THE TRUE TRIAL AND Examination of a Mans own self.  
Wherein every faithful ●hristian, by looking into his conscience, may most plainly behold his spiritual deformity by Nature, described: his actual rebellion by disobedience detected: his promise-breach at Baptism, by ordinary transgression apparently proved: his lamentable estate through sin discovered: his wilful obstinacy by da●ly disorder displayed: And lastly how by earnest repentance, and faith in Christ jesus, he is from all the same clearly pardoned, forgiven, released and reconciled.  
Done in English by THO. NEWTON. Imprinted at LONDON by JOHN WINDET 1587.   

TO THE RIGHT noble and excellent Lady, the Lady LETTUCE, Countess of Leycester.  
SUCH persons of Honour, Worship and Wealth, as in respect of unfeigned goodwill, and ●owed duty, present unto your renowned Ladyship the glorious gifts of glittering gold, precious pearls, or other rich and sumptuous furniture, although thereby they gratefully testify their cheerful hearts and loving minds to your Honour, yet do● they therein bestow none other thing, then that which by nature is perishing pelf, and transitory trash, subject to casualty, liable to change, and removable by chance: and withal also, such, whereof your Honour (through God's especial good grace, and bountiful favour) standeth already most richly stored, magnificently possessed, and abundantly furnished, But as my slender estate and base condition envieth me the hap, and forestalleth me the possibility to send abroad such flourishing fairings: so again, on the other side, hath duty vehemently incited me to devise one course or other, how to notify my zeal, & loyalty towards your excellent estate and dignity. Hereupon it hath pleased God to make this small Treatise, the ininstrument of my wished desire, and the faithful messenger of my willing heart. Small it is (Madam) & compendious (I confess) both in volume & words: but yet such, as shall (I doubt not) minister abundant store of spiritual direction and comfortable counsel, for any Christian conscience, that shall advisedly read, & attentively mark the godly documents, & sound advertisements therein comprised. For herein are there briefly, plainly, familiarly, and methodically laid open, ripped up, displayed, anatomised and unfolded (in effect) all the secret corners & starting holes of the inward man: together with the stinking Camerine of all the other particular enormities, offences & transgressions outwardly also, through thesway of sin, bursting out in us into action. Whereupon, the conscience being by most plain and apparent evidence, indited, arraigned & convicted, is driven to disclaim all help, merit, righteousness, condignity or worthiness in itself, & prostrately to sue for pardon at the merciful hands of God through Christ. The which, as I most heartily (for the vowed duty, and unfeigned loyalty, that I bear unto you, & unto that rare mirror of Nobility, the Earl of Essex your Son, my singular good Lord and Master) do here offer unto your Honourable patrociny: so do I no less humbly beseech you (right renowned Lady) to afford thereunto the benefit of your favourable protection: as I during my life, shall remain a true & continual petitioner unto almighty god, for the prosperous health & glorious success of that Noble Earl your husband, with all the honourable, worshipful, valiant, faithful & true hearted Englishmen now under his charge & government: of your good Ladyship, and all your Christian household: Wishing the blessed grace of Christ still to keep you, his holy Spirit to lead you, his mercy to nourish you, his counsel to direct you, his peace to comfort you, his rich gifts to adorn you, and his heavenly blessing in honour to continue you, to the glory of his holy name, the comfort of your own consciences▪ & the common wealth of this our flourishing Realm and Country.  
From my poor house at Little Ilford, in Essex the 6. of October▪ 1587. Your Honour's most humble THOMAS NEWTON.   




1. januarie called of the 

Latins, januarius. Grecians, Gamelion. hebrews, T●besh, & is their 10. month. 

hath 31. days.       

1  
2  
3  
4  
5  
6  
7  
8  
9  
10  
11  
12  
13  
14  
15  
16  
17  
18  
19  
20  
21  
22  
23  
24  
25  
26  
27  
28  
29  
30  
31   

A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c   

Calends.  
Nones of lan. 

4  
3    
Day before the N.  
Nones of january.  
Idus of januarie. 

8  
7  
6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the Id.  
Idus of januarie.  
Calends of February. 

19  
18  
17  
16  
15  
14  
13  
12  
11  
10  
9  
8  
7  
6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the Calends of Feb.   
The first day of this month Christ was circumcised, Luke, 2. 21. The tops of the mountains appeared unto Noah, Gen. 8. 5. The Israelites put away their wives, Ezra. 10. 16.  
The 5. of this month word was brought unto Ezechiel the Prophet that the City jerusalem was smitten, Ezech. 33. 21.  
The sixth of this month Christ was worshipped of the wise men, Mat. 2. 1. etc. baptised Mat. 3. 15. turned water into wine, joh. 2. 1. etc. as testifieth Epiphanius.  
The 10. of this month Nebuccadnezzar King of Babel, moved thereunto by the rebellion of Zedechiah, besieged jerusalem most fiercely, as may appear, 2 Kings, 25. etc. jerem. 52. 4. Also Ezechiel was willed to utter his parable, Ezec. 24. 1. etc.  
Paul called, and converted the 25. of this month, Acts, 9 3.  

Festival days in this month be 

Circumcision, the first  
epiphany the sixth 

day.         



2 February, called of the 

Latins, Februarius. Grecians, Elaph●bolion. hebrews, Shebat, & is their 11. month. 

hath 28. days unless it be the vere Bissextile & then 29.       

1  
2  
3  
4  
5  
6  
7  
8  
9  
10  
11  
12  
13  
14  
15  
16  
17  
18  
19  
20  
21  
22  
23  
24  
25  
26  
27  
28  
29   

d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d   

Calends.  
Nones of Feb. 

4  
3    
Day before the N.  
Nones of Februar.  
Idus of February. 

8  
7  
6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the Id.  
Idus of February.  
Calends of March. 

17  
16  
15  
14  
13  
12  
11  
10  
9  
8  
7  
6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the Calends of March   
The first of this month Moses repeated the Law unto the Children of Israel, Deut. 1. 3.  
The second of this month our Saviour was presented to the Lord, and Mary purified, Luke. 2. 22.  
The ninth of this month, Noah, 40. days after he had seen the tops of the mountains, sent out of the Ark a Raven, & afterward a Dove, which returned, Goe 8. 6. etc.  
The 15. of this month, the jews spend merrily together, for that the Spring of the ●ere doth enter then, as they think.  
The 16. of this month, Noah the second time sent out a Dove, which returned with an Olive branch in her bill. Gen. 8. 10.  
The 24. of this month, Zechariah was commanded to prophecy, Zecharie 1. 7. Mathias was elected into the the number of the Apostles, Act. 1. 26.  

Festival days in this month be 

the 2. called the PURIFICATION of SMARIE. the 24. which is Saint MATHIAS day.       



3. March called of the 

Latins Martius.  
Grecians, Mo●●chyon.  
hebrews, Adar: and is their 12. month. 

hath 31. days.       

1  
2  
3  
4  
5  
6  
7  
8  
9  
10  
11  
12  
13  
14  
15  
16  
17  
18  
19  
20  
21  
22  
23  
24  
25  
26  
27  
28  
29  
30  
31   

d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f   

Calends.  
Nones of M. 

6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the N.  
Nones of March.  
Ideses of Ma. 

8  
7  
6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the Id.  
Idus of March.  
Calends of April. 

17  
16  
15  
14  
13  
12  
11  
10  
9  
8  
7  
6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the Calends of April.   
The temple of jerusalem was finished the third day of this month, Ezra. 6. 15. in the ● of Esdr 7. 5. it is said to be the 23. of the month.  
The 10. of this month, Christ was advertised that Lazarus was sick, joh. 11. 3.  
A feast was celebrated among the jews for the overthrow of Nicanor, the 13. of this month 2. Mac. 15. 37 Also upon the same day all the Jews under Ashuerosh were commanded to be put to death, Esth. 3. 13. upon the same day the jews had a privilege given them to slay all their enemies, Est. 8. 12. this day althe jews solemnized for their joyful deliverance. ●st. 8. 17  
The 14. day of this month was called of the jews 〈◊〉 docheus day, 2 Mac. 15. 37. also Purim, as may appear. Esth. 9 vers. 21. 26.  
The 15. also is another day of Purim, Est. 9 21.  
The 16. of this month Lazarus was raised from the dead john. 11. 43.  This month hath one festival day called TH' ANNUNCIATION of Saint MARIE, celebrated the 25. of this month.   



4. April called of the 

Latins, Apri●●●.  
Grecians, Th●●gelion.  
●b●ues 〈◊〉, or N●s●n, & is their 1. month 

hath 30. days.       

1  
2  
3  
4  
5  
6  
7  
8  
9  
10  
11  
12  
13  
14  
15  
16  
17  
18  
19  
20  
21  
22  
23  
24  
25  
26  
27  
28  
29  
30   

g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A   

● lends.  
Nones of April. 

4  
3    
Day before the N.  
Nones of April.  
Idus of April. 

8  
7  
6  
4  
3    
Day before the Id  
Idus of April.  
Calends of May. 

18  
17  
16  
15  
14  
13  
12  
11  
10  
9  
8  
7  
6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the Calends of May   
The first of this month Noah uncovered the Ark●, & saw earth, 〈◊〉. S. 13. Moses ●eared the Tabernacle, Exod. 40. 2. 17. the Temple began to be sanctified, 2. Chr. 29. 17.  
The 10. of this month the children of Israel passed through the river jordan on dry foot, josu, 4. 19 the paschal Lamb was chosen, Ex. 12. 3.  
The 13. of this month the edict of king Ashuerosh came out for the murdering of the jews, Esther. 3. 12.  
The 14. of this month the passover was kept, Exo. 1. 2. 6. levit. 23. 5 Los. 5. 10.  
The 15. of this month the Israelites departed out of Egypt, Numb. 33 3.  
The 16. of this month Hezekiah made an end of sanctifying and purging the Temple, 2. Chron. 29. 17.  
The 18. of this month the children of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the red sea, Exod. 14 19  
The 24. Daniel saw his vision, Dan 10. 4.  The 25. of this month the feast of S. Mark is observed.   



5. May, called of the 

Latins, Maius.  
Grecians, Scrirophorion.  
hebrews, ●●ar, which 〈◊〉 their 2 month. 

hath 31. lays.       

1  
2  
3  
4  
5  
6  
7  
8  
9  
10  
11  
12  
13  
14  
15  
16  
17  
18  
19  
20  
21  
22  
23  
24  
25  
26  
27  
28  
29  
30  
31   

b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d   

Calends.  
Nones of May. 

6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the N.  
Nones of May.  
Idus of May. 

8  
7  
6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the Id  
Idus of May.  
Calends of june. 

17  
16  
15  
14  
13  
12  
11  
10  
9  
8  
7  
6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the Calends of june.   
The first of this month Moses was commanded to number the children of Israel Numb 1. 1 etc.  
The 5. of this month Christ is thought to have ascended up into heaven, Mar. 16. 19 ●uk 24. 51. Act. 19  
They which could not keep the passover at the day appointed by the Lord, were willed to celebrate the same the 14. of this month, Nu. 19 uc. 10. 11. so did the Israelites at the commandment of King Hezekiah, 2. Chron. 30. 15.  
The 16. day Manna reigned from heaven, Exod. 16. 14.  
The 17. day Noah entered the Ark, and the flood began, Gen. 7. 11. 13.  
The 22. fire from 〈…〉 consumed such as murmured against the Lord, Numb. 11. 1.  
The 23. the Israelites with great joy triumphingly entered into the castle of jerusalem, 1. Mac. 13. 51.  
Noah the 27. the waters being dried up, came forth of the Ark, Gen. 8. 14. etc.  The first of this month is usually celebrated for the Feast of Philip and lacob.   



6. june called of the 

Latins, junius.  
Grecians, ●katomuaion.  
hebrews, S●nan, which is their 3. month. 

hath 30. days       

1  
2  
3  
4  
5  
6  
7  
8  
9  
10  
11  
12  
13  
14  
15  
16  
17  
18  
19  
20  
21  
22  
23  
24  
25  
26  
27  
28  
29  
30   

e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f   

Calends.  
Nones of Iu. 

4  
3    
Day before the N.  
Nones of june.  
Idus of june. 

8  
7  
6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the Id.  
Idus of june.  
Calends of julie. 

18  
17  
16  
15  
14  
13  
12  
11  
10  
9  
8  
7  
6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the Calends of july.   
The first coming of the children of Israel unto mount Sinai was the 1. of this month, where they abode 11. months, and 20. days, in which time all those things were done, recorded in Exo. chap. 19 1. etc.  
The sixth of this month Alexander that mighty Monarch of the world was born of whom Dan. ch. 11. 3. doth prophesy. Also on this day that famous Temple of Diana in Ephesus, numbered among the 7. wonders of the world, was set on fire by He●ostratus▪ The jews likewise kept their feast of Pentecost on this day.  
The 23. of this month the first edict came out for the safety of God's people the jews, against Haman, and the rest of their enemies, Esther. 8. 9  
The 29. of this month the Ark of Noah through the increase of waters was lifted up from the earth, Gen. 7. 17.  

Festival days in this month are the 

24. which is the Feast of S. JOHN BAPTIST.  
29. which is S. PETER'S.       



7. july called of the 

Latins, julius.  
Grecians, Metageitnion.  
hebrews, Tham●●, being their 4. month. 

hath 31. days.       

1  
2  
3  
4  
5  
6  
7  
8  
9  
10  
11  
12  
13  
14  
15  
16  
17  
18  
19  
20  
21  
22  
23  
24  
25  
26  
27  
28  
29  
30  
31   

g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b   

Calends.  
Nones of july. 

6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the N.  
Nones of july  
Idus of july. 

8  
7  
6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the Id.  
Idus of july 

17  
16  
15  
14  
13  
12  
11  
10  
9  
8  
7  
6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the Calends of August.   
The 5. of this month Ezechiel saw his visions. Ezech. 1. 1.  
The 6. of this month the Capitol of Rome, counted one of the 7 wonders of the world, was burned: and the mirror of Christian Princes King Edward the sixth died the sixth of this month, An. 1553.  
The 9 of this month lerusalem, after it had a long while been besieged by Nebuccadnezzar, was taken, jerem. 39 2.  
The 12. of this month julius Cesat, the 1. Roman Emperor was borne. Of him is this month called july  
The 18. of this month the Egyptians begin their year, Plin. lib. 8. cap. 47.  The 25. of this month is the feast of S. JAMES the Apostle.   



8. August called of the 

Latins, Augustus.  
Grecians, Loedromion.  
hebrews, Ab, which is their 5. month. 

hath 31. days.       

1  
2  
3  
4  
5  
6  
7  
8  
9  
10  
11  
12  
13  
14  
15  
16  
17  
18  
19  
20  
21  
22  
23  
24  
25  
26  
27  
28  
29  
30  
31   

c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e   

Calends.  
Nones of August. 

4  
3    
Day before the N.  
Nones of August.  
Calends of August. 

8  
7  
6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the Id.  
Idus of August.  
Calends of Septemb. 

19  
18  
17  
16  
15  
14  
13  
12  
11  
10  
9  
8  
7  
6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the Calends of Septemb.   
The first of this month Aaron, 40. years after the children of Israel were come out of Egypt, died on mount Hor. Numb. 33. 38. Also on this day Ezra with his company came out of Babel unto jerusalem, Ezra. 7. 9  
The 7. of this month Nabuccadnezzar burned the house of the Lord, and all jerusalem, 2. King. 25. vers. 8. 9  
The 10. of this month some think jerusalem to have been burnt by the Babylonians, jerem. 52. 12. josephus (lib. 6. cap. 26.) said it was burned afterward by the Romans the same day. Therefore do the jews on this day observe a most straight fast, and go bare footed, and sitting on the ground, read twice over the Lamentations of jeremy.  The 24. of this month is usually called S. Bartholomewes' day.   



9 September, called of the 

Latins, September.  
Grecians, Maimacterion,  
hebrews El●l, which is their 6. month. 

hath 30. days.       

1  
2  
3  
4  
5  
6  
7  
8  
9  
10  
11  
12  
13  
14  
15  
16  
17  
18  
19  
20  
21  
22  
23  
24  
25  
26  
27  
28  
29  
30   

f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
●  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g   

Calends.  
Nones of Septemb. 

4  
3    
Day before the N.  
Nones of Septemb.  
Idus of September. 

8  
7  
6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the Id  
Idus of Septemb.  
Calends of October. 

18  
17  
16  
15  
14  
13  
12  
11  
10  
9  
8  
7  
6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the Calends of October.   
The first of this month Haggei the Prophet began to prophesy, Hag. 1. 1.  
The sixth of this month Ezechiel saw another vision Ezech. 8. 1.  
The 7. of this month our most noble Queen Elizabeth was borne at Greenwich, An●●, 1532.  
The 8. of this month, An. 73. jerusalem was utterly with fire and sword 〈◊〉 by Titus the Emperor, joseph. lib. 7. cap. 26.  
The 25. of this month Nehemiah finished the walls of jerusalem, Nehem. 6. 15.  

Festival days in this month be 

the 

21. S. Matthew.  
l. e. 29● S. Mich         



10. October called of the 

Latins, October,  
Grecians, Pianepsion.  
hebrews, Thisri, and i● their 7 month.    
hath 31. days.   

1  
2  
3  
4  
5  
6  
7  
8  
9  
10  
11  
12  
13  
14  
15  
16  
17  
18  
19  
20  
21  
22  
23  
24  
25  
26  
27  
28  
29  
30  
31   

A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c  
d  
e  
f  
g  
A  
b  
c   

Calends.  
Nones of October. 

6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the N.  
Nones of October.  
Idu● of October. 

8  
7  
6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the Id  
Idus of October.  
kalends of novemb. 

17  
16  
15  
14  
13  
12  
11  
10  
9  
8  
7  
6  
5  
4  
3    
Day before the Calends of Novemb.   
The 1. of this month the jews celebrated the feast of trumpets, levit. 23. 24. The latter jews call this day the beginning of the new year.  
jerusalem after it had been possessed of Christian Prince, 88 years, through mortal dissension came into the hands of the Saracen., Anno 1187.  
The 3 of this month some think the jews fasted for the death of Gedaliah: whereby occasion was offered to bring them again into the miserable servitude of the Egyptians, 2. King. 25. 25. jerem. 41. verse 1. 2. etc.  
The 10. of this month the feast of reconciliation was kept, Levit. 23. 27. So did the year of jubilee every fifty year begin as on the same day, Levit. 25. 9  
The 15. of this month the jews observed the feast of Tabernacles 7. days together, in memory of the Lords protecting them in the desert, levit. 23. 34.  

Festival days in this month are 

18. day S. LUKE.  
28. SIMON & IVDE.       



11. November called of the 

Grecians, Anthe sterion.  
Latins, November.  
hebrews, Marhesuam, their 8 month. 

hath 30 days.       

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Calends.  
Nones of No. 

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Day before the N.  
Nones of novemb.  
Idus of November. 

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Idus of November.  
Calends of December. 

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Day before the Calends of Decemb.   
The third of this month Constantius the Emperor, son to Constantinus the great departed out of this world, An 364. Hist. tripart. in the end of the. 5. book.  
The tenth of this month An. 1483. D. Martin Luther was borne in Islebia.  
The 15. of this month was made a new holiday by jeroboam without the commandment of God, whereupon he committed most wicked idolatry in Dan, and Bethel: but he remained not long unpunished, nor his people unplagued for the same, as may appear, 1. Kings, 12. vers. 32. 33. 1. King. 13. 1. 2. etc.  
Queen Elizabeth 〈◊〉 luckily to reign for the advancement of the Gospel of o●r Saviour Christ, the 17. of this month.  
The 18. of this month Titus the Emperor most cruelly executed to death a great number of the jews, joseph. lib. 7. cap. 10.  Festival days in this month are the first day, the Feast of All 〈…〉 The 30. & last day, Saint Andrew the 〈◊〉   



12. December called of the 

Latins, December  
Grecians, Poseideon.  
hebrews, Sos●●n, & is their month. 

hath 31. days.       

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No●●s of Decemb. 

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Day before the Id.  
Idus of December.  
Calends of januaric. 

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Day before the Calends of lanuarle.   
〈…〉  
The 20 of this month 〈◊〉 dias exhorted the I'ra●lites to put away their strange wives 1. Esd. ●. vers. 5. 6. etc.  
The foundation of the secon● Temple was laid the 24. of this month, Hagg. 2. vers 11. 19  
The 25. of this month our Saviour Christ was born of the Virgin, the year after the world's creation. 4018. On which day also Antiochus Epiphanes entered into jerusalem with a mighty army & spoiled the same, loseph. li. 12. ca 6. On this day he profaned the altar of the Lord, 1. Macc. 1. 62. which day also the jews kept holy, because there on the Temple was purged from Idolatry, 1. Macc. 4. 59  
The 28. of this month Herod caused the poor Innocents to be murdered, thinking thereby to have slain Christ, Math. 2. 16, etc.  Festival days in this month are, the 21. Thomas apostle 25. The nativity of Christ. 26. S. Steven 27. john the evang. 28. Imiocents, called commonly Childertnas' day   

¶ A rule to know how many days be contained in every month in the ●eare.  
Thirty days Hath Nou●●ber. Ap●●l, ●une, a●●●●pt●mber▪ The rest 〈…〉 〈…〉 Which always h●●h 〈…〉, When it is no 〈…〉, or leap year▪  
¶ A note of the Months, weeks days, and hours, throughout the whole ●eare.  
The year continueth 

Months. 12.  
Weeks. 52.  
Days. 365. 

Hours. 

8766.        
Day 

Natural  
Artificial 

hath  
24  
12     hours.  
¶ An Almanac for ten years.  
The year of our Lord. The Prime. The Epact. Sundays letter. pe year. Ashwensday the first day of Lent. Easter day Rogation week. Whitsonday. 1587. 11 1 A  Mar. 1. April. 16. May. 2a jun. 4. 1588. 12 12 G F Feb. 20. 7 13 eL Ma. 26 1589 13 23 E  12 Marc. 30. 5 18 1590. 14 4 D  Mar. 4. April. 10. 25 jun. 7. 1591. 15 15 C  Feb. 17. 4 102 Ma. 23 1592. 16 26 B A 8 Marc. 26. 1 14 1593. 17 7 G  28 April. 15. 21 jun. 3. 1594 18 18 F  13 Marc. 31. 6 Ma. 19 1595 19 29 E  Mar. 5. April 20. 26 june. 8 1596 1 11 D C Feb. 24 11 17 Ma. 30.    

THE TRIAL AND examination of a man's own self.  

