vnto al them that beleue it It is not long sythen we called on Sainctes for diseases and all folyshe fantasies nowe we be taught that in all our extreme miseries we shuld flee vnto Ihesus the only appoincted mediatour betwyxt God the father and vs Once we wer not ashamed to rūne barefooted and barelegged to bowe our selfes vnto Images before whom we cōmitted wonderful Idolatrye a thyng most cursed dampnable in the sight of god And if men woulde iustly weie pondre the maruelouse Ipocrisy Idolatrie dampnable supersticiō which of late dayes were stifly defended and mainteined of the Clergy for pompe and dignitie vayne glorye and aduauntage sake they cannot but triumphe for this so Godly a change excepte they be priuie enemies vnto England and shamefull rebels vnto christes holy religion for by this chaunge we haue lyght for darkenes true religion for supersticion remission of our synnes by the bloud of Christ in stead of Papisticall and deceitful Pardonnes And yf we would call to memory howe imperfecte and corrupted oure faythe was by the reason of poperye howe ignorantly we walked yea and what disobedyence reygned emongest vs then surely if we be not shamelesse and destitute of all grace wee cannot but giue hearty thankes for this most gloriouse chaunce And euen nowe is full tyme yf the state and value of thynges be wel cōsidered to shew our selfes reuerent deuout and symple to receiue the gloriouse testamēt of christ yea and to repente and make our eies sore with sobbing and wepyng that euer we wer so disceiued with popery Ipocrisie such other pelfe And how to vse our selfes in readyng the bible let vs all take our exaumple of vertuouse kyng Iosias whiche was a man indued with such a singuler grace and of so feruēt zeale toward the word of God that after he had once redde the boke of the lord he so lamented al wiked doynges false doctrine that he rent his clothes and sayd The wrath of God is kendeled on vs because our fathers haue not hearkened vnto the wordes of this booke to do in al puinctes as it is written therein O happy people of Englād if your dull vnderstandyng wold reache to cōsider how worthy wordes these wer for so noble a kyng wold god the mindes of al kinges princes were so stable in the law of the Lorde as his was for he ceased not with al his power to throw doun al kynd of idolatrie as tēples hi laulters groues the .xxii. chro cōtrarily again wicked Manasses his sōne Amō obserued dismael daies made Images bowed vnto thē what vile estimaciō this brought thē vnto the holy scrypture witnesseth in the booke of the kynges Where thou maiest reade also of diuerse kynges whose hyghe glory and worthinesse is tourned into shame for that thei refused the woord of God and gaue them selfes vnto Idolatrie and vtterly cast awaie the cōmaundementes of God And for an example How pitiefully I pray the did the lord smite kyng Iehoram he was inuaded of his enemies and lost al his goodes he was plagued with diuerse diseases his end was most miserable greuouse to beholde for his bowelles rotted within hym and fell out of his bealy yea and to be brefe for his mischefe he was not buryed in the sepulcres of the kynges but is left vnto vs as a memory of wickednes the .xxii. Chronicles This kyng was thus wōderfully plaged for that he forsoke the word of god and defiled himself with Idolatrie against the law of the Lord And be ye wel assured that he and his people wer not worse defyled in those dayes then wee were of late with Romyshe doctrine Oure truste was as all men know in masses of Scala celi wee enbraced blynd pardones and louyngly buried them with vs we kneled bowed and becked vnto Idolles false doctrine bare the hole swaie the truthe cleane shut vp it was kept vnder locke and coulde haue no libertie What Godly minde woulde not abhorre to thyncke on this With these and many mo abhominacions we wer sore and deadly woūded And none so good a meane can now be foūd to cure oure olde diseases as to flee vnto the blessed testament of Christ which wil quickely healpe suche as desyre remedie confessynge their greefes and lamentyng their myserable blyndnesse The great grace and benignite of god is nowe soo preste that thou maiest yf thou wylte drynke a draughte freelye of the syncere worde of God that most pure fountain and holsome water of lyfe whiche wyll cause the to spewe vppe all that thou hast dronke of that foule stinkyng and Papistycal podel And yf thou nowe geue no eare to it but fondly wylte folowe other by pathes whiche cōmonly bee thicke thornie and cūbersome to iourney in and hast a desire to straie abrode thus wilfully thou knowest not whither dysdainyng to folowe the doctrine of the Byble where God sheweth howe and whiche waye al his should walke thē forsoth it is an euident token and significacion that thou arte the childe of wrath a counterfaited Christian yea and a ryght inheritour to Hell And if thou be mynded to tary still in Ignoraunce and wilte not bee moued from thy miserable condicion whyche soo blyndeth the that thou haste no grace to discerne the contrariete of these .ii. doctrines doe