A SHORT RULE OF GOOD LIFE.  
To direct the devout Christian in a regular and orderly course.  
Newly set forth according to the Author's direction, before his death.  Set me down (O Lord) a law in thy way. Ps. 118. I said (O Lord) that it is my portion and all my riches, to keep thy law. Ibid. 
At S. Omers, by JOHN HEIGHAM An. 1622.   

THE PREFACE TO the Reader.  
WHen that great servant of God, S. Benet, had in most servant and devout prayers, yielded up his soul unto God: two of his religious followers (as reporteth S. Gregory) being ignorant altogether of his death, although in places far distant, had the like vision. They saw out of their godly Father's cel●e, directly towards the East▪ a most beautiful way, adorned with gorgeous Tapestry, and shining with a multitude of innumerable lamps, to proceed even unto heaven. At the top whereof there standing, a notable person in a venerable habit, and demanding of them whose way it was which they beheld, they answered they knew not. But he incontinently said unto them these w●rdes. Haec est via qua dilectu● Domino coelum Benedictus ascendit. This is the way, by the which Gods well-beloved servant Benedict, went up to heaven, meaning thereby (as S. Bernard noteth) the holy Rule of a religious life, instituted and practised by the same Saint, by which not he alone was passed, as by a most ready and pleasant way to heaven, but whosoever of his followers would travel by the same, should with like security, arrive to the end of a most happy journey.  
The Author of this little Book (gentle Reader) I nothing doubt, but is very well known unto thee, as also for his learning, piety, zeal, charity, fortitude, & other rare and singular qualities, but especially for his precious death, he is renowned in the world abroad: neither needeth there any extraordinary vision, but the sound and certain Doctrine of the Catholic Church, is sufficient to persuade, that he is a most glorious Saint in heaven: he being such an one as hath confessed a good confession before many witness, and made (as Saint john saith) his garments white with the blood of the immaculate Lamb. But because thou shouldest not be ignorant, of the way by which this valiant Champion of Christ, arrived unto so happy a Country, he himself hath left behind him for thy benefit, and even amongst the least of his fruitful labours, for the good of souls, had designed to publish unto the world, the description of this most gainful voyage to heaven; be-decked with the most pre●ious ornaments of all Christian virtues, and with the most pleasant and comfortable brightness of notable rules of spiritual life: every one of which, may be as it were a Lantern unto thy feet, and a continual Light unto thy steps.  
This therefore do I now (devout Reader) present unto thy sight, affirming unto thee, that which thou thyself wilt not deny, as being both true and manifest: that, Haec est via qua dilectus Domino N. caelum intravit, This is the way by which the well-beloved servant of God N. went up into heaven.  
For in what estate soever he lived in this world, he ran the way of Christian perfection, in an ordinary course of a secular life, 〈◊〉 from his very infancy he was a spectacle to all that knew him in the state of Religion, the which he embraced from his childhood; he was a rare example of religious perfection and discipline: and finally in his many several and most cruel conflicts with the enemies of Christ, he showeth how strong and unconquered the love of God is, whose burning heat never so many waters or gusts of most main floods, may either quench or smother: and whose power the most power-able thing of all, which is Death, can not overcome.  
Thou therefore (my dear brother) beholding, according to the ex●ortation of this victorious triumpher, see thou imitate his faith. Fashion thy life and manners according to these devout rules, which are a most perfect mirror of his godly life: & in so doing, thou mayest happily attain thyself to the like crown of glory.  
For though Martyrdom be a most special gift of God, and he freely bestoweth it where he liketh, neither is it an ordinary reward due unto never so great merits of never so holy personages, and it is to his excellent power a most easy thing, subitò honestare pauperem, even from the midst of a sinful life, to exalt unto Martyrdom: yet is there a certain disposition in those which are chosen to so high a dignity ordinarily required of God, which is first to have killed their passions, before they be killed by persecutors; first to have been exercised in a spiritual conflict of mortification, before they be tried in the furnace of Christian confession; first to have become the town, butchers, before they be delivered to the hangman's shambles. Otherwise (as our Saviour sayeth) Qui amat animam suam perdet eam: Who so loveth his life or soul disordinately shall lose it, and never be able to stand in that combat, wherein not flesh and blood, not pride, ambition, and vain glory, not malice and rancour; but a mortified ●inde, and a resigned heart into God's hands, obtaineth the victory.  
Which disposition and ready preparation for this so happy a crown, was most perfectly found in this our Author: whereupon iusued, that he might truly ●ay with holy. I. B. Elegit suspendium anima mea, & mortem ossa mea. Desperavi nequaquam, ultra iam vivam. My soul bathe made choice of hanging, and my bones of death. I am become desperate, I will now live no longer: because long before he had hanged up his soul by perfect estranging of it from earthly affections, and keeping it fixed and joined to God; thence did it pooceed, that his earthly bo●es, abhorred not that death which was to be suffered for Christ. And because he had withdrawn his hopes from the base desires of this life, therefore did ●e contemn this life for the love of this heavenly life, and he thought he had lived long enough, when he might die to live for ever.  
Enjoy therefore these rules devout Reader, and joyfully tread the paths of this most pleasant way to heaven: and if by the compendious commodity thereof thou shalt see thy journey toward thy everlasting country to be forwarded; give glory unto God, and unto this his faithful servant; and assist with thy devout prayers those which have been means to prepare it for thee.  
Yet do I advise thee of two especial thin●es: first, that whereas in these Rules thoushalt sometimes read, that thou must do this or that; thou must not understand that word (must) as though thou wert bound to the performance of any thing there expressed, but only that those actions do belong unto the exercise of perfection without any further bond, then either the law of God, or holy church do impose.  
secondly, that before thou begin to practise these Rules, containing in them great perfection, thou acquaint thyself with an other Book entitled The Exercise of a Christian life, or such other-like, lest thou attempt to build a great house with slender foundation: and climbing to the top of a high ladder; without passing by the middle steps, at unawares thou receive a fall. Vale.   

A SHORT RULE OF GOD LIFE.  

THE FIRST CHAPTER of the foundations of a Good life.  

The first foundation.  
THE first foundation of a good life is, often and seriously to consider for what end and purpose I was created, and what Gods designment was, when he made me of nothing, and that not to have a being only, as a stone, nor withal a bare kind of life or growing, as a plant or tree, nor moreover a power of sense or feeling only as a bru●t beast, but a creature to his own likeness, endued with reason understanding and freewill. Also why he now preserveth me in this health, state and calling. Finally why he redeemed me with his own blood, bestowed so infinite benefits upon me, and still continueth his mercy towards me.  

The end of man.  
The end of my being thus made, redeemed, preserved, and so much benefited by God, is this and no other: that I should in this life serve him, with my whole body, soul and substance, and with what else soever is mi●e, and in the next life enjoy ●im for ever in heaven.   

Rules that follow of this foundation.  
● Was made of nothing by God, and received body and soul from him, and therefore am I only his, not mine own, neither can I so bind or give myself to ●●y creature, but that I ought ●ore to serve, love and obey God, than any creature in this world.  
Secondly I commit a ●●●de of theft, and do God great wrong, so often as I ●●ploy any part of my body 〈◊〉 soul, to any other end than to his service, for which only I was created.  
Thirdly, for this do I live, and for no other end, but for this, do all creatures serve me, and when I turn the least thing whereof God hath given me the use or possessing▪ to any other end then the service of God, do God wrong, and abuse his creatures.    

The second foundation.  
Seeing I was made to serve God in this life, and to enjoy him in the next, the service of God, and the salvation of mine own soul, is the most weighty and important business, and the most necessary matter wherein I must employ my body, mind, time, and labour: and all other affairs are so far forth to be esteemed of me weighty or light, as they more or less tend to the furtherance of this principal & most earnest business. For what availeth it a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?  

Rules that follow of this foundation.  
FIrst what diligence, labour, or cost, I would employ in any other temporal matter of credit▪ living, or life, all that I am bound to employ in the service of God, and the salvation of my soul: and so much more, as the weight or worth of my soul, passeth all other things.  
Secondly I ought to think the service of God, and salvation of my soul my principal business in this world, and to make it my ordinary study and chief occupation, and day and night to keep my mind so fixed upon it, that in every action I still have it before mine eyes, as the only mark I shoot at.    

the third foundation.  
I Cannot serve God in this world, nor go about to enjoy him in the next, but that God's enemies and mine, will repine and seeke-to hinder me: which enemies are three: the World, the Flesh, and the Devil. Wherefore I must resolve myself, and set it down as a thing vndouted, that my whole life must be a continual combat with these adversaries: whom I must assuredly persuade myself to lie hourly in wait for me, to seek their advantage. And that their malice is so unplacable, and their hatred against me so rooted in them, that I must never look to have one hour secure from their assaults: but that they will ●rom time to time, so long as there is breath in my body, still labour to make me forsake and offend God, allure me to their service, and draw me to my damnation.  

Rules following of this foundation.  
I Must prepare my body and mind to all patience, and think it no news to be tempted, but a point annexed necessarily to my profession, and therefore never must I be wearied with the difficulty, considering the malice and wickedness of mine adversaries, and my professed enmity with them.  
Secondly I must always stand upon my guard, and be very watchful in every action, seeing that whatsoever I do, they will seek to pervert it, and make it offensive to God, even my very best endeavours.  
Thirdly I must never look to be free from some trouble or other, but knowing my life to be a perpetual warfare, I must rather comefort my s●lfe with hope of a glorious crown for my victories, then of any long or assured peace with mine enemies.    

The fourth foundation.  
The thing which these enemy's endeavour for to draw me unto, is, sin and offence of God: which is so odious, hateful, and abominable, that God doth more detest and dislike it, than he did the cruel usage, the wounds, the torments, and the death itself, that for us he suffered of the jews, and it maketh our souls more ugly, than the plague▪ leprosy, or any other most filthy disease doth the body.  

Rules following this foundation.  
SO careful as I would be not to wound, torment, or murder Christ, so careful must I be, not to commit any mortal sin against him, yea and much more, seeing that he hates sin more than death, having voluntarily suffered the one, and yet never committed the other.  
Secondly when I am tempted with any sin, let me examine myself, whether I would buy the fulfilling of mine appetite, with being a leper or full of the plague, or with death presently to ensue after it: if not, then much less ought I to buy it with the leprosy, loss, and death of my soul, which is of far more worth than my body.    

The fifth foundation.  
Being Gods creature made to serve him in this life: my body, soul, and goods, and all things any way appertaining unto me, are but lent, or only let me for this end, and I am only as bailiff, tenant or officer, to demaine or govern these things to his best service: and therefore when the time of my stewardship is expired, I shall be summoned by Death to appear before my Landlord, who with most rigorous justice will demand account of every thing and creature of his, that hath been to my use, yea of all that I have received, promised, omitted, committed, lost and robbed: and as I can then discharge this account, so shall I be either crowned in eternal joy, or condemned to perpetual damnation.  

Rules following of this foundation.  
FIrst, I must use all things in this life as an other bodies goods, for which I must be accountable to the utter-most farthing.  
Secondly, the more I have, the greater and harder will be mine account of the good use thereof, and therefore the more wary●ought I to be, in disposing of it.  
Thirdly, let me often consider what bodily, ghostly, and internal gifts of God I have received, what in baptism and at other times I have promised: how profitable and necessary good works I have omitted: how many grievous and heinous sins I have committed: how often I have lost the grace of God, & my right to heaven: finally how much honour, and how many souls I have robbed from God: and these things being well perused, let me seek to make that recompense and satisfaction for them, which I would wish to have made when death shall summon me before my heavenly judge, to give up a most strict account of them.  
The fruit of these foundations consisteth in often considering them, as most necessary points, and as it were the very first principles of good life, upon the understanding and practising whereof, dependeth my progress in virtue: and therefore I must very often r●ade them and examine myself, whether my mind and actions be answerable unto them.     

How we ought to be affected towards God.  
THE SECOND Chapter.  

First of the consideration of God's presence.  
THese foundations being laid, it behoveth me further to descend to the notice of my duty to God, my neighbour, and myself.  
And first concerning my due●ie unto God, a very fit mean I can use to please him is, to bear alway in mind his presence. For sure it is that as God, he is every where in substance, power and presence, and in him I live, move, and I am, as the scripture saith, because he worketh with me in all my deeds, thoughts and words: In so much that as the beam of the sun, the heat of the fire, or wettnes of the water, so depend I of God: and should he withdraw himself from me but one moment, I should forthwith turn into nothing, and therefore it is a very forcible means for my good, to do all things as if I did see God visibly working and cooperating with me in every action, as in truth he doth, and knowing that what words, thoughts, or deeds soever pass me, and what part of my body or mind soever I use, God's concourse and help thereunto, is more than mine own, I must be a afraid to use them in any such thing wherein I might offend him: but rather seek to do all things so that they be worthy of his presence, help, and assistance in them. And if I can get a custom or habit to remember still the presence and assistance of God (as by use easily I may) I shall with due regrd, reverence, and consideration, abstain from such behaviour, as I think may any way be offensive unto him I shall also get a great facility in turning my mind and heart to him, and in talking often with him by short and sweet prayers, which are the fuel of devotion.  
Other affection is that we ought to have unto God  
Secondly I must endeavour to kindle in myself, these affections towards God.   

The First Affection.  
FIrst, of a sincere and tender love of him, as the fountain of all beauty and fellicity, of which love I may guess by these signs.  
By often thinking, and an earnest desire of God.  
By sorrow of his absence, and contentment, in consideration of his presence.  
By my diligence in performing without delay or tediousness, that which pleaseth best my Saviour, and by finding such comfort in doing it, that it grieves me when for things of less goodness, I am enforced to defer it.  
By withdrawing all disordered love from all creatures, and especially myself, and by loving nothing but in God, and for God.  
By seeking to increase this love by consideration of God's goodness, & his daily benefits.  
By taking delight in God's service, or things tending thereunto, not because I find contentment in it, but because it is to God's glory, to the which I would have all things addressed.  
By taking tribulations, or troubles of body or mind patiently, yea and with joy, knowing that they come by God's permission, and thinking them as favours which he affordeth to his dearest friends.   

The Second Affection.  
THe second affection is, a reverend and dutiful fear of God, which I may gather by these signs.  
If when I remember the presence and Majesty of God, I frame both my body and mind to reverence and honour him, with all humility and decency: fearing lest by any unseemly and light behaviour, I should seem to be contemptuous, and careless of my duty towards him.  
If I find great fear to do any thing that may offend God, not only mortally, but even venially, & be withal very watchful to avoid the least offence, lest my frailty which is great, should draw me to it, and so to further inconvenience.  
If I fear to be banished from him, or forsaken for my sins, and endeavour what I may to preserve his love and mercy towards me.   

