There be nyne thynges that pertayne to the knowledge of trew prayer.

FIrste to knowe what prayer is. Secondlye, howe manye sortes of praier there be. Thirdlye, the necessitie of prayer. Fourthlye, to whom we ought to pray. By whom we must pray. Where to praye, and what to praye. The excellencye of prayer. What we must do that our prayers may be hearde.

What prayer is.

PRaier is a simple, vnfained, humble and ardent openinge of the heart before God, wherein we either aske thīgs nedeful, or giue thankes for benefits receaued. Paull in y^e first to timothe &. 2. Chap. calleth it by fowre sōdrie names in one sen­tence, [Page] to witte, praier, supplication, intercession and thanks geuing. In latyn, Deprecatio, Obsecratio, inte recssio, et gratiarum actio. Wherof the first is for the aduoiding and preuenting of e­uil, the second is an earnest and far­uent calling vpō god for any thing, y^e thirde is an intercession for other, the fourth is a praisinge of God for thinges receaued.

¶ There be .ii. maner of waies how we shoulde praye.

2. First publikly, and that is called comō praier: and priuatlie, as when men praye alone, and that is called priuat prayer: and howe bothe these two are allowed before god y^e scrip­ture beareth testimony by the example of all the holye men and women before and after Christ.

¶ Of the necessitie of praier.

3. There be .iiii. thinges y^e prouoke vs to pray, first the commaundemēt of god, secondlie sinne in vs, whiche [Page] driueth vs of necessity to god for suc­cor, life, & mercy, thirdlie our weake nature being vnable to doe any good requireth praier to strengthen it, euen as a house requireth principal pillers for y^e vpholding of it, fourth­lie the sutteltie of the enemye (who priuilie lurketh in y^e inwarde parts, waitinge to ouerthrowe vs euen in those things which we thinke to be best done) styreth vs vehementlye therevnto.

¶ To whom we ought to praie.

4. Thre thinges pertaine to hym that must be praied vnto, first that he haue such eares as may heare al the worlde at ones, secondlie that he be in al places at ones, thirdlie that he haue such power that he may be able to helpe, and such mercie that he wil delyuer.

By whom we shoulde praye

5. Christ only is the way by whom we haue free accesse vnto the father [Page] and for whom our praiers are accep­ted (our infirmites notwithstāding) withoute whom al oure prayers are abhominable.

Where to pray and what to pray.

6. As touching the place where we should pray, seyng al places are one, there is none forbidden: onelye the cōmon praier must be made in what place so euer the congregatyon of Christ doth assemble.

7. What to praye, lyeth in the ne­cessitie of euery man: & for as muche as we nede both spirituall and cor­porall things, we may bouldly aske thē both. For as to aske spiritual giftes it is profitable & commaunded, so to aske corporall, it is necessarie and allowed.

Of the excellencie of prayer.

8. The worthines of praier consis­teth in .ii. thinges: in the dingnitye of the commaunder who is god the fountayne of all goodnes, who also commaundeth onely good thinges, and in the effect y^e foloweth it, which [Page] is the obtaininge of whatsoeuer we desire faithfully, according to y^e will of God.

What to doe that we may be heard

9. First we muste put of oure owne rightuousnes, pride, and estimation of our selues, and put on christ with his rightuousnes: secondlye, an ear­nest faith and faruent loue, with the putting of all rancnor, malice & en­uie is required: finally trewe re­pentaūce knitteth vp the knot, for in it are contained al the vertues afore­named.

Our father.

THou good lord, which madest heauen & earth the sea and all that is therin, together with Gene. 1. thy dearelye beloued sonne Iesus Chrysts, and with thy holy spirite: Thou the same god, which openedst thy selfe Genes. 3. to Adam by thy promise: Thou the Gene. 12. 22 23. 24, 25. God of Abraham, Isaac and Iacob: Thou which broughtest thy people of Israell forth of Egipt w^t a migh­tie Exod. 13. 14 15. &c. hand and a stretched out power: Thou which gauest thy lawe vpon mounte Sinai: Thou which spakest Exod. 19. 20 by thy prophets, & last of all in these latter dayes by thy dearlye beloued Heb. 1. sonne Iesus Christ, whom y^e woldest should be made a second Adam, that 1. cor. 15. as by y^e first we are childrē of wrath, carnall and full of concupiscence: so Rom. 5. by him we might be made children of grace and spiritual, by communi­cating with him y^e qualitie, merites [Page] vertues, and grace of hys fleshe, throughe the operation of the holye spirite, as he communicated with vs the substaunce of oure fleshe in the Mat. 1. Luck. 1. wombe of y^e virgin Marie, by the o­peration of the same holy spirit, be­ing that blessed sede which was pro­mised to Adam, Abraham, Isaac Ia­cob, Gene. 3. 12. 26. 28. Psal. 89. Dauid, which should brouse the Serpents heade, which should bring the blessing on all nations, whiche shuld raigne ouer thi house for euer, and mightilye ouercome thine and 2. Reg. 7. Luk. 1. Psal. 110. our enemies, as in dede he did by his incarnation, natiuitie, circumcisiō, erile, baptisme, fastinge, tentation, doctrine, dedes, mracles, workings, agonies, bloudy praier, passiō, death resurrection, and ascension, and yet he stil doth by his mediation and in­tercession for vs, and at the length Rom. 8. he will on al partes fully accōplishe by hys commynge to Iudgemente, which wilbe sodenly in y^e twinkring Mat. 24. 1. Cor. 15. 1. Thess. 4. 2. Cor. 5. of an eye, in the blast of a trompete and shoute of an Archangell, when he shalbe sene wyth thousandes of Saintes & innumerable thousandes [Page] of Angels, all the whole worlde be­ing on fire, and all people that euer were, are or shalbe then standing be­fore his tribunall or iudgement seat to render an accompte of that they haue done in thys bodye, be it good or bad: Thou I say, this god whiche Exod. 32. 33 Psal, 5. Ioel. 2. art holye, rightuouse, trewe, wyse, pure, chast, mightie, merciful, good, graciouse, a hater of sinne, an auen­ger of vnrightuousnes &c, woldeste that I which am borne in sinne and Psal 51. Eph. 2. Genes. 9. 8. Ierem. 17. conceyued in iniquitie, which by na­ture am a childe of wrathe (for my hart is so vnsearcheably euell that out of it springeth corrupt concupis­sence, so that the inclination there­of is prone to euell alwaies euen frō my youth vp: as is my vnderstāding and mynde so darkened, that I can­not perceyue those thinges, that be 2. Cor. 2. 2. cor. 3. of god of my selfe, and all the wyse­dome whiche I receyue from Adam naturallye or other wyse attayne by labour or studye before regenera­tion: I cānot thinke a good thought muche lesse wyshe it or consent vn­to it and least of all doe it) thou I [Page] saye yet wouldest that I being such a one, in whom dwelleth continuall Rom. [...]. emnitie against thee, that I whiche am nothinge but sinne and one that doeth euel alwaies before thee, shuld call thee and beleue thee this god & father of our lorde and Sauiour Ie­sus Christ, to be in very dede my fa­ther, that is, thou wouldest I should be moste assured, that thou of thyne owne good will, whiche thou barest to me wardes before I was, yea be­fore When and wherefore god is be­come oure father. Ephe. 1. the worlde was, hast in Christe chosen me to be thy child, & through him art become my most louinge fa­ther, from whō I should loke for all good thinges, & be most certainelye perswaded, that loke howe muche thou art more then mā, so much thy loue and fatherlye prouidence to­wards me passeth the loue & proui­dence of anye father towardes hys childe, in louing me, caring how to help me, prouiding for me, nourter­ing We should be certaine and with­out doubt that god is our father. me, & helping me in al my nedes. So certaine y^e woldest haue me to be of this, y^t to doubt of it, doth most displease thee & dishonor thee, as either

[Page] y^u were not true, or not able to doe The great test disho­nor to god is to doubt these thynges, or els becamest not my father in respecte of thine owne goodnes ī christ only, but also in re­spect of my worthynes and deserts. And y^t I should not wauer or doubte Causes to confirme our faythe that god is our father. of thys that thou arte my deare fa­ther & I thy childe for euer through Iesus Christe, it is required in the first commaundement, which sayth I am y^e lord thy god, thou shalt haue none other goddes but me: agayne, thy sonne doth here commaunde me to call thee by the name of father: moreouer in the firste article of my belefe I professe the same in saying, I beleue in god the father almighty: besydes this their are manye other things to confirme me herin, as the creation and gouernemente of the world generally, and of euery crea­ture particularly, for al is made and kept for man and so for me, to serue me for my commoditye, necessitye & admonition. Againe the creation of me, in that thou hast made me after thy Image, hauīg a reasōable soule, body, shape &c. where thou mightest [Page] haue made mea tode, a Serpent, a swine, deformed frātike &c. moreouer thy wōderful cōseruacion, norishing and keping of me hitherto in my in­fancie, childhode, youth &c. Al these I say, should cōfirme my faith of thy fatherlie loue. But of all things the opening of thy selfe by thy worde & promise of grace, made after mans fall, first to Adam, then to Abraham Isaac, Iacob, and so to other, beyng published by the prophetes frō time to time, and last of all accomplished by thy deare sonne Iesus Christ, in 2. Cor. 1. whom thy promises are yea & Amē: The opening of thy self thus, I say, in and by Christ, is the most chiefe & sure certificat, that thou arte my fa­ther for his sake, & I thy deare child, although of my selfe I am most vn­worthie. For thou accordinge to thy promises, hast not spared thy deare Iohn. 3. sonne Iesus Christ, but giuen hym to y^e death of y^e crosse for my sinnes. Thou woldest he shuld be made flesh of our fleshe, and bloude of our bloud in the wombe of the virgine Marie, by the operation of the holy Spirite Ephe. 5. [Page] that we by the working of the same spirite, throughe the merites of hys fleshe & bloud, might be made fleshe of his fleshe and bloud of his bloud, that is, as he hath the substaunce of our fleshe & bloud: euen so we might haue and foreuer enioye in him and through him, the qualities, vertues and gifts of rightuousnes, holines, innocencie, immortalitie, and glory, wherewith he hath endued our na­ture in his owne person for vs all; that as now in faith & hope we haue y^e same, so in his cōming we might fully enioye them in very dede, for then shall oure bodies nowe vile, be Phil. 3. 1. Iohn. 3 like to his glorious body. Herein a­pereth thy loue, not y^t we loued thee but that y^e louest vs, & hast giuen thy sonne for vs: herin doest y^u cōmende vnto vs thy loue, y^t when we were yet sinners, Christe thy der [...]sonne Rom. 5. died for vs, so y^t nothing shuld sepa­rate vs from thy loue in christ Iesꝰ, Rom. 8. nether death nor hunger &c. For if when we were enemies, we were recōciled Rom. [...]. vnto thee by the death of thy sōne, much more we being recōciled [Page] shalbe saued by his life. And y^t I shuld not doubt herof, but certeinly be per swaded all thys to pertayne to me, where I mighte haue been borne of Turkes, loe y^u woldest I shoulde be borne of Christian parents, brought into thy church by baptisme, which is y^e Sacrament of Adoptiō, and re­quireth What bap­tisme is & what it re­quireth. faith as wel of remission of my sinnes, as of sanctification and holines, to be wrought of thee in me by thy grace and holy spirit. Where I mighte haue been borne in an ig­norant time and region, y^u woldest I I shuld be borne in this time and re­gion, wherin is more knowlege re­ueled, then euer was here or in ma­ny places is. Where I mighte haue been of a corrupt iudgemente, & en­tangled with many errours, loe y^u of thy goodnes, as thou hast reformed my Iudgement, so doest thou keepe it, and nowe for the same iudgementes sake doest vouchsalfe somewhat by the crosse to try me. By al which thinges I shuld confirme my faythe of thys, that thou alwayes haste been, arte and wylte be for euer [Page] my deare father: in respect wherof I should, be as certaine of saluation & of these aheritaunce of heauen for e­uer: what is the effecte or fruite that cōmeth of thy, cer­tteine per­swasiō that god is our father. [...]: thankfull, cast my whole care on thee, trust on thee, and call on thee, with comforte: and certaine hope for all. thinges that I wants. For in y^t thou hāst giuen to mē this benefite to be thy childe vndeserued, vndeseced on my behalfe, [...] and onely in respect of thine owne good­nes and grace in Christ, lest at anye time I should doubt of it: how shuld I but hope certainlie that nothinge profitable to me can be denied, in y^t thi power is infinite? For as thi good will is declared in adoptinge me, so nothing can be finally wanting me, which may make for my weale (for y^t shuld improue thy power to be al­mighty) in y^t thi wil is so boūteously already declared: wheras my be [...]e [...]e requireth to beleue in thee y^e father almightie, in consideration whereof I shoulde in all thynges behaue my self as a child, reioyse in thee, praise thee, truste in thee, feare thee serue thee, loue thee, call vpon thee &c.

[Page] But alas how heauie harted am I? How vnthankfull am I? Howe full of vnbeleife, & doubtinge of this thy riche mercie? Howe litle doe I loue thee, feare thee, call vpon thee. &c.

Oh be mercifull vnto me, forgyue me good father for thine owne sake, and graunt me the spirit of thy chil­dren, to reuele thy self vnto me, and Iesus Christe thy deare sonne oure lord, by whō we are made thy chil­dren, that I may truly knowe thee, hartely loue thee, faithefully hange vpon thee in al my nedes, with good hope call vpon thee, render faithful­ly this honour to thee, that thou art my god & father, & I thy deare childe through thy grace in Christ, and so alwaies be endued with an assured hope of thy goodnes, and a faithfull obedient hart in all things to thy holy will. At thy hands and from thee as I must loke for al things, so come I vnto thee and praye thee to gyue me these thinges whiche thy deare children haue, and thou requirest of me, that I might come & aske them of thee, as now I doe through Iesus [Page] Christ our lord.

As by this word (father) I am taught to glory of thee and in thee, and all that euer thou hast (for thou art wholy mine, my lord, my god, my father) so by this word (Our) I am taught to glory of all the good, that al & euery of thy seruants that euer were, are, or shalbe, had, haue, and shall haue. For now I am taught to beleue, y^t thou hast called me into the commu­nion of thy churche & people, whom hereby I perceiue y^u hast commaun­ded, to be carefull for me, as for thē selues, and in all their praiers to be as mindful of me, as of themselues. Againe as by this word (Father) I am taught to remēber & render my due­tie I owe to thee wards, faith, loue feare, obedience &c: so by thy worde (our) I am taught my dutie towards thy people to be carefull for them & to take their sorow, pouerty, & affli­ction &c as mine owne: and therfore to labour to helpe them in hart and hand, after my vocation & habilitie, vtterly abhorring all pride, selfloue arrogancie, & contempt of any. By reason wherof I haue great cause to [Page] lament & to reioyse. To lament be­cause I am so farre frō cōsideration, much more frō doig my dutie to thy people in thoughts, words, or dedes. To reioyse, because I am called of thee, & placed ī the blessed societie of thy saints, & made a mēber & citizen of the heauenly Ierusalem, and be­cause thou hast giuē in commaūde­ment to all thy church to be as care full for me, as for themselues.

