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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B00888	The Christian manuell, or of the life and maners of true Christians. A treatise, wherein is plentifully declared, how needefull it is for the seruaunts of God to manifest and declare to the world: their faith by their deedes, their words by their works, and their profession by their conuersation. VVritten by Ihon VVoolton minister of the Gospel, in the Cathedral church of Excetor.	Woolton, John, 1535?-1594.	1576 (1576)	STC 25976; Interim Tract Supplement Guide G.1999[2]	81,916	210

weepe with them that weepe Being of lyke affection one towardes another being not highe minded but making your selues equall to them of the lower sorte Be not wyse in your owne opinions Recompence to no man euill for euill prouiding aforehand things honest not onlie before God but also in the sight of men If it be possible as much as lyeth in you lyue peaceablie with all men Dearelie beloued auenge not your selues but rather geue place vnto wrath For it is written vengeance is mine and I wyll reward sayth the Lorde Therefore if thine enemie hunger feede him if he be thirstie geue him drinke for in so doing thou shalt heape coales of fire on his head Be not ouercome of euill but ouercome euill with good Howe many notable and excellent vertues hath the Apostle couched in this place as charytie brotherly loue patience perceauerance in prayer benefycense hospytalytie méekenesse or gentlenesse modestie desire of peace and concorde pittie and clemencie with many other of that sort Herevnto you maye adde those things that followe in the next Chapter Owe nothing to no man but to loue one another for he that loueth another hath fulfilled the lawe For this Thou shalt not commit adulterie thou shalt not kyll thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false wytnesse thou shalt not luste and if there be any other commandement it is in few words comprehended namelie thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Charitie worketh not euill to his neighbour therfore the fulfilling of the lawe is Charitie In this texte all the commaundementes of the lawe are referred to the loue of our Neyghbour to wyt in that part that the lawe was geuen to restraine iniuries respecting cyuile societie and fellowshyp of men namely that no man shoulde be so bolde to endammage his neighbour in his body fame goodes or any other waye that might redounde to his annoyaunce For he that loueth another from the bottome of his harte is so farre from doing iniurie and wrong that he wyll endeuor with all his might to be profitable to his neyghbour And whereas we are commaunded to loue our neyghbour euen as our selues in this one worde not onely syncéere loue is dyscerned from hypocrisie but also all dueties of Charitie are epacted and requyred The same Apostle wryteth also to the Galathians in this wyse VValke in the spirite I saie and ye shall not fulfill the lustes of the fleshe for the flesh lusteth contrary to the spirit and the spirite contrary to the flesh these are contrarie one to the other so that ye can not doo that which you would The deedes of the flesh are manifest which are these adulterie fornication vncleannes wantonnes vvorshypping of Images witchcraft hatred variaunce emulations wrath stryfe seditions sectes enuyinges murders dronkennes gluttonie and such lyke of the which I tell you as I haue told you in times past that euē they which do such things shal not inheryt the kingdom of god But the fruite of the spirit is loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meekenes temperancie against such there is no law They truely that are Christes haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lustes If we lyue in the spirit let vs also walke in the spirit Let vs not be desirous of vainglorie prouoking one another enuying one another The wordes of the Apostle are plaine inough and neede not any exposition And his counsel is in sense the very same which he geueth to y Romanes That we should tame the flesh and earnestly resist carnal affections If you liue after the fleshe sayeth he you shall dye but if through the spirite you mortifie the deedes of the flesh you shall liue For those that are led with the spirit of God those are the sōnes of God. And in y same Epistle For I delght in the lawe of God after the inner mā but I see another law in m● members rebelling against the law of ●● mind and subduing me to the law of syn which is in my mēbers And the same Author to the Ephesians I therfore as a prisoner in the Lord exhort you that you vvalk vvorthy of the vocation vvhervvith you are called vvith al lowlines and meekenes vvith long suffering forbearing one another in loue Endeuoring to keepe the vnity of the spirit in the bōd of peace And a litle after This I say therfore testifie in the Lord that ye walk not henceforth as other