not the chyldehode of youthe in him to be reproued For so might kynge Iosias haue bene reproued whych began to reigne in the .viii. yeare of hys age iiii Regum xxii and kynge Dauid discommended for being the yongest of his brethrē i. Reg xvii whose prayses are neuertheles habundaunt in the scriptures Ioas beyng but .vii. yeares old was a kyng also and for the tyme of his youth pleased God what though in hys age he ded otherwyse In England here kyng Hēry the vi was but .viii. yeares old king Hēry the third ix yeares olde and kynge Edwarde the third scarse xv yeares of age when they were crowned kynges yet was there neuer chronycle writer nor yet honest faythfull and obedient subiect that euer called them poore chyldren But with reuerence and honour euen from the first daye of their reignes toke them alwayes for whole and persyght kynges lyke as the sacred Bible holdeth of the afore named kinges Ioas godly Iosias in the .vii. and .viii yeares of their ages iiii Re. xi et ii Pa. xxxiiii What shuld this franctyck papyst here meane than so blasphemously to report our most noble wurthie kinge Edwarde y e .vi. in the xv yeare of hys age and v yeare of his reigne w tout al honour and reuerēce but that he hath done on y e vnshamefast face of hys whorysh mother the monstruouse madame of Rome whych is full of the names of basphemye Apo. xvii Hym hath our eternal God most graciously gyuē vnto vs in the latter age of his noble father not without euydent miracle and wyll preserue hym no doubt to his owne glorye and welthe of thys realme in spyght of all hys popysh enemyes if we be not vnthākefull Hys wurthie educaciō in liberall letters godly vertues hys naturall aptenesse in retaynyug the same plēteously declareth him to be no pore child but a manifest Salomō in princely wisdō Hys sober admonicions open exāples of godlines at this day sheweth him mindfully to prefer y t welth of his cōmēs as wele gostly as bodyly aboue all forē ▪ matters Marke what his maiestie hath done already in religiō in abolishing the most shameful idolatries of Antichrist besides his other actes for publyque affayres ye shal find at this day no christen prynce lyke to hym Now foloweth the secōd part of the blasphemouse sētēce of this frātick papist whiche is y t the actes put fourth now a dayes are vnknown to the kyng y t he wyl chāge them whan he cometh of age Thys not only toucheth y e kinges wurthie maiestie whiche is gods hygh minister in iudginge him chyldysh mutable inconstaūt but also it pearceth hys most honorable coūsel which are vnder him as was Ioseph in Aegipt y e staies of his people Ecc .xlix. as cōsentinge to y e same So is Gods tabernacle by him blasphemed For if y t tabernacle of God be w t meane men as S Iohā sayth it is Apo xxi Moch more with the coūcel of a christē king which is gods high magestrate thei his assistētes They y t despise y t rulers saith the Apostle Iude speake euil of thē which are in autoryte shal suffre y t vengaūce of eternall fyre Whan Michael y t archangell stroue agaynst the deuyll disputed about the body of Moyses he durst geue no rayling sētence but sayd The Lord rebuke the But such as is here this pratlynge papyst speake euyll of those thynges whych they knowe not And what thynges they knowe naturally as beastes which are w tout reasō they corrupt in thē selues Wo be vnto thē for they haue folowed y e way of Cain are vtterly giuē to y e errour of Balaā for lucres sake and shal perish in the treason of Core If Christ be in the middes whē .ii. or iii. pryuate men be collected in his name as he saith he is Mat. xviii much more amōge y e faithful coūsel of so vertuouse Christen a king Who cā thā deny them to be the tabernacle of God specially whā they wyth all endeuer possyble haue sought and yet daily seketh clerly to bānysh out of thys christen realme the manyfolde abhomynacyons of Antichrist or idolatryes without nombre Which he by his smoky locustes y e mōkes and shauen prestes hathe craftely planted here contynually from tyme to tyme euer sens the dayes of that wycked Emproure Phocas Who can denye them I saye yet ones agayne to be y t seyd tabernacle or chosen māsyon of God eyther that cōgregaciō amonge whome he dwelleth by promesse Luke x et Ioan. xiiii Whan they so earnestly labour to place here in Englād the true relygyō agayne aud to set vp hys true worshippinges as in the primatiue church of the faythfull Bryttayues fyrste planted by them ihat were hyther sente by Christes Apostles aud fashyoned after the perfight rules of the .vii. churches in Asia the filthy corrupcions of those Romysh Idolatours in the power of hys wurde taken from vs. If God doothe not dwell wyth them that thus dayly seketh hys glory wyth whome doth he dwell Than hath thys arrogaunt papyst wyth poluted mouthe blasphemed the tabernacle of God iu reportyng them nowe to make actes wythoute the kynges knowledge concernyng relygyon or els at thys day to buylde that hereafter they wyl breake And thys that enemy