Good morow gossyb.

God gyue you good morow good Nicholas. why­ther away so sone this morning?

To church man, heardest thou not the bell ryng to masse?

Ye were not wont to be so hasty a morninges to church­wardes.

No, for when we came ther, ther was nothing to do but to heare a priest babble. But now I thancke God, I may se my maker againe.

Your maker Nicholas? who is that?

The great apple maker of holder­nes.

Apple maker? ye mean God, do you not?

Yes marye do I.

Then I per­ceiue, that so long as Gods com­maundementes were read in the Churches, ye counted it bablyng, neither delited ye in hearing thē, but now ye haue somwhat to gase at, that pleaseth ye. But Nicholas [Page] I haue heard it said, that no man euer saw God wyth his mortall eye. Ex. xxxiii. Iohn. i.

Yea, these heritickes tell vs so, but I trust to see a good mani of them fry a faggot for this geare, yet long.

Are ye there now Nicholas? I had went ye had loued and fauoured the word of God, set out by our late most gra­tiouse, vertuouse, & innocēt king.

So I dyd, as long as he ly­ued, but now that he is dead, I wil do as most men do, & so shal fewest men wonder at me.

In veri dede it is a politique worldli say­ing, but Nicholas, thynckest thou that god is dead?

Nay by my fayth.

what and God won­der at the, to se the so vnconstāt, and vnstedfast, waueryng as the wynde, as a weathereocke doth, that stādeth vpō the steple?

Ther are no weathercockes then one.

Yea Nicholas that I thincke, and mo then stand vpon steeples also: but we shuld not do as the most do, but as the best do­eth.

So do I, for I do as the richest in al the country doth, and as all the greatest learned men do, [Page] in al the countrey.

Rytches are a good gyft of God, but when they preuaile, and to much addict a mans hart vnto them, they make the same skant a good man. Ney­ther are the greatest clearkes the wisest men alwai, nor yet the best. But they be the best, that prefer gods honour before all thynges, and that constantly abyde in the truth therof, how soeuer the ryt­chest men, & greatest clerkes turne them selues frō it. And this I mer­uel with what faces men can looke to be accompted Christians, that deale so vnfaithfully with Christ. For eyther they tooke it for the truth, that was set out amongst vs, or for an vntruth. Yf they tooke it for a truth, why do they now vn­truly go from it, as though there wer no truth in it? Yf thei knew it to be no truth, but false doctrine, why dyd they not as Christen mē, defend that doctrine, which they knewe to be a truthe?

They durst not for fear.

wo worth that feare, that putteth away the feare of God, notwythstandyng [Page] ther was no suche cause of feare. For al the raigne of that most gra­tious king, their raigned mercye & pitye, long sufferaunce, and pati­ent abyding for amendes, euen of them, that when thei were confu­ted, so that neither their wit, nor learning was able to withstand the truth: yet maliciously they would not consent nor agree vnto it, but outwardlye afore men, to flatter those that were in authoritie, thei bare them selues as great forwar­ders of the kinges procedinges, as could be▪ and what they were in­wardly, now appereth vnto al mē.

They were worldly wyse men.

Ye say truth. worldly wyse in dede: but such wisdome is great foly before God, and vnto such wise men (as Christ saith) ar the secretes of god hiddē, so that thei neither haue faith in god, nor in his sonne Iesus Christ, they nei­ther haue the feare of his iudge­mentes, nor loue of his mercy: For these things ar geuen vnto babes, to the outcastes of this world, y ^t ar coūted foles & outcastes, as their [Page] master Christ was. These do not seke to flatter kinges and prynces, but they seke to please God, and to set forth his truth, with the los (if God so lay the burthen vpon them) of goodes, frendes, name, & euē their life. which of these trow ye, ar most worthy to be folowed?

I can not tel I. we dyd wel inough afore, and better then we haue done since, for we had neuer good world, since this geare be­gan. But our sir Iohn telleth vs a­nother lessō.

what I prai the?

Mary that he maketh God euery day, at his masse.

Can syr Iohn make thy maker?

Yea that he doth euery dai.

And doth he shew him vnto the?

Yea, he is as faire a lifter, as ani is within Hamshire.

And what doth he with hī afterward?

what man? eat him, or hang him in the Pix.

Than he ma­keth him, and eateth him.

what els.

what hangeth in the Pix?

Gods bodi sacred.

Thou saydest syr Iohn dyd eate gods bodye.

Yea, so I [Page] said.

How can he eate hym, & hang him vp to?

I can not reason such hie matters. I beleue as our sir Iohn telleth vs.

who made goddes bodye sacred?

Marye sit Iohn.

And who made sir Iohn?

God made him.

Then he is euen with god, and maketh him again.

we trow so, for sir Ihon is a prest anointed.

who made him a priest anoynted?

The Bishop.

wherwyth anoyn­ted he him?

with oyle in the Chrismatorye.

who made the Byshoppe.

The Pope,

Then the Pope made the Byshop, the Byshop greased syr Iohn. & sir Iohn made God.

By our blessed Ladye Oliuer, ye are as bad as the best, and I am sory to se you fal to this new lear­ning.

In good faith Nicho­las I am sory to se you and many a thousand mo, thus to fal againe from gods word, to your old su­perstitious errours and idolatries,

we beleue as our forefathers did.

what cal ye forfathers?

Mary my father, my grand­sire, and my great grandsire.

Is thy father aliue?

Yea, but he is at the last cast.

Howe long is it, since thy graundsire dy­ed?

He died .xx, yere synce, when I was twelue yere old.

How thinkest thou, was not saint Peter and saint Paule forefathers?

Yes marye.

was not Christ a forefather?

yes blessed mot he be.

Nicholas, ye blesse Christ, but you cal his word, new learning, herisie and babling.

Naye that I do not.

Did not you cal the holy readyng of the Byble so euen now?

why? our sir Iohn telleth vs it was made by king Harry theight.

No good Nicholas no. That gra­tious king set it out, and commaū ­ded that the people should reade it. without ani letting. But the Bi­ble is gods boke, and al that is in it, is gods truth. Therfore the old fathers, that we should folow, ar Christes prophetes, and Apostles, and Christ him selfe, and not our old grandsires & grandames. For [Page] God geueth an expresse cōmaun­dement, zacha. i. saying: Be not lyke your forefathers, vnto whom the pro­phets cryed before tyme, saying: Thus saith the lord god of hostes. Turne from your euell waies, and from your wicked imaginations, & they heared not, nor toke heede vnto me, saieth the Lorde.

Our forefathers were good men.

But yet Christ was better.

They were wise men.

Yea, but yet Christe was wyser.

They were holy men.

But Christ is holier. And what so­euer you can recken of them, goodnes, i. corin. i. wisedome, holynes. &c. Christ excelleth them in al things. For he is made of god vnto vs, our wisdō, rightuousnes, holines, sanctifica­tion, Iho. xiiii. and redemption. Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, and no man can come to the father, but by him. He that heareth. Christes wordes, hath life euerlasting. But Nicholas, tell me, cā sir Iohn make an oxe, or an horse?

Nay by mi truth. I trow not.

How can he thē make gods body.

It is [Page] no matter how, we must beleue so, for he saith so.

Nay Nicho­las, we must not beleue al that sir Iohn saith, but we must beleue all that he saith, and hath gods word to confirme his saying. And this is an intollerable pride of the papi­stes, to teach the people, that thei make gods body. Truth it is, Eph. iiii. that Christ ascending into heauē, gaue gyftes vnto men, and appoynted church ministers, but far other thē greased shauelinges: for he apointed Apostles, prophetes, Euange­listes, Shepheardes and teachers. Phili. i. And saint Paule calleth the mini­sters of the church, by the names of Bishops and Deacons. i. Tim. iii. The of­fice of these ministers appointed by Christ, and S. Paul, Luk. xiiii is to preach gods word, to cal al men to repen­taunce and amendement of life: Iohn. xxi i. Tim. iiii & to declare to them that repent, the good newes of the gospel.

Yea, the prests wer wōt to come to our houses, & to say vs gospels, & make vs holi water, & holy bread: and so I trust they wil again now.

