NOw welcom good brother frōparties of beyonde the sea. We haue sore lon­ged for your safe retourne, hopynge to heare some newes from oure Euangelyke brotherne of Germanye, and in what maner the Gospell doeth prosper there and go forward.

Syr I thanke you for your welcommynge. Howbeit concerynge your desyre, to be certyfied of them whom ye call euangelyke bretherne: I assure you vnfaynynglye that I lyke theyr maner euerye daye worse & worse.

What haue ye so sodenly changed your mynd, and begynne nowe to fall from the Gospell forsakyng Goddes [Page] worde?

Truelye I haue chaunged my mynde from ex­rours and wronge opinions, but neuer entendynge to renye Goddes worde or Christes gospell: whereof as farre as I can perceaue they be destitute and muche wyde.

To proue y^t it were impossible, seyng ye can not denye but that they haue Chrystes Gospell in theyr vul­gar speche imprēted, fre for euery body to loke vpon, with con­tynuall exercyse of euangelyke preachynge of Goddes worde.

In verye dede they haue the exteriour letter, with some outwarde apparaunce of zeale towarde it. But for all that as towchynge an euangelyke lyfe or a christen conuersation, with faythfull fruytes behoueable to the same: they be neuer a deale [Page] nerer in effecte than were the Jewes, whyche woulde haue made Christe theyr kynge, not for anye syncere loue that they had to folowe hym in vertuous lyuinge, or for reuerence of hys godly worde, but onelye in that they thought he would haue satisfied their carnall appetytes, and seditious affections: wher­of to be auctoure he was after­warde wrongfully suspect, euē as we see now a dayes hys gos­pell euyll spoken vpon thorowe the sclaunderouse be haue oure, & wycked demeanour of them, whom in contempt of good people, ye call euangelike & Christē brethren, auauncynge them sel­ues to be onelye the trewe folo­wers and obseruers of Christes gospell, where as theyr lyuinge manifestly repugneth. So that [Page] after my iudgemente the cheife captaynes of them may be lykened to Theudas & Judas. Act. v. which vnder a colour of Messias comynge the very sauiour and redemer from all bondage, whose offyce wrongfully vsur­pynge by false promyses of ly­bertye, peruerted much people of the Jewes for to folowe thē, to theyr vtter vndoyng and fi­nall destruction.

These sedytious personnes to applye vnto Martyn Luther, and his folowers, is both agaynste the treuth & witnes of your owne conscience yf ye duely examyne it. For it is playne that thys Theudas and Judas, of a pre­sumptious affection and vn­quyetnes of mynde, wythoute auctorytie of Goddes worde or preferremente of hys honoure, [Page] sedycyously moued the people to folow thē & not God: where as Martyn Luther with such other euangelike preachers, a­uaunce not presumptuouselye them selues but god onely, no­ther perswade the people to folowe them but Christe: whose Gospell longe season obscured by mennes tradicions, they la­bour to bryng vnto lyght, and to restore the captyued conscy­ences of ignoraunte folke vnto the fredome of Goddes word, whereof muche people nowe a dayes are no lesse desyrous than the Jewes were of theyr delyueraunce of bodely capty­uyte.

To aunswere you in this point, I doubt nothing but this Theudas and Judas pretended to the people (whom they fynallye disceaued) y^e auc­torite [Page] of God, & that they were speciallye sent of him for their deliueraunce, shewing some coloured apparence vnto y^e same: Lyke as Martyn Luther in y^• begynnynge pretended a mer­uelouse zele & tender affection towarde the blynd ignoraunce of people, for to reduce theym vnto y^e clearenes of knowlege, shewyng such a feruent spyrit, that he was iudged to be syn­gulerlye chosen of God now in these latter dayes, for a dew reformation of the hole worlde.

But consyder to what open myscheife hys secrete maligni­te braste for the at last, and how many thousandes by occasion of his doctryne haue peryshed and dayly perishe both in body and sowle: whereof to haue a further declaration, yf ye wyll [Page] here me with patience, I shall so describe vnto you the fashion of hym and of hys adherentes, that ye may euydently know y^t they are no Disciples of Christ, but of Antychryste, no trewe doctours but false dysceauers, no Apostles but apostatas, and patrons of peruersitie,

Now I beseche you thē to pro­cede on youre purpose, decla­rynge it at length: and I shall gladly geue you the hearynge with out interruption, trusting verely that all parcialitie set a­parte, ye wyll shewe the verye trueth, accordynge as ye haue perfitly knowen by experience. And thus doynge ye may setle many mennes hartes at rest in this troubelous season, so sore encombred with contencions and sondrye opynions of lear­ned [Page] men, that they can not tell what partye they maye beste leane vnto.

Syr fyrste of al I protest here, that I entend to speake no further thanne I haue perceaued amonge them my selfe, or elles perfytelye en­formed by credable personnes, of whose certification I ought to haue no mystrust. Wherfore for to god vnto my purpose, ye shall vnderstande that thys Martyne Luther cheyfe Cap­tayne of newe heretikes, & bringer forth of olde heresyes, was a freere Augustyne in the citie of Wittenberge, vnder y^e domi­nion of Frederike duke of Saxony. Whyche duke opteyned a pardon fro Rome for the buyl­ding of a certayne college there within his owne pallace, wher­of Martin Luther was a great [Page] setter forwarde, vntyll the tyme that thyther came a Ju­belye from the Pope, dysanul­lyng the dukes pardon among other for a season: wherwith Martyn Luther not a litle of­fended, endeuoured hym selfe to preach agaynst it. And sone after he putte for the in prynt a treatyse De indulgentijs, inueynge agaynst the graunt of pardons how be it so closely, that he was supposed not to haue condem­ned the auctoritie but only the abuse, whiche to saye the truth was to farre oute of frame in that prouiuce. And also he toke in hande to preache the playne textes of scrypture, dysclosing the blyndnes of the world, and detectyng the fautes of al esta­tes, both hyghe and lowe, spy­rytuall and temporall, vnder [Page] suche moderation that he was taken for a prophete of God a­monge them, and grew in esti­mation of y^e people dayly more and more. Notwithstandynge he pretended to take no parte with any seete other faction of Heretikes, as Wicklyf, Hus, Berengarius, and suche other whom he vtterly condemned, dyssalowynge the Boemes, be­cause they separated them sel­ues from the church of Rome, constantly affyrmyng the pope to be Christes vicarye. Thus he playd the wolfe in a lambes skynne a whyle secretly, tyl his frutes gaue euidence & openly bewrayd what he was in effect For shortly after he altered his mynde, & reuoked that he had spoken before, wysshing all his bookes that were emprynted [Page] to be burned & vtterly destroy­ed. Then beganne he stoutly to fortefy his fayned fayth voyde of good workes, perswadynge lybertie and assuraunce of sal­uacion to the defacinge of cha­ritable deedes and suppression of the drede of God. Then preached he pleasaunte thynges to hys audyence, howe no manne was bounde to confesse hym vnto a preist, nether to obserue the prescription of prelates aboute fastynges and exception of meate and dryncke, and that no person neded to payne hym self wyth woorkes of satysfactyon, whyles Chryste hadde payd y­noughe for vs all. Also how constitutions of Popes and Bys­shoppes bynde vs nothynge.

Then all his Sermones were agaynste the cleargye, callynge [Page] the Pope Antichrist, and his fo­lowers Dysciples of Sathans Synagoge, in whose defiaunce he made a booke intytuled, De captiuitate Babilonica, ful of conuycyous furyes, and ragynge blasphemye agaynst the blessed Sacramentes, preferrynge his owne iudgement aboue the ho­ly doctours of the churche. And where as he hadde wytnessed before, that Micklyfe, Hus, Be­rengarius, & suche other were heretikes: than he sayde that they were godlye men and saintes, callyng their condempners Antechristes and limmes of the Deuyll. Furthermore to bring kynges, princes, and temporall Gouernoures in contempte of theyr subiectes: he spared no­ther by preachyng nor teaching to rayle agaynst them, somtime [Page] preuely where he durst not discouer his malyce for feare of displeasure, and sometyme a­partelye there as he thoughte hymselfe in no daunger of thē on whome he rayled: as wyt­nesse the letters of conspyracie whyche he craftelye forged to destroye the Duke George of Saxonye.

Also the outragious treatyse that he wrote agaynst the kin­ges hyghenes both in latyn & Duch, so shameles and sedicy­ouselye, that it is not onely condemned of good men, but also abhorred of his owne adheren tes. Yet all thys whyle he for­bare the comons & vplandy she people, and encouraged them to note other mens vyces, ra­ther than to amend theyr own fawtes, alledgyng oftentymes [Page] vnto them, tyranny of prynces oppression of the clergy, wyth other manyfolde miseries and wretched calamities, whyche he sayd they were wrongfully compelled to suffer. Whereby within small processe of tyme, they toke suche a stomake, that the drede of God and man set asyde, they arose vppe wyth open sedicyon in dyuers par­ties of Germanye aboue the noumber of an hundred thou­sande persannes, in such a furi­ous fasshion, that euerye man almooste stoode in feare of hys lyfe. Wherfore M. Luther perceyuynge no small ieoperdye toward him throughe their in­surrection, because the occasi­on of it was layd to his charge as it was in deede: immediat­ly to shyfte hym selfe from sus­picion [Page] and daungerous displeasure of the prynces & great men he wrote hastelye a boke voyde of all Chrysten charitie and na­turall compassion, agaynste the sayde commons or vpiandy she people, so extremely y^t it would abhorre an he then hart to here or reade it, enforcynge euerye man wythoute anye respecte of pytie, to kyll and slee theym as houndes: of whome were my­serablye slayne in one place and another, aboue .iii. score thou­sand persons, y^• resydue beynge nowe a lyfe in farre greater mi­sery & calamytie than euer they were afore. After thys fell a dissention betwene M. Luther and Carolstadius, aboute the Sacramente of the aultar. For Carolstadius denyeth in it the bodelye presence of Christe, af­fyrmynge [Page] that when he spake these words: Hoc est corpus meū he meant them of his owne corporall bodye and not of the Sacramente: where as M. Luther holdeth the contrarye, all be it he beganne to fall frome it, as his owne wrytinge testyfyeth, had he not ben preuēted by this Carolstadius, whome the wic­ked arrogauncy of his stomake could not suffer to be auctoure of so hye an heresye, where of he coueted hym selfe to haue ben father. Thys varyaunce endu­rynge betwyxte them: dyuers forsoke M. Luther and leaned to Carolstadius syde, & manye malycyous letters fraudulētly forged, were conueyed frome the one to the other, with calummous prechinges, ye and when they met together, more ready [Page] wyth fystes than with pacient arguments to trye their cause hadde they not bene sondered. Notwithstanding through fa­uour of the duke and other va­lyaunt frendes, M. Luther so preuayled agaynst him that he was excommunicate: & beyng a man of auncyent age, an olde preist newly maried, and some tyme archedeaken of Mytten­berge, was fayne to leaue hys younge wyfe, and auoyde the domynyon of Saxony. After that he had wandred through dyuers cities and townes swadynge his opynion with ody­ous reporte, to the minishynge of M. Luthers fame: at laste he cam to Scirich in Switzer lande, where he founde one ac­cordynge to hys execrable ap­petyte, named Swynglyus, [Page] which was there an exceading setter forth of M. Luthers doctryn. To whom as sone as he had disclosed his detestable he­resye agaynst the blessed sacra­ment, he gladly accepted hym, and in denyinge the corporall presence of Christ, agreed both in one, sauynge in this poynte they differed: where as Carol stadius sayd that our saueour Chryst spekyng these wordes: Hoc est corpus meum, meaned his corporall presence there syttynge with his disciples at the table & not in forme of bread: Swin­glius affyrmed that they were not to be vnderstanded lytte­rallye, but by a figure of inter­pretation, so that est was taken for significat, and these wordes of Chryste, thys is my bodye, were as muche to saye, as this [Page] sygnifyeth my body. Of thys matter he wrote sondry epistles to dyuers of his famylyar fren­des, gloryouslye reioycing that he hadde founde oute the longe vnknowen true the, of so hyghe a mysterye: not by the occasy­on of Carolstadius (as he boa­sted) but through his own dili­gent readynge of Scripture, & specyally of Saynt Augustyns workes, whoe in verye dede is cleane contrary to his horryble heresy. Neuerthelesse many of M. Luthers adherentes assented vnto hym, amonge whome the cheif was Oecolampadius: whiche beynge a seculer preiste of .xl. yeares of age, entred the religion of saint Brygyttes or­der in the prouince of Bauarye, and for heresies that he hadde vttered both by preachyng and [Page] wrytyng, standinge in daunger of the Dukes attachiamente, he ranne awaye pryuylye wyth a nonne of the place, whome sone after he forsoke, and gat him for refuge to a Lutheran Prynce named Fraunces de Sychken, a noble personnage by byrthe, but a cruell tyraunte of beha­ueoure, a greate murtherer, a common spoiler of marchaunts and a rouere of hyghe wayes, whyche maynteyned hym and one Hutten a Knyghte of the newe Gospel, geuen holy to mischeife, tyll at the least for fear of displeasure of other prynces, he was driuen to put them away. Oecolampadius came then to Basyl, and there he founde ma­nye fauourers of M. Luthers faction: by whose ayde he was promoted to be curate of a pa­ryshe [Page] churche. Where he hand­led hys matters with such clo­ked hypocrisye, that he wanne many mennes hartes, craftely sowynge sedicious disturbaūce betwixte the temporalte & the spiritualtye, in such wyse that the hole cytye was oftentimes in parell of insurrection, and in daunger to be destroyed.

