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.

☜Probations out of the holy Scriptures.

¶Of Doctrine.

Goe vp vnto y^• hie hill,* 1.1 thou that bringest good tidinges: lift vp thy voyce with power, O thou prea∣cher: lift it vp, and be not afraide.

Cry now as loud as y^• canst:* 1.2 leaue not of: lift vp thy voice like a trum∣pet, & shew my people their offēces, and y^• house of Iacob their sinnes.

I haue set watchmen vpon thy walles (O Ierusalem) which shall neuer cease day nor night to preach the Lorde.* 1.3

Behold,* 1.4 I put my wordes in thy mouth: & behold, this day do I set thee ouer y^• people and kingdomes,

that thou mayest roote out, breake of, destroy, & make waste, and that thou mayest build vp and plant.

Thou sonne of mā, I haue made thee a watchman vnto the house of Israell:* 1.5 therfore take good heede to the wordes of my mouth, and geue them warning at my commaunde∣ment. If I say vnto thee cōcerning the vngodly man, that (without doubt) he must die, and thou geuest him not warning, nor speakest vn∣to hym y^• he may turne from hys e∣uill way, & so to liue, then shall the same vngodly man die in hys own vnrighteousnes: but his bloud will I require of thy hand. Neuerthe∣les, if thou geue wa••ning vnto the wicked, and he yet forsake not hys vngodlines, then shall he die in hys own wickednes: but thou hast dis∣charged thy soule.

If thou louest me,* 1.6 fede my shepe. Woe vnto me,* 1.7 if I preach not

the Gospell.

We preach not our selues,* 1.8 but Iesus Christ our Lord.

We are not as the most part are,* 1.9 which chop and chaunge with the word of God: but out of purenes, and by the power of God, in y^• sight of God, so speake we in Christ.

Though we our selues,* 1.10 or an an∣gell from heauen, preach any other Gospell vnto you, then that which we haue preached vnto you, let him be accursed.

A Bishop must be apt to teach.* 1.11

Geue attendance to reading,* 1.12 to exhortation, to doctrine.

Preach thou y^• word:* 1.13 be ••eruent in season, & out of season: improue, rebuke, exhort with all long suffe∣ring and doctrine.

¶Of life and conuersation.

God sayd to the vngodly:* 1.14 Why doost thou preach my lawes, & ta∣kest my testament in thy mouth:

Seing thou hatest to be reformed, & hast cast my words behind thee?

When as y^• sawest a theefe, thou cōsentedst vnto him: and hast bene partaker with the adulterers.

Who soeuer doth and teacheth,* 1.15 the same shall be called great in the kingdome of heauen.

Be vnto them that beleue,* 1.16 an en∣sample, in worde, in cōuersation, in loue, in spirite, in fayth, in purenes.

Keepe thy selfe pure.* 1.17

Studie to shew thy selfe lauda∣ble vnto God,* 1.18 a workmā that nee∣deth not to be ashamed, distribu∣ting the word of truth iustly.

In all thinges shew thy selfe an ensample of good workes in y^• doc∣trine,* 1.19 with honestie, grauitie, and with the wholesome worde, which can not be rebuked, that he which withstandeth, may be ashamed, ha∣uing no euill thing to say of you.

Feede ye Christes flocke,* 1.20 as much

as lieth in you, taking y^e ouersight of them, not as cōpelled therto, but willingly: not for y^e desire of filthy luker, but of a good minde: not as though ye were Lordes ouer y^e pa∣rishes, but that ye be an ensample to the flocke. And when y^e chief shepe∣heard shall appeare, ye shal receaue an incorruptible crowne of glory.

¶Of Hospitalitie.

Distribute vnto y^• necessitie of the Sainctes.* 1.21 Be ready to harbour.

A Bishop must be a maintayner of hospitalitie.* 1.22

Forget not hospitalitie:* 1.23 for ther∣by haue diuers mē lodged Angels vnwares.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Esa. xl.
• * 1.2

  Esa. lviij.
• * 1.3

  Esa. lxij.
• * 1.4

  Iere. j.
• * 1.5

  Ezech. iij.
• * 1.6

  ••ohn. xxj.
• * 1.7

  ••. Cor. ix.
• * 1.8

  ij. Cor. iiij.
• * 1.9

  ij. Cor. ij.
• * 1.10

  Gala. j.
• * 1.11

  j. Tim. iij.
• * 1.12

  j. Tim. iiij.
• * 1.13

  ij. Tim. iiij
• * 1.14

  Psal. l.
• * 1.15

  Mat. v.
• * 1.16

  j. Tim. iiij.
• * 1.17

  j. Tim. v.
• * 1.18

  ij. Tim. ij.
• * 1.19

  Titus. ij.
• * 1.20

  j. Pet. ••.
• * 1.21

  Rom. xij.
• * 1.22

  j. Tim. iij.
• * 1.23

  Heb. xiij.