Exhortation of an English Christian unto his Beloved Country

The epistle exhortatory of an English Christiane unto his derelye beloved contreye of England against the pompouse popish Bishops thereof / as yet the true members of their filthy father the great Antichrist of Rome.

I N my heart I wish daily / & for the same do I ernestlye pray unto our most mer cyfull father the euerlyuynge God / & that for his sons sake our only redeemer / and full saver Jesus Christ / if his heavenly will so be / that he ones open throughlye the eyes of our most worthy and noble king (as he hath alredye begun) and of all his other counselors / lords / and burgeses of his parlement / which are chosen out of the whole realm to confound ungodly customs and to set up in there towmes sawes that are more godly / to suppress wickedness and to maintain Christian virtues / to prefer the common wealth afore all singular or private wealths / yea / utterly to destroy and abolyshe forever such filthy traditions as have no just ground upon God's holy word / as are all the usages / rites / laws / decrees / services / superstitions / & sorceries of the Romish Antichrist / and to s •… in open practice the true worshyppinges auaunced to Christ's glory / so edifyeng his people by the scriptures in the knowledge of one only eternal living God. And in so doing they should maintain the cōm •… n wealth both of soul and body.

I say yet ones again / & that in theze se of y ^e Lord as he is my judge / I wish •… f his graciouse pleasure so were / that first the kings majesty and so forth all the rest (unto whom God hath given power and authority upon earth under him may throughlye se and perseyue how that not only the bloody bearwolfe of Rome / but also the most part of y ^e other Bishops & stout sturdye canons of ca thedrass churches with other petty prowlers and prestigiouse Prestes of Baal his malignaunt members in all realms of Christendom / specially here in England / doth yet tore abroad like hongrie lions / frete inwardlye like angry bears / and byte as they dare like cruel wolves / •… ringe together in corners 〈◊〉 a swarm of add •… rs in a donge hyss / 〈◊〉 wylye subtle serpentes / to uphold •… and pr •… their filthy father of Rome the head of their bawdye broad if it may be.

This ones perseyued and seaue by a godly circumspeccyon / I wish •… n the same vehemency of spirit and prayer / the said noble king / counselors / & burgeses to procure a full reformacyon concerning there aduowterouse doctrine / there prodigiouse pomp / there insaciable cloyninge / and tyrannycall persecutinge of Christ in his faithful members. No doubt of yt / but the mercy of our eternal father hath opened unto us in these latter days what there forked fatherhede / there oiled authority / and there shaven holiness is / for all there crafty compases of wordlye wisdom that they should not appear y ^e same generation of vipers that Johan Baptist & Christ hath warned us of. His word hath he now appointed by diverse of his ministers to be their utter destruccyon / for blasphemouslye deludinge his redeemed heritage so many hundred years in there counterfete kingdom of hypocresie / wherein they show now what they have been / even very heretics to God / traitors to their princes / and thieves to their Christian commons.

No less do I judge it then a bound dewtye of y ^e said faithful ministers / to manifest their mischeues to y ^e universal world / every man according to his talent given of God / some with pen / and some with tongue / so bringing them out of their old estimacyon / least they should still regne in the people's consciences to their souls destruccyon. An evident example have they of Christ thus to do / which openly rebuked their filthy forefathers the scribes / lawyers / pha rise •… s / doctors / pr •… s / bisshops / and hypocrites for making God's commandments of non effect to support their own traditions / so clerlye condempninge their hypocrita •… life and doctrine. Mat thew. xv. xvi. and. xxiii. xxiiii Beware (saith he) of the corrupt leaven of the pharis •… s / Mark. viii. Luke. xii. Pause admonisheth us also / that such rauenynge wolves should entre in among us after his departing as should not spare the floc ke / Act. xx. ii. Thes. ii. i. Tim. iiii. So doth John •… . i. John •… . ii so doth Peter. ii. Pe ii. so doth Judas Thadeus in his epistle.

By these and many other places of the scriptures are we taught easily to know at none days the wolf from the lamb and the hastye lyon from the simple sheep. As Christ sought by all means to deface the proud Pr •… s / and to bring poor Johan Baptist in reputacion of the people / for that he had uttered the truth without flatterye. So would he now the true teachers of his Gospel to be regarded be they never so poor / for his verity •… s sake / and the blasphemers thereof to be had in an utter contempt. No less is it therefore than a doctrine of his to be put in practice among true Christians / both in word and writing to have the myscheues manifest of these spiritual mahoundes / the very ofspringe of Cain / children of Caiaphas / and successors of Simon Magus / as their doctrine and living declareth / nedynge no farther probation. Notwithstandinge through God's grace I shall partly open the wickedness both of them and their fathers as the truth shall lead me. Most cruel enemies have they been in all ages to y ^e verite of God ever sense the law was first given and most ferce persecutors of Christ and his church.

Consydre first of all (besides that was done afore in the law of nature) how deuerslye Jannes and Jambres with other false priests of Egypt persuaded Pharaoh through lying signs and tokens to withstand the pleasure of God in Moses and Aaron / Eyo. vii. and. ii. Tim. iii. Greuouslye was Micah the true prophet of the Lord vexed of Sedechias iii. Reg. xxii. and. ii. Para. xviii. So was the good Prophet Hieremie of phassu •… and Semeias Hiere. xx. xxvi. and. xxix Wonderfullye were the Israelites abused by the idolatrouse priests of Baal / and the Chaldeanes by Belles priests also in Babylon / till Helias and Daniel in the word of the Lord detected their crafty cloyninges. iii. Reg. xviii. & Daniel. xiiii. Great was the affliccion of y ^e Jews under king Demetrius / through the cruel counsel of that trayterouse pressed Alchimus. i. Machab. vii. Manifest is it by the. iiii. Gospels how the Bishops and Prestes used Christ himself. Matth. xxvi. Mark. xiiii. Luke. xxii. Johan. xviii. And after what relygiouse sort they entreated his Apostles after his ascencyon / Act. iiii. v. vi. and. vii.

Pause had to enemy Barieheu / Ananias / Hymenaeus / Philetus / Hermogenes / and Phyge •… us / all maliciouse Prestes. Johan had Diotrephes / Carpocras Hebion / Marcion / C •… rinthus / and Cynopes / all bloodthursiye Prelates also / Peter had Simon Magus and Menander / James the More had Abiathar the great Bishop. Matthew had zaro •… s and Arphaxat among the Moreanes / and the same likewise had Simon and Thadeus as they preached among the Persianes / like as all the other Apostles had in the quarters where they occupied No where coude the verite be taught / but those glorious glotto •… s were ever at hand to resist it. After the Apostles ty me was there no cruel tyrant vnset a work by them to persecute them which published that massage of light. Euerye where were they whysperinge in that •… are and that ear / fearinge the fall of their kingdom if the Gospel were truly opened / as is evident to them which are expert in the cronicles.

And thus have they cōtynued in their spyghtfull generation under the name of a spiritualte / unto this present age / wherein their lowsye legerdemaine is almost perseyued of all men / the light so abun dauntlye shyninge / yet are they not ashamed / so whorishe is the face which they have cawte of their holy mother. A great conscience made their natural forefathers to put the. xxx. silver plates (that Judas y ^e trayter their elder brother had brought them) into the treasurye / because yt was the price of blood / Math. xxvii. But no conscience at all had those bloodye hypocrites to murder the eternal son ne of God / in procuringe false witnesses against him / Matth. xxvi. So like are our spiritualte to these fore leaders of theirs / as one adder is like another or the young wolf like the old as their daily fruits declareth. They sought by all means possible to quench the faith of his glorious resurreccyon / wagynge the souldyers to say that his disciples had stolen him whyls they were a sleep / Mat. xxviii. Which practice they occupy to this day by their hired sophisters or vniuersite knyghtes to blemishe his heavenly verite. Soche shameless liar •… are they against God and his word

But truly both they and their fathers hath faughten in vain. •… ete such vessels of the wrath of God kycke / spewe / and spurn as moche as they can / yet will the truth of the Lord endure forever. Seduce they never so subtyllye / lie they never so lordelye / blaspheme they never so boldelye / accuse they never so freshlye that the preachers are deceyuers and sediciouse persons / procure they never so many cruel tyrants / yea / persecute they and slee •… hey never so fercelye with Nero / Domicianus / Traianus / and such other / yet shall Christ always have a faithful cōgregacyon undefiled with their wretched sorceryes. Maruele not ye Bishops / Prelates / and Prestes / though I thus in the zeal of Helias and Phi •… s stomach against youre sturdye storms of stubbornness. For never was yet any tyranny ministered upon Christ and his mystical members / but by youre proud procurement. And now in our days / where are any of the lords true servants burned or otherwise murthe •… ed for true preaching / wrytinge / glosinge / or interpretynge the Gospel / but it is by your cruel calling on.

