THE Hunting of the Fox and the Wolfe, because they make hauocke of the sheepe of Christ Iesus.

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¶Take heede of false prophetes, which come vnto you in sheepes clothing, but within are rauening Wolues.

An Admonition to colde preachers.

IF preaching fayle,, as it doeth begin,
The people must quayle,, and die in their sin [...]
And if it decrease,, Gods curse is at hand
To destroy vs, our peace,, our soules & our land.
Therfore let's be mending, Gods plag's to preuent
For after our ending,, t'is to late to repent.
Take heed thē to preching,, gods word to imbrace
And larne to take warning,, lest God you deface.

❧To al my faithful Bre­thren in Chri [...]t Ie [...]u, and to all other that labour to weede out the weedes of po­perie [...] the Lord Iesu [...]e with y [...]u and make yo [...] perf [...] in al good works to do his will working in you that which is plea­sant in [...]is sight through Iesus Ch [...]ist our Lorde.

DEare brethren, because wee are crea­ted for gods glorie, ye edification one of another in Christ, & are bounde to serue therunto by wealth or wo, life or death, and cheefely, they to whom God hath gyuen the greater giftes, & whom he hath called to higher romes, are most bounde to be zealous for Gods glory, with godly zelousie to pro­fit the Church & spouse of Christ vnder their charge, and yt by no subt [...]lty, as the Apostle warneth, they shoulde be corrupted from the simplicity of Christe: Therefore there is no doubte of your good zeale & diligence: My good Fathers and deare Brethren who are first called to ye battel, to striue for gods glo­ry & the edificatiō of his people, againste the Romish reli [...]s and rags of Antichriste, I doubt not but yt you wil couragieuslye & con­stātly in Christ, rap at these rages of Gods enemies, and yt you will by this occasiō race vp many as great eno [...]mities, yt we al know & labour to raccout al the dregs & renmāts of [Page] transformed poperie, that are crept into En­gland, by to much lenitie of thē that wi [...]be na­med the Lords of the Cl [...]rgie. What is he that h [...]th the zeale of Gods glorie before his face, [...] wil not ioyne both in prayer, and in suffering with you, in so good a cause, that is so much for Gods g [...]orie & the edification of Gods church, in the pure simplicitie of Chri [...]t [...]s word & sa­cramentes, wherein our enemies and per [...]ecu­t [...]urs are strangly bewitched? I wote not by what Circes [...], that they do make such a di­uersitie betwixt Christes word and his Sacramentes, that they cannot thinke the worde of God safely ynough preached, and honourably ynough handled, without cap, koape, surplis, But that the Sacraments, the marying, the burying, the churching of women, and other church seruice (as they call it) must needes be decored with crossing, with capping, with sur­plessing, with kneeling, wt prety wafer cakes, and other knackes of poperie. O Paule that thou were aliue, thou durst tell those politike gentlemen, that there hath bin to much labour bestowed vpon them in vaine: thou durst saye vnto them as thou diddest to the Corinthians, That they eate not the Lordes Supper, but play a pagent of their own to blinde ye people▪ and keepe them stil in superstition, farre from the simplicitie of Christes supper: but howe [Page] many silie soules is there that doeth beleeue ver [...]y, that they haue an Engli [...]h masse, and so put no difference betwene trueth and falshod, betwene Christ and antichrist, betwene God & the deuil, they are strangly bewitched. I say yt thus wil b [...]nde t [...]eir English priesthode & sa­craments, but mu [...]h more enchaūted that can finde no garments to please them, [...]ut such as haue bin poluted openly with popish supersti­tion and idolatrie: but most of all in this point that their madnes appeare to all posterities, yt they make these Antichristian ragges Cau­sam sine qua non, that is, a cause w [...]thout which there is no holy ministerie in Christ, so yt this shal make an English priest, be he n [...]uer such a dolt or vnlearned in the knowledge of the scripture, as we haue very [...]any, and without these Romish reliques not Paule him self shal be admitted (as one of them did blaspheme, & the rest of them in effecte do affirme:) well a­gainst such popish chaffer & poperie, hath bin long agone f [...]ughten withall, when the great captaines of that religion liued, and yet God g [...]ue the victorie. Therefore let vs not feare nowe, although it doth begin to sturre againe, for there is no craft, cunning, counsel, wisdom or policie against the Lord. We haue Christe and his Apostles and the Prophetes euer stri­uing against the Hipocrites of their tyme on [Page] our side: a straw for popish policie we haue the worde or God to warrant vs, to rote out al monuments of supersticion & Idolatry, and are charged to abhor them, to accoumpt them, accursed, & to dety them, and to d [...]test thē as menstreous clowts, they haue not the word of God for thē. And what wi [...]edome is in them, saith God by his Prophet Ieremi, they talke of obedi [...]nce & concord, but there is no obedience against the Lord, no nor cō ­corde to be desired, but where Gods glory & verity is preserued. Els better to haue al the world in hurly burlis, and heauen & earth to shake, thē one iote of gods glory should decay So farre foorth as in vs lieth, we haue their owne lawes & proclamatiōs to roote cut all monuments of supersticiō & idolatri, & their owne words are cōtrary to their doings. It should appeare yt they repēt their reformaci­on proclaimed, as did ye Isralits, thei build a­gain yt which once they haue destroied & this is don openly yt all the world may wonder & behold: but what is don secretly, god wil one day haue it declared openly, yea they make the name of god & this doctrine yt we professe▪ to be euell spoken of alreadye. By manye of theyr doinges, theyre iudgemente hasteth that for such causes persecute Godsf [...]rue Preachers: Wherefore let vs not eare [Page] theyr thretnings, ther can none persecute the godly for this cause & trash, but either suche as are neither hote nor cold, & then they shal­be vomited out vnlesse their zeale encrease, or suche as haue no God before their eyes, whose God is their bellye, or else open papists, whō God hath giuen vp to a reprobate sence, wherfore we must thus take it, yt they are gods rods for our sins, because we haue not bin more zealous in gods cause, neyther careful to seeke his glory, y• wolfe Winche­ster & blody bucher Bonar fought once agaīst many godly men for the ground of this gere, and they had all the power of ye Realme ser­uing their lustes: but behold howe the Lorde in short time ouerthrew them all, to giue vs courage to go forward, the Lord forgiue vs, we are to slacke and negligent in heauenly thinges: this monster Boner remaineth and is fedde as papistes say, for theyr sakes, & it must be graūted it is for some purpose, al­though he be a traitor & an enemie to y• crown & realme, and both to God and man, whych burned Gods holy testament, murdered his faintes and his seruātes. But what the Lord requireth to be done wyth false Prophetes, it is manifest: we haue both the lawe of God & man for vs. But we are answered nay you your selues shalbe compelled to turne your coates and cappes, and get you into his [Page] liueries, & to be like him in your garmentes. O Elias that thou liued [...]t, or that thy spirite were amongst vs, thou w [...]uldest [...]aye with the Prophet Sophome, That God will vnite the wearers of this idolatrous garmēts or strāge apparel, thou wouldest say, that thinges dedi­cated once to idolatrie, is not indifferent: thou wouldest say reuerence to the Sacrament is wrought by doctrine and Discipline, and not by popishe and Idolatou [...]s garmentes: thou wouldest saye, What decencie can ther [...] bee gayned to the Sacramentes, by that which hath bene deuised and vsed to deface it: I [...] the golde ordeyned by God for the reuerence and decencie of the Iewes Temple, is not to bee admitted to beautifie the Churche of Christe, much lesse kopes brought in by Papistes the enemies of God, and alwayes continued in their seruice as ornamentes of their Religi­on in no wyse ought of vs Christians to be re­tayned. But the Papistes triumphe and glo­rie in their assemblies, that the whote gospe­lers shalbe driuen to their doltishe attires: for the Lordes sake let vs neuer giue them anie cause of ioye, though we shoulde dye for it. Moses would not yeelde one hoofe of a beast in Gods busines, he would not leaue the lou­pe v [...]ade, nor make a button or a claspe more or lesse. Eleazar will not dissemble by [Page] eating of vnlawfull meates, the faithfull Is­raelites woulde not receyue so much as an y­uie bushe. Contrarie wi [...]e Origen carying a braunche, and professing that hee bare it for Christ at the first: But was afterwarde com­pelled to open idolatrie, so cursed a thing it is to giue any place to the wicked: all the pa­pistes that say, they worship Christ in ye crosse, and God in the sacrament, do still vnder these wordes continue stil in their idolatrie: beware of deceytful wordes, that couer wicked purpo­ses, to drawe vs from Christian simplicitie.

Let vs stand constantly against all abuses, & repent for our former coldnes in religion, and our sinnes, and cal for helpe frō aboue, for the hand of the Lord is not shortened: we are as­sured that we seeke Gods glory, and our ad­uersaries may see, if they can see any thing, that this thing that they seke is not for Gods glory, seeing the papistes the enemies of God do so desire it and glorie in it. And reioyce, yt we, whom they most hate, cannot be safe but vnder their garments: we are assured that we seeke Gods glorie in folowing Christe his A­postles and Prophets: who euer despised these pharisaical outward faces and visures, Christ findeth faulte with the garmentes of the Pha­risees. Paule counteth all his Pharisaicall shewe to be dunge. Zachari saith, that the [Page] false Prophet shalbe ashamed of his prophe­cye, and forsake his garments wherin he de­ceiued, & shal ye true Prophetes be faine to creepe into their cou [...]es▪ for by the same au­tority may be cōmanded any peace of pope­ry, so y• it be nam [...]d policye. Ezechias & Io­sias knew no such autority, but they say: It is for policie. For it plainly appeareth that there is lesse care for religion then for poli­cie. But beware yt the exāple of Ieroboham be not folowed, that made such like preistes for policye, as would do as he commaunded them. Achaz of policie broughte y• fashion of an altar into Ierusalē, as he saw at Damas­cus, where he had ouercome the Idolatours and their idoles, but cursed was his policie, and so are all they yt wil retaine any thing of their idolatry. Nabuchodonosors Idoll was for vnity & policie, but without ye warrant of gods word, ther is neither good vnity nor policy. The godly father Bucer called ye tenths and the first fruites sacriledge & robery, they be kept stil for policy, crosse & candelstickes are supersticious, thoughe they bee kepte, I wot not for what policie, the adoration of the Sacrament in the countries where they knocke and kneele for a wafer cake is a po­pish policy. That women baptise, that plura­lities, to [...], quots, impropriacions, non residēce [Page] dispensations, suspencions, excōmunicaciōs, and absolucions for mony [...] graunted, [...] is euel like as are mani other [...] b [...]r [...]w­ed from Rome, which remaine [...] of policy. Al these things were abhorred as po­pish [...]upersticions & Idolatries, am [...]ng our gospellers both bishops and others, when they were vnder gods roddes in p [...]ue [...]y [...]. But how they now haue learned c [...]urtle [...]i­uin [...]ty to ground all vpon policy. Humble them again, O Lord, that they do not f [...]get thee, and thy great kindnes, and mercy [...] vpon them, and sturre vppe their heartes and mindes, that they may be carefu [...]l [...]uer thy poore flocke. O Christ whom thou haste dearely bought, by this their policie are blin­ded, and careth for no more, [...]ut y they may haue this supersticious sh [...]w which is [...] maintained. [...] him mumble as he list if he be thus apparelled, al his seruice is wel i­nough, otherwise it is nothing worth. Thus cause you thē to perish by y [...]ur policyes, for whom Christ hath dyed. Furthermore, if po­pery be supersticious & idolatrous, euel and wicked, as yet ther was neuer a worse thing in the world, thē ar we cōmanded to abst [...]ine frō al participatiō therof, & frō all the shew therof ab omnistecie mali, yt is from all shew of wickednes. These garmēts were the shew [Page] of their blasphemous priesthod, herein they did sing and say their [...]uper [...]icious [...]atrous seru [...]ce they dyd c [...]nce their Idoles and helpe forward their idolatrous masses: What po­licie can it be then to weare this gea [...]e? [...]ut a superstitious, w [...]cked and popish policie: they do it for policie (they say) that their Priestes may be knowen and magnified of men. Did not the Pharisees vse the same policie, to doe al their workes and make all their garmentes both Philacteries vpon their heads, and their wyde and syde robes and borders, that they might be more expectable & notorious to the people? but their wo is threatened aboue al o­ther sinners. To such hypocrites, as being voyde of all true holines, delite in all outward shewes, their curse is most inculcate, their po­licie is that the Priestes shall weare white in the churches to signifie their vertue, their pu­renes and holines: and when they go foorth of the Church they must weare blacke gownes and blacke hornes for contrarie policies & for diuers significations. Our master Christes policie was expressed in one word, fede, feede, feede: and the Prophetes before, and the A­postles afterwarde: if Christe be the wisdome of the Father, the true Ministers shalbe well ynough knowen, by that one marke which hee giueth: And if that he haue not that marke, [Page] better vnknowen then knowen, both for him se [...]e and others: Therefore let them not saye, for shame, that they seke Gods glory, Christes will, or the edification of his Church by their policie. Whyles they threaten and stoppe the spreading of Gods woorde and feeding of Christes flocke, commanded by writing to ex­communicate the moste faithfull lab [...]urers in the planting of the Gospell, because they will not weare the ragges of poperie, to expulse ye most valiant Souldiers against the Romishe Antichriste, the most earnest ouerthrowers of the kingdome of Satan, which standeth in sin & blindnes. O beware you, that wil be Lordes ouer the flockes, that you be not sore punished for your pryde towardes your brethren, and your cowardlines in Goddes cause, that for Princes pleasures and pompouse liuings, do turne poperie into policie, and to become our persecutours vnder the cloke of policie: it were better to lose your liuings, then to dis­please God in persecuting of your brethren, and hinder the course of the word. But as our du [...]tie is, we will praye for you, and for al our brethren in the ministerie, that GOD of his grace would graūt vs more zeale for his glo­rie, than any of vs hath had heretofore, more desire to edifie Christes people in pure sim­plicitie, to present them a chaste virgin vnto [Page] Christ, then hetherto hath appeared, that when the [...]ead shepheard shall cal to accoute we be not ashamed. But being found per [...]te in all good workes, may receiue the crowne prepared: as for you deare brethren whom God hath called into the brunte of the battel, the Lorde kepe you constant, that ye yeelde neither to to [...]eration, neither to anye other [...] perswasions or dispensacions, or licē ­ces, which were to fortify their Romish pract [...]ses, but as you fight y Lords fight, be vali­ant. God will not leaue you, neither forsake you, as you seeke Gods glory, god will glo­rify you, & as by you Christs church is edifi­ed, comforted & conformed in Christian sim­plicity, so shal you receaue comfort by Christ your head captaine, whē you shalbe called to giue accompts of your stewardships, & to be rewarded for your fidelity: ye matter is not so smal as ye world do take it, it wil appeare before al be ended, what an hard thing it is to cut of the ragges of the Hidra of Rome, it is beautiful, but poysonful, ther is no dealing with such a monster, beware of loking backe to Sodo [...] or delight any witte in the gar­mentes of Babylon, neyther once touche the poysoned cup, though it bee of golde or glittering. Let vs repent of our former sins vnfaynedlye, and then shall we abhorre and [Page] stampe vnder our feete these rags, that were appointed to supersticion and idolatry. Let vs hate the blasphemous priesthode, so iniu­rious to Christes priesthode, yt euery patche and token of it be in execration, detestation, and accursed, and take no parte of it vpon our heads nor backes, least wee be accursed as it is. Let vs not make the heritage of god as a byrd of manye coloures, holdinge of di­uers religions, Let vs not mixte the Iewes with the gentils, let vs not in no wise mixte this our religion with any thinge of Anti­christ, let vs not confirme the blinde in their blindnes, neither the weake in their super­sticion: But rather let vs take away, if wee can, the names, memories, & all monuments of poperie, and that Antichristes priesthode: Let vs open our windowes with Daniel, & professe what we are: their cruelty shalbe our glory. Let vs follow Paule, that knewe that the truth, gospel could not be retained, if any Iewishe cer [...]monies were maintained. Let vs rather neuer weare any garmente, then we should weare those, wherby our brethren should be weakened, offēded or bouldened to take part with the idolatrous, & so through our hautines in knowledge, our weake bre­thren perishe, for whom Christ dyed. Behold and marke well, howe they fall backwarde [Page] that yeelde in any iote, and see howe they are edified, and increase in godlines, which holde that right way that you goe in, the which the Lorde increase you, and vs all, and strengh­then vs with his holy Spirit, that we may cō ­tinue to our liues ende, alwayes both by our thoughtes, words & works, to aduance his glorie and ho­nour dayly more & more, now and for euer, AMEN.

