of Christs bodie and bloode ye are fedde and filled with the graces of Christ as graffes are nourished with the sap of that tree whereupon they are graffed I wicked wretch receiued first for fashion sake negligently afterward inclining to the Romane religion I receiued for feare of the lawes of this land against my will disdainfully reckoning it as a thing of naught which I receiued Whereby I doe thinke in my conscience I did sore displease almightie God The Lord Iesus Christ giue grace that no man or woman may hereafter receiue his bodie and bloode vnworthily I was not giuen to pray vnto God nor indeede knew howe to praie and therefore was not blessed in that which I did practise All people be carefull to praie alwaies in the beginning continuance and ending of all good emploiment Whensoeuer you are about to thinke to say or to doe any thing praie vnto God that he will for Christs sake giue you the grace to thinke saie and doe his will and for euery blessing which hee giueth vnto you be mindefull and forward to giue him thankes When you purpose to praie vnto him or to praise him quicken your faith in this maner first beleeue that you are in the sight and hearing of God beleeue it so verily as you did see him with your bodily eies Secondly consider his almightie maiestie and your owne vile basenesse being as you are a sinner dust ashes and thereupon humble your heart as if you would cast your selfe flatte vpon the ground before him Thirdly with all reuerence and diligent discretion lift vp your minde and vtter your heart vnto him You may well praie to God or praise him in your heart although your mouth speake it not but you cannot well speake vnto him with your mouth vnlesse your heart doe wholly intend and thinke vpon that which you say for it is your heart that God giueth heede vnto In your praier and thankesgiuing shunne the pride of words for God loueth plaine speech and vse no needlesse circumstance because he loueth no idle words Be very carefull and fearefull least in any thing that you say vnto him you displease him for we are apt to displease God euery way yea euen when we thinke to please him Pray very leisurely for hast maketh wast Because I wanted instruction how to praie I am desirous to helpe others the best that I can Let your first praier be for the forgiuenesse of your sinnes in some such maner as this O almightie and most dreadfull Lord God I loathsome sinner vnworthie to liue in thy sight doe humbly beseech thee that for thine onely sonne Iesus Christs sake thou wilt vouchsafe to forgiue me my sinnes and to clense me from my sinfulnesse that I may be thine humble and true seruant for vnto thee all honour and glorie is due world without ende Amen When you purpose to thinke vpon to speake or to doe any thing pray for grace good speede O almightie God Lord of heauen and earth the onely giuer of all good speede and prosperitie I beseech thee â—o forgiue me my sinnes and so to blesse me â—n this businesse which now I doe intende â—hat it may be prosperous to thy glorie thorough Iesus Christ thine onely sonne who with thee and the holy Ghost three persons and one God be honoured in heart word and deede henceforth for euer and euer Amen When you receiue any blessing or prosperitie from God praise him heartily O most blessed and bountifull Lord God what am I that thou giuest such blessing vnto me I am a vile sinner worthie of nothing but miserie and damnation and therfore it is thy meere mercie that I am thus blessed O good Lord I humbly beseech thee to continue thy gracious fauour towards me and to make me euery way vnfainedly thankfull vnto thee for the same thorough Iesus Christ thine onely sonne who with thee and the holy Ghost three persons and one God be vnfainedly praised for euer and euer Amen When sicknesse or any aduersitie falleth vpon you the first thing you doe humble your selfe vnto God O most holy and righteous Lord God I doe confesse that thou maiest iustly destroie me bodie and soule for my many and grieuous sinnes wherewith I haue daily and hourely displeased thee all my life long therefore I am bound to praise thee because thou hast suffered me all this while and now doest so fauourably chasten me to the end that I should repent and not be condemned O most mightie Lord nothing can happen vnto me without thine ordinance Therefore I beseech then that I may humbly patiently and thankefully take this thy correction to the amendment of my life and to the glorie of thy blessed name thorough Iesus Christ thine onely sonne who with thee and thy holy Ghost three persons and one God be rightly worshipped obeied and praised for euer and euer Amen When any crosse or aduersitie doth lie so heauie vpon you that you can not endure it make humble supplication to God O father of mercie and God of all comfort I vile wretch am much grieued vnder the burden of my sinnes and thou hast not laide the whole weight of them vpon me I doe heartily thank thee that thou hast not ouerwhelmed me with thy dreadfull wrath which I haue all my life time deserued and â—lso I humblie beseech thee that if it may â—and with thy good pleasure thou wilt â—ouchsafe to ease me of this which I nowe â—uffer that I may the better be able to doe â—hee seruice but if it please thee not thy will 〈◊〉 holy thy wil be done onely vouchsafe me â—omfort and patience most blessed Lord â—hat thy holy name may be glorified of me â—n mine obedient suffering thorough Iesus Christ thine onely sonne who with thee â—nd the holy Ghost three persons and one God be honoured and praised for euer and â—â—uer Amen I was not accustomed to say grace when I was young but sometime saide it for a â—aine glorie and finding the fashion of the world to be like vnto the manner of bruit â—oastes following nature and not grace I became a beast my selfe falling to meate without any acknowledgement of Gods goodnesse Afterward finding that Iesus Christ himselfe and all good Christians vsed to say grace I was touched in conscience and meant to vse it but hauing not the power to subdue mine owne will nor the heart to contrarie the course of them with whome I liued I remained as a reprobate vncouth and vnframable to euery good worke All people for Gods sake accustome your selues to haue grace before and after you eate and drinke If it seeme vncouth vnto you as it doth to many people be afraide for it is an ill signe shewing that your heart is a stranger to God and if you be strange to him he will be strange to you Therefore by any meanes ouercome that ill qualitie and giue your selfe to grace But you may say it is so out of vse with most
