The Hunting of the Fox and the Wolf
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A14050.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
THE Hunting of the Fox and the Wolf, because they make havoc of the sheep of Christ Jesus.
Take heed of false prophets, which come unto you in sheep's clothing, but within are ravening Wolves.
An Admonition to cold preachers.
To all my faithful Brethren in Chri • t Ie • u, and to all other that labor to weed out the weeds of popery 〈…〉 the Lord Jesus • e with y • u and make yo • perf •• in all good works to do his will working in you that which is pleasant in • is sight through Jesus Ch • ist our Lord.
DEare brethren, because we are created for gods glory, y e edification one of another in Christ, & are bound to serve thereunto by wealth or woe, life or death, and chiefly, they to whom God hath given the greater gifts, & whom he hath called to higher romes, are most bound to be zealous for God's glory, with godly zelousie to profit the Church & spouse of Christ under their charge, and y t by no subt • lty, as the Apostle warneth, they should be corrupted from the simplicity of Christ: Therefore there is no doubt of your good zeal & diligence: My good Fathers and dear Brethren who are first called to y e battle, to strive for gods glory & the edificatiō of his people, against the Romish reli ••• s and rags of Antichrist, I doubt not but y t you will couragieuslye & constantly in Christ, rap at these rages of God's enemies, and y t you will by this occasiō race up many as great eno • mities, y t we all know & labor to raccout all the dregs & renmāts of transformed popery, that are crept into England, by to much lenity of thē that wi • be named the Lord's of the Cl • rgie. What is he that h • th the zeal of God's glory before his face, • will not join both in prayer, and in suffering with you, in so good a cause, that is so much for God's g • orie & the edification of God's church, in the pure simplicity of Chri • t • s word & sacraments, wherein our enemies and per • ecut • urs are strangely bewitched? I wote not by what Circes 〈◊〉 , that they do make such a diversity betwixt Christ's word and his Sacraments, that they cannot think the word of God safely enough preached, and honourably enough handled, without cap, koape, surplis, But that the Sacraments, the marrying, the burying, the churching of women, and other church service (as they call it) must needs be decored with crossing, with capping, with surplessing, with kneeling, w t pretty wafer cakes, and other knackes of popery. O Paul that thou were alive, thou durst tell those politic gentlemen, that there hath been to much labor bestowed upon them in vain: thou durst say unto them as thou diddest to the Corinthians, That they eat not the Lord's Supper, but play a pagent of their own to blind y e people▪ and keep them still in superstition, far from the simplicity of Christ's supper: but howe many silie souls is there that doeth believe ver •• y, that they have an Engli • h mass, and so put no difference between truth and falsehood, between Christ and antichrist, between God & the devil, they are strangely bewitched. I say y t thus will b • nde t • eir English priesthood & sacraments, but mu • h more enchaūted that can find no garments to please them, • ut such as have been polluted openly with popish superstition and idolatry: but most of all in this point that their madness appear to all posterities, y t they make these Antichristian rags Causam sine qua non, that is, a cause w • thout which there is no holy ministry in Christ, so y t this shall make an English priest, be he n • uer such a dolt or unlearned in the knowledge of the scripture, as we have very • any, and without these Romish relics not Paul himself shall be admitted (as one of them did blaspheme, & the rest of them in effect do affirm:) well against such popish chaffer & popery, hath been long agone f • ughten withal, when the great captains of that religion lived, and yet God g • ue the victory. Therefore let us not fear now, although it doth begin to stir again, for there is no craft, cunning, counsel, wisdom or policy against the Lord. We have Christ and his Apostles and the Prophets ever striving against the Hipocrites of their time on our side: a straw for popish policy we have the word or God to warrant us, to rote out all monuments of superstition & Idolatry, and are charged to abhor them, to account them, accursed, & to dety them, and to d • test thē as menstreous clowts, they have not the word of God for thē. And what wi • edome is in them, saith God by his Prophet Ieremi, they talk of obedi • nce & concord, but there is no obedience against the Lord, no nor concord to be desired, but where God's glory & verity is preserved. Els better to have all the world in hurly burlis, and heaven & earth to shake, thē one jot of gods glory should decay So far forth as in us lieth, we have their own laws & proclamations to root cut all monuments of supersticiō & idolatry, & their own words are contrary to their doings. It should appear y t they reap̄t their reformacion proclaimed, as did y e Isralits, thei build again y t which once they have destroyed & this is don openly y t all the world may wonder & behold: but what is don secretly, god will one day have it declared openly, yea they make the name of god & this doctrine y t we profess▪ to be evil spoken of already. By many of their doings, theyre judgment hasteth that for such causes persecute Godsf • rue Preachers: Wherefore let us not ear their thretnings, there can none persecute the godly for this cause & trash, but either such as are neither hot nor cold, & then they shall be vomited out unless their zeal increase, or such as have no God before their eyes, whose God is their belly, or else open papists, whō God hath given up to a reprobate sense, wherefor we must thus take it, y t they are gods rods for our sins, because we have not been more zealous in gods cause, neither careful to seek his glory, y • wolf Winchester & blody bucher Bonar fought once against many godly men for the ground of this gere, and they had all the power of y e Realm serving their lusts: but behold howe the Lord in short time overthrew them all, to give us courage to go forward, the Lord forgive us, we are to slack and negligent in heavenly things: this monster Boner remaineth and is fed as papists say, for their sakes, & it must be granted it is for some purpose, although he be a traitor & an enemy to y • crown & realm, and both to God and man, which burned God's holy testament, murdered his faintes and his servants. But what the Lord requireth to be done with false Prophets, it is manifest: we have both the law of God & man for us. But we are answered nay you yourselves shall be compelled to turn your coats and cappes, and get you into his liueries, & to be like him in your garments. O Elias that thou lived • t, or that thy spirit were amongst us, thou w • uldest • aye with the Prophet Sophome, That God will unite the wearers of this idolatrous garments or strange apparel, thou wouldest say, that things dedicated once to idolatry, is not indifferent: thou wouldest say reverence to the Sacrament is wrought by doctrine and Discipline, and not by popish and Idolatou • s garments: thou wouldest say, What decency can there • be gained to the Sacraments, by that which hath been devised and used to deface it: I • the gold ordained by God for the reverence and decency of the Jews Temple, is not to be admitted to beautify the Church of Christ, much less kopes brought in by Papists the enemies of God, and always continued in their service as ornaments of their Religion in no wise ought of us Christians to be retained. But the Papists triumph and glory in their assemblies, that the hot gospelers shall be driven to their doltishe attires: for the Lord's sake let us never give them any cause of joy, though we should die for it. Moses would not yield one hoof of a beast in God's business, he would not leave the loupe v •• ade, nor make a button or a clasp more or less. Eleazar will not dissemble by eating of unlawful meats, the faithful Israelites would not receive so much as an yuie bushe. Contrarie wi • e Origen carrying a branch, and professing that he bare it for Christ at the first: But was afterward compelled to open idolatry, so cursed a thing it is to give any place to the wicked: all the papists that say, they worship Christ in y e cross, and God in the sacrament, do still under these words continue still in their idolatry: beware of deceytful words, that cover wicked purposes, to draw us from Christian simplicity.
Let us stand constantly against all abuses, & repent for our former coldness in religion, and our sins, and cal for help frō above, for the hand of the Lord is not shortened: we are assured that we seek God's glory, and our adversaries may see, if they can see anything, that this thing that they seek is not for God's glory, seeing the papists the enemies of God do so desire it and glory in it. And rejoice, y t we, whom they most hate, cannot be safe but under their garments: we are assured that we seek God's glory in following Christ his Apostles and Prophets: whoever despised these pharisaical outward faces and visures, Christ findeth fault with the garments of the Pharisees. Paul counteth all his Pharisaical show to be dung. Zachari saith, that the false Prophet shall be ashamed of his prophecy, and forsake his garments wherein he deceived, & shall y e true Prophets be fain to creep into their cou • es▪ for by the same authority may be commanded any peace of popery, so y • it be nam • d policye. Hezekiah & Josiah knew no such authority, but they say: It is for policy. For it plainly appeareth that there is less care for religion then for policy. But beware y t the example of Ieroboham be not followed, that made such like priests for policye, as would do as he commanded them. Achaz of policy brought y • fashion of an altar into Ierusalē, as he saw at Damascus, where he had overcome the Idolators and their idols, but cursed was his policy, and so are all they y t will retain anything of their idolatry. Nabuchodonosors Idol was for unity & policy, but without y e warrant of gods word, there is neither good unity nor policy. The godly father Bucer called y e tenths and the first fruits sacrilege & robery, they be kept still for policy, cross & candelstickes are superstitious, though they be kept, I wot not for what policy, the adoration of the Sacrament in the countries where they knock and kneel for a wafer cake is a popish policy. That women baptize, that pluralities, to • , quots, impropriacions, non residēce dispensations, suspencions, excōmunicaciōs, and absolucions for money 〈◊〉 granted, 〈◊〉 is evil like as are mani other 〈◊〉 b • r •• wed from Rome, which remain 〈…〉 of policy. Al these things were abhorred as popish • upersticions & Idolatries, am • ng our gospellers both bishops and others, when they were under gods rods in p • ue •• y • . But how they now have learned c • urtle • iuin • ty to ground all upon policy. Humble them again, O Lord, that they do not f •• get thee, and thy great kindness, and mercy 〈◊〉 upon them, and stir up their hearts and minds, that they may be carefu • l • uer thy poor flock. O Christ whom thou haste dearly bought, by this their policy are blinded, and careth for no more, • ut y they may have this superstitious sh • w which is 〈…〉 maintained. 〈◊〉 him mumble as he list if he be thus appareled, all his service is well enough, otherwise it is nothing worth. Thus cause you thē to perish by y • ur policyes, for whom Christ hath died. Furthermore, if popery be superstitious & idolatrous, evil and wicked, as yet there was never a worse thing in the world, thē ar we commanded to abst • ine frō all participatiō thereof, & frō all the show thereof ab omnistecie mali, y t is from all show of wickedness. These garments were the show of their blasphemous priesthood, herein they did sing and say their • uper •• icious •••• atrous seru • ce they did c • nce their Idols and help forward their idolatrous masses: What policy can it be then to wear this gea • e? • ut a superstitious, w • cked and popish policy: they do it for policy (they say) that their Priests may be known and magnified of men. Did not the Pharisees use the same policy, to do all their works and make all their garments both Philacteries upon their heads, and their wyde and side robes and borders, that they might be more expectable & notorious to the people? but their woe is threatened above all other sinners. To such hypocrites, as being void of all true holiness, delight in all outward shows, their curse is most inculcate, their policy is that the Priests shall wear white in the churches to signify their virtue, their pureness and holiness: and when they go forth of the Church they must wear black gowns and black horns for contrary policies & for diverse significations. Our master Christ's policy was expressed in one word, feed, feed, feed: and the Prophets before, and the Apostles afterward: if Christ be the wisdom of the Father, the true Ministers shall be well enough known, by that one mark which he giveth: And if that he have not that mark, better unknown then known, both for him se •• e and others: Therefore let them not say, for shame, that they seek God's glory, Christ's will, or the edification of his Church by their policy. Whyles they threaten and stop the spreading of God's word and feeding of Christ's flock, commanded by writing to excommunicate the moste faithful lab • urers in the planting of the Gospel, because they will not wear the rags of popery, to expulse y e most valiant Soldiers against the Romish Antichrist, the most earnest ouerthrowers of the kingdom of Satan, which standeth in sin & blindness. O beware you, that will be Lord's over the flocks, that you be not sore punished for your pride towards your brethren, and your cowardliness in God's cause, that for Princes pleasures and pompouse livings, do turn popery into policy, and to become our persecutors under the cloke of policy: it were better to lose your livings, then to displease God in persecuting of your brethren, and hinder the course of the word. But as our du • tie is, we will pray for you, and for all our brethren in the ministry, that GOD of his grace would grant us more zeal for his glory, than any of us hath had heretofore, more desire to edify Christ's people in pure simplicity, to present them a chaste virgin unto Christ, then hitherto hath appeared, that when the • ead shepherd shall cal to accoute we be not ashamed. But being found per • te in all good works, may receive the crown prepared: as for you dear brethren whom God hath called into the brunte of the battle, the Lord keep you constant, that ye yield neither to to •• eration, neither to any other 〈◊〉 persuasions or dispensacions, or licēces, which were to fortify their Romish pract • ses, but as you fight y Lord's fight, be valiant. God will not leave you, neither forsake you, as you seek God's glory, god will glorify you, & as by you Christ's church is edified, comforted & conformed in Christian simplicity, so shall you receive comfort by Christ your head captain, whē you shall be called to give accounts of your stewardships, & to be rewarded for your fidelity: y e matter is not so small as y e world do take it, it will appear before all be ended, what an hard thing it is to cut of the rags of the Hidra of Rome, it is beautiful, but poisonful, there is no dealing with such a monster, beware of looking back to Sodo •• or delight any wit in the garments of Babylon, neither once touche the poisoned cup, though it be of gold or glittering. Let us repent of our former sins unfeignedly, and then shall we abhor and stamp under our feet these rags, that were appointed to superstition and idolatry. Let us hate the blasphemous priesthood, so injurious to Christ's priesthood, y t every patche and token of it be in execration, detestation, and accursed, and take no parte of it upon our heads nor backs, least we be accursed as it is. Let us not make the heritage of god as a byrd of many colors, holdinge of diverse religions, Let us not mixte the Jews with the gentiles, let us not in no wise mixte this our religion with any thing of Antichrist, let us not confirm the blind in their blindness, neither the weak in their superstition: But rather let us take away, if we can, the names, memories, & all monuments of popery, and that Antichrists priesthood: Let us open our windows with Daniel, & profess what we are: their cruelty shall be our glory. Let us follow Paul, that knew that the truth, gospel could not be retained, if any Jewish cer • monies were maintained. Let us rather never wear any garmente, then we should wear those, whereby our brethren should be weakened, offended or bouldened to take part with the idolatrous, & so through our hautines in knowledge, our weak brethren perish, for whom Christ died. Behold and mark well, howe they fall backwarde that yield in any jot, and see howe they are edified, and increase in godliness, which hold that right way that you go in, the which the Lord increase you, and us all, and strenghthen us with his holy Spirit, that we may continue to our lives ende, always both by our thoughts, words & works, to advance his glory and honor daily more & more, now and forever, AMEN.
