Byble they that marke well sentences of grauitie and worthy notacion wyl not put reasō vnder foote and bee soo madde as to stretche their hand against the promoting of the gospell It is a token of a pestilente and wycked heart to murmure at suche as reade it For the time of them is gloriouse that gloriously spend it and cursed are they that lyue ignoraunte as brute beastes It semeth that suche esteme the hight and supreme wisedom of god to be vanities surely we ought to celebrat those daies with high ioye whan we once here tell that the ignorant sort geue ouer their enuious trauails against the Byble For then thei shall be greatly desired beloued and well named emongest al men thē shal sedicion and discorde take their leaue and enter no more in place Pitie it is that their yl intentes shuld condemne the Godly thinges that haue ben writen to winne them they ought to yeld and giue greate thankes to God that thei are deliuered frō Romishe auctoritie If they wold now shake of their old and dusty tradicions abate their depraued malice they mighte restore again their glorious fame and haue estimacion loue and fauour in steade of infamie shame and disdain Surely it were a thyng most pleasaunt in Goddes syght to see thē and the rude multitude florish in his word for in some places yet as great is the necligēce of the people as the ignorance of preistes And that they thus continewe weake wittes be not the cause but very slouthe and malice whiche cause them to folowe the corrupcion of auncient custome and to set their heartes altogyther on pleasure idlenes Thei thus folowyng their owne wilful intentes pulle doune styll the estimaciō of preistes And yf they would leaue the wyles of the worlde that nowe flocke togither styffely in blyndnesse appliyng their wittes to ēdomage other with their restye lyues cause sedicion and sclaunder vnto good ministers then myght Englande auaunce it selfe and saie Now shal I florishe and haue fauoure in goddes syght Nowe shall I be valiaunt in vertues worthy great fame For now there be none to troble and vex the poore sort peceable people bent to the gospell Nowe shal science augmente and men wyll drawe to the byble Truely I could neuer hete Antique historie alledged that men shuld not knowe it Now I shal weaken the hertes of mine enemies and make thē stande in dreade they wyll feare me more for my knowledge thē for al my valeaunt conquestes Now the heard hearted that were in credite and spred abroade the traines of supersticiouse doctrine and with blynd flattery begiled the symple sorte wyl do seruice for my common weale They wyll remember that men are but beastly by nature and Godly by their cunnyng knowledge And yet to saie further I haue often desired to haue vyces restrained and vertues augmēted that it wil now come to passe I haue a full trust for my drad soueraigne lord and supreme head Kyng Edward the sixt beginneth to be stable in the Lord and couragiouse in his woord and all his people within this his noble realme lyke louing subiectes be obedient vnto his grace perfectly taughte theyr duetie and obeisaunce Often Englād hath been in perill and daungier whē the people were weake faint and dull of vnderstandyng by whose meane it somtime hath loste the supreme heade and gouernour to it great sorowe and care But the pytiefull losse of noble Kyng Ihon shoulde perse euery mannes heart most sore and by what traiterous traines through false pretence he was caste awaie it is necessarye to be knowen whose noble and valiaunt vertues worthely to extoll I suppose no tongue is able That noble Kyng was soo broughte vppe in vertuouse and Godly bokes and toke such great trauell in the scriptures that thereby he espyed how the glorie of God was shamefully dusked and defaced with wicked tradicions supersticiō and Idolatry thinges most intollerable Then he quickely like a prince of courage and noble hearte spake openlye he wold redresse the pompe and glorie of the cleargie the gospell shuld haue free passage let them al saie what thei lust Thē they like a multitude of traiters turned themselfes from naturall subiectes into beastly rebelles They were soone confederate togyther lyke vile and detestable wretches to bluddie theyr handes on Goddes holy annoynted their deere soueraigne Lorde and gouernour al to mainteine Romysh auctoritie And to their dampnable intentes there wanted no trayterouse traynes for whan they coulde not deuise howe to kyll hym neyther with sword nor dagger they inuented policie Their daily ragyng and maliciouse heartes were neuer at quietnes tyll they had encouraged with theyr pestilent perswasions a sturdy blacke Monke to take saie vnto his grace of a poysoned cuppe when his highnesse valiauntly came into a certain Abbey where he stode in doubte and suspection of no man for al the brethren receaued him lyke Ipocrites fayned thē selfes mery ioyeouse outward but were sorowefull within They vsed ioyeful wordes but bare wicked heartes Thei sorowed not for repentance but at the sight of his graces presence whiche greued their heartes full sore then the Pryour archetectour of this heinouse