¶The lamentacion of a Christen Agaynst the Cytie of London. & ce.
OH Lorde God Father of mercy and God of all consolation, what herte cā not lamente, to se the Testament of thy onely Sōne, oure full and onely redemer Iesus Christ, thus refused & troden vnder fote, yea all thogh God hathe geuen oure most Soueraygne Lorde Kynge Henry the eight suche an herte to set yt for the with his most Graciouse Preuyledge. Yet the great parte of these inordinate riche styfnecked Cytezens, will not haue in their howses that lyuely worde of our soules, nor suffre [Page] their seruantes to haue it, neyther yet gladly reade it or hear it redde: but abhorreth and disdayneth all those which wolde lyue according to the Gospell. And in steade there of they sett vp and mayntayne Idolatrye and other innumerable vices and wickednesses of mans inuencyon, dayly committed in the Cytie of London, no reformaciō or redresse ones studied for, wherby to expulse vice, & encreace vertu: nor no pollitique inuencion for the commenwelth. No, no, their heades are so geuē to seke their owne particular welthes oneli, that thei passe not of no honest prouysiō for the poore, which thinge aboue all other infidelityes, shall be our damnacion. As apereth Math. xxv. where Christ saith: I was hungrye & ye gaue me not to eate, I was thurstie and [Page] ye gaue me not to drīke, I was sicke and in preson, and ye visited me not &c. For not doynge these things shall Christe saye, go ye cursed childerne in to euerlastyng fyre, prepared for the deuell ād his Angels. Reade the text and there ye shall se what shalbe layed agaynst you at the greate daie of the lorde. And there ye shall also se, that ye shall not be enquired of many vayne folishe & supersticiouse thinges of your owne inuencions, & of your Popishe Prestes of Baal, whether ye haue done them or not. No, no, they shalbe greatly to your dampnacion.
Oh Lorde God, how is it possible for this Cytie to expulse vice and seke after vertue, seynge they will not receaue thi gospell, which is the worde of euerlastynge life, and that [Page] onely thing that leadeth vs into all truth: No Lorde they cā not be contented, not onely to denye the receit therof, but also the greatest parte of the seniours or aldermen, with ye multitude of the inordinate ryche: euē as the Iewes cryed out against Christ takinge parte wt the highe prestes, saing: Mat. xxvii. Crucifie him, euē so doth the riche of the Citye of Lōdon take parte, and be fully bent wt the false Prophetes ye Bishops & other strong, stoute & sturdie prestes of Baall, to persecute vnto dethe all and eueri godly person, which either preacheth the worde or setteth it forth in writinge (if thou deliuer them not from their wicked snares) euen as ded theyr fore fathers the moost wycked, cruell and stonyherted Byshoppes, Scribes ād Pharysees, by thy seruauntes [Page] the prophetes, ād also Thapostels. Matth. xxiii.
Oh Lorde God how blind be these Cityzens, whych take so great care to prouyde for ye deade, whych thynge is not commaunded them, nor a vayleth the deade, no more thē the pissing of a wrēne helpeth to cause the see to flowe at an extreme ebbe, but ys the worke of mans owne inuencion & ymaginacion, accordinge to the saynge of the Prophete rehersed in Math. xiii. In vaine worshippe and serue they me with the inuencions and Imagynacions of men. Thus follow they theyr owne Imagynacyons prouydynge for the deade vncommaunded and leaue prouydynge for the poore lyuing, which the scrypture most ernestly teacheth & comaūdeth, as [Page] apereth in the Prophete Esay. lviii. Rom. xiii.xv. Luke. xiiii. Deut. xv.ii. Cor. ix. Prou. xxi. And that which shalbe layde to your charges, as is afore saide, for not doinge. And ye rewarde of euerlasting life to thē which to their power haue prouyded to do for the wydowe ande fatherlesse, which is to be vnderstōde of all pouertie, as presoners, ād those that be abrode.
Oh Lorde GOD, how is yt possible for thys people to praise the aright, or to seke thy glorye, whych when they be in trouble or plaged rightfulli of ye, either be drought, moisture, or pestilence, or anie such like, whiche do not as the Children of Israel ded: when they sawe their owne iniquitie, repented ande forsoke theyr Idolatrye wyth all theyr false goddes, ande onely called to the Lorde [Page] God of hostes, and so obtained? As apereth ī Iudicum. iii.iiii.vi.x.xi. &c. ande in many other places of the Bible. And seinge Chryst our redemer teacheth vs ī the .vi. of Math. where he sayth. Whē ye praie, saye O father which arte in heauē, & cet. And further he saith also. Mat. xi. Cōe vnto me all ye yt laboure āde are loden (meaning with sinne) and I will refreshe you. O what a mercyfull promes is thys, made to vs wretches, by hī that is all holy, all mighty, all mercyfull, and wyll fulfyll all hys promyses, euen as he is God alone? How madde, yea how wicked be we then, to go, to seke, call, or to crye, to any other thē to him alone? Seīge he forbiddeth vs ī so many places of his holy Testament, sainge. I will haue none other Goddes in my syght, I am a [Page] Iealouse God Exo. xx.
But alas, these stifnecked citizens will not comme to thys onely mediatoure both God & mā, but whē they feale thē selues worthily plaged, which cō meth of thē onely, thē wil they run a gaddyng, yea a whore hū tyng after their false prophetes through ye streates ones or twyse in the weke, crienge and cailyng to creatures & not to the creator, wyth or a pro nobis, and that in a tonge whych the greatest parte vnderstondeth not, vnto Peter, Paule, Iames and Iohan, Marye, & Martha, & cet. and I thynke wythin fewe years they wyll (wythout thy greate mercy) call vpon Thomas wolsey, late Cardynale, and vpon the vnholy (I shuld saye) holy mayde of kent. Why not well as vpon Tho. Becket? what he was I [Page] neade not write, yt is meately well knowē. The sainge of the Prophete Esaye. xxix. recited by Math. in the .xv. chapter is verified in this people. Wyth their lippes they hououre me, but their hertes are farre frō me. Yea they beate their Breth agaīst ye ayer, as S. Paul. saith i. Co. xiiii. & yt in vaine. Oh Lorde God cōfounde thē wyth all their false Prophetes & super sticiousnes, for they minish thy glorie as moch as in thē lyeth. What is their gaddinge wt or a pro nobis, vnto creatures, of thē which shuld onely praie vnto ye? is it ought elles but abhominatiō? no surely. And ye Cytie neuer speadeth so euell, as whē they so rōne a whore hoū tinge. And no meruell, for they seke a wrōge waye. Oh wicked peopel do not ye se yt both Thappost. & Ang. refused to be [Page] worshipped of men, but wold haue all the glorye geuen to God, as apereth in the .iii. of the Actes, also in the .xiiii. of the Actes, whē the prestes with ye people of Listra wolde haue done sacrifice to Barnabas & Paule. But when Thapostles & Barnabas and Paule harde that, they rent their clothes and rā ne in amonge the people, crienge and sainge, Syrs why do ye this? we are mortall men like vnto you, & preache vnto you that ye shuld turne from these vanitees vnto the liuing God. These be Thapostles wordes, reade the chapter, and ye shall see. Also S. Iohā fel downe at the fete of the Angel which opened vnto hym the secretes of God, and wold haue worshipped the Angel: but the Angel forbade him, sainge. Se thou do it not, for I am thy fellow [Page] seruant, Apoc. xix. Here ye se that both the Apostles & Aungels refused to be worshiped, but wold haue all the glorye geuen vnto God, when thei ware here vpon earth. Whether they do not likewyse nowe seke all the glorye to God & not to thēselues, Iudge thow gentel reader. And thīk ye not that if the blessed virgin Marie were nowe vpon earth, and sawe her sonne and onely redemer thus robbed of his glori (which glory ye blinde Citezens geue vnto hyr) wolde not she teare her clothes, like as ded the Apostles? Let the godly learned iudge it.
