of Bonners Epistell intoo the same booke of Culbert Tonstalles sermons and Doctoure Sampsons oration made onelye aduisedly purposely and deliberately against the Quene and the pope and be openly in all mens handes aswell with in the realme as withoute But such be the inscrutable iudgementes of God that her highnesse should punysh her poore true and louing subiects that neuer offended her and also make false trayterous bishops Iudges of truer men then they be them selues Doubtlesse if euer I had written or spoken the tenth parte of treasonne that her owne bishops bokes do contayne I knowe theyr charitye is so burning and seruent that the crowes and byrdes of the ayre shoulde haue eaten my fleshe before this daye Yet I am not sorye but doubtelesse I speake and write frome the bottome of my harte before God very glad to se mercy shewed vnto offenders But I speake it to this ende that I verely suppose as the Quene doth forgeue offenders so wold she not wittingly punish me and other true men that al wayes haue done her good and no harme For she is by the lawes of God as much bound to be indifferent and fauourable to true men as true men be bound to geue her obedience And be it spoken withoute all pride and malice I defye him whatsoeuer he be the magistrates beinge honoured that dare open his mouth to the contrarye But alas sauinge I wold not offend the law of my liuing God that coÌ„maundeth me to obey al magistrates and lawes which disagree not from his holy worde it were for me a more easye death to be hanged like a traytoure then burned like an heretyke But seinge death must ensue the true religion and faith of Iesus Christe I wyll not appoint God what deathe he shall take me oute of this lyfe by I am in Christe wholy and throughly at a pointe wyth the worlde I praye dailye and wyll pray for my persecutors eueÌ„ as for myself But their tiraÌ„ny and death that they will kyll me with all I contempâ—â—e passe nothing of I am no better then my master Christ was in his seruâ—ce if I dy therfore by his grace whether it be by fyer or sworde or halter it is all one to me and the rather death commethe the better shall it be welcome For the soner shall my soule rest wyth Abraham Isaac and Iacob in my heauenly fathers kingedome Whereof in Christe I am assured to bee a ryghte heire ordayned to the same of mercye by hym before the worlde was made The phariseis did not laye onely heresye to Christes charge and in dede the manner of his deathe vppon the crosse was not appointed for heresye amonges the Iewes but rather stoned too deathe There was neuer a pair of stocks in the town that Ieremye the prophet scoured not but still his accusers the false priestes made theyr acusations in bothe states aswell in heresye as in treason leaste the kinge shuld not punish the poore preacher for preachinge but let him go So Christes accusers the holye bishops and preastes when they perceaued that Pilate sauoured the innocenie cause of Christe and sayd he found nothing that they layd against him worthy of death they made him poore man eate that wordes iudge as he was and told hym if hee let Christ liue and woulde not proceade to condemne him he was not the emperoures frende This hath bene alwayes the pleadinge of the Satanycal cleargy euen sithens that wicked see of Rome falsely chalenged supremacye euen to put the princes and iudges of the earth in the headde that all true preachinge of Gods word againste theyr wickednes superstition and ydolatry was treason But all kinges Quenes and magistrates ciuile shall at the daye of their death aunswer with eternall dampnation of their soules for the sheading of all innocent bloud wythin their realms and offices God doeth not bydde the kyng and Quene commit matters of religion to the bishops neither doeth he wyl them to geue byshops power to condempne when they lust and so afterwards commit such as thei haue condempned to the secular powers but doeth commaunde all princes to be learned them selues to hear them and to iudge them selues such doubtsull and weighty causes by the word of God It is bothe againste Goddes lawes and mans that the bishoppes and cleargy should be iudges ouer any subiecte within this realme For it is no part of their office They can do no more but preach Goddes word and minister Gods sacramentes and excommunicate such as Gods lawes do pronounce worthye to be excommunicated Who wold geue a sword in to a madde mans hand There be not