A09974:35
Master Bezaes household prayers translated out of French into English.Maister Bezaes houshold prayers translated out of French into English.
London: printed by V.S. for John Barnes, 1603London: printed by V.S. for Iohn Barnes, 1603
No title page in the transcription: set from the catalogue record.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Like as (O my God and father) I began my prayer, by the hallowing of thy name, so is it meet and just that I should end it, by the exaltation of the same: as thy children, who bounding their vows, with ⟨image 26⟩the only care of thy honour may assure themselves to obtain the fulfilling of the same in the sole perfection of thy glory. So be it.
LIke as (O my God and father) I began my prayer, by the hallowing of thy name, so is it meete and iust that I should end it, by the exaltation of the same: as thy children, who bounding their vowes, with ⟨image 26⟩the onely care of thy honour may assure themselues to obtaine the fulfilling of the same in the sole perfection of thy glory. So be it.
1. Cor. 15. Before all things I have delivered unto you, that which I have received, namely that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, & that he rose again the third day.
1. Cor. 15. Before all things I haue deliuered vnto you, that which I haue receyued, namely that Christ died for our sinnes, according to the scriptures, and that hee was buried, & that he rose againe the third day.
O Lord God governor of the whole world, immortal, invisible, ⟨image 27⟩and only wise, for whose glory all things are. It hath pleased thee, according to the decree of thy unsearchable counsel, that man, formed after thy image, & falling through mistrust and curiosity, should, by faith, be restored to the excellency of his nature; & as he sought knowledge above thy commandment, and so strayed from thee, and wandered out of thy kingdom, so he should be reunited, and reduced into the ⟨image 27⟩path of salvation, by believing thy only word in the promised Messiah, bending the power of his soul, to the knowledge of thee, in embracing the preaching of the cross, which the world would account folly. But because we all are borne blind, & corrupt in our understanding and will, it therefore followeth, that all the imaginations and thoughts of our hearts are at all times nothing but evil, our knowledge ⟨image 28⟩but vanity, our learning but ignorance, our judgment but error, our virtue but pride, our wisdom but folly, the vivacity of our spirit but the instrument of ruin, our delight but filthiness, our faith but incredulity; our hope but fancy, our charity but coldness, to be brief, our piety but hypocrisy or superstition; and our righteousness but covetousness or ambition. So (O Lord) we of our selves are not capable, so much ⟨image 28⟩as of any good thought, until thou that knowest how to draw light out of darkness doest return to recreate us, and by thy spirit to shine in the firmament of our souls, to the end to frame us to every faithful disposition, and obedience, and so to make us believe in the gospel of thy grace, and in the mysteries of our salvation. I do therefore beseech thee (my God) according to the efficacy of thy virtue, to change in ⟨image 29⟩me all that I have of my self, even my rocky and stony heart, and to make it pliable, and flexible, unto the voice of my Redeemer, who is come according to thy promise, to the end, that with a full and lively faith I may cleave to his eternal truth, for to comprehend, according to the measure of the gift of thy grace, the sum and perfection of all spiritual wisdom, which is taught us in the articles of the true faith and
Surely my soul is overmuch inclined to incredulity and mistrust, neither is it any way able to pierce into these high and profound secrets of piety, where we have a full declaration of all the figures, and prophesies of the Law, with a most pure and perfect doctrine of four points, which are the end of all religion, and in regard whereof it is called Catholic. For we find thee there (thou ⟨image 30⟩only and true God) the Father, author and governor of all things by thy almighty power, goodness, and providence. Next is our Lord Jesus Christ (thy word and eternal wisdom) therein taught unto us, together with the holy history of our redemption. Thirdly, we there find the Holy-ghost (the infinite virtue of thee the father, and of the son) three persons, of one sole, and simple essence, and in equality of ⟨image 30⟩glory. And finally therein is showed unto us, the Church, with a description of these celestial graces, which thou pourest upon her, whereof the forgiveness of sins is the sum, and life everlasting the only scope. Give therefore unto me (O merciful father) of this thy spirit of revelation, of grace, and of mercy; to the end that the brightness and operation thereof may make my soul capable of these great mysteries of ⟨image 31⟩thy Kingdom, so far forth as may be expedient for me to know, for the service of thy glory, and my own salvation, that I may obtain the only true and sound knowledge, whose subject and end is the only true, solid; & sovereign good, both of men and angels, namely to know thee, to glorify thee, and him whom thou hast sent, the Saviour of the world. So that with my hart I do believe before thee, and before all men, ⟨image 31⟩I do with my words and works, confess this acceptable message of the Messiah come, borne in the City of DAVID, which is CHRIST the lord God, manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of the Angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed by the elect, and exalted into glory, for our righteousness, holiness, and glorification:
