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
there hatred to herysie and Hypocrisie or by gevinge of sownd and good cowncell and by leavinge a religiouse and vertuouse conversation to the magnifieng of God and there holy profession These also be acceptable worcks to the lorde who in mercy will crowne theme as his owne gyfts and not as theres The regard of wch promised crowne sette before the eyes of your mynds will no less mitigate your greifes eyther in ward or ontwarde then kyndle spirituall ioye wth the longinge of your libertie from this terrestiall tabernacle wherby your noble soules to enioy the heavenly inheritans wth the invisible and tryumphant churche now singinge as the Isralitishe Virgins sang the song of Moyses for there delyverans out of Egipt and Pharo his bondage evenso the soules in Heaven do sing to the Lord everlastinge prayses for delyveringe them from the boude of sathan and there worldlie miseries and lykewyse do singe the songe of the Lambe wherby the vertue of Christ and his redemption ys continuallie magnified For as the oulde fathers eatinge the paschal Lambe made a iubilie and gave the Lord thancks so those enfranchised spirits felinge the light and libertie of Gods kingdom geve thancks to Christ the Lambe to the sytter on the throne and to the spirit procedinge from bothe Opraye for a fore tasie and sum sippinge of this greate supper where wth a farr of to be sum what acquaynted for the better certificate of a more fullnes to ensue by wch to increase your earnest longinge upwards and to decrease all overlyking here beneathe that so the more felingly you may saye wth David I shalve satisffied when thy glorie appereth wch wil be a greater sight to behowld then that wch Peter and Iohn saw at Christ his trāsfiguration on mowne Thabor even the fullnes of the incōprehensible dietie the essens of the gloriouse persons inscrutablie one God Let vs then be myndfull to saye wth the Prophett my soule ys a thirst for God o when shall I appere before his presons Iff you Mr. A. do still move and scur love and lyve to the Lorde then I mosie hartilie salute you and the rest so affected but if otherwise the spirit in heavē and the bodie in the grave ere this be aryved then God grant vs behynd in the battell to geve glory and thancks to hym for his contynuing grace and finall mercies here beneathe to his and for his everlastinge compforthes a bove to the soules of his servants restinge wth hym in peace and iope That so the Lorde havinge his spirit I may the bowlder to that coniecture set that oulde father as a glass for Lōdon professors to looke in not alone in his zeale to the gospell wth his frequent presens at Sermons and wth good further ans to suche instruments but to the poore presoners in and abowt London presons he was knowen to be bowntiful and mercifull Agayne how ofte and willingly hathe be Imployed his money for commune profict as well as for privat what paynes and travell hathe he takē to make peace and to end controversies how many men of worship and members of the lower how 's in most parlamēt tymes haue bene worshipfullie entertayned at his table for there zeale to religion how many poore schollers and students in the arts hath he no less perely thē liberally geven vnto besydes his large distributions to Godly and desolate widdowes And wch ys more how manie in the contrey of worr are bownd to prayse God for his outstretched hand so farr from London wherein he procured the knowlege of God for greate ignorans beinge suche a shew tokē to patrons of benefices as whē he franckly gave so good a lyvinge to a learned preacher he reserved neither legg nor arme of that lyvinge to hym self as all covetous patrons do God grant yt be accordingly perfourmed by labor and life as it was of hym first and last intended For as gyfts blynde the eyes of sum Iudges so fatt lyvings coole the fyrst zeale of manie persons and vicars For inward alterations do ofte follow the stayne of strange titles Now whether this was a tree bringing forthe fructe in due season or out of season iudge you besydes the erection of a schole as I remember in worr And there fore as St. Paul would hym self to be imitated non otherwise then he did Christ even so I wishe the Lords Stewards of better degre in that exchange to follow this theire fellow mēver as he followed Christ and the worthier examples of his predecessors Trustinge you will thinck this report to procede more for desire of imitation then of anie intent to tyckle hym wth adulation being peradventure gon or at least of suche distans a sunder To conclude bothe hearing and seinge suche evident practys of good worcks in this towne of Harlem so farr short of our monarchall government by sownde professors and others of erroniouse opinious I was drivē the rather to this presumptiō as one sory to behoulde suche blynd opiniates so farr to outrun very many professors in my natyve contrey in the outward worcks of charitie and by hearinge that the ignorants are so affected vnto theme for yt wher by the rather there