CHAP. 1.  
What the true trial and examination of a Mans own self is: and how generally necessary to all manner of persons, having care and desire of their salvation.  
Briefly (in deed) and in very few words is it said by the Apostle, Let a man examine himself: 
1. Cor. 11. 28.  but in that brevity, and in those few words, he effectuailie comprehendeth the whole office and duty of every such an one, as doth earnestly desire to be reconciled, and to be at one with God; yea, therein he summarily setteth down, and compendiously prescribeth all and whatsoever is needful or expedient, for each true Christian to do & perform. For, to examine a man's own self, is nothing else, than for him thoroughly to try, narrowly to search, and diligently to prove, who and what manner of person he is; & in what case he inwardly feeleth his own conscience. To the same effect, purpose and meaning doth the Apostle in an other place say, 
Gal. 6. 4.  Let every man prove his own works: 
2. Cor. 13. 5.  And again, Prove yourselves whether ye be in the faith: examine yourselves.  
He therefore is to be understood, rightly, duly, and truly to examine himself, which diligently and carefully searcheth out, trieth, groapeth, & inwardly rippeth up every corner of his conscience, and so narrowly fifth both his works, actions and faith, that he leaveth nothing in his whole man, either outwardly or inwardly, whereof he maketh not a true and perfect presentment unto his Conscience, and (as it were) strictly enditeth and judicially arraigneth at the Bar, as before a most severe judge. And look how necessary it is for every one that hath sinned, (and by sinning disfranchised and banished himself from the kingdom of heaven) to bend his whole care and study, how to come into favour again with God, king of the same heavenly kingdom: so necessary is it, that before he go about the same, he diligently try and examine himself.  
For, no man can rightly acknowledge his sins, no man can truly confess his faith, no man can duly use the Sacraments, that doth not first carefully try and examine his own Conscience. Furthermore, in vain doth a man either hear, read, or learn any good lessons touching sound doctrine and pure religion; in vain doth he labour by study to attain the knowledge of matters divine and heavenly, unless he have withal, a full and resolute purpose, to apply the same unto the trial & examination of himself. So greatly doth it stand us upon, to make this trial of ourselves, and so greatly material is it for us, diligently to exercise ourselves therein, as in the which the whole sum and effect of our salvation consisteth,  
And doubtless, unless we speedily, & while we have time, try and examine ourselves, and by earnest & hearty repentance turn unto the Lord, it is to be feared, lest God being angry with us, do for our hardness of heart harden us more and more, as he hardened Pharaoh; least for our wilful blindness, he blindfold us altogether; lest for our wicked, filthy, licentious and reprobatelike life, 
Rom. 1. 28 & 11.  he turn us up, and give us over unto a reprobate mind; and least in his heavy displeasure he deliver us up unto our own vile affections & lawless lusts, to wallow still in the filthy mire of our abominations & filthy devices, never to be able so much as once to think of our salvation, or once to raise up our cogitations toward heavenly things. Than which evil and mischief, what can be more grievous, more heinous or lamentable in this miserable and wretched life of ours?  
Let therefore every one speedily, & while he hath time, frame himself to make this trial, that he may be received of God into favour again. Let us now at length awake out of this our deep letharge and sleep of sin; let us once renounce, defy, and cast away the works of darkness, 
Rom. 3. 12.  that we may walk comely and honestly as in the day, garnished and appareled with the works of light, as lively members of Christ's Church in the holy fellowship of faithful believers.  
Now, in what sort and manner this Trial and examination of ourselves is to be made and performed; how and which way we may come into favour again with God; how also after our reconciliation we must demean, and beleave ourselves, and how we ought to frame our lives and conversation, that we may always have a clear conscience toward God, 
Act. 24. 16  and toward men, we will endeavour the best we can (according to that proportion and measure of skill wherewith the Lord hath endued us) plainly and familiarly to declare: beseeching the eternal and blessed Spirit of God, who was sent down from heaven, from the Father and the Son, to teach us all truth, so to direct our understandings, and to further our endeavours, that we may set down nothing, but that which shall be meet, wholesome, and profitable to instruct Christian consciences withal: and moreover so to move and inflame the hearts and minds of all such as shall read these our doings; that as we simply and with a desire to profit them, have taken this travail in hand; so they with the like singleness and meaning may read the same, and apply all things herein comprised to their godly furtherance and edification.   

CHAP. 2.  
The examination and trial of our own selves must first begin at the consideration of our own corrupt nature,  
Whosoever thou be, that art inwardly touched with any care of thine own salvation, and dost inwardly groan with earnest desire to stand in the favour of God, and to be at one with him; first of all and before all other things, (I pray thee) enter into thyself, descend into thine own conscience, and make a true survey of thine inward man; and thou shalt quickly find (I warrant thee) what a subtle crafty Fox, (ever having recourse to his peevish nature) thou fosterest and keepest within that same fulsome stinking breast of thine. The first step to get help, and the chiefest way to recover health, is, for a man to know himself. In vain is the medicine ministered, where the disease is dissemblingly covered and kept unknown.  
Wilt thou therefore that I shall plainly tell thee what manner of person thou art, and what disease thou hast? I say, thou art nothing else but sin; thou art (every whit of thee) a wretched sinner, and guilty of everlasting damnation. Never go about to deny it, seek no shifts or evasions to gainsay it, neither take any exception against it. The very word of God himself doth convince thee, the pricks of thine own conscience do overthrow thee, and daily experience doth detect thee.  
For, first, the word of God sayeth thus of thy nature, being altogether corrupted and stained, through the fall and transgression of our first Parents, and of thy sin which by propagation thou hast from them. 
Rom. 5. 12.  By one man sin entered into the world: 
Ibid.  By the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation. Again, 
Psal. 51. 5.  Behold in iniquity was I borne, and in sin hath my mother conceived me. Again, 
Gen. 8. 21.  The imagination of man's heart is evil, even from his youth. 
Isai. 9 17.  Again, Every man is a liar. Again, 
Rom. 7. 18.  I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. 
Ephes. 2. 3.  And, By nature we are the children of wrath.  
And feelest thou not within thee manifest effects of sin, to wit, the lusts and affections of the flesh, leading thee away from God, and making thee both unwilling and unable to live under his law? 
Rom. 7. ●3.  Feelest thou not another law in thy members still rebelling against the law of thy mind? Thou feelest, thou feelest (no doubt) the cumbersome suggestions of sin dwelling in thee, continually drawing thee away from doing good, and still egging thee forward to commit evil. Thou feelest (I say) the woeful effects of original sin, even a mind void of the fear of God. Thou feelest thyself not to love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, & with all thy strength as thou oughtest to do, and as thou art bound to do. Thou findest in thyself and provest by experience, that thou art besieged and beset with sorrow, grief, heaviness and infinite other like vexations of thy soul.  
Moreover, thou canst not but see these our bodies are subject to innumerable miseries: thou seest the number of diseases assaulting us: the extremity of famine pinching us, the ramping rage of hunger afflicting us: the miserable plague of thirst distressing us: thou seest death with his griping paw, daily catching, haling and making havoc of us. And all these are punishments appointed of God for sin original, Through sin death entered into the world. 
Rom. 5. 12.   
To be short, thou feelest and findest a just punishment & deserved plague, even in these outward things. The earth bringeth forth thorns, brambles, thistles, noisome weeds, & many hurtful things beside. It bringeth forth no good thing, unless it be tilled & manured with great labour. Finally, what things soever for the maintenance and sustentation of this our frail & transitory life are requisite and needful, the same are we (of necessity) driven to seek, & procure with continual cares and troublesome toil. All these discommodities and all other miseries whatsoever, we must know, and we ought to know, to be sent unto us and inflicted upon us as a penalty or amercement for original sin. 
Gen. 3. 17.  Cursed (saith God to the first transgressor Adam) he the earth for thy sake: in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life: thorns and thistles shall is bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field: in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread.  
Now therefore, aswell by the authority of the word of God, as by the sense and feeling of such calamities and miseries as every man evidently seethe & findeth in his mind, in his body, and in the outward things of the world, I think thou art sufficiently persuaded; yea too too plainly convicted, that thou canst not but (will thou, nil thou) thou must needs confess thyself to be a sinner born, & that thou art guilty of everlasting damnation, even in this respect, for that thou art a man, issued & descended from that first man Adam: yea although thou thyself in all thy life hadst actually committed none evil.  
When all these things are well imprinted in thy mind, and that thou art thoroughly resolved, and persuaded that all this afore spoken is true, the best and next way for thee to take, that desirest and meanest to examine thyself, is, diligently to consider these points following.  
First, to bow the knees of thine heart before the tribunal seat of God, to confess thy faults & sins, to submit & commit thyself wholly under the mighty hand of God, ready to abide his divine pleasure, if in the severity of his justice rather than in his mercy, he will deal with thee according to the tenor of that sentence of incurring eternal death, which he pronounced unto man before his fall. Whensoever (saith he) you shall eat thereof, ye shall die. 
Gen. 2. 2.   
Then, as often as thou feelest the effects of sin, and the punishments thereof, such as we have already said, continually to be perceived, seen, and felt in our minds, in our bodies, and in all our things subject to our outward senses: so often call to remembrance, that the same aught to serve thee as tokens, and to put thee in memory of thy guilt and transgression: and that therefore it necessarily standeth thee upon, to fall to most earnest repentance, to consider and think with thyself, that this whole life which we here live, aught to be a continual meditation of repentance: and that in the mean while, we ought patiently to suffer all miseries and calamities, sith we ourselves were the cause thereof, and by our own fault have deserved the same.  
Last of all, (seeing we cannot by any means show forth worthy repentance, and pacify God his anger justly conceived against us (yea with the sway of sin prevailing in us, we rather exasperated his further wrath) it remaineth for us therefore, to take this sure course, even to lift up the eyes of our mind unto our Mediator lesus Christ, and to beseech the Father to respect the righteousness and obedience of him alone; & not to call into account the unrighteousness and disobedience either of our first parent, or of us ourselves, but to impute the righteousness of Christ unto us, as though it were our own. And hereunto let the words of the Apostle by all means move and stir thee: As by the offence of one, the fault came on all men to condemnation, 
Rom. 5. 18.  so by the justifying of one, the benefit abounded toward all men to the justification of life, etc. These and the like reasons, drawing thee to the acknowledgement of thy sin, to repentance, to true invocation of the name of God, and humble imploring of his fatherly mercy, thou mayest well think, thou hast laid a good foundation, and made a good entrance into the trial and examination of thyself.   

CHAP. 3.  
He that will profitably and rightly try and examine himself, must diligently consider his promise made at Baptism, and how well m every point he answereth the same.  
BUT it may be, thou comfortest thyself and waxest bold, for that long ago thou wast baptised: and thereupon makest thy reckoning that all thy sins, aswell original as actual before committed, were then remitted and forgiven thee: and that therefore there is no cause to charge thee, or lay before thee any thing touching original sin; and that thou canst not for that sin be any more called into question, and drawn into judgement.  
Hear (lo) is there offered unto thee an occasion of a new, and altogether a more severe and precise examination. For certainly, if thou purpose earnestly & effectually to try thyself, it is thy part and duty, exactly & diligently to search (as hath been said afore) every corner of thy Conscience, whether in every degree and respect thou have used thyself and dealt according to that solemn vow and profession which thou madest and undertookest at thy Baptism. Whereby it shall most plainly appear, whether there be any of those remnants of original sin and old Adam yet remaining within thee, or no.  
That thou mayest the sooner, the readier and the reverentlyer bring this to pass, it shall be good for thee first diligently to weigh and consider such special things & material points as are commonly used and solemnized at the very time that Baptism is ministered: namely what each several action meaneth, together with each circumstance and necessary branch thereunto belonging. And this being done, orderly to proceed to the thorough search of each corner of thy inward conscience.  
Mark well therefore what was done, at the time that thou wast baptized and solemnly received into the Church, in the sight of God and his Angels, and of godly believing brethren.  
FIrst there acknowledging thyself by nature to be the child of wrath, overwhelmed & drowned in sins; and so long as thou so livedst, to be under the power of the Prince of darkness: thou camest penitently to the Church; deeply and solemnly there protesting that thou wouldst forsake the Devil and all his works, and that thou wouldst live a new and better life from thenceforth: that thou wouldst become a new man, clean contrary to that thou wast afore: 
Eph. 2. 19  and that thou wouldst serve God alone in all sincerity and godliness of life. 
Act. 2. 38.   
Thou didst them also presently make profession of thy faith & belief in God the father, in jesus Christ his son, & in the holy Ghost; making there thy humble prayer, & believing that thou shouldest be received into favour and grace, not for any works of righteousness in the self (which were none at all) but through the mere mercy of God, 
Tit. 3. 5.  by the blood of Christ, and by the laver of regeneration.  
After thou hadst thus bewailed the woeful state of thy miserable unworthiness, and publicly protested thine earnest repentance, and withal thereunto added a sound confession of thy faith: then was there likewise set forth unto thee, the promise of God, made unto all that truly repent and turn unto him by a lively faith, 
Mar. 16. 16  and are baptised: He that shall believe and be baptised, 
Joel. 2. 13.  shall be saved. Amend your lives, 
Act. 23. 8.  and be baptised every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.  
These contestations and promises being thus solemnly made on both parts, thou wast baptized, that is to say, thou wast dipped or sprinkled with water, & therewithal the Word of God was pronounced forth, having virtue after a marvelous sort to wash & take away thy sins by the bloudsheads of Christ. The Word was added to the Element, & so was it made in thee a Sacrament: eue● a Sacrament and Seal of the righteousness of faith. 
Rom. 4. 11.  Of that faith (I say) which thou even a little while afore didst profess; and of that righteousness, which God promised unto thee. And it is (as it were) an Indenture of Covenants, or mutual hand-writing obligatory between God and thee. For in this action of thy baptism there passeth a certain mutual bond or obligaton between you; even much like as between Barterers & Bargainers: but most aptly, properly, 
Ephes. 5.  and specially between the husband and the wife. For, the covenant, promise and bond here made, is not for any short while, but even for the whole space of thy life: and so long as thou continuest in this world, the memory of this promise & covenant by thee made, ought surely to be imprinted in thy mind: yea still, even so long as thy life lasteth, it behoveth thee (all that ever thou canst) to endeavour thyself to accomplish and perform thy promised covenants. Thou art now in this sort engrafted into Christ, and incorporated into his holy congregation, 
Rom. 6. 4.  being the Church, 
Eph. 2. 13.  & thou art received into the number & fellowship of the faithful.  
Moreover the very form, manner & customable rite of Baptism itself is a perpetual witness of thy vowed promise, and admonisheth thee of thy duty all the days of thy life. Namely first, when thou wast put down into the Font, dipped into the water, or sprinkled therewith, there was signified unto thee, the mortification of thyself and all thy members, in that thou didst there openly and solemnly profess, that thou wouldst die unto sin. Again, thy raising and lifting up again out of the water, betokened thy resurrection and rising again to newness and amendment of life. And it did represent unto thee, that like as Christ died, was buried and raised up from the dead for thee, 
Rom. 6. 4.  so shouldest thou continually walk in righteousness and true holiness.  
Call further to remembrance what great benefits thou hast received in Baptism, asivel in being thereby assured of the good promises of God there and then made unto thee, as also in being thereby the more encouraged & stirred up to perform such things as thou for thy part there didst promise and undertake. First, thy sins all & some, both original, actual and accessary, were there freely remitted and forgiven thee. Sin ceased there to be imputed unto thee, and a new righteousness even the righteousness of jesus Christ) was bestowed upon thee. 
1. Cor. 6. 11.  The force and strength of that sin which naturally dwelled in thee, 
Tit. 3. 5.  is broken & vanquished that now it should not be able (as afore) to reign any more in thy mortal body, 
Rom. 6. 12.  neither that thou shouldest obey the lusts thereof. Our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For indeed, sin is in Baptism remitted & done away, but not so, as that we should for ever after be clear and void of it, but that it should not be any more laid to our charge, or imputed unto us, and that it should not reign in us, or bear sovereign rule and domination over us. As Augustine doth very well note in his Epistle to Julian, and in his exposition of the 102. Psalm: but most excellently and plainly is it set out and explained by the blessed Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans: 
Rom. 5. & 7. 22.  I delight in the law of God, concerning the inner man: but I see an other Law in my members rebelling against the Law of my mind, & leading me captive unto the Law of sin, which is in my members, etc.  
There is also the holy Ghost given unto thee in Baptism, and that partly, to be (as it were) an earnest-peny of undoubted assurance to thy conscience, 
Rom. 8. 16.  for all those good and special benefits which thou art to receive, 
Eph. 1. 14. & 5. 26.  specially after this life: and partly to be (as it were) a cooperator in their sanctification, & to assist us in resisting all the evil suggestions of the wicked spirit, & of sin naturally bred in us. The spirit (faith Paul) helpeth our infirmities. 
Rom. 8. 16. 27.  For it cannot otherwise be, but that whosoever receiveth the Holy Ghost, receiveth also many other most singular gifts and excellent blessings. For as he is a gift himself, so is he likewise a bountiful bestower, & a liberal disposer of gifts heavenly & spiritual. He strengtheneth our faith, he enkindleth in us love, he fostereth hope, he stirreth us up to show forth the fruits of good works, 
Rom. 12.  and (to be short) he sanctifieth and directeth the whole man. 
1. Cor. 12.   
These six most notable and excellent things, 
Gal. 5.  were at the time when thou didst receive Baptism, fully concluded, effectually professed, and autentically sealed, partly in thee, and partly through and by thee: and ought therefore of thee to be borne in memory, & never to slide out of thy daily and hourly remembrance.  
Now doth it stand thee upon, yea it is thy bounden duty, and an especial part of thy chiefest care, diligently to consider in what case thou standest: thou must (I say) now enter into thine own Conscience, and there make a true survey of all thy dealings, how thou art, how thou hast been in life and actions answerable unto the same, and after what sort thou hast performed thy promise, and observed these thy sealed covenants. God for his part doth (doubtless) stand to his promise: for he is true and faithful, and never starteth from his word, nor changeth his purpose. And therefore gave he to thee then, and from that time forth, his holy spirit, as a pledge of his faithful promise and assured good will towards thee.  
Now, if thou on the other side, wilt for thy part exactly sift out, and search thyself, how thou hast discharged thy vowed covenants, & performed these thy faithful and solemn promises, thou shalt without all doubt find thyself many and sundry ways guilty. Confess the truth (I pray thee) and speak unfeignedly, whether thou hast not since that time fallen into thine old bias, and turned back to thine old crooked nature and corrupt manners? Whether the law of thy members, and the relics of sin, naturally still cleaving unto thee, have not many times provoked, alured, moved, yea enforced thee to attempt & practise some thing against the law of God? Whether thou have not sometimes listened, given ear and place unto Satan (who always lieth in wait to catch thee) and hearkened to his wicked temptations, allurements, counsels, and suggestions? Whether thou have so entirely continued dead unto sin, that thou hast hitherto lived only unto righteousness? Alas, it is too plain and true, that thine own Conscience herein accuseth thee, and within thee with open cry testifieth against thee, that thou hast most heinously many times revolted from thy bargain, falsified thy promise, and carelessly run headlong into manifest iniquity.  
If this than be true, (as (alas) it is most true) there is no shift but thou needs must acknowledge & confess thyself to be a creature most vile, wicked & miserable. For first, thou must needs yield, that thou art a leaguebreaker, a falsifier of promise, a despiser & open violator of thy covenant made unto God the father: than which, what can be more horrible? Thou hast frustrated the wholesome effects of the death & resurrection of jesus Christ, wherein thou hast with no less contumely reproached Christ, than they which nailed him on the Cross. Thou hast grieved the holy Ghost, 
Heb. 12.  & displaced him, who had made a choice of thee, 
Ephes. 4.  as of an house to dwell in. 
1. Cor. 6.  The Angels of God, whom afore by thy repentance & mortification thou causedst to rejoice over t●ee, now by thy new fall & lewdness thou hast brought to sorrow for thee. The whole Church, which rejoiced, and was glad when she received thee for one of her dear new Citizens, & conceived good hope of thy Christian towardness, thou hast now shamefully deceived, & drawn into sorrowful lamentation. To be short, thou hast despoiled and bereft thyself of those gifts, which with the holy Ghost, and by the holy Ghost, were bountifully & liberally bestowed upon thee.  
What shift or mean therefore remaineth, if the Lord being a just and righteous judge should strictly deal with thee for thy misdeeds, and narrowly look into thy transgressions, but that before his Tribunal seat in the heavenly consistory, God the father, God the son, and God the holy Ghost (accompanied with infinite legions of blessed Angels, & in the sight of the whole Church beholding & approving it) should pronounce thee for one, that hast worthily deserved eternal death, & everlasting punishment, as a perjured caitiff, as a treacherous recreant, as a faithless promisebreaker as a false hearted wretch unto God the father, as a bloody cutthroat, haling & drawing Christ unto the Cross anew, as an enemy to the Holy Ghost, as a mocker of the blessed Angels, as a Traitor to the whole Church, as a shameful runaway from the holy congregation, and finally as a cruel manqueller of thine own self?  
What canst thou now do? What way wilt thou take? What hope or trust canst thou have? What land, what ground can patiently bear the burden and weight of thy wretched Carcase? What heaven, what sun, what planets, what stars can quietly look on thee, or willingly give shine unto thee? Or what eyes rather canst thou, or darest thou lift up unto heaven?  
The time was, when thou wast in excellent good state, and waste adorned and endued with right excellent gifts: but now through thine own fault and wilfulness, thou hast altered thy case, and caused those things which of themselves were good, wholesome, and to thee most profitable, to turn all to thy harm and confusion.  
Truly it had been better for thee never to have heard of the will and promise of God: never to have been washed and cleansed by the blood of Christ, then after all these, 
2. Pet. 2. 21.  to forsake the holy commandments, and like a filthy swine to return to thy wallowing in the mire, and as a dog to lap up his old vomit.  
Behold now (wretched creature that thou art) unto what a dangerous stay thou hast brought thyself ●, and with what manner of gaping gulf thou art even ready to be swallowed. If the Lord God vouchsafe not in time with mercy to relieve and secure thee, it will come to pass, that thee by wicked & unclean spirit, which was once banished and cast out of the washing of thy new birth and by the holy ghost, will come and take up his lodging again in thee; and not he alone, but having with him seven other spirits worse than himself, 
〈◊〉 11. 26 Lu  whereby thy case will be far worse in the end, than it was in the beginning. O woeful case, O wretched plight, O most miserable estate.  
Look well to thyself therefore I beseech thee, & consider what thou art, acknowledge thy grievous sins and manifold offences; remember the lamentable end whereunto they will bring thee, and therefore bethink thyself night and day, and in time seek for remedy.   