Surely my soule is ouermuch enclined to incredulity and mistrust, neither is it any way able to pierce into these high and profound secrets of pietie, where we haue a full declaration of all the figures, and prophesies of the Lawe, with a most pure and perfite doctrine of foure pointes, which are the end of all religion, and in regard whereof it is called Catholike. For we find thee there (thou
And further also (O Almighty Lord) print in my heart the feeling & knowledge ⟨image 32⟩of this thy unspeakable goodness and love, extended unto us miserable sinners, in that thou hast given unto us in sacrifice, thy only Son, saving us by the only merits of his death, to the end, that as the efficacy of thy love hath redounded unto me wretched creature, so I may also sufficiently meditate upon thy great mercy, incessantly yield thanks unto thee, and feel thy eternal consolation, until that I departing ⟨image 32⟩in peace towards thee my Father, which art in Heaven, may obtain full knowledge of those things that thou hast given me to believe, and in the perfect contemplation of the same, the sovereign good of Angels and Saints. So be it.
And further also (O Almightie Lord) print in my heart the feeling & knowlege ⟨image 32⟩of this thy vnspeakable goodnesse and loue, extended vnto vs miserable sinners, in that thou hast giuen vnto vs in sacrifice, thy only Sonne, sauing vs by the onely merits of his death, to the end, that as the efficacie of thy loue hath redounded vnto mee wretched creature, so I may also sufficiently meditate vppon thy great mercie, incessantly yeelde thankes vnto thee, and feele thy eternall consolation, vntil that I departing ⟨image 32⟩in peace towardes thee my Father, which art in Heauen, may obtaine full knowledge of those things that thou hast giuen me to belieue, and in the perfect contemplation of the same, the soueraigne good of Angells and Saints. So be it.
[God spake all these words, saying, Hear O Israel: I am the Lord thy god, that hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage: Thou shalt have none other Gods before me, &c. Exod. 20.]
[God spake all these words, saying, Heare O Israel: I am the Lord thy god, that hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage: Thou shalt haue none other Gods before me, &c. Exod. 20.]
O Lord GOD Almighty, the Author of all righteousness, and perfection of life; Yea even thou that art essentially Justice, perfection ⟨image 33⟩and life. I do truly know, that man created righteous & perfect, and by cleaving to thee, blessed (but free and mutable) hath, through sin, turned from thee, plunging himself headlong into the sink of unrighteousness, imperfection and death. The which hath deprived him of all power to obey the Law, and consequently bereaved him of the reward of eternal blessedness. And albeit of especial grace thou dost ⟨image 34⟩call us, by the Gospel, to the free righteousness of Christ, to the end, that believing in him, we might confess him, for the obtaining of salvation; Yet are we nevertheless so much inclined to distrust, corruption, and disorder, that hardly we are entered into the way of his vocation, but we retire immediately, straying out of that course which might purchase unto us the prize; and so through our works, deny our faith, and our ⟨image 34⟩profession. Now as the first & principal manner of thy honour (O only true GOD) consisteth in believing, & reposing our whole confidence in thee alone: so the second and inseparable from true faith, resteth in obedience to thy holy and good will. For we must be doers of that which thy holy word teacheth us, and not hearers only, deceiving our selves. Thou hast chosen and adopted us to be thy Children: but it is ⟨image 35⟩upon this condition, that we should be reformed to the Image of Jesus Christ, the first borne, & inheritor of all things. Thou hast chosen us to be his Temple: now his habitation cannot be but holy: for thy spirit dwelleth therein. Thou hast redeemed us with the price of his blood, and that to the end thou mayest be glorified, both in our bodies and souls. Thou hast freed us from sin, even to the end we might be servants to ⟨image 35⟩righteousness. Thou hast given us the Saviour of the World, to be our justification: but to the end also that we possess him in sanctification. Thou wouldest that he should die for all men, even to make him live in thy elect, and they in him. And this is the reason wherefore the institution of our faith, together with the spiritual consolations that support the same, is accompanied with the ten precepts of thy law, the certain and
