A02178:4465
The works of the reverend and faithful servant of Jesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…The workes of the reuerend and faithfull seruant af Iesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…
The works of the reverend and faithful servant of Jesus Christ M. Richard Greenham, minister and preacher of the Word of God collected into one volume: revised, corrected, and published, for the further building of all such as love the truth, and desire to know the power of godliness. By H.H.The workes of the reuerend and faithfull seruant af Iesus Christ M. Richard Greenham, minister and preacher of the Word of God collected into one volume: reuised, corrected, and published, for the further building of all such as loue the truth, and desire to know the power of godlinesse. By H.H.
London: printed by Thomas Snodham and Thomas Creede for William Welby, 1612London: printed by Thomas Snodham and Thomas Creede for VVilliam VVelby, 1612
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
First then, Magistrates must be wise: that is, skilful in all those causes which shall come before them, otherwise, if they be not men of knowledge, they be not fit for that place. Yea, though they be well minded, and willing to do good; yet if they have not knowledge of those things which they must deal in, it is not sufficient. For as in handicraft matters a good man is not straightway a good Artificer: So, and much more is it in this weighty calling.
First then, Magistrates must bee wise: that is, skilfull in all those causes which shall come before them, otherwise, if they be not men of knowledge, they be not fitte for that place. Yea, though they bee well minded, and willing to doe good; yet if they haue not knowledge of those things which they must deale in, it is not sufficient. For as in handicraft matters a good man is not straightway a good Artificer: So, and much more is it in this waightie calling.
2 Secondly, it is required that they be endued with prudence or experience, for Sapientia 1and Prudentia do thus differ: that the former is the general comprehension of knowledge of things: the latter is the experience of that knowledge in particular actions. Experience in other things doth show how necessary this property is. For we see in2 Physic and other Arts, many by much reading to have obtained singular knowledge; so that they think with themselves they could do great matters, yet when they come to have the use of their knowledge in some particular matters, they are oftentimes behind hand, and their knowledge for want of experience doth soon fail them; the reason hereof is this, by reading they get the knowledge of general rules, which when they are applied to particular cases are altered by circumstances, and many exceptions may be made against them. So that in all Arts and Sciences this is generally holden, that so much is thoroughly and soundly known, as is known by experience. It is necessary therefore that a Magistrate be not only a man of knowledge, but also that he be well experienced in the matters that be incident to his calling.