Christians good ynoughe for there presens in the congregations for there thrustinge to the communion or for there bare taulke of the scriptures God bless vs from suche an hypocriticall faythe The possessors wher of stand in more nede of the terror of the law as fyrst a hammer to beate theme downe then of de gentle voyce and hand of the gospell to lyft theme vp The second cumpanie be marchant venturers and marchant retaylers who most rightly beare the name of changers in that reputable exchange changinge wares for money and money for wares Marchants And therfore our soueraigne Ladie in abolishing the fyrst title Buss and imposinge a new as ther by she had prudent consideration to tearme yt the exchange accordinge to the nature of that marchantlike trade so in greate favour she bare to it and the whole Cittie she added thereto a regall title and then tearmed it the Royall exchange God preserve and bless her Princely hart wth his grace and spirit for the further and more ample advancement of his glorie bothe in England and her wonted helpe for other troubled contreys a bowt her And the lord chāge there harts or cutt of ther bodies from the yerthe that wyshe or practys the contrarie to the pleasinge of Gogg the Pope and his Catholike kinge wth his spanishe mynes the horne of his strengthe Now that your traffyke ys hyndered navigation restrayned and your former gaynes greatly Impayred I wyshe you fyrst to acknowlege the finger of God in all this for synn and next to wey and consider of the spirituall marchantdise mencioned of in the gospell wth the hydden threasure not fownd wthout paynfull digginge and of the good marchant buyeng the preciouse pearle Implieng therby that devine rytches cannot be obtayned wthout zeale and earnest affection wthout searche and diligent sekinge and vnlest they be redemed wth the best things you affect and to esteme all other marchantdise but trifles whether from Turckie or Denice in comparison of that devine threasure And marck that no adventurers nor the secure or careless can fynd the sayde hydden threasure The Kyngdom of God must be sought ere yt can befownde therfore let the name marchant teacht all to make singuler accowmpt of spirituall and sacred things and of the gospell Sacraments readinge hearing prayeng Psalmes and songs from the hart O that we could love and regarde these preciouse pearles the supernaturall threasure hyd from the worldly hart and the gospell of Christ as they are to be estemed wch ys the gladdest news and ioyfullest tydings the light of the churche and every soule therof the preservative of the Prince and the pyller of her Kyngdom the wch beinge taken a way despised or lothed as manna was of the lothinge Iscalites yt must nedes fall out wth vs as it did on that full gorged people when the ark of God was taken from theme namely bloddie warrs hunger famine pestilences and confusions before and behynde Iff you dyd but sum tymes wey and consider this then would you be as desirouse of the continuans of the gospell by due estimation of suehe a threasure for to save and defend you from Gods wrathe as the elders of Israell coveted the presēs of the lords ark the figure therof to save theme from the Philistines who in there miserie crped out sayeng wherfore hathe the lord smitten vs let vs bringe againe the ark of Gods covenant a mongest vs that when it commeth it may save vs from the hands of our enemies And then as dagon could not stand but fall downe and breake his neck at the presens of Gods arck so can neyther the second spanishe flete the power of papists wth the indian gould be able to stand but rather flee and consume from the Quene of England and her religiouse subiects when they put this Evangelicall arck in reverēt and hartie maner betwene theme and there adversaries otherwise then the wch love and reverens yt wil be as meake a buckler at the fierce assaulte as the arck of God was to the Isralites when they there Kinge and preist were all over chrowen Secondly remember that you must be changed you know not when from your ritches from this vitall lijfe and the whole worlde vnto a nother place paynefull or Ioyfull none otherwise then the sayde preciouse pearle and hydd threasure is of price and valure wth you for the present tyme. Thinck of this and on hym that exhortethe to be changed and renewed in the inward man carefully studienge to change the owld life for a new even as you tender the changinge of this mortalitie to Immortalitie of this drudgerie beneathe to the felicitie above seing yt is written that suche as shal be burgeses there they must be so enfranchised here as to be made Kings and preists to overcom and to offer no less then Prophetts to instruct theme selves and there familie and al to shew forthe the vertues of hym that hathe caulled theme out of darckues into his marvelouse light Evill Marchants And further vnderstand that as there be honest and Godlie men of your trade so the very contrarie are bothe knowen and felt who yet marche vnder the ensigne of honest marchants and would appere as religiouse as they be covetouse or impiouse beinge as greate a scandale to that worshipfull companie as corrupt lyvers and teachers do greyve the Godlie learned in the ministerie These marchants deceyve moche by there paynted faulshode and lipp religion wherby they endamage others to inritche there estate Suche ys the choyce that these make of duplicitie and hypocrisie when they affect so little the grace of truthe and simplicitie These fellows wyll brave yt out how slender so ever they be wthin and prease to be eyther equall or higher then there betters fleinge the meane estate wch is the happiest and steale credit by other mens valure vntill they become eyther breakers or banckerers God in mercie geve suche repentans for borrowinge and dealinge wth many and to kepe towche wth few Exceptinge here nevertheles suche honest men as come to decaye neyther by the pryde of there backs wyfe nor table but by shipwrack on the sea or by trustinge the vntrustie that borrow moche and repay eyther little or nothinge But God that never chastiseth wthout cause dyd se yt tyme to correct for eyther beinge over gredie to aspire or by covetouse desyre of excessive gaynes dyd rather chuse to write there bad creditors names in there bookes then to take present pay in there purses of honest customers or otherwyse the Lord saw cowldnes and backwardnes in religion by nuszlinge to depely in the world wherby at lengthe to borrow of three and scarce to paye one Seinge then that God so sharplie correcteth suche professors as by toyles and cares retire from there religiouse affections yt ys good to pray for a contented mynde to norrishe your first love and zeale to God by all due meanes and not to suffer the
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
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
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