Now shall ye heare what happened vnto ye people of Iuda, as appereth in the .xliiii. of Ieremye, for sekinge their owne inuēcions ād for offringe oblacions with their fore fathers [Page] Kynges ande heades vnto the quene of heauen whych was ye mone, temptinge the Lorde so farre, that the Lord myght no longre suffre the wickednes of theyr inuencions. Thus sayth the Prophete. Ye haue sene the myserie that I haue brought vpon Ierusalem and vpon all ye Cyties of Iuda, so that thys daye they are desolate, & no mā dwellinge there in, ād that because of ye greate blasphemyes which they cōmitted in yt they wēt backe to do sacrifice & worshippe vnto straunge Goddes, &c. And furyer more ye saide prophete sayth in the same .lxiiii. Cha. Purposely haue ye set vp youre good meanynge, ande hastely haue ye fulfylled your owne intēt, What followed ī ye ende? verely destrucciō. Reade the ende of the same Chapter ande thou shalt se.
[Page]O most dere brethern for Christes sake geue credēce vnto the Prophete, ande not to ye Prophete onely, but also vnto the Holy Ghoste whych spake in the Prophete, and then loke vpon your selues, how Ioītly ye agre wyth the sayde people of Iuda. They called the mone ye quene of Heauē, and ye call ye virgin Marie the quene of heauen, euē as ye one is quene of heauē, so is ye other. Yet be ye worsse then the people of Iuda. For their fautes weare writtē for your example. And where as yey called vpō one quene of heauen, ye call vpon many. Howe manye quenes of heauen haue ye in the letany? Oh deare brethern be no longer deceyued wyth the false prophetes youre Bysshops, ande theyr membres, Oh ye Cytezens be ye so blynde that ye se not, [Page] that this is and blasphemy to God, & a minishinge of the honor dew to Christes bloude, to call vpō the creatures of God created? To patche and peace them with hym, as to patche the potte with the potter? And as though he ware a mercilesse God, & wold not heare but for theyr sakes? Yea & yet knowe not you whether thei hear you or not, as the likelihode is thei do not. For ye haue no promes of them, but of Christe ye haue: As apereth Iohan. xiiii. Mat. xvii. where he saith. Aske and ye shall haue, seke and ye shall fynde, knock and yt shall be opened vnto yow &c. Thus leaue ye the waye certayn, for the vncertayne, ye patche him with hys creatures because ye beleue not in hym, nor haue that faith in hym, which is of valoure before God. Yea ye thinke he [Page] seeth not the secretes of your hertes. Oh vnwise peple, shall not he that made the hert, knowe the secretes thereof. Psal. xciiii? Well, I exhorte yowe in the name of the Lyuynge God to repent betime, fall fro your accustomed Ydolatry, and leaue cryenge to your quenes of Heauen, ande call onely vpon the name of the Lorde whych made all, the God of Abraham Isaac, & Iacob, and serche the scripture, & ye shall se how oftē he hath plaged the chyldren of Israell for their ydolatrye ād whoredome, and all for our ē sample. Repent I saye, ones againe, leste the Lorde geue you wholy vp to your owne lustes, as he ded the heythen. Rom. i. & visyte you wyth the plages of Egipte, which ye haue already ryghtfully deserued. He is a mercyfull God & suffreth lōge, [Page] but whē he stryketh felleth to the grounde.
Nowe to lamēt your blinde prouysyon for the deade. Alas it is more thē blyndnes it self, for manifestly ye cast Christes merites asyde, in seking health for the soules of youre frendes departed, by prouiding ā ydle lyfe for an vnlearned prest or two, of Baall, trustīge in theyr praier, as though these prestes had ouerplus of rightuousnesse more then serued them sel: ues. Ye wyll saye no, we trust to be saued by Christes passiō. I vtterly denye your truste, it is vaine and false, and without hope, or elles ye wold not seke so many superstycious waies. For Chryst is the onelye waye to the Father, and is alone suffycyent for all. Heb. ix. yea although Chryste be suffycyent, yet ye wyll haue a prest to sige [Page] for you also, as it weare for a waretack.
Oh ye dispisers of the bottō lesse mercy of God, yea whorehounters and robbers of Goddes glorye. Is Chryst a peced God, or a patched Redeamer? doth not ye scripture saie, ther is none other name vnder heauen, wher in we maye be saued Act. iiii.xiii? Howe mad be ye then, to seke or call vppō any other? The great substāce which ye bestowe vpon chauntryes, obbites, ande such other lyke dregges of that abhominable whore of Rome, whyche most commenly ye geue for .iii. causes (as ye saye) is all loste.
First, yt ye will haue ye seruice of god maītained in ye churche to goddes honour, & yet by ye same seruice is god dishonored, for ye supper of lorde is peruerted, & not vsed after christes īstituciō [Page] Mat. xxvi. Marc .xiiii. Luke. xxii.i. Corint. xi. and so is that holy instytucyon turned into a vayne superstycious Cerymoniall Masse (as they call it) which Masse is become an abominable Idoll, and of all Idoles the moste greatest, & neuer shal ydolatrye be quētched, where that ydol is vsed after Anticristes īstitucyō. Daniel .ix. Mat. xxiiii. Whiche no doubt, shalbe reformed, when the tyme is come that God hath apointed, euen as it is vsed already in diuerse cityes of Germanie. Yea although all the Antichristes ī the whole worlde wolde saye ye contrarye, & all their disciples wyth them: yea although they studie to set all the Princes of ye earth together by the eares, to let that and soche like godly redresse, as it is their olde cast, yet he sytteth in Heauen that [Page] laugheth them to scorne, ād he shall make theyr wysdome folyshnes .i. Cor. i.
The seconde cause is for redeamīge your soules and your frendes. whych is also abhomynable. For who soeuer will seke redempcyon, iustifycacyō, saluacyon, or to be made righteouse by the lawe: he is gone quyte from Christ, ād hys merytis profyte hym not. Reade the thyrde chaptre to the Romaynes and the .iiii. to the Hebreus the .iii. to the Galath. and also Esaye. liii.i. Cor. i. ād ther ye shall see. Perchaūce ye will saie, ye seke no soche thīge thereby. Oh ye vnwise and opē dyssemblers, wherfore thē do ye it? ye saye like as the Idolatoure nowe adaies doth yf he set a candle before an Image ande Idolle, he sayth, he doth not worshippe the Image, but [Page] God whōe it representeth. For (saye they) who is so folysh as to worshyppe an Image? As who shuld saye, none. I answere, wherfore doth God ī so manie places of ye Scripture, forbidde vs to worshippe Idolles or Images, as Exo. xx. Deut. v. Sapi. xiii.xiiii. ād throughout all ye Prophetes, but that he knewe that ye wolde worshyppe them wyth youre forefathers? Euen so ye, bycause ye haue not full trust in Chrystes merites, ye grope after vayne waretackes. If thou wylt set a Candle before the Image of God, thou must be diligēt dayly to helpe thyne neighbour, acording to thyne estate, whych thing I haue towched before.
The .iii. cause of youre good intēt is, that ye profites of your goodes maie come to the prestes as though they ware ye peculyar [Page] people of God ād onely beloued, as īdede to those whiche preache the Gospell be the people bounde to geue a sufficient lyuyng. For the workmā is whorthye of hys rewarde. Mat. x.i. Tim. v. But not that their prayer cā helpe the dead, no more thē a mans breth blowynge in the sayle, can cause a great shippe for to saile. So is this also become abhominaciō, for those be not Chrystes mynysters, but the minysters of a rable of vncommaunded tradicions & popishe ceremonies. Ande thus ye be the mainteyners of a sort of lusty lubbars, which be well able to laboure for their lyuynge, and stronge ynoughe to gett it wt the swet of theyr faces, as ye Scrypture teacheth them. Genesis .iii.i. Thesalo. iiii Ande thus be ye mayntayners of their ydlenes [Page] and leaue the blynde, the lame, & the presoner vnholpē, whiche the scripture cōmaundeth you to helpe, except it be on the sō dayes with afewe halfpēs, or by pēnymeale, whych helpeth lytle or no thynge.
But vnto those blynde guides. ye wil geue .vi.vii.viii. yea xii poūds yearly to one of thē, to synge in a chaūtrie to robbe the lyuynge God of hys honnoure.
Ye wyll saye vnto me, what arte thou, that callest these thī ges vncommaunded tradycyons and popyshe ceremonyes, seynge the Kynges Grace forbyddeth them not, & vseth parte of them hym selfe? I answere that ye vse manye thynges contrary to the kyngs iniunccyons. And yf it be that God through the kynge hath caste out the deuell out of this realme, [Page] and yet both he ād we suppe of the broth in which the deuell was soden, and that God hath yet not opened the eyes of the kynge to set all thynges in right frame, & vtterly to breake downe the serpēt, as Ezechias the kinge dyd .iiii. Reg. ix. & as kynge Asa dyd .ii. Chro. xiiii take it thus, that euen your ī iquytye wyth callynge vpon vayne Goddes, & sekynge saluacion by a wrōge waye, is the veri cause that God closeth vp the eies of the kynge, as of one that heareth ād vnderstandeth not, ād seeth & perceyueth not.