Gentiles walke in vanities of their mind Darkned in cogitation being alienated from the life of God by the ignorance which is in them through the blindnes of their harts VVho being past feeling haue geuen themselues ouer vnto wantōnes to work al vncleannes with greedines But ye haue not so lerned of Christ If so be that you haue heard him haue bene taught in him as the trueth is in Iesus To laye downe according to the former conuersation the olde man which is corrupte according to the lustes of error To be renued in the spirite of your mind And to put on the new man which after God is shapen in righteousnes and holynes of trueth VVherefore putting away lying speake euerie man trueth ●nto his neighbour for asmuch as we are members one of another Be ye angrie and sinne not Let not the Sun go downe vpon your wrath Neither geue place to the Deuyll Let him that stoole steale no more but let him rather labour working with his handes the thing which is good that hee maie geue vnto him which needeth Let no filthie communication proceede out of your mouthes but that which is good to edifie with all as ofte as neede is that it maie minister grace vnto the hearers And greeue not the holie spirite of God by whome ye are sealed vnto the daie of redemption Let all bitternes and fiercenes and wrath and crying and euill speaking be put awaie from you with all naughtinesse Be ye curteous one to another mercifull forgeuing one another euen as God for Christes sake hath forgeuen you To the same purpose tende those wordes of his in the next Chapter Be you therfore followers of God as deare childrē and walke you in loue euen as Christ hath loued vs and hath geuen him self for vs an offring and a sacrifice of a sweete smelling fauor to god But fornication al vncleanes let it not be once named amongst you as it becōmeth Saints Neitheir fylthines neither foolishe talking neither iesting which are not comely but rather geuing of thanks For this you know that no whoremonger neither vncleane person nor couetous person which is a worshipper of Images hath any inheritaunce in the kingdome of Christ and god Let no man deceaue you with vaine wordes for because of such things commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience Be ye not therfore companions of them For ye were sometime darknes but no we are you light in the Lord vvalk as childrē of light For the fruite

the Fathers and prophets were inspired which is to be had onely out of the holye scripture and to bee vnderstoode by the ayde of Gods spiryt wherein the saluation of mankinde is conteyned They knewe nothing of God as he reueled him selfe in his word euen from the beginning then the which benefyte none can come or bee more wyshed of mankinde These cheefe and princypall vertues then the true knowledg of God loue feare and reuerence of God togeather with perfyt trust and confydence in God calling vppon him in distresse and necessity was wanting vnto them Besydes this they knewe nothing of originall synne and naturall corruption they knewe nothing of the cause of synne nothing of mannes mysserie nothing of true and effectuall consolations eyther against calamityes or against death it selfe They knewe nothing of the redemption of mankynd by Christe nothing of the tyranny of the Deuyll nothing of the reparration of Gods Image name nothing of the olde man in Adam and newe man in Christe They knewe nothing of the resurrection of the dead nothing of the daye of domme nothing of the eternall blysse and immortallytie with the faythfull shall enioye in boddye and soule in the heauenly kingdome Albeit then the actes and déedes of the Ethnikes geue outwardly a godlye shewe as Aristides and Phocion in iustice and equitie Socrates in pittie Xenocrates in contynencie Lucretia in loue of Chastytie which they pursued let vs graunt so much to some good ende admyt not for any desyre of glorye and renowne but fyrst because the verye face and countenaunce of vertue séemed honourable vnto them secondly to leaue vnto theyr countrey men domysticall examples whiche they might followe lastlye to styrre vp in others an emulation and desyre of vertue if I saye all these good thinges were in them yet we sée howe farre they were from perfection The crowne and garland as it were wanteth in theyr workes to wytte the knowledge of God and an harte puryfied by fayth Wherefore Saint Augustine spake of them after this manner There is no good thing without the chiefe goodnesse and where the true knowledge of the eternall trueth vvanteth there is no true vertue no not in the best manners And another VVithout the relygion of the true God that which seemeth to be vertue is vyce neyther can any man please God without God c. For those that are ignoraunt of the true God can not haue true and perfyte vertue but onely a shewe or shaddowe therof vanishing awaye And whereas Reason and VVyll doo concurre in all honest and