A diamonde most precious, worthy to be marked instructing all maysters and seruauntes, how they ought to leade their lyues, in that uocation which is fruitfull, and necessary, as well for the maysters, as also for the seruants, agreeable vnto the holy Scriptures. Reade me ouer, and then iudge, if I be not well, then grudge: thinke well of him that mee made, for Gods worde shall neuer fade.

¶ A generall prayer for all men, to walke in their vocation and calling.

FOr as much, O heauenly Father, as both thy honor, and dishouour, after a certayne manner, depen∣deth in this world, eyther of our Godlye or wicked lyfe, if we lyue well, thy very aduersaryes shall be compelled to glorifye thee, but if our lyfe be vngodlye, so shalte thou be dishonoured among the wicked and euill spoken of, through our synfull lyuing, and because we should not walke inordinately and so prouoke the enimies of thy truth to raile on thee, and to blaspheme thy holy name, thou hast apoynted in thy blessed law, certain honest and godly states and degrees, wherin thy peo∣ple should lyue, and hast straightlye commaun∣ded, that so many as professe thee & thy holye word, should contynue in the same, and euerye one according to his vocation and calling, and by no meanes leade a dissolute lyfe, after the maner of the Heathen, which know not God, that by well doing, the professoures of thy holy religion, may not only stop the mouthes of foo∣lish and ignorant people, but also prouoke them to glorifye thee our Lord in the daye of vysyta∣cion. We knowing our infyrmitie and weake∣nesse, which is great, and vnable to be redee∣med

of our natural strength, and free wil, that we are not able to think a good thought, much lesse for to fulfyll thy commandements, which thou haste strayghtly commaunded to be kept, and wishing the glorye of thy moste glorious name, and the accomplishment of thy heauenly will: Most humbly, and from the very hart, be∣seech thee therefore, for Iesus Christ his sake, for to indue vs with thy holy spirit, which may fulfill that lacketh in vs, make vs newe Crea∣tures, trade vs in the path of thy holy law, and geue vs grace to walke according to our voca∣tion, in feare, and in obedience of thy good wil, that we admit nothing that in any poynt may hinder thy glory, and thy honour, deface thy name, and cause thee to be euill spoken of a∣mong the vngodly, and that this may come to passe, graunt O most mercifull Father, that e∣uery one of vs, from the highest to the lowest, may vnfaynedly aunswere to our calling, and frame our lyues according to thy blessed will, vnto the glory of thy name, that whatsoeuer we doe in worde or deede, we may do al things in the name of the Lord Iesu, geuing thanks to thee, God the Father, through him. Graunt that all temporall Rulers may vse their office iustly and godly, seeke not onely to be feared, but also to be beloued, to mayntayne the good, and to punish the euil, accept no person in iudg∣ment, alone no false accusation, shed no inno∣cent

bloud. Here the small as wel as the great, receyue no brybes, set forth thy glory, aduaunce thy holy worde, promote thy faythfull prea∣chers in all their doinges, seeke the profyte of the common weale, and so behaue themselues, they may be foūd worthy officers in thy sight: Graunt that the subiects may shewe all reue∣rent submissyon to their Rulers, obay them in all thinges, be faythfull and true to them, yea, that not only for feare of punishmente, but also for conscience sake.

Graunt that the Bishops, & Preachers of thy worde, and all other spirituall Ministers may take hede to thēselues, & to all the flock in that which the holy Ghost hath appoynted them o∣uerseers, to feede the holy congregation, which thy dearely beloued sonne purchased with hys precious blood, & take the ouersyght of thē, not as though they were compelled, but willingly, not for the desyre of fylthy lucre, but of a good mynde, not as Lords ouer their parishioners, but that they be an ensample vnto the Flocke: Graunt they may lay asyde all Tyranny, and hautynesse of mynd, and walke with all gen∣tlenesse, and tender compassyon towards the sheepe of Christ, committed to their cure and charge, let them be as most louing Fathers to Christes flock, & if any of the sheepe chaunce to runne astray, and go out of the way, let them not therefore be vngentlye intreated, but as it is

the offyce of a good Sheaphearde, by fayre meanes, call them home agayn vnto the shepe∣folde, seeking rather their saluation, then their destruction, let them remember the Hystory of the loste Sheepe, and consyder how tenderly the head Sheaphearde Christ thy sonne and our Lord, fetch it home agayne, euen vpon his shoulders, for the seruant of the Lord may not fight, but peaceably and gently towardes all men; ready to teach, suffering the euill with meekenesse, informing men that resysteth. If at any time thou (O God) mayst giue them re∣pentaunce to know the truth, let them caste a∣way vngodlynesse and old wyues fables, rea∣ching them thy heauenly worde, purely and truelye, and be vnto them that beleeue an ex∣ample in the word, in conuersation, in loue, in spright, in fayth, in purenesse.

