and am defiled with fleshly lust which hath consumed my bodie and cancred my soule so that I am before God a most ougly monster and a detestable loathsome wretch This hellish fire was first kindled in my heart by seeing lewde behauour and harkening to filthy talke whereby I grewe to be of so beastly an imagination that I could hardly see or heare anie thing but presently I turned it to some meaning of lust To quench this fire I some time thought vpon Origens remedy sometime I purposed marriage but all in vaine for to this daie I continue inflamed with it and neuer had the grace to be freed from it O all ye children of men liue in the feare of God and beginne betimes to hate this foolish and filthie sinne for if it once take possession of your heart it will haunt you like an euill spirit Therefore doe not endure to see heare or thinke any vnclennesse If any beginne to talke read or sing matter of beastlinesse flee out of their compaine for it is the deuill that setteth them a work to fire your hearts Whatsoeuer lewd ballet booke or picture coÌ„meth to your hands teare it all to peeces or burne it to ashes for whosoeuer made it the deuill deuised it for your destruction If God doe see that you hate all causes of filthinesse he will loue you deerelie and many excellent graces he will giue vnto you Parents and gouernours of children keep them carefully from the delite of this sinne It is not good that boyes and girles should lie in bed together nor plaie in priuate places for the deuill watcheth his time to work his temptation vpon them It is strange and I should not beleeue it but that I remember it since I was a child how younglings will draw one an other to this filthie sinne All people if you desire by the grace of God to be preserued from this fierie filthines in the name of Iesus Christ settle your hearts to praie and to practise for chastitie O most holy Lord God who in the beginning of this world didst make man and woman and marrie them together ordaining that they should with so vndefiled hearts increase their kind as in eating and drinking they nourish their bodies But euer since Sathan by temptation had drawne them awaie from thee thine holy ordinance is broken for people doe rather giue themselues to the delight of beastly lust then to the desire of blessed increase Whereupon they pamper and paint out themselues that they may followe their filthinesse allure one an other thereunto Moreouer by the procurement of our old enemie the deuill this world is so full of temptation that I am continualy in danger by seeing hearing or some one waie or an other to be infected by loathsome lust yea although there were not such abundance of outward alurements yet mine owne heart is readie to betraie me to the deuill Therefore I doe humbly beseech thy blessed maiestie that it may please thee to preserue me from all temptations of lust all the daies of my life And if it be thy will that I shall marrie good Lord giue vnto me a vertuous wife that we may christianly liue together not in the vnsatiable lust of vncleanes as they that know thee not but in such godly temperaÌ„ce that our minds may be holy our bodies healthie our children if thy pleasure be to send vs any holy and able to doe thee seruice Most mercifull God grant me this my prayer for thy sonne Iesus Christs sake to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory henceforth for euermore Amen Now with daily prayer ioyne diligent practise Giue your selues to some good exercise and labour flie from idlenesse Pamper not your bodies with gluttonie and drunkennesse but vse verie sober diet abhor all brauerie of apparel be cloathed only as becommeth a christian in your degree Whatsoeuer it be that mooueth you any way to the thought or desire of lust leaue it and turne from it I doe heartly wish holinesse to al people but being a wreched man I doe specially intend my confession vnto men All men young or old I beseech you giue your heart and mind to holy thoughts and heauenly desires detest all motions of filthinesse which tend to displease God destroie you bodie and soule Doe not muse of woman nor let your eies be delighted in behoulding their beautie and finenesse giue no regard to their coie behauiour tripping and dauncing Take no pleasure in hearing their delicate talking sweet singing and amorous playing for the deuill is readie when you are any way touched with delight of women presently to kindle his fire in your heart Be not much familiar with any woman specially alone for it will cause danger to you and suspition to others If you see a woman to be verie fellowly iudge her not for she may be good but be you a stranger vnto her least Satan make you naught Doe not dally iest or plaie with woemen least it happen vnto you as to the flie that playeth about the caÌ„dle till she haue spoyled her flying As you must carefully keepe your selues from being enflamed with lust so also you ought to take great heede that you giue none occasion to enflame any of Gods people O what an hellish part it is to ioyne with the deuill in tempting others A man and his wife should not dally one with an other in the sight of any no not of their owne children least it mooue them to euill thoughts An heathen man among heathen people was put to great disgrace because he kissed his wife in the sight of his daughter This is a notable example for christians that make no conscience to infect others by word and deede apparell gesture and euerie waie that can be deuised â—th 18.6 you knowe that Christ saith it were better for a man to be cast into the sea with a milstone about his necke then to giue any occasioÌ„ to make an other to sinne O ye women I pray you that for Christs sake ye will consider why God was so displeased with the daughters of Sion Esa 3.16 for their fine attire and wanton behauiour and also why the holy Ghost doth will christian women to decke themselues with vertues and not with costly raiment Surely it semeth to me that one cause is the great danger of men who are inticed to lust by the trimnesse of women And is not an other cause the wasting of Gods goods vpon vaine ornaments Take heede least God doe one daie call you to a reckoning for euerie pennie idly bestowed and for euerie man by your meanes tempted O the modestie of women what an heauenly preseruatiue and remedie it is against lust Yong men pray humbly and feruently to God that you be not stained with lust and if you finde your bodies dangerouslie subiect thereunto striue to keep your minds cleane Rather then yeild to any vnlawfull act of fleshlinesse intend your selfe
