95.

Comparing togither, good huswife with bad,The knowledge of either, the better is had.1Ill huswiferie liethtill nine of the clock.Good huswiferie triethto rise with the cock.2Ill huswiferietooteth,to make hir selfebraue.[E462]Good huswiferie lookethwhat houshold must haue.3Ill huswiferie trustethto him and to hir.Good huswiferie lustethhir selfe for to stir.4Ill huswiferie carethfor this nor for that.Good huswiferie sparethfor feare yewotwhat.5Ill huswiferie prickethhir selfe vp in pride.Good huswiferietrickethhir house as a bride.6Ill huswiferieothingor other must craue.Good huswiferie nothing,but needfull will haue.7Ill huswiferiemoouethwithgossepto spend.Good huswiferie louethhir houshold to tend.8Ill huswiferiewantethwith spending too fast.Good huswiferiecanteth[1][E463]the lenger to last.9Ill huswiferieeasethhir selfe with vnknowne.Good huswiferie pleasethhir selfe with hir owne.10Ill huswiferiebrookethmad toies in hir hed.Good huswiferie lookeththat all things be fed.11Ill huswiferie bringetha shilling to naught.Good huswiferie singeth,hir cofers full fraught.12Ill huswiferie rendeth,and casteth aside.Good huswiferie mendeth,else would it go wide.13Ill huswiferie sweepethherlinnentogage.Good huswiferie keepeth,to serue hir in age.14Ill huswiferie crauethin secret to borow.Good huswiferie sauethto day for to morow.15Ill huswiferie pineth,not hauing to eate.Good huswiferie dineth,with plentie of meate.16Ill huswiferie letteththe Diuell take all.Good huswiferie settethgoodbragof a small.Good huswife good fame hath of best in the towne,Ill huswife ill name hath of euerie clowne.

Comparing togither, good huswife with bad,The knowledge of either, the better is had.

1Ill huswiferie liethtill nine of the clock.Good huswiferie triethto rise with the cock.

2Ill huswiferietooteth,to make hir selfebraue.[E462]Good huswiferie lookethwhat houshold must haue.

3Ill huswiferie trustethto him and to hir.Good huswiferie lustethhir selfe for to stir.

4Ill huswiferie carethfor this nor for that.Good huswiferie sparethfor feare yewotwhat.

5Ill huswiferie prickethhir selfe vp in pride.Good huswiferietrickethhir house as a bride.

6Ill huswiferieothingor other must craue.Good huswiferie nothing,but needfull will haue.

7Ill huswiferiemoouethwithgossepto spend.Good huswiferie louethhir houshold to tend.

8Ill huswiferiewantethwith spending too fast.Good huswiferiecanteth[1][E463]the lenger to last.

9Ill huswiferieeasethhir selfe with vnknowne.Good huswiferie pleasethhir selfe with hir owne.

10Ill huswiferiebrookethmad toies in hir hed.Good huswiferie lookeththat all things be fed.

11Ill huswiferie bringetha shilling to naught.Good huswiferie singeth,hir cofers full fraught.

12Ill huswiferie rendeth,and casteth aside.Good huswiferie mendeth,else would it go wide.

13Ill huswiferie sweepethherlinnentogage.Good huswiferie keepeth,to serue hir in age.

14Ill huswiferie crauethin secret to borow.Good huswiferie sauethto day for to morow.

15Ill huswiferie pineth,not hauing to eate.Good huswiferie dineth,with plentie of meate.

16Ill huswiferie letteththe Diuell take all.Good huswiferie settethgoodbragof a small.

Good huswife good fame hath of best in the towne,Ill huswife ill name hath of euerie clowne.

[1]scanteth. 1577.

