IN Moste humble wise Cō­playnyth vnto your highnes / that wher as this noble realm off Eng­land / hath of long tyme out of mynd bene the most fre contre in all Christēdome / Now is lyke to be brought in to bōdag and slauery of such a nacy­on as [...] the world both hatyth and abhoryth. The only accasion ther off is our vnthākfulnes / as our preachers ād true prophetes declarid vnto vs in the tyme off your brother / that most vertues prynce king Edward the vj.King Ed­uord. That yff we wold not be thankful for that great benyfyte off godes holy worde / then truly preachyd among vs. God wold take away our sayd vertues king / and set vp a strang king to raygne ouer vs / for our vnrepen­tant hartes / who shuld bring it,A strange King agayn / popery / ydolatry / and all abhomynacyons / as it is com to passe this day. For when that blessyd word off god was truly preachyd among vs / we folowyd it not in lyvyng / but dyd as the Iwes whych folo­wyd christ / becawse thy eat off hys bread and were fyllyd.Ioā. 6. Euen so dyd the most part off euery state and degre in the comō Weal / hear the gospel prea­chyd not because they sought the glory off god on­ly / and so to haue framyd them selues to lyue ther after / as they owgh to do. But lyuyd as in the ty­me off ther former darknes / in euell lust / vsyng ex­torcyon couetusnes / and brybery? Nether sowgh [...] they the true lyberty off the gospel / to set ther cons­ciēces fre frō syū ād supersticiō. Which now (alas) [Page 2]apperyth by ther so redy mutabylyte / prouoking godds heuy Ire and wrath wyth ther seinyng to alowe Idolatry: which Passyth all the former e­uel. So that it is to be drad / godes Iustes doth ponysfhe one synn by another / which off al is most perelouse / and dangeruse / as appe ryth by them which be geuē vp off god / becawse they seke not to gloryfye god / accordyng to the knowledg he hath offryd vnto thē but Wanndryng in the vanyties off ther own reasons / and ymagynacyon off ther own hartes:Roma. 1 become at last to be confyrmid in er­rour wyth strong illusyons / becawse they haue had no more ernest desyre to the truth / as the holy appostle doth most playnly declare.2 thessa. 2. 1. Corr. 4. Hebre. 3.4 1. Cor. 4. Ezechi. 8. Num. 14. Daci. 9. Luce. 19. Iudg. 2.3.6.9.10.19. Iere. 6.7.25.38.39. Detro. 28. 4. Reg. 17. 2. Cro. 36 On the other syde / some were wylful / stubburn ād herd hartyd / and wold not receyne the gospel off the glory off god / but wyth desyre to ther old ydolatry / haste­nyd the vegeance off god. And therfore are thes plages Iustly com vpon vs becawse off our vn­thankfulnes / and not knowyng the tyme off our [...]ysytacyon. For godes holy boke doth shew thes / [...]o be the very ād in fallyble causes off the ouerthrowe of kingdomes ād comō weales / specyally wher god off his mercy / hath offryd the knowledg off [...]ym selff / and cawsyd hys worde to be truly prea­ [...]hyd.

Wherfore your grace may call to remembran­ce the great and manyfold benyfytes that ye haue [...]eceyuyd at the handes of allmyghty god / who by [...]ys permissyō hath so quyetly sett you in your esta­ [...]e and honour that ye be in at this tyme / and hath [Page]also contrary to mens expectacyon geuē you frute in your body / as it is reportyd. And according to serteyne off your preuy cunsell setting forth to the world in print / wyth ther hands at it / and as the acte off perlyament doth pronunce and declare / prouydyng for the same. besydes many other gyff­tes he hath indwed you wyth all. Wherfore looke to betymes / least ye be founde vnthankfull for all those benyfytes that god off hys mercy so rychly hath pouryd apon you / now that you see those pla­ges Iustly com apon the realm / that god plagyd other realmes wyth all for ther vnthankfulnes.

We haue a notable example off the Iwes / who were gods elect ād chosen people whom god with A myghty hand delyueryd out of the bondage of Egypt brought them thorow the red see / fede th [...] wyth heuenlye bread xl yeres in the wyldernes / gaue them in possessyō many kingdomes / ād dro­ue out many nacyons before them / so that quyetly they enioyed ther contres and domynyons.A notable example. And for all those benyfytes / god requyryd no more of thē but to loue hym wyth all ther hartes / ād to kepe hys commandments / and in no wyse to serue any strang godes made off syluer or gold wood o [...] stone et c. lyke as the nacyons had done / whō god cast out before them for the same offencys. This notwythstondyng / they forgate god that had do­ne so many benyfytes for thē / ād worshypyd strāg gods / lyke as the hethen dyd. then god sent vnto thē hys holy prophetes to warn thē to forsake ther abhominable ydolatrie / but they wold not obay [Page 3]goddes holy prophetes but murtheryd them as playnly apperyth (lyke as our bysshopes will mur­ther gods true preachers ād prophets now adays which haue preachid the lyke message of god) but what folowid for ther vnthākfulnes / dyd not god plage them by sending strāgers amōg thē / whych dystroyed many hūdryd thousands in ther former tymes off ther captyuytes and changes off ther comon weale / and at the last vtter dyssolucyon:Note. namely at the destruccyon off Ierusalem / by Titus and Vespacianus the emprours / and also dystro­yed ther gooly cytes / caryed them out off ther own contres / wher they be now scateryd abrode / made flaues / dyspysyd / and abhorryd off all nacyons as it is manifest and playne at this day.Titus ād Vespaci­anus Example. This is a goodly example for your grace and for all chysten prynces to marke ād to haue all wayse before your eyes / least ye and they be found vnthankful: And know ye this suerly / that yff god sparyd not the Iwes / which were hys elect and chosen people / mych lesse wyll he spare you / yff ye anger hym with strange worshyppyng ād seruyng of strāge gods / and settyng vp habomynacyons / lyke as they dyd. I haue hard many tymes that ye do it off a zeal that ye haue to Relygyō / yea but your zeal is not accordyng to knowledg of gods holy worde / for god did forbid his people / the chyldern of Israel to do that they thought good in ther own eyes: but wyl­ [...]yd them to do that only which he comādyd them.Nadab ād abiuu Leuyti. 10. Aadab and Abyw the sonnes off Aaroy / offryd strang fyre before the lord that he comandyd them [Page]not / ād therfor were cōsumyd wyth the same fyre. Likwise king Saul cōtrary to gods comandmēt / off a good intent reseruyd sartein off the best off the oxen and shepe / (as he sayd) to do sacryfyce to the lord / what folowyd off it?King saul 1. Samu. 15 was he not therfore deposid from his Kingdom. This is also a goodly exāple for your grace to marke / ād to beware how ye enterpryse to do things off a good intēt / hauing no warrentyse of gods reuelyd will in hys worde / but his word manifestly agaynst you. Your grace therfore before ye ha done any thyng in the chaung off relygyon / owght fyrst to haue known yff gods worde wold haue permittyd you / as in the first cō­uocaciō / ye began well to haue had the matter opēly dysputyd:Conuo­cacion. but the more pyte / the thing was not indyfferētly hādlyd / for the cheff off the lernid men being maryed according to the lawes both of god and also off the realm / cold not be suffryd the same time to dispute / and yet those few lernid mē which were ther vnmaried / were nor indifferentlie herd / but things procedid clene cōtrary to that / those fe­we prouid by good lernīg / as all mē that were ther present can testefye. A lamētable case / that gods worde / hys trwe relygyon / and hys mynysters / must be so condempnyd / not being indyfferently herd?Note but no great meruayle / for christ hym selff / and all his appostells ād prophetes / were so herd / and so condempnyd: and the lyke hath comonly bene vsyd sens the world began.

