● A MIRROR or clear glass, for all estates, to look in, containing briefly in it the true knowledge and love of god, and the charity of a faithful christian towards his neighbour.  
Remember the marvelous works that he hath done, his wonders also, and the judgements of his mouth.  Psal. 105. 
Make your friends with thunrightous Mammon, that when you yourselves shall have need, they may receive you into the everlasting tabernacles.  Lu. l. 
M.D.LX   decorative engraved border   

〈…〉 dearness of this 〈…〉 the rather pass forth, 〈…〉 hyghues' name and permission into the hands of other, you 〈…〉 faithful subjects, to the shore 〈◊〉 virtue, godly innocency, and more 〈◊〉 strength in the true knowledge 〈…〉 of god: and to be 〈…〉 table after the will 〈…〉 th● am●●ple of his son 〈…〉 most lively and 〈…〉 bly beseech the high 〈…〉 remain and abide ever in 〈…〉 heart, that ye may have will and power thorough his strength, to resist all ●uyll, and joyfully with peace seek his glory in righteousness, and the prosperity and comfort of your commons. We your humble servants and subjects will, as we are undoubtedly in conscience bound with sound hearts, and with one lively faith, pray to god for your highness long preservation: and that he will, in time, so prepare for your quiet contentation and joy, that the blessing of god over you may apparently shine, & that all your whole dominions may also therein rejoice.   

Thomas Paulfreyman unto the christian Reader.  

The majesty of god hath always appeared unto man, by his omnipotency mercy and love.  AS we in time (from time to time) have always perceived and felt the great and unspeakable mercy of god, in signifying unto us his creatures (thorough his grace) his omnipotency and power, and his infinite love and will prescribed unto us in his heavenly and divine word, to the manifestation and plain setting out before our eyes thexcellency of his most glorious majesty: and for his virtue and great puissance to be an only God above all gods: who straightly also respecteth the singularity of his own glory, and seeketh therein the only joy, comfort, strength and salvation of us his people: 
The love of god towards his people.  unto whom he commendeth his laws, his truth, this promises: in whom he only delighteth, and upon whom he gladly pretendeth to synisshe his most beautiful work begun, as hereafter shall more largely appear: whereby we should be the rather more aptly enforced, and lively encouraged, 
The love of God requireth the knowledge of god, and to be loved again, obeyed, and followed.  worthily to acknowledge him, even as he is, in his majesty, most dearly to love him, to honour him, to attend always upon him, and reverently in all things to follow and obey him: as virtue requireth in all good things, to be with goodness again requighted: So to the contrary, of our own rebellious nature, and apt Inclination to sinfulness being but brickle and frail earth, and not thoroughly well handled, instructed, chastised, tamed, or rightly ruled by the diligence of our almighty creator, our Lord, our master, and ruler, but suffer us without regard, punishment, o● or sharp bands, with stretched outhis necks to use the rein at liberty, 
Men of his own nature without god's government is wild, without 〈◊〉 son, and untractable.  or range without restranytie: we are wild, wanton, and skyttishe, very brutish and beastlike without reason: we will appear unskilful, and to want perseverance and good understanding: we will forget by whom we live: we will not acknowledge our maker, nor remember our master that gently speaketh to us, that is careful for us, that feedeth us, that comfortably nourisheth us, 
The fruits that precedeth only of man's nature.  and taketh pain about us: we will neither regard him nor fear him, that is of power to strike & destroy us: we will not in any thing, be ruled by him, nor yield to obey him, but unreverently strive with him, run from him, 
The hearts of the obstinate and ●●ylful people are 〈…〉.  ●●uffe at him, or turn our heels against him: as experience with woe, hath taught throughout all generations from the beginning until this present day: specially the headstrong and wylfulle obstinate people of this world, that hold their only felicity upon the pleasures of this life: whose hearts are hardened against God their maker, maliciously in blindness to repugn his will, and fly from him: no diligence will win them, no doctrine reform them, nor no correction amend them, so damnable is their state and great stoutness of will to wickedness, whereby the mighty and horrible plagues of god hath fallen for their sakes upon the earth, to the destruction of whole nations, countries, and kingdoms, as the scriptures and other stories mentioneth plainly to us, to put us in fear of his omnipotency & sharpness of justice, and to turn us backs from our vain and beastly foolishness, 
The exceeding mer-of God, at our return to god.  whose fast following fountains also of mercy at our return, so far aboundeth the iniquity of man, when it is at the very ripest or highest, that he then continually calleth, and as it were painfully travaileth by certain means, to th'end he may win us, and safely deliver us from she danger of disobedience, if we will yield to his mercy, who will joyfully receive us, clearly remit us, & reward us with everlasting felicity. The order whereof and thexcellency of his works is signified unto us at large, in the book of life: Of the which, gentle reader, I have at the beginning of this my slender labour, made brief relation, taking it for a convenient and most certain ground to plant on my foundation: seeing that chief and above all things, the virtue of christianity and holiness, consisteth by divine influence, in the knowledge of the majesty of God, which can be by no means so direct, as to note well the marvelous order of the works of God, which are great, and marvelous worthy to be praised and had in honour, and to be sought out of all them that love them and have pleasure in them: by the which also we see his omnipotent state and power, the gentleness of his most gracious and divine nature, the mildness of his mercy and the sharpness of his justice: whereby we labour with reverence, not only for the true knowledge of his will how to honour him, or in what manner we shall live before him: 
Our own feebleness driveth us to god for strength to the working of righteousness.  but also feeling in ourselves our own great frailty and feebleness, we sue for his assistance and strength, that our faith, love, and obedience, may ever be lively, constant and perfect before him: and so forth in other virtues, that the service of righteousness, may jointly appear right from righteous men, in such righteous and most pure profession, before so righteous and holy a God. And so I pass forth declaring the ground of mine intent and meaning: how the devil (the sour of sedition and worker of all mischief) hath meruailousely prevalled against us: and how he hath made division amongst us, to the renting and tearing in pieces, the strait bond of our peace to God. I have noted also our love & duty towards our neighbours: and how greatly therein we have disobeyed the will of God: declaring also (certain impediments) presently reigning amongst us, that hindereth much the true charity of God etc. And wherein soever in this work of godliness, I have seemed to serve from due order, not using and tempering the matter, in such wise as wisdom, experience, and great learning would require, to the edifyeng and godly profiting of the diligent and faithful reader: 
A request to the reder.  I humbly beseech the charitable and loving friend, that art zealous to virtue and godliness to bear with my faults, to take in good part the virtue of my good will, and contentedly join thy will to the gracious good will of god, from whom all virtue proceedeth, who chargeth and straightly commandeth thee, that in whatsoever thing thy conscience shall herein judge unto thee to be good, & agreeable to his word, thou do in no wise contemn it, having respect to persons: but embrace it and prefer it, for his glory & praise sake. It is the end of my travail and thouly strait mark, whereunto tendeth the effect of my good will. If it shall please thee of thy goodness, to join with me in that behalf, seeing that nothing is more expedient in the the life of a christian man, 
Nothing is more expedient in the life of a christian man than to be mindful of god.  agreeable to to his profession, or the more beautifieth his honest estimation, then in all his doings to be mindful of God, & in such wise to use them, that God thereby may be always contented, and his name worthily praised and magnified. So that such simplicity and faithful plainness, dedicated from our heart to God, and agreeably among ourselves to bear one with an other, respecting continually the reward of the end: there shall not then be seen in us any spot of reproach, or any blemish of deformity, whether of scornfulness, contempt, 
Fruits from Turrian wicked heart.  or disdaynefulnesse one against an other, which are approved evils springing from wicked hearts: from whence proceed the defamation, rash judgement, slander, detraction, and evil report, to the great hindering, plucking back, and discouraging of faithful and willing hearts, that are at all times aptly bend to be serviceable for the praise of god, & to the commodity or comfort of his people: for whose sakes and godly edifying the fruits of righteousness appeareth from the righteous, as god shall plant in them the plentyfulnesse of his grace: the distribution whereof, appeareth not upon all men alike. If God therefore christian reader, have poured upon thee more abundantly the gifts of his grace, that thou seest and knowest, to his praise, that which I, or many others, neither yet have seen or known: whether by great wisdom, profound learning, or holiness of living with a mortified or subdued body whereby the light also of thy life, more clearly shineth before the world, to the commendation of God and man: and that thou passest forth thy time, appointed of God, with inward joy of thy conscience, as one that were conversant with god in heaven: wholly neglocting the fugitive pleasures of this life, which seemeth to be of mighty force, and annexed to joys incomparable: consider than I humbly beseech thee, with thine accustomed thankfulness to god, the dew office of these said virtues, now abiding in thee, and the heavenly operation of them: which at no time or in any thing who soever have them in possession, 
Neither wisdom learning, nor holienesse of living, sleep in private idleness.  sleep in private idleness, or properly serve for one only man's strength and commodity, to stay him, or work force in him, to his contentation and purpose, or to the well liking only of him, self in all things, and scornfully reproving others, which should seem to be the fruits of a vain and unfriendly spirit, and greatly dissenting from the spirit of grace: but to bear charitably with others Ignorance, baseness of knowledge, or imperfection of holiness, tenderly taking in good part, their present appointed talent, which god hath given unto theun after the measure of his grace: 
The charity of the wise and godly learned.  for thereby truly thy learning thy wisdom, and thy virtuous living shall be the rather approved to those of god, and for the great comfort and good encouragement of me and such other like, to be diligent by the help of God, and to grow to further strength and godly perfection to the praise of God. And in the mean while, where this my present doing, shall in deed seem unto thee, to be but gross, unpleasant, dull and unwitty, void of good order, and barren of eloquencye, which are reproachful impediments, in the skilful and learned wrighter, as I contentedly herein, by thy virtue and wisdom, bear thy patient and learned judgement: this commodity thereby shall redound towards thee, that thorough such unseemliness, disorder, and rudeness, of this my slighty and sleander doings: the excellency of thy lively diligence, and profound wisdom in thy learned travails, shall appear much more beautiful and seemly, and more clearly to shine to thy glory and immortal fame, being now so richly possessed, adorned, and beautified, with so precious and peerless treasures, planted in thee from the God above: Who gently at all times of his most mild nature, taketh in good part, such returned fruits, as he before hath be gone and set in our hearts, according to the depth of his grace: by whose heavenly and divine influence, his fast set root of righteousness he mercifully preserveth, nourisheth, wat●reth, and prospereth, with his celestial distilling moisture or dew of life: that to one or other from the highest to the lawest, from the most perfect taster, to the most insensible creature, choice shall still reign to choose, that at the least some sweetness or good repast may joyfully fall to some. This considered, I for my part am the rather encouraged, or by God's good motion enforced: I am bold so to term it, for as much as no goodness proceedeth from the heart of man, without his assistance and great strength, thereby to spend in this behalf, some p●rcell of my time, to show forth the praise of god in the works of his grace through the increase of virtue by the power of his holy spirit, that the devils most violent and damnable darts, wounding our consciences to ever lasting death, being put by and vanquished, the life of righteousness may flow in us, to the knowledge and love of god: and that we may in the fear of God, seek his peace and unity, to love one an other, and not to be in any wise divided, but to be charitable, pitiful, and friendly one to another, and to prepare for the needful sustentation of the poor membres of jesus Christ, who miserably perisheth for want of succour, that the blessing of God, the father, in his son our Lord and saviour may plentifully descend down amongst us, and upon us all, 
The mercy of god towards the Queen.  to the preservation chiefly of the queens most royal majesty: whom god hath hitherto nourished, blessed, and mightily preserved thorough his mercy, and according to the lively faith and hope of innumerable her true friends and obedient subjects: and contrary to the expectation of many thousands, her malicious & most cruel enemies: our Lord for the greatness of his mercies sake wourks in them Repentance, to the turning of their hearts, and prepare them to be now appliable and obedient subjects, that we may altogether in unity, with faithful and true English hearts, be thankful unto God for her grace, to lean to her, and with a lovely fear to obey her, to honour her, to help her, and rejoice in her our chief sovereign and only high magistrate next under god: whom he with his stretched out arm and almighty power, and without the effusion of any christian blood, or occasion ministered to the same, hath quietly established her, and brought her to her imperial throne, so greatly hath he vanquished the hearts of her enemies, signifying thereby unto us all her true english, 
The purpose of god towards the Queen  and christian subjects, that she is of purpose elected, raised up, and preserved by god, to this imperial dignity, as the appointed seruaunie or high minister of God, for the supportation of peace, and to take the sword of authority in her own hand, to the erecting or re-edifying again of his glory, in peace and righteousness: taking his word of truth, to be her assured good guide, aid, and strength: & by the virtue and Invincible power thereof, to supplant and tread under foot, 
The ver●●e of god's word.  all vain devised fantasies, crastye collusions, & proud usurpations, to the rejoying of Christies' faithful servants, his true friends and ministers: and to the reformation or amendment of all other his disobedient and blind ignorant enemies: if the spirit of grace will so work in them, for their happy conversion, as the new borne children of god: and by her to be supported, preserved, and safely defended, by the authority aforesaid, grounded upon god and her gracious most godly laws. Without which holy conversion and humble submission, leaving all wicked affects, apertly or secretly repugning, murmuring, conspiring, subtle dissembling, or wickedly rebelling against god and his true proceedings, revealed and set forth, from time to time, by his appointed and chosen ministers, for his own glories sake in righteousness, 
In what wise god hath raised up the Queen.  not raised up with cruel rage by us most malicious and wretched creatures, with spear and shseide, or with spre and swourde, but peaceably preserved, and therein supported, by the only virtue of gods divine power: who will stir up whom he su●ceth, and will have his truth to reign and flourish maugre our heads, that hath had, or have cursed beat hearts to the contrary, that are so wifully & blindly addicted to our father's old fossty customs, crept in amongst us by the devils devise, and received or established by men, with their consent, comen counsels, and agreement, without true trial & authority by the wourd of god, or preferment by the spirit of truth, although we call them such holy fathers and so many in number, gathered together at certain times and places: who sought to uphold the sweetness of their terrestrial kingdom, through covetousness and their fair coloured words, and goodly painted shows, making merchandise of us: whose judgement is not far of, and their just damnation sleepeth not: for the breath of God I say, will confound such doings, and our stubborn disobedience shallbe visited with the sword I shall not here need by express words to make mention of the grievous and most terrible destruction, specially of gods peculiar people the jews among other nations, for their great disobedience, wilfulness, pride, and unthankfulness. Consider also that god hath now of late begun again with his own church sharply to visit them and diversely, for their great unthankfulness, 
Wilful and christinate rebellions shallbe 〈…〉 1. The wrath of god towards his people.  in the days of his grace: and did therefore stir up his ministers of unrighteousness diversly, most cruelly and impituouselye, to vex them, to torment them and most shamefully to destroy them as sheep appointed to the slaughter: and in such wise, their merciless cruelty did abound that the favourers of their religion a great numbered of them in the days of king Edward fled from them, they utterly forsook them: for their hearts did abhor them in their doings, 
Occasion of the people's conversion  and were thoroughly persuaded in their consciences, that if they or their religion had been of god, they would have been much more pitiful, and not with such tyranny destroy the professors of Christ: so great was the wrath of god over his people and flock, for thabusing of his grace, and not well ordering themselves in such holy profession. from whom he hath now (ones more) withdrawn his wrath, 
God hating returned his mercy.  thorough his great mercy in jesus Christ, and at the humble intercession (in him) of his most grievous afflicted saints, to the clear shining once again of his glory in truth amongst them, for their further instruction, and more reverent obedience to his laws. If God so bitterly vexed them, whoms he so dearly loved the lovers of his gospel) for their disobedience sake and dissimulation or doubleness: how much more shall the fire of his merciless wrath be kindled against us, that have been before obstinate, 
The wrath of God against his obstinate and wilful enemies.  wilful and old repugners of righteousness, hynderers, blasphemers, consentours to blood shed, and most cruel persecutors to the death, of his true ministers, faithful prophets, preachers, and dearly beloved membres, although we spitefully reviled them, mocked them, and called them seismatikes, and a thousand heretics, with rathe judgement to damnation for ever, not taking heaven nor purgatory charitably in our way: and that notwithstanding such things, are now called again in peace, and will yet persever in such wickedness, and wilfully kick against the prick? Truly truly, we are well warned by the significations of god, 
What the mercies of God 〈…〉 us do● signify.  according to his mercy, to be better scooled, learned, and practised in the doctrine and rules of Christ, and to fear the swourde of god's vengeance, that hangeth by a feeble thread, ready to fall upon us. God is the god of salvation, to all them that will hearken and turn unto him, to lean unto his examples of mercy, to fly from tyranny, or consent to bloodshed (with such like) according to his laws and testimonies, which shall ever rise up against us for our condemnation: byeause we have in them so greatly disobeyed the will of god, obstinately flying from him, in the true faith and conversation of his son jesus, the head corner stone, which the builders refused, and most shamefully contemned and abused; whom he only appointed to be the foundation of our rest and perpetual mansion: Against which (in any one part thereof) we may not spurn to break, 
God handleth all things according to high will, among the powers in heaven and among the inhabitors of the ●●●the and ther●●non● that may resist his had. 〈◊〉 say, what dost thou● Daniel. 4  nor seek by any means to spot and deface, but thankfully embrace and be joyful of gods disposed will, considering it is his own doing, even for his glories sake, although it appear never so marvelous in our eyes: he will have it known that it is the only power of his right hand, & that he himself hath done it. Psal. 100LS. His works are marvelous: his right hand bringeth mighty things to pass: yea the right hand of the Lord hath the pre-eminence: & for the health & salvation of his people, he mightily prevaileth in all his entents. Ps. 118. Therefore to conclude (without long depending in admiration) seeing that God's determinations in righteousness (as he himself is a God of righteousness, must most certainly appear in brightness, and of necessity be accomplished a 'mongst us: against whose will in his works no man may without danger rebel: let us examine well ourselves and try our salvation in truth, by the assistance of the spirit of truth: and thereby know our assured leaning stay, and which way we shall rightly walk, and not stand so fast in assurance, to our ancient termed customs: and because the great part of christendom, thorough simple or wilful ignorance, reeleth blindelye that ways, nor remembering the smallness and mild trade of Christ's stable flock, how patiently they bear the cross of Christ, and suffer rather to be persecuted then persecute: unto whom god promised strength, and to be amongst them for their comfort, even in the midst of the tire (although we wickedly judge of them to die obstinately, vain gloriouselye, desperately, & most beastly, 
Wicked wourkers judge wickedly.  like a sort of dogs, or very hellhounds, with such other malicious, rash, and most cursed railing judgement, contrary to god, and the hearts of all godly men) neither regard we the example and steps of their conversation, 
The conversation of the wicked  through shameless pride, ambition, stoughtnes, covetousness, outward holiness, uncleanness, maliciousness, cruel murder, with such like wickedness, sprung up in the church of Christ, which are the fruits of the devil, and thincensements of a wicked spirit, and therefore refused of the perfect and righteous christians, because they be contrary to th'example of Christ, and his holy Apostles: who teacheth us to try spirits, and to know the tree by the fruit: but to yield us with all humbleness both body and soul, 
How to attain the grace of god.  into the hands of god, and refer with reverence (in such time of controversy) th'effect of our whole faith and salvation, to the wourking of his grace, by the power of his holy spirit, to the lightning of our understanding, and to put by doubtfulness, all controversies, sects, and divisions: 
One God  that as we have but one only God, god our heavenly Father, Christ our only saviour, and the holy spirit our comforter: all three in glory equal, all one in substance, and in unity also all one and undivided: 
One faith.  So we (the professors of his name) may have but one only quick and lively faith in one religion (the true rule of christ) to the knitting of our hearts in christian unity, and to be undivided, 
The virtue of christian unity.  to the fecling in ourselves the true peace of God, and th'exercise of gods heavenly charity: whereby our eyes shall be opened to see and receive his very perfect and lovely obedience: reverently to submytie ourselves to all his holy and most godly ordinances: and with a thankful and mild christian spirit (according to our most bounden duty) to pray for the Queen's most excellent majesty, that God (for the greatness sake of his mercy, will henceforth bless her, preserve her, and prepare so for her, that her reign may be long and prosperous amongst us, with much joy, honour, wealth, strength, and victory over her enemies, that she may the more quietly in the fear of God, seek above all things the glory of God in righteousness, according to the truth of his word: and that his ministers also under her, may be endued with the spirit of truth, that his truth in righteousness, may beautyfully and clearly shine throughout her grace's dominions to his everlasting praise, and that we being also blessed under her highness hand (with ready prepared hearts for the grace of God) may have sufficient of all things, to the sustentation of our earthily bodies, subduing always the enemies of the common wealth, that we her humble and loving subjects, may rejoice (thorough her highness) in the great mercies of God, and be thankful; loving more perfectly one another, and apply ourselves with more pitiful and tender hearts, to see our poor neighbours and christian brethren better relieved and provided for, that God (in jesus Christ may still unto the end hold his merciful hand over us, and finish his good wourke upon us, newly again begun: to the exaltation, praise, and glory of his most blessed & holy name, which alone is worthy all honour and glory. Amen.  
The peace of God the father through our lord jesus Christ, by the working of his holy spirit in you, abide in all your hearts, and kindle in you the fire of his love. Amen.   

IF we the children of Adam deeply would consider, and ponder diligently from the beginning, the majesty of thimmortal God: In beholding simply and with all humbleness (both externely and with our inward senses) his omnipotent power and workmanship in heaven and in earth: the marvelous order of his doings, 
Gene. 1.  and his most happy intent towards mankind in the same: what great appearance there was of his most dear and singular love, that after the creation (first) of heaven and earth, as also the deep and bottomless seas, and all things innumerable in them contained (and by his blessing tencreace and multiply) for the ready use service, and pleasure of man: how he then (in time) made man a creature among all other his lovely creatures, most glorious, beautiful and seemly, yea, and after his own image and similitude a living soul, breathing into him the breath of life: 
Gene. 2. Eccle. 32. 1. Cor. 15.  how he made him lord and ruler, and to have dominion over all, & gave names unto all manner of cattle, fowls of th'air, and beasts of the field, how he planted a garden of pleasure, and there set man, whom he had formed, to dress it, to keep it, and to enjoy all the lovely pleasures thereof, only one thing excepted, from the which (because he would theridamas should be signified unto him with reverence, low submission as unto God his maker, and his duty in obedience) he streyghtned the rein of his freely vertie, and laid the burdeyne of his grievous commandment upon his shoulders, saying unto him: 
Gene. 5. Eccle. 11.  Of all the trees of the garden, thou shalt eat, and use at liberty, for the accomplishment of thy full delight and pleasure: but of the tree of Knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat: and gave him further a sharp and most bitter threat, saying: Take heed, and be well aware of this my commandment: for the same day thou eatest of that tree, thou shalt die the death. It is here then to be noted after this strait precept of God, what great danger (through disobedience) man stood in: and how the most subtle and malicious serpent the devil and onnemye to mankind (who always and by all means possible, despitefully seeketh his destruction, watched his time, and immediately devised to work his present confusion, through his sleighty & sweet sugared tale unto the weak & frail woman, 
Gene. 3. 2. Cor. 11.  telling her they should be as gods, and know both good and evil, not withstanding the commandment of god (if they would eat of that fruit) whereby without fearing god, & forgetful of his former love towards them, of their most blyssefull and high estate, and of the place of great pleasure, where he had planted them, neither yet remembering his strait commandment and most terrible threatening of death, their hearts were sore blinded, they were utterly deceived, they received the foul spot of the serpent, they were desyled with disobedience & pride, and hastened to leave God their maker their dear and most loving frond, and followed the devil and his most cursed suggestions, being their mortal and deadly enemy, and to taste of that most bitter and forbidden fruit of death and everlasting damnation, which by the justice of God, and according to the doom of their own consciences, through their most wretched disobedience) they had duly deserved: 
Gene 2.  for their faults were then opened unto them, they knew assuredly they had done amiss, and therefore they sled and ran into corners, to cover and hide themselves with leaves, and among the trees, from the face and presence of god as (in themselves already condemned) most disobedient to the voice of god, and wretched sinners, and durst not appear nor show their faces: so loathsome and foul was their spot apparent in their own eyes. And God that created them, not yet forsaking them, 
Esay. 40. jere. 30.  but still bearing his tender compassion & mercy towards man, would not yet leave him but sought him out where he had hid himself, he called unto him, he gently talked with him, & herd the ground of that most heinous & great offence. And so consequently according to his divine will and justice, rewarded every of them: the malicious serpent for his part, the frail woman for her part, 
Gene. 3.  and likewise the unhappy man with the malediction of god upon th'earth: and for his part also deprived from his former & most blissful estate, cast out of the garden of pleasure, and constrained to labour and to till the earth, from whence he was taken, and so miserably with great travail and sorrow, and with the sweat of his own brows, to get his bread. So that unto man, that sorrowful & rejected creature, there appeared then no hope of redress, in that his present distress and most woeful misery, but rather utter desperation and increase of all sorrow, continual tribulation and travail, pain and anguish in body and soul, corporal death and eternal damnation, till God (still renewing his love, which is unspeakable and infinite) made promise unto man, that Christ the second Adam, 
Rom. 5. Colos. 1. Luc. 11.  the seed of the woman, and saviour of the world, should in time be raised up, to ou●● come sin, and like a valiant & most puissant conqueror, to destroy the anuyll, death, hell, and damnation: 〈◊〉 that also by him shallbe restor●● 〈◊〉 (through a lively faith) the gra●● 〈…〉 heavenly father, peace and 〈…〉 conscience, 
Esay. 53. john. 3. Act. 10.  and eternal salvation 〈◊〉 che he undoubtedly did than 〈…〉 therefore obtained grace: whole 〈◊〉 also we are, and spotted imps, springing out from that old, crooked, and stooping tree: a stock unstable, wavering and always leaning, and ready with every storm and tempest of tentation to fall, such is the feebleness thereof and corrupted nature: whose fruits continually are none other, but rotten and unsavoury work: as blind ignorance, disobedience, pride, & stoughtnes, mistrust, contempt of god and godly things, fervent lusting after carnal things, scornfulness, hatred and malice, self love, with innumerable such other audible stuff and stinking store, and therefore most worthy the banishment of all pleasure and the presence of god, to wander the earth in misery, and to sustain as rotten branches, the stroke of the axe, 
Math. 7. Luke. 3.  and to be cast for ever into hell fire. For the which and from the danger whereof, we also know none other remedy (if we desire the favour of God, to be his faithful servants, his obedient children and heirs of his kingdom) but to seek our purgation in jesus Christ, whose name we have professed, whom we acknowledge to come from above, the son of God, 
Esay. 7.  and very God (and to be incarnate in the womb of the virgin, 
Esay. 7. Luke. 20. john. ●. Rom. 8. Philip. 2.  that he here lined perfect man amongst us in the flesh, immaculate and unspotted, and suffered all kind of affliction in the flesh: yea even very death: and that the most cruel and shameful death of the cross. for the redemption and freedom of us disobedient and wretched sinners, to purge us, 
Esay. 54,  and with the effusion of his blood, to wash and make clean our spotted and most filthy souls, and so to restore us again to the grace of our heavenly father: from whom (with our sinful father, like frail and unthankful creatures, we were sled: and through our instability and lightness, like runagates, rebellious and presumptuous children, 
Esay. 23. Psal 119,  wandering a strate like lost sheep, & fallen even into the lap or mouth of the roaring and devouring lion the devil: whose tearing teeth and insatiable throat is always wide, strained, and firmly fixed impituously to rent, deform, and devour the beauty of god's creation: unto whom we were in most bitter thraldom, his servile and very bond slaves, the children of sin, and death, and for ever thunquenchable tyrebrandes of hell. From the which he hath mercifully delivered us, restored us unto strength, peace, and quietness of mind, he hath filled us full of joy, he hath made us to be of the company of the aungelies, 
john. 1. 1. Cor. 6. 1. Cor. 11.  and the sons of God, the heirs of immortality, the membres of his body, and our bodies the temples of the holy ghost: our minds the images and the secret habitatle of the deity. 