I pray the heare me a litle. [Page] The gospel is a glad tidings that god the father, Luke. ii. for his sonne Iesus Christes sake, ii. cori. v. is contented, and re­conciled, and receiueth mā againe to his fauour and grace, Gala. iiii. and wyll for his sonne Iesus Christes loue, take vs (by adoptiō) to be his chil­dren, Ephesi. i. giue vs his holy gost, & make vs enheritours of eternal life. Ioh. xvii. And to confirme this promise, our Saui­our Iesus Christ hath ordained .ii. holy sacraments: Titus. iii. Baptisme, wher­in we are certified, that al our sins are washed away, in the death of Christ: i. corin. xi And the holi supper of the lord, that when we come together we should take the bread, Mat, xxvi breake it. Mar. xiiii & eate it, in remembraunce that Christes bodi was (vpon the good Fridai) offered vp, vpō the crosse, for our sinnes, Luk. xxii, and we shoulde al drinke of the cup, in rēmembraūce that Christes bloud was shed for our sins. Therfore this is the prie­stes office, to preach the death of Iesus Christ, and to teach the people to know, that none other thing could deliuer them frō their sins, and therfore they ought both to [Page] consyder the haynous vglines of sin, and the great wrath of god o­uer it, which otherwise wold not be reconciled, nor atone with mā. Rom. viii Then on the other parte, to de­clare the great mercy, loue & cha­ritie of god towards vs, that spa­red not his own beloued sōne, but gaue him to the death of the cros for vs. Thus shoulde they be mo­ued to repent the euel done, to be­leue and loue the charitie of God, & to walke in loue, & good frend­ship, one to an other: euer study­ing to liue an obedient life, after the heauenly fathers wil and com­maundementes.

Dothe not the priest make Gods bodye? Do we not eate gods body?

First answer me (if thou can) to a que­stion or two.

I wil if I can.

Canst thou say thy Creede in Englishe?

Meanest thou the new Creede, or the old Crede?

There is but one Creede.

I can saye that my mother taught me, Credum deum. I was harping at the new a good while, but nowe I care not for it.

I [Page] se it was not for nought that christ said to his Apostles: blessed ar the eyes that se that you se, Luke. x. For euen as then mani were blind, and wold not se the light of his worde, Iohn. ix. euen so is it now, wel, I wil help you out with your question. Do you not beleue, that the sonne of God came downe from heauen, & was borne for vs of the virgine Mary, takyng our mans nature of her substaūce?

Yes that I do.

And that he was crucified for our sins, dead and buried, and rose agayne vpon Esterday?

Yes verely.

And that he ascended into heauen▪ and sitteth on the righte hand of God the father almighti?

Ye mary ye

And frō thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead?

Ye ma­ry.

Do you beleue this in ve­ry dede?

Ye by my trothe?

Then Christes bodye was made in the wombe of the virgin, not by sir Iohn, but as our Creede saith, he was conceaued of the holy gost, Luke. i. & borne of the virgin mari. Other making of Christes body, ther [Page] is none, nor neuer was, nor neuer shalbe. Thus our lord & sauiour liued in this world, August in Ioa. tract. Item in pref. pī. xcviii. & taught vs the wai of gods truth, euē the doctrine that is set out in the holy Byble, wherof the chief and principal ar­ticle is, how we are redemed frō our sinnes, and receaued into the fauour and grace of God, by that holy raunsome of Christes bodye broken vpon the crosse, & his pre­cious blud that was on the crosse shed for vs. The holy bread geuē at the lordes supper, is the sacra­ment of Christes bodye that was broken on the crosse, and the blessed cup that we drincke, is the sa­crament of that blessed blud shed for our synnes. And when we re­ceiue them, as our body fedeth vp on the outwarde thinges we se, so our soules are fed with the inward thinges we see not. For the verye flesh of Christ is not eaten wyth our bodilye tethe, nor his bloude dronke with our bodily mouthes or throtes: but it is a sacramental eating, done bi the soule & minde, not by the bodye or carnal instru­ments [Page] of the body.

Howe can we eate, but with our tethe, or how can we drincke but wyth our throtes?

You shal the better vnderstande thys misterye, if you marke Christes dede, when his holye sacrament was first instituted. Christ him selfe satte at the table with his .xii. Apostles, and taking the bread, that stode before them, euen such bread, as they then vsu­allye had to eate with the pascall lambe, and gaue thanckes to hys heauenlye father, and brake that bread, and gaue it to them saying: Take, eate ye, this is mi bodi whi­che is broken for you. They dyd take the bread, and did eate as he commaunded them, and they dyd drincke the cup that he delyuered them saying: this is my bloude of the new testament, which is shed for you. Yet, it was the next daye, ere his bodye was broken, and hys bloud shed vpon the crosse for vs, and he sat whole amongst them at supper, and him selfe did eate of that same bread, which he called his body, and dyd him selfe drink [Page] of that cuppe which he called his bloud, therfore by faith they dyd receyue and eate his body & drink his bloud. They beleued that hys death and passion shoulde be for them, and into remission for theyr sinnes: as we now, that Christ is ascended into heauen, by faith doo eate his body broken, and drincke his bloud shed, although that he liueth & sitteth on the right hand of his father. But Christes veri na­turall bodye is not toren with our teethe, as the Capernites erroure thincketh, nor yet his bloud dornk with our throtes & mouthes. But Nicholas, haue you not a soule as wel as a bodye?

Yes that I haue.

what maner of thing is your soule?

By mi troth I can not tel.

I thinke Nicho­las no more cā the greatest doctor of them al. And therfore because the soule is vnknowen vnto vs, the scripture speaking of the soule & those thinges that appertain vnto it, vseth such wordes as we are a­quainted with, & ascribeth those things vnto the soule that ar pro­per [Page] vnto the body. So Dauid said: My soule O Lorde thirsteth vnto the. And Christ saith: Blessed are those that hunger and thurste for rightuousnes. The harty desire of the soule, is the hunger and thurst of the soule: as the herty desire of meate and drincke is the hunger & thurst of the bodi. Therfore when a sinner feleth the burden of sinne vpon his conscience, and the lacke of strength and power, to do the wyl of God, and is touched wyth gods spirit, to be sory for this vn­perfectnes, and longeth fain to be deliuered, this is the hunger of the soule. This hunger is not satisfied tyl he heare the preaching of chri­stes bodie broken for our sinnes, & that by his bloudshed, our synnes ar forgiuen vs, our infirmities hea­led, & we receiued into the grace and fauour of God. But when we beleue this, then is our hunger sla­ked, and our thurst put away, that is: we feare no more dampnation, but knowe that in Christ we haue our pardon. Thus we eate Christ, beleuing that his body was brokē [Page] for vs, and that his blud was shed for our sinnes.

wherfore eat we the Sacrament than? we maye do this by hearing the preaching.

I am glad y ^t thou askest me this question: for it seemeth thou wouldest faine vnderstand some­thing of this matter. As to writin­ges men set to seales, for a confyr­mation of the same writinges, so Christ set to his worde, his Sacra­mentes, for a confirmation of our faith, in his worde. And to put vs the better in memory of the gifte geuen vnto vs by his word, he cal­led the same Sacramentes, by the name of the gift geuen vnto vs in them. So circumcisiō is called the Lordes league, the pascal lambe is called the Lordes passing thorow Egipt, Babtisme is called the new birth, and the breade and wine is called the bodie and bloud of the Lord. Therefore Nicholas marke wel this. In the Lords Sacraments ther ar .ii. things, an earthli thing, and an heauenli. In Baptisme, the earthli thing is water, that wash­eth the bodie: the heauenlie thing [Page] is the blod of Christ, that washeth the soule, and the holie gost renu­ing the hole man, and sanctifying him in Iesu Christ. In the holi supper of the Lord, the earthli thing is bread and wine, that we receiue at our mouthes into our bodyes, which are digested in our stomaks, and bi the natural powers conuer­ted & chaūged into our substaūce, and the excrementes of thē natu­ralli cast forth frō vs, as other mea­tes be: but the heauenlie things, at the blessed bodi of our lord & sa­uiour Iesus Christ, broken for vs, & his bloud shedde for vs, vpon the crosse, which we receiue bi faith, with al the blessed frutes and pro­fites, that Christ bi his deathe, re­surrection, ascencion, intercession and priesthoode, hathe obtained for vs. This swetelie and comfor­tablie we meditate in our mindes, bi the working of the holy ghost, it is distribute into al our actions & dedes, and we are wholi receiued into Christ, to be one bodie wyth him, as S. Paule saieth. Heb. ii. He that sanctifieth, and thei whiche [Page] are sanctified are al of one. And a­gaine S. Paule saith. The cuppe of thankesgeuing which we blisse. is partaking of the bloud of Christ: and the bread whiche we brake, is partaking of the body of Christ. For we (though we be mani) yet ar one bread, & one bodie, in asmuch as we al ar partakers of one bread.