For euer more the wyckyd persecutyd the good and godly: as kayn persecutyd hys brother Abell euen to the death / and Esawe persecutyd hys bro­ther [Page 4]Iacob / and euer the false Prophetts / and Prestes / haue persecutyd the trwe Prophetts and Preachers off god to death.Genes. 4. Kayn. Abell. Esau and Iacob. Gen. 27. A nota­ble exam­ple. And here off we haue a notable example in the scrypture / the which I wold desyre your grace to read / and to marke the same well. In the / 22. chapter off the thyrd book off Kings / when king Achab was go­ing to warr agaynst the Syryans / he callyd for all hys prophets / to know of them whether he should go to warr or not / and hys false prophets cōselyd hym to go / sayeng that he should prosper agaynst them. And when only gods true prophet in deed / was callyd / the prophet Micheas / he sayeng the truth / contrary to the great nomber off the false prophets which were in nomber / 400 / was smyt­ten therfore / which was his reward. Then he sayd here the worde off the lord / I saw the lord sitt on his seat / ād all the host of heauē stood about hym / on his right hand and on hys left. And he sayd who schall perswade King Achab that he may go to warr / and fall before hys henemyse / ād ther came forth a serteine spiryt ād stode before the lord / and sayd I wyll perswade hym:Micheas the pro­phet and the lord sayd to him wher with / and he sayd I wyll go out and be a false spirite in the mouth of his prophets / and he said thou shalt perswade hym / go forth thē and do euē so: And the prophet Micheas sayd be­hold the lord hath put a lyeng spryte in the mouth off all thes thy prophets &c. And for hys sayeng the truth he was smytten and cast in pryson / and king Achab folouing the coūsel of hys great nom­ber [Page]off false prophets / wēt to the warres and was slayne. And here may your grace see also / that the truth standyth not in the multytude and nomber.☞ This example I wold desyre your grace to marke well / and geue not so mych credence / to your false bysshoppys and clergye / which wyth ther lyes de­ceyuyrh you (as that multytude off false prophets deceiuyd King Achab 10 hys dyscructyon) ād caw sith the trwe preachers and prophets / which haue preachyd gots worde truly to be put in preson / ād yff your grace help them not / they wyll murther ād distroy thē / lyke as ther predysessors haue alw­ais done. And here I may specyaly make mēciō to your grace of that [...]crtwes ād lernid mā Thomas Cramner Archbisshop of Cāterbury / who hath sa­uid your graces liff / and put him self in Ieoperdi for your graces cawse / as it is wel known Bisome off hys enemise / that were off Kinge Edwards con̄sell and I doubt not but that your grace kno­with of it / and therfore I trust your grace will re­quite him with merci / and not suffer that wickid bisshope off winchester / to haue his wicked will and purpose off him.

We read also in the 18. chapter off the third bo­oke off the kings / affter that allmighty god at the praier off the prophet Elias / had shut the heuens that it rainid not in thre yeres and six monithes / and king Achab meting with the prophet Elias / he sayd to him? [...]. Reg. 18. Elias thou art he that troblest all Israel (like as steuē gardener bisshop off winchester and his feloues / saith to the pour preachers and pro­fessors [Page 5]of Christes gospell now a days) but Elias words shall answere hym / wherwith he answerid king Achab. It is he and hys cōplices / that haue forsakē the liuing god / and do go a whoring after strang gods / as the matter shall plainly appere when god will / like as it did appere by Elias / with the 400.Quene Iesabell. false prophets / which false prophetts had seducid the quene Iesabell / and had cawsid her to sley and distroy all gods holy prophetts (like as our false and cruell bisshopps intendith to do) so that the prophet Elias was fain to fly in to the wil dernes / to saue his liff / wher god appointid A Rauen to feed hym? but what was the ende both of the quene and of all those false prophetts / Read the text / and you shal plainly perceiue that the quene was cast down out of a window wher she bra­ke her neke ād was eatē vp of dogs / as the prophet of god had before said / and all here false prophetts and preastes were vtterly distroied.

Lett this greuous example moue your grace do beware be tymes of your false bysshopps and cler­gye / specyally of steuen gardener bysshop of wyn­chester / who now this thyrd tyme hath recātyd as your grace knowyth:Steuen gardener. first he sware to the pope but by all lyklyhode he played the fox / and faynyd hym selff to be a flepe / or dremyd when he so dyd / after that [...]ē sware to your noble father K. [...]. 8. and more playnly declaryd the same by hys bocke / devera obedientia.Vera obe­diencia. Which was made of hym wyth great aduysement and delyberacyon / as apperyth here [Page]after by bisshope bonner / in hys prolog to the same booke. Here I wold make a supplycacyon to your grace / besechyng you for our saueyour Iesus Chri­stes sake / that you wyll wyth good delyberacyon / cawse to be read before you / the sayd booke which he namyd the trwe obedyence / yf it please your grace at my humble request / so to do / as your dwtye is before god:Request. you shall playnly perceyne wyth what scrypture and reasons / he throughly cōfutyth the vsurpyd pour and auctoryte of the bysshopp of Rome / and in hys booke that he made agaynst the hūryng of the fox lykewyse. And in the same booke devera obedientia (for to flatter your noble father) he doth therin proue the maryage betwene hym. And your mother quene kateryne / not to be good nor lawfull / to your great rep [...]och and slāder / as mych als in hym laye / fforthes be hys wordes.

To make mencyon of certeine of the morall preceptes / (for I mind not to reherse all) which be in the old law a conserning mariages which befor bidden / and mariages which be incestius / those preceptes which be comandid / and pertein to cha­stite and purite of mariages / wherin is conteinid the hole course of mans liff / and the beginning of the bringing forth of Issue consistith:Note. Incestius. that is su­ch maria­ges as be-made vith any of Ki­dred aga­inst lauv, and all gods for­byde. those laws / though Leuiticall / haue euer bene countid as those / which indeed were first geuen vnto the Iwes / becawse they were expoūdid to the setting forth of the lawe of nature / but perteinid therfore to all mā kind for euer / In which without doubt both the [Page 6]voice of nature / and gods comandment agreing in one / haue forbiddē that which should be diffe­ring for ether of them. but among thes perceptes / seing that comandment is cōteinid / which is that the brother shold not mary the brothers wiff:The bro­ther may not mary hys bro­thers vvif What other thing owght or cold the kings most excelēt Maiestie do / then that he hath done / with the full consent of the people / and with the Iudgement of his church / that benig deuorsid from vn­lawfull bonds (or cōuenants) to enioie laufull and permirrid copulacion / and obeieng to the prece­pres (as it was mete) to leue herre which nether law nor right did permitt to kepe / and to geue him selff to chast and lawfull matrymonye.Vnlau­full bōds. Nether la­ue nor right per­myte. In the which thing / wher as the sentence of gods / word had bene sufficient (vnto the which all ought to obey / wythout stop or steye) yett was hys most sa­crid roiall Maiestie contentid to Ioyn ther vnto / the voices of most graue men / and the determina­te Iudgmentes of the most famous vniuersites in the world / namelie that he might be Iudgid to haue done those things moste rightfullie / by the alo­wance (or sentēsis) of the best lernid and most godly mē / which otherwyse he both might and owght to do / and that it might appere / he did therin shew obedience as the truth of gods worde doth require of euery godly and good man / so that it may be sa­yed of him worthelie / that he hath obeied god / and obeyed in dead / of whom seing I haue begone to speake / I cold not wyth scilence passe ouer that which offryd it selff / fitlye and mete for this pla­ce / &c.Iudgmēt of the vniuersytes. Obedience of eueri good ād godly man is to obci gots vvord sa­id he then but novv to Anty­chryst deeres. gardeners cōstancie then aga­ynst the. b. of Ro­me.

Wherly your grace and all other / may lern to know hym and hys like / by hys saiengs then and his doings now. More ouer in his said booke devera obediencia / he pretendith such constancy a­gainst the vsurpid auctorite of the bisshop of Ro­me / that therin he saith / that yf euer he chaunge or vary / from hys saiengs in the said booke against the see of Rome / that then he willith all men to call hym what they liste / .so that yf any man call hym false periurid heretike / blond soper / dissembler traito: to god and to the hole Realm of England / he owght not to be angry with them / because he hath geuē hys awn Iudgmēt apon hym selff / and willid all men so to do / as apperith by hys own wordes in hys own booke / And now again sens that time / is fallen from god / and worshippith the beast of Rome.Traitore to the Re­alm of England. Owght ther any credence to be ge­uen to such a periurid person? for gods sake bewa­re of hym betimes / least ye be pertaker of hys wi­kidnes / and so both you and the hole Realme repēt it / and com to vtter distructiō. For hys doings de­clare that he is at a point with hym selff and hath made cōuenan̄te with death and hell / Esa. 28. and beleuith that ther is no resurrection of the flesche nor liff after this: and therfore what carith he yf he help to being this noble realm in to bondage and slauery / seing he thinkith ther is no nother waye / to maintain hys pomp / pride / and vainglory with all / And therfore the greater shalbe hys Sampna­cion / besids gods great plages which shall comapon hym sodenlie / when he thinkith all is well / and [Page 7]in quiet / them shall sodēly com hys confucion and vtter distruction / becawse all his doings be so directly against god / and all right / as his own cō­sciens knowith the same / to his dampnacion / yf he haue any conscience or feling of god / and therfore beware that ye be not partaker with hym.The crye of vuy­dous and fatherlese childern.

