better lordes worde then y â— wherin england first did instruct you bring you vppe from youre swadlyng cloutes Are you wiser theÌ„ your fathers or more skilful then your mothers Thynke you to be saued more then your parentes or doe you iudge them already condempned For either of you are in harde cases Well well consider your cases and repente in tyme. Get some of that precious roote called Baaras described by Iosephus whiche for euell spirites is very medicinable and dispatche the sprites out of your stomakes Midsomer mone is past you se al your deuises will take no place The nest is founde and the burdes are taken and in cage You re triformed bookes can beare no swynge Men regarde not Turnors boke of the wolfe nor yet the cropeared foxe Hornes Apologie Bales vocation Poynetes folysh coÌ„futacion against the lerned treatyse of doctor Martin strande in no steade Noxes doctrinall of the Masseboke and your newe reuiued lordes worde and haue you not herein an outward face of godlines and in very dede denye theffect thereof The partie which played boo pipe in the wal called the Byrde in the wall of Aldersgate streate at such a tyme as she was examined wherfore she had so deluded the world she answered the lordes worde caused her so to doe And the poore wenche afterwardes making an open coÌ„fession of her practise and desyryng the people at Paules crosse to forgiue her to praye for her made this exclamacion vpon theÌ„ and the like which had procured her to do that feat saying Wo be vnto you heretikes phy vpoÌ„ you all that thus haue the Lorde in your mouthes and the deuell in your hartes This present daye haue I a good cause to crie oute vpon you that in this sorte haue brought me to offende God and the Quenes maiestie in this my late practyse and to be a gasyng stocke to the hoale worlde to my gret shame And therfore beware good people beware of these heretikes for as thei haue vndone me in counsailing me to atteÌ„pte this wicked enterpryse soo they wyll vndo you all vnles ye take hede by times of their noughty opinions With many other woordes spokeÌ„ by her with weping teares against those mischeuous persoÌ„s And there by y â— preacher that day maister Wymsley the hole circuÌ„staunce of that practyse was vttered and was of the audieÌ„ce very much abhorred So I dare saie y â— partie which did haÌ„ge vp the Catte in Cheape syde in mockerie of priestes and delusion of the blessed sacrament of thaltar thought that feate to be a worthy enterpryse And I dare say thought himself a stout champion of the faithe especially escapyng scotfree But lette hym take hede it is an olde said sawe â–ª Qui mockat mock abitur he may peraduenture mocke so longe till he be mocked himselfe And he also thought himselfe a ioly fellowe that did mangle the poore picture of saint Thomas placed ouer the porche of Saint Thomas of Actes by y â— worshypfull companye of the Mercers Who could not tell â–ª what other despight to worke to the Saint but to disfigure the picture But Syr dyd you neuer heare tell of this prouerbe Non-est bonum ludere cuÌ„ sanctis it is not good to mocke with saintes well I feare me you wil mocke so longe til you wil mocke at the gallowse And I dare saie if this man had bene demaunded why he did so his answere wold haue bene the lordes worde prouoked me Thus of the Lordes woorde in all their doynges they make a shypmans hoose to vse it as they liste to do good or il The deuell in his attemptes aswell against man the excellent creature of God as also againste Christe himselfe vsed the titles and places of Goddes worde And is it any marueile though his vnfained ministers practise their maisters lessons Trowe ye that father Browne the Broker of Bedlem could seme so pleasant a maÌ„ to the protestantes and it were not for his cloake of gods worde that hydeth his shepehardes apparell Could his peuishe prophecies be hadde in suche estimacion amonges the warme brethren without his dissimulate vesture and his staffe lyke a shepehooke would the marchant men of LoÌ„don with Pet peny ale Sympering Sysse and other fleeryng flurtes their wiues vse their accustomed peregrinacions and pilgrimages to visite the blissed Rode called poore father Browne that hath the lordes giftes at Islyngton Barnet and other places aboute London were they not moued with the sprite In lent was .xii. moneth at suche tyme as goodman Browne was newely crept out of Bedlem and then lying at Islington to rest his sory bones I harde saie of many prodigious wonders wherof then he enformed the congregacion And I being glad to here y â— prophet speake â–ª resorted thether with two gentlemen of myne acquaintaunce who were desierous to se the maner of the symple soule When we came thether we vnderstoode he laye in a typlyng house next the signe of the Mermayde But our inquisicion too knowe where hee lodged was by a secrete meanes At our eâ—trie into the house there was neuer a worde but gossep all was whist For priuely in a corner certen gosseps were in a marueilous secret talke with father Browne