The lamentacyon of a Christē agaīst the Citye of London for some certaine greate vyces vsed therī Psal. lxx Let them be abasshed aude ashamed that seke after my sowle let them be put to flight and shame that wyll me euyll Imprīted ī y e yere of our Lord m.d.xlviii ¶ The lamentacion of a Christen Agaynst the Cytie of London ce OH Lorde God Father of mercy and God of all consolation what herte cānot lamente to se the Testament of thy onely Sōne oure full and onely redemer Iesus Christ thus refused troden vnder fote yea all thogh God hathe geuen oure most Soueraygne Lorde Kynge Henry the eight suche an herte to set yt for the with his most Graciouse Preuyledge Yet the great parte of these inordinate riche styfnecked Cytezens will not haue in their howses that lyuely worde of our soules nor suffre their seruantes to haue it neyther yet gladly reade it or hear it redde but abhorreth and disdayneth all those which wolde lyue according to the Gospell And in steade there of they sett vp and mayntayne Idolatrye and other innumerable vices and wickednesses of mans inuencyon dayly committed in the Cytie of London no reformaciō or redresse ones studied for wherby to expulse vice encreace vertu nor no pollitique inuencion for the commenwelth No no their heades are so geuē to seke their owne particular welthes oneli that thei passe not of no honest prouysiō for the poore which thinge aboue all other infidelityes shall be our damnacion As apereth Math. xxv where Christ saith I was hungrye ye gaue me not to eate I was thurstie and ye gaue me not to drīke I was sicke and in preson and ye visited me not c. For not doynge these things shall Christe saye go ye cursed childerne in to euerlastyng fyre prepared for the deuell ād his Angels Reade the text and there ye shall se what shalbe layed agaynst you at the greate daie of the lorde And there ye shall also se that ye shall not be enquired of many vayne folishe supersticiouse thinges of your owne inuencions of your Popishe Prestes of Baal whether ye haue done them or not No no they shalbe greatly to your dampnacion Oh Lorde God how is it possible for this Cytie to expulse vice and seke after vertue seynge they will not receaue thi gospell which is the worde of euerlastynge life and that onely thing that leadeth vs into all truth No Lorde they cānot be contented not onely to denye the receit therof but also the greatest parte of the seniours or aldermen with y e multitude of the inordinate ryche euē as the Iewes cryed out against Christ takinge parte w t the highe prestes saing Mat. xxvii Crucifie him euē so doth the riche of the Citye of Lōdon take parte and be fully bent w t the false Prophetes y e Bishops other strong stoute sturdie prestes of Baall to persecute vnto dethe all and eueri godly person which either preacheth the worde or setteth it forth in writinge if thou deliuer them not from their wicked snares euen as ded theyr fore fathers the moost wycked cruell and stonyherted Byshoppes Scribes ād Pharysees by thy seruauntes the prophetes ād also Thapostels Matth. xxiii Oh Lorde God how blind be these Cityzens whych take so great care to prouyde for y e deade whych thynge is not commaunded them nor a vayleth the deade no more thē the pissing of a wrēne helpeth to cause the see to flowe at an extreme ebbe but ys the worke of mans owne inuencion ymaginacion accordinge to the saynge of the Prophete rehersed in Math. xiii In vaine worshippe and serue they me with the inuencions and Imagynacions of men Thus follow they theyr owne Imagynacyons prouydynge for the deade vncommaunded and leaue prouydynge for the poore lyuing which the scrypture most ernestly teacheth comaūdeth as apereth in the Prophete Esay lviii Rom. xiii xv Luke xiiii Deut. xv.ii. Cor. ix Prou. xxi And that which shalbe layde to your charges as is afore saide for not doinge And y e rewarde of euerlasting life to thē which to their power haue prouyded to do for the wydowe ande fatherlesse which is to be vnderstōde of all pouertie as presoners ād those that be abrode Oh Lorde GOD how is yt possible for thys people to praise the aright or to