A Dialogue betweene the Foster, the Hunter, and the Deane.

The Foster.

WEll ouertaken master mine.

Hunter.

Welcome syr vnto my companie, with all my heart.

Foster.

Howe farre intende you to ryde this way?

Hunter

I ryde to London if / you ryde thither I wilbe glad of your companie.

Foster.

I ryde thither also.

Hunter

Perchance ye are a Bur­gesse of the Parliament / and ryde thither to serue God and the common wealth there.

Foster.

I am chosen indeede for a burgesse of the Parliament / I praye God that al we that come thither / may seeke earnestly in the Parliament house / the glorie of God, and the profit of the common welth.

Hunter

I pray God that ye may seeke to set forth the glorie of God and not to destroye his worde / which many noble men of late with manie great learned men / haue taken great payne to promote and set forwarde / and namely our yong master / which hath departed from vs of late. As for the common wealth / for these manie yeres / there haue bene few that were verie earnest to helpe it / although in deede there were some.

Foster.

It is the more pitie / for a politike man / or a good citizen, and much more a good christ an man / should not onely seeke his one profit / but also the profite of his neighbour.

Hunter.

I was fiue yeeres together a Burgesse of the Parliament / in the lower house, but in all my time (although there were good actes made for the establishing of Religion) yet there was alway some, that either sought their owne priuate lucre / as the noble lordly and knightly sheepemasters did / in defending against al honest louers of the cōmon welth / the intollerable number of sheepe: or els [...]ought verie earnestly the Kinges profit / wherein they en­tended [Page] alwayes to haue not the smalest parte. And such were certaine of the Counsell, or priuie chamber, which cōtrarie vnto the order and libertie of the house, would twise or thrice, or ofter▪ speake in one matter, for the Kings profit or els for their own. And if we spake any thing freely there, we were takē vp like butchers curres / or els were priuily met withal afterward. If that ye haue no better order in your house nowe then we had then, ye may well go home againe for any good that ye shall do there.

Foster

I must go thether, and as much as lyeth in me I will discharge my cōscience, if God wil helpe me.

Hunter.

In euerie sitting or session commonly there are complaintes of the multi­tude and ouerflowing number of sheepe. But I mar­uell that there hath bene of late yeeres no complaint of the exceding & vnsufferable number of wolues, which do much more harme then the poore innocent sheepe haue done, and yet do still, against then willes at the commandement of their masters, or rather at their cō ­pulsion.

Foster.

I haue not heard tell in my time that there was euer any Wolfe seene in Englande.

Hunter.

Yes ye haue seene an hundreth vpon one day, although ye knewe them not.

Foster.

I should knowe a Wolfe by my office that I haue, as well as an other man should, for I am a keper of Dere by my office, and am euery day among wilde beastes, and I doo dwell in a great Forest whereas, if there were any Wolues in England, they should be most commonly. But I ne­uer sawe any wolues in my Forest, which is as great as the most part of Forests that are in England, ney­ther haue I heard tell of anie.

Hunter.

Euen as ye are a Foster and a keeper of Dere, so am I a Hunter of wilde beastes, and haue bene long and many a daye: wherfore if I knewe not wilde beastes as wel as any man that is of any other calling, I were not worthie the name that I haue.

Foster.

I pray you where haue you seene any Wolues in England, because ye seeme to holde that there are so many Wolues there.

Hunter.

I haue seene a Wolfe within these fewe yeeres in the [Page] Tower, I haue seene many in diuers Cathedral Churches of Englande. But there are no wher mo, then are in the Conuocatiō house, in the parliament time. If you will learne to know Wolues: there may you see ynow, and a great deale mo.

Foster

I vnderstand you now at the last, what ye meane. All England is full of such Wolues as you meane of.

Would to God we might bring it to passe, in the par­liament, that the number of such swolues might bee made lesse▪ in that condicion that there wer v. thou­sand mo sheepe in England then nowe are.

Hunter.

I am glad that you are so wel minded towarde the true religion.

Foster.

We are al bound that are Chri­stians, to fauour and promote, the true religion, al­though many go about now to hinder it as much as in them lyeth. And one of the same (as far as I can perceiue) rydeth yonder before vs, ryde a littel faster that we may ouertake him. I see him well inough, he is as starcke a Pharise, as any is in all England again, if that you be a Hunter, as ye told me ye were ye may haue here in this plaine fielde, a fayre course at one of your wolues, therfore let of your houndes and fall vppon him, and I will helpe you as muche as I can.

Hunter.

Breake you the Ise, and giue the first vnset and then will I with all the speede I can follow, and take the praye my selfe alone, excepte ye can better skil in this kind of hunting then I can.

Foster.

Well ouertaken maister Deane

M. Dean.

Ye are Welcome syr.

Foster.

Wil you ride now to Lon­don maister Dean?

Dean.

Yea and God will.

Foster

If it please you we will beare you company.

Dean.

Sir I thank you. I am gladde of your companye. because we may (by reason of your felowship) with lesse ieopardy of theeues, and with more mirth come to London

Foster.

I pray you maister Dean, that we may freely commun with you to driue of the time with honest mirth and mery communicatiō, whiles we ride together.

Dean.

Say on what you please [Page] and I shall giue you the hearing / and so oft as it commeth to my course an aunswere also.

Foster

Thys Gentelman and I haue [...]easoned of a certaine mat­ter, wherin we desire to hear your iudgement.

Dean.

What is the matter?

Foster

My freend beareth me in hand, that ther are wolues in England & I hold that there are none. I praye you let vs heare your iudgement what you thinke of this matter▪

Deane.

In my dayes I haue seene no Wolfe in Englande, that I wot of, neither haue I hard of any man that hath sene any: Wherfore I beleeue that ther is none in England, at the least in the part of England that I dwell in.

Hunter.

Sir I haue heard tel of more murder of shepe of late, then euer I heard of▪ in my dayes before, wherfore when as we haue no mo fox­es then we had wont to haue and haue moe hunters of the Foxe thē euer we had before / I can not think but that we haue some Wolues in the land, which kil the sheepe.

Dean.

How should we haue Wolues in this land▪ when they neither breede here, neither are brought into the land.

Hunter.

It is not vnbelee­uable / but that God hath made certain beastes / in diuers places, and cheefely in Ilands, very far from any continent, or maine land, without anye naturall bringing foorth, of father or mother. Make you in a­ny low and fenny place of Englande, a great pond, & see whether within three yeares ye shall haue Eles there or no: I haue heard, that both Pickrells and many other kinds of fishes haue bene found in suche ponds, wherinto no man hath neuer put any old fish in And this dare I be bold to say (for I haue pro­ued it diuers times my selfe) that Bansticles haue bene found in great plentye in diches within a yeare after that they haue ben vp castē & made. Who wolde be so mad, as to cast olde Sticlinges or Stikelbegs into the dich whereof he should neuer haue profit?

Dean.

It is true like that Dukkes and wilde Gese and such like of that water haunting kinde, cary ei­ther [Page] the Rownes or Egges of Fishes or els Frie / vpon their winges / billes / or feete / vnto suche newe ponds and diches / as you haue spoken of / whereof come these fishes / wherof ye make mencion.

Hunter

As for the Rownes and Egges of the fishes / they lye in the ground of the water / and they are so slip­pery after that the male haue powred his Milch vppon them (without the which they can haue no life that the wild foule can not cary them, neither in their feete nor in their mouthes. And as for the frye for my part / I neuer sawe / red nor hearde tel / that anye frie of Fish hath bene at any time / or in any place so tame / that it would be taken easelye with a mannes hand: wherfore when as euery natural thing escheweth his naturall enemy / as euen the bloodes of Flo­ries and Aegithus / being dead and vnsensible will not be mixed togither / it is truelike / that the younge Frye (which haue no greater enemies then Duks be) will not come so neare vnto their enimies / to cleaue vpon their billes legges / and winges / when as they flye away so fearfully from a childes hande / which is no such enemi vnto them / as the Duck, and such like water haunters are Make a Barne in the midst of a field euen seuen miles frō any other house / wher as no blacke house Mouse / or Ratte, can come to / shal ther not be within a yere or two both blacke Myse and Rattes there?

Dean.

Perchaunce the Mise come out of the fieldes.

Hunter.

They that come out of the fieldes are of another kinde / and so vnlike / that the one may well bee knowen from the other. Who is he so inexpert / that cannot descerne a blacke house mouse▪ from a browne field mouse / with the long snout / much like vnto a shrow?

Dean.

It may chaunce that in continuance of time and by long tarying in the house / that they may be­come housemise, or els I can not tell how they shold come thether.

Hunter.

I am glad that ye graunt that one beast may be changed into another. But I [Page] will passe ouer that at this time / and wil tel you that I haue heard of many credible persons / that is / that if ye make a newe Ship / seuen mile from anye towne / and let her sayle halfe a yeare in the mayne Sea / and come neuer neare vnto any other Ship / that yet shall there be / both Mise and Rattes i [...] the Ship.

Dean.

It is no great maruaile if such vnperfit beasts haue a double generation / that is both by the generation of the male / and female / and also of corruption of the grounde / but I reacken that ye will not gather / because these smale beastes that are ordeyned diuers wayes to plague men withal both by sea and land / come of corruption / as lyse & flees doe / that Woluse also may spring vp of corruption / or that god maketh them nowe in any place / with­out naturall generation of the male and female.

Hunter.

Noes floud consumed and killed al kinds of wylde beastes in the worlde / and none remayned aliue sauing such as were saued in his Ship / when the floud was ended / there were Ilandes a greate number many hundreth myles from any continent or mayne land / wherein are many kindes of wylde beastes / beside Wolues and Lyons / and yet it is no­thing lyke / that anye man woulde haue taken the payne to cary suche mischeuous beastes into those y­landes / therefore it dooth appeare / that such wylde beastes / eyther sprong vp of the nature of the earth / or els God made them there / to exercise and to pu­nish men thereby. Then if God either make Wolues there or suffer Wolues to spring vp there / or bring Wolues thither out of other lands / to punish the people withall there / why may hee not also punish vs English men for our sinnes sake / eyther by suffering of Wolues to spring of them selues / or by making of newe Wolues here / or by bringing in of other wolus that are made in other landes alreadye to puni [...]he vs Englishe men for our sinnes sake / as he made Locustes / Frogges / Dogflees / and other greate [Page] flies to punishe the Egyptians withall / or as he sent Lyons into Samaria / to destroy the people there.

Dean.

I graunt God can do all these thinges / but because he can do them / it followeth not that he doth thē here now. God vseth not to work any such won­ders / or miracles / except it be for a very great cause / as I see none such at this time.

Hunter.

The Ly­ons were sent into Samaria because ther was foule Idolatrye done in that place / whereas God had wont to be serued: haue not these newe gospellers ta­ken gods seruice this sixe yeeres away / and set vp a folish newe seruice in the steade of it? doth not this ouerthrowing of the olde catholike religion deserue the bringing in of Wolues / as the inhabitants of Samaria haue deserued to haue the Lyons to bee sent vnto the [...] Therefore there wanteth no cause why that God shoulde sende in Wolues / or make Wolues a newe in this land / to punishe vs withall.