The Third Affection.  
THe third affection is, Zeal of God's honour, and desire that he should be duly served and obeyed of all his creatures, of which I may judge by these signs.  
First, if I find a grief in myself and am heartily sorry, when I see or hear of other folk's faults, or think of mine own, considering how by them, a base and wretched creature, dishonoured and despised his creator, in steed of him, serving his professed enemies, the flesh, the world, & the devil.  
The second sign is an earnest desire to help my neighbour, or mine own soul out of sin, by praying for this effect, and refusing no convenient labour to accomplish the same, so that my Lord God be no more, or at the least, less offended then before.   

The Fourth Affection.  
THe fourth affection is, to endeavour as near as I can, to take occasion of every thing that I hear, see, or think of, to praise God. As if the things were good, then to praise God that he gave grace to do them: And if the thinger were evil, to thank God that either he preserved me or other, from them, or at the least hath not suffered me to continue still in them, or to be in his wrath condemned for them.  
Also I must consider, and with my inward eye see God in every creature, how he worketh in all things to my benefit, and weigh how in all c●eatures, both within and without me, he showeth his presence, by keeping them in their being and course of nature: for without him they would presently turn to nothing: and I must assure myself, that in all this, he hath as well a regard to my good, as to others. And therefore all creatures must be as it were books to me to read therein, the lou● presence, providence, and fatherly care that God hath over me.   

The fifth Affection.  
THe fifth affection is, to consider, that I being a Christian, and only my faith and all mine actions proper thereunto, ought not only to be different from the erroneous opinions, sects, and actions of infidels, but even mine ordinary actions, of eating, drinking, playing, working, and such like, aught to have a mark and badge of christianity, and some difference from the like things done by heathens. And this mark which maketh christian and good works, is a right and sincere intention, which in every principal action I ought to procure, so that it be done to the honour, goorie, and service of God, and agreeable to the rule of christian duty, with that measure, temperance, and circumstance, which faith and reason requireth: persuading myself, that as well in these actions done in this sort, as in others that carry more show of piety, God may be served & honoured. And therefore it should be a great negligence and carelessness in me, for want of directing mine intention (which by use is easily gotten) to lose so many great merits, as in these ordinary actions I might daily and hourly gain.   

The sixth Affection.  
THe sixth Affection is, a Perfect resignation of myself into God's hands, with a full desire that he should use me as it were most to his glory, whether it were to my temporal comfort or no. And to be as ready to serve him in misery, need, and affliction, as in prosperity and pleasure: thinking it my chiefest delight, to be used as God will, and to have his pleasure and providence fully accomplished in me, which is the end for which I was created, and for the which I do now live.  
To attain this resignation, it is a very fit way to debate and discourse with myself, what thing there is could happen unto me, though never so much against my liking, which if it should fall out, would trouble me, or make me lose that indifferency which I ought to have, in most willingly yielding myself to whatsoever God shall say upon me: And if I find any thing which I think I should not well digest, nor accept with due patience, let me endeavour to overcome myself in it, and by praie● and meditation▪ seek to win the difficulty thereof, that there may be nothing which I would not willingly accept at God's hands, how contrary soever it were to mine inclination. To which these considerations may help me.  
First the end I aim at, is God's glory in this world, and his reward in the next, and therefore knowing that nothing, but my voluntary sin can bar me from this end, what need I much care by what means God will have me to attain it? for the means can last but a little, and the end endureth for ever, and is so much the more comfortable, in that it hath been achieved with more uncomfortable, toils.  
Secondly God loveth me more than I love myself, and is so wise, that he best seeth what is fittest for me, all present & future circumstances considered: he is so mighty that what his wisdom and love shall conclude for my good, his power can put in execution: and therefore let me rather yield myself wholly to his providence, than mine own desires.  
Thirdly whatsoever moveth me to fear or dislike any thing, which I could not frame my mind to bear, God seeth it as well and far better than I, yea and all other secret and unkowen hazards that are annexed to that thing: if therefore he knowing all these things, will nevertheless let it happen to me, I must assure myself, that it proceedeth of love, and is for my greater good, and that he having laid a heavy burden upon weak forces, will by his grace supply all my fears, wants and frailties.   

The Seventh Affection.  
THe seventh affection is, gratitude and thankfulness, which I ought to find in myself towards God, and feeling an earnest desire to do any thing that might countervail, or in part answer the excessive love that God, hath and hourly doth show unto me, and to let no little good that I receive though never so ordinary, pass without thanks to him, who even in the least things is contented to serve me▪ and finally to make God my repose, and his remembrance my comfort, and to loathe all earthly things as base and unpleasant, in comparison of him.    

Of my duty to my Superiors.  
THE THIRD Chapter.  
NExt my duty to God, it behoveth me to consider my due●ie to my Superiors, whom I must accounted as his Vicegerents, & substitutes in the things wherein I am subject unto them.  
And first to speak of those which are my superiors in temporal things, in all points belonging to their charge, I am to yield them temporal duty, contenting myself with their appointment, so far as with justice and equity they can command, and by God's laws I shall be bound to yield unto them.  
And for my spiritual superiors, whom I am to account as guides of my soul, a far better part than the body. First I must procure that my choice be of virtuous, grave, and mortified men, who having their own passions well subdued, may the better teach me how to bridle mine. And because it is the chief help and most profitable, if my choice be good, and very dangerous if it be evil, I must make my choice with great advice and deliberation, using the counsel of some other persons of good and grounded judgement in such things.  
When I have a man of discretion and good government, and experienced in directing of souls, I must behave myself towards him in this sort.  
First, I must procure to love him as a parent or father, by which name such men in the Church of God are called, endeavouring to carry myself towards him, as dutifully (not only in spiritual things, but also in those temporal wherein, I might justly fear any sin) as a well nurtured child behaveth himself toward his natural father: and seeking to make him take an affection and desire to direct me with great joy, diligence and care, to all spiritual good.  
secondly, I must reverence and honour him as the Vincegerent of God, & consider Christ in his person, and do my duty to him, as if in him I did see Christ, taking heed of any such familiarity or surliness, as may and usually doth breed contempt, and always carrying myself with due respect to his function and office, and having mine eye more bend upon that, then either his person, calling or other temporal or spiritual qualities. Thirdly, I must avoid such things as may cause in me any unjust discontentmentes or dislike towards him: and therefore interpret his doings and sayings in the best sort, not giving rash judgement of them, but rather seeking to excuse his faults, if he have any: and in my daily prayers to commend him to God, and pray that God may grant him grace, judgement & discretion, and the assistance of his spirit that thereby he may direct me, as is most for God's glory, and my soul's health.  
Fourthly, to obey him in all things wherein I see not any express sin, taking his words when he counseleth, commandeth, or forbiddeth me any thing, as the words of Christ; agreeable to the saying of our Saviour: He that heareth you, heareth me, and he that despiseth you despiseth me. Wherefore if he reprehend me I must take it patiently with desire of amendment, & what he enjoineth me, willingly must I perform▪ though it be against mine own will, sense, or liking.  
To conclude, my obedience towards him, or rather towards Christ's person in him, for whom in all things I obey, aught to be done with these conditions. Speedily without delay. Voluntarily without constraint. Simply without questions or excuses. Contentedly without murmuring or grudging. Stoutly without despair or impatience. Constantly with perseverance to the end. Humbly without pride.  
I ought also to persuade myself, that God of his great goodness, by him will direct me in such things as appertain to his direction, and will put such things in his mind, as shall be most for my benefit and good, and therefore must I resolve to lay my soul in his hands, and to frame my judgement to his in all things, that he shall think fit for me to do or omit, where I see no danger of sin, persuading myself, that though the man be imperfect, yet God whose Vicegerent & instrument he is, neither will, not can deceive me.   

Of my duty towards my neighbour.  
THE FOURTH Chapter.  
AFter knowledge of my duty towards God & my Superiors, I must consider my duty towards my neighbour, and the manner, how to behave myself in his company & conversation.  
First I must procure to remember, that my external behaviour, my gate, my gesture, my countenance, and my outward actions, be done with gravity, modesty, and all decency: that I be not light, vain, or too lavish in mirth, not too austere, or too much inclined to sadness, but with temperate modesty rather composed to mirth, than melancholy. Which external composition is necessary both for edifying our neighbour, who being unable to judge or enter into our thoughts, judgeth of every one according to that where of his sense is witness. And next in respect of God, who being every where present, requireth in us behaviour worthy of his sight and company: & lastly, in respect of our own soul, this care of external decency being an approved means to avoid infinite venial sins, and much more all mortal.  
Of external composition there be three chief points.  
First the care of our countenance, ga●e, and gesture. Secondly of our voice and speech. Thirdly of our apparel and other adherents.  
In countenance, I must avoid an vnst●ied kind of variety and often change, keeping, as near as I mai●, one settled tenor thereof, rather bend to smiling than heaviness, and free from ●rowning▪ and such like unseemly distemper Neither aught I to al●er my countenance, but when reasonable and just cause moveth me to show either mirth, sorrow, dislike, or compassion, or some other modest or temperate affection.  
My gate ought to be grave, neither too swift nor too slow, but with a mean and sober pace: my gesture must be decent, free from affectation, or singularity, and from all show of inward disquietness or unordered passion, which though I cannot choose but sometime feel, yet it 〈◊〉 good as much as I may to conceal it, because outward signs do feed the inward distemper, and bewray to others my imperfections to my discredit, and their● evil example.  
My voice neither aught to be very loud, nor my laughter so vehement as to be heard a far off, but both seemly and modest, for excess in the voice, and immoderate loudness, are always certain signs of passion, & therefore aught to be used but upon some extraordinary necessity.  
My speech ought not to be so much, as to make me be noted for talkative, yea it is good to be rather sparing in words, and readier to hear, then to speak. But when occasion forceth to much talk, I must speak deliberately without rashness or levity, avoiding overmany jests, especially bitter taunts and sharp words. I must also take heed of affected speech and impertinent ceremonies, and use such affability and convenient compliments, as common civility and usual courtesy requireth.  
Mine apparel must be free from lightness, or more gawdines than fitteth my age, calling, or company. It must be decent, and comely, not too open, nor with unusual or new fashioned dresses, that other grave persons of my quality and calling, (that are well thought of) do not use: It must be handsome and clean, and as much as may be without singularity, that therein the staidness and seemly estate of my soul, may be perceived.  
Always when I am to go to any company, either of my dwelling place, or strangers, I ought to forecast their disposition, and what talk or action is likely to be tendered unto me by their presence. If I fear detracting speeches, let me arm myself not to seem to approve them, yea rather to mislike them, and to turn the talk to some other matter, and so in all other kind of unlawful talk.  
Finally let this for conversation be my chief rule, always to foresee and provide myself against the occasions, that by every company are likely to be offered me, and in the beginning to talk either for dispatch of necessary business, if there be any, or for maintaining mutual love and charity, if it be merry, or ordinary talk.  
This foresight of occasions, and faults likely to be committed, is the principal remedy against all sin, and therefore especially to be noted and used.  
To conclude, the virtues necessary in conversation, are modesty, decency, affability, meekness, civility, & courtesy, show of compassion to others miseries, and of joy at their welfare, and of readiness to pleasure all, and unwillinges to displease any; and the want of any of these, where occasion requireth, makes conversation faulty.  
The vices chiefly to be avoided are, pride disdainefulnes, rudeness, forwardness, wantone●, or, lightness, too much familiarity, churlishness, and offensive speeches.   

Of my duty towards myself.  
THE FIFTH Chapter.  
THe last point is to consider my duty towards myself, & the care I ought to have of mine own particular.  
First I must procure that which before is mentioned, in all my actions to have the badge of christianity: that is a pure and sincere affection and intention, not seeking in any thing my own delight, pleasure, and contentment, more than may stand with the honour & glory of God, remembering that I am to serve him and not myself, more than is necessary to enable me for his better service, I being his more than mine own.  
Secondly I must procure to foresee in every action, at the lest in all the principal, to fore arm myself against those occasions of sin which shall be offered in them: & where it lieth not in my power to avoid the occasion of any great sin, the more danger there is, and the greater the sin is that I am in danger of, so much the more preparation must I use to resist it, and the more earnestly ask for God's grace.  
Thirdly I must have care of my senses, as the means and entrance of temptations. To which it is a principal help, not to be easily drawn with every noise or fancy to move my head or eyes, except there be good cause: nor to be sudden in motion, or going hither and thither, without deliberation. I must also remember well, that the eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor the ears with hearing novelties, and therefore must I needs bridle the unmeasurable appetite of both these senses, by breaking of mine own desires in that behalf.  
Fourthly because confusion, and an unsettled kind of life, is the cause of many sins, and an enemy to all virtue, I must set down with myself some certain order in spending my time, alloting to every hour in the day, some certain thing to be done in the same, so near as possibly I may, or at the least to have sometimes in the morning, evening, & afternoon, certainly devoted to some good ex●rcise, which I must (though not by vow) after a sort bind myself unto, when things of greater weight do not call me from them. Also to keep due times of rising, meals, and going to bed, and all other ordinary times: the observation whereof is most necessary for a regular & virtuous order of life.  
five it is a most necessary rule of good life, not only to keep order in my temporal and spiritual actions, but also to persever and continue in one order, having once set it down with sound advice. For the nature of man being apt to change, we are given still to novelties, seeking new ways to perfection, and confirming or habituating ourselves in none: wherefore (except necessity, charity, or greater spiritual good do require) I must not flit from one exercise to another, from one ghostly father to another, from on form of behaviour to another, but first plant a good platform with mature advice, and then resolve and fully determine to continue in the same.  
Sixthly I must not cumber my mind with many spiritual or external exercises at once, nor labour myself to much at the first, for my force being distracted to many offices, is the less able to perform any of them, and is easily over-labored without profit: wherefore I must not think to get all virtues at once, or cut off all imperfections together, but having a general resolution to get virtue, and leave all vice, begin with some one, endeavouring to endeavouring to break myself of some one fault, which I am most inclined unto, and procuring to get the contrary virtue: for the care of avoiding one offence, will make me take heed of all the rest.  
Seventhly man's nature being so corrupted, that without continual violence & force, it cannot attain to virtue, or leave vice, whereunto it is much inclined, I must assure myself that care & watchfulness is ever necessary: and because I am apt to fall, I must often renew my good purposes, which for that it is a material point, it will be good to set down with myself these rules.  
First to appoint and set down with myself, that every morning one of my first thoughts shall be of the good purposes I have made, which must not be many, but some one or two particular and principal points that I see most necessary for me, and to set down also in the morning, at what times in the day I will remember the same, as at service, at dinner, at evensong, or such like times, for the care to remember them at some certain times, will make me stilmindful of them, and so readier to perform them.  
Secondly to examine myself twice in a day, whether I have broken them since the morning or no: and if I have, then to be so●e for it, and begin again to fortify my self better against the next occasion.  
Thirdly because I can never go on in virtue without falling, I must every morning, or at least every holiday, think with myself that hitherto I have done nothing, and that, by God's grace, that day I will begin a fresh, as though it were the first day that ever I began to do any good thing.  
Fourthly to celebrate the day of my conversion every year as a solemn day, and as the day of my birth, wherein I was brought forth and dedicated to God, and therein, and in some other principal fea●●es in the year, to to call to mind the first fervour, devotion, and zeal, that God did then give me, and this I ought to do very often a● other times also.  
Eightly, I must not make small account of little sins, not be careless in committing them, but always carry that mind, that I would not offend God willingly, even in the least venial sins for any thing: and I must never think any thing little, wherewith so high a majesty is offended. For one that careth not to commit little sins, giveth the devil a great advantage, to draw him into greater.  
Ninthly, as I must take heed of pampering my body too much, & aught to take some ordinary corporal punishment, as of fasting, discipline, haircloth, or the like: foe on the other side, I must have care of my health, & so temper all my spiritual exercises and bodily afflictions with discretion, that I may continue in them still, & not make myself unable to persever long, by the undiscreet greediness of a short time, and to use discretion▪ these observations will avail.  
First, before God to think whether doing this or that, I may be able to continue my undertaken course in his service, my body, force, health, and other cares, comber●, or businesses considered.  
Secondly, to ask counsel of spiritual men, long practised in spiritual affairs.  
Thirdly, to read spiritual books, entreating of that which I design to do.  
Fourthly, to pray that God with his light and grace, would lighten my hart, to know and perform that which is fittest for me, and most to his glory.   