no more then but reade Sermones discipuli Legenda Aurea vitas Patrum and the olde Chronicle of Romyshe Byshoppes afterwarde reade the Testament Then thou shalt soone espie how the glory of God hathe ben defaced and what abhominable lyes and fables haue been taughte in the steade of the Gospell This shal bee a meane yf any meane be to make thine hearte relente this shall make the to crie out vpon all false doctrine yea this shall alter the from a styffe and a stubburne ignorant to be a pleasaunt sacrifice before GOD. That is thou shalte bee pourged in conscyence from Idolatrie Ipocrisie supersticion mennes constitucions newe kyndes of worshyppynges this and that fourme of liuyng colde ceremonies and such other pelfe as hath been added of late vnto Chrystes doctryne then thou wylte quickely refuse the shadowes of the lawe of Moyses and folowe the Testament whiche is the lyghte and full perfection of Christes holy religion for there thou shalte fynde all thynges playnely set forthe vnto the whiche apperteigne to get euerlastyng lyfe And if thou wilt now endeuour thy self to attain the knowledge of it then forsoth thou trauelest for pure ornamētes treasures iuels and laborst to a purpose for in comparison of it al other studies be but vain vanities and fātasies most fond And that thou mayest be more spedily prouoked to the word of God consyder howe sore sainct Paule as a true and faithfull minister was charged with thoughtes for the Congregacion He was so earnestly bēt to haue it goe forewarde that he coulde not suffre in no wyse to haue it hyndered or put backe but would haue it knowen vnto all kynd
holy pleasant and acceptable before God a reasonable sacrifice whiche is the sacrifice of the mynd For God is a sprite and his fauoure is gotten by the gyftes of the sprite the .xii. to the Roma The Euāgelist witnesseth also that Chryste is fully satisfied with a faithfull heart saiyng geue me thine heart I aske no more Now truely no man geueth his heart vnto God but he that forsaketh the pleasure pōpe and vanities of this vile world and with a syncere mynde bent onely on heauenly wysedome seeketh to knowe the scriptures of Christ for Godly wisedom as saieth S. Paule deliteth in Godly and simple mindes and therfore none of the princes of this world haue atteigned it Neyther Pilate neither Annas nor Cayphas nor the Pharisees ne yet the deuelles although thei wer learned in the knowledge of worldly thynges pufte vp and proude because they knewe the lawe neither proude princes deserued to know this no nor yet the curiouse and haute Phylosophiers The .ii Corinthi This Heauenly wisdōe is the Gospel of Christ which bringeth quicke and spedy saluacion as thou maist read in the .x. to the Romains by the strength and power of it al thynges haue their beyng both in heauen and yearth This heauenly wisdome which is the very wil and testament of our sauiour Chryste putteth power efficacy and vertue in the holy sacramentes By this heauēly wisedome whiche is the misticall holy gloriouse scriptures of Christe our solles liue and haue their spirituall norishmente Yea and in receuyng this heauenly wisedome which is the blessed word of God wee receaue the bodie of Christ here dooeth appere by these woordes an excedyng grace and vertue of the liuely woord of God Therfore whosoeuer wil consider the effectes therof and way with himself the pith thy puinctes of our christiā religion desiryng to find fauour grace and mercie at the handes of God he must obediently al supersticion false and intermingled doctrine and wilfull ignoraunce vtterly set a part enbrace nowe Christes Gospell whiche reconcileth all menne to God as thou shalt finde in the fourth to the Galathyans this reconciliacion loue and fauour he that wold not gladly haue yf he might is to bee thoughte bothe madde and miserable for it is a thing farre aboue the beneuolence of hyghe kynges and mightie princes it is therfore most gredily to be desired Nowe truely this grace and fauour al poore men may well and easely atteigne at the handes of God whiche with simple obedient heartes reade his blessed Testament and seke forth his scriptures and all that be thus occupyed are openly pronounced to bee very acceptable in Goddes sight Accordyng to this saiyng of the holy Prophete Blessed are they that seeke forthe thy testimonies and require thy law with all their heartes By this it dooeth apere that it is requisite for al christen men eyther poore or riche to study the holy Bible and diligentely to searche forthe the wyll and pleasure of God Thou canst not denye but that thyng is pleasaunt and acceptable in the fathers sighte that causeth him to geue his sonne benedictiō for as muche as wee see daily that benediction is not giuen but vnto suche chyldren as folow their fathers mind and pleasure And that it is very nedefull that all men shoulde bee perfectly taughte in the holy Scriptures Esaie the Prophet plainly declareth It is a people saith he without vnderstādyng and therfore he that created them shal not fauour them and he that made theym shall not bee mercifull vnto them