Doth not your grace thinke / or at the least I do beleue it / that the complaint and crie of widows and fatherlesse childern / is assendid in to the cares of all mighty god / and that only by his meanes so many honest men haue bene deuorsid from ther lawfull wiffs who hath bene lawfully maried both by gods law / and the laws of this Realm / who is able to dissalow it / non but Martin doctor of lies (I wold haue said of laws) with his igno­rant foly / who gredely seking to com to promo­cion / hath made a slaūderus booke (with the help of his maister gardener) against such maried pri­stes / and contrary to all honesty / hath shamfully lied apon the old doctors / which he aledgith to maintein his folishe enterprise.D. Martin lauyere. Oh haw many basterds and herlotts / wold he cawse to be made / which were both begottē and born in lawfull ma­trimony? Your grace may perceine by his said booke / de vera obediencia / that he did his diligence / to haue done the like with you / with the help of bo­ner bisshop of London / doth not your grace thin­ke that god wilbe aduengid of this great Iniury / (allthough ye do it not) ye I beleue that the crie of thes / besids the blasphemy that he hath done to god / and Iniury to your hole Realm / will bring [Page]him to Ashamsul end / .onles he dispaire / and so murther him self / as hys predeffessor thomas wolse late cardinal dyd / so ād cast both body and soule in to hell.vvilseam langshap Bishope of Elye. yf che cry of one pour widow dyd bring the skin̄ of the wickid Iudge ouer hys eares / how mich more / schall the crye of thes pour men womē and childern / which crye daily to god for Iustice / whose vengeāce against hym / shall cō apō hym.

a notaple exampel for steuē gardenerA notable example he hath (yf any grace were in hym) of willin Lāgshape / who was bisshop of Elye / and lord chaunseler of England / and ha­uing the hole rule ād gouernan̄ce of the Realm in his own hand / (like as steuē gardener now hath) who in those dais with his felous the bisshoppes and clargie according to ther comon practisis / sēt the king ouer the see A pilgremage / whose name was king Richard cure-de lion / to fight against the great turke for Ierusalem / in the meane season this bisshop wounderfully oppressid the comons / abusing the Kings auctorite / and aduaunsid his own pompe and vain glori / (life as steuen garde­ner doth) And Rood with a thousand horsys cō­tmuclli / so that the noblemens son̄es were gladd to become his slaues / And with the best barons and carles &c. maried he▪ his cussins / neces / and Kinswomen / (I will not say hys dowghters) ād for all that hys graūd father was but a pour plow man / and hys father a cowherd?Plouman Couhert. And hauing so tirannuslie abusyd hys office / fearing least he sho­uld haue bene caulid to hys examinaciō / fled with a few of hys trusty seruants to douer castell / myn­ding [Page 8]to haue stollē ouer the sec / and coming in the night in a womans apparell / with a pece of cloth vnder his arme / and a meteyard in his hād apon / suspiciō (as god wold haue it) being known what he was / his kercher was pullid of his head / his balams marke / or shauē croune apperid on his head:Balams marke And then was he draune / a long by the see on the sands / with a great woundering of all the peo­ple / some ratid hym / some reuilid hym / some by spatelid hym / some drawing hym by the armes / some by the legs from place to place / hys own ser­uants not being able to help hym / at last they bro­ught hym to a darke seller / wher they couerid hym with shame ynowgh / till the counsell of the Real­me sent for hym and after was brought to the towre of London / emprisonid examinid / depriuid / and banisshed the Realme and so endid his lyff.

Here before I haue mencionid of the prologe that Edmond bonner now bisshop of London made / being thē but archdeacon of leiceter / for to com to promotion / wherby he obtainid his bisshoprik / made this prolog before the said steuen gardeners bockde vera obedientia / And for bycawse the☜ sa­me prologis / but short and pithye / I will recite it here again trāslated in to Englische word for wor­de / as be causyd it to be printid in lattin at Ham­burg 1536.

Edmond Bōner archdeacon of leiceter / the king of Englād his most excelēt Mai. embassadour in Denmark / to the sincere gentill hertid and godly reder.

Bysshope bonners preface. vvorde for vvorde.For Asmuche as ther be some (doub­tles) euen at this present as it hath all waise bene the wonte of mens Iudgments to be uaria­ble and diuers / which thinke the contrauersie that is betwene the King of England and of france / his most Riall maiestie / and the bisshop of Rome / consistith in this point / becawse the fings said Maiestie / hath taken the most excellent / and most noble Lady An̄e to his wief. Wheras in uery dede notwithstonding / the matter is feer other wise / and nothing so.Quene Anne. Wherfore to thentent all that har­tely fauere the gospel of christ / (which that most godli and most vertues prince doth with all dili­gence endeuour / and in eueri place aduaunce to the honoure of allmighty god / and that hate not but loue the truthe / (which euery where Justly claimith the vpperhand / and to hate all things / though thei strugle with here neuer so mich in the beginning / yet obeie and geue place at lengtht as mete it is thei should) mai the more fulli vnderstād the cheff point of the controersie / and becawse thei schall not be ygnorāt / what the hole voice ād resolute determinacion / of the best and greartist lernid bisshoppes / with all the nobles and comōs of England is not onli in that cawse of matrimo­ni / but also in the defending the gospells doctrine.All thigs geue place in tyme to truth The reso­lute. Determy nacyō of the best & greatyst lernid bis­shoppes. The doe tryne of the cospel This oracion of the bisshop of windchester (a mā excelētli lernid in all kind of lernīg) entitled DE VE RA OBEDIENTIA, that is cōserning trwe obe­dience / which he made lateli in Englang / shalbe published but as towching this bisshops worthi [Page 9]prayses / ther shalbe nothing spoken of me at this time / not only becawse they are infinyte / but be­cawse they ar ferr better known do all Christen­dome / thē becomith me here to make rehersal. And as for the oracion it selff which as it is most lernid / so it is most elegant / to what purpose shold I ma­ke any words of it seing it praisiyh it selff ynowgh and seing good wyne nedith no tauern bushe to vtter it. But yett in this oratiō who so euer thou art most gentill reader: thou shalt beside other matters / se it notably and lernidly handlib / of what importance ād how inuincible the powrād excelen­cie of gods truth is:The con­dicion ād state of gods in­uinsible truth. which as it mai now ād thē be pressid of henemyes / so it cannot possible be oppressid after such sort / but it comith againe at length after banishment / more glorius and more welco­me. Thoushalt se also touching obedience / that it is subiecte to truth / and what is to be Iudgid true obedience. Besids this of mens traditions / which for the most parte be most repungnāt aga­ynst the truth of gods law.Mens tra­dy cyons. And ther by the waye / he speakith of the kings sayde highnes maryage / which by the right Iudgment auctorite and pyr­uiledg / of the most and principall / vniuersites of the world / and then with the consent of the hole church of England / he contractid with the most clere / and most noble lady. QVENE ANNE.The Kīgs mary age vvyth quene Anne.

After that towching the Kings Maiesties title as perteining to the supreme head of the church of England.Supreme head.

