Bishops(i)
1 Of these thinges be not ashamed, and accept no person to offend. [Namely of these thinges be not ashamed:]
2 Of the lawe of God, of the couenaunt, of iudgement to bring the vngodly from his vngodlinesse vnto righteousnesse, & to make him a good man,
3 To deale faithfully with thy neyghbour and companion, to distribute the heritage vnto the friendes:
4 To be diligent to kepe true measure & wayght: to be content whether thou gettest much or litle:
5 To deale truely with temporall goodes in bying and selling, to bring vp children with diligence, to correct an euyll seruaunt:
6 To kepe that thyne is from an euyll wyfe, to set a locke where many handes are:
7 What thou deliuerest and geuest out to be kept, to tell it, and to wey it: to write vp all thy outgeuing and receauing:
8 To enforme the vnlearned and vnwise, of the aged that are iudged of the young: If thou be diligent in these thinges, truely thou shalt be learned and wyse, and accepted of all men.
9 The daughter maketh the father to watch secretly, and the carefulnesse that he hath for her, taketh away his sleepe, yea in her youth, lest she shoulde ouergrowe him, and when she hath an husbande lest she shoulde be hated:
10 Lest she shoulde be defiled or rauished in her virginitie, or gotten with childe in her fathers house: or when she commeth to the man, lest she behaue her selfe not right, or continue vnfruitefull.
11 If thy daughter be wanton, kepe her straytly, lest she cause thyne enemies to laugh thee to scorne, and the whole citie to geue thee an euyll report: and so thou be fayne to heare thy shame of euery man, and be confounded before all the people.
12 Behold not euery bodies beautie, and haue not much dwelling among wome.
13 For like as the worme and moth commeth out of clothing: so doth wickednesse come of women.
14 It is better to be with an euyll man, then with a friendly wyfe that putteth one to shame and rebuke.
15 I will remember the wordes of the Lord, and declare the thing that I haue seene: In the wordes of the Lorde are his workes.
16 The sunne ouerloketh all thinges with his shine, and all his workes are full of the clearenes therof.
17 Hath not the Lord brought to passe, that his sainctes shoulde tell out all his wonderous workes which the almightie Lord hath stablished? Al thinges endure in his glorie.
18 He seketh out the grounde of the deepe, and the heart of men, and he knoweth all their imaginations and wisdome: for the Lord knoweth all science, and he loketh into the token of the time.
19 He declareth the thinges that are past and for to come, and discloseth thinges that are secrete.
20 No thought may escape hym, neither may any worde be hyd from him.
21 He hath garnished the hye excellent workes of his wysdome, and he is from euerlasting to euerlasting: Unto him may nothing be added, neither can he be minished, he hath no neede also of any mans counsel.
22 O howe amiable are all his workes, and as a sparke to loke vpon?
23 They liue all, and endure for euer: and when so euer neede is, they are all obedient vnto him.
24 They are all double, one against another: he hath made nothing that hath fault or blemishe.
25 He hath stablished the goodes of euery one: and who may be satisfied with his glorie when he seeth it?