1. Cor. 1.  And therefore most worthily we acknowledge him to be our only saviour and redemption, our righteousness and sanctification, our only justifier and reconciliation to god the father, and have therefore promised to reverence his glorious and most excellent name, 
Pro. 18. Act. 4.  whereunto the righteous flieth, as unto a strong castle, for their strength, safeguard, and salvation) which is most blessed and praise worthy for ever, Amen. Thus (I say if we the spotted children of our sinful father, 
The remembrance of the wourhes of god, leadeth us to the knowledge and love of god.  would happily remember as we have professed the marvelous works of GOD, and the order of his doings in the beginning, as have been here but briefly touched (besides the innumerable examples of his omnipotency, mercy, and also his justice, signified unto us throughout his holy scriptures, and that we also ourselves have both felts and seen in our days, to thexaltation of his own glory, and to the blessing, great comfort, and rejoicing of his dear, obedient, and most loving friends: and to thutter overthrow, rooting out, and destruction of his cursed and most malicious enemies, 
Roma. 1.  we should have good cause not only to acknowledge him an omnipotent God, and immortal, holy, righteous, and merciful, and therefore in a certain manner, for those his most blessed and singular graces, a far of with a stipper love, as did our father Adam, to love him again: but rather we should have good occasion to love him unfeignedly, 
Exod. 2●. Deute. 6.  as obedient and constant children, according to his most holy commandment, even with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our strength and power: and fear to offend him, because also we know him to be a just god, and terrible in wourking his revengement against his enemies, for their dissimulation, unthankfulness, disobedience, coldness, and slippernes. Then, forasmuch as we here see, whereby tacknowledge God and his love; and for his love to love him again, and for his justice to fear him, I think it (at this present) convenient, some thing to touch particularly of our love to God, 
Math. 2●. Eccle. 1.  which is the first and greatest commandment, as also to ours neighbours, and then of the fear of god, that should always possess our hearts, which is the right and true service of god: whereby we shall the better know ourselves, our lovely obedience to god, and our love also and duty towards our neighbours, But before (herein) I proceed any further, I make mine humble suit unto you (my dear country men, my neighbours, loving friends and christian brethren) that the ground of your hearts being well wrought, moilified, and soft tempered with the dew of god's grace, ye will now patiently hear, and aptly receive this exhortation offered unto you, not from me (most wretched sinner) but rather from him, an by his only good motion, from whom proceedeth all virtue and goodness, 
Philip. 2.  (which also work the in us both the will and also the deed even of his good will and favour: that the lively seeds or plants of his heavenly and divine spirit, being firmly set or deep sown in your hearts, fast root may there be taken, that naturally in time without delay like forward imps and fresh flourishing branches in the garden or vine yard of Christ, 
E●dr. 5 john. 15.  the quick and lively buds, blossoms, leaves, and the lovely fruits of his fatherly increase and blessing, may appear wourthies his glorious contentation, beautifulle, large, and seemelye: and to the senses of your own souls, sweet in taste, comfortable, delicate, and dainty. So that the operation of love (that most singular and acceptable virtue to god) shall have power & force in you: whereof I will now proceed, grounding mine intention only upon the enmity and malice of mankind, how against god's will and the law of nature our hearts are cursedly bent: 
Through small occasion our hearts are ●endeled to mischief.  not only upon good occasion, or for great causes, as we use to term them, but for every trifling & light matter also we will quarrel and fall out one with an other: one country or kingdom against another: natural countrymen one against another (by mutanies, conspiracies, civil wars, and commotions:) yea, natural brethren one seek to destroy another: suporiours also and inferiors: spiritual men, temporal men: rich men, poor men: familiar companions: near Neighbours and friends: And finally, even from the prince to the poor plough man, or most wretched wandering beggar, we are all divided, we are all fled from Christ, the serpent hath deceived us, for we have all rebelled, and have broken the bond of the peace of god. Heaven and earth (if we list to know it) bear manifest witness against us of our cursedness, hardness of heart, and maliciousness. Whose unnatural and rare seen signs, signifieth unto us the ire of god, for our chosen way of iniquity, god by his mercy sendeth them unto us, and before our eyes, to admonish us, to put us in fear, and to remember his justice: and that without speedy repentance his swift vengeance by some terrible mean shall shortly overrun and consume us. Whereof the true ministers and preachers of the word of God, 
Strange signs signifieth unto us the coming of god's wrath.  hath, and do, from time to time (before the imminence fall of the wrath of god) thundered in our ears, our most detestable and wicked state of life, and the terror also of his most bitter revengement, duly thereafter ensuing. 
Our consciences condemneth  Of the which also our own consciences beareth witness against us: they preach unto us: the wourme gnaweth in us: it vexeth and tormenteth us: and describeth plainly unto us our most just damnation to come. And as Satan hath seemed sleightily to compass us: and by his craftyingins to wound and overthrow us, and lead us captive from the lyghtesome and lively way of Christ, into his most loathsome hypathes of dackenes, danger, and death: So we thunexperte soldiers in the camp of Christ, and utterly void of the fencible armour of god (without resistance) cowardly suffer ourselves to sustain the devils most damnable and deadly darts, and to be used as his bond slaves and cursed instruments, 
Faint courage in christian soldiers.  to work in all mischiefs, his most noisome appointed purposes. And for the probation whereof, whether is this truly said or not? 
We fear neither god not the fevil.  God and his laws we esteem not: of our oaths & promises we pass not: of god's kingdom we think not: his power we regard not: his only glory we seek not: which end go forward we care not: No, it plainly seemeth in deed amongst us, that hell fyro also we fear not. Whereby we show ourselves not only to be of ourselves very corruption, the sede and frail flesh of our disobedient father Adam, but rather the natural brethren and right companions in deed, of cursed Cain, 
We are companions, and natural brother● to to Come.  the serpent's seed: whose poisoned nature, cankered rebellion, wilful disobedience, pretenced malice, murmuring and murder break forth in time, to the kendling upon himself, the heavy indignation and wrath of god: whose vility also and noisome state of life, our hearts will seek to follow, to the purchasing unto ourselves the like damnable reward and assured end of destruction. Verily, if we the children of Adam (engendered of most frail filthiness, and wonderfully defiled with Satan's sleights, were not thereby approved and known cursed Caynites: that is to safe, the apt companions and unfeigned followers of wicked Cain's affect: and did detest utterly the unclean steps of Cayn, but were the lively and true children of peace, and the mild followers of righteousness, with blessed Abel, guided by the good spirit of God: we would not be as we are, so hateful, such seckers of variance, kendlers of division, wourkers of mischief, nor such merciless committers of unnatural and deadly murders, as the evil imps of Satan, and the wilful destroyers of the christian Abelles: Namely the faithful members of jesus Christ: hindered, conspired against, rashly judged and murdered, by the devil, and by us his naughty noisome membres. For in stead of thallowed & true love of christ, whereby we should bless, preserve, & succour our brother: 
Gene. 4.  we have the hateful loathsome love of Cain, whereby we curse, annoy, & destroy our brother. And the cause also why, we ourselves do know: that is: because our own work being evil cannot abide, 
1. joan. 3.  but have in utter detestation our brother's most godly and righteous work. Therefore unto the dear lovers & friends of god, it is nothing at all marvelous, that they be in such wise hated, & in danger of the unrighteous & most wicked worldlings: by whom (as I said) they are continually assaulted & bewrapt in misery. Of whose further conversation or unkindness (namely of the wicked) through corruption of nature in other particular evil, to their own great hurt, & to the utter discomfort or hurt of god's people: shall in divers points hereafter, more plainly be manifest, neither is this here spoken properly, in the respect of any one man, or of a few persons, either only of the clergy or of the laity, for the due execution of justice in honest & godly causes, neither is there here any thing spoken against the noble virtue of magnanimity, valiant stoughtnes or courageous resitting wicked enemies, at due times, in necessary causes, & in the fear of god, whether only for particular cases, or for the most needful defence of a country, or common wealth: Neither now of this present time, or only here of England (one christian region so called among the rest) or otherwise solely and generally of all barbarous nations (besides ourselves) that have not known god: but specially of the whole and universal dispersed church of all Christendom (which should most clearly shine in righteousness) hath been and is sowly contaminated, and the whole body thereof imbrued, with these most damnable and dyveilishe spots, of maliciousness, wrath, and murder: yea, they seem to be spots (alas for pity) so deeply set, dried up, and inward lie rankeled, that they are utterly to be immundified and irradicable (as though god had clearly withdrawn the plentifulness of the moisture of his grace from us) to purge waste, and consume all filthy affects in us, because he hath called unto us, and we wickedly abusing our senses, have not endeavoured ourselves to here and understand his will for our christian conversion and saving health: but have not withstanding still with rage, hungrely hunted to spy our prey: and in spying, we have fallen to scattering: and in scattering (without ceasing) have fallen to chasing, violent strong straining, and short breathing, till we have (at the least) fore wearied, grievously pinched, piteously wounded, or else most greedily devoured: yea, we are therefore no less known and well tried, then very forward imps, approved swift followers, skilful and cunning hunters, and unfeigned lovers of this our forefixed and most merciless wicked game. And certainly, if they (whom we have in chase) escape at our hands, a mischievous or deadly danger, as truly they seldom do: we may then say as they have always said: Go thy ways, thou hast escaped a scouring, or passed through the pikes. For in our natures, from the beginning, we have been so mischievous, cankered, and furious, rooted in unhappiness, wedded to wickedness, and imagining mischief as law: 
Psal 94.  that if we can get them at advantage, or coat them in their race, & that God assist them not mightily in their course: we will assuredly overthrow them, with lyngryuge pains torment them, and gredllye gnash (in the end) their bones in sunder. Upon whose abominable outrage, filthy affect and corruption, god looked down from heaven, to behold amongst us the state of our understanding, our desire to know him, and our diligence in seeking after him: But he perceived plainly that we were all out of the way: that we were treaders of his paths: that we were altogether become abominable: that there was none of us good: that our throats were as the open sepulchres: how with our tongues we had deceived: 
Psal. 14.  that the poison of asps was under our lips: that our mouths were full of cursing, venom, and bitterness, that our feet were swift to shed blonde: that destruction and unhappiness was in our ways: that the way of peace was unknown to us, and that we had not before our eyes the reverend fear of God. What can we say, but that all these and such other like evils mentioned in gods holy writ, of this generation, have been felt from time to time, throughout christendom (generally) and in all ages? have they not been fulfilled? It were happy for us, in these our days, if we could say, it were not so. But we must needs say, as experience hath most truly (with bitterness) taught to the contrary. For we may avouch with tears, that the souls of the righteous, 
Psal. 120.  and the true lovers of God hath long dwelt (with woe and great misery) amongst them that are enemies unto the peace of god. Unto whom notwithstanding, when diligent suit and labour hath been most most humbly made by the righteous, for the upholding of this peace (tending to the glory of god, and their own salvation) they have changed their countenances (with Cain): 
Genes. 4.  they have grown exceeding wrath: they have gnashed their teeth at them: they have stopped their ears against them and have prepared themselves immediately to bloody battle or murder. And have showed hatred with cursed Cain, against those whom god most dearly loved. But what get they at any time thereby? Are they not therefore (with bloody Cain) most wourthitie accursed? And for this their hurtful rebellion, wrathfulness, & the breach of god's peace, known where so ever they be scattered or intermeddled in the true church of god to be the right synagogue of Satan, & the serpents most poisoned and noisome seed, only rooted in the rotten hearts, and stinking soil of the wicked, growing up and spreading over the whole face of the earth: even very dust and dross, the ofscouring and filth of the earth, the venomous slynking weeds, and most filthy rotten dung, spoiling, spotting and poisoning (where it may) the pure and wholesome air, the beautiful and goodly grounds, the lovely green pastures, the sweet smelling herbs, and the most fair flourishing flowers, fruits, and trees, enclosed with glory in the most amiable, seemly, and precious garden of Christ: yea and that by his only power also, this most pestilent and infectious filthy dung, shall be in time, as mire in the streets, thrown out, even by that most just, most pure, most puissant, and almighty prince of peace: and shall for ever sustain with the devil and cursed Cain, the violence of his wrath, the weighty stamp of confusion under his feet, and his most fierce & furious spourne, into the bottomless pit & stinking lake of hell. God shall recompense our wickedness and destroy us in our malice: yea, I say, even the Lord god, he it is that shall destroy us: he watcheth over us: and when we in our ungodliness, lest fear him, and bear our selves against him, and against the peace, health, and life of his people: when we are green as the grass, and at the ripest, and that all our works of wickedness do most abound and flourish: then shall we be destroyed, and everlastingly perish with our works of wickedness, even by the same Lord that is most high, and liveth in glory for ever? We are called unto by the mild voice of god, to attain to the knowledge and understanding of god: to love him: to seek after him: to be a right follower of him: to keep holy his laws and ordinances: to acknowledge our wickedness: co confess our weakness: to call for strength: to turn from evil, and to do good, to show obedience: to be humble and full of humility: to be merciful, charitable, and friendly: 
Heb. 13. john. 12.  to embrace love: to seek peace also, and ensue it. He crieth unto us, Peace, peace: peace be with you, and peace be amongst you: peace within, and peace without: yea, have joyfulness and peace in your consciences: be charitable and follow peace with all men and holiness: without the which, no man shall see the Lord got: who only of himself is a god of all purity and holiness: and seeketh according to his nature, the only peaceable and pure heart of man: unto whom, as unto the faithful lovers of his testimonies, like a merciful and loving GOD, yieldeth unto them the bountifulness of his grace, and to be their ready help in all necessities. And it is signified unto us by the spirit of god, that great is the peace of the righteous, and such as fear God, and that they never be offended at it. It behoveth you then to be wise, peaceable, and loving: and that ye also take good heed, least ye be destitute of the knowledge and grace of God: neither that ye refuse that, 
God offereth his grace freely unto all me.  which he so freely and largely offereth unto all men: that ye also in his holy peace, may not be hurtful, but favourable, plenteous, and bountiful in all good works, to thexaltation of his name, that is rich of grace and plentiful. Use freely therefore the grace of god in the way of peace, neither respect persons therein: And know, that the peace of god may not be patched or colourably disguised: for all as we that be of Christ (even from the highest to the lowest) have received but one only way (thorough the power of his spirit) to enter the bond of peace: so must we, all and every of us, indifferently have peace with all men. 
Rom. 12.  Concord must be kept: we may not break unity: 
1 Cor. 1. Rom. 12.  we must be all of one mind: there may be no dissension amongst us: we may not recompense unto any man evil for evil: neither may we wickedly spend our time in vain talking, 
jacob. 4.  foolysshe babbling, vile detracting, or rash judging one an other: for by such things are broken our true faith, fidelity, and promise, and our perfect love and peace that we own to God. And he that is a back biter also and judger of his brother, as a most wicked and rebellious member, backebiteth and judgeth the law, which is holy and good, & deeply graven in the hearts of the righteous. If true love and charity, by the good law of God, to his praise, and to the prosyte of our neighbour, only belongeth unto us: then nothing at all verily, of our vain talking, 
We may not be rash in judgement or otherwise to the hurt of our neighbome.  detraction, rash and blind foolish judgement, or otherwise, whereby we may hurt our neighbours, belongeth unto us. For the peace of god and unity is our profession: and the virtue of charity, true friendship, and godly love, should should be always our very hungers and lust, for our honest preferment to the estimation of God: yea it is the fulfilling of his law. But to use foolish babbling, detraction, or undirect judgement, to the hurt of our neighbour belongeth not to us: for we are corrupted in our understanding: we are carnal: our judgements are unperfect: we are wilful and effectionate: 
Because we are affectionate and wilful our judgements are unperfect.  we are either foolish, blind, or full of maliciousness: by which means, we rather (before God) seek his offence and displeasure, than the increase of virtue, or the godly reformation of our neighbours abuse, whereof we will talk and vainly waste our breath. If we will seem to busy ourselves in cases of judgement, or to look narrowly upon other men's matters, let us first painfully and with diligent travail, 
If we first examine a ourselves, we shall the better liscerne the doings of other.  examine and judge of ourselves, what reproachful wickedness our own hearts possesseth, what venomous filth lieth lurking therein, and the great blindness also that is in our own eyes: that we may then the better discern the doing of other: and so with compassion to order all things for our neighbours comfort & commodity. We are first required to the trial and examination of our own state, 
When our eyes and hearts are clear and unspotted we shall show forth the fruits of a good spirit, to the example of other. But to the contrary, if our eyes be wicked, and our hearts corrupted: we show forth the fruits of an evil spirit, to others decay  & to judge of ourselves, lest we be in deed, judged of the lord: whose judgements are infallible, and righteous altogether. When our own eyes are opened, clear, unspotted, and pure: & our hearts clean purged of all impurity, than it shall beautifully appear (in such things as we shall have to do) that we possess a good spirit: by whose power and holiness, all our doings shallbe comely and well done, even according to the divine nature thereof. But to the contrary, if our eyes be wicked, or our own hearts foul and corrupted: we shall show forth the fruits of an evil and wicked spirit: whether it be by hasty judgement, lying, detraction, falls accusation. etc. which are notable evils, not belonging to us that have professed Christ: who by his word hath commanded us, to seek peace & quietness, to love one another, and to keep ourselves from murmuring, which profiteth nothing, & to spare our tongues from slanderous reports and backbyghtynges: for an idle word shall not pass in vain, and the mouth that speaketh lies, slayeth his own soul. 
Sapi. 1.  who art thou (saith saint Paul) that judgest another man's servant? 
Rom. 1●.  He standeth or talleth unto his Lord: yea he may well stand, for god is able to make him stand There is one law giver & judge, 
jacob 5.  which is only able to save and to destroy. What art thou then that judgest another? 
Eccle. 18.  judge first thyself before the judgement come: so shalt thou be sure to find grace in the sight of God. 
Ephe. 4.  judge not therefore (I require thee) that thou be not judged again. Walk as it becometh your calling (wherein ye are called, 
Ezechi. 18 Gal. 〈◊〉.  with all humbleness of mind, meekness, and long suffering, forbearing one another in love: and be diligent to keep the unity of the spirit, through the bond of peace: for every man shall bear his own burden, and receive his reward accordingly. Therefore spend your times in the conteplation of bevenly things: be friendly, love together with patience, and pray one for an other that ye may all be saves. In love and peace the good soul rejoiceth: 
jacob. 5. Rom. 16. Ephe. 2.  and our hearts by love and peace, are united to the god of peace. In whom peace abideth, there the grace of God abundantly floweth: And the possessors thereof purchase unto themselves to be called the sons of God. 
Math. 5.  Whose godly and divine minds are always bend to do well, and not to consent to any evil: they are patient: there is in them no desire of revengement: no murmuring, no rebellion, no discord, no dissension or variance abiding. Among many virtues, that god giveth unto men (his faithful and special good friends: in whom through Christ he delighteth) are chiefly known in this life, by having in them these three principal virtues, 
Three virtues ..  that is, love, peace, and patience. Which comfortably shineth from the hearts of the righteous, in great beauty and clearness before the face of god, to the rejoicing and comfort of his people, and to the great laud and praise of his name. Whereby also, the world for alight and example unto it, may well see whom they do possess, what good spirit guideth them, and to what godly end they are so guided. For by their said virtue of love, 
love.  they joyfully pass forth their time, and spend their lives with inward travail or outward pain in the flesh: not properly in any thing touching themselves, or for their own singular gain and commodity: but first respecting the known will of God, they obedientely (to his praise in all points) easily perform the only strait named bond of charity. They are so lively possessed with the good spirit of God, that touching their inward man, they freely with joy set forth thacceptable good work of god. And as love in all cases of necessity, is presently apt to secure and comfort, without respect of persons: 
Peace.  so peace also adjoined to love (& both derived from the love of god) sorcibly join themselves together, to prevent dangers that inwardly breedeth in the conscience (through thinfirmity of the flesh) or such also as hindereth the continuance of our natural lives in the flesh. 
patience.  And touching patience in thapproved man of God, 
3. Reg. 21. 4. Reg. 14. Esdras. 18. Psal. 44. Roma. 8.  what friend or enemy, by word or deed can pluck him back from the bond of love, friendship or amity? What vexation or forment in the flesh, suffereth god to be laid upon him, but he will contentedly bear it, and that for the love of God? so deeply in such, hath he planted his grace. But we commonly, (from whem as it seemeth, god for our great wickedness sake, hath withdrawn his grace) are so puffed up with the poisoned venom of the serpent, and our hearts so strained with thanguish of sin, that health is taken from us: our souls are sick: we are fled from the healthful and sweet food of lise, 
We have refused the grace of god.  unto the noisome and most tart taste of death. In steds of gods heavenly love and charity, our hearts are wickedly possessed with wilful malice & enmite: for peace war & dissension: for patience in adversity, murmuring, detraction, lying, spiteful revengement, & slipping from god: or in stead of friendly familiarity, vain contempt & strangeness. O the subtlety of the most sleighty and malicious serpent, & the great solely frailty or blindness in our flesh. Evil are those seeds (by appeeraunce) and of poisoned nature, 
Esdras. 4.  that hath been sown from the beginning, in the heart of man, whose estate doubtless is most miserable, when thorough the want of virtue and the light of god's grace, he forsaketh the pleasant & plain path way of piety (which is that reverent service, honour and obedience, 
Math 7. Luke. 13. Psal. 10.  due unto god) & falleth into the dangerous stony, & hard bestubbed way of iniquity, the very bond slavery, and dirty drudgery of the devil. I onsure you (loving brethren) our ease is to manifest, that unless Satan the prince of darkness, had thoroughly bewitched us, blinded our eyes, darkened our understanding, & (as it were to distain the stoughtnes & courageous estate of christian soldiers) robbing us of our memory, and to turn and wind us, like a sort of effemmate, feeble, & light persons, at his pleasure, where he lusteth, to our utter derogation, shame, and dishonour: we would not be so strongly deluded, overrun & blindly seduced in such snarling and impious paths that leadeth unto the lake of perpetual pain and perdition: whereunto the very order truly and continuance of our stiff-necked wickedness, 
We wilfully walk the way of wickedness  declareth plainly what paths we tread, and whose steps to the death we will seem frankly and very wilfully follow. For the avoiding whereof, we cannot say to excuse ourselves of ignorance, or that we know not God by the doctrine of his word, to be a god of love, of unity, peace, and concord: or that we have not abundantly (in Christ jesus) both tasted and felt of the lively and fast flowing fountains of his grace, 
●. Cor. 13  to the great blessing, sustentation, and comfort of body and soul: whose commandements also we have professed and promised to obey, and whose steps of righteousness we ought to embrace and follow. In consideration whereof, and for the performance of righteousness, have not we Christians, the rather good occasion well to remember, that when we were professed & consecrated with the holy mysteries of the fountain of life, how we thenne boundo ourselves unto the good will of god, 
Rom. 6.  and Christ, in all purity and holiness, and to forsake the devil and all his damnable work of darkness: and like diligence and faithful soldiers of Christ, to be always prepared and ready armed with the armour of light and righteousness, to withstand the cruel assaults and crafty engines of Satan, that our most ancient and mortal enemy? And valiantly to adventure our lives, throughout the whole race and dangerous passage of this short life under our victorious prince, & most puissant captain, christ, to whom our lives are double due: first because he on's gave life unto us, and than being lost, to restore it unto us again? Either are we forgetfulle against whom we strive? For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against rule, against power, against worldly rulers, even governors of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual craftiness in heavenly things. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of god (sayeth saint Paul) that ye may be able to resist in the evil day, 
Ephe. 6. Luke. 18. Thes. 5.  and stand perfect in all things. Stand therefore, and your loins gird with the truth, having on the breast plate of righteousness: & having shoes on your feet, that ye may be prepared for the gospel of peace. Above all things, take to you the shield of faith, where with ye may quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, & the sword of the spirit, which is the word of god. And job saith, 
●oh. 〈◊〉.  That the life of man here upon th'earth, is but a continual warfare or time of resistance, & mightily tover come the stoughtnes of our enemies: & that no man attaineth the crown of victory, except (in Christ) be strive lawfully: And that we prepare ourselves by continual prayer to prevail against our enemies: as the Israelitis thereby prevailed against the wicked Amalachitꝭ, 
Exod. 17.  or other their deadly enemies, men cioned in the scriptures. Wherefore for the more straight looking to of our charge and the more speedy, fulfilling of our profession & bond, as we would show ourselves faithful valiant & wise soldiers, & thobedient servants of god: as we would declare ourselves to be the zealous children of the upright and most pure honouring of god: and as we would have any regard to the state of our souls, and to the life to come (whose everlasting joys no tongue can express) let us have in remembrance our said promise 〈◊〉 made to any earthily king, or other vain creature under the son, nor to any angel in heaven, but to the Lord of heaven himself that liveth for ever, a god above all gods, a righteous god, omnipotent, and immortal: unto whom let us acknowledge our own weakness, and apply ourselves, chiefly and above all things humbly to abase ourselves, to prepare our strength in Christ, to seek the mortification of thold man (the whole body of sin) to seek newness of life, and to hunger and thirst for the way of righteousness: 
Prayer is the elevation of the mind to god waldo whereby is secluded all worldly do sires and all carnal and vain fantasies. And unto the said prayer must be joined fasting and almose deeds. Toby. 12.  let us travel with our full force and strength, and with all fervent prayer and bourning desire to god, to attain at his gracious & most merciful hand, to be partakers of the depth of his grace: whereby we may the rather attain into our hearts, the wisdom of his son Christ: which by us must be reverently searched for, and digged out of the hid treasures, and plentyfulle veins of divine scriptures or word of god, which is the word of truth, the touchstone of trial, the lantern of light, the heavenly food, health, strength, and life to our souls (wrought in us by the spirit of God, or ministered unto us by his divine and faithful ministers) And by whose clearness and beautiful bright shining beams, our souls may be purged from all impurity, from the vain wisdom of the world, from darkness, and from the fowl stinking, and blind thick mist of ignorance: which dimmeth in us the perfect senses and judgement of reason, which is wonderfully corrupted: against whom sensuality prevaileth: who also of itself is not able to help and rule itself, but feebly yieldeth to confusion, and therefore must have for his assured and perfect guide, a more excellent and worthy governor. For not withstanding that Baptism (the outward sign and lavachre of Regeneration) hath wiped away in us, the great and foul spot: yet the sin, 
We still possess the spot of our father Adam  partly there remaineth still, of our progenitors, and first parents: which hath not a little darkened, that so pure and clear light, of the countenance, resemblance, or similitude of god (which he hath wonderfully showed and laid upon us) whereby our courage is greatly enfeabled, our strength diminished, or the virtue of our wisdom, foully disdained and spotted. For the reformation whereof, through the lively courage omnipotency, and great wisdom of our captain Christ, and by the virtue & heavenly operation thereof in us, our hearts by him shallbe clean purged and lightened, to possess and enjoy the spirit of humility & meekness. Through which virtue also, we shall be the rather (in jesus christ) made more apt vessels prepared and sanctified to honour, and meet for the use and service of our lord god, and to the receiving also of his most holy spirit: 
Math. 5. john. 4.  who always rejoiceth to rest, in the humble and meek hearted person: unto whom Christ hath promised the blessing of god, and to inherit and possess the earth. 