A Dialogue between the Foster, the Hunter, and the Dean.
WEll overtaken master mine.
Welcome syr unto my company, with all my heart.
Howe far intend you to ride this way?
I ride to London if / you ride thither I will be glad of your company.
I ride thither also.
Perchance ye are a Burgess of the Parliament / and ride thither to serve God and the common wealth there.
I am chosen indeed for a burgesse of the Parliament / I pray God that all we that come thither / may seek earnestly in the Parliament house / the glory of God, and the profit of the common wealth.
I pray God that ye may seek to set forth the glory of God and not to destroy his word / which many noble men of late with many great learned men / have taken great pain to promote and set forward / and namely our young master / which hath departed from us of late. As for the common wealth / for these many years / there have been few that were very earnest to help it / although in deed there were some.
It is the more pity / for a politic man / or a good citizen, and much more a good christ an man / should not only seek his one profit / but also the profit of his neighbor.
I was five years together a Burgess of the Parliament / in the lower house, but in all my time (although there were good acts made for the establishing of Religion) yet there was always some, that either sought their own private lucre / as the noble lordly and knightly sheepemasters did / in defending against all honest lovers of the common wealth / the intolerable number of sheep: or else • ought very earnestly the Kings profit / wherein they intended always to have not the smalest parte. And such were certain of the Counsel, or privy chamber, which contrary unto the order and liberty of the house, would twice or thrice, or ofter▪ speak in one matter, for the Kings profit or else for their own. And if we spake anything freely there, we were takē up like butchers curres / or else were privily met withal afterward. If that ye have no better order in your house now then we had then, ye may well go home again for any good that ye shall do there.
I must go thither, and as much as lieth in me I will discharge my conscience, if God will help me.
In every sitting or session commonly there are complaints of the multitude and overflowing number of sheep. But I marvel that there hath been of late years no complaint of the exceeding & unsufferable number of wolves, which do much more harm then the poor innocent sheep have done, and yet do still, against then willes at the commandment of their masters, or rather at their compulsion.
I have not heard tell in my time that there was ever any Wolf seen in England.
Yes ye have seen an hundredth upon one day, although ye knew them not.
I should know a Wolf by my office that I have, as well as another man should, for I am a keeper of Dere by my office, and am every day among wild beasts, and I do dwell in a great Forest whereas, if there were any Wolves in England, they should be most commonly. But I never saw any wolves in my Forest, which is as great as the most part of Forests that are in England, neither have I heard tell of any.
Even as ye are a Foster and a keeper of Dere, so am I a Hunter of wild beasts, and have been long and many a day: wherefor if I knew not wild beasts as well as any man that is of any other calling, I were not worthy the name that I have.
I pray you where have you seen any Wolves in England, because ye seem to hold that there are so many Wolves there.
I have seen a Wolf within these few years in the Tower, I have seen many in diverse Cathedral Churches of England. But there are no where mo, then are in the Conuocatiō house, in the parliament time. If you will learn to know Wolves: there may you see ynow, and a great deal mo.
I understand you now at the last, what ye mean. All England is full of such Wolves as you mean of.
Would to God we might bring it to pass, in the parliament, that the number of such swolues might be made less▪ in that condition that there wer v. thousand mo sheep in England then now are.
I am glad that you are so well minded toward the true religion.
We are all bound that are Christians, to favor and promote, the true religion, although many go about now to hinder it as much as in them lieth. And one of the same (as far as I can perceive) rydeth yonder before us, ride a littel faster that we may overtake him. I see him well enough, he is as starcke a Pharisee, as any is in all England again, if that you be a Hunter, as ye told me ye were ye may have here in this plain field, a fair course at one of your wolves, therefore let of your houndes and fall upon him, and I will help you as much as I can.
Break you the Ise, and give the first vnset and then will I with all the speed I can follow, and take the pray myself alone, except ye can better skil in this kind of hunting then I can.
Well overtaken master Dean
Ye are Welcome syr.
Will you ride now to London master Dean?
Yea and God will.
If it please you we will bear you company.
Sir I thank you. I am glad of your company. because we may (by reason of your fellowship) with less jeopardy of thieves, and with more mirth come to London
I pray you master Dean, that we may freely commun with you to drive of the time with honest mirth and merry communicatiō, whiles we ride together.
Say on what you please and I shall give you the hearing / and so oft as it cometh to my course an answer also.
Thys Gentelman and I have • easoned of a certain matter, wherein we desire to hear your judgment.
What is the matter?
My freend beareth me in hand, that there are wolves in England & I hold that there are none. I pray you let us hear your judgment what you think of this matter▪
In my days I have seen no Wolf in England, that I wot of, neither have I hard of any man that hath seen any: Wherefore I believe that there is none in England, at the least in the part of England that I dwell in.
Sir I have heard tell of more murder of sheep of late, then ever I heard of▪ in my days before, wherefor when as we have no mo foxes then we had wont to have and have moe hunters of the Fox thē ever we had before / I cannot think but that we have some Wolves in the land, which kill the sheep.
How should we have Wolves in this land▪ when they neither breed here, neither are brought into the land.
It is not vnbeleeuable / but that God hath made certain beasts / in diverse places, and chiefly in Islands, very far from any continent, or main land, without any natural bringing forth, of father or mother. Make you in any low and fenny place of England, a great pond, & see whether within three years ye shall have Eles there or no: I have heard, that both Pickrells and many other kinds of fishes have been found in such ponds, whereinto no man hath never put any old fish in And this dare I be bold to say (for I have proved it diverse times myself) that Bansticles have been found in great plenty in diches within a year after that they have ben up castē & made. Who would be so mad, as to cast old Sticlinges or Stikelbegs into the dich whereof he should never have profit?
It is true like that Dukkes and wild Gese and such like of that water haunting kind, carry either the Rownes or Egges of Fishes or else Frie / upon their wings / bills / or feet / unto such new ponds and diches / as you have spoken of / whereof come these fishes / whereof ye make mention.
As for the Rownes and Egges of the fishes / they lie in the ground of the water / and they are so slippery after that the male have poured his Milch upon them (without the which they can have no life that the wild foul cannot carry them, neither in their feet nor in their mouths. And as for the frye for my part / I never saw / red nor heard tell / that any fry of Fish hath been at any time / or in any place so tame / that it would be taken easily with a man's hand: wherefor when as every natural thing escheweth his natural enemy / as even the bloods of Flories and Aegithus / being dead and insensible will not be mixed together / it is truelike / that the young Frye (which have no greater enemies then Duks be) will not come so near unto their enemies / to cleave upon their bills legs / and wings / when as they fly away so fearfully from a childes hand / which is no such enemi unto them / as the Duck, and such like water haunters are Make a Barn in the midst of a field even seven miles frō any other house / where as no black house Mouse / or Ratte, can come to / shall there not be within a yere or two both black Myse and Rattes there?
Perchaunce the Mise come out of the fields.
They that come out of the fields are of another kind / and so unlike / that the one may well be known from the other. Who is he so inexpert / that cannot descerne a black house mouse▪ from a brown field mouse / with the long snout / much like unto a shrow?
It may chance that in continuance of time and by long tarrying in the house / that they may become housemise, or else I cannot tell how they should come thither.
I am glad that ye grant that one beast may be changed into another. But I will pass over that at this time / and will tell you that I have heard of many credible persons / that is / that if ye make a new Ship / seven mile from any town / and let her sail half a year in the main Sea / and come never near unto any other Ship / that yet shall there be / both Mise and Rattes i • the Ship.
It is no great marvel if such vnperfit beasts have a double generation / that is both by the generation of the male / and female / and also of corruption of the ground / but I reacken that ye will not gather / because these small beasts that are ordained diverse ways to plague men withal both by sea and land / come of corruption / as lyse & flees do / that Woluse also may spring up of corruption / or that god maketh them now in any place / without natural generation of the male and female.
Noes flood consumed and killed all kinds of wild beasts in the world / and none remained alive saving such as were saved in his Ship / when the flood was ended / there were Ilandes a great number many hundredth miles from any continent or main land / wherein are many kinds of wild beasts / beside Wolves and Lions / and yet it is nothing like / that any man would have taken the pain to carry such mischievous beasts into those ylandes / therefore it doth appear / that such wild beasts / either sprong up of the nature of the earth / or else God made them there / to exercise and to punish men thereby. Then if God either make Wolves there or suffer Wolves to spring up there / or bring Wolves thither out of other lands / to punish the people withal there / why may he not also punish us English men for our sins sake / either by suffering of Wolves to spring of them selves / or by making of new Wolves here / or by bringing in of other wolus that are made in other lands already to puni • he us English men for our sins sake / as he made Locusts / Frogs / Dogflees / and other great flies to punish the Egyptians withal / or as he sent Lions into Samaria / to destroy the people there.
I grant God can do all these things / but because he can do them / it followeth not that he doth thē here now. God useth not to work any such wonders / or miracles / except it be for a very great cause / as I see none such at this time.
The Lions were sent into Samaria because there was foul Idolatry done in that place / whereas God had wont to be served: have not these new gospellers taken gods service this six years away / and set up a foolish new service in the stead of it? doth not this overthrowing of the old catholic religion deserve the bringing in of Wolves / as the inhabitants of Samaria have deserved to have the Lions to be sent unto the 〈◊〉 Therefore there wanteth no cause why that God should send in Wolves / or make Wolves a new in this land / to punish us withal.