But alas howe farre am I herefrō? As I am giltie of vnthankfulnes for this thy calling me into the blessed cōmunion of thy deare sōne, & chur­che, yea of thy selfe: so am I giltie of selfloue, vnmercifulnes, pride, arro­gantie, forgetfulnes, cōtempt of thy children: for els I could not but be o­ther wise affected & otherwise labour then I do. Oh be mercifull vnto me good father, forgiue me, & graūt for christs sake, that as my tonge soū ­deth this word (our) so I may in hart fele the true loye of thy blessed com­munion, and the true loue & cōpas­sion whiche thy children haue and fele towards their brethen, that I [Page] may reioyse in all trouble, in respect of that ioyefull communion: that I maye denye my selfe to honour thy children vpō earth, and endeuer my selfe to doe them good for thy sake through Iesꝰ christ our lord. I come onely to thee to giue me that which I cannot nor muste not els where haue, and thou requirest it of me, y^t therefore I shuld as thy childe come and craue it to thy glory.

Which art in heauen.

AS by these words (Oure father) I am taught to glorie and reioyse for the blessed cōmunion which I am called to w^t thee, deare father, with thy Christ, and with thy holye church: so also am I heare taught by these words (Which art in heauen) to re­ioyse in respect of the place and bles­sed Ioyes, whereunto at the length in thy good tyme I shall come. For now I may perceiue, that as heauē is thy home, so is it mine also, being (as I am) thy child through Christ, although heare for a time I am bo­dely [Page] on earth and in miserie.

Againe by these wordes (which arte in heauen) I am admonished, not one­ly to discerne thee from earthly fa­thers, and to knowe how that thou art almightie, present in all places, and of most puritie, to cōfirme ther­by my faith, to be prouoked y^e more to feare thee, to reuerence thee &c: but also I am admonished to iudge of thy fatherly loue by heauenly be­nefites, and not by corporall simply and alonely, for often times the wicked prosper more in the worlde, and haue more worldly benefites, then thy children. So that by this I see thou woldest pul vp my minde from earth and earthly things, to heauen and heauenly thinges; and that I should see further by corporall be­nefites, thy heauenly prouidence for me. For if y^u place me thus on earth and thus blesse me as thou doest & hitherto hast done from my youthe vp, in that thou art nothing so care­ful for my body as for my soule, how shuld I but thinke much of thy pro­uidence for it in thy home, where is [Page] such glory, as y^t eie hath not sene &c. of which thinges, these corporall be­nefites of thine, giuen me on earth, should be as it were inductions, and the taking of them away, admoniti­ons to be more mindefull of perma­nent thinges, and lesse mindefull of transitorie thinges.

By reasō hereof I haue great cause to lament, and to reioyce. To lamēt because I am so earthly minded, so litle desirous of my home, so vnthākfull for thy prouidence, and fatherly correction here on earth. To reioyce because of my home, and the greate glory thereof, because thou doest so prouide for me here, because thou doest so correct and chastē me &c. but alas I am altogether a wretch, earthlie & vnthankful, not onely for these corporall benefites, health, ryches, frendes, fame, wisedome &c: for thy fatherly correction, sicknes, tempta­cion &c: but also for thy heauenly benefites, for Christ Iesus, for the promise of thy spirit, for thy gospell &c. Yea euen for heauen it selfe and thy whole glorye, as the Israelits were [Page] for the land of Canaan, & therefore neuer enioyed it but perished in the Psal. 106. wildernes. I am proude in prosperi­tie and forget thee, waxing secure & careles. &c: I am impacient in the crosse, and to much consider worldly discommoditie. Oh deare father for­giue me, for thy Christes sake all mine vnthankfulnes, loue of thys world, contempt and obliuion of thy heauenly benefites, and graunte me thi holy spirit, to illuminate the eies of my minde with the light and liue­ly knowledge of thy presence, power wisdom, & goodnes in thi creatures, but specially in christ iesus thy sōne, & so by the same spirit enflame mine affections, that I may desire nothing in earth but thee, and to be present with thee, that my conuersaciō may be in heauen cōtinually. Frō when­ce graunt me stil to loke for the lord Col. 3. Phil. 3. Iesꝰ, to make this my vile body like vnto his owne glorious and immortal bodye, according to his owne po­wer by whiche he is able to doe all things. As y^u hast giuē me to be thy childe: so I praye the giue me these things which be y^e properties of thy [Page] childrē giuen frō y^• in thy good time.

Halowed be thy name.

THy name is that wherby thou art knowen: for names serue to discerne, and knowe one thinge from an other. Nowe thoughe thou art knowen by thy creatures, yet in this our corrupt estate, thei serue but to make vs excuseles. Therfore properly, Rom. 1. most liuely, and cōfortably y^u art knowen by thy holy worde, and specially by thy promise of grace, and freely pardoning and receiuinge vs into thy fauour for christ Iesꝰ sake. For the which goodnes in Christ, y^u art praised & magnified, accordinge to thy name, that is, so much as mē Psal. 48. 138 know thee in Christ, they magnifye How gods name is halowed. thee, & praise thee, which here thou callest halowing or sanctifieng: not that thou arte the more holye in re­spect of thy self, but in respect of mē: who the more they knowe thee, the more they cannot but sanctify thee, that is, they cannot but as [...]n them selues by true faith, loue, feare, and spiritual seruice, honour thee: so al­so in their outwarde behauour and [Page] wordes, they cannot but liue in such sorte, as other seing them, maye in and by their holines & godly conuersatiō, be occasioned, as to know thee so to sanctify thy name accordingly. And therfore thou settest forth here The chiefe desyre of gods chil­dren. vnto me what is the chiefe and principall wyshe and desyre of thy children and people, namelye, that thou in Christe mightest be truelye knowen and honored bothe of them selues, and of others inwardlye and outwardly. By reasō wherof easely a man may perceiue by the cōtrary, y^• the greatest sorow & greife thy people The grea­test greife of goddes people. haue, is ignoraunce of thee, false seruice or religion, and wicked con­uersation. Against the whiche they pray and labour diligētly after their vocations, as they for the obtaining of the others, both to others and to them selues, doe take no smal payne in praier, studie, and godly exercise. By reason hereof I se that I am far from this desyre and lamentation which is in thy children: I see myne ignoraunce of the true knowledge Our igno­raunce. of thee and thy name, for ells it had [Page] not neded thee so by thy worde to haue reueled thy self: I see also mine ignoraunce of the excellencie of the same. For els woldst y^• not haue told me, that the sanctifinge of thy name is the chiefest thing, y^u requirest of e­uery mā. Again I se my great want Our greate nede. of holines, for els thou nedest not to teach me, to seke & pray for y^• I want not. Moreouer I se my great peruer­sitie, whiche woulde not seke at thy hands for sanctification, although I Our peruersitie. se my nede therof. For els y^u woldest not haue cōmaunded me to pray for it, if I seinge my want, wolde haue praied vnto the therfore. Last of al I Gods loue see thy wonderfull goodnes, whiche wilt vndoubtedly giue vnto me sanctification & holynes: for y^u woldest not that I shuld aske for that thing that y^u wilte not giue me. So that I haue great cause to lament and re­ioyse. To lament, because I am so farre from this desire and lamenta­cion, which thy chyldren haue: also because of my ignoraunce, pouertie peruersitie, vnthankefulnes &c. but most of all because thy holye name, [Page] worde, and religiō is so blasphemed both in doctrine and in liuing of ma­ny, especially in thys Realme. To reioyse I haue greate cause, for thy exceding goodnes and merry, which woldeste so disclose thy selfe by thy workes, word, & gospel: which wol­dest opē these things thus vnto me and also giue vnto me & others sanctification in thy sight by saithe; & in the sight of men by purenes of life & godly conuersation. But alas I doe hartely neither the one nor y^• other, that is lame [...] or reioyce: as y^u father which serchest my hart doest righte well know, Oh be merciful vnto me and forgiue me, yea giue me, of thin owne pitie, thy holy spirit, to reuele & opē to my mind effectually my miserable estate & condicion, my igno­raunce, peruersitie, & my carelesnes for thy true honor & dishonor in such sort, y^• I may hartely lament these e­uills, & haue them pardoned & taken frō me through iesus christ our lord. Againe good father giue me y^• same thy holi spirit to reuele to me thy name, word, & gospell, y^• I maye liuely knowe [Page] thee, vnfainedly loue thee, hartely obey thee, and aboue all thinges de­sire and labour by all meanes law­full that al godlines in doctrine and conuersation may be exercised both in me and in all others, for whom y^u woldest I shuld pray.

Heare thinke vpon the state of reli­gion, and the life of the professours of the gospell, that you may lament some, pray for some, and giue than­kes for some.

Let thy kingdome come.

THy kingdome is in .ii. sortes to be consydered, vniuersally and particularly. Uniuersally according Gods kingdome in respect of his power. to thy power, wherewith thou gouernest all thinges euery where, in earthe, heauen, hell deuilles, An­gells, men, beasts, foules, fishes, & all creatures animate & inanimate, sensible and insensible. Of this kingdome spake Dauid when he sayde: thy kingdome ruleth ouer al. Particularly thy kingdome is to be consi­dered Psa. 104. according to thy grace where­with [Page] thou raignest only in thy churche Gods kingdome in respect of his grace. and elect people, ruling and go­uerning al & euery mēber of thy churche to thy glory & their eternal com­fort: not that out of this church I exclude thy power (for as therewyth thou defendest thy people, so thou punishest thy enemies) but because thy grace is specially cōsidered, being (as it were) the verye keper that kepeth and guydeth thy people. The tyme Gods kingdome in respect of his glorye. wilbe when this kingdome of grace and power, now being as distincte, shalbe vnited & made one kingdome of glory: which wilbe when Chryst shal giue vp his kīgdome into thyne handes, that is in the resurrection, whan deathe the last enemye shalbe subdued, and thou shalt be all in all. In the meane season this kingdome of grace is miraculously & mightely How gods kingdome heare is cō serued and enlarged. propagated, enlarged, and gouer­ned by y^• true ministery of thy word and Sacraments, thorow the wor­king of thy holy spirite. And this is the meane and way, wherby as thou didest firste plante, so doest thou en­large, amplifie and preserue y^• same. [Page] This kingdome of grace begon, continued, & enlarged by the true prea­ching of thy gospell and ministratiō of thy Sacramentes, is the thynge which Christ teacheth here thy chil­dren to pray for, that it might come, that is to say, that thy gospel might so mightely, purely, & plentuouslye be preached (maugre the head of all thyne enemies) that the numbre of thine elect might be brought in, and so the kingdome of thy glory myght appere. So that as I see thy chidren desire, pray, & labour, y^• thy gospell might be truely preached, hard, and liued in themselues, & in others: so they lament the not preaching & re­fusing, the not liuing & vnbeleuing thy gospel: yea they lament the ling ring of the coming of thy christ, for in his coming they know thei shalbe like vnto him, and hauing this hope they purifie thēselnes as he is pure.

By reason hereof I see first that I 1. Iohn. 3. am farre from this desire and lamenting, which thy children haue, I see my ignoraunce of thy kingdome and Our igno­raunce. power euery wher, of thy grace only in thy church, & of thy glorye, when [Page] all the enemyes of thy grace shalbe cast downe, & thy glorye and power shall embrace eche other. I se my ig­noraūce how acceptable a seruice to thee is the true preaching & the hea­rig of thy gospell: for els y^u hadst not neded to haue placed thys petition next to the petition of the sanctifiing of thy name. Againe I see here my vnhablenes to enter into thy kyng­dome, Our nede and to attayne to it. For ells what nede shuld I haue to praye for that to come from thee, which other wise maye be archeiued. Thirdly I our peruersitie se also my peruersitie, & contempt of thy kingdome & grace. For although I se my want, yet I wold not desire thy kingdome to come, if y^u didest not commaunde me to praye so: for yf I wold haue praied for it, y^u woldst not haue cōmaūded me. Last of all I see gods goodnes. thy goodnes, which wilt bringe thy kingdome, & that as generally by sē ding forth ministers to preach truli: so particularly by regenerating me more and more, and by geuing me as grace here, so glorye els where: for thou woldest not I shoulde praye for that, whiche thou wylte denye. [Page] So that I haue great cause to lamēt and reioyse. To lament because of my miserable estate and condition, because of my sinne, ignoraunce, re­bellion, peruersitie, Satans power, contempt of thy grace, thy gospel & ministerie, here or ells where. To reioyse because of thy goodnes and great mercy, which hast brought me into thy church, kepest me in it, and wilte doe so still: also because of the Ministerie of thy worde and Sacra­mentes, by which the holye ghost is and wilbe effectuall: and finally be­cause of y^• great glory, whervnto y^u hast called me, & now wilt giue vnto me, asking the same. But alas how vnthankfull I am & sorowles, lorde thou knowest for my hart is not hid from thee &c. Oh be mercifull vnto me and forgiue me, good father, and graunte the Spirit of thy children, to reueale vnto me my ignoraunce of thy kingedome, my pouertie and peruersitie, that I maye lament the same, and daily labour for thy helpe and thy holy spirit, to suppresse the kingdome of sinne in my self and in [Page] others. Againe graūt me that same thy holy spirit to reueale to me thy kingdome of power, grace, and glo­ry, to kindle mine affections, to re­generate me more & more, to raigne in me, as in a pece of thy kingdome, to giue to me to desire, to pray, and to labour for thy kingdome, both to my selfe and to others effectually, to thy glory, & to assure my conscience of thy goodnes, that thou wylt giue me grace, and glory &c.

Here cal to mind the state of the mi­nisterie & ministers, the light and life of gospellers, therrours & here­sies which mē be entangled withal.

Thy will be done.

AS thy power is infinite, so is thy Gods om­nipotent wil vnknowen & vn­reueled. wisdome accordingly. Wherby as we maye perceyue, that no­thinge is or can be done against thy power, or otherwise then by it: so is there not nor cannot be any thinge done against, or otherwise, then by thy omnipotent & secret will, which is alwaies, as thou art, good holie, [Page] and iuste, howe far so euer it seme o­therwise to oure folishe reason and indgemēt. And therfore here we are taught to pray that thy wil may be done here wythoute synne on mans behalfe, as it is on the Angells be­halfe in heauen.

