another place meaninge if so God will to call you or it be longe and to craue your councell in the same that if so you will paciently beare with mee in this my first request I will bee tyed vnto you and owe my seruice in any other and as you may see that wherin I haue béene practised and wherunto I haue indeuored my selfe from my Cradle according to that haue I giuen the name of this Boke No other thinge in deede then the exercise of my youth deliuered vp to all young ones to looke vpon Contente to leaue my title therin neyther will I claime any thing from henceforth in the same they may chalenge it by good right to their owne vse And if the rancknes of other men haue taken away all the glorie that I hoped for I desire pray you al to content you with the little that I haue If you think good to leaue vnto me any time at al to turne the ouer few leaues that I offer you if any labour of youres come vnto my hands like fauor will I shew them the good that I can doo they shal be assured of As for the learned that did manifeste them vnto you before in a better and perfecter stile then I haue wrot Them if so they liued I durst intreat euen Maister Bucer or Maister Martir or Maister Caluin or any other the honorable company to beare with mée in that I do both for the their traficke their toyle they tooke was not extinguished by other mens trauayle and in that they purposed not by the large streames wherin they were busied to stop vp the riuers and small chanels of other mennes study Béeinge my request to them shall reade this Booke that they waye all thinges as they bee set downe that they cast not their eyes vpon other men To whom and that doo feare the Lorde and wish for peace and quietnesse to his Churche and readeth diligently to follow it reuerently or iudge Christianly and séeke Gods glory faythfully bee health rest and honor for euermore Fare you well Your pore and faythfull laborer in the Church of god I. K. Viro docto mihiue amicissimo Iohanni Keltridgo Thomas Numannus artium Magister Magistro Artium Salut QVem saepe plurimumque concinne eleganterque perorantem tam describentem mores actionesque clarorum hominum iam in Academia nonnunquam in Rostris candidatorum pompa caelebritateque virorum optimorum interdum priuatis parietibus honorifice multa facientem Colloquiis autem nostris laepidum facaetiarumque plenum vidi Quam potest vel amico vel familiari vel peregrino cuidam iucundum esse eundē te in Dei optimi maximi laude celebranda honoreque propagando equalem videre quem semper in rebus gerendis actionibusquè tuis priuati priuatum hominem admirati sumus Quod eo intueor magis quo lingua nostra ornatius stilo elegantius facilitate clarius vulgari oratione enucleatius complexus es sermonem tuum Cum enim multos intueor singulareis in Repub. laudatosue viros populo ignarisque loquentes praeter salem laeporemue aut Maiestatem illam quam prae fe ferunt etiam quandam spetiem humanitatis tuae teiudico enarrauisse Si de nobis audire aliquid cupias cum de te non nunquam sepiusue audiuimus Nos valere scias velim quod tu bene valeas eoque valere magis quod tu literis vales Iam enim video non calamistratum te non lasciuiae deditum more Cinicorum aut pugnantem eminus cominus vero eiaculantem aut Barbarie vtentem ea quam admiror Academicos Aulae libidini daeditos nunc oblitos rerum suarum studiorumue eorum quae diligentissime non ita pridem amauerunt tenuisse sed sobrietate grauitatem humanitate diuinitatem opera magnaliaue Dei declarauisse Te hortor a hiisce illaecebrisdehortari volo quas procul dubio praese tulit nature impetus Tu vero natus generosa stirpe generosissime progredi cupiuisti Absens etiam mater tua videt cuncta quae facis apud nos eam opportuno tempore videbis sic enim videris mihi terram relinquere illam petere quae extincta iam diu reddetur factis tuis gloriosa Ego vero tua legens recreor vt possum maxime cupiens fieri tui similis Et me cum negotia humana mea a delectatione Theologorum a vocauerunt fecerunt tamen in eo studio alacriorem Tu mi Keltridge vtere faelicitate tua Si quam es nactus labore studiorum tuorum dignitatem eam Deus optimus maximus benignitate sua faciet meliorem Nosue postulauimus eum hominem videre iam diu apud nos quem Respub commendauit Quae si ingrata sit vti audio vbi iam es solitus rusticari Scias velim fore eam inuidiam non tibi soli sed communem etiam grauibus viris Nec haec vniuersorum vox est Iam enim versaris in Tusculano sed partem Respub sibi optimam deteriorem rudiores ▪ ipsis seruauerunt Equidem scio dixisse aliquo spatio recreare velle te idue rure Non ego tibi facilis esse poteram qui ipsi tibi iniuriam feceras Quae enim te improuisa negotia a Matre tua auocauerunt Si Remp. cupis stat ea ipsa