good actions the one admonishing what men ought to doo or not to doo the other pursueth and practyseth the same It is most certayne that humaine reason after his fall is oppressed with great ignoraunce and errour and therefore most commonly iudgeth corruptlye and VVyl also to be caryed to the worst in the execucion of all thinges The knowledge of God then puryfying the hart is doubtlesse the orygion and fountayne of all vertues which is pleasaunt and acceptable vnto god It is that which illuminateth and informeth Reason rightly and correcting corrupt vvyll reneweth a man after God in iustyce and true holynesse Moreouer the Ethnikes in their deedes respect not the right ende which make a true and perfyt difference betwéene all actions ▪ for example sake To releeue and geue almes to the poore is acoumpted and in deede is a vertue if it procéede from the loue of God and man but if it proceede of a desire to purchase prayse and commendation of the world it is synne and hipochrysie Wée do not reiect in the meane time theyr Polyticall vertues in humayne society but commende and imbrace them so farre forth as they swarue not from right reason and Iudgment of the mynd and especiallye from the tenne commaundements But we admonysh therewithall that Chrystians ought to haue a farre other respect then the Ethnikes had For they auoyded vice and folowed vertue through desire of praise honour and glory or through desyre of dygnity and aucthoryty or for comon concord and quyetnesse or else through reuerence of men and feare of the lawes or some suche lyke matter Whereas the Christians dyrect all theyr doing to the glory of God and profit of their neighbours They weigh more the feare of God then worldlye glory the loue of Iustyce then deceytful prayse and eternall blysse more then temporall pleasure The Ethnikes if there were any notable thing in them vaunted as of their owne gyfts but the Chrystians acknowledge God to be the geuer and aucthour of all good gyftes The vertue of humilitye then which Christ so earnestly requireth of vs was wanting in the Infydelles The same that hath bene sayd generallye of the Ethnikes may be perticulerly extended to the Iewes and Turks who woulde séeme to acknowledge one God onely to detest all Idols and to excell in holynesse of lyfe yet because they worship not God as he hath reueled and appointed in his word neyther beléeue that Christ is the sonne of the lyuing God al their works must nedes be fowle in Gods sight For without that ther is no true vertue no knowledge of God nor syncéere worshipping of God no pure loue toward God nor towarde our neyghbour They fayne vnto them selues a God or rather an Idoll who is not the Father of our medyatour and redéemer Iesus Christe Therefore they worshyppe not God a ryght for Hee that knoweth not the Sonne honoreth not the Father nor yet calleth vpon his name And because the holy ghost is geuen for the Sonnes sake vnto beléeuers to styrre vp newe motions in theyr hartes it is euident howe farre from all goodnesse Iewes Turkes are whyles they despyse the sonne of God who onelye sendeth the holy ghoste vnto men to bréede in them all perfyte goodnesse Moreouer for that the true loue of God from whence all loue towarde our neyghbour is deryued ryseth in vs vppon that aboundaunt mercie which he hath shewed in geuing his onlye sonne Christ to be crucyfied for our sinnes whome the Iewes Turkes contempne and blaspheme it can not bée that they contempning him shoulde syncerely loue God or theyr neyghbour for Gods sake So then both Iewes and Turkes want the chéefe and principall vertues of Christians the true knowledge and feare of God fayth Charyty hope inuocation of Gods name gyuing of thanks obedience in sorrowes and myseries with others of that sorte And if happely there be any shewes or pyctours of Politicke vertues in them those are so defiled and spotted wyth impure affections that they loose all their bewty We sée in beasts them selues some thing resembling vertue as in the Lyons clemency toward suppliants in the Dogge faythfull toward his Master in Shéepe softnesse and meekenesse and yet these are not true vertues it is euen so almost in the Infidelles whose reason being voyde and destitute of the lyght of Gods spirite

