I Must request you to impute to my businesses , which haue diuerse waies troubled me , not to lacke of good will , my slacknesse is not hitherto answering your letters . Which assure your selfe , if I had been able , I would haue sooner answered , so much the more willingly , the better I liked of them , as being sure witnesses of your good will to me ward , and desire of godlinesse : whereof for the one I haue heartily to thank you ; for the other greatly to reioice with you . Then to shew my iudgement concerning the order which you may best follow in the study of diuinity , I can tell you nothing but that you haue already better read in others and doe know your selfe . Howbeit to satisfie your louing request , I will briefly mention the chiefest points in my iudgement , which are to be regarded : which if you well consider , and earnestly doe follow , as I trust you will , and God grant you may , your labour shall be taken to the aduancement of Gods glory , the profit of his Church , & your own confort

The chiefest point of all , to begin withis , sith that diuinity , the knowledge of God , is the water of life ; the vessell must be cleane that shall receiue so precious a liquor : the house must be clensed that shal haue Gods holy spirit , not only a guest , but also a continual dweller in it . God forbid you should thinke diuinity consists of words , as wood doth of trees , diuinity without godlinesse doth but condemne consciences against the day of vengeance , and prouoke the wrath of the mighty Lord , and make more inexcusable before the seat of iudgement . I will not ad , that true diuinity cannot be learned , vnlesse we frame our hearts and minds wholly to it . But I will desire you to consider that , only , that as the Poet saith , Symcrum est nisi vas , quodcunque infundis acesssit : so it is written in the book of Wisedome , Wisedom cannot enter into the heart of a wicked man , nor dwell in a body that is subiect vnto sinne . I hope there is no great cause of standing vpon this point , when I write vnto you , who are , as I trust , the chosen of God , and therefore appointed also to be sanctified . Yet sith your selfe haue mentioned vnto me your owne remisse kind of liuing ( as you doe terme it ; ) as you loue me , take heed that this remissenesse be not the same in a mans mind , which a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the body . And in this , to conclude , consider with your selfe , that if the heathens at their sacrifices were wont to cry out , Procul ô procul este profani : what study of holinesse ought there to be in vs , whom God hath adopted , Christ hath redeemed , the holy Ghost hath sanctified to be a peculiar people vnto God , zealous of good works : which if it be required at the hands of all christians , what shal be asked at theirs , who studying diuinity to instruct others , shold shine themselues as lights in the middest of a lewd generation ? Shall he euer perswade others to embrace godlinesse , that hath not perswaded himselfe that it is a pearle to be redeemed with all treasures ?

For the study it selfe , which is next to be considered , the knowledge of God must be learned of God , if euer it be learned . Of whom that we may learne it , we haue to vse two meanes , prayers and reading of holy scripture . Praiers , our selues to talke with God ; reading , to heare God talke with vs . For , because without the grace of the holy spirit , all study , especially in diuinity , is vaine : therefore we must earnestly desire of God that he will enlighten our minds , and soften our hearts , both to know and follow his will reuealed to vs . Now because the holy spirit doth teach the same doctrine which our Sauiour did , which is set forth vnto vs in the Law , and the Prophets , and the Euangelists : therefore we must diligently giue our selues to reading and meditating of the holy scriptures in tongues in which they were written by the holy Spirit . Which how much more forcible it is then to be doubtfull among translations , if S. Austin did not show , who instructeth a christian preacher that the knowledge of the Hebrew and Greek tongues is very necessary to vnderstand the old and new testastament : yet Themistocles might shew , who hauing to speake to the king of Persia , was afraid that his minde would not be perceiued by interpreters , and therefore requested the king to grant him first a yeeres space to learne the Persian tongue . Wherefore I wish that you also ioyne Hebrew to your Greeke , though peraduenture you haue once began it , and giuen it ouer . For in that you may follow me , sith you propose my example , so much the better , who my selfe , when I was first Master of Arts , began the study of it , and being weary , left it : the next yeer perceiuing the necessary vse of it , I set againe vpon it , and I thanke God , since continued a student in it . Wherefore the word of God , and that , if it may be , out of the very welspring , not out of the brooks of translations ( if I may so tearme them ) must be diligently read , and by often reading made familiar vnto vs , though it be not in all places throughly vnderstood as the same Austin hath very well noted . As for the parts of scripture ( besides this continuall reading of the whole ) to be read first ouer with more diligence then the rest , I will giue you the same counsell which I heard of Doctor Villerius giuen to yong students , that first you take your greatest trauaile with the helpe of some learned interpreter , in vnderstanding S. Iohns Gospell and the Epistle to the Romans , the summe of the new Testament : Esay the Prophet , and the Psalmes of Dauid , the summe of the old ▪ Howbeit in the rest , you shall doe well also if in harder places you vse the iudgement of some godly writer , as Caluin and Peter Martyr , who haue written best on the most part of the old Testament . And because it is expedient to ioyne the reading of some compend of scriptures and summe of all diuinity , together with the scriptures , I would wish you to trauaile painfully in Caluins Institution of Christian Religion , whereby you shall be greatly profited not only to the vnderstanding of the scriptures , whereof it is a brief and learned commentary : but also to the perceiuing of points of doctrine , whither all things doe pertaine , and may of vs be applied . Of farther reading of Doctors and histories & other treatises of religion , I wil not adde at this present : we may hereafter ( if God will ) at greater leisure , when these things are done which must bee laid for the foundation , more conueniently talk . Howbeit , if sometimes to recreate your selfe , you intermingle with grauer studies the reading ouer of the history Ecclesiasticall , especially as it is written more for our country by good M. Fox , you shal receiue of it , togither with great profit , great delectation .