But thoughe he approued the oppynyon of Swinglius with preferrement aboue Carolsta­dius: yet conceiued he another pryuate vnderstandynge, say­inge, y^t Hoc est corpus meum, oughte thus to be interpreted: this is a fygure or a representacyon of my bodye, allegyng Tertul­liane, Chrisostome & saynt Au­sten for hys auctoritye, whom he vnderstandeth a mysse, and recyteth falsely, sometyme ad­dynge [Page] more to theyr wordes, sometyme takynge away from theyr sentences. In thys space Martyn Luther wrote a con­uycyous boke agaynst Carol­stadius, and he an aunswere to the same of lyke spyryte, and semblable charyte, so y^• Swin­glius and his company whiles other menne wondred at theyr madnesse, laughed them bothe to scorne. Carolstadius perceyuing that he was not so highly estemed as he reckened to ha­ue bene, alsoo longynge verye soore for the companye of hys yonge wyfe: at laste he made meanes to be reconciled again to Martyn Luther and hys churche, which was graunted hym vpon condycyon that he shoulde reuoke his opinion of y^• sacrament, wherto he agreed [Page] albeit he helde not longe tou­che with them. But as sone as he had recouered his wyfe a­gayn, he gat him out of y^• waye, into a vilage, & there kept a co­mune tauerne, besely vttryng his olde heresyes. and dayly contryuynge newe. Thus in Germany muche vnquietnes encreased and trouble oute of measure, with intollerable va­ryaunce betwene seculer peo­ple and the clergye: many dyf famed lybelles & slaunderous wrytynges euerye where dis­perpled abroade. And wher as was but one faction before, on­lye of the Lutheranes: than sprang there vp another, whi­che be called Oecolampadians or Swynglianes, out of whom yssued also the third faction named Anabaptistes, conteyning [Page] aboue .xl. seetes of dyuers he­resyes and sonderye opinions

In good fayth ye tell here a shrewde tale by theym. And yf it be true as ye reherse, I lyke theyr manners a great deale worse than I dyd. But specially I meruayle that they be deuyded into so manye fac­tions & sondrye sectes seynge they pretende to professe the onely doctryne of Chryst, whi­che nouryssheth no such cōten­cyous dyuersitie: for he is the God of peace & not of dissenciō

I ensure you there be in Germany .iii. C. sectes aboue y^• nomber that I haue named, of whose varyable opinyons, I cowlde partelye make rehersall yf I had conueniente oportunyte.

Nowe I praye you for the satysfyenge of my [Page] conscience and of dyuers other whiche peraduēture haue ben desceaued and broughte to er­rours, by the fayned report of them, which wold dylate their heresyes vndernethe the cou­lour of vertuouse lyuyng, bol­delye affyrmynge in reproch of our catholike beleue y^t amonge them is perfyte peace, concord, true loue and charitie, frely ad­mynistred to euery one in ne­cessyte wythout respect of per­sons. But fyrst I wold that ye declared somewhat of the .iii. principall factions.

The fyrste as I haue shewed you are called Lutherans, because they folow Luthers doctrine. The seconde lykewyse are called Oecolampadyanes or Swynglyans, and are as one wyth the Lutheranes in ray­lynge [Page] agaynst the cleargy, and in contempnyng the authorite of the churche, but in the sacra­ment of the aultar they be gre­tely repugnaunt: and so farre at varyaunce, that they haue made large volumes full of outragious furies one against another, in suche vncharitable maner that it excedeth the blas phemouse contencyons of all heretykes and infydeles that euer were before our daies. ye theyr hatefull ennemyte is so malycyous, that yf anye of the Oecolampadyanes resorte a­monge the Lutheranes: they shalbe excommunicated as he­then personnes, and fynd very small charyte, whiche they call loue after the newe interpretatyon. And in lyke maner y^• Lutheranes shall fynde as lyttle [Page] fauour amonge the Oecolam­padyanes. The thyrde faction be called Anabaptysts, because they are twyse Chrystened, and wyll admyt none as theyr faythfull brethren except they be rebaptyzed agayne. They suffre not theyr chyldren to be Chrystened vntyll they be of greate age, and haue manye straunge opynyons. They af­fyrme that it is impossyble for Kynges, prynces, iustices, and other gouernours of y^e comon weale, to be Christē men. They obstynately hold that it is vn­lawfull for a iudge to requyre any othe of a Christē mā. They saye that chrysten men oughte to make no prouysyon nor resi­stence agaynste theyr enemies but frelye suffer thē to do their wyll. Also they shewe holy perfection [Page] outwardly, obseruynge vygyles, fastynges, wyth con­tynuall readynge of scrypture, redye to helpe theyr nedy bro­thren, vsynge theyr goodes in commone. And they disprayse much the lyuyng of the Lutheranes & Oecolampadians, say­enge as I haue hard them my selfe report, that they be worse than the cleargye, whom they call Papistes, for because they haue the Gospel in theyr mon­thes and frame theyr lyues nothynge thereafter, shewynge none amendment of their [...]ewd conuersation, but continue styll in vycyous excesses after the common rate of mysbeleuers. And therefore they be in gre­uous hatred and suffre muche persecution of the other, as ex­communication, exyle, empry­sonment, [Page] & oftentymes cruell execution of death: insomoche that it is enacted throughoute Suytzerland among y^e Oeco­lampadyanes, and in dyuers other places, that whosoeuer is founde of the Anabaptystes faction, he shall be throwen quycke into the water, & there drowned.

Ise well than sayenge and doynge are not al one. For I am enformed that Martyn Luther hath wryten extremely agaynst the persecution of Prelates, affyrmynge it to be agaynste the spyryte of God to persecute or to put to death for vnbeleife or errours consyderynge that faith (as he doth saye) is a gyfte of god, & no man maye haue it of hym selfe. Also because Chryste ne­uer compelled anye man to be­leue [Page] in hym, cōmaundynge the wedes to be suffered amonge the corne, vntyll the heruest cō ­meth

No fayle he wrote so at the begynninge, but after warde experience taught hym the contrarye. For if so be that he & the Oecolampadians had permitted theyr clientes to do what they lusted without any restraynte: they had ben quite oute of auctorite ere this tyme a daye. Apon which consideration it was forfended in all cy­ties and iurisdictiones of the Lutherans, that no man shuld bye or sell other receaue anye booke or treatyse compyled by the Oecolampadyanes. And they in lyke maner made actes to suppresse the Anabaptystes, fearyng least theyr sectes shuld vaynquysh theyr faccyon. [Page]

Yf the Anabaptists haue so many sectes as ye recyte, I praye you to declare some of them.

At your instaunce I shall gladly. There be some whyche holde opynyon that al deuylles & damned soules shal be saued at the daye of dome.

Some of them perswade that the Serpent which dysceaued Eue was Christ. Some of thē graunt to euerye man and woman two soules. Some affyr­me lecherye to be no synne, & y^• one maye vse another mannes wyfe withoute offence. Some take vpon them to be sooth say ers and Prophetes of wonder full thynges to come, and haue prophesyed the daye of iudge­ment to be at hande: some with in three monethes, some with in one monneth, some wythin [Page] vi. dayes. Some of them both men and women at theyr con­gregatyons for a mysterye▪ shewe them selues naked, affyrmynge that they be in the state of innocencye. Also some holde that no man ought to be punis­shed, or suffre execucyon for any cryme or trespace be it ne­uer so horryble, whereof I wyl shew you an example done ma­ter in dede. In Switzerland a lytle frō saynt Gal, at a place named Cella Abbatis, one of these Anabaptistes slewe his owne brother, & smote of hys heade. When he was demaūded why he dydde so, this was his aun­swer: It was the wyll of the father that I should do it, and so he escaped wythoute punys­shemente. For thoughe they be gredy in reprouing other mēs [Page] fawtes, makynge haynous ex­clamations agaynst them: yet ponder they full lytle the cor­rectyon of theyr owne enormi­tyes, callynge them infyrmy­tyes and weaknes of the fleshe be they neuer so abhomynable

Well yet me thynketh by youre sayinge here before, that many of them leade a more cō ­mēdable lyfe in face of y^e world than the common sort of y^e Lu­theranes or Oecolampadians,

ye verelye vnto the outwarde ostentation. But there cometh greater inconuenience by theym whiche haue suche a shadowe of holy lyuynge, than by the other. And there is no­thynge more peryllous in sedu cynge the symple, than a payn­ted pretence of an holye lyfe, where as they swerue ones frō [Page] the ryght fayth and catholyke beleife. Whiche is easye to be proued by euydente examples as well of the olde heretiques, as of oure new Captaynes of the moste hye heresies. And to shew you the trueth as I haue expertely founde, some I haue knowen so angelyke of conuersation, y^t I coulde haue founde in my harte to commytte my soule wholy into theyr dyrecti­on: whom afterwarde I haue perfytelye perceyued to be au­ctours of such detestable here­sies, that it wold make a christē hart to tremble for to here thē ones named. And to tell you of one amonge manye. I was a­quaynted with a certayn per­sonne of the Oecolampadians in y^e citie of Argentyne, whiche led a lyfe inculpable amonge [Page] his neighbours, and was reputed of vertuous conuersation, exercysynge hym self contynu­ally in charytable workes, and vnderstode freshelye the scryp­tures in his mother tonge, for he was ignoraunte of Latyne. Afterwarde he fell into so ab­hominable heresie, that he de­nied openly the new testament sayinge that Christ was a false Prophete, and all his apostles disceuers, acceptynge no part of the olde Testament, but the fyue bookes of Moyses. The cheif preachers and lerned mē of the cytye came vnto hym for to reforme hym by waye of dy­sputatyon, and to brynge hym from his erroure, requyrynge hym to shewe what ground of Scripture, or what occasiō moued hym to take so peryllous [Page] opynyon. To whome he answered coldly with soft wordes & demure countenaunce, how he woulde nether dispute nor ar­gue with theym, sayinge that it was his beleif & was assured of God with witnesse of his cō ­science to be trewe. Apon this incōtinent he was enprysoned and at laste brought before the lordes of the towne, whiche in lyke manner exhorted hym to reuoke his heresyes, mana­cynge hym with feare of terri­ble death, if he would not chaū ­ge hys erronious mynde. He answered that he was redy to suffre whatsoeuer death God had ordeyned hym vnto, and woulde nether for fear, nor for fauour go from hys opynyon. Wherefore after a sufficient delyberation, seynge he woulde [Page] tourne by no meanes, sentence was geuen that he shoulde be burned.

In good faythe well worthy: but was he bur­ned in deede?

