you sooner may the North and South togither tye And ioyne vnto the brittish shore the Persian dignitie Then for to cause their diuers mindes in one for to agrée Nor maruaile when without the light that from the scriptures springs They rashly iudge of hed and ende and order right of things As if a blinde man in the way would make himselfe a guide Or iudge of colours which were fairst or which were better dide It shall not hurt thée much these things though fond in hand to take And lightly to pervse and sée for lyes doe often make The truth to be estéemed more and of more forâ—e to showe Both swéete it is and I allow the cause of things to knowe But such as certaine are and such as no man can denie Of knowledge certaine endes there are and boundes appoynted lie The worde of God must beare the bell and sway in euery thing And next to that such reasons good as wise men here doe bring Must be esteemed as a troth Be circumspect in euery thing if ought thou séekst to finde Concerning heauen world and forme of substance or of kinde Or touching fortune place or hap the elaments and time Of motion thunder winde and snow raine haile or frostie rime Whereof it comes that pleasant dewes in Sommer wettes the spring Or what procures the lightning fierce that pearceth euery thing What makes the fire oftentymes in hellish clowdes to glow Or why the sunne in showre appearing the rainbow streight doth show â–ª Why Moone with fogge is compast oft or how the blasing starre Appeares that oft is signe to men of famine death or warre Wherefore the earth doth tremble so and Cities ouerturne And why that Phoebus oftentimes with thréefolde â—ace doth burnâ— â–ª Besides let him consider well if that a good man may Beleue the distance of the skies to be as they doe say If that the Moone so farre excéede the earth in quantitée Or if the starres so farre aboue the earth in bignesse bée Or if the Lord created more than two of greatest light Or any saue the Sunne that past the Moone in force and might Moreouer land and seas pervse and marke their natures plaine And all that in the earth or ayre or in the seas remaine But for these straunge and forraine things men ought not so to care As for our nearer neighbors much that in vs dwelling are Vnto our proper houses therefore let vs come and sée What wondrous things by natures handes in vs created bée How much we doe excell and passe eche other worldly kinde Whose rulers and correctors here the Lorde hath vs assignde What giftes of minde we doe enioy and what of bodie here What vertuously of vs is wrought and what doth lewde appere These things are first to be perusde that we may perfitely Both knowe our selues and eke the things that are to vs so nie Fond is it to be wise abrode and onely for to sée The outwarde things while as at home like bussards blind we bée But here me thinkes some laste lowte should say to me O how Suppose you sir that méete it is your plowman first to know These things before he till his ground and holy plow doe holde What say you to the Apostles than and to the Prophets olde Where euer finde you that these men were learned in this sort Or who would credite him that any such thing would report Besides but few such plowmen could be got as you desire Whereas the haruest of the Lorde doth numbers great require The time hath ben when men of god without their bookes were taught And diuers sodainely by him to state of Prophets brought So fishers and vnskilfull men by force of holy spright He made the teachers of the world and showes of perfite light Besides a number more of such his mightie hand did frame Not for to breake dame Natures lawes and alter quite the same But for to shewe his mightie force and great prerogatiue And that he was not tyed to sleaue of any thing aliue We may not therefore giue our selues to gape for wonders still But as the guise of men requires we must conforme our will Till God do worke in other sorte and other meanes doth giue In sterne and barren wildernesse the Iewes sometime did liue And neyther plowde nor sowde nor reapte in fortie winters space And were not he starke madde that now would looke for such a grace And like an ydle lubber sit and take no kinde of paine With hande nor foote for him or his a liuing for to gaine Or gape to haue the Rauens come or widdow at his néede Who at the bidding of the Lorde Helias once did féede The Riuer great of Iordan once and eke the fearefull seas Through might of God and all on foote the Hebrues past with ease Now néede we when we passe these floods both darke and 〈◊〉 saile And Tiphys eke to holde the helme least on the seas we auaile â–ª Thus are we bound to learne whatsoeuer on earth we knowe or sée That may vnto the honour great of God and glorie bée Ne must they looke for ydlenesse that will be husbandmen Least that the Lorde be tempted so and iustly plague vs then For our contempt and slouthfulnesse example here let bée The franticke Anabaptistes that in any place we sée Who hating bookes and learned artes doe count it vertue graue No skill in any language saue their Countrie tongue to haue And leaping lately from the shop of Shoomakers or such Are not ashamde the Preachers place with greasie handes to tuch Still boasting of the holy ghost and so with passing pride They hedlong throwe themselues to hell and numbers great beside By teaching false and foolish things the Prophets eke deuine Good Moyses first in Pharaos house applyde the Muses nine Before he taught the worde of God or traynde the Iewish hartes And Daniel did refuse the Chaldeans meate but not their artes Paule of a learned Doctor in Ierusalem was tought And not alonely in the scriptures to excell was thought But in the Grecian eloquence and sciences prophane Wherein to be exactly learnde he alwayes had the name With which he better armed put the Gentiles soone to flight And with these weapons of their owne he ouerthrew them quight At Athens with Aratus wordes he gaue them all the foyle And brought agaynst the Creteans witnesse of their natiue soyle A man that hedlong threw himselfe in Etnaes raging flame Amongst the people for to gaine an euerlasting fame What good and honest is among these artes they well may chuse And make them for to serue their turne that vertuously them vse The Egyptians once were robbed of goodes and spoyled vtterly To increase the treasure of the Lorde and his to bewtifie The Gentiles fayth and life we onely are forbidden here And not their worthie sciences and springes of learning clere So that we put them to good vse and profite any wayes Applying them with all our
