An introduction to pietie and humanitie containing, first, a short catechisme for vnderstanding the grounds of religion: secondly, certaine briefe and effectuall rules for life and conuersation. Penned specially for the vse of the poore children of Christ's Hospitall in London: but generallie may serue for any other that would be instructed therein. By Gregorie Brovvne.

SHORT SAYINGS FOR FVR∣ther instruction of dutie towards God and man.

1. Towards God.

• LEarne to know God in his word.
• Beleeue in God and his promises.
• Feare God in his iudgements.
• Loue God in his mercies.
• Pray to him for grace.
• Praise him for his goodnes.
• Reade and heare his Word diligently.
• Loue and reuerence his Ministers.
• Frequent the places of prayer.
• Be careful often to heare the word preached
• Quench not the spirit dispise not prophesing
• Feare God & keepe his Commandements.

2. Towards our Superiours.

• Honor the King.
• Obey good lawes.
• Loue reuerence, & pray for the Magistrates,
• Pay all duties to thy power.
• Speake well of them in authoritie.
• If they be good, thanke God for them.
• If they be euill, pray for their amendement.
• Princes are as the glasse, the schoole the booke, where subiects eies, do reade, do learne, do looke Kings on earth are Ima∣ges of God in heauen,

3. Towards our Parents.

• Honor thy Parents.
• Reuerence their good counsell.
• Obey their good Commandements.
• Be subiect to their corrections.
• Be humble, reuerent, and dutifull to them.
• By good behauiour make them glad.
• By ill demeanor make them not sad.
• Deserue and seeke for their blessing.
• Deserue not their curse.
• Pray daily for them.
• Releeue them if they be in want.

4. Towards the aged.

• Reuerence the aged.
• Be dutifull to thy betters.
• Be humble and lowly to them.

• Be kinde and curteous to all.

5. Of familiaritie.

• Be friendly and familiar with the good.
• Keepe no company with the euill.
• Try before thou trust.
• Hinder no mans good name.
• Reioyce not in anothers crosse.
• Beare with others infirmities, that others may beare with thee.
• Reioyce with those that reioyce.
• Mourne with them that mourne.
• Be gētle & curteous to al, offensiue to none.

Of Anger.

• Be angrie against sin, but sin not.
• Appease debate, absteine from hate.
• If anger arise, let not sin surprise.
• Be not hard to be appeased.
• Be mercifull and pitifull.
• Be gentle and courteous.

6. Of Speech.

• Be slow to speake, especially euill.
• Be swift to heare good things.
• Thinke before thou speake.
• Speake aduisedly and truly.
• Speake not vainely and skurrillously.
• Answere aptly and mannerly.
• Keepe counsell committed vnto thee.
• Reueale not thy masters secrets.

• Reueale not thine owne to euery friend.
• Promise aduisedly.
• pay thy debts truly.
• Performe constantly.
• Be not rash and foole-hardie.
• Be not wise in thine owne conceipt.
• Be not arrogant.
• Striue not with thy ouer-match.
• Be at peace with vertue, & warre with vice.

7. Of learning and knowledge.

• Loue vertue and knowledge.
• Hate vice and ignorance.
• Haunt wise mens company.
• Shunne foolish society.
• Praier, hearing, and reading, increase know∣ledge, without knowledge the mind is not good.

8. Of thine estate.

• Maintaine thy selfe iustly.
• Liue in order.
• Liue within thy compasse.
• Be content with thine estate.
• Pouerty is no hinderance to vertue.
• Contented meane is greatest wealth.

9. Of Apparell.

• Be comely and cleane in thine apparell.
• Be not proud and curious.
• Be not slouenlike and rude.
• Be sober in gesture and gate.

• Be not idle and vaine.

10. Of Diet.

• Take heed of all excesse, for that is sinne.
• Be temperat in diet.
• Drinke moderatly, and eate soberly.
• Surfeting and drunkennes is a deadly sin.
• Abstinence is good for soule and body.

11. Of Recreation.

• Vse moderate exercises.
• Play not in any thing exceeding modestie and measure.
• Redeeme the time and leese it not.
• No greater losse then time, and nothing lesse accounted of.
• Neglected time, is follies chiefest signe.

12. Of the end.

• The true and best ende of all is the feare of God.
• ...When vertuous daies do end they are not done:
• ...But liue two liues, where others haue but one.
• In all beginnings remember the end.
• For to begin well is good, but to end well is better.
• ...Leud life is losse, good death felicity,
• ...The chiefest gaine, the end of misery.
• ...For that's not death to change the life and die:
• ...But that is death, which doth all ioyes deny.

• ... Then happy he, who doth in time prepare
• ...To die, to liue, the end of worldly care.

The end of all things is at hand; be sober therefore and watch vnto prayer.