I trowe he was tellyng their sortunes or such lyke At lenght theâ— brake of â–ª Then one gaue him spices to comforte his weake stomake another gaue hym salues to grease his bones whiche before were anoynted with a blisse begger another suger And after their oblacions thus made they departed TheÌ„ weÌ„t he into a parlor wher was assembled another route who very sore longed for his comming partely accusynge him of his loÌ„ge tarriance Being setled to talke the two gentlemeÌ„ and I with diuerse other stepped to the dore partely to heare what he sayde partely to marke the countenaunces of thassemblye For no man except he was of speciall acquaintaunce could be admitted to go in Where secretly he was demaunded questions But for the moste parte we could here no worde but the Lorde be praysed and sawe sondry eleuacions of their eyes towardes the top of the house and suche lyke In fyne before he had done commeth in a poast a prentise of LoÌ„don to tell him his maistres was coÌ„me Forth with Browne brake of from that company and went to the preÌ„tyce maistres who had bespokeÌ„ a parlor hard by Whome we with diuers other folowed And at the first salutacion he called her mother and very ioyfully greted her And after the mother the sonne the sisters had with sondry blissinges and congratulacions wel clawed one another Iacke prentise was called in for his testament who reaching the same from his girdle deliuered it to his maistres and turning the boke she turned to a place of S. Mathewes ghospel where christ saieth to his Apostles Reioyse your rewarde is great in heaueÌ„ for so haue they persecuted the prophetes whiche
anye true christian to poure out a foūtaine of teares to bewayle the calamitie thereof Whose ruyne is exceded so farre that it withdraweth mannes expectaciō to loke for amendement vnles God of his great mercy supernaturally do worke the restitucion aswell of the common wealth politike as also of the true and catholike fayth charitie and good liuyng Agamemnon might now double his exclamaciō in these dayes as Seneca reporteth which is Good life lawe good ordre godlines fayth are nowe decayed Therfore calling to my remembraūce this our carefull case I mused with my selfe what might be the cause thereof and sodaynly occurred to my remembraunce the comfortable promyses of God the father made to the obseruers of his lawes and commaundementes And likewyse I considered hys intollerable threateninges to y ◠breakers of the same Then comparing the wretchednes of our lyues to the sinceritie of his holy preceptes I fynde a marueylous difference Good life was neuer in such cōtempte malice at no tyme bare suche rule the godly neuer more dispysed finally God neuer more dishonoured nor his catholike fayth at any tyme had in so lytle regarde especially of such as moste arrogantly chalenge to thēselfes the name of true christians who in very deede are of all christianitie moste barren To whome the wordes of Christ may be wel applyed where he sayeth If I had not come vnto thē they shuld haue had no synne in them but nowe their synne doth remayne Whiche woordes are verely verified in those false christians which not onely in faith do erre but also moste obstinatly seme to defende the same In whome errour is turned to heresye and of weake and fraile mē are become obstinate heretikes It is by nature geuen to menne in somme thynges to erre but to persiste therein it is againste nature For sayth Tully we be al drawē and ledde to aspire vnto knowledge wherin to passe other we thinke it a goodly matter but to slyde to erre to be ignorant to be deceiued wee counte it euil dishonest Therfore sayth he one thyng is to bee auoyded therein which is that we take not thynges wee knowe not as thoughe wee knewe them and rashely assent to them Wherfore deliberation and aduisement is to bee required in suche causes Nowe then it is the office and duetie of mā to apply his will to the grace of God by whō truth is reueled in tyme wherevnto he ought to consent but to resist his synne doth remaine which is the sinne of Infidelitie a synne doubtles whiche most displeaseth God as appeareth by his plagues executed by his wrath vpon all sortes of infideles But nowe to drawe neare vnto the purpose whiche chiefly is to displaye the factious opinions of suche which not only do erre but also cōtinue in errour and seke with to the and nayle to defendethe same For whose infidelitie God at this daye doeth so sore plague the worlde chiefly this realme whiche for vertue good liuing sake hath bene worthely nominated Decus mundi y ◠floure of the worlde Nowe forasmuche as I know that thei which cōmonly do erre beyng reproued therefore wyll immediately make as thoughe they were ignorant what heresie is sometyme wyll demaunde what heresye is or who is an heretyke To whome if answere be made according to the diffinition of lerned men It is any false or wrong opinion whiche any man choseth to him selfe to defende against the catholike fayth of the vniuersall church Truth in dede say they But what