These ar good words, but our sir Iohn wil denie all this, and we must do as our curate teacheth vs.

what teacheth he you?

That he offereth vp Christ in his Masse, for our frendes soules.

Yea but take awai moni that ye like fooles giue him, and he wil sing another song. In verye dede, Christ was offered for our sinnes, Heb. ix.x but that was once for al, and then he offered him self vpō the crosse as our Crede saith, & after he had so (by that offering) satisfied vnto God, neither neded he anye more to sacrifice, nor we ani more sacri­fices, for vs. For by one oblation once offered, he hath made per­fect vnto God, al that are sancti­fied. Sir Iohn therefore is a false [Page] Antichrist, and a disceiteful iugler in this point, & teacheth his owne dreame, and not gods worde. And (I pray you) what woorde of God hath sir Iohn, to hang vp the Sa­crament in the pixe?

Mary sir it is a goodly sight in the chur­che.

But Nicholas, oure crede saith, Mat. xvi. Lu. xxiiii Actes. i. that Christ ascēded in to heauen, and sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighti. And S. Peter saieth: The heauens muste receiue him, vntyll the tyme that al thing be restored. And the angels said, he should come from heauen as he ascended visiblie, & shalbe sene. Sir Ihō therfore doth great wrong to hang vp breade in the Pixe, and to make the people beleue, that it is Christes bodye or Christes Sacrament either.

why, is it not the holy Sacrament?

water in the fount, is no Sa­crament, but when it is put to the vse that Christ appointed it, then it is a Sacrament. So bread & wine are no Sacramentes, vntil they be put to the vse that Christ appoyn­ted, that is, to be eaten in remem­braunce [Page] of his body brokē, and of his bloud shed: then are they Sa­cramentes, and the worthy recey­uer hath the promises of Christ, but the vnworthie, receiueth hys condemnatiō. But whē the bread is made a gase, a pageāt of a plai, borne about for a pompe, & han­ged vp to be worshipped, it is an horrible abuse of Christes Sacra­ment. For Christ neuer apointed any such worshipping of his sacramentes.

why, may we not worship the holy sacramēt?

Yes forsoth▪ we do worshippe it with most high honour, when we vse it as Christ commaunded it to be vsed, that is, to eate the bread, and to drinke the cup, in Christes remembraūce.

Nai, sir Iohn teacheth vs to sai a pater noster to the sacramēt, to find a light afore it & such like.

Sir Iohn hath y ^t out of his owne brain▪ and vnlear­ned nole. Christ nor his Apostles, nor any of the auncient doctours, neuer taught any suche doctrine: But I pray you, what can sir Iohn do more?

Manye goodlye [Page] thinges.

what I pray the?

He cā make holy water, ho­ly bread, holy palme, holy ashes, & holy candels.

wherfore is holy water good?

To driue a war diuels & troublous dreames, & to wash away venial sins.

what callest thou veniall synnes?

Light sinnes▪ as swearinge of custome, by gods bodye, sides, woundes &c. telling of ribauldry tales, drincking dronken, and kys­sing of prety wēches.

These be horrible sinnes in the sight of God, Ephes. v. and S. Paule saith, for such thinges sake, the wrathe of God cōmeth vpō the children of vnbelefe. what callest thou deadli sin?

Losing of Masse, Matins, & Euensōg, breaking of imber daies vigils and lenten.

Ah Lord, how you worship God in vayne, Math. xv Esa. xxix being afraide to breake mens tra­ditions. would to God men were but halfe so ready to keepe Gods commaundementes. But what re­medye for those deadlye synnes?

we must be shryuen to syt Iohn, & he shal geue vs penaunce.

what is penaūce?

That our gostly father enioyneth vs: as to sai. iii. pater nosters, in the worship of God and saint Iulian, to fast saint Anthonies fast, or to say euerye daye our Ladies psalter.

And are thy syns then for­geuen the, when thou haste done thy penaūce?

why not? whē I haue made amendes for them. Can God haue any more then a­mendes?

Ye are deceiued Ni­cholas eueri wai. For first ye think that synne, whych in some cast is done, and that, which euer is hor­rible and great sinne afore god, ye count it light, and smal. or no sin. Againe, ye thincke your synnes to be put awaye, for your owne pe­naunce doynge, and for the wor­thynesse of your owne woorkes, whych is to to greate a blasphe­mye.

why shoulde I not beleue, that I am absolued, when Syr Iohn layeth hys hande vpon me?

what saith he, when he absolueth thee?

Many good woordes, I warrant you.

I trow so, but what I praye the?

By my troth I can not tel, but beleue wel and haue well.

But howe canst thou beleue that thou vnderstādest not?

I beleue if I be shriuen. thē he beareth al the charge, & not I.

So maiest thou be easly deceiued. But Nicholas, Ioel. i. Eze. xviii true penaūce or re­pentaunce, is a tournyng with the hart vnto God, hating and dete­sting of the sin afore passed, ii. Cor. v. Ephe. iiii tru­sting to haue forgiuenes by Iesus Christ, and fully studying to liue a newe lyfe, in tyme to come. Thys should sir Iohn preache to vs in Englishe, that our hartes maye be broosed vnto repentaunce, by the law, condempning vs, and quicke­ned again bi the gratious promise of the gospel. I say it shoulde be don in English, that we mai hear it, and vnderstande it, beleue it, and so be absolued from our sins. For they that repent and beleue, are absolued bi Christ, but such as do not, sir Iohn mai absolue them at his pleasure, but Christ absol­ueth them not. Therefore a latin [Page] absolution, to an English sinner, is as good, as a shulder of mutten for a sycke horsse. And thynckest thou, that thou art able to make a mendes for thi sinnes?

whi not?

wherfore died Christ then? Gala. iii. if we could make amendes with our good dedes. what neded we Christ then? Neded his bodi to haue bene broken for our sinnes, if our dedes could haue made amendes? Or neded his bloude to haue bene shedde, if holy water coulde haue washed awaye our synnes? Christes death were in vaine, if we by our owne merites, might haue deserued reconciliation & pardon at the hande of God.

And shal I not do good dedes, fast and pray▪ and humble my selfe before God?

Yes Nicholas, if thou be hartely sory, thou shalt weepe and lament thy wickednes, fast & and tame thy sinful carcasse, pray and instantly aske mercie of God thi father. But yet al these cannot make amendes to God, for thy wickednesse committed, for then neded thou not Christs death, nor [Page] bloudshed to be betwene God & the, but thou wilt not forsake that I trust.

No, god forbodde I should.

Then marke thys wel, al thy good dedes are dewty for the time present, not amendes for thy time past. For if thou had­dest done no sinne at all, art thou not bound to kepe gods commaū ­dementes? I trow yes. But if thou offend against gods commaūde­mentes, then must thou repent, & turne to god, and aske pardon in Christes name, and so obtain for­giuenes by his deathe, who hath made amendes for the, and from that time forward, walke in gods commaundementes obedientlye. And if thou haue hurt or harmed thy neighbour, reason wold thou shuldest make him amēdes. Didst thou neuer fal out with non of thi neighbours?

Yes by our ladi, somtime.

And didst thou no displeasure to thē in thine anger?

No by god, but as I came frō the hai making, with mi pitch forke, I dabbed a Cowe of hys in the flancke, that she dyed of it.