Although we have deserved much punishment / for our departing from the true religiō / of our mother holy church yet God may send us other punishment thē by miraculously bringing in of wolus.
Because ye think that God punisheth us other ways then by sending in and making of new Wolves / I pray you how shall I think that Wolves come into this Realm / when as I am sure that there are diverse in this reamle / and see thē daily / and hear them daily • If they come not hither by some of the ways which I have rehearsed before? Perchance ye see them not / and other see thē not / yet I am sure that I both hear them and see them daily.
I cannot believe yet that there are any / and if there be any / I cannot tell how they come hoyther.
A Fox and a Wolf are very like in diverse things / think ye it not possible but an old Fox may go forth of kind into a Wolf?
It is possible by the might of god but it is plain against nature.
It is not against nature that one beast should go out of kind into another. Pismires go out of kind / in Flies: Casewormes / or Codwormes become Flies / Colewormes grow into Butterflies. Serpentes and Dragons / Aristotle writeth in his boke. de historia animalium, that a red breast is turned into a red tail and that Melancariplus (that is to say a swart cope) is changed into •••• dulam / which may be called a figbiter. A puleus was turned into an Ass / as he writeth himself: the scripture also recordeth that Nebuchadnezzar (as it appeareth in the fourth of Daniel) was changed into a beast for his heart was changed from a man's into a beasts heart / & he eat hay as an Ox, but after that he repented him of his pride / his wit and his old figure was restored unto him again. It is not therefore against nature / that an imperfit beast should be changed into a more perfect of another kind. Either it is a gainst the word of God▪ that the perfitest creature above all other (I mean a man) should be changed into a vile beast Therefore it is neither against nature / neither against the word of God / that an old Fox should be turned into a Wolf.
If that you could show me a Wolf in England / that were made of a Fox / then would I beeleeue your argument to be true / but if ye cannot do that (ye shall pardon me) I cannot believe your conclusion.
The moste part of all the honest men that are in England / will bear witness / that about five years a go / there was an old Fox carried into the Tower of London / whereas / he hath continued until within these few months and that the same is a very right Wolf now / and goeth abroad and is seen of all men / and if that ye go to London / I am sure that ye shall see him.
Perchaunce ye mean of my Lord of Winchester / whom certain railers have called a Romish Fox. If that you do so you do not well / for he is a good catholic man / and a prince over us. principi populi tui non male dices, wherefor ye ought not to rail against him.
Some men now a days / when as men speak against their open sins and faults / and can no otherwise defend their naughtiness / call them that speak the truth railers.
And I insure you / they that call my Lord of Winchester a Wolf do rail.
Christ (which denied that he had any kingdom in this world and refused to be a secular ruler whiles he would neither condemn the adulteres / neither hear the cause of the two brethren that were at debate for the division of their heritage) called Herod a Fox / who was of as great authority as Stephen gardener 〈◊〉 : he called the Priests / Scribes and Pharisees / (rulers in their vocacions) S24357.tech.take2.sgmipers / broad wolves Hipocrites / Tumbes full of rotten and stinking bones / and Edders. The Apostles being only preachers / and no princes / and namely Paul handled the enemies of Christ's gospel after the same manner / and called some of them children of the Devil / as he called the Sorcerer / Act. 13. and he called the men of Candy liars slow bellies / and evil beasts. I need not to rehearse how sharply the Prophets rebuked the Kings and Princes in the old Testament / for ye know that they spared no man. Thē if that the Prophets of Christ and his Apostles railed not / then rail I not for I do none other thing then they did.
The Prophets with Christ and his Apostles / were ministers appointed for that office / and they had this in their commission / that they should show all men their faults / but I know no such commission that you have.
I have had commission of God / and King Henry the eyght and of King Edward his son / and of both their counsels auctoriti to read and to interpret the scripture: and although that my authority that I had of the two fornamed Princes be worn out & disanulled by the coming in of a new governor: I think in my conscience that I have yet still as much of God's commission remaining still / vnabrogate by any man's power / that thereby I may call a Wolf • Wolf / & give warning unto my brethren that they beware that they be not worried of Wolves for lack of warning.
Why go ye not to him and tell him that he is a Wolf / perchance he would amende his manners / if ye would tell him his fault charitably.
It is not the manner that the Hunter should go him self unto the wild beast / but he hath done his part / if he hath sent his hounds unto him.
What mean ye by that.
I mean that is enough at this time / and in this part of the world / to write unto him / and to tell him his faults in writing though I come no nearer.
The scripture teacheth you / that if your brother offend you / that you ought to rebuke him between him and you alone / and if he hear you not / then to tell the hole Church.
These words of Christ are spoken of a private offense / that is committed against one private man / and not of an open fault / which is both known unto the Church / and hath hurt the hole Church also. The scripture teacheth us / that he that offendeth openly / should be rebuked openly / that other may be afraid to offend thereby. But what if he had offended me alone / were I bound to go to rebuke him / that would caste me in prison and kill me / if I came within his reach? Should Elias have done well if he had come to Ahab and to Jezebel / whē as they would have killed him? If he did well and wisely / that came not unto his mortal enemies / but kept him self a lofe / then do not I ill to write unto him / and to keep my self from him / until his teeth be broken / for fear of biting.
I marvel why you call him a Wolf / more then all the other Bishops and Prists in England.
Because he is the principal Wolf / and for a great parte the hole cause / of the great and exceeding number of Wolves that we now have / for all the while that he was hid in his den / the great number of wolves that go abroad now openly / and worrye and kill everywhere played the Foxes in their holes but within eyghte days after he came abroad / and began to worry and kill / all the other Wolves enticed 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 said that for fear of their lives / and loss of their goods / they only ceased from their old office / these five or six years / and that now they were ready to do all things / as they had wont to do / according unto their nature and creation. And according to their saying / and old nature / they have casten into their slaughterhouse / all the principal sheep of Christ's flock / and certain of the shepeheardes also / that ever as they are hungry they may kill them / as they did Fri • h / Barns / Jerome / Garret / and Lassels / with diverse others.
As far as I can gather by your communicacion / ye make not only the bishop of Winchester a Wolf / but also all the Bishops of England Wolves with him.
I take the bishop of Winchester / and all the mass priests of England that consent unto his doctrine and doings for Wolves.
As it is easy to call all the bishops & priests of England that are mass sayers / and preach the old learning / which ye call papestry Wolves / so it is very hard to prove them Wolves.
S. Paul in the twentye of the Acts of the Apostles prophecieth / that grievous Wolves shall enter into the Church / which shall not spare the flock: the same Paul prophecieth the same / in both his Episstles that he writeth unto Timothy. Peter also in his latter Epistle prophesied that false prophets should come. Christ our master in the 24. of Math. said also that false prophets shall come among his sheep / into the church / but the Church of England is Christ's Church / and the people of it / are his sheep. Therefore according unto the prophecy of Christ / and his Apostles / we must believe that we have one time or other false prophets / but the lay men are not the Prophets / and the • e must needs be false prophets / and there are no more orders of men / but either lay men or priests • he • whē lay men cannot be the fallse prophets / then must it follow that the priests are the false prophets.
I grant that Christ and the apostles prophec • ed / that false prophets should come / and I say that they came in deed / some even in the Apostles times / as Ebion and Cerinthus / and afterward Arius / Donatus / Pelagius / Muhammad and a great sort mo.
Christ and his Apostles spake not of the time only / that immediately came after them / but rather of the latter times / and of the last times of all / When Christ's Disciples asked him / of the ende of the world / and of the tokens thereof: he among diverse other tokens of the end of the world / numbereth the great number of false prophets / which shall arise and deceive many / therefore Christ prophesied not of them that were next unto his time / but of such as should come in the end of the world. Paul 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 surety / that in the latter times / some shall depart from the Faith. In the second Epistle unto Timothy / and in the third Chapter / he writeth thus / know you that in the last days shall come & draw near perilous times / and men shall arise that have the image of godliness / but shall deny the effect of it in deed. Peter also in the third chapter of his second Epistle / saith / that in extremis diebus that is in the last days / shall come mockers. &c. therefore the prophesies of Christ and the Apostles do bear witness that the false prophets shall arise in the last times / & not only a little after their times / as ye understand them.
Well / then may we truly understand the above rehearsed prophesies / to pertain unto Muhammad / & to all them that preach and teach his law / whereof is a great number then of christen preachers.
Paul Acts the twenty prophesying of the false prophets / saith. Ex nobis ipsis ex •• ientur viri loquent • s peruers • a. &c. There shall spring out some of your own selves / which shall speak perverse things: and entreating of the same mater unto Timothy / he saith / deserscent quidam a fide▪ that is / some shall depart from the faith. Peter writing of the false prophet • saith there shall be false doctors a monge you. Then they that Paul and Peter prophesied of / shall not come out of another religion / but of our own religion.
Then when ye will let me have none other to be the Wolves. I must say / that 〈◊〉 / H • s / Luther / Swinglius and the new preachers / which preach in England the new learning are the Wolves where of Christ and the Apostles have prophesied to come in the last days.
Yes I will let you have all the massing and sacrificing clergy to be Wolves / and yet I will defend them whom you have named▪ from the name of Wolves / because they do not the deeds of Wolves. And as I said afore / I say that the bishop of Rome called the Pope / and all the bishops of England / and all the priests that are ordained of the Pope / or any other bishop to say mass and to serve in ceremonies only, which God never ordained / and not to preach God's word alone / and to minister only his Sacraments / and all they that be ordained to preach God's word, and do not preach / or if they do preach either preach only man's ordinances / or else if they preach God's word / leaven it with the doctrines which are the commandments of men / are the right wolves / that Christ and the Apostle Paul prophesied of.
The oft saying of one thing proveth nothing. It that is false of nature / cannot be made true by often rehearsing / as you know yourself. Therefore I look that ye should prove at last / it that you have so oft said / that is that all the priests that hold the learning that my Lord of Winchester holdeth are Wolves.
I have in deed rechearsed one thing twice or thrice / but not for that intent that I would that the often rehearsal of it / should stand in the steed of a probacion / or proving of my saying. And though I be but a small clerk in comparison of you / yet I trust if you will give me the hearing / I shall prove my saying / not with the often rehearsal of the same / but with the authority of the scripture / and with good reasons sounded and grounded upon the scripture / and natural reason.
I am content to here you.
