coÌ„uerted WheÌ„ thou séest a sinner openly led to his last end to lose his life by law know y t thou staÌ„dest a sinner before god as wel as he although before the world thou be estéemed better The life and death of our Lord sauiour Iesus Christ is a glasse for all faithfull Christians to looke in Wherefore with a good deuotion lead thou an holye life by his example take paines to follow his humilitie his sobrietie his chastitie his goondnesse his charitie his patience his compassion and all his other vertues Ther is no schoole wherein a Christian maye so well learne to liue well as in the contemplation of Christs life conuersation thou must oftentimes think on thy last end as death iudgement hell heauen perseuer in praier in goodnes to the death so thou shalt please God not be loth to dye Remember the end saith y e wise thou shalt neuer sin thou must often pray deuoutly to God wheÌ„ thou wilt so do thou must draw thy selfe from all affaires For praier is a lifting vp of the hart to God and a priuate speach or communication of the soule with God If it be so were there any reason that a man shuld withdraw his cogitations from God or rather all outward busines put apart with all reuerence to submit thy soule before him All this notwithstanding it is not forbiddeÌ„ in all our affairs to pray sing psalmes to Gods glorie and oftentimes with teares to saie the Lordes praier or anie other praier to that effect And heere by the way thou must vnderstand that the longest praier is not most profitablest because of the multitude of cogitations thoughts rising in the minde Besides that they must be deuout for the praiers which are done with deuotion with loue humilitie of the hart doth profit most as for all other praiers they are vaine and to no purpose If thou pronounce but three words as the Publican did saieng God be mercifull to me a sinner or as the Chananite said O sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon me it is enough Againe be not curious of thy tongue or fine in speaking it sufficeth that thy heart speaks within thee and thy tongue though but bleatingly if vnfainedly it is well as we read of Moses and Anne Samuels mother True it is and no lesse fitte that both tongue and heart shoulde praise God and therefore be circumspect in thy praiers lest thou be reproued as our Lord reproued some saieng You knowe not what you aske In the first parte of thy Prayer thou askest Gods Kingdome according to Gods doctrine and also his Iustice. Then thou askest in thy prayer that God be knowen honoured glorified of all that his wil be done in all accomplished in all as well of men in Earth as of Angells in Heauen Thou askest increase of Faith Hope and Charitie remission of sinnes the grace of God and his glorie Worldly goods superfluously thou oughtest not to aske but necessarily to liue and with a measure for thy bodely health and for the succour of the néedie If thou be sicke poore or in aduersitie thou maist aske health riches or prosperitie so it be done to Gods glorie But if thine afflictions doe more aduaunce Gods glory then thy prosperitie doeth yéelding thy will to GODS will thou oughtest to aske patience and saie with a meeke heart Lord thy will bee done and not mine Euermore haue the feare of GOD before thine eyes iudgeing and condempning thy selfe for thy sinne and thou shalt not be iudged nor condempned of God Let no sinne so raigne in thée as to depriue thee of Gods grace and to tumble thée to eternall death Better it is to dye in trouble without sinne then to liue in prosperitie in sinne and better it is to loose thy life for Gods cause then to liue at ease and loose God and thy life too If thy senses be inclined to sinne be not dismaid for ther is a God to whom if thou pray will by the power of his grace suppresse that inclination Wherefore take courage when thou art tempted aske for helpe at God saieng O God make speede to saue me O Lord make hast to helpe me Lord God leaue me not but be my help O thou Lord God of my health Doe what thou canst to resist the Diuell and he shall goe from thée approch to God by Faith and he will drawe néere vnto vs by his spirite If the Diuell assault thée defie him and make thy mone to our Sauiour saieng Lord helpe me and he will helpe thee Doe thou thine indeuour and assure thy selfe that God wil make thée strong he will aide thée he will ease thée and in the end will set thee free from all vexations placing thée in the heauen of heauens the portion and inheritaunce of his seruaunts To this God and to Iesus Christ with the holy Ghost be all glorie honour and praise worlds without end Amen ¶ THE AVTHORS PERORATION OR Conclusion to the deuout readers or hearers The xij Chahter The xij Chapter I Thanke almightie God of his goodnes that I am come to the ende of the voyage of the wandring Knight by the which thou maist vnderstand that in following Folly and vaine Voluptuousnesse he forsooke God to the preiudice