An order how to spend every day.  
THE sixth Chapter.  
IN time of health hours of going to bed and rising, may be either nine and five, or ten and six, or according to the strength or weakness of every man's body, so they be certain.  
After I am up for a good pretty space, it is good not to talk, but at the least for half a quarter of an hour to busy my mind in prayer & meditation, and then to talk if need be: because my business with God being greater than with any man, it is fit that he should first be talked with of matters concerning my soul, and then others of worldly things,  
I must procure to go neatly and handsome in my attire, agreeably to my calling▪ and to avoid all kind of indecency which breedeth dislike and contempt, & doth rather offend, than please God: when I am ready I must go to my prayers appointed. And before I set myself to pray, I must call to mind what I promised to do for any at that time, or what other necessary business I have than to dispatch, & I must keep touch i● my words in the least things, & cut off occasions of being interrupted as ne'er as I may. In prayer I must observe these things.  
In the first beginning, I am to consider the presence of God and of his Saints.  
Secondly, for the better procuring of attention, to take my good Angel, or some other Saint, as it were, to say with me.  
Thirdly, I must think a few, well said, better than many hastiely shuffled over. It is good sometime to omit some vocal prayers, and to spend the time in meditation of some part of Christ's passion, or of his life, or of mine own sins, as the book of meditation giveth notice.  
After prayer, on working days, I must go presently about some work or exercise that may be of some profit, and of all other things, take heed of idleness the mother of all vices.  
Towards eleven (if company & other more weighty causes will permit) I may say my beads, and call to mind how I have spent the morning, ask God grace to spend the afternoon better.  
Dinner times, on flesh days, may be eleven: on fasting days, towards twelve of the clock: When I am called to dinner, I must think for what end I am to eat, that is to help nature, and not to content mine own appetite.  
I must learn my little children (if I have any) to say some short grace, or at the least, I must say grace to myself: and when I am set, before I lay hand to my trencher, I many pause a while, and in my mind desire God to give me temperance, and mindfulness of his presence.  
At meals I must neither be too curious or doubtful of what I eat, neither too precise in the quantity fineness, or coursnes of the meat, but of that which God hath sent, take a competent meal, measurable to my need, & not hurtful to my health.  
After dinner I must thanke God for his gifts, remembering that he hath fed me for this end, that I should be more able to serve him, and do my duty▪ and when I retire to my chamber, it is good to say some short prayer of thanksgiving, desiring God to make me thankful for all his benefits.  
I must remember that many have wanted that which I have had, and would have been glad of my leave: and therefore I ought to have care and regard of the poor, procuring something for them, & some times going myself to see them served, considering Christ in their persons.  
If I have strangers I may keep them company, & talk friendly & merrily with them as occasion shall serve, directing my behaviour agreeable to my former rules of conversation, and having this intention in my talk, that amity and love may be maintained, and all breach & unkindness avoided.  
I must, if time and place will permit me, be always doing some profitable thing, to avoid sloth, directing mine intention in all my exercises to this end, that I may avoid idleness, and temptations, and bestow my time in good sort to God's glory.  
After dinner, I must call to mind, whether I have any promise to perform, or any other business to do that is not ordinary: that I neither forget the thing, nor time appointed for it.  
About three of the clock in winter, and fou●e in summer, I may go to Evensong, and use the same order of my morning ptaier. It is good for me sometimes to go about the rooms of the house, and to see that they be kept clean, and handsome, thinking that God is delighted in cleanness, both bodily and ghostly, & detesteth sluttishness, as a thing which he permitteth as a punishment of sin, and one of the scourges of hell.  
A little before supper, it will be good to read some part of some good book, procuring to take some benefit by it▪ and continuing in one book until I have read it over, and then begin some new: and if I have any book that I would often read, I may take some time from my work, or the holy days▪ to read a part thereof: but the time before supper, it is good to spend in continuing that which I have begun, and when one is ended, to begin an other: When company hindereth me from doing these things at their due times, I need not be much troubled for omitting the rest, so that my prayers be said: but in such occu●●ants in steed of that I should have done▪ I must seek to make my conversation meritorious, by having a good intention, and often renewing of the same, and by watchfulness to avoid all offence of God, leaving him in one exercise, to serve him in an other, as he appointeth occasions to fall out.  
Supper time may be six, & drinking times on fasting days, seven of the clock. When I am called to supper I must remember what my intention ought to be, and to take the same course that is prescr●●●●d for dinner.  
After supper, I may talk as occasion shall serve, or walk for my health, or read some pleasant, yet profitable book, as Catholic histories, or such like.  
Towards the hour of going to bed, I mu●●e examne myself, first whether my promises, or appointments concerning extraordinary things and business, be performed: if I have forgotten any necessary thing, I must take order to remember it, that I forget it not the second time.  
This done, I must examine my conscience touching the thoughts, words, & deeds of that day, & especially concerning the purposes that I have made in the morning, and how I have observed these rules, and what faults I have committed of any moment.  
After I have examined my conscience, and said my prayers, it is good to abstain from talk that night (unless some just occasion require the contrary) that my mind may be free from idle thoughts, when I go to sleep.  
When I lie down to rest, my intention must not be so much for sloth, and contentment of the body, a● for necessity of keeping my health, & that I may rise fitter to serve God.  
Also when I lie down, I may imagine to lie by the pilar, cross, manger, or some such place, where Christ was present, that when I wake in the morning he may be the first that shall come into my mind.  
Before I sleep, I must say some short thing to commend myself to God, my good Angel, and some other Saints, and purpose by their help when the time of rising cometh, not to suffer myself to be overcome with sloth, but as though Christ called me, speedily to rise. I must also then set down where upon I will think as soon as I awake, that God may have the first fruits of my thoughts, for which the devil layeth great wait.  

On holy days.  
I Must rise one hour, or half an hour, sooner than on other days: And if it be a day of receiving, my first thought must be to think what a happy banquet I am to go unto, desiring God to give me due preparation. I must seek to say my prayers that day both more, and with greater devotion, and especially after the communion.  
In steed of my work, I must bestow those days in reading good books, hearing sermons, and such like godly exercises, not lightly running over them, thinking it enough to have read or heard good things, but pausing upon such things as move my affection, and p●inting them well in my mind and memory.  
Because I am like to be troubled with company more those days than others. I must endeavour to recompense in this sort. First by often lifting up my hart to God in talk. Secondly, by striving against occasions of evil speech, and by not yielding to speak of other folk's faults. Thirdly, in seeking when occasion serveth to help those I talk with by mine example or words, And finally to make my talk agreeable to the rules of conversation.  
On principal Feasts, it is convenient to prepare myself before hand for them, & to live a day or two before, as it were in expectation of them, desiring the presence and solemnity of that day, wherein God doth most abundantly bestow his graces: that having heretofore been slack in his service, I may that day begin of new, to take hart and courage, to amend my life by the help and prayers of that Saint, or by the merit and benefit of that action of Christ, the holy day shall, be.   

For Confession and Receivinge.  
EVery sunday; and high feast, and all the festival days of Christ, our Lady, the Apostles, and such other principal holy days, I must prepare myself the day before to receive.  
On Saterdaie at night, or on the eve if occasion serve, I must go to confession, and withal diligence, the nearer the time cometh of receiving, the more wary must I be of my behaviour▪ I must go to confession twice in a week, Wednesday and Saturday at night, when there cometh not a great holy day, or some other day:  
When I want means to go to confession, I must notwithstanding at my usual times prepare myself, and to almighty God make even in words the same confession, that I would to my ghostly father: for though it be not a Sacrament without absolution of a true Pre●st, yet is it a godly thing, & good to keep me in ure, and my conscience in awe▪  
Every year twice, once about Christmas, if I may, upon newyear's day, or Epiphany, and another time about S. Mary magdalen's day. I must make a general confession of the half year last passed: & so from time to time, taking those two times especially to renew myself, & to remember God's goodness towards me, and to begin with new fervour more earnestly to serve him, as my duty and his benefits require. I must also compare one time with an other, and see whether I go forward or backwards in God's service, and endeavour every half year, to gain some ground of myself, and to amend some one imperfection.  
When I make my general confession, if I have one certain ghostly father, I must yield up an account of my conscience concerning th●se points following. First how I find myself affected in God's service, and whether I find a con●entment and delight therein, or rather a tediousness and dulness.  
secondly, what prayers I use to say, and how much time I spend therein, and what taste, or trouble I feel in the same.  
Thirdly, what temptations and passions I am most troubled withal, & what means I do use to resist them.  
fourthly, what imperfections I am most prone unto, what virtue I chiefly labour to attain, and which I have most facility to practise.  
Fiftly, what mortification I do use to break mine own will, and what other chastisement to mortify my body.  
Sixtly, what desire I find in myself, to amend my former faults, and to begin a better course.  
Seaventhly, how I find myself for my resignation of mind to Gods will, and for suffering and loss, punishment, sickness, or disgrace that he should lay upon me.  
Lastly, how my health is agreeable to my exercises, and whether I find not my body or mind overcharged with too much prayer, penance, or such other actions of devotion. These things are convenient to be uttered, that the pastor knowing the estate, disease, force, or weakness of his sheep, may be the abler discreetly to direct it.   

Every weeeke.  
IN the beginning of the week, I must foresee what holy days there are in the same, that I may the better prepare myself for them. Also in the beginning of the week, I must think whether I have any extraordinary business, temporal or spiritual to do, that having a foresight of it, I may remember it and provide the better for it. When I read my rules, I may omit the reading of other books, unless leisure serve me to do both.  
I must twice a week at the least, go see into the offices of the house, and survey the household book: but if I have the government of it wholly in mine own hands, I must do it oftener, having regard that was●e & lavishing be avoided, frugality used, and behaving myself in the demeaning of temporal things, rather as a steward or bailiff of an others goods, than an owner of mine own, seeing that in truth I must at my dying day be liable to God, how I have spent every farthing.  
I must ●uery week read some part of this rule of good life, so dividing it, that at the month's end I may have read al● seeking to print these spiritual directions in my mind, and endeavouring to put them in daily practice.    

Of Rules in sickness.  
THE SEAVENTH Chapter.  
IF my sickness be great, I need not use any vocal prayers at all, more than in the morning to commend myself to God with a 〈◊〉 and Aue, and Creed: or if I cannot well say so much, now and then I must call upon God with short prayers, as Lord jesus save me: Lord strengthen me: Lord grant me patience, and such like.  
In sickness when I can bear it, it will be good sometimes, to have a part of some good book read unto me, but yet not much, for fear▪ of hurting my health.  
As in health I ought to be obedient to my superiors & by diligent observation of my rules, to show my duty towards God: so in my sickness I must be contented to be ruled by the physicians, and such as have ca●e of me in things belonging to my bodily health, & must persuade myself, that in that time, one chief rule I have to observe, is to be patient and tractable, which in such case countervaileth the merit of all my usual exercises. I must also assure myself, that I do God good service, when I do any necessary thing, and take any convenient recreation, that may further my health.  
I must take heed of being testy or froward, which sickness for the most part doth cause, thinking that how much pain soever I suffer, Christ suffered far more for my sake, and far more had I suffered long since in Hell, if God had dealt with me as I deserved.  
So soon as I fall sick, I must procure that I be confessed, and if my sickness continue long I must keep my custom of receiving, at the lest every eight days, though I must not think that I am then bound to so much preparation or prayer, as when my body was in good health.  
If I see my disease dangerous, and have cause to fear death, I must procure to have some good body with me too put me often in mind of God, of the Passion of Christ, and seek to have my viaticum▪ and other Sacraments, and preparations of God's Church. It is good also to have my will ready before I fall to any extremity, and a certain order set down, for all temporal matters, that I be not cumbered with then when it standeth me most upon to look to my sou●e.   

Of the care of Servants.  
THE EIGHT Chapter.  
I Must see that they lie not out in the nights, but that I know what becometh of them: I must not keep such as are great swearers, or given to any great or notorious vice, unless there be great likelihood, & certain hope of their amendment. I must procure by what mean conveniently I may, that they may have necessary instruction in matters appertaining to the salvation of their souls.  
I must take special heed of any secret meetings, messages, or more than ordinary liking, betwixt the men and the women of my family. I must see that the men have no haunt of women to their chambers, lest lewdness be cloaked under some other pretence.  
I must have great regard, that my chiefest officers and men of most account be trusty persons, of good life and example, because the rest will follow as they shall lead them.  
I must seek as much as may be, that my servants be not idle, nor suffered to use any great gaming, sor by the one they shall fall into lewd life, by the other into swearing, vnthri●tines, robbing and such vices.  
I must see that they have their wages at due times, lest for want they fall into bad courses. When they do not th●ir duties, I must rebuke them, agreeably to the quality of their fault, and not wink at great matters, lest they wax careless, and bold to do the like again yet must my rebukes be tempered with gravity and mildness.   