seke thy glorye whych when they be in trouble or plaged rightfulli of y e either be drought moisture or pestilence or anie such like whiche do not as the Children of Israel ded when they sawe their owne iniquitie repented ande forsoke theyr Idolatrye wyth all theyr false goddes ande onely called to the Lorde God of hostes and so obtained As apereth ī Iudicum iii. iiii.vi.x.xi c. ande in many other places of the Bible And seinge Chryst our redemer teacheth vs ī the .vi. of Math. where he sayth Whē ye praie saye O father which arte in heauē cet And further he saith also Mat. xi Cōe vnto me all ye y t laboure āde are loden meaning with sinne and I will refreshe you O what a mercyfull promes is thys made to vs wretches by hī that is all holy all mighty all mercyfull and wyll fulfyll all hys promyses euen as he is God alone How madde yea how wicked be we then to go to seke call or to crye to any other thē to him alone Seīge he forbiddeth vs ī so many places of his holy Testament sainge I will haue none other Goddes in my syght I am a Iealouse God Exo. xx But alas these stifnecked citizens will not comme to thys onely mediatoure both God mā but whē they feale thē selues worthily plaged which cōmeth of thē onely thē wil they run a gaddyng yea a whore hūtyng after their false prophetes through y e streates ones or twyse in the weke crienge and cailyng to creatures not to the creator wyth or a pro nobis and that in a tonge whych the greatest parte vnderstondeth not vnto Peter Paule Iames and Iohan Marye Martha cet and I thynke wythin fewe years they wyll wythout thy greate mercy call vpon Thomas wolsey late Cardynale and vpon the vnholy I shuld saye holy mayde of kent Why not well as vpon Tho. Becket what he was I neade not write yt is meately well knowē The sainge of the Prophete Esaye xxix recited by Math. in the .xv. chapter is verified in this people Wyth their lippes they hououre me but their hertes are farre frō me Yea they beate their Breth agaīst y e ayer as S. Paul saith i. Co. xiiii y t in vaine Oh Lorde God cōfounde thē wyth all their false Prophetes super sticiousnes for they minish thy glorie as moch as in thē lyeth What is their gaddinge w t or a pro nobis vnto creatures of thē which shuld onely praie vnto y e is it ought elles but abhominatiō no surely And y e Cytie neuer speadeth so euell as whē they
or write Christ aright he is incontynent in the net eyther of fellonie treason or hearesye or in all thre But at the grete daye of the Lorde at the rysynge of all fleshe ye generacion of Uipars shall se that those shalbe fouÌ„de faythfull bothe to the Kyng of the body onely and also to the Kynge of bothe bodye and soule And then ye shall be found in deade fellons Traytours ande Heretyques both Agaynst GOD and man ande soche wyll ye be so longe as ye possesse your inordynate RICHES that wycked MaÌ„mon GOD geue the KINGE an hert to take y t wicked Mammone froÌ„ you as he may rightfullye do wyth the Consent of the commones by acte of Parlament so that it maye be dysposed to GODES Glorye and y e commone welthe As to take hiÌ„ selfe a porcyoÌ„ for a knowledg of obeysaunce and for y e maiÌ„tainyng of hys estate The rest pollityquely to be put vnto a coÌ„mone welthe Fyrst dystrybuted among all y e townes in EngloÌ„d iÌ„ soÌ„mes accordiÌ„g to the quantyte nombre of y e occupyars where moste nead is And all the townes to be bouÌ„d to the KiÌ„g y t his grace may haue y e money at hys neade to serue hiÌ„ And also a politique way taken for prouysyon for y e pore in euerye towne w t some parte to y e mariages of yonge parsoÌ„s that lacke freÌ„des Wayes ther are ynough who so lusteth to studye for them Yet one thing wolde I wishe that all men wolde take you euen as ye are that is euen lyke as the Uipar aboue all other beastes wormes or serpentes is most fullest of poison for certayne qualities in him euen so ye aboue all the meÌ„bres of Antichrist be y e moste fullest of poison swiftest to shedde bloud y e greatest persecuters of Christes congregacion yea ye haue euer done most myschefe in shutting vp of Godes word froÌ„ y e people aboue al other