might be a quycknyng wth a godly emulation on our syde ere the axe come to the roote of the tree 1597. By your worships vnfayned wellwyller Iohn Payne The contents of the Booke fyrst the preface for all as for one Next to severall degrees of persons Aldermen Marchants of three sortes Stranger Marchants Saduceans of this age Gentlemen three sortes Warnyng to avoyde new Englysche Anabaptists There seven opinions and fauls martyrdome An exhortation to theme Tyme to be well spent and why Hypocrites of sundry sortes Gross pryde wth the dreggs therof in Gods children Poore of two sortes Prynters of two sortes Shipinaysters and maryners Mariage corporall and spirituall How Christ is Godman and mangod Captaynes and souldyers To the Englyshe Anabaptist in norwith Preson Warrs ys lawfull and why Spirituall warrs Musers on Gods longanimitie and providens Ministers of England exhorted Curiouse medlers wth impertinent matters A deceyver in the exchange The Nordeners exhorted Now Gentle Reader LYke as the greate resorte to that famouse Edifice are of sundrie titles and degrees so the complete nomber walkinge and taulkinge there be as contrarie in mynd and disposition as of trade and caullinge A plase where God truth and Equitie wth there direct contraries are sum tymes spoken of to Gods glorie and to the service of Sathan For as amonge diseased and infectiouse persons all be not takē wth that sicknes but sum do escape and be scottfre so I partly know the lyke fredome frō spirituall infection by Gods mercie in sum members of that populouse assemblie The Lord multiply that nomber ād increase his begōn graces in theme and also convert or confownde all perniciouse lurckers preasinge thether so contrarie mynded As you take tyme and space to make your lawful bargaines ād cōtracts so
ys of a tyrant or a condemned theyfe of the Iudge but as of a graciouse childe in feare and love to obey that ys in beynge lothe to offend our good father and lastinge lover and also in feare of his rodd So myxinge hope and feare to gethers as to feele an humble reuerens in our harts to the God of correction and of merry beinge Ioyfull and thanckfull when by grace we cease to do evyll and to do the good and sory and fearefull yea pemtent and tearefull when by weakenes we be drawen to the contrary And as every Christian ought to crave and covet this singuler vertue so to lament to se suche turpitudes and myscheyfs aboute vs in the world throw the want of this feare Let vs then feare and serve the Lorde wth all our harts as many as intend to be partakers of his glory I speake to theme vnto whome God hathe geven right eares to heare Agayne sum tymes the prowde and loftie do walke there to be sene in there beyght and braverie aswell as others of good degre bothe men and wemen spend an hower there for necessitie of recreation Prowd And therfore they walkinge and wearinge in that common place agreable to there caullinge and state are not to be adiudged amonge suche prowd and loftie so over stately lokinge Wyshinge all infected parsons wth that greate and capitall synn changinge angells into devills hastely to discerne that infection wherbie in tyme to seke and fynd the remedie and to esteme there hawtie hart as a certame dronckennes be witchinge or dullinge the same so as neyther precept from God nor dutie to mā ys regarded and yt procedeth from the aucthor of pryde and by a fauls imagination of theme selves the possessors whereof can neyther pray rightly to God nor effectually heare the word nor lyve quietlie and familierly wth there neighbors moche less to guyde there harts and tounges charitablie and orderly God grant you then to hate and abhor pryde and to laugh yt to skorn seinge there ys nothing more agaynst true Godlynes and your salvation then the same by reason yt besotteth men and wemen thrustinge theme to rashenes vnrulines and to take overmoche heade and bridle And here let the best regenerat kepe in mynde that this pryde will incrediblie lurck and be hydd in theme to there hurt wthout good hede and watche for that yt ys hard to be knowen in all things and at all tymes I for beare to speake moche of this subtill sinn but only towch suche dreggs and remnants therof as remayne in Gods children to kepe theme in battle to stryue and wrestle agaynst yt being to theme suche a stinge as yt prycketh and pyncheth wowndeth and healeth where the sayde health by grace must consequently follow lyke fyer expellinge fyer or one synn healing another as poyson geves remedie to poyson Wherfore the better to know sum subtiltie of that lurcking syun even in the Godly whosoever ys so styffly opiniated as to stande in there owne conceite or lothe to be iustly and freindly reproved for there fault or trusteth more in there owne wayes then ruled vy advice and cowncell or that glorie excessively for there well doinge or that contend more for victorie in disputacion or resoninge then to yelde to the playne truthe they vndowtedly are stayned wth this pryde and had nede wth the aucthor to pray for a contrite humble