quiet from prittle prattle from scanning this neighbours wealth that neighbours wit this mans doings and that mans sayings and from coursing euen the whole country ouer til al men haue béene within the spéech of our tongues drawen out of vs by the power peraduenture of a pot too much or such a like influence Must not these things I say and the owners of them be accursed as sure as they liue if peace and loue and good agréement amongst men be of the Lorde blessed They must they must Frailtie For all the world knoweth the venome of these things in anie towne and their mightie working against vnitie and therfore I praie you and I praie you heartily consider of it and cast euen a long looke vppon them such an one as we doe when we would marke a thing indéede and beare it away And I doubt not but God shall giue you strength against your temptation There is no one thing so great a nurse of two of them namely of a misdéeming mind a pratling tongue as idlenes is when a man hath nothing to doe and to applie himselfe vnto but to sitte on a bulke in the stréete or bench in a tauerne or an ale house and to wet his tongue with drinke and drie it with talking or when a woman hath no setled gouernment of her selfe in house but is in the number of those that the Apostle Paul speaketh of which beeing idle learne to goe about from house to house Yea they are not onely idle but also pratlers and busie bodies speaking things which are not comelie Therfore whosoeuer wil be a preseruer of peace he must be an enimie to these curses assuredly and heare more with two eares than he speaketh with one tongue But I weary you with this digressioÌ„ which is longer than I meant and therefore I cut it off againe and againe requiring of you that you neuer hang vpon the accompt of men in anie thing that euer you goe about béeing commaunded by the expresse worde of God but fullie suffice your selfe with the acceptance of God and that which you haue here an assuraÌ„ce of if you be a peacemaker Blessed shall you be and euer accompted both with God and his true children the son of God And if this wil not coÌ„tent you quicken you strengthen and stay you in this vertue but that worldlie ingratitude shall quench you and drawe you to such extremitie as you spake of certainely Frailtie you deceiue your selfe there is no true godlinesse in you but euen your name is too gentle for your nature you are become plaine infidelitie But I hope the best and performe you no lesse if you regarde your owne comfort Sufficient is this yet once againe if you be the Lords Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God The eight Temptation Frailtie ONce more woulde I trouble you Faith if I might before we end it is in this I feare my nature if persecution shoulde arise for religion And what shoulde I doe to obtaine strength Faith There are manie treatises of this point godlie and comfortable wherevnto for larger discourse I referre you and wish you to peruse them For mine owne part whensoeuer I thinke of this matter these and such other considerations séeme most swéet vnto me as yet Further trial shal giue further assault but God will be euer good to Israel First it is ratified decréede and established by the Lorde our God that through manie tribulations wée must enter into the kingdome of heauen And therefore since it must be so so be it in the name of God be it vnto vs as it pleaseth him necessarie things are to be borne necessarily and with chéere For in vaine doe we grudge to doe what wée must néedes doe or grieue to beare what we must néedes beare Heathens and Pagans haue made a comfort of necessitie and shoulde Christians in better cause bewray more weakenesse No God forbid But let it euer be our spéech rather than theirs in such matters as our God sendeth and laieth vppon vs Ferenda quaecunque sunt They are welcome what soeuer they be Secondly this decrée course that the Lord hath laid down for his children thus to kéepe procéedeth not of anger and displeasure or of a minde delighting in our woe and séeking to punish vs but of great loue and most fatherly affection toward vs and in déede wonderfully worketh our better being and therefore tenns thousand times welcome shoulde this good will of his be to vs and very farre from shaking vs from the true profession of his name and trueth For his affection we heare his owne mouth speake it that whome he loueth he rebuketh and chasteneth many a time repeating the same that we might remember it And for the other we sée it and knowe it by the proofe of euery daies experience For what maketh vs sée the gaule of Sathans heart towarde vs and euen our euerlasting ouerthrowe sworne of him by his diuelhood if by anie meanes hée can worke it to the ende we may perfectly hate so perfect a foe and yet so â—â—â—ring a friend The crosse What rowseth vs out of dull securitie and colde conceit of our owne wantes or the necessitie of Gods protection and succour and maketh not only our tongues to speake but the fire to kindle and burne within vs and so our prayers to haue spirite and power before the Lorde The Crosse What killeth this intemperancie of our affections and this blustring impaciencie of our natures and maketh vs méeke milde humble gentle and