sine te si quid aliud petis petere potueris difficile est videre quod velis Tu fato vtare tuo licebit si quod sit fatum fateri perpeti te quod patiarts Sin vero pudeat te tui nec absentibus nobis audeas in re planadicere quod scias te ipsa fatie videamus quanquam hoc namue scio dolores omnes tuaue onera confectio huius libri laepos iucunditas lectioue rerum optimarum vnaà labores tuos obsorbuerunt Aut auium cantus pratorum viriditas camporumue amaenitas ipsaue deambulatio subcessiuis temporibus habita sic enim es solitus iocari plane scio hilarem fortemue efficerunt Sin minus cum te viderimus hilarem laetumue si quo modo possumus fatiemus Tu vt consueuisti velim literis scientia progrediare vt quam spem Acadaemicis nobis dignitatem familijs tuis honorem tibi ipsi peperisti Eum omnem exercitio studio eloquentiaue tua ▪ laijdabilimorum virtutum ue comitatu vna cum peritia mirifico laepore tuo exercitatione scripto tum etiam elegantia vrbanitate linguarum varietate ipso cantu orationis suauitate seruare tibi posse videare Vale. Tuus Thomas Numannus Cantabrigia Iunij 2. 1578. I.R. Cantabrigiensis Artium Magister Authori. SI tibi religio cordi est si vota precesque En quas caelesti detulitarce Deus Si cupis ex animo pietatem discere veram Ecce tibi christus Ludimagister adest Commoda si quaeras animae tibi commoda monstrat Hic liber hic sanctae pabula mentis erunt Annè voluptatem iucundaque
innocent Able by the blood of righteous men and by inglutting him selfe in their innocencie to stande on feete and praunce it to looke alofte and countenaunce it to goe stately to stande stoutly as though hee were moste pure in harte This kinde of man I would hée were not with vs or if hée bée gone let him bée a warning to vs for it is not with our humanitie when God hath giuen vs Bread plenty and blessed vs with aboundance to aske still with Mydas till wée bée choked with Golde So Naball like that wée can not spare Dauid so mutch as thrée Loues of Breade to féede his Seruantes That riche gluttō in Luke as I am perswaded when hée lay in Hell in tormentes and saw Abraham hee woulde willingly haue drawen out his Golde vntill the bottome of his Coffars and haue morgaged all his land and substaunce too for one droppe of water to coole his tongue But goe too thou riche man laugh sporte playe and bée merry Thou knowest thy Heauen and that is Hell. The nexte thing I haue noted is this Fyrst he giueth then to vs Thirdly to day Fourthly Bread. Wherin wee are admonished of the duety of all Christians not to gaze so mutch on the commodity of priuate gayne as to pray and to remember the state of the Church For in that wee pray for vs wée pray for all euen such as bee of the Household of GOD. It accordeth to the doctrine of Paull 1. Corinth 12. That maketh our body vnder one head Christe And that mutuall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that compassion and remorse wee haue one of an other is properly set forth to the Ephes 2. And as the Children in Luke are sayd to daunce when their fellowes daunced and are sayde to wéepe when as they wepte and to bée merry when their companions were glad So in like manner are the Seruauntes of our God that remember the afflictions of our fellowe Brethren and thinke on the calamities of such as suffer with vs For as in heauen there shal be not diuers but one Song one Alleluiah to prayse the Lorde And as there is not many Ierusalems but one Ierusalem And as there is but one Golden Read to measure the Temple So there can not bée neither should there bée any more then one voice in one Church to pray to God. Hee that giueth is God To whom it is giuen is all flesh It is to day for wee alwayes neede it And Breade it is euen all manner sustenance to nourishe vs. The vse hereof is this that wée shewe our selues duetiful and obedient rendering due homage and reuerence to the Lord from whom wée haue all things For if the Oxe knoweth his kéeper and the Asse his Maisters Cribbe Shall Israell and they of the house of God forget the Lorde Fighteth not the Dog for his Maister striueth not the Beare for the safety of hir younge doth not the Husbandman lay his corne to vsury And hydeth hee not his grayne in earth And is not the ground thankefull agayne for his tendinge and care hee had of it Then let man cast his eyes to Heauen and thinke on the Lord that giueth all that hée bée not forgotten of his Father aboue when Christ shall come and deliuer vp the Kingdome to his Father and giue rewarde to them that serue him Thus I haue though very wearysome paraduenture to your hearinge bréefelye passed euer this firste lesson of our first Table concerninge man. Two more there is left behinde which if God permit and my leysure doo afforde