meaneth the catholike church Then answere is made It is that congregacion whiche wholy dothe agre in one vnitie of fayth and ministracion of sacramentes Whiche answer when they likwise affirme Then procede they to know whether it be knowen or vnknowen and so furth Doubtlesse the catholike church is so knowen to y ◠worlde that neither heretike nor other miscreant can pleate ignoraunce to learne that truth whiche leadeth to saluation For the Churche is like vnto a castle stāding vpō an hyll whiche cannot be hyd Whiche hyll is cut out of the harde rocke and exalted so high that is replenisheth y ◠yerth as the prophete Daniel sayth It is resēbled also by the psalmist to a tabernacle placed in the sonne so shyning throughout the world that it can by no cloude or tēpest be obscured It is also as Paule sayth the foundation and pyller of truth and can not be deceyued thoughe her aduersaries allege the contrary Full well doth the late moste famous mā Lodouicus Viues say I doo and wyll stande sayth he to the true iudgement of the churche although I sawe to the contrary a moste manifest reason I may be deceyued as I am diuers times but the church in those thynges whiche tende to religion can not bee deceyued Therfore the churche beyng soo manifestly knowen as it cannot be hidden so replenished and garnished with truth as it is the very foundation and piller of truth with what face or countenaunce can the aduersaries therof stande in contencion therewith Unlesse they be infected w t Circes cuppes or els by her enchantmētes transformed into the shape of swyne But nowe these swinishe aduersaries will obiecte saiyng Syr those which you name heretikes we will proue to bee the true congregaciō And this is their profe We allege preache vtter ▪ or talke of nothing but scripture whiche can not deceiue vs whereby we are the true churche and not you which cal your selfes catholikes Whiche reason semeth to them so infallible that it cannot be auoyded But forasmuch as the knowledge of all truth ouerthrow◠of heresie dependeth vpon the thaucthoritie of the church both for the knowledge of the scriptures and also for the exposition of the same I purpose breifly to say somewhat therin The head of the churche is Christ who by the Apostles was preached to all nations of whō also his doctrine was receiued at least of so many as were conuerted to the fayth The conuerters of whom were the Apostles which in the beginnyng were the mysticall bodye of Christ their head who then beyng the Churche exalted their voyces in suche sorte as it penetrated the whole yearth their wordes extended to the endes of the worlde The succession of whiche Apostles haue continued from tyme to tyme in vnitie of the same fayth Whiche fayth is left vnto the Churche as permanent for euer therby to strēgthen the weake and to confounde the proude to establishe the electe to ouerthrowe all misbeleuers sectes hereticall whiche sectes not onely abuse the open places of that liuely worde but also do falsly expounde the darke mistical places therof as S. Peter wytnesseth of s Paules Epistles But if these ▪ good felowes wyll nedes be of Christes churche as arrogantly thei presume by their owne cōfession They must haue one vnitie of doctrine as y ◠churche hath whiche
vayne thynges muche lyke the Atheniens For when Demosthenes was tellyng them a soleÌ„pne tale of an asses shadowe and vpon the soubden brake of leauing the tale halfe tolde they instantly intreated him to make an ende O ye foles quod Demosthenes ye loue to heare suche trifling tales but if I went about to declare vnto you any serious matter you would skarse geue me the hearyng Thus fare oure countremeÌ„ if there be any vayne syghtes to be seen or any folishe matters to be heard lorde howe they runne and sweate in their busines But if there be a sermoÌ„ at Paules crosse after they haue â—aried there a while to here some newes and the preacher at the prayers lorde howe they vanishe away in clusters repairing into Paules and either by sell some bargaine in the body of the churche or els telle some tale of an Asses shadowes But to the purpose if oure men wyll needes be martyrs as they pretende to be where is their modestie their pacience their tharitie their loue that is required in a martyr I am sure they dare be bolde to coÌ„pare them selues to the martyrs of the primatiue Churche To whom they be nothing lyke For the sure token then of a martyr was to haue a sure profession of Gods truth whiche token they can not chalenge For in it selfe their profession is deuided vnles they would make Gods truthe whiche is one to be diuers If they wyll chalenge their modestie they be farre deceiued thei vse no suche glorious titles For if any man hadde named them martyrs in their coÌ„munications or letters they would reproue him therefore saying that that title was worthy for Christ only who alone was the faithful witnes of his truth If they will chalenge to themselues charitie pacience and suche lyke they be as wyde For Paule Stephen and the rest vsed no