power possyble to holde vp Antichristes kyngedome for fallynge and that with the most spyghtfull â—omempt of his Christen bretherne which is but a fylthye buyldynge For more enclynynge to Christes clere veryte than to their vnwolsom Papistye he accuseth them here most malyciouslye of preuye vpstorynge and close enclosynge togyther of cankred heresye As though the Gospell of y â— lorde which they haue receyued as his onlye power to saue them were most cankred and pestylent heresye Thus do they to cause the people to abhore yt and to brynge the worlde in an yll opinion of them that oweth yt fauer Non other is the nature of soche execrable loâ—ustes which are crept out of the smoke of the bottomlesse pytt but alwayes to stynge hurte sleâ— and destroye all that is grene vpon the earth All that hath receyued anye quyekenesse of beleue by the worde of the lyuynge Lorde wolde they wyther vp to the fyer of hell 4 True is the clause of Ecclesiastes that Pantolabus here allegeth for a full confirmacion of his matter yf yt were trulye bestowed Stultorum infinitus est numerus Of foles is there an infynite noumbre or an innumerable sort This was not spoken for the small flocke of Christes persecuted members whom the worlde reputeth for foles for they are but fewe in nombre Manye are called sayth he but verye fewe are chosen But this was first vttered for that pleasauÌ„tlye disposed multitude of this worlde whoÌ„ God hath reputed and styll doth yet repute foles in his scripturs The noumbre of those foles are infynite in dede and their swarme innumerable Of his faythfull seruauntes doth the Lorde knowe the noumbre for he hath their names wrytten in the boke of lyfe But of these ruffelynge rutters he knoweth no noumbre for his knowlege most coÌ„monlye is his acceptacion which they shall neuer enioye Wysdome had yt bene for Pantolabus to haue consydered this text there also Vidi cuncâ—a que fiunt sub sole Et ecce vniuersa vanitas afflictio spiritus I behelde all thynges sayth the wyse manne done vndre the sunne And I perceyued wele they were all but vanyte and vexacion of mynde By this myght he haue consydered what his folyshe Papistrye is not rysynge of the expresse worde and commaundment of God but of the syckle fantasyes of men That yt is but mere vanyte and madnesse and that the obseruacion therof is execrable fylthynesse A mysterye 1 But I praye God To spare the rod. 2 And that vvith hart They maye conuert 3 And call for grace Vvhyle they haue space 4 Dum lucem habetis credite in lucem vt filij lucis sitis Ioan. 12. ¶ The openinge 1. By all pâ—uyshe pathwayes of Papistrye hath Pantolabê° wandered here at the last he playstreth vpp his pedlarye poesyes and falleth full vndeuoutlye to his prayer He desyereth God without that fayth which riseth of his veryte to spare that rodde which he neuer yet threttened vnto manne For the crosse of contynuall persecucioÌ„s which coÌ„monlye lyghteth vpon the elect members of Christ are not threttened vnto them but promysed with his eternall rewarde yf they faythfullye beare them Only are plages threttened to the disobedient breaâ—eâ—s of the Lordes commaundementes And those plages are the verye curses of God where as persecuâ—ions for his truthes sake are his most wholsom blessynges Blessed are your sayth he whan meÌ„ne reuyle yow and falselye report yow for my names sake For great is youre rewarde in heauen A moche better waye therfore were yt for Pantolabus and for his bloodthurstye generacion to leaue their murtherynge vp of innocentes and to repent from the hart their manyfolde myscheues past And that ones done than to praye vnto the Lorde in faythe to withdrawe from them that vengeaunce of innocent blood she dynge which hangeth ouer their heades as a perpetuall plage rodde or scourge of eternall damâ—nacion Thus doynge they myght beccome of publycanes true Apostles with Matthew of cruell murtherers faythfull minysters with Paule the elect vessell of God 2 Charytable wolde Pantolabus gladlye apere now that he hath spewed out all his poyson and myschefe agaynst y â— true seruauÌ„tes of God A fayre colour sett they alwayeâ— vpon the matter be their workynges neuer so vengeable And in that they agre with their spirituall head the serpent which temptynge Eua shewed a bewtyfull face outwardlye with swete and pleasaunt wordes Whan they sytt in their consistoryes vpon condempnacion of the innoceÌ„tes with Cayphas they outwardlye pretende all godlynesse They first call vpon the name of God openly