knightes of y e romysh churche Well your wicked MammoÌ„ your in ordinate riches was not of our heauenlie fathers plantynge therfore it muste vp by the rotes with the riches of your other brethern of the Romyshe churches or church malygnaÌ„t which of late ware ryghtfully plucked vp If thou wilt reade y e storyes of the thre kynges a fore sayd thou wilt saie it is hyghe time to pull from theÌ„ y t wycked MaÌ„mon In y e same stories ye shall see what knavery hath euer bene practysed of y e Bysshoppes aboue all other Impes of Antychryst as well agaynst y e KiÌ„ges as Agaynst the preachers teachers writers of Christes gospell moste lyke vnto y e Uypar as afore is sayde Understonde also what the propertye of a Uipar is she destroieth her make or male in the concepcyoÌ„ the thiÌ„ge conceiued I meane the yonge in the lyttirynge or forth bringyng destroieth the damme So Bysshoppes who-KiÌ„gs mak Lordes of beggers be commoÌ„ly the fyrste that procure theÌ„ dyspleasure as appereth by y e storyes of these KiÌ„gs aforesayed Yea they haue put mo Kyngs to troble then euer came to light For why it must neades be trew y e Christ saieth of them The Chyldern of thys worlde be wiser in theyr generacion theÌ„ y e chylderne of lyght be in theyrs What thiÌ„k ye of the northe Surelye in my iudgement I wyll speake no farther but it was theyr owne inuencion aÌ„d the Bysshoppes ware the very orygynall grounde ande foundacyon of the same Insurectyon vproare and tumulte Well although Chryste dothe saie ye be so wyfe in youre generacion yet maketh not it against these wordes that your wysdome will proue folishnes .i. Cor. i. Whyche GOD graunte maye be shortlye that the pore selye lambes maye preache aÌ„d teache the gospell and that the rest which yet be without may espie your dysceyte aÌ„d fle from your dyrtye tradycyons ande followe theyr owne shepherd which so louinglie gane his life for them I knowe y e Papystes their flocke shal sclauÌ„derously report that I am agaynste the SacrameÌ„t which am dyrectlye w t it after Christes institucioÌ„ and full agaynste y e institucioÌ„ of the Rome Bysshoppes as ye shall perceiue yf ye marke pondre my seÌ„teÌ„ce aright Or els they will say I aÌ„ aÌ„ anabaptist which opinioÌ„s of theÌ„ y t are against the scriptur as they haue diuerse I vtterly abhorre which opynioÌ„s nead not her to be touched Your old craft is also to sclauÌ„der vs saynge we be causers of insurreccyoÌ„ iÌ„ which poynt eueÌ„ as I therin now shall shew my miÌ„d so haue all those done which laboured iÌ„ y e viÌ„eyard of whoÌ„ ye haue borned a great noÌ„bre I acknoweledge geue to vnderstoÌ„d to all y t shall either read this my worke or heare it red y t all kiÌ„ges rulers haue theyr aucthoritye powers of God aÌ„d they that resiste theÌ„ or those which of theÌ„ be sent resyst God Rom. xiii so seaketh his own daÌ„nacioÌ„ Yea although a Kyng be a tyraunt we may not resyste hym Yea ande althoughe a king shuld be so wicked to make actes or lawes eueÌ„ directly agaynst Gods lawes as dede kiÌ„ge Darius Daniel vi Ande also y e high prestes Pharisees forbiddiÌ„g Peter IohaÌ„ to preach christ Act. iiii Yet may we not w t fist swerd c. resist theÌ„ nor be aueÌ„ged of theÌ„ no more theÌ„ dede Daniel y e other children resist darius or IohaÌ„ and Peter y e prestes pharisees or Chryste pylate Mathe. xvi But gentle Reader marke y t eueÌ„ as we may not resist theÌ„ w t fist sweard or weapoÌ„ c. but to owr daÌ„pnacion euen like wise may we not obserue theyr wicked lawes nor conseÌ„t or agree vnto theÌ„ with hert or mouthe vnder paine of y t selfe same daÌ„pnacyon but rather suffre deth then eyther to resyste them bodely wyth strength of hande or consent agree vnto their wicked lawes and actes in hert or mouthe after the exaÌ„ple of Daniell CHRIST y e Apostles Prophetes Martyres et cetr And after the exaÌ„ple of the mother with her seueÌ„ soÌ„nes Mach vi Whych example is wrytten for our learniÌ„g with many suche like And marke thys that eueÌ„ as all subiectes be bounde to the higher powers and to be ruled by them in all thiÌ„gs as lawes decrees aÌ„d suche other grounded vppon