Of the care of my children.  
THE NINTH Chapter.  
I Must think that my children, so long as they are under age and in my power or custody, aught to be kept as myself; I having in this time to answer for them. I must take heed they come not amongst such servants as are like to teach them to swear, or any other vice, and I must give special warning that none do it.  
I must set honest & sound persons to govern them, that may also teach them virtue and goodness, yet not trusting too much to my servant's care but that I myself have a special eye over them, and take an account what they do.  
I must use them to devotion by little and little, not cloying them with too much at once, but rather seeking to make them take a delight in it▪ I must teach them their, Pater noste●. Aue, and Creed, and other good prayers, and make them perfect in the ten Commandments, and those of the church, and the points of faith, especially those that heretics deny.  
I mu●t keep them always occupied in some profitable thing, allotting them according to their age, more or less time to play: I must often speak to them of the Passion of Christ, and of the lives of Saintes.  
I must on the one side break them from their wills, and punish them as they deserve, yet remembering also that they are young, and not keeping them in too much subjection, which may breed in them base and servile minds, and make their love less towards me: and I never ought to beat any child in mine anger.  
I must procure that they be taught such exercises and qualities, as are fit for those of their degree, and yet have a chief care, that good and honest persons be about them.  
I must not use them to vain dresses and costly apparel, but rather often show them the vanity thereof: yet must they not be kept too straight in that or any other thing, that they are afterwards to have, lest they being too much bard from it, make them too eager of it, when they come to enjoy it at their own will.  
I must use them to give alms, to make much of the poor, and to use reverence to aged persons, and spiritual men, and praise often the true religion and virtue of their parents, and ancestors in their hearing, that it may move them to imitate their good works. I must tell them often of the Abbeys, and the virtue of the old Monks and Friars, and other Priests, and religious men and women, and of the truth and honesty of the old time, & the iniquity of ours. I must use them to read good books, that are fittest for their capacity, and see them kept from vain books of love, heresy, and such like  
I must hearten them often as they grow in years to suffer adversity, and to digest grief, especially in God's cause & a good quarrel, telling them the examples of others, and how good a thing patience and constancy is.  
When they are fit to go to school, I must procure that they have discreet and calm teachers, and such as are not choleric, hasty, or cursed, lest they take dislike and tediousness in learning & they must be rather won unto it by praise and emulation of others, then by beating and stripes▪ I must see that they be taught such civility, courtesy, & complements, as their degree●, and the time requireth: & frame them as much as may be, to be gentle, humble, & affable even to the meanest, rebuking them for angry and sharp words, or disdainful behaviour, even to their inferiors.  
I must be times as age will permit them, inure them in confession, and often use of the Sacraments, the only remedy for their unstaid and green wits. I must not let the boys and girls be much together, especially out of sight, after eight and nine years' age, lest they fall to unhappiness. Likewise my daughters, must not be much amongst the men, nor my sons amongst the women.  
When they come to such age as they must of force be in many companies, I must procure some sound and honest persons to be for the most part with them, to inform me of their courses. I must make them in any wise to beware of lewd conversation, which is the overthrow of youth, and therefore cause this point to be beaten into them by good & zealous men.  
I must never assure or marry them, until they be of sufficient age to make their choice, and frame their likeinge: neither force them to any match lest they curse me all their lives after, as it often happeneth.   

Of Temptation.  
THE TENTH Chapter.  
FIrst I must learn to know when I am tempted, for if I can find my temptation▪ I may reckon it half overcome. For if I have fear of God, or care of my soul, I cannot but arm myself earnestly to resist, knowing that temptation proceedeth from an enemy, to whom I have resolved by God's grace never to consent, what misery or trouble soever I endure,  

How to know temptations and good motions.  
IT is always a spiritual desolation original and proceeding from the devil, when it darkeneth and disqu●eteth the mind, awaketh and stirreth up our passions, when it draweth to external and earthly solaces, leaving in the mind a tediousness and unwillingness to prayer and other works of devotion.  
Also when it diminisheth our affiance and trust in God, and driveth to a kind of despair of God's mercy, or persevering in his service, making it seem an irksome & impossible thing, & moving us to forsake it: and when I find myself troubled in this sort, I must assure myself without all doubt, that I am tempted by the devil, and therefore arm myself to resist him, by doing that which those temptati●● dissuade me from.  
On the other side, comfort that is caused by God's spirit, is known by these signs: it incenseth the mind by a quiet & calm motion, to the love of God, without any inclination to any creatures love, more than for God's only glory, and it breedeth a kind of inward light and brightness, whereby for the time the mind seeth after a most effectual sort, the necessity, profit, and true comfort that is in God's service, and conceiveth a contempt and dislike of worldly delights, & tasteth that which is the greatest felicity in this life, that is so assured and perfect contentment in being in God● grace, and seeking to please him, that it then judgeth no contentment in the world like or comparable unto it, as in truth there is none.  
Also true spiritual comfort bringeth a delight and desire to think of the benefits of God, the joys of Heaven, the comfort of meditation & talking with God. Finally it confirmeth our faith, quickeneth our hope, and increaseth charity, and leaveth the mind with a sweet taste of joy, quiet and free from all cumbers.  
Sometimes the devil transformeth himself into an Angel of light, and at the first when he knoweth our good desires and purposes, he seemeth to soothe us in them, & to set us forward towards the performance thereof, but in the end he draweth us to his bias, and by corrupting our intention, or by perverting the manner, time, or other circumstance of the due executions, maketh the whole action worthless and faulty, though other wise virtuous in itself.  
There must be great heed taken in the beginning, middle, and end of our thoughts: for when either at the last it tendeth to apparent sin, or withdraweth from the greater good▪ or tendeth to courses of less merit, or more danger than we are in, or if it disquiet the mind, or bereave it of the wont calm and love of virtue, it is a sign that the devil was the beginner of it, whose property is to hinder good & withdraw us to evil.  
When in any suggestion I find the serpent by his sting, that is the devil, by the wicked end he moveth me unto, it is good to untwist & reverse his motion, and to look backward even unto the beginning, and to mark what plausible colour he first pretended, that the next time I may the better espy his cunning, subtle dealing, and drifts.   

How to behave our● selves in time of Temptations.  
IN the time of my desolation and disquiet of mind, I must not enter into any deliberation, or go about to alter any thing concerning the state of my soul, or purposed course of life, but persevete in my former resolutions, made in time of my good & quiet estate, wherein I was free from passion, and better able to judge of things convenient to my good: yet may I and ought I resolve upon such helps, as are fi●t to resist and repel my discontented thoughts (so they be not prejudicial to my former purposes) as prayer, penance, confession and such like remedies.  
In temptations and troubles of mind, I must remember that afore time I have had the like, and they have in fine passed, leaving me very glad and joyful when I resisted them, and sorrowful when I yield too much unto them, and therefore I must think that these also will pass after a while, & I shall feel the like joy in having resisted and overcome them And in the mean time I must with patience endure the cumber and trouble of them, assuring myself, that God therewith is highly pleased▪ and the enemy most effectually subdued.  
Neither the multitude, continuance, nor badness of any thought must breed any scruple or disquiet in me. For not to have them, is not in my power, but only not to consent unto them: and so long as with deliberation I have not consented, nor willingly, or with delight stayed in them, I have not, sinned any more than if I had only had them in a dream.  
If before I had evil thoughts, I had a resolute mind never to yield to any mortal sin: and afterward when I remember myself, and mark that I was in a bad thought, I still find the same resolution, it is a sign that in the time of my distraction and bad imagination, I did not willingly consent or offend in them: neither is it like but my mind being so well affected, I should have easily remembered directly and without doubt, if I had yielded farther than I ought.  
Desolations are permitted of God for three causes.  
First, for a punishment of our sins, remissness, & coldness in God's service.  
Secondly, to try whether we be true servants of God, or only hirelings, that are willing to labour no longer than they receive the hire & stipend of present comfort and delight.  
Thirdly to assure us that it passeth the reach and compass of our ability, either to attain or to maintain in us the fervour of devotion, the intensive love of God, the abundance of godly tears, and other spiritual graces & comforts, which we must acknowledge to proceed of God's gratuity & mere liberality, not of our own force or desert.  
It is good while I feel the sweetness of God's visitation and presence, to fortify myself against the desolations that will ensue, and remembering those that are past, to think that all troubles, will as well pass, as comforts, and that our whole life, is but a continual succession and mixture of sorrow and joy, the one always overtaking the other, & neither of them continuing long together: And therefore I must settle my mind in a kind of indifferency unto them both, as it shall please God to send them.  
First, to know it a thing that cometh from my mortal enemy, and tendeth to my eternal destruction.  
To look for temptations before hand, and not to think them novelties, but necessary sequels of our enimity and hostility with the devil, with whom we must never be friends.  
To resist them stoutly at the first, and to crush the serpent in the head, for nothing maketh the Devil to become so furious and violent, or to redouble his suggestions, as to perceive the soul dismayed with his temptations, or not expecting by the confidence in God's help and mercy, an assured victory.  
To bear patiently the multitude & continuance of them, assuring myself that they will have an end ere long.  
To think on the joy I shall have for ●ot consenting unto them, and the crown of glory I shall enjoy.  
To remember how often I have been as grievously annoyed with the like, and yet by God's help have given the devil the foil.  
Not to strive with unclean temptations, but to turn my mind to think of other matters, and to change the place, or work, to find some way to put me out of those fantasies.  
To resist vices, by practising and doing acts of the contrary virtues.  
To arm myself, before hand, by getting those virtues which are opposite to such vices as I am most inclined unto. For in those doth the Devil always seek his advantage to overthrow: me.  
In grievous assaults to open them to my ghostly father, & going to confession, thereby to obtain by means of the Sacrament, more ability to resist.  
In extreme troubles to use some bodily chastisement▪ to call for help of our Blessed Lady, my good Angel & the assistance and prayers of other Saints: especially to humble myself in the sight of God acknowledging mine own weakness and wholly relying upon his help, and earnestly in word and hart calling for his assistance, and firmly trusting in his mercy, yea and offering myself (so as he forsake me not) to suffer these and all other temptations whatsoever it shall please God to permit, even so long a● he shall think good: for of all other things this most overcometh the Devil, when he seeth we turn his evil motions and troubles, to so great merit & victory of ourselves.   

A Prayer in Temptation.  
O Merciful jesus, the only refuge of desol●te and afflicted souls: O jesus that hast made me and redeemed me, in whom all things are possible unto me, and without whom I am able to do nothing, thou seest who I am, that her● prostrate my prayers, & pour out my hart unto thee: what I would have, and what is fit for me, thou knowest: my soul is buried in flesh and blood, and would be fain dissolved, and come unto thee. I am urged against my will, and violently drawn to think that which from my heart I detest, and to have in mind the poison and bane of my soul. O Lord thou knowest my mould and making, for thy hands have framed me, and with flesh and skin thou hast clothed me: and lo this flesh which thou hast given me, draweth me to my ruin, and fighteth against the spirit: if thou helpest not, I am overcome: if thou forsakest me, I must needs faint, why dost thou set me contrary unto thee, and makest me grievous and a burden unto myself? Didst thou create me to cast me away? Didst thou redeem me to damn me for ever? It had been good for me never to have been borne, if I were borne to perish▪ O most merciful father, where are thy old and wont mercies? Where is thy gra●ions sweetness and love? How long shall mine enemy rejoice over me, and humble my life upon earth, & place me in darkness like the dead of the world? What am I O Lord, that thou settest me to fight all alone against so mighty, subtle, and cruel enemies, that never cease to bid me a perpetual battle? O Lord why dost thou show thy might against a leaf, that is tossed wi●h every wind, and persecutest a dry stubble? wilt thou therefore damn the wo●ke of thy hands? wilt thou throw me ●rom thy face, and ●ake ●hy holy spirit from me▪ Alas O Lord whither shall I go from thy face? or whither shall I fly from thy spirit? whither shall I fly from thee incensed, but to thee appeased? whither from thee as just, but unto thee as merciful? do with me Lord that which is good in thine eyes, for thou wilt do all things in righteous judgement. Only remember that I am flesh & blood, frail of myself and impotent to resist, show thyself a Saviour unto me, and either take away mine enemies, or grant me grace that without wound or fault, by thee & with thee, I may overcome them sweet jesus, Amen.    

Considerations to settle the mind in the course of virtue.  
THE XI. CHAPTER.  

