THE loue of God.
Here is declared, if you wyl rede
That god doth loue this lād in dede
By felynge his rod.
ENgland is blest, & loued of god
who can the same deny
For she hath felt his louin
[...] rod
because she went awrye.
Deserue she dyd, more to be whypt
her faultes they were so great
Who dyd not se, how far she slypt
from law, and iustice seat.
The word so frely taught & preacht
as no land had it more
When teachers truelye truth them teacht
they set by it no store.
They kept it not in hart and minde
to lead therby theyr lyfe.
If they had ben to God so kynde
then had not come the stryfe.
[Page]But so longe as they hard the voise
full styl they were as shepe
Al huste & peace, there was no noise
but silence they did kepe.
And streight as sermon ended was
they fayd that he sayde wel
But aske them how his wordes dyd passe
& then they could not tel.
And some there semed to be so ful
that they woulde heare no more
Theyr sprites & eares wer waxē dul
they cared not therefore.
Al knoledge had they caught & won
as they had in theyr thought
So that w
t spede theyr harts begon
to set by it as nought.
And fell to sekyng land and good
by rape and eke vnrighte
As men ful mad and worldly wood
from measure flyeng quight.
For glory eke and earthly prayse
some soughte as they were mad
Not sparing by vnlauful wayes
so they in sylkes were clad.
[Page]Promotion some so swiftly soughte
to place theyr bloud on hie
That frēd or foe they spared nought
tho they therfore shuld dye.
To be forsworne, it was no synne
the custome made it law
So they a lyfe at ease might wynne
of God they had no awe.
Tho lawe did wyl of Idoles foyl
but few with wyl them burst
But al content to take the spoyles
not thinkyng them a curst.
Of pride, of enuye, and disdayne
Whose hart was not possest
Of wanton eyes and lustes so vaine
Who longe from these dyd reste.
So geuen to sectes and fables fond
so bent to tales vntrue
So geuen to lyes as any londe
styl lustyng thinges of new.
Who dyd not se, that had his eyes
these vyces so to raygne
That scourge & plague must nedes arise
to bring thē home agayn.
[Page]Then came the rod by death to kyl
the prince that was full good
And let such tyrantes haue their wil
as shed the giltles bloud.
At large were set al wicked men
and good men put to thral
Ful lytle thought so soden then
that they shuld haue the baul.
The synnes that long had takē rote
and blossomes ful dyd bear
The wyllyng eare and redy fote
false witnes for to heare:
Was punisht then by Ipocrites
and men that had no God
and such as past not of .ii. mites
to do the thinge forbod.
By this meanes men y
t were w
toute
and loked vpon our land
Did bring in question and in doute
how that this gere could stande.
Sayeng to God he dyd not loue
the English bloud at all
Because he dyd the swete remoue
and sent them bitter gall
[Page]To that his word did answer make
and toke his cause in hande
Affyrming God not to forsake
the lytle Ile England.
Whom God doth loue, then said his lore
the same he doth correcte
Least they shuld dye in hel therfore
and so for aye reiecte.
Also to proue and trye his vine
he let that the defence
Of romishe bores, and sowish swine
should quight be taken thence.
A forrein lande to set in foote
he winked at also
To proue a case by fourme of mote
that sinners myght hym knowe.
And whyles the word & carnal men
dyd reason thus a whyle
To make y
t eche his wyl should ken
he strayght began to smyle.
Hold styl he sayd, I wyl be iudge
and sentence strayght he gaue
quod he to death se that thou trudge
and fyl thou vp a graue.
[Page]A graue quod he, wher may that be
and who shal therin lye
& straight was sene y
e english quene
al prone and fyt to dye.
The roussed vp deth & cast his dart
and cloue her hart in twayne
Then lay she dead, y
t causde y
e smart
that fel vpon Britayne.
Death then had thought, y
t he had done
& wold haue taken rest
nay nay sayd God, thou hast begon
therfore I thinke it best:
That thou do kyl more of my foes
that would my wil withstand
Then found he out, as tumor goes
some captaynes of the band.
He made thē shrīk for al theyr brags
and burst their bandes in twayne
He pluckt thē quite out of their iags
thus by him were they slayne.
Lo lo sayd God, now haue I tolde
my sentence and my wyl
And I my self haue ben so bold
my foes by death to kyll.
[Page]For this let vs geue thankes to him
and praise his holy name
And nowe let vs with hartes begin
a better life to frame.
Let al confesse the mercy of God
the cause to be alone
Why he hath cast away his rod
And is with vs at one.
prayeng to him, that he wyll geue
vnto this ruler sent
A wylling mind while she doth lyue
as alwayes she was bent.
To set vp God, and godlynes
the truth for to restore
To banyshe out pope holines
by law for euermore.
Let al degrees vpon theyr knees
thus pray with one consent
That he which sees our miseries
may better be content.
Now to conclude my metre rude
but matter true and iust
se you repent your lyfe mysspent
Or els be sure and trust:
[Page]That God wyl strike, & strike again
a sharper stroke then this
That you shal fele w
t greater payne
be sure he wyl not mysse.
Finis.
God saue the Quene.