scrypture and not to resiste in paine of daÌ„pnacioÌ„ So must the hygâ—er powers be ruled by the scrypture ande make no lawes contrarie to y e scrypture in payne of like daÌ„pnacyon vnto them For that is the onelye touchstone whych trieth all thynges and whych muste gouerne all thynges Thus I end my Lamentacion beseackyng God through his sonne Iesus Christ to drawe you from all your old Idolatrye fornycacyon aÌ„d aduoutrye from persecuting Christ in his saintes from your inordynate couetuousnes ande from youre euell suppressynge of the pore And geue you grace that nowe at the last ye maye repente ande beleue the gospell in embrasynge the same sekynge GODES glorye onelye and the commone welth as in tymes paste ye haue done youre owne and dylygentlie to prouide for the pore whiche aboue all other thynges shalbe demaunded of you at y e greate daie of the Lord as afore is sayde And thus doiÌ„g doubt not but y e plages whych ye haue ryght fullie deserued God of his bottomelesse mercie wil turne theÌ„ from you as he ded by y e Niniuites whych repeÌ„ted wheÌ„ they ware warned by Ionas y e Prophete Yf not loke for no lesse plages then IerusaleÌ„ other Cityes had for their inyquitie Awake therfore and repent ande turne to the Lorde yet in tyme and he will turne to you That graunt the Lorde of all Lordes and father of mercye Amen The grace of God through our Lorde Iesus Chryst be wyth you all
to their deseruinges And he that spake y e same to Ierusalem speaketh it to yow aÌ„d to all Cityes that committe like iÌ„iquite as ye do And whether ye haue serued y e Disciples of the Lorde like as ded the Cytezens of IerusaleÌ„ their Prophetes Iudge your seifes ande ye shall se that ye haue shed more bloud theÌ„ euer ded that moste synfull Ierusalem euen of theÌ„ that taught you Gods truth Well I can no more but beseche the Lord God that he wyll geue suche grace to some that in the time of hys wrath he maye finde .x. ryghteous persons in this Cytie whereby the wrath and veÌ„geauÌ„ce of God may be turned from it which is lyke to come shortly vppon vs or vppoÌ„ our childeren for our sinnes oure forfathers For we haue deserued a M. tymes more plages theÌ„ euer ded Tire SidoÌ„ or Sodoma Gomora ware it not for y e great mercy of God I thinke we had fouÌ„de it so or this tyme. For we haue an example of these Cities they be written for oure learninge to auoid such vices Yea no doubt the vices coÌ„mitted in y e oh LoÌ„don are as euell as euer ware in any of y e foure Cyties afore named And surely I thinke yf they had herd y e prechiÌ„g y t hath bene iÌ„ LoÌ„don this .xiiii. or .xvi. yeares past y t they had repeÌ„ted and â—orsaken their Iniquitye For I saye vnto youe that the gospell was neuer more siÌ„cerelye preached in the tyme of the Apostles then it hath bene of late in London Nor neuer more Godly exposicions vppoÌ„ the scripture and that a greate nombre whereby to drawe vs to Christ Iesus For why the same sprete euen the very holye Ghoste whych spake in the Apostles hath spokeÌ„ in meÌ„ now to vs. But alas as the Prophete sayth Esay xxix we haue eares heare not eyes see not See ye not nor yet perceiue ye how the blynde Prophetes haue led you euen now in our tyme Haue ye not slayne the seruauntes of the Lorde onely for speakynge agaynst y e autoritye of the false Bysshoppes of Rome that moÌ„struouse beast whoÌ„ now ye your selues do or shuld abhorre I meane all his lawes beynge contrary to Christ not his body yet ye se y t a fewe yeares past ye breÌ„t them for heretiques abhominable which preatched or wrote against his vsurped power now it is treason to vphoulde or maintayne any parte of his vsurped power aÌ„d he shal dye as a traytoure that so doth well worthy So saye I vnto you there shalbe yet thinges preched vnto you and ye shall be instructed by wryters of thiÌ„ges which ye be not yet able to beare and whosoeuer preacheth or writeth it if the Lorde defend him not out of your handes he shall dye for it aÌ„d yet out it will at y e leÌ„gth though all the deuelles in hell saye naye to it and so shalbe reformed Ande euen this followyng is one of y e chefest