How subtillye bewitched you the parliament house / whan the. vi. blasphemous artycles collected out of the Popes wicked decrees were there enacted and establyshed with more tyranny than ever under the Romish Pope / Mahomete or any other tyraūt afore? Were not they first practiced of you to destroy all them that should truly profess the Gospel (which are and will be always the kings most faithful friends & to leave a plain path way that your Pope might here after entre? At your trayterouse insurreccyon in the northe it had been wrōge with this realm / had there not been a great number which had than the fear of God written in their hearts / whereby they knew they coude not rise against their prince / but to their own dampnacyon / and that they were bound also to defend him against all such popysshe and rebellyouse traitors.

Thanks might well have been given in those days to our eternal God for raysinge up 〈◊〉 Tyndale the first true Apostle of Christ after Johan Wy •… the very man of God and such other like / which brought Christ's Gospel into the knowledge of men / and wrote diverse grounded work •… upon the same. As the Christian Obedience / the pa rabble of the wicked Mammon / the. iii. chapters of Matthew / y ^e Somme of scripture / and diverse other / whereby the people were than taught how to love God / and how to obey their princes and magistrates. These heretic books (as you call them made the kings grace more faithful friends in those days / than yow Bishops and Prestes were well cōtēted with. Well / I trust by this time they and such other like have made him ten times so many more. Not only were the said. vi. articles devised by the devil and you for the utter destruction of God's true servants and the kings faithful subjects / but also to repare the broken walls of youre yall Rome again / as in deed they would do even to the very clouds if they were well followed.

Thynke not that •… ne be so blind in this age / but they perseyue your crafty cloyning. Ful well knew wily Wynche stre and other more of his fellawes the first practicers of them / that were they ones received / granted / and executed under pain of death / the Pope should never die in England / what though his name were suppressed with his pilgrimages / pardons / and a few supersticyons besides. •… hmost wicked vermyne / wylly worms / subtle and crafty serpentes / whan will ye leave treadynge of Christ on the hele? Gen. iii. Whan shall God's son be unto you no sign of contradiccyon? Luke. ii. Whan shall his verite be reuerêtlye used among you? I fear me / never / so longe as you remain in England. As our most godly souerayne began with king Josiah to reform his church / bannishynge your woluishe father as an ungodly usurper forever / ye pacientlye paused with lowerynge / lu •… king / and loutinge for fear of the sword and haltre.

But whan ye ones perseyued that God's holy laws were spredde / and youre vnholye laws were set at naught / than thought ye it high time to work youre false feats. Than put ye apace in practice youre old serpentyne subtyste •… s: ye compassed them so with crafts which knew not your cursed conueyaūces both amongst the kings counsel and commons / that they were at the making of the said six Popyshe artycles and are yet to this hour of this blind believe. Though the Pope of Rome your old glo riouse grandes •… re were the great Antichrist of Europa by youre own consent and grant / yet are his filthy tradiciōs holy / his beggerlye ceremonies godly / and his crooked Canon laws laudable / convenient / and comelye / precious / fit / and necessary to be still admitted for the spiritual laws of the church of Englan de and for the true worshippings of God therein / the scriptures of both testaments rejected or ess ponnished by most terrible death / where as they give not place unto them.

Thus by such •… subtle slayghtes as ye bse / y •… mak •… God to give place to the d •… / and his heavenly word to youre false superstitious / as ded the first serpent: yea / ye cause the kings majesty by aua •… ynge such •… h •… ythnishe tyt •… s and sawes / to honor youre Pope a fresshe / what though his name be abolysshed with a few yearlye pos •… ges besides. Ingenyo •… se is youre •… glynge as Melanchthon telleth your tale / and as •… byllyam •… braghton declareth in his huntynge of the Romish fox / like a faithful subject to his prince and no less natural child and souynge brother to his contre. If yow be not most wicked workers against God and his verite / & most spyghtfull traitors to the king and his realm / I cannot think there be any living upon the earth. Be this only spoken to you that maynt •… e such mysteries of madness.

If a tree may be judged by his fruits (as our saver saith it may) we must needs judge you most pestilent Papists upon the manifest maintenance of so manifold myscheues with such terrible terroure of halters and fire. So long as the blasphemous beggeryes of y ^e blodye Bisshoppes of Rome are not plucked up by the roots / as were the vnsanerye sacrifices of Baal and of Bel / and so broken in pieces with the brazen serpent idolatrouslye abused / the saw •… s of God's true worshipping •… (which are in the Bible prescrybed) set up in their stead / so longe (I say) is 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 to •… an nishe the Pope out of England / but he will sty •… dwell the in the secrete consciences of men / do the kings majesty and his counsel with his nobilite and commons what they will or may to the contrary.

•… nd yfas •… other crafty cōueyaunces sail to the vpholdynge of him there / yet shall their auryc •… ar confession / a plant of his own setting in the corrupt coun sell of laterane / do it workemanly enough No better way is there to restore his nam •… again / nor no conuenienter mean to bring him to his old es •… macyon. No craftyar conueyaunce to bring the people in bondage of blindness / & in cruel captivity of co •… to the utter destruccyon of soul an •… body. And that knew Gave gala •… 〈◊◊〉 t •… •… opes holy 〈◊〉 in Eng •… 〈◊◊〉 which now there in hie 〈◊◊〉 most plenteousy •… •… eth his •… se vanit •… s / with other of his •… euterouse adherent •… s more. Gr •… at is the diligence / labor / and stodye of his whoryshe apostataes / holy Apostles I should say / as are both the old and new tytled Bishops / Suffragans / archedea cons / officials / chauncellars / deanes / c •… missaryes / doctors / curates / and parish priests with other gaudyshe gentilmen of that lyuerye and mark / to se these. vi. artycles in every point observed.

In so moche as having their mothers face / they have not shamed fercelye to rebuke honest and godly men of sondrye questes at the giving up of their verdy t •… / as they have not hunted after their minds and found out their game to the cruel shedynge of poor innocents blood. To prove this true I will bring forth one for example. Bonner the blodye Bishop of London Abashed nothing at all extremelye to rebuke / manace and thretten a quest of honest citezēs and menne of good conscience in the yield hall at London in the year of our lord a M. D. and. xli. for' quytynge of a poor innocent ladde called Richard mekyns. Like a fer ce furyouse rauenynge wolf / insacyably desyerouse of murder & cruelly gredye upon his pray / refusynge the said quest / chose out another false quest to his purpose of such as he and his filthy generation had afore perverted / and never ceased till he brought him to a consuminge fire in Smithfelde / so making him a sacrifice to their great God Mulciber.

And after this shameless sort no doubt of it / all the other Bysschoppes of England / a very few excepted / have tyrannously handled the kings true subjects / and yet do to this day with less Christian equite and pyte than either Saracene or turke Jew or Pagan / to asuage their unquenchable thyrst: It is not to be thought that they are very Gentyll abroad or in the fardest partes of the realm / whan they use such furyouse feats so nygh the kings presence. So frantyke have they been of late days and so forgetful of themselves in their mad modye mastry •… s / that they have not feared to entre the kings own house to hūte their game / nor yet abashed at all sawcelye to seek out their desyered pray in his own Preuye chambre / couetynge so to have murdered his most trustye friends and faithful servants. The same self part in a manner would they have played with his noble grace that proud •… a man the Amalechyte played with king Assu •… s / malicyouslye seeking the destruccyon of Mardocheus and other which above all men had sought his lives preseruacyon •… ester. iii. •… herein of right they have deserved upon a gyb •… et to be hanged as he was.

Never sent Christ such bloodye Apostles nor two horned warryours / but the deuyfe vicar Antichrist which is y ^e deadsye destroyer of faithful believers. And now to you w ^c o •… ishe 〈◊〉 vynchestre again-the wyfye watterer of the Popes old gardene. Although doctor Londō be dead doctor Pates run away / & youre own dere kynsmanne germane gardener hanged with other of youre preuycounsell. yet cease not you to play cruel Haman still. No / do youre old fears to show whose children ye are of nature. If your wicked counsel had taken effect as God forbid it should very few true fauerers of the Lord's verite had been about the king this hour / least they should sometime have infourmed him of youre papistry / and so detected you of your manifest treason. Soche havoc beganne you to make in the court / as cruel Haman thought to have made among the faithful Hebrews belonging to good queen Hester / had not God by the high wisdom of our said king prevented youre subtyll practyses.

