changers Cytezins and contrey to stande on there garde seinge this mercyless lyon vnder Angelical shew lyeth in previe wayt to catch and intrapp at every turne But thow tremblinge and fearefull Christian throwen downe by the felinge of thy synne no less desirouse to be freed from the burden therof then afrayed to offend the Lord thy God be thow of good chere wthout tormenting of thy felinge consciens forasmoche as by fayth and grace Sathan hathe no part nor portion in the hating and shunninge synne but rather on theme that love and frequent synne seinge Iesus Christ wthout all stayne of synn became synn for the that ys toke on hym thy sinnfull deserts even vndergoinge the torments of hell and deathe in his blessed body and soule for thy sake and thy moste happie deliverans from bothe therfore be not only daylie and hartilie thanckfull for this expiation of thy sinn but butifully watche and pray agaynst the dreggs and remnants of sinn lefte in the for to stryve and fyght to the end Although the strengthe and forte therof was broken I saye by Christ and fastned to his cross to the everlastinge compforthe of all suche as love and feare the Lord and be lothe to offend hym by there synne Husbands and wyves of all sorts lykewyse have there pleasurable walkinge there at convenient tymes whose honorable estate so dignified by the Sonne of God I must not forgette but put you in mynd of that famouse vnion ordayned of hym that is two in one fleshe and therefore to be of one mynde in the Lorde and for theme selves Mariage And generally yt must putt all the faythfull in remembrans of the more happie vnion and moste blessed mariage betwene Iesus Christ and his churche and every soule of his electe therein beinge an vnseparable bonde and knytt faster then all bonds amonge men and a love beyond all loves for so gloriouse and Princely a spowze to take and imbrase so poore and meane an espowzes even the highest to abase hym self to the lowest O memorable love and humilitie deservinge all prayse and obedyens in all faythfull parsons bothe maryed and vnmaried And as neyther water nor any flodds are able to quenche or to drowne this love so let neyther carnall love in the one nor love of the world in the other be ever able to quenche or to drowne there love and lovely harts to this our true lover the fowntayne of all love St Iohn sayeth he that loveth not knowth not God for as the ignorans of God is the cause why he ys not loved so the knowledge of God producethe love to hym and therfore so farr do we love God as we know God whereby yt ys playne that they who seke not to know God can neyther truely nor rightly love hym And I have noted sum tymes in men and wemen who never opened booke that the love of God was more shed abrode in there harts then in many that are puffed vp wth wynde knowledge Hartilie wishinge maryed folkes no less to mark and disgest then to reade the words of the Apostle in caullinge on man and wyfe to love one a nother by example of Christ his incomparable love to his churche in that he gave hym self for yt clensed and sanctifyed yt Then would yt in crease there affections and abate there discentions and generally make bothe theme the better to love one another and all others of that mysticall bodie to reioyce and be tenfowld more thanckfull for that spirituall coniunction namely that beggers bratts of no reputacion to be maryed and cowpled to suche a heavenly husband whome the 45. Psa tearmeth a Quene sayenge vpon thy right hand ys the Quene in a vesture of gould and the canticles speaking of Christ his love to his churche and people sayeth his lefte hand ys vnder my heade and his right hand dothe imbrase me wch mariageable tearmes by the holy Ghoste teacheth all but more specially husbands and wyves to be so lyncked in love as to lyve and love to gethers most affectionatly and lovingly wthout eyther seperation of bodies disiunction of mynds or to lyve vnder iarrs and contencions to gethers to the seperation of God and Christ from sum suche harts and howses in London as my self and others have bene weryed and greved in laboringe for peace But you Christian yokefellows of a contrary disposition I wyshe you by discreation and good watche to beware of suche fearefull discords doinge your best to love styll and to increase in love For as love ys the capitall affection in men and wemen so the effects therof ys most vehemēt as ys confirmed by Christ his words where a mans threasure ys there is his hart that is yf God be our heavenly threasure then ys our love a bove wth hym yf maried folkes be corporal threasures one to the other then the love and affection spreadeth accordingly as we se perthly mynded men have there love on yerthly things You that be maryed parsons Iplie as that tytle by the holy Ghoste ys tearmed honorable so let your love yeace and vnitie to gethers honor and dignifie that lawdable estate For as Christ cowld not chuse any creature more apt to express our spirituall mandutation of his fleshe and blod then breade and wyne so