A New Pathway Unto Prayer, Dedication
To the ryght honorable and vertuous Lady, Anne Grey, Theodore Basille wissheth longe …yfe, contynual helth, and prosperous …e… licitie. ✚
IT is not without an vrgent and moost necessarye cause that we are so ofte commaūded in the moost sacred & holy Bible to match & praye.Ma… xxvi▪ Mar. xiii…. i. Pet. iiii. Ephe. vi. For yf we that professe our selues to be souldiours of Christes arm… do seriously & wtout saynynge ponder, weye & consyther our state & maner of lyuyng in this world, we shall shortly be occasione… to confesse and graunte with the holy & pacient man Iob,Iob. vii▪ that the lyfe of man is nothynge els than a very knyghthode or warrefare vponupon the erth, full of misery & trouble, replete with lytle io…e & plesure.… christen man hath many enemyes i this worlde. To whom is it vnknowen what a great multitude of mortall ennemies eueryevery one hath … this world, that doth professe Christ aright? Among al other hauehave we not thre capital & chefe aduersaries, the dyuell, the world, & the flesh, whiche cease not dayly to assayle vsus after the moost crafty & subtyle maner? Howe doth Satan spreade his nettes in eueryevery Forreste & Parke,The deuel. y• no dere maye escape his deuouryng teth & rauenyng pawes? Howe many wayes seketh he to destroye, kyll and s…ay the innocēt shepe of Christ?…en. iii. Euen frō the beginnyng of y• world hath he exercised his tyrannicall fury, & furious tyranye agaynst man…d. Who hath at any tyme ben free, were he neuer so good & perfecte, frō his subtile & to much craftye assaultes? He is so bēt & feruētly addict to the destruccion of man, that so sone as we are regenerate & borne anew …n Christ by the holy Ghost, & y• most blessed & honorable Sacramente of Baptisme, he streyght falleth in hād with vsus, labouryng by one meanes or other vtterly to allure & entise vsus from our profession, as we may se in our sauyour & LORDE Iesus Christ,Mat. iiii. Mar i. Luke, iiii▪ whome after his Baptisme Satan dyd not feare to assayle and to tēpte vntounto muche absurditie and wickednes. …f the sonne of God were not free from his crafte, subtilite & gyle, howe shall we than miserable creatures eschewe his tyranny, whiche are redy to faull at eueryevery houre, excepte we watche and praye. Our stryfe is not,Ephe. vi. sayth S. Paule, agaynst bloud & flesshe, but agaynst rulers, against the powers, agaynste the Lordes of the world, I mene, the gouernours of ye darkenes of this world, agaynst spirituall subtilities in heauēly thiges. Therfore sayeth S. Peter:i. Pet. v. Be ye sober and watche, for your aduersary the dyuel goeth about lyke a roryng Lyon sekynge whome he maye deuoure.
The worldMoreouer what an extreme enemy is the worlde to so many as professe Christe? Howe many occasions hauehave we thorowe the entysementes and vayne pleasures therof to faull from the true godlynes? Howe doth it allure vsus to the louelove of transitory thynges? Howe doth it delyghte vsus with the beholdyng of the vayne spectacles therof? Howe doth it drawe vsus to the louelove of mundane thynges, & to the vtter contempt of thynges celestiall and heauenly? …ea how almoost doth it wynne vsus altogyther on her syde? Whā the scripture not withstandyng sayeth:i. Ioan. ii. LoueLove not the world, nor those thynges that are in the worlde. If ony man louethe the worlde, the louelove of the father is not in hym. For all that is in the world, as the concupiscence of the flesshe, & the lust of the eies, & the pryde of the lyfe, is not of the father, but it is of the world. And the world passeth awaye, & ye lustes therof. But he that dothe the wyll of God, abyde the for euermore.Iacob. iiii. S. Iames also sayeth: O ye adulterers and alulteresses, do ye not knowe that the frendeshyp of ye world, is emnite with God? Who soeuer therfore wyll be the freende of the world, he is become an enemy of Gods.