john. 14. Math. 5.  And when our minds are thereby replenished, we shall be than the more enforced with all singleness of heart, to mark diligently by hearing or reading the word of god, what his good will and pleasure is, should here in this life, be done by us, and amongst us: who hath promised us for our christian obedience, humility & meekness, in acknowledging (as before) our own inability and weakness, trusting and only leaving to the power and merits of Christ, that he will mercifully hear us when we call unto him, 
john. 7.9.  and teustruct us in his doctrine: and to make us against our adversaries wise, politic, and puissant: And therefore with all our possible strength and endeavour, to apply our good minds to follow the same: that although our flesh seeketh her own, and covereth with the devil and the world, to take part against god, to the destruction of our souls: yet will he assist us, & strengthen us with the armour of grace, that his holy and divine will here in earth, may be done by us, and amongst us, 
Math. ●. Luc. 11.  as in the presence of his glorious majesty, among the angels and saints in heaven: lest we be found to the contrary, very rebels in the latter day and wilful disobedient children (vainly kicking against the prick) which can never be aptly attained unto, unless the said corruption and blindness be first taken from us, 
Ephe. ● john. ●. john. 8.  and our souls clean purged of the unfruitful works of darkness, wherewith we should have no fellowship: that we may be light in the Lord, & walk as the children of light, by th'example of jesus Christ, the true light of the world: whom if we follow, we shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life: whereby we may the better & the more clearly discern in our profession, things that are evil to be refused, from things that are good to be accepted: & so to eschew the stumbling or the doubtful adventure at the election of such things as appertaineth in deed, to the very profession & true religion of christian men. we shall then find thereby (to the confirmation of our promise,) how very needefulle it shall be, 
Mat. 13.16 Marc. 9 Luc. 8. john. 2. 1. joan. 5. Faith is a lively and quick feeling knowledge of the mercy of our heavenly father: agreed, made at one, and most graciously reconciled unto us by the blood of our lord jesus. Act. 5.  to have in our hearts an assured and lively faith in god our creator and heavenly father (as his children regenerate and new borne) to rule us, to dwell and abide in us: And wholly to dedicate ourselves unto him (both heart and soul, our mind and wit, and that all is within us) as unto a god of love, mercy, and righteousness: whom we ever find to be our ready helper in all necessities: by whose divine power also we live, we have our being, and are moved. Of whose great mercy and goodness towards us, the prophet wrighteth: that he like a diligent watchman, attendeth ever more upon his people, whether they wake or sleep: and is these strength and mighty defence, not only against Satan, that old and malicious enemy of mankind, but also against all other our adversaries, so that thorough his great mercy and godly power: we be harmless preserved, and are delivered from the power of darkness, & hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear son: whose eyes continually respecteth them that love him: for their love again is largely required: he is their mighty protection and strong ground: a defence for the heat, and a refuge for the hot noon day, a succour for stumuling, 
Eccle. 34.  and an help for falling: He lifteth up the soul, he lighteneth the eyes, he giveth life, health, strength, and blessing. And the cause also why the said prophet (who always beholdeth the mercies of God in Christ) briefly declareth unto us: that is, for our faithfulness, meekness, and humbleness of spirit, for our hearts contrition, 
Psal. 1 9.15.25.33.34 37.40.41.84.91.101.103.107.112.116.119 128.145.147.  for our constancy in love and obedience to his commandements. And saint Paul also saith: That he hath blessed us with all manner of spiritual blessings in heavenly things by Christ, according as he had chosen us in him before the foundations of the world were laid, that we should be holy and blameless before him thorough love. Whereby also he hath ordained us to be heirs unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, and to thexaltation of his glory for his grace: wherewith thorough our Lord Christ he hath made us accepted etc. For these his abundant mercies & innumerable benefits and blessings poured upon us most wretched sinners we own duly unto him (by the direction of sound & clear consciences, even from the very depth of our hearts & souls, 
duty 10. Eccle. 2.14. john. 14. Roma. 8. 1. john. 4. john. 3 Roma. 2. 2. Cor. 5.  1.  all thanks giving, praise, and glory: and with no less efficacy, force, and virtue, to love him again in wourd & deed: to love him fervently above all things, and to keep his commandements. Whose great love appeared unto us first: in that he sent his only begotten son into the world, that we the children of death, might have life, and live thorough him. Herein appeared the great love of god to us ward, not that we loved him, but because he loved us, and gave his only son to make agreement for our sins. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in god, and God in him. And hereby know we, that we divelle in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his spirit. And we know and believe, the love that God hath to us. If god so loved us, then ought we also to love one an other. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfect in us. And the perfect love of God seeketh not itself, but frankly appeareth for all others necessity. It is always charitable and friendly, patient, 
1. Cor. 8.  and long suffering. If a mannne say, I love God, and yet hate his brother, he is a liar. 
levit. 19 john. 13.  For how camme he that loveth not his brother, whom he hath s●ene, love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we of hom, that he which loveth god, should love his neighbour also. Whereby (saith Christ) all men shall know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one an other. If my words abide in you, then are ye my right disciples: and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free and deliver you. You shall be clean rid from all bondage of unrighteousness: ye shall be possessed with the good spirit of GOD: 
john. ●  and where the spirit of God is, there is freedom: And therefore abide you in Love: Obey my precepts and commandements. And this commandment give I unto you, 
john. 15.  that ye love together, as I have loved you. As ye have found me to be unto you, a God of mercy and loving kindness, and have always trained ye up, by example and doctrine, to thexercise of godly compassion and charity: so I requite you, and give commandment unto you, that ye obedientely walk in my waus, inseparably to knit your hearts in unity, and ●●saynedly to love one an other. And how to continue in love, Christ (in few words) signifieth unto us, that is: 
〈…〉 the precepts of god. 1. Cor. 14.  by keeping his precepts and commandements. Most precious in the sight of God are these three virtues: Faith, Hope, and Charity: and of them all, the last excelleth, and hath the sovereignty. 
Miche. 6.  Micheas the prophet of god crieth unto us, saying: I will show thee O man, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee: namely, that thou trade thyself in righteousness: that thou be humble and lowly: that thou have pleasure in mercy & ioning kindness, & to walk with the Lord thy God. O the heavenly voice and counsel of God, that soundeth unto us for our saving health, and wherein is comprehended the whole sum of our duty. Which with all humbleness we ought to receive: whereunto we should with reverence be obedient, and to exalt therefore at all times his most glorious name: and being mindful of his mercy, to be heartily thankful, as well in all kinds of adversity and dolour, as otherwise in any manner of prosperity or pleasure: and then for his great mercy and loves sake, to love him again. Which can be by no better mean, 
To 〈◊〉 god ready is 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 a 〈…〉  then to show ourselves friendly and charitable unto all men, what soever they be without exception, because they are of his creation and image, and preciousely redeemed also by Christ, as we ourselves hope to be. Whom the charitable heart embraceth indifferently, yea, even the whole kind of man: whose state, whether it standeth high or low, right or wrong, well or evil, all must be referred to the good will, disposition & grace of god. we must therefore, respecting herein the will of God and the stoughtenes of our bond and promise, devise with ourselves, how, and by what mean, we might happily do good unto all men, to the uttermost of our power: 
We must have fervent love among ourselves, for the said love shall cover the multitude of our sins. 1. Pet. 4.  and by no means (no, not by thought, if it were possible, for the clearness of our own conscience sake) to hurt any man. For as the band of charity: is to love god with all our hearts, with all our lives, and with all our power and strength: so charity (also in christ) doth further extend to the love of every man: poor or rich: good or bad: holy or unrighteous: protestant or catholic: french man or spaniard: christian or heathen: faithful or untrue: bond or free: kinsfolks or strangers, no person excepted.  
And as the figure of GOD is perfect and equal in all: so likewise uncorruptelye without affection, indyfferentelye to favour all: Which is agreeable to the example of christ: who would all men indifferently without any respect of persons, to have the benefit of his holy life and passion, and to be saved thorough faith in his blood (so great was his love towards us,) by whose example he would have us in like manner, indifferently, gladly, and with good will, to spread forth our affections to all man, after the free, and most liberal distribution of charity. And what soever cause be given to the contrary, yet nevertheless, according to the will of God, and thorough the virtue of patience, to bear good heart and will unto every man, to use ourselves well, and to be favourable unto them: not only in cheerful words, 
Rom. 12.  and by outward familiarity and countenance (whereof otherwiles we make very nice and strange) but also in other our acts and deeds, even from our very hearts. If they be good men, to love them in Christ, and if they be evil men, to love them also for Christ's sake.  
And when they have deserved hurt or disfavour, or that occasion be given by them of revengement and displeasure, yet we should not withdraw our petition from them, and to hurt or hinder them, but to do good unto them, 
Rom. 12.  though they have not deserved it. For to overcome evil with goodness, and malice with kindness, is truly to counterfeit the perfect charity of jesus Christ, the son of God, the saviour of the world, and patron of all piety: 
Esa. 53. Math. 26. Act. 8. Eccle. 17.  who hath taught the very same doctrine for our erudition and learning, that have earnestly professed his name: which also to our example (in his own person) performed in very deed: although the malicious and proud people of this world that vainly boast of Christ, and hath their whole felicity only fixed upon earthly vanities, are the sworn servants of Satan: who was a dissembler proud, malicious, and a murderer from the beginning: by whose corruption and malice, is engendered in our hearts, privy hatred, open contempt, secret murmuring, slander, detraction, sedition, false accusation, and finally wilful consent to murder. Such among many other, are the works of the devil, and of his malignant & bloody membres, from the beginning upon the earth. And like as is the minister, such are the servants. If 〈◊〉 therefore be (in deed) of Christ, and 〈◊〉 unfeigned professors of his name, we are also the true servants of Christ, and beloved of him, whom we take to be our Lord & master, our mark, and perfect example of living, and whom we ought always to have before our eyes, as the only patron of all holy conversation, and godly state of life: that even as he hath given us example, so we should also do. 
john. 3. Ephe. 5. 1. Pet. 2.  Unto whom, (and before whose presence) our minds should wholly and at all times appear uncorrupted, and our souls continually occupied in the meditation of celestial or heavenly things: rejecting from us violently (as dross) all vain and unfruitful studies: all hatred, enmity, and malice (or other kinds of filthiness:) and to direct only unto him, all our enforcements: all our pastimes and pleasures all our intents and purposes, all our rest and quietness, and finally also, all the whole sum of our business. For touching properly the perfection of the said love and charity, that we ought to have among ourselves, and each to other, in this manner, saying: Ye have heard it taught in times passed, thou shalt love thy friend, 
Math. 5.  and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you: Love your enemy. Speak well of them that defame you, 
Rom. 12.  and speak evil of you: Bless them that curse you: do well to them that hate you: pray for them that vex and persecute you, that ye may be the children of your father, which is in heaven. For he maketh his Sun to rise both upon the good and bad: and sendeth rain to the just and unjust. For if ye do but love them that love you, what reward shall ye have? Do not the Publicans likewise? And if that ye speak well of them that be your brethren and dearly beloved friends, what great matter is that? Do not the Heathen the same also? 
Math. 6.  Again, If you forgive men their faults, your heavenly father shall also forgive you your faults. For if our faults should trouble our consciences, then we in this thing thorough Faith, ought to know as by a sure and a most certain token of comfort, that our trespasses he forgiven us of GOD, if we first forgive our Neighbours their tresspasses, wherein so ever they have offended us, how great so ever the trespass be, and much more for tryfeling cases, or (as I may say) for womannelye quarrelings: I do speak without offence to he wise. And we in our daily prayer require of GOD to be forgiven of him, of our daily and continual wickedness, as we forgive other their faults committed against us.  
So that before we pray, 
Prayer.  (which we are always bounce to do,) and of all things most needful: and that not tediouselye, stoughtlye, faynedlye, doubtiullye, neither yet maliciouselye: but cheerfully, reverently, heartylye, faithfully, and charitably, with a freendelye and loving heart:) our prayers (I say) when we do pray, must either with the charity of God, in such wise be tempered, that we can freely forgive if offence be committed against us, 
Math. 21. john. 15. 1. john 3. jacob. 1.  or else wourthyly seek for our malice sake, and stiff-necked wickedness, not only to sustain the loss of our present suit and desire, but also increase of the vengeance and wrath of god, the more abundantly to fall upon us. For unless we forgive unto others their offences, 
Math. 6.11.18.  god our heavenly father will not forgive us our offences. And when there we have offended them, or they have offended us, we must seek the unity and peace of Christ: yea (I say again) we must seek it, except we will seem wilfully to run headlong to the devil and damnation: we may not be divided: we may not break the bond of the fellowship of Christ: we are all membres incorporate into the body of Christ: we must thrust back stately courage and thestimation of wealth: we must herein lay our malice and pride apart: we may not be quoy or nice in these straight cases of god, nor vaynelys shamefast: we may not daily with GOD: we may not think of our painted sheath: but all peenyshe fantasies, worldly vanities and fleshly affects set aside, we must simply and willingly with at diligence, prosecute the good work which God describeth unto us, and our own consciences also most plainly directeth. Before thou praye●● therefore, 
Ecclesiastic. 18.  prepare thy soul (in any wise) to contence well god, and dalye not with him as one that tempteth him, but simply or reverently look to thy charge. Humble thyself: be obedience to his voice: imprint or engrave in thine heart his most fruitful and divine sentences We are taught to be of like affection, 
Rom. 12.  one towards another, and not to be high minded, proud and stought, but humbly abasing ourselves, to be equal with them of the lower sort. We may not be wise in our own opinions, neither recompense unto any man, evil for evil: we may not by double minded for our love must be perfect and sound without dissimulation. We must be fervent in the spirit, apply to the time, and live peaceably with all men. And if we will take Christ, for our patron and example of lice, we must reverence him, and obey him also in his word: who saith unto us also in this wise: Behold, I am the light of the world. etc. Take me for your guide: Learn of me: for I am not proud: 
Math. 11.  I am not haute minded, disdainful, nor scornful: but gentle, lowly, and meek in heart. And if we (that are the followers of Christ,) will seek or desire any thing at the hand of God the father for Christ's sake, we must reverently seek to content his will: we must taste and savour of him in goodness: we must manifest ourselves to be the followers in deed, of his glorious and most beautifuile steps, we must rent from our hearts, and tread (with force) under foot, these our most poisoned raging evils: namely the deadly and venomous pricking, privy luking, secret annoying, inward fretring, outward defacing, disteining, swelling disgracing, renting, tearing & choking thorns, thistles, brambles, burrs & briars, & such other shameless & endless noisome shrubs of our monstrous beastly pride, cankered maliciovines, & most vain foolish stoutness (which are thincensements of Satan, and his only vehement motions in us, to the stirring up of disobedience and strife: of which more shall hereafter be some thing touched) and seek him simply that is simple and lowly, with all simpleness lowliness: and meekness of heart: 
Prou. 28.  For he appeareth and is only found of them, that tempteth him not, 
Sapi. 1.  but reverently feareth him, and believeth in him; that rejoiceth to please him, and loath to offend him. And if we think it a great thing to remit th'offences committed against us by others, respectings this or that offence, or the baseness of the party that offendeth us, thinking thereby that our estimation or honesty should be greatly distained, if we did seks to confers with him, 
If we consider the darkness and wickedness of our own lives, other men's lives shall be fore God, seem unto us, so much the purer.  although for concord & charity's sake, how much more ought we rather to consider & remember our own notable & most vile state of life, & that heaps of offences, which we daily commit against god, and in the presence of his most glorious and excellent majesty, who respecteth no persons, but knoweth & reproveth thIniquity and frailty of all flesh, noting by his justice, what is dew unto them, and that he not withstanding of his 〈◊〉 ●lemency and mercy beholdeth 〈…〉 Christ, and doth forgive us, 〈…〉 with repentance we pray 〈…〉 unto him. Let us therefore in 〈◊〉 calling examine well our selves, 
〈◊〉 men in anctoritie he, so will the people be Orce. 4.  and consider the great mercy of god, and his example to charity: and the greater we be of birth among many others, in estimation of men, & in anctoritie or wealthy, (that the praise of god may shine amongst us:) so much the more to consider our estate to Godward, we ought to submit our selves to his will: and in charity to apply ourselves, to the good example of all men: that the peace of god and godly amity, may bountifully flourish and abound lively amongst us.  
Whose mind in his divine word and manifest examples of his mercy he hath thus (as before) signified unto us, touching our love and charity, that we own to our neighbours. And there unto saint Paul counseleth us, satenge: 
〈…〉  Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children, and walk in love, even as Christ loved us, and gave himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice of a sweet savour to god. 
He●. ●●. jacob. ●●  Let brotherly love and peace continue amongst you: for the fruits of righteousness are sown in love and peace, of them that are the lovers and mai●●●e●ers of peace. Of which peace, brotherly concord and unity, king David, the servant and beloved proph●●, of God, had experience, and hath signified unto us the excellency and nobleness of the same virtue: to the eno● we should (even from the depth of ou● hearts) be thereunto affected, and delight to trade ourselves therein joyfully, all the days of our loved: being all brethren and sisierne, and have one father, even our heavenly father: by whom also, we have Christ our saviour, to be our lord and brother; And by him we are the sons and heirs of god: 
Rom●. 8.  yea and fellow heyred with him of eternal glory: how requisite therefore is it (seeing we have but one father, the God of heaven, and Christ to be one brother, and are all brethren and sistern in jesus Christ, to be all of one mind: because there is nothing that more garnisheth and becometh better the name of brothern, than brotherly love, true peace, quietness, meekness and amiable concord. It must needs picase well God, and be an excellent treasure in any common wealth, saying the prophet so highly extolleth it, and compareth it to a most precious ointment, 
Psal. 〈◊〉  and most pleasant dew, whose sweet smells can not be expressed. Behold, saith he, how good and joyful a thing it is, brethren to dwell together in unite: & so forsh as in the psalm. Thexperience whereof, 
Where peace and 〈◊〉 abideth, there's is the blessing of God.  we also our selves are able some thing to declare by perfect knowledge, what benefits innumerable (by the blessing of god) hath hem poured upon those countries and comen wealths, where it hath reigned (as also among faithful and unfeigned friends, or honest familiar companions!) And to the contrary, where the said virtue betwixt them, hath been broken and not flourished: but rather division, murmuring, maliciousness, war: 
Where war and descension is, there is the curse of God.  and dissension: there, by the curse of god, hath appeared amongst them, innumerable other plagues, to to their great grief in conscience, to the confusion of their own bodies, loss of their goods, spoiling of their friends, defiling their wives, 
Every king doom divided, must: come to desolation.  ravishing their daughters and maidens, destruction of insantes, and finally the utter decay and subversion of the whole common wealth: whether by division or civil wars among themselves, or by any other vile nation: whom, above all others, their hearts doth most abhorred. If our hearts therefore be presently ireful, or poisoned with rancour and malice, and suffer the continuance thereof in us, without fearing danger, or seeking rem dy: It is not possible to the contrary, but being wylfulle possessors of wrath, whereby we show ourselves to be the very children of wrath, but also that the just anger and wrath of GOD, shall therefore again consume and destroy us. By our sedition and wrath we devise and seek all manner of mischiefs: 
Prou. Oree. 10.  but violente and cruelle messengers shall therefore be sent against us. Such fruits as we plant, we shall pluck and taste. If we sow iniquity, we shall reap sorrow. 
job. 1. Gala. 6.  But forasmuch as we us all of Christ and lively membres also incorporate into the body of Christ, and are all one with Christ, and in Christ: and Christ (in no wise may amongst us) be divided: of whom also, 
We must● live in love 〈…〉 a 〈◊〉 of Christ.  we received example of love and unity: we must all live in the same love, we must still continue in the same love, we musse seek the peace of god: and as much as in us shall lie, never to break the bond of unity. And if through frailty, we other whiles slip from it, and thereby break the peace of Christ: yet because he would in no wise have any continuance thereof amongst us, being a pestilent malady and an infection of the soul, he calleth unto us, saying: Let not the son go down upon your wrath. Christ understanding this cursed evil to be a foul spot and deforinitie in the soul of man: & that thereupon also did depend great destruction & mischief, giveth us this short and sweet lesson to avoid the continuance thereof that the rather our lives may be perfect and holy, according to the excellency of our christian confession, 
Eccle. 18.  thinking always upon the covenant of the righteous and most high god, and so charitably, to show ourselves friendly, and to forgive our Neighbours their offences and ignorances, not leaving (in no point) to strife or variance: whereby, god shall be well contented, and our sins also diminished. For such as be ireful, busy, and unquiet, they are wicked wourkers of mischief, kendelers of variance, and sowers of discord, among them that be at peace, 
Ecclesiastic. 25  to the increase of iniquity and heaping upon themselves the ire of god. The more woodds there is, the more vehement is the fire, and the longer that strife endureth, the more wickedly it dourneth. And therefore for thavoiding of evil, and that good may come unto us, saint Paul counfaileth us, saying. Let all bitterness, 
Eph●. 5.  fierceness, wrath, roaring, and cursed speaking be put away from you, with all maliciousness. Be courteous one to another: be charitable, lowly and merciful, forgiving one another, even as god for Christ'S sake, 
Phil. 2.  hath forgiven you. Be ye like minded unto me, having one love, being of one accord and of one mind, that nothing be done through strife or of vain glory, but in meekness of mind: And let every man esteem another, better than himself. 
Phil. 4.  Again, let your softness be known unto all men. For the Lord is even at hand, remember therefore these divine counsels of Christ and his Apostles, & sleep not before thine heart be pour god of maliciousness, of the pride and stoughtnes. And think that it cannot be only performed of thee, with thoughts (For so mayest thou still keep the serpent of maliciousness lurking within thy breast:) but let it in deed be manifest (in the spite of the devil) unto those, against whom thou bearest thy malice, & stoutness of stomach. For in that mean while, that this rule is not thus by the observed: truly great is thy danger and present peril by the hand of god. O what know'st thou, thou gross lump of earth, what soever thou be, the livest upon the earth, that gloriest so much upon thyself, that couchest down thyself at night upon thy soft bed, with a mischievous and cankered stomach, what shall chance upon thy soul, before the day return? Or after thou risest in the morning, what state thou shalt be in er night? He that gave unto thee thy life, can also take away from thee thy life: and is able to cast both thy body and soul into hell fire. 
Math. 10. Luc. 12.  Why doth thine heart then ma●e thee so proud? Why standest thou to greatly in thine own conceit? Whereunto looketh thy eyes, that thy mind is so puffed up against god? Fearest thou not in thyself that huge heaps of sin that will accuse thee, or make the more careful and lowly? Neither thy barthen of thy conscience, that so sore oppresseth thee, and whereby the justice of god hangeth over thee? Either wy●●e thou show thine heart to be hardened against him? O fading flower, & earthly creature, what meanese thou unrevarently to forget god thy creator, or not to fear him? Thinkest thou that the continuance of thy will to do wickedly shall ever endure? Or why art thou so presumptuous against him? Art thou able (thou wretched and feeble wourm●● to resist his omnipotence or almighty power? Art thou not in his hand as a piece of clay in the hand of the potter? 
isaiah. 49. jere 18.19 Rom. 9  Or which of all the stought or puissant princes of the earth, shall not stoop at him, and obey him? He, truly) is almighty and terrible: yea, the earth trembleth and quaketh for fear of his great indignation and wrath: and the people shall not he able to abide his threatening. The whole power and strength of all the earth joined to I●ther, is not able to abide one blast of the breath of god's mouth. And darest thou (thou dusty stubble) persist or stand at any time, in the state of wickedness, before the face of so great and terrible a god? Consider therefore thy wilful malice and foolishness, and thy careless slipping from god, that is so just and terrible. Examine thyself, & reverently in the fear of god, try well the state of thy conscience whether thou mayest justly say before heaven and earth: O lord, thou omnipotent & terrible god: 
Hiere. 17.  whose throne is most glorious excellent, and of most antiquity, which dwellest in the heavens: even in the place of man's holy rest: of whom, thou art of all gods most highly to he feared: for thou art a righteous and a just god in pouring thy wrath upon thine enemies: 
The repentant sinner.  yea I must also say that thou art a merciful and a loving god: the only comforter and refuge of man: his immovable pillar and stay of assurance, and the lively hope of his health, joy, strength, and salvation. Therefore O Lord, in acknowledging thine omnipotency and great mercy, whereunto I appeal: I humbly fly unto thy mercy seat for succour. for mine iniquity, O god, is manifest unto thee: which I confess before thy divine majesty. I have, O lord, offended against thee: I have forsaken thy law, and committed iniquity: I have fled from thy love: I have fallen from thy word: I have broken my fidelity: I have been rebellious against thee: For mine heart hath wickedly possessed pride and maliciousness, whereby I have grievously offended and hurt my neighbour. O Lord, great therefore is mine iniquity in thy sight. 