And what penaunce didst thou for that spiteful dede?

I said .v. Pater nosters, in the wor­ship of God and the .v. woundes, and gaue a peny to a poore man.

Here if thou hadst hadde a good ghostlye father, he shoulde haue enioyned thee, Math. v. Luk. xvii. to aske thy neyghbour forgiuenes. and gyue him as much monie, as he hadde losse, by thy cruell and naughtye dede.

Aske him forgyuenes quoth a? I had rather his eien had bene out.

I beleue the, God will not forgiue thee, tyll thys be done, if thou mai by any reasona­ble meanes come to hym. But I pray thee tell me, when wast thou shriuen last.

In Lent, when wast thou shryuen?

I am shriuen euerye day.

Thou shryuen euery day? to what prest?

To the highe priest God himselfe. Psa. xxxi

How canst thou come to god, to be shriuē to him? Thou toldest me, that I cannot se him.

I doo not see him by bodilye eyes, but beleuyng hym to be euerye where present.

I bow mi hart & kne to him, knowledging the great sinne and mise­rie that is in me, and beseching his merci & forgiuenes, of that which is past, & his holy defence against sinne, in time to come. And if ma­ny thing I perceiue my neighbour to be offended with me, if I be in the faulte, I seeke attonement, & make amēdes: but if he be in faut, I am content to forgiue & pardon him.

But thou doest no pen­naunce.

Yes, my hole lyfe is a penaunce, namely to mortifi the flesh, and to striue against sin, and to forsake mine owne wil, obedy­entlye to labour, to do the wyll of God. But what was thy penaunce Nicholas, when thou wast last shriuen?

By god sore penaūce.

what a good felowship.

I may not bewrai confessiō.

Tel me, I warant the, it shal neuer come out for me.

Mai I trust the.

On my honesty.

Sir Iohn ēioyned me to fast al the fridaies in Lent, and the .v. Ladie eyens, bread and water.

That was sore penaunce for thee, that [Page] louest good ale so wel.

Fur­der, that I should seke (barefete & wolward) our Ladye of walsing­ham, and our Ladi of Pitie of Dā ­kaster.

How canst thou seke them? they were destroied by king Henry the eight, a kinge of most godlie memorye, and destroier of suche manifest idolatries.

That is truth, but sir Iohn would haue me to be a beginne? agayne, of those holy pilgrimages. For he douteth not, but within a whyle, we shall haue them againe, or els other as holye as euer they were.

what had dost thou don that he gaue thee so sore penaunce?

Horrible sinnes, I cry God mercye.

what.

It chaunced to be holye day vpon a Thursday, and vpon Friday mor­ning, or I went to the plow, I was very hungry, and forgetting what day it was, I thought it had bene Munday, and so I eate a pece of a shoulder of mutten vnwares. But god knoweth I was ful sory for it.

O greuous synne?

A­nother time, it chaunced the cha­lice [Page] to be left at mi house, and one of the fete of it, hang out at a litle hole, and so I chaunced to touche it with my bare hands.

That was not so great offence.

No was? Out sir Iohn would sing no more with it, til it was new ha­lowed. And he scraped mi fingers till the bloud folowed.

Is not a mā better then a shepe.

Yes that he is.

Then whe­ther is holier, thy skin on thy han­des, that God created, or the glo­ues that the Glouer hath tanned, and made of a shepes skin?

I trow the skinne of my handes is holier.

why maiest thou then touch the chalice and the cloute that couereth it, with thy gloues on, but not bare handed?

I thinke it is, because I handle with my bare handes many foule thin­ges, as my fraile, my dongfork, mi spade, & so euery man the instru­mentes of his occupacion.

Oh I crye ye mercie, ye are none of the cleane fingred gentlemen: But Nicholas beleue me, all men know not, what they haue hand­led [Page] many times the night before they masse. But how sai you to S. Paul, Act. xviii.xx. that got his liuing with the labour of hys owne handes? and wrought with Priscilla & Aquila, sowing tentes, and leather coue­rings for thē. Might not he (trow ye) touche the chalice, because he had handled suche poore instru­mentes as belonged to that occu­pation?

Sir Iohn is none A­postle.

I beleue that, nor yet Apostolike priest. For if he were, he wold neuer make men to shote at a wrōg marke, with such blinde superstitiouse doctrynes: touche not, tast not, handle not: Collo. ii. whych al perish with the vsing of thē, & are after the doctrines & cōmaūdemē tes of men. Didst thou promyse to do thy penāce?

Nay I bought it out partely.

Then I see wel, sir Iohn is a Marchaūt. what gauest thou for it?

Tenne grotes, and so he changed my pil­gremage, into .x. Masses, v. of the v. woundes of our Lord .iii. of the purification of our Lady, one of the holy gost, & one of Requiem, [Page] for al Christen soules.

A mar­chaunt in deede, that selleth fyne flower, Apo. xviii and bodies and soules of men: But who song these Masses?

Sir Iohn promised me, to sing them him selfe.

wel, that was inough for x. grotes: but how dyddest thou wyth thy fastynge, woulde he not fast for thee also?

No he might not (he saied) for singing of Masse. For he must put wine in his Chalice.

The hipocrites binde heauy burthens, Mat. xxiii and lay them on mens shoulders, but they wil not once moue them with their fingers. VVoulde he in no case release the?

Yes, at the last he changed my fasting, to other good workes.

what good workes?

Gilding of an image of S. Fraūces, & another of S. Leonard, & bying of an holy water far of brasse, with a brasen censer.

This cost the a good deale of siluer.

I had rather haue spent al the siluer that I ear­ned this month, then haue fasted.

That knewe sir Iohn well i­nough. And tel me one thīg I pray [Page] the. what gauest thou weekely to the collectiō for the pore, when it was vsed?

I gaue as neibours gaue, thei mai haue a messe of po­tage at my dore, & such other, but siluer hath ben very skāt.

It is very skāt, when we shuld do gods commaundementes, but we haue inough, to do our owne imagina­tions. And se the iust iudgementes of God: you that hinched & pin­ched to geue .ii. pence, or a penye a weeke, to the poore of your pa­rish, which in dede are the very i­mages of God, and Christe, nowe shal ye be plaged with gilding & painting of images, of tre & stone, and with a great deale of like trū ­perie, which are expressedly for­bidden in the second commaūde­ment of god. And wher as for reli­uing the pore & nedy, you shuld haue had gods blessing, nowe for painting and gilding, ye shal haue gods curse.

But our sir Iohn saith, images are leud mēs bokes.

Had he said leud bookes, he had said truly. I prai ye what had men learned of images, a sore the [Page] of the scripture came amongst vs? Learned we any other thing, then that the prophet Hieremye com­plaineth vpon, to lye, & to forget God, and to runne after ydols, as the old idolaters did? Hereof cam our famous idols, at Ipswiche, at VValsingham, at Canturburye, at Hayles, at Dunstable, and euerye where. For the Iewes had neuer mo idols. mo blinde superstitions, mo detestable whoore huntinges, then we had. And al this may we thanck our holi ipocrites, bishops and shoren greased priestes, that set vs to schoole, vpon such blind bookes. VVho coulde .xx. yeares agone▪ saye the Lordes prayer in English? who could tell anye one article of his faith? who had once heard of any of the .x. commaun­dements? who wist what Cathe­chisme ment? who vnderstoode any point of the holye baptisme? As for the Lordes supper, no man euer knew, whither ther were ani suche thynges, or no. Yf we were sycke of the pestylence, we ran to Sainte Rooke, if of the Ague, to [Page] Saint Pernel, or master Iohn Sho­me: if men were in prisō, thei prai­ed to saint Leonarde: if the welch man wold haue a pursse, he praied to Daruel Gatherne, if a wife wer weary of her husband, she of fred otes at Poules at Londō, to s. Vn­cumber. Thus haue we bene delu­ded with their images, & thus we will be deluded still. And our so­lempne doctours preach as sauer­ly in the maintenaunce of these i­dolatries, as thoughe there neuer had bene ani such things. But Ni­cholas, beware of such bookes, & such leude sir Iohns, that set thee to schoole vpon them. And harkē to gods cōmaundementes, which saith: Exod. xx. Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image, nor ani si­militude of anye thing, that is in heauen aboue, or in earth beneth, or in waters vnder the earth, thou shalt not bowe thy selfe to them, nor worship them. I a sure the Ni­cholas, the image made by mans hand, & set furth to be kneled, & knocked vnto, to be sēced, licked, and kissed, or any otherwise wor­shipped, [Page] is a cursed of god, euē it, & he that made it. And as the holi psalme saith: Psa. cxiii Thei haue eies & se not, eares & heare not, noses with out breath, or smelling, hāds with out feling, feete & go not, like thē mot thei be, that made them, & al that put their cōfidence & trust in them.