thiÌ„gs Oh ye Cytezens wyll ye neuer geue your selfes to the readynge pf the scripture whereby ye maye knowe the lawe of the Lorde to avoyde the euerlastynge damnacion which is ordayned for the deuell aÌ„d his angels Wyll ye euer be ignorant of Godes coÌ„maundemeÌ„t Exodi xx saynge I will haue none other Gods in my syght and that ye neyther bowe your selfe nor serue any thing as God y t is in earth benethe or in heauen aboue or in the water vnder the earth And do ye not yet se how thys whore of BabyloÌ„ hath altered the supper of the Lorde which was iÌ„stituted to haue y e blessed passion in continuall remeÌ„braunce for a perpetuall memorye of thankes geuinge which we shuld receiue with all reuerence and meaknes of hert geuinge thaÌ„kes vnto God onely for y t benefyte which we haue receyued obtayned through Christes dethe which this supper sygnifyeth and that we beleue as verely as we eate the breade driÌ„k y e wine which norissheth y e body is seane with our corporall eye spiritualli representeth the very body of Christ euen so verely as we haue tasted eateÌ„ seen this holy supper or SacrameÌ„t of thaÌ„ks geuinge euen so verelye to beleue y t Christ dyed for our sinnes and that his bloud onely hath pacyfied the fathers wrathe and so hath sett vs at peace with God For he hath payed y t which laye not in me nor in no man but onely in hym that was bothe God man and by none other meanes myght maÌ„ be redemed and so to aknoweledge y t he is dead hath shed his bloude for our synnes is rysen for our rightwysnesse Thus I seynge my synnes buryed in Christes woundes must euer more be thankfull to y e euerliuiÌ„g God onely And thus to eate his blessed body and to driÌ„ke his bloude spiritually in fayth is Gods institucyon Math. xxvi Marc. xiiii Luc. xxii.i. Corinth xi Where he sayth as ofte as ye shall eate of this breade drinke of this cuppe ye shall shew y e Lordes death till he come And saynte Austyn sayth what preparest thow thy teth thy belly beleue thow hast eateÌ„ Which agreeth with y e words of our sauiour Christ saing The fleshe profiteth nothynge it is the spryte y t quyckeneth Iohan in y e .vi. chapter But the institucioÌ„ of Antichriste is cleane contrary to thys For by his institucioÌ„ thow muste fall downe vppoÌ„ thy knees holdinge vp thy handes as to God In dede it is y e Bysshoppe of Romes God which they must see with theyr corporall eye because they haue no hope in the lyuynge God through the spyrituall eye And thus hath he chaunged the holy memory of Christes death in to the worshippynge of his God made of fyne flower and all to bringe him selfe and his membres alofte aÌ„d in the reputacion of the world aboue all degrees of men yea aboue Kinge and Emperour and therby to sitt in the consciences of men aboue God and his worde euen in the very teÌ„ple of God where God alone shulde fitt And by his institucioÌ„ of this his God is he crept vp in to this vsurped power Oh Antichrist the begynner of this Idoll which is heade of all Idolles after thyne institucyon Doth not God say as afore is sayde Exo. xx Thou shalt not worshyppe any symilitude that his in heaueÌ„ erth or in the waters vnder the earth And thou contrari to the euerlyuing Goddes coÌ„mandemeÌ„t hast seduced the people to honore thy God I tel the geÌ„tle reader ones againe it is the greatest Idoll vnder heaueÌ„ as it is vsed in his masse and a God of the makynge of Antichrist as is sayde whiche masse is after his institucyon an heape of folishe ceremonies without significacions to avaunce ande set out his God to the blearynge of the eyes of the symple Ande thu shalt see if thou wilt reade y e .xviii. chapter of the Apocal. callinge to God onely to open thyn eyes all the