No. For when he shoulde haue gone to the place of execution, accor­dynge to the vsaunce of the countrye, he was first brought before the towne howse, and there his artycles recyted. He was asked whether they were the very same which he hadde affyrmed before them. He aun­swered ye. Howbeit nowe (he sayd) God hath opened my ig­noraunce, & I acknowlege me slaunderousely to haue erred, askynge you all forgyuenes. I beleue perfytely that Jesus Chryst is my sauyour, and am redy in his fayth to suffre thys deth prepared for me. The lor­des [Page] then where as they had giuen sentence that he shuld ha­ue ben burned, for a more easye deth, they assigned him to be be hedyd, whereof he thanked thē, and went towarde the place of iustyce, patiently takynge hys death with great repentaunce.

This may be a good ad­monisshment that men shoulde not be so wauerynge in fayth, as to geue credence in all thin­ges to any persone for y^e onely pretence of exterioure holines, in as muche as the deuyll can transfygure hym selfe into an angels lykenes, and a false peruerter take vppon hym the of­fyce of a trewe Apostle. More­ouer I consider by your cōmu­nicacyon, and playne expery­ence here rehearsed, that yf the frowarde sturdynes of vnruly [Page] people were not restrayned by lawes, prohibitions, & sharpe punyshmentes, euery common weale woulde be sone subuer­ted, and the whole world come to noughte.

As for that ye may take example not farre hens at the county of Emdone in East Fryselande, where the earle, ruler of the county, fyrste receyuyng Martyn Luthers doctryne, & afterwarde Oeco­lampadius opynion? suffered his people to read all maner of Bookes, and to be of what so euer secte or opynion they would without any restraynt. Shortelye after one of theyr cheife preachers whiche hadde bene a freer obseruante, a man of subtyle learnynge, and plea­saunt speache, hyghlye estemed among the people: beganne to [Page] preache in openne audience a­gaynst the blessed trinitie, say­enge that there was but one person, one God, and that our Sauyour Christe was a crea­ture as we are, a pure man, and not God, but hauynge goddes spyryte. This caused not a lyt­tle dyscorde betwene the prea­chers and the people, for many of the country leaned vnto him takynge his parte so stronglye that the earle was fayne to ba­nyshe hym oute of hys domy­nion, all be it hys pestyferous sede remayned styl. Then cam thither doctour Baltazar, and after hym Carolstadius, bryn­gynge in the faction of y^e Ana­baptistes, to y^• augmentinge of greater confusiō. For wher as some christened theyr chyldren theyr next neyghbours wolde [Page] not, one condemnyng another with dedly hatred. The meane [...]eason a certayne skynner of Denmarke in the Dukedome of Holsatye, where Martyne Luthers doctryne was onely in strength, preched Oecolam­padius opinion with so craftye argumentes, that Martynes fame began to decreace. Wherfore doctoure Pomerane was sent from Wyttenberge to dy­spute agaynst hym, and in con­clusion obtayned the vyctorye throughe partiall fauoure (as some reported) of the duke and Lordes of the cytyes of Hom­burghe and Breame: whyche immediatly commaunded that no man shulde be so hardye to contrarye or swerue from the doctryne of Martyn Luther, vnder payne of banysshynge, [Page] and other punysshement. Thē two prechers of Breame were sent to Emdone to dyswade y^e earle & his people from Oeco­lampadius opinion, and from the confuse dyuersyte of other sectes, also to reduce theym a­gayne vnto Martyn Luthers wayes. The earle with his coū cell at theyr perswasyons alie­nated theyr mindes frō Oeco­lampadius, streytely charging all those preachers whiche had susteyned his faction, or anye other, sauynge Martyn Lu­thers, to departe oute of hys countrye by a certayne daye apoynted. Then was it a wonder to se what murmuration, grudge, and rumoure of sedy­cion was amonge the people, not withoute lykelyhed of fal­lynge together by the eares, & [Page] insurrection agaynste theyr prynce, had not he sought pro­uydent meanes to pacyfy thē. This cōtinued no longe space but letters came from Argen­tyne, Basyle, zyricke, Bearne, and from many persons of no­table erudition, after theyr e­stemynge, also from the prynce of Hesse, aduertisyng the earle wyth seryous exhortation, to call home agayne y^e preachers of Oecolampadius factiō, and reprehendyng his sodayn mu­tabylytie from theyr institute, so apparente by manyfest con­iectures to preuayle aboue the other. At whose importune requestes and subtyle instygacy­ons, he chaunged yet agayne hys purpose, and gaue the Oe­colampadian preachers licence to returne into theyr olde pla­ces, [Page] and lybertie to preache as they were before accustomed: commaunding silence vnto the other, or elles auoydaunce of his countrye. Lo thus may ye se what varyable inconstancye and sondry mutations of con­demned heresyes hath ensued with euident confusion, where as people be deuided from the v [...]itye of the christen church, & contemne to walke after the wholsome decrees of catholike fathers, wrestynge the ryght sence of scryptures vnto theyr crooked ymaginacyons. And specyallye where the brydle of sensualite is set at large, to the sturdye frowardnes of sedicy­ous subiectes, sometime by the effeminat tēdernes of princes, so negligētly regarded, y^• afterwarde theyr fearfull rygour is [Page] scant able to redresse it: which hath bene y^e lamentable dekay of the Boemes, and is now the ruynous myscheife of the hye Almaynes, not vnlykely to be the desolation of christendome yf remedy be not founde in sea­son.

Sauynge your pa­cyence me thought ye declared here y^• the Land graue of Hesse is a fauourer of Swinglius & Oecolampadius, who wyth his people as I vnderstande admytteth Martyn Luthers wayes and none other.

I wyll not denye but he maynteyneth styl Martyn Luthers doctryne, albeit synce the dys­putation was before hym, he hath fauoured so greatlye the opynion of Oecolampadius and Swinglius, y^• were it not as I deme for feare of displea­synge [Page] hys confederate cosyne the duke of Saxony, and fren­tyke perturbation of Martyn Luther, he wolde haue sustay­ned it openlye ere this tyme. Wytnesse the gloryous comendation vnto their faces whiles they were present, and syngu­ler preferremēt of thē amonge hys famylyer counsellers, also hys beneuolent lyberalytie at theyr departyng wyth letters afterward betwyxe thē farsed full of paynted prayses ī theyr absence.

I beseche you when and vnder what maner was thys dysputation.

In the yere of our Lord. 1528. the prince of Hesse in his cheife cyte of Marburge caused the­re to be assembled Martin Luther, Melancton, Oecolāpadi­us, Swinglius, Capito, But­zer [Page] wyth many other of y^• most famous clerkes of the Luthe­ranes and Oecolampadianes (the Anabaptistes onely exclu­ded) where dyuers artycles were doubtfully proponed to y^• nomber of .xv. whyche before tyme hadde bene discussed and clerely determyned in general counselles of the vnyuersall church. And when they had by longe processe vnfrutefully disputed aboute the iustificacion of fayth without good works: of baptysme, and other questy­ons vpon which they had written whole bokes: yet in y^• ende were they driuen to the old determinatiō of the churche, saue least theyr wrytynges shoulde seme in vayne, & theyr assem­blynge to be ydie, they founde out some contrariety of so slen­der [Page] importancye, that mē may playnlye iudge in them, other inuyncyble arrogance disday­nynge to be reformed, or elles obstynate malyce, sekyng for y^• nones to impugne the trewth. Concerninge the sacrament of the altare wherin rested y^e princypall matter of theyr disputa­tion, they greately varyed and coulde by no meanes agree.

Howe be it they concluded at laste, that eche parte holdyng them contente with theyr be­leife, should departe in louynge frendshyppe, without any ody­ous wrytinge frō thence forth one agaynst another.

whether of them obtayned the vyctory?

They deuyded it betwene theym whyle they were presente. But sone after theyr departyng, the Lutheranes [Page] ascribed it to Martyn Luther, and contrarye the Oeco­lompadianes vnto Oecolam­padius and Swynglyus.

Use they such crafty con­ueyaunce in promotyng theyr Gospell?

ye hardely, and that without any shame when they be detected of it, infor­syng men agaynst their wylles to be fautours of theyr heresy­es. Dyd not No [...]iomagus ga­ther certayne sentences out of Erasmus workes, which false­ly depraued, he coupled vnto Martyn Luthers assertions, and caused them to be impryn­ted: blasyng abrode that Erasmus and Luther were of one opynion, to the slaunderous hynderaunce of his profytable studye? of whome after muche other detraction, he was not [Page] ashamed to craue subsedye in his beggarly indygence. Also Butzer playd a lyke pageante with Pomeran in translating his Psalter out of latyne into the Almayne tonge. For wher he aspyed any occasion to treat of the blessed Sacramente: he plucked out Pomerans sentē ­ces, and graffed in his own af­ter no compendyous fashyon: which as sone as they were en prynted, the fame noysed ouer all y^t Pomerane (vnknowynge to hym) was one with the Oe­colampadianes, whyche after­warde he apartely detested in dyuers epystles, dyscoueryng the false hod of Butzer. Suche subtyll dryftes I may tell you among them is daylye not vn­practised.

Well, ye haue here rehersed many thinges a­gaynst [Page] them, wherein yf I and suche other wold geue credēce vnto your sayinges wythoute surmyse of percialite, we shuld sone turne oure affection from theyr learnynge. But seyng ye haue bene a fauourer of them, and per aduenture bothe spo­ken and wrytten as largely as the rankest of them all whome ye nowe call heretykes: fayne woulde I wyt what mocioned you to take it in hande so ear­nestlye, and now to shyft your selfe from it so lyghtelye.

To shew you the truthe withoute dissimulation howe I was entyced vnto theyr fac­tion, the verye begynnynge was this. I had redde certayn treatyses of Martyn Luther, of the iustifycacion onelye by fayth wythoute good deedes, [Page] how man had no free wyl, how oure good workes auayled vs nothynge to be saued, nother oure yll deedes shoulde cause vs to be damned, and many o­ther articles whiche he falsely presumed to ground vpon scri­pture. Also I dylygentlye no­ted howe he descrybed the ab­uses of Popes, Cardinalles, byshoppes, preistes, and rely­gious personnes, declarynge howe the present dekay of the church, farre differed from the perfectyon of the Apostles and holy fathers, at the fyrst begin nynge: wherin he made no lye though in other thīges he spa­red the truthe. Furthermore geuyng eare to the plesaūt ru­moures of his reformations, highly cōmended amōg new fā gled people: it set myne harte [Page] so on fyre, y^• I could not rest vntyll I had bene there with thē. After that I had sene Martin Luther, Pomerane, Melanc­ton, & heard theyr prechinges, perceyuyng theyr order there in Saxonye: I went into hye Almayne, vnto the Oecolam­padians, & remaynynge there amonge theym, was oftenty­mes conuersaunt with y^e Ana­baptistes. In the meane space I sawe many wonderfull alte­rations, as destroyenge of monasteryes, pluckynge downe of churches, castynge out of yma­ges, breakynge of aultars, and caryeng the consecrate stones to the buyldynge of theyr bul­warkes, also maryages of pre­stes, monkes, freers, nonnes, contempte of holy dayes, anul­lynge of vygyles, fastynge of [Page] the lent, and embrynge dayes clene reiecte with other lauda­ble ordynaunces instytute by the churche. Al places of scrip­ture where mencyon is made of Antichrist, false prophetes, maysters of lyes, & such other▪ they violently applyed vnto y^• clergye, namynge theym selfe chrysten bretherne, dyscyples of Christe, and apostles of hys Gospell. In denyenge purga­torye and auctorite of y^• pope, yf they founde in auncyent au­ctours as much as a corrupte tytle of a pystle sownynge any thynge to theyr purpose, all be it the Epystle selfe made whole agaynst it: yet wold they take it as the worde of god and sure reuelation of the spyryte. Contrarye wyse, yfanye alledged Austen, Hierome, Cypryane, [Page] or Chrysostome agaynste them they wolde admytte theyr sen­tences for none auctoryte, say­enge they were men, & all men were lyers. In like maner concernynge the sacrament of the aultare, where they redde in doctours of the spyrytuall ea­tynge and ghostelye beynge: they onelye accepted that, and vnder the coloure therof they woulde exclude the corporall eatynge and bodelye presence of Christ, to the establysshinge of theyr blasphemous errors: whiche they shadowed vnder the couerte of hypocrysye and persuasions of peruerted scriptures, in suche wyse that open­lye seyng I could not perceiue them, vntyll it pleased God of his inest [...]mable goodnes to brynge me oute of the lande of [Page] darckenes and region of deth, vnto the clerenes of his know­ledge & lyuyng lyght of truth. I can not excuse me but amōg the wycked I endeuored my selfe to haue doone euyll: but God so mercyfullye preuented me, that it came to small effecte in doynge anye harme. If I haue bene occasion of any man­nes fall or cause of slaunder, I am sorye for it and aske for­geuenes. Notwythstandynge I neuer defended any opinion obstinately, nether despised the admonycyon of any vertuous person: that I haue erred was through ignoraunce, and of no malicious pertynacite. Where ye be in perplexitie of credence geuyng vnto my words, I am sure if that I spake accordynge to your appetite, ye would put [Page] no dyffydence in me whether I said the verite or lyed: for it is a playne case amonge the fa­uourers of these newe sectes. that they wyl refuse no forged tales makyng aught for theyr syde, be they neuer so fals. And seyng ye beleued me in errour: ye oughte not to mystruste me nowe in my faythfull reuocaci­on, voluntarye, and not coac­ted.