liuinge more malicious cruell craste dyuelishe nor tyrannicall tyrauntes more mercilesse then the bishops and cleagye vnder that wycked bishop of Rome as the cromcles and the histories of the bishops liues do plainly record And no meruayle for as the bishop of Wincher sayeth in his bake of true obedience where so euer the Pope hathe supremacye there Christ is dishonoured and the kinges suffer wronge Yea he sayeth more let his boke be iudge that ther can be no truthe where as the bishop of Rome is chiefe heade And therefore he saieth that no prince canne or may geue y e pope any such autority For a king canne no more geue that parte of his office that toucheth the gouernaunce of the one parte of hys people whiche is the cleargye for matters of relygion to the bishoppes of Rome then a wyfe maye geeue the vse of her bodye frome her husbande too an other manne Yet as Saynte Iohn sayeth the princes of the earthe shall be made so droncken with the cuppe of that whore of Babylon that they wyll deliuer their power to the beaste but yet Saynte Iohn sayeth playnelye althoughe the kinges doe geue too the beaste againste Goddes lawes theyr kyngedomes yet bee they none of the beastes But nowe the byshoppe of Wynchester and the reast of hys fellowes againste theyr othes theyr sermons theyr preachinges their bokes yea their own knowledge and conscience fall vnder that wicked and false pretensed power agayne and do make him the headde of Christes churche whom they al be not able to proue to be anye member of Christes churche Graunte it wer as true as it is false that Christ hadde geuen suche supremacye to Saint Peter who they say was bishop of Rome although I neuer knewe man yet able to proue it and his successoures yet no manne shoulde obey the thinges done by the Pope For the word of God is plain that he is an excommunicate person in that he teacheth doctryne besydes and contrary to the worde of of God As Saint Paule sayth plainly And how farre both the doctrine and the vse of the sacraments vnder the tiranye of the bishop of Rome be from the word of God it shal appear plainly to all the estates of this realme if my Lorde Cardinall of his charitye wyll accomplish the reasonable and gentyll requestes that I
such as hold theyr kingdoms and autorities in the worlde as it were in capite of that wicked and pestylente sea and chaire of Rome which is in dede the verye whore of Babilon that saynt Iohn describeth in the reuelation of Iesus Christ sittinge vppon a seuen headed beast which S Iohn him selfe interpretateth to be seuen hylles and the children in th◠gramer schole do knowe that Rom◠is called ciuitas septem montium the cytye of seuen hylles This generation I say that alwayes hath shedde innocente bloude least the chyld should degenerate from the fathers condicions for he that gaue the bishoppe of Rome his supremacye was a bloudy murtherer and traytoure one Phocas that kylled his master Mauricius the Emperoure his maistres the Empresse and syre of their lawefull children woulde beare the worlde in hande that I were not onelye an heretike but also a traytoure And to affyrme that assertion they saye I haue written to comforte encorage and maintayne suche as cursed the quene But if I may as I oughte be hearde indifferently I shall trye my selfe a true man and proue mine accusers to be false in the face of all the world There be as I here say nowe certain in the counter in London that wished euyll vnto the Quenes highnes vnto whome myne aduersaries saye I wrote letters of encoragemente that they did well in so doynge and that if they contynued doynge the same styll they shoulde do better First I do require all good men too marke the tenaure and contentes of the letter whiche my trende sent vnto me to aduertise me of such men as were taken and imprisoned vppon newe yeares daye at nyghte last past also to marke the contentes of myne aunswere vnto hys letter where withall I did sende this letter that the wicked calleth treasonne I haue set at the ende of this apologye the true copy of all three letters and other letters then these I wrote not to them that were taken at that time Nowe marke howe my letters wyll proue thys twoo penye treason that the wycked woulde charge mee with all Fyrst I knewe of nothing the congregation dyd but of prayer whiche they vsed as they be bounde by Gods lawes in the vulgare tonge let the papistes saye too the contrarye what they wyll and there they gaue God