aunswering sent him vnto the law wherof this is the summe Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule and with al thy minde This is the first and great commandement The seconde is lyke vnto this thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe for in these two commaundements consist the whole lawe and the Prophetes I repeated once or twyse before that the tenne commaundementes are the most certaine most absolute platforme of good workes Which thing that it maye more euydently appeare I wyll by a briefe enumeration as it were in a table noate and poynt out the same Vnto the fyrst commaundement wée maye referre the feare of God fayth loue and assured hope in aduersitye togeather with patience and constancie The second commaūdement containeth all true worshypping of God and the auoyding of al superstition and Idolatry The third commaūdement comprehendeth the reuerence of Gods name together with inuocation confession of the same And the fowrth commaundement calleth for the preaching of Gods word publique prayers and for external worshypping and seruing of God allowing also séemely and moderate ceremonies and especially such as maye tende to edifying in the church of god Vnto the fyfth we may referre pittie towarde our Parents countrey kynsfolkes lawful obedience vnto the Magistrate and all superiours and the offices in cyuile life The sirte commaundeth iustyce and iudgement the defending of the fatherlesse widdowes and the delyueraunce of those that be oppressed benefycencie innocencie The seuenth comprehendeth faith and trouth betwéene maryed persons and dueties of matrymonie honest and godly education of chyldren the loue of chastitie and sobrietie Wée maye referre vnto the eyghth iustice in contracts and bargaynes munifycencie lyberalytie and hospytalyty Vnto the nynth we may referre the loue studye of trouth throughout all our lyfe fayth in worde and déede learned honesty and profitable communication And vnder the tenth are conteyned good and godlye affections togeather with all holy and honest cogitations And this is a verye briefe and compendious fourme rule of good workes Which if you woulde haue more contract and short you maye consider the spéeche of Christ deuyding the same into two generall parts Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart and with all thy soule and with all thy strength and thy neighbour as thy selfe And whatsoeuer you would that men should do vnto you euen so do you vnto them Wherein this is principally to be obserued that the dyuine lawe the sum or effect whereof is the loue of God and our neighbour doth not requyre of those that be iustified onely externall workes and dyscipline but also the interiour and spyrituall motions of the hart consonant to the holy wyll of almighty God as our sauiour Christe him selfe beareth wytnesse saying You shall be perfect euen as your heauenlie father is perfect For praue and corrupt affections and cogytations of the inner man are rebuked and infourmed by the lawe of god And therewithall externall dyscipline is plāted in so muche that by the rule of the tenne commaundementes all men and all orders and vocations of men are informed and instructed in theyr duety in all tymes and places All estates sexes and ages as Princes Prelates Husbandes Wyues Maisters seruauntes fathers chyldren men women bonde and free are dyrected and guyded by the lawe of the tenne commaundementes The last parte of the discription of good workes remayneth touching theyr ende For I sayd that all the good works of the regenerate ought to respecte the glory of God the ornament of our liues the commodity of our euen Christian The faithfull doo not good workes to be iustifyed thereby or to obtaine remyssion of theyr sinnes or to procure vnto them selues and others eternall lyfe they doo them not to be séene of menne But rather that God might be gloryfied amongst men that they might shewe theyr obedience in walking worthy of theyr vocation to the comfort and profit of their brethren The Lorde and sauiour Christ sayth thus in the gospell Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good workes maie glorifie your Father who is in heauen He speaketh signifycantly That they may see your good works and glorifie your heauenlie father not that they maye worshippe and gloryfie you For touching those that do theyr workes that they maye be séene of men our sauiour speaketh in the same gospell Take heede that you do not your almes before men that you maye be seene of them For if you doo so you haue no rewarde with your heauenlie father In the which he teacheth vs excellently that to doo good workes in secréete is to doo them with a minde voyde of vaineglory séeking only to please god And as God is gloryfied in good workes so is he dishonored with euyll workes as Saint Paul alleageth out of the Prophete The name of God is euyll spoken of through you amongst the Gentyles Moreouer the godlye are alwayes thankful to God for his benefyts which thing is plainly declared in that worthy example of the Samaritane● who as soone as he sawe that he had recouered health returned immedyatly and falling down at the Lordes féete with a lowde voyce gloryfyed god Which thing all those also doo that are purged with Christes blood and shewe them selues gratefull in worde and deede to so bountyfull a Lorde and sauiour And Christe him selfe declareth howe odyous ingratefull menne are vnto him in that spéeche of his vnto the Samaritane VVere there not tenne cleansed and where bee those nyne There are none founde that returned