and lowlie hart We shall never hate and shunn pryde love and imbrase humilitie to practis yt before men narrowly visite and ransike there owne harts wherby the better to know theme selves At wch tyme behowldinge the storehows and heape of synn wthin vs we shall the soner stowpe and abase our gap plumes and check downe the prowde hart so previlie sckinge to mownt a lofte and crie o dust and ashes cum back stay thy self and clymbe no hygher by wch consideration we will at lengthe confess that as pryde is the Capitall and heade vice in wycked men so humilitie ys the chifest vertu in the Godly wthout wch fowndation all other vertues be blowen a waye wth the blast of vayneglorie as dust or fethers wth the wynde of the ayre But as for the gross and common prowde who as Iob sayeth loke vp to the sonne so prowde as the pecock and as stowt as the lyon exaltinge your selves and castinge downe others the Prophet Esaye cryeth against you sayenge the day of the Lorde shal be on suche as be lyfted vp in there harts vpon the highe Cedars of Liban and on the greate okes of Basan Downe therfore and be thinck that as waters stand not on highe mownt aynes but sekes downe to the low valleyes so the graces of Gods spirit abydeth not in the loftie hart but goeth into the humble and lowlie The wch God in merrie grant to the writer and reader to teachers and learners The poore though they be neyther walkers nor dealers amōgst you yet they pass to and fro through the Exchange bothe the Godly poore and prophane poore the one vnder Gods blessing and favour the other vnder his frowne and displeasure who thoughe they be rude and lewd and as voyde of disposition to learne as of common knowlege amongest men Poore yet as the creatures of God they are not alone to be corrected and forced to labor but to be pittied releved ād helped especially the syck lame and aged amonge that sort assuringe your selves that we are none otherwyse the children of God then by doing good to such as be vnworthie therof by Gods owne example causinge the sonn and rayne to shew there nedefull efferts vpon bothe iust and vniust For where the Apostle byndeth a speciall good to be donn to the nedie in Gods how 's he excludeth not but commandeth the lyke to those miserable people notwthstandinge they wth others seme to beginne there hell here vntill the Lorde towche there harts wth repētans and conversion yet in the meane tyme we are to shew theme pittie and compassion Moste worthie examples of this dutifull regard to all sorts of poore I se in this towne of Harlem even multitudes provided for every Lords daye besides hospitalls for men wemen and children wth sick howses for the diseased never none sene to dye in the strete or starve vnder stall The other kynd of poore be in and of the churche our bretherne and susters aswell by the second as the syrst byrthe gevinge your selves to prayer to labor and travell as you may for your mayntenans and are ashamed to be sene beggynge or cravinge in strete or doore there vp your selves howld out and parsist to the end wth paciens vnder Gods cross wthout eyther envyenge the ritche or grudgiuge agaynst the Lorde consideringe Iesus Christ hathe sanctifyed the povertie of his poore in that for there sake he became poore hym self But se that you fele the inward povertie of the spirit to be ioyned wth the outward wherby to haue the blessinge pronownced
in the gospell Blessed are the poore in spirit The wch noble vertu ought to be desirable to Lords ladies and the greatest Threasurers in the world That yf by grace thow haste the rytches of the soule be never ashamed nor greved but rather humbled at the povertie of thy bodie For thy head and Captayne was poore in his byrthe in his lyfe and death and previe to thie base estate because he in wysdome ordayned yt so sayeng by his servant St. Iohn I know thy tribulation paciens and povertie And you worshipfull ritche yt ys rather Christian honor then any dishonor to your degrees for to have now and then suche Godly poore at your tables to be made partakers of Gods creatures wth you as havinge sum interest in theme and so to distinguish betwene the Lords speciall poore and the prophane poore and bothe to be succoured for his sake Sum Printers and stacioners at certayne tymes haue there meting there and therfore are wthin the compass of this freyndly gretinge Prynters Fyrst I acknowledge the Arte to be moste profitable excellent and necessarie for church and common welthe and God highly to be praysed for revealinge that synguler knowledge vnto mē and also to be prayed vnto for less abuse and more right vse of the same by Printinge and fellinge suche good bookes grownded on scripture as in crease knowledge vertu and the feare of God no less then for the mayntenans of laws and civill order But as the greate nomber of Printers haue compiled more bookes then men haue braynes to conceyue memories to retayne or money to buy so the multitude of there worcks over dulleth and burdeneth and ys a greate stopp to the best and fittist readings And