and hurt of his soule yea to the daunger of euerlasting damnation Héere thou maist learne that al voluptuous worldlings are the very subiects of Satan and that earthly goods and worldly pleasure shal quickly consume Thou art taught likewise what great clemencie God vsed to him drawing him by his Grace from the sinke of sinne wherein he was sunke how he was led to the place of Repentance and from thence to the Pallaice of Vertue where by Gods grace he is now and what goodnesse he hath found there thou hast heard at large The Lord graunt vs to lande where he is landed euen in the lande of promise promised to the Elect. And now to conclude I beséech your good courtesies that if any thing in this my labour mislike you interpret the same to the best and to lay nothing to my charge in the waye of presumption but commending my good meaning and allowing my will not to contemne but to speak well and esteeme of this my worke and to vse it for thy benefite and edification for the which ende I made and compiled the same And now I exhort you all in Christian loue and charitie that if by Gods grace you be resident in Vertues Pallaice to perseuer and continue there to the ende humbling your selues before God and alwaies trusting vnto his goodnesse not vnto your owne strength or merites acknowledging also Gods grace by the which you are as you are and of whome you haue that you haue Let all your confidence be in his mercie and in his goodnesse Furthermore if any féele and perceiue himselfe out of Vertues Pallaice by meanes of worldly vanities let him consider the great perill he is in and spéedely tourne to repentaunce with a contrite and sorrowfull heart requiring pardon of God and trusting wholly to the merites and passion of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Let him not be ashamed to acknowledge his sinnes which if he doe he shall finde at Gods hands grace and mercie And now I beseech our Lord God to giue vs all grace to do according vnto that which heere is spoken for otherwise of our selues it is not possible that leading a life acceptable and agréeable vnto his holy wil we may in the end after the voyage which we haue to passe in this world sée and enioye possesse and haue the full fruition of that glorious Citie of Paradise where true blessednesse and perfect felicitie dwelleth euen in the habitation of God almightie vnto whom be all honor glory power dominion for euermore Amen FINIS GLORIE TO GOD. ¶ Imprinted at London by Thomas East Pro. 11. Eccle. 32. Mat. 12. Luke 6. Gen. â—â— The beginning of Idolatrie Ninus the sonne of Bell and third king of BabiloÌ„ Exo. 32. Trabeta vvaÌ„dred a long time like a vagabond from couÌ„try to couÌ„trie Berosus Exo. 1. Exo. 14. Nu. 16. 1. Kin. 21.26.31 2. Kiâ— 1.12 Kin. 13.11 4. Kin. 12. 3. Kin. 18 21. Iohn 1. Iames. 4 Luke 6. Mat. 7. Eph. 4. Repentance coÌ„meth by loue and feare Act. 9. Luc. 23. 3. King 19 Esay 45. Esay 35 Ezechi 18 Ioel. 2. Micheas 7 Iohn 3. Luke 15. Rom. â— Heb 4. Chron. 33. Luke 7 Iohn 4. Act. 9. Tim. 1. Psal. 93. Psal. 93. Rom. 6. Esa. 61. Psa. 80. 2. Cor. 7. Esay 66. VVis 7. Cor. 3. Cor. 6. Rom. 10. Rom. â— Iere. 17. 1. Iohn 3. Rom. 8. 1. Iohn 3. Rom. 8. 1. Iohn â— Iohn 14 Psa. 41. Ioel. 1. Iohn 17. Mat. 24. Mat. 18. Eccle. 7 Luc. 18. Mat. 17 Ezo 1. 1. Kin. 1. Mat. 20 Mat. 5.
the bog amongst serpents and toads So I was very glad of my Gouernour and gaue thankes to Gods grace who from the table gaue me drugs to eate and repeating vnto me a place written in the .80 Psalme of Dauid Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Then hauing swallowed y t which she gaue me I forgat the world made no reckoning of any thing therin For all my desire was in hast to see y e pallaice of true Felicitie I desired death to be with Christ in Heauen Dinner being done the gates of Repentaunce were opened which were narrowe contrariwise as it appeareth in the first Booke that the entraunce into the Pallaice of Voluptuousnesse was wide large and great but the ende thereof was desperation and destruction as on the other side the entring into the Pallaice of Repentaunce is straight and narrow but the ende thereof is eternall lyfe For Repentaunce as Saint Paule saith leadeth the repepentant to euerlasting saluation When the gates were open I mounted vp into a Chariot of Iuorie hauing golden whéeles and two white horses with wings drawing the same Gods grace gate vp first and with hir hande helped me vp then followed the good Hermit Vnderstanding then Memory Conscience and Repentaunce but Gods grace gouerned all who touching the horses with hir rod they mounted vp ouer the Mountaines which are aboue the earth So we passed through the region of the aire where inhabiteth all the wicked spirites which watcheth to annoye such as would mount vp into Heauen And though I was greatly agast heereat yet my trust was in Gods grace vnder whose wings I hid my selfe I trusted not in my Conscience for all it