Clearely many men presuppose that other ye be deluded by y^• flatteryng perswa­syon of some worldlye persons or elles vtterly geuen into a reprobate mynde, throughe gre­dye desyre of yearthly promo­tion and appetyte of ydle ly­uynge.

It is not in my power to stoppe y^• wronge sur­myse, or mysse reporte agaynst me, now enemy vnto theyr er­rours [Page] whyles they abuse the same to y^• frendes of theyr he­resyes: namely where as Sa­than is loosed at large, and the lyenge goste the spyryte of vn­trueth, walketh at lyberty vn­restreyned. Woulde God they were as prest to remoue y^• balk out of their owne eyes, as they be prōpte to aspye a lytle mote in other mens. They crye oute sore vpon the worldelye wyse­dome and carnall prudence of other persons, callyng them tyrauntes and mynysters of An­techrist, wher as I cā perceiue none more gredy of carnall po­licies and fleshely ayde of tyrā ­tes than they be. Were he ne­uer so cruell a creature, or myscheuous fende that is tourned to theyr factions, they receaue hym for an euangelyke dyscy­ple, [Page] his malycyous mynde no­thynge mynysshed, althoughe percase his doyng of mischeife is restrayned by pouertye or some other myserable impedi­ment agaynst his wyll. And yf any body speke ought agaynst such peruerse penitentes, forth with they alege the vnpitious fiersnes of saynt Paule before hys conuersion, the sinnes of Mary Magdalene and her penaūce, also y^e example of Christe receyuing publicanes and syn­ners, and how the angelles of heauen ioye more vpon one pe­nitēt sinner. &c. Lu. xv. I pray you what a ghostelye patrone was Hutten theyr furious chā pyon, a man not onelye ouer­whelmed wyth heresyes, but also stuffed full of all vnhappy­nes, whose horryble ende was [Page] accordyng to hys myscheuous lyfe. For after that he had bene plaged with y^e frenche pockes, and was healed of them seuen sondrye tymes: he myscrably dyed of them in an yle of Swicherlād in extreme pouerte abhorred of all people, hys vyle carcas eaten with soores, more stynkynge then anye caryon, so that vnneth any bodye myght abide the lothsome staunche of it. Moreouer I beseche you with what christen spyryt dyd Fraunces of Syckhym defend thē, a subuerter of peace, a bur­ner of poore mennes houses, & a troubler of all Germany, vp pon whom the vengeaunce of God dyd lyghte, and was so­denly slayne in a Castell besyde Crutzynacke to the infamye of hys aūceters and disheritaūce [Page] of his chyldren. I passe ouer the captaynes of the vplandish people and theyr insurrection, partely touched before.

Ye wot wel ynough that Martyn Luther dyd wryt agaynst them, condemnyng theyr sedi­cious enterpryse.

So dyd he indede when it was to late voyde of remedye. But as long as they were in any lykly hod to preuayle, he rather sup­ported thē. What heuenly wysdome dyd the monstruouse fy­gures sygnify, where M. Lu­ther was portred wyth a boke in his hand, & by hym Hutten his protect our in complete harnes holdyng a drawen sword, with certayn texts vnderneth prouokynge sedicion. And as for ydlenes, I sawe no manne more fauty in it than them sel­ues: [Page] except ye account that for profitable busynes when they be nether ydle nor well occupi­ed. Are there not a great infi­nyte nomber amonge them, y^• can lay sharpely to other men­nes charges the cōmaūdemēt of God genen to Adam: In swete of thy face thou shalt eat thy bread, & dylygently repete y^• labourous workyng of saynt Paule and other Disciples of Christe, which lyue delycately in ydlenes? And suppose ye y^• a man may not fynde manye of them whiche haue theyr sustentation vpon the spoyle of chur­ches, robbery of monestaryes, and extorcion of innocent peo­ple.

Thoughe some of thē be of suche disposicion: yet ought not ye to condemne the hole nomber of the good for a [Page] small somme of the euyl.

Why do ye then dispise the vni uersall churche, because some of them be noughte.

Mary for because the more somme of the euyll, su [...] mountethe the lesse nomber of the good.

And thynke you that it maye not be better verefyed among the new gospellers, of y^e which the best is starke nought? Not wythstandynge some I haue knowē of excellent lyterature, which for theyr sober conuersacion and temperate lyuyng, yf they hadde bene as seryous in furtherynge the fayth as they were in settynge forth of here­syes, were worthy to be pillers of Christes church. But I pon der not so greatly the outward holynes of hypocrytes, consy­deryng that Arrius, Maniche [Page] us, Pellagius, & other execra­ble here tykes euen as they be equall wyth them in heresyes, so were they not infer yours to them in suche hypocrysy. How many here in Englond within this .C. yeare haue ridde them selues out of this mortall lyfe, wyth a desperate death hated both to God & man, some drow ninge thē selues, some cuttyng theyr owne throtes, and many hangyng them selues, whyche in theyr lyfe tyme haue ben re­puted for well dysposed, vertuous, & charitable folke aboue the comon sorte of christen people, & paraduenture some here in London of our olde aquayntaunce. In whome is fulfylled the sayinge of Samuell: Man marketh those thinges that be open to the eye, but God consi­dereth [Page] the secretnes of y^e hart, to the verefyenge of Chrystes worde in the gospell. Luk. 17. That which is hyghly auaun­ced of men, is abhominable in the syghte of God. Neuerthe­lesse yf ye go to the vttermost [...] I could appoynt ye to many of the church, whiche accomplysh the perfection of liuing vnfay­nedly, where of these men afore sayd haue but a barren pretēce or a dombe similitude. And as for the worst multitude of pre­stes, monkes, chanons, freers, and other relygious persons▪ I dare compare theym wyth the common sorte generally of these new factions, althoughe ye put a part theyr fayth & obedience to y^e church, which I re­ken no small mater.

So god help me then dare I geue [Page] the verdyt with out any quest, that they be starke noughte all the manye of them. And to be­ginne fyrst of all at the freers, ye se what a ras [...]all rable ron­neth aboute the country with bosomed sermons, preach ynge fables and olde wyues tales, in stede of the worde of God, whiche ar redy mates to associate vnthryftes in all myscheif, to the slaunder of christen reli­gion. And to speke of monkes, chanons, with other religious possessioners, I praye you what a ghostly lyfe lead they▪ geuen holye to slouthfull ydle­nes, and belyioy, in eatyng and drynkinge, withoute studye of Scripture or endeuerment of any vertuouse excercise. They syng in theyr quieres wyth as great deuotion, as hunters do [Page] at the halowynge of a foxe, ha­uyng delyte in yellyng of their voyces, and crying of organs, but no swetenes of spyrytuall melodye. Also seculer preistes euen as bad as the best, shall ye not fynde them at tauernes & dyshonest houses, drynkyng & gowsynge tyll they be as dronken as apes, nothynge abashed to swere blasphemous othes & to vse fylthye communication. And such as be curats hauing charge of mennes sowles, are there not many of thē blynder than betels, destitute of necessary doctryne with good liuing, whereby they myghte edyfye theyr parysshons. It were to tedyons a processe to rehearse their wretchednes so farre out of order, whyche all the worlde perceyueth & speaketh agaynst [Page] it, and yet can be none amende­ment.

If theyr wretchednes of lyuyng as ye say be ma­nyfest to all the worlde: it shall not be so nedefull for you to declare anye further thereof, as it wyll be expedyente for me to tell of these newe gospellers whose erronyous wyckednes is knowen to very few here in this region. And surely to im­proue the vniuersall churche as euell, because many of them be lewde: it were no lesse mad­nes then to sette at nought the old testamēt, because the more parte of the children of Israell were euill, other to dispyse the Gospell because all these newe factions which falsely presume to be folowers of it, are hereti­kes. Among whō ye shall fynde [...]enegate freers that haue caste [Page] of theyr habytes, and forsaken theyr relygion, whiche haue maryed wyues, and sone after scape away from them, leauing theym in carefull desolatyon, ye some one ma [...]ieng .ii. or .iii. wyues in dyuers countreys, whome they haue dysceyued by craftye entycementes, ma­kynge them beleue with theyr gorgeous apparayle that they be cōe of noble & ryche frēdes. And of these are there manye which walk ouer sōdry prouin­ces, with glosinge speache and swete tales, spienge out vnsta­ble people y^• wyll be waueryng with euery winde, and such as theyr stomackes serue them to contemne fastynges and pray­ers, desyrous of carnall lyber­tie, and can rayle agaynste the cleargy, caring for no iurisdiction, [Page] and when suche vnlawfull meanes fayl, geue themselues to thefte, robbyng of churches and sedycyous dysturbaunce, whereby some of them are promoted to the galows, & shame­full marter dome of felons.

Lykewyse apostata monkes & chanons peruerted vnto theyr sectes, some bring with thē as much substaunce of the spoyle of theyr places, that they pur­chase therwith fayre landes & yearely rentes. Also priestes y^• haue made cheuesaūre of theyr benefices for .ii. or .iii. C. poundes, at whose commyng it is a worlde to heare howe God is magnyfyed for theyr delyue­raunce frome the tyrannye (as they call it) of Antychriste, and what brotherlye chere is made with feruēt reioyce [...] y^e suffraūce [Page] of Christes crosse, namelye yf they haue store of monye. And soone after they are prouyded of fayre wyues in safegarde of theyr chastite, and to augment theyr perfection, wherby some of theym chaunce to be so ve­xed with deuylles, that theyr Gospell is not able to charme them, and are fayne to runne awaye in libertye of the lorde, ere that theyr wyues be made faste in the bondes of our lady. Besyde these howe manye in Germany haue annuall pensi­ons of cyties and townes for tearme of lyfe, bownde to no maner of seruice, whose chāge of state is to no renuyng of spi­ritual conuersation, but rather an vnsacyat luste of fleshly fre­dome, euidētly tryed by theyr vycious behaueoure, ydle ly­uyng, [Page] & disguysed apparell.

Ye maye speake manye thynges for your pleasure, but ye knowe righte wel y^• christen relygion standeth not in oute­warde rayment, nor I can not se but as good a soule maye be vnder a seculer wede, as in a relygious vesture. The straunge diuersitie of habytes is not cō ­maunded of God, nother scrip­ture ascribeth any holines vn­to thē.

In good fayth I speke of truth & not of pleasure for it is to me muche displea­sure to se thē suche as I se thē, not in theyr disguised clothing onlye, full farre vnsemelye for them, if they were eyther such as they were before, or such as they nowe call theym selfe, but ouer that in euery kynde of all dysordered lyuyng: whyche ye [Page] let passe as thoughe I had foū ­den no faut but with theyr clo­thynge. And agaynste that ye seme to set at nought the haby­tes and fashions of religiouse people, callyng them straunge dyuersities & thinges nought worth, because they be not commaunded of god, nor that scri­pture ascrybeth no holynes in them. But as for strangnes of apparell, relygyouse men vse none. But theyr apparell was at the fyrst deuysed by such as they that now hate religiō, do not yet denye for holye blessed men. And now they cannot be straunge, when they contynue styll euery order his olde fashi­on, and that all the world hath loked vppon them, and among a thousand freers none go bet­ter appareled then an other.