But for the reuerence of Christes merites, where as ye haue walked some in verye sī ple ignorance, and some in obstynate or wylfull ignorance, & groped in tymes paste after a wronge waye, darke, croked, harde and endles: now seke the [Page] ryght trew ande onely waye which is light, streyght, ād easy to fynde, yt is to say, Christ the onely Messias: and redresse these thinges, easy to be done. Turne your Chauntries & your Obbites from the profite of these bearewolues whelpes, whiche can neyther helpe the soules of your frendes departed, nor yet yours, after God hath taken you from this life, & scripture ye haue none to ēcorage you, but only your owne inuētions: & against you are places innumerable, & specially. Rom. xiiii. Where the Apostle sayth, what soeuer is not of fayth is synne, your chaūtries & ceremonies are without Godes worde, and so must thei be without fayth, ergo they be sinne. Bestowe them therfore frō hence forwarde vppon ye trew Image of Christe whych is vppon [Page] the poore, the sycke, the blī de, the lame, the presoner, etce. Oh ye Cytezens yf ye wolde turne but euen the profytes of your chauntries and your obbittes to the fyndynge of the poore, with a pollitique & godly prouysion, where as now London beyng one of the flowers of the worlde, as touchige worldlye ryches, hath so manye, yea innumerable of poore people forced to go from dore to dore, and to syt openly in the stretes a beggynge, and many not able to do for other, but lye in their howses in most greuous paynes, ande dye for lacke of ayde of the riche, to the greate shame of the, Oh londō, I saye, yf ye wolde redresse these thynges as ye be bounde, ande sorowe for the poore, so shulde ye be wythout ye clamor of them, which also crieth vnto [Page] God agaynst you, ande whych he well heareth, and then where as now ye haue ā hoūdreth extreme poore people, shall not be one, & in so doīg your owne goodes shal not▪ be a witnesse agaīst you at ye greate day of the Lorde, as yt wilbe agaīst your forefathers for not prouiding for ye poore? Besydes yt, what a Ioye shall it be, to se your bretherne well prouided for?
ye abuse your riches, specially you that come to thoffice of the Cytie, for ye spende vnmeasurably. Uppon whome? euen vppon them that haue no neade, as vppon the Nobles ād Ientlemen of the courte, vppō the aldermen and other riche cōmoners which haue as greate nead of your feastes, as hath the see at the hyghest of ye springe tyde, of the pissynge of the wrenne, the pore forgottē, except [Page] it be with a few scrappes and bones sent to newgate for a face. Alasse alasse, how litle it is the Lord knoweth, I thinke in my Iudgement vnder heauen is not so lytle prouisyon made for the pore as is in London of so riche a Cytie, Well, the poore well feleth the bournynge of Doctor Barnes and hys fellowes, which laboured in the Lorde. For accordynge to there office they barked vppon you to loke vppon the poore, so that then some relefe they had, but now alasse yey be colde, yea euen those which saye they be the fauorrers of the gospell. It is a token that youre foundacion was buylded vpon the sande, for that GOD hath suffred youre Prophetes to bee brente. Though they be gone considre it was not theyr commādemēt, but goddes, whose [Page] Testament ye haue euen nowe in youre very Mother tonge, thankes be to the Lorde therfore. In ye same ye may perceyue that their absence shulde not quenche nor mollifye your loue towardes your brethern. And doubt not but God shall rayse other, that shall speake wt the same sprete that they ded, & with no lesse loue & vehemē cy: if inyquytie be not cause to the contrarie. There is a custome in the Cytye, ones a yeare to haue a quest called ye warnmall queste, to redresse vices, but alasse, to what purpose cometh it, as it is vsed? If a pore man kepe a whore besides hys wife, & a pore mans wyfe play the harlot, they are punisshed, as well worthie. But let an alderman, a Ientlemā, or a riche man kepe whore or whores, what punishmēt is there? Alasse [Page] this matter is to bad. I saye some of your aldermen kepe whores to the greate shame of all the rest. Yt weare no shame to name thē. Wherfore repēt & amēde, or sureli I will yf God lende me lyfe, in an other worke name you, ād other of your affynyte which be openly knowen to be cōmō aduouterers: which is no lytle shame to the heades and other rulers of the Cytie to suffre such abhominacion. But no maruell though ye suffre bodely aduoutrers, seinge ye your selfes are spyrituall auoutrers, callīg vpō vaine godes. Ye will say I sclaū dre you & brynge vp false lies vpō you. Some of you knowe whether I sclaūder you or not I wold it ware a sclaūder. But I sclandre you so, yt except ye repēt & amēd your liuing, as well ye yt be sufferers of such [Page] vices as the cōmitters, except ye amēde I saie & seke redresse of thys and such lyke, the vengeaunce of God wyll lyght vppon the Cytye for youre synnes. For howe can ye do Iustice vpon a nother and ye offende in the same yourselfe? yea & how parciall be ye that punish the pore, ande leaue vnpunished those heades that shulde geue goode example to the rest? A wake awake for the Lorde slepeth not, althoughe ye thīke that he wīcketh at thys geare. I exhorte you in godes name, loke better ī chosinge of your heade officers. Let not ryches only cause men to rule, and specially irke better to ye chosīg of your officers of the lawe. How can Dronkandes, whoremongers ande couetouse Parsons geue ryght Iugemēt? do bryers brīge forth figges & thornes [Page] grapes? Ande I saye vnto you the parcialyte of Iudges suppressynge the pore, and aydynge the riche for lucre, ād in codēpning the innocētes & lettinge the wycked go fre: bryngeth the vengeaunce of GOD vpō all places, as appereth in Esay. iii. Here I coulde saie sū what more then I nowe wyll, I meane in condempninge the Innocentes.
Thynke ye that God hath not as moche to laye to ye charges of London for killinge hys seruantes, as he had agaynst Ierusalem for killinge hys Prophetes? Yes yes: For Goddes sake ye that be elders repent & geue your selfes to readinge ye lawe of ye lord, yt ye maye be an exāple to ye cōmons in Godlye cōuersaciō: And in ye Scriptur ye shall lerne what to do, ande what to leaue vndone, & howe [Page] to knowe false Prophetes, ād how to cast them out of your conscyēs, where they haue syttē a longe time, euē in the stede of God: I meane not the Bysshoppe of Rome alone, but he & all hys marke wyth hym, and specialy his owne generacion, which are all ī forked Cappes.
What a plage is this, that in no mans tyme aliue, was euer any Christē Bisshoppe rainīge ouer the Citye of London, but euery one worsse then other? I thynke theyr can now come no worsse, except the same Lucyfer that fell frō heauen, come hīselfe, whyche is the very father of all Popyshe Bysshops. Consyore thys is for your inyquitie. Yet let ye lytle flocke reioice & geue God onely thākes yt he hath raised other meaner mēbres In ye sight of ye worlde then Bisshops, to preach ye gospell, [Page] ande to set it forth in wrytynge.
