IN my hart I wyshe daylye / & for the same do I ernest­lye praye vnto our most mer cyfull father the euerlyuyn­ge God / & that for his son­nes sake oure onlye rede­mer / and full sauer Iesus Christ / yf his heauenlye will so be / that he ones open throughlye the eyes of our most worthye and noble kynge (as he hath alredye be­gonne) and of all his other counsellers / lordes / and burgeses of his parlement / which are chosen out of the whole real­me to confounde vngodlye customes and to set vp in ther towmes sawes that are more godlye / to suppresse wyckednesse and to maynteyne Christen vertues / to preferre the commen welthe afore all sin­gular or priuate welthes / yea / vtterlye to destroye and abolyshe for euer soche fyl­thye tradicions as haue no iust grounde vpon Gods holye worde / as are all the vsages / rytes / lawes / decrees / seruices / supersticions / & sorceries of the Romishe [Page] Antichrist / and to s [...] in open practise the true worshyppinges auaunced to Chri­stes glorie / so edifyeng his people by the scripturs in the knowledge of one onlye eternall lyuinge God. And in so doinge they shuld mainteyne the cōm [...]n welthe both of soule and bodye.

I saye yet ones agayne / & that in theze se of y ^e Lorde as he is my iudge / I wyshe [...]f his graciouse pleasur so were / that first the kynges maieste and so forth all the rest (vnto whom God hath geuen power and auctorite vpon earthe vndre him maye throughlye se and perseyue how that not onlye the bloudy bearwolfe of Rome / but also the most part of y ^e other Bysshoppes & stoute sturdye canons of ca thedrass churches with other petie prow­lers and prestigiouse Prestes of Baal his malignaunt members in all realmes of Christendome / speciallye here in En­glande / doth yet tore abrode lyke hongrie lyons / frete inwardlye lyke angrie bea­res / and byte as they dare lyke cruel wol­ues / [...]ringe togyther in corners [...] a swarme of add [...]rs in a donge hyss / [...] wylye subtile serpentes / to vphol­d [...] and pr [...] theyr fylthy father of Rome the head of theyr bawdye brode yf it maye be.

This ones perseyued and seaue by a godlye circumspeccyon / I wysh [...]n the [Page 3] same vehemencie of sprete and prayer / the seyd noble kynge / counsellers / & bur­geses to procure a full reformacyon con­cerninge there aduowterouse doctrine / ther prodigiouse pompe / ther insaciable cloyninge / and tyrannycall persecutinge of Christ in his faythfull members. No doubt of yt / but the mercie of our eternall father hath opened vnto vs in these lat­ter dayes what ther forked fatherhede / ther oyled auctorite / and ther shauen ho­lynesse is / for all ther craftye compases of wordlye wisdome that they shuld not apere y ^e same generacyon of vipers that Iohan Baptist & Christ hath warned vs of. His worde hath he now appointed by diuerse of his ministers to be theyr vtter destruccyon / for blasphemouslye deludinge his redemed heritage so manye hon­dred years in ther counterfete kyngedo­me of hypocresie / wherin they shewe now what they haue bene / euen verye hereti­ques to God / trayters to theyr princes / and theues to theyr Christen commons.

No lesse do I iudge it then a bounde dewtye of y ^e seyd faythfull ministers / to manifest theyr mischeues to y ^e vniuersall worlde / euerye manne accordinge to his talent geuen of God / some with penne / and some with tonge / so bringinge them out of theyr olde estimacyon / least they shuld styll regne in the peoples conscien­ces [Page] to theyr soules destruccyon. An eui­dent example haue they of Christ thus to do / which openlye rebuked theyr fyl­thye forefathers the scribes / lawers / pha rise [...]s / doctors / pr [...]s / bisshops / and hy­pocrites for makinge Gods cōmaunde­mentes of non effect to support theyr ow­ne tradicions / so clerlye condempninge theyr hypocrita [...] lyfe and doctrine. Mat thew. xv. xvi. and. xxiii. xxiiii Beware (sayth he) of the corrupt leuen of the pha­ris [...]s / Marke. viii. Luke. xii. Pause ad­monisheth vs also / that soche rauenynge wolues shuld entre in amonge vs after his departing as shuld not spare the floc ke / Act. xx. ii. Thes. ii. i. Tim. iiii. So doth Ioh [...]. i. Ioh [...]. ii so doth Peter. ii. Pe ii. so doth Iudas Thadeus in his epistle.

By these and many other places of the scriptures are we taught easily to knowe at none dayes the wolfe from the lambe and the hastye lyon from the simple she­pe. As Christ sought by al meanes to de­face the proude Pr [...]s / and to bringe poor Iohan Baptist in reputacion of the people / for that he had vttered the truthe without flatterye. So wolde he now the true teachers of his Gospell to be regar­ded be they neuer so poore / for his very­te [...]s sake / and the blasphemers therof to be had in an vtter contempt. No lesse is it therfore than a doctrine of his to be put [Page 4] in practyse amōge true Christianes / both in worde and wrytynge to haue the my­scheues manifest of these spirituall ma­houndes / the verye ofspringe of Cain / chyldren of Caiphas / and successors of Symon Magus / as theyr doctrine and lyuinge declareth / nedynge no farther probation. Notwithstandinge through Gods grace I shall partlye open the wic­kednesse both of them and theyr fathers as the truthe shall leade me. Most cruell enemyes haue they bene in all ages to y ^e verite of God euer sens the lawe was fyrst geuen and most ferce persecuters of Christ and his churche.

Consydre fyrst of all (besydes that was done afore in the lawe of nature) how de­uerslye Iannes and Iambres with other false prestes of Egypt persuaded Pha­rao through lyenge signes and tokens to withstande the pleasure of God in Moy­ses and Aaron / Eyo. vii. and. ii. Tim. iii. Greuouslye was Micheas the true pro­phete of the Lorde vexed of Sedechias iii. Reg. xxii. and. ii. Para. xviii. So was the good Prophete Hieremie of phassu [...] and Semeias Hiere. xx. xxvi. and. xxix Vvonderfullye were the Israelites abu­sed by the idolatrouse prestes of Baal / and the Chaldeanes by Belles prestes also in Babylon / tyll Helias and Daniel in the worde of the Lorde detected theyr [Page] craftye cloyninges. iii. Reg. xviii. & Da­niel. xiiii. Great was the affliccion of y ^e Iewes vndre kynge Demetrius / through the cruell counsell of that trayterouse prest Alchimus. i. Machab. vii. Manifest is it by the. iiii. Gospels how the Bishop­pes and Prestes vsed Christ himselfe. Matth. xxvi. Marke. xiiii. Luke. xxii. Iohan. xviii. And after what relygiouse sort they intreated his Apostles after his ascencyon / Act. iiii. v. vi. and. vii.

Pause had to enemy Barieheu / Ana­nias / Hymeneus / Philetus / Hermoge­nes / and Phyge [...]us / all maliciouse Pre­stes. Iohan had Diotrephes / Carpocras Hebion / Marcion / C [...]rinthus / and Cy­nopes / all bloodthursiye Prelates also / Peter had Symon Magus and Menan­der / Iames the More had Abiathar the great Bisshop. Matthew had zaro [...]s and Arphaxat amonge the Moreanes / and the same lykewise had Symon and Thadeus as they preached amonge the Persianes / lyke as all the other Apostles had in the quarters where they occupyed No where coude the verite be taught / but those gloriouse glotto [...]s were euer at hande to resist it. After the Apostels ty me was there no cruell tyraunt vnset a worke by them to persecute them which published that massage of lyght. Euerye where were they whysperinge in that [...]a­re [Page 5] and that eare / fearinge the fall of theyr kyngedome yf the Gospell were trulye opened / as is euident to them which are expert in the cronicles.