to glorifye GOD but onelie this straunger And Saint Paul Doo you not knowe that to vvhome you geue your selues seruauntes to obeye his seruauntes you are vvhome you obeye eyther of sinne to death or of obedience to Iustyce The faythfull therefore being nowe made the seruauntes of Iesus Christe applye them selues to obedyence doo ryghteousnesse departe from iniquitye and Sathan from whose tyranny they are delyuered by the obedience of Christ Besydes these thinges the godlye doo good workes to confyrme theyr fayth and to assure and certyfye theyr consciences of theyr Election ●ndeuour my brethren sayeth Sayncte Peter to make your vocation and election certayne And Saincte Paule counsayleth his scholler Tymothie to styre vp and as it were to kyndle the gyfte of GOD in him for as fyre increaseth and burneth whotter by the adding of woodde euen so is pyttye and fayth augmented and confyrmed by the exercyse of good woorkes GOD hath not called vs vnto vncleannes but to holynes neyther into darknesse but out of darknesse into the holye lyght wherevnto those wordes of the Apostle séeme to serue VVe ceasse not to praie for you that you woulde walke worthie of the Lorde that you maie please him in all thinges fructifying in all good workes increasing in the knowledge of GOD confirmed with

that hath done vvrong Housekeepers Masters of familyes are taught That possession gotten vvith iniquitie fleeteth awaye Of Charitie it is wrytten That loue couereth the multitude of sinnes Of Magistrates it is written Geue vnto Caesar those thinges vvhich belong to Caesar and to God those things that are Gods. Of othes and remembring of iniuries Haue I commaunded your fathers comming out of the lande of Aegipt that they shoulde offer sacrifice and burntofferinges but I commaunded this rather That euerie one thould forget iniuries and offences and to loue no vntrue oath Lyers prowde men heare this threatning VVoo vnto those that call sweete bytter and bytter sweete and againe VVoo be vnto them that are vvyse in their owne conceytes And he that humbleth himself shal be exalted and he that exalteth him selfe shal be brought lowe Those that shewe pittie and mercy are pronounced blessed Because they shal obtaine mercie Enuie and displeasure is accoumpted a hurtfull thing Because it destroyeth those that be wyse And as for enemyes we are commaunded To loue them to blesse those that curse vs And vnto him that smyteth thee vpon the one cheeke offer vnto him the other Our seruauntes are to be vsed gently for they are men as we be and there is no respect of personnes before god Vainglory is also beaten downe VVoo be vnto you Pharisees because you loue the highest seates in the Synagoges and salutations in the market places Of almes deedes it is wrytten Come ye blessed children of my father receyue the kingdome prepared for you from the begynning of the vvorlde for I vvas hungrie aad you gaue mee meate I vvas thirstie and you gaue me drinke Fayth trouth in word déed are highly commended VVherfore laying asyde lyes let euery one speake truth vnto his neighbour for vve are members one of another let not the Sūne set vpon our vvrath neyther let vs geue place to the Deuyll He that stole let him steale no more but rather let him labour vvith his handes that he may be able to geue vnto the needy Let all bytternes and vvrath and fiercenes and cursed speaking be remoued from amongst you vvith all that vvhich is euyll Be gentle and mercyful one toward another doing good one to another as Christ hath done good vnto you Be you vvyse and follovvers of God as deare children and vvalke in loue as Christ hath loued you You vvyues be subiect to your ovvne husbandes as vnto the lord And you husbandes loue your vviues as Christ loued his church You sonnes obey your Parents Fathers prouooke not your children to vvrath but bring them vp in the nurtour and admonicion of the lord You seruaunts obey your Maisters after the flesh vvith trembling and feare in symplicity of your harts as it vvere seruing Christ from your hartes vvith good vvyll And you Masters do vvell vnto your seruaunts remitting threates knovving that both their Maister and yours is in heauen and is no accepter of persons If vve lyue in the spirite let vs vvalke in the spirite Let vs not be desirous of vainglory enuying one another and prouoking one another Let vs beare one anothers hurthen Let vs not deceaue our selues for God is not deceyued And againe VVe beseeche you brethren vvarne them that are vnruly comfort the feble minded lyft vp the vveake be patient toward all men See that none recompence euyll for euyl vnto any man but euer follovve that vvhich is good both among your selues and vnto all men Reioyce euer pray continually In all things geue thanks for it is the vvyll of GOD in Christ Iesus tovvard you Quenche not the spiritte despise not Prophesyings Examine all thinges hold fast that vvhich is