1All you that faine would learne the perfect waie,To haue your childe in Musick somethingséene,Aske nature first what thereto she doth saie,Ere further suite ye make to such a Quéene.For doubtlesseGrossum caputis not heOf whom the learned Muses séene will be.[E464]2Once tride that nature trim hath done hir part,And Ladie Musick farre[1]in loue withall,Be wise who first doth teach thy childe that Art,Least homeliebreakermarfineamblingball.[E465]Not rod in mad braines hand is that can helpe,But gentle skill doth make the properwhelpe.3Where choise is hard, count good for well a fine,[E466]Skill mixt with will, is he that teacheth best:Let this suffice for teaching childe of thine,Choose quickly well for all the lingring rest.Mistaught at first how seldome prooueth well!Trim taught, O God, how shortly doth excell!4Although as ships must tarrie winde and tide,And perfect howers abide theirstintedtime;So likewise, though of learning dailie tride,Space must be had ere wit may thereto clime.Yet easie steps, and perfect way to trust,Doth cause good spéede, confesse of force we must.5Thus in the childe though wit ynough we finde,And teacher good néere hand or other where,And time as apt as may be thought with minde,Nor cause in such thing much to doubt or feare.YetcockingMams,[E467]andshiftingDads[E468]from schooles,Make pregnant wits to prooue vnlearned fooles.6Ere learning come, to haue first art thou taught,Apt learning childe, apt time that thing to frame,Apt cunning man to teach, else all is naught,Apt parents, glad to bring to passe the same.On such apt ground the Muses loue tobilde,This lesson learne; adue else learned child.

2Once tride that nature trim hath done hir part,And Ladie Musick farre[1]in loue withall,Be wise who first doth teach thy childe that Art,Least homeliebreakermarfineamblingball.[E465]Not rod in mad braines hand is that can helpe,But gentle skill doth make the properwhelpe.

3Where choise is hard, count good for well a fine,[E466]Skill mixt with will, is he that teacheth best:Let this suffice for teaching childe of thine,Choose quickly well for all the lingring rest.Mistaught at first how seldome prooueth well!Trim taught, O God, how shortly doth excell!

4Although as ships must tarrie winde and tide,And perfect howers abide theirstintedtime;So likewise, though of learning dailie tride,Space must be had ere wit may thereto clime.Yet easie steps, and perfect way to trust,Doth cause good spéede, confesse of force we must.

5Thus in the childe though wit ynough we finde,And teacher good néere hand or other where,And time as apt as may be thought with minde,Nor cause in such thing much to doubt or feare.YetcockingMams,[E467]andshiftingDads[E468]from schooles,Make pregnant wits to prooue vnlearned fooles.

6Ere learning come, to haue first art thou taught,Apt learning childe, apt time that thing to frame,Apt cunning man to teach, else all is naught,Apt parents, glad to bring to passe the same.On such apt ground the Muses loue tobilde,This lesson learne; adue else learned child.

[1]? faire [1614].

14.Two first seuen yeeres, for a rod they doe whine,28.Two next, as aperlein the world they doe shine,42.Two next, trim beautie beginneth toswerue,56.Two next, for matrones or drudges they serue,70.Two next, doth craue a staffe for a stay,84.Two next, abeereto fetch them away.

Then purchase some pelfe,by fiftie and thrée:orbucklethy selfe,a drudge for to bée.

[1]At meales my friend whovitlethhere, and sitteth with his host,Shall both be sure of better chere, andscapewith lesser cost.[E469][2]But he that will attendance haue, a chamber by himselfe,Must more regard what pains do craue than passe of worldly pelfe.[3]Let no man looke to purchaselinne[E470]withpinchingby the waie,But laie before he takes his Inne to make his purse to paie.[4]For nothing paie and nothing praie, in Inne it is thegise,Where no point gain, there no point pain, think this if you be wise.[5]For toiling much and spoiling more, great charge smal gains or none,Soone sets thine host atneedams shore,[2][E471]to craue the beggers bone.[6]Foreséeing this, come day or night, take vp what place ye please.Vse mine as thine, let fortunespight, and boldly take thine ease.

[1]At meales my friend whovitlethhere, and sitteth with his host,Shall both be sure of better chere, andscapewith lesser cost.[E469]

[2]But he that will attendance haue, a chamber by himselfe,Must more regard what pains do craue than passe of worldly pelfe.

[3]Let no man looke to purchaselinne[E470]withpinchingby the waie,But laie before he takes his Inne to make his purse to paie.

[4]For nothing paie and nothing praie, in Inne it is thegise,Where no point gain, there no point pain, think this if you be wise.

[5]For toiling much and spoiling more, great charge smal gains or none,Soone sets thine host atneedams shore,[2][E471]to craue the beggers bone.

[6]Foreséeing this, come day or night, take vp what place ye please.Vse mine as thine, let fortunespight, and boldly take thine ease.