Christ saith / in the vii. of Matthew / keep yourselves from false prophets which come unto you in sheep's clothing / but within are ravening wolves: where by we may learn / that all false prophets are privy and inward wolves. But the Pope and his Son Stephen Gardener with all the order of priests above named / are false prophets / wherefor they are all wolves. He is a false prophet which occupyeth the room of a true prophet / and either is not sent, or else if he be sent / doth not exercise his office as God hath commanded him but otherwise. And as there are many kinds of false prophets, so are there many properties / whereby they may be known: The first propertye of a false prophet is / to thrust himself into the office of a prophet / or to take the office in hand before he be sent. The second is / to preach lies, and other doctrine thē God hath commanded. The third property is to preach earnestly his own doctrine / and to threaten great punishment to the breakers thereof / and to preach very slackly, it that God earnestly / and expressedlye hath commanded / 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 covetous of gold and silver / and of promocion / and to serve the belly / That he is a false prophet / that thrusteth himself into the office of a prophet / or taketh the office in hand / before he be sent of God / the prophet Jeremiah witnesseth the 14. chapter: These prophets prophecy a lie in my name. I sent them not. I gave them no commandment / neither have I spoken unto them / and yet they prophecy a lying vision / and a gessing prophesy / & the deceit of their own heart. Wherefore saith the Lord / the prophets which prophecy in my name when I sent them not / shall perish with hunger and sword. Jeremiah xxix. Let not your prophets and sothsayers beguile you / neither take ye any heed to your dreams which you dream / for they prophecy unto you lying in my name / & yet I sent thē not: the same sentence is contained Deutero .xviij. in these words: A prophet which presumeth to speak a word in my name / which I commanded him not to speak / or he that speaketh in the name of strange God's / such a prophet shall die. I find the same meaning in the xxiij. of Jeremiah / in these words: I have not sent these prophets / and yet have run: I spake nothing unto them / and yet have they prophesied. And in the xxvii. They prophecy you a lie / for I sent them not / notwithstanding that they prophesy falsely in my name. Ezekiel in the xiii. chapter speaketh the same sentence: they have seen vanity / and a lying prophecy / saying / the Lord hath said it / when as the Lord hath not sent them. Christ also in the new Testament describeth a false prophet after the same manner saying. He that entereth not into the shepefolde by the door / but climeth in another way / he is a thief and a murderer. I am the door of the sheep all they that have comme before me are thieves & murderers. If that he be a false prophet which taketh the office of a prophet or a shepherd / and is not sent of God: If he be a thief and a murderer / that entereth into the sheepfold / otherwise then by Christ / (as the holy ghost saith he is) then all the unlearned Bishops / Deans / Prouostes / Cannons / Parsons and S24357.tech.take2.sgmicars which cannot preach and teach God's word / are false prophets / Wolves / Thieves and Murderers. For God never sent them / and so came they not into their offices thorough Christ / but have climbed in an nother way. That God never sent the unlearned / I prove it thus: He that would have his word preached unto his slocke / and would that the same • lock should be saved / and fed with the same word / and giveth an earnest commandment unto all the shepeheardes of his flock / to preach unto the flock / and to cry unto his sheep / will not send a dūme & an vnle • rned man / to be the shepehearde unto it. But God would have his word preached / and his flock saved and kept with the same word / and this is his commandment / cry and cease not: and show my people their faults / go and preach the gospel to every creature / go and teach all nations / feed my Lambes / feed my sheep. Then ye see that it is the commandment of God / that his flock should be fed with preaching and teaching, whereby we may easily know that he sendeth no dūme dogs / and unlearned Asses to be Bishops / Parso • s and S24357.tech.take2.sgmicars over his flock / that cannot preach and teach the word of life whereby his flock should be fed and saved from the Wolves. Therefore God never sent thē / neither came they in by Christ. Wherevpon it followeth / that all the unpreaching Prelates in England / are false prophets & wolves because God never sent them / nor called them to be prophets / and because he knew them unmeet for that office. Now I pray you have ye seen no Wolves in England / is it a strange sight to see in England dumb Ambassadors / and unlettered legates that cannot speak / nor declare the commandment of God? If such be in every corner of England / that is to say / such as cannot feed Christ's flock with his word: then is all England full of Wolves.
I perceive for my parte that the scripture calleth such dumb pastors / thieves / robbers and Wolves / but if you could show me what they stale / what they murdered and killed / I would be better satisfied in my conscience: And then would I boldly say with you / that they were Wolves in deed.
The unlearned Bishops Deans / prouostes canons / parsons and viccars / steal all the livings that they have / for they take the tithes and other things of the people / saying that the tithes and such like things / are God's part / and say that gods parte is due unto them / but they do not the office that God hath appointed for such livings / that is / they feed not his flock with his word: therefore they are thieves. And that ye may the better understand this / I will declare the matter by a likeness. If that a man gave himself out for a phisitian / and could do nothing in physic at all / and yet took ten pound to heal a sick man / and either ran away with the x.li. or if he tarried with the sick man / neither did him any good / nor could do him any good / were not this apish phisitian a thief? If there were an high way / that had much need of mendi • g / and a common gathering were made / thorough the hole parish / and a great sum of money were gathered to mend this high way withal / and the parish chosed out one of the parish, which for that sum of money should repair the high way / and he that is chosen / taketh the money and promiseth to amend the way / but either he runneth away with the money / or he tarrieth still among his neighbors / and mendeth not the high way / and holdeth the hole sum of money to himself / is not this man a thief? If he be a thief / then is the Parson a thief / which taketh ten pound. in the year gathered unto him / out of the common fields / to feed the part she therefore with God's word / and never preacheth in all his life. If ye will have the sum of the matter compendiouslye told. take it thus▪ He that taketh away gods goods and his neighbors / from them against their will deceitfully / is a thief / but all unpreaching bishops / deanes and parsons take away gods goods & their neighbors / deceitfully against God's will / and against their neighbors / therefore they are thieves / yea and more then thieves / church robbers.
I grant that they are spiritual thieves / but howe prove you that they same are murderers.
I shall prove you that not only all the unlearned parsons / that are not sent and cannot preach / are murderers / but also that all such learned Bishops / Deans / Parsons / and other Prelates / that are sent of God and his church / and yet do not preach & feed not Christ's flock with his word / are murderers▪ wolves and false prophets. If that ye had a young child / and your wife were dead / or your wife living / could not give the child suck her self / if a nurse toke in hand for xii. d in the week to feed your child / if she either having no milk / suffer the child to die for hunger / or having milk enough gave your child nether milk / nor other good meat / but suffered it to die for hunger / would ye not say / that this woman were a murderesse?
Yes that I would / and tha for a shameful murderesse.
Then when as every pastor or sheepehearde taketh Christ's flock in hand to feed it with God's word / and receiveth good wages for the feeding thereof / and either having no knowledge of God's word / suffereth Christ's flock to perish / for lack of spiritual food / or having good knowledge / runneth away from his flock / and feedeth it not / or though he tarry with it / feedeth it not with gods word / but suffereth it to perish for lack of preaching / is not every such unpreaching pastor then a murderer / and a Wolf?
Reason saith so / but how prove you this by the scripture. For except ye can prove this by the scripture / there are many that will not believe you / that murder may be committed by not feeding / and not crying against the people's vices.
The Lord God saith in the xxxiij. of Ezechi. If I bring the sword upon the earth / and the people of the earth / take a man of their country / and make him their watchman / and if he see the sword coming upon the earth / and then blow with his tromphet / and warn the people plainly / and they hear the voice of the tromphet / and will not be warned / if the sword come and take them away / their own blood be upon their own heads. But if the watchman see the sword coming / and blow not his horn / and the people be not plainly warned / if the sword come / and they be killed / the people are killed for their wickedness / yet will I require the blood of my people of that watchman's hand Thus far hath God spoken. You may see that my parable and this doth agree together. The Lord in the same chapter declareth his parable thus. O thou son of man / I have made thee a watchman to the house of Israel / that thou may hear the word out of my mouth / and that I may warn them plainly in my name. If I say unto the wicked / thou wicked / surely thou shalt die / and thou wilt not speak unto him / that he leave his wicked way / he shall die in his wickedness / but his blood will I require at thy hand. Now syr have ye heard it plainlye spoken without any parable / by God's own mouth: that the watchman which will not give warning unto his flock / is guilty of blood. But none are guilty of blood but murderers / but dumb pastors are guilty of blood / therefore they are murderers and so spiritual wolves. If these places be not thought sufficient to prove that unpreaching prelates / are false prophets and so Wolves and murderers / I will allege mo places to satisfy them that aer not yet satisfied. Almighty God saith / Ezekiel the xxiiij: Son of Man prophecy thou against the pastors / or sheepeheardes of Israel / and thou shalt say unto them: Woe be unto the shepherds of Israel / which have fed them selves / ought not sheepeheardes to feed their flock? Ye eat the fat, ye are clothed with the woole / ye kill it that is fat / ye feed not the flock / ye have not strengthened the weak / ye have not gone to heal the sick / ye have not bound up it that was broken / ye have not brought home again it that was driven away / and ye have not sought it that was lost / but you have been lords over them in hardness / and cruelnesse: they have straied out of the way / being without a shepherd / and they have been meat t • every beast / whilse they wādered, My flock hath wandered in all mountains / and in every high hill / and upon all places of the earth / have my sheep ben scattered, and there was none to seek them, therefore hear ye O shepeheards the word of the Lord. As truly as I live / I will punish you / because my sheep were taken away / and were prays to every beast of the field / because there was no shepherd, and because my sheepeheardes have not sought for my sheep / but the shepeheards have fed them selves. Therefore ye sheepeheardes hear the word of the Lord. Behold I am against the sheepeheardes / and I will require my sheep of their hands. Now I trow that I have proved / that all the unpreaching prelates of England / are thieves / murderers, and Wolves / and that two properties of a false prophet / agre unto our dum pastors / and so are they false prophets / that the hole scripture crieth out upon and condemneth.
Then the unpreaching prelates / as ye call them / are not hole false prophets / because they have not all the properties of a false prophet.
There are many kinds of false prophets, and who so ever hath any one of the properties of any of those kinds is a false prophet. Christ taketh him for a false prophet in the tenth of John / that is unsent / and entereth into the office of a prophet or sheepehearde not thorough Christ / but climeth in an nother way / his words in latin are these: Qui non intrat per hostium, in stabulum ouium seda scendit. That is he that entereth not into the sheep f • old by the door / but climeth in another way, he is at hefe & a murderer. Almighty god in the xi. of Zachari / painting & discribing another kind of false prophets / saith after the old translatino: O pastor & idolum derelenquens gre gem. O shepherd and idol which leaveth or forsaketh his flock. In the Surik translation Vae pastori idolo qui gregem deserit Woe be unto the idol shepherd that leueth his flock. The Lord in the 34. of Ezekiel, describing false prophets / showeth none other token of a false prophet, or of an evil shepherd or of a Wolf / but that he feedeth not his flock. So that he is both a false prophet / that cometh into the church otherwise then by Christ / and he also that entereth rightly into the sheepfold and yet leaveth his flock / or tariyng with his flock feedeth it not.
Now have I proved / that he that hath any of these properties of a false prophet / is a false prophet. I may therefore call all the unpreaching prelates false prophets, because they either have two properties of a false prophet / or one sure property at the lest, which a lone after the mind of Christ, maketh a false prophet.
The pore priests of England have not deserved to have the names of dogs & Wolves for not feeding of the people / for they minister the sacraments / they pray / they sing and say gods service / and they read the holy scripture / which is sufficient food for the souls of all their parishioners and hol • flock / also the bishops do as much good in their dioceses / as a sort of prating preachers have don, whi •• they hear causes of heresy / of fornication / and of such like manners / they consecrate Deacons subdeacons / and Priests / they continue in the great cities of their dioceses / as it were in high rocks / or tops of hills / looking there / over all the country / whether any heretical Wolves / come into their flock or no / if they see any. I warrant you they cease not / but they cry out upon them / and not only cry out upon them / but also if thei can cage them, cast them into the fire. Other of the bishops / which are away from their flocks / Either are Ambassadors / or they are Counselers / and continue in the Courte or they have other offices / wherein they serve God and the Queen / as well as the best preachers that ye have had is England these seven years. Therefore ye ought not to have called them Wolves, seeing they are so well occupied.