Psal. 119.  My conscience justly accuseth me: my flesh trembleth for fear before thee: my spirits are troubled within me: And the remembrance of thy judgement is terrible unto me. O Lord mine eyes therefore gush out with water, my sight falleth me: I am grievously vexed: mine heart panteth within me: my strength is gone from me: my knees are weak: my flesh is dried up: my beauty is consumed, & I am weary of my groaning. Alas my grief, alas my fall: Alas my great woe and misery, for this my stroke and woeful plague, that thy grace (O God) should thus be taken from me: whereby, I most wretched sinner, am forget full of my truth and obedience, of my faith and promises, of thine infinite love and goodness towards me, and of thy great indignation and justice for my sin & iniquity. Ah, who shall give me water to my head, and a fountain of tears to mine eyes, that I may wash my bed with tears of sorrow and bewail my sins both night & day: whereby thy grace (O sweet god) may yet be returned unto me, and thy justice against me be shortly prevented. I make mine humble petition in thy presence with my whole heart, the thou wile be merciful unto me, according to the truth in thy word. O heavenly father, 
A Prayer.  let thy great mercy in jesus Christ, lighten, upon me, that thy wrathful indignation prevail not against me. I humbly (with repentance) acknowledge mine iniquity: I confess my sickness & frailty, & appeal to thy mercy, promised unto me in jesus Christ. And if thou, O Lord, for his sake, wilt assist me, 
Psal. 119.  & order my steps according to thy wourd, my feet shall keep thy paths, & no wickedness shall henceforth have dominion over me. O reform therefore with mercy that is amiss: 
Psal. 3●.  for thy mercy reacheth unto the heavens, and thy faithfulness unto the clouds. With the is comfort & the light of life: & in thy light shall I see light, and the works of darkness shall fly far from me. O turn thee then unto me, 
jerem. 1●.  so shall I be turned: heal thou me, and I shall be made whole: save thou me, and I shall be saved. O be not terrible unto me after thy righteous judgement. 
Psal. 143.  Enter not into judgement with thy servant: for than shall I not be justified in thy sight. Yea, if thou O lord, shouldest extremely mark what is done amiss, who could then abide it? But thou art also a God of mercy: yea, thou delightest in mercy, and with thee is plenteous redemption. My soul therefore flieth only unto thee: 
Psal. 130.  it waiteth humbly for thee, & trusteth assuredly in thee. Out of the deep do I call unto thee (O Lord) O here mine humble voice, and let thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint. Benignly behold me with thine eye of mercy, that I (I say) thine unwourthy servant, may be joyful of thy countenance. O let thine holy spirit possess my heart, to create in me a clean heart. & to ●enue within my bowels a right spirit: that I wretched sinner may be quiet in thee, may grow in the true knowledge of thee, that I may fervently desire thy kingdom, and that I may know thy will and reverently work there after. For thorough thine only grace (O Lord) and by the vehement impulsion of thine holy spirit, shall mine heart and soul be clean purged, quiesed, quickened, strengthened, & sanctified. It is thy spirit (O GOD) that shall convert my soul, and guide me forth in the pleasant and plain path way of righteousness. Yea Lord, I will therefore be bold and say: Come thou good spirit of god: come (I beseech thee) and assist me with the present health of thy grace. I have affiance in thee. O instruete thou me, and strengthen me: refresh, comfort, and quiet me: replenish my soul with joy and gladness, and kindle in me the fire of thy love. Th' n O holy spirit, whether in body I wake or sleep, my soul shall continually watch unto thee, think of thee, delight in thee, depend only upon thee: yea, it shallbe fully satisfied in thee: and evermore rejoice, love, & please thee, even from my very heart, with all my power and strength, and love my neighbour as myself, to thy glory O god, all the days of my life, and for ever in the world to come Thus, I say, O thou earthly creature, & dear christian brother, that hasardly (by due justice) abidest the hard hand of God, let daily sorrow fasten upon: thee, and continual sadness po●●e●fe thine heart. Offer unto God the acceptable sacrifice of a troubled spirit, of a broken, sore vexed, and contrite heart, till grace be planted again in thee, and thy sins thorough faith, clean purged and taken from thee. And always remember, if thou love god because of his mercy, if thou fear him for his justice sake, or if thou bear any good heart towards the counsels or voice of god, harden not thy heart, as in the day of temptation: kendle not upon thyself the wrath of god: flee from the vengeance to come, for otherwise the justice of God will fall fast upon thee. And if thou, as before, wilfully dost desire to be mindful of wrath, revengement, or displeasure, either of speaking or of doing wickedly, use first thy cogitation in this manner following, which shall be rather to a godly intent and purpose, according to the counsel of the preacher: which is, not to be ireful against thy neighbour, to work revengement against him for any matter: or to withhold thy charity from him but to think upon the most terrible & bitter day, when thou (among the rest) shalt be called upon by the trump of god, 
Eccle. 18.  to appear before his wrathful indignation, and to remember the bitterness of his vengeance, when he shall turn his face away from thee, yea, even from thee, thou wrathful and damnable rejected creature, if thou abide in thy wrath, and if thou (with the rest) shalt be partaker of this terrible and most bitter sentence. Away ye wicked, to the devil and to hell fire for ever. If thou otherwise have pleasure to think upon wrath, and to work or devise mischief thereby, to the hurt of thy neighbour: be thou certain hereof & well assured, that such a match shall be joined unto thee as will cruelly in his wrath, vex thee, quickly consume thee, and violently twine thee, even like a rysshe, 
Psal. 49.  to the sudden and short confusion. Even God himself it is, that shall recompense thee thy wickedness, & shall destroy thee in thine own wicked malice: yea, it is the Lord God himself (I say) that shall utterly destroy thee. As hatred, enmity, & revengement, with such other, are wicked evils forbidden thee, and thereupon agreed with thine own consent and promise, to a blessed and most happy end; so if thou contemning this prohibition, doest serve from thy promise and fidelity, and cleave unto such iniquity, they will kindle the wrath of God against thee, 
Eccle. ●●  to the increase of affliction, to the wour king of an evil death and everlasting destruction. Thou shalt worthily be counted among the numbered of the cursed and ungodly people Upon whom, god (in this life) shall rain snares, fire, brimstone, storm, and tempest, which shall be their dew portion to drink. 
Psal. 1●.  And such as be scornful despisers without a cause, they shall be put to confusion: 
Psal. 5. Psal. 68 Psal. 75.  neither shall such as be merciless and cruel, stand in the sight of God. For like as ware melteth at the great heat of the fyre● so shall ●hun godly perish at the presence of god, & come to a terrible and fearful end. Fire, hail, wind, earthquake, tempest, and whirlwind: hunger and thirst, pestilence, murrain, burning fevers, incurable botches, swellings, madness, and such strange diseases, sudden fearfulness, strife, unquietness rigour, oppression, sword, bloodshedding, death, sudden death, destruction and punishment: the teeth also of wild and noisome beasts: the scorpions, 
Eccle. 39  serpents, and all such poisoned and venomous worms, are created for vengeance, to the destruction of such malicious and wicked people. If thou wilt not therefore do & observe the will of God, and fear to offend the fearful name of the Lord thy God, 
Deut. 28. Psal. 39  he will send upon thee, yea and upon thy seed after thee, these foresaid grievous and most terrible plagues and curses. O change therefore thy copy, and turn in tyme. Leave of from wrath, what soever thou be, and let go displeasure: fear god: be charitable: keep peace: abide in love: styppe not from it: consider it well, and think what thereon dependeth: so shalt thou know it: yea, thou shalt gladly also exeresse it, and enjoy for ever the delectable fruits of it. And if thou wilt further know of love what it is, note saint Paul: Love saith he, is patient and courteous: 
1. Cor. 4.  it envieth not, it doth not frowardly: it is not puffed up: it dealeth not dishonestly: it seeketh not her own: it is not provoked to anger: it thinketh none evil, it rejoiceth not over iniquity, but in righteousness & truth: it beareth all things, 
1. Tim. 1.  believeth all things, hopeth all things, and suffer the all things. And this love is the whole sum and end of the law, that shineth from a pure heart and good conscience, and out of an unfeigned faith: 
Rom. 13.  For they that love one an other fulfilleth the law. So that the deeds then of that flesh being mortitied, 
Gala. 2.  we shall have our conversation in the spirit, and not live under the law. These are the fruits of the spirit, 
Gala. 5.  love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faithefulnesse, meekness, and temperance. These (I say) be the fruits of the spirit. And those that possesseth them, are free, and live not under the law: whereby our souls are in rest, & at peace with god: we content well god; we rejoice to work his will to the helping and edifying of our neighbour, and to count of our selves, to be as before, all membres of one body: to think that we be all but one in Christ: 
Charity.  to rejoice in our neighbour's health, wealth, & comfort, even as we would do of our own: to remedy his incommodities, to lament his distress & misery, to aid him and comfort him: or if he err or go out of the right way, to bewail (from our hearts) his great blindness & error: to give him friendly counsel and warning: to admonish him gently: to tell him of his faults soberly and courteously: to give him instructions for his learning, according to the verity of god's word (whereby our hearts are illumined, & the will of the flesh confounded:) & finally, as the redeemed jewel of Christ, & decely beloved of him, to secure him in all necessities. Thus, if we hereby, well regard the mind of god, his great love and mercy towards us, our obediece unto him, and our duties towards our neighbours: we shall perceive and easily find out, what heavenvly doctrine and counsels (among many others) these are to be attained unto, to be beloved, embraced and followed, 
job. 1. Gala. 6.  as the lively clear sparks of god's grace, to the lightning of our darkness, to the bridling, repressing, and treading under foot, our rancour, our privy enmity, malice, pride, covetousness, and uncleanness: our obstinacy and stiffeneckednes, our hearts hardness, our rebellion, our cankered natures and stoughtnes. Christ hath taught us and left behind him, quick sparks of his heavenly doctrine amongst us, and as it were lively and everlasting veins, of his most pure and godly mind. He hath opened his mind unto us and amongst us, by his holy word, to pourgeand cleanse our stubborn hearts, of all contagion and filth: if we would happily apply (with diligence) our affections there unto: & enforce ourselves by careful travel: to know these sparks of life: to feel and put in practise the operation of them (leaving the dead synders or smoking shrubs of cursedness:) whereby it shall then be manifest unto us, thorough the light of god's grace, 
The grace of god is ready at all times to enter into us, if we through obstinate ma●ice ●epe it not back it is the good gift of god, and descendeth from about, even from the father of light: which shall soon 〈◊〉 coined 〈◊〉 us, 〈◊〉 increased in us, if we make cure 〈◊〉 and fe●●ent praiet to god for it: yea he will 〈◊〉, stablish it in us for ever.  shining in us, that in the profession of a very christian, constancy in love and godly charity, is also an high and principal virtue: whereby we forsake the state of wickedness, embracing a godly life, and are loosened from darkness, and from the thraldom and bitter bondage of our sly enemy, the prince of this world, and be frankly set at liberty in the kyngdeome of Christ: th'end of whose course in the short race of this life, was to leave amongst us, this most precious and heavenly gift: without the fellowship whereof no virtue (in any wise) from the heart of man may appear to be upright, clear, and perfect. For he that lacketh this singular and blessed gift of god, it is not possible for him to do any thing well to the plealure of god, neither is he worthy among the godly to be had in estimation and honest regard (how hyghelye soever of his like, or among the vainglorious of this world, he seem to be extolled (lifted up, and magnified) because that he which loveth not his brother with singleness of heart, according to the bond of charity, which is the perfection of a christian man, but respecteth persons, is not of god, nor to be counted among the righteous, & therefore the less apt to attain the preservation & blessing of god: which he hath promised to all those that love him, & be obedient to his commandementꝭ. But alas with what great sorrow may we lament, in these our unhappy and most wretched days: If we consider the sharpness of gods late visitation amongst us, 
God's visitation.  for our unthankfulness sake, diversely to be laid upon us, by withholding specially the light of his countenance upon us, that w●drawīg of his grace from us to the darkening of our understanding, to the plucking back of his love & godly charity in us, to the making of us hard hearted & pitiles, to that kendling amongst us, dishonourable war & dissension: to the supportation also whereof, hath risen throughout this common wealth, great & marvelous charges, importable & grievous exactions, to th'increase of poverty, great woe, and misery, scarcity and ramine: the cursed motion, in deed, of the devil, and the fruits of his malignant and wicked membres, whereby the christian regions are thus afflicted, an open and most manifest show of gods wrathful indignation against us: namely upon this our christian church of England, whereupon the brightness of his glory for the show of his mercy in righteousness, hath heretofore most bright lie shined: and now of late days, through his just wrath, for our unthank fullness sake, hath withdrawn it: and by wicked and wilfulle wars (the swourds of his vengeance) not only to sustain the loss of such pieces, 
Wars.  beyond that seas (whereof England sometime with honour greatly rejoiced) but rather amongst us here within the realm great and intolerable misery, and the destruction of the people by colour, 
Famine.  & famine. O how grievously, through out these whole dominions, were, & yet are that poor creatures of god & tender members of jesus Christ, most grievously therewith afflicted? And commonly also, how the hearts of those were, & yet be hardened against them, which in their vocation and ability, (being here but stewards of god's treasures) were bound, and aught in conscience, 
Of pitiless wealthy men.  to have sought their preservation and natural comfort, soeing we are not only borne to ourselves, & wastefully to support our vain affects: but also according to our duty, state, & ability, for others succour, help, and necessity: And how they were constrained for want of natural feeding, and according to the use of mankind, to be converted into the state of brute beasts, and to eat for the upholding of their wretched & most woeful lives, acorns, grains, and draff, the filthy swines refection. And how natural and dear parents, through wretched poverty, weryly wandering the wasteful paths of life, 
Against nature.  were enforced against nature, to leave sleeping in fields, and under hedges, or losing in corners of cities and towns, their young babes & tender infants, the beloved fruit of their bodies, turning them at adventure, from their own arms of compassion, into the most unkind and pitiless world, because they could not abide to hear their continual mourning noise, their great lamentation, their piteous complaints, & most heavy countinaunces, always fixed for help upon them, their most wretched and unable parents: whose woeful hearts abhorred to see (in such wise) the destruction of their own flesh, and the violente cruelty of death by cold and famine, ready to take their lives from them. Either how sorrowful a thing was this to hear, and more pitiful to see (by the report of credible & honest men) that in Hertford shire, beside saint Albon, as they passed by the high way side, they saw there, lying and sitting together, a poor woman, 
A pitiful sight.  with her six or seven young children. And as they approached near unto them, to comfort them with their godly charity, they see the mother of them, lie dead amongst them, consumed by famine to the bones, and a young sucking infant also dead in her arms, another of her children dying by her side, and the rest piteously making lamentation about her. And as I have here made relation (by credible report) but only of one company, and a few personnes, that have sustained (through man's most wretched unkindness) this great woe and misery: so could I name of divers, both men, women and children: either in villages without the city, or within, in back lanes, desolate corners, or upon carraynely stinking donghilles, that hath been both quick and dead, wrapped in dust and horselytter, among the dogs, pigs, and filthy swine. O how lamentable is it, to hear and understand, of the great fall of England, from the grace of God? O the hardness of our hearts that hasteneth unto us the wrath of God. O how greatly appeareth the ire of God to hang over us? Yea how heavily already layeth he is hand upon us? 
Math. 18.  O cursed be the occasion, by sin, for ever: that god's heavy indignation should so light upon us, and his grace so clearly withdrawn from us, that we have no pity upon our poor neighbours, but suffer them in such wise, to work desperately against nature: the parents to forsake their children, and the children to bewail the loss of their parents, lamentably sorrowing, crying, yelling, sighing, sobbing, and groaning on both sides, the one for the other, & the one not able to help thither, but abide to the death, the bitterness or their hard & most wretched fortune. O doleful destiny, & most heavy adventure. O lamentable loss and most grievous departure. O pitiful parents. O forsaken & comfortless infants. O tender members of jesus Christ, fe●ly creeping always for life, and finding in theno nothing but death: whose irremediable and most woeful signs ye bear: 
Miserable poverue.  apparent piercing looks, pale faces: lean cheeks, wan lips, torn coats, gante bellies: withered skins bodies consumed to the bones, and weighting always deaths most deadly brunt, for the baneful breach of life. O lord, if we now living in these days, & in the ●yme also of light and knowledge of the gospel, shonsds but in this one only point, compare ourselves, with the good disposition of the people in other ages past, although in the days of utter darkness and ignorance, for the great pity & tender compassion that was amongst them towards the common wealth, & for thadusiding of such unnatural, most horrible and monstrous sights, among the poor membres of Christ and of the common wealth: what an untoward most pit les, and unnatural generation, should we now think ourselves to be, in comparison of the other: but rather much more wicked: most worthy also the wrath of god: most worthy reproach among the very Infidels: yea, & to be reproved also of the unreasonable and very brutish wild beasts of the field which against nature (to the reproof of their own beastly natures) committeth not at any time, any one such wretched evil: but will naturally seek to nourish, save, and defend that thing, which nature hath naturally in their own kind, most gladly desired, most aptly framed, inwardly preserved, tenderly nourished, & brought up in time amongst them: by whose virtue also, constancy, and tenderness in their rude natures, the name of god their maker or is, or should be praised & magnified by mankind, the only reasonable creature, and Lord of all creatures next under him, as by the chief lover and special maintainer of all causes necessary to nature's good affect. O what natural good man then or man of god, except he were the very devil himself, or the devils own darling, in whom restethend possibility of pity or good nature but would lament and have compassion upon these good creatures of god in such necessity: namely of mankind, their own flesshd and blood: whom God himself so dearly loveth, for our example: whom he so blesseth, and upon whom he poureth so abundantly his good graces and gifts above all other his creatures? Do not (as I said,) the like of kind help their like? 
The love of beasts.  Are there any so brute beasts under the son, or vile creeping worms upon thearth, but would in their kind love one an other, and join their hearts in amity, to withstand to their power, the cruelty of unnatural and strange adversaries? Are there among worms and beasts of the earth, more cruel or unnatural adversaries one strange beast or worm against another, then is either nakedness, cold, or famine against mankind, whose furious and deadly force, we ought every of us mightily withstand (according to the will of god) for one an others preservation? 
Dishonour to mannekinde.  Can there be greater shame and dishonour to mankind, the lord & ruler over all under god, than to be reproved in this special point of natural amity, of most inferior & base creatures? Truly I am of this opinion before heaven and earth, and think in conscience, I offed not: that as god never sent his sharp plagues & cruel chastismentes, unjustly upon the earth: but wourthili by his justice, for the punishment of sin, and that upon all estates and degrees of men: whether it be by wars, pestilence, or famine, all or some at ones: as his justice, notwithstanding his great mercy, respecteth the stony and hard heaps of sin: whereby his wrath is the more largely kindled upon this or other regios: so with the great and most wicked offenders, 
The inno●●●● with the 〈…〉 are plag●d And why.  the innocentes, (I so term them in respect of the other offenders) are also then plagued to this good end and purpose, that the godly and repentant sinners, and such as are of sufficient ability, should with prayer and fasting, bountifully and freely, reach forth their hand of compassion to the poor and needy persons: which by wars are either wounded or maimed, by divers diseases visited, or elle● grievously by famine afflicted, to the assuaging of gods great fury and wrath, and that the spirit of desperation thereby put a part, the good creature of god may have patience in poverty, and thankfully rejoice in his mercy, which abundantly spreadeth over all flesh: whereas the only compassion and mercy of man, so to secure & help, his poor and needy neighbour: upon whom, our eyes (with compassion) ought to be ever fixed, 
Eccle. 28.  that God in our charity may be blessed. O how fair a thing is mercy & pity in that time of necessity, in the time of heaviness, 
Eccle. 25.  anguish and trouble? Is it not like a cloud of rain, that cometh in the time of drought? But alas, how greatly to the contrary hath the devil now blinded our eyes, rob us of our good understanding and memory, and hath also strippeth us naked and bare of all compassion and charity? What pitiles seeds hath he sown in our hearts? What scornfulness and contempt? What nicety, lewd wantonness and folly? O what may we think of ourselves, that glory so much to be called christians, that cannot abide the name of heretic, turk, schismatic, or papist, that so much deny Christ in conversation: being utterly converted into worse state and behaviour, than the most vile estate of Ethnics and infidels, and suffer ourselves to be reproved of beasts, and overcome with these most horrible monsters, filthy covetousness, pride, and excess: & to be blyndelye led in such singular and vain affects, that we regard not but rather contemn, the most glorious and lively Images of God, 
Gene. ●.  the redeemed members of jesus Christ, our christian brethren and natural countrymen, but suffer them without compassion (in such lamentable wise) to appear before our eyes in every corner: In fields, in high ways, in churches, in streets, in by lanes, in comen jaquesses, under stalls, at rich men's doors and under their walls? Ah most lamentable & woeful case: whereby, if we do enter into our own consciences, what shall we there find? What good matter of rejoicing and perfect peace, shall there (before god appear in us? What remaineth in us wanting the charity of god, to be quiet in ourselves, and to live in the state of god's grace? Remaineth there nothing uprightly in us? What nothing at all? No no verily, of any inward or heavenly joy: but a terrible out cry, 
Where the charity of god remaineth not, there the conscience abideth unquiet and always in terroui●.  and an open accusation against us, and the just terror and vengeance of god upon us: because we have not in time to our powers (according to the order of charity and perfect compassion) prevented these most notable and cursed evils: or at the least, for not preparing present comfort in such time of necessity: making our friends of wicked mammon, whereby the poor might be relieved, & that there might be also laid up in store for ourselves, a good foundation in jesus Christ against the time to come, 
Rom. 12. 1, Timo. 6 Eccle. 11.  and obtayne-thorough him everlasting life. riches is a good thing, for it is the gift of god, and so likewise is poverty: and as god hath made some men rich (with an holy and good spirit) to despise worldly goods: so hath he also appointed some, to bear the burden of poverty, that they might happily receive his benefits, at such charitable and rich men's hands. O how blessed are those that have riches (the good gift of god) where by they may not only make many friends: to the praise of God, 
Pro. 19  and their own comfort: but seek also the favour of the poor: that are often through poverty (for saken of their friends, whose continual prayer and sweet blessing) by the promises of god, shall purchase unto them the favour of god, healthfulness, joy, prosperity, and plentiful increase. For the charitable act of the righteous & godly man, god always beholdeth and accepteth as an high and worthy sacrifice: which he (at any time) vainly receive not, and without recompense but as his act is worshyppeful according to Solomon, to do good and to help the poor in their necessity, which be calleth lending unto the Lord, or laid out for a season: so the Lord god that is all goodness and truths, that delighteth in well doing, and rejoiceth in his people, will not withhold his bountiful hand, but see him largely requighted again. 
Prou. 19 Prou. 29. prover. 12  The poor and the lender oft meet together: but it is the Lord that lighteneth both their eyes. It is the lord that prepareth poverty. It is the lord that giveth unto the poor strength, and consolation, thorough faith by the power of his spirit, to ask in his name, and to attain relief: It is the lord also that giveth riches, 
Eccle. 17.  and wourketh in the hearts of the rich, tender compassion and mercy towards the poor, by the same spirit: whereby his name in them both is hyghlies reverenced and magnified. And he that thus giveth or dareth unto the poor in the name of God, shallbe blessed, and not want himself. For the mercy that a merciful man showeth here unto his neighbour, in these terrestrial & vain earthly things: is as it were a purse with him, or a treasure house, plenteously stuffed with thin comparable and endless treasures of god the father: in, and by our Lord jesus Christ: thorough the love and faith in whom, a man's good deeds preserveth him, even as the apple of an eye. So that all virtuous and charitable deeds God lovingly beholdeth in Christ, and largely again requiteth, If grace were amongst us to consider the same, and practise it. But we are (I say) to the contrary, so blinded and sore infected with earthily and vain affects and self-love so prevaileth our senses to rule, that we forget god and his word: we neglect Christ and his gospel: we have embraced but a benumbed and dead faith: we have not reverently in price, the only merits of Christ's death, but we rather hear the name of Christyanitie and holiness, secluding the true faith in the way of righteousness, and are in deed environed and cloaked in with all kinds of maliciousness and wickedness. we have professed (in jesus Christ) to love god above all things and our neighbours as ourselves but we contemn God and Christ, our creator and saviour, and the rather neglect our poor neighbours and christian brethren, our companions in Christ, and fellow heirs with him in his kingdom: bending our whole affects, to the only dead will of the flesh: we love so much the world the devils snares hath caught us: 
The devil the world and the flesh prevaileth against us.  Ena hath deceived us: light fantasies are obeyed: excess beareth rule: our callings are abused: our eyes must be satisfied: our bodies must go gay: our feeding must be fine: our pastimes must be kept: and what so ever earthly vanity, the devil motioneth, the world proeureth, or the flesh coneteth, thereunto our corrupted hearts immediately consenteth. truly, Satan, that cursed enemy and prince of impiety, sins his first fall from the kingdom of god into utter darkness, never better bestirred him, to the nereace of his helly kingdom, them now in these our pitiles and most unhappy days. And how he prevaileth, and in victory triumpheth god to our plague suffereth, his grace he withdraweth, which our wickedness serveth, and that the godly most grievously feeleth and with tears also lamenteth. And if herein, we now consider men's ingratitude: amongst whom, in their degrees they greatly differ: as some are much more to be noted then some, namely of such things as shall immediately follow: considering how marvelously we be mixed with what diversity of spirits we be guided: and how variable in all our doings: we are always affected: for we have not amongst us: one only faith we lean not zealously to one only true god: neither do we seek one only eternal and heavenly father: whose will of all men should only be received & followed, if our hearts in deed, were only to him united. But as we be apparently and to evil divided, and some to one way, and some to another addicted, so the powers of darkness hath mightily prevailed, and wrought open contempt to our just reproach.  
