ye passed nothing on it but as the Iewes being downed in sinne mocked scorned and murthred the prophetes of God which long before prophecied vnto them their captiuities and vtter destruction so ye laughed and iested at your preachers wordes nothing regarding the threattes of God but contēnyng thē yea increaceīg in your wickednesse ādnowat leyn ght murthering most cruelly the ministers of God And seing wordes of warnyng toke no place with you God for his louing mercie hathe warned you also by monstrous maruailes on the earthe and horrible wonders in thelement to put you beside all maner of excuses What wonderfull monstres haue ther now lately ben borne in Englande What celestial signes most horrible A childe borne besides Oxforde in the yeare M. D. LII with two heades and two partes of two euil shaped bodyes ioyned in one A childe borne at Couentree in the yeare M. D. LV without armes or legges A childe borne at Fulhā by Londō euen now this yeare with a great head euil shaped the armes with bagges hanging out at the Elbowes and heles and fete lame A childe newe borne at Lōdō furthewith speaking as a prophet and mes sager of God An horrible Comete this year besides diuerse eclipses whiche folowe But what were these only bare signes No certaynly they doo and must signifie the great wrathe and indignacion of God Not long after the passion of our saueour Christ whan the Britaines our cōtreymen went about to re couer their libertie and to be despeched of the most cruel seruitude and miserie which the Romaines kept thē in wherein no Britayn was certayn of wife childrē goodes no not of their liues all thigs were so in bōd◅ ge of the cruel Romaynes pleasur ther were of our coūtreymē slayne at one tyme three score ād ten thousaūt mē ād at an other tyme thrittie thousaūt Before which slaughters ther were many wōders sene in Eng lād Thimage of the Idole which the Romaines hade in their tēple called Victorie was turned backe as though she gaue place to thenenies The sea was like blood ymages of mēnes bodyes founde on the sea syde And womē were out of their wittes ād cried destructiō at hāde destructiō at hāde so that the Britaynes were in great hope ād the Romaynes in great feare Before Britayn now called Englād came in to the full power of the Danes kīg Edmūde the sōne of Ethelberte beīg slayne ther were diuerse straūge thinges wherby all men gessed that an alteration of the Realme was towarde but chiefly they gessed the great calamitie by the sodain swelling of the sea without any euidēt cause which so brake in to the lande that it destroyed many townes and people Before that great slaughter of Englishe men and Normādes which was by reason of the warres that were in Normandie betwene king Hēri the furst king of Englāde and Robert Duke of Normandie his brother at which tyme Normandie was ioyned to Englande the ryuer of Trent did not runne one hole daye together but was so emptie that men passed ouer on fote and at that tyme a sowe brought furthe a monstre with the face of a man and a henne a foure foted monstre So that by that that is past ye maye the boldlier diuine of that that is to come The childe by Oxforde what did it betoken but that our one swete head king Edwarde should be taken awaye as he was in dede and that ther should be in his place two headdes diuerse gouernours and a towarde diuision of the people but not all together which so manyfestly folowed that no man can denye it or two people should be knytte together but not in god proporcion nor agrement The childe of Couentrie without the principal membres to helpe and defende the bodye must nedes signifie that the natural body that is the people of Englande shalbe helpeles ready to be troden vnder the fote of euery creature and non to releue or succour it The childe of Fulham what can it signifie but that the natural body of England shalbe weake the chief membres tharmes and legges which is the nobilitie so clogged with chaynes of golde and bagges of money that the hande shall not be hable to drawe out the sweorde nor the heles to spurre the horse to helpe and defende the body that is the commones And as the head of it is the greatest part and greater than it ought to be with to muche superfluitie of that it should not haue wherfore it must pull from the other membres to confort it and lacke of that good proporcion it ought to haue so shall the gouernours and headdes of Englande sucke out the wealth and substaunce of the people the politike body and kepe it bare so that it shall not be hable to helpe it self yet shall the head neuer come to that nature requireth What is to be gathered of the yōg chil de I doo not saie it is true bicause the father was forced onles he wold haue lost his life to r◅cant it but might it not be true Is ther not as muche to be saied for it as for the popes trāsubstāciacion Dothe not Eusebius Pamphili a man of as good credite as Thomas Aquinas Scotus Gratianus and suche other the inuētours and mainteners of transubstanciacion write that a lambe contrary to nature and possibilitie did in plaine wordes before declare the nature and disposicion of Bochorus king of Egipt They that write the cronicles of the Romaines saie that a dogge a serpent and oxen did speake But scripture plainly saieth that Baalams asse a creature vnreasonable without possibilitie to speake did saie to his