to their deseruinges And he that spake y e same to Ierusalem speaketh it to yow aÌ„d to all Cityes that committe like iÌ„iquite as ye do And whether ye haue serued y e Disciples of the Lorde like as ded the Cytezens of IerusaleÌ„ their Prophetes Iudge your seifes ande ye shall se that ye haue shed more bloud theÌ„ euer ded that moste synfull Ierusalem euen of theÌ„ that taught you Gods truth Well I can no more but beseche the Lord God that he wyll geue suche grace to some that in the time of hys wrath he maye finde .x. ryghteous persons in this Cytie whereby the wrath and veÌ„geauÌ„ce of God may be turned from it which is lyke to come shortly vppon vs or vppoÌ„ our childeren for our sinnes oure forfathers For we haue deserued a M. tymes more plages theÌ„ euer ded Tire SidoÌ„ or Sodoma Gomora ware it not for y e great mercy of God I thinke we had fouÌ„de it so or this tyme. For we haue an example of these Cities they be written for oure learninge to auoid such vices Yea no doubt the vices coÌ„mitted in y e oh LoÌ„don are as euell as euer ware in any of y e foure Cyties afore named And surely I thinke yf they had herd y e prechiÌ„g y t hath bene iÌ„ LoÌ„don this .xiiii. or .xvi. yeares past y t they had repeÌ„ted and â—orsaken their Iniquitye For I saye vnto youe that the gospell was neuer more siÌ„cerelye preached in the tyme of the Apostles then it hath bene of late in London Nor neuer more Godly exposicions vppoÌ„ the scripture and that a greate nombre whereby to drawe vs to Christ Iesus For why the same sprete euen the very holye Ghoste whych spake in the Apostles hath spokeÌ„ in meÌ„ now to vs. But alas as the Prophete sayth Esay xxix we haue eares heare not eyes see not See ye not nor yet perceiue ye how the blynde Prophetes haue led you euen now in our tyme Haue ye not slayne the seruauntes of the Lorde onely for speakynge agaynst y e autoritye of the false Bysshoppes of Rome that moÌ„struouse beast whoÌ„ now ye your selues do or shuld abhorre I meane all his lawes beynge contrary to Christ not his body yet ye se y t a fewe yeares past ye breÌ„t them for heretiques abhominable which preatched or wrote against his vsurped power now it is treason to vphoulde or maintayne any parte of his vsurped power aÌ„d he shal dye as a traytoure that so doth well worthy So saye I vnto you there shalbe yet thinges preched vnto you and ye shall be instructed by wryters of thiÌ„ges which ye be not yet able to beare and whosoeuer preacheth or writeth it if the Lorde defend him not out of your handes he shall dye for it aÌ„d yet out it will at y e leÌ„gth though all the deuelles in hell saye naye to it and so shalbe reformed Ande euen this followyng is one of y e chefest thiÌ„gs Oh ye Cytezens wyll ye neuer geue your selfes to the readynge pf the scripture whereby ye maye knowe the lawe of the Lorde to avoyde the euerlastynge damnacion which is ordayned for the deuell aÌ„d his angels Wyll ye euer be ignorant of Godes coÌ„maundemeÌ„t Exodi xx saynge I will haue none other Gods in my syght and that ye neyther bowe your selfe nor serue any thing as God y t is in earth benethe or in heauen aboue or in the water vnder the earth And do ye not yet se how thys whore of BabyloÌ„ hath altered the supper of the Lorde which was iÌ„stituted to haue y e blessed passion in continuall remeÌ„braunce for a perpetuall memorye of thankes geuinge which we shuld receiue with all reuerence and meaknes of hert geuinge thaÌ„kes vnto God onely for y t benefyte which we haue receyued obtayned through Christes dethe which this supper sygnifyeth and that we beleue as verely as we eate the breade driÌ„k y e wine which norissheth y e body is seane with our corporall eye spiritualli representeth the very body of Christ euen so verely as we haue tasted eateÌ„ seen this holy supper or SacrameÌ„t of thaÌ„ks geuinge euen so verelye to beleue y t Christ dyed for our sinnes and that his bloud onely hath pacyfied the fathers wrathe and so hath sett vs at peace with God For he hath payed y t which laye not in me nor in