if you doe God will surely lead you into all truth Of what side soeuer you be doe nothing against your conscience nor despise the practise of religion in them that are contrarie to your opinion But if you be sure that they are in a wrong way pitie them and praie heartily to God for them that he will mercifully inlighten their mindes and turne their hearts To which ende you must endeauour to serue vnder God with the holy Ghost that you may help to ouercome the enemies of Gods truth not with the weapons of this world as reprochful speaches and bloody practises but with the armour of God as charitie humblenesse meeknesse patience for these are the meanes to ouercome euill with goodnesse and turne mens mindes from false opinions to the true religion True Christianitie is an holy Priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifices wel-pleasing to God thorough Iesus Christ A true Christian doth faithfully intende to offer first himselfe and then others also vnto God In offering your selfe you must beginne with your heart for God saith Prov. 23 My sonne giue me thine heart Your heart must be wholly set vpon God alwaies desiring to enioy his grace and fauour Secondly your tongue must be sacrificed vnto God that it may be as the pen of a readie writer to glorifie and please God in euery word that commeth out of your mouth Thirdly your apparell gesture eating drinking buying selling borrowing lending labour pastime and all your behauiour must be sacrificed to God that in nothing you dishonour or displease him yea your bodie soule life all that you haue must be dedicated and giuen to the seruice of God A good subiect doth beare the minde to spende both life and goods in defence of his Prince and countrie therefore a true Christian ought much more to sacrifice all his power and possibilitie to vphold the kingdome of Iesus Christ first in maintaining the ministerie of his word and Sacraments 〈◊〉 4.18 which is an offering greatly accepted of God Secondly in succouring his poore with which kinde of sacrifices God is well pleased 〈◊〉 13.16 as it may appeare by that which the holy Ghost saith of a charitable man â—al â—12 â— He hath dispersed he hath giuen to the poore his righteousnesse endureth for euer Whatsoeuer mercie is shewed to a Christian in necessitie â—atth 25. is shewed to Christ himselfe and he that is any waie vnmercifull to a Christian is vnmercifull to Iesus Christ and so Christ will professe at the day of iudgement â—v 25.22 It is a singular sacrifice to doe good against euill kindly to succour your verie enimie in necessitie for thereby you doe your good will to offer your enemie vnto almightie God in turning him from enmitie and euill to peace and goodnesse Saint Iames saith Iam. 5 1â— he that turneth a sinner from going out of his waie shall saue a soule from death and shall couer a multitude of sinnes In what a fearefull case are they that sacrifice many to the deuill driuing them by enmitie or drawing them by euill allurements and naughtie examples as I haue done He that will offer the sweete sacrifice of turning others vnto God must first with all diligence turne himselfe from sinne that his life and conuersation may be holy and vnblameable for then others will beleeue that God is in him and therefore they will haue a good opinion of him All people by the light of naturall reason doe honour vertue and honestie But if your behauiour be faultie as mine is and euer hath beene you are vnfit to turne others beeing not turned your selfe Secondly if your conscience be cleere and your conuersation faultlesse you must not disdaine sinners Luk. 28 10 11. as the proud Pharisie did for then you marre all because pride is of the deuill and God resisteth the proude But you must pitie their case that doe euill and mourne for them as King Dauid did Psal 115 Thirdly you must pray deuoutly vnto God for them that he will mercifully ordaine some meanes to deliuer them out of the Deuills bondage and that it may please him to giue you the grace to be one of his workmen in so honourable a businesse Fourthly you must waite for any fit occasion that you may humblie and kindly intreate them to consider well in what a dangerous case they are displeasing God seruing the deuill and working their owne destruction If you see or heare that any vnder your gouernment doe sinne whether it be your childe or your seruant you are bound to breake them from their sinne by faire meanes if it may be els by correction and punishment But if you see any such sinners as are your betters in degree or such as you haue not the heart to rebuke you must so much the more earnestly pray vnto god for them and striue more painefully to shew them by the light of your conuersation what they ought to doe When you goe about to tell any one of his fault take God in your minde and humble your heart that you may doe it in the spirit of meekenesse gentlenesse peaceablenesse and patience carefully keeping out anger for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God Hee that doth worthily receiue the holy sacrament of Christs bodie and bloode doth offer vnto God many sacrifices together for that sacrament is a representation setting forth of the sacrifice of Christ who vpon the crosse offered himselfe vnto God the father to pacifie his wrath and to purchase his grace for all people whereupon almightie God doth offer his gracious pardon and heauenly blessings to all that will worthily receiue them And if you will worthily receiue the bodie and bloode of Christ you must offer vnto God first a sorrowfull heart for your sinnes confessing them to his glorie and your shame Secondly you must offer vnto God the sacrifice of faith in Iesus Christ beleeuing verily that he is the onely sonne of God God and man and crying vnto God for mercie in his name beseeching God that for Christs sake he will forgiue you your sinnes and clense you from all sinnefulnesse Thirdly you must offer vnto God a charitable heart towards all people for God will not accept your heart if it be not in charitie yea setled to keepe the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace Fourthly you must offer your selfe wholly vnto God to doe and to suffer his good pleasure Fiftly you must offer humble and heartie praise vnto God for all his gracious gifts giuen vnto mankinde specially for giuing his onely sonne Iesus Christ to be our Sauiour Sixtly you must offer of your goods a first fruites vnto God towards the supplying of breade and wine for the communion towards the reliefe of the minister and of the poore By baptisme ye are graffed into Iesus Christ as if branches of a wilde vine were graffed into a true vine and by worthie receiuing the holy communion
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