it shal be more narrowly and straitly handled hereafter Forgiue vs our Tresspasses as wee forgiue them that Tresspas against vs. I Haue very often made mentiō in this my Treatise of the necessity of prayer now the force therof appeareth so liuely and the greatnes therof is set down so fully that in so good a thing in so perfecte a rule appointed by the Lord I once more am enforced to call you altogeather to assemble your selues as they in Esdras did to vnderstande and heare the Booke of God. For as in the Tables of Stone wherin the commaundements were engrauen The first commaundement auayled not if they made a seclusion of the second No more can that which went before profitt vs of the Lorde and of God and of our bare protestation vnto Christe vnlesse in his mercy hee forgiue vs Wherfore wée are to bée called togeather euery one and to all persons I giue notice of thefame that euery one may iudge his dealinge Then shall wee bée forwarde and attentiue to heare the Lorde when wée are found to agrée and méete as one Or when such A. Zacheus is caught among vs as wil not iudge but forgiue and pay his debts and that can as expedient speake trueth in all As for mée I may doo that which Statius doth in Synephebis and with good cause desire and craue the helpe of all which are as I all wrapt in sinnes And iustly I thinke I can crye cut Pro deum popularium omnium adolescentum Clamo postulo Oro ploro atque imploro fidem Not for a light and trifling thing offence is committed he must die the death Ab amico amante argentum accipere meretrix non vult The money that was offered of the louer is refused of his Peragon But euen to ioyne helpe come in one and marke my speech that haue to doe and to medle with that will accuse you all euen of faith of hope of religion of trueth of allegiaunce Non dijs immortalibus As the Orator reported But to God to the Lord vnto Christ that can consume vs. For iniquitie is the way of all fleshe and the treadings of those in earth is ignoraunce Wherefore lot vs consider the vanitie of man and by déepe consideration open the rawnesse of our nature let vs perseuaer in discerning our owne corruption and offer vp our soules and bodies to the Lorde for he it is wee haue offended Therefore in this next percell though it be but a small bundel is trussed vp the saluation ful drift of vs all that can neuer glorifie the Lorde better nor shew our selues more obedient vnto him then at such time as we debase and humble vs before the Lorde when that arrogancie and the man of pride is laide down our bodis mortified before our god For if we do confesse the Lord to be our father if not on earth but in heauen if we séeke to sanctifie him and to magnifie his name If to reigne in vs by his spirite If that his kingdome should be enlarged his name glorified his praise exalted among the sonnes of men If that his will may bee fulfilled and what please him may come to passe If that he giueth to vs continually and feedeth vs dayly and nourisheth vs howrely and giueth vs bread and meate in due season yet is it nothing it is but a bare knowledge and an hypocriticall
confession if thou aske it not in humblenesse and méekenesse of spirite but art swelled and puffed vp with Pride as though thy owne righteousnesse and the strength of thine owne armes bad brought it to passe For which cause we pray that our debts may bee forgiuen vs and our transgressions pardoned vs and we acknowledg that we owe much vnto the Lord god For séeing that our sinnes are as the stayned clothe of a woman for the we hatch Cocatrice eggs and weaue the spiders webbe Is not his hande vpon vs and his consuming wrath hath it not alreadie snared vs and are wee not intangled vnto death And is it not time to begin to pray w humilitie confesse our sinnes for here glittereth forth the first hope we haue in Christ in that he was a propitiacion for vs to his father that cannot any otherwise be satisfied then in acknowledging our sinnes Chiefly here and before all els we haue to vnderstande what is ment by this for giue vs our debtes For as touching our duetie wee owe much vnto the Lorde feare obedience loue reuerence with sutche like Beeing so mutche bounde the more vnto our God as his mercie is greate and his loue surpassing our loue or his kindenesse without ende whiche is set forth to be seene of man in these two thinges The first is in the eternal couenant which he hath made with man whereby his frée mercy is séene by not imputing vnto vs our sinne The other is the weakenesse and imbecillitie of all flesh so that being debters we are alienated from the Lord hauing no hope of peace left vnto vs but by his onely grace to fulfil that Rom. 3. That all haue sinned and are destitute of