on all other thy people and servants most plenteously. I beseech thy fatherly goodness for Jesus Christ's sake not to deal with us as we have deserved, but forgive us our manifold wickedness, whereby we have provoked thine anger and heavy displeasure to be poured upon us; and grant me and all thy people, quietly, without all dangers and assaults of our enemies, to pass this day, and all the rest of our lives, in thy holy service; that as the darkness of this night is past, and my weak body refreshed with sleep through thy goodness, so thy heavenly grace may lighten my heart, and stir up this sinful flesh and sluggish body, willingly to walk in thy commandments and obedience of thy word; that I may worthily praise thy holy name in this life, and after be partaker of that glory which thou hast prepared for them that love thee; through the bloodshed of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, our God and only Saviour. Amen.

After this he shall say the 25th Psalm, "I lift up my soul unto the Lord," &c. then desiring God to increase his faith, he shall rehearse the articles of his belief, "I believe in God the Father Almighty," &c., and last of all, the Lord's prayer, "Our Father, which art in heaven," &c.

Every time afore they begin to eat breakfast, dinner, or supper, they shall begin with prayer openly, that all in the house may pray with them, as this:-"The eyes of all things look up and trust in thee, O Lord," &c.; and so after meat likewise they shall give God thanks for the repast which they have received, as thus, viz. "Most mighty Lord and merciful Father, we give thee hearty thanks for our bodily sustenance," &c. Which graces and divers others more, because they be printed in the catechism and other places, I will not rehearse here, but will that the schoolmaster and usher see diligently, that every one of the scholars can say perfectly by heart divers sorts of them, and use them reverently, or else be duly corrected therefore.

Pietas Meridiana.

And because the number of God's mercies and blessings are infinite, and plenteously poured every minute of an hour upon us, and the forgetfulness of our dull and unthankful minds hath no measure, ever after dinner especially, and at other times also, in his chamber or elsewhere, every one shall by

himself say, and consider with himself, the 103rd Psalm, "My soul, praise thou the Lord," &c. and then, as David doth here reckon the great number of blessings that God hath plenteously poured upon him, so every one shall enter an account with himself, what mercies and special blessings God hath poured upon him from his childhood, and give God hearty thanks for every one of them, as the prophet in the psalm doth: for this thankful kind of receiving goods is a provoking God, of his fatherly kindness, continually to pour more of them on us plenteously, as the unthankful taking and using of them is likewise a cause of the loosing and taking away of those mercies which he hath already given, or would most lovingly give us: that done, he shall pray as followeth: "Eternal God and loving Father, who lovedst us when we hated thee, and pourest thy blessings plenteously on us when we are unthankful unto thee; give us, we beseech thee now, hearts to love thee, that we may think upon thy manifold mercies, and thank thee for the same; root out of us this unthankful forgetfulness of thee, and of thy name and great mercies; make us often worthily to consider this thy fatherly dealing with us, that from henceforth we may become new men, and may worship, love, and obey thee as becometh good children, through Christ our Lord. Amen."

Pietas Vespertina.

Likewise at night, afore they go to bed, they shall, on their knees, first say the Ten Commandments; and afterwards examine themselves diligently, how they have lived according unto them, and spent that whole day; what company they have been in, what evil or bawdy talk, vain oaths, chiding, or slandering they have used; then, what shrewd turns they have done, how slow they have been to do good, and how much delighted in filthy thoughts and naughty deeds: which being done, they shall with sorrowful hearts and tears ask God forgiveness for that they have so lewdly misbehaved themselves, in breaking his holy laws, provoking him to anger, and deserving so grievous punishment for the same; and then say the fifty-first psalm, "Have mercy, Lord, on me, according to thy great mercy," &c., diligently considering every word and verse in it. Then shall follow this prayer:

"All praise and thanks be to thee, O Lord, for that thou hast vouchsafed to look down out of thy holy heavens in this vale of misery, on us thy miserable creatures, and hast saved us this day from all dangers and assaults of our enemies: Forgive us, most gracious God, where we have offended thy divine majesty in word, thought, or deed, and strengthen us by thy Holy Spirit, that we never fall more from thee: and as thou hast ordained the day for man to travel and labour in, and the night to rest and refresh our feeble bodies; so we beseech thy fatherly goodness, that thou wilt defend and keep us from all perils of this night, that, our bodies taking rest and sleep, which is the image of death, our minds may think on thee which only giveth life, and not be overcome with any temptations of the devil; that we may afterwards cheerfully rise, and painfully labour in our vocations to the praise of thy holy name, and the profit of thy people; and that lastly, both in body and soul, we may be partakers of that kingdom, which Christ thy dearly beloved Son, our Lord and Redeemer, hath wrought for us with the shedding of his precious blood: to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be praise in all congregations for ever. Amen."