The flesh.Furthermore what a cruell aduersary is the flesshe vntounto a christen man?…al. v. Howe doth it at all tymes lust contrary to the spirite? Howe doth it continually fyght with the heauē ly mocions of the holy Ghost? Howe dothe it moue vsus to the louelove of oure selues, to pryde, vncleannesse, glotony, couetousnesse, wantonnesse of lyuynge, vnmercifulnesse, crudelite, & al that euer nought is? And this enemy do we norysshe in oure owne brestes. He is a domesticall aduersarye & one of houshold as they vse to say. He is euer at hande to do vsus displeasures. He is neuer frō home, but alwayes within the dores, so that we are in daunger of destruccion at eueryevery hour, excepte we deligētly watch and take hede.O the vnspeakeable miserye of man, wythout y• grace of God. Whyther so euer we turne vsus, our enemies mete with vsus & so cruelly assayle vsus, that excepte the grace of God assyst vsus valeauntlye, we are at euerye moment of an houre redy to be caste into hell fyre. O the vnspekable misery of man in this moost miserable worlde.Take h…de o pastorn…r… of Gods worde. Where are they nowe y• so lyue in all worldely ioye & pleasure, that they take no thoughte for the cruell assaultes of theyr enemies▪ Where are these wicked …dolaters,Idolaters. supersticious Hypocrites, abhominable blasphemers of Gods moost blessed name, & brekers of y• Sabboth day, which settynge asyde al louelove and feare of God, throw thē selues headlong into al kynde of vngodlynes?Rebelliōs. Where are these dishonorers of our moost exceliēt & moost redoubted kynge, & of the other publigue magistrates, sente by hym for the punisshement of euell doers, but for the prayse of them that do well. Where are the disobediente to theyr parentes?Bloude …oupers. Where are these mans…ayers, which daily thyrst inocēt bloud, no lesse then the thyrstye herte pantynge for hette, desyreth the lyuysh springes of waters?Whoremō gers. Wher are these abhominable adulterers, vncleane fornicatours, and stynckyng whoremongers, which contēnyng ye bonde of honorable wedlocke, the lawe of ye vndefyled bed, & the chast lyuyng we theyr owne wyues,He…. xiii. do dayely hunte after whores, defile virgins, pollute maried women, corrupte wydowes, as I maye passe ouer much other detestable vncleannes,O extreme abhominacion. whiche it shameth not thē to perpetrate and do yea & that so boldely that this synne of fornicaciō is among many at this present recoūted no synne, but a naturall inclinacion, a token of louelove, a puttyng awaye of emnite & discord? I thynke yf it be not redressed shortly, it wyl growe vp into such freedōe & libertie, that it shalbe counted no synne at all, but rather a vertue, or at the leest a spurre & prouocaciō to vertue. O the abhominacion of the worlde. O intollerable wickednes. O vncleannes more detestable, then it maye any lenger be suffered.Beware ye abhominable who remōgers betymes. The great displeasure, the fearce wrath, the extreme vengeaunce, the fearce and cruell plages of God hang ouer our heades, yf this to much detestable vyce be not shortely remoued frō the boūdes of Christianite. Agayne, where are theise malicious Theues,Theues. which despisyng laboure, lyue of the sweate of other mennes faces, & of ye labour of other mennes handes, after an vniust and wronge maner? Wher are these false wytnesses,False wytnesses. whiche for very malyce or els for monye are redye to the vtter damnacion of theyr soules for to swere & gyue euidence agaynste the innocentes and gylteles? Where are these Catarpillers & Extorcioners of the poore people, whiche do nothynge all ye whole daye but gape after brybes and pol…ynge fees,Extorcioners. no lesse than the hungrye Lyon doth after his praye.Psal. xiii. They deuour my people, sayeth GOD, as a pece of bread.Rytch mē. Where are these rytch men, to whome God hath cōmytted the goodes of this world, which like in…aciable dogges hauynge neuer ynough, do continuallye hunte after the augmentacion of mūdane treasures,O insa…iable couetousnes. as by ioynynge Lordeshyp to Lordshyp, Ferme to Ferme, lond to lond, pasture to pasture, house vntounto house, …enefyce to benefyce, College to Colledge, Prebende to Prebende, Chauntry to Chauntry, offyce to offyce, promocion to promocion, yea & promocion for a vauntage, as they saye? & yet are they vnmercyfull to y• poore people,Heb. xiii. i. Pet. iiii. despyse the mayntaynaunce of hospitalite, which y• holye scriptures cōmēd so highly in eueryevery place, & do noth…g lesse then exercyse thēselues ī y• workes of mercy. Wher are these spirituall rulers,Spiritual Rulers. which gyuyng them selues to volupteous lyuyng, neglecte to fede christes flocke with Goddes moost blessed worde?Antechristes. Where are these Antechristes which laboure to suppresse Christes mooste swete & confortable Gospell?Papistes. Where are these Papistes, which desyre the olde papisticall & vngodly supersticion to reygne agayne amonge vsus?