I maruelsyr that ye slip over and pass by my reasons / arguments / and places of scripture which I have alldged / as though he had not heard them. Belike eytheh your conscience telleth you / that it is true that I have said / or else you cannot answer unto them. As touching your arguments least I should seem to knowledge them to be good / or else vnaunswerable by passing over them, or else so clarkly / as though I were a feared to strive with you in them: I will answer to them one after another. Whereas ye say that the unpreaching bishops and priests ought not to be called dogs and Wolves / because the minister the Sacraments because they sing and say God's service / because they read the Scriptures / which is food enough for all their parishoners and flocks / because they (namely the bishops) hear causes of fornication / of heresy / and such like matters / consecrate Subdeaco • s / deacons / and priests / and stand in th greatest • ities of their dioceses / as it were in high tops of mountains / to spy whether any heretical Wolves come into their flocks or no / and if they spy any / do cast thē into the fire, because they are Ambassadors / because they are Counselors / because they are Amners and Chanceloures / and such like officers / and are thus well occupied / and do a much good / as our prating preachers do (as ye unadvisedly call them / I answer that the doing of all these things / discharg them not / from the true and well deserved names of dumb dogs thieves robbers / and wolves. For he that keepeth all the eyght last commandments and breaketh the two first commandments / which are two of the most principal commandments / is guilty of all the rest: and shall be dammed for the breaking of those two. What if I granted you that all these deeds which ye said the unpreaching prelates were occupied in / were belonging unto their vocation even according unto the ordinance of god (as I know the contrary to be true) yet I will prove you that the preaching of God's word / is also belonging unto all bishops / and pastors / and shepherd • / for Christ saith to the pastors or shepeheards / go and teach all nations / and Baptise them / in the name of the Father / and of the Son and of the holy Ghost▪ teaching them to keep all things / which I have commanded you. And in the xvj. of Mark he saith go into all the world / and preach the gospel to every creature / then is preaching a work necessarily required of all pastors and bishops. Wherefore if they do not this moste excellent work that belongeth unto a shepherd / they are guilty / and are breakers of all the other works that belong unto a bishop / or a shepherd. Ezekiel / (as I alleged him before) maketh all pastors that preach not the amendment of life unto the people / and give not thē expressed warning to amend their lives: to be murderers. If he do so / so may I do the like. Then may I call them well enough murderers and therefore false porphets and wolves. Well then when as no man can deny / but that preaching is the principal office that belongeth unto a Byshoppe or shepehearde though all your lately named deeds were offices belonging unto their vocation: yet for all that / the doing of all them / should not discharge them from the wrath of God for committing of murder / if he murdereth, that seedeth not. Which thing I shall declare unto you, by these two similitudes or likenesses: If a nurse prayed every day three hours for the child which she hath taken in hand to feed / and sange other three hours / and washed the child as clean as it were possible for a woman to do / and yet gave the child no milk / nor fed it, but suffered it to die for hunger / I think for all her praying and saying, singing and washing / she were a murderesse. It that a watchman were hired of all the citizens of a city to watch the city / and this watchman went out of his watching place and went into the city & helped the masons to biuld the wales, or did any such like thing, whereof he had no charge, or commandment, and the enemies came into the city / and killed all the citizens / or but ten of them, for lack of the warning of the watch man: this watch man should be guilty of all their deaths that were killed / as almighty God saith in Ezekiel. Even so all your unpreaching parsons / though they do diverse other things / either not belonging unto their office or belonging to their office or calīg & leave undone the most prinpal part of all other, that is preaching of God's word, and suffer the flock to perish for lack of preaching / are gilty of the blood of all thē that perish / for lack of preaching of God's word unto them. Also when as God hath ordained bishops to be watchmen over their flocks / if they leave their office undone / and go away from their flock / and play the Counselours / Amners / and Chauncelours / if any of their flock perish for lack of keeping / they are soul murderers / and therefore Wolves and worse then dogs. Whereas ye say that the parsons feed Christ's flock sufficiently / because they read the word of God / which is sufficient food for all their flocks: I say that it is true that the word of GOD is sufficient food for all their parishioners / if that it were ministered and served out unto the people / as it should be. But the reading of it in a strange tongue / feedeth not Christ's flock / and the word of God spoken and read in a strange tongue / and not expounded / saveth not the flock from the Wolves / neither doth the only reading of gods word / discharge the shepherd from the rightly deserved name of a murderer. For as if an englishmā which wer made the watchman of Barwick / if he saw the Scots come toward Barwicke / and spake to the citizens and soldiers of the city / either only Erchontai sko • in Greek / or veniunt scoti in Latin / and would not say in English / the Scots come / and the people woste not what the watchman said / and so were sodeinly taken of the Scots / and were for the most parte killed / were he not a murderer / and were he not worthy to be hanged for his labor? Even so / the parsone or bishop / that readeth the scripture / wherein are contained all words of warning of all men from all perilles in a strange tongue, that the people understandeth not / as they do that say & sing these good warning words of God in Latin / unto the unlearned 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 perish for lack of understanding of the warning / he is a murderer / a thief and a Wolf. Aunswere me I pray you what better are the parishioners for hearing of it which they understand not.
Though the people understand not the scripture in Latin / yet God understandeth it / and so they please him therewith / as s. Paul saith: 1. Corin .xiv. he that speaketh in a tōgn he speaketh not unto men / but unto God / for no man heareth but in spirit he speaketh mysteries. Lo here Saint Paul alloweth that a bys hoppe or a pastor should speak unto God in a strange tongue / for so is the word tongue / taken there, which thing yeseme to deny whiles ye call them wolves & false prophets that speak unto god in a strange tongue.
It is true that he that speaketh in a strange tongue speaketh unto god / and I grant also that S. Paul doth not condemn strange tongues / but ye cannot prove thereby that a person that speaketh in a strange tongue / is thereby discharged from preaching / and declaring of the will of god unto the people / as for the tongue • es / I love them as well as any Latin reading sacrificer in England doth / and I think that I have studied the tongues as much / as ye have / & can peradventure speak as many speeches as you can / therefore I would you should not think that I do despise strange tongues / for they are the gift of the holy ghost. But I say unto you that the tongus are not so necessary unto the congregation / as the declaring of Scripture is / and that tongues are not to be allowed in the church / except they be declared openly / and that they vnexpounded / do no good at all unto the congregation / (although he that will pray secreatlye in a tongue may do it well enough) this shall I prove you by the same chapter of which you aleged your authority. Saint Paul saith: he that prophecieth / that is / (he that expoundeth the scripture) speaketh building or edification unto the people / exhorting and comforting / he that speaketh in a strange tongue / buildeth or profiteth himself / but he that preacheth buildeth and profiteth the congregation. Out of the which words of Paul / I gather plainly / that he that readeth Latin in the English Church / doth profit no man but him self, and so might as well keep him at home in his chamber / for any good that he doth in the Church / unto English men / that understand no Latin / as to come and read any latin there. Are not these readers of Latin worthy to have such great livings as they have? I gather also that expounding of the scripture / or preaching of gods word, is the more excellent office and work in Christ's Church then reading is / then how shall a priest be excused from doing the greater by doing fo the less? and yet the less whereof we spake / is not required of god at all in his church although the Latin Pope requireth / that all they that are members of his Latin and Romish church with him / and namely all the priests after his order / should only read Latin in the Church in a remembrance that he is head of all them that read latin in the church / and that he was the inbringer of latin into all this parte of Europa. The sa • e Paul saith also, I will that ye all speak with tongues but yet more that you should prophecy or declare the Scripture / for he is greater that prophecieth / then he that speaketh in tongues / except he expaunde: that the Church may take some profit thereby. &c. If a tromphet give an uncertain sound / who shall make himself ready to fight? Even so likewise except ye give forth a speech that betokeneth something: howe shall it be understand that is said? & As oft as ye come together / everyone of you hath his tongue / he hath his learning, he hath his revelation / he hath his interpretation. Let all things be done to the profit of the Church / whether a man speaketh in tongues / let it be done by two or three at the uttermost and that one after another / and let one expound or declare / if there be no expounder, let him hold his peace in the Church / but let him speak to him self and to God.
These words are not only Paul's / but also the holy Ghostes words / then if ye will believe the holy ghost, no man ought to speak in any strange tongue / except one enterpret or expoundit that is read or spoken / where upon it followeth / that all the pr • estes in England / that read Latin in the English Church which understandeth no Latin if they expound not the same / break the open commandment of God. Is it now like that god will alowe Latin reading of unlearned priests without any expounding of it that is read in an English church / for his service / & a good work, which he expressedly forbiddeth his own self in expressed words? I for my part trow nay. And whereas ye say / that though the common people understandeth no Latin / that god understandeth it well enough / meaning thereby / that it is not necessary that the people should vnderstant it that is read in the church / so that god understand it: I ask you whether all that the priest readeth in the Church is said unto god alone / or to the people alone. If at be said to the people alone then is all the labor lost that is bestowed in speaking of Latin unto them that understand none. Or if parte be spoken unto the unlearned people / that part is also lost. If that all that is read in the church be said unto God (as ye seme to mean, where as ye say that god understandeth latin well enough / though the people understand it not) then say the priests unto god all these sayings. 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 priests say these sayings unto god / is not this a preaty preaching▪ or rather pratinge unto almighty god. If they say them in Latin unto unlearned men, they are never the better / for hearing of those words that they understand not / and so always the labor of the priest is lost whether he exhort god to holiness / in a tongue that he understandeth / or he exhorteth men to vertuousnesse / by speaking of Latin to them, which understand not one word of Latin / and therefore take no profit thereby. Therefore your reading of Latin to god / helpeth nothing the congregation. Whereas you say that your bishops which are Chauncelers. Amners / and secular counselors, are as well occupied as our prating preachers are, I think that ye dishonest the order of Elders / and their▪ office also, and speak openly against the scripture / for Christ said that Mary chosed the better parte, which was occupied about the word then Martha did / which was occupied in worldly matters / then your bishops being occupied about worldly matters / are not so well occupied as our preachers are / which prate not but preach the true word of god, as no Massemonger is able to prove the contrary. Wherefore I marvel that ye dishonest them with such a term / when as ye cannot prove that ye lay unto their charges. As for your Amners it is plain 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 never commanded any bishop to be occupied withal.
Think you that upon the day of judgment, when Christ shall say unto the bishops: why have ye suffered my flock to perish for lack of feeding, that he will approve and alowe these excusations? I was an Embassador, I was a Chan̄celer, I was a coūseller. I was an Amner, or the Kings chaplain / and therefore I could not tend my flock? I think nay because almighty god saith: if he command the shepherd to tell the wicked his ways, if he do not / that he will require the blood of the wicked that perish, of the dumb prelates hand / though they be never so well occupied in other worldly things / as the world judgeth.
Although all the bishops and priests that preach not / were false prophets (which I will not grant you) yet because a great number of the bishops / and many persons and vicars preach, all the prelates and priests of England be not wolves / and false prophets / as ye seemed a little while ago to hold when as you said tht all the mass priests in England were wolves.
Who can make him see / that will needs be blinder / I have brought reasons / arguments, and auctorities enough to prove that they are all false prophets and wolves / and ye can make no answer unto them, & for all that ye will not consent unto the truth. As for your bishops and parsons that preach (which are very few in comparison of the unpreaching number) I say that their preachings which they preach / deliver them not from the righte names of wolves / but much more make them wolves / for he is not only a false prophet, that cometh into the sheep fold unsent, or if he be sent, preach not / but also he is a false prophet that preacheth other learning unto gods people / then God hath commanded him to preach • as are all the ordinances statutes & laws of men, which either comfort men / where as god comforteth not / or discorageth men / where as god discorageth not / and this will I prove by diverse open places of the scripture / Deut. 18. If any arrogant prophet will speak in my name / those things that I commanded him not to speak / or in the name of other gods he shall be slain. Hiere. 14. the prophets prophecy falsely in my name, I sent them not / I commanded them not / neither have I spoken unto them, they prophecy unto you a false vision / a deceitful prophecy / and the deceiving of their own hearts. I tree. 23. ye shall not hear the words of the prophets / which prophecy unto you / and make you fools / and speak it that they see in their heart / and not it that cometh out of the mouthe of the Lord / I have heard what the prophets / prophesying lies in my name / say / they say we have dreamed we have dreamed.
