vnto vs. The archebisshop consented therunto so ded the other .ij. bishoppes Maistre Goodaker wolde gladly it might haue bene otherwise but he wolde not at that time contende there with them Whan I see none other waye I stepped fourth and sayde If Englande and Irelande be vndre one kinge they are both bounde to y e obedieÌ„ce of one lawe vndre him And as for vs we came hyther as true subiectes of his sworne to obeye that ordinaunce It was but a bisshopprick I sayde that I came thydre to receiue that daye Which I coulde be better contented to treade vnder my fote there than to breake froÌ„ that promise or othe y t I had made I bad them in the ende sett all their hartes at rest for came I ones to the churche of Ossorie I wolde execute nothiÌ„ge for my part there â—â— accordiÌ„ge to y e rules of y e lattre boke With 〈◊〉 lorde chauÌ„cellour right honourably coÌ„mauÌ„â—â—â—â— y e ceremonie to be done after y e boke ThaÌ„ 〈…〉 asseheaded deane a waie more thaÌ„ halfecoÌ„f 〈…〉 Neyther folowed there any tumulte amonge the people but euery man sauinge the prestes was wele contented Than went the archebishop about that obseruacion very vnsauerly and as one not muche exercised in that kinde of doynge specially in the administracion of the lordes holy supper In the ende the lorde chauncellour made to vs and to our frendes a most frendly diner to saue vs froÌ„ excedinge charges which otherwise we had bene at that daye Within .ij. dayes after was I sycke agayn so egerly that no man thought I shulde haue lyued which malladie helde me till after Eastre Yet in the meane tyme I founde a waye to be brought to kylkennie where as I preached euery sondaye holy daye in lent tyll the sondaye after Eastre was fully past neuer felinge any maner of grefe of my syckenesse for the tyme I was in the pulpet Wherat many men and my selfe also greatly merualed Neyther had I for all y e tyme space any minde to call for any teÌ„porall profites which was afterwardes to my no small hynderaunce From that daye of our consecracioÌ„ I traded w t myselfe by all possybylyte to set fourth that doctrine which God charged his churche with euer sens y e beginninge And thought therw t in my minde also y t I had rather that Aethna ded swallowe me vp thaÌ„ to maiÌ„teine those wayes in religion which might corrupte the same For my daily desire is in y e euerlastiÌ„ge schole to beholde the eternall sonne of God both here and after this lyfe And not only to see the fathers prophetes and Apostles theriÌ„ but also for loue of y e doctrine to enioye their blessid feliship herafter And so muche the rather I traded thus with myselfe y t I see than the kinges maiestie y e arhebishopp of Canterbury and the honourable lordes of y e counsell so ferueÌ„tly beÌ„t y e waye as to seke y e peoples helthe in y e same I thought it therupoÌ„ no lesse thaÌ„ my bounde dewtie to shewe my selfe faithfull studiouse diligeÌ„t in y t so chargefull a functioÌ„ My first ê“cedinges in y t doiÌ„ge were these I earnestly exhorted y e people to repeÌ„tauÌ„ce for sinne required theÌ„ to giue credite to y e Gospell of saluacion To acknowledge beleue y t there was but one God him alone w tout any other sincerely to worship To coÌ„fesse one Christe for an oÌ„ly sauer redemer to truste iÌ„ none other maÌ„nis praiers merites nor yet deseruiÌ„ges but in his alone for saluacioÌ„ I treated at large both of y e heauenly politicall state of y e christeÌ„ churche helpars I fouÌ„de none amoÌ„ge my prebeÌ„daries clergie but aduersaries a great noÌ„bre I preached the Gospell of y e knowledge right inuocacion of God I mayntened the politicall ordre by doctrine moued the coÌ„mens alwayes to obeye their magistrates But whaÌ„ I ones sought to distroye the ydolatries dissolue the hypocrites yockes than folowed angers slauÌ„ders coÌ„spiricyes in the ende the slaughter of men Much a do I had with the prestes for y t I had sayd amonge other y t the whyte Goddes of their makiÌ„ge such as they offered to the people to be worshipped were no Goddes but ydoles and that their prayers for the dead procured no redeÌ„pcioÌ„ to the solwes departed Redempcion of sowles beinge only in Christe of Christe by Christe I added y t their office by Christes strayght commauÌ„dement was chifely to preache and instruct the people in the doctryne and wayes of God and not to occupie