in the remembraunce of Christes body torn vpon the crosse was broken and the Cuppe in the remembraunce of Christes bloude shed was distributed and bothe cōminicated vnto al that were present and woulde receiue them and thereunto were also exhorted of the minister to do All was done openly in the mother tonge so that euery thing might be both easely hard and plainlye vnderstand of all the people to Goddes high glory and the edification of the hole Church This Churche had of late the hole diuine Seruice all commen and publique Prayers ordeined to be saide and hard in the commen congregatiō not only framed and fashioned to the true vaine of holye scripture but also all thinges so set forthe according to the commaundemente of the Lorde and Sainte Paules doctrine for y e peoples edificatiō also in their vulgare tonge it had also holye and holsome Homelies in cōmendation of the principall vertues which are commended in scripture and likewise other Homelies against the moste pernitious and capitall vices that vseth alas to reigne in this Realme of Englande This Churche had in matters of controuersy articles so penned and framed after the holye Scripture and grounded vpon the true vnderstāding of Gods word that in shorte time if they had bene vniuersallye receiued they shoulde haue bene able to haue set in Christes church much concord and vnitie in Christes true Religion and to haue expelled many false errors heresies wherwith this churche alas was almost nigh ouergone But alas of late into this spirituall possession of this heauenlye treasoure of these godly ritches are entred in theues that haue robbed and spoyled all this heauenly treasoure away I may wel complaine on them and crye oute vpon theese Theues with the Prophet saying Deus venerunt gentes in hereditatem tuam c. Psal. 79. O Lord God the gentiles heathen nations are come into thy heritage they haue defiled thy holye Temple and made Ierusalem an heape of stones that is they haue broken and beate downe to the grounde thy holye Citie This Ethenishe generacion these Theues of Samaria these Sabei and Caldei these robbers haue rushed oute of their dennes and hath robbed the Churche of Englande of all the foresaide holye Treasoure of God they haue carried awaye and ouerthrowne it and in steade of Goddes holye woorde the true and right administracion of Christes holy Sacraments as of baptisme and others they mixte theyr ministery with mennes folish fantasies and manye wicked and vngodly tradicions withall In the steade of the Lordes holy table they geue the people with muche solemne disgisinge a thinge they call it their masse but in dead and in truthe it is a very maskinge and a mockery of the true Supper of the Lord or rather I may call it a craftye Iuglinge whereby these false theues Iuglers hath bewitched y e mindes of the simple people y t thei haue brought thē frō the true worship of god vnto pernicious Idolatry make them to beleue y t to be Christ our Lord sauior which in deede is neither God nor man nor hathe anye life in it selfe but in substance is the creature of breade and wine and in vse of the Lordes table is the Sacramente of Christes body and bloude And for thys holy vse which the Lorde hathe ordeined them in his Table to represent vnto vs his blessed body torne vpon the crosse for vs his bloud there shed it pleased him to cal thē his body and bloud whiche vnderstandinge Christe declareth to be his true meaning when he saithe do this in the remembrance of me And againe Saint Paule doth set out the same more plainly speking of the same Sacramente after the wordes of the consecration saying As often as ye shall eat of this breade and drincke of this Cuppe ye shall set forthe he meaneth with the same the Lords death vntil his cōming again And here also these theues haue robbed againe the people of the Lordes Cuppe contrary to the plain words of Christ writtē in his Gospel Now for the commē publike prayers which were in the vulgare tongue these theues haue brought againe a straunge tonge whereof the people vnderstand not one word wherin what do they els but robbe the people of their diuine seruice wherin they ought to pray together with the Priest And to pray in a strange tonge what is it but as sainte Paule calleth it barbarousnes childishnes vnprofitable folly yea and plaine madnesse For the godlye articles of vnitie in Religion and for the holsome Homelies what do these theues place in the stead of them but the Popes lawes decrees lying Legandes and fained fables and miracles to delude and abuse the simplicitye of the rude people Thus this robberye and thefte is not only committed nay sacrilege and wicked spoil of heauenly thinges but also in y e stead of the same is brought in and placed the abhominable desolacion of the tirant Antiochus of proude Senacherib of the shameles faced king and of the Babilonical beast Unto this robbery this thefte and sacrilege because I can not consēt nor God willing neuer shal so lōg as the breth is in my body because it is blasphemy against God high treason vnto Christ our heauenlye King Lord Master and our only sauioure and redeamer it is plaine contrary to Gods word to Christes Gospel it is the subuersion of all true godlines and againste the euerlasting saluacion of mine own soule and all my brethren sisters whome Christe my sauioure hathe