And thus haue they cōtynued in theyr spyghtfull generacyon vndre the name of a spiritualte / vnto this present age / whe­rin theyr lowsye legerdemaine is almost perseyued of all menne / the lyght so abun dauntlye shyninge / yet are they not asha­med / so whorishe is the face which they haue cawte of theyr holy mother. A great conscience made theyr naturall forefa­thers to put the. xxx. syluer plates (that Iudas y ^e trayter theyr elder brother had brought them) into the treasurye / because yt was the pryce of blood / Math. xxvii. But no conscience at all had those bloo­dye hypocrites to murder the eternall son ne of God / in procuringe false witnesses agaynst him / Matth. xxvi. So lyke are oure spiritualte to these fore leaders of theyrs / as one adder is lyke an other or the yonge wolfe lyke the olde as theyr daylye frutes declareth. They sought by all meanes possible to quenche the fayth of his gloryouse resurreccyon / wagynge the souldyers to saye that his disciples had stolen him whyls they were a slepe / Mat. xxviii. Vvhich practise they occu­pye to this daye by theyr hyred sophisters or vniuersite knyghtes to blemishe his [Page] heauenly verite. Soche shamelesse lyar [...] are they agaynst God and his worde

But truely both they and theyr fathers hath faughten in vayne. [...]ete soche ves­sels of the wrathe of God kycke / spewe / and spurne as moche as they can / yet will the truthe of the Lorde endure for euer. Seduce they neuer so subtyllye / lye they neuer so lordelye / blaspheme they neuer so boldelye / accuse they neuer so freshlye that the preachers are deceyuers and se­diciouse persones / procure they neuer so manye cruell tyrauntes / yea / persecute they and slee [...]hey neuer so fercelye with Nero / Domicianus / Traianus / and so­che other / yet shall Christ alwayes haue a faythfull cōgregacyon vndefyled with theyr wretched sorceryes. Maruele not ye Bysshoppes / Prelates / and Prestes / though I thus in the zele of Helias and Phi [...]s stomacke agaynst youre sturdye stormes of stubbernesse. For neuer was yet anye tyrannie ministred vpon Christ and his mysticall members / but by youre proude procurement. And now in oure dayes / where are anye of the lordes true seruauntes burned or otherwyse murthe [...]ed for true preachinge / wrytinge / glo­singe / or interpretynge the Gospell / but it is by your cruell callynge on.

How subtillye bewitched you the par­lament house / whan the. vi. blasphemou­se [Page 6] artycles collected out of the Popes wicked decrees were there enacted and establyshed with more tyrānie than euer vndre the Romishe Pope / Mahomete or anye other tyraūt afore? Vvere not they fyrst practised of you to destroye all them that shulde trulye professe the Gospell (which are and will be alwayes the kyn­ges most faythfull fryndes & to leaue a playne path waye that your Pope myght here after entre? At your trayterouse in­surreccyon in the northe it had bene wrō ­ge with this realme / had there not bene a great nombre which had than the fea­re of God written in theyr hartes / wher­by they knew they coude not ryse agaynst theyr prince / but to theyr owne dampna­cyon / and that they were bounde also to defende him agaynst all soche popysshe and rebellyouse trayters.

Thankes myght wele haue bene geuen in those dayes to oure eternall God for raysinge vp [...] Tyndale the fyrst true Apostle of Christ after Iohan Vvy­ [...] the verye manne of God and soche other lyke / which brought Christes Go­spell into the knowledge of menne / and wrote diuerse grounded work [...] vpon the same. As the Christen Obedience / the pa rable of the wycked Mammon / the. iii. chapters of Matthew / y ^e Somme of scri­pture / and diuerse other / wherby the peo­ple [Page] were than taught how to loue God / and how to obey theyr princes and magi­strates. These heretique bokes (as you call them made the kynges grace more faythfull fryndes in those dayes / than yow Bysshoppes and Prestes were wele cōtēted with. Vvell / I trust by this tyme they and soche other lyke haue made him ten tymes so many more. Not onlye were the seyd. vi. articles deuised by the deuyll and you for the vtter destruccion of Gods true seruauntes and the kynges fayth­full subiectes / but also to repare the bro­ken walles of youre yall Rome agayne / as in dede they wold do euen to the verie cloudes yf they were wele folowed.

Thynke not that [...]ne be so blynde in this age / but they perseyue your craftye cloyning. Ful wele knewe wily Vvynche stre and other more of his fellawes the fyrst practisers of them / that were they ones receyued / graunted / and executed vndre peyne of deathe / the Pope shulde neuer dye in Englande / what though his name were suppressed with his pilgrima­ges / pardons / and a fewe supersticyons besydes. [...]hmost wycked vermyne / wylly wormes / subtyle and craftye serpentes / whan will ye leaue treadynge of Christ on the hele? Gen. iii. Vvhan shall Gods sonne be vnto you no signe of contradic­cyon? Luke. ii. Vvhan shall his verite be [Page 7] reuerêtlye vsed amonge you? I feare me / neuer / so longe as you remayne in En­glande. As our most godlye souerayne be­ganne with kynge Iosias to reforme his churche / bannishynge your woluishe fa­ther as an vngodlye vsurper for euer / ye pacientlye paused with lowerynge / lu [...] ­kynge / and loutinge for feare of the swer­de and haltre.

But whan ye ones perseyued that Gods holye lawes were spredde / and youre vn­holye lawes were sett at naught / than thought ye it hygh tyme to worke youre false feates. Than put ye apace in pra­ctyse youre olde serpentyne subtyste [...]s: ye compassed them so with craftes which knewe not your cursed conueyaūces both amongest the kynges counsell and com­mons / that they were at the makynge of the seyd sixe Popyshe artycles and are yet to this houre of this blynde beleue. Though the Pope of Rome your olde glo riouse grandes [...]re were the great Anti­christ of Europa by youre owne consent and graunt / yet are his fylthye tradiciōs holye / his beggerlye ceremonies godlye / and his croked Canon lawes laudable / conuenient / and comelye / precyouse / fyt / and necessary to be styll admitted for the spirituall lawes of the churche of Englan de and for the true worshyppynges of God therin / the scripturs of both testa­mentes [Page] reiected or ess ponnished by most terrible deathe / where as they geue not place vnto them.

Thus by soch [...] subtyle slayghtes as ye bse / y [...] mak [...] God to geue place to the d [...] / and his heauenly worde to youre false supersticious / as ded the fyrst ser­pent: yea / ye cause the kynges maieste by aua [...]ynge soch [...] h [...]ythnishe tyt [...]s and sawes / to honour youre Pope a fresshe / what though his name be abolysshed with a fewe yearlye pos [...]ges besydes. Ingenyo [...]se is youre [...]glynge as Me­lanchton telleth your tale / and as [...]byl­lyam [...]braghton declareth in his hun­tynge of the Romishe foxe / lyke a fayth­full subiect to his prince and no lesse na­turall chylde and souynge brother to his contre. If yow be not most wycked wor­kers agaynst God and his verite / & most spyghtfull trayters to the kynge and his realme / I can not thynke there be anye lyuinge vpon the earthe. Be this onlye spoken to you that maynt [...]e soche my­steries of madnesse.

If a tree maye be iudged by his frutes (as oure sauer sayth it maye) we must ne­des iudge you most pestilent Papistes vpon the manifest mayntenaunce of so manyfolde myscheues with soche terri­ble terroure of halters and fyer. So long as the blasphemouse beggeryes of y ^e blo­dye [Page 8] Bisshoppes of Rome are not plucked vp by the rootes / as were the vnsanerye sacrifices of Baal and of Bel / and so bro­ken in peces with the brasen serpent ido­latrouslye abused / the saw [...]s of Gods true worshyppynge [...] (which are in the Byble prescrybed) set vp in theyr stede / so longe (I saye) is [...] in [...] to [...]an nishe the Pope out of Englande / but he will sty [...] dwell the in the secrete con­sciences of menne / do the kynges maie­ste and his counsell with his nobilite and commons what they will or maye to the contrarye.

[...]nd yfas [...] other craftye cōueyaunces say­le to the vpholdynge of him there / yet shall theyr auryc [...]ar confessyon / a plant of his owne settynge in the corrupt coun sell of laterane / do it workemanly ynough No better waye is there to restore his na­m [...] agayne / nor no conuenienter meane to bringe him to his olde es [...]macyon. No craftyar conueyaunce to bringe the peo­ple in bondage of blyndenesse / & in cruell captiuite of co [...] to the vtter de­struccyon of soule an [...] bodye. And that knew Gave gala [...] [...] t [...] [...]opes holye [...] 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 [Page] / labour / and stodye of his who­ryshe apostataes / holye Apostels I shuld saye / as are both the olde and newe tyt­led Bysshoppes / Suffraganes / archedea cons / officials / chauncellars / deanes / c [...] missaryes / doctors / curates / and parishe prestes with other gaudyshe gentilmen of that lyuerye and marke / to se these. vi. artycles in euerye poynt obserued.