That of the worde of God the sonnes might euermore remaine And men no lâ—nger looke to heare the voyce from starry raigne Nor can the eares of man abide the speach of God to heare As once the Hebrues made afrayde good witnesse well may beare Therefore he mortall doctors vnto mortall men did sende As Moyses Aaron and such men as euer did attende About the seruice of the Lorde and Moyses now in graue They read the people still the lawe and laboured them to saue As Prophets priestes Leuits eke who preacht and alwayes taught For to beware of wicked things and to eschue the naught And to conceyue assured hope in Christ the promised séede Whereby the hearts might healed be which griefe had causde to bléede This was the Prophets office than and this their order iust When Moyses here had yéelded vp his carkasse vnto dust Whose wrytings through the gift of God doe hitherto remaine The very doctrine of the holy ghost appearing plaine We must not weigh them as the worke of mortall men that die But take them as the bookes of God sent downe from heauens hie In like sort must the Gospell here of good men honorde bée For both with all the Prophets olde it iustly doth agrée And with the dreadfull voyce of God it hath confirmed béene Nor any thing repugnant here may any where be séene Therefore the Church did iustly giue the chiefe authoritie Vnto the holy bookes that in the Bible written lie Commaunding that they neuer be abusde by any wight But to remaine for euermore in good and perfite plight As knowing well hir husbandes voyce the ender here of strife And these the certaine instruments of euerlasting life Beside we must estéeme them more than all the Sibylles heare Or all the Oken groues that earst to Ioue were counted deare And thinke that vnto men these bookes sufficient light doth giue Whereby they well may know the will of God and how to liue So that we profite much herein in knowing that we neede Not ransacke other volumes great of fayth or hope to réede For miserablie doth he toyle and tosse his troubled minde That séekes his pleasure where it doth not lie or else is blinde Whosoeuer of pure and perfite golde hath founde the fruitfull vaine By which he may to Pelops welth or Craesus state attaine And passe the Arabians riches here and Hermus sandes that shines Will hardly hence be had away to digge in emptie mines And vainely pecke in euery rocke whereas no golde doth lie Where trauaile great must be indurde and nothing got therebie To these therefore let husbandmen their mindes and studie giue Here shall they finde what néedefull is to teach them how to liue No néede is here to vexe the minde with turning many bookes Nor for to gaze on barraine fielde with vaine and ydle lookes Here of the euerlasting worde the knowledge full doth lie That sonne of God and Iesus whome the worlde is saued bie The knowing of whom alonely brings vs to euerlasting blysse And reconciles vs to the father where we did amysse And makes vs heyres of heauen bright this is the treasure which Lay hidden in the ground so déepe and Iewell passing rich For which all worldly substance great is well bestowed here Looke where thou list thou shalt not finde it any other where Leaue searching of the Cesterns and the Fennes and filthie soyles And stinking pondes when as at home the fountaine freshly boyles Here draw of cleare Cristall streames here mayst thou drink thy fill If thirst of euerlasting life and vertue mooue thy will Giue all thy force and minde hereto and all thy wittes applie Moreouer this perswasion doth great profite herein bring When in the scriptures plaine appeares Gods will in euery thing What honor we must giue to him what worship him delightes What maners and what wayes are méete to frame the life arightes Least superstition in our mindes or wicked error spring And least we preach and blase abrode some lewde and hurtfull thing As if the things sufficed not that God himselfe hath tought Or that we thinke by our deuice might better things be wrought Who so beléeues that God hath hid no vertue here nor right Contents himselfe and doth obey the worde with all his might And faynes not any thing himselfe nor followes fancie vaine Nor any gloses blinde of men nor dreames of ydle braine As most men commonly doe vse this madnesse vexeth sore And is a plague that all the worlde doth trouble euermore Without the worde of God eche foole dare frame himselfe away Procuring eke companions to runne with him astray Whom at the first he doth perswade and after doth constraine T' obay his folly as a God that ouer all doth raigne Let not our husbandman be staynde with such vntowarde minde But know the waight of scriptures well where he may easily finde What best is to be done or left least that he wander wide Obaying more the voyce of man than his that all doth guide Thus boldned let him duely reade the scriptures euermore From top to toe and oft reherse that he hath read before And print it déepely in his minde layde vp in safetie there None otherwise than golde or pearles or such like precious gere From whence he largely may disburse to men as cause requires The maner how to please the Lorde and leaue their fonde desires And if perhaps he vnoerstand not all things perfitely Or reade some things that doe declare a great simplicitie Let him beware that tediousnesse nor lothsomnesse him take And force him so the sacred worde of God for to forsake In prophane wryters many things at first doe not appeare But hidden lie and doe deceyue the readers looking neare No maruell then if that the holy ghost declare not all In easie phrase but sometime teach with senses mysticall Accept the plaine and easie wordes and those that from thée flie With haste pursue and drawe them from the darknesse where they lie He blessed is that profiteth both with the hard and plaine And is not feared with the tone nor countes the other vaine But markes the order and the guise of Gods most holy spright And beares with that in euery case and takes his meaning right First shall he knowe the causes true and father of eche thing From whose commaundment and whose worde all kind of things doe spring Created of no substance here the stately framed skies The breathing ayre and weightie earth that in the middle lies The monstrous waues of raging seas that here and there doe flowe And what in sixe dayes worke was wrought for garnishing or showe The wondrous sort of creatures straunge in ayre in seas or landes That haue bene made committed to the powre of Adams handes By this he also well shall learne that in the worlde there is But one all onely Lorde and king whose powre almightie is Who doth of persons thrée consist coequall in degrée In nature Godhed