CAAP. 4.  
Th● 〈◊〉 not be any better way for the true trial and examining of ourselves, than the diligent and exact consideration of our dealings by the 2. tables of the laws of God, commonly called the ten Com●eundements.  
IT is not enough for thee, to confess thyself in a generality, to have grievously offended, to have lewdly violated and broken the covenant and promise made with God, to have consented to the suggestions of the Devil and thine own flesh: but it is most expedient for thee (if thy mind and purpose be thoroughly and fully to try and examine thyself) to rip up all thy actions and dealings to the very quick, and precisely to examine and discuss all those sundry ways and means, whereby thou hast any way offended either God or thy neighbour.  
Hear (be thou sure) there will be laid open before thee a large volume, & a big book, in the which thou shalt perfectly see all thy detestnble sins, (which be infinite) plainly set down, clearly written, and apparently discoucred. Herein shalt thou see store of witnesses against thee: and hereby being brought to thine answer, and drawn to the bar of Trial, thou shalt be enforced and (will thou, nill thou) driven, to yield accounts for every several fact in particularty. And therefore, so much as hitherto hitherto hath been yet spoken, may well seem small and of little account▪ if we well weigh, and diligently compare the same to that, which yet remaineth untold, and which now shal● be (by God's good grace) particularly handled.  
This trial or examination cannot any way be so commodiously and orderly made, as by exactly calling unto our consideration the written law o● God, with all and singular the members, branches and circumstances thereof. For the law of God (otherwise called the Decalogue or ten Commandments) is as it were ● clear and bright Glass, wherein we may by and by, and at a blush perfectly behold our spiritual deformity. And of this law, the Scripture setteth down unto us three special uses.  
First, as a most wise Guide of our life, it teacheth us what we are to do, and what we are to leave undone what we are to desire and seek, and what we are to loathe and forsake. 
1. Tim. 1. 9  The law is given to the disobedient, to the ungodly and sinners, etc. 
Psal. 119. 33.  Teach me O Lords the way of thy commandments.  
Secondly, the law plainly setteth down before our eyes, our manifold sins and transgressions, and worketh in us a sorrowful grief, and earnest repentance for the same. 
Rom. 3. 20.  By the law cometh the knowledge of sin. 
Rom. 7. 7.  And again, I knew not sin but by the law. For I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not lust. And a little after: O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this sin? And in the same Chapter: 
Vers. 9  When the commandment came, sin revived, but I died.  
Thirdly, the law (convincing us of most manifest guiltiness and malediction, and no way able to satisfy and pacify the wrath of god for the breach of the same) biddeth us for secure to flee unto our Mediator Christ, who only and alone delivereth us from malediction and damnation, and taketh the curse due unto us upon himself. 
Gal. 3. 13.  And again, 
Vers. 24.  The law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.  
LET us now therefore in order run over the whole precepts and commandments of the law of God, and let us pause a while at each, falling thee to thine answer for every particular Commandment; 
1. Commandments.  how careful thou hast been to keep them, and how truly thou hast discharged thy bounden duty in observing and performing them: that when thou haste thus sundry ways found thine infirmities, and thoroughly considered thy manifold transgressions, thou mayest certainly know, that unless, the Mediator jesus Christ vouchsafe to clothe thee with his righteousness, and to impute unto thee his obedience and performance of the Law, there is no remedy but that thou must needs be eternally damned.  

The first Commandment therefore is this:  I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, 
Deut. 5. 6.  out of the house of bondage: Thou shalt have none other Gods before my face. 
HEre first, I wish thee well and thoroughly to consider, what inward sins of mind and conscience, lodging only within the secret corners of thy heart, be directly committed against this commandment. Then, the outward sins, such (I mean) as openly break out into action, and engender many times great disorders and offences. And last of all, enter into diligent consideration of all such sins, as seem to proceed out of that trade of life, wherein thou livest.  

sins Inward.  
COnsider well with thyself, whether thou have not now and than conceived some erroneous opinions in thy mind of the only true and eternal God, whereby thou hast been drawn and moved, either to some godless doubting, or to some curious questioning.  
Whether thou be ignorant, or unready in any of those chief points of doctrine, Faith and Religion, which all Christians are bound to know and understand.  
Whether thou have secretly in heart, or otherwise privily assented to any manner of justly condemned heresy.  
Whether, when thou hast seen the wicked to flourish in their ruffling devices, and to have the world at will, whereas (on the contrary side) the godly have been and are commonly afflicted with adversity, & when thou hast seen many things to come to pass in the world disorderly, thou have thereupon doubted of the providence or wisdom of God.  
Whether thou hast been always certainly persuaded in thy conscience, that aswell adversity as prosperity; and trouble aswell as quietness is sent by the good will of almighty God; and whether in all seasons thou hast thou hast put thy whole trust and confidence in him only.  
Whether thou have patiently suffered all dangers that have come unto thee, without any murmuring against God, or kicking against his fatherly chastisement: & whether thou have entirely therein resigned thy will to his divine pleasure, accounting and confessing thyself worthy of those & greater scourges,  
Whether when thou hast been in great dangers and perils, thou have had any distrust, that god either would not, or could not deliver thee. By the ●ne, thou hast derogated from the goodness of God; by the other from his power. But both the one and the other be directly against his promises.  
Whether thou have been puffed up with pride and arrogancy, for the gifts that God hath bestowed on thee, glorying therefore in thyself rather than in God, and for the same hast disdained thy brethren. For, all pride tendeth to the hindrance of the glory of God.  
Whether for the obtaining of salvation, thou have ascribed any part thereof either to thine own or to any other man's merits, and have not depended wholly and only upon the merits of Christ and his divine mercy.  
Whether thou have addicted thy mind to any manner of thing then to God. For that thing is to every man his God, which he chief loveth, and specially delighteth in, whether the same be Angel, or man, or what creature else soever.  
Whether thou have done such things as serve for the honour of god, sincerely and simply for the l●ue thou bearest unto God himself, and not for any other ends: & whether thou have done such things unfeignedly, with all thy heart, with all thy mind, with all thy strength. For without a sincere meaning, thy service and obedience is hypocritical, and being unperfect, it maketh thee guilty.   

sins external and outward.  
THese sins do proceed also, all of them from the heart. For they are first inward and internal: but when they burst out into act, then are they also outward and external: and the more heinous and grievous are these in this respect, for that thereby our neighbour is hurt aswell as ourselves, and by our evil example is moved and brought to sin.  
Call to remembrance therefore and consider, whether thou have ever showed thyself by any sign or token, to have favoured and allowed any unsound opinions concerning God, or matters of Faith; and whether thou have ever gone about by persuasion to draw others to the same, thy erroneous conceits and wilful assertions.  
Whether in the causes and points of Christian religion, thou have at any time spoken otherwise with thy tongue, than thou hast inwardly thought and believed in thy heart: as though thou thoughtest it enough (so that thou keep thy conscience a right to God) that otherwise it mattereth not at all, what thou saidest or unsaydest, confessedst or deniedst before men, as time and place occasioned thee. This is an horrible offence, and a plain preferring of men before God, and this is a sin against the holy Ghost.  
Whether thou have ever and in every place so framed thy life, and directed thy actions, that all men might perceive and know that thine earnest purpose and intent was to sanctify the name of the LORD God.  
Whether for the avoiding of any evil, or obtaining of any good, thou have trusted to the help, protection and furtherance of Angels, either good or bad, or of men, or of any other creature whatsoeur; as though they were able to have helped thee aswell as God. For there is none to be invocated & sought unto for help, but God only.  
Whether for the procuring of any thing either good or bad, thou have used any unlawful means, or superstitious & damnable helps. Of which sort be the observation and choice of days, of Planetary hours, of motions and courses of stars, mumbling of profane prayers, consisting of words both strange and senseless; adjurations, sacrifices, consecrations and hallowings of diverse things, rites and ceremonies unknown to the Church of God, toyish characters and figures, demanding of questions and answers of the dead, dealing with damned Spirits, or with any instruments of fanatical divination as basins, rings cristals, glasses, rods, pricks, numbers, dreams, lots, fortunetellinges, oracles, soothsayings, horoscoping or marking the hours of nativities, witchcrafts, enchantments, & all such superstitious trumpe●●. Hereunto is to be referred the paustring mammetry and heathenish worshipping of that domestical God or familiar Angel which was thought to be appropried to every particular person: the enclosing or binding of Spirits to certain instruments, and such like devices of Satan the Devil.  
Whether thou have wilfully & willingly thrown thyself into any dangers, when as no necessity drove thee thereunto: whereunto: wherein thou didst directly tempt God.   

For thy trade of life.  
IN every man's peculiar trade of life, he doth many and sundry kinds of ways transgress this first commandment; as namely:  
¶ He that hath taken upon him the charge and oversight of the Church of God, let him well weigh and consider, whether he have carefully discharged his duty, both in doctrine & life, so that the glory of God by him thereby hath been the rather favoured and propagated, and the consciences of many effectually stayed & comforted.  
Whether in matters touching God and Christian religion, he hath set forth and uttered in the Church, any thing doubtful and uncertain, in steed of certain truth, and undoubted verity.  
Whether he be spotted and infected with any heresy, or unsound opinion.  
Whether he have at all times to the uttermost of his ability and skill, endeavoured to beat down and confute all corrupt doctrines.  
Whether he have patiently winked at, & quietly suffered any rites wherein hath been either apparent superstition, or otherwise any notable offence and inconvenience: As gadding and ranging about with procession, conventicling in corners, superstitious usage of holy water, pilgrimages, and vows to be performed in some certain places, and with certain appointed solemnities and ceremonies, whereby there are commonly committed sundry lewd attempts and many lamentable enormities.  
Whether he have admitted any to be teachers in the Church, which were either unmeet or unable sincerely and discreetly to deliver the word of God: or any corrupt and unsound preachers, that willingly deprave the texts of the scriptures, and purposely misconstrue the words of truth, to confirm and establish their own fantastical, or rather fanatical, opinions.  
¶ He that is called to government in the common wealth, 
Magistrate.  be he Prince or Peer, judge or Lawyer of high calling; let him look well about him, whether he have with all his endeavour and care, laboured to promote true religion, and to maintain & defend the sincere worship of God.  
Whether he have countenanced, abetted or maintained any heretics, schismatics, jews, or any false & wicked teachers in any thing against the sanctifying of the blessed name of god.  
Whether in giving sentence & judgement upon any matter, & in all other grave consultations about the affairs of the common wealth, he have nuer remembered that God is the high Lord and judge, and himself to be but his Minister.  
¶ They that bestow their time in Schools of learning, which be the seed plots and Seminaries both of the Church and commonwealth,  
Doctors, Teachers, and Masters: Whether they have carefully trained in the fear of God, 
student's 〈◊〉 teachers  the youth committed to their charge, and sincerely delivered unto them the principles and chief grounds of faith and Christian religion.  
Scholars: 
scholars.  Whether by reading of the books of Philosophers and heathen Poets, they have learned to hold any wicked opinions of God.  
Whether they have in their custody any wicked Pamphlets, or bestow any study in books of curious arts and superstitious skill, as magic, divination, and such like.  
Whether they read any books of Heretics, justly condemned by the Catholic and universal Church.  
¶ Physician: 
physician.  Whether being with the sick, he have especially & before all things exhorted them to have a firm, and undoubting faith in God, without whom no medicine is available and wholesome.  
Whether for recovery of his bodily health he have advised and prescribed to his patient any things that be hurtful and dangerous to the health of his soul, as all those things are, that be not warranted by the word of God, but directly against the remedies which the Lord hath ordained. As when they prescribe unto them superstitious observances, peevish calculations and childish mawmetries, etc. Also when they bear their patient in hand or make him to think that some certain Saints have power to send & also to take away this or that disease: as though God were not the only governor of all things did not depend on him▪  
¶ Apothecary, 
Apothecary.  Whether he have superstitiously observed or fond stayed for choice days or hours, or any other ceremonious rites in gathering his herbs or other simples for the making of his drouges and receipts.  
¶ Merchants, poor people, 
Merchant. Chapman. Artificer.  and handicraftsmen. Whether they have procured, gotten and made any thing, or otherwise furnished others with any thing, thereby to make them the better able to oppress or hinder Christian religion, and the true worship of God. As they do which either aid the Turks, or crave aid of them against their christian brethren. And as they do, which sell to the jews or to treacherous and hollow hearted Christians any manner of stuff or instrument, 
2. Commandment.  whereby to profane and dishonour the name of God: or which do any manner of way minister occasion by their devise and sleight, to compass and bring to pass any thing to dim and impeach the glory of God on earth.    

The second Commandment.  Thou shalt make thee no graven Image, neither any similitude of things that are in heaven above, neither that are in the earth beneath, nor that are in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them. etc. 

sins inward.  
COnsider well, whether thou have not sometime thought, that God either would or might be worshipped, otherwise then in spirit & truth.  
Whether thou haste not been persuaded that the invisible power of God, might by some visible Image be the better known, and so the sooner honoured.  
Whether thou hast any time believed or thought, that the honour due unto God, was any way bestowable up on any creature; & whether thou hast thought any creature able of his own proper power and ability to bring this or that to pass.  
Whether thou haste ever thought that miracles have been wrought by Images, or that any virtue and power hath been in them.   

sins outward.  
WHether having ever secretly conceived in thy mind, any wicked opinions about the service and worship of God, thou have apparently and openly by any token or signification made public the same: that is, whether thou have built, founded or dedicated any Chapel, closet, oratory or grove to any creature, either dead or alive, for worship.  
Whether thou have assisted any that have so done.  
Whether thou have erected, and set up any Images, altars, representations, or purtraitures: whether thou have secretly worshipped or given divine honour to the image of any Saint, whom thou hast made special choice of to be thy patron and advocate, or set up the same either in thy House, in thy Garden, or any other place: using thereto either bowing, crowching, kneeling, censing, lighting of tapers, offering of gifts, or adorning it with garlands, and presenting unto it the firstlings of thy increase, as corn and grain, and other oblations: with solemn words and reverent rites saluting it, adressing thereunto usual prayers, hoping thereby to receive some benefit, or to see some miracle: and to be short, whether thou hast egged & procured any other to do the like.   

For thy trade of life.  
Carvers, gravers, Painters and Image-makers. 
Carvers, gravers, Painters, Image-makers.  Whether in the making, graving or painting of any Image or picture either of man or any other creature, they have showed all the skill and cunning that possibly they could, in hope thereby to bring men in love with their workepeece, 
Handi-●●aftesmen, ●●rtificers.  and so to worship it.  
Handy-craftsmen. Whether they have made or or sold any such things as they well knew their buyers would convert to superstitious uses and Idolatrous worshippings. 
3. Commandments.     

The third Commandment.  Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 

sins inward.  
whether so often as thou heardest the name of God used in earnest and serious matters, thou didst with a religious and reverend mind think on the ineffable majesty of God, and with thy whole mind devoutly honour the same.  
Whether when thou hast been commanded or requested in a necessary and lawful cause, to swear and take an oath, thou have framed thyself thereunto with such Godly zeal and reverence, as became thee.  
Whether, in the time of prayers, giving of thanks, lauding and praising the name of God, and hearing the sasacred scriptures recited and alleged, thou have reverently and godly bend thyself to that holy exercise, attentively and religiously listening to that which was said.   

sins outward.  
whether in taking a solemn oath for any matter, thou have done it in any other sort, then by reverently calling on the name of God, and citing him to witness and record of thy speech and dealing. For by him only and by none other ought we too swear. And therefore great is their fault and grievously do they sin, that swear by heaven, by earth, by the members of God, by Saints, by the cross and such like.  
Whether thou have constantly affirmed any thing to be true, whereof thou didst not then know the certainty, or at least, whereof thou stoodst in doubt.  
Whether thou have sworn to do any thing, which thou didst never mean to do.  
Whether thou ever procuredst any man to swear, knowing that he should thereby take a false oath, and swear untruly.  
Whether thou have ever in vain used the naming of the wounds and death of Christ, or other like things or actions of Christ to evil and lewd purposes, or to wicked cursing and banning.  
Whether otherwise at any other time thou have rashly, that is to say without just and urgent cause, abused & taken in vain the name of God.  
Whether thou have used thus to do of a certain peevish & wilful custom: which (certainly) is a very wicked and horrible thing.  
Whether thou have not performed and done that, which by solemn vow & oath thou promisedst to do.  
Whether thou have bound thyself by vow or oath, to do any thing that hath been unlawful and wicked.  
Whether thou have misspent and abused those gifts, wherewith God hath endued thee, to any other purposes then to the advancement and setting foroth of God's glory. Whether (I say) thou have abused those gifts, either to the contumely and dishonour privily or apertly of God, or to any hurt and hindrance of thy neighbour: For in the gifts that God bestoweth upon us, there shineth out the great dignity and Majesty of God his blessed name.  
Whether thou have applied to vanity such things as properly & rightly are appertinent to God, and of him only are truly said and spoken. And whether in thy familiar talk with others, thou have spoken of God and heavenly matters, vainly, scoffingly, lightly, ridiculously or unreverently.  
Whether thou have misused the holy Word of God, contained in the sacred Scriptures, either by wresting it violently to other sense than it was meant, spoken and uttered, or in applying it to such matters and purposes as it ought not to be applied unto, as namely to guming, jesting, balletting, singing, slanderous libeling, pasquilling, etc.  
Whether thou hast adjured or enforced any man to swear, to do or confess any thing, having no authority so to do, or for no necessary matter, or cause of importance, but rather about some trifling toy and frivolous conceit, or some such drift as tended to the danger of such as be good, honest, and godly.  
Whether thou hast conjured Devils, or used the damnable art of Negromancy, seeking help of wicked spirits, or desiring to have some thing by them brought to pass, as though they had been fit Ministers for such offices and purposes.  
Whether thou have adjured or enchanted any creatures unreasonable, even such as be brute and dumb, or any herbs and plants or such like things, hoping and meaning thereby to work some strange feat and wonderful practice.   

For the kind of life.  
whether, entering into any function or College, or into any other kind of life: 
Magistrate Officer.  and solemnly promising by oath to observe, maintain, and keep the laws and orders thereof, thou have accordingly so done and discharged thine oath. As namely, when a judge, an Advocate, an Attorney or such like, is first nominated and admitted to his place, let him consider how he dischargeth his oath, 
4. Commandment.  whereby he then solemnly promiseth, justly & truly to exercise his office. So likewise a Graduate when he taketh his degree in schools. A Scholar, when he is admitted in a College, a Citizen, when he is enfranchised or elected into any office: A Soldier, when he is sworn to his Captain: a Craftesman, when he is made free, and received into the society and fellowship of those of the same trade, mystery, or occupation. etc.  
Buyers and Sellers. Whether the sooner to utter their wares, 
Buyers and sellers.  they have used oaths to their chapmen in bargaining and dealing with them, affirming and protesting the same wares to be good and faultless, which (notwithstanding) they knew well enough to be defective, nought, deceitful, and faulty.  
Whether they have sworn that they paid more for their wares, then in truth they did: or that they would not sell the same any better cheap than the price they pitched, and yet afterward have done otherwise.  
¶ Suitors for marriage. 
Suitors for marriage.  Whether the sooner and easier to win the good will and consent, the one of the other, they have used oaths and asseverations faithfully to do this or that, and to be those persons which they pretended to be, and yet in truth have been found and proved otherwise.  
¶ Soldiers. 
Soldiers.  These of all other sorts of people are found the readiest commonly to abuse unreverently the name of God, and wilfully to make custom of perjury.  
Finally, whether in committing any of these aforenamed, thou have been thereby the cause of offence to others, and ministered unto them occasion to commit the like. For being the cause of offence, either in word or deed, to others, thou makest thyself guilty of their sin, over and beside thine own.  
And whether when thou hast seen others disorderly to commit any of these outrages before expressed, thou have plainly showed thyself to be ●n utter misliker thereof, reproving and reprehending them also for the same, when time and place served. For in not doing this, thou consen●est unto them in their folly, and so ●y consenting, entanglest and wrappedst thyself in other men's sins, & broughtest their evils upon thine own head.    

The fourth Commandment.  Remember the Sabbath day, that thou keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: In it thou shalt not do any work; thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man servant nor thy maid, nor thy beast, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and the earth, the Sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it. 

sins inward.  
COnsider here, whether thou hast at all times reverently and honourably thought of the ministry of the word, of the administration of Sacraments, of the ceremonies and all exercises necessary, expedient, and profitable to the Church of God, both for the increase of Godliness, and also of Discipline, order and decency: & whether thou haste at all times willingly and dutifully framed and submitted thyself thereunto.  
Whether thou hast been careful and diligent, earnest and painful to search out and know the true use of all such things as are taught and practised in the holy assemblies and congregations: and whether thou hast for the attaining to the knowledge thereof, used that industry and diligence which God requireth at thine hands.  
Whether thou hast secretly allowed and approved any wicked rites or ceremonies: and whether thou hast thought them in thine heart by any means worthy to be retained.   

sins outward.  
WHether thou have Christianly exercised thyself at times convenient in meditating on Heavenly things, to thy souls health: thereby testifying thy desire and willingness to invocate and call upon God by faith, and to the uttermost of thy power, to frame thy life after that knowledge, wherewithal the Lord hath endued thee.  
Whether every day, morning and evening, after dinner & after supper, thou have humbly and dutifully commended thine estate and welfare to God, somewhile craving at his merciful hands all things necessary for thy life, both corporally and spiritually, and somewhile yielding thanks unto him for the benefits which thou hast already received.  
Whether upon contempt or negligence thou have foreslowed to go to divine service, & place of holy assembly, on days appointed by the church, for such purposes.  
Whether in those holy assemblies thou have openly showed thyself from thy very heart attentively bend unto those things which were there said and done: so that it might be well understood and perceived, that thou camest & resortedst thither for none other purpose, then only to serve God & religiously to learn thy christian duty  
Whether, when thou didst receive the holy Communion, thou usedst thyself so as became thee, in diligent noting and considering the true use and right effects of the same.  
Whether thou bestowedst those days wholly in Godly & virtuous exercises aswell at home as abroad, namely in reading the scriptures, in distributing alms, in visiting and comforting the sick, in training and instructing with Godly doctrine, thy family and folks: and in such the like commendable duties: Or whether rather thou hast abused, misspent and profaned the same, in banqueting, tippling, gaming, filthy talking, dissolute dealing, etc.   