Dean.

Although we haue deserued much punish­ment / for our departing from the true religiō / of our mother holy church yet God may send vs other pu­nishment thē by miraculously bringing in of wolus.

Hunter.

Because ye thinke that God punisheth vs other wayes then by sending in and making of newe Wolues / I pray you how shall I thinke that Wolues come into this Realme / when as I am sure that there are diuers in this reamle / and see thē dayly / and heare them dayly [...] If they come not he­ther by some of the wayes which I haue rehearsed before? Perchance ye see them not / and other see thē not / yet I am sure that I both heare them and see them dayly.

Dean.

I can not beleeue yet that ther are any / and if there be any / I can not tell how they come hoyther.

Hunter.

A Foxe and a Wolfe are verye like in diuers thinges / thinke ye it not possi­ble but an olde Foxe may goe forth of kinde into a Wolfe?

Dean.

It is possible by the myght of god but it is playne against nature.

Hunter.
[Page]

It is not againste nature that one beaste should go out of kind into another. Pismires go out of kind / in Flies: Casewormes / or Codwormes be­come Flies / Colewormes growe into Butterflies. Serpentes and Dragons / Aristotle writeth in hys boke. de historia animalium, that a red breast is turned into a red tayle and that Melancariplus (that is to saye a swart cope) is chaunged into [...]dulam / which may be called a figbiter. A puleus was turned into an Asse / as he writeth himselfe: the scripture al­so recordeth that Nabuchodonosor (as it appeareth in the fourth of Daniell) was changed into a beaste for his hearte was chaunged from a mannes into a beasts hearte / & he eate hay as an Oxe, but after that he repented him of his pryde / his wit and his old fi­gure was restored vnto him againe. It is not ther­fore against nature / that an imperfit beast should be changed into a more perfit of an other kinde. Ey­ther it is a gainst the word of God▪ that the perfitest creature aboue all other (I meane a man) shoulde be chaunged into a vile beast Therfore it is neyther against nature / neyther againste the worde of God / that an old Foxe should be turned into a Wolfe.

Dean.

If that you could shew me a Wolfe in Eng­land / that were made of a Foxe / then would I bee­leeue your argument to be true / but if ye can not do that (ye shall pardon me) I can not beleeue your conclusion.

Hunter.

The moste part of all the ho­nest men that are in England / will beare witnesse / that about fiue yeares a goe / ther was an old Foxe caryed into the Tower of London / whereas / he hath continued vntill within these few months and that the same is a very right Wolfe now / and goeth abroad and is seene of all men / and if that ye goe to London / I am sure that ye shall see him.

Deane.

Perchaunce ye meane of my Lorde of Winchester / whom certaine raylers haue called a Romish Foxe. If that you do so you do not well / for he is a good [Page] catholike man / and a prince ouer vs. principi populi tui non male dices, wherfore ye oughte not to rayle againste him.

Hunter.

Some men nowe a dayes / when as men speake againste their open sinnes and faultes / and can no otherwise defend their naughti­nesse / call them that speake the truth raylers.

Dean.

And I insure you / they that call my Lorde of Win­chester a Wolfe do rayle.

Hunter.

Christe (which denied that he had any kingdome in this world and refused to be a secular ruler whiles he woulde ney­ther condemne the adulteres / neyther heare the cause of the two brethren that were at debate for the diuision of their heritage) called Herode a Foxe / who was of as great auctority as Steuen gardiner [...]: he called the Priestes / Scribes and Pharises / (rulers in their vocacions) S24357.tech.take2.sgmipers / broad wolues Hipocrites / Tumbes full of rotten and stinking bones / and Edders. The Apostles being only prea­chers / and no princes / and namely Paule handeled the enemies of Christes gospel after the same man­ner / and called some of them children of the Deuill / as he called the Sorcerer / Act. 13. and he called the men of Candy lyers slow bellies / and euill beastes. I neede not to rehearse how sharply the Prophetes rebuked the Kinges and Princes in the olde Te­stament / for ye know that they spared no man. Thē if that the Prophets of Christ and his Apostles rai­led not / then raile I not for I do none other thing then they dyd.

Dean.

The Prophets with Christ and his Apostles / were ministers appointed for that office / and they had this in their commission / that they should shew all men their faultes / but I know no such commission that you haue.

Hunter.

I haue had commission of God / and King Henry the eyght and of King Edward his sonne / and of both theyr counsels auctoriti to read and to interprete the scrip­ture: and although that my aucthority that I had of the two fornamed Princes bee worne out & disanul­led [Page] by the comming in of a newe gouernour: I think in my conscience that I haue yet still as muche of Gods commission remaining still / vnabrogate by a­ny mans power / that thereby I may call a Wolfe [...] Wolfe / & giue warning vnto my brethren that they beware that they be not worried of Wolues for lacke of warning.

Dean.

Why goe ye not to him and tell him that he is a Wolfe / perchaunce he woulde a­mende his manners / if ye woulde tell him his faulte charitably.

Hunter.

It is not the manner that the Hunter should go him selfe vnto the wild beast / but he hath done his part / if he hath sent his hounds vn­to him.

Dean

What meane ye by that.

Hunter.

I meane that is enough at this time / and in this part of the world / to write vnto him / and to tell him hys faults in writing though I come no nearer.

Dean.

The scripture teacheth you / that if your brother offende you / that you oughte to rebuke him betweene him and you alone / and if he heare you not / then to tell the hole Churche.

Hunter.

These wordes of Christe are spoken of a priuate offence / that is com­mitted against one priuate man / and not of an open fault / which is both knowen vnto the Church / and hath hurt the hole Church also. The scripture tea­cheth vs / that he that offendeth openly / shoulde bee rebuked openly / that other may be afrayde to offende therby. But what if he had offended me alone / were I bound to go to rebuke him / that woulde caste me in prison and kill me / if I came within his reache? Should Elias haue done well if he had come to A­chab and to Iesabel / whē as they would haue killed him? Yf he did well and wisely / that came not vnto his mortall enemies / but kept him selfe a lofe / then do not I yll to write vnto him / and to keepe my selfe from him / vntill his teeth be broken / for feare of byting.

Dean.

I meruaile why you call him a Wolfe / more then all the other Bishops and Prists in England.

Hunter.

Because he is the principall [Page] Wolfe / and for a great parte the hole cause / of the great and exceding number of Wolues that we now haue / for all the while that he was hid in his denne / the great number of wolues that goe abroade nowe openly / and worrye and kill euery where played the Foxes in their holes but within eyghte dayes after he came abroad / and began to worry and kil / all the other Wolues entised and boldened by his example / began to come out of their holes / and confessed open­ly in Sermons / and in other communication what they were / and sayd that for feare of their liues / and losse of their goods / they onely ceased from their old office / these fiue or sixe yeares / and that nowe they were ready to doe all things / as they had wonte to do / according vnto their nature and creation. And according to their saying / and old nature / they haue casten into their slaughterhouse / all the principall sheepe of Christes flocke / and certaine of the shepe­heardes also / that euer as they are hungry they may kill them / as they did Fri [...]h / Barnes / Ierome / Garret / and Lassels / with diuers others.

Dean.

As farre as I can gather by your communicacion / ye make not only the bishop of Winchester a Wolfe / but also all the Bishoppes of Englande Wolues with him.

Hunter

I take the bishop of Winche­ster / and all the masse priestes of England that con­sent vnto his doctrine and doings for Wolues.

Dean.

As it is easy to call all the bishops & priests of England that are masse sayers / and preache the old learning / which ye call papestry Wolues / so it is very hard to proue them Wolues.

Hunter.

S. Paule in the twentye of the Actes of the Apostles prophecieth / that greeuous Wolues shall enter into the Churche / which shall not spare the flocke: the same Paule prophecieth the same / in both his Epis­stles that he wryteth vnto Timothe. Peter also in his latter Epistle prophecied that false prophetes should come. Christ our maister in the 24. of Math. [Page] sayd also that false prophetes shall come among hys sheepe / into the church / but the Church of England is Christes Churche / and the people of it / are his sheepe. Therefore according vnto the prophe­cye of Christ / and his Apostles / we muste beleeue that we haue one time or other false prophetes / but the lay men are not the Prophetes / and the [...]e must needes be false prophets / and there are no more or­ders of men / but eyther lay men or priestes [...]he [...] whē lay men can not be the fallse prophets / then muste it follow that the priests are the false prophets.

Dean.

I graunt that Christe and the apostles prophec [...]ed / that false prophetes shoulde come / and I saye that they came in dede / some euen in the Apostles times / as Ebion and Cerinthus / and afterward Arrius / Donatus / Pelagius / Mahumet and a greate sorte mo.

Hunter.

Christ and his Apostles spake not of the time only / that immediatly came after them / but rather of the latter times / and of the last times of al / When Christes Disciples asked him / of the ende of the world / and of the tokens thereof: he among di­uers other tokens of the end of the world / numbreth the great number of false prophets / which shall arise and deceiue many / therefore Christe prophecied not of them that were next vnto his time / but of such as should come in the end of the world. Paule prophe­cyinge of the false prophets / speaketh thus of them: Spiritus certo loquitur, quod in posterioribus tem­poribus desciscent quidam a fide▪ &c. The Scrip­ture speaketh of a suerty / that in the latter times / some shall depart from the Faith. In the second E­pistle vnto Timothe / and in the third Chapter / hee writeth thus / knowe you that in the last dayes shall come & draw neare perillous times / and men shall arise that haue the image of godlines / but shall deny the effect of it in deede. Peter also in the thirde chap­ter of his second Epistle / saith / that in extremis die­bus that is in the last days / shall come mockers. &c. [Page] therfore the prophesies of Christe and the Apostles do beare witnesse that the false prophetes shall aryse in the last times / & not only a little after their times / as ye vnderstand them.

Dean

Well / then may wee truly vnderstand the aboue rehearsed prophesies / to pertaine vnto Mahumet / & to all them that preache and teach his lawe / whereof is a great number then of christen preachers.

Hunter.

Paule Actes the twenty prophecying of the false prophets / sayth. Ex nobis ipsis ex [...]ientur viri loquent [...]s peruers [...]a. &c. There shall spring out some of your owne selues / which shall speake peruerse things: and entreating of the same mater vnto Timothe / he saith / deserscent quidam a fide▪ that is / some shall departe from the faith. Peter writing of the false prophet [...] saith there shal be false doctours a monge you. Then they that Paule and Peter prophecied of / shall not come oute of an other religion / but of our owne religion.

Dean.

Then when ye will let me haue none other to be the Wolues. I must say / that [...] / H [...]s / Luther / Swinglius and the newe preachers / which preache in England the newe learning are the Wolues wher of Christ and the Apostles haue prophecied to come in the last dayes.

Hunter.

Yes I will let you haue all the massing and sacrificing clergy to bee Wolues / and yet I will defend them whom you haue named▪ from the name of Wolues / because they doe not the deedes of Wolues. And as I sayd afore / I say that the bishop of Rome called the Pope / and all the bi­shoppes of England / and all the priests that are or­deyned of the Pope / or any other bishop to say masse and to serue in ceremonies only, which God neuer ordeyned / and not to preach Gods worde alone / and to minister onely his Sacramentes / and all they that be ordeyned to preach Gods worde, and doe not preache / or if they do preach eyther preache onelye mans ordinances / or els if they preach Gods word / leuen it with the doctrines whiche are the comman­dements [Page] of men / are the right wolues / that Christe and the Apostle Paule prophecied of.

Dean.

The oft saying of one thing proueth nothing. It that is false of nature / can not be made true by ofte rehear­sing / as you know your selfe. Therfore I looke that ye should proue at last / it that you haue so oft saide / that is that all the priests that hold the learning that my Lord of Winchester holdeth are Wolues.

Hunter.

I haue in deede rechearsed one thing twise or thrise / but not for that intent that I woulde that the often rehearsall of it / should stand in the steede of a probacion / or prouing of my saying. And though I be but a smal clerke in comparison of you / yet I trust if you will geue me the hearing / I shall proue my saying / not with the often rehearsall of the same / but with the auctority of the scripture / and with good reasons sounded and grounded vpon the scripture / and naturall reason.

Dean

I am content to here you.

Hunter.