and worser aye by much They care for no man here beside nor make account of such As painefully doe write or teach especially if hée In any poynt doe swarue and from their maister disagrée Whom onely here they make their God as one that cannot lie Nor be deceyude in any poynt nor euer treade awrie He onely lookes not by the glasse nor shadowes here that lyes But all things openly discernes with more than Lynceus eyes Who if he any thing commend their prayses than excell And looke what he doth here mislike they damne it downe to hell And at an ynche they follow him and iumpe with him they go And euermore as he decrées there mindes are altred tho Of these men canst thou looke for good or faythfull husbandmen Imaginst thou that euer truth can be estéemde of them Or that they can vprightly teach he that from â—â—ftie raigne Of heauen came did not forbid his followers here in vaine No man on earth their maister or their father for to call For why he knewe in euery place were swarmes of doctors all Puft vp with pride by reason of the learning that they had Who chiefly sought for to aduaunce their owne deuices mad And cléerely doe deface the truth and here in euery thing To conquer all mens heartes and them vnto subiection bring Sith cleauing to one maister still doth make men soonest fall We neyther must our parents here nor friendes estéeme at all But onely Iesus as the Doctor chiefe we must obay As one that onely teacheth here the truth and perfite way This was the auncient fathers rule for this the writers newe Haue striuen long and plaine disclosde a lewde and lothsome crewe Of errors blinde wherein great learned men in time did stray Whereat I more doe muse why men should at this present day Allow this rule and vse it boldely towarde euery man When as the workes of writers newe and of the olde they scan Yet as if they in heauen should continually abide Of no man here they will be iudgde nor haue their matters tride But would be thought in euery thing to touch the perfite pinne Whose doings here to bring in doubt or to resist is sinne And taken for a deadly crime that néedeth sacrifice Whatsoeuer they teach must be deuourde with shut and closed eies If that thou doubt and that thy stomacke loth at diuers things Then hatred and defiance straight and hurly burly springs And daungers great doth thée awayte and prison hard at hand And death with cruell torments neare vnto thy head doth stand Thou happie art and eke thy birth hath fortune fauourde right If that thou mayste thy countrie leaue in poore and simple plight And is not this a foolishe rage and madnesse grosse and blinde Yet numbers great of fooles that doe accept this same they finde And binde themselues to all their toyes and farther with them go Estéeming all their dooings here as God had wilde it so Nor any thing herein they doubt and worse than Todes they hate All those that séeme to doubt thereof or speake against their state Euen as a loftie Pine they labour such to throwe to ground And worser than their maisters farre in all things are they found Therefore addict thy selfe to none but gather still the best And things that well agréeing be with worde of God exprest The other to the Doctor leaue or to his foolish bande Nor suffer him in sted of Golde to giue thée durtie sande But though the almightie Lorde hath here deliuered vnto men His holy worde with wryters store and worthie husbandmen Whereby the truth may well be knowne and Christ that doth redéeme And all men ought to learne and reade but chiefly such as méene To take the holy plough in hande and mindes in order bring Yet shalt thou not discerne the truth nor Christ the soueraigne king Except the holy ghost from hie instruct thy féeble minde And teach thée here the perâ—ite path and certaine way to finde Beholde in euery place what store of schooles are to be séene What numbers great of Doctors here whose learning men estéeme What companie of bookes and eke what care to learne and teach Yet emptie standes the Pulpet still and fewe of Christ do preach And fewe regarde to heare of him nothing is pure or cléene Nor of the holy ghost may any steps or path be séene The earthly things are had in price and worldly wisedome vaine But no man séekes the doctrine that belonges to christian raigne From whence procéedes such mischiefe great of God the furie fell It is wherewith he plagues contempt and worlde that doth rebell And doth denie his heauenly deawes to euery studie still And onely leaues the worlde the shell and letter that doth kill Himselfe the kirnell close doth kepe and takes the pith away And lewde dispisers doth dispise and suffers them to stray In worldly trifles fonde and vaine wherewith they féede their flocke Why should he open heauen gates to such as doe not knocke Why should he giue his holy sprite his Christ and giftes deuine To them that neuer aske but with a frowning looke repine Thus men still trusting to their wits while as they séeke to finde The way to heauen with fonde decrees and actes of diuers kinde In sundrie follies drowne themselues and labour all in vaine And hedlong hurle themselues into the flouds of hellish raigne But thou applie thy force and minde and banishe slouthfull ease Spread out the sayles of diligence and trie the learned seas Remember yet the ayde of God and helpe of heauenly light And pray to God continually to giue the heart his spright And to reueale the certaine truth thy minde for to inspire With Christ the sauing health who ought to be thy chiefe desire Thy onely glory and thy talke and in thy minde to lie In setting forth whose honour thou thy learnings must applie These things if that with earnest minde of God thou dost require No doubt but he will helpe thée straight and graunt thée thy desire And fill thy open mouth with foode and precious treasures great Thus hath he promised and likes it well when we entreat Dost thou not sée howe Salomon did greatly him delight In asking neyther goodes nor life but wit and iudgement right Howe much aboue all other men he thereby did receaue Go pray therefore and knocke a pace desire and neuer leaue Thou neuer canst thy selfe desire more earnestly to haue Than he is readie for to giue to such as thus doe craue The blessed giftes of heauenly sprite Thence shall he open wide The secret Celles of sacred bookes and wisedome great beside Wherein the swéetest sight of all may Christ be plainely seene That of the chosen euermore the onely hope hath béene And many mysteries beside of straunge and wondrous kinde Kept still in secret from the worlde that euermore is blinde Which no dispiser lewde may knowe His worde eke will he teach Abundantly and giue a sprite