The first consideration, how weighty a thing the business of man's soul is.  
Whosoever being desirous to take due care of his soul, commencing a spiritual course, first must consider, that he hath taken such a business in hand that for the importance, necessity, and profit thereof it surmounteth all other traffickes, trades and affairs of the world, yea and to which only all other business ought to be addressed: for therein our manage is about the salvation of our soul, our chief jewel and treasure: of which if in the short passage of our brittle and uncertain life, we take not that due care that we ought, for a whole eternity after, we shall evermore repent and be sorry for it, and yet never have the like opportunity again to help it.  
Secondly, the better to conceive the moment and weight of this business, let us consider what men use to do for their bodily health. For we see they make so principal a reckoning of it, that they spare no cost nor toil, nor leave any thing unattempted that may avail them to attain it. They suffer themselves to be lanced, wounded, pined, burnt with red hot irons, besides diverse other extreme torment's, only for this end. How much greater miseries ought we to endure? How much greater pain and diligence ought we to employ for this health of our soul? which is to survive when the body is dead, rotten, and devoured with worms: and to survive in such sort, that it must be perpetually tormented in hell with intolerable torments, or enjoy endless felicity in heaven. And therefore of how much greater worth and weight we think the soul, and the eternal salvation or damnation thereof, than the momentary health or sickness of our body, so much greater account and esteem ought we to make of the business of our soul, then of any other worldly or bodily affair whatsoever.  
For what availeth it a man (saith Christ) to gain the whole world and make wrack of his own soul? If therefore we keep divers men for diverse offices about our body, and many thousands to live by serving and providing things for every part thereof: If we spend so much time in feeding, refreshing, and reposing of the same If the greatest portion of our revenues, (be they never so large) be consumed, in the meats, pomp, sports and pleasures thereof: How much more ought we to seek as many helps, services, and purveyors for our soul, for who●e only sake our body was given, and of whose good the welfare of the body only proceedeth?  
Thirdly, the necessity and poise of this care of our soul, may be gathered of this, that all other matters are in●rea●ed with men, or some other creatures: but this business of our soul is with God himself, who by how much he ●s nobler and worthier than any of his creatures, so much more is the weight of this matter, that can not be dealt with any without him, and so much more diligence ought there to be employed therein, especially in this time, wherein God is still ready to farther our endeavours in this behalf, where as when time is expired, condemn he may for our negligence, or reward us for our carefulness, but not help us any more to alter the estate of our soul, be it never so bad, or miserable.  
Fourthly, we may gather how material and important this matter is, by the life of Christ and his Saints, who withdrawing them selues from all other worldly affairs, thought it work enough to attend to this business of their soul; and whosoever are now solemnised and honoured in God's Church, they are honoured only in this that they have with a glorious Conclusion, happily and constantly accomplished this business to God's glory, and their own salvation. And who so considers the intolerable torments of Martyrs, the extreme austerity, sharp life, and penance of Confessors, the painful agonies, and conflicts of Virgins, the rough storms and troubles of all God's Saints, and doth remember withal that they undertaken them for no other respect, but only for the better bringing this business of their soul to an end, it will soon appear how weighty a thing, and how precious the salvation of the soul is, which they did think not too dear bought with all the miseries, sorrows, and pains, that this world could afford. Let us also consider that what soever moved them to such care and earnestness in this behalf, hath no less place doubtless in us than in them, seeing that our soul is as dear bought, as much worth, created to as great glory as theirs: the danger of our salvation rather more than any way less than theirs. God hath as much right in us as in them, and we as many titles of bond and duty to serve him as they. Finally we are assaulted by the same enemies, environed with the like hazzardes, and subject to as many, yea more occasions of sin, and allurements to damnation than they. Who therefore see●h not that we are in every respect to account the care of our souls as important and necessary to us, as ever it hath been to any: Wherefore, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his might, nor the rich man in his riches, saith God by his Prophet Heir 9 But let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he knoweth me, for I am the only Lord that worketh mercy, judgement, and justice upon the earth, & these things please me, saith our Lord: as who would say, it is folly and vanity to glory and rejoice in any other thing, then in the knowledge and service of God, and procuring mercy and mild judgement for our soul.   

How we ought to arm our minds against temptations that happen when we seek? earnestly to serve God.  
The second consideration.  
FIrst, seeing this business of our soul is of so great moment, he that earnestly goeth about the same, must offer himself up unto God, and be most ready to endure constantly all the dangers, cumbers, and difficulties that shall happen, and resolve never (by God's grace) to be dismayed and beaten back from his purpose, by any trouble or encounter what soever, knowing that glorious and honourable enterprises, can never be achieved without many contradictions. Wherefore let him persuade himself, that when he hath settled his mind seriously to follow this business, hell itself, and all the enemies of God and man's soul will conspire against him: the flesh to allure him to the dilightes of the senses, & to recall him to the vomit of his abandoned pleasures: the world to entice him with pomps and vanities, with ministering occasions of sin, and provoking by evil examples: yea, if that will not serve, by terrifying him with persecutions, extortions, obloquys, slanders, and torments, and with all kind of disgrace. Finally, the devil (a professed enemy of all those that take care of their souls) will seek to entrap him with a thousand trains, passions, and subtle temptations, leaving nothing that he thinketh may remove a man from these endeavours tending to his salvation.  
Secondly, the case standing thus, let that saying of Scripture come to our mind, My son, coming to the ●●ruice of God, stand in justice and fear, and prepare thy sou●e, unto temptation. Wherefore he that entereth into the way of life, must remember that he is not come to a play, pastime, or pleasure, but to a continual rough battle and fight, against most unplacable and spiteful enemies; and let him resolve himself, never in this world to look for quiet and peace, no not so much as for any truce for a time, but arm himself for a perpetual combat, and rather think of a multitude of happy victories (which by God's grace he may obtain) then of any repose or quietness from the rage & assaults of his enemies. Let him see and peruse the pattern of his capitains course, who from his birth to his death, was in a restless battle, persecuted in his swaddling clouts by Herod, annoyed the rest of his infancy by banishment, wand'ring and need In the flower of his age slandered, hated, pursued, whipped crucified, and most barbarously misused: In the same sort were all his Apostles, and all his principal soldiers handled: for whom he loveth he chastiseth, and proveth like gold in the furnace. And therefore no man must think it a new thing to be tempted and troubled, when he once runneth a virtuous course, contrary to the liking of his enemies. For the disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his Lord, who as we see had the same entreaty.  
Thirdly, lest we should be aghast and discouraged at the expectation and fear of so many discomfortes; and the incessant malice of so spiteful enemies, let us remember the words of Elizeus: that more stand with us, then against us. Against the corruption of nature we have grace. Against the devil we have God, who will never suffer us to be tempted above our force: Against the power of hell we have the prayers of Saints: Against the miseries of the body, the spiritual comfort of the mind, which God allotteth in such measure as our necessity requireth: and if there were nothing else, this were enough to make troubles welcome in this case, for that thereby we purchase an inestimable glory for a short and passing combat, the comfort whereof neither eye hath seen, nor ear heard, nor heart conceived. And on the other side by the same, we avoid other intolerable and external torments of Hell, the least whereof, passeth all those that can be suffered in this world. And therefore is our change most happy, that by the pain of a short life, avoid the misery of an eternal death, and deserve the unspeakable happiness of the life everlasting. For this cause saith Saint james; Think you it all joy (my brethren,) when you shall fall into diverse temptations, knowing that the trial of your faith worketh patience, and patience hath a perfect work, that you may be perfect & entire, failing in nothing.   

Of the watchfulness and attention required in the care of our soul.  
The third Consideration.  
seeing this weighty affair of our soul's health is hemmed in, and beset with so many and manifest perils and troubles, it standeth us upon most watch●ully to take he●d to every thought, word, and deed tha● passeth, lest through the number, & subtlety of our enemy's trains, we be often entrapped: for it is hard to touch pitch, & not to be defiled, to live in flesh a spiritual life▪ to converse in the world, without worldl●e affection's. Wherefore as a Legate that is to deliver his embassage before a great presence of Peers and Nobles, hath not only regard to his matter, but also to his words, voice & actions, that all be suitable to the weight of his message: So we having to work this exploit of our soul before the eyes of those that lay wait to take us in any trip, aught to be very wary, even in our least thoughts & deeds, for fear that we offend the presence of God, and give occasion of triumph and victory to our deadly foes. And for this sayeth the scripture, keep thyself very watchfully.  
Secondly, to attain this diligent and attentive care to all our actions, let us consider what men use to do, that carry great treasure by places haunted by thieves, how warily they see to their way, how often they look about them, how many times they prepare themselues, some times to fight, and otherwhiles to run away: Likewise how warily he walketh, and how careful he is never to stumble nor fall, that carrieth in each hand a thin glass of liquor very precious, through stony and rough places: And when we have marked these men's carefulness in these inferior matters, let us remember, that much more respect is necessary in us, whose treasure is more precious than any worldly jewels, & yet do we carry it in earthen and frail vessels, in the midst of so many thieves, as there are passions, and disordered appetites in us, as there are Devils in waire for us, and as there are stumbling stones, & occasions of sin set round about us. To procure this attention, the most effectual helps are these.  
First, to think how careful we should be to do all things well, if this present day were the last that ever we should live in this world (as peradventure it may be) and that at the end thereof, we were to be convented before a most severe and vigorous judge, who according to the deserts of that day's actions, should pass the sentence of life or death upon us.  
Secondly, to remember that God is in his own substance, power, and true presence, in every place, and seeth both our outward and inward actions, more than we our selves, and therefore let us seek in every thing so to behave ourselves, that we fear not to have God a witness and behoulder of all that we do, think, or say, and let us ask him grace to do nothing unworthy his sight.  
Thirdly, we must consider the carelessness of our life past, remembering how often we have fought against God, with his own weapons, and abused the force that he hath afforded, in every part of our body and mind, & therefore as S. Paul Warneth, as we have exhibited our members to serve uncleanness and iniquity, to iniquity: So now let us exhibit our members to serve justice unto sanctification.  
Fourthly, to procure this attention, it is good oftentimes in the day when we are about our ordinary actions, to use some short prayers or some one verse of a Psalm, or any other short petition of God's grace, aid, and assistance: for these short prayers, are fuel of devotion, causes of attention, food of the soul, preparations against temptations, and assured helps to attain any virtues: therefore it is good to use them in lieu of sighs, & in the beginning of every chief action, directing therein our intention and action, to God's glory and service, and our good.   

Of the necessity of perseverance in continuing watchful over ourselves.  
The last consideration.  
FIrst seeing the sum and compliment of all ver●ue consisteth in the continuance and progress in it: perseverance of all other things, is most necessary in this business: to the better attaining whereof, these considerations may prevail.  
First, to consider by whose instinct and motion I began to take special care of my soul, and I shall find that being a thing contrary to the inclination of flesh & blood, and above the reach of nature, to resolve upon so painful and wary a course, in hope of a reward and joy that faith doth promise, that I say God only, and no other was the author and mover of my heart unto it, and therefore unless I mean directly to resist God, and run a contrary course to that which he prescribeth, I must resolve myself to persever to the end in that which I have happily begun.  
Secondly, the end of this enterprise was to serve God, to bewail my former sins, and to work by Gods help the sal●a●ion of mine own soul: and when I resolved upon these means, I was in a state free from passion, and as w●ll able to choose thinger convenient, a● I could be any other time, & wholly bend to do that thing which was for my greatest good. Wherefore seeing I can never aim at a better end, nor be in better plight to make a sounder ch●●●e, my surest way is to persever stil● in my resolution to the end, never altering my designment, unless it be ●o a better, and further my course.  
Thirdly, I must consider who he is, that that would make me forsake it: For if God moved me vn●o it, doubtless it is the Devil would remove me from it: for God cannot be contrary to himself, neither useth he to alter our minds but only from evil to good, or from good to better: therefore unless I mean to yield wittingly unto the Devil, and to follow mine enemy's counsel unto mine own perdition, I must persever unto the end: For with what pretext soever the Devil seeketh to cover his motion, sure it is, that his drift is, to draw me from God and goodness, and to damn my soul for how can he intend any thing to my good, that beareth me such a cankered malice, that he careth not to increase his own pain, so that he may work me any spiritual, yea or corporal harm?  
Fourthly▪ I must print that saying of Christ in my mind, He that persevereth unto the end shallbe saved. For not he that beginneth, nor he that continueth for a month, or a year, or a short time, but only he that persevereth to the very end of his life, shall be saved Wherefore the same cause that moved me to begin, ought also to move me to continue, that the merit and crown of my good resolution be not cut off by any want of perseverance. Let not the cries of mine enemies move me: let me with S. Paul say, the world is crucified to me, and I to the world: and with David, it is good for me to cleave unto God. Finally let me imitat the example of Christ that persevered on the cross unto death for my sake, though often called upon to come down.  
Fiftly, I must consider that in what state soever of grace or merit of damnation, I begin the next life, I must & shall undoubtedly persevere in it, according to the word of Solomon; wheresoever the tree fale, there shall it be towards south or north, that is, towards heaven or hell: for both the pain of this continueth for ever, and the joy of the other after it is once begun (for it may be deferred for a time by the pains of purgatory,) is also everlasting.  
If therefore I will persever in heaven, let me persever in the way that leadeth unto it, and never forsake the painfulness of it till, the journeys end. The passions of this life are not condign or compatable to the fu●u●e glory: and it is extreme folly for avoiding a short and transitory pain, to hazard the loss of everlasting joy, and put myself in peril of perpetual bondage, in far more extreme and endless torment.  
The sinners persever still in wickedness, and service of the Diu●ll. The wordlings persever in pursuing vanities & following the world, yea and that with most servile toil and base drudgery, and not without many bodily, and ghostly harms, how much more ought a true servant of God persever in his service, and not seem by forsaking him in the way, to condemn him for a worse master than the world or the Devil, whom many thousand serve to the end, to their own damnation.  
Let me remember that the first Angel, for want of perseverance became a Devil. Adam for want of the same, was thrust out of paradise, and judas of an Apostle, became a prey of hell Finally, there be many thousands in hell fire burning▪ that began very good courses, and for a time went forward in the same, and yet in the end for want of perseverance were damned for ever.   

What good a soul looseth by mortal sin.  
1. The grace of the holy Ghost.  
2. The friendship and familiarity with God.  
3. All moral virtues infused, and of God's spirit.  
4. The inheritance of the kingdom of heaven.  
5. The portion of God's children, and patronage of his fatherly providence which he hath over the just.  
6. The peace & quietness of a good, and clear conscience.  
7. Many comforts and visitations of the holy Ghost.  
8. The fruit and merit of our former life, during the state of sin.  
9 The merit and satisfaction of our present actions, albeit in the mean time they dispose to God's grace, and satisfy the precepts of God, and the Church.  
10. A great portion of the communion of Saintes, and of the participation of the good works and prayers of the whole Church. And finally of the fruit, and part of the merit of Christ's passion.   

What misery the soul gaineth by mortal sin.  
1. Condemnation to eternal pain.  
2. To be quite canceled out of the book of life.  
3. To become of the child of God, the thrall of the Devil.  
4. To be changed from the Temple of the holy ghost, into a den of thievery a nest of vipers, a sink of corruption.   

How a soul is prepared to justification by degrees.  

Faith setteth before our eyes God as a just judge. 

Angry with the bad▪ Merc●full to the repentant.    
Of this faith by the gift of God's spirit ariseth a fear by consideration of 

God's justice & of our own sins.    
This fear is comforted by hope grounded in 

God's mercy and the merits of Christ.    
Of this hope ariseth love and charity unto Christ. 

For loving us without desert  
Redeeming us with so many torments.    
Of this love follows sorrow for offending Christ of whom we have been so mercifully. 