protestyng that they haue his ryght honour before their eyes in all that they go abought They sweare also vpon the holye Euangelyes that they will there do nothynge of displeasure hate percyalyte nor malyce Yet is the poore innocent in the ende coÌ„dempned accursed geuen to the deuyll disgraded fyered and burned onlye for his fayth in the Lorde Iesus Christ. Neuer the more is Pantolabus here to be trusted that he prayeth so bytterlye for their conuersyon For abhomynable is that charyte which foloweth of so moche malyce as he hath afore here vttered and that apereth by the fylthye frutes therof Not vnto Christ and his holye verytees wolde he haue them here with all their hartes to conuert but vnto the Antichrist of Rome by a newe obedience of his olde cankred customes whoÌ„ their lorde God doth detest and abhorre This is y â— dissemblynge charite of this worme of way wardnesse or maliciouse membre of SathaÌ„ This is the conclusion he seketh 3 Fayne wolde Pantolabus haue them to conuert to that false obedience of Antichrist that he might lyue lyke a gentylman and haue his dishes the fatter and his purse the waghtyer Oh it is a pleasaunt thinge to haue the people on both sydes of the way salutinge them with cappe and knee It is a good syght saye they whan the flocke foloweth the shepeherde and y â— parryshynes their curate yea but alas what is it whan the lambes folowe the wolfe which is a cruell thefe a destroyer and a murtherer For whose grace wolde Pantolabus haue Christen menne to call For the grace of holye churche of his holye father the Pope of his good lorde of Wynchestre his good lorde of London His good lordes of lyncolne yorke and Durham with soche other ghostlye fathers If he meaneth the grace of God I maruele that he forgetteth himselfe his owne generacion Me thinketh they ought in soche prayer to be had most in remembraunce consideringe they are fardest of all meÌ„ne froÌ„ his grace yf they seke not for it whilâ— they haue here space and layser it wyll be wyde with them whan they shall come ones to their strayght reakininge But they thynke it safe ynough so longe as they haue y â— Popes powr still in their handes w t Ego absoluote vndre a stulticia a stole I shuld saye For yf they maye geue grace vnto others they haue grace ynough for themselues
preciouse stone pearle But inwardlye decked with faythe hope charite and the rightousnesse of Christ. And outwardlye she is adourned with calamitees veâ—acions most slaunderouse rebukes and deathe 3 Glad are we to heare it that the ernest sprete of Christ is not yet extinguished in them for all yowr most cruell assaultes of penaltees inprisonmentes famishemeÌ„tes halters swerdes faggottes fryre and all other tormentes els A remnauÌ„t is there yet lest of them which hath not bowed their knees to yowr false God Baal To them hath the lorde promised a crowne of lyfe yf they perseuer stedefast to the ende For these do we praye dayly with teares w t are a brode in exylâ— that they do not swetue from that stedefast rocke at the venemouse suggestions of your fylthye generacion as some fleshly wantons hath done now of late to their sowles detriment Better had it bene for them that they neuer had geuen that is holye to dogges and swyne after Christes premonishementes than thus shamefullye to become swyne with them and so to treade his preciouse pearles vndre their fete For in so denienge the lordes verite before menne they haue shewed themselues what they are eueÌ„ the flesshlye louers of themselues and vnworthye of Christ. More harme haue they done than they which hyd the lordes treasure neuer openinge their mouthes to declare it Those are they which are neyther hote nor colde whom the lorde hath promised to spewe out of his mouthe or vtterlye to reiect them from the eternall herâ—tage of his clerlye racinge their names out of the boke of lyfe yf they repent it not sore 4 If those good creaturs whom PaÌ„tolabê° here spyghtfullye reporteth cleaneth fast vnto their bone we are greatlye ioyfull therof For a more manifest token caÌ„ not be that they are Christes members than that By that inseperable saythe apere they to be his naturall spouse in dede a bone of his bones and a rybbe of his rybbes Now are they by that meanes become his own dere meÌ„bers his misticall fleshe and bodye He that shall now persecute them shall persecute the apple of his eye so dere and preciouse are they vnto him For their faithfull perseuerauÌ„ce make we daylye intercessions with teares from our hartes