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A68157
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The vocacyon of Ioha[n] Bale to the bishiprick of Ossorie in Irela[n]de his persecucio[n]s in ye same, & finall delyueraunce ...
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Bale, John, 1495-1563.
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1553
(1553)
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STC 1307; ESTC S100629
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47,183
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114
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The vocacyon of IohaÌ Bale to the bishoprick of Ossorie in IrelaÌde his persecucioÌs in y e same finall delyueraunce The English ChristiaÌ The Irishe Papist ¶ God hath deliuered me from the snare of the hunter froÌ y e noysome pestileÌce Psal. xcj. ¶ If I must nedes reioyce I wil reioyce of myne infirmytees ij Cor. xj The preface ¶ Iohan Bale to y e folowers of Christes Gospell FOr thre consyderacyons chefely dere bretherne haue I put fourth thys treatyse of my vocacyon to the churche of Ossorye in IrelaÌde of my harde chauÌces therin and of my fynall deliueraunce by the great goodnesse of God The first of them is for that meÌ shulde wele knowe that the office of a Christen byshop is not to loyter in blasphemouse papistrie but purely to preache y e Gospell of God to his christened flocke The secoÌde is that they shulde also vnderstande that contynuall persecucyons and no bodyly welthe doeth folowe the same most godly office in them which truly executeth it The thirde is that they myght beholde how gracyously our most mercyfull God wyth hys power wayteth vpon them and fynally delyuereth them in most depe daungers These .3 thynges notable concerninge the electe membres of Gods congregacyon in thys life comprehendeth muche matter in the scriptures of both testamentes with abundaunce of examples from Abel the first to Iohan the euaÌgelyst which was the last lyuer in the same The examples also therof are both lyuely and innumerable in the first propagacion and longe contynuaunce of the christen churche from hys tyme to thys our tyme as the chronycles hystoryes most abundauntly specifieth First as concernynge the examples of holye scripture Iesus the eternall sonne of the euerlastynge father in the Godhede preached to Adam in paradyse terrestre and constytute hym so wele an instructour as a father ouer hys posteryte He proued him also after he had sinned by dyuerse afflyctyons and fynally promysed both to hym and to hys deliuerauÌce in the sede of the woman which at the lattre in hys owne persone he louingly êfourmed Christe y e seyde sonne of God contynually still taught by the mouthes of the fathers and prophetes tyll suche tyme as he hymselfe came in the fleshe Than was he aboue all others of hys heaueÌly father appoynted a vniuersall doctor ouer all the worlde and commaunded to be hearde Math. iij. He folowed hys vocacyoÌ in most ample wyse very cruelly was he of the clergie thaÌ persecuted and gloriously delyuered in hys resurrectyon from deathe The members of hys true churche the prophetes and Apostles were in case like as he their head was first called than afflicted and gracyously alwayes in the ende delyuered He that shall marke the laboriouse procedinges of Abraham Ioseph Moyses of Dauid Helyas and Daniel with the other olde fathers and prophetes shall fynde it no lesse He lyke wyse that shall dyscretely searche the doynges of Peter Iames and Iohan with the other of the Apostles and dysciples shall wele perceyue the same Hieremye for the olde lawe Paule for the newe lawe and Iohan Baptyst betwixt them both were called from their mothers wombe to that heauenly offyce of preachynge Hier. j. Luce. j. Gala. j. yea they suffered extreme persecucyons vndre tyrauntes and fynally were deliuered in this lyfe from parelouse dauÌgers ⪠and in deathe froÌ synne helle and daÌpnacyoÌ To rehearce the exaÌples of the primatyue churche and of the ages folowynge concernynge these matters it wolde requyre muche tyme they are so manye and therfor at thys present I omit theÌ Thus aÌ I not alone in these 3. matters of vocacioÌ persecucion deliuerauÌce but haue on my syde an infinyte noÌbre of exaÌples Which maketh me the more a great dele to reioyce like as I wishe them to do which haue in these troublouse dayes the lyke Neyther am I ashamed to tell my bretherne what God hath most graciously done for me nomor thaÌ s. Paule was for hymselfe in hys owne Epistles and Luke in y e actes for saint Peter though