Now to all you though ye be fewe in nōbre whych fauoure Gods holy worde vnfainedly and not in worde onely, but in workes also, shewyng ye frutes of your faith, say I thus: exortynge you for Christes bloude sake, to be dylygent in prayer, onely to the euerlyuinge God, yt he of hys owne mere mercy, geue grace to ye rulers of thys Citye, that frō henceforth they maye seke Gods glory onely, the cōmonwelth and prouysiō for the poore: ād then doubt ye not but God shall geue our noble Kynge such ā harte that he shall knowe, ād soche eyes that he shall playnly see, and soche eares that he shall vnderstonde in deade. For why? it is the Lorde that hath the hert of all prynces in hys hande Pro. xxi. [Page] So that I saye, where as he hath now bānisshed out of hys realme but the veri beare wolfe the whore of Babylon only: shall now also bānysh with her all her folyshe tradycyons and beggerly ceremonyes, against which S. Pau. wrote ad Gal. iiii. & in many other places mo. Now shall your papistical sorte dispise thys my lamētacyō, & laugh me to scorne. Althogh I knowe there is no Chrysten herte in thys realme, no nor in the whole worlde, whiche knoweth the vyces vsed ī the citie, and how lytle Gods glorye is sought, how lytle the cōmonewelth is sett by, howe barelye the poore are prouided for, but he wyl lamēt wyth me. And as for the contrary parte: I wysh with all my hert repētaunce, & will continuallie my life durīg praie vnto the euerlinīg God, [Page] to drawe them to the Gospell of hys sonne Iesus Chryste, ād that they maie come to the father by the onely waye ād dore Chryste, and that they may also forsake theyr bydores & clyming ī at the wīdowes wherbi they shall neuer atayne to any sauynge helth. O Lorde God I beseche the, call them from that nōbre whome the almighty sytting in Heauen laugheth to scorne Psal. xxi. The onlye cause that I wryte thys, is to exhorte all mē as well readers as hearers, to repent betymes, ande to fall diligently to prayer, askyng mercy, that we may auoyde the plages whyche we rightfully haue deserued, & no doubt we shall not escape them all, onles we repēt ye soner, Remēbre how he warned ye city of Ierusalē .xl. years lōg: & because they repented not, but slew [Page] ye Prophetes by who God warned thē, he kept promes wt thē, & scourged thē acordīg to their deseruinges. And he that spake ye same to Ierusalem speaketh it to yow, ād to all Cityes, that committe like īiquite as ye do. And whether ye haue serued ye Disciples of the Lorde, like as ded the Cytezens of Ierusalē their Prophetes, Iudge your seifes, ande ye shall se that ye haue shed more bloud, thē euer ded that moste synfull Ierusalem, euen of thē that taught you Gods truth. Well, I can no more, but beseche the Lord God, that he wyll geue suche grace to some, that in the time of hys wrath, he maye finde .x. ryghteous persons in this Cytie, whereby the wrath and vē geaūce of God may be turned from it, which is lyke to come shortly vppon vs or vppō our [Page] childeren, for our sinnes & oure forfathers. For we haue deserued a .M. tymes more plages, thē euer ded Tire & Sidō, or Sodoma & Gomora, ware it not for ye great mercy of God I thinke, we had foūde it so or this tyme. For we haue an example of these Cities & they be written for oure learninge to auoid such vices. Yea no doubt the vices cōmitted in ye, oh Lō don, are as euell as euer ware in any of ye foure Cyties afore named. And surely I thinke, yf they had herd ye prechīg yt hath bene ī Lōdon this .xiiii. or .xvi. yeares past, yt they had repēted and [...]orsaken their Iniquitye. For I saye vnto youe that the gospell was neuer more sīcerelye preached in the tyme of the Apostles, then it hath bene of late in London: Nor neuer more Godly exposicions vppō [Page] the scripture and that a greate nombre whereby to drawe vs to Christ Iesus. For why? the same sprete euen the very holye Ghoste whych spake in the Apostles, hath spokē in mē now to vs.
But alas, as the Prophete sayth. Esay. xxix. we haue eares & heare not, eyes & see not.
See ye not nor yet perceiue ye how the blynde Prophetes haue led you, euen now in our tyme? Haue ye not slayne the seruauntes of the Lorde, onely for speakynge agaynst ye autoritye of the false Bysshoppes of Rome that mōstruouse beast, whō now ye your selues do or shuld abhorre? I meane all his lawes beynge contrary to Christ, & not his body, & yet ye se yt a fewe yeares past ye brēt them for heretiques abhominable which preatched or [Page] wrote against his vsurped power, & now it is treason to vphoulde or maintayne any parte of his vsurped power, ād he shal dye as a traytoure that so doth, & well worthy. So saye I vnto you there shalbe yet thinges preched vnto you, and ye shall be instructed by wryters of thīges which ye be not yet able to beare, and whosoeuer preacheth or writeth it (if the Lorde defend him not out of your handes) he shall dye for it: ād yet out it will at ye lēgth, though all the deuelles in hell saye naye to it, and so shalbe reformed. Ande euen this followyng is one of ye chefest thīgs.
Oh ye Cytezens, wyll ye neuer geue your selfes to the readynge pf the scripture whereby ye maye knowe the lawe of the Lorde, to avoyde the euerlastynge damnacion, which is [Page] ordayned for the deuell ād his angels? Wyll ye euer be ignorant of Godes cōmaundemēt? Exodi. xx. saynge.
I will haue none other Gods in my syght, and that ye neyther bowe your selfe, nor serue any thing as God, yt is in earth benethe or in heauen aboue, or in the water vnder the earth. And do ye not yet se how thys whore of Babylō hath altered the supper of the Lorde, which was īstituted to haue ye blessed passion in continuall remēbraunce, & for a perpetuall memorye of thankes geuinge: which we shuld receiue with all reuerence and meaknes of hert geuinge thākes vnto God onely for yt benefyte which we haue receyued & obtayned through Christes dethe, which this supper sygnifyeth, and that we beleue as verely as we eate the [Page] breade & drīk ye wine, which norissheth ye body & is seane with our corporall eye, & spiritualli representeth the very body of Christ, euen so verely as we haue tasted, eatē & seen this holy supper or Sacramēt of thāks geuinge: euen so verelye to beleue yt Christ dyed for our sinnes, and that his bloud onely hath pacyfied the fathers wrathe, and so hath sett vs at peace with, God For he hath payed yt which laye not in me nor in no man, but onely in hym that was bothe God & man, and by none other meanes myght mā be redemed, and so to aknoweledge yt he is dead & hath shed his bloude for our synnes, & is rysen for our rightwysnesse.
Thus I seynge my synnes buryed in Christes woundes, must euer more be thankfull to ye euerliuīg God onely. [Page] And thus to eate his blessed body and to drīke his bloude spiritually in fayth, is Gods institucyon. Math. xxvi. Marc. xiiii. Luc. xxii.i. Corinth. xi. Where he sayth, as ofte as ye shall eate of this breade & drinke of this cuppe ye shall shew ye Lordes death till he come.
And saynte Austyn sayth, what preparest thow thy teth & thy belly? beleue & thow hast eatē. Which agreeth with ye words of our sauiour Christ saing. The fleshe profiteth nothynge, it is the spryte yt quyckeneth. Iohan in ye .vi. chapter. But the instituciō of Antichriste is cleane contrary to thys. For by his instituciō thow muste fall downe vppō thy knees, holdinge vp thy handes as to God, In dede it is ye Bysshoppe of Romes God which they must see with theyr corporall [Page] eye, because they haue no hope in the lyuynge God through the spyrituall eye.
And thus hath he chaunged the holy memory of Christes death, in to the worshippynge of his God made of fyne flower, and all to bringe him selfe and his membres alofte, ād in the reputacion of the world aboue all degrees of men, yea aboue Kinge and Emperour, and therby to sitt in the consciences of men, aboue God and his worde, euen in the very tē ple of God, where God alone shulde fitt. And by his instituciō of this his God, is he crept vp in to this vsurped power.
Oh Antichrist the begynner of this Idoll which is heade of all Idolles after thyne institucyon. Doth not God say, as afore is sayde Exo. xx? Thou shalt not worshyppe any symilitude [Page] that his in heauē, erth or in the waters vnder the earth. And thou contrari to the euerlyuing Goddes cōmandemēt, hast seduced the people to honore thy God. I tel the gētle reader ones againe, it is the greatest Idoll vnder heauē as it is vsed in his masse, and a God of the makynge of Antichrist as is sayde, whiche masse is after his institucyon an heape of folishe ceremonies without significacions, to avaunce ande set out his God, to the blearynge of the eyes of the symple. Ande thu shalt see if thou wilt reade ye .xviii. chapter: of the Apocal. callinge to God onely to open thyn eyes, all the trishtrashe yt Antychrist hath solde vs whiche be the onlye implementes of ye masse of Antichrist, I meane not the Antichrist of Rome onely, but also of all other popysshe [Page] Byshoppes, wt all theyr brethern in Antichrist. And in the sayde .xviii. chaptre thou shalt see the fall not onely of the whore alone, but also of her merchaundyse the same tryshtrash with her. For euen as ye whore is fallē in Englād already, thākes onely be geuen to God therfore, ād yet her trishtrash remaynīg for our iniquities sake, euē so I saie ī ye saide xviii. chaptre thou shalt see that her marchaundyse muste followe, when the tyme is come that God hath appoynted. No doubt our vnthākfulnesse sake, āde ye geuinge of glorye vnto men whych shulde be geuen onely vnto God, is the cause of the longe remainynge of ye premisses. The wordes of ye xviii. chaptre be these. Alas alas ye greate Citie Babilon yt [Page] myghty Cytie, for at one hour is her Iudgement come, ande the Merchantes of the Earth shall wepe ande wayle in them selues, for no mā wil bye their ware any more, ye ware of gold and siluer, ād precious stones, nether of pearles, and raynes, and purple, and skarlet, and all thynne woddes, and brasse, āde yron, and sinamom, & odours, and oyntmentes, ande frākencense, and wyne, and oyle, ande fyne flower, and sowles of mē. This fine flower haue yey made the chefeste of all theyr tryshtrashe, ād a cloke or a cloude to shadow all the reste. Rede the chapter and thow shalt perceiue more.
