ſelfe, and
great in ConſequenceCon-
ſequence: For when
men have nothingno-
thing to do, then they
fall to drink, to
ſteal, to whore,
to scoffe, to revile, to
all ſorts of
gamings. Come, ſay they,
we have
nothing to do, lets go to the
Tavern,
or to the ſtews, or what not.what not?
Where-
foreWherefore the Parſon ſtrongly oppoſethop-
poſeth
this ſin, wherſoeverwhereſoever he goes.
And be-
cauſebecauſe Idleneſs is twofold, the
one in
having no calling, the other in
wal-
kingwalking careleſly in our calling, he
firſt
repreſents to every body the neceſ-
ſityne-
ceſſity of a vocation. The reaſon of
this
aſſertion is taken from the nature
of
man, wherein God hath placed
two great Inſtruments, Reaſon in
the ſoul, and a hand in the Body,
as ingagements of working: So
p. 133
The Parſon’s Surveys. 133
that even in Paradiſe man had a
calling, and how much more out of
Paradiſe, when the evillsevils which he is
now ſubject unto, may be prevented,
p. 111
The Parſon’s Surveys. 111
or diverted by reaſonable imploy-
ment. Beſides, every gift or a-
bilityability is
a talent to be accounted for,
and to
be improved to our Ma-
ſtersMaſters AdvantageAdvan-
tage. Yet is itit is alſo
a debt to our CountreyCoun-
trey to have a
Calling, and it concernesconcerns
the Com-
mon-wealthCommon-wealth, that none
ſhould be i-
dleidle, but all buſied. Laſtly,
riches are
the bleſsingbleſſing of God, and the
great
Inſtrument of doing admirable
good;
therfore all are to procure them
ho-
neſtly,honeſtly and ſeaſonably, when they
are
not better imployed. Now this
rea-
ſonreaſon croſſeth not our Saviours pre-
cept of ſelling what we have, becauſe
when we have ſold all, and given it
to the poor, we muſt not be idle, but
labour to get more, that we may
give more, according to St. PaulsSt Pauls
rule, Epheſ. 4.28. I Theſ. 4.11, 12.
So4.11, 12.
p. 134
134 The Parſon’s Surveys.
ſo that our Saviours ſelling is ſo far
from croſſing Saint Pauls working,
that it rather eſtabliſhethſtabliſheth it, ſince
they that have nothing, are fitteſt
to work. Now becauſe the onely
oppoſer to this Doctrine is the Gal-
lant, who is witty enough to a-
buſe both others, and himſelf, and
p. 112
112 The Parſon’s Surveys.
who is ready to ask, if he ſhall mend
ſhoosſhoes, or what he ſhall do? Ther-
foreThere-
fore the Parſon unmoved, ſheweth,
that ingenuous and fit imployment
is never wanting to thoſe that ſeek
it. But if it ſhould be, the Aſſer-
tion ſtands thus: All are eithereitheir to
have
a Calling, or prepare for it:
He that
hath or can have yet no im-
ploymentimployment,
if he truly, and ſeriouſly
prepare for
it, he is ſafe and within
bounds.
Wherefore all are either
preſently to
enter into a Calling, if
they be fit for
it, and it for them;
or elſe to examineexa-
mine with care, and
advice, what they
are fitteſt for, and
to prepare for that
with all diligence.
p. 135
The Parſon’s Surveys. 135
But it will not be
amiſſeamiſs in this ex-
ceedingexceeding uſefull point
to deſcend to
particulars: for exactneſſeexact-
neſs lyes in
particulars. Men are eitherei-
ther ſingle,
or marryed: The marryedmar-
ryed and
houſe-keeper hath his hands
full, if
he do what he ought to do.