Created, Redeemed, Sanctified, Called to his faith.    
Of this sorrow ariseth a firm purpose to avoid all sin, which 

God above all things detesteth.  
The devil above all things desireth.  
Above all things hurteth the soul      

Of devotion to Saints, and how our conversation may be in heaven, as Saint Paul saith it should.  
FIrst (after a special devotion towards our B. Lady, whom above all pure creatures we ought continually to affect and reverence) we must procure to have a kind of reverend familiarity with our good Angel, whom we ought to make reckoning of, as a most undivided and peculiar friend, who is unto us, as a nurse unto a child, a shepherd unto a wandering lamb, a guide of our waie●, a guardian of our persons, a counsellor in doubts, a comforter in troubles, a patron in our needs, and an assured friend in all our afflictions.  
We must therefore love him as our friend, honour him as our superior, thank him for his censure● finally, use him as one to whom we may boldly both impart our comforts, and utter our desolations When we sleep he wa● chech over us, when we wake he attend●th on us, wheresoever we be he guardeth us, whithersoever we go he ass●●teth us, and whatsoever we do▪ he hath still an eye to succour us. We must therefore often commend ourselves and our business unto him, often ask his advice, & with our inward ear often hearken what he sayeth within us. We must account him as an ordinary and assured friend, evermore ready at our call to afford his present help, and to bear us company in all necessities.  
Because our nature is delighted▪ and holp with variety, we may every day in the week use the patronage of diverse Saints, according to the order of our Litanies.  
On Sunday the blessed Trinity, our Lady, and the nine quires of Angels, especially the three archangels there named, Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.  
On monday, S. john Baptist, with all the patriarchs and Prophets.  
On Tuesday S. Peter with the rest of the Apostles, Evangelists, and Disciples of Christ, and all the holy Innocents'.  
On Wednesday S. Steven with all the holy Martyrs.  
On Thursday S. Silvester, with a●l the holy Bishops, Confessors, and Doctors.  
On Friday S. Benedict with all the holy Priests, Levites, Monks, Eremites, & Religious men.  
On Saturday S. Mary Magdalen, with all the holy Virgins and Widows.  
We must every day in the morning, so soon as we awake, commend our body, soul, & affairs to God, and our patrons of that day.  
In every principal action, we must commend our selves to some one of them, desiring their helps and assistance. We must of●en in the day think what guests we have bidden that day into our soul, and seek to make it a sit receipt for so honourable a company.  
We must seek to imitate that virtue, which in these Saints most shined, who are patrons of that day; As in our blessed Lady & the Angels, obedience and charity: In the Patriarches and Prophets, temperance▪ hope and holiness. In the Apostles & Evangelists, zeal of souls, and of the honour of God In the Martyrs' patience and constancy. In the Bishops & Doctors, watchfulness over our charge, and zeal of God's truth, and sobriety In the religious Fathers, penance, contempt of the world, discretion and austerity. In the Virg●ns, and widows, the subduing of our appetites, purity of heart and chastity.   

another exercise of devotion to Saints.  
IF I will keep my mind continually attentive in goodness, and go in continual awe of offending▪ I may take this course. I must in every room of the house where I dwell, imagine in some decent place thereof, a throne or chair of estate, & dedicated the same and the whole ●oome to some Saint, that whensoever I enter into it, I enter as it were into a chapel or church that is devoted ●o such a Saint, and therefore in mind do that reverence that is due to them.  
And thus having in every room settled several Saints, and in mind consecrated the same unto them, and decked it with such furniture as is fit for such an inhabitant, the same house will be to me in a manner a Paradise, and the consideration of the Saint's presence, will be a continual bridle to restrain me from irreverent demeanour, unfit for such a behoulder as there I ●aue placed, to be a witness and aider of mine actions: But to help my memory, and to avoid confusion.  
First, it is good to appoint in every room, some certain and de●erminac place, where I mean to conceive the Saints presence.  
Secondly, to choose some centaine & determinat ●aint, and when I have once de●oted the place to one Saint, not to change, but still to keep the same, for easier habituating my memory.  
Thirdly, in those rooms wherein I am most conversant, I may place two, three, or mo●e, as the room will minister connueniency to frame their places for the better conceiving and remembering of them.  
Fourthly, I must place such Saints in the room as are fittest to be patterns & examples unto me in that action, for which that room principally se●ueth; As in the dining chamber or parlour, saints of spare and regular diet, of sober and virtuous conversation. In the b●d chamber, Saints given to short sleep and watchfulness. In the Chapel, Sainted given to much prayer and devotion, and so in other rooms.  
Fiftly, I may in steed of Saintes, place some mystery of Christ's life or passion: as the last supper in the dining chamber: and such like.  
Sixtly, not only in the house, but also in the wallkes, gardens, and orchards about the house may I do the same: and so make my walks as it were short pilgrimages, to visit such Saints as are patroness of the place I go unto.  
Seventhly, it is not good to place Saints in all the rooms in one day, but first to consider well in every room the fittest place for that purpose, and then to begin one day with one or two, & the the next day with two more, that they may be the easher imprinted in my memory.  
Eightly, it is good in some rooms to place austere, mournful and rigorous Saints, conceiving them in attire suitable to their austerity and doleful profession while they were alive, that when I find myself too lavish in mirth, or too much inclined to pleasure, the company & presence of that austere example, may temper my disposition  
And likewise in steed of these Saints I may place some lamentable history of the old or new Testament, or some representation of death, hell, or judgement. Likewise in other rooms, to place some glorious fair, & comfortable Saints, histories, or figures, with all suitable to joy, that may serve me in time of my heaviness to allay my sorrows: and the like in fear, hope, presumption, despair, and such other passions, but especially in those which I find myself most inclined unto.  
Ninthly, I must take heed that I make not this exercise a toil, but rather a spiritual recreation, and therefore I must not be too eager to do all things on a sudden, but get the habit and custom of it by little & little, for so will it prove an exercise of wonderful profit, easiness, and contentment.   

another exercise to take occasion of God's creatures, to serve and remember God, and to attain virtue.  
FIrst, concerning persons I may allot to every man & woman of the house where I live a Saint, so that every one of the company shall with his presence bring me in memory of his Saint, and whatsoever I do with any of them, I shall always carry a respect to his Saint, and be afraid to offend.  
Secondly, every one shall represent unto me some virtue or some vice: so that when I see them, I may in one remember and practise humility; in an other patience, modesty, obedience and such like: or on the other side, remember and take heed of swearing, anger and such like faults, and be sorry that ever I offended in them.  
Thirdly, I may take occasion of other creatures to remember God's mercies, as by mon●, the selling of Christ: by meat, his last supper: by wa●er, the water of his eyes and side, and washing of his Disciples feet: by drinking, his e●sell and gall: by wood, his Cross and thorns: by stone, his grave: and so in all other points of Christ's life and passion, and in all other things, the consideration whereof may move me to goodness: as by fire to remember hell, by ashes death, by light that discovereth things that darkness did hide, the final judgement and day of general descovery, and by the beauty of the elements, & by the pleasure & comfort of other creature, heaven.  
This exercise must not be ordinary unless it be the first point, but now & then used to recollect the mind after long distraction.   

Certain jaculatory prayers▪  
Gracious Lord, & sweet Saviour, give me a pure intē●ion, a clean hart, and a regard to thy glory in all mine actions.  
jesus possess my mind with thy presence, and ravish it with thy love, that my delight may be to be embraced in the arms of thy protection.  
jesus be thou ●ig●t unto mine eyes, music to mine ears, sweetness to my taste, & contentment to my heart.  
jesus I give thee my body, my soul, my substance, my same, my friends, my liberty and life, dispose of me and all that is mine, as shallbe most to thy glory.  
jesus I am not mine but thine, claim me as thy right, keep me as thy charge, love me as thy child.  
jesus fight for me when I am assaulted, heal me when I am wounded, revive me when I am spiritually killed, receive me when I fly, & let me never be quite confounded.  
jesus give me patience in trouble, humility in comfort, constancy in temptations, & victory against my ghostly enemies.  
jesus give me modesty in countenance, gravity in my behaviour, deliberation in my speeches, purity in my thoughts, rigtheousnes in my actions.  
jesus be my sun in the day, my food at the table, my repose in the night, my clothing in nakedness, & my succour in all my needs.  
jesus let thy blood run in my mind as a water of life, to cleanse the filth of my sins, and to bring forth the fruit of life everlasting.  
jesus stay min● inclinations from bearing down my soul: bridle mine appetites with thy grace: and quench in me the fire of all unlawful desires.  
jesus keep mine eyes from vain sights, mine ears from hearing evil speeches, my tongue from talking unlawful things, my senses from every kind of disorder.  
jesus make my will pliable to thy pleasure, and resigned wholly to thy providence. & grant me perfect contentment in that which thou allottest.  
O Lord make me strong against all occasions of sin, and steedfast in not yielding to evil▪ yea rather to die then to offend thee.  
jesus make me ready to pleasure all, loath to offend any, gentle in speaking, courteous in conversation, loving to my friends, and charitable to mine enemies.  
jesus forsake me not lest I perish, leave me not to mine own weakness, lest I fall without recovery.  
jesus grant me an earnest desire to amend my faults, to renew my good purposes, to pe● form my good intentions, and to begin a fresh in thy service.  
jesus direct mine intentions, correct my errors, erect my infirmities, protect my good endeavours.  
jesus allay my passions and make me able to master them, that they never draw me beyond the rule of reason and piety.  
jesus make me humble to my Superiors, friendly to my equals, charitable to my inferiors, and careful to yield due respect to all sorts.  
jesus grant me sorrow for my sins, thankfulness for thy benefits, fear of thy judgements, love of thy mercies, and mindfulness of thy presence. Amen.   

A prayer before we settle ourselves to our devotions.  
O Most gracious jesus, give me leave to present myself before thy divine majesty, and to pour out my unworthy prayers unto thee in sight of all the glorious court of heaven Behold O Lord, not in my merits, but in the multitude of thy mercies I now come to make manifest my necessities, and to utter my grie●es unto thee. I come as a poor and needy wretch, unto a God of infinite glory. I come as a worm of the earth, unto my sovereign maker, and creator. I come as a guilty and heinous offendor, unto a most just and severe iudg I am not worthy to lift up mine e●es to heaven, much less to open my mouth in thy glorious presence, or presume to ta●ke with a Lord and King of such majesty, being myself but slime and ashes. But O father of mercies, and God of all comfort, thou promisest that who asketh shall receive, who knocketh shallbe let in, who seeketh shall find. Thou invitest the greatest sinners, and refusest not to yield thy assistance to any that will use it. Gran● me therefore grace now to pray unto thee, as my duty and thy desert requireth, Grant me a pure intention, a fervent devotion, an attentive mind, that I be not carried away with impertinent thoughts, nor any other distraction, but with humble heart, firm hope and perfect charity I may effectually pray unto thee, and ask of thee that which thou seest most for thy glory & my good to grant, sweet jesus, Amen,   

An other.  
O Gracious jesus, help me to pray worthily, that thou mai●st mercifully grant my petitions, keep my thoughts from wandering, restrain my imaginations, & preserve my ●ences from being distracted. Defend O Lord my weak hart from all ghostly assaults, and so fix my mind upon thee, that I be not carried away from consideration of thy presence: grant me distinctly to pronounce my words, attentively to apply my thoughts, and to be wholly ravished and possessed with zeal and true devotion. O Lord grant me to ask forgiveness with deep contrition and full purpose of amendment: grant me to crave thy benefits with hearty thankfulness, and gratitude for those which I have received. Grant me to pray for myself, with perfect resignation unto thy will, and for others with true charity 〈◊〉 sincere affection. Afford O Lord, such comfort to my soul, as thou seest fit for me, and by the assistance of thy spirit inspi●e thy good motions into me, that I may feel them forcibly, accept them thankfully, and fulfil them effectually. Finally I humbly beseech thee of thy mercy and goodness, that I may devoutly spend this time of prayer, endeavouring with thy Angels and Saints to praise thee; with true repentant sinners to appease thee, and with all thy creatures dutifully to serve thee, sweet jesus, Amen.   

A short meditation of man's misery.  
WHat was I O Lord? What am I? What shall I be? I was nothing, I am now nothing worth▪ & am in hazard to be wo●se than nothing I was conceived in original sin, I may hereafter feel the eternal smart of sin. I was in my mother, a loathsome substance. I am in the world, a sack of corruption, I shall be in my grave, a prey of vermin. When I was nothing, I was without hope to be saved, or fear to be damned: I am now in a doubtful hope of the one, and in manifest danger of the other I shall be either happy by the success of my hope, or most miserable by the effect of my danger. I was so that I could not then be damned; I am now so, that I can scarce be saved. What I have been I know, to wit, a wretched sinner: what I am, I cannot say, being uncertain of God's grace. What I shall be I am ignorant, being doubtful of my perseverance O Lord erect my former weakness, correct my present sinfulness, direct my future frailty: Direct it (O Lord) from passed evil in present good, to ●u●ure reward, sweet jesus, Amen.     