Rastlie of all / of the false pretēsid supremacie of the [Page]the bisshop of Rome / in the realm of Englād / most Iustly abrogatid:The .B. of Romes pretensid supremaci and how all other bisshoppes being felow like to hym in ther function ye and in some pointes aboue hym within ther own prouinces / were before time bound to hym by ther othe.☞ But be thou most suerly perswadid of this good reader / that the bisshope of Rome / though ther were no cawse els / but this maryage / will easilie con­tent hym selff / specally when ther is one morsel or other laid to hym to chawe.His Iudgment of the .B. of Rome. But when he seith so mighty a King / being a right vertues / and a gre­at lernid prince / so syncerly and so hertelie fauour the gospell of christ / and perceiuith the yerely raue­nous praye) ye so large a pray / that it comith to asmich almost as all the kings reuencus̄) snappid out of hys hands / and that he could no lenger ex­cersise hys tiranie in the kings mai.Here be good fa­thers of the comō veal that vvill help out vvith such a re­uen v, vil­lingly ād vittingly from the realm. realm (alas it hath bene to cruel / ād bitter all this while) nor mak laws as he hath done many / to the contumelie / ād reproch of the maiestic of god / which is euident that he hath done in time past / vnder the title of the catholike church and the autorite of peter and Paule / (when notwithstonding he was a uery rauening woldff dressid in shepes clothing calling☞ him selff seruant of seruants) to the great domage of the christen comon welth: Thear off arose the cō­plaintes:Bonners Iudgmēt. Iupiter olimpius Then came thes discords / thes deadly malices / and so great trublous bustling. Foryf it were not thus / no man could belene / but that this Iupiter of Olimpius (which hath falsely takē apō hym poure / with out comtrollmēt / ād to be aboue [Page 10]all laws) wold haue done hys best that this good and godly / and right gospelike prince / shold be falsely betraied to all the rest of monerches ād prīces. Nether lett it moue the / gētil reader / that the bisshope of winchester / did not before now apply to this ☜ opinion / for he hym selff in this oraciō shewith the cawse / why he did it nott. And if he had said neuer a worde / yet thou knowest well what awitty part it is for a mā to suspēd his Iudgmēt / and not to be to rashe in geuīg of iugemēt. It is ā old said sawe: Mary Magdalene profitted vs lesse in here quike beleue that Christ was risē / thā Thomas that was lōger in doubt. A mā may rightly call hym fabius that with his aduisid taking of leisour / restorid the matter: Although I speake not this as though wynchester had not boultid out this case secretlye with hym selff before hād (for he boultid it out lōg agō euē to the bran̄ out of doubt) but that run̄yng faier and softly / he wold first with his painfull studie / pluke the matter out of the darke / although of it selff it was sounde ynowgh / but by Reason of sondry opinions / it was lappid vp and made darke / and thē did he debate it wittely to and fro / and so at last after long and great deliberacion had in the matter becawse ther is no better coūseler thē leisore and time / he wold resolutlie with his lernid and consumate Iudgement confirm it.Note vvith vvhat deliberaciō and aduicement, vvinchester vvrot his boke devera obedren cia aga inst the B. of Rome.

Thou shouldest gentell reader esteme his censure and auctorite to be of more weightye credence / in asmich as the matter was not rashlie / and at all aduentures / but with Iudgement (as thou seist) [Page]and wyth wisdome examinid and discussid:No neu matter, to vvryte a­gainst the B of Rom And thys is no new exāple to be against the bisshop of Rome. seing that not only this man / but many mē many times yea ād rigkt great lernid mē / afore now haue done the same / euē in writing / wherin they both paintyd him out in hys colors ād made his sleites / falshed / frawdes / and disseytfull wi­les / openly known to the world. Therfore yf thou at any time here to fore / haue doutyd ether of trwe obedience / or of the Kings maiesties mariage / or title / ether elles of the bisshop of Romes false prerēsid supremacie / as if thon haddest a good smelling nose and a sound Iudgment / I think thou didest not / yet hauing read ouer thys oracion / (which yf thou fauoure the truth / and hate the tiranie of the B. of Rome / and hys deuelishe fraudulent falshed / shall dowbtles wūderfully contente the (throw down thine erroure / and acknowledge the truth / now frely offrid the at length / considring with thy selff / that it is better late to do so / then neuer to re­pente.Note fare thou hartely well most gentle reader / and not only loue this most valyant king of Eng­land ād of fraunce / who vndowbtidly was by the prouidence of god / borne to defend the gospell / but also honoure hym and serue hym most obediēthe: As for this winchester / who was long agoe with out doubt reputyde among the greatist lernide men / geue hym thy good worde with Highest co­mendacions.

The ende of bisshop bonners prologe.

HEre before I haue discribid to your grace / two of your false and dissembling bisshops / to say steuē gardener bisshop of winchester / ād Edmond Bon̄er bisshop of Londō.Note thre dissem­bling bis­shops, to say vvin­chester lō­don and durram. the third is dreming Tū­stall bisshop of Durram / as plainlie aperith by his booke of the sermō that he made before your noble father K.H.8. on palm sonday. 1539. Wherin he also clerli cōfutith / the vsurpid pouer of the bisshops of Romes auctoryte / and here I wil make rehersal of perte of hys sermon worde for worde as he caw sid it to be printid / which be these.

What shall we saie of those whom god hath cre­atid to be subiectes / coman̄ding them by hys worde / to obey princes and gouerners?Read in the leaues B. and E. of the booke of his sermō. who not only do refuse to obey gods comādment / but con­trary to hys worde / wilbe aboue ther gouernours / in refusing to obey thē / ād further more will haue ther princes prostrat apon the grūd / to whom they owe subiection / to Adore them by godly honoure vpon the earth / and to kisse ther fete / as yf they we­re god / wher they be but wrechyd men / ād yet they looke that ther princes should do it to them / and also al other Christen men / owing them no subiec­tion / shold of dutie do the same. Do not thes as ye thinke folowe the pride of lucifir ther father?Note that the bisshops of Rome becomparyd to lucyfire. who make them selues fellous to god contrary to hys worde. but who I pray you be thes / that mē may know them? surely the bisshops of Rome be those / whom I do meane. Who do exalt ther seat aboue the sterres of god / ād do assende aboue the cludes and wilbe like to all mighty god.

Read more in hys sermō in the lef. E. Arrant traytor.And the bisshopp of Rome now of late / to sett forth his pestilēt malis the more hath alurid to his purpose a subiecte of this Realm Rainold pole / co men of a noble bloude / and therby the more arrant traitoure / to go about from prince to prince / and from cōtry to cōtry to styre thē to warr against this Realme / and to distroy the same / being his natiue countre. Whose pestilent purpose / albe it the prin­ces that he brake it vnto / haue in mich abhomina­ciō / both for that the bisshope of Rome (who being a bisshop should procure peace) is a stirere of warr and becawse this most arrāt and vnkind traytour re / is his minister / to so deuelishe a purpose / to di­stroy the countre / that he was borne in:Tunstals iudgmēt of Cardinal Pole. which any heathen man wold abhore to do / but for all that with out shame he still goith one / exorting ther vnto all princes that will here him. Who do ab­horr to see such vnnaturalnes in any man / as he shamlesse doth sett forwardes / whose pernicious treasons / late secretly wrought against this realm☞ haue bene by the worke of allmighthye God / so meruclusly detectid / ād by his owne brother with out loking therfore / so disclosid / and condingne ponischmēt enswid / that hereafter god willing / they shall not take any more such Rote / to the noyance of this Realme.Note that Cardinal Pole is vvors then a pagant. And wher ac all nacions of gentils / by reason and by law of nature / do preferre ther countre / before ther parents / so that for ther countre / they will die against ther parents beinge traitors / this pestilent man worse then a pagant / is not asshamid to distroie yf he could his natine [Page 12]confitre. And wheras Curtius a hethen man / was content / fo: sauing of the cite of Rome / wher he was Borne / to leape in to a gaping earth / which by the yllusions of the deuell / it was answerid should not be shute / but that it must first haue one.Note that Car­dinall pole, is more vvyld ād cruell, then anitygure. This pernicius man is contente to rune hedling in to hell / so that therby he may distroie his natyue contre of England / being in that behalff incompari­son worse then any pagant. And besids his pesti­lēt treason / his vnkindnes against the kings Ma­iestie / wo brought him vp of a child and promotid both him / and restorid his bloude being attaintid / to be of the peres of this realme / and gaue him mony yerly out of his coffers / to find hym honorably at studie / makith his treason mich more detestable to all the world / and hym to be reputid more wild and cruell then any Tigure.Also notetha the Realm of Englād is geuen to the generation of ēglishe mē, and not to spānierds. But for all this thou englishe mā / take good corage vnto the / thou hast god on thy side / who hath geuen this realme to the generacion of Englishmen / to euery man in his degre / after the lawes of the same / thou hast A noble victorius ād vertues king / hardy as alyō / who will not suffer the to be so deuourid / by such wild beastes: only take En anglishe hart vnto the / and mistrust not god but trust firmlie in him.Vvhat make ye of the quē thē that receuith the pope aga in contrary to here fathers doings in his time. And suerly the ruine entendid against the / shall fall in ther own neckes that intēd it. ād feare not though the deuell and his dysciples be against the. for god thy protectore / is stronger then he and they / and shal by his grace geue hym and them a fall.