This mischefe ones performed / ye thought easily to have deluded his nobl •… s / and so in the ende to have brought in again youre great Patriarke of Rome / and so layserlye to have made of him another king Johan. But thanks be given always to our eternal living God / for delyueringe his •… ellent may ste with his most faithful subjects from the snares of youre crafty compassinges And how so ever this writing of mine shall be taken / yet is it a true tale / and so moche the more of his majesty to be marked / that youre forefathers and you have been traitors always for youre Romish fathers sake to emprours / kings / prin ces / and other wordlye governors all Christendom over / specially sense the crafty vpcrepinge of that holy father of yours. I doubt not but the most famous writers by all ages sense the churches beginning will make this my saying good / yet have their cronicles written the best of them to hyde their hypocresie and falshede.

What Christian blood hath beneshed-betwyne empire and empire / kingdom and kingdom / as betwyne Constantinople and Almayne / England & fraunce / Italy and Spain for the Bisshoppes of Rome / and how many cruel wars at their priests calling on / it were to moche either to write or to speak. Always have they been working mischefe in their idell generation to obscure the verite of God. I say yet ones again that it were very necessary for the kings worthy majesty with ernest eyes to mark how God hath graciouslye delyue red both him and his people from youre troblouse termaga •… t of Rome which afore made all Christian kings his common slaves. And to be ware of you hollowe har ted traitors his spiritual promoters / cōsyderinge that your proud predecessors have always so wickedlye used his graces noble prog •… itours the worthy kings of this realm sense the conquest and afore.

Who overthrew king Herolde / subduynge all this lande to the Normāny •… -who procured the death of king Willyam Rufus / and caused king Stephen to be thrown in preson: Who troubled king Henry the first / and most cruelly vexed king Henry the seconde: Who subdued and poisoned king Johan: Who mourthered king Edward the seconde / and famished king Richard the seconde most vnsemynglye: besides that hath been wrought against all the other kings also: To him that shall read and throughlye mark the religious acts of Robert the Archebisshop of Canterbury / of Odo / Eg •… inus / Anselmus / Randoll of Durhā / Rafe of Chychestre / Alexander of Lyncoln / Nig •… lius of Holye / Roger of Salysbury / Thomas •… cket / Stephen •… angton / Walter Stapylton / Robert Baldock / Rychard Scrope / Henry spe •… ser / Thomas Arundell / and a great sort more of youre anointed auncetours / pontifical prelates / mytred mommers / mad mastrye workers / ryuged ruff •… rs / roche ted rutters / shorn sawcye swy •… olles / it will evidently appear that youre wicked generation hath done all that and many other mischeues more.

By these youre filthy forefathers and such other / hath this realm been always in most miserable captivity either of the Romans or Danes / Saxons or Normannes / and now last of all under the most blasphemous Behemoth youre Romish Pope / the great Antichrist of Europa / and most mighty mayntener of Sodom and Gomorre / till God by the strong power of his eternal word gave our noble king a clear victory over him. How vnchristenlye youre said predecessors have used the rewlers of all other Christian realms / it were to longe to write. I reaken it therefore high time for all those Christian princes / which pretend to receive the Gospel of saluacyō / and accordynglye after that to live in mutual peace and tranquillite / forever to cast ye out of their preuye counsels / and utterlye to seclude you from all administracyous / till such time as they find ye no longer wolves but faithful feaders / no destroyers but gentle teachers. For as saint Peter doth say. i. Petri. v. ye ought to be no lords over y ^e people of your dioceses / but examples of Christian mekenesse. Who seeth not in these days that you blodye biship •… s of England / Italy / Sicell / France / Spain / Portingale / Scotland / & Ireland be the ground and original foundacyon of all controuersyes / scysmes / variaunces and mars betwixt realm and realm at this present: As sure as the lord liveth it is the subtle serpent of Rome and your wylye viperouse generation forth •… in ge from him which hath sturred up y ^e first mouers thereof / confedering thē w ^t y ^e Tur ke or great Barbarossa / utterly to destroy the Christian common wealth. As in deed for youre cause and his it was / that the French king Frances first began that ungodly enterprise. ye fele it at youre fyngars ends that your father is syke to false / ye perseyue the daily decay of his false and usurped power. Where upon ye consydre your own private powers / inordinate pride / covetousness / voluptuouse living / lechere / idelnesse / tyranny / and vain glory to follow sone after. And that causeth you to calke for his kingdom so fast / to cloyne for his coblarie / and to clought up his old cloke again. If ye speak ought against him / it is from the tethe and for fear of the halter only. He hath never the less both your hearts and good will / and lacketh neither your counsel •… or help preuilye / to the uttermost ye can do / as appeareth by youre daily works. Els coude he never continue as he doth / nor yet be so strong as he is. Wele / do all that ye can in the world to his holdinge up / piece / patche / cobble / clought / cloyne / calke / and do the devil and all besides / whan the apple of iniquity is full type / he will fall of himself and a ye ye all no leave. And than will all these youre labors be in vain. Consydre first of all both his beginning and yours.

Never came ye in with your myters / robes / & rings by the door as ded the poor Apostles / but by the wyndowe vnrequyred like robbers / thieves / and manquellers with Simon Magus / Marcion and Menander. Never was your proud Pontifical power of the heavenly fathers plantynge / and therefore at the last it must up by the roots. ye must in the ende be destroyed without hands. Daniel. viii. Inuisyblye shall ye be stryken as was the great tyrant Antiochus. ii. Mach. ix. With the mighty breathe of God's mouthe which is his word inuincyble / shall youre false kingdom be consumed. ii. Thes. ii. and Heb. iiii. This reken I sufficient to declare you both to God and to man most spyghtfull traitors unto them that will not be wilfullye blind.

Now to prove you spiritual thieves to y ^e common people / is the seconde part of my purposed writing. •… arder need we not to seek for a proof of this / than youre own open acts. How longe have ye kept the eternal testament of Christ under youre filthy fere frō y ^e people's reading / which is y ^e lively food of their souls: yea / how many innocent Christian creatures have ye most cruelly murdered / to cause them to abhorte it: Not many years past ye brent a godly woman at Couentre for having but one chapter of sainet Matthews Gospel / and another man at London for having saint John •… s Apoca lype / besides that ye have done in other quarters else of the realm. Some burned ye in Johan W •… ues time and after for not allow •… nge your pilgrimages / some for not believing your pardons / some for not fa •… ynge the frydaye / for not obseruinge your •… ent / some for youre purga torie / some for youre images / some for not praying to dead saints of youre making / some for youre howsell at Easter / some for not cr •… pinge to the cross / some for not going processyon / and some for ho lie water / and for other vain tryfels of youre own inuentinge.

He that shall read the causes of the imprysonmentes & death of ser Johan Balle / master Johan Astone / Nicolas Herforde / Walter Britte / Laurence Redenam / David Gotraye / Johan Ashwarby / Robert •… ygge / Walter Dashe / Johan Hunteman / Wissyam Swynderby / Rychard With / Henry Crompe / Willyam James / Thomas •… ritwell / Johan Puruey / Willyam Saw •… re / Willyam Thorpe / Johan Bad •… y / Johan Claydon Richard Turmyne / ser Roger Acton knight / Johan Brown esquyre / Johan Beuerlaye / set Johan Olde castle the worthy lord Cobham / Willyam Hawlam / Rafe Greenherst / The taylour of Worcestre / Peter Clarke / Peter Payne / Willyam taylour / Willyam Whyght and Ione his wife / Johan Scut / Johan Fowlyn / Willyam Euerdon / Willyam Caleser / Richard •… ownden / Thomas Bagley / Willyam •… aundeuyle / Philip Noris / Regnolde Pecok Bishop of Chychestre / Johan Goos / futher Pope of Eye / and Peke of yppeswych with a great number more. And no •… o in our time ye hyng Rychard Hōne in the •… ollars tower at mydnyght for denyenge a chyldes mortuarye. And the three young men in Sothfolke / Robert king / Johan Debynham / and Nicolas •… arshe for destroyinge the fowleydoll of •… ouercourt.