like lambes not lyons appointed to the slaughter The crosse What worketh the decaie euen of the whole olde Adam in vs with all his lustes concupiscence and venome and daily raiseth vp as a meanes the newe man with al his swéete motions heauenly and reformed actions The Crosse What maketh vs spitte in the face of this flattering worlde whose loue causeth losse both of body and soule in the worlde to come and to be content to part with her paps and to bid al her pleasures adue The crosse Lastly what maketh vs teare our bellies from the earth whereto they cleaue so fast and lift vp our heades to heauen long for the life that lasteth and desire heartily to be clothed with our house which is froÌ„ aboue The crosse Wherfore then since it is decréed and that in loue to our so great good that all which will liue godlie in Jesus Christ must suffer persecution what cause haue we would the Lorde voutsafe vs eyes with the crosse to be discouraged and driuen from the Lorde Thirdly it neuer hapneth to vs by fortune and chance or by ignoraunce in our God or inabilitie to let it if it pleased him but by his knowledge by his will and by his hande and he is our father bounde vnto vs in league and couenant of loue that of his part shall neuer be broken while wee hang of him The mother may forget
for thée that when the hower commeth we may neither feare nor faint in faith but ioyfully without anie skrikes and cries of desperation and of a troubled and vexed conscience passe away in full hope and assuraunce that all our sinnes are wiped away in the bloud of Jesus Christ and we to thée in him so reconciled that life for euermore is certaine vnto vs. Last of all good father with most humble and heartie thankes for thy goodnes to vs this night let thy mercifull eye looke vpon vs this day and so kéepe vs bodie and soule that being occupied in our seuerall callinges we may be safe by thée from al our enemies liue to thée or die to thée as it best shal please thy gratious goodnes These thinges O Lorde and whatsoeuer else we haue néede of graunt vs for Christ his sake in whose name we aske them saying as he hath taught vs OUr Father which art in heauen halowed be thy name thy kingdome come thy will be doone in earth as it is in heauen giue vs this day our dailie bread and forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs and lead vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill Amen Let thy mightie hand out stretched arme O Lorde be still our defence thy mercy louing kindnes in Jesus Christ our saluation thy true and holy worde our instruction thy grace and holy spirite our comfort and consolation vnto the ende and in the end Amen The Lorde blesse vs and saue vs the Lord make his face to shine vpon vs and be mercifull vnto vs the Lorde turne his fauourable countenance towarde vs and this day and euermore vouchsafe to sende vs his peace Amen The blessing of God alminghtie the father the sonne and the holie Ghost be amongst vs and remaine with vs both nowe and for euer Amen ¶ An other for the same at night O Immortall God creatour of heauen and earth before whome all creatures feare and tremble were it not that thou hast commaunded vs neuer durst we appeare before thée so corrupt is our nature and so manie are our sinnes But good Lorde thou doest bid and therefore we obey thou doest call and therefore we come giue vs spirites to pray aright First then héere met together déere father we yéelde thy maiestie most humble and heartie thankes for all the mercies that euer thou hast bestowed vpon vs in bodie or minde in our selues or in ours priuate or common temporall or eternall Manie and meruelous haue they béene and still are vpon vs yea euen good Lorde past finding out This day what thou hast done for vs which of vs knoweth or is able to expresse Father of heauen forgiue vs that wée cannot acknowledge them or praise thée for them as we ought and quicken vs in this duety more and more Pardon and forgiue vs whatsoeuer wée haue offended thée withal this daie or euer before either in thought worde or déede yea euen our secret sinnes such as we haue committed and knowe not of remit them vnto vs for Christs sake Change vs O Lorde and wee shal be changed Create in vs cleane hearts and renew a right spirite within vs. Breake the strength of sinne that would subdue vs more and more And O mercifull father so frame these harts of ours within vs that we may more delight to liue according to thy will than to enioy all the worlde and all the pleasures therein Laie it often good Lorde before our eies by thy remembring spirite that thou hast not breathed the breath of life into vs that we should liue as wée list but that in holinesse and righteousnesse wée shoulde walke before thée all our daies Laie it before vs O Lorde that the time will come when the trumpe shall sounde the dead shall rise and we euen wée here mette together at this time all and euerie one of vs shall most assuredly stand before thy iudgement seate with naked hearts with open and vnfolded consciences there to giue an accompt howe wée haue so doone In which daie O the ioie O the endlesse ioie that they shall haue who waining themselues from the glistering shew of this wretched world in heart trueth