the holy Ghoste could not fynde a more apte similitude to express the spirituall bonde betwene Christ and every faythfull soule then the coniunction of two parsons by the knott of matrymonie Wherfore as mariage ys a moste compfortable and blessed estate to theme who are graced to vse yt well so ys yt a moste bitter and tormentuouse estate to such as love not to gethers and as crave not for grace rightly to vse yt Now bothe worshipfull and commun assemblie ordinarie and extraordinarie changers in that Ropall how 's I beseche you to remember that as your lyfe here is vncertayne and never in one staye but lyke to the moone subiect to chang and alteration and in the end to death evenso think that you must shortlie chāg this lyfe for a nother lyke your predecessors walking wth you as yesterday and now gonn and forgotten wch must put you in mynde to be so changed in affection and conversation as when the Lords change bell ys runge to make spedie change of the place where you are to a nother wthout any nayt that so you may fynde the happie and better Exchange for this miserable and worce throw the same Iesus Christ here after descrybed by a learned father worthie of marchinge in this tyme of fauls Christs Yt ys nedefull sayethe he to vnderstand how God was borne and how God dyed according as the toung of the scripture dothe vse to speake God-man wch speche of Christ ys dybersly before and after his incarnation For since that happie and miraculouse conception by the holy Ghoste we must remember that in this vnitie of parson by the wch the sonn of God is also the sonn of Marie
here beneathe seinge there ys suche confusions and distractions in the world so manyfould hurly burlies and vnspeakable iniuries by one man to another wthout redress the worce disposed doinge all outrage in A florishinge and pleasant estate and suche as be estemed Godly to be most miserable oppressed vexed and sett nought by all wch should not be if there were any suche provideÌ„s For brevitie sake I must silence the answere who might aswell say how cowld there be of God and his providens in former tymes seinge not only Abel and Iohn the Baptist Gods speciall servants were so sharply rewarded for there holynes and righteousenes but the Prophetts Apostles and Christ hym self All this were as moche as if the presidents and so many thowsand martyrs were starck fooles to suffer suche torments and tortures vnlest they had parfect knowlege of Gods providens wth a right felinge and hope of the last resurrection wthout wch the vildest men in the world were in the libertie of the fleshe in farr better state then we These new Saduces wth there staggeringe disciples seke to compreheÌ„d by there pudled reason that wch is incoÌ„prehencible to humayne wisdom and do marvell how the bodies so long tyme putrified in the grownd mangled by swerds and weapoÌ„s burnt to ashes torne and eateÌ„ of wilde beasts aÌ„d devowred of sea fisches how aÌ„d after what maner all these should rise by againe wth the same bodies and bodilie members Who he lyke the vnbelevinge Corynthes tearmed fooles by the Apostle and therfore disputed wth only by the similitude of corne and naturall reason These quaking questioners labor to throw downe faythe beneathe reason and to attayne by reason that wch is proper to the office of faythe To whome so ever the wch faythe ys not geven vnder so longe tyme of the gospell yt is no marvell they dowte and stagger and become rather curiouse inquisiters then Godlie learners and so might demande how the lorde cowld make Adam of claye and Eve of his ribb or how they thre parsons caÌ„n be one God and one to be three so daringe to meddle wth the mistery of all misteries lyke the Anabaptists no less quisitive in effect to wete how cowld the Devinitie of Christ assume his fleshe of hers that was so stayned by originall gilt Let the Royall Exchange Cittie and contrey beware of these perilouse people avoydinge there dowtes and devillishe questions exhortinge there wth that they be frequent hearers and readers of Gods holie worde for to be daylie strengthned in there faythe and hope wth better regard to the articles of the Christian faythe especiallie two of theme so moche oppugned by multiplienge adversaries bothe here and there namely the anabaptists Englishe and dutche denyeng the two natures of Christ in one gloriouse parsoÌ„ wth 6. more horrible opinions and the sayde dowters of the resurrection Now let all right belebers in the true Christ from Mopses the Psalmes and de Prophetts reioyce and be of good comforth vnder what cross or distress soever For assure as he hathe taken our fleshe sanctifienge and glorifiengc yt so surely shall we be glorified wth hym seingâ—he our heade the fyrst fructs of theme that slept ys risen agayne assended wth our substans the sede of David and hathe dignifyed yt on the right hand of his father as he toke yt and sanctified yt here beneathe As certainely shall we his members flesh and boane of his ryse agayne to be partakers of his Ioyes as we have