THE BVRTHEN OF a loaden conscience OR THE MISERIE OF SINNE Set forth by the confession of a miserable sinner Printed by CANTRELL LEGGE Printer to the Vniversitie of Cambridge 1608. To all Christened people I Knowing the great honor which Almightie God hath graciously giuen vnto you for you are his children his holy Ghost is in you doe therfore acknowledge my bounden dutie next after God vnto you and accordingly with humble reuerence dedicate this my Confession first to God then to you his deerely beloued children I wrote it in deadly disease of bodie and in dolefull trouble of minde my purpose was to glorifie God and to shew vnto all people the horrible bondage of sinne that they might plainly see it truly feare it and timely preuent it Herein if any shall thinke me ouer-harsh and too too plaine I beseech them to weigh in their conscience what it is to be at the doore of death and the gate of hell terrified with the sight of Gods wrathfull iudgement and in continuall danger of sudden death This is no time to couer or to colour my sinnes but to lay them open that it may please God mercifully to couer them To this ende I doe humbly craue your Christian furtherance in earnest praier to God for my confession and for me For my confession that it may prosper against sinne for my selfe that I may be deliuered out of hell and receiued into your heauenly companie I aske no more but to be the very lowest of all people that shal be saued Which if it shall please the blessed God through your praiers in Iesus Christ to vouchsafe vnto me most vnworthie then shall I be in good hope to liue and set forth an Hallelu-ia that you may praise God for his mercie his maruelous mercie towards you and me Then shall you know the poore sinners name that nowe beggeth the benefite of your praiers Hallowed be the name of God and his blessing be vpon Christened people men women and children for euermore Amen Thus I humbly take my leaue Iune 13. 1608. To the Printer IF any thing which I haue written doe seeme vnto godly learned men not likely to worke well for the destruction of sinne I desire that they will take the paines to amend it so as they will answer their doings therein vnto the Lord Iesus Christ when all purposes and causes shall be brought to light I protest before God that nothing be mitigated concerning me by turning I am into I was c. It is very needefull for a man to know what he is I know none but my selfe I iudge none but my selfe I intreat others to giue me leaue to iudge my selfe because I feare the iudgement of God and would perswade people to feare God that they may escape his iudgement and obtaine his mercie Amen Amen O good Lord Iesu for thy holy names sake say thou Amen The burthen of a loaden conscience ALl Christened people men women and children I sinfull sinner hauing by long and wofull experience found the miseries of sinne am desirous to confesse the same that others may see and speedily turne away from it Therefore I humbly beseech you that for Christs sake you will charitably read or heare this my confession VVHen I was a child and first began to vnderstand and speake then was the foundation laide of all my miserie Because I was not by and by entered into the faith and feare of God but the Deuill had leisure to take full possession of my heart Who so deepely seasoned me with sinne that I haue continued sinnefull euer since yea I am so hardened in wickednesse that although I feele death comming vpon me and may looke euerie houre when I shall suddenly die and be cast into hell fire yet I haue no power to turne vnto God Wherefore I beseech all people to take warning by me let it be your first and chiefest care to liue in the faith and feare of God Beleeue verily for it is most true you are alwaies in the sight of God Hee searcheth out your thoughts and affections he hearkneth to your words he vieweth your behauiour and writeth vp all in a booke with purpose to iudge you according to the practise of your life Beare this continually in minde and be afraide to displease God who shineth ouer your head with such a glorious brightnesse that if it were his pleasure to shewe himselfe openly to the world the sunne that shineth in the skie should be vtterly darkened and no earthly creature could remaine aliue by reason of the terrible sight of his almightie maiestie Blessed are you if ye haue the feare of God before your eies But you are in woefull case if you feare him not O all ye parents and bringers vp of children great is the account which you must make vnto God Therefore so soone as your children be able to vnderstand and speake accustome them to know and feare God Take good heede least the deuill get the first possession of your childrē for he knowing that is little ones are seasoned in the beginning so they are likely to sauour euer after will loose no time nor let passe any occasion to sowe his cursed seede in them This many parents and tutors of children doe little thinke of