For the trade of life.  
MInister of the Church. 
Minister.  Whether in doctrine, in administration of the Sacraments & other holy rites and usages, thou haste added, taken away or altered any thing, contrary to that which the holy Catholic. Church by authority, and warrant of the sacred Scriptures doth witness to be allowable, & pleasing unto almighty God, and consonant unto his divine word.  
Whether in the delivery and administration of those things which are certainly known to be instituted and propunded according to the will of God, thou have executed and celebrated the same with a devour, religious, willing and undaunted mind, and also with a seemly grace & comeliness. And whether thou have been very circumspect and heedful, lest thy negligent & remiss dealing therein, should bring the same into contempt among the people, and not to be regarded and esteemed according to their worthiness.  
Whether thou have approved, and observed any ceremonies or traditions against thy conscience. Whatsoever is not of faith, is sin.  
Whether thou have bidden any superstitious holy days, or appointed any other observations, whereby might grow any danger, either for corruption of manners, or finally of offence to others.  
Whether thou have permitted and suffered, Games, Plays, Interludes, Pageants, or Sights to be showed, frequented and kept in the Church, Churchyard, or other place appointed for holy exercise. And whether thou have suffered the vessels, instruments, furniture and goods of the Church, serving for ecclesiastical purposes to be loosely converted and put to any profane uses.  
Whether thou have admitted any notorious wicked livers, to the blessed Communion: and whether thou have debarred and put back from the same, any whose sins are hidden and not manifestly known.  
Whether thou have at any time abused the severity of Ecclesiastical Discipline, specially and namely Excommunication, or the power of binding and losing, only to serve thy corrupt affection, using the same (in dandling wise) with too much lenity: or whether when thou oughtest at any hand severely to use it, thou have altogether neglected and omitted it.  
Whether thou have either preferred, winked at, or suffered any such within thy charge, as negligently deal in matters of religion, or be remiss and secure in their offices, & by whom the quiet state and good order of the Church is disturbed.  
Whether thou have sought all possible means, and every way diligently endeavoured thyself to plant in the hearts and minds of all persons under thy charge and cure, the chief points and principal grounds of religion, namely the Catechism, which every Christian is bound to learn and know perfectly.  
Whether thou have laboured and done thine endeavour to redress such disorders and faults as are crept into rites and ceremonies, whereby the good ordinances and constitutions of the Church, do generally grow into contempt, or be quite abolished.  
¶ governors of the commonwealth, Prince, Peer, Judge. 
Magistrate.  Whether thou have assisted the Ministers of the Church, desiring to remove & banish errors and superstition, and been willing also and ready to advance and establish godly orders, for the good & quiet government of the same.  
Whether thou have any ways infringed the right of the Churches, or violated and taken away their privileges and immunities,  
¶ Teachers, and schoolmasters. 
Schoolmaster.  Whether, thou have suffered the younger sort to be absent from the Church, or have discouraged, dissuaded or called them away from reading the Scriptures and books of Godliness, specially on the Sabbath days.  
Whether on the same days thou have given them leave to use games, plays, and exercises, for the time and quality, either unmeet or undecent.  
Whether thou have dissuaded any from the study of divinity, and from the Ecclesiastical ministery, which were meet and fit thereunto, and would have profitably proceeded therein, hadst not thou by counsel drawn them from their good purpose.  
¶ Scholars. Whether on the holy days and other set days and hours, they reverently give themselves to the reading of Godly and holy books, and to other virtuous meditations and exercises.  
¶ Scrivener or Notary. Whether he have indited, drawn, or written, or caused to be indited, drawn, or written any bills, bonds, or other writings whatsoever, on the Sabbath days.  
Whether he have made any such, whereby Religion or the dignity of the Church, might any way be impaired and diminished.  
¶ Taverner. Whether on the Sabbath days, and especially in the time of divine service, he have suffered any disorder in drinking and tippling within his house: and whether he hath made a common practice or custom at such times and on such days, to sell his wines, etc.  
¶ Merchant. 
Merchant.  Whether on the Sabbath day he hath bartered & bargained, cast up his reckonings, and written his accounts.  
Chapman. 
Chapman.  Whether on such days & times, he hath set open his shop, or set his wares to sale.  
Stage-player. 
stage-players.  Whether by his Interludes & stage-plays, he have drawn the people away from spiritual exerercises, and godly meditations.  
¶ Musician & minstrel. 
Musician. Minstrel.  Whether he have been the author and occasioner, of wanton dancing, or other unseemly pastimes.  
¶ craftsmen of any trade whatsoever. 
Artificers.  Whether they have wrought on the Sabbath and holy days, when no necessity enforced them, but only for lucre sake: or whether they have caused their apprentices and servants the same days to work, without either going to church or giving themselves to godly meditations: as the Tailor or Butcher to sow a garment: the husbandman to hedge, ditch, plough, garden, cleanse his Stable, etc. whereas at these times these things, and so of others might & aught to be forborn.  
Whether any person whosoever he be, have enticed and procured others to any vain games, unlawful sports, or other light and lewd exercises, as dice-playing and such like.  
Householder. 
Householder.  Whether as specially on the sabboth's and festival days, so also sometimes on the work days he have propounded or caused to be propounded and taught to his children and family, the chief heads of Christian religion, namely such as be taught and contained in the Catechism.  
Finally, whether any person by committing any of these aforesaid faults, have thereby given occasion to others to commit the like: and whether he have been a stumbling block and cause of fall unto others, either in word or deed.  
And again: whether in seeing others to do ill, thou have not let them understand thy great mislike thereof. For, thine assenting to others sins, loadeth thee a new with more sins, and maketh thee a partaker thereof. 
5. Commandment.     

The fift Commandment.  Honour thy Father & thy Mother, that thy days may be prolonged upon the Land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 

sins inward. For the trade of life.  
Son, Daughter, Orphan, 
Orphans.  and Warde. 
Wards.  Whether thou hast at all times reverently thought, and had a good opinion of thy parents & governors, wishing well unto them and praying for them, and in all things to their good liking, showing thy dutiful obedience.  
Whether by reason of their base degree and condition, poverty, affliction, misery or any such like respect, thou have had them in contempt, or made the less account of them.  
Whether because they have at sometime somewhat sharply chastised thee; or because of some wrong which they have done unto thee, or because thou thinkest they have not had that care of thee which they ought, thou haste therefore withdrawn thy duty, & alienated thy mind any ways from them.  
¶ Parents & Guardians. Whether they have borne a right fatherly mind and affection toward their children: wishing their welfare and well-doing, & providing the best for them that they possibly could in all things.  
¶ Lay people. Whether of the spiritual fathers & Parents that feed thy soul, that is to say, the Ministers of God's holy word and sacraments, and of their office, function and calling, thou haste reverently and religiously thought.  
Whether thou hast willingly received and heard their doctrine, exhortations, reprehensions and ecclesiastical discipline by them deservedly inflicted upon thee, either publicly or privately, and that without murmuring, resistance or gainsaying.  
¶ Minister of the Church. Whether as much as in thee lay, thou hast earnestly & heartily laboured to bring unto God, & to the knowledge of their salvation in Christ, those that were committed to thy charge & oversight: ever remembering that God would one day require an account of them at thy hand.  
¶ Scholar. 
Scholar.  Whether thou hast carried the same good mind and affection, towards thy Masters which took pains to train thee up in virtue & learning, as thou oughtest to bear toward thy parents.  
¶ Schoolmaster, 
Schoolmasters.  Whether thou have carried a Fatherly mind & affection towards thy Scholars, carefully devising and seeking all ways & means to profit them.  
¶ Subjects 
Subjects.  and Inferiors. Whether thou hast esteemed the Magistrates, which be the common parents of the country, defending us, our wives, children and goods from injury and oppression, and procuring unto us peace quietness, and tranquillity, as the lawful Ministers of God; unto whom thou owest honour, fear, tribute, custom, and all things else, 
Rom. 13. 1.  even for conscience sake: 
1. Pet. 2. 13  knowing that thou art bound to obey them, yea, though they were wicked.  
¶ Magistrates. 
Magistrates  Whether they considering & remembering that they must make an account, and give a reckoning of their government, and that they being Deputies here on earth under God, aught to minister justice, and to judge in all things according to right, have accordingly endeavoured themselves at all times to seek the quietness & tranquillity of their subjects, and carefully in singleness of heart to provide for their commodity and welfare.  
¶ Servants and Handmaids. 
Servants. Handmaids.  Whether they have been obedient, and submitted themselves to their Masters and Mistresses, with fear and trembling, serving them hearty in singleness and simplicity of mind, every where and at all times, rather wishing their furtherance and profit, than their loss and hindrance.  
¶ Masters 
Masters.  and Mistresses. 
Mistresses.  Whether they knowing themselves to have a Master in Heaven, with whom there is no respect of persons, have dealt justly and equally with their servants, 
Ephe. 6. 9  showing mildness unto them, 
Collo. 4. 1.  and courtesy, not rigour and threatening.   

sins external and outward.  
Sons, Daughters, Orphans, & Wards. 
Children. Wards. Orphans.  Whether they have showed toward their Parents in every place, all tokens of honour, reverence and goodwill.  
Whether they have willingly obeyed their commandments, and every way taken heed, lest they should provoke them to anger.  
Whether they have spoken or done any thing, whereby to bring them into heaviness and grief, as either by wishing evil unto them, by threatening them, by complaining on them to others; neglecting the studies and business whereunto by them they have been enjoined, unthriftily spending their time, shamefully and wastefully consuming their money, excessively royoting away the wealth & charges, which their careful Parents, (to help them withal) were willing to bestow on them: or else by any other way or mean whatsoever.  
Whether they have dutifully helped, succoured, and relieved them, when they have been sick, driven into poverty, or thrown into danger.  
¶ Parent & Guardian. 
Parent. Guardian.  Whether thou thyself with all diligence hast trained up and instructed thy children in godliness, in the fear of the Lord, and in holiness of life, & also caused them by others to be instructed and trained.  
Whether thou have been an example of virtue and godliness unto thy children, committing nothing before them, unseemly, filthy or uncivil, either in word or deed.  
Whether thou have fond & dandlingly cockered them, not chastising & correcting them, but letting them have their own wanton wills, winking at their faults, and so with too smooth countenance and familiar gesture, utterly marring them.  
Whether thou hast from time to time fed thy children with money and other things, or suffered than to have the same to abuse, misspend and commit wasteful folly withal.  
Whether thou have laughed, allowed, & rejoiced in thy young little ones, when thou hast seen them use pretty sleights, crafty devices, sly shifts, vain songs, wanton dances, and unseemly gestures, yea to utter filthy terms beastly words, and odious deeds: and hast not for the same corrected them, not given out any sign or token of thy mislike thereof.  
Whether thou have discouraged and provoked thy children, either by words or deeds, to be of a desperate mind: & casting away all hope to run headlong daily from worse to worse.  
Whether thou have gone about to persuade, or else have compelled thy children to take that trade of life, whereunto they felt and confessed themselves unmeet and unapt: or which otherwise without great danger of sinning, they could not follow and betake themselves unto.  
Whether thou have been careful to provide for thy children according to thine ability, some reasonable portions of wealth, or have let them forth to learn some honest trade or occupation, whereby another day to be able to live in some certain stay of life, and honestly without blame or shame to earn their livings.  
¶ laity. 
lay-man, or parishioner.  Whether thou have yielded honour and reverence unto the Ministers of God's word, together with alcurtesies, duties, tithes, and other things whatsoever, in right due unto them or by law appointed and allotted unto them, in such sort as justice and equity requireth, & as it is meet to do.  
Whether, either in malapertly reviling them, in spitefully snarring and barking against them, or in wranlingly cavilling and quarreling either at their doctrine, or actions, words or deeds, thou hast purposely intended & gone about to deface, discountenance discredit, displace, or disease them.  
Whether thou hast been the author to procure others, either to think speak, do, or deal hardly and unfriendly against the ministers, or the ministry itself.  
¶ Minister of the word. Whether thou hast employed thine whole endeavour to win the souls of those that have been committed unto thy charge, aswell by delivering unto them wholesome and sound doctrine, as in showing good example of honest life, & blameless conversation in thyself.  
Whether thy care hath been over every particular person under thy cure and charge, in diligent teaching of him, and mildly requiring of him a confession of his Faith, and of the principal points of Christian doctrine: sithence it is the office & duty of every faithful shepherd perfectly & readily, to know every sheep in his flock.  
¶ Scholar. 
Scholar.  Whether thou have obeyed thy Master's rules, directions, and commandments.  
Whether thou hast despised & contemned him, or made a jest at his wholesome & godly admonitions, & either in reproaching him, speaking against him, backbiting or hindering him, haste procured his hurt and detriment.  
¶ Schoolmaster. Whether thou hast godly instructed & virtuously trained up, those Scholars that have been committed unto thee, in sound religion & good learning: And beside, in integrity of manners and honest example of life, haste gone before them, and been a pattern unto them.  
Whether thou hast rebuked them when they have done amiss, and corrected them after the quality of their fault, and by gentle treating stirred up and encouraged those that go forward in doing well, to continue and proceed therein.  
¶ Subject. Whether thou hast disobeyed the laws, statutes and commandments, enacted and set forth by the Magistrate.  
Whether thou hast contemned the lawful Ministers & under-officers of of the high magistrate, & whether thou hast evil entreated them, or showed to them any wrongful dealing.  
Whether thou hast devised any wrangling shifts, or sinisterly of purpose misconstrued the laws, statutes, acts, ordinances, proclamations, injunctions or other decrees whatsoever, published, en acted & authorized by the Magistrate.  
Whether thou have refused to do such things as thou haste by the Magistrate's authority been commanded, as for example, to pay tributes, assessementes and subsidies, and to bear other common charges with others of thy neighbours.  
Whether by uttering lewd speeches, practising treason, stirring up rebellion, moving sedition, exciting malicious enemies, or by a●y like means thou hast at any time, gone about to annoy and put in danger the Magistrate.  
Whether thou have patiently borne the lewd and corrupt manners of the evil disposed magistrate: and the hard commandments coming from him: thinking thus with thyself, that it is oftentimes through the fault of the Subjects, that God setteth over them, rigorous, cruel, and wicked rulers.  
¶ Magistrate and governor.. Whether thou hast made any laws, enacted any degrees, given out any commandments, practised any subtle devices or pronounced any sentences to the overthrow and decay of religion, to the emblemishing of the honour, majesty and authority of Kings & Princes, or to the disgracing of the dignity and state of any civil society.  
Whether thou hast contemned the censures of the Church, the rescripts or decrees of thy superiors: and whether thou haste wrongly interpreted them, craftily by delusion defeated them, or by any other way whatsoever gone about to impeach, reject, or annihilate them.  
Whether thou haste by any means derogated the right or jurisdiction of any other, either by pulling unto thee matters which thou hadst not to deal withal, or by procuring means and stops, that they, to whose deciding and judgement in right they belonged, should not have the trials brought before them.  
Whether thou hast devised or commanded any new impositions, and unaccustomed payments, thereby to gratify and in rich the Prince, or to fill thine own coffers, to serve thine own private gain, or moved thereunto by any other corrupt affection whatsoever.  
Whether for Counsellors to direct and advise thee, thou hast made special choice of such as be crafty and cruel persons, whose minds thou well knewest so spiteful and envious, that they cared for nothing less, than either the advancement of the public state of the Country, or the welfare & quiet of the subjects: only using their crafty devices to the oppression of them that were honest.  
Whether thou hast laboured to the uttermost of thy power, to redress wicked persons, and to banish such vices as thou perceivedst were crept into the common wealth, or otherwise committed by private persons.  
Whether thou hast winked at, and looked through thy singers at any public and notorious crimes, as in suffering usury, brothel houses, unlawful games, & such like enormities: whereby both the people be infected in manners, and their wealth also miserably devoured.  
Whether thou hast taken pains to protect and defend the causes of the good & innocent, namely the fatherless, the widow, & other persons, called miserable and comfortless: especially sith as of all in general, so of these in special, thou didst solemnly undertake the guard and protection.  
¶ Servant 
Servant.  and Handmaid. Whether they have honestly, faithfully, and to their masters profit, done their work and business.  
Whether to their masters children, kinsfolk and friends, they have been dutiful and serviceable, in such sort as became them, and as they have been commanded.  
Whether with mumbling, murmuring, mocking, mowing, replying, and saucy answering, they have gone about to provoke their masters & mistresses to anger, or any other way offended and hurt them.  
¶ Master & Mistress. 
Master & Mistress.  Whether they have commanded and enjoined their servants, to do more work than they were able, or in reason ought to have done.  
Whether they have been toward their servants over bitter, churlish, & hasty, either in words, as in cursing and banning them, furiously raging at them, and contumeliously misnaming them; or else in deeds, by allowing the too small pittance in meat & drink, by keeping from them convenient clothes, and reasonable lodging; by cruelly bouncing and beating them; or in denying and nipping their wages and hire, etc.  
Finally, whosoever thou art; call to remembrance whether, either by word or deed, thou hast any way given occasion of offence to any other by thy example, to contemn thy superiors, or to damnify thy inferiors. For the sin of him that thus through thee is brought to offend, will be imputed and laid to thy charge. 
Every man or woman in general.   
Whether, seeing others committing any of the forenamed offences, thou hast either secretly or openly liked thereof: For thus also, thou chargest thyself with the guilt of another man's sin.    

The sixth Commandment. 
6. Commandment.   Thou shalt not kill. 

sins inward.  
WHether thou have bor● an● envious mind an spiteful stomach towards any man, an● through thy churlish way wardness given men occasion to deem thee worthy the odious nam● of a deadly hater of all men,  
Whether to any man in the world▪ either friend or foe, thou hast wished harm and hindrance, either in body or goods, in kinsfolk or friends, or in any other thing belonging unto him: and again, whether thou hast been at any time sorry for the good speed, and prosperous success of another.  
Whether thou hast borne hatred & malice to any man. 
1 job. 3. 15  He that hateth his brother is a manslayer.  
Whether thou hast borne long malice to any man, with a stiff, wilful, implacable and obstinate desire of revenge, and so still continuest.  
Whether thou hast refused to be at one with any that hath offended thee, being sorry for his fault, and craving pardon of thee for the same: showing thyself utterly unwilling of reconciliation, for that peradventure thou watchest thy turn to cry quittance with him, and to work him (when thou canst espy opportunity) the like shrewd turn and displeasure.  
Whether, when thou hast outwardly pretended thyself, clearly to pardon and forgive any that hath offended thee, and that thou wouldst not seek any revenge for things passed, hast yet (notwithstanding) secretly nourished malice, and kept hatred in thy heart against him.  
Whether thou hast purposed and meant not to pardon at all, him that hath not come to thee, to ask pardon for his fault.   

sins outward.  
WHether either by word, gesture, countenance, or any other manner of way whatsoever, thou hast showed forth any churlish behaviour, or blockish discourtesy, whereby it might be thought thou meantest any harm to any man.  
Whether thou ever soughtest matter of quarrel, or occasion of hatred and disagreement against thy neighbour.  
Whether thou hast yielded thyself over to thine own wilful affections, inwardly moving thee to wrath and rancour.  
Whether thou hast conceived anger against any man for any cause, yea, though the same in show seemed on thy side to be right and just.  
Whether in rage & anger thou hast said to thy brother, Racha; or (which is worse) Fool: that is to say, whether thou hast showed forth any signs of hatred and wrath; as cursing and wishing ill to another, contemptuously threatening, railing, misnaming, chiding, scolding, judging amiss, taking men's deeds & words otherwise than they either meant or speak, wresting all things to the worst, deriding, flearing, mocking, taunting, frumping, crosse-cutting, checking, overthwarting, scoffing, backbiting, gibing, undermining, and such like.  
Whether thou hast in spite bewrayed, discovered, and published, the faults and infirmities of thy neighbour: wherein and whereby a man is wounded, worse than either with sword or knife.  
Whether by thus doing thou hast given cause of new brawling, discord, hatred, and falling out among thy neighbours, which afore loved and agreed well together.  
Whether, as much as in thee lay, thou hast cut off the causes of all wrangling, debate, discord, and quarrel.  
Whether thou hast been diligent to the uttermost of thy power, to reconcile and set peace and quietness between them that have been at variance.  
Whether thou hast in all places showed thyself to bear an envious, enemilike and implacable mind toward him that hath done thee displeasure, without any token either of forgiveness or reconciliation.  
Whether thou hast denied to pardon him that hath craved it at thy hands, and confessed his fault: showing thyself inexorable, and desirous rather of revenge, than to have former friendship renewed and continued.  
Whether thou hast prayed to God for the repentance, amendment, welfare, and salvation of thine enemy, & been ready also any way thou couldst, to do him pleasure.  
Whether either secretly or openly thou ever soughtest means, or imagined to hurt and damnify any man in body.  
Whether ever in act thou wentest about in any respect to hurt him, whereby any harm in his body hath ensued; as either by overlabouring him, or by surcharging him with too heavy burdens, or by nipping him of his victuals, and withholding from him requisite food, or by giving unto him unwholesome meat and drink, or by driving him into sickness, or by sending him into any contagious and infected place, or by any weapon, instrument, tool, or mean whatsoever, either by thyself, or by any other through thy consent, will, & procurement.  
Whether either privily or openly thou hast any manner of way done any thing, whereby another is brought to his death, either speedily and hastily, or lingeringly and piningly.   