Howe long shall this be in the hearts of the prophets to prophecy a • ye, to prophecy the deceit of their heart? whose drifte is to this ende / that they may drive my people to forgette my name / by the means of theyre dreams, which every man telleth unto his neyghboure / even so as their fathers forgot my name thorough Baal. Wherefore he that hath a dream / let him tell it as a dream / and he that hath my word let him speak my word faithfully / for what hath chaff to do with wheat. Ezekiel. 13 Son of Man / prophecy against the prophets of Israel which prophecy / and say unto them which prophecy out of theyre own heart. hear the word of the Lord so saith the Lord god. Woe be unto the foolish prophets which follow their own spirit when as they have seen nothing. O Israel / thy prophets are made like Foxes in the wilderness / ye have not gone up unto the burstinges, neither have ye made an hedge for the house of Israel that ye might stand in the battle in the day of the Lord / they have seen vanity, and lying prophecy / saying the Lord hath said / when as the Lord sent them not. Have ye not seen a vain vision / and have ye not spoken a lying prophecy / saying / the lord saith / when as I have not spoken. Ezekiel. 22. The prophets daube the Princes with a foolish cruste / that is to wit seeing vain things / and prophesiyng a lie unto them / saying so saith the Lord god. when as for all that the Lord hath spoken nothing. Now have I prouid / by the written word of god / that all they which speak anything / that god hath not commanded them to speak / and preach anything that / hath not commed out of gods mouth / are all false prophets But the Wolf of Winchester / the loyterer of London / the dreamer of Durram / and all they that in theyre preachings say that it is unlawful for bishops or priests to have wives / that it is not lawful to eat flesh in Lent by the law of god / that a priest ought to have a shaven crown / a side gown an Albe and vestiment upon him when he ministereth the Lord's Supper / that a bishop is higher than a priest or elder by the law of god / that there ought to be Images / Aulters, Crosses, Candels / Censures / Holy Water, Holy bread, Palms, singing of Latin in the church / where the people understandeth no latin, that Saints ought to be called upon / that we can help the dead with our prayers / that there is no bread and wine in the Supper, after the priest have said these five words. Hoc est corpus meum, that no man ought to be a minister / except he be subdeacon & deacon before, and therewith have received benet and co • let, and that no man ought to be admitted unto the order of a subdeacon. deacon / or else an elder or priest / except he vow chastity before / preach and say those things. which god never commanded them to say. Therefore I gather that they are all false prophets, and therefore wolves / (because as I said before) a false prophet and a Wolf are all one.
I think they are not so slenderly learned / but they be able to prove / that god hath commanded them to say all these things which ye have rehearsed.
If they can prove by the Scripture that god commanded them to say and preach the above named things / doubtless they have other Scripture then we have / but I know that they cannot prove by the written word of god that god gave them any commandment to say and preach these things, therefore I will call them false prophets, until they can show their commission, that god hath commanded them to preach such doctrine.
What will ye do, if they can prove that they had commission of god to preach so?
I will cry them mercy and knowledge that I have erred. But because me think ye will not believe that they are false prophets, for all my arguments and places of the scripture alleged / I will allege another property or two of a false prophet which they give / and they ar these. To be earnest in setting out of their one doctrine / and to be cold in setting forth of gods expressed commaudement / and to break God's commandment / that their tradition or ordinance might be advanced or set up / to threaten great punishment / where as god threateneth none, and to discorage men from it / that god hath earnestly commanded / and to flatter great men / and to suffer them to do what they list / and so to maintain them in their wickedness / are the properties of a false prophet. And that these are the properties of a false prophet / I will prove it by diverse open places of the scripture. Christ in the xv. of Matth / layeth unto the pharises charge which were false prophets / that they were so earnest in setting forth / and in keeping of their own traditions and ordinances, that they not only not cared for the commandment of God, but also brake the commandment of God / that their traditions migh be set forth and kept of all men. The words of Christ are these: wherefore break ye the commandments of God / for your tradition / they worship me in vain / that teach lerninges which are the commandments of men. Mark in the vii. Chapter. rehearseth Christ's sayings thus: ye leave the commandment of God, and keep the ordinance of men / as washing of cups and pots / and many other things do ye / like unto these. Ye cast well away the commandments of God / that ye may set up your tradition. The bishops of England / and the preachers there now / specially they that are in authority / command the people to creep unto the Cross / to take holy water and holy bread / to wear beads / and to go in procession / to hear mass, to here mattins and euensong in a tongue that they understand not, to set up candles, to lift up their hands to bread and wine, to pray to Saints / to pray for the dead / to hear the piping of the orgaines, and preach not the word of God / neither exhort the people to worship God inspirit and truth / in commanding and preaching of these / they are very earnest / but slow in setting forth the will and expressed commandment of God. They repuire these so earnestly of the people, and punish them so sore that break these / that they compel them to break the open commandments of God / that these may be kept. Every holy day when as the word of god should be preached / and the right Supper of the Lord should be received, when the congregation should pray together in a common tongue / these cannot be exercised for the infinite number of popish toys / and trifles which Gardener / with his garrison, have of late by open tirany against the kings law and gods word violently thrust unto the church before the Kings law was abrogated. Ezekiel also in the xiii. chapter writeth thus of false prophets / which flatter the people and tell them not of their faults. Because ye have spoken vanity / and have seen a lie / therefore behold / I the Lord God am against you / & my hand shall be against the prophets which see vain things / and prophecy lies. They shall not be in the secreate of my people / and they shall not be written in the number of the house of Israel, neither shall they come into the land of Israel / and ye shall know that I am the Lord God. Now for as much as they have begiled my people, saying peace when as there is no peace / and when as the people bildeth the wale / & they with their daubing cover it with a naughty crust / tell them that cover it with an unprofitable crust / that it shall fall. I will overthrow the walle which ye have pargetted and covered 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 she wolves as he) which prophecy out of their own heart / and prophecy against them and say / thus saith the Lord God. Woe be unto them that sewe Cusshons under all elbows of hands, and make bolsters for the heads of every stature / to hunt for the souls o • my people / that ye may catch them / and shall ye quicken the souls of the people that come unto you? Ye have dishonored me before my people for a handful of barley / and lomps of bread / to kill souls which ye ought not to kill / and to quicken souls to whom ye ought not to promise life / ye have made sad and sorrowful the heart of the righteous with a lie / when as I made him not sory / and have strengtthened the hands of the wicked that he might not return from his evil way / that he might be saved alive.
These are the words of God in Ezekiel whereby he describeth one kind of false prophets / and these words do agree with the manners of the bishops of England / therefore they are false prophets. The bishops 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 neither heareth the word of God / neither prayeth with the heart in the common place appointed for prayer, and saith it is sufficient if they hear mass and mattins / though the two other things be not done Almighty God requireth that there should be no beggars amongst his people / he requireth that no man shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication / that no man shall take the name of god in vain that rulers shall not polle and pill their subjects / that no man shall banket excessively / and be drunken / that no man shall do it that is the cause and ground of evil / as are Dicing and Carding for money and such Daunsing as is occupied in great men's houses and other places also / where upon followeth wantonness and letcherye. But the contrary is occupied / and their diocesanes and parishioners ar a wale wherein all these faults be / that are cōtrari to the will of god. And yet thei prech not against thē neither they about to mend it that is faulty in the walle / but daube and parget over the walle, with Masses / Diriges / Litanies, reading without any profit / creping unto the crosses / offering unto Idols / with Auricular confession, with eating of fish upon the Friday and in Lent / and such other painted poperye / the people being decked with this painted poperye / looked not to amend their lives / but thinking that they are in peace with God, occupied their accustomed naughtiness / and at length come into everlasting damnation. When as the collection and gathering was of late for the poverty / the papists thorough out all England could not be brought to give the fourth part unto the poor, that the gospellers gave, belike because they thought that they were discharged from giving of alms / if they kept some money behind for the priests / that should within a short while / in the long looked for day, say mass and sing for them / these men were so pergetted with popestrie / and with the outward show of holiness / that they thought themselves no more bound to give any sufficient alms according unto the Scriptrue. But what marvel is it if the common people think thus when of late a certain papist in an open sermon, began earnestly to speak against the alms house / which was built and founded by the liberality of the citezins of the noble city of London. When as Tunstal / Gardener / Stokslay / and the rest of the papists bare the swing under king Henry the eyght, they suffered the King and diverse Lord's of the realm to put away and take as many wives as they list / without any correction or admonition. If that they had don their duty / the virtuous Lady Anne of Cleue / had never ben deuorced and put away from the King her lawful husband. There were four Lord's in England / that put away their wives / not for fornication, but because they liked hor • es better. Two were in Somerset shire / & one in Norfolk, besides that a Knight in Somerset shire did the like. Whereas the liberalities of our fathers had given much goods lands and riches to Abbaies that continual alms should be exercised there / and preaching be maintained. King Henry the eyght / with his covetous counsel (which smarted afterward for their so doing) took all the goods of the Abbayes which belongeth for a great parte as well unto Christ's Church, as the half of the goods of Ananias belonged unto the holy ghost after that he had promised them unto the church / and spoiled the hole church and hole realm miserably after such a fashion / that all the hole realm smarteth for it unto this day. The Bishops and popish clergy / sewed cussons and bou • sters under the Kings and Counsels elbows and heads winking at these shameful deeds, not caring how matrimony were defaced and broken / howe the hole Church were spoiled / so that they might have their pompus state to continue / so that they might have the mass / with the evil favored heap of popish traditions maintained and stablished The fame King spoiled again all honesty & gods forbid / all the Bishops and persons of England of the first fruits of their benefits / When they entered first into their offices / and took away the tenthe part of the living of every minister / thorough out the hole realm / forever. Were not these worthy watchmen? Nay were not these dumb doges? were not these good sheepeheardes / that suffered Christ's flock thus so many ways to be robbed and spoiled? Preached Gardener / Tunstall / and such massemongers peace unto the King with god or war? 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 / keep hores and swear abominablye, and defile themselves with glouttonye and drunkenness / pride / and with the foul vice of covetousness. But who speaketh against these vices? nobody that I can hear tell of. Therefore by their silence and holding of their peace / they sewe cussons under their elbows / and make bolsters under their heads, and for lack of warning, quicken these whom they ought to have killed / with the two edged sword called the law, and they have killed and condemned them that were righteous / for eating of flesh on the Frydays / and for breaking of such trifling toys of the Popes making whom they ought not to have discoraged and killed / but rather comforted with the gospel and glad tydins that Christ brought into the world. They have two things which do as much harm for mamtenaunce of mischief as ever any sentuarye did in England / the one is called the Mass / and the other is called Auricular confession. He that is an horemōger / a robber / tyrant / a common pillar of the people / a covetous churl / a dicer / a carder / a blasphemer, or to be short / what so ever he be / or what so ever sin • or offense he do / if he fly unto these sanctuaries he recompteth himself free from all punishment of god and is allowed of our byshopes for a good and catholic man Divers priests have confessed to me / that they have bine hore masters / and that they thought that by the merits of the mass / and by the telling of their faults unto their brethren / that their sins were taken away / and that afterward (as they had been sure of sanctuary and of a souerain triacle) fell to their old folye again, and tasted of the perellous prison of fornication. I report me now to all honest men whether our Bishops have the fore named properties / which God rekeneth in Ezekiel to be the propertis of false prophets or no? I report me also to all thē that are not sworn bondmen and slaves unto Gardener / and his garrison / whether this text written in the 22. of Ezekiel agreeth unto these above named bishops or no? The princes which are in the middes of Jerusalem / are as wolves snatching unto their prays / to s • edde blood and to kill souls, and couetouslye to follow after advantage / the prophets daubed them with an unprofitable cruste / that was untempered / seeing vain things / and prophesying unto thē lies, saying thus saith the Lord / when as the Lord hath spoken nothing. But lest I should condemn these for false prophets without any cause / I will show you 3. other properties which belong unto a false prophet / which all / there I shall find out in our massaying sacrificers, and in their fathers the bishops. Esa / in the 55. chapter / rehearseth covetousness after this manner among the properties of a false prophet.