Whye Winchester hynge Thomas Sa •… ye a man learned / in his porters lodge at the Stews / the cause is not yet known. ye brent Thomas Hytton at Maydston for not allowynge the Pope / Thomas Bylneye at Norwych only for preaching the Gospel / Rychard Bayfelde at London for sellynge new testaments in English / with Teukesbery and Colyns / Willyam Leton a monk of eye for admittinge both kinds in the sacrament and for not giving reverence to the rotten rood there / George Baynham for purgatory and for not allowynge Thomas Becket for a saynet / Johan Frith and Johan Lambert for not admittynge youre purgatory also with youre saints praying to and youre pylde popish mass / Willyam Tyndale at Vilforde in Braban for translatynge the scriptures and disclosynge the slayghtes of youre false generation / Robert Barns with Garade and Jerome for reprouynge youre pestilent Papistrye (for other things ye had non to lay to him whan he stood at the stake demaundynge for what articles he should die) Richard Spenser and Johan Ramsaye at Salysburye / Richard Mekens at London / An thonye Person / Johan Testwode / & Johan Fenemor at Wyndesore with a great sort besides in diverse quarters of England for matters of no wayght / but that ye must still be doing youre kind.

To longe were it far to recite all your mastryes of mischefe / whom ye have always practiced to defuse God's word. Never were ye yet contented that that seed of salvation should fructifye among the people / but evermore ye have stopped the sweet blast thereof / to do the devil youre father a pleasure / Apoc. vii. A few years a go whan it began first to flotishe / ye caused one Somers with certain other more openly to burn Newe Testa mentes in the mids of chepe at London. And as ye perseyued that it still increased magrye youre hearts under the authority of our most worthy king / than roared you like rude rampyon rauenours / than raged also youre rank rabble of Romish ruffelers in their side swepynge gowns / their shaven crowns / cappes / and typpettes / like the charminge channters of Bell. Speciallye wode Winchester / lewd London / lurkynge Lyncolne / dreamynge Dur •… am / yorke without wytt / chatteringe Chychestre / smylynge Salysburye / fleryng fryer wattes / and that double faced trayter Wilson / namynge it full of errors and very ill translated.

Oh idell idyotes and abhominable hy pocrites. Shame ye not at all so evidently to lie and so boldelye to blaspheme? Never were ye able as yet to match thē whose just labors ye reprove: & though ye were / ye have not yet done it to the pro fight of other. ye are those wild swine / lewdeshepardes / and foxes which hath roted up the lords vine yearde. Psalm. lxxvii. Esa. iii. Hier. xii. Can. ii. Never do you repare whan any thing is therein decayed / but contynuallye murder all them that would gladly do it. Mat. xxi. Mark. xii. Luc. xx. In the first chapter of Sapience is it mencyo •… ed how terrible sentences ye shall geu •… against youre selves at the latter day. 〈◊〉 hortyble fea re shall ye there confess openly that all hath been damnable f •… lyshnesse that ye have gone abought / that ye have •… rred from the truth / that ye have been wilfullye ignorant / that ye have tired yourselves in the ways of wickedness & destruction / and so forth.

Before youre own faces will I yet lay more largelye your own abhomina ble fruits or good works as ye call them / be ashamed of them / yfye liest. you mastre wyncharde of Winchester broiled in saynet Georges field beyond Sothwar ke one gyles a Ioynar with one of the quenes servants and a paynter before five a clock in the morning / least the common people should have known your lewd legerdemayne by their last confessyons. And you blodye Bishop boner ded murder a godly young man in Newgate only for reading the Bible in Pau les / whose life was well known to be vnrebu •… eable among men / besides youre tyrannouse handelynge of others for the same / notwithstanding the kings authority. you two blind Babylon braggers with youre oiled adherents made Alexandre Seton a notable learned man most miserably to recent for your false free will / Willyam Tolwyn for your holy water making / Thomas Becon for your images / youre chastity / & your satisfaccids / Robert Wisdom for your saints veneracion / youre ceremonies / & the Popes old religion / with such other.

yet was not youre frettynge fury all qualyfyed thus / but styllye raged in your former frenesye not unlike Pharaoh's fer ce knyghtes / and ones again ye bewytched the parlement house / prouokynge them most pestylentlye to depryue the common people all together of the Bible reading. Onlye was it than admitted to. iii. degrees of men / to gentle men / mer chandes / and Prestes / all artyfycers and men of the common sort clearly secluded / as though God were parcyall / not willynge his laws / precepts / and sweet promises to be known to poor men to their souls salvation. But false and crafty are ye in you •… feats working / ye thought 〈◊〉 lays •… to take 〈◊〉 from them also / might 〈◊〉 on •… •… me agay •… to you •… full swaye.

These be th •… good works th •… 〈◊〉 boast so sore / whi •… •… fie yow befo •… youre God the Po •… 〈◊〉 op •… opera •… ▪ These are deeds of 〈◊〉 erog •… cy •… / wh •… with ye scour you •… 〈◊〉 ▪ 〈◊〉 so oft as it pleaseth 〈◊◊◊〉 •… rites of •… our satis •… 〈◊◊◊〉 •… eauen whan God is no •… a •… hom •… ▪

Oh abhomina •… •… eues and shameless murderers. If 〈◊◊〉 called a man •… lar which s •… eeth th •… 〈◊〉 / much •… rather he which sieeth 〈◊〉 body▪ and soul •… as youre generation doth cōmonl •… . 〈◊〉 the world in a manner 〈◊◊〉 •… ges / and lawheth to 〈◊◊〉 •… dent 〈◊〉 . Chri •… 〈◊◊〉 the poor / but blessed t •… 〈◊〉 all •… tes of peop •… / Mat •… 〈◊〉 . 〈◊〉 . vi. 〈◊〉 •… lie opened 〈◊◊〉 Gospel to the poo •… in his own per •… / but also appointed the pore •… o •… 〈◊〉 •… o declare it unto the poor after his 〈◊〉 / induynge them most largelye with hie sp •… te from above Math. xxviii. Mark. xvi. Luke. xxiiii. Johan. xv. Act. ii. He chose the weak to confound the s •… onge and the poor to deface the proud presumptuouse. i. Cor. 〈◊〉 By his p •… eachynge to the poor as by 〈◊◊◊◊〉 / •… lared he as a 〈◊◊◊〉 his coming in the 〈◊〉 ▪ Math. xi. •… sa. lxi.

〈◊◊〉 he 〈◊◊〉 •… bbets 〈◊〉 •… youse g •… ors to s •… t in consisto •… / 〈◊〉 / 〈◊◊〉 to the vttre 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 fayhtfully in 〈◊〉 . 〈◊◊◊〉 is 〈◊〉 to perseyue whose 〈◊◊◊〉 . xxiii ye •… ll 〈◊〉 〈1 line〉 gouer •… / as ded 〈◊◊〉 youre prede •… our 〈◊◊◊〉 •… ero / to •… ee the Gos •… 〈1 line〉 not the •… king •… 〈◊◊〉 Christ willed non to 〈◊◊〉 •… o 〈◊〉 faith by compuls •… 〈◊◊〉 th •… •… les to enforce 〈◊◊◊〉 unto. It is not our manner 〈◊◊〉 James the mo •… e unto Herm •… s to cause any man to 〈◊〉 our 〈◊◊〉 he •… e willynge. And 〈◊◊〉 •… tes •… ore cruel than the 〈◊◊◊〉 to pro fess •… you •… 〈◊◊◊〉 •… erse •… yndes o •… f death.

Non leave ye 〈◊〉 and •… ntrobled / No 〈◊〉 so moche as the poor mynstress 〈◊〉 players of interludes / but ye are doyn •… with them. So longe as they played 〈◊〉 and sange bawdye songs / blasphe •… ge God and corruptinge men's consciences▪ never blamed them / but were ve very well contented. But sense they persuaded the people to worship their Lord God a right according to his holy laws and not yours / and to acknowledge Jesus Christ for their only redeemer and saver without youre lowsye legerdemaynes / ye never were pleased with them / whan they tell you as the truth is / that youre Romish father hath played the cruel Antichrist / and •… ou his false phesicyanes in holdinge the Christian multitude so many hondreth years in such damnable darkness of spirit without repentance / ye take it vnpacientlye s •… king their destruction for it.