haue sought serued thée Come come ye blessed of my father to their comfort shal they beare possesse the kingdom prepared for you But woe woe to all carelesse liuers in that flerie daie they shall drinke the wine of the wrath of God be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holie Angels and before the lambe they shall haue no rest daie nor night and the smoke of their torment shall ascende for euermore Father of hauen haue mercie vpon vs knit these hearts of ours fast vnto thée and now whil we haue time giue vs grace rightly to thinke of these things O continue thy worde of truth amongest vs euer to our comfort Let the séede thereof nowe sowen in our hearts take such déepe roote that neither the burning heat of persecution cause it to wither nor the thornie cares of this worlde riches or voluptuous liuing choke it but as séede sowen in good grounde it may bring foorth fruite according to thy pleasure O father giue grace that whē we heare or finde by thy word anie sinne that is in vs touched we maie striue and study without delay willingly to reforme it Kéepe vs good God y t wée neuer swarue for the feare of man from our own true knowledge becōming seruers of time and deniers of thée Kéepe vs from all hardnes of hart contempt of thy word and from all dissembling of sinceritie increase true loue amongst vs more and more stay our heady wrathful and wicked affections more and more And euerie waie good Lorde renew vs to thy liking Blesse thy whole Church O God with graces necessarie this parcel of it our natiue land and countrey déere father blesse it still with continuance of thy truth Lessen in it daily the number of blinde and wilfull Papists prophane Atheists increase the number of thy true children O presse vs not déere God with the weight of our ingratitude whose liues and knowledge answeare not the daies that we haue had worke with vs hence forward for thy mercies sake Preserue vnto vs long aliue good Lord our gracious prince gouernour multiplie thy spirite vpon her that still more and more she may séeke and sette out kéepe and maintaine that which pleaseth thée Giue to her honourable counsell graces necessarie for so high a calling Blesse all other Nobles Magistrates and the whole bodie of this realme with true heartes to thée and this country Increase in Israel the number of true watchmen whose harts may séeke thée and thy people and not their owne glorie or commoditie Bring to thy tolde by them such wandring remnants as are thine and O Lorde be gracious to our kinred and friendes in the flesh lighten their heartes with the sunne of vnderstanding that they and we acknowledging
A briefe Conference betwixt mans Frailtie and Faith VVherein is declared the true vse and comfort of those blessings pronounced by Christ in the fifth of Matthew that euery Christian man and woman ought to make and take hold of in their seuerall tentations and conflicts Laide downe in this plaine order of Dialogue to helpe if it please God the conceit and feeling of the simplest By Geruase Babington PSALME 119. O hovve svveete-are thy vvordes vnto my throte yea svveeter than honie vnto my mouth AT LONDON Printed by Henry Midleton for Thomas Charde 1584. The Contentes of this Booke Strength and comfort out of the worde of God against Pouertie and want pag. 4 Vncheerefulnesse pag. 22 Heat of affections pag. 34 Want of Iustice pag. 52 Vnmercifulnesse pag. 60 Dissimulation pa. 79 Doscoragement to make peace pag. 97 The crosse persecution pag. 113 To the Right Honorable and vertuous Ladie the Ladie Marie Countesse of Penbrooke his verie singular good Ladie and Mistrisse G. B. wisheth al mercy and comfort in Christ Iesus both here novv and for euer IT is sayde of Salomon euen in outwarde matters Right Honorable and my verie singular good Lady that if a man haue riches treasure and honour wanting nothing for his soule of all that it desireth and yet haue not an heart both to feele in comfort the goodnesse of his God therein towardes him and also to vse the sayde blessinges liberally to his owne good and others helpe it is but a vanitie and an euill sickenes yea a price in the hand of a foole as it is saide in an other place that hath no heart That is it is a mercie of God which hee hath no right and true vse of So necessarie in verie outward things is both feeling and faith the one to conceiue the other to applie and both of them to yeeld vs the true profit comfort and good intended into vs in the same by the Lord. Much more Madame in spirituall matters respecting the life of bodie and soule for euer And by name much more in the worde of God which we now so freely and so plentifully vnder the gratious gouernement of our most gracious Prince enioye For if wee reade it ouer ten thousand times our selues heare it of others carefully continually and yet feele not the sweete spirite of the Lorde by it secret power as it were with a dropping dewe piercing and mollifying shaking and comforting our soules by the same assuredly we want what we seeme to haue and for all our reading or hearing of it neuerthelesse it remaineth a sealed booke vnto vs. This proueth Caine that cursed caytise both heere and euer who though he knew the promise of certaine safetie by