hathe done to brynge them in hate of the commen people as though not regardynge hys Maiestye they now went about not to establysh thē but deceyue them in the same Suche is the mad frenesy of so brutysh a beast But vnworthy are suche reprobate vessels of so godly Magistrates Of thys are we certayne sure so many as haue Gods knowledge roare those ragynge raylers what them lusteth to the contrarye wyth lyes after theyr leude lykynges that had it not bene in the feare of God theyr kinges true obedyence agaynst the wycked Antichrist they coulde neuer haue propounded so godly lawes And hauyng God presently assistent vnto thē as all they haue which seketh hys only glory they can not be so far to hys heauenly wyll contrariouse as their vyle report is in the quarel of that horrible monster No they are no suche wauerynge reedes as for a Christen commen welthe are thys yeare of one mynde and the nexte yeare wyll be of an other No truly it standeth not so wyth the vnchaungeable wysdome of Christes sprete wherin they haue earnestly wrought for tyme of the prosperouse raygne of our present Iosias Theyr foūdaciō haue they set vpō so sure a rocke euen vpon Gods wurd that neither winde nor water stormy tempest nor wether can ouerthrowe it Math. vii Neyther shall the great gates of hell nor yet the stronge power of Sathan euer preuayle agaynste it Math xvi Neyther yet the deuyls vnholy vycar at Rome wyth all hys curssynges
An Expostulation or complaynte agaynste the blasphemyes of a franticke papyst of Hamshyre Cōpiled by Iohan Bale Mathew .xxiii Wvo be vnto you Scribes and Pharises Hypocrites that shut vp the kingdom of heauē before men For neyther go ye in youre selues neyther suffer you anye other to enter Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum Per septēnium ¶ To the ryght hygh and myghtie Prynce Iohā Duke of Northumberlande Lorde greate Maistre of the Kinges most honourable housholde and Lorde presydent of his Maiestyes most honourable preuye Counsell hys most humble and faythfull seruaunt Iohan Bale wysheth the fauour of god encrease of honour longe lyfe and prosperouse helthe both of soule and bodye COnsyderyng in your noble grace moste Honourable Duke the same mightie feruent religiouse zele in Gods cause whych I afore tyme by readynge the scriptures haue dylygently marked in Moyses the seruaunt of God I haue vrgently bene moued vndre God and our kynge to seke your earnest ayde for the same The rage at thys presēt is horryble and fearce whych the stought sturdy satellytes of Antichrist in dyuerse partes of y e realme chefely within Hamshire do blustre abroade in their mad furyes to blemyshe the Euāgelycal veryte of the Lorde now reuelated An intollerable grefe it is to their vncircumcysed hartes to beholde the glytterynge toyes of superstycyouse ydolatry and hipocritycall papystrye remoued frō thys earthe of Englande by the kynges wurthie maiestie and hys most honourable counsell and Gods true relygyon again restored That oure sayde seconde most valeaūt Iosias hath thus pourged hys Iuda hys Englande I meane frō the abhomynable buggeryes and ydolatries of the great Baal Peor of Rome earnestly sekynge for the true God of Dauid hys forefather to the most lyuely example of all other prynces their vngratyouse and noughtie eyes are not a lyttle offended That hys ymages rellyckes roodes torches candels copes ashes palmes waxe water oyle creame and holy bread that hys bulles bedes belles bablinges masses purgatory processions confessyons exorcysmes hallowynges shauynges gresynges sensyngs slauerynges slumberynges and a great sort of Popysh toyes more are bānyshed hens in conscyence they are dysquyeted Not all vnlyke to the grosse wytted Gergesytes they wolde gladly y e Christ were sumwhat further of Yea they earnestly wyshe that he wolde peaceably departe from their coastes least he went about it to drowne their swyne for euer whome they all contrarye to gods ordynaunce haue so frankely in al beastlynesse maynteyned They can not awaye with the precyouse lyght of Christes holi Gospell their eyes are so sore Neyther maye they broke it to knowe their saluatyon alone to be reposed in Christ Iesu so blynde are their folyshe hartes Neyther maye they abyde it that God is only to be worshypped in sprete and veryte so superstycyously minded are they But darkenesse they iudge lyght the lyght very darkenesse That is swete they thynke sower that is good they deme euyll Suche are now a dayes y e peruerse and frowarde iudgementes of men vngodly The most christen reformacyon of thys churche of Englande whych is to other natyons a most wurthie spectacle so they very turkyshely deryde mocke At the dayly suppressyons of their blasphemouse and beastly papystryes they create they frowne they grynde their tethe and for anger wexe wode With y e carnall Israelytes they hate abhorre the celestyall Manna of Christes Gospell because it neyther nurrysheth the lust of the fleshe neyther fedeth the concupyscence