Never repent ye your many fold mischeues be they never so manifest / but are always redye with all ingyns possyble to fall to them again. ye are not ashamed that ye have afore time depryued 〈◊〉 people of all godly knowledge by with holdinge from them the scriptures. But with toth and nail ye labor it afreshe w ^t all crafty cloyninges / to make them both blind •… and ignorant / as I have proved here afore / 〈◊〉 think the denyls in •… ell are not of a more perverse mind nor 〈◊〉 more ways to the souls destruction / than you. Nether will you entre into the kingdom of Christ by a true repentance and faith in his holy promises / nor yet suffer any other that would gladly do it. But rather on every side ye stop vy the high ways there unto / least they should believe and so receive salvation.

Nothynge pleasant is it unto your lordelye cares / to hear that we are justified by Christ's only deseruynges. Nether do ye think it greatly to youre advantage / that we without youre lowlye beggary should be saved in his blood shedynge. Slaunderouslye report ye the instructours of our time both to preach and to write against good works not for any deuocyon that you have to do them / specially if the scripture hath commanded them. But to have such wicked work •… fulfilled as youre filthy father and you have commanded for youre own private profyght and lucre / ye play Pha rao / Caiaphas / Nero / Traianus / with all tyrants partes besides. The faith which is lyuelye and of value before God can no more be without good works / than the clear sun apering can be without bryghtnesse or the burning fire without his natural heat.

That faith which ariseth of the Gospel preaching / bringeth forth the wor kes of the Gospel which are the wholesome fruits of the spirit / as love / gladness / peace / patience / gentylnesse / goodness / longe suffering / faythfulnesse / mehenesse / chastity / temperaunce / with such other like. Galat. v. These good wor kes have not •… ou to be justified by / as we se in youre daily living. These be not they therefore that ye take for y ^e good wor kes of mynys justification. I wote / y ^e good works that ye have cassed upon afore ty me / w •… re the going •… to pardons / the se •… ynge to images / the praying to dead saints / the taking of holy water / the hearing of Matins and Mass without understanding / the wearinge of bedes / the offering of candles, the bearing of palms and ashes / the idle bestowynge of youre holy days / the coming to confession / the crepynge to the cross / the payenge to the Paschal / the fasting of saints vigils / the prayenge for ass Christian souls / the buysdynge of monasteryes and cha •… teryes / the chat myng •… of churches and chalyces / with a thousand super •… icyons mo •… / for youre commodyte and advantage.

The good works that we behold in youre daily conuersacyon / for all youre bold brag •… s of good works / are but the filthy fruits of the flesh as say not •… oule doth call them / for we se nothing in you b •… hawty •… sse / bayneglorye / coue tousnesse / pr •… de / hatred / malice / manniss lauc •… r / banketynges / glotonye / dronkenesse / slow the / sedicyon / ydolatrye / mytchecrast •… / 〈◊〉 / 〈◊〉 / 〈◊〉 / besides youre filthy feats in the dark whan women are not redye at hand. What ye appear in the sight of them which have no godly understanding / I cannot well tell you. But well I wote that ye seme unto us with youre iustifyeng works very pestilent ydols / as▪ zacharias saith ye are. zacha. xi. God requireth mercy of his true believers / and nether youre vnsauerye sacrifices nor yet youre faint feeble ceremonies / D. see. vi. Math. ix. Gal. iiii.

Though we do afferme with saint Ia mes / that faith to be idle / dead / and boy de which occupyeth not good works such as the Gospel prescribeth / yet grant we not those good works to be any part of our iustificacyon before God / considering that to rest alone in Christ's good deseruynges which are ours only by faith. Not for our own ryghtouse works (saith saint Paul, are we saved / but by the mercy of God through Jesus Christ / Titum. iii. Non other is our universal righteousness before God / (saith the Prophet) than is a filthy clo the stained with a womannes flour •… . Esa. lviiii. Semynge it is that we become newemēne / Eph. iiii. that we be have our selves as the ministers of God / that we walk in a new Christian life after the Gospel. i. Thess. ii. that our light appear afore men to the glory of God / Matthew. v. and that we serve no more sin from hence forth / Rom. vi. but that our daily cōuersacyon be in heaven. Phil. iii

yet whan we have done all this by the graciouse gift of God / we may not there unto ascribe any part of our iustificacyon with the Pharisee / Luke. xviii. but say with the poor publicane / God be merciful unto me / I am truly an unprofitable servant / I have not done so moche as my dewtye / Luc. xvii. I am not able to think a good thought of myself / moche less than to do a good work to my iustificacyon. ii. Cor. iii. Thus do we not condemn good works / as you like false liars report us / but we allow them most hyghlye / as they arise of the Gospel and not of youre beggarly tradiciōs / and so teache we them in their right kyn de. Though youre forefathers in all ages sense their beginning hath murmured against the verite / yet raged they never so unreasonable as you do / nether sought they so cruel kinds of death for the servants of God.

What the cause should be of this youre frantyk fury / it is easy to conjecture / youre water is seen now a days / youre sycknesse is known / and youre longinge perseyued. We se now what ye are both within and without. It hath pleased our eternal God in this latter time / by his despised disciples to manifest the great Antichrist to the universal world / of whom your Pope is the head and you his malignaunt members. No longer are ye like with youre abhominacyons to sit in the holy place / in the temple of God / in the secrete consciences of men. Matthew. xxiiii. i. Corinth. iii. ii. Thess. ii. But as unlawful •… yars and sellars / robbers and thieves / ydolaters and murders / to be driven out with whyppes / Johan. ii. Luc. xix. Mar. xi. Math. xxi. This is the only cause of youre blusterynge and blowynge / youre roaringe and raging / youre impresonynge and but •… ynge of the said godly ministers / be they writers or preachers / players or syngers.

Never the less youre terrible turmoylyng yet taketh the verite effect in them whom God hath appointed. My word (saith the Lord) shall not turn again void / but accomplysshe my mind and prosper in them whom I sent it unto. Esa. lv. Agaynst youre selves work ye in youre daily doyinges / yet perseyue ye it not. In the sharp shedynge of ryghtouse blood / or burninge whether ye will / have those things been opened / whom ye have most coveted to be hid from all knowledge. As youre pardons and purga torye to be of non effect / youre pilgrymages and other peltrycs to be of no value. An other thing there is that ye set most by / which must away also / though it cost blood in habunda •… ce as I think it wist. And that is your abhominable mass / by so many pestilent Popes diuised / which were both peruerters & poysoners / sorcerers & stinking Sodomit •… s. By that is the glorious supper of the Lord which was his own institucyon most blasphemouslye bl •… myshed and brought clean out of knowledge in the Christian church.

For a cōtynuall remembrance of Christ's death in his cōgregacyon was that heavenly supper first ordained / and for a universal thanks giving for the most fruitful benefyght of the same. In that sacred supper are the mutual members of Christ's mystical body there gathered / perfygh •… lie •… nyt together to their head with the Ioyntes of faith and sy •… nowes of love / where as it is truly ministered. In youre Popish Mass was never yet such godly order. Nether is the Lord's death to understanding preached / nor yet his body and blood fruit fully therein received. Nether are the hearers thereof persuaded to continual thanks giving / nor yet Christenlye exhorted to a mutual love and concord. But of the denowtest that cometh to that Mass of yours one disdayneth another / one hateth another / one troubleth another / one robbeth another / one goeth to law with another / one defyleth an others wife / yea sometime / one sleyth another / besides the abhominable sorceryes / sacryleges / supersticyons / and ydolatryes which are therein daily committed.

For therein ye offer to be worshipped of the people / a sign for a sa •… / and that hath been made by a sinful man's hands for our eternal living God. Thus yow most execrable Antichrists have brought them from the true worshipping of God / to the worshipping of bread and wyne / two false God's / (as they are used) of youre Romish fathers appoyntynge. Never commanded Christ his words to be preached to brea de and to wyne which are but dead things / but to such people as had faith to believe them and to follow them •… he bad the faithful receyuers of his holy supper to take the bread and to eat it / but never to knele to it and to worship it: That odyouse obseruacyon was added thereunto by youre Pope sense Satan was set at large after his thousand years inpresonment / Apocalyp. xx. Not without the perpetual curse of God / Deut. xii. Apocalyp. xxii.

The eternal testament of God wherein Christ is contained both reallye and substanciallye / ye never hold up to be worshipped / though ye fatche from thens the words that ye occupy / for that were nothing for youre commodite. Most cōmonlye is that office done by an unlearned luske / a blind bussarde / an assehead an idiote / an whoremonger / a dronkarde / a bellygod / traitor / a Sodomite / a tyraunte / an unfaithful Papist / and the most knave in a town. yea / sometime frō the vometyng of his vndygested supper / or else from the filthy occupyenge of an harlot / he cometh straight to the aultre to do it / yet must it be thought a sacrifice of no less value and strength / than that Christ himself offered upon the cross. And he that will not so believe it / shall be burned for an her etique.

