{"name":"to-the-youth","title":"To the youth addicted to true godlinesse, health &c","text":"Thou hast vnderstoode, most dearely beloued youth, and flower of the Church, the purpose of this my little worke, by the preface to the most noble Elector Palatine, onely it remaineth that thou take it with the same hande wherewith it is reached vnto thee, that is with the right hand and not with the left. That shalbe done, if I shall acheiue my purpose, and by the grace of God, shall kindle many from amongest you, to the feruent study of the holy scriptures. Surely I my selfe being but yet a boye, was wōderfully kindled with a desire both of learning & teaching others concerning God; in outward shew vpon very small occasion, but indeede vpon very great: for I fell vpon the writing of a certaine excellent learned man, where almost euen to this purpose he exhorteth youth: there is nothing more excellent (saith he) than for men to teache others, concerning God as touching the creation of mankinde, of mans fall into sinne, of reconciliation and restoring of him againe through the sonne of God that same promised seede of the woman, that shall bruse the head of the serpent, &c. These seemed to me altogether religious and holy sayings, and it pleased the Lord by these wordes to kindle in me yᵉ sparkes of a feruent desire both of learning and in time to come, of instructing others, either in the schoole, or in the Church. For I set before mine eies the company of young men in the schoole, also the flocke of learners in yᵉ Church: What can be more notable (thought I) then to haue there before me, not onely young men, but also hoare headed husbandmen, who together with thy selfe are banished frō paradise, for sinne, & like Adā til yᵉ earth, who for their old age are reuerend, and as fathers: many women also, who are as mothers: if the Lord will haue thee to speake his word vnto these, and to instruct them of God, of the creation and preseruation of the worlde, of the subtiltie of the serpent deceauing man, of the promised saluation by the seede of the woman: what can be more comfortable, what can happen vnto thee, more to be wished for of God? seeing without the knowledge of these thinges men liue more miserably than brute beasts. The Lord continually after that time nourished these sparks in me, by his holy spirit, and by the reading of the holy scriptures. I was then a boye of fifteene yeres olde, and a little before, for studies sake, sent to Paris by my parents. But to what ende speake I these thinges so familiarly? I speake as a young man, to young men: hoping, that it will come to passe, yᵗ those things which were not of small moment in my minde, will likewise in your mindes kindle the sparkes, which may engender that earnest desire aswell of learning, as of teaching. And so much the more, whē you shall perceaue your selues, not only prouoked by my example, but also (God giuing you grace,) holpen by this my little labour. For although before I was sixteene yeres old, whē I was sent to Paris, I had some direction by my schoolemaisters, who yearely before Easter did expounde vnto vs in the schoole called *Treuiror,* the passion of our Lord Iesus Christ, and were wont according to the measure God had giuen them, to conferre the figures of the olde Testament, with the accomplishing thereof by the passion of Christ (a thing very comfortable, & which afterwards, by the grace of God, opened vnto me the whole scope of the scriptures:) yet notwithstanding that handleading was more dark & obscure, by reason of the multitude of mens traditiōs, in which, Christ dead & raised vp againe was wrapped & darkened, in the popedome, so, that I coulde not well vse that light, which by the conference & comparing of those figures, and the fulfilling of the thinges themselues I did see to shine in the passion of Christ: But yet for all that, that same weake foreknowledge in his time, God blessing it, wanted not his excellent fruite. But here dearely beloued youth, you shall see Christ, dead, and raised vp againe, without any mazes of mens traditions, so liuely set before your eies, that by yᵉ sure and vndoubted propheticall and apostolicall worde, as it were by the hand, yea as by a light shining in a dark place being brought vnto him, you may knowe him truely to be the same, who was made vnto vs of God, to be our wisedome, righteousnesse, sanctification and redemption, as it is written. All that glory, let them glory in the Lorde. 1. Cor. 1. and that we are compleate in him: to yᵉ Coloss. 2. Last of al for asmuch as the vnthankefulnesse of the world, doth driue away and feare many both from learning and teaching, goe to, shall not Christ punish the worlde for this vnthankefulnesse? If he remaine faithfull, ought not this to satisfie vs? Christ the Lord of heauen and earth will not suffer you seruing him, to be altogether destitute of necessary things: but he that prouideth seede to the sower, he also will prouide bread for foode. I haue oftentimes thought of that same saying of Christ, Luk. 22. When I sent you without bagge and scrippe and shoes, wanted ye any thing? his disciples aunswered, Nothing: yea, they did not once remember, whether they should neede any helpe, for their iourny, & executing of their office. The same Christ yet liueth & raigneth God for euer, who hath yᵉ hearts of all in his hands, yᵗ he may do good to all faithfull pastors: euen as he had commanded (be it yᵗ he spake neuer a word) to the widowe of Sarepta, that shee should giue foode to her seruant Elias. I haue also oftentimes thought of that same saying of Daniel: that the reward of Christ his seruantes are laide vp for them, in the heauens. The teachers (saith he) shall shine, as the brightnes of the firmament, and they that haue brought others vnto righteousnes, shall shine as the starres in euerlasting times. Let vs therefore content our selues in our calling, with meane things, and resigne ouer our selues to our heauenly father to be fed through Christ at his hands, we, our wiues and our children: for he is the true father, and will neuer be vnmindefull of compassion, & a fatherly care ouer vs, and so much the lesse he will be vnmindefull, by how much we shall be more mindefull of our calling. We may therefore safely committe our selues and ours to his prouidence, which ought to suffice for the ouercomming of all hinderaunces & letts, specially to them to whom God is all in all.\n\nFarewell."}