so derely bought with no lesse price then with the effusiō and shedding forth of his most precious bloude Therefore all ye my true louers in God my Kinsfolk and countrymē for this cause knowe ye that I am put to death which by Gods grace I shal willingly take with harty thākes to God therfore in certain hope w tout any doubting to receiue at Goddes hande againe of his fre mercye and grace euerlasting life Althoughe the cause of the true man slaine of the thefe healpinge hys neyghboure to recouer hys goodes again and the cause wherfore I am to be put to death in a generalitie is both one as I said before yet knowe ye that there is no small difference These theues as against whome I stand are much worse then the robbers and theues of the borders The goodes which they steale are much more precious their kinde of fighte are farre diuers These theues are worse I saye for they are more cruell more wicked more false deceitful more craftye For those will kill but the body These will not sticke to kil both body and soule Those for the generall theft robbery be called are in dede theues and robbers But these for their spirituall kind of robbery are called Sacrilegi as ye would saye Churche robbers They are more wicked For those goeth about but to spoile men of worldlye thinges worldly riches gold and siluer and worldly substance These go about in the
very short w t me mi mind was to haue don you good yet you caught in that litle time a losse But I trust it shalbe recompēced as it shal plese almighti god Farewel al my whole kindred countrymen Farewel in Christ altogether the Lord which is y e searcher of secreates knoweth that according to my harts desire mi hope was of late y t I shuld haue come among you and to haue brought w t me aboundaunce of Christes blessed Gospel accordinge to the duty of that office and ministery where vnto amōg you I was chosen named and appoynted by the mouthe of that oure late piereles Prince and king Edward And so also denounced openly in his court by his preuy counsaile I warne you al my welbeloued kinsfolkes and contreimen that ye be not amased or astonied at the kind of my departure or dissolutiō For I ensure you I thincke it the most honor that euer I was called vnto in all my life And therfore I thancke my Lord God hartely for it that it hathe pleased him to call me of his greate mercye vnto this highe honor to suffer deathe willinglye for hys sake and in hys cause vnto the which honor he called the holye Prophets and his dearely beloued Apostels and his blessed chosen martirs For knowe ye that I doubt no more but that the causes wherefore I am put to death are Gods causes and of truthe then I doubte that the Gospel which Ihon wrote is the Gospell of Christ or that Paules Epistles are the verye word of God And to haue a harte willinge to abide and stand in Gods cause and in Christes quarrell euen vnto deathe I ensure the O man it is an in estimable and a honorable gift of God geuen only to the true electes and dearly beloued childrē of God and inheritoures of the kingdome of heauen For the holye Apostle and also martyr in Christes cause Saint Peter saith If ye suffer rebuke in the name of Christ that is in Christes cause and for his truthes sake then ye are happye and blessed for the glory of the spirit of God resteth vppon you If for rebuke sake suffred in christes name a mā is pronoūced by the mouth of y e holy Apostle blessed and happye how much more happy and blessed is he that hathe the grace to suffer death also Wherfore al you that be my true louers and frēdes reioyse and reioyse with me againe And render with me harty thanckes to God oure heauenly father that for his Sonnes sake my Sauioure redeamer Christ he hath vouchsaued to call me beinge els without his gratious goodnesse in my selfe but a sinfull and a vile wretche to cal me I say vnto this high dignitie of his true Prophets and of his faithfull Apostles and of his holye elected and chosen Martyrs that is to die and to spende this Temporall life in the defence and maintenaunce of his eternall and euerlastinge truthe Ye knowe that be my Countrye men dwellinge vppon the Borders where alas the true man suffereth oft-times muche wronge at the theues hande if it chaunce a manne to be slaine of the theefe as it oft chaunceth there whiche wente oute with his neighboure to healpe hym to rescue his goodes againe that the more cruellye he be slaine and the more stedfaste hee stooke by hys neighboure in fighte agaynste the face of the theefe the more fauour and frendship shall all his posteritie haue for the slaine mans sake of all them that bee true as longe as the memorye of hys facte and hys Posteritye dothe endure Euen so ye that be my Kinsfolke and Countrye men knowe ye howe so euer the blinde ignoraunte and wicked worlde hereafter shall raile vppon my Deathe which thing they can not do worse then their fathers did of the death of Christ our sauioure of his holye Prophets Apostles and martirs Know ye I say that bothe before God and al them that be godlye and that truelye knoweth and followeth the lawes of God ye haue and shall haue by Gods grace euer cause to reioyse and to thanck God highly and to thinke good of it and in god to reioyse of me your fleshe and blud whome God of his gracious goodnes hath voutchsafed to associate vnto the blessed cōpany of