was at peace nor to Repentaunce nor to Vnderstanding but to Gods grace onely who safelye shrowded mée vnder hir winges as the Henne doeth hir Chickens against the comming of the Kite Then she commaunded the wicked enimies to get them hence and they foorthwith fled awaye cryeng alowde Now haue we lost our knight Loe he is mounted vp to the pallaice of vertue in despite of vs all How is he escaped quod one vnder the wings of Gods grace quoth an other from whence all we cannot fetch him Béeing past this brunt I heartely thanked Gods grace of her goodnesse and on the sodeine I sawe vpon the toppe of a mountaine a goodly pallaice Nowe for that loue engendreth familyaritie and familyaritie bréedes boldnesse I asked Gods grace what place it was and shée tolde mee it was the pallaice of Vertue It was so high that it reached euen to heauen and about it were seauen faire Towres of Alabaster In the first dwelt Faith in the second Hope in the thirde Charitie in the fourth Wisdome in the fift Iustice in the sixt Fortitude and in the seauenth Temperaunce In the first Towre Gods grace shewed mée Faith which waited for our comming néere adioyning vnto whome I might perceiue the Pallaice of true Felicitie With that I desired Ladie Memorie to put mée in minde in the morning of going to sée that gallaunt citie Whiles we were thus deuising our Chariot arriued at the Court where Ladie Vertue with her daughters Faith Hope Charitie Wisedome Iustice Fortitude and Temperaunce dwelt At the first sight I knewe it was the same Ladye Vertue which afore time had so well admonished me and I gaue no eare vnto her Then reuerently vpon my kéenes lamenting I cried her mercie for contemning her counsel following Voluptuousnes Wherwith she made me arise and in token that she tooke in good part my recantation shee sweetly kissed me and bad me welcome So with great ioy accompanied with Gods grace true Vnderstanding quiet Conscience vnfained Repentance I entered into the pallaice of Lady Vertue And thus endeth the second part of my voiage Thus farre the second part of the wandring Knights voyage ¶ THE THIRD PART OF the voyage of the wandring Knight THE KNIGHT DECLARETH THE GREAT good the solace and the pleasures which he found in the Pallaice of Lady Vertue The first Chapter IF I HAD A THOVSANDE tongues to tell the truth of all the goods and pleasures which I found in the pallaice of Vertue and if I should liue a thousande yeares to report this matter al were too little in euery point to decipher it For it consisteth not in Angelical knowledge much lesse in mans wit wholy to comprehend so notable a mysterie none knows it but he who hath proued it You may be sure that there are not as in the pallaice of worldly pleasure Chambers hanged about with silke Tapestry and euerie corner sumptuously and superfluously adorned no no but there were histories of the olde new Testament to view marke I found not there cofers full of gold siluer cuberds of plate presses of silke all manner of mercery ware neither daintie dishes delicate drinkes bawdie songs wanton musike y e ladie of loue her son Cupid nor anie thing y t worldlings embrace but I found a thing farre surpassing all that is in the world This good this ioyfull this comfortable this vnspeakable this incomprehensible thing cannot be named worthely inough but of good bad he is called God euen he who is y e only souereigne good aboue al things reasonable vnreasonable Peraduenture you wil say This is strange newes y t you sir knight should sée God in the pallaice of Vertue How How is it straunge séeing he is euerie where not onelye in heauen but also in earth in hell Truly I confesse y t God is euerie where but I denie him to dwel euerie where yet I know that by his power inuisible presence he is euerye where though not euerie where by the fulnesse of his greatnes his gifts it follows then that he dwelleth not euerye where I pray you what profiteth it the dampned that he is in hell by his power iustice vengeaunce Surely by such presence of God they haue no ioye no consolation no benefit nor felicitie for that all are curssed in whome GOD dwelleth not by his grace whatsoeuer they be be they kings Princes or Popes who haue all other riches and delights in the world But all they y t haue the grace of God are happie at leastwise in hope though they liue euen in a loathsome prison are poorer then Lazarus which desired to be refreshed with the crums that fell from the euill rich mans table Nowe when we praye to God we saye not Our Father which art euerie where but Our Father which art in heauen and that is the place where God giues the enioyeng and possessing of himselfe to his elect and that is their dwelling prepared by the grace of God That is it that God spake of by the Prophet Esaie sayeng Heauen is my seat and earth is my foote-stoole Forasmuch sayth God as I dwell in mine elect by grace I will tumble at my féet those that loue Voluptuousnesse rather then their maker In the booke of Wisedome
