Ive included a passage of the bible on my user page I want it to open the page and will keep it here because I feel it acentuates the writing that follows  so without any further ado here is some biblical goodness  THE BEST THINGS HAVE BEEN CULMINATED  Zeal to promote the common good whether it be by devising anything ourselves or revising that which hath been laboured  by others deserveth certainly much respect and esteem but yet findeth but cold entertainment in the world  It is welcomed  with suspicion instead of love and with emulation instead of thanks and if there be any hole left for cavil to enter and  cavil if it do not find a hole will make one it is sure to be misconstrued and in danger to be condemned  This will easily  be granted by as many as know story or have any experience  For was there ever anyprojected that savoured any way of  newness or renewing but the same endured many a storm of gainsaying or opposition  A man would think that Civility  wholesome Laws learning and eloquence Synods and Churchmaintenance that we speak of no more things of this kind  should be as safe as a Sanctuary and out of shot as they say that no man would lift up the heel no nor dog move his  tongue against the motioners of them For by the first we are distinguished from brute beasts lead with sensuality By the  second we are bridled and restrained from outrageous behaviour and from doing of injuries whether by fraud or by  violence By the third we are enabled to inform and reform others by the light and feeling that we have attained unto  ourselves Briefly by the fourth being brought together to a parley face to face we sooner compose our differences than by  writings which are endless And lastly that the Church be sufficiently provided for is so agreeable to good reason and  conscience that those mothers are holden to be less cruel that kill their children as soon as they are born than those nursing  fathers and mothers wheresoever they be that withdraw from them who hang upon their breasts and upon whose breasts  again themselves do hang to receive the Spiritual and sincere milk of the word livelihood and support fit for their estates  Thus it is apparent that these things which we speak of are of most necessary use and therefore that none either without  absurdity can speak against them or without note of wickedness can spurn against them  Yet for all that the learned know that certain worthy men Anacharsis with others have been brought to untimely death for  none other fault but for seeking to reduce their Countrymen to god order and discipline and that in some Commonwealths  eg Locri it was made a capital crime once to motion the making of a new Law for the abrogating of an old though the  same were most pernicious And that certain Cato the elder which would be counted pillars of the State and patterns of  Virtue and Prudence could not be brought for a long time to give way to good Letters and refined speech but bare  themselves as averse from them as from rocks or boxes of poison And fourthly that he was no babe but a great clerk  Gregory the Divine that gave forth and in writing to remain to posterity in passion peradventure but yet he gave forth  that he had not seen any profit to come by any Synod or meeting of the Clergy but rather the contrary And lastly against  Churchmaintenance and allowance in such sort as the Ambassadors and messengers of the great King of Kings should be  furnished it is not unknown what a fiction or fable so it is esteemed and for no better by the reporter himself Nauclerus  though superstitious was devised Namely that at such a time as the professors and teachers of Christianity in the Church of  Rome then a true Church were liberally endowed a voice forsooth was heard from heaven saying  Now is poison poured  down into the Church etc  Thus not only as oft as we speak as one saith but also as oft as we do anything of note or  consequence we subject ourselves to everyones censure and happy is he that is least tossed upon tongues for utterly to  escape the snatch of them it is impossible  If any man conceit that this is the lot and portion of the meaner sort only and  that Princes are privileged by their high estate he is deceived  As the sword devoureth as well one as the other as it is in  Samuel  Sam  nay as the great Commander charged his soldiers in a certain battle to strike at no part of the enemy  but at the face And as the King of Syria commanded his chief Captains to fight neither with small nor great save only  against the King of Israel  Kings  so it is too true that Envy striketh most spitefully at the fairest and at the  chiefest  David was a worthy Prince and no man to be compared to him for his first deeds and yet for as worthy as act as Preface to  Translation iv  ever he did even for bringing back the Ark of God in solemnity he was scorned and scoffed at by his own wife  Sam    Solomon was greater than David though not in virtue yet in power and by his power and wisdom he built a Temple  to the Lord such a one as was the glory of the land of Israel and the wonder of the whole world  But was that his  magnificence liked of by all  We doubt it  Otherwise why do they lay it in his sons dish and call unto him for easing the  burden Make say they the grievous servitude of thy father and his sore yoke lighter  Kings   Belike he had  charged them with some levies and troubled them with some carriages Hereupon they raise up a tragedy and wish in their  heart the Temple had never been built  So hard a thing it is to please all even when we please God best and do seek to  approve ourselves to every ones conscience  If we will descend to later times we shall find many the like examples of such kind or rather unkind acceptance  The first  Roman Emperor C Caesar Plutarch did never do a more pleasing deed to the learned nor more profitable to posterity for  conserving the record of times in true supputation than when he corrected the Calendar and ordered the year according to  the course of the Sun and yet this was imputed to him for novelty and arrogance and procured to him great obloguy  So  the first Christened Emperor Constantine at the leastwise that openly professed the faith himself and allowed others to do  the like for strengthening the Empire at his great charges and providing for the Church as he did got for his labour the  name Pupillus as who would say a wasteful Prince that had need of a Guardian or overseer Aurel Victor  So the best  Christened Emperor Theodosius for the love that he bare unto peace thereby to enrich both himself and his subjects and  because he did not see war but find it was judged to be no man at arms Zosimus though indeed he excelled in feats of  chivalry and showed so much when he was provoked and condemned for giving himself to his ease and to his pleasure To  be short the most learned Emperor of former times Justinian at the least the greatest politician what thanks had he for  cutting off the superfluities of the laws and digesting them into some order and method  This that he had been blotted by  some to be an Epitomist that is one that extinguishes worthy whole volumes to bring his abridgments into request  This is  the measure that hath been rendered to excellent Princes in former times even Cum bene facerent male audire For their  good deeds to be evil spoken of  Neither is there any likelihood that envy and malignity died and were buried with the  ancient  No no the reproof of Moses taketh hold of most ages You are risen up in your fathers stead and increase of  sinful men Num   What is that that hath been done that which shall be done and there is no new thing under the  Sun saith the wiseman Ecc  and S Stephen As your fathers did so do you Acts   HIS MAJESTYS CONSTANCY NOTWITHSTANDING CULMINATION FOR THE SURVEY OF THE ENGLISH  TRANSLATIONS  This and more to this purpose His Majesty that now reigneth and long and long may he reign and his offspring forever  Himself and children and childrens always knew full well according to the singular wisdom given unto him by God and  the rare learning and experience that he hath attained unto namely that whosoever attempteth anything for the public  especially if it pertain to Religion and to the opening and clearing of the word of God the same setteth himself upon a  stage to be gloated upon by every evil eye yea he casteth himself headlong upon pikes to be gored by every sharp tongue  For he that medleth with mens Religion in any part medleth with their custom nay with their freehold and though they  find no content in that which they have yet they cannot abide to hear of altering  Notwithstanding his Royal heart was not  daunted or discouraged for this that colour but stood resolute as a statue immovable and an anvil not easy to be beaten  into plates as one Suidas saith he knew who had chosen him to be a Soldier or rather a Captain and being assured that  the course which he intended made for the glory of God and the building up of his Church he would not suffer it to be  broken off for whatsoever speeches or practices   It