[1]Not in edition of 1573.

[2]A pun recorded by Ray. Needham is in Suffolk (M.).

1Friend, eat lesse, and drinke lesse,[1]and buie thee a knife,else looke for a caruer not alway toorife.Somekniuelestheir daggers for brauerie weare,that often for surfetting neede not to feare.[E472]2At dinner and supper the table doth crauegood fellowly neighbour good manner to haue.Aduise thee well therefore, ere tongue be too free,orslapsaucebe noted too saucie to bee.3If anything wanteth or seemeth amis,to call for or shew it, good maner it is.But busie fault finder, and saucie withall,isroister likeruffen, no manner at all.4Some cutteth the napkin, some trencher willnick,some sheweth like follie, in many a trick.Let such apish[2]bodie so toieng at meate,go toie with hisnodie, like ape in the streate.[E473]5Some commeth vnsent for, not for thy good cheere,but sent[3]as a spiall, to listen and heere.Which being once knowne, for a knaue let him go,for knaue will be knauish, his nature is so.

2At dinner and supper the table doth crauegood fellowly neighbour good manner to haue.Aduise thee well therefore, ere tongue be too free,orslapsaucebe noted too saucie to bee.

3If anything wanteth or seemeth amis,to call for or shew it, good maner it is.But busie fault finder, and saucie withall,isroister likeruffen, no manner at all.

4Some cutteth the napkin, some trencher willnick,some sheweth like follie, in many a trick.Let such apish[2]bodie so toieng at meate,go toie with hisnodie, like ape in the streate.[E473]

5Some commeth vnsent for, not for thy good cheere,but sent[3]as a spiall, to listen and heere.Which being once knowne, for a knaue let him go,for knaue will be knauish, his nature is so.

[1]eateles and drinkles. 1577.

[2]Let apishle. 1577.

[3]bent. 1577.

1One diligentseruiture, skilfull towaight,more comelieth thy table than other some eight,That stand for to listen, orgasingabout,not minding their dutie, within nor without.2Such waiter isfautiethat standeth so by,vnmindful of seruice, forgetting hisey.If maister to such giue a bone for to gnaw,he doth but hisoffice, to teach such adaw.3Such seruiture also deserueth a check,that runneth out fisging[E474]with meat in his beck.Such raueningputtocksfor vittles so trim,would haue a good maister to puttock with him.4Who daily can suffer, or else canafoord,his meat so vp snatched that comes from his boord?So tossed[1]with cormorants, here and there some,and others to want it that orderlie come?5Good seruiturewaieth(once dinnerbegon,)what asketh attendance and what to be don.So purchasing maister a praise with the best,gets praise to himselfe, both of maister and gest.

1One diligentseruiture, skilfull towaight,more comelieth thy table than other some eight,That stand for to listen, orgasingabout,not minding their dutie, within nor without.

2Such waiter isfautiethat standeth so by,vnmindful of seruice, forgetting hisey.If maister to such giue a bone for to gnaw,he doth but hisoffice, to teach such adaw.

3Such seruiture also deserueth a check,that runneth out fisging[E474]with meat in his beck.Such raueningputtocksfor vittles so trim,would haue a good maister to puttock with him.

4Who daily can suffer, or else canafoord,his meat so vp snatched that comes from his boord?So tossed[1]with cormorants, here and there some,and others to want it that orderlie come?

5Good seruiturewaieth(once dinnerbegon,)what asketh attendance and what to be don.So purchasing maister a praise with the best,gets praise to himselfe, both of maister and gest.

[1]toesed. 1577.

1Friend, here I dwell, and here I haue a little worldly pelfe,Which on my friend I kéepe to spend, as well as on my selfe.2What euer fare you hap to finde, take welcome for the best,That hauing then disdaine thou not, for wanting of the rest.3Backbiting[E475]talk that flatteringblabsknow wily how toblenge,The wise doth note, the friend[E476]doth hate, the enmie will reuenge.4The wise will spend or giue or lend, yet kéepe to haue in store,If fooles may haue from hand to mouth, they passe vpon no more.5Where ease is sought, at length we sée, there plentie waxeth scant,Who careles liues go borow must, or else full often want.6The world doth think the welthy man is he that least shall néed,But true it is the godlie[1]man is he that best shall spéed.