treason and father of al mischefe espiyng oportunite of tyme brought in the Monke with his poysoned cuppe Oh Lord I maruel that his intrels dyd not breake to offre so fylthy a draughte to so noble a King I maruayl how his maliciouse hand for terrour sorow could hold the cup from fallyng Wonder it was that feare of god speach of people and shame of the world dyd not restrayn his propensed and wycked heart from that terryble draught deeathly vnto the Kyng and dampnable vnto hymselfe A wickeder deede and a more myserable myschefe hathe not been heard of O maliciouse and vnhappy Monkes O wretches I dare saie hearder hearted then Pharaoo and falser then Iudas or els the intestyne of theyr heartes woulde haue trembled and quaked to betray theyr deere souerain lord O wicked subiectes and beastes vnnatural I saie again O cruel wretches that soughte to make awaie hym for whose sake they should haue spent the best blud of their heartes yf these shamefull villaynes had red the notable histories of the Byble they would haue restreigned their cankerd stomackes frō consent to murder their kyng If they had read the historye of kyng Dauid and Saul and noted wel what reuerence loyall obeysaunce Dauid shewed vnto Saull although he knewe that he was a kyng vtterly cast of and refused of god If thei had marked also the wonderfull woordes and high displesure that king Dauid toke with his seruaunte whiche came vnto him either lokyng for herty thākes orels some great reward and said he had killed Saull The gentle heart of Dauid arose so at his woordes and grudged so sore at that heinouse dede that straight he promoted his seruant euen to as good a death as the gibet or galowes I thinke they woulde
A Godly Inuectiue in the defence of the Gospell against such as murmure and woorke what thei can that the Bible shoulde not haue free passage veray necessary to be red of euery faythfull Christian The abundaunte grace of the holie ghost maye dayly prouoke tempt and stere vp the heart of oure mooste noble and vertuous King EDVVARDE the VI. king of England Fraunce and Irelande Defendour of the Faith and in earth the supreme heade of the Churches of England and Ireland earnestly to promote the Gospell of Christ to the mayntenaunce of true religion and vertue WHEN I had considered and weyghed often with my selfe that the lest part of amitee faithfull loue and duety which euery man oweth towarde his natiue countrey My mooste gracious and drad soueraigne lord is not shewed in the gentle admonyshyng his coūtrey menne of suche faultes perilles and daungers whiche either bee eminent or els playnly apparant yea and especially to attempte this thing when he seeth that there is geuē some great and plentifull occasion Euen now therfore I thought it good to set furth this Inuectiue in the defence of Goddes holy woord against all coūterfaited Christians wilfully minded whiche stubburnely resiste the promoting of Chrystes blessed Testament I truste wel therfore that your highnes especially and all your nobilitee with other your true and faythefull subiectes that haue earnest heartes to promote Goddes glory and to seeke for his heauēly kyngdome wil take in good part this my enterprice Wherin although ther want fine handling liuelye colours the conueighance of Rhethoricke and also quicknesse of Witte yet for al that there hath wanted no iote of good will for though I may most iustly confesse I geue place vnto all men in good learnyng yet I maye truely say I am inferiour vnto fewe in good affection towardes the same Therfore after this my rude and base stile of Inueiynge I haue here set forth the minde and pleasure of GOD thynges veray commodiouse and fruitefull for the weale of this noble realme profitable to auoide contencion and to sette amongest vs a louely societie of liuyng Nowe in asmuch as I entreate of causes so necessary most noble victoriouse Kyng I conceiue no smal hope that no man if godly exhortaciō may haue place in his heart will refuse accordingly to note print the same most firmely in mind especially such as the holy Prophet speaketh against they haue eies and cannot see they haue eares and heare not for they shall well and easilye perceaue that stubburnnesse of mind hardnes of heart the contempt of Goddes holy woord the forgetfulnes of the great benefites and Godly goodnesse of GOD to bee thynges most greuously condempned in holye Scripture Again those that be already bent and kendeled in affection to attayne the knowledge and due obedience that apperteine to Christes holy wyll and Testament shal perceiue manifestly theim selfes to knowe the summe and effecte of their creacion Wherof we shuld al be fully taught and often admonished also that we ar not borne to spend our time in pastime and vanities of this miserable world but to be busied in al seriouse Godly matters chefely desiryng to be instructed in Goddes holy religion to liue innocently yea and to excell in al kynd of vertues For who so desireth not to liue well as Diogenes wryteth liueth vainly That is to be called a vaine life whē men rather shew them selfes beastes mortal then men Immortal