…aptiues of Satan. Where are these captiues of Satan which wallowe & tūble thē selues in the dung hylles of synne? To cōclude where are al these wycked pa…sōnes, which trangresse Gods commaūdementes, and solyue as though ther were no God at all? O the vngodly & wicked fasshions of this worlde. O the countenaūce of the christen publigue weale, not a litle deformed thorowe the pernicious maners of the false christians. Thus se we what a nomber of mortal enemies reigneth eueryevery where among vsus, & yet is ther no man that lamēteth his synne,Awake, awake. de…esteth his wickednes, bewaileth his misery, desyreth amendment, seketh for grace, prayeth for the fauoure of God, that thorowe the holy Ghoste we may be restored to our olde puri…e & cleannes.Prouer. xi. i. Pet. iiii. If the righteous mā shall scarsly be saued, where shall the vngodly & synner appeare? Who se…th not in howe miserable a case we …re? Who perceiueth not how great …ede there is of amendemente? Who doth not se as it were in a thynge lyuyshly paynted before his face, that excepte we amend shortly, & correct we shall triumphantly ha… the …ictory ouer thē all. Be ye obedie… to God,Iacob. iiii. sayth S▪ Iames, resist ye d…e & he shall …ye from you. Draw nigh to God, & he shall drawe nyghe vntounto you. Make clene your handes O ye synners, & purify your hertes, O ye that are double minded. Be ye troubled, & mourne, and wepe, let youre laughyng be turned …to mournyng, & your ioye into sorow. Shew your selues hūble in the syght of y• LORDE & he shall lyfte you vp.
O that we would followe y• godly counsell of this holy Apostle, & so redresse our wicked maners, y• the christen publigue weale myght be restored to her olde amiable beauty & glorious pleasaunce.Wayes to obtayne Gods fa…oure. Howe many wayes hathe God lefte here amonge vsus, wherby we maye make him a mercifull father, & a gentle sauyour vntounto vsus? As I maye leaue of to speake of fastynge & almes dede, what a goodly & godlye meane is true & christen prayer.Of prayer Note well. for to obtayne the fauour of God, & to prouoke his moost tender mercy toward vsus? Hath ony thinge … tymes past so greatly apesed the deuine wrath? did not y• holy fathers … tymes pas… … theyr troubles aduersitie fly vntounto Prayer, as vntounto a holy Anchore, or sure Asile, & strong Bulwark? Whom would it not delight to talke with the Kinges grace, if he were amytted therto? What a treasure than is it to talke with ye King of Kynges & Lorde of Lordes, in cō parison of whom all earthly creatures are more vyle then the wormes? This thyng cōmeth to passe by true and christen prayer.What p…a… … For what other thynge is prayer, than a familiar cō municaciō wt God, wherin we maye frely powre out the troubles of our hertes, and declare all our matters boldly to him, as the chylde doth vntounto his father, & obtayne at his hand all good thinges. Uerely we are our owne enemies, yf we neglecte & despyse this great commodite & singular pleasure? We can not excuse our selfe by ygnorancy, in asmuch as we hauehave plentie of prayers prepared for vsus in the Englysshe tonge both in y• holy Byble, & in other godly treatyses, which are nowe in this moost floryshyng Realme of England publyshed vniuersally vntounto y• great glory of God, & y• exceading consolacion of al true christen men, in asmuch that as S. Paule sayeth:ii. Cor. iiii. If the Gospell be yet hyd, …t is hydde in thē that perysh, in whom the God of this world hathe blynded they senses & wyttes of the vnfaythfull, that the lyght of the Gospell of the glorye of Christe, which is the Image of God, shoulde not shyne vntounto them. Thanckes be to God for this his incōparable benefyte gyuen vntounto vsus by his welbeloued & faythfull seruaunte He…pe oure moost redoubted Kynge. That LORDE myghte also graunt that we abuse not this his moost gētle gifte, but rather vse it vntounto the glorye of his name, y• edificaciō of his church, & the conforte of our soules.