In so moche as hauynge theyr mothers face / they haue not shamed fercelye to re­buke honest and godlye menne of sondrye questes at the geuynge vp of theyr verdy t [...] / as they haue not hunted after theyr myndes and founde out theyr game to the cruell shedynge of poore innocentes blood. To proue this true I will bringe forth one for example. Bonner the blo­dye Byshop of London Abashed nothynge at all extremelye to rebuke / manace and thretten a quest of honest citezēs and mē ­ne of good conscience in the yelde hall at London in the yeare of our lorde a M. D. and. xli. for' quytynge of a poore innocēt ladde called Rycharde mekyns. Like a fer ce furyouse rauenynge wolfe / insacyably desyerouse of murther & cruellye gredye vpon his praye / refusynge the seyd quest / chose out an other false quest to his pur­pose of soche as he and his fylthye gene­racyon had afore peruerted / and neuer ceased tyll he brought him to a consumin­ge [Page 9] fyer in Smithfelde / so makynge him a sacrifice to theyr great God Mulciber.

And after this shamelesse sort no doubt of it / all the other Bysschoppes of En­glande / a verye fewe excepted / haue ty­rannously handeled the kynges true sub­iectes / and yet do to this daye with lesse Christen equite and pyte than eyther Saracene or turke Iewe or Pagane / to asua­ge theyr vnquencheable thyrst: It is not to be thought that they are verye Gen­tyll abroade or in the fardest partes of the realme / whan they vse soche furyouse feates so nygh the kynges presence. So frantyke haue they bene of late dayes and so forgetfull of themselues in theyr madde modye mastry [...]s / that they haue not fea­red to entre the kynges owne house to hū ­te theyr game / nor yet abashed at all saw­celye to seke out theyr desyered praye in his owne Preuye chambre / couetynge so to haue murthered his most trustye fryn­des and faythfull seruauntes. The same selfe part in a maner wolde they haue played with his noble grace that proude [...]aman the Amalechyte played with kynge Assu [...]s / malicyouslye sekynge the destruccyon of Mardocheus and other which aboue all menne had sought his lyues preseruacyon [...]ester. iii. [...]herin of right they haue deserued vpon a gyb­ [...]et to be hanged as he was.

[Page] Neuer sent Christ soche bloodye Apost­les nor two horned warryours / but the deuyfe vicar Antichrist which is y ^e dead­sye destroyer of faythfull beleuers. And now to you w ^c o [...]ishe [...] vynchestre agay­ne-the wyfye watterer of the Popes olde gardene. Although doctor Londō be dead doctor Pates ronne awaye / & youre owne dere kynsmanne germane gardener han­ged with other of youre preuycounsell. yet cease not you to playe cruell Haman styll. No / do youre olde feares to shewe whose chyldren ye are of nature. If your wycked counsell had taken effect as God forbyd it shuld verye fewe true fauerers of the Lordes verite had bene about the kynge this houre / least they shulde somtyme haue infourmed him of youre papistrie / and so detected you of your ma­nifest treason. Soche hauock begāne you to make in the court / as cruell Haman thought to haue made amonge the fayth­full Hebrues belonginge to good quene Hester / had not God by the hygh wisdo­me of oure seyd kynge preuented youre subtyll practyses.

This mischefe ones perfourmed / ye thought easelye to haue deluded his no­bl [...]s / and so in the ende to haue brought in agayne youre great Patriarke of Ro­me / and so layserlye to haue made of him an other kynge Iohan. But thankes be [Page 10] geuen alwayes to oure eternall lyuinge God / for delyueringe his [...]ellent maie ste with his most faythfull subiectes from the snares of youre craftye compassinges And how so euer this writinge of myne shall be taken / yet is it a true tale / and so moche the more of his maieste to be mar­ked / that youre forefathers and you haue bene trayters alwayes for youre Romis­he fathers sake to emprours / kynges / prin ces / and other wordlye gouernours all Christendome ouer / speciallye sens the craftye vpcrepinge of that holye father of yours. I doubt not but the most famou­se writers by all ages sens the churches beginninge will make this my sayinge good / yet haue theyr cronicles written the best of them to hyde theyr hypocresie and falshede.

Vvhat Christen bloud hath beneshed-betwyne empire and empire / kyngedome and kyngedome / as betwyne Constanti­nople and Almayne / Englande & fraun­ce / Italye and Spayne for the Bisshop­pes of Rome / and how manye cruell war­res at theyr prestes callynge on / it were to moche eyther to write or to speake. Al­wayes haue they bene workinge mische­fe in theyr idell generacion to obscure the verite of God. I saye yet ones agayne that it were verie necessarye for the kyn­ges worthye maieste with ernest eyes to [Page] marke how God hath graciouslye delyue red both him and his people from youre troblouse termaga [...]t of Rome which afo­re made all Christen kynges his cōmon slaues. And to be ware of you hollowe har ted trayters his spirituall promoters / cō ­syderinge that your proude predecessours haue alwayes so wickedlye vsed his gra­ces noble prog [...]itours the worthye kyn­ges of this realme sens the conquest and afore.

Vvho ouerthrewe kynge Herolde / sub­duynge all this lande to the Normāny [...]-who procured the deathe of kynge Vvil­lyam Rufus / and caused kynge Steuen to be throwne in preson: Vvho trobled kyng Henry the fyrst / and most cruellye vexed kynge Henry the seconde: Vvho subdued and poysoned kynge Iohan: Vvho mour­thered kynge Edwarde the seconde / and famished kynge Rycharde the seconde most vnsemynglye: besydes that hath bene wrought agaynst all the other kyn­ges also: To him that shall reade and throughlye marke the religiouse actes 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 / Steuen [...]angton / Vvalter Stapylton / Robert Baldock / Rychard Scrope / Henry spe [...] ­ser [Page 11] / Thomas Arundell / and a great sort more of youre anoynted auncetours / pon­tificall prelates / mytred mommers / mad mastrye workers / ryuged ruff [...]rs / roche ted rutters / shorne sawcye swy [...] olles / it will euidentlye apere that youre wicked generacyon hath done all that and ma­nye other mischeues more.

By these youre fylthye forefathers and soche other / hath this realme bene al­wayes in most miserable captiuite eyther of the Romanes or Danes / Saxons or Normannes / and now last of all vndre the most blasphemouse Behemoth youre Romishe Pope / the great Antichrist of Europa / and most myghtye mayntener of Sodome and Gomorre / tyll God by the stronge power of his eternall worde gaue oure noble kynge a clere victorye ouer him. How vnchristenlye youre seyd pre­decessours haue vsed the rewlers of all other Christen realmes / it were to longe to wryte. I reaken it therfore hygh tyme for all those Christen princes / which pre­tende to receyue the Gospell of saluacyō / and accordynglye after that to lyue in mutuall peace and tranquillite / for euer to cast ye out of theyr preuye counsels / and utterlye to seclude you from all admi­nistracyous / tyll soche tyme as they fyn­de ye no longar wolues but faythfull fea­ders / no destroyers but gentyll teachers. [Page] For as sainct Peter doth saye. i. Petri. v. ye ought to be no lordes ouer y ^e people of your dioceses / but examples of Christen mekenesse. Vvho seeth not in these dayes that you blodye bishopp [...]s of Englande / Italie / Sicell / Fraunce / Spayne / Por­tingale / Scotlande / & Irelande be the grounde and originall foundacyon of all controuersyes / scysmes / variaunces and marres betwixt realme and realme at this present: As sure as the lorde lyueth it is the subtile serpent of Rome and your wylye viperouse generacyon forth [...]in ge from him which hath sturred vp y ^e fyrst mouers therof / confedering thē w ^t y ^e Tur ke or great Barbarossa / vtterly to destroye the Christen common welthe. As in dede for youre cause and his it was / that the Frenche kynge Frances fyrst beganne that vngodlye enterprise. ye fele it at youre fyngars endes that your father is syke to false / ye perseyue the daylye decaye of his false and vsurped power. Vvhere vpon ye consydre your owne priuate pow­ers / inordinate pryde / couetousnesse / vo­luptuouse lyuinge / lechere / idelnesse / ty­rannye / and vayne glorye to folowe sone after. And that causeth you to calke for his kyngedome so fast / to cloyne for his coblarie / and to clought vp his olde clo­ke agayne. If ye speake ought agaynst him / it is from the tethe and for feare of [Page 12] the halter onlye. He hath neuer the lesse both your hartes and good will / and lac­keth neyther your counsell [...]or helpe pre­uilye / to the vttermost ye can do / as ape­reth by youre daylye workes. Els coude he neuer contynue as he doth / nor yet be so stronge as he is. Vvele / do all that ye can in the worlde to his holdinge vp / pe­ce / patche / cobble / clought / cloyne / calke / and do the deuyll and all besydes / whan the apple of iniquite is full type / he will fall of himselfe and a ye ye all no leaue. And than will all these youre labours be in vayne. Consydre fyrst of all both his beginninge and yours.