Oh abhominable scorners and thieves / which practice nothing else but the vttre desiruccyon of soul. If any thing under the heavens hath need of reforma macyon / lete them think this to be one which myndeth any godliness / for never ded cruel Pharaoh hold the people of Israel in so wicked a captivity / as doth this supersticiouse sort of ydest Sodomites the most derelye redeemed heritage of the Lord. If they be no spiritual thieves sowle murderers / heretics / scysmatiques / church robbers / rebels / and traitors to God & to man / where are any to be looked for in all the world: An other thing yet there is which causeth me sore to lament / the inconuenyencyes there upon considered. And that is this. Although the scriptures / cronicles / canons / constitucions / counsels / and private histories with youre manifest acts in our time / doth declare youre forefathers / and you such heretics / thenes / & traitors to the Christian common wilthes as hath not been upon the earth but you / yet are ye still taken into the preuye counsels both of Emprour and king.

But what a plage it is or miserable yoke to that Christian realm where as you bear the swynge / I think it truly unspeakable though it be not seen. Oh eternal father for thy infinite mercies sake / graciouslye grant thy moste faithful servant king Henry of England our most worthy souerayne lord and governor under the / clearly to cast out of his preuye counsel house these lecherouse locusts of Egypt and daily upholders of Sodom and Gomor / the Popes cruel cattle tokened with his own proper mark / to the universal health of his people / as thou hast now constitute him an whole complete king and the first sense the conquest. For never shall he have of them / but disseytfull workemêne and hollowe hatted gentylmenne. And not only that good lord but also to depryue them of there usurped authority and power restorynge again thereunto his temporal magistrates whom their proud Pope hath hitherto most tyrannouslye thereof •… yryued.

Finallye to take from them their inordinate pomp and •… yches and more godly to bestow them / that is to say / to the aid of his pouerte and maynte •… aūce of his common wealth. •… s for an example the noble Germaynes hath gracyouslye done before him / making of they •… monasteryes / nonnes / couētes / and fryers houses / scoles of Christian sernynge / hospitalles for sick people / and convenient dwelling places for the impotēt / poor / and aged / •… eseruynge the reest of the lan des and goods to the maintenance of their city •… s and contrees / which godly distribucyon is moche commended all Chr •… stendome over where as it is throughlye known. Notvnknowen is it to these pom pouse prelates / that whan those lands and goods were first delivered unto their predecessors / it was not to the intent that they should become possessors or lords of them / but faithful disposa •… s to the use of the weak and nedye / that Christ might so be harbored / norryshed / covered / fed / and visited in his disseased members / as will be required at the latter day.

But whom have you harboured ye beast lie bellygoddes whom have you visited and feddesens ye have become •… of lowlye preachers mytred modye ydols: Not the sore and sy •… / the impotent and same, the fatherless and motherlesse / nor him that hath b •… decay •… d 〈◊◊〉 / or thrown in strong pr •… son for the verite. No / but great lords and sadyes / ler •… ed men and •… out sawers / gentylmenne / great doctors / 〈◊〉 so •… he as hath fat ben •… fices / with a •… nde of bold brag gets or blasphemous swearers abought ye / to wait upon youre tabl •… s / to hold up your tales in the s •… rete / to keep youre houndes and horses / and to conueye you in the dark a piece for youre pleasure. And this do ye for two specyast causes / one is this / for so moche as your •… selves are becomen great fordes / ye must needs have lordelye companyons somewhat like youreselues.

Peter / James / & Johan / with the other dis •… ples of Christ (whose succe •… yon ye bo •… youreselues to be were now no mete •… •… hyp for you. Never were they yet in so •… he high authority as you be in now. •… there had they here any such prche •… of p •… acye as to be called my 〈1 page〉 •… tyouse •… egne of covetousness that he lest behind him upon the high moūtay •… . Math. iiii. I think not the cōt •… arye but you s •… tdye struggelers will somewhat s •… le at this wy homelye writing / yet shall not that make me to l •… aue of / consyd •… ynge that Christ hath promised. •… uce xix. that though we should hold our peace and neither write nor speak against you in these latter days / so hydynge his talent under the ground / yet mold •… the domme stones do it against youre ydolatrouse generation.

In vain therefore have ye made it death to impugn your mysche •… s. Trulye we can nō otherwise chose but in the power of that spirit which he hath givē us boldelye to reply against your fylt •… ye father Anticrist and yow / though ye should there vpō make a thowsande deaths more. And I do not doubt it but in process of time we shall in the same sprite and wor de clearly overthrow that fleshl •… e ch •… •… he of his / so that there shall no more there of appear / than now doth of the carnal synagoge of the Jews. The more cruel act es ye make against us / the more ernest are we and will be / ty •… we have weded ye whollye out of the lords vyneya •… de. your holy bretheren and systerne y ^e monks / f •… ytes / chanons / and nonnes / with your h •… s pylgrymes / and perdoners be gone forth afore yow / think not but yourselves shall follow w ^t your myters / shavē crowns / and longe ryppetes arysynge out of the same soil. For Rome that ryall city was the orygynall mother to ye both.

•… omore are yow in your proud painted relygyō of the heavenlye fathers plantynge / than were they in there I dell I pocresye. And therefore ye must up by the roots with your pompouse palaces / proud prebēdes / chapels / & chaūteryes. The gre •… sale of your m •… rites and holy whoryshe works shall not be able to uphold yow. As the lord hath given it to our most worthy king by the strength of his wor de to destroy that rank •… able of Romystes so will he gra •… t him to sub due you all so y ^t cruel captaynes •… d shorn forcerers of that sodomytycall kingdom as yet left behind / to make perfect the work that he hath begun / that ye do not hereafter so wickedly abuse hy •… successyon / as ye have afore time his most noble pro genytours. I faythfullye believe yt / that both Achitofel & Haman shall have there just plages / ere his grace give place unto nature / as all men must die. ii. Reg. xvii. Hester. vii.

If it should be otherwise (as the lord forbydde both prince Edward and the whole realm b •… side should be in most d •… e danger. For though ye play now dyogenes flies and whysper plesauntlye in the e •… re / yet will ye hysse cruelly like s •… pētes throwynge forth your venom wh •… ye shall se your time / according to your subtle and vngentyll nature. Though the mermaydes song be sweet / yet ys yt full of payson (as are also your honyed thetoryckes) & leadeth thē unto death which giveth thē thereof y ^e h •… arynge. 〈◊〉 uer is Gnato vnrydie w ^c his fair flat ringe feats / to bring his false matter •… to pass where as he find yt chynge •… res. Were it not for fair speech in hypocrisy / Sathā should never appear y ^e glorious 〈◊〉 of light / to y ^e daily perfour maunce of all his mastryes of mischief. What 〈◊◊〉 decays hath chaunc •… d to all Chri •… n •… gyons and there rulers for giving swyft credyte to the fleryng •… flatteryes of your babylonyshe broad / yt were very moche to write. It shall be therefore necessary for our most worthy king / to loke upon yow intyme / and both to demynyshe your authority and riches leas •… ye here af •… er put all his godly enterpryses in hasarde. For nothing else can ye do of your spūall nature but work daily mysch •… ues. As well may ye be spared in the common wealth / as may kytes / crows / and bussardes / polcattes wesels / and rattes / otters / wolves and foxes / body lyce / flees / and flesh 〈◊〉 with other deuowrynge and noyfull vermyne. For as unprofitable are ye unto it as they / and as little have ye of the word of God to uphold yow in those vain offices of papystrye as they.

This vncommodiouse cōmodite hath England had of you always whan ye have been of the kings preuye counsel / and I think hath now at this present hour. That whan so ever any godly enterprise is there in doying / be it never so preuylye handled / yet shall the Popish prelates of Italy / Spain / Fraūc •… / Flaunders / and Scotland have sure knowledge thereof by youre secrete massengers / and you again their crafty cō passynges to deface it if it may be. Nether shall those realms continue longe after without war / specially if an ernest reformacyon of youre shameful abuses be sought there. And never shall the original ground of that war be known / but other causes shall be laid to co lour it with / as that the king seeketh his right / his princelye honor / the maynte •… aunce of his titles / or the realms common wealth / being nothing less in the ende / but an vpholdynge of you in youre myscheues.