thankes for that they had receaued at his handes and asked of him the thinges that they lacked and prayed also for the Queene and the magistrates Marke the information of the letter that aduertysed mee wherefore they were taken Nowe doo the wicked papistes fayne matter and chaunge prayer wherein I requyred them too perseuere for the Quene in to cursinge of the Quene Marke againe the place where prayer and seruinge of God that I commended was done in a Godly mans house saieth my frende in bow churcheyard The place where the quene by reporte was cursed was in the counter by the stockes in London Further marke the tyme when the thinge was done that I commended before they were taken as my letter to them doth testify Marke also what the personnes be that are accused of this cursinge suche as yet vntyll the tenth of Ianuarye I knewe not nor haue hearde of And to those that be accused of the crime my letters were not sente nor neuer came Yet doeth the wickednesse of the wicked papystes saye that I encoraged them in euyll doynges my letters neuer commyng vnto them nor when I wrote knew I of any such cursing Farther suche as bee taken and imprisonned for that faulte I neuer knewe of nor of anye suche thinge too be done by them vntyl as I sayd the tenth daye of Ianuary whiche was as I haue learned at the leaste syre dayes after the faulte was done and three dayes also after my letter was written and deliuered to them that were in an other prisonne frome suche as did thys crime Wherfore if the wicked were not paste all shame charitye loue and honesty howe coulde they of conscience blowe and blaste abroade such wicked lyes and scaunders that neither agreeth wyth the matter of my letter nor with the personnes nor with the place wher the crime was commytted nor yet wyth the tyme when the curses were vsed There was neuer true subiectes in suche daunger as we poore English men be at theese present dayes The falsest menne of the worlde yea the Satanicall papistes may saye what they wyl so that they speake against any that lauoureth God his word the holye catholike church of Christ and his accusation vs it neuer so false by that time it hathe bene in the consistorye courte and handlinge of the Bishoppes one daye or two it shall haue some fayre pretensed colour to make it appeare true and also to be done only for conscience sake as all their religon is hipocrisye and coloured with holynesse in name I haue bene alwayes a true manne to al the estates of thys realme I wyll stande with the lawe in that pointe and reproue myne accusers what so euer they be As for my truthe and loyaltye to the Quenes hyghnesse the tyme of her mooste daungerouse estate can testifye wyth me that when there was both cōmaundements and cōmissions out against her whereby she was to the sighte of the worlde the more in daunger and lesse lyke to come to the croune yet when she was at the worste I rode my selfe frome place too place as it is well knowen to wyn and stay the people for her party And wher as an other was proclaymed I preferred her not wythstandynge the proclamations And to helpe her as much as I could when her highnesse was in trouble I sente horses oute of bothe shyres Gloucester shyre and Worcester shire too serue her in her greate daunger as Syr Iohn Talbot knyghte and Wylliam Ligon Esquier can testify the one dwellynge in the one shyre and the other in the other Seyng in aduersitye I was wyth her and did her seruyce then I beyng at liberty It is falselye and wickedlye conspyred by the papystes that nowe she being in reall possession of the croune and in prospertytye and I a prysoner in captiuitye woulde be againste her But wher as the pope wyll for a penye of two pence geue remission of all synnes a pena et culpa the wicked may saye and do what thei luste and the innocent lambes of Christ suffer what so euer God shall permytte the members of Antychristes kyngdome to laye vppon them Yet maye the Godlye see the pretensed and false ymagined treason of theese Antichristes against me Doubtlesse it is not because they bear good will and loyaltye to the Quenes highnesse that they would bringe me in to her dyspleasure For all the world knoweth she hathe no more nor no greater enemies then those that desire to leaue no mouthe open in this realme too speake and sound the name of Iesus Christ in fayeth and vnderstanding I take recorde hereof at the bishoppe of wynchesters booke of true obedyence