maister why beatest thou me And Iohn the baptist contrary to the common course of nature lept and reioiced in his mothers wombe whan Christes mother being with childe came to see Elizabeth his mother If men that beleued not the miracles which the gogle ◅ied Roode of Boxley the Idole of walsinghā the bawde of willesdō which euery foole might see to be deceates and open illusions were condemned and burned for heretikes how should they be taken that doo not beleue the manifest workes of God The horible Comete and blasing starre that was sene this yeare greater in Englande than elles wher what elles dothe it betoken but the great displeasure of God and therfore famin pestilēce warres sediciō deathe of princes inuasion of forain naciones destruction of som or many cities and countreies and the alteracion and chaungeing of the state and gouernement For if it be laufull for man to diuine of Goddes wonderfull workes and by the like thinges past coniecture those that be to come why should we not affirme that these plages will folowe Before the great warres made by Xerses against the Grecianes and the ouerthrowing of the hole state of Grece ther was a blasing starre sene of the shape of an hor◅e and an eclipse of the sunne Before the last and vtter destruction of the citie of Ierusalem ther was sene hanging in thelement ouer
statutes and lawes will saye ◅e doo not willingli any thing against Goddes honour or the wealthe of our countrey or deceaue any that put their trust in vs. If any suche thing folowe it is by reason that we were ignoraunt Tell me If beseche thee if thou hadest hyred one to be thy shepehearde and thy shepe should vnder his hande by his ignoraunce myscarie or if thy horsekeper taking wages should through his necligence suffre thy horse to perishe woldest thou not compte him faulty and loke for amendes at his handes Should ignoraunce excuse him No thou woldest saye I hyred thee and thou tokest it vpon thee And so thou woldest not onely force hym to make satisfaction but also woldest thinke it iuste to haue hi◅ punished besydes to make himself no more cōnyng than the was not to deceaue any that put their trust in him Than thei are muche to blame that being put in trust in Courtes and parliamentes to make lawes and statutes to the aduauncement of Goddes glorie and conseruation of the liberties and common wealthe of their countrey neglecte their off◅ce and charge being appointed to be not only kepers of Goddes people not of hogges neither of horses and mules which haue no vnderstāding but of that deare stocke which Christ purchaced with the price of his hart blood but also as phisicianes and Surgeons to redresse reforme and heale if any thing be amysse And if a phisitian for lucre or other mennes pleasure wold take vpon him the healing of a sore diseased per sone and for lacke of knowlage or vpō other euil pur pose wold ministre thinges to hurt or kill the persone were he not worthy to be taken and punished as a bocher and a man murtherer But ye will saye we gaue credit to others and they deceaued vs. Thinke ye that this balde excuse will serue Is it not written that if the blynde leade the blynde bothe shall fall in to the pitte Did the plea that Eua made for offending in eating the forbidden apple whan she sayed the serpent had deceaued her excuse her Nothing lesse She was not only her self therfore punished with suche paynes as greater than deathe none could be deuised hut also all her posteritie Other perhappes of you will saie ye dare doo non otherwise If ye did ye should be taken for enemies of the gouernour runne in to indignation and so lose your bodies and goodes and vndoo your children O faynt heartes Thinke ye that your parentes had lefte you as ye be if they had ben so faynt harted Or thinke ye that this will serue your turne Was it ynough for Adam our first father whan he fell with bearing his wife companye in eating the forbidden apple to saye I durst not displease my wife or to saye as he sayed The woman whome thou gauest me gaue it me No it auailed not but he and all his posteritie were plagued for his disobedience as we and all that shall folowe vs doo well fele if we haue any feare of God before our eies Whan the brutishe commones of Israel were so importune vpon Aaron that he for feare was fayne to make them the golden calfe wherwith whan Moses sharpely charged him he excused him self sayeng alas Sir this sedicious and rageing brutishe people wold nedes haue me perforce to doo it God knoweth it was sore against my will did this excuse acquite him trowe you No surely If he had not repented he had ben as sure of hell fyre for his labour as they be which haue set vp or sayed the beastly popyshe masse at the furious enforcement of the brutishe commones or in pretense of obedience to the Quenes procedinges in Englande onles they spedily repent and renounce their wicked doing as Aaron did his Thus ye haue hearde not only wherof politike power groweth and of the true vse and duetie therof but also what wilbe layed to their charge that doo not their duetie in making of lawes Now see what is sayed by God to thexecutours of lawes See what ye doo Sayeth God for ye execute not the iudgement of man but of God and what so euer ye iudge it shall redounde to your selues Let the feare of God therfore be before your eies and doo all thinges with