his holy martirs in heauē I doubt not in the infinite goodnesse of my Lorde God nor in the faithfull fellowship of his electe chosen people but at bothe thier handes in my cause ye shall rather finde the more fauor grace For the Lord saith that he will be both to them and theirs that loueth him the more louinge againe in a thousand generacions The Lord is so full of mercy to them I saye theirs which do loue him in dede And Christe saithe againe that no man can shewe more loue then to geue his life for his frende Nowe also know ye all my true louers in God my kinsefolke and Countrymē that the cause wherfore I am put to death is euen after the same sorte and condicion but touchinge more nie Gods cause and in more weighty matters but in the generall kinde al one for both is Gods cause bothe is in the maintenance of righte bothe is for the commen wealth and both for the weale also of the Christian brother although yet there is in these two no small difference both concerning the ennemies the goodes stollen and the maner of the fight For know ye al as there when the pore true mā is robbed by y e thefe of his own goods truely gotten wherupon he hys houshold shuld liue is greatli wrōged and the thefe in stealing robbing with violence the pore mans goodes doth offend God doth trāsgresse his law is iniurious both to the pore man and to the commen welth so I say know ye al that euē here in the cause of my deathe the Church of England I meane the congregation of the true chosē children of God in this realm of England which I knowledge not only to be my neighbors but rather the congregation of my true spirituall brethren and sisters in Christ yea members of one body wherein by Goddes grace I am and haue ben grafte in Christe Thys Churche of Englande had of late of the infinite goodnesse and aboundaunte grace of almightye God greate substaunce greate ryches of heauenlye treasure greate plentye of Goddes true and sincere woorde the true and wholesome administracion of Christes holye Sacramenes the hole profession of Christes religion truelye and plainlye sette forth in Baptisme the plaine declaration and vnderstandynge of the same taught in the holy Cathechisme to haue ben learned of al true Christians This church had also a true and sincere forme and manner of the Lordes Supper wherin according to Christes own ordinaunce and holy institucion Christes commaundements were executed done For vpō the bread and wine set vpō the Lordes table thākes wer geuē the cōmemoration of the Lordes deathe was had the bread
God I am cōptable that ye neuer swarue neither for losse of life or worldly goodes frō Gods holy word and yeld vnto Antichrist wherupon must nedes follow the great displeaser of God and the losse of your bodies souls into perpetuall dampnation for euermore Now that I haue gon through the places wher I haue dwelt any space in the time of my pilgrimage here vpō earth Remembring that for the space of Kinge Edwardes reigne whiche was for the time of mine Office in the Seas of London and Rochester I was a mēber of the higher house of the parliamente Therefore seinge my God hathe geuen mee laysoure and the remembraunce thereof I will bid my Lordes of the temporaltie farewel They shal haue no iust cause by Gods grace to take it that I entend to say in ill part As for spirituall prelacy that now is I haue nothing to say to them excepte I shoulde repeate agayne a greate parte of that I haue saide before now all readye to the Sea of London But to you my Lordes of the tēporalty vnderstand ye thys firste That when I wrote this I loked daily when I should be called to y e chaunge of my life And thought y t that this my writinge shoulde not come to your knowledge before the time of the dissolucion of my bodye and soule shoulde be expired and therfore know ye that I had before mine eies only the feare of God Christian Charitie towarde you whiche moued me to write for of you hereafter I looke not in thys world other for pleaser or displeaser if my talke shal do you neuer so much pleasure or profit you cā not promote me Nor if I displese you ye can not hurt me or harme me For I shall be oute of your reache Nowe therefore if you feare God and can be content to heare the talk of him that seketh nothing at your hands but to serue God and to do you good herkē what I say I say vnto you as S. Paul saieth to the Galathians I wonder mi Lordes what hathe bewitched you that ye so sodēly are fallen frō Christ vnto Antichrist frō Christes gospel vnto mens tradicions from the Lord that boughte you vnto the Bishop now of Rome I warn you of your pearill be not deceiued except you will be found willingly consenters vnto your owne deathe For if ye thincke thus we are lay men thys is a matter of Religion we follow as we are taughte and led if oure teachers and gouernors teach vs and leade vs amisse the faulte is in them they shall beare the blame My Lords this is true I graunt you that both the false teacher and the corrupt gouernoure bothe shal be punished for the deathe of theyr subiecte whome they haue falselye taughte and corruptlye ledde And his bloud shall be required at their handes But yet neuerthelesse shal that subiecte die the death him self also that is he shal also be dampned for his owne sinne For if the blind leade the blinde Christe saithe not the leader only but he