1Friend, here I dwell, and here I haue a little worldly pelfe,Which on my friend I kéepe to spend, as well as on my selfe.

2What euer fare you hap to finde, take welcome for the best,That hauing then disdaine thou not, for wanting of the rest.

3Backbiting[E475]talk that flatteringblabsknow wily how toblenge,The wise doth note, the friend[E476]doth hate, the enmie will reuenge.

4The wise will spend or giue or lend, yet kéepe to haue in store,If fooles may haue from hand to mouth, they passe vpon no more.

5Where ease is sought, at length we sée, there plentie waxeth scant,Who careles liues go borow must, or else full often want.

6The world doth think the welthy man is he that least shall néed,But true it is the godlie[1]man is he that best shall spéed.

[1]Cf.ante,ch. 72, st. 2.

1As hatred is the serpents noisome rod,So friendship is the louing gift of God.2The dronken friend is friendship very euill,The frantike friend is friendship for the Deuill.3The quiet friend all one in word and déedeGreat comfort is, like ready gold at néede.4Withbrallingfooles thatwrallfor euerie wrong,Firme friendship neuer can continue long.5In time that man shall seldome friendship mis,Thatwaithwhat thing touch kept in friendship is.6Oft times a friend is got with easie cost,Which vsed euill is oft as quickly lost.7Hast thou a friend, as hart may wish at will?Then vse him so to haue his friendship still.8Wouldst haue a friend, wouldst knowe what friend is best?Haue God thy friend, who passeth all the rest.

1As hatred is the serpents noisome rod,So friendship is the louing gift of God.

2The dronken friend is friendship very euill,The frantike friend is friendship for the Deuill.

3The quiet friend all one in word and déedeGreat comfort is, like ready gold at néede.

4Withbrallingfooles thatwrallfor euerie wrong,Firme friendship neuer can continue long.

5In time that man shall seldome friendship mis,Thatwaithwhat thing touch kept in friendship is.

6Oft times a friend is got with easie cost,Which vsed euill is oft as quickly lost.

7Hast thou a friend, as hart may wish at will?Then vse him so to haue his friendship still.

8Wouldst haue a friend, wouldst knowe what friend is best?Haue God thy friend, who passeth all the rest.

1The slouen and the careles man, theroinish[E477]nothingnice,To lodge in chamber comely deckt, are seldome suffred twice.2With curteine som makescaberdclene, with couerlet theirshoo,All dirt and mire somewallowbed, as spanniels vse to doo.3Though bootes and spurs be nere so foule, whatpassethsome thereon?What place they foule, what thing they teare, by tumbling thervpon.4Foulemalesome cast on faire boord, be carpet nere so cléene,what maners careles maister hath, by knaue his man is séene.5Some make the chimnie chamber pot to smell like filthie sink,Yet who so bold, so soone to say,fough, how these houses stink?6They therefore such as make no force what comly thing theyspil,Must haue a cabben like themselues, although against their wil.7But gentlemen willgentlydoe wheregentlenesissheawd,Obseruing this, with loue abide, or else hence allbeshreawd.

1The slouen and the careles man, theroinish[E477]nothingnice,To lodge in chamber comely deckt, are seldome suffred twice.

2With curteine som makescaberdclene, with couerlet theirshoo,All dirt and mire somewallowbed, as spanniels vse to doo.

3Though bootes and spurs be nere so foule, whatpassethsome thereon?What place they foule, what thing they teare, by tumbling thervpon.

4Foulemalesome cast on faire boord, be carpet nere so cléene,what maners careles maister hath, by knaue his man is séene.

5Some make the chimnie chamber pot to smell like filthie sink,Yet who so bold, so soone to say,fough, how these houses stink?

6They therefore such as make no force what comly thing theyspil,Must haue a cabben like themselues, although against their wil.

7But gentlemen willgentlydoe wheregentlenesissheawd,Obseruing this, with loue abide, or else hence allbeshreawd.