regardyng altogether the bodye that vile and beastely parte of man But nowe the pamperyng of it laied apart yf we would considre the great and exuberant glory of the spirite or solle of man if we wold weigh what strength power and vertue remayne in the minde wee woulde bee sone perswaded to folow Godly thinges and flee the wicked But more it is pitie suche is the miserable misery of the world in these daies that according vnto the saiyng of the holy Prophete Woe is me al is ful of sinners whiche offend of purpose and malice Esaie the .xxiiii. These wilfull offenders my soueraigne Lorde bee suche as maliciously spurne agaynst the liuely woorde of GOD and enuy at your graces pore subiectes enbracing and readyng the same vsynge subtyll and wicked perswasions to discorage men from the readyng therof whiche thing forsoth both requireth correction and spedye confutacion for the noryshmente of the younge and tendre knowledge that GOD hath sente amongest vs. Vndoubtedly the maliciouse and cankered stomackes are so playne and plentiful in diuers places against the word of God that no tong can be still ne yet heart permit with a dissemblyng countenance to winke at the great ignorance subtile cōueighaunce especially of suche as haue taken on theym to bee the lyghte of the worlde and guides ouer the simple to conducte theym to the true woorde of GOD. This thynge is soo euydent that euery honeste hearte woulde sorowe to see it and take peine to amend it and wee oughte to bee earnest in this For who so regardeth the wyl of GOD wyl openly defend the truthe of his Gospel and labour al that he can to winne mennes heartes to it Yea and to attempte this thyng the vertue of Goddes word geueth wonderfull strengthe and boldenes Euen nowe in consideracion of this I as one hyghly reioysyng to see the glorie of GOD so liuely set furthe emongest vs but sorowyng agayne in my hearte to beholde the supersticyouse and ignoraunt sorte so lyttell amended thoughte it full time to sette forthe this Inuectiue trustynge that after the readyng of it suche as haue wytte reason and iudgemente wyll remembre them selfes aryse and most reuerently mete the truth face to face and be no longer disceiued with counterfaited coulered and cloked thinges but from hens forthe ioyeouslye take in their handes the holy Bible and esteme it as the moste diuine and Godly thyng that euer came amongest vs yea and laboure with hande and foote vsyng sobre catholicke exhortacions to allure mē vnto it This shoulde be a meane to sette for euer amongest vs a publique quietnes true loue sure and faithfull frendshyppe By this meane forsoth we shoulde banyshe Ypocrisie and ignoraunce whiche bee euer brawlyng and stande in contencion for euery colde Ceremonie and tryfelyng tradicion For trewely where Ignoraunce Disdayne the contempte of Goddes woorde gooe at their libertie there must nedes aryse contencion brawlyng sedicion and controuersie in Opinions Yea where an obediente and humble heart wanteth toward the truthe there for euery lyght occasion thus men contend Thou art an Hereticke saith one thou arte a Papist saieth an other by this forsoth the worde of GOD is sore endomaged by this meane Godlye and brotherlye exhortacion is put out of place yea by this meane Sathan worketh his wyll and pleasure and hardeneth mennes heartes towarde the shining light to their owne condempnacion and vtter confusiō Now therfore my deere soueraigne who wold not lament and for veray pitie tendre the poore simple people readye
vnto al them that beleue it It is not long sythen we called on Sainctes for diseases and all folyshe fantasies nowe we be taught that in all our extreme miseries we shuld flee vnto Ihesus the only appoincted mediatour betwyxt God the father and vs Once we wer not ashamed to rūne barefooted and barelegged to bowe our selfes vnto Images before whom we cōmitted wonderful Idolatrye a thyng most cursed dampnable in the sight of god And if men woulde iustly weie pondre the maruelouse Ipocrisy Idolatrie dampnable supersticiō which of late dayes were stifly defended and mainteined of the Clergy for pompe and dignitie vayne glorye and aduauntage sake they cannot but triumphe for this so Godly a change excepte they be priuie enemies vnto England and shamefull rebels vnto christes holy religion for by this chaunge we haue lyght for darkenes true religion for supersticion remission of our synnes by the bloud of Christ in stead of Papisticall and deceitful Pardonnes And yf we would call to memory howe imperfecte and corrupted oure faythe was by the reason of poperye howe ignorantly we walked yea and what disobedyence reygned emongest vs then surely if we be not shamelesse and destitute of all grace wee cannot but giue hearty thankes for this most gloriouse chaunce And euen nowe is full tyme yf the state and value of thynges be wel cōsidered to shew our selfes reuerent deuout and symple to receiue the gloriouse testamēt of christ yea and to repente and make our eies sore with sobbing and wepyng that euer we wer so disceiued with popery Ipocrisie such other pelfe And how to vse our selfes in