tauÌ„ting wordes or reprochefull checkes againste the Byshoppes and magistrates in their time but with mylde couÌ„tenaunce they answered their obiections But our martyrs wil not sticke to call them slaughter-men butchers blodsuckers and suche lyke blasphemous names more lyke helhoundes then holy ones such is their pacieÌ„ce Paule beyng brought before Ananias the hye preist and beyng beaten of the standers by saying Doest thou strike me thou paynted wall doest thou sitte vpon me here in iudgement according to the lawe and doest then commaunde that I should be striken contrarie to the lawe Then the standers by tolde him that it was the hye preist I knewe not ê™ he that it was the hye preist for it is written Thou shalt not reuile the head of the people Paule herein was sory that he had reuiled the magistrate But our martyrs forgetting S. Paules rule cease not froÌ„ tyme to tyme contumeliously to rayle vpon the byshop other learned and godly menne with the most vylest termes they can deuise yet sheweno cause of sorowe but like Orestes Tantalê° Theseus and Proserpina and suche other infernal furies they exclame in a tragical maner vpon God and his churche the heauens the yerth and all that is But yet one thing there is wherein they greately triumphe that is the constancie of these men oh their constancie is wonderful which is no cause as partly is touched before to proue them martyrs For if their constancie were vsed in a good cause then were it worthy fame What follye is so great sayeth Tully or so vnworthy a wysemans constancie as is false opinion The constancie wherof our men so bragge of is not for any opinion that is good or commendable it is but onely for worldly prayse or disprayse the zeale of whether beyng taken awaye it would coÌ„uert into inconstancie The cause as is aforesayd doth make a martyr and not the valiant death A notable historie occurreth nowe to my remembraunce of a true martyr and it is rehersed in a booke made by that moste excellent well learned gentleman called sir Thomas Elyot knyght Valeriane beyng Emperour of Rome perfecuting the churche in Egypte was a christen man presented vnto him whom he beholding to be yong and lustye thynking therfore to remoue him froÌ„ the faith rather by venereall mocions thaÌ„ by sharpnes of tormentes caused him to be layde in a bedde within a faire gardin hauing about him all floures of swete odour most delectable sauours perfumes And than caused a fayre tender yonge woman to be layde by him al naked who ceased not swetely and louyngly to embrace kysse him shewing to him all pleasant deuises to the intent to prouoke him to fornication There lacked litle that the yong man was not vanquished and that the fleshe yelded not to the seruice of Venê° Whiche thing the yong man perceiuing whiche was armed with grace seing none other refuge with his tethe did gnawe of his own toÌ„gue wherwith he suffred suche incredible paine that therwith the breÌ„ning of voluptuous appetites was vtterly extincte In this notable acte I wote not whiche is to be coÌ„mended either his inuincible corage in resisting so muche against nature or his wysedome in subduyng the lesse paine with the more byting off that wherby he might be coÌ„strained to blaspheme god or renouÌ„ce his religion Sure I am that he therfore receiued immortall life and perpetual glory This yong man was a true martyr this maÌ„ folowed his maister Christ in bearyng his crosse to crucifie the affections This maÌ„ shewed a notable example of coÌ„stancie in not denying his creator the author founder of his fayth Ignatius of whom we reade in Eusebius was a constant and vndoubted martyr whoo cared for no punishment persecution or other torment So was also Policarpus and Iustinus martir These and suche like are true martyrs whiche against the infideles and Gods enemies yelded their bodies to the seruice of death not caring either for wordes fame or praise of men These men wer with tormentes inspeakable constrayned to denye the name of Christ These men were allured by faire promises to forsweare their maister But oure men are with tormentes terror of death compelled to embrace Christes fayth and to relinquishe their Iewishe opinions Thauncient martyrs were tormented to the intent they might fall to Idolatrie Oure men are intreated by all faire meanes possible to worship the liuyug God O what madnes is this to seme to dye for the name of Christ when the sentence geuers do exhorte them to embrace Christ Who can call this persecution If the Turke be persecuted when he is by a christiaÌ„ gently perswaded to be baptized and to put vpoÌ„ him Christ and to forsake Mahomet then maye the heretike saye that he is iustly persecuted But if oure menne doo loue wylfull death and bee wery of their life in this worlde I would haue them either arme them selues in battell to fight against the great Turke or other enemies of the fayth or els to offre them selues in Turkey to