euen as it is vsed already in diuerse cityes of Germanie Yea although all the Antichristes ī the whole worlde wolde saye y e contrarye all their disciples wyth them yea although they studie to set all the Princes of y e earth together by the eares to let that and soche like godly redresse as it is their olde cast yet he sytteth in Heauen that laugheth them to scorne ād he shall make theyr wysdome folyshnes .i. Cor. i. The seconde cause is for redeamīge your soules and your frendes whych is also abhomynable For who soeuer will seke redempcyon iustifycacyō saluacyon or to be made righteouse by the lawe he is gone quyte from Christ ād hys merytis profyte hym not Reade the thyrde chaptre to the Romaynes and the .iiii. to the Hebreus the .iii. to the Galath and also Esaye liii.i. Cor. i. ād ther ye shall see Perchaūce ye will saie ye seke no soche thīge thereby Oh ye vnwise and opē dyssemblers wherfore thē do ye it ye saye like as the Idolatoure nowe adaies doth yf he set a candle before an Image ande Idolle he sayth he doth not worshippe the Image but God whōe it representeth For saye they who is so folysh as to worshyppe an Image As who shuld saye none I answere wherfore doth God ī so manie places of y e Scripture forbidde vs to worshippe Idolles or Images as Exo. xx Deut. v. Sapi. xiii xiiii ād throughout all y e Prophetes but that he knewe that ye wolde worshyppe them wyth youre forefathers Euen so ye bycause ye haue not full trust in Chrystes merites ye grope after vayne waretackes If thou wylt set a Candle before the Image of God thou must be diligēt dayly to helpe thyne neighbour acording to thyne estate whych thing I haue towched before The .iii. cause of youre good intēt is that y e profites of your goodes maie come to the prestes as though they ware y e peculyar people of God ād onely beloued as īdede to those whiche preache the Gospell be the people bounde to geue a sufficient lyuyng For the workmā is whorthye of hys rewarde Mat. x.i. Tim. v. But not that their prayer cā helpe the dead no more thē a mans breth blowynge in the sayle can cause a great shippe for to saile So is this also become abhominaciō for those be not Chrystes mynysters but the minysters of a rable of vncommaunded tradicions popishe ceremonies Ande thus ye be the mainteyners of a sort of lusty lubbars which be well able to laboure for their lyuynge and stronge ynoughe to gett it w t the swet of theyr faces as y e Scrypture teacheth them Genesis iii.i Thesalo iiii Ande thus be ye mayntayners of their ydlenes and leaue the blynde the lame the presoner vnholpē whiche the scripture cōmaundeth you to helpe except it be on the sōdayes with afewe halfpēs or by pēnymeale whych helpeth lytle or no thynge But vnto those blynde guides ye wil geue vi.vii.viii yea xii poūds yearly to one of thē to synge in a chaūtrie to robbe the lyuynge God of hys honnoure Ye wyll saye vnto me what arte thou that callest these thīges vncommaunded tradycyons and popyshe ceremonyes seynge the Kynges Grace forbyddeth them not vseth parte of them hym selfe I answere that ye vse manye thynges contrary to the kyngs iniunccyons And yf it be that God through the kynge hath caste out the deuell out of this realme and yet both he ād we suppe of the broth in which the deuell was soden and that God hath yet not opened the eyes of the kynge to set all thynges in right frame vtterly to breake downe the serpēt as Ezechias the kinge dyd .iiii. Reg. ix as kynge Asa dyd .ii. Chro. xiiii take it thus that euen your īiquytye wyth callynge vpon vayne Goddes sekynge saluacion by a wrōge waye is the veri cause that God closeth vp the eies of the kynge as of one that heareth ād vnderstandeth not ād seeth perceyueth not But for the reuerence of Christes merites where as ye haue walked some in verye sīple ignorance and some in obstynate or wylfull ignorance groped in tymes paste after a wronge waye darke croked harde and endles now seke the ryght trew ande onely waye which is light streyght ād easy to fynde y t is to say Christ the onely Messias and redresse these thinges easy to be done Turne your Chauntries your Obbites from the profite of these bearewolues whelpes whiche can neyther helpe the soules of your frendes departed nor yet yours after God hath taken you from this life scripture ye haue none to ēcorage you but only your owne inuētions against you are places innumerable specially Rom. xiiii Where the Apostle sayth what soeuer is not of fayth is synne your chaūtries ceremonies are without Godes worde and so must