diligence For with the lorde our God ther is non iniquitie neither difference of persones nor yet hathe he pleasure in rewardes or bribes But of the ministers of lawes and gouernours of realmes and contreyes more shalbe sayed hereafter VVHETHER KINGES princes and other gouernours haue an obsolute power and authoritie ouer their subiectes Forasmuche as those that be the Rulers in the worlde and wolde be takē for Goddes that is the ministers and images of God here in earthe thexāples and myrrours of all godlynesse iustice equitie and other vertues clayme and exercice an absolute power which also they call a fulnesse of power or prerogatiue to doo what they lust and none maye gaynesaye them to dispense with the lawes as pleaseth them and frely and without correction or offence doo contrary to the lawe of nature and other Goddes lawes and the positiue lawes and customes of their countreyes or breake them and vse their subiectes as men doo their beastes and as lordes doo their villanes and bondemen getting their goodes from them by hoke and by crooke with Sic volo Sic iubeo and spending it to the destruction of their ◅ubiectes the miserie of this tyme requireth to examyne whether they doo it rightfully or wrōgfully that if it be right full the people maie the more willingly obeie and re ceaue the same if it be wrongful that than those that vse it maye the rather for the feare of God leaue it For no douht God will come and iudge the worlde with equitie and reuēge the cause of the oppressed Of the popes power who compteth himself one yea the chief of these kinde of Goddes yea aboue them all and felowe to the God of Goddes we minde not now to treate nother is it requisite For all men yea half wise women and babes can well iudge that his power is worthy to be laught at and were it not bolstred and propped vp with sweorde ād fagot it wolde as it will notwithstanding shortly ly in the myre for it is not buylt on the rocke but on the sande not planted by the father of heauen but by the deuil of hell as the frutes doo manyfestly declare But we will speake of the power of kynges and princes and suche like potentates rulers and gouernours of common wealthes Before ye haue hearde how for a great long tyme that is vntil after the general flood ther was no ciuile or politike power and how it was thā furst ordayned by God him self and for what purpose he ordayned it that is to comprehende all briefly to mayntene iustice for euery one doing his deutie to God and one to an other is but iustice Ye haue hearde also howe states bodies politike and common wealthes
and gouernours making them to yelde accompt of their doinges than without faile will the princes and gouernours be as diligent to see the people doo their duetie And so shall the common wealthe be godly and prospre and God shalbe glorified in all But thou wilt saye what if the nobilitie and those that be called to cōmon Coūselles and should be the defendours of the people will not or dare not execute their autoritie what is than to be done The people be not so destitute of remedie but God hathe prouided an other meane thas is to complayne to som minister of the worde of God to whō the keyes be geuen to excōmunicate not only common people for all notorious and open euilles but also kaisers kinges princes and all other gouernours whan they spoile robbe undoo ād kill their poore subiectes without iustice and good lawes And what so euer suche minister of Goddes worde byndeth vpon those occasiones here in earthe it is fast bounden in heauen before the face of God And no meane to vndoo it by any good worke muche lesse by popes pardone or friers prayers without repentaunte of the partie offending ād satisfactiō made to the partie offended for the iniustice and iniu ries committed and the mercie of God through the on ly merites of our saueour Iesus Christ. Exāple we haue of S Ambrose who being no pope nor popes Com missary but bishop of Millane excommunicated the Emperour Theodosius Whose doinges bicause thou maiest the better knowe I will in fewe wordes expres se theffecte of the historie This Theodosius albeit he were an Emperour and a Christen man yet was he of nature colerike and muche disposed to be āgrie and as it semeth without consideration It chaunced that in a sediciō at Thessalonica sōof his officers were stoned to deathe and some very euil intreated He in a rage sendeth thider a nōbre of merciles men of warre who making no differēce betwene thautours of the sediciō and thinnocent people make an horrible slaughter of the poore people mā woman and childe Afterwarde thēperour after his accustumed maner came towarde the churche and S. Ambrose mette him at the churche dore ād wolde not suffre him to entre but not only tolde him it was no place for murtherers but also did excommunicate him out of all christen companie til he repented and made satisfactiō for the hor rible murther cōmitted by his souldiours Thēperour being brought vp and instructed in the worde of God as I wolde to God all christē princes were at this pre sent and knowing thoffice bothe of the minister of Goddes worde ād of an Emperour obeyed and return◅d wepīg ād crieng to his palace Eight monetes af t◅r came the feast of the natiuitie of Christ ād Ruffinus lorde great maister or stuarde of his house came to thēperour whō he founde very heauie weping and