Therefore, respecting these two natures thus divided, I will humbly now with reverence, leave here wourthylye untouched, all virtuous, right prudent, honourable, and godly governors: whose hearts I acknowledge in their doings, to be always most aptly tempered with the reverend fear of God, from whom springeth (with beauty) the comfortable, free, & lively fruits of compassion, christian charity and friendly liberality: and unto whom (above all others) most worthily do appertain such things, as hereafter followeth, according to their right reverend estate and dignity: In whom god's people rejoiceth, & unto whom they own due honour, hearty praise, and daily prayer: amongst whom also, I mean nothing less, then arragantely to kindle (herein) offence against them or against any godly man of any degree: but charitably with humbleness, do touch (in few words) this familiar abuse, which is: whereof it cometh that among the rich and wealthy men of this world, we see (for their pleasure's without numbered) their fat fed dogs of every kind: their pampered horses: their fair mules & gay glistering Jennets: And to the contrary is many starned & forlorn creatures & christian souls miserably passing by them, dying in the streets before them, or standing at their gates to try them, with pituouse cries in their necessity, through soreness, hunger, and nakedness: and rather receive succour of the dogs then of them selves (if in their kinds their tongues licking will ease & assuage these griefs) so pitiles are they and cold of charity, to the comfort or mankind in his necessity. And to answer truly the question: what other cause is there, then that they are more affected unto them? their hearts are bent towards them: they glory in them, & have their felicity and pleasure in them (as they are in deed in their kind and creation, & for their good gifts of nature, worthy to be beloved and esteemed, to be prepared for and nourished:) but how much more should man, that noble and most excellent creature, above all other his creatures, be looked unto, be beloved prepared for and nourished? if we think it convenient, to make preparation for the nourishment of beasts, that are serviceable to us earthily & mortal creatures: how much more one man for an other, after th'ensample of Christ, that hath entered the bonds of christian amity, and are sworn servants to the celestial and everliving god? What leeful let is there to the contrary? 
Beasts in their kind ought to be beloved.  but that we may and ought, by nature's good consent, to love every creature of God in their kind, and be careful for them: specially for those, by whom we feel not only to have great pastime and pleasure, but such also as bringeth us much profit and welfare: whether it be by laborious tilling the earth: by painful travailing in journeys: by grievous carrying of burdeyns: by courageous re●i●tynge enemies: 
We may not be so affected to fantasies, that we leave the people of god unprovided for.  or such as also serveth to feed our bellies? All which are lovely, necessary, and wourthye due preparation, with thanks giving to god: yet we may not so love them, and have them in price, nor seek so with excess to fufyll our affects, that we forget or neglect our high charge and duty towards our poor neighbours and christian brothern: whereunto we are bound by god's will, and the law of nature: And whom god (above all other his creatures) so dearly loveth: and whom he hath so beautifully adorned, with reason, with wit, wisdom, and understanding: by whose virtue also and divine state of life, 
Psalm 9  the glory of god doth shine: In whom through christ he is well pleased, he showeth his joyful countenance upon us, he plucketh his wrath from us, he blesseth us, and hath also mercy upon us. And although we, in our health, wealth, & vain felicity, through the hardness of our hearts, be unmindful of them, regard them not, nor pass any thing of them, in their great extreme agony and misery: beating always our heads to the supportation of our own state, to the increase of our own felicity and vain pleasure, and to stablish our posterity in the estimation & glory of the world as though our doings therein were sure, and founded upon an immovable rock: yet god that is omnipotent, righteous, and merciful, who justly weigheth the true order and meaning of all our carnal intents, will accordingly prevent us, and with the vehement storm of his fury, beat down, over throw, and destroy our sandy and stubble foundation: And at the day or hour when he shall make inquisition for the blood of his saints, and call to remembrance the complaints of the poor, and how wickedly we have in this life abused them: he will be avenged of them: & for the everlasting love that he hath towards them: he will have mercy upon them, he will be perpetually mindful of them: he will regard and visit them, and not forsake them in such time of trial, 
psalm. 14. psal. 106. psal. 138. psal. 140.  but giveth them the comfort and strength of his spirit, patiently a short time to bear the cross of Christ, and the extremity of their great pain and poverty, through the unkindness of unnatural and pitiles people, and that their joys eternally shallbe afterwards with him in heaven. For he is always the comfort, preservation, strength, and defence of all such as patiently bear the hand of GOD, abide his will, and walk always innocently before him. He is attendannte upon them: he guideth them: he keepeth them in the right path, and preserveth the way of his saints: unto whom he giveth thunderstanding of righteousness, 
Psal. 9.14. prover. 2,  judgement, and equity: yea, and every good path: and delivereth the poor when he crieth, the needy, and him that hath no helper: for he shall be favourable and friendly to the simple and needy, and shall preserve also the souls of the poor. Of whom in their great agony and bitterness of pain, he turneth forth other while, with out numbered, before our eyes, and in such misery, to th'end we should behold in them, as in a glass, the face of jesus Christ, his great poverty and most grievous afflictions and torments. Unto whom as unto Christ himself, in their hunger, thieste, and nakedness, we ought charitably to minister bread, drink, and clothe, as also in their sickness to comfort them, 
Math. 25.  and in their bands and imprisonment to visit them. They are the price and redemption of Christ: they bear before our eyes the Image of Christ, and also in whom we partly do see the great anguish & dolour of Christ: And what so ever we be hold in them, we behold in christ: and what so ever we give unto them: we give unto Christ: 
Math. 25.  And what so ever we withdraw from them, we withdraw from Christ: for those are they, whom Christ spoke of to be left always amongst us (his beloved poor membres) representing his most dear person: and upon whom we should for his sake, and in the remembrance of him, have compassion upon them, use friendly familiarity amongst them, and dispose our godly charity to the upholding of their lives, and the assuaging of their most woeful pain and misery, their great anguish & dolour in soul & body, as we would wish unto our selves (being now altogether in the hands of god) if we were in the like adversity. Let it not now be spoken by any tongue from an unfeigned heart, 
Eccle. 31, Tobi. 4. Math. 7. Luke. 6. We must do, as we would be done to.  that ever specially within the mind of man, in this famous region and noble angle of the world, a country heretofore no less feared then beloved of all nations for our virtues, strength and great wealth, was seen the like multitude of poverty, 
poverty.  raised up, increased, and spread for the amongst us, by god's sufferance and visitation, through the hardness of our hearts, through forced wars, great speknesses, and famin● where shall a man now within these dominions, either ride or go, but still there shall be great occasion ministered unto him of pity? Which way shall he now turn his face, but the poor membres of Christ shall appear before him, in extreme necessity and misery, and call upon him for his charity, in the name of jesus christ? whose name we ought to reverence, 
●say. 65. Math. 1. Roma. 14 Philip. 2.  and to extend freely for his sake our charity, according to our ability, and as we see justly occasion of necessity, to content well god. Or at what time shall we in conscience better dispose our charity to the people of god? Was there ever by them the like woeful attempt? O that the spirit of god our sins through his mercy being remitted would yet happily descend upon us, and amongst us, to work in us, and to purge, and mollify our corrupted and flinty hearts, of impiety, unnatural slackness, self love, and all vain affects: 
A needful request of God.  that we may with the more lively diligence in the fears of GOD, tender his beloved people: and so prepare for them, that our holy and most just GOD, may in all our doings, be well contented and pleased. O how happy should we be to fulfil the will of GOD, if our ears were opened, and our hearts by the dew of god's grace, soft tempered that we might aptly hear and worthily receive the voice of god ●h●e calleth unto us, saying: Be not ashamed of thy neighbour, in his distress and misery: Defend the poor and father less! deliver the out cast and poor: Shut not thine hand when thou shouldest give: 
Eccle. 4. psal. 82. Eccle. 4.  Distribute thy bread unto the poor and hungry, bring the poor fatherless home into thine house: give him lodging: cloth him if he he naked: 
Esay. 18.  and turn not thy face from thine own flesh: that is to say, from thy poor neighbour: thy christian brother or Sister. And likewise to hide thine Almase in the bosom of the poor, that god may be blessed, and thy sins purged.  
Not by thy merits, I say, but though) rough the lively faith and love that is in thee towards jesus Christ, and for his only merit's sake: who loved thee first, who preciously with his blood hath redeemed thee, and inspireth thee with his holy spirit, to love again: and thankfully to work his will: whereby thou mayest then understand, that as water quencheth fire, so almose deeds also proceeding from such a lovely faith, quencheth sin and assuageth the wrath of god. 
Luke. 11.  give all, mose therefore by this light of grace, foreshyning in thee, and then as shallbe pure and clean unto thee. And although he be thine enemy, yet forgive him for the love thou haste to Christ: and if he be in necessity and hungry, yet feed him for his sake: If he be thirsty, give him drink if he be naked, clothe him: or if he be in prison, visit him. For in so doing the charity of god shall clearly shine in thee, and thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, 
prover. 25  The grace of god is offered unto thee: 
Prou. 25. Roma. 12. Eccle. 34. psalm. ●●  be not overcome with evil, but do thou overcome evil with good: For thereupon dependeth the blessing of god, as unto the charitable and righteous man, according to this saying. The blessing of God hasteneth to the reward of the righteous, & maketh his fruits to flourish and prosper. Again, blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy, for in the troublesome day, the lord shall deliver him. And contrary wise, he that stopeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he himself shall also cry in the day of necessity, but the lord shall not hear him. For the whole congregation of the people of God, are ever crying out (with great lamentation and sighing) against him or against the whole rabblement of them, that are so wicked and hearted against them. For they are the cause in deed, that so many men are hungry, naked and bare, or to want sufficiency for their natural succour and comfort. 
job. 24. Eccle. 13.  Those are they that detest or abhor the poor & needy man. They are proud, stought, blasphemous, and scornful. They be unkind, pitiless, and rejoice at the decay of the righteous. But the lord laugheth them to scorn, and his vengeance lurketh for them, 
Eccle. 27.  even as a lion. They shallbe taken in the snare, and anguish of heart shall consume them before they die. It highly displeaseth the righteous and most just god, when we, whom he hath made of ability, sitting at home at ease and in security, be not moved with pity, at the great calamity, miseries and troubles of the poor people of god, as the prophet Amos complaineth, 
Amos. 6.  saying: Woe be to the people, that are of ability and wealthy, which are not moved with heaviness, compassion, and pity, to see the poor creatures and people of God in woeful distress, affliction, and misery, and will not with tenderness, of their hearts, seek meat, and necessaries to ease them, relieve them, and comfort them. O that our, 
The curse of god followeth man's iniquity.  untowardness (with trembling fear) would suffer us, to way well this woe or curse of God: which signifieth unto us the greatness of this our iniquity, & how largely (in time) his vengeance is like to fall upon us.  
And how outward so ever we be in deed and without regard, in this wise to minister unto the poor membres of christ, and to seek or devise by all means possible, to help and relieve them: yet our consciences therein, always openeth unto us the good mind of God which (before him condemneth us utterly of our disobedience, ingratefulnes, and most wilful slackness, of what so ever estate and degree we be of, or of ability in the comen wealth. For the charity of God, uninersally & of duty, tendeth to all estates and degrees of men, from the highest to the lowest, 
Charity be longeth to all estates: but it appeareth not from all m● alike.  that have professed his name: And it is rather apparannt (by due order) in some estates, of, and for the comen wealth of god's people, then in somme. The excellency and nobleness of which virtue, shineth not from all persons alike: for as there be diversities of degrees, and some in moor authority or of more ability then other that should rule in a common wealth, for an assured good state and comfort of the people: so this most lovely and peerless virtue (gods heavenly charity should break forth more abundantly, and shine more clearly from such as bear rule and be in authority, then from other thinferior and base people of the commonalty, or from such as be not of ability, for example's sake and increase of virtue: although every of us in our vocation, should seek an others commodity. And again, as there duly, by the promises of god, belongeth unto us the blessings of God for our charitable demeanour and well doing, through our lively and sound faith in jesus Christ, so for thabusing of our profession, state, or holy vocation, dependeth over us, the malediction and just wrath of god. 
Princely or spiritual governemet.  Thou art called in the church of god, to princely or spiritual government: thou art a lord, a master, or a father, over the servants and people of god, thou hast a charge committed unto thee by the power and will of god, for their health, wealth, consolation, strength, and defence. Thy charge herein & vocation is greatest, and most strait above all others for the lively setting forth amongst them in body and soul, the glory and praise of god. But thou being in honour, and wanting the fellowship of a good guide (namely the spirit of god) art now without understanding, thou art forgetful, thou art wedded to vanities, thou art very negligent, or an abuser of thine office: Thou considerest not directly, whereupon truly thine honour dependeth: Thou sek●st not above all things the glory of god in rightuonsnes: Thou art not careful nor tender over the people: neither haste thou compassion nor pity upon them: Thou art not a good shepherd among thy sheep: Thou watchest not over them to nourish, save, and defend then: Thou blowest not thy trump amongst them. to keep them together in the obedience of righteousness, lest they stray and be in danger of the swourde of God: 
Ezech. 34.  Thou harkenest not, what furious & devouring beasts assaileth them.  
Thou art slothful, careless, and not continually studious for their bodily and ghostly comfort: but rather singulerlye (for thine own glory) corruptly infected with vain affects, and so sufferest them to straggle and wander, to starve, and diversly to stand in great peril and danger. through which unnatural and noisome evelles, thine estate is abused thine honour distained, thy person defamed, and the glory of god thereby greatly hindered. Whereby also most plainly appeareth, that the bright beams of righteousness shineth not from thee: namely, the good fruits of love & charity, which should chief break forth, for the people's felicity: and therefore (before God) thine own open wickedness shall justly condemn thee.  
He will pour out his cruel displeasure upon thee: he will undoubtedly confound thee, root the out, and consume thee in the fire of his wrath. The blood of his people, will he require at thine hand: 
Eze. 22.32.  and thine own crooked and vain ways shall he recompense, upon thy very head. Thou art a gentle man, a man of worship or a landed man: 
Gentlemen or men of worship.  thou art peradventure raised up of nothing, to a right honourable or wourshippefull estate: thou art a lawyer, a judge or a justice, an officer, or a minister in the comen wealth: thou art endued with the good gifts of god: with wit, wisdom, learning and gravity: thou hast also in thee, an appearance of virtue: by reason whereof thou growest into effimation, and art auctorisod & put in trust under god & the high magistrate our sovereign, to be in the comen wealth a diligent overseer, a faithful & true minister, a shield and mighty pro●ection, by authority aforesaid, that the simple poor people or flock of Christ, be not overcome with these outrageous and devouring beasts: rebellious idle vagabonds, sturdy beggars, murderers, thieves or robbers, conspirators, privy pickers, extortioners, oppressors, whisperers, wilful deceivers & crafty devisers. Thy charge committed unto the is great, & requireth at the hand of god, a just & strait account. But thou also art negligent and s●ongtheful: thou duly lokeste not to thy charge: thou wickedly appliest the gift of god or thou thyself with some of these foresaid evelles are spotted: whereby thou canst not worthily reprove others according to thine office, lest peradventure thine own shame, should then be opened, and so thou sufferest much wickedness in thyself and in others rankly to abound: thou art therefore fled from God: thou wantest in thee the charity of God: thou hast offended thy maker, thou hast been unthankful to him: thou hast been hurtful to his people: thou hast deceived thy prince: and art known and so noted in the common wealth, to be but a monster, a corrupted and lewd officer, a pernicious enemy, and most subtle deceiver. The divine justice hangeth over thee, the curse of the people shall prevail against thee: yea, thy state shallbe changed, and thy glory abated. And where thou by thine authority, hast disorderly ruled or abused others, to the great offence of god, to the dishonour of the king: and great grief of the comen wealth, thou thyself shalt also by some other, be rightly used: to the glory and praise of god, to further the kings honour, and to the reformation of thine abuse in the comen wealth. Thou art called a merchant man, or usest the trade of merchandise. 
Merchant men.  Thou bearest the face of a friend in the comen wealth: and that thy vocation therein (thou sayest) is of necessity: thou hast at thy disposition, the commodities of thy country: thy charges and travails are great, thy journeys be far: thy dangers be not small: thou carriest over: thou recariest, thou makest exchange, thou preparest & bringest in such things, as the time orderly will permit: in appearance, for the good state and necessity of the comen wealth: secluding in secret all privy and corrupted avarice, all craft or deceit, all falsehood or subtlety. Thy pretence herein is honest, well pleasing, and commendable and wourthye due supportation, by princely authority. But if thou serve from the foresaid strait trade of simplicity, virtuous good demeanour, and sincerity, into doubleness, avariciouse dealing and subtlety: thou showest thyself an approved enemy, very unfriendly and unnatural is thy country and therefore clean void of gods heavenly charity: for the which, his indignation shall fall upon thee, to the increase of thy woeful mishap, spoiling thee of thy pleasures, and plaguing thy posterity. 
Fermer. Grazier. Vitailers.  Thou art a rich farmer, a stoughte frankelyne, a graster, or a victualler in the comen wealth of thy country. God (under thine hand) blesseth the earth, thy fields, and pastures: & giveth thee great increase of corn and all manner of cat-tail, for the assurance, first of thine own welfare: that thou with a rejoicing heart, and thanks giving to him for his bountifulness, shouldest accordingly as a good servant and faithful steward of his benefits, not only to receive them, preserve them, and in due time distribute them, as thine ability shall require, either free lie with a charitable heart, to thy poor countrymen, in their necessity, for the dear loves sake thou hast to God: but also (at the least) for a sufficiet and competent gain to make sale: that the comen wealth of thy country, may the rather, through moderation and good order of thy prizes, lively flourysihe, and the poor membres of Christ, well contented and nourished: which is the ground of thy vocation & duty, & that the name of god in thine obedience may be lifted up and magnified. If thou wouldest in this behalf object for thyself, the raising of rents to be an impediment, the thou canst not as thou wouldest, use thy vocation duly for the wealth of thy country: I pass over with silence, the avaricious & most notable evil, commending it to the devil from whence it came: humbly beseeching almighty god, for the greatness of his mercy's sake, & for the love that he hath to his people, in jesus christ, so to work the confusion thereof, that all things in time, to his praise, may be broughto to their pristinate and former state: only requiring of thee, that art a man of god, the virtue of thy good will and charity, to bewail unfeignedly this great wickedness crept in amongst us, and to plucae it down (as much as in thee shall lie, and not to uphold it) to the comfort of the people: which shallbe thy sufficient discharge before God to his praise, to the quietness of thine own conscience, to the good encouragement of others, and to the purchasing unto thyself, prayer, friendly report, and all honest and good men's favours. But if thine heart be otherwise corruptly fixed upon filthy avarice, only without the fear of God, regarding the state of thine own welfare, and to enrich thyself with crafty abuse: in withholding, 
Who so holds or hideth up corn, shall be cursed among the people: but the blessing of god shall light upon his head that selleth it. prover. 11  secret hoarding, hiding, burying, wilful spoiling, raising of prices, or uncharitable denying, not to have that, which in deed thou haste: or to withhold thy diligent good will, from labouring, tilling, tempering, and sowing the earth, And so forth, to seek as much as in thee shall lie, good increase and friendly furtherance of all things under thine hand, joining thy good will to the will of god, to put by dearthes', and further a common wealth in thy country, to the comfort spectally of the poor people, and that they may happily live by thee: or else that thou of a naughties and evil conscience, only for private wealths sake: flatteringly thorough the colour of necessity, or falling into poverty, 
Deceitful enemies of the comen wealth.  by chargeable service in martial affairs, or otherwise: thou suest to the virtuous and noble counsellors, and other thy friends, to be friendly unto thee, and to be thy gracious good lords and mediators in thy behalf, unto the kings majesty, for the grant of a licence, in recompense of thy service, to carry over beyond the seas, a certain sum of grain: peradventure by request one thousand quarters. etc. to make thy market: or otherwise certain dyckers of leather: or such like commodities of the realm, whereby thou shouldest be relieved: sygnifienge unto their honours, formally forging a false tale, not weighing the virtues of such godly acts, and laws, as hath been from time to time, for such purpose appointed and established: neither charitably considering in deed, the present scarcity of thy country, to the increase of famine and destruction of the people: neither yet regarding the wrath of God, the indignation of thy prince, nor heavys displeasure of his nobility) dost declare (I say) what superfluous store is thorougheoute the realm, and that there is largely and more then sufficient, both for the country, and also to serve thy turn, if it would please their honours to grant thee thy request: doubting also the less to obtain thy suit, because (thou sayest) it is not chargeable to the King, whereby thou shouldest be well recompensed, and the King not charged. And the rather binding them to credit thee (because thou knowest their honours to be both wise, virtuous, and faithful to their country: and that they will not in any wise, as near as they can, grant any thing corruptly, that should be prejudicial or hurtful to the comen wealth, forasmuch as they be honourable, pitiful, and sworn fathers to the same) thou craftily undermyneste them, thou diligently pliest them, and art ever before their faces, and rounding in their ears, bringing in before their honours certain witnesses (peradventure one at the least, of whom they have some knowledge) to testify of thine honesty, of thy good service, of thy poverty, and so forth, and that thy suit may not be hurtful to the comen wealth: for all things are true that thou sayest: they bear the face of honesty, of good estimation, or peradventure like gentlemen: although in very deed, neither so, nor so, but by due probation thorough such unnnaturall and ungentle suits, plainly tried men like unto thyself: and approved enemies of the comen wealth, if men should credit the whole voice of thy country, for that ye are all partakers or one commodity. And when thou hast thus by this means, or such like simple pretence, obtained thine unseemly suit, and caryest with thee, thy commission into the country, fully to serve and satisfy there, thy hungey or greedy turn, thou abusest also the virtue of thy commission: thou art unreverent: thou art unquiet, troublesome, & an outefacer of the people: thou rangest at liberty, thou over reacheste, and straynest thy conscience till it crack again: for thou art entered into the sweet: thy lust must be satisfied: and thou art fully fixed, to have thoroughly at the least, thy full fraighte for thy viage how so ever in what order the prizes be made, or the money to the sellers disbursed and paid.  
These doings (I say loving brothern) or such seek out of order: where, or when so ever they be committed and done in any common wealth, are truly very villainous, and unseemly base shifts of reproachful and lewd shifters, and not meet for the degree of honesty: whether of gentlemen, men of worship, serviceable soldiers, landed men, serving men, or such also as only and insufficiently live by art, by service, by office, friendship or fee: for they may undoubtedly by the grace of god, seek many other ways, honestly, and in good order, according to virtue, to the augmentation of their well wished and worthy honest living. But as there be in every common wealth, among the degrees of men, some natural, friendly, and charitable men, that seeketh gladly the preferment of their country by their virtue and wisdom: so to the contrary, there be many other also, that are unnatural, very unfriendly, & unloving to the same, and always seek the hindrance thereof by their craft and subtlety. Of whom we may say with compassion and pity, because worthily there hung over them the danger and prick of misfortune: O unnatural and strange people, perverse and untoward to the use of virtue, And unfriendly for the comfort of your country: before whom standeth always the urefull face of god's justice. For if in these or such other like things, offence be committed, shall it not then be manifest of thee, what so ever thou be, that the charity of God abideth not in thee, or that an evil spirit possesseth thee? What is this, but that the devil prevaileth againse thee: when thou art rebellious against the will of god, or hateful to thy country? Thou hast not sought th'advancement of God's glory. Thou haste not directly answered to thy vocation: thou hast sought only thine own wealth and commodity: Thou art disobedient and false to the king: thou hast craftily deceived him, and his most virtuous counsellors: thou livest under him, an unnatural and wicked subject: thine heart is unsound towards him: thou art slanderous to his person: Thou carest not for his laws: Thou dishonourest his nobility: neither lovest thou his people: thou haste shut up thy compassion from them, thy poor neighbours: thou haste not sought their commodity, whom thou oughtest to love as thyself: but rather haste stirred them up, as much as in thee hath line, to despair of the grace of god, to disobey the word of god, to break without fear, the true peace of god, to hazard in madness both body & soul, & to make rebellion and uproar, against him their anointed King and natural prince, as in the days of darkness or great ignorance of god, to danger his person, & to put in hazard under him, his whole dominion & empire, although (of late days) the mighty hand of god, through the power of his grace, to his only praise, hath so stayed the hearts of the people, that thy most wicked attempt hath not taken place, O blessed therefore be the name of God for ever, that hath wrought so mercifully in us, to the lightning of our darkness, and to works in us his reverent fear and obedience: whereby the people of god, (the commons of this realm) hath been quiet, patiently in all things to sustain the sharp rod of his justice: which he of late hath bitterly laid upon us, for our former disobedience, and great unthankfulness, in the days of his merciful visitation amongst us: who in time, according to the greattenesse of his mercy in jesus Christ, and for the loves (sake in him) he to his elect, hath and will return again his joyful countenance upon us, and work mightily for us, contrary to the expectation of his and our most wicked enemies: 
Psal. 89.  yea even in such wise, that they shall see & pecive it & be ashamed, because he our god, hath mercifully leaned unto us, blessed us, holden us up, and comforted us. Thou therefore, what so ever thou be, the art a maintainer of thine own only state rather by corrupted avarice, untrue dealing, or filthy gain, then truly in the fear of god without dissimulation or doubleness, according to the duty of gods faithful servant, and the kings obedient subject, to the praise of God, to the honour of the king, and comfort of his people, thou plainly approvest thyself the very enemy of God, a disobedient rebellious subject to the king, and a wilful spoiler or murderer of his people.  