Neuer came ye in with your myters / ro­bes / & rynges by the dore as ded the poo­re Apostles / but by the wyndowe vnre­quyred lyke robbers / theues / and man­quellers with Symon Magus / Marcion and Menander. Neuer was your proude Pontificall power of the heauenlye fa­thers plantynge / and therfore at the last it must vp by the rootes. ye must in the ende be destroyed without handes. Da­niel. viii. Inuisyblye shall ye be stryken as was the great tyraunt Antiochus. ii. Mach. ix. Vvith the myghtye breathe of Gods mouthe which is his worde inuin­cyble / shall youre false kyngedome be cō ­sumed. ii. Thes. ii. and Heb. iiii. This re­ken I suffycient to declare you both to [Page] God and to manne most spyghtfull tray­ters vnto them that will not be wilful­lye blinde.

Now to proue you spirituall theues to y ^e cōmon people / is the seconde part of my purposed wryting. [...]arder nede we not to seke for a profe of this / than youre owne open actes. How longe haue ye kept the eternall testament of Christ vndre youre fylthye fere frō y ^e peoples reading / which is y ^e lyuely foode of theyr soules: yea / how manye innocent Christen creaturs haue ye most cruellye murthered / to cause them to abhorte it: Not manye years past ye brent a godlye woman at Couentre for hauinge but one chapter of sainet Mat­thewes Gospell / and an other manne at London for hauinge sainct Ioh [...]s Apoca lype / besydes that ye haue done in other quarters els of the realme. Some burned ye in Iohan Vv [...]ues tyme and after for not allow [...]nge your pilgrimages / so­me for not beleuynge 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 prayinge to dead saynctes of youre ma­kinge / some for youre howsell at Easter / some for not cr [...]pinge to the crosse / some for not goinge processyon / and some for ho ly water / and for other vayne tryfels of youre owne inuentinge.

[Page 13] He that shall reade the causes of the imprysonmentes & deathe of ser Iohan Balle / master Iohan Astone / Nicolas Herforde / Vvalter Britte / Laurence Re­denam / Dauid Gotraye / Iohan Ashwar­by / Robert [...]ygge / Vvalter Dashe / Io­han Hunteman / Vvissyam Swynderby / Rychard Vvith / Henry Crompe / Vvil­lyam Iames / Thomas [...]ritwell / Iohan Puruey / Vvillyam Saw [...]re / Vvillyam Thorpe / Iohan Bad [...]y / Iohan Claydon Rycharde Turmyne / ser Roger Acton knyght / Iohan Browne esquyre / Iohan Beuerlaye / set Iohan Olde castell the worthye lorde Cobham / Vvillyam Haw­lam / Rafe Greenherst / The taylour of Vvorcestre / Peter Clarke / Peter Payne / Vvillyam taylour / Vvillyam Vvhyght and Ione his wyfe / Iohan Scut / Iohan Fowlyn / Vvillyam Euerdon / Vvillyam Caleser / Rycharde [...]ownden / Thomas Bagley / Vvillyam [...]aundeuyle / Phi­lip Noris / Regnolde Pecok Bisshop of Chychestre / Iohan Goos / futher Pope of Eye / and Peke of yppeswych with a great nombre more. And no [...]o in oure ty­me ye hyng Rychard Hōne in the [...]ollars towre at mydnyght for denyenge a chyl­des mortuarye. And the thre yonge men­ne in Sothfolke / Robert kynge / Iohan Debynham / and Nicolas [...]arshe for de­stroyinge the fowleydoll of [...]ouercourt.

[Page] Vvhye Vvynchestre hynge Thomas Sa [...]ye a man lerned / in his porters lod­ge at the Stewes / the cause is not yet knowen. ye brent Thomas Hytton at Maydston for not allowynge the Pope / Thomas Bylneye at Norwych onlye for preachynge the Gospell / Rychard Bay­felde at London for sellynge newe testa­mentes in Englishe / with Teukesbery and Colyns / Vvillyam Leton a monke of eye for admittinge both kyndes in the sa­crament and for not geuynge reuerence to the rotten roode there / George Bayn­ham for purgatorye and for not allowyn­ge Thomas Becket for a saynet / Iohan Frith and Iohan Lambert for not admit­tynge youre purgatorye also with youre saynctes prayinge to and youre pylde po­pyshe masse / Vvillyam Tyndale at Vil­forde in Braban for translatynge the scripturs and disclosynge the slayghtes of youre false generacyon / Robert Bar­nes with Garade and Hierome for re­prouynge youre pestilent Papistrye (for other thynges ye had non to laye to him whan he stode at the stake demaundynge for what articles he shuld dye) Rycharde Spenser and Iohan Ramsaye at Salys­burye / Rycharde Mekens at London / An thonye Person / Iohan Testwode / & Io­han Fenemor at Vvyndesore with a great sort besydes in diuers quarters of En­glande [Page 14] for matters of no wayght / but that ye must styll be doynge youre kynde.

To longe were it farre to recite all your mastryes of mischefe / whom ye haue alwayes practised to defuse Gods wor­de. Neuer were ye yet contented that that sede of saluacyon shuld fructifye amonge the people / but euermore ye haue stopped the swete blast therof / to do the deuyll youre father a pleasur / Apoc. vii. A fewe years a go whan it beganne fyrst to flo­tishe / ye caused one Somers with serten other more openlye to burne Newe Testa mentes in the myddes of chepe at Lon­don. And as ye perseyued that it styll in­creased magrye youre hartes vndre the auctorite of oure most worthye kynge / than roared you lyke rude rampyon raue­nours / than raged also youre ranke rable of Romishe ruffelers in theyr syde swe­pynge gownes / theyr shauen crownes / cappes / and typpettes / lyke the charmin­ge channters of Bell. Speciallye wode Vvynchestre / lewde London / lurkynge Lyncolne / dreamynge Dur [...]am / yorke without wytt / chatteringe Chychestre / smylynge Salysburye / fleryng fryer wat­tes / and that double faced trayter Vvil­son / namynge it full of errours and ve­rye yll translated.

Oh idell idyotes and abhominable hy pocrites. Shame ye not at all so euident­lye [Page] to lye and so boldelye to blaspheme? Neuer were ye able as yet to matche thē whose iust labours ye reproue: & though ye were / ye haue not yet done it to the pro fyght of other. ye are those wilde swyne / lewdeshepardes / and foxes which hath roted vp the lordes vyne yearde. Psalm. lxxvii. Esa. iii. Hier. xii. Can. ii. Neuer do you repare whan anye thynge is ther­in decayed / but contynuallye murther all them that wolde gladlye do it. Mat. xxi. Marke. xii. Luc. xx. In the fyrst chapter of Sapience is it mencyo [...]ed how terry­ble sentences ye shall geu [...] agaynst youre selues at the latter daye. [...] hortyble fea re shall ye there confesse openlye that all hath bene dampnable f [...]lyshnesse that ye haue gone abought / that ye haue [...]rred from the truthe / that ye haue bene wil­fullye ignoraunt / that ye haue tyred your selues in the wayes of wickednesse & de­struccion / and so forth.