Those dogs are wonderfullye covetous / and they can never be filled / and the pastors can understand nothing / and every man looketh after his own advantage. Luke in the 16. chapter calleth the Pharisees / which were false prophets covetous / now let us see whether our prelates are covetous or no. The greatest wolf in Welles (the wolf is of Winchesters commissioners) hath one benefice in Holbernes and two in Somerset shire, he is residentiarye both in Bristow and Welles / and hath three prebends, one in Weles / one in Bristow / and one in Salisburye / and peradventure he hath mo. Such as this man is / may be found among the mass mongers a great sort mo / whom I know not, because I am little in the company of such covetous carl • s that will never be satisfied. Divers Deans / Prouosts / Chaunters / Subchaunters, Chauncelours / and some Bishops, are so covetous and desirous to see gold / in their days that they convey out of their successors hands / the best parte of the livings that should come unto their successors unto their kins folk, and unto thē that will give most for them. S24357.tech.take2.sgmase of Exceter hath so gredely desired money and friendship, that he conveyed all the hole bishopric away from his successors, saving ccc.li. Boner of London / because he would have something in hand in his life time / hath chapped & changed away no small parte of his weds about Londō & certain other cōmoditis belonging to his bishopric in London / or else there are liars. Gardener of Winchester is not content with his byshoprik / which if he have it hole / is worth at the least yearly four thousand marks. But to help to fill his insatiable bags, to increase his glory / and to set forth his heresy / must needs have the chaunceler ship of England also. The hole rabble of Papists thorough out all the realm / is so covetous / that ye shall very seldom find any in all England / that is a right shapen papist / but he hath three or four honest men's lyuings. As for glotony / which Isaiah in the 28. and 56. and Ezekiel in the 13 and 33 and Paul to the Romans the 16. and to the Philippians the 3. among all other properties of false prophets / rehearseth as one not of the least: may be found a thing daily occupied in the cathederall churches / where as the Cannoues for a great parte do nothing else but serve their bellies. Look upon their cheeks and upon their great paunches / and you shall find that they serve their God the belly / veryefaithfully / A man that looketh very will upon Bonor / would think that he were not behind with his part. A nother property of a false prophet is / to be cruel and bloudthursty / as Jeremiah in the 23. and Ezekiel in the 22. chapter doth bear witness. Have our prelates nothing to do with murder? I think if ye will examine them well / we shall find them so blood thursty that for all that property alone / they might not unworthily be called wolves and false prophets. For besides that they kill the souls of their parishioners and diocesanes / either for lack of the word of God / or else with the poisoned bread of heresy and papestry / they kill diverse other ways, as in back biting / belying / and slandering of the true preuchers / and in killing the bodies 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 now in my remembrance But the wolf of winchester / for his parte alone / killed Barns / Jerome / and Garret.
The city of London / the towns of Colchester / Braintree, and Chensfurth can tell howe many his fellow bloody Boner hath killed. And now of late these old murdering wolves which have ben a great while hungrye in their dens: when as they were broken lose (even as great Masties do more harm that are commonly tied / when as they break lose / then other do that commonly run abroad at liberty) have killed a grert sort in their minds and desires / & have casten them into prison / that they may kill them in deed, as they have killed them in thought / for if the casting of them into prison alone might have killed them / there had none of them all been alive at this time / (as perchance some shall perish for cold and lack of good keeping.) But because the prison can not kill them all / as their desire is / they lay sedition and treason unto their charges / that they may dispatch them the sooner, that way as the old priests and pharises handled Christ and his Apostles after him. For when as the Maiestrats would not kill them for heresy and false doctrine / the bloody Wolves laid sedition and treason unto their charges / as our Wolves do at this time. Now when as Stephen Gardener / and Edmond Bonar, with the other mumber of blood shedding by shoppes and priests, have the very same properties / that the old false prophets and worrying wolves had / I see no cause but I may lawfullye call them Wolves.
The moste part of the places / which ye have alleged as yet / are taken out of the old Testament / which seemeth not to be of such force now in the time of the new Testament / as they might be that are taken out of the new Testamnt because the Old Testament speaketh many things in figures and tropes / which are hard to understand / when as the new Testament declareth the old / and speaketh all things without figurs wherefore if you will prove anything substantially / ye must prove it by the new Testament and not by the old. Also the Bishops have not killed them that ye speak of / but the magistrates and the kings officers.
If that the alleging of the new Testament / will bring you to the light of the truth I will allege it more largely / not withstanding, that I alleged no trope nor figures / out of the old Testament but moral laws which shall endure forever. Also I have alleged diverse places out of the New Testament, whereof even but one alone / had ben sufficient enough to have gotten credence / for that thing that I desired to be believed in. But to prove it fully that I have taken in hand to prove: I shall prove that Gardener the bishop of winchester, and all his fellows of that order that he is of / have 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 inward are ravening Wolves. The massemongers of England / go in sheep's clothing / that is, they show great holiness in their outwart apparel, they have four cornered cappes, to sinnifie that they go Este / west / North, and South / to preach gods word (how be it their four corners may as well signify that they have destroyed the four Evangelists, & in the stead of them set up their own traditions) they have shaven crowns / to signify that their mind is in heaven, and chat they care for no worldly thing. They have side gowns and them commonly black / which be tokeneth sadness of manners / and mortifying of their flesh / they have tippets about their necks / to betoken that they have taken upon them the yoke of chastitye. They wear white Ratchetes and surplesses / sometime above their other clothes, to signify the simplicity of a Lamb, and the innocence of the same. But I have proved before that inwardlye they are ravening Wolves, therefore these are the false prophets / that Christ bad us beware of. Matth the 15. & Mark the 7. declare that the property of the pharises which were false prophets / is to set up their own traditions / and thereby to break and tr • ad down the commandment of God / which thing I have proalready that our Bishops and priests both have done / and yet do still. Christ in the x. of John maketh all them thieves and mu •• erers that are not sent by him but come in another way. I have proved already that all the vnlearded persons in England came in another way then by Christ. And now I say that all the only massaying pry •• es in England and that this kind of elders priests or Apos • les, which take upon them to be higher in dignity / then their fellow priests and apostles / and exercise lordship over them / are not sent of Christ who made not one Apostle above another but gave them all like authority as the gospels in diverse places bear witness namely Mat. the 18. and 20. Mark the ix. and x. Luke the 22. and in diverse other places. Where have the massaying priests any word in the new testament▪ wherewith thei are able to prove that they ar sent of Christ? no where I warrant you in all the new testament. The new testament is in all places against this kind of priesthood. Then when as neither the mass priests neither the proud lordly bishops are sent of Christ / it followeth that they are thieves and robbers / and so false prophets and Wolves Christ in the 24. of Matthew describing the salfe prophets that should come in the end of the world / saith 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 do Gardener with all his sacramentary sacrificers.
Therefore they are false prophets that Christ prophesied of that should come in the end of the world.
Paul where as he Prophecyeth in the former Epistle to Timothi / of the false Prophets that should come in the latter times of the world / showeth two notable properties / whereby▪ they may be known. The former is / that they should forbid marriage / and the Seconde is to forbid certain kinds of meats, that god never forbad / these two properties have they now / whom I call Wolves and false prophets / for Gardener and his fellow Bonar / will alowe no man to be an elder in Christ's church / except he first forswear marriage / or make a solemn vow that he will never mary. As for the forbidding of certain meats / at certain times / every man knoweth that they forbid more earnestly the eating of certain meats / at certain times / then they forbid swearing / or foreswearing / and single fornication / and that they punish more grievously him that eateth flesh in lent / then him that defileth a man's daughter / or blasphemeth the name of God. Judas in his epistle describing false prophets / among oiuers other properties / rehearseth these three. The first is that they are mocked in their dreams / and defile their flesh. The second is / that they speak swelling words. The third is / that they wonder and greatly regard persons for advantage sake. Whether the solemn sort of winelesse sacrificers / are defiled in their dreams or no / the boys that maketh their beds / the prists that hear their confessions / and the launderers that wash their sheets can bear witness against them. And yet they will not use the lawful remedy that god ordained against such abominable and stinking defiling of their bodies with the imagination of actual letcherye / wrought by the devil in their dreams. As for proud words / Winchester & his gard of papists they want none / for he (as though he had been king) offered in his own name, (as it was reported unto me) parden unto master Latimer / if he would turn from his religion. Howe proud and loftly his communication was to judge Hailes / they that were by & heard his talk can t • l. How flattering he hath been always to the noble men / and howe he hath regarded persons for advantage sake / all they know well enough / that have seen a great number of gentelmens sons / knights sons / and lords sons / with him in service with him at one time. Now have I proved by the open text of the new Testament also that Gardinar / with all his garrison of mass mumbling merchants / are wolves / thieves / robbers and false prophets. As touching that part of your saying / wherein you would have excused the Bishops from murder / because (as ye say) they killed not them that I rekened / but the kings officers: I say that if our bishops and priests are not gilty of the blood of Bay nam / Barns / and Bayfeld, and the rest that were burnt in England / then were not the scribes / pharsses and hye priests / guilty of Christ's death / because the secular rulers put him to death. Sayd not the hye priests / we may not kill any man / but we have a law / and according unto that, he must die / The hye priests / when Pilate asked them what they had to lay to Christ's charge / answered and said. If he were not an evil man / we had not delivered him unto thee. After the ame manner the priests of England with their hired slaves / gave unto the shrife of London master Barns and his fellows / and when Barns asked the cause of his death / the shirife could show no cause at all / and so might have well said as Pilate said unto Christ. Thy own country men and hye priests, have delivered thee up unto me
And the shirife might have said unto the hye priests / I can find no cause of death in him. But the hye priests were guilty of Christ's death and were the murderers of him / whiles they said we have a law and according unto that the must die. And even so was Stephen Gardener / Edmund Bonar with the rest of the hye priests / of England / the killers & murderers of doctor Barns, and of all them that were burned in England / for holding with God's holy word / whiles they said that they were heretics / although the lay men against their willes / were fain to be their tormentors and hangmen. Now have I proved both by the new Testament and old / that all the mass priests and bishops of England / are wolves and false prophets. The same may be proved also by the Poets and Philosophers for they have the properties that Poet and Philosophers give unto wolves / it is a common proverb amongst learned men. Homo homini lupus, a man is a Wolf unto a man / that is / one man killeth another / therefore he that is a kilier of his brother / as Gardener is / may well be called a wolf. The property of a Wolf is / that if a man see the wolf afore the Wolf se the man / that then a man shall not be dumb. But if the wolf see the man before the man see the Wolf / then is the man by the sight of the wolf made dumb / or at the least so horse that he can scarcely speak. I report me unto all the honest men England / whether that gardener / coming hastelye out of the Tower his de •• e vnloked for / made an hundredth men dumb or no? within xiv. days? I saw him of late but thorough a little hole for fear that if he had seen me / as I saw him / he should have made me dum too / by casting me into prison / where as no man could hear my voice / as he handled a great sort of my brethren of late. An other property of a wolf is / when he is mad / (for he is some time mad as a dog is) by his teeth to pour into the man that he byteth / the same ve •••• e & poison that he hath and if the man be not healed within a short while after that he is bytten / he becometh as mad as the Wolf was that bote him / and playeth the Wolf both in bytting and crying after the manner of a wolf. The wood Wolf of Winchester about 8. or 9. years ago / bote with his poisoned teeth / doctor Crome / and doctor Shaxton / whereof the one doctor Crome / seeking remedy betime / was helped frō the wolvish poison and madness. But Shaxton deferring to long hath now the same poison that Gardener had / and speaketh as like the wolf of Winchester / as any Wolf in England doth / if it be true that I have heard tell of late. Therefore I may call all the other massemongers in England Wolves / by the new Testament and old / and Gardener by the sam / a Wolf / and by philosophye also / both a wolf▪ and a wood or a mad Wolf.
The reasons which ye have made (as me think well grounded upon the scripture and natural reason) make me believe that we have mo woulues in England / then good sheep heardes.