it is written That the seate of wisedome is the soule of the iust God is Wisedome and the iust soule his seate God is in euerie place where hée dwelleth but he dwelleth not in euery place where he is This is most true though meruailous for the euill are alwaies where GOD is but yet God dwelleth not in them Wheresoeuer the wicked are they cannot hide themselues from GOD and yet they are not dwellers with GOD nor GOD a dweller with them They are where GOD is as the blinde man in the light of the Sunne The light is not in him because hée hath not the vse of it But the good are alwaies with God and God dwelleth in them as in his temple Saint Paule saith That the Temple of God is holy And therefore if you liue as he commaundes you you are his Temple and God himselfe saith I will be in them I will walke amongest them I will be their God and they shall be my people Now therefore you sée that although God be euerie where by his power yet he dwelleth no where but where he is by grace It is plaine that where vertue is there God dwelleth Tell mée what displeasure can the soule haue where God inhabiteth by grace which is the onely consolation of all reasonable creatures Is it possible y t anie man can finde in heauen or in earth such souereigne good as is in God who is the most excellentest and chiefest good and the true ioy of all reasonable creatures How can that bodie faile of anie goodnesse which hath God by his grace resting in his heart who is the onely author of all goodnesse and the giuer of all true ioye and perfect felicitie But some will saie that they sée good people in the world oftentimes suffer miserie depriued of their goods and put by the pleasures of this world which appeareth in the sadnesse of their countenaunces for they séeme to be conceiued with sorrow and as it were to labour and trauaile in heauines as a woman in child-birth I confesse it to be so but yet if you say that they are not furnished with all good true ioye and felicitie you erre greatly For the souereigne good which is God dwelleth in the iust soule euermore although foolish worldlings say in their hearts and thoughts Can it be that those miserable men which are afflicted with pouertie or imprisonment haue more possession of true felycitie then wee that wallowe in wealth and are without want of any worldly pleasures But they consider not that true ioy consisteth in the soule But be ye sure that as the soule is the most precioust part of the bodie euen so ought the goodnesse of the soule to be greater then the goodnesse of the bodie The ioye of the iust righteous is more inward then outward for all his goodnesse is in the soule as the ioye of the wanton worldling is outwardlye in the bodie The iust man suffereth outward extremities but yet inwardly he hath more ioye then the voluptuous man And though the iust man being alwaies afflicted maketh shew of sadnesse all his lyfe time yet at the houre of death their ioye and consolation appeareth with hope of eternall lyfe whereas contrariwise the worldling goeth his waye with grudging and dispaire The iust man esteemes golde and siluer to be couloured earth worldly wealth and voluptuous feeding to be famine and filth honour dignitie and delight to be smoake which the aire consumeth sodeinly to be short he maketh all the world no better then an exile and although his bodie be deteined heere for a season yet all his thoughts cares desires and meditations are conuersant among the orders of holy Angels and the happy assembly of Saintes in heauen singing Psalmes and praises incessantlye So that whatsoeuer we esteeme euill in this world God turnes it to good For he makes vs reioyce in tribulatiōs taking them for medicines to purge our corruptions and not accompting our persecutors as our enimies but rather as helpers to saluation The iust man esteemes simple fare sufficing nature better then abundance of delicates and excessiue dronkennesse or gluttonie They take more pleasure in kneeling praieng and fasting then worldlinges doe in dauncing and singing wanton songs Finally all y t they doe or suffer God turnes it to good And therfore S. Paule saith That all things turne to the good of those that loue God The eye neuer séeth the eare neuer heareth the heart of man neuer vnderstandeth the great goodnesse and the ioye that God brings into the bodie when he commeth by grace to dwell in it onely he that hath had experience once knoweth it Worldlings doe wonder to see the iust man weepe and lament to suffer tribulations to be depriued of all worldly pleasure they esteeme the goods of this world to be y e true felicitie much like vnto a blinde man taking vpon him to iudge of coulours For they compare false felicitie worldly wealth with heauenly riches and perfect happinesse whereas indéede they are but shadowes Nothing displeaseth the elect more then sinne that which leadeth to sinne nothing pleaseth