Christ saith / in the vii. of Matthew / keepe your selues from false prophets which come vnto you in sheepes clothing / but within are raue­ning wolues: where by we maye learne / that all false prophets are priuy and inward wolues. But the Pope and his Sonne Stephen Gardiner with all the order of priests aboue named / are false prophets / wherfore they are all wolues. He is a false prophet which occupyeth the roume of a true prophet / and eyther is not sent, or els yf he be sent / doth not exer­cise his office as God hath commaunded him but o­therwise. And as there are many kindes of false pro­phets, so are there many propertyes / wherby they may be knowne: The first propertye of a false pro­phet is / to thrust himselfe into the office of a prophet / or to take the office in hand before he be sent. The second is / to preach lyes, and other doctrine thē God hath commaunded. The third property is to preach earnestly his owne doctrine / and to threaten greate punishment to the breakers therof / and to preache [Page] very slackly, it that God earnestly / and expressedlye hath commaunded / and to discharge men from the punishments which God threateneth to the trauns­gressours and breakers of them. These are also pro­perties of a false prophet to scatter / and to kill gods people / and to be couetous of golde and siluer / and of promocion / and to serue the belly / That he is a false prophet / that thrusteth himselfe into the office of a prophet / or taketh the office in hande / before hee be sent of God / the prophet Ieremy witnesseth the 14. chapter: These prophets prophecy a lye in my name. I sent them not. I gaue them no commaundement / neyther haue I spoken vnto them / and yet they pro­phecie a lying vision / and a gessing prophesie / & the deceit of their owne heart. Wherefore saith the Lord / the prophets which prophecye in my name when I sent them not / shal perishe with hunger and sword. Ieremy xxix. Let not your prophets and sothsayers beguile you / neyther take yee anye heede to your dreames which you dream / for they prophecye vnto you lying in my name / & yet I sent thē not: the same sentence is conteined Deutero .xviij. in these words: A prophet which presumeth to speake a word in my name / which I commaunded him not to speake / or he that speaketh in the name of strange Gods / suche a prophet shall dye. I find the same meaning in the xxiij. of Ieremy / in these words: I haue not sente these prophets / and yet haue runne: I spake no­thing vnto them / and yet haue they prophecyed. And in the xxvii. They prophecy you a lye / for I sente them not / notwithstanding that they prophesy fals­ly in my name. Ezechiell in the xiii. chapter speaketh the same sentence: they haue seene vanity / and a ly­ing prophecy / saying / the Lord hath sayd it / when as the Lord hath not sent them. Christ also in the newe Testament describeth a false prophet after the same manner saying. He that entereth not into the shepe­folde by the dore / but climeth in another waye / he is [Page] a theef and a murderer. I am the dore of the sheepe all they that haue comme before mee are theeues & murtherers. If that he bee a false prophet which taketh the office of a prophet or a shepeheard / and is not sent of God: Yf he be a theefe and a murtherer / that entereth into the sheepefolde / otherwise then by Christ / (as the holy ghost sayth he is) then all the vnlearned Byshoppes / Deanes / Prouostes / Cannons / Parsons and S24357.tech.take2.sgmicars which can not preach and teach Gods worde / are false prophetes / Wolues / Theeues and Murderers. For God ne­uer sent them / and so came they not into their offices thorowe Christe / but haue climed in an nother way. That God neuer sente the vnlearned / I proue it thus: He that would haue his worde preached vnto his slocke / and would that the same [...]locke should be saued / and fedde with the same word / and giueth an earnest commaundement vnto all the shepeheardes of his flocke / to preache vnto the flocke / and to crye vnto his sheepe / will not send a dūme & an vnle [...]r­ned man / to be the shepehearde vnto it. But God would haue his worde preached / and his flocke sa­ued and kept with the same word / and this is hys commaundement / crye and cease not: and shew my people their fautes / go and preache the gospell to e­uery creature / go and teach all nations / feede my Lambes / feede my sheepe. Then ye see that it is the commaundement of God / that his flocke should bee fedde with preaching and teaching, wherby we may easelye knowe that he sendeth no dūme dogs / and vnlearned Asses to be Byshoppes / Parso [...]s and S24357.tech.take2.sgmicars ouer his flocke / that can not preache and teach the worde of lyfe whereby his flocke shoulde be fedde and saued from the Wolues. Therefore God neuer sent thē / neyther came they in by Christ. Wherevpon it followeth / that all the vnpreaching Prelates in England / are false prophets & wolues because God neuer sent them / nor called them to be [Page] prophets / and because he knewe them vnmeete for that office. Now I pray you haue ye seene no Wolues in England / is it a straunge sighte to see in Englande dumme Embassadors / and vnlettered legates that can not speake / nor declare the commaundement of God? If such be in euery corner of England / that is to say / such as can not feede Christes flocke with his word: then is all England full of Wolues.

Foster.

I perceiue for my parte that the scripture calleth such dumme pastors / theeues / robbers and Wolues / but if you could shew me what they stale / what they murdered and killed / I woulde be better satisfied in my conscience: And then would I boldly say with you / that they were Wolues in deede.

Hunter.

The vnlearned Byshoppes Deans / prouostes canons / parsons and viccars / steale all the liuinges that they haue / for they take the tithes and other things of the people / saying that the tithes and suche like thinges / are Gods part / and saye that gods parte is due vnto them / but they do not the office that God hath appointed for such liuinges / that is / they feede not his flocke with his word: therefore they are theeues. And that ye may the better vnderstand this / I will declare the matter by a likenes. If that a man gaue himselfe out for a phisitian / and coulde doe nothing in phisicke at all / and yet tooke ten pound to heale a sicke man / and eyther ran away with the x.li. or if he taried with the sicke man / neither did him any good / nor could do him any good / were not this apish phisitian a thefe? If there were an high waye / that had much neede of mendi [...]g / and a common gathering were made / tho­rowe the hole parishe / and a greate summe of monye were gathered to mend this high waye withall / and the parish chosed out one of the parish, which for that sūme of mony should repayre the high waye / and hee that is chosen / taketh the mony and promiseth to a­mend the way / but either he runneth away with the mony / or he tarieth still among his neighbours / and [Page] mendeth not the high way / and holdeth the hole sume of mony to himselfe / is not this man a theefe? If he be a theefe / then is the Parson a theefe / which taketh ten pound. in the yeere gathered vnto him / out of the common fieldes / to feede the part she therefore wyth Gods word / and neuer preacheth in all his life. If ye will haue the summe of the matter compendiouslye tolde. take it thus▪ He that taketh away gods goods and his neighbours / from them against their wil de­ceitfully / is a theefe / but all vnpreaching bishoppes / deanes and parsons take away gods goodes & theyr neighbours / deceitfully against Gods will / and a­gainst their neighboures / therefore they are theeues / yea and more then theeues / church robbers.

Foster.

I graunt that they are spirituall theeues / but howe proue you that they same are murderers.

Hunter.

I shall proue you that not onely all the vnlearned parsons / that are not sent and can not preache / are murderers / but also that all such learned Byshops / Deanes / Parsons / and other Prelates / that are sent of God and his church / and yet do not preach & feede not Christes flocke with his worde / are murderers▪ wolues and false prophets. If that ye had a young childe / and your wife were dead / or your wife liuing / could not giue the child sucke her selfe / if a nurse toke in hand for xij. d in the weke to feede your childe / if shee either hauing no milke / suffer the child to dye for hunger / or hauing milke ynough gaue your child ne­ther milke / nor other good meate / but suffered it to dye for hunger / would ye not say / that this woman were a murderesse?

Foster.

Yes that I would / and tha for a shamefull murderesse.

Hunter.

Then when as euery pastor or sheepehearde taketh Chri­stes flocke in hand to feede it with Gods worde / and receiueth good wages for the feeding thereof / and ei­ther hauing no knowledge of Gods worde / suffereth Christes flocke to perish / for lacke of spirituall fode / or hauing good knowledge / runneth away from his [Page] flocke / and feedeth it not / or though he tarry with it / feedeth it not with gods word / but suffereth it to pe­rish for lacke of preaching / is not euery such vnprea­ching pastor then a murderer / and a Wolfe?

Foster.

Reason saith so / but how proue you this by the scrip­ture. For except ye can proue this by the scripture / there are many that will not beleeue you / that mur­der may be committed by not feeding / and not crying against the peoples vices.

Hunter.

The Lorde God saith in the xxxiij. of Ezechi. If I bring the sworde vpon the earth / and the people of the earth / take a man of their countrey / and make him theyr watchman / and if he see the sworde comming vppon the earth / and then blowe with his tromphet / and warne the people plainly / and they heare the voyce of the tromphet / and wil not be warned / if the sword come and take them away / their owne bloude be vp­pon their owne heades. But if the watchman see the sword comming / and blowe not his horne / and the people be not plainly warned / if the sword come / and they be killed / the people are killed for their wicked­nesse / yet will I require the bloud of my people of that watchmans hand Thus farre hath God spo­ken. You may see that my parable and this doth a­gree togither. The Lorde in the same chapter decla­reth his parable thus. O thou sonne of man / I haue made thee a watchman to the house of Israel / that thou may heare the word out of my mouth / and that I may warne them playnly in my name. If I say vnto the wicked / thou wicked / surely thou shalt die / and thou wilt not speake vnto him / that he leaue his wicked waye / he shall dye in his wickednes / but his bloud will I require at thy hand. Now syr haue ye hearde it plainlye spoken without any parable / by Gods owne mouth: that the watchman which wyll not giue warning vnto his flocke / is guilty of bloud. But none are guilty of bloude but murderers / but dumme pastors are guilty of bloud / therfore they are [Page] murderers and so spirituall wolues. If these places be not thought sufficient to proue that vnpreaching prelates / are false prophets and so Wolues and mur­derers / I wil alledge mo places to satisfie them that aer not yet satisfied. Almighty God sayth / Ezechiel the xxiiij: Sonne of Man prophecye thou againste the pastors / or sheepeheardes of Israell / and thou shalt say vnto them: Woe be vnto the sheepeheards of Israel / which haue fedde them selues / ought not sheepeheardes to feede their flocke? Ye eate the fatte, ye are clothed with the woole / ye kill it that is fatte / ye feede not the flocke / ye haue not strengthened the weake / ye haue not gon to heale the sicke / ye haue not bound vp it that was broken / ye haue not broughte home againe it that was driuen away / and yee haue not sought it that was loste / but you haue bin lords ouer them in hardnes / and cruelnesse: they haue straied out of the way / being without a sheepeheard / and they haue bene meate t [...] euery beast / whilse they wā ­dered, My flocke hath wandred in all mountaynes / and in euerye highe hill / and vppon all places of the earth / haue my sheepe ben scattered, and there was none to seeke them, therfore heare ye O shepeheards the word of the Lord. As truely as I liue / I wyll punishe you / because my sheepe were taken awaye / and were prayes to euery beast of the field / because there was no sheepeheard, and because my sheepe­heardes haue not sought for my shepe / but the shepe­heards haue fedde them selues. Therfore ye sheepe­heardes heare the word of the Lorde. Behold I am against the sheepeheardes / and I will require my sheepe of their handes. Nowe I trowe that I haue proued / that all the vnpreaching prelates of Eng­land / are theeues / murderers, and Wolues / and that two properties of a false prophet / agre vnto our dum pastors / and so are they false prophets / that the hole scripture cryeth out vpon and condemneth.

Deane.

Then the vnpreaching prelates / as ye call them / are [Page] not hole false prophets / because they haue not al the properties of a false prophet.

Hunter.

There are many kindes of false prophets, and who so euer hath any one of the properties of any of those kindes is a false prophet. Christe taketh him for a false pro­phet in the tenth of Iohn / that is vnsent / and entreth into the office of a prophet or sheepehearde not tho­rowe Christ / but climeth in an nother waye / hys words in latine are these: Qui non intrat per hosti­um, in stabulum ouium seda scendit. That is he that entereth not into the shepe f [...]old by the dore / but climeth in an other way, he is at hefe & a murderer. Almighty god in the xj. of Zachari / painting & discri­bing another kind of false prophets / saith after the old translatino: O pastor & idolum derelenquens gre gem. O sheepeheard and idole which leaueth or for­saketh his flocke. In the Surik translation Vae pas­tori idolo qui gregem deserit Wo be vnto the idole shepeherd that leueth his flock. The Lord in the 34. of Ezechiel, describing false prophets / sheweth none other token of a false prophet, or of an euil shepeheard or of a Wolfe / but that he feedeth not his flocke. So that he is both a false prophet / that commeth into the church otherwyse then by Christ / and he also that en­treth rightly into the sheepefold and yet leaueth his flocke / or tariyng with his flocke feedeth it not.

Now haue I proued / that he that hath any of these properties of a false prophet / is a false prophet. I may therefore call all the vnpreaching prelates false prophets, because they either haue two properties of a false prophet / or one sure property at the lest, which a lone after the mind of Christe, maketh a false pro­phet.

Dean.

The pore priestes of Englande haue not deserued to haue the names of dogges & Wolues for not feeding of the people / for they minister the sa­craments / they pray / they sing and say gods seruice / and they reade the holy scripture / which is sufficient foode for the soules of all their parishioners and hol [...] [Page] flocke / also the bishoppes do as much good in their dioceses / as a sort of prating preachers haue don, whi [...] they heare causes of heresie / of fornication / and of such like manners / they consecrate Deacons subdea­cons / and Priestes / they continue in the great cities of their dioceses / as it were in high rocks / or toppes of hilles / looking there / ouer all the countrye / whe­ther any hereticall Wolues / come into their flocke or no / if they see any. I warrant you they cease not / but they crye out vpon them / and not only crye out vpon them / but also if thei can cage them, cast them into the fyre. Other of the byshoppes / which are awaye from their flockes / Eyther are Embassadours / or they are Counselers / and continue in the Courte or they haue other offices / wherein they serue God and the Queene / as well as the best preachers that yee haue had is England these seuen yeres. Therfore ye ought not to haue called them Wolues, seing they are so wel occupyed.

Hunter.