bene partakers of his blessings here and suffrnigs That yf the husbandman hopeth the corne sowen by his hand vnder clodds and stones shall rise againe new fresh and wth greate in crease moche more ought we to hope that our bodies shall rise againe by Gods omnipoteÌ„cie as sede sowen wth his owne hand whether in the grave in the fyer in these a or in the feilde renewed and clarified with vnspeakeable increasings and that wth no more difficultie then wheÌ„ he made the whole frame of this world without substans or matter by his very worde St. Paul would vs to remember that as the corne must fyrst be sowen and dye in the yerthe before yt receyve a new bodye a grene blade and ripe eare so must we be the lords sedenes before the happie harvest namely sowen deade buried and rotten before we have a gloriouse and Immortall bodie even the same in substants thoughe in qualitie yt shal be changed and then to be caulled spirituall bodies differinge in suche sorte from that they were before as the celestiall bodies the sonn moone and starrs do differ one from another in glorie At wch tyme our harts eyes and eares shal feele se and heare suche a marveylouse thang of the vse they were here as neyther toungs nor all the pennes in the world are able to Express And therfore happie be the penitents for there synnes the studiers for Godlines and the lovers of God and blessed are they that in faithe do meditate and in hope do reioyce sum tymes on this Ioyfull daye Concludinge then that as there ys two deathes the fyrst and second in yerth and in hell so there vs a fyrst and second resurrection that ys from synne and from the grave the partakinge of the one ys the confirmation of the other And when our soules do invisiblie go from the bodies then that spirituall and Immortall part goethe vnto the heaven of heavens and not downe to the grave to slepe there wth the corps vntyll the resurrection as oure anabaptists of Harlem and the rest do miserablie howld wth the purtenances Sixtly the worshipfull Gentlemen of all quarters of the land are by occasion sum tymes wthin that pleasant Edifice wth whome I must be breyffer then I thought to have bene Gentlemen Presuminge lykewyse that they in curtesie wyll esteme of this poore pamphlett thoughe wthout fynenes of methode or pullishe of art You then of the better sorte tearmed gentle as gentlemen deryved from gentle condisions remember I pray you that as by the word of healthe you once felt and I trust do yet feele spirituall motions the very inward caullinge from the Lorde to the love and zeale of his truthe so to geve all diligens that you be no changelings but dutifully the same what cownterbuffs so ever do come in your way to the contrarie Affectinge the good and dislikinge the evell And let your fortitude be in sylens and hope wth prayer and paciens thoughe sum paradventure on eache syde of your habitacions do eyther hault or be key could or gonn back from that they were wth you or as starrs faullen there light vnder a bushell other sum choked wth the world and sum of a looser lyfe then ever you looked for yet as Helias continued the servant of God thoughe he saw none to be left wth hym but all gonn and Iob the worthy servant of God in so evill a tyme wherin moche vngodlynes was in the world yet stode
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
world and desyre of equalitie wth others to quenche the same and to beware of puttinge on the gay cloke of religion for any other cause then for religion yt self wch rightly possessed makes the differens betwene brute beasts and men or rather betwene devills and saincts And to invite preachers to your table more to learne of theme and to be reproved by theme nede so requiringe then to gett any fame or glorie thereby And forasmoche as marchants can hardly kepe theme selves from wronge spun sticking so fast to that trade as nayle in the wall they must bothe pray the more earnestly and say wth Job I did feare all my worcks and not to forgett that you be subiect to change and casualties and next to be thankfull for your daylie gettings lest otherwise in a tyme vnloked for you crie wth the rytch marchants of babilon alass alass for in one hower so greate ritches ys come to desolation The anabaptists do well in commendinge manuell trades and we confess it worthie of commendacion because yt ys furthest of from defylinge pitche but they fowlie err in denyenge marchandise to be Gods ordinans seinge buyenge and sellinge is one of the leggs whervpon every common welthe dothe stand for the better helpe of Prynce nobles and contrey otherwyse Abraham Iacob and the rest would not buy there lauds to bury in nor the sale of land in booze his tyme. Only the Lord requireth equitie right dealinge and ells what wch ys more commonly knowen then practysed The thrid sort be retaylers in the vpper shopps In wch place as there be honest men and auncient matrons that occupie substantiall and profitable wares to the beneficte of the buyers Retaylers so ys yt otherwyse of the rest reported But