the elect but God and that which leadeth to God As concerning the soule no man can denie if he hate sin and loue vertue but that he had rather loose all that is in the worlde then loose vertue and suffer all manner of torments then to commit sinne he had rather descende into hell with vertue then mount vp into heauen with sinne For where vertue is there is quietnesse Contrariwise where sinne is there can be no rest Let euerie one therefore labour to loose worldly happinesse if he meane to atchieue vertue wherein consisteth so much goodnesse But many make no account to come thether and so care not for louing vertue because indéede they know not vertue Wherefore Vnderstanding describeth her and her seauen daughters namely Faith Hope Charitie Wisedome Iustice Fortitude and Temperaunce in manner and forme following THE DESCRIPTION OF VERTVE The second Chapter VErtue according to the definition of S. Austen in his second booke of Free-will the .18 chapter Is a good quality of the soule wherby a man liueth rightly committeth none euill which thing indeed is the only work of God in men By the soule he vnderstandeth in this place the superiour part of the minde or soule wherein consisteth reason iudgement will The inferiour parte we call Sense which is common to man and beast Now this called in Latine Mens is not a part of the soule sensitiue which is the inferiour part but it is that part of the soule where reason and vnderstanding doe sit which is the superiour part By the soule then we doe meane the Fréewill of man which is nothing els as Philosophers say but the franke iudgement of the minde and will For when we say Freewill we vtter and pronounce two words namely Free and Will. It is tearmed Free because that freely and without constraint
Perseueraunce to continue with me charging me to kéepe her euer with me if I meant to be a Citizen of heauen For sayd she all other vertues without her are as nothing to winne heauen For it is written Who so perseuers vnto the end shall be saued And therefore if thou wilt be saued thou must continue Hereof we haue manye examples in the holye Scripture but I will touch twaine and no more When Saule was first created King of Israel hée was as lowly and as humble as the childe of one yeare old but hée continued not aboue two yeares in this his goodnesse For after he had put Perseueraunce awaye he became euill and grewe to be a cruell tyrant insomuch that he slewe many of the Lordes Priestes and persecuted good Dauid But what was his ende He was vanquished of his enimies and béeing giuen ouer of God he killed himselfe vppon the mount Gelboë Againe touching the same matter Iudas at the first when God made him an Apostle was good and duetifull but when he had put Perseueraunce away he became a théefe by couetousnesse hée betraied and solde his Maister Christ. But what was his ende He was forsaken of God became a reprobate fell into desperation and with an accusing conscience sore charginge him with the hainousnesse of his offence with a halter he hanged himselfe When I hearde Perseueraune saye so for feare least the lyke should befall to me I desired my counsailour Good vnderstanding to shew me the meanes howe I might kéepe Perseueraunce alwayes with me that in so doing I might not bée depriued of the glorious Citie of Heauen To which request of mine the good Hermit Vnderstanding tendering the safetie of my soule and hauing a carefull regarde to all mine endeauours did yeeld and spake to me in manner and forme following GOOD VNDERSTANDING SHEVVETH the Knight how to keepe Perseueraunce alwaies with him The tenth Chapter MY sonne the last point of thy soules health quoth Good vnderstaÌ„ding is to learne know how to tarrie wher thou art now without going back which if thou desire then must PerseueraÌ„ce neuer leaue thée for if she forsake thée once then must thou néeds loose the pleasure of lady Vertues pallaice wherin thou art now From whence if thou go backe thou shalt be sure to loose her and the ioyes of heauen Thou must therfore remaine constant in thy good minde without wauering the which to do thou must by deuout continual praier faithfully craue helpe of Gods grace without y e which no man can continue in goodnes And to accomplish all this thou must remember thrée things the first is thy life past the second thy life present the third thy life to come These thrée considerations will encourage thée to stay where thou art and as it were with a bridle will kéepe thee from recoiling 1 Think what thou hast done séene before time in following Folly how thou liuedst vaine worldling like yéelding to euery vaine concupiscence lust wherby thou diddest fall into the filth of sin diddest indaunger both thy body and thy soule hadst thy conscience accusing thée Oh where haddest thou ben if Gods grace had not taken compassion vpon thée Where be the worldlinges that wold not be sorrie for their sinnes Wher are they become Are