ends for Gods glorie and oure mutuall compforth Amen To the wch gloriouse parson we must often in these kinds make speciall sute vnto for as his graciouse presens in hearinge and readinge dothe keye from vs wronge interpretacion werynes and tediousenes so his absens ys cause of the one and the other with our disprofict and greate anoye At suche tymes then let vs crye come holie Ghoste enleghten and support our ignorans and weakenes not that God the thryd parson coeternall wth the father and the sonn can be comprehended in any man who is so incomprehencible of hym self but rather we desire his effects operation and working as we se the manyfould beames procedinge from the bodie of the sonn so farr distant from the yearth dothe yet send downe her heate and power to all the treatures And as I wyshe you profitablie to reade and heare so in walkinge in eyther Exchange feyld or how 's to remember to walk out your race and the rest of your dayes more carefully and religiousely to the Kyngdom of heaven warde for the commandement of God to our father Abraham that he should walk holilie before hym dothe also appartayne to you his children by faythe that hope to be wth hym in glory and so to practys Hezychia his sacred prayer sayenge I beseche the o Lord remember how I have walked before the in truthe and wth a parfect hart A prayer and lesson worthie to be thought on seinge the Lorde no less requireth this of vs then of the Isralitishe church sayenge what dothe the Lorde thy God require of the but to feare the Lorde thy God to love and serue hym to walk in his wayes and to cleaue vnto hym as thoughe wthout wch stickinge and cleavinge he ys no nerer God to vs then to his vniversall creatures Wherfore as the Apostle sayeth yf we lyve of the spirit let vs walke in the spirit And to walke in this sort ys to walke acceptablie and securelie My self in greate weakenes walkinge sum tymes in that worshipfull how 's although I made there the best choyce I coulde of parsons and taulk for our mutuall good yet my hart toung and eare slippinge so ofte besides the due byas wth the loss of tyme wherein to have bene better occupied makes me now to crave pardon of God and thus publykely to confess yt a fault vnto the world And therfore good bretherne of such loving acquayntans as I am hartelie thankfull for your curtesie and gentlenes so do I wishe that you occupie or spare that populouse place none otherwyse but as caullinge and necessitie requirethe The Apostle exhorteth all to applie our selves to the tyme the brevitie wherof considered yt will hasten vs to Imploy the best exercises therein Tyme For as nothinge ys more preciouse then the tyme so of manie nothinge ys more vyldlie abused and every thing more certayne then the continuans thereof It lacks but a little of xvi hundred yeres a go sithens St. Paull sayde the tyme ys but short then yt must nedes be so moche the more shorte now by so many yeres wher vpon as all Godly changers wil be the more quickned and awakened to Exchange there vnprofitable vse of the tyme to a better evenso I exhorte all misspenders abusers and voluntarie necglecters of the tyme in that royall Exchange so to change or cast away that greate faulte in theme as there right vsage of the tyme from this readinge forwards may be a testimonie of there true faythe and repentans for tyme ys so preciouse that yt must be redemed and stryven for And thus Christian reader I wyshe you to esteme moche and to devyde the tyme for severall exercises therein bothe for God and for your selves for Prince cittie and familie No dowte the devill perswades sum carnall and viciouse parsons that there tyme ys well spent beinge vsuall in the taverne and that there Impietie ys closely covered when they do bable out a few cowld prayers and come once a weke to the churche wthout regard of other duties As a daplie dronckard in Billeter lane answered one requiringe his hastie rysinge the next daye I must sayde he haue a tyme to put on my clothes a tyme to pray and a tyme to sett myne how should in order By whome we se that as all heritikes thinck theme selves to have the best religion and to be nerest vnto God so common dronckards and carnall lyvers by sum shew of civilitie esteme theme selves as honest and as truly religiouse as the best and bothe by a subtill prompt of the divill Who hathe fayre paynted hypocrites in the churche in the alchows and taverne dronkards besides adulterers blasphemers and robbers all these will make shew of religion and seme to love the churche and sermon but none otherwyse then as sum gay professors kepinge secret minions do love there wyues more for fame and to a voyde shame then for any right affection they beare to the one or the other These miserable people will also come bowldly to the Exchange and be no more a shamed to be there then a frayed in the churche at the hearinge of Gods iudgements denownced against theme because for the tyme they have no less adamant harts wthout felinge then brasen forheads wthout