AN EPISTLE OF A RELIGIOV● PRIEST unto his Father. Exhorting him to the perfect forsaking of the world.  
To the worshipful his very good father, R. S. his duetifulle son R. S. wisheth all happiness.  
IN children of former ages, it hath been thought so behooveful a point of duty to their parents, in presence, by serviceable offices; in absence, by other effectual significations, to yield proof of their thankful minds, that neither any child could omit it, without touch of ungratefulness, nor the pa●ent for●eare it, without just displeasure. But now we are fallen into such calamity of times, and the violence of heresy hath so crossed the course, both of virtue and nature, that their engrafted laws (never infringed by the most savage and bruit creatu●es) cannot ' of God's people without peril be observed. I am not of so unnatural a kind, of so wild education, or so unchristian a spirit, as not to remember the root out of which I branched, or to forget my secondary maker, and author of my being: It is not the carelessness of a cold affection, nor the want of a due and reverend respect, that hath made me such a stranger to my native home, and so slack in defraying the debt of a thankful mind, but only the iniquity of our days, that maketh my presence perilous, and the discharge of my duty an occasion of danger. I was loath to enforce an unwelcome courtesy upon any, or by seeming officious, to become offensive, deeming it better, to let time digest the fear, that my return into the realm had bred in my kindred, than abruptly to intrude myself, to purchase their anger, whose good will I so highly esteemed. I never doubted, but that the belief, which to all my friends by descent and pedigree, is in manner hereditary, framed in them a right persuasion of my present calling, not suffering them to measure their censures of me, by the ugly terms and odious Epithets, where with heresy hath sought to discredit my function, but rather by the reverence of so worthy a Sacrament, and the sacred doom of all former ages. Yet because I might very easily perceive by apparent conjectures, that many were more willing to hear of me, then from me, and readier to praise, than to use my endeavours, I have hitherto bridled my desire to see them, with th● care and controversy of their safety, and banishing myself from the sent of my cradle in my own country, I have lived like a foreigner, finding among strangers, that, which in my needest blood I presumed not to seek. But now, considering that delay may have qualified fear, and knowing my person only to import danger to others, and my persuasion to none but to myself: I thought it high time to utter my sincere and dutiful mind, and to open a vent to my zealous affection, which I have so long smothered and suppressed in silence. For not only the original law of nature written in all children's hearts, and derived from the bowels and breasts of their mothers, is a continual solicitor, urging me in your behalf, but the sovereign decree enacted by the Father of heaven, ratified by his Son, and daily repeated by instinct of the holy Ghost, bindeth every child in the due of Christianity, to tender the estate & welfare of his parents, & is a motive, that alloweth no excuse, but of necessity presseth to performance of duty. Nature by grace is not abolished, but perfited, not murdered, but manured neither are her impressions quite razed, or annulled, but suited to the colours of faith & virtue. And her affections be so forcible, that even in hell where ●ancour and despite chiefly reigneth, and all feeling of goodness is overwhelmed in malice, they mou●d the rich glutton by expe●ience of his own misery, to carry the less envy to his kindred: how much more in the church of God, where grace quickeneth, charity inflameth▪ and nature's good inclinations a● a●e●tered by supernatural gifts, ought the du●y of piety to prevail? And who, but more merciless than damned creatures, could see their dearest friends plunged in the like peril, and not to be wounded with deep remorse of the●r lamentable and imminent hazards? If in beholding a mortal enemy wrong and tortured with deadly pangs the roughest heart softeneth with some sorrow. If the most frozen & fierce mind cannot but thaw & melt with pity, even when it seeth the worst miscreant suffer his deseru●d torments: how much less can the heart of a child, consider those that bred him into this world, to be in the fall to far more bitter extremities, and not bleed with grie●e of their uncomfortable case? Surely for my own part, although I challenge not the prerogative of the best disposition, yet I am not of so harsh & currish an humour, but that it is a continual corrosive, and cross unto me, that whereas my endeavours have reclaimed many from the brink of perdition, I have been least able to employ them, where they were most due, and barred from affording to my dearest friends, that which hath been eagerly sought, and beneficially obtained of mere strangers. Who hath more interest in the grape, than he that planted the vine? who more right to the crop, than he that sowed the corn? or how can the child owe so great service to any, as to him whom he is indebted unto for his very life and being? With young Tobias I have ●rauelled far, and brought home a freight of spiritual substance to enrich you, and medicinable receipts, against your ghostly maladies. I have with Esau, after long toil in pursuing a painful chase, returned with such prey as you were wont to love, desiring thereby to procure your blessing. I have in this general famine of all true & christian food, with joseph prepared abundance of the bread of Angels, for the repast of your soul. And now my desire is, that my drugs may cure you, my Prey delight you, and my provision feed you, by whom I have been cured, delighted, and fed myself, that your courtesies may in part be countervailed, and my duty in some sort performed. Despise not (good sir) the youth of your son, neither deem that God measureth his indouments by number of yee●e. Hoary senses are of●en couched under green locks, and some are riper in the Spring, than others in the Autunne of their age. God chose not I say himself, nor his eldest son, but young David to conquer Goliath, & to rule his people. Not the most aged person, but Daniel the most innocent infant delivered Suzanna from the iniquity of the judges: and Christ at twelve years of age, was found in the temple, questioning with the gravest Doctors. A true Elias can conceive, that a little cloud may cast a large & abundant shower▪ & the scripture teacheth us, that God revealeth to little ones, that which he concea●eth from the wisest Sages. His truth is not abased by the minority of the speaker, who out of the mouths of infants and sucklings can perfect his praises. Timothy was young, and yet a principals pastor. S. john not old, and yet an Apostle; yea, & the Ange●s by appearing in youthful semblances give us a pregnant proof, that many glorious gifts may be shrow under tender shapes. All which I allege, not to claim any privilege surmounting the rate of usual abilities, but to avoid all touch of presumption in advising my elders, seeing that it hath the warrant of Scripture, the testimony of examples, & sufficient grounds both in grace & nature. There is diversity in the degrees of our carnal consanguinity, & the preeminence appertaineth to you, as superior over your child's body. Yet if you consider our alliance in the chief portion, I mean our soul, which discerneth man from inferior creatures, we are of equal proximity to our heavenly father, both descended of the same parent, and no other distance in our degrees, but that you are the elder brother. In this sense doth the Scripture say; Call not any Father upon earth, for one is your father which is in heaven. Seeing therefore that your superiority is founded upon flesh and blood, which are in a manner but the bark & rhine of a man, and our equality upon the soul, which is man's main substance, think it I pray you, no dishonour to your person, if with all humility I offer my advice unto you. One man can not be perfect in all faculties, neither is it a disgrace to the Goldsmith, if he be ignorant of the Miller's trade. Many are deep Lawyers, and yet shallow Divines, many very deliver in feats of the body and curious in external compliments, yet little experimented in matters of their soul, and far to seek in religious actions. I have studied and practised these many years spiritual physic, acquainting myself with the beating & temper of every pulse, and travelling in the scrutiny of the maladies and medicines incident unto souls. If therefore I proffer you the fruits of my long studies, and make you a present of my profession, I hope you will conster it rather as a dutiful part, than any point of presumption. He may be a father to the soul, that is a son to the body, and requite the benefit of his temporal life, by reviving his parent from a spiritual death. And to this effect said Christ these words: My mother, and brethren are they, that do the will of my father which is in heaven: Upon which place S. john Climacus, showing to what kindred a Christian ought chiefly to rely▪ draweth this discourse. Let him be thy father, that both can, and will, lay his labour to disburden thee of thy pack of sins. Let holy compunction be thy mother, to depure thee from thy ordure and filth. Let him be thy brother, that will be both thy partner and compeditor to pass and perfect thy race towards heaven. Take the memory of death for thy perpetual fere, and unseparable spouse. Let thy children be bitter sighs of a sorrowful heart, and possess thy body as thy bondman. Fasten thy friendship with the Angelical powers, with which if thou closest in familiar affiance, they will be patroness unto thee in thy final passage.  
This (sayeth he) is the generation and kindred of those that seek God. Such a father as this Saint speaketh of, may you have of your own son, to enter you farther in the fore recited affinity Of which happily it was a significant presage, aboding the future event, that even from my infancy you were wont in merriment, to call me father. R. which is the customary style now allotted to my present estate.  
Now therefore to join issue, and to come to the principal drift of my discourse, most humbly and earnestly I am to beseech you, that both in respect of the honour of God, your duty to his church, the comfort of your children, and the redress of your own soul, you would seriously consider the terms you stand in, and weigh yourself in a Christian balance, taking for your counterpose the judgements of GOD. Take heed in time, that the word Thecel, written of old against Baltazar, & interpreted by Daniel. (Dan. 5.) be not verified in you, whose exposition was. You have been poised in the scale, & found of too light weight. Remember that you are in the waning, and the date of your pilgrimage is well near expired, & now it behooveth you to look towards your country. Your force languisheth, your senses impair, and your body droupeth, and on every side the ruinous cottage of your faint and feeble flesh, threateneth fall. And having so many harbingers of death to premonish your end, how can you but prepare forso dreadful a stranger? The young may die quickly, but the old can not live long. The young man's life by casualty may be abridged, but the old man's by no physic can be long adjourned: & therefore if g●een years sometimes must think of the grave, the thoughts of sere age should continually dwell in the same. The prerogative of infancy, is innocency▪ of childhood, reverence, of manhood, maturity, & of age, wisdom. And seeing that the chief properties of wisdom are, to be mindful of things passed, careful of things present, & provident of things to come, use now the privilege of nature's talon to the benefit of your soul, and procure hereafter to be wise in well doing, and wa●chsull in foresight of future harms. To serve the world you are now unable, and though you were able, you have little cause to be willing, seeing that it never gave you but an unhappy welcome, a hurtful entertainment, & now doth abandon you with an unfortunate farewell▪ You have long sowed in a field of flint, which could bring you nothing forth, but a crop of cares, and affliction of spirit: rewarding your labours with remorse, and affording for your gain, eternal damages. It is now more than a seasonable time, to alter the course of so unthriving a husbandry, and to enter into the field of God's Church, in which, sowing the seeds of repentant sorrow, & watering them with the tears of humble contrition, you may reap a more beneficial harvest, and gather the fruits of everlasting comfort. Remember I pray you, that your spring is spent, and your summer overpast: you are now arrived to the fall of the leaf, yea and winter colours have already stained your hoary head. Be not careless (sayeth S. Austen) though our loving Lord bear long with offenders, for the longer he stayeth, not finding amendment, the sorer will he scourge when he comes to judgement; and his patience in so long expecting, is only to lend us respite to repent, not any way to enlarge us leisure to sin. He that is tossed with variety of storms, and cannot come to his desired port, maketh not much way, but is much turmoiled; so he that hath passed many years, and purchased little profit, hath had a long being, but a short life, for life is more to be measured by merits, than by number of days, seeing 〈◊〉 most men by many days, do but procure many deaths, and others in a short space attain the life of infinite ages. What is the body without the soul but a corrupt carcase? & what the soul without God, but a sepulchre of sin? If God be the way, the life, and the truth, he that goeth without him, strayeth, he that liveth without him dieth, and he that is not taught by him, erreth. Well sayeth saint Austen, that God is our true and chiefest life, from whom the revolting is falling, to whom the returning is rising, in whom the staying is sure standing. God is he, from whom to depart, is to die, to whom to repair is to revive, in whom to dwell is to live. Be not you therefore of those, that begin not to l●ue, until they be ready to die, and then after a ●oes desert, come to crave of God a friend's entertainment. Some think to snatch heaven in a moment, which the best scarce atteined in the maintenance of many years, and when they have glutted them selues with worldly d● lights, they would jump from Dives his diet, to Lazarus crown, and from the service of Satan, to the solace of a Saint. But be you well assured that God is not so penurious of ●rendes, as to hold himself & his kingdom saleable, for the refuse and reversion of their lives, who have sacrificed the principal thereof to his enemies, and their own brutish appetites, then only ceasing ●o offend, when hability o● offending it taken from them. True it is, that a thief may be saved upon the cross, and mercy found at the last gasp. But well sayeth S. Augustine, that though it be possible, yet is it scarce credible, that his death should find favour, whose whole life hath earned wrath: and that his repentance should be accepted, that more for fear of heil, and love of him self, then for love of God or loathsomeness of sin, crieth for mercy. Wherefore good Sir, make no longer delays, but being so near the breaking up of your mortal house, take time before extremity, to satisfy Gods justice.. Though you suffered the bud to the blasted, and the flower to fade: though you permitted the fruit to perish, and the leaves to dry up: yea though you let the boughs wither, and the body of your tree grow to decay, yet alas keep life in the root, for fear lest the whole become fuel for hell fire. For surely where soever the tree falleth, there shall it be, whether it be to south or north, heaven or hell: and such sap as it bringeth, such fruit shall it ever bear. Death hath already filled from you, the better part of your natural fores, and hath left you now to the lees and remissailes of your wearish & dying days: the remainder whereof, as it cannot be long, so doth it warn you speedily to ransom your former losses. For what is age but the calends of death? & what importeth your present weakness, but an earnest of your approaching dissolution? You are now impathed in your final voyage, and not far of from the stint and period of your course: & therefore be not dispurveyed of such appartenances as are behooveful in so perplexed & perilous a journey. Death in itself is very fearful, but much more terrible in regard of the judgement that it sommoneth us unto. If you were laid on your departing bed, burdened with the heavy load of your former trespasses, & gored with the sting and prick of a frestred conscience: If you felt the cramp of death wresting your hart strings, and ready to make the rueful divorce between body & soul: If you lay panting for breath, and suiming in a cold and fatal sweat, wearied with struggling against your deadly pangs: O how much would you give for an hour of repentance? at what rate would you value a days, contrition? Then worlds would be worthless in respect of a little respite. A short truce would seem more precious, than the treasures of Empires, nothing would be so much esteemed as a trice of time, which now by months & years, is lavishly misspent. O how deeply would it wound your hart, when looking back into your life, you considered 〈◊〉 faults committed, and 〈◊〉 confessed, many good works omitted, and not recovered, your service to God promised, and not performed? How inconsolable were your case, ●our friends being fled, your senses frighted, your thoughts amazed, your memory decayed, your whole mind aghast, and no part able to perform that it should, but only your guilty conscience pestered with sin, that would continually upbraid you with most bitter accusations. What would you think when stripped out of you: mortal weed, and turned both out of the service and hows room of this world. you were forced to enter into uncouth and strange paths, and with unknown and ugly compan●, to be convented before a most severe judge, carrying in your own conscience your indictment written, and a perfect register of all your misdeeds? When you should see him prepared 〈◊〉 the sentence upon you, against whom you had transgressed, and the same to be your umpire, whom by so many offences you had made your enemy? When not only the devils, but even the Angels should plead against you, and yourself, maugre your will, be your sharpest appeacher. What would you do in these dreadful exigents, when you saw that ghastly dungeon and huge gulf of hell, breaking out with most fearful flames? When you saw the weeping & gnashing ofteeths the rage of those hellish monsters, the horror of the place, the rigour of the pain, the terror of the company, & the eternity of all these punishments? W●uld you then think them wise, that would delay in so weighty matters, and idly play away the time allotted to prevent these Intolerable calamities? Would you then account it secure, to nurse in your bosom so many serpent's as sins, or to foster in your soul so many malicious accuser, as mortal faults? Would you not then think one life too little, to