Thou art worthy no better to be termed among the people in a common wealth, before God, and to the knowledge of the king, than an open enemy, a secret sower of sedition, and a privy worker of rebellion: whereby the king (the appointed high minister and servant of God, thy liege lord and sovereign) and his dearly beloved people, the flock of Christ, may be greatly vexed, and in danger of confusion: although I say, such cursed instruments and workers of mischief as thou art, 
God prospereth good intents.  are oftentimes by the grace of GOD, swiftly prevented, and the just confusion, through thy very occasion, to light upon thine own pate. Things that are well devised and intended, from a good heart to a good end god prospereth them, & bringeth them well to pass: but the wicked devices and intents, of an evil heart to a wicked end, 
Wicked de 〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 god prenented.  are often of God prevented, and come not so to pass, but as a stone vehemently rebounding from the rock or hard wall, doth strike or hurt him that threw it, to his great peril and danger. Revoke therefore thine evil order, to the supportation of thine own state. Prevent betimes an inconvenience, and beware that thou be not rightly used, and sustain the curse of god. Fear him, and honour thy king: be obedient to his laws, and love dearly his people.  
Bridle (I lay) thine unlawful attempts: lest thorough the justice of god, the Kings authority also fall upon thee: for he beareth not a sword for nought, but wourthily for the sharp punishment and cutting of, of such rotten membres, noisome and destroyful caterpillars, 
Roma. 13.  engendered in the comen wealth, of an evil wind and pestilent air of the devil: that spileth and devoureth the lovely buds, tender green leaves, fair fresh fleures, and pleasant fruits, plentifully flourishing over all, the head, the branches, and the beautiful renowned stock of this English common wealth. And finally, what soever member thou be, or artificer, inhabiting within thy country, 
Artificers and other.  that bearest the name of a christian subject, and abusest thine honest estate & vocation, through corrupted avarice, falseboode or subtlety, not duly weighing the true order and friendship in a common wealth, appointed and stablished by th'authority of god and the kings laws, to the comsorte of the people, thou shalt also manifest thyself to be void of grace, not to be of Christ, not to have in thee the charity of god, nor to live in his fear, and under the obedience of thy king: and therefore as a disobedient and wilful malefactor both to God and the king, thou shalt wourthyly, by due justice, stand in danger of them both, to thine utter overthrow and destruction: th'one justly condemning thee, and the other ministering his vengeance upon thee. For as thou art the very adversary of god, mischievous, hard hearted, and evil willing to goodness: so will he by some means, 
Eccle. 21.  send the bitterness of his wrath upon thee, and it shall destroy the even as the stubble. Therefore, O thou enemy of righteousness, thou uncharitable, unnatural, & wicked man: hearken in few wourds unto the voice of the holy ghost, by the mouth of the prophet (who narrowly respecteth thine evil fixed state, and wicked vain life:) These things (saith he) hast thou done. 
Psal. 50.  And because in thy doings I stayed my tongue against thee, and have not presently according to justice reproved thee, and poured my plagues upon thee, but have gently delayed to try thee, after the greatness of my mercy, for thy better amendment: thou haste therein contemned me: thou haste unthankfully forsaken me, and repined against me: thou haste abused this my blissful state of gentleness, long sustering, and patience: and hast still most wickedly continued and wandered forth in wickedness, in unfaithfulness, pride, lying, and deceitfulness, & thoughtest me thy creator, thy righteous Lord, merciful, and omnipotent god, to be as no God: or to be even like unto thyself (that is) unrighteous, very vain, most feeble, fantastical, and foolish: and to be but a sleeping, double faced, or drowsy god: either not to know thy doings, or wanton winking at thy wickedness, as one that always looketh thorough the fingers at thee, as though I were but a dalier with thee, forgetful of thee, an hider of my face from thee, or without earnest regard of thy behaviour, and not recompensing thy condition in th'end: But be thou well assured (O thou very worldling and most vain creature) that as thou art utterly deceived, greatly blinded, and wilfully led in the damnable ways of darkness: so shalt thou utterly be unexcused. For if thou (in such wise, thou earthy slime and slipper filthiness) will needs be ignorant of me, not knowing, or rather not regarding the state of mine eternity great power, and majesty, but still evil affected, to fondness and vanity: neither yet confessing thy faults before me with repentance and humble submission, thou shalt both know and feel, that I the only omnipotent, righteous, and most true god, do plain lie perceive thee: and as my soul doth abhor thee: so will I duly also reprove thee: and unwares set before thy face, to thy confusion, the wickedness which thou haste done, yea I will in deed so visit thee, and lay justly mine hand upon thee: that I will make thee as the filthy & rotten dung upon the earth, or as the light flying stubble, before the face of the wind. For I do thee truly to understand, that as I, the great god of heaven and earth, have sworn by mine holiness, to keep faithfully my promises, & to be merciful unto the charitable and faithful christians (the generation of the righteous) that willingly will walk in the right way: so will I also upon all flesh, and all faithless and pitiles generations, that leadeth unkindly their lives in wickedness, perform straightly the rigour of my justice, in the truth of my promises. For as mercy is highly annexed, to the exaltation, most worthy advancement, & supportation of mine eternal glory, or the excellency of my divine majesty, in the incomprehencible state of my deity, among such as love me, & tread gladly th'appointed plain paths of piety: so the brightness also of my glory, my potent power or omnipotency, my wisdom, godly love, faithfulness, & verity, hath been is, and for ever shallbe, both seen, felt, known, embraced, advanced highly, and feared most emdently: because justice is joined so aptly to mine etertistie, for the defence of my loving trends against the enemy: whose lives hath been traded, evil spent, & wasted in the hurtful steps of impiety.  
The Prophet therefore goeth loorthe with this most gentle and mild exhortation, saying: Regard and consider this, O ye the forget god, of what estate or degree so ever ye be: whether ye be high or low, rich or poor, of the clergy or laity, natural country men, or strangers, the have office, authority, or any kind of ministry, in the church of God, and in the common wealth of his people, lest his wrath be thus kindled against you, and that he suddenly rend you, & pluck you away, & not one else of powerable to help or deliver you etc. For touchuing this point of ingrate fullness, what thing is it committed by us & amongst us, upon th'earth, through out all degrees, that more grievously offendeth God, & causeth him to turn upon us the terrible face of his justice, than the want of an universal ear, to those of god's charity, natural friendship & amity, whereby the common wealth is upholden & flourisheth? Hath not the wrath of god fallen upon great cities, whole kingdoms, & countries. for using themselves to the contrary? Either hath not particularly such wicked people been worthily plagued, that hath wanted this virtue of charity? we feel daily (if we have will to regard it) the sweet favour of god, for choose of virtue, proceeding from the true faith in Christ: & what displeasure also by his justice doth fall upon us, 
The 〈◊〉 of god respecteth not 〈…〉.  for our incredulity vice & great wickedness. The justice of god hangith by equal balance nuer anl flesh that disobeyeth his holy precepts and laws. And like as his justice for our Ethnic disobedience, is ready to fall upon us: so his mercy, for our christian obedience, shall ever remain amongst us. Look which way we apply ourselves, and dispose our lives either wickedly, or in the way of godliness, so our rewards with joy or pain, are accordingly prepared us, and shall assuredly light upon us, at his appointed and most certain time Are we not at liberty to sink or swim, and to ascend or descend through our behaviour, to God, or to the devil? Either will we needs wilfully walk in the way of wickedness? Let us leave god if we list: 
Note 〈…〉.  let us set light by Christ, and his wourd: let us follow the devil: let us still love the world: let us yet lean to our old lewd lusts and fleshly foolishness, with obstinate and hard hearts, so to accomplish the fullness of our most fickle and vain affects through our filthte avarice, pride, and excess, that we else regard nothing, in this life, touching either god and chri●t, or his poor afflicted membres, but suffer them without compassion, to wander abroad and perish, or to minister occasions, whereby the comen wealth shall decay: by his iussice (I say) he will also leave and forsake us: He will withdraw his grace from us: we shallbe unwourthi the joy of his countenance: 
Math. 18. jacob. 2.  And as we showed no mercy or comfort upon his poor people, according to his word, nor were studious for their natural preservation, but with drew our careful diligence and charity, both to the loss and great danger of their bodies and souls: so will he also withhold his mercy from us, and pour duly his heavy indignation upon us: he will be unmindful to do us good: he will diversly visit us, 
Levit. 26 Deu●. ●●. job. 7.  he will not cease his wrath ou●r us: he will vex our spirits and fill us with bitterness: he will suddenly shorten our days: he will pluck us from our pleasures: other shall enjoy our winnings he will leave us evil heirs, vicious, & wasteful spenders: for we ourselves are unjust and corrupted gainers, and have craftily deceived our neighbours: we are gone back from god uns have been disobedient to the voice of god: 
Daniel 9  for we have she wed ourselves unthankful a faithless: 
Esav. 59 1. john. 3.  we are also pitiles: our hearts possesseth maliciousness: we have broken that peace of god: our hands are full of blood: we have committed murder: we have slain that innocent: we are guilty of our brothernes death: & therefore their blood in that way of (revengement) crieth from the earth with terrible and shrill sound, for the swift vengeance of god to come upon us: who also hath promised to revenge the quarrel of his dear people & loving friends, upon his and their most cursed and malicious enemies. 
Deut 3●. Psal. 11●. Rom. 12.  Vengeance is mine (saith the lord god) and I will revenge. I will rose up at the exclamation and cry of the poor It is I that will visit the wickedness of the people upon themselves and upon their childres children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, 
Exod. 54 jere. 32.  and break my commandments. And in the parable, betwixt the wicked slow judge, and the poor widow, that crieth for vengeance against her enemy: 
Luke 18.  which although at the beginning he would not hearken unto her, to perform shortly her glad desire: yet through her importunacy and busy calling on, did grant her, her suit in the end: So (saith Christ) shall not God also revenge the quarrel of his elected & dear people, which with their extremities and necessities, cry day and night unto him, for secure, strength or deliverance, although he seem somewhat, at their first cries, to defer in helping them? Yes yes I tell you plainly, he will notwithstanding be revenged for their sakes: yea, he will pour our the bitterness of his wrath upon their enemies, 
Abacu. 2  & that without delay. And the prophet Abacuk saith of gods coming to perform his will: If he tar● (saith he) look for him assuredly, for he will shortly appear, & not be slow in coming. After this manner, in sundry places, & for divers causes, that lord in the scriptures, thundereth unto us his sharp threatenings & most bytter revengements, to remember ourselves, if we could happily with due reverence, receive them into our hearts. O Lord, in what dangerous state stand we now in, if we should wourthily join with our wicked desettes the due justice of God? 
Math. 25. Rom. 3 14 2. Cor. 5. Hebre. 10  What shall we be able herein (in the terrible day before the judgement state of God) to lay for ourselves, for the escaping of our damnation to come? How shall we then excuse our lingering and lightness, and our flacknes to turn unto god? O let us remember, how fearful a thing it is, to fall into the hands of the living god. He is the God whose wrath and great fury no man mate withstand: 
job. 9  but the proudest and most stought of them all, must stoop under him. It shall therefore be most expedient for us, christian brethren, and loving friends, (according to the mind of the prophet of God, 
Psal. 119. ) to call to our remembrance our own wicked ways, and to turn ourselves to the testimonies of god: and not to use dalliance and prolonging the time to keep his laws. The way of life (at any time) may not us neglected: It may not slouthefully be applied unto, neither fearfully, but with most assured purpose, with all our hearts and with right confident and forward minds. The spirit of god calleth unto us: saying. Make no carrying: seek no delays to turn unto the Lord god: put not of from day to day, for suddenly shall his wrath come, and in the time of vengeance shall he destroy you. Turn in time: set not your felicity in vain things: mortify your affects: trust not in wicked riches, 
Eccle. 16.  nor in the pleasures of this fickle life: for they shall not help you in the terrible day of gods sharp wrath and punishment: but being abused, they shall rather stance as witnesses against you, to your utter condemnation for ever. 
Psal. 119.  We may not defer nor dally with the voice and counsels of god offered unto us, at what time, by whom, or by what mean soever he shall send them (our own consciences being judge) lest thorough our slackness and most beastly negligence, there appear wickedly in us open contempt: and so the spirit of grace be utterly taken from us: and fall into the like danger of the obstinate, blind, and stiffnecked jews: whose uncyreumsised hearts were possessed with the spirit of unquietness, instability, 
jere. 19  and lightness: which also when they knew GOD, 
Roma. 11. Esay. 6. Math. 13. john 12. Act. 28. Rom. 1.  glorified him not as God: they were unthankful for his benefits: they were vainly addicted in their imaginations: their foolish hearts were blinded: neither regarded they their obedience and duty to the voice of GOD: whose voice is glorious, and (as the Prophet saith) mighty in operation: 
Psal. 29.81 Prou. 1.  and therefore he withdrew the sweetness of his grace from them, and gave them up unto the bitterness of their own hearts lusts: and wickedly to follow their own filthy and vain fantasies: which was, to lead their lives in all abomination and unrighteousness: as the holy ghost by the apostle doth show unto us: among the which, he toucheth contempt of god, disobedience, maliciousenesse, murder, envy, debate, backebighting, truce breaking, unmerciful and unloving (the fruits of an evil and most wicked spirit) which their hearts blindly through pride and obstinacy, wilfully possessed: whose filthy familiarity, we must hate and not haunt: but with an humble and make spirit, for the more speedy prevention of god's ire and wrath, to yield unto his voice: and without delay to receive the divine and most neadeful request of the holy ghost, 
jere. 11. Hebre. 12.  by the mouth of the apostle, which saith: See that ye despise not him that speaketh unto you. By which heavenly and divine advertisement, (although the sentence he but short) it comprehendeth yet a great charge: for we must thereby learn, and consider, who it is that the apostle meaneth doth speak unto us: what a loving GOD, he is: a GOD of righteousness: a merciful GOD: an everlasting god: almighty, just, and terrible: and to what good end be speaketh unto us, & in what danger also we shall stand in, If we unreversely do neglect his voice. For if they in those days (in the time of Moses) escaped not that wrath of god, which then refused to hear him, that spoke upon the earth: much more shall we not escape the great ire of God, if we turn our ears from him, 
Exod. 19  that speaketh unto us from heaven, whose terrible and mighty voice, hid then move and shake the earth. God diver sly and oftentimes speaketh unto us, esther by his faithful ministers, according to the scriptures, or one godly man (in times of necessity) to wright unto another, or conferring, and reverently counsalling one with another: either as we, in reading to ourselves with humbleness of heart, desire to know god, to love and fear him, and obediently to keep his commandments, All that is contained in the book of life, 
Psal. 116.  is written for our learning: it is the word of truth, and the lantern unto our feet: It lighteneth our understanding: It cleanseth us of all darkness, filth and corruption: and guideth us unto the light of life, health, strength, joy, and everlasting salvation: which ought to be amongst us most gladly retained, reverently embraced, obediently followed, and in no wise to be in any thing contemned: 
Prou. 1●.  for he that is an abuser or contempner of the word of GOD, or setteth light by the counsels of GOD, he slippeth from his welfare, he wandereth astray, and seeketh the buy paths of death and destruction. And christ our good shepherd and pastor, because he would have us hearken unto his voice, and be obedient to his call, and follow him, he sayeth unto us of himself: 
john 10.  I am the good sheppeharde, and know well my sheep, and they also know me, and will hear my voice, and follow me: And I will give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perysshe. I am the way, the truth, 
john. 14. john. 8.  and the life. I am the light of the world: and he that followeth me, doth not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. etc. In consideration of which heavenly and comfortable sayings, and that they may the rather take good effect in us to a good end, let us fix ourselves to be reverentelye constant in the doctrine and way of christ, and not be doubtful of our preservation, health, joy, strength, and salvation by him: and so contemptuously think Christ and his wourd, to be unto us, only a voice or vain sound, without signification or good effect: but to be unto us in deed all righteousness, truth, and mercy: and that be also in his own person (for our lively example) to be approved charity, simplicity, innocency, patience, cleanness, and finally, what soever thing he himself used, most holy to teach unto others. But as the jews, which were the peculiar & picked out people of god, among all nations of the world, 
Roma. 9  the natural and true olive branches (to whom pertained the adoption, the glory, the covenants & the law that was given, & the service of god & the promises: whose also were that ancient & holy fathers: of whom also as concerning the flesh Christ came) were not spared, but sustained the wrath and heavy hand of god, for their incredulity, unthankfulness, and disobedience: how much more shall we, the unnatural and wilt olive branches, (although for a season, through their unbelieve, we be grafted into the true & perfect flock) be torn forth again, 
john. 15. Roma. 1●.  if we abyte not gree●e and fruitful branches in our calling, but vainly bos●e ourselves, with wicked lives, in so holy and most pure profession? verily, straight and of great charge is our bond, to that our magnificente, most glorious and jealous god: before whoms, our ways must be straight and right forth: we may use no turning dalliance: we may not be now going, and suddenly turn back again: we may not stand to day of good assurance, and fall to morrow of very wilfulness: But must lean strongly at all times, to our assured and ready stases: And all flattering fantasies, put a part, to love and follow our good guide christ: by whose most virtuous and wise government, we shall have pressed wills and good encouragement, at all times to resist our enemies, and to prevail against them, by whom we have been dysceyded, ●nercome with vanities, or blindly seduced. Let us not (to the contrary) so vainly boast ourselves, in name and title of Christ only, when in deed our conversation appear clean contrary Shall we only glory in ourselves, and say: Are we not called christians? 
Question.  Bear we not upon us that name of Christ? have not we the living god to be our God? Do we not call him our lord, 
To be called a christian prevaileth nothing, except we so low the steps of Christ.  our master, & father? Are not his holy laws, and the truth of his wourd, more lively flourishing amongst us (called christians) then among other the bar, batouse nations of the world? And is not this our priuslege and profession, of all others, called most acceptable, most righteous, and holy? Yes verily, all this is true: 
Answer.  there is no religion, nor no profession of holiness under the son (what so ever name or vain show it bear to the face of the world) that is like it, or to be compared unto it, because it is most straight, most holy, righteous and pure. And must it also be of necessity, that as we have professed and bear the name of christ, we must take him for our patron, embrace his word, and follow him in straightness of life? Ye truly, unless we show ourselves but feigned and dissembling christians, we must counterfeit him in conversation and follow his sleppes: we must be obedient to his voice: and that with all singleness of heart, if we will seek the favour of god, and his eternal salvation, by the benefits of his dear sons death and passion. 
The true christian obeyeth the voice of Christ, and obtaineth by 〈…〉.  For what availeth this title, and all this glory amongst us, only in conceit: when in stead of humility, love, patience, chastity, godly liberality, and modesty: our hearts are inwardly enforced and rankeled, with pride, envy, wrath, murder, covetousness, lechery, self love, vain sloughtnes, and such like? What loathsome spots are these in the most holy church of Christ, and greatly discenting from christianity?  
Should not our lives so shine in holiness, 
Math. ●5.  that by the light of good conversation others might be converted unto christ? Do not the change of their incredulity, and corrupted state of life, greatly depend in the purity and good behaviour of our lives? Bear we in sufficiently and only, the good name of christ, without regard of his heavenly examples and doctrine, to our own great reproach, and to others decay and falling, whereby the name of GOD, is unreverently spoken of? 
1. Peter. ● Rom. 2. Esay. 42.  Let us herein judge truly of ourselves and examine rightly, our untruth and doubleness, what folowshyppe (amongst us) hath light with darkness, Christ with belial, or GOD, with the devil? Are they at unity may we think? No no, they have been divided from the beginning: neither will they ever be at unity: for the one guideth unto life, and the other unto death: let us not therefore be deceived (brethren. 
God requireth the very heart. ) For it is not the outward show only, and the name or title of Christ, that came discharge us, and satisfy rightly a God of righteousness: who requireth the very heart, & the whole sum of faithful fruits therein contained. For as the law is holy, and our profession of all other most pure: so the purity of our lives, must in such wise appear, that the law of god and our profession, may shine above all other. In vain to the contrary shall we boast of our holiness, of god, and christ, and of their most holy and undefiled laws: how so ever in accustom we use to commend them, to bear them in our hands, to handle them, to carry them at our girdles, in our bosoms, talk of them, here them reverently preached of preachers, or at any time else read of ourselves.  
For the book or holy table, wherein the law of god should be imprinted or deeply graven, are the hearts of men, and such as he hath chosen to himself, which is according to this saying of David: 
Psal. 36.  The law of god is in their hearts. From whence proceedeth the very perfection and true meaning of the holy law of god, to the good example of the heathen, or such as know not god, & for their conversion to that praise of god. whereunto we are counseled of saint peter, to show forth that truth of our profession that is: to lead an holy conversation, among that heathen & strange nations: that they which backbighte us, as evil doers, may behold our holy & good works, 
1, Pet. 2.  that the name of god, in that day of his visitation amongst us, may be lifted up & magnified. 
Roma. 2. jacob. 1. Math. 7.  And S. Paul saith: Not that hearers of the law, but that fulfillers of the law shallbe justified before god. neither shall every one that saith: lord lord, enter into the kingdom of heaven, but such as do that will of our father, which is in heaven, & those are they also, whom David, speaketh of, to be undefiled in the way of the lord, 
Psal. 119.  and that they shallbe blessed, because they keep his testimonies, they commit no wickedness, neither are they double faced dissemblers, but seek him right forth & simply with their whole hearts: whose hearts are sound and pure: and unto whom in such wise belongeth the blessing of god, that they shall clearly see the face of god. 
Math 5.  The joys whereof, no ear hath herd, no tongue can speak, nor the heart of man at any time can think: which joy and everlasting reward, god the father in jesus christ, hath promised unto the righteous, for their obedient and holy lives, for the cleanness and purity of their hearts by the power of his holy spirit, and shallbe performed truly upon them, at his gracious and most godly appointed time. But if we that have professed the law of god, only bear an outward face of love towards god, confessing him with our mouths, and deny him inwardly in our hearts, through our evil and corrupted conversation, wourke we not then, rather our just damnation then salvation? or rather to be cursed of god then blessed? The true knowledge and lous of GOD, amongst us: effectually consisteth herein: that is, in wourking, in following, and in good order of living, according to his most perfect example by the rule of his wourd: rather than in vain talking, ●ayned favouring, or in cold or slipper loving. 
1. Cor 4●.  And touching the said capital vice of pride amongst others, (A poisoned 〈◊〉 of perdition) If we would happily enter into ourselves, 
〈◊〉.  with sincere judgement and secret examination, what we be of ourselves: what substance we are made of: of what base matter: of how frail and filthy flesh: what loathsome fruits cometh thereof: unto how many miseries, diseases, and dangers, we be in subjection unto, living in the flesh: 
The misery of makind, in this life.  the filthiness of our conception: the place, and manner of our birth: with how great danger we be borne (q touching our selves, or our mothers that beareth us:) how naked we also are: how needy: how brutish: how sore: how wretched and how miserably we creep into this changeable light of life: and that our race then being but short, death in the end, must of necessity overcome us: These few things (I say) among other, well noted of us, would some thing mortify in us (I think) our corrupted & gross affects, they would be a mean the rather, to cleanse in us among the rest, that pestilent insection of pride: a vice most ugly, hateful, and detestable before God and man, & the original of all sin: whereby also we are filled with the cursings of God: 
Eccle. 1●.  who hath promised that great wretchedness and misery shall come upon us, that in the latter time shall dwell in the world, for the greatness sake of that loathsome and cursed vice. And how it aboundeth now in these da●es, 
Esd●as. 8.  we may well note and think, the appointed times of gods vengeance, to be wourthilye entered amongst us.  
And because that in the life and welfare, of the proud people of this world, dependeth great and many mischiefs, to the grief and vexation of the poor and righteous, the prophet crieth in this wise, for the hastening of God's vengeance amongst them: 
Psal. 9●.  Arise O lord, thou judge of the world, & recompense in thy fury the great pride of this people, even after their just deserving. O forget not the voice of thine enemies: for the presumption of them that be hateful against thee, increaseth yet still more and more. Again: Let the proud be confounded, O Lord for they go wickedly about to destroy me. And th'old saying, hath been from the beginning: Pride will have a fall. Which agreeth to the saying of Solomon; Presumption goth before shame & destruciton: & after a proud stomach there followeth a fall. May we not nowhere think it at the highest, and never so like to fall? 
Pro. 21.29  Was there ever sens god created heaven and earth, that like abuse & abomination without measure reigning? Can it by any means more horribly appear amongst us? Can it with possibility, 
Excess in pride.  from any fantastical head that beareth life, be more diversly devised & chargeably, to the painting forth & setting out of our rotten carrainly carcases? Or can it be by other more vainly or fond devised, than is of ourselves fond consented & to received? Of there consider we as we ought in all such our doings, our poor and base estate, or the sleandernes of our ability, for the supportation of such a chargeable fantasy? 
In pride we forget po●●●tie.  And doth it not also by our work appear, that as we are glorious, gay, and rich without: our hearts are wretched, deformed, and full of poverty within? yes undoubtedly, both in the presence of god and all godly men, it is to to plain and evident: and that we are presently thereby (among other evelles:) greatly entered into the hatred of god. Our Lord have mercy upon us, for his son jesus Christ'S sake, and temper our hearts with the spirit of his fear, that we may in all our doings, better consider our christian profession, and declare it more holy in our outward conversation, that the terrible threatenings of gods vengeance, do not light upon us. Temperance in the life of a christian, is a most precious and bright shining virtue, to show forth gods glori, and to declare the beautiful lively state of the christian comen wealth. It is a true saying, that the words, countenance, gesture, and the apparel of the outward man God's vengeance amongst them: Arise O lord, thou judge of the world, & recompense in thy fury the great pride of this people, even after their just deserving. O forget not the voice of thine enemies, for the presumption of them that be hateful against thee, increaseth yet still more and more. Again: let the proud be confounded, 
Psal. 〈…〉  O Lord for they go wickedly about to destroy me. And the prophet also foreseeing in himself by the spirit of god, how horrible and loathsome this sin of pride was in the sight of god, and how hurtful and dangerous a thyng● it was, both touching the poisoned nature thereof, either raingning in himself, or in any other person: & what power also to mischief, was therein approved often: he cried in this maned unto god, saying: O Lord that art my strength, keep me thy servant I beseech thee, from the sins of presumption: O defend me, least they get the dominion over me: then shall I O god be clean, innocent, and undefiled, end from the great offence. O let not the foute of pride come against me: neither let the hand of ungodly cross overthrow me, and cast me down. Thus this good man of god (for his own safeguard and defence, and for the avoiding of god's vengeance) declareth his own weakness, and crieth upon god for his assistance and strength, against this pestilent vice, and against the possessors thereof: least by fastening (specially) upon himself, sustaining thereby the violence of his enemies, he should be confounded and thrown down, as experience diversly hath taught at all times and upon all estates, either upon the proud people themselves, by god's only hand, for the proud to be plagued and subverted by the proud: or also upon any other, that have sustained (in innocency) the violente cruelty of the proud. And because, as he himself was a fearer and feruents lover of god, and had experience (as before mentioned) of this infectious vice, and would have all men in like manner to reverence God, to love him, and to eschew the dangers of this vice: what the nature thereof is, what it wourketh in them that possesseth it, and what they commonly are that sustain the violence thereof, and what the reward also shallbe unto them that embraceth this evil, he himself besides other, wrighteth thereof in this manner: Pride saith he, engendereth forgetfulness of god. Pride wourketh in the hearts of the wicked, contempt of god. Neither is God in the thoughts of the proud. Their wa●es are continually grievous. Their mouths are full of cursing, spite, bitterness, scornfulness, wiliness, lying, deceit, & fraud: & under their tongues is ungodliness, and vanity: they are lurkers, they are dyggers of pits, setters of traps, and layers of snares, to catch the righteous and lowly: they are privy murderers of the innocent, and they have their eyes fixed and full bent to the destruction of the poor. 
