Vnto the humble and
simple schollers in Christes schoole.
I a poore scholler and the most simplest,
sendeth these my humble
and faithfull salutations,
as followeth.
IF the holy Prophet of our
God King Dauid coulde
say, that trembling and
feare was come on him,
because the wicked did set
light the law of God. Oh what feare &
trembling ought now to be in these our
last dayes, & daungerous times, that fro~
the pessant vnto the Prophet, all, Oh
almost all are become either Atheistes,
Papists, Epicures, belly goddes, or else
bee settled in that pestilent chayre of
scorners, deriders, dehorters or daunters
of such as eyther professe, teache, or
preach the trueth. But if either the lawe
of God were feared, or our faith in Iesus
Christ throughly grounded, or his
holy worde or Gospell embraced, or
prayers to God pearced, or loue among
brethren practised, or Christ and his
preachers any thing esteemed, then
should not our Prince, peace, & countrey

A.iiii.

bee cominazed or threatned, neither
wee that liue in these daungerous
dayes be so much louers of our selues,
yea onely selfe louers, and care neither
for Gods law, beleeue Christes Gospell,
prayer, Prince, Countrey, brethren,
Kindred, Councell, Cominations nor
threatnings from the almightie. Who
woulde not therefore nowe feare, yea
tremble, quiuer, & roare for very griefe
of hart, to see those that seme to be gods
children, to lick of the butter fro~ Gods
word, and cast the bread vnto the dogs,
I meane feede the~selues with the fleece,
and cast the holy worde at their tayles,
or giue the fleece vnto such dogs that
can not barke, and the holy bread vnto
such that cannot tell howe to breake it,
nor to whom to giue it, and therefore
they feede themselues and sterue Gods
children. If a lord or king exalt a poore
man and make him his steward and put
him in credite & trust with his treasure,
and then commaund him vpon paine
of his high displeasure, dayly to bestow
it on his owne children his heires kings
and princes: If then this exalted steward,
keepe that treasure and portion
vnto himselfe, and vse it at his owne
pleasure, and sterue the young kings &
princes. Will not thinke you this lord
and King when he seeth his steward
hath set so light his straight charge and
commaundement: take this steward &
cast him in his wrath into prison, and
there let him perish without either pittie
or compassion. Yes verily. Euen so
will our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ,
the King of kings, and Lorde of lordes
deale with all such stewardes that hee
hath giuen any portion vnto, in this
world, from the highest vnto the lowest,
if they vse it at their owne will, but
especially vnto al those, whom he hath
giuen that excellent treasure his holy
worde to distribute the bread of life,
which licke of that butter and cast the
holy bread vnto dogges: and so prouoke
our good God in his wrath to
take away from vs the sweete bread of
life, the finest of the crop, and giue vs in
his wrath the course, olde, and sower
bread, that papisticall sower, rotten leauen
of the Pharisies, fit for dogges and
beastes of this word, but yee beloued
let vs drop downe like water, & patientely
abyde our good Gods leasure, vntill
he hath tried vs in this his fornace, vnto
good and perfit gold. For he hath promised
that he will neuer forsake his little
worme Iacob, & wil also remember
poore Ioseph, for the more misery that
gods childre~ hath, the nerer is their ioy.
As for example, the more was Caynes
crueltie, the nearer was Abels ioy. The
more Noe was scorned, the sooner by
the deluge he was deliuered. The more
that Lot was threatned, the sooner hee
was rescued. The more that Ioseph was
imprisoned, the sooner to a kingdome
he was exalted. The more Moses & the
children were perplexed, the sooner the
red sea gaue place for their deliuerance.
The more bitterer was Christs passion,
the sweeter and firmer was our saluation.
Therefore to conclude he that will
raigne with Christ, must suffer with
Christ, for by and through many tribulations,
wee must enter into the kingdome
of heauen. To the which
God of his mercy for Christes
sake bring vs all.
Amen.