For the kind and trade of life.  
Ecclesiastical Minister. 
Minister.  Whether he have delivered in his Sermons & readings, any dangerous doctrine, whereby dissensions, brawls, contentions, sects, or (which worse is) seditions have been stirred up, and moved among the hearers.  
Whether he have been the author and ringleader of any faction, or mutiny either against the governors of the Church, or the civil Magistrates, or against his own brethren and fellowlabourers.  
Whether for any desire of revenge, or any other corrupt affection whatsoever, he have put any back from hearing the word of God preached, & receiving the Sacraments; or have pronounced any excommunicated, or caused any so to be, to the great harm, discontentment, and discomfort of the party.  
Whether under pretence and colour of requiring an account of they, faith, he have accused any godly christian of heresy, or any such crime, whereby the party accused is either imprisoned, or otherwise grievously punished, and perhaps also (as in some places it is seen) put to death.  
Whether he have admitted any to the Supper of the Lord, that was out of charity with his neighbour, and not willing to be agreed and reconciled with his enemies, or whom he knew had shed the blood of his brethren, ere he would leave his malice and hatred.  
Whether he have allowed and approved wrongful wars, or unjust and corrupt judgements, given▪ and pronounced, either by the Prince or by any others, which some even in open pulpits have not been ashamed to do.  
Governor of the common wealth. 
Civil Magistrate.  Whether he have commanded or committed any to prison without just cause, where either for hunger and famine, or with stench and fulsome smellies, or some such like means they have been lamentably dealt withal, and miserably handled.  
Whether he have denied to any, their lawful right, to plead and answer for themselves, and defend their cause.  
Whether he have upon corrupt affection, either secretly in prison, or openly abroad, commanded any to be cruelly handled, racked, tortured, bound, beaten, or any other way hurt, and punished in body, or deprived of life.  
Whether such as he could not rightly and lawfully oppress and make dispatch of, he have caused and procured by others to be treacherously accused, apprehended, wronged, hurt, or by any manner of mean, brought within the compass of danger.  
Whether he have ever seemed to favour, countenance, or protect any murderous, cruel, and bloody persons, or have at any time willingly joined in counsel with them.  
Whether in punishing those that have hurt, wounded, or slain others, as thieves, ruffians, cut-throats, and such like, he have been remiss, negligent, and careless, either in not willingly finding out the offenders, or in refusing to bestow the charges, for their due punishment and repression, or by any other way whatsoever.  
Whether in punishing offences he have at any time exceeded measure, and either devised new kinds of tortures, or taken delight in such as have been too too terrible, painful, and rigorous; or have inflicted more grievous & sorer punishment, than the nature and quality of the offence deserved, or required.  
Whether sitting in judgement and hearing the case effectually and substantially, with all proofs debated, he have condemned & given judgement against him, whom he found and we●● knew to be innocent.  
Whether he have been careful to defend from wrongful oppression poor widows, fatherless, & other distressed & comfortless persons, & them when they have been in danger, relieved & assisted.  
Whether he have set forth or caused by others to be set forth, any games or disports, in the which sometime men have been wounded, maimed, yea, many times slain and killed outright.  
Whether he have made war without just cause, or given either counsel or aid to others that have so done.  
Whether he have inhibited and forbidden any from helping & relieving the afflicted, from defending the cause of the innocent & accused; from selling such things as be necessary for the mainrenance and sustentation of this life, and from helping to rescue those that were oppressed, or violently assaulted.  
Whether he have rightly and duly kept the times of truce agreed upon.  
Whether he have procured & caused any that have been delivered unto him as Pledges and Hostages, or any that have been sent unto hint as Ambassadors and Agentes, to be ill entreated or brought into any danger.  
¶ General of wars, Captain and Soldier. 
General, Captain, Soldier.  Whether being General and Chieftain, he have commanded any thing to be done with more cruelty and rigour, than the law of arms required▪ thereby contemning and overthrowing all military discipline.  
Whether for his private affection he have conducted and lead his Soldiers ours to other places than were convenient and requisite, or whether he hath endamaged and hurt any, whom his commission and duty required not to deal withal.  
Whether knowing the war to be taken in hand upon unjust cause and wrongful quarrel, he have (notwithstanding) served in the same.  
Whether he have suffered his Soldiers disorderli● to use outrage and cruelty, otherwise than either was given them in commandment, or the custom of war required and allowed.  
Whether he have used any cruelty either in body or goods, towards such persons as were innocent, as namely, old men, young children, ministers of the Church, poor widows, women, (specially being great with child,) or lying in childbed, virgins, and such like.  
Whether the same were done with sword, with glaive, with fire, with spoil, or any other way. Infinite be the ways and manners of cruelty, in soldiers many times usual.  
Whether they have sought by any strange, uncouth and unusual way to annoy, supplant and damnify their enemy, as in devising new Engines & sleightful inventions, new and strange kinds of munition & weapons, & poisoning the same, whereby the wounds therewith made, become uncurable, & such like.  
Whether they have caused any treason to be wrought, or any politic stratagem to be practised, whereby greater slaughter was made, and more bloodshed, than otherwise would have been.  
¶ Lawyer, Attorney, Proctor, Scribe. 
Lawyer, Attorney, Advocate, Scribe.  Whether being retained on the behalf of the one party, accusing, he have for ill will or affection, so aggrevated the case of the other side being accused, that thereby he hath either been the sooner overthrown, grievouslyer punished, or otherwise worse handled & dealt withal, either in body or goods, than otherwise he would have been.  
Whether he have kept back his aid, or denied his help to the poor, or any other distressed weaklings standing in need of his advise, and craving his favoutable furtherance, either for defence of their cause, or for the drawing of their pleas & books: and whether he have done the same in such good form as he ought, and as he could have done if he had been disposed.  
¶ Physician, Apothecary. 
Physician. Apothecary  Whether he have intermeddled, or presumed to deal in the art of Physic, and preparing of medicines, being not furnished with sufficient skill thereunto.  
Whether he have prescribed, directed, appointed, made or given to his patient, any receipt or medicine, whereby the disease hath rather increased than decreased, or death perhaps there upon ensued.  
Whether he have been negligent in helping the sick, when he hath been requested, and whom he could have cured and helped.  
Whether he have proved any thing at random, as doubtful, and not knowing whether it were good or no.  
Whether he have given any instruction, or any kind of help or counsel to women to make them barren, to procure abortion or untimely birth, to destroy the child conceived in their womb, to bring upon them unnatural coldness, or to compass and bring to pass lewd and unhonest loves, etc.  
¶ Rich man. 
Rich man.  Whether he have denied to the poor and needy, that hath asked him such convenient relief, as was necessary to him for the sustentation of his life, as meat, drink, etc. Knowing that the poor party wanted the same. In that thou hast not fed thy hungry brother (saith one) thou hast murdered him.  
¶ Merchant, Workman, Artificer. 
Merchant, Artificer.  Whether he have made or sold any strange & new invented instruments, to spoil and hurt the body of man withal.  
Whether, to furnish any that make unjust wars, without good cause and reason, he have sold to them armour, weapons, or other things.  
¶ Butcher, Fishmonger, Baker, Brewer, Cater, Vitaler, Cook, Vintner, Taverner, 
Butcher, Baker, Brewer, Fishmonger, Vitailer, Cook, Taverner,  etc., Whether they have sold, uttered, retailed or dressed corrupt flesh, fish, or any other meat or drink, whereby the eaters thereof, have caught sickness, infection, or any other harm in their bodies.  
¶ Husband. 
Hu●band.  Whether he have strooken and beaten his wife, either else put & enforced her to such labours & works, whereby she hath been brought a bed afore her time, or hurt the child in her womb.  
¶ Wife. 
Wife.  Whether by medicines, or labour, or dancing, or any other means, she have been the occasion of untimely birth, or otherwise of hurting the child within her.  
Whether she have carefully tendered and cherished her babe being new borne, looking so diligently and so tenderly unto it as her duty required. There be many women that may justly be charged with great negligence in this behalf, and that many ways.  
Whether laying the babe in the same bed with her in the night, she have crushed and bruised it, or by over-lying, smothered and killed it.  
Whether by her adulterous life, or by her scolding and brawling with any other, or by making complaint to her husband of others, she have been the cause to set her husband and the other party together by the ears. whereby the one hath violently assailed, wounded, or killed the other.  
Nurse's are liable to the same faults that matrons and wives. Harlots and strumpets, 
Nurses, Harlots, Strumpets.  drabs, courtesans, queans, and such as have nothing of virgins but the name only, are likewise infamous for procuring their barrenness, untimely births, and killing their children. They therefore in this behalf have great cause diligently to examine their consciences.  
To be short: it is every particular man and woman's duty to look about, 
Every man particular.  & it standeth each man in hand to consider with himself, according to that trade, function, or kind of life wherein he liveth, whether he have any manner of way been the cause either of the hurt, or of the death of an other. As for example: The Master, when he commandeth his servant to lift or carry such great burdens, whereby he is hurt in his body, or peradventure catcheth that harm, whereof he can never be cured. Likewise, he that willeth another to go afore through a deep ford or water, over some bridge, rotten plank, timber, or ladder, where there is great appearance of present danger. He also that hurleth a stone, or shooteth an arrow into such place, where others do usually haunt and assemble. Also he that dareth or letteth to hire to an other a horse, which he knoweth to have naughty tricks, as oftentimes to have overthrown and cast his rider, to floundre in the mire, to lie down in the water, etc.  
Infinite be the ways, whereby the body of our neighbour may be put in danger, and wronged. Let every one therefore enter into deep consideration with himself, & remember how and which way he hath offended, and brought his neighbour into any hazard▪ peril, or danger.  
Finally, whether in committing any of these aforesaid, thou hast given thereby occasion to others to do the like: that is to say, whether either by word or deed against this commandment thou hast been a stumbling-block, or the cause of fall to another. And also, whether seeing others committing any of the same, thou have secretly assented unto them, neither staying them, nor reproving them, neither yet showing any token of thy mislike thereof, when time and place served thee well, so to have done. The accessary and consentour is as well culpable, as the party that doth the deed. 
7. Commandment.     

The 7. Commandment.  Thou shalt not commit adultery. 

sins inward.  
whether, in any place or time when thou hast been idle, and unoccupied, thou hast had any thinking of filthy and unchaste matters, and whether in the same thou hast fixed any delight, or dwelled in any pleasure: so that thereby thou feltest thy mind and flesh stirred, provoked, and occasioned to sin.  
Whether, seeing any woman or maid, thou hast burnt inwardly in lust toward her. Whether thou hast ever devised any practices, or laid any plots, whereby to compass thy desire in such filthy purposes.  
Whether thou hast taken any delight in reporting, & remembering thy former lewd life or filthy acts this way committed: & whether thou hast had any desire to return to the same sin again.  
Whether, thou hast immoderately been in love with thyself, either for thy beauty, or for any other gifts whatsoever, as though for the same thou deemedst thyself a Paragon, able to allure and draw others to commit filthy folly with thee.   

sins outward.  
whether, through bravery in apparel, simpering looks, smooth countenance, gallant decking, curious trimming, wanton glances, nice behaviour, and other like vanities, thou have given occasion of semblable looseness, and opened a wide gap for others by imitation of thy follies, the sooner to commit filthiness and dishonesty.  
Whether thou hast been addicted to idleness, banqueting, tippeling, and drinking, whereby thy libidinous lust hath been 〈◊〉 & thy desire of lechery 〈◊〉.  
Wheth●● 〈…〉 wanton eyes & learing countenances, becks, signs, greetings, serviceable salutations, gifts and rewards, amorous songs and Sonnets, delicate instruments of Music, nightly walkings up and down the streets, purposely appointed dances, set banquets, messengers, or by any wicked practices, thou hast gone about to bring thy dishonest desire, & lecherous love to pass.  
Whether thou hast willingly kept company, or been familiar with such persons, by whom thou mightest be egged and enticed, helped, or furthered, o● any way drawn & moved to commit this filthiness.  
Whether, to compass thy dishonest desire▪ thou hast at any time resorted unto, and frequented secret corners, gardens, or any other such places as might well be suspected. It standeth thee upon; and thou oughtest with all diligence and circumspection to avoid and eschew all such persons, all such places, all such times, and all such other circumstances as may draw thy mind to infection, thy body to villainy, or thy name and credit into question.  
Whether by any secret sleight or ●unning, as drinks, drugs, medicines, charmed potions, amatorious philtre, figures, characters, or any suchlike paltering instruments, devices, or practices, thou hast gone about to procure others to dote for love of thee.  
Whether by kissing, groping, touching, or handling any parts of the body, thou hast gone about to stir vp● lust and lechery either in thyself, or in any other.  
Whether thou hast used any ribald talk, or rascally words of scurrility, tending to the praise of lust, and provocation of lechery; or whether thou hast willingly heard and given ear to others that have so done, or provoked others to any such talk.  
Whether thou hast unlawfully had carnal copulation with any, and with what manner of person. Whether with a single woman, thyself also being single and unmarried: or whether with a married person, which is adultery. Or whether 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 of kin or assi●●tie to thee, which is called Incest: or 〈◊〉 with any, 〈◊〉 and against their will, which is called Rape or ravishment.  
Whether thou hast abused thy 〈◊〉 by carnal dealing in any other sort, or with any other persons or creatures, than by the law of nature is ordained. As by Sodomitry, or by Buggarie, termed by some, the dumb sin; and as I think, for this cause so termed, for that it is of such horror, that it is not once to be named or spoken of among men.  
Whether thou hast long time continued in that kind of sin, whereof thou knowest thyself guilty.  
Whether thou hast given any aid to others ●n their filthy dealings, or whether thou hast bestowed any time, labour, or diligence in procuring and bringing about any dishonest, lustful, and lecherous loves.   

For the kind or trade of life.  
Governor, or Minister of the Church. Whether he have admitted and winked at, 
Bishop, Pastor, Minister.  or tolerated any, being by others admitted to the ministery of the Church, whom either he himself, or any others did know to be whoremongers, or to keep Concubines, and harlots.  
Whether he have suffered any to be partakers of the holy Supper of the Lord, notoriously known to be Adulterers and Whoremongers.  
Whether, (when he hath seen sins manifestly reigning, and grievously prevailing, against this seventh commandment, or stews and brothelhouses to be suffered and to go unpunished) he have been negligent and remiss, (as occasion and opportunity hath served) to reprove and inveigh against it: and whether he have zealously advised, and earnestly admonished the Magistrate to look to his duty in this behalf, in repressing and redressing these enormities.  
Whether in joining any persons together in Matrimony, specially them of the lighter sort, he have been too ready, rash, & inconsiderate, as namely, in not propounding unto them the ends of Matrimony, for which it was by God ordained, & instituted, in not declaring unto them such points as appertain to the dignity of Marriage, in not earnestly examining them, what reasons moved them to enter into this holy estate. The negligent looking unto these and such like points. is one special cause of so many ill agreeing matches, so many lamentable divorces, etc.  
Whether he have suffered the patrimony, treasure, substance, & goods of the Church to be bestowed in alms upon any such persons, as for their lewd life and filthy living were infamous.  
Whether, when women have resorted unto him for his advise, & spiritual counsel, he have felt himself any way moved to unchastity, or otherwise enkindled and assailed, with any lecherous cogitations.  
Finally, whether in the Church or else where, or by domestical usage, familiar custom▪ or any other means whatsoever, either by immodest countenance, or undiscreet gesture, he have given others occasion to conceive of him ill opinion, and sinister suspicion.  
¶ Magistrate and public Officer in the common wealth. 
Prince. Magistrate Officer.  Whether in his Realm, Country, Dominion, Precinct, & jurisdiction, he have suffered any dens of bawdry, open brothelhouses, or Stews, from the which there mu●● needs grow and flow full seas of much mischief.  
Whether he have been remiss and negligent to reform and bring to amendment of life, or else to punish & banish out of the common wealth, all such as for lewdness and impurity, are generally infamous, as bawds, panders, filthy love-makers, adulterers, whoremongers, strumpets, and all others whomsoever, giving offence in this behalf.  
Whether he have at any time, or by any means so used & demeaned himself, that he hath been thought to favour, support, and bear with this kind of filthy life; which suspicion commonly ariseth, when men in authority do familiarly admit to their acquaintance & company, those that be lechers. and whoremasters, and such as be foul mouthed, and baudilie languashed. O● when they make much of such persons, and delight in their fellowship: or advance and prefer them to dignities and honours: or suffer them to enjoy public offices in the common wealth, whereas other good, honest, & virtuous persons, are unregarded, and not accounted of.  
Whether they have suffered any Interludes, Stageplaies, or games, wherein have been showed, uttered, or done, any filthy feats, unchaste words, or lewd actions. Which kind of shows and plays are in many places seen, not only at times of profane iollyties, but now and then also even at the solemn assemblies, of some such as by profession should be deadly haters, and vehement disswaders thereof.  
Soldier. Whether in the time of war, he have constuprated and deflowered any virgins or matrons; thinking himself (as it were) to have lawful interest over the body of those silly creatures. being by force of arms of him conquered, taken, and subdued.  
Physician and Apothecary. 
Physician. Apothecary  Whether he have given counsel to any person, for the preservation and recovery of his health, to commit whoredom, or some other vile act, to become drunken, etc.  
Whether he have ministered & made any medicines or drugs, to inflame lust, provoke lechery, or procure dishonest love.  
Whether in delivering medicines to any woman or maiden, he have wanton and unchastely either handled or beheld her.  
¶ Schoolmaster. 
Schoolmaster.  Whether he have read to the youth in the school, any wanton writers, or unchaste Authors, whereby their minds might catch infection. And of such sort are there certain Poets Comical, Elegiake, & Epigrammatarie.  
¶ Scholar. 
Scholar.  Whether he have privately taken delight in reading such Authors, and whether he have been thereby induced to sin.  
Whether, not only by familiarity with women, and damsels of ill report and fame, but also with jetting the streets by night with instruments of Music, he have procured dancing, and occasioned misrule, whereby he might seem (as it were) to seek opportunity, & to find fit time to compass his unclean conceits, and fleshly imaginations. And if over and beside this, he have at any time carried weapons, causing therewith brawlings & frays, to the hurting or wounding of any, or which is worse, of the murder and death of any. In this doing. he hath sinned also by manifest breach against the sixth commandment, whereof we lately treated.  
¶ Husband's and Wife. 
Husband, Wife.  Whether they have faithfully kept the one to the other, their bed undefiled, & their faith unspotted.  
Whether to the actual knowledge, allowed between them, they have showed thymselues the one to the other, (without lawful and necessary cause) wayward, churlish, & unwilling, whereby might have grown danger of scortation, uncleanness, and filthy offence.  
Whether there hath been between them any bitter words, or brawling jars, breeding an hatred the one to the other, and peradventure occasioning them, or the one of them to commit sin with some other party.  
Whether the love between them have been hemmed in within the bounds of such christian sobriety and decency, that they have not (as it were in a beastly sort, & overmuch dotage) loved the one the other, yielding themselves to immoderate, yea, unchaste, and (as I may say) whorish lust and love. He committeth adultery with his own wife, that in this filthy sort loveth her, & doteth over her unmeasurably.  
Whether they entered into the estate of wedlock, for any other ends. than those for which God ordained, & instituted Matrimony.  
Whether they have exceeded the lawful bounds and measures (in any respect or circumstance) of matrimonial love.  
Whether they have used or showed any signs of wanton and lascivious behaviour, in the sight and hearing of others, namely of young children and maidens.  
Whether they have in their house any utensils, furniture, instruments, or stuff, that may allure either them or others to any vanity, wantonness, or dishonesty, as Pictures, Tables, etc.  
Whether they have been careful and circumspect to see their whole household, that is to say, their children and servants, chastened and shamefastly brought up in all good nurture & honesty.  
¶ Artificers, Painters, 
Tailors, Painters,  Carvers, gravers, Hucstars, Retailours, etc. Whether they ●ue made or sold any wares, garments, or instruments which the buyers do abuse, 
Scmsters, & other Artificers.  convert, and occupy, for filthy purposes, and paltering devices. Some make and sell painting for faces, some ceruse and pomadoes: some staring ruffs, garish cawls, etc. all which are toys arguing the vanity, folly, uncleanness, and nicety of meicockes and wantoness.  
Whether they have painted any counterfeits, engraven any images, or made any picture in tables, in hafts of knives, in pots, in Arra●, in Tapestry, hangings, or any such like, representing filthiness, bawdry, unchastity, or any way inducing and drawing the beholder too vile & unchaste cogitations.  
¶ Inholders, Vintners, Taverners, Vitailers. 
Inholder, Taverner, Vitailer,  Whether they receive or keep any harlots, and misliving women in their houses, or any other infamous persons whatsoever, living by the▪ shameful practice of bawdry.  
¶ musicans, Stageplaiers. 
musicans, Mintirels, Stageplaiers.  Whether by singing or playing on instruments of Music, or in showing any actions or gestures of scurrility, they have moved the beholders and hearers, to lascivious dancing, wanton thoughts, or unchaste actions.  
Finally, whether in committing any afore named offences, thou hast given any occasion unto others to do the like: that is to say, whether either by thy filthy words, or dissolute deeds, thou hast ministered offence and cause of stumbling to other weak ones.  
Again, whether when thou hast seen others committing any of these faults aforesaid, thou have secretly consented unto them, neither staying and hindering their evil, neither reproving it, neither yet giving any token or signification of their mislike thereof, whereas upon occasion and opportunity, thou both mightest and oughtest so to have done. Consent, as well secret as open, maketh thee guilty of trespass.    