I praie ye Iētle reder iudge, weare not ye pardoners Merchantes to them? Yee it is well knowen that theyr pardons & other of theyr tromperye, hath [Page] bene bought and sold in Lombardstrete, and in other places as thow wylt bye ande sell an horsse in smithfelde. Yea ande at easter when thow shuldest come to the supper of the lord to receyue the Sacrament of thankes geuynge, there muste thow receiue the God of Antichryst without significaciō or Godly instructiō, yea ād thou must bye it ande paye for it, as men somtime bought Pyes in Soper Lane. yea ande thou must paye for his God or thou haue it: yea I haue harde of pore mē for lack of two pens beē put from receyuynge of theyr God, and for lack of paying ye parsō or vicare his dewtie many haue been put from it.
Ande more I tell the reader that the bodye of our sauiour Iesus Chryst can not be eaten wyth teth, it must be eten with [Page] faythe as is a foresayde.
Ande further marke thys well, that thynge that hath beginninge or endinge can not be God, nor ought to be worshypped as God. So cā thys sacramēt no more be God then was the pascall lābe. For God ys wythout begynnynge and endynge, and so is not the God of Antichriste, for he is made manye tymes be a synnefull Ipocryte.
Well, then it hathe a begynnynge ande maye peryshe ande moulde a waie, ande the lytle mouse wyll eate it, if he maye come by it. And the wyne wyll waxe sower and stinke as doth theyr holy water in the founte by longe kepinge, whiche hath bene the destruction ād deth of iunumerable childerne: where as two or thre droppes of water takē out of it by the prestes [Page] handes and cast vppon ye childe weare sufficyent, ād the childe neuer neade to be taken out of hys clowtes. Now to my purpose agayne.
OH thou blynde man, can the body of Chryst peryshe by any maner of meanes? As to waxe sower, or that any maner of beastes maye eate the bodye of Chryste? No surely, God forbydde. For he (as concernynge hys Godheade) was from the begynnynge, and shall be without endynge. As manyfestlye it appeareth in Iohan ye fyrste chapter. The worde was in ye begynnynge wyth GOD & ce. But thys marke well, that euē as the passeouer lābe was a Sygne, a Token ande a remembraunce to put the Chyldern of ISRAEL in memory of their corporalye or bodely delyueraunce, and also that [Page] Messias shulde cōe to be slayne for theyr sinnes, paying theyr raunsome, and delyueryng thē from euerlastyng dethe: which moued the faithfull of them to be thankefull to God, for that they beleued as verely as they dede eate of the lambe whych they had slayne, euen so verely had God delyuered their forefathers frō the plages whyche fell vpō ye wicked vnbeleuers: And also that a Redemer shuld come whyche God the Father had promised, by the mouth of his Prophetes. And thus dede they bothe eate Chrystes body and drynke Chrystes bloud in faith spiritually many yeares afore Chryste was borne: Euen so the Sacramēt of thankes geuinge, is to vs a signe, a tokē, a spyrituall memorye of our spirituall deliueraūce. For ye faythfull beleued euē as verelye [Page] as they see and eate it, so do they acknowledge the benefytt whych they receaue in āde through the immortall God, & whych ye same holy Sacramēt representeth, ande no doubte ye very bodye of Iesus Chryst is spyritually in ande wyth vs in the receiuinge of the sacramēt, if it be resayued with the fayth aforesayde. Euen lyke as he is amonge two or thre whych be gathered together ī hys name, as it is his godly promes Ma. xviii. Thus ye maie se that the same faith which saueth vs, saued the olde fathers: for they beleued throughe yt outwarde sygne that a redeamer shulde come, and we through the memory of thys holy Sacramēt of thanckes geuynge beleue yt he is come, and hath fullfylled all that was of him prophecied. And thus both thei & we eate ye [Page] holy body of Christ spiritualie in one fayth.
And farther vnderstōd reader, that vnto all beleuers the ceremonye of eatynge the pashcale lambe ceassed immediatlye when Chryst had chaunged it in to a maundye of thanckes geuing. For why? the next daie was fullfylled by the death of Chryst that thynge whyche the pashcall lambe to them ded represent.
Thou saiest it is a sacramēt, which I both graūt & writ. If it be a Sacramēt as it is in dede, thē it is a sygne of some holyer thīge then it selfe is. Ande beynge a sygne of a holyer thī ge then it selfe is, so cā it not be God, for what sygne or token wilt thou haue holier yeē God? None. Ergo thē it is not God hymselfe, but some sygne tokē or remembraunce of some benefyt [Page] whych we haue through hym, and thys holy sygne putteth vs in remembrāce for the same to be thanckefull to the Lorde.
Thou wylt saye it is God hymselfe euen flesh, bloude ād bones, yea and senewes therto, as master Stādys one of your wise false Prophetes preached of late amonge you, but yet denie I that, for all hys vngodly learnynge. For how can it be a Sacrament of God and God hym selfe also, seynge there can be nothynge holyer then God? And againe if it be GOD that is present, thou foole, what nedeth the of anye Sacramente or sygne of that thynge whych is present it selfe?
AS touchynge this matter, IOHAN fryth ye seruaūt of the LORDE whome ye ād youre False Prophetes haue [Page] burned, whose bloude with others cryeth vengeance agaīst your Bysshoppes. He (I saye) hath writē Inuyncibly in this matter, whose worke I exhorte all those whiche fauoure the free passage of the gospell vnfaynedly, to reade ād to studie. For it is agreing to the touchstone of Gods worde, ād to the olde aunciēt doctours. As appereth by the same boke of his. Ande I exhorte you in Gods name yf there be anie Chistian printer in London, to prynte moo of those workes, for there can neuer be to many of them
Feare not man although death followe, seīg Christ saieth, he that loseth his lyfe for my wordes sake shall saue it. Mathewe in the .xx. chapter. And considre that neither, Winchester nor London, nor the rest of the Bisshoppes the vesselles of [Page] Gods Iustice without repentaunce, haue no power to destroie but ye bodie onelye, wherfore feare them not: But feare hym onelye that can kyll both bodye and soule as apereth in the same .xx. chap. For if thou wilt liue godly in Christ, thou must neades suffre persecutiō. And truly he is not worthy to be a membre of the body, that will suffre no dysplesure with the heade. Therfor blessed are they that suffre persecucyon or anye trouble for ryghtousnes sake: that is for Christes sake.
And in this matter I saye wt the sayde Iohan fryth, that it is no pointe of our dampnaciō nor saluacyon. If I beleue it not it dampneth me not: But to haue the absēce of the benefyttes of his deathe and passiō in my hert, may be cause of my dampnacion: and in beleuynge [Page] of the sayde benefytes of ande through hys dethe shalbe my saluacion, beinge repentaunt for my synnes.
But one thynge I will tell the and marke it well, for it is trewe. Though thou beleue he is there lyke as Antichrist and like his petye membre standish saythe, ande so worshippe it as God, I tell the that it is damnable. For thou arte commaū ded in the fyrste Table of ye cō maundementes, yt thow shalt not worshippe anye thynge yt is made after anye symylitude or lykenes that is in heauen or earthe as I haue afore sayde. God is asprete ād wilbe honored in sprete and veryte. I saie your blynde & bloudy Byshoppes or rather butchers, dishonour not onely the Sacramēt, but the God of al Goddes also, in mynystrynge the same. And [Page] so do all prestes that other sīge or saye the popysh masse which they call a sacryfyce, and therby wold haue Christes bodye daylye crucyfyed, where as he offred vp his holy body vppon the crosse for our synnes ones for euer, ande neuer shalbe offred agaī, whyle the worlde endureth, but hath instituted the holye supper or Sacrament of thankesgeuynge as afore is sayde: to put vs in contynuall memory of that oblacion ād sacrifice, yt we shulde beleue our sinnes to be forgeuen onely for Christes sake through his death, ande so to be thankfull, whych holye thynge as ye se is tourned into a popyshe masse, and is to the people a domme, yea no thīg els but a deade ceremonye.