For albeit in the Gospel we be free from the rigour & punishment of the Law, yet nevertheless, the rule of piety and holy life contained in the Decalogue, abideth with us, as a perpetual pattern, whereby to frame our temporal course of life. And accordingly we do also consider of it in two parts, according as it ⟨image 36⟩pleased thee, O Lord, to write it with thy finger, and to deliver it unto Moses, in two tables of stone, for thy people, whereof the first containeth four Commandments, of our duty towards thee, and the second, six, of that which we owe to our neighbours: Also the sum & fulfilling of all these holy precepts importeth that we love thee, (O only true GOD) with our whole heart, soul, and thought, and then all other ⟨image 37⟩men, (especially the household of faith) as our selves. But O Lord, such is the weakness of all flesh, that there is no man able to attain to the perfection of thy Law: and yet thou willest, that here in, thy children should comfort themselves, that there is left unto them, some measure to approach thereunto, and so to be acceptable unto thee; namely when with their whole strength, prevented by thy grace, they study to attain the ⟨image 37⟩end of thy word, walking & going forward by the steps thereof, & still with sighing for their infirmities. For all the faithful may so believe, that with thee their Father there is mercy for them, in thy well beloved son Jesus Christ. I beseech thee therefore, O my God, to cast upon me, the eye of thy clemency, and goodness, thereby through the effects of thy spirit, to restore in my soul, the breaches of sin, to illuminate my understanding, ⟨image 38⟩and to possess my hart with the love of thy truth, to the end that in all knowledge and obedience of faith, I may constantly walk in the paths of thy law; so that I may worship, scare, & love thee, as the Lord, to whom I wholly owe my self: for thou hast created me, and which is more, redeemed me from eternal death, whence I do also learn to love all men in thee, & for thy sake, because they bear thy image, so that ⟨image 38⟩persevering thus in the duty of my vocation, I may so much the rather feel thy peace in my conscience, and thy blessing upon all the works of my hands; that filled with days, I leave my life, to enjoy rest eternally. Amen.
God in the beginning created Heaven and earth, The word was with god, and this word was God: And the spirit of GOD moved upon the waters. Gen. 1. John. 1.
God in the beginning created Heauen and earth, The word was with god, and this word was God: And the spirit of GOD mooued vpon the waters. Gen. 1. Iohn. 1.
O Lord God gouernour of the whol world, immortall, invisible, ⟨image 27⟩and onely wise, for whose glory al things are. It hath pleased thee, according to the decree of thy vnserchable counsel, that man, formed after thy image, & falling through mistrust and curiositie, should, by faith, be restored to the excellency of his nature; & as he sought knowledge aboue thy commaundement, and so strayed from thee, and wandred out of thy kingdome, so he should be revnited, and reduced into the ⟨image 27⟩path of saluation, by beleeuing thy onely word in the promised Messias, bending the power of his soule, to the knowledge of thee, in embracing the preaching of the crosse, which the world would accompt folly. But because we al are borne blind, & corrupt in our vnderstanding and wil, it therfore followeth, that all the imaginations and thoughts of our hearts are at all times nothing but euill, our knowledge ⟨image 28⟩but vanitie, our learning but ignorance, our iudgment but errour, our virtue but pride, our wisedome but folly, the viuacitie of our spirit but the instrument of ruine, our delight but filthinesse, our faith but incredulitie; our hope but fancie, our charitie but coldnes, to be briefe, our pietie but hipocrisie or superstition; and our righteousnesse but couetousnesse or ambition. So (O Lorde) we of our selues are not capable, somuch ⟨image 28⟩as of any good thought, vntill thou that knowest how to drawe light out of darkenesse doest returne to recreate'vs, and by thy spirit to shine in the firmament of our soules, to the end to frame vs to euery faithfull disposition, and obedience, and so to make vs beleeue in the gospell of thy grace, and in the mysteries of our saluation. I doe therefore beseech thee (my God) according to the'fficacy of thy vertue, to change in ⟨image 29⟩me all that I haue of my selfe, euen my rockie and stony heart, and to make it pliable, and flexible, vnto the voice of my Redeemer, who is come according to thy promise, to the end, that with a ful and liuely faith I may cleaue to his eternall truth, for to comprehend, according to the measure of the gift of thy grace, the summe and perfection of al spirituall wisedome, which is taught vs in the articles of the true faith and ⟨image 29⟩sound principles of religion.