so muche of the tyme in chauntynge pypynge aÌ„d syngynge Muche were the prestes offeÌ„ded also for y t I had iÌ„ my preachiÌ„ges willed theÌ„ to haue wiues of their owne to leaue the vnshamefast occupienge of other meÌ„nes wyues doughters aÌ„d seruauÌ„tes But heare what aÌ„swere they made me alwayes yea y e most viciouse meÌ„ amoÌ„g theÌ„ What shulde we marrie sayd they for halfe a yeare so loose our liuynges Thinke ye not y t these men were ghostly inspired eyther yet had knowledge of some secrete mischefe wurkiÌ„ge in EnglaÌ„de I for my part haue not a little sens y t time marueled whaÌ„ it hath fallen to my remeÌ„brauÌ„ce Well y e truthe is I coulde neuer yet by any Godly or honest persuasion bringe any of theÌ„ to mariage neither yet cause them whiche were knowne for vnshamfast whorekepers to leaue that fylthye abhomynable occupyenge what though I most earnestly laboured it But sens that tyme I haue consydered by the iugement of the scriptures that the impenytent ydolatour must therwith be also a fylthie adulterer or most detestable sodomite It is his iust plage Rom. 1. We can not stoppe it Lyke wyse the dissemblinge hipocrite in coÌ„temning Gods truthe must nedes folowe errours and lyes in the doctrine of deuyls 1. Timot. 4. to haue in y e ende the greatter confusion Lete him y t is wicked sayth y e Angell to S. Iohan become more wicked and he that is filthie become more filthye that hys damnacion maye be the depar his sorowes extremer Apoca. 22. The lord therfor of his mercie sende discipline w t doctrine into his church For doctrine w tout discipline restraint of vices maketh dissolute hearers And on the other syde discipline without doctrine maketh eyther hipocrites or els desperate doars I haue not written this in disprayse of all y e prestes of KylkeÌ„nye or there about For my hope is y t some of them by thys tyme are fallen to repentaunce though they be not manye An other thinge was there y t muche had dyspleased the prebendaryes and other prestes I had earnestly euer sens my first comminge requyred them to obserue and folowe y e only boke of coÌ„men prayer whych the kynge
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 iÌ„staunt as I haue bene sens y e tyme credibli iÌ„fourmed hys Grace called vnto hiÌ„ y e lordes of his most honourable couÌ„sell 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 coÌ„mendacions For as muche as the kinges maiestie is minded in coÌ„sideratioÌ„ 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 vnderstaÌ„de 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 coÌ„minge gyue suche ordre for y e farther procedinge w t yow herin as shalbe coÌ„uenient And thus we bid yow hartely farewell From SouthaÌ„pton the xvj daye of August 1552. Your louinge freÌ„des W. Winchestre I. Bedford H. Suffolke W. NorthaÌ„ptoÌ„ T. Darcy T. Cheine Iohan Gate W. Cecill And to coÌ„clude 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 instauÌ„t desyre of the cytiezens Vpon the .xxj. daye of Ianuary we entred into y e shippe I my wyfe one seruauÌ„t 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 maiÌ„teined 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„ sufferiÌ„g so horryble blasphemies The next daye after I rode towardes Dublyne rested y e night folowiÌ„ge in a towne called Knocktouer in y e howse of maister Adam walshe my generall coÌ„missarye 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 suÌ„tyme was in that towne coÌ„cludiÌ„ge 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 MoÌ„ke 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 preferremeÌ„t thiÌ„king iÌ„ processe for my part to refourme it I came at y e last to Dubline wher as I founde my coÌ„panyoÌ„ maistre Hugh Goodaker y e Archebishop of Armach elected mi olde frynde M. Dauid Coper ê‘son of calaÌ„ Much of y e people ded greatly reioyce of our coÌ„miÌ„ge thidre thinkiÌ„ge by our preachiÌ„ges y e popes suê‘stioÌ„s 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 coÌ„secrated 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 coÌ„ueyauÌ„ce 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 chauÌ„cellour 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 EnglaÌ„de 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 parlemeÌ„t in Irelande For whie he muche feared the newe changed ordre of the coÌ„munion therin to hindre his kychin and bellye The lorde chauncellour proponed this matter