and therefore giue the deuill leaue to worke his will But doe you minde it and in the name of Christ kindely perswade your children to beleeue in God and to feare him oftentimes telling them what is good and what is naught and that the good commeth of God and naught frō the deuill and therefore if they will loue and practise goodnesse God will loue them and keepe them safe from the Deuill but if they loue and practise naughtinesse God will forsake them and leaue them to the Deuill Why doe so many teach little children to say and to doe that which angreth almightie God the silly children seeing their parents others so much delighted with euill 〈◊〉 setled in beleefe that it is good Thus the deuill is furthered in working the destruction of children But some sa◠that vnlesse children be framed to mirthfull wantonnesse they will not prooue wittie To which I answere the children of God are wittie to saie and doe good the children of the deuill are wittie to say and doe euill nowe consider to whom you doe liken your children to God or to the deuill for like will to like Children giue great heede to that which they see or heare especially in their parents and gouernours therefore all people as you will answer to God be careful what you say or doe before children for they will thinke that they may safely say as you say and doe as you doe Let not childrē be much among seruants for many seruants loue to teach children that which is naught O ye godfathers and godmothers remember that you are bound vnto God for the good bringing vp of your god-children In the beginning of Christian religion people were
verie carefull of bringing vp their children whereupon a learned Iewe was wont to saie that Christians were called tillers because they did diligently till the heartes of those that were vnder their charge sowing in them the seedes of godlinesse There are too few such tillers now adaies that heauenly husbandrie and blessed tillage is laide aside Our most mightie Lord God for his sonne Iesus Christs sake restore it and be mercifull to young children that his holy Ghost may fill their hearts with grace and goodnesse Amen Amen AS I grew in age so I increased in sinne prouoking Gods displeasure continually who notwithstanding patiently indured me yea deliuered me out of many deadly dangers whereinto I by follie and sinne did thrust my selfe from time to time Moreouer of his great goodnesse he gaue me knowledge of his righteousnesse and of mine owne sinnes moouing me oftentimes to leaue the waie of damnation and turne vnto his blessed maiestie thorough Iesus Christ assuring my heart that in so doing I should be blessed but otherwise cursed and condemned But all this did not preuaile with my reprobate heart which beeing vtterly hardened in sinne and voide of repentance causeth me to heape vp wrath vpon wrath and vengeance vpon vengeance to the increasing of mine euerlasting torments in hell fire All maner of people yong and olde take heede by me Haue no more Gods but one Consider well what he hath done for you He made you at the first like vnto himselfe in wisdome and holinesse and when you were by sinne made like the deuill and must therefore haue beene condemned to hell torments God sent his onely sonne who taking vnto him a bodie and soule was a man and suffered great wrong and a shamefull death to procure your pardon and to buie you out of the Deuills bondage that ye might be renued to the likenesse of God And now he hath sent the holy Ghost to enter and take possession of your hearts clensing you from sinne which is the Deuills likenesse and making you righteous which is the likenesse of God to the ende ye might be fit to keepe companie with all Saints in the ioyes of heauen Call to mind how long ye haue intertained the deuill and kept out the holy Ghost and with how great patience God hath hitherto suffered you and kept you aliue because he would not haue you perish but 〈◊〉 and be saued O what is the reason that people doe not loue this God aboue all things yea aboue their owne life Surely the 〈◊〉 is because they lacke faith for they doe not esteeme it their onely happinesse to be in the fauour of God but like vnto bruit beastes giue credit to deceitfull shewes and flattering enticements and so are wilfully snared of the Deuill who with his alluring baites draweth them on to destruction and the further he draweth them the surer he is of them Therefore all people for Gods sake take heede doe not delaie the time as I haue done thinking to turne vnto God to morrow and next daie for the longer you continue in sinne the harder it will be to repent because the deuill doth euery day get more and more power in you till your heart be fulfilled with wickednesse and so God doe euerlastingly forsake you Neuer be at quiet with your heart vntil you be in loue with God Studie and striue to compasse the loue of God ioye in whatsoeuer furthereth you vnto it grieue in all that hindereth you from it How shall I endeauour to loue God loue that which is good and hate that which is naught for good cōmeth of God and euill is of the deuill The thought is the beginning of your good and of your euill An euill thought is sent from the deuill and if you entertaine it it bringeth in the deuill A good thought is sent from the holy Ghost as a messenger vnto your soule if you receiue it and make much of it in your heart the holy Ghost will enter and putting out the Deuill will fill you full of heauenly grace Therefore doe as the Psalme biddeth you 4.7 lift vp your heads O ye gates and be ye lifted vp ye euerlasting doores and the King of glorie will come in Withdrawe your minde from all euill thoughts and thinke vpon God and godlinesse cleaue thereunto with full purpose of heart and studie how you may alwaies doe his will