haue made vnto him I trust as gently he receiued my letters so he wyl graunt me and my fellowes that be in duraunce oure lawfull requests But this I do wryte good reader not to make discourse of any matter but only for the maiestye and honour of Gods word to declare mine innocency of treason or anye euyll wyll or malyce that I beare to the Quenes highnes or any superiour power Doubtles I thank our heauenlye father I haue reade to many times the word of life and marked it to well to fyghte agaynst or curse the magistrates I praye God to geue them vnderstandinge of hys holy truth wyth loue to followe it and the harme that I woulde to any man liuing happen to my selfe For the coÌ„mauudement of God is that we should not only loue our frends but also our enemies And not only wish good and pray for our frends as dettours vnto God and them for the benefites we take at their hands but also praye for our ennemies lamentinge the tirannye and wickednes of synne that causeth them too hate and persecute whome God requireth to loue Yet doeth Saynte Iohn in his Epistel commaund the readers therof to beware they praye not for such as be subiecte to the synne whiche is to death But I suppose that in these late dayes wherein the spirite of iudgement and discreation or discerning of sins is not so abundantly in men as it was in his time no man shoulde withoute a speciall testimonye of the holye ghost particularlye or expresselye iudge that synne to be in anye man For the iudgementes of God who shall tourne from wickednesse or who shall fall from versue before this mortall life be ended be not reueyled nor knowen vntoo menne And yet in case I knewe as saint Iohn saieth a man that synned vnto death for whome by the commaundemente of God I shoulde not pray it foloweth not that I shoulde curse him for whom I may not pray And I reioyce y t the inscrutable iudge ment of god suffreth y e wicked to slauÌ„der me with that euil that of al others I haue ben all my life time I thanke God least troubled and in daunger withall For I neuer cursed man nor beaste otherwyse then the woorde of God wylied me for the tyme whyles I preached hys word to rebuke syn I do remember that Saynte Augustine in his booke of Christes sermon in the mounte hathe manye Godlye sentences and sayinges in this matter But I mynde not to write a boke of it but only to speake the truth of my self agaynst wycked sklaunderers that care not so they maye hurte how they hurte nor so they kyll by what meanes they kyll In the psalmes and in the prophets he maruelous execrations of the wicked and speciallye agaynste suche as wyth the death of the Godlye god aboute to condempne the woorde of God and to oppresse it Christe also and his Apostels vsed maruelous execrations when he sayed woo be vnto the Chorozain wo be vnto thee Bethsaida c. Saint Paul wyshed them destroied that troubled the church of the Galathians Also he called the high priest painted wall to his face and Peter killed with a word Ananias and Saphira his wyfe Saint Paule strake blynde Elimas the witche Eliseus caused the wylde beare to teare and kyll the chyldren that mocked hym Elias caused syre from heauen to fal vpon the messengers of Ochosias the kinge These thinges declare that there were at all tymes cursings vsed and extreame punishment followed such as were by Gods commaundemente cursed and yet suche as did curse remayned styll in the fauour of God But these examples no priuate man may folow for these men were publike preachers of Goddes word whose office was by all meanes so to rebuke and condempne sinne as thes were instructed by the word of God And he that marketh the condicion of these persons shall perceaue that in euerye one of them was two persons thone publik that could speake no more pleasaunte nor gentlye to the sinful world then God bad them whiche was to pronounce them cursed and damned for their sinnes and iniqutye yet as priuate menne they wepte and sorowfullye lamented the miserye and losse of the same persons that they cursed as publik ministers Ieremye as a publike preacher threatned the destruction of his own countrey the captiuitye of his naturall prince and kinge and the seruitude and bondage of al his cuntremen yet as a priuate manne wept and cried out rather with floudes of tears then with droppes of weping So did Christ vpon Ierusalem Dauid vppon Saule and Absolon and Saint Paul vppon the Iewes and yet offended nothinge at all For althoughe God