good abstaine from all appearaunce of euyll Let your speache be alvvayes in grace powdred vvith salt to knovve hovve you ought to answere euerie man And againe Godlynes is profitable to all thinges hauing promises of the lyfe that is nowe and of that vvhich is to come And of serrauntes it is wrytten And they vvhich haue beleeuing Maisters let them not despise them because they are brethren but rather let them doo seruice for asmuch as they are beleeuing and beloued and partakers of the benefyte And that generall exhortation is worthy remembraunce Seeing that vve haue diuerse giftes according to the grace that is geuen vnto vs eyther prophesie after the measure of faith eyther offyce in administration or he that teacheth in teaching or hee that exhorteth in exhorting he that geueth in singlenesse he that ruleth in dilligence he that is mercifull in cheerefulnesse Loue vvithout dissimulation hating euyll cleaning to good Affectioned one to another vvith brotherly loue in geuing honor goe one before another Not lyther in busines feruent in spirite seruing the Lorde Reioycing in hope patient in trouble instant in prayer distributing to the necessitie of Sainctes geuen to hospitalitie Blesse them vvhich persecute you blesse and curse not Reioyce with them that reioyce weepe vvith them that vveepe Being of lyke affectioned one towardes another be not high mynded but making your selues equall to them of the lower sort not vvise in your owne opinions Recompence to no man euyll for euyll prouiding aforehande thinges honest not onely before God but also in the sight of all men If it be possible asmuch as lyeth in you haue peace vvith all men These fewe things I haue chosen from amongst many out of the holye scripture which I thought good to offer vnto my schollers that they might learne to plucke vp sinne and iniquitie by the rootes The body of the holy scripture conteyneth a plentyfull stoore of many other preceptes meete for an kyndes and callinges of men for the Cleargie and for the layetie for Princes for Priestes for gouernours and for subiectes of the which occasion may peraduenture be geuen to speake more aptly in another place Our heauenly father hath lefte his wyll vnto vs in his holye worde And whereas the horse is broken with the bytte and brydle the Ore with the yoake the wylde beast is caught with the nette the fishe with the hooke he hath ordeyned his word to alter and transformer resonable men Let vs most humblye beseeche him to gyue vs his grace that we may obey his word and followe his preceptes and commaundementes that we maye wade through the floodes of sinne and come into the quyet hauen of eternall peace there to be thankfull and alwayes to extoll the heauenly Father with his onely sonne together with the holy ghost world without ende Amen A Philosophecall posy Two principall partes of wisedom The Philosophers ignorante in the practise of their precepte Esai 29. 33. 1. Cor. 1. True wisdome is only in Gods. church 1. Cor. 1. Psa 36. Iohn 8. Christe is a perfecte example for vs to folowe in faythe and lyffe Christe an example in our liffe Iohn 13. 2 Tim. 3. Rom. 2. 1. The. 4

make not a mock of the Passion of Christ that they treade not his blood vnder their feete that being purifyed washed with his precious blood they wallow not wylfully in synne wyckednesse and of the chyldren of God become by theyr owen default the bondslaues of Sathan and fyrebrands of Hel euerlastingly And hitherto I haue spoken of a Christiā mans duetye pryuately toward him selfe and publikely towarde others Nowe remayneth the last parte of the duetye of a Chrystian lyuing eyther in the estate Ecclesiasticall Politicall or Oeconomicall in one of the which thrée callyngs all good men indeuour to leade theyr lyues as the scopes and endes whervnto all mans studyes and labours are to be dyrected and referred But because that mater requireth a long and dylygent tractation if God permyt I wyll handle the same in another voloume Glory be to God. ¶ An addytion translated out of that learned Father of the Greeke Churche Clemens Alexandrinus Who wrytte within three hundred yeres after Christ wherein the whole duety● of a Christian man is comprehended in a bréefe sume necessaryly seruing for the practise of such precepts as are conteyned in the former Treatise LEt euery man then learne his duetye and passe the tyme of his pylgrymage in feare and humilytye knowing that we are redemed not with corruptible things of syluer and golde but with the precious blood of the immaculate and vnspotted Lambe Iesus Christ For it is sufficient that vve haue spent the tyme that is past of the life after the vvyll of the Gentiles vvalking in vvantonnes lustes in excesse of vvines in excesse of eating in excesse of drinking and abhominable idolatrie We haue Christ his crosse as our marke and lymytte with whome wée are crucyfyed and by whome we haue remyssion of our