blusshinge Nevertheless beinge in the compass of this freyndly exhortation I beseche you as bretherne by creation although not yet by regeneration to take sorrow and greyf to hart wth syedie and vnfayned repentans that so you may be changed bothe in churche how 's and in the Exchange from that you haue bene to that you should be tremblinge at Gods iudgements and so hartylie to crave mercie and grace Estemynge now a most dangerouse thinge to think on to morrow and to neglect this days conversion Wyshing you to forgeit no longer what ys written except you be borne agayne you cannot enter into the Kyngdome of God For yf you beleyue in Christ crucifyed then must you be in better forte crucifyed wth hym that ys to slay and mortifie those enormities whervy to haue the similitude of his deathe by kyllinge suche grose synnes and also the similitude of his resurrection by rysinge agayne in to the newnes of lyfe The wch the Lord grant for his mercy sake Generally then all do stand in nede to begg and intreate that the feare of the Lorde be graven and grownded wthin our harts the wch as yt ys the spirituall bytt to curbe vs back from suche execrations so ys yt a devyne spurr to quicken vs forwards to all Christian actions The wch beinge absent ys surely the deathe of all vertue the increase of all vyce the shipwrack of conscyens and all confusion in lyfe Therfore blessed ys the man to whome the feare of the Lord ys granted because yt ys glory gladnes reioysinge and the Ioyfull crowne as Sirack sayeth and that aswell of the ritche and noble as of the meane and poore Vnderstand not here suche a feare as the bondman
he fast in his goode lyfe thoughe he saw few so affected to gether wth righteouse Lott nothing returned from his holy conversation notwthstanding the multitude of wycked Sodomites on every side but the one and the other proceded and parsisted in there pietie In lyke sorte stand you fast quite you lyke men procede as spirituall souldiers and so to finishe as true Christians and then the garland to come ys yours wth the present peace of consciens wch in this lyfe vs the cheyfe reward of true Godlynes The other part of gentlemen so naked of the weddinge garment as they be voyde of oyle in there lampes lovinge better to follow the crye of there hownds then eyther to heare the voyce of the preacher or to imitate your Godly example I wyshe vs all to pittie and pray for theme that make so small accowmpt of religion and good lyfe otherwyse then of there belly God and ladie pleasure who therby as they seme to be flatt Atheysts and therefore in most wofull case so the papisticall gentlemen as fauls harted to gospell and Prynce as they be addicted to romishe Idolls be as vnfitt for civill office and auctoritie as by want of faythe they are yet for the Kingdom of glorie whervnto the Lord frame and convert theme in the tyme of his yourpose and pleasure But you good gentlemeÌ„ must think on the dignitie of your profession of the servant knowing moch to do his maysters will on the brevitie of your dayes of the best exercises to be had therein and in tyme of your recreations to glorifie God and to beware of prophanations takinge greate delight in your graciouse God not alone for your welthe health leysure and libertie but cheyfly for his illumininge spirit the feare of the Lorde and for that by grace you discearne your selves to stand the contreyes in steade and your good examples to be as glasses for theme to looke in Then may that circuit be cownted happie conteyninge so vertuouse an examplar as the congregation most blessed to have before theme a Godly and learned teacher Therfore for the better approbatioÌ„ of your state and degrees to be a warrantable caullings from God so myghtelie denyed of sum fyrst as you are curteouse and gentle vp the guyde of your names so in other things to be fownde wthin rule and good order ofte wthin the lords how 's as a sure recorde you be of the same lyvinge stones and helpinge members lovers of the Prynce proctors for her good causes but more specially for Gods and that in good sort wth whome you must lyve beyond the tyme of all Prynces helpinge gentlemen but not hurtinge neyghbors of the poore in the coÌ„treys Lykewise you worshipful of â—yne acquayntans both discrete and of good carriage of your selues I pray you preferr the holynes of religion by being found truly religiouse that so your fellowe gentlemen may be ashamed to speake evill of your good profession wheÌ„ they shall se you hate vice love vertu releyve the poore to bringe vp your familie in the knowlege and reverens of God as I have knowen you to have donn sum in the cittie and more in the contrey of wch nomber there be to few and theme over basely estemed though of great price before the Lorde and his people redemed In the meane tyme my worshipfull freynds I humblie crave the helpe of your prayers in this farr distans occasioned partly by sum doctorly frownes partly by my daughters letters and by greate boasts to se suche en Englishe churche