with diligence and suffer his pleasure with patience assuring your selues that if you giue your minde to serue him hee will not saile you nor forsake you but preserue you to his euerlasting kingdome and glorie doe not endure to thinke say or doe any thing against your conscience but alwaies be carefull to please God My heart beeing not knit vnto God but to the world I framed my religion to mine affection and mine affection to imagination first I was hote against the Romane religion then being much befreinded by some that fauoured that religion I to gratifie thē grew in good liking of it also yea so farre forth that I became a recusant was receiued into the Church of Rome by a Seminarie Priest and did what I could to perswade manie others to leane that waie But when trouble was likely to fall vpon me I went to Church againe and so by little and little fell off yet so as wheresoeuer I found any of that religion I was still sutable vnto them After this I beeing kindely vsed of some that were commonly called Puritans tooke liking of their opinions yea and in some points was readie to runne beyond them and all this in great shew of zeale towardes God so that I made my selfe beleeue that I was in the right waie and did well I doe often wonder at my selfe how feruent I was first a Protestant then a Romane Catholike afterward a Precisian so that I tooke vpon me to rebuke many yea and some of high degree as though I had beene a verie man of God full of the holy Ghost whereas indeede the deuill was in my heart and therefore all my waies were sinnefull and displeasing vnto God O all ye Christian people take heede by me doe not rashly giue your minde to fancie this or that religion but first of all settle your heart in the feare and loue of God Make conscience betweene God and your soule of all that you thinke say or doe Serue God in your spirit vnfainedly turning from sinne and striuing to please him Till you be thus setled in true godlinesse it is vaine yea and daungerous to hammer meddle with points of religion for your heart beeing vncleansed and your affections vnrighted God is not your leader but the deuill who will strangely deceiue you and make you proude of your doings when you stinke in your sinnes before the face of God Therefore submit your selues humblie to God weane your soules from sinne that ye may be wedded to Iesus Christ and by his spirit bring forth such fruits as are pleasing to God which
folk that if I offer to say grace among them they wil thinke scornfully of me and reckon me a precise foolish bodie I answer first if you be the disciple of Christ you serue a good master be not ashamed of him and his seruice least he be ashamed of you at the day of iudgement Secondly if you for seruing God be ill thought of a blessed soule are you â—tth 9.10 â—â— It is a great fauour of God if hee vouchsafe to giue you the grace to suffer any wrong for his sake For great is their reward in heauen that are any waie persecuted for righteousnesse sake Grace before meate O blessed Lord God I humblie beseech thee to pardon my sinnes and to blesse the foode which it pleaseth thee to giue me that I may be thereby nourished made able to doe thee true seruice in my calling through Iesus Christ thine onely sonne our Lord and Sauiour Amen Grace after you haue eaten and drunken O most mercifull Lord God I am bound to giue thee humble and heartie thankes for thy manifold blessings giuen vnto me and to all mankinde Therefore I beseech the to giue me grace that I may be continually thankfull vnto thee thorough Iesus Christ thine onely sonne our Lord Amen Vse often to say the Lords praier so called because our Lord Iesus Christ made it and taught it his disciples It is a most heauenly praier short and sweete containing all that we neede in fewe wordes Therefore you must say it very leisurely and also vnderstandingly According to my weake vnderstanding I will by the grace of God briefly open vnto you the meaning of the Lords praier O father of Iesus Christ The Lâ— prayâ—ned and thorough him the father of all true Christians of which number I trust that by thy grace I am one Thy glorious maiestie and powerfull greatnesse filleth heauen and earth but in heauen thy ioyfull countenance is to be seene Thy name is holy O let the holinesse thereof be euery day more and more set forth that al the world may honor thee in heart word and deede Thou art the onely rightfull King of heauen and earth but the Deuill by temptation hath made vs rebell against thee O let the kingdome of thy grace come into our hearts and put out Satan for euermore Thine Angels and Saints in heauen doe altogether obey thy will O graunt that we children of men here vpon earth may likewise be obedient vnto thee in all things Our bodies doe daily neede the comfortable supplie of foode raiment lodging and such like O giue vs therefore such continuall comfort as thou knowest we cannot be without and because it is dangerous to our foules to haue too much or too little of worldly goods we beseech thee to giue vs neither more nor lesse but iust so much as by thy grace may best fit vs to serue and please thee Our sinnes doe deserue thy wrathfull vengeance and euerlasting torment in hell fire yet of thy wonderfull mercie thou doest offer vnto vs thy gracious pardon thorough Iesus Christ with condiâ—â—on that we shall heartily forgiue all that â—ffend vs O good Lord we doe forgiue â—hem from the bottome of our hearts and â—s we doe forgiue them and not seeke reâ—enge against them so wee praie thee to forgiue vs and not to late thy heauie vengeance vpon vs. The deuill by meanes of this world and our owne naughtie inclination can easily ouercome vs and tempt vs to his pleasure Therefore we beseech thee that thou wilt not giue vs ouer into his handes