folk that if I offer to say grace among them they wil thinke scornfully of me and reckon me a precise foolish bodie I answer first if you be the disciple of Christ you serue a good master be not ashamed of him and his seruice least he be ashamed of you at the day of iudgement Secondly if you for seruing God be ill thought of a blessed soule are you â—tth 9.10 â—â— It is a great fauour of God if hee vouchsafe to giue you the grace to suffer any wrong for his sake For great is their reward in heauen that are any waie persecuted for righteousnesse sake Grace before meate O blessed Lord God I humblie beseech thee to pardon my sinnes and to blesse the foode which it pleaseth thee to giue me that I may be thereby nourished made able to doe thee true seruice in my calling through Iesus Christ thine onely sonne our Lord and Sauiour Amen Grace after you haue eaten and drunken O most mercifull Lord God I am bound to giue thee humble and heartie thankes for thy manifold blessings giuen vnto me and to all mankinde Therefore I beseech the to giue me grace that I may be continually thankfull vnto thee thorough Iesus Christ thine onely sonne our Lord Amen Vse often to say the Lords praier so called because our Lord Iesus Christ made it and taught it his disciples It is a most heauenly praier short and sweete containing all that we neede in fewe wordes Therefore you must say it very leisurely and also vnderstandingly According to my weake vnderstanding I will by the grace of God briefly open vnto you the meaning of the Lords praier O father of Iesus Christ The Lâ— prayâ—ned and thorough him the father of all true Christians of which number I trust that by thy grace I am one Thy glorious maiestie and powerfull greatnesse filleth heauen and earth but in heauen thy ioyfull countenance is to be seene Thy name is holy O let the holinesse thereof be euery day more and more set forth that al the world may honor thee in heart word and deede Thou art the onely rightfull King of heauen and earth but the Deuill by temptation hath made vs rebell against thee O let the kingdome of thy grace come into our hearts and put out Satan for euermore Thine Angels and Saints in heauen doe altogether obey thy will O graunt that we children of men here vpon earth may likewise be obedient vnto thee in all things Our bodies doe daily neede the comfortable supplie of foode raiment lodging and such like O giue vs therefore such continuall comfort as thou knowest we cannot be without and because it is dangerous to our foules to haue too much or too little of worldly goods we beseech thee to giue vs neither more nor lesse but iust so much as by thy grace may best fit vs to serue and please thee Our sinnes doe deserue thy wrathfull vengeance and euerlasting torment in hell fire yet of thy wonderfull mercie thou doest offer vnto vs thy gracious pardon thorough Iesus Christ with condiâ—â—on that we shall heartily forgiue all that â—ffend vs O good Lord we doe forgiue â—hem from the bottome of our hearts and â—s we doe forgiue them and not seeke reâ—enge against them so wee praie thee to forgiue vs and not to late thy heauie vengeance vpon vs. The deuill by meanes of this world and our owne naughtie inclination can easily ouercome vs and tempt vs to his pleasure Therefore we beseech thee that thou wilt not giue vs ouer into his handes but by thine almightie goodnesse preserue vs from Satan and all his partakers For the kingdome of all blessednesse is thine thou art the right owner of all goodnesse all power commeth from thee and therfore all glorie and praise is due onely to thee O father almighty with thy sonne and thy holy Ghost for euermore Be it euen so Amen Pray often and with great deuotion vnto God that all Christian people may be knit together by the holy Ghost in one faith and one charitie and shew forth the mightie power of God in their liues and conuersations that the Iewes Turkes and all misbeleeuing people may thereby take knowledge that Christian religion is the onely true worshipping and seruice of God and thereupon turne to be true Christians For it is not warre nor worldly conquest that turneth people vnto God but the holy praiers and heauenly liues of them that serue God IF God will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine what shall become of me who haue all my life time most grieuously taken his name in vaine euery kind of way For first I professed my selfe a Christian that is a child of God thorough Iesus Christ but indeed I haue been heretofore the child of the deuill because I haue done his will and not Gods will Secondly I tooke vpon me to be a minister of Christ that is a messenger sent of God to ioyne with the holy Ghost in trayning people to be children of God but indeede I ioyned in worke with the deuill to make people his children The verie name and