All this with mich more / be the very wordes of [Page]the said B. of Durrams sermon / preachyd before king. h.8. as in the sayd booke / of hys sermon ap­perith more at large / the which I wold desire your grace also to Read: And I wold hope in god (after that) your grace wold well know how to be­ware of thes thre false dissembling bisshoppes / which haue not only preachid against the B. of Romes vsurpid auctorite / but also cawsyd the same to be printid for a perpetuall memory wher as now thei rune with the world to the contrarie. And as for doctor westone that baudie ruffian of his sha­melesse and abhominable liuing / it is not vn­known. And whether he were wont to go in mumeries and maskes / among the merchants of Lon­don / he hym selff cannot deny it / or at the least his companions that were in his company at those tymes can testefie. Is he mete to be A comyssioner in matters of weight / or to be the prolocutore in the conuocacion howse? who would thinke that our bisshopps / wold suffer so vile a man / in such a Rome / yff they had any honestie in them. ffor gods safe beware of thes false / crastie and dissembling bisshopps / least the hole realme come do distru­ction.The bysshoppes in King henries 8 tyme. Is not this Alamentable case / to marke how thes false dissemblynge bisshopes in the ty­me of your noble father / how ernestlie / they both preachid and wrote agaist the vsurpid pour of the bisshops of Rome. And also against Cardinal Pole / calling hym errant traitore and worse then a pagant / as before is rehersid / for his vnnaturallnes against his own countre / which god hath geuen [Page 13]to the generacion of Englishmē &c. And yet marke here thes false traitors and dissemblers / ther vn / naturallnes towerd this noble Realme And no­we. euen as euell and worse thē they countid / Car­dinall Pole / for they go about with out dowbt / to bringe this hole Realme of Englād into the hāds of strangers.

WHerfore yf your grace wold call to remem­brance what a great charge it is / to be the ruler of a Realme / ye wold neuer haue folowyd so mich your wickid bisshopps / who seke not your welth / nor the welth ād quietnes of the realm but to exalt ther god the pope / which is for ther priua­te proffit. Wherfore the prophet Dauid saith in the 2. psalme. be ye wise therfore.Psalm. 2. Rulers. oh ye Kings / and ler­nid ye that be Iudges of the earth / least the lord being angrie with you / ye perish from the ryght waie / for be ye assurid that right sharpe Iudg­ment and sore torment shalbe done to them that are in auctorite as the wiseman saith.Sapient 2. Remem­ber how your pour comōs assistid and helpid you / when ye were in your greatist / necessite and daun­ger / with out whose help ye had neuer come to the dignite / that ye now he in:The co­mons. oh Remember them / and geue them not ouer / in to the hands of your bisshops and clergie / ther henemies to be deuou­rid and murtherid. for ther kingdom can neuer be stablisshed with out shedīg of blude. I wold your grace wold be as good to them / whose blude your bisshops seke (as ye haue bene to strangers) and to [Page]banishe thē your Realm / ād suffer thē in a serteine space to de parte wyth bag and bagage / as ye dyd the strangers / in the fyrst yere of your Reigne. Alamentable case and yff they haue ther wickid purpose / what shall folowe / euen ther own distruction / and the distruction of the hole Realme.

We haue examples manifestlie ynowgh / what folowid in the tyme of your predecessors / fing hē­ry the .4. and 5. in whose time fyrst those cruell ac­tes were inuentid by the clergie / (which now be renewid) only to the distruction of noble mē / and of a great sorte of godly and lernid men / which in those dais suffrid most cruel death / as the lord cobham / and many other knightes and gentillmen / the thing is so plaine that it cannot be demed / but what plages folowid therof?King Hēry the .4.5. Lord Cobham. was ther not many felds fowght within this realm / wher were slaine allmost all the noble and gentill men / besides ma­ny thousands of the comōs / as our own cronicles plainli declarith? was not the clergie al the hole occasiō of this / first by puttig downe that good king Richard the second and setting vp. R. H. the .4. vnder whom / they made that most vngodly acte / ex officio / and thē be cawse the kīgs ād noble men / should not serch for the knowledg of gods verite / set them in hand to clayme titles / in Fran̄ce and other places and then likewise other noble men at home / euer to sett them so a worke / about warres ād worldly matters / (like as they shortly will practise the same) except god shorten ther time) and in the meane season that they might as they dyd then and now in tend to do the same / burn andPractises of prelats [Page 14]distroye all those that professe Crist and hys verite / But it helpid them as litle as it helpid the scribes and parises in the time of Christ / when they had put Christ to death / they thought then that all had bene well / ād that he with hys doctrine / had bene suppressid but what folowid / the third day he rose agayne from death as a valiant conqueroure / ād sent hys holy sprite among hys power appostels / who declarid hys wyll and gospell through out al the world / as it is manifest at thys daye / ād after that sent Tytus and Ʋespacianus them prours / who vtterlye distroted hys henemies / and scaterid them thorow the hole world wher they be both harid and abhorrid of all nacions as it is affore said.the Iudg­ment of god and his maner of vvor­king.

Thys were a notable exāple and / lesson for your clergie / to make them beware how they / persecute Christ in hys power members / but I fear me god hath hardenid ther hartes / as he dyd the vnhap­py pashure ād hys felous / ād as he dyd the hert of king Pharoe who for all the miracles and woun­ders / that god wrought before him by the hands of moses and Aaron / wold not suffer the children of Israell gods electe people / to go out of hys coū­tre / but plagid them the more / but what was hys rewarde / was not he with all hys hoste drownyd in the rede see?An example for the clergye yf they had any grace or feare of god Iere. 38. exody. 7.8.9.10. Euen so what folowid all the per­secuciōs and wickid laws that they made / to kepe gods verite vnder foote / what helpid it them / did it not still the more florishe ād Increase? And did not your noble father / in the perliament holden in the 25 yere of hys reigne / at the supplicaciō of the [Page]comons / in the said perliament / for thes cawses folowing / breake the said most wickid lawe ex of­ficio / which the wickid clergie had obtainid in the said.The cau­se vvhy K.H. 8 brase the act ex officio 2. yere of K.H. the. 4. That is to say? becawse the ordinarie by vertue off that wickide lawe / might as they dyd opon ther suggestion / arest or Impryson any persone or persons / whom they thought defamid or suspecte of heresie / and them to kepe in ther prisons / tyll they were purgid therof / or abiurid / or comittid to the lay poure to be burnid / and yet in no parte of the same wickide laws be declarid any serteigne cases of heresie / so that the most experte ād best lernid men of the realme / diligently lieng in waite / vpon hym selff / can not auoyde or esthwe / the penaltie of the sayd act / yf he should be examinid epon such captius interogati­ons / as it hath bē accustomid to be ministrid bithe ordinaris of this Realme / in cases wher they will suspecte any persō of heresye: And ouer this for­asmich as it stondith not wyth the right order of Iustice nor good equite that any person shold be conuicte or put to losse of hys lyff / good name or goods / onlesse he were by dwe occasion and wit­nes or by persentment / verdite / confession / or pro­cesse of outlarye &c.The very vvords of the statu­de an̄o 25. H.8. Wherfore it is not reasonable that any ordinarie / by any suspection conceiuid of hys own fātasie / whith out dwe accusacion or presentment / shold put any subiecte of thys Realme in any infamy or slander of heresy / to the perell of lyff / lose of name or goods &c.Slander of heresy. Thys with mich more is declarid in the said statude of 25. H.8. Which [Page 15]was the occasion that the said most wickid lawe of ex officio / was broken.

More ouer your said noble father perceiuid how many honest men in his tyme / were distroied and murtherid by his said clergie / as Iohā hune / and many other honest men / which liuid both quietlye and honestlie among ther neibours / this is so plaine that they are not able to deny it.Iohāhume wherfore I most humbly besech your grace to consider thes things / for it is not ynough for your grace to geue ouer your pour and auctorite / to your wickid bis­shoppes and clergie / and so thinke to charge them and to discharge your selff / nay not so? for euery one shall beare hys own burthen as the holy ap­postle pronouncith / and as gardener saith in hys booke de vera obediencia likewise / god hath sett you in auctorite / and it is you your selff that shall geue an accompt to a Iudge that is aboue you / whose seat is the heauen / and the earth is hys foot stole / the which by his holy worde made all thīgs / and by the same worde shall distroye all Antichri­stes / which sekith the distruction of hys kingdom / who dwellith in the light that no man can attai­ne / whom no man hath seen nor can see to him on­ly be geuen all honoure and glory for euer more.