Wherfore I will exhort all prestes that wylbe of Christes [Page] congregacion, to fle and geue ouer that abhominable massinge, which is a blasphemy to Christes bloude, in that they make of it a sacryfice. What sacryfice can yt be where no bloude is shedde? Wherfore in Christes name all yow (I saye) that wolde be of Christes churche, forsake thys whore wt all her abhominable rables, ande rather begge with Christ, then welthelye to lyue with the prestes of her God Beell, and feare not, but God shall prouyde both clothyng and foode sufficient for the bodye.
Considre the lylye dothe not spynne, yet was Salomon neuer so gorgiouslie apparelled. Mat. vi. Who clothed the lilie, ded not our heauenlye father clothe it? And be not ye worth manye sparrowes? Well then we se that pure heauēly father [Page] both clothed & fedde all creatures: and shall not he also clothe and feade yowe which seke his glorie & trust only in him? Yes, yes doubt not. And surely ye cā not remaine as ye do, but ye muste be partakers of ther Idolatrye.
Perchaunce thou wilt saye, I could be cōtented to liue porely to followe Christe, but I feare the Byshoppes blessynge which is a fayre fyre. Set afore the ye deth of Christ for prechynge his fathers will, ād before hym the Prophetes, ande after hym his Apostles, and at this daye hys chosen seruauntes, ande consydre as afore is sayde that the deuyllyshe Byshopes, the vesseiles of Godes Iustyce: can but destroye the bodye onelye, & that God will rayse it vp agayne at the great daye of ye Lorde, euen as he is [Page] rysen. And considre that alwayes it was the Bysshoppes ād the hyghe prestes yt put Christ and hys Apostles and his chosen seruauntes to deathe. And by theyr deuellyshe sedusyng, euer blynded the Prynces and other head rulers to geue ther consent ther vnto. Math. in the .xxi. ande in the .xxvi. chapter.
O ye Babylonyshe Bisshoppes and generacion of Uipers, where haue ye your auctoryte? or how dar ye be so bold to kyll a man for his faith whych Christ neuer ded nor hys Apostelles? For it is a gyfte which no man can eyther geue an other or yet hym selfe. No no, it is the gyft of God onely. Ande that must be geuen a man before he can eyther do or thynke goode. For all yt is done without fayth is synne. Roma in ye [Page] xxiiii. and Hebre. xi.
No, nor ye put no man to death for Christes sake, but for y• that no man shuld either preache teache or wrytte Chryst aryght, which he can not do, but he shall by force be constrained of the holye Ghost to wryte agaynst your pompe, pryde, vyle lyuinge, and agaīst your abhomynable sedusing of the people, leadynge them in an endlesse mase of dyrtye tradicions and folyshe ceremonyes.
And why cannot a man set for the Christ but he must write agaynst yow? Euen bycause ye be the verye Antichristes. No I saye it is not possible for anye man sent of God, either to preache or wryte, but he must open hys mouthe agaīst that moost wycked abomynable, and detestable Antychryst, of ROME, as agaynste the [Page] enemy of Chryst, which be you false Bysshops, false Prophetes, that beare the false signe of the new lawe & the olde lawe, with stoute stronge and sturdie Archedeacōs, Deanes, ād Chanons of Cathedrall churches, and other your pyty membres prestes of Baall. Ande he that openeth not his mouthe agaīst you, cā not truly set out Christ and that is the cause why ye seke theyr deathes.
Ye bewytch Kīges & other rulers, and turne theyr laboures. I meane the laboures of ye seruaūtes of God, whyche crye against your Iniquytie, sayīg they teache sedycyon, and cause rebellyon against the higher powers
Oh ye chylderne of Satan all yt reade their workes maye beare recorde with thē against your lyes. Who teacheth so [Page] moche the obedyēce towardes the hygher powers, as God onely in them doth, whych preache or wryte the gospell? yea hath not GOD through theyr preachīges brought your kyngedome vnder the temporalle powers, whyche many yeares hath vsurped ouer them? Ande bycause ye wolde not be vnder the obedyence whych the scrypture teached, hath coste manye a thousande mens lyues, ande som prestes amonge. And thys poynte I wyshe vnto all kynges that wyll not willfully be blinde, to beware of you crafty ād wilye Bishoppes. Although they will not considre the iniuries yt they haue done to Christes churche or congregacyon, in persecutynge them vnto deth, for trulye preachynge ande wrytynge Godes glorye, ande minyshynge the glorie of Antychryst, [Page] althogh I saye, that the Kynges of the earth and other high powers will not considre Christes cause, yet let them cō sidre their owne, what & howe tirānously ye Bisshoppes Kingdome hath vsed their progenitours Kynges of Englōde? Agaynst whome they ware euer the heades and the beginners, the foundacyon ande the very origynall of all mischeue. Reade the storye of Wylliam Rufus and of Kynge Henry the seconnde, howe he was vsed by Thomas Becket, Kynge Iohā how he was vsed of ād by Stephen Lanckton Bysshoppe of Cantorbury, whyche wyll pytye any Chrysten herte to heare, aswell for the wicked vsinge of the goode Kynge anoynted of GOD, as of the bondage ād thrauldome that he brought ye whole realme in. But suche is [Page] the Charitye of Bisshoppes as well in all other realmes where they maye beare rule, as In Englond.
And though it appere that some of ye trobles which chaunsed to the Kynges of Englonde ī tymes past came by Abbotes of these fyllthye Monasteryes ryghtfully deposed nowe of late, yet came the grounde from the forked merchauntes. For be thow sure, neuer came any dyspleasure to anye Prynce in Englonde or elles where for sekynge any Godly redresse ande Goddes glorie: but ye originall & maintayners of ye same ware these forked cappes. Aboue all ye mēbres of Antichryst, I saie, beware of them, all you yt wyll not willfully be blīd. They be the verye right & chefe wolues yt Chryst speaketh of Mat. vii. callyng them wolues in shepes [Page] clothynge. What is that, shepes clothīge? No doubt ye worde of God, vnder the pretence of the whych worde they come to confounde the worde, as moche as lyeth in them. Theyr actes appere to thē that will not wyll fullye be blynded. Full well knowe they yf they shulde not come vnder a pretēce of holynes, ād speciallie wt a pretēce of the worde of God, of the churche of GOD, of the doctrine of Christ, of the olde true lernīg, of seauen or eyght hōdreth yeares olde & ce. That no mā wold beleue them. Yet for all theyr outward meakenes ande holines, they be withyn rauening wolues, accordinge to Christs saīge in the place aboue rehersed: as their actes and charitye hath appered of late yeres vppon the seruauntes of GOD. And Christ here sheweth vs howe [Page] we should knowe thē. Read the places, ād ye shall see them descrybed as appereth .i Timo i. and .ii. and .ii. Timot. iii. ande i. Ioan. ii. ād .iiii. And yf ye will geue no credite to it, your own bloude vppon your heades, accordinge to the sayenge of the Prophete Ezechiell in the .iii. Chapter.
How is thys to be lamented seynge the Kynges grace hath set out Iniunccions, yt all Uycars, Persons, & Curates, shal purely, ād syncerely preache ye Gospell, and leaue their owne dreames, and yet not with stō dyng these Iniuncciōs, whosoeuer preacheth the Gospell aright, but euen the very Text whych the Holye Ghost wrote, ande cryeth againste the callīg vppō any sauīg helth through the wayes and workes of mās inuēcions, agaīst ye which all ye [Page] Prophetes crie, as is afore saide, he I saie yt so truly labourethe in the vineyarde of the Lorde: ye Bysshoppes will either hange him or bourne him or pryuelie murther hym. And vppon the contrarye parte, let them neuer so openly preache their owne dreames, yet maye no man trouble them, nor saye black is their eie. And no maruell, for Chryste had promysed them no trouble or crosse ī this worlde, which preache not, but persecute hys worde.