I be farre vnlyke them For I fare lyke the byrde which is deliuered from the snare of the catcher He flyeth to a bough and reioyceth in his delyueraunce and euen so do I. In the which reioyce I make not only my selfe merye but also all my louinge frindes And as for my cruel enemyes the papistes if I make them sorye in the rehearsal of my delyueraunce I am not yll apayde therof For it is better they saye in Northfolke that yonge lyddernes wepe than olde men I call them yonge and not olde for God is oldar than Sathan if age maye be attributed to his eternyte as Daniel sayeth it maye and Christe oldar than the deuyls vycar at Rome their vngracyouse father As we are in most thinges contrarie to these papistes so haue we reioyces coÌtrary to theirs They reioyce in helthe prosperite riches and worldly pleasures for their bellies sake We in our infirmytees afflictions losses and sorowfull crostes for Christes veritees sake And thus maye we wele do and boast of it also without offence for so ded the forenamed S. Paule 2. Cor. 11. and earnestly willed vs to be his folowers Phil. 3. first he boasted of his vocacion and sayde God sorted me out and appoiÌted me from my mothers wombe and also he called me by his grace to preache his liuely gospell amonge the heatheÌ Gal. 1. what if I shoulde in like case boaste y t he by his grace had also called me in this age to preache the same Gospel to the Irishe heathens w c neuer hearde of it afore to knowledge I shulde not do other wise than the truthe is For I was put to it against my wille by a most christen kynge and of his owne mere mocion only without sute of fryndes mede labour expensis or any other sinistre meane els By his Regall power and authorite which both were of God Ro. 13. was I both allowed and confirmed and not all vnioyfully receiued of y e people which causeth me in conscience to iudge my vocacioÌ iust Yet was not my reioyce so muche in y e dignite therof as in doinge for the time the office theruÌto belonginge But now is it most of all in the leauinge of that bishopricke the Gospell beinge so vnthankefully of the prestes receiued I so terribly of them persecuted and my seruauntes so cruelly slayne Moreouer saint Paule boasted muche of his persecucions described them at large concludinge thus in y e eÌde Very gladly saith he will I reioyce of my weakenesse y t the strength of Christe maye dwell in me Therfor haue I dilectacioÌ in infirmitees in rebukes in nedes in persecucion and anguyshes for Christes sake 2. Cor. 12. If I haue lyke wyse felte a great meanie of the same afflictions as I haue done in dede maye not I also with
bothe dead buried With y t hys grace came to the wyndowe and earnestly behelde me a poore weake creature as though he had had vpon me so symple a subiect aÌ earnest regarde or rather a very fatherly care In y e same very iÌstaunt as I haue bene sens y e tyme credibli iÌfourmed hys Grace called vnto hiÌ y e lordes of his most honourable couÌsell In the same very instaunt as I haue bene sens that time credibly infourmed his grace called vnto him the lordes of his most honourable counsell so manie as were than present willinge them to appoint me to the bishoprick of Ossorie in Irelande Wherunto they all agreably consentinge commaunded the letters of my first callinge therunto by and by to be writteÌ and sent me The next daye folowinge which was the xvj daye of August the lettre beinge writteÌ by B. Hamptone a clarke of the counsell they very fauourably subscribed to y e same in maner as herafter foloweth ¶ The coppie of y e seyd lettre To our very louinge frende doctour Bale After our hartye coÌmendacions For as muche as the kinges maiestie is minded in coÌsideratioÌ of your learninge wysdome and other vertuouse qualityes to bestowe vpon yow the bishoprick of Ossorie in Irelande presently voyde we haue thought mete both to giue yow knowledge therof and therwithall to lete yow vnderstaÌde that his maiestie wolde ye made your repayre hyther to the courte as sone as conueniently ye maye to thende that if ye be enclined to embrace this charge his highnesse maye at your coÌminge gyue suche ordre for y e farther procedinge w t yow herin as shalbe coÌuenient And thus we bid yow hartely farewell From SouthaÌpton the xvj daye of August 1552. Your louinge freÌdes W. Winchestre I. Bedford H. Suffolke W. NorthaÌptoÌ T. Darcy T. Cheine Iohan Gate W. Cecill And to coÌclude thus was I called in a maner from deathe to this office without my expectacion or yet knowlege therof And thus haue ye my vocacioÌ to the bishoprick of Ossorie in Irelande I passe