saithe bothe shall fall in the ditche Shall the Sinagoge and the Senate of the Iewes trow ye whyche forsooke Christe and consented to his Deathe therefore be excused because Annas Caiphas with the Scribes and Phariseis and their cleargy did teach them amisse yea and also Pilate theyr gouernoure and the Emperoures Lieuetenaunte by his tirranny did withoute cause put him to deathe Forsothe no my Lordes no but notwithstanding that corrupt doctrine or Pilates washinge of hys handes neither of both shal excuse other that sinagoge and seigniour or Pilate But at the Lordes hand for the effusion of that innocentes blud on the latter dai al shal drink of the deadlye whip Ye are wittye and vnderstand what I meane Therefore I will passe ouer thys and return to tel you howe you are fallen from Christe to his aduersarye the Bishyp of Rome And least my Lordes I maye peraduenture thincke me thus barely to call the Bishop of Rome Christes aduersarye or to speake it in plain termes to cal him Antichrist that it is don in mine anguish and that I do but rage and as a desperate man do not care what I say or vpon whome I do raile Therfore that your Lordships may perceiue my minde and vnderstande that I speake the words of truthe and of sobriety as S. Paule saide vnto Festus Be it knowne vnto your Lordships al that as concerning the bishop of Rome I nether hate the person nor the place For I ensure your Lordships y e liuing Lorde beareth me witnesse before whome I speake I doo thincke manye a good holy manne manye martirs and Saintes of God hath set and taught in that place Christes Gospel truely whiche therfore iustlye maye be called Apostolici that is true Disciples of the Apostles And also that Church and cōgregacion of Christians Apostolicke Church yea and that certaine hundreth yeares after y e same was first erected builded vpon Christ by the true Apostolicall Doctrine taught by the mouthes of the Apostles them selues If ye will know how long that was and how manye hundreth of yeares to be curious in poyntinge the precise nomber of yeres I wil not be to bold but thus I say so lōg and so manye hundred of yeres as that sea did truely teach and preach that gospel that religion exercised that power ordered euery thing by those lawes and rules whyche that sea receiued of the Appostles and as Tertulyan saithe and the apostles of Christe and Christe of God so long that Sea myght wel haue bene called Peter and Pauls chair and Sea or rather Christes Chaire and the Bishop thereof Apostolicus or a true Disciple of the Apostles and a minister of Christ. But since that time that Sea hath degenerated frō that trade of truth and true Religion whyche it receiued of the Apostles at the beginning and hathe preached a nother Gospell hathe sette vp an other Religion hathe exercised an other power and hath taken vpon it to ordre and rule the Churche of Christe by other straunge lawes Cannons and rules then euer that Sea receiued of the Apostles of Christe whyche thinges it dothe at this daye and hathe continued so doinge alasse alasse of to to lōg a time From time I saye that the state and condition of this Sea hathe thus bene chaunged In truthe it oughte of dutye and of righte to haue the names chaunged bothe of the Sea and of the sitter therein For vnderstande my Lordes it was neither for the Priuilege of that place or Persone thereof that that Sea and Bishop thereof wer called Apostolicke but for the true trade of Christes Religion whiche was taught and maintened in that Sea at the firste and of those godlye menne And therfore as truely and iustlye as that Sea then for that true trade of Religion and cōsanguinitie of Doctrine wyth the Religion and Doctrine of Christes Apostles was called Apostolick So as truely as iustly for y e
euer hauing our eyes vpon Iesus Christ the ringleader capitain and profiter of our faith which for to haue the ioy set before him suffered the crosse not passing vpon ignomie and shame therof is set nowe at the righthande of the throne of God Count this y t he suffered such strife of sinners against him self that ye should not geue ouer nor fainte in your mindes As yet brethren we haue not withstād vnto death fighting against sinne Let vs neuer forget deare brethrē for Christes sake that fatherly exhortation of the wise that speaketh vnto vs as vnto his children the godly wisdom of god saying thus My sonne dispise not the correction of the Lord nor fal not frō him when thou art rebuked of him For whome the Lord loueth him dothe he correct scourgeth euery childe whome he receiueth what child is he whome the father doth not chasten If ye be free from chastisement wherof al are partners then are ye bastardes and no children Seing then when as we haue had carnall parents which Christened vs we reuerenced them shall not we be much more subiect vnto our spiritual father and shal liue And they for a little time taughte vs after their own mind but this father teacheth vs to our commoditye to geue vnto vs his holines All chastisement for the present time apereth not pleasant but painful But afterward it rendereth the frute of righteousnesse on them whiche are exercised in it Wherefore let vs be of good chere good brethren and lette vs plucke vp our feble membres that were fallen or began to fainte harte hande knees and all the reaste and lette vs walcke