O Lord GOD Almightie, the Author of all righteousnesse, and perfection of life; Yea euen thou that arte essentially Iustice, perfection ⟨image 33⟩and life. I doe truly know, that man created righteous & perfect, and by cleauing to thee, blessed (but free and mutable) hath, through sin, turned from thee, plunging himselfe headlong into the sinke of vnrighteousnesse, imperfection and death. The which hath depriued him of all power to obey the Law, and consequently beereaued him of the reward of eternall blessednesse. And albeit of especiall grace thou doost ⟨image 34⟩call vs, by the Gospel, to the free righteousnes of Christ, to the end, that beleeuing in him, wee might confesse him, for the obtayning of saluation; Yet are we neuerthelesse so much inclined to distrust, corruption, and disorder, that hardly we are entred into the waie of his vocation, but we retyre immediatly, straying out of that course which might purchase vnto vs the prize; and so through our workes, denie our faith, and our ⟨image 34⟩profession. Now as the first & principal manner of thy honour (O onely true GOD) consisteth in beleeuing, & reposing our whole confidence in thee alone: so the second and inseperable from true faith, resteth in obedience to thy holy and good will. For we must be doers of that which thy holie worde teacheth vs, and not hearers only, deceiuing our selues. Thou hast chosen and adopted vs to be thy Children: but it is ⟨image 35⟩vpon this condition, that wee should be reformed to the Image of Iesus Christ, the first borne, & inheritour of all things. Thou hast chosen vs to be his Temple: now his habitation cannot be but holy: for thy spirit dwelleth therein. Thou hast redeemed vs with the price of his blood, and that to the ende thou maist bee glorified, both in our bodies and soules. Thou hast freed vs from sinne, euen to the ende we might be seruants to ⟨image 35⟩righteousnes. Thou hast giuen vs the Sauiour of the World, to be our iustification: but to the end also that we possesse him in sanctification. Thou wouldest that he should die for all men, euen to make him liue in thy elect, and they in him. And this is the reason wherfore the institution of our faith, together with the spirituall consolations that support the same, is accompanied with the ten precepts of thy law, the certaine and ⟨image 36⟩assured meanes to honor and serue thee, in liuing religiously to thy glory, & vprightly to the profit of our neighbours.
For albeit in the Gospel wee be free from the rigor & punishment of the Law, yet neuertheles, the rule of pietie and holie life contained in the Decalogue, abideth with vs, as a perpetuall patterne, whereby to frame our temporall course of life. And accordingly we do also consider of it in two partes, according as it ⟨image 36⟩pleased thee, O Lord, to write it with thy finger, and to deliuer it vnto Moses, in two tables of stone, for thy people, whereof the first containeth foure Commandements, of our duetie towardes thee, and the second, sixe, of that which wee owe to our neighbors: Also the summe & fulfilling of all these holy precepts importeth that wee loue thee, (O onely true GOD) with our whole heart, soule, and thought, and then all other ⟨image 37⟩men, (especially the houshold of faith) as our selues. But O Lord, such is the weakenesse of all flesh, that there is no man able to attain to the perfection of thy Law: and yet thou willest, that here in, thy children shoulde comfort themselues, that there is left vnto them, some measure to approach thervnto, and so to bee acceptable vnto thee; namely when with their whole strength, preuented by thy grace, they studie to attaine the ⟨image 37⟩end of thy word, walking & going forward by the steps thereof, & still with sighing for their infirmities. For al the faithfull may so belieue, that with thee their Father there is mercy for them, in thy welbeloued sonne Iesus Christ. I beseech thee therfore, O my God, to cast vpon me, the eye of thy clemencie, and goodnes, therby throgh th'effects of thy spirit, to restore in my soule, the breaches of sinne, to illuminate my vnderstanding, ⟨image 38⟩and to possesse my hart with the loue of thy truth, to the end that in all knowledge and obedience of faith, I may constantly walke in the paths of thy lawe; so that I may worship, scare, & loue thee, as the Lord, to whome I wholy owe my selfe: for thou hast created mee, and which is more, redeemed mee from eternall death, whence I do also learne to loue all men in thee, & for thy sake, because they beare thy image, so that ⟨image 38⟩perseuering thus in the duty of my vocation, I may so much the rather feele thy peace in my conscience, and thy blessing vppon all the workes of my hands; that filled with dayes, I leaue my life, to enioy rest eternally. Amen.