no man but onely in hym that was bothe God man and by none other meanes myght maÌ„ be redemed and so to aknoweledge y t he is dead hath shed his bloude for our synnes is rysen for our rightwysnesse Thus I seynge my synnes buryed in Christes woundes must euer more be thankfull to y e euerliuiÌ„g God onely And thus to eate his blessed body and to driÌ„ke his bloude spiritually in fayth is Gods institucyon Math. xxvi Marc. xiiii Luc. xxii.i. Corinth xi Where he sayth as ofte as ye shall eate of this breade drinke of this cuppe ye shall shew y e Lordes death till he come And saynte Austyn sayth what preparest thow thy teth thy belly beleue thow hast eateÌ„ Which agreeth with y e words of our sauiour Christ saing The fleshe profiteth nothynge it is the spryte y t quyckeneth Iohan in y e .vi. chapter But the institucioÌ„ of Antichriste is cleane contrary to thys For by his institucioÌ„ thow muste fall downe vppoÌ„ thy knees holdinge vp thy handes as to God In dede it is y e Bysshoppe of Romes God which they must see with theyr corporall eye because they haue no hope in the lyuynge God through the spyrituall eye And thus hath he chaunged the holy memory of Christes death in to the worshippynge of his God made of fyne flower and all to bringe him selfe and his membres alofte aÌ„d in the reputacion of the world aboue all degrees of men yea aboue Kinge and Emperour and therby to sitt in the consciences of men aboue God and his worde euen in the very teÌ„ple of God where God alone shulde fitt And by his institucioÌ„ of this his God is he crept vp in to this vsurped power Oh Antichrist the begynner of this Idoll which is heade of all Idolles after thyne institucyon Doth not God say as afore is sayde Exo. xx Thou shalt not worshyppe any symilitude that his in heaueÌ„ erth or in the waters vnder the earth And thou contrari to the euerlyuing Goddes coÌ„mandemeÌ„t hast seduced the people to honore thy God I tel the geÌ„tle reader ones againe it is the greatest Idoll vnder heaueÌ„ as it is vsed in his masse and a God of the makynge of Antichrist as is sayde whiche masse is after his institucyon an heape of folishe ceremonies without significacions to avaunce ande set out his God to the blearynge of the eyes of the symple Ande thu shalt see if thou wilt reade y e .xviii. chapter of the Apocal. callinge to God onely to open thyn eyes all the
of that thynge whych is present it selfe AS touchynge this matter IOHAN fryth y e seruaūt of the LORDE whome ye ād youre False Prophetes haue burned whose bloude with others cryeth vengeance agaīst your Bysshoppes He I saye hath writē Inuyncibly in this matter whose worke I exhorte all those whiche fauoure the free passage of the gospell vnfaynedly to reade ād to studie For it is agreing to the touchstone of Gods worde ād to the olde aunciēt doctours As appereth by the same boke of his Ande I exhorte you in Gods name yf there be anie Chistian printer in London to prynte moo of those workes for there can neuer be to many of them Feare not man although death followe seīg Christ saieth he that loseth his lyfe for my wordes sake shall saue it Mathewe in the .xx. chapter And considre that neither Winchester nor London nor the rest of the Bisshoppes the vesselles of Gods Iustice without repentaunce haue no power to destroie but y e bodie onelye wherfore feare them not But feare hym onelye that can kyll both bodye and soule as apereth in the same .xx. chap. For if thou wilt liue godly in Christ thou must neades suffre persecutiō And truly he is not worthy to be a membre of the body that will suffre no dysplesure with the heade Therfor blessed are they that suffre persecucyon or anye trouble for ryghtousnes sake that is for Christes sake And in this matter I saye w t the sayde Iohan fryth that it is no pointe of our dampnaciō nor saluacyon If I beleue it not it dampneth me not But to haue the absēce of the benefyttes of his deathe and passiō in my hert may be cause of my dampnacion and in beleuynge of the sayde benefytes of ande through hys dethe shalbe