Before youre owne faces will I yet laye more largelye your owne abhomina ble frutes or good workes as ye call them / be ashamed of them / yfye lyst. you mastre wyncharde of Vvynchestre broyled in saynet Georges felde beyonde Sothwar ke one gyles a Ioynar with one of the quenes seruauntes and a paynter before fyue a clocke in the morninge / least the common people shuld haue knowen your [Page 15] lewde legerdemayne by theyr last confes­syons. And you blodye Bisshop boner ded murther a godlye yonge manne in New­gate onlye for reading the Byble in Pau les / whose lyfe was wele knowen to be vnrebu [...]eable amonge menne / besydes youre tyrannouse handelynge of others for the same / notwithstandynge the kyn­ges auctorite. you two blynde Babylon braggers with youre oyled adherentes made Alexandre Seton a notable lerned manne most miserably to recent for your false fre will / Vvillyam Tolwyn for your holy water makinge / Thomas Becon for your images / youre chastite / & your satis­faccids / Robert Vvisdom for your saintes veneracion / youre ceremonies / & the Po­pes olde relygion / with soche other.

yet was not youre frettynge furye all qualyfyed thus / but styllye raged in your former frenesye not vnlyke Pharaoes fer ce knyghtes / and ones agayne ye bewyt­ched the parlement howse / prouokynge them most pestylentlye to depryue the cō ­mon people all together of the Byble rea­dyng. Onlye was it than admitted to. iii. degrees of menne / to gentyll menne / mer chandes / and Prestes / all artyfycers and menne of the common sort clerelye seclu­ded / as though God were parcyall / not willynge his lawes / preceptes / and swe­te promyses to be knowen to poore menne [Page] to theyr soules saluacyon. But false and craftye are ye in you [...] feates workynge / ye thought [...] lays [...] to take [...] from them also / myght [...] on [...] [...]me agay [...] to you [...] full swaye.

These be th [...] good workes th [...] [...] boast so sore / whi [...] [...]fye yow befo [...] youre God the Po [...] [...] op [...] opera [...] ▪ These are dedes of [...] erog [...] cy [...] / wh [...] with ye scoure you [...] [...] ▪ [...] so oft as it pleaseth [...] [...] ­rytes of [...]oure satis [...] [...] [...]eauen whan God is no [...] a [...] hom [...] ▪

Oh abhomina [...] [...]eues and shameles­se murtherers. If [...] called a man [...] lar which s [...]eeth th [...] [...] / moch [...] rather he which sieeth [...] body▪ and soul [...] as youre generacyon doth cōmonl [...]. [...] the worlde in a maner [...] [...] ­ges / and lawheth to [...] [...] ­dent [...]. Chri [...] [...] the poore / but blessed t [...] [...] all [...] ­tes of peop [...] / Mat [...] [...]. [...]. vi. [...] [...] ­lye opened [...] Gospell to the poo [...] in his owne per [...] / but also appoynted the pore [...] o [...] [...] [...]o declare it vnto the poore after his [...] / induynge them most largelye with hie sp [...]te from aboue Math. xxviii. Marke. xvi. Luke. xxiiii. Iohan. xv. Act. ii. He chose the weake to confounde the s [...]onge and the poore to deface the proude presumptuouse. i. Cor. [...] [Page 16] By his p [...]eachynge to the poore as by [...] / [...]lared he as a [...] his comminge 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 [...] [...] gouer­ [...] / as ded [...] youre pre­de [...]our [...] [...]ero / to [...]ee the Gos [...] [...] not the [...] kynge [...] [...] Christ willed non to [...] [...]o [...] fayth by compuls [...] [...] th [...] [...]les to enforce [...] vnto. It is not oure maner [...] Iames the mo­ [...]e vnto Herm [...]s to cause anye man­ne to [...] oure [...] he [...]e wil­lynge. And [...] [...]tes [...]ore cruell than the [...] to pro fess [...] you [...] [...] [...]erse [...]yndes o [...]f deathe.

Non leaue ye [...] and [...]ntrobled / No [...] so moche as the poore mynstress [...] players of interludes / but ye are doyn­ [...] with them. So longe as they played [...] and sange bawdye songes / blasphe­ [...]ge God and corruptinge mennes cō ­sciences▪ neuer blamed them / but were ve [Page] verye well contented. But sens they per­suaded the people to worshyp theyr Lorde God a ryght accordinge to his holye la­wes and not yours / and to acknowledge Iesus Christ for theyr onlye redemer and sauer without youre lowsye legerdemay­nes / ye neuer were pleased with them / whan they tell you as the truthe is / that youre Romishe father hath played the cruell Antichrist / and [...]ou his false phe­sicyanes in holdinge the Christen multi­tude so manye hondreth years in soche dampnable darknesse of sprete without repentaunce / ye take it vnpacientlye s [...] ­kinge theyr destruccion for it.

Neuer repent ye your many folde mis­cheues be they neuer so manifest / but are alwayes redye with all ingyns possyble to fall to them agayne. ye are not asha­med that ye haue afore tyme depryued [...] people of all godlye knowledge by with holdinge from them the scripturs. But with toth and nayle ye labour it afreshe w ^t all craftye cloyninges / to make them both blynd [...] and ignoraunt / as I haue proued here afore / [...] thynke the denyls in [...]ell are not of a more peruerse mynde nor [...] more wayes to the soules destruccion / than you. Nether will you entre in­to the kyngedome of Christ by a true re­pentaunce and fayth in his holye promi­ses / nor yet suffre anye other that wol­de [Page 17] gladlye do it. But rather on euerye sy­de ye stoppe vy the hygh wayes ther vn­to / least they shuld beleue and so receyue saluacyon.

Nothynge plesaunt is it vnto your lor­delye cares / to heare that we are iusti­fyed by Christes onlye deseruynges. Ne­ther do ye thynke it greatlye to youre aduauntage / that we without youre low­lye beggerye shuld be saued in his blood shedynge. Slaunderouslye report ye the instructours of oure tyme both to preache and to wryte agaynst good workes not for anye deuocyon that you haue to do them / speciallye yf the scripture hath commaū ­ded them. But to haue soche wycked wor­ke [...] fulfylled as youre fylthye father and you haue commaunded for youre owne pryuate profyght and lucre / ye playe Pha rao / Cayphas / Nero / Traianus / with all tyrauntes partes besydes. The fayth which is lyuelye and of value before God can nomore be without good workes / than the clere sunne apering can be with out bryghtnesse or the burnyng fyer with out his naturall heate.

That fayth which aryseth of the Go­spell preachynge / bryngeth forth the wor kes of the Gospell which are the wholso­me frutes of the sprete / as loue / gladnes­se / peace / pacience / gentylnesse / goodnes­se / longe sufferynge / faythfulnesse / me­henesse [Page] / chastite / temperaunce / with so­che other lyke. Galat. v. These good wor kes haue not [...]ou to be iustifyed by / as we se in youre daylye lyuynge. These be not they therfore that ye take for y ^e good wor kes of mynys iustificacion. I wote / y ^e good workes that ye haue cassed vpon afore ty me / w [...]re the goyng [...] to pardons / the se­ [...]ynge to ymages / the prayinge to dead saynctes / the takynge of holye water / the hearynge of Mattens and Masse with­out vnderstandynge / the wearinge of be­des / the offerynge of candels, the bea­rynge of palmes and ashes / the ydell be­stowynge of youre holye dayes / the com­mynge to confessyon / the crepynge to the crosse / the payenge to the Paschall / the fastynge of saynctes vigils / the prayen­ge for ass Christen soules / the buysdynge of monasteryes and cha [...]teryes / the chat myng [...] of churches and chalyces / with a thousande super [...]icyons mo [...] / for youre commodyte and aduauntage.

The good workes that we beholde in youre daylye conuersacyon / for all youre bolde brag [...]s of good workes / are but the fylthye frutes of the fleshe as say not [...]oule doth call them / for we se nothynge in you b [...] hawty [...]sse / bayneglorye / coue tousnesse / pr [...]de / hatred / malice / mannis­s lauc [...]r / banketynges / glotonye / dron­kenesse / slow the / sedicyon / ydolatrye / mytchecrast [...] / [...] / [...] / [...] [Page 18] / besydes youre fylthye feates in the darke whan women are not redye at hande. Vvhat ye apere in the syght of them which haue no godlye vnderstan­dynge / I can not wele tell you. But wele I wote that ye seme vnto vs with youre iustifyeng workes verye pestilent ydols / as▪ zacharias sayth ye are. zacha. xi. God requireth mercye of his true beleuers / and nether youre vnsauerye sacrifyces nor yet youre faynt feble ceremonies / D. see. vi. Math. ix. Gal. iiii.