Then he shall say the Lord's prayer, "Our Father, which art in heaven," &c. And so commending himself and all christian people to God's goodness and merciful keeping, he may lie down and take his rest. But it is not sufficient only to use these prayers evening and morning, but every one shall learn more such out of the psalms and other godly prayer books, being not popish.

Chap. v. p. 165-71.

V. The Oath of the Schoolmaster and Usher.

I, A. B., appointed to be schoolmaster (or usher) of this grammar school in Rivington, do swear and promise here afore God and the world, that I will unfeignedly, unto the uttermost of my power, teach all such sorts of those that I have to do withal, the true fear of God, as it is written in his holy word, and shall set forward no other religion nor worship of God, but that which shall be contained in the Holy Bible, and agreeing therewith; all Romish superstition, doctrine, and idolatry, I

shall not only in conscience abhor, and in deed flee from, but also shall diligently exhort, persuade, and teach my hearers to do the same.

I shall also teach my scholars, and bring them up in learning and good nurture, according to these orders and statutes, which the governours of this school, with the assent of James Pilkington, bishop of Durham, have appointed us for that purpose, and so diligently as they may in short time proceed to higher kinds of learning.

The goods belonging at any time to this school, I shall not only save as they were my own, and suffer none other to spoil or waste them to my power; but I shall counsel and persuade others to give more thereto; and if any waste be made of them, I shall declare it to the governours of the school, so soon as I know it and conveniently may, and help that it may be restored or recompensed with speed. All which things aforesaid I shall keep to my power, as I shall answer God at the dreadful day of judgment, and hope to be saved by the death of Jesus Christ, or look for the comfort of the Holy Ghost in this life.

Chap. VII. p. 193-4.

VI. Morning and Evening Prayers in the School.

As soon as the scholars be assembled in the school in the morning, at the master's or usher's appointment they shall all fall on their knees to common prayer openly, and begin first with some general confession, as that which is set forth in the common book, and appointed to be said before the receipt of the communion, "Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men," &c. or this confession that followeth, or other such like, not being superstitious:

"Most terrible and merciful God, we do acknowledge before thy divine majesty, that we are miserable sinners, not only conceived and born in sin and blindness, but are daily heaping great wickedness in thy sight. We cannot for shame lift up our eyes and minds to thee, whom we have so often and so grievously offended; yet thy infinite goodness and mercy, shewed in all ages to them that repent, embolden and encourage us to present ourselves before thy goodness, to beg and crave some drops of thy

manifold gifts and graces. mercies, nor our blind ignorance deface the brightness of thy gifts in us. We are unapt unto all goodness, until thou hast fashioned us anew by thy Holy Spirit, to understand some part of our duty to thee. We forget our bounden duties to thee and to thy people, until it please thy fatherly mercy to enlighten our minds with thy heavenly grace: frame us anew, most merciful Lord, from henceforth to serve and fear thee; stir up our dull and sluggish nature to the obedience of thy holy word; enlighten our blind and ignorant minds, that we may learn such things as may help us more plainly to behold the treasures thou hast laid up for us in Christ, thy dearly beloved Son; to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be praise for ever, in all congregations. Amen."

Let not our miseries overcome thy

Then shall be sung or said a psalm or two in prose, if they be not long, at the discretion of the master or usher, in English, in order as they stand in the psalter, and then begin again continually; and when the psalm is ended, with the Lord's prayer, the schoolmaster or usher shall say the collect appointed in the morning prayer, “O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day," &c. and then this prayer following:

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"Most loving God and merciful Father, which of thine own free good will hast stirred up the minds of some of thy well beloved servants to have a care and respect to thy church and people after them, and hast moved them to provide some places where youth may be brought up in learning and virtue; we give thee most hearty thanks for all such, but especially for this school, which of thy goodness thou hast provided for us. Make us, we beseech thee, profitable members of thy church and people, and as thou hast given us wit and aptness to take learning, so make us to take pleasure and to prosper in the same. Enlighten our ignorant minds, and stir up our dull and sluggish natures, to the learning and understanding of such things as may please thee, and serve to the setting forth of thy glory and the edifying of thy people. Bless and increase, we pray thee, the ministers of thy church; grant that their labours be not in vain. Send forth many diligent workmen into thy harvest, and of thy goodness accept our bounden duty and service, and frame us to serve thee; that we may apply our whole study and labour,