my saluacion beinge repentaunt for my synnes But one thynge I will tell the and marke it well for it is trewe Though thou beleue he is there lyke as Antichrist and like his petye membre standish saythe ande so worshippe it as God I tell the that it is damnable For thou arte commaūded in the fyrste Table of y e cōmaundementes y t thow shalt not worshippe anye thynge y t is made after anye symylitude or lykenes that is in heauen or earthe as I haue afore sayde God is asprete ād wilbe honored in sprete and veryte I saie your blynde bloudy Byshoppes or rather butchers dishonour not onely the Sacramēt but the God of al Goddes also in mynystrynge the same And so do all prestes that other sīge or saye the popysh masse which they call a sacryfyce and therby wold haue Christes bodye daylye crucyfyed where as he offred vp his holy body vppon the crosse for our synnes ones for euer ande neuer shalbe offred agaī whyle the worlde endureth but hath instituted the holye supper or Sacrament of thankesgeuynge as afore is sayde to put vs in contynuall memory of that oblacion ād sacrifice y t we shulde beleue our sinnes to be forgeuen onely for Christes sake through his death ande so to be thankfull whych holye thynge as ye se is tourned into a popyshe masse and is to the people a domme yea no thīg els but a deade ceremonye Wherfore I will exhort all prestes that wylbe of Christes congregacion to fle and geue ouer that abhominable massinge which is a blasphemy to Christes bloude in that they make of it a sacryfice What sacryfice can y t be where no bloude is shedde Wherfore in Christes name all yow I saye that wolde be of Christes churche forsake thys whore w t all her abhominable rables ande rather begge with Christ then welthelye to lyue with the prestes of her God Beell and feare not but God shall prouyde both clothyng and foode sufficient for the bodye Considre the lylye dothe not spynne yet was Salomon neuer so gorgiouslie apparelled Mat. vi Who clothed the lilie ded not our heauenlye father clothe it And be not ye worth manye sparrowes Well then we se that pure heauēly father both clothed fedde all creatures and shall not he also clothe and feade yowe which seke his glorie trust only in him Yes yes doubt not And surely ye cā not remaine as ye do but ye muste be partakers of ther Idolatrye Perchaunce thou wilt saye I could be cōtented to liue porely to followe Christe but I feare the Byshoppes blessynge which is a fayre fyre Set afore the y e deth of Christ for prechynge his fathers will ād before hym the Prophetes ande after hym his Apostles and at this daye hys chosen seruauntes ande consydre as afore is sayde that the deuyllyshe Byshopes the vesseiles of Godes Iustyce can but destroye the bodye onelye that God will rayse it vp agayne at the great daye of y e Lorde euen as he is rysen And considre that alwayes it was the Bysshoppes ād the hyghe prestes y t put Christ and hys Apostles and his chosen seruauntes to deathe And by theyr deuellyshe sedusyng euer blynded the Prynces and other head rulers to geue ther consent ther vnto Math. in the .xxi. ande in the .xxvi. chapter O ye Babylonyshe Bisshoppes and generacion of Uipers where haue ye your auctoryte or how dar ye be so bold to kyll a man for his faith whych Christ neuer ded nor hys Apostelles For it is a gyfte which no man can eyther geue an other or yet hym selfe No no it is the gyft of God onely Ande that must be geuen a man before he can eyther do or thynke goode For all y t is done without fayth is synne Roma in y e xxiiii and Hebre. xi No nor ye put no man to death for Christes sake but for y ◠that no man shuld either preache teache or wrytte Chryst aryght which he can not do but he shall by force be constrained of the holye Ghost to wryte agaynst your pompe pryde vyle lyuinge and agaīst your abhomynable sedusing of the people leadynge them in an endlesse mase of dyrtye tradicions and folyshe ceremonyes And why cannot a man set for the Christ but he must write agaynst yow Euen bycause ye be the verye Antichristes No