sobbing He beig familiar with him desired to knowe the cause of his sorowe Ah Ruffinus saieth thempe rour thou art mery for thou felest not mi paines I l◅ mēt ād mourne for my calamitie It is free for slaues and beggers to goo to the churche ād ther to praye to God but I maie not come ther no heauē gats be schut to me Christes words goo not out of my hart what so euer ye binde on earthe shalbe boūdē also in heauē At leynght beīg ēcouraged by Ruffinus that he might be absoiled of S. Ambrose he sendeth hī before to be a meane for hī ād he him selfe folowed But Ruffinus could not intreat the bishop After themperour cometh but durst not entre in to the churche but without the dores fell on his knees to S. Ambrose and desired absolucion S. Ambrose saied he was not mete to be absoiled for his comyng was more like a tiranne one that wolde by force be absoiled than a christen man that shewed him self penitēt and sory No sayeth thēperour I wil not presume against the ordre of the churche to entre in by force but I hūbly beseche thee to lose me out of these bōdes of excōmunicatiō ād that thow wilt remē bre the mercie that God useth and that thou wilt not shutte against me the gate that God opened to all that be penitent The bishop asked him what worthy penaūce he had shewed syth the tyme he had cōmitted that wicked acte or with what medicine he had healed those most greuous woundes It is your part sayeth themperour to prepare the medicine and myne to re ceaue and use it At leynght S. Ambrose required ther might be a lawe ordayned that thexecucion of reuēge should not be done sodainly but delaied so as it should not proced of angre and thēperour made that lawe Afterwarde he was releassed of thexcōmunicatiō ād commyng in to the churche he made his praiers not standing nor kneling but lyeng flatte on the grounde pulling his heare beating his browe wepīg lamēting and cryeng with Dauid My soule cleaueth to the pauement quicken me O lorde according to thy worde ād asked mercie ād forgeuenesse Thus ye see what any minister of the churche maie doo upō the greatest prince if he will execute his office ād the power that Christ geueth him But thou wilt saie what if the minister passe not on his duetie but be contēt to winke at all the uices of the gouernours be thei neuer so wic ked so he maie haue a bishopriche a deārie a prebēde or a good fatte benefice ād liue ūpunished in all abomi naciō Yea ād what if ther be suche special grudges be twene the nobilitie and commones that the one sorte neither trusteth nor loueth the other so as the one dare not open the necessitie ād meane of suche correction and redresse of the euil gouernours vices for feare least if the purpose come to light before hande the mater be dashed and the mocionar leape headles for his labour as it is in these daies often sene What shifte than In dede ther be certain examples and paternes in the holy Bible Which I will not sticke to rehearse though not expounde but holly referre them to the further debating and iudgemēt of thine owne conscience through the holy goost by whose prouidence they are enrolled for our learning We reade that after the lorde God hade sondry times deliuered his people of Israel from wicked tirānes with whom he hade plaged them for their wickednesse and Idolatrie at leinght whan through aboundaunce of wealthe and quietnesse they fell to a certain careles securitie of life not only forgetting God and his holy sincere worde but also seking euery one his owne singular self gaine with the hurt and contempt of his neighbour God toke from them their natural liege lorde the good Iudge Othoniel and placed yee saieth the scripture he streynghtened a straunge prince among them an Idolatrous persone and a wicked called Eglon. This Eglon vsed the matier so with bribing those Israelites that for preferrement wold be traitours to their natural countrey and specially in
of Gardier but he was not vnskilled I saie ì the arte of practices No in dede he was excellent in that feate as it well appeared For whan he had wrought and made sure the great mariage to auoide the hatred of the people he made his scholar to father it and to haue the outwarde thankes And no maruail of his conning For he was his maister and hade studied longer the arte than the proctour and hade a better witte and spent yearly the halfe of his bishopriche in bribing or elles he had lost his head long before for his treasones were not alltogether vnknowem albeit they were couered and hidden But what dothe this maister or proctour of practices Dothe he not dissemble with the erle of warwike serueth his turne ì al that his wittes wold serue But what at leinght becometh of our practiceing P. He is committed to warde his garter with shame pulled from his legge his robe froÌ„ his backe his coate armour pulled downe spurned out of Windsore churche troden vnder fote and he him self at leinght with great fauour obteinâ—…th that he might redeme the rest of his corporal paines with open confession at the barre in the Starre chambre on his knes of his bribery extorcion dissimulacion ambicion robbing of the king and suche like vertues wherby he became noble If we minded in this place to displaye the packing and practiceing of the Nobilitie and counsail of Englande in the sickenesse and at the deathe of king Edwarde the vi for the pretensed placeing