…owe for asmuch as ther is sufficiēcy of praiers prepared alredy & set forth by other, whom God myght also prosper in theyr moost godly affaires. A thought it a vayne thynge to encrease the nomber of thē, & to acumulate prayers vponupon prayers, wher by wexines rather then cherefulnes shoulde be brought to the Readers▪ I therfore couetyng in this behalfe to worke somewhat ye myghte make vntounto the auauncemente of Prayer, wherby the deuout Christiās might receyue knoweledge, & be the better instructed in the true maner of praienge, hauehave nowe of late compyled a worke entiteled,A pathway vntounto prayer A pathwaye vntounto Prayer. I was the gladder to take it in hande, bycause no man hath as yet perfectly entreated of this matter, neither in the Greke,The cause of makyng this worke Latin, nor Englysshe tonge, that euer I could se. What doth it auayle or profitte a man beynge of a debyle & weake nature to hauehave a Pomegranate or oni other thinge that cōforteth nature, restoreth strēgth,Mark wel & bringeth agayne the perfeccion of health, yf he knoweth not y• vse of it, & wherfort it serueth. Uerelye euen so of prayer. If ther be neuer so many praiers prepared for men, yf they knowe not y• vse of them, nor wherfore they serue, nor yet after what maner they shoulde be exercysed, what profytte receyue they of thē? It is but an easy thyng to pray, but to praye aright & accordynge to the wyll of God, is a thyng of gret difficulte & much labour. We thinke it an hard thing to speake vntounto a terrestiall Prynce with wordes conueniēt, apte & decent, & is it but a trifle to speake to the moost hyghe Prynce, in whose syght the moost eloquent is very barbarous, and the moost holye, prophane? I hauehave therfore in this my treatyse followynge declared what praier is,The contē tes of this Boke. wherfore it serueth, & vntounto what end we should vse it. I hauehave also declared of what vertue & strength the true & christē praier is, & howe we should prepare our selues to prayer, that we maye praye aright, & accordyng to Gods pleasure. And for asmuche as some men are of so scrupulous, I had almoost sayd, supersticious consciēce, ye they thynke no prayer to be herd, but that only whiche is prayed in y• chirch, or some other sacred place, as they call it, I hauehave declared both by Scriptures & auncient Doctours, in what place it is lawfull to praye. Againe I hauehave declared after what maner men should praye, that God maye accepte theyr prayer, and for what thynges they should pray, yea & at what tyme. And in asmuche as this word Prayer doth contayne in it not only Peticion, but also thankes gyuyng for the benefyte that is receyued, therfore hauehave I also declared my mynde concernynge gyuing of thanckes to God the Father thorow Iesus Christ.Colos. iii. All these thinges hauehave I done in this lytle worke accordynge to the true vayne of ye holy scriptures & the iudgemēt of the best learned Doctors, seking in this my laboure only the glory of God, & the profyte of his holy congregaciō. Which thynge yf it shall maye come to passe, I shall not only not repent me, but verye muche reioyce in the LORDE of this my trauayle, & shall hereby be encouraged after this, to take in hande other argumentes of no lesse vtilite & profyte.
Nowe gentle & prudente Ladye, disdayne not to take this lytle gift, which your Basille doth with moste gentle herte offer vntounto you as a testimonye of his obsequious wyll toward your good Ladiship. I doubt not but that as you your selfe shall fynde much pleasure & profyte by y• readynge of it, so shall all the reders of the same obtayne so muche godly fruyte & christian knowledge by it, y• they shall render herty & immortall thankes to God, that suche a worke cōmeth forth dedicated to your Ladyshyppes name. I agayn on my behalfe shall moost instantly desyre almyghty God to assyst you at all tymes with his holy Spirite in ye readynge not only of this my lytle treatise, but also of al other workes that make to the glory of God & ye helthe of your soule, & chefely in readyng y• moost cōfortable Gospel of his derely beloued sonne Iesus Christe oure LORDE & omnisufficient Sauyour (wherin the whole studye & pleasure of a true Christian ought principally to be) ye you hauynge your whole meditacio in y• lawe of y• LORD both day & nyght,Psal. i. may fīd such swetenes & pleasure ī his moost delectable word that you wantynge at this present the company of a corporal husband, maye be maryed to the moost gloryous & beatifull Kynge Iesus Christ Gods owne sonne in youre soule by fayth in this worlde, & after the departure from this vale of misery to lyue with him presentlye in the fulnesse of perfecte ioye, worldes wythout ende. AMEN.
¶ The grace of our LORDE Iesus Christ be with your good Ladyshyppe, and with all your houshold. So be it.