which are now dispersed or scattred abrode in the regions of Samaria and Iudea for the persecucioÌ„ that is at HierusaleÌ„ With the wiges that the lorde hath graciouslye geueÌ„ vs which are his wordes and examples ded we flye into the wyldernesse so sone as we perseyued that the rode Dragon vometed waters to destroye the saythe which we gatâ— by his worde â–ª ye shall be persecuted saith Christ from cyte to cyte For yf they haue persecuted me they shall also persecute you But as they shall pursue yow in one cyte flee yow alwayes into an other Not onlye was this Christes counsell but he ded it also in effect He fledde into Egypt in his yowthe he declyned from the malice of his enemies and he absented himselfe from the Iewes In that wyldernesse hath he prepared for vs as he ded for Helias to fede vs there for the space of a thousande ii hondred and thre score dayes A mysterye 1 For though they be gone yet is there behinde That are as blynde 2 As the other before Vvhich kepe in store 3 Full close and pryuelye Their cankered heresye 4 Stultorum infinitus est numerus Ecclesâ— 1. ¶ The openinge 1. NArrowlye doth Pantâ—labus loke to his matters now least all wolde away froÌ„ his holye mother to the great detryment of his popishe lyuinge Though frith Lambert Barnes and soche other be gone yet are there he sayeth of the same sort styll remayninge as yll to his generacioÌ„ as they Whose blood he wolde haue his holye mother to drinke so bloodthurstye is the spirituall hart of the manne and zelouse in her quarell He is verye glad that his good graciouse lorde of wynchestre doth sturre so wele aboute him as he doth He turmoyleth in their kynde these newe Gospell readers to cause all Englyshe menne to abhorre Christes testament but vnto the Stewes of LoÌ„don he is a full gentyll benefactor and founder Not onlye doth he leaue them vnrebuked of verye tendre sauer and loue but also full fatherlye he mainteyneth them with y â— lordelye wages of his seruauntes and sumtyme with the delycates of his owne table by the lyberalite of them I thinke this fatherlye beniuâ—lence of his is for some respect that he hath to the common welthe or els to qualyfye the great heates of his hote howsholde which euerye where tosseth lyke termagauntes with the blood of oure lorde the sowle the hart the fleshe the bodye the bones This is the holye Gospell that he maynteyneth Blynde are they called here of Pantolabus which will not folowe these vertuouse rewles to the vpholdynge of their markett in confessyons at lent But the eternall father delyuer his flocke from the abhominable blyndenesse of them 2 Non can ryghtlye se after the blynde opinion of Pantolabus vnlesse they be ledde blyndefelde in the darke by the sprete of his holye mother She must sett vpon their noses y â— spotted specularyes of her olde tradicions and customes or els is yt nothynge worth If they shulde be now without their Latine houres wherwith neuer manne yet was Christenlye edifyed their Christen relygyon were clerelye lost If they shuld not haue their accustomed wainlynges in the temple their processionynges their sensynges their holye water swyngynges with soche other ioyes of olde Troye they wolde thynke that heauen were out of the worlde and hell comen home to their dores This is the syght that Pantolabus requyreth non other wolde he the people to haue least they shulde in a whyle be moche godlyar wyse than he This houglye syght despysed Iohan Wyclef and Iohan Husse This fylthye syght contempned Mariyne Luther Melanchton It was nothynge for the appetyte of Oecolampadius and zwinglius with soche other more And that is the verye cause whye they are regestred here of Pantolabus for heretyques These are they that were blynde afore because they had not that syght of his holye mother And they which cometh after kepeth now yet styl in store the same selfe blyndenesse in his folyshe opinion and therfore he is not contented with them but wolde verye fayne haue them burned for heretyques yf yt myght be 3 Afore grefe is yt to the stomake of Pantolabus that anye shulde be alyue which fauoreth not the Pope This parauenture will be rekened a slaundre but the denyll of lye yt is What other is yt but to preferre a manne whan we magnifye his workes Are anye other thynges called vpon here than matters of Papistrye No verelye Not one poynt is sought here of Christes clere institucion Neyther his holye Supper nor Baptym compassion of y â— poore nor mutuall charyte nor yet the true preachynge of repentaunce by the Gospell of saluacion But here seketh Pantolabus with all