Againe for asmuch as thou art in­comprehensible Godds wil reueled & knowen. of thy selfe as well concerning thy power as cōcerning thy wisdome, we may not according therto search thee, but rather adore and worshippe thy maiestie, & trem­ble at thy Iudgements and works, and therefore praye alwayes, that we maye be content with thy wil, and be borome thereto. And for as­much as thou hast reuealed to vs so muche of thy wyll in thy word wri­ten as is necessarye for vs in thys life to know, yea as we can attaine vnto, and a lytle further: we ought to take all thynges done there a­gaynste as synne and transgres­syon, althoughe thou canste vse the same synne to serue thy prouy­dence. Of the which prouidence w [...] can not nor maye not Iudge further [Page] then thou hast & shalte open it vnto vs. So that this peticion (Thy will be done) is not simplie to be vnderstand concerninge thy omnipotent wil vn reueled, against the which nothing is nor can be done, but rather concerning thy will reueled in thy lawe & gospel, the which thou here teachest me that we shuld desire, not only to know it, but also to doe it, and that in suche perfection & willingnes, as it is in heauen. The which thinge I perceiue hereby that thy childrē doe desire daily in & for themselues and others, & do lament the contrary, in whōsoeuer it be, so that often their eies gushe out with riuers of teares because men kepe not thy lawes. Psa. 119.

By reason hereof I see that I am farre from the syghes and teares of thy people. I see my ignoraun­ce Our igno­raunce. of thy wyll yf thou hadeste not opened the same by thine owne mouth. I see my ignoraūce, how acceptable a seruyce obedyence to thy wil is, and therfore doest y^u place this [Page] peticion amonges the fyrst and con­tinual desires of thy childrē. Againe I se my pouertie in godly obediēce, which had nede to be taught to pray Our nede for it, therby to signifie vnto me my want and vnhabilitie to attayne it, but by thy gift. Thirdly I se my dis­obedience: Our disobedience. for els neuer woldst thou haue cōmaunded me to haue praied for the doing of thy will, if I seinge my want, wold haue prayed so.

Last of all I se thy goodnes, whiche gods goodnes. wilt giue to me and others to obey thy will: that is, to loue thee wyth al our harts, to loue our neighbour as our selfes, to die to our selues, to liue to thee, to take vp oure crosse and to followe thee, to beleue, to re­pent &c: for ells thou woldest neuer haue bidden vs, to pray for a thinge which we shuld not loke for.

So that I haue great cause to lamēt and reioyce. To lament, because of my miserable state and condition, because of my sinne, ignoraunce, pouertie, and peruersitie, also because thy will is euerye where either not knowen, or contēned, and Sathans [Page] will, the wil of the world, and of the fleshe readily obeyed. To reioyse I haue great cause, for that thou hast opened thy selfe and will vnto man­kind, for that also▪ thou peculiarlye hast taught me these things, and be­cause also thou wilt graūt me grace to doe the same. But alas howe vn­thankfull I am, and how hard har­ted, thou Lorde doest knowe. Oh be mercifull vnto me and forgyue me. I pray thee graciouse god graūt me thy holy spirit, to reueale to me my ignoraunce of thy will, my pouertie and peruersitie, that I may hartely bewayle it &c, and by thy helpe and working of the same spirit may suppresse the will of the fleshe. Agayne graunt me thy holy spirit, to reuele to me thy will declared in thy lawe and gospell, that I may truly know the same, and enflame so my affecti­ons, that I maye will and loue the same, in such sort, that it may be my meate and drynke to doe thy wyll.

Here cal to minde the .x. cōmaūde­mentes of god particularly or gene­rally, what therin he requireth, and [Page] praye for the same particularlye as you se your nede, & that not only for your self but also for other.

Praye for patience to suffer what crosse soeuer god shal laye vpō you, & pray for thē that be vnder y^• crosse that they maye be pacient: praye for spirituall wisedome in euery crosse peculiarlye, or publikelye, that you may see and loue gods will.

Geue vs this day our daily Bread.

BY Breade the foode of the bodye, is vnderstande all thynges ne­cessarye Bread. for thys corporall life, as meate, drinke, health, suc­cesse in vocatyon &c. By this word Gyue, we shoulde vnderstande, that Gyue. not onelye spyrytuall thynges, but also corporall benefytes are goddes free gyftes, and come not for our worthynes, or traueyle taken a­boute the same, althoughe ours traueyls be often tymes meanes, by the whiche god doth gyue corpo­rall thinges.

[Page] By dailye is vnderstande the con­tented Daily. mindes of thy children wyth that which is sufficient for the pre­sent time, as hauinge hope in thee, y^• they shal not want, but daily shal receyue at thy handes plentie and e­nough of all thinges. By this word our, is as well vnderstande publike Our. benefytes, as peace in the common weall, good Magistrats, seasonable wether, good lawes &c: as particu­lar benefites, as be children, health name, successe in the workes of our vocation, &c. And besides this, by it we shuld se the care euē for corporal things, which thy children haue for others aswel as for themselues.

So that here I may learne how far I am frō that I should be, and I see thy children are come vnto. I se my ignoraunce also, how that as spiri­tuall thinges do come from thee: so doe temporall thinges: and as they come from thee, so are they conser­ued and kepte of thee. And there­fore thy chyldren are thankefull and looke for theym as thy meare gyftes, notwythestandynge [Page] the meanes whiche they vse if they haue them. How be it they vse them but as meanes, for except y^u worke therwith, all is in vaine. Psal. 127.

Againe here I am taught to be con­tent with sufficient for the present time, as thy children be which haue the shortnes of this life alwaies be­fore their eyes, and therefore they aske but for daily sustenaūce, knowing this life to be cōpared to a day, yea a watch, a sounde, a shadow, &c. Moreouer I may learne to se the cō ­passion and brotherly care, thy chil­dren haue one for an other. Last of al here I may see thy goodnes, whi­ch as thou wilt geue me all thinges necessarie for this life (or els y^u wol­dest not bid me aske &c) so thou com­maundest all men to praye and care for me, and that bodely, much more then if they be able, they are cōmaū ­ded to help me both in bodie & soule. By reasō wherof I haue great cause to lament and reioyse. To lament because I am not so affected, as thy children be, because of my ignoraūce my ingratitude, my peruersitie and [Page] contempt of thy goodnes, and of the necessitie of thy people, whiche alas be in greate miserie, some in exile, some in prisō, some in pouertie, sick­nes. &c. To reioyce I haue greate cause, because of thy goodnes, in teaching me these thinges, in com­maundinge me to aske what soeuer I wante, in geuinge me so manye thinges vnasked, in keping the be­nefits giuen me, in commaundinge men to care for me, to praie for me, to helpe me. &c. But alas, how farre I am from true lamentacion and re­ioysing, lorde thou knowest. Oh be mercifull vnto me, and help me, for­geue me, and graunte me thy holie spirit, to reueale to me my nede, ig­noraunce, great ingratitude, & con­tempt of thy mercies & thy people, and that in such sorte, that I might hartely lament and bewaile my mi­serie, and throughe thy goodnes be altered with thy people, to mourne for the miseries of thy children, as for mine owne.

Againe reueale to me thy goodnes (dere father) euē in corporall things [Page] that I maye see thy mercy, thy pre­sence, power, wisedome, and righte­ousnes in euery creature, and corpo­rall benefites, and that in such sort, that I maye be throughly affected, truly to reuerence, feare, loue, obey thee, hange vpon thee, to be thank­full to thee, & in all my nede to come vnto the, not only when I haue or­dinarie meanes by the which thou cōmonly workest, but also when I haue none, yea when al meanes and helpes are cleane against me.

Here remēber the state of your chil­dren, and familie, also your parents neighbours, kinse folkes, also your frendes, contrey, and magistrates &c: as you shall haue tyme thereto and by goddes good Spirite shalbe prouoked.

¶ Forgeue vs oure debtes, as we for­geue them that are debtours vn­to vs.

BY oure Debtes are vnderstande, Debtes. not onely things we haue done, [Page] [...]ut the omissiō and leauing vndone of the good things we ought to doe.

By oure, is not onely vnderstande the particular sinnes of one, but al­so Our. generally the sinnes of al and eue­ry one of thy church.

By forgyuenes, is vnderstande free Forgeue­nes. pardon and remission of synnes, by the merites and desertes of thy dere sonne Iesus Christe, who gaue him self a raunsome for vs.

By oure forgeuing of other mens As we for­giue &c. offences to vs warde, is vnderstand thy good wyll, not onelye that it pleaseth thee that we shoulde liue in lone and amytye, but also that thou wouldeste haue vs to be cer­tayne of thy pardonynge vs of our synnes. For as certayne as we are that we pardone them that of­fende vs, so certayne shoulde we be that thou doeste pardone vs: whereof the forgeuing our trespas­sers is (as it were) a sacrament vn­to vs.

So that by this petitiō I am taught [Page] to se that thy children, althoughe by imputation they be pure from sinne yet they acknowledge sinne to be & remaine in them, and therefore doe they pray for the remissiō & forgeuenes of the same.

Againe I am taught hereby, to see how thy children doe consider & take to hart, not only the euells they doe, but also the good thy leaue vndone. And therfore they praye thee harte­ly for pardon.

Moreouer I am here taught, to see that thy children are carefull for o­ther mē, and for their trespases, and therefore praye, that they mighte be pardoned in saing, oure sinnes, and not my synnes.

Besides this I am taught here to see, how thy children not onely for­geue all that offende them, but also pray for the pardoning of the offen­ces of their enemies, and such as of­fende them. So farre are they from malicousnes, pride, reuengemēt &c. Last of all I am taught to see howe mercifull thou art, which wilt haue [Page] me to aske pardon: wherof thou woldest that we shuld ī no point doubt, but be most assured, that for Christs sake thou herest vs, and that not only for our selues, but also for manie others, for y^• doest not commaunde vs to aske for anye thinge thou wilt not geue vs.

By reason whereof I haue greate cause to lament, and reioyse. To la­mēt because of my miserable estate, which am so farre from these affecti­ons, that are in thy children: which am so ignoraunt & careles of sinne, not onely in leauing good vndone, but also in doing euel, and that dai­lie in thought worde and dede &c. I speake not of my carelesnes for o­ther folkes sinnes, as of my parēts, children, familie, magestrats &c nei­ther of the sinnes of them, to whom I haue geuen occasion to sinne.

To reioyse I haue great cause, be­cause of thy mercy in opening to me these things, in cōmaundinge me to praye for pardon, in promisinge me pardon, and in cōmaundinge others to pray for me. I ought surely to be [Page] perswaded of thy mercy, though my sinnes be innumerable. For I se not onely in this but in euerye petition howe that euery one of thy churche praieth for me: yea christ thy sonne who sitteth on thy right hād, praieth for me &c. Oh deare father be merci­full vnto me, and forgyue me al my sinnes, and of thy goodnes geue me thy holy spirit to opē mine eies, that I may se sinne, y^• better to know it, y^• more truly to hate it, & most earnestly to striue agaist it, & that effectual­ly both in my selfe, and others.

Again, graunt me the same thy ho­ly spirit to reuele vnto me the reme­die of sinne by christ only, & to worke in me faith, to embrace the same thy Christ and mercies in him, that I may henseforth be endued with thy holy spirite more & more to beginne and obey thy good wil continually, & to encrease in the same for euer.

Here call to mind the special sinnes Praye for thē to whō you haue geuen any occasion of sinne. you haue committed heretofore. Remember, if you haue occasioned any to sinne, to praye for them by name: remēber that gods lawe shuld be so [Page] dere vnto vs y^• the breaking thereof in others, shoulde be an occasion to make vs to lament with teares &c.

Leade vs not into tentacion.

BEcause of our continuall & great infirmities, because of the greate diligence & subtilties of our ene­mies, and because y^• art wont to pu­nishe the great­test punishment. Remedie against euel is praier. Our sinnes should not be forgot­ten of vs, if we wolde haue them forgotten with god. Commodities comīg by remembring oure sinnes, be thankeful­nes, vigy­lancy and gētlenes to offenders. sinne w^t sinne (which of all pu­nishmētes is y^• greatest & most to be feared) In this peticion y^• wouldest haue thy children to haue y^• same in remēberaunce, & for a remedy hereof y^• hast appointed praier. So that y^• only cause why anie are ouercome & led into tentation, is for y^• they forget, what they desire in y^• peticion going before this: which shuld be neuer out of their memorie, to prouoke thē to be more thākful to thee, & more vigilant & heedie herafter for falling in­to like perills. For which to be auoided, y^• doest most graciously set forth a remedy, in cōmaūdinge vs to pray after pardon for oure sinnes past, for thy grace to guide vs, so that we be not ledde into tentacion, but might be delyuered from euyll. And be­cause thou wouldeste haue all thy [Page] childrē to hange wholye vpon thee, Whye we pray not suffer vs not to be ledde. &c. to feare thee onely, and only to loue thee, thou doest not teache them to praye, suffer vs not to be ledde, but leade vs not into tentation, that (I say) they might onely feare thee, & certainly know that Sathan hathe no power ouer so much as a pigge, but what soeuer thou geueste vnto Mat. 8. him, and of thy secret but most iuste iudgement doest appoint him to vse, not as he will (for then we were all loste) but as thou wilt, which canst wil nothing, but that which is most iust. As to geue them to the guidīg of Sathan, which wil not be guided by thy grace, as y^• diddst Saul &c.

Occasions to euell are in two sor­tes. Occasions to euell in ii. sorts. One by prosperitie & successe, another by aduersitie & the crosse &c. the euells coming of successe, com­mōly are vnthankfulnes, prid, secu­ritie, & forgetting our selues, forget­ting of others, forgetfulnes of god, of our mortalitie &c. The euells cō ­ming of aduersytie, commonly are impatiencie, murmuring, grutchīg dispayring, contemning of god, flattering [Page] of men, stealing, lieng &c, w^t manye other euells, wherto tenta­tions will entise a man that is lefte to him selfe: whereas to one that is guided with gods spirit, tentacions are but trialls to the glorye of god, what temptations are to the godly, & what they are to the wicded comfort of the tempted, and edifieng of thy church. But as I saied, yf a man be left alone, tentacions entise euen to the deuyll hym selfe. And therfore thy children pray to be de­liuered from euill, vnderstandinge thereby Sathan him self, the sower and supporter of all euell. And this thy children doe aswell for others, as for them selues. So that I maye learne hereout many good thyngs.

First to remember often our infir­mitie and weakenes, and the daun­gerous estate we stand in in the re­spect of our fleshe, of the world which is full of euill, of Sathan which se­keth to sifte vs and as a roring lion to destroy vs, & of our sinnes, which deserue all kindes of punishements and correction: that I mighte with thy children feare thee, watch, pray and desire the daye of redemption [Page] from all euells.

Againe I may learne here, that to auoide all daūgers & euell, is not in y^• power of mā, but only thy worke. By reason wherof I should consider thy great goodnes, whiche hither to hast kept me frō so many euels, both of soule & body, yea of name, goods &c: as thou hast done in my infancy, childhode, youth, middle age &c.

