The principles of Christian Religion necessary to be knowen of all the faythful: set forth to the great profite in trayning vp of all youth, by Tho. Becon.

To the most gentle and godly disposed childe, M. Thomas Cecill, sonne to the right honourable Syr Williā Cecill Knight, and Secretary to the Kings Maiestie, Thomas Becon wisheth the fauour of God, with the encrease of vertue and learning.

II of holy letters we be not sleepie nor vaine readers, but diligētly marke what we read, we shall easilie perceaue that among other commaun∣dementes of God, this is not the last nor the least, which he geueth cōcer∣ning the bringing vp of youth in y^• know∣ledge of his blessed will. For y^• godly wise∣dome knoweth right well, that except the younglinges of a common weale be vertu∣ously brought vp, and faithfully framed, ac∣cording to the right rule of Gods holy ap∣pointment, it can not come to passe, but that his glory (the good parentes being once deceased) must needes bee obscured in thys world, the inuocation of his name cease, and all godly religion decay: yea the men them selues (if they bee worthy that name) must needes become brutelike, and be caryed a∣bout with euery straunge doctrine, cōtemne all laudable lawes, breake all good orders, follow their fleshly appetites lyke vnreaso∣nable

beastes, & so at last bring both thēsel∣ues & their realmes vnto vtter destruction.

Therfore as God in his holy law requi∣reth of parentes nothing more earnestly thē to bring vp their children vertuously, and according to his word: so likewise all god∣ly fathers and mothers, haue euer from the beginning done their vttermost endeuour to traine vp their younglinges, euen from the very cradells, in the nurture, feare, and doctrine of the Lord, supposing them selues then best to please God, and most to doe the true office of godly and naturall parentes, when they studie how to garnish, not theyr childrens bodies with gay and sumptuous vestures, but their mindes with noble and precious vertues, not bow to lift them vp to transitory dignities & worldly honours, which as dayly experiēce teacheth, are more brittle then glasse, and fade away lyke the grasse, but how to make them honourable and prayse worthy in the sight of good mē, and profitable to the cōmon weale, through vertue, learning, wisedome, and counsell. And the more the parentes them selues did excell other in knowledge, wisedome, and learning, the greater desire had they to bring their children vnto the lyke perfection, bea∣ring heauily, that theirs shoulde in any poynt degenerate from their fathers ver∣tues, and not orderly aunswere to the god∣ly qualities of their noble parentes. Histo∣ries

both godly and Ethnicke, doe mini∣ster vnto vs examples aboundantly in this behalfe, which I would here gladly recite, if I had not attempted the lyke enterprise already in my preface to the Gouernance of Vertue. Againe, if I were not fully perswa∣ded, that you haue heretofore both red and also heard of your teacher the same, or els the like histories.

Your right honourable and most wor∣thy father, knowing the good pleasure of God in thys behalfe, hath also after the ex∣ample of all other noble & godly parentes, painfully trauailed, both by him self and by learned teachers, to bring you vp, euen frō your cradell, in the knowledge of Gods will, and of good letters, that you might, as in age, so likewise in vertue and learning, grow and encrease vnto hys comfort, vnto your owne commendation, & vnto the pro∣fite of the common weale hereafter. And as your father is learned, and hath a brest stuf∣fed with all godly vertues, so is hys desire to haue you both learned & vertuous, that when he shall geue ouer to nature (God so disposing) hee may leaue behinde hym hys owne image, yea, as I may so speake, hym selfe, not onely in lineamentes of body, but also in vertue, in godlines, in wisedome, in knowledge, and by thys meanes bee coun∣ted of hys posteritie, a worthy member of the common weale, both in him selfe and 〈◊〉〈◊〉

hys sonne. It is your dutie therfore to sa∣tisfie the good desire of so naturall a father, and to aunswere the expectation of many, which looke to finde in you hereafter, that vertue, learning, wisedome, and grauitie, that is euidently perceaued in your most worthy father. Thys shall bee brought to passe, if according to your beginning ye goe forth diligently to call on the name of God, to applie your mind to good letters, to giue eare to the wholsome admonicions of your most deare father, and to take heede to the daily exhortations of your teacher, euer fra∣myng your life according to your know∣ledge. And that ye may do this the more cō∣ueniently, I geue you thys little treatise, which shall aboundauntly instructe you in those pointes of Christian Religion, which at thys present do most of all become your age. In it are cōtained the principles of our profession, which I haue so opened with the conference of the other scriptures, that they may worthily seeme to striue with large Cōmentaries: I haue also set forth the du∣ties of all estates and degrees, as they bee ••aught in Gods word, that all ages, and all kindes of people, may here learne to know their dutie, both toward God & hys neigh∣bour. Neyther is any thyng taught in thys treatise, that is not sufficiently fortressed with the authorities of the holy scriptures: so that I doubt not, but the godly learned

which loue to heare the voyce of their shep∣heard Christ, wil not disallow this my dili∣gence. Let other intreate of hie misteries, & clime vp to the hiest heauen, I shall be con∣tent to write of thinges according to my knowledge, and your capacitie, & to creepe vpon the ground. Let other talke of the vn∣knowen secretes of the blessed trinitie, of predestination, of the state of the soules de∣parted. &c. I will speake of the Articles of the Christian ••ayth, of the Lordes prayer, of the x. Cōmaundementes, of the Sacramēts of Christes church. &c. Let other be counted y^• flowers of learning, for opening, I know not how secrete mysteries, I force not to be called vnlearned, so y^• I may know Christ crucified, and in teaching him, eyther by my writinges or sermons, winne some vnto God. But to end, embrace vertue, loue lear∣ning, garnish your brest with the fruites of Gods spirite, be not idle, flie vaine and too much childishe pastimes, spend your tyme fruitfully, exercise your self in reading gods worde: so shall God blesse you, multiplie your yeares on earth, and geue you ioyfull dayes, vnto the great com∣fort of your self, and the singu∣lar ioy of your honourable parentes, whō with you I wishe alway pro∣sperously to do.

Fare ye well.