word of God I vsed vainely rashly vnreuerently and vndiscreetly to glorifie and please my selfe not to glorifie and please him All Christians take heede to your selues if you weare the Kings liuerie serue not the Kings enemie You were christened in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghost therefore serue God and not the Deuill least it be prooued against you at the day of iudgement that ye tooke Gods name in vaine and so ye be found guilty At that daie neither shall the onely preaching nor the onely hearing of Gods word be allowed for both take the name of God in vaine because the one preacheth and practiseth not the other heareth and doth not the will of God therefore both shall be cast away with this grieuous sentence I knowe you not Matth. 23. Luk. 13 27. awaie from me ye workers of vnrighteousnesse Therefore frame your selues to be obedient vnto your Lord God and doe not think speake write heare or professe his name or his word without due discretion and groat reuerence Doe not make so light reckoning of your God as to vse his name or his word in idlenesse It is idle to call vpon the name of God without good cause and reuerent manner as some will say O God what a iest is this O Iesu who euer hard the like In any such speaking you are too bold with your God It is also a vaine taking of Gods name to praise him in scorning or blaming oothers as some will not be content to say of an idle bodie he liueth idlelie but they will say God be thanked he liueth idlelie O doe not thank God for any sinne because you should so doe him great wrong and of all things he cannot abide it to be noted as the cause of sinne which is farre from his most holy
should hurt their bodies so God keepeth worldly goods from you least you should by the ill vsing of them harme your owne soules Doe you thinke that the poore begger Lazarus doth now grieue at the miserie wherein he was when he lay at the rich mans gate full of sores and readie to starue through want of foode No verily He reioyceth and praiseth God for his pouertie and for his patience wherewith he endured the good pleasure of God knowing that if he had contrariwise beene rich he might haue thereby lost his saluation as Diues did It is a greater matter to vse riches well then most people imagine Els would not our Sauiour Christ haue said â—th 19.24 25 as he did say That it is easier for a camell to go through the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen And yet least they to whom God giueth riches should be discomforted hee told his Disciples that God is able to saue the rich Whereby you vnderstand that to be rich and to be saued requireth a most mightie grace of God for it were a great miracle to make a camell goe through a needles eie All this I say to the ende that you should not couet more then you may with a safe conscience your soule beeing first prouided for procure vnto your selfe But some say I could be contented with a little were it not for my children I must needs confesse that it is a godly care to prouide for your children but let it be without couetousnesse Let not your children be either brought vp or settled in the world with goods vnconscionably gotten from others It is better for them to be poorely brought vp and to haue but little left them Haue you not seene many whose friends haue left them much goods fallen into more follie then they that had little or nothing left theÌ„ But if you say some fewe get all into their hands and then deale vnmercifully with vs. Doe you beleeue in God Yea. Then you must throughly perswade your selfe that he is your father and in his fatherly care prouideth that for you which he well knoweth will doe you most good notwithstanding all the couetousnesse and crueltie of this world yet God if it please him could giue you plentie and because he doth not it appeareth that he purposeth to punish you Will you therfore be out of patience knowing that whome God loueth he correcteth Surely I had rather be a patient poore man and Gods child then a cruell rich man and Gods rod for commonly the child is receiued into fauour and the rod is cast into the fire Howsoeuer the world goe be patient and submit your self to the pleasure of God Doe not enuie nor condemne those that are any waie in more prosperitie then you For if you doe so ye are not in charitie and if you be not in charitie Christ is not in you but the deuill Therefore striue by your patience to possesse your owne soule and by the holy Ghost contrarie to the nature of flesh and blood be exceeding glad that you may be one of Christs companie although in the lowest degree that may be yea the verie foote reioycing at the prosperitie of any other and sorrowing in their aduersitie as if it were your owne This if you can doe you are a Christian indeede and although you be in low degree vpon