Thirdly I may learne here, that I shuld be careful for others, both that they might be deliuered frō their e­uells, & that they might be preserued frō tentatiō, & from being ouercome in the same, and therefore y^• teachest me to pray, not deliuer me frō euell simply, but deliuer vs from euell.

Last of all I am taught hereby, so see thy goodnes towards me which wilt deliuer me from euell, and frō being ouercome in tentations. For thou woldst not haue me to aske for that, which I shoulde not loke for at thy handes certainely. By reason wherof thou woldest haue me to be in a certaintie of saluatiō, for euer. For ells I cannot beleue my prayer [Page] to be heard, if that finallye I should not be deliuered from euell.

And therefore thou ioynest hereto Thine is the kyng­dome. &c. a geuinge of thankes, whiche with thy Church I should saye (For thine is the kingdome, thine is the power, thine is the glorye for euer)

By reason whereof I haue great cause to lament, and to reioyce. To lament because of my corruptiō, in­firmitie, weaknes, obliuion, and carelesnes for thy people, ingrati­tude &c: because of Sathans power, vigilancie, & prudencie, which hath ouercome most graue, wise and holy men, wherof some neuer recouered: as Cain, Cham, Achitophel, Saul, [...]udas &c. To reioyse because of thy goodnes, whiche teachest me this, & she west me the remedie, commaun­dest all thy Church to praye for me, [...] wilt at length deliuer me from all [...]uel, and giue me glory. But alas I [...]m all together careles & miserable. Oh be mercifull vnto me dere father and for christs sake forgiue me al my [...]innes: Graunt me thy holy spi­rit to reuele to me mine infirmties, [Page] weaknes, perils, daūgers &c: in such sort, that as I may hartely lamente my miseries, so I maye aske and obtaine thy grace to guyde me from all euill for euer more.

Againe graunt me the same thy holy spirite, to reuele to me thy loue & kindnes towards me (and that in e­ternitie) in such sort, that I maye be throughlye perswaded of the same, become thankfull vnto thee, & daily expecte and loke for the reuelacion of thy kingdome, power, and glory, as one that foreuer shall haue the fruction of the same, through thyne owne goodnes and mercy in Christ, prepared for me before the beginnīg and foundation of the worlde was layed.

Here cal to mind our securitie, Sa­thans vigilancie, oure negligence, his diligence, our infirmitie, his ha­bilitie, oure ignoraunce, his crafte and subtilitie, &c.

Item call to mind how that he hath ouerthrowen for a time many of the deare Saintes of god, to whom we are to be compared in nothinge: a [...] [Page] Adam, Eue, Lot, Iudas, Thamer, Moises, Aaron, Mirtan, Sampson, Gedeon, Clie, Dauid, Salomon, Ezechias, Iosias, Peter, Thomas, and innumerable moe.

Item call to minde the goodnes of god, and of oure Shepeherd Christ, whiche hathe kepte vs hitherto, ke­peth vs still, & teacheth vs here to know that he will kepe vs for euer. For he wold not haue vs to aske for deliueraunce from euell, if that he wold not we should certainely loke for the same. If thou doubt of finall perseueraunce, y^• dishonourest god. Be certaine therfore, rest in hope, be stil in his word. Se also how he hath commaunded his whole church and euery member thereof, to praye for thee aswell as for them selues, in these and all other thinges.

Now and then goe about to recken how manye and diuers kindes of e­uells there be, that thereby, as you may knowe you are deliuered from none, but by gods greate goodnes: so you may see that the number of e­uells that you haue, are nothing to [Page] be compared to the multitude of e­uills wherwith (yf your christ were not) the deuil wold all to beraye and dawbe you.

But what are all the miseries and euels that can be, to be compared to the least ioye, prepared for vs in hea­uen? Oh thinke of those ioyes, and pray that when the tyde of death cō ­meth, we may hale forth of the ha­uen of this fleshe & this world ioye­fully. In praieng this petitiō call to minde the euells you haue been in, the euells you are in, and the euells you may fall in, if god shuld not pre­serue you, that you might be stirred vp the more to thankfullnes to prayer, to trust in god, to modestie &c.

For thine is the kingdome, thine is the power, thine is the glory for euer.

AS in the beginnīg of this praier by these words (our father which art in heauen) thy children are excited & stirred vp to a ful confidence of ob­taining the petitions folowing & al things necessary: So in y^• latter end [Page] y^u hast added for the same purpose, these wordes (For thine is the kingdome thin is &c) Wherin I am taught these many things: First that in prayer I shuld haue such consideration of thy kingdome, power, glory and eterni­tie, that my mind shuld be striken w^t an admiration of the same. Second­ly that I shoulde so consider them, e­specially in praier, that I shuld not doubt, but that thou workest, rulest & gouernest all things euery where in all persons and creatures, moste wysely, iustelye, and mercifully. Thirdely that in praier all my peti­cions shuld tend to the setting forth of thy power, of thy kingdome, and of thy glorye. Laste of all that in prayer I shoulde in no wyse doubte of beinge heard but be assured, that thou which hast commaunded me to pray, and hast promised to here me, doest moste graciousely for thy mer­cyes sake and truthes sake heare my peticions, according to thy good wil throughe Iesus Christe thy deare sonne our lord and onely sauiour.

[Page] By reason whereof I haue greate cause to lament and reioyce. To la­ment, because I consider not these thinges in praier, in suche sorte, as should moue me to admiracion and gratitude: because I consider not thy power, and wisedome generally in all things: because I am so careles, for thy kingdome: and because I am so full of dubitacion and doubtinge of thy goodnes. To reioyce I haue greate cause, because thou reuelest these thinges vnto me on this sorte: because of thy power, kingdome and glory, which maketh to the hearing of my praiers, and helping of me: be cause thou wilt vse me as thine in­strument to set forth thy kingdome, power, & glory: and because it plea­seth thee to here my praiers and as­suredly wilt saue me for euer.

But alas how farre am I frō these lamentacions and reioycinges? by reason wherof I deserue damnaciō. Oh be mercifull vnto me▪ forgeue me, and of thy [...] graunte me thy holy spirit [...] reueale to me my blindnes, obliuion, and contempt of [Page] thy kingdome, power and glory, w^t the greatnes of my doubtings: that I maye hartely as lament them, so haue them pardoned, and taken frō me throughe the merites of Iesus Christ thy sonne.

Againe geue me thy holy spirit, to reueile to me in such sort thy kyng­dome, power, glorye, and eternitie, that I maye alwaies haue the same before myne eies, be moued wyth thadmiration therof, labour effectu­ally to set forth y^• same, and finallye as to haue the sruic [...]on thereof after this life: so encrease [...]an assured, certain and liuely expectacion of the same, that I maye alwaies & in all thynges reioyce in thee thorowe Christe, and geue lauds thankes & praises perpetually vnto thy moste holy name, oh blessed father, sonne and holye ghost, thre persons & one god, to whom be all honour & glory world without ende.

Here thinke, that if the kingdome power, glory and eternitie be gods which is our father, what our digni­tie is, whiche be his chyldren: yf the [Page] power be our fathers, of whō shuld we be affraies? yf the deuell be sub­iect to the lords power & kingdome (as he is) howe can the subiect haue power ouer vs, which be sonnes and heires, in that he hath not power o­uer porketts w^toute the prouidence and permission of god? Therfore ful well shuld we pray, lead vs not into temptation, rather then let vs not be led into tentation. For power is the lords, and the deuell hath none, but that he hathe of gods gifte. No he were not of capacitie, to receaue power, yf god did not make hym of capacitie, althoughe the exe­cution of it, is rather of gods permis­sion.

¶Geue all thankes, praise, and glorye, to god oure father throughe Christ oure lord and sauiour. So be it.

I beleue in god the father. &c.

THy people (oh lord god the father of our saui­our Iesus Christe) doe here in saieng this ar­ticle (I beleue in god the father almighty &c) by faith knowe that thou togither with Ie­sus Christ and the holy ghost, diddest create all thinges that be in heauen and in earth (for by heauen and earth are vnderstand all thinges therein). And as they knowe thys, so they by the same faith doe see thee the same god the father the sonne and the holy ghoste, to gouerne all thinges after thy great wisedome, power, rightu­ousnes, and mercy, vsing euery crea­ture they see as meanes to put thē in remembrance of fearing, reueren cing, trusting, & louing the: for in e­uery creature they beholde thy pre­sence, power, wisedome and mercy,

[Page] Againe by this worde (Father) they declare their beleife, how that they are not onely thy creatures, and all that euer they haue to be thy graci­ouse gyftes and blessinges, but also how that they are thy childrē, derely beloued & cared for of thee through Iesus christ. Where throughe (not­withstanding theyr vnworthines) as they conceyue a sure hope of thy goodnes and fatherly loue towards them in soule and bodye for euer: so are they thankfull for their creati­on, & for that thou hast made thē thy excellet creatures, lords of al. They are thankfull for the creation of all creatures, & vse the same w^t thanke­fulnes, as visible tokens of thy in­uisible loue: they are thankefull for thy conseruing and keping them, & for the gouerning them and all this world, lamenting that they are no­more thankfull, that they beleue no deper, that reason hath so greate a swing with them in these matters.

But I moste gracious good lorde and father, thoughe I say, I beleue in thee my father almyghtye maker of heauen [Page] and earthe, yet thou knoweste that I am full of muche doubtinge, not onelye of this whether thou art my good, almighty, and moste louinge deare father in christ (because I fele in my selfe suche a conscience of vn­worthines, & so great want of those thinges which thou requirest of thy children, and so transfer the cause of my being thy childe in part to myself where it is due onely and wholy alwaies to thy mercye and grace in Christe) but also thou knowest my doubting of my creation and gouer­naunce, and of the creation and go­uernaunce of al this world (as I de­clare by my vnthankfulnes for my creation, for mine adoption, for my gubernation, for thy prouidence for me) or ells deare father I could not but hartely with thy childrē reioyce and praise thy holye name, and that continually, being hence forth care­full for nothinge but howe to please thee & profit thy people, & that they might praise thy name in all things for ouermore, desiringe the sanctifi­cation of thy name, the comming of [Page] thy kingdome, the doing of thy will vpon earth as it is in heauen.

Thou mightest haue made me a dogge, but of thy goodnes hast made me a creature after thine Image: y^• mightest haue made me a Turcke, a Iewe, a Sarracen, but thou hast made me a christiā, a member of thy Churche, thou after my birth mightest haue lefte me, and in all nede haue made no prouidence for me, as we sometimes see hath hapned vnto others, but yet thou neuer diddest so with me, and yet I am of all others most vnthankfull.

Thy creatures I thankefully vse not, thy inuisible loue by thy mani­folde visible tokens I consider not, as nowe, I shoulde by this apparell of my bodye, by this corporall helth by this light, by this my hearinge, seinge, feelinge, memorye, vnder­standinge, time, place, companye, creatures, and benefites, aswell in keping innumerable euils from me bothe in soule and bodye, which ells could not but come to me: as also in gyuinge to me presently so manye [Page] thinges as w^tout thy especiall grace & working I neuer could haue had, or presently could kepe them. In thy creatures I see not thy power, for I feare the not, I see not thy presence for I reuerence thee not, I see not thy wisdome, for I adore the not, I see not thy mercy, for I loue the not I praise the not but in lipps & tonge and therfore in that al thy creatures doe teache me, crie out vpon me to be thankefull to the, to loue, feare, serue thee and trust in the and that cōtinually, in that I doe not so, they cannot but crie out vpon me and a­gainst me in thy sight, & in the day of Iudgement wyll weapon themsel­ues against me.

Oh that I did nowe consider this. Oh that my blinde eyes & my deafe eares were opened: oh that my mi­serable and folyshe harte were made wyse and conuerted. This onelye thou canste doe whyche haste all mennes heartes in thy handes to bowe▪ them as pleaseth the: bowe my hearte good Lorde into thy tes­tymonyes, open my eyes make [Page] me to here for thi mercies sake, that I maye beleue and so loue the, be thankefull to thee, amende in all things and serue the, though not as thy deare seruantes doe, yet at the least as other brute creatures doe, that is to obey the and to be profita­ble to others.

Now for asmuch as my sinnes let this and all good thinges from me, I besech the pardon me al my sinnes accordinge to thy gracious promyse for our lord Iesus Christ sake. Amē.

I beleue in Iesus Christe hys one­lye sonne &c.

THy seruantes (O Christe Iesu) and people doe know by faith, that as thou art almighty and god wyth the father by whom all things were made, and are ruled (for thou art god eternall coequall and consubstanciall with the father and the holy ghost) so thou art man and haste taken oure nature vpon thee by the operation of the holy ghost in the wombe of the virgin mary, and [Page] arte become the blessed sede whiche hast brused y^• serpēts head, the bles­sed Gens. 3. sede in whō all nations are bles­sed, the prophet whom Moises dyde Gens. 23. Deut. 18. Exod, 25. prophecpe of, the samplare he sawe in the mount, the truth and body of al the types, figures, and shadowes of the olde lawe, the Messias Christ and sauiour of thy people, the aduo­cat and redemer, the pacifier of gods wrath for sinnes, the opener of hea­nen, and geuer of euerlasting life.

This they knowe thou broughtest to passe in thy humane nature, by thy incarnation and natiuitye, by thy beinge here on earth, by thy ly­ning, teaching, fastinge, praieng, e­specially by thy suffering vnder Pontius Pilate, by thy death, buriall, resur­rection, ascension vnto the heauens, and raygning on the righte hand of the father, from whence thou shalte come to iudge bothe the quicke & the dead: and as they knowe this, so by faithe they applye it also to them­selues, that for their sake thou waste made man, didest praye, faste, wast tempted didest die, rosest againe, & [Page] diddest ascend into heauen, and there art set their aduocate, bishoppe, and high prieste, alwaies appearinge in gods sighte for them, from whence they looke for thee, knowige that [...] wilt not enter into iudgement with them to damne them, which woul­dest damne thy selfe for them.

By this faith they felt these affecti­ons in them selues, namely the ba­tred of sinne, the feare of god, the loue of god, trust in thee, and loue to thy church. The hatred of sinne thei felt because it is so foule a thīg as wold not be washed away with any other thing then with thy preciouse bloud shedinge: the feare of god, because his anger is so greate against sinne that no lesse pryce coulde pacifie his wrath then thy most painful death: the loue of god, because he hathe so loued them that he would not spare thee his deare sonne for them, euer whā they were his enemyes: trust in thee, because thou haddest no re­spect to thy selfe but most willingly didest geue thy self wholly to be our sauiour and seruant: loue to thy peo­ple [Page] and church, because generally & particularly in euery mēber of the same, they see howe deare they are to thee, and therefore they can not but be so to them. Oh howe doe they imitate and folowe thy foote steppes? how doe they reioyce when they are in anye thinge by afflec­tion made lyke to thee? Oh howe doe they lament their sinnes, ingra­titude, vnbeliefe, loue thee, and wholly yelde themselues vnto thee? where as I (o graciouse god & deare sauiour Iesus Christ) though I saie I beleue in thee which was concey­ued by the holy ghost, yet alas I doe but bable this, for nothinge is ells in me but vnbeliefe. Of thy power & loue, of thine anger & mercy I haue but an opinion, as my insensiblenes and vnthankfulnes doth declare.

