Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 2, part 2] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

¶The exhortation of Robert Smith, vnto his children, commonly set out in the name of mai∣ster Rogers.

GEue eare my children to my words, Whome God hath dearely bought: Lay vp my law within your harte, And print it in your thought.* 1.1 For I your father haue foreseene The frayle and filthy way, Which flesh and bloud would follow fayne, Euen to theyr owne decay. For all and euery liuing beast, Their crib do know full well: But Adams heyres aboue the rest, Are ready to rebell:* 1.2 And all the creatures on the earth, Full well can keepe their way: But man aboue all other beastes,* 1.3 is apte to go astray. For earth and ashes is his strength, His glory and his rayne: And vnto ashes at the length, Shall he returne agayne.* 1.4 For flesh doth florish like a flower, And grow vp like a grasse, And is consumed in an houre, As it is brought to passe. In me the Image of your yeares, Your treasure and your trust: Whome ye do see before your face, Dissolued into dust. For as you see your fathers fleshe. conuer••ed into clay: Euen so shall ye my children deare. Consume and weare away. The sonne and moone and eke the starres That serue the day and night:* 1.5 The earth and euery earthly thing, Shalbe consumed quite. And all the worship that is wrought That haue bene heard or seene: Shall cleane consume and come to naught,* 1.6 Ar it had neuer bene. Therefore that ye may follow me: Your Father and your frend, And enter into that same lyfe, Which neuer shall haue end, I leaue you heare a little book, For you to looke vpon:* 1.7 That you may see your Fathers face, When I am dead and gone. Who for the hope of heauenly thinges, While he dyd here remayne* 1.8 Gaue ouer all his golden yeares, In prison and in payne. Where I among myne iron bandes, Enclosed in the darcke A few dayes before my death, Did dedicate this worke. To you myne heyres of earthly thinges Which I haue left behynde: That ye may read and vnderstand, And keepe it your minde, That as you haue bene heyres of that, Which once shall weare away: Euen so ye may possesse the parte, Which neuer shall decay. In following of your fathers foote, In truth and eke in loue: That ye may also be his heyres, For euermore aboue.* 1.9 And in example to your youth, To whome I wish all good, I preache you here a perfite fayth And seale it with my bloud. Haue God alwayes before your eyes,* 1.10 In all your whole ententes: Commit not sinne in any wise, Keepe his commaundementes. Abhorre that errant whoore of Rome, And all her blasphemies: And drincke not of her decretals, Nor yet of her decrees. Geue honour to your mother deare,* 1.11 Remember well her payne: And recompence her in her age▪

In lyke with loue agayne. Be alwayes ayding at her hand, And let her not decay: Remember well your fathers fall, That should haue bene her stay. Geue of your portion to the poore, As riches doth arise: * 1.12And from the needy naked soule, Turne not away your eyes. For he that will not heare the cry, Of such as are in neede: Shall cry himselfe, and not be heard, * 1.13When he would hope to speede. If God haue geuen you great encrease, And blessed well your store▪ Remember ye are put in trust, * 1.14To minister the more. Beware of foule and filthy lust, Let whoredome haue no place: Keepe cleane your vessels in the Lord, * 1.15That he may you embrace. Ye are the temples of the Lord, * 1.16For ye are dearely bought: And they that do defile the same, Shall surely come to nought. Possesse not pride in any case, Build not your neastes to hye: But haue alwayes before your face, That ye be borne to dye. Defraud not him that hyred is, Your labours to sustayne: But geue him alwayes out of hand, His penny for hys payne. And as ye would that other men * 1.17Agaynst you should proceede Do ye the same agayne to them When they do stand in neede. And part your portion with the poore In mony and in meate And feede the faynted feeble soule, * 1.18With that which ye should eate, That when your mēbers lacketh meate * 1.19And clothing to your backe: Ye may the better thinke on them That now do liue and lacke Aske counsell at the wise, Geue eare vnto the end. Refuse not you the sweete rebuke Of hym that is your frend: Be thankefull alwayes to the Lord, * 1.20With prayer and with prayse. Desire you him in all your deedes, For to direct your wayes: And sinne not like that swinish sorte Whose bellies beyng fed, Consume theyr yeares vpon the earth From belly vnto bed. Seeke first I say the liuing God * 1.21Set him alwayes before: And then be sure that he will blesse Your basket and your store. And thus if you direct your dayes, * 1.22According to this booke, Then shall they say that see your wayes, How lyke me you do looke And when you haue so perfectly, * 1.23Vpon your fingers endes: Possessed all within your booke, Then geue it to your frendes. And I beseeche the liuing God, Replenish you with grace, That I maye haue you in the heauens, And see you face to face. And though the sword haue cut me off, Contrary to my kinde, That I could not enioy your loue, According to my minde, Yet do I hope when that the heauens, * 1.24Shall vanish like a scrole: I shall receaue your perfect shape, In body and in soule. And that I may enioy your loue, And ye enioy the land: I do beseeche the liuing God, To holde you in hys hand, Fare well my children from the world Where ye must yet remayne: The Lorde of hostes be your defence, Till we do meete againe, Fare well my loue and louing wife, My Children and my frendes: I hope to God to haue you all, When all thinges haue their endes. And if you doe abide in God, As ye haue now begonne: Your course I warrant will be short, Ye haue not farre to runne, God graunt you so to end your yeares As he shall thinke it best: That ye may enter into heauen, Where I do hope to rest.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Prob, 5.
• * 1.2

  Esay. 1.
• * 1.3

  Sapien. 2.
• * 1.4

  Genes. 3.
• * 1.5

  ••. Peter, 3.
• * 1.6

  Sapien. 13.
• * 1.7

  Iohn. 7.
• * 1.8

  1. Corin. 2.
• * 1.9

  1. Tobi. 11.
• * 1.10

  Iohn. 9.
• * 1.11

  Apoc. 14. Exodu••. 22▪ Math. 15.
• * 1.12

  Math. 25.
• * 1.13

  2 Cor 9.
• * 1.14

  Luke. 12.
• * 1.15

  Iohn. 1.
• * 1.16

  2. Cor. 6.
• * 1.17

  Math. 7.
• * 1.18

  Heb. 13. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 13.
• * 1.19

  Math. 6.
• * 1.20

  Math. 6.
• * 1.21

  Prou. 4.
• * 1.22

  Si••••••. 30.
• * 1.23

  Tobi. 3.
• * 1.24

  2. Pet. 3.