So longe as you shall bear rule in the parliament house / the Gospel shall be kept under and Christ persecuted in his faithful members. So that n •… godly acts shall come out from thens to the glory of God and Christian common wealth / but you shall so sauce them with your Romish sorceryes / that they shall at all times be redye to serve youre turn. Although the kings majesty hath permytted us the scriptures / yet must the true ministers thereof at youre most cruel appointment either suffer most tyrannouse death / or else with mouthe openly deny Christ's verite which is moche worse than the death. For where as he which mannefullye suffereth / declareth himself an able witness of the lord / he that cowardlye recanteth showeth himself to be but a faint hearted hypocrite / throwynge himself whollye under Antichrists yoke again. Thus give ye strength to his laws and norryshe up his kingdom / whom ye say with youre lips that ye have refused / youre pestilent Pope of Rome.

ye play altogether hyck scorner under the figure of Ironia. That ye say ye ha te ye love / & that ye say ye love ye hate. Lete all faithful men be ware of such double day dremers and hollowe hearted traitors / and think where as they bear the rewle / nothing shall come ryghtlye forewarde nether in faith nor common wealth. Never find these tyraūt •… of Sodom any place to repentance for their continual murtherynge of Christ in his faithful members / but more and more they sin against knowledge blasphemynge the holy ghost / to bryn ge upon themselves the more swyft dam nacyon. And as concerning their princes / always are they at this crafty point with them / to follow their minds outwardlye for the time / for of all men lyunge they are ever the mosilsubtyle observers of time.

But be sure of this ones / that what countenaunces so ever they show before them with lowlye sowtynge and duckynge down to the ground, yet •… ane they, all that way which maketh most to there vpholdynge in the vain glorious and 〈◊〉 regne of Antichrist, whether it be with the French hynge / the Turk / or the Emprour. As now at this present time / speak they never so fair / loke they never so demu •… show they never so wise polecyes / or provide they never so ware •… ye for the kings hoos •… in bakynge / bruynge / broylynge / gryndynge / seasonynge / saltynge / sowsynge / and sethyng / yet hath the French king their inward hearts for the great good will he beareth to their Romish father. yea / although the kings grace and the Emprours majesty be now ioyntlye joined friends parauenture not without their procurement also for another purpose of theirs / as to stop a general counsel wherein they doubt their vttre fall) yet shall they not longe so continue / if they by any other false polecye may altre it / as I hope it shall never lie in their wicked power to do it.

These have been always their common practyses / as they have seen their matters in danger. And therefore they are now least of all to be trusted / consyderyng that at this present they are in most danger of all. If this general war set them not up again / they are never like to go forward. And therefore hardelye they work now a tawnte for the vpholdynge of their kingdom / take head to their hands who shall / yea and parauen ture to some of their fete if God be their good lord. What other works can come from the devils working toles / than cometh from the hands of his own malyngnaunt mischief: who can deny these Bishops and Prestes to be the instruments of Satan / understanding the scriptures and beholdynge their daily doyinges: Onlye persecute they simple men unto death for believing in Christ / and never for the great ab hominacyons of ydolatrye and supersticyon.

Onlye are they great enemies to marriage which is holy / and never to the stinking Sodom •… try that is daily used among them. No / of that they have set up an ydos •… among themselves / calling it holy virginite and the vowed 〈◊〉 ite of prosses yea / they have so bewytched the parliament house / that it must be honored of all England under pay •… of death though it be the mo •… filthy fruit of 〈◊〉 that ever yet y •… ued from 〈◊◊〉 ye there can be a gr •… plage to a Christian realm / than to have such goo •… lie fathers of the kyn g •… preuye counsel: If wise men do judge it any other than a just plage for our sin and a yoke laid upon us for o •… irreverent receyuinge of that heavenly treasure the eternal testament of Christ / to have such hypocrites / thieves / & traitors to regne over us / truly they judge not a right.

If we would 〈◊〉 therefore repent our former living / and unfeignedly turn unto our ever living God / as we find in that testament / I would not doubt yt to I •… parde both my body and soul / that we should in short space be delivered of this Romisshe vermyne rysynge out of the pyt bottomless / Apocalyp. ix. which eateth up all that is grene upon earth or that hath taken any strength of the living word of the Lord. For the heart of a king is always in the hands of God and at his pleasure he may evermore turn it / Prov. xxi. Take me not here that I condemn any Bysshoppe or Prest that is godly / doing those holy offices that the scripture hath commanded them / as preaching the Gospel / prouydynge for the poor / and ministrynge the sacraments right. But against those bloodye botchers that murder up God's people / and make daily havoc of Christ's congregation / to maintain the Jews ceremonies and the Pagans supersticyons in the Christian church.

These are not Bishops but byteshepes / tyrants / tormentors / termaga •… tes / and the devils slaughter men. Christ lest no such disciples behind him to sit with cruel Caiaphas at the sessyons upon life and death of his innocent members. But such 〈◊〉 in pouerte preached the Gospel / rebukyng the wicked world for ydolatrye / hypocrisy / and false doctrine / called sin / ryghtousnesse / and judgment in the. xvi. Chaptre of Johan. Episcopus is as moche to say as a superintendent or an ouers •… ar / whose office was in the prymatyue Church purelye to instruct the multitude in the ways of God / and to se that they were not beastly ignorant in the holy scrip tures as the most part of them are now a days. Pres •… iter is as moche to say as a seuyour or elder / whose office was also in godly doctrine and examples of living to gyde the Christian congregation / and to suffer no manner of supersticyon of Jew nor gentyle to regne among them. And these two offices were all one in those days / and commonly executed of one several person.

They which than were appointed to these spiritual offices ded nothing else but only preach and teache the Gospel having assistent unto them other inferyour officers called D •… akons to ministre the sacraments than used / and to provide for the poor / the dyseased / and aged / •… cto. vi. Christ sent not me forth (say •… ) 〈◊〉 Paul •… to baptyse / but to preac •… the Gospel or glad tydyng •… of salvation in his death and resurreccyon i. Corinth. i. Roma. iiii. No godly man can dispyse these offices / nether yet condemn those that truly execute them. Not only are they worthy to have a competent living. i. Cor. ix. but also double honor after the doctrine of saint Paul •… . i. Timoth. v. But from inordinate excess of riches ought they of all men to be sequestered / considering that the most wicked nature of Mammon is always to corrupt / yea / the very elect if God were not the more merciful. And that caused Christ our saver to say unto his Apostles / ye cannot serve God and Mammon. Matth. vi. which might be an admonyshmēt to our lordelye Bishops whan they be in their wordlye pomp / that they are not God's servants / believed they his sayenges as they do nothing less.

I cannot think that any Christian Bishop or Prest will be offended with ought that I have written here / but rather prefer it to their power / seyinge it maketh nothing against them / seeking God's glory and not their own. And as for y ^e Romish Popes ydols / the better it will beiudged of all Christian believers if they do spattle against it. My conscience doth give me that I have herein followed y ^e example of Christ. For like as he labored by his daily preaching to deface the great opinyon that the people had of 〈◊〉 Pharis •… s and false Bishops▪ & to p •… ace Johan Baptist and Peter in th •… yr romes / Matthew. xi. •… uc. x. So do I here to my simple porcyon that the Popes Presies and Prelates should no longer occupy the consciens of men with their beggerlye dead baggage above the eternal God and his living word. ii. Thessal. ii. Daniel. ii. The which in the zeal of his only verite / I desire that lord of his bottomless mercy and for his son Jesus sake / shortly to perfourne to the just expectacyon of his elect flock. Fynallye with heart I desire / that those enemies of the truth be no longer given over of God and so left to themselves / but that they may find some just way to repentance / and so from henceforth to maintain the pure laws of Christ / as they have in times past the most filthy tradicyons of Antichrist.

So be it.

Written from Basyle a city of the 〈◊〉 by me Henry Stasbrydge in the year from Christ's incarnacyon. 1544. and the first day of August.

An appendyce Iorned to the foreseyd Episile.

B E it known unto you brag gynge 〈◊〉 / that the day after I had synyshed my Episile / there came unto my hands an answer of youre making against the lyberall huntynge of youre Romish father the fo •… e of all falshede wherein ye show youre self nether learned nor yet wise. In ded eye appear there a very shameless gentylmanne. For where as nether scriptures nor good natural reasons will serve you / ye fall to plain scoldynge like an whore of the stews. ye stamp and ye stare / ye face / fret / and fare / as it were great N •… mroth of Babylon. Nothyn •… e else find we in youre writing but boystuouse boasts / brags / and brawlynges / lordelye checks / rebukynges / and tyrannycall threttenynges / all after the fashyon of youre cruel kingdom. They that were blind afore are like to •… e so still for ought they shall learn of you It is not youre office to make them to se / •… ut to keep them ignorant still / you Bishops cannot chose but show youreselues still as ye be / even the natural loving children of youre father.