earth yet your Lord and father will highly aduance you in the glorie of heauen Remember what Saint Iames saith â—m 1.9 Let a brother of low degree reioyce in his aduancement O that I were a brother of that heauenly coÌ„panie and my name written in the booke of life although it were with condition to suffer all possible miserie in this world If you saie I giue you such counsell as I could neuer take my selfe I confesse it but you would not be in my case if you knew it as I do although you might haue al the goods of the earth for death and hell haue taken sure hold vpon me and I am so hardened in sinne through long custom in wickednes delay of repentance that my soule is readie to despaire of Gods mercie Therefore while time serueth while grace is offered vnto you make sure worke Striue by obeying the will of God to enter in at the straight gate for Christ saith â—k 13. â— 24 25. many wilt seeke to enter and shall not be able because they seeke not till it be too late This is my state and therefore I perish All people yong and old praie daily and deuoutly to God that it will please him through Iesus Christ to giue you the graces of faith hope and charitie that you may cleane fast vnto him with full purpose of heart and being sufficed with that which he vouchsaseth to giue you put him in trust with soule and bodie assuring your selues that he will not faile you nor forsake you if his pleasure be to trie your faith and trust by crosses and aduersities reioyce therein for his mind is to crown you therfore in the world to come Loue all christians as your owne selfe yea loue your verie enemies pray for them and practise in word and deede to be kind vnto them By these graces you shall performe the kingly law of libertie and so be kings vnto God ruling raigning ouer your thoughts and affections according to his pleasure being set at libertie from the law of sinne bondage of the deuill Almightie God for Iesus Christs sake fulfill you all with the holy Ghost Amen Amen NOw I beseech all that giue your mind to booke learning patiently to reade or heare this last part of my confession intended to your good When I went first to schoole I was ful of all vngraciousnesse and misbehaued my selfe to God to my parents and to all people which cursed qualities poisoned whatsoeuer learning I could get All children that goe to schoole feare God and praie vnto him heartily that he will giue you the grace to stand in awe of his almightie maiestie and to be afraid of displeasing him for the feare of God is the beginning of wisdome All learning without the feare of God is as a sword in the hand of a madde man likely to doe much mischiefe and no good Hate all naughtie conditions and behaue your selues lowely and gently to euerie man woman and child Praie often to God and saie O almightie God the giuer of all good learning and true wisdome I sinfull wretch doe humbly beseech thee that for thine onely sonne Iesus Christs sake thou will send thine holy ghost into mine heart that I may be cleansed from sinne and get so much learning and knowledge as may best fit me to be thy faithfull seruant in that state of life whereunto it shal please thee to call me Amen Vse commonly to praise God in some such manner as this O most bountifull Lord God I doe humbly and heartily thank thee
a most righteous iudge and will examine whatsoeuer you saie of any bodie Secondly you must loue the party of whoÌ„ you speake for it is verie true that euill will cannot speake well but one way or an other it will outrunne your conscience Therefore if your heart be out of charitie with any refraine your selfe from medling with them because the wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God 〈◊〉 1.20 Thirdly whatsoeuer you see or heare of others either meddle not with it according to S. Pauls lesson Striue to be quiet and doe your businesse â—hess 4. or if it so concerne you that you must needes thinke and speake of it take good heed that you doe not mistake any part of it for mistaking breedeth lies and it is a sinne to bely the deuill many things are so said and so done that they may be taken well or ill yea what can be said or done but some one or other will turne it to an euill meaning like vnto the spider that out of the best flowers will suck some poison But be you of the mind to take euerie thing the best waie knowing that it is the deuills propertie to make the worst of euerie thing You may be deceiued in that which you haue vpon your owne knowledge because you cannot see the heart and meaning of the partie much more in that which you haue by hearesaie for reports are commonly verie faultie and seldome hold truth in euerie point wherefore almightie God to shew vs an example what we ought to doe â—n 18. 