Our forefathers had them in great worship.

It is full true, that is bred in the bone, wil not out of the flesh. Our fore­fathers & grandfathers, wer delu­ded with hipocrites, & shal we be so to? I told thee before that our forefathers that we shuld folow, ar Christ, his prophets & apostles, not our grandsires, & great grandsires. And sure I am they worshipped none, nor gaue ani commaun­dement, that we should worshyp them.

They are goodly thin­ges & become the church wel. A­fore the churches loked more like old barnes.

Nicholas ye spea­ke like your self. I am sori for your old blindnes, that think al things goodly, that shineth gay in your eyes. & ye nothing regard what is accepted in the sight of god. wold [Page] it please ye wel, if one shuld come into your house, & paint the wals with cow dōg, or with maser scourings

I shuld paint him with a cracked crown if I could cōe by him.

Then as he shuld please you nothing, but rather cast you in to a futi, no more do these image-makers please god, but prouoketh his anger. For god (in the writings of the prophetes) calleth images dong, filthe, abhomination: & the worshyppers of them, he calleth whooremongers, backeslyders, rūagates, & breakers of his league & couenant.

we do not worship the thing we see, but god and his saintes that ar represented bi the images.

No image cā represēt god, as the scriptur saith plainli. And I thinke, the apostles, pro­phets, martirs & virgīs neuer knew ani such pōpe or vaniti, as the puppets in churches seteth forthwith vain gilding & painting, nether require thei such honors, but wolde we should honour the Lorde our god, of whose goodnes they receiued such mercie, to be made sain­tes: [Page] And to honour them, is to folowe their faith, in beleuīg gods word, and their vertuouse life in keping gods commaundementes: and not so vainely without gods word, to paint and gild their images, to cā ­del them, and sence them, and so commit idolatrie. VVhat and thy seruaunt should serue thee, as he list, & not as thou apointedst him?

Then woulde I giue hym wages, as I thought he had deserued. and not as he looked for.

How shal thy seruāt know, what thy minde is, for him to do?

He must aske me, and I wyll tell him.

So then we must aske at gods word, and learne there to know his pleasure: and according to the same we must doo. But in this gods cōmaundement is: thou shalt make none, thou shalt wor­ship none. Now, were he a good seruaunt, that wold worshyp the wyth breakyng thy commaunde­mentes?

Nay by my trothe.

No more worshippest thou god, or his saintes, but committest grosse idolatrie. God is a spirit, & [Page] those that wil worship him, must worship him in spirit and truthe. That is, we worship not god, tyll we doo (from the botome of the hart) acknowledge his almightye power, and goodnes, & truly fear him, and truely loue him, and stu­diously serue him, with the faith­ful obseruation of his commaun­dementes. So shal we nede no vi­sible image, to expresse vnto vs the inuisible God. And as cōser­ning worshipping of the saintes, it is far other then painting or gil­ding of images, or finding of ligh­tes before them, as I haue before told the.

And me thinck it becommeth the churche wel, and is a goodly sight, to se the sweete images, well paynted wyth fayre lightes afore them, & a very good smel to feele the perfumes and o­dours, whē sir Iohn senceth.

This is thy thincking, but S. Paule asked the Corinthians, how agre­eth the temple of god and idols. And as for candels, they dyd well in churches, when the people met in the night, as the old Christians [Page] were wont to do for feare of per­secution, and we do yet on Christ­mas daye, & Easter day mornyng. But in faire day light, men neede them not, and the images can not se them. And yf perfumes were burnt to purifi the aire in the churche, it is tollerable: but to do it, to the saintes, which are in heauen, it is nedeles, and to do it to the y­mages of tīber, or stone, it is starke foolishe fransie. In very deede in the olde Testament, Ex. xxxvii God made a golden candelsticke, with lampes burning vpon it, in the temple, and he ordained perfumes and odours to be brent vpon his aultar: but at the cōmyng of Christ, Heb. ix. those Iew­ish ceremonies ceassed. For when Christ (the true lighte) was come, and had shedde furth the bryght beames of hys Gospell, then the light of faith nourished wyth the oyle of good workes, Mat. xxv. so shone in the church, that is, in the faithful congregatiō of Christes disciples, that al the world might see theyr faith, mekenes, pacience, goodnes temperantie, sobernes, constaunt [Page] confessiō of Christ, charitable be­hauoure to all men, with all other their good workes▪ & glorifi their father whiche is in heauen. Thus the swete perfume & odour of the knowledge of Christe, fylled the hole world, & in eueri place, drew the people to run vnto him, that is their most true louer euen our lord Iesus Christ.

wel, say what ye list, it is good to haue such thinges in the church.

what callest thou the church?

The church (mā) wher we hear our deuine ser­uice. Masse, Matins & Euensong.

The church is the cōgregatiō y ^t beleueth & professeth the name & doctrine of Iesus Christ. & rightly & deuli administeth & vseth the sacraments, as Christ ordained & cōmaūded. And so we ar the churche & temple of god▪ & euery one of vs is a temple.

Are we the temple of god?

Saint Paul saieth so: ii. Cor. vi. ye are the temple of the lyuyng God, as saith God. I will dwell amongst them, and walke amongst them, and wyll be their God, and they shalbe my people.

And is not our parish church an holy place, and the temple of god?

Yes, if it be holily vsed.

what callest thou holily v­sed?

when gods woorde is preached, and the people taught to know one euer liuing god, Hier. vii. Math. xx. and his sonne Iesus Christ, whom he hath sent. But if gods woorde be blasphemed, and railed vpon, er­rours, superstitions, and idolatries maintained, then will God refuse our churches, chappels, and al our assembles, and tell vs, as he tolde them at Hierusalem, that we haue made his house a den of theeues. And in the reuelation of S. Iohn, those places that refuse Christes word and gospel, Ap. xviii. and maintayne false doctrine and idolatryes, are called Sodome, and Egipt, & Ba­bilon, mother of whoredomes, & abhominations, the dwellyng of deuels, and habitation of al foule spirites, and a cage of al vncleane and hatefull birdes.

well Oliuer wel, I feare me ye wil (one day) smoke for this geare.

whi Nicholas, what should I dis­sēble [Page] with the, that art my neigh­bour? but plainly to tell thee the truth. what are our parysh chur­ches now? Gods word is taken a­wai & cast a side, as a thing of nought, and our blinde guides, mum­ble vp their latin Matins, Masse & Euensong, cūiuring their holi wa­ter, and salt, and geuing their holi bread, but no word of god is read in the mother tong to the people, no calling men to repentaūce and amendement of lyfe, no menciō is made of Christes death nor passi­on, but all these thinges that our most godly kinges, with great la­bour, cost and trauaile, and wyth the paineful studi of the Clergie, reformed in many yeres, all this (I say) haue the popish bishops and priestes cast downe, in one houre.

Yea, that am I glad of. For now I may haue leisure to praye, afore we could not pray for hark­ning to the priest.

And didst thou herken to the priest in dede?

Yea that I did.

Howe began he Matins?

what wot I now?