but by thine almightie goodnesse preserue vs from Satan and all his partakers For the kingdome of all blessednesse is thine thou art the right owner of all goodnesse all power commeth from thee and therfore all glorie and praise is due onely to thee O father almighty with thy sonne and thy holy Ghost for euermore Be it euen so Amen Pray often and with great deuotion vnto God that all Christian people may be knit together by the holy Ghost in one faith and one charitie and shew forth the mightie power of God in their liues and conuersations that the Iewes Turkes and all misbeleeuing people may thereby take knowledge that Christian religion is the onely true worshipping and seruice of God and thereupon turne to be true Christians For it is not warre nor worldly conquest that turneth people vnto God but the holy praiers and heauenly liues of them that serue God IF God will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine what shall become of me who haue all my life time most grieuously taken his name in vaine euery kind of way For first I professed my selfe a Christian that is a child of God thorough Iesus Christ but indeed I haue been heretofore the child of the deuill because I haue done his will and not Gods will Secondly I tooke vpon me to be a minister of Christ that is a messenger sent of God to ioyne with the holy Ghost in trayning people to be children of God but indeede I ioyned in worke with the deuill to make people his children The verie name and word of God I vsed vainely rashly vnreuerently and vndiscreetly to glorifie and please my selfe not to glorifie and please him All Christians take heede to your selues if you weare the Kings liuerie serue not the Kings enemie You were christened in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghost therefore serue God and not the Deuill least it be prooued against you at the day of iudgement that ye tooke Gods name in vaine and so ye be found guilty At that daie neither shall the onely preaching nor the onely hearing of Gods word be allowed for both take the name of God in vaine because the one preacheth and practiseth not the other heareth and doth not the will of God therefore both shall be cast away with this grieuous sentence I knowe you not Matth. 23. Luk. 13 27. awaie from me ye workers of vnrighteousnesse Therefore frame your selues to be obedient vnto your Lord God and doe not think speake write heare or professe his name or his word without due discretion and groat reuerence Doe not make so light reckoning of your God as to vse his name or his word in idlenesse It is idle to call vpon the name of God without good cause and reuerent manner as some will say O God what a iest is this O Iesu who euer hard the like In any such speaking you are too bold with your God It is also a vaine taking of Gods name to praise him in scorning or blaming oothers as some will not be content to say of an idle bodie he liueth idlelie but they will say God be thanked he liueth idlelie O doe not thank God for any sinne because you should so doe him great wrong and of all things he cannot abide it to be noted as the cause of sinne which is farre from his most holy
earnestly to God in your heart that God will giue him grace rightly to vnderstand and well to vtter that which is needefull to be preached Doe not desire to heare fine words or wittie conceits for the word of God is most powerfull to saluation when it is most plainly preached because the minde intending onely the will of God the heart yeeldeth wholly to the working of the holy Ghost Although the preacher be long in his sermon yet be not wearie but giue heed to his words vntill he haue made an ende for it is a dishonour vnto God if you neglect to heare his messenger Take heede that you doe not giue any occasion to other folk to turne their minde from seruing God to gaze vpon you or to looke vpon any thing which you bring into the Church with you for so you should doe much harme vnto them and wrong vnto God All the while that you are in the Church keepe your mind steadfastly vpon God let nothing mooue you to turne your eies this way or that way but as a diligent waiting man attend vpon your Lord and master who will be greatly pleased to see your heart and mind earnestly intended vnto him Satan will practise many deuises to turne your heart from God specially by shewing you fine and beautifull women who doe commonly come glistering into the Church after seruice is well begun and then sit or stand in the sight of men When seruice is done betake your selfe vnto God and depart out of the Church for it is no fit place to talke of worldly matters If you must needes reckon or paie or receiue money vpon the Sabbath day yet let it be after euening praier Were I worthie to giue you counsell you should eate and drinke very measurably at Sondaie at dinner that you might be the fitter to serue God also in the afternoone Many come sieldome in the afternoone because they cannot find in their heart to leaue their worldly pleasure or profit and some thinke they can serue God so well at home as at Church But doe not you loose euening praier least you loose that which is praied for He is no good seruant that will not waite vpon his master both at dinner and at supper And goe you to Church for there all the parish ioyneth in praier with you wherefore you shall be heard the sooner Some that you make least reckoning of may be in greater fauour with God then your selfe and then you shall speede the better in praying with them What cause soeuer you alleadge of not comming to Church others will be readie to follow your example for they will thinke they may as well loose their praiers as you The better daie the better deede therefore loue to doe any worke of charitie to such as neede vpon the Sabbath