The eight Commandment. 
8 Commandment.   Thou shalt not steal. 

sins inward.  
WHether thou have carried a mind desirous every kind of way, or any kind of way, either by hook or crook, to increase thy wealth, and enrich thyself.  
Whether, thou take such inward joy and pleasure in thy goods, that thou canst not find in thy heart willingly to departed with any of them.  
Whether, when thou hast suffered any loss, or received any hindrance in thy goods, thou have taken overmuch sorrow and grief for the same. For this to do, is an evident token of notable avarice.  
Whether thou hast devised in thy mind, how and which way thou mightest catch into thy clutches and possession, any other man's living, lands, inheritance, goods, wares, furniture, utensils, or stuff.  
Whether thou hast ever laid any plots, or devised any shifts, to entrap any man in his dealings, or to prevent and hinder him of his commodity.  
Whether thou hast been aggrieved, and sorrowful at another man's prosperous success and welfare: as though another man's commodity had been thy hindrance and discommodity And hereunto are to be referred all the tricks and points of secret spigh and hollow envy.  
Whether thou hast imagined wit! thyself▪ how thou mightest hinder an other man, either in fame, credit, honour, or estimation.  
Whether thou hast even unwillingly & as it were, with grief of mind, yielded that to another, which in right was his own: and whether thou has not been willing to depart, even wit● somewhat of thine own. These & many such like, being but thought and conceived, even in the mind, do make us guilty before God, yea, although actually they be not done.   

sins external and outward.  
WHether either privily or apertly, with the owner's knowledge, or without it, and whether against the good will of the proprietary, whosoever he be, whether he be kinsman or friend-man, neighbour or foreigner, friend or foe, thou haste raked and hailed his goods unto thee.  
Whether when thou hast found any thing by chance lost by another, thou have kept it still to thyself, and hast not sought means and occasion to restore it to the right owner.  
Whether when thou hast borrowed any instrument, tool, or other thing, thou have used it to other uses, than it was purposely agreed upon, and lent thee, & that without either the thinking, opinion, consent, or will of the owner.  
Whether thou hast omitted to restore back any thing that hath been lent thee.  
Whether, as it were in the way of jest, thou hast gotten and received any thing from another, not minding to restore it, and dost still detain and keep it to thine own use.  
Whether thou hast ever practised theft, or committed any robbery by the high way.  
Whether thou hast practised piracy on the sea, or associated thyself with pirates and rovers.  
Whether thou have fired, or any other like way spoiled thy neighbour's house, substance, or goods whatsoever.  
Whether thou hast wrought any hindrance, and procured any loss to others, either by hurting their cattle, Fishes, Foules, Trees, Corn, Gardens, Orchards, Children, Servants, etc.  
Whether thou hast purloined and taken away any Church furniture, serving for the Ecclesiastical ministery, which kind of sin is commonly called Sacrilege, & is deemed worse than theft.  
Whether thou hast given or lent to any person that which was none of thine own, and wherewith thou hadst nothing to do.  
Whether thou hast not faithfully kept such things as have been upon trust committed unto thee, in such sort as honesty and conscience required.  
Whether thou hast refused justly to pay the hirelings, and them that have laboured with thee and to thy use, their wages and hire; & whether thou have defaulked, nipped or abated any part or parcel thereof.  
Whether thou hast refused and denied to bestow thine alms upon the poor, ask the same of thee, or desiring to borrow some thing of thee: or whether thou have more than half unwillingly bestowed & lent the same.  
Whether in making division of things to be shared between thee and others, thou have fraudulently, and either secretly or openly catched more for thy portion & share, than thy part amounted unto.  
Whether thou hast given ill words, or been any way offended with him that hath required and demanded his right, and that which was his own, at thy hands.  
Whether, when thou hast seen an other like to fall into any danger, trouble, trouble or hindrance, thou have given him warning afore hand to take heed.  
Whether thou hast subtly practised with others to crosse-cut thy brother in any bargain, or to prevent him of his commodity, or whether thou hast attempted or done any thing to that end.  
Whether thou hast bereft, or by any means impaired any man's good name and fame, which all honest men do more esteem (& that worthily) than either money or any other worldly treasure: and whether thou hast done it secretly and closely, by undermining his credit with lewd speeches; or by affixing and setting up infamous and slanderous libels or pictures, or by openly charging him with some crime not committed; or if it were committed, yet secret and not known: or by exaggerating another man's fault; or through thy silence and dissimulation soothing a matter as though that were committed, which in very deed was not committed: Or by accusing of him before a judge, and that not so much for any love thou bearest to justice, as for malice and spite to the party, & for desire to do him a shrewd turn.  
Whether thou have lent out thy money, corn, wine, or any other thy goods, with condition to receive again more than thou lentest and gave out, whether the same be in money, or in ware, or in any other thing whatsoever.  
Whether for lending any thing, thou hast taken to pawn, apparel, horse, house, ground, etc. Which pawn thou hast in the mean while used and worn, without allowance or abatement of any part of the principal sum.  
Whether, when thou hast lent unto Merchants, Occupiers, and Artificers, any money, thou hast done it in hope to partake with them, in the gain which they make with the money borrowed of thee.  
Whether thou hast bought land or any other thing, at a higher price than it is well worth; but yet with this clause and condition, that the party which felleth it, shall be bound to buy the same of thee again, and thou in the mean space till he redeem it, take & enjoy all the profit and commodity arising and growing thereof to thine own use: This cunning shift is termed Cloaked usury. For they cleanly cover it with the honest names of buying and selling, whereas being well considered, it is nothing else but plain mutuation.  
Whether thou hast borrowed upon usury, when thou hadst no need, but only to lend out the same money again to others, for greater gain, and bigger usury: or whether thou borrowedst it to spend and consume unthriftily.  
Whether any person have wastefully spent his wealth, or lewdly & in dissolute company made havoc of his thrift, whereby he hath afterwards been driven to be burdenous & chargeable unto others.   

For the trade of life.  
MInister of the Church. 
Clergiman, or Minister of the Church.  Whether he were preferred to any spiritual function, or whether he himself have preferred any others for reward & gain, or upon any other such considerations, to and fro had and concluded, as might well be reckoned in am of reward or money. This foul crime, (because of Simon Magus, who desired with money to buy the gift and power by laying on of hands, 
Act. 8. 19  to give the holy Ghost, is now called Snnonie.  
Whether for doing his duty in celebration of the Sacraments, & other offices appertinent thereunto, he have purposely respected gain and reward.  
Whether he entered into the office of the ministery for gain, ease, and commodity, rather than for any other cause.  
Whether he have left one Church, and gone to another, in hope of bigger commodity and greater gain, or any way thereby, seeking with more wealth to enrich himself.  
Whether he have suffered the goods of the Church so to be imbezilled and wasted, that thereby the Ministers and poor people having their maintenance and living by that Church, are nipped and scanted, and cut short of necessaries for their sustentation.  
Whether he receive and take the profits of sundry Churches without a just and necessary cause. I mean that to be a just and necessary cause, when of the prosites of that other Church, a Minister cannot maintain himself; or when as at that time there cannot another fit be found, able to take the charge of the same.  
Whether he have caused the goods and revenues of the Church, whereof he hath charge and goverement to be bestowed and employed to those uses, which in right they ought to be: namely, to the maintenance of the Ministers, exhibition to poor scholars, relief of aged persons, widows, Orphans, fatherless children, etc.  
Whether in disposing and bestowing of the goods of the Church, he have given more than meet was, to those that had less need, neglecting those, whose necessity and want in all equity and conscience, aught to have been specially relieved.  
Whether he hath converted the stipend and maintenance which he hath received of the Church, upon necessary and honest uses, namely in keeping and nourishing an honest and well governed family, and in relief of the poor, not consuming the same in riot, in banqnetting, in bravery, or among harlots, etc.  
Whether he have pulled or taken to himself, any thing as annexed to his Church, which in truth is not annexed unto it.  
Whether he have received the profit and stipend of any Church, whereon he hath no care to bestow any travel or diligence in teaching.  
Whether of those things that belong to the Church, he have translated any thing to other uses, than he ought to do, and have committed and referred the use thereof, to any such as do no manner of good to the Church.  
Whether he have admitted or allowed any fantastical opinions, or pickpurse rites, whereby the Minister and such as serve in the Church, do make private gain: of which sorts be, the dreaming opinions, and superstitious rites, of delivering souls for money out of Purgatory, of merits and satisfaction for sins, of pilgrimages, of kissing and offering to carved Images, & relics of the dead, etc.  
¶ Governor of the Common wealth. Whether he attained the dignity, 
Civil Magistrate.  pre-eminence and power, whereunto he is advanced truly and justly, that is to say, without fraud or deceit, without force or violence, & without wrong to any manner of person.  
Whether he have so behaved himself toward his superior Magistrate, as he ought to have done, yielding unto him all due honour.  
Whether he have offered or done wrong to any other, being placed in dignity and office, although somewhat his inferior, denying unto him his lawful right, authority, fees, relieves, services, and appertenances to his place and calling appendent, and also so have afforded unto him assistance, aid, defence, and such like.  
Whether he have encroached upon any other man's right, or challenged to himself that which belonged to others: forcibly wresting and drawing that within the compass of authority, wherein he had no interest, prescribing laws and orders to them, over whom his authority stretched not.  
Whether he have omitted & foreslowed, to help and defend such as were committed (in trust) unto him: insomuch that through his careless and wilful negligence or malice, they have suffered harm, & incurred inconvenience.  
Whether he have enjoined & assessed those to payments of money, taxes, tribute, custom, and impost, over whom he had no authority, and then also when as no need was, or otherwise than was ever afore time, either used or heard of,  
Whether he have given commandment for any manner of things, as having authority so to do, when as in deed he had none at all.  
Whether he have impaired, diminished, or taken away the liberties or immunities & privileges of the Church, or common wealth.  
Whether he have promoted or suffered any being promoted to execute any public offices, being men ambitious and covetous, pitifully polling the poor people with their crafty & colourable devices.  
Whether he have been remiss and negligent to repress and punish Robbers, thieves, and Rovers, and such as any way were given to pillage, ravin, and pilfery.  
Whether he have seemed in any sor● to favour, defend, and bear with usurers.  
Whether he have suffered Palmisters, Fortune tellers, Stageplaiers, Sawceboxes, Interluders, Puppitplayers, loiterers, vagabonds, landleapers, and such like, cozening make-shiftes, to practise their cogging tricks, and roguish trades, within the circuit of his authority, and to deceive the simple people with their vile forgery and palteric.  
Whether he have suffered false measures, false weights, and excessive prices of things by little and little to grow up and be used.  
Whether he have devised and made any new laws, as traps and snares to catch the silly people unawares withal, serving for none other purpose, than for his own private gain & commodity.  
Whether when he ought to have punished according to the severity of the law, he hath rather respected money, and received large bribes, thereby defeating the meaning of the law, & making open sale of justice.  
Whether he have advanced any to public offices for money, and whether he have given false and wrongful judgement, sitting upon the bench of justice.  
Whether he have ignorantly, and unwittingly given wrong judgement, for that he had not sufficient skill in the laws, or because he took not the advise of some skilfuller, and more learned than himself.  
Whether he have refused to give sentence upon any matter fully traversed & effectually pleaded; or whether he have for the nonce, and of some set purpose delayed, and deferred judgement, whereby even in that respect, any person hath sustained loss and hindrance.  
Whether he have drawn into question and controversy, any matters impertinent to the cause, or to the which the party accused is not bound to answer, and whereby any person is prejudiced or damnisied.  
Whether he have had special regard and care of the cases of poor widows, fatherless children, and such like persons, (which for the sundry distresses whereunto they be liable, are by the laws termed miserable and whether he have been very circumspect that they should not any way be injuried.  
Whether he have prohibited or any way stayed such as have felt themselves wronged and oppressed, from appealing to some higher Magistrate, or to implore help, and seek for aid at some other.  
Captain in wars, 
Warrior.  & Soldier. Whether being a General or Captain in the wars, he receive pay of his Prince, for more soldiers than he hath indeed under him; and whether in his Check-roll, or Muster book he set down a greater number than is true.  
Whether he have by unjust wars spoiled and ransacked any.  
Whether for any private hatred, or other evil affection whatsoever, in those wars that have been just, he have commanded, or procured any to be despoiled, whom he ought not to have invaded.  
Whether he have conducted and led his Soldiers by such ways and to such places, as he specially ought, and as were most behoveful and expedient; and hath not rather for money led, or caused them to be conveyed and led to other places, than he ought to have done.  
Whether he betook himself to the wars, in hope rather of spoil and pray, than for love to his Country, & care of the public peace and tranquilitic. There be almost infinite ways, whereby these kind of people do pitifully transgress and break this present eighth Commandment.  
¶ Doctor, Teacher, or Schoolmaster, 
Doctor. Graduate. Schoolmaster. Reader. Teacher.  Whether he have taught his Scholars more negligently, more seldom, or not so faithfully as he ought in conscience to have done; as one that only respected his stipend, hire, wages, preferment and commodity.  
Whether having a public stipend, or fee appointed unto him, & the same reasonable and sufficient enough, he have exacted or received for the same his reading, any thing more of his scholars and Auditors.  
Whether he have received & gotten the degree of Doctor, or Master, the rather thereby to procure unto himself the greater gain, and the easier to deceive, than for any honest and godly respects.  
Whether in favour of any, (and especially for money) he have defined and set down that for right and true, which was otherwise.  
Whether being greased in the hand with gifts and rewards, he hath overmuch cockered, dandeled & winked at some of his scholars, not enjoining them to their ordinary exercises, or not setting them to their wont scholastical tasks, as other of their fellows be, or in not checking and correcting them when they have been disobedient and done amiss, but suffered them to have their own will, and to run riot at their own pleasure.  
¶ Scholar. 
Scholar. Student.  Whether he have wastefully and unthriftily spent the money which his parents disbursed and defrayed for his charges and necessaries.  
Whether he have misspent his time, which he ought to have bestowed at his book and study.  
Whether he have given his mind to his book, or to any certain trade of life, chiefly and principally respecting gain and lucre thereby.  
¶ Advocate, Attorney, Proctor, Scribe, Lawyer. 
Lawyer. Attorney. Advocate. Scrivener. Notary.  Whether he have taken upon him to defend any cause, as just and right, (which he knew to be unjust) and again have impugned any cause which he knew to be just.  
Whether for his own gain & commodity, he hath caused men to go to law together, & to be at charges for matters that otherwise might quietly have been ended, without any great troubles and expenses in law.  
Whether he have used any dilatory pleas, or any other course than he ought to have done, to the hindrance and detriment of either party.  
Whether through negligence, unskilfulness, or any other defect and fault in him, he have lost and overthrown a good and rightful cause.  
Whether he have bewrayed any thing to the adversary parti●, whereby his own Client hath been overthrown, and the other party gotten the upperhand.  
Whether he have refused to deal in the causes of the poor, needy and moneyless, and only framed himself to the rich and wealthy.  
Whether he have taken too large fees of his Clientes.  
Whether being a Notary, he have falsified, forged, depraved or defaced any instrument or writing, either by rasing, adding, enterlyning, altering, or by what other way so ever.  
Whether he have omitted and left out any thing, concerning either substance or form, in the penning, inditing, and setting down of solemn deeds, authentical instruments and writings of record.  
Whether in any instrument he have dissen●bled, omitted, transposed, or forged any thing contrary to law, or done any other act, whereby another is afterward damnified.  
Whether he have framed or procured any instrument to embolden, harden, and fortify wicked and wilful persons in their rashness, avarice, and heady wilfulness.  
Whether for making any instrument he have taken money of them, of whom he ought not to have had any or whether more than was due to him for the same.  
¶ Physician, Apothecary. 
Physician. Apothecary.  Whether being a Physician; he have extorted, and exacted, at the hands of the rich, more than the money agreed upon between them, and more than any reason afforded, for his pains and counsel: and as for the poor (whom he deemed unable to pay) whether he have utterly refused, or been unwilling to visit or go unto them.  
Whether being an Apothecary, or Ointment maker, he have confected and made baggage, corrupt, or counterfeit Medicines, either simple or compound, and the same sold at so dear a price, as those that were good, sovereign, cordial and sound. For herein is a double fault committed, the one in respect of the wares themselves, the other in respect of the price.  
¶ Merchant, Chapman. 
Merchant. Chapman. Seli●● of ware.  Whether he exercise the trade of Merchandise rather upon a covetous desire, immoderately to enrich himself, and to s●rape together great wealth, than thereby to gain measurable substance for the necessary sustentation, and use of his life, or therewith to benefit and help with his travail, the public society of his Country.  
Whether he have conspired and confederated with others of his own trade, selling the like wares that he doth, upon some certain high & great price, whereby there cannot but ensue of necessity, a great dearth in the Commonwealth.  
Whether entering into copartenership with others, he keep back, & retain to his own use, some part of the gain, defrauding by concealment, his Coparcener, of his moiety and portion.  
Whether in selling his wares to one that is not able in hand to pay down ready money or wares, but craveth some respite of time for the payment thereof, he have rated the same wares, in respect of the forbearance, at dearer and higher Prices, than they were worth.  
Whether he have bought aforehand for ready money, wheat, wine, or such like commodity, to be delivered unto him at a time agreed upon after: but yet better cheap than the same were esteemed at, even then when the bargain was made; or like enough to be afterward: as if, for ten crowns, he bought that, which a little while after he was sure to sell again for twelve crowns, etc.  
Whether in barter and exchange of wares for wares, he have strictly exacted & hucked wares from the other parti●, which he was well assured were more worth, and cost dearer, than the wares that he in am thereof delivered.  
Whether he have bought naughty, corrupt & musty wares at some small price, in hope to retail and sell them again, for good & perfect, and at such price, as good, sound & perfect wares are sold for: Or whether, knowing the● to be faulty and nought, he have purposely and wittingly mingled them with others that were good, perfect● and faultless wares.  
Whether he have bought stolen goods, knowing or suspecting them so to be.  
Whether he have used any sleight, collusion, or deceit, either in word or deed, thereby the easier, and the dearer to sell his wares,  
Whether he have duly paid the impostes, custom and such like charges, where and when he ought so to have done.  
Whether in the exchanging of foreign and unknown Coin, he have wittingly committed any fraud.  
Whether, for the only and mere exchange he have indented, covenanted, bartered and bargained, concerning the price in sorer sort, then hath lightly been aforetime used.  
Whether he have practised any other manner of commutation or exchange, then that which was publicly, and commonly used, and among exchangers, for the most part ordinarily frequented.  
¶ Broker. 
Broker.  Whether he have been a mediator or a driver of bargains, and contracts, which he knew to be unconscienable and unlawful, as namely, grounded upon usury, or otherwise any manner of way, for the hidden crafunesse secretly lurking therein, hurtful and damageable.  
Whether he have subtly & craftily procured & egged the one of the parties to consent, and do that which afterward (when he feeleth himself bitten and hindered) he hath had good cause to repent. For doubtless, the common use & fashion of Brokers is, to respect, and specially to favour the one of the parties contracting, above the other: and also to gape after his own private gain.  
¶ Treasurer, Receiver, Guardian. 
Treasurer. Receiver. Guardian.  Whether he have at anytime disbursed & laid out the public money, or the Prince's treasure committed to his custody, for his own private gain, as namely in traffic of merchandise, buying and selling, purchasing, lending out. etc.  
¶ Wife. 
Wife  Whether she have stolen away, or privily suborned one child in steed of an other, or laid an other woman's child in the place and steed of her own: Or whether she have named and affirmed the child whom she hath borne in adultery, to be the lawful child of her husband. These kind of Children do sundry times carry away from many rightful heirs, round portions of their inheritance, yea, and sometimes go away with the whole. And therefore is this a most grievous and heinous sin.  
Whether without her husbands knowledge and consent, she liave given away, conveyed, a●ened, or with dainty fare wasted his goods and substance.  
¶ Artificers, Labourers. 
Artificers. Labourers.  Whether they exercise any tricks or feats to adulterato, corrupt, forge, iumule, mar, mingle, foist, or deprave any thing that they do: or whether they keep back, or purloigne any thing of that which is committed to them in trust to do; which the party (bespeaking it to be done) can not easily find out and espy. Of which crew are Tailors, Millers, etc.  
Whether when they have been hired to do any work, they have laboured faithfully and as their ductic required.  
¶ Husbandman, farmer. 
Husbandman. Farmer.  Whether he have justly, truly, and faithfully paid his tithes, and other duties.  
Whether he have hindered and injuried his neighbours in their grounds, fields, and meadows, by putting in his cattle, or by driving them through that way, or by making courses, and channels to convey and get the waters from th●, or any other way whatsoever.  
Whether through his negligence or spite he have suffered their ground to be in any part spoiled, or their Ox●, Kine, Horses, Sheep, or other their goods and Cattles to be hurt, whereby the owner is apparently damnified.  
¶ Monier, Min●er. 
Monyer. Min●er.  Whether by the art of Alchemy, or any other devise, he have mixed metals together, uttering base coin for perfect and good sterling.  
¶ Clothier. 
Clothie●.  Whether he have sold Clothes made of course wool, in steed of fine and good woollen clothes.  
Whether, knowing some fault in the Dying of his clothes, he have wittingly concealed, and purposely dissimuled it.  
Whether he have sold his clothes for fully wrought, and thoroughly ready, when they have not been fully, thoroughly, & workemanlike finished.  
Whether he have according to bargain and promise, faithfully paid his workefolkes, as Carders, Spinners, weavers, Fuller's, and others, of whom he can not but have always a great many.  
¶ Vintner, Taverner. 
Vintner. Taverner.  Whether he have sold and retailed his wine, or other his drink whatsoever, in such plight & sort, and none other, than he received the same: that is to say, without any mixture of water, or other stuff; and again, whether in just and true measure, etc.  
¶ Butcher. 
Butcher.  Whether he have sold the flesh of a rotten and infected Beast, in stead of sound and wholesome. Again, whether by just and true weight. And again: whether he have uttered and chopped away one kind of flesh instead of an other, as goats flesh for Rams Mutton, etc.  
¶ Baker. 
Baker.  Whether he have used any sleight or devise, to make his bread weigh heavy.  
Whether he have changed the good Meal & fine flower, that others have brought unto him, putting worse in the place thereof.  
Whether he have put more store of bran into his meal, than he ought to do.  
¶ Gamester. 
Gamester.  Whether he have accustomed to play for money, at any unlawful and forbidden game, as dicing, etc.  
Whether he have been importunate to entice others to gaming.  
Whether he have won other folks money by cogging, & false play.  
Whether he have played & won money of those that have not any thing of their own, or in their own power to lose: as Children, servants, prentices, etc.  
Whether he have retained, & kept to his own use, the money and other things, that he hath gained & won at unlawful games: and have not restored the same according to the very meaning of the law.  
Whether any person, whosoever he be, hath wasted his goods, and money at playing and gaming.  
¶ Stage-player, Bawd. 
Stageplaier Pandarus. Bawd.  etc. Whatsoever is gotten by these naughty practices, and filthy trades, are to be understood and deemed as lewdly & fraudulently gotten. And therefore all such are chargeable and liable to this crime of thest, and are bound in conscience to restitution.  
¶ Beggar. 
Beggar.  Whether being lusty and sound of limbs, able to labour and get his own living, he beg, & seek alms abroad. In which doing, he doth rob & spoil those which are poor indeed, and feedeth himself with other men's labours.  
¶ Children, Boys, and Girls. 
Children. Boys. Girls.  Whether they have given or accustomed themselves to ●ilch fruit, meat or any other things, and if they have chanced to find any thing, whether they have been diligent & willing to restore it to the owner. For, from small pickinges and filcheries, by little and little they will grow to greater.  
To conclude. Whether in committing any of the above remembered sins thou hast given occasion to others to commit the like: that is to say, whether by word or deed, contrary to the renor and effect of this commandment, thou hast been an offence and stumblingblocks to others.  
And again, whether, seeing others to commit any of these aforesaid faults, thou have secretly thereto assented, not showing any sign or token of thy great mislike thereof, when as good time and opportunity thereunto served thee. For, not the actual doers only, but the consenters, either directly or undirectly accessaries thereunto, be also faulty and guilty.    