A goodly herkener, [Page] that toke hede to no worde that he spake. For haddest thou taken hede, thou moughtest haue lear­ned many goodly praies. For whē he began Matins, saying: O Lord open thou my lips, Psalm. l. and my mouth shal shewe foorthe thy praise. Yf thou haddest learned this well, & hartely praied it, euerye morning, then should not thy mouth haue bene thus ready to railing, ribaw­drie talke and swearīg, as it is. For doubtles God openeth not suche lips but the diuell openeth them. Neither is such talke, gods praise, but his most hiest dispraise. Again what praier can be more godlye, thē the verse folowing, to be said at the beginning of al thi labours? O Lord make spede to saue me. O Lord make hast to helpe me. Psa. lxix. And in the ende of thy day worcke, to saye praysing God: Glorye be to the father, and to the sonne, and to the holye Ghoste: As it was in the beginnynge, is nowe, and euer shall be worlde wythout ende, A­men. Sure I am Nicholas, ye can haue no suche learning nowe to [Page] pray. I pray the what saiest thou in the Matins time?

Mi bea­des.

Cannest thou saye the Lordes praier?

Nay nor our Ladies neither. I can say mi pater noster.

what is pater noster?

Mary Pater noster, what cā ye make of it?

A good Ni­cholas, Esa. xxix Math. xv. you honor god with your lips, but your hart is far from him.

By God sit, and we thincke on god & our Ladi, when we say our Pater noster, & pray for al our good frendes soules, as wel as ye.

I thinke ye do. But what aske ye of god, when ye saye: Dimitte nobis debita nostra &c?

Ma­ty I pray to God to haue merci vp on al Christen soules: and to saue their lyues, that I sare better for.

That is wel done. But why haue you not learned the Lordes praier in english al this while?

Sir Ihō had me, kepe me to mi old Pater noster (for he said the newe wold not abide alway. And nowe I see he is a true man.

And art thou glad, that the Scripture is taken awai out of the churches?

Yea by my trothe am I, for we had neuer mery worlde synce this geare begā, but hūger, derth, lacke of monie, and much trouble eueri where.

O blessed god, heare the blasphemies of the wicked world. Thei refused thi word (O Lorde) and liued a detestable life, and when thou plagest them, to cal them to repentaunce, and a­mendment, they receiued not thy correction, but ascribed all those euils to thy woord. But Nicholas Nicholas, trowest thou that God wil not now viset al your sinnes, and punish them with sword, pe­stilence, wilde beasts and famine? Yes trulie wil he, & that the more sharpely, because that to all your old abhominations, ye adde thys blasphemie, and are lyke the we­men of the Iewes, in the tyme of Hieremie the prophet: whō when the holye Prophet rebuked, for their worshippīg of Diana an he then idole, Hie. xliiii which idol thei called the quene of heauen. They wyth many stubburne wordes, layed al the blame of their miserable cap­tiuitie, [Page] vpon the prophet of God, and vpon his preaching, and said, as ye say nowe: They had neuer mery world, since Hieremie prea­ched, but thei were punished, and euen so shal ye be. iii. Regū. xviii. The lyke dyd wycked Achab, he layed all the blame of the plages that god had sent, vpon Helyas the Prophet. But Helyas aunswered hym: It is not I that trouble Israel, but it is thou (O Achab) and thy fathers house, Osee. iiii.viii. that haue forsakē the lord your God, and haue serued Baal. So Nicholas lay the fault, wher it is worthy to be layed, and doubt ye not, Prou. i. but the day is at hand (ex­cept ye repent) that as ye now cast away God and his word, so wyl god cast you away, and as he cal­led to you, and ye would not hear him, so shal you cal to him, Pro. xviii and he will not heare you. And you that haue stopped your eares, that ye might not hear the law, God shal stop his eares frō you, & your praiers shalbe accurssed.

Tush, care not for that, God was neuer better serued, thē he is now, Mat­tins, [Page] euensōg, & masse, goodli sōg with prycksong, & organs & we do all good thinges, as we were wont to do.

Yea, yea, ye serue him, as ye list, and not as he com­maundeth. For he commaundeth you to beleue in his sonne, and to folow his holy word; but thys ye leaue vndone, & then ye pipe hym a daunce, on the organes,

Ther is nothing pleaseth the.

what can please ani Christiā hart, when he seeth gods worde set a­side and contemned? But Nicho­las▪ wherefore serueth holye can­dels?

To light vp in thūder, and to blesse men, when they lye a dying.

The true light for thē that lie a dying, is to know the sweete promises of Iesus Christ, howe he dyed for our sinnes, and purchased for vs resurrection and life: that euery one that beleueth vpon him, should not perishe, but passe from deathe vnto lyfe. As Christe saith: Iohn. xi. I am the resurrectiō and lyfe, he that beleueth in me, although he were dead, yet shall he liue, and whosoeuer lyueth, & [Page] beleueth in me, he shal neuer dy. Ioh. viii. And againe Christ saith: Verelye, verelye, I saye vnto you, if a man kepe my sayinges, he shall neuer se death. Iohn. vi. And againe in the gos­pel of S. Iohn: Al that the father hath geuē me, shal come vnto me, & him that cōmeth vnto me, I cast not away. For I came downe frō heauen, not to do mine owne wil, but his wil that sent me. And this is the fathers wil, whych hath sēt me, that of of al which he hath geuen me, I should lose nothing, but shoulde rayse them vppe agayne at the last daye. And thys is the wyll of hym that sent me, that e­ueri man, that seeth the sonne and beleueth on him, haue euerlasting lyfe: And I wyll rayse them vppe at the last daye. Thys lyghte so comforted Dauid, that he sayed: Psal. xxvi The Lord is mi light & my helth, whom shall I feare. And agayne: Yf I shoulde walke in the myd­dest of the shadowe of deathe, Psa. xxii. I wyll not feare euell, for thou (O Lord) art wyth me. Thys lyghte cōforted old Simeō, that he said: [Page] Lord now lettest thou thi seruant depart in peace, Luke. ii. accordyng to thy word. &c. This holi candel shone so bright in S. Paules eies, that he said: Phill. ii. I long to be dissolued and to be with Christ. This is our defēce against the thunder claps of gods wrath, that falleth vpon sinners. And wher this holy light of gods worde shineth, Ioh. viii. men walke not in darkenesse, but haue the light of life. But wher this is not, what can thy holy candel do, but light the into a wrong belefe, & so lead the into the darke dongeon of hell? wherefore serueth holye palmes?

To make crosses, to bear in our pursses, and to set vp. vpō our windowes and dores, that the di­uel come not nigh vs, nor into our houses.

what if the deuil be in the house, or euer the crosse be set vp?

Then let him flye a­way on the diuels name.

How shal he flye out, seing the doores and windowes be so crossed, that he dare not come nie them? Shall he creepe into the benche hole, or fly out at the top of the chymney?

He maye if he list, for I be­leue he hath no power to comeny the holy crosse.

what if a crosse were set there, made of an hasell sticke, or of an vnhalowed palme? wer it not so good as this?

No mary were it not.

why so?

For this made vpon Palme sundai, in the passion time, of halowed palme.

Se the craftie diuel▪ and how the people are deluded with blinde guydes. The old church kept a memorye the sūday before Ester, how Chri­stes glory was openly receiued & acknowledged among the Iewes, when they met him with date tree bowes, and other faire bowes, and confessed that he was the sonne of God, commen into the worlde to saue mankinde, and the gospel declaring the same, was apointed to be read on that day. But nowe our blind leaders of the blind toke away the knowledge of this, with their latine processioning, so that amonge .x. thousande, scarce one knew what this ment. They haue their laudable dumme ceremonies. [Page] with lēten crosse, & vptide crosse, and these two must iustle, til Lent breake his necke. Then cakes must be cast out of the steple, that al the boyes in the parish must lie scam­bling together by the eares▪ tyl all the parish falleth a laughīg.

By our Lady I haue laughed well at it ere this.

Yea Nicholas, I warant the, the deuil laugheth ful merily, that he coulde with suche preatye toies, mocke out Christes gospel. And then, where the aun­cient fathers, apointed the history of Christes passiō, to be read, that it being wel knowen vnto the peo­ple, they might the more depelier weigh the causes of the same, and profit that cōmeth vnto mankind, this the deuil, & his ministers mocked out with the latin tong, whi­che many times neither the priest nor people vnderstode. But Lord what Apes play made thei of it in great Cathederal churches, & Ab­baies?

what did they there?