If there be so many Wolves as ye seem to grant that there are / where as one wolf doth more harm then ten thousand sheep do / me think that ye should do wisely and well for the common wealth of England / if ye put up a byl in the parliament▪ house / for the destroying of the exceeding mumber of Wolves. There was an act of parliamente made for the destruction of Rookes, which destroyed the corn, that only fed the body of man Why should there not now an act of parliament be made / against the intolerable number of Wolves / which not only burry and suppress the seed of gods word / and destroy it for a time wherewith man's soul ought to be fed: but also kill men's bodies by open tyranny.
Let us hear your judgment how this matter might be brought to pass.
Ye must in making an act for this matter follow a good phisitian / which not only / healeth the present disease that vexeth the sick man / but after that he hath healed him / geaueth counsel and appointeth him a diet / as if he will keep it / the sick shall not fall in his old disease again. Even so must you play the phesitians unto your mother the common wealth of England / ye must not only deliver England of these wolves that ye have now / but also provide that when as these are gone / there rise no mo of the same sort in their places afterwards.
How would ye rid the realm of all these? would ye kill them all / or banishe them out of the land?
I would not kill them / althoughte I know well that some of them would kill me. But me think it were well done / first to put all the popish bishops of England down, and to assaye if all these that are now Wolves both bishops and other / might be brought to right sheepeheardes. Those that would be right shepherds / I would that they should continue in the office of shepherds / and that they should be much made of / and have their livings increased / if they wear not great enough But I would on the other parte / that all they / that will not parte from their woluishnesse / should either be banished out of the realm / or else that all their teeth should be pulled out / and put out of office and casten into the Tower / least they should do anymore harm abroad.
But when as all these are either banished / or else put out of office / and put up in cages / howe will ye provide that we shall have no moe Wolves in time to come?
First ye must provide that there be moe schools in England / and that there be better provision for the S24357.tech.take2.sgmniuersities / that the realm may have enough scollers that ar learned to make shepeheardes of. And then must ye provide thorough out all England, that every parson and vicar have an honest living able to find an honest man. Or else a well learned man / which hath cost his father & other friends very much money, and hath taken long and great pain for his learning / will leuer be a curtier or a carter / then a poor beggarly parson or vicar / and not to have where with to buy him books, and to find him and his household withal.
Howe is it possible to bring it to pass / that in every parish in England / shall be living enough for all the shepherds that are there? And if there be not sufficient lyuings in all places for the pastors / then after your reasoning there shall always some Wolves remain namely there / where as (as it were in a wilderness) the sheepeheardes which should drive away the Wolves, can get no living.
This may be brought to pass thus. Let all the Parsonages & S24357.tech.take2.sgmicarages / and all pensions and other like things / which at any time have belonged to any parish church are now taken away / by what so ever means be restored unto the parish churches again / that the pastors may have to live on / whether they be in gentelmens hands / or bishops / or belong unto Cathedral churches / or belong to the Queen or any other Person within the realm of England, or Ireland. And if this would not serve / I would the fourth part of the bishops lyuings, should be given to the pastors to make them up honest livings withal.
It shall be more easy to pul out the mace out of Hercules hand / then to get the fat parsonages out of their hands, that have them now.
Al they that are right mass hating gospellers / which defy Simony / and would have the wolves out of England / would be glad to depart with such livings as they hau bought by ignorance / not knowing that the Pope had stolen / nay rather robbed and taken by tyranny all such livings from Christ's church / as he hath given to his couled Cannons and hodeded papists, It will be hard to get them out of the mass loving gentelmens hands which have such an opinion in the Pope / that they think that he had authority to rob the Pastores of their liuingse, and to give them unto his carnal Cannons, or unto mumbling Monks and to whom he list.
But if these church robbers (for so I call them that bye that thing which they know is stolēl from Christ's church / and will not deliver it up unto the church again that which they have bought and received of that robber the Pope) will not restore them again: let them be compelled thereto by an act of parliament or if ye be to weak in the parliament house to compel them / then let all the rest of the Church excommunicate them / and take them for thieves / & church robbers. When as the Church is restored unto her righte again / if that they that have the patronages and gifts of benefits / might give them to whō they list / then would they for money set in wolves as they had wont to do of late / and so were we in as evil c • ase almost / as we were in before. Therefore all they that have any patronages or gifts of benefices / must give them up unto the churches to whom / the presētation and choosing of their pastors doth belong. For I read that this authority that gentelmen and Bishops have now / came from the Pope, who granted always the gift of the benefice unto him that either built the Church / or suffered it to be built on his ground. In the primative Church the hole congregation chose the pastors / and that by voices / and some time by lots / as ye may see in the first of the Acts of the Apostles / and in the xiv In the first of the acts Matchias and Joseph were presented / or set up by the hole church / and Matthias was chosen / by the falling of the lots. In the xiv. of the acts the Apostles with the church made elders in every congregation by voices. And in the primative church this matter was long kept / as both old storieo and ancient writers bear witness.
The common sort of people / is a wyld beast with many heads, therefore if the people should have the choosing of their pastors / we should not only have many mad pastors, but some time great fightting.
The common people in deed / which is not endued with the spirit of God / is as it were a wyld beast with many heads. But the common people which is baptized in the name of Christ / and hath the spirit of God / is more like to choose an honest shepherd / then a blind bishop or covetous carle / that will let no man have the benefice / except he pay much for it. For god made a promise unto the Church and unto the common people / but not unto this bishop or that bishop / to this gentilman & that gentilman. When the common people had the authority / & presenting and choosing of pastors / there were a great deal of moe / and more honest pastors / then there hath been sense that time that one bishop or one gentelman chose / presented or set up / the pastors / or shepherds as they do now a days. To whom was this said? I shall be with you unto the end of the world? The bishops and gentilmen only / or to the hole Church? If it wer made unto the hole Church / then have not Bishops and gentilmen this promise alone / except they be joined with the Church. Then when as they be sondered and parted from the church / they have not this promise of the holy ghost▪ Wherefore it is not wonder that we have so many evil pastors / where as there are such holy gostles presenters / choosers and benefice givers. But lest there should be found any among the Christians, which would fleshly after friendship choose such pastors that wer naught: it wer not amiss after that all the old livings were restored / unto the church again that in every parish / certain of the godliest and wisest men / should be chosen / which should not only choose and present up pastors to be admitted / but also be joined with the pastors in excomunication / and dealing the alms of the Church / to the poverty of every parish. And I would that every little parish should have seven such at the least, and every mean church .xiii. and every great church xxiij. If these had the same authority of choosing, and presenting of pastors / that now bishops and gentelmen have: I doubt not but that we should have a great deal fewer wolves in the realm then we now have.
If that ye would have no such Bishops as we now have / and that all pastors should be a like and none above another, when the pastore is dead / who shall admit the new pastore to his office / & who shall judge whether he that the church presenteth be worthy to be allowed or no?
As the Apostles had authority to alow and admit elders in their time / so is it meet that they that are the successors of the Apostles now / have the same authority and for the avoiding of confusion / and for the maintenance of good order / I would that in every little shire in England should be at the least 4. bishops I mean no mitred nor lordly / no rachetted bishops, but shuch as should be chosen out of the rest of the clergy every year / and not forever / which should be honest learned men / preachers / and graduates / if so many could be found. I would that these should have authority to remain and admit all the elders that shall be set up / and chosen thorough out all the hole dioceses / and that they should have / all such authority in all matters of religion / and the ecclesiastical government / as the late lordly and ponpouse bishop had. And specially to admit lawful ministers / to dispose and put down naughty ministers / to examine heretics / and to appoint punishment / not only for the clergy that offendeth / but also for the common people doing any offense / worthy any ecclesiastical punishment / reserved always authority to excomunicate / to every pastor with the elders of the Church within his own parish / and that only for such matters / as the sciptur would that men should be excommunicated for. These bishops must be chosen by the voices of all the pastors in the shire, and as for the mumber of them / if the dioses be great / there may be half a dosen or mo / as it shall be thought expedient unto the Lord's and knights of the parliament / for the glory of God / and the profit of the church.
If this might so be brought to pass: I think that we should have fewer wolves / then we now have / and perchance none at all But what would ye do with all the bishops lands / and with all the cathederallchurches in England? it appeareth that ye care not for the cathederal churches what should be come of them.
I would that the bishops lands should be denided into 4. parts whereof I would wish that the first part, should be given to a mende preachers livings. The second part to set up schools / and to find scollers in the vniuersicies. The third p •• te to find the bishops that I have spoken of before.
The fourth parte to repair Churches with all / and to relieve and help the poverty of the dioses and to repair hye ways with all / within the same shire or dioses. And as touching the cathederall churches / as they are now used / they are nothing else but dens of thieves / nests for Wolves / spies for fet hogs / bāketting houses for covetous glotons / that for sparing of money at home without shame, thrust themselves 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 uses.
As far as I perceive if ye were in the parliament house again / ye should earn but small thank / of the Queens husbands / for ye give in all your dealings / nothing unto the Queen.
What mean you by the Queens husbands / I wot not what you mean.
Of late years certain spoiling unmerciful and churlishe officers were under king Edward whereof some be now alive and serve Qeene Mary at this time / Which when as they were desired to be good unto very poor men / ever answered / we that are in office under the king, must be husbands to the king / and provide that he have always more and more / and that he lese nothing / when as they rather sought their own profit then the kings honor / and his durable profit.
I was once in a great man's chamber to see howe he did when he was sick and because he heard tell that I would have had all the chauntries in England so bestowed / as I would now have the bishops lands bestowed / he desired me to be good unto the King / at the which saying came unto my mind, an old saying. Qui pro alio orat, pro se ipso laborat. He that prayeth for another man / laboreth for him self. If that the Queens good husbands / would have me geaue some part of the church goods unto her / perchance for that intent that they might have some part thereof with the Qeene as it it chanced oft in King Henris time, & king Edwards time / they were very noughty men for is not that a shameful wickedness, to make their master / or masters / commit the abhominable vice of S ••• oni / that they might thereby be the richer As touching the Queens part / as I would take nothing from her that belongeth of right unto her: so will I not give her it / that belongeth unto God and his congregation.
Ye have forgotten to tell to what uses you would have the cathedral churches put to.
The personages and vicarages and other partes of pastors livings restored unto the pastors again. I would that the rest of all the lands should be thus bestowed / let there be in every cathederale church .vi. or .viii. or .xii. preachers / according unto the lands of the church / whereof everyone should have .L.ii. to find him with all / let the rest of all the lands be spent upon reders / and scholars and students both in gramer / and humanity, and also in divinity.
If all the abbaies in England / and chauntre lands had been thus bestowed / I think verily that the Queen should have bine much ritcher then she now is / and that the realm should have ben better provided of learned men / and godly ministers / then it now is. And that the vengeance of God should not have fallen upon this realm / as of late hath done don.
To make an end of our communication / because we are near to our lodging where as we shall rest all night. I think that if these things were done that I have rehearsed / we should not only be rid of all the Wolves that are now in England / but we should be free from wolves in time to come.
I am afraid that in our days these things that ye have devised / for the driving away & holding out of Wolves / out of England / shall not come to pass.
If they do not come to pass / then must we have wolves still, and where as wolves be, there must the poor sheep be rent in pieces. Therefore if these devises be not received and followed / and embraced, Christ's little poor flock / must needs be torn and rent in pieces / as it hath bine continually these many hundredth years / saving only in the reign of king Edward the sixte / when as all the Wolves which are now co ••• ned abroad, were fain to hiede them in their dens
There is no other like but there shall be great murder of sheep / but what remedy.
None but these, either to play the wolves with the wolves or else to fly out of this cōtry / to such a country where as is no wolves in / as here are like to be.
That is true, therefore let every man provide for himseffe betime.
Even so intend I to do as soon as I can / far ye well.
God grant that we may meet merye together after the end of the parliament.
Amen.
SVTILTI
TRUTH
TIRANI