the xxvii of Esaie By these wordes it is easy to bee iudged That who so euer is not diligente to reade the woorde of God falleth into his indignacion and fearfull displeasure and wandereth on ignorauntly as one voide and destitute of al grace to whose peruerse mynd God wyl shewe no mercie surely this is the greatest plage and misery that can chance vnto men Now to auoide this wicked estate who would not bee circumspecte and willyng to take in his hand the holy Testament Vndoubtedly he that through the deuell and ignoraunce is so seduced that he hath it in meane estimacion and to reade it hym self is neyther couragyouse ne yet of good wyll to haue it set forthe by other is in a miserable case Yea the misery of such a man no tong can sufficiently expresse and yet to see howe wickedly many nowadaies bee confederate togither in a Deuelyshe conspiracie against the promotyng of it is a thyng soore to bee lamented And all that bee of this peruerse and stubburne iudgement bee more abhominable in goddes sight then wer the wicked and grosse people of Geresa whiche coulde not away with Chrystes doctrine regarded not his commyng vnto them no nor woulde in no wise bee acquainted with hym whose familiaritie and acquaintaunce euery christen man oughte desirousely to seeke And this is plaine that there is none so good a meane to be throughly acquainted with him as to bee busied in his holy scriptures and alwaies to haue a delyghte there folowyng the holy Prophete whiche said vnto god thy commaundementes Lorde bee my ioye and delectacion This holy man beatyng alwaies a faithful heart vnto God and euer diligent to set abrode the lawes of his Lord saied vnto his deere and best beloued sonne Salomō and vnto all the people Kepe seeke for the commaundementes of the lord your god that you may enioye a good land and inherite your chyldren after you for euer This was Godly counsaill and worthie commendacion this counsail shoulde all Christen men folow and gladly learn the syncere law of Christ for it is spiritual and the giuer of life as thou arte taughte in the eight to the Romains And in this doyng wee must needes prospre and goe forwarde in all our affayres As it is shewed in the .xv. Chapyter .ii. of the Chronycles Beleue his Prophetes and soo shall ye prospere Howe wonderfully I praye you dyd kyng Iosaphat prospere because he forsoke Baals waies and walked vpryghtely in Goddes commaundementes obeyed the holy prophetes and vtterly shoke of all the wycked dooeynges of Israel euen for the earnest heart he hadde vnto the truthe God alwaies defended hym and stablyshed his kyngdom in his handes and so hathe he promysed vnto all kynges prynces whose heartes are couragiouse in the wayes of the Lorde This noble Prince was nothyng forgeatfull to call in memorie his loyall dewtie and faythefull obedyence towardes GOD his creatour and gouernoure He was the truest hearted Kyng vnto GODDES woord that euer was annointed or had charge ouer Chrystes congregacion for he was inflamed with suche zeale and faythfull affection of hearte to set abroade the lyuely word of GOD. That he sente forthe dyuerse of his Lordes Priestes and Leuytes and caused theym to carry the booke of the Lawe with theym and commaunded theim to teache the people in all the Cities of Iuda Hys couragiouse and Pryncely hearte for this his dooeyng cannot haue sufficient lawde and
Byble they that marke well sentences of grauitie and worthy notacion wyl not put reasō vnder foote and bee soo madde as to stretche their hand against the promoting of the gospell It is a token of a pestilente and wycked heart to murmure at suche as reade it For the time of them is gloriouse that gloriously spend it and cursed are they that lyue ignoraunte as brute beastes It semeth that suche esteme the hight and supreme wisedom of god to be vanities surely we ought to celebrat those daies with high ioye whan we once here tell that the ignorant sort geue ouer their enuious trauails against the Byble For then thei shall be greatly desired beloued and well named emongest al men thē shal sedicion and discorde take their leaue and enter no more in place Pitie it is that their yl intentes shuld condemne the Godly thinges that haue ben writen to winne them they ought to yeld and giue greate thankes to God that thei are deliuered frō Romishe auctoritie If they wold now shake of their old and dusty tradicions abate their depraued malice they mighte restore again their glorious fame and haue estimacion loue and fauour in steade of infamie shame and disdain Surely it were a thyng most pleasaunt in Goddes syght to see thē and the rude multitude florish in his word for in some places yet as great is the necligēce of the people as the ignorance of preistes And that they thus continewe weake wittes be not the cause but very slouthe and malice whiche cause them to folowe the corrupcion of auncient custome and to set their heartes altogyther on pleasure idlenes Thei thus folowyng their owne wilful intentes pulle doune styll the estimaciō of preistes And yf they would leaue the wyles of the worlde that nowe