[Page]But now vnto the other syde, these that runne away frō thē vnto these Lutherans, they go I say dysguysed strangelye frō that they were before, in gaye iagged cotes, and cut and scot­ched hosen, verye syghtly for­so the, but yet not very semelye for such folke as they were and shoulde be. And thys apparell change they dayly, from fashiō to fashion, euery day worse thē other, their new fangled foly & theyr wantō pryde neuer cōtēt nor satisfyed. And where ye set at nought al straunge diuer sytie of habytes, in whyche ye meane I wote well not onelye religiouse mennes apparell, but also the garmentes worne in diuine seruyce, for therein I knowe youre mynde of olde▪ I saye these gere were well or­dered [Page] by good men, & not without the good help of God. And ye can not fynde that they be dysalowed of God, but rather approued, in as muche as he in the old testament appointed vnto y^• preistes and mynysters a seuerall dystynction of appa­rayle from the common peple, specyally in theyr ministraciōs. Also it appeareth by the storye of the prophete Heliseus, whōe the chyldren of Bethel mocked and wondred vpon, y^t he was not clothed after theyr comen fashion. And verely I holde it more conueniēt for relygyouse persons to were y^t habytes by theyr fore fathers institute, than to be arayed after the ruf fyane inuencion, of many Gos­pellers in Germany.

All these are but blynde reasons of [Page] your owne fantasy, nothing to the purpose. The orygynall in stitution of relygyous haby­tes began vpon certayne con­syderations. As thus: when holy fathers lyued in wylder­nes, they made theyr garmen­tes after a fashion that myghte best defend the sharpe stormes and yll wethers. And some y^t gaue themselues to bodely la­bour, contryued theyr clothes to be shapen in a most hansome maner to worke in. Also some of them wyllyng to exchew su­perfluytie of vesture, deuysed them habytes mooste apte for warmth & sparynge of clothe. But now these consyderatiōs faylyng: to were the habytes of them, & not to folowe theyr example, me thynketh it mere hypocrysy.

Then maye [Page] I say to you agayne after the same forme of argumentation. The fyrste inuentours of thys newe dysguysed apparel, were hethen people, vnthriftes, foo­les, and myslyuynge persons: nowe ye that be accoūted good Christen people vse the same, where as ye ought not folowe theyr lewdenes, therfore ye be &c. Notwithstāding I demaū ded ones of a certayn cōpanion of these sectes which had bene of a strayt religion before, why his garmentes were nowe so [...]umptuouse, all to poū [...]ed with gardes and iagges lyke a rut­ter of the launce knyghtes. He answered to me that he dyd it in contempt of hypocrisy. Why quoth I, doth not God hate pryde the mother of hypocrisy, as well as hypocrysye it selfe▪ wherto [Page] he made no dyrect an­swer agayne, but in excusynge hys faut, he sayde y^t God pryn­cypally accepted the mekenes of the hart, and inward christē maners, which I beleue were so inward in hym, that seldome he shewed any of thē outward­ly.

I graūted before that ther were some light persons. But what say you to the prouision of pore people there, suche as are aged or impotent, & that beggers be not suffred to cra­ue at mennes dores, nor to loy­ter ydellye as they do here, but a [...] set a worke. I tell you some men thynk yf our sturdy mon­kes, chanons, & freers, labored for theyr lyuing as we lay peo­ple do, that it wold be a meryer world thā now is.

What a mery tyme it wold be here in [Page] thys lande I am vncertayne, but I am sure that in Germa­ny among these newe factions is yet but a sory worlde & lyke to be worse, ye saye there be no loytryng beggers, and that is trew, for few or none resorteth thyther because they can haue none almes nor releife, excepte they wil do intollerable seruice for so slender wages, y^t yf they be not of sober dyet, and longe exercysed wyth laboure, it is not possyble for them to awaye with it. But what is theyr la­bour? marye pluckyng downe of churches and monasteryes, and buyldyng of bulwarkes & walles to instrēgth theyr tow­nes agaynst them which couet to reforme them. And here is a doute to be moued, when suche busynes is ended, howe shall [Page] they be then set a worke, consi­derynge that in other occupa­cions a fewer nomber than be al readye were able to suffyse y^e people, & so they fynde it there already.

God wyll pro­uyde otherwyse for them than mannes ymaginacion can comprehend.

If their wayes lyked hym I wot wel he wold. But sythe it is no pleasure to hym to se them leue the faythe, and fall to heresyes, pull down churches, and buylde vp bul­warkes agaynst god in defence of theyr abhominable errours: I verely thynk that the wrath of God wyll worke them ven­geaunce, and sende suche men muche misery, and abate theyr bulwarkes to the grounde, as he abated the prowde towre of Babylon, when he confounded [Page] the buylders into as many tō ­ges as y^e deuyl hath cōfounded y^e bylders of these bulwarks in to many shameful sectes.

Wel I trust better. And which of vs is begyled the ende shall shew. But this here I say that as yet hytherto, where as ye spake of theyr intollerable la­bour: I am certyfied that they come from it as ioyouslye as it were from a recreation.

I blame theym neuer a deale, thoughe they be gladde when theyr taske is at an ende.

Nay I meane when theyr hā ­des be full of blaynes and bly­sters, wyth achynge armes, theyr shulders black and blew, by reason of heuye burthens: that then they reioyce in suffe­raunce.

They y^t so haue certified you, I pray you write [Page] vnto theym agayne, and praye them to certifie you also howe manye worketh wyth an euyll wyll for the onelye lacke of ly­uynge, and howe many runne fro their worke & rather chuse to go steale & be hanged to, ra­ther thē to come to so paynfull worcke agayne. And by that tyme that they haue certyfyed you of these two sortes: they shall I warrant you certifie of the thyrde tother sort that are so gladde of suche labour, not fully so many as ye rekē now. And yet I thinke verelye that some such are there to. And I would muche meruayle elles.

Whye so?

For I haue knowen ere thys where mē haue bē sore hurt in frayes, y^t they whiche haue ben soreste wounded haue most reioyced, [Page] not in hys harmes but in the praysings of other.

Who be they y^t shulde prayse so these labourynge folke.

Euen suche of theyr owne sectes as wyi not labour thē selues, whi chear redier to encorage other mē vnto suffraunce of deth for theyr opinions, than to ieo­parde them selfe the lest typpe of their eare. But now to your obiection, that ye wuld prestes monkes, and freers shulde la­boure as other temporall men do: I holde it expediente that many of them shulde be better occupied than they are. Howe beit I haue hard in Germanye greuous complayntes & mur­murations of hande crafty mē and artyfycers agaynste rely­gyous persons, whyche haue made them selfes worldly, and [Page] learned their occupations. For through theyr augmentation, the profytable gaynes of occu­pations was mynysshed, and the welth of theyr lyuynge de­cayde, so that many were com­pelled to seeke aduentures in straunge prouinces for defaute of worke at home. Also I haue knowen in the citie of Colen, & in other places of the low countrey, that religious personnes in theyr cloysters fyndyng thē selues with labour of theyr hā ­des, as spynnyng, weyuynge, & makynge of lynnen cloth, haue bene haynously cōplayned vpō to the lordes and rulers, y^t thei toke away the auauntage and lyuyng from the pore comons & citezens: wherfore they haue bene restrayned from takynge of temporall peoples worke.

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By this rekeninge, sel­dome is a chaūge for y^e better. But yet howe saye ye to theyr prouysyon for poore impotente people?

After my mynde they neuer went about an acte that pretended a more God­ly purpose, or a feruenter zele of charytable cōpassion. whiche ordinaunce if it had a progresse of continuaunce, as it had a ly­kelyhode at the begynnynge: were to be alowed and practy­sed of all Chrysten nations.

But euery occasion wysely pondered with due circumstaūces, it wyll make those y^t be sage to stay at it, & other like matters, takyng auysement before, least thei enterprise further thē thei be able to bryng vnto a lawda­ble ende. It is y^e very properte of comō people, namely of these [Page] Almaynes, that what so euer they be perswaded vnto, agre­able to theyr affections, they shal be ready in a sodeyn gyere to accomplysh: regardyng no­ther daunger, nor commodite, though sone after they repent theym. And lyke as the people of Israhell brought the iewel­les of theyr wyues & chyldern to the makynge of the golden calfe: so dyd they brynge their iewelles, beades, rynges, out­ches, with mony both gold and syluer, to the common hutches so haboundantly for this pro­uision, y^t men doubted in some place, whether they had poore folke sufficiente to consume so excedynge heapes of ryches.

But this dout was sone made a playn case: for within a whyle after, the ardente heat of theyr [Page] lyberall deuocion waxed cold. And because they contynued not styll in bryngynge in theyr oblations: the hutches and coffers were emptye ere men wyst it. Then whyles it was compassed what waye myghte be beste taken for the preserua­tion of this ordynaunce, leaste it shuld decaye, to theyr confu­syon that began it: some gaue counsell that it shoulde be ne­cessarye to depryue the clergy of theyr goodes, and to dystri­bute theyr possessions, landes, and rentes among lay people. And to throwe downe all mo­nasteries & churches, makyng coyne of crosses, chalesses, and other sacred iewels, for y^• sustē tation of the poore as they al­leged. This aduyse with hole assent of certayne prynces and [Page] comonteys was approued, af­fyrmynge that yf so infynyte ryches were ones in theyr handes, the reuenewes of greate men shuld be so enlarged, that they shoulde nede to rayse no taxes nor lones of the com­mons, but rather cease frome all importable exactions.

In lyke maner by the same po­lycy the comons mighte grow vnto such welthye substaunce: that beggers and nedy people fewe or none shoulde be founde among them, whiche ought to be called a golden worlde, or a tyme of felicite.

And cam it not so to passe in conclusion?

No, nor neuer shall I make you assuraunce, for the goodes ar wasted, & no mā can tell howe: ye at this houre the prynces and lordes of y^• cytyes [Page] are more hungry to pyll & pole, then euer they were. The commons also in lesse welth, endu­tyng more greuous oppression then euer they dyd, wyth no fewer myserable persons then they had before, all thynges at out of measure scarce, eche complaynynge to other of theyr calamities infortunate withoute remedy of redresse or hope of a better chaunge.

Oure lorde forbyd y^t it shuld chaunce so here.

yet lacke there not in Englond that wyshe ful hartely after suche a ruffelyng chaunge, the more parte suche as hope to wyn, and haue no­thynge to lese, and yet some so mad that haue of theyr owne, and whyche happely myght repent it fyrst of all. I let passe my lord cardinals acte in pullynge [Page] down & suppressīg of religious places, our lord assoile his sou­le. I wyll wrestle with no sou­les: he knoweth by this tyme whyther he dyd well or euyll. But thys dare I be bolde to saye, that the countreis where they stode, fynde suche lacke of them: that they would he had let them stand. And thinke you then that there wold be no lack founden, if y^e remanaunt were so serued to? Iwene men wold so sore mysse theym that many which speke agaynst thē, wolde sone laboure his owne handes to set them vp agayne.

In good fayth youre wordes make me so amased, that I can not tell what I may say to the matter: I se the lyuynge of the cleargy is farre wyde from the doctrine of christ, & example of [Page] the apostles, & the Lutherans by your saying be inworse case, both destitute of catholik fayth & good christen maners, wyth­out anye better lykelyhode ex­cepte by the meanes of a gene­rall reformation.

Who shoulde be the auctours of this reformation?

The pope & other christen princes.

I put case that manye of theim be as wyde oute of the ryghte waye as the other.

That can ye tell partely concernyng thys Popes holynesse, for ye were latelye at Rome.

In very dede I heard pyteously of it by other mens reporte, but I sawe it not: & peraduen­ture I sawe the lesse, because I taryed so lytell whyle there.