Though we do afferme with saynct Ia mes / that fayth to be ydell / dead / and boy de which occupyeth not good workes so­che as the Gospell prescribeth / yet graūt we not those good workes to be anye part of oure iustificacyon before God / consy­derynge that to reste alone in Christes good deseruynges which are ours onlye by fayth. Not for oure owne ryghtouse workes (sayth sainct Paul, are we saued / but by the mercye of God through Iesus Christ / Titum. iii. Non other is oure vniuersall ryghteousnesse before God / (sayth the Prophete) than is a fylthye clo the stayned with a womannes floure [...]. Esa. lviiii. Semynge it is that we beco­me newemēne / Eph. iiii. that we be haue our selues as the ministers of God / that we walke in a new Christen lyfe after the Gospell. i. Thess. ii. that oure lyght ape­re [Page] afore men to the glorye of God / Mat­thew. v. and that we serue nomore synne from hence forth / Rom. vi. but that oure daylye cōuersacyon be in heauen. Phil. iii

yet whan we haue done all this by the graciouse gyft of God / we maye not ther vnto ascribe anye part of oure iustifica­cyon with the Pharise / Luke. xviii. but saye with the poore publicane / God be mercyfull vnto me / I am trulye an vn­profytable seruaunt / I haue not done so moche as my dewtye / Luc. xvii. I am not able to thynke a good thought of myselfe / moche lesse than to do a good worke to my iustificacyon. ii. Cor. iii. Thus do we not condempne good workes / as you lyke fal­se lyars report vs / but we allowe them most hyghlye / as they aryse of the Gos­pell and not of youre beggerly tradiciōs / and so teache we them in theyr ryght kyn de. Though youre forefathers in all ages sens theyr begynnynge hath murmured agaynst the verite / yet raged they neuer so vnreasonable as you do / nether sought they so cruell kyndes of death for the ser­uauntes of God.

Vvhat the cause shuld be of this youre frantyk furye / it is easye to coniecture / youre water is seane now a dayes / youre sycknesse is knowen / and youre longinge perseyued. Vve se now what ye are both within and without. It hath pleased our [Page 19] eternall God in this latter tyme / by his despysed disciples to manifest the great Antichrist to the vniuersall worlde / of whom your Pope is the head and you his malignaunt members. No longar are ye lyke with youre abhominacyons to syt in the holye place / in the temple of God / in the secrete consciences of menne. Mat­thew. xxiiii. i. Corinth. iii. ii. Thess. ii. But as vnlawfull [...]yars and sellars / rob­bers and theues / ydolaters and mur­thers / to be dryuen out with whyppes / Iohan. ii. Luc. xix. Mar. xi. Math. xxi. This is the onlye cause of youre bluste­rynge and blowynge / youre roaringe and ragynge / youre impresonynge and but­ [...]ynge of the seyd godlye ministers / be they wryters or preachers / players or syngers.

Neuer the lesse youre terrible turmoy­lyng yet taketh the verite effecte in them whom God hath appoynted. My worde (sayth the Lorde) shall not turne agayne voyde / but accomplysshe my mynde and prospere in them whom I sent it vnto. Esa. lv. Agaynst youre selues worke ye in youre daylye doyinges / yet perseyue ye it not. In the sharpe shedynge of ryghtouse blood / or burninge whether ye will / haue those thynges bene opened / whom ye haue most coueted to be hydde from all knowledge. As youre pardons and purga [Page] torye to be of non effect / youre pilgryma­ges and other peltrycs to be of no value. An other thynge there is that ye set most by / which must awaye also / though it cost blood in habunda [...]ce as I thynke it wist. And that is your abhominable masse / by so manye pestilent Popes diuised / which were both peruerters & poysoners / sorce­rers & stynkynge Sodomit [...]s. By that is the gloriouse supper of the Lorde which was his owne institucyon most blasphe­mouslye bl [...]myshed and brought cleane out of knowlege in the Christen churche.

For a cōtynuall remembrance of Chri­stes death in his cōgregacyon was that heauenly supper fyrst ordayned / and for a vniuersall thankes geuynge for the most frutefull benefyght of the same. In that sacred supper are the mutuall members of Christes mysticall bodye there gathe­red / perfygh [...]lye [...]nyt togyther to theyr head with the Ioyntes of fayth and sy [...] ­nowes of loue / where as it is trulye mi­nistred. In youre Popishe Masse was neuer yet soche godlye ordre. Nether is the Lordes death to vnderstandyng prea­ched / nor yet his bodye and blood frute fullye therein receyued. Nether are the hearers therof persuaded to contynuall thankes geuynge / nor yet Christenlye exhorted to a mutuall loue and concor­de. But of the denowtest that cometh to [Page 20] that Masse of yours one disdayneth an other / one hateth an other / one troubleth an other / one robbeth an other / one goeth to lawe with another / one defyleth an others wyfe / yea somtyme / one sleyth an other / besydes the abhominable sorce­ryes / sacryleges / supersticyons / and ydo­latryes which are therein daylye com­mytted.

For therin ye offre to be worshypped of the people / a signe for a sa [...] / and that hath bene made by a synnefull mannys handes for oure eternall lyuynge God. Thus yow most execrable Antichristes haue brought them from the true wor­shyppynge of God / to the worshyppynge of breade and wyne / two false Goddes / (as they are vsed) of youre Romyshe fa­thers appoyntynge. Neuer commaunded Christ his wordes to be preached to brea de and to wyne which are but dead thyn­ges / but to soche people as had fayth to beleue them and to folowe them [...]he bad­de the faythfull receyuers of his holye supper to take the breade and to eate it / but neuer to knele to it and to worshyp it: That odyouse obseruacyon was added therunto by youre Pope sens sathan was set at large after his thousande years in­presonment / Apocalyp. xx. Not without the perpetuall curse of God / Deut. xii. Apocalyp. xxii.

[Page] The eternall testament of God wher­in Christ is contayned both reallye and substanciallye / ye neuer holde vp to be worshypped / though ye fatche from thēs the wordes that ye occupye / for that were nothynge for youre commodite. Most cō ­monlye is that office done by an vnler­ned luske / a blynde bussarde / an assehead an idiote / an whoremonger / a dronkarde / a bellygod / traytour / a Sodomite / a ty­raunte / an vnfaythfull Papist / and the most knaue in a towne. yea / somtyme frō the vometyng of his vndygested supper / or els from the fylthye occupyenge of an harlot / he cometh strayght to the aultre to do it / yet must it be thought a sacrifice of no lesse value and strength / than that Christ himselfe offred vpon the crosse. And he that will not so beleue it / shall be burned for an her etique.

Oh abhominable scorners and theues / which practyse nothynge els but the vt­tre desiruccyon of soule. If anye thynge vndre the heauens hath nede of reforma macyon / lete them thynke this to be one which myndeth anye godlynesse / for ne­uer ded cruell Pharao holde the people of Israel in so wycked a captiuite / as doth this supersticiouse sort of ydest Sodomi­tes the most derelye redemed heritage of the Lorde. If they be no spirituall theues sowle murtherers / heretiques / scysmati­ques [Page 21] / churche robbers / rebelles / and traytours to God & to manne / wher are anye to be loked for in all the worlde: An other thynge yet there is which causeth me so­re to lament / the inconuenyencyes there vpon consydered. And that is this. Al­though the scripturs / cronicles / canons / constitucions / counsels / and priuate hi­storyes with youre manifest actes in oure tyme / doth declare youre forefathers / and you soche heretiques / thenes / & tray­tours to the Christen common wilthes as hath not bene vpon the earth but you / yet are ye styll taken into the preuye coū ­sels both of Emprour and kynge.

But what a plage it is or miserable yo­ke to that Christen realme where as you beare the swynge / I thynke it trulye vn­speakable though it be not seane. Oh eternall father for thy infinite mercyes sake / graciouslye graunt thy moste faythfull seruaunt kynge Henry of Englande oure most worthye souerayne lorde and gouer­nour vndre the / clerelye to cast out of his preuye counsell house these lecherouse lo­custes of Egypte and daylye vpholders of Sodome and Gomor / the Popes cruell cattell tokened with hys owne propre marke / to the vniuersall helthe of his people / as thou hast now constitute him an whole complete kynge and the fyrst sens the conquest. For neuer shall he haue of [Page] them / but disseytfull workemêne and hol­lowe hatted gentylmenne. And not onlye that good lorde but also to depryue them of there vsurped auctorite and power re­storynge agayne therunto his temporall magistrates whom theyr proude Pope hath hytherto most tyrannouslye therof [...]yryued.