they not condempned to euerlasting torments in hell fire Oh thinke then that sinne doth greatly offende God thinke what punishment God hath ordeined for sinne which makes man an enimye to God and a friende to the diuel thinke that sinne hath depriued thee of thy first innocencie and vertue making thee meate for hell-hounds amongest whome thou haddest bene numbred and counted if God of his grace had not pittied thée 2 Thinke that at this present time thou art in Gods fauour by the meanes of his grace who hath made thee a childe of God and an heire of heauen by hope so that now thy conscience is quiet Thinke what good consolations thou hast receiued by deuout praieng thinke what spiritual instructions Gods grace hath giuen to thee think all the pleasures of the world are mingled with sorows think that thou shalt haue no hurt if thou remaine where thou art for thou art in Gods kéepinge thinke that this worlde shall passe away with all the pompes and pleasures of the same thinke that thy present state is the high-waie to heauen and so shalt thou kéepe Perseueraunce 3 Thirdly thinke that the iust iudgement of God is to come which is to the good to giue Heauen and to the euill Hell Thinke thou must dye and that at thy death thou shalt not receiue so good consolation as thou hast had of Vertue and Gods grace in whose wholsome counsailes and admonishments thou oughtest to perseuer to the end Thinke that at thy death thou must leaue behinde thée wife children goods and monie Whether thou doe good or euill thinke that thou must goe to a region vnknowne and to a place where thou hast neuer bene and if thou be founde to haue dyed in sinne without repentaunce the Diuells will attend to take thy cursed bodie and thy dampned soule and will carrie both into the dungeon of darknesse there to féele eternall torments But if thou be found with Perseuerance in the Pallaice of Vertue millions of Angelles will goe before thée and with greate ioye will bringe thée to Heauen O thinke vpon the iust iudgement of God to come when euery one shal be iudged according to his déeds For God fauoureth neither king nor kaiser prince nor people high nor lowe rich nor poore without respect of person he wil crown the good and condempne the euill at that day of dome when we must appeare personally without excuse or exception before him Then euery one must be his own atturney when the iust Iudge at that day wil shew himselfe terrible to the peruerse which haue followed Voluptuousnesse and haue not heartely repented nor retyred from the filthy puddle of their sins But will be gentle iust good vnto those y t haue bene sorrie for their offences O thinke what torments the vnrepentant shal suffer both in bodie and soule perpetually wheras all such as haue perseuered in goodnesse to y e end shall receiue ioye and the fulnesse of God and of heauen In â—uch sort to perseuer in goodnes to the end do thine vtter indeauour thou shalt sée that God will be readie with his grace to blesse and to arme with constancie in thy Christian purpose A PROTESTATION VVHICH GOOD VNDERstanding taught the Knight to make euery day for the auoiding of temptations how he ought to huÌ„ble himselfe before God and what he should aske in his praier The xj Chapter MY sonne alwayes I wish thée to kéepe Perseuerance with thée by whome thou maist auoide temptations which woulde induce thée to sinne force thée to forsake the true Faith and also to transgresse the holy commaundementes of almightie God This to auoide I wish
thée eueryday to repeate the promises which thou hast made to God in thy Baptisme which follow thus in effect O most high most excellent and most holye Trinitie Father Sonne and holy Ghost I protest that I will liue and dye in the true Catholike and Apostolike Faith and will keepe thy Holy commaundements which heretofore I haue transgressed Wherefore I am sorye and doe heartelye repent mee for the breach of them and in token whereof I make my confession saieng I Beleeue in God the Father almightie maker of heuen earth And in Iesus Christ his only sonne our Lord. Which was conceaued by the holy Ghost Borne of the virgin Marie Suffred vnder Ponce Pilate Was crucified dead buried He descended into hell the third day he rose againe frō the dead He ascended into heauen and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almightie From thēce he shal come to iudge the quick the dead I beleeue in the holy Ghost The holy Catholike Church The communion of Saints The forgiuenesse of sinnes The resurrection of the body And the life euerlasting Amen Then say Lord God giue me grace most heartely I beseech thee without doubting to confesse and beleeue all the Articles of this my Christian Faith and in the fame to perseuer to the ende And so rehearse the tenne Commaundements of almightie God which are these THe same which God spake in the xx chap. of Exodus saieng I am the Lord thy God which haue brought thee out of the