such other holy and blessed sainctes are not nowe ashamed to reserue to theim selues the vyle bones of these blasphemous martyrs who neyther in puritie of lyfe or constancie in death were worthye the names of Christians Thus these protestantes contrarie to their owne doctrine striue with their owne shadowes They in their bookes and talke contempne reliques yet vsynge the same after thyr owne fancies they are contented to allowe theÌ„ Who cannot playe Democritus part continually too laughe at their folly or who can forbeare to saye Ocaecas hominum meÌ„tes o pectora caeca For what is blyndnes if this be none Moreouer when Rogers their pseudmartyr protomartyr I woulde saye was burnt in Smythfield were there not diuers marchaunt men and others which seing certayne pigions flying ouer the fire that haunted to a house harde adioyninge beyng amased with the smoke forsooke their nestes and flew ouer the fixe were not ashamed boldely to affirme that the same was the holy ghoste in the lykenes of a doue This thynge is sufficiently knowen by experience to them which were there present Then by the lyke argument they might haue sayde the crowes which the same time houered ouer the fyre were deuels But what blasphemy is this such opinionatiue fooles to beleue or credite suche fansies The Heathen poetes neuer deuysed more toyes vpon Iupiter Iuno Diana Actaeon Io or suche other counterfaites then the madbraynes of the protestantes haue inuented tales vpon these Ethnikes Whose lying lippes are so sugred with false reportes that y â— brethe therof is marueylous delectable to a great many of the same generation yea it is supposed that a great numbre be founde as hyrelinges to maintayne that arte which amonges the simple wander as pylgrymes too publyshe their hidde misteries much lyke Sinon who with his disguised habite and proporcion of body togethers with his vnhappy oracion begyled the poore Troianes But al wyse men whiche can beware of other mennes harmes no doubte wyll take heede of the loytering adders which hide theÌ„selues in the grasse And as for other whiche passe for no admonicion I feare me without God of his mercy spare them will verefie the prouerbe Sero sâ—â—iuâ—t â—br â—â—â—es and so will repent with hadde I wist as the vnhappy Troianes did But yet these ouerthwart neighbours thynkyng too caste another bone for the catholikes to gnawe vpon hyt them home as they thynke with this obiection Oh say thei what a beggerly religioÌ„ is theirs which hath no man valiauntly to sticke to the death in the defence therof For a good shepehearde wyll geue his owne lyfe for his shepe Therefore it appereth our religion is founde whiche hath had soo manye shepeheardes that hath bestowed their lyues in the defence of the verite But here they begynne too tryumphe like vnto a pestileÌ„t heretike in the primatiue churche called Montanus who affirmed that he was the holy ghoste And when he and his adherentes were conuicted of heresie thei boasted as our men do nowe that they had many men whiche spent their liues in theyr opinioÌ„ and that that was an infallible argument that they had the spirite of God Unto whome it was aunswered that that case was not alwayes true For certen other heretikes there were which boasted of their false martyrs as the Marcionites which denied Christe and other a great numbre And because they saye that in this Realme there were none which were coÌ„tent to geue their liues for the defeÌ„ce of their faith the matter is so apparantly knoweÌ„ to be false as the yong infante can by report of his own parentes saye the contrary But what shall I nede to reherse the moste godly and no lesse learned whiche haue bene contented too haue not only ben depryued their nobilite and great possessioÌ„s but also to yelde their neckes too the stroke of the axe and sworde for the defence of the libertie of christes churche Whose fames are so registred in the volume of immortalite that no coÌ„tinuance of time nor inconstancie of fortune can wipe them out of memory What shall I nede to remembre Albanê° the fyrst martyr in this realme which with moste vile tormentes was persecuted of Dioclesian theÌ„peroure in the yeare of our lorde 286. for the faieth of the Gospell and the verite of the church that one Fortunatus wrytynge of the prayse of virgins saythe AlbanuÌ„ egregium foecuÌ„d a Britannia profert Britane of abundance and pleÌ„ty moste able Procreated Albane that martyr honorable Whiche worthy man was buried at a place then called VVarlingacester now called of his own name sainct Albons Where was exerted a notable monument or abbey for perpetuall memory of this worthy man Many other at that time likewise suffred for the cause of the churche What shal I stande here vpoÌ„ the prayse of that godly man sainct Thomas sometimes archebysshop of Cantorbury vnto whome I wil attribute none other praise then Polydorê° Virgilius other chrono graphers do Who called hym vir summa integritate atque prudentia a man of muche holynes and wysdome Who after he hadde bene in exile more then .vii. yeares banysshed by Henry the secoÌ„d into FrauÌ„ce not for ambicion as the