the glorie of God and that euery mouthe might be stopped and the whole world culpable in his sight For though there appéere a certeine notice and glimmering â—f perfectioÌ„ as it were in the saincts of god Yet till they bee moued by the spirite they runne at randals and then wheÌ„ they are best they fall often Wherefore here is condempned those vpstart and newfangled vanities nowe of late fleeringe to and fro in the mindes of men that by counterfait and glosing speech insinuate I knowe not what kinde of holinesse in themselues And there is a byworde of late crept into our Church taken as I suppose from the contrarietie of their manners And we must be puritans in the name of God and seuer our selues from other congregations and truely paraduenture more aptely then they are a ware of For Puri tanquam spuri agréeth right God he mercifull vnto vs I knowe some that goe a tippe Tooes and mince it as neately in talke as any courtier of them all can doe at meate and yet by your leaues be not angry w them neither they be as vily spleafooted and treade their shooes as much a wry as the homelest carter of them all that keepeth the Plough thorough out the yeare And when I haue consithered all they bee but men But blessed be our Lorde the man Iesus Christe that hath ginen vs an other meane and opened vnto vs a better way and permitteth vs to haue falts and some blemish and suffereth vs to fall oftentimes and then giueth vs leaue to lay the burthen of our sinnes vpon his shoulders For euen thus it is prepared the vnlesse Moses haue one to holde vp his arme the victorie wil be lost and yet if it be so that he hath helpe for a season such is our nature our fragilitie such the he is wearied fo if ye haue not a stone to vnderprop him to stay his elbow on It is in hazard the he falleth not they al. And if Dauid coulde not promise him any assuraunce in his life but that he fell so sodeinly at the sight of a silye woman that washed her bragge they asmuche as they will and liue they as well as they can yet at length by trusting so much to this tower they may paradueÌ„ture some one or other time be ouertakeÌ„ but this two headed serpeÌ„t I let it alone God wil one day as be hath of late mangled the one of them so I doubt not but he wil sharpeÌ„ an other sword shal cut off both This péece of this prayer calleth vs to the tribunall seate of God and our names written in his booke our plea can be no other then for mercie so that what we haue not of our selues that haue we from the lord and condempned by sinne in the flesh wee are raised by him in the spirite For all fleshe sinneth the iust man liueth by fayth Dauid I doubt not did see this When be acknowleged his imbicilitie and gaue way vnto weakenesse and sawe his conception how it was in sinne and knewe his thoughts howe they were euil from his youth I labour more in this for that I haue had of late to deal with some that prestime to seuer them from those be wicked and accompt althings as righteousnesse that procedeth from them These I desire in the Lorde to reade ouer the Prophets And if from Adam till the floude all had their infirmities If Adam fell if our first mother gaue vs so vnluckie a drinke that we al haue béen blistered therwith from our cradelles If Abell offered vp the first fruites of his shéepe as a sacrifice to the Lorde yet commended to bee a iust man If Noah him selfe commended of the Lorde fel so grossely in incest and ouercome in drinke we be no better then our fathers we may fal I speake not here to vphold sin no the lord God is my witnesse whom I serue in his Christ that since the first fast the I supped of the Cupe of the Lord from the time I set my foot vpoÌ„ the doore of his threshold to sée what was don ther I haue abhorred to the death the ways of death And let this bée my witnes at the day of the Lorde and let mee looke at that day for the Crowne of glorye as I haue sought with all endeuor to builde vp his Churche and detested iniquitye Let no man suspecte mee here for I know I haue to deale with curious heads that take euery light ocrasion for their purpose I shiner them in péeces for this cause onely if I can and I cut them of For this is my Faith and this I know That by the first man came in death by the second man Christ came in life The first is of the fleshe to condempnation The second of the Spirite to Saluation And that which commeth of it selfe ryseth vp in man to cast downe man being only sinue scrawling in our mortall bodies and is made righteousnes in the man Christ in whome we haue an earnest by the spirite Our spirite witnessing with the spirite of God that we be inheritours of life so that I leaue to vs no good thing as of our selues but I referre my selfe to the