〈◊〉 21. when the crie of the sinnes of Sodom came vp to heauen came downe to see whether it were true or not before he would seeme to beleeue it whereby you learne to be slow of beleefe in hearing euill of others But if you be well assured that an other hath said or done wrongfully the wrong is either to you or to others If any haue wronged you you must by the commandement of your master Iesus Christ Mat. 1â— first tel the partie of his fault secretly and charitably 16. if he so amend you are satisfied If he regard not your talke you must take one or two with you and tell him of his fault againe in charitable manner and if then he amend you must rest contented 17. but if he continue in his fault you must complaine to such as haue authoritie to iudge betweene you If one wrong an other and you be priuie to it and sure of it you must be carefull that you wrong neither of them because they are both your neighbours and brethren therefore first desire the partie that doth the wroÌ„g to right it which if he will not doe you must discouer it least before God you be a partaker in the wrong doing I Was neuer content with that which God gaue me but continually disliked my state murmuring and casting out complaints enuying the prosperitie of others iudging them not so worthie of it as my selfe yea wishing in my heart that I had their goods Beeing promised a liuing which I could not haue till the death of him that had it and hath it I often desired to heare of his death Wherefore by the iust iudgement of God he is likely to heare of my death When I haue heard that such and such were in possibilitie of preferment or had obtained it I fretted and fumed at it because I would haue had it my selfe When I saw a man haue a wise of good condition I could finde in my heart to wish him dead and my selfe maried to his wife And when one maried a wife whome I liked I stomacked it much because I had her not I haue wished a good seruant from one to another Thus and many other waies I haue coueted my neighbours goods both to my selfe and to others because I had not faith and charitie O all Christian people hate this hellish couetousnes the roote of all euill Be highly content with that which God giueth you and you get by good meanes for that which you get by ill meanes God giueth not but by the sufferance of God the deuill helpeth you to it Therefore with goods well gotten quiet your minde and be very thankfull to God Couet not to be rich for when a man is ouerloaded he can hardly trauell and you are trauailers passing through this world into heauen But if you foreslow the time till heauen gate be shut against you what will all this worlds good auaile you your bodie must to the graue your soule to hell your goods whereupon you haue bestowed all your time studie and labour must remaine to whome you know not Therefore haue a measure in your worldly cares Mat. 6 1â— 20 21. and as your deere Lord and Sauiour willeth you giue your minds to grow rich towards God laying vp treasure in heauen where it shall be safely kept till you come and there you shal inioy the same for euer Desire rather to make sure vnto your selues the saluation of your soules then the goods of the bodie for looke what you desire most you will most intend Of the two it were better to neglect the bodie â—â—th 6.33 then the soule because he that seeketh to assure vnto himselfe the good of his soule shall haue the good of his bodie into the bargaine If this were setled in the hearts of people they would not couet so vnmeasurably This vnmeasurable couetousnesse doth shewe that the heart is not right set towards God for if it were turned to him it would be thoroughly sufficed with his grace whether you had much or little of worldlie goodes Like as the needle in a diall will neuer be quiet vntill it be set right to the north starre and then it will rest It cannot be but that a couetouse man is a breaker of this commandement because his heart is in the hand of the Deuill and he turneth it whither he will But many will saie such and such haue to much and I haue to little I answer how know you they haue to much and you to little Because they haue inough and spare but we want that which is necessarie yea but yet you liue We liue indeede but not so well as they that haue more Ah you doe not fare so well nor goe so gaie nor please your eies with the sight of worldly wealth If it be the felicitie of this worlde that you looke for take heede least you be one of them to whome Christ saith Woe be vnto you rich Luk. 6.29 because you haue receiued your comfort that is you haue that which you sought after Yea but you will say we haue it not I answer God loueth you so much the better But you will say why doth he not giue vnto me as well as to others A good child resteth content with that which his father giueth him But if that reason will not serue why doe parents keepe kniues froÌ„ little children least they