Thus be ye theues and robbers of all Chrystyanytye, stealynge from vs the spyrytuall fode of our soules. Yea, a thousande tymes worse be ye, then the thefe that robbe the vppon the hyghe waye for neade. And yet so bewitche you the higher powers ād the riche of ye worlde, yt they can not escape your [Page] robberye, and no maruell, for ye worlde wyll loue his owne, as Christ sayth Iohan. xv.
O ye deuelles ye blinde guides and seducers of the people, howe of late bewitched you ye Parlamēt house? Euē by your inuencions ād deuelishe studie haue ye caused actes & decrees to be made, so cleane contrarye to the lawes of ye lyuinge God, that I saye vnto you, the verie bearewolfe, that abhominable whore of Rome neuer made so cruell actes. He neuer made it dethe for a preste to marye a wyfe: But ye shame not onelye to seperate them that be maryed, so contrarye to GODDES worde, whyche saythe, let no man seperate that wich GOD hath couplede. Mathewe .xix. but haue also made it deathe.
Oh generacyon worse then [Page] the Uyper. Dothe not saynte Paul saye, let euerye man that hath not the gyfte of chastytye take hys wife .i. Cor. vii. Here is no parsō excepted. And that the Apostels had wyues ye scripture is playne. As saynt Peter wyth other, Mat. viiii. Ye will saye, ye haue the gifte of chastitye. Well the chastytye of the moste part of you that procured those wicked actes is meately well knowen, and therfore make ye it no abhominacion to kepe whores. Ye abhorre ye remedy ordayned of God, ande maītayne the remedy of sathā, as appereth by wīchesters gardyn. Well ye Bysshoppes ande ye Chanons of the churche of beell, ye shutters vp of Godes worde, accordynge to hys owne Prophetie. Mat. xxiii. Luc. xi. To you I can saye no more, but though ye worlde or worldlye [Page] people laugh vppō you, yet will ye vengeaūce of God lyght vppon your forked cappes ād cathedrall churches of Beel one daye, and that shortelye, excepte ye amende betymes. Ys not your aurycular confessyon also abhominable? Yes, ād that one of the moste fylthyest thynges vsed vppon earth, as hath playnlye appered by the feates of your chaplaynes in dyuerse places of Englonde of late, ād some withyn thys two yeares. I coulde name the prestes and ye places also: but I will passe it ouer with scylence, trustyng in the Lord, ye hygher powers shall ones se the myschefe that cōmeth therof and redresse it. What an abhomynacyon is it that I shuld go poure oute my vyces in the eare of an vnlearned buzarde, ād specyally for a woman, whereby Syr Iohan [Page] knoweth where to be sped. Yea if she will not graunt to hym, he will not shame to threaten her to open her vice, ande so for feare she muste agree to his abhomynable desyre.
What a blīdnes is it to thīke my sinnes forgeuen me, when a Preest of Antychryste (as the moste parte be) hath wagged two or thre Fyngers ouer my head? Dauid sayth. I confessed my synne vnto the Lorde, ande he harde me ande forgaue me. Psal. xxii. The Israelites whē they had offēded the lord God, and after ernestly repented, callynge to the Lorde onelye formercy, brynging forth the frutes of Repentaunce: Ware in cōtynent deliuered from their Aduersaries, as appereth Iudicū .viii.ix. and in many other places of the Byble,
This was before anye auriculare [Page] confe [...]ion was knowē. For yt no dout was the inuēciō of Antichryst of Ro. And one chefe cause was to betray prī ces, and other greate men. For what noble mā was it in Christendome that spake agaynste forked cappes many years lōg but the Bysshoppe of Rōe had hys confession with all speade, ād sodēly they wold bewitche the Prynce of the Realme, and fordge some Matter agaynste hym, and so of force he shuld be made a traitour, ande so suffre dethe. I thinke thys matter be manyfest ynough to many mē, as well in Englonde as elles where. Well, thys vyle thynge was not from the begynnyng, neyther shall it contynewe to the ende. Euen as youre inordynate Possessyons ware not of your heauēly fathers plantynge, nor sowing, ād therfore [Page] muste be plucked vp by the rotes with youre companyons & bretherne in Antychryste Abbottes, as is afore sayde.
Some wyll saye it maye be well vsed, which I vtterlye denye. It shall nor can neuer be well vsed, so longe as prestes maie kepe whores without daunger of dethe, whiche burthē maye ryghtfullye be laide vppon them, seynge thy abhorre matrimonie instituted of God: agaynste whiche synne was no remedy but deth in ye olde law, where as thefte was but rendrynge double. For this ande soche lyke thyngs, be ye lerned ye rulers, lest ye Lord be āgrie. Psal. secundo.
Agayne I saye it shall neuer be well vsed of al prestes, as lō ge as they shall grope our partyculare synnes whyche is not necessarie. For why? yf I be repentaunt, [Page] ande ernestelye minded neuer to fall to myne accustomed synnes againe, I doubte not but I am forgeuē, without the preste for Chrystes sake onelye. Ande yf I haue not that repentaunce, euen from the bottome of my herte, ande beleue not that I am forgeuen for Chrystes sake, as is afore sayde: all the prestes in Engelonde saye I, nor yet the beare wolfe of ROME can forgeue me. Thus ye maye se where in consyste the confeffyon for the offence to God warde.
And as touching thy neighboure thou must reconsyle thy selfe to hym whome thou hast offended, and make restytucyon to thy power: ande yf thou be not able to make recompē ce with goodes, thou oughteste to offre hym thy bodye. And euen as thou art bounde so to [Page] do, so is he bounde to shewe the mercy But thou thy dewtye, ande thus euerye neyghboure to reconsyle eche to other, is the ryght confessyon chaunsinge betwene brethern or neighbors, as apereth in Iohan the .vii. chapter. ande in Mathew. the .vii. chapter.
Thou Bysshoppe, ande thou false Prophete wylt say that it is ordayned of GOD, ande wilt bringe in chefely for the, that Chryste sent the tēne Lepers to the prestes: Whyche serueth asmoche for confession, whyche we make to a preste, as to laye an onyon to my lytle fynger for the totheache. To you blynde guydes yt be ignorantly blynde speke I, and not to these that be willfully blīde: Let them be still blinde: yet I exhorte all christians to praye for them that they [Page] maye see. But wilt thou knowe ye trewe causes why Chryst sent those Lepers aboue all other whyche he healed, and none other to the prestes? reade the .xiii. and the .xiiii. chapter of Leui. ande there shalt thou see that it was appoynted of GOD, that no parson ones hauynge the lepprie, shuld come amonge the congregacyon of the whole, tyll he was clensed. And for a certaīte that he shulde be fyrst whole, the prest had the ouersyght, and kept hym certayne dayes for a tryall, to be sure that he was whole, before he wolde so admitte hym. Ande when the prestes founde hym whole in dede, then dede they admitte him, after he had offred ye oblaciō cōmaunded in Moises law, to go abrod amōg ye whole: ād for bicause Chryst wold not breke ye law, but was [Page] the fulfiller of the lawe, sent he them to the Prestes, not to shewe theyr sīnes (for they shewed none during the hole time of Moyses lawe) but for ye cause afore sayde. An other cause yt he sent thē was, that ye Prestes sclaūdred Christe, saying that he Blasphemed. Math. ix. Luc. v. Iohā. v. Therfor Christ bad them offre the Oblacyon commaunded in Moyses lawe, for a wytnesse agaynst theyr infydelytie. For they of force must confesse that Chryst healed thē. For why? they admitted them for cleane ād receyued the Oblacion, and yet sclaundred they Chryst, so settinge them selues wythout all Excuse of theyre mooste worthye ande wilfull Dampnacyon.
Chryste ded not onely sende ye tēne Lepres, but also other Lepres that he healed. But let [Page] them fynde that euer Chyriste sēt any other that he healed to the prestes, as ye sycke of ye palseye, the diseased of the blouddy flyxe, the possessed wt deuels ād soche other lyke, which not wt stondynge ware sīners as well as the lepers and had neade of remyssiō of their synne as well as they: Then let me die for it.