yong men in their best array and trimmest maydes appeare Both Ieasters Roges and minstrels with their instruments are hear◠▪ The Pedler doth his packe vntrusse the Host his pots doth fill And on the table bread and drinke doth set for all that will Nor eyther of them their heape deceyues for of the others all To them th'aduauntage of this feast and gaine doth chiefly fall The seruice done they eyther to the tauerne fast doe flie Or to their neighbours house whereas they féede vnreasonablie For sixe or seuen courses they vnto the table bring And for their suppers may compare with any heathen king The table taken vp they rise and all the youth apace The Minstrell with them called go to some conuenient place Where when with Bagpipe hoarce he hath begon his Musicke fine And vnto such as are preparde to daunce hath giuen signe Comes thither streight both boyes and gyrles and men that aged bée And maryed folkes of middle age there also comes to sée Old wrinckled hagges and youthfull dames that minde to daūce aloft Then sundrie pastimes do begin and filthie daunces oft When Drunkardes they do lead the daunce with fray and bloody fight That handes and eares and head and face are torne in wofull plight The streames of bloud runne downe the armes and oftentimes is séene The carkasse of some ruffian slaine is left vpon the gréene Here many for their louers swéete some daintie thing doe buie And many to the tauerne go and drinke for companie Whereas they foolish songs do sing and noyses great do make Some in the meane while play at Cardes and some the Dice do shake Their custome also is the Priest into the house to pull Whom when they haue they thinke their game accomplished at full He farre in noyse excéedes them all and eke in drinking drie The cuppes a prince he is and holdes their heades that spéewing lie ▪ And that with such attendaunce good that often therewithall His stomacke turnes for which his neighbours like and loue him all Whom if the lyquor that he tastes doe hap to handle so As on his féeble legges vnto his house he can not go But réele and stagger here and there as oftentymes is séene They friendly set him on a horse and home they cary him cléene To shewe their thankfull hearts againe this Catholike aray Is alwayes vsde vpon this feast and venerable day For soules departed from this life they also carefull bée The shauen sort in numbers great thou shalt assembled sée Where as their seruice with such spéede they mumble out of hande That none though well they marke a worde thereof can vnderstande But soberly they sing while as the people offring bée For to releaue their Parents soules that lie in miseree For they beleeue the shauen sort with dolefull harmonie Do draw the damned soules from hell and bring them to the skie Where they but onely here regarde their belly and their gaine And neuer troubled are with care of any soule in paine Their seruice thus in order sing and payde for Masse and all They to the Tauerne streightwayes go or to the Parsons hall Where all the day they drinke and play and pots about do walke Whereas these Cathlicke fathers haue such lewde and beastly talke As doutlesse would abhorred be in any stinking stewes And such as any ruffian would ashamed be to vse These are their chiefe solemnities and orders all the yeare Which with the popish fayth in all agréeing doth appeare And doth declare thou séest the mindes of these same holy men What vertues great they haue and what religion lyes in them The like their temples teach drest vp in more than Pagan guise That shines with wicked furniture before the peoples eies As Idols aultars pictures lewde with armes of men prophane And Banners Crosses burning Lampes lightes that alwaies flame Before the Virgins Image fayre and bread in secret put That round about with yron grates and Chauncell close is shut That surely not vnworthily the Turkes beléeue and say The Papistes are Idolaters and haue no perfite way In seruing God who yet account themselues assuredly The very Spouse and Church of Christ that cannot runne awry Séest thou how in their life they doe beléeue and when they die How doubtfull they that shauelings séeke their owne commoditie Regarding not what happe vnto the simple people falles For if that any woulde neglect the woonted funeralles Their singing and their roaring vaine and onely here commit Himselfe to God his heyre should be constrainde to furnish it And punisht sore if any thing herein shall wanting bée Of all the toyes that doth belong to such solemnitée Thinkst thou they carefull are that soules the heauens doe attaine And Purgatorie scape or rather for their filthie gaine Some where for children is the like whom yet they doe confesse For to be iust and innocent and dye in blessednesse Their parentes for their funeralles constrayned are to pay Least of the Popish tyranny should any part decay No fayth nor perfit godlinesse doth any where appeare But fraude and craftie coulourings and such deceitfull geare Beholde againe their prayers and the bookes they occupie Wherewith to God and to the saintes they pray continually And to the Angells vse the like which supersticious kinde They doe not reade with any sprite or zealousnesse of minde No cause prouoketh them to praye this onely them assinde To babble much for otherwise woulde want no wordes nor minde Ne shoulde they néede so many prayers appoynted them to say Nor thus to tire their wéeried tongue with mumbling all the day Likewise before the heapes of bones prepared for the same They stande and to the spirits and soules in graue they prayers frame And for their good estate they pray that measure none they know Of foolishnesse nor wicked déedes doe euer ceasse to flow To Church they come with beades of bone or of some other thing Whose middles pierced through are tide and ioyned with a string Thus fastned fiftie Rosaries they still account the same And thrise so many Psalters they accustomde are to name With these vnto our Ladie and to God and to his saintes They number all their babling wordes and all their tedious plaintes So that they number onely séeke not caring for the minde That woman holyest is by much and of deuoutest kinde Whose beades vnto hir foote doe reach and eake whose maydens so Drest vp with hir in like attire vnto the Church doe go Besides for Charmes and Sorseries in all things they excell Both Dardan and the Witches foule that by Maeotis dwell The reason is that yet to trust in God they haue no skill Nor will commit themselues vnto th' almightie fathers will. If any woman brought abed amongst them haps to lie Then euery place enchaunter lyke they clense and purifie For feare of sprightes least harme she take or caried cleane away Be stolne from thence as though she than in greatest