For all youre crepynge and crowchyng to soche ydolouse shepeherdes is for that swete Ambicion whom youre hart so sore coueteth And as concernynge sedicions and scysmes Not one hath bene in Christendome notable these D.CCC. yeares but youre false generacion hath bene therin the chefe doers as all the Chronicles mencioneth What myschefe ye ded ones in the cyte of London in kynge Rychardes tyme the seconde abought an horse lofe it is shame yet to reherse besydes that ye haue wrought there in other quarters of Englande euer sens that tyme. 2 He that doth speake the thynge that is true and certayne without false colours of cauteles doth vtter it in wordes playne is moche better occupyed than euer were you yet For that which you haue taught in the churche and yet do styll teache daylye so but the verye doctryne of deuyls so vncertayne and vntrue as they are Nothynge els are youre histories of the Saintes but fables lyes and fantasyes taken out of Legenda aurea made by fryre Iames de voragine The promyses that ye make to the people concernynge youre Masses that some of them shuld be wholsom for the poxe somme for the pestylence somme for the ague somme for the headake somme for y â— fâ—wle euyll and soche other are false and abhominably practysed of you to deceyue the simple for moneye And lyke wyse youre frydaye fastynges ladyes psalters and rosaryes with bedes primers pyâ—turs candels holye waxe other wytcherye more Neuer are the swete promyses of the Gospell made playne vnto the people by you but darkened euermore with youre hypocrites gloses Neyther will ye entre into the kyngedome of God youreselues nor yet suffre anye other that wolde gladlye entre All youre stodye is to vpholde those mytred Mahometes the Bisshoppes to maynteyne you styll in the kyngedome of fleshlye ydelnesse And for that ye care not how manye Christen sowles ye murther 3 As connynge as ye make ye in fyndynge ye shewe youre selfe here but a false and a deceytfull sercher ye saye first to Barnes charge that he sowed sedicion This is no newe thynge in you but an olde vsed practyse in youre craftye generacion Of sedicion was Christ accused by the hyghe Prestes yet caused they Barrabas that was the sedicion worker and a murtherer also by their instaunt labour to be saued Paule was complayned of to the debyte Felix to be a commocion maker not without the false counsell of the Bisshoppe Ananias yet was he a manne most peceable and godlye Happye is Robert Barnes therfore with them so to be noted of the same selfe sort Playne are his wordes good manne in all the workes he hath made coÌ„cernynge obedieÌ„ce dewe both to God and to his prince In all his wrytynges can not I fynde one clause of disobedieÌ„ce to eyther of them Manifestlye declared he his obedience towardes God in that he for his truthes sake forsoke all worldlye estimacion that he myght â—ele haue had at the latter ende gaue his lyfe for it also And as touchynge the kynges mageste his large supplycacion vnto him directed is a sufficient wtynesse therof towardes him besydes y â— boke which he wrote vnto him in Latine coÌ„cernynge the lyues of the Romishe Popes But it will here after apete some other obedience that Pantolabê° complayneth of than eyther of these be 4 I perseyue by the circumstaunce of this matter that the holye obedieÌ„ce which Pantolabê° meaneth here that coude not be founde out of Barnes smelleth towardes Rome For it is a spirituall obedience belongynge onlye to his mother holye churche which is no congregacion of the lewde layte but of spirituall prelates as his holye father the Pope with all his college of carde makers arche byteshepes and byteshepes dockers presters and currates These are the hyghe powers that he speaketh of here after to whom he wolde haue vs so sore bounde to be obedient in peyne of deadlye synne because that his honorable mastershyp myght be loked vpon also as a ryght worshypfull curatâ— amonge them concernynge his tythes offerynges For it is an yll worlde whan the people will not knowe their dewtye to hâ—lye churche A great decaye is it to their holye mother that the cursynge sentence is gone This was the obedieÌ„ce that doctor Barnes coude neuer fynde in all the scripturs therfore meanes were sought out to haue him brent for an heretyque without examinacion of his articles Where as yf he had acknowledged this he had bene styll a lyue Thus playe these Romishe gentylmenne colle vndre the