In no wise may ye suffer it / that he in his tyght colors be reuelated to the world / least yow risynge out of his right side be thrown from your vain glorious dygnytees with him. Moche rather had ye that all princes powers were nothing / than the acts of that father of yours should utterly come to naught. But seeing ye have taken so great pains to defend h •… s holy quarrel / 〈◊〉 marvel what y ^e cause should be that ye putt yt not forth in prent that your trayterouse bretheren also might be confirmed in there obstynate errors by y ^e same. If you will not showeth cause why / than I shall ta ke y ^e pains to do it for you. ye have consy dered w ^t yourself and w ^t other your crafty counselors / that if ye should so put for the that work of yours / ye might cha •… ce to appear to some eyes in condempnynge this honte to allow in your holy father his suppressed authority afreshe. Take hede what ye do in any wise / for the worl de ys not now as it hath 〈◊〉 .

Ageyne yfye should have lete it pass untouched / ye should either have sh •… wed yourself 〈◊〉 cowarde / or else have condemned utterly the. vi. wicked arty cles of your own deuysyege for Antichrists Idell and blasphemous wares. In deed ye were brought to a narrow point both ways / and seme yet scat an honest conueyar in the art of Mome bowgett. O vell / to keep yourself upright / ye have writ̄ against this honter. And ye think ye have gested him out of countenaūce though ye have done nothing else for want of matters to your mind. As ye d •… d Ale •… andre seton and other more / to whō in cōparyson ye were judged a very blind asse in the learning of God / but that authority (they say) maketh fools bold. But my lord my lord / yfye think wraghtō thus overthrown or yet dasshed out of countenance / ye are sore dece yued. David will ones again lay hand upon his slynge. They be not your lor delye lokes that shall cause him to shrynke in so just a quarrel of his lord Jesus Christ.

I suppose your vulerned legerde maynes will encorage him to pour double upon that Romish whore your malygna •… t ma dame / the mother of all filthiness / Idolatry / superstycyons / hypocrisy / vain glory / craft / subtylte / falhede / Idelnesse auaryce / glotonye / lechere / sodometrye / & most vnshame fast tyranny. Lete your work come a broad & not lurk thus in corners / that your father may say ye ha ue done your part well / & your bretheren report that ye are a great pyllar of thers. Ifye will not set it forewarde / I putt ye out of doubt that. I will do it to your sma •… honest / that y ^e kings mageste may se and all y ^e realm besides what a forsworn gentylman ye are / and what an wholesome coūseller with. ii. Faces in an who de / suppressynge the gospel for your old religion to keep your father s •… ill in England. Non otherwise shall it appear thā your own copy is. N •… yther will I add unto it one word (as god shall judge me) nor yet demynyshe it in one title.

But as ye delivered it to your dere fryn de Doctor westō / so shall it be seen in eve rye point. ye shall not deuye it to be your own act / if y ^e said O vestō be 〈◊〉 •… amyned. How heretycall / trayterouse / & blasphemous the s •… rmon was which the said O ves •… on preached a •… y ^e 〈◊〉 on the tewesdaye in the •… aster weak / a great sort of y ^e hearers can tell. And although he was there of accused / yet after the anointed broad had swarmed on •… s together such a cloke was cast upon it that it was judged a good matter and a very catholyek sermon. Now to yow again my lord because ye shall well know that. I have your work / I sygnyfye here unto yow / that this is th •… rof the superscripcyō or title. The •… amynatiō of a proud pre sumptuouse honter. Thus fare ye well for this tym •… / & the lord send yow hereafter a mor •… godly spirit / 〈◊◊◊◊〉

A brief table.

• ACtes of cru •… lte by Byss. 〈◊〉
• Ale yandre seaton. 15. 28
• Artycles of papystrye. 7
• Anricular confession. 8
• All sortes ve yed of the Byss. 16
• Answer of wynchestre. 28
• Apostles of the pope. 8. 27
• Apostles ve yed of priests. 4
• Bewyteh •… rs of the parlemēt. 5. 15. 26
• Bon •… r of london. 8. 13
• Bishops tyranny. 9
• Bysshopp •… s of England. 10
• Brent for the scriptures. 12
• Brent in our time. 13
• Bible cond •… mpned of prelates. 15
• Conscyence of prelates. 5
• Ceremony •… s of the pope. 7. 17
• Chronyeles showeth the best. 10
• Christian work •… s allowed. 18
• Christ's church how defended. 22
• Commodyte of bishops. 24
• Desiruccyō sought for christianes. 6. 20
• Doctor london and pates. 9
• Doctor westons sermon. 28
• Destroyed must they be. 12
• Deuowrynge vermyne. 24
• Dyogenes flies. 24
• Deathe forth preachers. 32
• En •… myes to the verity. 4
• England holdeth the pope. 8
• England in captyuyte. 11
• Empyres subverted. 10
• Epythetes of prelates. 11. 14. 16. 20
• Excuses for war. 24
• Episcopus / what yt ys. 27
• Feares of cruel papists. 5
• Face of there mother. 8
• Feaders ought U. to be. 11
• Frutes of prelates. 11
• Faythe engendereth Good works. 17
• Flatterye / whatyt doth. 24
• Gardener the popes holy ghost. 8
• Germane gardener hanged. 9
• Good works of papists. 11
• Good works of Byss. 14. 15. 17. 22
• Gyl •… s a Ioynar / bre •… t. 14
• Good works after the scripture. 17. 18
• Hontynge of the fox. 7
• Haman with Assnerus. 9
• Hanock in the court. 9
• How byss. impugn the pope. 11
• How byss. came in first. 12
• Hy •… k scorner under Ironia. 25
• Johan vexed of priests. 4
• Johan king of England. 10
• Johan aston with his cumpanye. 13
• Johan the lord Cobha •… . 13
• Insurreccyon in the northe. 6
• Iustyfycacyon in Christ. 17. 18
• kings prenye chambre sought. 6
• kings of England vexed. 10
• kyngedomes de •… ed. 10
• king henrye a 〈◊〉 king. 21
• Laws of papystrye. 7
• London / pates / Gardener. 〈◊〉
• Moses persecuted of priests. 4
• Mynstrels and players vexed. 16
• Mass of the pope. 19
• Mass hearers / what they are, 20
• Mass mongers described. 20
• Monks gone afore. 23
• Mermaydes song. 24
• Names of bishops. 10
• Names of kings. 10
• Names of brent Christyanes. 13
• Newe testaments brent. 14
• Olde practyses of papists 5. 7. 26
• Ordre in there masses. 20
• Ordre to be taken for bissoppes. 21
• Paul vexed of prelates. 4
• Prelates companyons. 22
• Prophets persecuted. 4
• Practyses of papists. 5. 7. 26
• Pope dwelleth in England, 8
• Pouerte commended. 15
• Polycyes of prouysyon. 25
• Questes diverse. 8
• Resysters of trouthe. 4
• Recantacyons of our time. 15
• Reparers of Rome. 6
• Regnolde pecok bishop. 13
• Repentaunce have they non. 16
• Ryghtousnesse where and what. 18
• Recant or else die. 52
• Simon magus counsel. 16
• Slaundered are the prechers. 17
• Supper of the Lord. 19
• Sapiens rebuketh. 14
• Tyrauntes procured by Prestes. 4
• Tradicyons of the Pope. 7. 17
• Thre young men of Sothfolke. 13
• Thre degrees have the Bible. •… 5
• Thomas Sa •… xye / hanged. 13
• Testament / not worshipped. 20
• Testament kept down. 12
• V •… dyte of honest men. 8
• Victorye hath our king. 11
• Vowed chastity / an ydol •… . 16
• Upholders of the Popes church. 14
• Winchester the Popes holy ghoost. 8
• Winchester all •… woluyshe. 9
• Wynchestres will •… s for the Pope. 6
• Winchester a shameless papist. 28
• Winchester put to his shyftes. 28
• Willyam Wraghton. 7. 28
• What the Prelates are. 14. 28

Set youre selves at large / and bear not the strangers yoke with the unbelievers. ii. Cor. vi.