great and in the villages thereby There are that doe such doltish dreames defende maliciously That quight contrary are to Christ and to religion right Which neyther canst thou easily knowe nor well in verse resight Now when these Popish lothsome limmes by no meanes we can sée In life nor in their trauaile here the limmes of Christ to bée Nor can in anye wise imbrace the fonde religion vaine And shamefull orders to the worlde of God contrarie plaine Nor doctrine of so wicked fayth to Christian people giue But rather as the Apostles teach doe simply seeke to liue Reiecting toyes and mans deuice as which we surely know To be detested of that Prince that lightnings downe doth throw We here are called Heritykes and worthie thought to bée Of halter sworde consuming fire and ech extremitée We punisht are our houses sealde or from our countrie farre We banisht be or else opprest at home with ciuill warre Whereas the dreadfull Souldiour doth consume and cleane deuours The goodes that here hath gotten bene by toyle and paine of ours These things these Catholikes attempt when in so many yeares By scriptures sure they cannot plant this foolish fayth of theirs Nor ours with scriptures ouerthrow that now they séeke to make The Prince of hell and Christ to ioyne in one and partes to take For all ashamde they plaine perceyue that long they cannot stande With this religion and this life if once doe come in hande The worde of God the heauenly light and that abrode doe shine The twelue Apostles doctrine and that blessed court deuine Nor good it séemeth yet to them such is their wisdome hie To graunt that they haue erd in any thing or gone awrie For shame it is that learned men and such as famous bée For Mitars and for Crosiar staues amongst the Christiantée Christ nor the Apostles fayth to know that perfit is and iust But to be ledde with dreames of men whome none may safely trust From hence procéedeth all their griefe and all their cruell hate That with effusion of our bloud they stablish their estate And will not here be pacified by any other meanes Except we do alow and like their lewde and monstrous dreames And altogither runne in one like flockes for company To false and wicked worshippings and vile idolatry And knowledge them for Lordes of fayth and rulers of vs all Although they teache no doctrine of the King celestiall Oft hath it bene agréed that eyther part shoulde fréely vse Their owne religion seruing God as best they list to chuse And neyther part the other for to trouble or molest With warres or bookes that Germany might liue in peace or rest But Papistes can no peace abide continually they write And both with wordes and wretched déedes most cruelly doe bite Not onely vs which might perhaps be well enough endurde But also Gods most holy worde and gospell here assurde If tumults on our partes arise or any great ado Or if our men doe armour take being forced therevnto And by the law of armes doe burne and spoyle their enimie And take the pillage of their foes immediately they crie The wicked Gospell worketh this beholde in what a plight These fellowes liue the Deuill brought this Gospell first to light It Turkish is and not the same that Luke wrought long ago And spightfully they slaunder it with many raylings mo As if that any Preacher here did euer this alow Or any did by worde of Christ such crueltie auow They know full well themselues that none of ours did euer teache To vse such violence nor this vnto the people preache Yet with their vile infectiue tongues and mouthes enuenemde tho With poyson that in hellish lakes and Stygian streames doth flo The Gospell of the Lorde they doe most spightfully defame And herewithall the Ministers and Preachers of the same But who can Princes gouerne here or any meanes deuise To kéepe them in from vsing force against their enimies Why doe they not as well diswade their Catholikes and blame Them for their force and crueltie that doe the very same And boldely euery where destroy and euery man molest Yea euen their very friendes at home that faine woulde liue at rest What kinde of Gospell teache those men that euen openly With bitter wordes and bookes perswade men to such cruelty Are these to any man vnknowne doth Fraunce and Italy Not openly declare the same and plainely testify Do not the pulpettes of the Pope perswade this martiall might And pardons euery man hys sinnes that in their quarrell fight But sure the wallet them beguiles that hanges behinde their backe And better others faultes they sée than what themselues doe lacke Accounting here for catholickes themselues and all their traine And others all as heritickes and wicked people plaine Wherefore the chiefest members of this holy popish state Their cerimonies and their dayes they yearely consecrate Their foolish fayth and beastly life I openly doe showe That all the worlde may vnderstande and euery man may know That neyther Christ nor perfit fayth they any whit doe way But onely séeke to looke aloft and boldely for to say That they the booke of Peter are and holy Catholickes And we vnhappie castawayes and cursed heritickes But wherein are they Catholickes bicause they folow here The truth but what they folow and beléeue doth plaine appere So it is that in number they and countries vs excell So mayst thou both the Turkes and Mores call Catholickes as well Herewith I iudge that euery man that hath an vpright heart Doth vnderstande how iust our cause hath béene for to depart From this their monstrous fayth and from their lewde ydolatrée And for to shonne these popish members all of ech degrée As men that neyther Christ doe know nor euer séeke to finde Nor suffer such as woulde but kéepe them still in darcknesse blinde FINIS A Table of the principall matters conteyned in this Booke A ABbot of what Monkes 21 His conditions 22 Abottes their confirmation 6 Absolution how the Papistes vse it 34 Absurdities that the Pope commaunds to be beleeued in the ministring of the Lordes supper 31 Agat the stone 39 Acoluth his office 13 Aduent 44 Aduoutrie a pastime 58 Agatha hir vertue against fire 38 Agnes hir feast 46 Agnus dei 46 Albe 13 Alters their dedication 13 Altars their washing 51 Altars their nūber how they sprang 33 Andrew his feast 55 Aungels about the sepulchre 52 Alsoulne day 56 Anne hir vertue 38 Annates commodious to the Pope 6 Anthonie his helpe 38 Appeales to Rome 24 Appolin the virgin hir vertue 38 Aquisgran 39 Altars annoynted 25 Archbishop of Colin 9 Ascention day 53 An Asse of wood 50 Assumption of the virgin Marie 55 Auarice a common disease with papists 27 Austen his time 47 Ashwednesday 49 Almose to what end giuē to papists Absolution for workes 34 Annoynting of finger head hand 34 B. BIshop his order at the Altar 10.11 Baptisme done in Latine 31