Psal. 〈…〉  etc. What evelles are there that be noisome upon the earth to the hurt of man, the springeth not from the heart of the wicked proud man? For pride is the original of all sin & wickedness: the beginning whereof, is wickedly to slip and fall from God, his creature and maker: for his heart is withdrawn from dim. Ecclesi. ●● There is no fear of God before his eyes: The proud flatter themselves in their own sight, even till their abominable sins be found out. Tush say they, in the pride of their hearts: we shall never be cast down: there shall no harm happen unto us: God hath forgotten: he hideth away his face, and he shall never see it. Psal. 10. But contrariwise the holy ghost men cloneth of the proud, respecting the affects of their corrupted hearts, that the mighty hand of God, scattereth them in the imagination of their hearts. Luke. i. The Lord shall root out all wicked and deceitful lips, and the tongues also that speaketh such proud things. Psalm. 12. Again, as God being most high, respecteth gently, the humble and lowly: so beholdeth he the wickedness of the proud people afar of. Psal. 138.  
And again: who so hath a proud ●oke, and an high stomach: him will I not suffer (sayeth the Lord) Psal. 101. And in an other place: The glory of the lords majesty casteth down the ●aute and high looks of the presumptuous, and bringeth full low the vain pride of man. Esay. 2. And this also in an other place: All people that are forgetful of God, and of their duty, in humility and obedience unto him, shall be turned into hell. Note also touching pride, 
Psal 9  among other places of the scriptures what the prophet Isaiah saith: and what the terribleness of god's wrath: is there mentioned against the same. And here also I think it not out of the way, 
Esay. 3.  that we consider and note well the blyssefull state sometime, of the moss glorious, clear, and beautiful creature Lucyfer: that gloried so much in himself, and sought in his pride being but a creature, to advance and to exalt himself up into heaven, and to set his throne besides the stars of God his Creator and maker. He desired in his proud heart, to climb above the clouds, and to be in comparison like unto the most high God. But what happened thereby unto him? Received he not his reward accordingly, when he was wourthily thrown down, even to the very depth of hell: where he remaineth in stead of a fair bright angel of heaven, an horrible fowl devil of hell, abiding in damnation and darkness, with his companions for ever, the right father of pride, and of all wicked presumptuous persons, and the only ring leader, high captain, prince and ruler, of all abomination and iniquity? Esay. 14 saying than that the apparent and just vengeance of god, hath been felt from the beginning, for such disobedience and pride, and that he hath promised by his wourd, to perform truly his wrath, for such wicked offences: O why would pride spring (by any means) from the heart of man: over whom hangeth the ireful power of so terrible a god: man being of himself most feeble, and a frail creature, very corruption, earth and ashes?  
Eccle. 10. O blessed therefore is the man that is lowly, & meeks spirited, the hath only with reverence, set his hope in the lord god, & hath not turned unto the ways of the proud. For undoubtedly when the wrath of god, shall fall by his justice upon this generation for the sin of disobedience & pride, as in all ages before it hath been grievously felt: O how great shall the fall thereof be upon us? yea, how (alas) shall we wretched creatures be able to abide it? The old saying, hath been from the beginning: Pride will have a fall. 
Pre. 21 2●  Which agreeth to the saying of Solomon: Presumption goeth be fore shame and destruction: and after a proud stomach there followeth a fall. May we not now think it at the highest, 
〈…〉 pride.  and never so like to fall? Was there ever sens GOD created heaven and earth the like abuse and abomination (with out measure reigning? Can it by any means more horribly appear amongst us? Can it with possibility, from any fantastical head that beareth life, be more diversly devised and chargeablye, to the painting forth and fetting out of our rotten carrionly carcases? Or can it be by other more vainly or fond devised, then is of ourselves fondly consented to and received? Either consider we (as we ought) in all such our doings, our poor and base estate, or the sleandernes of our ability, 
In prude we forget pou●●●tie.  for the supportation of such a chargeable fantasy? And doth it not also by our work appear, that as we are glorious, gay, and rich without: our hearts are wretched, deformed, and full of poverty within? yes undoubtedly, both in the presence of god and all godly men, it is to to plain and evident: and that we are presently thereby (among other evelles:) greatly entered into the hatred of god. Our Lord have mercy upon us, for his son jesus Christ'S sake, and temper our hearts with the spirit of his fear, that we may in all our doings, better consider our christian profession, and declare it more holy in our outward conversation, that the terrible threatenings of gods. vengeance, do not light upon us. Temperance in the life of a christian, is a most precious and bright shining virtue, to show forth gods glori, and to declare the beautiful lively state of the christian comen wealth. It is a true saying, that the words, countenance, gesture, and the apparel of the outward man, expresseth plainly, the natural disposition and lust of the inward man But what diversity is there now touching the present state of our lives betwixt us, 
We differ nothing from the sodomites.  & the most vile people some time of the world, that were most detestable in the light of god, for the greatness of their wicked company, and the multitude of their terrible sins: over whom god reigned from heaven, sulphur, fire, & brimstone, with great darkness and horrible stinch, for their reward and destruction:: (namely the filthy sodomites and stinking Gomorreans:) whose joy and felicity was in pride, delicacy, fullness of meat, abundance, and idleness: neither reached they their hand to the poor, but were hard hearted and pitiles, and full of all filthy abomination. Unto whom in the fullness of their pride, and stinking felicity, the Prophets of God preached repentance, to turn them from their great abomination, & wickedness and to escape the heavy wrath of God, presently hanging over them, if they could have prevailed: whose heavenly doctrines from time to time, sharp threatenings, gentle warnings, & fair promises from god offered unto them, 
Preaching prevailed not against the Sodomites. The destruction of the sodomites.  were no less bitter and unsavoury unto them, than their accustomed haunted fleshliness, or beastly filthiness, was pleasant and sweet unto them. And so without leaving of, or fearing danger, they still continued in their beastly wickedness, until the unquenchable fire of god's vengeance fell down upon them, to their perpetual confusion of body and soul. The sign of which horrible destruction, and great vengeance of god, remaineth in the place unts' this day, for an example unto the wicked inhabitors of the earth: whereby, they may learn to know and fear the mighty at me of so terrible and just a God, against his obstnate, stiffnecked, 
We are careless of god's vengeance.  proud, uncharitable, and filthy enemies. O how careless also are we of such things? How slack and far of are we, from due cogitation of that mighty god, and of his justice, that should be always a terror in our consciences? And of his humility and great example also of love, lowliness, cleanness, and purity, that should move us to charity, meekness, holiness, and chastity? Neither consider we the frailty, rebellion, and vility of our fickle and frail flesh, 
We seek not to with stand the rebellion and great frailty in our flesh.  to withstand the corrupt motions thereof, that ever yieldeth to evil, and reeleth always with great danger to fall. Yea, and other whiles the fall is such, as we may here and know (through our wilful presumption, long suffering, lingering dalliance or filthy wantonness) that it descendeth from sin to sin, 
We fall thorough the flesh never to rise again  and from one iniquity to another, till the stay of gods grace be utterly taken away, & so never to rise again, but fall with the sinking Sodomites, by what order of corporal death so ever it be, from god to the devil, to eternal death, hell, & damnation for ever. O pleasant purchased end, & worthy reward for such pleasures. Hath it not been as well truly known as often spoken, the sweet meat, will have sharp & sour sauce: have we not also known, that after a few vain, short, & foolish pleasures: there followeth many bitter, woeful, and endless miseries? the after laughter, joy, & jollity, there followeth lamentation, grievous & cruel destiny? that after health, wealth, and worldly prosperity: there followeth the trodden trace of infelicity? And finally, after an unrepentant & wicked short life: there followeth gods just judgement to eternal death? These things well noted: May we not think our times well spent, that serveth for so lovely recompense? For a few days of vain pleasures, to enjoy ever lasting pains? Thou O man, that art in such wise disobedient, a contempner of god, a refuser of his grace, or obstinate and heady against him, that is so mighty, so merciful, pitiful and gentle: & thou an apt follower of the devil, that is so merciless and cruel a tyrants: be thou well assured hereof, that in this case, through thine own wilful malice, and beastly obstinacy, both their minds shallbe set and joined together against thee: that is: the one to withdraw his mercy from thee, 
God fotsaketh the refuser of his grace. The devil receiveth him.  and utterly to forsake thee, and the other maliciously to take thee, and merciless to torment thee. Thou shalt not devise to do more wickedly, than he will prepare ways to cruciate thee. And though thy time of filthy pleasures and to do wickedly, be but short: 
Our filthy pleasures are but short: but the reward of iniquitio endureth for ever.  yet the just reward for thine iniquity, shall for ever endure, whether thou escapest or not the diversities of gods wrathful visitation in this present life, as partly before is touched. truly therefore, I think, If the remembrance of these things were happily planted in our hearts, 
The remembrance of god's justice would temper well our doings.  they would not a little assuage our stately and haught courage: they would bridle and pluck back our fleshly affects: they would work temperance in us to use well this life: they would make us in deeds bear our sails lower, and keep more close our peacocks tails. Our lord prepare us apt vessels: to possess his holy spirit, 
Prayer.  that by the virtue and mighty operation thereof, our hearts may be purged of this most loathsome and filthy vice of pride, and of all unrighteousness: that our lives being reform, or converted into holiness, the blessing of God may shortly ensue upon us. And to proceed further in this foresaid pride. wherewith we are so greatelys deformed: If it be puffed up in us, 
pride thorough richer.  because of riches: whereby we feel our selves lusty and in great jollity: and that the world esteemeth us, the simple people croucheth unto us, and the gross multitude honoureth us (which seemeth a glorious, and a thing greatly contenting the vain flesh:) let us not in any wise stay there: let us quickly remove our affect, for most wretched therein is our state to stand, and the curse of god hangeth near over us: but let us humble ourselves with thankfulness to god, and descend into the us tome of our own consciences, & there see and and consider, the most miserable estate and poverty of the mind, & the fowl blains, botches, and leprosy, whereby our souls also are so greatly disfigured: whose deformity and vile baseness, the good spirit abhorreth, and all godly and wise men utterly detesteth. Yea, let, us have in remembrance the lord of glory, 
We must remember the humility of christ  and his simplicity and humbleness: whose most excellent and glorious estate, was of the vile world despised, and of the proud people utterly abhorred and defied, but of GOD the father most highly blessed, esteemed, and glorified. Let us consider, how he in his nativity, confoundeth pride. It pleased him that made us and all the world, to descend humbly from above, even from the world of all worlds, in to this earth and world of all wretchedness, to be incarnate, to be borne, and to show himself destitute of all glory, in most base estate, in poverty and in humility, that our pride might the rather be pardoned our insolen●te abated, & our vanities confounded: and that thorough his poverty, we might be enriched: and by his humility also highly exalted unto god the Father, and with him to remain for ever. This virtue of humility, 
The virtue of Christ's humilities  so greatly appeared in him, that he was contented for our sakes, to be of this world despised and hated, that we of his heavenly father, might be esteemed and loved. Whose love, we assuredly want not, if we in contemning these worldly and vain things, have our hearts fixed upon permanente and heavenly things, according to the example of our gentle and meek saviour Christ: who take upon him our flesh, and suffered all kind of affliction in the flesh. O to what end, shall all these our fugitive & flitting pleasures serve, wherein we are so greatly blinded, and where unto we are so singularly affected, if god in casting us away from him, shall despise us, and the celestial spirits both abhor and defy us? If God blesseth us, and maketh us fortunate and happy with his gifts, let us then acknowledge the giver, and use them without abuse, that always in them, glory may only redound to him. 
The virtue of god's spirit against pride.  Certainly, where the good spirit of god abideth, there, neither wealth, nor abundance of richesse, are any provocation at all to pride or wantonness: nor yet any bar or defull let, to withhold free liberty, to use and bestow the benefits of god, to his due laud and praise: but rather (to them that have them) a sharp and quick spur, to prick them forwards: that by the use of charity and friendly liberality, the grace of God may clearly shine in them, to the quiet state in themselves, and to others most happy rejoicing. The virtuous and wise man ought to think, 
What the virtuous and wise man thinketh.  that as long as he liveth in this world, he holdeth all earthily pleasures but at adventure: and that our felicity is given unto us, but in most slipper wise to abide amongst us: which the course of time consumeth, and causeth us to leave if, and it to leave us. We must remember also (as before written) that god is Lord of heaven and earth, and of all things in them contained: 
Gene. 1. jer c. 32. Psal. 8.  he with his own hand hath both created them and us: he is the Lord god omnipotence: he hath put all things in subjection under his feet: he disposeth his gifts at his pleasure: he bestoweth them after the measure of his grace, where, when, and to whom him lusteth: and will at his godly and appointed time, take all away again, God giveth and taketh: 
1. Reg. 1. Psal. 113. Eccle. 8.  God increaseth and dymynisheth: GOD lifteth up and throweth down: god exalteth, and bringeth again full low. And job full well describeth our misery; namely of such as are covetous, 
job. 27.  proud and vainglorious in this world: that have their delight in vain riches, and that holdeth their felicity upon the consuming trash of this world: that when we dies, we shall carry nothing away with us: and in the twyncklinge of an eye, we shall be gone, 
job. 1. Eccle. 5  and leave altogether behind us. Naked we came out of our mother's womb, and so without carrying any thing with us, we shall thither return again. 
Pride through dignity.  Furthermore, if we swell in pride, because of dignity, wit, wisdom, learning, health, strength of body, beauty of face, and such other like gifts and graces of nature; do we not slip then from our mark, and show our selves forgetful of God our cratoure, unthankful for his benefits, and greatly to abuse him in his gifts? finally, what good thing is in us? What is to be seen upon us? Or what good things are those that belongeth unto us, 
1. Coe. 4. Eccle. 17,  the we have not received? If we answer, we have not any good thing, but that, we have received, & acknowledge also the giver, which is god: why do we then (forgetters, or rather despisers of God vainly glory and proudly host in ourselves, is though such things came of ourselves: and apply not rather our studies, (with humbleness) to seek his glory in his gifts, 
jere. 13. Act. 12.  that is only wourthye all exaltation and glory? Let no mariesteeme more of himself, then becometh him.  
Err not my brethren: Every good gift, and every perfect gyste, is from above, & cometh down from the father of light. 
Prou. 2. john. 3.  We must be in submission therefore under the mighty hand of god, that he in time to come may exalt us For as God resisteth the proud, 
jacob: ●●  so giveth he grace to the humble? Have we not often experience of gods doings in his wrath, the long before age or death, or other while by death for unthankfulness sake the honourable of this world & men in authority, are thrown down, & all their glory trodden in the dust? 
Psal. 14●.  that of rich men there have become poor men? Of the us neglorious, most witty, and wise persons, 
1 Cor. ●.  their wisdom's are turned to foolishness? that healthful and strong men (by sickness and many dangers) are made weak and enfeebled? that of seemly personages becometh deformed creatures? Yea, and of fair faces, loathsome and fowl visages? Are not these the work of God (to a good end) wourthye the noting of us? And if we only consider the state of our flesh (wherein we so greatly glory and delight, 
Gene, 6, R●m. 〈◊〉.  nourysshing it and setting it forth without respect of charge) what are we? What appeareth in us? Are we any thing else, them earthly creatures in the hands of that creator, and as the clay pot in the hands of the potter? Are our bodies any other then earthly vessels, duly proportioned of the maker, 
job. 10. What we are to●●● my, only the flesh.  covered with skin and flesh, and joined together with sinews and bones? Either are we any better, then very dungeons of darkness, vile donghilles of all filthiness and stench, worms meat, and a fowl sink or puddle, that floweth with infections and all noisome corruptions? Are not our body's flesh and blood, of less substance then shadows? 
The shorns of man's life.  our lives more swiftly vanishing than the smoke? or of as short continuance, as the sudden ryvytting bubbles? Are we not also compared for our short abiding to the swift trace of a cloud? to a consuming mist, to a vapour or smoke, to a light flying lease, to dry dusty stubble, 
Sapi. 2. job 1●.  to withered hay, or to the flowers and grass of the field, whose flourishing times are but short, and that the sway of death (in time) by the sickle or scythe do light upon them? 
Psal. 〈…〉 Eccle. 14, jacob 1. 1. Pet. 1.  Are not the cruel strokes of the inevitable dart of death in all times from the first life of the young and tender infant, unto the last breath of the most old and crooked aged man, felt with most dolorous pangs to end this life? What are all these descriptions unto us, and innumerable such other, but familiar and lively examples, perfect and true layings, to make us mindful of god, to know well ourselves, and to remenbre our end? to fashion our wills to his will, and to withdraw without delay, our fixed hearts from vain things. May it no the thought very madness and a great folly in us to be unmindful of such things, as we daily both feel, and see? or to be forgetful of our sailing with painful travails, 
It is great folly, not to remember the dangers of this life, and that we Shall die.  through the great and dangerous perils of this life? And that we are suddenly at one beck, commanded (in time) of necessity, to take land, to discharge us of our flesh, and to take the earth in the sepulchre? The mighty lord and creature, the righteous god and just judge himself, hath thus plainly determined against us: and hath given ever us (touching our end &) short and terrible sentence, saying: 
The determinate sentence of god.  Thou shalt die the death. This his brief sentence is irrevecable: It is not now: but hath been experimented upon all flesh from the beginning: neither will his ambassador be corrupted in his Embassage with gold nor silver, nor for the whole treasure upon the earth, to withdraw one title or jot of his commission, 
deaths extremities. without respect of persons.  but will with all rigour and sharpened, execute the extremity of his appointed office: not respecting the vain estate or stoughtnesse of any person: violentelye he striketh them: he cruelly with his deadly dart yearceth their hearts in sunder; he rideth them of their lives, and rolleth them together in the dust. It is the fatal destiny of us all earthly creatures, that we must needs die: we are borne to die: And as we have known the death of many, so many also shall know us die. 
worldly ●ros● 〈◊〉.  We are now youthful, lively, and at liberty: healthful, wealthy, and full of solitie: we have presently all things at pleasure, and live in security: yea, we wish not for any thing, but it frameth luckily: such is the good disposition of god otherwhiles upon us, to put us in remembrance of his goodness, with due reverence and thanksgiving. but what doth than ensu? 
〈…〉.  Note the untowardness, the cursed abuse, and unthankfulness of mankind. We are so rapt and over run with our own blindness, with obstinacy, pride, and beastly folly, swiming in vanities and earthly felicity, that we are then forgetful of god, unkind, unrenuerent, stiff-necked, and brutish. 
〈…〉  And as we at such times are unmindful of GOD, and of death, the messenger of god, and think all things, to be coach sure on our side, saying with in ourselves: tush, let us be merry: let us be jocund, lusty, and lively: what impediments are there to the contrary? we have peace: all things are safe, we stand in no peril: we think of no danger: we care for no change: we pass of no wars: we remember no famine: neither pestilence or murrain; we dread no subversion, nor feel none affliction: So destruction or sorrow hastille approacheth us, or death immediately (by the will of god) cometh swiftly upon us: like an outrageous and most vehement running stream, with his terrible chastisements, and with his impytuous and most rough roaring sounds of horror and desperation: renewing into our consciences the sharpo sentence of GOD, saying unto us: Thou shalt die, 
The 〈…〉  Thy time is now expired, therefore needs must thou die. I death, the messenger of the most high, immortal, and just GOD, am sent unto thee for thy present confusion.  
My charge and and comyssion is so grayghte against thee, that I may not defer to stifle thee, or give thee thy deadly wound. Nay nay, striving prevaileth not: there is now no remedy, for the swourde of god is whe● against the. What, couldst thou not have thought of this before? Hast thou not been often advertised to remember the end? Hast thou not had (by the doom of thy conscience (often and sufficient admonition of gods mighty hand and power? Haste thou not sent by all means possible the experience of this brickle life? Remember'st thou not, that with one only blast, 
job. ●●.  the dim light of thy candle of life, is utterly extincts and put out. And that it is in such wise dynged, that there remaineth in it no spark of hope for thy light to return again? And that the light being once fit, the wax lieth waste, the heat abateth, the gnuffe smoketh, it corruptly stinketh, it quickly consumeth, and suddenly falleth to ashes? Haste thou not thus thought of man's mortality and fall? Either haste thou presumed upon God's sufferance, or wanton fixed thine heart to dalliance? Hast thou not yet aptly prepared thyself to God, a repentant sinner, for the multitude of thy sins and iniquities? Haste thou not in thee the charity of god? Haste thou presently wrath in thee against thy neighbour? Either haste thou maliciously of wicked & set purpose detracted thy neighbour, to the spoiling of his good name and same, 
He that is stiff-necked, and will not yield to the grace of god and he reform, shall suddenly (without help) be rooted out and destroyed. Prou. 29.  loss of goods, loss of friends, or loss of life? Haste thou not sought with a sorrowful heart, to bewail thy wickedness to God, and to be reconciled again unto thy neighbour, accordyngs to the will of god? Hath the devil so blinded thee, or poisoned thine heart with pride, malice, contempt, or scornfulness, that then wilt continue in stoughtnesse and be ashamed of well doing, to knytre thyself in the bond of peace and amity, with thy friend or enemy, thy poor neighbour, thy christian brother or sister? Hast thou oppressed him, or craftily deceived him? Hast thou been slack in doing thy duty to him? Hast thou been pittles, or uncharitable to him? Hast thou thus set at nought the precepts and holy counsels of God? Either haste thou so fired thyself to the world, (refusing the grace of GOD,) that thou hast not yet found time, to be stowe and set in good ordrs (to his glory) the vain things of this world, fore seeing the sudden visication of God, or the swiftness & cruelty of me death, 
Eccle. 24. Eccle. 41  the messenger of god? Hast thou not herd, that at my coming I tarry not? Hast thou not been taught to byspase thy goods, and to be charitable unto thy friend: and according to thine ability, to reach out thine hand and give unto the poor, and to work righteousness before thy death, to the sanctifying of thy soul in. jesus christ? Examine thyself: what thinkest thou? Feelest in thy conscience the due justice of god, and the terror of me death his messenger? Doth the sorrows of death now compass thee, and the huge floods of iniquity make the afraid? hath the pains of hell fastened upon thes, & the strangling snares of death overtaken there? Shrinkest thou now at me? Feelests now in thine heart my deadly gripes? Seest thou now no way to fly, nor longer days to amend thy life? And is there therefore now in thee, a fearful hope of joyful life, and condemnation in thy conscience to eternal death, for thy leuds folly and forgetfulness of the will of God? Ah, the more accursed and damnable is thine estate, neither do I pity thee: no no, let hell fire devour thee, or all the torments of hell fasten upon thee. for as I find thee, so must I surely take thee: I may not pass the bounds of my commission. And as I thy mortal enemy, 
Death 〈…〉  regard not thy present state of damnation to eternal death: so will I now not defer so ●●uruec thy soul from thy body, and will byolently with my force deform thee, wait and consume thy beauty, and take from thee my breath of life.  
And as thou hast hath hards and seen or many, that have sustained my p●●●es ●urye and overage: so with 〈◊〉 my most violent cruet●●●, I new take ●●om thee thy me O the arear terror and sharpness of ●eam. 