I maruelsyr that ye slippe o­uer and passe by my reasons / arguments / and places of scripture which I haue alldged / as though he had not heard them. Belike eytheh your conscience tel­leth you / that it is true that I haue sayd / or else you can not aunswere vnto them. As touching your ar­guments least I should seeme to knowledge them to be good / or els vnaunswerable by passing ouer them, or else so clarkly / as though I were a feard to stryue with you in them: I will aunswere to them one af­ter another. Whereas ye saye that the vnpreaching bishoppes and priestes ought not to be called dogges and Wolues / because the minister the Sacramentes because they sing and say Gods seruice / because they reade the Scriptures / whiche is foode ynoughe for all their parishoners and flockes / because they (namely the bishops) heare causes of fornication / of heresie / and suche like matters / consecrate Subdea­co [...]s / deacons / and priestes / and stande in th greatest [...]ities of their dioceses / as it were in high toppes of [Page] mountaynes / to spye whether any hereticall Wolues come into their flocks or no / and if they spye any / doe cast thē into the fire, because they are Embassadors / because they are Councellers / because they are Am­ners and Chanceloures / and such like officers / and are thus well occupyed / and doe a much good / as our prating preachers do (as yee vnaduisedly call them / I answere that the doing of al these things / discharg them not / from the true and well deserued names of dumme dogges theeues robbers / and wolues. For he that keepeth all the eyght last commaundementes and breaketh the two first commaundements / which are two of the most principall commaundementes / is guilty of all the rest: and shall be dammed for the brea­king of those two. What if I graunted you that all these deedes which ye sayd the vnpreaching prelates were occupyed in / were belonging vnto their voca­cion euen according vnto the ordinance of god (as I know the contrary to be true) yet I will proue you that the preaching of Gods worde / is also belong­ing vnto all byshoppes / and pastors / and shepeherd [...] / for Christ sayth to the pastors or shepeheards / go and teach all nations / and Baptise them / in the name of the Father / and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost▪ teaching them to kepe all thinges / whiche I haue commaunded you. And in the xvj. of Marke he saith goe into all the world / and preach the gospel to euery creature / then is preaching a worke necessarily required of all pastors and byshops. Wherefore if they doe not this moste exellent worke that belongeth vnto a sheepeheard / they are guilty / and are breakers of all the other workes that belong vnto a byshoppe / or a sheepeheard. Ezechiel / (as I alledged him before) maketh all pastors that preach not the amendment of life vnto the people / and giue not thē expressed war­ning to amend their liues: to be murderers. If he doe so / so may I doe the like. Then may I call them well ynough murderers and therefore false porphets [Page] and wolues. Well then when as no man can denye / but that preaching is the principal office that belongeth vnto a Byshoppe or shepehearde though all your lately named deedes were offices belonging vnto their vocation: yet for all that / the doing of all them / should not discharge them from the wrathe of God for committing of murder / if he murdereth, that seedeth not. Which thing I shall declare vnto you, by these two similitudes or likenesses: If a nurse prayed euery day three houres for the child which shee hath taken in hand to feede / and sange other three houres / and washed the child as cleane as it were possible for a woman to doe / and yet gaue the child no milke / nor fedde it, but suffred it to dye for hunger / I thinke for all her praying and saying, singing and washing / shee were a murderesse. It that a watchman were hyred of all the citizens of a citye to watch the citye / and this watchman went out of his watching place and went into the citye & helped the masons to biuld the wales, or did any such like thing, whereof he had no charge, or commaundemēt, and the enemies came into the citye / and killed all the citizens / or but ten of them, for lacke of the warning of the watch man: this watch man should be guilty of all their deathes that were killed / as almighty God saith in Ezechiel. E­uen so al your vnpreaching parsons / though they doe diuers other things / eyther not belonging vnto their office or belōging to their office or calīg & leue vndon the most prinpal part of al other, that is preaching of Gods word, and suffer the flocke to perish for lacke of preaching / are gilty of the bloud of al thē that perish / for lacke of preaching of Gods word vnto them. Al­so when as God hath ordeined bishops to be watch­men ouer their flockes / if they leaue their office vn­don / and go away from their flocke / and playe the Counselours / Amners / and Chauncelours / if anye of their flocke perish for lacke of keeping / they are soule murderers / and therefore Wolues and worse [Page] then dogges. Where as yee say that the parsons feede Christes flocke sufficientlye / because they reade the word of God / whiche is sufficient fode for all theyr flocks: I say that it is true that the word of GOD is sufficient foode for all their parishioners / if that it were ministred and serued out vnto the people / as it should be. But the reading of it in a strange tongue / feedeth not Christes flocke / and the word of God spoken and read in a strange tongue / and not expoun­ded / saueth not the flocke from the Wolues / neither doth the onely reading of gods worde / discharge the shepeheard from the rightly deserued name of a murderer. For as if an englishmā which wer made the watchman of Barwick / if he saw the Scottes come toward Barwicke / and spake to the citizens and souldiers of the city / eyther onely Erchontai sko [...] in Greeke / or veniunt scoti in Latine / and would not say in English / the Scottes come / and the people woste not what the watchman sayde / and so were sodeinly taken of the Scotes / and were for the most parte killed / were he not a murderer / and were hee not worthy to be hanged for his laboure? Euen so / the parsone or byshop / that readeth the scripture / wherein are conteyned all wordes of warning of all men from all perilles in a strange tongue, that the people vnderstandeth not / as they doe that say & sing these good warning wordes of God in Latine / vnto the vnlearned people. Poenitentiam agite apropinqua bit regnū coelorū. Nisi cōuersi fueritis, gladisi vibrauit, areū suū [...]etendit & parauit illū Nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua & spiritu, non potest videre regnū dei. Qui bona egerūt ibūt in vitā eternā, qui uero. &c. with such other like, if the people perishe for lacke of vnderstanding of the warning / he is a murderer / a theefe and a Wolfe. Aunswere me I pray you what better are the parishioners for hearing of it whiche they vnderstande not.

Dean.

Though the people vnderstand not the scripture in Latine / yet God vn­derstandeth [Page] it / and so they please him therewith / as s. Paule saith: 1. Corin .xiiij. he that speaketh in a tōgn he speaketh not vnto men / but vnto God / for no man heareth but in spirite he speaketh misteries. Lo here Saint Paule aloweth that a bys hoppe or a pastor should speake vnto God in a straunge tongue / for so is the word tongue / taken there, which thing yeseme to deny whiles ye call them wolues & false prophets that speake vnto god in a strange tongue.

Hunter.

It is true that he that speaketh in a strange tongue speaketh vnto god / and I graunt also that S. Paul doth not condemne strange tongues / but ye can not proue therby that a person that speaketh in a strange tongue / is thereby discharged from preaching / and declaring of the will of god vnto the people / as for the tong [...]es / I loue them as wel as any Latine reading sacrificer in Englande doth / and I think that I haue studied the tongues as much / as ye haue / & can paraduenture speake as many speaches as you can / therefore I would you shoulde not thinke that I doe dispise strange tongues / for they are the gift of the holy ghoste. But I say vnto you that the tongus are not so necessary vnto the congregation / as the de­claring of Scripture is / and that tongues are not to be alowed in the church / except they be declared openly / and that they vnexpounded / do no good at all vn­to the congregation / (although he that will praye se­creatlye in a tongue may doe it well ynoughe) thys shall I proue you by the same chapter of which you aleged your auctority. Saint Paule saith: he that prophecieth / that is / (hee that expoundeth the scrip­ture) speaketh buylding or edification vnto the peo­ple / exhorting and comforting / he that speaketh in a strange tongue / buildeth or profiteth himselfe / but he that preacheth buildeth and profiteth the congrega­tion. Out of the which wordes of Paule / I ga­ther playnely / that he that readeth Latin in the Englishe Churche / dooth profite no man but hym selfe, [Page] and so myght as well keepe him at home in his chamber / for any good that he dooth in the Church / vnto English men / that vnderstand no Latin / as to come and reade any latine there. Are not these readers of Latine worthy to haue suche great liuinges as they haue? I gather also that expounding of the scripture / or preaching of gods worde, is the more excellent of­fice and worke in Christes Church then reading is / then how shall a prieste bee excused from doing the greater by doing fo the lesse? and yet the lesse where­of we spake / is not required of god at al in his church although the Latine Pope requireth / that all they that are members of his Latine and Romish church with him / and namely all the priests after his order / shoulde onely reade Latine in the Church in a remē ­braunce that he is head of all them that reade latine in the church / and that he was the inbringer of latine into all this parte of Europa. The sa [...]e Paule saith also, I will that yee all speake with tongues but yet more that you should prophecy or declare the Scrip­ture / for he is greater that prophecieth / then hee that speaketh in tongues / excepte hee expaunde: that the Church may take some profit thereby. &c. If a tromphet giue an vncertaine sound / who shall make him­selfe ready to fight? Euen so likewise except ye geue forth a speach that betokeneth something: howe shall it be vnderstand that is saide? & As oft as ye come together / euery one of you hath his tongue / he hath his learning, he hath his reuelation / he hath his in­terpretation. Let all thinges be done to the profite of the Chruch / whether a man speaketh in tongues / let it be done by two or three at the vttermost and that one after another / and let one expound or declare / if there be no expounder, let him holde his peace in the Church / but let him speake to him selfe and to God.

These words are not only Paules / but also the ho­ly Ghostes wordes / then yf yee will beleeue the holy [Page] ghost, no man ought to speake in any strange tongue / except one enterpret or expoundit that is read or spo­ken / where vpon it foloweth / that all the pr [...]estes in England / that reade Latine in the English Church which vnderstādeth no Latin if they expoūd not the same / breake the open commaundement of God. Is it nowe like that god wyll alowe Latin reading of vnlearned priests without any expounding of it that is read in an Englishe church / for his seruice / & a good work, which he expressedly forbiddeth his own selfe in expressed words? I for my part trowe naye. And whereas ye say / that though the common peo­ple vnderstandeth no Latine / that god vnderstādeth it wel ynough / meaning thereby / that it is not neces­sary that the people should vnderstant it that is read in the church / so that god vnderstand it: I aske you whether all that the prieste readeth in the Churche is sayd vnto god alone / or to the people alone. Yf at be said to the people alone then is all the laboure loste that is bestowed in speaking of Latine vnto them that vnderstand none. Or if parte be spoken vnto the vnlearned people / that part is also loste. If that all that is read in the church be sayde vnto God (as yee seme to mean, wher as ye say that god vnderstandeth latin wel ynough / though the people vnderstande it not) then say the priests vnto god all these sayinges. Postula a me & dabo tibi gentes haereditatim tuam, seruite domino, in timore, apprehendite disciplinam ne quando irascatur Dominus & peratis de via iusta. Irascimini & nolite peccare, sacrificate sacrificium iusticiae & sperate in domino, nisi conuersi fueritis, gladium vibrauit, & parauit illud, non occides, non committes adulterium, ne veretis omnino. Vae vobis qui saturati estis, quia esurietis, Vae vobis cum laudauerit vos omnes homines, poenitentiam agite, appropin quabit regnum coelorum.

If the priestes say these sayinges vnto god / is not this a preaty preaching▪ or rather pratinge vnto al­mighty god. If they saye them in Latine vnto vn­learned [Page] men, they are neuer the better / for hearing of those words that they vnderstand not / and so always the labour of the priest is lost whether he exhort god to holines / in a tongue that he vnderstandeth / or hee exhorteth men to vertuousnesse / by speaking of La­tine to them, which vnderstand not one word of La­tine / and therfore take no profit thereby. Therfore your reading of Latine to god / helpeth nothing the congregation. Where as you say that your byshops which are Chauncelers. Amners / and secular coun­sellers, are as wel occupyed as our prating preachers are, I thinke that ye dishonest the order of Elders / and their▪ office also, and speake openly against the scripture / for Christ sayde that Mary chosed the better parte, whiche was occupyed aboute the worde then Martha did / which was occupyed in worldly matters / then your byshoppes being occupyed about worldly matters / are not so wel occupied as our preachers are / which prate not but preach the true word of god, as no Massemonger is able to proue the con­trary. Wherefore I maruel that ye dishonest them with such a terme / when as ye can not proue that ye lay vnto their charges. As for your Amners it is playn that they occupy but the office of a Deacon / which is not to be compared to the office of an Elder and preacher? and as for the other ioffices, god neuer commaunded any bishop to be occupyed withall.

Thinke you that vpon the day of iudgement, when Christ shall say vnto the byshoppes: why haue yee suffered my flocke to perishe for lacke of feeding, that he wyl approue and alowe these excusations? I was an Embassador, I was a Chan̄celer, I was a coū ­seller. I was an Amner, or the Kings chaplain / and therefore I could not tend my flocke? I thinke nay because almighty god sayth: if he command the shepheard to tell the wicked his wayes, if he do not / that he will require the bloud of the wicked that perishe, of the dumme prelates hande / thoughe they be neuer so well occupyed in other worldly thinges / as the [Page] world iudgeth.

Deane.

Although all the byshops and priestes that preache not / were false prophetes (which I will not graunt you) yet because a greate number of the byshoppes / and many persons and vi­cars preach, all the prelates and priestes of England be not wolues / and false prophets / as ye seemed a lit­tle while ago to hold when as you sayde tht all the masse priests in England were wolues.

Hunter.

Who can make him see / that will needes be blinder / I haue brought reasons / arguments, and auctorities ynough to proue that they are all false prophetes and wolues / and ye can make no aunswere vnto them, & for all that ye will not consent vnto the truth. As for your byshoppes and parsons that preach (which are very few in comparison of the vnpreaching number) I say that their preachings which they preach / deli­uer them not from the righte names of wolues / but much more make them wolues / for he is not onely a false prophet, that commeth into the sheepe folde vn­sent, or if he be sent, preach not / but also he is a false prophet that preacheth other learning vnto gods people / then God hath commaunded him to preach [...] as are all the ordinaunces statuts & lawes of men, which eyther comfort men / where as god comforteth not / or discorageth men / wher as god discorageth not / and this will I proue by diuers open places of the scrip­ture / Deut. 18. If any arrogant prophet wil speake in my name / those things that I commaunded hym not to speake / or in the name of other gods he shal be slaine. Hiere. 14. the prophets prophecy falsely in my name, I sent them not / I commaunded them not / neyther haue I spoken vnto them, they prophecy vnto you a false vision / a deceitfull prophecy / and the de­ceiuing of their owne hearts. I tre. 23. ye shall not heare the words of the prophets / which prophecye vnto you / and make you fooles / and speake it that they see in their hearte / and not it that commeth oute of the mouthe of the Lorde / I haue hearde [Page] what the prophets / prophecying lyes in my name / say / they say we haue dreamed we haue dreamed.