here as nompareille and so yt ys par derrriere and finally throughe rashe trust in sum not so trustie wherby the oulde man was hether transported to be of his God iustly and gently corrected And further to premonishe bothe you and the worshipfull in the exchange I wijshe you beware of the dangerouse opinions of suche Englyshe Anabaptists bred here as whose parsons in part wth more store of there letters dothe creps and spreade amongest you in cittie and contrey The wch perilouse herysies wherewth they be so lately infected dyd not only procede of obstinacie in error but of pryde and singularitie wth the want of love and humilitie to kepe vnitie and peace amonge theme selves when they came over And as by my privat letters I have forewarned sum particuler frepuds so by this symple and forrayne labor I intended a more generall sithens I heard that one of this companie in Norwich intendeth to indure shortly an execution against hym By wch premonishement I would gladly make you more carefull and watchefull to prevent the invisible sower of darnell a monge the good wheate And so no leff to seke the right armure of prouffe and shilde of defens for our devine causes wherby to foyle theme that intend to defyle others then they seke fauls armure by wrest of scripture wth wyle weapons to make vnlawfull resistans against the most holy and auncient fayth of the vniuersall churche the wch not to manteyne and defend in sum measure by the O Christian reader and every true member of the same were suche threason to the Catholyke faythe and to her obiect Iesus Christ as the Turcks Iews and Papists should be farr better then theye bp reason in there blynde zeale they studie and labor all they can to support there fauls religions and to gaynesay the contrarie And darest thow of what condision so ever tushe and make light of this as thoughe yt appartayned not to the God forbid Gentlemen warned of the opinions of the Anabaptists Fyrst our Englishe and Outche here howld that Christ toke not his pure fleshe of the Virgin Mary and do denie her to be his naturall mother Secondly that the Godheade was subiect to passions and to deathe wch ys Impassible Thyrdly that the infants of the faythfull ought not to be baptysed Fourthly that the soules do slepe in grave wth the bodies vntill the resurrectioÌ„ Fyfthly that Maicstrates ought not to put malefactors to deathe Sixtly they condemne all warrs and Subiects in armure in the feyld Seventhly they denyt the article of predestinatioÌ„ they denye the L. day And finally they savour moch of the opinions of fre wyll and the merit of works You se now how nedefull yt ys for men to be armed and to be strong in the fayth so wastinge and wthstode in these latter dayes to be more otenpied in prayer and scripture then of custome seinge Sathan now whettens his hornes by Gods parmission to goore the more dyrefully for our further exercise and tryall And in charitie foresee as you may that suche smothe parsons and papers do not infect the poore symple so vnable to wthstand there subtill and and paynted reasons For once stayned therewth they shall as hardly be delyvered as the intangled byrd from the lyme bushe because yt ys as a rustie cancker eatinge throw wthout recoverie by eyther gentle ople or the hard stele no nor by the flaminge fyer no more then there
grād mother Ione Butcher could thereby be reclaymed And therefore yt ys wyshed that neyther tortures nor violens to be vsed yf aucthoritie so please to there bodies otherwyse then bannishement out of those contreyes by reason our noble Prince Iudges nor state should not be so reputed of wth suche hard tearmes of Anabaptists and others as I on loth here to express and allreadie greved to heare what I deareby occasion of report that one of this Englysh company ys shortly lyke to die beinge presoner at Norwych Besides that there pertinacie and desperate resolution to suffer for there bad causes will intice the ignorant not only to thinck that there outtagiouse zoyle is a sanctified zeale proper onlie to the true martyrs but lykewise to dowte the more of the Christian faythe and so make there diabolicall bowldnes to appere an holie suffringe and right martyrdome where yt ys rather a stronge delusion of Sathan who mightilie begyleth therby for as Christ in these xvj hundred peres space hathe had moste holie and constant martyrs in his churche so the devill as an ape imitatinge every good thinge in the sayde church hathe lykewyse many fauls and rashe headed sufferers in his malignant churche in all ages and now ys evident by the bowld Iesuttes chusinge rather stubbernlie to die in the defens of there abhominations then to lyve in the Catholyke faythe by cravinge pardon of the Prince for there tryed threasons Baulls preists suffred moche in there devillishe zeale to there fauls Gods whē they so lawnced skorched there fleshe to the bones wth there kuyves Did not Kinge Manasses in a wicked zeale cause his sonnes to pass throw the fyer Besydes the hardynes of the Iacobins