¶ A Godly Exhortation, whereby Englande maye knowe: What sinfull abhomination, there nowe dooth flowe.
AT LONDON Printed by Edward Allde, and are to be solde at Saint Magnus Corner by Hugh Astley.
Anno. 1588.
To the Christian Reader.
I Touch not those which godly be,
my pen blames none of them:
I wishe no ill to he or she,
but good vnto all men.
But this I wishe with all my hart,
God graunt it maye be so:
That wicked persons may conuert,
and all their vice forgoe.
I wishe that vertue may increace,
in euery Christians hart:
I wishe that wicked vice may cease,
and quite be laide a parte.
I wishe that England may so frame,
it selfe vnto Gods woord:
That other nations seeing the same,
may praise the liuing Lord.
The cause why that I made this book,
is this I tell you plaine:
I would all those that heerin looke,
from vices should refraine.
And not all those alone I saye,
but all the rest beside:
God graunt vs now and alway,
in him for to abide.
Accept this Treatise in good parte,
most humbly I desire:
And let me haue of euery hart,
good will euen for my hire.
Although it rude and simple be,
yet doo it not detest:
But where as any faultes you see,
of them make you the best.
That I by hearing good reporte,
of this the first of mine:
May be encouraged with comforte.
to write an other time.
I trust at this my simple woorke,
ther's none will be offended:
Except be those that meanes to lurke,
in sinne while life be ended.
Edward Pecke.
FINIS.
Hast thou forsaken Couetousnesse,
that gréedy gulping sinne?
Hast thou giuen ouer thy great excesse,
which thou doost wallow in.
Or hast thou now exiled quite,
the vice of Fornication?
With enuious hate and deadly spite,
and all abhomination.
From swearing, lying, and all deceites,
doost thou thy selfe refraine?
All polling measures, and crafty waightes,
with hart doost thou disdaine?
If that thou hast forsaken those,
with all the rest beside:
Then maist thou say as I suppose,
thou hast no more but Pride.
I doubt thy selfe thou canst not cléere,
of neuer a one of them:
The which I haue rehearsed héere,
with this my scribling pen.
Wherfore it makes me to lament,
that such vices should dwell:
In thée, for whome Christe shed his blood,
as witnesseth his Gospell.
He that dooth walke thy Coastes abroad,
O England at this time:
May sée what strife and great discorde,
is in the Children of thine.
Where one there is O England now,
that walkes aright in thée:
There is a thousand I dare abowe,
that followes iniquitie.
O England, is it not a shame,
and a filthy shame to thée:
That thou which hast a Christians name,
shouldst make this true to be?
The mighty God of his méere grace,
did send his woord to thée:
To that intent thou shouldst imbrace,
the same most louingly.
But thou forsookest his woord and grace,
when he gaue it to thée:
And willingly thou didst imbrace,
all kinde of vanitie.
And now thou art so train'd therin,
thou wilt it not forsake:
But daye and night in horrible sinne,
thy pleasure thou doost take.
What eyes be they that can refraine,
from streming flouds of teares:
To sée the vices that doo raigne.
in these thy latter yéeres?
Wherfore, O England now repent,
thy wicked life amend:
That God, thy God, incontinent,
his grace to thée may send.
And if thou haue any respect,
vnto thy health at all:
His righteous lawes doo not neglect,
but come when he dooth call.
And with an hart and right good will,
his woord sée thou obaye,
And then he will defend thée still,
from Sathans filthy way.
Thy Vsurers if thou root out,
and hoysers vp of rentes:
With all the Rogish ruflling rout,
which dooth defile thy tentes.
Then maist thou beare Christes name aright,
then maist thou boldely say:
Thou art a Christian cléere and bright,
[...]
But of this thing thy selfe assure,
O England now I saye:
So long as such in thée endure,
from God thou goest astray.
Therfore with Christes Gospell true,
thy Vsurers reproue:
With all the rest of Sathans crue,
which he so well dooth loue.
And so if that they will repent,
by Preaching of Gods woord:
If the [...] will not Incontinent,
on them place Iustice swoord.
This thing if thou doo put in vre,
thy wicked vice shall cease:
And faithfull loue with vertues pure,
in thée shall still increase.
swoord of Iustice be not slack,
[...]léep not in silence so:
Least little England goe to wrack,
through vice which there dooth slewe.
Awake therfore, take vp thy swoord,
and view England about:
And root out those, which at Gods word.
[...]