Finallye to take from them theyr inor­dinate pompe and [...]yches and more god­lye to bestowe them / that is to saye / to the ayde of his pouerte and maynte [...]aūce of his common welthe. [...]s for an example the noble Germaynes hath gracyouslye done before him / makynge of they [...] mona­steryes / nonnes / couētes / and fryers hou­ses / scoles of Christen sernynge / hospi­talles for sycke people / and conuenient dwellynge places for the impotēt / poore / and aged / [...]eseruynge the reest of the lan des and goodes to the mayntenaunce of theyr cyte [...]s and contrees / which godlye distribucyon is moche cōmended all Chr [...] stendome ouer where as it is throughlye knowen. Notvnknowen is it to these pom pouse prelates / that whan those landes and goodes were fyrst delyuered vnto theyr predecessours / it was not to the in­tent that they shuld become possessours or lordes of them / but faythfull disposa [...]s to the vse of the weake and nedye / that Christ myght so be harbored / norryshed / [Page 22] couered / fedde / and visited in his dissea­sed members / as will be required at the latter daye.

But whom haue you harboured ye beast lye bellygoddes whom haue you visited and feddesens ye haue become [...] of low­lye preachers mytred modye ydols: Not the sore and sy [...] / the impotent and sa­me, the fatherlesse and motherlesse / nor him that hath b [...] decay [...]d [...] / or throwne in stronge pr [...]son for the verite. No / but great lordes and sadyes / ler [...]ed menne and [...]owte sawers / gentyl­menne / great doctours / [...] so [...]he as hath fat ben [...]fices / with a [...]nde of bolde brag gets or blasphemouse swearers abought ye / to wayte vpon youre tabl [...]s / to holde vp your tayles in the s [...]rete / to kepe youre houndes and horses / and to conueye you in the darke a pece for youre pleasur. And this do ye for two specyast causes / one is this / for so moche as your [...] selues are becomen great fordes / ye must nedes haue lordelye companyons somwhat ly­ke youreselues.

Peter / Iames / & Iohan / with the other dis [...]ples of Christ (whose succe [...]yon ye bo [...] youreselues to be were now no me­te [...] [...]hyp for you. Neuer were they yet in so [...]he hygh auctorite as you be in now. [...]ther had they here anye soche prche­ [...] of p [...]acye as to be called my [Page] [...] [Page 23] [...]tyouse [...]egne of couetousnesse that he lest behynde him vpon the hygh moūtay­ [...]. Math. iiii. I thynke not the cōt [...]arye but you s [...]tdye struggelers will somwhat s [...]le at this wy homelye wrytynge / yet shall not that make me to l [...]aue of / consy­d [...]ynge that Christ hath promysed. [...]uce xix. that though we shuld holde our pea­ce and neyther write nor speake ageynst you in these lattre dayes / so hydynge his talent vndre the grounde / yet mold [...] the domme stones do it agaynst youre ydola­trouse generation.

In vayne therfor haue ye made it dea­the to impugne your mysche [...]s. Trulye we can nō otherwyse chose but in the po­wer of that sprete which he hath geuē vs boldelye to replye ageynst your fylt [...]ye fa­ther Anticrist and yow / though ye shuld ther vpō make a thowsande deathes mo­re. And I do not doubt it but in processe of tyme we shall in the same sprite and wor de clerelye ouerthrowe that fleshl [...]e ch [...] [...]he of his / so that there shall nomore ther of apere / than now doth of the carnall synagoge of the Iewes. The more cruell act es ye make against vs / the more ernest are we and will be / ty [...] we haue weded ye whollye out of the lordes vyneya [...]de. your holye bretherne and systerne y ^e mon­kes / f [...]ytes / chanons / and nonnes / with your h [...]s pylgrymes / and perdo­ners [Page] be gone forth afore yow / thynke not but your selues shall folowe w ^t your my­ters / shauē crownes / and longe ryppetes arysynge out of the same soyle. For Rome that ryall cyte was the orygynall mother to ye both.

[...]omore are yow in your proude paynted relygyō of the heauēlye fathers plantyn­ge / than were they in ther I dell I pocre­sye. And therfor ye must vp by the rootes with your pompouse palaces / proude pre­bēdes / chapels / & chaūteryes. The gre [...] sale of your m [...]rytes and holye whoryshe workes shall not be able to vpholde yow. As the lorde hath geuen it to owr most worthy kinge by the strengthe of hys wor de to destroye that ranke [...]able of Romy­stes so will he gra [...]t him to sub due you al so y ^t cruell captaynes [...]d shorne forcerers of that sodomytycall kyngedome as yet left behynde / to make perfyght the wor­ke that he hath begon / that ye do not her­after so wyckedlye abuse hy [...] successyon / as ye haue afore tyme his most noble pro genytours. I faythfullye beleue yt / that both Achitofel & Haman shall haue ther iust plages / ere his grace geue place vn­to nature / as all menne must dye. ii. Reg. xvii. Hester. vii.

If it shuld be otherwise (as the lorde forbydde both prynce Edwarde and the whole realm b [...]syde shuld be in most d [...]e [Page 24] daunger. For though ye playe now dyo­genes flyes and whysper plesauntlye in the e [...]re / yet will ye hysse cruelly lyke s [...] pētes throwynge forthe your venim wh [...] ye shall se your tyme / accordynge to your subtyle and vngentyll nature. Though the mermaydes songe be swete / yet ys yt full of payson (as are also your honyed thetoryckes) & leadeth thē vnto deathe whych geueth thē therof y ^e h [...]arynge. [...] uer is Gnato vnrydie w ^c his fayre flatte ringe feates / to brynge his false matter [...] to passe where as he fynde yt chynge [...] ­res. Vvere it not for fayre speche in hy­pocresye / Sathā shuld neuer apere y ^e glo­ryouse [...] of lyght / to y ^e daylye perfour maunce of all hys mastryes of myschefe. Vvhat [...] decayes hath chaunc [...]d to all Chri [...]n [...]gyons and ther rulers for geuynge swyft credyte to the fleryng [...] flatteryes of your babylonyshe brode / yt were verye moche to write. It shall be therfor necessarye for our most worthye kynge / to loke vpon yow intyme / and both to demynyshe your auctoryte and ryches leas [...] ye here af [...]er put all his godlye en­terpryses in hasarde. For nothynge els can ye do of your spūall nature but wor­ke daylye mysch [...]ues. As wele maye ye be spared in the cōmon welthe / as maye kytes / crowes / and bussardes / polcattes wesels / and rattes / otters / wolues and [Page] foxes / bodye lyce / flees / and fleshe [...] with other deuowrynge and noyfull ver­myne. For as vnprofytable are ye vnto it as they / and as lyttle haue ye of the wor­de of God to vpholde yow in those vayne offyces of papystrye as they.

This vncommodiouse cōmodite hath Englande had of you alwayes whan ye haue bene of the kynges preuye counsell / and I thynke hath now at this present houre. That whan so euer anye godlye enterpryse is there in doying / be it neuer so preuylye handeled / yet shall the Po­pishe prelates of Italie / Spayne / Fraū ­c [...] / Flaunders / and Scotlande haue sure knowledge therof by youre secrete mas­sengers / and you agayne theyr craftye cō passynges to deface it yf it maye be. Ne­ther shall those realmes contynue longe after without warre / speciallye yf an er­nest reformacyon of youre shamefull abu­ses be sought there. And neuer shall the originall grounde of that warre be kno­wen / but other causes shall be layde to co lour it with / as that the kynge seketh his ryght / his princelye honour / the maynte­ [...]aunce of his tytles / or the realmes com­mon welthe / beynge nothynge lesse in the ende / but an vpholdynge of you in youre myscheues.

So longe as you shall beare rule in the parlament house / the Gospell shall be [Page 25] kepte vndre and Christ persecuted in his faythfull members. So that n [...] godlye actes shall come out from thens to the glorie of God and Christen common wel­the / but you shall so sawce them with your Romishe sorceryes / that they shall at all tymes be redye to serue youre turne. Al­though the kynges maieste hath permyt­ted vs the scripturs / yet must the true ministers therof at youre most cruell ap­poyntment eyther suffre most tyrannouse death / or els with mouthe openlye denye Christes verite which is moche worse than the death. For where as he which mannefullye suffreth / declareth himsel­fe an able wytnesse of the lorde / he that cowardlye recanteth sheweth himselfe to be but a faynt harted hypocrite / thro­wynge himselfe whollye vndre Antichri­stes yoke agayne. Thus geue ye strength to his lawes and norryshe vp his kynge­dome / whom ye saye with youre lyppes that ye haue refused / youre pestilent Po­pe of Rome.

ye playe altogether hyck scorner vndre the fygure of Ironia. That ye saye ye ha te ye loue / & that ye saye ye loue ye hate. Lete all faythfull menne be ware of soche double daye dremers and hollowe har­ted trayters / and thynke where as they beare the rewle / nothynge shall come ryghtlye forewarde nether in fayth nor [Page] common welth. Neuer fynde these tyraū ­t [...] of Sodome anye place to repentaun­ce for theyr contynuall murtherynge of Christ in his faythfull members / but mo­re and more they synne agaynst knowled­ge blasphemynge the holye ghost / to bryn ge vpon themselues the more swyft dam nacyon. And as concernynge theyr prin­ces / alwayes are they at this craftye poynt with them / to folowe theyr myndes outwardlye for the tyme / for of all men­ne lyunge they are euer the mosilsubtyle obseruers of tyme.