that slew the late Frēche kinge and that desperat murderer committinge the lyke to the Prince of Orrenge who thoughe his fleshe by gobbets was nipt of wth burnynge pyncheons yet that greved hym not when he was could the Prince was dispatched The same subtill spirit that wrought then will no dowre worck the lyke giddines and self blodshed in the Anabaptists But true martyrdome is a witnessinge by voyce and deathe for the defens of the three gloriouse parsons in one God and for the mayntenans of Christ his debinitie and Immanitie in one parson and for his gloriouse gospell sake I esteme suche kind of sufferers no better then they that be aucthors of there owne death St. Peter sayethe yf anie man suffir let hym suffer as a Christian and not as an evill doer I wysh suche to thinck on Hackett his frantyke zeale lately executed in cheapsyde since whose vilde death manie a good Christian have bene no less vmbraded and reproched then the sacred discipline mocked and despised To conclude let vs confess the gospell entierlie in yt fullnes and to the deathe stand to that Christ hathe the substans of God and the substans of man of hym selfe from above and of David here beneathe yet spottless of our gilte And therfore let vs solace our selves wth these words in the tenn of the Hebr. Seinge therfore brethern that by the blodd of Iesus we may be bowld to enter into the holye place by the new and lyvinge waye wch he hathe prepared for vs throw the vaile that ys his fleshe Wherein we se that the fleshe of Christ dothe shew vs his devinitie as hidden vnder a vayle wch otherwise we could not indure to behowld that splendor and glorie by the wch vaile we are directed and ledd vnto God as he sayeth in Iohn xij He that seythe me seythe hym that sent me Wherfore o heavie and faythfull hart vnder the burden of synn chere vp thy self for asmoche as our heavenlie father dothe graciousely and frelie Impute Christ his righteousenes vnto vs for to geve vs lyfe eternall in that he behowldeth vs not in our selves but in his sonn as contrarie wyse he strykinge hym our redemer for vs and behouldinge vs in hym dyd exempt vs from hell and condembnation The wch imputation of righteousenes commes not to vs by anie mixture of his vnspotted humanitie wth ours so spotted but by the vertu of his spirit he ys in suche sort vnited so nere vnto those that apprehend hym by faythe as he and they be one bodie spirituallie Ioyned for the substants of bodie and soule have nothinge commune wth this spirituall mariage but rather we are made his vnder the vertu of this vnton by fre Imputacion as lykewyse by Imputacion he and all his threasures are ours wch ys confirmed to the faythefull lovinge and fearinge God in the supper eate cōpfortablie of this meate as also by readinge marckinge and applieng And seke out these texts to strengthen thy self and others namely how Christ ys caulled the sone of God and the sonn of man to have a father in heaven and a mother in yerthe A child and a sonn to be borne and geven vs. The word was God and was made fleshe Tearmed the Sede of David and the sonn of David Christ descended from the fathers after the fleshe He was in the fourme of God and in the fourme of a servant And in sondry places caulled the sonn of Mary David his lorde no less then Davids sonn a woman compassed a man Christ as a man dyd eate drinck slepe was wery and veryly died And he bothe God and man walked on the sea and caused the deade to come out of the grave he ys Alpha and Omega the rote of David and the generation of David wch ys playne two natures God and man May I not say now wth the Apostle O ye folishe and fonde conceyted Anabaptists who hathe bewitched you To denie this cheyfe article the sowndation of our Christian faythe and the end of our salvation God mollifie your hard harts and make vs hartilie thanckfull for his truthe to vs revealed beinge our soveraigne happines yf yt be preciouselie estemed and not slenderly regarded or cowldly professed It behoves the Godly bothe in the Exchange cittie and contrey to reade and to make more estimation of reading of the scripture and the devine consequēces from the same that as you take tymes there for buyenge and sellinge walkinge and communing so in Gods behaulf and your owne to observe the tymes of reading prayenge hearinge and of praysinge the Lorde consideringe the Apostle sayeth geve attendans to readinge aswell as to exhortation and doctrine And note that fructeless reading of vayne books from prophane aucthors is as hurtfull as necgligent hearinge of the worde ys vnprofitable The right vse of wch two vertues ys to be traved of God the one publykely by the office of the eare and the other privat by vse of the eye and tounge and bothe to be nothinge wthout the will mynde and affection Better therefore ys a short and diligent readinge now and then wth good attencion then to turn manie leaves wth small regard and less apprehētion The holie Ghosts in mercy open oure eares dispose our harts and guyde our tongs to these