because men love better gentle admonitions then bytter vmbradings therfore I wyshe bothe yong men and reputed virgins there to wynn credit to the how 's and to theme selves by desert of better fame then is abrode and to be no less honest and chaste yong men sober damselles and virgins in dede and in proufe then they are in face and shew for to stopp the mowthes of suche yll reporters eschewinge levitie and wantonnes wth the pride of hart gate and apparell and not to sitt ydlie and gasinge about but eyther havinge leysure to be profitablie readinge or as the Apostle sayethe to labor and worck sum good thing wth there handes for there owne behoufe and others By wch yt apperethe that the holy Gost allowethe not the makinge and sellinge of badd and deceytefull things nedeles toyes for the increase of greater pryde lest God be offended To conclude God keye you from the contempt of this short and freyndly admonition and grant you his holy feare the love of true Godlynes and the hatred of all wyckednes wth carefull watche for the soveraigne Iudge so hastelie comminge to Iudge bothe quich and deade Fourthly the frenche and dutche marchants walkinge in that Royall place Strangers Moste of you be in the churche and I hope of the churche thoughe sum tymes the wolfe be wthin the fowld when the shepe ys wthout Many of your companie my self dothe know to be of as good disposition as of a sownd profession repayringe fyrst to our contrey from the rage of the enemie for the zeale you bare to Gods religion Wherfore as your churches be entituled reformed so accordinge as you be gravely instructed indever moche to refourme your lyves and maners your dedes and actions bothe husbands and wyves after the doctryne and order of a reformed church wherby to draw credite and more reverēt estimatiō to those large assemblies for the honor of the gospel and to avoyde the gevinge of offens to the slāder of the same and the dscredit of the churches in London and ells where otherwise thē this careful watch looke for nothing but a more heavie iudgement to light on your heades then on theme that want the good meane you have And as for suche strangers as be wthout the zeale of Gods honor and the care to lyve vertuousely suche as be vnsaciable rakers of rytches hynderers of the poore and servers of there belly more then of God the Lord purge the churche of suche Hypocrites yf any of those be amongest you And the others that have as little vnion or communion wth you but be eyther papists anabaptists or open atheists God change theme from cittie and contrey Wyshinge bothe prentices and other youthes of the Cittie bearinge grudge and yll will to religiouse strangers to purge there harts of all former malys and to favour theme whome bothe God and Prince dothe expressly so commande as Levit 19. Yf A stranger dwell with you in your land you shall not vex hym but he shall be as one of your soules and thow shalt lobe hyn as thy self Fyfthlie sum new Saduces and libertynes now and then do trepe and walke in the middest of you Sadduceans as Iob sayeth that sathā commes a monge Gods children The wch deade soule parsons vnder vitall lyfe proclaymes warninge for all that woulde lyve wth Christ Iesus to avoyde there fearefull estate and dambnable opinions no less then ovr bodies do shunn the poyson of spiders And seinge the Lorde hathe given over suche vnbelevers of the generall resurrection to the power of sathan exceptinge the saide vitall lyfe reserved longer for a fuller measure of there extreme iniquitie wherby to be chayned in there hellyshe inheritans I wishe and exhorte every worshipper of God possessinge the hope of our ioyfull rysinge agayne bothe to pray and to reade moche for to be rooted in a present and lyvely felinge of a greater confidens of that gladsome resurrection bothe to mitigate all worldly greyfes and the better to seale Gods eternall election wthin there harts And no less to beware of there copartners and staggeringe disciples neyther wholie wth theme nor flattly against theme but waveringe betwene bothe because the ladder of there rude reason ys not long ynoughe to reache to suche an highe misterie lyke the anabaptists denienge the humanitie of Christ to come from his mother because there shallow reason can not reache how then he cowld be wthout synn Therfore as the one reiectethe the true Christ professinge another wth his flesh from ells where so our new Saduces blott out from there harts all maner of thought of that moste terrible and ioyfull day of the Lorde studienge for no more then to eate drynck and be mery vntill to morrow they dye as the brute oxe thoughe not so well To the wch myschefe they are come by voluptuouse securitie wth the neglect or contempt of Gods worde and so be insnared wth darch and deadly dowtes in this light of the gospell These staggerers wth there grand Captaynes do call Gods providēs and his regiment over all into question aswell as the rysinge of our bodies as thus how can there be an outstretched providens from God above to vs