those murtherers called Grace gracelesse to helpe y e matter forwarde For he thought by that meanes to haue y e full occupienge of Holmes court yet ones agayne On the thursdaye after which was the last daye of August I beinge absent the clergie of Kylkennie by procurement of that wicked iustice hothe blasphemously resumed agayne the whole papisme or heape of supersticions of the bishop of Rome to the vtter contempte of Christe and his holye wurde of the kinge and counsell of Englande and of all Ecclesiasticall and politike ordre without eyther statute or yet proclamacion They ronge all y e belles in y e cathedrall minstre and parrish churches they flonge vp their cappes to the battlement of the great temple with smylinges and laughinges most dissolutely the iustice himselfe beinge therwith offended They brought fourth their coopes candelstickes holy waterstocke crosse and sensers They mustered fourth in generall procession most gorgiously all the towne ouer with Sancta Maria ora pro nobis y e reest of y e latine Letanie They chattered it they chaunted it with great noyse and deuocion They banketted all y e daie after for y t they were deliuered from the grace of God into a warme sunne For they maye now from thens fourth againe deceiue the people as they ded afore tyme with their Latine mōblīges and make marchaundice of thē 2. Petre. 2. They maye make y e witlesse sort beleue y t they cā make euery daye newe goddes of their lyttle whyte cakes y t they cā fatche their frindes sowles frō flaminge purgatory if nede be w t other great miracles els They maye now without checke haue other mennes wiues in occupiēge or kepe whores in their chambers or els playe the buggery knaues as they haue done alwayes and be at an vttre defiaunce with mariage though it be the institucion of God honourable holye righteouse and perfight I wryte not this without a cause for whie there where some amonge thē w c boasted both of this and muche more to vayne to be tolde And whan they were demaunded how they wolde afore God be discharged They made answere that eare confession was able to burnish them agayne and to make thē so white as snowe though they thus offended neuer se oft And one of them for example was the dronken bishop of Galwaye which besides these vncomly bragges furiosly boasted in the howse of one Martine a faithfull Italiane ād seruaunt to the Earle of Ormonde and in other howses more that y e bishop of Rome was the heade supreme of the christē churche in earthe and shulde so be proclamed in Irelande the seyd Martin as Gods true frinde rebukīge him for it The exercise of this beastly bishop is none other but to gadde frō towne to towne ouer the English part confirminge yonge children for .ij. pens a pece without examinacion of their Christē beleue contrary to the christē ordinaunces of Englande and at night to drinke all at Rob Dauye and Aqua vite like a mā To whome for a 〈…〉 ke now of late a Galoglasse of the lande brought hys dogge wrapped in a shete with .ij. pens about his necke to haue him confirmed amōge neybers children In this he noted this beastly bishop more fitt to confirme dogges thā christen mēnes childrē On the frydaye next folowinge which was the eyt daye of Septembre .v. of my howsholde seruaūtes Rytchard Foster a deacō Rycharde Headley Iohā Cage an Irish horsegrome and a yonge mayde of .xvj. yeares of age wēt out to make haye abought halfe a myle of betwixt .viij. .ix. of the clocbe after they had serued God accordīge to y e daye And as they were come to y e enteraūce of that medowe the cruell murtherers to y e nombre of more than a score leaped out of their lurkynge busshes with sweardes and with dartes ād cowardly flewe thē all vnarmed vnweaponed without mercye This ded they in their wicked furye as it was reported for y t they had watched so lōg afore yea an whole month space they saye and sped not of their purpose concernīge me They fellonously also robbed me of all my horses and of all maistre Coopers horses whiche that tyme soiourned with me for sauegarde of hys lyfe to the nombre of vij dryuynge them afore them In the after none abought .iij. of the clocke the good Suffreu of Kylkennye hauinge knowledge therof resorted to me with an hondred horsemē iij. hondred fotemen ād so with