daie to releeue the poore to visit the sicke to counsell the counsellesse to comfort the comfortles and to make peace betweene parties that are in disagreement Delight not much in worldly pastime for it is like the burning of thornes which make a great crackling for a little while but by and by all the noise commeth to nothing O take it vpon mine experience if you wedde your heart to worldly ioy you shall in the ende be ioilesse Therefore giue your minde to consider rightly of time to come and set your loue and delight vpon God and a good conscience for that is a continuall feast which neuer will forsake you And if you had once well tasted it you would not exchāge it for all the worlds good I say againe acquaint your heart with heauenly ioie betime for as that cloath which is thoroughly died blacke will afterwards take none other colour so the heart which is fully possessed with the loue of worldly ioie will very hardly be turned to loue the ioie of God Our blessed Lord God for Iesus Christs sake vouchsafe to giue you grace that you may rest in him and ioie in him which is the right keeping holy of the Sabbath day O The terrible wrath of almightie God I horriblie dishonoured my father and mother euen from my birth vntill they were dead and buryed Therefore I could neuer take good roote in any place whithersoeuer I came great meanes of happinesse haue beene offered vnto me but thorough want of grace I haue alwaies liued wretchedly and runne into many grieuous aduersities I began to dishonour greeue mock and scorne my deare mother so soone as I coulde speake and fell into an hellish vngraciousnes wherewith I haue disgraced and misused my selfe euer since In time also I began to dishonour and greeue my father in which cursed sinne I continued till his death Therefore fewe and troublesome are the daies of my life and that which is worst of all an euill ende is falling vpon me All children take warning by me honour your parents in heart in word and indeede Reuerence them obey them diligently and striue to please them Then will God surely blesse you and you shall prosper in bodie and soule But if you will be leade by the deuill to despice your parents to disobey them and greeue them God will despice you greeue you and destroy you If you haue any waie misbehaued yourselues to your parents cry them mercie vpon your knees and humblie intreat them to praie vnto God that he will forgiue you If your parents doe neede your helpe help them to the verie vttermost of your power When they be sick goe vnto them tarrie about them be readie and put forth your selfe to to doe any thing for them O that children did know what is the worth of a fathers or mothers blessing when their hearts be comforted by the dutifullnesse of their child They would rather then faile creepe vpon their hands and knees to please them The Deuill knoweth this to be true and therefore blindeth childrens eyes and hardneth their hearts least they by honouring their father and mother should procure to themselues the manyfold blessings of God When your parents die mourne for them and bury them in seemelie sort Neuer endure to say or heare any worde against your father or mother If you haue any grandfather and grandmother you must honour them as your father and mother Honour your vnckles auntes brethren and sisters yea and all your kindred for your fathers and mothers sake Moreouer honour all them that haue beene freindes to your father and mother you must honour the King as your father for he vnder God preserueth you in peace from iniurie and violence You must loue your country as your mother for in it you were borne and brought vp You must honour them that are in authoritie vnder the king and all your superiours For they are meanes to keepe good order that you may liue a quiet life in all godlinesse and honestie Meddle not with state-matters aboue your calling for it is a spice of a rebellious nature to call the doeings of higher powers into question and to
because thou hast caused my friends to set me to schoole Good Lord I beseech the so to continue blesse me in learning that I may learne to doe my dutie to thee and to all thy people in what degree soeuer it shall please thee to place me through Iesus Christ thine onely sonne who with thee and the holy Ghost three persons and one God be honoured and praised in heart word and deede for euer and euer Amen Follow your schooling diligently and if it please God to giue you the gift to learne be glad and giue him thankes therefore but be not proud of it or if pride enter into your heart it will puffe you vp like a bladder although you proue marueilously learned yet in the end you shal be nothing but wind All scholers take heede of pride for it will make you like the Deuill and hatefull before God When you are allowed to plaie then plaie for it is healthfull to stir your bodies Practise no base and lewde pastime but exercise yourselues in some honest sport which may bring you into strength and abilitie At no time let any bad or beastly word come out of your mouth Delite not in vaine talk mocking or scorning for all such things are verie displeasing vnto God I went to the Vniuersitie verie rawe for I had fewe groundes of grammar and none of grace Therefore I spent much time in getting little learning but all maner af vice in me grewe vp and abounded I was vaine minded proude hearted busiheaded and full of a bitter peeuish contentious spirit Beeing poore I found great friendship and had good allowance of many but I was singularly negligent and vnthankfull vnto them My studie was to make great shewe of little learning and therefore I sought after fine choise words When I disputed with anie I was desirous to dismaie them with reprooches in stead of reasons and to that ende I had a