I saye it is not possible for anye man sent of God either to preache or wryte but he must open hys mouthe agaīst that moost wycked abomynable and detestable Antychryst of ROME as agaynste the enemy of Chryst which be you false Bysshops false Prophetes that beare the false signe of the new lawe the olde lawe with stoute stronge and sturdie Archedeacōs Deanes ād Chanons of Cathedrall churches and other your pyty membres prestes of Baall Ande he that openeth not his mouthe agaīst you cā not truly set out Christ and that is the cause why ye seke theyr deathes Ye bewytch Kīges other rulers and turne theyr laboures I meane the laboures of y e seruaūtes of God whyche crye against your Iniquytie sayīg they teache sedycyon and cause rebellyon against the higher powers Oh ye chylderne of Satan all y t
or write Christ aright he is incontynent in the net eyther of fellonie treason or hearesye or in all thre But at the grete daye of the Lorde at the rysynge of all fleshe ye generacion of Uipars shall se that those shalbe fouÌ„de faythfull bothe to the Kyng of the body onely and also to the Kynge of bothe bodye and soule And then ye shall be found in deade fellons Traytours ande Heretyques both Agaynst GOD and man ande soche wyll ye be so longe as ye possesse your inordynate RICHES that wycked MaÌ„mon GOD geue the KINGE an hert to take y t wicked Mammone froÌ„ you as he may rightfullye do wyth the Consent of the commones by acte of Parlament so that it maye be dysposed to GODES Glorye and y e commone welthe As to take hiÌ„ selfe a porcyoÌ„ for a knowledg of obeysaunce and for y e maiÌ„tainyng of hys estate The rest pollityquely to be put vnto a coÌ„mone welthe Fyrst dystrybuted among all y e townes in EngloÌ„d iÌ„ soÌ„mes accordiÌ„g to the quantyte nombre of y e occupyars where moste nead is And all the townes to be bouÌ„d to the KiÌ„g y t his grace may haue y e money at hys neade to serue hiÌ„ And also a politique way taken for prouysyon for y e pore in euerye towne w t some parte to y e mariages of yonge parsoÌ„s that lacke freÌ„des Wayes ther are ynough who so lusteth to studye for them Yet one thing wolde I wishe that all men wolde take you euen as ye are that is euen lyke as the Uipar aboue all other beastes wormes or serpentes is most fullest of poison for certayne qualities in him euen so ye aboue all the meÌ„bres of Antichrist be y e moste fullest of poison swiftest to shedde bloud y e greatest persecuters of Christes congregacion yea ye haue euer done most myschefe in shutting vp of Godes word froÌ„ y e people aboue al other knightes of y e romysh churche Well your wicked MammoÌ„ your in ordinate riches was not of our heauenlie fathers plantynge therfore it muste vp by the rotes with the riches of your other brethern of the Romyshe churches or church malygnaÌ„t which of late ware ryghtfully plucked vp If thou wilt reade y e storyes of the thre kynges a fore sayd thou wilt saie it is hyghe time to pull from theÌ„ y t wycked MaÌ„mon In y e same stories ye shall see what knavery hath euer bene practysed of y e Bysshoppes aboue all other Impes of Antychryst as well agaynst y e KiÌ„ges as Agaynst the preachers teachers writers of Christes gospell moste lyke vnto y e Uypar as afore is sayde Understonde also what the propertye of a Uipar is she destroieth her make or male in the concepcyoÌ„ the thiÌ„ge conceiued I meane the yonge in the lyttirynge or forth bringyng destroieth the damme So Bysshoppes who-KiÌ„gs mak Lordes of beggers be commoÌ„ly the fyrste that procure theÌ„ dyspleasure as appereth by y e storyes of these KiÌ„gs aforesayed Yea they haue put mo Kyngs to troble then euer came to light For why it must neades be trew y e Christ saieth of them The Chyldern of thys worlde be wiser in theyr generacion theÌ„ y e chylderne of lyght be in theyrs What thiÌ„k ye of the northe Surelye in my iudgement I wyll speake no farther but it was theyr owne inuencion aÌ„d the Bysshoppes ware the very orygynall grounde ande foundacyon of the same Insurectyon vproare and tumulte Well