land of Aegipt out of the house of bondage 1 Thou shalt haue none other Gods but me 2 Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauē Image nor the liknesse of any thing that is in heauen aboue nor in the earth beneath nor in the water vnder the earth Thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them For I the Lord thy God am a ielous God visit the sins of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shew mercie vnto thousands in thē that loue me and keepe my commaundements 3 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine 4 Remember that thou keepe holy the Saboth day Sixe daies shalt thou labour do all that thou hast to do But the seauenth day is the saboth of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt doe no manner of worke thou thy sonne thy daughter thy man-seruāt thy maid-seruant thy cattell thy stranger that is within thy gates For in sixe daies the Lord made heauen earth the sea all that in them is rested the seuenth day wherfore the Lord blessed the seauenth day and hallowed it 5 Honour thy father and thy mother that thy daies may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee 6 Thou shalt doe no murther 7 Thou shalt not commit adultrie 8 Thou shalt not steale 9 Thou shalt not beare false witnes against thy neighbour 10 Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife nor his seruant nor his maid nor his Oxe nor his Asse nor any thing that is his Then considering the tenour of that which thou hast said craue grace at Gods handes to walke after his will vsing the same praier which Christ taught thee and saieng OVr Father which art in heauen hallowed be thy name Thy kingdome come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Giue vs this daie our dayly bread And forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue thē that trespasse against vs. And lead vs not into temptation But deliuer vs from euil Besides all this thou must also most heartely humble thy selfe before God acknowledging thy selfe a sinner and that thou canst do nothing y t is righteous but if ther be any goodnesse in thée either of nature or of Gods grace thou must freely confesse that all comes from aboue Repute not thy selfe better then another but rather the least of all If anie despise thee mocke thee or iniure thée suffer it not onely paciently but also willingly gladly euen for the loue of God For the scaling ladder of heauen is humilitie a full denieng of thy selfe in al worldly causes Thinke not wel of thy selfe for anie thing that thou doest hast done or maist do but if thou hast anie goodnes in thy body or in thy soule be not ashamed to confesse that it is not thine because it comes not from thée but of God from him whom indéede it procéeds If thou humble not thy selfe there is no hope of thy soules helth For to this effect our Lord said If you be not cōuerted made as little children you shal not enter into the kingdome of heauen And S. Barnard saith Who so wil be hūble must be content to be despised of the world he desireth not to be renowmed for this is no point of humilitie Commit thy selfe therefore to God and put thy will to his taking at his hands all aduersities paciently all tribulations all afflictions all diseases all persecutions yea death it selfe not onely contentedly but also willingly acknowledging that God sendes nothing to the faithfull but goodnesse and all for their soules health Wherefore thou must often pray to God say Lorde God giue mee whatsoeuer thou wilt do with me alwaies what thou wilt And when at any time thou findest thy selfe as it were left of God voide of deuotion or destitute of consolation whether it be inwardlye or outwardlye bee not discouraged for it neither thinke that God hath forgotten thée but heartelye humble thy selfe before God accounting thée vnworthy of consolation and putting all thy confidence in God as in one that knowes how to saue his elect If thou receiue any blessing inwardly as wisdome or anie other gift exalt not thy selfe in pride neither discommend others y t haue not receiued of God such grace but vse that which thou hast to Gods glorie Againe if thou see thy neighbours fall take héed thou hate him not iudge him not condemne him not but think that God permits thée to sée his offence for thy profit Imagine thou wast neuer touched with y e crime wel it is much but yet thou hast bene culpable in some other as bad or els worse vpon this examinatin reforme thy selfe suppose thou art in no fault thou must not therfore estéeme thy self better thē he y t is in fault knowing thou art of such a nature as he is made of y e same stuffe y t he is therfore notwithstāding thy supposition a sinner offender as well as he so y t both néed amending Be thou sure that if God had prouided no better for thée then thy selfe deserued thou hadst committed the like offence or els greater thanke God that he hath kept thée so pray for him y t doth amisse is not yet