1What wisdom more, what better life, than pleseth God to send?what worldly goods, what longer vse, than pleseth God to lend?2What better fare than well content, agréeing with thy wealth?[1]what better gest, than trustie friend, in sicknes and in health?3What better bed than conscience good,[2]to passe the night with sléepe?what better worke than daily care fro sinne thy selfe to kéepe?4What better thought, than think on God and daily him to serue?What better gift than to the poore that ready be tosterue?5What greater praise of God and man, than mercie for to shew?[3]who merciles shall mercie finde, that mercie shewes to few?6What worse despaire, than loth to die for feare to go to hell?what greater faith than trust in God, through Christ in heauen to dwell?

1What wisdom more, what better life, than pleseth God to send?what worldly goods, what longer vse, than pleseth God to lend?

2What better fare than well content, agréeing with thy wealth?[1]what better gest, than trustie friend, in sicknes and in health?

3What better bed than conscience good,[2]to passe the night with sléepe?what better worke than daily care fro sinne thy selfe to kéepe?

4What better thought, than think on God and daily him to serue?What better gift than to the poore that ready be tosterue?

5What greater praise of God and man, than mercie for to shew?[3]who merciles shall mercie finde, that mercie shewes to few?

6What worse despaire, than loth to die for feare to go to hell?what greater faith than trust in God, through Christ in heauen to dwell?

[1]what mirth to godly welth. 1577.

[2]quiet rest. 1577.

[3]----than hatred to forsakeWhat merciles shall mercy get, that mercy none will take. 1577.[1573 M.].

[3]

----than hatred to forsakeWhat merciles shall mercy get, that mercy none will take. 1577.[1573 M.].

[1]Some pleasures take,and cannot giue,but onely makepoore thanks theirshift:Some meaning well,in debt doo liue,and cannot tellhow else to shift.[2]Some knock and fainewould ope the doore,to learne the vainegood turne to praise:Some shew good face,and be but poore,yet haue a grace,good fame to raise.[3]Some owe and giue,yet still in det,and so must liue,for aught I knowe:Some wish to pay,and cannot get,but night and daystill more must owe.[4]Euen so must I, for seruice past,Still wish you good while life doth last.

[1]Some pleasures take,and cannot giue,but onely makepoore thanks theirshift:Some meaning well,in debt doo liue,and cannot tellhow else to shift.

[2]Some knock and fainewould ope the doore,to learne the vainegood turne to praise:Some shew good face,and be but poore,yet haue a grace,good fame to raise.

[3]Some owe and giue,yet still in det,and so must liue,for aught I knowe:Some wish to pay,and cannot get,but night and daystill more must owe.

[4]Euen so must I, for seruice past,Still wish you good while life doth last.

1To praie to God continually,To learne to know him rightfully.2To honour God in Trinitie,3The Trinitie in vnitie.The Father in his maiestie,The Sonne in his humanitie,The holie Ghosts benignitie,Three persons, one in Deitie.4To serue him alway holily,5To aske him all thing needfully,6To praise him in all companie,[1]7To loue him alway hartilie,[2]8To dread him alway christianlie,[3]9To aske him mercie penitently,[4]10To trust him alway faithfully,11To obey him alway willingly,12To abide him alway patiently,13To thanke him alway thankfully,14To liue here alway vertuously,15To vse thy neighbour honestly,16To looke for death still presently,[E478]17To helpe the poore in miserie,18To hope for heauens felicitie,19To haue faith hope and charitie,20To count this life but vanitie:be points of Christianitie.

1To praie to God continually,To learne to know him rightfully.

2To honour God in Trinitie,

3The Trinitie in vnitie.The Father in his maiestie,The Sonne in his humanitie,The holie Ghosts benignitie,Three persons, one in Deitie.

4To serue him alway holily,

5To aske him all thing needfully,

6To praise him in all companie,[1]

7To loue him alway hartilie,[2]

8To dread him alway christianlie,[3]

9To aske him mercie penitently,[4]

10To trust him alway faithfully,

11To obey him alway willingly,

12To abide him alway patiently,

13To thanke him alway thankfully,

14To liue here alway vertuously,

15To vse thy neighbour honestly,

16To looke for death still presently,[E478]

17To helpe the poore in miserie,

18To hope for heauens felicitie,

19To haue faith hope and charitie,

20To count this life but vanitie:be points of Christianitie.

[1]alway worthely. 1577.

[2]steadfastlie. 1573 (M.), 1577.

[3]fearfullie. 1573 (M.), 1577.

[4]heartilie. 1573 (M.), 1577.