do penance for so many iniquities, every one whereof were enough to cast you into those everlasting unspeakable torments? Why then do you not at the least devote that small remnant and surplusage of these your latter days, procuring to make an atonement with God, and to free your conscience from such corruption, as by your schism and fall hath crept into it. Those very eyes that read this discourse, and that ve●y understanding that conceiveth it, shallbe cited and certain witness of the rehearsed things In your own body shall you experience those deadly agony, and in your soul shall you feelingly find those terrible fears, yea and your present estate is in danger of the deepest harms, if you do not the sooner recover yourself into the fold and family of God's Church. What have you gotten by being so long customer to the world, but false ware suitable to the shop of such a merchant, whose traffic is toil, whose wealth trash, and whose gain misery? What interest have you reaped, that may equal your detrements in grace and virtue? or what could you find in a vale of tears, parageable to the favour of God, with the loss whereof you were contented to buy it? You cannot be now inveigled with the passions of youth, which making a partial estimate of things, set no distance between counterfeit and currant. For they are now worn out of force by tract of time, or fallen in reproof by trial of their folly. It cannot be fear that leadeth you amiss, seeing it were too unfitting a thing, that the cravant cowardice of flesh and blood, should daunt the prowess of an intelligent person, who by his wisdom cannot but discern, how much more cause there is to fear God, than man, and to stand in more awe of perpetual, then temporal penalties. If it be an ungrounded presumption of the mercy of God, and the hope of his assistance at the last plunge, (the ordinary lure of the Devil to reclaim sinners from the pursuit of virtue) it is to palpable a collusion to mislead a sound & sensed man, howsoever. it prevail with sick & affected judgements. Who would rely eternal affairs upon the gliding slipperines and running stream of our uncertain life? Or who but one of distempered wits, would offer fraud to the decipherer of all thoughts, with whom dissemble we may to our cost, but to deceive him it is impossible? Shall we esteem it cunning to rob the time from him, and bestow it on his enemies, who keepeth tale of the least minutes of our life, and will examine in the end how each moment hath been employed? It i● a preposterous policy in any wise conceit, to fight against God ●ill our weapons be blunted, our forces consumed, our limbs impotent, and our breath spent, & then when we fall for faintness, & have fought ourselves almost dead, to presume of his mercy: the wounds both of his sacred body, so often rubbed ● renewed by our sins, and every parcel of our own so sundry and divers ways abused, being so many whetstones and incen●iues to edge and exasperate his revenge against us. It were a strange piece of art, and a very exorbitant course, while the ship is sound, the Pilot well, the Sailors strong, the gale favourable, and the Sea calm to lie idle at road, burning so seasonable weather: and when the ship leaked, the Pilot were sick, the Mariner's saint, the storms boisterous, and the Sea a turmoil of outrageous surges, then to launch forth, to hoist up sails, & to set out for a voyage into far countries. Yet such is the skill of these evening repenters, who though in the soundness of health, and in the perfect use of reason, they can not resolve to cut the gables, and weigh the anchors that withhold them from God, nevertheless they feed themselves with a strong persuasion, that when their senses a● astonished, their wits distracted, their understanding dusked, and both the body and mind racked and tormented with the throbs and gripes of a mortal sickness▪ then forsooth, will they think of the weightiest matters, & become sudden Saints, when they are scarce able behave themselves like reasonable creatures. If neither the canon civil, nor common law allow●th, that a man perished in judgement should make any testament or bequest of his temporal substance, being then presumed to be less than a man: how can he that is amated with the inward garboils of an unsettled conscience, distrained with the wring fi●tes of his dying flesh, maimed in all his habilities, & circled in wi●h so strange encumbrances, be thought of due discretion to dispose of his chiefest jewel (which is his soul) to dispatch the whole menage of all eternity, and of the treasures of heaven, in so stormy & short a spurt. No no, they that will loiter in seed time, & begin only to sow, when others reap: They that will riot out their health, and cast their accounts when they can scarcely speak. They that will slumber out the day, & enter their journey when the light doth fail them; let them blame their own folly, if they die in debt, and eternal beggars, and shall headlong into the lapse of endless perdition. Let such hearken to▪ S. Cyprian's lesson Let (sayeth he) the grievousness of our sore, be the measure of our sorrow. Let a deep wound, have deep and diligent cu●e. Let no man's contrition, be less than his crime. Thinkest thou that our Lord can be so soon appeased, whom with perfidious words thou hast denied, whom less than thy patrimony thou hast esteemed, whose temple with sacrilegious corruption thou hast defiled? Thinkest thou easily to recover his favour, whom thou hast avouched not to be thy Master? We must rather most instantly entreat, we must pass the day in mourning, the night in watching and weeping, our whole time in painful lamenting. We must fall prostrate upon the ground humbling ourselves in sackcloth & ashes. And having lost the garment of Christ, we should be ununwilling to be clothed with any other, hau●ng falsed our stomaches with the ●iand of the Devil, we should now desire to fast from all earthly food. We should ply good works, to purge our offences: we should be liberal in alms, to avoid the death of our souls, that Christ may receive, that the persecutor would have spoiled: neither ought that patrimony to be kept or fancied, with which a man hath been ensnared and vanquished. Not every short sigh will be a sufficient satisfaction, nor every knock a warrant to get in. Many cry Lord Lord, and are not accepted. The foolish Virgin knocked, and were not admitted. judas had some sorrow, and yet died desperate. Forslow not, sayeth the holy Ghost, to be converted unto God. and linger not off from day to day; for suddenly will his wrath come, and in the time of revenge he will destroy thee. Let no man seiourne long in sinful security, nor post over his repentance till fear, enforce him unto it: Let us frame our premises, as we would find our conclusion, & endeavour to live, as we are desirous to die. Shall we offer the main crop to the Devil, & set God to glean the reproof of his harvest? Shall we gorge the D●uil with our fairest fruits, and turn God to feed on the filthy scraps of his leave? How great a folly were it, when a man pineth away in a perilous languor, to provide gorgeous apparel, to bespeak sumptuous furniture, & take order for the rearing of stately buildings, & never thinking of his own recovery, to let the disease take root within him? Were it not the like vanity, for a Prince to dote so far upon his subject, as neglecting his own regalty, to busy himself wholly in advancing his servant? Thus saith S. Chrisostome do they that when their soul hath surfeited with all kind of sin, & is drenched in the depth of infinite diseases, without any regard thereof, labour their wits in setting forth her garment, and in pampering the body with all possible delights And whereas the soul should have the sovereignty, and the body follow the sway of her direction, servile senses, and lawless appetites do rule her as superiors, and she is made a vassal in her own dominions. What is there, sayeth S. Augustine, in thy meanest necessaries, that thou wouldst not have good? Thou wouldst have a good house, good furniture. good apparel good fare, good cattle, and not so much but thy hose, and thy sho●s thou wilt seek to have good? Only thy life and poor soul, thy principal charge & of all other things the most worthy to be best, thou art content should be nought, & lie cankering and rusting in all kind of evelles. O unspeakable blindness! Can we prefer our shoes before our soul, refusing to wear an evil shoe, and not caring to carry an ugly and deformed soul? Alas let us not set so little by that, which God prised so much. Let us not rate our selves at so base a pennyworth, being in truth of so peerless dignity. If the soul be such, that not all the gold & treasure of the world, nor any thing of less worth the the blood and life of almighty God, was able to buy it. If not all the dainties that wit can devose, or heaven and earth afford, but only Gods own precious body, was by h●m deemed a rep●st fit to feed it: If not all the creatures of this, no nor million of new worlds, if so many more were created▪ but only the illimitable goodness, and majesty of God can satisfy the desire, and fill the compass and capacity of it, who but of lame judgement, or perverse will, yea who but of an incredulous mind and pitiless spirit, could set more by his soul, or be contented to suffer so noble a paragon, so many months and years, to lie chan●lled in ordure, and mired in all sin? Can we not see our 〈◊〉 sick, but we allow him a Physician; our horse diseased, but we send for a leech; nor our garment torn, but we will have one to mend it? And can we so much malign our soul as to let it die for want of cure, & seeing it mangled with so many vices, never seek any to restore it to the wont integrity? Is our servant nearer, our beast more precious, and our coat dearer than our own soul? If any should call us Epicures, Atheists, rebels unto God, or murderers of souls, we would take it for an intolerable reproach, and think it a most disgraceful and opprobrious calumniation. But to live like Epicures, to sin like Atheists, to struggle against God's callings, and like violent rebels to scorn his commandments: yea, and with daily and damnable wounds, barbarously to stab our infortunate souls, this we account no contumely, we reckon for no discredit, yea rather we register it in the ●aunt of our chiefest praises. O ye so●nes of men, how long will you carry this heavy hart, aliking vanity, and seeking lies? how long will children love the follies of infancy, and sinners ●unne careless and wilful to their ruin? Will you keep you● chicken from the kite, your lamb from the wolf, your fawn from the hound. Dare you not suffer a spider in your bosom, or a toad to come near you, and can you nestle in your soul so many vipers as vices, & permit it to be so long chewed and wearied with the poisoned jaws and tusks of the Devil? And is our soul so vain a substance, as to be had in so little esteem? Had Christ made ship wrack of his wisdom, or was he in a rage of passion, when he became a wandering pilgrim, exiling himself from the comforts of his Godhead, and passing three & thirty years in pain & penury for the behoof of our souls? Was he surprised with a raving fit, when in the tragedy of his passion so bloodily inflicted, and so patiently accepted, he made his body as a cloud, to resolve into showers of innocent blood, and suffered the dearest veins of his hart to be lanced, to give full issue to the price of our soul's redemption? Or if Christ did not err, nor deem amiss, when it pleased him to redeem us with so excessive a ransom, then what should we judge of our monstrous abuse, that sell our souls to the Devil for every vain delight, and rather adventure the hazard thereof, then of a silly pittance of worldly pelf? O that a creature of so incomparable a price, should be in the demaine of so unnatural keepers? and that which is in itself so gracious and amiable, that the Angels and Saints delight to behold it (as S. Chrisostom sayeth) should by sin be fashioned into so loathsome & disguised shapes, as to become a horror to heaven, and a sutely fere for the foulest fiends? Alas, if the care of our own harms move us no more, but that we can still be so barbarous to the better portion of ourselves, let us at the least fear to injury an other party, very careful and jealous over it: who will never endure so deep an impeachment of his interest to pass unrevenged. We must remember, that our soul is not only a part of us, but also the temple, the paradise, & spouse of almighty God, by him in baptism garnished, stored & endowed with most gracious ornaments. And how think you he can brook, to see his temple profaned, & turned into a den of Devils? his paradise displanted, & altered into a wilderness of serpents? his spouse deflowered, and become an adulteress to his utter enemies? Durst we offer such usage to our Princes, yea or to our Farmer's daughter? would not fe●re of the law, & popular shame, disturne us from it? And shall not the reverend▪ Majesty of almighty God, & the vnt●bated justice of his angry sword, terrify us from offering the like to his own spouse? Do we think God, either so impotent that he cannot, so base and sottish that he will not, or so weak witted that he knoweth not how to wreak himself upon so contemptuous & daring offenders? Will he so neglect and lose his honour▪ which of all things he claimeth as his chief peculiar? Will he that for the soul's sake keepeth a reckoning of our very hairs, which are but the excrements of her earthly weed, see himself so much wronged in the principal, & pass it without remonstrance of his just indignation? O dear sir, remember that the scripture termeth it a thing full of horror to fall into the hands of God, who is able to crush the proud spirits of the obstinate, & to make his enemies the footstool of his feet. Wrestle no longer against the cries of your own conscience, and the forcible inspirations that God doth send you. Embrace his mercy before the time of rigour, and return to his Church, jest he debar●● you his kingdom. He can not have God for his father, that refuseth to profess the catholic church for his mother: neither can he achieve to the church triumphant in heaven, that is not a member of the church militant here in earth.  
You have been alas too long an alien in the tabernacles of sinners, & strayed too ●ar from the fold of God's flock. Turn now the biaze of your heart towards the sanctuary of salvation, & the City of refuge, seeking to recompense your wandering steps trodden in error, with a swift gate, & zealous progress to christian perfection. The full of your spring tide is now falem, & the stream of your life runneth at a low ebb. Your tired ship beginneth to leak & grateth often upon the gravel of your grave, & therefore it as heigh time for you to strike sail, and to put into harbour, lest remaining inthe scope of the wicked wind and weather of this time, some unexpected gust, and sudden storm, dash you upothe roks of eternal ruin. Tender the pitiful estate of your poor soul, & be hereafter more fearful of hell than of persecution, & more eager of heaven than of worldly repose. If God the Father had been the inditer, the Son the sender, the holy Ghost the scribe, that had written this letter: if he had dipped his pen in the wounds of our Saviour, & used his precious blood in lieu of ink: If one of the highest Seraphins, form into a visible personage, had come in most solemn embassy to to deliver it unto you, do you not think, that it would have strained your hart, & won your thoughts to fulfil the contents, & alter your course according to the tenor the●● of? Doubtless I suppose you will not deny it. Then (good sir) let it now take the same effect, seeing that difference had been in the ceremonies, and not in the substance: & that very God, that in those three persons should have then invited you to your conversion, sayeth of such as I am (though most unworthy) He that heareth you heareth me, and he that despiseth you despiseth me. I exhort you therefore as the vicegerent of God, and I humbly request you as a dutiful child, that you would surrender your assent, and yield your soul a happy captive to God's merciful inspirations, proceeding from an infinite love, and tending to your assured good. I have expressed not only mine own, but the earnest des●●e of your other children, whose humble wishes are here written with my pen: for it is a general fore, that sitteth at all our hearts, whom it hath pleased God to shroud under his merciful wing, to see our dearest Father (to whom both nature hath bound, and your merits fastened our affections) to be dismembered from the body, to which we are united, & to be in hazard of a farther and more gree●ous separation. O good Sir, shall so many of your branches enjoy the quickening sap & fry of God's Church, and daily shooting up higher towards heaven, bring forth the flowers and fruits of salvation, and you that are the root of us al●●e barren and fruitless still covered in earth, and buried in flesh and blood? Shall the birds of he ●uen, I mean the Angels, sing and build upon your boughs, & the stem be devoured by the worm of conscience, & pestered with the vermin that Schisime ●ngendereth? Shall the beams be bright, and the sun eclipsed? The brooks clear, & the head-spring troubled? Your lot hath no such affinity with the nature of a Phoenix, that you should reap your offspring of your own ruins? You are not so tied to the straits of a Pelican, as to revive your issue with murdering yourself, neither are we a generation of vipers▪ that cannot come to life, but by our parent's destruction. Yea rather it is the thing we have chiefly in request, that we may be as near linked in spiritual, as we are ●n carnal consanguinity, and living with you in the compass of one Church, we may to our unspeakable comfort, enjoy in heaven your desired company. Disblame me good sir, if zeal of your recovery, have carried me beyond the limits of a letter. So important a truth, cannot be too much averred, not too many hooks baited to draw a soul out of the puddle of Schism. The misery thereof is so great if it fall, the reward so excessive if it stand, so malicious the enemies that assault it, and so just the judge that must proceed upon it, that to raise it from the lapse, and to fortify it from recidivation, no number of helps can be more than needful, nor any persuasions more vehement than necessary. Howsoever therefore the soft gales of your morning pleasures lulled you in slumbering fits: how soever the violent heats of noon, might awake your affections: yet now in the cool & calm of the evening, retire to a Christian rest, and close up the day of your life with a clear sunset, that leaving all darkness behind you, and carrying in your conscience t●e light of grace, you may escape the horror of an eternal night, and pass from a mortal day, to an cuerlasting-morrowe. Thus e●tsoones commending unto you my bounden duty, and humbly desiring that my sincere affection may find excuse of my boldness, I will surcease.  
This 22. of October 1598. Your most dutiful and loving son. R. S.   

Approbatione Bartholomei Petri Lintrens. S. T. Doctor, & in Vniversitate Duacena Professor.