For
there are two branches of his af-
fairesaf-
fairs; firſt, the improvement of
his familyfa-
mily, by bringing them up
in the fear
and nurture of the Lord;
and ſecondlyſecond-
ly, the improvement of
his grounds,
p. 113
The Parſon’s Surveys. 113
by drowning, or
draining, ſtocking,or ſtock-
ing, or fencing, and
orderingor ordering his land
to the beſt advan-
tageadvantage both of himſelf,him-
ſelf and his neigh-
boursneighbours. The Italian
ſays, None
fouls his hands in his own
buſineſſebuſineſs:
and it is an honeſt, and juſt
care,
ſo it exceeds not bounds, for every
oneeve-
ry one to imploy himſelfe to the ad-
vancement of his affairs, that heehe
may
have wherewithallwherewithal to do good.
But
his family is his beſt care, to la-
bourlabour
Chriſtian ſoulesſouls, and raiſe
p. 136
136 The Parſon’s
Surveys.
them to
their height, even to heaven;
to dreſſedreſs
and prune them, and take
as much
joy in a ſtraight-growing
childe, or
ſervant, as a Gardiner
doth in a choiſechoice
treeTree. Could men
findefind out this delightde-
light, they would
ſeldome be from
home; whereas
now, of any place,
they are leaſt
there. But if after
all this care well
diſpatched, the
houſe-keepers Fami-
lyFamily be ſo ſmall,
and his dexterity ſo
great, that he
have leiſure to look
out, the Village
or Pariſh which ei-
thereither he lives in, or is
neernear unto it,
is his imployment. HeeHe
conſiders
every one there, and either
helps
them in particularparticular, or hath gene-
rallgene-
p. 114
114 The Parſon’s
Surveys.
ral Propoſitions to the whole
Towne
or Hamlet, of advancing
the publick
Stock, and managing
Commons, or
Woods, according
as the place ſuggeſtsſug-
eſts. But if heehe
may beebe of the CommiſſionCom-
miſſion of
Peace, there is nothing to
that:
No Common-wealth in the
world
p. 137
The Parſon’s Surveys. 137
hath a braverbetter Inſtitution then
that
of Juſtices of the Peace: For it
is both a ſecurity to the King,
who
hath ſo many diſperſed Offi-
cersOfficers at his
beck throughout the
KingdomeKingdom, accountableac-
countable for the
publick good;
and alſo an honou-
rablehonourable Imploymentimployment
of a Gentle, or
Noble-man in the
Country he lives
in, inabling him
with power to do
good, and to reſtrainre-
ſtrain all thoſe,
who elſe might both
trouble him
and the whole State.
Wherefore
it behoves all, who are
come to the
gravitie,gravity and ripeneſſeripeneſs of
judge-
mentjudgment for ſo excellent a Place,
not to refuſe, but rather to pro-
cureprocure
it. And whereas there are
uſually
three Objections made a-
gainſtagainſt the
Place; the one, the a-
buſeabuſe of it, by
taking petty Countrey bribespetty-Coun-
trey-bribes; the
other, the caſt-
ingcaſting of it on mean perſonsper-
p. 115
The Parſon’s
Surveys. 115
ſons, eſpe-
ciallyeſpecially in ſome Shires: and
laſt-
lylaſtly, the trouble of it: Theſe are
p. 138
138 The Parſon’s
Surveys.
ſo
far from deterring any good man
from the place, that they kindle
them
rather to redeem the Dignity
either
from true faults, or unjuſt a-
ſperſionsaſperſions.
Now, for ſingle men,
they are either
Heirs, or younger
Brothers: The
Heirs are to prepare
in all the fore-
mentioned points a-
gainſtagainſt the time of
their practice.
Therefore they are to
mark their
Fathers diſcretion in orderingor-
dering his
Houſe and Affairs; and alſoal-
ſo elſe-
whereelſewhere, when they ſee any remark-
ablere-
markable point of Education or good
husbandry, and to tranſplant it in
time to his own home, with the ſame
care as others, when they meetmet with
good fruit, get a graffegraffgraft of the treeTree,
inriching their Orchard, and negle-
ctingneglect-
ing their Houſe. Beſides, they
are
to read Books of Law,Law and Ju-
ſticeJuſtice;
eſpecially,eſpecially the Statutes at
large. As
for better Books of Di-
vinityDivinity, they
are not in this Conſide-
rationConſideration, becauſe
we are about a Cal-
p. 139
The Parſon’s
Surveys. 139
lingCalling, and a preparationprepa-
ration thereunto.