Notwithstanding it fortuned me to talke with an Italyan, [Page] and in oure communication I spake as I had harde, that the pope and the emperour enten­ded a reformation. Why sayde he they haue begonne already. I asked himwhere. Se ye not quod he that they haue destro­yed Lombardye, Italye, Na­ples, & also enpouered Fraūce, to the ruynous decay of christē dome? Beware sayde I what ye speake. Yes quod he, for I meane no dyshonoure to theyr hyghnes, for they perfourme the wyll and commaundement of God, as they of Syrya, and Babylone dyd, in destroying y^• euyll chyldren of Israhell, to thintent the good myght pros­pere in theyr places. Mary qd I, that is clene contrary here, for the good be destroyed, and the euyll are encreased, so that [Page] ueuer in Italye were seene so manye vagaboundes, theues, hores and harlottes, as are in this present tyme. Well sayde he, yf the good be rather destroyed, as ye allege, and the euyll are styll reserued: it is a token that they haue escaped wyth an easy scorge, the dredeful vengeaunce of God, which remay­neth for these y^t be left behynd. Howebeit, ye rede in stories of the byble, that the sinfull world was fyrst destroyed before that ryghteous Noe was possessio­ner of the frutfull yerth, blessed of God, and the abomynable cities of Sodom and Gomor vterly subuerted, erevertuous Loth ascended the mounte of hys refuge. Also the repro­bate people of Israhell were wholy extincte, ere euer theyr [Page] elect chyldren entred the lande of promis. Wherfore construe ye as ye please, I feare me that the reformation of the worlde shall be wyth the sword of vengeaunce vppon the people for theyr iniquitie, consyderyng y^• obduratiō of their hartes, and harde necked stubburnes, not moued at the wōderful tokens whyche dayly pronosticate the wrathe of God to be at hande. With this he shranke awaye, & woulde tarye no longer.

Peraduenture he was afrayd to wade further in the truthe. But beleue me yf ye wyl, wher he spake of the destroyinge of euyll people: I wene yf Luthe ranes be such as ye make them it were the redyeste waye for a reformation to kyll vp theym quyte.

I woulde rather [Page] wyssh them amended, if it may be. And as for kyllynge theym in some place, it were no greate maistry. But thē in some other places where wold ye fynd the people to do the execution?

We shulde lacke none in Englande I warrante you, for there be manye of the cleargye that woulde be full glad of it, & marchauntes some, thoughe many be on theyr syde. Also ye myght haue a great sort of the cōmons, and many courtyers, though some of euery sorte fa­uoure Luthers wayes & some great mennes seruaūtes beare men in hande that theyr soue­reins support such matters specially in tauerns, marchaunts howses, & other places, where they make thē selues no small fooles, when wyse mē be forth [Page] a dores.

ye vnderstande not what ye saye.

Howe so?

For yf we wyll putte awaye all Lutheranes and all suche open heresyes, we muste fyrste putte awaye many other synnes, whiche haue broughte those heresyes in. For trow ye that heresyes the moost terry­ble plage of God, commeth not through synne of the peple, prouokynge his yre and indigna­tion, whereby he sendeth a­monge them false prophetes, & erronious teachers, preaching matters accordynge to theyr waywarde appetytes.

yet prestes and clarkes are the bryngers vp of heresyes, and the cheif mainteiners of them, by occasyon of Popes, Cardy­nalles, byshops, and other pre­lates of the cleargye.

I [Page] wyll neyther excuse nor accuse neither them nor other. But I feare me y^t as for other synnes the cleargy and the lay to, shall not nede to striue therfore, but maye well agree together, and parte the stake betwene them. And as for heresyes, thoughe some of the cleargy commenly begyn them: yet yf we loke on olde cronycles, wyth experiēce of our own tyme, we shall well fynde that there hath not lac­ked some great temporal pryn­ces, nor a great nōber of lewde laye people, to set them forth, & support them. Was not the origynall grounde and cause of M. Luthers heresy, to do pleasure to hys Prynce, and to purchase fauour amonge the peo­ple. In lyke maner, Oecolam­padius, zwynglius, Pharel­lus, [Page] and other mo folowed the same trace. When princes & comonties ar first bent vpō affec­tiō agaynst y^e church, or concey­ue any straūge purpose cōtrary to Scrypture: then immedi­ately they fynde at hand suche lerned persons that can ende­uoure theyr braynes in appro­uynge theyr lustes, makynge y^• whiche is vnlawefull, lawfull, which say that good is euell, & euell is good, callynge lyghte darcknes, and darknes lyght.

We shal finde thē among whiche prech suche thinges as ye cal heresye for no such cause, but preache it bold elye before great audience, where they for theyr preachyng be brought in great daūger.

Thoughe they do fall in harme, yet haue they hope to wynne theyr fa­uour, [Page] or els why are they so desyrous to haue so many ley mē present at their examinatiōs?

They make of it a reaso­nable cause for .ii. cōsideratiōs. One is to thintent they might not be wrongefullye oppressed in corners: another is, because they would that people shulde bear witnes of their constancy in confessynge the trouthe for Christes sake.

These cō ­syderations in theym, yf they were true as thei be false: were yet of small efficacite, & against the euangelike perfection. As touchynge the fyrste, God pro­myseth yf hys seruauntes be wronged pryuelye, he wyll re­uenge them opēly. And Christ in the gospell exhortynge vs to suffraunce, byddeth his discy­ples to be ioyful in persecution, [Page] saying y^• happy are ye when ye are belyed, euyll spoken vpon, and extremelye dealte withall for my names sake. The other appearethe to be an excuse of vaynglory, couetynge wordly prayse, where as they perceiue that people fauourynge theyr parte wyll interprete to theyr commendation, what so euer they say, though it be agaynste scripture, cōtrary to all verite. Saynte Peter wylleth vs to geue accounte of oure fayth to euery bodye, and that myldely with allowlynes. We haue no president of the appostles, that euer they disdained to answer before the infidele iudges, tyll the vulgar multitude were by them, or that they requyred as­systence of greate men to be re­cordes of theyr wordes. Wher [Page] fore I meruel what conscience these persons haue, whiche are so importune to be examined in presence of rude seculers, & ignoraunt people, when they answer so doubtfully, that the beste learned can not well con­strue theyr me anynge. And in Pryncypall articles, where­vpon dependeth our saluacion or dampnation: some answere so nakedly with blynd shyftes, that they be able to brynge vn­learned people into erroure of things, wherof they neuer douted before, vsynge euer ouer­thwart speche, and quaylynge sentences of double vnderstandynge, wyth protestations of hypocrysye after thys fashion: In good fayth I thynke there is a purgatorye, albeit I can not tell whether I may beleue [Page] it or no. I suppose that confes­syon made to a preiste, and pyl­grymages maye be well done, but I fynde them not in Scri­pture: I beleue in these words of christ, this is my bodye, but as concernyng his bodely pre­sence in forme of breade, to saye any thinge it is aboue my ca­pacitie, and I dare not meddle with so dyffuse maters. I rekē that I may beleue y^• doctours of the church, yf they speak not agaynste the worde of god. &c. To vse such āvages in weygh­tye causes, & to put in question a fresshe the cases defyned by generall counsels, as thoughe we were vncertayne of our be­leif, & new to begyn agayne: I repute it no spyryte of truthe, sekynge goddes honoure and edification of theyr neighbour. [Page] Nor I dout not but at the day of iudgement, they shal make a more seryous aunswere. This consideraciō is also as I haue sayde very playnlye false. For whē these sly shyftes fayle thē: they shew no constancy of their vnfaythfull doctryne, but falsely forswere them self and saye they neuer sayde so, the hole audience detesting theyr periury all saue onely theyr owne sect, whiche as for periury pardon eche other. To speke of many­fest mysliuers, and open trans­gressours, whom may we well exempte? consyderynge howe prone and redy y^e hole world is from the moste to the leaste, to declyne and fall vnto euyll.

Our faythe whiche God hath geuen vs to buylde good wor­kes vppon, is waxen barrayne [Page] and fruteles. Charite likewise, wherin we shuld be tryed to be the very disciples of Christe; is waxed cold through the excesse of iniquite. Amiable con [...]oro [...] with christen vnite, whervpon all vertue fasteneth her funda­tion, is fallen in ruyne, to the fre entresse of hatefull discenc [...]ō & lyberte of alvyces. In euery state and degre, y^• one barketh at the other, one obiecteth a­gaynste another his saultes▪ eche of them farynge other to be causes of theyr myseries, & yet neuer a one fashioneth him selfe towarde any amendment for hys owne parte.

By my trouthe I deme the people would be good ynough, if they had good heades.

I de­ny not y^t verely, but the better that the heades be, the better [Page] were the body lyke to be, and y^• euyll y^• is in euyll heades des­cendeth down into euery part, and maketh all the bodye the worse. And yet surely, if y^e peo­ple be euyll: the synne of them causeth God sometyme to send them heades of the same sute; both popes, emperoures, kyn­ges, cardynalles, bysshoppes, preistes, and curates. For it is the synne of the people as Job testifieth, that causeth God to suffer hypocrytes sometyme to raygne ouer them. Hypocri­tes he calleth them that repre­sente the personages of these estates, whose partes they do playe for a countrnaunce, and do the contrarye in dede. And as far as I haue redde in the byble, all the while the people of Israell were good, obeying [Page] goddes lawes, and sought his honour: God gaue them gra­cious gouernoures, vertuous priestes, and trewe Prophets. But as sone as they swarued, & fel vnto ydolatry: he sent thē for theyr punyshmente vngra­cious princes, vycyous prela­tes, and false prophetes, so that no difference was betwene the people, & the prestes, nor y^• peo­ple could not ymagyn so outragious abominations, but prin­ces and prestes bothe were re­dy to fortefye them in theyr vnhappynes.

yet yf ye re­member well the storyes of the byble, ye shall fynde y^• the trās­gressiō of goddes lawes amōge the people, redounded fyrst frō y^• heades, by theyr pernicious occasion. And as towchynge false prophetes and yll prestes: [Page] God him selfe greuously com­playneth vpon them, shewing how the people are seduced by them, to the pollutynge of hys name, and violation of his la­wes. Whose enmious wicked­nes, Ezechiell, Hieremye, with diuers other prophets, declare at length. Dyd not the Belial preistes, Ophni & Phines, by theyr pestylent example, and le cherours lyuynge, corrupt manye one, vpon whome God ta­kynge vengeaunce, they loste theyr lyues in battayl, and the arke of God, wherof they had the cure, takē by the Philisteis, xxx. thousande fyghtyng men of the Israhelyte people were slayne in one daye. Likewise y^• chyldren of Samuell whiche were iudges of y^• people, not en suynge theyr fathers steppes, [Page] but set vpon couetousnes toke rewardes, and peruerted iugemente, by whose occasyon the people were moued to aske a kynge vnto theyr desolation.

Moreouer the storye of kynge Saule is playn, for whose pry­uate disobedience, y^e hole lande of Israell smarted full [...]ore.

Kyng Dauid thoughe he was a blessed mā, yet brought vnto folye for to nomber his people, they were fayne to suffer most wofull plages for his offence. Manye other lyke places I could gather out of y^e olde testament were it not to eschew te­diousnes, speciallye of Hiero­boam, whom y^e scripture testy­fyeth expresly, that he caused y^• people of Israell to synne. Besyde all this, go to the very ex­peryence, & ye shall fynde that [Page] wheresoeuer the heade or go­uernour of an howse is good, the hole howsholde comenlye shall be good also. And contra­ry wyse, yf they be badde, the other shall be as euyll, so that I may conclude in verefyenge myne opynion, that the yll conuersation of subiectes proce­deth oute of y^• euyll example of theyr heades.

