Now if God give you grace, as earnestly to follow these things, as you have been desirous that I should prescribe them: you see the learning of the Hebrew tongue, the reading of the scriptures, of learned interpreters, of the sum of religion, of noting what you read, and your exercise therein, these things require much time, & a mind attent; to speak nothing of prayers, and the study of godliness, which will also require some meditation. Laborandum, mi Johannes, non luxuriandum. You know what Tully saith ⟨image 10⟩for Caelius, that to the bare attaining of eloquence omittendae sunt omnes voluptates, relinquenda studia delectationis jocus, ludus, conuivium, sermo pene familiarium deserendus. You know what Plato saith of his Philosopher, what a great [Greek or Hebrew] and [Greek or Hebrew] he would have him, if ever he shall be admitted a man worthy to govern his city. If eloquence, if philosophy require such travail for civill and base things (in this comparison:) what shall we think that the knowledge of God, the study of divinity, desireth for the greatness, & for the worthiness deserveth. Whether you will take such pains ⟨image 10⟩or no, or whether you will fly all enticements from it, I do not know; I pray God you may. Surely hitherto, which I write with grief, (your writing, & your friendship doth embolden me to write freely that which I trust you will take in good part) you have bin too much carried away by means of company, from earnest travail to your study, to sweet enticements of the flesh, seeing of vain spectacles, over much eating & drinking, banqueting, frequenting of the town, delighting in vanity, resorting to taverns, forgetting the word of God. Be not filled with wine wherein is excess but be filled with the spirit. Will you pardon my love for desiring to heal ⟨image 11⟩you, or shall I become your enemy for speaking of the truth?) they have made you to neglect your profit in study, they have hurt your wit, weakened your memory, corrupted your good desire, stained your manners, enfeebled your body, touched your good name, grieved your friends, and indeed almost quenched, but yet I thank God they have not put out the lively sparks of Gods spirit in you.
Now if God giue you grace, as earnestly to follow these things, as you haue been desirous that I should prescribe them: you see the learning of the Hebrew tongue, the reading of the scripturs, of learned interpreters, of the sum of religion, of noting what you read, and your exercise therin, these things require much time, & a mind attent; to speak nothing of prayers, and the study of godlinesse, which will also require some meditation. Laborandum, mi Iohannes, non luxuriandum. You know what Tullie saith ⟨image 10⟩for Caelius, that to the bare attaining of eloquence omittendae sunt omnes voluptates, relinquēda studia delectationis iocus, ludus, conuiuium, sermo pene familiarium deserendus. You know what Plato saith of his Philosopher, what a great 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 and 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 he would haue him, if euer he shall be admitted a man worthy to gouerne his city. If eloquence, if philosophie require such trauaile for ciuill and base things (in this comparison:) what shall we think that the knowledge of God, the study of diuinity, desireth for the greatnesse, & for the worthines deserueth. Whether you will take such pains ⟨image 10⟩or no, or whether you will fly al entisemēts from it, I do not know; I pray God you may. Surely hitherto, which I write with griefe, (your writing, & your friendship doth embolden me to write freely that which I trust you will take in good part) you haue bin too much caried away by means of cōpany, from earnest trauaile to your study, to sweet inticemēts of the flesh, seeing of vain spectacles, ouer much eating & drinking, banqueting, frequēting of the town, deliting in vanity, resorting to tauernes, forgetting the word of God. Be not filled with wine wherin is exces but be filled with the spirit. Wil you pardon my loue for desiring to heale ⟨image 11⟩you, or shall I become your enemy for speaking of the truth?) they haue made you to neglect your profit in study, they haue hurt your wit, weakned your memory, corrupted your good desire, stained your manners, enfeebled your body, toucht your good name, grieued your friends, and indeed almost quenched, but yet I thāk God they haue not put out the liuely sparks of Gods spirit in you.