of the eyes nor yet mainteyneth the pryde of thys lyfe To the greasy fatt pottes of Egipte wold they gladly returne agayne and become subiectes vnder the great Romish Pharao so that they myght be fedde with his olde stynkynge cucumbers melons lekes onyons and garlyke whych are hys vnprofytable tradycyons Malycyously and rebellyously do thei now resyst the manyfest truthe of Gods wurde and wyll by no maner of meanes consent therunto although their owne conscyences both accuseth and condemneth them for it And all is bicause they wyll heare of no repentaunce neyther yet agre to amendemēt of their most wicked liues They bragge they boast they dreme thei dote thei fume they face thei grunte they grudge they iangle they iest they mocke they mowe they scoffe they scorne they ruffle they rage wyth daggerand with fyste and all to stoppe the swete blastes of the scriptures least they shulde clearly blowe awaye their old Romysh sorceryes as duste from the face of thys earthe Neyther is it any great wōdre vnto vs to beholde these terryble turmoylynges of the deuils furyouse members for those Romysh Pharisees leuen ▪ consyderynge he is that roarynge Lyon whych busyly seketh whome he maye deuoure He fraudolētly deceiued our first mother Eue Greuously he afflycted the pacyent mā Iob. He made Pharaos sorcerers to withstande both Moyses Aaron Dauid ryght sore complayneth of vexatyons by wicked angels Who was a more cruell aduersary to Iesus Iosedech in reparynge the temple than was Sathan And though he preuayled not in hys .iii. temptatyons agaynst Christ our redemer yet procured he hys owne dysciple Iudas trayterouslye to betraye hym the clergye of the Iewes malycyously to accuse hym and the Romish magistrates most wrongefully to condēpne hym Saynt Paule geueth vs good warnynge that Sathan to deceyue vs can transforme hym selfe into the Angel of lyght and telleth vs also that we must alwayes haue sumwhat a do with y e minysters of darkenesse In the prymatyue churche when the wurshyppynge of Idolles ones ceased at the prechynges of the Apostles and other vertuouse fathers The prestes whiche had lyued by those Idolatryes prouoked both the prynces and commō people to persecute them to deathe making them to beleue that it was neuer a mery worlde sens they were suffered to preach This hath both Eusebins in Ecclesiastica historia and also Tertulianus in Apologetico Thus haue the wholsō wyndes of heauenly doctryne bene alwayes disturbed letted and stopped theyr lyuely vapours oppressed First by Sathan y e deuyll then by the Iewysh and Popysh clergye then by superstycyouse monkes and sophystycall scole doctours nowe last of all by vnlearned loyterers and desperate ruffyanes as he of whom I haue written thys treatise folowynge is one Of thys latter sort are some become farmers of benefyces some blynde brokers in y e lawe some scribes some pharysees some flatterers for fauer some lyngerers for lucre some cloynars for aduauntage menpleasers and make shyftes These gyue the preachers most vncōly reportes to deface their godly preachynges and most odyble names to brynge them in cōtempte of the people Their croked counsels persuasyons illusyons prouocacyons and promyses of ayde in wythstandynge the mynysters are suche for a welthie lyuynge in ydelnesse that the truth of the Lorde can take no place ▪ These are as were
frenesie came sodenly vpon him In y t heat wherof he most shamefully reuyled a seruaūt of that house calling hym heretyke aud knaue because he had begonne to studie a parte in suche a Comedie as myghtely rebuked the abhomynacyons and fowle fylthie occupienges of the Bishopp of Rome Moreouer he requyred hym in hys own stought name to do a lewde massage whych was to call the compiler of that Comedie both heretike and knaue concludynge that it was a boke of most perniciouse heresie That boke was imprynted about .vi. yeares a go and hath bene abroad euer sens to be both seane and iudged of men what it cōtayneth And thys is the name therof A Comedie concerning iii. lawes of nature Moyses Christ. etc Therin is it largely declared how y t faythe lesse Antichrist of Rome with his clergye hath bene a blemysher darkener confounder and poysener of all wholsom lawes And that wyth ydolatricall Sodometrie he hath defyled nature by ambytyouse Auarice he hath made Gods commaundemēts of non effecte and with hypocrytycall doctryne peruerted Christes moste holye Gospell Thys is wele knowne to al men How commeth than an heresye thus to report or wryte By lyke this fonde fellaw hath learned of Lanfrancus and fryre Walden that he is only an heretyke whych in doctryne dyssenteth from the synagoge of Rome Or els of fryre Guido in hys boke De heresibus that he is a most perniciouse heretyke whych sayth that the Romysh pope is not heade of the christen churche neyther maye make lawes for the christyanyte But he neuer yet marked the wurdes of Athanasius that they are the most wycked sorte of heretykes whyche persecuteth Christes