To begyn where as ye leaue. I graunte y^• the vertuous exāple of y^e head auayleth much to the good or­der of the members, & the greater that the auctoritie is, the more strength it hath in exam­ple, eyther to profyte or to noy, consyderynge that among pryuate persons, the goodnesse of some one, enduceth many other to vertue, & contrary the lewdnes of another, bryngeth ma­nye [Page] to vyce & vngraciousnes. But yet cā not ye cōclude vpon this, that y^e euylnes of the peo­ple cometh first by the example of the heades, but rather as I haue spoken before, because y^• people be euyll thē selues, ther­fore God fendeth them accor­ding, yl heades, & gouernours. For ye must consyder that god hath not made the people for y^• sensuall pleasure of Prynces, gouernours, or prelates, but hath ordeyned them to y^• weal and commodite of the people. Ye haue in Exodus the thyrde chapter, that when the people of Israhell were in miserable thraldome vnder kynge Pha­ro: they cryed to god for reme­dye, and God prouyded them Moyses to be theyr deliuerer, to whome in gyuing his offyce [Page] he sayde: The clamoure of the chyldren of Israel is come vn­to me, and I haue sene theyr af flictions, how they are oppres­sed of the Egyptians: therfore approche, and I shall sende the to deliuer my people ye, god loued the people so entyerly, that of theym he chose Bysshoppes, preistes, and deacons, to offer speciall sacrifices for the clen­synge of theyr synnes, and to be as meanes betwene hym & thē. Note of whom also toke the noble & wyse men, & made of thē princes, captauīs and gouernours, for theyr po­lytyke conseruation. Agreable to this, the stories of Judicum make mencion, that the people of Israell, longe season after Josues death obseruyng god­des lawes, and fulfyllynge hys [Page] commaundementes prospered in peace, and hadde gratious gouernours. But whē they fel to synne & ydolatry: God gaue them into subiection of theyr enemyes, and were compelled whether they wolde or not, to serue he then prynces, and mis­creaunt idolaters, yet notwith standynge, in middes of theyr myseryes, where as with a re­pentaūt hart they cried to god for socour, and besoughte hym of mercy: he raysed vp among thē selues certayne captaynes at sondry times, as Othoniel, Ayoth, Gedeō, Sampson, and diuers other, whyche delyue­red them from all bondage, re­storyng thē agayne to theyr li­bertie. And where as ye allege the chyldren of Helye to haue bene cause of the takynge of [Page] the arke and slawghter of the people: I beleue verely that y^• people were thē mischeuously mynded, as they be nowe a da­yes, whiche perceyuynge y^t the i [...]. preistes y^t bare y^• arke wher­by they hoped of victory, were slayne: they surmysed that the vengeaūce for the priestes syn­nes was cause whye the arke was takē, and so moche people destroyed, & vnder this blynde audacitie, they remayned styll impenitent, not acknowleging to God theyr owne offences & ydolatry: whiche appeareth by the returne agayn of the arke, where aboue the nomber of. [...]. thousande persons were pla­ged with sodeyne deth. Also, it maye be verefyed by y^• wordes of Samuell, exhortyng the peple to retourne vnto god with [Page] harte vnfayned, and to caste oute all straunge Goddes, pre­parynge theyr hartes to y^• ser­uyce of god onelye. For when they hadde fasted, and done pe naunce, not imputing the fawt to other but to thē selfs, saying all we good lorde haue synned agaynst the: god deliuered thē from theyr ennemies. In lyke maner, y^• misorder of Samuels sonnes, was not so greatly the occasion whye the people were moued to aske a kynge for to raygn ouer them, as was their owne diffidence toward gods prouision, obstynate disobedi­ence, and vnquyete appetyte of ydolatrye, couetynge to be lyke other heathen nations: which is to be perceiued by the answere of god vnto Samuell thus saying: Heare y^• peoples [Page] voyce in all thynges that they speke vnto the, they haue not cast the of, but me, least I shuld reygne ouer thē. They do euē accordyng to all theyr workes whyche they dyd in the daye y^t I brought them out of Egypt hytherto. As they haue forsa­ken me, & serued false Goddes, thus do they also to the. When Samuell hadde shewed vnto theym the dyspleasure of God, wyth the manyfolde myseries and calamities whiche they shoulde suffer by the chaunge: yet woulde they not here hym, but sayd, that nedes they wold haue a kynge ouer them, as o­ther people had. Furthermore ye affyrme y^• the people of Israell were punyshed for the diso­bedient transgression of kynge Saule. But all thinges consy­dered [Page] it is to be thoughte ra­ther that their wylful frowardnes agaynst God was partely occasion of his fall, to thentent the sentence of God spoken by y^e prophet myghte be verefied. For yf he had bene an vpryght prynce, & had obserued goddes commaundement: they shulde haue bene in such felycitie that they would haue iudged theyr petition lawefull in demaun­dyng a kyng contrary to god­des pleasure. And I doubt not but god gaue them a kynge of disposition lyke to theyr de­meanoure, so y^• when he trans­gressed gods precepte in dede, they dyd the same, at the last in wyl & consent, wherby they de serued to be punysshed wyth hym. For God neuer taketh vē geaunce vpon anye people but [Page] onely for theyre synne, whythe after dyuers admonyciōs why les they wyll not amende, euē as he gyueth to the good peo­ple gracyous heades and prynces, furtheryng them in his fa­uour to theyr cōfort: so sendeth he to the euyll wycked heades & rulers, prouoking his wrath to theyr desolaciō. And no meruell, thoughe Saull fared the worse for hys people, wher as Moyses the most faythfull seruaunte of god was partely by their frowardnes debarred frō the pleasaunt lande of behest. As for kyng dauyd, it is playn that god dyspleased wyth the chyldern of Israhell for theyr synne: permytted Sathā to in cyte hym for to nōber hys peo­ple, wherfore they were bothe punysshed. And though scryp­ture [Page] expressely say th [...] that Hieroboā caused y^e peple to synne: yet were thei as much fauty as he, saue y^t because they cōmyt­ted theyre ydolatry vnder his supportacyon, he bare y^e name as pryncypall auctor: as we se y^e captayns of hostes in warre tyme, thoughe some of them do sometyme as lytell or lesse, thā many a poore souldyer in hys armye, whose acte is nothynge spoken of, yet all the fame and honour of the vyctory redowndeth euer vnto them, whych is apartely proued by the oracyō of king Abya Roboams sone, laynge to the people charge that they forsoke god & made them goldē calues, expu [...]syng the prestes & deakons of god­des ordynaunce, and instytu­tynge other after the order of [Page] hethē ydolaters. Wherto agreeth in defence of mine opinion, the generall confessyon of the people with theyr vnyuersall submissiō in knowlege of theyr trespaces, recited in sondry places of scripture after thys for­me: we haue synned with our forefathers, we haue done wic­kedly, & haue cōmitted iniqui­te, all we haue transgressed thy commaundementes. And surelye as the worlde is nowe cro­kedlye enclyned to malyce: yf God sent heades and Prynces accordyng to thedeuelyshe ap­petites of much people, y^e welth of this region wold be sone subuerted, & euery state brought to confusion, albeit they other wyse coloure it, and make as though they ment none harme but rather much deuotion, & y^t [Page] the vnlearned would haue the Scripture in theyr handes, for none other cause but onely to preache secretly to them self for lacke of good preachers a­broade. But then in dede it ap­pereth that they preach to thē selfe and theyr neyghbours to, many an horryble heresye, and abuse the scripture to the colo­rable defence of the same. And then are they also to, all Tyn­dals bokes, whiche for the ma­nyfolde mortall heresyes con­teyned within the same, open­lye condempned and forbyddē, they are I saye yet vnto those bokes so sore affectionate, that neyther the condempnation of them by the clergy, nor the for­bydding of them by the kinges hyghnes, with his open proclamations vpon greate paynes, [Page] nor the daūger of open shame, nor parell of paynfull deth, can cast thē out of some fond folkes handes, and that folke of eue­ry sorte. Howe thynke ye then these folke wold haue bene sto­maked, & how many mo wold haue blustred, out with them, yf the mayntenaūce of the prynces and the states of y^e realme (whych our lorde defende) had bene vppon theyre syde. And where about wolde they then haue gone? aboute no great good ye maye be sure. Se ye not the vyllayne beggers and valyaūt vagaboundes, whom god plageth with pouer te, and myserye for theyr abom ynable lyuyng, dysposed to no goodnes, howe hartely they wysshe for a ruffelynge daye. Beholde euery state all moste in euery [Page] chrystē realme, as husband mē, artyfycers, marchaunts, cour­tyers, with all other degrees as well spyrituall as temporal, & I fere me that ye shall saye, but if god of his goodnes a­mēde vs the soner, there shall come to passe amonge vs the ferefull iugemēt of god spoken by the prophete Osee, to the people of Israhell and inhabyters of the lande: There is no truthe, no mercye, nor scyence of god in the yerth. Cursynge & lyenge, manslaughter, theft, and aduowtrye hathe ouer flowen, & bloode hathe towched bloode: for the which the yerth shall wayle, and euery inhabyter in it shall be feebled. And this as I haue sayde not one contrey fawty, & another fawtles, one estate fowle and deformed[Page] and another pure & clene, the spyrytualtie synful, and the temporaltie set all on vertue, the heades & rulers culpable, & the people oute of blame, nor y^t any estate maye laye the hole weight of Goddes wrath vnto the other, and therof discharge them selfe, but eche of theym is cause both of theyr own harme and other folkes to. And the people are nothynge lesse faw­tye, prouokynge the wrathe of God, than theyr heades or go­uernours, nor one state party­culerlye cause of anothers ca­lamytie. But all we together haue synned, & haue deserued the vengeaūce of God, whiche hangeth before our eyes, redy to fall ere we be aware.

In this poynt ye haue ryghte well satisfyed my mynde: but [Page] what remedye now of reconci­liacion agayne to God?

Forsoothe I knowe none but onely penaunce, I saye not re­pentyng onely as Luther and Tyndall, and these new folkes call it, whiche wolde begyle vs & make vs wene that we nede no more but onely repente, and do no penaunce at all, tellynge vs that Christes passion shall stand in stede of al our penaun­ce, though we do neuer so euyl and lyue neuer so longe. With this false doctryne they dryue many a soule to the deuyll, ma­kynge theym neglygente, and take lyttell care or sorowe for theyr synne, and so muche the more rechelesse in fallynge to synne agayne. But I speake of pennaunce, as it implieth both repētaūce of our synnes past, & the [Page] y^• sacrament of penaunce, wyth [...]are & sorow and bodely payn, & afflyccy on taken for our syn, wyth prayer, almouse, & other good workes to purchase the more grace, & y^t we shuld with recourse to confessyon & the sa­crament of penaūce, dylgently prepare our selues in folowing the exāple▪ of the Nyniuytes: whyche at the preachynge of the prophete Jonas, repented wyth ernest purpose of amen­dynge theyr lyues, and dyd pe­naunce in deede, in fastynge and prayer, humblynge theyre [...]owles frome the moste to the least vnto the mercy of god.

wolde our lorde that we had such a prophete sent amōg vs, to exhorte vs vnto penaūce as the prophete Jonas was to theym.

That were lyke [Page] to the request of the ryche glut tone in hell, of whom the gospel telleth, which desyred that Lazare myghte be sente to warne hys brethern: to whom it was answered, that hauynge Moyses & the prophetes, they shuld gyue credence to theym. wher fore seynge that we haue holy scrypture which expresseth the rightwysn̄es of god, declaring howe our forefathers were punysshed for theyr synnes: yf we refuse to be warned by theyre admonycyon, truely we wolde be as neglygent to amende, yf Jonas raysed frō death to lyfe shulde preache vnto vs. For we haue saynt John baptist a greater prohete than Jonas was, cryēg to al sinners: Do ye worthy frutes of penaunce: of whom Christ wytnesseth that [Page] there is none greater than he amonge the chyldrē of womē. Also oure saueour Christ hym self, of whom saynt John̄ testy­fyed that he was vnworthy to lose his shoe latchet: preached penaunce sayinge: Do ye pen­naunce, the kyngedome of hea­uen is at hande. And in ano­ther place of the Gospell, he sayth: yf ye do not penaunce ye shall all peryshe. And Saynte Peter his vy [...]ar here in earth, vpon whom, and whose fayth­full confession, he promysed to bylde his churche: preached li­kewyse in his fyrste Sermone sayinge: Do ye penaūce, and be conuerted to God, that youre synnes maye be done awaye. Also saynt Paule the chosē vessell of God, preached fyrste of al to them of Damasco, that they [Page] shuld be penitent and turne to god, perfourming the due workes of penaunce. Cōfyrmynge the same, when Christ appered vnto the .ii. disciples iorneinge to Emaus: he sayd y^• after his death and resurrection, it be­houed penaunce to be preached in his name, and remission of sinnes: for why the cause of his comynge was not to call rygh­teous folk, but sinners vnto penaunce. And the aungelles of heauen reioyced not so greatly in nynty & nyne iuste persons, as vpon one synner doyng pe­naūce. As concernyng the olde testamente, God him selfe pro­myseth in dyuers places, that asynner shall be forgyuen hys synnes, whensoeuer he wyl do penāce. wherfore seig we haue so euident exhortatiōs of scrip­ture [Page] mouynge vs to penaunce▪ and manyfolde warnynges to correct our lyues through the the pacyent suffraunce of god: happy are we yet, if now atlast ere that it be to late, we coulde faythfully saye wyth Job per­fourming y^• dede: lord we haue hard y^• wyth our eares, & ther­fore we reprehēd our selfs & do penaūce.

yet wote I not well what ye call penaunce.