although Chryste dothe saie ye be so wyfe in youre generacion yet maketh not it against these wordes that your wysdome will proue folishnes .i. Cor. i. Whyche GOD graunte maye be shortlye that the pore selye lambes maye preache aÌ„d teache the gospell and that the rest which yet be without may espie your dysceyte aÌ„d fle from your dyrtye tradycyons ande followe theyr owne shepherd which so louinglie gane his life for them I knowe y e Papystes their flocke shal sclauÌ„derously report that I am agaynste the SacrameÌ„t which am dyrectlye w t it after Christes institucioÌ„ and full agaynste y e institucioÌ„ of the Rome Bysshoppes as ye shall perceiue yf ye marke pondre my seÌ„teÌ„ce aright Or els they will say I aÌ„ aÌ„ anabaptist which opinioÌ„s of theÌ„ y t are against the scriptur as they haue diuerse I vtterly abhorre which opynioÌ„s nead not her to be touched Your old craft is also to sclauÌ„der vs saynge we be causers of insurreccyoÌ„ iÌ„ which poynt eueÌ„ as I therin now shall shew my miÌ„d so haue all those done which laboured iÌ„ y e viÌ„eyard of whoÌ„ ye haue borned a great noÌ„bre I acknoweledge geue to vnderstoÌ„d to all y t shall either read this my worke or heare it red y t all kiÌ„ges rulers haue theyr aucthoritye powers of God aÌ„d they that resiste theÌ„ or those which of theÌ„ be sent resyst God Rom. xiii so seaketh his own daÌ„nacioÌ„ Yea although a Kyng be a tyraunt we may not resyste hym Yea ande althoughe a king shuld be so wicked to make actes or lawes eueÌ„ directly agaynst Gods lawes as dede kiÌ„ge Darius Daniel vi Ande also y e high prestes Pharisees forbiddiÌ„g Peter IohaÌ„ to preach christ Act. iiii Yet may we not w t fist swerd c. resist theÌ„ nor be aueÌ„ged of theÌ„ no more theÌ„ dede Daniel y e other children resist darius or IohaÌ„ and Peter y e prestes pharisees or Chryste pylate Mathe. xvi But gentle Reader marke y t eueÌ„ as we may not resist theÌ„ w t fist sweard or weapoÌ„ c. but to owr daÌ„pnacion euen like wise may we not obserue theyr wicked lawes nor conseÌ„t or agree vnto theÌ„ with hert or mouthe vnder paine of y t selfe same daÌ„pnacyon but rather suffre deth then eyther to resyste them bodely wyth strength of hande or consent agree vnto their wicked lawes and actes in hert or mouthe after the exaÌ„ple of Daniell CHRIST y e Apostles Prophetes Martyres et cetr And after the exaÌ„ple of the mother with her seueÌ„ soÌ„nes Mach vi Whych example is wrytten for our learniÌ„g with many suche like And marke thys that eueÌ„ as all subiectes be bounde to the higher powers and to be ruled by them in all thiÌ„gs as lawes decrees aÌ„d suche other grounded vppon scrypture and not to resiste in paine of daÌ„pnacioÌ„ So must the hygâ—er powers be ruled by the scrypture ande make no lawes contrarie to y e scrypture in payne of like daÌ„pnacyon vnto them For that is the onelye touchstone whych trieth all thynges and whych muste gouerne all thynges Thus I end my Lamentacion beseackyng God through his sonne Iesus Christ to drawe you from all your old Idolatrye fornycacyon aÌ„d aduoutrye from persecuting Christ in his saintes from your inordynate couetuousnes ande from youre euell suppressynge of the pore And geue you grace that nowe at the last ye maye repente ande beleue the gospell in embrasynge the same sekynge GODES glorye onelye and the commone welth as in tymes paste ye haue done youre owne and dylygentlie to prouide for the pore whiche aboue all other thynges shalbe demaunded of you at y e greate daie of the Lord as afore is sayde And thus doiÌ„g doubt not but y e plages whych ye haue ryght fullie deserued God of his bottomelesse mercie wil turne theÌ„ from you as he ded by y e Niniuites whych repeÌ„ted wheÌ„ they ware warned by Ionas y e Prophete Yf not loke for no lesse plages then IerusaleÌ„ other Cityes had for their inyquitie Awake therfore and repent ande turne to the Lorde yet in tyme and he will turne to you That graunt the Lorde of all Lordes and father of mercye Amen The grace of God through our Lorde Iesus Chryst be wyth you all