written phrase-booke stuffed with taunting and biting speaches All schollers that goe to anie Vniuersitie take warning by me Be carefull to come thither well grounded in learning and vertue Giue yourselues to be sober humble quiet milde and peaceable Be diligent in your businesse duetifull to all people and verie thankfull to your friends These vertues will make you gracious in the sight of God Angells and men Be more carefull to get sounde learning for good vse then to stand vpon the shew of knowledge for it is a vainglorious follie Hunt not after curious minion tearmes whereof cometh no good but speake and write plaine ordinarie words for they that would seeme to be worde-wise are of graue and learned men accounted vnwise Pride and enuie are properties of the deuill and of all other sinnes most readie to waite vpon schollers Therefore take great heede of them If you be proude you are Lucifer high in your owne conceit and therefore shal be brought lowe euen downe into hell If you enuy the learning estimation and prosperitie of others you are Satan an enemie to the giftes of Gods grace Doe neuer dispraise anie nor quip any in your orations and speaches for it sheweth bitternesse which is very bad in a scholer When you argue or dispute publikely or priuately feare God and shunne snarling reproching and all furious behauiour Let your reasoning be as in the hearing and seeing of God and Angells calme amiable sweet and sober Whensoeuer you prepare any oration disputation or exercise of learning first humble your selfe before God crauing his mercie and grace that you may so performe it as best becōmeth a Christian scholler thereby to be fitted for the seruice of Iesus Christ in the Church or common wealth If any sinne reigne in you striue by all meanes to subdue it for where sinne reigneth there the Deuill dwelleth and the end of that man will be naught VVHen I had gotten a shadowe and outside of learning I left the Vniuersitie and tooke vpon me to be a schoolemaster God forgiue me I was a bad one for how could I frame children to godly learning beeing vngodly and ill learned I vndertooke to teach more then I had learned my selfe I was newfangled and negligent in teaching and yet tired and dulled my schollers by keeping them too long at their bookes and by fierce correction and cruell beating of them O ye schoole masters I pray you for the reuerence of God be well aduised The schooling of children is the nurcerie of christians therefore you ought to be learned and vertuous that you may traine your schollers to be the disciples of Christ The deuill will practise to make you his vnderschoolemasters that you may fit your schollers to be his seruants To preuent this danger you cannot be to carefull of your behauiour euery waie Take no more vpon you then you know your selfe able by the grace of God to performe followe the common waie of teaching commanded by authoritie It is to be wished that the Grammar for the latin tongue were one whole booke the rules in english the examples in latin Teach your schollers their lessons verie leasurely and plainely heare them their lessons mildely and patiently correct them for their faults merciefully and sparingly What man fearing God can find in his heart to play the tyrant among Gods tender children reuiling buffeting striking scourging and terrifying them with thundering speaches as if they were dogges yea limmes of the Deuill no man can with a safe conscience so cursedly vse a beast as I in word and deede haue vsed my schollers I praie God forgiue me and grant that no schoolmaster offend in that point Thinke with your selues how hatefull such rigorous vsage is to God and his holy Angels who haue the charge of children Frame your schollers by all meanes to feare God and to please him and then assure your selues that ouer and aboue whatsoeuer their fathers and friends giue vnto you he will giue you a rich reward It is not good to hold children too hard or too long at their bookes for their witts are tender and therefore ought to be gently vsed and often refreshed Our Lord Iesus Christ blesse all schoolemasters that they may know and doe their duties to the continuall increase of right Christian learning Amen I Presumed with all mine abominable vices to enter into the holy Ministerie and haue beene a professed minister of Christ that is a soule-keeper and a soule-feeder almost twelue yeares Iesu Christ forgiue me I tooke vpon me to preach neither vnderstanding the word of God nor indued with the power of godlines Therefore I haue indangered the saluation of many people euē as an ignorant and vnhonest physitian doth hazard the bodily life of them that take physicke by his appointment Although water in the spring head be pure and wholesome yet if it be caried from thence in an vncleane and poisoned vessell who can drinke it without daunger The word of God is in it selfe most pure and wholesome but my preaching hath defiled it with