One comes furth in his albe, and his long stole (for so they call their girde that they put aboute [Page] their neckes) thys must be leashe wise, as hunters weares their hor­nes. This solempne syre, played Christes part, a gods name. Then another cōpanye of singers, chyl­dren and al, song in priksong, the Iewes part. And the deuil (the deacon I should haue said) read the the middel text.

what dyd the prest at the alter al this while?

He stoode mum, and played Iudas, that betrayed his Mayster. And in the meane time, because it was teadiouse to be vnoccupyed, suche playne soules as thou art, made crosses of palme, to set vpō your dorss, & to beare in your pur­ses, to chace awai the diuel & god beforen. Hath not our spiritualtie well ordred this matter (trow ye) to turne the reading & preaching of Christes passion into such wel fauoured pastymes? But tell me Nicholas, hathe not thy wyfe a crosse of palme aboute her?

Yes in her pursse.

And a go on felowshyppe tel me, thinc­kest thou not sometyme, the deuil is in her tounge? Syghe not man.

I wold she heard you, you might fortune to finde him in her tong and fist both.

Then I se wel he cōmeth not in her purse, because the holi palme crosse is ther but if thou couldest intreate her, to beare a crosse in her mouth, thē he would not come there neither.

Saye you what you list, the holy crosse is good.

Nicho­las, I take god to recorde, no man liuing, more highly estemeth the signe and token that Christ dyed on, then I do: but the holier it is, the more impietye is it, that the preaching of Christes deathe and passyon, that he suffered for vs, shuld be set aside, and the people deluded, with superstitious opi­nions. For such superstitious cros­singes, rather bring the dyuell to house: then driue him frō vs.

Yea, and such as ye are, maye say what ye list, for the people lyked this better, then your preachings, and Sir Iohn hath willed the pa­rish to bie a new crosse, that we might folow the good lord again a precession.

why, wil he not [Page] say the English Letanie, kneling in the bodi of the church, that the people mai say it with him?

Tush, we care not for it, it is left of long since, it is to teadious, we wil folow the crosse a pression, as our forefathers did.

O folo­wers, it is great piti to se one blind folow another, til both fal in the pyt.

Sir Iohn tolde vs, Math. xv. that Christ said: If any man wil be my disciple, he must folow my crosse.

I can sit Iohn thanck, he is a cūning coblet. The text (Nicho­las) is thys. Mat. xvi. Mark. viii Luke. ix. [...] Christe declared vnto his disciples, that he must go vnto Hierusalem, and there suffer ma­ny thinges, of the elders, & of the high priestes, and Scribes, and be killed, and rise againe the thyrde day. Here Peter (of a good carnal loue to his master) toke him aside and rebuked him, saying: Master, fauour thy selfe, this shal not be. Then turned he about, and sayed vnto Peter: Come after me Satan, thou offendest me: because thou sauourest not the thinges that are of God, but the things that are of [Page] men. Iesus then said to his disci­ples: If any man wil folow me, let him forsake himselfe, and take vp his crosse and folow me. For whosoeuer wil saue his life, shall lose it: But whosoeuer shal loose hys life, for my sake and the Gospels, the same shal saue it. Here ye see what it is to beare the crosse, and to folow the crosse, and mark wel the order of the text: Christ declared that he must suffer at their hā ­des, which in veri dede, should of deutie afore al other haue glory­fied him, & his doctrine.

who wer thei?

The bishops, prie­stes & lawyers, as now adaies, one bishop being a crafti lawier, wor­keth more myschiefe against the truth, then a. M. beside cā do. And yet the same. with fained wordes of hipocrisi wil make al the world beleue that he seketh gods glori, the reformatiō of religiō, & cōmō wealth of the people: Euē as Cai­phas did when he said in the coū ­sel, Ihon. xi. it is expedient that one mā die for the people, & that the hole natiō perish not. So sai they it is ex­pedient that this doctrine of the [Page] gospell be destroyed, & the prea­chers burned so shal we agre with other realmes, & haue the hyest & greatest in the world, on our side. But Caiphas was deceiued, for y ^e wai that he purposed to saue the people, he destroied them, and his wiked coūsel fel on his own pate, as it wil do (without dout) vpō our hipocrits, at the last. Now cōmeth peter, & as much as in him is, coū ­celleth Christ to fauour himselfe. But then Christ preached this ser­mō: To folow Christ. that those that wil be Christs disciples, must folow him, that is: as Christ most earnestli & cōstantli did the vocatiō, that his heauenly father apointed him, traueling frō place to place, preachīg & teachīg the wil of god vnto the people calling them to repentaūce & amendment of life, & so won soules vnto the heauēli father, so must al Christes disciples do theyr vocation with faith & diligence. And wold to God oure byshoppes, woulde well looke vpon thys texte: for it principallye toucheth them. And to take vp hys crosse dailye, is to suffer with patience the miserable [Page] afflictions and tribulatiōs, pouer­tie, neede, sorowe, syckenes, pry­son, losse of goodes, catels, frends and al other that god laieth vpon vs. To take these things with qui­et mindes, knowledging that thei are laid vpon vs for our sins, to kil sinne in vs, & to mortifi our flesh­ly lustes and apetites, to raise and sturre vp true repentaunce, & har­tie inuocation vpon god, and pa­ciently and faithfully to waite for deliueraunce at gods hand. Thys is to take vp our crosses and to fo­low Christ, euen to denie our sel­ues, and to lose our liues for hys word and gospels sake. This is a­nother maner of peece of worke, then to carye palme crosses in our pursses, or to go a procession after a tinne, or copper, or siluer crosse. This S. Paul reioyseth in, [...]i. cor. iiii saying: we alwaies beare about in our bodies, the dying of the Lord Iesus, that the life of Iesu might alwaies appeare in our bodies. And again he saith▪ Gala. vi. God forbid that I shuld reioyce, but in the crosse of oure Lorde Iesu Christe, whereby the [Page] world is crusified vnto me, and I vnto the world, that is, the world greatli estemeth outward ceremonies and shewes of holines, as the Iewes mutch boasted the circū ­cision of the flesh, and neglected the new creature of the mind, but Paul & al true Christians, reioyce not in sutche outward shewes of holines, but in the true holynes of the hart and minde, and espetial­lie in this high benefit and gyft of god, that they ar called to be par­takers with Christ, of the miseries and troubles of this world. And as the world euer despiced Christe, and coūted him accurssed, and so put him to the most vile deathe of the crosse: so hath it euer done by Paule, and al the Apostels, and all other that folow their doctryne. These must be dispiced and persecuted of the world▪ and not coun­ted worthy cōmon breath▪ & aier. And Paule & his folowers the dis­ciples of Christ, againe cōdemne the worlde by the iust sentence of gods worde, because they refuse Christ, cast aside the doctrine of [Page] his gospel, and chose rather to be leade in the darcke dreames, and mistye imaginations of hipocrits, then in the cleare lyght of Gods holy scripture, and veritie, & thus is Paule crucified vnto the world, & the world is crucified vnto Paul God knowith, few bear the crosse thus, and yet this is it that Christ requireth of vs, to be his disciples to folowe hym, to denye our sel­ues, and to beare our crosses. This was not spoken of goyng aboute the churche yarde, wyth a crosse borne vpon a staffe, with a good­ly banner cloth, but to folow him in our vocation, leading a godlye life, and (as I said) patiently suffering the tribulation of this world, for his woorde and truthes sake.

Yet it is a good sight, to se sir Iohn, how he becommeth our best Cope, and vpon an hie daye to se al our Copes worne in pro­cession.

why haue ye Copes yet?

Yea, as saite as euer we had.

were not ye sworen to bring in al such thyngs before the kings cōmissioners?

Yea, but [Page] we brought in two or thre of the worst, & kept the best behinde stil.

Howe will you excuse your selues of periury?

we ar sori that we brought in any at all, and as for periurie, let god & vs deale it.