malicious headdes of the protestantes conceiue but onely for admonyshing the kyng for misusing the liberties of the churche for peruerting godly orders for il wicked liuing for exterminating the spirituall promocions vpon noughty vses These were the causes why this man was banyshed not here rehersed for zeale but spoken for truthe not gathered without authoritie but reported vpon the wordes of chronicles the faythfull arbiters of thynges alredy past This maÌ„ I say to thintent the thinges aforesayde should not decaye had rather to haue geuen his life not of malice to withstand the king vnto whom he bare moste obedieÌ„ce but for the zeale he had to gods churche the chambre of the pore But as now there wanteth none if tyme serued whiche would not stycke too doo mischiefe euen so then their wanted not vnhappie harebraynes to rydde this godly man of his lyfe Who within a whyle after as a iuste rewarde for their cruell facte in a moste miserable maner as the history declareth ended their lyfes The deathe of whiche godly manne was not onely a cause of greate repentaunce to the king himself but the people vniuersally moste deuoutly be wailed his death saying VVe the people and flocke of Christ haue lost our good and godly shepeharde Thus this godlye man of the godly people theÌ„ was had in gret admiratioÌ„ although it pleaseth the gallantes of our time to saye otherwyse What shall I stande here vpoÌ„ the death of Iohn Fyssher semetyme Byshop of Rochester a man of notable learning innocencie of lyfe or the death of the second Cicero syr Thomas More a man endewed with heauenlye eloquence Qui demum ambo maluerunt de Vita quam de Ro pâ—ntificis autoritatis
were before you c. O good father Browne qv his mother howe haue you been persecuted for the wordes sake what persecution haue you suffered froÌ„ time to tyme But the Lorde be praysed for your deliuerie and coÌ„stancie in quiet suffering thereof The prophetes christ saith hath been so handled Therefore be of good chere maÌ„ take no thought â–ª For one daie I truste we shall all be mery in the lord and shal haue the dewe of the worde once more be sprinckled vpon our faces at what tyme I trust we shal be eueÌ„ with these shauelyng priestes shaue their crownes a litle deper Yes mother qv Browne I am of good chere for I haue good cause so to be for I am cheryshed of suche good women as yeare that I lacke nothyng And howe then can I be sorrowfull hauing such cause to be mery in the lorde In the meane tyme certen other Sisterwiues I thinke thei wer for their apparayle were freese roabes and certen marchantmen tarried in the courte withoute one asking another wheÌ„ the preaching time was And we hearing of some sermon towardes leauing Brownes communication with â—is mother walked vp and doune in the courte Not long after Browne coÌ„meth forth with his mother and sister and Iacke prentise also with his testament â–ª Browne wente into the Stable where tarrying a while belyke in doing his busynes anone he called in the coÌ„gregacion amoÌ„ges them thrust we Where Browne leanynge vpon hys horsebacke whiche was a iade scarse worth syxe pence sitting vpoÌ„ the maunger he beganne to alledge certen places of Ecclesiastes withoute booke one vpon another in heapes Then beganne he to talke of thre Religions The one he termed my lorde Chauncelors religion the other Cranmers Latymers and Ridleys religion And the thirde he called goddes Religion My lorde Chauncelors he sayde was nought Cranmers the others religion not good but Goddes religion was best With suche other vayne woordes not worthy the tyme in rehersal And hearing this beastly talke we departed lamenting the great folly of the people whiche in this sorte dyd dayly spende their tyme too heare suche lying spirites And goyng homewardes we met dyuers companies both of meÌ„ and women of purpose going to Islyngton to heare the sermon of this peltig prophet But within a whyle after I heard saye thys father Browne his brood with the congregacion were remoued from that place and were dispersed into corners Truly pitie it is he is suffred in this sort to range the countreis without restrainte not only for corrupting the people with ill opinions but also for disseminating his vaine Prophecies to excite rumors But this opinion I haue of Browne that he had rather liue a proude confessor then burne a stinking martyr With many such similitudes of Godlines manye of the protestantes in our tyme be inspired Here myght also be rehersed the zeale that the lame maÌ„ that was burnt of late at Stratford had when he called for his croche too haue the same likewise to be burned with him thinking without the same he could not meritie the crown of martirdome And thus they haue certen resemblances of godlines and deny the power thereof And in vsing these their counterfait zeales they doo not onely mocke with God but they deceyue his poore people with inceÌ„sing their frayle natures with a thousand mo of these their practises whiche here I omytte And these their folyshe deuyses are so folyshe