But chiefly, and
above all things,
they are to frequent
p. 116
116 The Parſon’s Surveys.
Seſſions and
SizesAſſizes; for it is both an
honor which
they owe to the ReverendReve-
rend Judges
and Magiſtrates, to attendat-
tend them,them
at leaſt in their Shire; and
it is a
great advantage to know the
pra-
cticepractice of the Land; for our Law is
Practice. Sometimes he may go to
Court, as the eminent place both of
good and ill. At other times he is
to travelltravel over the King’s Domini-
onsDominions,
cutting out the Kingdome into
PortionsPor-
tions, which every yeeryear he ſur-
veysſurveys
peece-mealpiece-meal. When there is a
ParliamentParlia-
ment, he is to endeavour by
all means
to be a Knight or Burgeſs
there; for
there is no School to a Par-
liamentParliament.
And when he is there, he
muſt not onlyon-
ly be a morning man, but
at CommitteesCommit-
tees alſo; for there the
particulars are
exactly diſcuſſed,
which are brought
from thence to
the Houſe but in generallge-
neral. When
p. 140
140 The Parſon’s
Surveys.
none of theſe occaſions
call him a-
broadabroad, every morning that
heehe is
at home hee muſt either ride the
Great Horſe, or exerciſe ſome of
his
Military geſturesPoſtures. For all Gen-
tlemenGentle-
men, that are now weaknednot weakned, and diſ-
armed with ſedentary lives, are to
p. 117
The Parſon’s Surveys. 117
know the uſe of their Arms: and as
the Husbandman labours for them,
ſo muſt they fight for, and defend
them, when occaſion calls. This is
the duty of each to other, which
they ought to fulfill: And the Par-
ſon is a lover oflover and exciter to juſtice in
all things, even as John the Baptiſt
ſquared out to every one (even to
Souldiers) what to do. As for
younger Brothers, thoſe whom the
Parſon finds looſe, and not ingaged
into ſome Profeſſion by their Pa-
rents, whoſe neglect in this point is
intolerable, and a ſhamefull wrong
both to the Common-wealth, and
their own Houſe: To them, after he
hath ſhew’dſhewd the unlawfulneſs of ſpen-
p. 141
The Parſon’s
Surveys. 141
dingſpen-
ding the day in dreſsingdreſſing, Comple-
menting, viſiting, and ſporting, he
firſt commends the ſtudy of the Ci-
villCi-
vil Law, as a brave, and wiſe know-
ledg, the ProfeſſoursProfeſſors whereof were
much imployed by Q Eliz.Qneen Eliza-
beth, becauſe it is
the key of Com-
merceCommerce, &and diſcovers the
Rulesrules of
forraineforrain Nations. Secondly,
he
commends the Mathematicks, as
the only wonder-workingwonder working know-
ledg,knowledg
p. 118
118 The Parſon’s Library.
and therefore requiring the
beſt ſpiritsſpi-
rits. After the ſeverallſeveral know-
ledgknowledg of
theſe, he adviſeth to inſiſt
and dwell
chiefly on the two noble
branches
therofthereof, of Fortification,
and NavigationNavi-
gation; The one being
uſefulluſeful to all
Countreys, and the o-
therother eſpecially
to IlandsIſlands. But if the
young Gallant
think theſe Courſes
dull, and phlegmatickphleg-
matick, where can
he buſie himſelf
better, thenthan in thoſe
new Plantations,
and diſcoveryesdiſcoveries,
which are not only
a noble, but
alſo as they may be handledhan-
dled, a reli-
p. 142
142 The Parſon’s
Library.
giousreligious imploymentimploymeut? Or let
him travel
into Germany,Germany and France,
and
obſerving the Artifices, and Manu-
facturesMa-
nufactures there, tranſplant them hi-
ther, as divers have done lately, to
our Countrey’s advantage.