fourmer sinnes Let vs fixe our myndes therefore vppon the truth let vs repent and amende our lyues For the eyes of the Lord are open vppon the Iust and his eares vnto theyr prayers The countenaunce of the Lord is vppon them that do euill And who is it that will hurt you if you do well The best education or institution is moderation which is perfyt comlynesse together with stable and ordenarie power rightly distributing those things that are coherent amongst them selues Nowe if you doo not marke those precepts which are geuen you shall dye the death but if you do attend you shall enioye the blessings of the earth meaning no doubt health wealth ryches foode strength For those be true and perfyt good things which neyther the eye hath seene nor the eare hath heard ▪ neither yet hath entered into the hart of man But to returne to the way lyfe of a perfit Christian the heauenly scholler comprehendeth bréefly his offyce and duety As you would that men should do vnto you euen so do you vnto them And as Christ him selfe sayeth all the commaundements maye be referred to these two precepts Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God vvith all thy hart vvith all thy soule and vvith all thy might and thy neighbour as thy selfe for herein consist the lawe and the Prophetts And when one asked him what he should doo to possesse eternall lyfe he aunswered knowest thou the commaundements and when he sayd yea do this quoth he thou shalt be saued But we wyll more partycularly leade you through the plentyfull stoore of treasures to the ende you maye haue alway some wholsome preceptes in readynesse Fyrst let vs behold the Dyalogue geuen by Moyses Thou shalt not commytte adulterie thou shalt not vvorshippe Idolles thou shalt not steale thou shalt not beare false vvitnesse honour thy father and thy mother vvith many other such preceptes as are contained in his holy lawe And by the mouth of his Prophete Esaias he sayeth VVas he your selues and be cleane and take away the foreskyn of your hartes from before my eyes learne to do good seeke iudgement delyuer him that suffereth vvrong helpe the fatherlesse to his ryght let the vviddowes complaint come before you And then goe to sayth the Lord let vs talke togeather Many other like precepts occurre euery where as for example sake of Prayer and good workes The holy scripture much commendeth Prayer and the fourme or maner of making our prayers is expressed VVhen thou seest the naked couer him and hide not thy selfe from thy owne flesh Then shall thy light breake forth as the morning and thy health florish right shortly righteousnes shall go before thee and the glory of the Lord shall embrace thee Then if thou callest the Lord shall aunswer thee if thou cryest he shall say here I am And of Fasting he speaketh thus Behold vvhen you fast your lust remaineth styll for you do no lesse violence to your detters loe you fast to strife and debate and to smyte vvith your fyst vvithout mercie now you shall not fast thus that your voice may be heard aboue Thinke you this fast pleaseth mee that a man should chasten him selfe for a day and to hang downe the head lyke a bulrishe and to lye vpon the earth in an heaircloath should that be called fasting or a day that pleaseth the Lord Doth not this fasting rather please mee That thou loose the vvicked bandes that thou ease the ouer heauy burdens that thou let the oppressed go free and breake al maner of yoake To deale thy bread to the hungrye and to bring the poore vvandring home vnto thy house vvhen thou seest the naked that thou couer him and hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh c. And of Sacrifices he speaketh thus also VVhy offer ye many sacrifices vnto me vvyll the Lord say I am full of the burnt offeringes of vvethers I haue no pleasure in the bloud of bullockes lambes and goates VVhen ye come to appeare before mee treading in my courtes vvho hath required this at your handes Offer me no mo oblatiōs for it is but lost labor Incence is an abominable thing vnto me I may not avvay vvith your new moons VVhen ye hold out your hands I vvyll turne mine eyes from you and though you make many praiers yet vvyll I heare nothing at al seeing your hands are ful of bloud How shal I then sacrifice vnto the Lord A contrite spirite is a sacrifice vnto god What incense shal I offer vnto the Lord. He is an odour of sweete smell vnto the Lorde that glorifyeth his creatour And as concerning Patience Christ him selfe sayeth If thy brother offende thee rebuke him and if he be sorie forgeue him If he offende thee seuen tymes in a daye and returne seuen tymes saying I am sorie forgeue him The Souldiour heareth Bee content vvith your vvages And the Publycanes Require no more then your duetie The Iudge hath this commaundement Thou shalt not accept one personne in iudgement Bribes do blinde the eyes of those that see and corrupte iuste vvordes to delyuer him