But be sure of this ones / that what countenaunces so euer they shewe before them with lowlye sowtynge and duckyn­ge downe to the grounde, yet [...]ane they, all that waye which maketh most to ther vpholdynge in the vayne gloriouse and [...] regne of Antichrist, whether it be with the Frenche hynge / the Turke / or the Emprour. As now at this present ty­me / speake they neuer so fayre / loke they neuer so demu [...] shewe they neuer so wy­se polecyes / or prouyde they neuer so wa­re [...]ye for the kynges hoos [...] in bakynge / bruynge / broylynge / gryndynge / seaso­nynge / saltynge / sowsynge / and sethyng / yet hath the Frenche kynge theyr inwar­de hartes for the great good will he bea­reth to theyr Romyshe father. yea / al­though the kynges grace and the Em­prours [Page 26] maieste be now ioyntlye ioyned fryndes parauenture not without theyr procurement also for an other purpose of theyrs / as to stoppe a generall counsell wherin they doubt theyr vttre fall) yet shall they not longe so contynue / yf they by anye other false polecye maye altre it / as I hope it shall neuer lye in theyr wycked power to do it.

These haue bene alwayes theyr com­mon practyses / as they haue seane theyr matters in daunger. And therfore they are now least of all to be trusted / consyde­ryng that at this present they are in most daunger of all. If this generall warre set them not vp agayne / they are neuer lyke to go forwarde. And therfore hardelye they worke now a tawnte for the vphol­dynge of theyr kyngedome / take heade to theyr handes who shall / yea and parauen ture to some of theyr fete yf God be theyr good lorde. Vvhat other workes can co­me from the deuyls workynge toles / than cometh from the handes of his owne ma­lyngnaunt myschefe: who can denye the­se Bysshoppes and Prestes to be the in­strumentes of sathan / vnderstandynge the scripturs and beholdynge theyr day­lye doyinges: Onlye persecute they sim­ple menne vnto death for beleuynge in Christ / and neuer for the great ab homi­nacyons of ydolatrye and supersticyon.

[Page] Onlye are they great enemyes to ma­ryage which is holye / and neuer to the stynkynge Sodom [...]trye that is daylye vsed amonge them. No / of that they haue set vp an ydos [...] amonge themselues / cal­lynge it holye virginite and the vowed [...] ite of prosses yea / they haue so be­wytched the parliament house / that it must be honoured of all Englande vndre pay [...] of death though it be the mo [...] fyl­thye frute of [...] that euer yet y [...]ued from [...] ye there can be a gr [...] plage to a Christen realme / than to haue suche goo [...] lye fathers of the kyn g [...] preuye counsell: If wyse menne do iudge it anye other than a iust plage for oure synne and a yoke layed vpon vs for o [...] vnreuerent receyuinge of that hea­uenlye treasure the eternall testament of Christ / to haue soche hypocrites / theues / & trayters to regne ouer vs / trulye they iudge not a ryght.

If we wolde [...] therfore repent oure former lyuynge / and vnfaynedlye turne vnto oure euer lyuyng God / as we fynde in that testament / I wolde not doubt yt to I [...]parde both my bodye and soule / that we shuld in short space be delyuered of this Romisshe vermyne rysynge out of the pyt bottomlesse / Apo­calyp. ix. which eateth vp all that is gre­ne vpon earth or that hath taken anye [Page 27] strengthe of the lyuynge worde of the Lorde. For the hart of a kyng is alwayes in the handes of God and at his pleasu­re he maye euermore turne it / Prou. xxi. Take me not here that I condempne anye Bysshoppe or Prest that is godlye / doynge those holye offices that the scri­pture hath commaunded them / as prea­chynge the Gospell / prouydynge for the poore / and ministrynge the sacramentes ryghte. But agaynste those bloodye bot­chers that murther vp Gods people / and make daylye hauock of Christes congre­gacyon / to maynteyne the Iewes cere­monyes and the Paganes supersticyons in the Christen churche.

These are not Byshoppes but byteshe­pes / tyrauntes / tormentours / termaga [...] ­tes / and the deuyls slaughter menne. Christ lest no soche disciples behynde him to syt with cruell Cayphas at the ses­syons vpon lyfe and deathe of his inno­cent members. But soche [...] in pouerte preached the Gospell / rebukyng the wyc­ked worlde for ydolatrye / hypocresye / and false doctryne / called synne / ryghtousnes­se / and iudgement in the. xvi. Chaptre of Iohan. Episcopus is as moche to saye as a superintendent or an ouers [...]ar / who­se offyce was in the prymatyue Churche purelye to instructe the multitude in the wayes of God / and to se that they were [Page] not beastlye ignoraunt in the holye scrip tures as the most part of them are now a dayes. Pres [...]iter is as moche to saye as a seuyour or elder / whose office was also in godlye doctryne and examples of ly­uynge to gyde the Christen congrega­cyon / and to suffre no maner of supersti­cyon of Iewe nor gentyle to regne amon­ge them. And these two offyces were all one in those dayes / and commonlye exe­cuted of one seuerall persone.

They which than were appoynted to these spirituall offyces ded nothynge els but onlye preache and teache the Gospell hauynge assistent vnto them other infe­ryour offycers called D [...]akons to mini­stre the sacramentes than vsed / and to prouyde for the poore / the dyseased / and aged / [...]cto. vi. Christ sent not me forth (say [...]) [...] Paule [...] to baptyse / but to preac [...] the Gospell or glad tydyng [...] of saluacyon in his death and resurreccyon i. Corinth. i. Roma. iiii. No godlye man­ne can dispyse these offyces / nether yet condempne those that trulye execute them. Not onlye are they worthy to haue a competent lyuynge. i. Cor. ix. but also double honour after the doctrine of saynt Paul [...]. i. Timoth. v. But from inordinate excesse of ryches ought they of all menne to be sequestred / consyderynge that the [Page 28] most wycked nature of Mammon is al­wayes to corrupt / yea / the verye elect yf God were not the more mercyfull. And that caused Christ oure sauer to saye vn­to his Apostles / ye can not serue God and Mammon. Matth. vi. which myght be an admonyshmēt to oure lordelye Bis­hoppes whan they be in theyr wordlye pompe / that they are not Gods seruaun­tes / beleued they his sayenges as they do nothynge lesse.

I can not thynke that anye Christen Bysshop or Prest will be offended with ought that I haue written here / but ra­ther preferre it to theyr power / seyinge it maketh nothynge agaynst them / sekynge Gods glorye and not theyr owne. And as for y ^e Romyshe Popes ydols / the better it will beiudged of all Christen beleuers yf they do spattle agaynst it. My conscience doth geue me that I haue herin folowed y ^e example of Christ. For lyke as he labou­red by his daylye preachynge to deface the great opinyon that the people had of [...] Pharis [...]s and false Bysshoppes▪ & to p [...]ace Iohan 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 shuld no longar oc­cupye the consciens of menne with theyr beggerlye dead baggage aboue the eter­nall [Page] God and his lyuyng worde. ii. Thes­sal. ii. Daniel. ii. The which in the zele of his onlye verite / I desyre that lorde of his bottomlesse mercye and for his sonne Iesus sake / shortlye to perfourne to the iust expectacyon of his elect flocke. Fy­nallye with hart I desyre / that those ene­myes of the truthe be no longar geuen ouer of God and so left to themselues / but that they maye fynde some iust waye to repentaunce / and so from henceforth to maynteyne the pure lawes of Christ / as they haue in tymes past the most fyl­thye tradicyons of Antichrist.

So be it.

☞ Vvritten from Basyle a cyte of the [...] by me Henrye Stasbrydge in the yeare from Christes incar­nacyon. 1544. and the fyrst daye of August.