flocke togither styffely in blyndnesse appliyng their wittes to ēdomage other with their restye lyues cause sedicion and sclaunder vnto good ministers then myght Englande auaunce it selfe and saie Now shal I florishe and haue fauoure in goddes syght Nowe shall I be valiaunt in vertues worthy great fame For now there be none to troble and vex the poore sort peceable people bent to the gospell Nowe shal science augmente and men wyll drawe to the byble Truely I could neuer hete Antique historie alledged that men shuld not knowe it Now I shal weaken the hertes of mine enemies and make thē stande in dreade they wyll feare me more for my knowledge thē for al my valeaunt conquestes Now the heard hearted that were in credite and spred abroade the traines of supersticiouse doctrine and with blynd flattery begiled the symple sorte wyl do seruice for my common weale They wyll remember that men are but beastly by nature and Godly by their cunnyng knowledge And yet to saie further I haue often desired to haue vyces restrained and vertues augmēted that it wil now come to passe I haue a full trust for my drad soueraigne lord and supreme head Kyng Edward the sixt beginneth to be stable in the Lord and couragiouse in his woord and all his people within this his noble realme lyke louing subiectes be obedient vnto his grace perfectly taughte theyr duetie and obeisaunce Often Englād hath been in perill and daungier whē the people were weake faint and dull of vnderstandyng by whose meane it somtime hath loste the supreme heade and gouernour to it great sorowe and care But the pytiefull losse of noble Kyng Ihon shoulde perse euery mannes heart most sore and by what traiterous traines through false pretence he was caste awaie it is necessarye to be knowen whose noble and valiaunt vertues worthely to extoll I suppose no tongue is able That noble Kyng was soo broughte vppe in vertuouse and Godly bokes and toke such great trauell in the scriptures that thereby he espyed how the glorie of God was shamefully dusked and defaced with wicked tradicions supersticiō and Idolatry thinges most intollerable Then he quickely like a prince of courage and noble hearte spake openlye he wold redresse the pompe and glorie of the cleargie the gospell shuld haue free passage let them al saie what thei lust Thē they like a multitude of traiters turned themselfes from naturall subiectes into beastly rebelles They were soone confederate togyther lyke vile and detestable wretches to bluddie theyr handes on Goddes holy annoynted their deere soueraigne Lorde and gouernour al to mainteine Romysh auctoritie And to their dampnable intentes there wanted no trayterouse traynes for whan they coulde not deuise howe to kyll hym neyther with sword nor dagger they inuented policie Their daily ragyng and maliciouse heartes were neuer at quietnes tyll they had encouraged with theyr pestilent perswasions a sturdy blacke Monke to take saie vnto his grace of a poysoned cuppe when his highnesse valiauntly came into a certain Abbey where he stode in doubte and suspection of no man for al the brethren receaued him lyke Ipocrites fayned thē selfes mery ioyeouse outward but were sorowefull within They vsed ioyeful wordes but bare wicked heartes Thei sorowed not for repentance but at the sight of his graces presence whiche greued their heartes full sore then the Pryour archetectour of this heinouse treason and father of al mischefe espiyng oportunite of tyme brought in the Monke with his poysoned cuppe Oh Lord I maruel that his intrels dyd not breake to offre so fylthy a draughte to so noble a King I maruayl how his maliciouse hand for terrour sorow could hold the cup from fallyng Wonder it was that feare of god speach of people and shame of the world dyd not restrayn his propensed and wycked heart from that terryble draught deeathly vnto the Kyng and dampnable vnto hymselfe A wickeder deede and a more myserable myschefe hathe not been heard of O maliciouse and vnhappy Monkes O wretches I dare saie hearder hearted then Pharaoo and falser then Iudas or els the intestyne of theyr heartes woulde haue trembled and quaked to betray theyr deere souerain lord O wicked subiectes and beastes vnnatural I saie again O cruel wretches that soughte to make awaie hym for whose sake they should haue spent the best blud of their heartes yf these shamefull villaynes had red the notable histories of the Byble they would haue restreigned their cankerd stomackes frō consent to murder their kyng If they had read the historye of kyng Dauid and Saul and noted wel what reuerence loyall obeysaunce Dauid shewed vnto Saull although he knewe that he was a kyng vtterly cast of and refused of god If thei had marked also the wonderfull woordes and high displesure that king Dauid toke with his seruaunte whiche came vnto him either lokyng for herty thākes orels some great reward and said he had killed Saull The gentle heart of Dauid arose so at his woordes and grudged so sore at that heinouse dede that straight he promoted his seruant euen to as good a death as the gibet or galowes I thinke they woulde