readyng the bible let vs all take our exaumple of vertuouse kyng Iosias whiche was a man indued with such a singuler grace and of so feruēt zeale toward the word of God that after he had once redde the boke of the lord he so lamented al wiked doynges false doctrine that he rent his clothes and sayd The wrath of God is kendeled on vs because our fathers haue not hearkened vnto the wordes of this booke to do in al puinctes as it is written therein O happy people of Englād if your dull vnderstandyng wold reache to cōsider how worthy wordes these wer for so noble a kyng wold god the mindes of al kinges princes were so stable in the law of the Lorde as his was for he ceased not with al his power to throw doun al kynd of idolatrie as tēples hi laulters groues the .xxii. chro cōtrarily again wicked Manasses his sōne Amō obserued dismael daies made Images bowed vnto thē what vile estimaciō this brought thē vnto the holy scrypture witnesseth in the booke of the kynges Where thou maiest reade also of diuerse kynges whose hyghe glory and worthinesse is tourned into shame for that thei refused the woord of God and gaue them selfes vnto Idolatrie and vtterly cast awaie the cōmaundementes of God And for an example How pitiefully I pray the did the lord smite kyng Iehoram he was inuaded of his enemies and lost al his goodes he was plagued with diuerse diseases his end was most miserable greuouse to beholde for his bowelles rotted within hym and fell out of his bealy yea and to be brefe for his mischefe he was not buryed in the sepulcres of the kynges but is left vnto vs as a memory of wickednes the .xxii. Chronicles This kyng was thus wōderfully plaged for that he forsoke the word of god and defiled himself with Idolatrie against the law of the Lord And be ye wel assured that he and his people wer not worse defyled in those dayes then wee were of late with Romyshe doctrine Oure truste was as all men know in masses of Scala celi wee enbraced blynd pardones and louyngly buried them with vs we kneled bowed and becked vnto Idolles false doctrine bare the hole swaie the truthe cleane shut vp it was kept vnder locke and coulde haue no libertie What Godly minde woulde not abhorre to thyncke on this With these and many mo abhominacions we wer sore and deadly woūded And none so good a meane can now be foūd to cure oure olde diseases as to flee vnto the blessed testament of Christ which wil quickely healpe suche as desyre remedie confessynge their greefes and lamentyng their myserable blyndnesse The great grace and benignite of god is nowe soo preste that thou maiest yf thou wylte drynke a draughte freelye of the syncere worde of God that most pure fountain and holsome water of lyfe whiche wyll cause the to spewe vppe all that thou hast dronke of that foule stinkyng and Papistycal podel And yf thou nowe geue no eare to it but fondly wylte folowe other by pathes whiche cōmonly bee thicke thornie and cūbersome to iourney in and hast a desire to straie abrode thus wilfully thou knowest not whither dysdainyng to folowe the doctrine of the Byble where God sheweth howe and whiche waye al his should walke thē forsoth it is an euident token and significacion that thou arte the childe of wrath a counterfaited Christian yea and a ryght inheritour to Hell And if thou be mynded to tary still in Ignoraunce and wilte not bee moued from thy miserable condicion whyche soo blyndeth the that thou haste no grace to discerne the contrariete of these .ii. doctrines doe no more then but reade Sermones discipuli Legenda Aurea vitas Patrum and the olde Chronicle of Romyshe Byshoppes afterwarde reade the Testament Then thou shalt soone espie how the glory of God hathe ben defaced and what abhominable lyes and fables haue been taughte in the steade of the Gospell This shal bee a meane yf any meane be to make thine hearte relente this shall make the to crie out vpon all false doctrine yea this shall alter the from a styffe and a stubburne ignorant to be a pleasaunt sacrifice before GOD. That is thou shalte bee pourged in conscyence from Idolatrie Ipocrisie supersticion mennes constitucions newe kyndes of worshyppynges this and that fourme of liuyng colde ceremonies and such other pelfe as hath been added of late vnto Chrystes doctryne then thou wylte quickely refuse the shadowes of the lawe of Moyses and folowe the Testament whiche is the lyghte and full perfection of Christes holy religion for there thou shalte fynde all thynges playnely set forthe vnto the whiche apperteigne to get euerlastyng lyfe And if thou wilt now endeuour thy self to attain the knowledge of it then forsoth thou trauelest for pure ornamētes treasures iuels and laborst to a purpose for in comparison of it al other studies be but vain vanities and fātasies most fond And that thou mayest be more spedily prouoked to the word of God consyder howe sore sainct Paule as a true and faithfull minister was charged with thoughtes for the Congregacion He was so earnestly bēt to haue it goe forewarde that he coulde not suffre in no wyse to haue it hyndered or put backe but would haue it knowen vnto all kynd