thei be without fayth ergo they be sinne Bestowe them therfore frō hence forwarde vppon y e trew Image of Christe whych is vppon the poore the sycke the blīde the lame the presoner etce Oh ye Cytezens yf ye wolde turne but euen the profytes of your chauntries and your obbittes to the fyndynge of the poore with a pollitique godly prouysion where as now London beyng one of the flowers of the worlde as touchige worldlye ryches hath so manye yea innumerable of poore people forced to go from dore to dore and to syt openly in the stretes a beggynge and many not able to do for other but lye in their howses in most greuous paynes ande dye for lacke of ayde of the riche to the greate shame of the Oh londō I saye yf ye wolde redresse these thynges as ye be bounde ande sorowe for the poore so shulde ye be wythout y e clamor of them which also crieth vnto God agaynst you ande whych he well heareth and then where as now ye haue ā hoūdreth extreme poore people shall not be one in so doīg your owne goodes shal not ▪ be a witnesse agaīst you at y e greate day of the Lorde as yt wilbe agaīst your forefathers for not prouiding for y e poore Besydes y t what a Ioye shall it be to se your bretherne well prouided for ye abuse your riches specially you that come to thoffice of the Cytie for ye spende vnmeasurably Uppon whome euen vppon them that haue no neade as vppon the Nobles ād Ientlemen of the courte vppō the aldermen and other riche cōmoners which haue as greate nead of your feastes as hath the see at the hyghest of y e springe tyde of the pissynge of the wrenne the pore forgottē except it be with a few scrappes and bones sent to newgate for a face Alasse alasse how litle it is the Lord knoweth I thinke in my Iudgement vnder heauen is not so lytle prouisyon made for the pore as is in London of so riche a Cytie Well the poore well feleth the bournynge of Doctor Barnes and hys fellowes which laboured in
the Lorde For accordynge to there office they barked vppon you to loke vppon the poore so that then some relefe they had but now alasse y ey be colde yea euen those which saye they be the fauorrers of the gospell It is a token that youre foundacion was buylded vpon the sande for that GOD hath suffred youre Prophetes to bee brente Though they be gone considre it was not theyr commādemēt but goddes whose Testament ye haue euen nowe in youre very Mother tonge thankes be to the Lorde therfore In y e same ye may perceyue that their absence shulde not quenche nor mollifye your loue towardes your brethern And doubt not but God shall rayse other that shall speake w t the same sprete that they ded with no lesse loue vehemēcy if inyquytie be not cause to the contrarie There is a custome in the Cytye ones a yeare to haue a quest called y e warnmall queste to redresse vices but alasse to what purpose cometh it as it is vsed If a pore man kepe a whore besides hys wife a pore mans wyfe play the harlot they are punisshed as well worthie But let an alderman a Ientlemā or a riche man kepe whore or whores what punishmēt is there Alasse this matter is to bad I saye some of your aldermen kepe whores to the greate shame of all the rest Yt weare no shame to name thē Wherfore repēt amēde or sureli I will yf God lende me lyfe in an other worke name you ād other of your affynyte which be openly knowen to be cōmō aduouterers which is no lytle shame to the heades and other rulers of the Cytie to suffre such abhominacion But no maruell though ye suffre bodely aduoutrers seinge ye your selfes are spyrituall auoutrers callīg vpō vaine godes Ye will say I sclaūdre you brynge vp false lies vpō you Some of you knowe whether I sclaūder you or not I wold it ware a sclaūder But I sclandre you so y t except ye repēt amēd your liuing as well ye y t be sufferers of such vices as the cōmitters except ye amēde I saie seke redresse of thys and such lyke the vengeaunce of God wyll lyght vppon the Cytye for youre synnes For howe can ye do Iustice vpon a nother and ye offende in the same yourselfe yea how parciall be ye that punish the pore ande leaue vnpunished those heades that shulde geue goode