I haue ones told you, & yet I tell you agayn, I call pe­naūce a chaūge of our lyfe in ca­styng of y^• synfull old man with his dedes, and doynge on a­new man of vertuous conuer­sacyon, whiche by fayth, hope, and charyte, and the good workes y^• come of them, as prayer almouse, sorow for his synne, and payne gladly taken and [Page] susteyned for the same, is re­newed in to the knowledge & fauoure of god, accordynge to his ymage that made him.

how shuld laye mē come to this knowlege when y^• gos­pell is lockyd fro them.

The gospell of Christe whiche is goddes worde, is free, and can not be boūde nor kepte frō any Christen man.

By saynt Marye for all that laye people maye not be suffred to haue the newe testament in englysshe, whyche I call the gos­pell.

O ye meane Tyn­dals Gospell.

In dede though Tyndall was the trās­latour, it is the worde of God and the verye same testament whyche ye haue in latyn of the euangelystes puttynge forth.

yetlerned mē and good [Page] men haue founden suche faw­tes in his corrupt translation: that it is for the same well and lawfully forbiden.

if they be good men as ye saye y^e haue founde it fauty: I should reken thē better a great deale, which wold amend it.

Though it were amended, & sufficiently corrected: yet wyll I not saye y^t it is expediente for laye people to haue it, considering the time as it is nowe.

Whye, ye sayd y^t the gospell maye not be kept frō christē men.

No more it maye, thoughe it be re­strayned from the laye people in theyr vulgare tonge. For y^e worde of God, whiche is the worde of fayth, as Scripture sayth, is nere the in thy mouth & in thy harte, to thintent thou mayste do it.

Than I [Page] pray you where saynte Paule sayth that fayth cometh by he­rynge, and herynge cometh by the worde of God: how can we haue it without preachynge or information of it, by readynge of scrypture.

Outwarde preaching, and lyterall redyng of scripture, are necessary mea­nes to attayne vnto the know­lege of the spyrite.

Wherfore then is the Gospell wyth­holden from the laye people?

I sayd they be two thynges necessarye, but I sayde not that both twayne be to euerye man necessary. But it is neces­sarye that euery man haue the tone or the tother, and so haue they: for they haue the worde of God preched & expouned vn to them.

ye as y^e preistes lyste with false gloses.

[Page]Wyth the same gloses that the olde holy doctours & sayntes haue made, other maner of mē thā Luther & Tyndale, which now corrupt the trewth wyth theyr false gloses.

But why should not y^e comē people haue the scrypture them self in theyr own mother tong?

Because of theyr abuse & ma­kyng of theyr owne gloses, & many also for theyr vnworthynes, accordynge to Christes cō ­maundement forbiddynge to cast perles before swyne, or to gyue holy thynges to dogges. Dyd not saynt Paul forbidde women to speake the worde of god in congregacyons, for the auoydyng of abuse and dysor­der? Also dyd not he and Bar nabas forsake preachyng to the iewes, because of theyr vnworthynes?

That is not a lyke case: for the text is playn y^t the iewes wylfully resisted the worde of god, and wolde not receyue it. But these peo­ple are so desyrous, that they putte theym selfes in no small ieopardye many tymes for the hauyng of it.

I graunt there be some which of a good mynd are desirous to haue the gospell in theyr mother tōge, for y^e erudyciō & cōfort of theyr soules. But they that be suche good folk may be wel & suffici­ently fed w^t y^e gospell punched, & so wyll they rather chese to be, than to haue the scrypture ronne in euery rasshe bodyes hande, y^e wold abuse it to their owne harme and other mēnes to. For well ye wot many ther be, and as it appeareth in Al­mayne [Page] where they haue the scripture translated alreadye, the more part, and farre the grea­ter multitude, are not lesse vn­worthye in receyuinge it, then were the Jewes in the wylfull resistaunce of Christes gospell: whiche couet it onely for the li­bertie to be free from the exer­cyse of penaunce, and doyng of good workes, to rayle and iest of other mennes fawtes, wyth out any correctiō of their owne synfull lyues, nothyng confor­mable to the vertue of the gos­pell, whereof to bable manye wordes they are not dombe.

Marke it there substauncially in cities and townes where ye se the people most ryfest & most busye to prate of the Gospell whether they be or not, as gret vsurers, disceiuers of theyre [Page] neyboures, blasphemous swe­rers, euyll spekers, and geuen to all vyces as depely as euer they were. This I am sure of and dare boldely affirme, that sythe the tyme of this new contencious lernyng, the drede of God is greatlye quenched, and charitable compassion sore aba­ted. Shall ye not se there a cock brayned courtier y^t hath no more fayth than a Turke, & lesse christen maners thā a Pagane, with lordelye coūtenaūce & knauyshe conditions, whiche takyng y^e name of god ī vayne, shall vnreuerently alledge the gospell with scoffyng and scor­nynge in reprehensyon of the clargye: where as hys owne [...]ewd lyuynge is so vnthryfty, that ye can not aspy one good pyont in hym, except it be vpon [Page] his hosen, nor a nynche of ho­nesty besyde his apparayle nor scantly therone neyther, beyng al to hacked and iagged, wyth dowble weapen redy to fyght, and syngle wyt, busy to brawle and chyde, more lyke a furious tormentour of Herode, than a­pacyēt dysciple of Christ. Shal ye not also se there a marchaūt perauēture made a gentyll mā by promocion, ere euer that he had a good yemās condicyōs: whych gettynge hys chefe substaunce as many do there by vsury, false dysceyte of trewe people, and other wrongfull wayes, wyll take vpon hym to preache the Gospell agaynste the auaryce of relygious per­sones, how they hauyng theyr bare necessary foode, ought to parte y^e resydue of theyr good­des [Page] with pore people: where as he hym selfe hath thousandes lyenge by hym in store vnoccu­pyed, and wyll nother help his poore neyghbour nor scarcely gyue a galy halpeny to a nedy creature in extreme necessyte: And at theyr belly festig days, amonge such of theyr affynyte, which are not so wyse nor well lerned as they wolde be sene, yf it chaunce them to haue in companye some symple prieste, it is a wonder to here, how he­is apposed, & after that theyr spyrites be a lytell kyndled in glotony, howe they lasshe out the Gospell. Than begynneth one or a nother with his poty carye formalyte and holy daye granyte, to moue some subtyle questyō sayng: mayster person howe say ye to suche a texte of [Page] Paul? And if the priest be igno­raunt for lacke of lernynge, or maketh not an answere satys­fyenge his mynde: he is moc­ked and iested vpon with scor­nefull derysyon. Then begyn they to canuasse the scrypture amonge them, wyth fyllynge the cuppes & [...]oly gentyl chere. And by y^t tyme they haue eatē more than ynoughe, and haue dronken to much: they be redy to wade forth in y^e depe myste­ryes of scrypture, wyllynge to be teachers of thinges wherof they vnderstand not what thei speake, nor what they affyrme. Then are they full armed to talke of abstynence, and sobre dyet of the apostles: their table beynge furnysshed with sump­tuous dysshes, and exquysyte deyntyes. And where as their [Page] cupbordes be reallye garnys­shed with costely plate, and the tables full of cuppes and pe­ces of syluer and golde: than make they exclamacyōs agaist the rych iewellys of churches, as crosses and chalyses, saynge that better it were to make money of them and to be dystributed vnto pore people, than they shulde perysshe for lacke of so­coure. Lykewise when they be seruyd at theyr solempnityes, with counterfeyted curtesyes, in bowynge the kne, & valyng the bonette, hauynge sewers and karuers after a moste sta­tely maner of seruyce, wherin yf the offycers fayle neuer so lytell though it be but the set­tynge of a sawcer amysse they shall be rebukyd: yet theyr pe­uysh pacyence can not breake [Page] the honeste ceremonyes of the churche to be lawdably done, callynge theym folysshe fanta­syes & inuencions of ydyotes And though some of these new Gospellers occupie trewelie and iustly with their neigh­bours in face of the worlde, behauynge them selfes charyta­bly: yet are they very few in cō ­paryson of the other, whyche be raylers & gesters, vycyous lyuers & fals hypocrytes with out any conscyence.

As for hypocrytes I thynke ye myght fynde soner amonge relygyous persons.

wyll ye beleue me. I haue walked a great parte through oute all the prouynces of crystendome, and haue sene and marcked the state of relygyous persons of dyuers orders: yet sawe I [Page] neuer amonge them suche co­loured hypocrisye, so flesshely lybertye abused, vnder y^e pre­tence of fayned holynes, as a­monge many of these late in­uented faccyons. And I cer­tyfye you that ye maye fynde mo diuers sectes of erronyous opynyons among them in one cytie beyond y^e sea: than be son drie orders of religious people in all Englande.

Sup­pose ye y^e gospell to be in faute of this?

Naye, but the abuse of the people hauyng it in theyr vulgare language: for whome it were better to receyue it by the mynystracyon of faythfull preachers, than vn­worthely to take it them selfs. we haue in the Gospell y^t oure sauyour Christ fedynge the nō ber of .v. thousand men besyde [Page] women and chyldren, fyrst gy­uyng thankes to his father, he blessed the breade, brake it, & gaue it to hys dyscyples, and they dystrybuted it to the company, and so they dyd eate and were sacyate.

Syr ac­cordyng to thys y^e people shuld holde them very well content, yf so be they had faythfull pre­chers to mynyster the word of god vnto thē. But I put cause they haue none, or elles that theyr peachers be suche as the prophete cōplayneth on, which preache y^e vysyō of theyr hart) & not of y^e mouth of god: seking also theyr owne worldly prof­fyte, and not the gostly confort of theyr cures.

I beleue y^t god hath not lefte his church destytute of faythfull prea­chers, wyth the whych he hath [Page] promysed to be continually present vnto the worldes ende. How be it the fewer that they be, the more fawte is to be im­puted vnto the people, because they aske not worthely of god trewe preachers. For the gos­pell sheweth that the people came fyrst to Chryst, and he per ceyuyng thē was moued wyth compassyon vppon theym, be­cawse they were as sheepe ha­uynge no hearde, and so fea­dynge theyr sowles spyrytual­ly, afterwarde he dyd [...]epaste theyre bodyes wyth corporall foode, wherfore yf they in lyke maner approche vnto Chr [...]ste (in whose name what so euer is desyred of the father shall be graūted) he wyll also here gra­cyously theyr petycyon: for the hande of god is not abreuyate [Page] nowe, nor his power other wyse mynyss [...]ed than it was at that tyme.

yet am not I so satysfyed wyth all the reasons y^t ye haue made, but I thynke styll that it were law­full for laye people to haue the new testament in Englysshe: & perauenture wyth alytell ley­ser I could lay suche scrypture for it, that scant ye shulde be a­ble to obiecte any contradyc­cyon.

ye shall haue leyser ynowgh. But in the meane tyme this ye must consyder, y^t our question is not whether it be lawfull to let them haue it: but whether it be vnlawfull to kepe them from it, and whether of the twayn is more mete and more expedyent, specyally for the tyme that nowe is, the people beyng dysposed as they [Page] now be, and after suche ensample as we see before oure eyes, with suche fruyte as we fynde growē therof in Almayne allredy, and in many places euen here at home also. But if euer the tyme come, as I praye god it may, in whyche the people shall be so good and so godly dysposed that an englysshe byble should do good itheyr han­des: yet might Tyndals translacyon in no wyse be suffered.

well I shall bethynke me tyll we mete agayne, and then wyll I be so bolde also to take Tyndals parte in defence of hys translacyon and other bokes which he hath put forth in englysshe, allegyng the best that I can for theyr alowance: to thentent I maye see what stronge reasons ye can brynge [Page] to confute them.

Ther wyth am I ryghte well plea­sed, and I trust with goddes help to answer you so effectuously, that ye shall not count the tyme passed in vayne

Than fare ye well tyll another season.

Oure lorde be wyth you.