Let them giue attendaunce vnto reading, to exhortacion, to doctryne. Let them studye to shewe themselues in thy sight, lyke worke∣men worthy of prayse, euen suche as neede not bee ashamed, as in Preaching thy ho∣lye worde, and so lykewyse in mayntayning: distributing to the poore, in feding the hungry with meate, in cloathing the naked, in lodging of the harborlesse, in nourishing Godlye and learned men, that they may be pastors, and fee∣ders both in word & indeed, grant againe that

the Parishioners may reuerence the Bishoppe and other spiritual ministers, giuing them no lesse honour, then the chyld giueth to the Fa∣ther, remember that they be Aungels of God: the Messengers of Christe: the lighte of the world: the salte of the earth: the dispensers of the misteries of God: the feders of their soules: the comforters of the weake: the Phisitions of the sicke: the vpholders of the whole: the exhor∣ters vnto vertue: the frayers away from vyce: which watch contynuallye for the health of their soules, worke in the harts of al them that be instructed with thy worde, such a tender loue and good will towardes the Ministers that teach them, that the may giue vnto them aboundauntly all good thinges, whereby the Preachers may be the more able not onelye to nourrish their family, but also maintayne Hos∣pitality, for the releefe and comfort of the pore. For who goeth a warfare at any tyme at his owne coste? who planteth a vineyarde and ea∣teth not of the fruite? who feedeth a flocke, and eateth not of the mylke? if the Preachers sow vnto their parishioners, spirituall thinges, it is a great thing, if they repe their eternal things. O Lord that they which preache thy Gospell, should lyue of the Gospell: moreouer, graunt that the husbands loue their wyues, as their owne bodyes, and not to be bitter, churlish, or vnkynde vnto them, but geue honoure to them

as to the weaker vessell, which are fellowe heyres vnto them of lyfe: Lykewyse, graunt that the wyues be in subiection to their owne husbandes as vnto the Lorde, in all thinges, and so behaue themselues as becommeth wo∣men, of an honest lyfe, and a godly conuersa∣tion. Geue them grace to araye themselues in comely apparell with shamefastnesse, and dis∣creete behauyour, not with brodered heare, or golde or pearle, or costly aray, but such as it be∣commeth women that professe Godlynesse, through good workes: Let the inwarde man of the harte, be vncorrupt, with a meeke and a quyet sprighte before thee (O God) is much set by, for after this manner in the olde tyme, dyd the holy women that trusted in GOD, tyre themselues, and were obedient to their owne husbandes, euen Sara obeyed Abraham, and called hun Lord, whose daughters ye are that be marryed women, so long as you doe well. Graunt that the Fathers and Mothers maye not rate their children, least they bee of a despe∣rate mynde, but bring them vp in nurtour and information of our Lord GOD: graunt also the children to obey their parents, in al things, and honour them: Graunte that all maysters maye doe vnto their seruauntes that which is iust, and equal, putting away all threatnings: and know that they haue also a maister in hea∣uen, with whome there is no respect of per∣sons.

Graunt also that the seruauntes be obe∣dient to their bodily Maysters, in all thinges, with feare & trembling, in singlenesse of harr, as vnto Christ, not with eye seruice onely, in the eye sight, as men pleasers, but as the Ser∣uauntes of Christ, doing thy will (O God) e∣uen from the harte with good will. Giue them grace also to consyder, that they serue the Lord and not men, and therefore they may bee sure, that whatsoeuer a good man doth, he shall re∣ceiue agayne of the Lorde, whether they bee bonde or free. Furthermore, graunt O moste mercifull father, that the Elder men maye bee sober, honest, discreete, sounde in fayth, in loue and pacience, the elder women lyke wyse, graunt that they be in such rayment as becom∣meth holynesse, not false accusers, not geuen to muche drinking, but teachers of honest thinges, to make the yong women sober myn∣ded, to loue their husbands, to loue their Chil∣dren, to be discreete, chaste, huswyuely, good and obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not euill spoken of. Graunte also that the yong men be sober mynded, and of an honeste conuersation. To conclude, graunte that euerye one that professe thy glo∣ryous name, they may so lyue, and behaue themselues both in thought, worde, and deede, that nothing may proceede & come from them that should offend thy deuyne and most excel∣lent

Maiesty. Graunt also O most gentle and tender Father, that our light may so shyne be∣fore men, that they seeing our good workes, may gloryfye our Heauenly Father, with thy well beloued sonne Iesu Christ our Sauyour, and the holy Ghost, that most sweete comfor∣ter, to whome be all honour and glory for euer, and euer.

Amen.