ignorance and with the wicked infection of pride enuy wrath couetousnesse and all sinnes euery vice vpon occasion putting it selfe into my sermons Moreouer if I preached anie thing according to the word of God I vtterly vnpreached and denied it in my life and conuersation Alas how many soules may iustly challenge me before the face of Iesus Christ for giuing cause of their damnation I cannot say vpon my conscience that in all this time wherein I haue taken vpon me to be a minister I haue done my duetie so much as to the sauing of one soule A true minister of Christ should be a meanes to turne all euill from his sheepe and to procure all blessings vnto them But I contrarily haue beene a meanes to turne blessings from them and to bring miserie vpon them It had bin better for me to haue gotten my liuing by begging from doore to doore yea lesse had bin my sinne if I had liued by stealing and robbing for he that is a minister and doth not discharge his dutie is a theefe and a robber in the highest degree because he robbeth God of his people and robbeth people of their saluation How is it possible for me to escape the vengeance of hell fire All you that purpose to be ministers in the Church for Christs sake take warning by me Before you enter into the ministerie examine your heart according to your conscience in the sight of God what mooueth you to be a minister and what you principally desire and intend for looke what you minde that you will follow and to compasse the same neglect all other things Therfore if you perceiue that your mind is chiefly set vpon worldly gaine or glorie take no soules to keepe for you will let them sink or swim and notwithstanding what shew soeuer you make they shall be sorily respected and many waies vnfitted But if you doe chiefly aime at the glorie of Christ in the saluation of ChristiaÌ„s you are the blessed of the Lord God increase the number of you for you wil not sticke to loose any worldly commodity yea your owne life rather then hazard the losse of one soule Enter therfore in the name of Iesus Christ But before you take a charge of soules vpon you giue all diligence that you may haue a good vnderstanding in the word of God and that the power of godlines may be in your life and conuersation for if the blind lead the blind they fall both into the ditch and he is gracelesse that hauing sight doth lead the blind out of the way because the blind will follow their leader The peoples eyes are neuer well opened vntill the light of their minister doe so shine before theÌ„ that they may see his good works and glorifie God in following his ensample O happie is that minister that euer he was borne who before he vndertaketh a charge of soules Matth. 4. hath the grace to ouercome the temptations of Satan as Christ did Beeing made a minister and hauing a charge of soules beare alwaies in mind that you must be answearable to Christ for euery one of them So that whatsoeuer a minister might possibly doe to saue them you shall deerely abuie it if you performe it not This mooued S. Paul to warne euery one 〈◊〉 28. teach euery one in all wisdome that he might present euery one perfect in Christ Iesus Therefore you knowing the terriblenes of the Lord must approoue your selfe vnto God and to euery conscience of man woman and child in the sight of God carefully and discreetely waiting vpon your charge that you may giue to euery one their portion of meate in due time You must truly teach Gods people the waie of saluation out of his word Therefore in vnderstanding and expounding the holy Bible follow the consent of auncient and learned writers those especially who are reported to haue liued an holy life for God in all ages doth most respect them that feare him and they haue most certen knowledge of his will Others although they seeme exceedingly learned yet they are full of errors because the spirit of deceit hath power in them Therefore take heede Desire not to be singular nor to differ from others for it is a signe of a naughtie spirit which hath caused much euill in the world from the beginning Teach people that which doth necessarily concerne their saluation for it is a temptation of the deuill to busie folkes minds with by-matter that they may neglect the maine worke of sauing their soules A minister ought diligently to take particular knowledge of his charge who be yong in vnderstanding who be ripe in discretion who be sick in sinne and who be sound in soule that he may accordingly diet them Much preaching and teaching doth not take that good effect which it might if peoples vnderstanding were ripened to heare it There is a certaine teaching called the A b c of Gods word because euen as a scholler must learne to know letters and to spell them together before he can read Heb. 5.12 so must a Christian first learne the ground worke of religion before he can well proceede in the vnderstanding practise of Gods word I haue found elderly people that seemed to be much delighted in hearing the word of God preached yet notwithstanding strangely ignorant in the foundation of faith As for example they did beleeue in the sonne of God and yet did not thinke that he was in time before the virgin Marie How is it possible that people should be ignorant of such points commonly preached and printed Because they are not instructed orderly pithily and plainly orderly as children are taught to read pithily for many wordes and toilesome circumstances doe bring an ignorant hearer into a wood where he looseth himself plainly for tearms of art and fine eloquence are not sutable to the gospel of Christ because in darkning the vnderstanding of some tickling the eares of others they hinder the working of the matter Fie vpon all vaine glorious shewes for the kingdome of God is not in word 1. Cor. 4.20 but in power If you doe not so teach the will of God that the verie ignorant may well vnderstand it and keepe it in rememberance what answer can you make to Iesus Christ when he calleth you to a reckoning Although a scholler be taught to knowe his letters yet many times he is not well instructed to spell them together So the foundation points of religion may be taught and yet not put well together for example Rom. 3.28 Christians are iustified by faith in Iesus Christ without the works of the law This is one point â—at 16.27 â— Cor. 5.10 Christ will iudge all people according to their works answerable to the practise of their liues This is an other point Now vnles these two points be rightly ioyned together the deuil wil make some vtterly neglect works and other altogether to presume vpon their owne deserts Iustifying faith