God the Father.1This is my stedfast Créede, my faith, and all my trust,That in the heauens there is a God, most mightie, milde and iust.A God aboue all gods, a King aboue all kings,The Lord of lords, chiefe gouernour of heauen and earthly things.Maker of Heauen.2That power hath of life, of death, of heauen and hell,That all thing made as pleaseth him, so woonderfull to tell:That made the hanging Skies, sodecktwith diuers lights,Ofdarknes made the chéerfull daies, and all ourrestfullnights.The earth.3That clad this earth with herbe, with trées, and sundrie fruites,With beast, with bird, both wild and tame, of strange and sundrie suites:That intermixt the same with mines like veines of Ore,Of siluer, golde, of precious stones, and treasures many more.The waters, frost and snowe.4That ioyned brookes to dales, to hilles fresh water springs,With riuers swéete along theméedes, to profit many things:That made the hoarie frosts, the flakie snowes so trim,Thehoniedeawes, the blustering windes, to serue as pleaseth him.The seas.5That made the surging seas, in course to ebbe and flo,That skilfull man with sailing ship, mought trauell to and fro:And stored so the same, for mans vnthankfull sake,That euery nation vnder heauen mought thereby profit take.The soul of man.6That gaue to man a soule, with reason how to liue,That doth to him and all things else, his blessing dailie giue:That is not séene, yet séeth how man doth runne his race,Whose dailie workes both good and bad, stand knowne before his face.Thunder and plagues.7That sendeth thundring claps, like terrours out of hell,That man may know a God there is, that in the heauens doth dwel:That sendeth threatning plagues, to kéepe our liues in awe,His benefites if we forget, or docontemnehis lawe.Full of mercie.8That dailie hateth sinne, and loueth vertue well,And is the God of Abraham, Isac, and Israell,That doth displeasure take, when we his lawes offend,And yet amids his heauie wrath, his mercie doth extend.Christ the Sonne.9This is that Lord of hostes, the father of vs all,The maker of what ere was made, my God on whom I call:Which for the loue of man, sent downe his onelie sonne,Begot of him before the worldes were any whit begonne.Christes birth. Christ, God and man.10This entred Maries wombe, as faith affirmeth sure,Conceiued by the holy Ghost, borne of that virgine pure;This was both God and man, of Jewes the hoped king,And liued here, saue onely sinne, like man in euerie thing.Christ, our Messias.11This is that virgins childe, that same most holie Preist,The lamb of God, the prophet great, whom scripture calleth Christ,This that Messias was, of whom the Prophet spake,That should tread down the serpents head and ourattonementmake.Christes passion.12This Judas did betray, to false dissembling Jewes,Which vnto Pilat being Judge, did falsely him accuse:Who (through that wicked Judge) andofthose Jewesdespight,Condemned and tormented was, with all the force they might.13To liuing wight more euill, what could such wretches do?More pearcing wounds, more bitter pains, than they did put him to?They crowned him with thorne, that was the king of kings,That sought to saue the soule of man, aboue all worldly things.Christes death.14This was that Pascall lambe whose loue for vs so stood,That on the mount of Caluerie,[1]for vs did shed his blood:Where hanging on the Crosse, no shame he did forsake,Till death giuen him by pearcing speare, an ende of life did make.Christes buriall.Christes descension.15This Ioseph séeing dead, the bodie thence did craue,And tooke it forthwith from the crosse, and laid it in his graue,Downe thence he went to hell, in vsing there his will,[E479]His power[2]I meane, hisslainedcorps intumbremaining still.Christes resurrection.Christes ascension.16From death to life againe, the third day this did rise,Andséene[E480]on earth to his elect, times oft in sundrie wise:And after into heauen, ascend he did in sight,And sitteth on the right hand there, of God the father of might.Christ shall be our iudge.17Where for vs wretches all, his father he doth pray,To haue respect vnto his death, and put our sinnes away:From thence with sounded trump, which noise all flesh shall dread,He shall returne with glorie againe, to iudge the quicke and dead.The Iudges sentence.18Then shall that voice be heard, Come, come, ye good to mée,Hence, hence to hell you workers euill, where paine shall euer bée:This is that louing Christ, whom I my Sauiour call,And onely put my trust in him, and in none else at all.God the holy Ghost.19In God the holy Ghost, I firmely do belieue,Which from the father and the sonne a blessed[3]life giue,Which by the Prophets spake, which doth all comfort send,Which I do trust shall be my guide, when this my life shall ende.The Catholike Church.20A holy catholike Church, on earth I graunt there is,And those which frame their liues by that, shall neuer do[4]amis:The head whereof is Christ, his word the chiefest post:Preseruer of this temple great, is God the holy Ghost.The Communion of Saints.21I do not doubt there is a multitude of Saints,More good isdonresembling them, than shewing them our plaints:Their faith and workes in Christ, that glorie them did giue,Which glorie we shall likewise haue, if likewise we do liue.Forgiueness of sinnes.22At God of heauen there is, forgiuenesse of our sinnes,Through Christes death, through faith in it, and through none otherginnes:If we repentant here, his mercie dailie craue,Through stedfast hope and faith in Christ, forgiuenes we shall haue.Mans resurrection.23I hope and trust vpon the rising of the flesh,This corps of mine that first must die, shall rise againe afresh:The soule and bodie euen then, in one shall ioyned bée,As Christ did rise from death to life, euen so through Christ shall wée.Life euerlasting.24As Christ is glorified, and neuer more shall die,As Christ ascended into heauen, through Christ euen so shall I:As Christ I count my head, and I a member of his,So God I trust for Christes sake, shall settle me in blis.[25]Thus here we learne of God, that there be persons thrée,The Father, Sonne, the holy Ghost, one God in trinitée,In substance all like one, one God, one Lord, one might,Whose persons yet we do diuide, and so we may by right.[26]As God the Father is the maker of vs all,So God the Sonne redéemer is, to whom for helpe we call,And God the holy Ghost, the soule of man doth winne,By moouing hir to waile for grace, ashamed of hir sinne.[27]This is that God of gods, whom euerie soule should loue,Whom all mens hearts should quake for feare his wrath on them to moue:That this same mightie God, aboue all others chiefe,Shall saue my soule from dolefull Hell, is all my whole beliefe.