〈…〉  O sudden and ●●r●or cruelty. O the merciless meisenger or the 〈◊〉: most ●euere god, than thus in coin cutteth us thorre from 〈◊〉 curshly rei●●●e. ●e●, rather were may ●ny with lamentation: We for ever ●ee 〈◊〉 th●ie 〈◊〉 and damnnable souls: whose benumbed and dull senses hath been wilfully stopped from the apt ceiling and receiving of the divine grace and voice of god: wrooting and cumbling like swine, in the mire of their carnal and filthy affects: wandering the byepathes of Satan, refusing the strait wait of Christ, and contemning the most pure and undefiled law of the highe●● Whose birth when they be borne, 
〈…〉  shall be to cursing: and when they die, the curse shallbe their portion. For horrible is the death of the unrighteous. He shall never come our of darkness, the flame shall dry up his branches: and with the blast of the mouth of god, he shall be taken awa●e. O ●ure wilful and stiffnecked wickedness, that hasteneth upon us goods heavy ●●●o●gnation and wrath: heaps of his plagues to torment our flel●he, & the violence of death to shorten this life. If we a●●er escape everlasting death. For as ●ynne prevaileth against us, to the justice of God hangeth over us. And because we are the servants of 〈◊〉 we shall also receive the reward of 〈◊〉 which is death: 
Rom. ●. 6.  as it was plainly signified unto us from the beginning by the mouth of God, 
Gene. 2.  when Adam (whose children we are) disobeyed and transgressed the word of God. We with our forefathers (to the destruction of this life) must all drink of the cup of death: 
We must drink all of the cup of death.  who diversely knocketh before he striketh, to warn us of our end. But who regardeth that? Who hearkeneth gladly to the knock or call of death? Either who always duly receiveth that monishementes of death, for a remembrance of his end by death, through innumerable significations and examples of living things: whether it he in their rising or falling, in their quickening or decaying: or in their uncertain living and most certain dying: besides the fickle course of man's short life, felt & approved in all times & ages, even from the young & tender infant, to the youthful & middle age, & so forth to the grey heeded & crooked old age, as also these daily & familiar messengers, that is: Many & strange diseases, violent plagues, great perils, hard fortunes, & sudden deaths (with such other like, as before mentioned & prepared for sin) either partly & worthily felt upon his own flesh, or fully performed before his face upon others? wh● I therefore consider but a little, the forgetfulness, great frailty, and usual disorder of mankind in this behalf: and behold (to the contrary) the great works of God, and the most merciful order of all his doings towards man, for thupright conversation, good life, and salvation of man: As I can not (herein) but highly magnify & praise the good name of god, for such his favourable & most gracious doings: So again, I must most grievously lament & bewail sorrowfully, the frail state of man, through unthankfulness, disorder of life, and great forgetfulness namely of goods determination touching our short and familiar passage or th'end of this life: whereby (with godly & good understanding) we should always the better frame ourselves in living, and with the more joyfulness, peace, & quietness of conscience, & that the terror of death also should ever the less molest us: by whom, we feel in ourselves, that most horrible and poisoned bitter sting, which so defileth and woundeth our weak consciences: drawing us to enemitye, to impatiency and rebellion, to forgetfulness, to incredulity and distrust of god's mercy, with such other, even the spots and foul deformities of sin and iniquity: whereby also we must judge, & that justly of ourselves to be but the servants of sin, & stand therefore in danger of gods wrathful judgement to eternal death: and occasion therefore given, to express with sorrow and woe, our most wretched and frail estate: feeling in ourselves, just reproach, shame and confusion of face, fearful trembling deadly sighing, bitter wailing, & most hearty and inward groaning, for this our weakness and great imperfection: These things (I say) thus considered of us, how can we in such distress but lament all the sort of us, and say with groninge desires: for grace and better memory, as subjects continually in hands to the slaughter, under such a careless, most pitiles, and public enemy: O death death, thou most cruel and deadly adversary, seeing we are not at any time of power, able to prevail bodily against thee, or with force to withstand thee, 
jere. 13. Act. 12.  nor can find favour in thy sight to stay thee, neither can wage thee by any means to defer thy doings: I would most joyfully wish, that we were at least so happy, always to remember thee, for our health and felicity, as we continually have experience of thee, 
Prou. 1. john. 3.  seeing we must assuredly and unwares abide thy dint. I say therefore, how it is ordained that we shall all die: neither may we escape in the end) the force of death: 
jacob. 5.  For we plainly see from time to time, that god's power by death, shall stifle our breath, and finish our end. Ah, what shall we then sale? saying there is no resistance against the violente force of this messenger death, 
Psal. 147.  what shall we then unreverently against god, esteem of ourselves? What shall then avail amongst us, 
1. Cor. 1.  our unprofitamble and vain studies: and our busied heads for fantasies? Where shall then become our nice and light affections, our solitie, our dainty desires, & earthily delights? What shall we then gain by our haught courage, & the most foolish and vain brute of stoughtnesse,? Where shall then lie our lifted up heads, our high looks, our forged canntynaunces, our fair faces, and our stretched out necks?  
Even there full lowly truly, where our ●●mble and fine feet, our tripping toes, and the whole body of earth shallye. 
By the order and decay of all things, m●nes death is signified.  The order and state of all things upon the earth, being or living in their kind upon the earth, doth plainly signify unto thee, (O thou man or woman, even in the midst of she rust and folitie,) what thou art, and whereunto also thou shalt. For as they are altogether but earthly, very vanity, transitorious and flitting: sometime beautiful and seemly, frethely in flowers flourishing, youthful, fruitful, and well pleasing the eye: healthful, puissant, fortunate, and happy: to the contrary (in time) foul and unseemly, withered and deformed, ●loe and unfruitful, infected, enfeebled, 
Man is in the number of vain things.  infortunate & unhappy: So thou also, in the numbered of vain things: (although of greater estimation and price before god: who hath endued thee with his good graces and gifts, above all the rest of his creatures) to his praise and thy joy, if thou well note it, haste thine order and turns in times prescribed thee: nothing available to ground upon, nothing certain or sure, nor never abide in one state. God, 
God's immortality is not more certain than the mortality. of man is certain.  touching the state of his most pure, immortal, and incomprehensible majesty, is not more certain by his own power, for ever to endure and reign in glory, with his angels and blessed saints in heaven world without end, than thou, corruptible, mortal, and earthily creature, shalt here hold thy felicity, but earthly and at adventure: nothing certain nor stable, nothing pleasant or sweet, nor nothing wourthye any hungrys delight, whereunto thou mayest happily cleave or leave of assurance, but altogether shallbe unto the but unstable, lightness & vanity, very fondness, misery and most certainly to end. It may well be saith of those, that only seek this life, and glory in the pleasures of this world: they follow but fantasies and a vain shadow: Which, when they think to be surest of, vanisheth away, and is nothing: For let us never so much apply to this life: beewrappe ourselves, 
Vain travel.  frame, fashion, and flatter ourselves with the vains delights thereof: and seek by all means possible, to now sell and stablys●he ourselves therein: in vain and most foolish shall be our travail: we have our times prescribed to die: we are all planted within the limits of death: all flesh is but as grass: death must be our end: from the earth we came, yea, very earth we are: And as we being but earth, were bred in the entrails of the earth, and are nourished upon the earth, and by the earth: so are we also cited by death, to return to the earth again. For the grave must be our house, 
Eccle. 11. Psal. 104. job. 16. job. 7.  and from whence also, we shall never return again, until the day of Christ's general judgement: Neither shall our eyes see any more, the vain pi●asures of the earth. O full well described jeremy of our unstable, lumpysshe, and most gross nature, 
jere. 22.  and of the short continuance of our lives, when he called unto us in few words, faleng: O thou earth, earth, earth. And as we earthly creatures, are not able to say, that we hold any thing certain in this life, whether it be life it self, times belonging to life, or things necessary for this life: so there is nothing so certain against life, 
Luke. 12.  as death, though the times of death be uncertain, in what kind so ever we sustain his force: either in bed, or out of bed: by force of law: by dint of sword: by rage of fire: by peril of water: or by innumerable other ways and casual chances: under all which, 
Roma. 5. Hebre. 9  we live in subjection to die. And notwithstanding, that with great grief and careful studies in the flesh, we rub through this vale of misery in many dangers of the flesh, uncertain to attain the hungry delights of the flesh: and of a few things doubtfully attained unto, we do not only doubtfully keep them, thereby to enjoy the fruits of our travail & to take the sweet with the sour (for as we have the proof in getting them with perils, so we often also in perils for go them, which signifieth unto us, most manifest and open misery, besides the uncertain hour of the bodies most certain death: and that as we here live a while deliciously, we suddenly depart hence most bitterly, but we be also in further danger by gods sharp and extreme judgement in the latter day, 
Esay. 52. Apoca. 1. The reward of the wicked  of the second death: that is: the death of the soul: A death most dolorous: A death most horrible & everlasting: ever more in torments: ever dying and never to die: whose intolerable pains no heart can think nor tongue can express. In vain shall we their 〈◊〉 ●●laine and lament our griefs and wicked state of lives: 
Sapi. 4. psal. 49. Sapi. 4. 4. Esdr. 16 psal. 49.  we shall lie for ever among the dead in shame and dishonour: hell shallbe our dwelling, & we shall for ever be laid waste unto the highest: we shall now mourn for evermore, and our memorial shall perish: We shall remember our sins, and our own wickedness shall ever condemn us: we shall lie in hell like sheep: death shall gnaw upon us incurable shallbe our wounds: most outrageous and stoughte, shallbe the strokes of gods mighty arm upon us, to drive us down headlong into the doleful dungeon and deep bottomless pyite: where perpetually is stench, darkness, languishing and yelling, endless horror, 
Math. 13.22.25. 2. Pet 2. jude. 1.  and gnashing of teeth. from whence we shall behold, with the eyes of our tormented and most wicked souls, the buckled brows and moeste terrible countenance of that righteous and just GOD: by whose irrevocable sentence (thorough our own wickedness) we shall for ever lie burning, in the perdurable lake, and unquenchable fire of hell: 
Hebre 10.  a place prepared for the devil and his Angels, his most filthy and malygnaunte membres: the dungehylles of sin, the vessels of venguaunce, the children of perdition, and the most cursed adversaries of christ, and of his dearly beloved church. As the blessing, toy, and salvation of god, shall come upon all them, that hunger and thirst for righteousness, and prevaileth in sight, against the furiousenes of our bodily and ghostly enemies, having the eternal God to be their God, their only way, and their only strength, thorough hope, as the children of his kingdom: 
Apoca. 21  so the lovers of wickedness, the contemners of righteousness, the fearful, the unbelievers, and the abominable, and murderers, adulterers, filthy whoremongers, beastly drunkards, sorcerers, deceivers, idolatoures, scorners, liars, flatterers, & all wrongful dealers, shall have their part in the lake, that bourneth with tire and brimstone, 
Psal. 89.  which is the second and everlasting death. Ah, terrible is the Lord our God, and greatly to be feared among his saints: of whom he must be pleased and reverenced with godly fear: yea, (I say,) he must be feared, & his great wrath through his grace prevented: for he is against his enemies in cases of revengement, 
Deut. 4. Psal. 105.  a terrible & consuming fire: whose mighty arm & most sharp punishments: are felt through out the whole world. Therefore in ●ope of god's mercy, although we have committed iniquity, & have paumpered our flesh deliciously, and withdrawn our godly charity.  
(And therefore have or do sustain in this life great affliction and miseries in the flesh for our whole imperseend truly and unrighteousness of life, so marueilousely hath iniquity prevailed amongst us, 
jere. 〈◊〉  to the hastening upon us the sharp justice and wrath of god:) yet let every of us, yea the most righteous of us, without seeking the condemnation of others, straightly appeal to the judgement of our own connsciences: and there see, 
Es●v. ●4.  how very foul and filthy we are (as witnesseth the prophet) in the sight of god: whose most clear and lively quick eyes, penetrateth the heves: where through he seeth & searcheth the secrets of the hearts & rains: 
jere. 1.27 Psal. 3  before whom also (notwithstanding his divine counsels and most bitter threatening, often ringing in our tars, we show ourselves inflexible, stought, stony hearted, and sturdy, untoward, sloughthful, and unprofitable servants: And do the rather merit to have poured upon us the vials of his heavy indignaion and wrath, throughout the race of this shortlyfe, and in the end corporal death: yet let us (I say) reverently in time, 
Psal. 119. jere. 4.  have peace with God, seek to content well God, with troubled spirits, broken, contrite, and meek hearts: let us mourn and weep: let our laughter, our lightness, and our folitye, be turned into lamentation and mourning, and our earthly joys and vain foolishness, in to bitter weeping and heaviness: let us pluck down our pride: 
jacob. 4.  let us subdue the lusts of the flesh, and use temperance in all our affects, according to our honest estate and calling: let neither pride nor excess, in such wise prevail against us, but that virtue and reason may partly bear rule: let us be charitable, and love better one another: let us be more liberal, to the comfort of the poor, that GOD may again bless us, and wythorawe his fury from us. And if he will feeme yet further to visit us, then patiently with repentance, to bear all kind of affliction, and the cross of christ: 
Hebro. 12.  for we may not despise the chastising of the lord: neither faint when we are rebuked of him: for whom the lord loveth, him doth he chastise: yea, he scourgeth every son that he receiveth. 
prover. 3.  Whereby: we do and shall feel the love of God in Christ, and his fatherly kindness towards us: who by his sharp rod of justice, 
jacob. 4. job. 13. Psal. 32. Luke. 15. 1. john. 1.  putteth us in remembrance of our iniquity: a way to prepare us unto repentance: & with all lowliness also and humble submission, to fall prostrate before him, to confess from our hearts our sins, to acknowledge our weakness, and to appeal to his grace for mercy and forgiveness, that by hastening his heavenly benediction, and the wourking of his spirit in us, we turn from presumption to humility: 
To be turned from our wye●ednes and sin, is the gift of god. jere. 31.  from carnal fooolyshenes, to cleanness and purity: from vain superfivitie, to temperance and modesty: from unmercifulness, to compassion & pity: from enemity to amity: from discord & dissension to peace & unity: and so forth from strength to strength, to the happy amend meant of our untoward & most perverse lives. 
jere. 3●.  And though we have long time heretofore stopped our ears, 
Let it repent you and be converted (sayeth Christ) that your sin: and iniquities may be done away Math. 4. Act. 3.  turned our faces, and fled back from the voice of our most holy and righteous God, in the lare days, specially of his merciful visitation: yet let us repentauntely turn in time, and embrace him most lovely with our ready spread arms of faith, charity, and constancy. And as we have over long, with corrupted and vain hearts, been vainly addicted to vain things, and our wills greatly dissenting from the will of god: so let us now make haste, that with all purity and cleanness of heart, such fondness and impurity may be refected, and gods most divine will obediently retained. Yea, and though God (in deed) by his justice, hath some thing of late days and presently also touched us, 
God's heavy and bitter wrath upon England.  and hath seemed to lay upon us cruel strokes, and rough chastisements, whether by our late kings death, that most godly and christian prince, either by the breach of virtuous and good laws: by the alteration of Christ'S holy religion, by taking away the light of the gospel, by cruel persecution and destruction of the pastors and flock of Christ: And in stead of mercy and pity, bitter tyranny, and most shameful effusion of innocent and christian blood, by bourning, famishing in prisons, burying in dungehylles, racking, heading, drawing, hanging and quartering, as in the days of god's slaughter by his great and most heavy indignation: besides strange diseases, sudden deaths, dishonourable wars, grievous exactions, meynteining of strangers, universal famine, loss of goods, loss of friends, or otherwise, yet for the avoiding of further dangers, that by the bitterness of his wrath may yet fall upon our flesh, and specially escaping the second death, secluding wilful ignorance, obstinaty, 
Good counsel.  and stiffeneckednes, let us humbly give thanks unto gods divine majesty for all things, and namely for the present show and joyful light of his countenance, now shining again upon us: daily beseeching him to continue his goodness, to assist us with his grace, and to prepare us lively and apt followers of his holy and divine will, without murmuring, unreverent talking, secret conspiring, or cursed rebelling: for they are evelles greatly displeasing god, and work of the devil and of hysedicious membres, upon whom, he will assuredly pour down his determinate plagues to their swift confusion of body and soul. Let us fear therefore to offend the majesty of so mighty a God: 
We may not with. stand the will of god.  who is righteous and a ieolous god over righteousness: let us not repugn his will, or strive against the stream, preparing newly unto ourselves the cup of god's wrath, and to drink double the dregs of his vengeance: but speedily with a lively faith, to return and lean towards him, and not be doubtful of his mercy: for he hath promised (in jesus Christ) that our sins shall be consumed, our transgressions covered, and our iniquities purged. He is merciful, 
Daniel. 9  he beholdeth us in Christ, and rejoiceth in the conversion of sinners: he will have mercy upon us, after the multitude of his mercies: which will not the death of sinners, 
Math. 3. Eze. 18.33. 1 Timo. 〈◊〉 1. Peter. 3. The time and hour when god will vifite us and take accounts of us, we know not.  but rather that they repentantly turn and live: and aptly receiving the grace of god, readily to prepare themselves, that in what so ever time and place, death (by the hand of God) shall assailed them: they be not found unprepared, in that so short and sudden warning. And not withstanding this most apt preparation touching life and death, or times appointed for them, let us refer all (with a lively hope) to the good disposition and will of god, and say with saint Pavia: whether welyve or whether we die, to god and to gods good pleasure we live or die. For herein shall consist great perfection in our spiritual profession, if in our readiness, and most apt preparation, we humbly embrace righteousness, showing ourselves always well pleased and rejoicing in god, and desire according to the will of god, to be dissolved from this frail and corruptible body, and to live uncorruptible with christ for ever. And we may be sure, if god see in us such apt towardness, that we hunger & thirst for the way of righteousness, and that we earnestly seek the mortification of our old gross affects, and shake from our shoulders that grievous pack, and reproachful burden of malice, 
 3.  fierceness, wrath, bloodshed cursed speaking, conspiring, rebelling, lying, octraction, false accusation, pride covetousness, drunkenness, uncleanness, self love, vain affection, and such lewd fondness: and in respect of gods heavenly felicity and endless treasure, to neglect the fugitive and short pleasures of this life, he will not defer to help us, to assist us, and strengthen us, such is the accustomed goodness of his divine nature towards us, but will be mindful of his promise to have mercy upon us, as he in this wise sayeth of himself, by the prophet Isaiah: I have forsaken you (sayeth he) for a small season: 
Esay. 〈◊〉.  I have turned my face from you. I have sharply with plagues visited you, & have stretched out mine arm against you: to strike you, and make you stoop for the greatness of your pride and iniquity, ye have been against me, so stoughte, so stony hearted and sturdy: but now I see you again relented, repentaunse for your sins, and turned again unto me, I will with great mercifulness turn me unto you, embrace you, receive you, take ye up again unto me, and for ever hold ye up and preserve you. And where in my wrath (as it were the twinkling of an eye,) I hid myself from you: I have now, thorough mine everlasting goodness, turned me again unto you, and pardoned you: sayeth the LORD GOD your avenger. I am he, 
Psal. 102.  I am he (sayeth the Lord) which taketh away your iniquities: for mine own sake, and will no more remember your sins. Thus we understand the great mercy and goodness of God toward us disobedient and wretched sinners: who will not only hear us, and turn him mercifully again unto us, by our humble suit and petition, or by our happy amendment of life, thorough the true faith and love in jesus christ, and stay his present indignation now reigning upon us, and the great terror of his vengeance to come, either in cases general, touching this our already afflicted realm or country, our lord bless it and defend it: or properly touch●●●● our own persons, for every of us see in ourselves, our due dosertes: but will henceforth bless us: he will renew still his joyful countynance upon us: he will withdraw the power of the devil from us, that he prevail not against us in no kind of temptation: he will not suffer us to be tempted above our strength, but will in the midst of temptation prepare us away to escape: 
Numc. 23 1. Cor. 1.10 1. Thes. 5. 2. Pet. 2.  he will so strengthen us that when his grace is offered unto us we shall not receive it in vain: his good spirit shall poisesse us, & cleanse our hearts of the devels infections, he will not suffer us to be overcome or drowned in them: for he will sow in our hearts, the lively seeds of his grace, and fill us full of the wisdom of christ: 
By thereare of god sin is eschewed.  he will put his fear into our hearts (which the proud and scornful people of this world, and they that maliciously meddle against god do want: 
job. 18.  his grace is taken from such, for they dwell without his fear, he will so knit our hearts in unity, that having but one heart and one way, we shall fear his name all the days of our lives, that we and our children after us, 
jere. 32. Psal. 118.  may be blessed and prosper the will deliver us from all dangers and misfortune: he will take war and dissension from us: he will give us victory over our enemies: he will prepare us quietly to● enjoy our wynuyngs: he will not suffer us to be confounded, our children destroyed, our goods spoiled, nor our wives, our daughters, our maidens to be ravished and defiled, he will be our mighty protection, at all assays, & give us long life: 
job. 8.  he will bless our posterity: he will fill our mouths with laughter, and our lips with gladness: he will bless the land wherein we dwell, & take from us, famine, pestilence, & all strange diseases, specially of the mind: that our souls being found, we may behold him with a pure saith, and serve him joyfully with a clean heart: he will be unto us a GOD of righteousness, truth, and mercy: he will be faithful to fulfil and keep his promises: He will set up an everlasting covenant with us: namely, that he will never cease to do us good, and that he will put his fear into our hearts, 
jere. 32.  so that hensefoorthe we shall not run nor go astray from him: he will make us walk in the good and perfect way, and to keep the paths of righteousness. Yea, 
Prou 2.  he will have a lust to do us good, and faithfully to plant us in the land of the living, with his whole heart, and with all his soul.  
For like as he hath brought upon us, 
jere. 32.  great and divers plagues: so will he also of his mercy, take them again from us: and in stead of his great vengeance yet to come, he will bring upon us all the good that he hath promised unto us. I four hearts have in possession, this precious and lively virtue (the fear of God) the grace and favour of God, shall abundantly be poured upon us. Neither shall we at any time in such wise offend him, that his wrath shallbe kendled against us. There shall nothing be wanting in us, or needful for us, that shall be to the comfort of soul and body, if we have in us the said virtue. It is the beginning of wisdom: 
prover. 1.  It is the very entry, to attain the favour and blessing of god. 
jere. 31. psal. 24.  In whom so ever it abideth, the secrets of our lord god are ever unlocked unto them, laid forth and spread amongst them, and showeth also unto them, 
Psal. 25. Act. 13. psal. 23. psal. 147. Psal. 34. Psal. 102.  his comfortable and most joyful covenant. Unto them also (as unto the faithful seed of Abraham) is the wourd of salvation sent. They that fear him, and put their trust in his mercy, behold, his merciful eyes are ever fixed towards them, his delights in them, his angel pitcheth his tent round about them. He is their strength and delivereth them, his salvation is nigh unto them. And look how high the heavens, are in comparison of the ●arth, so great is his mercy towards them that fear him. Look how wide ●he East is from the west, so far hath ●e set our sins from us: yea, and like as a father pitieth his own children, even so is he merciful unto them that fear him. 
psal. 103.  The merciful goodness of the lord endureth for ever and ever upon them that fear him, and his righteousness upon their childres children. 
psal. 111. psal. 112.182.  He giveth meat to them that fear him, and towards them, he is ever mindful of his covenant. They are blessed that fear the Lord. The fear of the lord maketh a long life. 
Prou. 10. Prou. 14.  The fear of the lord is a well of life, to escape the dangers of death. The fear of the Lord preserveth life, yea, it giveth plenteousness, without the visitation of any plague: We are sure it shall go well with them that fear the lord, because they have him before their eyes. 
Prou 19 Ecclesi. 8. Ecclesi. 1.  The fear of the lord is worship and triumph, gladdenes, and a joyful crown: it maketh a merry heart, and it driveth out sin.  
The fear of the lord is in the heart of the wise, whereby he departeth from evil and walketh in the path way of ryghtuonsenes. The fear of the lord is with the wise man in all his doings, 
Prou. 14. Eccle. 28.  and in the days of transgression he keepeth himself from sin. 
Eccle. 25.  The fear of the lord, setteth itself above all things: It is the beginning of love. and the beginning of faith, is to cleave fast unto the fear of god. The fear of the Lord wanteth nothing, 
Eccle. 40  and needeth no help. The fear of the lord is a pleasant garden of blessing, and nothing is so beautiful as it is. 
Eccle. 25. psal. 128.  O blessed therefore is the man, unto whom it is granted to have the fear of god. For (as Esay saith) it is the power of gods holy spirit: whereby we reverence god by avoiding evil and embracing good, according to this saying: The wiseman feareth god, and avoideth from evil. And job sayeth: Behold, the fear of the lord, is even very wisdom itself, and is wholly continuing for ever: for it is the strength of the divine spirit, to the reverencing and wourshyping of God: which strength, is not (in us) the wourke of nature, but the grace of god bathe planted: not the will of man, but the purpose of god, towards his beloved & chosen people: unto whom (in jesus Christ) pertaineth the great strength & mights wourking of his gracen, to the renewing of their minds, that through a reverent life in righteousness, the promises of god may (in this life) be attained unto and felt: And after this life, 
Math 25. john. 5.  to have a joyful resurrection into everlasting life, through the only merited and death of his dearly beloved son jesus Christ, our lord and saviour: who liveth and reigneth with him in the unity of the holies ghost most blessed for ever and ever.  
Amen. The grace of god. (O dearly beloved) abound in our hearts to the showing forth of his glory in righteousness that all we knowing our duties and obedience to his divine and most glorious majesty, may be rich and plentiful in all good work, to the pleasing of our neighbours, for their wealth and co●yeng, 
Roma. 15. Gala. 15.  according to the example of jesus christ, the true patron, comforter and saviour of the world: who for the tenderness of compassion that he had to his people, and to save them from destruction, sought not to please himself, but being innocent, and a lamb unspotted, suffered as a wicked offender, most shameful reproach, bitter torments, and pains in the flesh, as also bodily death, as it was written of him by the prophet. The rebukes of them wihche rebuked thee, sell on me. 
psal. 69. Roma. 4.  What so ever things are written aforetime, they are written for our learning, that through patience & comfort of the scriptures we might have hope. The god of hope, patience and consolation, fill us with all joy and peace in believing, that we may be rich in hope, thorough the power of the holy ghost, 
levit. 19  and be like minded one towards another after the ensample of Christ: that we all together agreeing in unity, may with one mouth, praise God, the father of our lord jesus. Amen.  
The God of peace, tread Satan shortly under our feet. 
Roma. 6.   
FINIS.   

Faults escaped in printing.  

¶ In the leaf of A. the xii page, the xi line, of the Queen's epistle, for into, read unto.  
In the leaf of B. the three page the xvii. line, or, to much.  
In the leaf of B. the three page. the twenty line, read for restranitie, restraint.  
In the leaf of, D. the ten page, the xu line, for his paths, read bypaths.  
In the leaf of D. the xi page, the ix line, much to much.  
And in the xxv. line, for wrath, read wroth.  
In the leaf of D. the xiiii. page, the seven line, for co, read to.  
In the leaf of d. the xv, page, the xxii. line for all as, read as all.  
Note also, the x. page, of F the three line for in this manner, read, he teacheth us in this manner.  
In the leaf of G. the v. page, the ●. live for confession, read profession.  
In the leaf of G. the xv. page, the xxiii line, for thy read the.  
In the leaf of H. the xii. page, the xxv. line, the 〈◊〉 or, is to much  
And in the xi. line before, in the same for if, read, that.  
In the leaf of L. the three page, the xix line, for he to his elect, read he hath to his elect.  
In the leaf of N. the 14. page the .v. line for a glorious, read glorious.   
FINIS.   

❧ Imprinted at London by Henrye Sutton, at the costs and charges of Myghell Lobley and John Waley. The vii day of may, in the year of our Lord a thousand. v. hundred and syxtye.   

And also perused and allowed according to the Queen's majesties injunctions.