vp a righte and straighte that no Lympinge nor Haulting bring vs oute of the waye Let vs loke not vppon the thinges that be presente but with the eies of our faithe lette vs stedfastly beholde the thinges that be euerlasting in heauen And chose rather in respecte of y e whiche is to come with the chosen members of Christ to beare Christes Crosse then for his shorte life time to enioy all the riches honors and pleasers of the brode world Why shuld we Christians feare death cā death depriue vs of Christ which is all our comfort our ioy our life Nay forsoth But contrary deathe shall deliuer vs from this mortall body whiche lodeth beareth downe the spirite that it can not so wel perceiue heauēly things in the which so longe as we dwell we are absent from God Wherfore vnderstandinge oure state in that we be Christians that if our mortal bodye whiche is oure earthlye house were destroyed we haue a building a house not made with hāds but euerlasting in heauen c. Therefore we are of good cheare and knowe that when we are in the body we are absent from God For we walcke by faithe and not by cleare sighte But we haue fiance and had rather be from the body and present with God wherfore we striue whether we be present at home or absent abrode that we maye alwaies please him And who that hath true faith in our sauioure Christ wherby he knoweth somwhat truely what Christe oure sauioure is that he is the eternall sonne of God life light the wisdōe of the father all goodnes al truth all righteousnesse and whatsoeuer is good that hart cā desire yea infinite plenty of al these aboue that that mans hart can either conceiue or thinke For in him dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhed corporally And also that he is geuen vs of the father and made of God to be our wisdome our righteousnesse oure holinesse and oure redemptiō who I saye is he that beleueth this in dede that wold not gladly be with his master Christ Paule for this knowledge coueted to haue bene losed from the bodye and to haue bene with Christ For that he compted muche better for him self had rather to be losed then to liue Therfore these words of Christ to the theife on the crosse that asked of him mercye were full of comforte and solace This daye thou shalte be with me in paradise To dye in the defence of Christes Gospell is oure bounden duetie to Christe and also to oure neighbor To Christ for he died for vs rose again y t he shuld be Lord ouer all And seing he died for vs we also saith s. Ihon shuld ieopard yea geue oure life for oure brethren And this kinde of geuinge and losinge is gettinge and winninge in deede For he that geueth or loseth his life thus getteth and winneth it for euermore Blessed are they therefore that dieth in the Lorde And if they dye also in the Lordes cause they are mooste happye of all Lette vs not feare then death whiche can do vs no harme otherwise then for a moment to make the flesh to smart but that our faith which is fast fastned and fixed vnto the word of god telleth vs that we shall be anon after death in peace in the hands of god in ioy in solace and that frō deathe we shall go straighte vnto life For Ihon saieth he that liueth and beleueth in me shall neuer die and in an other place he shall depart from death into life And therefore thys deathe of the christian is not to be called deathe but rather a gate or entraunce into euerlasting life Therefore Paule calleth it but a dissolution and resolutiō And both Peter and Paul a puttinge of this Tabernacle or dwelling house meaning thereby the mortall bodye as wherein the soule or spirite dothe dwell here in this world for a smal time Yea this death may be called to the Christian an ende of all miseries For so long as we liue here we must passe through many tribulations before we can enter into the kingdome of heanen And now after that death hath shot hys bolt all the Christian mannes ennemies haue don what they can and after that they haue no more to do What could hurt or harme poore Lazarus that laye at the ritch mannes gate his former penury and pouerty his miserable beggery and horrible sores sicknes For so sone as death had strickē him with his dart so sone came the angels and caried him vp into Abrahams bosome what lost he by death who from misery and paine is set forth by the ministery of Angels in a place both of ioye and solace Farewel deare brethren farewel and let vs comfort our hartes in all troubles and in deathe with the worde of God For heauen and earth shal pearishe But the worde of God endureth for euer Farewel Christes dere beloued spouse here wādring in this world as in a straunge lande farre from thine own country and compassed about on euery hand with deadlye enemies which ceseth not to assalt the euer seking thy destruction Farewel farewel O ye the hole and vniuersall congregation of the chosen of God here liuinge vppon earth the true Church militant of Christe the true misticall bodye of Christ the very houshold familye of God and the sacred temple of the holy ghost Farewel Farewel O thou little flock of y e high heauenly pastor christe for to thee it hath pleased the heauenlye father to geue an euerlastinge aud eternall kingdome Farewell Farewel thou spiritual house of God thou holye and royall priesthode thou chosen generation thou won spouse Farewel Farewell N. R. FINIS