therfore for the better vtterās of so many ydle bookes in shopps and stalls me thincks in good pollicie the wyse and worshipfull sorte of that compame might do well to procure a staye and sum rest to be had for there over werped presses but especially for mens weake memories For manie vnhappie wytts practys to followe good writers and to the greate hurt of the churche do make huge heapes or cartlodes of fond and folyshe bookes from the wch fault I esteme the Godly Printer to be free and therfore he hym self ys to be well estemed of as his good travell and labor to be commended But suche of that caullinge in my natyve contrey as haue neyther care nor consciēs to print and publishe vayne and vnprofitable prophane and hurtfull pamphletes to the offens of God and men fillinge the peoples heades emptieng there purses wth the abuse of there eyes and eares by there fables or skossinge devices are bothe to be reproved and restrayned For as God hathe his holy and learned servants in citties and contreyes that studie and penne forthe worthie worcks for his glorie and to the benefirt of his church so the devill hathe his seducing secretaries or pennslaves in secret corners to serve the humors of suche had instruments and the affections of rude readers I have knowen in Powles churche yarde sum perilouse aswell as popish and supersticiouse bookes sould previly to the yll disposed by suche as I pray God to geue theme true repentans Shipmaisters and maryners of good interest in the exchang you also be nedefull members for Prynce people and state venturinge your ships goods and lyves by transporting of commodities from sundry contreyes and nations behowldinge more plentie of Gods wonderfull worcks his corrections and deliverances his helpe at a pinche to sum and his sodaine and corporall Iustis to others and therfore the more bownd to dread and feare hym as a Iudge and Lord to obey hym as our soveraigne mayster and to loue hym as a favorable father who returninge you saufe to contrey wyfe and acquayntants Marytiers then as Noye escapinge the greate flod dyd buyld an alter and offred to the Lorde so you to offer hartie thancks to reioyce and to lyve in good order to stand still on your watch and to remember that you must to the Sea agayne to abyde all tydes and weather For they that serve the Lorde and avoyde ryot in the quyet haven shall surely be hearde and helped in the tyme of storme In all my tyme on seaboorde the Lords greate schoule howse as I have knowen nōbers that were of another disposition so I trust the tyme hath not changed you yet lyvinge as yt hathe donn sum others changinge lyke the moone The Sea was the fyrst correctinge preacher for the space of xvj yeres wch caulled me from moche follie and that gave sum entrans to know and feare the Lord and therfore amongst so many learned and lyvinge preachers blessed be his name for the Sea my dumbe and fearefull teacher in wch navigable arte I spent the pryme of myne peres when schole had bene more firt yf habilitie had served wch will not suffer me to forget that wch I would you ever to remember namely that God is merveylouse in all his worcks and worthie to be moche thought on in your Sea stormes swellinge waves cross tydes dangerouse races longe travers in contrarie wynds the ship on hull the heline on lee full hawse in tumbling roades when shipwrack is fearedwthout fast howld of cable and aricker stepeless and fearefull nights fower beere and beanes ofte tymes in steade of byskett cowld watches and wett clothes paynefull and pumpinge leakes hale bollinge to double the poynt a luff from the rock rowmer from the sand steere at an yuch or miss the haven a fogg at the entrans storme and bellow on poope besyde myne acquayntans wth your sprung masts torne sales from the parde and suche lyke quicknings to draw all maryners nere vnto God or to harden theme further of to the devill as schollers eyther bettered or made worce by correction for as sum roote of Godlynes draweth the Godly to be more Godly so that begon roote not beinge norrished as fyer wth wodd yt becomes weaker and vanisheth at lengthe tyll they be sylthie and more fylthie yea a traytor to all goodnes as Iudas to his mayster Wherfore lovinge mates and bretherne bethinck that the crowne of glorie is set forthe vnto vs neyther in the beginninge nor in the middest but in the end of the race Sathan and flesh cast many blocks in our way not alone to hynder vs from the holy parseverans after we haue runnthe greater part of the waye but sumtymes to breake of sodaynly mens good begynnings Our cheyfe stryving must be for parseverans and the same wth good courage for the crowne that we strive and labor for ys worthie of running The Apostle to Timoth. sayeth continew thow in the things wch thow haste learned And the Hebr. sayeth that we are made partakers of Christ yf we kepe sure vnto the end that begynninge wherewth we are vpho wlden Let vs then learne to complaine agaynste the burden of our corruptions for that they hynder our marchinge forwards vnto goodnes For the