If a man should shewe me frendship but in a trifle, or suffer anye thinge at all for me, I could not but be thā ­full: and thou besides my creation, hast redemed me and brought me in­to the number of gods childrē (then which thinge nothinge is greater) [Page] and loe I am vnthankfull.

Thou hast suffred much for me: frō heauen thou cammest into earthe to fetch me into heauen, but I regarde it not.

Thou barest my sinnes on thy back suffering a most bitter death, but I am so farre from thankefulnes, that I stil more and more loth the.

Thou woldest enter into a cōmuniō w^t me, taking my nature vnto thee cō cerning the substance thereof, that I might enter into a cōmnuiō with thee cōcerning the qualities wher▪ in thy self thou hast endued it, but I consider it not.

Thou diddest die to delyuer me from death, but I still more and more geu [...] thee cause to die: so ingrate ful am I.

Thou diddest arise to iustifye me, but I with the Iewes wold stil kept thee down, because I wold not leaue my wickednes.

Thou ascendedst to heauen to take possession for me there, to be alwaies in the syght of thy father for me, to send me downe giftes, to praye for me: but I daielye am pullinge the [...] [Page] downe againe, as muche as in me [...]ieth, I am altogether earthly, I hide my self out of thy sight by forgettīg thee, I reiecte and abuse thy gifts, I neglecte praier.

Thou art nowe in a redynesse to come to iudge hoth quick and dead, but I tremble not at this geare, nor beseche thee before thou come, to be merciful vnto me & not to enter in­to iudgement with me, yea I thinke nothing at al of thy comming: mali­ [...]ō cogitant iudicium, the wicked consy­der not the ende, they thinke not on thy iudgement.

Thou woldst bring me to thy father y^• I might find grace, but I put this of, & therfor am worthi to fele thee a iudge, w^t refuse to fele thee a sauior.

Now y^• cause of al these things is vnbeliefe, the which though it be naturall by reason of the corruption of our nature, pet I haue augmented the same maliciously in not laborīg there against, and continuing in al synnes and wickednesse: by reason whereof I deserue most iustelye thy anger therevpon, euen reiection frō [Page] thy face for euer.

Longe hast thou mourned euen w^t displeasure & anger the incredulity of my heart, calling me there from, and offering me thy grace, which I haue neglected and reiected, and therfore am neuer worthi to haue it any more offered vnto me, muche more then I am vnworthy to haue grace gyuen me to receiue thy mercy.

Alas what shall I doe? shall I di­spraier or as long as I can, kepe me vnmindfull of my mysery? o sauiour Christ Iesu wilt not thou be merci­full vnto me? thou diddest die for me when I deserued it not, and nowe is thy mercye shortned? wilt not thou geue me thy grace, and take frō my hart this horrible vnbeliefe? Shall I neuer loue the? shall I neuer hath sinne? shall I neuer, as w^t my mouth I say: I beleue in Iesus Christ, so in hart say the same? shall Sathan possesst me for euer? o christe Iesus whiche hast led captiuitie captiue, what? wilt not thou helpe me? thoughe I desyre it not as I shuld, yet giue me to desyre whan thou wilt.

[Page] Thou diddest appeare to destroye the worke of the deuil: thou seest his worke, in me: good christ destroy his worke but not thy worke: saue me for thy great mercies sake. Geue me to beleue in thee, in thy death, resur­rection, & ascension: pardone me my sinnes, and mortifye now in me my corrupt affections, reyse me vp and iustify me, regenerat me daily more and more, geue me faith of immor­talitie, resurrectiō of this body, geue me faith to ascend into heauen, and to be certaine that thou hast alrea­dy taken possessiō for me there: Geue me to loke for thy comming, and to be ready in thy cōming to find mer­cy to euerlasting life &c.

I beleue in the holy ghost. &c.

O Holy spirite the third person in trinity, whiche diddest descend vpon Christ our sauiour in hys baptisme in the likenes of a doue, thy children know that with the father and the sonne thou madest and ru­lest all creatures visible and inuisy­ble, [Page] they know thee in their redemp­tion to be no lesse willing & louinge then the father and the sonne: for y^• diddest alwaies declare Christ to be the sonne of god & gauest testimony in wardly in the harts of thy elect, to beleue and embrace the same, & out­wardely by miracles and wonders they know thee to be the comforter and gouernour, whom Christe dyd promise in his corporal absēce shuld teach, rule, kepe, comforte and go­uerne his church and people.

Againe, as in the former parte of their beleife they cōsider the works of creatyon and redemption, so in thys parte they consyder the place where the same is moste effectuall & taketh place, euen thy holy churche which is catholick, that is, extēding it selfe to all times, to all places, to all kinds of people.

For in this church only they know that as all things were made, so the worke of redemption was taken in hand, that y^• blessed trinitye, migh­test in this church be praysed, mag­nified, serued, & worshipped for euer.

[Page] This church is nothinge ells but a communion and societie of saintes: that is, not onelye a societye of all such as be, haue been, or shal be thy people, but also a societye or parta­king of Christe Iesus whiche is the head of the same: yea by him of thee (oh blessed father) which art y^• head of Christ, and of thee (oh holy ghost) whiche nowe shadowest and sittest vpon the same to hatch and cherishe it as the hen her chekins, by the ex­tending of thy winges, not onely to defende them frō their enemies, but also to couer their sinnes and to re­mitte them in this life, beginning also here the resurrection of the fleshe and euerlasting life, the which thou wilt in the ende of the world consū ­mate, so that they shall not nede to be couered for sinne: for then shall they be pure and haue gtoriouse bo­dies, immortall and spirituall, the which shal haue the fruition of eter­nal ieye, life euerlasting, and glory, suche as the eye hathe not sene, the eare hath heard, nor the hart of man [Page] can conceiue. For then christ Iesus shall geue vp his kingedome to god the father, that god may be al in all concerning the gouernaunce of it by the ministration of his word and o­ther meanes wherby now he gouerneth it, that it maye be his fathers kingdome, we beig become like vn­to him: that is, as to the manhod of 1. iohn. 3. Christ the godhead is vnited and is al in al without any other meanes, euen so god shalbe in vs, assuminge then not only in the person of christ the humaine nature, but also al the humaine nature of his church which be members of Christ, the wicked & reprobate being separate then from this cōmunion & cast into eternall perditiō with Sathan, & antichrist, there to be in tormentes and hor­rour for euer.

By reason of this their faith, they are thankfull to the (o holye spirite) whiche hast taught them this & gy­uen them to beleue it.

By reason of this faith they singu­larly praye loue, & helpe thy church here militāt, & labour to be holy [...].

[Page] By reason of this faith they cōfesse them selues sinners, they desire and beleue pardone of their sinnes, they are rysen and ryse daily concerning the inwards man, and doe feele the life eternall begone in them, more & more laboringe, praying, wishings and desyringe for the same whollye and perfectly.

Where as (oh lorde god and most graciouse holy spirit) thou knowest that it is otherwise w^t me. I doe but bable w^t my lippes in saying, I beleue in the holy ghost, for I am vnthankful for calling me into thy church, I doe not liue holely, I confesse not, I la­ment not my sinnes, I pray not for remission of them, I stand in doubte thereof: as I fele not my selfe rysen from a sinnefull life as I should be, or as I fele not life begone in me, as it is in thy deare children, so doe I doubt herof, whether I haue pardon of my sinnes, whether I am regene­rate, whether I fele truly euerlast­ing life (the which thinge doth most displease thee) and yet w^t my tonge I saye I beleue in the holye ghost. Oh I [Page] besech thee (good holy spirit) for thy loue sake which moued the to agree and be willinge to patifye and open thy goodnes, not only in the worke of creation (for thou dyddest lye vp­on the waters and as the benne her chickins dyddest, as it were, hatche the worke of creatiō) but also in the worke of redemption, and therefore diddest descend and abide not onely vpon Christ in his baptisme, but al­so on the apostles & church in fyerye tonges visibly the fyfte daye after Christes resurrection: as now thou doest inuisybly, generally, and par­ticularly sitte vpon thy Church and children, beinge the consolator the cōforter, the teacher and leader, the guider and gouernour of vs all.

For this thy loues sake (I saye) I besech thee to be mercifull vnto me, and forgeue me my doubting, vnbe­liefe, ingratitude and horrible mon­strous vncleanes and synne; and vt­terly take them from me. Bring me vnto thy church which thou guidest, that is guide me, make me holy and by faith couple me to christ, by chari­tie [Page] to thy people: that is geue me the communion of saints w^t thy saincts, ouer shadowe my synnes, reyse me vp to rightuousnes, beginne in me euerlasting life, and nowe more and more to expert and loke for all these great mercies, and at length to pos­sesse eternal felicity w^t thee, o blessed trenitie the father the sonne and the holy ghost, thre persons and one al­mightie, eternal, most iuste, wise and good god: to whom be all glory power and do­minion now and for euer.

¶ I am the lord thy god which brought thee oute of the land of Egipt. &c.

O Good lord and deare father, here y^• woldest I should knowe that thou, which brough­test thy people of Is­raell out of Egypt with a mightie hand and a stretched out power, whiche gauest thy lawe vpon mounte Sinai in great thun­dering, lighting, fier, which spakest by the prophetes, and diddest sende thy dearelye beloued sonne Iesus Christ coequall and consubstantiall with thee in power, maiestie, & glo­ry, to take vpon him our nature by the operatiō of the holy ghost in the wombe of y^• virgin Marie, of whose substaunce he was made and borne man, but pure without synne, that we by byrth children of wrath, by hym myghte be made thy chyldren, children of grace, communicatinge [Page] with him rightuousnes, bolines, & immortality by the working of the spirit, as he communicated wyth vs fleshe and bloude (but not infected w^t synne, as is ours) by the working of the same holy spirit: which spirit af­ter his bitter death, resurrectiō, and ascension into the heauens, he sent plentifully and by a visible signe vnto his Apostles and Disciples: by whom he published, the gospell tho­rowe out the whole worlde, and so continually hathe done from age to age, doth, and will doe vnto the end of the worlde by the mynysterie of preaching: Thou woldest I say that we shoulde knowe and beleue, that thou this Almightye lord and god, which on this sorte hast reueled and opened thy selfe, art the one alone, very true and eternall almighty god which madest and rulest heauē and earth, and all things visyble and in­uisyble, together with this thy dearly beloued sonne Iesus Christ, and with the holy spirit, consubstantiall and coeternall with thee deare fa­ther: Not onelye this, but also thou [Page] woldest that I shuld knowe and be­leue, that by the same thy dearly be­loued sonne, thou hast broughte me from the tirannie and captiuitie of Sathan, & this sinfull world (wher­of the captiuity of Egipt vnder pha­rao, was a figure) and in his blonde shedde vpon the crosse, y^• hast made a couenaunt with me, whiche thou wilt neuer forget, that thou art and wilt be my lord and my god, that is, thou wilt forgeue me my sinnes and be wholy mine with all thy power, wisedome, rightuousnes, treweth, glory & mercy. Wherfore although I might cōfirme my faith by the in­numerable mercies hither to powred vpon me moste aboundantly, as thy children of Israel might haue done and did confirme their faith, by the manifolde benefites powred vpon them in the desert: yet specially the seale of thy couenaunt, I meane thy holy Sacrament of baptisme, wher­in thy holye name was not in vaine called vpō me (O deare father, swet sonne and sauiour Iesus Christ, and most graciouse good holy gost) shuld [Page] most assuredly confirme, and euen on all sides seale vp my faith of this thy couenaunt that y^• art my lorde and my god: euen as Abraham and thy people of Israell did by the Sa­crament of Circumcision, which as the Apostell calleth the seale or sig­nacle of rightuousnes: so doest thou call it being but the signe of thy co­uenaunt in dede, yet thy very coue­naunt, because as thy word is moste true and cānot lye, as thy couenaūt is a couenaunt of peare vnfallible and euerlasting: euen so the Sacra­ment and seale of the same is a most true testimonial and witnes therof.

In consideracion therfore of this, that thou the almighty god, of thine owne goodnes hast vouched safe not onelye to make me a creature after shine owne Image & likenes, which mightest haue made me a beaste: to geue vnto me a reasonable soule, en­dewed with memorie, iudgemēt &c: which mightest haue made me an [...]fote without witte or discretiō &c: to endue me with a body be wetifyed with right shape, limmes, health &c, [Page] which mightest haue made me a cee­ple, lame blind &c: gratiously to en­rich me concerning fortune, frends, liuinge, name &c: whiche mightest haue made me a slaue, destitute of al frendes, and helpes for this life: but also hast vouchedsafe, that I being a a miser, borne in sinne, conceiued in iniquitie, to whom nothing is dewe (more then to a Turcke, Iewe, or Saracen) but eternall damnation, should be called into the number of thy people, enroledde in thy boke, & now in thy couenaunt, so that thou w^t all that euer thou hast arte mine: for which causes sake hitherto thou hast kepte me cherished, defended, spared, & fatherly chastised me and now graciously doest kepe me and care for me, geuing me to liue, be, & moue in thee, expecting also & waiting how thou mightest shewe mer­cy vpon me: In consideration (I say) Esai. 30. of this, most iustely and reasonably thou requirest that as thou arte my lord god: so I should be thy seruaunt and one of thy people: As thou haste giuen thy self wholy vnto me, to be [Page] mine with all thy power wisedome &c (For he that geueth him self ge­ueth all he hath) so shuld I be who­ly thine, and geue ouer my self vnto thee to be guided w^t thy wisedome, defended with thy power, holpē, re­leiued, and comforted by thy mercy.