ouer my earnest refusall therof a moneth after that in the kinges maiesties returne to Winchestre where as I alleged as I than thought my lawfull impedimentes of pouertie age and syckenesse within the bishopes howse there but they were not accepted Than resorted I to the court at London within .vj. wekes after accordinge to the tenure of the forseyd lettre and within vj. dayes had althinges perfourmed perteininge to my election and full confirmacion frely without any maner of charges or expenses wherof I muche marueled On the .xix. daye of decembre I toke my iourneye from Byshops Stoke with my bokes and stuffe towardes Bristowe where as I tarryed xxvj dayes for passage and diuerse times preached in that worshipfull cytie at the instauÌt desyre of the cytiezens Vpon the .xxj. daye of Ianuary we entred into y e shippe I my wyfe one seruauÌt And beinge but .ij. nyghtes and .ij. dayes vpoÌ the sea we arryued most prosperously at Waterforde iÌ the coldest time of the yeare so mercifull was the Lorde vnto vs. In beholdynge the face and ordre of that cytie I see many abhomynable ydolatryes maiÌteined by y e Epicurysh prestes for their wicked bellies sake The Communion or Supper of the Lorde was there altogyther vsed lyke a popysh masse with the olde apysh toyes of Antichrist in bowynges and beckynges knelinges and knockinges the Lordes deathe after S. Paules doctrine neyther preached nor yet spoken of There wawled they ouer y e dead with prodigyouse howlynges and patterynges as though their sowles had not bene quyeted in Christe and redemed by hys passion but that they must come after and helpe at a pinche with Requiem Eternam to delyuer them out of helle by their sorowfull sorceryes WhaÌ I had beholden these heathnysh behauers I seyd vnto a Senatour of that cytie that I wele perceyued that Christe had there no Bishop neyther yet the Kynges Maiestie of Englande any faythful officer of y e mayer iÌ sufferiÌg so horryble blasphemies The next daye after I rode towardes Dublyne rested y e night folowiÌge in a towne called Knocktouer in y e howse of maister Adam walshe my generall coÌmissarye for the whole dyocese of Ossorie At supper the parish prest called Syr Philypp was very seruiceable and in familyar talke described vnto me y e howse of the white fryres which suÌtyme was in that towne coÌcludiÌge in the ende y t the last prior therof called Wyllyam was his naturall father I axed him if y t were in mariage He made me answere No. For that was he sayd against his profession Than counselled I hym that he neuer shulde boast of it more Whie sayth he it is aÌ honour in this lande to haue a spirituall man as a byshop aÌ Abbot a MoÌke a Fryre or a Prest to father With y t I greatly marueled not so much of his vnshamefast talke as I ded y t adultery forbiddeÌ of God of all honest men detested shulde there haue both prayse preferremeÌt thiÌking iÌ processe for my part to refourme it I came at y e last to Dubline wher as I founde my coÌpanyoÌ maistre Hugh Goodaker y e Archebishop of Armach elected mi olde frynde M. Dauid Coper êson of calaÌ Much of y e people ded greatly reioyce of our coÌmiÌge thidre thinkiÌge by our preachiÌges y e popes suêstioÌs wolde diminish the true ChristeÌ religioÌ increace Vpon the purificacion daye of our ladye the lorde chancellour of Irelande sir Thomas Cusake our speciall good lorde and earnest ayder in all our procedinges appoynted vs to be inuested or coÌsecrated as they call it bi George the archebishop of Dublyne Thomas the bisshop of Kyldare Vrbane y e bishop of Duno assisinge him I will not here describe at large the subtyle coÌueyauÌce of that greate Epicure y e archebishop how he went about to diffarre the daye of our consecracion that he might by that meanes haue preuented me in takinge vp the proxyes of my bishoprick to his owne glottonouse vse and in so depriuinge me of more thaÌ halfe my lyuynge for that yeare As we were comminge fourth to haue recciued the imposicion of handes accordynge to the ceremonye Thomas Lockwode Blockheade he myght wel be called the deane of the cathedrall churche there desired the lord chauÌcellour very instauntly y t he wolde in no wise permyt y e obseruacion to be done after y e boke of consecratinge bishoppes w c was last set fourth in EnglaÌde by acte of parlement alleginge y t it wolde be both an occasioÌ of tumulte and also that it was not as yet consented to by acte of their parlemeÌt in Irelande For whie he muche feared the newe changed ordre of the coÌmunion therin to hindre his kychin and bellye The lorde chauncellour proponed this matter