powre and euerlasting dignitée Who doth regarde the déedes and actes that here on earth are done And suffers nothing in the worlde at random here to runne But holdes the helme of all himselfe and sterne doth onely guide Though diuers Ministers he hath for euery thing beside He well shall also vnderstande the great affection deare That God doth alwayes beare to man who made his subiectes heare Both birdes and beastes and skalie fishe that in the seas doe swim And gaue him from the skies a minde that most resembled him Nor left him when he wickedly vpon the â—â—ende did waight But threatning Sathan and his traine to mercie tooke him straight Moreouer he shall learne from whence the spring of death and sinne And wretched ignorance of truth did in the worlde beginne And what great force of ours remaynes to deale in vertuous déedes And whence the safe assured hope of righteousnesse procéedes And whence remission of our sinnes Besides he plaine shall sée Examples store of Gods great wrath for such as wicked bée And eke againe the mercy great of God omnipotent Towards them that vertuous are and such as earnestly repent There plainely also shall he sée what things the law doth tell How it condemneth euery man and driueth downe to hell That sinne deserueth dreadfull death and eke the certaine way To please the euerlasting Lorde and him for to obay Moreouer that there are good sprites and aungels faire aboue Sent out from God for mans defence and for their great behoue As vnto them the wicked sprites are deadly enimies There shall he learne that soule of man with bodie neuer dies Nor that the bodie euermore shall kepe the stinking graue But sound and safe at th' ende of the worlde their olde estate shall haue And come to euerlasting life where of the Iudge seuere The fearefull sentence shall they sée and righteous iudgement here There shall the wicked sort receyue theyr iust deserued hire Cast downe into the smokie pitte of dreadfull flaming fire The good exalted to the ioyes of heauen shining bright Shall sée the face of God and liue in passing great delight And more he well shall vnderstande that will of God aboue What honor here he best estéemes and what he most doth loue What orders he accepteth here what dutie eke we owe Vnto the Magistrate the whole estate of mariage shall he knowe But of this worthie treasureâ—great why call I all to minde As if I would the surges tell of seas in raging winde Or number all the glistring starres that in the skies appeare And cast abrode their golden beames when as the night is cleare Or tell howe many thousand leaues in wooddie groues doe lie While as in Autumne Saturne throwes his frostie flakes from hie Or count the number of the eares that through the worlde are séene While as approching Haruest néere the corne forsakes his gréene There shall he finde whatsoeuer doth to husbandmen belong Wherewith to ouerthrow the foe and to instruct the yong Therefore let him at first the bookes of Moyses well applie And all the other Prophetes else in order héedilie And from the fountaynes draw the worde and fetch it from the spring That perfitely he know the minde of God in euery thing But chiefly in the scriptures written by the holy ghost These two the law and Gospell let him alwayes thinke on most Discerning well betwixt them both what doth to eche belong The propertie of euery one their force and vertue strong Least that he hap to deale therein as most men doe this day To make them both agrée in one that differ farre away The lawe destroyes condemnes worketh wrath and vengeance due And showth vs what we ought to doe and what we must eschue Augmenteth sinne and driues men downe into the pit of hell That doe not heare in euery poynt obserue and kéepe it well On the other side the Gospell doth bring euerlasting life And doth appease the wrath of God for sinne and ceaseth strife And thorow Christ forgiueth all that hath bene done amisse And drawth vs from the depth of hell and placeth vs in blisse In giuing ioyes that neuer endes ne shewes how we should liue So much as it the déedes of Christ to vs doth wholy giue And maketh righteous euery one and doth our sinnes deface Restoring vnto sauing health all such as séekes his grace Lo here thou séest a diffrence great that will no vnitée No more than fowle deformed death with life will here agrée Therefore herein our husbandman must seuer them aright Not mingling them togither thus as iust in egall plight Not making Moyses here of Christ or olde Licurgus sowre Nor yet ascribing that to Christ that longs to Moyses powre Let eche of them their office kéepe their time and eke their place Sometime t' is méete the stonie hearts with deadly lawe to chase And to declare the dreadfull plagues that no excuse remaine To wretched men that all their life in wickednesse doe traine A time againe when méete it is of nothing else to speake But graciousnesse and to relieue and comfort vp the weake With swéetenesse great of Iesus milde both necke and hands vnbound From dolefull chaynes of miserie that weyes them to the ground What can be worse than for to kill such as deserue to liue And vnto such as death deserue eternall life to giue Which thing doth alwayes come to passe when all things are not well Discerned as they ought to be and as I earst did tell And though the face of Moyses and our Sauiours countnance bright Must both be bare and open showde and furnisht out with light Yet most of all we ought the name of Christ to magnifie And séeke t' aduaunce aboue the rest his prayse and dignitie For he of euery other thing is finall ende and summe And all things both in heauen and earth by meanes of him are donne And euery thing committed here vnto his holy hande Wherein both health and righteousnesse and death and life doth stande With fauour grace and punishment and whatsoeuer doth lie Created heare vpon the earth or in the heauens hie He is the soueraigne king and guide of chosen people pure The happie priest chiefe head and Lorde and Sanctuarie sure The stedfast stone to cleaue vnto and strongest towre of might The glorious Bridegrome garnished most bewtifull in sight That with his owne most precious bloud did washe and purifie His spouse from euery spot and staine that might offend the eie The onely shepheard bread and light and chiefest maister here In fine the large and welthie horne where all things doth appere Him from the first beginning God did promise for to giue To Adam and his children all that after him should liue A gift that well should pacifie his iust conceyued yre And eke redéeme the damned soules from neuer ceassing fyre Thus taught the holy ghost abrode and Moyses did the same And all the Prophets after him did blase abrode