First therfore to beginne with al, thou commaūdest that I shuld haue none other gods in thy sight: that is to say, as I should haue thee for my lord & god to loke for all good thīgs moste assuredly at thy handes, and therfore I should put all my trust in thee, be thankefull vnto thee, loue thee, feare thee, obey thee, and call vpon thy holy name in al my nedes: so shuld I geue this faith, loue, feare obedience, thankfulnes and inuoca­tion or praier, to none other, no not in my hart, but onely to thee or for thee where thou commaundest. All this to doe (oh lorde god) and that w^t most ioieful hart, I haue great cause. For what a thing is it that thou Ie­houah woldest uouchesalfe to make me, as thou haste do [...]? to geue thy sōne for me, and to become my [...]ode [Page] Oh what am I that thou woldest I shoulde put my trust in thee? Thys y^• doest that I mighte neuer be con­founded, but might be most happie. What am I that y^• woldest I should feare thee? Where the onely cause, whye y^• requirest this of me, is not onelye because thou haste power to cast both bodye & soule into hell fier, & because they that feare thee not, shal perishe: but also that y^• mightest geue me thy wisdome, that it might goe well with me in the euell daye, that thou mightest reueale thy sōne to me, and thy mercye might be vp­on me from generacion to generaci­on. Oh what am I, that thou wol­dest haue me to obey thee, not onely that I neuer perishe with the diso­bediēt, but that thou mightest geue me thy holy spirit, and rewards in­numerable? Oh what am I that y^• woldest I should loue thee? y^• which thinge thou doest to this ende that I might fully and wholy enioye and possesse thee, according to the nature of loue, and therfore doest thou re­quire my whole hart, that I mighte [Page] dwel in thee and thou in me. What am I, that thou woldest I shuld call vpon thee? verely because thou wilt geue me whatsoeuer I shall aske of thee in the name of thy deare childe Iesus Christ: and euen so woldest y^• haue me thankfull, that y^• mightest poure out vpon me yet more plenti­fully, al good things. So that great cause haue I to put my trust in thee, to loue, feare, and obey thee, to call vpon thee, to be thankful vnto thee, not only in respect of the hurt which els will ensew, but also in respect of the commoditie that herby cometh vnto me: but most of all yea alonely for thy owne sake, for thy goodnes, wisedome, becutie, strength & power, trueth and great mercies.

But alas (deare father) what shal I saye? As in times paste horribly I haue broken this thy lawe, in trus­ting in thy creatures, calling vpon them, louing, fearing, and obeying many thinges besydes thee, and ra­ther then thee: euē so at this present I am a most miserable wreth, blin­ded I am through vnbeliefe, & mine [Page] owne wickednes, so y^• I se not firmely thys thy power, wisedome goodnes &c: but wauer and doubt of it. I loue litle or nothing, I feare lesse, I obey least of al, thankefulnes and praier are vtterly quenched in me: by reason wherof I am worthy of e­ternall damnatiō. If after thy iusti­ce thou shalt deale with me simplie, I am (oh lord) damned and loste for euer, for I am verye wicked. But yet in asmuch as thou bast geuē thy sōne Iesus Christ to be a slaine pro­pitiatorie sacrifice for the sinnes of the whole world, so that he which be leueth in him shall not perish but be saued (for so thou hast promised) thy trueth nowe requireth to saue me. No wbeit here thou maiest say vnto me that I doe not beleue, and ther­fore notwithstandinge thy trueth & promise, in that I beleue it not, thou maiest most iustly after thy Iustice, dampne me. Oh lorde god, to this I cannot otherwise answer (my vnbe­leife is so great) but because thy mercye is aboue al thy workes, and thy goodnes and loue is that which all [Page] creatures most highly commend and magnifie, as the thing wherof thou arte called god: because y^• art righte good and lone it selfe: because of this thy mercye (gracious god) yf thou wilte loke thereon and couple thy trueth therewith, then (good lord) I shalbe saued, and praise thy name for euer more.

¶ Thou shalte not make to thy selfe any grauen &c.

AS the fyrste commaundemente teacheth me, as well that thou arte my god, as what god thou art, and therfore of equitie I shuld haue noone other goddes but thee: that is, I shoulde alonely hange on thee, truste in thee, loue thee, serue thee, call vpon thee, obey thee, be thankefull to thee: so because y^• didst reueyle thy selfe visiblie that thou mightest visibly be worshipped, this commaundement is concerning thy worshippe, that in no point I shuld folowe in worshipping thee, the de­uise or intent of any man, saint, An­gell, [Page] or spirit: but shuld take al such as Idolatrie & Image seruice, be it neuer so glorioꝰ. And why: for soth because y^• woldest I shoulde wor­shippe thee as thou hast appointed by thy word. For if seruice be accep­table, it must nedes be according to the will of him, to whom it is done, and not of him which doeth it. But in asmuch as of man none knoweth the will and pleasure, but his spirit, except he reueale by worde or signe the same: much more of thee o lord, none doeth knowe thy will, but thy spirite and they to whom thou doest reueale the same. And therfore abo­minable euē in thy sight are al those things, which with men are in most force and estimatiō because they are not after thy word. So that the meaninge of this precepte is, that as in the firste I shoulde haue none other gods but thee: so I shoulde haue no worshippe of thee, but such as thou appoitest. Herby therfore I se great cause of thankefulnes for this com­maundement, in that thou woldest haue mine outward seruice, and that [Page] after thy appointment, lest I should busye my braine howe best to serue thee. Good lord thou nedest not my seruice, perfecte thou wast before I was, therefore it is for mine owne commoditie that thou commaūdest me, yea euen for mine owne wealth. Thou mightest haue lettē me haue stand al day idle, but such is thi loue, that thou woldest I should goe into thy vineyarde, that w^t thy seruants I mighte receiue the hier of blessed­nes. And how great a benefite is it, If we shuld serue god after mās deuise, the burdē wold be in tollerable, for mens deuises are infinite. to deliuer me of so greate a burden wherwith I should haue bene com­bred, if I should haue serued thee in any point after my witte and reasō. But halas, I not considering what a promotion thy seruice is, nor what an easye seruice it is, and simple (for one maye well know what to doe, & when he pleaseth thee, namely whē he serueth thee as thou hast appoin­ted) as I am and alwaies haue been vnthankefull: so I am and alwaies haue been a greuous transgressor of this thy lawe. For as in times past, when I dyd not knowe thys com­maūdement, [Page] I was an Image wor­shipper of stocks, stones &c: yea bread and wine: so nowe I am a worship­per of myn affectiōs, offering to thē y^e seruice due vnto thee, though not therby to worship thee, as I thought when I kneled to stocks and stones, bread & wine &c: yet with no lesse transgression of thy lawe: for the which I haue deserued, and doe de­serue euerlasting damnatiō. Of thy goodnes and great mercy (deare fa­ther) I beseche thee forgeue me for Christs sake, whom thou didst geue to be the fulfylling of the lawe to al them that should beleue. Oh father I beleue, helpe mine vnbeliefe. As thou haste of thy goodnes hitherto spared me, trāsgressing this thy ho­ly precept: so of thy goddnes forgeue me, as well mine Idolatrie done in times paste, as that whiche of late time I haue cōmitted & doe comitte. And as y^u by this commaundement hast deliuered me from the one, y^t is, bowīg my self to stocks & stones: so (dere father) deliuer me frō al other bowīg my self after mine owne will [Page] to mine owne affections: that I may haue non other god ī hart but thee, nor doe seruice to any other but on­ly to thee, & for thee, after thy word as thou cōmaundest. Oh open mine eies to see thy wil in this thy graci­ous precept. Geue me a will to loue it hartely, & an hart to obey it faith­fully, for thy deare sonnes sake iesꝰ Christ our lord. Amen.

Thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vaine.

By this commaundement I per­ceaue (oh lord) that as in the first thou woldest in the exterior ser­uice of thee, I shuld vtterly abandō mine owne will and reason, and all the reasons or good entētes of mā, and wholy geue my self to serue thee after thy wil and word: so here doest thou beginne to tell me, howe thou wilte haue my tongue to be exerci­sed in thy seruice, and therfore thou byddest me not to take thy name in vayne: as by temeraryouse or vayne swearynge, by cursynge [Page] praying without sense, as those boe that pray in a tonge they know not, praying without faith or attent cō ­sideracion of the thing desired, with out harty desire and certaine expec­tacion of obtaining that which is to thy glory and my saluation: also by gesting, or folishe abusing, or negli­gent readinge or hearing of thy ho­ly worde, by the whiche thou, as by thy name, arte knowen: and in lyke maner by deniynge thy trueth and worde, or conceiling it when occasi­on is offered to promote thy glorye and confirme thy trueth. By reason wherof I may well see, that y^• wol­dest haue me to vse my tonge in humble cōfessing thee and thy word and trueth after my vocacion: in pray­inge hartely and callinge vpon thy name: in readinge and hearinge thy worde, and speaking therof withall reuerence, diligence, and attencion: in thanks geuing and praising thee for thy great mercy: in instructinge my brother and admonishinge him, when he erreth, after my calling and vocation, withall humblenes, gen­tlenes [Page] and loue.

Thus woldest thou haue me to ex­ercise my tongue, and not to thynke that the exercising of it in this sort, is a vaine and & vnprofitable thing, but a thinge that pleaseth thee, and profiteth my self and other.

And for asmuch as thou knowest that our tongue is a slipperie mem­ber, and we very negligent ouer it, and of the greate commoditie that might thereby come to vs and other by vsyng it in thy seruice according­ly: thou hast added a fearfull, & most true cōmunicaciō, that though men will find no fault or punishe vs therfore, yet wilt not thou hold him gilt les, that taketh thy name in vaine: As by many exāples we are taught, Leuit, 23. as in thy holye worde, so by dayelye experience, yf we woulde consyder the same.

And therfore I haue great cause to geue praise and thankes to thy most holy name, for many great benefits which by this commaundemente I receyue and ought with thankeful­nes to consider. First that it wolde [Page] please thee, not onelye to geue me a tounge, where thou mightest haue made me speachles: but also that y^• woldest haue it santified to thy ser­uice. Againe that thou woldest not onely reuele thy name vnto vs, but also woldest geue me leaue to cal vp on it, praise and publishe it: yea thou hast commaunded me so to doe, and not onely commaunded, but hast promised, that thou wilt here my praier and that my praising of thee and cō ­fessinge thy word and trueth, shall not be in vaine.

Thirdly that thou woldest al men shoulde vse theyr tounge so, that therby I might be the better instructed, admonished, and occasyoned to vse my selfe well and in the o­bedience of thys thy holye precept. But what goe I about to recken by tale the causes of thankes for thys commaundemente, seing that they be innumerable yf a man shoulde but loke euen vpon thy ve­rye worde, by the whyche as by thy name thou arte moste truelye kno­wen: the whyche worde thou com­maundest [Page] vnto vs in this commaundemente &c: as thou doest prea­chinge, pryuate admonishynge, thankes geuynge, and prayer: then the whych, nothynge is more pro­fytable to vs in thys vale of mi­serye. But gracyouse good lorde, I acknowledge my selfe not one­lye to be a most vnthankeful wret­che for thys thy holye precepte, and the greate mercyes whyche here throughe I perceaue thou haste moste gracyouselye powerd vppon me, and doest yet styll offer vnto me: but also that I am a myse­rable transgressour of this thy most holye, good, and blessed cammaun­demente, as alwayes I haue ben in times past. Horribly haue I abu­sed thy name in swearynge, cursing and iestyng wyckedlye: I haue cal­led vppon other names then thine, as the names of peter, Paule, Mary &c: yea of some, whose saluatiō is to be doubted of: I haue folishly praied in such a toūge as I knew not what I praied & saied, w^t many other trāsgresiions of this precept, wherin yet [Page] I am cōuersant: as in seldome pray­ing, and when I praye I am not at­tent nor very desirous of the thinge I aske with my tounge. After praier I do not earnestly loke for the good thinges asked and praied for, & ther­fore when I obtaine my request, I am most vnthankefull: thy worde I rede litle and most negligently, for­getting for with what I rede: I ad­monishe not others when I here them abuse thy holy worde: I am af­fraied, for feare of losse of frēds, name or life, to confesse thy trueth, gospel and name, whiche was called vpon me in baptisme, and not in vaine, if I did not thus make it in vayne. But alas I cā in no wise comprehēd the multitude of my transgressions cōcerninge this thy lawe. But this is a synne aboue other synnes, that vnder thy name, word, and gospel I play the hipocrite, hauing more care for min owne name, then for thine. For yf my name were euel spoken of, it would greue me, and I would defend it: but alas I heare thine dai­ly euel spokē of, & se it prophaned by [Page] false doctrine, and euell lyuing, but it greueth me not. After my vocati­on I [...]ke not nor doe not goe about to redresse these thinges in my selfe & in others. And why? because (good lord) I loue my self better then thee, and not thee with my whole harte. Thye first commaundemente hathe no place with me as it should haue, it possesseth not my hart, mind, and will as thou requirest, most to mine owne commoditie. By reason wher of I am worthy of eternall damna­tion. Oh what shal I doe (graciouse god) which not only haue ben so greuouse and filthy a swerer curs [...]er &c: so greate a callour vpon deade crea­tures, & so heynouse a transgressor of this lawe: but also at this present doe so horriblye and hipocriticallye offende thee in takinge thy name in vaine, & that so many waies, in praying and not praying, in reading and not readinge, in speakinge and not speaking, & not cōfessig simply & frō my hart thy doctrine, trueth & name, but regardinge mine owne name farre aboue it. Shall I file frō thee? [Page] then vndoubtedly I am more gilty, and more shall disobey this thy holy precept, adding sinne to sinne, where as y^• woldest I should call vpon thy holy name (deare lord) which hast geuen thy deare sonne Iesus Christ to be a mediatour for vs, that thorowe him we might finde not onely grace for the pardone of our sinnes paste: but also for the obtaining of thy ho­ly spirit, as well the better to vnder stande, as also the better and more frankely to obey this thy holye pre­cept for euer. For his sake (therfore dere god) pardone my sinnes paste & present, wherof this law doth accuse me, and graunt (moste graciouse fa­ther) that I may be endued with thy holy spirit to know and loue thy ho­ly name, word and trueth in Iesus Christ, that I maie be zelouse, wise, and constaunt, and that my tounge maye be sanctified henceforth & guy­ded with thy holye spirite and grace to publishe, confesse and teache, af­ter my vocation to others as occasi­on is offered, thy trueth and gospel, to call vpon thy name in al my nede, [Page] to geue thankes vnto thee, prayse thee, magnifye thee, and to sanctifie thy holy name as a vessel of thy mercy for euer and euer.

Remember that thou kepe holye the Saboth day &c.