great strengthe brought me that nyght to the towne the yonge men syngynge psalmes and other godly songes all the waye in reioyce of my deliueraunce As we were come to the towne the people in great nōbre stode on both sydes of the waye both within the gates and without with candels lyght in their hādes shoughting out prayses to God for deliuerynge me from the hādes of those murtherers The prestes the next daye to colour their myschefe caused it to be noysed all the contrary ouer that it was by the hande of God that my seruaūtes were slayne for that they had broken they sayde y e great holye daye of our Ladyes natiuite But I wolde fayne knowe what holy dayes those bloudthurstye hypocrites and malyciouse murtherers kepte which had hyred those cruel kearnes to do that myschefe O abhomynable traytours both to God and to all godly ordre Ye here cōmende murther vndre a colour of false religyon to hyde your owne myschefes to the eyes of the people but the eyes of God ye can not deceyue Youre horrible slaughter must now be Gods doinge and yet was it the deuyll that sett ye a wurke Ye prate here of y e obseruaciō of y e holi daye which neuer yet kepte the holy daye as it shulde be kepte For ye neuer yet preached the wurde of God truly neither mynystred the sacramentes ryghtly neyther yet taught the people to honour God purely and to kepe his cōmaundementes inuiolably which are the only kepinges of the holy dayes But on those dayes more than on any other ye pampre them vp in all supersticions false worshippynges and ydolatryes to the vtter defilynge both of y e dayes and of them Ye are much offended y t a good wurke shulde be done on the sabboth daye as were your forefathers y e Pharisees but with whoredome ydolatrye dronkēnesse and slaughter of mē ye are nothinge at all offended but wyckedly ye do mainteine thē as I am able to proue by a thousande of your lewde examples The natiuite of our Ladye was at that daye a feast abrogated by autorite of a Christen Kynge and his whole parlement and yet you saye the holy daye is broken whan it is no holy daye at all but as all other dayes are holye to them only whiche are holy through their true obediēce to Gods most holy
him reioyce in them Maye I not be glad that I am in sorowes for the Gospell lyke fashioned to him not pranked vp in pōpe pleasures lyke y e wantō babes of this worlde As at this daye is lecherouse Weston which is more practised in the arte of breche burninge than all y e whores of the stues to the great infamye of his virginall ordre The truthe of it is that sens I toke that wayghtie office in hande I haue bene sycke to the very deathe I haue bene greued with the vntowardnesse of ministers I haue bene in iournayes and labours in iniuryes and losses in peines and in penuries I haue bene in strifes and contencions in rebukynges and slaunderynges and in great daunger of poyseninges and killinges I haue bene in parell of the heathen in parell of wicked prestes in parell of false iustyces in parell of trayterouse tenauntes in parell of cursed tyrauntes in parell of cruell kearnes and galloglasses I haue bene in parell of the sea in parell of shypwrack in parell of throwynge ouer the boorde in parell of false bretherne in parell of curiouse searchers in parell of pirates robbers and murtherers and a great sort more Sanct Paule also reioyced that God had so miraculously delyuered him from so manye daungerouse ieopardyes and spareth not so to report them 2. Cor. 11. et 12. Whie shulde I than shrinke or be ashamed to do the lyke hauinge at Gods hande the lyke miraculouse deliueraunce Are they not left to vs for example that we shulde do the lyke whan we fele the lyke Whatsoeuer thinges are writtē afore tyme sayth he they are written for our learninge that we through pacyence and confort of the scriptures might haue hope ▪ Rom. xv He in the cytie of Damascon beīge layde waite for by y e liefe tenaūt of Kinge Aretha was lete downe at a windowe in a basket so escaped his handes Act. ix I ī y e cytie of Dubline beīge assaulted of papistes was cōuayed awaye in y e nyght in mariners apparell so escaped y e daunger by Gods helpe Whan Paules death was sought by certayn Iewes at Ierusalem the vpper captaine there cōmaūded ij vnder captaines ī the nyght to conveye hī to Cesarea with 200. souldyers .70 horsmen and 200. spearemē