candelstick cloynige vndre craftye colours to clought vp their false kingedom of deuyllishnesse ageyne yf it may be The subtilte of the serpent is not yet all dead but lyeth styll lurkinge in their generacion to worke all myschefes 5 Scripturs haue we non of this wretched Papyst but eyther they are wrasted hacked maÌ„gled or els falselye alleged Vir Apostata iurgia seminat is here now brought in whiche wanteth no lessethan .xvii. wordes of the whole sentence to serue his false purpose And to amende the matter he noteth it the .vi. Chapter of Sapience where is it is not so but the .vi. Chapter of Salomons Prouerbes His concordaunce there deceyued him For that onlye he sought for this text and not the Byble And thê° lyâ—th the text there Homo apostata vir inuitlis graditur ore peruerso annuit oculis terit pede digito loquitur prauo corde machina turmalum et omni tempore iurgia seminat A dissemblynge persone a manne myndinge no goodnesse hath all these propyrteâ—â— with him He carryeth a deceitfull mouthe his eyes winketh wyles his fete traceth toyes he pointeth with his fingars he is alwayes Imageninge euill and in euery place coÌ„monlye he soweth discorde To this ende doth not Pantalabus bringe in this text here but onlye to proue Barnes an apostata for leauinge his fryres cote with y â— Popes obedience And in this hath he shewed himselfe here in his owne right colours a through Papyst in dede I will not saye a raÌ„ke traytour to approue my coniecture afore Easye is it to se what lyeth in the hartes of these pestilent poyseners of the people whaÌ„ the forsakinge of a pylde frytes cote is so wayghtye a matter with them yet styll The sequele of that Chapter ded not Pantolabê° marke for his owne amendement others For he found it not in his coÌ„cordaunce Sex sunt que odit Dominus et septimum detestatue anima eius Sex thinges are there which the lorde hateth and the seuenth he abhorreth without remedye A proude loke a dissemblinge tonge handes shedinge innocent blood an hart Imageninge euill fete that are swyft to do myschefe a false lyenge wytnesse and he that soweth discorde amonge bretherne In this clere myrrour he might haue seane himselfe in the hate of God and a great sort more of his cumpany A mysterye 1 To the commanndement Of the hygh povvers At anye hovvres 2 On payne
eye syght therfor serued him not so wele vpon this syde as vpon that syde The Popes enemies are the onlye heretiques in his Genealogye here and not the enemyes of Christ and his kynge Be that farre from him to iudge those good vertuouse fathers of holye churche any heretyques No I warande you Cardinall Pole fryre Peto fryre Buckenham other ranke papistes abrode are yet non heretyques with him but relygiouse vpholders of that holye mother of his the churche of Rome Truthe it is that Thomas Garade a bachelar of diuinite and person of honye lane was tyed to that poste vpon his ryght syde for preachinge ageynst Antichrist And that ded Christ afore tyme promise hiÌ„ in Peter for a rewarde yf he wolde be a preacher in his kyngedome Whan thu wert yonge sayth he thu gyrdedst thyselfe walkedst at thy pleasure But whan thu art olde thu shalt streche forth thy handes and an other shall gyrde the leadynge the contrarye to thy mynde And therfore this was vnto him a promysed rewarde of his master which had no better of the worlde his selfe 2 If Garade were a brother of Barnes of a lykelyhode he was non than of Pantolabê° brotherhede as were Abell Powell For yf he were he wolde nor regestre him for an heretyque But I putt the case that Garade Barnes both be now of that bretherhede which God the father hath allowed for his sonne Iesus sake as it is most lyke to be so For that heretage in Christ is not promysed vnto them which lyue here in wanton pleasurs and are murtherers in coÌ„tempt of the Christen veryte but vnto those despysed disciples that are persecuted scorned and that suffre death for thesame What shall become than of Pantolabê° and soche other disciples of Antichrist which hath with so villenouse spyght refused that bretherhede yt is easye to coÌ„iecture yf they deâ—olye repent not in tyme. Happye is Thomas Garade that euer he was borne Not onlye in that he taught Christ here for an onlye sauer without the mangye merytes of menne but also in that he hath with his owne dere lyfe sealed as a sure wytnesse vnto the same agaynst Antichrist This singular profyght hath he all redye gotten therby That he shall from henceforth neyther honger nor thirst and that