Howe long shal this be in the hearts of the prophets to prophecy a [...]ye, to prophecy the deceit of their hart? whose drifte is to this ende / that they may driue my people to forgette my name / by the meanes of theyre dreames, which euerye man telleth vnto his neygh­boure / euen so as their fathers forgot my name tho­rowe Baal. Wherfore he that hath a dreame / let him tell it as a dreame / and he that hath my word let him speake my word faithfully / for what hath chaffe to do with wheate. Ezechiel. 13 Sonne of Man / prophe­cye against the prophets of Israel which prophecye / and saye vnto them whiche prophecye out of theyre owne heart. heare the worde of the Lorde so saith the Lord god. Wo be vnto the foolishe prophets whiche folow their owne spirite when as they haue sene no­thinge. O Israel / thy prophets are made like Foxes in the wildernes / ye haue not gone vp vnto the bur­stinges, neyther haue ye made an hedge for the house of Israel that ye might stand in the battaile in the dai of the Lorde / they haue seene vanitye, and lying pro­phecy / saying the Lord hath said / when as the Lorde sent them not. Haue ye not seene a vaine vision / and haue ye not spoken a lying prophecy / saying / the lord saith / when as I haue not spoken. Ezechiel. 22. The prophets daube the Princes with a foolishe cruste / that is to wit seing vaine thinges / and prophesiyng a lye vnto them / saying so saith the Lord god. when as for all that the Lord hath spoken nothing. Now haue I prouid / by the written word of god / that all they which speake any thing / that god hath not comman­ded them to speake / and preach any thing that / hath not commed out of gods mouth / are all false prophets But the Wolfe of Winchester / the loyterer of Lon­don / the dreamer of Durram / and all they that in theyre preachinges saye that it is vnlawfull [Page] for byshoppes or priests to haue wiues / that it is not lawful to eate fleshe in Lent by the law of god / that a prieste ought to haue a shauen crowne / a side gown an Albe and vestiment vpon him when he ministreth the Lords Supper / that a byshoppe is higher than a priest or elder by the lawe of god / that there ought to be Images / Aulters, Crosses, Candels / Censures / Holy Water, Holy bread, Palmes, singing of Latin in the church / where the people vnderstandeth no la­tine, that Saints ought to be called vpon / that wee can helpe the dead with our prayers / that there is no bread and wine in the Supper, after the priest haue sayde these fiue words. Hoc est corpus meum, that no man ought to be a minister / except he be subdeacon & deacon before, and therewith haue receiued benet and co [...]let, and that no man ought to be admitted vnto the order of a subdeacon. deacon / or els an elder or priest / except he vowe chastity before / preach and saye those things. which god neuer commaunded them to saye. Therfore I gather that they are all false prophetes, and therefore wolues / (because as I sayd before) a false prophet and a Wolfe are all one.

Dean.

I thinke they are not so slenderly learned / but they bee able to proue / that god hath commaunded them to say all these things which ye haue rehearsed.

Hunter.

If they can proue by the Scripture that god commaunded them to saye and preach the aboue named things / doubtles they haue other Scripture then we haue / but I know that they can not proue by the written word of god that god gaue them anye commaundement to saye and preache these thinges, therefore I will calle them false prophets, vntil they can shewe theyr commission, that god hath comman­ded them to preache such doctrine.

Deane.

What wyl yee doe, if they can proue that they had commissi­on of god to preache so?

Hunter.

I wyll crye them mercy and knowledge that I haue erred. But because me thinke yee will not beleeue that they are [Page] false prophets, for all my argumentes and places of the scripture alledged / I will alledge another pro­perty or two of a false prophet which they geue / and they ar these. To be earnest in setting out of theyr one doctrin / and to be cold in setting forth of gods expres­sed commaudement / and to breake Goddes com­maundement / that theire tradition or ordinaunce might be aduaunced or set vp / to threaten great pu­nishment / where as god threateneth none, and to dis­corage men from it / that god hath earnestly commā ­ded / and to flatter great men / and to suffer them to do what they list / and so to maintaine them in their wic­kednesse / are the properties of a false prophet. And that these are the properties of a false prophet / I wil proue it by diuers open places of the scripture. Christ in the xv. of Matth / layeth vnto the pharises charge which were false prophets / that they were so earnest in setting forth / and in keeping of their owne traditi­ons and ordinaunces, that they not onely not cared for the commaundement of God, but also brake the commaundement of God / that their traditions migh be set forth and kept of all men. The wordes of Christ are these: wherefore breake ye the commaun­dements of God / for your tradition / they worshippe me in vaine / that teach lerninges which are the commaundements of men. Marke in the vij. Chapter. rehearseth Christes sayinges thus: ye leaue the com­maundement of God, and keepe the ordinaunce of men / as washing of cuppes and pottes / and many o­ther thinges do yee / like vnto these. Ye cast wel away the commaundements of God / that ye may sette vp your tradition. The byshoppes of Englande / and the preachers there nowe / specially they that are in auctority / commaunde the people to creepe vnto the Crosse / to take holy water and holy bread / to weare beades / and to go in procession / to heare masse, to here mattins and euensong in a tongue that they vnder­stand not, to set vp candels, to lift vp their handes to bread and wine, to praye to Saints / to praye for the [Page] dead / to heare the piping of the orgaines, and preache not the worde of God / neyther exhorte the people to worship God inspirit and truth / in commanding and preaching of these / they are very earnest / but slowe in setting forth the will and expressed commaundement of God. They repuire these so earnestly of the people, and punish them so sore that breake these / that they compell them to breake the open commandements of God / that these may be kept. Euery holy day when as the word of god should be preached / and the right Supper of the Lord should be receiued, when the cō gregation should pray togither in a common tongue / these can not bee exercised for the infinite number of popish toyes / and trifles which Gardiner / with his garison, haue of late by open tirany against the kings law and gods word violently thrust vnto the church before the Kings law was abrogated. Ezechiell also in the xiij. chapter writteth thus of false prophetes / which flatter the people and tell them not of theire faultes. Because ye haue spoken vanitye / and haue seene a lye / therfore beholde / I the Lorde God am a­gainst you / & my hand shall be against the prophetes which see vaine thinges / and prophecye lyes. They shall not be in the secreate of my people / and they shal not be written in the number of the house of Israel, neyther shall they come into the land of Israel / and yee shall know that I am the Lord God. Nowe for as much as they haue begiled my people, saying peace when as there is no peace / and when as the people bildeth the wale / & they with their daubing couer it with a naughty crust / tel them that couer it with an vnprofitable crust / that it shal fal. I will ouerthrow the walle which ye haue pargetted and couered with a naughty crust / and I will dash it to the ground.

And thou sone of man set thy face against the daugh­ters of they people (loe there were then as well shee wolues as hee) which prophecye out of their owne hearte / and prophecy againste them and saye / thus [Page] sayth the Lorde God. Woe be vnto them that sewe Cusshons vnder all elbowes of handes, and make bolsters for the heades of euery stature / to hunte for the soules o [...] my people / that ye may catch them / and shall ye quicken the soules of the people that come vnto you? Ye haue dishonoured me before my people for a handful of barley / and lomps of bread / to kil soules which ye oughte not to kill / and to quicken soules to whom ye ought not to promise life / ye haue made sad and sorowfull the hearte of the righteous with a lye / when as I made him not sory / and haue strengtthe­ned the hands of the wicked that he might not return from his euil way / that he mighte be saued aliue.

These are the words of God in Ezechiel wherby he describeth one kind of false prophets / and these words doe agree with the maners of the byshops of Eng­land / therefore they are false prophets. The byshops and massaying priests of England deceuie the people by saying that there is peace▪ when as there is none / when as they say that god is not angry with the peo­ple / that neyther heareth the word of God / neither prayeth with the heart in the common place appoin­ted for prayer, and saith it is sufficient if they heare masse and mattins / though the two other thinges bee not done Almighty God requireth that ther shoulde be no beggers amongst his people / he requireth that no man shall put away his wife, except it be for forni­cation / that no man shal take the name of god in vain that rulers shall not polle and pill their subiects / that no man shall banket excessiuely / and be dronken / that no man shall doe it that is the cause and grounde of euell / as are Dicing and Carding for money and suche Daunsing as is occupyed in greate mens houses and other places also / where vpon follow­eth wantonnesse and letcherye. But the contrarye is occupyed / and their diocesanes and parishioners ar a wale wherin al these faults be / that are cōtrari to the wil of god. And yet thei prech not against thē neither [Page] they about to mend it that is faulty in the walle / but daube and parget ouer the walle, with Masses / Di­riges / Letanies, reading without any profit / creping vnto the crosses / offering vnto Idoles / with Auri­cular confession, with eating of fishe vpon the Friday and in Lent / and such other painted poperye / the people being decked with this paynted poperye / loo­ked not to amend their liues / but thinking that they are in peace with God, occupyed their accustomed naughtines / and at length come into euerlasting dā ­nation. When as the collection and gathering was of late for the pouerty / the papists thorow out al Eng­land could not be brought to giue the fourth part vn­to the poore, that the gospellers gaue, belike because they thought that they were discharged from giuing of almes / if they kepte some money behinde for the priestes / that should within a short while / in the long looked for day, say masse and sing for them / these men were so pergetted with popestrie / and with the out­ward shew of holines / that they thought themselues no more bound to giue any sufficient almes according vnto the Scriptrue. But what maruell is it if the common people thinke thus when of late a certaine papist in an open sermon, began earnestly to speake a­gainst the almes house / which was builded and foun­ded by the liberality of the citezins of the noble city of London. When as Tunstal / Gardiner / Stokslay / and the rest of the papists bare the swing vnder king Henry the eyght, they suffered the King and diuers Lords of the realme to put away and take as manye wiues as they list / without any correction or admo­nition. If that they had don their duety / the vertu­ous Lady Anne of Cleue / had neuer ben deuorced and put away from the King her lawfull husbande. There were foure Lords in Englande / that put a­way their wiues / not for fornication, but because they liked hor [...]es better. Two were in Somerset shire / & one in Northfolke, besides that a Knight in Somerset [Page] shire did the like. Where as the liberalities of our fathers had giuen much goods landes and riches to Abbaies that continuall almes shoulde bee exercised there / and preaching be maintained. King Henry the eyght / with his couetous counsell (which smarted afterwarde for their so doing) tooke all the goods of the Abbayes which belongeth for a greate parte as well vnto christes Church, as the halfe of the goods of Ananias belonged vnto the holy ghoste after that he had promised them vnto the church / and spoyled the hole church and hole realme miserably after suche a fashion / that all the hole realme smarteth for it vn­to this day. The Byshops and popish clergie / sewed cussons and bou [...]sters vnder the Kinges and Coun­sels elbowes and heades winking at these shamefull deedes, not caring how matrimony were defaced and broken / howe the hole Church were spoyled / so that they might haue their pompus state to continue / so that they might haue the masse / with the euil fauored heape of popish traditions maintained and stablished The fame King spoyled againe all honesty & goddes forbid / all the Byshoppes and persons of Englande of the first fruites of their benefites / When they ente­red first into their offices / and tooke away the tenthe part of the liuing of euerye minister / thorowe out the hole realme / for euer. Were not these worthy watch­men? Nay were not these dumme doges? were not these good sheepeheardes / that suffered Christs flock thus so many wayes to be robbed and spoiled? Prea­ched Gardiner / Tunstall / and suche massemongers peace vnto the King with god or warre? peace. And at this day many great men are in the court / and out of the court / which miserably vppresse their tennants dice and carde / keepe hores and sweare abominablye, and defile themselues with glouttonye and dronken­nesse / pryde / and with the foule vice of couetousnesse. But who speaketh against these vices? no body that I can heare tell of. Therfore by their silence and holding [Page] of their peace / they sewe cussons vnder theire el­bowes / and make bolsters vnder their heads, and for lacke of warning, quicken these whom they ought to haue killed / with the two edged sword called the law, and they haue killed and condemned them that were righteous / for eating of flesh on the Frydays / and for breaking of such trifling toyes of the Popes ma­king whome they oughte not to haue discoraged and killed / but rather comforted with the gospel and glad tydins that Christ brought into the worlde. They haue two things which do as much harme for mam­tenaunce of mischeefe as euer anye sentuarye dyd in England / the one is called the Masse / and the other is called Auricular confession. He that is an horemō ­ger / a robber / tyran / a common piller of the people / a couetous churle / a dicer / a carder / a blasphemer, or to be short / what so euer he be / or what so euer sinn [...] or offence he doe / if he flye vnto these sanctuaries hee recompteth himselfe free from all punishment of god and is alowed of our byshopes for a good and catho­like man Diuers priestes haue confessed to me / that they haue bine hore maisters / and that they thoughte that by the merites of the masse / and by the telling of their faultes vnto their brethren / that their sins were taken away / and that afterwarde (as they had bene sure of sanctuary and of a souerain triacle) fel to their old folye againe, and tasted of the perellous prison of fornication. I report me now to all honest men whe­ther our Bishopes haue the fore named properties / which God rekeneth in Ezechiel to be the propertis of false prophets or no? I report me also to al thē that are not sworne bondmen and slaues vnto Gardiner / and his garison / whether this text written in the 22. of Ezechiel agreeth vnto these aboue named bishops or no? The princes which are in the middes of Ie­rusalem / are as wolues snatching vnto their prays / to s [...]edde bloud and to kill soules, and couetouslye to followe after aduauntage / the prophets daubed them [Page] with an vnprofitable cruste / that was vntempered / seeing vaine thinges / and prophecying vnto thē lyes, saying thus saith the Lord / when as the Lorde hath spoken nothing. But lest I shoulde condemne these for false prophets without anye cause / I will shewe you 3. other properties which belong vnto a false prophet / which all / there I shall find out in our massay­ing sacrificers, and in their fathers the byshops. Esa / in the 55. chapter / rehearseth couetousnes after this manner among the properties of a false prophet.