the seede of the woman hearing it no doubt often in wordes tould and seeing it by sacrifices shadowed out vnto him yet wanting a heart to feele and faith to applie vnto himselfe the benefite of the same wanted also to his woe what he so inioyed So did Esau Saul Achitophell and others all whatsoeuer they were who together with the worde receiued not a touch a tast a very rent as it were in their heartes to feele as also piercing eyes a clasping faith to see and take hould of the hidden sweete comprised in the same Which weying often with my selfe my verie good Ladie together with the place where I spend my time and the burning desire which both his honorable Lo. and your selfe haue that I should doe good amongest them I bowe the knee both of bodie and heart vnto the Lorde for them and I often begge that in that bottomelesse heape of his mercie wherein he euen swalloweth vp himselfe it might please him to see it good to ioine vnto the outward ministerie of his worde which he nowe voutsafeth them that inward touch power and might of his spirite that maketh it both a mortifying sworde and a comforting grace vnto his children For so shall my labours be life vnto them and euer as I speake deliuering but the word their consciences shall approoue and confesse within them that it is a truth Yea further I haue often secretly in my selfe intended to ioyne vnto prayer some further indeuour and according to that measure of mercie which the Lorde should voutsafe me to make some plaine applications of such portions of scripture as I shoulde iudge in vse practise fittest for thē That seeing in them by example the true vse of the worde of God and howe to sucke out strength in their seuerall needes from it they might from one place to manie and from many euen to all without any further guide than the guide of guides Gods mercifull spirit passe with feeling comfort and true concept of the good therin contained intended to vs all And falling by course of reading at last vpon that notable Chapter the 5. of Mathewe and seeing by some further meditation vpon those blessings therin contained such wisedome taught such faultes reprooued such comfort ministred and such matter handled as for thē and all the world is most necessarie I resolued with my selfe euen there to beginne to put in practise my named purpose and to make a tryall if by such indeuour I might profit any Which Inowe haue done presenting the same vnto the Lord with humble prayer for his blessing to mine owne and others with hartie request of Christian acceptance to your honorable L. as to a meanes that shall make it more acceptable to all and especially to them that I chiefely intende it vnto so greatly honoring with all dutie and liking the manifoulde mercies of God in you I am not able Madame to doe with content what ten thousande times I am bounde to doe with all care namely to shew my selfe mindfull and thankefull as I ought for all your La. honourable dealings with me But this I protest in the eies of the Lorde that I would if I could and in witnesse thereof I deliuer vnto the worlde this affirmation and to your selfe these fewepapers most humblie beseeching your Honour that since my want is in abilitie and not in will this small testimonie of the same may according to your accustomed clemencie be accepted of and finde a supplie therein of any want wherewith it may be charged So cease I to adde any further thing leauing your La. to the Lord of heauen to strengthen you still in that happie course of the studie of his worde and all other good learning of the practise of duty to your God of cheereful incouragement to your seruants and of honorable clemencie to all men which is at this daie a crowne vpon your head aboue manie others and a glorious ornament about your necke in the eies eares and tongues of all men that either see you heare of you or speake of you and my selfe remaine to perfourme all dueties that euer I shall be inabled vnto euen with all the power both of bodie and minde as I am most bounde The Lorde open the
windowes of heauen and powre his mercies out vpon your La. the Lorde confirme you in all good workes giue you a true sight of this vaine world make your heart shake at his iudgementes melt with a fruitefull feeling of grace assured to holie life and the Lord to profite make you thinke you euer heare that voice ARISE YOV DEADE AND COME VNTO IVDGEMENT and yet in faith to saie with cheerefull heart COME LORDE IESVS COME QVICKLIE So be it London this first of December 1583. Your Honors most humble bounden to death Geruase Babington A Conference betwixt mans Frailtie and Faith Frailtie O Wicked worlde and wretched state I stand in O heauy hart sorowing soule how should I comfort you I haue it not I see it not I feele it not what any way might ioie mee and howe then can I giue it you The contrary I see in fullest weight and measure and wo is me ten thousand times that euer I sawe this light yea let the day euen perish wherin I was borne and the night when it was saide there is a manchilde conceiued Let that daie be darknesse let not God regard it from aboue neither let the light shine vppon it But let darkenesse and the shadow of death staine it let the cloud remaine vpon it and