I am afraid it wil be a mi­serable dealing, when god will a­rise to iudge the wickednes of so vnfaithful people, that nether feareth God, nor regarded the othe made by his name, nor yet the cō ­maundement of their king. It wer a much more better sight, to se sir Iohn become wel the pulpit, and declaring to the people, howe to folow Christ in godlines of liuing

what say ye to processiō in gang daies, when sir Iohn saith a gospel to our corne feldes.

I say nothing but this: ye that haue forsaken to folow god as he com­maūdeth, shal be left to your self to folow your own inuenciōs. And as for your latine gospels, tead to the corne, I am sure the corne vn­derstādeth as much as you, & therfore hath as much profit bi them, as ye haue, that is to sai, none at al [Page] And manye times thys hath bene sene, that the Clerke hath left the crosse behinde him, and the priest his gospel booke, and scant found the righte waye home, they haue bene so combred with malt wor­mes, & miseled with the spirite of the butterie. Trow you y ^t god was not wel pleased wyth thys good Nicholas.

I trow so. But fare wel, Masse wil be don, or I come.

It makes no matter for one day. I wil read the a peece of the scripture in steede of thy Masse.

I care not for the scripture, and sir Iohn bad me beware of it, for it wold make me an heritique.

Sir Iohn then readeth not the Scripture.

No, he saith he wil meddle no further then his portas.

The Scripture is gods word, ii, Pete. i. opened to vs from heauen by the holy prophetes, Apostles, and Christ him selfe, Psal. cxix it is the light to our feete. & candel to our foote steppes: Psal. xix. it is the law of life, vnde­filed and holy, conuerting soules, it teacheth al things, ii. Tim. iii that is good perfect, rightwise & holy, to make [Page] the man of God perfect vnto all good woorkes. Psalm. i. He is blessed that studieth in it day and night: but sir Iohns owlish eies, can not abide it. And as for his portas, ther is in it a meany of lies, craftili cloined, to deceiue such vnstable soules as delight in blindnes, deceiued thē selues, and deceiuing other.

By our Ladye, sir Iohn is a good priest, say what ye list.

Is sir Iohn maried?

Nay, Mariage. he crieth phie on that.

what was the mater that sir Iohn was afore the Shriefe of the shire, a while a go?

A naughty queane slandred him.

wherwith?

She had a childe in an old baren, & lai­ed it to the priests charge, that he begot it.

Thinckest thou it was not a slaunder of truth?

Tushe, if it were hys, it was but a course of kinde.

Had it not ben better sir Iohn had dad a wife of his owne, as S. Paule saieth, to auoide fornication, let euery man haue a wife of his own, ii. cor. vii. and euery woman her owne husband.

what should priestes do with wi­ues? [Page] Let thē fast and pray, as theirfore fathers did, & liue chast.

Chast as sir Iohn doth?

Tush he was shriuen or he went to mas, it was wel inough.

Nicholas, I could sai somwhat, of the vnwed­ded priests chastiti, & tel the many preti histories how holili the fox­es abstaine frō snatching of gose­flesh, as oft as thei mai come to it But as S. Paule saith, Ephesi. v. it is shame to speake those thinges that thei do: & for such thīgs sake, cōmeth the wrath of god, vpō the childrē of vnbelefe, althoughe ye make a tushing at it, i. Cor. vii. & despice the holye state of wedlocke, in those priests that be maried. Yet do their folow the cōmaundement of God, who cōmaundeth that euery man haue his own wife, & euery woman her own husband, to the auoiding of whooredome. And agayne Gods worde sayeth: If they can not ab­stayne, let them marrye, for it is better to marrye, then to bourne. And againe Saint Paule saith: as concerning virgins, i. Tes. iiii. I haue no cō ­maundement of the Lord. And a­gaine. This is the wil of god, euen [Page] that you shuld be holy, & that ye should abstaine frō fornication, Heb. xiii. & that euery one of you shuld know how to kepe his vessel in holines & honor, & not in the lust of cōcu­piscence, as do the Hethen which know not god. And again he saith wedlocke is to be had in honor, a­mong al mē, & the bed vndefiled, for whoore kepers & aduouterers, god wil iudge.

This was spo­ken of men, but sir Iohn is a priest.

He is no angel, nor yet stock not stone, as apeareth by the preti babe. But Nicholas is not mariage an holi thing?

Yes that is it, & prests tel vs, it is one of the .vii. sa­cramentes.

And is not priest­hode holi also?

God forbid els.

How chaūceth that holi priesthode & holy mariage cā not agre together no better.

By mi truth mā, I cannot tel.

I wil tel the. S. Paul saith: the sprit speketh euidentlye, i. Tim. iiii that in the latter daies, some shal depart from the faithe, and shall geue heede vnto spirites of errour, & dyuelish doctryne, of thē whych speake false [Page] thorow hipocrisie, and haue their consciences marcked with an hot yron, forbidding to mary, and cō ­maunding to abstain from meates which god hath created to be re­ceiued with geuing thanks, of thē which beleue, & know the truth. Here may al men, that wilfulli are not blynde, perceiue and see, from whēce our prests wiueles life, that condempne Matrimonie, & main­taine so hily their single life, fals­ly named chastitie, commeth euen from spirites of erroure, from the deuil him self, who with that ho­ly snare, hath drawē mani a thou­sand of soules, into most beastlye and filthie liuing. And this the hi­pocrites know well inoughe. For their owne conscience, is a witnes againste them, that they liue not al chast, but yet though thei know the truth, of a set malise and ob­stinatie, and for filthie lucres sake they teach and maintaine such a detestable estate▪ so as theues are brent in the hand with an hot irō, vnto their ppetual shame, so these men are dailie burnt in their con­science [Page] witnessing againste them, that their doctryne and vnchaste liuing, pleaseth not God. There­fore Nicholas, take hede of them, & remember the old saying: prie­stes & doues makes foule houses.

I warrant you for sir Iohn, he is as honest a mā (for an vnma­ried priest) and is vengeaunce ho­ly, as any is with in this .xx. myle: and as good a companion.

what call ye an honest man, and a good companion? A good cōpaniō.

A good fellow that wil kepe company all day at the good ale, anst playe his xl. pence at dise, with anye good felow that commeth: Yea, I haue knowen him kepe companye two daies & two nightes with good felowes ere this. Bi god I dare say this for sir Iohn. if he wer as wel sene in the chapters of the Bible, as he is in the tables, dise and car­des, by God Oliuer, he might rea­son with the best of them, and yet I speake not this because I wold praise him. Yea, yea, I tel ye, as li­tle learning as he hath, he is a morren felowe.

Happye are the [Page] shepe that haue such a shepherd, and the soules that sir Iohn syn­geth for. Your Alewiues loue him wel, I dare say, and make much of him.

By Saint Iulian, elles wer thei to blame, for he is a good customer of theirs, and spendeth more siluer among them, then ani sixe in our parish, I dare wel say. The bel toleth, I haue lost sacrtng a vengeaunce on it, with babling with the. But yet I trust to see my maker daunce about the cuppe: I wil runne a pace.

I haue lost al my labour, with talkyng wyth him. Alas it is pitie to se the plain and simple people, thus deluded and brought to suche a miserable case, that they embrace lyes, in stede of truth, and errour and su­perstition, in place of true godly­nes, and Christian religion. But e­uen this was before prophecyed: that Antichrist, ii. Tes. v. the son of perdici­on should come by the woorking of Sathan. with al lying powers, signes and wonders▪ & in al discei­ueablenes of vnryghtuousnes, a­mong them that perishe, because [Page] they receiued not the loue of the truthe, that they might be saued. And therfore god shal send them strong illusion▪ that thei shuld be­leue lies, that al they might be dā ­ned, which beleue not the truth, but had pleasure in vnryghteous­nes. But our Lorde Iesus Christe will come shortely, and with the breath of his mouth destroye that aduersary. He shal not be destroi­ed bi swerd, zach. iiii. Apo. xix. nor strength of mans power: but by the power of god, & bi the swerd of his word. Come Lord Iesus, lighten the eies of the blinde, conuert the hartes of thy people: heale our backeslidinges, and treade downe Satan and An­tichrist his chaplaines. And let thi holye name and woorde, euer more and more, be mag­nified among vs, Let al true Christen hartes say A­men. Amen.