FƲrthermore may it please you to knowe that themprour and diuers other princes and magistrates / haue for the paiment of a litle monie / suffrid ād doth suffer the wickid Iwes ād also the cursid turkes / to dwell sauely in ther cōtres ād Cities / The Iues and turks [Page]to kepe and hold ther faith and ceremonies as they liste / with out any troble or vexacion for the same / and yett the same turkes and Iwes / do dispise and abhore vs Christians / a lake for pyte / that ther shalbe more mercie and pyte shewid to / Iwes and turkes / thē to vs pour Christians / which do beleue to be sauid only / by the death / and passion of our saueyour Iesus Christ both god and man: Is not this also a lamentable case / that pour English men cannot be suffrid to liue quietlye and in saue­tye with out danger of ther lyues in ther own contres / but must be forcide to trauell / and seke from contre to contre / wher they may serue god quietly with a good conscience?Against all christian charti­te, and Reason. oh that your grace wold permite the first booke of comon prayer made in Englishe in the time of your vertues brother K.E. vj. to be vsid to as many as wold: vnto the which booke / all the hole clergie of the Realme did subscribe / and affirmid it to be good and catholike doctri­ne / yea they that now do perswade your grace to the contraric: And as for the Englishe procession / what good and godly prayers be therin / and how it was vsid to the great compfort and edifieng / of as many as came to the church / to here it / all men can reporte / but that cannot your bisshoppes and clergie now abyde / becawse it shamith and con­dempnith all ther latyn seruice / which is expressly against gods worde / for s. Paule in the 14. chapter of the first epistle to the Corrinthiance / wold haue all thinges done to edifienge / and wold haue .v. wordes spoken in the cōgregacion / in a languagevvhy the bisshop­pes and clergie, cā not abide the seruice booke in englishe. [Page 16]that they vnderstād / rather thē .x. M. words that they vnderstode note:S. Paulus doctrine. for saith he / how shall the vn lernid say Amen / to thy blessing or thāks geuing / whē he motith not what thou sayest / he can̄ot tell whether thou doest blesse or course / ād comaūdith plainly saiēg: they that speak ī a lāguag vnknown / lett thē hold ther peace in the cōgregaciō: read the said chapter / ād you shall perceyne the matter more plainly / wherby you or any Chrystiā harte may be kīdlid with godly zeal agaīst such Antichristiās / which do so directlie / against the holy appostles plaine commandment.1. Cor. 14.

Now to make an ende of this my supplicacion / I haue read a godly example of the conuercion of s. Paule / who being brought vp ffrom his youth at the feete of Gamaliell / being a pharise / of a zeale that he hade to mainteine the pharcisey call doctri­ne of the pharises became also apersecutor with the pharisies for a space / which pharises / had wholie coruptid the law of god geuen by Moses.Antichris­tians. Actes. 9. And as they had aduaunsid ther own tradicions / deuisid by therrabbins / which both Christ and hys appostles / comonly rebukid tawght and preachid ther against / and therfore they slawndrid hym and hys apostles and neuer left persecuting of thē / till they had murtherid them: Euen so our trwe preachers in thes days / which haue preachid against the abuse both of prayeng / fasting / and also of allmose dedes (like as Christ hym selff dyd) our bisshopes persecute to the death / falsly belieng them / saieng / that they preachid against prayer / fasting / and all­mose deades &c. when they dyd preach / but only [Page]against the supersticious abuse / as ther maister Christ did / which preachid against the abuse ther off / but the seruant is not aboue hys maister and lorde / for yf they haue callid the lord of the howse / helsebub / how mich more shall they call hys how­sold seruants. Also like as the scrybes ād pharises / falsely belyed and slaunderid our saue your Christ / euē so do our bisshoppes and clergie / belye and slaunder our trwe preachers and prophetes of gods holy worde / when they preach not against the sa­craments and ceremonis / but against ydolatrie countid a sacramēt and the abuse of the ceremonies: ffor to wryte of the abuse of the sacraments and ce­monies a greate booke wold scarsely suffice / and therfo: I will turne againe to my matter of the cō­uercion of s. Paule / who (as I haue said / of a zeale that he had to the doctrine of the pharises / perse­cutid Christes poure members / and cawsid many to be bound and cast in to pryson.Phillip. 3. Act. 9. Galla. 1. 1. Timo 1. 1. Cor. 15. But becawse he did it ygnorantly / he obtainid mercy as he hymselff confessed / not being worthy to be callid an apostell becawse he persecutid the congregacion of Iesus Christ &c. Euen so I think that your grace doth this ygnorātlie / that ye haue done / and being therto perswadid by your false dissembling bissho­pes and clergie:the quene. Whom now that your grace hath warning / what they are: beware from hence forth that ye folowe ther counsel no more in persecuting Christes poure mēbres / which haue bene the trwe prearchers of his holy and blessid worde / but do ye as s. Paul dyd when he was callid / And submitt [Page 17]your selff / vnder the mighty hand of god / and tur­ne to the lord our god who is able ād wyll receyue you to grace and mercye as he dyd. S. Paul / of ye repent ād do as he dyd / wherby you shall saue your selff and the whole Ralme frō Ruyne and vtter distrucciō.vvarned. But yf you wyll not submitt your selff vnder the mighty hād of god / ād turn to the lord our god vnfainidlie / and folowe no more / the wyckid cousell of your bloudy bisshoppes ād clergie / in persecuting Christes pour members / and wyll not re­ceyue and knowledge the time of your visytacion. Then be ye assuryd / that lyki as it happenyd to the Iwes / for persecuting christe and hys pour mem­bers / so shall it happen to you and to the whole Realme / as in the beginnyng of this supplicacion is declaryd at lavge. The which I pray god defend yff it be hys holy wyll and plasure / whom I besech to open the eyes of your hart / that ye may receiue hys worde / and vnfallyble veryte / which may saue your soule in the great day of the lord / whom I besech to graunt you grace thus to do / for his deare sone Iesus Christes sake amen.

Thauthor io the Noblemē and gētillmen.ANd now wyll I speake to you noble men / gen­tillmen and comons of England / that haue of the abbey and chauntrey lands in your hands thinke you to enioie them to you and to your heires now that ye haue receiuid the bisshope of Rome a­gaine &c. Ye ar farr deceiuid / do ye not knowe that the deuell is a crafty serpent / and loke wher he get­tithin hys head / ther will he shortly haue in also [Page]his hole body? but ye will saie that the bisshop of Rome by his legate cardinall Pole hath dispensid with you for thē / and that it is so concludid by acte of parliament. Well / I say ye deceiue your sel­ues. do you not know / that in the first perliament of the quene / when / xx. of the comon house / were sent to here grace / and dyd declare vnto here / the great enormites / that wold folowe to the Reame / yf that she maried with any stranger / desiring her­re therfore to marie within the realme.Request made in the first parliamēt to the quene. But that wold not our bisshopes suffer / for they knew yf the quene maried wythin the realme / they should not so sone / haue brought in the B. of Rome againe / nor yet haue bene sure of ther wyckid and deuely­she enterprise. But they knew / yf the quene maried wyth the prince of spaine / that he wolde not tro­ble hym selff any thyng wyth ther affaires / hauing no more wytt then wold serue for hym selff / but they casting how to come to haue the hole antory­torie of the Realm in ther own hāds / (lyke as they now haue) myght stablishe ther wyckyd kingdom / wythout any lert or interrupcion.