let them make it fearefull as a bitter day let darkenesse possesse that night let it not be ioined vnto the dayes of the yeare nor let it come into the accounts of the moneths Yea desolate be that night and let no ioy be in it Let the stars of that twilight be dimme through darkenesse of it let it looke for light but haue none neither let it see y e dawning of the daie because it shut not vp the doores of my mothers wombe nor hid sorrowe from my eies Why died I not in the birth or why died I not when I came out of the wombe Why did the knees preuent me and why did I sucke the brests For so shoulde I nowe haue lien and beene quiet I should haue slept then and beene at rest Or why againe was I not hid as an vntimely birth either as infants which haue not seene the light Woe is me I liue woe is mee I doe not die and wo I feare much more when ended is my course Faith Why Frailtie what in the name of God meaneth this fearful impatiencie or what case can there be in the life of man and woman so vncomfortable as that in regard thereof they should thus cris out Open your selfe and conceale not your griefe for the verie speaking of it shall giue some measure of ease Frailtie Alas I knowe not almost howe to doe it For my conceites doe so oppresse me and euer as I thinke of one miserie still the remembraunce of an other thrusteth it selfe so into my minde and at last the heape appeares so huge as all amazed I faint vnder the beholding of them and my cogitations are so distracted as it is not possible for me to make an orderly rehearsall of my woe Yet since I haue met with you I wil performe it as I can committing my selfe to that mercie that hath no measure and to your selfe as an instrument to applie his comfortes to me begging it euen with teares tenne thousand times at your handes I consider then that I am created heere in this worlde a reasonable creature consisting of bodie and soule both subiect to dreadfull and endlesse woe if I finde not mercie with the Lorde which I confesse vnto you I comfortablie cannot assure my self of as yet bicause the hand of God me thinke more heauily presseth me diuers waies than I imagin it would do if he loued me Faith And wherein I praie you doe you thinke you are pressed ouer heauily Pouertie the first temptation Frailtie ALas in manie things and yet God laie not my pleading with him to my charge To begin with some thing I must needes confesse vnto you that my lowe estate in the world is a maruellous temptation to me manie a time For God knowes I am poore and euen verie poore notwithstanding all my paines carke and care which is not a little My charge also is great for such an one as I am and their want as good reason bindeth is my continuall woe Yet if this were all me thinke I could wrastle with it and by Gods helpe get the victorie but these companions of pouertie are they that sting me so sore to wit disdaine and contempt both of me and mine of my doinges sayinges or any thing that proceedeth from me and that reiection which is made of me out of all meetings and companies those whisperinges that I heare reproches that I carrie euen at their handes that I little thought would haue done it and that scornefull pitying of me which often appeareth with such like For in deede if euer anie found it I finde it true that by wise Syrac was saide so long agoe There is euen as much peace betwixt the riche and the poore as betwixt Hyena and the dogge But looke howe the wilde Asse is the Lions pray so are the poore meate for the riche And looke howe the proude hate humilitie so doe the rich abhorre the poore If a rich man fall his friendes set him vp againe but when the poore falleth his friendes driue him away If a rich man offende he hath many helpers hee speaketh proude wordes and yet men iustifie him but if a poore man faile they rebuke him and though he speake wisely yet can hee haue no place When the riche man speaketh euerie man holdeth his tongue and looke what he sayeth they praise it to the clouds but if the poore man speake they say What felowe is this And if he doe amisse they will destroy him These these companions of my pouertie are the thinges that euen cut my heart a sunder and wil I nill I it breaketh euen vpon mee by force as it were to thinke that if the lord loue a man hee should neuer suffer him for want of worldly trash so despitefully to be intreated in this worlde and so generally This is but one thing that troubleth me besides which I haue manie moe but helpe me if you can ere I go anie further Faith Nay goe on vtter your gréefe fullie and then your minde wilbe the fitter to heare a great deale For otherwise you will be musing of the rest when I shall he speaking to you for your ease in this Frailtie An other verie daungerous torment then I must needes confesse is that continuall vncomfortablenesse which is still in me by reason of diuerse thinges as by a weightie and stinging sense of mine owne sinnes by sight of other mens loose course and grieuous dishonouring of God in euerie place giuing thēselues to flatterie dissembling and all manner of holowe dealing with God and man by meditation of the fierce wrath of God and most dreadfull iudgementes which assuredly hang ouer vs for these thinges