true seruauntes Other argumentes are there els to proue thys wycked fellawe a natural child of that father mother so a most spyghtfull Papyst In the tyme that stought Steuen Gardyner was Byshopp of Wynchestre and made hauocke of Christes poore stocke no mā was so madde as thys madde fellawe to searche and to seke to accuse to reuyle to shame and to brynge menne in daunger of deathe for their Christen beleues sake No where was anye sessyons wythin Hamshire but he was alwayes there agaynst them conducted by y t prestes pratynge and scoldynge stuttinge and stam berynge with frothe yssuynge out on both sydes of hys mouthe for anger The supersticyouse Nonnes of Wynchestre dysobeyenge both the Byshopp and hys chaunceller concernynge their apparell and vtterly contempning the preachinges that are now had their daily resortes to him and became as flickering culuers about hys house The preachers of Gods wurde there were nothynge els wyth hym as he fat on the ale bēches but heretykes knaues vagaboūdes traiters apostataes runnegates w t bloud and soule that he wold laye hys dagger on their faces No mā knoweth this to be more true then I do vpon whome he not only bestowed these vncomelye names and that a great sort of tymes but also in y t opē streate at Wynchestre cōming sodenly out of an house of purpose vpon me he sette hys one hande vpon my Bearde and bosome and hys other hande sometyme on hys Dagger and sometyme bent it ouer my heade as thoughe he wolde haue buffetted me on the face wyth suche madde exclamacions as I neuer hearde of man of Bedlem besydes the vnreasonable spoyle that he had made afore that of my house Yet neuer in my life ded I offende hym to my knowledge neyther in my dede nor my wurde Not thus yet satled in all thys ragynge furye he procured the clarke of my parrish of bishops Stoke a man y t knoweth not his A. B. C. .ii. more as vnlearned and popish as he was to indyghte me at Wynchestre sessions for not hallowing the funte at the baptyme of a Childe wyth candel lyghte salt oyle creame and waxe droppinges as in the popysh tyme notwythstandyng the kynges inhybycion concernynge all suche papystycall beggeryes He caused them to report there to the rediculouse wondermēt of all men learned that I should haue sayd than that the wurd of God was hallowed ynough alredy But that Gods wurd at any tyme should be prophane and nede hallowyng or els that it hath bene hallowed it is their blasphemouse and beastly opynion and not myne I thynke a more folysh vnlearned a sentence was neuer vttered of any man Se how depely the Lord hath permytted these papystes to spew fourth their owne rydyculouse shame Yet was it not so doltish and brutish but it toke place there and was wele allowed They that could do nothynge in matters of truthe for the kyng at the sessyons afore coulde in the popes secrete quarell at that sessions for falshehode fynde me wurthy an indightment wurkmanly made it out And it wanted no circūstaunce that myght be deuysed to aggrauat the matter For there was I called an obstynate persone a sedycyouse fellowe a trobler of thys whole realme a prophaner of of the sacramentes a deprauer of the kynges boke a slaunderer of hys procedinges an abhominable example gyuer a contēpner of the kynge and hys crowne Al the papystes of England had neuer at that bench so muche layed agaynst thē And all for pretermyttynge y t one poynte of olde papistrie If thys conueyaunce be not sūwhat wurth I report me Well he hath made his boast that for doynge of suche feates he can lacke no lyuyng Twētie prestes within Hāshire he saithe wyll rather giue me vp their personages and profyghtes vpon a small pensyon than I shulde be without a dwellinge house And he y t shall seke hym at thys day shall fynde him tabernacled in one of their personages what though he hath protested by othe that he wyll be no longer a papyst Thus haue I set out thys frantyck papyst in hys owne lyuely colours agreynge to hys most maliciouse frutes to make him knowne to others and to cause hys other companyons to be a shamed of hys lewde lunitick waies If he be not a papist which with poluted mouth in defence of papistrie blasphemeth the kynges Maiestie his honourable counsell the preachers of gods wurd signified by Gods name Gods tabernacle and thē that dwell in heauē who is a wicked papist If he be not a false prophet that euometeth such .iii. filthy frogges at ones as this busy babler hath done here in one blasphemouse sētence who is a false prophet If he be not a malignaunt mēbre of Antichrist that so malicyously and madlye defendeth hys noughtye quarell wyth pratlynges and scoldynges stuttynges and stamberynges supportynge supersticiouse Noōnes and other Idolaters in theyr open Idolatries conteptuouslye reuylynge the preachers wyth dagger in hande or fyst on theyr faces besides indightmentes I wold fayne knowe who were a member of Antichist Thau shall it be no slaundre to thys frātyck fellow to be called a papyst a false prophete