God the Father.

1This is my stedfast Créede, my faith, and all my trust,That in the heauens there is a God, most mightie, milde and iust.A God aboue all gods, a King aboue all kings,The Lord of lords, chiefe gouernour of heauen and earthly things.

Maker of Heauen.

2That power hath of life, of death, of heauen and hell,That all thing made as pleaseth him, so woonderfull to tell:That made the hanging Skies, sodecktwith diuers lights,Ofdarknes made the chéerfull daies, and all ourrestfullnights.

The earth.

3That clad this earth with herbe, with trées, and sundrie fruites,With beast, with bird, both wild and tame, of strange and sundrie suites:That intermixt the same with mines like veines of Ore,Of siluer, golde, of precious stones, and treasures many more.

The waters, frost and snowe.

4That ioyned brookes to dales, to hilles fresh water springs,With riuers swéete along theméedes, to profit many things:That made the hoarie frosts, the flakie snowes so trim,Thehoniedeawes, the blustering windes, to serue as pleaseth him.

The seas.

5That made the surging seas, in course to ebbe and flo,That skilfull man with sailing ship, mought trauell to and fro:And stored so the same, for mans vnthankfull sake,That euery nation vnder heauen mought thereby profit take.

The soul of man.

6That gaue to man a soule, with reason how to liue,That doth to him and all things else, his blessing dailie giue:That is not séene, yet séeth how man doth runne his race,Whose dailie workes both good and bad, stand knowne before his face.

Thunder and plagues.

7That sendeth thundring claps, like terrours out of hell,That man may know a God there is, that in the heauens doth dwel:That sendeth threatning plagues, to kéepe our liues in awe,His benefites if we forget, or docontemnehis lawe.

Full of mercie.

8That dailie hateth sinne, and loueth vertue well,And is the God of Abraham, Isac, and Israell,That doth displeasure take, when we his lawes offend,And yet amids his heauie wrath, his mercie doth extend.

Christ the Sonne.

9This is that Lord of hostes, the father of vs all,The maker of what ere was made, my God on whom I call:Which for the loue of man, sent downe his onelie sonne,Begot of him before the worldes were any whit begonne.

Christes birth. Christ, God and man.