his fame The Apostles bande did preach and teach him all the world throughout With trauaile and with labour great And eke the Lawyer stout That was sometime his enimie confessed openlie That nothing here he sought to knowe saue Iesus that did die Vpon the crosse for mans offence who at that present time Was made our wisedome righteousnesse and purger of our crime And not by will or force of man but by th' almighties law Why seekst thou here to knowe the cause the rest not worth a straw Respecting this thou mayst account but all as darknesse blinde And fonde ymaginations and fancies of the minde The perfite way that leades to hell which here with labor great The foolish worlde doth blase abrode while as it doth intreat Of lawes religion offices yea though they taken bée From Gods most holy worde or more from worldly fantasée They all are vaine and of no force except we hereto ioyne The knowledge pure of Iesus Christ and maiestie deuine The Iewes although the Bible still they gaze and looke vpon And honor great do giue vnto the Prophets euery one Whose foming lips with boasting of the law the people féedes And glorie in such Cartlodes here of good and vertuous déedes Yet blinde they still remaine shut out from euerlasting light In darkenesse groping all about doe runne to hell aright What profites bookes or Moyses nowe or yet the Prophets all When as thou dost not vnderstand the chiefe and generall Both many worthie words likewise from Turkish mouth procéedes Of God his worship prayers and good workes and almose déedes And in the sobernesse of life they farre doe vs excell They fast and kéepe their bodyes euer pure and cleane and well And oft a pilgrimage they runne with paynes and great expence From Saint to Saint to visite shrines with wondrous reuerence But all not worth a strawe For if that God be angrie still And neyther heare their prayers nor to their vowes he hearken will. For if he all extréemely hate and can away with none That put not all their confidence in Iesus Christ alone As holy scriptures testifie and teach in euery place What profites all this trauaile vaine or labor voyde of grace Like vanitie a great while nowe hath vext the christian sort With ignorance of Christ whose name they onely could report The merits of good workes and prayers mens cares did alwayes fill Of vaine and foolish cerimonies their Pulpets thundred still And in the meane time as the Turkes with name of Christ they play Not teaching all our confidence and trust on him to lay And thus no good foundation of their doyngs doth remaine But as the daughters of Danaus they labourde all in vaine And tooke their trauaile to no ende with weake and wearie hande But tilde vpon the barraine earth and sowde vpon the sande Not that they lacke the worde of God which likewise had the Iewes But that it lay neglected still and slept in deske and Pewes With dust and Cobwebs all to rayde in fowle and filthie plight Whereon if any man by chaunce did happen for to light And otherwise than custome was on leaues a fewe to looke As vsde it was in Churches oft to chaunt vpon the booke He sought not here for Christ nor how to finde the way to skies For that was thought but childishnesse and plaine to all mens eies But sought for other kinde of things though worthie sure of prayse As for to leade a vertuous life and to direct his wayes Some others vsde to mumble vp the matter spéedily And with the swiftnesse of their tongue did labor busily Regarding neyther sense nor wordes to whome it séemde a hell For to bestow a little time in reading scriptures well Hereof sprang vp the blindnesse great that dazde the people sore And well deseruing did oppresse their husbandmen the more The knowledge eke of Christ lay hid that bringeth righteousnesse And causeth vs the blessed reigne of heauen to possesse Thus warnde by Christes example and the daunger that may fall Our husband man must follow Iesus Christ before them all That for the people and himselfe by this he may prouide Least that he stumble at a straw and mountaynes ouerstride And wonder at the village small and stately towne despise And at the entrance misse the house of God before his eies Which doth declare a bussard blinde or one that wants his sight Or else some dronken Plowman mad that knowes no way aright This rule obserude and drinking at the purest fountaine cleare And taking counsaile first of God and alwayes giuing eare Vnto the voyce of Christ our Lorde reseruing it in minde No voyce nor any Paraphrase nor glose of any kinde That olde or newe hath written béene must be dispisde of thée That eyther is the Bridegroomes friend or else is thought to bée Both for the Bridegroomes sake and for the right of all the reast That iustly here are called in vnto the Bridegroomes feast Yet not without a iudgement great or straight examining Reade thou the workes of any man or his interpreting For oftentymes it comes to passe that euen the guide of hell Takes on himselfe the furniture of Aungels séeming well And in the middest of righteous men the craftie knaue doth stande And as a Saint his matters there he taketh than in hande Whatsoeuer wryter followeth still the text of scriptures plaine With Paule and Peter ioyning iust and all the Apostles traine And teacheth that our health procéedes from onely Christ alone And for to liue as he commaundes and trust to others none Him reade and earnestly withall lay vp his wordes in minde As one that onely teacheth as the holy ghost assignde And séekes with all his force and might to extoll and magnifie The honor of the Bridegroome here and soueraigne Maiestie But some there are that at the Thresholde of the doore are blinde Who leauing all the Prophets and the testament behinde Set out the fonde decrées of men and fancies lewde and vaine Such as the man that neuer heard of Christ nor of his raigne With easie trauaile might inuent as once did Xenophon Isocrates and Cicero and others many one Who surely better things doe teach and sounder much are tride Than diuers whom we earst haue knowne with baptisme purifide These also reade for vnderneath the dunghill oft doth lie The precious stone and many tymes from sandes the Golde we trie Scarce can there any booke be founde so lewde vnlearnde or naught But bringeth some commotitie as Plinie truely taught For though there be no learning great for to be had therein And though the phrase and matter all be scarcely worth a pin Though many wicked things they teach yet good to know the same For to auoyde the yll and of the â—est to make a game More laugh to heare the Cuccow lewde to rattle in the throte Than for to heare the Nightingale with swéete and pleasant note But if these foolishe bookes doe hap a
