A Christian Exhortation Unto Customable Swearers, Part 2 – Part 3
The maner of sayenge grace after the doctryne of holy scripture.
¶Grace afore meate.
THe eyes of all loke vntounto the o lord / and thou geuest them their foode in due season: Thou openest thine hand / and fyllest eueryevery lyuinge creature with thy blessynge.
O oure father which art in heauē / &c.
¶Grace after meate.
Thankes be vntounto the / o Lorde god almyghtye / moost deare father of heauen / for geuyng vsus oure foode in due season / for openynge thy mercyfull hande / and for fyllinge vsus with thy plentefull blessing. And we beseche the for thy sonnes sake Iesus Christ / not onelyonly to preserue vsus alwaye from abusinge of the same / but also to lende vsus thy grace / that we maye euer be thanful vntounto the therfore. Amen.
¶Another grace. ¶Grace afore meate.
I knowe (sayth the Apostle) and am full certifyed in the lorde Iesu / that ther is nothinge vncleane of it selfe: but vntounto hym that iudgeth it to be vncleane / to hym is it vncleane. But yf thy brother be greued ouer thy meate / then walkest thou not now after charite. Destroye not with thy meate / hym for whō Christ dyed.
O oure father which art in heauen.
¶Grace after meate.
Thankes be vntounto the / o lorde God almyghtye (moost deare father of heauen) for certifyeng vsus by thy blessed worde / that all kyndes of meates are cleane. And we besech the lende vsus thy grace / that we maye alwaye thankfully receaue the same / not onelyonly without supersticion or scrupulo…ite of consciēce / but also without greuynge or offendinge our brethren: And so to walke in the waye of godly louelove and charite / that with our meate we neuer destroye hym / for whō thy sonne Iesus Christ dyed aswell as for vsus. Amen.
¶Another grace. ¶Grace afore meate.
Let not oure treasure therfore be euell spoken of. For the kyngdome of God is not meate and drynke / but ryghteousnesse and peace and ioye in the holy goost.
O oure father which art in heauē. &c.
¶Grace after meate.
Thankes be vntounto the o Lorde god almyghtye (moost deare father of heauen) for openyng vntounto vsus thy blessed worde / which is oure treasure / oure perle / yee & oure ryches more precyous then ether golde or precious stone. And we beseche the / though corporall meate and drynke be no parte of thy kyngdome / yet ordre thou vsus so in receauynge the same / that we neuer geue occasyon of slaundringe thy worde / or offending the weake. Amē
¶Another grace. ¶Grace afore meate.
Meate doth not further vsus vntounto God. yf we eate / we shall not therfore be the better: …yf we eate not / we shall not therfore be the worse. But take hede / that this youre libertye be not an occasion of fallyng vntounto the weake.
O oure father.
¶Grace after meate.
Thankes be vntounto the o lorde God almyghtye (moost deare father of heauen) for layeng vp our saluaciō / onelyonly in thy selfe / and not in anye kynde of meate. And we beseche the / gyde vsus so in the vse therof / that we maye folowe such thinges as make for peace / and wherby we maye edifye one another: And neuer to geue vntounto the weake / anye occasyon of fallynge from thy worde. Amen.
¶Another grace. ¶Grace afore meate.
Meates hath God created to be receaued with thākes / of them which beleue and knowe the trueth. For eueryevery creature of God is good / and nothing to be refused that is receaued with thankesgeuinge. For it is sanctifyed by the worde of God and prayer.
O oure father. &c.
¶Grace after meate.
Thankes be vntounto the o lorde God almyghtye (moost deare father of heauen) for ordeyninge thy creatures to be meate / foode & sustenaunce vntounto oure bodyes / & hast sanctifyed them by thy blessed worde / &c. We beseche the / make vsus so to increace in stedfastnesse of thy fayth / in perfecte knowledge of thy trueth & in cō tinnaunce of feruent prayer vntounto the / That to vsus also they maye be sanctifyed & holy / & that we maye euer both thankfully receaue them / & vertuously vse thē / to the good ensample of other. Amen.
¶Another grace. ¶Grace afore meate.
The father of mercye / & God of all consolacion / geue vsus grace to consent to gether in to the knowledge of his truthe / that we maye with one mynde and one mouthe / glorifye God the father of oure lorde Iesus Christ. Amen.
O oure father. &c.
¶Grace after meate.
Thankes be vntounto the / o lorde God almyghtye (moost deare father of heauen) for brynginge agayne from death oure lorde Iesus Christ / the greate sheperde of the shepe / through the blood of the euerlastinge testament. And we beseche the to make vsus perfytt to do his wyll / workynge in vsus that which is pleasaūt in his sight / that we be not only the speakers of his worde / but the vnfayned folowers of the same. Amen.