The next perliament / the articles were debatyd apon / ād by the helpe of the bisshoppes were con­cludid / vnder whych articles thes were agreid a­pon / that is / that the prince of spaine shold not promote admitt nor aduaunce any stranger to any of­fice or benifice / with in this Realm / but only the quenes naturall subiectes.Articles cōcluded and agre­ed vpon. And that he should meintein all the old and ancient customs and pri­uileges of this Realm. And shall not enterprise to [Page 18]do any thyng against them. Also yf the quene died wythout yssue by hym / that he should not chalēge any ryght in to the sayd kingdom / but should permite the sucsession therof / without any empedimēt / to the next ryghtfull heyres / to whom it shall apperteine / by the right laws of this Realme. As in the said statude plainly apperith. But haue ye not seen that they haue gone about sens that time / to make hym king / not in name only / but in dead.The bys­shopes endevovt. Therfore what think you wyll that ther pretensyd conclusion in ther articles helpe / thynk you that our bysshoppes and clergy / wilbe content / that he shall haue only the name of the thing and not ra­ther to haue the thyng if selff? and thinke you that although they cannot bryng it to passe at thys parlyment / that they wyll lett the mater so passe. Nay nay / ye shall perceiue that they wyll neuer rest nor be in quyet / tyll they haue brought it to passe. So ye not know that our bysshopps and clergye must gratefie hym by whom they may as they thinke / sauely enioye again ther god the pope / wyth all ther [...]pitefull ecclesiasticall Iuridicciōs. As in helping [...]ym to haue placide / and machyd in offices some [...]f hys spanierds / wyth men of our own Englishe [...]acyon / And that not in the worst romes nether / [...]ut euen no lesse then in the romes of lord chamber [...]aine and wyth thy mayster of the horse / and wyth [...]he knyght marschall / &c.Lord chāberlayne. Mayster of the horse. etc. And this is the begin­ [...]ing to shewe ther good wyll to hym / against our [...]atiue coūtre. you may therfore easely gesse / what [...]yll folowe hereafter / yf it lye in ther poure. And [Page]here is aspedie tryall / of ther wholy and faithfull obseruing of ther promisses in therticles / so lately and solemlye concludid in the other perliament / as is aboue mencionyd. Do not you also know that the bysshoppes went about the other perliament / to sett vp the bysshop of Rome ād how that it was denied at that tyme / becawse the state of the Realm fearyd that then / whiche shall come now apon them / that is the losses of ther abbey and chauntry lands / &c. Were they therfore contentid and at rest: Nay they were neuer in quiet / tyll they had by one way or other / deuisyd to bring hym in.Ther practises. And therfore cawsyd such burgesys of the perliament to be chosen / as wold not resyst ther purposse / wherby they brought ther purpose craftely to passe.

And do you think that now they haue all that they wold haue? Nay / nay. but now that they haue gotten in hys head / (that is the wyckyd vsurpid tytle of supreme head) they wyll not sease tyll they haue gotten in hys hole body. Thinke you that he wyll not haue againe hys vsurpid peter pens / pencyons / censes / procuracions / frutes for prouicyons / expedicions of bulles for archbisshopriches and bysshoppriches for delegacions ād restriptes in cawses of cōtenciō / wyth many other such lyke things / to robe this noble realme of ther treasu­re and Ryches.Peter pēs, and expe­dycyons for bulles, delegaci­ons, etc.

And King Henry the .8. perceiuid the same / ād therfore in the 25. yere of hys reigne / by acte of parliament forbade them / becawse they were intolle­rable / being as bonner bysshop of London saith in [Page 19]hys prolog before winchesters booke DE VERA OBEDIENTIA the rauenus pray / ye so large a pray that it cam to asmych allmost as the kings re­uenwes / snappid out of hys hands / &c.Note b. bonners prologe. Also think you / that they will suffer the articles / and proui­sions to stōd / which now he / and the Cardinall in hys name / hath grauntid to. Not so / but the next perliament some of them shalbe broken / accor­ding to a constitucion of thers made in the coun­sell of constance / and practisid / namelye / that no faith nor promisse owght to be kept with heretiks.Constitucyons at the coun­sel of constance. And therfore wyll he dyssemble and make preten­sid promises by lytle / and lytl / tyll he haue establiss hede hys hole Auctorite againe. And then beware ye lords / gentillmen and comons that ha­ue any sprituall or ecclesiasticall possessions / or ab­bey londs in your hands / yff ye will not willingly restore them againe / he will find the meanes thoro we his clergie / that ye shalbe accusid of heresie / ād so lose both londs goods and liff to.Abey lands. Can you not take warning therof by a time put out by one of ther sorte / and was in printe but calyd in againe lest you should to plainly see the snare before your ne­ckes were in / one verse in enery staffe of that rime is / caueat emptor / take hede I saye. Ye haue they not allredy gotten that auctorite / by renwing the wilkid acte ex officio / that they may call any man before them / apon suspecciō and kepe him / xl. dais in ther presons / allthough no man haue accusid him / and examine him preuelie / in his or ther howses or places / And so cōdempne him / to losse bothEx officio [Page]goods lands and liff to / excepte he recant / and yett after that / they piking a quarell to him againe / he shall not be able to escape ther hands / but must be burnid yf they will / they tary but apon tyme to put all this geare in vre / ād practyse / according to ther accustomid manner.They tā­rye but a tyme.

Is not thys a lamentable case / that by the space of xx yeres both King Hery the viij. And also King Edward the vj. haue made godly laws and statuds for the suppression of the tyrrannye of the bisshop of Rome / which haue bene obeseruid and kept / ād all Iudges ād officers / with all bisshops and the hole clegie / haue taken a corporall othe that they with the vttermost of ther cornning / witt and pour / shall help to suppresse the wickid aucto­rite / and vsurpid pour of the Bisshop of Rome / as in the acte of parliament made in the 28 yere of .K. H. 8. Corporal othe takē Apperyth at large: to be so sodenly and de­uelishly ouerthrown? yf the sayd King Henry the viij had known that hys doble facid and shamles bisshopes and clergy wold haue done as they now haue done in thys casse / thinke you / that he wold not haue made a great mainy of them lept hedles to bede / or els they should haue worne a ripett at tibourne.Bisshops and cler­gie pre­ache xx yerres. And dyd not all the bisshoppes and clerge / preach aginst the sayd vsurpid pour by the space of xx yeres and more and haue so wyth gods worde ād naturall reasons / beaten it in to all mēs heads / that it will not be possyble to make thē beleue the contrarie. And must they now imme diatly cawse men (yf they wyll not chaunge wyth euery wind of false doctrine / and beleue the said vsurpid [Page 20]pour of the .B. of Rome and to be cōdempnid for heretikes?Their [...]o­den mu­tabilitie, and cruel­tie novv. Is not thy [...] also a lamentable case. Read the acte made in the .28. yere of K. H. 8. wher the othe is made / that the bisshopps and clergie made to the king / and hys successors / and tell me yf they be not all periuryd. Parauenture they wyll saye / that vnlawfull othes ar to be broken / then wold I knowe of youe / why the vnlawfull vous / (which is not so greate charge as a solemne othe) that the popishe prestes haue made / owght not to be broken?Their periurie. but pour men / that marye in the feare of god must be sham fuliye ponisshed / for braking of an vnlawfull voue / which gods la­we doth beare them in / and alowith them.

And ye bisshoppes and clergie / being periurid ād forswore / by gods lawe haue done well? Is this your vngodly Iudgment ye cursid workers of all iniquite / for the establissing of your wickid king­dom?Matth. 7. Ther fru­tes. And as for the othe against the .B. of Rome they them selues countid it good and lawfull / xx. yere ād now in lesse then xx monithes thinkeit vn­lawfull what must we pronounce / Iudgyng you by your frutes as our saueoyur com̄adith / sūerlie you papistes / declare what dissembling shiftes / and counterfaitid consciences ye haue / And a great sorte of you papistes do doubt how longe this ☜ your vsurpid aucrorite will contiwe / And therfore care not by what wickid waies ye worke / so you may vphold your kingdome / And be ye assurid as sure as god is god / and a righwise Iudge / that all your abhominatiōs and practises / shall come to [Page]nawght.the pro­phet Da­uith in the 14. psalm. doth playnlye dyscryb you and paint you out at lar­ge. Gods vvrath prouokid. And all men shall manifestly perceiue your lewdnes. And then looke what mesure ye haue mett / the same shalbe mesurid to you againe / gods worde cannot faile / heauen and earth shall perishe / but hys worde shall abyde for euer. And therfore repent / repēt betymes / and worke not wickidnes euen with gredines / contrary to gods ve­rite and your own conscience. Ye prouoke gods wrath / were he not so mercifull and pacient / that he should consume you / with fyre and brimstone from heauen / as he did Sodoma and Gomora.

How many be ther of you / dissembling Papi­stes / whiche (rather then ye wold lose your promo­cions) wold / not deny / and say / god were not god?they vvill rather deny god hym selff then lose ther pro­mocyons I do know some of the bisshops my selff that haue said that yf they were in Turkie among the Turks / wold do as they doe / rather thē to be in troble ther­fore. herbye ye may perceine what constancie our clergie be of. This heresie doth Origene condemp­ne in the secte of the helchesaites / reade the 6. booke 28. chapter / of Eusebius / and ther shall ye fynd it plainlie.Helchesaites.