require of publike ministers to doe that appartamethe to their publike office in cursinge and threatning of his ire and displeasure yet he taketh not frome them his naturall affection to pitty and bewaile euen such as they knowe most iustly to be punished but yet so in measure that the affection of mercy and compassion murmure not against the wil iust iudgement of God Wherfore as it is forbydden a pryuate manne to reuenge by force his own wrong so it is forbydden hym too curse or execrate any personne magistrate or other Yea the publike personne that preacheth in this poynt hadde neede to be cyrcumspecte and too be ware he speake nothinge of affection but all for the correction of synne to the amendemente of synners as the Sayncts do aske vengeaunce in heauen sayinge when wylte thou reuenge oure bloud vppon them or the earthe where as it maye not bee thought that the Sayntes praye vncharitablye agaynst theyr neighboures that the worlde and the kyngedome of synne myghte make an ende in them And so doo all good menne praye nowe vppon the earthe that the kyngedome of God may come as it is in the Lords prayer But what doo theese vnGodlye papysies fynde faulte wyth cursynge when not onelye all hystoryes chronycles and recordes frome tyme too tyme euer sythens the pretensed and wycked authoritye of the Romyshe byshoppe doo testyfye besydes dayelye experience that they haue cursed kynges and realms of malyce pryde and indignation and for money haue blessed them agayne and so vsed kynges and realmes as their wicked lustes haue moued them as slaues and beastes contrarye to Gods expresse worde And dayelye it is seene in euerye consystorye courte that at the wyll and pleasure of a wycked manne that is the Byshoppes offycer the innocentes be cursed and vsed woorsse then dogges vntyll suche tyme as the offycers furye be pacified wyth Golde or syluer If they knewe Gods lawes â—â— they doo not in deede they shoulde see and fynde that no ordynarye excommunication shoulde bee vsed by the Byshoppe alone but by the Bishoppe and all the whole paryshe So we reade in the olde lawe that when suche excommunications were vsed the whole congregation stode the one partye of the one hyll
comforted not leafte alone as the manner of the worlde is at this presente but diligentlye sought and laboured for as Christe dyd for the loste sheepe who did not onely seeke for it but also caryed it home vppon his owne shoulders when he had founde it Thus haue I spoken and witten gentle reader againste the papistes proceadinges as it is my bounden dewtye and all mennes elles that feare God For I am sworne by the terryble venerable holye and blessed name of God as I truste too be saued by the ryches treasure and meryties of Christes deathe nother dyrectelye nor indyrectelye too agree vntoo the wycked and pretensed supremacye of the Bishoppe of Rome but with all my wytte learning and other meanes resyst him This othe by Gods helpe I wyll not violate break let the wicked persured men that he the wicked popes adherentes saye what they wyll and do what God shall permitte them I feare not deathe nor passe of their cruell imprisonment which is more vile and cruell towards vs true men then euer it was against murtherers traytoures and theues But that is no now thing For there is no offence irremissible with the popishe bishops but to beleue trulye in Christ as his word teacheth Cipriane in a sermon de mortalitate hath these words eius est mortem timere qui ad Christum nolit ire he feareth death y t wold not go to christ But we desire and grone too be dissolued frō this wicked life and world if it please God How be it we wyll not gladlye prouoke enmitye nor yet suffer vnprofitable persecution but when the glorye of God shall perishe withoute the truth be testifyed I defye all tormentes and tormentours And let al good men and women reioyce also in Christe for doubtelesse the churche of Christ was first planted vnder the gospell by the deathe of Christ and his poore seruaunts and nowe it shall take no more harme by the persecution of the Satanicall papistes then golde taketh by the goldsmythes fornace There is no deathe canne come to the creature withoute Goddes good leaue and permission Therefore let vs reioyce that oure tyme draweth so nere to go from this ruinous and decayed cytye and tabernacle of oure bodyes for there is an euerlastynge mansion in heauen prepared for vs. And whyles we doo liue let vs pray to god