10This entred Maries wombe, as faith affirmeth sure,Conceiued by the holy Ghost, borne of that virgine pure;This was both God and man, of Jewes the hoped king,And liued here, saue onely sinne, like man in euerie thing.

Christ, our Messias.

11This is that virgins childe, that same most holie Preist,The lamb of God, the prophet great, whom scripture calleth Christ,This that Messias was, of whom the Prophet spake,That should tread down the serpents head and ourattonementmake.

Christes passion.

12This Judas did betray, to false dissembling Jewes,Which vnto Pilat being Judge, did falsely him accuse:Who (through that wicked Judge) andofthose Jewesdespight,Condemned and tormented was, with all the force they might.

13To liuing wight more euill, what could such wretches do?More pearcing wounds, more bitter pains, than they did put him to?They crowned him with thorne, that was the king of kings,That sought to saue the soule of man, aboue all worldly things.

Christes death.

14This was that Pascall lambe whose loue for vs so stood,That on the mount of Caluerie,[1]for vs did shed his blood:Where hanging on the Crosse, no shame he did forsake,Till death giuen him by pearcing speare, an ende of life did make.

Christes buriall.Christes descension.

Christes buriall.

Christes descension.

15This Ioseph séeing dead, the bodie thence did craue,And tooke it forthwith from the crosse, and laid it in his graue,Downe thence he went to hell, in vsing there his will,[E479]His power[2]I meane, hisslainedcorps intumbremaining still.

Christes resurrection.Christes ascension.

Christes resurrection.

Christes ascension.

16From death to life againe, the third day this did rise,Andséene[E480]on earth to his elect, times oft in sundrie wise:And after into heauen, ascend he did in sight,And sitteth on the right hand there, of God the father of might.

Christ shall be our iudge.

17Where for vs wretches all, his father he doth pray,To haue respect vnto his death, and put our sinnes away:From thence with sounded trump, which noise all flesh shall dread,He shall returne with glorie againe, to iudge the quicke and dead.

The Iudges sentence.

18Then shall that voice be heard, Come, come, ye good to mée,Hence, hence to hell you workers euill, where paine shall euer bée:This is that louing Christ, whom I my Sauiour call,And onely put my trust in him, and in none else at all.

God the holy Ghost.

19In God the holy Ghost, I firmely do belieue,Which from the father and the sonne a blessed[3]life giue,Which by the Prophets spake, which doth all comfort send,Which I do trust shall be my guide, when this my life shall ende.

The Catholike Church.

20A holy catholike Church, on earth I graunt there is,And those which frame their liues by that, shall neuer do[4]amis:The head whereof is Christ, his word the chiefest post:Preseruer of this temple great, is God the holy Ghost.

The Communion of Saints.

21I do not doubt there is a multitude of Saints,More good isdonresembling them, than shewing them our plaints:Their faith and workes in Christ, that glorie them did giue,Which glorie we shall likewise haue, if likewise we do liue.

Forgiueness of sinnes.

22At God of heauen there is, forgiuenesse of our sinnes,Through Christes death, through faith in it, and through none otherginnes:If we repentant here, his mercie dailie craue,Through stedfast hope and faith in Christ, forgiuenes we shall haue.

Mans resurrection.

23I hope and trust vpon the rising of the flesh,This corps of mine that first must die, shall rise againe afresh:The soule and bodie euen then, in one shall ioyned bée,As Christ did rise from death to life, euen so through Christ shall wée.

Life euerlasting.

24As Christ is glorified, and neuer more shall die,As Christ ascended into heauen, through Christ euen so shall I:As Christ I count my head, and I a member of his,So God I trust for Christes sake, shall settle me in blis.

[25]Thus here we learne of God, that there be persons thrée,The Father, Sonne, the holy Ghost, one God in trinitée,In substance all like one, one God, one Lord, one might,Whose persons yet we do diuide, and so we may by right.

[26]As God the Father is the maker of vs all,So God the Sonne redéemer is, to whom for helpe we call,And God the holy Ghost, the soule of man doth winne,By moouing hir to waile for grace, ashamed of hir sinne.

[27]This is that God of gods, whom euerie soule should loue,Whom all mens hearts should quake for feare his wrath on them to moue:That this same mightie God, aboue all others chiefe,Shall saue my soule from dolefull Hell, is all my whole beliefe.

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