O ye Antychristes ye your selues maye see how lytle thys text of the Lepers serueth for aurycular cōfession. Woo be to youe ye wresters ād wrythers of Gods holy worde. I coulde bryng in as good auctoryte agaynste the rest of your wicked decrees, but I wyll defer it to the makyng of an other worke which shalbe shortly if the lord lende me lyfe. Yf not, I doubte not but he shal rayse other that shall accomplysh that which I haue begon. For doubte nott [Page] but Godes chosē will with the scrypture fyght agaynste your wycked decrees, yea although their bloud be shedde therfore. Yea asmoche Ioie haue they to set forthe the glorye of God, ād to bryng theyr brethern to the knowledge of your blynde errours, ande to teache them the waye to avoyde them, callinge them to Chryst: Euen asmoche Ioye, I saie, and with as free a hert, as ye haue to rob Chryst of hys honoure, geuing part to hym, parte to the creatures by hī created: yea ād moche more then ye haue in mayntaynyge of your kingdome in pompe ād pride, & in shedīg of the bloude of innocentes. For we knowe that ye Lord hath promised vs none other rewarde ī thys life. And ye haue made wonderous goode prouysyon for the same. FOR who soeuer shall preach [Page] Chryst or write Christ aright, he is incontynent in the net eyther of fellonie, treason, or hearesye, or in all thre. But at the grete daye of the Lorde, at the rysynge of all fleshe, ye generacion of Uipars, shall se that those shalbe foūde faythfull bothe to the Kyng of the body onely, and also to the Kynge of bothe bodye and soule. And then ye shall be found in deade, fellons, Traytours, ande Heretyques, both Agaynst GOD and man, ande soche wyll ye be so longe as ye possesse your inordynate RICHES that wycked Mā mon.
GOD geue the KINGE an hert to take yt wicked Mammone frō you, as he may rightfullye do wyth the Consent of the commones, by acte of Parlament, so that it maye be dysposed to GODES Glorye, [Page] and ye commone welthe. As to take hī selfe a porcyō for a knowledg of obeysaunce, and for ye maītainyng of hys estate. The rest pollityquely to be put vnto a cōmone welthe. Fyrst dystrybuted among all ye townes in Englōd ī sōmes accordīg to the quantyte & nombre of ye occupyars, where moste nead is. And all the townes to be boūd to the Kīg, yt his grace may haue ye money at hys neade to serue hī. And also a politique way taken for prouysyon for ye pore in euerye towne, wt some parte to ye mariages of yonge parsōs that lacke frēdes. Wayes ther are ynough, who so lusteth to studye for them.
Yet one thing wolde I wishe that all men wolde take you euen as ye are, that is euen lyke as the Uipar aboue all other beastes wormes or serpentes [Page] is most fullest of poison for certayne qualities in him: euen so ye aboue all the mēbres of Antichrist, be ye moste fullest of poison, swiftest to shedde bloud, ye greatest persecuters of Christes congregacion, yea, & ye haue euer done most myschefe in shutting vp of Godes word frō ye people, aboue al other knightes of ye romysh churche. Well your wicked Mammō, your in ordinate riches was not of our heauenlie fathers plantynge, therfore it muste vp by the rotes, with the riches of your other brethern of the Romyshe churches or church malygnāt, which of late ware ryghtfully plucked vp.
If thou wilt reade ye storyes of the thre kynges a fore sayd, thou wilt saie it is hyghe time to pull from thē yt wycked Mā mon. In ye same stories ye shall [Page] see what knavery hath euer bene practysed of ye Bysshoppes, aboue all other Impes of Antychryst, as well agaynst ye Kī ges as Agaynst the preachers, teachers, & writers of Christes gospell, moste lyke vnto ye Uypar, as afore is sayde. Understonde also what the propertye of a Uipar is: she destroieth her make or male in the concepcyō, & the thīge conceiued (I meane the yonge in the lyttirynge or forth bringyng) destroieth the damme. So Bysshoppes who-Kīgs mak Lordes of beggers: be commōly the fyrste that procure thē dyspleasure, as appereth by ye storyes of these Kīgs aforesayed. Yea they haue put mo Kyngs to troble then euer came to light. For why it must neades be trew ye Christ saieth of them. The Chyldern of thys worlde be wiser in theyr generacion, [Page] thē ye chylderne of lyght be in theyrs.
What thīk ye of the northe? Surelye in my iudgement (I wyll speake no farther) but it was theyr owne inuencion, ād the Bysshoppes ware the very orygynall, grounde ande foundacyon of the same Insurectyon, vproare and tumulte. Well although Chryste dothe saie, ye be so wyfe in youre generacion, yet maketh not it against these wordes, that your wysdome will proue folishnes .i. Cor. i. Whyche GOD graunte maye be shortlye, that the pore selye lambes maye preache ād teache the gospell, and that the rest which yet be without, may espie your dysceyte, ād fle from your dyrtye tradycyons, ande followe theyr owne shepherd, which so louinglie gane his life for them.
[Page]I knowe ye Papystes & their flocke shal sclaūderously report that I am agaynste the Sacramēt, which am dyrectlye wt it after Christes instituciō, and full agaynste ye instituciō of the Rome Bysshoppes, as ye shall perceiue yf ye marke & pondre my sētēce aright. Or els they will say I ā ā anabaptist which opiniōs of thē yt are against the scriptur (as they haue diuerse) I vtterly abhorre, which opyniōs nead not her to be touched
Your old craft is also to sclaū der vs saynge we be causers of insurreccyō: ī which poynt euē as I therin now shall shew my mīd, so haue all those done which laboured ī ye vīeyard, of whō ye haue borned a great nōbre. I acknoweledge & geue to vnderstōd to all yt shall either read this my worke or heare it red, yt all kīges & rulers haue theyr [Page] aucthoritye & powers of God, ād they that resiste thē or those which of thē be sent, resyst God Rom. xiii. & so seaketh his own dānaciō. Yea although a Kyng be a tyraunt, we may not resyste hym. Yea, ande althoughe a king shuld be so wicked to make actes or lawes euē directly agaynst Gods lawes as dede kīge Darius, Daniel. vi. Ande also ye high prestes & Pharisees forbiddīg Peter & Iohā to preach christ Act. iiii. Yet may we not wt fist & swerd. &c. resist thē nor be auēged of thē, no more thē dede Daniel & ye other children resist darius: or Iohā and Peter ye prestes & pharisees: or Chryste pylate. Mathe. xvi.
But gentle Reader marke, yt euē as we may not resist thē wt fist sweard or weapō &c. but to owr dāpnacion, euen like wise may we not obserue theyr wicked [Page] lawes, nor consēt or agree vnto thē with hert or mouthe, vnder paine of yt selfe same dāpnacyon: but rather suffre deth, then eyther to resyste them bodely wyth strength of hande or consent & agree vnto their wicked lawes and actes in hert or mouthe, after the exāple of Daniell, CHRIST, ye Apostles, Prophetes, Martyres et cetr. And after the exāple of the mother with her seuē sōnes. Mach vi. Whych example is wrytten for our learnīg with many suche like.
And marke thys, that euē as all subiectes be bounde to the higher powers and to be ruled by them in all thīgs, as lawes decrees ād suche other grounded vppon scrypture, and not to resiste in paine of dāpnaciō: So must the hyg [...]er powers be ruled by the scrypture ande [Page] make no lawes contrarie to ye scrypture, in payne of like dāpnacyon vnto them. For that is the onelye touchstone, whych trieth all thynges, and whych muste gouerne all thynges.
Thus I end my Lamentacion, beseackyng God through his sonne Iesus Christ, to drawe you from all your old Idolatrye, fornycacyon, ād aduoutrye: from persecuting Christ in his saintes, from your inordynate couetuousnes, ande from youre euell suppressynge of the pore. And geue you grace, that nowe at the last ye maye repente ande beleue the gospell in embrasynge the same, sekynge GODES glorye onelye and the commone welth, as in tymes paste ye haue done youre owne: and dylygentlie to prouide for the pore, whiche aboue all other thynges [Page] shalbe demaunded of you, at ye greate daie of the Lord, as afore is sayde.
And thus doīg doubt not, but ye plages whych ye haue ryght fullie deserued, God of his bottomelesse mercie wil turne thē from you, as he ded by ye Niniuites, whych repēted whē they ware warned by Ionas ye Prophete. Yf not loke for no lesse plages then Ierusalē & other Cityes had for their inyquitie.
Awake therfore and repent, ande turne to the Lorde yet in tyme, and he will turne to you. That graunt the Lorde of all Lordes and father of mercye. Amen.
The grace of God (through our Lorde Iesus Chryst) be wyth you all.