example to the rest A wake awake for the Lorde slepeth not althoughe ye thīke that he wīcketh at thys geare I exhorte you in godes name loke better ī chosinge of your heade officers Let not ryches only cause men to rule and specially irke better to y e chosīg of your officers of the lawe How can Dronkandes whoremongers ande couetouse Parsons geue ryght Iugemēt do bryers brīge forth figges thornes grapes Ande I saye vnto you the parcialyte of Iudges suppressynge the pore and aydynge the riche for lucre ād in codēpning the innocētes lettinge the wycked go fre bryngeth the vengeaunce of GOD vpō all places as appereth in Esay iii. Here I coulde saie sūwhat more then I nowe wyll I meane in condempninge the Innocentes Thynke ye that God hath not as moche to laye to y e charges of London for killinge hys seruantes as he had agaynst Ierusalem for killinge hys Prophetes Yes yes For Goddes sake ye that be elders repent geue your selfes to readinge y e lawe of y e lord y t ye maye be an exāple to y e cōmons in Godlye cōuersaciō And in y e Scriptur ye shall lerne what to do ande what to leaue vndone howe to knowe false Prophetes ād how to cast them out of your conscyēs where they haue syttē a longe time euē in the stede of God I meane not the Bysshoppe of Rome alone but he all hys marke wyth hym and specialy his owne generacion which are all ī forked Cappes What a plage is this that in no mans tyme aliue was euer any Christē Bisshoppe rainīge ouer the Citye of London but euery one worsse then other I thynke theyr can now come no worsse except the same Lucyfer that fell frō heauen come hīselfe whyche is the very father of all Popyshe Bysshops Consyore thys is for your inyquitie Yet let y e lytle flocke reioice geue God onely thākes y t he hath raised other meaner mēbres In y e sight of y e worlde then Bisshops to preach y e gospell ande to set it forth in wrytynge Now to all you though ye be fewe in nōbre whych fauoure Gods holy worde vnfainedly and not in worde onely but in workes also shewyng y e frutes of your faith say I thus exortynge you for Christes bloude sake to be dylygent in prayer onely to the euerlyuinge God y t he of hys owne mere mercy geue grace to y e rulers of thys Citye that frō henceforth they maye seke Gods glory onely the cōmonwelth and prouysiō for the poore ād then doubt ye not but God shall geue our noble Kynge such ā harte that he shall knowe ād soche eyes that he shall playnly see and soche eares that he shall vnderstonde in deade For why it is the Lorde that hath the hert of all prynces in hys hande Pro. xxi So that I saye where as he hath now bānisshed out of hys realme but the veri beare wolfe the whore of Babylon only shall now also bānysh with her all her folyshe tradycyons and beggerly ceremonyes against which S. Pau. wrote ad Gal. iiii in many other places mo Now shall your papistical sorte dispise thys my lamētacyō laugh me to scorne Althogh I knowe there is no Chrysten herte in thys realme no nor in the whole worlde whiche knoweth the vyces vsed ī the citie and how lytle Gods glorye is sought how lytle the cōmonewelth is sett by howe barelye the poore are prouided for but he wyl lamēt wyth me And as for the contrary parte I wysh with all my hert repētaunce will continuallie my life durīg praie vnto the euerlinīg God to drawe them to the Gospell of hys sonne Iesus Chryste ād that they maie come to the father by the onely waye ād dore Chryste and that they may also forsake theyr bydores clyming ī at the wīdowes wherbi they shall neuer atayne to any sauynge helth O Lorde God I beseche the call them from that nōbre whome the almighty sytting in Heauen laugheth to scorne Psal. xxi The onlye cause that I wryte thys is to exhorte all mē as well readers as hearers to repent betymes ande to fall diligently to prayer askyng mercy that we may auoyde the plages whyche we rightfully haue deserued no doubt we shall not escape them all onles we repēt y e soner Remēbre how he warned y e city of Ierusalē .xl. years lōg because they repented not but slew y e Prophetes by who God warned thē he kept promes w t thē scourged thē acordīg