I had almost forgotten your two last points , Quae ratio annotandi , Quae exercitatio adhibenda , I haue so little to say of them . For touching noting , you know I do not like the common custom of common places . The best in my iudgement , is to note in the margent or in some paper booke for that purpose , the summe and method of that which you read . As for examples sake , M. Bunnie hath done very wel in Caluins Institutions , shewing all his method and sum of euery section , in his Compendio &c. which book you may wel ioyn with the reading of Caluin , to vnderstand his order & method the better . For the other , which is exercising , it wil be good somtimes to occupie your pen either at large or briefly , as you list , of such godly meditations as the reading of the scriptures shall offer vnto you ; praiers vnto God , reprouing of sin , commending of godlinesse , exhorting to righteousnesse , dehorting from iniquity , consolation in miseries , confirming of the truth , refuting of heresies , & taking an occasion of doing these things som tims to other of your friends ( a liuely and godly exercise , ) whereby you may perfit them , or your self at the least . If you cannot find such occasions to others , I pray write to mee sometime of doubtes that you may find , or whatsoeuer you list , and I will acknowledge my selfe in that respect as in others , beholding to you .

Now if God giue you grace , as earnestly to follow these things , as you haue been desirous that I should prescribe them : you see the learning of the Hebrew tongue , the reading of the scripturs , of learned interpreters , of the sum of religion , of noting what you read , and your exercise therin , these things require much time , & a mind attent ; to speak nothing of prayers , and the study of godlinesse , which will also require some meditation . Laborandum , mi Iohannes , non luxuriandum . You know what Tullie saith for Caelius , that to the bare attaining of eloquence omittendae sunt omnes voluptates , relinquenda studia delectationis iocus , ludus , conuiuium , sermo pene familiarium deserendus . You know what Plato saith of his Philosopher , what a great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he would haue him , if euer he shall be admitted a man worthy to gouerne his city . If eloquence , if philosophie require such trauaile for ciuill and base things ( in this comparison : ) what shall we think that the knowledge of God , the study of diuinity , desireth for the greatnesse , & for the worthines deserueth . Whether you will take such pains or no , or whether you will fly al entisements from it , I do not know ; I pray God you may . Surely hitherto , which I write with griefe , ( your writing , & your friendship doth embolden me to write freely that which I trust you will take in good part ) you haue bin too much caried away by means of company , from earnest trauaile to your study , to sweet inticements of the flesh , seeing of vain spectacles , ouer much eating & drinking , banqueting , frequenting of the town , deliting in vanity , resorting to tauernes , forgetting the word of God . Be not filled with wine wherin is exces but be filled with the spirit . Wil you pardon my loue for desiring to heale you , or shall I become your enemy for speaking of the truth ? ) they haue made you to neglect your profit in study , they haue hurt your wit , weakned your memory , corrupted your good desire , stained your manners , enfeebled your body , toucht your good name , grieued your friends , and indeed almost quenched , but yet I thank God they haue not put out the liuely sparks of Gods spirit in you . A great wel willer of yours , though not greatly acquainted with you , did ask me a day or two before the act , since I receiu'd your letters , what I thought of you , as one that did hartily desire your profit in learning & godlines . When I had answered him , for that good opinion which I had alwaies conceiued of you , both alwais for your towardlinesse , and especially for your letters , so friendly that I will not now report : he said that he was very glad to heare it , & that he asked the question in some doubt , because in few daies that here he had staid , he had seen you somwhat often in the town But it might be that by reason of strangers you had som occasion , the Iudges being here , to be the oftner abroad . Howbeit about & since the same time , to absent your self from prayers , an exercise so necessary for christians , that indeed desire the grace of God , and know it coms from him only , to absent your self from sundry exercises of diuinity , wherein peraduenture some good might haue bin done to the furthering of your study : me think these things did not so wel as I wished , agree with the profession & as it were protestation , whichin your letters , so shortly before you writ to me . I may seem ouer-bold , & perhaps am to sharp in this my dealing with you , agreeing as some may think , rather to one that were a superior , then fit for a friend , whose degree & state is equal . But I know not how , the good will which I did bear , first being reader to you being scholar , and euer since continued with my free aduise in all things wherin euer you haue asked my counsel ( as , I thank you , you haue done in many ) doth constraine me to poure foorth my inward affection to you , so much the more willingly , because I know you haue learned of Salomon , that the wounds of a friend are beter then the kissings of an enemy . Euen these things that hinder your study , & therfore at your request I was constrained to touch , I haue touched the more boldly , because I do not doubt but your selfe do mislike them : & I see in your letters the strife betwixt the flesh and the spirit , which S. Paul setteth down as a marke of Gods children , that you do not the good which you wold but the euill which you wold not , that you do . God giue you grace to stir vp your hart & striue as a faithful seruant to fly from the lusts of youth , as S. Paul exhorteth Timothy , that you may set your mind to praiers & the reading of holy scripture . It wil be conuenient that you haue your appointed times for the one and for the other . Which to prescribe as your self knowing your own busines , may most conueniently ; so constantly to follow your order prescribed , I hope the grace of God , which earnestly you shall pray for , will not be failing to you . Iuly 4. 1577