lothsomenesse to breede And to offende the stomacke much as oft they doe in deede Than after reading once or twise no more aboute them stande But giue them to the Spiders Mothes or to the Grocers hande Whatsoeuer is good estéeme it well and kéepe it for thy néede And what is yll dispatch it quite and take thereof good héede But if a controuersie rise amongst the learned men And such as teach the people heare with graue and skilfull pen. If that the matter come to fight by battaile to be tride And that the skirmishe waxeth hote with bookes on euery side Let him a Newter kéepe himselfe neglecting Solons lore And meddle not with any part nor iudgement giue before He well doe vnderstand the case and wayde it perfitelie Regarding no mans person stile nor earthly dignitie Nor giftes of happie fortune here that haue bene delt to men Nor great or little companie of such as follow them Let neyther priuate loue nor hate perswade him any way Nor force him any kinde of thing on eyther part to say Nor kinne nor Countrie mooue his minde to beare his hande awrie And cause the ballance for to swarue and fall vnequallie But frée from all affections let him marke aboue the rest Which of them néerest comes to Christ and followes truth the best And kéepes the perfite rule of fayth and iustly doth agrée With euery thing that in th'apostles volumes written bée For new things no man here may fame and rightly vnderstande The worde of God to such let him assent to giue his hande And beare this alwayes in his minde that scriptures onely must Be they whome godly men are bound vndoubtedly to trust All other wrytings of such force and value ought to bée But onely where with scripture they are found for to agrée Nor must we here regarde nor wey what man the Author bée Of any learning newe nor yet howe great the companée If that he bring not with him still the perfite Bridegroomes sounde And heauenly worde of God vnto the which are onely bounde The heartes of mortall men and which we safely may applie And vanquishe both the gates and raigne of hellishe soyle therebie What thing hath more disperst it selfe through all the worlde so wide What sect hath got so many friendes and followers beside What is more constantly affirmde with sworde and fire defended And thought to come from God as from the loftie skies discended Then that so grosse and foolish law of Mahomet the blinde Whose doltish dreames among themselues contrary oft we finde What shall he doe if number great of people mooue his minde Or generall consent of all the worlde his fansie binde Or stately crownes of Emperours or Diademes of Kings With madnesse shall he runne the way that to destruction beings And doubtfull hanging iust betwixt the earth and heauen tho To hell with crowde and number great of people shall he go Go search the scriptures teacheth hee that from the heauens came Appoynted by the fathers voyce the gouernor of man. He biddes not here the doting fruite of mans deuise to way Nor what the loftie Prince commaundes nor multitude doth say For error springs with mortall men by speciall propertie And blindnesse from the mothers wombe doth all accompanie From which doth neyther Chaynes redéeme nor townes nor princely seat Nor wooll that twise hath earst béene dide in purple poyson great These are the chiefe desires of Pan and Mydas fonde delight And eke the heddie frantike rage of Princes great of might Not onely with the Gentiles lewde who lacke the light deuine But with the learnde and fleshly séede that comes of Abrahams line That now thou néedste not to condemne of Ocean seas so déepe The farthest partes that in Cimmerian mistes and darknesse sléepe For all the earth whereas the Sunne doth cast his countnance cleare Opprest with dreadfull darknesse great and blindnesse doth appeare In matters touching fayth therefore and ioyes of heauen than Let him not trust the iudgement here of any kinde of man. But know that men will alwayes lie with mindes disposed yll Except the holy ghost and worde of God doe guide them still Which whether it be done or not let scriptures here decide Considering well of euery part as Argus throughly eide Except he doth dispise the wordes that Christ did once declare Who doth commaund attentiuely false Prophets to beware The like hath Paule commaunded oft and earnestly doth will So doth the sonne of Zebedey by good and perfite skill But for the iudgement now in bookes and their examining Our Plowman must giue héede to this as to a speciall thing That to no doctor here he binde himselfe continuallie Although the same be learnde and had in estimation hie And of the people honorde much and worshipt for his skill Least by this meanes he be enforst with good to swallow ill And maintaine lies in stéede of troth yea for his maisters sake To wrest and wrie and small account of scriptures for to make But let him kepe his iudgement and reserue his libertée To alowe the things that with the holy sprite agréeing bée And to reiect the lewde and false with malice neuer mooude But onely with the loue of truth which as before I prooude Must onely here respected bée no kinde of man beside Nor loftie hats that earst hath beene with purple colour dide Nor multitudes in number great nor prease of people rife Nor miracles that haue bene ioynde with holinesse of life For since the Apostles worthie time hath not bene knowne to liue A man to whome in euery thing we credite safe may giue For through affections â—f the minde the generall companie That both in Gréeke or Latine write doe often runne awrie And from the perfite path decline and doth the scriptures wrong Inforcing them to other sense than doth to them belong While as they tooke not héede ynough or else too earnest were In things they went about for to perswade or maintaine here Oft times they supersticious things doe teach and fansies vaine That neither with the Gospell doe agrée nor christian raigne Let these be spottes and marks that in thy body fayre appere Yet thinke we them not worthie prayse nor to be made of here As on the other side for these we may not damne the rest That soundly they haue vttred here and Christianly exprest A foolish loue and all to blinde is it when we allowe The manifest deformities and them for good auowe And in a princely hall commend the dung before our face Let euery thing retaine his name his praise and eke his place And let not things contrarie quite haue both one worshipping Nor yet that matters base and vile be sealde with precious ring Wherein they shall constrayned be to trespasse now and than That in this sort addict themselues to any priuate man. But this is not the greatest harme that happeneth thereby In such as to one Author binde themselues continaully There is another greater thing