AFter thou hast told me howe in the external seruice of thee (graciouse lord) thou wilte haue my tonge vsed, so doest thou now teach me, how thou wilt haue min eares & all my whole body occupied, nam­ly in sanctificacion and holines: that is, in those thinges which thou pe­cularly hast appointed to be meanes immeditately to helpe to that ende: As in hearing thy word preached, & vsing the ceremonies of thee appointed euē as y^• hast commaunded. For the which thinges to be exercised of thy people thou at the firste dyddest appoint a certaine daye, namely the seuenth daye, whiche therefore thou calledst thy Sabboth, that thereby they with their childrē and family, resting frō all exerior labour, which [Page] hindreth the meditaciō of the mind, might not onely be more able to goe on throughe with their trauell and labour (for withoute some reste no­thing can endure, in respect whereof thou woldest the very beastes which in laboure were exercised, shoulde haue the priuelege of this Saboth) but also and muche rather, that thy people might with their family and children, be instructed and taught: first by the miuistery of thy word in preaching and catecchising: secondly by the vsyng of thy sacramentes ap­pointed after thy commaundement and institution, they might be assu­red of thy promises: thirdly by prai­yng they might be augmented in al godlines: and last of all by their metting together & exercisinge all these thy workes of sanctification, they might increase in loue and charity: one towards another, as members of one body and fellowes of one in­heretaunce, and thus by meeting together, praying and vsing thy sacra­mentes, they might be instructed in thy lawe and of that Saboth, wher­into [Page] thou thy selfe dyddest enter af­ter thou hadst made the world, cea­sing from thy workes, not of conser­uation but of creatiō, into the which as after this life and the workes of this time, they should enter: so now they beginne spiritually to enter in restinge from their owne workes whiche the olde man moueth thom vnto: not that (good lord) thou wol­dest these workes appointed for the Saboth day, should not be exersised at any other time but onely on the seuenth day: but because y^u dydst as wel ordaine thē for a pollicie to en­dure till the comming of Christ, as also according to the reuelacion or thee in that time, didst open thy self, beginning then in figures and sha­dowes, whose verifiēs in thy tyme were to be opened: therefore it plea­sed thee to appoint then the seuenth day, which seuenth day, although by reason of the policie being by thee be streied, and by reason of Christ the veritie and body of all shadowes, if be abrogate from vs: yet standeth this commaundemēt in force aswell [Page] for the workes of santificacion, that is for preaching thy word, comming to heare it, for praying, vsynge thy sacramentes, and coming together to that ende: as also for those dayes which by commō order, and on good grounde are ordained and receyued: howbeit with this libertie, that ne­cessitie of our faith and sanctificaciō and charitie may dispēse therwith, occasion of wilfull and wittinge of­fence being aduoided &c.

So that hereby I perceyue thy will and pleasure to be, that I shuld at al times, as much as charite and necessitye wyll permytte, geue ouer my self, and cause all other ouer whō I haue charge, so to doe (especially on the sondaies and other holye dayes being receyued and to that ende ap­pointed) to the resorting to the tem­ple and places appointed to praier, to here with meknes thy holy word and vse thy sacraments and ceremo­nies as thou hast commaunded, and to exercise all thinges which might be to the confirmacion & propogaci­on of thy holy religiō, or make to the [Page] encrease of loue and charite: as ge­uing to the pore, reconciling such as be in variaunce, visiting theficke, & euē (as it were) beginning that [...]ab­both wherof Esay speaketh. Esai. 1.

By reason whereof I haue greate cause to thanke thee (most gracious father) that thou woldst appoint me to be in this time, wherin thou hast more plentifully reueiled thy selfe then thou dyddest, not onelye before Christes comminge, but also synce Christs assensiō. Neuer synce Eng­land was England dyddest thou so manifestlye reueile thy trueth, as y^u hast done in these daies. Great cause I haue to thanke thee that y^u woldst institute the ministery of thy worde and sacramentes as meanes wher­by thy holye spirite is effectuall to worke in oure hartes sanctification. Great cause haue I to thanke thee, that thou woldest kepe the bokes of the prophetes & Apostells vntil this time. Greate cause haue I to praise thee, that thou woldst geue me such knowledge in them as y^u hast done of thy greate mercye. Greate cause [Page] haue I to thāke thee for the good & true ministers and preachers of thy worde which thou hast sent amongs vs, and genē me grace to here them. Great cause haue I to thanke thee that in this religion thou hast geuen so longe quietnes, and harboroughe to thy church. Great cause haue I to thanke thee, for that thou woldeste make me suche a man in whom thy holye spirite mighte worke. Greate cause I haue to thanke thee whiche woldeste call me into thine eteruall Saboth and rest full of all ioye, such as the eye hathe not sene, the pare hath not harde. Greate cause haue I to thanke thee that so manye dayes are appointed for this ende, that we shoulde meete together to here thy worde and receiue thy sacramentes. Greate cause haue I to thanke thee for the institution of thy sacramen­tes, which thou hast ordained as thy visible and palpable lordes, to the obsignation and confirmacion of the faithe of all suche as vse the same af­ter thy commaundementes. But, in­finite are the causes for the which I [Page] ought to gene thee thankes for thys commaundement.

But alas I am not onely vnthankfull, but also a most miserable trans­gressour of it. I wil not now speake of my transgressions past cōcerning this commaundemente: presentlye they are so many that I cannot. For y^u knowest howe I doe not onelye at conuenient times on y^e worke daies kepe my selfe awaye from common praiers in the congregaciō & assem­ble of thy people and frō hearing of thy worde: but also on the Sabboth dayes to ryde or goe aboute this or that worldely: busynes I am verye prest, to sitte down at this tauerne, and to goe to that mans table I am readye at the first vydding: but alas to resorte to the table of thy sonne & receyue with thankfulnes the sacrament of his body and bloud for con­firmation of my faithe, that [...] to learne spiritually to taste Christs body broken and his bloude shedde for the remission of my synnes: so doe this, oh how vnwillig am I? To goe to masse and sacrynges with suche like [Page] Idolatrye, I haue been a greate time more readie then now I am to heare thy word, & vse thy sacramēts as I shuld doe, thy ministers I pray not for: thy church I am not careful for, no not nowe (good lorde) when wicked doctrine most preuaileth. Idolatrye, supersticion, and abominaci­on aboundeth, the sacrament and sacrifice of thy deare sonne Iesꝰ Christ is blasphemiusly corrupted: whē for preaching there is nothing but massing, for catechising, sensinge, for reading of the scriptures belleringing, for syngynge of Psalmes and godly songes to our edificacion, all is don in laten, with such Notes, Tunes, ditties, & descantes, that vtterly the mynde is pulled from the considera­cion of the thinge (if men did vnder­stande it) vnto the melody. Al which my wickednes hath brought in, my prophaning of this cōmaundement, and my not praying. Thy ministers are in prison, dispersed in other con­tries spoiled, burnt, murdred, many fal for feare of goods, lyfe, name &c, from the trueth they haue receyued [Page] vnto moste manifest Idolatrie: false preachers abounde amongeste thy people: thy people dearely bought e­uen with thy bloud, are not fedde w^t the breade of thy worde but with swyllings: antichrist wholy preuai­lethe, and yet for all this, alas I am to carelesse, nothing lamenting my sinnes which be the cause of al this. O dear father forgeue me for christs sake and be mercifull vnto me, and as of thy mercye thou dyddest geue me time to repent, so geue me repentaunce. Graunt me thy holy spirite to open to me this thy lawe, so that I may knowe thy will in it, loue it, and alwaies obey it: thy good spirit sanctifye me and worke in me a true taste of eternall life and pleasure in the meditation of it: geue me (graci­ous good father) one litle mouthfull of the breade that y^u feddest Helye w^t all, geue me that with him I maye 1. Reg. 19. come into mounte horeb. Helpe thy church, cherishe it and geue it harbo routh here and els where for christs sake: purge thy ministery from cor­ruptiō and false ministers: send out [Page] preachers to fede thy people, destroy antichrist & all his kingdome, geue to such as be faullē from thy trueth repentaunce, kepe others from fal­ling, and by their falling doe y^u the more confirme vs, confirme the mi­nisters & pore people in prisō & exile, strengthen them in thy trueth, deli­uer them if it be thy good will, geue them that with conscience they may so aunswere their aduersaries, that thy seruantes maye reioyce and the aduersaries be confounded, auengē thou thy owne cause (Oh thou god of hostes) and helpe all thy people, & me especially because I haue moste nede.

Honour thy father and mother that thou mayst lyue longe &c.

AFter that thou haste tolde me (good lord) thy will concerning the seruice whiche thou requi­rest inwardly and outwardly to be geuen vnto the: now doest thou be­gin to tel me what thy wil is that I shuld do & leaue vndone for thy sake [Page] vnto man. And first y^u settest before min eies, them whō y^u for ordres sake and the more commoditie of man in this life, hast set in degre and authoritie aboue me, cōprehending them vnder the name of father & mother, that I might know y^t as of thee thei are commaunded to beare towards me a faithfull loue and a motherly care in the very names of father and mother, wherwith y^u honorest them: so am I cōmaūded of thee to do that which is most equall & iuste (as the very brute beasts doe teach vs) that with childly affection and duetye, I shuld behaue my selfe towards thē, that is I shuld honor thē, which cō prephēdeth in it, loue, thankfulnes, reuerence and obedience, & that not so much because they be my parēts, and in their offices are carefull for me (for it maye be they will neg­lecte the doinge of theyr dueties towardes me) but because thou com­maundest me so to doe, howe so euer they do. So that by thys commaun­dement I perceiue that thou woldest [Page] I shuld consider them whō thou hast placed in auctorite and superiour de­gre: as parēts, maiestrats, masters or such like, and accordingly behaue my self toward them, honour them, that is to say loue them, be thankfull vnto them, reuerence them and obey them for thy sake so lōg as they pass not their bounds, that is so longe as they requyre not otherwise then y^u hast geuen them commission or per­mission to doe.

And for as much as thou seest their care and offyce is greate, and oure corruption to obey is very muche, as wel to encorage them in their vocation to be diligent, as to enflame me to humble obedience vnto them, therthroughe to make them more willinge to sustaine cares for me: y^u addeste a promise, that is longe lyfe which so farre as it is ablessing frō thee y^u wilt endue vs w^t all. Wherby we may gather that a ciuel life doth much please thee and receiueth here rewards, especially if we lead it for conscieunce to thy lawe. And on the contrary part, a disobedient lyfe to [Page] them that be in auctorite, wil bring the soner thy wrath and vengeaun­ce in this life. All whiche worketh muche to the commendation of the state of politike & ciuell maiestrats. By reason hereof (deare father) I se my self much boundē to praise thee, and hartelye to obey thys thy com­maundement. For in it & by it y^u de­clarest thy greate loue towarde vs, which euen in this present life our pylgermage and passage to oure home, woldst haue vs to enioye the benefite of peace, and moste semelye quietnes and order, and by this or­der so couple vs that none shuld con­temne or despise another, but euen highe & lowe to be and accompt thē selues as parentes & children. Par­ticularly for my parte I cannot but say that I haue most cause to thank thee for my parētes, scholemasters, and others vnder whose tuitiō thou hast put me. No pen is able to write y^e particular benifites, w^c I haue her by receyued in my infancie, childhod youth, midle age, and alwais hether to. Oh how good a lord hast y^u decla­red [Page] thy self to me, which in them and by thē hast norrished, fedde, instructed, corrected, defended and most gratiously kept me. I coulde recken in­numerable behind me & but fewe before me, so much made of & cared for as I haue bene hetherto. No smalle token of thy loue to me warde is it, that thou woldest engraue in theyr hartes and commaunde them vnder paine of damnation to be carefull ouer me, to doe me good and prouide for me, as they haue done or rather thou by thē publickly. Also for the cōmen wealth & suche as thou hast placed in aucthorie ouer me in bothe thy regeniētes, if I considered them that haue bene, and them that be, I coulde not but praise thee good lord. For no lesse praise worthy art thou for this chastening vs and admoni­shing vs now presētly by them that be in aucthoritie, of our vngratitude and vnthankfulnes, then by such as haue bene, for all kyndes of good things. But infinite are the causes of thankfulnes which this cōmaun­dement considered, shoulde stirre vp [Page] in me. But alas (most mercifull fa­ther) as I acknowlege my self most vnthankfull vnto thee for al thy benifites powred vpō me in this lyfe by my parents, nources, tutoures, maysters, magistrates, bishoppes, pastours, and good frindes, euen frō my cradell vnto this hower: so vn­to them haue I alwaies been & am, in not louing them, as my coldenes in praiynge for them and to my po­wer in helping them, declareth: and also my not reuerencing them, my cōtemning them, & temerariousnes in my mistrusting or to narrowly & to straightly loking at them & their dewties, showeth: and not obeynge them, as by my cōtumacy appereth, not onely when anye thinge to me vnpleasant or vnprofitable, but also profitable & conuenient is required. And yet I speake not of y^e euel & muttering reportes, of y^e offences ī trāsgressing y^e politilie lawes for apparrel & meates & other no smalle offences which I haue cōmytted & geuē. Oh this is a sinne deare father that [Page] I alwaies haue ben a priuate more then a common weale mā, alwaies I seke for myn owen cōmeditie, cō ­temning that whiche maketh to the conmmoditie of others. As for my disobedience and wicked behauiour towards my owne parentes and all others whom thou hast set ouer me (deare father) no toūge can expresse it, and therfore I am worthy of dāy­nation. But (gratious good lord and deare father) I beseche thee for thy Christes sake, to haue mercye vpon me, & pardon me, as of thy goodnes it pleased the to pardone the patri­arkes. Thou hast geuen this com­maundement as thy holy lawe to o­pen to vs howe corrupte we are, and howe much we swarue frō the pat­terne wherafter we were first made & once agreed thereto before Adams fall, that we might loth our selues and euen thereby be dryuen to seke and set by thy swete mercyes in Ie­sus Christ, whom therfore thou did­dest sende to fullfyll the lawe in hys fleshe that we myght borowe of him [Page] the same, by trewe faithe: whiche of thy goodnes worke in vs by thy ho­ly spirit, and open this lawe vnto vs that we maye more & more increase in the knowledge, loue & obedience of it to thy glory and our saluation, Amen. Deare father be mercifull to our magestrats, especially y^e quenes highnes, whose hart with the resi­due of her counsellers, tourne into thy testimonies, geue them thy wis­dome and a zeale to the trueth according to knowledge, that they maye vse the power they haue receyued of thee to the cherishing of thy church, that w^c vs here thy worde may haue free passage and thy true worshippe may be maintained, and not onclye here but also euery where amonges those whom thou woldest we should pray for. Be mercifull to my poore parentes (gratious lorde) with my bretheren, systers, wife, childrē, fa­mily, seruantes, kinsfolkes, neigh­boures, as thou knowest they haue all nede. Geue vnto the hartes of all parentes, magestrates and suche as be in aurtherite here or ells where [Page] that they maye accordinge to that y^u hast put them in trust w^tall, be faith­full, deligent, carefull, and happye. Graunt vnto children, seruauntes and subiectes, that euerye one maye render loue, obedience, thankfulnes and reuerēce to al such as thou hast put in aucthorite ouer them: blesse the church and send it peace and har borough here or els where: blesse the common weale and sende vs peace: blesse the diocesses and shieres and send them good bisshops and iusti­ces: blesse euery housholde and family, that thy peace may be in the same cōtinually. Fynally write this law & all thy lawes in oure hartes we be sech thee y^t we may kepe them Amē.

Thou shalte doe no murder &c.