The 9 Commandment.  Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 

sins inward.  
WHether thou have at any time dissembled the truth, 
9 Commandment.  or not uttered & maintained it, when & as often as conveniently thou mightest and shouldest: and whether slily and secretly, marking other folks words and deeds, thou have wrested and construed them to the worst part.  
Whether thou hast attributed and ascribed to thyself more dignity, credit, reputation and desert, then there was any cause why: and whether thou hast wished an other man's estimation and countenance to be impaired or disgraced.  
Whether thou hast envied, maligned or spited at any others good gifts, whether they be of the mind, of the body, or (or as we commonly term it) of fortune. For hereunto belongeth all malicious swelling, and envious conceits of the mind, for the welfare of others.  
Whether thou hast sought any means or ways to discredit, annoy, or disparaged the fame of any other: and by thy sinister reporting of them, hast gone about to bring their credit question, and themselves into danger among persons of authority and high calling, or any other whomsoever.   

sins outward.  
WHether thou hast told any untruth or lie, whereby any matter hath gone awry, or some loss hath ensued, or might have ensued to any, whether the same hath been done in place of judgement, or else in the hearing, and assembly of few, or in any other place.  
Whether by any crafty devise, or peevish exposition, thou hast in the hearing of others wranglingly wrested any man's words or deeds whatsoever to other sense and meaning, than they were simply spoken and intended. Things amiss ought rather with lenity to be mitigated, than with extremity to be aggravated and exasperated.  
Whether thou have of set purpose, depraved the good speeches, and orderly doings of others.  
Whether thou hast provoked any others to do the like, or hast seemed to allow, like well, and approve them that willingly and wittingly have so done: & neither defended, excused, nor extenuated the matter, when as (notwithstanding) thou well knewest that it was falsely, maliciously, and undeservedly practised.  
Whether thou hast contumeliously and reproachfully taunted, mocked, or abused any person; or as it were skoffingly, gybingly and jestingly so flouted him, that in the mean while thou both didst and purposedst in thy mind, covertly and poynantly to harm him.  
Whether thou hast laid any fault to any man's charge, or made report to others, that he hath committed some crime whereof he is clear, guiltless and ignorant.  
Whether in reporting some offence or crime which another hath in deed committed, thou have odiously amplified and by thy words made the fame worse and grievouser than it was: either by adding, diminishing or altering, intending thereby to persuade the hearers to judge & deem the worse of the party.  
Whether thou hast maliciously published, discovered and made openly known, any crime that was secret & hidden.  
Whether thou hast brought complaint of any crime, being open and known to the higher power: bu● yet with a meaning and desire rather to hurt and undo, then to recure and amend the party.  
Whether, being requested, enjoined or commanded, thou hast at any time apeached or accused any, whom there was no need to be accused, and specially least of all by thee. Understand this chiefly, when as Tyrants & persecutors make inquiry & search for good and godly men, or at least, for such as be no ways harmful to the Common wealth, etc.  
Whether for flattery thou hast extenuated any man's faults, or extolled and highly amplified his acts and dealings being but mean, and indifferently so so.  
Whether by appeaching, defaming, slandering, and raising odious reports of any others, thy drift were only to pick a thank at the hand of some great man, & thereby to insinuate thyself into his good will & favour, with the overthrow, misery, trouble and calamity of the other, so by thee betrayed.  
Whether thou hast been careless and reckless to defend thine own fame, credit, and estimation.  
Whether thou have any where gloried in thyself, or immoderately boasted and bragged of thine estate.  
Whether, with a kind of glavering dissimulation, and painted hypocrisy, thou hast sought and desired to be accounted an other man, then in truth thou was, and art.  
Whether thou have published, set up, or scattered abroad, or caused to be published, set up, and scattered, any slanderous and infamous Libel, writing or picture.  
Whether by any man's or woman's written letters, or by their household folks and familiars thou have ever attempted and gone about to learn their secrets, to the intent to put him or her to shame & reproach, or to hindrance and loss.  
Whether thou hast at length uttered, bewrayed, and discovered the secret which thy neighbour, or brother would have had concealed, and which meet was to be concealed.   

For the kind and trade of life.  
Governor of the Church. 
Clergy man, or church.  Whether in his sermons and exhortations he have rashly delivered out things uncertain, for certain: things of small moment, 
Minister.  for matters of weight & great importance: & perhaps have advouched that, not to be sin, or not to be so very great a sin, which (in deed) hath been great & heinous. And again: whether he have approved, ratified and affirmed, that to be right godly, & true, which hath not in deed been godly and true.  
Whether either present by word of mouth, or absent by letters, he have commended, or suffered any to be commended, whom he well knew not worthy. And contrary wise. Whether he have pretermitted or contemned any whom he knew worthy of commendations.  
Whether he have promoted or suffered any to be promoted, being not afore examined according to the rule of order and decency: and that, lest it should be perceived, how unmeet and unfit they were.  
Whether he have given care to any pickthanks, & whispering tale-bearers, by whose information & counsel, he hath attempted to do any thing, before he had thoroughly & effectually searched out the very truth of all things.  
¶ Governor of the Common wealth. 
Magistrate. Judge.  Whether, when he hath had power and authority to advance and put in office godly and worthy persons, he hath upon corrupt affection, rather preferred the unworthy and unfit, than the fit & worthy: the cruel and bloody minded, rather than the merciful & gentle, etc.  
Whether he hath acquitted & pardoned any felonious & guilty persons, which by right ought not to have been acquitted & pardoned: and contrariwise whether he hath condemned any which deserved not to be condemned.  
Whether he have expounded the law in any point, contrary to the mind & meaning of the lawmakers. All captious sophistry, & crafty wrangling, is directly against this commandment.  
Whether he have so dealt with the rest of the judges & counsellors, that he hath either subtly & deceitfully, caused them to alter their opinions, being agreeable to truth: or else hath so wrought with them, that they dur●▪ not speak the truth: or whether h● hath admitted and allowed none, but such as he knew would yield & consent to his opinion.  
Whether he have forcibly extorted any confession from prisoners, & such as have been brought into question for some offence, or misprision of offence: using unto them either threatening words, or else flattering & glozing terms, the rather thereby to bring the party to answer to such points, as he needed not to answer unto.  
Whether in judgements he have any way swerved from the right form of hearing and examining witnesses, as in calling persons to give evidence which were unfit, challengeable, or suspected to bear il will and hatred to the party.  
Whether he have been an accepter of persons in judgement.  
Whether in these his hard & injurious dealings, he have pretended or alleged impertinent matter or ill applied and sinisterly wrested for his purpose,  
Whether he have admitted in judgement, any proofs, either artificial, or unartificial, wherein ill dealing, faulty proceeding, and erroneous practices might easily be found.  
¶ Advocate, Attorney, Proctor, Scribe, 
Attorney. Advocate. Proctor. Notary.  Whether being an Advocate, he have craftily and undirectly used any other kind of pleading, than such as by the laws is appointed and allowed.  
Whether he have suborned and brought in, or caused to be brought any false witnesses.  
Whether to the Bill put in, he have cunningly and subtly added or detracted any thing, to the blindfolding of the truth, or to deceive and blear the eyes of the judges.  
Whether he have wittingly, & purposely, alleged for proof of his matter, any moth-eaten, counterfeit, or unperfect laws.  
Whether the forer to hinder his adversaries cause, he hath assumed and applied things to his purpose, which nothing appertained to the cause in hand.  
Whether he have given advise and counsel in an ill case, and such as he knew to be unjust and wrongful, to overthrow a just, true, and a rightful matter.  
Whether being a Notary or Scribe, he have done any thing amiss in framing and making of instruments and writings, to the breeding of error, quarrel, hindrance, and discommodity to the parties. As when they omit or leave out, add or put to, dissemble or conceal, doubtfully, intricately, and darkly set down, or declare any things, and neglect or mistake usual course and ordinary form, etc.  
¶ Doctor, Teacher, Schoolmaster. 
Master of College. Doctor. Teacher. Schoolmaster. Reader.  Whether he have preferred and promoted, or otherwise by letters commended to some public degree of honour, as sufficient, learned & virtuous, such as were not (in deed) accordingly qualified.  
Whether to the room of a teacher or Reader, in a College of learned professors, he have chosen any such as he knew unable and unsufficient.  
Whether he have persuaded any parents or kinsmen, that their son or cozen did profit and go forward in his study: was thrifty, toward, and of good hope, when as he hath unthriftily wasted both his time and substance, and peradventure also with lewd life hath run riot into all villainy and mischief.  
Whether in his lectures he hath taught any such things, whereby his hearers might learn & acquaint themselves how to deny and eclipse the truth, how with cunning shifts, and deceivable colours to justify a falsehood, and how otherwise to blear & deceive men, etc. As among some professors of Logic and Rhetoric we see it much practised.  
Whether in disputing, wittingly and willingly, he have safely impugned truth, and defended falsehood, & that because he would not be thought to be vanquished and overcome, or in some sort to lose part of his credit and estimation.  
Whether upon any corrupt affection, he have leaned to any false dogmatists, and maintainers of erroneous opinions; or have severed and sequestered himself from them that have defended the truth.  
Whether he have used Sophistry or any fraudulent art, to win credit, fame and authority to himself in the schools, or to draw unto him many scholars, or thereby to challenge power over others. etc.  
¶ Sch●ler. 
Student. Sch●ler.  Whether he have procured and gotten, or for money bought the title of Master, or obtained Letters commendatory, thereby purposing the sooner to deceive and blind the eyes of his Parents or others, to whom he meant to go.  
There be yet some other drifts, policies, and shifts packed between the scholar and the Master, which by these afore declared, may quickly be known and found out.  
¶ merchants, Artificers, Occupiers, and Workmen. 
Merchant, Seller of wares. Artificers. Workmen Occupiers.  Whether they have corrupted any wares, and offered them in sale for perfect and good.  
Whether in their barter and bargaining, they have affirmed falsehood, and dissimuled the truth: as when with an oath they do not stick to avouch that their wares cost them dearer than in truth they did: that they brought them to their great costs and charges from places & countries far dista●● off: that an other would have given a great deal more: that they lose by their selling them at so low price: and wish many black curses to themselves, swearing and staring, if all be not as they say, etc. O Lord who is able to reckon up all the lies and untruths (even untruly to their own knowledge and consciences) which these sellers do vainly lash and babble out, to those that come to buy of them.  
Whether in bargaining or any other action and dealing, thou have promised to perform that, which thou hadst no purpose or meaning to accomplish.  
Finally, whether in committing any of these above rehearsed, thou have given occasion to others to commit the like: that is to wit: whether either by words or deeds against this commandment, thou have been the cause of offence and stumbling to others.  
Again, whether when thou hast perceived and seen others committing the same, thou have secretly in mind assented unto them neither reproving nor staying and letting them, when (notwithstanding) time & place hath well served thee so to have done.    

The 10. Commandment. 
10. Commandment.   ¶ Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours hous● neither shalt thou cover thy neighbour's wife, nor his man servant, nor his ma●de, nor his Ox, nor his Ass, neither an● thing that is thy neighbours, 

sins inward.  
THis commandment teacheth us, that God forbiddeth & condemneth in us, even all corrupt affections & cogitations. And therefore condemneth those sins which in our very thoughts may be committed against the afore▪ going commandments, namely those that be of the second Table. Thus we see, that not our actions only, but our very froward will and corrupt thought, is sufficient to make us guilty before God. And therefore there be many points which thou art here● in diligently and warily to call to thy consideration.  
Namely, whether thou have desired the dignity, place, office, authority, power, glory, countenance, and calling of any other, specially of thy superior or equal; & whether thou hast practised any ways how to displace him, and settle thyself in his room.  
Whether thou hast gone about to hinder from preferment, thine inferior and underling.  
Whether thou hast entered into any devise with thyself, how thou mightest bring to pass this perverse desire of thine in this behalf. These are directly against the fifth commandment.  
Whether thou hast felt within thee such wicked motions arising, that thou hast borne hatred to any, or wished any harm to his body.  
Whether thou hast long dwelled in anger and malice towards any man, even unto an earnest and hearty desire of revenge.  
Whether thou hast had any determination to pursue with effect, these thy cruel desires. And this is against the sixth Commandment.  
Whether thou have felt thy flesh & thy wicked affections inwardly inflamed to desire unlawful copulation with any person, either present or absent.  
Whether thou hast entered into devise how to bring to pass these thy filthy desires. This is against the seventh commandment.  
Whether thou have swelled with rancour and envy, at the prosperity and wealthy state of another, wishing the same to be thine.  
Whether thou hast entered into any devise, how to obtain thy purpose, & have thy desire, These are against the 8. commandment.  
Whether upon an enuions and malicious stomach, thou have bethought thee, how to disable, impair, and diminish any other man's fame, credit, dignity, or estimation. This is against the ix. commandment.   

sins external and outward.  
whether by any signs, tokens or arguments, as with thine eyes, becks, etc. thou have showed thyself to desire and covet any other man's goods, or to seek means to undermine and deceive him.  
Whether thou have any way so to behave thyself, as either by painting, pranking or garnishing thy body, in bragging, boasting, or making glorious show & report of thy wealth, house, apparel, furniture, money or such like things, that thou hast thereby occasioned and provoked an other to covet and desire thy body or thy goods. In this sort and by this means thou art the cause, of unlawful and forbidden concupiscences in an other.   

For the trade of life.  
whether in that trade of life wherein thou livest, thou hast ever haded any unlawful thought, will, or desire, to have any of things in the former commandments expressly prohibited, to be brought to effect, and actually accomplished. And whereas we do not lightly put any of our actions in practice, but we first conceive them in our mind, here dost thou plainly perceive, that in this Tenth Commandment all those hidden, secret, and lurking cogitations, desires, wills and affections (for these ever go before the act or deed) are flatly forbidden, prohibited and condemned.  
Finally, whether by any signs of concupiscence, showed by thee, thou have given offence (that is to wit) occasion of concupiscence to others.  
Again, whether having perceived and noted any signs of concupiscence in an other, thou have in thy secret conceit, allowed and well liked the same.  
¶ And thus much generally & plainly spoken of the sins committed, against the Decalogue may suffice. Now let us see how thou oughtest hereby to make profitable try all of thyself, and so to find out what manner of man thou art.  
1 First it behoveth thee with all attention of mind to look into these commandments and tables, and therein diligently to consider, whether thou find any thing that nearly toucheth thy conscience and person; that thou mayest perfectly see what special crimes and offences, thou art manifestly guilty of, before the tribunal seat of God. For to this end properly was the law by God given, and to this end, have we collected and framed this treatise, in such sort and manner as thou seest.  
2 Secondly, thou shalt so thoroughly examine thine actions, that thou must look well about thee, and consider again and again, whether in one and the self same action thou have in many sorts highly offended God: that is, whether thou have by the breach of one commandment, transgressed 〈◊〉. For this cometh often so to pass, as by example we will show.  
¶ If thou have corrupted any wares, or any other thing, which thy neighbour is to buy, and then sell them unto him for good; first of all thou knowest that thou herein hast sinned against the ix. Commandment, which forbiddeth thee to give false witness. But if thou didst it, with an intent and meaning to rake and scrape a private gain unjustly to thyself, with the loss and hindrance of an other, thou art therein guilty of the breach of the viii. Commandment, whereby is forbidden all theft.  
If furthermore in this behalf, thou have deceived any that is thy superior, or that is linked to thee in blood, as thy Father or thy Mother: the Magistrate, the Minister of the Church, thy kinsman, etc. therein hast thou transgressed the fifth Commandment. of honouring Father and Mother.  
To be short, if this circumstance do also concur, that this crafty practice were by thee done on the Sabbaoth day, than hast thou herein incurred the displeasure of Almighty God for profaning and not sanctifying the Sabbath day. Last of all, it may be, that in this bargaining and selling, some such words might pass from thee, as might make thee further guilty. For if thou swearest vainly, and without cause, with an intent & meaning to avouch any thing that thou wouldst have to be believed, than art thou therein guilty of the third commandment. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.  
¶ Thirdly, we shall do well, in the examining and dicussing of thy actions, to give thee charge, circumspectly to consider every particular circumstance, to wit, the time, the place, the person, the cause, the end, the manner, the instrument, etc. No man will deny, but that the offence is far greater & heinouser, which is committed on the Sabbath day, or at such time as all men for some public calamity, are in a general heaviness: again, when it is committed in the sight and face of many honest and grave persons: furthermore, when it is done by, or against any man in high authority; moreover, when no manner of alluring occasion went afore, to draw or move thee to that evil. Therefore we may not slightly pass over, how much, and how greatly these circumstances do aggravate and augment thy fault.  
4 Fourthly, it standeth thee upon, moreover, often and many times to consider with thyself, and plainly to confess, that thou canst never call to memory all thy sins committed: and again, that thou canst never exactly enough judge, ●ow grievous & detestable those be, which do already come to thy remembrance. For truly and divinely hath the Prophet set down, who can understand his faults? O cleanse me from my secret faults. 
Psal. 19 12.  For so standeth thy case, that even where thou lest thinkest, thou there sinnest most grievously. And the things which thou thinkest well and justly done, are in the sight of God, and before the tribunal seat of the high judge, unclean, unrighteous, and de●ectrue. And therefore the Prophet Isaiah crieth out thus: We have been all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness is as a filthy clout. 
Jsa. 64. 6.   
Seeing therefore the case thus standeth, it is thy part and duty, plainly to confess, that much ignorance remaineth in thee, and that the same is in thee a great sin: for the which, unless God in mercy do pardon thee, he may hurl thee headlong into eternal damnation.  
5 Fiftly, thou must consider that there is cause enough to condemn and pronounce thee guilty, for that thou hast not done those good works which in the law are commanded. For look how many sins in every particular commandment are forbidden, so many good works in every commandment are commanded. To every sin there ought to answer his contrary, and that is, some good work.  
¶ Now if thou thoroughly examine thy conscience, thou shalt soon espy, that thou hast not performed, no not the least part and portion of those things which the law of God requireth at thy hands: yea, if thou narrowly search every corner of thyself, thou shalt find that either thou hast fulfilled and performed nothing at all, or if thou hast performed any thing, yet shalt thou find it to be unperfect, corrupt, and with some manner of contagion infected. For all our obedience is maimed, lame, and unperfect. Wherefore thou must say as Christ hath taught us all: 
Luc. 17. 10.  Although we had done all those things that are commanded us. yet we are unprofitable servants. Again, 
Rom. 8. 7.  The wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither in deed can be. Again in the 7. Chapter. I know that in me, 
Rom. 7. 18  that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me, but I find no means to perform that which is good. And, I delight in the law of God concerning this inner man: but I see an other law in my members, rebelling against the law of my mind, and leading me cap●i●e unto the law of sin, which is in my members.  
6 Sixtly, thou must cast in thy mind to consider and record the pains and punishments, which God threateneth and inflicteth upon those that disobey and transgress his commandments. Of these pains, punishments, and plagues, some be corporal and external, some spiritual and internal. Of the first sort are, barrenness and sterility of the earth, hunger and dearth, dissensions and wars, diseases, pestilence, banishmentes, shipwreck, inundations and overflowings, storms, calamities burnings, etc. Of the latter sort are, ignorance of the scriptures, famine of the word of God, blindness of the mind, incredulity and unbelief, induration, or hardening of the heart, delivery and giving up into a reprobate sense, etc. A great beadroll of plagues are reckoned up in the 28. 
Deut. 28.  of Deuteronomie. But when it pleaseth him, the Lord can and will send many more than are there expressed. For he daily prepareth and maketh ready new scourges & whips for disobedient men, eue● as they daily commit new sins and offences. For, alas, what misery do we now day by day taste and prove? what dangers? What diseases? What other incommodities, which as it is to be thought, were not so much as once known, by the very bare names, unto men in the old men: nor so much as once by any means spoken of? And withal, thou shalt remember and call to mind, the examples of such as by the just judgement of God, are read & reported of, in the books of the sacred scriptures, & others also, to have been plagued with these punishments, either bodily or spiritually: and it shall also much further thee, to add hereunto such as thou of thine own knowledge within thy time and memory, hast known to have felt the heavy hand of God.  
7 seventhly, it shallbe very behoveful for thee to consider, that for thy sins and offences, others linked unto thee in consanguinity and kindred are punished, namely thy Parents, thy children, thy brethren, thy sisters, & c. even as thou also somewhile must smart for others sins. For thus do we miserable and wretched men draw one an other into danger, and one of us is guide and companion unto another, in running headlong to the place of torment & damnation. This doth God himself affirm, when as in the beginning of his decalogue he saith: I am the Lord thy God, a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers, upon the children; upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hau● me. 
1. Chro. 21. 14.  So for one sin of king David, there were slain many thousands of his people: and for his adultery committed with Urias' wife, the child which she bore him, died. 
2. Sam. 12. 18.  And again; For the sins of the people, 
Job. 34. 30  the Lord setteth over them cruel tyrants, and ravening hypocrites. 
1. Sam. 2. 31.  Hely the Priest, and all his posterity, was punished for the sins of his children. Ah, what a sea of mischiefs doth even one sin bring with it?  
8 Eightly, there is yet one thing behind, to be considered, which is most dreadful and formidable. By reason of thy sins, thou art made guilty of eternal damnation: and after grievous punishments sustained here in this world, there remain yet behind other torments to be suffered in an other, and the same much more terrible, bitter, and lasting. For there, both body and soul together are subjecteth and adjudged to eternal torments, and fire that never shall be quenched, which God from afore the beginning of the world hath prepared for the Devil and all the contemners of his precepts and commandments. Now, how horrible a thing it is, and what an unspeakable punishment it is, everlastingly to be deprived of the presence & face of Almighty God, and to burn in hell with unquenchable fire, that shall never be consumed, there is no man that can so much as conceive in mind or cogitation.  
Go to now therefore, whosoever thou art, and by this that we have already spoken of the law of the Lord, learn to examine thy conscience, and to make perfect trial and survey of thyself. Doubtless, when thou hast a little while continued and gone forward in this way and course which we have here showed, and attentively considered, such things as have been declared, I doubt not, but that thou wilt by and by, and without delay, even wi●● sighs and tears, burst out into this confession, O heavenly father, I have sinned against heaven, and against thee: I am not worthy to be called thy Son, I am not worthy to lift up mine eves towards heaven. Look how much I being once in Baptism purged from my sins in the blood of thy son, and sanctified by receiving the holy Ghost, did in the same please thee: somuch, again, must I needs by reason of my manifold sins, since committed, displease thee. Now, the sins which I have committed, if I should go about to number them, they are infinite. For there is not one of thy holy precepts & commandments, against which I have not committed many offences, & sundry transgressions. Many be they, which I have committed in act and deed: and such as I have not actually brought to pass and done, yet through my corrupt cogitations, and unclean will, I am as deeply guilty of, as if I in act had committed them. To be brief, my sins surmount the sands of the Sea, & if I make diligent search and inquiry of the grievousness of my sins, I truly find them haynouser & greater, than I am able to utter. What say I, utter? Nay, than I can in mind conceive, or in inward cogitation comprehend. Certes, so often as I look into, and behold with the eyes of my mind, my froward heart, cankered stomach, perverse disposition, ever inclined to evil, which thou Lord most clearly & thoroughly seest, together with my desire and delight to perform the same, the very remembrance of my great and grievous maliciousness driveth me into such perplexity, that I no ways know whither to turn me. Whither Lord shall I go from thy spirit, and whither shall I flee from thy presence? Yea this further doth marvelously disquiet, torment & grieve me, for by my sins I have given offence, that is, occasion of fall, and ruin to a great sort of others, being harmless & honest persons. Wilt thou Lord as a just and upright judge, require the blood of them also at my hands? What shall I further do? seeing I have burdened and spotted my conscience, by assenting also to other men's sins? in not dissuading & reclaiming them, before they did evil, & in not reproving and rebuking them after they had done evil? Ah how much better had it been, that being a man I had never been so familiar among men? What misery is this? I am the cause of an other man's offending, & an other man likewise to me: and thus do we all, encumber and load one another with sins, and drag, pull, hale & draw one another into the breakneck fall and lamentable gulf of eternal damnation. If thou Lord will strictly look what is amiss. & narrowly inquire of our iniquities. O Lord who shall be able to abide it? 
Psa. 130. 3  Moreover, when I do somewhat further consider my sins, I see a great heap yet behind, & many more than now come to memory; many lewd pranks heretofore by me most wickedly have been done, which I then thought had not been wicked, neither can I at this present hour sufficiently so judge & deem of them: which ignorance, blindness and infirmity of mine in this behalf, I must needs confess (will I, nill) to be imputable unto me, for a most grievous and heinous sin. And herein I perceive, that although I had committed none evil at all afore, yet to have herein again deserved everlasting torments. I had almost said, why Lord wouldst thou that this naughty and corrupt ignorance should thus originally be bred in us, and thus still to cleave unto us? Alas, I have no sacrifice to offer unto thee, to satisfy for mine ignorance.  
Now what shall I say of my negligence in not doing those good works, which thou in thy law hast commanded and appointed? Or if I have done any at all, yet was it not sincerely done, but many ways infected with hypocrisy, and other vices? For to omit a good work, and to doc an ill work, are with thee accounted alike. All these things therefore (I confess) do most vehemently, (& good cause why) disquiet and grieve me. For my sins are they, for which, O God, thou justly inflictest grievous punishments and plagues, aswell spiritual and internal, as corporal and external. And whereas I daily find the same by experience, true, partly in myself, partly in others, yet such is my blindness & hardness of heart that I am nothing at all as yet moved thereby unto any repentance or amendment.  
To all these aforesaid evils, there is to be added yet another heap of mischiefs, vz, that for these sins of mine a great many other innocents & guiltless persons be jointly with me, & for me wrapped in woes, and subjecteth to misery, danger and inconvenience. O Lord, wilt thou thus in thy justice destroy and make havoc of thy just, for us being wretched, unjust, and miserable caitises? Last of all, for these my great, heinous and manifold offences, known and hidden, privy, & apert, there is due yet unto me after this life, & after this temporal death, another death eternal, continuing everlastingly in never dying torments. Is thy law (O Lord) being good, righteous & holy, thus become to be unto me death? But I may not, nor I ought not, (O God) to ascribe and impute these most wretched miseries, and extreme Calamities unto thy law, but to mine own perverse, froward, and crooked affections, and to my generally and entirely corrupted will.  
To myself, to myself I say, must all this misery be ascribed, & myself only may I thank for all this heavy plight and wretchedness. O wretch that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death. 
Rom. 7. 2.   
Here now hast thou as it were a certain Mirror or glass, wherein thou mayst behold thyself, what a one thou art in the sight of God, and in jaw of God, accusing thee before the tribunal seat of judgement. In this glass of the law, thou mayest behold thy spiritual deformity and ugliness, which thou must understand so long to dwell, remain, sojourn, and cleave unto thee, as thou continuest transgressing the law of God, through thy grievous and daily offences.     