God hath wyped awaye all teares from his eyes Neuer more shall he tast of death of losses nor yet of sorowes for the first sorowes are past Now is he sure to be allowed for a fre cytezen in the newe Hierusalem whan his lorde shall sytt in the regeneracion 3 Pantolabus yet styll to conferme his doctryne with blasphemyes and lyes allegeth here the .xvii. chapter of Ecclesiastes otherwyse called the preacher and the whole boke hath nomore but .xii. chapters in all I warande yow the manne meaneth sumwhat by it In dede this clause Vna enim cathena tenebrarum colligati erant is in y â— xvii chapter of Sapience But I maruele sore where omnes is become He was surelye layed asyde for some cloynynge purpose That chapter is all togyther of the sore iudgementes of God concernynge the Egypcyanes They were all bounde sayth the wyse manne with one cheane of darkenesse And this was for that they thought styll to haue in subieccion his holye people Saint Iohan sayth in the Apocalyps that youre spirituall cyâ—e or holye mother churche is now that Egypt and Sodome I praye God ye do not condempne him for an heretyque He sayth there also that ye shulde in youre firetes throwe forth the bodyes of the lordes wytnesses but ye shulde not suffre them to be layed in graues Me thynketh he is there verye playne with you and towcheth you sumwhat nyghlye The wyse manne in the same chapter of yours appoynted oute youre generacion gaue ye a lawfull warnynge sayenge there afore Propter hoc indisciplinate anime errauerunt c. for this cause onlye do menne erre that they will not be reformed lorde by thy wysdome For that shall they be wrapped in the cheances of longe darkenesse Their sorceryes and inchaâ—ntmeÌ„tis shall come to derisyon their proude wysdom shall be brought to shame A mysterye 1 And on the lefte hande One Hierome ded stande 2 One of that nest As blynde as the best 3 And thus they thre Novv burned be 4 Ipsi sibi grauiores tenebrae Eccless 17. ¶ The openinge 1. I Ngenyouse wolde Pantolabus apere in this descripcion leauynge oute no circumstauÌ„ce of doctor Barnes burnynge Now bryngeth he forth Hierome the persone of Stepnaye declarynge him to stande vpon his lefte hande as though it had not bene knowne afore But fetherstone he forgetreth which was a ryght brother of hiâ— was hanged there for treason the same selfe daye ye heare him not tell here on which syde he honge As for the kynges matters he passeth not grâ—atlye vpon them but holye churches matters are an other maner of thynge He will not describe a trayterouse Papist least he shulde so sâ—â—t forth his owne propre ymage Wyllyam Hieriome in dede a bachelar of diuynite also a manne eloquentlye lerned for the veryte preachynge agaynst Antichrist stode on the leftehande of Barnes in the fyre and was brent with him to ashes And blessed is he that euer he had a lyfe so to bestowe agaynst that abhominable kyngdome of yours That fyre was vnto him but a delyueraunce from miseries restorynge his sowle to that quyet which he hath now in Christ Iesu. Not the more vnpure was that offred vp treasure which the lorde left with him in an carthâ—n vessell though the vessell were scorfled in the heate of that flame but the moche more orieÌ„t and precyouse For matters stande noâ— a fore god as yow do iudge them but as he hath determyned them by his holye worde promyse 2 To enlarge his poesyes with some blynde thetoryckes he sheweth that Wyllyam Hierome was one of that nest But what that nest is he declareth not but leaueth it all blynde as he is alwayes a blynde leader A nest in the scripturs hath both a good origynall and a godlye significacion though Pantolabus here mocketh with it for want of good lerninge By the wysdome apointment of God was it first fashioned sumtyme it betokeneth the true churche sumtyme the conscience of manne The false counterfet churche which Pantolabus here mainteyneth is no wholsom nest in dede but y â— insaciable chaos or bottomlesse pyt that S. Iohan speaketh of whiche hath darkened the sunne that is Gods worde and sendeth forth nothinge els but a fylthie smoke of tradicions of mennes lowsye lerninge with an innumerable swarme of their lecherouse locustes As are mytred Byshopes Gorgioâ—se Prelates Prestes smered with grese shauen sorcerers and chaplaynes disgised lyke disardes in a mommerye in manye strauÌ„ge kyndes and colours Who can with lesse honeste call a man blynde than he that is blinde all togither Of all that Pantolabê° hath here taught in this Genealogye is not