Those dogges are wonderfullye couetous / and they can neuer be filled / and the pastors can vnderstande nothing / and euery man looketh after his owne ad­uauntage. Luke in the 16. chapter calleth the Pha­rises / which were false prophets couetous / nowe let vs see whether our prelates are couetous or no. The greatest wolfe in Welles (the wolfe is of Winchesters commissioners) hath one benefice in Holbernes and two in Somerset shire, he is residentiarye bothe in Bristowe and Welles / and hath three prebends, one in Weles / one in Bristowe / and one in Salisburye / and paraduenture he hath mo. Such as this man is / may be found among the masse mongers a great sorte mo / whom I knowe not, because I am little in the company of such couetous carl [...]s that will neuer bee satisfied. Diuers Deanes / Prouosts / Chaunters / Subchaunters, Chauncelours / and some Byshops, are so couetous and desirous to see golde / in theire dayes that they conuey out of their successors hands / the best parte of the liuinges that shoulde come vnto their successours vnto their kins folke, and vnto thē that will giue most for them. S24357.tech.take2.sgmase of Exceter hath so gredely desired money and frendship, that he con­ueied all the hole bishopricke awaye from his succes­sours, sauing ccc.li. Boner of London / because he would haue some thing in hand in his life time / hath chapped & changed away no smale parte of his weds about Londō & certain other cōmoditis belōging to his [Page] bishoprike in London / or else there are lyers. Gardi­ner of Winchester is not content with his byshoprik / which if he haue it hole / is worth at the least yeerely foure thousand markes. But to helpe to fill his vn­satiable bagges, to encrease his glory / and to set forth his heresie / must needes haue the chaunceler shippe of England also. The hole rable of Papists thorow out all the realme / is so couetous / that ye shall very sel­dome find any in all England / that is a right shapen papist / but hee hath three or foure honest mens ly­uings. As for glotony / which Esay in the 28. and 56. and Ezechiel in the 13 and 33 and Paule to the Ro­mains the 16. and to the Phillippians the 3. among all other properties of false prophets / rehearseth as one not of the least: may be found a thing dayly occu­pyed in the cathederall churches / wher as the Can­noues for a greate parte doe nothinge else but serue theire bellies. Looke vppon theire cheekes and vppon theire greate paunches / and you shall fynde that they serue their God the belly / veryefaithfully / A man that looketh very will vpon Bonor / woulde thinke that he were not behind with his part. A no­ther property of a false prophet is / to be cruell and bloudthursty / as Ieremy in the 23. and Ezechiell in the 22. chapter doth beare witnes. Haue our prelats nothing to do with murder? I thinke if ye will exa­mine them well / we shall finde them so bloud thursty that for all that property alone / they mighte not vn­worthely be called wolues and false prophets. For besides that they kill the souls of their parishioners and diocesanes / eyther for lacke of the word of God / or els with the poysoned breade of heresie and pape­stry / they kill diuers other wayes, as in back byting / belying / and slaundering of the true preuchers / and in killing the bodyes of the same. The Clergy of England killed Belney / Baynam, Bayfielde, and A [...]tony Person, Mekens / Lambert and Phillips / with many other whose names come not nowe in my remembraunce But the wolfe of winchester / for his parte alone / killed Barnes / Ierom / and Garret.

[Page] The citye of London / the townes of Colchester / Braintree, and Chensfurth can tell howe many hys fellowe bloudy Boner hath killed. And nowe of late these olde murdering wolues which haue ben a great while hungrye in their dennes: when as they were broken lose (euen as great Masties do more harme that are commonly tyed / when as they breake lose / then other do that commonly run abroad at liberty) haue killed a grert sort in their mindes and desires / & haue casten them into prison / that they may kill them in deede, as they haue killed them in thoughte / for if the casting of them into prison alone might haue kil­led them / there had none of them all bene aliue at this time / (as perchaunce some shall perish for colde and lacke of good keeping.) But because the prison can not kill them all / as their desire is / they laye sedition and treason vnto their charges / that they may dis­patch them the soner, that way as the old priests and pharises handled Christ and his Apostles after him. For when as the Maiestrats woulde not kill them for heresie and false doctrine / the bloudy Wolues lay­ed sedition and treason vnto their charges / as our Wolues doe at this time. Now when as Stephen Gardiner / and Edmond Bonar, with the other nū ­ber of bloud shedding by shoppes and priests, haue the very same properties / that the old false prophets and worrying wolues had / I see no cause but I may lawfullye call them Wolues.

Deane

The moste part of the places / which ye haue alledged as yet / are taken out of the olde Testament / which seemeth not to be of suche force nowe in the time of the newe Te­stament / as they might bee that are taken out of the newe Testamnt because the old Testament speaketh many thinges in figures and tropes / which are hard to vnderstand / when as the newe Testament decla­reth the olde / and speaketh all things without figurs wherefore if you will proue any thing substantially / ye must proue it by the newe Testament and not by the olde. Also the Byshoppes haue not killed them [Page] that ye speake of / but the magistrates and the kings officers.

Hunter.

If that the alledging of the newe Testament / will bring you to the light of the truth I will alledge it more largely / not withstanding, that I alledged no trope nor figures / out of the olde Te­stament but morall lawes which shall endure for e­uer. Also I haue alledged diuers places out of the new Testament, wherof euen but one alone / had ben sufficient ynough to haue gotten credence / for that thing that I desired to be beleeued in. But to proue it fully that I haue taken in hand to proue: I shall proue that Gardiner the bishop of winchester, and al his fellowes of that order that he is of / haue the pro­perties of the false prophets that are spoken of in the newetestament. Christ in the 7. of Matth. saith that false prophets go in Lambes clothing / and inwarde are rauening Wolues. The massemongers of Eng­land / go in sheepes clothing / that is, they shew great holines in their outwart apparel, they haue four cor­nered cappes, to sinnifie that they go Este / west / North, and South / to preach gods word (how be it theire foure corners maye as well signifie that they haue destroyed the foure Euangelistes, & in the stead of them set vp their owne traditions) they haue sha­uen crownes / to signifie that their mind is in heauen, and chat they care for no worldly thing. They haue syde gownes and them commonly blacke / which be tokeneth sadnes of maners / and mortifying of theire fleshe / they haue tippets about their neckes / to beto­ken that they haue taken vpon them the yoke of cha­stitye. They weare white Ratchetes and surplesses / sometime aboue their other clothes, to signifie the simplicity of a Lambe, and the innocency of the same. But I haue proued before that inwardlye they are rauening Wolues, therefore these are the false pro­phets / that Christ bad vs beware of. Matth the 15. & Marke the 7. declare that the property of the phari­ses which were false prophets / is to set vp their owne [Page] traditions / and therby to breake and tr [...]ad down the commaundement of God / which thing I haue pro­already that our Byshoppes and priestes both haue done / and yet do stil. Christ in the x. of Iohn maketh all them theeues and mu [...]erers that are not sent by him but come in another way. I haue proued alrea­dy that all the vnlearded persons in Englande came in another way then by Christ. And now I saye that all the only massaying prie [...]es in Englande and that this kind of elders priestes or Apos [...]les, which take vpon them to be higher in dignity / then their fellowe priests and apostles / and exercise lordship ouer them / are not sent of Christe who made not one Apostle a­boue another but gaue them all like auctority as the gospels in diuers places beare witnes namely Mat. the 18. and 20. Mark the ix. and x. Luke the 22. and in diuers other places. Where haue the massaying priests any word in the new testament▪ wherwith thei are able to proue that they ar sent of Christ? no wher I warrant you in all the new testament. The newe testament is in all places against this kinde of priest­hoode. Then when as neither the masse priestes ney­ther the proud lordly byshops are sent of Christ / it fo­loweth that they are theeues and robbers / and so false prophets and Wolues Christ in the 24. of Matthew describing the salfe prophets that should come in the end of the world / sayth that they will say / that Christ is here / and Christ is there / that he is in this pix and in that pix / in this bread and in that bread / and so doe Gardiner with all his sacramentary sacrificers.

Therfore they are false prophets that Christ prophecyed of that should come in the end of the world.

Paule where as hee Prophecyeth in the former Epistle to Timothi / of the false Prophets that should come in the latter times of the world / sheweth two notable properties / wherby▪ they may be know­en. The former is / that they should forbid mariage / and the Seconde is to forbidde certayne kyndes of [Page] meates, that god neuer forbad / these two properties haue they nowe / whom I call Wolues and false pro­phets / for Gardiner and his fellowe Bonar / will a­lowe no man to be an elder in Christes church / except he first forsweare mariage / or make a solemne vowe that he will neuer mary. As for the forbidding of cer­taine meates / at certaine times / euery man knoweth that they forbid more earnestly the eating of certaine meates / at certaine times / then they forbid swearing / or foreswearing / and single fornication / and that they punish more greeuously him that eateth fleshe in lent / then him that defileth a mans daughter / or blasphe­meth the name of God. Iudas in his epistle descri­bing false prophets / among oiuers other properties / rehearseth these three. The first is that they are moc­ked in their dreames / aud defile their flesh. The se­cond is / that they speake swelling words. The third is / that they wonder and greatly regard persons for aduauntage sake. Whether the solemne sort of wine­lesse sacrificers / are defiled in their dreames or no / the boyes that maketh their beddes / the prists that heare their confessions / and the launderers that wash their sheetes can beare witnes against them. And yet they will not vse the lawful remedy that god ordeyned a­gainst such abominable and stinking defiling of their bodyes with the imagination of actuall letcherye / wrought by the deuill in their dreames. As for proud words / Winchester & his gard of papistes they want none / for he (as thoughe he had bin king) offered in his owne name, (as it was reported vnto me) par­den vnto maister Latimer / if he would turne from his religion. Howe proud and loftly his communica­tion was to iudge Hailes / they that were by & heard his talke can t [...]l. How flattering he hath bin always to the noble men / and howe he hath regarded persons for aduauntage sake / all they knowe well ynough / that haue seene a greate number of gentelmens sons / knightes sonnes / and lords sonnes / with him in ser­uice [Page] with him at one time. Now haue I proued by the open texte of the newe Testament also that Gar­dinar / with all his garison of masse mumbling mar­chauntes / are wolues / theeues / robbers and false prophets. As touching that part of your saying / wherin you would haue excused the Byshoppes from mur­der / because (as ye say) they killed not them that I rekened / but the kings officers: I say that if our by­shoppes and priests are not gilty of the bloud of Bay nam / Barnes / and Bayfeld, and the reste that were burnt in England / then were not the scribes / phars­ses and hye priests / guilty of Christes death / because the secular rulers put him to death. Sayd not the hye priestes / we may not kill any man / but wee haue a lawe / and according vnto that, he must dye / The hye priestes / when Pilate asked them what they had to laye to Christes charge / aunswered and sayd. If hee were not an euill man / we had not deliuered him vn­to thee. After the ame maner the priests of England with their hyred slaues / gaue vnto the shrife of Lon­don maister Barnes and his fellowes / and when Barns asked the cause of his death / the shirife could shewe no cause at all / and so might haue well sayd as Pilate said vnto Christ. Thy owne countrye men and hye priestes, haue deliuered thee vp vnto me

And the shirife might haue sayd vnto the hye priests / I can find no cause of death in him. But the hye priestes were guilty of Christes death and were the murderers of him / whiles they sayd we haue a lawe and according vnto that the muste dye. And euen so was Stephen Gardiner / Edmund Bonar with the rest of the hye priestes / of England / the killers & murderers of doctor Barns, and of all them that were burned in Englande / for holding with Gods holye word / whiles they sayd that they were heretikes / al­though the lay men against their willes / were fayne to be their tormentors and hangmen. Nowe haue I proued both by the newe Testament and olde / that [Page] all the masse priestes and byshops of Englande / are wolues and false prophets. The same may be proued also by the Poets and Philosophers for they haue the properties that Poet and Philosophers giue vn­to wolues / it is a common prouerbe amongst learned men. Homo homini lupus, a man is a Wolfe vnto a man / that is / one man killeth another / therefore hee that is a kilier of his brother / as Gardiner is / may well be called a wolfe. The property of a Wolfe is / that if a man see the wolfe afore the Wolfe se the man / that then a man shall not be dumme. But if the wolfe see the man before the man see the Wolfe / then is the man by the sight of the wolfe made dumme / or at the least so horse that he can scarcely speake. I report me vnto all the honest men England / whether that gar­diner / comming hastelye out of the Tower his de [...]e vnloked for / made an hundreth men dumme or no? within xiiij. dayes? I saw him of late but thorowe a little hole for feare that if he had seene me / as I sawe him / he should haue made me dum too / by casting me into prison / where as no man coulde heare my voyce / as he handled a great sort of my brethren of late. An other property of a wolfe is / when he is mad / (for he is some time mad as a dogge is) by his teeth to poure into the man that he byteth / the same ve [...]e & poy­son that he hath and if the man bee not healed within a short whyle after that he is bytten / he becommeth as mad as the Wolfe was that bote him / and plaieth the Wolfe both in bytting and crying after the maner of a wolfe. The wood Wolfe of Winchester aboute 8. or 9. yeeres ago / bote with his poysoned teeth / doc­tor Crome / and doctor Shaxton / whereof the one doctor Crome / seeking remedy betime / was helpt frō the woluish poyson and madnes. But Shaxton de­ferring to long hath nowe the same poyson that Gar­diner had / and speaketh as like the wolfe of Winche­ster / as any Wolfe in England doth / if it be true that I haue heard tell of late. Therfore I may calle all [Page] the other massemongers in England Wolues / by the newe Testament and olde / and Gardiner by the sam / a Wolfe / and by philosophye also / both a wolfe▪ and a wood or a mad Wolfe.

Foster.

The reasons which ye haue made (as me thinke well grounded vpon the scripture and naturall reason) make me beleeue that wee haue mo woulues in England / then good shepe heardes.

Hunter.