if they be duely marked that nothing can be more folishe And if it be well consydered any IndiffereÌ„t man may sone discerne to what ende their purpose is to directe the same for th ende is either to bringe their conceyued opinioÌ„s in credite with the world or els to sturre vp wicked brutes and lies vpon the magistrates suche as please not their fancies to make vproares and comocions within the realme Therby to reedefie their coÌ„fused churche or els to seke the destructioÌ„ of this said noble realme and vs all the people thereof And coÌ„cerning the other vices whiche are of these sortes of meÌ„ wherof saint Paule prophecied because they be partly described before I purpose nowe to conclude exhorting all men that entende to aspire to saluacion to waye diligently the premisses Firste to consider the vnitie of Christes churche whiche in all thinges touching our faith vniformely doth agree and to consider the sundrie factions of y â— protestantes vpon the fayth wherin they do not agree Waye their falshode in alleging the places of the scriptures onely to say euil of the churche and to misreport the same Ponder the wordes whiche S. Paule prophesieth vpon sondrye heretikes whiche should come denying marriage and eatyng of meates to bee vtterly nought and howe maliciously they applye the same vpon the Churche whiche with honourable wordes doth commend them bothe Perceiue aduisedly with your selues what cause the Protestantes haue to shorten their lyues by fyer and what cause they haue to call their iuste punishementes persecutions And consider with youre selues the state of Christes Churche in the beginnyng and the state thereof at this present which in one vnitie of doctrine is all one thoughe not then so firme as it is nowe Waye also the folly of the vngodly whiche presumptuously chalenge to them selues the tytle of Martyrs and more fondly offer themselues to y e fier not coÌ„pelled thervnto as the true Martyrs were but obstinately as who would saye in the despite of the Churche Examine with your selues also what faith the church of Christ teacheth whether it denieth God refuseth the sonne or contempneth the holy ghost as Infideles and other miscreantes do Emonges whiche infideles if these menne suffered then more truely they might name themselues Martyrs But the churche professeth with more sinceritie that God whiche they do that Christe that holy ghost that they do The Churche dothe teache the sacramentes to be in numbre vii as the scripture leadeth and as the Apostles tradicions and holy doctours do prescribe The Churche in nothing concernyng the substaÌ„ce of religioÌ„ doth varie or altar The churche teacheth that the inuisible bodye of Christ sytting at the right hand of God the father is here in the visible formes of breade wyne inuisibly contained in the sacrament of the Altare the dearest iewel whiche Christe lefte vpon earth and offered of the Preist in a lyuely and pure sacrifice at Masse to God the father for the comfort of the whole churche accordyng to the prophecie of Malachie the prophete speaking in the name of God the father these wordes I haue no wyll and pleasure in you and I wyll receiue no offering or rewarde at your hande From the rising of the sunne to the setting my name is great emonges the GeÌ„tiles and in euery place there shal be sacrifice done and a pure and cleane oblatioÌ„ shal be offered to my name The churche also teacheth the adoration of this moste pure sacrifice
disgracyng him with all vile wordes and histories of his lyfe paste that possiblye hee could deuise he semed euen openly before the kyng to make a coÌ„batte with his spirit For as Plinye sayeth they that speake euel of dead menne seme to contende and fyghte with their spirites So this Prophete then to proue that his stoute diyng made not his quarell good had the wordes ensuing O say thei the maÌ„ died very boldly he would not haue done so had he not been in a iuste quarell This is no good argumente my frendes a man semeth not to feare death therfore his cause is good This is a deceiuable argument he wente to death boldely ergo he standeth in a iuste quarel The Anabaptistes that were burnt here in Englande in diuerâ— townes as I haue hearde of credible men I sawe theÌ„ not my selfe weÌ„t to their death euen intrepride as ye will saye without any feare in the world cherefully wel let them go There were in the olde doctors tymes another kynde of poysoned heretikes that were called Donatistes And these heretikes went to their executioÌ„ as though they shold haue gone to some â—oly recreation or banquet to some belly chere or to a plaie And will you argue then he goeth to his death boldly or cherefully ergo he dieth in a iust cause Nay that sequele foloweth no more theÌ„ this A maÌ„ semes to be afrayd of death ergo he dieth euill And yet our sauiour Christe was afrayde of death himself TheÌ„ he afterwards warneth his audience not to iudge those which are in authorite but to praie for them It becommeth not saith he to iudge great magistrates nor