of the lady Iane in the regaleseat and their sodain slipping the coler and deceauing of one an other it were mater ynough to teache men how litel confidence and trust ought to be geuen either to the smothe couÌ„tenaunces faire wordes confident promises bloody othes or swearing vpon the holy Euangelies either yet to the lettres aÌ„d haÌ„de writinges of the Princes aÌ„d potentates of the worlde They that were sworne chief of counsail with the lady Iane and caused the Quene to be proclaimed a bastarâ—…e throughout all Englande and Irelande and they that were the sorest forcers of men yea vnder the threatned paines of Treason to sweare and subscribe vnto their doinges bewraied the mater them selues vnder hande by their wiues aÌ„d other secret shiftes and afterwarde became counsaillours I will not saie procurers of the innocent Lady Ianes deathe and at this present are in the highest autoritie in the Quenes house and the chiefest officers and doers in the common wealthe And som of them that wrote most earnestly to a certain auncient lorde of the Realme among many other in the fauour of the Lady Iane bebastarding and railing vpon the Quene were not ashamed within fewe daies after whan the same lorde was locked vp in the towre for his constaunt although constrained obedience to the common ordre of the Counsail to be his most straunge and rough examiners on the contrary part as though they them selues hade neuer halted in the mater But I knowe these practicers answer that if they hade not vsed that practice they should not only haue standen in hasarde them selues but also failed of their priuie purpose Well In the meane tyme it is ynough to knowe that a man maie not trust nor beleue them either by their wordes othes or hande writinges further thaÌ„ he seeth and heareth them and scarcely so farre And I praie you hathe not the realme good cause to thanke and trust the potentates Prelates and Parliament men for banishing the sacred testament and Gospel of God with the sincere administracion of his holy Sacramentes and for bringing the deuillishe power of the Romishe Antichrist in to Englande again with his miserable Masse and all popishe slauery By the which they haue not only brokeÌ„ their othe aÌ„d loy altie to God and to themperial Crowne of Englande pullìg eternal coÌ„deÌ„nacioÌ„ vpoÌ„ theÌ„selues aÌ„d â–ª puokig the heauie haÌ„d of Goddes wrath aÌ„d plage vpoÌ„ their sede aÌ„d vpoÌ„ the hole realme ì coÌ„pellìg the people to sinne by fallìg froÌ„ the true seruice of the liuìg God ìto most wicked supersticion and idolatrie alas therfore but also haue ben and are giltie of the innocent blood of thankes and the Quenes fauour increaced towarde him But his iuste rewarde yet is not come let hâ—… not loke to spede any better than Heracleo if he continue Iudas still I wolde wishe he wolde in time become a Petre I trust he is not so farre past but he maie be praied for He is my good lorde and Mason ones my great frende aÌ„d nere neighbour I wishe them bothe well Thus ye see the final successe and rewarde of traitours Wherfore it is to be wondred that suche practicers which worke so muche mischief for others can not take hede of the euil that is towardes them selues But Goddes worde must be verified of the wicked Beholde the wicked trauaileth with mischief saieth the worthy prophet and king Dauid a man of great experience He hathe coÌ„ceaued unhappines and brought furthe a lie He hathe grauen and digged up a pitte but he shall fall him self in to the pitte that he hathe made For the mischief that he mindeth to others shall come on his owne head and his wickednesse shall fall on his owne pate But forasmuche as all these fetches and practices be only made and laied to disceaue those that be honest faithfull true and natural to their countreie it is requisite to treate how they maie be auoided Deceat wold not be knocked out with deceat if it might so be but honest men should alwaies and at all times deale plainly and honestly And therfore the honestest meane before thinges be done is to be wise and circumspecte and to forsee thende what mischief maie folowe before they sodainly rashely and vnaduisedly consent to ani thing To vse suche honest wisdom and forsight is permitted bothe by Goddes worde and nature Yea Goddes worde and nature commaunde honest men to vse it For those thinges that can but ones be done and wheron so great weigh thangeth ought to be well done Therfore men ought not to geue credite to faire wordes large promises and great othes for these are the instrumentes to deceaue the honest and well meaning but the fairer the wordes be the larger the promises aÌ„d the greater the othes the more to suspecte For godly and honest thinges maie be well ynough done without painted and smothe wordes faire promises and othes Ther ought to be such equalitie in doing of thinges that such deceates nede not Only subtiltie and crafte deuised long writinges great promises and many solempne ceremonies WhaÌ„ the great mariage was treated in the priuie Counsail aÌ„d so great promises made the olde Duke of Nor folke saied they were golden wordes but how shall they be perfourmed saied he Afterwarde whan it was propouned to the lordes in the parliament to be ratified the Lord Windsori like maner asked who should be suertie for the perfourmaunce therof aÌ„d who should sue the forfaite