and so to to delyuer him Actes 23. In lycke case whā the prestes whith Barnabe Bolgar and other had sought my death at Holmes court and had slayne .v. of my howsholde seruauntes by their hyred kearnes the good suffren of kylkennie with ā hūdred horsemē ād 300. fotemē brought me thyder in the night and so deliuered me that tyme. As Paule against his wylle was put into a shippe of Adramitiū coupled with other prisoners of Iewrie cōuaied fourh into Italie and there safely deliuered Act. 27. and 28. So was I my companyō Thomas against our willes taken īto a shippe of Zelāde coupled with frenche prisoners cōuayed furth īto flanders and so at the lattre safely there deliuered As their shippe was caught betwixt Candia and Melita and coulde not resyste the wyndes so was ours betwixt Mylforde hauen and Waterforde As they had an excedynge tempeste vpon the sea so had we lykewyse As they were withoute hope of sauegarde so were we also As they feared Syrtes or daungerouse sandy places and rockes so ded we As they were almost famyshed and drowned so were we As God conforted them so ded he vs. As they were in conclusion cast into an ylande so were we into S. Iues in Cornewale As the people shewed thē kyndnesse at Melita so ded they vs at the seyd S. Iues. As Paule gaue thankes and brake breade amonge them so ded we also As the captayne Iulius courteously intreated hym and gaue hym lyberte to go vnto hys fryndes at Sydon and to refreshe hym so ded our captayne Cornelis vse vs very gētilly with all fauour and lyberte what though he had so currishely and cruelly intreated vs afore As Paule was stonge of a bytyng vyper ād not hurte so was I of that viperous Walter being most vniustly accused of treason afore y e iustices ther and yet through Gods deliueraūce not hurte As he appealed to Cesar so ded I to the trone of God As great dyspycyōs were amōg the Iewes at Rome concernīg Paule so were there afterwarde amonge the shyppers in our returne to their shippe concerning vs. As the souldyers gaue counsell to kylle the prisoners so were there some of our men that gaue counsell to haue drowned vs for our moneye and of some to haue delyuered vs vp to the counsayll of Englande in hope of great rewardes As Publius gentilly receiued Paule and by hym was healed of all hys dyseases so ded myne hoste Lambert receyue me also gentylly and by me was delyuered from hys vayne beleue of purgatorye and of other Popysh peltryes As the people reported Paule to be a murtherer and after changed their myndes and sayde he was a God so our wycked maryners reported me to be a most haynous traytour and yet afterwarde in my delyueraunce called me the seruaūt of God As he was for the hope of Israel ledde īto captiuite ād at last deliuered so was I also for the same captiued and in fyne delyuered into Germanie As the bretherne met Paule with reioyce at Appij forum so ded they me in diuerse partes of Duchelande and lawded God for my so miraculouse deliueraunce As he sayde that he had committed nothyng against the lawe of his fathers so saye I also that I haue in this acte cōmitted nothyng against the Apostels ād Prophetes doctryne I thāke my Lord God therof Thus had I in my troublous iournaye from Irelande into Germanye all those chaūces ī a maner that S. Paul had in his iournaie of no lesse trouble frō Ierusalē to Rome sauing that we lost not our shippe by the waye· If Helias that wetherdryuen rūnegate remayne now in a foren lāde in penurie with the Sareptysh wydowe whyls Baals chatteringe chaplaynes and sorcerouse sacrifiers do dwell styl at home florissing in prosperouse welth lecherouse ydelnesse and lordely dignite maruele not of it for so hath he done afore I speake not thys for myne owne part only nether vtterly exclude I my selfe but I vttre it also for my exyled bretherne of whom a great nombre is at this tyme in Germanie Denmarcke and Geneua The true churche of God had neuer sumptuouse hospitalles any lōge tyme together but very simple cottages ād caues if ye marke the sacred hystoryes and aūcyent cronicles The plesaūt possession and gorgious dwelling places haue euermor remained to y e glorious Epicures y e very enemyes alwayes of Christes gospel We are not now to lerne how to take these our present afflictiōs in good part for we knowe them afore hande and haue had them long tyme as it were