More ouer / I cannot hold from you my natiue contre men what I haue herde in other contres / with what policys and feches / the bisshopps and clergie of this realm / vse for the stablishment of ther Kingdom / which yf it come to passe wylbe the vtter decaie / subuerciō / and distruction / of this noble Realme of England?Thāthor vnto all treu har­ted Eng­lishemen. They intend by one crafte or other / that the prince of Spaine shalbe crownid King of England / as is a foresaid / andNote [Page]to haue this noble realme of England to hym and to hys heires / and so contrary to the statutis made in the other perlyamēts / dysinheryte all the reight full heyres of the Realme. And after he hath gottē that quyetlye / then they will not leaue to prycke hym forward / and to cawse this noble Realm of England / to be brought into bondage and slaue­rye / lyke as the emproure hath done Naples / My­and / and hys nether contres of Flanders / Hol­land / Seland / Brabant / Fryseland / and Lysel­burg / &c.

Fyrst I wylbegine wyth Naples / in which wy­thin the space of lesse then xxx. yere / he hath cawsyd to be deposyd / Murtheryd / and banisshed awaie / more then fourstore ād twelff of the nobles of that cōtre / to saye of Dukes / Marqueses / Earles / lords and Barōs / wher of the least of them were barōs.Naples, hovvhit hathe bene, and is ordred. Besydes knyghtes and gentyllmen: And hath placyd in ther romes / proude spanyerds / lyke as our bysshoppes wold haue hym do the lyke / in this our☜ noble Realme and fre countre / besyds that them-proure / hath Raysyd such vnreasonable / excyses ād tolles both of corne / wyne / salte / ād frutes / &c. so that the nobles ād comos of Naples be brought in to very beggery and slauerye. The lyke hath he done wythin the duchye of Myland / wythin thes fewe yeres / besyds that euery man / rych and pou­re / must pay for euery chymny / that they haue / in ther houses / a french crown of gold.The Duchie of Mi­land And of the vnreasonable / excyses / or poulyng tols / that is ta­ken in them prours nether countres / as Holand / [Page]Braband / Sealand and Flanders / &c.The Nether countries, I nede not to name them / becawse they be so nere our coun­tres / all they that resorte thether cā tell / that the pourest hādy craftes mē / must pay to thē prour for excyse for euery barrell of bere that they drynke / more then the bere cost them at the fyrst penye / besyds the vnreasonable tole / or excyse / that they must pa­ye / both of corne / wyne / fleshe / fyshe / salt / butter / chese / mylke. And of all maner of grayne and vy­talls / besyds the toll of all maner of frutes / as A­ples peares / Nuts / &c. ād yerbes for potage / so that no man can make a messe of potage / but he must fyrst geue / I cannot tell sertenly / how many tolls / wherby the comon people / ar brought to very gre­at myssery ād vyle slauerye / so that they daylye make ther cōplaynt / to such Englyshmen / as trauayle by them / in what beggery and myssery they be in / And wyll vs to beware / that we be not brought in to the lyke myssery / beggery ād slauerye / the which I pray god defend (and that is the very accasyon / why so many of them go out of ther own countre for to dwell in our fre contre of England.

For our wicked bisshoppes haue affirmyd and sayd / that our nobles and comons ar to full of welth / wherfore they must be brought lowe / or els they will neuer be obedient / to them and ther pro­cedings.Devices, of the vicked bisshoppes, for the no bylyte. And as for the nobilite / they intend to di­spach them awaye / ether by condempning them for heresye / by piking one quarell or another to them / or to send them in to strang contres to excer­sys them in feates of warres / and to geue thē pos­sessions [Page 22]and fecs / in some of the prynces contres / as at / Naples / Myland or ther about / and so setle them ther / that they shall neuer come home agayne. And in the meane season / to settle in ther places some proude spanierds / or els some of ther bastard sonnes / or such new vpskypte gentillmen / as Ro­chester / Martine / or such other / that can flatter thē / whom they may haue allwaise / to be ther mi­nisters / wherly they may worke all ther mischeff.M. Roc­hester. D. martyn. The cloked crueltie of the popishe clergie. For they be to holye / they will seke no mās death / when in dead it is only ther whole dewyse / by ther shamlesse flatterers. And beware you noble men / that he as yett of the counsell / they do but flatter you / allthough they beare a faier face towerd you / and pretend you great Frendshipe / suerlye it is but for a tyme as here after shall appere / onlesse god of hys mercifull goodnes disperse them shortly / in the ymaginacions of ther own hartes.Noble mē vvarned. The which I besech hym to do / for hys deare sone Iesus Christs sake Amen. Say not now but that ye be warnid.

Reporte of the emproveris ansvver to settein embassadovres,More ouer I cannot hold from you my natiue contremen what I haue herd of credible persons / of them prours answere that he made to certeyne embassadors / for mony / that was lent hym. Fyrst he declarid / what great charges he had bene at / wyth those his warres / against the french King. And also what great charges / he had bene at / for the bringing of hys sone in to England. And how that he had layd out then for hys sone xij. hundrid thousand french crounes / wher of he had receyuyd [Page]but thre hundrid thousand agayn of hym / but he hopid in shorte time to receiue the reste / for said he / it cost no small deale of mony / the gyftes and re­wards / that was geuen / to the great men gentill­men and to ther wyffes.No smale deale of monie, giftes and revvardes. I nede not mich to decla­re the cawse / that mouid hym / namlie / for to haue ther fauoure and good will / that he might the bet­ter / obtaine hys purpose. And for that cawse / hath thenglishe merchants / payd alredye for the quene xl. thousand pounds in Flāders. And shortly must pay a hundrid thousand poūdes more / which was layd out for the bringing in of our new King / besydes that which as yet remainyth vnpayd / which pour England must be fayne to pay.

To be lamētid that no noble man in England covvld serue the quene.A lamentable case / that neuer a noble man in England wold serue for the quenes Maiestie / but that Englād must be fayne to bestowe all ther treasure and ryches / to bring in a strāger to raine ouer them / who with the bisshoppes aduise and helpe will bring this noble realme in to beggery and vyle slauerie: And yet for all this / when he hath gotē that he hath sought (that is) the realme in to hys hands / then it will appere / that he will sett asmich by here / as men sett by ther old showes: Is not the quene and all Englishmen bound to curse such a wickid gardener / for bringing in to this realm / such weeds / as will not only ouer grow / and di­stroye / the noble and good corne / of this noble realme / but weede out the welth / ye vtterby rote out the hole state theroff in euery degre.Gardener vhat vveeds he plantyth in England vve vveare vvarned before. This is a pla­ge aboue all plages / which is com vpon vs / for [Page 23]our vnthankfullnes / according as our trwe pro­phets and preachers / declarid to vs. Yf we wold not amend our lyues / and knowledge the tyme of our visitacion.

Gardener L. chavncelore.Is not this also a most miserable and lamenta­ble case that such a wickid bisshoppe as steuen gardener is / must rule all the nobilite / and the hole re­alme. And who dare speake against hym: hath not that most wickid bisshop being chanselere / corrup­tid agreat sorte of the nobilitie / and of hys vpskipte gentillmen / whom with hys great and sumptues house kepinge he fedith saylye at hys table / geuing some and promysyng other rewards / to be hys spyes abrode / to here what is sayd and done / that therby he maye vse / and abuse hys antorite as helistith.Coruptīg nobilite and vp skipte gentilmē How he corruptith Iudgmēt ī matters that com before hym / many that haue felt it / and smar­tid for it can reporte / by making some begin ther swtes / new againe / wherin they had well gone forward:corupting iudgemēte And by sodenly displacing some / which be­fore / were law fully possessid. Doth he not comonly when any matters com before hym in IudgmētHis percialitie dispossesse many / that haue bene rightfully posses­sid / and sett the matter / of a new to begynn agai­ne / both in other mens causes of percyalite / and most notable in that which was hys own case?In his o [...] ne case specialye. for he wold haue all men beleue / that he was wrong­fully deposid from hys bisshopryche / when in very dead / yff the matter might be egallye and indiffe­rently herde it wold be found that for hys cōtēpte / and dissobedience he was rightfullie deposid. But [Page]indead I cōfesse / that he had wrong at that tyme / that he had not had a typett of tybourne for hys rewarde / according to hys desertes.Steuē gardener, the cavse of risynge. And then had ther bene many noble men and gentillmen / sauyd a lyue / which for hys cawse rose / perceiuing such things to be at hand / which be now come to passe. Besydes that the realme / had bene at this present in welth and quietnes.