for this our naturall countrey For where as before it was cursed but by wicked manne the Antichriste of Rome nowe is it cursed of God And where as before it was interdicted but by a false wretche that would be Christes vicare in earthe nowe is it interdicted by the maker and creatour of al the earth as the woord of God doeth shew vs and all the olde counsayles and doctoures Besydes that loke vppon the Bishops boke Winchesters oration doctour Sampsons oration the byshoppe of Duresmes sermon and the Bishop of Londons Epistle I praye thee gentle reader as soone as thou readest this treatise kepe it not close but make it open and spare not For it is not by sworde and fyre that the papystes canne feare vs frome the truth of Goddes word Grace and peace bee wyth thee Amen ¶ The copy of the letter wherby Master hooper was certyfyed of the takinge of a Godlye companye in bowe churcheyarde at prayer MY duty humbly remembred you heare I know of a godly company imprisoned whiche were taken vppon newe yeares nighte yet notwithstandinge for as muche perhaps as you knowe not perfectelye how nor wherefore you shall vnderstande that beinge vppon their knees in ending of praier wherin thei gaue god thankes prayed for the magistrates estates of the realm and required thinges necessary at his bountefull handes two of my Lorde chauncelours mē as I am informed came first into y t chamber wher they wer in bow churchyard immediatlye afterwards folowed M. shyryeffe with others who cōmaunded thē all to staye in y e king quenes magisties name wherunto thei humbly obeyd for they came not thether weapened to conspire or make any tumult but onely like Christians Christianlye to praye and too be instructed in the vulgare tounge by the readinge and hearinge of Gods woorde as theyr conscience did enforce them without the dyspleasure of God to do For as you well know there is nothing so greuouse too the paciente in this worlde as the gnawinge and byting worme of a troubled conscience beinge accused by Goddes lawe for the wylfull transgressing of the same as by experience we knowe by iudge Hales who contrarye to the knowledge of Gods woorde consented to the wicked traditions of the papists Which although in name they wold be of the holye church and preachers of the gospell of Christ yet in facte and deede do they dissente frome the same and mostedetest that godly societye as by the cruell handlinge of the Christians by the prelates at this presente it doeth euidentely appear Therefore I saye that they might without the offence of God quietly praye together as they be taught by his worde there assembled a Godly companye together to the number of xxx deuyded and sente to bothe the counters where at commaundement they yet remayne And with master Chambers master Monger and the rest in the counter at breadstreate I was yesterday who god be thanked be stronge and doo reioyce that for well doing they are imprysoned Not doubting but y e as god hath vouchsaued to accept them worthy to sustain imprisonmente for his sake so he wil strengthen thē rather to suffer death then to deny his truthe As the Lord knoweth who assist you with his holye spirite that vnto the end you may perceauer in his truthe vnto whose tuition in my pore prayer I humbly cōmend you 3. of Ianuary 1554. M. Chamber M. Monger M. Sh. and the rest in the counter do pray for you in Christ salute you mooste humbly ¶ The aunswer of Master hoopers letter vnto the former letter THe grace of God be with you amen I perceaue by your letter how that vpon new years daye at nighte there were taken a Godly company of Christians whilest they were prayinge I do reioyce in that men can be so well occupyed in this perilous time and flye vntoo God for remedye by prayer as well for their own lackes and necessityes as also charitablye to pray for them that persecute them So doeth the word of God commaund all men to praye charitablye for them that hate vs and not to reuile anye magistrate with woordes or too meane him euyll by force or violence They also maye reioyce that in well doynge they were taken too the prysonne Wherefore I haue thought it good to send them this lyttle wrytinge of cōsolatiou praying god to send them pacyence charitye and constancye in the truth of his most holi word Thus fare you well and praye too God too sende his true woorde into this realme againe amongest vs which the vngodlye bishops haue nowe banished 4. Ianuarye 1554. ¶ The coppye