condempne their doynges Vnles their dedes be openly and apparantly wicked Charitie requireth the same for charitie iudgeth no maÌ„ but well of euery body c. Thus Latymer proueth that stoute diyng is no sure token of a good quarell and proueth it a false surmyse if anye doo beleue the cause of death to be true because of sturdines in the tyme of the same Also to proue that it is not the death that maketh a martir but the cause The cronicles make mencion of one Iohn Oldecastell a knyght a valiaunt man although he were wicked who with one Roger Acton togethers with him fauouriug Wickleffes opinioÌ„s coÌ„spired against the kynges maiestie then Henry the fyft onely to sette forwardes their conceiued opinions with a desperate company assembled thynkyng to obtayne the cytie of London from the kyng But beyng preuented he was takeÌ„ and put into the towre of London The sayd Acton also who within a whyle after was worthely put to death but Olde castell escaped pryson not withstandyng within a shorte space he was taken agayne then hanged drawen and quartered But he weÌ„t to his death so stoutly as though he had nothyng deserued to dye But if heresie and treason be no iust causes then he dyed wrongfully as in the cronycles more at large appereth If the stoutnes of death be a iust cause to proue a martyr then many whiche haue denyed Christe to be equall with the father which was the Arrians opynion were martyrs Then Ioane Butcher is a martir TheÌ„ the Flemyng whiche was burnt in Smythfielde in the tyme of kyng Edward is a martyr who lyued in such continencie and holynes of lyfe that before his goyng to meate he woulde fall prostrate vpon the grounde geue thankes to God the father hys dyete was so moderate that in two dayes space he vsed but one meale at the tyme of his death he was so frollicke that he fared muche lyke our martyrs in embracyng the redes kyssyng the poaste syngyng and suche other toyes In lyke sorte the grosse martyr Ioane Butcher handled the matter And where as one Skorie then preached before the people in tyme of her death she reuyled and spytted at hym makyng the sygne of the gallowes towardes him boldly affirming that all they that were not of her opinion shuld be dampned Yea she was so bold to say that a. M. in LondoÌ„ were of her sect Such the like was y â— charitie of Anne Askewe so ofte by Bale lykened to Blandina that true martyr of Christes churche in his furious boke which he wrote of her death a noble pece of worke mete for such a champion to be thauthor The sayde Anne Askewe was of suche charitie that when pardon was offered she defied them all reuyling the offerers therof with suche opprobrious names that are not worthy rehersall makyng the lyke sygnes too the preacher at her death as her pue fellowe systcr in Christ Ioane Butcher dyd at Skorie aforesayde These arrogant and presumptuous martirs in the time of their deathes doo lytle esteme the woordes of sayncte Paule sayinge If I had the spirite of prophecie and knew al misteries and all maner of cunnyng Also if I had all fayth in so muche as I could traÌ„slate and cary awaye mouÌ„taynes yet were I nothyng if I lacked charitie Moreouer if I dyd distribute all my goodes in fedyng the poore people and although I gaue my body to bee burned hauing no charitie it nothynge auayleth me Thus yf they estemed the Godly exhortacioÌ„s of holy scriptures they wold not so vncharitably vse theÌ„selfes especiallye at the extremitie of death But the deuel whose martyrs they bee dothe alwayes instructe his darlinges to followe hys ragyng steppes True are the wordes of the wyseman saying A sturdy harte shall susteine damage and he that loueth peril therin shal perish Therfore sturdynes and selfe loue is the onely cause of the martirdomes of our martyrs wherof do spryng innumerable faultes as Cicero saith When men puffed vp with stoutenes of opinion be shamefully inuolued in folish error Doutles a great faulte it is and coÌ„trary to ciuile life so to be addicted to self loue and arrogaÌ„cie as to thinke our selues to bee so learned that no perswasioÌ„ or terror can beate the mynde from that folly A pitifull case it is to see not only the learned which for waÌ„te of grace do fall but also blynde bayarde who although he be vtterly blind and dull yet his corage is suche that he careth not to leape ouer hedge and dytche I meane the symple ignoraunt whiche only for wante of knowledge do erre and yet haue such audacitie that they care not to spend their liues in their folly And for that these blynde bayardes doo so stycke in their opinions to death it is woÌ„dered at of many not of learned or godly men but of braynesicke foles which like fethers wyll be caried about with euery blast of newe doctrine At the deathes of whiche you shall see more people in Smythfeilde flockyng together on heapes in one daye then you shall see at a good sermon or exhortacion made by some learned man in a whole weke Their glorie is suche vpon these glorious martyrs And why is this because their myndes are geuen wholy to