AS in the commaundement goe­inge nexte before, thou settests before me the personages of all such as thou for the commodytie, or­der, and peace of mā in this life hast placed in aucthoritie, accordingly of vs for thy sake to be estemed: so dost [Page] thou in this commaundement set before vs to loke on, the personages of all men generally, high and lowe, ouer whom thou geuest vs a charge that we shal not kil or murther thē. In which word thou comprehendest all kind of hatred or malice, in word thoughte or dede, as thy dearely be­loued sonne expoundinge this com­maundement Mat. 5. dothe teache. Yea be­cause thou woldest all men shuld be deare vnto vs, beyng all of one sub­staunce, of one similitude, comming of the same parents Adam and Eue, made of one God, redemed of one Christ, in whom we should be coup­led as members of one body, and liue to the aide, succour and cōfort one of another, because of this (I say) easlie we may see that not onely y^u forbid­dest here to beware of all kindes of displeasures, but also thou commaū dest vs to beare and exercise al kinde of loue and fauoure in harte worde and dede, and that for thy commaū ­dementes sake, for els towards oure enemies our hartes wolde arise, and be great, in that they contemnynge [Page] their dueties towards vs seme to deserue the like at oure handes.

By reasō hereof I haue great cause to thanke thee dere father. For here by I see how that thou doest muche loue my soule which arte so carefull ouer my body, so that he which hur­teth it displeaseth thee and he that doth it good pleaseth thee, if so be he doe it for thy sake. By this commaū dement now I se that it is thou that hast kept me frō doing many euels, which els I shuld haue outragiously done, & hast stirred me vp to do good to my brethrē if at any time I haue done any: euen as thou hast also kept and dost kepe presently others from doing me hurt, & hast and dost stirre vp those that do me good to do so vn to me. Oh how great is y^e multitud of thy benifits (good lord) wherwith thou hast ouerwhelmed me, and the which through this cōmaundement I perceaue my self to haue receiued, presently do receiue, & so longe as I liue am like to receiue, for thou commaundest al men euery where to do me good, loue me, defend me, & che­rishe [Page] me: suche is thy loue to me in this present life & that for my body. oh how great is thy loue then to me in euerlasting life, & y^t for my soule? If in a straūg cōtrey so great is thy protection, how great is it at home? But alas (dere lord) how vnthākful haue I ben & am yet stil for these thy fatherli benifits, oh min ingratitud: yea lord horribly haue I trāsgressed & still doe transgresse this thy graci­ous precept in pride, enuie, disdaine malice, hardnes of hart, vnmercifulnes & contēnīg thy childrē, saints & seruāts: Self loue all together raigneth in me and desire of praise, rule & fame: I am so farre frō loue & mer­cy in hart (good lord) that no man cā here it in my tonge, nor see it in my works, but rather cleane contrary, and y^t generally and to thē, to whom I am most bound perticularly. By reason wherof I haue deserued euer lastinge damnnation and to be cast awaye from thy presence for euer. Oh moste gratious father forgeue me for Chrystes sake I beseche the. For to this ende diddest thou geue [Page] this commaundement, that I seyng my corruptiō and deprauate nature by synne might come to thy mercye deserued by christ, and through faith in him, might finde not onelye par­done of that which is paste: but also thy grace and holy spirit to beginne in me the obedience to this and al o­ther thi holy precepts for euer more, so be it. For this thy Christes sake (deare father) I besech thee therfore to take from me and all other for whom thou woldest that we should praye, all enupe, pryde, arrogancye dysdaine, hatred and all suspitious­nes: and graunt vnto vs bowells of mercy, humilitie, pacience, meke­nes, longe sufferinge, gentillnes, peace, charitie and al kinde of bro­therly loue cōfort the feble, releue the poore, help the fatherlesse, heale the sycke, blesse the afflicted, shewe thy great mercy vpō all poore priso­ners & deliuer thē in thy good time, remember thy pitye toward straun­gers, captiues, wydowes, and suche as be oppressed.

¶ Thou shalte not commytte adul­terye.

HEre (good lord) thou gost about to commaunde vnto me as loue in the other, so purenes and chastite in this, and therfore thou saiest I shoulde not commite adultrye: in the which word thy sonne oure saui­our Iesus Christ, doth comprehende al vncleannes, yea the very concupi­scence and abusing of the hart in lu­sting after any mans wife or other­wise vnchastly. By the which, in that thou woldest haue vs to loue in our selues and others purite & cleanes, that we might be holy as thou oure god art holy, and our bodies beynge temples of thy holy spirit mighte be kept pure and accordinglye: easelye we maye see that as thou forbiddest all vncleane dedes, wordes, lokes, and thoughtes: so doest thou com­maunde vs to loue and exercyse all puritie, chastitie, cleannes, sobryety temperancye &c.

By reason whereof I haue greate cause to be thankefull vnto thee, [Page] which not onely for the helpe & commoditie of man, but also for remedie of mans infirmitie, hast made womā kind and ordained the state of matrimony, which in thy sight is so holye and pure that thou accomptest the bedde and acte of generaciō betwene man and wife in this state of matri­monye to be an vndefyled thynge, and such care thou hast ouer the per­sonages marryed and their conditi­on, that vnto damnation they sinne, which not onely goe about to defyle that bed, but within there harts doe wishe or desire it, yea which doe not indeuer thēselues w^t thought, word and dede to helpe that purite & clea­nes betwene married folks be kept. But the greate causes thou geuest vs to thanke thee for this state and ordinaunce, and for thy defendynge vs by thys commaundemente, are innumerable.

Full wel I see that it is thou whi­che by thys commaundemente not onely refraynest me, but also kepest my wyfe from impurytye whyche [Page] ells we might bothe commyte.

Greate is thy lous (Oh good lord) and more then I am able to cōsider, whych declarest thy selfe to be thus carefull ouer me concernynge the benefyttes whyche come vnto me bothe for the mynde, bodye, and goodes, by sobryetye and tem per­auncie, whyche here thou requirest. Onely thys I cannot but see, that I haue greate cause to thanke thee whiche arte so carefull ouer me, as by thys commaundemente I well see.

But alas (good lorde) what shall I saye, whiche am and haue bene so farre from thankefullnesse that I am to be accompted amongest the most vnthankfull: yea y^u knowest it good lorde. Fylthely haue I broken thys lawe, & caused other so to doe, of whose repentaunce I am vncer­tain: as also my tonge alas hath oftē ben to shamfully exercised, mynetes & my thoughts to wickedly abused.

All this geare I haue encreased by myne intemperauncye in catynge, drinkinge, cherishingemy bodye &c. [Page] I haue also hurt my bodyly health, minished that whiche I and others should lyue on, and horribly hindred all good prayers, and meditations: wherin though I haue time & place, yet alas I nothing exercise my selfe as I should doe.

By reason whereof, I haue deser­ued euerlasting damnatiō. Oh good lorde and gratious father, doe thou for thy names sake and in Christes bloud, pardon me and forgeue me I besech thee, & as thou hast most mercifully hitherto spared me: so of thy mercy put awaye my trespasses, & the transgressions of those whom I haue caused to synne: let that loue which moued thee to pardon Iudas with Thamar, Dauid, Berthsabe, and the greate synner, of whom we reade in S. Luke, moue thee to par­done Luk 7. and forgeue me also. Thou ga­uest this commaundemente to thys ende that I might knowe my sinne and sinnefull nature and so thereby be driuen to thy Christ crucified, for whose sake I aske mercy, & also that thy good spirit maye be geuen vnto [Page] me to purifie me and worke so in me and with me, that I may trewelye know, hartly loue, & faithfully obey this thy holy precept inwardly and outwardly now and for euer Amen. Gracious good lord, graunt to me & my wife that we may dwel together accordinge to knowledge, and maye kepe our vessells in holines: graunt (Oh lord) that we may be pure and vndestled: and graunt the same to al that be married, and to them which be vnmarried graunt, that they may liue a pure, chast, and vndefyled life, and if they haue not the gifte of sin­glenes of life, graunt them such ma­kes with whom they may liue holy­ly to thy praise. Deare father geue me the gifte of Sobrietie and Tem­perauncy, and graunt the same to al them whom thou woldest I shoulde praye for. As in times paste I haue vsed my tounge and other mem­bers euell, so nowe good lorde graunt that I maye vse them well, chastly and godlye. This I prays thee graunt through Iesus Chryst, and finally (Oh lorde) bothe in soule [Page] and body sanctifie me, and as in thy temple dwell in me nowe and fore­uer more Amen.

Thou shalt not steale.

NOwe that thou hast taught me the seruice required of thee for me to obserue towards the per­sonages of all men and women of e­uery conditiō: thou beginnest to tell me what thou woldest I shoulde doe concerninge their goodes: and as in the nexte commaundemente before this thou dyddest cōmaūde vnto me sobrietie & purenes, so doest thou in this Iustice and rightuousnes, for­bydding me to steale. Under the whiche word y^u comprehendest al kindes of desceite. The which thing y^u doest because y^u woldest that I shuld geue my selfe wholy to the studie and ex­ercise of Iustice, as in the precepts next going before, y^u woldest I shuld geue ouer my selfe wholy to the ke­ping of sobrietie & purenes. So that I see thy good pleasure herein is not that I sheuld alonely abstaine from [Page] al thefte: but also from al fraude and craft in word or dede, yea y^t I should earnestly folow and exercise all equitie, trueth and Iustice.

By reason whereof I see my selfe much bound to praise thee which art so carful ouer mi goods & substaūce, that if any man should goe about to steale from me, or to defraud me in any thig, yea whosoeuer goeth not about to kepe & care for that I haue as he woulde doe for his owne, the same displeaseth the.

Oh lord if thou hast such care for my goodes, cattell, and such pelfe, how greate is thy care for my soule? If this one commaūdement were not, I perceaue as I for my owne parte shuld haue done and doe much worse then I haue done: so much worse had bene done to me and mine then hath ben. It is y^u good lorde (I perceaue) that hast both geuē me al y^t I haue, and also still conseruest and keepest the same, and not my owne poly­cye, wysedome and industrye, for in vaine were al this, excepte y^u diddest [Page] vouchsafe to vse & take it as a meane to worke by. There is nothing therfore that I haue but when soeuer I loke vpon it, by this commaunde­ment I learne thy goodnes, strength and power, for as thou geuest it of thy mercy, so it speaketh to me that presently y^u still doest kepe it for me: so that exceding great cause haue I to thanke thee for this precept dere god and most gracious lord.

But alas I am so farre from thank­fulnes (as alwaies I haue bene for all thy care for me and for all that e­uer thou haste geuen vnto me) that as I haue vsed subtelty and crafte, yea some times thefte and briberye: so nowe (good lorde) I still when oc­casiō is offered, do exercise the same. I liue also voluptuously of y^t y^u hast geuen & lent me, & nothing consider what equitie requireth, and what or how great the necessitie of the poore is, whom I doe thus defraude by excesse and prodigalitie. That whiche I borowe, I with vnwillingnes doe repaye, I vse it more negligentlye then I wold do myn owne. Lacke of [Page] excommunicatiō, of Iustice, y^e great vsery, robberie, oppression and such like wickednes as is exercised amonges vs I lament not, labour not after my vocation for the redresse of the same, I pray not to thee therea­bout, but neglecte altogether.

Yea euen those things wherewith I am put in trust, or am hirid to do, those (I say) I doe with great negli­gence, so that great is my sinne here in and worthy I am of damnation. But mercifull god I besech thee for Christes sake, to haue mercye vpon me, and to pardon me my vnthank­fulnes, theftes, fraudes, deceytes, a­uarice, neglegences & great careles­nes for y^e lacke of Iustice & for y^e mō struouse oppression, vseries, excesse, riot, the which be horribly exercised in y^e commō weale. For thy mercies sake in Christ Iesus (o lord) whom y^u haste geuen to fullfyll the lawe for them that doe beleue, geue me trew faith and thy holy spirite, to worke in me the knowledge, loue and per­petuall obedience of this thy holye precept and all other thy commaun­dements [Page] for euer.

Deare lord geue vnto me and to all whom y^u woldest I shoulde pray for, the hatred of al craft, and loue of all Iustice, graunt to the oppressed thy comfort, to wrongers repentaunce, to theues and deceiuers, y^t they may make restitutiō, to iustices of peace, land lords & the rich of the world, y^t thei may haue thee before their eies, loue their poore tenants & brethren, to laborers & artificers y^t they maye be diligent in their worke & labour [...] that wherw^t they are put in trust.

Thou shalte not beare false witnes a­gainst thy neighbour.

NOw doest y^u (most gratioꝰ lord) instruct me in this commaunde­ment how I shuld vse my ton [...] towards my neighbor & behaue my self concerning his name, forbidding me to beare false witnes: in y^e which y^u forbiddest me all kinds of slaunde­ring, lying, hipocricy & vntrueth. And why? because as members of one bodie, thou woldeste we shoulde speak [...] [Page] trueth one to another, and be careful euery one to couer others infirmity, and w^t oure toūge defend the names of others, euē as we wold that other should defend ours. So that in thys commaundement, as y^u forbiddest me all kind of euell, parelous, calumni­ous, and vntrewe speaking: so doest thou commaunde to me all kinde of godlye, honeste and trewe reporte and talke.

By reason whereof I haue greate cause to praise thee, in that I se thee to be so carefull ouer my name, that all men are by thee commaunded to defend y^e same. O pretioꝰ god, great is thy care ouer my soule I nowe perceiue. If this commaundemente were not, I se, as I shuld haue done & doe much worse with my toūge to others then is hapened, so shoulde I haue felte of others towards me.

Besydes this no small commodi­tie is it to me that thou wouldeste all men shoulde vse treweth in all thire wordes to me.

Oh howe greate a good thynge is [Page] this vnto me? If we consider y^e hurt y^e cōmeth by vntrueth & by wordes, where through many are deceiued: easly may wese a wonderful benifit and care of thee for vs in this com­maundement.

But (gracious lorde) like as I ac­knowledge my vnthankfullnes to be monstrouse and great & alwaies hathe bene hetherto: Euen so yet continue I in wonderfull hipocrisie in all my conuersation, often lying, and speaking as vainely so offensi­uely, fleshly subtelly, calūniously, & geuig my eares to here such things as be slaūderously spokē, not repug­ninge or admonishing other: as the slaunderer to doe as he wold be done by, to tel his tale where he shuld tel it: neither admonishing the partys slaundered of y^t whiche is reported of him, thereby to take better heede, but rather I augment it. By reason whereof I haue deserued eternall damnation.

But thou (good lord) be mercyfull vnto me I beseche thee for Christes sake, whom y^u hast ordained to be the [Page] ende of the lawe to all them that doe beleue, as well for pardone of that which is past, as for not imputinge the imperfection that remaineth. In his name therfore (good lorde) I be­sech thee to pardon me, and geue me thy holye spirite to open to me this lawe and all other thy preceptes, so to vnderstand them, that I may hartely loue them & faithfully geue my self to the obediēce of them for euer. Graunt me thy good spirit to sancti­fie my tonge that it may be kept frō lying, slaundering & al such vices, & that it maye be continually vsed in thy seruice, and speakinge that which may be to edifie, to thy glory and praise through Ie­sus Christ oure lorde. Amen.