¶Another grace. ¶Grace afore meate.
Christe which at his last supper / gaue hym self vntounto vsus / promysinge his body to be crucifyed & his bloode to be shed for oure synnes / blesse vsus & oure meate. Amen.
O oure father. &c.
¶Grace after meate.
Thankes be vntounto the / o Lorde god almyghtye (moost deare father of heauen) which at this tyme hath fedde vsus with meate not only that perisheth / but with thy worde which abydeth in to euerlastinge lyfe. Graunte most marcyfull father / that we hauinge the knowledge of thy worde / may also practise the same in oure conuersacion / that we bothe intyer lye louynge and vnfaynedlye lyuynge thy holy worde / may after this lyfe lyue with the for euer. Amen.
Receaue your meate without grudging
Take hede ye neuer abuse the same.
Gene thankes to god for eueryevery thing
And alwaye prayse his holy name.
Who so doth not / is sore to blame
No euell ensample se that ye gyue.
Thus doth gods word teach you to lyue
What so euer ye do in worde or dede / do all en the name of our lorde Iesu Christ / geuyng thankes vntounto God the father by hym.
A shorte instruction to the worlde.
¶To Kynges and Princes.
Be letned ye kynges and vnderstond
Enbrace the trueth of Christes worde
your hertes be all in Gods hond
He is youre kynge / your prince / & lorde.
Stablish no lawe that maketh discorde
But do as dyd kynge Ezechias /
Dauid / Iosaphat / and Iosias.
¶To Iudges.
Accepte no personne in iudgment
Wrest not the law / kepe well your syse
To wrong for brybes do not consent.
For they do blynd the eyes of the wyse.
Thus scripture biddeth you more then twyse
And for to hauehave such properties
As Iethro tolde to Moyses.
¶To Councelours.
A faythfull man wyll kepe councell
And ther is welth where many such be.
Beware of false Achitophel.
The councell of God must stand trulye.
ye can it not destroye verely.
Kepe trueth and faith with secretnesse
And further the cause of godlynesse.
¶To Chamberlaynes.
Beware of Thares and Bagathan
Lest treason in the chambre be sowne.
For if the court be ruled by Aman
Poore Mardocheus is ouerthrowne.
but whā the trueth is thorowly knowne
He shall be founde a faythfull iue
And to his prince a subiecte true.
¶To Stewardes.
Spēd not your masters goodes ī vayne
But be faythfull in youre offyce
For though ye take therin some payne
ye hauehave of Christ a swete promesse
Kepe well your rekenynge more & lesse
Be faythfull euer in great and small
And Christ wil you good stewardes cal.
¶To Treasures.
ye that hauehave treasure in your kepinge
Committed to you for a season.
Be alwaye sure of your rekenynge.
As equyte wylleth and good reason
Iesus Syrac taught this lesson.
To set a locke wher many handes be /
It is no shame ner dishonestie.
¶To Controllers.
Go thorow the court for Christes sake.
And where ye spye anye thing abused.
Do your offyce / and some payne take
That ydilnesse maye be refused
Great mens howses are accused.
To be infecte with vnclennesse.
With pryde / with oothes / & with excesse.
¶To Prestes.
Flatre not at al / but preach gods worde
Rebuke eueryevery euell condicion
Thynk on your dewtye to god the lorde
And forget not his commissyon.
Hyde not the trueth for promocyon
Be true apostles in worde and harte
And playe not secretly Iudas parte.
All other offycers greate and small
Whose whole dewtyes I do not knowe
Doth gods worde ascyte and call
Whether their estate be hye or lowe
None in his callinge to be slowe
But eueryevery man in his busynesse
To watch and worke with faythfulnesse
And within the foresayde doctryne
Is conteyned the whole dewtye
How all subiectes shulde draw the lyne
Of fayth / of trueth / and honestye
And no man for to go awrye
But eueryevery one in his lyuynge.
To shew the frute of gods lernynge.
Wher anye vyce now is occupyed
Within this world as ther is m…ch
It shulde rightwell be amended.
If all rulers wolde rebuke such.
And if preachers the quyck wold touche
Where men are now in synne so ryfe
Thei shuld right gladly mēde their lyfe
And if all other offycers
Wyll do their best / and be diligent.
Then shall they hauehave right good lyuers
And folowers of gods commaundment
Of good warnyng foloweth amendmēt
Which I praye god vsus graunt & gyue
That we with hym in heauē maye lyue.
Amen.
End of the text · Miles Coverdale, A Christian Exhortation Unto Customable Swearers (1543)