If there be so many Wolues as ye seeme to graunt that there are / wher as one wolfe doth more harme then ten thousand sheepe doe / me thinke that ye should doe wisely and well for the cō ­mon wealth of England / if ye put vp a byl in the par­liament▪ house / for the destroying of the exceeding nū ­ber of Wolues. There was an acte of parliamente made for the destruction of Rookes, which destroied the corne, that onely fed the body of man Why should there not now an act of parliament be made / againste the vntollerable number of Wolues / which not onely burry and suppresse the seede of gods word / and de­stroy it for a time wherewith mans soule ought to be fedde: but also kill mens bodyes by open tyranny.

Foster

Let vs heare your iudgement how this matter might be brought to passe.

Hunter.

Ye must in making an acte for this matter follow a good phisiti­an / which not onely / healeth the present disease that vexeth the sicke man / but after that he hath healed him / geaueth counsell and appointeth him a diet / as if he will keepe it / the sicke shall not fall in his olde dis­ease againe. Euen so must you play the phesitians vnto your mother the common welth of Englande / yee must not onely deliuer England of these wolues that yee haue nowe / but also prouide that when as these are gon / there rise no mo of the same sort in their pla­ces afterwardes.

Foster.

How would ye ridde the realme of all these? would ye kill them all / or banishe them out of the land?

Hunter.

I woulde not kill them / althoughte I knowe well that some of them woulde kill me. But me thinke it were well [Page] done / first to put all the popish byshops of Englande downe, and to assaye if all these that are now Wolues both byshoppes and other / might be brought to right sheepeheardes. Those that woulde be right sheepe­heards / I would that they should continue in the of­fice of sheepeheards / and that they should be muche made of / and haue their liuinges encreased / if they weare not great ynough But I would on the other parte / that all they / that will not parte from their woluishnesse / shoulde eyther be banished out of the realme / or els that al their teeth should be pulled out / and put out of office and casten into the Tower / least they should doe any more harme abroad.

Foster.

But when as all these are eyther banished / or els put out of office / and put vp in cages / howe will yee pro­uide that wee shall haue no moe Wolues in time to come?

Hunter.

First ye must prouide that there be moe schooles in England / and that there be better prouision for the S24357.tech.take2.sgmniuersities / that the realme may haue ynough scollers that ar learned to make shepe­heardes of. And then must ye prouide thorow out all England, that euery parson and vicar haue an honest liuing able to finde an honest man. Or els a well lear­ned man / which hath cost his father & other friendes verye muche money, and hath taken long and greate payne for his learning / will leuer bee a curtier or a carter / then a poore beggerly parson or vicare / and not to haue where with to buye him bookes, and to find him and his houshold withall.

Foster

Howe is it possible to bring it to passe / that in euery parishe in England / shal be liuing ynough for all the sheepe­heards that are there? And if there be not sufficient lyuings in all places for the pastors / then after your reasoning there shall alwayes some Wolues remaine namely there / where as (as it were in a wildernes) the sheepeheardes whiche shoulde driue awaye the Wolues, can get no lyuing.

Hunter.

This may be brought to passe thus. Let all the Parsonages & [Page] S24357.tech.take2.sgmicarages / and all pensions and other like thinges / whiche at anye time haue belonged to anye parishe church are now taken awaye / by what so euer means be restored vnto the parish churches againe / that the pastors may haue to liue on / whether they be in gen­telmens hands / or byshoppes / or belong vnto Cathedrall churches / or belong to the Queene or any other Person within the realme of England, or Ireland. And if this woulde not serue / I woulde the fourthe part of the byshoppes lyuings, should be geuen to the pastors to make them vp honest liuinges withall.

Foster.

It shal be more easy to pul out the mace out of Hercules hande / then to get the fatte parsonages out of their handes, that haue them nowe.

Hunter.

Al they that are right masse hating gospellers / which defie Simonie / and would haue the wolues out of England / would be glad to depart with such liuings as they hau bought by ignoraunce / not knowing that the Pope had stollen / nay rather robbed and taken by tyranny all such liuinges from Christes churche / as he hath giuen to his couled Cannons and hode­ded papistes, It will be hard to get them out of the masse louing gentelmens hands which haue such an opinion in the Pope / that they thinke that he had auctoritye to robbe the Pastores of theire liuingse, and to giue them vnto his carnall Cannons, or vnto mumbling Monkes and to whome he list.

But if these church robbers (for so I call them that bye that thing which they know is stolēl from Chri­stes church / and wil not deliuer it vp vnto the church againe that which they haue bought and receiued of that robber the Pope) will not restore them againe: let them be compelled therto by an acte of parliament or if yee be to weake in the parliament house to com­pell them / then let all the reste of the Churche excom­municate them / and take them for theeues / & churche robbers. When as the Churche is restored vnto her righte againe / if that they that haue the patronages [Page] and giftes of benefites / might giue them to whō they list / then would they for money set in wolues as they had wont to doe of late / and so were we in as euill c [...]ase almost / as wee were in before. Therfore all they that haue any patronages or giftes of benefices / must giue them vp vnto the churches to whom / the presē ­tation and chosing of their pastors doth belong. For I read that this auctoritye that gentelmen and By­shoppes haue now / came from the Pope, who gran­ted alwayes the gift of the benefice vnto him that ey­ther builded the Churche / or suffered it to be builded on his ground. In the primatiue Churche the hole congregation chused the pastors / and that by voyces / and some time by lottes / as ye may see in the firste of the Acts of the Apostles / and in the xiiij In the first of the actes Matchias and Ioseph were presented / or set vp by the hole church / and Matthias was cho­sen / by the falling of the lottes. In the xiiij. of the acts the Apostles with the church made elders in euerye congregation by voices. And in the primatiue church this matter was long kept / as both olde storieo and auncient writters beare witnes.

Foster.

The cō ­mon sort of people / is a wyld beast with many heads, therfore if the people should haue the chosing of their pastors / we should not only haue many mad pastors, but some time great fightting.

Hunter.

The cō ­mon people in deede / whiche is not indued with the spirite of God / is as it were a wyld beast with many heades. But the common people which is baptised in the name of Christe / and hath the spirite of God / is more like to chuse an honest shepeheard / then a blind byshoppe or couetous carle / that wil let no man haue the benefice / except he pay much for it. For god made a promise vnto the Churche and vnto the common people / but not vnto this byshop or that byshop / to this gentilman & that gentilman. When the common people had the auctority / & presenting and chusing of pastors / there were a greate deale of moe / and more [Page] honest pastors / then there hath bene sence that time that one byshoppe or one gentelman chused / presen­ted or set vp / the pastors / or sheepeheards as they do nowe a dayes. To whom was this sayd? I shall bee with you vnto the end of the world? The byshoppes and gentilmen onely / or to the hole Church? If it wer made vnto the hole Church / then haue not By­shops and gentilmen this promise alone / except they be ioyned with the Church. Then when as they be sondered and parted from the church / they haue not this promise of the holy ghost▪ Wherfore it is not wō ­der that we haue so many euill pastors / wher as ther are such holy gostles presenters / chusers and benefice geuers. But lest there shoulde be found anye among the Christians, which would fleshly after frendship chuse such pastors that wer nought: it wer not amisse after that all the old liuinges were restored / vnto the church againe that in euerye parishe / certaine of the godliest and wisest men / shoulde bee chosen / whiche should not onely chuse and present vp pastors to bee admitted / but also be ioyned with the pastors in exco­munication / and dealing the almes of the Churche / to the pouerty of euery parishe. And I woulde that euery little parish should haue seuen such at the least, and euery meane church .xiij. and euery great church xxiij. If these had the same auctority of chusing, and presenting of pastors / that now byshops and gentel­men haue: I doubt not but that we shoulde haue a great deale fewer wolues in the realme then we now haue.

Foster.

If that ye woulde haue no such By­shops as we now haue / and that all pastors shoulde be a like and none aboue another, when the pastore is dead / who shall admit the new pastore to his office / & who shall iudge whether he that the churche presen­teth bee worthy to bee alowed or no?

Hunter.

As the Apostles had auctority to alow and admit elders in their time / so is it meete that they that are the suc­cessors of the Apostles nowe / haue the same auctority [Page] and for the auoiding of confusion / and for the mainte­naunce of good order / I woulde that in euery little shire in England should be at the least 4. byshoppes I meane no mitred nor lordly / no rachetted byshops, but shuch as should be chosen out of the rest of the cler­gy euery yeere / and not for euer / which should be ho­nest learned men / preachers / and graduates / if so ma­ny could be found. I woulde that these should haue auctoritye to remaine and admitte all the elders that shall be set vp / and chosen thorow out all the hole di­oceses / and that they should haue / all such auctoritye in all matters of religion / and the ecclesiasticall go­uernement / as the late lordly and ponpouse byshoppe had. And specially to admit lawful ministers / to dis­pose and put downe naughty ministers / to examine heretikes / and to appoint punishment / not onely for the clergy that offendeth / but also for the common people doing any offence / worthye any ecclesiasticall pu­nishment / reserued alwayes aucthority to excomuni­cate / to euery pastor with the elders of the Churche within his owne parishe / and that only for such mat­ters / as the sciptur would that men should be excom­municated for. These byshops must be chosen by the voices of al the pastors in the shire, and as for the nū ­ber of them / if the dioses be great / there may be halfe a dosen or mo / as it shall be thoughte expedient vnto the Lords and knightes of the parliament / for the glory of God / and the profite of the church.

Foster.

If this might so be brought to passe: I thinke that we should haue fewer wolues / then we nowe haue / and perchaunce none at all But what would yee do with all the byshops lands / and with al the cathede­rallchurches in England? it appeareth that ye care not for the cathederal churches what should be come of them.

Hunter.

I would that the byshops lands should be denided into 4. parts wherof I wold wish that the first part, shoulde be giuen to a mende prea­chers liuings. The second part to set vp schooles / and [Page] to find scollers in the vniuersicies. The third p [...]te to find the byshoppes that I haue spoken of before.

The fourthe parte to repayre Churches with all / and to reliue and helpe the pouertye of the dioses and to repayre hye wayes with al / within the same shire or dioses. And as touching the cathederall churches / as they are nowe vsed / they are nothing els but dens of theeues / nestes for Wolues / spyes for fet hogs / bā ­ketting houses for couetous glotons / that for sparing of mony at home without shame, thruste themselues into cannons houses. Wherefore it made little matter so that all the other things were done / that we spake of before / if they were all quite put down / so that they were put to better vses.

Foster.

As far as I per­ceaue if yee were in the parliament house againe / yee should earn but smale thanke / of the Queenes hus­bands / for yee giue in al your dealinges / nothing vn­to the Queene.

Hunter.

What meane you by the Queenes husbands / I wot not what you meane.

Foster.

Of late yeeres certaine spoyling vnmerci­full and churlishe officers were vnder king Edward whereof some be nowe aliue and serue Qeene Mary at this time / Which when as they were desired to be good vnto very poore men / euer aunswered / we that are in office vnder the king, must be husbands to the king / and prouide that he haue alwayes more and more / and that he lese nothing / when as they rather sought their owne profit then the kings honor / and his durable profit.

Hunter.

I was once in a great mans chamber to see howe he did when he was sicke and because he heard tell that I would haue had all the chauntries in England so bestowed / as I would nowe haue the byshops lands bestowed / he desired me to be good vnto the King / at the whiche saying came vnto my mind, an olde saying. Qui pro a­lio orat, pro se ipso laborat. Hee that praieth for another man / laboreth for him selfe. If that the Queenes good husbands / would haue me geaue [Page] some part of the church goods vnto her / perchaunce for that intent that they might haue some part therof with the Qeene as it it chaunced oft in King Henris time, & king Edwards time / they were very nough­ty men for is not that a shameful wickednes, to make their maister / or maisters / commit the abhominable vice of S [...]oni / that they might therby be the richer As touching the Queenes part / as I would take nothing from her that belongeth of right vnto her: so will I not geue her it / that belongeth vnto God and his congregation.

Foster

Ye haue forgotten to tell to what vses you would haue the cathedral churches put to.

Hunter.

The personages and vicarages and other partes of pastors liuings restored vnto the pastors again. I would that the rest of all the landes should be thus bestowed / let there be in euery cathe­derale church .vi. or .viij. or .xii. preachers / according vnto the lands of the churche / whereof euerye one should haue .L.ii. to find him with al / let the rest of al the lands be spent vpon reders / and schollers and stu­dents both in gramer / and humanity, and also in diui­nity.

Foster.

If all the abbaies in Englande / and chauntre lands had bin thus bestowed / I thinke ve­rely that the Queene shoulde haue bine much ritcher then she now is / and that the realme should haue ben better prouided of learned men / and godly ministers / then it nowe is. And that the vengance of God shold not haue fallen vpon this realme / as of late hath done don.

Hunter.

To make an end of our communica­tion / because wee are neere to our lodging where as we shall rest all night. I thinke that if these thinges were done that I haue rehearsed / we should not on­ly be rid of all the Wolues that are now in England / but we should be free from wolues in time to come.

Foster.

I am afraid that in our days these things that yee haue deuised / for the driuing away & holding out of Wolues / out of Englande / shall not come to passe.

Hunter.

If they do not come to passe / then [Page] must we haue wolues still, and wher as wolues bee, there must the poore sheepe be rent in peces. There­fore if these deuises be not receiued and folowed / and embraced, Christes little poore flocke / must nedes be torne and rent in peeces / as it hath bine continuallye these many hundreth yeeres / sauing only in the raign of king Edward the sixte / when as all the Wolues which are nowe co [...]ned abroad, were faine to hiede them in their dennes

Foster.

There is no other like but there shall be great murder of sheepe / but what remedy.

Hunter.

None but these, eyther to play the wolues with the wolues or els to flie out of this cō ­trye / to such a contrey where as is no wolues in / as here are like to be.

Foster.

That is true, therfore let euery man prouide for himseffe betime.

Hunter.

E­uen so intend I to doe assoone as I can / far ye wel.

Foster.

God grant that we may meete merye togither after the end of the parliament.

Hunter.

Amen.

SVTILTI

TRVTH

TIRANI

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