AL be it what soever is borne of flesh is flesh,1 and all that we receive of our natural parents is earth, dust, ashes & corruption,2 ⟨image 44⟩so that no child of Adam hath any cause to boast him self of his birth and blood,3 seeing we have all one flesh & one blood, begotten in sin,4 conceived in uncleanness, & borne by nature the children of wrath,5 yet forasmuch as some for their wisdom, godliness, virtue, valiance, strength, eloquence, learning and policy be advanced above the common sort of people unto dignities and temporal promotions, as men worthy to have superiority in a christen common weal, & by this means have obtained among the people a more noble & worthy name:6 We most entirely beseech thee, from whom alone cometh the true nobility to so many as are born of the,7 & made thy sons through faith, whether they be rich or poor, noble or unnoble, to give a good spirit to our superiors, that as they be called ⟨p. xxix⟩gentlemen in name, so they may show them selves in all their doings, gentle, courteous, loving, pitiful, and liberal unto their inferiors, living among them as natural fathers among their children, not polling, pilling, and oppressing them, but favouring, helping, and cherishing them, not destroyers, but fathers of the country, not enemies to the pore, but aiders, helpers, and comforters of them, that when thou shalt call them from this vale of wretchedness, they afore showing gentleness to the common people, may receive gentleness again at thy merciful hand, even everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
AL be it what soeuer is borne of flesh is flesh,1 and all that we receiue of our natural parents is earthe, dust, ashes & corruptiō,2 ⟨image 44⟩so that no childe of Adam hath any cause to boste hym self of hys birth and bloud,3 seing we haue al one flesh & one bloud, begottē in sinne,4 conceiued in vnclennes, & borne by nature the chyldren of wrathe,5 yet for asmuche as some for theyr wysdom, godlynes, vertue, valeaūce, strength, eloquēce, learnynge and pollicy be auaunced aboue the commō sort of people vnto dignities and temporal promocyons, as men worthye to haue superiorite in a christē comū weale, & by this meanes haue obtayned among the people a more noble & worthy name:6 We moste entyrely besech the, from whom alone cōmeth the true nobility to so many as are born of ye,7 & made thy sons thorowe faith, whether they be rich or poore, noble or vnnoble, to geue a good spirit to our superiours, that as they be called ⟨p. xxix⟩gentlemen in name, so they may shewe them selues in al their doynges, gentle, curteus, louing, pitiful, and liberal vnto their inferiores, liuing amōg them as natural fathers amonge their chyldren, not polling, pillyng, and oppressing them, but fauoryng, helpynge, and cheryshing them, not destroyers, but fathers of the cō trey, not enemies to the pore, but ayders, helpers, and cōforters of them, that when thou shalte call them from this vale of wretchednes, thei afore shewing gētlenes to the comon people, may receiue gentelnes agayn at thy merciful hād, euē euerlasting life thorowe Iesu Christ oure Lorde. Amen.
- 1John. iii.Ihon. iii.
- 2Genesi. iii,
- 3eccle. vii.x•ccle. vii.x
- 4Psal. ii.
- 5Ephesi. ii,
- 6John, i,Iohn, i,
- 7Galath, iii,