Of Repentance, and also of Contrition, or Mortification. CHAP. V.  
WHen thou hast now thus far profited and reaped this benefit by the law, that thou are thereby brought to the acknowledgement of thy sins: the next is, with all thy mind, and uttermost endeavour to betake thyself unto an earnest and hearty repentance, and to flee unto Christ, for succour, pardon, and forgiveness of all thy sins and offences. Unless we acknowledge our sins, & earnestly repent us for the same, we shall (as Christ saith) perish. And the Apostle Peter setting before the eyes of the jews, 
Luc. 13. 3.  their cruel, obstinate, and wilful sins, when as he spoke unto them, saying: This Jesus whom God hath made both Lord and Christ, 
Act. 2. 36.  have ye crucified, brought them unto an acknowledgement of their sins. And therefore anon after, in the same place, when as they by acknowledging their sins, were marvelously troubled in mind, and pricked in heart, he replied unto them and said, Repent ye and amend your lives, Therefore it is not sufficient to acknowledge our sins, but there must follow also an earnest and effectual Repentance, with all his circumstances and parts.  
Now, Repentance is nothing else, but an earnest conversion, & turning to God, of a sinner, meekly and humbly acknowledging his sins and iniquities.  
And it consisteth summarily in these two points, Contrition, and faith: as many places of the Scriptures do plainly and evidently declare. Repent (saith Christ) and believe the Gospel. 
Mar. 1. 15.  Where the first member signifieth Contrition, the second Faith. 
Mat. 3. 2.  Again, Rep●ntye of your former life, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. In which sentence there is likewise both Contrition and also Faith included. Hereunto also is to be referred that, which is cited and alleged by the Apostle both in his Epistle to the Romans, 
Rom. 9 11.  and also to the Collossians, 
Col. 2. 12.  touching mortification and also vivification.  
Contrition therefore setteth before our eyes the heavy wrath of God, and the punishments due for sin: On the other side, Faith setteth before us, the mercies of God, free pardon & forgiveness, and vivification or quickening again. The one layeth open and discovereth unto God, our wound and disease: the other showeth forth & receiveth from God a suppling salve, a mollifying plaster, & a sovereign recurative medicine. The one groaneth under the burden of sin, & sorrowfully bewaileth his heavy plight: the other bringeth easement, & affordeth refection. 
Mat. 11. 28.  Come unto me (saith our Saviour Christ) all ye that labour and he heavy laden, and I will refresh you. To be short, the one throweth down to hell; the other fetcheth from thence, and lifteth up to heaven.  
To draw therefore the effect of all the chiefest and especialest points to be considered of in this matter, into small room and brief words: Contrition is a most vehement affliction, troublesome vexation, and perplexed consternation of the mind, yea of the whole man, caused through remembrance and acknowledgement of his sins: & also of a fear of God's heavy judgements and deserved punishments. So that all this abashment, vexation, affliction, perplexity, and consternation hath his residence and dwelling in the mind: insomuch that although there appear withal sometimes upon the sudden, certain outward tokens & external signs thereof, as confession of the mouth, tears, sighing, groaning, abstinence from meat and drink, loathing, renouncing or contempt of all worldly matters and external dealings, with such like: yet because our question in this place is not of counterfeit, cloaked, dissembled, and unperfect, but of true, sincere, perfect, and effectual Contrition, we must needs sound the very depth of the heart, and the very innermost and secretest corners of the Conscience.  
And to this end are the words of the Prophet David, where he saith: Thou desirest no sacrifice, 
Psal. 51. 16.  O God, though I would give it, neither delightest thou in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God, are a contrite spirit: a contrite and broken heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. And again: heal me O Lord, 
Psal. 6. 2.  for my bones are sore vexed, and my soul is sore troubled. And a little after in the same Psalm: 
Ver. 6.  I sainted in my mourning. I cause my bed every night to swim, and water my couch with my tears. So also Peter remembering and acknowledging how grievously he had sinned in denying Christ, 
Mat. 26. 7●.  went out and wept bitterly.  
Seeing therefore that true, sincere, and not hypocritical Contrition, is a thing merely internal, and spiritual, there is no man but well understandeth, that it is a spiritual gift, and a singular benefit of almighty God, who only openeth the eyes of our minds, to see and confess our sins and offences. If then it be the good gift of God, it standeth every one of us upon, incessantly to crave at the hands of our heavenly father, to endue us silly creatures, and miserable forlorn wretches with his grace, to understand and bewail our grievous sins, & wickedness, manifoldly committed. For whosoever after his transgression & fall, hath not this contrite spirit, this bruised and broken heart, (as the Prophet termeth it) and this spiritual mortification for his sins, to such an one it may seem, that the way to all recovery and amendment is shut up and stopped.  
For Contrition, is as it were a key, that openeth and driveth back the hidden bolt, and openeth the door, which kept us back from coming again to God. Neither canst thou allege for thine excuse, that thou lackest time, or that thou art not able to perfourine, and fulfil so many hard points and difficult works, whereby to testify and declare thy contrition. For seeing that it is wholly resident in the heart, and there only consisteth, it is brought to pass, and performed in very short space of time, yea in a very moment: and further, even with the only affections of the mind.  
Moreover, which will make thee more to marvel: that which thou once in this sort faithfully & humbly atchivest, remaineth firm, acceptable and ratified of God for ever after; so that thou have a steadfast & an hearty purpose never again to return to thy former wickedness. For in contrition, thou must wholly and altogether die unto thy sins: that is, thou must so renounce them, as though thou never intedest any more to have any dealing therewith. And such (doubtless) was the Contrition of the Publican, whose words were very brief and few. 
Luc. 18. 13.  God be merciful unto me a sinner. Such Contrition was also in the Thief, which was crucified with Christ, saying: 
Luc. 23. 42.  Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. He therefore that will earnestly repent, and come into the favour of God again, must be touched with such an incomparable grief for his sins committed, that he must resolutely, and directly confess himself to have thereby justly deserved all those plagues, which God by Moses and the Prophets hath threatened, and thundered out upon all the despisers of his word, and contemners of his Majesty: and that if God being by nature most merciful, should not vouchsafe to have mercy and compassion on him, he must needs (and that presently) incur the grievous danger, and feel intolerable smart thereof.  
We were purposed hereunto, to have annexed some brief and compendious form of confession, and therein to have made a plain discovery and and anatomy of all the affections of a corrupt heart, and also to have brought in, the sorrowful sinner, confessing himself to have justly deserved all plagues and punishments, aswell of this life present, as of the life to come, and aswell corporal as spiritual: and further also to have described him, utterly denying and renouncing himself, and so humbly standing before the tribunal of the Lord, his God and judge, submitting himself wholly unto his divine pleasure and blessed will, waiting for that sentence and doom, which shall best please him. But because partly in the Chapter last afore, we have already in some sort delivered such a confession: and partly for that in the sacred scriptures, many good & godly prayers are to be found, set forth by the ancient fathers, and holy men of God; every godly, zealous, and well disposed man may therein virtuously exercise himself, and thence take out for his godly comfort, plentiful examples of Christian meditation.  
Of this sort, there be prayers for sins in Exodus, 
Exod. 32.  in the book of Numbers, 
Num. 6. 14. & ●6.  in Deuteronomie. 
Deut. 2.  Books of Solomon, 
Pro. 3. 13.  Daniel, 
Dan. 9  Ezra, 
Ezra. 6.  jeremy, etc. In the Psalms also, there are many fitly agreeing to this present purpose, namely, these: the 32. 36. 30. 50. 51. 56. 58. 62. 71. 73. 88 92. 102.   

Of Faith: and how sinners are again justified through faith in jesus Christ. CHAP. VI  
AFter thou hast thus, some space, like a guilty & suppliant suitor, prostrated thyself at the feet of thy just and righteous judge, and art driven unto such a strait and narrow issue, that thou canst not any manner of ways deny, but that thou hast deserved, and art most worthy of all terrible and eternal punishments, and with the fear of this judgement, art very sore a mazed, terrified, and perplexed, yea altogether mortified, & brought to deaths brink: the next way and remedy for thee now is, by faith in the mercies of God, to raise up thyself again, meekly and humbly craving pardon of thy sins and misdeeds. Unto this humble prostrating of thyself, thou wast both profitably and necessarily driven through humble confession of thy sins, and meek contrition of thy heart. But now thou must take heed and beware, that by consideration of the severity of God's judgements, thou be not utterly discouraged, & dashed out of countenance, and thereby enter into any despair, diffidence or distrust of the goodness of God. It shall be very requisite therefore for thy comfort, and as a sovereign salve and cordial medicine against this inconvenience, to lay down before thee, some wholesome and health some doctrine, how thou shalt have full remission and foregivenesse of all thy sins through faith in jesus Christ. 
Gen. 4. 13.  Cain acknowledged & confessed his sin, and being therefore in mind marvelously troubled, granted it to be most grievous and heinous. 
Mat. 27. 3.  judas likewise openly condemneth himself for his great guilt and treacherous crime in betraying his master, publicly testifying and pronouncing Christ to be just and innocent; and further restoreth back the money which he had received. What will ye say, lacked in him here to be done more? And yet neither of them both obtained pardon of their sins: & why? forsooth because this free & frank confession of their sins was not accompanied with a lively faith and undoubted trust in the mercies of God, for pardon and forgiveness thereof. 
Mat. 26. 75.  Contrariwise Peter bewailed, and wept bitterly for his sin, 
Mar. 14. 72.  but yet so, that in the mean while he shrunk not from his firm faith, 
Luc. 22. 92.  And therefore within a while after, 
Joh. 18. 25.  he received a singular comfort and special consolation from the mouth of Christ himself; 
Joh. 20. 15.  after his resurrection. Therefore it is out of all doubt, that faith is altogether and necessarily behoveful to all true & penitent sinners, wherewith they may raise up themselves again, being thrown down with the burden of their offences. And now, how truly sorrowful and repentant sinners may by faith, again be raised up, we will plainly and evidently declare.  
Faith is a sure and steadfast trust, whereby we assure ourselves that god will perform unto us all those things that he hath promised, chiefly and specially, spiritual benefits, and in them, remission of our sins; and righteousness in Christ & for Christ. Which is confirmed by the author of the Epist, to the Heb, 
Heb. 11. 17  in these words. Faith is the ground of things which are hoped for, and the evidence of things which are not scene. The interpretation and exposition of which description (so far as concerneth the use and practise thereof) who so is desirous to know, may see set down in the 4. chap. of the Epist. to the Rom. Wherein after the Apostle had said that Abraham was justified by faith, and that the inheritance of the world was given to him through faith; he afterward addeth, that this reverend and blessed Patriarch had respect unto the goodness and power of God, 
Rom. 4. 17.  whereby he quickeneth the dead, & calleth those things which be not, as though they were: And therefore that above hope, that he should be the father of many Nations, according to that which was spoken to him. So shall thy seed be. 
Gen. 15. 5.  And be not weak in this faith, considered not his own body, which was now dead, being almost an hundredth years old, neither the deadness of Sara's womb: Neither did he doubt of the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in the faith, and gave glory to GOD, being fully assured, that he which had promised, was also able to do it, and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. etc. Hereby may every one easily perceive that faith undoubtedly believeth that those things shall be performed, and through the goodness and power of God be brought to pass, which otherwise seem never possible to be performed; that faith doth always look into the promises and power of God: and finally, that faith is an assured, certain, undoubted, and invincible persuasion, conceived of the goodness and power of God, whereby this glory is ascribed, attributed, and entitled to God, that he both will and also can save us. All which are signified in that usual and accustomed form of confession, which every one privately undertaketh and pronounceth for himself, saying: I believe in God. For in these few words is set forth and contained the whole sum and signification of faith.  
Now hear and mark in few words, how thou art justified by faith. Even as the Apostle teacheth us, 
Rom. 4. 5.  that Abraham was justified by faith, without works, and that his faith and sure persuasion of God's goodness and power was imputed to him for righteousness: so must thou make thy reckoning (whosoever thou be that acknowledgest thyself a grievous sinner, and that thou art guilty of the manifold breach of God's law, and that thou hast no good works of thine own to oppose and set against the severity of God's judgement) that thou likewise and in the same sort, shalt be justified by faith without works, as the Apostle in that Chapter evidently and plainly testifieth. He saith there also further, that it is not written for him only, that it was imputed to him for righteousness, but also for us, to whom it shallbe imputed for righteousness, which believe in him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead: who was delivered to death for our sins, and is risen again for our justification. This therefore is required at thy hand (see in thou hast no manner of help in thyself, whereby to obtain thy salvation, either by thine own works or any others) that thou conceive a sure and undoubted faith, and a steadfast and firm persuasion of the goodness and power of God: and that thou be fully persuaded, and thoroughly assured in thy conscience: that God the father, will receive thee again into favour, that he will pardon & forgive thee thy sins, and that he will justify and make thee righteous for his son jesus Christ, as he by his own express words, by his holy Prophets, and last of all, by the same his beloved son, hath graciously promised. For if from the bottom of thy heart, thou unfeignedly believe the promises of God touching this matter made unto the holy fathers of old, be thou assured that thou art in the king's high way to justification and salvation.  
These promises have ever from the beginning of the world hitherto been evidently continued, and shall to the worlds end be most faithfully and truly performed. Immediately after the transgression and fall of our first parents Adam and Eve, this promise of Christ was made unto them, when as the Lord spoke unto the serpent. 
Gen. 3. 58.  I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall break thine head. afterward he spoke unto Abraham, saying: 
Gen. 22. 1.  In thy seed shall all Nations of the earth be blessed. 
Gal. 3. 19  Which promise is excellently expounded by the Apostle, to signify and to be meant of Christ. This promise was likewise made unto David, that of his seed and posterity, Christ the Saviour of the world should be borne. 
●. Sam. 7. ●2.  Many others of the Prophets beside did most clearly and manifestly prophesy and foretell of Christ's coming, 
Psal. 132. ●1.  and of righteousness by him only to be obtained. 
●say. 9.7.  Isaiah in his 53. Chapter, 
●ere. 23. 5.  after many notable speeches of Christ's humiliation & death, 
Mat. 17. 5.  hath lastly these words: 
Act. 13. 23.  He shall see fruit of the travail of his soul, 
●sa. 53. 11.  and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall he justify many: for he shall bear their iniquities. To be short, many figures, signs and types, ascertained, insinuated and represented unto men's minds, those things which were to be done & finished by Christ for our justification: 
Num. 21. 9  the brazen serpent was set upon a pole in the wilderness, 
Joh. 3. 14.  and sundry sacrifices by the Israelites used, 
Exod. 2. 48.  were figures of Christ, 
Heb. 9 9  and foreshowed both his coming in the flesh, & his death which he should suffer for our justification.  
Now that thou mayest know, how for Christ, and in Christ our sins are pardoned and forgiven us, and righteousness imputed unto us, thou must look into his death, which he suffered to pacify and satisfy the wrath of God the father for our sins. This singular benefit, and unspeakable act of Christ, together with the most sovereign virtue and efficacy of the same, is in many places both of the old Testament and of the new, notably described. For this his death and passion was figured and foreshowed by the types and sacrifices before expressed. This death and passion of our Saviour and redeemer Christ, was most excellently, pithily, and clearly set out and foretold by the Prophet Isaiah in the Chapter afore recited. 
Isa. 53.  And Christ saith himself: This is the blood of the new Testament which is shed for you and for many, 
Mat. 26. 28  for the remission of sins. 
Mar. 14. 24  By the death and bloodshed of jesus Christ, 
Rom. 4. 25.  we are said, 
Eph. 1. 7.  in many places of scripture to be sanctified and cleansed from our sins. 
 1. 14  In an other place also the Apostle speaking 
Heb. 13. 12  of Christ, 
1. john. 1. 7.  saith: 
a Eph. 5. 20.  He gave himself for us, to be an offering and a sacrifice etc. In this sort therefore, and after this manner, doth our heavenly father (being pacified and pleased with us through the death of Christ) forgive and pardon our sins, and imputeth unto us his righteousness.  
But thou wilt say; how know I, whether this merit of Christ, this remission of sins, and this gift and imputation of righteousness for Christ, be beneficial, profitable, and appliable to me or no? For we must ever stand in fear and doubt, lest we be excluded from the participation of those so unestimable benefits, as Christ brought and wrought. But to answer thee in this case, and because thou shalt not be unfurnished of a stayed persuasion herein, be thou thus assured, that the word of God doth most plainly direct and point thee to sundry places, and allegeth unto thee manifold texts and reasons, whereby thou mayst undoubtedly know that thy sins are forgiven thee for Christ's sake, if thou dost earnestly repent thee of thy wickedness, and withal believe that God the father for Christ his son, will receive thee into favour, and forgive thee thy sins, in this thy believing, be thou sure thou shalt obtain pardon and remission of all thy sins and offences, which the scripture doth in many places testify and declare. 
Gen. 15. 6.  Abraham believed God, & it was imputed to him for righteousness. Which sentence, the Apostle in his Epistle to the Romans, namely in his fourth Chapter, useth for his theme, or principal groundwork to his whole discourse of this matter there by him handled. 
Heb. 11.  The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews affirmeth, that all the holy fathers, and patriarchs in the old time, were in this sort justified by faith. In the Gospel after john; 
joh. 1. 12. & 3. 15. & 36. & 47.  it is in sundry places by express words said, that so many as believe on the name of Christ, shallbe saved, shall have life everlasting, and shall never come into condemnation. The Apostle Peter also witnesseth the same, saying: To him (even jesus Christ) give the Prophet's witness, that through his name all that believe in him, shall receive remission of sins. In another place also Paul & Silas, 
Act. 10 43  to the same effect, said to the jailers' whom they converted. 
Act. 13. 31  Believe in the Lord jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. Also to the Romans out of the prophet Abacuc. 
Rom. 1. 17  The just shall live by his faith. 
H●bak. 2. 4  Again, The righteousness of God by the faith of Jesus Christ, 
Rom. 3. 22  is unto all, and Upon all that believe. 
Ver. 24.  Again, all are justified freely, 
Ver. 28.  by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood. And again, Therefore we conclude that a man is justified freely without the works of the law, Yea, 
Gal. 3. 7.  in the third to the Galatians, in the second to the Ephesians, 
Ephes. 2. 8.  the third to the Philippians, 
Phil. 3. 6.  and the third to Titus, 
Tit. 3. 5.  it most manifestly appeareth, and is most plainly showed, that by faith only in Christ, without any wo●kes of our own, either coucurring, or furthering, we are freely justified. ⸪  
Thomas Newtonus, Cestreshyrius.  
FINIS.    

A TABLE OF THE Titles of this book, to be found by the number of the Page, as followeth.  
1 WHat the true trial and examination of a Mans own self is: and how generally necessary to all true Christians.  
6 The examination & trial of our own selves must first begin at the consideration of our own corrupt nature.  
13 Whosoever will truly try, & profitably examine himself must diligently consider his promise made made at Baptism, & how well in each point he answereth the same.  
26 No better way for the true trial and examining of ourselves, than by diligent and exact consideration of our deeds, words, & thoughts, by the precise rule of the Law of God.  
169 Of Repentance, Contrition, and Mortification.  
177 Of Faith: And how all true penitent sinners are again justified through faith in Christ Jesus.  
FINIS.   

 
LONDON Printed by john Windet, at the sign of the White Bear in Adling street, near Bayenards' Castle. 1587.